Future Of Reputation By David Solove - 867 Words

From that AOL software CD that arrived via snail mail, to those elaborate HTML backgrounds on Myspace, to today’s latest social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the Internet has steadily been growing and influencing society for over twenty years now. This impact has further complicated the balance between privacy and free speech. At the core of this debate is how reputations are affected by rumors, gossip, and shaming across the internet. In his book, future of reputation, David Solove argues, while technologies are constantly changing, human nature remains steadfast. The law must meet the challenge to address these ever-changing technologies’ effect on one’s reputation and strive to protect the privacy while ensuring the freedom of speech. Consider the case of a twenty-three-year-old Yale student who desired to be an investment banker. The ambitious man named Aleksey took an unorthodox route to secure employment with global financial giant UBS. Along with his rather a long eleven-page resume, he made a seven-minute video of himself and titled it, â€Å"Impossible is Nothing.† Clearly, the sole purpose of the video was to secure employment with UBS. Even though much of the content, exercising and dancing, had nothing to do with investment banking, Aleksey thought it would help him to stand out and separate from the pack. Nowhere did he express the content was About a week after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995open for public view and submitted to HR inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Future Of Reputation 1176 Words   |  5 Pagestwenty years now. Three authors, Neil Postman, Daniel Solove, and Walter Lippmann have explored how various media and symbols have shaped society through history to today. Postman, in Amusing Ourselves to Death, Public Discourse in Age of Show Business saw the dangers in the medium of television turning the serious subjects of religion, the news, and particularly politics i nto forms of entertainment. In his book, future of reputation, David Solove argues, the law must meet the challenge to addressRead MoreThe Impact Of Privacy On The Internet1618 Words   |  7 Pagesplatform, companies-particularity one such as IBM- had to lead on privacy† (McCreary pg. 5, 2008). He appointed Harriet Pearson as the chief privacy officer of IBM. Pearson developed privacy guidelines that the company has to follow on its’ current and future employees as well as its’ customers. IBM advices other companies about their data collection methods and whether if it is legal. Pearson and other privacy executives gather to discuss ideas about privacy and created an organization called the InternationalRead MoreHow You Can t Imagine Our Existence Without The Internet1514 Words   |  7 Pagespeople who live on our street, let alone in our building- or even next door. But at the same time, people scattered across the globe can now all gather in cyberspace to share ideas and information. Interestingly, the global community leads us toward a future that revives part of our past- life in the small settlements years ago. With the prevalence of the cell phone cameras, people can no longer engage in social infractions without risking being caught in the act, no longer can people hide in anonymity

Freakonomics Book Review Essay - 630 Words

Maria Vega March 9, 2010 Freakonmics: A Rougue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything What they were all responding to was the force of Levitt’s underly- ing belief: that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not un- knowable, and—if the right questions are asked—is even more in- triguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. - Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonmics is a book written by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubuer. Steven d. Lennits is the living definition of the phrase â€Å" Think Outside the Box† He is not a typical economist, he even states it in the book’s introduction, â€Å"I’m not good at math, I don’t know a lot of econometrics, and I also†¦show more content†¦Would Roshanda by Any other name be smell as sweet? This chapter goes on by saying that even the name your parents assign to you shows a bit of their love. These as you can see they are not the usual chapter titles, these do leave you thinking â€Å"What?† or â€Å"Really why?† This keeps you reading. It is really hard not to be triggered by the answers of these questions and the interpretation of them in your daily lives. The facts that actually caught the most my attention was the on Chapter 4 was that he stated that as Crack become more popular they had a few more police going against it, but this actually d id not change much, it only made it better for drug dealer. You might wonder why? So read the book, just kidding. Here it goes, how the drugs Were now scarcer they could put the prices higher. This teaches us that we have to really look careful to what our government does, because we at the moment might think its better but it sometimes can be worse. This book is an eye opener, making you look at things in a different way changing your views and perspective of things we thought were impossible or that they had no relationship at all. He incentives you to formulate the correct questions by questioning everything that you feel curious about. Just remember what a genius once said, I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.- Albert Einstein. Just remember how the book saysShow MoreRelated Book Review Freakonomics Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesThese theories were not only logical, they were also encouraging, for they attributed the crime drop to specific and recent human initiatives, showing us that we had the power to stop it the whole time. Author Steven D. Levitt defines Freakonomics as ?the science exploring the hidden side of everything.? In this example, Levitt does just that. Instead of just accepting the conventional wisdom of the time, that the drop in crime rate could be attributed to an innovative police force, a goodRead MoreApplication of Freakonomics to Project Management1806 Words   |  8 PagesA Book Review of Freakonomics and Application to Project Management November 2010 Project Management Summary The idea to write Freakonomics began in 2003 when journalist and award winning author Stephen Dubner wrote a profile of economist Steven Levitt for the New York Times Magazine. At the time, Levitt, an Economics professor at the University of Chicago, was focusing his research efforts on answering unique and sometimes controversial questions concerning topics such as crime,Read MoreSuperfreakonomics a Personal Review1834 Words   |  8 PagesAbout The Book. â€Å"One of the most powerful laws in the universe is the law of unintended consequences† (Levitt, S. 2009) This is one of the primarily premises that the book establishes, with an extraordinary sense of humor and interesting data, Steven and Stephen set us in the real economics world, in which the common factors that all the teachers show to their students are applied in such a way that the real job is getting done. The way the authors write all the interesting facts of today ´s modernRead MoreFreakonomics by by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dunbar Essay1723 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Freakonomics: A Rouge Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything†, is a best-selling book by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dunbar. Levitt describes the book as a effort to â€Å"strip away a layer or two from the surface of modern life and see what is happening underneath.† He does this by taking two seemingly unrelated events and associates them. From comparing teac hers and sumo wrestlers, to inquiring why crack dealers still live with their mothers Levitt and Dunbar manage to successfully putRead MoreAbortion Did NOT Reduce the Crime Rate Essay1945 Words   |  8 Pagescrime and the economy because of the economic indicators typically used to measure economic conditions (Rosenfeld Fornado, 2007). Levitt and Dubner summarized academic work done by Levitt and co-author Donohue, and assert in their book, Freakonomics, in the chapter titled â€Å"Where Have All the Criminals Gone?†, that because of Roe v. Wade, legalized abortion had an impact on crime (Levitt Dubner, 2009). The authors point to the early 1990’s, that just as the first cohort of children bornRead MoreInternet Piracy : Friend Or Foe?1327 Words   |  6 Pagesor Foe? Internet piracy has been debated about for almost two decades, and still its effects are not clear to the public. Piracy is the act of illegally copying files that have been copyrighted, usually things like music, movies, games, and even books. The music and film industry usually report about a sharp decline in sales because of piracy, but other experts disagree and some even claim that piracy is helping those industries. There are obviously many sides to this argument. Is piracy the problemRead MoreEssay on Review of Freakonomics1663 Words   |  7 PagesReview of Freakonomics This chapters main idea is that the study of economics is the study of incentives. We find a differentiation between economic incentives, social incentives and moral incentives. Incentives are described in a funny way as means of urging people to do more of a good thing or less of a bad thing, and in this chapter we find some examples Ââ€"publicRead MoreBroken Window Theory1773 Words   |  8 Pagesprison. Also, many large drug gangs were arrested at that time in New York leading to the end of high-fatality â€Å"turf wars† between crack dealers, (Kahan, 1997). The sum of all these factors may have led to the observed decrease in crime. In the book â€Å"Freakonomics†, economist Steven D. Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner, propose that the legalisation of abortion during the ‘70s contributed heavily to the decrease in crime during the ‘90s. By reducing the birth of unwanted and possibly fatherlessRead MoreWhy Do Companies Advertise During The Nfl Super Bowl?2202 Words   |  9 Pagestitle? Are your Super Bowl commercials effective? A study into consumer brand recall against the creative treatment of Super Bowl commercials) – 06_11_14 Literature Review WIP#1 â€Å"People not only watch the Super Bowl for the game, they watch it for the commercials. If that not an advertisers dream I don’t know what is† (NFL Freakonomics episode 14, 2012). The NFL Super Bowl, the biggest television event of the year, every year. In 2014 the XLVIII Super Bowl called an unprecedented 111.5 million viewersRead MoreTourism Planning and Project Management1979 Words   |  8 Pagesbut that is not enough time for most to travel to a destination (Dubner, 2008). Hotel availability Hotels do not book based on the weather, they book based on the season. There may be times in which the surf reports are excellent and there is a windfall of bookings, but no place to stay; conversely, hotels do not charge based on the weather. Airlines Like hotels, airlines do not book or charge by the weather, but by the day of the week, month, season, etc. Their bookings may be full when surf conditions

Leading a school effectively is a skill that requires constant planning and development Essay Example For Students

Leading a school effectively is a skill that requires constant planning and development Essay Leading a school effectively is a skill that requires constant planning and development. A school leader can be defined as the person who is vested with formal authority over an organization or one of its sub units. He or she has status that leads to various interpersonal relations, and from this comes access to information. Information, in turn, enables the leader to devise strategies, make decisions, and implement action. Management is concerned with the optimum attainment of organizational goals and objectives with and through other people. Extension management organizations are characterized by many strategies, wide spans of control, social equality, and autonomy. Their management practices cannot be reduced to one standard set of operating guidelines that will work for all organizations continually. However, all leaders of professional organizations face the same challenge: to manage ones time, objectives, and resources in order to accomplish tasks and implement ideas. School leaders are painfully aware of the need for revision and development of the new skill sets held by todays high performers. If change is not handled correctly, it can be more devastating then ever before. High performers reflect, discover, assess, and act. They know that a new focus on connecting the heads, hearts, and hands of people in their organization is necessary. Astute school leaders know what needs to be done but struggle with how to do it. Quite often they prefer to consider themselves as teachers or communicators rather than managers. This results in under-utilization of the increasing amount of literature on management theory and practice. The root of the problem is implementation. They must learn how to motivate others and build an efficient team. More formally defined, management is the process by which people, technology, job tasks, and other resources are combined and coordinated so as to effectively achieve organizational objectives. A process or function is a group of related activities contributing to a larger action. Management functions are based on a common philosophy and approach. Such as:- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Developing and clarifying mission, policies, and objectives of the organization. â‚ ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Establishing formal and informal organizational structures as a means of delegating authority and sharing responsibilities. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Setting priorities and reviewing and revising objectives in terms of changing demands. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Maintaining effective communications within the working group, with other groups, and with the larger community. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Selecting, motivating, training, and appraising staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Securing funds and managing budgets; evaluating accomplishments and, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ÃƒÆ'  Being accountable to staff, the larger activity, and to the community at large. A leader of the school must be the leader of the all the activities conducted by the organization. Therefore, it ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦s a conscientiousness of the leader to direct the leaning and teaching constantly. Being a leader, shaping the future is the most important aspect to be concerned. The leader should plan to implement and to achieve the organizational goals and to reach up to the vision and mission of the school. Planning forecasts the future needs of extension organizations. With the rapid changes in technology, developmental situation, and competitive environment, planning for future has become an important, challenging task for extension. Planning involves plans for future needs of personnel, their required skills, recruitment of employees, and development of personnel, making the place up to date, analyzing teaching and learning methodologies, making the parents aware of the school and getting their accompany are some of the key areas to think about. Human resource forecasting and human resource audit are the two most important components of this type of planning. Human resource forecasting refers to predicting an organizations future demand for number, type, and quality of various categories of employees. The assessment of future needs has to be based on analysis of present and future policies and growth trends. The techniques of forecasting include the formal expert survey, technique, statistical analysis, budget and planning analysis, and computer models. The human resource audit gives an account of the skills, abilities, and performance of all the employees of an organization. This needs to the job analysis. .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .postImageUrl , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:hover , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:visited , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:active { border:0!important; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:active , .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215 .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc4aacaa107a74e1d30a792cc25269215:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Lesson Before Dying EssayJob analysis traditionally was done for purposes connected with recruitment, pay, administration, and supervision. But the increasing complexity of work has made job analysis an important instrument for developing people in organizations. Job analysis requires a systematic collection, evaluation, and organization of information about the job. This information is collected through interviews, mailed questionnaires, observation, study of records, and similar methods. The collected information becomes a basis for preparing job descriptions and specifications. The job description, or job profile, is a written statement which includes detailed specifications of duties to be performed, responsibilities, and working conditions and indicates what is expected of a job holder. A job specification is a profile of the human characteristics needed for the job, such as education, training, skills, experience, and physical and mental abilities. Extension organizations sometimes do not have clearly defined job descriptions or job specifications for extension personnel. The training and visit system of extension considerably improved the preparation of job charts, work plans, and time-bound work for different categories of extension personnel. However, the actual utility of job descriptions in extension organizations is complicated by factors such as work overload, seasonality of extension, the range of cropping systems, and distribution of extension service over a large area. Job analysis is needed to improve the performance and effectiveness of extension employees whether it is supervisor, teacher, administrative officer, secretary, Clark or even a laborer. Job analysis can more effectively contribute towards the development of extension personnel by adopting the procedures which involve identifying key performance areas and critical attributes. Management development programmes are meant to improve the managerial skills of senior-level extension officers and to prepare them for future roles. There is a great need for management development programmes in extension organizations because they face complex situations due to changing agricultural scenarios. Further, extension managers have to be exposed to modern management techniques and methods. Management development programmes have to be suited to the needs of top-level extension managers and should be based on needs analysis. Methods such as coaching, job rotation, training sessions, classroom instruction, and educational institute-sponsored development programmes are used to train managers. However, the ultimate measure of effective human resources within an extension organization is the performance of extension personnel. Thus performance appraisal is important for effective human resource management. Performance appraisal is a process of evaluating employee performance in order to guide and develop the employees potential. In many extension organizations which are government departments, the performance appraisal is nothing more than a confidential judgment of work done and a character report used to facilitate disciplinary action or promotion. The employees do not get feedback about their performance. Extension organizations need to have an open appraisal system to provide feedback and opportunities for open discussion with employees on their performance, because they have immense potential to grow and develop. This system can create a healthy working climate and employee motivation. Every organization has formal and informal groups. Formal groups are established by the management, while informal groups are spontaneous and developed to satisfy mutual interest of the members. Because work groups have a considerable influence on the work situation, supervisors should be sensitive to the needs of the group and develop skills to guide and achieve the groups goal, which will benefit the organization and the members. Effective extension supervision can use work groups in problem solving because they can provide many creative solutions. One way to improve supervisory effectiveness in a school is to develop a leadership style which represents the extension workers group interest at the higher level of organization. This will increase the confidence and morale of the work group. An understanding of group dynamics and their implications for increasing work-group performance is essential for extension supervisors. The organization will always need to enhance the resources not only the human but also the psychical resources. Most of the island schools are lack of resources. .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .postImageUrl , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:hover , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:visited , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:active { border:0!important; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:active , .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964 .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u386065a92db97d5116a358f012e89964:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: None Provided10 EssayTherefore, it is very important to utilize the resources available at the highest level and get new resources needed for the organization. Therefore, it ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦s the leader who should be ready for the challenge of planning forecasts the future needs of extension organizations. So job analysis requires a systematic collection, evaluation, and organization of information about the job. Hence, the leader should also be a role model in the learning and teaching process, to accomplish the mission and vision of the organisation at the highest level.

Sharpeville Massacre free essay sample

SHARPEVILLE: BLOODY THE BATTLE THE EVENTS OF SHARPEVILLE (21 MARCH 1960), AND THE THREE WEEKS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING IT, HAVE OFTEN BEEN DESCRIBED AS A DECISIVE TURNING-POINT IN MODERN SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY. DOES A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE HEAR OUT THAT VIEW? â€Å" one little boy had on an old blanket coat, which he held up behind his head, thinking, perhaps, that it might save him from the bullets. Some of the children, hardly as tall as the grass, were leaping like rabbits. Some were shot, too. Still the shooting went on † -Humphrey Tyler, Witness and Assistant Editor of Drum Magazine The Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the events it precipitated had a profound and long lasting effect on South African society and the already volatile political climate of the time. This essay will contend that the unrestrained violence upon a peaceful demonstration proved to be a watershed moment that was decisive in determining the immediate future of the anti-Apartheid struggle, as well as determining the future direction of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. We will write a custom essay sample on Sharpeville Massacre or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This essay will detail the massacre, the events that lead up to it and it will highlight the responses of the government, resistance movement and international community. I will argue that these responses had a long lasting effect on the future direction of the apartheid state and anti-apartheid movement, thus making it a decisive turning point in modern South African history. Before one can appreciate the significance of the Sharpeville massacre, one must understand its historical background and political context. From 26 May 1948, South Africa was ruled by the National Party government, who came to power on the political platform of separateness, or Apartheid. As the rest of the western world moved to end racial segregation, South Africa entered a phase that saw sustained and institutionalised racism at the hands of a government who were representing the minority white race. Christopher Landsberg describes this period impassionedly, stating ‘the social engineering secured for whites a virtual monopoly of power-political, economic and social. Apartheid deliberately created poverty and racial inequalities (that) was at beast a sham democracy. ’ It was the institutionalised racism, however, that eventually lead to the unique set of circumstances that enabled the tragedy at Sharpeville to occur. Apartheid was implemented through a series of evolving laws from 1949 that directly affected all aspects of life for coloured people. Several laws already existed along racial lines, however, it was the National Party government that formalised its social policy on such laws. Prominent examples include the Mixed Marriage Act of 1949, the Immorality Act and the Population Registration Act of 1950 and the Bantu Education Act of 1953. These dictated that whites and non-whites could not marry or have sex, and that each person was officially designated a colour and race (and ultimately an identity) at the government’s discretion. Many families were broken up under these laws, in which some mixed raced families were reclassified, greatly disrupting –if not ending- many family relationships. To combat any opposition, the government created the Criminal Law Amendment Act which made any person associating with anyone who was protesting or repealing any law liable for criminal charges. The National Party also increased all forms of censorship and banned any organisation or publication pertaining to have communist links or sympathies, including several workers’ union, which had significant impacts for the predominately Black labour force. This was in line with international Cold War sentiment and, thus, the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950 was not seen as extreme. Understandably, resistance from oppressed racial groups intensified with time as these laws became more repressive and as their lives became increasingly restricted. Anti-apartheid and racial rights organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC) continued to rise to prominence with powerful doctrines such as the Programme of Action which was adopted in 1949 in Bloemfontein. The ANC’s ten point Freedom Charter of 1955 was another influential call to arms for the repressed groups of South Africa, inspiring them to take more direct mass action. However, the goals of the ANC did not by any means represent those of everyone in the anti-Apartheid struggle. This point was emphasised when the Pan African Congress (PAC) broke away from the ANC in November 1958, looking to represent a larger section of the South African population that were discontent with the apartheid regime. The most notable difference between the two groups was the PAC’s willingness to embrace the notion of multiracialism as a realistic political platform for the future, as opposed to the ANC’s purely Africanist objectives. The PAC also attracted the disenchanted youth demographic, who were eager to commit to their ideological beliefs with action. The PAC also focussed the need to assert their â€Å"African personality† and, as Sobukwe warned, ‘that acceptance of any indignity, any insult, any humiliation, is acceptance of inferiority’. Both groups, however, were inspired by Ghandi’s peaceful approach to resistance which had prevailed in India and, importantly, insisted upon peaceful, non-violent demonstrations at all times. Significant demonstrations in a developing Programme of Action succeeding the Defiance Campaign included a 1957 workers’ stay-at-home, the bus boycotts of Alexandra and Everton proved to be both successful and to a large extent, peaceful. The Sharpeville massacre occurred in unique circumstances, and proved to be a tragic event that would shape the future of the apartheid struggle. As both the PAC and the ANC struggled with the limitations of peaceful protests and police became increasingly nervous with greater responsibilities, a political boiling pot had begun to simmer. Gerhart contends that competition between the now rival anti-apartheid groups was steadily growing, which contributed to the rushed planning of events and relative level of disorganisation. Ross argues that these organisations also underestimated the ruthlessness of the police state mentality that was being hardened across South Africa. However, as Gerhart cites, Sobukwe wrote to the commissioner of police, Major General Rademeyer, assuring him of a peaceful protest and declared that crowds would disperse if given adequate warning and acknowledged the threat of ‘trigger happy, African hating’ police. In early 1960, both the PAC and the ANC announced individual plans to stage a mass, nationwide campaign against the humiliating Pass Laws. This would primarily entail the marching of large numbers of people to police stations, without their passes, to hand themselves in for arrest. The intention was to instigate major civil reforms and highlight the importance of personal freedoms. The brochure calling for the campaign against the Pass Laws (as issued by Sobukwe, a leader of the PAC) stated ‘NO BAIL! NO DEFENCE! NO FINE! ’ which exemplified their willingness for ‘SERVICE, SACRIFICE AND SUFFERING’ for their cause. On March 21, 1960 in the Transvaal region, a PAC stronghold, up to 20000 people converged on the Everton police station and approximately 4000 on Vanderbijlpark’s where they either burnt their passes or surrendered to police. As assured, most of these crowds diverged after warning shots were fired or threatening low flying military jets passed. However, Sharpeville was significantly different due to the police’s poor community relations. Raids were a daily occurrence in Sharpeville, corruption was rife, unemployment was high, housing costs were also disproportionately higher and there had been a significant rise in the influx of arrests and prosecutions in the area, all of which contributed to a more difficult life for Africans in the immediate area. 000 people converged on the Sharpeville station, and refused to leave as those in the other protests had. Several testimonies stated that the crowd was waiting for a top official who was rumoured to address them. Witness accounts vary as to what happened next, with some claiming protesters were fighting or throwing rocks (as in the Langa township where two people had been shot) whilst others stated that they were entirely peaceful. The police were also nervous after 9 police officers had recently been killed by a demonstration that had become violent in Cato Manor. Rusty Berstein states, ‘Suddenly in the midday heat, someone’s nerve cracks. A policeman inside the fence raises his rifle and opens fire. That becomes the signal for the whole police party to blaze away against the people, who flee for their lives. Whether the firing started in panic or on an officer’s orders is never established ’ 69 people are killed and a further 180 are estimated to be injured, and almost all were shot in the back. Some people were shot in nearby cafes by stray bullets, as were people in their yards and in front of the local ministers’ house. The New York Times quoted a senior police official who stated at the time, ‘I don’t know how many we’ve shot if they do these things, they must learn the hard way. ’ The significance of such an event cannot be underestimated. The events of the next three weeks and immediate reactions from the government, resistance movement and international community had long lasting implications for the apartheid regime. It were these implications that highlight how the massacre at Sharpeville -and three weeks immediately following it- was undoubtedly a decisive, watershed moment in modern South African history. The anti-apartheid movement responded to the massacre with grief, anger, disbelief and an overall new resolve to continue to resist the now murderous regime. As Ben Turok wrote in his autobiography, ‘Sharpeville had become one of the most symbolic events in South Africa’s liberation struggle. It was to ignite the anger of millions of oppressed and those with a conscience in South Africa and around the world’. The PAC gained significant amounts of public sympathy in the wake of the massacre, and support for the general aims of the ANC also increased. A national stay-at-home was announced to mourn the dead and was held for a week, beginning the day after the massacre; this effectively bought many businesses and industries to a standstill as the main source of labour stayed at home. Both the PAC and the ANC encouraged this strike whilst advocating non-violence. Police continued with brutal raids, they targeted the survivors of the massacre, and shot at those attempting to escape as police broke into their homes. This proved to be the main catalyst for the infamous march of 30000 in Cape Town. Lead by Philip Kgosana, a 23 year old who had recently dropped out of university to focus on political activities for the PAC, the march was intended to finish at the South African Houses of parliament. Police officials convinced him that it would be safer for the crowd to disperse in return for some concessions to be made and a meeting with the Minister for Justice that afternoon. When Kgosana returned for his meeting, he was arrested. Arguably the most significant impact of the Sharpeville massacre, however, was the realisation that non-violent resistance would prove futile in a police state such as South Africa. As Thompson asserts, it ‘was a watershed moment in modern South African history. nonviolent methods had achieved nothing except a series of defeats at the hands of a violent state’. Sharpeville marked the militarisation of the resistance movement and the creation of military wings to the ANC and the PAC. The ANC formed the Umkhonto we Sizwe (the Spear of the Nation, which would be lead by Nelson Mandela) and the PAC formed Poqo (Pure), both of which began a bombing campaign against industrial and government sites. As Leach suggests, the resistance movement’s direct response to Sharpeville marked the beginning of endemic violence in South Africa. The government’s response to the massacre -which effectively shaped the events immediately following it- also contributed to why it was such a decisive turning point for South Africa. They temporarily suspended pass arrests and focussed all resources on armoured patrols of potentially troublesome spots. Almost immediately, important leaders of the ANC and PAC were arrested under the Riotous Assemblies Act and the Public Safety Act, which contributed to the emergency situation. These arrests effectively paralysed the main resistance organisations in the short term, as up to the third or fourth layer of organisation had been removed. The day of Kgosona’s march in Cape Town (30 March) a state of emergency was declared. The timing of this was unquestionably impeccable. Just after Kgosona had dispersed the threatening crowds and he returned for his meeting with the Minister for Justice, the State of Emergency regulations enabled him to be arrested. The PAC and ANC were officially banned on April 6 under the Unlawful Organisation Act, sending all levels of organisation underground. The government was also forced to respond on an international level, with the South African representative to the United Nations leaving the table when pointed discussions surrounding the Sharpeville massacre arose. Amid criticism from British Prime Minister Macmillan after the massacre, the South African Prime Minister Verwoerd declared South Africa would become a republic. Similarly, the international response to the massacre and the events immediately following it proved to have lasting significance. The international condemnation and outcry marked a decisive turning point, whereby the global community began to actively speak out against the apartheid state. The New York Times adequately reflected international outrage at the shootings in an editorial the following day. It stated that ‘a policy which degrades the great majority of the people of a nation is certain to lead to tragedy Do the South Africans think that the rest of the world will ignore such a massacre? ’ Countries from across the world expressed disapproval of the events and of apartheid more broadly. Landsberg notes that strong counter reactions internationally included the establishment of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid as well as the adoption of resolutions 134 of 1960 at the United Nations, deploring the South African government and its actions. The United States called the massacre ‘regrettable’ and a violation of the United Nations Charter on human rights. As previously discussed, another long term effect of the massacre was South Africa eventually becoming a republic after condemnation from Britain. The Sharpeville massacre drew international attention and criticism to the repressive and violent regime that existed in South Africa. This proved to be the first of many international political steps to end apartheid, thus cementing the massacre’s place as a decisive historical turning point. Critics argue that the Sharpeville massacre was not a decisive turning point and was instead a singular ineffectual moment at a volatile time. Gerhart notes that similar protests and boycotts later in 1960 and 1961 proved to be ‘abortive,’ indicating that a lasting impression had not been made, just as it had failed to inspire success in similar actions. Resistance became increasingly difficult after the banning of the ANC and PAC, as well as the arrest of a large proportion of their leadership groups. This is supported by the fact that it took another 30 years for the apartheid regime to fall, and that was only after international pressure and sanctions. However, these arguments fail to engage with the symbolic importance and nature of Sharpeville and the events that followed. As Frankel simply states, ‘Sharpeville is crucial to South African history in the last century because it represents an end, a beginning, a social commentary and an evaluation’. Sharpeville was not the bloodiest, most brutal or surprising attack on Blacks in South Africa’s history throughout Apartheid. Nor did it have the most dramatic international response or incite the largest protests in South Africa’s history. However, it was a moment that represented a direct change to how blacks, whites and the rest of the world viewed apartheid and gave both sides a new resolve that directly influenced the future events and ideologies surrounding apartheid. This in itself proves the massacre and ensuing events were a decisive turning point in South Africa’s history, and the power of this should not be underestimated. One may argue that the massacre and related events changed little in South Africa; however, this grossly miscalculates the importance of inspiring collective emotion, hope and emboldened desire when Africans had little else to fight with. After the massacre, the resistance movement was forced underground and turned militant, changing the battleground dramatically. The government asserted its resolve and police state mentality. The international community awoke to the realities of apartheid and began a long campaign against it. These are all long term effects of the massacre and the events that immediately followed it, which prove that it was a decisive turning point in modern South African history. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources Anon. ‘50 Killed in South Africa as Police Fire on Rioters’, New York Times, March 22, 1960. 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