International History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International History - Essay Example The widest description of civilization is however the definition of a more complex lifestyle that encompasses urban culture and practice of complicated activities such as farming and construction of complex structures. In doing such complex activities therefore indicate a state of sophisticated way of thinking, change of taste, and improvement of behavior. Civilized communities are now described by the way they live i.e. organized leadership (governments), literacy, social integration, economic coordination and other cultural characteristics. The general question of concern is why early civilization materialized along river valleys The answer to this question is that rivers provided a source of dependable livelihood throughout the year. As the old adage goes, water is life; rivers provided a supply of water for farming, for people's consumption and other domestic uses. Rivers also worked as micro climate regulation influencing vegetation, type of weather, natural features and topography besides the land around river is usually very fertile and hence encouraged farming (McEvedy, 2002 p.30). Whereas people appeared to be dependant on these rivers, there river stimulated innovations that lead to emergence of new and refined institutional organization, technology development and economic management. Civilization along river valleys was a self determining factor and no relations whatsoever to other rivers but had some similar characteristics. Some of the early river civilizations that have been described are along R. Nile, R. Indus, R. Tigris and R. Euphrates (McEvedy, 2002 p.34). Contrary to river valley civilization, barbarian civilization also emerged at the same time among groups of people that practiced nomadic pastoralist. Barbarism describes a situation that reduces civilization process due to communal disintegration caused by lack of industrial progression. Such societies lagged behind in technical development and were deemed low-grade compared to other communities. Some of communities that endured this civilization set back developed to become nomadic pastoralists and practiced free farming. The emergence of Nomadic pastoralist has been described to be a consequence of Neolithic Revolution. Domestication of animals and more so herbivores and farming, cleared more land and pastures, as a consequence, communities had to migrate to other areas in search for greener pastures (McEvedy 2002 p.38-40). Factors that contributed to such migrations included seasons of droughts, overpopulation, attacks from other hostile communities and search for water. Historic ally it has been ascertained that Nomadic Pastoralist lead to development of hostility among pastoral communities towards others and they have been feared a lot even today. Coercive-Agrarian Civilization The agrarian civilization begun with the river valley civilization and the major characteristics of this civilization were; invention of writing, organization of communities into empires and construction of buildings and monuments. Invention of Writing The earliest writings of late years Before Christ are not considered as writings but rather as symbols. The earliest symbols were used to communicate messages to people and their complexity gradually grew to include rows aligned and could bring to mind an intuition of a clear text. It is very hard

Qualitative Research Methods in Organisations

Qualitative Research Methods in Organisations Provide a justification for qualitative research in organisations Qualitative research is a field of inquiry in its own right. It crosscuts disciplines, fields and subject matters. A complex, interconnected family of terms, concepts, and assumptions surround the term qualitative research. These include the traditions associated with foundationalism, positivism, postfoundationalism, postpositivism, poststructuralism, and the many qualitative research perspectives, and/or methods connected to cultural and interpretive studies. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:2) qualitative researchers can access fascinating data by observing mundane settings or by finding everyday features in extraordinary settings. (Silverman, 2007:37) This essay provides a justification for the use of qualitative research methods in organisations. In the past, qualitative research methods have always been sidelined and quantitative research methods have been preferred for undertaking organisational research. One of the reasons for this is that qualitative research is always influenced by the researchers personal disposition. According to Creswell, Qualitative Research is a form of interpretive inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear, and understand. Their interpretations cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) Another reason for this is given by Silverman when he says that Policy makers and managers have been pushed away from ethnographic research because it takes a relatively long time to complete and appears to use unrepresentative samples. Even though some ethnographers are able to produce powerful arguments about what c an be read from a single, well researched, case, others muddy the waters by political posturing and by suggesting that they want no truck with conventional scientific standards. (Silverman, 2007:86) The pull of quantitative research for organisations is that it tends to define its research problems in a way that makes immediate sense to practitioners and administrators. (Silverman, 2007:86) More recently many organisations have started recognising the merits of using qualitative research methods to undertake research in the organisation. Qualitative research methods enable a thorough scrutiny of the researched topic which is not possible in quantitative research. Even within qualitative research, the researcher is provided with a vast range of options and opportunities for exploring diverse issues within the area of organisational research. What are the different methods used to adopt qualitative research? The most commonly known and most used method of qualitative research is ethnography which had its origins in social anthropology, with particular reference to the study of the culture of social groups and societies. The culture of a social group is made up of these complex networks of meaning and the key task of ethnography is to develop an interpretation and understanding of culture. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) Ethnography can be described as a longitudinal research method that is often associated with participant observation, but can also draw on other research approaches such as contextual and historic analysis of secondary data published by or on the group being studied. The ethnographic approach to developing an in-depth understanding of peoples behaviour makes it well suited to studying organisations. (Marshan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004) But It bends reality considerably to imply that ethnography is today the main method of qualitative research and that observational material is the main data source. This is hardly surprising given the plethora of materials that invite our attention. These extend beyond what we can observe with our own eyes to what we can hear and see on recordings, what we can read in paper documents and electronically download on the internet, to what we can derive by asking questions in interviews or by providing various stimuli to focus groups. (Silverman, 2007:37) Grounded theory research, discourse analysis, deconstruction, content analysis, narrative method, action research (Humphreys, 2006), participatory enquiry, participant observation (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000), autoethnography, interviewing are just a few of the current approaches to qualitative data collection and analysis. All these methods are appropriately used in different forms of organisational research. I will be looking at autoethnography, grounded theory research, critical discourse analysis and the narrative approach towards qualitative research and will study the use of these methods in conducting organisational research. Autoethnography Ethnographers have started undertaking the observation of participation where they reflect on and critically engage with their own participation within the ethnographic frame thus giving birth to autoethnography. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005:467) Karra and Philips have defined autoethnography as, the generation of theoretically relevant descriptions of a group to which one belongs based on a structured analysis of ones experiences and the experiences of others from ones groupIt is an attempt to produce sense from ones experience of a group that can be set down in a text and shared with interested others. It does not mean that the researcher studies only himself or herself, but that the researcher is an insider who can draw upon personal experience, cultural competence, and linguistic resources to frame and shape research in a way that an outsider cannot. (Karra and Phillips, 2008:547) Autoethnography has been very efficiently used by Karra and Phillips, in their article about internatio nal management researchers conducting studies in their own cultural context. They say that, autoethnography provides a methodological frame for understanding and managing their research. Even more importantly, it acts to sensitize the researcher to the importance of carefully managing the complex dynamics of this form of cross-cultural research including questions of authorial voice, role conflict, and power. (Karra and Phillips, 2008:543) Autoethnographic approaches have four important strengths- ease of access, reduced resource requirements, ease of establishing trust and rapport, and reduced problems with translation- but at the same time pose three important challenges- lack of critical distance, role conflict, and the limits of serendipity. (Karra and Phillips, 2008:541) The strengths of this mode of research are considerable and despite all the criticisms this method of qualitative research has acquired it can be used very successfully in organisational research where the need is to draw upon personal experiences. One of the uses of autoethnography is to allow another persons world of experience to inspire critical reflection on your own. (Ellis and Bochner, 1996:22) Experience is given a lot of importance in organisations and autoethnography enables the researcher and the organisation to use this experience in a positive manner and in a way which can be very beneficial to the organisation and its employees. Grounded Theory Grounded theory, developed by Glaser and Strauss, is a kind of theory generated from the data collected. The methodology refers to a style of conducting qualitative data analysis whose aim is to discover what kinds of concepts and hypotheses are relevant to the area one wishes to understand. Grounded theory, therefore, provides new insights into the understanding of social processes emerging from the context in which they occur, without forcing and adjusting the data to previous theoretical frameworks. (Cassell and Symon, 2004:242) Grounded theory is a method that is more appropriate for some questions than others. It is most suited to efforts to understand the process by which actors construct meaning out of intersubjective experience. Grounded theory should be used in a way that is logically consistent with key assumptions about social reality and how the reality is known. It is less appropriate to use grounded theory when you seek to make knowledge claims about an objective realit y, and more appropriate to do so when you want to make knowledge claims about how individuals interpret reality. (Suddaby, 2006:634) While the grounded theory approach appeared at a time when methods discourse was decidedly modernist, forty years of development reflect he paradigmatic plurality of current qualitative research. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) The application of grounded theory in organisational research has been gaining popularity in recent times. This is because organisational psychology has been marked by a trend of moving from an individualistic point of view towards a more collective view. Grounded theory has been applied in studies focusing on organisational culture, organisational growth, change and innovation, team work and company survival to name a few. Grounded theory produces descriptions of organisational reality which elicit positive discussions around important themes in the organisation among the employees and, thus, form a basis for positive organisational development trends. (Cassell and Symon, 2004) Critical Discourse Analysis According to Cunliffe, Discourse analysis is a term covering a number of approaches to research that analyze language use. These approaches range from a focus on language itself, to a broader examination of the relationship between language use, social action and social theory. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008:81) Discourse analysis provides a theoretical and methodological framework for exploring the social production of organizational and interorganizational phenomena. (Phillips, Sewell and Jaynes, 2008:1) As a methodology, critical discourse analysis allows for the use of different kinds of methods in specific research projects. However, this kind of research in particular demands the ability to make sense of the linkages between specific textual characteristics and particular discourses on the one hand, and between the discourses and the relevant socio-cultural practices and historical developments on the other. This means that research of this type generally tends to favour in-depth scrut iny of and reflection on specific texts. (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004) Discourse analysis has become an increasingly popular method for examining the linguistic elements in the construction of social phenomena. It has been increasingly adopted by organization and management scholars interested in the social construction of specific organizational ideas or practices. (Varra, Kleymann and Seristo, 2004:3) There are three important problems facing researchers wishing to adopt a critical discourse perspective in their work. First, like ethnography, discourse analysis results in quite lengthy analyses that are often a poor fit with the requirements of journal editors. Second, discourse analysis often involves major data-management issues because of the volume of data that is often available. Finally, as this is a fairly new are of activity, there are few standard models available to follow. Developing innovative data analysis techniques for each study thus remains a final challenge facing researchers. (Phillips, Sewell and Jaynes, 2008) Narrative Approach According to Oswick, Narratives are an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of social life and, as such, are integral to the processes of managing and organizing. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008:141) Although the narrative approach is one with many merits which are being acknowledged by researchers, it is still a field in the making and is not very commonly used. Researchers new to this field will find a rich but diffuse tradition, multiple methodologies in various stages of development, and plenty of opportunities for exploring new ideas, methods and questions. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005:651) A recognition that discourse is the principle means by which organization members create a coherent social reality that frames their sense of who they are has led to an increased interest in narrative approaches in organization studies. A narrative approach explicitly recognizes that, in organizations, language is the primary medium of social control and power, and that the analysis of linguistic practices is key to an understanding of how existing social and power relations are reproduced or transformed. (Humphreys and Brown, 2007) In the article, An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility at Credit Line: A Narrative Approach by Humphreys and Brown (2008), the authors adopted a narrative approach to the analysis of organizational processes in a bank, Credit Line, in order to explore how individuals in a financial institution dealt with relatively novel issues of corporate social responsibility. The authors used narratives to successfully draw attention to the plurivocity of orga nisational life. Use of qualitative research methods to undertake organisational research in a public sector organisation Public sector organisations are those organisations which are managed by the government. The main aim of these organisations is not to make a profit but to provide a service to the people under the government. Some example of public sector organisations are airports, public hospitals, railway stations, government run schools and colleges. Governments nowadays are looking to privatize most of the public sector organisations in order to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Thus most of the above given examples have now been partially or completely privatised in most countries. Public sector organisations are common grounds for research amongst qualitative researchers. This could be due to the fact that public sector organisations are more easily accessible than the private sector organisations. Many public sector organisations have also started coming up with their own research and development department which undertakes the organisational research. In my opinion participant observation and interviewing together make an ideal combination to undertake organisational research within a public sector organisation or for that matter any organisation. The shortcomings of participant observations are covered by interviewing and vice versa. Thus, the two methods complement each other perfectly. Participant Observation The methodology of participant observation is appropriate for studies of almost every aspect of human existence. Through participant observation, it is possible to describe what goes on, who or what is involved, when and where things happen, how they occur, and why at least from the standpoint of participants things happen as they do in particular situations. (Jorgensen, 1989) Participant observation is one of the most popular ways of conducting fieldwork in an organisation. This is because through observation of the participants going through their daily routine researchers pick up information which they might not have access to in a more formal setting, an example of which is interviews. Participant observation can be of two types. In the first, the identity of the researcher is known to all and the researcher has a choice of forming relationships with the participants or to stand back and eavesdrop. This form of participant observation is ethically correct but the researchers pe rsonal disposition and identity may influence the participants behaviour and this may have an effect on the research material gathered. The second type of participant observation is covert participant observation where the identity of the researcher is hidden. This form of participant observation raises many ethical questions and is just another form of deception. Thus, covert participant observation should be avoided. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial in participant observation. The danger here is that the researcher may feel so embedded and sympathetic to the group being studied that interpreting events objectively becomes difficult. Another demerit of participant observation is the time-consuming and open-ended nature of this kind of research which means it often doesnt get done. In a cost-conscious research climate in which specific and often short-term, definitive objectives are required to secure funding, sustained part icipation is a risky strategy. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) Interviews The qualitative interview can be seen as a conversation with a purpose, where the interviewers aim is to obtain knowledge about the respondents world. (Thorpe and Holt, 2008:118) The goal of any qualitative research interview is to see the research topic from the perspective of the interviewee and to understand how and why they came to have this particular perspective. (Cassell and Symon, 2004) Interviewing is the most popular method of conducting organisational research. The method has three important advantages. Firstly, interviewers allow the researcher to discover new relationships or situations not previously conceived. Secondly, interview based research may be optimal when there is a small population of possible respondents as interviewers offer an opportunity to acquire a richness of information from each respondent. Finally, interviews may allow researchers to develop a deeper rapport with informants which is necessary to gain honest and accurate responses and to add insights that lay the groundwork for larger or follow-up studies. (Marschan-Piekkari and Welch, 2004) But the interviewing method also suffers from three disadvantages. Firstly, developing an interview guide, carrying out interviews and analysing their transcripts, are all highly time-consuming activities for the researchers. Secondly, qualitative interviews are also tiring to carry out as they involve considerable concentration from the interviewer. Thus, no more than three interviews, each of the duration of one hour, should be carried out in a day. Finally, interviews are also time-consuming for the interviewees and this may cause problems in recruiting participants in some organizations and occupations. The latest trends in interviewing have come some distance from structured questions; we have reached the point of the interview as negotiated text. Researchers are not invisible neutral entities; they are a part of the interaction we seek to study. Interviewers are increasingly seen as active participants in an interaction with respondents, and interviewers are seen as negotiated accomplishments of both interviewers and respondents that are shaped by the contexts and situations in which they take place. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005) Depending on the type of organisational research which the public sector organisation needs to carry out and its goals and aims, either participant observation or interviewing or a combination of both the methods can be used appropriately in acquiring the required research material. Conclusion Thus, I conclude by saying that qualitative research methods have formed a niche for themselves in organisational research. The importance of organisational research is growing day by day and qualitative research methods are now an important part of organisational research. Although many forms of qualitative research make the use of figures and numbers to support a point of discussion, thus incorporating a characteristic of quantitative research methods, they also provide an in depth analysis on the topic of research and use one or more of the methodologies of qualitative research which include participant observation, interviewing, autoethnography, use of secondary data, grounded theory, ethnography, discourse analysis, narratives and rhetorical analysis. In this essay I introduced qualitative research and outlined its increasing importance in organisational research. I followed this up by describing approaches to qualitative research specifically concentrating on autoethnography, grounded theory, critical discourse analysis and the narrative approach, and critically analysing their use in organisational research. Finally, I concentrated on public sector organisations and why I think that participant observation and interviews are the best methods of qualitative research to undertake organisational research in public sector organisations. In doing this I feel that I have justified the use of qualitative research in organisations. References Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research. London: Sage Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (Third Edition) Thousand Oaks: Sage Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research (Second Edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2005) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (Third Edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Ellis, C. and Bochner, A.P. (1996) Composing Ethnography: Alternative Forms of Qualitative Writing. Walnut Creek: Altamira Humphreys, M. (2006) Teaching qualitative research methods: Im beginning to see the light. Qualitative Research in Organisations and Management: An International Journal Vol. 1(3) 173-188 Humphreys, M. and Brown A.D. (2008) An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility at Credit Line: A Narrative Approach. Journal of Business Ethics Vol. 80 403-418 Jorgensen, D.L. (1989) Participant Observation: A Methodology for Human Studies London: Sage Karra, N. Phillips, N. (2008) Researching Back Home: International Management Research as Autoethnography. Organizational Research Methods Vol. 11(3) 541-561 Marschan-Piekkari, R. and Welch, C. (2004) Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods for International Business. Cheltenham:Edward Elgar Phillips, N., Sewell, G., and Jaynes S., (2008) Applying Critical Discourse Analysis in Strategic Management Research. Organizational Research Methods 1-30 Silverman, D (2007) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Qualitative Research. London: Sage Suddaby, R (2006) From the Editors: What Grounded Theory is Not. Academy of Management Journal Vol. 49(4) 633-642 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage Varaa, E., Kleymann, B., Seristo, H. (2004) Strategies as discursive constructions: The case of the airline alliances. Journal of Management Studies Vol. 41(1) 1-35

Master Harold and the boys - Inclusion in the Curriculum Essay

Master Harold and the boys - Inclusion in the Curriculum Essay In his masterpiece "Master Harold" and the boys, Athol Fugard has journeyed deep into sensitive issues including racism and growing up, without sacrificing the high technical standard that often distinguishes great theatre. The poignant and enlightening journey that is Fugard's piece undoubtedly deserves inclusion in any English curriculum, with the work's characterization, themes, conflicts and motifs all earning this distinction. With only three characters sharing dialogue and one of these playing a minor role, detailed characterization is a highlight of "Master Harold and the boys. The major protagonist, Hally, is a white seventeen-year-old intended to be an autobiographical depiction of a younger Fugard. Hally is an intelligent and thoughtful young man, whose cheerfulness is dulled in the book with the news that his father may be returning to his home from hospital. Essentially, Hally is ashamed of his alcoholic, crippled and untrustworthy father, and dislikes having him at home. In a conversation to his mother, he states "I'm sick and tired of emptying stinking chamberpots full of phlegm and piss" (48) revealing this discontent. Thus, whenever he is mentioned, Hally becomes autocratic and aggravated towards the other men - he unreasonably expects the "boys" to seamlessly move between scapegoat and friend. Nonetheless, when we reach the climax of the novel, Hally says with great pain "I love him, Sam" (58). Thus Hally is divided in his heartfelt emotions of both love and anger. The other major characters in "Master Harold" and the boys are Sam and Willie - the 'boys'. These two black men are servants of Hally's mother, and work at the tearoom in which the play is set. Sam is a competent, intelligent and intuitive man, and it seems that in any other society, he would be a valued and successful citizen considering his abilities. From Sam's intellectual and emotional aptitude, Fugard clearly depicts to readers the injustice of the South African Apartheid system of racist segregation during which the play is set. Willie, on the other hand, is portrayed as a character that would be an outcast regardless of the societal values that surround him. Little is heard from him during the novel. Thus, Fugard has depicted to us the three echelons of Apartheid society... ...ve something truly special. Nonetheless, their friendship is broken by the Apartheid system, represented by the final motif - the bench. The "Whites Only" bench is symbolic of the theme of white supremacy and segregation, which splits relationships and friends apart. Sam realizes this and comments to Hally: "You know what that bench means now, and you can leave it any time you choose." (60) This is Fugard's underlying message - that if we look past racist ideals and walk away from them, we can "fly another kite" (59) and establish a society where equality and harmony are paramount. "Master Harold" and the boys is a masterfully composed, poignant piece of drama, and undoubtedly deserves inclusion in English studies. With technical aptitude in characterization and motifs, and moving, sensitive issues explored in its themes and conflicts, this work will undoubtedly encourage students to question racial prejudice and segregation in modern society. Just as Fugard intended, it will educate young minds that to be just and fair in regard to racism in society, "All you've got to do is stand up and walk away from it." (60). That is perhaps the most important lesson of all.

Integrity and Values Essay

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. Barbara Killinger offers a traditional definition: Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles. [1] In ethics, integrity is regarded[by whom? ] as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy For other uses, see Integrity (disambiguation) Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. Barbara Killinger offers a traditional definition: Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles. [1] In ethics, integrity is regarded[by whom? ] as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can stand in opposition tohypocrisy,[2] in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word â€Å"integrity† stems from the Latin adjectiveinteger (whole, complete). [3] In this context, integrity is the inner sense of â€Å"wholeness† deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency ofcharacter. As such, one may judge that others â€Å"have integrity† to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. A value system’s abstraction depth and range of applicable interaction may also function as significant factors in identifying integrity due to their congruence or lack of congruence with observation. A value system may evolve over time[4] while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies. [5] one’s actions. Integrity can For other uses, see Integrity (disambiguation) Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. Barbara Killinger offers a traditional definition: Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles. [1] In ethics, integrity is regarded[by whom? ] as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can stand in opposition tohypocrisy,[2] in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word â€Å"integrity† stems from the Latin adjectiveinteger (whole, complete). [3] In this context, integrity is the inner sense of â€Å"wholeness† deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency ofcharacter. As such, one may judge that others â€Å"have integrity† to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. A value system’s abstraction depth and range of applicable interaction may also function as significant factors in identifying integrity due to their congruence or lack of congruence with observation. A value system may evolve over time[4] while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies. [5] in opposition tohypocrisy,[2] in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word â€Å"integrity† stems from the Latin adjectiveinteger (whole, complete). [3] In this context, integrity is the inner sense of â€Å"wholeness† deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency ofcharacter. As such, one may judge that others â€Å"have integrity† to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

Absoulutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian Struggles of Arnold Spirit Essay

In the book â€Å"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian† by Sherman Alexie, Arnold Spirit the main character struggles with being an Indian and going to Reardan, the all-white school where he wants to find hope. He struggles with acceptance because of his disability and he is an Indian. He also struggle with losing his best friend Rowdy as a friend, and he also struggles with losing loved ones. Though he has many, he copes with them and fixes them in the end. Throughout the story Arnold struggles with his disability. He is a very smart person but because of his disability his appearance makes him look like he is stupid. To top this all off he is also an Indian attending an all-white school. This causes the white people to make fun of him as well as the Indians and he feels different and unwanted by everyone. â€Å"And once I arrived at Reardan, I became something less than less than less than Indian. Those white kids did not talk to me. They barely looked at me†(83). This shows that he was not accepted on the reservation as an Indian or at Reardan because of what he was. He had no friends at Reardan, not even a friend on the rez anymore. When Arnold decided that he wanted to go to Reardan he wanted his only and best friend, Rowdy to go with him. When he told Rowdy about going to Reardan he felt like Arnold was abandoning him. He got really upset and angry and made it clear they were no longer friends. â€Å"I stayed on the ground for a long time after Rowdy walked away†¦But I had to stand eventually, and when I did, I knew my best friend had become my worst enemy†(53). This shows that Rowdy resented Arnold so much for going to Reardan he didn’t want to be friends with Arnold anymore. In addition to losing his best friend he lost many other people, only in a different way. One final struggle Arnold faced was losing many loved ones. He lost his dog, grandmother, Eugene (His dads best friend) and his sister. He not only blamed himself for the deaths but also many others blamed him because he left the rez and betrayed them in a way by going to Reardan and making friends with white people. â€Å"‘Your sister is dead because you left us. You killed her.’†¦Rowdy was right. I had killed my sister†¦It was all my fault†(211). This shows that Arnold felt like in a way it was his fault and some of the Indians on the rez felt the same. He blamed himself for every bad thing that had happened all his life. Arnold had a tough life, he struggled to fit in, to keep his best friend and with losing many loved ones. Arnold slowly made friends at Reardan by just being himself. In the end he and Rowdy made up. They put the past behind them. Arnold also forgave himself for all the loved ones he lost; he also hoped that everyone else forgave him too. Losing loved ones is a normal part of life. No one should take the blame when it was never their fault. Making friends is also hard Especially when you are in a completely new environment or you are shy. Sometimes best friends will fight. It can last for a short time or a long time. Its important to remember we can not judge someone because of who they are or where they come from. Put yourself in their shoes; how would you feel?