The Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese is a book published in 2012 and revolves around Saul’s story. In the novel, the author intends to show the importance of family in someone’s life, and it’s no wonder that even the title of the book Indian Horse comes from Saul’s family’s name (Chicklinski-Cahill, 2019). in the plot of the story, the audience sees Saul as he goes through a series of challenges, including his family member’s death to abuse and the struggle with alcoholism. Even though Saul faces many challenges in life, there is someone there to show him love and give him hope; whether these people are biological family or not, they play a crucial role in Saul’s life. 

Family plays a crucial role in connecting someone to his/her culture. The Indian Horse family hails from a Fish Clan, a native Canadian ethnic group that Winnipeg’s river. The Indian Horse family has always been influential in the clan from his great grandfather, who stories say was a great teacher and healer and, as a result, played a key role as a religious figure (Wagamese 2012). However, this influence is deteriorating as the story’s setting takes the readers through an event that takes place in the 1960s and 70s Canadian society. This was the time that Canadian native traditions were under heavy attack. Laws such as the Indian Act of 1876 were developed, which required all native Canadian children to attend Christian and English-speaking schools (McKegney & Phillips, 2018). To attend school, these children were separated from their families and were forced to unlearn all their native traditions and replace them with Christian ones. “We will honor him in the old way” (Wagamese 2012). These were the words of Saul’s grandmother after Benjamin’s death. She wants him to be buried traditionally, but Saul’s parents object and decide to take him to a nearby priest for a proper burial. To show the importance of culture in someone’s life, Wagamese tells the audience that after the parents walked out of their traditions and opted for new traditions, they never returned, and Saul had to live with his grandmother till death. In the whole story, Wagamese shows children struggle in Christian schools as they try to maintain the relationship with their cultures and family as some are beaten to death. Others take their lives due to their inability to let go of their cultures and family ties (McKegney & Phillips, 2018). In Saul’s case, he maintains some of his cultural traditions while adopting part of the new customs.

In the Indian Horse, the concept of family is depicted as an important part of a person’s belongingness. According to psychological research, the need for love and belongingness is a need for all human beings, similar to the need for food and shelter (McKegney & Phillips, 2018). When one successfully acquires the sense of completion and belongingness, one gets over emotions such as loneliness and abandonment. These negative emotions can harm a person’s performance in life and health, and thus getting away from them helps increase a person’s chance of improving his/her life. As the story opens, Saul’s family goes through many tribulations (Chicklinski-Cahill, 2019). However, even in these trying times, they stick together and help each other. For example, even after his parents and brother’s death, Saul’s grandmother stuck with him till she froze to death. When Saul was going through trying times at St. Jerome’s, a new family comes to his rescue (Wagamese 2012). As he leaves with the Family, Father Leboutilier tells him that Hockey would save him, but in the real sense, Kelly’s family had saved him from the miseries of St. Jerome’s. When he becomes part of the family, Saul finds love and support from the family, which helps him become even better at playing Hockey (McKegney & Phillips, 2018). Kelly’s son Virgil does not become jealous of his hockey prowess; in fact, he takes him into his team and trains with him. Even though Saul becomes better than Kelly’s son, there is not time that they felt jealous of him as he was family. Kelly and the family encourage him to carry on and get to greater heights, such as the time he needed to move to Toronto; they did not hold him back even though he was having a hard time leaving them. The family wished the best for him.

A family is a place where one can always go back when all other things fail. Society fights Saul with racism, and the memories of abuse back in St. Jerome’s still haunt him. However, Martha and Fred knew their place in Saul’s life. Saul states, “Fred and Martha Kelly were good to me. They didn’t try to be parents. They settled for being friends, and Virgil and I grew close. He was my greatest ally” (Wagamese 2012). Unlike society, Kelly’s family understood Saul’s past, and they were ready to hold his hand and help him as a friend. The use of the term “settled for” symbolizes that despite offering him the help that he needed, the Kelly’s knew that they could not replace Saul’s biological family but were ready to stay with him as a friend and help him like a family (Chicklinski-Cahill, 2019). To this end, when Saul comes from the rehab, and all is lost, he goes back to the Kelly’s, and they receive him like a family and give him another chance to use his talent.  

In a nutshell, the family is where an individual clings for support and hope in life. The theme of family is key in the Indian Horse as even the name of the book comes from the name of the protagonist’s family. The family is portrayed as an individual’s connection to culture and traditions. It is through the family that a person’s belongingness need is fulfilled. The family is also the place where one gets back to heal after the worldly struggles are over. 

References

Chicklinski-Cahill, K. (2019, July 27). ‘Indian Horse’ a ‘small but Huge Story.’ The Journal. https://the-journal.com/articles/146867

McKegney, S., & Phillips, T. J. (2018). Decolonizing the Hockey Novel: Hockey, 97-110.

Wagamese, R. (2012). Indian Horse. D & M Publishers.

The Term Paper is required to be at least 10 pages long, plus a reference, and title page, which
means it should be 12-pages minimum. The Term Paper should examine, explore, and/or
describe the issue/topic in full. The Term Paper must include at least 7 references/sources and
must include in-text citations as per APA format requirements.
Topic: How the U.S Criminal Justice System has failed for black girls and women, and I want to
mainly focus on Cyntoia Brown’s case and discuss more on sex trafficking. Along with other
girls who have been abused and/ or sex-trafficked, Cyntoia Brown's effort to survive under the
circumstances she was in, brought her into the prison passage unreasonably affecting girls of
color. The abuse that is sustained by these women and girls, has led to encounters with the
criminal justice system, and this system treats them as perpetrators rather than as victims and
survivors of abuse/ sex trafficked. Consequently, instead of sheltering, protecting, and providing
resources to these girls and women who have been sexually and physically abused are being
criminalized for surviving their abuse. I chose this topic because I passionately feel there needs
to be a change in the legal system. Cyntoia Brown is not the only victim whom the criminal
justice system has failed and let down.
Look at documentary on Netflix: Use as a reference
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (2020)
You may use other legal cases that are relatable.

Answer

Criminology

Females of color have lived with racial discrimination for centuries. Several black American women, children, and men have been sentenced for life imprisonment on which on some worst occasion sentenced to death by the same justice system which is supposed to protect them. The Black American fraternity, especially young females of color, traditionally are from a lower economic status. Women who have experienced some abuse and trauma, among others, are vulnerable to any risk of attack by the netizens (whites) since most of them know that there won’t be any form of justice for them. The law on the other hand, has failed tremendously in protecting these young girls.

The justice system of the United States has failed miserably in the protection of women, black American women to be precise. The justice system dates back to the pre-colonial period when the law was purported to protect property owners and their property’s legal interests. Unfortunately, “Property owner” was not meant for everyone. During the colonial period, a white man was the property owner, which means that a black woman was the property. This notion of looking down upon black women and viewing them as a tool for physical molestation and as a resource for gaining wealth dates back to the pre-colonial period. This term paper focuses on the injustices of the law towards Black American women and their daily struggles. It also focuses on women who have been abused sexually and convicted without the law protecting them from the perpetrators who put them in those tight spots.

Many factors facilitate the perpetuation of heinous crimes such as sex trafficking, rape, physical abuse, and even murder. The inequality access to quality education opportunity where the African American society does not access. Poverty, foster care system, and gender bias lead to females of color being vulnerable to sex trafficking, rape, and murder (Page,2020). There have been many scenarios where America’s judicial system sentencing victims of sex trafficking as prostitutes, and they don’t distinguish between adult and youths, and all the convicts are given adult punishments.  

United States of America’s hypocrisy on sex trafficking is quite eminent. The sex business is continuous to flourish within America’s most profound states while the state watches. The victims of sex trafficking suffer at the mercilessness of their bosses. Some contract dreaded diseases such as HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea, and syphilis. Some sex enterprises operate legally or are either incorporated as a legal business owned by white men (Territo and Kirkham, 2010). Some company operates as legitimate enterprises such as salons, nails spar, or restaurants, yet what is behind the scene is the molestation of women of color which should be illegal. Many sex enterprises change over time, not only in location but also in their names. Some enterprises are well represented by lawyers, which makes it very difficult for their victims to receive justice. The victims, on ordinary occasions, are the ones who end up behind bars. Other businesses are owned by prominent judges and leaders in the highest ranks of the government. On regular occasions, sex businesses are advertising as a legitimate business in various ways, including print media such as mainstream English language newspapers, pornographic magazines, non-community magazines, sex guides, the Yellow Pages, and billboards, among others.  

The United States military bases are also significant areas for sex trafficking. It is quite ironic that the people who are supposed to protect these young girls are the ones who allow and promote sex trafficking. The sex business hides behind the curtains as massage parlors which most of the victims are women of color. Brothels, sex clubs, and other forms of sex businesses proliferate within the major military bases, whereby some of the sex businesses are either family-owned or prominent local community leaders (Territo and Kirkham, 2010). In serious cases, the sex business can be set up and financed by major organized crime syndicates within America.  

Convicted Cyntoia Brown’s life’s background has been devastating. At the age of 16, Gina Mitchell gave birth to Cyntoia Brown. She lived with her mother, who was an alcoholic. Between six months and three years, Cyntoia Brown had been transferred to countless homes, and at sixteen, she ran away from home, where she landed to a cruel person named “Cut Throat” (Page,2020). Her miseries worsened as the person used her for his sexual pleasures. Being young and naïve, the man manipulated her and introduced her to sexual trafficking. According to (Page 2020), several young ladies who find themselves in the hands of sex traffickers are from a foster home where most probably are not treated right. Sex traffickers target such girls based on providing them with a better lifestyle. Many traffickers offer food, alcohol, clothing, rides in expensive cars regardless of their victims’ age. By the time a victim realizes that all the tantalizing words from their owner are lies, it might be too late for them to exit. Usually, sex trafficker threatens these young girls to harm them or their family member. This leaves them with no choice but to adhere to the set rules of the sex trafficker. 

To ensure that the business of sex trafficking is continuous, the sex traffickers pump the young girls with drugs until they become addicted to them. This leaves them without any choice but to depend on their owner to be supplied with drugs (Page, 2020). Instead of the law to protect females of color, traffickers use it to threaten these young kids. The law does not offer adequate protection. Since most sex traffickers use the law to manipulate their victims from these laws easily, they make them believe e how worthless they are and that no one can never help them apart from the sex traffickers themselves. The law that should protect females of color from statutory rape and sexual abuse of minors instead treats them as perpetrators of crimes and lands them in detention. Instead of the law to apprehend the sex traffickers who perpetrate these heinous crimes, it’s the female of color who end up behind bars. The justice criminalizes the abused children instead of protecting them, arresting their exploiters, and putting them behind bars. 

Cyntoia Brown was back then a sixteen-year-old girl and a victim of sexual abuse by a white man. During the series of events that lead to the white man’s death, Cyntoia Brown feared for her life when she thought that the man who abused her sexually was reaching for a gun when she defended herself and shot Mr. Johnny Michael Allen to death (Gillis, 2020). In 2006 of the fatal shooting, the state convicted Cyntoia Brown of first-degree murder, which she received a life sentence and later deemed as unfair since she was a black American woman.  What if the victim was a white female? It was highly probable that a white girl’s punishment would be more of a week’s then released. In 2019, Tennessee’s governor offered Cyntoia clemency after enormous public pressure. The prosecutor who was elected charged her as an adult. Surprisingly, the judge also approved the charges and was found guilty, leading to two concurrent sentences.

During the proceedings, Brown was not allowed to testify on her own, a situation that depicts the justice system’s unfairness. Brown’s attorneys were also unfair to her since they failed to offer evidence, which indicates that she had a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that resulted from her mother’s habit of being an alcoholic. (Page, 2020). After the sentence, five years later, a filmmaker named Daniel H. Birman produced a film on Cyntoia Brown’s story called Me facing Life: Cyntoia Story. The film shone a light into her case, where the public reacted to it and pressured the judicial system of their failure and biasness to protect females of color. The movie also initiated a change of the law. As the public kept on criticizing the judicial system, new attorneys took on Brown’s case and represented her in the 2012 appeal of the 2006 convictions (Page, 2020). It was then realized that during the court proceedings that her defense team tabled pieces of evidence concerning her fetal neuro-developmental disorder syndrome. The team also tabled her traumatic and violent past, diminished mental capacity, and abusive relationship with “Cut Throat.” After a series of endeavors, the new defense team was able to uphold her conviction and sentence. Brown’s unfair conviction attracted celebrities like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Amy Shumer, Ashley Judd, who further made Brown’s story worldwide.

The state of Tennessee had imprisoned Cyntoia for fifteen years consecutively. The Supreme Court of America has since then been unfair in their ruling sentencing black Americans to life imprisonment, harsher laws, and judgments.  Cases such as Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896), Cumming vs. Richmond (1899), Dred Scott (1856), among others, received unfair sentencing and were the basis of racial discrimination of the black Americans. In 2019, Nicole Addimando was convicted for the second-degree murder of her husband. In her testimonies, Nicole elucidated how her husband sexually abused her.

Moreover, Nicole told the court how long she has persevered to her husband’s physical abuse, which includes biting, burning her with hot spoons (Grillis, 2020). Her husband, who also raped her at gunpoint and threatened to kill her and later himself. Instead of the law protecting Nicole, she was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Another circumstance in which the Supreme Court of America has failed to protect females of color in the case of Marrisa Alexander from Florida. She fired a warning shot during a confrontation with her abusive husband. Alexander was found guilty and sentenced to serve a twenty-year sentence. The jury, James H. Daniel, denied her request for a new hearing under Florida’s stand-your-ground law. The law was amended, and it included firing a warning shot as an imminent threat (Gross, 2015). In July 2014, judge James found that the amended statute “Could not be applied retroactively.” Alexander’s sentencing stands out to proclaim the justice system bias compared to Zimmerman’s acquittal in 2013 (Gross, 2015). Zimmerman, a white male, successfully used the amended statute of Stand-your-ground defense after taking the life of a black American teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012. 

On the other hand, Alexander was denied the same protocol baring her from invoking the same protocol to defend her, yet no one died nor got hurt during the warning shot which she fired. In December 2014, she accepted a plea deal, which consequently sent her to Duval County jail, where she served an additional sixty-five days. The plea articulated that Alexander was to undergo a compulsory two years’ probation under house detention and to wear a surveillance monitor (Gross, 2015). Alexander’s case depicts the politics of protection in which the black women were exempted from invoking the statutory. However, they could not escape the punishment by the same law that ought to protect them. The same direction was structured by the pre-colonial members whose main focus was to priorities enslavers neglecting the slaves, thereby criminalizing Black Americans. Alexander’s case points out the troubling aspects of the relationship between black womanhood, interracial gendered violence, and mass incarcerations. 

The systematic structural impediments have placed women of color at a greater risk for violence and sexual abuse. According to (in-text), in 1999, fifty-seven percent of female state prisons were victims of abuse before the initial conviction. 46.5 percent were physically abused, and 39 percent were sexually abused. (Gross, 2015). Moreover, there has been an exclusionary idea of protection, which has created the need for women of color to trade in extralegal violence for personal securities. The law-abiding female of color, according to (Gross, 2015) were found carrying small knives to protect themselves from sexual assaults at home, work, or in the streets. In 1855, an enslaved woman in Celia, Missouri, was executed to kill her rapist owner. Such acts were forbidden in the slavery eras. The execution was meant to serve as an example for black women. During those periods, Steve Wilf clarifies that “the rape of black women” was not acknowledged by early American law. To express the outcry of Black American women’s frustration, the nurse’s lamentations in 1912 points it out clear. The nurse lamentation stated that on the one hand, they are assailed by white men, and on the other hand, black men assail them, the black men who should have been their natural protectors. They were assaulted anywhere, in the kitchen, washtubs, and any place where their oppressor deem fit.

Another instance in which females of color are lack proper and quality education. According to (Adridge, 2018) Desree Waston, who was just six -years old, was handcuffed by two police officers in an Elementary school in Avon Park. The young Black American girl was taken into custody, fingerprinted, and had her mugshot taken. The poor young girl was then charged with a felony, battery on a school official, and two misdemeanors to disrupt school functioning and resist the law. Such an event is not as unique as young women of color are criminalized for some simple mistakes. The probability of females of color receiving expulsion from elementary, high-school, or university is very high compared to their whites counterparts. The same young girls should be protected and are only trying to live their lives to their full potential. Yet, the same law criminalizes them. These young girls may find themselves considering some other avenues of making money since most of them have developed brains that may not understand the complexity that life may have on them.  

Most of the interviews conducted with the sex victims indicate that they always have high expectations of getting money to take care of their mothers’ siblings or even further their studies. They later find themselves at the mercies of sex traffickers.  In a report conducted by (Adridge 2018), she points out that African Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders account for at least two-thirds of the youths in juvenile correction facilities. She points out that most women of color have classified education systems as “School-to-prison,” in which there is a high chance to which they might be convicted over small mistakes done during schools as compared to the native Americans. Studies indicate that as Black American Women and Men share a common racialized risk of punishment in schools, black women face a statistically more significant chance of suspension or expulsion than other students of the same gender. For instance, according to (Adridge 2018), between 2011 and 2012, black male students were suspended three times as often as their white classmates while the female of color was suspended at least six times as frequently as white girls. 

In 2000, Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was passed into law to ensure that young girls and women of color are protected under the TVPA from the trafficking of persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery, or slave-like conditions. The united states court also acknowledges that human trafficking is the latest form of slavery and sex trafficking. The United States created a T visa that allows victims of sex trafficking to become temporary United States of America residence to assist the victims in protecting traffickers. In 2003 the act established a right for victims of human trafficking to file civil lawsuits against traffickers. During the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, it added more substantial amendments to the legal remedies for victims in 2011 when it held the TVPA permits recovery of punitive damages (Maioriello, 2019). However, the Trafficking Victims of Persons have been underutilized by the state’s judicial system. It still has some flaws. The TVPA is still centralized and focused around the prosecution of traffickers. Such an application compromises the enacted law its ability to protect the victims of sex and human trafficking.

TVPA only favors the native Americans (white females), and the female of color are exempted. The TVPA statutory needs to be critically analyzed and readdressed to protect women of color like Patty Hearst. Patty Hearst was convicted when she was put on trial for assisting a Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in a bank robbery (Weigel, 2019). Patty Hearst argued that the terrorist group forcefully abducted her, brainwashed her, beat, starved, and raped her. Instead of the TVPA law shielding Patty from the harsh sentencing, she was not exempted and sentenced by the same law, which ought to have protected her. The SLA group had committed countless acts of crime, for instance, murdering superintendent Marcus Forster (Gilbert, 2020). Her sentencing calls to the table issues of Stockholm syndrome, brainwashing nuances of class race, and gender discrimination.

References

Aldridge, S. (2018). Criminalization and discrimination in schools: The effects of zero tolerance policies on the school-to-prison pipeline for black girls. Aisthesis: Honors Student Journal, 9(2), 1-7.

Gilbert, D. A. (2020). The Logic of Coercive Kidnapping (Doctoral dissertation, The George Washington University).

Gillis, C. (2020). Domestic Violence and Self-Defense: Respecting Women’s Autonomy by Creating a Woman-Centered Law of Self-Defense.

Gross, K. N. (2015). African American women, mass incarceration, and the politics of protection. Journal of American History, 102(1), 25-33.

Maioriello, R. L. (2019). The Trafficking Victims Protection Act: The Prosecution of Traffickers, Prevention of Trafficking, and Protection of Victims of a Severe Form of Human Tracfficking.

Murder to mercy: The Cyntoia Brown story (2020). (2020, April 29). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9050898/

Page, C. (2020). THE DOUBLE WHAMMY OF BEING FEMALE AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN: HOW BLACK WOMEN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO TRAFFICKING AND OTHER FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION. Gonzaga Journal of International Law, 22(2), 114-126.

Territo, L., & Kirkham, G. (Eds.). (2010). International sex trafficking of women & children: Understanding the global epidemic. Looseleaf Law Publications.

Weigel, C. M. (2019). Trafficking Cults: Why Courts Should Adopt a Broad Reading of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to Ensure Protection of Cult Victims. Geo. Mason UCRLJ, 30, 269.

Answer

Comparing Military Vs. Civilian Leadership

Leadership styles refer to the approach that team leaders give to a particular group of people to implement plans and accomplish set goals by providing direction. Leaders carry out various roles, such as training and educating young leaders in their organizations. According to Kellerman (2018), teaching people how to lead is considered the world’s oldest profession. She believes that good leadership requires the leader to build a relationship with their followers. It also requires them to apply leadership styles as a form of training.  Both the military and civilian companies teach and grow leaders through the use of different leadership styles. However, their leadership styles differ in many aspects. This paper will compare leadership style in how the U.S military teaches and grows leaders compared to civilian companies. It will also look at the type that provides better leadership training.

Leadership in the military includes transactional and transformational leadership styles (Gonzales,2016). Transactional refers to those leaders who are in charge of giving orders. At the same time, transformational leadership involves leaders convincing subordinates to put the organization’s needs first before their own needs. It also requires them to follow orders without questioning the authority. Transformational leadership consists of a team leader’s role in ensuring the growth of his/her subordinates. Studies show that transformational leadership, as applied in the military, results in positive associations that yield better results among the associates (Gonzales,2016). The leaders are also able to build identities with their respective teams. Subordinates can find satisfaction in their training, enabling them to develop into great leaders. At the same time, it allows superiors to instill values in young leaders at an early stage. Conducting leadership training in the initial stages makes transformational leadership effective in producing the most capable leaders.

Contrastingly, transactional leaders focus on giving commands to subordinates. When a leader issues an order, the assistant can perform the assigned task and gain more experience. Transactional leadership, as opposed to transformational leadership, is more concerned with commitment than job satisfaction. Training subordinates using this method also proves to be effective during training but results in decreased performance compared to transformational training, especially since the assistants may experience a decrease in attitude towards the supervisor (Gonzales,2016). This type of leadership style can, therefore, have adverse consequences during leadership training. It also leads to a decrease in the level of workplace cohesion. Decreased levels in workplace cohesion create an unfavorable environment for both superiors and subordinates. Increasing the levels of cohesion during training will result in quality performance and bring up influential leaders who can transfer better leadership skills to the next group of trainees in the military.

In the U.S Army, the leaders are trained in a way that allows them to apply different leadership styles, therefore making military leadership unique (Gonzales,2016). Compared to civilian companies, the military takes time to groom the soldiers. Individuals in the military become qualified in their duties as they carry and learn leadership skills during training. By examining the military structure, it is evident that it is a type of hierarchy. The reason behind it is that there is a clear distinction between the superiors and the subordinates. Individuals are categorized based on their ranks. Their bosses give the subordinates tasks and instructions that they must follow and show respect by completing each task as instructed by their leaders. This type of leadership works based on giving commands, and it is a type of authoritative leadership style.

The military focuses on leadership development through training. Subordinates are carefully trained and guided on how to complete missions. They are also trained on how to handle difficult situations. The training process allows the growth of the team members in developing leadership skills and values. The military structure will enable individuals in training to move up in a rank after completion of training to gain responsibility. The superiors are tasked with teaching and training their subordinates on leadership skills to groom them for promoting them to higher ranks that will require them to apply the appropriate leadership styles. 

During training, some individuals demonstrate high levels of leadership characteristics than others. Their different personality traits may facilitate or influence some individuals to be more suitable in leadership roles than others (Gonzales,2016). Each person’s personality plays a vital role as a high determinant of leadership potential and outcome after training. During leadership training, the superiors can evaluate each member’s potential by looking at common leadership traits. Therefore, superiors can select candidates that can exhibit high levels of leadership potential.

Some leadership styles used by superiors in the military allow subordinates to follow through with the leaders’ examples. Such characteristics fall under the decisive and action-oriented leadership style (Gonzales,2016). Most team members seek this type of leadership style since it makes them satisfied with their leaders and their training methods by setting up good examples that can be emulated by them. Some of these traits the leaders possess include careful processing of decisions and high natural decision-making levels.

According to Schein (2016), most civilian companies make assumptions about appropriate ways to train their leaders without bringing in any outside assistance. He further states that most civilian companies’ leaders send conflicting signals to their organizations in a situation whereby they have not faced their own internal and unconscious conflicts. This leadership style reflects on the leader’s biases and unconscious conflicts (Schein, 2016). Schein gives recommendations on this type of technique by stating that leaders need to encourage others while remaining open to critical information. Most organizations fail to consider their teams’ needs when they are not directly involved or when it does not affect the organization’s image.

In his book, Schein describes three defensive responses that are a result of the change in companies. The difference involves learning anxiety among the members who are experiencing growth. The defensive reactions consist of denial, scapegoating, and maneuvering. In most cases, civilian organizations’ leadership styles fail to provide psychological safety. Such can be accomplished through proper training, engaging in support groups, and training the members. Members of the organization also require guidance on how to handle change.

Schein further describes the leadership styles of most companies as cultural and multi-faceted. According to his theory concerning culture and leadership, it is evident that group learning plays an essential role in leadership building. He believes that through socialization, members can learn the organizational culture. As leaders, they can be made aware of a group’s consciousness in training and see how each member aligns with it. Some civilian companies end up giving regular practices to their members. They fail to institute appropriate methods necessary to assist members of their groups in dealing with anxiety, resulting in individuals seeking ways of excavating their subconscious beliefs.

The Most Effective Leadership Between the Military and Civilian Leadership

Military leadership is better and more effective in teaching and growing leaders than civilian companies in many aspects. First of all, military training focuses on producing great leaders compared to civilian companies that focus more on organizational performance (Schein, 2016). Military leaders aim to create influential leaders who can take over their leadership roles by providing a platform for them to get higher ranks. They take time to build relationships with their subordinates, enabling them to implement their leadership skills effectively.

The military leaders’ training is based on the subordinates’ responsibility and ensuring that they master leadership skills. They value individual training since they are accountable for how the associates will handle challenging missions. They end up implementing the best leadership styles to produce influential leaders as compared to civilian companies. According to Kellerman (2018), good leadership requires the leader to lead by example, as seen in military training. The military’s leadership styles make them unique and better compared to how the civilian companies teach and educate their members concerning leadership. 

Missing Leadership Styles

Military leadership and civilian leadership are both missing a democratic leadership style. The democratic type of style involves a leader seeking the opinion of his or her subordinates. They seek to consider the view of the deputies while making decisions. The benefit of this type of leadership style is that it promotes team spirit and builds on trust between a leader and his followers. It also allows subordinates to do what needs to be done as per instruction from the superiors and give them a chance to use methods that put their needs into consideration. Both military and civilian companies can work towards applying the democratic leadership style.

Civilian leadership lacks an affiliative type of leadership style. This technique allows the people’s needs to come first, such as training leaders for individual benefit rather than an organizational advantage. The affiliative type involves the leaders working on ways to be close to his or her team members. Such a leader can pay attention to the emotional needs of the individual team member. This style encourages harmony and is very useful in the case of conflict in the organization. It can significantly improve the performance of the individual members and enable them to develop into great leaders. It can also boost the confidence of each individual member.

In a nutshell, leaders are responsible for bringing up influential leaders who can take over after them in military and civilian companies. The leaders need to apply the appropriate leadership styles to meet the set goals and objectives. By comparing military leadership and civilian leadership, we can conclude that military leadership styles are more effective in teaching and growing leaders. The military is mainly focused on the individuals and enabling them to become influential leaders, while in civilian companies, the main goal is to meet the organizational goals and objectives. The methods used by such companies lead to the organization’s growth but fail to meet the aim of training and educating leaders. Besides, both military and civilian leadership lacks a democratic leadership style. Civilian leadership also needs to put the individual needs of members into consideration.

References

Gonzales, J. (2016). Leadership Styles in Military Settings and Their Influences on Program Satisfaction.

Kellerman, B. (2018). Professionalizing leadership. Oxford University Press.

Schein, E. (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership, 5th ed. New York: Wiley.

How does the Covid-19 Pandemic Affect Homeless and Single-Parent Households Digitally

1.       Problem Statement

Different regions worldwide have experienced numerous disasters, such as tsunamis, drought, political wars, and economic crises. Nonetheless, apart from global warming, Covid-19 is another issue that has affected the world entirely in both developed and developing countries. In addition to the coronavirus’s health impacts, the pandemic has had profound impacts on individuals’ lives in employment and education throughout 2020 (Mahdy, 2020). The disease forced nationwide schools and libraries’ closure to prevent the spread of the virus, but this has led to an exacerbated learning crisis. Currently, individuals engage in digital or distance learning but have everybody been able to adopt this change (Mahdy, 2020).  COVID-19’s impact on the way libraries traditionally engage with the public has resulted in some less than orthodox methods for maximizing response to community needs, such as taking library programming online or offering curbside pickup and electronic resources as an alternative to in-person visits. However, limited or zero access to much-needed services such as computer access, educational training, technology support, and assistance alongside the social safety net libraries provide for marginalized and underserved populations has impacted the ability of libraries to offer equitable distribution of resources while also contributing to a widening of the digital divide.

1. History

On March 17th, 2020, the American Library Association’s Executive Board issued an emergency bulletin recommending all physical libraries’ temporary closure due to the unchecked spread of COVID-19. According to the bulletin, the decision was influenced by challenges impacting the ability of libraries to practice social distancing to the degree recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well an overwhelming concern that libraries “not serve as vectors for a fast-moving pandemic” (ALA Executive Board recommends closing libraries to the public, 2020).  Following this ALA missive, a survey conducted by the Public Library Association (PLA) of 2,545 public libraries from March 24-April 1 indicated that 98 percent of respondents had closed their doors to the public (Public Libraries Respond to COVID-19: Survey of Response & Activities, 2020). These drastic measures were tempered by individual libraries’ steps to maintain some continuity of services, which included, in many cases, an expansion of both online services and digital products. 

III. Significance of Research Area

Findings from a Pew Research study found that, since the start of the pandemic, over fifty percent of Americans consider internet access essential (Vogels et al., 2020).  Library closures negatively impact access to technological resources for those who demonstrate the most need. Despite the growth and expanded access to online resources during such a crucial time, research reflects a correlation between socioeconomic factors and the use of online library resources with disparities in the use of digital resources among families divided along the lines of education and income (Jaeger & Blaabaek, 2020). We propose to (1) evaluate the digital divide created by the absence of neighborhood branches allowing patrons access to computer and internet services within the physical library, focusing specifically on the distance learning technology needs of younger patrons for school use, (2) explore the ramifications of the contradictory effect expanded online access have had on the ability of public libraries to provide continuous equitable access to library resources during the pandemic, (3) examine the ways in which outreach has evolved to meet the needs of those who are physically isolated and for whom digital access was difficult prior to the onset of COVID-19, and (4) explore how the closure of public libraries, in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease, has impacted vulnerable, disenfranchised and underserved populations.

1. Distance Learning

Since the onset of Covid-19, students have been pulled in and out of schools as infection numbers rise and fall (Van Lancker et al., 2020). While many students have the resources to access their classes online, others are being left behind without access to the internet, compatible devices, or technologically literate adults to help facilitate online learning (Poletti M. 2020). It has been well documented that students that do not have the resources to reinforce the knowledge acquired at school, on average, lose a tenth of that knowledge during extended breaks, known within the education and information professions as the summer slide (Cooper, H. et al. 1996). With some students being out of class going on eight months since the beginning of shutdowns in the United States, we should be concerned with an extended corona slide’s repercussions. 

With these barriers presented by the coronavirus, can public libraries act as a piece of the solution to act as a bridge across the ever-expanding digital divide? By putting into practice creative solutions like that of the Kansas City Public Library spearheading a mobile Wi-Fi bus program(Evans, T. 2020) or that of the Chippewa River District Library system who have purchased more powerful routers so that patrons may use the Wi-Fi outside of the library and began offering mobile hotspots to their patrons(Haiderer, G. 2020), can we create a new way to interact with our patrons that allows them the ability to stay connected despite the barriers attributed to the coronavirus?  As each library faces its own unique issues brought on by the coronavirus, we must take the initiative to determine the steps we can take to assure that none of our students are left behind due to a lack of technological resources? 

1. Project Goals and Objectives

The projected areas of concern, described in the section above, show an absolute need for research to get clear insights into how the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the education sector in the United States with the schools and library closure. According to Fregni (2020), homeless children in big cities such as New York cannot meet the current digital learning requirements. Many cannot afford technological devices to support distance learning, which will greatly impact their future. In essence, this project will investigate how the pandemic has affected learning among marginalized groups, mainly the homeless and single-parent households in the United States following digital or distance learning during the pandemic. It will also investigate how public libraries can apply specific strategies to minimize the digital divide between the homeless and low-income families, and other employed individuals. It will also examine the initiatives that libraries and schools can take to ensure that none of the United States students are left behind due to a lack of technological resources or access to the internet.

1. Research Questions

Specifically, this project aims to answer two questions, including

• How has COVID19 affected the homeless and single-parent household digitally?
• What can schools and libraries do to minimize the digital divide between low-income and rich families and ensure that all children have access to digital learning in the United States?

VII. Benefits and Limits of the Study 

Children are not necessarily the face of the coronavirus pandemic. However, they are at risk of being among its biggest victims. Though they have been greatly spared from the direct health impacts of the coronavirus, the disaster has had profound effects on their other aspects of lives, including social, physical and psychological lives (The United Nations, 2020). Children in the United States and other nations have been greatly impacted, especially those from marginalized populations and the poorest neighborhoods. The effects of the pandemic on children are estimated to be lifelong. The project presents certain benefits to the academic sector and the nation of the United States. More precisely, it will help individuals get a clear picture of how the pandemic has impacted individuals’ lives, especially children. Further, the project will provide an understanding of the current digital learning practices and how it has been accepted or implemented in different neighborhoods. Here, it will also help to get clear insights into the effects of the pandemic on homeless individuals and single-parent households in a time when digital learning will determine the type and quality of education that a child can get. The project will also help understand how libraries and other learning institutions respond to the lack of digital learning devices for children from homeless and single-parent families. 

Nonetheless, this project also has some limitations that may affect the outcomes and desired benefits. First, with all individuals, especially children, staying indoors or secluded to avoid getting infected, it will be difficult to recruit participants for the study. The willingness of the individuals’ to participate will also affect the efficiency and validity of the findings. It will also be difficult to recruit homeless individuals to participate in the project. To an extent, the team may have to compensate them substantially for their participation. Regardless, the project will ultimately give insights into the effect of Covid-19 on homeless individuals and single-parent households digitally.

VIII. Literature Review

With over 129,000 students (Ready, J. 2020) in Florida’s Duval county, there has been the question of how to educate students while keeping them and school staff safe during the pandemic. In fall 2020, 25,000 students are signing up to attend school completely virtually (Ready, J. 2020).  How many more families would choose to sign their children up for virtual classes but have not due to a lack of access to resources such as the internet or computer access?  If schools must close again due to the pandemic, how many students will be left without a way to access school virtually?

Homelessness and Single-parenthood

Homelessness has been a growing phenomenon in the United States, with more families and youths becoming homeless for various reasons. According to Morton et al. (2017), millions of children and youths are homeless in the U.S. and are at risk of exposure to mental and physical health problems, violence, and substance abuse. More importantly, homeless families cannot afford to take their children to school or even acquire devices that they could use to study online in the current Covid-19 pandemic when learning has become increasingly digitalized (Morton, 2017). Single-parenthood has also become more common, with more couples getting divorced while others choose to have kids without getting married. About a quarter of children in the U.S., below 18 years, live with one parent (Amato, Patterson, and Beattie, 2015). Single parents provide all the essential needs of a child and ensure that they get a good education regardless of the financial strains. However, the pandemic increased single parents’ financial issues, mainly for those whose pay was cut or lost their jobs. As a result, single parents cannot provide the necessary devices and pay for the internet to support digital learning during the pandemic.

The issue of school closures

According to Wim Van Lancker and Zachary Parolin‘s analysis COVID-19, School Closures, and Child Poverty: a Social Crisis in the Making, 80% of students worldwide have been affected by the shutdowns brought on by the spreading coronavirus(2020). Without access to the resources, space, and support structure to facilitate effective learning, students are losing the skills and knowledge they acquired at school at an alarming rate as determined by the 1996 study The Effects of Summer Vacation on Achievement Test Scores: A Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review (Cooper, H. et al.) noting that under-resourced students lost nearly a months worth of learning progress attained from the previous school year. The Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, surveying nearly 1,500 families with school-age children, discovered 37% of those families earning less than $25,000 a year do not have the resources to engage in distance learning. Many others have the resources to access distance learning but not enough to engage fully (Polikoff, M. et al.2020).

Failure of Access

The Rand Corporation recently analyzed the American Instructional Resources Survey conducted between May and June of 2020. This survey questioned 6,000 teachers specifically inquiring about the effects of the Coronavirus on their students’ ability to learn (Stelitano, L. 2020). The survey found that of teachers who taught in schools identified as serving the most impoverished students, “Only 30 percent of teachers in schools in the highest category of school poverty (76–100 percent of students eligible for FRPL) reported all or nearly all of their students had access to the internet”(Stelitano, L. 2020 Pg.3) 

Steps libraries are taking 

With the stark discrepancy of children being left without the resources to maintain their educational careers, what steps are being taken that can be evaluated and analyzed for use within the Jacksonville Public Library system? On August 25th, 2020, the Boston Public Library announced its outdoor Wi-Fi program, which expands their router capability for patrons to access the internet outside of the library. (City of Boston, 2020) Considering the extra burdens put on families throughout the coronavirus pandemic, it appears evident that any resources that can support children’s development should be applied and evaluated to maximize all students’ ability to thrive, especially during difficult times such as these. 

The role of public libraries is changing as society moves towards an increasingly technology-centered orientation; however, libraries cannot get hung up on trends. Instead, they must instead explore the relationships various user demographics have with the technologies and services offered (Mcallen et al., 2017, pg. 1). The reality is that library users engage with technology on their own terms. Applying a one-size-fits-all solution can have an adverse impact on libraries’ ability to provide equitable outcomes. The existing correlation between socioeconomic factors and the use of online services extends to library resources as well. Research completed by the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Sociology, which included “more than 55 million observations of families’ daily library takeout” (Jæger & Blaabæk, 2020, pg. 1), revealed disparities in the use of digital resources among families at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. Those more educated and better off financially being more knowledgeable and inclined to utilize such resources. Public libraries’ expansion of online access is indicative of the significance placed on internet technologies and the subsequent advantages online users gain from their financial and technological capabilities. Beaunoyer et al. warn, “Differences exist between individuals and social groups in terms of access to technologies but also in terms of their capacity to obtain benefits from their use of technology” (Beaunoyer et al., 2020, pg. 1).

Libraries are not an indulgence but can have transformative powers, particularly for the lonely, disenfranchised, and the marginalized (Clink, 2020).  Libraries have not only raised national literacy levels but have also supported families and reached out to the communities to make them both strong and cohesive. According to Elizabeth Schweitzer of the University of Calgary (2018), closing public libraries would mean closing the community’s most valued asset, which would negatively impact the community. A study by Peter Miller of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2015) shows the effects public libraries’ closure would have on communities and families, including single-parent households in the US. During this study, over sixty percent of respondents said that it would significantly negatively affect the community if their local libraries were closed.  Miller also found that the library was a perfect place to read and access various resources. Therefore, it was crucial to keep as many libraries open for as long as possible to be used significantly to serve everyone in the community.  

Libraries worldwide have implemented and offered innovative ideas for reaching people where they are and informing them of what the library has to offer.  Some examples include zines in Washington state (Smith et al., 2020, pg. 18) and suggestions of Zoom talks with historians and gardeners in South Africa (Mouton, 2020, p. 36).  The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) suggests contacting local offices of Agencies on Aging to see if federal funds are in place to make it possible to provide Wi-Fi and devices directly to seniors in the community with the idea that “just one person with one idea can create a community of seniors through activities and space” (NNLM, 2020, 7:33).  Operating under a similar premise, librarians in Washington state seek to reach those who do not have access to the internet by encouraging patrons to document their stories as a way to help cope with the crisis now and inform generations to come.  Inspired by diaries from the 1918 flu epidemic, librarians Kelsey Smith, Sarah Peté, Linda Johns, and Abby Bass request their community submit stories that document the fears, joys, and feelings of isolation during the crisis through not only email and scanned images but through snail mail.  These stories are compiled into Quaranzines.  Zines are accessible to almost everyone, and “their celebration of the tactile, analog world” adds to their magic (Smith et al., 2020, p.18).

1. Methodology

Methodological Issues

Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease that anybody can get when they come into contact with an infected person. Thus, researching the Covid-19 pandemic poses various issues both to the participants and researchers. More specifically, as shown in the participants’ section, the study mainly targets children and their learning experiences while undertaking distance learning during the pandemic. Interacting with different individuals during the research project increases the risk of individuals getting infected. Due to their young age and lack of experience in other studies, some people may also not understand the procedure used in the study, which may affect the overall findings. It will also be difficult to create a questionnaire, incorporating items easily understood and answered by school-going children. Also, the data collection methods used on single-parent families may not effectively collect data from homeless individuals. Homeless families, mainly children, live in bad conditions, and this problem has increased during the pandemic. In essence, they are at high risk of acquiring mental or psychological issues that may affect their studies and their overall well-being. Also, the libraries have closed most of the time. Thus, the researchers need to make an appointment to meet the employees or managers, delaying the data collection process. The project should consider these issues and choose the best methods to acquire data from both groups in the study, and make appointments in advance.

1. Ethical Considerations

Research and projects on different issues affecting the education sector and children’s learning pose different ethical concerns. Thus, studies should be conducted within an ethical framework that respects the participants, values and the importance of the findings (Fouka and Mantzorou, 2011, p.3). More specifically, this research will focus on various ethical considerations to protect the participants and acquire the desired outcomes. This research’s major ethical concerns include informed consent, beneficience, respect for confidentiality and anonymity, and respect for privacy. The researchers will get an informed consent form signed by the participant or their guardian, allowing the use of the information they provide for the research. The project will ensure that the participants do not experience any harm related to the research, emotionally and psychologically. It will also ensure that all the personal information including their names, home addresses, and phone numbers remain anonymous and confidential throughout the research. Lastly, it will respect the participant’s privacy without pressuring them to answer questions they do not wish to answer.

1. Data Analysis

After collecting data relevant to the research question, the researchers will then analyze the information. This will help identify the patterns, themes, and similarities among the participants and issues under research. The project will use a content analysis approach to analyze the data. Here, the approach will help acquire similar themes in the data gathered and gatherng the ideas to find the similarities and differences in the participants’ responses. In this case, the project will analyze the similarities and differences in the digital effects of Covid-19 among homeless and single-parent families, as illustrated by the participants. An SPSS software will also help to analyze the collected data. Measurable and descriptive data will be analyzed to establish patterns or trends of the effects of Covid-19 on homeless and single-parent households digitally.

XII. Conclusion

Ensuring the safety of the most vulnerable portions of the population during the COVID-19 pandemic through emphasizing programming and outreach requiring a digital connection may further widen the digital divide.  The pandemic has made it even more evident that internet access is a necessity, not a luxury.  With the shift to virtual learning, families and school districts rallied quickly to connect students with laptop distribution, but any solution short of universal internet access is inadequate.  Families without in-home internet access and other portions of the population that relied on the library for internet connection for homework, job prospects, recreation and shelter are even more vulnerable as many libraries remain closed for public safety.  Without access to the internet at local libraries or access to library buildings, new problems developed.  The homeless population and some children that consider the library a safe place no longer can find refuge within the walls of the library.  This study will research how the library can serve the most vulnerable and marginalized portion of the population during and after the pandemic by studying the effects of both digital and limited hand-on programming and by evaluating the avenues to internet access for students and those heavily affected by the digital divide despite library closures. 

References

Amato, P. R., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B. (2015). Single-parent households and children’s educational achievement: A state-level analysis. Social science research, 53, 191-202.

Fouka, G., & Mantzorou, M. (2011). What are the major ethical issues in conducting research? Is there a conflict between the research ethics and the nature of nursing?. Health science journal, 5(1), 3.

Fregni, J. (2020, July 1). What homeless students lose when schools go digital. Teach For America. https://www.teachforamerica.org/stories/what-homeless-students-lose-when-schools-go-digital

Mahdy, M. (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Academic Performance of Veterinary Medical Students.

Morton, M. H., Dworsky, A., Matjasko, J. L., Curry, S. R., Schlueter, D., Chávez, R., & Farrell, A. F. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of youth homelessness in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(1), 14-21.

The United Nations. (2020). Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on children. United Nations Sustainable Development Group. https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/160420_Covid_Children_Policy_Brief.pdf