Harriet Tubman - Sentence Outline Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Harriet Tubman - Sentence Outline - Term Paper Example During winter, they were forced to bury their feet under scorching ashes to avoid frostbite. A. At the age of 5 years, the fragile girl child was already working in the fields. Life with her parents was not a walk in the park either. Their parents toiled day and night in the plantations. However, they made sure that they stuck together as a couple by negotiating with their owners and putting in extra hours. B. Their mother served them cornmeal in a large container in the evening and only the kids who could gobble food fast got a fair share of the meal. Sometimes they had fish or meat on their tables but only if their father was able to hunt. Their masters gave them food that was meant to last for a month and clothes were supplied yearly. C. Two years later, Harriet was whisked away by her master to care for their child. It was a gruesome experience in which she was loaded onto a wagon after a through and critical selection by their master. Life in the big house was scary and full of heart ache. She was subjected to heavy workloads for very long periods of time with the lady of the house screaming nasty comments to her that demoralized her and made her yearn for her former life with her family. She even developed sickness that enabled her to seek refuge with her mother but only for a short time before she was back again to her tormentor. A. Thoughts of freedom started to invade her young mind especially after recalling all the stories of freedom that she heard from Old Rit, her mother, making her envision of a world free of slavery. Her favorite was that of Moses before the Pharaoh demanding the release of the Israelites. ‘Let my people go’ was a statement that lingered in her mind for so long that it become an obsession. B. At the age of 12, she was to witness a runway slave who was thoroughly punished. However, that did not deter her spirit. She even made a futile attempt to escape when life became a thorn in the flesh, but she did

Financial Analysis of Sainsbury PLC Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Sainsbury PLC Essay This report will focus upon the financial performance over a two year period of a FTSE 100 company. It will seek to ascertain how well the company has performed by scrutinizing profitability, liquidity, efficiency, gearing ratios and working capital. In addition to the aforementioned points, it will dwell upon economic factors to discuss the impact they have had upon the performance of the business. The FTSE 100 started in the year of 1984 and was based upon the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange, and it is seen as an emblematic indicator for the strength of the British economy (iforex, trading section). FTSE 100 companies represent about 81% of the market capitalization of the London Stock Exchange (Nationwide Building Society, glossary section). Within it lies a substantial contribution to the UK economy and the economic power of these firms mean they would have a fairly large ripple effect upon the nation’s economy should there financial performance reach a state of discontentment. Subject company and history The subject company for this report will be J Sainsbury Plc which was founded in 1869 by John Sainsbury and his wife, Mary Ann Sainsbury in London (Sainsbury Plc, history section). The organization has grown to be one of the UK’s most eminent supermarkets. Some of its remarkable aspects include launching TU clothing in 2004, launching Try Something New Today in 2005 to promote healthy eating, and becoming the world’s largest fairtrade retailer in the year 2010 (it is understood that almost one in every four pounds spent on fairtrade products is at Sainsbury), in 2012 the organization became the proud sponsor to the Paralympic games (this will be diligently examined later in the report to see what effect, if any it has had upon the company’s revenue) (Sainsbury Plc, history section). In an industry predominantly owned by Tesco (a market share of 29.9% as of January 2012 according to BBC Business News), Sainsbury has had to work hard to stay in competition. Its persistency has been a key component to its contrivance in the industry and other ventures to which Sainsbury has embarked upon, namely, its banking venture (a 50/50 venture with Lloyds TSB) which commenced trading on the 19th day of February 1997 (Sainsbury Bank plc). The firm lost its position as market leader in the year of 1995 to its rival Tesco and subsequently dropped to third in market share after ASDA experienced a 5% rise in profits (BBC, Business News section). As at March 31 2012, Sainsbury’s has a total number of 440 convenience stores and 572 supermarkets which is currently due to increase (Sainsbury, Store Portfolio section). The question is, how much has its expansionary policy supported its profits whilst maintaining equilibrium with costs? Profitability Within this report, diligent focus will be shown to the financial year of 2010 and the final year of 2011 as the profitability, liquidity, efficiency, gearing ratios and working capital is examined. The profit from disposal of properties in 2010 was  £27m and  £108m in 2011 which shows a dramatic appreciation in profit when compared. Moreover, the company also showed an increase in combined profit from  £585m in 2010 to  £640m in 2011 (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2011 section). This shows that the company’s overall performance has improved over the course of 12 months by 9.4%. Further to the aforesaid points, the greater percentage of revenue was derived from the sale of products and services, standing in at  £22,943m in 2011 (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2011 section). This shows an increase in product purchases and an increase in market share (an increase of 16.1%, Telegraph, September 2011) leading to more sales, demonstrating that the firm’s strategy has worked for the financial year when compared to the sales of 2010 of  £21,421m (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2010 section). Return on Capital Employed can be defined as follows: â€Å"Return on capital employed is a fundamental measure of business performance as it compares the operating profit with the total capital used to generate that profit.† (Black, 2009, p.212). For Sainsbury, this figure was 11% in the financial year of 2010 and 11.1% in the year of 2011 (Sainsbury, Annual Report 2011 section). Such a minor change doesn’t manifest a huge degree of progress. In the annual report for 2011 p4, the company does give an account for this and state that growth was lower than the previous year due to the cumulative effect of its accelerated investment in space growth which started June 2009. The company also holds seventh place for volume market share in the clothing industry and now has clothing sales growing faster than food, 17% to be exact with year on-year growth (Sainsbury, Annual Report 2011 section). Celebrity fashion icon, Gok Wan has been a huge support in inciting growth of the TU brand by launching a clothing range at Sainsbury in 2011 which has been the main source of sales boost. (gok wan, Sainsbury TU section). In addition to the appreciation of sales, the cost of sales rose from  £19,964m in 2010 to  £21,102m in 2011. Prominent contributing factors towards the rise in costs are the variation in Fiscal policy (Sainsbury’s, Directors report 2011 section) which increased the rate of VAT from 17.5% to 20% on the 4th day of January 2011 (HM Revenue and Customs, 2011) along with the increase of the company’s workforce due to its addition of 1.5 million square feet of space from 2011-2012 (The Independent, news section). As the profitability of the organization is scrutinized, it is important to look deeper into what has resulted in an increase in profit from the year 2010 to 2011. From an economic perspective, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (hereinafter referred to as MPC) changed the discount rate to 0.5% on the 5th day of March 2009, positively influencing public spending and reducing the cost of borrowing (Bank of England, 2009). The concept upon the reduction in the cost of borrowing is that more customers have resorted to using credit to fund their purchases (According to a study conducted by Visa Vanquis, consumer spending on credit increased by 3% in September 2011 when compared with statistics for 2010). It is understood that the variation eluded to above has been of support to the company in its financial borrowing, enabling it to fund its expansion referred to in the above paragraph. The downside is that it has had a fundamental impact upon its banking venture namely, profits attained are not what they could be if the discount rate was higher, notwithstanding the fact that, the bank reported a 9% increase in profits in 2011 (This is money, news section) possibly due to the abovestated research on consumer spending. A higher base rate would mean higher priced loans leading to greater profits accrued (other factors being equal). Taking into consideration the above-mentioned point, the company had the opportunity to utilize the reduced interest rate in support of its expansion and other purchases to aid the loss of profit (due to low interest rates) from the sales of loans and credit cards. In criticism of the 0.5% base rate set by the MPC, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive stated it was the wrong decision to reduce it, the small businesses that supply Sainsbury were struggling to borrow and this of course had a substantial ripple effect upon the company’s financial performance (Daily Telegraph, news section). This gives a clear indication that the profit accumulated for 2011 could of been higher without the economic discontentment. It gives some direction to why the cost of sales were high due to the purchasing price of products from smaller businesses to which supply Sainsbury. Having analyzed the profitability of Sainsbury, its within good reason to compare this data with that of its main competition, namely, Tesco for which happens to be a pivotal comparison due to them standing within similar grounds in terms of business models and future company goals. Tesco UK gained  £56,910m in sales for the financial year 2010 and saw an increase for year 2011 with sales in at  £60,931m (Tesco, Annual Report 2011 section). There is a substantial difference in sales, however Tesco have 3,054 UK stores in comparison to Sainsbury’s combined 1,012 stores, in addition it has the greater market share (Tesco, storefinder section). Tesco’s Return on Capital Employed for 2010 stood at 12.1% and 12.9% for the financial year 2011 (Tesco, Annual Report 2011 section) and according to the directors report the company has set itself a target to increment this to 14.6% by 2014/15. This, together with its sales exhibits better performance than that of Sainsbury and epitomizes the comprehension to why the company holds the greatest share of the market. It shows clarity that Tesco did better with capital than that of Sainsbury, however Sainsbury used a large amount on expansion which the results of will be shown at a later date. Liquidity With liquidity being the second focal point, it is necessary to look at the credit facilities available to the organization in question. ‘Sainsbury has overall debt and credit facilities of  £3 billion at its disposal’, the principle element of Sainsbury’s core funding comprises of two long-term loans of  £1,069m due 2018 and  £840m due 2031, secured over property assets (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011). Further to the previous stated loans, the company has unsecured debt of  £180m and  £50m due between 2012 and 2015 along with  £190m of convertible bonds due July 2014 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011). The Current Ratio for Sainsbury in the financial year of 2010 was 0.64 and 0.58 in the financial year 2011. A Current Ratio may be defined as a measure of an organization’s ability to pay its shortterm debts, ideally it should stand in at 2:1 (Atrill McAllen, 2008). The ratio for 2010 indicates that the company would be in a better position at paying off its obligations if they were due at that point in time. However due to the ratio for both years being under 1, it shows the company is not in a good position. Ironically however, having ascertained the available credit to the organization, this states otherwise. In comparison to its competition, Tesco had a current ratio of 0.73 in the financial year 2010 and 0.65 in the financial year 2011. This is somewhat similar with Sainsbury as there is only a gap of .2 in difference. Both companies figures look worrying, however the ability to turn stock into cash is another focal point to which will be later scrutinized. Having revisited the company’s balance sheet, its Net debt stood at  £1,549m in 2010 and  £1,814m in 2011 (an increase of  £265m). This difference quintessentially indicates that the company has been expanding over the course of a year. In the firm’s annual report for 2011 it shows the increment was due to rapid estate development (the addition of new Sainsbury Convenience stores) which was to an incontrovertible extent funded by the sale of leasebacks and advanced working capital (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p5). The appreciation in debt manifests the fact that Sainsbury hans’t cleared its existing debt, yet only continued to borrow more. Astonishingly however, the amount borrowed has been put to positive use in funding the expansion of the organization’s convenience stores. According to the Independent in March earlier this year, the company grew its market share of the convenience store market in 2011 with sales up 20% following the opening of 15 new stores. Further to the above-mentioned points, the company pursued further borrowing to enhance its profitability by expanding (proven to be a remunerative venture), enabling the firm to pay back its source of funding when required to do so. The idea of this long-term investment is that Sainsbury will gain a larger market share (forcing other less competitive companies to abdicate there share of the market) and increased profits both short and long-term. In criticism of the technique, the company should take into consideration the unforeseen changes in the market, namely demand for its products and services and of course future economic changes. How does it justify itself financially should there be a decrease in demand? The epitome lies with XL Airways, according to BBC News in 2008, the company hit financial discontentment after failing to secure further funding (up until that point it was in the process of expanding) due to unanticipated changes in the economy. Efficiency With regard to the organization’s efficiency, it is difficult to ascertain the overall effectiveness of performance without conducting in-depth research as it can be fairly arduous to gather enough data from ratio analysis. However, the business’s average inventory turnover (calculated by sales divided by inventories, Agyei-Boapeah, 2012) for the financial year 2010 was 30.5 (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2010, p16), compared with 28.2 for the financial year 2011 (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p18) shows a minimal difference. The figures imply a poorer performance from the company in 2011, yet sales had subsequently increased in that year, furthermore, it was part of the organization’s goals to increment the sale of non food products which gives an account for the less frequent replacement of inventories (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p2; Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011, notes 16). In order to gain a greater interpretation of the company’s efficiency its necessary to look at other ratios. Asset turnover (calculated by revenue divided by total assets, Agyei-Boapeah, 2012) for the financial year 2010 was 1.83 and 1.85 for the financial year 2011 (Sainsbury Group Income Statement 2011, p1). The higher the figure, the better. Having scrutinized these figures, it is clear to see a slight inclination in sales generated from assets for 2011. Although, the company has only seen a small contribution of profit accrued from the sale of assets. This may be understood by reviewing the firm’s growth policy once again and recalling that they have spent more on expanding and accumulating assets than selling assets (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p5). A comprehension of the above-mentioned points give clarity that the company’s management have conducted there duties efficiently. The prominence lies within sales performance and the ever growing multitude of stores to which the firm has within its ownership. The increased space exhibits a positive rate of expansion (15.9% according to Sainsbury Income Statement 2011, p2), furthermore, only a small percentage in change on the sale of assets and a lower inventory replacement. Further to the aforesaid point referring to replacement of inventories, it could be interpreted that as the firm sees a continuity of expansion, more goods are purchased through economies of scale (greater sized orders at lower prices, meaning less reordering) as is it the case that the company is introducing further non food products, namely televisions which aren’t everyday purchases. Yet of course it is likely to be the latter having previously identified company intentions (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p2). Finally it is prudent to take the ratios and compare them with that of Tesco. In the financial year of 2010, 20.8 was Tesco’s inventory turnover ratio and 19.2 in the financial year of 2011 (Tesco Annual Report 2011, p94). Again these figures represent an even poorer performance, but Tesco as do Sainsbury, sell a number of non food-products, 22% of sales are non-food products and the company is the UK’s largest non-food retailer (Tescopoly.org, Our Business section). Asset turnover for Tesco in the financial year of 2010 was 1.56 and 3.18 for the financial year 2011 (Tesco Annual Report 2011, p106). This shows some disparity in business efficiency and shows the company performed better in the year of 2011 when compared with 2010 and it also performed much better than Sainsbury (however it is mandatory to consider the company’s goals in comparison to that of Sainsbury). Asset Turnover comparison of Sainsbury with Tesco. Gearing Ratios The gearing ratios (Long-term liabilities) for Sainsbury on the 20th day of March 2010 were 32.86 compared with 30.79 on the 19th day of March 2011 (Telegraph shares, p1). This implies the company’s rate of borrowing to fund its activities was higher in the year of 2010 and as a result of the increase in profit for 2011 as eluded to above, activities were self-funded more often. The ratios referred to in the above paragraph doesn’t have the greatest of difference, meaning there was still a substantial amount funded by borrowed funds in 2011. A contribution to the high rate of borrowing is carefully examined by looking at the Office of National Statistics for 2010 and 2011. According to the Office of National Statistics, Consumer Price Index (hereinafter referred to as CPI) in the 12 months up to September 2010 saw a 5.2% increase in alcohol and tobacco products, a 5.1% increase in food and non-alcoholic beverages, 4.4% increase in communication and a 2.5% increase in other goods and services, including fuel (Office of National Statistics 2010/2011 Report, p1). Such increases may have caused customers to abstain from certain purchases or make less frequent purchases, this as a ripple effect would significantly impact upon the organization’s functioning. Ironically however, in 2011 CPI was at 5.2% in September, compared with 3.1% in September 2010 (Office of National Statistics 2011 Report, p1). A significant increase would anticipant further borrowing, yet this isn’t the case due to above-mentioned facts in this report. Sainsbury’s strategy to invest in expanding has given support to its profits for 2011 and enabled the business to reinvest these into its activities. This therefore negates the argument/concern over economic impact upon trading for 2011 and shows a return on investment when compared to company sales and profits with an amalgamated comparison of 2010/2011 financial performance (Sainsbury Income Statement 2011, p1-p5). Working Capital Management Moving on to the final focal point in this report, working capital. This is the measure of both a company’s efficiency and its short-term financial health (Agyei-bopeah, 2012). The working capital of the organization has seen a substantial increase in the financial year of 2011. The firm’s working capital increased by  £78m for 2011, which it states was primarily due to increased inventories which is  £110m higher than that at March 20th 2010 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1). An examination of ratios will help to ascertain the effectiveness of the firm’s working capital management, however it appeared difficult to derive this information from Tesco due to discrepancies to way in which data was laid out. Working Capital to Sales ratio can be calculated by taking working capital and dividing it by sales X 100 (Agyei-Bopeah, 2012). In the financial year of 2010 this figure was 1.5.7 and 1.2.8 for 2011. This manifests a less appreciated rate of performance for the year 2011, however the company did introduce a substantial number of non-food products. The company successfully managed to make cost savings of  £50m in the year 2011 (Sainsbury Interim Results 2011, p1). In an argument against this successful business practice, is it ethical for the company to pay farmers the minimal amount per gallon of milk to keep its customer want’s satisfied? Herein lies a problematic issue to which the organization faces in its ever growing desire to reduce costs. As a result it has led to pragmatism in critics of the firm’s fairtrade brand image and to what extent it coincides with the image. British farmers are forced to pay the price of supermarket price wars (The guardian, Saturday 2 July 2011, p48). With such concern over how much the firm should be saving on costs to attain a better position with working capital, it fails to take into consideration its ethos on fairtrade. It transpires to be the case that in order to make huge savings to support its growth in working capital, the company must continuously force its suppliers to drive the price of their products down as other factors change (cost of production, economic variations, energy/fuel prices and the cost of raw materials). On a more positive note, the company has managed to increase its working capital from the financial year of 2010 to 2011, this indicates positive changes in its business activity and demonstrates that it has good working capital management. As a result of the increase,  £12m in debt was paid off in the year of 2011. Yet as this section happens to coincide with efficiency, it epitomizes the effectiveness of the company strategy for 2011. Conclusion Sainsbury has set itself a fair number of targets to which are laid out in the company annual report for 2011. One being to increase space growth of 15% in two years set in the year of 2009 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1). The company exceeded this target percentage by .9% (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1) which indicates its able to meet its targets, yet it also indicates more capital was spent on expanding and possibly more than it intended. As eluded to in the above sections, Sainsbury’s decision to rapidly expand has proven to be a remunerative venture and shown a slight increase in company profits for short-term comparisons between the financial years 2010 and 2011 where sales have grown by 9.4% (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p1). Such developments in the business will only give adequate comparisons after a greater interval enabling the researcher to comprehend as to how much the accelerated growth has had on the firm. In addition to the company’s growth in size it saw a huge appreciation in demand for its clothing brand, TU. It is understood that since fashion icon Gok Wan introduced a range of clothing, sales saw a growth of 17% as a year on year comparison for 2011 (Sainsbury’s Media, Latest Stories, p1). It is likely that this will continue to grow and complement the company’s expansion. Further to the above points, the liquidity ratios of the company are poor at this point in time which is due to accelerated growth (therefore negates the argument of poor performance). However when the firm finishes its expansion it is highly likely that the ratio will improve which is subject to no further large projects. Further to information ascertained from the company Annual Report of 2011, the company should be capable of repaying its loans as of there due dates thanks to its increased number of stores accumulating further profit. In addition to aforementioned points in the beginning of the conclusion, Sainsbury’s have five focus areas, great food at fair prices, accelerating the growth of complementary non-food ranges and services, reaching more customers through additional channels and growing supermarket space (Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011, p3). Having already acknowledged the prosperity of its space growth, this also happens to coincide with its focus on reaching customers through additional channels as 37 new convenience stores were opened in the latter part of 2010 to the beginning of 2011 (Sainsbury’s Media, Latest Stores section). Since analyzing the company gearing ratios and how much it has in long-term debts, it is clear to see it could be a perilous problem for Sainsbury. The firm has made an audacious decision to invest in expanding in the hope for substantial returns in the not to distant future, yet this is not guaranteed income. If demand falls for the company’s products and services or there is a problem to which later impacts upon its brand image (the company is disproved to be a fairtrade retailer for example) the firm may find itself being liquidated if it is unable to repay the loans. Points eluded to in the above paragraph are a matter of deep concern to the organization and from research administered it doesn’t transpire to be the case that the firm has a contingency plan to support them with potential depreciation in demand. A contingency plan and in addition, a contingency fund is something to which Sainsbury should take into the highest of consideration should one not have already been devised (yet it is unlikely this would be the case). It will be of support to the firm in planning for unforeseen changes. References In this report the following sources were dwelled upon for guidance in ascertaining facts, extracting data and for the purpose of comparison. Books Atrill, P., McAllen, E. (2008) Accounting and Finance For Non-Specialists. Sixth edition. Prentice Hall. Harlow. Datta, S. (2011) Economics, Making sense of the modern economy. Third edition. Profile Books. London N, Gregory Mankiw. (2001) Principles of Economics. Second Edition. Harcourt College Publishers. Images James Blake (2012) Sainsbury Supermarket. [image online] Available at: http:// www.jbiwebdesign.co.uk/website-marketing/7-marketing-tips-we-can-learn-from-sainsburys [Accessed: 12 December 2012]. Lecture Notes Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Financial Statement Analysis 2. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 02 November 2012. Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Working Capital Management 1. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 09 November 2012. Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Working Capital Management 2. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 16 November 2012. Websites BBC News (2004) Sainsbury Loses Out To Rivals. [ONLINE] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/business/3682544.stm [Accessed: 24 October 2012]. BBC News (2012) Tesco Market Share Dips Below 30%. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16817254 [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. BBC News (2008) Thousands Stranded By XL Collapse. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7611639.stm [Accessed: 21 October 2012]. Bank Of England (2009) Statistical Interactive Database Official Bank Rate History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/Repo.asp [Accessed: 19 October 2012]. Guardian (2011) British Farmers Forced To Pay The Cost Of Supermarket Price Wars. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/02/british-farmers-supermarketprice-wars [Accessed: 23 October 2012]. Gokwan (2011) Sainsbury Collection Press . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gokwan.com/ goks-video-blog/sainsbury-collection-press-launch/ [Accessed: 23 October 2012]. iforex (2012) FTSE 100. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.iforex.com/ftse-100 [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. Independent (2012) Small Store Openings Boost Sainsburys Profits. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/small-store-openings-boost-sainsburysprofits-7579664.html [Accessed: 20 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2012) About Us, Store Portfolio. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/about-us/store-portfolio/ [Accessed: 25 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Annual Report 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://annualreport2011.jsainsbury.co.uk/downloads/pdf/sainsburys_ar11_note_26_notes_to_the_cash_flow_statements.pdf [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Annual Report, Balance Sheet. [ONLINE] Available at: http://annualreport2011.j-sainsbury.co.uk/financialstatements/balancesheets.shtml [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Annual Report, Cashflow. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// annualreport2011.j-sainsbury.co.uk/financialstatements/cashflow.shtml [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Financial Review. [ONLINE] Available

Analysis of Nestles Position in India

Analysis of Nestles Position in India Nestle is one of the largest companies in the world. It produces different types of products and was based in different parts of the world. It was started in 1868 by Henri Nestle, who set up a sales office in London. The company went under the new ownership when Henri Nestle retired in 1875.Nestle opened its first factory in 1901 in UK and got merged with the Anglo-Swiss milk company which was founded by Charles and George page. It has acquired its own brand image over the years by innovating new products and attracting people all over the world with its quality products. Nestle became one of the leading companies in the world when it started producing chocolates. The chocolate production began at Hayes in 1913 and the famous white chocolate Milky Bar was released into the market in 1937. The other products of Nestle are coffee, milk, chocolates etc. The company has its branches in 86 countries like India, Pakistan, US, South Africa, brazil, Sri Lanka, France , Middle east countries etc all over the world and nearly employs 283,000 people. It has over 250,000 shareholders, while most of them are from Swiss. Nestle products are well known in the whole word for their wide range of products which include coffee , infant nutrition, baby products ,chocolates , milk products etc. Nestle products are cheaper when compared to other milk products and chocolates and the reputation in the market is good which makes the company to release wide range of products in the market across the whole world. Nestle is the world leader in the categories of coffee, infant nutrition, chocolates etc. The company respects the opinions of its customers and makes sure that the products are manufactured according to their interests. FIVE COMPONENTS OF ARMSTRONGS MODEL: BASIS: the environmental factors that are to be taken into account as the essential background for the organisations HR strategies. These factors can be analysed by using SWOT or PESTLE analysis. CONTENT: the details of the proposed HR strategies of an organisation must be included RATIONALE: the business case for the strategy. IMPLEMENTATION: finding the ways and plans to implement the proposed HR strategies. COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS: analysing the benefits and costs of implementing a strategy and acting according to the outcomes that may occur. NESTLE follows the strategies like commitment strategy, developing trust, culture management etc. By following and implementing these type of strategies, NESTLE has innovated and developed itself throughout the years. Let us evaluate the HR strategy of NESTLE organisation using Michael Armstrongs model for the strategys design. BASIS: the environmental factors of the NESTLE organisation are evaluated using the SWOT analysis. STRENGTHS: The company has a great support from its parent company which has a great influence all over the world. It has huge brand strength all over the world. The brands like NESCAFE, MAGGI and CERELAC which are generic to their product categories are very strong in the Indian market. Around 67% of the population use Nescafe, Maggi and Cerelac for their daily uses. Another main Strength of the company is, it continuously introduces new products in to the market with innovative thoughts and attracts people towards it. It makes sure that its products are manufactured with quality. There are nearly 3500 scientists in the companys RD department to innovate new thoughts and ideas. It is a truly global company which is operated in 77 countries. The competition from other organisations doesnt affect Nestle because of the low cost and high quality it maintains. It has a very strong work force unlike the other organisations. WEAKNESS: Because of the uneven nature of the Indian market, the things get more complicated. It is very much important to maintain good hygiene standards, talented personnel in the food industries like Nescafe. It is very difficult to maintain these standards in the big countries like India which has a complex supply chain management. OPPURTUNITIES: There are lots of opportunities to the company in the huge country like India. There are lots of towns in India where the products of Nescafe are not available. It can extend to those towns and villages and can increase its market. The company can extend its product folio by introducing new products into the market. As India is a huge country with lots of resources and manpower, it can be made as the export hub to achieve better results. Everyone is becoming a health freak now days, including the United States. So, health based products are having great opportunities in the global market. THREATS: The main threat for any organisation is its competitor. There is a huge competition among the organisations. Nestle faces huge competition from the organised and unorganised sectors. Moreover, the Indian government has decreased the import duty of food products, making the things worst. The organisation does not have any threats from the small scale industries but it will have threats from the organisations which are established with large investments and big brand value. The performance of FMCG sector is very less in the past 2-3 years, even though there is a decent pace of growth in the economy of the organisation. Some of the markets in which the company is about to enter, are already mature regarding these products. CONTENT: The main principle of HR strategies of the NESTLE organisation is its products growth through innovation and renovation. The other important strategies are Attracting dynamic employees and giving training to them Developing the management Respecting other cultures and traditions Providing training to the new comers Some other principles of proposed HR strategies are maintaining diversity in the manufacturing of products, despite of introducing several products in to the organisation. RATIONALE: Let us have a look on the business case of proposed HR strategies of NESTLE organisation. NESTLE has its Kit Kat manufacturing plant in York England. Ian Jobson is the manger of that plant. For manufacturing a ton of Kit Kat chocolate, it used to take like 38 man hours. It is a waste of time and man power and even it costs a lot of money to the organisation. To overcome this problem, they have implemented new strategies in the manufacturing of the chocolate. They have innovated and renovated their strategies and came up with a new strategy. They have decreased the human labour and introduced robotics to make the work easier. They used robotics, automated packaging, and production line improvements and they have reduced the manufacturing time to 23 hours. IMPLEMENTATION: NESTLE makes sure that the proposed strategies are implemented without any failure. It provides the necessary resources and necessary funds to the HR department to implement their strategies. It follows different strategies and concepts to reach the better heights and to sustain in this competitive world. It has a research development department, who works on innovation of the new products and renovating the available products of the company. It opens new branches every year to attain a greater grip on the market. It commits to a strong work to achieve better results NESTLE makes sure that it follows all the local laws and legislations, as reputation of the company affects the sales of the organisation It gives rights to the employees to question their superiors about an unfair evaluation It motivates its employees, train them in maintaining teamwork, cooperate and integrate with the organisations strategies. COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS: NESTLE tries to decrease the extreme utilization of natural resources. By doing this, it benefits in increasing the human resources, expands contact to the financial resources. The managers and the individual employees are very benefited by the HR strategies of NESTLE. The company believes in the individual achievement of the employees plays a major role in the development of an organisation. To encourage its employees, the HR department has designed a pay structure to its employees. The company even introduced practices like job enlargement to encourage their employees and to break the limitations of their work. Let us evaluate the pay structure of the NESTLE organisation: NESTLE suggests reasonable remunerations to the employees. The level of remuneration is maintained above the average in the industry. The unpredictable part of salary is relatively big in rewarding an individual performance. The variable part of salary for higher management is based on the performances and achievements of the individuals and their team. BENEFITS: The employees can apply up to particular number leaves either personal or medical. They can have the assistance scheme for their childrens education. The organisation offers provident fund to their employees. The other benefits for the employees include retirement gratuity scheme, conveyance repayments, insurance for accidents etc. The other concepts that can be included are providing recruitment services, talent management and international HR etc. The recruitment services of NESTLE are very much recognised all over the world for their methods of recruitment. They dont just try to fill the jobs but makes sure that the right person is selected for the right job. They select the people who are dynamic, hard working, flexible and honest. Those candidates are selected whose values are similar to the companys culture. The HR officials are the one who takes the final decision in selecting a person. The company even maintains a Rewards and Employee relations team, which provides guide lines to the employees in necessary situations. They provide guidance to the line managers, HR managers, research and development department etc. It provides a health environment to its employees. In a multi-national company like NESTLE, the employee turnover is less than 5%. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: Nestle gives importance to the personal life of their employees. So, it makes sure that the work life and personal life of their employees is balanced. It maintains a separate policy in which work/life balance is given importance. REWARDS AND INCENTIVES: Nestle encourages its employees by giving rewards and incentives. By doing this, the employees who are eager to win awards will work hard for the development of the organisation. Competitiveness among the employees will result in the growth of the organisation. So, the organisation even offers a competitive reward package to its employees. The company awards NESTLE idea award every quarter to the employees who come up with innovative ideas. These are the different concepts and theories of NESTLE. CONCLUSION: Michael Armstrong gave a brief explanation on the components that are to be included in the Human Resource strategies of an organisation. He covered all the important aspects which play a major role in the development of an organisation. By evaluating the HR strategy of NESTLE using Michael Armstrongs strategy model, we can understand that NESTLE is very keen and careful regarding the strategies it had implemented and it is going to implement in the future. NESTLE concentrated on its strengths, its weaknesses, the opportunities it has and the threats it has to face and planned strategies to face these problems. By the Michael Armstrong five components model the HR strategies are evaluated. In the first component basis for the organisation, HR strategies are estimated using SWOT analysis and the strengths and weaknesses are evaluated and future opportunities and threats are analysed. In the second component content the innovation and renovation of the Nestle organisation are discussed where the strategies state the need for development in the management and opportunities for the skilled employees. In the third component, Rationale shows the reduced man power to increase productivity by using robotics as a strategy which gave good results by decreasing man power to 23 hours from 38 hours. In the fourth component implementation stated that the need for urgency for the development of organisation by increasing the branches of nestle every year. In the fifth component cost and benefit analysis states the remuneration of the employees it depends on the individual performance which reflects the NESTLE organisations growth.

Placing English Language Learners in Special Education Essay -- ELLs a

When do English language learners need to be placed in special education? In the United States, there has been an increase in in the number of children from Spanish speaking backgrounds. The English Language Learners, commonly known as ELL’s, are being placed in Special Education without being properly tested for a learning disability. However there are a large number of ELL’s with learning disabilities in elementary grades that truly have a learning disability and are over looked. Many school districts have problems placing ELL’s. As a result these students end up in special education whether they have a learning disability or language impairment. Teachers are also indecisive when dealing with ELL’s. Most teachers recommend that ELL’s be placed in special education from day one. It is not because the child has a learning disability, it’s because most teachers are not properly trained to interact with ELL’s. Teachers also find it difficult, due to lack of training, having ELL’s with learning disabil ities in their classrooms. More teachers would find their selves comfortable if they had training in dealing with ELL’s and ELL’s with learning disabilities. This paper discusses the issues and the concerns teachers have in dealing with ELLs and ELLs with disabilities, the challenges of identifying individuals with learning disabilities, and what type of assessments classify English Language Learners as having a learning disability. First, teachers are rarely prepared to handle the challenges of assessing students who have a learning disability coupled with limited English proficiency (Haung, Milczarski, Raby, 2011). Teachers usually have trouble distinguishing between a learning disorders and acquiring a second language. Eve... ..., K., Milczarski, E., & Raby, C. (2011). The Assessment of English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities: Issues, Concerns, and Implications. Education, 131(4), 732-739. Kapantzoglou, M., Restrepo, M., & Thompson, M. S. (2012). Dynamic Assessment of Word Learning Skills: Identifying Language Impairment in Bilingual Children. Language, Speech & Hearing Services In Schools, 43(1), 81-96. doi:10.1044/0161-1461(2011/10-0095) Wagner, R. K., Francis, D. J., & Morris, R. D. (2005). Identifying English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities: Key Challenges and Possible Approaches. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 20(1), 6-15. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5826.2005.00115.x Sullivan, A. L. (2011). Disproportionality in Special Education Identification and Placement of English Language Learners. Exceptional Children, 77(3), 317-334.

The Port of Singapore: a Reflective Essay

[Company Address] 08 Fall The Port of Singapore Prepared by : Rajib Das, Student # 38410098 This document discuses about the Port of Singapore and the strategic importance of its location to the modern traders. It also discusses the government incentives and the Advanced Information Technology that the port has been using to attract new shipping companies in the recent past. Anything beyond is not discussed for the limitation of the term paper. Table of Contents The Port of Singapore3 Singapore: Strategic Importance of the Geographic Location†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 The Adoption of IT 6Government Incentives9 Competition10 Conclusions11 Appendix12 Citations16 The port of singapore Over the last 40 years, the world has been awestruck with the unbelievable growth of the island nation into a major transportation epicentre of global trading. In the 1970s ,the Port of Singapore pioneered the first container port in the history. By 1980’s the port h it its first milestone of handling 1 million TEUs and within the next 10 years by 1990’s (Port of Singapore Annual Reports), the port was handling 5 million TEU (Twenty foot equivalent container units)per annum.Today, about 20 years after the big landmark, the port handles over 28 million TEUs (Port of Singapore Annual Reports) per year making it the second largest port in the entire world after the Port of Shanghai in terms of Container traffic. The container shipments from the Port of Singapore comprise of one fifth of the world’s container shipment volume (Authority). The port also takes immense pride in shipping half of the world’s annual crude oil supply. In terms of total cargo volume, the port handles about 500000 thousand freight tonnes per year (Authority) which makes it the second busiest port in the world after the Port of Shanghai .Today the Port Singapore is connected to 123 ports of the world spreading over 123 countries and 6 continents, making it one of the most important ports of the world. Singapore: Strategic Importance of the Geographical Location The importance of the Geographical location of Singapore has been largely significant since trading started between Asian, North American and the European continents. The Singapore Strait has been used heavily for trading by the Romans, Chinese, Arabs, Greeks and the Indians since time immemorial (Gupta).After the Suez Canal opened in the mid 1800s, the Singapore Strait have become a vital linkage of trade between the powerful European nations and East Asia. The Singapore Strait is attractive to traders because it is the shortest and cheapest sea-link between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean (Gupta). With the advent of the large Japanese car manufacturing industry , the textile industry of South Asia and the heavy outsourcing of the North American manufacturing plants in the last 30 years, Asia is no longer a continent which mainly exports low-valued raw materials to be processed in the West.The flow of more expensive manufactured goods from the East to the West have proliferated in the last 30 years. (Sie) As a result, shipping and transportation costs have become even further less inelastic fostering the immense growth of the shipping industry of Singapore. Although it is often not in the limelight, but the South-east Asian nations have a large base of oil- refineries which have led to the heavy shipping traffic of the crude oil through the strait of Singapore. Taiwan has a oil refining capacity of . 54 million b/cd and South Korea has a capacity of 1 million b/cd alongside Singapore.Japan and China tops the list with a capacity of 4. 7 and 2. 2 million b/cd respectively. (Olson) Apart from China which has a self-sustaining production of crude oil, every other nations depend on the Middle-Eastern countries for their oil supplies. Japan alone imported 130 million tonnes and 195 million tonnes of crude oil from the Middle-East and the African natio ns in the years 1990 and 2010 respectively (Olson). Owing to these heavy demand for crude oil, the Port of Singapore has been responsible for transporting half of the world’s oil supply in the year 2010.Owing to it’s prime geographic location and heavy government incentives and a base of Information Technology discussed later in the paper, majority of the exports from Singapore is based on re-exports from other countries . There are about 60000 ship movements annually in the Strait of Singapore. In 2010, the Port of Singapore transhipped 17447,000 TEUs which constituted almost 82 (Statistics)% of Singapore’s annual export . Today, the port of Singapore is the busiest Port in the World in terms of transhipment of containers.Port of Singapore : Operations The Port of Singapore has 6 terminals to accommodate all types of vessels-ocean liners, lighters, cargo freighters, coasters, break bulk carriers and container ships. The 6 terminals are Keppel Terminal, Brani Te rminal, Pasir Panjang Terminal, Sembawang Wharves and Pasir Panjang Wharves . The Wharves terminals can facilitate all kinds of vessel while the other terminals are specialized meant for the containers vessels. The Port of Singapore’s container’s facilities are listed as follows: * Number of Terminals: 4 Area: 436 hectares * Designed capacity : 24700 kTEU * Quay cranes: 143 * Maximum draft: 16 m * Quay length: 12800 m According to the Global Competitive Report published by the World Economic Forum, Port of Singapore ranked the best port in terms of facilities and received a rating of 6. 76 out of a maximum 7. The adoption of information technology Over the last few years The Port of Singapore has invested heavily in Information Technology which means that processes now are much faster, more reliable and more cost effective for the consumers.Making the most out of the latest automation technology, information technology and wireless communications, the Port of Singapore combined it’s large domain knowledge in container operations with the latest technology such as CITOS(Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System), PORTNET and Flow through Gate Technology. CITOS(Computer Integrated Terminal Operating System) Singapore Port’s massive network and heavy shipping traffic is very efficiently controlled by Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System(CITOS).CITOS is a Resource Planning System that keeps track of every asset from prime movers to yard cranes to quay cranes to containers and drivers. Before CITOS was introduced, resources were allocated to a certain place in the port and they stayed there unless it was needed somewhere else. With CITOS, resources can be much easily coordinated and allocated. 60 different vessels harbour the Singapore Port on a given day. Although a lot of these vessels arrive out of schedule, CITOS make sure that they don’t have to wait in the harbour for a minute.When any shipping line applies fo r a berth, the ship stowage and the shipping connection information is sent to the port through PORTNET . The CITOS system begins planning the berth of the shipping line almost 72 hours prior arrival which means that the system also compute other alternatives in case that the vessel is off schedule. This means that for almost all the vessels that harbour the Port of Singapore, there is almost zero waiting time. (Authority) Once a ship is harboured, the quay cranes operated by the CITOS system start discharging containers destined for other ports and load boxes brought in by other vessels.Once containers are unloaded on the dock, they are not randomly stacked on the yard. The Information about the container is fed into the system and CITOS generates a ship stowage and yard layout plans base on the following factors in order of importance : * Special requirements (e. g. Dangerous goods, tight connections etc) * Destination * Ship stability (for further stowage planning) * Size * Weigh t The CITOS system provides many competitive advantages to the Port of Singapore. It allows the system to keep track and locate every single container on the port.It allows the maximum use of land and optimize efficiency. Last, but not the least, it ensures maximum utilization of each individual resource since it is pre-planned by the system beforehand. PORTNET PORTNET is a network service that provides internet connectivity to the entire port community with a single sign-on network portal. The system provides interconnectivity between vessels, freight forwarders, government agencies and haulers. This helps them to synchronize and manage information much better.PORTNET Singapore has about 8000 users who use the system to get real time, detailed information on all port, logistics and shipping processes and use it to make critical decisions in their business. The main functions of PORTNET Singapore is summarized below: * Enable shipping companies to monitor their own performance * Pro vide a documentation portal between the consumers and the shipping company, * Managing efficiency for transhipment processes of the vessels * Supporting real time information exchanges between shipping line alliances. FLOW THROUGH GATEThe Flow through gate system is a sustainable paper-less system that helps truck drivers to identify the specific containers that is needed to be loaded onto the truck within a span of 20-25 seconds. On average, the system processes about 8000 trucks per day. Before the driver arrives at the dock, he submits a requisition for the containers through the PORTNET system. After the driver arrives at the Port gate, he verifies his identity through a fingerprint biometric reader or by punching in his unique identification number. The gate scan’s the truck’s dashboard and identifies the truck.The Container number Recognition system captures the container number with a close circuit camera. The system then matches these information against the in formation provided during requisition and clears the truck for entry. After the driver enters the port, the system sends a text message to the driver’s mobile phone with the precise information about the location in the dock where the containers would be ready to be stacked onto the truck. Government incentives The Government of Singapore had a major role to play in the boom of the shipping industry in the last 40 years.Singapore has 5 Free Trade Zones to encourage Re-exports of goods from other countries. Under the Free Trade Act goods could be cleaned ,sorted, distributed, repacked, assembled or sold in accordance with the Act. Under the Act, transhipment goods can be stored in Singapore free of charge with very little custom bureaucracies. In 1991 , The Singapore government enacted the Approved International Shipping(AIS) Enterprise incentive under which shipping companies based on Singapore could be exempted from corporate taxes for the initial 10 years and can be renewed even if they don’t own their own vessel.In 2009, the Government of Singapore announced their goal of making Singapore the ‘’global maritime knowledge hub’’ of the world. Since then the government have heavily invested in research and development of Information Technology in the shipping industry and the Port of Singapore. It has introduced the Maritime Cluster Fund which offers financial funds for training ,various research, engineering and innovation under this field. Such HR incentives have definitely smoothened the transition of a lot of shipping companies to Singapore in the last two and a half years.COMPETITION As discussed earlier, the Singapore Strait have grown massive importance in the last few decades. Today, Singapore faces massive competition from the neighbouring ports especially from the port of Tenjung Peepas in Malaysia. In the early 2000, 10 % of the Singapore’s container volume moved to the port in Malaysia owing to the che ap handling charges in the neighbouring country. Statistics shows that, handling charges were about 30-40% lower than Singapore. Many of the neighbouring ports have below-par facilities compared to the Port of Singapore.Hence many of these ports can afford to have much lower handling and receiving charges. Although Singapore have a much better reputation, the comparatively more expensive nature of the Port of Singapore is going to continue to pose a threat to the port in the years to come. COnclusion The Port of Singapore has a great reputation being the trade epicentre of the world and for being one of the best sea port in the world. Although the port has an excellent past reputation, the 21st century will bring about new challenges and competition from neighbouring ports such as Malaysia.The Government of Singapore is doing its best by harnessing advanced Information technology at the Port and providing different government incentives to hold it’s competitive standing. In r esponse, many of the foreign companies such as Clarkson, Swiss Re, Shipowners’ P&I club and Rolls Royce have moved their marine headquarters to Singapore in the last few years. As the supremacy for leading ports unfolds, more shipping companies will be taking government incentives and Information Technology for granted.Today more firms are showing interest in ports which have established legal, financial and logistics sector. It will be interesting to see ho the Port of Singapore respond to these new challenges in the years to come. Appendix Table 2. Containers handled at the PSA terminals (source: PSA annual report 2000) Year| Million TEUs handled| 1989| 4. 36| 1990| 5. 22| 1991| 6. 35| 1992| 7. 55| 1993| 9. 04| 1994| 10. 39| 1995| 11. 84| 1996| 12. 93| 1997| 14. 12| 1998| 15. 1| 1999| 15. 9| Appendix 2: Port Rankings according to the World Economic Forum Table 1.Ranking of ports on port facilities as presented in the global competitiveness report published by the world econ omic forum Rank| Country| Rating for port facilities are extensive and efficient (1 strongly disagree, 7 strongly agree)| 1| Singapore| 6. 76| 2| Netherlands| 6. 64| 3| Canada| 6. 42| 4| Germany| 6. 38| 5| Hong Kong SAR| 6. 38| 6| United States| 6. 27| 7| Finland| 6. 26| 8| Belgium| 6. 17| 9| Denmark| 6. 16| 10| New Zealand| 5. 82| Appendix 3: 14. 1 SEA CARGO AND SHIPPING STATISTICS 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Vessel Arrivals Number 145,383 130,318 128,922 128,568 131,695 130,575 127,299Shipping Tonnage (‘000 GT) 910,180 1,151,791 1,314,990 1,459,221 1,621,065 1,784,669 1,919,408 Total Cargo (‘000 tonnes) 325,591 423,268 448,504 483,616 515,415 472,300 503,342 General 199,577 262,265 281,393 314,917 336,425 280,349 313,683 Bulk 126,014 161,003 167,111 168,699 178,991 191,951 189,659 Total Container Throughput (‘000 TEUs) 17,087 23,192 24,792 27,935 29,918 25,867 28,431 Bunker Sales (‘000 tonnes) 18,651 25,479 28,379 31,546 34,936 36,387 40,853 Singapor e Ship Registry (End of Period) Number 3,335 3,219 3,249 3,553 3,843 3,950 3,978 ‘000 GT 23,043 32,963 34,793 39,603 43,702 45,632 48,783Works Cited Authority, Port of Singapore. www. singaporepsa. com. Gupta, Sen. The Malacca Straits and the Indian Ocean: A Study of the Strategic and Legal Aspects of a Controversial Sea-lane. New Delhi, 1974. Olson, Hal F. â€Å"â€Å"Tanker traffic and shipping routes†. † n. d. â€Å"Port of Singapore Annual Reports. † Port of Singapore, 1970-2010. Sie, Chia Lin. â€Å"â€Å"The Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Navigational, Resources, and Environmental Considerations†. † Southeast Asian Seas: Frontiers for Development, 1981. Statistics, Singapore Department of. â€Å"†Yearbook of Statistics? .† 2011.

Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion

Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F... Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F...

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Essays

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Essays The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Paper The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Paper In the short story â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† Granny Weatherall’s stubbornness is reflected in the way she views people’s actions and in her obviously senile thinking process. Whether consciously or subconsciously, she regards most of the attempts to aid her or please her as either threatening or rude. This is derived from her stubborn attitude towards death and illness. She views herself as being near immortal until the very end. Her first misconception of someone trying to help her is shown in the very beginning of the story. When the doctor tries to check her pulse and give her a routine check-up, Granny Weatherall â€Å"flicked her wrist out of Doctor Harry’s†¦ fingers. † This is followed by her considering him to be a â€Å"brat† who needs to â€Å"respect [his] elders. † The doctor then tells her not to get out of bed. She responds by telling him to â€Å"get along and doctor your sick†¦ Leave a well woman alone. † This reaction to the doctor’s check-up show’s that Granny is very confident that nothing is wrong with her. Whether this is her senile mind taking over or if she really believes that she is fine, there is some part of her that doesn’t want to let go of life. After the doctor walks out, Granny Weatherall hears her daughter, Cornelia, and the doctor whispering outside her door. Cornelia clearly sounds worried about her mother’s fading health, but Granny sees the whispering as being rude. When Cornelia comes into Granny’s room to check on her and see if she needs anything, Granny’s face tied up â€Å"in hard knots† and Granny says â€Å"I want a lot of things. First off, go away and don’t whisper. † Again, a simple act of generosity is viewed by Granny Weatherall as a rude act. Her stubborn attitude in this segment seems to be suggesting that she really believes that she does not need any help with anything. Even when she falls asleep, she hopes â€Å"the children would keep out and let her rest. † During her sleep, â€Å"she found death in her mind and found it clammy and unfamiliar. † Then Granny goes on to think, â€Å"Let [death] take care of itself. † This suggests that Granny likes to push death to the side and think about other things. Even when Granny Weatherall needs help, she finds a way to make others look rude for not knowing she wanted something. Granny asks Cornelia for a â€Å"noggin of hot toddy. Cornelia asks if Granny was cold, and Granny replies, â€Å"I’m chilly†¦ Lying in bed stops my circulation. I must have told you a thousand times. † After this, Granny Weatherall hears Cornelia asking her husband to entertain Granny. She thinks, â€Å"Wait, wait, Cornelia, till your children whisper behind y our back! † Finally, soon after this, Granny feels the effect of death on her. She realizes this and wants to â€Å"stand up to it. † Cornelia brings her to her senses by washing her forehead with cold water. Granny naturally sees this as being rude because she â€Å"[does not] like having her face washed in cold water. A priest comes to give her final rights, but his words break off right before he’s about to explain what’s happening because Granny won’t accept her end. The moment of Granny Weatherall’s death, while Cornelia is crying over her mother, Granny says her final words, â€Å"I’m not going, Cornelia. I’m taken by surprise. I can’t go. † This shows that Granny, truly, consciously and unconsciously, stubbornly denied her weakness and completely forced the thought of death from her mind. Even when she â€Å"accepted† her death, she still couldn’t really accept her death.

Hdf 211 Essay Example

Hdf 211 Essay Example Hdf 211 Essay Hdf 211 Essay What are the (four) goals of science/theories? How do each of these goals contribute to our knowledge in reference to human development? What do continuous/discontinuous and quantitative/qualitative changes in development refer to and how do these two terms differ from one another? What are the three domains of development and what does each refer to? What is the nature-nurture debate about? What would someone believe if they argued that nature (or nurture) were more important influences on development? What are the key principles of the (Baltes’) lifespan approach? What does each of these principles mean? 2. What is imprinting? What are critical and sensitive periods (what was the point of the video clip! )? What does the terms plasticity mean in reference to development? What is the difference between normative and nonnormative influences on development and what is an example of each? Be able to define normative age-graded and normative history-graded influences. What is a cohort and how could cohort effects influence development? 3. What do genotype-environment interactions suggest? What are passive, evocative, and active genotype-environment interactions (these are also listed on pp. 2-73 in the text)? Why might active genotype-environment interactions become more common during adolescence than during early childhood? Why might siblings raised in the same family be different? What is an example of a non-shared environment? 4. What is a theory? On what fundamental issues to most theories differ (three were mentioned in class)? Who were the ma in theorists (what were their names) behind each major theory presented in class and the text? Be sure to know the main ideas associated with each theory and be able to name stages, but not necessarily the details of Erikson at this point, we get at those throughout. Be able to recognize the stages of Freud and Piaget. What is the information processing approach and what is the key concern of this theory? What is developmental cognitive neuroscience? What are ethology and evolutionary psychology (the text call this evolutionary developmental psychology)? What is the difference between behaviorism and social learning theories? You may skip Vygotsky (not on the test). And you should know each of the levels of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory and how this theory is usually applied. 5. What is the difference between an idiographic and a nomothetic explanation? How does sampling relate to the generalizability (our ability to generalize results) or research results? What are the common research methods presented in your text? What are the basic research designs? What do correlational studies tell us? What kind of research design is necessary for researchers to draw conclusions regarding cause and effect? What is random assignment and what role does it play in experimental research designs? What is the difference between longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each versus each other? Chapter 3 4 1. What are the stages of childbirth and what happens during each stage? Under what conditions are cesarean deliveries typically performed? What is the average length and weight of a newborn? What is the Apgar scale? What is considered a â€Å"good† score for these scales? What are the typical activities that women participate in who want to have a natural childbirth? What is an epidural analgesia and when is it used? How does it work? What are the concerns about negative outcomes for the newborn when mother’s have an epidural? 2. What is the definition of for referring to a baby as â€Å"premature†? How many US babies are born underweight? What factors are related to an increased likelihood of a woman having a low birth weight baby? What concerns are there for the health and development of low birth weight babies? What treatments are used to reduce problems for these babies? 3. What is the infant mortality rate in the U. S.? How does this rate compare to other countries? What factors increase the likelihood of infant mortality? What does SIDS refer to? What should new parents know (or do) to reduce the odds of SIDS? 4. What are the health advantages of breastfeeding (both dietary and generally)? What might some social or emotional advantages be? What are the main advantages to bottle-feeding? What are some reasons why mothers do not breastfeed? What role does maternal employment play in breastfeeding duration? Is co-sleeping with infants more common in the U. S. or other countries? What are some concerns about co-sleeping? Why are these concerns less of an issue in developing countries? 5. What are the typical primitive reflexes that are present in newborns? What are postural and locomotor reflexes? What are the rooting, tonic neck, palmar grasp, stepping, and moro reflex? What is the point of babies being born with these reflexes? 6. What are some typical neurophysiological methods to sudy brain functioning? What is lateralization in the brain? What is the cerebral cortex? What are the functions of the left and right hemispheres in the brain? What are neurons, synapse, synaptic pruning, and neurotransmitters? What is the process of myelination? 7. What is classical conditioning? What is operant conditioning? What is habituation and recovery? How is habituation used to study infant memory and knowledge? 8. At what age can most infants support their own heads? Sit alone? Stand alone? Walk alone? Crawl? Grasp a large object (like a rattle) using ulnar grasp? Pass an object from hand to hand? Use the pincer grasp to hold small objects the size of a cheerio or a pea? How many hours on average per day will a neonate sleep (from notes or add the two from chart in the text)? What are the differences in infant smiling at ages 1 month, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 to 8 months? Chapter 5 1. Which of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development corresponds to infancy? How do babies think during this stage? What are primary, secondary, and tertiary circular reactions? What do the terms adaptation, assimilation, and accommodation refer to? What is organization? What are mental representations? What is object permanence and how is it related to Piaget’s theory? What does more recent research suggest about Piaget’s ideas regarding children’s development of object permanence? What does research on violation-of-expectations suggest about infants abilities to think and reason? 2. What approach does the behaviorist approach take towards understanding how babies learn and remember? What are operant conditioning and classical conditioning? note I discuss these in class during Ch. 5, they appear in Ch. 4 of the text) 3. According to the information processing approach (p. 161) what are the major advances in cognition in early development? What are working, short-term, and long-term memory? What is the central execituve? What are the key changes in attention, memory and categorization? 4. How can early interventions (Carolina Abcedarian Project, Head Start) benefit cognitive devevelopment in early childhood? What percentage of mothers with children under the age of 2 work outside of the home? . How do the behaviorist and nativist perspectives on language development differ? At what age do children say their first word? What are the characteristics of early speech? What are overextension and underextension of words/meanings? What evidence regarding nativist perspective on language development did the video on deaf children in Nicaragua provide? When do infants start imitating language sounds? When do babies learn language sounds in their parents’ native language? According to the video in class, at what age can babies learn to sign?

Ethical Banking in UK Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Ethical Banking in UK - Research Proposal Example This is interesting because the financial sector as a whole is reported to be reeling from the aftereffects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US, the continued depreciation of the US dollar and rising global inflation. In fact, major banks and financial institutions around the world were reported to have suffered losses reaching $435 billion in July 2008, with many banks experiencing severe liquidity problems. Is it possible that ethical banking shields its practitioners from negative external factors We aim to find out the answer to this question. Business ethics in general is the application of moral principles in the making of business decisions (Rushton, 2002)), such that it places a premium on social responsibility. This responsibility represents the positive actions or responses that a company takes to fulfill its responsibilities towards its stakeholders, to the environment and to society as a whole. In the view of some economists, however, there is one and only social responsibility of business: to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. Thus, when firms experience resource shortages as to threaten their very existence, they attack this problem by cheating on their social responsibility. ... That way, the firms give the false impression that they comply with the rules. To address internal resource shortages, such as inadequate capacity and expertise, they overestimate costs, falsify training records, pay excessive compensation and give undeserved promotions. To address external shortages, such as lack of raw materials, they arrange unethical deals with suppliers or service providers. These activities are taboo to ethical banks. 2. Aim & Objectives2.1 Aim Examine how the operations of ethical banks in UK differ from those of their counterparts in the conventional banking sector to see if the former thrive because of ethical banking or in spite of it. 2.2 Objectives (1) Measure the performance of ethical banks in economic terms to see if it is a feasible or reasonable line of business. (2) Observe how ethical banks compete with conventional banks in terms of profitability, size of clients and quality of service. (3) Discover the reasons that made the owners of ethical banks decide to go into this line of banking. Business ethics in general is the application of moral principles in the making of business decisions (Rushton, 2002)), such that it places a premium on social responsibility. This responsibility represents the positive actions or responses that a company takes to fulfill its responsibilities towards its stakeholders, to the environment and to society as a whole. In the view of some economists, however, there is one and only social responsibility of business: to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. Thus, when firms experience resource shortages

Walt Disney World.Demand For Euro Disney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Walt Disney World.Demand For Euro Disney - Essay Example Unfortunately, there are no pictures here of the parks' buildings or landscape due to the fact that the Walt Disney Company has copyrighted many of the buildings and structures, so that even a tourist guide like The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (Sehlinger, 1994) contains no photographs. In his discussion of the Disney parks, Sorkin turns these restrictions into parody by printing a photograph of the sky above Disney World to which the following inscription is added: This is the sky above Disney World, which here substitutes for an image of the place itself. Disney World is the first copyrighted urban environment in history, a Forbidden City for postmodernity. Renowned for its litigiousness, the Walt Disney Company will permit no photograph of its property without prior approval of its use. Is there a better illustration of the contraction of the space of freedom represented by places like Disney World than the innocent sky (Sorkin, 1992:207) All the Disney theme parks are united by a common approach which distinguishes them from conventional amusement parks. The share prospectus for Euro Disneyland provides a good account of their thinking and this forms a useful backcloth to the discussion that follows: Rather than presenting a random collection of roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and Ferris wheels in a carnival atmosphere, these parks are divided into distinct areas called 'lands' in which a selected theme (such as exotic adventures, childhood fairy tales or the frontier life of the nineteenth century American West) is presented through architecture, landscaping, costuming, music, live entertainment, attractions, merchandise and food and beverage. Within a particular land, intrusions and distractions from the theme are minimized so that the visitor becomes immersed in its atmosphere.... Restaurants and retail stores at Disney theme parks are designed to entertain guests and support the theme. Disneyland Disneyland is situated outside Anaheim, a town to the south of Los Angeles. It is built on a 160-acre orange grove which Walt bought following a feasibility study by the Stanford Research Institute which had been hired to find a suitable site. It is said that Walt's original notion was for a small playground across the road from the studio, but as the vision grew this idea was eliminated. Schickel (1986) notes that Walt sent some of his staff to examine ideas which could be seen at existing amusement parks and to find manufacturers. Apparently, these informants felt that his idea of having a park without a roller coaster or a Ferris wheel or barkers was absurd. Nor were they impressed with his notions of not having outdoor hot dog stands or the sale of beer (he disliked the smells they created). But the exclusion of these symbols of the amusement fair may have been a deliberate strategy of product differentiation, whereby he could establish the distinctiveness of his enterprise and i ts market niche. Roller coasters were added in later years as visitors made it clear that they wanted more exciting fare, but the heavy theming of these rides disassociates them from traditional roller coaster rides. Disneyland opened on 17 July 1955 at a cost of $17 million. One problem with describing a park which has been in existence for 40 years is that it has changed greatly over the intervening period. Many of these changes are summarized in Bright (1987). When it opened there were 26

Answer the questions on the paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Answer the questions on the paper - Essay Example Depreciation 2,500 Acquisition 13,000 Depreciation 2,500       Balance c/d(balance sheet) 20,000    25,000    25,000             Provision for depreciation Details Ant($) Details Ant($)       Motor Van a/c 2,500 Balance c/d 5,000 P & L 2,500    5,000    5,000             Rent Expenses Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash a/c 15,000       Prepaid rent 5,000 P & L 20,000    20,000    20,000             Prepaid Rent Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Bal. b/d 5,000 Rent expenses 5,000                5,000    5,000                         Rate expenses Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Prepaid exp. 300       Cash 975 P & L 1,300    1,300    1,300             Prepaid Rate Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Balance e B/F 300 Rate expenses 300 Cash 325 Bal. c/d(balance sheet) 325    625    625             Motor Van Expenses Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash 16,200 Bal c/d 16,200    16,200    16,200                         Wages Expense Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash a/c 36,070       Accrual wage 860 P & L 36,930    36,930    36,930                                     Accrued wages account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash a/c 630 Bal. b/d 630 Bal. c/d(balance sheet) 860 Wages Exp. 860    1,490    1,490             Accounts Payables Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash a/c 71,000 Bal. b/d 22,000 Bal. c/d (Bal. ... t Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash 690 Balance B/F 620 Suspense a/c 70    690    690                                     Electricity Expense Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash 1,130 P & L 1,130    1,130    1,130                                                             Operating Expenses Account(delivery Van) Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Cash a/c 16,200 P & L 16,200                         Suspense Account Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Electricity Accrued 70 Bal c/d 70    70    70             Purchases a/c Details Ant($) Details Ant($) Bal. b/d 65,000       Cash 8,000 Sales(Cash) 25,000 Creditor 67,000 Sales(Credit) 89,000       Bal c/d(bal. sheet) 26,000    140,000    140,000 Calculation of depreciation (ANTLE, & GARSTKA, 2004).   T & T Co. COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT FOR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31,DECEMBER 2012 $ $ Sale (Cash) 54,000 Sale (Cred it) 179,000 Total Sales Revenue 233,000 Less COG (114,000) Gross Profit 119,000 Operating Expenses Van Running Exp. 16,200.00 Rates 1,300.00 Electricity & Wages 38,060.00 Rent 20,000.00 (75,560) Net Profit before taxation 43,440 Taxation (8,688) Net Profit after taxation 34,752 T & T Co. COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT FOR FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31,DECEMBER 2012 $ $ $ PRESENTED BY: NON CURRENT ASSETS Motor Van: Cost 25,000 : Depreciation (5,000) 20,000 CURRENT ASSETS Inventories 26,000 Trade Receivable 20,600 Prepaid Expenses 325 Cash/Bank 49,730 96,655 LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade payable 18,000 Accrued Expenses 860 (18,860) 77,795 97,795 FINANCED BY: Original Capital 50,000 Profit b/d Add profit for the year Less Drawings 26,900 Unrealized profit 34,752 (20,000) 6,143 97,795 RATION ANALYSIS FOR MAGIC ENTERPRISES PLC Name 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012   Current Ratio               Interest Coverage Ratio      

Paraphrasing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paraphrasing Practice - Essay Example a woman who is not physically and psychologically ready to have a child would lead to many complications that may be hazardous to human community as well, because a child who is not needed/accepted by his mother/parents can pose more threat to the world than a fetus that is medically removed before it becomes a living organism/individual. a. My understanding of the statements of friend changed drastically after I used active listening. At first, I was prejudiced against his view and thought that he was arguing for free sex, without taking into account the serious problems that it would create. However, once I slowed down to paraphrase his statements, I began to see how I misinterpreted some of his views, and could have argued against those in an infuriated state of mind. He got sufficient time to explain his point of view clearly because I held my views until his argument, my paraphrasing, and his corrections/approval of how I comprehended them. I came to know that he had formed a perception regarding the topic on the basis of careful observation, and not on impulse. He did not want to promote irresponsible man-woman relationships, but was adamant that one has to take into account the present state of affairs when discussing a serious issue that dealt with it. I understood his points of view regarding the situations where a woman gets pregnant our of rape or incest, and the cases where a pregnant woman is not mature enough to deal with becoming a mother, or where the failure of contraceptive measures fail even among married couples who have decided that their family is complete. If I had voiced my views vehemently without trying to understand his point of view, we would just have argued for a long time with no use at all, as if speaking in entirely different languages. b. The wide gap that existed among the views of my friend and me narrowed to a great extent as a result of active listening. Both of us took quality time to pause, understand the other’s

An analysis of ethics in the 21st Century Research Paper

An analysis of ethics in the 21st Century - Research Paper Example Types of ethics will give us information about how ethics are related with various folds of our life. Amongst the type of ethics we will discuss in brief about Business Ethics in our report. This discussion would include details of business ethics as in what business ethics are, how they affect business and limitations of business ethics. After getting information of business ethics we will discuss about ethics in 21st century and finally moving on with the conclusion of report about what we have discussed in the report. Ethics may be defined as the philosophical study of behavior that is considered as correct amongst a particular profession or group. Ethics are also termed as Moral Philosophy. It is the discipline or study guiding about what is morally correct and what not. Ethics and values are essential for the development of every society, state, region or country. Today the world around us is changing with a fast pace thus creating uncertainty in lives. This may be due to cut throat competition and globalization. Thus ethics may serve as a guidance laying principles of conduct which is considered as morally correct. The universal values for natural environment, health and safety, human rights, equality of men and women and principles of human conduct all comes under study of Ethics. It is a broad term covering almost all the spheres of life laying principles for fair behavior (Singer 2011). Business Ethics is about responsibly doing the business. It means that the businessmen must keep away from indulging in unfair trade practices like publish misleading advertisements, adulteration, black marketing etc. The businessmen should supply quality products to their consumers at reasonable prices all the time. There should be no unfair competition and monopolies. Workers exploitation should not be there and they must get proper wages with good working condition. Business Ethics can be divided into two parts

Research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research methods - Essay Example For instance, no two elderly Pakistani males are alike, neither are two young English females, and such is a situation among the appearing academic intellectuals of today. Therefore, an open-minded social scientist (especially sociology student) might find it important to find out why some people are more likely to reach educational success than others. This is the question posed within the context of this research proposal, and research hypotheses can be taken from the review of related writings created by competent social scientists, who have dealt a lot with social class stratification. For social scientists this issue is extremely important within the general frames of describing social stratification and inequality based on person’s origin. Several researches, conducted in different time periods can be a good basis for changes in social and immigration policies and might satisfy scientific interest of researchers. A number of sociologists wrote on their ideas about the reasons for different academic success in the society, where higher education is widely available. Their concepts imply that individuals may have experienced contradictory influences toward academic success in part because of their race or socio-economic condition. â€Å"The different variables, in turn, can be shown to affect the level of academic success some persons achieve. The ethnicity of an individual is believed by many to have a strong correlation with the level of academic success achieved by that particular ethnic group† (Murphy, 1986, p.501). Furthermore, many people belonging to the same race live in the same areas. For instance, refugees or immigrants from the Muslim world tend to concentrate in certain urban and rural settings that have comparatively low socio-economic status, which may be associated with the lower levels of educational success achieved in this area, among

Paraphrasing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paraphrasing Practice - Essay Example a woman who is not physically and psychologically ready to have a child would lead to many complications that may be hazardous to human community as well, because a child who is not needed/accepted by his mother/parents can pose more threat to the world than a fetus that is medically removed before it becomes a living organism/individual. a. My understanding of the statements of friend changed drastically after I used active listening. At first, I was prejudiced against his view and thought that he was arguing for free sex, without taking into account the serious problems that it would create. However, once I slowed down to paraphrase his statements, I began to see how I misinterpreted some of his views, and could have argued against those in an infuriated state of mind. He got sufficient time to explain his point of view clearly because I held my views until his argument, my paraphrasing, and his corrections/approval of how I comprehended them. I came to know that he had formed a perception regarding the topic on the basis of careful observation, and not on impulse. He did not want to promote irresponsible man-woman relationships, but was adamant that one has to take into account the present state of affairs when discussing a serious issue that dealt with it. I understood his points of view regarding the situations where a woman gets pregnant our of rape or incest, and the cases where a pregnant woman is not mature enough to deal with becoming a mother, or where the failure of contraceptive measures fail even among married couples who have decided that their family is complete. If I had voiced my views vehemently without trying to understand his point of view, we would just have argued for a long time with no use at all, as if speaking in entirely different languages. b. The wide gap that existed among the views of my friend and me narrowed to a great extent as a result of active listening. Both of us took quality time to pause, understand the other’s

Research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research methods - Essay Example For instance, no two elderly Pakistani males are alike, neither are two young English females, and such is a situation among the appearing academic intellectuals of today. Therefore, an open-minded social scientist (especially sociology student) might find it important to find out why some people are more likely to reach educational success than others. This is the question posed within the context of this research proposal, and research hypotheses can be taken from the review of related writings created by competent social scientists, who have dealt a lot with social class stratification. For social scientists this issue is extremely important within the general frames of describing social stratification and inequality based on person’s origin. Several researches, conducted in different time periods can be a good basis for changes in social and immigration policies and might satisfy scientific interest of researchers. A number of sociologists wrote on their ideas about the reasons for different academic success in the society, where higher education is widely available. Their concepts imply that individuals may have experienced contradictory influences toward academic success in part because of their race or socio-economic condition. â€Å"The different variables, in turn, can be shown to affect the level of academic success some persons achieve. The ethnicity of an individual is believed by many to have a strong correlation with the level of academic success achieved by that particular ethnic group† (Murphy, 1986, p.501). Furthermore, many people belonging to the same race live in the same areas. For instance, refugees or immigrants from the Muslim world tend to concentrate in certain urban and rural settings that have comparatively low socio-economic status, which may be associated with the lower levels of educational success achieved in this area, among

Compare and contrast between public and private education Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast between public and private education Essay Since 1983 public education has been an issue in America. The system has been constantly changing every year with reforms. This constant change has been driven by the American people’s perception that education has declined and something should be done about it. First there was an increased emphasis on basic skills, making school years longer and more graduation requirements. Second, many began focusing on increasing teachers professionalism. Third, they began restructuring many things such as how the schools were organized and how the school day was structured etc. Now today the most of the American people believe that not enough money is given to public schooling. They associate academic improvement with the money the school is funded. But I believe otherwise. Spending more on education will not improve academic success but diverse teaching methods will. Public education funding is at an all time high in America. There is no problem with the funding for schools. There is more of a problem on how the money is distributed. To truly understand the problems of education in America,The United States prides itself on its public education system making it a core value of many families. The level of education a person has will influence their career achievements. Americans expect their public system of education to provide a solid curriculum. Most of the people in the United States place their trust in the public school system in which they support through taxes. This trust although is contradicted by the public system of education’s current shape. Much of the schools in the United States are either deteriorating, or failing all together. The drawbacks of public education create an unhealthy environment for student learning. Many people think public school can dip their hands into the public treasury for funding if they are ever in need of money; however many schools do not qualify to get these funds. â€Å"The disparate funding for public schools and between states and within metropolitan areas has turned some public schools into meccas for affluent students and others into decaying infrastructures with overcrowded classrooms and soaring drop-out rates† (

Friedrich Froebels Theory and Ideas on Play

Friedrich Froebels Theory and Ideas on Play Discuss Froebels ideas about Play, and the Environments and Resources which support childrens development. Reflect on the Value of Froebels ideas today. Illustrate your answer with examples from your childhood and any observations you have of children at home or in an early years settings. Introduction Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) was a German educator most famous for his insight into the importance of the early years of a childs life to their development and later life. Furthermore he also considered that the effect of early life extended beyond the educational achievement into health and society at large. Froebel created kindergartens (childrens gardens) as he perceived a childs growth to be like a plant growing and thriving where the right conditions exist. Within the kindergartens he utilised his principles and practices, including experience of out of doors activities, as an important part of the educational practice. He developed a series of gifts which are designed to be a gift in two senses: firstly in the sense of being given to the child as a gift and secondly as a gift of development. The gifts, which are learning tools, were planned to be age relevant and to encourage development and self-actualisation in the child (Provenzo, 2009) p88-89). The kindergarten and Froebels approach have had a massive impact on early learning and still has relevance today. Froebels influence in the present day The early years of life are vital to the overall development of a child. During this time the emotional parameters are learned together with ways to interact with others and learning through experiences (Sroufe, 1997 p.1-8). In order to maximise the benefit of this time correct stimulation and provision of tools/toys that will enable the child to explore and learn about themselves and the world around them are necessary. Froebel specifically devised his principles for ages 1-7. The Froebel approach involves the principles, pedagogy and environment. The principles take a holistic view of the individual childs progress and recognises their uniqueness, capacity and potential. In addition play is seen to be fundamental and important in the childs development. Part of the learning includes understanding, and working with, the place of humankind in the natural world. Finally the principles recognise the integrity of childhood and of the child as part of a family and of the community (Hermann, 1926 p.201-205). The pedagogy involves having knowledgeable and appropriately qualified professionals to provide skilled informed observation of the children and provide appropriate guidance and teaching. Key to the process of teaching is that is must reach the imaginative, creative, symbolic, linguistic, mathematical, musical, aesthetic, scientific, physical, social, moral, cultural and spiritual aspects of the child. This clearly shows how wide a range of stimulation is required. The childs development is not just the responsibility of the teachers and it is important that the parents/guardians of the child and their educators work harmoniously together to maintain a consistent approach. Play is central to the process and there needs to be a sense of purpose for the child in that play together with an understanding that the child must be viewed holistically as a thinking, feeling person. Encouragement is used rather than punishment to help the child to expand their self-confidence and autonomy. Play can also be used to help the child learn to be able work alone and also with others (Willinsky, 1990 p154-5) . The environment in which the child is placed will also have an important role in their development. Whilst the environment needs to be safe it must also encourage curiosity, stimulation and challenge. Indoor and outdoor activities widen the possible areas of learning and vary the environment providing interest and variety. Froebal also saw working in an environment that is integral to the community to be important in helping the child to be both independent and interdependent and to understand individuality and community and responsibility and freedom. These basic ideals were set out originally by Froebel in his 1826 book The Education of Man. He viewed his own childhood with limited parental attention and remembered his loneliness and using this as his starting point he developed his ideals. He also drew on the knowledge of previous educators when developing his own system of education (Polito, 1996)(p. 161-173). This point may well need to be revisited now with the advent of computers and television programmes specifically aimed at young children. Research needs to be aimed at determining the effects of lack of face to face attention from parents and other adults at home and learning being handed over to mechanical means. There would appear to be correlations between Froebals situation and that of many children today. Lack of interaction with other children and a range of adults limits the possible range of learning situations and may create problems with social interaction later in life although research into this area needs to be conducted to fully understand the effects. Having only the TV or computer for entertainment will also serious limit the childs imagination through lack of personal interaction and physically being involved in the play. This may affect motor skills too through lack of use and a reduced range of movement. In my own childhood I was always encouraged to use inventive play and would create theatre sets with my friends and we would perform little puppet shows for our parents. This type of play involved a variety of concepts; craft work to create the sets, linguistic skills to write the plays, integrated play by playing with others and dexterity to use puppets. Froebels methods are still valid today and can provide children with a wide range of experiences and instil in them curiosity and interest that can be built upon throughout life. Despite how long ago these principles were first developed they are still fully appropriate today perhaps because they relate to the core aspects of development leaving room for the method to be varied as necessary. The gifts such as gift 2 (a set of 3 blocks one square, one sphere and one cylinder) can be moved together with rods and strings to provide multiple possibilities for interactions. These forms introduce the child to geometry and also allow for free expression within individual play. Gift 2 was a form that so embodied Froebals insights that it was used to create a granite construction over his grave (Froebal webn.d.) [online]. There are many toys available today that have similar possibilities and it is important that children are both allowed to play alone with these items but also that parents share play with them too to help with integrated play. One of the key elements within Froebels thinking was the interaction with nature and the natural world. I remember when I was young that at school we had a wild garden at the rear of the playground and we had classes sitting in that area learning about plants and how they grew taking inspiration from what was growing around us. In current settings some schools are able to encourage children in their own school gardens. Whilst this is not appropriate for very small children their interest and excitement about the outside world can be begun by allowing them to play outside and introducing them to flora and fauna such as watching spring bulbs coming up. Many parents may also need assistance in this area as they have not had these experiences themselves and thus have difficulty in helping their children to develop in this way (Taylor, 2004 p.163-178) . It is, therefore, important that children have access to a variety of environments in order to have the opportunity to understand and learn about different settings. Froebal identified that children will have their own individual thoughts and understanding of the things around them and by interaction and role play develop their knowledge further. (Puckett, 2004 p. 45-6) . He described play as the work of children (Miller, 2009)(p.46-50). The current economic situation may have an impact on the money available to parents. However, children are able to benefit from fewer more appropriate ready-made toys and the freedom to become inventive and create their own entertainment. Children will, for instance, often be more interested in the box something comes in and convert the box into a car or tank or dolls house. Such creative play will expand the childs abilities in many different areas (Robson, 2006 p. 39-55) f. The Government scheme Every Child Matters recognises the importance of the early years of life and sets out a range of proposals to support children, parents and all those involved in the care and education of children (H.M. Government, 2003). Through this provision there is a wide range of information and guidance available that can assist in providing good, safe environments and appropriate resources to facilitate learning. This includes such resources as Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review (available as a free download) produced by the Government which contains a wealth of evidence based information to assist in all areas of child development (Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Family, 2009) Conclusion Froebels vision was clear and detailed and still is equally valid today. The way in which it is expressed may have developed further from the original but the basic principles still hold true. The early years are vital to the overall development of a child so it is very important to provide the best environment and resources to facilitate learning. Most children will need to be able to continue with life-long learning to deal with the challenges presented in adult life so stimulating them early on to enjoy learning and creativity prepares them for their futures. Parents, carers and educators need to be working together in order to provide the best environment and resources for children and give them the very best start in life possible. Bibliography Froebel web. (n.d.). Second Gift. Retrieved March 13th, 2012, from Froebel Web an online resource: http://www.froebelweb.org/gifts/second.html H.M. Government. (2003). Every Child Matters. London: Government. Hermann, M. (1926, April). Froebels Kindergarten and What It Means. The Irish Monthly, 54(634), 201-209. Puckett, M. B. (2004). Teaching Young Children An introduction to the early childhood profession. Canada: Delmar Learning. Robson, S. (2006). Developing thinking and understanding in young children. Oxford: Routledge. Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Family. (2009). Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review. London: H.M. Government. Sroufe, L. A. (1997). Emotional Development : The Organization of Emotional Life in the Early Years. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Taylor, L. C. (2004). Academic Socialization: Understanding Parental Influences on Childrens School-Related Development in the Early Years. Review of General Psychology, 8(3), 163–178. Willinsky, J. R. (1990). The Educational Legacy of Romanticism. Ontario: Wilfred Laurier University Press.