What is Economics Essay - 652 Words

Many people think that economics is about money. Well, to some extent this is true. Economics has a lot to do with money: with how much money people are paid; how much they spend: what it costs to buy various items; how much money firms earn; how much money there is in total in the economy. But despite the large number of areas in which our lives are concerned with money, economics is more than just the study of money. It is concerned with:  · The production of goods and services: how much the economy produces; what particular combination of goods and services; how much each firm produces; what techniques of production they use; how many people they employ.  · The consumption of goods and services: how much the population as a†¦show more content†¦There are three types of resources:  · Human resources: labour The labour force is limited both in number and in skills.  · Natural resources: land and raw materials The world’s land area is limited, as are its raw materials.  · Manufactures resources: capital All inputs into production that have themselves been produced: e.g. factories, machines and tools. One must bear in mind that our wants are virtually unlimited, while the resources available to satisfy these wants are limited. In other words when society demands more of a product than can actually be produced to fulfil those wants we have a problem of scarcity. An example of this would be the OPEC oil price shocks between 1973 and 1980. Yes, it is true that the price of oil rose and some individuals used substitutes but the economies of oil importing countries like Germany and Japan fell because OPEC now had more buying power since they had the control over a scarce resource. We can therefore think of oil as having become scarcer in economic terms when its price rose. Earlier I stated that economics is concerned with consumption and production. We can look at it in the terms of demand and supply. It is simply the quantity of a good buyers wish to purchase at each conceivable price. Three factors determine demand:  · Desire  · Willingness to pay  · Ability to pay Whilst supply is the quantity of good sellers wish to sell at each conceivable price. Supply isShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Economic Crisis?1474 Words   |  6 PagesThe repercussions of the economic crisis are not going to disappear in the short What is economic crisis? * An economic crisis is A situation in which the economy of a country or countries experiences a sudden downturn brought on by a financial crisis. A financial crisis is a situation when money demand quickly rises relative to money supply. Until a few decades ago, a financial crisis was equivalent to a banking crisis. Today it may also take the form of a currency crisis. Many economists haveRead MoreWhat Is Economic Freedom?1509 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is economic freedom? In fact, what freedom really means, at its core? In words of Wayne Dyer, â€Å"Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery† and according to Franklin Delano Roosevelt â€Å"True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Combine the sayings of these two great men and we get the true essence of what it really means to have economic freedom. In more technical terms, for an individual to haveRead Mo reWhat Is Economic Globalization? Essay1468 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is economic globalization? I. Introduction Globalization is the demonstration or procedure of globalizing. It is kind of the improvement of an inexorably incorporated worldwide economy stamped particularly by unhindered commerce, free stream of capital, and the tapping of less expensive remote work markets.Accoding to the study, Stiglitz (2000) claims that globalization depicting as a dynamic process that join the economy of a nations with the world economy through monetary and non-financialRead MoreWhat Is Economic System4361 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿Table of Content Table of Content 1 TASK 1 2 a) Explanation on economics system attempt to allocate resources effectively. 2 b) Assessment on the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business organisation and their activities. 9 c) Explain Malaysian competition policy and other regulation that may impact company. 15 TASK 2 17 a) Explanation on how market structures determine pricing and output decision of business. 17 b) Illustration on the way in which market forces shape organisational responsesRead MoreWhat Makes A Coffee Economics?932 Words   |  4 Pages As far as I was concerned, my daily Starbucks was merely getting me through the day. However, recent analysis has opened my eyes. It’s taught me that my role as an agent to development is more influential than I originally anticipated. Coffee Economics It is impossible to overestimate coffee’s global importance. Valued at over $100 billion, it is the second most sought-after commodity. Ponte, an expert on the coffee-trade, maintains that over two billion cups are consumed daily. The majorityRead MoreWhat Does Sandel View Economics?1212 Words   |  5 Pagesunfolded in the last three decades was not an increase in greed. It was the expansion of markets, and of market values, into spheres of life where they don’t belong. (4) Analytically, does Sandel view economics as a form of discipline with no connection to mortality or as an inequality of economics as the root of the problems? And is the knowledge of moral value overshadowed by the eyes of the moral wealth? Moments in Sandel s view of the opinionated fact findings, presents an advanced charged vocabularyRead MoreWhat Are The Impact On The Economic Panorama Of The US?1147 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the main indicators of the economic panorama of The US It is the several mass dismissals, defined as the several instances where companies dismiss at least 50 workers. Massive layoffs combine closely with the business cycle. These brief highs and lows show the adjustment of firms to large single shocks and, in general, are not considered indicators of a systemic increase in unemployment or an indication of a general economic slowdown. However, a potentially more persistent peak occurred inRead MoreWhat Are The Four Functions Of An Economic System1942 Word s   |  8 PagesSimilarities and Differences PART ONE: Describe the four functions of an economic system. The four functions of an economic system is what to produce, how much to produce, how to produce, and to whom to distribute. What to produce is determined merely by the idea of consumer sovereignty, where in a market working economy, resources are distributed to satisfy most wants. This question is answered by government policy in a planned economic system. How much to produce is determined by consumer demand, whereRead MoreWhat Is The Economic Expansion Of The Us Economy861 Words   |  4 Pagesevidenced by several factors including the real gross domestic product rising and continuing to rise toward the natural level of output. As the United States approaches a decade since the last recession, there are a number of signs that suggest this economic growth is not sustainable. The United States government is incurring large deficits each year, leading to a continually increasing debt level. While there have been times in U.S. history when debt and deficit levels have been high, th e currentRead MoreWhat Does Economics Condition Means?2429 Words   |  10 Pagescooperation in every possible way during the project work. With Regards, Kamal Krishna Saharia Introduction A survey was conduct to know the economic condition of the people living around the Tezpur University Campus before its establishment and after its establishment. What does Economics Condition means? Economic conditions can be considered the economic characteristics that describe the state of an economy. Here it is on the state of people’s economy who is residing around the university. The

Divine Comedy - The Medieval Church and Dantes Inferno...

The Medieval Church and Dantes Inferno Some people think that the medieval churches view on sin, redemption, heaven and hell was very complex, but actually the churches views were straight and to the point. I will discuss with you what sin, redemption, heaven and hell were to the medieval churches and I will also share some examples in the story that will help you better understand The Inferno and the medieval churches views. Lets begin with sin. A sin was said to be a deliberate and purposeful violation of the will of God. The medieval churches thought that sin was also a failure to live up to external standards of conduct and the violation of taboos, laws or moral codes (Christianity). Obeying God was extremely†¦show more content†¦Paola and Francesca were very much in love with each other; however, Francesca was married to someone else. The problem was that God did not want the two of them to be together, he did not bless their relationship because God does not bless adultery. Adultery made God very angry if it was committed. Paola and Francesca decided to stay together anyway even if God didnt approve of their relationship with one another. Their sin was considered to be the unlawful sin of love. The sin was said to be unlawful because adultery not only made God made but it was also against the law to have an affair. Even though they still had each other, they lost God because of their choice to remain together. In the end they both went to hell instead of heaven. After a Christian had sinned that person had the opportunity to be redeemed for their sin. Redemption is actually very clear and easy to define. When a Christian sinned and wanted Gods forgiveness they had to go before God, by praying to him, and ask him to cleanse them and forgive them of their sin. When God hears the person asking for forgiveness, God will answer their cry to him and cleanse them. When God cleanses a person it is almost like the sin was never committed in the first place. When God sent his son Jesus into the world he told Jesus that he wouldShow MoreRelatedDante Alighieri ( 1265-1321 )1353 Words   |  6 PagesCampaldino. 2. There was a lot of political unrest during Dante’s lifetime, as well as a horde of new poetical and literary movements that arose. This was due to the Guelfi Party’s split into two: those in favor of the pope and those in favor of the emperor. In addition, the new poetical movement that came about was called the â€Å"Stilnovo†, and was basically a style where poets would discuss their feelings of love and theorize about love. 3. Dante’s wife, Gemma Donati, does not have as large an influenceRead More Analysis of the Inferno of Dante Alighieris Divine Comedy Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of the Inferno of Dante Alighieris Divine Comedy The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is considered by many as the first great poem in the Italian language and perhaps the greatest poem written in Medieval Europe. The poem is so famous that one of the minor characters, Capaneus the great blasphemer, has his name on a mesa on one of Jupiters moon Io (Blue, 1). Also, the poem is divided into three canticles, or sections, Inferno, Purgatorio, andRead MoreDante Alighieri : An Italian Poet1552 Words   |  7 Pageshis writing, maturing. His views on the world and of himself changed during this time, including his political, religious, and economic action. His writings reflect his life struggles in his writing. The Devine Comedy was Dante s greatest and final piece. Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy is a reflection of his Christian beliefs. It incorporates biblical figures but also characters in Pagan, Greek, and Roman mythology. The most important character is besides Dante himself is Virgil, who is also PaganRead MoreHell in Dantes Divine Comedy Essay example1364 Words   |  6 PagesHell in the divine Comedy and Aeneid In Dante’s Divine Comedy, Dante incorporates Virgil’s portrayal of Hades (In The Aeneid) into his poem, and similarities between the Inferno and Hades can be drawn, however Dante wasn’t attempting to duplicate Virgil’s works. Although the Hell depicted in Dante’s Inferno is essentially based on the literary construction of the underworld found in Virgil’s Aeneid, in their particulars the two kingdoms are quite different. Virgil’s underworld is largelyRead MoreDomenico Di Michelino s Divine Comedy1918 Words   |  8 PagesDomenico di Michelino: Dante’s Divine Comedy Painting Introduction: Domenico di Michelino (1417-1491), an Italian painter and medieval poet was known best for his epic poem, The Divine Comedy, which includes sections representing the three tiers of the Christian afterlife: Purgatory (Purgatorio), Hell (Inferno), and Paradise (Paradiso). This poem was a great work of medieval literature and was considered the greatest work of literature composed in Italian. The Divine Comedy was a Christian visionRead MoreEssay about Dante Alighieri1178 Words   |  5 PagesDante Alighieri Dante Alighieri was the first and best Italian poet and wrote mainly on love and religion. His Divine Comedy is considered the greatest book of the last millennium. George Steiner said, Dante’s totality of poet form and philosophic thought, of local universality and language, remains unrivaled. At a time where the notion of culture and of European culture in particular, is somewhat in doubt, Dante is the sovereign underwriter. His are the solutions beyond logic†Read MoreDante Alighieri : The Contributions Of Dante And The Renaissance751 Words   |  4 Pageshis poetic talents. Florence during his time was known as the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the Renaissance in Western Europe (340). The Roman Catholic Church was broken into rival camps, forcing people to chose a side of papacy. One side demanding to be set free from the corrupt ways of the church while the other desired for the â€Å"old ways† and wanted no change (341). While D ante was thought to be more medieval thinker (222) anyone can presume he was more open minded than he, probablyRead MoreThe Divine Comedy : Inferno Ira2454 Words   |  10 PagesThe Divine Comedy: Inferno IRA by Dante Alighieri Summary: (Exposition) Midway through his life, Dante finds himself lost from his true way, wandering through a dark and savage forest. He finds a mountain, after which a divine light shines upon him, encouraging him to go up it. But he is stopped by three malicious creatures and is only saved when a man finds him. The man identifies himself to Dante as Virgil (a great Roman poet), and reveals that his lost love Beatrice (and two others) has wishedRead More The Historical Significance of Dantes Divine Comedy Essay2452 Words   |  10 Pageshistorical significance of Dantes `Divine Comedy Dantes `Divine Comedy, the account of his journey through hell, purgatory and heaven is one of the worlds great poems, and a prime example of a most splendidly realized integration of life with art. More than being merely great poetry, or a chronicle of contemporary events, which it also is, the `Comedy is a study of human nature by a man quite experienced with it. The main argument I will make in this essay is that Dantes `Comedy is chiefly a workRead MoreThe 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Cardinal Virtues2779 Words   |  12 Pagesclassification of vices that were originally used in early Christian teachings to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen mans tendency to sin. The Roman Catholic Church divided sin into two principal categories: venial, which are relatively minor, and could be forgiven through any sacrament of the Church, and the more severe capital or mortal sins, which, when committed, destroyed the life of grace, and created the threat of eternal damnation un less either absolved through the

Dadada Free Essays

Food tech. Assessment Task Sensory characteristics of food. A. We will write a custom essay sample on Dadada or any similar topic only for you Order Now Appearance, the appearance of the caramelized apple tart was very good, the tart itself was a golden brown colour, the caramel apple mixture was a thick caramel brown colour which tasted really good, the serving of icecream on the side was left for a little bit to long as it began to melt which gave the whole overall appearance not such a great look. B. Color, the color of the caramelized apple tart was a mixture of deep golden-brown tarts with a caramel light brown apple sauce which was quite thick and a creamy white serve of half melted ice cream. These arrange of colors made the entire dish look very appealing due to the contrast of vibrant colors C. Aroma, the aroma of the caramelized apple tart was rich in flavorful smells. My senses were uplifted by the engaging aroma because it smelt so good. D. Taste, the taste of the caramelized apple tart was very satisfying, the constrasting of both cold ice cream and hot tart went down smoothly, ice cream was a little bit melted but this did not affect the taste in anyway, overall very tasty dish E. Texture, the texture of the caramelized apple tart was quite nice, the tart itself was smooth and slightly crispy. The apples in the caramel mixture were very soft and the caramel was a little bit thick. Ice cream was smooth but slightly melted. 3. Explain 3 functional properties that occur. Dextrinization is a process in which starch is converted into dextrins. Dextrin’s are any various polysaccharide which has been collected by the starch. This is made possible by the application of heat or acids. Dextrinization is mainly used as a thickening agent or a rising tool. Dextrinization occurs in Step 5 â€Å"bake for 15mins or until golden brown† this is referring to the puff pastry. Aeration is a process in which air comes into contact with a food. Aeration occurs in Step 6 during the Beating of the eggs. Denaturation is a process in which proteins loose their structures and denature because of external factors like heat or stress. Denaturing occurs in the protein strands of the eggs when they are beated until stiff, the eggs loose their structures and denature. 4. Make two recommendations for the improvement of the dish. If I could start over I would change the following; first I would use proper scales to measure ingredients correctly ather than eye guessing weights because I didn’t have proper scaling equipment. This would improve my final product because all ingredients would be correct measured out and this would finalise in a more accurate satisfying final dish. The second improvement I would make would have been not to leave the ice cream out because it began to melt. This would have helped to improve my dish because the the ice cream would have be en easier to eat as apposed to a liquid mess and the presentation would have looked a lot better. Thank You. How to cite Dadada, Essay examples

Attitude Decides Ones Altitude in Life free essay sample

We see all kinds of people in our daily lives some living very successful and happy lives while some struggling with a mediocre life. The successful ones seem to be full of energy and enthusiasm and generally always charged up. The other kind of guys we find to be grim, upset, stressed etc. The question that always comes in my mind is whether the attitude is the result of the circumstances or vice versa. After observing a lot of people very closely I discovered that there are some who have a never say die spirit in them. They put up with failures with a brave face and look forward to the future with high expectations.They seem to be the eternal optimists who always have a positive outlook and self confidence. They expect the future to be better and work towards making it happen. They are like the Bulls in the stock market always pushing the prices up !! There are also other types who have a pessimistic outlook. We will write a custom essay sample on Attitude Decides Ones Altitude in Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Perhaps, their own experience and background leads them to think this way. They are generally wary of what lurks around the corner, wear a suspicious outlook, are worried about what can and will go wrong etc. They anticipate problems so much that sometimes they go about creating it.Whenever things do go wrong, as they sometimes will, these guys would turn around and say I told you so. My own take on this is that, by being positive we are enjoying the present. We neither lament on the failures of the past nor do we get overwhelmed about the possible disasters of the future. We are not reckless but take due precautions where necessary. We charge the environment around us with positive energy. We end up attracting others towards us as well as becoming attractive in the eyes of the others. We attract and gain success by our positive attitude. Truly, it is our Attitude which decides our Altitude !!

Summary of Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall free essay sample

Why leaves turn color in the fall, she describes how the seasons give way to fall and how the leaves began to change color. She goes into detail on the chemical and scientific process of this change as well as the difference in color among the species of plants in many parts of the world. She even makes a metaphorical reference that the fall colors signal death and goes on to explain how death brings new life in the end. She gives us plenty of information on the chemical and scientific process of how the leaves began to change color. She explains that process of color change is directly controlled by the sun’s light. Towards the end of summer the trees start to pull the nutrients back into its trunk and starve off the leaves. As those leaves began to starve, they stop producing the pigment chlorophyll which gives the leaves their green color. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The leaves began to show yellow and red as the chlorophyll breaks down. With no pigment being produced, all the leaves will turn color over time. She tells us that there is a pigment called Anthocyanin, which causes the leaves to turn red. This pigment varies from year to year depending on the temperature and sunlight. She informs that us that this phenomenon occurs all over the world and explains that different trees and species of plants in other parts of the world change to different colors do to the climate. Where as in European maples don’t have the red coloring that the American maples have because it’s a warmer in part of the world then the other. So in Europe the warm, humid weather turns the leaves more of a brown or light yellow color. She gives many references to many different types of plants and the colors they change to. Elms and weeping willows turn a bright yellow, whereas Basswood turns bronze and birches a bright golden color. She makes reference to the sun as the cause of this change by explaining that one side of hill might have color and not the other cause of more sun exposure. She begins to get into the symbolic aspects of how the color change and fall of the leaves signal the coming of death and change. We see the beautiful colors and in our minds know what fate is next for the leaves. She tells us even though the leaves lose their green; they bloom with colors like aging, and fall dead and brittle. This is the ever repeating cycle of life and death, but with colors that signal that event of the plants life cycle. She refers to the way the leaves fall randomly in every which direction as a way to remind us that the end of a season is as unpredictable as is the end of life. When we see the changes of the colors in the leaves and the â€Å"magic† happening before our eyes, it can be compared to the cycle of life in general. Green like the start of new life, then the colors signifying age in that cycle, then finally the fall of the brittle leave that signals death. She hints at the tender shoots that are protected by the dead leaves that fell, and that thus new life is born from the leaves that fall.

Chingiz Aitmatov and Russias Reform

Chingiz Aitmatov and Russias Reform Free Online Research Papers If history was a man, his eyes would have stored countless feats of incredible sacrifice into his memory. He would have stood tirelessly to witness the sacrifices made by Jesus Christ and then thousands of years later the sacrifices made by Avdiy Kallistratov and Boston Urkunchiev. In Chingiz Aitmatov’s The Place of the Skull, these three characters never meet, but they are all caught in the same tempest of human morality. Aitmatov delivers his unique hybrid Christian and Kyrgyz message to the bereft Soviet people, utilizing the characters Boston, Jesus, and Avdiy as his vehicle, in order to expose and reform the national moral problems that were previously concealed in the post-Stalinist era. Chingiz Aitmatov was well versed in both Kyrgyz and Russian history and culture. In 1928, Aitmatov was born in Kyrgyzstan. He was raised in a large extended family, where he was educated, most notably by his grandmother, in the ways of his native Kyrgyz culture. His grandmother made him attend many local ceremonies and instilled in him the Kyrgyz’s love and respect of their land. As his grandparents gave him his education in his native cultural background, his parents gave him an education in Russian literature and culture. Aitmatov was not only bilingual, but quite learned in his own native and Russian culture. While explaining Aitmatov’s early history and success, one critic says â€Å"Chingiz Aitmatov achieved literary success in large part due to his ability to keep one foot in his own minority culture and the other in the ruling Soviet one,† (Haber 109). This fact helped to pave the way to his unique success as an author in touch with both the Russian popul ace’s moral failings and his own native land’s dilemmas. Aitmatov attempts to coincide with one of Gorbachev’s Perestroika reforms; a movement in the direction of capitalization. Boston Urkunchiev, a man who appears as the main character in the last third of the story, is the voice of this movement. His very name, the name of an American city, implies capitalism. Boston is envied by the local shepherds, especially Bazarbai Noigutov, for his productive farm and his voice in the local party. Good luck was not the key to his success, however, as he is the hardest of the workers on the state farm and produces the most to turn over to the government. All of the local workers, though assigned by the government, want to work on his farm. Boston and his workers produce the most and receive bonus pay, setting them apart yet again. Boston believes vaguely in capitalism and thought that man should reap the rewards of his labor. When discussing this issue with a friend he asks, â€Å"What sort of guest is going to break his back on someone else’s land?† (254). He attempts to claim the land for himself and his team so that work would be more efficient and more productive. He is met with cold opposition in the form of the Party Organizer Kochorbayev, who tells him that the claim is counter-intuitive to socialism and that the land belongs to the state and not the individual. While attempting to circumvent this man and the ideals he represents, Boston meets with the Director Ibraim Chotbaevich, an old friend. He tells him of the problems he has faced and of his plan to remedy the situation, but the director remains passive. The director has tried to make a change before, but doesn’t want to â€Å"stick my neck out again: I’ve learnt my lesson,† (254), a theme that all three of Aitm atov’s heroes face. Boston’s capitalist ideas clash with authorities, but as he practices the notion of more work more pay in his own life, his farm excels. His affinity for capitalism is not the only difference he shares with the shepherds around him. In Boston Aitmatov created not only a voice to broach capitalistic ideals, but a moral pillar as well. Boston’s opposite and nemesis, Bazarbai, is representative of the ethics Aitmatov attempts to dissolve. In his greed Bazarbai takes advantage of inexperienced visitors for easy money, robs a she-wolf’s lair, and beats his wife. These problems all stem from his alcoholism. He takes the naà ¯ve visitors’ money and steals the she-wolf’s cubs in order to fund his addiction. That leads him to beat his wife when she complains of his failings, which are themselves spawned by his laziness and alcohol abuse. Aitmatov does not only highlight the problem, but also produces the solution. Boston represents the answer to the problems plaguing Bazarbai and the people of many other Soviet nations. He does not drink, the reason never being explicitly cited, but assumed that the trappings of alcohol are counter productive and a gateway to moral problems. Boston never abused wither of his wives, but instead communicated and respected her. He attempted to recover the cubs from Bazarbai in order to appease the spirit of the restless wolves. This nature respecting motif is one that ties back to Aitmatov’s own history in the Kyrgyz culture taught to him by his grandparents. These themes of morality and love of nature are expressed in Aitmatov’s other characters, though in different degrees. Aitmatov expresses his Christian beliefs in his rendition of the conversation between Pilate and Jesus, before He went to Golgotha. During this conversation, Jesus tells Pilate that God’s greatest gift to man is the power of reason. With this gift, He tells Pilate, we should use our â€Å"will to live according to our understanding,† (141). He explains that with this understanding we exist to spiritually improve and to strive for perfection. Only through the struggle to reach the pinnacle of humanity do we find purpose. To reach Heaven, we must succeed on Judgment Day, which is not years in the future, but now, every day. In order to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, men must work each day according to their reason. The achievement of this goal relies on mankind himself. Pilate does not believe that man could be responsible for this and in disbelief says â€Å"If men could, by an act of will, bring closer or put off such an event, why then, they would be like gods,† to which Jesus agrees (142). Aitmatov says that man’s greatest quality, produced from the gift of reason, is akin to God’s greatest quality, which is forgiveness. In this way, men are like God. The most similar divine quality that man shares with God, forgiveness, is the key to moving forward towards the perfection of existence. If man can but forgive himself and release the past, he may progress to perfection and the Kingdom of Heaven. Man needs but recognize this and reconcile what faults he possesses. Recognition and realization are where Aitmatov places himself in this scheme. The Place of the Skull is his instrument of recognition, a medium where he may identify the ills of society and aid in their remedy. In the story itself, there is a character that, inspired by Jesus’ message, mirrors Aitmatov’s own role and uncovers the problems facing Russian society. Avdiy Kallistratov is a character who more clearly echoes Aitmatov’s own view on Christianity and the Kyrgyz belief system. Avdiy attended a seminary but was excommunicated due to his attempted reformation of Christian dogma. Avdiy disregarded the traditional view of God and adopted the idea of a contemporary God. In this theory he is â€Å"offering the human spirit liberation in the knowledge of God as the highest essence of it own being,† a view that contrasted greatly with that of his opponent and representative of the Church, Co-Ordinator Father Dimitry (71). For this view he was to be removed from the Church. Avdiy’s own vision of God parallels what Jesus preached in his conversation with Pilate, as this scene occurred during Avdiy’s pain-induced hallucination. The contemporary God theory is not the only characteristic that Avdiy shares with Jesus. Avdiy and Jesus share both qualities of physicality and, more importantly, moral qualities that aid in the improvement of humanity. Two distinct physical traits they share are shoulder length hair and high foreheads. Just before Avdiy departs on the anasha collection, he takes work as a carpenter for a farmer. Apart from these simple similarities, the two share qualities of love and forgiveness. Ordained from God, Jesus sets out to reform the people and bring them closer to God. Avdiy forges a similar destiny for himself. When he leaves the Church, he knows he must spread Christ’s love in his own way. He attaches himself to the infamous drug smuggling ring because he know that there are youths their who were in desperate need of his message. Of the small group Avdiy he joins, he targets the sadly young and impressionable boy Lyonka. This boy was drawn by desperation to the drug running and Avdiy attempts the extract him from this life. He tells Lyonka and the other boy that he has come to save them and to prompt them to start â€Å"repenting before God and our fellow man,† to no avail (96). He encounters Grishan, the leader of the boy-smugglers. Just as Pilate offers Jesus a way out if just He relents, Grishan makes Avdiy the same offer. Both decline and refuse to betray the messages that they believed they were born to deliver. However, the situation end badly for Avdiy and he loses his opportunity to reform the smugglers. But this is not his last chance. In Avdiy’s next opportunity to deliver God’s word to a desperate group of miscreants, Aitmatov combines his Kyrgyz and Christian moral beliefs. Avdiy joins ‘Ober’ Kandalov and his company on an expedition to the mountains. Promised work and distraction from a depressing matter, Avdiy readily agrees. He soon discovers that the work entail the horrific slaughter of the saigak, a mountain antelope. He is appalled by the massacring and demands that they stop. He implored the men committing the killings to end their destruction and turn to God, begging for forgiveness. He was met with the same resistance the drug smugglers had dealt him. He received a beating and was thrown, hands and feet bound, onto the carcasses of the antelope he had tried to protect. In this episode, Aitmatov combines all of the problems, barring capitalism, that his story addresses. In the fashion of the Kyrgyz he cries out against the slaughter of the antelope and in the Christian manner he preaches repentance and forgiveness to the killers. Not only are both of his messages denied, but he is mock-crucified to imitate Jesus, with whom the killers associate Avdiy. Even more, the men who punish Avdiy do so under the influence of alcohol, yet another aspect of Aitmatov’s reform. The power and prestige of the government obstructs, directly and indirectly, all three of Aitmatov’s characters in their mission to restructure the world around them. Avdiy’s journalistic report concerning the underworld of anasha smuggling is not released. While he sees the exposure of the drug world as the first step in combating it, the paper he works for does not release its content to the public. The head of the paper, turning an ashamed cheek, fears that the critical content would invite the wrath of the government upon their heads. They fail to see that the publishing and the positive social effects it would have goes beyond their sake. They only think of themselves. Boston goes to the director of the farms, Ibraim Chotbaevich, to seek the land and reform he deems necessary for efficiency. Head lowered in shame, the director tell him that he had been punished already for attempting a change and would not risk another punishment. To this Boston replies â€Å"That ’s just it, every man thinks of himself first and foremost,† (254). The message of God’s love and justice is thwarted by the Jewish hegemony and the ruling Roman power. Pilate, though sympathetic to Jesus’ words, cannot release Him and lose face. Power and the image it protects will always oppose criticism. Aitmatov’s own Place of the Skull, though released in 1986 during the Glasnost, was cause for political unease because of its content and purpose. One critic questions the openness of this era and reports that the Glasnost â€Å"was a political tool different from freedom of the press and that Gorbachev preached reform but betrayed liberal principals when they came into conflict with his political agenda† (Becker 200). This is what the Characters in Aitmatov’s story went up against. The leaders abandon their principals in order to maintain positive public status and to retain and cultivate power. Aitmatov himself receives criticism concerning his message and its effectiveness. Many critics claim that he was simply in the right place at the right time, meaning the Glasnost’s diversity faà §ade was in need of a poster boy. Chingiz Aitmatov’s success in relating to Russians while maintaining the connection he had with this native culture was rare. Gorbachev was in dire need of someone to glue together some of the nations within the Soviet Union, and Aitmatov fit the bill. Despite this criticism, Chingiz Aitmatov persevered. His intention to expose and morally reform Russia did not go unnoticed. The blending of his native Kyrgyz culture and the Biblical references were effective in reaching into the hearts of some of the Russian people. Nina Kolesnikoff was impressed with the Biblical and Kyrgyz references and said that they were crucial in â€Å"Revealing the deeper meaning of present events and directing the reader’s attention to universal questions concerning the human condition and the purpose of life,† (Kolesnikoff 91-92). Regardless of his critics’ opinions either way, Aitmatov achieved at least part of his goal. The story of the anasha drug runners was implemental to the author’s goals of recognition and reformation. Though the idea that Aitmatov helped morally guide the people to a better understanding of God and existence is disputable, the fact that his story made an impact on Russian lives is not. This is an article explaining the police and crime reports during the Glasnost under Gorbachev’s rule. It details the drug epidemic and the effect that Chingiz Aitmatov’s attention has on this problem: The glasnost’ brought with it greater public preparedness to report crimes, which further increased the statistics. Perhaps the best case study is of drug abuse and drugs-related crime, given that the official figures for drug addiction had actually been falling, from 2700 registered addicts in 1980 to 2400 in 1984. Yet glasnost’, and in particular such keynote cultural events as the publication of Chingiz Aitmatov’s novel Plakha (The Place of the Skull) in 1986, led to their dramatic rise. By 1987 officials admitted to 123 000 drug abusers, including 46000 registered addicts; next year the figures were 131 000 and 50000, respectively; by 1990 they were 1 500 000 and 60,000, with an annual 25000-30000 drugs-related crimes. In part this increase reflected a genuine growth in the use of drugs, yet to a large extent it was a result both of greater official candour and, in the light of the new discussion of the issues, a new preparedness by addicts and users to regis ter and seek help. But the population at large only really noticed the headline figures, especially since one product of the decades of censorship and mendacity was media lacking the experience and often the will to cover such taboo topics without sensationalism. (Galeotti 775) Though Chingiz Aitmatov received criticism from all sides, he was still a major figure in Gorbachev’s Glasnost. His recognition and highlighting of taboo subjects like capitalism, drugs, and alcohol were both effective and prudent for the reformation of the Russian nation. The increase in drug reports are evidence of the impact that he made in the countries social understanding. With his unique cultural background mixed with his understanding of the Russian nation, Aitmatov began the reshaping of morality and understanding. In humanity’s journey towards its perfect existence in the Kingdom of Justice, he identified the moral dilemmas and supplied the reconciliatory remedy, establishing the first steps towards it achievement. Work Cited Aitmatov, Chingiz. The Place of the Skull. New York: Grove Press, 1989. Becker, Jonathan. â€Å"Author Review.† Rev. of Glasnost: The Soviet Media in the First Phase of Perestroika, by Joseph Gibbs. Slavic ReviewVol. 60, No. 1 (Spring, 2001), 199-200. Galeotti, Mark. â€Å"Perestroika, Perestrelka, Pereborka: Policing Russia in a Time of Change.† Europe-Asia Studies > Vol. 45, No. 5 (1993): 769-786. Haber, Erika. The Myth of the Non-Russian. New York: Lexington Books, 2003. Kolesnikoff, Nina. Myth in the Works of Chingiz Aitmatov. New York: University Press, 1999. Research Papers on Chingiz Aitmatov and Russia's ReformAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoWhere Wild and West MeetBringing Democracy to AfricaTwilight of the UAWQuebec and CanadaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaHip-Hop is Art

Jay Greenberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jay Greenberg - Essay Example The musical prodigy was discovered in 2004 during a CBS 60 minute news segment and from there he grew into a professional and sought after composer. His first CD was released in 2006 by Sony Classical which featured the Symphony #5 and Quintet for Strings performed by the London Symphony Orchestra as well as the Juilliard String Quartet with Darrett Adkins respectively (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). Some of Jay’s most famous works have been the Violin Concerto produced in 2007, the Four Scenes in 2008 with a double string quartet, and Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra. His beautiful works have been publicly performed both nationally and internationally by such renowned orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). In 2009 Jay’s work was even commissioned and premiered at Carnegie Hall for the youth orchestras, Skyline Dances (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†) . Jay produces most of his brilliant work on a computer using notation programs and feels that he hears the music taking shape inside his head. There is no doubt that this young and gifted composer will go a long way. Works Cited â€Å"Jay Greenberg.† schirmer.com. G. Schirmer Inc., Mach, 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011

AIDS is a Mass Murderer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

AIDS is a Mass Murderer - Essay Example It’s spokesperson says that the ad is intended to wake up young Germans to the reality of AIDS prevalence in the country – a subject that has faded of late in public discourse. The discouraging statistics pertaining to the spread o AIDS in Germany, is warrant enough for this bold provocation, the charitable group justifies. And there is some merit in their point of view. For example, â€Å"Germans need the encouragement - the facts about HIV rates in the country are alarming. Eight people become infected with HIV in Germany every day. Across the country, 60,000 people are living with HIV.† (Moore, www.time.com, 2009) This essay will assess if the campaign would be effective if it were to be run in the United Kingdom. While the image of Adolf Hitler generates lots of unpleasant feelings in Germans, it is more so in the United Kingdom. As part of the Allied forces, the UK bore the brunt of German aggression during the Second World War. Hence, the ad is bound to do better in the UK that what it did in Germany. Similarly, the image of Joseph Stalin and Saddam Hussein too does not sit well in the British audience’ mind, for the two were enemy personalities during the Cold War and the Iraq War respectively. Moreover, young people of UK are not immune to the threat of HIV infection. In the last few decades when over 28 million people have already succumbed to the disease - this includes a percentage of the British. Each passing day, 5,000 people succumb to the condition worldwide. In this respect it is not inappropriate to call AIDS a mass murderer of our times. (Moore, www.time.com, 2009) The campaign finds relevance in the British context for other reasons too. For example, awareness about the nature and modes of transmission of the disease is not properly understood by most young people. This is despite the fact that relevant information is made available in the Internet and other media. The fact that many youth in the country do not und erstand how exactly HIV is transmitted is a cause of concern. They need to be educated about the many ways through which HIV could be transmitted from one human to another. Contact of mucous membrane during sexual intercourse is one of the common modes of transmission. Other modes include bloodstream contamination of HIV infected body fluids such as blood, vaginal fluid, semen, pre-seminal fluid, and breast milk. The infection can occur through conventional vaginal sexual intercourse or through anal, oral sexual acts. There are recorded cases of HIV infection being perpetrated through blood transfusion, transfer from mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, contaminated hypodermic needles, etc. It is only through thought provoking awareness campaigns such as the one conceived by the Rainbow group that young people (including those in Britain) will get to understand the nature of the AIDS threat fully. The spread of AIDS has now assumed pandemic proportions acro ss the world. When statistics were compiled last year, as many as thirty three million people worldwide were afflicted with this condition, of which close to ten percent eventually died. The more worrying aspect is the fact that a significant portion of AIDS patients are children. The region worst hit by the AIDS pandemic is sub-Saharan Africa, where economic and cultural progress is

Personal Opinion on the Palsgraf Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Opinion on the Palsgraf Case - Essay Example Therefore, Palsgraf brought forward a personal injury complaint against the Long Island Rail road that made an appeal to courts judgment that was in favour of the plaintiff. The ruling was avowed on the appeal, and the defendant appealed (Farlex, 2013). Therefore, to my opinion, the railroad guards were wrong in relation to the individual carrying the parcel but not in regards to Palsgraf who was standing at a far distance. Additionally, no one was aware that the packages had fireworks and that they could cause harm if they were to be dropped. No one could also have thought that Palsgraf who was standing at a far zone was out of danger and that he could be harmed. On the other hand, an issue of negligence was also mentioned by Palsgraf as he tried to sue the guards involved in the incidence (4LawSchool, 2001). Personally, to spot the act of negligence, there should be a discovery that an obligation was first owed and contravened and that the damage could have been shunned in the case where the defendant was following that particular duty. The course of the peril or rather the risk associated with the danger is the one which a rational person would have foreseen. On the other hand, even though the guard had taken the package and thrown it intentionally, it would have not caused a threat on Palsgraf safety looking at it from the appearance of the circumstance to a rational person. The liability of the Long Island Railroad towards an inadvertent action would have not been greater than it was especially on the case where the act was deliberate. There is tendacy to argue that each and every individual owes to the world a duty of abstaining from the actions that may threaten the wellbeing of other people in an unreasonable manner. In the attempt to determine the approximate cause of the incidence, the court must have asked whether there was a natural or an incessant series between the effect and the cause. The court had the same pressure of not to argue whether the a ct was reasonably expected to cause injury to any individual (Manz, 2005). Additionally, the court was expected to consider the fact that the greater the distance existing between the cause and effect in both space and time, the greater the probability that the other grounds intervene to cause an effect to the outcome. In this case there was no kind of remoteness in terms of time and space and therefore injury was meant to take place in some form. It is also to my view that the issue of proximate cause is just a practical politics, which is not founded on judgment. Proximate cause implies that due to expediency of the public strategy regarding to an uneven sense of impartiality, the law subjectively declines to hunt for a series of happenings beyond a given level (Lawnix, 2008). The natural and the foreseeable outcomes of the negligent deeds influence the determination of deciding whether a given act can be termed as a proximate cause of the damages. It is paramount to adopt the pri nciple that states that negligent behaviour that ends up in injury results into being a liability in the case where the actor had the chance to reasonably foresee that the behaviour could result to injury. In the Cardozo opinion, the court decided that the defendant’s guards could not have predicted the likelihood of the injury on Palsgraf and thus no duty to him was breached either. The obligation to practice care is owed to everyone and thus the acts of carelessness will definitely put the actor to accountability to each and every individual who is approximately injured by the incidence. Whether the harm is

Definition Of Parental Involvement

Definition Of Parental Involvement 2.0 Introduction Research is made in order to inform people with new knowledge or discovery. Jancowicz (2000:159) knowledge does not exist in a vacuum and you work only has value in relation to other peoples work. Thus for a research to be credible, it should be supported by other works that have spoken about the same topic; therein the importance of the literature review which Hart (1998) defines as: The selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed. The ability to carry out a literature review is an important skill for any researcher. It will provide the latter with a context in which to place the research with respect to what has already been researched about the topic whereby the researcher will get an up to date account and discussion of the research findings about the particular topic. 2.1 Parental Involvement 2.1.1 Definition of Parental Involvement Parental involvement is believed to be an important strategy in the advancement of the quality of education. Parental involvement as such may be defined in different ways. According to Althoff (2010) parental involvement refers to the amount of participation a parent has when it comes to schooling and her childs life. (Abdullah, Seedee, Alzaidiyeen, Al-Shabatat, Alzeydeen, Al-Awabdeh, 2011) define parental involvement as the activities occurring between a parent and a child or between a parent and teachers at school that may contribute to the childs educational outcomes and development. NCLB (2001) described parental involvement as regular participation of parents, a two-way process, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities including: Assisting their childs learning; (b) Being actively involved in their childs education at school; (c) Serving as full partners in their childs education and being included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and (d) The carrying out of other activities such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA Section 9101(32). Liontos (1992) mentions recent beliefs about parents and families that schools should consider when involving themselves in the education to their children: 1) All families have strengths, 2) parents can learn new techniques, 3) parents have important perspectives about their children, 4) most parents really care about their children, 5) cultural differences are both valid and valuable, and 6) many family forms exist and are legitimate (pp. 30-31). 2.1.2 Family Involvement Regardless of how they are able to demonstrate their investment, the notion that families play a very important role in creating a school that provides a nurturing and safe environment for their children is becoming widely accepted (Epstein et al., 1997). Families provide the social, cultural, and emotional supports that youth need to function well in school. Schools provide opportunities for childrens positive interactions with significant adults and other adolescents to enhance their home experiences and to support their continued development and related learning (Comer Haynes, 1991). According to Davies (1991) parental involvement shifts from parent focus to family focus, family to community agencies, school to home/neighborhood setting, eager parents to hard-to reach families, teachers/administrators agendas to family priorities, and deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families. He further explains that even though non-traditional families are much more common nowadays than they were in the 1950s, alternative family structures are effective and should be recognised by the school. The paradigm Changing Definitions of Parental involvement according to Davies(1991) is as follows: from Parent Focus to Family Focus; from school to home or neighbourhood setting; from eager parents to hard to reach families; from teacher/administrator agenda to family priorities; from deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families. Davies (1991) mentioned that non-traditional family units are getting more common, but the alternative family structures are effective and should be recognised as they do impact in the education and performance of students. 2.1.3 Types of parental involvement Fan and Chen (2001) in their meta-analysis found that researchers commonly conceptualised parental involvement as having multiple dimensions. Research conducted over a number of years have proved that there are numerous types of parenting practices associated with positive school-related academic and social competencies. These are: (a) parental participation in school-related activities, for instance monitoring homework and attending parent-teacher association meetings (Desimone, 1999; Keith et al., 1993; Steinberg, Lamborn, Dornbusch Darling, 1992); (b) parental encouragement of positive school behaviors (Atkinson Forehand, 1979; Barth, 1979; Kelley, 1952; Schumaker, Hovell, Sherman, 1977; Seginer, 1983); and (c) parental expectations for achievement and attainment (Ainley, Foreman, Sheret,1991; Fan Chen, 2001; Scott-Jones, 1995; Seginer). Similarly, Epstein (2001) has distinguished six types of parental involvement namely: parenting; communication; volunteering; home tutoring; involvement in decision-making; and, collaboration with the community. Epsteins model presents family, school and community as overlapping spheres of influence, the congruence of which is of considerable importance for the optimal development of children. 2.2 The effect of parental involvement on childrens achievements It is generally believed that the parents do play an important role in the education of their children and there is now an extensive research literature indicating that parental involvement is advantageous for children of all ages (Cox 2005; Desforges and Abouchaar 2003; Eccles and Harold 1993; Epstein 2001). Research has shown that one of the most promising ways to increase students achievement is to involve their families (Chavkin, 1993; Henderson Berla, 1994). Herbert Walberg (1984) found that family participation in education was twice as predictive of academic learning as family socioeconomic status. Establishing partnerships with families has many benefits for schools and families, but Epstein says, the main reason to create such partnerships is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life (1995, p. 701). When parents participate in their childrens schooling, students may experience more academic and social success. Epstein (2001) suggests that parents who are informed and involved in their childrens school can positively impact their childs attitude and performance. Drawing a causal link between parental involvement and student achievement is challenging; much of the research on parent involvement and student performance is therefore correlational (Scott Stein Thorkildsen, 1999). Although the impact of parental involvement is dependent on a number of contextual variables, there are many advantages attributed to parental involvement. Involvement at home, especially parents discussing school activities and helping children plan their programs, has the strongest impact on academic achievement (Sui-Chu Willms, 1996; VanVoorhis, 2003). Researchers have also found that parent-child discussion about school helps improve academic achievement and reduce problematic behavior (Epstein Sheldon, 2002; McNeal, 1999; Sheldon Epstein, 2005). McLaughlin and Shields (1986), for example, reported that parents can contribute to improved student achievement through their involvement in (a) the selection of appropriate reading materials, (b) targeting educational services, and (c) the use of particular pedagogical strategies. Clark (1983) found a correlation between achievement in reading and mathematics and the number of books at home. Parent involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life say (Campbell Glasgow, 2010). The overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are indeed positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in the early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, Walberg, 2005). Buchmann and Dalton (2002) suggest a possible linkage between differences in institutional contexts of educational system and variation in the effect of parental involvement on childrens educational outcomes while examining variation across 12 countries in the effect of mothers and peers attitudes toward academic performance on educational aspiration among middle-school (lower secondary school) students. The comparisons across 12 countries indicate significant variation in the influence of parental attitude on childrens educational aspiration across countries with different structural features of educational system. 2.3 Factors affecting Students Academic Achievements The students performance or academic achievement plays an important role in producing the good quality school leavers who will become good manpower for any country. There are actually numerous factors that affect the performance and achievement of students. Parents influence their childrens academic achievement (Spera, 2005). High family socioeconomic status, positive parenting practices, positive aspects of parents personality, and high marital quality are associated with school success (Harold, Aitken, Shelton, 2007; Heaven Newbury, 2004; Robertson Reynolds, 2010). Children whose parents who actively promote learning in the home more positively engage in relationships outside the home and in learning (Marchant, Paulson, Rothlisberg, 2001), perhaps because these parents help children approach learning environments more positively. The premise that home environment risks, such as negative parenting (Clark, Dogan, Akbar, 2003), a chaotic household (Brown Low, 2008), parents low educational attainment or income level (Davis-Kean, 2005), and single-parent family structure (Zill, 1996), are correlates of poor academic functioning is also well supported. According to a report on Monitoring Learning Achievement (1999) the Determinants of childs performance were identified to be as follows: Socio-economic status of the childs family had a very strong impact on achievement at school. (b) Parental education level and parents opinion about education were decisive factors affecting performance of the children at school. (c) The child who had access to learning through technology and through materials at home was more likely to do better at school. (d) Pupils who had a positive attitude to school and teachers as well as those who used English to communicate performed better on the tests. (e) Children who had more experienced teachers at school and who were more frequently assessed became better learners. 2.3.1 Student Demographics and Students Achievement Students from ethnic minority backgrounds and low income families are more at risk for poor school outcomes and are becoming an increasing share of the student population. Many studies have linked the educational disadvantage of minority students to a combination of out-of-school factors, many of which center on family characteristics, such as poverty and parents education. Linn (2005) says that prior achievement or other relevant characteristics of the student body may help to explain current levels of achievement while (Carlson, 2002; Ponisciak Bryk, 2005) point out that when large scale assessments are used as the sole measure of accountability, the characteristics of the schools clientele are confounded with change that is directly attributable to the effectiveness of the school producing biased estimates of school effects. Children coming from middle-class family may have a head start given their higher social position and income may lead to better quality housing, more availability of books and study facilities at home such as their own room, internet access facility as well as the ability to afford private tuition. According to the University of Mauritius study on private tuition (1989), children from better off families take more tuition than students from poor families and they tend to perform better. A better measure of a schools effect on student achievement should account for the nature of students in the schools as well as the characteristics of the schools themselves. For example the correlation according to Sirin (2005) between socio-economic status and achievement tends to be approximately 0.30 at the student level. When aggregated to the school level, the correlation between socio-economic and academic achievement is approximately 0.60 (Sirin, 2005), though that correlation has been estimated to be even higher (0.73) in an earlier meta-analysis (White, 1982). 2.3.2 School Leadership and Students Achievement Studies have revealed that strong leaders are critical to successful learning environments (Briggs Wohlstetter, 2003; Hallinger, Bickman, Davis, 1996; Haycock, Jerald, Huang, 2001; Jesse, Davis, Pokorny, 2004; McGee, 2004; Muijs, Harris, Chapman, Stoll, Russ, 2004; Murphy, 2004; Scribner Scribner, 2001; Snipes, 2004; Yau, 2002). There are different characteristics of strong leaders that have been mentioned in the literature: Leaders have a clear vision for their schools that is continuously communicated to school staff and parents (Cole-Henderson, 2000; EdSource, 2006; Jesse et al., 2004); they have high expectations for all students (Cole-Henderson, 2000; EdSource, 2006; McGee, 2004; Scribner et al., 2001); and they are able to translate their vision and expectations into concrete goals for teachers by aligning curriculum with state standards and standardized tests (EdSource, 2006; Education Trust, 2003). 2.3.3 School Systems and Students Achievement In many countries, including Mauritius to some extent, school systems are tracked where students are assigned to different school types based on their prior performance. These tracks range from purely academic tracks to vocational tracks and prepare students for different educational and labor market destinations (Marks, Cresswell, Ainley, 2006; Reyes, 2010). In general most secondary school systems maintain a distinction between academic and vocational education. The specifics may be different from place to place, but in most countries academic education prepares students for college or for a university whereas vocational education prepares them for immediate entry into the labor market (Shavit, Blossfeld 1993). Schools may be involved in the socio-economic inequalities in education in a number of ways. Wealthy families can afford a superior education for their children by sending them to fee-paying private schools. In countries with tracked school systems, the allocation of stude nts to the more academic school tracks may be biased towards students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. 2.3.5 Parental Involvement and Students Achievement Studies on the influence of parenting on school outcomes have mainly focused on specific parental practices such as involvement in their childs education, mostly in relation to academic achievement and rarely in relation to school dropout (McNeal, 1999; Rumherger, 1995). Studies conducted among specific grades and subject areas support the contention that parental involvement can influence students academic achievement regardless of the students age or subject. For example, Stegelin (2003), Wirtz Schumacher (2003), and Hertz-Lazarowitz Horovitz (2002) focused on early childhood education and literacy, noting a link between families who engage in literacy activities at home and their childrens success with reading and writing. Henderson and Berla (1994) say that the most accurate predictor of a students achievement in school is not income or social status but the extent to which that students family is able to create a home environment that encourages learning; express high but not unrealistic expectations for their childrens achievement and future careers and become involved in their childrens education at school and in the community. There exists an extensive research literature indicating that Parental Involvement is advantageous for children. This includes home-based Parental involvement such as listening to children read and supervision of homework as well as school-based Parental Involvement such as attending parent education workshops and parent-teacher meetings. The effectiveness of both home-based and school-based Parental Involvement in facilitating academic achievement has been reported by several reviews and meta-analyses of the literature (Fan and Chen 2001; Henderson and Mapp 2002; Jeynes 2005, 2007; Pomerantz, Moorman, and Litwack 2007). Mariaye (2008) has found that higher levels of education of parents are often related to better provision of financial resources, thus leading to achievement of children. 2.4 Barriers to parental involvement Though there is much importance attached to parental involvement it is still being ignored in many schools. Lazar and Slostad (1999) believe that parents are willing to get involved in the education of their children, but the negative perceptions of parents persist because teacher education programs do not educate teachers to work with parents. Foster and Loven (1992) also shared that the major explanation for this, according to researchers, is the fact that very little attention is given to preparing teachers to work with parents and other adults (Lazar, 1999, p. 207). According to Lazar and Slostad, (1999) the way parents viewed their roles was shaped by the circumstances and norms of particular cultures and their beliefs about their own effectiveness as teachers or tutors. Epstein (1991) found out that teachers had doubts whether they could motivate parents to become more involved even though they thought that parental involvement would improve students achievement. Teachers lack the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to collaborate with families leading to a weak school-family partnership (De Acosta, 1996; Epstein Dauber, 1991; Foster Loven, 1992; Greenwood Hickman, 1991; Midkiff Lawler-Prince, 1992; Williams,1992). Major barriers to parental involvement in schools include the school environment, school culture, time constraint, changing demographics and employment patterns, and the lack of teacher preparation in involving parents in their childrens schooling (New Skills for Schools, 1997; National PTA, 1997). 2.5 Overcoming barriers to parental involvement Strategies for overcoming barriers to parental involvement in schools include overcoming time and resource constraints, providing information and training to parents and school staff, restructuring schools to support family involvement, bridging school-family differences, getting external supports for partnerships, meeting families basic needs, providing flexible times and places for parental involvement, and helping staff communication with parents (The U.S. Department of Education, 2004; Family Involvement in Childrens Education October 1997). The various barriers to Parental involvement can be categorised by adapting Epsteins (2001) framework of overlapping spheres of influence focused on the three areas of family, school and community. 2.5.1 Parents beliefs about Parental Involvement Parents beliefs about various issues can act as barriers to effective parental involvement. Firstly, the way that parents view their role in the education of their children is crucial. Parents who believe that their role is only to get children to school, which then takes over responsibility for their education, will not be willing to be actively involved in either school-based or home-based parental involvement. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) reported that this attitude is more prevalent in some communities and national cultures than others, but that there is considerable variation within these. For example, Clark (1983), in his research on high achieving students from low-income black families, found that what distinguished the parents of these students from others at the school was that they believed that they should be involved in their childrens education, by both supporting their learning at home and interacting constructively with schools. Clark found that parents of high a chieving students had a greater belief than the other parents that they could effectively help their children to do better at school. 2.5.2 Parents perceptions of invitations for involvement One other potential barrier to parental involvement is parents perceptions of the level of explicit and implicit invitations for involvement. According to Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) when parents think that Parental Involvement is not valued by teachers or schools they are less likely to get involved. Thus, parents perceptions of invitations from schools are considered crucial in developing effective parental involvement. Epstein (2001) has found that parents are most effectively involved when teachers actively encourage them to get involved. Eccles and Harold (1993) believe that teachers with positive, facilitating attitudes toward involving parents encourage more parents to become involved and increase the effectiveness of parental involvement. When parents perceive that teachers are not open to involve them, there tends to be a major barrier to parental involvement. Similarly, when schools are welcoming to parents and make it clear that they value parental involvement, the s chools develop more effective parental involvement than schools that do not appear inviting to parents. Secondary schools are often seen by parents as large bureaucratic organisations which are not welcoming to parents, which is considered to be one of the reasons why there is a tendency for higher levels of parental involvement in primary than secondary schools (Eccles and Harold 1993). 2.5.3 Parents Level of Education Parents level of education will influence their views on whether they have sufficient skills and knowledge to engage in different aspects of parental involvement (Green et al. 2007). For example, parents who have not completed secondary school themselves may be diffident about helping their children with homework once the latter get to secondary school. Also, parents who do not have a university degree may feel in some ways inferior to teachers who they know are better qualified than them and therefore be reluctant to work closely with the teachers. In general, children of parents with higher levels of education perform better, on average, on assessments of student achievement. 2.5.4 Parent current life status Family circumstances can be major barriers to parental involvement. For example, single parents and those with young families or large families may find it difficult to get involved in education of their children because of their responsibilities. Parents work situations can also be a factor. When parents are unemployed money could be an issue as they may not be able to afford a car or to pay babysitters in order to get to school meetings. For parents with jobs, whether both parents work and the kind of jobs they have may be issues. When both parents work they will have less time to devote for both home-based and school-based parental involvement. Similarly while some jobs allow little flexibility for taking time off for school-based parental involvement, other jobs may leave parents too tired at the end of the day to help children with homework (Catsambis 2001; Green et al. 2007). 2.5.5 Class, ethnicity and gender There exist also barriers regarding to class, ethnicity and gender of parents that account for the difference between rhetoric and reality in parental involvement. Reay (1998) suggests that it is those parents who possess cultural capital which matches that generally valued by schools. In contrast, working-class parents, although they possess their own undervalued cultural capital, are aware of the difference between the cultural capital they possess and that of teachers. Reay (1998) concludes that, for working-class families, home-school relationships are about separateness, whereas for middle-class families they are about interconnectedness, and this difference shapes their respective attitudes towards parental involvement. The barriers related to ethnicity and culture also play an important role. According to a report by Koki and Lee (1998) some of the issues involved in parental involvement for parents in New Zealand who have come from the Pacific Islands. They make the point that it is impossible to understand these issues outside of the context of the history of Pacific education and cultural tradition, but the reality is that parental involvement programmes typically pay scant regard to these issues. 2.5.6 Learning difficulties and disabilities The performance of at school can be both a barrier or facilitating factor for parental involvement. According to Eccles and Harold (1993) when children are struggling with their school work, due to learning difficulties or disabilities, then parents are generally more inclined to be active in parental involvement activities. Many authorities on special needs education consider that involving parents is an essential aspect of effective education for children with disabilities or learning difficulties (Hornby 1995; Seligman 2000). The involvement of parents is required for the process of implementing individual education programmes and this facilitates parental involvement for many parents whose children have learning difficulties or disabilities. But this is not always the case as there are many possible areas for disagreement between schools and parents of children with learning difficulties or disabilities, which can then act as barriers to effective parental involvement. For instan ce, when parents consider that their children can achieve more academically or when teachers want more support from parents in backing up at home what children are working on at school (Seligman 2000). 2.6 Strategies to involve parents To achieve more parental involvement, the school or teachers can help to adjust to parents work schedules, interests, and special abilities to involve them in their childs education 2.6.1 Parenting Parents can be involved in their childs schooling in many ways. One way teachers can get these parents involved is by providing them information about parenting practices. Parents with children with behavior problems are interested in learning about specialised reinforcement and discipline techniques that can be applied in their home. Research has shown that students who are disruptive in schools are also disruptive at home (Walker et al., 1995). Teachers can be useful by providing suggestions on how to teach specific skills at home. Parents who learn new parenting skills and teach their child at home are making positive contributions to their childs education. 2.6.2 Communication Encouraging parents to communicate with the school about important information about their child is another way parents can be involved. Darch, Craig, Miao, Yu, Shippen, and Peggy(2004) recommend that teachers ask parents to discuss their childs behaviour at home, his or her attitudes about school and learning, and whether there are home problems impacting the childs behavior at school. It is helpful if teachers ask parents about their expectations about their childs performance. 2.6.3 Volunteering Darch et al.,(2004) also suggest that one role that some parents can play is to provide instructional or management support in the classroom. For example, parents can be tutors for their own child or other students in the classroom. Also, parents can serve by grading papers, participating in field trips, and reading to groups of students. The advantages of including parents in these activities are many. Parents visibility in the classroom can be helpful in managing children. Also, if parents can provide instructional support, the improved learning performances of students will have a positive impact on their classroom behavior. 2.6.4 Instruction According to Darch et al, (2004) parents can also be involved in their childs school program by providing instructional and management support in their homes. Teachers may ask parents to allocate time for their childs homework, provide instructional support for academic assignments, and carry out home-based reinforcement programs. For parents to effectively take this role, they must be willing to participate and must have skills to implement home-based programs. However, as Hoover-Demsey and Sandler (1997) point out, many parents do not see the importance of taking an active role in their childs education. Thus, teachers must provide parents with clear guidelines on how they can be helpful at home and, if necessary, information on how to implement instructional and management strategies at home. An advantage of these activities is that the child is provided extra instruction at home that leads to more successful learning and motivation in the classroom. 2.6.5 School-Wide Involvement Teachers can suggest to parents that they be involved in school-wide activities. (Darch et al., 2004). The goal is to link parents to activities beyond their childs classroom: parents can be involved in PTA meetings, school-wide parent advisory councils, volunteer to work in the school office, and participate on a school-wide discipline committee. The advantages of linking parents into school wide activities are obvious. The presence of parents throughout the school is related to higher levels of student achievement and decreases school-wide disruptive behaviors. Parents involved with school-wide activities become more supportive of teachers and school policy. 2.7 How do schools involve parents? According to Hanke (2006) lack of parental involvement is due to lack of helpful information to parents. Emails, phone, letters, newsletters and personal contacts can be made by schools to reach out to parents. If schools communicate with parents regularly and consistently using the various means, the gap between school and parental involvement will be reduced. Based on the recent report on the Commonwealth conference on education (2012) the technology is available for ICT to be the foundation for change in education provisioning: from the classroom to the ministerial committee room; from the way teachers relate to their students, to the increasing of parental involvement in schools. Students expectations and achievement will increase if involvement are identified by Epstein and associate (1997): parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Reenay and Vivian (2007) have explained that even though the invention of new technologies has made it easier for schools to reach out to parents (through emails, cell phones and internet websites), the use of traditional methods in communication has been found to be an effective way for schools to communicate with parents, but this has been limited in use b

The US Embargo on Cuba Essay -- Essays Papers

The US Embargo on Cuba I. Introduction In 1959, Cubareceived 74 percent of its imports from the US, and the US received 65 percentof Cuba’s exports. On February 3, 1962, the United States imposed a fulltrade embargo on Cuba, completely ending any type of trade between the twocountries. This embargo remains in effect today, more than four decades later,and has grown ! to be a huge center of debate and controversy (DeVarona 8).Opponents to the embargo argue that the embargo does nothing more than hurt theCuban people, while proponents argue that the embargo places pressure on Castroto repair Cuba’s mismanaged and corrupt government. Both the supportersand the opponents of this embargo have strong arguments and evidence to supportthese arguments. Without adoubt, Cuba’s current government is guilty of human rights violations,housing fugitives and terrorist groups, and robbing the Cuban people of wageswith its corrupt state-run economy. While it is inarguable that some actionagainst Cuba is warranted, and that the US economic embargo on Cuba haspositive intentions, the negative repercussions to the Cuban people andthird-party investors and countries greatly outweigh these positive intentions.! Therefore, it would be greatly ineffective for the embargo to remain in placeas the sole tool in promoting change in Cuba. II. Reasons that action toward Cuba iswarranted. There are a fewreasons that action towards Cuba was and is warranted. Since the beginning ofthe Castro regime, the Cuban government has stripped many Cubans of their basicrights and freedoms. According to Amnesty International’s 2002 report,Cuba is guilty of multiple human rights violations. Cuban people are beingimprisoned for peaceful exercises of their fundam... ...ristian Science Monitor. Online. 25 Sept. 1997. â€Å"LiftCuba Embargo, Carter Tells US.† BBC News Online. Online. 15 May2002. Officeof the United States Trade Representative. 1996 National Trade Estimate: TheArab League Boycott of Israel. http://www.ustr.gov Parodi,Francisco. â€Å"US Should Reestablish Relations With Cuba.† DailyBeacon. Online. 5 Sept. 1995. Roy,Joaquin. Cuba, the United States, and the Helm! s-Burton Doctrine:International Reactions. Florida: Univ. Press, 2000. Sierra,J.A. â€Å"The Timetable: History of Cuba.† Online. Aug 2002. http://www.historyofcuba.com Trump,Donald. â€Å"A Choice for Human Rights.† Miami Herald. Online. 25 June1999. UnitedStates. Dept. of State. International Information Programs. Cuban Libertyand Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996. â€Å"USEmbargo Towards Cuba.† No Castro. Online. http://www.nocastro.com/embargo/embargo.htm

Oil quality analyses of four autochthon

Key words: Oil quality, fatty acid composition, phonetic compounds, pigment content, mountain, Akers. Abstract Akers is a mountainous region characterized by an important olive biodiversity with high oil quality but little is known about this olive germless. The aim of this work is to analyze the oil quality of the most predominant varieties ‘Chitout', ‘El horn ‘Grades' and ‘Soulless' cultivated in this region.The most of the quality indices and fatty acid composition showed significant variations among the studied olive cultivators. Olive oil content is high for the four cultivators, especially for the variety ‘Grades' with approximately 67%. The cultivators ‘El Horn' and ‘Grades' had the highest values of ILEC acid (72. 8% and 74. 8%, respectively). While the varieties ‘Osculates' present the highest content of chlorophyll and carotene compounds.The cultivar ‘Grades' was also noteworthy for its higher content of phonetic compoun ds (720 MGM keg-l). In conclusion, the oil quality of the different studied cultivators is classified as extra-virgin oils with high ILEC acids and low palmists and lenience acids. These findings were of interest to protect the specimens studied cultivators, which can be used from the agronomic point of view to substantially improve the production of olive oil in the mountain of Akers. * Corresponding Shame et al.Author: Manias Raman' Shame 0 [email  protected] FRR page 124 Introduction Akers which is localized in the North West of Tunisia. Mountain people, who are among the world's poorest Several analyses were performed to characterize the and hungriest, are key to maintaining mountain different olive oils: free acidity, peroxide value, fatty ecosystems and their role in providing environmental acid composition, pigments content and phonetic services to downstream communities. Mountain compounds by HAPLY-MS.This is a preliminary study communities need to be empowered and their w ith the aim of finding any variable able to livelihoods improved, to enable them to take discriminate among the environmental extra-virgin responsibility natural olive oils and evaluate the oil quality of these resources and to fulfill their role as mountain varieties. Especially that, the olive cultivation could stewards (Walter 1986, Garcia-Uric and Lasagna- have an important role in the sustainable mountain Martinez development. 990, the preservation Blonde and of Aaron's 1999, MacDonald et al. ,2001, Roomer-Caldera and Perry 2004). Materials and methods Fruit samples In Tunisia, the mountains are characterized by an Healthy olive fruit samples of the varieties ‘Chitout', important olive biodiversity with high oil quality but ‘El Horn' ‘Israeli' and ‘Osculates' were picked at little is known about this germless (Manias et al. , industrial optimum ripening stage. The maturity 2013).This resource could be used from the index of all the olives was of 3 and wa s based on the agronomic point of view to substantially improve the degree of skin and pulp pigmentation according to the production of olive in the mountainous orchards, method developed by the Agronomic Station of Jagn pacifically, that olive is one of the few trees that can (Aced and Hermosa; 1998). This experiment was still produce fruits even on rock and unproductive conducted during the crop season of 2012-2013 in the land (Norman-Sabbatical et al. 2007). Mountainous olive orchard of Akers localized in North West Tunisia. The average annual On the other hand, virgin olive oil has a delicate and precipitation was 539 mm with the majority in unique flavor that distinguishes it from other edible October, December, and January. Average annual vegetable oils (Bosky. , 1996). Quantity and quality of temperature of the experimental orchard site is absences existing in the virgin olive oil such as fatty 13. C; the altitude is 1078 m, 35048†² N of latitude acids, phenols, chloroph yll and carotids are and 9021†² E of longitude. Affected by various factors including the type of the olive cultivar (Bacchius et al. , AAA; Certain et al. , Oil Content 2006 and Gomez-Rich. ,2008), climatic conditions For oil content determination, 40 g of olive fruits was (Agiler et al. ,2005), ripening stage (Salvadoran et dried in an oven at ICC to constant weight. The al. , 2001), irrigation management (Vivian et al. 2005) dried olives were crushed and extracted with hexane ND the extraction methods (Randall et al. ,2000). Using a Sloshes apparatus (Batch et al. , 1996). The Among these factors, cultivar is undoubtedly one of results were expressed as percentage of dry matter the most important. However, it is often ignored, either through lack of varietals information, or because the olive oil is a mixture of various varieties or even Analytical indices because emphasis has been laid only on its place of Determination of free acidity, peroxide value and origin (Lantern et al. 2002). Specific ultraviolet absorbency were carried out following the analytical methods described in the SEC The present work was carried out on the extra-virgin Regulation (1995). Olive oils of the four main olive varieties (Checkout, El Horn, Grades and Soulless) grown in the mountain of Fatty acids, peroxide value, and IV page 125 Spectrophotometer's indices (KICK, KICK) Fruits, destined and immediately frozen in liquid The quality indices of fatty acids, peroxide value, and nitrogen, were iterated in a blender.Approximately specific extinction coefficient KICK and KICK and 5 g of the powder obtained were homogeneity four AK were calculated from absorption at 232 and 270 times in 30 ml of methanol/water solution (80:20, spectrophotometer :v), containing 0. 5% sodium metabolites, and ANYWAY – 6405 IV Visible spectrophotometer, centrifuged at 5000 RPM at 3 co for 20 min. An England) according to the European Commission ethanol solution of resorcinol (0. 5 VI) was added as Regulation SEC/2565/91. Internal standard.The combined supernatant were respectively, by IV concentrated under reduced pressure and washed Determination chlorophyll carotene compounds Pigments with hexane. The remaining aqueous solution, partitioned four times with ethyl acetate in a water to were phase ratio of 1 was filtered on sodium sulfate determined by a spectrophotometer according to anhydrous) and evaporated to dryness at 30 co (Minimize-Mosque's et al. , 1991): 1 Goff olive oil was under vacuum. The dry residue was converted into dissolved in 10 ml of ISO-octane.The absorbency of trio-methyl's derivatives with a isolation mixture the solution was measured at 670 and 470 NM for made up of pyridine, hexane-idealizations and chlorophyll and carotene, respectively. Trimester-chlorinated for 1 h at room temperature. The silenced extracts were dried, Fatty Acid analyses dissolved in associate and further analyzed by GO and The fatty acid composition of oil samples was GO-MS. An HP model AAA, equipped with an on- determined as methyl esters by capillary gas column injection system, and coupled with a mass chromatography analysis after alkaline treatment. Elective detector model HP BIBB, was employed. The gas chromatograph (VARIAN CAP-3800 Gas Phonetic compounds extracted by ethyl acetate were Chromatograph) was equipped with an outsmarted identified by comparing both their retention times (CAP-8400), a capillary column HP Minnows (Agilest and mass spectra with those of authentic compounds Technologies, m x 0. 53 mm, 1 pm), a split- or reference standards. Spiritless injector and a flame unionization detector FIDE). Alkaline treatment was carried out by mixing Statistical analysis 0. Goff oil dissolved in 3 ml of n-hexane with 0. 5 ml The results reported in this study are the averages of of 0. 2 N methanol potassium hydroxide solution at least three repetitions (n = 3), unless otherwise according to the method of Erg SEC 2568/91. Stated. Chemical data we re analyses by the SLAT (version 2010. 4. 01). The significance of differences at Determination of total phenols a 5% level between averages was determined by one- Phonetic compounds were isolated by a 3-time way NOVA using Tutees and Dunce's multiple

Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay The WritePass Journal

Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay Abstract Public Service Policy and Strategy Business Essay , p. 1) or by changing the scope of its business activities. These are just some of the changes that may occur within an organisation and could lead to either a positive or negative outcome. Whilst change is inevitable, it is important that Public Service Organisations’ (PSO) are able to deal with any challenges they face. This is because, PSO’s are in a position of trust as they provide services to the public and so are owned and controlled by the government. Hence, it is therefore vital that PSO’s fully understand the public sector and are prepared for new changes. This could be achieved by ensuring that there is a need for change and thereby planning for it; by building internal support systems and by overcoming resistance by making sure that there is top management support and commitment (Sergio and Rainey, 2006: 168). Provided that these factors are taken into consideration, a trusting environment will be created and PSO’s will be equipped for any tra nsitions that take place. The main changes that are likely to take place within a PSO include: services design; structural alterations, management or administration of PSO’s, and changes to the skills that are necessary to manage PSO’s.  Understanding the process of transformation and change in PSO’s are thereby key elements of a manager’s role.  There are two kinds of strategies for managing change, these are planned and emergency, yet how these strategies are utilised will depend on the type of change taking place. Introduction The current scenario of the British Red Cross (BRC) will be explained in this report followed by an assessment as to whether change within the BRC is in fact needed. A new strategic direction will also be introduced which will contain the BRC’s main objective which is to; â€Å"help people in crisis in the UK and all over the world† (BRC, 2012: 1). This will be done by firstly introducing the BRC and putting forward a change situation. The force field analysis evaluating drivers and resisters of the change will then be explained followed by an overview of Mintzberg’s concept of an emergent strategy. Once this has been done, an action plan which demonstrates how the change shall happen will then be constructed, followed by a conclusion and overall summary of the reports main findings. Main Body Section 1: Introduction to the BRC and change proposal    1.1   Organization background (BRC): The British Red Cross (BRC) is a UK society, which is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that aims to provide aid to those in crisis. The BRC helps those within and outside of the UK and operates a non-discriminatory policy. The main objective of the BRC is to provide assistance to people in crisis by conforming to the seven fundamental principles which are: Humanity Impartiality Neutrality Voluntary Service Unity Universality Independence In addition to these principles, the BRC strives to be compassionate, inclusive, dynamic and courageous (BRC, 2011c: 1) and is recognised as one of the main voluntary aid societies within the UK. The BRC undertakes a number of different activities annually so that individuals can be provided with the help that they need. In 2011 the BRC launched seven emergency appeals to help people around the world recover from famine, flooding, earthquakes and conflict, raising 21.6 million; helped 75,000 people in Haiti recover their livelihoods; responded to 4,200 emergency call outs in the UK; loaned out 75,000 wheelchairs; and helped 35,000 refugees and asylum seekers adapt to life in the UK (BRC, 2011b: 1-27). As the BRC is a charity, nonetheless, much of the funding comes from voluntary public contributions and whilst personal contributions are highly important so are corporate contributions since the BRC would not be able to function effectively without such aid. 1.2 Analyzing the change situation: After reviewing both the internal and external environment of the BRC, it is revealed that the BRC needs to raise greater awareness about overseas emergency aid. This is because, after undertaking various research activities, it was found that â€Å"almost three in four Britons feel that they are not well informed about overseas emergency aid issues† (BRC, 2011c: 1). In accordance with this, it is vital that changes to the ways in which the BRC operates are made so that a greater awareness of overseas aid can be achieved. Because the BRC operates on public funding, it is necessary for all individuals to be made fully aware of the different areas of the aid system. This could be attained through the formation of an executive organisation dealing primarily with aid awareness. The public would thus be provided with greater confidence when donating to the BRC as they would be fully aware of how their aid is being utilized. Consequently, the main objective of this new strategic dir ection is to prevent corruption and organisational incompetence whilst promoting an awareness of emergency aid. In realising this direction, the BRC’s current business strategy would need to be altered in order to approach the public in developed countries and provide them with an insight into the ways underdeveloped countries are being supported. This would certainly encourage further aid and would evidently lead to the growth of the BRC. Section 2 Force field analysis evaluating drivers and resisters of the change There are a number of different factors which drive change within any organisation, yet Lewin (1951) identified four different forces in his force field analysis. These are; forces for change; forces resisting change; driving forces; and restraining forces These forces are used in change management and help to understand most change processes in any organisation. If there is a balance between the two types of forces, no change will take place. However, if the driving force exceeds the restraining force then changes will be made. Accordingly, the total drivers and resisters first need to be identified. Once this has been done, an appropriate score from 0-9 then needs to be assigned to the force. Based on the total score of all the drivers and resisters, it is determined whether implementation of change would be successful or not. Below is the representation of influencer drivers and resisters of the proposed change situation for the BRC. Forces FOR change Forces AGAINST change Need to raise awareness about overseas emergency aid 8 Complex issues may be raised 5 Desire to increase voluntary donations 7 BRC’s current strategies are workable 6 Need to understand how aid is being utilised 8 Costs are reduced 5 Possibility of increased public donations 7 Rational resistance of change 3 30 TOTAL 19 2.1   Drivers of change: Need to raise awareness about overseas emergency aid    This force is imperative in preventing corrupt practices from taking place, yet the only way the public can be assured that this is being achieved is through improved public understanding as to how the BRC’s aid is being spent. At present, the public are unsure as to why developing countries remain underdeveloped when a significant amount of aid is being transferred to these countries each year. However, as noted by Akande (2001, p. 27); â€Å"the sums concerned, though large, can do little to offset the far greater imbalances in the world economic order where raw commodities exported from developing countries have lost more than 50% of their trade value in the last 15 years.† Furthermore, whilst individuals and organisations provide a lot of aid to the BRC, a substantial amount of this is paid to the bank in interest. Furthermore, debt servicing payments are also paid to the World Bank, which means that developi ng countries are left with very little to establish their own economies. This appears somewhat absurd and it is unsurprising why there is a great reluctance to provide aid to underdeveloped countries because of this. Consequently, provided that the BRC can demonstrate exactly how their particular aid is utilised, it is likely that further investments will be made. This is because, as stressed by Aid Info (2008; p. 1); â€Å"Organisations and governments are most effective when they can be held accountable to those they serve, in this instance, communities receiving aid.† Therefore, unless aid transparency is ascertained, the growth of the BRC will be affected. This force scores 8 as it is given high consideration for effective aid utilization within the UK. Desire to increase voluntary donations – Because the BRC operates on voluntary donations, it is vital that these can be increased which is likely to be attained through aid transparency. This force scores 7 from this too has a significant impact upon the drive for change. Need to understand how aid is being utilised – If the public understand how their donations will be utilised it is likely that they will donate a lot more. As such, better awareness and utilisation is required. This force impacts deeply and thus scores 8 to demonstrate the significance of aid utilization maximization. Possibilities of increased public donations – It is likely that there would be an increased level of public donations if the public were fully aware of how their contributions were being spent. Essentially, it is important that this scores 7 since the value of the chain is clearly determined by this. 2.2   Resisters of change: Complex issues may be raised – Greater accountability may cause many problems for the BRC and the internal environment may be significantly affected as a result. This force scores 5 to illustrate its impact. BRC’s current strategies are workable – Because of the success in which the BRC has had so far, it could be said that changes to aid awareness would be detrimental and that aid data would still only be partially available. This change scores 6 in order to reflect the concern surrounding this issue. Costs are reduced: Because of the costs that would be incurred from generating awareness, it is likely that the amount of net aid will be reduced which would have a damaging effect to the value of the BRC. It therefore scores 5. Rational resistance of change: In justifying the need for this change, a determination as to whether aid awareness is really necessary needs to be made. Nevertheless, because rational resistance is easily overcome it scores a low 3 as the impact of this is minimal. After quantifying the numbers of drivers and resisters with their degree of influence it is evident that there will be more drivers than resisters of this particular change. Accordingly, the total score of drivers is 30, whilst the total score of resistors is 19. As a result, it is manifest that the change to be made will be more likely to succeed since aid awareness is likely to have a positive impact on the performance of the BRC. Section 3: Mintzberg’s concept of an emergent strategy for proposed change in the BRC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.1 Understanding Mintzberg’s emergent strategy: An emergent strategy is one that emerges over time as unexpected changes in the environment collide with intentions. Essentially, this means that the intended strategy of an organisation eventually changes in accordance with what actually works in practice (Moore, 2011, p. 1). Thus, according to Mintzberg (1985, p. 257); â€Å"strategies are largely emergent within organisations and not simply predictable outcomes of formal hierarchical plans.† Consequently, it is thus believed by   Mintzberg (1994) that the management of any organisation should therefore adopt a more flexible approach when it comes to strategic planning since the original objectives will undoubtedly be subject to change. In accordance with this emergent strategy, it is thereby important that the strategic plan for BRC includes ways to reduce the resisters of change. This will be done in accordance with the BRC’s best practice. 3.2 Constructing emergent strategy to implement change in the BRC: An emergent strategy can be created by following these steps; (Scott, 2006, pp. 6-7). Step 1 Identify and map out any assumptions and risks of the BRC’s strategy; Step 2 – Identify and prioritise those assumptions and risks in order to learn more about them so that any risks can be dealt with accordingly; Step 3 Design and execute knowledge building exercises in order to build smart experiments and risk mitigation strategies; Step 4 Absorb and redirect based on the results of the experiments. By putting these steps into practice, BRC will be able to adjust to any new ideas and deal with any challenges they may face according. This will ultimately increase the chances of this new change succeeding. Step 1 Identify and map out any assumptions and risks in of the BRC’s strategy Because change within any organisation lead creates a certain degree of uncertainty, it is important to carefully review all parts of an emergent strategy, whether these are positive or negative. Since the BRC aims to provide help and assistance to those in crisis around the world, it is evident that the change relating to aid transparency will not have much of a damaging effect. However, there will be some concern relating to the case flow of the BRC as the costs incurred may have a negative impact on this. Nevertheless, if this change leads to an increase in donations, the dent in the cash flow can be overcome. Consequently, the change in this strategy is proposed to change the views on donating and provide those willing to donate with a deeper understanding of how aid is being utilised. This will prevent corrupt practices from being employed and the utilization of aid will be maximised. Step 2 Identify and prioritise those assumptions and risks in order to learn more about them so that any risks can be dealt with accordingly Whilst the internal and external environment of the BRC will be affected by this change, it is important to prioritise the assumptions and risks by considering the impact a wrong assumption would have on the BRC and determining how any risks can in fact be overcome. It also needs to be considered whether the assumptions are certain because even the slightest doubt can significantly affect the overall strategy of the BRC. Consideration of how further assumptions can be learnt also needs to be taken into account so that costs of running further experiments and the amount of time this will take can be established. Step 3 Design and execute knowledge building exercises in order to build smart experiments and risk mitigation strategies All good emergent strategies need experiments and risk mitigation strategies so that any uncertainties in the approach taken can be identified and dealt with early on. Experiments can consist of; partial experiments, which test one part of a strategy, and holistic experiments, which test the whole of the strategy. Step 4 Absorb and redirect based on the results of the experiments This stage of the emergent strategy process consists of a knowledge building exercise. The BRC and its management will thus be required to re-assess the approach being undertaken and consider whether any new information should lead the management to; double down, continue exploring, re-vector or shelve (Scott, 2008, p. 9). Consequently, in order to construct the emergent strategy for change in the BRC pre-strategic planning and implementation is required. Section 4: Precise Action plan Objectives Actions Responsibilities Resources Deadlines Risks Mile stones Human Financial objective Actions Resposibilities Resources measures Risks deadline Milestone Develop the BRC’s own team of executives Action 1: Implement a task-expertise-person model of team effectiveness Action 2: Organise the entire system of operation leadership and responsibilities Action 3: Construct Executive Strategy Action 4: Develop an effective HR management system Managers and employees Information Services, computerisation, resource centre and networking Calculate the costs and allocate responsibilities Costly and Time Consuming March 2013 Analyse the executive’s current skills, knowledge and competencies and develop a training plan for the team of executives through the completion of a gap analysis. Raise awareness about overseas aid in order to increase voluntary donations Action 1: Consider how aid should be effectively distributed Action 2: Raise current awareness about aid Action 3: Operative executives Questionnaires, Perceptions Survey, Networking and Resource Centres As above Negative impact of PEST factors May 2013 Interact with the public in order to determine current awareness Collect and Analyse Experimental Data Action 1: Evaluate current awareness Action 2: Consider the effects increased awareness would have on the organisation Action 3: Record current activities of aid awareness Employees As above As above Consider the effects transparency will have on the BRC August 2013 Analyse the data collected and reach a conclusion based on the findings. Use statistical methods to decide whether the change is worthwhile Finalise Emergent Strategy Action 1: Design and Execute Knowledge Building Exercises Action 2: Pre Strategic Planning Action 3: Redirect activities based on the findings Managers, Executors and Leadership Team As Above Reviewing Data, Generating Initiatives, Prioritising Activities, Writing the overall plan Consider how the resistors of change can be overcome December 2013 Adjust to the new ideas and deal with any challenges in an appropriate manner Implement the Change Action 1: Raise awareness of overseas aid Action 2: Ensure the BRC’s activities are transparent Action 3: Provide the public with an overview as to how the resources are being used Managers, Executors and Leadership Team Computer Systems, Internet, Volunteers Implement the Plan If the outcomes are negative, re-direct the strategy and start again March 2014 Review the emergent strategy and make changes where necessary Section 5: Concluding Remarks Many organisations are coming to the realisation that change is to be expected, which is why it is important that effective strategies are in place that will help to deal with such changes and ensure that only positive outcomes are produced. Whilst the introduction of significant changes can be confusing and frustrating leading to a decline in productivity, it is clear that such drawbacks can be overcome through the implementation of an effective emergent strategy. Accordingly, risks to productivity will thus be eradicated and the desired objectives of the change will be achieved. The BRC does not have an easy solution when it comes to making changes to the organisational structure of the business and instead ensures that any changes to be made are thoroughly thought out before they are implemented. Thus, in order for the BRC to reach its overall aim which is to help those in crisis, much emphasis is placed upon the need for transparency. The fundamental idea is to provide the public with a greater understanding of how the aid that is provided to the BRC is being utilised so that voluntary donations increase. In addition, it is likely that corrupt practices would be eradicated if the BRC were more transparent and although this would cost money; the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. This report uses the force field analysis in order to identify the resistors and drivers of this proposed change and to consider whether the change should take place.   Because the score for change is 30, whilst the score against change is 19, it is evident that the change will prove successful. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired outcome of the change, the emergent strategy of Mintzberg ought to be used. References Aid Info. (2008) Aid Transparency Movement, Better Information, Better Aid, [Online] Available: aidinfo.org/about-us/aid-transparency-movement [04 January 2013]. Akande, W. (2001) Ireland: A Nation in Transition, iUniverse. BRC. 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