Google in China

Google entered China in 2006 with high hopes of taking over the Chinese internet market. In order to become a major player for internet search engines in China, however, they had buckled and filtered search results according to the Chinese government. When Google. cn was launched, a loud public outcry over its giving in to the Chinese government on censoring and filtering search engine results, the company faced a communications crisis. Since Google had always been known for its free thinking, this seemed a vast contradiction. From a communications standpoint, Google’s greatest vulnerability in this crisis lay with a tarnished public image.Since the company’s inception, Google had enjoyed a reputation for ingenuity and creativity. Google had changed the way people use and search on the internet that was free from pop up advertisements and organized information. They promoted different and radical ideas for development in the workplace to foster the creative atmosphere a t the Googleplex in California. The corporate public image is â€Å"the sum total of perceptions of the corporations personality characteristics. † (Spector, 1961 p. 47) Google’s had an outstand public image evidenced by the fact that it was one of the most popular search engines in the world.When Google decided to enter the Chinese market, the company was forced by the Chinese government to impose self-censorship if they were to operate within the boundaries of China. Though executives disagreed with censoring, they â€Å"grudgingly agreed that this is the ethical price they have to pay to place servers in mainland China. † (2006 Jan) If an internet search engine did not filter search results, the government would use its own, which highly slowed down the rate at which the servers could process the request. â€Å"The filtered results would remove any reference to a number of subjects. This policy in China did not align itself with the public image that Google had established and sought to maintain. This new policy brought about harsh criticism, â€Å"Google’s statements about respecting online privacy are at the height of hypocrisy in view of its strategy in China, said groups like the RWB in January of 2006. Google’s policy of self-censorship in China did not sit well with the public or human rights organizations. Though Google seemed to promote free-thinking and free speech on one hand, they were censoring and filtering with the other.Google lost credibility with the public, thus tarnishing its public image and â€Å"loosing 1% of the U. S. market in one month,† as reported in The Business. (2006, Aug) â€Å"Image credibility is based on the constituency’s perception of the organization† (Argenti, 2009, p. 39). When the public image of a company has been compromised it â€Å"can make a huge difference in determining the success or failure of the organization† (Argenti, 2009, p. 40). When the p ublic looses confidence in a company and what they stand for, they no longer wish to use its product.In response, executives at Google attempted to convince the public that they could handle the balancing act between censorship and providing information, and gain back public trust and confidence. Google’s greatest vulnerability in the ordeal with China was damage done to its reputation because we should, as stated in the Bible, â€Å"Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. †(Proverbs 3:4) When running a company it is highly important to preserve good standing because when â€Å"good will or trust is lacking, the organization will fail at achieving its objectives (Argenti, 2009, p. 40).

Thermal Coating

Among the components exposed to heat load, piston of internal combustion engine is subject to maximum thermal stress. The large temperature gradient the piston will cause structural deformation deterioration of lubricant and increase the clearance between the cylinder liner and piston there by causing more noise, vibration degrees in the engine service life, the non- uniform temperature gradient arise owing damage of piston especially crown region. Experimental study is conducted on single cylinder 5hp diesel engine in order to find the improved performance when a ceramic coating is given especially in the piston crown.Among the ceramics, Yttria partially stabilized Zirconia (YPSZ) is being favoured for diesel engines since its co efficient of thermal expansion is close to those of metals used in piston. This avoids problems relating to difference in thermal expansion between metallic and thermal parts which also increases its durability. Compared to the conventional engine (without coating over the piston crown) the modified engine (with ceramic coating over the piston crown) did not produce any observable knock in the engine, no significant wear of piston crown.Various graphs are drawn to check the improved performance of the engine when it is at with and without ceramic coating on the piston crown, and found that there is 5-6% decrease in SFC, 4-5% increase in brake thermal efficiency and 8-9% increase in mechanical efficiency. INTRODUCTION: Thermal barrier coatings were originally developed for air craft engine applications in 1940; only recently have they been modified and tested for use in diesel engines.Although diesel engines has greater compressive loads and more frequent thermal shocks, in additional, diesel TBC’s must cope with contaminants (Sodium, Vanadium, Sulphur ) often found in lower grade fuels. If these difference in engine operating conditions are ignored when choosing and applying a T. B. C premature failure of the coating can result . Diesel TBC’s are coating systems metallic bond coat and ceramic topcoat applied by the plasma thermal spray process; control of total coating thickness is critical. If not maintained within 0. 8mm, spallation of the coating can occur due to uneven heating and cooling of the process of the topcoats, Robotic thermal spraying provides the required thickness and compare values with established standards. Basically, there are three techniques of thermal spraying. The basic principle is the same for all (i. e. ) material is melted and propelled as finely atomized towards the target as the particle strike the surface they flatten and form thin platelets that conform and adhere to the irregularity of the prepared surface and to each other.The three techniques differ essentially in the fuel and the method of heating/ melting used. These differences give to the advantage and limitations which to considerable extent govern their range of applications. Thermal spraying infact is a grou p of processes i. e. , 1. Surface preparation and 2. Thermal spraying Both are basically important as far as quantity of the coating is concern. Coating of a material on a substance is made to serve in the specific environment and service conditions.It is possible only if the coating is adherent to the surface of the component, on which it is sprayed, tthroughout its useful life. If the coating flakes off or leaves the surface, the entire effort will go waste. The adhesion and other properties of the coating mainly depend on the surface condition of the substrate.

Management in Non-Government Organisations Essay

Management in Non-Government Organisations - Essay Example Salamon (1994) has mentioned about the global association revolution with respect to the third world organization, for its outstanding credibility in the arena of the social, civil, cultural, economic and political aspects. The volunteering activity lends high profile image to these third sector organization. Non-Government Organizations, also known as NGOs, forms the most important subgroup of the third sector organization. The origination of the NGOs typically took place in the United Nations after the Second World War as the provision for those international citizen organizations, independent of the UN government members, to actively participate in the affairs of the country. The NGOs cover a wide range of issues such as health, education, welfare and other related social and environmental cause. Red Cross for instance represents one of the most important by products of NGO. On account of high degree of diversity there exists a lot of complexity in providing the specific definition to the term NGO. In simple words, NGOs may be stated as the subgroup of the third world organizations whose sole purpose is to eradicate the poverty and promote development in the regional, national and global level (Lewis, â€Å"The management of non-governmental development organizations†). In this context many scholars have attempted to differentiate between the private, public and non-profit organization. There are mainly three criteria advanced by Seibel and Anheier (1990) to demonstrate the differences between the third world sector and other sectors. Firstly, a number of political scientists have emphasized upon the third world sector as the mediator between the market and economy, on the basis of the institutional characteristics of the organizations. Secondly on the basis of the course of action followed in the three sectors, whereby the non-profit organizations in contrast to the other profit seeking

Business Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business Language Acquisition - Essay Example It is aimed at providing a required level of use of technical jargon associated with oil-related work and employment. This makes a good practice for enhancing speaking powers by employing the use of business terms related to oil issues. Debate will allow the audience to understand the use of technical terms and create a similar understanding, translation and usage of words. Extensive reading sessions will be held to introduce new topics and relevant issues. Any one executive will be selected to read out loud in the session and any other executive will be selected to summarize what has been read. Feedback will be welcomed from other executives present in the session. The reading materials provided will be related to oil extraction, foreign oil supply diversification and petroleum, oil and gas management studies. This will be an autonomous way of exploring writings on oil availability, oil fields, oil extraction processes, and technological advances around the globe, for both theoretical and practical perspectives on learning oil-related works. These will also serve as source texts for reflecting on learner autonomy in language learning. This can be carried out in two stages: This will help the executives to acquire abilities of effectively expressing their ideas using useful business terms and generate reports of their activities giving detailed and logical reasoning for successor manager to follow. 4. Research Papers The executives will be asked to fish out research materials on global happenings related to oil extraction, filtration and consumption and any other oil related issues and updates. Rationale This activity will not only enrich their knowledge and expertise in

Ending the Life of a Newborn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ending the Life of a Newborn - Essay Example The protocol proposes that the decision to terminate the life of an infant is supposed to be made in conjunction with a doctor who provides the guardian or parent of the infant with relevant medical information, and the doctor can then proceed and end the life of the infant in a humane manner if need be. Group 1: This consists of babies who are severely handicapped with no possibility of surviving. This group includes those who are born with fatal diseases like severe lung and kidney hypoplasia and are put onto support immediately after birth as their doctors establish the extent of the damage. Group 2: This group consists of babies who have a chance of surviving after a period of intensive treatment, but expectation pertaining to their future conditions is very grim (Kaczor, 2011). Kaczor notes that these are composed of children with extensive organ damage caused by lack of oxygen or those with severe brain abnormalities. The application of the protocol has been accused of several problems associated. Firstly, the protocol is accused of failing to differentiate with clinical precision between infants whose prognosis of death is certain and those who have high chances of continuing to live (Achilles, 2011). Secondly, the protocol has a problem since it aims primarily at infants with spina bifida, many of whom have the possibility of leading an almost normal life (Lindermann and Verkerk, 2008). The third problem is that the protocol permits parents to commit infanticide as a means of relieving themselves from the unwanted burden of care. Fourthly, the protocol allows physicians to determine their own action’s morality. The other problem linked to the protocol is the fact that it gives the physician absolute permission of deciding what is an acceptable quality of life. Lindermann and Verkerk (2008) also note that the protocol consents to infanticide instead of preventing spina bifida or promoting its detection at earlier stages through fatal ultrasound, followed by abortion.  Ã‚  

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion Board - Essay Example A political process precedes any unanimous decisions. It explains why certain decisions have to be taken. This creates mutual understanding among members of a social forum. Successful decisions are discussed and agreed upon before ratification and implementation. The experience taught that concessions must be made while engaging in open deliberations. In future, a family engagement political process can achieve much if the members of the forum are open minded. My vision for future participation in the political process shall be to maximize on what all the members of the forum share in common. The future plan shall demand a strong follow up on the decisions and discussions of successful subsequent family engagement. In the first five years, my vision would be to establish a credible and consistent family engagement and discussion forum. In the next five years, I would build upon the gains of the deliberations from the previous forum. Political processes can be emotive be without a clear sense of purpose, they fail miserably (Constantino, 2008). Therefore, the visions would gradually build on consistent gains. Some of the anticipated gains would be sharing of resources, taking time bound targets and supporting the needy members of the

Hedge Funds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hedge Funds - Essay Example Most of the hedge funds are devised in such a manner that they are able to generate return for the investors with the rate of return that is generally more than the market return and even in times when the market is not performing well due to recession or some other reason. However, a retail investor cannot invest in the hedge fund the same way as he would have done it for stocks or mutual funds. The operations of these funds fall beyond the control of any government regulation and hence it is mainly at the fund manager’s discretion that the investment portfolio would be designed, what strategies would be employed and which stocks are to be included. The main motive behind devising such a fund was to secure the funds from the market risk and to earn more return. Hedge Fund Management and Skill The management of this kind of investment product requires a lot of skill. The fund managers need to have an insight about the market and the various risk management strategies that can help the managers to cover the fund against probable losses and gain profits out of those risky situations. The managers and the investors of these kinds of funds need to be aware of the types of investment risks that they may come across. Since higher the risk taken higher is the possibility of return, the hedge funds often attempt at taking risks that may not be beneficial for the investors. The capabilities and expertise of management of the hedge funds cannot be determined from their past performances because there are a lot of fluctuations in the way the hedge funds tend to perform. If an investor tries to invest in a fund looking at the past performance he might face a lot of challenges because the fund may not perform as before. Hedge Funds and Luck Often the investors of a hedge fund are confused between luck and skill. The common people think that a particular fund performed well because of the efficiency of the manager. But it is not always the case. It might happen becaus e of good luck as well. Most of the hedge funds do not encounter any kind of restrictions and hence their portfolios are not very diversified. For any risk averse individual it is highly risky to invest because the direction in which the market moves may not favour that particular fund. These kinds of funds often result in a mixed performance which may not be favourable for the investors in the long run. Hence, though the skill level of the managers is extremely important for prediction of the market and for choosing the correct investment avenue, the investors cannot rely on the intuition of the fund managers or their past performance solely. There is a luck factor and there should be a certain level of control of expectations on part of the investors because the markets may change its colour due to any kind of unprecedented event and hence may expose them to a risky situation. Hedge Funds and Insider Trading The agency theory is often applicable in case of hedge funds where the fu nd managers act as the agents of the investors. In most cases there exists an information asymmetry between the investors and the managers and the latter take this advantage for deriving undue profit from the market. Since Hedge Funds, are privately owned, they do not fall under the jurisdiction of any rigid regulatory framework. Thus the disclosure requirements of this fund are also less. Thus there may be problems of insider trading in case of hedge funds. The phenomenon of insider trading takes place when a fund manager makes use of any price

How the content of this web page relates to the materials presented in Assignment

How the content of this web page relates to the materials presented in Chapters 11, 12 and 13 - Assignment Example Wal-Mart’s service delivery and commitment to satisfying their customers is expressed on this web page by saying that their energy, passion and respect for individuals are some of their core values in service delivery. This web page also shows Wal-Mart’s commitment to the community sense of belonging whereby they have sites that show their commitment to protecting the environment, helping others especially the less fortunate, community investment and supporting people. This web page basically advertises careers for people looking for employment, also how Walmart as a whole has different sections all under one roof. This is covered under job enrichment. This explains how variety, identity and significance contribute to motivating a worker through the job itself. This self-motivation is evidently brought out on Walmart’s web page when they say that their entrepreneurial spirits drive them to grow and innovate daily. This is covered under recruitment strategy and policy. This involves recruiting skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees. Walmart’s page shows this recruitment policy by advertising jobs online and the jobs are offered in different locations for different people and it can be easily accessed online. This is covered under a collective bargaining power of unions. Since Walmart has different employees from different places all over the country, they always try to give them a collective voice to help them air their views and complaints to the management, and this is clearly seen under Walmart’s core values which include treating employees equally and respecting them too. This is well covered under open communication. Walmart web page offers an open kind of communication in that job application can be done through online and when they also say that they walk the talk to mean that whatever they say they act on it or put it into action. This can be discussed

Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Public Policy - Essay Example The 2012/2013 budget plan of the state that was approved by the Governor and Legislature in June 2012. In the event that the voters reject this policy measure, the budget have a backup plan that demands reduction in spending, also referred to as trigger cuts. The policy affects the upper income tax payers because they are the one to pay additional tax for the funding of the state’s budgeted programs. However, the beneficiaries of the policy range from community colleges and schools, universities, department of development services, department of parks and recreation, department of fish and game, city police departments among other funded educational programs.The Proposition 30 will increase the rate of Sales Tax from 2013 all the way to 2016 by 9.3%. This policy measure will increase statewide rate of sales tax by almost one quarter for each dollar of purchased goods. The policy will be effective for four years. The Proposition 30 will also increase the rates of Personal Incom e Tax from 2012 to 2018. The policy measure will increase the already existing 9.3 percent rates on the higher incomes. The supplementary marginal rate of tax will increase with the increase in taxable income. The policy will add state revenue from 2018 through to 2019. Through the fiscal years in which both the personal income tax and sales tax increases as stated above due to phasing in and phasing out of the higher rates of taxes, the smaller increases in revenue are likely to be seen in 2011/2012, 2017/2018, and 2018/2019.

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Essay Example for Free

Louis Vuitton Moà «t Hennessy Essay Louis Vuitton Moà «t Hennessy (LVMH) is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate. Its headquarters are located in France, Paris. LVMH was formed after the merger of Louis Vuitton (fashion producer) and Moet Hennessy (cognac manufacturer) in 1987. The company controls around 60 subsidiaries which are often managed independently and each one of them manage a small number of prestigious brands. The main holding company of LVMH is Christian Dior a luxury goods group. LVMH is the largest luxury goods producer in the world. Comparing LVMH with Hermes, LVMH has a huge corporate power, which Hermes doesn’t have and a vast variety of many familiar luxury brands. Some of the most well known brands of LVMH: * Acqua di Parma * Christian Dior S.A. * DKNY * Fendi * Hennessy * Louis Vuitton * Moà «t Chandon * Parfums Christian Dior The current share price of LVMH is about 140 Euros. The following chart represents the revenue of LVMH in million Euros for the first 9 months from 2011 till 2012 in each group. The mission of LVMH group is to represent the most refined qualities of Western Art de Vivre around the world. LVMH aims in continuing to be synonymous with both elegance and creativity. Their products, and the cultural values they embody, blend tradition and innovation, and kindle dream and fantasy. In view of their mission, five priorities reflect the fundamental values shared by all of LVMH Group stakeholders: Be creative and innovate Aim for product excellence Bolster the image of their brands with passionate determination Act as entrepreneurs Strive to be the best in all they do One of the main values of LVMH that clearly relates to the core business of the company and the opportunities pursued in business development is acting as entrepreneurs. As previously mentioned, LVMH has about 60 subsidiaries which all manage some brands and most likely LVMH is aiming to obtain more partners and subsidiaries for luxury product manufacturing in the future. Other value that clearly reflects to their actions and business strategy is to strive to be the best in all they do. In this case it is more than obvious that this value is essential for them based on the fact that LVMH is the leading luxury goods manufacturing company in the world. Innovation is also a value that pursues in their business development, because by obtaining new subsidiaries and partners they create new products in the luxury goods market. [ 1 ]. Online encyclopedia – Wikipedia. Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LVMH, Article LVMH [ 2 ]. Online encyclopedia – Wikipedia. Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_goods, Article – Luxury brands. [ 3 ]. Official website of LVMH. Link http://www.lvmh.com/the-group/lvmh-companies-and-brands [ 4 ]. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MC.PA [ 5 ]. Official website of LVMH. Link http://www.lvmh.com/investor-relations/documentation/revenue [ 6 ]. Official website of LVMH, Link http://www.lvmh.com/the-group/lvmh-group/group-mission-and-values [ 7 ]. Official website of LVMH, Link http://www.lvmh.com/the-group/lvmh-group/group-mission-and-values

Closing The Gap In Educational Attainment

Closing The Gap In Educational Attainment Closing the gap in educational attainment between social groups has been widely acknowledged as a pressing concern of national importance Introduction Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela grew up in a country divided by apartheid. A black man in a country where a white minority ruled, he had a vision for South Africa; to be one nation regardless of race. In 1994 he became the first black president of South Africa testament, indeed, that barriers, of any kind, should not be reason for or an apology for lack of attainment or achievement of any kind and, that barriers can be overcome. It is widely agreed that there are numerous barriers to educational achievement and social inclusion, among them Special Educational Needs (SEN)  [1]  and disability, Ethnicity and English as an Additional Language, and gender to name but a few. The aim of this essay however, is to look at just one of the barriers faced in this country, poverty, and to look at how pupils within this social group are affected and how poverty affects their educational achievement, further, the essay will look briefly at the evolution of inclusive education and what is currently being addressed by this and subsequent governments in order that pupils, regardless of circumstance can have equality in education. Body of essay In order to link poverty with educational achievement and attainment gaps, a background to poverty and social inclusion within education will be outlined followed by the first part of the analysis which will look at the historical overview of inclusive education, current policy and guidance and its impact on minority groups; the second part of the analysis will examine the effects of poverty and how, in particular, pupils entitled to FSMs  [2]  impact on the gap in educational attainment compared against children not entitled to FSMs. The final level of the analysis will look at the importance of narrowing the gap and the introduction of the 21st Century School. What is poverty? At this point it is necessary to note that, through research, it became apparent that there is an unclear and infinite definition about what poverty is and how it should be measured. However, most of the research leads to an agreement that poverty is to be related to in terms of typical living standards within the UK and the following definition is widely accepted: Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities, and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or are at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies in which they belong. P Townsend, Poverty in the United Kingdom: a survey of household resources and standards of living, Penguin, 1979, p31 The most crucial point made above and which is the main cause of poverty is resources; to emphasise more clearly, the main cause of poverty is insufficient income/unemployment which, for adults with children directly impacts on them and their wellbeing. Although the UK has a system of benefits which should protect families with children from poverty, these too are deemed as too low. In relation to this, it accepted that whilst adults do not choose for themselves the road of poverty, for children of parents living in poverty there is no alternative and they are therefore not just children but could be described as victims of circumstance. Poverty is not just about going without it is about being deprived of equality in areas such as health, housing and respect and, in the case of children, education. In conjunction with the definition (above) the DCSF (2009) goes on to describe child poverty alone as Child poverty means growing up in a household with low income. Research has shown that these children will face a greater risk of having poor health, being exposed to crime and failing to reach their full potential. It means they miss out on school trips, do not have adequate winter clothing and arent able to enjoy leisure activities with their peers. As a result, their education suffers making it difficult to get the qualifications they need to move on to sustainable, well-paid jobs. This limits their potential to earn the money needed to support their own families in later life, and so a cycle of poverty is created. www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/parents/childpoverty/childpoverty/ What is Social inclusion? As with poverty, in order to link social inclusion with educational achievement and attainment gaps, a background and understanding of the issues pertaining to social inclusion need to be outlined. The term social exclusion is a term generally used to describe what can happen to people who are subject to the most severe problems, and are therefore no longer socially included. As noted above, children have no choice of background; they are born into it and therefore find themselves in poverty as a result of their birth circumstance. For a child not to be socially included brings consequences above and beyond economic poverty alone. It is generally considered that to be socially excluded as a young and impressionable child can have far reaching effects detrimental to both education and health therefore, to surmise, to be socially excluded is to face exclusion not just economically but socially and academically too. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/social_exclusion_task_force/context.aspx Historical development of inclusive policy guidance Bearing in mind the previous points, it is necessary now focus on how this and previous governments have attempted to overcome some of these issues through inclusive education. It should also be noted that whilst this essay is focussing, in the main, on the impact of poverty on educational achievement, the roots of inclusive education lay predominantly with another minority group, children with learning difficulties/special educational needs (SEN). However, as acknowledged above; through circumstance, pupils from families who are deemed as in poverty have now been identified as a group who are under achieving academically and, therefore, as with pupils with SEN are a recognised minority group for which an inclusive education should benefit. Inclusion is not a new idea and in fact has its roots at the turn of the last century where educationalists, in particular child welfare pioneer Elizabeth Burgwin, saw neither the purpose nor virtue in, what was then segregated education and that adaptations could be made to ordinary schools in order to educate all children, whatever their ability or circumstance, together, however, there was another opinion that children could be categorised according to their ability and taught in special schools. These were children who, in the words of the School Board for London (1904) were children who could not be taught in ordinary schools. (Thomas, Walker and Webb, 1998) It became accepted that segregated education/special schools was the safe and sensible way forward to meet the needs of children with SEN; further, this format of schooling safeguarded the education of mainstream pupils in ordinary schools, indeed the 1944 Education Act scripted an extremely segregative post war education system. It was not until the mid-1960s when evidence showed lack of success in the system that opinions began to change and education looked toward integration and inclusion (Thomas et al., 1998). Given then that the purpose of inclusion within education is that pupils with SEN are integrated into mainstream education it is important here to note the difference between integration and inclusion. The term Integration was introduced in 1978 in the Warnock Report and referred to the idea of integrating children with SEN into a common educational framework. The idea has since progressed to include all children, not just those with an identified SEN, but children from all minority groups regardless of gender, ethnicity or circumstance [poverty] so that a fully inclusive education should be fully inclusive of all children and is seen to embrace diversity. (Warnock Report special educational needs 1978 chapter 7) (House of Commons: Select Committee on Education and Skills Third Report 2006) Clarification of inclusion policy: Defining inclusion p58). Inclusive education Promoting excellence in teaching and tackling disadvantage demands we personalise teaching and learning and back strong, innovative leadership in schools Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families July 2007 present  [3]   ECM Speech to the National Childrens Bureau, 23rd July, 2007 The principle and practices of inclusive education therefore suggests that all pupils in a school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community; that they are included in the feeling of belonging among other pupils, teachers, and support staff further, schools have a legal responsibility to educate all regardless of gender, ethnicity or circumstance in mainstream schools. Breaking the link (DSCF, 2009) identified that a FSM pupil is also more likely to have been identified with special educational needs (SEN) and will be more likely to have a CoP  [4]  statement or categorised as School Action or SA+, it is possible that this group will also be of a group of BEM or BESD  [5]  which have also been identified as an under performing social group. It is generally considered that there is a relationship between these factors and interventions such as personalised learning, as identified within the QCA framework for inclusion, is vital to adhere to in order for progress. For these identified groups, inclusion is not necessarily just understanding that every pupil will not be working on the same learning objectives as every other pupil within that group but that the pedagogy will be about recognising where differentiation would be appropriate in order to support and accommodate the different learning needs and styles of the social/learning group and that a detailed approach to monitoring their improvement is in place in order that targets may be stretched and met. Personalised learning (differentiation) therefore, will be key to lifting achievement and therefore should be a fundamental component to narrowing the gap and working towards a culture where a childs chances of success are not limited by their socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity or any disability or circumstance. Working within the inclusive framework however should not be viewed as a barrier for either pupil or staff; inclusion needs to be viewed as a continuing process of breaking down barriers and narrowing the gap to educational attainment for all children and young people. There are a number of laws addressing discrimination in education and therefore support inclusive education in the UK. Arguably, the most important piece of legislation passed in recent years is the Every Child Matters (ECM) policy which, launched in 2003, was published alongside the formal response to the report into the death of Victoria Climbià ©Ã‚  [6]  and gave rise to the 2004 Childrens act. ECM covers children and young adults up to the age of 19 (or 24 for those with disabilities) and is the Governments aim is for every child, whatever their background or circumstance, to have the support needed to: Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well-being The ECM policy focussed on Inclusive Education Equality of Opportunity and placed high on the agenda 3 main areas: Human Rights Children have a right to learn and play together, they should not be discriminated against and inclusion is concerned with improving schools for both pupils and staff alike Equal Opportunities in Education Children do better in inclusive settings (academically and socially), they should not need to be separated in order to achieve equal academic status and inclusive education is a more effective use of resources Social Opportunities inclusive education is on part of inclusion in society, children need to be involved with all their peers. Assuming then that ECM and the 2004 Childrens act are supporting and sanctioning inclusion, it is interesting to note that there is evidence to suggest, through the attainment gap, that social minority groups, despite progress and the inclusion and integration advocated in the Warnock Report, are still under achieving and, that the concept of inclusive education is still discussed as though it applies only to children with an identified SEN and is not taking account of all social minority groups, but as identified in the Index for Inclusion below, it does, in fact, have a much wider scope, inclusion in education involves: (Booth and Ainscow 2000) Valuing all students and staff equally. Increasing the participation of students in, and reducing their exclusion from, the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools. Restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools so that they respond to the diversity of students in the locality. Reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students, not only those with impairments or those who are categorised as having special educational needs. Learning from attempts to overcome barriers to the access and participation of particular students to make changes for the benefit of students more widely. Viewing the difference between students as resources to support learning, rather than as problems to be overcome. Acknowledging the right of students to an education in their locality. Improving schools for staff as well as for students. Emphasising the role of schools in building community and developing values, as well as in increasing achievement. Fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and communities. Poverty and the effects on education It is the aim of this and subsequent governments to raise achievement for all pupils and to break the link between disadvantage [poverty] and low educational attainment. In 1999, the [then] government pledged to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020, in response to this, in 2008 the government published a paper: Ending Child Poverty Making it Happen 2008 underlining their commitment to ensure not just that each successive generation is able to gain better jobs, but that everyone has the chance to achieve their potential, no matter what their background, further the paper announced that a child poverty Bill will be introduced in 2009. The Child Poverty Act 2010  [7]  ensures that sustained action must be taken to tackle child poverty by this, and future, governments, by devolved administrations, and by local government and their partners. The act sets targets relating to the eradication of child poverty, and to make other provision about child poverty. The Bill provides a statutory basis to the commitment made in 1999 and to create a framework in which to monitor progress at a national and local level. Relevant to poverty and education however, is section 26 of the act which makes an amendment to the of the Education Act 1996 and gives the Secretary of State an order-making power to extend eligibility for free school meals (FSMs) if the child meets prescribed conditions and the childs parent is in receipt of a prescribed benefit or allowance. (Child Poverty Act, 2010) Research carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2007 reinforced that the links between poverty and education were clear but complicated and that to break the established relationship between poverty and poor educational outcomes required a change to the underlying structures (Raffo, Dyson, Gunter, Hall, Jones, Kalambouka JRF A Review of research on the links between education and Poverty, September 2007). Since then and with the advent of the Child Poverty Act and the End Child Poverty Campaign, inroads have been made and some 500,000 children have been lifted out of poverty  [8]  however, there are still currently 4 million children in the UK living in poverty, as defined above, which equates to an overwhelming 30% of children all within the UK, further, the UK has one of the worst rates of child poverty in the industrialised world. It could be argued therefore that poverty has the ability to obscure the potential and opportunity of a child and therefore limit the life chances of the child. Evidence suggests that poverty has the capability of shaping a childs development; before reaching the age of 2; a child from a poorer family is more likely to be showing lower levels of attainment than that of a child from a better off family and that children growing up in poverty are more likely to leave school at 16 with fewer qualifications (End Child Poverty; 2010). In the foreword to Removing Barriers to Achievement (DfES, 2004) a set of specific educational goals were expressed. Primarily, education is targeted as a means to integrate individuals into society and to teach them the skills necessary to participate contribute and achieve their potential. Therefore it can be assumed that the notion of inclusive education is a basic human right of every child regardless of circumstance. Given then that the opportunity for full time education is available for all and, that under international human rights law (and, in particular, Articles 28 and 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) which cover the right to education), the UK has an obligation to provide [inclusive] education for all children. (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: 1989) If it is the case then, that the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively on the basis of equal opportunity (Article 28), it is interesting to note that on average poorer children score less well on a range of educational measures such as reading tests in early years and GCSE results in secondary education, highlighting the plight of poverty in education. With the statement made in the: Ending Child Poverty document [to ensure not just that each successive generation is able to gain better jobs, but that everyone has the chance to achieve their potential, no matter what their background] it must follow, therefore, that part of the answer lies in education as the path to a better job lies with qualifications. During the last 10 years schools, nationwide, have benefited from government investment and statistics show that the attainment gap is closing however, evidence shows that there is still a link between family income and achievement. Approximately 15% of all pupils are entitled to FSMs but as demonstrated [below], these pupils are less likely to get 5 good ACEM  [9]  compared to those pupils not in receipt of FSM. For that reason, poverty and deprivation remain an ongoing area of concern. (DCSF: Breaking the Link, 2009) The importance then of FSMs for eligible pupils should not be under estimated as a means to closing the gap in educational attainment as, to refer back to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), article 27 states that no child in the UK should go hungry. Abraham Maslow is known for establishing the theory of a hierarchy of needs, which places, in a pyramid, the order basic requirements need for motivation. At the bottom, are the physical requirements which, although basic, we will not function comfortably without. The basic human need is for food, water and sleep. The middle of the pyramid deals with the emotion and at the very top is self fulfilment. Using this theory illustrates and reinforces the importance of FSMs for pupils eligible as without their basic need met pupils will not function to the best of their ability as demonstrated below. Assuming then that, a child is fed, research has shown that there is a significant and immediate effect of diet on behaviour, concentration and cognitive ability. Areas directly relating to educational attainment affected by nutrition have been identified as: Developmental disorders e.g. dyslexia and dyspraxia, Memory Concentration Intelligence Attention span Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Aggression Achievement (Sorhaindo, A. Feinstein, L. 2006 What is the relationship between child nutrition and school outcomes? Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No 18. Centre for Research of Wider Benefits of Learning) p 7, 11. If it is the case then that nutrition has a clear impact on the performance of a pupil, it must therefore be of prime importance to ensure that all pupils entitled to FSM are in receipt of them. In addition to the above, nutrition is also believed to impact upon behaviour, which has the potential also to affect school performance and interaction with peers, and compromise self-esteem (Sorhaindo et.al., 2006) However, research carried out for the DCSF by the Key Stage 2 4: National Indicator Set has shown that where pupils are in receipt of FSM academic attainment is lower at every key stage (as the focus group identified is secondary pupils, relevant statistics only are identified). By the sheer fact that a pupil is entitled to FSM indicates that they are from a family whose parents or carers are in receipt of benefit and are therefore are on low income and are entitled to apply to their local authority to claim FSMs. The use of the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) is used in order to determine FSM eligibility. This however, this is by no means a perfect system, as it misses out children from families who do not apply for all the benefit to which they are entitled; in so doing pushes the family further into economic chaos as lunches that need not necessarily be paid for now become, unnecessarily, part of the family budget. (DCSF: Deprivation and Education 2009) An attainment gap (measured by pupils entitled to FSM) is measured at each key stage; it begins at key stage 1 and increases at each key stage through education. By the end of key stage 4, research has shown that there was a 29 percentage point gap between FSM and non FSM pupils in English and a 28 percentage point gap in maths. This equates to a non FSM pupil having over three times the odds of achieving an A*-C grade in these subjects compared to an FSM pupil. In 2007 Only 21% of FSM pupils achieved 5 ACEM  [10]  , compared to 49% of non FSM pupils. This figure had narrowed slightly from the statistics available for 2003, whereby a non FSM pupil had 3.8 times the odds of achieving 5+ACEM, but this ratio has fallen over time to just 3.1 in 2007. (DCSF: Deprivation and Education 2009). With a link in educational attainment having been identified and linked to amongst others, poverty and FSMs it is necessary to look at how this gap can be narrowed; for as long as poverty exists in childhood there will be an increase in the risk of adult poverty. Intergenerational cycles of poverty are not unbreakable or inevitable, but changes need to be implemented or there will be a risk that, in future years, the gap in attainment will impact on society, as there will be children leaving education with fewer skills required by employers when entering into the workforce, which will ultimately hinder economic growth. There is evidence to suggest that poverty need not be the cause to achievement or attainment. Research carried out by Jason Strelitz, policy advisor on UK child poverty for Save the Children, showed that with successful financial and policy intervention by national government poverty as a key barrier to educational attainment can be eliminated (Jason Strelitz, The Guardian Newspaper, Thursday 21 August 2008). It has been shown and is acknowledged that FSMs are a clear indicators of performance however, in London in 2007, the average attainment gap of children on FSM and non FSMs was 27 percentage points, the gap in performance between children on FSM in the best authority and the worst was wider still; 37 percentage points suggesting that it is not FSM in isolation alone that is seen as a barrier but geography and postcode. To illustrate; two contrasting London boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, with few children on FSM, besides Tower Hamlets, who had the highest proportion of children on FSM anywhere in the country. In 1998 Tower Hamlets ranked as one of lowest-performing authorities in the country for educational attainment; 10 years later their results were above average across the board and, for the poorest children among the very best. It appeared the answer for Tower Hamlets was investment. During the 10 year period identified, investment and educational initiatives were focused on d isadvantaged areas and the results were outstanding. With the exception of one, all of the 30 local authorities that were identified saw improvement in their GCSE attainment since 1998. All, bar one, had above average per-pupil funding. (Strelitz, 2008). This clearly demonstrates how investment in education can work to narrow the gap in attainment and that poverty, is not necessarily a barrier to education. However, it should be remembered that the investment has been made in the educational system/framework not the individual and that the children themselves, due to family circumstance, are still actually in poverty although the opportunity of a good/better education has been afforded them and which will be the key to their future and the opportunity for them to move on into higher education or employment giving them the prospect of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty. It is clear then from the above that problems within the education system have been identified and are being addressed, through legislation drive and forward thinking as financial investment alone will not solve the problem, however, it does indicate that the problem can be solved. Working on the guidelines for change recommended in ECM the government has produced a series of papers aimed at outlining the way forward to narrow the gap for specific groups. June 2009 saw the publication of the current governments white paper: Building a 21st Century School System along with Breaking the Link. Building a 21st Century School System proposes the way forward for education. It documents how this and future governments will build on the existing school system to create a new system that will provide an education that is able to act in response to the challenges of society. Further it looks at and endorses a totally inclusive educational system aiming to break the link between deprivation, disadvantage, disability and low educational attainment and so impacts upon intergenerational poverty as discussed above and where every child, regardless of gender, ethnicity or circumstance [poverty] will have the opportunity to develop and gain the skills necessary to succeed in the ever changing global climate. (DCSF: 21st Century School System) One element of the 21st Century School is Extended services within schools. This has now been implemented in 72% of schools nationwide and it is intended that by the end of 2010 all schools will offer extended school services. The aim being, to have integrated health and social care on site as well as child care and after school facilities; thereby ensuring that problems which may potentially stand in the way of pupils learning are more easily and readily dealt with. However, data to date shows that whilst awareness of and satisfaction with services among parents is relatively high, there remains a participation gap between FSM eligible pupils and those not eligible, with non FSM showing typically a 10% higher participation rate. The issue therefore is to further encourage the disadvantaged groups and, in particular those eligible for FSM, to participate and make use of the offer. The participation gap indicates that children from poorer backgrounds are less likely than their peers t o have used to such facilities and are therefore less likely to state that the service meets their needs on the other hand the data shows clearly that progress is being been made in enabling disadvantaged children to participate in quality after school activities, but that more needs to be done to maximise the benefits of these activities to bring this groups engagement with learning. (DSCF: Breaking the Link, 2009) Conclusion It is not poverty alone that is the barrier to educational achievement. Poverty is circumstance. This and subsequent governments can, and should invest in education in order to give our children the opportunity they need to break away from intergenerational poverty and to close the gap in educational achievement and social inclusion. While children are denied their basic human right of an education equal for all, no matter their current circumstance, they will remain in poverty. Improving life chances through education, for all, is not an unrealistic aspiration but does demand the commitment of policymakers, both national and local, schools, partner agencies and parents to work together, to be focused on delivering change for all. As Nelson Mandela broke through his barrier and proved that race need not hold back achievement, this country too can break down barriers; children from all backgrounds can achieve poverty does not and should not be a barrier to attainment.

Exploring the Debate Surrounding The Investment of Solar Energy Develop

As part of the Kyoto Protocol international efforts to combat climate change have seen signatory nations commit to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of mechanisms (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008). The Australian government as part of its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol implemented the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme that would see a minimum 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply being delivered through renewable sources by the year 2020 (Australian Government: Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2012). In developing a renewable energy strategy a range of issues arise concerning the feasibility, reliability and policy in implementing solar as a source of renewable energy. Instead of examining the technical specifications of current solar technology efficiency this essay aims instead to provide a general overview to the current levels of investment by government in the Australian solar industry and explore the debate involved with the implementation of solar power as part of Australia’s energy landscape. Due to the world’s abundant supply of solar energy there is an additional recognition by developed countries that solar has tremendous potential in resolving the global dilemma of increasing energy consumption and climate change. Solar energy has obvious advantages compared to other energies in part to it having minimal environmental and ecological hazards associated with its production (Solangi, Islam, Saidur, Rahim, et al. 2011). Solar energy technologies have shown the highest growth in clean energy finance and investment, increasing 44 per cent to $128 billion in 2011 (The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012, p. 3). Recent price drops in solar module pric... ...direct.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111000220 [Accessed May 19, 2012]. The Pew Charitable Trusts 2012. Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? Report 2011 Edition. Available at: http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Report/FINAL_forweb_WhoIsWinningTheCleanEnergyRace-REPORT-2012.pdf [Accessed May 19, 2012]. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2008. Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Available at: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/mechanisms/items/1673.php [Accessed April 30, 2012]. Wright, J. 2009. The contribution of renewables in Australia’s future energy mix. Australian Academy of Science. Public Lecture Series: Australia’s Renewable Energy Future. Available at: http://science.org.au/events/publiclectures/re/wright.html [Accessed May 20, 2012].

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each character’s personality in the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is intricately described, therefore giving the reader an image or idea of the kind of person he or she is. A picture of the character is formed in the mind with maybe rough edges but a soft heart on the inside. A character’s personality may be oversimplified by drawing shapes in symbolism, but the shapes may be helpful in perceiving the general extent of the characteristics. With a little help from Lee’s descriptions, I have been able to form images in my mind (and draw them on paper) of the personalities of Scout, Jem, Atticus, Dil, Calpurnia, Boo Radley, and Bob Ewell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scout’s shape has a green half-heart bottom, two green finger-like extensions that reach out from the top, one toward Atticus and the other toward Jem, and another green finger-like extension projecting from the side toward everyone else in Maycomb. The green in each of the finger-like extensions and the half-heart bottom represents her youth and innocence which affect her outlook on life. In the center of the shape, a red core represents the love and passion that fill her heart and is the inspiration for her actions and reasoning. Atticus is connected to Scout by the finger-like extension because Scout looks up to him, trusts him, and learns both moral and academic lessons from his actions and words. When Scout narrates, she says, â€Å"As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it: if I had gone alone to the Radley Place at two in the morning, my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I l eft Jem alone and tried not to bother him†(57). This shows her respect toward Atticus and demonstrates her real trust in his advice. The other finger-like extension reaching from the top, toward Jem, shows their connection and her natural admiration, love, respect, and trust in her older sibling. â€Å"Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained- if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time† (13). This sho... ... like Calpurnia and Boo, has a quality, not to be proud of, but different from the others: he is a drunk. He is small because he rarely shows up in the novel, but does play a significant role as the opposite of the innocent mockingbird.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each shape generalizes the personalities and connections of the characters, although not in depth. Atticus is shown to have a big influence on the entire community, always maintaining his maturity and dignity. Scout’s respect is shown, as well as her special understanding connection with Boo Radley. Jem’s big heart and development of maturity can be seen in his shape and the colors designated for each part. Dill’s confident appearance and true insecurity is expressed through the edges of the shape. Calpurnia is shown as a mature caretaker that leads through example, and Bob Ewell is shown as the opposite of every moral the novel is meant to express. When the shapes are put together to create a picture with meaning, the outcome would show the different types of people, not as individuals in Maycomb, but as the actual town of Maycomb, showing that, no matter how old or how young, each person in Maycomb matters.

Bioterrorism and Science: The Censorship of Scientific Journals Will Do More Harm than Good :: Essays Papers

Bioterrorism and Science: The Censorship of Scientific Journals Will Do More Harm than Good Science is based on the open communication of research and information. Scientists often build on the work and results that their colleagues have published in scientific journals. This process of incremental development prevents scientists from â€Å"reinventing the wheel† before continuing forward with original research. It stands, therefore, that the publication and distribution of research is necessary for future research to be productive. However, the dissemination of research has an adverse side effect in the current world. Scientific journals not only inform scientists about recent developments in their field of research, they also inform terrorists. It is possible for terrorists to use the same information found in scientific journals, intended for the benefit of the scientific community, to harm other people. The September 11th attacks force journal editors and reviewers to consider whether censorship is necessary to prevent further, more severe, terrorist attac ks. I believe, however, that broad censorship of scientific journals will hurt our own efforts at biodefense and health care more than it will hinder terrorists looking to make biological agents. In order to understand the current anxiety over bioterrorism we must look at the history of terrorism, both biological and conventional. Bioterrorism was a worry of American scientists and policy makers long before the attacks on September 11th. It has been estimated that, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union employed as many as 60,000 people in a biowarfare research program ([Anonymous] 2000). Ex-Soviet biowarfare researchers have reported the development of a strain of plague resistant to 16 different antibiotics by the Biopreparat, a clandestine network of research facilities located in Russia and Kazakhstan (Dennis 2001). It is certain that the US government was aware of the Soviet interest in biowarfare and thus also had biowarfare and defense programs. It wasn’t until Iraq used chemical weapons against the Kurds that we thought a modern state would actually employ chemical or biological weapons. Then, in 1995, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas on a subway, killing 12 ([Anonymous] 2001), and demonstrated that there was need for real concern about chemical and biological terrorism. In addition to the September 11th attacks, the American public was also subjected to anthrax attacks during the final months of 2001. As the first biological attacks on US soil in more than a decade, these emphasized that bioterrorism is still around and that the United States is still unprepared for a large-scale biological attack ([Anonymous] 2000).

Sociology Marriage and Divorce

Sociology – Family Unit – Marriage and Divorce Most people argue that the family is in ‘crisis’. They point to the rapidly increasing divorce rate, cohabitation, illegitimacy and number of single parent families. What is happening to Marriage? Marriage has increased in popularity, reaching a peak in 1971. Since then there has been a significant decline in the number of marriages, from 459000 in 1971 to 250000 in 2001. There is a decline in first marriages where neither partner has been married before.But there is a growing number of remarriages, in which one or both partners have been divorced; these marriages constitute 15% of all marriages in 1971 and 40% in 1996. The average age at which people first marry has steadily increased in recent decades. Since 1971 it has risen from 24 to 30 for men and from 22 to 28 for women. By 1998 there were relatively few young people who were married. Of those under the age of 24 just 3% of men and 7% of women were marri ed. More than one third of all 18 – 49 year old women are now single.Is Marriage still the Norm? Despite all the arguments about the decline of marriage, it continues to be the case that most people in Britain grow up and form a nuclear family for part of their adult life. Most couples who get married or have stable cohabitation relationships have children. The family unit is still mainly one in which children are brought up by two ‘parents’. The majority (71%) of young people live in families headed by a couple. Just less than a quarter (24%) live in single parent households.The majority of lone-parent families (90%) are headed by women, and the major reason is separation or divorce from the male partner, although some women are single or widowed. Cohabitation is most likely to be found among those aged 25 – 34 years. Over one in five (22%) in this age group currently cohabit. The majority (59%) of those who live together subsequently go on to marry that partner. In some respects marriage is more popular because people marry more often. The percentage of remarriage has risen from 14% in 1961 to 40% in 1996. Cohabitation Living together as a couple is no longer seen as ‘living in sin’. Read also  Sociology and Social Integration.Increasingly the idea of cohabiting is being viewed as respectable. Two thirds (67%) of the British public now regard cohabitation as acceptable, even when the couple have no intention in getting married. The idea that people should get married if they have children is also fading away. In 1989, 7 in 10 people held this view. By 2001 the proportion had fallen to just over half (54%). Nor is there much support these days for the belief that married couples make better parents – only 1 in 4 (27%) think this is the case. Marriage Patterns for African-Caribbean’s and AsiansResearch carried out at Essex University in 2000 indicates that only 39% of British-born African-Caribbean adults under the age of 60 are in a formal marriage compared with 60% of white adults. Moreover this group is more likely than any other group to inter-marry. The number of mixed-race partnerships means that very few African-Caribbean men and women are ma rried to each other. Only one quarter of Caribbean children live with two black parents. There is also a tradition of women living independently from their children’s father in the African-Caribbean community.This could be partly explained historically, from the days of slavery, when husbands and wives were sold to separate plantations. But Wilson (1987) argues that a black woman may be reluctant to marry (or live with) a man whose chances of getting / keeping a job are low and make him an unreliable source of income for themselves and their children. Consequently half of Caribbean families with children are now single parents. Marriage in Asian families whether Muslim, Hindu or Sikh is mainly arranged and consequently there is little inter-marriage with other religions or cultures.Relationships between Asian parents and their children are also very different, Asian children tend to respect religious and cultural traditions and they feel a strong sense of duty to their famili es and especially their elders. Taken as a whole young British Asians have more choice and say than previous generations. Their current situation is probably not dramatically different from that of young no-Asian adults who, while choosing their marital partners on the basis of romantic love, often marry people very similar to themselves in terms of background factors such as social class and educational qualifications.Parental influence may be less direct than in an arranged marriage, but parents can show disapproval on ‘inappropriate’ boyfriends or girlfriends. What are the Patterns in Divorce? From 1971 to 1996 the number of divorces has more than doubled. In 1991 there were 350000 marriages but 171000 divorces meaning that there were nearly half as many divorces as marriages. The proportion of marriages, which are remarriages, has also been rising, for example 15% of all marriages in 1961 were re-marriages for one or both partners; by 1991 this figure has risen to 3 6%.Britain has the highest divorce rate in Europe according to official EU statistics (Eurostat, June 2001). Each year, 2. 7 people per thousand of the population get divorced in Britain compared with the EU average of 1. 8 per thousand. Who Divorces? Young spouses and young marriages are most at risk. A person’s age at marriage is strongly associated with the likelihood of divorce. Generally speaking, the older people are when they marry, the less chance they have of divorcing. Couples who marry in their teens are almost twice as likely to divorce as those who marry between the ages of 20 and 24.The divorce rate also varies by the amount of time the marriage has lasted. For example, in 1979 nearly half of all divorces occurred within the first 10 years. One investigation (Thornes and Collard, 1979) found that of all marital separations (rather than legal divorces), 60% occurred before the 10th year of marriage. Social class is also closely related to the incidence of divorce . The divorce rate for unskilled husbands is more than four times that for professionals and for the unemployed, almost five times that for the professionals.Patterns in Marriage and Divorce Feminist sociologists see the trends as a sign of the lack of satisfaction provided by traditional patriarchal marriage, with individuals seeking alternative types of relationships and living arrangements. New Right thinkers have seen the trends as a sign of the breakdown of the family and have argued for a return to ‘traditional values’. They suggest that because of the easy availability of divorce, people are no longer as committed to the family as they were in the past.Changes in legislation which have made divorce easier but also social changes in which the law reflect are seen as the main causes of the increase in divorce rates. Have Women Broken up the Family? The position of women has changed in a number of ways, such as the wife does not have to put up with an unsatisfactory marriage; they are not expected to be socially subservient to their husbands. Women now have more independence and are in a better financial position if they were to want a divorce; they are no longer totally reliant on their husbands.It was stated that women in general are less satisfied with their marriages than men. In the 1990’s women initiated the majority of divorces. Growing Secularisation Secularisation refers to the declining influence of religious beliefs and institutions. Goode and Gibson argued that secularisation has resulted in marriage becoming less o a sacred, spiritual union and more a personal and practical commitment. Evidence that supports this is that 60% of marriages today do not involve a religious ceremony. Changing Social AttitudesDivorce has become more socially acceptable and there is less social disapproval and stigma attached to divorces. It no longer hinders careers through a public sense of scandal and outrage. As a result of this people are le ss afraid of the consequences of divorce and are more likely to end an unhappy marriage. Functionalists such as Talcott Parsons and Renoald Fletcher argue that the increased value of marriage may have caused a rise in marital breakdown. As people expect and demand more from a marriage and expect it to be perfect.Fletcher argues that a relatively high divorce rate may be indicative not of lower but of higher standards of marriage in society. Privatised Marriages Allan argues that the family has become increasingly defined as a private institution. The wider family, and society at large, do not have the right to interfere in family life and therefore the family unit is not supported by its integration into a wider social network, which means family problems cannot be so easily shared. Love and Marriage – Why are Arranged Marriages Stronger? Within an arranged marriage people have more realistic expectations than those who marry for love.People who support arranged marriages sug gest that love is something that develops overtime, where as romantic love is likely to change into something less exciting, or disappear altogether Sociology – Family Unit – Births and The Ageing Population Births One of the strongest trends has been the rise in illegitimacy. Illegitimacy rates are rising, as more people have children without being married. Some of the stigma associated with illegitimacy no longer exists. This is countered by the New Right’s assault on unmarried mothers, who have been the scapegoat to a certain extent by the media who blame them for the modern failings of society.Unmarried mothers may not be that different to nuclear families as some of these children born outside of a marriage are born to a couple who cohabit or are in a stable relationship, so will therefore have the same advantages / life as a nuclear family child. It is just that the mother and father / couple are not legally married. More and more women are deciding not to have children, as they’d rather focus on / have a career. Having a career may also be the reason for women having children later on in their lives. The Ageing PopulationThe population as a whole are getting older as people are now living longer. This could be seen as a negative or a positive thing. According to the negative view this gives a greater dependence ratio whereby the working population have a greater burden to take care of those not working. Increased pressure on hospitals, social services and pensions will lead to a greater tax burden. On the positive side, it can be argued that since older people are now more likely to stay fit and healthy they may become an important part of our families (childcare for grandchildren) and as part of the voluntary workforce.Ginn and Arber found that the level to which older people could maintain their independence and play a constructive part in society depended to a large extent on their social class, gender and ethnicity. The n otion of ageing itself is a socially constructed concept that varies from culture to culture. The retirement age itself has moved several times and still varies between men and women reinforce the notion that old age is in itself a social construction.

Paralegals role in the legal system

A paralegal plays a big role in the legal system. Under their supervising attorney they are responsible to perform many tasks. These include interviewing clients and witnesses, investigation facts, conducting discoveries and drafting pleadings and other documents. They are also called upon to perform administrative tasks as well. These may include conflicts checking and the very important Job of time keeping. To be able to perform these tasks effectively and to meet the rigorous demands of deadlines, a paralegal must possess certain skills. Skills common to all paralegals include resourcefulness, commitment, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, professionalism, human relations skills, and soft skills. † Thomas F. Goldman & Alice Hart Hughes, Civil Litigation Process and Procedures, 1 5(2nd deed. 2012). Attorneys have the American Bar Association to enforce their ethical behavior, likewise paralegals have their own associations. â€Å"Two major legal a ssistant organizations that provide an ethical code for their members are the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NAP) and the National Association of Legal Assistants (INLAY' old.At 36. Under no circumstances should a paralegal misrepresent themselves as a lawyer. If they do they are committing the unauthorized practice of law. Ethical guidelines differ from state to state. Conflicts of Interest Is defined as â€Å"situations where the interest or loyalties of the lawyer and client may be or may appear to be adverse of divided. † old. At 36. An example of conflict of interest would be if a lawyer represents the husband In a divorce case then down the road represents the wife in a child custody case against the same former husband. This Is where conflicts checking plays a very Important role.

Europe between the Wars: Fascism Essay

According to Stanley Payne, the term fascism rooted from the Latin word fasces which delineate â€Å"bundle† or â€Å"union†. Yet, these words cannot fully encapsulate nor even define what fascism; more specifically â€Å"Italian Fascism† is all about. It had been commonly misused as to refer to â€Å"violence, repression, dictatorship and brutality† removing any difference from the concept that were commonly associated with Communism. (p. 3) Seemingly, a clear cut definition of fascism is hard to come up with because it does not have any â€Å"seminal text† that should have defined its political, social and economic pursuit in contrast with other ideologies. Since this is the case, knowing the history of how the so-called â€Å"fascist† acts and the things they try to emphasize in the words they said, were substantial for anyone to have a more relevant understanding of the term or the word â€Å"fascism†. As an ideology, fascism considers the concerns of the individual along with those of the society as secondary or inferior to those of the whole state. Primarily, it views the state as an organic living thing that is mythical in a sense due to its belief in a â€Å"national rebirth† in the process of : nti-ideological’ and pragmatic ideology that proclaims itself antimaterialist, antiindividualist, antiliberal, antidemocratic, anti-Marxist, is populist and anticapitalist in tendency, expresses itself aesthetically more than theoretically by means of a new political style and by myths, rites, and symbols as a lay religion designed to acculturate, socialize, and integrate the faith of the masses with the goal of creating a ‘new man’ (Payne, p. 4) It was believed to be founded by Benito Mussolini as a political movement that espouses authoritarian dictatorship. It does not promote the concept of â€Å"class struggle† which makes it different from Marxism; it is a revolutionary ideology which seeks to promote the Italian race as part of aggressive nationalism programs which was associated or was said to have influenced German’s Nazism. (p. 225) It was believed to have started as an anti-communist group in the leadership of Mussolini, in addition with the anti-socialist sentiments that had flood Italy during the 1920’s as a result of the worker’s upheaval. Mussolini’s power doesn’t actually come from his own cunningness but was derived from the ineffectiveness of the government and the miscalculation made by the Socialist party. (p. 23-35) As the government of his time side with him in order to combat the socialism and the problems that it brought to the government and as the Socialist party remained confident that they would reign Italy, Mussolini have managed to gradually gain popularity, trust and power. (p. 27) Domestically, Mussolini’s actions were directed towards the restoration of Italy. He favored militarism and internationalism. He calls for the separation of the church and the state. There was also a movement which replaced the labor unions with co-operatives that works ideally with the government in able to look create plans that would benefit both the workers and the state. (p. 55-67) He legislate laws which were in favor of private ownership and capitalization. His foreign policies include the invasion of Ethiopia and the recognition of Roman Catholicism as the only religion in the state. (p. 55) This had resulted to the Anti-Semitic laws resulting to several other actions that were now being referred as racial discrimination. Seeing that his goals paralleled with those of the Nazi German’s, he had establish an alliance with them. His economic policies involve public works and the imposition of a state police under his party. (p. 25-317) Mussolini started the promotion of imperialism by directing a war with Ethiopia in view that this would redirect the attention and sympathy of the citizens. He had also aided fascist movement in Spain and accepted alliance with Germany. It is during these years that he started to decline in his prominence. (p. 225-317) Violence are viewed by Mussolini as liberating, deaths as a necessary sacrifice and wars as trials that must be overcome in reverence of the state. This is quite different from the Marxist Communism which according to Payne (p. 355) have â€Å"qualified violence as an indispensable means to an end—while gratuitously employing it en masse—and almost always preached peace as ideal and goal, while massively militarizing their systems in practice†. Italian Fascism might not have a core value system or an organized history, yet it had managed to influence other nations and it had been successful in eradicating or at least minimizing the Socialist movement that have dominated in the 1920’s. It promotes cultural liberalism by promoting capitalism under authoritarianism and nationalism. Although the ideal desire for hegemony and false judgment have led to the downfall of Mussolini, his actions, practices and ideology as whole have prompted several leaders into developing strands of political movements that resembles fascist vision and methods. The idea of focusing and putting the needs of the state above any personal needs indeed capture the hearts and minds of most citizens and has so far work even in the expense of many lives. (p. 355-358)

Beethoven Sonata No 27 Essay

This piece is highly unusual for Beethoven Sonatas. One, although it was written at the start of his late period, this sonata had only two movements, the first being extremely short. Secondly, this was the first that Beethoven started writing his tempo markings in German, as though implying that this Sonata was more personal. Beethoven has also remarked on this piece that he considered titling it either â€Å"Struggle Between Head and Heart† or â€Å"Conversation with the Beloved†. This sonata was dedicated to Count Moritz von Lichnowsky and so describes the love affair he was having at the time. Beethoven literally gave the Count this sonata with the words, â€Å"This Sonata describes your love life.† The first movement of the sonata has an extremely short development, and a surprising coda. The second movement is much longer, much like a Schubert sonata and has another surprising ending of a small epilogue. In fact, Schubert’s first sonata (unfinished) 2nd movement, shows a distinct likeliness to this piece’s 2nd movement. It would almost seem like Schubert’s first sonata was a tribute to Beethoven. Written in 1814, there is a 5 year gap from his last sonata. He gives exact instructions for his tempo markings because, as he said, â€Å"I am deaf, and I can no longer play the piano. Therefore, I must give exact instructions to the performer.† In fact, he became so particular, that he started notating exactly where his dynamic changes are, leaving almost no room for the performer for adjustments. Listening to a lecture recital by Andrea Schiff, he has remarked that Sonata no. 27 is one of the most mysterious of the 32 sonatas. This sonata was written deliberately not to ‘please’ his audience. He wrote it to promote discussion among music lovers and pianists. This sonata wasn’t even written to be performed on stage. Both movements of this piece end quietly, written subito piano and no retardando could be seen. The piece ends quietly and the audience is barely aware the piece has even ended. This sonata is not meant to make an impression. Andrea Schiff has even gone so far to say that, â€Å"Ideally, we wouldn’t even have an applause at the end of this piece, there is nothing to applaud!† Furthermore, the sonata after, No. 28 (in A Major), sounds like a continuation of the 2nd movement. I will be doing a structural analysis of the Sonata, however, I will also be adding some commentary on some aspects I find more interesting. Starting from the beginning of the first movement, we have the exposition and the first theme. Already here in the first eight bars we can see the conflict â€Å"between the head and heart†, like this movement is so aptly nicknamed. In m. 8-16, we see some use of syncopation, indicating that the movement should be counted in one and not three in the  ¾ time signature. In the first 24 measures, ending with the fermata on a rest, we see clearly the backbone of the whole sonata. In the next section starting with an open b octave, we see the composer has marked in tempo and pp. Beethoven really marks everything for the performer, leaving little to question on how exactly he wants it performed. In m. 55, where we have a very awkward left hand broken chords, I would like to point out that the base line for these seemingly randomly spaced chords is actually the inversion of the original theme at the beginning of the piece. The second movement starts at m. 82 on a single b. At m. 109, we have a sudden reminiscence of polyphonic texture much like what Bach would have written. Starting in m. 113, just when the counterpoint ends, we see that the theme has migrated to the tenor line in the left hand, leaving the right hand free to ‘improvise’ over. We modulate at m. 130 and in m. 136 there is an echo of the first theme. Just when we think that it sounds somehow familiar, the recapitulation suddenly appears at m.144. There is a little coda at m. 231 and the first movement ends quietly with no retardando marked. It is assumed that the performer moves immediately to the 2nd movement. The opening theme in the rondo is something that the performer becomes familiar with very quickly, because it is repeated in the entire movement no less than sixteen times. In contrast to the fighting between the head and heart in the first movement, this movement is nicknamed, â€Å"Conversation with the Beloved†. This theme is so unlike Beethoven that it has almost a Schubert-like quality to it. I would also like to note that the opening theme of the second movement is an inversion of the first theme in the first movement. The epilogue at m. 286 quietly ends the piece, just slipping away. No one notices that it has ended until the surprising silence occupies the space. There is no retardando written and the dynamic marking is pp. I would also like to do a Golden Mean analysis with the first movement, the second movement, and the entire work. Movement one: 145m x .618 = 89.61 Movement two: 290m x .618 = 179.22 Whole work: 535m x..618 = 330.63 or 185.63 in the 2nd movement In movement one, the midpoint falls a few measures after the development, where the theme is being repeated in the surprising key of a minor. This is right before we crescendo up to a climax at m. 92. In movement two, the midpoint falls onto another a minor chord. This measure is right before we transition to another choral in the key of B Major. The midpoint of the entire piece falls on an unassuming measure in the middle of the first theme of the second movement. As for the most important parts of the entire work, I would point out the interesting inversions scattered across the board. First would be the awkward broken chords at m. 55 in the first movement that I have mentioned before. And then again right before the recapitulation when the theme is echoed over the keys. Then again at the little coda at m. 231. As for the second movement, the whole theme is the inverted first theme of the first movement.

Russian and Iraqi Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Russian and Iraqi Relations - Essay Example Russia needed cold hard cash and Iran needed replacement arms. Munition sales were estimated at $1 billion in sales and 1992 registering even greater amounts. Russia was experiencing extreme pressure from the US to stop the sales and Russia did, to an extent, delay delivery of munitions. However, Russia stated that they viewed Iran as a friendly neighbour and needed to look after their own interests. Russia publicly agreed that they did not want to sanction any arms build up in the Middle East but the country was sure such was not the case in Iran. Tensions in Moscow began to rise as Iran began to interject itself into Azerbaijan shortly followed by visits to nine other states in the region. Regardless of this Russia signed a major deal to assist in the development of the Iran nuclear program. Relations continued to deteriorate and Russia, at this point, determined that it would honour its open arms contracts with Iran but would not enter into new contracts. However, contention remained between the US and Russia over the Russian involvement in the Iranian Nuclear Program. Moscow continually asserted that they were not supplying missile technology; however, despite Russia's unwillingness to assist with their missile project in July of 1998 Iran successfully test fired their first missile with the assistance of Pakistan, North Korea and China. Tensions of the nuclear program continued to grow and the strain began to be felt more and more on US/Russian relations. Another area of concern in the Mid East for the US was the possible resumption of relations between Iraq and Russia. The sanctions placed against Iraq were closely followed by the economic loss felt by Russia while bowing to western pressure. Russia held over $10 billion dollars of Iraqi debt which Iraq was at current unable to repay. Still Russia was eager to build solid relations in the Mid East region. As the author states Russia's motivation to build relations in the Arab world were to: "ensure Russia's national security; Prevent the spread of political and military fires in the Middle East to the increasingly unstable regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia; and make use of the potential in the Arab states t help solve Russia's economic problems." Russia did make headway in 1993 when it signed an agreement with Kuwait offering military cooperation which later led to $750 million in arms sales followed by UAE sales reported to be near $3 billion. However, arms sales were disappointing to the Russians in the Gulf area and they desperately needed hard cash. In April of 1993 the Russian parliament speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov sent an emissary to Iraq in an attempt to renew the relations the two countries has shared prior to the invasion of Kuwait. In secret meetings Iraq sought Russia's help in getting UN sanctions against the country removed. In exchange for the request to gradually lift the sanctions Iraq was to publicly assert the sovereignty of Kuwait. In the midst of these negotiations Iraq, much to the embarrassment of the Russians, sent its troops to the Kuwait border. However, maintaining their presence the Russian's continued to champion Iraq's cause by offering to oversee compliance by Iraq during the six month lifting of sanctions and again asserted that Iraq was prepared to

Embezzlement in the Workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Embezzlement in the Workplace - Assignment Example The accounting method that the manager used was a complex deception web where he set up fake companies, made fake invoices, and delivered fake expense reports for payments supposedly made to certain companies on Quest’s behalf. This resulted in the impact on the company’s balance sheets as erroneous calculations had been made due to the fraud. This fraud led to several accounts being impacted that include account receivable as well as sales revenues. The main reason behind this impact is the fact that the erroneous calculations affected both the calculations that had been made during the fraud and that requires being re-calculated. This affected the company’s balance sheet. The other fraud case in the recent times involves Block Communications Inc. that was deceived by a thief who was hired by the company as a thief prevention specialist. The accounting method used in this fraud was computer exploits (Bilski, 2009). In this instance, instead of the ‘specialist’ protecting the interest of the entire company he wrote himself checks and then destroyed the cancelled checks, which were returned to the company. The culprit made false entries to the company’s books affecting accounts such as account receivable and sales revenues. This is mostly because the company incurred losses emanating from the fraudulent sales. This cost the company funds amounting to $1.1 million. In addition, the culprit also made false entries in the organization’s books in order to cover the tracks. This fraud affected the company’s cash flow statement. Another case of fraud incorporated missing company assets. In this particular case, a former employee in the Directory Plus company stashed away at least 100,000 directories belonging to the company assets over a period of approximately four years. The directories were hidden in there different storage units that were found to be under her name. The employee also stashed away several phone books so as to cover the tracks of the fraud activity. This amounted to over $500,000 (Bilski, 2009).  

Nike SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Nike SWOT Analysis - Essay Example Introduction and Market Overview The global financial meltdown of 2008 has negatively affected retail business because it reduced the purchasing power of consumers and destroyed consumer confidence (Finch & Wood, 2009). Businesses have shrunk drastically all over the world due to the integration of global financial markets. Firms are finding it difficult to sell their products to consumers in these tough times. Even big names like Nike are worried about their sales and purchasing power of their clientele, although it did well as compared to others in the recession. The company was founded back in 1964 and since then it has grown tremendously. The company is the leading seller of athletic shoes and apparel in the world (Sage, 2008). In 2010 the company reported a profit of $1.9 billion and an operating income of $2.5 billion, but revenues have fallen to $19 billion (Nike Annual Report, 2010). This is a point of concern for the company because it means that sales are declining due to some reasons. Fall in sales can be because of the tough economic conditions of European and American markets. This downward trend can cause many problems for the company in future because competitors can take market share from the company. The main competitors of the company are Rebook, Puma, and Addidas. Nike sells sports equipment, apparel and footwear. The company alongside with its competitors uses celebrity endorsement and other marketing strategies to attract customers. The client base of Nike and all its competitors are more or less similar. Nike targets young people who are interested in sports. Competitors of Nike are also targeting the same population set. This is why marketing is used as a tool for differentiation by companies in the industry. The vision of the company is to produce equipment for athletes therefore aims of the marketing plan will compliment the overall strategy of the company. The aim of Nike should be to improve its sales in the next year by attracting more and more customers. Improvement of sales by 20 percent is the objective of the firm. The focus of the company will also be on the developing countries as it will attempt to position itself as a premium brand in the developing world. In t his report we will design a marketing plan for Nike so that the above mentioned aims and objectives can be achieved. We will conduct a SWOT analysis for the company and will also include marketing objectives and market segment in the plan. We will also elaborate how the plan will complement the overall strategic objectives of the company. Risk issues within the marketing plan will also be discussed alongside with the mitigations strategies. SWOT Analysis Strengths Nike is the number one footwear brand of the world therefore it enjoys a strong position in the market. The company use marketing constantly to remain the market leader

Marketing Segmentation and Targeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Segmentation and Targeting - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that A market, in contemporary terms, is defined as a place where both buyers and sellers come to meet with the objective of exchanging of goods or even services. In this text, the general definition of a market is a group of both people as well as businesses with a clear interest, purchasing ability and willingness to spend some money to get the goods or services to satisfy their specific needs. Market segmentation is the grouping of customers who may be individual or corporate into a pool of customers with similar demands (goods and services) in terms of prices and designs. It can also be termed as a marketing strategy where a large market is divided into various subsets according to the customers’ demands. A good market segment should be homogenous meaning all customers in a specific segment would prefer a common product quality. on the other hand, buyers from different segments are expected to have different products and services tastes. However, all these should yield many returns.   The term can also be described as grouping customers with similar needs and charged differently from other groups or segments. Statistical analysis is done on some characteristics to come up with a certain market segment. Among the characteristics are the customers’ location, price, income, religion, and gender. Market segmentation is a business strategy upon which other marketing decisions are based.  ... The first is the geographic segmentation which is determined by various regional variables like nations, neighborhoods, climate, and rate of population growth as well as the population density. Demographic segmentations consider age, level of education, income, status of family, occupational factors, and the customers’ gender. Psychographic market grouping is making use of psychological science to know customers well and is based on the attitudes and the general customers’ lifestyle as well as values. Finally, behavioral market differentiations is done according to the rates at which the customers use the goods or services in question, price sensitivity, how loyal the customer is to a certain brand, as well as the benefits attained. The greatest purpose of market segmentation is to enable sales activities to put more emphasis on a certain market segment with the highest chances to buy the products or services. If properly done, higher sales will be realized. In other pe rspectives, it is aimed to improve business or company’s competitive nature as well as serve the customers in a better way which translates to better output such as sales increase, better market share, and a good business image. Other benefits of this market strategy is to get to the bottom understanding of the customers’ needs and this translates to improvement of a company or business in general. This confers on the business a competitive advantage due to the better services offered to the grouped customers. The other advantages are that the goods or services termed as responsive could be designed to satisfy the wants of a certain market place. Secondly, it can be used to decide on effective costs and creating awareness on a certain