“As You Like It” Essay (Advanced English) Essay

A sense of belonging can be founded through an individual’s personal aspiration to inherently connect with other people. The interaction and interconnectedness of relationships can be viewed as the most significant factor influencing an individual’s sense of acceptance within their surrounding environment and ultimately will determine the level of affiliation they can acquire personally. The comedic play â€Å"As You Like It† composed by William Shakespeare (16th Century), examines the idea of belonging to people and its significant influence over an individual. Similarly, Ang Lee’s film â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† (1997), correspondingly explores the perception of belonging through the interaction and contact with people and the relationships that are innately developed. Through the use of characterisation within both texts, the notion is thoroughly explored to exert a deepened understanding of belonging to people and how it can significantly infl uence an individual in most cases favorably. However, there are some instances where an individual cannot find a personal sense of acceptance within the relationships they withhold and therefore do not achieve a sense of affiliation within their social surroundings. The idea that people and the relationships they develop are the most influential facet in deciphering ones’ sense of belonging, is thoroughly examined within Shakespeare’s â€Å"As You Like It†. This is evident through the characterisation of Rosalind and the loving familial relationship she has with her cousin Celia. As they both were â€Å"bred together† and grew up within the court , â€Å"from their cradles† to adulthood, both Celia and Rosalind have developed an inherent familial bond for one another becoming â€Å"inseparable†. Shakespeare’ emphasised on the loving and devout nature of their relationship to the audience by demonstrating Celia’s absolute adoration for Rosalind over her own Father. This can be observed when Rosalind was banished from her home, the court, by Duke Fredrick (Celia’s father). Celia’s sense of belonging to her father was weakened as he betrayed her familial trust and so asked him, à ¢â‚¬Å"Pronounce the sentence on me my liege, I cannot live without her company†. The formality of the blank verse illustrates her detachment from her father and demonstrates the breakdown in their filial relationship. However, Shakespeare has used this to illuminate Celia’s loyalty and familial belonging to Rosalind, thus conveying their â€Å"inseparable† nature and the strong sense of affiliation between one another. (337) Similarly, in â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† the widowed mother Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are exiled from their home due to social expectations. However, even with the removal of their place of belonging it is their strong familial bonds and connections that allow them to find a sense of individual affiliation. This is evident towards the beginning of the film when they are introduced to their new home a small cottage in the country side which has just been juxtaposed with the Mansion seen in the previously. As they walk up towards the cottage their is a long shot that portrays the family walking towards the cottage together in a huddled group. Ang lee, has used this positioning of the camera and the actors to display the idea that it is within family they find belonging not place. This again supports the notion that belonging is most significantly founded within the people and relationships an individual withholds. (537) Furthermore, Shakespeare’s portrayal of the loving romantic relationship between Orlando and Rosalind additionally acts as a representation of how influential the contact between people can affect an individual’s sense of belonging. With Rosalind and Orlando finding themselves in the Forest of Arden due to the external influences of powerful men exerting their hate, such as Duke Fredrick and Oliver, both characters find themselves in similar circumstances. However, it is Orlando’s love that demonstrates his sense of affiliation to Rosalind through metaphorical language by comparing her to precious objects. He passionately declares, â€Å"No jewel is like Rosalind; Her worth, being mounted on the wind† which clearly exemplifies to the audience of his complete love for her. The use of extensive amount of romantic poetry and adoring tone is used to demonstrate their love towards one another. And that they find their sense of belonging with one another no matt er where they are and what place they are set, again emphasising the significance of contact between people becoming a poignant source of belonging for an individual. As each individual is intrinsically different, where relationships and interacting with other’s may offer satisfaction to some, others find greater fulfillment in self. Shakespeare clearly demonstrates this choice of belonging to self rather through the contact of other people, through the characterisation of Jaques. Being described as â€Å"melancholy† Jaques chooses not to affiliate with the people around him, and finds satisfaction in being alone. Jaques believes that â€Å"the worst fault you have is to be in love†. His cynical tone and attitude towards love and relationships demonstrate his choice not to associate himself with others. In effect, Shakespeare uses prose to enhance one’s insight into people who chose not to conform to belonging. This is a singular instance where an individual does not find a sense of belonging through the contact between people and the relationships developed, however, represents a lonely and melancholy life. Contrary to this, majority of the character’s within â€Å"Sense and Sensibility† finds a sense of belonging through the people they associate with. In ‘Sense and Sensibility’, Marian falls in love to a young suitor named Willoughby. However, Willoughby chooses not to belong to Marian due to social expectations, which essentially, caused personal consequences for his sense of affiliation. These consequences become evident within the last scene, â€Å"The marriage†, when Marian has been happily married to Brendan and the whole town is celebrating. There is a close medium shot of the both of them happily departing from the church, when the camera suddenly cuts to Willoughby up on a hill. Out from the town he is looking down on the celebrations with a saddened expression. Through the use of camera techniques and expression it becomes evident to the audience that he feels a sense of exclusion and detachment from the people he once was closely affiliated with. This further emphasises the consequences that can come to an individual when they chose expectations and society over the people and relationships they withh old. Nevertheless, the consequences of being lonely is welcoming to him and therefore, does not negatively affect him like Willoughby. Moreover, the interconnectedness and affiliation with people is the most significant factor influencing an individual’s sense of belonging or not belonging. Throughout the text â€Å"As you like it† and the film â€Å"Sense and sensibility†, this idea is thoroughly explored through the character’s represented by the composer’s and the relationship’s they developed, either familial or romantic. However, although one can find significant belonging through another person, some can chose not to belong, such as Jaques or Willoughby and by choosing not to belong it can create consequences resulting in a sense of loneliness. However, there are singular instances, like Jaques, where choosing not to belong to people can create self fulfillment in one’s self and a sense of belonging.

Industrial Organization and Regulation of the Market

A market could be described in simple words as a place where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods and/or services. In this context the market does not have to take a physical location. This has been made possible by advances in technology where it’s now possible to sell/by goods and or services over the telephone or through the internet.There are different types of markets and these markets are determined by many factors. In general we have two broad categories of markets; these are the industrial markets and consumer markets.Consumer MarketsConsumer markets are the markets for products and services bought by individuals for their own or family or domestic use. Goods bought in consumer markets can be categorised in several ways:†¢ Fast-moving consumer goods (â€Å"FMCG's†)†¢ Consumer durables†¢ Soft goods†¢ Services (e.g. hairdressing, dentists, childcare)Industrial MarketsIndustrial markets involve the sale of goods between businesses. These ar e goods that are not aimed directly at consumers. Industrial markets include†¢ Selling finished goods†¢ Selling raw materials or components†¢ Selling services to businessesIndustrial markets often require a slightly different marketing strategy and mixOrganization and Regulation:In every kind of market situation mistakes just like in the public sector can and do occur. When governments fail we call it government failure but when markets fail we call it market failure. Of course, most deviations from the ideal are minor and do not impose significant costs on society. But when deviations are significant there is often a call for government to do something about the problem. For example, markets can deviate significantly from the competitive ideal — e.g., firms may acquire significant market power, undertake deceptive practices or collude like cartels in order to make abnormal profits.When it comes to regulation and organization of markets there are usually a few goals that every industry and or government wants to achieve. These include consumer protection (from sub-standard or harmful products), price controls (to prevent over exploitation of consumers and unhealthy competition), prevent counterfeiting and black market trading. In essence thus regulation involves administrative guidance of the market in order to make it more efficient.By efficiency we mean Economic efficiency and Economic efficiency is something much more than producing goods at the lowest possible cost. It involves providing individuals with the goods and services they desire, in the quantities, qualities, places, and times they desire them, with the least use of society's scarce resources. Economists argue that if markets are competitive, if accurate information is available, if resources are mobile, and if individuals engaging in the transactions bear the full costs and receive the full benefits of their transactions, economic efficiency will be achieved.Regulation can either be internal or external. Internal regulation usually involves regulation within the industry especially in the field of competition. External regulation involves control through government policies.External regulation includes:Social Regulation.This involves government regulation to contain negative externalities. Environmental problems, like pollution and congestion, are hard to solve[1]. Due to this governments come up with measures to control this, these measures include: Rights to pollute and rights to use highways.Rights to PolluteCreating rights to pollute the air can – paradoxically – help to control pollution. A â€Å"right-to-pollute† solution for pollution control defines a right to pollute and allows that right to be bought and sold. In essence these rights are limited this makes their prices high. In order to avoid paying these huge amounts firms instead install pollution abatement equipments and these help reduce overall pollution.This means that the level of allowable pollution can be specified, as we now do for instance to limit sulphur dioxide emissions in the United States to combat acid rain.[2] Once pollution rights are defined and a given supply is established, a market price can be determined. Then those who can reduce pollution most efficiently, that is, for less than the value of a right to pollute, will reduce pollution and sell their rights to pollute to others. Those who face higher pollution abatement costs can buy the pollution rights and use them for permission to emit pollution.Thus, at market equilibrium, the price of pollution rights reflects the marginal cost of controlling pollution to the level that the available pollution rights will allow.Rights to Highway UseWe pay no price for highway use. We incur the private cost of a vehicle trip between two points, including not only fuel, oil, tire wear, and so on, but also the driver's (and passengers') time, and when congestion is serious that time compo nent goes up.[3] The familiar problem of excessive traffic congestion arises because each of us decides whether to make a highway trip on the basis of the average cost rather than the marginal cost of the trip to society.[4] An additional car can join a stream of cars on the highway and it will share in the average costs and delays of all the other cars. Yet that marginal vehicle causes delays to all the others, delays that the driver of the marginal vehicle does not take into account when joining the traffic stream.A solution to the highway congestion problem can come from assigning a property right in road use — a right to delay others, like the right to pollute. Electronic devices exist now that will record time spent on a road. When placed in vehicles, these devices function like the electricity meter in your house, but they identify the time and location of your road use[5]. Technology and economics combine in these devices to make billing drivers for road use feasible, and that can avoid excessive congestion.Such devices and fees are in effective use in Singapore[6] and many of us should expect to see them in our lifetimes. There are many other areas where social regulationWas introduced in clumsy forms – consumer protection for example – that are improving gradually, based on economicIdeas that improve information and market function.Economic regulation.Economic regulation in many markets has taken a form whereby the number of firms in an industry is determined by the government and the markets firms can serve are specified by the regulatory commission. Prices and rates of return are regulated and, importantly, entry into the industry is either forbidden or made very difficult by law. Thus economic regulation maybe in the form of antitrust laws or price fixation. In antitrust cases, courts follow either â€Å"per se† rules, under which certain facts determine guilt or innocence, or they examine circumstances more broadly and follow a â€Å"rule of reason† analysis, to determine the appropriateness of the observed behaviour.The per se procedure is quicker and easier, and of course it gives more precise guidelines to business firms, but it requires what lawyers call â€Å"bright line,† or clear, rules. The disadvantage of such per se rules is that they may be over or under inclusive. The alternative, rule-of-reason, analysis allows courts to examine the circumstances of each case. It is in these rule of reason analyses that economics is applied far better now than in the past.Limitations of regulation:  Regulation leads to increased costs of conducting business. The direct and indirect costs of regulation result in higher prices and increased costs of employing workers. These costs act as a tax on job creation and employment. They also cause a decrease in productivity. The higher business costs that result from regulation are passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices (indirect taxation). To the extent that lower income individuals spend a greater proportion of their income on the goods and services affected, the higher prices are in essence a form of regressive taxation.[7]Conclusion:The organization and or regulation of any market has its ups and down. Markets and governments always fail from time to time. Due to this a harmonious relation needs to exist between the government and industries. This requires that where regulation leads to increased.Reference:Ellerman, A. Denny, et al. (2000) Markets for clean air: The U.S. acid rain program, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Mills, David E. 1981. Ownership arrangements and congestion-prone facilities. American Economic Review 71: 493-502.Phang, Sock-Young, and Mukul G. Asher. 1997. Recent developments in Singapore's motor vehicle policies. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy 31: 205-25.Roger Sherman, The Future of Market Regulation available a: www.seapres.wp8.htm.Sherman, Roger. 1967. A private ownership bias in transit choice. American Economic Review 57: 1211-17.Sherman, Roger. 1971. Congestion interdependence and urban transit fares. Econometrica 39: 565-76.Theriault III, Rene J. 1999. The congestion crisis: An evaluation of traffic and congestion remedies for the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Undergraduate thesis, University of Virginia.[1] Roger Sherman, The Future of Market Regulation available a:www.seapres.wp8.htm[2] Ellerman, A. Denny, et al. 2000. Markets for clean air: The U.S. acid rain program, Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress. [3] Sherman, Roger. 1967. A private ownership bias in transit choice. American Economic Review 57: 1211-17. [4] Mills, David E. 1981. Ownership arrangements and congestion-prone facilities. American Economic Review 71: 493-502. [5] Theriault III, Rene J. 1999. The congestion crisis: An evaluation of traffic and congestion remedies for the Washington,DC metropolitan area. Undergraduate thesis, University of Virginia. [6] Phang, Sock-Young, and Mukul G. Asher. 1997. Recent developments in Singapore's motor vehicle policies. Journal ofTransport Economics and Policy 31: 205-25. [7] Web article available at:www.regulation.org

A Significant Person Essay

Significant Person Mother Teresa is one of the most admired women in the world. She dedicated every day of her adult life to caring for and loving the dying, the unwanted and the unloved. Her spirit of giving inspired many people. There were those who gave up their lives as she had to follow her and others who helped in different ways, for example, giving her the Kali Temple to be used as a home for the dying. The effect Mother Teresa had on the people she came in contact with and the world is one of the most intriguing things about her. But what was it about Mother Teresa that made people stop and listen? How did such a tiny women touch the hearts and lives of so many people? Mother Teresa’s dedication to God and the church is what I feel made her so great. Everything she did in her life was for God. One of the first instances that made me really stop for a second was Mother Teresa’s second calling. It was not the calling itself so much as how she handled herself in the following events. She was so dedicated to the church and her vows that she waited two years before she was able to be released from her vows to go off into the world to serve the poorest of the poor. She went through all the proper and necessary steps in the church to get what she believed was her calling. Mother Teresa did not leave the church for selfish reasons, nor did she just get up and leave one day. She had too much respect and devotion to the church to be able to do something like that. Mother Teresa put all her faith into God and believed that he would provide her with what she needed. All throughout her years on the streets of Calcutta, Mother Teresa never asked for money. She knew that all she needed was her faith. For me, I find that aspect of her remarkable. How someone can have so much faith that they would go out with nothing but 5 rupees amazes me. And the best part of the whole story is that God does come through and provide her with everything she needs. She called it â€Å"divine providence† because she never asked, however things like money, helpers and buildings became available to her. In her interview with Muggeridge she said, â€Å"Faith is a gift of God. Without it there would be no life. And our work, to be fruitful and to be all for God, and beautiful, has to be built on faith. † Her faith is why she always began each day with prayers, meditation and Mass. I see this as her time to be one on one with God and receive the strength she needed to serve the Lord each day. Many people go to church each week, however never truly experience God the way Mother Teresa did. She was truly able to see him in everything she did and everyone she came into contact with. While I personally would have a hard time seeing Christ in people I come into contact with, Mother Teresa did. I have never been a very religious person, but reading and learning about Mother Teresa’s life and accomplishments makes a total believer out of me that there is something greater and if we just have faith things will work out. With gods help, one small woman, in a simple white cotton sari, who did not bother with reports and theories, simply went out into the world and changed the lives of millions.

IP_WK1_MR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IP_WK1_MR - Essay Example However, I believe that learning accounting is an imperative in being a part of any business organization just as it is for any company—no matter what size, industry it belong to, and whether it is profit-oriented or for other purposes. My professional goal is to build a career in marketing that, which I cannot excel in without the knowledge of accounting equation and the effects of various transactions in each of the company’s income statement and balance sheet accounts. I now believe that all departments and all employees should work hand-in-hand with the finance department in order to ensure that financial goals are being met. A sound knowledge of the different financial statements will enable an employee to have a clear understanding of where the fund goes, how money is provided by different activities, if salaries could be increased, and even the level of assets that the company has. As a person hoping to work in the marketing department, accounting knowledge will enable me to assess whether a newly launched brand is realizing the targeted level of sales. Accounting will also enable me to evaluate the profitability of the different brands by understanding the relationship between revenue and costs. It will also enable me to understand which drives costs in the company and be able to respond to this by efficient cost management. An understanding of the financial statements also allows me to recognize which brands to launch with the knowledge of how each will affect the company’s accounts. I believe that marketing plans should always be accompanied by comprehensive budgets which detail how sales will grow in the period, which assets to utilize, and the level of inventories. Thus, a good marketer should be knowledgeable and skilled in accounting in order to make the most profitable and best decision. I have realized that financial problems be only detected b y finance guys but every department should be able

David Bowie and Gender Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

David Bowie and Gender Performance - Essay Example He, in the words of Philip Auslander, can sing â€Å"in many voices and from many subject positions without identifying clearly with any of them† (Auslander 106). By not tying up gender too closely to identity, Bowie is able to demonstrate the degree to which gender is comprised of actions and choices rather than states of being, per se. In David Bowie’s music video â€Å"Life on Mars,† Bowie demonstrates and adroit understanding of the relationship between action and gender, putting on and taking off gender as it suits his lyrics and his messaging. David Bowie, more than almost any performer before him, communicated with all the senses available to him: his image was just as important as his sounds. He thus developed images of himself that aided him in delivering messages for his music. For this reason, one of the most prominent examples of Bowie’s deconstruction of music relate to his physical appearance. Our society tends to conflate physical appearance with identity: in race politics, for instance, identity is often a visible feature, and our society goes out of its way to display other identifying marks as openly as possible, with everything from gender based dress code to â€Å"hanky-codes† which use handkerchiefs to indicate sexual preferences. The fact is, however, that physical appearance, while informing identity, is not the same thing, especially where gender is concerned. Physical identity relates to gender solely in the â€Å"choices† (Butler 903) that are made: the choice to apply this product to one’s face, or the choice to wear a particular style of dress. David Bowie’s music video for â€Å"Life on Mars† plays off of this idea of choice through conscious contrasting of different gendered performances. Bowie appears against a white background, wearing extensive face-make up, â€Å"womanizing† his face through making aesthetic choices associated with femininity. He brings the p erformance over the top, applying blue eye liner, pink lipstick, and dark, thick mascara. However, when the camera pans out, it is apparent Bowie chooses to wear a suit, complete with a tie – one of the overriding symbols of patriarchal control of our society, and one of the few styles of dress that, even in the era in which he was performing, was still relatively confined to male use. He thus deconstructs gender into presentation choices by presenting both masculinity and femininity on one body, and embracing what each entails easily with the flick of a camera and a change in focus. Bowie uses this divergence to great effect when combined with the lyrics. â€Å"Life on Mars† consists of a series of surreal images that flash one after the other, including â€Å"cavemen† and â€Å"lawmen† attacking the wrong person (Bowie). He thus plays his female persona’s criticism against the ridiculousness of patriarchal control while at the same time referenci ng that patriarchal control’s influence over the character, through masculine clothing on the presumably female character. By referencing the brutality associated with masculine violence from the perspective of a woman – a gender that he chooses to portray rather than is assigned by sex, Bowie is able to demonstrate how such violence is not natural but rather a choice made as a way of defining and participating in particular gendered groupings. There are few artists in the world who have been as willing as David Bowie to

Financial Reporting Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Reporting Standards - Essay Example There has been progress towards the development of single, globally accepted accounting standards. The goal is however yet to be realized. The United States is currently working towards the convergence of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Crucial convergence projects from the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the U.S Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have continued to produce good results in an effort to converge the two Accounting and Financial reporting standards. This process of dissecting and eliminating the possible difference between that may the two standards is however costly and consumes a lot of time. The alignment of the underlying principles and the overall methodologies is an effective approach. A significant difference continues to arise though the underlying principles and the overall methodology regarding these standards are harmonized. As the FASB and the IASB continues on their convergence work, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continues to make significant progress aimed at increasing the acceptance of the IFRSs and abolishing the US GAAPs .Also, PWC has helped companies' to successfully understand the IFRS. It has developed a clear IFRS conversion method ology which is aimed at providing lasting solutions (Vincent C. Ross and Institute of Accounting 23).The Association of Chattered Certified Accountants (ACCA) argues that the convergence of US GAAP and IFRS is crucial because the harmonization of the two standards will help to raise the investors confidence around the world .This is because the same accounting policies and procedures will be used world wide for same events. The harmonization is also believed to have a cost reduction impact as far as individual companies are concerned .This is due to the high level of confidence in timely and reliable information. The harmonization is also essential for companies that have joint listings with America and other countries. The preparation costs thus will be minimized. In addition, the convergent of the two standards will enhance worldwide mobility of labor in that professional and in particular, the accountants will be eligible to work in other countries as the same reporting standards apply elsewhere. The IFRS framework states that the ultimate aim of financial statements is to give information in relation to an entity to users for decision-making. The users of the information in the financial statement include the consumers, employees, management, government, competitors, among other users.The assumptions underlying in the International Financial Reporting Standards are that the entity is a going concern one and that the entity uses the accrual accounting concept in preparing the financial statements except cash flow preparation. In accrual, concept revenues and expenses are recognized once they occur and not that cash is paid or gained. In going concern, the company is deemed to continue in its operations even in the future neither does it have intentions to close down or curtail its operations. The company directors are thus bound to evaluate whether the going concern hypothesis is appropriate during the actual reporting of financial stat

A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site Assignment

A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site - Assignment Example The essay "A Contemporary Artist From The Art 21 PBS Web Site" discovers the Contemporary Artist in Art 21. The episodes produced in each season have different types of theme like spirituality, identity, power, and humor among others. Some of the contemporary artists featured include Sally Mann, Kerry James, and Mel Chin among others. The first season of Art21 was premiered in 2001 its seasons being produced in every two years and has been able to spread in more than fifty countries. In this context we will cover season six which is the current one in 2012 in which Ai Weiwei was interviewed. He is known to be an outspoken activist of human rights and in this episode he was featured in the theme of change. His art included photographs, sculptures and also public artworks which were about politics. . Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist born on 18th May 1957 in Beijing, China. He is one of the founders of Avant-garde art in 1978 to which the group disbanded in 1983 (Ai, 2011). He lived in United States, New York from 1981 to 1993 and studied at Parsons School of Design and also at the Art Student League of New York. He later returned to China and published three books on the new generation of artists. Ai Weiwei received a doctorate from the University of Ghent, Belgium from the faculty of Politics and Social science in 2010.He was arrested in 2011 and detained for three months without any official charges filed against him. He has received many awards which include Skowhegan medal in 2011.

Diversity Management at BRIGGS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Diversity Management at BRIGGS - Essay Example This HRM policy will be based on the principles of equality and diversity at the workplace. It should also be noticed that the particular characteristics of the firm’s workforce have to be taken into account when designing and implementing the specific strategy. In accordance with the Public Employment Office of New South Wales Government â€Å"The concept of diversity is based on individual acceptance and respect. It is an understanding that individuals are unique and different. Diversity includes race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, culture, age, physical ability and religious, political and other beliefs† [1]. Moreover, it is made clear that a cultural diversity workplace could lead to the improvement of the firm’s performance or the increase of productivity on a national basis. In this context, it is supported that â€Å"a culturally diverse workplace promotes equity and enhances staff skills and agency success; agencies working with diversity have identified the significant benefits to of having a culturally diverse workplace† [1]. From a different point of view, in accordance with a definition given by the Civil Service (Cabinet Office) in UK, a proper diversity policy should be base d on the following criteria: â€Å"there must be no unfair discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, or (in Northern Ireland) community background, working pattern, employment status, gender identity (transgender), caring responsibility, trade union membership† [2]. The issue of diversity has been examined by several aspects; however in all definitions given there are common elements and characteristics. For this reason, in a definition of diversity given by the University of Oregon [3] it is noticed that diversity means â€Å"understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual

History Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History Final Exam - Assignment Example In return, serfs looked after the lord’s land, took care for his animals and carried out other everyday jobs to sustain the estate. Peasant women contributed in the farm labor with their husbands. All peasants whether free or serfs were indebted with particular jobs to the lord. These included no less than a few days of toil every week and a specified share of their grain. The manor was for the most part a self-reliant community where serfs and peasants brought up or created almost all that they and their lord required for everyday life. For the license of living on the lord’s property, peasants paid off a lofty price. They paid a levy on all grain pounded in the lord’s mill. Peasants also paid a tax on matrimony. Weddings occurred only with the lord’s permission. Following all these expenditures to the lord, peasant families were obligated to the community priest a tithe or church tax. For the majority of serfs, life was work and more work. Back in the 7th and 8th centuries, in the Middle East, one of the fastest growing and now the second largest religion in the world was just emerging. Muhammad, its founder, was born in roughly around 570 C.E. in the city of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula. At 40, he started to experience a succession of spiritual encounters and later taught a stringent monotheism. There is only one God and that is Allah. Proper religious conviction, as said by him, is made up solely in the surrender to Allah’s will. In a few years after his death, everything he taught were documented in Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an. Subsequently, Islam widened with boundless intensity all over the Mediterranean world starting from the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East to North Africa, the Western world and even to the boundaries of India and China. In approximately 30 after Muhammad’s death, a great split happened in Islam and was divided into Sunni and

Article Summary Essay Example for Free

Article Summary Essay Upon reading the article there was a strong emphasis on the interaction from within the virtual classroom and the communication that the students had developed with the instructor and other students in the classroom. Due to the flexibility that the online classroom offers many people are signing up. In the past many people preferred the classroom setting, because it gave him or her, the capability of having interaction amongst peers. However since this has turned into a text, and email world many people have chosen to go to college online. The number one method of conversation used to be either in person or on the phone, now it is through text message and by email. The online classes do require participation and the way that participation is graded is by the involvement that the student makes with his or he peers. While online course enrolments continue to climb, retention and success rates in such courses and programs are frequently reported as typically lower than those delivered in a traditional classroom format; those of us in roles that support online students have a role in reversing that trend! (Schreck, 2006).Online classes take much dedication, and a structure of independence. Life in general can be busy and full of circumstances. It takes a person who can independently work on his or her own, and have a desire to complete task and finish the course facilitator participation When teachers interact with students during online classes, the students tend to participate more. Just knowing that even if there is not a teacher that is standing over you insuring that assignments are done, or that you are participating in group discussions or activities, initiates interaction. According to the text â€Å"the student’s online posts, online quizzes, and tests were analyzed using ATLAS software (Nagel, Blignaut Cronje, 2007). Since the virtual classroom does not have the capability of someone directly standing over a student, a strategic plan had to be developed in order to make sure the students were participating in daily classroom activities, as well as a test of his or her knowledge to  demonstrate that the student was actually obtaining and learning the information that has been taught. Through the discussion forum the teacher is able to analyze if the student is on the correct track, or if explanation needs to be given on a particular subject. Students have to have the desire to learn, as well as the desire to accomplish an online class. However the student must be dedicated to logging in, participating in the classroom discussions, and interacting with his or her peers and instructor. References Nagel, L., Blignaut, A.S., Cronje, J.C. (2007). Read-only participants: a case for student communication in online classes. Interactive Learning Environment, Vol17, 37-51.Retrieved December 10, 2012. Schreck, V. (2006). It takes a virtual village: Practical strategies for improving online learning Retention Rate. Retrieved December 10, 2012, from: www.innovativeeducators.org/product_p /38.htm.

Organisational Culture The Case Of Daimler Management Essay

Organisational Culture The Case Of Daimler Management Essay Introduction Organizational or corporate culture is deliberated as one of the vital conflicts and dilemmas as well as subjects that are relevant in academic research as well as education giving deliberation on the corporate and business theory and management applications. The main basis and grounds behind this is the notion that the determinant and attribute of the culture is deliberated as valuable in entire life of corporations and business. Even in those corporate and business where in cultural conflicts and dilemmas take delivery of little precise deliberation, how individuals in a firm perceive, experience, analyze as well as operate are all presented and forwarded by diverse ideologies, sense, significance and also customs and elements of a cultural nature. Whether management perceive that culture is deliberated as too soft or too hard to worry about or whether there is no limited and confined corporate culture, does not lessen the essence of culture (Alvesson 2002). Accordingly, senior corporate management are almanners, in one manner or another, manage and administer culture and deliberated as the most significant notion to be implicated by an industry. Those corporations and industries that are working numbers of diverse management may help in the expansion of building up and copying a culture that will honor and observe the indicator of performance as well as the operations and functions about the process of handling of these. In most of the modern business organization, corporate culture deliberates different types of attention that is deliberated as crucial. The issues is that management are often missing of a deeper comprehension about own individuals and corporate and business will function concerning the culture. It is significant to deliberate the notion that culture is a vital and complex because it is very complex to comprehend and apply in the thoughtful manner. Awareness of and attention in culture can be adjusts between management as well as automotive industry. However, it is still considered hard to get hold of a high level of cultural awareness direct actions (Alvesson 2002). Primarily, the principal objective of this report is to assess the organizational culture of Daimler and identify the issues and problems faced by the management of the automotive industry concerning cultural and diversity issues. Since one of the most talked about Cultural diversity management is the one which Daimler and Chrysler has considered, it is best to analyze the issues that cultural diversity have brought the industry after the Cultural diversity management. Organizational Culture There is no broad concurrence concerning on what the expression organizational or corporate culture explains as well as delivers. The term has been considered in diverse manners, which consist: as a metaphor, as a principle body that relays and associates to the corporate and business as a whole or a set of behavioral or cognitive characteristics. Furthermore, It also visible and evident in diverse determinant and attributes which consist determinant and attributes, symbols, myths, languages, norms of behavior, beliefs, customs, values, ethical codes, legends, as well as attitudes, basic assumptions or event the past of the corporations and businesses. As mentioned by Morgan (1997), the corporate culture has basically four significant strengths. The first strength emphasizes the attention on the human side of corporate and business condition and life. On the other hand, another strength gives consideration on the significance of harmonious internal relations among the members of the corporate and business, that in turn will result to the attainment of objectives and goals. It also makes the members, specifically the corporate and business leaders to analyze themselves in terms of the implications they have on the group. The last one is it develops the corporate and business relationship not only internally but also externally with the implications of the behavior on the outside environment. Various studies such as White (1998) and Hibbard (1998) have given emphasis more on defining values as the core foundation of corporate culture. Whilst such values are significant determinants or determinants of corporate culture, other studies and investigations have shown that corporate as well as business differ more on practices rather than on their values (Hofstede, 2001, p. 394). Such contrary results were determined and found among national culture. In the study by Hofstede (2001), the author has been able to explain that values are derived from an individuals early life, chiefly from his or her own family. This then supports the notions that corporate culture is founded by industrial and institutional practices. Typically, values are not openly apparent for staffs and management. However, in some part, values are expressed through industrial practices. Hence, they can be obtained from emerging corporate and business practices found within the corporate and business, its depar tment or individual work units. It also relays and associated on the outline of attitudes, principles as well as academic manners of adjusting with knowledge that have enhanced during the manner of the record of the corporations and business, which have a propensity to be visible and obvious in its material aspects as well as in the performance and function of the members. Hence, it is deliberated as the outline of valuable statements that have proceeded well sufficient to be able to be deliberated as suitable, hence, it is vital to be trained to latest members as the precise technique to differentiate and identify, reflect and experience in connection to dilemmas and issues of outer variation and inner collaboration(Maier 2004). Based on this, it is deliberated as the shared values, customs and norms and also the expectations that guide the manner in which individuals approach their work, at the same time collaborate with one another. Organizational or corporate culture is diverse from that of the world culture; t his is due to those associated on the shared histories, foods, languages, beliefs which are deliberated as the basis and foundation of the identity of an individual. The personal culture influences how a person is deciding on a specific happening as well as conditions that they are encountering. Identifying the organizational or corporate culture entails being able to give emphasis on the identification of the universal references of the corporations and business. Organizational or corporate culture has been measured as a compound events and happenings. It is very apparent and clear in the behavioral traditions and backgrounds, concealed statements and also as human nature. Furthermore, the value and worth of presenting corporate and business culture from diverse levels, together with idea and creations, values as well as fundamental postulations (Oden, 1997). The extend in which organizational or corporate culture is consciously as well as overtly rather than unconsciously and covertly manifest, implicates how easily organizational or corporate culture can be changed and managed. When organizational or corporate culture change involves changing surface-level behavioral norms as well as object and piece, it can happen with connected easiness. At the authentic levels of organizational or corporate culture, purpose suppositions, ideas, as well as human nature, it is very complex and consuming to consider changes in organizational or corporate cu lture. The process of considering and varying organizational or corporate culture is being influenced by diverse level of corporate and business culture under deliberation (De Witte Muijen 2000). Overview of Daimler One of the successful automotive industries in the global market is Daimler AG. Having its divisions of brands such as Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Bens Vans, Mercedes Bens Cars, Daimler financial services, Daimler Buses, the industry is considered to be one of the biggest manufacturers of premium cars and vehicles as well as the biggest producers of the commercials automotive vehicles with a global market reach. On the other hand, the Financial Services division of the automotive industry offers their clients with a full range of automotive financial services which include leasing, financing, insuring and fleet management. The founders of the industry have been able to create a history by inventing the automotive in 1886. Being the pioneer for automotives, the automotive industry continues to mold the future of mobility. Daimler group of automotive industry consider innovative and green technologies to be able to generate safe as well as superior automotives that fascinate as well as sa tisfy their clients. Due to the development of alternative drive determinant and attributes, the automotive industry is noted to be the only producer of vehicles that invests in hybrid drive, electric motors as well as fuel-cell approaches, with the objective of attaining emission-free mobility for the long run. Such is just one of the examples of showing how the automotive industry eagerly accepts and considers challenge of meeting their corporate social responsibilities for the environment and the society. The automotive industry is selling their services and vehicles in nearly all the nations in the global market and has manufacturing plans and facilities on the five continents. The current brand portfolio involve, as part of the global masters most valuable automotive brands, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart which includes the Fuso, Setra, Western Star, Maybach, Feirghtliner, Thomas Built Buses and Orion. Part of the technique and approach of the automotive industry is to merge and acquire different automotive industry to position the industry in the global market and to grasp competitive position in the world market. PEST Analysis It can be noted that the automotive industry has been dependent on global business climate as well as its cycles. Accordingly, the car industries have boomed through 1990s, but due to the Asian crisis as well as the beginning worldwide recession for the new generation, there was a slight slump which has been predicted. To comprehend the organisational culture of Daimler, Pest Analysis will be considered. The following figure shows the analysis of the political, economical, socio-cultural and technological determinant and attributes affecting Daimler. Figure 1 PEST Analysis One of the political factor that affects Daimler is the different taxations surrounding European market which lead to re-imports. Herein, the vehicles are being bought abroad, re-imported to the local market which affects the prices. In the period of economical problems, clients do not substitute their cars. On one hand, there are some brands and cars which are common in the market which express a new way of lifestyle. In terms of technological determinant and attributes, automotive industry nowadays are becoming quick in terms of business standards and consider shortened product life cycles. On one hand, to be able to cope with the environmental aspects, further consolidation of the automotive industry are expected. Aside from PEST analysis, the automotive industry will also be analyzed through the consideration of Porters five Forces model. Figure 2 Porters Five Forces Model Consequently, it can be considered that the most critical are the relations to buyers and suppliers. In Germany, for instance, the supplier of Fords for door-locks is Kieckert which stopped its supply to be able to force ford to pay more which paralysed the production of the automotive industry. On one hand, the buyers from different parts of the world tend to change from one brand to another, due to the differences in the model and look as well as other features. Cultural Issues In Strategic New management and corporations In order to position them in the global market, Daimler Benz has acquired American Chrysler. Accordingly, the sudden acquisition of Daimler Benz to Chrysler has happened because most of the leaders and the management of Chrysler have chosen to retire or leave. Aside from this, most of the functions and operations of the Daimler have been moved to Germany. Consequently, due to this decision the new automotive industry has encountered different cultural issues due to the cultural diversity. One of the most essential determinant and attributes to consider is the organisational cultural determinant and attributes. Consequently, it can be considered that since Daimler and Chrysler was based in different countries with different culture (Germany and America), these automotive industries have some cultural variations, diversities and differences. Though the automotive industry does not almanners hire new staffs and management, the standards of the corporation including its beliefs, practices and purpose, can powerfully affect the staffs and management and its managements. Relevant studies have claimed that strong cultures help the generation as well as maintenance of corporations competitive edge and stability. In the case of Daimler and its acquisition with a new corporation, it can consider that due to the cultural diversities and differences, the diversity management has not been successful. Due to their diversities, both automotive industries have lacked commitment with the Cultural diversity management. With this, many on the German staffs and staffs and management from Daimler saw this acquisition as a temporary determinant and attribute; hence, they did not even bother of improving relationship with their American counterpart. The cultural consequences become specifically apparent in cross national operations, mergers as well as acquisitions, where not only diverse corporate cultures but also corporate cultures rooted in various national cultures meet like in what happened with Daimler. The inability of the staffs and management to comprehend the culture of each other has lead to disruptive tensions which affects the new management of both automotive industries. These have been described in terms of the concepts of acculturative stress or culture clashes. The dilemmas mostly result from the introduction of new management approaches that are incongruent with the values underlying the emerging practices, which happens in Daimler and Chrysler. Even both automotive industries have been aware of the cultural diversity between German Engineering and Cowboy Independence, both companies often compromised instead of considering digital decisions. Accordingly, cultural clashes happen because there are no clear guidelines and roles in the industry about who had accountabilities and who not. Research and development units have been separated for a long time. Issues happened because of the inability of the management to fulfill one of the crucial aspects. Since it is part of the business cultures in German to give commands instead of discussing it with other members, the managers from Germany have decided in most cases, leaving the management of the acqu ired corporation staggered. Figure 3 Alternative Solution From the definition of change management and organizational cultural, the relation between the two have become very significance, particularly, the management of change in a corporation may involve changes in terms of practices, leadership, technology as well as operations of the corporation. These determinants on the other hand are founded by the conventional culture, values and beliefs of the corporation. They are then greatly affected by the corporations culture. Hence, bringing about transitions and modifications to these activities will not be efficient if the core values or culture of the corporation is not identified first. Understanding that the original principles that make these corporation functions work will then make change implementation easier and more efficient. As mentioned by Ramsey (2004) various management principles that are part of a corporations culture, should be taken into consideration for change management. generally these principles consider and involve values such as ethics, trust and loyalty, communication, leadership which include subsidiary, delegation, accountability, self-management) involvement which considers participative and consultative decision-making and work procedures which considers task integrity, work-based management, client-focus, maximization of variable skills, learning. In considering changes in the corporation, management should be able to understand what relations should be observed between the management as well as employees as well as among colleagues. In this regard, the employees will be able to comprehend their responsibilities contributions to the changes planned by the corporation. This will also enable in maintaining harmonious relations among the personnel and employees despite the introduction of changes. The leadership principle is also essential as this will enable Daimler to identify the approach that will be relevant to the issues in terms of cultural differences. Within the context of the automotive industries, globalisation trends have lead to excessive competition between and among industries that adhere to the demands and requirements on car and automotive products and services. In this regard, it can be sad that the multi-level and large-scale operations among automotive industries like Daimler led to the formation of new business approaches that regards the entirety of the conventional business processes. The search for continuous as well as sustainable developments, increased client satisfaction, and faster return on investments as well as the issues and considerations regarding cultural, differences, Cultural diversity management, shorter product life cycle, innovation, and more sophisticated client specifications needed and mostly the issues of cultural diversities needed the call for extensive change management of business goals as well as performance objectives to be able to meet the demands of the existing market economies along wi th aims to gain competitive edge and stability over industry competitors. In this regard, more and more automotive industries try to stay in the competitive environment by considering the management of cultural diversities in the industries. Cultural diversity management have been recognised to be one of the strategic manners in business operation growth as well as expansion in the global market. In line with the technique and approach of automotive industries, it can be considered that the used of Cultural diversity management to be able to solve the issues of cultural differences because of the collaborative venture or merger and acquisition which has been considered by Daimler with Chrysler. Cultural diversity management facilitates automotive industries to grow both internally and externally because through this Cultural diversity management, the partnerships of the family of the acquired automotive industry have increased, not only in its local operation but also in global environment. In addition, through the efficient use of Cultural diversity management, DaimlerChrysler acquisition, are able to gain competitive edge and stability among its rival automotive industry. Competitive edge and stability only arises from establishing differentiation. Although this Cultural diversity management have been successful, there are some essential determinant and attributes which the management of automotive industries can be considered when going into a Cultural diversity management. It can be considered that creating a successful Cultural diversity management between two automotive industries should be able to concentrate on logistical planning as well as operational integration. Unlike local and national corporations, global Cultural diversity management are tasked with higher accountabilities which made them highly accountable to every decision as well as policy they make. The vast influence as well as significant implications of the decisions as well as laws that result from intensive deliberations of member representatives of the World Bank and the World Trade Corporation are normally faced with cultural challenges that threaten the stability as well as sustainability ty of the Cultural diversity management which subsequently may lead to complex realisation of the goals of the corporation. The dilemmas and issues which arise from differing cultural interpretation should be in the reality of consistent evaluation and adjustment. Resolving immediately the differences which hinders the effective and efficient function of global Cultural diversity management should be crucially reviewed in order to promote development as well as growth of every member. Conclusion The context of Cultural diversity management as one of organizational approaches to reach efficient organizational culture, may be assessed in different underlying determinants; these include the objectives of the Cultural diversity management, the logic as well as the technique and approach used for the Cultural diversity management and cultural diversity. The predictability of Cultural diversity management in considering the increasing automotive competition addresses the situation and considerations that industries must give consideration onto before considering Cultural diversity management. In the case of automotive industry such as Daimler, the automotive industry can consider cultural diversity managements to stay in the competitive market and perform better within the global market environment with harmonious and smooth relationship with the staffs, by giving innovative and new products in terms with automotives and car manufacturing through the ideas that the management gain due to Cultural diversity management with other automotive industries. It presents that without such technique and approach, the automotive industry may not be able to expand its business portfolio and solve the issue of cultural diversity. It can be concluded that Cultural diversity management, along with the contexts of strategic management and other efficient marketing technique, can make a automotive industry to succeed in achieving its goal of providing quality products with their target audience and ensuring good corporate or organizational culture all throughout.

Scope and Legal Status of the EYFs

Scope and Legal Status of the EYFs The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes essential to support and enhance young childrens learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. The Early Years Framework has a strong emphasis on play-based learning as play is the best vehicle for young childrens learning providing the most appropriate stimulus for brain development. The Framework also recognises the importance of communication and language and social and emotional development. The four nations that make up the United Kingdom have slightly different approaches to the planning and the delivery of the early years education. England has the Early Years Foundation Stage which was founded in September 2008. England introduced a statuary curriculum for children ages zero to five years old that are being educated outside of their homes. This applies to all child-minders as well as after school clubs, preschools, nurseries and schools. The EYFS also incorpor ates the welfare requirements, the structure of the education program is the six areas of development; Personal, Social and Emotional (PSE), Communication, Language and Literacy (C+L), Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy (PRN), Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW), Physical development (PD) and Creative development (CD). At the end of reception year children are assessed by the teacher, this is where the teacher completes an early years profile which consists of thirteen different scales that link to the early years learning goals from the area of learning. In Wales they have a Foundation Phase which was established in August 2008, this applies to children aged three to seven who are in receipt of local authority funding in schools, nurseries, preschools and child-minders. The structure of the education program is slightly different to Englands one as they have seven areas of development. These areas are; Personal and social development, Well-being and cultural diversity, Language, literacy and communication skills, Mathematical development, Welsh language development, Knowledge and understanding of the world, Physical development and Creative development. At the end of the Foundation stage the children are assessed in three areas personal and social development, well-being and cultural diversity, Language, literacy and communication skills in English or welsh and Mathematical development. Scotland will have a curriculum for excellence but at the moment they are still in the process of introducing it which will be for children aged three to eighteen years. It is part of an overall strategic approach to education. The curriculum includes the totality of experiences which are planned for children and young people through their education, wherever they are being educated. Underpinning the curriculum is the idea that children should be given experiences in order to progress their development and instead of working to their age they will learn according to their own level. There are eight areas of experiences and outcomes; Technologies, Expressive arts, Health and well-being, Languages, Mathematics, Religious and moral education, Sciences and Social studies. The experiences and outcomes are written at five levels and young children will be working at the first level known as early years. In addition to the eight areas practioners have a responsibility to embed health and we ll-being, literacy and numeracy across the learning opportunities provided for children. In 2010 the assessment arrangement were still being drawn up but it was expected that setting would have to draw up their own assessments. In Northern Ireland children before they reach statutory school age there are no specific curriculum but once children are in education they will follow the foundation stage. There are six areas of development which are taken through to key stage one and two. These six areas are; Language and Literacy, The World Around Us, Mathematics and Numeracy, Personal Development and Mutual Understanding, The Art and Physical Development and Movement. 1.2 An explanation of how national and local guidance materials are used in setting To support the implementation of the national frameworks, each country has also developed guidance, information about the statutory elements and training materials. This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education. This means that local authorities must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs) conducted under section 139A of the Learning and Skills Act 2000. Comments from the organizations below have been considered during drafting of this guidance. The Local Government Association Hampshire County Council, post 14 learning team The Young Peoples Learning Agency connexions Buckinghamshire connexions Merseyside Association of Colleges National Association of Independent   Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools (NASS) Natspec: the Association of National Specialist Colleges Disability Alliance. http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00203393/lda The legislations that this guidance relates to is the Education Act 1996 and sections 139A to 139C of the Learning and Skills Act 2000. This guidance is made for local authorities to help you them make reliable, effective and robust judgments that may lead to well-informed decisions relating to education and training for children and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities but its not designed to be prescriptive in every individual case. The guidance may also be of interest to children, young people and their families, staff working directly with teenagers and their managers, FE colleges and also other providers including specialist providers, and also the Young Peoples Learning Agency (YPLA) and from April 2012 the Education Funding Agency (EFA). 1.3 An explanation of how different approaches to work with children in early years have affected current provision in the UK Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia is an educational approach that is inspired by a group of pre-schools that surround the city that surrounds the area of Reggio Emilia the heart of this approach focuses on the partnership with parents and children aged between birth to six years old being involved in their learning. There are four main features to this approach which are children need some control over their learning, children learn through using all of their senses, learn from and enjoy being with other children and that children need a rich environment so they can learn and express themselves in a number of ways. High/scope The high/scope approach first started in America to help improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. Settings that use this approach will let children plan their own learning; they will review it and also report back to the other children. Children are considered to be active learners so play is used for model learning, routines are also considered important they gain stability Montessori The Montessori approach originated with Maria Montessori who was an Italian doctor who wanted to help improve the outcome for children that had disabilities. The Montessori approach shows the practitioner as an observer of the children who can support their learning by making appropriate interventions. The term play is the heart of Montessori resources and equipment has specific learning objects and also provides children with challenge. Steiner The Steiner approach origins in the work of a philosopher named Rudolf Steiner that founded a school after the First World War. Steiners approach emphasises the importance of fostering childrens creativity and imagination. Manufactured toys are not used as they are thought to inhibit childrens curiosity. Formal reading and writing will not start until children are seven years old. 3.1 An explanation of partnership model of working with carers Many years ago once parents or carers had handed over their children to nursery, school or preschool they were considered to be fairly surplus to requirements and it was known as practitioners knew best. Today it is understood that the best outcomes for children are when practioners and parents work together. The idea is while practioners and parents have different rolls within a childs life they can come together to share ideas, information and thoughts about the best way forward for the child or young person. Settings use ways to make partnerships with parents or carers. An open door policy allows parents or carers to visit the setting and they are welcome at any time without needing an appointment. The assessments we do on children used to be top secret but now we share these with the parents and carers and get them to contribute to them. This is because children act differently with parents than they do when they are with their practioners. In many setting not only do they share planning with the parents they also encourage parents and carers to contribute towards them with their own ideas and comments, such as the lay out of the learning environment. Many setting do invite the parents to come in and work alongside them such as drop in sessions or open mornings and helping out on school outings. Parents will be informed of the current activities that they are doing in school so these can be continued at home.

Genetically Modified Foods Essay -- GMOs, Genetically Modified Crops

Genetically Modified Foods With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated. What are genetically modified foods? Although traditional plant breeding has been around for ages, the development of recombinant DNA techniques have offered a wide range of valuable genes and methods of inserting them into the plant genomes. Two major advances in molecular biology have resulted in new plant breeding technology: "The construction of genetic maps saturated with DNA markers, and the subsequent design of relatively simple PCR-based assays to facilitate the selection of desired alleles at closely linked loci and the resulting development of plant lines with desired combinations of traits; The cloning and DNA sequencing of specific genes, the reassembly of specific DNA fragments into functional chimeric genes, and the transfer of such genes to single plant cells from which complete plants can be regenerated via cell and tissue culture." (Conner et. al, 1999) It is the second method of breeding that has come into the most light recently and offers the opportunity to develop a wide variety of new crop cultivars. Transgenic plants are usually made up of a gene... ...ally engineered crops. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. Vol. 10, 1999. Pp. 298-302. OCDE (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). Consensus document on general information concerning the genes and their enzymes that confer tolerance to glyphosphate herbicide.1999. http://www.oecd.org/ehs/ehsmono/#BIO Snow, Allison and Pedro Moran Palma. Commercialization of transgenic plants: potential ecological risks. BioScience. Vol. 47, Feb. 1997. Pp. 86-96. Steinbrecher, Ricarda A. From green to gene evolution: the environmental risks of genetically engineered crops. The Ecologist. Vol. 26, Nov./Dec., 1996. Pp. 273-281. 14. Traynor, Patricia and James H. Westwood, Eds. Proceedings of a workshop on: ecological effects of pest resistance genes in managed ecosystems (Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 1999). Information Systems for Biotechnology. http://www.isb.vt.edu

Monument backers go to court :: essays research papers

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Aug. 25 — About 100 demonstrators prayed outside the Alabama Judicial Building on Monday as attorneys went to court to stop a federal judge’s order to remove a 5,300-pound stone representation of the Ten Commandments from the building’s rotunda. ATTORNEYS for a Christian talk show host and a pastor asked U.S. District Judge William Steele for an injunction to block the monument’s removal, arguing that taking it away would violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion. The action named as defendants the eight associate justices of the state Supreme Court, who last week overruled Chief Justice Roy Moore and directed that the federal court order be followed, said one of the attorneys, Jim Zeigler. Steele — who was the first judge to order that the monument be removed — scheduled a hearing for Wednesday. Minutes after the lawsuit was announced, police blocked off the front of the building with metal barricades. The building’s superintendent, Graham George, said they were erected to prevent protesters from leaning dangerously against the large windows and glass doors, where they have gathered for the last week. Many of the monument supporters spent the night in sleeping bags on a plaza outside the building and nearby steps, and one scaled latticework on the side of the building and spent the night on a ledge. The unidentified man climbed down after daybreak. Demonstrators have said they know the monument, installed two years ago by Moore, could be moved Monday or Tuesday. Federal courts have held that the monument violates the U.S. Constitution’s ban on government promotion of a religious doctrine. Moore, who contends that it is his duty to acknowledge God in the public rotunda of the Judicial Building, was suspended last week by a state judicial ethics panel for disobeying the order by U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson to move the monument. Moore told supporters at the Judicial Building that he would fight to keep the monument in the rotunda even though he had been suspended. He has pledged to argue his case to the U.S. Supreme Court â€Å"I have acknowledged God as the moral foundation of our law. It’s my duty,† Moore said. â€Å"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time as this in fear of giving offense? I should consider myself guilty of treason and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven.† Whenever workers come to remove the monument, supporters of Moore intend to keep it from going anywhere by locking hands and dropping to their knees.

Abusive Relationship Essay

Physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse are some of the different types of abuse that can be found within a relationship. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of adolescent dating aggression, and to define, compare and contrast different points of view. The author of the novel Faultline, Janet Tashjian, describes a series of events in the life of Becky, the main character of the story, where she is getting involved into an abusive relationship with Kip, presenting all the warning signs that every adolescent should know. This story represents the millions of adolescents that are in this same situation. I will be presenting real cases from different sources to demonstrate that adolescent dating aggression is a serious problem for many teenagers. Yet like other forms of aggression, warning signs are often present that a young couple may be at risk. By understanding these precursors we can help adolescents avoid problematic situations and instead develop healthy dating relationships that will set in place a solid foundation for satisfying relationships throughout life. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four teenagers report being verbally, emotionally, physically or sexually abused in a dating relationship. The issue of dating violence is so critical that it was included in the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, along with the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. Statistics indicate that males who are exposed to domestic violence as children are twice as likely to be abusive in their own relationships. Many teens use cell phones and computers as tools of control and abuse in dating relationships. There have been millions of reports of abuse in a relationship; one of these cases was reported by Nicky who was 12 when she fell in love with Richard who was 13. What Nicky has to show for their years together are a chipped tooth, a nose bent several degrees by his fist, three children â€Å"all of whom were born before their due dates because of beatings†, she says, a nd emotional scars that are hard to fathom in someone so young. She shares her story to Los Angeles Times: My earliest memory of abuse? I was 13. When he went into high school, I was still in junior high and he didn’t trust me. One time I was wearing this see-through blouse. I had a slip on underneath it, because my parents taught me how to dress. [But] he got mad, and he pushed me on the ground and started calling me a bitch and everything. I thought, `Well he’s just mad, I shouldn’t have worn that.’ I couldn’t go home. What was I gonna tell my mom? So I went to school and I put on my P.E. clothes and that is what I wore all day. In the last two decades, domestic violence has emerged from the black hole of taboo subjects to become highly visible. And what has long been happening between spouses or adult lovers is now recognized as a problem for teen-agers as well. Surveys show that about 28% of high school- and college-age students are in abusive relationships, roughly the same proportion as adults. But while adults have shelters and well-publicized hot lines, adolescents typically have only each other, if that. They often cannot or will not turn to adults for help and may not even talk to their peers. Young girls and women often do not know how to get out of abusive situations. More schools are providing programs to teach teens the warning signs of abusive relationships and provide them with the tools they need to leave violent and controlling partners. Some people think that dating violence is increasing because many girls are afraid to stand up to an aggressive and controlling boy. Others blame the violent and sexual content in the media as a contributing factor in dating violence. According to a New York Times article, â€Å"The high incidence of adolescent abuse distresses Barrie Levy, a Santa Monica therapist and a founder of the Southern California Coalition for Battered Women†. Levy, who edited the book Dating Violence: Young Women in Danger became aware of the problem in 1982 during a domestic violence education project in Los Angeles-area secondary schools. â€Å"Our focus was on the development of an education program that would target adolescents, thinking that the way to start dealing with domestic violence was presumably before it started,† Levy says. Violence in adolescent dating relationships is a large-scale problem, and may result in long-term trauma and psychological aftermath for victims. I provided some data, statistics, facts and opinion about this issue. An abusive relationship can be prevented if parents, teachers and counselors talk to the adolescents about the warning signs and how get away from that abusive relationship. The novel Faultline is a great example that can be used to teach teenagers about this serious topic.

The Impact Listening Skills to Self-Disclosure In A Marital and Romantic Relationship

Relationships are strengthened by good communication. There are many aspects of communication that ultimately affect the quality of one’s relationships. It is of interest that we discover the impact of a certain communication skill on relationships. This essay also deals with the effect of listening skills on the quality of marital and mature man-woman relationships. Having all other factors constant this essay deals only with the effect of listening skills on the relationship quality of the individuals in a marital and romantic relationship.The settings for each relationship is unique therefore the degree of communication skill needed for the relationship varies. Before going into the details, we must first define the factors involved in the relationships mentioned. These factors are: the listening skills of the individuals involved in a marital and romantic relationship. As Pickering (1981) notes, listening skills are of the most important communication skills needed, to hav e a good relationship. Next is the relationship quality which is defined as the value or worth of the relationship (Mie, 2005).Lastly, relationship, a term that widens in scope as people wander to different aspects of interpersonal relationships, is taken into consideration (Zuroff & Neil, 1999). The researcher chose to focus on two similar relationship settings, which are the marital and mature man-woman romantic relationship. Hence, this essay focuses on the evidences that prove the positive impact of good listening skills on the practice of self-disclosure of the individuals in a marital and romantic relationship. Impact 3 Listening Skills Studies show that the impact of communication, specifically listening skills in relationships is immense.One must chose the right communication tool to improve ones relationships. Studies show that people who influence us are those who are active listeners (Pickering 1981). A study was done comparing the difference between couples who undergo c ommunication program and those who didn’t. Results showed that those who undergo the communication program to enhance their communication skills have a higher tendency of success in their relationships in the long run compared to those who did not undergo the program (Yalcin & Karahan, 2007).One of the most important aspects of communication is the listening skills. According to White (2006), good communicators are emphatic listeners who apply effective listening in relationships. Individuals in the relationships should be good communicators. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing only deals with the physical processes as one hears sounds from the environment, while listening engages the individual to empathize with the speaker in terms of the emotions and opinions behind the words spoken.Shepherd (2007) notes that most of the marriage failures happen because of the lack of communication. We can attribute the lack of communication also with the lack of l istening skills in the relationship. Programs to improve communication between individuals in relationships, especially marital relationships, exist to help couples improve their relationship by increasing their communication skills. These programs prove to be helpful in terms of the self-disclosure that happens between individuals in relationships thus the relationship develops (Riesch, et al, 2003). Impact 4Relationship Quality Quality in this context means the satisfaction or value of the relationship which is translated as the openness of the persons involved in the relationship. The increase of value the individuals give to others the relationship improve the quality of their relationship. Studies confirm that relationships increase in value as the individuals in it improve their communication skills (Yalcin & Karahan, 2007). Self-disclosure is in effect one of the aspects that determine relationship quality, in this context- in the marital and romantic relationship.Dion (1998) , conducted a study showing that people who are secure in their relationships, practicing higher self-disclosure with other individuals, have higher relationship satisfaction as compared to those who are insecure or those who lack close communication, self-disclosure with their partners. This study tells us that self-disclosure does not only improve the relationship of the individuals per se, but also improves ones self-image. This can be seen when self-disclosure is practiced and individuals in the relationship affirms the other, thus improving ones self-image and improved communication in the relationship.Mie (2005) further asserted that self-disclosure is also defined as willingness of persons to confide or be open to other individuals. It can then be acknowledged that good self-disclosure in a relationship increases its value, and improves ones self-image in the relationship. And in relations this, listening skills are clearly needed to have good self-disclosure. As self-disclos ure deals with the openness of individuals in a relationship, listening skills are needed to have effective self-disclosure between individuals.Self-disclosure is thus, one of the most important factors affecting the quality of close relationships (Levinger & Rands, 1985). Impact 5 Relationships There are many aspects that may affect relationships. The relationships taken into consideration in this essay are the marital and romantic relationship. Studies show that relationship between parents or couples is one of the most important factors that improve the relationship of the family as a whole, thus the first influence that affects the family relationship is the parents (Riesch, et al, 2003).The relationship between the husband and wife will greatly determine the relationship established in the family. It is crucial for the parents to have a solid, healthy relationship, with the assumption that they have children in the family. Parrott (1995) stated that couples who listen intently at each others opinions and ideas will strengthen the relationship. The more couples practice listening, self-disclosure is easier therefore the relationship will grow (Jorgensen & Gaudy1980).In Parrott’s book, a couple cited tips on how to develop relationship with one another- this was to actively listen to each other. As mentioned above hearing and listening are different concepts. Listening must be practiced in relationships for it to develop. In the romantic relationship between a male and a female, the factors that affect their relationship are somehow similar to that of a marital relationship. The difference may be with the external factors of the relationship.Marital relationships involve external influences: such as conjugal responsibilities of their direct family, financial factors, and others. Zuroff & Duncan (1999) conducted a study about the effect of self-disclosure in college students in romantic relationships, and found out that they are largely influenced by their peers, and unpredictable emotions cause them to easily change their minds about relationships. Thus in this type of relationship, there is a greater need to apply listening skills, to improve the quality of their relationships. Impact 6The same principles of listening skills can be applied for both marital and adult man-woman romantic relationship, to directly improve their self-disclosure and their relationship as a whole. There are many benefits for a healthy relationship between couples and romantic relationships alike. A study even shows how good relationship affects the physiological well-being of the persons in the relationship (Yalcin & Karahan, 2007). Conclusion We have already established the importance of communication skills and its direct effect on relationship quality in marital and romantic relationships as have been mentioned in this essay.Evidences were given to prove the importance of these factors in relation to the marital and adult man-woman romantic relati onships. Based on the studies shown, communication skills, specifically listening skills, have a direct relationship with the quality of the marital and romantic relationship, where as the listening skills improve, so does the practice of self-disclosure in the said relationships. We can also conclude that increased self-disclosure in a relationship improves its value, therefore the relationship develops.Self-disclosure also has positive effects on the individual practicing it, where self-image can be improved compared to those who don’t practice it. Thus, self-disclosure affects not only the relationship at large, but also the individuals practicing it in the relationship. Lastly, relationships in the marital and romantic settings are different in external influences but similar in the need for effective listening skills that causes good self-disclosure in the relationship.

Interlanguage Theory Essay

It is a well-attested fact that learners commit errors when learning a second language. Errors are in fact considered inevitable in any learning process. For a very long time different authors (Corder, 1967; Richards, 1971; Dulay and Burt, 1972, as cited in Taylor, 1975;) see those errors not only as deviations of the rules but also as important sources for studying the process of learning a target language. The learner’s mental process and rules adopted by them at different stages are evidenced by those errors. (Fauziati, 2011). It is, therefore, the language of the learner that Larry Selinker (1972) would study and name interlanguage. He would consider interlanguage as follows: L2 learners construct a linguistic system that draws, in part, on the learner’s L1 but is also different from it and also from the target language. A learner’s interlanguage is, therefore, a unique linguistic system (as cited in Ellis, 1997, pag. 33). This system of the language is evolutional and dynamic, and its grammar is under construction and in constant development. It may have inconsistency errors but it will be changing and developing all the time. Selinker (1972, as cited in Taylor, 1975) claims that interlanguage is not merely the learner target language grammar that is filled with errors due to the learner’s L1 interference but, instead, it is a linguistic system that reflects the learner’s dealing with the deviations of the target language itself. Selinker also states that the perspective of Interlanguage considers the learning strategies which the learner employs in a task despite of their mother tongue or kind of training they receive. According to Selinker (1972), there are a number of processes or strategies that the learner adopts in order to help them acquire the target language. The first one is L1 Transfer, which is a learning strategy where the learner uses their own L1 as a resource. â€Å"[T]he learner transfers their knowledge of their native language into their target language attempts† (Taylor, 1975, p. 393). The second process is L2 Transfer, in which the learner works out the rules of L2 and challenges them. The third process is Overgeneralization; the learner uses an L2 rule in situations in which a native speaker would not use them. This can occur at different levels, namely, at the phonetic level, at the grammatical level, at the lexical level and at the level of discourse. Taylor (1975) defines overgeneralization as â€Å"a process in which a language learner uses a syntactic rule of the target language inappropriately when he attempts to generate a novel target language utterance†. The fourth process or strategy is General Learning Principles; the learner acquires strategies for learning the language, such as association or grouping. However, these strategies are not exclusive to language learning; they can be applied to any other kind of knowledge. Finally, the fifth process is Communication Strategies, which are actions that the learner carries out in order to compensate their lack of knowledge and also to reinforce or optimize communication. Among these strategies are body language, circumlocution, using a general term, resorting to L1, asking for help (the teacher or the dictionary), coining (making up a word) and avoidance. All of these five processes contribute to the development of the L2. Another important characteristic of Interlanguage is Fossilization, which is a term introduced also by Selinker in 1972. It refers to â€Å"the persistence of plateaus of non-target-like competence in the IL† (as cited in Fauziati, 2011, p. 25). Selinker (1972) provides a precise definition for fossilization: [A] mechanism that underlies surface linguistic material which speakers will tend to keep in their IL productive performance, no matter what the age of the learner or the amount of instruction he receives in the TL. (Selinker, 1972: 229, cited in Han, 2002) In other words, fossilization can be described as the interruption of the process of development of interlanguage. Learners are usually expected to achieve progress as their competence advances towards the target language system, and thus it contains fewer errors. However, some errors continue to occur and never disappear completely, and are, therefore, considered as fossilized. That is to say, such errors are permanent and defining characteristics of the learner’s language system (Fauziati, 2011). Among the factors that influence fossilization in the learner’s learning process, there are both external and internal reasons that are worth mentioning. Environment is an external reason that can influence the student’s performance and it can be due to the lack of exposure to the language or probably the level of the course the student is taking is either higher or lower than their level of the language. As regards internal reasons, the learner himself is considered to be a significant influence on their performance. His personality (insecurity, family background, uncertainty), motivation, demotivation and backsliding (the student unlearns things he already knows and goes back to previous stages) contribute to the mechanism of fossilization. Another important point to consider is that of interlanguage pragmatics, which has been defined by some authors, namely, Kasper and Dahl (1991), Kasper (1998) and Kasper and Rose (1999). However, in this paper, the concept of interlanguage pragmatics will be considered as follows: [T]he investigation of non-native speakers’ comprehension and production of speech acts, and the acquisition of L2-related speech act knowledge. (Kasper and Dahl, 1991:215, cited in Barron, 2001) Interlanguage pragmatics deals with use of the language as action and its research focuses on the learner’s use and acquisition of pragmatic knowledge. Although many studies on interlanguage have been based on spontaneous speech data, there is considerable difficulty in processing such data in order to tackle with problems persisting in the L2 learner’s initial state. One possible reason for this is that the speech utterances are gathered so early and may not exactly mirror the L2 initial state. Another perplexing problem is that the collection may be scarce and useless. (Lakshmanan and Selinker, 2001) A further problem is that language learners, especially young L2 learners, have been thought to undergo a ‘silent period’, during which they do not produce any utterance (Lakshmanan and Selinker, 2001). Although students may differ significantly with respect to the duration of their silent period since some of them undergo longer periods than others, it is not proven what is exactly happening in this stage. Moreover, it cannot be proved whether there is passive acquisition of some of the elements of the target language while undergoing the silent period. Consequently, an accurate account of the development of the language of the learner is difficult to provide. Another main argument concerning interlanguage is that of comparative fallacy. As Lakshmanan and Selinker (2001) state, criticizing the language learner’s speech utterances as ungrammatical without drawing first a comparison between the interlanguage speech utterances with the related speech utterances of the native speaker is not advisable since it leads to either underestimation and/or overestimation of the student’s linguistic performance. The interlanguage competence’s information should be obtained by examining the data of the interlanguage performance. Lakshmanan and Selinker (2001) suggest that in order to achieve this and not belittle or overvalue the student’s performance, it is necessary to compare consistently the interlanguage performance data with the native speaker’s performance. Taking everything into account, interlanguage is a theory that has been supported by a number of scholars because it helps educators know what their learner’s language is like. However, it is worth mentioning that it has some weaknesses that need to be addressed. As for teachers, it is not only important that they support this theory but they also should identify its flaws as well so as not to misjudge our language learner’s performance on the language. References * Barron, A. (2003). Acquisition in Interlanguage Pragmatics: Learning How To Do Things With Words In A Study Abroad Context. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. * Ellis, R. (1997) Second Language Acquisition. New York: Oxford University Press. * Fauziati, E. (2011) Interlanguage and Error Fossilization: A Study Of Indonesian Students Learning English As A Foreign Language. (Vol. I No. 1, pp. 23-38). Indonesia: Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics. * Han, Z. (2002). Fossilization: Five Central Issues. Toronto, Canada: The Second Language Research Forum (SLRF), Teachers College, Columbia University. * Lakshmanan, U. and Selinker, L. (2001). Analysing Interlanguage: How Do We Know What Learners Know? (Volume: 17, Issue: 4, Pages: 393-420). Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Birkbeck College, University of London: Second Language Research. * Taylor, B. (1975) Adult Language Learning Strategies and Their Pedagogical Implications. (Vol. 9. No. 4, pp. 391-399). USA: TESOL Quarterly.

Change in Indian Family

Change in the Family structure and Familial relation in India. Introduction Family structure is the way that a household or a family is set up. It is different for every family as families may have single parents, may have both parents or may have step parents involved. The family is a basic unit of society. The study of the change in the family structure in India is quite complex. With the increase in the urbanization and industrialization, the concept of the family in India, which once created and maintained a common culture among the members of the family, is undergoing change.The family life or the family structure has remained the integral part of the Indian Society with the spirit of family solidarity. For generations, India has had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system. Usually the oldest male member of the family is the head of the joint Indian Family system. He is the one who makes all the important decisions of the family. After the urbanization and the economic development of the country, India has witnessed a break up of traditional joint family into more nuclear like family.Cohen, Yebudi A, in his book â€Å"Shrinking Households†, he said that households have reputedly been shrinking in size for ten thousand years or more , right up to the present , and this is a result of an evolving technology that requires fewer co-operating people to secure food, rear children and look after them. The Objective of Study The specific objective of this study is to understand the change in family structure in India and its familial relationship.