National Foundation for Educational Research Essay

Over the last century different techniques have been used to organise children within schools according to what the public and government asked for and needed. For example â€Å"after the Second World War the number and size of schools increased, the tripartite system of secondary education was introduced and there was increased competition for grammar school places† Sukhnandan and Lee (1998 pg. 13). There was a drive for excellence and the 11 plus exam leant itself easily to the administration of streaming. However during the 1960’s research was carried out that suggested streaming had negative social consequences for pupils, which could have been the catalyst for the shift of emphasis from excellence to equality. This resulted in a shift from streaming to mixed ability teaching that continued throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. Ability grouping, in the form of setting and within class grouping, was sometimes used in higher year groups for linear subjects such as maths, science and modern languages but mixed ability was the main grouping method. The essay question implies that again there has been a shift, this time to setting. Boaler et al (1998) seems to imply that pressures from the government are to blame for this move; suggesting research (Gewirtz, Ball & Bowe, 1993 cited in Boaler et al 1998) indicates some teachers regard the curriculum set out in the 1988 Education Reform Act as incompatible with mixed ability teaching implying that they have no choice. Today’s Governments seem to be increasingly interested in achieving goals and raising standards, even if this means children missing out on the social advantages of mixed ability grouping. Setting seems to reinforce social divisions, as there are a higher proportion of boys, children of lower socio-economic status, children born in the summer and those of ethnic minority backgrounds in the lower sets (Boaler, 1997a, 1997b. Oakes, 1982. Sutton, 1966. Cited in Sukhnandan and Lee, 1998. ) whereas children in mixed ability classes tend to come from a range of different backgrounds. I find this quite extraordinary, as the Scottish Parliament has recently spent millions on an anti-racism campaign. Surely segregating the children, albeit unintentionally, will undermine the message sent out by this campaign? The essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages research has told us concerning setting. It will begin with the discussion of the effect of teacher’s attitudes and expectations of the set that they are teaching. It will then discuss the limitations pupils face by being placed in sets. It will discuss the social gap created by teaching children in sets. It will also discuss the advantages to the teacher of teaching children in sets and the advantages to the pupils. The essay compares setting to mixed ability teaching on several occasions this is because mixed ability teaching was the technique used before the recommendation to use setting also there seems to only be limited research on the other forms of grouping. Research has shown there to be both advantages and disadvantages to setting. Boaler et al (1998) demonstrated many disadvantages to setting. In their paper they cited a worrying statistic Jackson (1963) â€Å"96% of teachers taught to streamed ability groups† meaning they taught all the children without consideration into their individual differences. Boaler et al (1998) made reference to some of the experiences of pupils in setted mathematics classes, they reported that their teachers consistently made comments such as â€Å"you’re in the top set, you should be able to do this† and â€Å"you’re in the bottom group your not going to learn anything†. These attitudes are undoubtedly detrimental for the child. Boaler et al (1998) reported that children in higher sets were disadvantaged because their teachers had too high expectations of the children they were teaching, one third of the children taught in the highest sets felt they were being pushed to hard, that their lessons were paced too fast and they were under too much pressure to succeed because of their teachers expectations and the competitive ethos between pupils in higher sets. This was discovered to really upset certain children, Boaler et al, (1998) â€Å"I mean I get really depressed – it really depressed me, the fact that everyone in the class is like really far ahead and I just don’t understand†. It was reported that girls were the most affected by this citing the fact that although girls have been reported to be overtaking boys in all subjects boys still get the highest grades in mathematics (where the use of setting is dominant). The complete reverse was reported for those in lower sets, who felt that their lessons were too slow; they weren’t being challenged so lost interest. They believed that their teachers had no faith in them. This would then lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, they have no option but to perform to the set that they are allocated, if they are not encouraged then they will languish in the bottom sets their entire school life. This causes a self fulfilling prophecy, if they are told that they’re incapable of anything more they will begin to believe it, so they wont try to do anything more. Even if the children in the lower sets worked to be moved up into the higher sets they are unlikely to be successful. Teachers teach the children in specific sets to different tiers of an exam, so those in lower groups will not learn the same things as those in higher groups so movement between the sets would be difficult. The idea that children are taught to specific tiers is generally problematic because children are allocated to sets up to three years before they sit the exam and as mobility is rare this can have detrimental effects on their attainment if they were aware that they could only get a low grade. Boaler et al (1998) reported that only some children actually knew the implications of this. The teachers high expectations of those in higher sets and low expectations of those in lower sets causes a further social gap between the sets, those in the top sets will be called â€Å"boffins† and those in the lower sets will be seen as â€Å"stupid†. This is further intensified by the allocation of better qualified and more experienced teachers to higher sets even though research suggests (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p42 cited in Boaler et al 1998) that this type of high quality teaching is more beneficial to those children in lower sets who need more guidance as they are more easily distracted. The lower ability children will recognise that the higher ability children are seen as better and again this will have detrimental effects on their self-esteem causing them to become interested in anti-educational activities where â€Å"it’s cool to be alienated† (Hallam article from TES website, Passmore 2002) and will heighten the rift between the ability groups. In a mixed ability class for example there is a reduced distinction between children’s ability, which is beneficial to the children. There is even the suggestion that children of lower ability use those of higher ability as role models. A further problem could be caused because of a distinction made between academic and vocational subjects. Only subjects such as Maths, Science, English and Modern Languages are set while subjects such as Art and Music are mixed ability as a general rule. Children who are good at art and music may not feel as valued as those who are good at maths. The emphasis for teachers seems to be applied to children in higher sets because they get taught by the best teachers and get taught in the best classrooms. Also the children who aren’t interested may distract other children in these mixed ability groups. Ultimately this will lower their self-esteem and have a negative effect on their attainment in and feelings for the subject. Of cause there must be advantages to setting otherwise the First Minister wouldn’t have recommended it. One major advantage is that, compared to mixed ability teaching, it’s easier for teachers to implement as they can pitch work at a level that is more appropriate for the level the children are at. In mixed ability teaching a large majority of the class are unsupervised while setting lends itself to whole class teaching. This would appear to benefit those children in both higher and lower ability groups. Children in higher ability groups could be neglected and left to get on with their work in mixed ability classes while in sets these children will be given more attention, the children in with less ability will feel less inferior and more confident in groups of children with similar ability. Another benefit for high ability children is that low ability children who don’t want to learn will not distract them. The government is aiming to raise standards so it’s understandable to want to give children of higher ability a better chance. Research (Kulik and Kulik, 1982. 1987. Cited in Sukhnandan and Lee, 1998. ) shows that gifted and high ability children achieve more when placed in sets than they do when placed in mixed ability groups. It’s believed by some that high ability pupils benefit in groups with similar ability because it increases motivation by providing appropriate challenges and competition. There is also the implication that the children will be like-minded, facilitating the opportunity for them to discuss and ‘bounce ideas’ between each other. Possibly the main reason why the First Minister recommended this form of ability grouping is because all the research conducted in this area conflicts resulting in there being no truly consistent findings on the effect of ability grouping for pupil achievement. His recommendation could therefore be based on the fact that setting is easier for teachers so it is more likely children will be taught effectively. His main concern appears to be with raising standards and setting is easier to manage and improve than mixed ability teaching as set guidelines can be given for the attainment targets for each set. The blame for these inconsistent findings has been given to the research methods used. There’s a suggestion made that the outcome of ability grouping isn’t the only thing being tested. The quality of teaching, the teacher’s expectations, the pupil’s expectations and the materials available will all effect the pupil’s achievement. The evidence seems to produce more disadvantages to setting than advantages. The main ones being social rather than necessarily academic. However a child will perform better if they are happy and confident. Being labelled as â€Å"set 6† is not good for a child’s self esteem or confidence especially when teachers reinforce the idea that they are not as ‘good’ as those in higher sets. This ultimately leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy, which eventually causes the child to lose all interest. If the First Minister’s objective really is to raise standards then shouldn’t he be focussing on these low ability children and trying to raise their attainment levels? High ability groups also suffer because of the expectation that they are more capable than they actually there. To improve this it might be necessary to re-teach teachers on pupil differences and explain that all the children within the set are not identical. For this to occur they’d have to be a reduction in the emphasis placed on meeting targets, teachers need the flexibility to return to areas that children are finding difficult. When all said and done isn’t education for the benefit child? The First Minister’s recommendation needs to be accompanied by guidelines for teachers on how they can avoid the negative effects of homogeneous grouping. These guidelines should include careful planning, using well-defined targets and remaining aware of the negative effects of ability grouping (GB. Scottish Office. HMI, 1996. Cited in Sukhnandan and Lee, 1998. ) There could also be a move away from emphasis on academic achievement to more recognition of non-academic achievements to restore the self-esteem of children in lower ability groups (Elton Report, 1989. Taylor, 1993. Cited in Sukhnandan and Lee, 1998. ) His recommendation was probably the right one considering the drive to raise standards and make teachers lives easier. Because of the lack of conclusive evidence for what type of grouping is more beneficial academically for the child he was right to choose the method that could be most easily implemented and controlled. However this lack of conclusive evidence means that more research needs to be carried out to discover what the best form of grouping is. To do this researchers will have to establish what is ultimately best for the child, possibly new ways of grouping could be developed or the old ways upgraded.

Business valuation Essay

†¢One of your friends uses the terms ethics and morality interchangeably. You do not think this is correct. How would you explain the difference between ethics and morality? Provide an example of morality and one of ethics in your explanation. Ethics are more about a set of rules for a specific class of people, or a situation. They are more of a set of rules. While morals are more about an individuals’ set of rules for them, what they hold to be right or wrong that they follow to make decisions or take actions. A good example would be a lawyer who is defending a person who has committed a robbery. The lawyer’s morals tells him that the person is guilty, but his ethics tells him that he must defend the person. †¢Select two major ethical theories covered in your readings for Week One. What are the major differences between these two theories? Which one of these theories best aligns with your personal beliefs? Explain. I choose utilitarian theory and deontological theory. Utilitarian theory is to maximize utility as well as maximize happiness while deontological theory refers to following rules or regulations. Utilitarian can be a scenario where it benefits the individual or group say be given a weekend off even though there is still much work to be done, while within the same scenario the employees could almost be forced to work the weekends, even though they are tired and would like to spend time with their families. I prefer utilitarian as maximizing my happiness is important to me. I have worked with companies predominantly the Navy, whose type of theory is deontological. Duty within the Navy is huge, rules create the structure. Knowing that the happiness of myself and my family are a huge part of my determination when making the decision to take a job. †¢What are examples of virtues, values, and moral concepts? How do each of these relate to one another? In what ways are they separate and in what ways are they connected? Virtues are a person’s thoughts and/or actions that are guided by are morals, are morals are what we hold to be true ranging from honesty to being faithful, while are values are simply what he hold to be valuable. They all go together like cogs, working together to reach the same goal, but if one is not there then the whole thing will not work. They are separate because they’re all slightly different, say like parts of a car engine, and yet they are all required in order for the engine to work. If one is not present the engine will not work. †¢In Ch. 6 of Basic Ethics, the author discusses the relationship of religion as it relates to morality and ethics. Using your own personal experiences as a resource, what, if any, relationship exists between religion, morality, and ethics? Explain your answer. †¢Select a public figure from politics or business. Select an ethical theory that seems to best fit this person. Why does this theory seem best? Which theory seems to least suit this person? Why? Hilary Clinton, she would highly appear to follow a deontilogical ethical theory. It seems to suit her and her political career nicely, it just does not seem to be in the best interest of the citizens. Following utilitarianism she would be putting the happiness of the voters and citizens either above her own or at the very least equally. †¢If a person is described as virtuous, is this the same as saying that person is moral or ethical? Why or why not? How would you explain the relationship between these three concepts? Provide examples. If one has to be called ethical or moral I would not say that it means that they are virtuous, but I would say that if someone has to be called virtuous that they would be both ethical and moral. Being virtuous means having or showing high moral standards, so to be virtuous means one would have to have high ethics and high morals. The three work together, morals is doing what is right, ethics is moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior, and being virtuous is a combination of these two as well as going above and always being moral.

Fracking - The environmental, economic, legal and political aspects of Essay

Fracking - The environmental, economic, legal and political aspects of Fracking - Essay Example The process itself involves drilling, explosions, use of toxic chemicals and pumping millions of gallons of water at crushing pressures. In Pennsylvania alone, it has been reported that companies have planned for over fifty sites to work on. Though fracking has been conducted responsibly, the industry does not have a very good track record because from time to time, gas well blow outs, poisoned of water sources, pollution of soil and air , and compromise on the health of people and animals have been reported. Once a shale formation has fracked, it cannot be unfracked and brought together once again. It is therefore very important for thorough research to be conducted before fracking begins, especially in places where the population is very dense (Prud'homme 70). 2. The Environmental, Economic, Legal and Political Consequences of Unlimited Fracking 2.1 Environmental consequences There are many consequences that come with embracing unlimited hydraulic fracturing or fracking. In the Uni ted States, it was reported that by 2012, approximately one million oil and gas wells had been drilled and fracked. The critics and supporters of the fracking process have been left on a cross road, since none of the groups knows whether it is correct. There are risks that come with the fluids used in the drilling process as well as the effects of the natural gas that is released into the environment (Healy 11). The following are the environmental consequences that come with unlimited fracking: a. Ground water Contaminations This is the most familiar consequence of the fracking process. The potential risk to ground water contamination comes from two sources. According to research conducted in 2012 by the University of Texas, there are several incidents of possible contamination in the United States that show no confirmed evidence of ground water contamination from the subsurface fracking itself, but rather from leakage that stems from fracking related waste water above the ground (H ealy 12). The potential causes of the contamination of water in the fracking process are suspected to be overweight drilling mud that causes drilling fluids to leak from the well bore to acquifers near the surface; this happens because shale contains large quantities of harmful chemical elements and compounds that are dissolved in the fracking fluid, which later returns to the surface during flow back. Solid components entering the flow back fluid from the shale leading to contamination, as well as poorly done well bore casing (Healy 12). Subsurface and surface blow outs have been recorded in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Colorado in United States. Blow outs in the ground lead to surface spillage and this often results to contamination of water (Healy 15). b. Emissions into the atmosphere This is another aspect that shows the consequences of fracking to the environment. The gas and vapor emitted from the fluid to the atmosphere affects the environment. The methane released du ring the fracking process is said to have a higher greenhouse gas, for example coal. The drillers involved in these operations should thereof ore ensure that the emission of these gases is minimized (Healy 15). There have been reports of homes that have exploded in Colorado and Ohio. Wyoming has had its residents advised to run the electric fans when showering so as to avoid explosions (Perrow 12). In

Social Issues in Public Sector Human Resource Management in 2034 Research Paper

Social Issues in Public Sector Human Resource Management in 2034 - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that many controversies that are commonly encountered in the public sector fall under human resource management (HRM). AS a matter of fact, HRM accounts for the greatest operating expenditures in the majority of public agencies. The activities of human resource managers in the public sector greatly affect government workers and consequently, public policy. Over the last quarter of the century, many things have happened and much has changed in the various aspects of human life. One of the most remarkable and most impacting happenings is the World War III. During this period many nations including the US used a good portion of their economic and human resources.   Owing to the magnitude of the war and its impacts on society, the country had to traverse a season of recession with its numerous challenges. At the present, the country is striving to address many social issues through its public agencies hence public personnel management is more relevant to the country today than ever. Considering the events of the past 25 years, it is beyond doubt that the human resource has evolved significantly, needs and demands being quite a lot different today.   Among the most vital issues that the current human resource needs to address include reward systems, affirmative action, and social security. Before the Third World War, the United States of America enjoyed a stable economy, the presence of a promising social security system and a relatively peaceful working environment.... The two main components of a reward system are performance and reward according to Norma (67). Over the years, rewards mainly have taken the form of affiliation, direct and indirect financial rewards, and career-related rewards. The hierarchical based rewards system is best suited to organizations that have had sustained success. The recent economic recession has made it difficult for most organizations to reward their employees using this system due to a general decline in the qualitative and quantitative output of the organizations. Most companies have gone through long periods of reduced profits and this has challenged the use of any type of financial rewards. The difficulty of using financial rewards has forced many companies to resort to the utilization of affiliate forms of reward like appraisals. Due to competitive business environment, companies are shifting to career-related motivations like employee education. Furthermore, public agencies have resorted to greater applicatio n of reward systems that focus more on intrinsic motivation as opposed to extrinsic motivation as has been the case during times of favorable economic environments. Formerly HR experts focused their actions on rewarding individual employees more than rewarding groups of workers. On their part, those of present times focus on encouraging group rewards. The present day HR professionals mainly focus on reward systems that promote intrinsic motivation among employees such as recognition and appreciation. Yet again, the current trend is in putting the employee in control of their payslip and rewards. Affirmative action Affirmative action has been very important in ensuring that groups of people who are underrepresented in terms of color, race, nationality or

Strategic Management in a Corporate Environment Dissertation

Strategic Management in a Corporate Environment - Dissertation Example Recent studies have been focusing on linking knowledge transfer and strategic management through competencies development within the corporate environment where increasing global nature of business, technological complexity and knowledge intensive workforce is contributing to the knowledge and competencies of the business. This has been identified in the paper industry by Laukkanen (2008) and can be found applicable to other sectors as well. As knowledge is considered as the most important and strategic resource in an organization, this internal resource is being increasingly managed strategically to derive a competitive advantage for the business. Continuous globalization is forcing organizations to approach its strategic management towards resource-based and knowledge-based economy in a new perspective for sustainable competitive advantage (Ogrean et al, 2009). There is a need to develop a framework that can increasingly tie knowledge management in a corporate environment with the corporate strategy, which seems to be evolving. This effort also determines the success of the corporate’s business strategy in the internal environment as it is the business strategy that focuses on the effective utilization of organizational resources and capabilities (Zack, 1998). While evidence is available that ties the importance of knowledge management to the strategic management of an organization, there is not much research available to empirically link these two concepts. It can be understood that while knowledge management itself is still evolving along with the development of newer strategies for strategic management, there is a need to further study the relation between knowledge transfer and strategy to understand and estimate their... The research aimed at identifying variables that impact knowledge transfer in strategically managed environments. The objectives of research aimed at understanding strategic management concept through the different theories, concepts, frameworks and models of strategic management in the corporate environment. As firms create knowledge of two kinds: explicit and tacit; identifying, developing, sharing and retaining knowledge become necessary for the firms through strategic thinking, as they need to sustain in the chaotic and complex environments. Knowledge transfer within the different locations of the firm or groups of firms is a necessary task if firms need to achieve a competitive advantage in the global market. While explicit knowledge is easy to share, tacit knowledge is ambiguous and complex requiring strategic management tools or models that impact this transfer of knowledge. Identifying suitable frameworks of knowledge transfer becomes important if firms want to achieve a comp etitive advantage through a resource-based and competencies-based approach to strategic management. The different case studies have helped gather data to validate the qualitative information gathered through literature review. It is found that while the dependent variables: market share, business development, relationship development, cost focus, differentiation and collaboration; of strategic management can be measured for their impact on knowledge transfer, independent variables like HRM and performance are loosely tied to strategic management.

How does the Starbucks succeed in America Research Paper

How does the Starbucks succeed in America - Research Paper Example Starbucks’ ability to meet the desires and the needs of millions of customers for caffeine has allowed it to expand aggressively within United States (Misonzhnik). Although, there are several other coffee shops that could provide the customers with coffee but not every single coffee house in United States is equal. The industry’s king of coffee, Starbucks, has consistently managed to succeed in United States by continually thinking out of the box whereas; other coffeehouses are just following the footsteps of Starbucks. The ability of the company to think outside the box has been the company’s recipe for success for more than decades. The quality of coffee provided to the consumers in United States is unquestionably the best. This is the major reason that the consumers spend $7 for just a cup of coffee offered by Starbucks (Ostdick) Unlike other coffeehouses, Starbucks does not spend heavily on its advertisement but rather focuses on providing the customers with outstanding services due to which the customers tend to prolong their stay at Starbucks’ coffeehouses. The continuous innovation and improvements in the coffeehouse’s interior design and infrastructure has provided Starbucks with an opportunity to grab consumer’s attention in a highly cluttered and competitive industry. Thinking out of the box to design and restructure the interior of the coffeehouse has never been easy for Starbucks but making it possible is the specialty of Starbucks. In addition, the brand image of Starbucks highly revolves around the restructuring and design of the coffeehouses. The history of Starbucks in United States is quite impressive due to which the company has been considered by many organizations as a model business. In simpler words, Starbucks has become an icon for many companies. The marketing strategies undertaken by Starbucks are not one of those that are commonly observed in today’s business environment. It is quite rar e to find Starbucks on billboards, posters, ad space or newspaper as most of the well established competitors such as McDonalds had already been taken into consideration. Starbucks highly believes in setting itself apart from the rest of the coffeehouses in terms of advertisement. In order to do so, Starbucks became the pioneer coffeehouse that went for unconventional marketing strategies to attract and grab consumer’s attention. To promote the products and services offered by the company, Starbucks considered word-of-mouth along with viral social media strategies through which the company was provided with an opportunity to perfectly portray what the company exactly wanted. By doing so, the company not only gain the trust of the consumers but was able to change their perception regarding the unique coffee offered by Starbucks (Sose Marketing). The marketing strategy undertaken by Starbucks has several points that indicate the success of Starbucks in United States. Some of mo st prominent learning points are as follows; Starbucks has always remained consistent in terms of quality. Although, the price of the coffee offered to the consumers is slightly higher priced as compared to others but the quality aspect significantly cover this dimension. The quality coffee offered to the consumers not only satisfies the consumers effectively but provides them with an experience of rich, delicious taste and aroma. The marketing st

Music History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music History - Essay Example According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Alleluia was introduced into Western churches around the fourth century and sung in response to the reading of the psalms (Bewerunge, Henry. "Plain Chant."). However, it is generally believed that the official recording occurred in the eighth century when St. Gregory made the effort to compile his beloved church music. It is at this time that the neum, the name of the strange characters, came into existence. (Bewerunge, Henry. "Neum"). The Alleluia was a melismatic composition which means that there were complex notes and melodies carried out on one syllable. The manuscript shows the squiggles streaming after the "a" in "Alleluia" which would suggest that the sound of the "a" is prolonged in the melody. The marks indicate how the sounds are sung or modulated, that is, whether there are glides or trills for example. Accent signs such as the acutus (/) written from left to right over a syllable would indicate a rise in the melody and the grav is, drawn downwards () would be the opposite, to lower the note. The gravis was abbreviated over time to only a dot, or punctum, and as a result was used in combination with (Last Name) 2 other marks to determine the melody. For example, in the group scandicus it shows an ascending group of three or more notes, drawn from left to right, and in the group climacus (), a descending group of notes (Bewerunge, Henry. "Neum"). The Alleluia chant was first used at Easter Sunday, then extended for the entire Easter period, then, courtesy of St. Gregory, again extended for use during the entire year with the exception of the period before Lent (Bewerunge, Henry. "Plain Chant."). As a praise to God, it seems appropriate that it should be used more than one or two times a year. The Agnus Dei is another example of plainchant or Gregorian chant as it is commonly called. However, the neums have evolved into another form in order to further convey the musical meaning. The Catholic Encyclopedia translates the Latin words ""Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis" to "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us" (Henry, Hugh. "Agnus Dei (in Liturgy)"). In Henry Hugh's same article, he states that the Agnus Dei is generally used toward the end of the service before the giving of the Holy Communion. He also mentions that it is also found at the end of litanies, with a slightly different wording and in Requiem Masses. Early Agnus Dei plainsongs were mostly syllabic, where each syllable was given its own note and were mostly sung during days of "penitential character" such as during Lent or Advent, except Good Friday and Holy Saturday (Henry, Hugh. "Agnus Dei (in Liturgy)"). This example of the Agnus Dei is more embellished, and i t falls into the neumatic category, where two or more notes, are applied to one syllable. Sometimes up to a dozen notes are used in the neumatic form and it differs from the melismatic compositions where one will find a syllable carried for dozens of different notes. At the beginning of each four-line staff, there is a notation on the upper line and this tells what mode or key the piece will be in. In this case, it is the mode of C. The other popular mode was the key of F and later, the key of G was introduced. Bewerunge notes in his article in th

Controversy in the Finance Field Research Proposal

Controversy in the Finance Field - Research Proposal Example The subject is crucial in today’s environment because individuals need to comprehend the nature of financial statements, and the presentation of such information. Individuals who understand the nature of financial statements claim that alternative methods of accounting may diminish the integrity of financial statements. When one’s accounting approach is questioned by the FASB, it becomes hectic. Some claim that the comparability of financial statements may be undermined, hence; their usefulness may be eroded. It would be next to impossible for analysts to forecast future earnings if the FASB continues to change the methods and techniques in financial documenting. The introduction of an accounting standard may lead to unpredictable fluctuations that were not expected in the reported earnings. Accounting students may also have a difficult task when learning about accounting. If one takes the time to understand one standard, and the board changes it, later on, there might be problems if one was to take an exam based on the same. The debate and sides of the debate The debate is whether the FASB should be allowed to come up with standards every time they see fit. It is impractical to have individuals get used to one standard, and when they do, there is a change in the same effect. The sides involved fell between those that agreed with the standards and those that were resistant to the changes. However, it is the belief of many that any change that is met with resistance and later imposed, will likely lead to improvement.

Business ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business ethics - Assignment Example Minority groups and women have had to deal with issues of ethical dilemma in work places, and Karen is no exception. There are three eligible managers for promotion, namely: Carmen, Ralph and Yingzi. Making a decision as to whom the position should go to is quite complex. This is due to the fact that each of the three seems best suited to the position. A critical analysis is therefore necessary to solve Karen’s problem. There are three eligible managers for the promotion. Each of the three persons has had a contribution to the company. A number of factors have to be considered in order to assess and evaluate the manager who is best suited to the promotion. In order to do so, all the three candidates have to be critically evaluated in the light of their suitability to the job. Each of the three will be considered individually. Carmen is an African American female aged 34 years. She is divorced and a mother of one; Heather. She is from time to time caught up in family crisis because her daughter has had medical problems. Minority groups and women have had issues in their places of work, thereby facing significant problems that related to their duties and responsibilities at their work place. From the case, it is evident that African Americans have hardly worked here. This is evidenced by the fact that promoting Carmen would be historical in the company since she would be the very first African American to reach such a position in the company. In considering her academics, qualifications and work experience, Carmen studied at Northwest State College. Her performance was average since she graduated in the lower half of her class. She has worked for the company for a period of four years. On the same note, she has been in this industry for not less than eight years now. In the work place, Carmen is considered a mediocre performer, and so are her ratings in the company. However, her energy level at work is promising, although she has

Humanities Today Essay Example for Free

Humanities Today Essay The academic discipline known as humanities is the study of how man interprets the world around him. The study of humanities has been around since mankind began investigating and questioning the world they lived in. According to the article What are the Humanities?(2000), when the National Endowment for the Humanities was established in 1964, Congress created the following definition of humanities which included the study of:history; literature; philosophy and ethics; foreign languages and cultures; linguistics; jurisprudence or philosophy of law; archeology; comparative religion; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences. In this definition the key point for distinguishing humanities from other modes of human inquiry is the fact that humanities are based on historical and expressive interpretation rather than theory and logic. Humanities inquire about the humans interpretation of his or her surroundings. The inquiries come from the general population or an individuals own expression of human reaction to historical events and the way that it is expressed through art, science, politics, literature, music, architecture, and religion. Other modes of human inquiry are based off of proven facts and scientific theories. A persons interpretation has little to do with science (What are the Humanities, 2000). ArtOne of the more controversial ways that the arts have been affected by modern humanities is the showcasing of human bodies as art. An exhibition called Gunther von Hagens BODY WORLDS: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies is now touring the United States. This exhibition displays human bodies that have been plasticized, doing various normal human activities. Some displays have cadavers in the middle of making a shot in basketball, while others displays a family sitting around a kitchen table. In this day of rapid technological advances, it is sometimes hard to distinguish pure art from criminal activity. At fist glance most people are amazed to see that technology has allowed a concept like this to be possible. Many people feel that there is much to be learned about the human body through this display of art. On the other hand many people are outraged by the exhibit calling it a denigration of the human spirit. Others have  called it a criminal act. The companies that process these human bodies are currently being investigated by the U.S. government. Many fingers have been pointed at China for having a black market for cadavers. No one knows for sure how the companies even come across so many cadavers and if the persons permission was given. One thing is for sure that this form of art represents the mind set of the world today. This tiny fraction of the art world represents the change in religious beliefs, technology, and artistic expression today (Cattani, 2008). MusicMusic is definitely an area that changes through the attitudes and expression of past generations, especially in the African-American community. During the time of slavery music was a way for slaves to capture some of the heritage that was so violently taken away from them. Similar to musicians today, one of the way slaves used music was as a way to express the way they felt about the environment around them. Many songs from those days represented oppression and sorrow. Some other songs represented times of joy or the hope of overcoming oppression. Slaves also used music for celebration, communication, and mourning (Slave Songs, n.d.). Todays African-American community still uses music in some of the same ways. Times have changed. Slavery has been abolished but from slavery there arose racial separatism, feelings of hate between the races, and distrust of Caucasians by other races. This is where the harshness and intentionally angry voice of gangsta rap is derived. This genre of music is an outlet for young African American males to voice the inequality and unjust behaviors that they feel from society. ArchitectureFrank Lloyd Wright is one the foremost fathers of modern American architecture. He believed that past methods for architecture were relied too heavily. Wright made it a point to reject the 19th century European architecture that people were used to. His style was attributed to the blocks he played with as a child and from modern Japanese architecture. Since the world was going through a new industrial period, Wright felt is was necessary to include materials that emphasized the world around him. He began to use materials such as steel and glass in his architecture. Open  floor plans with few walls separating rooms were also a turn from traditional architecture (Modern Architecture, 2007). PhilosophyOne of the noted pioneers of modern philosophy is John Dewey. Among other branches of philosophy, Dewey was relentless on the subject of experimental education. Dewey believed that the current method of education was more concerned with feeding children information rather then learning from the childs experiences. Dewey believed that it is the educators responsibility to facilitate learning in a way which accounts for each students uniqueness. Today, many school philosophies are still based on Deweys theory of experience (Neill, 2005). LiteratureThe information age has had a lasting effect on modern literature. Through T.V., the internet, and the media information is capable of being exchanged over long distances in a very short period of time. Mankind has shown a hunger for information in modern years. In the 21st century literature related to true events have become very popular. Because of this, the status of celebrities has somewhat fallen. The people who used to be held as iconic figures have become as human as everyone else today. Instead of the imaginative fiction literary works that used to be the norm, today autobiographies and tabloid magazines are flying off the shelves. The situation only reflects the information driven society from which it comes. The study of humanities is an ever changing journey. Humanities will changes with the questions and expression about every generation to come. Humanities are unique in that a quest for the purpose and meaning of the human life is being sought. As time goes on, the study of humanities will be become broader, taking with it all the questions of yesterday. References Cattani, T. (2008). Human cadavers on displayas an attraction?. Retrieved February 22, 2008,from Living Lake Country Web site: http://community.livinglakecountry.com/blogs/from_another_side/archive/2008/02/15/human-cadavers-on-display-as-an-attraction.aspxModern Architecture, (2007). Retrieved February 22, 2008, from Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia Web site:

McDonalds Company Overview

McDonalds Company Overview 1.0 Introduction McDonalds Company Overview McDonalds is a big corporation and international fast food restaurant around the world, it was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1937 in California, and 43 years later in December 1980, the global fast food restaurants had arrived in Malaysia (The Communications Department McDonalds Restaurants Ltd 1995). It gives a lot of advantage to McDonalds and opportunity to capture more shares and customers as the fast food trend in Malaysia still have the market to expand. Since 1982, McDonalds opened its first restaurant stated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It creates many job opportunities, especially in its headquarter which is having more than 8,000 local people and 120 support staffs being employed.( M.Azu, 2010) This report reviews McDonalds social performance, and how the McDonalds performance influencing to the society. Furthermore, it also shows the effective of stakeholders and the performance of company with regards to fulfilling needs within society. 2.0Social performance The corporate social performance consists of measurement in â€Å"how well the institution has translated its social goals into practice† (CGAP Workshop Paris 2004). It also known as corporate social responsibility (CSR), is define as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lord Holme and Richard Watts n,d.) There is another definition, CSR is about capacity building for sustainable livelihoods. It respects cultural differences and finds the business opportunities†¦.† (Ghana n,d.) For McDonalds, my own definition is that CSR is about how companies manage the business operation to produce an overall impact on society and creates a good impression to customers and stakeholders in order to making profits in ways of belief in welfare, and responsibility to take care of welfare benefits. In this section, we will discuss about how well the CSR and contribution of McDonalds in the society. 2.1Services provider technology improvement McDonalds provides customers extra services such as delivery order through phone and online, and also 24 hours service for people who look for quick meal during their night shift. (McDonalds n.d.) It gives a good aspect of economic arises as many household can purchase the fast foods in the convenience way. This will slightly increase the rate of consumption in Malaysia. Moreover, it helps to develop infrastructure especially telecommunication, intercommunication and so on, as nowadays people are lazy to go out having their meals, some of them are ordering their meals through internet rather than driving a car to buy foods. 2.2Environmental protection Environmental protection refers to â€Å"any activity to maintain or restore the quality of environmental media through preventing the emission of pollutants or reducing the presence of polluting substances in environmental media.† (Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods 2001). In this case, McDonalds is announcing a plan to buy up $100 million in recycled construction materials for use in building and remodeling its fast-food restaurants. (John Holusha 1990), it is helping the recycling industry to reclaim those materials such as newspapers, cans and bottles. In addition, McDonalds also uses the recycling materials for packaging such as beverages, burgers and so on. However, the McDonalds recycling program is not only aimed to do like that, the company said the plastic items are also can reform into the useful items such as trays and buckets. (John Holusha 1990) Therefore, sometimes McDonalds will come out with their strategy such as using the recycle plastic items to make plastic glass as a free gift for customers who buy a set of meal. 3.0Impact of social performance As we know that McDonalds is a fast food restaurant, some people might not satisfy with their services or foods. This section will tell us the issues that McDonalds encountered. 3.1 Copyright and Patents Copyright is a â€Å"protection for original expression of ideas that we cannot copy from them who have registered†. (HJ Ventures International, Inc 2004) There are different functions between copyright and patent. For a thing to be patented it must be useful. Since we know that McDonalds is a big corporation, they had registered the copyright and patents, which mean people cannot use the similar name or product when forming a business. However, sometimes company may face the copyright and patents problem. For an example, there is hottest news in recent years, which contend about the copyrights of the company name, McDonalds v McCurry. McDonalds vigorously defends its trademarks against violations anywhere in the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Liam Jeory 2009) We can see that McDonalds strongly defends against their copyrights. However, McDonalds failed to sue McCurry for the copyrights, McCurry argued that their selling foods such as briyani rice, nasi lemak, while McDonalds sells fries, and burgers, etc. (Boey Wei Lyn, 2010) In this case, the court held that their style is use in different terms of presentation, get-up and targeted market, and the signboard for McCurry would not result in reasonable persons associating McCurry Restaurant with McDonalds. (Boey Wei Lyn 2010) In fact, McCurry offered to the customers are totally different from what McDonalds offered, and this shows that McCurry did not use â€Å"Mc† to name their food items served in his outlet. In conclusion, the court st ated that there was no proof in such circumstances, and eventually McDonalds leave to appeal to the court and awarded McCurry cost of RM10, 000. 3.2Nutrition Nowadays most customers concern in healthy foods. However, fast food is considered oily and bad for health, it will link to serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity and so on. McDonalds has no sufficient scientific evidence to prove that their food can be valuable part of a balance diet. Many people said that McDonalds are selling unhealthy products, for most people who practice to eat the healthiest possible food usually either cooks at home or have meal at the workplace to avoid taking fast food. (Helen and Dave) However, the situation is changing rapidly, many food industries has processed the unhealthy mass for food that it can used to replace fresh and healthy foods. This successful development had causes a serious problem in human health as now they currently sell to about 30 million people daily. (Helen and Dave) People start to rely on McDonalds fast food and dislike cooking at home as its convenience to all of them. Therefore, McDonalds has become the world largest threats for human health which people are concerning about. 3.3 Legal and Political Environment Malaysia is formally an Islamic nation as majority of its population comes from Muslim. McDonalds will have to bind with the Malaysia Law which is Syariat Law, it stated that all food served must be Halal. (M.Azu, 2010) It brings a lot of limitation to McDonalds food offered to Malaysia. In order to capture and making profit in this market, McDonalds have to cooperate in working with suppliers, authorities, local businesses and government throughout their international operations. As we know that McDonalds makes many offers such as beef, chicken, pork, fish meal around the world, McDonalds is forced to follow the law in Malaysia by serving the Halal food to gain Islam consumers confident which creates a good impression in Malaysia. Therefore, McDonalds must concern in the type of foods in Malaysia they offered, especially the total absence of pork products. 4.0Effective of Stakeholders Stakeholders can be defined as â€Å"individuals and groups who are affected by the activities of an organization†¦..†(Ian Worthington 2009). McDonalds stakeholders have the combination of Internal, Connected and External Stakeholders in Malaysia. This section shows only the analysis of the two elements of stakeholders as external shareholders take less effect in McDonalds organization. 4.1Internal Stakeholders Internal stakeholders includes both elements, which is managers and employees, this type of stakeholders will affect the day-to-day operations in McDonalds as their working performance will directly affects McDonalds business and the impression of the company. 4.1.1Managers In Malaysia, there is only one managing director, Azmir Jaafar, who is responsible to all the McDonalds restaurant in Malaysia. He is the one who works from low hierarchy level which is assistant manager, store manager, to high hierarchy level of operations consultant, market manager and director of operations. As a trainee manager, he said that the manager needs to understand the basics of cooking burgers and cleanliness in the kitchen at all times. (Sarah Chew 2009) Therefore, a manager must make sure that day-to-day operations are running smoothly and serving the foods and beverage constantly. Moreover, a stock manager also plays an important role which he has to make sure the ingredients are fresh and applicable. 4.1.2Employees For a trainee manager, he has to qualify the needs of employee in McDonalds operations. As McDonalds open for 24 operation hours, sometime they need to find someone who is fast learner and able to work in flexible hours. Therefore, the communications interact between employees is the important skills for a manager to manage the working schedule and so on. In addition, Azmir Jaafar said that he love his job because McDonalds has been rated for 10 best employers. (Sarah Chew 2009) McDonalds is also providing training to their employees in terms of management skill, customer service skills and so on so that employees positive attitude toward customers can bring positive image to the public. 4.2Connected Stakeholders Connected stakeholders cover groups such as shareholders, suppliers and customers, and are parties which invest or have dealings with the firm. (Ian Worthington 2009) These elements will strongly affect the financial performance of the company. 4.2.1 Customer In fact, customer is the key element for McDonalds to survive in the market. Sales levels increase or decrease directly affects the cash stream flow system and McDonalds stock listed in the market. 4.2.2 Shareholders and suppliers Supplier helps to maintain the McDonalds demands and to make sure that ingredient is fresh, as while as McDonalds can provide the best tasty food served to customers. On the other hand, â€Å"increasing of shareholders value will be best served†¦.† (Ian Worthington 2009) Company and shareholders will get profits if the company performs well and achieving success and financial well-being. 5.0 Conclusion In short, this report clearly shows that McDonalds business operations and the impacts of social performance within society, I believe the highlighted points are important to McDonalds to pay close attention and overcome it, and help to improve their performance while expanding the business to the market in near future. 6.0 Recommendation As we know that McDonalds fast food is considered oily and bad for health, I suggest that company should offer healthy foods such as sweet potato, vegetables salad meals to target the people who are vegetarians. Moreover, company should not only target the customers, it can cooperate with another company to form a new restaurant in order to fulfill the vegetarian or healthy needs, and response to any activity such environmental protection plan in the society. Reference List Boey Wei Lyn, 2010. McDonalds v McCurry. http://loyarburok.com/selected-judgments/a-comment-on-mcdonald-losing-its-trademark-battle-against-mccurry/ (accessed April 1, 2010). CGAP Workshop Paris CERISE coordinated. 2004. Power point slides. Retrieved from Cerise-microfinance publications Website: http://www.cerise-microfinance.org/publication/pdf/prog_spi2/15-11h15-Argidius-Kverhagen-definition.pdf (accessed March 31, 2010). HJ Ventures International, Inc. 2004. Copyright definition. Patent Glossary: Copyright.http://www.hjventures.com/patent/Copyright.html (accessed March 31, 2010). Glossary of Statistical Terms.2001. Environmental protection. http://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=836 (accessed March 31, 2010). Helen and Dave, n.d. the issues introduction.http://www.mcspotlight.org/issues/intro.html (accessed April 1, 2010). Hes lovin it.2009.The Malaysian, May 31, Sarah Chew. http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/abtus/corpinfo/49.pdf (accessed April 2, 2010). Ian Worthington, 2009. Stakeholders and how they affect your business. http://www.simama.org/article/stakeholders-and-how-they-affect-your-business (accessed April 2, 2010). JohnHolusha, 1990. McDonalds Contribution to Recycling. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/18/business/mcdonald-s-contribution-to-recycling.html?pagewanted=1 (accessed April 1, 2010). Mallen Baker, n.d. Corporate Social Responsibility What does it mean? http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/definition.php (accessed April 7, 2010). M.Azu, 2010. McDonalds Malaysia Marketing Strategy. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/23688272/McDonals-Malaysia (accessed April 2, 2010). McDonalds, n.d. History: McDonalds in Malaysia. http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/abtus/corpinfo/history_msia.asp (accessed March 31, 2010). Royce Cheah and Bill Tarrant, 2009. McDonalds vs McCurry heads for Malaysia court again.http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5834EF20090904 (accessed April 1, 2010).

Archetypal Characters Within the Slasher Film Sub-Genre Essay -- Film

Archetypal Characters Within the "Slasher" Film Sub-Genre One of the most telling traits of a society is how it entertains itself. Although Americans of the late twentieth century have many choices for distraction, one medium has had a particularly significant impact upon the fabric of American culture: film. Through pandering to the ideas and beliefs of the audience, filmmakers parallel those ideas and beliefs in their creations. This correlation was demonstrated in the glut of so-called "slasher" films during the period 1974-1984. Although the films were diverse in form and execution, the basic plot of these movies involved some sort of deranged psychopath gleefully stalking and killing a number of unfortunate teenage victims. Within this sub-genre there can be found a number of basic character styles, or archetypes. These archetypes not only serve to bind certain movies into the slasher category, but also to provide a window into the culture that they cater to. In order to present a specific example of each archetype, I have chosen four films that are exemplary of the overall sub-genre. Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) tells the story of a van full of traveling teenagers and their run-in with a family of backwoods cannibals. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) has killer Michael Myers strangling baby-sitters on the night of said movie title. Sean Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980) looses a hockey-masked psychopath upon a host of unsuspecting camp counselors. Finally, Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse (1981) finds four teens trapped in a carnival with a murderous sideshow freak. The most evident archetype within the slasher sub-genre is the Virgin. Usually the Virgin is the protagonist of the film, a female tee... ... of the sub-genre that began with the Wes Craven's Scream (1994). These films are not only helping to carry the archetypes of Halloween and Friday the 13th to a new generation of moviegoers, but also updating them as the culture has updated itself. Despite the changes some form of these archetypes will continue to exist, no matter how much American society alters. As long as a teenager yearns for the adrenaline rush from a masked murderer, slasher films and their archetypes will endure. Works Cited Halloween. Dir. John Carpenter, with Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis. Falcon Productions, 1978. Friday the 13th. Dir. Sean Cunningham. Paramount, 1980. The Funhouse. Dir Tobe Hooper. Universal, 1981. McCarthy, Ken. The Splatter Film Guide. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dir Tobe Hooper. Rosebud Communications, 1974.

feminaw Portrayal of Men in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay

The Portrayal of Men in The Awakening When Kate Chopin develops the male characters in her novel, The Awakening, she portrays men in a very objectionable light. For the most part, her men are possessive, cowardly and self-serving. She seems a trifle unfair and biased in her portrayal of men, yet this view is necessary for Chopin to get her point across. She uses the characters of Mr. Pontellier, Robert, Alcee and a few other men to demonstrate her observations of the middle class man in the society of her day. Firstly, Mr. Pontellier represents Kate Chopin's supposition that in society men objectify women. A wife is a man's property, he "looks at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage"(44) and his possession, "he greatly valued his possessions, chiefly because they were his"(99). Mr. Pontellier treats Edna like a child, commanding and demeaning her,"Send him about his business when he bores you,' instructed her husband"(45) while also scolding her "he reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children"(48). At the same time, he requires that she play the role of his wife,"Tuesday being Mrs. Pontellier's reception day..attired in a handsome gown, she remained in the drawing-room the entire afternoon receiving her visitors"(100). Chopin also uses Pontellier to indicate that she conceives men as dominating, for example, on page 77 and 78, when Edna refuses to go inside, Mr. Pontellier joins her outside and waits until s he decides to go in. Chopin also shows Pontellier taking out his anger at Edna for going out on Tuesday afternoon, by complaining about the cook(108). Next,Alcee Arobin symbo... ... confidence to me, perhaps I might help you. I know I would understand, and I tell you there are not many who would--not many, my dear(171), "I don't want you to blame yourself, whatever comes"(172). Unfortunately, it is already to late, for when Edna returns and finds Robert's note, her grief can not be contained. After she swims out , she looks back and thinks "perhaps Doctor Mandelet would have understood if she had seen him--but it was too late"(176). Put simply, Kate Chopin uses The Awakening to exercise her observations of men in her society. In the present, it is hard to see her accusations as accurate since society has changed considerably. But regarding the time and setting of her story, Chopin's views are quite accurate and fair, although unappealing to the men who read her book, which eventually made her and The Awakening so unpopular.

Chinese Food: Potstickers :: History Culinary Cooking Essays

Chinese Food: Potstickers I was flipping through the â€Å"Food† section of the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003, and came across an enormous picture of a potsticker. The article about â€Å"Potstickers† caught my attention. I thought, so what? Is there really a history behind the famous dumpling? Surprisingly, yes. The article began with an introduction of how Amy Tan, the famous author of The Joy Luck Club, makes potstickers with her sisters in remembrance of their mother. They gradually linked into the history of the potsticker with a legend that many culinary chefs know today: A chef to a royal household left a pot of dumplings on the stove too long and discovered the bottoms had burned. The chef thought this would mean his head, but his smart son decided to present the dumplings to the emperor himself. When the emperor asked why the dumplings were burned, the son quickly explained it was a new recipe for something called potstickers. The emperor liked the cr unchiness of the browned bottoms and a new dish was born. The article then continues on to the significance of the potsticker. Martin Yan, cooking show host, says â€Å"The potstickers are special because of the succulent filling inside and a crispy bottom outside. People also like the play of the dumpling with its dipping sauce.† The article ties back to the introduction of Amy Tan and her connections with the potsticker. She also states the potsticker is an equalizer to all; people rich or poor can eat the most glorious pot sticker for â€Å"they transcend class and money.† Tan continues to make potstickers in her mother’s memory. The pot stickers are great for entertaining a party and culinary schools are now teaching how to make the dumplings. The article also provides a recipe and illustrations in addition to seven columns on how to prepare them. On the Bottom of that article was another article by Olivia Wu, titled, â€Å"A Family That Rolls, Fills and Crimps Together Creates More Than Just Dumplings.â₠¬  This article talks about the significance of one family and how making potstickers brings them together like playing a board game would. The article was captivating because my family and I do the same thing! I was reminded of how the potsticker relates to me.

Healthcare Managment Essay

What is healthcare management? Let’s sum it up to get a better sense of all what partakes in it, as well of doing it in an effective way. Simply put is the overseeing of all the healthcare facilities. Most likely patient encounter is not so likely, unless there is a means to speak or deal with a situation directly with patient. Healthcare relates to insurance companies, organization, and hospitals. It can get a little difficult because there are so many roles such ass, human resources, equipment, and scheduling .Being in this field is quite diverse, due to the many fields. Four Functions * As I mentioned before having this role you must be effective, in doing so there are functions that need to be set and used on a day to day basis. The first is â€Å"organizing†, which to have organization is wonderful and keeps things running smoothly. What does this consist of simply understanding your staff and helping them with their staff by assigning them with their own and last but not least support. When employees have this to fall back on it helps in many ways for the organization. Second, â€Å"planning† you can never go wrong if you plan right and plan ahead. There are objectives that need to completed, which requires decision to be made. It gives an overview of what is expected and gives better insight for all. Third, â€Å"controlling† it is not necessarily what may come to mind at first. Managers have an obligation to always we on top of things, therefore in order for this to be done being involved with the performance of the team must come into pl ay. This allows management to be able to focus on what needs to be done whether good or bad. In turn it gives an overview of how things our running. Fourth, â€Å"leading† I see as not trying to be someone’s boss/manager it is someone who builds you up for success. I can say myself that putting all four functions to work together every work day probably is not so easy. No manager is perfect, the most important thing is that you try to incorporate all in some fashion and with that things should be effective. Having children myself I feel that I am a manager with everything to go with all wrapped up in one. I am needed to make my household run in functional way. If there were no guidelines and leadership it would all come tumbling down. What Do I Want to Gain? * Learning how to be more diversified and in the professional healthcare world. I feel very strongly about this because my most absolute goal is to become a healthcare manager and I know that there is an overwhelming increases in diversity now days. Since knowing this and seeing I first hand I would like to make sure that when I become a manager for a facilities I can uphold the standard and respect for all people. This is not only for the staff, but for the patient’s sake as well. Having the knowledge and to be able to teach other and implement it within. References Lombardi, D. N., & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Sherman, C. (1999). Raising management standards in American healthcare. Healthcare Executive, 14(2), 12-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200287995?accountid=35812 Wallick, W. G., & Stager, K. J. (2002). Healthcare managers’ roles, competencies, and outputs in organizational performance improvement / practitioner response. Journal of Healthcare Management, 47(6), 390-401; discussion 401-2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/206729167?accountid=35812

Child Trafficking Essay

A child is a young human being who is not yet an adult. It also defines trafficking as an act of buying and selling things illegally. So, child trafficking is an inhuman act where children are being used unjustly as objects of business transaction. Boys and girls are involved but girls are mostly involved as victims. They are taken from their parents by the trafficker who with deceitful words promises the girl’s parent’s heaven and earth for instance that she will send them to school or that she has a business in abroad like a saloon where the girls can work for few months and establish theirs. Parents who are living in the villages are the ones they use to go to, because most of them are unable to afford both material and financial needs of all their children. Such parents have no alternative than giving out their childchildren who maybe in their teens to the lady who pretended to be good. Despite all these government can still work on this heavily by the following: Firstly, government should declare free education in every school that is the school owned by the government maybe to the secondary school level. By so doing, parents will not have the excuse of giving out their children to someone else to take care of them. Secondly, government should see to duly paying of workers’ salaries at the end of each month and not leaving them empty handed at the end of the month because they need money to solve the problems facing them in the family and also to prevent them from exposing their children to those heartless human beings that use children illegally to make money. The last but not the least is that the parliamentary arm of government should sit together with the support of the president, make laws for children against abuse and intimidation. Also the judiciary arm should be strict in punishing anybody found exhibiting the act of child trafficking

How do the brain and eyes jointly process information?

Introduction The intricacies of the human eye enable us to interpret light and distinguish colour to produce vision. It is, however, the complexity of the processing in the visual pathway from eye to brain along which this information is interpreted and manifested that allows us to create a representation of the surrounding world, otherwise known as visual perception (Gibson, 1950). Whilst vision begins with the eye and ends with the brain, the way these organs work together and the relative influence each has on our perception is fundamental to producing what we see. Light is first refracted onto the cornea of the eye before passing to the pupil and lens. An image is then projected onto the retina, resulting in the production of ganglion cells specialised to describe depth, colour, shape, motion, and light intensity (Nelson, 2007). Nerve spikes from the ganglion cells containing this information transmit to the brain’s optic nerve, by which visual information is passed for interpretation in the visual cortex. The right and left visual cortices comprise part of the occipital lobe of the brain, both receiving information from the opposite hemisphere’s visual field. The estimated 140 million neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) (Lueba & Kraftsik, 1994) fire when visual stimuli appear within their receptive field, and these fields are tuned to receive stimuli of specific orientations and colours (Kandal et al., 2000). The receptive fields of neurons in more complex visual processing areas are able to detect more intricate stimuli such as faces (Kanwisher, McDermott & Chun, 1997) or direction (Allman et al. 1984). The five identified visual areas (V1-V5) are interconnected with varying strengths, allowing information to be projected forward from one to another and feedback to be given. As the visual information passes through this hierarchy, it is proposed that is processed by two pathways of neural representation. These pathways, named the dorsal and ventral streams, are hypothesi sed to deal with spatial attention and the recognition and perception of visual stimuli respectively, and involve the passing of visual information and representation further into the brain integrating it with awareness, attention, and memory functions (Ungerleider & Mishkin, 1982). The process of visual perception, as the eye’s sensory input is interpreted throughout the brain enables us to perceive and construct our own visual world. Gibson (1966) proposed a direct theory of perception, affording the richness of the sensory input with the construction of the perceived visual outcome. He claimed that a variety of environmental cues, or affordances, aid the interpretation of the visual scene. These include brightness, texture gradient, relative size, and superimposition (where one object blocks another). Gibson believed that when combined with invariants (constancies within the environment ie. parallel lines appearing to converge toward a horizon) and optic flow (the pattern of light movement within a visual scene) this was enough to enable the perceiver to orient themselves and the surrounding environment. There are, however, complexities to Gibson’s bottom-up theory of visual processing. It may be overly simplistic to underestimate the role of a top-down influence from the brain. Gibson’s theory does not account for times when the visual system is fooled, or becomes subject to an illusion. Rubin’s Vase (Rubin, 1915) is a classic example of how the human visual system is subject to ambiguity, where one single visual stimulus can be perceived as two distinct images. If the visual system directly processes light into an image, it would follow that a single visual input would lead to a universal and singular output. However, the existence of ambiguity in the perception of a visual stimulus suggests there may be times when the brain cannot decide as to what representation to assign to the visual input. Further questions are raised when looking at the influence of context, and how this can lead us to misinterpret visual stimuli. The Ebbinghaus Illusion, demonstrates perceptual distortion, highlighting the role of contextual cues, where a circle surrounded by large circles is judged as smaller than the same circle surrounded by small circles (Obonai, 1954). This is suggestive of a higher-level process in which the brain applies context relevant logic to the interpretation of a visual stimuli. Additionally, experience provides strong influence over the processing of visual information. ‘Impossible illusions‘ such as Escher’s Waterfall, and the Hollow Face Illusion (Gregory, 1997) exploit concepts of experiential perceptual learning, such as knowledge that adjacent edges must join, and human faces are always convex. These illusions demonstrate how the brain aims to perceive coherence in 3D objects to make sense out of its visual environment, creating a captivating paradox between what we know and what we are actually seeing. Visual perception can be ambiguous, distorted, paradoxical, and even fictitious (Gregory, 1980). It appears to be influenced by context, experience, and expectation, a concept asserted by Richard Gregory (1970) who theorised perception as a top-down process. Deduced from observations of when the human visual system makes errors, Gregory proposed that the brain constructs a visual hypothesis from information processed by the eye based on former experience and knowledge. If the top-down, constructivist theory holds true, there are implications for the constancy of percepts between individuals. We all have idiosynchratic knowledge and experience. Do differences in internal representation lead individuals to perceive visual stimuli differently from each otherAdditionally, what is to be said for the perception of those that have no knowledge or experienceDoherty et al. (2010) observed an absence of suceptibility to the Ebbinghaus illusion in a number of children under seven years of age, perhaps suggestive that experience and knowledge does have an influence on visual information processing. Without the knowledge base, the children were not affected by the contextual cues. MacLeod (2007) proposes that top-down theories are based on times when visual conditions are poor, and bottom-up theories are founded in ideal viewing conditions; neither of which is an all encompassing explanation of perception. Recent research highlights the interaction of both constructivist and direct processes (MacLeod, 2007), with the proposal that when bottom-up, sensory information is abundant there is less input from contextual hypotheses, and when there is an absence of stimulus information, the brain draws on its prior knowledge and experience to comprehend the input (Ramachandran, 1994). It becomes apparent that the study of human perception and how it is influenced by not only the anatomical structure of the visual pathway, but also psychological components such as experience and knowledge will enable us to further understand how the eyes and the brain interact to process visual information. References: Allman, J., Miezin, F., McGuinness, E. (1985) ‘Direction- and velocity-specific responses from beyond the classical receptive field in the middle temporal visual area (MT)† Perception, 14(2), pp. 105 – 126. Doherty, M., Campbell, N., Hiromi, T., and Phillips, W. (2010) ‘The Ebbinghaus illusion deceives adults but not young children’, Developmental Science, 13(5), pp. 714-721. Gibson, J. (1950). The perception of the visual world. Oxford: Houghton Mifflin. Gibson, J. (1966). The senses considered as perceptual systems. Oxford: Houghton Mifflin. Gregory, R. (1970). The Intelligent Eye. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Gregory RL. (1980) ‘Perceptions as hypotheses’. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, vol. 290(B), pp. 181-197. Gregory, R. (1997) ‘Knowledge in perception and illusion’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B, vol. 352, pp. 1121–1128. Kandal, E., Schwartz,J., and Jessell, T. (2000). Principles of Neural Science. 4th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division. Kanwisher, N., McDermott, J., and Chun, M. (1997) ‘The fusiform face area: a module in human extrastriate cortex specialized for face perception’, Journal of Neuroscience, 17, pp. 4302-4311. Leuba, G., and Kraftsik, R. (1994) ‘Changes in volume, surface estimate, three-dimensional shape and total number of neurons of the human primary visual cortex from midgestation until old age’, Anatomy of Embryology, 190, pp.351-366. McLeod, S. (2007). Simply Psychology. [online] Available at: [Accessed 22 February 2012]. Nelson, R. (2007) Visual responses of ganglion cells. In: H. Kolb, E. Fernandez, and R. Nelson (eds.), The Organisation of the Retina and Visual System. Salt Lake City (UT): University of Utah Health Sciences Centre. Obonai, T., (1954) ‘Induction effects in estimates of extent’, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47, pp. 57-60. Ramachandran, V. (1994). In: R. Gregory, and J. Harris, (eds.) The Artful Eye. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 249–267. Rubin, E. (1915). Synsoplevede Figurer: Studier i psykologisk Analyse. Forste Del’ [Visually experienced figures: Studies in psychological analysis. Part one]. Copenhagen and Christiania: Gyldendalske Boghandel, Nordisk Forlag. Ungerleider, L., and Mishkin, M. (1982). Two cortical visual systems. In: D. Ingle, M. Goodale, and R. Mansfield, (eds). Analysis of Visual Behavior. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. pp. 549–586.

My dear friend

I hope you are enjoying your stay in the United States and that you are receiving a good education.   I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the problems of our kingdom and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.   I have so few opportunities and liberties here that I feel that moderate Islamists may do a better job of governing our country than the princes.   Let me try to explain how I feel. Like many of our generation, I have had trouble finding work.   During the oil boom of the 1970's, employment was more secure and the government was able to grant extensive welfare benefits to citizens of the kingdom.   More recently, however, the economy has stagnated.   In 1998, for example, we had 27% unemployment! I feel that the economy is suffering due to our reliance on oil.   Despite the fabulous wealth it brings to the country, the oil industry can only employ a certain number of people.   Since oil is essentially the only thing that our country produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment other than the government itself, which is dominated by the royal family and its network of friends and cronies. Despite all the wealth gained from oil, the royal family Has not invested the wealth into other sectors of society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Americans, and buy loyalty from the population by providing free social services.   Despite all this wealth, however, our country has not given greater freedoms to its citizens. Our kingdom has always relied on an alliance between the al-Saud family and the radical Wahabi clerics.   One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).   The clerics give the king legitimacy, and in return the kings lavishly fund the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations. I feel that this alliance is bad for our country.   Our country needs to be freer.   Both the royal family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.   Both groups benefit by denying power to other people.   I have come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is bad for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us basic freedoms.   It is also bad for the world as a whole, because it leads to terrorism. Many Wahabis have turned against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is not sufficiently Islamic.   They feel that the government is too corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.   Osama bin Laden is the most infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   Even though he attacked America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Muslims who do not deserve to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina. The threat to the Saudis from its radical citizens became clear shortly after I was born.   This was a major turning point in the history of our country.   When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many feared that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.   Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle Saddam Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union. King Fahd rejected bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t very realistic any way.   Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.   Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and liberate Kuwait.   Even though Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow the American military into the kingdom infuriated many radical Islamists. I must say that, as a proud and independent man, I would like to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.   I don’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s just that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would like their military to leave our land.   Many people, however, feel much more strongly about this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia. As my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.   Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.   We now have a confrontation between the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is able to govern our country effectively. Although I disapprove of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.   Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.   Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!   The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to fear most. For years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the world.   They knew that some of these groups used the money for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.   I don’t know why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family. So, my friend, our government has failed to diversify the economy beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.   These are very serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å"reform† will illustrate my grievances.   In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic Law of Government by decree.   The law spelled out the nature of the government.   The government was a hereditary monarchy, a model that was popular centuries ago in Europe.   The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.   In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the consultative council. Here are my problems with this attempt at reform.   Firstly, the Basic Law was enacted by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.   Secondly, the law simply spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, especially the king, has all the power in Saudi Arabia. The consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.   Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.   Secondly, the council â€Å"consults†; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.   So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t even have any authority!   This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all. My friend, our country has no constitution, no bill of rights, no independent courts or media, and no direct representation for its citizens in government.   This is not the type of country I wish to live in.   Here is what I feel must be done. I do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.   We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by civil war and anarchy after its repressive government was thrown from power.   If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.   For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.   Iraq has shown us that dictatorship is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can prevent massive terrorist attacks. The answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.   We are all Muslims here, it is true.   Islam was born in Arabia.   The prophet lived and died here.   Mecca and Medina are here.   We are the very cradle of Islam.   However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Saudis. I have simple desires, my friend.   Like most people on earth of every race and religion, I want simply to live my life in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.   We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of death only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, mostly fellow Muslims, than they are in governing. As much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.   They would likely be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.   The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å"purity†.   They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.   They wish to recreate a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.   This is a very dark wish.   We should not be naà ¯ve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power. The solution, I feel, lies with moderate Islamists.   Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.   There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and political participation.   The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize. As I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.   The important aspect then is to ensure that reform is directed through moderate clerics rather radical Islamists.   We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries! My vision of a government of moderate Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.   Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.   This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will inevitably turn on you. As we know, friend, our land is the heart of Islam, and any government we have will be responsible for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the yearly pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.   We must also, however, understand that many Muslims look to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion. More moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.   They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.   Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be competent as stewards of the state.   Equally as important, they are respected by the society.   One of the many lessons we have learned from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep roots in the communities they represent. The first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.   This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visiting the United States.   An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.   Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding document rather than being up to the whims of a king. An Arabian constitution might make more room for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.   It would represent a power greater than the king.   It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.   These would include such elementary abuses as arrest without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.   For the first time in Arabia, there would be a limit on the powers of the government. This may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but imagine what a large one it would be for our country!   Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!   Can you imagine if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America†?   This is no way for a country to be run. I hope the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.   However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.   Be well, friend. Sources Cleveland, William L.   A History of the Modern Middle East, second edition.   Boulder: Westview Press, 2000. Hiro, Dilip.   The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Carol & Graff Publishers, 2003. Husain, Mir Zohair.   Global Islamic Politics, second edition. New York: Longman, 2003.      

Youth crime and delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Youth crime and delinquency - Essay Example It magnifies the deviant attitude of a supposedly deviant group and distorting in their image in the public causing further consequences for the group. Perhaps the most popular and most detailed study of deviancy amplification and media can be found in Stanley Cohen’s book Folk Devils and Moral Panics 1972. To begin with Cohen analyzed the relations of Mods and Rockers in 1964. Mods were the original people from which particularly diverse groups such as skinheads and casuals evolved in the 1970s. They were distinctive in their ways and followed soul music, wore ex-army coats and rode motor scooters. The Rockers on the other hand favored leather jackets, motorbikes and listening to rock and roll music. (Cohen, 1972) In 1964 a fight broke out among these two groups. As a result of these fights some of the youth were arrested. The journalists reporting this incident for the newspapers decided to make this tail a little spicier by distortion and exaggeration. The newspapers stressed on the fact that this had actually been a fight between the Mods and the Rockers who hated each other and had caused the violence. (Cohen, 1972) The journalists’ distortion had produced a new wave in the youngsters of Britain. Now they had created rivalry between the Mods and Rockers which was inexistent previously. The youth had now to select between the two groups and this led to a rivalry which took shape because of the media. The preceding incident had taken place on the Easter Sunday. Then when the Whitson Bank Holiday came the newspapers created propaganda for the meeting and battles of Mods and Rockers. Although the Mods and Rockers did end up arriving in huge numbers they were unsure of why they had gathered. The huge audience gathering had actually been the result of the massive propaganda by the newspapers. Although nothing significant happened the media reported scenes of violence and brawls. (Cohen, 1972) Following the newspaper alerts and predictions the government

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Advocating for laws that promote treatment for drug addiction as Research Proposal

Advocating for laws that promote treatment for drug addiction as opposed to incarceration - Research Proposal Example ortant to note that use of drugs leads to intoxication that in return holds the possibility of impairing the judgment of a person leading to criminal behavior, violent actions or limited anger management. That in return leads the drug users to commit other criminal behaviors rather than drug abuse alone that is equally illegal. It is therefore evident that over half of the offender in the U.S correctional system had used drugs prior period before they committed the crime. Focusing on treatment measures as opposed to incarceration for drug users is more beneficial for both the affected individuals and the society in general. Drug offenders are affected with the struggle of substance abuse and it serves better to provide such victims with treatment as opposed to imprisonment. Right from the onset, the role of prison is to serve as a correctional system for offenders with the officers charged with the role of controlling the system utilizing disciplinary and reform measures for offenders. However, unlike other criminals, drug offenders suffer partly different problems and discipline and reform programs are not the best measures for them. Borrowing from a proposal presented by the Drug Policy Alliance in 2010 after the organization studied the effects of incarceration to persons under substance abuse, treatment serves as the best practice as opposed to jail term (Zezima, 2014). The proposal identified community-based treatment as the best form to address the issue citing that it enhances public safety through reducing drug-related crime while in the same time ensuring preservation of the space of prisons a nd jails for other violent criminals. Such a process will not only improve the welfare of the community, but equally ensure a reduction of costs in the correctional systems used while dealing with drug offenders. Sending drug offenders to prisons presents more security risks to the public because whenever the drug offenders are sent to prison, they mix with other