Say No to Columbus Day Essay Example for Free

Say No to Columbus Day Essay It is my belief that although many people celebrate the holiday of Columbus Day, that it should be celebrated because Christopher Columbus was not who he had seemed to be. I have learned that not only did he not know where he was, but he wasn’t even the first to discover the New World. He also committed a mass genocide against the Arawak’s. Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492. Columbus Day was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century but did not become a federal holiday until the 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. Throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have appeared in recent years When Columbus first arrived at the Bahamas, he was greeted by the Arawak Indians who showered him and his crew with gifts and food. After being around them for some time, he decided to take the search for valuable items to a new level. He took some of the people by force and demanded to know where the materials like gold and such were located and then he forced them to show him and start to find them, sort of like slaves. He also learned that the Arawak people were so generous that they would give him anything he asked them for; he then proceeded to ask them for nearly all of their belongings which had any monetary value. The fact of him doing this is easily enough to prove that he was just out for money and did not care about any of the Arawak Indians or his crew for that matter. He is said to have been greedy enough to take credit for finding land even though a crew member, Rodrigo, had found it first and it is also said that he is to have taken the $10,000 yearly pension for life (Source B). The second treachery Columbus was a part of was the taking of the Arawak Indians as slaves and servants, here is a quote from his journal: â€Å"They would make fine servants†¦With fifty men we could subjugate them and make them do whatever we want† (Source B). This just shows that he is a man who doesn’t care about other people’s feelings and is perfectly fine with killing and enslavement, two things America is against. In total, the records show that originally, Columbus rounded up 1,500 Indians, he chose 500 as the best, killed the other 1,000, and 200 died on the ship due to poor living conditions and starvation. The 300 who were left were auctioned off as slaves in Spain. Nearly all of the rest of the Arawak people were killed by foreign disease. A third and final reason why we should not celebrate Columbus Day is because Christopher Columbus did not find North America on purpose and he was also not the first to find the continent. Leif Ericsson of the Vikings found North America and had already established a settlement in Nova Scotia by the time Christopher Columbus found his way here which just proves that his skills as a navigator and a sailor were not even very great, if he kept sailing to Asia and had not found North America, he would have done a circle around the world, missed Asia and ran into Africa. Many Americans view Columbus as a heroic figure whom is celebrated every year. Children look up to him, as an amazing person for being able to â€Å"discover† America and citizens are able to spend a whole day off from work/school to reflect on his greatness. However, this greatness should in no way be glorified, because it is absurd to call Columbus a hero. Columbus had taken credit for things that he didn’t accomplish, brutally abused Native Americans and caused slave trade, which led to mistreatment of Native Americans for years to come. I strongly believe that Columbus day should not be celebrated because of the torture, slavery, and lying that was caused by him. Columbus had taken credit for things that he didn’t accomplish. He wasn’t the first to discover America since there were already people living there  and others had known about this land. Also, there was a myth being taught at schools that had said Columbus was the one to prove the earth was round. Many educated Europeans had already believed in the world not being flat during the time of Columbus. However, those who didn’t agree with this statement mocked the ones who did. Lastly, Columbus was not the first non-American to discover the new world. â€Å"There is, indeed, considerable evidence that people from all around the world, including Europe, had visited the Americas for trade, fishing, refuge, and even settlement.† (Source: Why We Should Abolish Columbus Day by G Rebecca Dobbs) Therefore, Columbus had not truly succeeded in the things we know about him and did more negative things than positive. Columbus Day, a holiday dedicated to the famous explorer for his achievement of arriving in the New World. We construct plays, arrange parades, and have erected monuments of Columbus to praise him for his discovery; for he had triggered the wave of European interest in the Americas. When it comes to the roots of Columbus’s arrival in Hispaniola, most people think that he arrived on an island with primitive natives who gladly gave up their land to him†¦without so much as a complaint. Only recently have the true accounts of his expedition come to light. Nowadays, the innocent and naive tale of Columbus’s discovery has turned into a story about a horrifying and unjust conquering of a land, and the domination of its inhabitants. When Christopher Columbus arrived in Hispaniola in 1492, he had thought that he arrived in India, and he expected for the land to be inhabited by the Indians. Instead he landed in present day Hispaniola, which was home to the friendly, and defe nseless, Arawak people (also known as the Taino people). They had never seen Europeans before with their giant ships, extravagant clothing, and strange language; so they were excited and interested in meeting Columbus and his crew. The Arawak brought the Europeans gifts, food, and water. They wanted to open their home to the newcomers, and hoped to be able to become acquaintances with them and that they would trade with each other. Instead of returning the natives’ generosity and kindness, Columbus treated them cruelly, by making them slaves and forcing them to work to exhaustion and death, slaughtering thousands of men, women, and children till there was only five hundred Arawaks left by 1550, and not giving them  enough food, so they died from famish. Christopher Columbus has been viewed as a hero for several centuries. Children in elementary schools all over the nation are taught that he discovered America. However, there were many other people who were indigenous to the land already and the Vikings arrived in America almost 500 years before Columbus. Christopher Columbus, as it turned out, was responsible for widespread genocide; he permitted his men to rape, murder, mutilate and enslave indigenous people. The evil deeds of Columbus far outweigh the few accomplishments he achieved. It doesn’t make sense for the United States to recognize this supposed Christian with a national holiday, so America should stop celebrating Columbus Day. The initial recorded Columbus Day celebration in the United States was on October 12, 1792. Nevertheless, the first official Columbus Day happened in 1892, when President Harrison issued a proclamation for Americans to commemorate the day. The Knights of Columbus lobbied state legislatures to legalize the holiday. Colorado did so on April 1, 1907. New York followed suit in 1909. In 1971, Columbus Day was designated as a federal holiday on the second Monday of October (Library of Congress).

A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Deleuze and Guatta

The Rhizome A significant work in theology used to address one of the many concepts it encompasses, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Deleuze and Guattari focuses on the idea of the Rhizome. Throughout the writing, the authors demonstrate a disapproval of the idea that identity can be finalized or â€Å"fixed† and use the concept of the rhizome to describe a person’s continual â€Å"becoming†. Unlike syncretism, another concept commonly used to help evaluate identity, the rhizome is much more complex than binary opposing forces competing until one is dominant over the other. The rhizome is an endless, root-like tangle of all parts of an organism, constantly creating identity. In this summary of â€Å"Introduction: Rhizome† in A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, I address the central idea of the piece, which is the idea that rhizomatic ways of thinking are more inclusive than dialectic and should be used as a map for determining identi ty. I will use examples from the text to clarify the meaning of the term â€Å"rhizome† and how it functions. Also, by incorporating parts from Syncretism in Religion by Anita M. Leopold and Jeppe S. Jensen into this summary, I will help shed light on the concept of syncretism and how it has led to the creation of the rhizome. To begin describing the rhizome, Deleuze and Guattari first explain it in contrast to the typical mode of thought in American culture. Generally, when deciphering the meaning of something, or anything for that matter, human beings tend to use an arboreal model. In this model, the tree starts as a seed and continues to grow vertically, producing a trunk, then branches. With this method of thinking, all objects, concepts, claimed identities, etc. can be traced back... ...y say, â€Å"Make rhizomes, not roots, never plant! ... Don’t be one or multiple, be multiplicities! ... Make maps, not photos or drawings.† These words bluntly restate their main purpose in writing the article, which is to encourage an unprecedented kind of thought. In choosing to condense the work through the use of clarifying examples of rhizomatic structures and by giving a definition of syncretism and how it relates to the rhizome, I was able to easily restate the overall purpose of â€Å"Introduction: Rhizome†. Word Count: 1,308 â€Æ' Works Cited 1. Deleuze, Gilles, and FeÃŒ lix Guattari. "Introduction: Rhizome." In A thousand plateaus: capitalism and schizophrenia. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1987. 3-25. 2. Leopold, Anita M., and Jeppe Sinding Jensen. "Part 1: General Introduction." In Syncretism in religion: a reader. New York: Routledge, 2005. ix-11.

How Does the Nature of Children’s Friendship Change with Age

How does the nature of children's friendship change with age? Within this essay I will be looking at how children's friendships change in nature as they age. I will begin first by defining what is meant by the term friendship. I will then examine theories on stage and age development in relation to the development of friendships, exploring research which suggests that the nature of a child's friendship is based on their age.I will look at conflicting research which suggests that although stage's of friendship may be categorized, that there is conflicting research to suggest the ages at which this behaviour manifests itself may not be the same for each child. Finally I will summarize by concluding how the nature of children's friendship changes with age. The very definition of what the term friendship actually means in itself is difficult to clarify and categorize. A dictionary definition defines friendship as an attachment from mutual esteem, and a friend as someone who is loving or attached to another.As an adult it can seem easy to define who are friends are, they are like minded individuals whom we share common interests with, people we trust and socialize with. Other people within our adult life are associates, work colleagues or general acquaintances. The category of friend is reserved for those whom we have developed a bond with and in most cases an emotional attachment to. However, when we consider this in relation to the nature of children's friendship this dictionary definition and an adults view of friendship may not hold true for all children.It also over simplifies the nature and dynamics involved in friendship. Barnes (2003, pg 49) highlights this when he discusses the many experiences children have of friendship, and the emotions and experiences these friendships expose children to, for example it affords them the opportunity to share experiences, develop communication and develop a sense of closeness to another person, however in contrast to this Barnes tells us that friendships in childhood introduces children to a to conflict situations and emotions such as jealousy, anger and loneliness.Best to leave a line space between paragraphs. The significance of childhood friendships can be a difficult area to gauge. The importance of these relationships and the subsequent impact on a child is not something which can be measured with any certainty. Allison James, an anthropologist, states the difficulty of guaging impact but also acknowledges the significance of childhood relationships and the importance of these ‘friendships' in preparing children for later life and adult roles. participation in this tangled web of social relationships helps to shape identity and sense of self which is assumed as s/he moves towards adulthood to become a person in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the actual process of socialisation can only ever be haltingly documented† (James, 1993 cited in Kehily and Swann, 2003. pg 51). James admission that research in this area can be difficult to record and analyse is supported by Barnes when he discusses the reminiscing of childhood by adults in later life â€Å"none of this is to deny the the value of personal reminiscence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ut it serves as a reminder not just to accept it in an unquestioning way† ( Barnes, 2003, pg. 51) American psychologist Robert Selman supports the theory that the nature of children's friendships is influenced by their social understanding which develops as they age. Selman carried out research whereby he posed ‘dilemma's' through scenarios to children aged between three and fifteen, he then questioned the children on their solutions to these dilemma's and recorded these interviews.In doing this Selman came to the conclusion that the nature of friendship could be categorized into four distinct stages, related to four distinct ages. Barnes (2003, pg 56) outlines Selman's four stages, ‘Momentary physical playmate† this is the stage whereby children, usually around the age of three to five will categorize their friends as those who live in their locality, go to the same school and who partake in similar activities.The second stage is ‘ One-way assistance' this is the stage whereby children do things to please another, within this stage Selman acknowledges that although at this stage children may try to adapt to others the friendship is still one sided and there is little evidence of the reciprocal nature of friendship, the age at which this occurs in most children is between the age of six to eight years old. The third stage of Selmans theory is the â€Å"fairweather co-operation† stage usually evident in children aged between nine and twelve years.Within this stage children begin to see the consequence of their actions and begin to act accordingly, that is to say they appreciate that their actions and the actions of their friends are now evaluated and hence they begin to become adapt able taking into account the thoughts, needs and preferences of their ‘friends'. Within this stage Selman argues that children may encounter conflict and disagreements which in turn may cause these friendships to peter out as opposed to enduring. Selmans final stage is called â€Å"mutual concern† this is usually seen around the ages of eleven to fifteen.Within this stage Selmans research suggested that children have developed the skills required to develop stronger friendships based on a mutal understanding Within this stage friendships can survive minor conflicts, Selman acknowledges the fact that, through his research, he found the way in which children describe their friendship has now changed, he found that descriptions were not based on physical descriptions, which had been the case with younger children but were now based on psychological attributes.Selman's theories on stage development of friendships can be compared with other researchers who also concluded tha t their were specific points in a child's life whereby the nature of their friendship differed dependent on age, Barnes (2003, pg 55) comments on Bigelow and La Gaipa (1980) who also categorized the nature of friendship based on particular age/stage brackets. Bigelow and La Gaipa argued that the changing nature of friendship developed alongside children's cognitive development.That is to say as children develop their cognitive understanding and have experiences of social interaction and the nature of their friendships develop and this can be categorized in general terms into particular ages. Barnes uses Zick Rubin, an American psychologist, to illustrate this staging theory, â€Å"Rubin (1980) likens this to climbing a ladder and resting at each rung in order to consolidate the new level of interpersonal awareness that has been achieved† (Barnes,2003, cited in Kehily and Swann).This categorization of stage development is not a new concept in the 1950's and 1960's Jean Piaget a Swiss psychologist through years of research developed theories regarding child development and the stages which children will act in a certain way based on their cognitive development, however â€Å"Increasingly psychologists have adopted a ‘lifespan perspective' which recognizes that development is a process that continues from birth to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ he end of childhood, as well as the beginning and middle, is not fixed by chronological age' (Morrow, 2003). It is therefore important not to wholly focus on the age of a child and assume that they will fit into a pre-defined category or stage, in my opinion what Morrow highlights for us is that development isn't fixed in to particular ages and stages, it suggests to me the way in which children and adults act can be determined by other factors such as their surroundings and the experiences they have.Avoid using too many quotations in U212 essays – use them sparingly. We want to hear your answer primarily in your words. Although it can be argued that â€Å"slotting†children's friendship development solely into age brackets isn't conclusive, it is helpful in determining the changing nature of friendship. By using stage development theories such as Selman's or Piaget's theories on the cognitive development of children we can use these ‘stages' to further explore the changing nature of friendship within a wider context.In the case of Selman, research was carried out by interviewing children of varying ages and asking them to comment on scenarios, a different approach in determining the changing nature of friendship has been explored through the observation of children in the context of play and life experiences and comparing these social interactions against the stage models.By taking an ethnographic approach studying children, this involves the direct observation and analysis of their communications, sociologist William Cursaro (1985) explored the way in which children talked abo ut friendship with each other. Through his studies Cursaro identified six distinct ways in which children talked in relation to friendship these included instances whereby children talked about ‘friends' as a method to gain access to play or categorized ‘friends' as the people they were playing with.Cursaro's research was based around children aged between three and five year old and in his findings highlights that empathetic behaviour is displayed even in children at this young age, if we compare this to Selmans stages of friendship development this empathetic behaviour should be seen at around the age of eleven onwards according to his research. Barnes (2003, pg 61) uses Allison James own findings from her study of four year olds to support Cursaro's findings.James (1993) suggests â€Å"through it's discrete performance that children learn about and experience friendship, which means that social contexts in which children find themselves, not simply their age, play th e greater part in shaping children's understanding of the concept† James and Cursaro offer a contrasting view to that of Selman and Piaget in the way in which children develop their friendships. It is clear that age alone can not truly determine how a child will behave towards their ‘friends' and that considerations relating to social experiences and environmental influences have to be taken into account.Common held beliefs, discourses, can also influence the way in which children will behave and react in relation to friends and friendship, factors such as culture, gender and social status will also have a bearing on a child or adults behaviour and thus influence the way in which they behave and feel they should behave. What is clear is that research offers no definitive model on the changing nature of children's friendships it cannot be precise in relation to age when a child will move from one stage to another it merely confirms the fluid nature of friendships.Previous sentence is too long and is actually three separate sentences. However what is apparent is the importance and significance of friendships need linking words or an introduction of some sort here for this quote;gt; â€Å"friendships are among the central ingredients in children's lives from as early as age three†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. through adolescence. Friendships occupy, both in their actual conduct and in the world of thought and fantasy, a large proportion of children's waking hours. They are often the sources of children's greatest pleasures and deepest frustrations. † ( Rubin,1980, cited in Barnes, 2003, pg 52).

Cinderella/Everafter Comparison

Sarah Hubbard September 19, 2010 Children’s Lit Review/Analysis One EVERAFTER/A CINDERELLA STORY Cinderella is a classic childhood fairy tale of a young woman who’s mother and father both die, leaving her with a wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. There have been several movies portraying this classic tale. One of which is Everafter starring Drew Barrymore. In this movie a girl loses her father and mother leaving her to be a servant for her stepmother.She meets a prince and falls in love. In another Cinderella type story line A Cinderella Story starring Hilary Duff, a girl who loses her parents end up with her stepmother and two sisters. She falls in love with the popular boy in school, who ends up being her prince charming. Both movies are based on the same classic fairy tale yet they differ from each other and the classic story. The storyline of Everafter is more similar to the classic tale than that of A Cinderella Story.Everafter has all of the usual simil arities to the classic version for example, her parents die, she ends up with her evil stepmother and two evil stepsister (one of these sisters ends up being good in the end), she falls in love with a prince, she gets help from two woman working in her house, she loses her glass slipper, prince charming finds her and presents her with her glass slipper and they live happily ever after. In the version known to most children, Cinderella does not fall in love with the prince until she goes to the ball and has to be home before midnight.In this movie she meets the prince while he is borrowing a horse from her manor. She dresses up like a countess and he falls in love with her. At the ball when she goes to tell him who she really is, he gets mad and she runs away, losing her glass slipper. In the children’s version of the story the prince goes house to house trying to find the one who fits into the slipper and she will be his bride. In Everafter, the prince realizes what he has lo st and goes to her house only to find she has been sold. He then has to go rescue her and presents her with her glass slipper.In both stories they live happily ever after. A Cinderella Story varies much more. This movie is set in present time and in America, whereas the others are thought of as older times and set in Europe. This movie still has the classical story line but with a twist. She lives with her step mom and two step sister, she does all their chores, there is a boy whom she falls in love with, she has help from a woman who has been her friend for all of her life, there is a search for the mystery girl, and she drops something when she is running away because it is midnight.That is where the similarities end. There are many more differences from the classic tale in this modern day movie. The character Sam (Cinderella) and Austin (prince charming) exchange emails and chat online before meeting. Austin has a girlfriend who is mean to Sam. After finding out who Sam really is Austin does not fall in love with her right away. Sam tell Austin to stop pretending to be someone he is not and then Austin shows who he really is and only then can prince charming fall in love with Cinderella. They go off to Princeton together and live happily ever after.I enjoyed Everafter more than I did A Cinderella Story because Everafter seems more of a fairy tale, more of a dream or fantasy. Whereas A Cinderella Story seems like it could happen in everyday life. For me, I would rather fantasize that I could be a princess and find my prince than fantasize about talking to a boy on the Internet and going off to college with him. I think that the differences in A Cinderella Story did detract from the experience for me. On the other hand I think in Everafter the differences enhanced the movie.For example, getting to know the relationship between Cinderella and the prince enhance the love you feel for the characters. In the Cinderella I knew as a kid it was more like love at fir st sight. In this movie their love grows in to a relationship, which makes it seem more likely to actually happen. These movies would attract a child viewer because every little girl knows the story of Cinderella. The modern day twist may make a little girl believe that something like this could actually happen to her and learn from the moral of the story.I think that Everafter would be more appealing to a young girl because what little girl doesn’t want to be a princess. Both of these stories shows that in the end good things happen to good people and the bad guys get what they deserve. I think that is a very inspiring message to send to a child. I would recommend both of these movies to everyone. There is no inappropriate language or messages that would be offensive to anyone. Everafter is one of my all time favorite movies and I have never heard anybody say anything bad about it.This movie would be appropriate for little kids, teenagers, young adults, adults and older peop le. Both movies are Cinderella type stories so they would probably influence girls more than they would boys. A Cinderella Story is aimed more at teenage girls. Younger girls may also like this movie but older people might think it was for younger more immature kids. In conclusion, the classic fairy tale of Cinderella is portrayed in both of the movies, Everafter, and A Cinderella Story.Each movie has similarities to the classic fairy tale, but Everafter is closer to the original story than A Cinderella Story. A Cinderella Story has a modern day twist, with technology and high school. Everafter on the other hand is set back in time and has a European setting. Both girls in these movies lose their parents and end up serving their stepmothers and step sisters, they both fall in love with someone in a different â€Å"class† than themselves, yet both end up showing the guy that it class doesn’t matter when it comes to love and they all live happily ever after.

How far and in what ways do you consider that Malan presents the black person viewpoint in My Traitors Heart. Essays

How far and in what ways do you consider that Malan presents the black person viewpoint in My Traitors Heart. Essays How far and in what ways do you consider that Malan presents the black person viewpoint in My Traitors Heart. Essay How far and in what ways do you consider that Malan presents the black person viewpoint in My Traitors Heart. Essay Malan wrote a different book to the one he set out to write but this finished autobiographical memoir was written because he was searching for a way to live in this strange country-for an alternative, if one existed, to the law of Dawid Malan. To live in this world he needs understand the world and in this quest he needs to understand the problems that his country must endure. The tale of the Hammermans murders is told by Malan but it is not told in his typical criminal journalist way it is told almost as if it were a story. Introducing the characters, telling the reader of their lives Dave and Jay used to smoke zol and jol, but theyve outgrown all that. Theyre both turning thirty, both newly turned onto free enterprise. Then once the reader has identified with them he (Malan) tells of their killings Jay is slumped against the wall, dead with a dozen hammer holes in his skull. His half naked wife is lying on the floor. Shed spent hours spinning around in a pool of her own blood, trying in vain to get up. In the section on the court case there are a few interjections, from Simon Mpungose but the main story is told through Rian Malan. Malan tells us of how eloquently Simon tells his story but much of this we cannot experience because we are not told this story by Simon we are told of what Malan remembers of the story. This eloquent speech is actually third hand when the reader comes to hear it. The translator translates Simons speech from to English. The minutes are then typed up by someone, from what the translator has said and then Malan reads these minutes and puts them into his book. Here Malan is putting across this black mans point of view but he is not really allowing him to do it himself This section devoted to the Hammerman is different to many of the other sections because there are much more quotations from Simon. These help us the reader to see his point of view, to see into his mind and maybe over this long distance from South Africa share some of the emotions that Simon feels. Maybe Malan allows Simon to better put his point across because he feels more empathy for him for the troubles he had to endure as a young man because of the apartheid laws. It is understandable but somehow strange of the sympathy Malan finds for the Hammerman. Although Simon struggled to live in the apartheid state and due to ver unfortunate circumstances was forced into poverty so were many other black people in South Africa and these people didnt go out on a six month murdering spree, brutally killing men and women in their beds, with a hammer used to kill pigs. Malan did not seem to feel the same sympathy for people like Samuel Mope.

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Sexuality - Essay Example Furthermore, I will discuss sex and gender and the role gender plays in modern American society with a focus on the social implications being transgendered. What issues are raised by attaching a label to someone’s gender identity or sexual identity? Should we give labels to the gender identity of other people? Should the medical profession be engaged in helping people change their genders? I will conclude with a conclusion of the research explored here and discuss the ramifications of gender role construction today. Unlike sex, gender is artificially imposed and although based upon biological differences between men and women, gender is socially constructed. As a social construct, gender roles, behaviors, attitudes and expectations are created by society and enforced by social norms. The funny thing about gender is that we are led to believe that it is innate and something that we are born with. Accordingly, â€Å"children themselves become active participants in the gendering process by the time they are conscious of the social relevance of gender, typically before the age of two† (Kivel 2000). As I child I always felt that gender was natural but now I know that it is the product of social forces. As transgendered male Aaron Devor so eloquently points out in his ground-breaking and incredibly illuminating essay, â€Å"Gender Role, Behavior and Attitudes†, gender is created, acquired and constructed by the greater society at large. Sex has a biological basis and is predetermined at birth. Gender, on the other hand, is a social construction and gender roles and expectations are unique to each and every society.

A comparison of business improvement methodologies Dissertation

A comparison of business improvement methodologies - Dissertation Example 19 3.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21 3.1 Research Philosophy 21 3.2 Research Design 21 3.3 Sampling 22 3.3.1 Sample Size 22 INTRODUCTION The world of business has become extremely competitive and survival and success of firms largely depend upon their ability to improve. The impact of globalization has made the world of business more competitive forcing them to come up with new methods and approaches to improve. The businesses today are marred by high cost of materials and services and there is an urgent need to seek new methods to make financial performance better, enhance market share and improve customer satisfaction and the contribution by employees. Technological advancements have made the customers more knowledgeable and have added to the complexity of business environment. Customers have more choice and options at their disposal and the demand for quality is increasing day by day. Because of the challenges thrown by globalization, businesses need a more scientific method to understand and analyze any information about their performances; this includes an approach that would reliably link inputs with outputs. Webb (2006) stated that in order to improve the outcomes of a process, the process itself needs to be improved; this is where business improvement methodologies like Six Sigma, TQM and BPR step in. These business improvement methodologies show the managers the precise changes they need to make in order to obtain the desired outcomes. This research study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the business improvement methodologies and the common and unique traits of each of these methodologies. The study also tends to identify if these strategies are converging towards one universal approach. 1.1 The Evolution of Improvement Methodologies: A Brief History Implementation of scientific management in businesses began in the 1900s with Frederick Taylor’s revolutionary time and motion studies to make factories more competent and resourceful. This initiated a se ries of quality management processes until in 1940 the principles of Total Quality Management were established by W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran (Webb, 2006). Deming’s statistical methods and management principles were adopted by Japanese engineers for building processes and quality control as they re-built their country after the devastating World War II. The TQM processes were so efficient and effective that by 1970s, Japan had gained control of a large portion of the US auto market, consumer electronics and camera market. This caused the US companies to become serious about improving the quality of their products and led to the promulgation of structured methods to improve the quality of products by improving the processes involved in their production. After years of research and experimentation, came the Six Sigma improvement model which was adopted by Motorola in 1986. In 1988 Motorola won the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and the Six Sigma improvement model was adopted by other big firms including IBM, GE, Allied Signal, Xerox and Texas Instruments. This study is concerned with looking deeply into these business impr