Hellen Keller Essay -- Biography Biographies Hellen Keller Essays

Hellen Keller Helen Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Alabama. Her father was a newspaper editor. She was a lively and healthy child with a friendly personality. She could walk and even say a few simple words. In 1882 she caught a fever that was so bad she almost died. When it was over she could no longer see or hear. Because she could not hear it was also very hard to speak. She was 18 months old when this happened. But Helen was not someone who gave up easily. Soon she began to explore the world by using her other senses. She followed her mother wherever she went, hanging onto her skirts. She touched and smelled everything she came across and felt other people's hands to see what they were doing. She copied their actions and could do some jobs herself, like milking the cows or kneading dough. She even learnt to recognise people by feeling their faces or their clothes. She could also tell where she was in the garden by the smell of the different plants and the feel of the ground under her feet. By the time she was seven she had invented over 60 different signs she could use to talk to her family. If she wanted bread for example she would pretend to cut a loaf and butter the slices. If she wanted ice cream she wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to shiver. At the age of five Helen began to realise she was different from other people. She noticed that her family did not use signs like she did but talked with their mouths. Sometimes she stood between two people and touched their lips. She could not understand what they said and she could not make any understandable sounds herself. She wanted to talk but no matter how she tried she could not make herself understood. This made her so angry that she used to throw herself around the room, kicking and screaming in frustration. The older she got the more frustrated she got and her rages got worse and worse. She became wild and hard to control. If she didn't get what she wanted she would throw tantrums until her family gave in. Her favourite tricks were grabbing other people's food from their plates and throwing breakable things on the floor. Once she even managed to lock her mother into the pantry. Eventually her family knew that something had to be done. So just before her seventh birthday the family hired a private tutor. Anne Sull... ...ations working with blind people overseas. Without the help of others Helen Keller would never have succeeded the way she did. She relied a lot on Anne Sullivan, who went everywhere with her for almost fifty years. But Helen Keller was very remarkable. She was very intelligent, sensitive and determined. She was the first deaf-blind person to make such a public success of her life. But she is not the only person with a hearing and sight impairment to succeed. She is only the best known. Maybe her biggest success was in convincing other people that disability is not the end of the world. One Japanese lady said about her, 'For many generations, more than we can count, we bowed our heads and submitted to blindness and beggary. This blind and deaf woman lifts her head high and teaches us to win our way by work and laughter. She brings light and hope to the heart'. I liked learning about Helen Keller because she worked hard and learned how to do things that most people thought blind and deaf people could not ever do. She found other ways to learn than the way most people do because she was handicapped, but she did not let it stop her.

Adverse Leadership Model

SOU 4: Adverse Leadership Model Jeff Mais Texas A & M University – Commerce Introduction During this semester we have looked at several positive leadership theories, from the most elementary to the more complex. Leadership takes on many different roles and responsibilities of both the leader and follower. Some leaders have the inherent ability to lead their followers successfully, however others cannot. Destructive leadership (Padilla et al, 2007) is such a theory that has been introduced with devastating follower outcomes. This could be viewed in several ways; a good leader with bad followers or bad leader with good followers.Bad or adverse leadership can affect the follower outcomes and ultimately create a terrible work environment for the followers. Poor leaders can have a negative impact on employees and might even damage the company’s bottom line (Leviticus, 2010). In this paper we will further examine the adverse leadership model in figure 1 and explain this model from the leader, follower, environment and outcomes. Adverse Leadership Model The Adverse Leadership Model (ALM) is a model that focuses primarily around bad leaders and subservient followers.Looking at Figure 1, we will start with explaining the various characteristics of the bad leader; poor communicator, micromanager, sets unclear expectations, uses intimidation, and poor people skills. These 5 characteristics define the bad leader and help create the poor environmental conditions examined further. * Poor Communication – Poor leaders don’t value communication with their employees. A poor leader might spend long periods of time away from his desk or office or might ignore staff emails and telephone messages.Listening to others is a low priority, and poor leaders disregard input from staff and might not seem to care about staff opinions (Leviticus, 2010). * Micromanager – Micromanagers are very involved in the smallest details of the follower’s jobs and /or projects. This type of leader behavior can make followers feel inadequate at their jobs and it typically due to insecurities of the leader. * Sets Unclear Expectations – Failing to set clear expectations by the leader can frustrate followers and hinder their ability to be successful.A leader who doesn’t set clear expectations might not give all of the details related to a project or suddenly move the due date creating a moving target for followers. * Uses Intimidation – Leaders might intimidate or bully their followers. Workplace bullying has been an ongoing discussion within the realm of leadership. This type of behavior can decrease worker morale and ultimately could increase turnover. * Poor People Skills – People skills are vital to becoming a great leader, however leaders can be negative people who don’t know how to motivate others.In addition, leaders with poor people skills cannot consider any other opinions but their own. Looking at the characteristics described above, they are all contradictory to the transformational leadership theory putting value into the followers’ opinions and helping employees complete their tasks. Often times the followers have characteristics that enable the leader to remain in an adverse leadership role. However, these followers might not understand how to recognize a good leader from a bad leader. Some of the characteristics include; Low self-esteem, Unambitious, Low maturity, little or no core values, and disengaged. Low self-esteem – Followers with low self-esteem might not have the skills necessary to confront a bullying leader or one that uses intimidation. * Unambitious – These followers have little drive and consider their current situation to be the best they will ever do. Having a follower that isn’t ambitious would be easy for the transformational leader to motivate, due to their ability to engage them and make them part of something larger. * Low ma turity – Often times a follower with a bad leader can be young and immature, lacking both self-esteem and confidence.This makes it easier for the bad leader to intimidate and control the follower. * Little or no core values – The follower must have some kind of core values in order to be a successful leader. If they do not, then the leader can often times take advantage of this and exploit the followers weakness in order to remain in control. * Disengaged – The disengaged follower treats their current position as a job. They are also known as clock punchers, only there to collect a paycheck and are not worried about the company in any way.Although these characteristics are not desirable in a traditional leadership example, they make it easier for the adverse leader to thrive creating a chaotic environment for the workplace. As we further examine figure 1, we can see a direct line between the leader and follower, but no line back from the follower to the leader. This is because in the adverse leadership model, the leader is primarily a dictator and doesn’t allow for a healthy leader-member exchange. This could be due to insecurities by the leader and fear of being out performed.Moving outside of the leader and follower characteristics, we can examine the environment created by this type of leadership. High stress, alienation, and segregation are all felt by the follower due to the dyadic relationship between the leader and follower. High stress can lead to disruption of productivity amongst the team members and other health related issues. Creating a negative atmosphere can backfire because fear can cause stress, and in extreme situations, reductions in performance and efficiency (Riggio, 2009).Alienation and segregation by the leader can also create a feeling of betrayal within followers; this can also allow the members to form sub-groups that become further alienated from the remaining followers. Segregation amongst other team memb ers removes the cohesive bond that should be cultivated by the leader. Further studies by Liu et al. (2012), have revealed a direct correlation between bad leadership and follower creativity. The final portion of the adverse leadership model has to do with follower outcomes, depression and worthlessness.These outcomes are detrimental to the company’s success, due to health related issues from depression alone. Approximately 18. 8 million American adults, or about 9. 5 percent of the U. S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder (depressionperception. com). This doesn’t include the other health related issues that could be a direct result of working in a stressful environment. In addition to being depressed, followers might feel worthless due to intimidating behavior by the leader. This could also come from bullying by other co-workers who choose to emulate the leader’s social cues.In conclusion, bad leaders can only breed more bad leaders and the only way to stop it is to file complaints with HR or stand up to the bad leader, identifying issues the followers would like to change to be productive and work in a stress free environment. References Leviticus, J. (2010), The top signs of poor leadership. Retrieved from: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/top-signs-poor-leadership-31537. html Liu, D. , Liao, H. , and Loi, R. (2012). The dark side of leadership: A three-level investigation of the cascading effect of abusive supervision on employee creativity.Academy of Management Journal, 55(5), 1187-1212. Padilla, A. , Hogan, R. and Kaiser, R. B. : 2007, The toxic triangle: destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments, The Leadership Quarterly, 18, 176–194. Riggio, R. (2009), How to spot a bad leader. Retrieved from: http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200905/how-spot-bad-leader Adverse Leadership Model Figure 1: Adverse Leadership Model Figure 1: Adverse Le adership Model Environment: * High Stress * Alienation * Segregation Environment: * High Stress * Alienation * Segregation Follower Outcomes: . Depression 2. Worthlessness Follower Outcomes: 3. Depression 4. Worthlessness Follower Characteristics: 1. Low Self-Esteem 2. Unambitious 3. Low Maturity 4. Little or No Core Values 5. Disengaged Follower Characteristics: 6. Low Self-Esteem 7. Unambitious 8. Low Maturity 9. Little or No Core Values 10. Disengaged Leader Characteristics: 1. Poor Communicator 2. Micromanager 3. Sets Unclear Expectations 4. Uses Intimidation 5. Poor People Skills Leader Characteristics: 6. Poor Communicator 7. Micromanager 8. Sets Unclear Expectations 9. Uses Intimidation 10. Poor People Skills

The Fire Next Time James Baldwin, The White Problem in America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1101 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Fire Next Time Essay Did you like this example? History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations. James Baldwin, The White Problem in America (1966) Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Fire Next Time: James Baldwin, The White Problem in America" essay for you Create order James Baldwins quote extends into many different aspects of our lives, beyond the literary works Salvage the Bones and Baldwins own The Fire Next time. It describes the powerful and at times uncontrollable nature of history. We cannot always be in control of what the world throws at us. Like a torrent of water, we are often swept away by the current. Within the book Salvage the Bones we see many characters each one filled with reference an allegory. Yet I feel that the Water is one of the most important characters. As within James Baldwins quote the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, water has always been linked to the history of African Americans. Since their first ancestors were sailed across the ocean to the new world. Rivers like the Mississippi River within literature always shown as one of the greatest barriers to those trying to escape slavery and flee north. Water has been a enemy to African Americans as well as a symbol for the word sweeping them along its current.The water is the embodiment of chaos, and its effects can be seen throughout the novel and touching all of the characters within it. Water is a powerful and all encompassing force. All things can be worn down or swept away by its presence. In the beginning we learn that Junior fears water, going so far as to avoid taking a bath. Water is seen as a strange and dangerous substance by the children. The looming threat of Katrina brings the threat of more water soon to come. Later on within the novel we see Esch attempt to engage in sex with Manny while they were swimming in the red lake behind their house. Manny rejects her and explains that their relationship is only sexual. It is this moment that Esch comes to the full realization that Manny holds no romantic feelings for her. Randall warns Skeetah about the water moccasins that lurked beneath the waters surface. The waters red coloration obscuring the dangers beneath the waters surface, its crimson color like blood. Esch also sees the water in her pregnant belly liken to the waters sailed by Jason and Medea, who met tragic fates. When the hurricane finally hits, it is not the wind that presents the greatest danger, but the water. Throughout the novel, the father Daddy i s obsessed with boarding up the home. Protecting his family from wind and flying debris. This is a allegory for preparing for the chaos of the world yet in the end we can do nothing to stop it. I find that this importance of water is mirrored within the history of the United States and African Americans. The implication is that water has swept African Americans along throughout history. The Africans that were placed upon boats and sailed away to the new world were helpless to stop it. The great ocean separating them from their mother continent impossible to cross. Their suffering could not be controlled no matter what means they tried to employ to mitigate the chaos that swirled around them. The water claims the life of China and the puppies. Even faced with the rising waters Daddy when he learns of his pregnant 15 year old daughter cannot help but try to push her off into the water itself. This act while physically violent also symbolizes him pushing her from the safety of their family into the swirling currents of life. It is also this threat of chaos that brings the entire family together. After escaping the flood, all are brought closer together because they had survive d the ordeal. I find many parallels to modern and past African American history. Despite the ever present danger of being swept away, the African American family is all encompassingly important to survive. As was seen in the Antebellum south, extended family units allowed slaves to cope with a ever changing and uncontrollable landscape. Within James Baldwins The Fire Next Time we see a similar theme as in Salvage the Bones. James Baldwin attacks the American Dream, referring to it as the American Nightmare. The American dream is a harmful construct, designed to placate the masses. The promise that anyone can rise up despite their circumstances. The American Dream is considered an integral part of the culture of the United States. The Declaration that all men are created equal with the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Baldwin contends that the American dream is only that, a dream. A dream that can be just as harmful as the water within Salvage the Bones, sweeping away reason and leaving one a slave to an impossible ideal. All Americans, regardless of race are living unhappy lives, deluded by the belief of American superiority. He believes that African Americans have a distinct advantage to whites as they understand the true nature of America, having experienced its darkest side. Baldw in is optimistic that despite the difficulties, it is possible for America to uphold the principles set down within the Declaration of Independence. In order to do this both blacks and whites need to acknowledge and love each other to move forwards. Within these two literary works we see a force that is set to sweep away the characters within it. In Salvage the Bones, it is the water, in The Fire Next time, Baldwin characterizes the American Dream. Histories weight upon our shoulders is marked by moments that we cannot control. Yet both Baldwin and Ward have a central theme of community and working together to survive the struggles of history. It is community and coming together in the face of adversity that is the most important thing. Baldwin states these innocent people have no other hope. They are, in effect, still trapped in a history which they do not understand; and until they understand it, they cannot be released from it. It is working together against the torrential flow of history that will allow freedom and justice to reign within America.