Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay

What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you? Why are these concepts important to United States society? Race is usually defined by the color of a person’s skin such as black, or white. These words are used very frequently. Ethnicity is a more proper way to define us as people and usually refers to our cultural background/ancestry. For example: Africans, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. These concepts are important to the United States because of the diversity, and all walks of life, census plays a big role. Our ethnicity/race is what distinctively separates us from one another by groups. Also according to (Office Of Management and budget August 28,1995) In 1977, OMB issued the Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting that are set forth in Statistical Policy Directive No. 15. The standards in this Directive have been used for almost two decades throughout the Federal government for recordkeeping, collection, and presentation of data on race and Hispanic origin. The standards have been used in two decennial censuses and in surveys of the population, data collections necessary for meeting statutory requirements associated with civil rights monitoring and enforcement, and in other administrative program reporting. Data collection agencies have legislative authority to collect racial and ethnic data needed for Federal programs and in the case of the decennial census, for redistricting. They also use racial and ethnic data for analyses of social, economic, and health trends for population groups. Basically it is important for them to collect this info for federal, business, and statistical reasons. References: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_race-ethnicity

Myths America Lives by

Pardeep Kullar Myths America Lives By The American Creed is spoken through myths that tell of the meaning and purpose of our country. These myths testify to the love and patriotism that we have for America. Each epoch had its own myth that it lived by in creating the American Creed that justified the existence and action of our nation. Based on the cynical response, if a collective group of Americans detested to the stories that hold America together and concluded that they were false, our nation would be in danger at that point.The problems that exist in America would take the forefront and question the existence of our country. The absolutist response, on the other hand, claims to the righteousness of America and supports the actions pursued by our nation in tumultuous times. Although the absolutist response tries to affirm the American creed, it undermines it at the same time. The Myth of the Chosen People first emerged amongst the Puritans in the colonial period. It basically sta ted for people to love each other with a brotherly love and to take on one another’s burdens.In time, this myth changed from â€Å"chosen for the good of the neighbor† to chosen by God for â€Å"special privileges in the world†. The Myth of Nature’s Nation emerged during the Revolutionary Era. It basically claimed that humans had unalienable rights. But in order to justify the oppression that existed in American culture in the nineteenth century was affirmed by claiming that nature did not include Native Americans or Blacks. They Myth of the Christian Nation was created through the Second Great Awakening. It emphasized to keep behavior in line with the teachings of Christ.But this myth quickly embedded the myth of the chosen people and the myth of nature’s nation into it, so that even Christ’s teachings gave special privileges and rights to only certain selected Americans. The Myth of the Millennial Nation emerged during the early national p eriod. Americans believed that America would lead the world into an age of freedom. This myth too has been absolutized. Americans believe that they are pushing the world towards freedom by forcing others to be free by actively engaging in war. The Myth of the Innocent Nation came into being in the twentieth century.It is rooted in all the other myths, making it very powerful. This myth is grounded in disillusion and tells no truth in its story. After the World Wars, Americans believe that because they had faced great evil, they were righteous and innocent in all of their acts. Although America’s involvement in Vietnam, made the claim to innocence very questionable, they myth prevailed and is stronger now than ever since the 9/11 attacks on America. So once again, America’s interference in the Middle East is perceived as one of innocence.The African American perspective is included to critique the myths America lives by as it shows the other side of the coin. Because Af rican American experience was very different from the White American experience, it adds a component of truth to the myths that is nonexistent from the other perspective alone. Although African Americans express a different perspective, they also express a validity and hopefulness in the American Creed that they wish will one day be carried out to its truest measures.

The Example of How Humans Have Fallen into the Pattern of Elucidation Research Paper

The Example of How Humans Have Fallen into the Pattern of Elucidation and War - Research Paper Example Looking at the complicity of the churches, we see that from several different perspectives from a religion and culture student that, even with careful, honest and sensitive approaches, the role of the church in the genocide is still evident. One of the bases on which the latter can be approached is from a cultural view. Despite the fact that the two major ethnic groups were getting along well before the colonialists and missionaries in terms of the cultures and their ways of life, the influence of priests in the uproar of genocide is evident. An example of the above is that during the times, the priests presented themselves as ethnic-based which was one of the major catalysts for the genocide. In addition, the churches at that time allowed the priests to preach ethnic-hatred to the people. Some of the sources also say that the nuns and the nuns and the priests were also involved in the killing of the Tutsis. One of the hardest things to determine with regard to this issue is whether the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Anglican church leaders were informed about the issue and whether they got involved or simply decided to ignore the issue. With the views that have been expressed about the role of the church, one of the things that   I can establish as a religious student is that the clergy did not follow what they preach. A conclusion about the role that the church played in the genocide can be easily arrived at that, looking at the way that the course stood by the values that it preached before the genocide and what they preached towards the genocide, there must have been some political influence.

Social Media Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Media Assignment - Essay Example This takes place mostly during my free time and when contact a classmate who may be occupied in class or in the library. I make a total of 5 calls every 24 hours with 3 to my parents and other family members so as to know how they are doing and to inform them of my progress in class. 2 phone calls to my classmates and instructors in when a need arises. I spent part of my free time chatting and updating my status on the social media platforms available on my phone such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and as a result of this I check my phone 10 times. I also use my Smartphone to check my emails and to send 2 mails per day to friends, family and for official purposes such as communicating with my tutors through Gmail. I update myself on the latest trends in music and fashion through videos posted in YouTube which accounts for 2 times in a day. Social media is a very strong and effective tool in marketing of products owing to the fact that the platform attracts many people especially the youth. I use my Smartphone to locate varieties of commodities. Through social media I am able to select the items that I need based on quality, color, price and brand. If how I use my Smartphone is to go by, then social media is very effective in the marketing of new products. Through the use of social media, companies have been able to make huge sales of their products as well as receiving instant responses in regard to the quality and nature of their products. The effectiveness of social media in marketing is seen on how it improves the loyalty of a given brand. Brands that engage in social media channels have been found to enjoy high degree of customer loyalty since it is a good platform to connect with the audience (Zarrella, 2010). The method is cost effective owing to the fact that one can access it through the use of their

SAP Business Intelligence Tools Comparison Research Paper

SAP Business Intelligence Tools Comparison - Research Paper Example In addition, have a standardized format on their business intelligence implementation on a service-oriented architecture that has been proven and scalable as well as adaptive. In the provision of easy, self-service access to decision-ready information with the SAP Business Intelligence platform, business users are empowered with unlimited access to key insights that are delivered in context. This increases responsiveness, reduces the costs of Information Technology (IT) and its work loads and drives faster and better decision-making in the organization. This is achieved by leveraging real-time business intelligence from any data and the increasing of user autonomy through the exposure of data thus ensuring that the consumption of information is simple, personalized and dynamic and that the enterprise benefits from a flexible and scalable information infrastructure. Key Features of SAP Business Intelligence According to Brogden (2012), the first key feature of SAP Business Intelligenc e is information design in that it uses graphical design tools in order to create the semantic layer also known as the universe. In SAP Business Intelligence, information access utilizes the business intelligence (BI) launch pad in the provision of access to the BI content, while widgets are used to deliver the BI to the desktop and BI workspace is used to assemble those contents that are used most of the time. In terms of publishing, it distributes the personalized BI content to a wider audience while it manages BI content throughout the lifecycle of development, testing and production. Platform administration is managed, configured and audited as well as deploying of the business intelligence from a central point or console. When it comes to portal integration, the content is integrated with Java-based and Microsoft Share-Point portals while it also integrates with other applications by extending the content to other applications with software development kits. Business Benefits o f SAP Business Intelligence Tools The benefit of such tools is that it enables better-informed participants to make better decisions through simpler and personalized access to information while at the same time allowing faster deployment and optimized utilization of IT infrastructure within a unified BI infrastructure. It also allows tighter integration with the existing IT infrastructure and reduces the IT workload through simplified maintenance and administration options while the SAP business intelligence tools enables better use of the It resources by enabling business users with self service. Part II Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) Platform The Oracle Business Intelligence platform is designed mainly to eliminate the costs of redundancy through the standardization that is carried out on a single business intelligence platform. It serves all the users on the same business enterprise and ensures that the complete spectrum composed of reporting, analysis, modeling and forecastin g is fulfilled as well as empowering the business users to quickly and easily create reports and queries without relying on IT. The Oracle Business Intelligence Platform also centralizes the definitions of all metrics and calculations amongst other parameters that

Global Perspectives Mid-term Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Perspectives Mid-term Memo - Assignment Example 1) The rising Human Development Index (UNDP Report, 2010) a) A recent UNDP report published in 2010 has identified a rise in the index of human development for Belarus. i) Human Development Index (HDI) is an internationally accepted measure of national development. It assesses health, income, education and some other trends for a country. ii) The recent rise is not sudden and the country is steady moving up in the ladder.HDI has risen from 0.619 to 0.624 in 2010. iii) The country is categorized as a country with High Human Development in this report which means a developed country. b) We can assume following from the HDI rise; i) Higher buying power at consumer level. ii) Higher level service expectations from the consumers. iii) Belarus social indicators are satisfactory and if these trends continue to flourish there are bright chance of business in this country. iv) Encouraging business environment. 2) Belarus’s Economic Environment a) A Highly industrialized state with many features of planned economy. i) A country with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of US$ 1,590. ii) A decline in Belarus GDP was observed in 2009 as it dropped to US$ 48.984007391 billion from US$ 60.7634483146 billion of 2008 and was ranked 70th in the world. iii) A net inflow of foreign direct investment was declared to be US$ 1.8844 billion. (World Bank, 2011) b) A strict control government over the prices and private enterprises makes the business environment difficult for foreign investors. i) Rigorous government inspections to ensure policy compliance. ii) A higher frequency of policy and business regulation changes. iii) An overall restrictive business environment. iv) A strict control government over the prices and private enterprises makes the business environment difficult for foreign investors. (Economy Watch, 2011) c) Our recommendation from business point of view are as follows; i) Government should move towards market driven economy ii) State control over privat e enterprises should be reviewed and removed iii) Competitive business environment should be provided to business community iv) Tax free and investment friendly policies should be introduced to support direct foreign investment. 3) Belarus’s Political Environment a) Belarus had declared its independence in 1994. It is presidential republic, governed by the President Alexander Lukashenko, the National Assembly and a Council of the Republic. The President is ruling the country for last sixteen years and has got legitimacy through controversial referendum process. Most of the Western powers have termed the rule of Lukashenko as a dictatorship. i) Human rights violations are witnessed commonly. ii) Several opposition parties exist but are strictly suppressed in the country. iii) However, government controlled Belarusian telegraph agency declared the political situation in the country as ‘calm’ in a recent survey. (Belta, 2010). b) We suggest following political steps in Belarus; i) Restoration of true democracy ii) More political freedom to the masses, particularly suppressed opposition parties iii) Respect of human right at all level of the society iv) Frees press and media policies Under these circumstances business operations in Belarus does not suits

How to get rid of your babysitter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to get rid of your babysitter - Essay Example Most parents are usually at the dilemma on how to handle situations in which they need to send away their babysitter as they may not know how to go about it without hurting their feelings. Getting rid of the babysitter should be conducted in a manner that the babysitter will not feel offended or they are being sent away without any proper reason. This is because babysitters play very vital roles in the homes and parents with small children cannot do without them hence the need to take proper care of them. The decision to get rid of you babysitter may be motivated by a number of reasons. Such include those failing to perform their duties as already instructed, mismanagement of resources in the house, being extremely demanding by asking for more pay, mistreating the children, lack of professionalism in their conduct, being rude and lacking courtesy among other reasons. In order to get rid of your babysitter, you need to come up with proper and convincing reason for wanting to send them away. Take time to observe their conduct in the house so as to establish if the mistakes being committed by the babysitters are deliberate or they are beyond their control. Upon establishing that the mistakes are repetitive in nature and are due to negligence, record the number of times in which they have been done. The next step is to boldly communicate the reasons to them so that they will also see their mistakes. If the babysitter is from an official agency service, you need to communicate the same information to the agency so that they can be in agreement with the termination of the contract. The final step is to agree with the babysitter on the time of their departure as well as the things that they may need before they depart. These include provision of all the things owed to them as well as some of the things that they may request to go with before they go. Then the babysitter is escorted to the place where she was found so that

OVERHEAD COSTS Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

OVERHEAD COSTS - Literature review Example The cost of direct labor, direct material and manufacturing overhead must allocate to each and every unit produced. This is done to value the inventory and the costs of goods manufactured, and then report them according to the general accounting principles. Manufacturing overhead may include costs like electricity which is used to operate the factory equipment, depreciation of factory equipment, salary of indirect labor and all the cost related to production except direct labor and direct material. Nonmanufacturing overhead includes activities related to the selling and administration departments. These costs are not included in the cost of goods sold as they are taken directly in the income statement as expense. Nonmanufacturing overhead includes cost such as freight charges, property tax, maintenance of equipment and salary for employees of selling and administrative department etc. Although the nonmanufacturing overhead is not included in the cost of goods sold but they are actual ly the part of the combined cost incurred in the manufacturing of a product. LITERATURE REVIEW Don R. Hansen, M.M.M.L.G. (2009) Cost Management: Accounting & Control, Cengage Learning. Don Hansen defines overhead cost as all the production costs other than direct labor and direct material that are incurred during production process. ... The examples for overhead costs are depreciation on equipment and buildings, maintenance of equipment and supplies, taxes etc. Supplies are products that are used in the manufacturing of the product but are not the part of the final product or the services. Dishwasher detergents used in restaurants and oil lubricants used in production are the example of supplies. Direct material that is not the main or significant part of the final product is also included in the overhead costs under the category of indirect cost. An example of indirect material can be the glue used in the manufacturing of toys. The cost for the overtime for direct labor is also assigned to the overhead category. This is because no production has been identified that can be marked as the cause for overtime. Overtime cost is an indirect cost and therefore it is allocated to all the departments (DON R. HANSEN, 2009). Don Dayananda, R.I.S.H.J.H.P.R. (2002) Capital Budgeting: Financial Appraisal of Investment Projects, Cambridge University Press. Don Dayananda, Richard Irons, Steve Harrison, John Herbohn and Patrick Rowland in their book â€Å"Capital Budgeting: Financial Appraisal of Investment Projects† have stated two examples of overhead cost i.e. utilities (electricity, water and gas) and executive salaries. Cost accounting is all about allocating the overhead cost to their appropriate production units. In product evaluation the main issue is the identification of the incremental overhead cost rather than the allocation of overhead. On the basis of the overhead cost and the incremental overhead cost the firm decides to accept or reject proposals of any project. There are often times when there is not even a single project to which the overhead cost can be allocated. In

Management accounting and control (5-8) Coursework

Management accounting and control (5-8) - Coursework Example In this context we can comfortably say that knowledge and insights from budgeting are helpful in designing budgetary systems and setting of budgets for organizations (Wildavsky & Swedlow 2001). The ability to effectively formulate budgetary systems and set budgets through insights from budgets is very important for any given form of organization. This is because such tools can be used in the setting of standards of performance, motivating the stakeholders of the organization and providing the tools used for the measurement of results which are direly needed in the fulfillment of the organizational goals. The process of budgeting normally begins from a zero based perspective (Wiseman 2010). The organization starts from zero and determines the need of each department and program. This approach tends to provide a more accurate budget as opposed to an allowed incremental increase each year. Budgets are meant to be conservative hence there needs to be an overestimation when it comes to th e expenses while the revenues require to be underestimated. This is for the sake of flexibility required in the system hence assisting in the design of a budgetary system. Insights from the knowledge of budgeting plays a critical roles in supporting the strategic plans of organizations where many factors like technology needs, capital improvements, overhead needs, planned giving and capital campaign revenue and borrowing funds. These are key components when it comes to formulation of budgeting systems and setting of budgets (Wildavsky & Swedlow 2001). Annual budgeting is a must for organizations as technology in form of software and hardware becomes more sophisticated. Budgeting and budgeting systems for technology requires that the organization realizes and sets budgets for the replacement of computers. Taking care of such grand company costs requires that there is a plan ahead to save on costs which may otherwise go to a waste if there are no proper budgetary systems and accurate budgets set (Wildavsky & Swedlow 2001). Knowledge from budgets is useful in the determination of funding required for capital improvements and this is important for organizations across the divide (Seal & Garrison 2009). Knowledge from budgetary costs are applicable in the realization that utility costs are not a constant factor despite the fact of impossibility of prediction of fluctuations and in establishing budgetary systems and setting of budgets, the economic conditions of the time are much applicable. Budgets in the are used in the formulation of budgetary systems through an in depth look at the expenses by the organization (Wiseman 2010). Borrowing though not considered as a part of any financial strategy in the organization. The use of borrowed funds helps organizations be in the position of undertaking a lot in terms of the organization growth. Generally, budgeting involves a complete process which ranges from identification, collection, summarization and communication of financial and non-financial information of a given organization. In managerial accounting process the budgeting system helps in the planning of the course of action that can be undertaken by an organization to help in seeing through future transactions (Wildavsky & Swedlow 2001). The budgets and knowledge of budgets enables corporations to formulate some form of common goals for the sake

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Example for Free

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Merit and desert are two terms that are always in opposition to one another. While merit measures value in terms of success or failures, desert presupposes that value is not only measured in terms of success or failure but also the intentions must be assessed. Desert asseses â€Å"whether or not one had good or bad intentions, whether or not one was responsible for the success or failure†. While it is tempting to decide on issues with regards to their value in terms of the intentions of doing them as well as the success or failure of the object to meet our specific demands, I do believe that we merit is the best way of making a decision; we deserve what we earn. Athlete who has been training for long hours everyday deserves to win a race because of his attempt to train, and not marely because he is tall or has some long strides. Merit presumes that a person deserves something provided that he has some qualities. This is in contrast to desert which assumes a person to deserve something given that he attempts or does something. The criterion for deciding whether we deserve what we earn may be either through merit or desert, but one fact is that we generally deserve what we earn. The society itself is full of pointers to the fact that we get what we â€Å"saw†. To begin with, the laws governing our actions in the society show a justice. The concept of justice is found in most cultures and religious institutions. An ancient Greek poet, Simonides, defined justice as â€Å"giving each person his due† an idea which is unequivocal in the ancient Greek laws which also defined justice as giving the people what they merited. This idea of justice is also evident in most religions. The concept of the final judgment done on the basis of ones goodness or badness cuts across all religions; in the Hindu scriptures the notion of reward got after reincarnation is portrayed as being proportional to the person’s deeds. This same idea is also exemplified in the Quran and explicit in the Hebrew and Christian bibles. The bible for example states that what a person sows such shall he reap. In the current world affairs, we can look at the US election as one indicator of the criteria by which the society measures its values. We can decide to look at Obama as deserving the win from two perspective, from a meritorious point of view or from a desert based point of view. If we look at it from a merit-based point of view, then we can say that Obama deserved the win because he planned well, mounted a successful campaign machinery and was successful in convincing the young people, many of whom voted for him. On the other hand, we can decide to say that Obama deserved to win because he represented a minority community which has been oppressed and so deserved to win the election on this ground. Reference Pojman, L. Merit: Why do we value it. Journal of Social Philosophy. New York. Vol 30:83-102.

Causes Effects Of Water Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

Causes Effects Of Water Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay A recent newspaper candidate that: Resource degradation and depletion, biodiversity decline, climate change increasingly complex and incredible. It is an overview about current situation of the environment. Every year, 14 billion pounds of sewage, sludge, and garbage are dumped into the world oceans, 19 trillion gallons of waste also enter the water annually. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, developed countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United State, 45 percent of assessed and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted. Thus, we must have good solution to solve this problem because it is not only useful in one person, but also in human race. Therefore, this paper with the purpose of helping us knowledge about water pollution will discuss the importance things of this problem and give out good ideas to improve environment. B. DISCUSS OF FINDINGS I. The situation of water pollution in our daily life, especially in development countries. Nowadays, water pollution is polluted more and more seriously. It is an increasingly alarming problem, running not only our drinking supplies, but training our food supplies as well. Water pollution can be defined in several ways. It occurs when energy and other materials are released, degrading the quality of the water for other users. It includes all of the waste materials that cannot be naturally broken down by water. In other words, anything that is added to the water, above and beyond it capacity to break it down, is pollution. Pollution, in certain circumstances, can be caused by native itself, such as when water flows through soils with high activities. But more often that not, human actions are responsible for the pollutants that enter the water. The percentage of water polluted is increasing sharply. For example. In Hanoi ( Vietnam) only 5-7 percent of waste water treated before discharging to the environment, while about 500.000 cubic meters of waste water discharge directl y to the rivers without any treatment. Another fact we can clearly seen that 30 percent of Irelands river are polluted with sewage or fertilizer or the King River is Australias most polluted rivers, suffering from a severe acidic condition related to mining operations 1.000.000 marine mammals. 1 million sea birds and other aquatic live are killed due to plastic waste in water and coastal area. This is the proof proving for actions of people in the world. We are destroying our life without having aware of this problem. If we do not prevent, we will face to dangerous. II. Causes and effects of water pollution. II.1 Causes of water pollution. Sources of pollution maybe subdivided into point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are sources from which pollutants are released at one readily identifiable spot: a sewer outlet, a steel mill, a septic tank, and forth. Non-point sources are more diffuse, examples would include fertilizer runoff from farm land, acid drainage from an abandoned strip mine, or runoff of sodium or calcium chloride from road salts. On a worldwide basis, agriculture probably contributes more to water pollution than does any other single activity. In the United State, agriculture is estimated to be responsible for about two-thirds of stream pollution. Agriculture runoff carries three main types of pollutants: fertilizer, brocades and animal waste. Scientists have estimated that as many as one-third of the medium and large-size lakes in the United State have been affected by accelerated eutrophication. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United State reports that eutrophication has left 90 percent of the Black Sea with critically low oxygen levels, causing a precipitous decline in the total fish catch. The Baltic sea, too, has slow increasing symptoms of the eutrophication in the last 20 years, the global blooms are thought to be at least partially responsible for declining fish catches. The herbicides and pesticides used in agriculture are an other sources of the chemical pollution of water bodies. Runof f from farms where such biocides have been applied contaminates both ground and surface waters. Biocide contamination of groundwater exist in at least 34 states. Surveys in Minnesota and Iowa, for example, indicate that 30-60 percent of private wells may be tainted by runoff from farm herbicides and pesticides. A final agriculture source of chemical pollution is animal wastes, especially in countries where animals are raised intensively. It is estimated that animal wastes in the United State total about 15 billion tons per year, with feedlots generating about haft of the total. If not treated properly, the manure pollutes both soil and water with infectious agents and excess nutrients. Agriculture is only one of the human activities that contribute to water pollution. Others sources are industry, mining, municipalities and residences. For many years, chemical were dumped into bodies of water without concern. It makes water be more opaque and dirty. Thus, our life also become uncomfortable and inconvenient. II.2. Effects of water pollution The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what location. The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that inhabits water based on ecosystems. Dead fish, dolphin, birds and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollution in their habitat. In India, water pollution due to industrial wastes and sewage has been assuming menacing proportion. Large lakes and large stretches of most of the river in India have water which is unsafe for drinking purposes. Surveys of industrialized zones show that even ground water has become unfit for drinking due to high concentration of toxic metals and chemicals along with bacteriological contamination. Sewage is also another good example of how pollution can affect us all. Sewage discharged into coastal water can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or swim in water can fall ill if they swallow polluted water. Sewage can have other harmful effects too. It can poison shellfish (such as cookies and mussels) that grow near the shore. People who eat poisoned shellfish risk sufferings from an acute and sometimes fatal illness. Pollution matter because it harms the environment on which people depend. The environment is not something distant and separate from our lives. It is not a pretty shoreline hundreds of miles from out home or a wilderness landscape that we see on TV. The environment is everything that surrounds us that gives us life and health. Destroying the environment ultimately reduces the quality of our own lives and that, most selfishly is why pollution should matter to all of us. II.3 The solution for water pollution in over the world. Dealing with water solution is something that everyone (including governments and local councils) need to get involved with. Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when suffers in Britain grew tired of catching illness from water pollution with sewage, they formed a group called Surfers Against Sewage to force government and water companies to clean up their activity. Besides, we must have clearly rules to prevent group or personal from discharging waste rubbish into the rivers, lakes, ponds, seas,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By carrying out these advices with a good attitude, we can take world away from polluting and we will have a better life. C. Conclusion From all the findings above, it is clear that water pollution is still a really huge problem. It has developed greatly over the year. There are many factors leading to this situation. However, we can do some works to help our environment, which was polluted seriously. We can do some works to help our environment, which was polluted seriously. We can take individual action like using environmentally friendly detergents, not pouring oil down drains, reducing pesticides, and so on. We can take community action, too, by helping out on beach cleans or litter picks to keep our rivers and seas that little bit cleaner. And we can take action as countries and continents to pass laws that will make pollution harder and the world less polluted. Working together, we can make pollution less of a problem, and the world will be a better place.

The Growing Popularity of Extreme Sports Essay -- Extreme Sports

Extreme Sports Over the past ten years I have noticed that my local snowboarding park has become more crowded every season, especially with younger kids. This has not only been the case for snowboarding, but for all extreme sports. I’ve noticed this trend at my local skateboarding park also. More so, there has been a noticeable increase of extreme sports being broadcast on television today than ever before. These changes caused me to ask the question: why have extreme sports become so popular to youngsters? It could be the appeal people have toward the imminent possibility that someone might get seriously hurt, but I doubt it. I think the media, especially television, has definitely increased extreme sports popularity. In this essay I will explain how the media, and other dominant resources have sparked and created the presence and increased popularity of extreme sports. When extreme sports were first invented they were not meant to be a product of media culture. For example â€Å"Sherman Poppen was looking for an activity that would keep his young daughters occupied so his pregnant wife could get some me-time when he nailed two wooden skis together and called it a Snurfer. This was the snowboard born thirty-seven years ago.† (McCallum p.3) However, when extreme sports made it to television, they were became a huge product of the media culture and were not spread by word of mouth anymore. Media coverage of extreme sports has shown people what these new sports are all about. In 1995 ESPN started an extreme sports contest called the Extreme games; know now as simply â€Å"X Games†. This event is so popular that they broke the televised event into two annual shows: the â€Å"Winter X Games† and the â€Å"Summer X Games† to make it possible for s... ...me products are reaching an all time high on the popularity scale. We can thank television and other media types for this trend. When we look at this increase we can’t leave out the support that local skate parks and resorts have made to support this uproar of extreme sport popularity. For example, the resort Keystone as added as of last year a super terrain park that extends all the way down the mountain. Two years ago, they had nothing. This is because Breckenridge, with one of the most well know terrain parks in the nation, has attracted more people in the past than Keystone. With this in mind, the up rise in extreme sports has not only changed the major business persona of attack, but has greatly influenced the activities performed by youngsters of today. Ten years ago, who would have thought a seven year old boy would pick up a skateboard instead of a baseball.

A Painting by Paula Rego called The Family - The Stimulus for our Dram

A Painting by Paula Rego called The Family - The Stimulus for our Drama Piece INTRODUCTION In this essay I will be discussing the work that I have done in the first module of performance studies. The aim of this module was to develop technical skills in dance, drama and music and using the performance process of improvising, rehearsing and performing and then applying these skills to four performance pieces. We carried out several skills workshops to help develop confidence in all 3 thematic areas to a more even consistency as some members of our group had never done dance, music and some hadn't taken expressive arts GCSE. In this module I developed skills in all three areas, some completely new skills (for example in dance) and those skills, which I already knew but developed them to a higher standard of performance. I also learnt the processes of constructing a performance piece in performance studies and skills that are applicable in all three thematic areas. I will elaborate on how I have developed these skills during this module in this essay. THE DRAMA PIECE The stimulus we were given for our drama piece was a painting by Paula Rego called "The Family" which contained a lot of ideas for interpretation, especially work on proxemics, which we had previously studied in our skills workshops. "The Family" shows an ambiguous relationship between men, women and children and the variation in the 'traditional' status of a father, mother and daughter figures. It is important to bear in mind during stages of improvisation that character and plot development are not always the most essential part of a drama piece. More advanced performance skills should be taken into account, such as tension, proxemics and physicality and the subtext created as a result of the effective use of these techniques, which our drama piece evolved around. We decided that the most direct way of communication was to produce a distinct sexual subtext between two characters, and in our case this was the father and the daughter. Initial brainstorms we had were focused on light, physicality and gesture in the picture and we didn't want it to be 'story - led' as we felt this would be too simplistic and wouldn't allow us to explore our skills and techniques as performers. In the early stages of improvisation, we decided that tension was vital in our scene, so this had to be created by si... ...med our dance to a structured rhythm sequence to show the evolving of the evil dominating the pure and good. But as I said before, there seemed to be no real motivation behind our piece. I did feel thought that although we had no dialogue, it was unnecessary to do so and I think that the studying of Boal and Pinter really helped with this. I think that, as a group we realised that plot and character development weren't important at that stage. By not having any characters but just acting the gestus of our role, we portrayed the mannerisms, which as a result created tension because of the content of the scene. I do feel that because we didn't have characters such, the other skills we had refined were lacking. This is the one piece that I actually would like to do again as I don't feel we devised and performed this to the best of our abilities. I think I would've liked to keep the music and dance pieces but adjusted the drama to include the kind of energy we had had in the drama piece where the piece was 'loaded' with subtext. This I feel was not dramatic and didn't convey the ideas to the audience that we wanted to. I don't believe this piece was as successful as it could have been.

The Definition of a Hero :: Definition Essay

The Definition of a Hero When I think of a hero I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and daring. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of a hero. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa. A person can be a hero for saving the life of one or of millions. Heroes are not only real people, but they are also fantasy figures. Children are extremely interested with legendary and fantasy figures because they take on such tasks as: difficult journeys, challenges with dragons, discovering lost treasure, and changing the nature of the world through their singular acts of courage and selflessness. They also endure much resistance, hardship, and danger. Often the hero learns valuable lessons about survival and self-reliance. Not only do heroes teach valuable lessons they give a child a sense of belonging. To a child, a hero is an invincible person who will change the world. There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday. You also don’t have to kill anyone, conquer foreign land, or risk your life to be a hero. Anyone who influences anyone else by saving or helping save his or her lives is a hero. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the lives of millions of people by bringing justice to minorities. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest heroes, led a nonviolent revolution to free his country.

Annual Day Speech

A very warm good evening to all the wonderful people present today†¦ Its pleasure to start this auspicious occasion by heartily welcoming every body.. I hearty welcome our Honorable Chief guest, Our Principal, Dear Teachers, and my fellow- friends†¦ Its wonderful to see such amazing gathering once in a happy year.Today we all have gathers here for the annual day celebration. I welcome everybody with all my pleasant greetings, and I wish the celebration makes you smile and cheer you up with full of joy and entertainment. Thank you I would like to call upon our respected Principal, the sculptor of human character, a seasoned scholar and navigator of this flagship of knowledge to present a brief agenda and give the college/university presentation.Now we'll have our religious ceremony. Our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH). The life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a life of grand success. In his high moral qualities, his spiritual power, his high resolve, the excellence and perfection of his teaching, his perfect example and the acceptance of his prayers. in short, in every aspect of his life he exhibited such bright signs that even a person of low intelligence provided he is not inspired by unreasonable rancour and enmity is forced to confess that he was a perfect example of the manifestation of Divine qualities and was a perfect man.I would Like to call upon Mr(†¦) to recite naat in praise of Our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH)†¦ I would like to call upon our respected Principal, the sculptor of human character, a seasoned scholar and navigator of this flagship of knowledge to present a brief agenda and give the college/university presentation.

The Best Place to Live

Every person has their own ways of living life. When an individual starts to make decisions, the quality of life is always considered. People resides in different parts of the world and the lifestyles varies from where they came from. Determining for the best place to live could give a greater impact in one's life as there are two options that are worthwhile to consider. For any reasons, an individual can freely choose the lifestyle of either in urban and rural living providing the advantages and disadvantages from both places. Urban and Rural settlements affects the lifestyle of a person as it differs from the kind of education, employment opportunities and the environment they live in. Education plays an important role to a successful career depending to the quality of education a person can acquire to learn. In rural areas, poverty is one of the main problems that affects the educational outcome of the students. This often leads to individuals dropping out school just to support and provide for their parents and to also help them manage the household. Moreover, not many children living in less developed villages have the opportunity to study, especially in college. Countless amounts of people may not have the opportunity to have the future they dreamed of due to the fact of where they grew up or certain circumstances in their life that disabled them from their goals. Distance is another problem have to face because of the lack of transportation. Although many struggle to get to places due to lack of transportation, those who live in the rural area struggle more. A teacher also faces many challenges in rural schools. Teachers in rural areas are paid with low salaries and the lack of teachers is another huge obstacle on the way to education. Teachers are extremely important because they give the students a foundation to work from and help the students build their way up in life. So the lack of teachers would make a huge impact on the students life and future. In urban areas, by contrast, an advantage manifested by urban students usually takes place in advanced country and economy. All of the students can get access of the wealth and social opportunities that big cities can offer. Urban schools are usually larger in size and they particularly have the resources and facilities that the rural area tends to lack. Most of the schools in the cities have advanced and qualified teachers as they get ahold of continuing trainings and workshops. The range of employment options must be considered when choosing a kind of job. In Urban areas where the population is high and extremely populated, most people intend to apply for jobs where they can get a good salary. According to the research from Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), â€Å"the most high-skilled, high paying occupations tend to cluster in urban areas. Urban centers tend to specialize in knowledge-based work with high concerns of Technicians, Engineers, Scientist and Executives, while in rural areas have larger concentration of Machinist and Makers, which generally require less skill and receive lower salaries.† (Florida 2012).In rural areas, residents do not have enough employment options due to the lack of job opportunities and most people has an inverse relationship with agriculture. In contrary, urban areas are developed in an a planned and systematic way in terms of industrialisation. A division of labor is always present in the urban settlement for job allotment and because of the great opportunities for growth and the concentration of people, urban areas are preferred for developmental programs where the business are most likely invested. Environmental conditions gives an impact on an individual's quality of life. People living in remote places is usually described as a quiet and peaceful paradise which is a perfect place to unwind and escape from hustle and bustle of the city life. Besides rural areas are less crowded because there are not many people and cars. The scenery in rural areas are beautiful and well- conserved thus the people can enjoy the nature and have a peaceful mind. In contrast with the city dwellers, who lead a hectic life and often feel annoyed due to great stress in the daily life such as traffic, dealing with higher rates of crime and paying higher taxes. With regards to the nature, the trees are cut in urban areas for construction of roads and buildings that results to the lost of agricultural lands. The pollution and the deforestation has led to environmental imbalance and health problems, which shadow the future of urban living. Urban settlements are determined by the advanced conveniences, opportunities of education, facilities for transport, and business while the rural settlements are based more on natural resources and events. For a person who plans to reside on a specific place and get the kind of dream life however, will note the contrast between the settlement options along with how it differs in the quality of education, employment options, and the environment in both rural and urban areas.

Nectar in a Sieve Analysis

Ashley S. Dela Vina English Nectar in a Sieve Novel Analysis K(What I know about the novel)| W(What I want to know about the novel)| L(What I learn from the novel)| Nectar in a Sieve is an Indian novel written by Kamala Markandaya. It is about a girl who was married at a young age to a farmer. And faced a lot of challenges throughout her life. | I want to know how the protagonist of the story will live her life as a wife. Also the struggles she will face and the things she would do and sacrifice in order to overcome her hardships in life. Life is naturally hard and disastrous. We just have to learn how to face these disasters in order to succeed and survive. Giving up is not the solution to everything. Hope and perseverance will always stand against the odds in our lives. Rukmani shows the need to hold onto hope and the nectar of life despite all the overflowing tragedies. | The KWL Chart The novel started with the protagonist, Rukamani, narrating her own story in a first person poin t of view. Having a flashback of all the happenings in her life, Rukmani was able to analyze all the different events in her life.Rukmani is an educated woman who is married to a farmer named Nathan at the age of twelve. Her marriage is one of the greatest times in her life and she is thankful that her husband is kind to her. Rukmani wishes to raise a happy and healthy family while Nathan wishes to buy their own land. They had their first child Ira, and then followed by five sons; Arjun, Thambi, Murugan, Raja and Selvam. In Rukmani’s later years she gave birth to Kuti. The major conflict in the novel was the fight between life and death for the poor people of the small village.But when you go beneath the surface, you will see that it is not just a matter of life and death, but also a fight between the evil and the good that was challenged by the constant struggles that happened. The arrival of the tannery was a turning point in Rukmani’s life. Her restriction to Iraâ⠂¬â„¢s freedom from the tannery workers foreshadows the troubles her son will have with them. Two of her sons were dismissed at the tannery for leading the strike of workers after sometime of working there. She deals with losing her daughter because of her marriage that is too good to be true.Her marriage is also a form of foreshadowing in the novel. It foreshadows the future trouble with her fertility and security. Her husband returned her to her family because she cannot bear a child. Rukmani tried seeking for Kenny’s help but it was too late because Ira’s husband already found another wife. Rukmani’s sixth son, Kuti, brought Ira out of depression. She took care of the child until drought came and the family suffered hunger again. Kunthi’s prostitution foreshadows Ira’s similar fate. Ira turned to prostitution in order to feed Kuti. Kenny’s comeback symbolises hope for them.He returned from his long absence with the money he will use to pu t up a hospital. He offers help to Rukmani’s son, Selvam to be his assistant which Selvam quickly accepted. Kunthi’s blackmail attempt exposes Rukmani’s long held secret (her visit to Kenny’s clinic) and reveals that Nathan fathered Kunthi’s sons. Just as Nathan and Rukmani’s marriage survived Kunthi’s storm and became stronger, the family survives the drought and dares to hope once again. Ira had an albino child from prostitution but the family welcomed the child wholeheartedly despite what the villagers think.Just when it seems that the family had overcome everything, the biggest of the challenges came. They were told that they have to leave their land immediately because it was already sold to the tannery. Their decision to go to the city marks as the climax because this will change the direction of their lives. In the city, they found Puli, an orphan who helped them look for their son. During their travel at the city, they found o ut that their son left his wife and child and moved to some other place. They were also robbed at the temple and Rukmani wanted to go back to their village.When Nathan died at the temple in Rukmani’s arms, she went back home with Puli. Rukmani is a very strong woman. She has undergone so many struggles but yet, she doesn’t lose hope. The novel has different themes: hunger as threat to dignity, knowledge as power, and importance of fertility. Hunger and poverty is a powerful enemy to someone. People will do everything for fear of hunger, even sacrifice their dignity. Rukmani lost her sons because of hunger. Her elder sons seek new lives in other land; another son was killed for stealing, leaving Rukmani grieving.For fear of hunger her daughter turned to prostitution. She herself almost killed someone for thinking the last piece of their rice was being taken. In the novel, hunger and poverty breeds people who has no dignity. People with knowledge hold power. The tannery won against the workers because they have more knowledge. For Rukmani, white men have power and so she turned to Kenny. Kunthi uses her knowledge of Rukmani and Nathan’s secrets to exercise evil power. Puli’s knowledge of the city helped Rukmani and Nathan to look for their son.The commendable characters in the novel were the ones who apply their knowledge to good deeds. Importance of fertility is shown throughout the novel. Not just the fertility of women but also the fertility of the land. She sought the help of Kenny for fear of infertility and this caused Kunthi to blackmail her. Ira’s problems were also caused by her barrenness. She lost her husband for not being able to produce him a child. The fertility of the land is a symbol of life, it is so important to the villagers for when the land does not produce, the people will starve.The bullocks were related to the peasants of the land. The bullocks highlight the harmony of nature. The bullocks, like the peas ants, suffered from the injustice of overwork. They overwork for their owners to earn a living every day. The sari is a sorce of dignity, status, and pride. Rukmani’s sari on her wedding shows that her father was the headman and that she comes from important people. The Hinduism belief, dharma was present in the novel. It was shown in the novel when Rukmani sold the sari together with their bullocks and other possessions to pay for the land they live.By selling her most prized possession, she reduces her attachment to worldly goods as an important step toward achieving the hindu virtue of dharma. Rukmani is a strong voice of the poor because she seaks with carity and truth. She gets stronger in every challenge because of her devotion to truth. With her, the Hindu belief that truth surpass all other moral values was shown in the novel. Sources: http://thebestnotes. com/booknotes/Nectar_Markandaya/Nectar_In_A_Sieve05. html http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/nectar/facts. html http ://www. enotes. com/nectar-sieve

Robbie the Reindeer – Evaluation of the scene in the woods

We have been looking at the animation ‘Robbie the Reindeer'. This is an evaluation of the scene when Robbie and Blitzern are fighting in the hover car in the woods. The scene starts off with Robbie on a rocket chasing after the evil Blitzern who is getting away on a hover car. The animators show movement with the trees rushing by. The camera angle change from low shots of Robbie on the rocket to fast panning shots of Robbie flying past on the rocket. There are SFX of the wind rushing by and the rocket and the cars engines. The music is getting louder and louder to build tension. The music is quite fast and has a definite beat so that we can feel the tension. The strong beat could represent the tension before an army goes into battle or even the racing heartbeat of Robbie and Blitzern. Another good thing that I noticed was that the Reindeers ears even flapped in the wind. The fight starts and there is a struggle. Blitzern has Robbie down and says, ‘ Now is when you die'. Just as he says this we see Donner, Robbie's girlfriend' in the background. She has been shot out of a cannon and is fast approaching. It is a low shot and Donner looks like she is about to come and crash into the camera. Just as she is about to hit the camera the angle changes to a side view and we see her crash into the Car. She then pulls herself up and stands tall. She starts having a go at Robbie for not being a good boyfriend and all the usual things. While she is saying this Robbie is trying to explain whilst being strangled by Blitzern. Blitzern finally stops fighting Robbie and Says to Donner, ‘How do you expect us to have a fight with you going on like that!?' He then tries to sort out Donner and Robbie's problems. The music has stopped by this time and all we can hear it the engine on the car and the wind rushing by. Robbie and Donner sort out their differences and Robbie asks Donner to marry him. As this is happening the music fades back in but in a more romantic mood. Just as Donner is about to accept Blitzern cuts in and says ‘ Oh, how sweet, But Now is when I KILL YOU!' as he says this, the music gets louder and more dramatic. It is ironic that he says this as he has just helped them get engaged! It is a low camera angle looking up on Blitzern to make him look big and powerful. Then the camera changes to look on Donner. She is standing up with her hands on her hips in an intimidating fashion. The angle is again low looking up to her. She says ‘No one, but No one hurts my Fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½!' The camera zooms into her face and we can see that she is very angry. The music has changed again and is still dramatic and tension building but not as loud because it is more feminine. She punches Blitzern and he is wrapped around a tree branch and shoots off up into the sky. The music is now in a triumphant style because Robbie and Donner have won. Blitzern then falls to the ground and bounces in to the jail, which is already, crammed full of his rabbit helpers. Then we see that the Park has been turned into a Viking Disco Park. We see a DJ on the decks playing Robbie Williams' Rock DJ tune. This is linked to Robbie the reindeer's name and also the music is very contemporary and happy.

Problems in any country in Africa except Aids ( article review ) Essay

Problems in any country in Africa except Aids ( article review ) - Essay Example ater resource from the discovered groundwater would be the opportune solution to water shortage and could augment the current sources of water for drinking, irrigation, and other agricultural use. Introduction discussed the overview of the discovery of the groundwater and asserted that â€Å"according to geologists, it could satisfy northern Namibia’s basic drinking and irrigation needs for 400 years† (Dolgow par. 1). The second point emphasized that discoveries of groundwater usually have potential effects such as greater actual underground volume than on the surface (Dolgow par. 2); providing sources of fresh drinking water, as well as improving health and assisting in relieving people from poverty (Dolgow par. 3). The third point expounded in the discovery of aquafiers where locations affect consumption and the cost of drilling affects access to the public (Dolgow par. 4). Futher, there were conflicts that were seen including control of water sources, overuse, and the need for careful abstraction to enable preservation and conservation of its effective use (Dolgow par. 6). As noted, the water supply has potentials to be transported to other African countries, as deemed possible (Dolgow par. 7). One therefore learned that discoveries of aquafier or underground water have potentials for solving the water shortage in African countries. This is an informative article that provides uplifting news as potentials for improving the welfare of men have been identified through the discovery enabling access to drinking water and potentials for irrigation of land and other human activities. The strengths of the article include the use of clear and straightforward language that is easy to understand; as well as citing credible and authoritative sources within the discourse. On the other hand, the sources of secondary information were not appropriately referenced so that readers could validate the information that was disclosed. Overall, the contents of the article were

Learning, Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Learning, Training and Development - Essay Example The paper describes individual learning. The individual gains personal growth which he/she uses to enhance performance and develop career. Sadler-Smith identifies various theories that underpin learning at an individual level. These consist of: cognitive, behaviourist, social learning, and situated learning theories. The cognitive theory implies that an individual acquires knowledge and problem solving skills that he/she transfers to new everyday jobs through mental processes. The behaviourist theory by Ivan Pavlov, Skinner and J.B Watson views learning as a reaction to stimuli and individuals differ in their rate of learning. The social learning theory by Bandura emphasizes learning through experience since individuals cannot rely on their own actions only. They learn by observing others and only demonstrate the learned behaviour when they expect a reward. Harri-Augstein and Thomas disagree that learning is ‘a conversational construction, reconstruction and exchange of persona lly significant, relevant and viable meanings with awareness and controlled purpossiveness’. The language of dialogue used in the conversation is in form of internal thought processes and external processes of communication with others which leads to purposeful enquiry and change in mental models. The role of training practitioners is therefore to facilitate the process of dialogue and enquiry. Group learning occurs as a result of collective individual learning. ... The behaviourist theory by Ivan Pavlov, Skinner and J.B Watson views learning as a reaction to stimuli and individuals differ in their rate of learning. The social learning theory by Bandura emphasizes learning through experience since individuals cannot rely on their own actions only. They learn by observing others and only display the learned behaviour when they expect a reward. Harri-Augstein and Thomas (1991) argue that learning is ‘a conversational construction, reconstruction and exchange of personally significant, relevant and viable meanings with awareness and controlled purpossiveness’ (329). The language of dialogue used in the conversation is in form of internal thought processes and external processes of communication with others which leads to purposeful enquiry and change in mental models. The role of training practitioners is therefore to facilitate the process of dialogue and enquiry. Group (Team) Learning Group learning occurs as a result of collective i ndividual learning. Sadler-Smith (2006) argues that learning takes place within a social framework of participation hence the need to learn as a group and work collectively to achieve a common objective. Since, employees learn from each other in the group, the group should comprise of individuals with different skills and are willing to share knowledge with other members (Fenwick, 2008). The teams should be committed, collaborative, and have good communication skills. However, the management has the role to keep the groups motivated so as to gain commitment and success by giving feedback, recognizing and rewarding performance and letting the group formulate its objectives.

School District and Community Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

School District and Community Analysis - Essay Example This was an involving exercise as the teacher required students to form groups through which to complete the assignment. In the groups everyone was handed a role such as measuring oats, mixing margarine and cleaning apples. This ensured everyone participated, all the while the teacher was watching keenly to make sure people performed their roles as needed and that they cooperated throughout. On the second day the lesson was more theoretical as compared to the first day lesson. The teacher taught on food and food safety. Unlike the first lesson students were required to continually put down notes and concentrate throughout the lesson. There were no permitted consultations or discussions among the students as all questions were addressed to the teacher. Classroom rules Day 1-2-Class rules The students should always first look at the projector before the teacher directs them to. This is because the teacher may take a while as he has to finish a few minutes to complete a number of class duties. The other rule requires students to complete their personal duties before attending class this ensures they concentrate in class and are not distracted by any of their extra duties (Roubidoux, 2008). Day 1-2-Teacher’s procedure The teacher has several approaches of distributing class materials some of the most common is sending them to respective emails. The teacher has emails for all students in the class; every material he needs to distribute especially syllabus content is forwarded to these materials. The teacher also prints class materials and distributes it to all students in the class during respective lessons (Walberg, 2010). The very same methods of distributing materials are utilized in collecting materials. The students are supposed to complete respective assignments and forward to the class instructor through his email. Ensuring concentration Day 1-2 The teacher has several ways through which he ensures that the students concentrate during class hours. One way of doing this is by simplifying the instructions, the teacher has realized overtime that too complex instructions tend to bore students, and they lose concentration, as a result. The teacher has also incorporated several activities within the class lessons continual oral lessons tend to bore students and having the activities in between these lessons ensures the students concentrate. Encouraging communication –Day 1-2 The teacher also requires students to interact and discuss issues among them, this way he encourages them not only to share knowledge but to talk more. The teacher has developed an interactive session at the end of every lesson, during this session he asks students to put forward questions they may have regarding their past areas of study. Monitoring student behavior-Day 1-2 The class groups are formed based on the students’ average performance. This method looks at the students’ performance in the past three tests. The reason for this is simpl y because each group should be constituted of several high performers, average performers and a number of those who perform poorly. This constitution ensures that average performers as well as those who perform poorly gain from the high performers this way the class general performers goes up. The teacher requires honesty in completing individual work; this may either be tests, assignments or quizzes (Roubidoux, 2008).

Contemporary Issues in Business and Management Essay

Contemporary Issues in Business and Management - Essay Example The external business environment includes demographic, social, cultural, political, legal, economical, technological, and environmental factors. The environment in which an organization operates, significantly impacts every aspects of the business. The business strategy, marketing strategy as well as the operational strategy of a company is highly dependent on its external business environment. In addition, the internal functions of the business are also impacted to a large extent (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2010). In the same way, corporate culture is also a crucial factor for a business to operate efficiently in the market place. According to Daft (2009), corporate culture acts as the most important mechanism for attracting, retaining and motivating the talent. In the similar manner, different scholars have laid emphasis to the fact that a company’s value is dependent upon the way people are treated in an organization (Daft and Marcic, 2010). In this study, we will try to unc over the importance of business environment and corporate culture in an organization. The company chosen for conducting the study is Nokia and according to the report Nokia is currently dealing with issues pertaining to external business environment and corporate culture. This study will also underpin how the company is dealing with these prevailing situations. Now getting further deep into the study, a brief overview of Nokia is presented below. Nokia: A Brief Overview Nokia is a Finland based multinational company that operates in the field of information and communication technology. The company was founded in the year 1865 and is presently headquartered at Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland. The founders of the company were Leo Mechelin and Fredrik Idestam. From the date of its incorporation, the company has always tried to offer customers with high product value (Bontje Musterd and Pelzer, 2011). In addition, the company also aims to connect the whole world with their technology offeri ngs. Such intentions also reflect in their tagline which states â€Å"connecting people†. The principal products of the company are portable IT devices and mobile telephones. Apart from that, Nokia also sells different type of games, application, media, music, and messaging platform through the company’s OVI platform. Similarly digital map and navigator services are also provided without any cost through Navteq, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nokia. The company is divided into three divisions namely mobile phones, mobile solutions, and markets. The mobile solutions division is responsible for overseeing Nokia’s portfolio of mobile computers and Smartphone, whereas the mobile phone division is responsible for administering the product portfolio of mobile phone. The market division looks after the supply chain and distribution activities (Yahoo Finance, 2012). The company has also entered into various strategic alliances which helps them to cater to diversi fied customer base and large geographical locations. Vertu, Navteq and Nokia Siemens networks are some of the strategic alliances of the company (Plunkett, 2009). Some of the major competitors of the company are Samsung, Apple, HTC, Motorola and the local players of the market (where Nokia is having its operations). Until 31 December, 2011, the company had an employee strength of 130, 050. As of financial year 2011, the company

Coca-Cola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Coca-Cola - Essay Example Despite the popularity of the world brand, Coca-Cola has also faced much criticism Coca-Colarent groups, mostly concerning health effects issues, environmental problems and numerous business practices. Thus, in 2014 a brominated vegetable oil was found in Cocal Cola fruit and sports drinks, particularly in Fanta and Powerade. The Mayo clinic researchers reported that excessive use of BVO can impact negatively on the health, causing memory loss and skin and nerve problems. However, the company management stated that the level of BVO used in its drinks did not exceed the limits and was not harmful to the consumers. Along with it, public pressure and online petition to remove the BVO from the company’s drink was growing. Another issue that the company faced with concerned a new program that Coca Cola aimed bring to certain parks in UK as free fitness classes. It was challenged by the health campaigners. The controversy with the new plans to give twenty millions anti- obesity fitn ess drive obtained certain criticism, because the campaigners accused the Coca Cola in the indecent attempt to distract people from the fact that Coca Cola was fuelling UK with obesity problems.The report by Public Health England claimed that soft drinks and fruit juices produced by the Coca Cola provided the biggest amount of sugar for its consumers and some cardiologists stated that the company was trying to distract attention from its part in creating the obesity situation in the country.

The Girl who played with fire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Girl who played with fire - Essay Example Nonetheless, to a bigger extent, this novel is a mirror of the society today, and therefore, presents a challenge, and offers insightful platforms for moral transformation of individuals and whole society. Lisbeth Salander is one of the main characters who carry most of the themes in the novel. Most of the events in this novel are a representation of what happens in the society today. This therefore, plays the role of highlighting these moral concerns in society, thereby, instilling the urge of change in the people who read this novel. The society today is faced with a high level of moral decadence, just as the case in this novel. First, the aspect of violence is rampant in the novel. The author has used different violent scenes to show this. For instance, forms of sexual violence; including rape, shoot-outs, murders, bombings, and axing, are all forms of violence present in this novel. Salander, the main character propagates some forms of violence; while on the other hand, she is al so a victim of violence. She uses violence as a defence mechanism for herself and others. As a victim of violence, Salander’s character suffers in the media and in the social welfare system. â€Å"POLICE TRACKING LESBIAN SATANIST CULT.† (20.173). ... Teleborian had pretended that Salander was violent, which was not the case. The court systems and police force also propagate a form of violence when they fail to address the concerns of rape victims in a just manner. The height of violence is also manifest at the end of the novel, when Salander’s brother buries her alive, after being shot in the head by her father. The novel therefore, highlights violence, which is highly despised in society, but still rampant. Gender and gender discrimination is another moral question present in Larsson’s book. There are both good and bad male characters in this novel. The good men show a higher level of respect for the females. The bad men in the novel are sadistic and perpetuate discrimination of women in the novel. For instance, they show disrespect for women by using obscene words such as â€Å"whore,† â€Å"bitch,† and â€Å"slut† to refer to women. Some of the men are responsible for raping women, killing wo men, and beating them up. â€Å"The press would rip him to shreds. A member of the Security Police who exploited teenage prostitutes†¦If only those fucking cunts hadn't been so young.† (23.29). Gunnar Bjorck views women as sex objects, and does not feel guilty that he abused them, he only fears being exposed. Apart from sadistic men, the media, systems of justice, social, and health institutions also contribute to discrimination of females. â€Å"When it later turned out that Norgren had been convicted for sexual offenses twice before, the prosecutor decided to drop the case. But that did not mean the social welfare report on Salander was set aside.† (21.10). Although Norgeren assaults Salander, he is not punished for it, yet Salander continues to be depicted as a

15 Annotated Bibliographies from 15 peer reviewed scholarly published Bibliography

15 Bibliographies from 15 peer reviewed scholarly published articles, texts, or books not more than 5yrs old, on using Simulation to enhance critical thinking in nursing students - Annotated Bibliography Example A simulation quasi experiment was used to conduct the investigation where 30 participants took the â€Å"California critical thinking test† (CCTST). They were arbitrarily assigned three critical assessment sessions over a period of 2 months in a simulation lab. This allowed the teams to develop vital patient simulative thus advancing their medical thinking in provision and attending to patients effectively. Indeed patient ratio to nursing staff remains a great challenge in the world; however with adequate critical thinking support nurses cam adopt simulative techniques to identify and understand patients needs promptly and give priority response. It is clear from the this that the efficacy in delivering nursing services has greatly advanced with the enhancement of critical thinking and is currently hoped to be adopted by new graduate nurses to enable them make sound clinical decisions to deliver nursing care. The authors identify the role of educators in making simulation real in the nursing sector. Educators can employ simulation-based pedagogy to transform nursing teaching through development of decisive thinking. The aspects of this book covered diverse areas in nursing, which includes the changing needs for nursing education in the current technological multifaceted setting, meeting the challenges of clinical placement, challenges and benefits of integrating simulation techniques in nursing curriculum with proper evidence. This focuses on the importance of faculty role in embedding simulation techniques to students with the view to develop critical thinking. The simulation study was conducted over a period of 5 months in a nursing institution where study of learners exposed to the technique and the ones with no exposure by tutors were sampled. It is evident that tutors should use complex simulative samples and test in their daily teaching to engage students mind in coming with approp riate

Human Capital, Inequality and Growth in Transition Economies Essay Example for Free

Human Capital, Inequality and Growth in Transition Economies Essay Human Capital can be defined as the accumulation of competences and knowledge in individuals gained through education and experience, not forgetting their personality attributes. All these put together enable individuals effectivley perform profitable and revenue generating economic activities. Such competent persons in a society are at times reffered to as a workforce or laborforce. Some examples of investments in humans that result in human capital are education, health and training. As Becker says, human capital investments raise the earning ability of individuals, improve health and add to an individuals’ good habits. The term inequality generally refers to disparities in access to opportunities or resources amongst individuals, groups or even countries. Some of the common causes of inequality are; gender, race, age, geographical location and even cultural practices. Inequality normally results in observable differences in levels of growth and development of individuals or from one society to another. Education is the process through which individuals are able to acquire basic skills necessary for life. It is the understanding and interpretation of knowledge that empowers individuals to develop a logical and rational mind. The rational mind is then is able to determine relationships amongts pertinent variables, thereby fostering understanding. Education involves completing curriculum based fixed time achievements, aimed at building professional capabilities. At the individual level, it develops the capabilities and potentials of the individual so as to prepare them to be successful in a specific society or culture. In this case therefore, education serves an individuals’developmental needs. When education happens at the societal level, it is thus defined as a process by which society transmits to new members the values, beliefs, knowledge and symbollic expressions that make communication possible within that society. In this sense, education serves a social and cultural function. Roland (2000) says that transition economics, also known as transformation economics refers to a state whereby economies have gradually changed over from socialism to capitalism, an example being the former socialist economies. There is a shift from standardized prices and monetary theories to institutions geared towards a higher efficiency. This transition can only thrive if there is sustained government and political support. The Soviet Union in full, is known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), It was characterised by a single communist political party, a planned economy and the KGB security agency which closely monitored activities within the union. USSR was formed in December 1922 and by 1956, it was comprised of 15 countries with Moscow being the capital city. The fifteen countries included; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Dissolution of USSR begun in 1985 and continued upto 1991, with the fifteen member states gaining their independence a few months before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, restructuring of the administrative functions and development of a market based system was immediately embarked on through Yeltsins’ shock program. The aim was to improve standards of living, ensure equitable resource allocation, create new production avenues, promote liberalization, and provide incentives through privatization activities. However, a free and liberalised market did not come without ny challenges. By 1992 Russia suffered a deppressed life expectancy, twenty five percent of the population lived in abject poverty, there were low birthrates, and a downward sloping Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, due to increased investment activities, exploitatation of valuable natural resources and increased business development activites, the economy begun to make significant improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore how education as a factor of human capital and inequality influenced growth in transition economies, with respect to the former Soviet Union countries (FSU). Theoretical research Human capital with regard to education and levels of inequality both have an impact on the growth experienced in transition economies. This growth is therefore an end result of quality educational investments and equitable distribution and allocation of vital resources across a country. Such a hypothesis makes growth the dependent variable whose outcome is influenced by two independent variables namely; education and inequality. Observation of growth and development trends in transition economies and the developing world, have shown that education can have both positive and negative impacts on an economy. One of the positive impacts is that persons who possess the relevant knowledge and skills required by organizations are able to access better job opportunities as opposed to those who are poorly educated. In addition, high levels of education enable individuals to secure jobs in other countries, thus helping to alleviate the problem of unemployement in their mother country. Spagat (2002) observed that during Russia’s transition, intellectual individuals were more motivated to pursue more education opportunities and in return, became very successful in their careers. In regard to the economic transition in the former Soviet Union countries (FSU), educated parents who still held education in high esteem, were very focused on ensuring that their children acquired the same level of education as them or even higher. While on the other hand those parents who viewed education as a burden rather than an investment focused on the bare minimum, that is, basic education. The result of this attitude was that these particular families remained trapped at a basic education level and so was their access to income generating opportunities. Through education and training, individuals acquire problem solving skills and entrepreneur management skills which inturn, help them set up and operate successful ventures, in the process creating employment opportunities. In addition, as the field of education grows within a country with more universities, colleges, high schools and primary schools being constructed, more job opportunities are created in the education sector. Persons who are well educated are likely to secure better paying jobs, which inturn increases their purchasing power plus it increases the demand for goods and services available in the economy. The net effect of this, is creation of more job opportunites in the production and service sectors. These persons are able to improve their standards of living including those of their dependants. In addition, issues of health and fertility are decided upon from a knowledgeable point, (Newell and Reilly, 1999). Through education, individuals are exposed to society and they acquire important attributes and values that can help them enhance their capacity to interact and relate with other persons in society. As a result, they able to adapt and cope with the dynamics of the workplace. Last but not least, education as a contributor to human capital enhances economic growth and development in a country, since the human capital is equipped on how to exploit the countrys’natural resources profitably. Countries lacking this human capital are neither able to exploit their resources adequately, nor are they able to develop their economy at the desired pace. Barro (1998) argues that human capital enhances absorption and application of superior technologies from other countries. Young and educated persons under the guidance of the older folk are able to conduct research and development. The improved technology in a transitional economy enhances the speed and quality of production of goods and services, through improved and more cost efficient work processes. The young industries are in turn able to meet rising demands, both domestic and foreign hence increasing their revenues and taxes to the government. Munich et al (1999), argue that in a transition economy, government support and positive attitude towards investments in human capital is essential. The government has to allocate funds for example for building schools and also for enticing people to enroll in this schools. However, the maintenance of the enrollment levels is a continued process whose economic benefits are only realised over time as was seen in the Czech Republic. In support of this argument, Spagat (1995) warns that it is even though human capital takes years to accumulate, it actually takes a very short while to deteriorate, hence governments cannot afford to postpone this investment, even temporarily. The governments must ensure that education and other skills are transferred effectively from one generation to the next. Restructuring of education, needs to be done from the very beginning of the transition from socialism, in order to immediately improve educations’ quality. There is a multiplier effect that comes with better quality education. The first being an increased access to job opportunities, higher wages and consequently more tax revenue for the government. The major effect however, is that it sets the standards for future generations, both in terms of quality of education and future incomes, (Spagat, 2002). Fan et al (1999) said that the young people of Russia during the transition had little or no motivation to put effort to pursue education. This is because the education system had not been restructured to match the market-oriented system and therefore the returns were not high. World Bank (1995) accused Russia of concentrating on spewing out scientists and engineers instead of producing a mixture of professionals who would support the different sectors of Russia’s’ economy. They only increased between 1991 and 1994, but this human capital investment deteriorated again by 1996, (Brainerd (1998). In order to make ends meet, many dropped out of school and opted for jobs such as taxi drivers, street vendors and some even joined the Mafioso for a quick buck. All was not lost however, when we remember individuals like the Hungarian–American entrepreneur George Soros, who provided funds that would help these countries implement reforms for a better future. OECD (1996) advised that schools and tertiary institutions should not be the only avenues through which education is attained. OECD (1996) advised that adult learning should be encouraged in order to help the older generations access more income. In addition, pre-schooling of children below the age of formal schooling, which was a common feature of the FSU countries fostered child development and also prepared these children for formal education. In these former Soviet Union countries, the major advantage of pre-schooling their young children was in the fact that it freed the women to participate in economic activities, and it also reduced education disparities between children of the educated parents and those of the less educated parents. Micklewright (2000) wrote that investment in learning institutions ensures sustained educational gains. For example, in some of the Soviet Union countries, teachers earned wages so low that they spent their time looking for more income instead of teaching. In addition, repair and maintenance of the buildings was neglected and with lack of heating during winter, schools would be closed. The other problem was the shortage of textbooks. However, these countries tried to salvage the situation by offering meals at school between 1989 and 1996, in order to entice parents to take their children back to school. In countries such as, Yugoslavia, Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan and Albania, the transition was characterised by serious geographical disparities caused by war, civil and ethnic strife. Facilities were destroyed, hundreds of families were displaced out of their homes and schools were closed, (World Bank, 1997b), thus slowing down the ongoing projects. Human capital is vital for growth of transition economies. Growth should be stimulated across all sectors of the economy and in each part of the country so as to rapidly raise the standards of living and reduce inequalities between urban and rural areas. Keen interest should be paid especially to rural areas, in order to eliminate the possibility of mushrooming of pockets of poverty across the country. According to Flemming and Micklewright (1999), ensuring that access to education is recognized by FSU countries as a human right as stipulated in international law, will greatly boost growth of human capital. Equal rights promote equal access to opportunities and it also reduces discrimination based on gender, race, religion or economic status. Income inequality rose in the Czech Republic and Russia and was very high between 1988 and 1996. In order to support a transition economy, Spagat (2002) suggests that a balance should be created between skilled and unskilled labour. This is because most young people either worked on a full time basis and neglected pursuit of higher education, or they pursued higher education and then begun working at a later stage. One of the negative impacts of education on a country is that by having too many educated persons, the labor market gets saturated thus resulting in a drop in the amount of wages that employers are willing to offer. In turn this acts as a demotivator of the labor force and may also result in brain drain whereby qualified personnel leave their mother country for better opportunities in other countries. The unemployed persons are normally seen resulting to social ills such as alcoholism, drug abuse and robbery amongst others. These social ills inturn dissuade local and foreign investors from putting their money in an unsafe country.

Spectrum Brands Essay Example for Free

Spectrum Brands Essay -Remington leader on shaving and personal care products generates global revenue of US$350 million with 8 sales reps assigned to specific retailers. -United/Nu-Gro leaders in the lawn and garden care with sales US$550 million and insect control products with sales US$150 million, target customers who desire comparable products with lower prices than premium-prices. -Distributors offer same services than an internal sales force could and are responsible for the sales in the diverse geographical locations of pet retailer markets. Weaknesses -Spectrum through Rayovac have been able to secure space shelf space in a small number of retailers while competitors gain market share through greater control over distribution channels, retailers, and prices. -The United/Nu-Gro professional division has its own dedicated sales force that creates a lack and dependency on sales reps expertise. -The lawn and garden care, insect control and pet foods industries Spectrum is in have different seasons that the new sales force must balance. Opportunities -The sales force from competitors offers retail discounts and promotional discounts to retailers, distributors and wholesalers creating a competitive advantage that Spectrum may add as value to its new sales force. -A restructured sales force can focus on the sales growth with greater benefits for the company -Room for greater retail presence by offering product discounts and stealing market share from competition if the sales costs are better managed. Threats -That the new sales force would end up doing significant duplication of efforts if sales reps would call same retailers at the same time. -An ineffective selection process of the new sales force could disrupt the growth momentum of Spectrum’s individual brands and the relationships with retailers, wholesalers and customers. Competitors get the benefit. -The sales in the lawn and garden division may be a risk of having a poor season since sales depend on weather conditions. SWOT analysis In general, the current sales force is not efficient as it needs to be. Although the total sales of all divisions are steady, competitors are gaining shelf space through channels of distribution that Spectrum is not able to reach due to the lack of sales focus by its sales force. Inspite of the market share challenge, Spectrum is in a great position to increase the market share by carefully creating a sales force that would increase its market visibility. Market Analysis Battery Market Consumers rely on convenience and quality when purchasing batteries and tend to gravitate towards the brand names. Spectrum’s competitors are Procter Gamble 40% and Energizer battery brand with 40% of the market share. The alkaline battery is expected to dominate the market in 5 years. In Canada, the alkaline battery market is above CAD $300 million. Rayovac holds 20% of the market. It is a household seasonal product and 70% of the sales primary done during and after Christmas. Mass merchandisers, home garden centers and niche electronic stores are used as retailers generate 60% of sales, while 40% of sales are with wholesalers, distributors, especially in Wal-Mart with 40% of shelf space. Shaving and grooming products market. A combination of electronic grooming products and hair care applications with a growth of 3% and expected to continue. It has a sales cycle as gift giving season, shaving and grooming products are in high demand on Christmas, father’s day and mother’s day. Remington merged with Rayovacin2003; Remington (Now Spectrum) has secured 30% in USA and 21% in UK of the market share with global revenue US$350 million in 2003. The major competitors in the shaving market are Norelco (Philips) with rotary shavers and Braun-Gillette (Now Procter Gamble), while in hair care industry are Conair Corporation and Norelco that competes on quality and price. Sales reps have a direct presence in the success of sales since they manage sales directly with small niche retailers like salons, specialty hair and body care. It generates 35% of total sales. Wal-Mart retail generates 40% of sales as a traditional retail channel. Lawn and Garden Market It is driven by the baby boomers population. In North America more than 80% of household’s participants in garden activities generate a US$4 billion industry in sales and a potential annual growth of between 4% and 5%. The insect control products play an important role in this market. When new diseases appeared like West Nile virus and bone diseases, it increases demand for more insect control product raising the market in about 7% to 8% in sales. Scotts and Johnson Son, Inc are the market leaders with products like Ortho and Roundup. United/Nu-Gro company a Canadian subsidiary of United Industries Corporation in USA, is the number 2 company in lawn and garden products with a 23% market share and US$550 million in sales. The key of its success is in offering brand names such as Vigoro, Shultz, and CIL to targeted consumers  who want products at a low price. In the Insect control market, United/Nu-Gro is number 2 with 24% of market share and US$150 million on sales. Mass merchandisers and garden and home centers are the channels used generating 60% of sales in the consumer division. The professional division has its own sales team specialized in professional products for specific customers like golf courses and pest control operators generating 25% and 15% of sales respectively.