Sherif 1954 Essay Example for Free

Sherif 1954 Essay Aim: To study the origin of prejudice arising from the formation of social groups Sherif carried out research into groups, leadership and the effect groups had on attitudes and behaviour. The Robbers Cave Study built upon his previous work. He thought that social behaviour could not be studied properly by looking at individuals in isolation. He recognised how social organisation differs between cultures and affects group practices, so he claimed that groups have to be understood as part of a social structure. The Robbers Cave Study used two groups of young boys to find: how the groups developed; if and how conflict between the groups arose; and how to reduce any such friction. Three terms defined according to Sherif are: small group individuals share a common goal that fosters interaction; individuals are affected differently by being in a group; an in-group develops with its own hierarchy and a set of norms is standardised norm a product of group interaction that regulates member behaviour in terms of expected or ideal behaviour group a social unit with a number of individuals who are interdependent and have a set of norms and values for self regulation; individuals have roles within the unit Procedure 22 young boys, aged 11, who did not know each other prior to the study. All from Protestant Oklahoma families to eliminate family problems and match the kids as much as possible. They were also matched based on a rating, including their IQ, from their teachers and were finally reassessed and matched , including issues such as sporting ability, before the experiment began. A nominal fee was charged for the children to attend the camp and they were not informed that they were being used for a piece of research in order to obtain â€Å"true† results The Camp The experiment is called the Robbers Cave Study because it took place in a camp at Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma. The location was a 200-acre Boy Scouts of America camp completely surrounded by the State Park. The site was isolated and keeping the two groups apart (at first) was easy because of the layout of the site, as shown in the diagram Data Collection There was a wide range of data collection methods: observer – participant observer allocated to each group for 12 hours a day sociometric analysis – issues such as friendship patterns were noted and studied experiment – boys had to collect beans and estimate how many each boy had collected tape recordings – words and phrases used to describe their own group were studied The observers were trained not to influence the boys’ decisions but to help them once a decision was reached Three Stage Experiment The two groups were formed and set up norms and hierarchies (to see how they became in-groups) The two groups were introduced and competition was set up, as a tournament (to test for friction, name-calling and hostility to the out-group) The two groups were set goals that they needed each other to achieve Stage 1: in-group formation The two groups were kept apart for one week to help the formation of group norms and relations. They had to work as a group to achieve common goals that required cooperation. Data was gathered by observation, including rating of emerging relationships, sociometric measures and experimental judgements. Status positions and roles in the groups were studied. There is much detail about how hierarchies within each group developed. The measurements were thought to be both valid and reliable because different data collection methods produced similar results. For example, in the bean-collecting task, the boys tended to overestimate the number of beans their own group members had collected and underestimate the number collected by the other group (the number of beans was actually the same). Stage 2: inter-group relations, the friction phase After the first week, the two groups were told about one another and a tournament was set up with competitive activities. Points could be earned for the group and there were rewards. As soon as they heard about each other, the two groups became hostile. They wanted to play each other at baseball, so they effectively set up their own tournament, which was what the researchers wanted. The aim of the experiment was to make one group frustrated because of the other group, to see if negative attitudes developed. Adjectives and phrases were recorded to see if they were derogatory and behaviour was observed as previously. The researchers introduced the collecting the beans experiment: the boys had to collect beans and then judge how many each boy had collected. This was to see if the boys overestimated the abilities of the in-group members and minimised the abilities of the out-group members. As was mentioned before, this was the case. Stage 3: inter-group relations, the integration The researchers wanted to achieve harmony between the two groups, which they did by introducing superordinate goals. This meant that the groups would have to work together to achieve the goals. At first, they introduced tasks that simply brought the two groups together so that they could communicate. They then introduced the superordinate goals, which included: fixing the water tank and pump when the water supply was threatened a truck that would not start, so they had to pull together to try and start it pooling resources so that they could afford a film that they all wanted to watch The researchers measured the use of derogatory terms and used observation and rating of stereotyping. Results Stage 1: in-group formation By the end of the first Stage, the boys had given themselves names: the Rattlers and the Eagles. The groups developed similarly, but this was expected due to how carefully they had been matched. Any differences present were most likely due to the different decisions they had to make based on their cabins being located in different areas. For both groups, status positions were settled over days five and six of the first week, and a clear group leader was in place. The Rattlers often discussed the situation of the Eagles, saying things such as â€Å"They had better not be swimming in our swimming hole†. Although the Eagles did not refer to the Rattlers so often, they wanted to play a competition game with them. It seems that even only knowing another group existed was enough reason for hostility to develop, even though neither group had been introduced yet. Stage 2: inter-group relations, the friction phase As soon as the groups found out about each other, they wanted to play baseball in a group competition: and so both groups had naturally moved onto Stage 2. The Rattlers were excited, and discussed such issues such as protecting their flag. The Eagles weren’t as excited, but made such comments as â€Å"we will beat them†. The Eagle selected as baseball captain for the baseball competition became the group leader of the Eagles for all of Stage 2, even though he was not the group leader at the end of Stage 1. When the two groups first met, there was a lot of name calling. There is evidence collected, including what the boys said, who they were friends with and practical issues (such as the burning of a flag). It was found that there were clearly negative attitudes towards the out-group members. Stage 3: inter-group relations, the integration During the initial contacts of this Stage, the hostility remained. There were comments such as â€Å"ladies first† and when they watched a group movie together, they sat separated in their individual groups. After seven contact activities, there were superordinate goals set up: 1 The staff turned off the valve to the water pump and placed two large boulders over it. The children were informed that vandals had damaged it in the past. They worked together to fix the damage and rejoiced in common when they were successful 2 The second goal was to watch a movie together, but both groups had to chip in to pay for it. They eventually agreed to go halves even though one group had fewer members than the others. However, this agreement showed that the two groups cooperated to arrive at one final decision which they both were happy with 3 The boys all went on an organised trip to Cedar Lake, where the truck suddenly ‘developed’ a problem meaning the boys had to use the tug-of-war rope to try and pull it out and get it started It was noticeable how friendships differed between Stage 2 and 3. More out-group members were chosen as friends by the end of Stage 3, which is evidence that friction was reduced by the superordinate goals outlined. Conclusions Most of the hypotheses put forward by the researchers at the beginning of the study were confirmed. Some of the conclusions drawn from the experiment include: The groups developed social hierarchies and group norms, even though they were not stable throughout the study Each group had a clear leadership structure by the end of the first week When the two groups meet for competition, in-group solidarity and cooperation increases and inter-group hostility is strong People tend to overestimate the abilities of their own group members and to minimise the abilities of out-group members Contact between two groups is not enough to reduce hostility When groups needed to work together, exchanged tools, shared responsibilities and agreed how to solve problems, friction was reduced – working towards a superordinate goal once was not sufficient, there needed to be numerous cooperation tasks to achieve this Evaluation Strengths: There were controls, such as the careful sampling and the briefing observers so they all followed the same procedures, this meant that cause-and-effect conclusions could be drawn more justifiably than when observing naturally-occurring groups There were several data collection methods and the findings agreed, so validity was claimed – for example, derogatory behaviour and recordings found derogatory remarks against the out-group The group conflict could be seen as prejudice; reduction of friction would be reducing the prejudice, therefore the study has a practical application Weaknesses: It was unethical in the sense that there was no informed consent obtained, there was no right to withdraw for the participants (also, the boys’ parents were not allowed to visit – to prevent them feeling homesick – but this meant they could not check on their children’s welfare) It was hard to generalise to other situations because the sample was restricted to boys with a specific background

Kraft Foods Essay Example for Free

Kraft Foods Essay Kraft Foods Group, which is one of the most famous food and beverage companies in the world, has a wide and significant impact on socio-economic and lives of people all over the world. It was founded in 1852. It produces and sells packaged food and beverages including snacks, beverages, cheese, convenient meals and various packaged grocery products. Kraft Foods operates in more than 70 countries, primarily in the US and Canada. And it sells its products in more than 150 countries. (Kraft Foods, 2009).As one of the fastest growing food manufactures in the Australian, Kraft Foods is changed to Mondelēz International . It employ more than 3500 employees who work across a range of activities and try to use the new name and new look to serve the customers. To ensure the sustainable development of the company, Kraft Foods takes the economic, social and environmental issues into consideration and tries to achieve ever-changing social expectations. As an influential food company, Kraft Foods makes great effort to contribute to society. It is aware of that hunger is a very serious issue among the society and keeps fighting with it. Kraft Foods expands cooperation with other company and donate food to food bank and other hunger relief centres to help provide products for the food drive (Safeway and Kraft, 2012).Many efforts at fighting hunger and contribution to society can be found all over the world by Kraft Foods employees ((More than 20,000, 2010) . However, in food safety, several recall cases in 2014 caused detrimental impact on company’s image. This critical essay will explicitly examine Kraft Foods’s actions and their implications on society.

Relationship Between Transformational And Transactional Leadership Skills Education Essay

Relationship Between Transformational And Transactional Leadership Skills Education Essay This paper will evaluate the relationship between transformational and transactional leadership skills in principals of kindergarten through eight grade schools. Seven various sources containing journals and studies have been critiqued and delineated. The discovery from these articles is that principals with transactional and transformational qualities lead effectively. The ultimate goal of a principal is to create a safe learning environment where students are able to learn to their highest potential. The focus of this paper is to explore grade schools ranging from kindergarten through eight grades and to provide the reader with ample qualities of an effective transformational and transactional leader. Problem Statement Recent studies suggest that kindergarten through eighth grade students in the United States are struggling to meet standards and are falling behind (Lucas Valentine, 2002). Educators and principals must be held accountable. Transformational and transactional leaders obtain skills that will promote student success and teacher accountability. Leaders that guide educators, peers, parents, and students within the transactional and transformational approach will result in a positive school environment and students will work to their highest potential. Purpose Statement The purpose of this research is to provide principals, or leaders with effective tools for guiding, creating, and leading efficient and successful schools. Principals need to have a clear, concise grasp on leading effectively. This dissertation will provide them with accurate studies that support transactional and transformational leadership. Research Questions and Objectives Transformational and transactional leadership defined Implementing transformational and transactional leadership skills for principals Educators effectively teaching under the guidance of a transformational and transactional leader Promoting student success and achievement for principals of kindergarten through eighth grade schools Body Transformational and Transactional Leadership Skills Defined Charisma, inspiration, and effectively communicating with subordinates are three qualities of transactional and transformational leaders (Anderson, 2008). Principals that obtain these characteristics will create a respectful rapport with educators, parents, and students (Hood, Poulson, Mason, Walker, Dixon, 2009; Lucas, Valentine, 2002). Transformational leaders inspire and create positive working environments (Bono Judge, 1004). Transactional and transformational leaders encourage team work and cooperative learning strategies. Educators that are led under the transformational and transactional approach will be able to share ideas with other members of the school community. Educators will be advised to observe other classroom settings and learn form other teachers (Chin, 2007). Principals that lead in this approach will create a positive working and learning environment. Students will be able to learn effectively and educators will be encouraged to work with and learn from fellow peers. One recent study explored the transformational leader and concludes that leaders whom hold subordinates accountable and continuously evaluate and critique in a positive manor will be successful leaders (Chin, 2007). This type of accountability can be measured though self evaluations (Pounder, 2008). Transformational and transactional approached to leadership must be implemented for a successful school environment (Lucas Valentine, 2002). Researchers studied teacher reports and focused on five areas consisting of shared goals, teaching collaboration, teacher learning, teacher certainty, and teacher commitment. The authors hypothesized school principals whom score high in the identified five factors are effective transformational leaders relating to student success in schools. They intended for educators to complete a survey that evaluates their principals transformational leadership style. These eighteen elementary principals and their faculties were asked to return the survey in order for the author to properly assess the evaluations (Lucas Valentine, 2002). With the collected data, the authors discovered that increased transformational leadership principals were associated with schools that demonstrated enhanced levels of social organizations reflective of effective schools. The study also investigated two research questionnaires. The first was questionnaire was from Bass and the second from Avolio. These questionnaires determined that increased transformational principals are associated with schools that show high levels of social organizations and student success, confirming the authors hypothesis (Lucas Valentine, 2002). Educators effectively teaching under the guidance of a transformational and transactional leader Variable One: Evaluation and Accountability One important quality of effective teaching is that educators are able to self evaluate and self examine their teaching strategies (Pounder, 2008). Prior to school beginning, teachers will be asked by the transactional principal to self evaluate one lesson per quarter of the upcoming school year. The lesson plan will be submitted to the principal. The educator will note the pros and cons of their lesson. Self evaluation will promote the educators ability to ensure that effective lessons and activities are taught and implemented in the classroom (Poulson, Mason, Walker, Dixon, 2009; Lucas, Valentine, 2002). Principals that lead in the transactional and transformational approach can also encourage educators to evaluate other peers. Educators can learn from one another, share ideas, and cooperatively teach under this type of leadership. (Poulson, Mason, Walker, Dixon, 2009). This environment will result in a positive atmosphere for parents, teachers, students, and staff members. Similar to self evaluation and peer evaluation, the transformational and transactional principal will be able to evaluate and observe the educator. The principal will meet with the teacher prior to the observed lesson. The principal will be provided with the educators lesson plan and together they will select a date for the observation. Next, the principal will observe the lesson. This transformational and transactional leader will ask the following questions (Anderson, 2008; Lucas, Valentine, 2002): Did the teacher grasp the students attention? Were the students engaged throughout the lesson? Was the material presented in a clear, concise manor? Were the needs of each type of learner met in the lesson? What were the students doing throughout the lesson? Did the teacher check for understanding and ask follow-up questions? How was the lesson concluded? These are seven questions that the principal will note throughout the lesson. Finally, the principal and teacher will have a post conference regarding the observation. At this conference, the principal will be able to provide the educator with notes and comments pertaining to the observed lesson. The principal will be able to discuss strengths and weaknesses and offer tools for improvement (Bono Judge, 2004. Variable Two: Professional Growth Transformational and transactional leaders must encourage members to continually enhance professional growth. Continuous learning for educators will promote effective educators. As a transformational and transactional principal, opportunities for growth and improvement must be available for educators. Workshops, seminars, and meeting are essential for effective education and for teacher accountability (Bono Judge, 2004). Promoting student success and achievement Students will excel under a transformational and transactional leader (Chin, 2007). Students respond positively to leaders that are charismatic, intellectual, and creative. Students are able to establish a respectful rapport with the administration and school personal (Chin, 2007). Principals whom establish the foundation of transformational and transactional leadership skills will promote student success and achievement. Data from 1,762 educators and 9,941 students in one large school district were obtained to explore the effects of transformational leadership practices on selected organization conditions and student engagement within the schools. The results confirmed that there were strong significant effects of such transformational and transactional leadership on student success rate. This partciular article was qualitative and provided copious amount of information relating to the field of transformational leadership and its benefit in schools (Leithwood, 2000). Transformational and transactional leaders obtain qualities that are inspiring and successful. Principals who lead in this approach will create a safe learning environment where students are able to learn to their highest potential (Hood, Poulson, Mason, Walker, Dixon, 2009). Teacher accountability and performance is the second step within the transformational and transactional approach (Chin, (2007). Teachers must be able to self evaluate, evaluate peers, and participate in principal-teacher evaluation. Educators must continue to grow professional and continue their education.

The American Civil War Essay -- History USA Historic Essays

The American Civil War Works Cited Not Included Horrific! The American Civil War, also known as the War Between States and the War Of Secession, was an extremely gruesome and bloody war (World Book 614). The war, which started on April 12, 1861, when the southern troops fired on Fort Sumter, and ended 4 years later, took more American lives than any other war in history (614). This war was between a divided union in whish the southern states were trying to preserve slavery while the northern states were dedicated to a more modern way of life and were trying to end slavery (614). This war was fought in the minds of great men like Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee and the end of the war was the beginning of a slavery free nation. The American Civil War was a horrible event in the history of the world which started from three main causes: slavery, disputes over states' rights, and because of the division which existed between the South and the North. April 12, 181 was a day that would forever live in the history of the United States. On this day, the Southern troops of the Confederate States fired the first shots of the American Civil War on Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. (World Book 614). Before this day, Americans had an abiding faith in the politics and the democratic ideals on which this new country was based. Andrew Jackson described Americans as ?guardians of freedom for the human race.? James K. Polk spoke of the American government as ?This most admirable and wisest system ever devised. Americans, north and south, regarded these statements as true. American politics was a fiercely partisan affair at first. It was all for the good of the new nation. At the close of the 1850?s, citizens wondered if their... ...uence over government policy (World Book, 634). The Northern ideals, however, helped to develop the modern United States as an industrial power (World Book, 634). Slavery was officially abolished after the Civil War in the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution (World Book, 634). The results were lasting, some severe and big, while some were small and unnoticeable. The American Civil War was a horrible event in the history of the world which started from three main causes: slavery, the dispute over state?s rights, and a division between the North and South. The war ended because of the dedication and warfare tactics of many heroes and enemies. The Civil War started on April 12, 1861 and ended four years later (World Book, 614). In the end, more Americans died than in any other war in history. But in the end good once again triumphed over evil!

President Clinton’s Pentad Essay -- Burke Clinton Social Action Essays

President Clinton’s Pentad Throughout time, many theorists have studied modes of persuasion. The ancient Greeks focused on persuasive discourse in the public arena which allowed a democracy to function properly. However, more recently Kenneth Burke, a literary critic and philosopher, has also evaluated how our language influences social action. Yet unlike the ancient philosophers, Burke was interested in how not just public messages but all symbolic activity leads to persuasion of others. From this belief, Burke developed the theory of Dramatism which he defined as, "The study of human relation and motives by means of a methodical inquiry into cycles or clusters of terms and their function" (Hauser, 1998, October 30). He viewed life as a drama which contained a series of accounts with interacting parts that create meaning and persuasion (Gusfield, 1989). Burke coined many terms unique to his theory that he could apply to any situation involving persuasive communication. Therefore, Burke’s theory of Dram atism can be clearly illustrated by identifying his key terms and applying these to an instance of persuasive communication; however, this theory does not easily apply to other forms of communication. To begin, it is important to understand Burke’s main themes and the terms involved in each. Burke has three main themes in his theory: the necessary elements for a foundation which leads to persuasion, the tools needed to evaluate a persuasive situation, and the involvement of guilt in the outcome of the persuasive situation. A sequence of these three themes appear within persuasive communication. First, Burke focused his work on the use of persuasion in the social realm. Furthermore, in accordance with what was stated befor... ...his theory provides a clear understanding of rhetoric and its effects, but does not apply to all communication scenarios. Therefore, Burke’s theory of Dramatism is strong within a limited scope, but weak as an overarching theory of all communication. Works Cited Craig, R. (1998, November 9). Lecture in Boulder at the University of Colorado. Desilet, G. (1972). Kenneth Burke’s Dramatism in Perspective. Santa Barbara. Griffin, E. (1997). A First Look at Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Gusfield, J. (1989). On Symbols and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Hauser, G. (1986). Introduction to Rhetorical Theory. Prospect Heights: Waveland Press, Inc. Hauser, G. (1998, November 2). Lecture in Boulder at the University of Colorado. Hauser, G. (1998, October 30). Lecture in Boulder at the University of Colorado.

Crumbling Dreams in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Crumbling Dreams in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is a play best summed up in its title, it is just that, the death of a salesman. This death is not necessarily the physical end to a human life, but the crumbling end to the dreams of Willie Loman, the play's main character. The three main parts to Willie's world are his job, his family, and his image as seen by the rest of the world. Although these parts are interwoven and interrelated, they are best divided and given separate analysis. The first part of Willie's world is his job. Willie is a salesman for a large company in New York. Willie's self-image and much of his self-worth are based in his job. In his own mind he is still as he used to be, well known and well respected among the clientele in the New England area. Things have changed though and the people Willie once knew in the business are no longer there and he no longer has the connections he once had. His inability to cope with and adapt to this changing business has caused, among other things, a loss in pay. Willie has lost his competitive edge, and with it his feeling of self worth and identity. The second part of Willie's world is his family, more specifically his son, Biff. Biff is the firstborn and favorite son of Willie. Willie has high expectations of, and transfers his dreams, as so many fathers do, onto Biff. Biff can not live up to the expectations of his father and has dreams of his own which cause Willie to see him as a loafer, a shiftless bum with no desire to succeed. Although Willie's dreams are not realized in Biff, his son's respect is still important. This respect is lost when Biff catches his father in an affair with a young lady. Even though this is not talked about (Biff never told anyone, not even his mother) it still creates tension and causes Biff to lose the respect he once held for Willie. Willie's main philosophy in life is "Be liked and you will never want" and this is the cause of the problems in the third part of Willie's life, his image. Image is everything to Willie. In his past he was a well liked, well known, respected man who turned his image into his success, but his image has changed.

English: It’s position in the global arena Essay

English occupies an important position in global education at the moment. It seems to be seen as a high status language with an inherent connection to capitalism and globalism. The example websites given, one from a university in the Netherlands and the other from Brazil. Both websites are presented in English as well as their national language, despite the fact that English is a secondary language in both nations. This status, rivalling even the official language of the country, seems to have sprung from a number of sources, not the least the general impression that English has become the new lingua franca. The prestige and encroaching ubiquity of English has contributed to it’s increasingly high position within academia. The history of colonialism, the status of English schools in the wider global community and the inexorable link most countries place between capitalism and English. It is also greatly affected by the various policies adopted by countries. Of course this all begs the question of whether the position of English in higher education is a beneficial one, or another form of English imperialism. Politics plays a hefty role in the position of English and it has always been influenced by the relative prestige it enjoys when compared to other languages. The websites shown both exemplify this status. While both websites are based in countries where the official language is not English (Dutch and Spanish respectively), both either presented in English (the Maastricht website) or have a full English translation available (the San Paolo website)(The University of San Paolo, 2013)(Maastricht University, 2013). This shows the remarkable influence that the English language has a secondary education, especially considering they originate from countries that have no history of British colonialism. Other countries, such as India or Malaysia, have these ties to English through the colonial history of the British Empire. In particular, the legacy of colonialism has had a profound effect on the position of English, not just in higher education, but in the world. During the occupation of the various countries that became part of the British empire, it tended to be the policy to educate the native populace in English, to better integrate them into the lower rungs of government. These countries tend to link English with a higher status of education, and, therefore, enact policies to try to capitalise on this  perceived prestige (Hewings, 2012, p96-99). For example, Mahatma Gandhi was educated in an English university, before returning to lead his nation. Also contributing to this sense of the superiority of English is the fact that many of these countries do not share a common language to begin with (India, Malaysia and a variety of countries). Thus, the enforcement of English in education provided a common language for various regions to communicate. India, in particular, has a strong history of this. In turn, this makes higher education in English almost inevitable, as the high status of higher education is naturally paired with the high st atus of English within these countries. However, this can be quite controversial in within the country, with the general feeling that the use of English for governance and education leads to a degrading of the native languages. It has also lead to questions of the usefulness of teaching in English, due to the very real possibility of students having a less than perfect grasp of the language(Martin, 2012, p125-129). This stems from the fact that being able to speak a language is different from being able to study academically in it(Hewings, 2012, p103-105). While these are valid concerns, the political and social backing of English means that the position of English within the higher education spheres of these ex-colonial territories is well-secured. There are also practical reasons for the position of English in higher education. One reason is that many of the industries that are desirable to students in higher education have higher English language skill requirements. Fields such as science, engineering and programming all rely on a high level of English based technical speech and many higher education courses are offered in English(Hewings, 2012, p115-120). For example, if one wishes to study any of the sciences, one must become familiar with the technical terms and writing of various academic publications, a large proportion of which are published in English. These fields require a higher level of education to enter, and necessitate at least a passing knowledge of English to comprehend. English is also used at the highest levels of business, giving rise to the idea that English has become a global lingua franca for business and technology. Thus many will learn English as a means of appearing more business-like and professiona l, and to help them compete in the global market(Gray, 2012, p146-148). This gives rise to a feedback  loop, wherein to enter these fields, one must speak English well enough to learn them, which in turn causes those fields to be even more locked in to English based higher education. Additionally, a number of industries have sprung up around higher education, such as academic publishing or English language teacher training. These industries provide a sustained push for the position of English, with resources for higher education being produced by publishers based out of English language universities(Gray, 2012, p148-150, p158-161). These publishers have little economic incentive to publish in other languages, thus most high end resources for universities are published and sourced from English speaking countries. This is shown by the high amount of universities that offer their courses in English(Hewings, 2012, p113). This establishes that a large quantity of materials used in secondary education, and a lot of the more prestigious training for teachers of such, stem from English language universities. Even European universities have begun to offer courses entirely in English, especially in the Eastern European countries such as Slovakia. In these countries, especially those that gained their independence with the fall of the Soviet Union, English is seen as the language of capitalism(Prendergast C., 2012, p33-35). As such, younger people, seeking ambitiously to carve a place for themselves, learn English to better place themselves in higher status jobs(Prendergast C., 2012, p35-38 ). In turn, this created a demand for higher education in English, to the point where the price of these courses skyrocketed (Prendergast C., 2012, p33). All of these factors have contributed to the seemingly dominant position of English in higher education. Many people have argued for and against the position of English in higher education, with some claiming that the ubiquity of English allows for greater collaboration and dissemination of information (Prime Minister’s Office, 2008, Seargeant, 2012, p9-10) while others claim that this same ubiquity is pushing out other languages(Sutherland, 2002, Seargeant, 2012, p10) and the features of education that those languages have. This debate further solidifies the position of English within higher education, due to the simple acknowledgement such a debate infers. By the basic fact that such a debate is happening, the participants have agreed that English has a dominating presence within higher education. One such argument posited by  those against the proliferation, is that other languages slide into decline and with them their own particular features within higher education, for example the French thesis-antithesis-synthesis essay(Coleman, 2006, Hewings, 2012, p114-115). If English becomes the sole language of higher education, then these features may simply cease to exist. The counter argument to this is that the growing ubiquity of English allows for a much greater sharing of information due to providing a common point for many different countries. An additional argument against is that teaching in more than one language can be beneficial to the students ((Monaghan, p134 – 136). This argument ignores the difficulties of training teachers in the multitude of languages that they may encounter within the classroom from students of varied backgrounds. Equally, one must not forget that higher education is not only the stage for education but is also a great contributor to the development of science and a retainer of scientific knowledge. By setting the standard of higher education to one language, which did not necessarily have to be English, a much greater pool of knowledge can be made available than might otherwise be possible. Students from various background and cultures would be able to access the same sources of information and, thus have a gr eater chance of advancing and gaining knowledge. In conclusion, the position of English within higher education can be thought of as a useful one. It came about due to the specific historical and political factors unique to English. It just so happened that most of the mathematical, scientific and technological notation is based largely in English (for example, the development of the internet was an American innovation). It also just so happened that the notion of capitalism and big business is also closely associated with English. Equally, the legacy of colonialism has meant that the English language is spread widely around the globe, and is linked to the upper rungs of these societies, due to the government of these colonies being run largely by Englishmen and the natives they taught English too. These factors all combine into a general view of English as being the language of professionalism and of globalism, making it attractive for those with skill sets derived from higher education(). In turn this created demand for English t o be the language these courses were taught in. Whether or not this is a good thing is a matter for debate, but  for good or ill, the fact remains. English enjoys a lofty position within the higher education system of the world. References: Gray J. (2012), ‘English the industry’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 137 – 163 Hewings A. (2012), ‘Learning English, learning through English’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 93 – 120 Maastricht University (2013) Maastricht University, Leading in Learning [online], http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ (accessed 11/04/2013) Martin P. (2012), ‘Tensions between language policy and practice’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 121 – 128 Monaghan F. (2012), ‘English lessens’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 129 – 136 Open University (2012), U215, The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University Prendergast C.(2012), ‘English and ambivalence in a new capitalist state’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 33 – 39 Seargeant P. (2012), ‘The politics and policies of global English’ in Hewings A. And Tagg C. (eds) The Politics of English Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, Abingdon, Routledge/Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 5 – 32 The University of San Paolo (2013) Universidade de Sao Paulo [online], http://www5.usp.br/en/ (accessed 11/04/2013)