DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION

Introduction

Many scholars have written about their philosophy of education. It is common to find that most of these writers actually derive inspiration from other writers who have written about their philosophies too. This paper shall focus on my professional philosophy of education. It is derived from the teachings and ideas of a great American philosopher; John Dewey. This philosopher detested authoritarian education. Additionally, he incorporated democracy into his teaching approaches. It is these ideas that will form the foundation for the latter paper with specific emphasis given to how these ideas can be applied to diversity in education.

Background Information
John Dewey affirmed that education can only occur through the process of social consciousness. This is seen in almost all spheres of life. For instance, whenever we acquire different habits or whenever an individual’s feelings have been awakened, then that is still part of education. Regardless of the level of strictness in any school environment, teachers cannot claim to deviate from this principle. All people are first educated through the unconscious state.

The latter assertions can be carried forward to the issue of diversity in education. Because all human beings regardless of their race, disability, gender etc go through this unconscious education, then one can assert that they deserve equal treatment if the same principle was to be applied to them. (Neil, 2005)

Dewey also asserted that a child’s social environment was particularly important in ascertaining whether that child was able to embrace true education. Again, this assertion can be related to the diverse classroom because a diverse classroom offers children the opportunity to deal with different demands from the ones that the child had been accustomed to thus giving them room for growth.

Children learn through the various demands that are placed upon them from members of the group. Consequently, if those demands are narrow or nonexistent, then a child’s feelings and action will remain as they were. However, if those demands are much greater than that child had anticipated, then chances are that the child will come out of their narrowness of thought and will embrace their role as contributors to the overall wellness of the group. Therefore, a child will be able to learn what is appropriate or not through the actions of others when they are responding to the former’s deeds or words. For instance, when children are learning a certain language, they rely on the reactions which they get from the people around then in relation to certain actions. For example, whenever a certain activity solicits a certain response, then that child will place the meaning in context. (Neil, 2005)
The latter principles also apply to diversity in education. In essence, diverse classrooms represent society as it is. Compared to conventional classrooms, diverse classes are much closer to Dewey’s ideas. This is because they allow children to learn from one another especially in terms of those who may be different from them.
According to the latter philosopher, education is imparted through two aspects
• Psychological aspects
• Social aspects

The first aspect is more important than the second because of the fact that it incorporates the issue of a child’s instincts. The latter characteristic is usually the starting point in any learning process. If education is conducted independently from the child’s activities, then it can only be regarded as a form of external pressure. If a child has no opportunity to show initiative, then they may simply solve the problems assigned to them by their educators but no meaningful education will have taken place. This is because such educators have not bothered to make an insight into the psychological goings on of the child. When a teacher’s approaches happen to fall in line with a child’s ideas, then chances are that that child will learn. However, if those approach contradict a child’s psychology, then it will create conflict within the child’s mind thus impeding learning. Consequently, there is a need for a merger between these two issues.

One can say that the same thing occurs in diverse classrooms. Diverse classrooms are ways in which the psychology of the members is made to grow. Consequently, teachers who deal with diverse groups are more likely to strike a chord with their psychology than if they were in non-diverse classrooms. (Neil, 2005)

It should also be noted that John Dewey was particularly keen on knowledge about present social conditions. Teachers or educators must be in a position where they can critically address a child’s powers. In order to do this, then that educator must place that child’s words and deeds in context. Every single person has a natural instinct but this can be regarded as a useless thing if it has not been placed in the right social context. Educators use social backgrounds to determine whether a certain activity will be carried forward into the future or whether it is merely a sign of what has been happening in the past.

In other words, the latter philosopher was trying to say that social and psychological aspects are intertwined. None of them can be disregarded in the education process. Also, the same may be said of the behavior of children within diverse classroom. When education is done in diverse environments, then it provides a broader social context against which the psychological instincts of a child can be understood by their educators. Consequently, children’s psychological realms are able to be expanded in the diverse classroom so that it can accommodate the differences in their school environments. This eventually makes the learning process more efficient.

The latter philosopher also claimed that the essence of education is to ascertain that children are prepared to meet the challenges of their future lives. However, trying to predict how this future will be so as to teach them may prove to be an unrealistic issue. Teachers need to embrace the fact that the only way they can truly prepare children for future challenges is through giving children the ability to utilize all their powers. They need to be taught how to take control of their prevailing situations and how to tackle some of the most demanding challenges confronting them. In this sense, education is mainly utilized for the purpose of fully arming and training children to exploit their full potential. This cannot be attained by resorting to a set of written down rules. The only way this can be handled is by relying or dealing with the psychological abilities of learners. One’s interests, tastes and powers are the only thing that can be deemed constant and this is what needs to be taken into account during the educative process. Consequently, diverse classrooms allow a greater level of psychological expansion and this better equips the child for his or her future life. (Neil, 2005)

Dewey also points out the fact that all children are social animals. They make up part of society and without these individuals, society would be nothing. Consequently, an education system that does not encompass the social element in their lives can be deemed as an abstract one. Additionally, society as it is depends on different individuals in order to become what it is. Without consideration of individuality, society as we know can be regarded as an inactive body. In terms of diversity in education, care ought to be given to the fact that society is not a huge mass of lifeless beings; instead, it is a combination of a series of diverse individuals who must learn to cope and live together. This aspect must be included in teaching in order to impart real knowledge.

Education must be such that it continually resorts to the following
• Capacities
• Interests
• Habits

When educators continually resort to the following aspects, then chances are that those children who are being taught will have greater opportunities for learning. At every point of the teaching process, educators must make reference to the enlisted factors because this will be allowing them to translate children’s actions to society and thus enabling them to be ready for their future lives. (Neil, 2005)

Problem statement
Student populations within the country are changing by the day. Many classrooms are packed with children who come from different races, ethnicities, disabilities and cultures. Consequently, educators need to be equipped with sound and adequate modes of preparation to cope with these diversities. But the current school environment has not yet been fully organized.

There is a need for members of society to embrace greater levels of cultural diversity. This means that viewpoints and instructional material taught in classrooms needs to embrace these diversities. History needs to be taught in such a manner that it reflects the history of minority groups too. Political science needs to reflect society as it is today and so do many other disciplines.

Future teaching must be such that it is engaged and meaningful to all students irrespective of their race, heritage, ethnicity, gender or cultural background. The question is how can this be achieved today?
Literature review

By the year 1984, twenty percent of the school population emanated from minority groups. It has been predicted that twelve years from today, fifty percent of school environments will be made up of minority groups. As of 1997, almost seventy percent of US’s twenty five largest schools were represented by minority students.
There is also another concept that one must take into account when considering issues of diversity; that of social class. Most of the children who come from minority groups happen to belong to low income households. Social class is an important factor in addressing diversity in education. It also happens that most of these children are academic underachievers. There are a complex set of reasons that could have caused this low academic achievement.

One of the reasons can best be explained John Dewey’s concepts. The latter philosopher asserted that education must be such that it reflects on the concerns, interests and abilities of learners. In most diverse schools, administrators and teachers tend to sideline the cultural experiences of these minority groups. They claim that such children are failures yet this is not a true concept. Such educators have not considered that their languages and their cultures are what has caused them to different from their peers. Instead, the latter group claims that these children are not yet ready learn and this is not the case. (Curren, 2006)

Another reason that could be causing poor handling of the issue of diversity in most classroom environments is brought on by the fact that society itself is racially polarized. A survey conducted in the year 1997 among children of grade six to twelve found that over eight percent of them had some form of racial prejudice. The latter observation can be explained by understanding Dewey’s assertions. The latter author claimed that it is almost impossible for society to be what it is today without due consideration of the constituents that make it up. Also, he claimed that children are also a reflection of society. Consequently, the problems that children coming from perceived negative backgrounds undergo are brought on by race relations eminent in society. One only has to consider what has been happening in the news. The OJ Simpson case’s results brought out a lot of racial tensions. Also, there have riots and other cases in the country’s history that have propelled these differences.
It can also be asserted that many classrooms do not provide equal opportunities to all its learners and it one can thus conclude that they have failed in the process of embracing diversity. Multicultural education is the answer to this problem. The latter term refers to the entire school reform effort conducted in order to provide equity for ethnic, cultural and economic groups. In order to embrace diversity, there is a need for an overhaul of the entire education system in order to accommodate all economic, cultural and ethnic groups within the country. (Saxonhouse, 2002)

Dewey firmly asserted that schools should not be regarded as factories or assembly lines. In other words, he claimed that many institutions believed that they had to create a product that was perfect. The traditional model of teaching was such that it ranked children according to their intelligences, their classes or their overall achievement. Learning styles in such environments are particularly disturbing owing to the fact they are quite limited and leave no room for exceptions or differences. This approach is not appropriate at all for multicultural learning yet this is what most teachers in the past have been taught. According to John Dewey’s philosophy of education, very little emphasis should be placed in a set of rules or guidelines from creating the perfect product. Instead, more efforts should be given to the societal reflection of the learners.

It should also be noted that the most effective way of dealing with diversity in education is through a three pronged approach
• Highly interactive instruction
• Heterogeneous grouping
• Inclusive curriculums

Greater collaboration between educators and the learners is the best method of tackling this issue. In other words, the education system should be transformed in such a manner that it embraces cultural diversity. From this philosophy, it is the right of all children to receive an education that reflects upon their diversity. Also, they need to be taught how to take control of their own lives by embracing their cultural and historical backgrounds.

Additionally, educators need to play their part too. They need to realize the fact that there can be no other solution to diversity challenges without holding the same expectations of all children in their classrooms. Time and time again, educators have been keen on children coming from privileged backgrounds. Consciously or subconsciously, such educators have placed many expectations for the conventional students while writing off those who come from minority groups. Such an attitude needs to be altered so that change can be brought to the education system. There is a need for educators to offer equal challenges to all groups of children irrespective of their background.

It should also be noted that most educators represent a small demographic group. In fact, very few of them are in a position to implement this philosophy of education. A majority of teachers are monolingual. This means that they cannot be able to relate to the language experiences of certain minority groups. Additionally, most teachers come from white suburban middle class backgrounds. The latter demographics do not adequately equip teachers to embrace diversity fully, these educators tend to bring their narrow experiences to the classroom thus putting minority students at a risk of being misunderstood or sidelined. (Guron, 1992)

The latter factors are further compounded by statistics conducted over the recent past. It has been found that sixty five percent of all teachers in the country spend time with members of their own race. Additionally, it has been found that such teachers are also more comfortable or more willing to work with students from similar backgrounds as theirs. The most disturbing fact revealed in this survey was the fact that many teachers asserted that minority students do not possess the academic capability of grasping some of the concepts that those educators were going to teach.

What this brings out is the need for a paradigm shift in teachers’ attitudes. Not only should multicultural education focus on the experiences of the students alone, it also needs to include the experiences of teachers as well. According to Dewey’s education philosophy, educators are the ones with the power to understand some of the cultural instincts, interests and concerns of their students so as to perpetuate learning. In order to do this effectively, greater emphasis needs to be given to the sort of training that teachers receive in their respective institutions. Teachers need to be equipped with the right attitudes, skills and knowledge needed to handle diversity in education. (Ngada & Sevig, 2002)

Teachers need to be in a position where they understand human diversity itself. Consequently, they can be better prepared to deal with some of the challenges that emanate from the diverse classroom through training them in the following;
• Field experiences in multicultural environments
• Assessment of teacher competencies in diverse classrooms
• Including multicultural experiences in curricula
• Liberal arts
• Offering courses in multicultural education
• Etc

Through these initiatives, it can then possible to carry on program in which the most diverse and underrepresented groups are tackled adequately within the classroom.
Given the changes that have been taking place across many spheres of society, one cannot help but realize the changes that are necessary in order to tackle diversity. For instance, in a particular school in California, there had been very little diversity in their classrooms. Most children of school going age came from middle class white backgrounds. However, following an influx of some minority groups, members of society began voicing some concerns. Some of them claimed that they were not happy with the curriculum changes that the new diverse groups had brought to their schools. When asked about this, parents cited the use of a class text known as Huckleberry Finn in the eighth grade. Additionally, other parents complained about increased fighting and indiscipline in these schools.

All these responses put teachers at a loss for words because of the fact that most of them may not be in a position to respond to these fears. However, the issue of diversity need not be a problem in education institutions. If handled correctly, then there will be no cause for concern among members of the community. First of all, it is important for teachers to understand why certain communities react the way. By getting to the root of the problem, then diversity can be a solution not a problem in society. (Rosenberg, 2003)

First of all, when there is high influx of members of another race, ethnic group, social class etc, the recipient group is usually in a position where they feel threatened. Most of them operate under the presumption that they may not cope with these differences. This causes high levels of insecurity amongst members of the population. These feelings are usually vented out on the incoming group and this can spark of a lot of tension, conflict and hostility between these groups.

Consequently, most of the recipients express these sentiments through resentment and uneasiness. By placing these issues in context, teachers can be in position of improving the overall education system.

It should also be noted that most fears about diversity are founded upon historical factors. Whenever new sets of immigrants entered the US, authorities normally looked towards schools to integrate these groups. Taking the example of Mexican American families that took their children to desegregated schools; these schools were regarded as avenues for diluting their own Mexican experiences and assimilating children into the conventional culture. Usually when children are taken to highly diverse schools from these minority groups, they are likely to lose touch with the goings on in such environments.

(Gurin & Hurtado, 2002)
The reason behind this is that certain educators and the school environment at large consider the cultural experiences of such children to be inferior to their own. But such an attitude could be used to explain why minority groups perform poorly in schools. Human beings have an inherent need to be treated with dignity and respect. Whenever an individual is regarded as a second class citizen, then chances are that they may feel sidelined. In order to affirm their importance or existence, such children may want to get attention through fights or other undisciplined behavior.

Additionally, children from minority backgrounds may not achieve their potential academically because of the inferiority complexes that have been ingrained in them.
According to Dewey, whenever teachers fail to embrace children’s cultural diversity, then they are likely to propel them into other spheres of life that may not necessarily be the most advantageous for them. Consequently, teachers need to look for mechanisms that can promote greater levels of performance among these various groupings. Additionally, they need to look for ways in which they can boost their self confidence by treating them as equals in the classroom environment.

It should be noted that certain communities in the past have responded to diversity in education through fears and insecurities. They have passed laws that are designed to prohibit aliens from accessing public education. Additionally, such states or counties have passed laws that prohibit teaching bilingual education in public schools. This approach is clearly misplaced owing to the fact that all projections concerning the US population indicate that the overall population will be more diverse in coming years. This means that such rigid approaches are only delaying the inevitable. Additionally, they are merely making life difficult for children in diverse schools but they cannot prevent further entrance of immigrants into the country.

Instead of looking at diversity in education as a problem, it is necessary to look at it as an asset to the nation. Through diversity, it can be possible to gain substantial benefits to society. As Dewey asserted, education is the mechanism that allows human beings to move from knowing nothing to becoming rich in ideas and knowledge. (Rosenberg, 2003)

Educators need to realize the fact that learning institutions are the first points of contact between diverse students. Consequently, if the latter group is not adequately prepared to tackle the problem, then chances are that there will be limited time to deal with the problem by the rest of society. For instance, educators can include both the parents and teachers in the educative programs. For those children who seem to be resisting cultural diversity, teachers can begin by educating and informing their parents about the benefits of this. This is because educators only do half the job, the rest is completed by their parents.

The first step in this process is by telling parents some of the benefits that immigrants have brought in society. For instance, they have assisted in reviving the country’s economy. Again, teachers need to inform parents that contrary to traditional perspectives, Immigrants are not draining away the economic activities within the country and should not be regarded as such. In fact, statistics indicate that even in places where there is a lot of opposition to immigration, most groups tend to depend highly on immigrants for a number of services. The following are just some, of the examples of activities that these groups normally partake in.
Construction industry activities
Hospitality industries
Domestic maintenance

Additionally, higher levels of immigrants imply greater contribution to the overall taxation system and the well being of society. This is especially the case for people who have reached retirement age. The latter groups are highly dependent on social security funds. These funds will only grow in size if the immigrant population is allowed good quality education which promotes them to become respectful citizens of their country and people who make contributions to the overall taxation system. If parents from conservative backgrounds are made to understand these issues, then they are likely to desist from maintaining a hard line stance on the issue.

According to Dewey’s philosophy of education, children reflect the ideas and concepts of society. This society is made up of the people they interact with. Large numbers of them are their parents. Consequently, if their parents hold rigid and fearful ideas, then their children are likely to have the same opinions and concepts too. (Curren, 2006)

It should be noted that diversity in education cannot work if teachers are not willing to adapt to changes in teaching. Most teachers assume that their role is to promote Americanism in the way that they understood it. This approach moves away from John Dewey’s assertions where the child’s psychological and social needs must be constantly included in learning. Many educators have been aiming at minimizing or eliminating the cultural experiences of the minority groups. In fact, most of them may actually call students successful only when they have fully embraced the American version of their culture. Consequently, racial minorities become invisible through the education system.

Teachers need to embrace more critical thought in the education environment. If they can teach children about reflecting on the country’s past, then it is likely that these children may treat others equally. Additionally, these sentiments will trickle down to the rest of society by making equitability an important concept in society.
Benefits of diversity

While this argument may seem rather conservative, some people have argued that diversity in education may not be very beneficial. However, such a viewpoint is not founded on solid proof. In the year 1996, it was found that diversity in education had a profoundly positive impact upon the lives of students. This was made possible by the fact that diverse classrooms improve the way in which people interact and socialize. (Rosenberg, 2003)

Additionally, diversity promotes a student’s overall social and academic well being. Through interaction with members of another race, ethnic group or social class, children are able to discuss issues concerning race. They are able to see the other side of the coin and understand the perspective of the minority groups. This is especially the case in high school or in higher institutions of learning such as colleges. Through diversity, students can learn how to be committed to racial awareness. Also, they can also be cultural aware thus making them very academically rich in the process.

There are certain attributes that come with learning in diverse institutions and they include;
• Involvement in cultural awareness workshops
• Greater concern on racial and gender issues in classes
• Strong commitment to multiculturalism
• Better student retention
• Better social confidence
• Better college satisfaction
• Better grades
• Better intellectual self confidence

There was also another survey that had been conducted within the country in 2001 to determine whether students actually benefit from diversity in schools. It was found that interracial interactions by white students in diverse classrooms were highly responsible for creating students who had greater level of social responsibility. Additionally, these students also participated in a lot of community service later on in life. This research shows that one cannot underscore the benefits of learning in a diverse classroom. (Curren, 2006)

According to these studies, it has been shown that studying in diverse classrooms can have educational benefits. According to John Dewey, educational and social factors are one and the same thing or are highly interdependent. Consequently, if an education system promotes greater social interaction, then it also promotes greater learning.

By having underrepresented members of society in institutions of learning, it is possible to increase the opportunities available to them. Additionally, one is able to boost the educational benefits of those children who had been overrepresented in schools.

It should also be noted that promoting inclusion in the classroom environment does not just mean focusing on desegregation. Research has shown that the latter phenomenon alone is not sufficient to enhance educational experiences in society. Instead, more emphasis should be given to promotion of diverse experiences. It has been shown that in order to fully benefit from diverse environments, there ought to be intimate interactions between the classroom entities, there should be pursuance of common goals between the differing groups and there should also be equality in status between these participating groups.

Consequently, diversity is beneficial in education when it is combined with positive conditions. One might ask how this is achievable. John Dewey as an education philosopher was instrumental in applying workable or practical solutions in education thus making it socially feasible. This same approach should be taken by teachers when handling diverse classrooms. In order to appreciate the benefits of diversity, it is essential for all the groups that are implementing this system to understand that there can be no other alternative to practical applications. For instance, teachers need to look at co curricular activities that can encourage interaction between diverse groups. By promoting this interdependence then it is likely that more and more people will benefit from the initiative. Additionally, teachers may also look for some curriculum activities that they can use to enhance this pursuance of common goals or promote greater interaction. (Rosenberg, 2003)

Some people may not be able to understand the kinds of benefits that diversity can bring. First of all, diversity promotes corporate citizenship. It makes children grow to be responsible members of society. Additionally, it makes them more aware of the issues faced by other communities and expands their minds. There are many more benefits that come with diversity and these must never be underscored

Conclusion
My philosophy of education is guided by the views of John Dewey. He believed that the child should be the center of the education system and this is only possible through reference to his environment. Consequently, diversity will promote greater socialization and hence better education. Additionally, in order of diversity to produce substantial results, it needs to be grounded on pursuance of common goals, genuine interactions and promotion of self respect.

References

Neil, J. (2005): John Dewey, The Modern father of experiential Education; Free press
Rosenberg, M. (2003): Life Enriching Education; Puddle Dancer Press
Curren, R. (2006): A companion to the philosophy of education; Blackwell publishers
Ngada, B. & Sevig, T. (2002): An education model of cultivating engagement cross differences’; Equity and Excellence in Education Journal, 35, 1, 17
Saxonhouse, F. (2002): Fear of diversity in education; Chicago University Press
Gurin, P & Hurtado, S. (2002): Diversity and Higher Education; Harvard Education Review, 71, 3, 333
Guron, G. (1992): Experiences of first year students with diversity; Michigan Univers
ity Press

The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>

WHY I WANT TO BE AN OFFICER IN THE US ARMY

Introduction

Many people may choose to pursue a career in law, medicine, education and others because they feel that this is their calling and that they are well cut out to do so. However, the reality of the duties one needs to carry out in those professions may make them change their minds. The same thing can happen to an officer in the US army when they are not fully aware of what it takes to embrace this profession. Nonetheless, this scenario does not apply to me because I believe that I share the values, goals and aspiration of the US Army.

The US Army is founded upon seven principles i.e. Personal Courage, Integrity, Honor, Selfless Service, Respect, Duty and Loyalty. (US Army Manuals, 2008)Soldiers are taught about these values during training and they soon form part of their lives as they carry out their duties. Because I share in the desire to acquire and live according to these values, then I believe that the US Army would be the right place for me.

In the civilian world, many people are familiar with all the latter values; however, very few of them actually embrace them as part of their lives. Most of them may consider these values as theoretical ones and rarely do they adhere to all of them. However, US Army officers are different in this regard. This is because the seven Army values are part of what they are.

Why I want to join the US Army
Loyalty
All US Army officers are expected to bear allegiance to the Army, the US constitution and to their fellow soldiers. Loyalty as an army value is first and foremost directed to the country and its heritage. In theory, this may seem like a relatively easy thing to do. However, there is much that has to be considered in the execution of this value. For instance, when soldiers are out in combat and they are heading towards a location that they may not be sure of, it is essential for these officers to demonstrate their loyalty to the Army by obeying the directions of their Captain. This should be the case regardless of objections that other soldiers may have against the Captain’s opinion. (US Army, 2008)

In order to be loyal, it is necessary for one to actually bear witness to the US Army ideals. This normally means that one has to be willing to devote oneself to the Army and to other persons in the Army. This is usually displayed by a deep respect and support for one’s leaders and colleagues. Every Army soldier can contribute towards the greater good of the institution by carrying out their part.

There is only one thing that can prepare an individual to engage or participate in something that poses a serious risk of death. This is having great loyalty to ones country. Such officers usually pledge allegiance to their country and their constitution even when it might cause them great harm or even loss of their lives. To me, there is nothing that can show one’s loyalty to their country like sacrificing one’s own life for it. While it may be a fact that not all US Army officers are at risk of loss of life, one cannot ignore the fact that it can happen. Consequently, one ought to be ready for this.

Source; http://www.cbc.ca/

A memorial for fallen soldiers in the war in Iraq; The latter illustration shows some of the prices that the US has to pay to defend their deals.

It may be a scary thing for many people to work in the army because many are wary of its unpredictability. In fact, this is the sole reason why so many people opt not to join the Army. However, the same situation does not apply to me. I have a deep respect and love for my country. My loyalty is so immense to the point that I can be willing to put up with so much just so that I can secure a better life for my generation. Many great leaders in history had to make sacrifices because if they had not chosen to do so, then our nation would not be as it is today. The ideals that hold America today must be protected at all costs and if it takes some injuries or a life to prove this point, then so be it. The US Army is the best place to serve when one has such utmost respect and loyalty for their country. This is because it allows them to make sacrifices for their country. I believe that the US Army needs such kinds of attitudes in order to conserve the principle of freedom and liberty. These are aspects that made the United States stand out from all other nations in the world. Some people may not be happy about this state of affairs or the ideals that the US holds so dearly and this may be the reason why some of them are interested in destroying it. I am highly committed to this country and nothing will come in the way of that. (Army Museum, 2007)

A number of headlines have been in the news about Iraq and Afghanistan. In certain circumstances, one cannot surpass two weeks without hearing about the goings on in these two nations. The number of casualties that come from these two countries are alarming. And time and time again, the US flag has to be flown as half mast because of the death of a US soldier in these countries. Consequently, one has to think twice before entering into such a profession because that a particular person could be the casualty.

US Army officers can only display their sense of loyalty through sticking beside the US through thick and thin. One example of an officer who inspired me to want to have such a quality was Francis Sampson. Officer Sampson worked in the US Army in the nineteen forties. At first, he joined the Army because he was so enthusiastic about his civic duties as an American. However, later on he admitted that he had underestimated some of the challenges that would come with the pursuance of such a profession.

Source: http://www.usachs.army/
At first, the officer served in parachute regiment and made his mark there. Thereafter, he joined in the invasion of Normandy. At this point, the officer was taken by the country’s enemies and was a prisoner of war for some time. Despite the ultimatum that he had been given by these enemies to forget about his country, the officer chose to stick by it instead. In fact his captors wanted to execute him for this but he still remained loyal to the nation. A few months later, he was released and then captured again. H stayed as a prisoner of war for period of four months. This would have pushed him to let go of his loyalty to the US but this courageous officer chose not to. Through his acts, he was able to set an example for other officers in the US Army who are confronted with such situations. Additionally, his actions also served as a motivation to me. I could relate to his deep sense of loyalty and I now aspire to reach the kind of level that the latter mentioned officer reached. (Corps of Discovery, 2006)

Duty
It is my wish to join the US Army because as an officer, one becomes well versed with a sense of duty. All US Army officers are expected to accept responsibility for their actions. This also means that one ought to look for mechanisms of self improvement both inside and outside the Army. Army officers are expected to carry out certain duties whether it is during deployment or prior to it.

In the US Army, officers do not work in isolation. Most of them are required to cooperate with other members of the organization in order to fulfill a certain mission. Usually, this involves a lot of team dynamics and it may not be possible to achieve overall goals without doing what one is expected to do. In other words, the Army depends upon people who carry out their duties. I have always wanted to work with others for the greater good of the country and the Army would be a perfect opportunity to do this.

Additionally, the US Army would serve as an opportunity to teach me about having a sense of responsibility or moral obligation. Through the process of fulfilling these duties, it will be possible for me to learn a sense of obligation. Consequently, such issues such as looking for shortcuts would be out of the question. Through the value of duty, every single member can achieve the final product without looking for other wrong methods or alternatives.

All US Army officers are obliged both to the flag and the country. Consequently, soldiers are expected to defend the country against any form of destruction. The way a war is being conducted is quite important in depicting a good image of the US to the rest of the world; this can only be done by Army officers.

It is the duty of a US Army officer to ensure that they carry out their duties in manner that will boost the country’s image. Critics against the Iraq war have claimed that the conduct of certain US Army soldiers contradicts some of the values and goals in the US Army. For example, in 2006, there were a number of graphic images displayed of US Army officers torturing some prisoners of war. These officers defended themselves claiming that they were carrying out their duties. However, they had overstepped their boundaries. Most of them were not doing what they were supposed to. In other words, it is necessary for all the members of the US Army to understand the limits of their duties. All duties need to be carried out in a respectful manner that is full of dignity. (Army Museum, 2007)

When the United States as a country was still being established, there were a number of challenges that members of the US Army at that time had to face. Back in the nineteenth Century, Confederate Armies were relied upon by the country to defend it. This group was particularly amazing because of the fact that most of them had none of the luxuries that US soldiers enjoy today. At that time, the Army was organized in regiments. Each regiment was assigned specific duties and tasks and the degree of their success would largely depend upon the Army officers themselves. This was because some of them were badly trained while others were not. However, training became irrelevant if those respective officers lacked a sense of duty that was needed to get by.

In these regiments, it was necessary for officers to be enterprising and to display allot of initiative. Most of those officers who expressed greater discipline were those ones who had embraced their sense of duty. These officers could organize themselves adequately enough to look for fuel, food and other resources. For entertainment, the officers had to rely on their friends and families for this. It was also a given that these Army officers were highly spirited, youthful , sentimental and highly moral. This was all because they had a keen sense of what their duties were to their country. Through this Army value, the officers were able to go through unnecessary hardship such as eating rotten food, wearing worn out clothes and leaving in leaking tents. At that time, US Army officers were still able to show sign of life because most of them kept singing songs, playing sports, indulging in horse races amongst other things. (Army NCO, 2007)

After reading stories like this, I was moved to make the decision to become a US Army Officer. This is because I realized that what really matters is when one has a sense of duty, if the country’s founding fathers had very minimal resources that they could offer the Army yet they still managed to survive, then present day officers must embrace that same spirit. I would like an opportunity to display this great dedication to the country by carrying out my duties irrespective of the harsh surroundings around me.

In order to carry out one’s duty, it is imperative for one to have the right mindset in order to handle these tasks. For instance whenever there is a summer holiday in the Army, people are required train in the privacy of their homes. This is something that requires immense levels of discipline since no one is supervising. Additionally, when the holidays are over and an individual finds that they have to go back to service, chances are that there may be more intense training for such individuals. Some soldiers have given accounts of the long kilometers that they have had to compete in. Others have asserted that they had to combine this with a canoeing exercise, a moderate run and all this is done while dressed in heavy combat boots, a t-shirt and a very heavy rucksack. (US Army Manuals, 2008)

Such workouts may be very grueling and one may have to do them very regularly. However, this is part of one’s task an officer. If one does not possess the sense of duty and commitment to the Army that they should have then they may end up quitting. However, I believe that I have the right attitude needed to carry out my duties in the Army. I will be ready to take on some of the challenges that people go through in the army and will embrace all the likely exercises that come with it. Shown below is an illustration of the intensity and level of training that I am prepared to take part in once accepted into the US Army

Source: http://www.goarmy.com/

I want to join the Army so as to exercise a keen sense of duty in the same manner that other officers in the force have done. One such example was Chaplain Carl Hudson who served in the US Army during the mid fifties. At that time, the United States Army was deployed to North Korea. This individual was a doctor in the Army. At that time, he was placed under a task force known as Task Force Smith. At the time when he had been called to duty, he was enjoying a vacation in the neighboring South Korea. However, after being informed about the demands that would be involved in the process, he realized that he had to take part in this mission as soon as possible. (Army NCO, 2007)

Doctor Hudson took five days to transport himself from his area of vacation to the area of deployment. This was done in the midst of floods and rainstorms. Additionally, he arrived at the area of deployment when it was already dark. At that time, North Korean tanks entered the region and there was an intense fight that went on there. Doctor Hudson kept passing through the mud and the rain trying to assist those he could. Not only did he offer professional help to the soldiers, but he was also able to provide them with comforting words at the time when they needed it the most. After several hours of combat a number of resources were exhausted all at once - these include
• No relief
• Failed communication
• No ammunition
• No food

Fighters of the Army had to retreat to a safer place where they would wait for more logistics. However, as they were waiting, Hudson kept cleaning their wounds and giving them encouragement. At that time, most of the soldiers were hungry, tired, wet and wounded and really needed any sign of hope that they could possibly get. Shortly afterwards, the man had to move from this dangerous zone to a safer place. In order to do this, they had to maintain silence, move as fast as possible and watch out for any danger since it was terribly dark. Eventually, the men found a place where they could rest for the night.

While Hudson may not have been a US Army officer per se, he epitomized the quality of duty that governs most US Armies. He was not even prepared to go into combat but he acted swiftly and was able to provide the much needed support that people in that area required. It was very moved by this story and was inspired to provide such service my fellow countrymen too.

Respect
Members of the US Army are taught how to respect other people. This is an important quality because any person who possesses it usually manages to reflect this upon himself or herself. The Army needs to be upheld as a respectful organization and the only way this can be done is by the behavior of its constituent members. Army officers are generally respectful people even when they are not carrying out their duties. Consequently, I would like to acquire this trait and contribute towards upholding the name of the organization. (Corps of Discovery, 2006)
Because the Army is made up of a series of individuals who all contribute towards the goals and mission of one institution, then is imperative for everyone to trust the other. Respect occurs when one person believes that the other has played their part. This is usually backed up by carrying out one’s obligations too. When every single member of the Army respects the other, then there will be greater achievement of the Army’s objectives.

The issue of respect also applies to civilians or other non members. If one is required to carry out a peace keeping mission in another country. It is imperative for members of the US Army to uphold this principle of respect by treating all the people they encounter with such an approach. Even when the people being considered are economically or politically disadvantaged, they are human beings and deserve similar treatment. (US Army Manuals, 2008)

Taking the current examples of the two wars that members of the US army have been
deployed i.e. Afghanistan and Iraq. As representatives of the United States, members of the Army are expected to treat the people of Iraq and Afghanistan with the respect that they would also like to be treated with. It should be noted that these two wars have presented a number of statuses that the Army would have to deal with and they include
• Prisoners of War
• Civilians
• Criminals

All the latter parties still need to be treated with respect and dignity. If someone happens to be a civilian, the members of the US Army are expected to cause no harm to them. If those people are prisoners of war, then they are supposed to be accorded with the respect granted to such persons. Additionally, criminals should only be labeled as such after undergoing trails because it is respectful to treat everyone as innocent until they have been proven guilty. It is necessary for a US Army officer to remember that their values are not rendered irrelevant whenever they leave the country.

Selfless Service
Members of the US Army are expected to display selfless service. This is only possible by placing the welfare of one’s subordinates, the Army and the country before one’s own. Such a quality is quite admirable because not many human beings can behave in such a manner. It is human nature to put one’s needs before others’ and this is what sometimes causes conflict amongst us. However, if I join the US Army, then I will be in position to render my services without consideration of other non issues. This also means that the latter quality can be transferred to other spheres of life and this can lead to self development.

Through selfless service, it is possible for one to depict other traits such as;
• Self control
• Faith
• Discipline

I believe that the Army is the ultimate place to teach this value (selfless service) because there are so many physical and mental challenges that one must overcome as an Army officer. For instance, it is usually necessary to take part in hard labor. Additionally, in other circumstances, one might find that they have to carry on with their duties even after an attack of physical illnesses such as fever, colds, toothaches and the like. Members of the US Army have to endure great levels of fatigue and a series of many other tough conditions. All these challenges cannot be overcome when a person is merely doing what they are supposed to do. To survive in such harsh conditions, one has to offer their services selflessly. Unless this is done, then most officers would find themselves quitting. This aspect is very appealing and I would definitely like to be such a person. (US Army Manuals, 2008)
I would also like to join the US Army because of this trait owing to the fact that through it, I will be able to carry out what is expected of me regardless of whether someone else is watching me or not. In other words, through the Army, it will be possible to go in with my respective duties without having to worry about being glorified because of the quality of selfless service. Through the latter trait, I will be able to push myself a little further and to make my contributions a little more even when very little attention is being to be. Being a US Army officer is one of the few positions in the country that offer someone such an opportunity.

There are numerous journal and daily entries that have been made by a number of soldiers serving in the US Army today. Some of them have depicted just how challenging Army life is. Consequently, such writings have stimulated my interests in the goings on that take place in the Army because of the fact that this is captures the very essence of my personality. I have always liked challenging jobs or professions because these are the issues that give one a reason to get up every morning. (Army Museum, 2007)

Taking the example of US officers who are to be deployed to Afghanistan; these troops are usually divided into three categories. Some of them may be deployed in high risk areas of Afghanistan or Iraq while some may be taken to moderate areas. However, because no one knows where they will be deployed, then they have to be ready for anything. Also, the members that will constitute their team are hardly known prior to the deployment. One must be highly flexible in such a circumstance. This is because someone may be prepared for deployment but find that they are not needed at that time and this forces them to keep waiting. Sometimes, the deployment process may take very long and in other situations, it may be done in a few weeks. Consequently, on needs to be ready for anything. Sometimes, this may come in just before Christmas and one might have to spend it away from their family. All this issues can only be handled when one has selfless service towards their country. If they are ready to embrace whatever challenges come their way, then they can survive this. I believe that I possess the right amount of flexibility to fit in such circumstances and will therefore be able to hold the ideals of selfless service in the US Army.

Honor
All the great men in history have one particular thing in common; they are men of honor. These patriots have stood by the values of the US constitution or the institutions that they represent. I would like to be a man of honor too. By enrolling in the US Army, I will get a chance to depict this quality through living in accordance with Army principles.

It is only in very few professions where the term honor can be given to someone for carrying out their duty. As a result, I feel that the Army will give me a great opportunity to do this. I will be able to stick to the mission set out by the Army and thus make the most of my time or experience there. (Army Museum, 2007)
It should be noted that not all US Army officers are honorable; this is probably the reason why the military offers a medal of honor annually. In order achieve such a medal, a soldier will have to display the fact that they have been living in accordance with the principle of honor in their daily lives. Such individuals usually reflect honor in all the decisions that they make. Military officers are expected to be carrying out their duties in accordance with the army’s values and when this is done without fail, teen one can be regarded as an honorable officer. I would like to live such a life and this can only be possible in the Army. (Corps of Discovery, 2006)

Honor is a critical part of a US Army officer and this is something that I would definitely like to experience. Honor is that special thing that makes an army officer to adhere to all army values. It is that aspect that enables one to look at himself or herself in the mirror fatter a hard day’s work and know that they have done their best. This quality, I believe is the cornerstone of being a US Army officer. Through this trait, I believe that I will always be proud of my actions as an officer. I will not be reproaching myself for failing to act in manner that I should have.

Issues such as torture should not be anywhere in the minds of an honorable military officer. This is because in order to execute such an act, one should disregard all their military values yet this is not possible when one is an honorable person. I would like to experience such circumstances where I have the choice to do wrong or right for my country and then opt for the right thing. By being bestowed such a title, then I will have the strength to go on.

Honor
A soldier’s honor can be seen through a series of illustrations. This does not have to be one big dramatic event; it can be a seemingly regular issue that has forced one in manner that required some form of strain or endurance. (US Army Manuals, 2008)
An example of this may occur when soldiers are busy training in a particular camp that may be situated within the country. Some of these soldiers may be preparing for deployment to a war torn area such as Iraq or Afghanistan. It is also possible that the soldiers who are taking part in the deployment may be friends and colleagues to the ones who are back at home training. Just before the latter soldiers are deployed of, it is possible to hear that some of the other soldiers on call are in danger in that they are under critical medical conditions or they are going to pass away. This can be a particularly disturbing issue to someone who knows the officers and especially when that person is going to take the place of these respective officers. Consequently, it is honorable for one to choose to carry on with the deployment even when they know that they are heading to such a high risk area. Such acts of honor are what have attracted me to the US Army. I believe that I possess some of these qualities required to make it in such an environment. Additionally, I have a great deal of stoicism needed to get through.

Integrity
The latter quality is essential in the US Army owing to the fact that it entails doing the right thing as defined by the law, morality and common judgment. A US Army officer is expected to always do what is right and respond to that inner voice in every one of us. This is an aspect that I posses and would like to exercise while in the US Army.

Many at times, officers find themselves in a situation that may be morally challenging. In such circumstances, they may face a dilemma on what to do. However, if one possesses the quality of integrity, then they can meet their end of the bargain without worrying about the effects that will come along with these aspects. (Army Museum, 2007)

A US Army officer is expected to speak the truth and not deceive others irrespective of the advantages that they may gain out of that deception. I would definitely like to possess such a attribute because in the end, one is likely to receive trust from others. Whenever one displays great integrity, then that person is normally given more responsibility based on the fact that they are dependable.

When someone has made numerous choices based on integrity, then it is likely that
that person’s relationships with their friends, their family and themselves may reflect this quality. I believe that the US Army will be a great place to exercise integrity given the fact that most of the time, many officers are expected to carry out duties on their own. They end having to deal with certain challenges and this makes them better people. I would definitely like to have such an opportunity to grow and become better. (Army Museum, 2007)

It should be noted that there are so many circumstances in which members of the US Army operate outside of the country’s borders. This does not in any way justify disregarding the US constitution. Some soldiers may assume that just because they are not in their country, they can go about torturing others or disobeying the law. They believe that the US constitution only applies to those who are citizens of the country but this is not true at all. For those soldiers with integrity, treating everyone rightly should be done irrespective of whether one is located within a certain area or not.

Personal Courage
The US Army normally puts its officers in dangerous situations. In such instances, one may find that they have to choose between life and death. In other circumstances US officers may operate under great adversity or strenuous circumstances. It becomes necessary for one to exercise courage in such a situation because if one cannot overcome their fears, then they may not be able to proceed with their duties or their missions. (US Army Manuals, 2008)

It should be noted that the Army is not an institution in which every single person agrees with the other. In fact from time to time, it is possible to find that people are in constant disagreement with one another. In order to display personal courage, it is necessary for one to stand up for what they believe in irrespective of what others may think about it. Usually, this is a quality that may not come out very easily. But with time and long service in the Army, it can then be possible to consider this element as part of one’s lifestyle.

As a member of the US Army, it is sometimes necessary for one to put the interests of the army and nation before one’s own. This sometimes means taking up a stance that may contradict popular opinion. For instance, the war against Iraq has been opposed by certain members of the military. These members have been courageous enough to act in such manner because of the fact that they are considering the interests of the rest of the population other than the interests of their respective groups. This is the principle that has been used to form the IVAW or the Iraq Veterans Against the War.

It usually takes a lot of courage for a member of the US Army to stand up against something that is deemed wrong. There may be certain circumstances that may crop up when fulfilling one’s duties that may require a person to oppose the views of their leaders. This is because some leaders may not be operating under immoral guidelines. They may be doing something dishonorable and may require the efforts of a subordinate to carry this out. Consequently, one ought to have enough courage to stand up against such dishonorable leaders because if they fail to do so, then they will be liable for their actions. It is my wish to exercise some of these characteristics while working in the Army. I have always been unafraid of dealing with challenges that come my way. I have constantly been bold enough to tackle certain opposing forces in my life. Consequently, I believe that I can do the same if I join the US Army.

Courage is sometimes not displayed in combat missions alone. Sometimes, one has to display courage when dealing with friends and family too.
Time and time again, Army officers have to leave their respective countries, homes or families because of the challenges or the duties that they have to deal with in the Army. It takes a lot of sacrifice for one to leave the people that they have grown accustomed to in order to pursue their professional obligations. For instance, whenever one is required to move from one country to another, it can be very difficult to make certain decisions. For instance, if one is in a high position and they are likely to stay in that country for long, then they may choose to take their families with them. This can be very trying moments because such countries may not have the amenities, structures and resources that one’s family has grown accustomed to in the United States. Children may have a particularly difficult time adjusting because most of them may not understand the language or culture in that respective country. (Corps of Discovery, 2006)

For those officers who are deployed for short periods of time, most of them may be required to leave their family members back home. When military duties are so demanding, it is possible to find that most of these officers may have to miss out on important aspects of their family’s lives; these may include their children’s birthdays, sporting days or even their graduations. It takes a lot of sacrifice for one to put their country first and miss out on the most important days of their child’s life. Consequently, an officer must have personal courage in such moments; otherwise, they may not be able to proceed. It is very admirable to live up to such expectation. I believe that I posses the right qualities to exercise such courage. Shown below is an example of a us army soldier preparing himself to leave his daughter.

Source: http://www.goarmy.com/
Most officers find it difficult to balance their time with their family and their service to the Army but I believe that this can be done through courage and commitment.

respect
Soldiers have to depict a lot of signs of respect to the people that they interact with even as they head to different parts of the world. In certain countries, many people may perceive the US as an enemy of their territory. Most of them may believe that the United States may be the cause of all their problems and may not take kindly to the presence of US soldiers. Taking the example of the war in Iraq; most Iraqis blame the US for the current state of affairs in their country. This is because they do not fully understand the US mission in their country or some of them may merely dislike the US. Consequently, some soldiers have reported signs of hostility in Iraq. For instance, some civilian including women and children have thrown stones at them or even done worse thing such as aiming at them with blunt weapons.

The human tendency is such that it prompts one to do unto others what another did to them. But because the US Army is governed by the seven values and top of this list is respect for human life, then such soldiers need to act in the best possible manner irrespective of the kind of problems that they may face or the attitude they may receive from such civilians. I believe that I posses this quality. The latter is extremely necessary in ensuring that one adheres to the Army’s ideals and that one embraces all the challenges that come with the title of being an officer of the US Army. (Army NCO, 2007)

Conclusion
The US Army is governed by seven major principles as seen above, though the actions of many exemplary men and women in combat, I have been inspired to do the same. It takes a great profession such as being an Army officer to live by all the seven values mentioned above. Additionally, members of the US Army represent the ideals and freedoms that the country’s founding fathers have fought so hard to establish. I would therefore like to share in this vision to make my country a better place both from my future family and the next generations to come. If I can do this today, then there will be no need for my children and all the others that follow them to the same.

References

US Army (2008): Army families, retrieved from http://www.goarmy.com/families/index.jsp accessed on 22nd November
Army Museum (2007): Army values; retrieved from http://www.usachcs.army.mil/Values/Loyalty.htm accessed on 22nd November
Corps of Discovery (2006): the Seven Army vales, retrieved from http://www.history.army.mil/ accessed on 22nd November
US Army Manuals (2008): Seven Values of the US Army, retrieved from http://www.enlisted.info/ accessed on 22nd November
Army NCO (2007): Responsibility bullets; retrieved from http://www.armynco.com/ accessed on 22nd November


The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>

TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT AT NORTH KENT

Introduction

The latter essay is an examination of the transport options available to a company that specializes in organic vegetables and salads. This business was initially a small one, however, following re-investment and expansion in the sector, the company now focuses on production of organic products. There is a need to look at some of the avenues available to the company in terms of vehicle fleet management.

Additionally, financial and operational challenges will be examined with strict adherence to the UK vehicle and operator serve agency’s rules and regulations.
Opportunities and problems associated with two differing operational scenarios
Herne Organics has the option of either outsourcing or owning their fleet of vehicles for transportation. If the company chooses to outsource this business function, then it stands to benefit from the great experience that the transporting company will have. Since such experts have worked with so many other businesses, then they are likely to develop solutions that are well suited to this company. (Emp, 2007)

If the company chooses to own its fleet of vehicles then they may have to dedicate a lot of finance and time towards running this fleet. By outsourcing, the Kent Limited will be spared from this hustle and bustle.

Outsourcing also, transfers some of the risks that arise out of owning one’s fleet. This is usually because of the need to maintain an operational lease. Additionally, vehicles require a lot of maintenance and this eats onto the company’s profits. By outsourcing, the company can eradicate this issue.

If the company opts to own its fleet of vehicles, it would have greater control over their transportation functions. Many external companies may impose undue rules on the number of times that the vehicles may be utilized or the period of duration of the contract. However, all these problems are eradicated whenever a company opts to handle its own transportation problems.

It should also be noted that choosing to outsource the transport function could create a scenario in which there are communication barriers between Kent Limited and the company offering the outsourcing service. If Kent Limited fails to do adequate research about this option, then they may get a company that makes independent decisions without consulting them and this may cause a lot of friction between the two parties. (Fisher, 2004)

However, outsourcing the transport function can also go a long way in reducing certain miscellaneous activities. For instance, drivers will have to be trained by the transport provider rather than by Herne Organics. Also, the company can be spared from insurance costs that come with owning a fleet of vehicles and they can also minimize the risk of getting into accidents since drivers will be well trained and prepared for the tasks that lay ahead of them.

There are a number of dynamics that are going on in the vehicle business environment today that could place Kent at increased risk if they own their own fleet of vehicles. For instance, they may want to resell their vehicles or change them. This can be extremely problematic if that vehicle‘s value have gone down. Therefore, in such circumstances, the company is likely to lose. It should also be noted that in certain cases when vehicles need repairs, then the fleet management company will be responsible for this rather than Herne organics itself.

It should be noted that one can be fined for infringing any of the terms of the agreement made with the outsourcing company. According to the Vehicle Operator service agency’s rules and regulations, businesses need to meet their end of the bargain by sticking to the lease agreement. If this is not done, then the transport management company can impose fines on the offending party.

All in all, since Herne Organics is a relatively small company, it would be advisable for it to consider outsourcing rather than managing their own fleet. This would be more a cost effective measure for a company that has been in operation for long and one that has a much larger acreage under its control.

How to make contact with the new list of customers
In this case, there is need for heightened communication between the company and ist new clients. This will b done through three major channels
• Telephone
• Email
• Personal communication

The company will need to improve its Telephone management services. This will mean practicing better telephone etiquette and learning how to make the most of a short conversation with the client. Email messaging will be important in assessing consumer needs because they allow for fast and effective communication without creating some of the misunderstandings that arise out of telephone conversation. Lastly, Herne Organics will also use one on one communication with clients in case of complicated issues. When consumers have something they need to address with the company, then it would be most favourable to look for ways of meeting them personally.

In these communication processes, consumers will be asked about some of the things that they value in the product. In other words, they will be asked about what is most important to them in the product. (NPCT, 2004)

In this communication process, consumer will be asked about the most important quantitative aspects too. Besides the later, they will be required to give information about their opinion on Kent Limited in comparison to its competitors in terms of service delivery. This will be baked up by an inquiry into the long term qualities that consumers look for in products.

Types of vehicle needed to transport the apples and pears
There are series of issues that will have to be considered during the transportation process. First of all, there are certain mechanic issues that need to be incorporated in the design of transportation vehicles. In order to ensure that the apples and pears are in good condition, containers carrying the goods will have to be stacked in a systemic way. Consequently, the vehicle needs to have adequate space and installations that will ensure no collapse of the products. Such vehicles ought to have shock absorbers. They also need to have tyres that can operate under low pressure tyres because these will go along way in supporting the products. On top of the latter, there should be speed governors in the vehicles owing to the fact that moving at quick speeds can maximize jolting and this may damage the products. (Edwards, 2004)

There will be a need for bulk bins to carry the commodities from the farm to the market. This means that care should be taken while loading the product to offer adequate ventilation in the products. Since the product will be delivered to supermarkets, packaging of the products will also need to done uniformly. It should also be convenient in order to facilitate better removal. The following qualities will need to be considered in choosing packaging for the commodities
• Costs
• Capacity
• Utility

Plastic crates tend to be preferred to wooden ones because they are cheaper (economical), they alt five times as long as the wooden ones and then are able to protect the vegetable much more than other types of containers.
One of the most important aspects that will have to be accommodated in the transportation vehicles is a cooling system. When the vegetables do not have adequate refrigeration, then chances are that they may be exposed to harmful micro organisms in the atmosphere and this may cause spoilage. Consequently, the fleet of vehicles chosen for transportation will contain refrigeration facilities. (Glenn, 2001)

The refrigeration fcailiaties must be made in such a way that they do not cause vibration of the commodities. If this is the case, then they may cause mechanical damage to the vegetables as they are. The facilities must also be such that they are strong enough to withstand haphazard movement on the road. If collapse occurs, then this could ruin the organic products.

Lastly, vehicles used to transport vegetables must also be designed in such a manner that can facilitate easier cleaning. If left unclean or neglected, the vehicles can become contaminated or they may have a pungent smell. Consequently, this must be put into consideration. All in all, there must be due considerations of temperature octrol and there must also be consideration of the temperature control aspect in vehicle design.

The floors used to make these vehicles need to be very tough and strong. This is because they have to have the ability to withstand strong pressure in case of any instances. The following are illustrations of some vehicles that can be used by Herne organics

How to save money or minimise costs in the transport budget
The first thing that will need to be done to minimise transport cost is to lease rather than own the fleet of vehicles. As discussed earlier, the are a series of issues that can be prevented through this approach.

Diesel fuels costs are some of the primary concerns within any transportation business. This is usually because of the fact that fuel prices have sky rocketed over the past few years. This is also compounded by the frequent fluctuations in availability. Consequently, in order to eradicate this, there will be a need to establish certain ground rules within the company. For instance, vehicles will only be rented when there are specific deliveries to be made. Additionally, transportation will be done in shifts with specific emphasis on the night shift where there will be less traffic jam and hence less fuel wastage. Drivers will also be instructed about some tips on how to minimise fuel economy; for instance, when waiting on the road, one can save up to twenty percent of their fuel by turning off the engine. Additionally, it will be effective for the company if they conducted frequent maintenance so as to eradicate unnecessary fuel wastage. Also, good care will be taken to ensure that the vehicle fleet has sound engine systems. (Dransack, 2004)

Driver’s pay will be minimized by offering them hourly rather than daily or weekly wages. By doing this, the business will only be paying for services rendered. Also, the company’s drivers will be kept at the lowest possible value so as to have the optimum number.

Vehicle repair costs will be reduced by conducting frequent checks on the vehicle. Servicing goes a long way in reducing some of the challenges that arise out of operating one’s own vehicle fleet. This is because they capture problems prior to their growth and this eliminates bigger problems. Additionally, drivers will be taught how to drive safely so as to minimise damage to the vehicle.

Cost on staff will also be kept to a minimum through the use of basic staff members. Only those services that are required in the farm will be considered. Also, staff will be required to multitask so that the numbers are kept down.

Vehicle hire costs will be reduced by doing enough homework about the companies with the best offer. Additionally, contracts or agreements made with such companies will be adhered to strictly so as to minimise fines and penalties that arise out of violations of the agreements. (Edwards, 2004)

Distribution patterns
When the company begins operating under the new management, there will be a need to examine some of the new distribution needs that will arise. The company will have to survey the needs and demands specific to this new distribution list as most of them my not be in line with these requirements. Also, care should be taken to ensure that the fleet composition is in line with these distribution patterns.

Two major things are important in distribution patterns
Optimal payload
Vehicle utilisation capacity
The load to be covered in the distribution patterns must be such that it optimizes the available fleet. Additionally, the company must ensure that vehicle capacity is utilised while considering some of the distribution patterns relevant to the company.

Support required for transportation
The current vehicles within the company will not be adequate enough to meet the new requirements for Herne Organics. This is because produce has drastically increased. First of all, the company will require greater number of vehicles of their produce. The exact number will be assessed by the first harvest and how much has been transported in one truck at each instance. Additionally, there must be adequate staff to handle the vehicles. Drivers will possibly be two of them. Additionally, these drivers will need to have sound mechanical knowledge about how to deal; with minor repairs and maintenance practices. When the drivers can do it themselves, them they can prevent undue expenses. (March, 2007)

Conclusion
The management of a new fleet of vehicles requires adoption of external solutions to meet the requirements of specific firms consequently. Care should be taken to ensure that requirements are made in the process.

References

Emp, R. (2007): Cities and Cars; a handbook of best practices; McFarland Co.
March, J. (2007): A guidebook for performance based planning; National Academy Press
Fisher, I. (2004); British Public Glossary; McMillan
Glenn, P. (2001): Glossary of transit terminology; Public Transit Association
Dransack, P. (2004): transport planning and research; Prentice Hall
Edwards, H. (2004): Urban transportation planning; Palgrave
NPCT(2004): transportation management; Environmental Design Journal, 2, 34, 68

The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>

WHO SPEAKS FOR ISLAM

Introduction

Ayoob (2007) asserts that Islamic nuances are seldom understood by many people in the western world. Most non Muslims seem to think that terrorism is the face of Islam or that global terrorism is a threat upon their survival. However, there is a need to look at other manifestations and influences within the Islamic religion. This is because a number of changes have taken place in this religion and the world needs to accept that Islam is not something that can be categorized as either black or white. The essay shall attempt to look at the multifaceted narrative that constitutes the Islam faith.

Features of Islam that give it its Universalist and unitary character
Cesari (2004) explains that Islam had a unitary dimension because of its teaching on ways of life. The role that religion took up in people’s life was central to this unity. Additionally, Muslims were united because of the commonality in gender based roles within their nation. This was coupled by their deep respect for their lifestyle and their mode of life. Consequently, Muslims all over the world regarded one another as members of one community irrespective of their race, ethnicity etc.
The latter mentioned author also claims that Islamic unity was propelled by the nature of their political leadership. It is a known fact that many Muslim countries give a lot of political precedence to their religious leaders. Additionally, authority in such cultures must be respected at all times. This attitude can be clearly seen by minimal adoption of the congregational model in these states. Until only recently, countries in the Middle Eastern region were led by royal families or religious entities. This kind of political approach brought about a lot of Unity in the religion. (Cesari, 2004)

Esposito and Mogahed (2008) claim that most Muslims are united by their religious teachings: In fact, their researches showed that among all Muslims polled in their book, a large percentage of them who opposed terrorism activities or any violent acts used words from their holy Koran to back their claims. In fact, some even quoted sections of their scripture that condemned the destruction of innocent lives. It was also interesting to find that those who supported terrorist acts never used religious reasons to back their claims. Most of them relied on political reasons or certain ideologies. For instance, some asserted that Western states were repressing Muslim countries in order to dominate their resources.

From these findings, it can postulated that most Muslims are in fact united by the teachings of their scriptures. The fact that large shares of Muslims are moderates means that most of them are united by the need for peace in their country. The discoveries made by Mogahed and Esposito (2008) indicate that many perceptions held by Americans about Islam are mistaken. One of these is the fact that most Muslims believe in co-existence with their neighbors or in living with peace with other communities. These beliefs are derived from their holy scriptures and they are the reason why the religion has such Universality about it.

Why diversity and flexibility developed and how it continues to develop within the framework of Islamic oneness
Cesari (2004) explains that diversity and flexibility began developing in the Muslim world after forces of globalization became real in these states. The consumer culture which gained its origins from the western world penetrated into the Middle Eastern society thus making nationalism a less important factor in uniting them.
Many Muslims were now at crossroads as some of them felt that they were exposed to greater religious information because of the improved communication channels. These Muslims felt that they now had an opportunity to grow their faith by having a deeper understanding of it.

Cesari (2004) further adds that the other category of Muslims that emanated from increased globalization are those Muslims who feel threatened by western culture. This category claims that the collective nature of Islam is slowly deteriorating and that this is eroding the true meaning of Islam. In other words, the latter researcher claims that the differing faces of Islam began cropping up when there was a struggle between the personal versus the collectivist approach.

Burke (2003) claims that prior to the mid nineteen nineties, Afghanistan came close (but not entirely) to the stereotypical White House definition of radical Islam. According to members of the Bush administration, terrorism is spearheaded by a close nit group that has a central leader. However, this perception lasted until the year 2001. Thereafter, a new face of radical Islam emerged.

In the world of Islam, there are a number of individuals, cells and group that are totally different from one another. However, these entities are linked to Islamic terrorism because of the fact that they all believe in similar ideologies. In other words, Al-Qaida should not be seen as the major threat to western countries, instead a wider less organized Islamic movement should be regarded as the real enemies of the western states.

Burke (2003) believed that this diversity in Islam developed after the September eleventh attacks. After 2001, there were certain assertions that Baghdad was closely associated with these attacks. However, there was no proof to validate these claims. Additionally, the United-States-led invasion of Iraq was coupled with the arrest and subsequent hanging of Saddam Hussein. Again, the US did this as a side show; their main target in Iraq was to capture the Al-Qaida. Since there was no proof that Saddam was related to the pentagon bombings, then the US had not done very much to eliminate the threat of terrorism.

In fact, the opposite thing had occurred; the US had given Islamic militants fertile ground to criticize the western world. Most of them claimed that the western world would like to see any form of unity within the Islamic world destroyed, consequently, a number of them felt that in order to maintain this unity, they must try to fight western aggression against the Muslim world. In other words, the September eleventh attacks and subsequent US reaction strengthened the coz of Islamic militants and further created diversity in beliefs among the Islamic community.

The emergence of differing world views was very crucial in determining a shift in Islamic practices. The new world view of anti-Americanism arose after an attack against Iraq and Afghanistan. These two countries were considered as some of the most influential nations in the Arabic world. Consequently, no matter how much the US was justified in attacking these nations, holders of the latter mentioned worldview could now substantiate their claims through the attscks. (Ayoob, 2007)
A new and more dangerous movement was created among the Muslims after the US led invasion against Afghanistan and Iraq. This was because the Islamic militants felt that they had been unduly and unjustly treated. Consequently, they needed to fight back to eliminate this possibility.

Other emerging world views came out of a result of differing views on international threats. Certain Muslims believed that the west was interested in controlling Middle Eastern countries because of the fact that there were numerous petroleum resources. This idea made certain Muslims unite against western nations because they believed that they would lose if they did not step up their actions against them.

Additionally, more Muslims began being more radically informed about political and economic issues within their countries. Consequently, these reasons led to heightened consciousness and were fertile ground for manifestations of various categories of political Islamism within the region.

An evaluation of the growth of political and militant Islam
Burke (2003) describes his experience as a London reporter working in Afghanistan. Through his interactions with the Middle Easterners, Burke (2003) was able to trace some of the roots of militant Islam. The latter author asserts that too much emphasis has been given to Osama bin Laden as a major driver of Islamic terrorism within the world. However, this author believes that there is too much Focus on Osama as a key figure in global terrorism. Additionally, the western world seems to believe that if they were to eradicate the Al-Qaida, then global terrorism would be eradicated. However, this is a misguided idea owing to the fact that terrorism is as a result of a proliferated and disorganized hatred of Islamic fundamentalist against the western world. By trying to eradicate the Al-Qaida, the United States and other western states are in fact strengthening them and should instead place greater focus on bridging the information gap of the western world against the Muslims or vice versa.

Militant Islam grew its roots in the misunderstanding of the Americans about the Islamic people. Most Americans are highly ignorant of the Islamic culture yet they are the ones that are busy making policies about this same category. In fact, research shows (Esposito & Mogahed, 2008) assert that in order for one to fight global terrorism, there is a need to win the support of Muslims around the world. If the United States fails to change its image in the international arena, then it is likely to create greater enmity between itself and its external environments.
There are three reasons that the latter authors identified in fueling militant Islamism in their book and they are
• Misdiagnosis of situations
• Hypocrisy in international policy
• Selection of leaders that perpetuate Muslim stereotype reasoning

Esposito and Mogahed (2008) revealed the fact that there is growing anti Muslim bias in the United States. This attitude has permeated into the political scene and many leaders rush to make haphazard decisions about Islamic countries without identification of the root causes of problems within those countries. This creates a situation in which American foreign policy towards these countries worsens rather than mends the tensions there.

Secondly, the latter authors also identified the fact that when foreign policy within the US reflects hypocrisy, then it was likely to fuel the hatred against Islam. Most US foreign experts want to depict the fact that their country respects Islam and that the US’s mission is not to destroy this religion. However, many Americans often make anti-Muslim sentiments on radio stations that are then aired out to the rest of the world. Radical Muslims who hear this may use such sentiments to discredit the American government by pointing out their double standards. It should also be noted that this legitimizes the political coz of most Militant Muslims whose major purpose is to eradicate western influence in their lives.
Misinformation about the Islamic religion also has another effect; it creates fear in the populace. Most Americans (66%) have an underlying bias against Muslims. This causes some of them to elect leaders who perpetuate these stereotypes. For instance, when President elect Obama was campaigning, many critics tried to use his middle name, Hussein, as a reason to disqualify him from serving in public office. If these sentiments were considered thoroughly, then it may have prevented the US from selecting a leader who would promote reconciliation in the country.

Harik (2004) asserts that Political militants within the Middle East especially in Lebanon grew out of a need to transform society. The latter author did her research in Lebanon for a period of two decades. She claims that in the eighties and nineties, Hezbollah was a radical Islamic organization. It conducted a series of attacks against the United States and Israel. In fact, according to the US, Hezbollah is the second only to Al-Qaida in terms of Islamic militancy. The latter author claims that this terrorist organization managed to permeate Lebanon’s mainstream politics because it changed its ways from being an Islamic military group to becoming a major political party in Lebanon. In fact, they borrowed ideas and principles from other Islamic groups that were designed to fight off foreign occupation of their countries. Hezbollah is currently rooted between the Lebanon Israeli border and their influences were largely responsible for incorporating the Syrians and Iraqis in their issues.

Harik (2004) also explains that the Hezbollah as Islamic extremists grew out of the need to fight for the Shiite Muslim faction. This was also compounded by support received from other countries in the Arab world who regarded them as heroes. This was because many of them oppose the existence of Israel. Consequently, Hezbollah represented the only Islamic group that was able to eradicate Israeli forces within their country.

Who speaks for Islam?
One of the books that answers this fundamental question was a book written by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed (2008). The latter authors believe that in order to asses this question, it is necessary for one to interact with the Muslims themselves and find this out. Consequently, their research in the book involved a collection of fifty thousand interviews conducted among one point three million Muslims who lived in Muslim oriented countries. The book’s major aim was to discover some of the insights about the Islamic world.

Esposito and Mogahed (2008) found that contrary to popular western belief, many of the respondents do not hate American freedom. They however felt that America was hypocritical in their approach to the Muslim world. They asserted that it is the US that came in the way of Muslim’s achievement of prosperity.

The latter research also found that most Muslims are actually not interested in war or conflict against the US or other entities. In fact, large shares of the youth are looking for security, jobs and a better future. This is in sharp contrast to the images that keep bombarding western screens. Most of these images depict young
Muslims being recruited or training for war.

Esposito and Mogahed (2008) also bring out the fact that Muslims want to have their rights protected. Most of them respect and recognize the importance of religion in their daily lives. Consequently, they want their nations to be governed by Islamic law. However, most of them also believe that this does not mean their rights should be left out. Most Muslims claim that religion and freedom can coexist.

It was also surprising to find that almost ninety percent of Muslims are moderates. Consequently, the fear that many westerners had against radical Islam is not based on numbers, instead, it is based on the intensity of their actions. Additionally, most Muslims believe that they can co-exist with westerners if westerners stop misjudging them. They also believe that if their religion was respected and if foreign policies were changed, then there would much more harmony between the two groups.

The latter authors also found that there was some bad news for foreign relations between these groups. They claimed that some radical Muslims still existed and they took up seven percent of the entire Muslim population; these were ninety one million individuals. Such a number can keep rising or be maintained if there is no change in the attitude currently held by westerners; that Muslims are dangerous and that foreign relations needs to be put in line with this.

Conclusion
Islam is a complex religion made up religious extremists, moderates and modern adherents. Unification of this religion occurred as a result of the important political role that religion played in Islamic countries and the peaceful teachings of the scriptures. Islamic militancy grew out of the need to eradicate political oppression by foreign powers such as Israel and the US. Additionally, it was fueled by double standards in western countries and attacks launched against the country.

References

Ayoob, M. (2007): The Many faces of Political Islam: Religion and politics in the Muslim World; Michigan University Press
Burke, J. (2003): Al Qaida: Casting a shadow of terror; IB Tauris
Cesari, J. (2004): When Islam and Democracy Meet: Muslims in Europe and the United States. Palgrave Macmillan
Esposito, J. & Mogahed, D. (2008): Who Speaks for Islam; Gallup Press
Harik, J. (2004): Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism. I.B. Tauris

The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN SPEAK OUT

Introduction

African Americans in general have come a long way from the dark days of slavery; this is especially the case for women. There are so many challenges and issues that this group has faced over the year thus making it very difficult to summarize all this information in one piece. Consequently, the paper will focus on the last fifty years i.e. African American women’s struggle between the nineteen fifties all the way to the present day.

The role of African American women in the Black Panther Party and their depiction at that time
When conducting an analysis of the black movement in the Black Panther party, one cannot help but realize that there were numerous clashes going on in this association. First of all, Black People were struggling with the revolutionary agenda and in order to garner support for their movement, most of the members of this party had to construct certain identities that were unique to the black person.
Another issue that cropped up in this period was the fact that there high levels of Sexism in the Black Panther party. This was largely depicted by the Actions of the Party’s leaders-Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. In a book Published by Doubleday “A taste of Power” by Elaine Brown (1994), the author describes her experiences as a member of the Black panther party. Elaine Brown was brought up in a poor Black community but had the opportunity to access education.

During her time in the Black Panther party, Elaine Brown, along with other women in the movement were largely interested in transforming African American welfare. These actions were the things that took up most of her time. Some of the activities that Ms. Brown focused on included increasing medical assistance to her community, provision of food assistance among many other aspects related to the social well being of her community. However the men in this party had a more radical approach to their coz. Most of them applied as double thronged approach in the revolutionary activities; there was the political dimension and the militant dimension. Leaders like Huey Newton and Bobby Seale wanted to create a defensive system for the Black people through military techniques. These ideas even permeated into the running of their daily activities.

For instance, the Black Panther party used to publish a newspaper in which Elaine Brown was one of the editors. At one time, it happened that Brown (1994) had delayed with the newspaper’s production by one hour. In response to this action, the tough disciplinarian Booby Seale sought to find out who had caused this delay. When it was revealed that the editing took longer than required, Seale commanded his subordinates to disciple Elaine Brown. They did this by flogging her with ten lashes on her back. Brown (1994) explains that while going through the beating, she was “burning with rage” at the actions of her leader Seale who seemed to be applying double standards in the administration of justice within this party.

Within the Black Panther movement, women were expected to silently obey the words of the male leaders. Even the manner in which codes of practice were established in the Black Panther Party reflected this deeply engrained Sexism. No one was expected to vote or contribute to the rules governing the party. Instead, women were to listen and abide by the decisions made by their male counterparts. It is also interesting to note that within this party, there were no female leaders as all of them were predominantly male. This goes to show that women were almost invisible. To the men in top positions, women were seen as instruments that could be used to implement the party goals and nothing more.

However, despite this seeming mistrust, on cannot overlook the fact that some women in the Black Panther Party contributed towards Black empowerment in their own silent way. One such case is the latter mentioned author who chose to change her society in whichever little way she could.

Cleaver (1968) in his book Soul on Ice brings in a totally different dimension to the sentiments and feelings that African American men held about Black women. It should be noted that this book was written while the author was in prison. He had been arrested and tried for a series of crimes that included robbery with violence. While facing life imprisonment, the author began putting his ideas to paper through this book.

In “Soul on Ice”, the author describes his experiences as a young black man struggling with his identity. In his descriptions, he brings in the element of the white women. According to the author, the white women symbolized something that was unattainable to the Black man. In other words, Cleaver (1968) regarded women in a political manner. To him, sexual interconnection represented an avenue that he could utilize to make known his political sentiments.

Through the book, one is also able to understand another unconventional idea about the African American woman at that time. Cleaver (1968) says that he had a picture of a white woman pinned on his prison cell wall and on one occasion, the prison guards to his cell came and tore down this image. In response to this action, Cleaver started questioning his true outlooks towards the Black woman. He even asked a number of prisoners about their opinions on Black women. Most of them asserted that it was exceedingly difficult to be attracted to the black woman because black men were bombarded with images of white women who they could only idolize but never get. Consequently, Cleaver brings out the fact that black women were not admired by their men.

Soul on ice also reveals a very interesting phenomenal in gender issues; that there were double standards in treatment of women at that time. Cleaver (1968) confesses that he wanted to exercise control over the white race by raping their women. He further reveals that in order to perfect this act, he began by raping Black women. The most shocking aspect of the “Soul on Ice” was the fact that the author only apologized to members of the white race for raping their women but rationalized his violent sexual acts against African American women as part of the moral deterioration of their society. This part drew some sharp critics from African American feminists who believe that the same mentality still exists today. Many African American women have been violated and abused by Black men but society dismisses it as a normal occurrence in ‘that’ part of society.

Bambara (1970) through her book “The Black Woman: Anthology” brings out a rather positive aspect to this discussion. According to the author, there are a series of exemplary black women in history who have depicted courage and promise through their actions. These author cites a series of poems, books and other works are highlighted in order to bring out the positive role that many Black women are capable of embracing at their time.

In the “Black woman”, the author manages to address some of the challenges that one has to tackle when trying address gender identity for African American women. She brings out the fact that many African American women were struggling with racial inequality and domination by males at the same time. Additionally, the author also explains that women have the ability to transcend their circumstance by becoming the best that they can be. Bambara (1970) claims that this is only possible when women manage to balance the following;
• Motherhood
• Racism
• Politics

She insists that being black and female presents an individual with double trouble
in American society as she knew it.
The book is los particularly insightful in exploring the issue of male patriarchy and gender identity. Bambara (1970) believed that women’s identity could be constructed independently from men’s. She also asserted that women’s struggles needed to focus on the restoration of their rights rather than continual emphasis on the issue of their attachment to men. The latter author also believed that female identity formation needed to be intertwined with the concept of black hood. According to her, one could not eliminate the issue of race and claim to have discussed gender effectively. Bambara (1970) believed that African American women had the capacity to change their lives as they knew it because so many other women (as cited in her book) had done the same.

Jackson (1970) also epitomizes the struggle that African American women underwent during the regime. George Jackson was serving a sentence in Soledad Prisons. He decided to join the Black Panther Movement while in jail and started writing socialist ideology through his book “Soledad Brothers.” In his writings, more emphasis was on the black revolution and political ideology. Very little reference was given to the direct role that women play in Jackson’s society. However, one can relate male struggles to female struggles because both these genders were members of one race and injustices undergone by Jackson were the same injustices that women had to undergo too. Jackson (1970) complained about the failure of the American system to include Blacks in the economy. Consequently, the same can be said about African American women at that time. They were also undergoing economic oppression because of the lack of economic opportunities. The capitalistic approach of the ruling class caused the black community to be the inferior group and women in that category were no exception.

Deburg (1993) asserts that the Black struggle in the nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies was not just a political movement; it was also highly cultural. This author believed that the most revolutionary actions carried out by the Black Panther movement were related to the following
• Racial pride
• Self definition
• Strength

The Black Panther party was instrumental in the restoration of racial pride within the Black people who had been struggling with self hatred for so long. In fact, a large percentage of them were instrumental in the restoration of this self confidence. Deburg (1993) also brings out the fact that self actualization was a concept that was widely preached by these members. They believed that they could restore strength and belief in oneself among the black people. These sentiments were deeply spread among the people and Black women must have received them too.
Deburg (1993) adds that this construction of black identity was done through music especially soul music, it was also done through other cultural avenues like paintings, folktales, comedy and writings. The author enlists some of the contributors to this struggle and some of them happened to be women. Consequently, through the book, it is possible to see that women played a crucial role in changing society. However, their contributions still do not outweigh or even correlate to those ones that their male counterparts made in the black struggle.

Additionally, Deburg (1993) also talks about the issue of beauty. He asserts that
African American women as icons of beauty were redefined as a result of the activities of the Black Panther Party. They were able to assert that some of the conventional ideas of beauty in America were misguided and that the physical features predominant among Black women (such as the Afro hair and full lips) were attractive features.

Forner (1995) explains the fact that the activities of the Black Panther Party were highly misunderstood. Most of them were taken out of context and considered as just another invisible force in the Black community. The author talks about how women in this community were able to contribute towards the coz laid out by this Party by carrying out a series of community based activities. These included handing out posters, conducting liberation clinics and schools too. In other words, the author brings out the fact women in this movement were largely regarded as policy implementers. Men were the ultimate policy makers in the Party.

Hansberry (1959) was a demonstration of some of the struggles that black people and women especially were undergoing at that time. This play continued to be read and enacted in many parts of the country even years after Lorraine Hansberry’s passing thus bringing out the fact that African American women are yet to come out of certain oppressive situations.

Hansberry (1959) uses a series of characters, phrases and words in order to bring out African American women’s struggles during her time. For example, in this play; “ a raising in the sun”, the playwright uses the phrase “ drop the Garbo routine”. Through this phrase, the author is trying to show how men wanted women to know their place in society. This fact is seen through one of the characters in the play known as Beneatha. The latter character was different from others because she was aggressive and was unafraid to point out any chauvinistic tendencies among the men that she interacted with. This caused a lot of tension between her and her male counterparts because this was not expected of women. Additionally, this woman was independent and liberated.

Hansberry (1959) also brings out the fact that African American men expected Black women to behave in a submissive manner. She brings this out through another character known as George. George tells Beneatha that if she wants to find a husband, she would have to be act like other women; this meant that she should not have behave in a very intelligent manner or in a way that depicted that she had studied so much.

The latter author’s writings are also essential in bringing out some of the struggles faced by black women in her time because of the problems that this category of Americans had to overcome. Through another character known as Mama, it is possible to understand African American women’s plight at that time. Mama may seem like a strong woman when viewed externally, but inwardly, this woman was struggling with insecurities related to her children’s future as she was unsure about what it held for them. Another woman that was dealing with dilemmas in the play was Ruth. Ruth had found out that she was pregnant and that she would have to raise yet another child in a home that was already struggling with their finances. This child was coming at a time when Ruth was having problems with her marriage and did not know what will happen in the future. Beneatha is also struggling with a much larger problem in the African American community and America at large; that of gender barriers. These were particularly difficult for her because there were also other class barriers imposed upon her as an African American woman. Lastly, the play epitomizes the rigid beliefs held by certain African American Men who held stereotypical views in a world that was filed with so many possibilities for change. Consequently, this was why such men tried rationalizing their traditional ideas as much as they could.

The role played by African American women today
The role played by African American women today has changed drastically compared to the sixties and seventies. One only has to look at recent political events that the country has witnessed today to certify this; one of them being that America elected the first black president in history. President elect Obama’s victory was important to the black race but it also provided an opportunity to re-examine the role of black women in society today and contrast this to what it had been in the past.
Many feminist activities believe that the existence of a black first lady provides an avenue that allows black people to have positive female role models. Many black women had problems finding such dominant black, female role models in the past. Through Michelle Obama, this has now changed.

It should be noted that Michelle Obama has fitted well into this role because she represents sound American values. She also represents strong black women who manage to overcome challenges in their communities to make it. This is because Michele attended one of the most prestigious universities in the land; Harvard and she also managed to rise up the career ranks, raise two daughters and be a wife to her husband. All these issues highlight the fact that Black Women’s portrayal in society today is more balanced than it was thirty or forty years ago. At that time, most women were supposed to take behind the scenes roles. Even in the Black Panther Party, they were seen as invisible elements or entities that would only be important in behind the scenes struggles. (Regina, 2001)

This kind of mentality has drastically changed today. Black women can be seen making speeches and participating actively in political life. However, this does not distort the importance placed on family values. African American women today are expected to be active politically or economically and also to be active in their personal lives through family institutions. First Lady Michelle Obama has epitomized this new image of the African American woman today.

However, one should not assume that these changes are without their flaws. The United States media being as trivial as it is has still depicted some negative depictions of these kinds of role models. For instance, when Barrack Obama won the Democratic primary elections, Michelle commented that “ for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because I think people are hungry for change”.
Many media houses kept playing the first fourteen words of this phrase. This caused conservatives and critics to label her as unpatriotic. This was unfair treatment of this female African American icon because very little attention was given to the last words in the latter phrase. Consequently, the criticisms were taken out of context. Other media houses have attempted to label her as a bitter woman because of the thesis she wrote during her university education about the oppression of black people. There was also a point in time when some groups accused her of talking against a certain white leader in church. These assertions bring out the fact that the media has still not fully embraced this issue. However, the latter are a far cry from what went in the nineteen sixties and seventies. At least now African American women in the limelight can be criticized and get a chance of exonerating themselves. Also, they can express themselves more openly than they did forty years ago. (Hudson, 2008)

Another issue that is interesting to note about the portrayal of African American women today is the fact that there are still certain stereotypical images that bombard Americans today. Most of them encompass the depiction of African American women as loud, angry and physically large. These images have been common in most comedies or movies and African American feminists assert that in order to get rid of these stereotypes, then more “normal” depictions of women will be necessary. For instance, they could depict those ones studying etc.

Conclusion
African American women are now enjoying the fruits of their struggles during the sixties and seventies because back then women took the back stage; they hardly took part in policy making initiatives and their voices were not heeded. However, this has changed drastically today. African American women now have the opportunity to express themselves, take up leadership positions and be role models to others.

References

Cleavers, E. (1968): Soul on ice, available at http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Ice-Eldridge-Cleaver/dp/038533379X/ref=nosim/?tag=chickenajourn-20 accessed on 25th November
Bambara, T. (1970): The Black Woman, Washington Square Press
Jackson, G. (1970): Soledad Brothers – The Prison letters of George Jackson, available at, http://historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/soledadbro.html accessed on 25th November
Foner, P. (1995): The Black Panther's Speak; Da Capo Press
Baraka, A. (2000): Black Fire; an Anthology of Afro-American Writing; Plagrave
Deburg, W. (1992): A New Day in Babylon; Reed Business Information Publishers
Hansberry, L. (1959): A play - A Raisin in the Sun, available at http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Espires/raisin.html accessed on 25th Nov 2008
Regina, J. (2001): African Womanism in the Black Panther party; Western Journal of Black Studies, 22nd September
Hudson, C. (2008): African Womanism; reclaiming our lives, Gale Group Publishers
Brown (1999: A taste of Power; Doubleday Publishers

The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>)