Management Essays Force Field Analysis

Management Essays Force Field Analysis Force Field Analysis One of the vital tools for organizational transformation is the use of the Force Field Analysis. According to Wilson (2000, p. 207), most situations that have something to do with work can be envisioned as having two sets of forces those that encourage the situation and those that prevent or discourage it. Driving forces are those forces or factors affecting a situation which are pushing in a particular direction (Jenkins). Driving forces tend to initiate a change and keep it going. Restraining forces may be likened to walls or barriers (Jenkins). They only put a stop and prevent movements towards improvements. These forces are acting to restrain or decrease the driving forces. In any group or organization, there are both driving and restraining forces at times of change. The Force Field Analysis suggests ways of dealing with these opposing forces. With reference to this model, analyze the essential stages in the change process, the characteristics of crises and conflict, and the managerial approaches for successfully implementing change. Introduction: Many years ago, Kurt Lewin told us that the best way to understand an organisation is to try to change it (Carter, et al, 2001 p. 4). Different organisations have a number of barriers and challenges to overcome. These can come both from their external and internal environments. These barriers constitute a force for change. Change has always been one of the main features of organisational life. It may not always be welcomed and desirable but it is proving to be the one of the main constant in todays changing environment. An organisation that does not recognize change is an organisation that has ceased to exist in the real world. Organisations respond to different challenges in different ways. Most of these challenges are brought about by the emergence of new technologies, new competitors, new markets, and new customer demands (Harvard). These challenges bring about the need to embrace organisational change in structure, culture, and process. If organisations are contemplating changes, then it will be helpful to determine what forces are acting for or against these changes. As these organisations are moving about and implementing change, they are constantly being bombarded with environmental, social, economic, political, and leadership challenges and pressures. These challenges breed different types of forces. Carefully analyzing the forces that bring about these challenges can help organisations decide, control, and implement balanced change programs in difficult and uncertain times. A model of change calls for identifying the different ways of dealing with these forces by understanding and following the change process, the identification and resolution of crisis and conflicts, and the different managerial approaches to successfully implementing change. Force Field Analysis One of the vital tools for organizational transformation is the use of the Force Field Analysis. According to Wilson (2000, p. 207), most situations that have something to do with work can be envisioned as having two sets of forces those that encourage the situation and those that prevent or discourage it. Driving forces are those forces or factors affecting a situation which are pushing in a particular direction (Jenkins). Driving forces tend to initiate a change and keep it going. Restraining forces may be likened to walls or barriers (Jenkins). They only put a stop and prevent movements towards improvements. These forces are acting to restrain or decrease the driving forces. When driving forces are countered by restraining forces, a certain level of equilibrium develops. This equilibrium can be raised or lowered by changes in the relationship between the driving force and the restraining force. Sometimes, in order to maintain this equilibrium, driving forces may be increased or decreased. In the course of doing so however, additional restraining forces may emerge. Different forces can be modified by reducing or removing forces, stretching or adding forces, and changing the direction of forces. Force field analysis is a management technique developed by Kurt Lewin, a pioneer in the field of social sciences for diagnosing situations (Accel-team). It is often useful when looking at the variables involved in planning and implementing a change program and in trying to overcome resistance to change and inertia. It is also widely used to inform decision-making and planning and implementing change management programs in different organizations. As a vital tool in organisational change, it can identify the relative priority of factors on each side of organizational issues. It can also be used to analyse the forces affecting these issues and situations. Force Field Analysis Process This analysis is carried out with a group using a flip chart or overhead transparency. Usually, the first step is to assess the current situation and agree on the goal of the policy or institutional change. This goal should be written between two columns. All the forces for change (usually, driving forces) and encouraging improvements should be listed on one column and all forces against change (restraining forces) in the other. The next step is to try to establish the weight of each force, that is, how much influence is being exerted by that force using a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 denotes a weak influences and 5 denotes a strong influence. Equilibrium is usually achieved when the sum of the weights of the driving forces equals the sum of the weights of the restraining forces. Force Field Analysis as a Model of Change Wilson (2000, p. 224) says that for most organisations that are about to embark on change process, one of the first steps is for senior managers to spend time reviewing strategies and exploring alternatives. This process may involve away days, seminars, and conferences. Another strategy is to define specific problems and ask specific questions related to the different problems. This may be a difficult task considering the level of energy needed to break the opposition to change and inertia. For example, in analyzing how to improve and increase the number of enrollees in most higher education institutions, questions like, why dont we change the way we screen and accept students or what are the forces which are keeping our strategies in their present trend? The education sector is in a very competitive environment nowadays. Colleges and universities around the world are keen on attracting an even greater number of students even from distant places through different online programs. However, as school administrators are slowly exploring deeper into the root causes of falling number of college students, it becomes clearer that there may be some strong forces preventing substantial changes in strategies from occurring as well as strong forces pressing toward changing the nature of the entire educational system. There might be several forces which point toward more acceptable levels of screening techniques and even ways of attracting prospective college students: Students desire more flexible schedules and more convenient ways of dealing with their instructors. College entrance examinations may not always be the most reliable way of screening and evaluating prospective college students. Technology makes it possible for education related services to simulate traditional classroom environments and interactions. In addition to these forces, schools desire to be the center of excellence on specific fields of learning. Today, schools are continually trying to improve on all the aspects of their student services. There might be other forces which seem to be opposed to these changes. Some of these forces are: 1. Many faculty members in most colleges and universities lack formal training in technology-based educational system. 2. Easing on the present method of screening students and experimenting with the unknown makes everyone involved feel insecure. 3. Testing with new scheduling methods may be risky and can contribute to the deterioration of classroom instructions and the quality of other services. During the clarification stage of the change process, one of the goals of this stage is to be able to clarify misconceptions and provide the forum and venue where doubts can be raised and addressed properly. Identifying the driving and restraining forces are concentrated on reaching a common understanding of what the proposed changes would mean and how it relates to the entire organisation. One of the driving forces is the need to see and visualize the short and long term benefits of any proposed changes. The restraining force may be the lack of specific and detailed information and supporting documentation with regards to the proposed changes. During the implementation phase of the change process, it is necessary to attain a certain level of success. After having clarified some goals, senior management can spend more time developing clear measures of success. Some of the driving and restraining forces can be centered on how and when to measure the success of the implemented changes. In each stage of the change process, it is crucial to attain a certain level of equilibrium so that change can be sustained and be kept going. Force Field Analysis Example The force field analysis has been used in diverse fields ranging from organisational change to self-development. In another example of using the force field analysis for change, let us examine the goal of one manufacturing company. This manufacturing company would like to use new strategies and new technologies in their marketing operations. The driving and restraining force are sorted on common themes and are prioritized according to their magnitude towards change by assigning a score or rating to each force, ranging from 1 to 5 where 1 denotes a weak force and 5 as the strong force. Driving forces Score/Rating Customers want new information on products 4 Improve speed of information delivery to customers 3 Raise level of product awareness 4 Marketing costs are increasing 3 ___________ Total 14 Restraining forces Score/Rating Loss of staff overtime 2 Staff frightened by new technologies 3 Environmental impact of new technologies 3 High cost of new technologies 3 Disruption to daily marketing operations 2 ___________ Total 13 Based on the previous example, it is clear that the driving forces are pushing for new ways of marketing products and services. One of the new technologies which can be used to market these products and services can be the use of web-based technologies and the Internet. The use of the web provides customers a lot of opportunities to gain access to real-time information at a much faster rate compared to traditional marketing techniques like the printing and distribution of card catalogs containing new product information and specifications. This strategy also raises the level of awareness of these products and services as it can cover a wider customer base. Although initially, investing on new technologies can be cost-prohibitive, in the long run, as marketing costs related to printing and manpower eventually rises, the use of web and Internet technologies may prove to be much more cheaper in the long run. One of the restraining forces is the loss of staff overtime. It is one restraining force because these overtimes provide additional pay to employees and it would make it more difficult for these employees to come to terms with these losses due to changes in marketing strategies. The use of the web virtually lessens the need to do overtime marketing jobs especially for those who are working on the field. Sometimes, the staff may be averse to the introduction of new technologies as there is always the degree of uncertainty and job loss to be brought about by them. Crisis and Conflicts Problem solving is often concerned with shifting the balance (Wilson, p.207). As organisations adapt changes, certain relationships are created, certain policies are changed, and some techniques are developed. In handling conflicts and crisis brought about by change, the force field analysis can help identify the different forces that bring about negative and positive feedbacks and reactions from people. Individuals are being asked to give up practices, relationships, attitudes, and sometimes emotions (Wilson, p. 218). In trying to resolve conflicts and crisis situations associated with planned changes, the force field analysis can reduce or remove the force that is causing the conflict situation. It can also stretch or add new forces to counter another force. In certain instances where conflicts cannot be resolved through the addition or removal of certain forces, changing the direction of these forces can be an alternative. If organisations are to put a new philosophy in conflict r esolution, then they are adding a new driving force. Managerial Approaches for Successfully Implementing Change It is a must for organisations undergoing change to create effective processes and approaches for the planning and management of change (Pieters, p.119). Managing change through the use of the force field analysis may inevitably bring forth new ways of identifying factors that can contribute to the success or failure of the change process. Management of change processes must consider not only short term goals but also long term ones. The force field analysis can be seen as the framework in diagnosing interrelationships between the intervening variables in the organisational setup. Management approaches in organisational change should not upset the equilibrium. Sometime, top level managements desire to achieve and see immediate results through increased profits and productivity by increasing the driving forces can breed different sets of restraining forces. A manager that is autocratic and imposes high working standards and discipline on the entire organisation can expect to achieve an immediate increase in output in the short term. However, new restraining forces may develop in the form of increased antagonism and hostility towards the manager and the organisation in general. It may generate discontentment, disillusionment, and increased resistance to change. By the time a new manager takes over, there would already be an increased activity related to the different restraining forces which can cause lower productivity and output. This new equilibrium may need a new set of managerial approaches in order to stabilize the situation. The manager may see the need t o increase output and productivity right away but may try another approach. He may not immediately increase the driving forces but might even try to lessen the restraining forces by engaging in dialogs and other problem solving techniques. With the possible elimination of hostility and negative attitudes towards management, in the long term, the equilibrium (increased productivity) needed to attain a certain level of increased productivity may begin to be achieved through increase in skills and commitment to organisational objectives. It is also important to develop the habits of participative work since it is likely possible that the identification of the different forces can come from the different levels of the organisation (Harvard). Specifically, some of these approaches are the following: Push the decision making down to the lowest possible. The identification of the root causes of problems and the possible solutions to these problems can be found on those that are in the frontline. Begin sharing information freely. By sharing information freely, members of the organisation are encouraged to share their own problems and experiences. Make communication a two way street. It is important to talk and listen at the same time. Eliminate unnecessary symbols of hierarchy and unequal status. These symbols can come in the form of executive lunch rooms and parking spaces. Encourage participatory management. It is important to keep in mind that everyone is also capable of managing different aspects of their life. Get into the trenches with frontline employees and encourage other managers to do the same. This management approach would be construed as a way of bridging the gap between management and the workforce. Give people practice in collaborative work between functions by attacking projects and problems through cross-functional teams. This approach encourages more interaction and communication not only between management and the employees but from among the employees themselves. Help people see the why of change, and work with them to discover the what. It is easy to explain and understand the need for change. What is difficult to understand and see is the why. There are interlocking problems and complex issues that need to be simplified for every individual to see. With respect o cultural change, the following steps and approaches should be considered: Uncover beliefs and values. Acknowledge, respect, and discuss differences between core values and beliefs of different sub cultures within the organisation. Look for incongruencies between conscious and unconscious beliefs and values and resolve by choosing those to which the organisation wishes to commit. Conclusion: It is assumed that in any situation, there are driving and restraining forces that influence any change that can occur. Organisations that are planning some form of changes need to be able to adopt a specific change model that would address most of the issues and problems that would be associated with it. The force field analysis can be a good model for change. This analysis provides a lot of opportunities for organisations contemplating on change to view different situations and identify different sets of forces that can directly influence the change process, conflict and crisis resolution, and managerial approaches to these changes. It also allows the organisation to weigh these forces and adopt priority measures based on the strengths of these forces. In general, it means that the organisation has gotten into grips with the problems that they are currently experiencing and have thought of all the consequences of all the possible solutions. Driving forces tend to initiate change while restraining forces tend to decrease or even stop the driving forces from initiating change. The current setup of todays organisations and the way they adapt to changing environments influenced by a lot of factors and forces makes the force field analysis one of the best models in managing and implement ing organisational change. The harsh reality of life nowadays encourages the removal of restraining forces rather than develop overpowering and driving forces. These strategies provide one of the strongest analytical tools yet for organisational change. Bibliography Duck, Jeanie (2001), The Change Monster, Crown Business, New York. Harvard Business Essentials (2003), Managing Change Transition, Harvard Business Carter, L et al (2001), Best Practices in Organizational Development and Change, Wiley, San Francisco. Kanter, Rosabeth (1992), The Challenge of Organizational Change, Free Press, Canada. Nutt, Paul (1992), Managing Planned Change, McMillan, Singapore. Pieters, Gerald (2000), The Ever-Changing Organization: Creating the Capacity for Continuous Change, Learning, and Improvement, St. Lucie Press, Florida. Wilson, Graham (2000), Problem Solving, 2nd edn, Kogan Page, London. Jenkins, David (1949), Force Field Analysis Applied to a School Situation, Retrieved: May 30, 2005 from http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/brainwashing/force-field.htm. Force Field Analysis, Retrieved: May 28, 2005 from http://www.pyswww.com/mtsite/forcefield.html. Force Field Analysis, Retrieved: May 30, 2005 from http://www. Asem.org/conferences/2004/conferenceproceedings/koplyay150.pdf Team Building: Force Field Analysis, Retrieved: May 28, 2005 from http://www.accel-team.com/techniques/force_field_analysis.html Sustainable Change Management, Retrieved: May 29, 2005 from http://www.challengequest.com/pdf/sustainable_change_management.pdf Organizational Culture: Change Process, Retrieved: May 30, 2005 from http://www.soi.,org/readaing/change/process.shtml

Criticism of the government Essay

In naming people, the girls were probably projecting their own guilt onto others. In this assignment, â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller I am going to explore the whole situation to discover from where I think the evil came from. In order to do this, I am going to need to analyse some of the characters and state how much I think they contributed to the real evil in Salem. Firstly there is Samuel Parris. He is a very memorable character. Throughout the play, his character comes across as nasty, cold and cunning but underneath that bold exterior we see that he is an insecure and cowardly man who is easily intimidated by those of higher power in order to achieve what he believes to be a high status. Because of this, and the fact that he is widowed and has never been able to care for children, anyone who has read the play will find Parris unfit to be a father to his only daughter Betty, let alone be a minister of Salem. Due to his insecurity, Parris is paranoid that whatever he does, or wherever he goes he is being judged, as Arthur Miller states in his introduction, â€Å"He believed he was being persecuted wherever he went, despite his best efforts to win people and God to his side. † As he thinks of himself as a man of importance to the ordinary people of Salem, because he is a minister of Salem, he is over-sensitive and easily offended, even if â€Å"someone rose to shut the door without first asking his permission. † Between the very start of the play and the very end, there is quite a change in Samuel Parris’ character so our feelings towards him change also. As a member of an audience first watching the play, I would have no idea of the characteristics of Parris, which are described above, so when Parris first appears I am not biased towards him, and, in fact pity him as he kneels helplessly at the bedside of his daughter, although this feeling does not last long. We can see through Parris’ actions throughout the play that he is actually quite a foolish man. Although it is obvious that there are many others who can be blamed for the start of the witch-hunts in Salem, Samuel Parris is to blame on many occasions. For instance, his inability to handle the situation, the dancing in the woods, where he found his daughter, niece and other young girls in the wood, doing what he thought to be conjuring spirits, and Betty’s state of unconsciousness. Parris could have handled the situation with humour, realising that such young girls were most probably unable to conjure spirits, and that Betty may have reacted like she did out of fear and hysteria. In this scene we find that Parris is very selfish as he cares more for his reputation than for the well being of his only daughter. He says that he does not wish to leap to withcraft for the cause of Betty’s state when he says, â€Å"Let him look to medicine and put out all thought of unnatural causes here. There be none. † We believe that he is worried about his daughter and does not wish to let himself believe that there might be some evil presence with a hold on Betty, but it soon becomes apparent that he is only worried about his reputation and how his enemies will try and use Betty’s condition against him, â€Å"Now look you child, your punishment will come in its time. But if you trafficked with spirits in the forest I must know it now, for surely my enemies will, and they will ruin me with it. † Parris can also be quite cruel. Instead of bringing up his niece Abigail as a cherished member of his family, he sends her out to work as a maid to the families of the village. Because of this, and all the previous discoveries made about Parris, it is easy for the audience to start to see his character differ from how it was at the very start of the play. We start to resent Parris, and start to see the cunning and selfish character of Parris, as described in Arthur Miller’s introduction to the play. One action that proves just how prone to act before thinking Parris is, is when he calls for Reverend Hale of Beverly, an expert in seeking out unnatural presences, although he has already stated that he does not want to look to unnatural causes to find the source of Betty’s condition. He then progresses to tell Mr Hale that he caught the girls in the woods conjuring spirits, â€Å"Why, sir-I discovered her and my niece and ten or twelve of the other girls, dancing in the forest last night. † There was absolutely no need for Parris to have told Hale that. If he had not told him then Hale would have eventually have had to come to some conclusion about what was wrong with Betty and even if he did say it was to do with the unnatural world, Samuel Parris, nor any of the girls could be held responsible. It is doubtful that any of the girls would have confessed it themselves as the other girls threatened those who came close to telling. Later on in the play, Parris realises this early mistake he has made even though by now it is too late to save himself. After Hale eventually manages to get the girls to confess to have conjured spirits, we see a great change in Parris’ views towards witchcraft. He no longer wishes to stay away from the possibility of unnatural causes; in fact he does all he can to put all the blame on it when he finds that he can use it to his advantage. Parris seems to find it his responsibility to make matters worse for anyone accused of witchcraft, as with anyone who’s testament may stand in the way of him achieving what he wants. As the girls make wild accusations about the poor innocent members of the Salem community, Parris makes senseless claims that make it seem like the girls are telling the truth. He does the same with anyone who tries to defend someone he has accused. He does this solely for his own benefit. Take for example when, in Act three, Judge Danforth asks John Proctor, â€Å"Now, what deposition do you have for us, Mr Proctor? † to which Proctor replies â€Å"It’s a sort of testament. The people signing it declare their good opinion or Rebecca, and my wife, and Martha Corey. † Parris tries to enforce doubt into the minds of those present by questioning the validity of his argument, â€Å"Their good opinion! † though thankfully, he does this to no avail. Parris’ character stays pretty much the same throughout the duration of the play. He continues to ruin people’s lives. He is quite wise as he is able to manipulate people’s words to make it sound as if they are confessing to have trafficked with the devil. Nearing the end of the play, when John Proctor has been accused of witchcraft and is to be hanged, Parris’ character changes somewhat. Prior to the accusation against Proctor, Parris has slandered John Proctor and Giles to judge Danforth so that they will not be believed because he knows that if they are, it will look bad on his part. Soon after Proctor is accused, the people of Salem, who had always applauded the execution of ‘witches’, realised that the innocent were being killed. They chose to take out their anger on Parris and he received death wishes, one being a dagger in his door. This is what brings on the peculiar difference in his character. With his vain attempts, he tries to get Proctor to admit to witchcraft although he knows he’s not guilty of it. Parris’ reason for doing this is clear to the audience, and our beliefs that he is a selfish man are confirmed. There are also many others who can be blamed for the Salem witch-trials. One other is Abigail Williams. I think that Abigail is the main, and close to being the only cause of the witch hunts in Salem. In comparison to all the other characters that I will describe, she is relatively young, yet she seems to be the wisest in the art of corruption and deceit. As with every character in the play, as a member of the audience I know nothing about Abigail’s character other done what she shows through how she portrays herself on stage. Because of this, when we first meet Abigail’s character, we have no previously existing feelings towards her. We first see Abigail when she has just entered the bedroom of her cousin Betty, who lies inert on her bed after the shock of being caught dancing in the woods. Her character seems to be gentle and caring. We soon learn that she is not so innocent because of two things she does, or has done. The first is the news of the cruel deed that she is supposed to have committed against Elizabeth Proctor, as Parris says â€Å"Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for your being discharged from Goody Proctor’s service†¦ she comes so rarely to church this year for she will not sit so close to something soiled. What signified that remark? † By the way that she responds to this, it is simple to see that she is very aware of how she feels about people, and cares nothing about the respect she should show them, through what she says, â€Å"She hates me, uncle, she must, for I would not be her slave. It’s a bitter woman, a lying, cold, snivelling, woman, and I will not work for such a woman! † The second is the change in attitude she has towards Betty. She claims that she will never do anything to harm Betty, â€Å"I would never hurt Betty. I love her dearly. † But as soon as Parris has left the room, we see that she is conniving and all that she said whilst Parris was in the room was an act. Immediately we grow to resent Abigail as we have seen her for just a short while, yet she has already been deceitful to someone that she should have great respect for. Abigail, in fact, has no real care for Betty. Her only care is that Betty does not land her in trouble. Once Parris has left the room, Abigail becomes more aggressive in her attempts to get Betty out of her unconscious state, â€Å"Betty? Now stop this! Betty! Sit up now! † Abigail is a person who easily intimidates her peers. I personally think that the other girls allow her to be so dominant over them as they think that she has no fear of anyone because of what happened to her parents, â€Å"†¦ I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! † There is much that can be said about Abigail, and her contribution to the evil in Salem. As Mary Warren tells her early on in the play, all Abigail has to do, to save her own, and many others lives, is admit to having had danced in the woods. If she had been straight with Parris and told him everything that went on in the woods – instead of blaming it on Tituba – then she, along with the other girls who participated, would have only been whipped for their dancing. When Abigail and Proctor are first seen together in Betty’s room, we see once more the lack of Abigail’s innocence as we find out about the pairs brief encounter, â€Å"Give me a soft word, John. A soft word. † The manner in which Abigail talks to Proctor is not of that of a child, so any beliefs that we assumed about the innocence of her character are dashed. When Reverend Hale first arrives and begins to question Abigail, she is frightened of the thought of being caught, and then when Hale simply asks if she was forced into it by Tituba, she finds a useful way of shifting the blame away from her, and onto someone that she herself knows is entirely innocent. Because of this our feelings towards Abigail change dramatically. Not only has her character lost its innocence, but it has also gained a streak of deceit, cruelty, and cowardice. Out of pure fear for her life, Tituba confesses to having had conjured spirits, but when Abigail joins her in confessing, it is done purely to alleviate her from the guilt of letting Tituba take all the blame. The fact that the other girls soon join in after Abigail either symbolises the same thing it did with Abigail or just shows how much power Abigail expresses other them. Because of the fact that Tituba is supposed to be a cherished friend of all the girls, how easily the girls can blame her comes as a shock, and just shows how far from kind the girls are. Unknowingly the adults actually fuel the start of the witch-hunts as they feed the girls with names of people that can be held liable of committing the ‘crime’. However, Abigail is fully aware of what the adults are doing and uses it to her advantage. The other girls follow Abigail, but only out of the hysteria. This event helps to inspire Abigail. Throughout the rest of the play, Abigail uses this technique to claim that she saw people with the devil. She is believed by the court officials because, as judge Danforth says, â€Å"†¦ witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. † As I have already stated, Abigail is clever and it does not take her long to realise that she can blame people that she wishes to take revenge on, whatever the reason may be. For example, Abigail accuses Elizabeth Proctor because she wants her out of the way so that John Proctor will return to her. Abigail seems heartless as she jeers when she sees people that she knows are innocent being hanged. For this reason, and many others that I have described, including her infatuation with John Proctor, I blame Abigail for the Salem witch-trials. She contributed more than most of the others. Although it is not his fault, John Hale can be blamed for the conviction of people accused of witchcraft. However, John Hale did not contribute much to the evil. Through all of his actions, John Hale acts honestly and is genuinely convinced that the people are possessed. Hale is a minister who specialises in ascertaining witchcraft. He is convinced that he can tell if a person is possessed, and does not mean to cause any harm when he uses his ‘gift’ to convince people to confess to trafficking. The accused know that confession is the only way of staying alive, but, at this moment, Hale is oblivious to it. Fortunately, Hale realises what is going on, after he is confronted by Proctor when he speaks of how many have confessed to witchcraft, â€Å"†¦ why not, if they must die for denyin’ it? There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang: have you never thought of that? † Hale is truly remorseful and from that point on, does everything in his power to resolve the situation. But, with Hales case, although he does nothing to promote it, it shows how much image overpowers common sense. Hale brings with him weird books and he is thought of as a great healer, whereas Giles Corey’s wife is hanged for reading books that could have been just like Hales. Compared to most of the other characters, the Putnams played a relatively small part in their contribution. In these times, it was thought that if a child died young it was the mother’s failure as a woman. Ann has had seven of her eight children die at a young age and is ashamed of what the townspeople must think of her. Because of this we pity her. When Goody Osburn is blamed, Ann is relieved and is quick to find that she can now use Goody Osburn as the reason her children died, as she states, just after Goody Osburn is charged, â€Å"I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shrivelled in her hands! † Unlike Ann, Thomas Putnam does not act out of grief, but out of greed. For this reason, we don’t pity Thomas, and, in fact, feel resentment towards him, as he is heartless. He feels absolutely no guilt or remorse in falsely testifying in court about someone that he wants something from. For instance, Thomas Putnam convinces his daughter Ruth to cry witchery on George Jacobs so that he will be arrested, as it is obvious that such a man will not admit to working with unnatural spirits. This was because the law on witchcraft was, if someone was executed after being accused of witchery, but does not admit to it, then their land becomes state property, which means that anyone can buy it. Giles Corey realises that Putnam is acting out of greed and heads straight to court, in an attempt to overthrow the court, as Danforth questions Putnam â€Å"I have here an accusation by Mr Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail. † John Proctor can also be blamed because from the start, he could have brought the situation to a halt if he had not been such a coward. From the start, Elizabeth tries to tell John Proctor of the dangers of Abigail but he does not seem to grasp just how dangerous the situation might become, until it is too late.

Oscillation and Periodic Motion in Physics

Oscillation refers to the repeated back and forth movement of something between two positions or states. An oscillation can be a periodic motion that repeats itself in a regular cycle, such as a sine wave—a wave with perpetual motion as in the side-to-side swing of a pendulum, or the up-and-down motion of a spring with a weight. An oscillating movement occurs around an equilibrium point or mean value. It is also known as periodic motion. A single oscillation is a complete movement, whether up and down or side to side, over a period of time. Oscillators An oscillator is a device that exhibits motion around an equilibrium point. In a pendulum clock, there is a change from potential energy to kinetic energy with each swing. At the top of the swing, potential energy is at maximum, and that energy is converted to kinetic energy as it falls and is driven back up the other side. Now again at the top, kinetic energy has dropped to zero, and potential energy is high again, powering the return swing. The frequency of the swing is translated via gears to mark time. A pendulum will lose energy over time to friction if the clock isnt corrected by a spring. Modern timepieces use the vibrations of quartz and electronic oscillators, rather than the movement of pendulums. Oscillating Motion An oscillating motion in a mechanical system is swinging side to side. It can be translated into a rotary motion (turning around in a circle) by a peg-and-slot. Rotary motion can be changed to oscillating motion by the same method. Oscillating Systems An oscillating system is an object that moves back and forth, repeatedly returning to its initial state after a period of time. At the equilibrium point, no net forces are acting on the object. This is the point in the pendulum swing when its in a vertical position. A constant force or a restoring force acts on the object to produce the oscillating motion. Variables of Oscillation Amplitude is the maximum displacement from the equilibrium point. If a pendulum swings one centimeter from the equilibrium point before beginning its return journey, the amplitude of oscillation is one centimeter.Period is the time it takes for a complete round trip by the object, returning to its initial position. If a pendulum starts on the right and takes one second to travel all the way to the left and another second to return to the right, its period is two seconds. ​Period is usually measured in seconds.Frequency is the number of cycles per unit of time. Frequency equals one divided by the period. Frequency is measured in Hertz, or cycles per second. Simple Harmonic Motion The motion of a simple harmonic oscillating system—when the restoring force is directly proportional to that of the displacement and acts in the direction opposite to that of displacement—can be described using sine and cosine functions. An example is a weight attached to a spring. When the weight is at rest, its in equilibrium. If the weight is drawn down, theres a net restoring force on the mass (potential energy). When its released, it gains momentum (kinetic energy) and keeps moving beyond the equilibrium point, gaining potential energy (restoring force) that will drive it in oscillating down again. Sources and Further Reading Fitzpatrick, Richard. Oscillations and Waves: An Introduction, 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2019.  Mittal, P.K. Oscillations, Waves and Acoustics. New Delhi, India: I.K. International Publishing House, 2010.

French Prepositions with Geographical Names

Deciding which French  preposition  to use with countries, cities, and other  geographical names  can be somewhat confusing, at least until now! This lesson will explain which prepositions to use and why. Gendered Nouns Like all French  nouns, geographical names like countries, states, and provinces have a  gender. Knowing the gender of each geographical name is the first step in determining which preposition to use. As a general guideline, geographical names which end in  e  are  feminine, while those that end in any other letter are masculine. There are, of course, exceptions which simply have to be memorized. See the individual lessons for explanations of the gender of each geographical name. Examples In English, we use three different prepositions with geographical names, depending on what we are trying to say. Je vais  en  FranceIm going  to  FranceJe suis  en  FranceIm  in  FranceJe suis  de  FranceIm  from  France However, in French numbers 1 and 2 take the  same  preposition. Whether you are going  to France or you are  in  France, the same preposition is used. Thus in French there are only two prepositions to choose from for each type of geographical name. The difficulty lies in knowing which preposition to use for a city vs a state vs a country.