A Case Study of Hong Kong’s Financial Crisis

The Asian Financial Crisis was a result of massive speculative attacks in the foreign exchange market on local currencies, specifically on East Asian currencies. The problem started with the devaluation of the Thai baht in 1997 which then spread to speculative attacks on other Asian currencies. This resulted in economic crises in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. (Kawai, 1998)The reasons for the spread of economic decline in the countries were easily traced and the resulting effects were similar although varying in the degree of intensity. A clear difference between Hong Kong and the other Asian countries affected by the 1997-1998 economic crisis, however, was in the way that Hong Kong handled the threat to its economy.Compared to the other Asian countries, Hong Kong was able to maintain its peg when the financial crisis first broke out. This was, however, maintained at a great cost. Monetary authorities of the country spent approximately US$ 1 billion in order to defend the currency. Although other countries also undertook mass efforts to defend their currencies, Hong Kong was the only one to be able to maintain its peg. This, however, was only short-term.The economic attack continued and Hong Kong found itself needing to increase its inflation rates. Other countries such as the Philippines resorted to this strategy as well in order. What made Hong Kong different in its strategy, however, was the government’s role reversal from being a passive regulator to an active market participant.The government ended up using approximately US$15 billion in buying shares, blue-chip shares, in various companies. This active intervention insured the relative stability of the Hong Kong market as compared to the other Asian markets during that time.2) Hedge funds, by their very nature, utilize opportunistic trading strategies on a leveraged basis. For a market with a limited liquidity, such as that of Hong Kong’s, a small g amble on the part of a large hedge fund could result in a large transaction that could have large-scale effects on the said market.For Hong Kong’s economy, there have been numerous instances wherein hedge funds have tried to exploit the local market. This is not to say, however, that Hong Kong has not put up a valiant effort to protect and maintain the stability of its vulnerable market – owing to its small size and low liquidity status.According to Kara Tan Bhala (1998), the mechanism employed by hedge funds to try and make money out of Hong Kong involves two steps. Initially, Hong Kong equities and stock-index futures are sold short by speculators.Next, the speculators resort to short-selling the Hong Kong dollar. Short-selling the dollar will force the Hong Kong Monetary Association to try to maintain the peg of the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar. This would mean resorting to an increase in interest rates and to buying the local currency.Share prices on the stock market thus decrease in value. In these instances, it is clear that all that hedge funds aim to do are to gain profit for themselves rather than to contribute to the greater scheme of advancing Hong Kong’s economy. They gain profit first from the short selling of the equities and stock-index futures.They gain the difference from the higher priced short-selling of the instruments and the resulting lower cover prices. Hedge funds gain profit secondly from a probable depreciation in the Hong Kong dollar. Again, the difference between the short and cover prices. (Bhala, 1998)Although not all hedge funds are to be frowned upon, as the presence of hedge funds is not an absolute evil on the market, these instances serve as a warning to the fact that there are markets that can be put under great threat as a result of the presence of hedge funds.ReferencesKawai, M. (1998). The East Asian currency crisis: causes and lessons. Contemporary Economy Policy, 16, 157-172Bhala, K. T. (1998). In Praise of Intervention. Far Eastern Economic Review, 9

How did group skills contribute to the development of the drama Essay

We approached our initial research by deciding on the path we were taking for our piece and examining what would be the best to topics to research i. e. the Wall Street Crash, the credit crunch, primitive civilisations, survival techniques etc. and then distributing these sections to members of the group to individually research. Every member of the group did their own research on everyone of these subjects so we all knew and understood every topic and to get an overview of what we were taking, which would help with our portrayal of the themes within our material. We executed this by discussing what we had found in our research and comparing it with the other members of the group. We then picked the most relevant points from our discussions and integrated them into our material. We all researched different aspects of the stimulus during our brain storming sessions, drawing from what we knew about the image and then exploring it independently. Ideas were developed collectively, individuals would put forward their ideas for the piece (which were often the same as other members of the group) which were then discussed and collectively performed and then modified, depending on their relevance and cohesiveness with the rest of the piece. However input seemed to keep coming from the same people all the time, so we had to extend and force particular members of the group to share their individual thoughts about our ideas. The majority of the devising work was worked on as a collective, although some individuals could have been more involved with the process, but we all wanted to make sure that everyone agreed on the direction we were taking the piece and aspects of the scene. Our piece was a mixture between ensemble and individual based. For the wise man scene there was a section in which we all had to act out the story of the crash moving into images of everyday occurrences surrounding work, partying and resting. To make sure that we were all together for these transitions we practised them over and over again often having to compromise our actions to make them run smoothly into one another. Throughout we all decided that if we were ever stationary or had to focus on a particular spot we would all stare at the same horizontal bar above the audience in our theatre. For our scene in the company we all had to hold boards and walk in an oval always facing the audience, this took place behind the protagonist to give the illusion that he was running down a corridor. For this we to work we had to be organised and efficient, first of all we had to make sure that there were three boards at the front at all time meaning we all had to walk at the same pace, we also had to carry the boards at roughly the same height, this was quite difficult to achieve so we did as best we could by holding them at arms height. We didn’t focus on the bar for this scene until we had become stationary; this was so we could focus on the movement of the circle and its relationship to the speed that the protagonist was walking at. To achieve this shared physical look we practised over and over again, extracting one of the members of the group to see if it looked good enough. Through trial and error we managed to obtain the same physical relationship between one another. Characters were, most of the time, created individually however when needed we helped people who were struggling with their character profile or decided that a character should be different to how they were being portrayed. Most of us put forward suggestions towards certain members’ character development anyway as a suggestion if we felt that they weren’t doing enough to explore and exploit their potential. This happened a lot in the War scene as we had to create contrasting and analogous characters within the separate groups and, as it was one of our best scenes, we wanted everyone to be heard and seen. I contributed a lot to the development of a movement piece, I took a piece of music called ‘Clubbed to Death’ from the Matrix and listened to it, noted where the distinguishing sections were and began to create a piece of movement to go with it. This was when we were using one of our original plot lines so it wasn’t used in the final performance but one or two of the ideas were used in certain areas of the play. It was originally showing the downfall of the company and the death of the protagonist, I wanted to use the boards a lot, making members of the chorus use them as shields, slamming them down and pushing them along the floor with two gargoyles on the tower of Babel (a piece of staging we were using at the time) the company’s opponents are throwing spears then slowly through the piece the gargoyles break themselves away from the tower to kill their attackers. They achieve this by touching their attackers heads, this all happens in the middle section of the music which is quieter and more sinister. After the gargoyles make contact with the attackers heads I made them writhe as if they were being electrocuted, all the while the protagonist reaches the top of the tower and flings paper out into the audience, however a spear hits him and he dies as do the gargoyles as soon as the papers are thrown into air they begin to crumple and then collapse. I really enjoyed choreographing this piece of movement but, unfortunately by this point, we had already changed our plot, which rendered it useless. I also provided a lot of the sounds like the track during the rape scene (â€Å"The Piano Duet† from Corpse Bride) and in the final scene (â€Å"My Dearest Friend† by Devendra Banhart) All the, concepts and situations were created amongst the group. Our group is extremely diverse both in personalities and in ability, overall we have some very good actors and we all get on wonderfully and made a good team, however there are members of the group that are weaker than others, one in particular who barely gave any ideas or thoughts to the process. Their silence happened so often that we had to question her constantly about her views on everything just to know what her reaction was to the content we were producing or the direction we were heading in. This proved very tedious also because she took no initiative into developing her character and when given suggestions by the other members of the group she listened to them but didn’t seem to put any of these ideas into practise. We coached her as much as we could and managed to get a decent performance out of her for the final performance. On a completely different note there was tension between two girls in our group but they moved passed these differences and worked with each other as best they could, the tension lessened over the weeks with a few hiccoughs but the managed to work together as a team planning props in the few weeks before the performance. Moment were the group worked well together Why it was important During the development of the War Scene after the group had been separated into two to create material, we worked together to find a ways to cut between the separate scenes to make a seamless and amusing scene. It strengthened our group dynamic, the girls being on one side bar one and the boys on the other, this allowed us to relax with each other and improvise things that we found amusing. Most of the members of the girls group were fans of Monty Python, French and Saunders and Black Adder, which we all seemed to agree, had the right kind of comedy that we wanted to integrate in our section. It helped us understand each other’s sense of humour and our acting dynamic. After this scene it was clear that we were on the same page regarding material that we’d produced prior to this exercise. Sitting opposite the group of boys was good too as they are very funny people, it helped us to improve our scene, in comparison with theirs, but still carry on the path of humour we’d been following. Rehearsing the Company scene where every member of the chorus has a board and we created a movement piece using them together. This was important for the group as it allowed us to work as a collective rather than individuals, we were all concerned about this piece and wanted to create a slick, focussed piece of physical theatre. Through rigorous rehearsal we managed to pin point exactly what was needed and achieved a focus that, with the music, made a punchy start to the beginning of the company scene. We had to bang our boards down at exactly the same time cueing the music, to do this we all agreed to focus on the person who was most visible to everyone, which happened to be me, and we managed to do this perfectly every time in the last few weeks of rehearsal right through the performance. Moment were the group didn’t work well Why? What did we learn from this At the beginning of the Wise man scene the chorus plays ‘freaks’ who follow the wise man, there wasn’t enough group development on these characters during rehearsals. Everyone was concerned about the content of the scene, which provided some brilliant freaks, but we didn’t think how it would perceived by an audience and as a whole, we left this to the last minute, which meant they could’ve been even greater. That we need to face everything head on, leaving things to the last minute on one of the biggest scenes of play, especially the start of it, even though we did a lot of discussing in eagerness to push on we sometimes miss little things that could be rectified and turn a piece of action that hasn’t been through into something clear and concise that stands by itself. A character that, if taken out of the scene, could stand by themselves and have a background giving more depth to the madness. At the beginning of the process when we seemed to keep brainstorming and discussing things rather than being spurred into action and, if we did create something that was bad suggestion in the first place, we didn’t question we went along with it. We were more concerned about not getting into an argument that we didn’t tell one another if we thought an idea wasn’t good, instead we suggested more ideas. That sometimes you have to tell people if an idea won’t work and don’t get worried if someone’s annoyed at you, it is better to create a good piece of drama that can lead you in a great direction after having a falling out than coming up with a rubbish idea that doesn’t hold together as a piece of theatre. We all did our bit to collaborate on design ideas this was so we could perform with the set, lighting and music that we all wanted so that we could perform in an ideal space that the group collectively designed. There was a big difference between group skills in rehearsal to performance, in rehearsal we were a lot more calm about everything and kept a very relaxed group dynamic but, only as it came to the dress and tech rehearsals did we start buckling down and making sure everyone’s focus was impeccable and that we were all doing this for each other, to stand as a collective rather than individuals as this was the only way our marks would be better.

What are the implications of the beheading of Charles Research Proposal

What are the implications of the beheading of Charles - Research Proposal Example The conflict that ensured from the existence of these centers of power therefore, presented a threat to what the rule through divine right or great chain of being that the monarch alluded as the basis of the existence of their authority. One of the greatest implications of the beheading of king Charles in 1649 is that the action went against the great chain of being which creates the social hierarchy necessary for maintenance of social order. The great chain of being hypotheses has the king on top of a hierarchy also includes gentlemen and peasants in that order. Given that the England was a kingdom that had historically followed the absolutism form of rule; Charles as the king was facing great opposition from the parliament over his desire to use unlimited power in performance of his functions. The events leading up to the beheading is characterized by about ten years of civil strife and warfare with the King and the Long Parliament on opposing sides of the confrontation. The confrontation was over a litany of issues linked to the prerogatives of the King and the extent to which the constitutional parliament limited exercises certain powers and privileges1. Arguments on the basis of the great chain of being seek to assert the legitimacy of the king and his right to exercise powers over the people of the kingdom. The nobility during that time was a family perceived as appointed by God to rule over the rest in the kingdom and therefore had divine right to undertake their functions. Although Charles was not the first born in the family, the death of his elder brother meant that he was rightly the next in line to ascend to the kingdom. The legitimacy of the king therefore means the English civil war and the consequent defeat of the King Charles by the Parliamentarians (or the roundheads) led by Oliver Cromwell implies direct disregard of the hierarchy which had worked over the years to create

The Effects of Health Care Reform on Women and Children in America Assignment

The Effects of Health Care Reform on Women and Children in America - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that health care reforms should achieve universal and comprehensive insurance coverage, control cost, help purchasers, and add value, prevent the wastage of resources, and use an integrated approach. The exigence or urgency of the issue fuels the implementation of health care reform, to fulfill the needs of the vulnerable sections of society. The above type of claim is identified as Claim of Policy. This refers to the fact that the future course of action regarding health care reform for women and children has to be through further policy changes, which should be appropriately implemented. The claim or position of this paper is that children and women are a vulnerable group who require adequate reforms in health care provision, for improved quality of life. There is a requirement for controlling cost, assisting consumers, adding value, achieving universal coverage, and preventing wastage of funds and resources, for meeting the needs of childr en and women, including older and senior women. Moreover, an integrated approach to implementing the reform measures, along with mutual information sharing is considered essential. From the reduction of welfare rolls and the implementation of welfare reforms have emerged increasing numbers of uninsured children. This vulnerable and important group need Medicaid coverage on priority; children being relatively inexpensive to provide health care insurance, and also benefit from coverage, besides having a right to expect special consideration by virtue of their vulnerability. Similarly, older, senior women and poor, pregnant women are high risk and vulnerable groups for whom reform measures need to be improved. Lack of insurance prevents pregnant women from seeking prenatal care, leading to declining in the health of both the infant and the mother, and increased the possibility of infant mortality.

Anti Money Laundering In Relationship To The Banking And Busiiness Dissertation

Anti Money Laundering In Relationship To The Banking And Busiiness Sector In Todays Economy - Dissertation Example Money laundering activities are considered to be of prime importance by almost all the nations in the world. In today’s economy all the banks and the financial institutions are subject to the risk of money laundering activities being carried on through the prevailing transaction systems within the organisations. Money laundering is the result of different criminal activities being operated all around the world. This study entails all about money laundering activities carried on globally with special reference to banking institutions and other related business organisations. First of all a brief overview about money laundering has been provided in this study. Next the various effects of money laundering in today’s economy have been discussed in details. The various preventive measures to combat money laundering have also been included in this study. Plenty of initiatives have been taken by different nations all around the world to put a hold on the existing money launder ing operations. It has all been discussed in details in this study. Finally how the nations in the world have come forward to combat the threat of money laundering activities have also been discussed in this study.... Introduction Money laundering activities are considered to be of prime importance by almost all the nations in the world. In today’s economy all the banks and the financial institutions are subject to the risk of money laundering activities being carried on through the prevailing transaction systems within the organisations. Money laundering is the result of different criminal activities being operated all around the world. This study entails all about money laundering activities carried on globally with special reference to banking institutions and other related business organisations. First of all a brief overview about money laundering has been provided in this study. Next the various effects of money laundering in today’s economy have been discussed in details. The various preventive measures to combat money laundering have also been included in this study. Plenty of initiatives have been taken by different nations all around the world to put a hold on the existing money laundering operations. It has all been discussed in details in this study. Finally how the nations in the world have come forward to combat the threat of money laundering activities have also been discussed in this study. 2. Money Laundering – An Overview Money laundering can be defined as the process where the monetary proceeds of a criminal activity are integrated into the stream of financial business in a legitimate way so that its origin is never known to anybody. In this process of money laundering illegitimate funds are made to appear as legitimate funds (Odeh, 2010, p.1). The process of money laundering could be explained in any of the following three ways: a. Creating clean money out of dirty money. b. Washing away drug money. c.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

History - Essay Example A powerful and epic movie, stuffed with splendidly colorful anecdotes that the medieval age can supply. The director departs radically from tradition and vividly exposes Muslim motivations and strategies. The movie gives both Christians and Muslims perspective on the holy war. The movie offers piercing insight while it exposes the full horror, barbaric grandeur and passion of the crusading era. Thomas Asbridge uncovers aspects that drove Christians and Muslims to uphold the ideals of crusade and Jihad. The movie also reveals how wars reshaped the old era and why they continue to influence world activities to this day. The movie contains the strange history of the Papacy from two thousand years ago up to the time in power of Pope John Paul II. The fascinating movie would interest anyone willing to comprehend the account of the Catholic Church and the political, cultural and ideological forces that have shaped the current world. The movie also contains an introduction to modern civilization and how it was influenced by the church. The director demonstrates the papal roll of respect and disrespect and carefully re-creates the social, economic and political background to various

Civilizations Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civilizations Compare and Contrast - Essay Example The Egyptian civilization and the Holy Roman Empire had different political systems. The Holy Roman Empire was a feudal monarchy ruled by an emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Frankish King Charlemagne, who was crowned by Pope Leo III in the year (800 Whaley, 35). The popes had a great role in divine sanctioning of the rules imposed by the emperors as well as the coronation of the emperors. The emperor was elected by the seven leading princes, three ecclesiastical electors, three archbishops and four lay electors. The position of the emperor was exclusively for the males. The empire was divided into principalities where the rulers exercised many sovereign functions. The principalities had their parliamentary bodies that represented the estates of the territory. The role of the princes was tax collection, administration of justice and minting coins. The princes were also responsible for the material and spiritual salvation of their subjects. In the early years of the empire, too much power was bestowed in the princes and the clergy. The parliament of the empire, Empirical Diet consisted of leading princes, seven electors, dukes, counts, bishops and abbots. The role of the Empirical Diet was to resolve conflicts and negotiate between the emperor and the estates (Whaley, 47). The empire was governed by a constitution known as The Golden Bull. The ruling decisions in the Holy Roman Empire were initially influenced by the Roman Catholic, and the emergence of the Protestants led to conflicts that resulted to wars. The Schmalkaldic War of 1546-1547 between Charles V and Protestant princes led to the disintegration of the territories in the empire. The war was resolved by the Religious Peace of Augsburg before the Thirty Year’s War in 1618-1648 broke. The latter war led to greater political and religious division in the empire. The empire was dissolved in the aftermath

Lululemon Marketing Anaylsis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lululemon Marketing Anaylsis - Research Paper Example The company boasts of her ability to incorporate fashion and style in their products, which has ensured her strong brand recognition and high number of sales. The company’s concentration in Canada is much better especially brand awareness than in the US despite the fact that it has more stores in US than Canada. Current Market According to Tucker, Lululemon identifies itself with a high quality as well as exclusive yoga and sporting apparel strictly meant for female (Web). It operates in numerous stores across North America, Australia and New Zealand where it offers women’s wear for yoga, dance, running and other sport events. Most of the company’s customers are high-income women that are insulated to prices and the downturn of the economy as was evident in 2008 when the sales grew despite economic challenges. It has more stores in U.S compared with Canada that contributed to the $452.9 million revenue and gross of $ 223. Lululemon intends to make her US brand as better as the Canadian one because US has more stores than in Canada. The company is putting a lot of effort boost her brand awareness in the US market (Tucker Web). The organization has successfully returned to the community that gives it support such as hosting free yoga events around town. The company focuses on high quality products, which attracts higher prices for her upper income women target. Lululemon ensures prestigious and exclusive products that act as fashion forward and shows a healthy, well off lifestyle. The expensive high-end workout apparel has seen it standing even amid recession in 2008 due to the current market perception of the brand. Target Market Lululemon’s target market is 18-34 fit, health conscious and fashion forward, high-income females who are the company’s vital customers. The active young thinking woman who are appearance conscious, physically fit and well educated. Lululemon targets mostly the upper and middle class females residing i n North America with the niche marketing strategy by pursuing a narrowly defined market segment. The niche market strategy has greatly contributed to the success of the company thus making it remain a primary market target. In the recent past, the company has been striving to gain reach the male workout market for some time (Tucker Web). New male clothing brand with very high quality is another target market that the company looks forward to dominate. The males targeted are educated and physically active and appearance conscious aged between 16 and 45 living in North America. It is also targeting the pre-teen girls who may not be identified with the more mature females as well as more for more value proposition within all brands of the company. The target customer for Lululemon is very complex, active as well as health and is aimed at carrying out product expansion and matching the lifecycle and social status of those women. Current Marketing Strategy Acording to Ellis, Lululemonâ⠂¬â„¢s goal is to implement brand extension and reposition brand awareness that may result into 10% total growth as well 5% female growth within the next one year (Web). The strategy also involves holding a challenge in five Canadian cities and general 10% increase until 2025. The company has laid down various marketing strategies that may boost her sales and cover wider market. There are special marketing displays proposed by the management that helps in displaying products in stores for customers to distinguish between the products.

Transcontinental railroad Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Transcontinental railroad - Term Paper Example Such policies are implemented by regulatory authorities through budgets and other rules and regulations. However, there are some factors that affect the economy on the very basic level. One of those factors is infrastructure of a country. Infrastructure of a country can play an important role in the strengthening of the economy of a country. This paper analyses one such example of the effects of infrastructure on the economy. The example is that of the First Transcontinental Railroad. This railroad is said to be the first communication revolution of America. The railroad reduced the time of travel between east and west costs from six months to one week and it was indeed a huge achievement. This paper examines the problems faced by the entities engaged in the construction of the railroad and the effects of the railroad on the economy of the country (Heintz, 2009). Infrastructure can enhance the growth of the economy of a country at a very fast pace, specifically in case of developing countries. Developing companies usually have weak economic environment because of lack of sufficient infrastructure. Infrastructure can boost trade in a country which results in accelerated economic activities in the country. This scenario can best be explained with the example of the First Transcontinental Railroad that was constructed between the years 1863 and 1869 in the United States of America. The railroad was built by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and Union Pacific Railroad. These two entities were chartered by the Pacific Railway Act, 1862. This railroad connected the already developed railway network of the Eastern cost with California that was in its developing stages. The railroad was completed in May, 1869 when it changed the economic scenario of the American West for good. The railroad initiated a new series of trade and communication that triggered the economic growth in the USA. Planning for Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad In the year 1862, it was determined that the companies that would carry out the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad would be Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad. The companies started construction from their respective points. Central Pacific started building the railroad eastward from Sacramento, California and Union Pacific started building the railroad westward from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Although the companies had been assigned the task and they had started constructing the railroad, the point where both the railroads would meet was not determined. There were a number of problems that hindered the construction of the railroad resulting from the lack of adequate planning. The construction also slowed down due to the Civil War between the years 1861 and 1865. This factor also added to the problems already present due to the lack of planning. However, a point in the Mormon territory of Utah was determined to the Promontory Point where the railroads being constructed by the two companies would meet. The construction completed on 10 May, 1869 when the two railroads met at the Promontory Point. Problems Faced in Construction A railroad connecting the east and west cost of the USA had always been a dream but it was shaped into reality by the President Abraham Lincoln. However, the railroad was completed after four years of his death. The construction of the railroad was not independent of any problems. There were a num

Growing up in Korea Essay Example for Free

Growing up in Korea Essay Growing up in Korea and attending high school in the United States has taught me that in many ways people from different countries can be very similar. One thing that seems universal in my experience is that everyone hates politicians and jokes about the work the do. This is a bit awkward for me because my dream has always been to become a politician and a strong leader in the future of Korea, and to me that is not joke. My father teases that when I was little I would constantly ask him to tell me stories about famous politicians. My favorite politician was always Margaret Thatcher. I especially respected the way she led the successful recovery of England’s economy after the Great Depression. Her story stuck me even more deeply because I first heard it during a time of economic hardship in South Korea. Since then, I have always dreamt about becoming a wise and upright politician, leading Korea in prosperity as Margaret Thatcher did for England, and this goal has be very important in shaping my educational decisions to this point. When I was eleven, I visited my sister’s high school in Colorado. During this, my first time visiting an American school, I was impressed at the variety of students and how they appreciated the differences in each other. To me, the school seemed filled with opportunities to learn about other cultures and make friends with people from diverse backgrounds. I thought the experience I would gain in working with diverse groups of people in a school like this would be very important to my future as a politician because we live in such an international society with every nation and its people interacting with one another. I felt that the leader of the future would need to have an international mind and a sense of diversity in order to understand the world better, so I decided to attend high school in the U. S. I now attend a small private Catholic high school where am the only Korean student. Being the first Korean student in the history of the school has been an exciting for me. The students and faculty have shown great interest in Korean history and culture, and I have made sure to take advantage of their curiosity and shared information about my country and myself. On Korean national holidays such as New Year’s Day and Full Moon Festival, I often share traditional Korean food and decorations with my friends and teachers. I have also volunteered to prepare presentations about Korea and Asia for my history classes. I always remind myself that I am very fortunate to be able to be the representative of Korea in this community, and in turn I try to learn as much about American culture as I possibly can. I think that these experiences of cultural exchange are the start of my future as a representative for Korea. Now it is time for me to take the next step toward my dream. I imagine myself learning about political science, international relations, or economics in college, and look forward to the new insights the lectures and discussions will bring. I am excited to share my culture with a larger community and one that includes many other international students. I also look forward to continuing to learn about the U. S. At XXX University, I would not only study hard, but I would also join clubs that would help me develop social and political skills that will be necessary for me to succeed in my future as a politician. I believe that XXX University would provide me a great opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience that will enable me to realize my dream and become a strong leader for Korea.

US, Ohio Police Recruitment Steps

US, Ohio Police Recruitment Steps Career Exploration into Policing Criminal Justice Steps in the departments recruitment process The department of the Ohio state police has immense and significant aspects that are usually put into consideration during the recruitment process of potential police officers. Great consideration is taken into serious account where everyone in the recruitment process is considered the same as the other no matter from which particular group one comes from (John   Mike 1996). These recruitment criteria in Ohio and all the parts in the country ensure that there are no minorities or dominant groups in the police department. Before the recruiting process, the recruits have to have the knowledge in mind of what is expected and required of them. Steps in the selection process The police selection process is extensive, complex, and competitive. It basically entails a series of assessment, interviews, and analytical steps intended to choose the overall best candidate to employ to a police division from all that are in great need of the job. A written ability test is usually given to the candidates to ascertain their deductive reasoning written comprehension and expression as pertaining the aptitude tests .in accordance to this the personal interviews. The recruit during the selection process has to ensure that he or she is able to submit a well completed application form to ensure that they are dually assured of the selection process (Robert Kim, 2002). This is followed by a written examination entailing the normal examination usually given. This written examination is set to establish whether the recruit is versed with the writing skills. New advanced test have been developed and great interest has been focused on the use of computer technology in Ohio state police departments. This test is aimed at reducing bias which will tend to favor some recruits and live out the most potential prospects. Conduction of an oral interview is the next step in the selection process where the applicant will be examined on character significant to the police officer place, as well as command existence, truthfulness, program communication skills, open-mindedness for stress, sentence, and certainty. The next step entails psychological testing where the assessment of the ability to make rational decision is considered. this test focuses on the background of the applicant and tries to eliminate cases with past psychological disorders (Robert Kim, 2002).The recruits are then subject to a polygraph examination to ascertain whether the information being given is valid or not. The physical wellness and the medication test then follow in the selection process this are to determine whether the health of the applicant is at risk or not .the medical tests usually focuses more on the wellness and whether the applicant had drugs intake. When all this cases have been tackled, the superintendent reviews the files for clarification. The training process The initial state of training involves the recruit training which is involved in making sure that the officers are able to understand the state laws a fact that provide them with the idea of what their job entails. The officers have to attend a formal training in an academy. The recruits who have recently graduated are usually subjected to the field training to supplement the theory they had passed through at the academies from (John   Mike 1996). They are also subjected to the use of fire arms where the effective use of fire arms are vividly focused and correct identification of the use is proposed. The training also focuses on the in service training where the skills and knowledge of veteran officers is updated. References John D;  Mike N (1996 ) Investigation into the training and non-stop specialized development of members of the P F of. Bristol University of the West of England  -82p Robert L Kim S (2002) Trainers Development Programme: evaluation. Harrogate state Police Training, 146

Nelson on Descartess Theory of Perception and Judgment Essay -- Desca

Nelson on Descartes?s Theory of Perception and Judgment ABSTRACT: One tension in Descartes?s account of human error stems from the idea that we may be faulted for our acts of will, despite the fact that God is our omnipotent and omniscient creator. In the present essay, I describe a second tension in Descartes?s account of human error. After describing the tension, I consider Alan Nelson?s characterization of the means by which Descartes?s intended to relieve it. Although Nelson's interpretation is almost correct, I think that it obscures some of the interesting details of Descartes?s theory of perception and judgment. These details are revealed by the taxonomy of sensory responses that Descartes articulates in the Sixth Set of Replies to the Meditations. I. In the Fourth Meditation, Descartes is confronted with the problem of reconciling his conclusion that God exists and is no deceiver with apparent instances of human error. Described generally, Descartes attempts to square his assertions regarding God, with the fact that humans are subject to error, by claiming that any error made by a human being originates in a free act of will for which God should not be attributed fault. There is, of course, enormous tension between Descartes?s claim that human beings may be faulted for their acts of will, and his claim that God is our omnipotent and omniscient creator. In what respect is it appropriate to regard us as culpable for our acts, assuming that God is antecedently the author of these acts through his creation of the Universe? This is a difficult question to answer. However, even if we set this question aside (as I will), we find that considerable tension remains in Descartes?s account of the etiology of perceptual error. .. ...escartes, Volume II, pp. 295. 21 The same sort of confusion is also described in the last sentence of both principle 70 and 71, in Book One of the Principles. 22 In fact, the categories of the objects of confusion mentioned in principle 46 (perceptions and judgments) are precisely the constituents of the second and third categories of sensory response described in the Sixth Set of Replies. 23 The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, Volume I, pp. 208. References Descartes, Renï ¿ ½: 1985, The Philosophical Writings of Descartes (Vol. 1,2, and 3), Cambridge University Press, New York. Hare, R.M.: 1952, The Language of Morals, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Locke, John: 1975, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Clarendon Press, Oxford. Nelson, Alan: 1997, ?Descartes?s Ontology of Thought?, Topoi 16, 163-178. DESCARTES?S THEORY OF PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT 11

Comparison of the American and French Revolutions Essay -- American Fr

Comparison of the American and French Revolutions The American and French revolutions both compare and contrast in their origins and outcomes; both revolutions began due to the common peoples need to obtain independence and liberty from an oppressive government. The American Revolution was triggered by the American colonists need for financial independence from the overpowering nation of Great Britain, while the French revolution was a struggle to gain social equality among the masses. Although the American and French Revolutions were fought over the same ideas, the American Revolution is considered more â€Å"conservative† than the French. The intent of the American revolutionaries was not to initiate a revolution, but rather to gain their freedom from a â€Å"long train of abuses,† The French however were trying to cause a true revolution they were not just fighting for freedom but instead to over throw and remove the monarchy. The American revolutionaries had no choice but to defend their liberties; the tactics used by the Americans were not as directly aggressive as those used by the French. The American Revolution, beginning in 1776, was initiated due to the tension that existed between the thirteen American colonies and the island of Great Britain due to the war debt Great Britain had incurred when defending American colonists against the French and Indians. As a solution to the debt the British began passing legislation, which increased the taxation of American colonies, tightening their control over the colonists. One of the regulations that Parliament passed was the Stamp Act of 1765. This taxed all printed documents, including: wills, newspapers, and pamphlets. The colonists felt they were not fairly represented because they held no seat in Britain’s parliament. The rallying cry for the colonists became â€Å"no taxation without representation." After years of boycotting and peaceful protest the American colonists could no longer stand the abuse from Great Britain and decided that they had had enough. In 1775 the British troops and American Militia exchanged first shots of the Revolution. On July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, written mostly by Thomas Jefferson. Due to a decisive American victory at Saratoga, the French agreed to aid the Americans, mainly because of a longstanding hatred between the French... ...g an impartial solution for all. The National Assembly took the Tennis Court Oath, which stated that no one was to leave unless a constitution was enacted for France. On August 26th, the Assembly drew up the Declaration of The Rights of Man and citizen. In contrast to the American Revolution, the French Revolution was more violently approached. Both the American and French revolutions ended with a victory of independence. In the American Revolution, the American colonists gained their independence from Great Britain while the French gained social equality and converted from an overpowering monarchy to a republic. They differed, however, by the means in which each set of revolutionaries went about revolting. The American Revolution was less violent and the Americans had attempted to first establish a compromise with King Louis XIV. The French Revolution was much more aggressive; the storming of the Bastille and massacre of many French nobility are prime examples of the violent tactics used during the revolution. Both revolutions have not only adequately show the importance of individual and universal rights, but also show two different ways of achieving liberty through revolt.

God created Essay

The dawn breaks and the sun peers over the horizon. Another day has come and its new oppotunities seize my imagination. In the beginning, there was only darkness. It is the same darkness that clouds the hearts and minds of men. It sows seeds of fear to paralyze great men into inaction. Thoughts of impending failure and the unsatisfactory results of the past stunts progress and innovation. The valiant and the just stay their hands in the face of tyranny. The wise pass no verdict or judgement to protect the weak and the oppressed. Opportunities to promote the common good are missed and nothing changes. The darkness prevails as time claims the old and weary. But then, God created light and vanquished the darkness. And with the darkness, the fear that plagued man faded into nothingness. Regardless of the possibility failure and despair, man pursued success and happiness. Even in the face of death or humiliation, men fought for what was right and what was just. The cycle of monotony and subsistence was broken as the opportunities, great and small, were seized by the wise and the brave. The world changed and life evolved. The Lord called this light the sun. It is the light that breaks the darkness of the night to usher in the dawn of a new day. It heralds in the infinite possibilites that one can do today. Its daily cycle promises to illuminate the dead night of yesterday and to offer even greater opportunities tomorrow. It is this promise of opportunities that seizes my imagination. It wakes me up in the morning and drives me to live everyday to the full. It is these inevitable infinite opportunities that help me decide what the world will be.

A common theme in literature

Literature can produce so many themes accumulated from different aspects of life. Authors around the world have utilized almost all the possible concepts, ideologies and themes that could ever exist. As one reads a story, different comparisons can be made regarding other stories as well.Due to the vast capability of literature, there are so many possible similarities that can be well-correlated from stories after stories. Several stories aim to project one common theme.Though most are hidden behind all the well-written flowery words, most themes and concepts can be well realized as a story progresses. Upon reading a story, many readers can analyze the main message being tried to convey by an author.There are so many themes to choose from due to the vast freedom of authors. In this paper, a recurring theme of illusion vs. reality can be concluded with regards to three different short stories, namely â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, â€Å"The Rich Brother† by Tobias Wolff, and â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† by Amy Tan.Illusion vs. Reality in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William FaulknerIn order to understand the whole message of this story, there is a need for the adequate provision of analysis. This story is about an eccentric spinster named Emily Grierson.Her life is narrated bu an unnamed narrator who discusses her bizarre relationship with her lover, her father and with the whole town of Jefferson along with her hidden terrible secrets.The story seemed to be a very mediocre one not until the end. The horrific conclusion had assisted readers on what the true persona of Ms. Emily Grierson really was. That twist in the ending made the whole beginning and middle part of the story become preparatory concurrences of the possible realizations.Linking the theme of illusion versus reality with this story can be very easily assessed. The whole reality factor all relied on the essence of the changing generations and the spinning wheel of time that passed Miss Emily.The illusion part is the one where she still dwells in the past and even resulting to killing her love in order to stay at the past. She was just so lost with reality that   she led her life more on the illusion side. Emily completely lived her life stuck in the past. When the new Board ofAlderman approached her she exclaimed that Colonel Sartoris that she had no takes in the town of Jefferson but during this occurrence, Colonel Sartoris was already dead for ten years. Her life revolved around in the past as if time did not exist.She locked herself inside her house in order to dwell on her own world that was unreal. Emily's desire of the past even led him to murder Homer Barron to keep him in the past with her.This story reminds readers that such is the power of the mind that it can alter an individual's perception in life and even cause him or her to lead to doing horrendous actions.This reality of Ms. Emily was only existing in here point of view. The whole town represented the present and the true reality, while Ms. Emily Grierson represented the past and a symbolic characterization of illusion.Illusion vs. Reality in â€Å"The Rich Brother† by   Tobias WolffThe story behind â€Å"The Rich Brother† is about two brothers namely Donald and Pete. Pete is the older brother who is much more successful than his younger brother Donald. Pete is a typical middle-class man of success that has enough money due to real estate, a great wife, a couple of daughters, a beautiful house and a sailboat.His younger brother Pete on the other hand has no family and lives alone. His job is painting houses and he usually stays in an ashram in Berkeley. In terms of financial needs, Donald always goes to Pete in times of needs. But other than this, Donald is a pure, kind-hearted, and spiritual type of guy.It's link to the concept of reality versus illusion is represented through the baffling question of which brother needs more of the ot her brother? Who is the more independent than the other?In realistic terms, Pete seemed to be the more able brother who almost has everything. while Donald on the other hand is a man who always seem to be in need and displays his dependence on his brother. But there is a huge difference on the true message of this story. In Pete's dream, he was blind and he badly needs Donald to help him.Analyzing the story even more, the representation of the blindness of Pete is considered as blindness from faith. Though externally, Pete has been a wealthy man, almost having the resources that a normal man could ever have, he still is not as rich on the inside as Donald. Donald is the representation of a spiritual guide which in turn represents his importance to Pete.Illusion is contrasted with reality in this story through the aspect of Pete and Donald's inner and outer status in life. People are made to believe that Pete is the richer guy in a lot of things but in reality, Donald has everything that a man could ever really need, faith.Illusion vs. Reality in â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† by Amy TanThis story is narrated through Jandale's eyes. She is a Chinese-American woman who's trying to gain more knowledge about her Chinese culture and the past of his mother. This story can be easily related to by women readers due to the fact that it is narrated by a woman and the story revolves around this character.This story largely revolves around the journey towards self-identification and cultural recognition. Before, Jandale never really understood her past, her roots and her identity as half-Chinese and half-American. The journey helped her become a complete person and an individual of more knowledge about the world especially of her culture.Like many other people who can't accept their past and their family's past, Jandale never really embraced her life's history before. But still, that thought of accepting everything, even the past, has become the driving force for Jandale to finally conclude that her life is complete.Her past, culture and her mother's past haunted her to realize it and achieve something that could make her feel at ease and make her mother's dreams complete.Her mother never got to see her two twin half-sisters which were abandoned due to their family's attempt to escape the Japanese. It was Jandale's turn to provide to accomplish that missed dream of her mother.The link of reality versus illusion in this story tells that no matter what happens in life, the truth is that family will always be family and that we should not ignore our cultural heritage. Our lives may change from time to time due to many events that may alter it.But nonetheless, we can't escape the fact that there is a reality about who are family is and where did we really come from. Reality slaps us in the face and assists us to realize our life's true essence and meaning.ConclusionIt is true that many stories that have been told through the years almost reflect a comm on message but expresses and narrates it in so many different ways. The stories   â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner, â€Å"The Rich Brother† by Tobias Wolff, and â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† by Amy Tan, tell us that within the confines of everything, there is still the true reality that matters most in our life.Though in some cases, it would seem hard to find the true meaning of reality in our lives due to the many illusions that we impose in ourselves, truth be told, in the end, reality is all that we've got. We can't escape reality and we should never be blinded by illusions.With the characters of Emily, Pete and Jandale, we could see that there perceptions about reality may have been different from each other, but in the end reality wins over all the illusions and unrealistic perceptions in life. REFERENCESFallon, E., et. al. (2001). A Reader's Companion to the Short Story in English. Westport, CT:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greenwood Press.Faulkner, W. (n.d.) A Rose for Emily. Retrieved July 13,   2008, from,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.ariyam.com/docs/lit/wf_rose.html.

Impacts of Electronic Media Essay

Nowadays, the terms â€Å"communication systems† are explicitly used to mean electronic communication systems. Because, Electronic communication systems has grabbed the Lion’s share of our regular means of communication. Radio, Digital TV, Mobile, Internet has made our life faster & easier & this never ending process is just always on its way to improvement. The Internet is the most dramatic and widespread application of electronics and communication technology of recent years. We can’t even think of a day without social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. Google has become our best friend to find out the things we are looking for. Tutorials of YouTube are available anytime, anywhere for learning anything within a very short time that we don’t know. All of those that have been mentioned so far can be categorized as blessings of electronic communication systems. There are many reasons why the Internet is controversial. The problem with the Internet is the fact that anyone can access just about anything they want to from it. The thing is right now cyber-space has no real laws that limit the actual access we have on the internet. For example, pornography is a big issue because children are accessing adult content so easily without anyone having to know about it. Another issue is that there is so much obscenity and violence that goes on inside online chat rooms, and the most frightening part about it is that it is so easy for someone to trick another person with their age and get you to meet up with them. So, taking all of these into count, censorship of electronic communication systems is a necessity of time. Censorship means the change in the access status of material or materials, made by a governing authority or its representatives.  Such changes include: exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes. Censorship of communication systems may include the examination and blocking of books, periodicals, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other communication media that is shown to, or available, to the public. Media censorship is sometimes put into place because content is immoral or obscene, heretical or blasphemous, seditious or treasonable, or injurious to the national security. It is supposedly is used for the protection of the family and the state. Additionally some religious groups, opposed to the violence shown in different types of media, say censorship works. However, still more that believe in civil rights believe that it is an unnecessary violation of the right to freedom of speech for all humans. Censorship of the media for children is necessary, but should not be handled by government or other groups. Instead it should be directed and controlled by parents with or without children. If the government were to bring censorship, adults would not see the programs, news, reports etc in their area or around the world. For this to be avoided, the government must leave censorship to parents. To facilitate parent’s exercise of viewing censorship for their children, proper measures should be undertaken accordingly. Censorship is the keystone of the public’s apparent outcry against the electronic media. Even though there are millions and millions of viewers in all over the world that watch the networks can and should the networks be responsible for what they put on the air? Yes, they really should have some sort of morals as to the nature of the content and at what time the program airs as well. Children at a vulnerable age should not be exposed to violent acts. Because, it will affect the child’s behavior and mental growth. In a 1970, study at Pennsylvania State University, psychologist Aletha Huston showed cartoons of fists fighting superheroes to one group of four year old and nonviolent cartoons to another group. The children of the study were comprised of children that were aggressive in nature. The study found that the group that was shone the violent cartoons were more apt to hit and throw things. While the kids who watched the nonviolent cartoons remained relatively calm and docile. It was concluded that children that watch violent cartoons are more apt to commit crimes when they are adults, such as spousal abuse and drunk driving. Children might think it is okay to rob a bank, shoot someone or commit other violent crimes against another person. Also as the child grows older, he begins to believe that revenge through violence, as demonstrated on such shows as New York Undercover and NYPD Blue where people get revenge by breaking other peoples’ noses, shooting them or committing hit and runs, is okay. In other words, a false impression of reality is formed for children. We have found out that cartoons are the most violent programming found to date in television today. Between the ages of two and twelve, the average amount of television watched is approximately 25 hours per week. Most of these 25 hours are comprised of cartoons. Cartoons like Tom and Jerry, where they either get hurt or blown up, and never die and always get back together, without a scratch. Again, this promotes a false sense of reality. Nowadays, there are products out, such as the â€Å"V box†. This box is programmable by a parent to block out certain channels at certain times so that the child will not be exposed to violence on television at certain times of the day. On the other hand, networks should not be responsible for what they air. On the other hand, networks should not be responsible for what they air. In their business, the network with the highest ratings wins. Which in turn means more capital for the network. Why would a parent use television as both a babysitter and an educational outlet? Television is for entertainment purposes only. Much of the information from today’s television programming is purely fictional. And if people decide to imitate what they see on television, then so be it. Everyone in this society has the right to either lay down in the middle of a highway and die or not to or live a happy and prosperous life as demonstrated after teenager saw the movie The Program. Why should it be the responsibility of the network to change all of its programming because one person decided to do a stupid act? According to a survey conducted by Aletha Huston in 1970, she stated that all violent nature from children is linked to television. But a major flaw was found. Leonard Eron of University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research stated that, â€Å"no one is saying that all violence is inspired by television and not all homes have a moral compass. † As long as there are individuals that want networks to be responsible, should networks also restrict what they put on the air? â€Å"Long ago jurists decided free speech did not protect the right to shout fire in a crowded theater. A small child could mistakenly turn on the television and watch shows such as MTV’s Beavis and Butthead and imitate what they see. One perfect example is after watching Beavis and Butthead, Austin Meissner, a five year old, decided to take a lighter from his mother’s dresser and decided to set his house on fire. By doing this, he unwittingly killed his sister, who was only two. Austin’s mother demanded that the show be taken off the air. After watching these shows most young children cannot discern what is real and what is make believe and start to imitate what they have een. Doctor Prothrow-Stith of Harvard School of Public health stated that â€Å"I’ve come to see that more and more we use the media to teach children that violence is a way of life. We also present violence not just as a natural thing, as funny and entertaining. Children begin to learn this lesson from their first cartoons and superheroes, before moving on to the high tech-violence of action movies for adults. By the time they are teenager using violence to resolve conflict seems very natural to them. Having a thorough discussion on that side, we can never neglect the positive side of electronic communication systems specially it’s impact in the day-to-day life of students. Internet is the biggest source of all aspects. Internet covers the world happenings every day. Internet includes a variety of current issues and developments about the world. One of the benefits is internet gives lots of information to us. Students could even use the internet as a replacement of textbooks and reference books as it contains an endless source of knowledge. Students can also check the latest scientific knowledge and research. Scientist nowadays have been experimenting and discovering a lot of intriguing and new things. This type of stream is very suitable for students who are interested to further their studies in science stream. Furthermore, internet facilitate students to enter universities. This is because students can register through some of the website according to the universities of their choice. Besides, internet also contain various type of social sites. We can get new friends and even meet our old friends through these social sites. Moreover, by interacting and chatting with pen pals from overseas, we can strengthen the relations between foreign countries thus enlighten us to a better community. Last but not least, internet help us to keep abreast on latest issues and developments. Students and teenagers can understand the causes and solutions based on the headlines given. This will make them aware of the danger that lurk that can cause a lot of bad effects to the environment and surroundings. In a nutshell, Electronic means of communication supposed to be very beneficial to people of all spheres if they use it wisely and effectively.

Dowry system in India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Essay

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia’s quality standards. The specific problem is: reference formatting. Please help improve this article if you can. (March 2013) In India, dowry (Hindi: , Daheja in Hindi)[1] is the payment in cash or some kind of gifts given to bridegroom’s family along with the bride. Generally they include cash, jewellery,[2] electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils and other household items that help the newly-wed set up her home. The dowry system is thought to put great financial burden[3] on the bride’s family. It has been one of the reasons for families and women in India resorting to sex selection [4] in favor of sons. [5] This has distorted the sex ratio of India (940 females per thousand males [6])and has given rise to female foeticide. [7] The payment of a dowry has been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Contents [hide] 1 Domestic violence 2 Laws 3 False dowry allegations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Domestic violence[edit] In 2001 nearly 7,000 dowry deaths[8] were registered in India over inadequate dowry, apart from other mental trauma cases. [9] Bride burning,[10] inducing suicides, physical and mental torture by their husband or in-laws is sometimes found to be done if the bride fails to bring sufficient dowry. [11] There are laws like Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 that help to reduce domestic violence and to protect women’s rights. Laws[edit] See also: Dowry law in India Dowry became prohibited by law in 1961 with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on the wife, section 498-A was added in Indian Penal Code and section 198-A in the Criminal Procedure Code in the year 1983. False dowry allegations[edit] The dowry law (article 498a) is thought to sometimes have been misused[12] by women to lodge false or exaggerated complaints against husbands and entire extended family accusing them of cruel behavior. As per the data only 2% of the cases registered for dowry demand have led to conviction of the groom or groom’s family. This had raised questions about rampant misuse of dowry laws in India by women to harass husband’s family. According to one survey conducted by reputed Indian news magazine India Today, over 90% of government servants actively seek and get dowry in marriage. It is a common feature for unmarried government servants to seek dowry relevant to the market rates of their post. These rates are sky-high, with an estimate of dowry rates for a bachelor IAS Officer (Indian Administrative Services) being as high as Rs 50 Lac to Rs 5 Crore (up to USD 1 Million). These high rates are one of the primary reasons for corruption as young IAS officers after marriage are forced to take bribes to maintain their new lifestyle and match the financial status of their wealthy in-laws. See also[edit] Dowry law in India Female foeticide in India References[edit] 1. Jump up ^ Godrej ‘Nupur Jagruti’- Dahej Ke Khilaf Ek Awaz 2. Jump up ^ â€Å"Dowry death: Police recovers Payal’s items†. Tribune. 3. Jump up ^ â€Å"Indian Man Accused of Killing Wife Who Refused to Abort Third Daughter†. National Right To Life News Today. May 17, 2011. 4. Jump up ^ â€Å"Govt looks to tighten abortion norms†. The Times Of India. 5. Jump up ^ Son preference attitude among Indian parents – A silent emergency | TwoCircles. net 6. Jump up ^ Census of India – India at a Glance : Sex Ratio 7. Jump up ^ â€Å"Kashmir’s ‘missing girls'†. Agence France-Presse. 2011-05-19. 8. Jump up ^ Ash, Lucy (2003-07-16). â€Å"India’s dowry deaths†. BBC News. 9. Jump up ^ â€Å"Till death do us part†. Deccan Herald. 20 May 2011. 10. Jump up ^ â€Å"School ‘pays dowry’ to save girls from childhood marriage†. CNN. 2011-06-16. 11. Jump up ^ â€Å"Rising dowry cases cast shadow over nuptial knot†. The Times of India. 2013-09-17. 12. Jump up ^ â€Å"Amend dowry law to stop its misuse, SC tells govt†. The Times Of India. 2010-08-17.

Planting the Seeds of Jealously in PARADISE LOST

All great works of literature have at their center a strong conflict. After all, if there was no conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist then there would be little of interest to any work. Not all conflict, however, is external. That is, while the protagonist and the antagonist may be in conflict there are also a number of internalized conflicts that the characters possess as well. Often, it is this internal conflict that drives the external conflict. Such is the case with the fourth and fifth books of John Milton's PARADISE LOST as there are a number of internal conflicts that are born of senses of jealousy and inferiority. When we first look at Book 4 of PARADISE LOST we are introduced to the pitiful figure of Satan. Please note, the word pitiful is not used here flippantly. The character truly appears pathetic. Part of this would be the result of Satan essentially being a stranger in a strange land who no longer feels welcome in heaven as he is cast out. This builds into a feeling resentment, anger and jealously towards the Earth in its paradise form. Satan then becomes driven to travel to paradise and disrupt things. It would seem almost as if Satan is a spoiled child who would rather destroy a toy rather than let anyone else play with it. Satan then re-directs his internal conflicts towards the inhabitants of paradise with Eve being his intended prey. If Satan can destroy Eve he can destroy paradise. Of course, if Eve were strong she would be able to fend off his tempting but she is not. This is because she is also internally conflicted. In Book Five, the Angel Gabriel informs Adam that there is the possibility that they may evolve to a higher power. But, in order to do so they must remain loyal to God. On the surface, this would seem like a rather simple task. Simply follow orders and all will be well. Of course, human beings have a tendency to be their own worst enemies and this was not lost upon Adam or Eve. In this case, it was Eve who falters first. Part of the reason for this is that Eve also possesses a certain sense of conflict not unlike Satan. (This is foreshadowed in the dream sequence which we will soon discuss) Satan as a fallen angel feels a certain sense of inferiority towards the angels that are still in the good graces of God. In a similar vein, Eve feels equally conflicted since she feels inferior to Adam. After all, the angel discusses how she and Adam can obtain perfection but he only discusses this with Adam. As such, there is a certain â€Å"snub† Eve feels and this is probably what led to her being more susceptible to the taunts of Satan. In a way, Eve's eventually jealously is similar to Satan. Since the root of Satan's rebuke of God can be traced to his jealously towards son it would not be out of the question that Eve would also feel a similar jealously. Her jealousy, however, is directed towards Adam who is seemingly favored by God and the heavens. Much like with Satan, this jealously would prove to be her undoing. This does not occur in the fourth of fifth chapter but it is foreshadowed by a  sequence where God acknowledges that his creations – the humans – will eventually fall and falter. It would seem that God understands such feelings are human nature and that they can not be circumvented no matter what. Perhaps, God understands that all creatures in heaven and earth are flawed and these flaws lead to the weak emotions of jealously, pride and envy that are their undoing. It is also foreshadowed in the early part of Book Five, Eve has a dream that foreshadows her fall. Adam warns her to not pay mind to thoughts of feeding from the Tree of Knowledge. However, we can see how the seed of such malfeasance is planted. But, there is a clear understanding here that inferiority exists. In other words, since there is a Tree of Knowledge there must obviously be things that Adam and Eve do not know. In other words, they are obviously imperfect beings that are in the shadow of God and the angels. Again, this creates the seeds of jealousy that will later manifest into resentment and defiance. Remember, PARADISE LOST is not so much about physically being cast out of paradise as much as it is about the sad realization that all beings are flawed. Among these major flaws are notions that an individual will suffer from envy and jealously; emotions which can lead to great undoing if not properly placed in check. Sadly, the seeds of jealousy in these two chapters of PARADISE LOST grow until they ultimately deliver what the title of the work would suggest – an outright loss of salvation and the birth of the desire to regain it. This, of course, is another tale for another time.   

Impact of an ageing population on the business environment and on Essay

Impact of an ageing population on the business environment and on business organization - Essay Example This conflict is therefore a major concern in the minds of economists and politicians alike, as this will put increasing pressure on the budget, and of a more fundamental concern, the likely slowdown in economic growth. With this conflict getting more and more fuelled by critics, Peter Costello has been forced to step in and put forward a resolution to this dispute. He has recently proposed a campaign to stop people from retiring early, allowing them to work past the current age restriction of 65. From the viewpoint of the individual there is a double gain. The longer you work before retiring, the more time you have to keep adding to your superannuation and your retirement savings. But, on top of that, the less time you spend in retirement, the longer your retirement savings will last you. (Barnett 2000, 69-74) From the viewpoint of the federal budget, the more people save before they retire and the later they retire after 65, the less the Government has to pay them in age pension payments and the less it has to spend on health care concessions and such like. If this policy is embraced by the aged, (who should very well be concerned about their financial futures), it will solve many of other conflicts in our society. One of these is that of elder abuse. Where the elderly are forced to take care of their grandchildren while the parents go out and endeavour careers. If the aged are working, then this issue will simply not arise. Also, due to their job commitments, muggings and violence against the aged will decrease and this will lead to greater satisfaction of life, and their general well being. (Tay 2001, 42-49) Also if they spend more time out in the workforce, they may be more susceptible to changes in technology as their work may require simple training in computer technologies such as the Internet. This will reduce the conflict of technology, in their future, enhancing their lifestyle as they take advantage of timesaving (maybe body-saving in their case) features of the Internet, like Internet banking. Also the issue of reluctance of employers to employ older people will significantly reduce. As they will KNOW that these people have 5-10 years extra left in them, hence they WILL give them that promotion and the respect which the aged so badly desire. It sometimes seems as though the aged have more than their share of critical emotional problems. They also sometimes have more than their share of psychological help at their disposal. And almost every helping procedure that effectively copes with human concerns is successfully applicable to the problems of the aged. Psychotherapy can be helpful to old people. Family therapy 'works'. Poetry and art therapy 'work'. Given the skill and sensitivity of the clinician - and the willingness to provide a service to an old-person - therapies of many types can be successful. (Barnett 2000, 69-74) But, although resolving many financial and emotional issues for the aged, this policy still doesn't account

Innovation of Hilti Group Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Innovation of Hilti Group - Case Study Example This danger in the workplace has been under focus in the same manner for large construction companies as for small construction companies (Hung et al., 2011) within the Australian context. One major danger from using power tools is the ability to lose control of the power tool causing physical damage to the operator as well as other workers or people in the surrounding. This kind of short term damage is augmented by long term damage that can occur from the extended use of power tools due to vibration and use. The workers who use power tools are in constant danger of developing physical disorders due to excessive vibration (Edwards & Holt, 2010) as well as losing their sense of hearing. 2.3. Innovation Imperatives facing the Organisation On the one hand manufacturers like Hilti have to come around with innovative solutions to deal with health and safety concerns posed in the workplace. On the other hand the range of global operations means that Hilti has to produce solutions that are technically acceptable and open to translation in various corners of the globe. Operating a large business in 120 countries around the world means that Hilti has to deal with a number of differing technical specifications on safety concerns, materials that are allowable for use, range of operating parameters such as voltage levels etc. Overall this indicates that Hilti has a two pronged innovation concern – one that bases itself solely on the issue of safety in the workplace and the other that concerns itself wholly with the issue of conformance to various international standards on safety and manufacturing. 2.4. Organisation’s Current Level of Innovation Hilti has carved a... The firm that is analyzed in the paper is the Hilti Group also known as Hilti AG, an end manufacturer, developer and marketeer of construction and building maintenance tools with the primary focus of production being professional end users. The company has a diverse product portfolio that includes tools for mining, measurement, cordless tools, screw fastening systems, drilling and demolition systems, diamond systems, cutting and grinding systems, direct fastening systems, anchor systems, firestop systems and construction chemicals. Although Hilti manufactures and sells a huge array of products but the company’s main focus areas are hammer drills, firestops and installation systems. Hilti is based in Schaan, Liechtenstein but has manufacturing facilities, retail outlets and marketing offices around the world. Overall the company employs more than 20,000 people worldwide. Historically the company was founded by Martin Hilti and Eugen Hilti in 1941 when they opened a workshop in Schaan, the capital of Liechtenstein. The company expanded its operations to Italy between 1948 and 1960 representing the company’s first foreign venture. Since that point in time the Hilti brand name has come to assume manufacturing, marketing and after sales support in over 120 countries worldwide. In terms of the ownership, the Hilti Family Trust owns all of Hilti’s registered shares as of 2003. Hilti has carved a reputation for itself for being a repeat innovator when it comes to the world of power tools and allied accessories.

E-procurement and diffusion of innovation theory and Rogerss model Thesis

E-procurement and diffusion of innovation theory and Rogerss model - Thesis Example This research will begin with the statement that procurement is one of the most crucial aspects of any organization. In general term, it is defined as the process of purchasing goods and materials at a proper time at the best affordable price. E-procurement involves using the internet and other web-based technologies as a tool for procurement. The success of this technique in the private sector has also aroused considerable interests among the public sector organizations with regards to adopting and implementing e-Procurement in their business process. In a typical e-Procurement process, an organization purchases goods and materials from suppliers by using the internet as a medium. E-procurement processes are characterized by the presence of e-marketplaces which is a platform that brings suppliers and buyers together. E-marketplaces also have the option of a reverse auction where competitive bidding can be undertaken for procuring a particular material. The process of e-Procurement i nvolves the following steps namely: Review of various suppliers Compiling documents related to ‘Request for Quotations’ Â  Sending out ‘Request for Quotations’ Revisions and resending related to ‘Request for Quotations’ Receiving proposals of RFQ’s Compiling and evaluating response Review of bids Narrowing down on the list of bidders Negotiations Selecting the winning bid.

Does The Use of Technology Effect's Young Literacy Learners, In A Research Paper

Does The Use of Technology Effect's Young Literacy Learners, In A Positive Or Negative Way - Research Paper Example These aids are meant to both integrate education with the world around as well as to provide a more seamless means whereby the educator can attempt to integrate the lesson plan with the student. On the whole, most educators and analysts have accepted such a practice as something of a necessary means whereby education mirrors the societal changes that take place. However, the broader question which should be asked is whether or not these technological aspects of the educational process actually aid and assist the impartation of knowledge to the student, whether they affect little to no change, or whether they actually have a negative impact on the way in which literacy learners learn and apply the information that is sought to be imparted to them via the educator. As a means of understanding the aforementioned research questions, this analysis will seek to lay out a framework of comparison whereby the preceding questions can be analyzed, weighed against existing and prior research, an d determined based on the analytical levels of inference that this author is able to provide. Furthermore, a critique and analysis of the existing policies, structures, and rules that have thus far defined the process of education with respect to the means by which technology has been actively implemented will also be analyzed. According to Ritzhaupt, technology itself should never be considered as a type of educator unto its own (Ritzhaupt et al 2012). Rather, the view put forward by these authors state that it is the teacher who remains the ultimate repository of knowledge who is merely using existing and emergent forms of technology to nuance the particular message or delivery on a given range of subject matter that he/she is attempting to impart. This approach is of course somewhat intuitive; however, it is one that is oftentimes forgotten within the current education model as a drive to provide greater and higher degrees of technology to assist teachers in the development and s uccess of their literacy learners has become something of a trend in both education and governance. In this way, the given authors put forward the idea that rather than relying on the technology alone as a type of alternative to primary instruction, the student and the teacher should both use technology as a type of supplemental means whereby the rich and flexible medium that it provides can be used to the benefit of all involved. Furthermore, authors such as (Kurt 2012) provide demonstrable statistics that go to show that a litany of studies have proven that regardless of the level of overall technology exhibited in a given classroom, it is readily understood through verifiable and measurable data that the level of learning and understanding that is imparted in a classroom which relies almost exclusively on technology is no higher than that which takes place in a classroom that employs but a small amount of technology as a determinant part of the teaching function. This is of

Mangment Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mangment - Speech or Presentation Example Secondly, it is impossible to calculate the beginning work in progress since it obtained from a previous year’s end work in progress, which is not contained in the extract provided. Lastly, since the units for measuring the direct labor cost is not provided, it is impractical to calculate the cost using the information in the manufacturing account extract (Lal & Srivastava 404-423). The estimated overhead rate allocation rate on the basis of direct labor cost = (15,000/10,000) = $ 1.5 per direct labor cost. Therefore, overhead cost to be added to job Q at the year end = (1.5*8,000) = $ 12,000 (Lal & Srivastava 404-423). The overhead allocation rate = 120% of direct labor. From this, the overhead cost of job 413 = (120/100) *8, 000 = $ 9,600. Therefore, the total manufacturing cost assigned = overhead cost + direct materials cost + direct labor cost = (9,600 + 12,000 + 8,000) = $ 29,600. The unit product cost for job 413 = total manufacturing cost/ number of units = (29,600/200) = $ 148 (Lal & Srivastava

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 175

Assignment Example Mr. E. Pass and his wife Mrs. Martha N. Pass crashed with their aircraft after it had been repaired by Shelby Aviation. After half year Mr. Max filed a case against Shelby Aviation claiming that they had broken, â€Å"Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code†. The UCC does not apply in this case, because Mr. Pass accepted the devices which were fixed to aircraft even though they were of low quality. Shelby could have fixed the devices under instruction of Mr. Pass hence no enough evidence for UCC to apply in the case. In this case, both Randy and Bob were injured due to negligence. The Seat post broke and Bob felt down; this shows that the manufacturer manufactured substantial product, which did not ensure people safety. If the health club supervised people, Bob could not have mishandled the facilities. Due to negligence both manufacturer and the club are guilty and they should compensate. In the second case, Randy sued both Bob and club for negligence. In this case they do not have evidence to prove their innocence. Bob destroyed everything and the club failed to supervise

#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

#1 - Essay Example On the other hand labor relations is the dealings between management and the workers with respect to the employment conditions. â€Å"Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations is thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces† (Labor Relations, 2009) In most of the times the interests of the organizations and that of the labors would be opposite in direction. The management always keen in maximizing their profit and for that purpose they will compromise the interests of the workers. On the other hand labor unions are always working for the wellbeing of the workers and they are not much concerned about the profit of the organization. For workers what they are getting is more important than what the organization is achieving. Both these interests contradict at times which will end up in strained labor relationships and trade union strikes. In a changing world, especially under globalization and liberalization, a well maintained labor relationship is important for an organization in order to compete in the market. Customers will trust an organization if their product or service supply doesn’t interrupt. Poor labor relationship always results in labor union strikes which will interrupt the production of goods or service. A temporary suspension of service or supply of goods in the market will force the customers to search for other options. Once the customers move away from the organization, it is difficult for the organization to bring them back. Labor problems destroy the image of the organization in the society in which it operates. The public will often take the side of the labors even if the justice is on the other side because of the false assumption that the management always trying to exploit the workers. This public

023 Understand Child and Young Person development Essay Example for Free

023 Understand Child and Young Person development Essay Age range Explain the sequence and rate of development 0-3 months When born, babies show innate reflexes, such as swallowing and sucking, rooting reflex, grasp reflex, startle reflex, walking and standing reflex; in the first month babies become less curled up and the startle reflex is starting to fade; toward the end of the third month babies start lifting and turning their heads. 3-6 months When lying on front babies can lift their arms and legs balancing on their tummies; they can reach and grab a toy and they can pass it from one hand to another; they can also roll from their backs to front; around sixth month babies are becoming able to sit with support (e. g. high chair). 6-9 months Babies can sit without support; they are beginning to crawl or find other ways of being mobile (bottom-shuffling); starting to use fingers to feed. 9-12 months Babies are becoming very mobile, fast crawling, standing up by the furniture, some babies walk along the furniture using their hands to hold on; developing abilities to handle objects and putting them into containers; babies able to feed themselves with fingers. 1-2 years At the beginning of this period babies are beginning to walk and around 18 months they are becoming more and more skilful on their feet, moving faster; toddlers around this age begin to sit and push with their legs to move on the sit-and-ride toys. Towards their second year children walk confidently, they can run and climb; towards the end of the second year some children are becoming ready to start potty training. 2-4 years In the third year children start potty training; they become able to push with feet or peddle a tricycle; children can walk upstairs alternating their feet; towards the end of the this period children are skilful enough to feed and dress themselves; they are able to do threading, pouring and they can use scissors. 4-7 years Physical development less rapid, however skills are becoming more refined and movements more coordinated. Ability to kick and control ball; development of fine motor skills essential for handwriting. 7-12 years Good coordination of small and large movements; growing physical skilfulness means task can be done quicker, more accurately and more confidently; neater drawing and writing; accurate cutting. Between 9 and 12 children gain even better coordination and speed in fine and gross motor skills. Around 11th year the bodies of some girls are starting to change (growing breasts) and some might start their periods. 12-16 years Gradual body changes in both girls and boys (girls physically mature quicker [around 15/ 16] than boys [around 17/18]. Fast body changes may affect spatial awareness which can become occasionally poor as a result. 16-19 years The maturing of the body is finishing with the full development of sexual organs; the body is taking a distinctive female or male shape. 023 Table 2: Intellectual and cognitive development Age range Explain the sequence and rate of development 0-3 months Quite early on babies are able to recognise the smell of their mother and her voice; later they become familiar with voices of important others and they can be calmed when they hear them; they are interested in faces. In their 3rd month babies start to differentiate between day and night (settled routine); babies become interested in mobiles and other objects around them. 3-6 months Babies are becoming interested in what is happening around them, turning their head in the direction of interest; objects are being explored by hands and mouth. 6-9 months Developing fine motor skills allow babies for a better exploration of objects by handling and touching with fingers; around 8 or 9 months babies understand object permanence (objects continue to exists even when out of sight). 9-12 months Babies are more aware of what is happening around them, they are starting to understand routines through signals (bib = food) 1-2 years Children enjoy pop-up and posting toys and in their 2nd year they are starting to have a go at simple jigsaw puzzles and building bricks. 2-4 years Children pretend play with miniature world; they more interested in books, mark making and painting. In their fourth year children are able to concentrate and focus longer on activities which which caught their interest. 4-7 years Children begin to do some simple counting and calculations, recognizing letters is followed by gradual decoding of simple words and later by reading. 7-12 years Reading and writing is becoming easier, children start reading silently to themselves. Play becomes more organized and follows rules. Development of thinking and reasoning is demonstrated through independent problem solving. 12-16 years Further development of reasoning and problem solving; children are gradually starting to understand more abstract concepts. 16-19 years Cognitive abilities are becoming further refined, leading to high level skills in young people. 023 Table 3: Communication development Age range Explain the sequence and rate of development 0-3 months To start with babies express their hunger, tiredness or other discontent through crying; around 5th/6th week babies start to coo when content; in the third month babies start smiling and reciprocate smiles. 3-6 months Babies starting to understand a little of what is being said and they are starting to give some communication signals themselves (e. g. raised arms when they want to be picked up). 6-9 months Babies become quite vocal, babbling with a differentiated tuneful string of sounds. They are also starting to understand various important key words connected with their routines (e. g. ?dinner? ). 9-12 months Babies clearly show they understand more of what is being said around them/ to them. Babbling is still main way of communication. 1-2 years First meaningful sounds/ words are beginning to emerge around 13 months, and at the end of 2nd year children might have a vocabulary of about 200 words. 2-4 years Language is becoming a powerful means of communication. From connecting two words first children are beginning gradually to build up sentences and their talking is becoming understandable even to those who are not in regular contact with the child. Even though there might be the odd mistake in the sentence structure, the language toward the end of this period is becoming fluent and children ask questions and generally enjoy expressing themselves through language. 4-7 years Children are becoming involved with written language – they are starting to learn to read and write. 7-12 years Reading and writing becomes easier now; at the beginning of this period children enjoy telling jokes to others; apart from chatting, children are beginning to be able to form a simple argument and be persuasive, they are becoming increasingly able to negotiate with others. Their writing shows more grammatical awareness as well as own imagination. 12-16 years Reading and writing skills are becoming very good and children are becoming increasingly skilful in negotiating and persuasion of others (peers and adults). 16-19 years Communication with peers is becoming very important; differentiation between formal and informal language and its use in real life is becoming more and more important; young people use different means to communicate (via phones, mobile messaging, emails, facebook, etc. ). 023 Table 4: Social, emotional and behavioural development Age range Explain the sequence and rate of development 0-3 months First social contacts are being established mainly during feeding; at the end of the first month babies start to show first smiles which then gradually become response to familiar faces. 3-6 months Babies smile and squeal with delight when playing with familiar others. 6-9 months Babies try to stay close to their primary carers and around 8 months babies may become distressed when their primary carer leaves. 9-12 months Babies are fixed on their carers and do not want to be with strangers. 1-2 years Children start notice other children around them and they show some interest in them and later start parallel play. They also start show some frustrations and tantrums as they gradually discover some boundaries. 2-4 years Children play alongside others and may start copying their actions. Around the third year children become more aware of others and their needs which also reflects in their play which is gradually starting to be more and more cooperative. Children enjoy being praised by adults. 4-7 years Developing language is helping children to form better relationships and children begin to show some preferences in friendships. 7-12 years Friendships are becoming more stable and more important and may influence decision making (if my friend is doing something I might be more likely doing it also). Gender specific play is becoming more apparent. Children start to compare themselves to others. Children enjoy being given some responsibilities. 12-16 years Friends and friendships are very important and gradually opinions from friends might feel more important that those of parents/ carers. This leads to exploration and challenge of the boundaries of relationships as well as learning to deal with disagreements, arguments, etc. There are anxieties coming from pressures from school. 16-19 years Young people enjoy being with their friends, they are finding discovering their own identity and sense of belonging to a group/ groups of specific characteristics which defines for them who they are (religious groups, sport group, goth, etc. ) 023 Table 5: Moral development Age range Explain the sequence and rate of development 0-3 months 3-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months Children might start paying attention to â€Å"no† and might stop their behaviour for a moment. 1-2 years Children are beginning to understand â€Å"no† and they start using it themselves. 2-4 years At the beginning of this phase still no understanding what is right or wrong but children understand when they are said â€Å"No†. Later they become able to follow some simple rules. Around 4 years children are becoming thoughtful at times but most of the times will decide what to do on the basis of adult approval. 4-7 years Children are beginning to understand rules; they try to understand them, follow them and may attempt to create their own rules where no rules are given (made-up game with friends). 7-12 years Children share their knowledge of rules with others and will readily point out if someone breaks the rules. Later they are becoming more aware of behaviour consequences and they are generally becoming more thoughtful. 12-16 years Children are beginning to be aware of a bigger picture – rules of communities and societies and they are beginning to understand the need for that. 16-19 years There is a interest in moral issues, finding out that right and wrong is not always black and white. Questioning and testing of rules. A2 Answer the following questions. 1. What is the difference between ‘sequence’ of development and ‘rate’ of development? 2. Why is the difference important? (Ref 1. 2) Q1. What is the difference between a sequence of development and rate of development? Sequence of development is the order in which development occurs, e. g. children are able to sit before they learn to crawl. The order of the sequences in development are always the same (even though there might be some individual differences: babies always learn to move about before standing up and walking, but some babies bottom-shuffle instead of crawling). Rate, on the other hand, is the speed in which individuals go through the stages/ sequences of development. Most children learn to walk when they are about 12 months old. However, some babies might be ready to walk when they are 10 months old and others when they are 15 months old. Individuals might also be developing with different rate in different areas, e. g. some children might be developing quickly physically, but their speech might be delayed. These individual differences are results of genetic predispositions and other biological influences as well as environmental stimulation. Q2. Why is the difference important? Knowing the sequences of development in different areas is important for practitioners to be able to plan accordingly and therefore to support the development in individuals. The rate of the development is important in terms of recognizing any atypical development and recommending/ searching any additional interventions when needed. TASK B Complete table; Research and report B1 Complete a table as shown on the following page, identifying the different personal and external factors that influence children and young people’s development. (Ref 2. 1, 2. 2) B2 Produce a report to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of differing theories of development. This report should identify how these theories have influenced current practice and include the following: Cognitive (e. g. Piaget) Psychoanalytic (e. g. Freud) Humanist (e. g. Maslow) Social learning (e. g. Bandura) Operant conditioning (e. g. Skinner) Behaviourist (e. g. Watson) Social pedagogy. Over the years there have been many theories trying to explain certain aspects of development, behaviour, learning, etc. In the following text we will look at the most influential theories which are being used by practitioners in better understanding as well as day to day work with children and young people. After a brief description of how an individual theory was founded, we will discuss the key points for work at nurseries. Theory of cognitive development (Constructivist approach) Theory of cognitive development is connected with the name of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) who through work on intelligence tests started to notice how children at same stages make very similar mistakes in their tasks and problem solving approaches. Piaget then closely observed his own children, capturing their development in details and later using these observations to create a theory of cognitive development. Piaget considered children as active learners who create ? schemas? (believes) about the world based on their experiences. This is how they make sense about what is happening around them. However, a child? s schemas are going to be challanged time to time by new and unexpected experiences and as a result existing schema will have to adapted to fit these in (e. g. touching something hot will alter the notion that everything is safe to touch and child will learn that certain objects can hurt when being touched). Piaget? s theory influenced the practice by having a ? child-centred? approach. In our setting, for example, we make regular observations on what our children are interested in and what they like to play/ do. After careful evaluations and identifications of possible next steps of development we plan activities which as well as reflecting children? s interest also further challenge them to encourage the development. Psychoanalytic theory of personality Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) suggested that every personality has got three parts to it – id, ego and superego. We all are born with id, which is the part of our personality that is driven by our desires and reflects in pleasure-seeking behaviour. Id is selfish and passionate and it is purely after satisfying its needs, known as ? gratification?. However, through social contact and learning babies/children gradually learn to be aware of the outside world and eventually of needs of others. They will be developing ego, which is able to plan the actions so the needs of the individual can still be met but in more socially desired way, e. g. ability to wait for once turn when the food is being served at pre-school settings. This is called ? differed gratification?. Later, as a result of further parenting and learning about social and cultural values, the superego is developed. Superego could be described as an internalised parent as the child is starting to be aware of what is good and what is bad without external reminder – e. g. I must not hit because it hurts. If the behaviour trespasses the imperatives of the superego, the individual will feel guilt as they are now aware that their behaviour was bad (this is referred as ? conscience? ). Apart from judging conscience, superego has got a notion of an ego-ideal to which it will strive. When ego demonstrates good behaviour the ego-ideal part of superego will reward this, e. g. feeling good after doing something for someone else even when external praise is not present. Even though Freud has been criticised for basing his description and explanations of development on sexual motives, some of his theoretical concepts are now widely accepted (e. g. the concept of unconscious mind – id and most of superego). One could say that orientation on children? s needs might be partly inspired by Freud? s ideas about the dynamics of id, ego and superego. Too strong superego and suppressed unconscious id will lead to many problems in adult life, where individual tries to live mainly by what is required by the outside world rather than allowing themselves to follow own desires. In early years healthy development of ego can be supported by putting the child and their needs in the centre of our attention; activities and work with children is individualized and child-led, yet still well planned and safe. For example, in our setting we might notice that a particular child enjoys opening and closing doors, gates, etc. Instead of completely discouraging him from doing that we might identify situations when it might be appropriate for him/her to do so and explain the necessary things around it in a child-friendly way (e. g. : When everybody has got their shoes on, you can open the door, Henry. , We will keep the gate closed now, because we are going to play in the yard now. , Mind your fingers when closing the door – you could close them in and that would really hurt. , etc. ). If we say ? no? to children it is good to make sure that the child knows about the reasons behind our decisions (even though they might find it hard initially anyway, they are more likely to come round and understand it in their own time). Humanistic theory of motivation and personality – Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) Maslow studied motivation in people and came up with what is now known as Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow divided the needs into five categories (physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualisation) and put them in hierarchical order from the most essential and basic needs to higher-order needs. Maslow argues that it is necessary to fulfil the needs from from the bottom of the hierarchy first to be able to meet the needs of higher order. Only when all the other lower needs are met, an individual can focus on fulfilling the highest needs of self-actualisation, such as creativity, problem solving, morality, etc. In our practice we are aware, that when a child is for example overtired and hungry (the most basic physiological needs), there is no space to try to fit in other things, e. g. ?wait for your turn? , ? say please? ,. (which would be working on their higher order needs, such as love/belonging (friendship) or esteem (respect for others, respect by others). This child at that stage needs to be fed and put to sleep as soon as possible and other input has to wait until the child is again able to tune to it/ receive it. Social cognitive theory Social cognitive theory has its roots in behaviouristic approach. However, Albert Bandura (born 1925), even though accepting learning by conditioning, argued that lots of learning happens through social observations (? observational learning? ). Observational learning is when children copy what other children or adults do; in comparison to conditioning, observational learning happens spontaneously and often without the need for reinforcement. Cognitive abilities seem to play an important role in observational learning as children need to be capable to notice the activity itself as well as remember it accurately. As staff we need to be mindful in the way we act and interact in front of children as they are likely to copy our behaviour. In accordance with the social cognitive theory we try to set good examples to the children in our settings by showing good manners and being courteous to them as well as to one another. Behaviourist approach to learning – operant conditioning Operant conditioning is based on classical conditioning (I. P. Pavlov; J. B. Watson), which teaches that certain behaviour/ reaction can be connected with a stimulus through conditioning, e. g. fear of cats after a bad experience with a cat. F. B. Skinner (1904-1990) however took this a bit further and through experiments mainly with pigeons and rats showed that learning can be strengthen by reinforcements, such as positive reinforcement (praise, sticker, attention, etc. ), negative reinforcement (this is removing something which is negative from the situation so it no longer poses a ? threat? or causes negative emotions and the whole experience becomes more positive, e. g. child does want to play with a toy because it is scared of the noises it makes – by switching the sound off, the child is able to explore the toy) and punishers (negative consequence which is likely to prevent individuals to repeat their behaviour – e. g. touching hot iron). Skinner researched most effective ways to retain the learnt behaviour and he found out that even though continuous positive reinforcement is good at the beginning of the learning, later unpredictable positive reinforcement keeps the learnt behaviour in place for longer period of time. This is because even though the reward comes frequently, we are not sure when it is going to come next and therefore we keep doing the behaviour. At our setting we might be using operant conditioning for example when we are helping a child to potty train. First every sitting on the potty, regardless of results will be rewarded. When the child gets into the habit of sitting on the potty, then only successful potty session will be rewarded with a sticker (however praise for trying when unsuccessful remains). When starting to do regularly this stickers might gradually become praise and sticker will be awarded if the child successfully asks for potty when they need it. Behaviourist approach to learning – Classical conditioning J. B. Watson (1878 – 1958) followed I. P. Pavlov? s work on classical conditioning with animals (dogs salivating when food arrived became then salivating even at the mere sight of the bowl; Pavlov took this further by conditioning completely unrelated food stimulus, such as bell or light, which after regular presence at the mealtimes would later on its own initiate the salivating response in dogs). Watson showed that classical conditioning is possible in humans as well (famous Little Albert experiment, where a baby was conditioned to have fear of rats). Classical conditioning is not really used in practice as a active way of teaching, however its theory can be used for observational purposes (e. g. recognising when sucking thumb signals hunger etc. ). Social pedagogy Social pedagogy is a discipline which brings together theory and practice in order to assure the best and holistic way of supporting children in their development and education. The overall aim of social pedagogy is to give children and young people the best possible chances for their future lives. In accordance with social pedagogy the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS) has been devised to capture the development in early years and to help professionals to monitor, plan and support effectively individual development. For better and focused understanding the development has been divided into seven areas, out of which three are recognised as prime areas (Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Physical Development) and four are described as specific areas of development (Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World; Expressive Arts and Design). The support the professionals can provide is differentiated into helpful advice in positive relationship and suggestions for enabling environments. In EYFS we can see influence of Piaget? s work in enabling environments where the focus is predominantly on individual? s own experience. We can also strongly identify the theory of ? zone of proximal development? by Vygotsky (cognitive development) in EYFS as we can easily identify where children are in their development, what is the next developmental stage for them and how we can support this next step. 023 Personal and external factors influencing development B3 Personal Factors: Give ONE explanation of a positive influence on the development of children and young people Health status: given by genetic predispositions as well as environmental factors, such as diet, pollution, stress, etc. If obesity is genetically passed on in the family than healthy diet together with developing positive attitude towards regular exercise will help the child to maintain a good health. Disability: Physical impairment, such as missing or underdeveloped limb Wheel chair together with barrier free environment (e. g. lifts, ramps, low sinks, etc. ) will help to support independence of an individual. Sensory impairment: visual impairments, hearing impairments, death-blindness, When working with individuals with visual impairment, we can use the other senses to compensate and provide necessary stimulation which helps the development, e. g. using special toys/ learning material which uses touch and sound as a mean of gaining information. However, if there is some vision left (which usually there is), the environment can be adjusted by using contrast colours, non-reflective material, good lighting, etc. Learning difficulties: Dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dysortographia, ADHD, ADD Children with ADHD benefit from having a regular routine. Activities needs to be short and well planned with simple and easy to follow instructions. Hands-on activities with regular physical exercise and lots of praise are essential. External Factors: Poverty and deprivation: poor diet, inadequate housing, lack of education, lack of access to play and leisure, low aspirations and expectations Good education can help the individual to break from the poverty and secure them a better brighter future. Family environment/background: neglecting parents, abusive parents, parents with alcohol or other drug-taking problems, ill parents who are not able to provide adequate environment for their children, etc. Parents who are ill and no longer able to fully provide for their children could be provided with carers who would help with the overall smooth running of the household, caring for needs of the disabled parent and the needs of the children, while keeping the family itself together. Personal choices: from certain age children/ young people make some decisions for themselves which can have effect on their development, e. g. taking drugs, changing their diet, etc. To help to prevent drug-taking it is important to support the development of a positive self-image and healthy self-esteem; education and raising awareness of dangers of drug-abuse is also a helpful preventative measure. Looked after/care status: children in residential care, in foster families, in their own family but having care status (they are the responsibility of local authorities). If children are being fostered it is beneficial if siblings can stay together. Education: Educational system, through family itself, through other groups (religious groups, sport groups, hobbies and interests, etc. ) Finding out strengths of an individual (which do not have to necessarily academic) and building upon those to build a healthy self-esteem and recognition of self-worth – this can help to compe with other weaker areas in a positive way. 023 Task C Report Produce a short report in the form of an induction pack for new staff at a setting, covering the following. a. Give two examples of assessment methods that could be used to monitor a child/young person’s development. (Ref 3. 1) b. Give three examples of why sometimes child/young person’s development does not follow the expected pattern. (Ref 3. 2) c. Give one explanation of how disability can impact and affect development. (Ref 3. 3) d. Give three examples of different types of intervention that could promote positive outcomes for the child/young person, where development is not following the expected pattern. (Ref 3. 4) a. In our setting we use several assessment methods to monitor our children? s development. The most used one is a short free description on sticky labels – these capture a specific short observation in a specific area of development (e. g. Physical Development); the date and the identified area/ areas get recorded on the label. This method of recording information is useful for gathering evidence of the progress of development in specific areas and building a developmental profile of an individual child. We also use specific observation sheets, on which we capture a more detailed and complex observation. In the next section on the sheet the observation is evaluated and areas of the development are identified (often more than one). In the last section we identify the next steps for the child and how we can help the child to achieve that. We have two types of observation sheets in our settings following this format – one is purely written observation, the other one is a photo observation sheet. This method of recording and evaluation allows us not only to add to the developmental profile of each child but also to plan effectively to further support the child? s development. b. There are many possible reason why at times the development might not follow the expected pattern. Apart from the most obvious ones, such as disabilities and special learning needs, the development can get affected by external factors, such as environmental reasons, cultural reasons, social reasons; and specific individual reasons, such as emotional reasons, physical reasons and communication difficulties. Environmental reasons: Among environmental reasons which may affect child? s development is for example where and in what conditions a child lives and what type of school they attend. Social reasons: There might be big differences between children in terms of wealth of their families, family status and family structure (big family with strong bonds in comparison to divorced parents with negative mutual relationship), education of parents as well as their ability to tune themselves to the needs of their children – all of these will affect the way children will be developing. Communication skills: Slower developing communication skills have got potential to negatively influence the development in other areas. The inability to effectively express themselves may result in frustrations in children and aggressive behaviour as well as consequently lower literacy skills. Similar effects can be observed in children whose families? language is not the dominant language of the country. If the dominant language is not fully acquired the child may significantly struggle once at school. c. Disability can affect more than one area of development as children can become frustrated and their self-esteem can be lowered. The attitudes of low expectations and stereotyping by others will also have a secondary negative impact on a child? s development. d. There are several ways how difficulties in development can be recognised, monitored and positively supported. Educational establishments will have appointed SENCO, a person who is responsible for identification and organising further support for children with special needs. If appropriate Educational psychologist will be contacted to make a full assessment and recommendations in how to support individuals in education (behavioural problems and learning difficulties). Suggested interventions may be discussed with parents and with learning support assistants and individual educational plan might be written up and followed. If there are any issues with speech and communication, Speech and language therapist will be consulted – the outcomes of the assessment will lead to a specific plan of action, often involving regular contact in which special exercises will be explained, practised and taught to children and their parents/carers/other professionals for them to be able to support the children outside the sessions. If a child? s physical development is affected, physiotherapist can provide help with special exercises and massages to aid the physical development, maximize the range of movement and develop the appropriate movement control. Task D Report Produce a report which explains the following: a. Why is early identification of speech, language or communication delay important for a child/young person’s well-being? (Ref 4. 1) b. What are the potential risks for the child/young person’s well-being if any speech, language or communication delay is not identified early? (Ref 4. 1) c. Analyse the importance of early identification of the potential risks of late recognition to speech, language and communication delays and disorders. (Ref 4. 1) d. Who might be involved in a multi-agency team to support a child/young person’s speech, language and communication development? (Ref 4. 2) e. How, when and why would a multi-agency approach be applied? (Ref 4. 3) f. Give four different examples of play opportunities and describe how you would put them into practice to support the development of a child/young person’s speech, language and communication. (Ref 4. 3) a. Early identification of the language and communication difficulties is important as it can support the development to prevent further (secondary) impact on other areas. Also, as the brains in young children have not finished their development, the earlier we can intervene, the better prospects of success we have. b. Problems in language and communication can have a negative effect on other areas of development, such as cognitive and social development. Children with language and communication difficulties are more likely to struggle at school in learning to read and write, which can have further negative impact not only on other subjects but more importantly on their self-esteem. Children with such problems can become gradually isolated. c. Early identification of the potential risks of late recognition to speech, language and communication delays and disorders is very important in terms of putting the most appropriate interventions in place to support the development and benefit the children? s needs. Well timed and well tailored intervention has got the potential to optimize the development and to minimize potential negative impact for other areas of development. d. In the multi-agency team to support the child with speech, language and communication there will be the child? s GP or a health visitor, who will make a referral to a speech and language specialist. If there is a suspicion that the communication difficulties are connected with learning difficulties Educational Psychologist will be consulted. When it is decided on the type of intervention needed, the parents, the educational setting professionals and the rest of the team should work together in order to implement the chosen intervention in order to meet the needs of the child. e. Multi-agency approach is used when parents and/ or other professionals (such as GP, early years settings, etc. ) have recognised that a child is in need of additional help to aid the development. Different professionals are involved in the assessment of the needs (e. g. GP to assess potential hearing or other impairments) and speech and language therapist devises the best possible individual support. Multi-agency approach brings together different fields of expertise to assure the best possible outcome for the child. f. There are many informal opportunities how children? s communication and language development can be supported. These might often be more effective than formal exercises as they naturally meet the child in they world of play, making it more motivating and fun. Nursery rhymes and songs Children enjoy joining in nursery rhymes and songs. These are short and memorable and their rhythmical pattern make them perfect little exercises for developing language, pronunciation and fluency (good practice when dealing with stutter). Books are perfect for developing passive and active vocabulary, understanding meaning of words and learning correct sentence structure informally. Books are a wonderful way to spark children? s imagination as well as teaching them to express themselves about the world around them by providing the relevant vocabulary. Pictures in books make it possible for children from the earliest age to actively engage with the story as well as to engage in a dialogue with another person. Dressing up and role play again helps the child in an informal way to engage in talking and communication with others whilst enjoying the imaginative play. Puppets are a fantastic way how to involve children in communication through play. Children are fascinated by puppets and enjoy adults taking active part in their play, which again allows for an opportunity to develop language and communication in a fun way. 023 Task E Complete table Complete the table on the next page, showing how the different types of transitions can affect children and young people’s development and evaluate how having positive relationships during this period of transition would be of benefit. Additional Guidance Different types are: a. Emotional, affected by personal experience, e. g. bereavement, entering/leaving care. b. Physical, e. g. moving to a new educational establishment, a new home/locality, from one activity to another. c. Physiological e. g. puberty, long-term medical conditions. d. Intellectual, e. g. moving from pre-school to primary, to post-primary. (Ref 5. 1, 5. 2) Give ONE specific example of a transition Give ONE possible effect on children and young people’s development Evaluate the benefit of a positive relationship during this period of transition ~ provide ONE example Emotional: Bereavement Depression which may affect sleep pattern, children may become lethargic and less interested in engaging in any activities which may affect they social, emotional and cognitive development Positive relationship with open communication and listening skills allows for a child to ask difficult questions and share their worries and sadness, to talk over difficult memories and anxieties about the future. This may help with overcoming the past and the sadness. Physical: Moving home Moving home may effect the children social development as they may lose previous friends and find themselves unable to fit in new friendship groups. Some children might start having food issues, such as overeating to deal with anxieties. This can affect their emotional, social and physical development. Positive relation can provide a helping hand with dealing with the new situation while supporting the self-esteem and encouraging the confidence in a young person. Positive relationship can also act as model of skills of how to establish a new relationship. Physiological: Gaining a physical disability – e. g. lost limb Withdrawal – children may become very solitary, unable and unwilling to join in with their peers, which can affect their physical, emotional, social as well as cognitive development. Positive relationship will communicate acceptance and healthy support in dealing with a life-changing situation; this should help in dealing with difficulties as they come Intellectual: Moving from pre-school to primary school Lack of concentration and motivation as the child might feel overwhelmed by new routines and new demands which they might find very difficult – this may affect their natural cognitive development and they might regress into safer younger stage of development. Positive relationship will allow for a child to feel safe, valued and as achieving (in their own pace) by identifying the appropriate approach of working with the child with the sensitivity to their specific needs and pace of development.