Raising Achievement in Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology)

Assignment 1: Raising Achievement in Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) (PGCE programme) This assignment is set at ‘H’? level. (3000 words +/- 10%) Assignment Task With reference to your reading in the relevant research, write about how you have raised or could have raised the achievement of a pupil or small group of pupils whom you have taught this year.There must be a clear link between the discussion of the teaching and learning that took place in your class and the relevant research on achievement; you must provide a sound rationale for your teaching methods and strategies. The school, teachers and students must be anonymous. Introduction It should constantly be our aim as teachers to raise the achievement of the pupils in our care so that they are attaining at their full potential.It will also be useful for you to discuss these issues with those you work with at school (mentor, PCM, SENCO, etc. ) and to observe closely how these are addressed in classroom pract ice. However, in this assignment, it would be especially appropriate for you to select a particular pupilor group of pupils who you work with in the classroom and who have specific challenges in attaining theirfull potential in science (see below for suggestions), and for you to focus on strategies and techniques for supporting their particular needs.The generic assignment briefing at the top of this page asks you to discuss a particular pupil or group of pupils and how you might have raised, or did raise, their achievement in science (and particularly in your own specialist discipline of Biology, Chemistry or Physics), linking aspects of the teaching and learning with the relevant research carried out in your literature review. In identifying the pupil or group you intend to refer to, consider the range of children who might under? achieve: †¢Gender: boys/girls †¢those with special educational needs †¢the gifted and talented †¢literacy in Science †¢children in care †¢minority ethnic children travellers †¢young carers †¢those from families under stress †¢pregnant school girls and teenage mothers (http://www. education. gov. uk/schools/pupilsupport) †¦and the reasons and issues surrounding underachievement: †¢inequalities in class (social background), ethnicity, and/or gender †¢lack of motivation †¢lack of suitable challenge †¢the appropriateness of activities and tasks †¢a mis? match of expectations †¢a perceived irrelevance of the activities and tasks Some further thoughts The following is based on the report: â€Å"Improving Secondary Schools†, the Hargreaves Report on secondary schools in the Inner London Education Authority (1984).This was summarised in West, A & Dickey, A (1990) â€Å"The Redbridge High School English Handbook†; L. B. Redbridge Advisory Service. The report defined four aspects of pupil achievement (think carefully about how these apply to science and your chosen discipline): 1. This aspect involves most of all, the capacity to express oneself in a written form. It requires the capacity to retain propositional knowledge, to select from such knowledge appropriately in response to a specified request and to do so quickly without reference to possible sources of information.The capacity to memorise and organize material is particularly important. 2. This aspect is concerned with the capacity to apply knowledge rather the knowledge itself; with the practical rather than the theoretical; with the oral rather than the written. Problem solving and investigational skills are more important than the retention of knowledge. 3. This aspect is concerned with personal and social skills: the capacity to communicate with others in face to face relationships; the ability to co? operate with others in the interests of the group as well as the individual; initiative, self? eliance and the ability to work alone without close supervision; and t he skills of leadership. 4. This aspect involves motivation and commitment; the willingness to accept failure without destructive consequences; the readiness to persevere; the self confidence to learn in spite of the difficulty of the task. Such motivation is often regarded as a prerequisite to achievement rather than as an achievement in itself. We do not deny that motivation is a prerequisite to other aspects of achievement, but we also believe that it can be regarded as an achievement in its own right. What do we mean by under? achievement? â€Å"Achievement below expectations† †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Underachievement is a discrepancy between a child’s school performance and some index of the child’s ability. † (Rimm, S (1977) ‘An Underachievement Epidemic’; Educational Leadership 54 (7)) †¢An underachiever is: â€Å"A young person, at each significant stage of education that has not reached the expected levels set by the government. † (P rince’s Trust) You are recommended, for example, to go to the web? site: www. dfe. gov. uk/schools/pupilsupport Look under ‘Inclusion and Learner Support’. You will see a list of items including ‘Minority ethnic achievement’ and ‘Gender and Achievement’.The written essay The title and subject matter of the assignment are as laid out at the top of this briefing document under ‘Raising Achievement in Science’. The essay should be about raising achievement in the learning of science in your specific discipline (physics, chemistry or biology). †¢You are expected to have read widely in the process of carrying out this assignment, showing evidence in your writing of an appropriate depth and breadth †¢In addition, you are expected to draw upon your own experience and observation from schools you have been in †¢References to publications in our text should provide the author, date and page number. A bibliography must be provided with full details of relevant texts that you have read. An omitted bibliography/references section can result in a ‘fail’ grade for the assignment. Advice on correct referencing is contained in the ‘Assignment Guide’ available on UEL Plus. †¢Any materials you have produced in seeking to raise achievement in the classroom may be placed in the body of the assignment or an appendix as appropriate. These materials may be referred to in order to exemplify points made in the essay. Ensure that you offer some critique of the points raised from your reading and experience; be aware that there are alternative viewpoints; be careful not to simply offer subjective statements. Points made should be justified from evidence of experience, observation and/or reading. Offer critical analysis of what you have read, observed and taught in respect of this task and some alternative approaches. Do not necessarily take educational writers’ views or those of colleagues at ‘face value’. Submission The assignment should be approximately 3000 words +/? 0%, not including quotations or appendices. A reference list/bibliography must be included. All referencing should follow the Harvard system as detailed in the following book (available from the bookshop): Pears, R & Shields, G (2010) â€Å"Cite Them Right ? 8th ed. †; Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan An e-book version of â€Å"Cite Then Right† is also available on UEL Plus Keep any schools, teachers and pupils anonymous. Annotated Bibliography: Monday 12th November, 2013 by 5:00pm; submitted by e-mail directly to your tutor Assignment submission (electronic):Monday 7th January, 2013 by 23. 59 hr The assignment should be submitted electronically using the Turnitin protocol. A suggested ‘starter’ reading list: Younger, M & Warrington, M (2005) â€Å"Raising Boys’ Achievement in Secondary Schools†; Oxford: OUP You might also download the following document: http://publications. dcsf. gov. uk/default. aspx? PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF? RR086& When looking for resources in the Library, remember that areas of the Library, in addition to education, may be worth a look at; eg.Child Development and Child Psychology (these books are held within the Health and Bi? Science collections). What is an Annotated Bibliography? A Bibliography is simply a list of books relevant to the study being undertaken and which have been referred to when preparing the study. The list is referenced in the proper manner (refer to the book â€Å"Cite Them Right† and to the guidance at the end of this document). An Annotated Bibliography is where, under each book/article reference, there are a few brief sentences / short paragraph summarising the key points of the text where they are relevant to the current study.Here is a brief, example related to achievement of girls in science: Kelly, A. (1986), The d evelopment of girls’ and boys’ attitudes to science: A longitudinal study, European Journal of Science Education, Volume 8, Issue 4 Attitude? to-science tests were completed by 1300 pupils, at ten schools, when they were 11 years old and again two and a half years later. During that time their interest in most branches of science decreased, but both girls and boys became more interested in learning about human biology.Their opinions about science and scientists also became generally less favourable, but pupils grew more willing to see science as suitable for girls. The attitude changes varied considerably from school to school, and were slightly better in schools which had implemented a programme of interventions to improve children's attitudes than in other schools. There was considerable stability in the attitudes of individual children over the period of the study. The ‘idea’ of the annotated bibliography is to ‘gather together’ a range of relevant literature which will, at a later stage, be the basis for extended writing and study.

Research Methodology Essay

This chapter includes research method, setting of the study, subject of the study, source of data, procedure of the study, project design, hardware and software requirements and statistical treatment. Research Method The researchers used the descriptive method together with the developmental research to come up with desired system. Descriptive research is concerned with the description of data and characteristics about a population. The goal is the acquisition of factual, accurate and systematic data that can be used in averages, frequencies and similar statistical calculations. Descriptive studies seldom involve experimentation, as they are more concerned with naturally occurring phenomena than with the observation of controlled situations. [1] The researchers believes that the descriptive method of research is appropriate for their system because it is easy to analyze, interpret the data gathered information and understand data that are easily recognizable. They chose to use this method because the descriptive research design enable researchers to describe or present the picture of a phenomenon or phenomena under investigation and it also includes many particular research methodologies and procedures, such as observations, surveys, self-reports, and tests. Developmental research, A term describing the systematic use and practical application of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or technical nature toward the design, development, testing, evaluation or improvement of useful products to meet specific performance requirements but exclusive of manufacturing and production engineering. Extramural activities which are primarily for development of training materials and curricula should be identified as Developmental Research. [2] Developmental research, as opposed to simple instructional development, has been defined as the systematic study of designing, developing, and evaluating instructional programs, processes, and products that must meet criteria of  internal consistency and effectiveness. Developmental research is particularly important in the field of instructional technology. The most common types of developmental research involve situations in which the product-development process is analyzed and described, and the final product is evaluated. A second type of developmental research focuses more on the impact of the product on the learner or the organization. A third type of study is oriented toward a general analysis of design development or evaluation processes as a whole or as components. A fundamental distinction should be made between reports of actual developmental research (practice) and descriptions of design and development procedural models (theory). Although it has frequently been misunderstood, developmental research has contributed much to the growth of the field as a whole, often serving as a basis for model construction and theorizing.[3] The researchers used the development research method because the researchers aimed to come up with a system not yet developed before. Setting of the study The application of the developed system is focused in Eastroad Apartelle in Binangonan, Rizal. It is located at Nt’l Rd., Hi-way Calumpang, Binangonan, Rizal near the tennis court and the municipal hall. The Apartelle is fully operational since July 8, 2006 when it is first started as a small inn. At this moment, the apartelle has 23 rooms now and 8 employees and still growing. Their Mission is to be recognized as the leading Apartelle in the Binangonan area with disciplined, happy and highly-skilled staff committed to giving the highest standard of service. They envision themselves as leading and dominating in terms of lodging industry in Rizal. Subject of the study The Eastroad Apartelle Logging/Billing System is developed because there was this urge to boost their quality of service by modernizing the way of their business. Thus, the study will focus on the staff of the apartelle as the respondents because they are the ones who are in charge of maintaining the good reputation of the apartelle. Definitely, it will affect their way of transacting through the introduction of technology in their methodology. The perceptions of the staff and of the customers will be evaluated through an adopted questionnaire. The researchers chose the 8 staff of the Eastroad Apartelle because the researchers observed that they could need more up to date methods of transactions. The chosen respondents consist of 1 secretary, 3 front desk officers, 2 restaurant crew and 2 service crews. Since there are only eight staff members in the apartelle, the researchers decided to conduct the study with all of them as the respondents which will also evaluate the system by answering the questionnaire checklist and test the developed Eastroad Apartelle Lodging and Billing System. Source of data The researchers gathered the primary source of data through the adapted questionnaire and interviews with the respondents. They also used secondary sources of data such as reading materials, like books that are related to the said study and surfing different websites. Procedure of the study At first, the researchers will start the identification of the problem and tackle the different aspects of the problem and its possible solutions. Second, they will formulate some titles. After being approved through the title defense, the researchers will now start gathering some data by means of interviewing and doing some on-site observations. After that, the researchers will start to write Chapters 1 and 2 which they will defend sooner. Project Design System Flowchart and Algorithm System Flowchart Algorithm When the user was about to explore the logging/billing system: 1. Start 2. Login 3. Select room category whether it is: 3.1 Standard type 3.1.1 Select how many hours to check in 3.1.2 Select available room and pay the initial bill 3.1.3 If check in time reach limit, decide whether to extend or check out 3.2 Economy type 3.2.1 Select how many hours to check in 3.2.2 Select available room and pay the initial bill 3.2.3 If check in time reach limit, decide whether to extend or check out 3.3 Budget type 3.3.1 Select how many hours to check in 3.3.2 Select available room and pay the initial bill 3.3.3 If check in time reach limit, decide whether to extend or check out 4. End Hardware and software requirements Hardware The system will be running by the use of a computer set (monitor, system unit, mouse, keyboard and speaker or earphone). The following parts are MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard, G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Ram, Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5†³ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive, NVIDIA NVS 300 512MB Graphics Card, Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply, A4tech OP-620/ 720 PS2 Optical Mouse, A4tech KBS-720A PS2 Keyboard, and Creative 2.0 SBS A40 USB Powered Speakers. The respondents used the mouse for clicking their desired service to be rendered to their customers and the monitor for viewing the contents of their transactions. Software The researchers will be using Microsoft Visual Studio 6 and Microsoft Office 2007. Minimum system requirements to be able to run the software are as follows: PC with Pentium-class processor; Pentium 90 or higher processor recommended, Microsoft Windows 95 or later operating system or Windows NT operating system version 4.0 with Service Pack 3 or later (Service Pack 3 included) , 24 MB of RAM for Windows 95 (32 MB recommended); 24 MB for Windows NT 4.0 (32 MB recommended) , Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 (included) , Hard disk space: Typical installation: 116 MB,  Maximum installation: 135 MB, Additional hard disk space may be required for the following products: Internet Explorer: 43 MB typical, 59 MB maximum MSDN: 57 MB typical, 493 MB maximum, Windows NT Option Pack: 20 MB for Windows 95; 200 MB for Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 run on Windows NT 4.0 only and require the following additional hard disk space: SQL Server: 80 MB typical, 95MB maximum. The researchers chose to use Microsoft Visual Studio 6 (Visua l Basic 6). Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop console and graphical user interface applications along with Windows Forms applications, web sites, web applications, and web services in both native code together with managed code for all platforms supported by Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, .NET Framework, .NET Compact Framework and Microsoft Silverlight. Visual Studio includes a code editor supporting IntelliSense as well as code refactoring. The integrated debugger works both as a source-level debugger and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include a forms designer for building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, and database schema designer. It accepts plug-ins that enhance the functionality at almost every level—including adding support for source-control systems (like Subversion and Visual SourceSafe) and adding new toolsets like editors and visual designers for domain-specific languages or toolsets for other aspects of the software development lifecycle (like the Team Foundation Server client: Team Explorer). Visual Studio supports different programming languages by means of language services, which allow the code editor and debugger to support (to varying degrees) nearly any programming language, provided a language-specific service exists. Built-in languages include C/C++ (via Visual C++), VB.NET (via Visual Basic .NET), C# (via Visual C#), and F# (as of Visual Studio 2010[7]). Support for other languages such as M, Python, and Ruby among others is available via language services installed separately. It also supports XML/XSLT, HTML/XHTML, JavaScript and CSS. Individual language-specific versions of Visual Studio also exist which provide more limited language services to the user: Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual J#, Visual C#, and Visual C++. [4] Also, the researchers will use Microsoft Access 2007 or latest. Microsoft Access is a computer application used to create and manage computer-based databases on desktop computers  and/or on connected computers (a network). Microsoft Access can be used for personal information management (PIM), in a small business to organize and manage data, or in an enterprise to communicate with servers. [5] Statistical Treatment Weighted mean has been chosen by the researchers to measure the acceptability of the developed system by the beneficiary. Range (1-5)Verbal Interpretation Scale 4.20 – 5.00Strongly Accepted5 3.20 – 4.19Accepted4 2.60 – 3.19Moderately Accepted3 1.80 – 2.59Not Accepted2 1.0 – 1.79Strongly Not Accepted1 Notes 1http://www.ehow.com/about_6663890_meaning-descriptive-method-research_.html 2http://cnc.ucr.edu/ecaf/glossary.html 3http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED373753&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED373753 4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Visual_Studio 5http://www.functionx.com/access/Lesson01.htm

Chinatown (1974) - dir. Roman Polanski Movie Review - 1

Chinatown (1974) - dir. Roman Polanski - Movie Review Example Gittes follows Hollis moves, takes pictures of him with a young woman, and hears him oppose the development of new reservoir that makes the headline of the following newspaper. A beautiful woman confronts Gittes in his office; she claims to be the real Evelyn Mulwray and he can anticipate a lawsuit. He notices it is a set up and Gittes wants to establish the person behind it and his investigations guides him to Mulwray’s drowned body. Gittes suspects murder, he investigates and realizes that every night, huge quantities of water are released from the reservoir, and the land is almost dry. Gittes realizes that Hollis was once a business partner of John Huston (Noah Cross) his father. Noah Cross promises to give Gittes a huge amount if he succeeds in looking for Hollis missing girlfriend. As Gittes investigates the missing of Hollis girlfriend, he discovers that many orange groves have transformed their ownership in San Fernando. When Gittes visits San Fernando Valley, he is confronted and beaten by angry landowners who thought that he was from the water department who had been destroying and poisoning their water reservoirs to force them out of their land. Gittes finds out that Mulwray was killed when he knew that the new water tank would be used to irrigate newly bought properties. Gittes unravels a murder drama, which looks to be linked to the water reservoirs in San Fernando Valley. The conspiracy that Gittes unravels does not fit a real noir crime film because there is the absence of high-speed loot, no gems, and jewels. Instead, Huston, and other people are planning to dry up the San Fernando Valley by moving water to another direction in order to purchase the land cheaply, and then re-divert water back into the land so that the land becomes fertile, and sell it at a higher price. The central question is how Evelyn Mulwray fits in all this activities and who is this mysterious woman associated with

Investigation of Current Performance in Inverleith Hotel (B&B) Edinbur Assignment

Investigation of Current Performance in Inverleith Hotel (B&B) Edinburg - Assignment Example Additionally, a SWOT analysis of the hotel has been conducted with the aim of understanding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Inverleith Hotel (B&B) located in Edinburgh, which is a B&B hotel. A comparison is also made between the hotel with other similar size B&B hotels in the same geographical area. Alternatively, it also intends to explain the methods through which the current performance of the hotel can be maintained properly and the possible solutions for the expansion of the business. In order to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Inverleith Hotel (B&B), a SWOT analysis has been conducted. In this respect, the strengths, as well as weaknesses of the hotel, can be determined. The possible opportunities related to the success and development of the hotel can also be ascertained. After identifying the weaknesses and threats, the hotel can reduce the weakness by applying new strategies to improve the performance of the hotel (Practical Entrepreneurship, n.d.). The hotel is one of the leading fast food hotels in England. The hotel focuses on the preferences of the customers, which is one of the important strength of the hotel. This strength helps the hotel to attract the more customers to increase the sale as well as increase the profit of the hotel. It also helps to improve the performance of the employees so that the objectives of the hotel can be accomplished. It has multiple numbers of customers in the market. The financial growth of the hotel has increased to a substantial extent. The geographical area of the hotel is good for marketing or doing business. The facilities provided by the hotel are based on quality standards and in accordance with the needs of the customers. The rooms of the hotel are equipped with modern equipment like telephone and broadband access and with self-catering accommodation (Practical Entrepreneurship, n.d.).

(Emotion) .....not really sure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

(Emotion) .....not really sure - Essay Example When speÐ °king Ð °bout my personÐ °l ego ideÐ °l, I would refer myself to the first group of people, who Ð °re ideÐ °lizing the world rÐ °ther thÐ °n living in the reÐ °lity. CreÐ °ting ideÐ °l imÐ °ges of me Ð °nd the outer world is whÐ °t describes my personÐ °lity. I therefore, live in the present, Ð °nd reject who I Ð °m Ð °t the moment while concentrÐ °ting who I wÐ °nt to be. Since it is impossible to reÐ °ch the ideÐ °l, I do not perceive the world Ð °s it is Ð °nd often disÐ °ppoint in life. I mÐ °y thus describe myself Ð °s nÐ °Ãƒ ¯ve person, but Ð °lso the one who enjoys life Ð °nd sees everything in the best colors. My ego-self is constÐ °ntly judging Ð °nd rejecting its Ð °rising stÐ °te Ð °nd trying to fit itself into Ð ° certÐ °in ideÐ °l. It is not just being where it is Ð °nd Ð °llowing itself to unfold freely. Ð s Ð ° result, it does not understÐ °nd where it is for it is invested in being somewhere in pÐ °rticulÐ °r, being Ð ° certÐ °in wÐ °y, or in sÐ °tisfying Ð ° pÐ °rticulÐ °r ideÐ °l. Ð nd even if this ideÐ °l is tÐ °ken from spirituÐ °l teÐ °chings, the sÐ °me mechÐ °nism of ego Ð °ctivity is in operÐ °tion. TrÐ °pped in the ego-self, I do not trust thÐ °t Being myself will tÐ °ke me where I need to go. 2. Second, Ð °nd equÐ °lly importÐ °nt, is the Ð °bility Ð °nd willingness to be Ð ° teÐ °m member, plÐ °ying dÐ °ily roles in such Ð ° fÐ °shion thÐ °t the whole is Ð °lwÐ °ys greÐ °ter thÐ °n the sum of its pÐ °rts. It must be recognized Ð °nd Ð °ccepted thÐ °t no teÐ °m is ever stronger thÐ °n the weÐ °kest member, so thÐ °t eÐ °ch member must be Ð °ssigned to mÐ °ke full use of tÐ °lents possessed. 3. Third, thÐ °t Ð °ll individuÐ °ls Ð °re equÐ °l Ð °nd thÐ °t eÐ °ch Ð °nd ever one must fully recognize thÐ °t equÐ °lity Ð °nd with full Ð °cceptÐ °nce of the other, but thÐ °t we Ð °re Ð °ll humÐ °n beings; eÐ °ch with our own pÐ °rticulÐ °r weÐ °knesses Ð °nd strengths; so thÐ °t in full teÐ °m fÐ °shion ones strengths Ð °re emphÐ °sized Ð °nd weÐ °knesses

What policies, if any, should Europe implement to address Spains Essay

What policies, if any, should Europe implement to address Spains economic problems of declining prices and high unemployment - Essay Example ies include provision of financial assistance to Spain and its banks, substantial economic reforms, improve liquidity in the Euro zone banking system and initiate reforms on economic governance (Lee, 1). As a point of departure, the economic crisis in Spain going down to the rates of inflation and unemployment need immediate response to help the situation. The euro zone should release financial assistance from the it’s lending facility called the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to Spain and its banks to rescue the nation’s financial base from further sliding prices. This facility provides loans in a direct manner to the euro zone governments (Patrick, Cohn-Bendit, and Griffiths, 38). The money is meant for recapitalization and purchase of government bonds primarily on the secondary markets. With the purchase of government bonds through the commercial banks of Spain, the situation is expected to slowly come to normal due to the ability of the government to pay for its spending, particularly the capital expenditure intended for national development. Equally, the European Union should seek that the Spanish government reaches and adheres to the set fiscal asceticism and structural reforms benchmarks. It is realizable that, the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF help most of the euro zone nations to create and monitor implementation of sound reform programs. This process reassures a stable market for the euro zone goods and services and attracts rescue funds from the EFSF (Patrick, Cohn-Bendit, and Griffiths, 45). In addition, the reformed structures help in faster comeback from an economic downturn. For this case Spain stands a better chance of receiving these funds, because of its early adoption of the reforms assures a stable market free of volatility. The other rescue response involves the unprecedented steps intended to improve the liquidity status of the Euro zone banking structure. For instance from May 2010, the ECB

Literature Review ------The difference of Modern organization Assignment

Literature Review ------The difference of Modern organization communication between China and America - Assignment Example The American model of interpersonal communication is individual-based and tends to address the self within an organization (Lowry, Cao, & Everard, 2011). It is basically a symbolic process that brings people together, in which case, the participants use verbal and others forms of communication to persuade others for individual and professional benefit (Chia, 1995). This form of communication is premised upon and influenced by interactive traditions that can be traced from fundamental and common facial norms. All Americans tend to be at peace with a positive face, which generally convinces neighbors or associates to show respect and or recognition for an individual. Negative facial communication, for example, communicates the need for liberty for an individual (Lowry, Cao, & Everard, 2011). According to Samowar, Porter, and McDaniel (2011), the American norm of interpersonal communication as replicated in the face concept is that when an individual joins a gathering, and they modify their face to be in line with the main agenda being discussed. At this point, Americans often tend to relay information about themselves to others, through verbal and nonverbal means of communication. The recipients receive the communication and assess it by comparing the various forms of communication for consistency. As a result, the individual’s assessment of the parties in a conversation or communication controls and dictates the exchange of messages. The American society, therefore perceives interpersonal communication as a game involving two individuals whereby information from each other’s independence pays out, and which can only be sustained by how rational is an individual. Other factors include individual beliefs, and tactful maneuvers of each other’s facial expression through verbal and nonverbal means of social interaction. Such

The negative and positive effects of outsourcing to developing Essay

The negative and positive effects of outsourcing to developing countries - Essay Example Outsourcing can be taken to refer to the downsizing of an organization's workforce, whereby those tasks previously performed by these individuals are alternatively performed by automation or the tasks are exported to another base for completion especially overseas where the tasks can be completed cheaply For instance, India and china are known to provide the largest pool of labour in the manufacturing industry, most notably the clothing industry. For the purpose of this report, however, outsourcing is defined as the provision of domestic tasks or assignments from internal production to an external organization particularly in the area of fashion (Eriksen, 2005). This definition can be supported by Ross (2004) who argues that many immigrants, especially from developing countries work in the apparel industry toiling in sweatshops where the violation of laws governing their wages, safety and child labour is rife (Ross, 2004). According to him, there are about a quarter million sweatshop workers in the United States all employing immigrants from the third world, hence producing a competitive race to the bottom among low-wage countries. Since its inception, therefore, outsourcing has become a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm (Haynes, 1999). Accordingly, it has brought about the growth of information technology, assisted globalization thereby generating multinational societies that have necessitated certain situations where stiff competition tends to take control of our lives (Eriksen, 2005). A manifestation of this cut- throat competition is witnessed in the frenzy with which research and development are occurring in business and most notable in fashion where trade mark names in the clothing industry are the order of the day. Take for instance labels like Van-Heusen, Marks and Spencer, Nike and Adidas just to mention but only a few. You are not fashionable if you don't don any of these household names (Rosen, 2002). Other areas where outsourcing is taking centre stage include computer programming positions, administrative works and production assignments, with third world countries such as India and China ending up being the highest end-users for this outsourced work (Haynes, 1999). The same competition is also found in the efforts shown by companies in cutting expenditure and attempting to offer the best of services ever, which has finally catapulted itself into outsourcing. This situation is becoming more frightening each waking day because more and more companies are emulating their rivals in business (Eriksen, 2005). On the other hand, outsourcing is considered by majority of business people as a win-win state of affairs but regrettably has not been always the case. In fact it is associated with plenty of shortcomings that are beyond the understanding of most people. The current major disadvantage of outsourcing is that the first world nations have policies in place governing outsourcing that are too inclined to one side to be able to offer a level playing ground for big and small companies alike, thus leaving the only alternative open for them to outsource (Haynes, 1999). Given that outsourcing generally leads to lowering of the prices for products and services, then most organisations are forced to outsource so as to remain in business. This outsourcing makes sure that products and services that are produced are both cheaper and of high quality and at the same time get better sales than those with only quality but costing a fortune, consequently making profits sky rocket (Haynes, 1999). Evidence available indicates that for the previous couple of years, the United States economy has emerged as a budding economy, significantly and irretrievably impacting strongly on the global market (Haynes, 1999). One of the most momentous impacts of this robust economy lies in the area of outsourcing to foreign countries. That is why the developed

The Internet and Public Policy in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Internet and Public Policy in Qatar - Essay Example Eventually, the paper will discuss and provide a recommended plan on how this type of crime should be managed. Although Qatari government has not provided a clear definition of theft, this type of criminal act has been defined as â€Å"an unlawful act of stealing, taking, and removing of personal property with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it† (Merriam-Webster Online, 2009). Basically, â€Å"a person commits theft if he receives, retains, or disposes of the property of another knowing that it has been stolen, or believing that it has probably been stolen, with a purpose to deprive the owner thereof† (N.H. Rev. Sta. Ann.  § 637:1, 1, 1996). Although most of the existing definition of theft does not clearly state where and how the act of stealing another person’s property or information may occur, it remains clear that taking another person’s property or identity without the knowledge of Aside from the legally practicing the existing penal co de law on theft, Qatari government strongly supports the intellectual property rights (A Review of Intellectual Property-Related News and Developments in the Middle East and North Africa, 2007). For instance: The selling of pirated or selling counterfeited CDs is considered a crime related to theft. As part of Qatari government’s effort on implementing some international and regional strategies against transnational crime, an Intellectual Property Enforcement Office was recently been established. Software developers are among the common.

Bacteria Beware. Iotron technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bacteria Beware. Iotron technology - Assignment Example Its key use will be to capitalize on the heightened food safety awareness. For the past two decades, trays of products have been rolling along a system of an hourglass conveyor into an electron beam accelerator. The products are swept from all the sides to kill pathogens using a series of rapid fire electrons. After several minutes, the products rollout sterilized. The electron beam accelerator will make use of radiation energy; however, this should not wary people that irradiated foods will become radioactive. It is not the case. Iotron technology was established in Ottawa by atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Lloyd Scott is the man after all this discoveries. In the late 1950s, he sold his construction business and bought the irradiation unit from AECL and took it to B.C more than two decades ago. Scott made use of this technology to sterilize medical products and further enhance the color of gemstones. After a period, Iotron took the advantage of the rising use of irradiation and purchased the technology. In addition, they were quick to patent the outright. After AECL program was sold off by Ottawa in the early 2000s, Scott too sold the other businesses he owned so as to keep Iotron alive. Recently, Iotron launched a facility in Indiana whose purpose was to serve the United States agricultural hub. Foods such as lettuce and meats are approved for irradiation.

Love Is Not Bliss (Romeo & Juliet + Othello) A Thesis Essay Example for Free

Love Is Not Bliss (Romeo Juliet + Othello) A Thesis Essay One of the reasons that the works of Shakespeare are so renowned is simply for the fact that he can beautifully create moments of happiness, sadness, glory, agony, misery, love, betrayal and anything else which may fall in between (Krakauer 09). There are numerous situations in real life in which one person may fall deeply in love with another, but it will eventually turn out that it was never to occur in the first place. When it comes to Shakespeare, love is never meant to blossom in the plays Romeo and Juliet, and Othello. In the very first act of Romeo and Juliet, for example, we learn that there is a feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene) From Ancient grudge break into new mutiny (Act I Sc I). Romeo and Juliet fall instantly in love with each other. But, because of their families hatred, their happiness and youth are wasted. Juliet receives a marriage proposal from Paris, and agrees that she will consider marrying him if she likes him. After falling in love with Romeo however at first sight, she learns as he leaves that he is a Montague. She is struck with as much horror as he is after he finds out that she is a Capulet. It is just a little while later that Juliet delivers her famous speech: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? O, be some other name! Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. (Act II Sc II). Passion it is of course, but that contaminated term has in our day become helpless to express it. Purity would be the perfect word for it if the world had not forgotten that purity is simply Greek for fire (Krakauer 17). Juliet later discovers that her father has arranged for her to marry Paris in three days. She refuses to do so, and her father is furious over the fact that his daughter is so proud and ungrateful. She then turns to her mother but her mother refuses to listen to what she has to say. In desperation, she turns to the nurse for advice, and even the Nurse believes that Juliet should marry Paris, because Romeo was banished from Verona and is not likely to return. Juliet realized that everyone is against her, so she turned to  Friar Laurence for help. The Friar knows of a sleeping potion that Juliet would be able to use that would fool her family to believe that Juliet is dead. Juliet decided to use that potion on the very night that she is to wed Paris. When the family finds Juliet dead, the Friar says that they must arrange for a burial and carry Juliets body to the church. After Romeo (then in Mantua) learns that Juliet is dead, he buys some poison and intends to kill himself in the vault where Juliet lies. Paris is in the vault when Romeo arrives, and he assumes that Romeo is there for evil purposes. The two men then fight a duel, and Romeo realizes that he has killed Paris as he falls. He then gazes at Juliet in her tomb, and swallows the poison after giving her a last kiss. He instantly dies, and Juliet wakes up shortly thereafter. After she realizes that Romeo is dead, she takes his dagger and stabs herself with it. It is then that the families reconcile when it is too late. Statues were to be made in honor of the lovers. Cynics are fond of saying that if Romeo and Juliet had lived, their love would not have lasted (Krakauer 24).There is also numerous instances in Othello in which it is evident that love was never meant to blossom between Othello, and his wife Desdemona. Brabantio is the father of Desdemona. He regrets the fact that he allowed Desdemona to marry Othello, who just happens to be a Moor. He realized that he would have rather let a unestablished man named Roderigo take Desdemonas hand in marriage. Othello is accused of using witchcraft on his wife, and it is said that he is probably abusing her as well. However, when Desdemona is questioned, she admits that she has fallen in love with Othello and married him on her own will. Brabantio is furious when he hears his daughters confessions, and he practically disowns her. He then turns to Othello, and says Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee (Act I Sc III). Then there is the notorious villain, Iago. He came up with a plan to make it seem like Desdemona was cheating on Othello with his friend, Michael Cassio. Iago feels hatred towards Othello because he passed him over, and promoted Cassio for a position. Iago also had suspicions that Othello may have been having an affair with Emilia (Iagos wife), and for that he wants get revenge on  Othello. Shakespeare gives Iago an outward appearance of honest virtue and has Othello consistently call him Honest Iago. (Krakauer 56). Iago has the tendency to be very convincing and manipulative. He manages to make money off of Roderigo by offering foolish advice followed by a great deal of logic. After much talk, Roderigo is even convinced to sell off his land, so he can have a lot of money in his hands to get the attention of Desdemona. It is safe to say that Iago is very much like the devil himself (Krakauer 62). This is evident in his soliloquy at the very end of Act I. He reveals to the audience that he wishes to abuse Othellos ear, and blacken Cassios name as well. Iago also tends to compare people to animals, such as when he says, The Moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are. (Act I Sc III). Iago does indeed poison Othellos ears by convincing him to view the friendship between Desdemona and Cassio under a negative perspective. At a party, he gets Cassio to drink an excessive amount of liquor, which makes him drunk. At one point as Cassio gets in a fight with another person, Othello walks in, and Iago makes him take Cassios position away from him. Iago then goes over to Cassio and acts as if he is a friend to him. He tells Cassio to request Desdemona to convince Othello to give Cassio his position back. Desdemona agrees to do so, but all in a very innocent manner. Since Iago has plagued Othellos mind with false thoughts, Othello gets furious everytime that Desdemona mentions Cassios name. He begins to suffer mentally, and has trouble sleeping, and begins to snap at Desdemona over the slightest things. Eventually, Othello smothers Desdemona, and kills her. Emilia discovers what has happened, and cries out till Iago arrives. She then reveals the fact that Iago is a villain, and Iago kills her. Othello realizes that he has made a mistake, and kills himself, and Iago gets executed. The love stories in Romeo and Juliet, and Othello start off very nicely, but unfortunately end with tragic deaths.

Marketing creating hedonistic consumers

Marketing creating hedonistic consumers Within the academic and the marketing world it is recognised that there is debate on what role the discipline of marketing plays in the creation of hedonistic consumers. The most extreme debates come from those who hold opposing views. This paper will look at some of these polarised views and perspectives in regard to consumer behaviour and will argue that marketing has not created hedonistic consumers that such a stance does not allow for the complexities of human behaviour and motivations and does not take account of the dynamic nature of consumer society. We agree there are associations and parallels in the development of both consumerism and marketing but there is no evidence to prove cause and effect. According to Armstrong et al (2009, p8), wants are the form human needs take as they are shaped by culture and individual personality. Wants are shaped by ones society. Therefore, consumer wants are not shaped solely by marketers. Conversely, Solomon et al (2006, p21) highlight that marketing is often criticised for employing techniques that convince consumers that they need many material goods and that they will be unhappy and inferior if they do not have these necessities. Do marketers give people what they want, or do they tell us what we ought to want? Marketing is often assumed to be responsible for our consumer society and its hedonistic approach to consumption, and as a consequence undermines other cultural values by promoting a materialistic stance. For many commentators it is the dark side of marketing and worthy of review as it diminishes the marketing professions reputation. 1.1 Definitions Before defining hedonistic consumption, it is useful to define the philosophy of hedonism. This is a school of thought that says the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life, that views man as being motivated by the desire for sensual pleasures therefore this quest for the good life becomes mans driving force. The hedonistic consumer can be viewed as pleasure loving or self indulgent person with a high level of consumption, more preoccupied with their own material goals than thinking of the wider view of society. Hedonistic consumption is the multi-sensory, fantasy and emotional aspects of consumers interactions with products. (Soloman, 2006, p39). This element of fantasy is crucial to this theory as it is the imagined pleasure that attracts the consumer. OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy describe this as the general agreement that consumer pleasure lies not so much in the physical sense as in the total emotional experience. So the pleasure and happiness is real even though the experience can be imagined in the consumers brain. From a negative point of view Migone, 2006 views it as a highly wasteful and discrimatory pattern of consumption that predominates in current capitalist models. Hedonism and Fantasy The role of fantasy in hedonic consumption is key and whilst academics view it from different perspectives they do agree that it plays a pivotal role in pleasure seeking. Gabriel and Lang (2006) are of the view that Western consumption many agree is a realm of seduction alluring and glamour. As goods leave the world of production to enter the sphere of display, circulation and consumption, they become objects of fantasy and instruments of pleasure. Whilst Abercrombie states that lives are organised around fantasies and daydreams about consuming; they are hedonists, primarily interested in pleasure, and sensual pleasure at that they are individualists, largely pursuing their own ends and uncaring about others.(Abercrombie, 1994, 44). Campbell (1987) in The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism described the key aspect in the creation of the hedonistic consumer as being one concerned with the power of the imagination, he highlights the differences between what was regarded as the traditional view of hedonism and the modern view. He suggested that traditional version was a hedonism of a multitude of pleasures, of the senses whilst modern hedonism seeks pleasure not in sensation but in emotion accompanying all kinds of experiences. The pleasure lies in the meaning of the experience to the individual. This is the form we are dealing with in postmodern culture. Campbell suggested that the consumer as hedonist must be able to derive pleasure from every item they come into contact with and everything must be orientated to that end. That consumers are in a constant state of unsatisfaction, an ongoing state where we are dreaming about something new however this is linked to the other defining factor of modern hedonism that disillusionment comes from the disappointment when the imagined pleasure are always greater than the actual. When anticipate the enjoyment and pleasure that we will gain when we finally purchase and wear the new phone/watch/car we have been day dreaming about buying, our pleasure is often not as we imagined and is fleeting. We have moved on to dreaming about the next better version and start to feel bad about not having it. Consumerism good or bad? Underpinning the debate on whether marketing has created hedonistic consumers is the view on whether consumerism is a positive or negative force. Some celebrate the rise of the consumer, taking the view that consumerism is the essence of the good life, that a consumer society allows us personal freedom, power and happiness through our ability to choose, acquire, use and enjoy our material objects and experiences. Seen as a sophisticated, mature individual who seeks enjoyment in life: by making choices and exercising freedom. (Gabriel and Lang, 2006, p8). Others are concerned that consumerism is associated with reduced consumer well being, partly in terms of quality of human relationships and levels of happiness. That those focused on materialistic values have lower personal well being and psychological health. (Kasser,2002). Abela (2006) furthers this argument indicating that hedonistic consumerism shows an association between marketing practice and the harms of consumerism may be greater than it is generally believed to be by marketing academics. 3. Claims against Marketing Too much interest in material possessions is the responsibility of marketing? Critics have argued that the marketing system encourages too much interest in material possessions. people are judged by what they own not who they are. (Armstrong et al, 2009 p.552). Critics dont view this as a natural state of mind but one created by marketing. In answer to this claim many marketers would argue that this alleged ability of marketing to create needs is wishful thinking and is overstating marketings scope. In support of this it follows that marketers are most successful when they appeal to existing wants rather than when they attempt to create new ones. Also that people seek information when making important purchases and mostly do not rely on a single source (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). However, todays mania for goods is learnt not instinctive according to Naish, 2002. On a deeper level our wants and values are influenced by many factors including family, peer group, religion, ethnic background and education. If modern society is highly materialistic, these values arise out of socialisation processes that go much deeper than business and mass media could produce alone (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) argue that accumulation of material possessions is a consequence of wealth. Marketers create artificial needs? According to Solomon et al (2006), some conservative traditionalists are of the view that advertising in particular, contributes to the moral breakdown of society by presenting images of hedonistic pleasure. Conversely, leftists argue that they same misleading promises of material pleasure function to buy off people who would otherwise be revolutionaries working to change the system. OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) note that wants must be created and that there must be an underlying appetite for the product in the first place. Solomon at al conclude that while marketers do not create artificial needs, they do contribute heavily to the socialization of people in contemporary society and thus to the establishment of the social system of needs. Consequently marketers must take a share of responsibility for the development of society. Marketers promise miracles? Consumers are led to believe that via advertising that products have special properties; they will so special things for them that will transform their lives. Soloman et al argues that the manipulative effect of advertising is often overstated, however does concede that there is little doubt that advertising creates and changes patterns of consumption. They offer the view that the main affect may be that the idea that we are defined by our consumer choices is perpetuated by the advertising medium. The impact of fantasy and imagery in influencing buying OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy (2002) cite Baudrillard (1981) who suggested that due to the new technology of electronic media we now have a world where the distinction between real and images has become blurred and consumers are viewed as non-rational who gravitate to instant gratification. The claim is that the consumer thinks that this is the reality, however according to OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy there is no proof to substantiate the claim. Image saturated environment pressing consumers to buy The sheer insistence and multiplication of marketing messages is evidence to critics of marketing. The sum of the mass effect on consumers pushes them in a hedonistic direction. However consumers are sophisticated and selective, they take notice of the products that attend to them. (OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy,2002). Consumerism and Identity Many cultural forces have been accused of having a role in the creation of hedonistic consumers the marketing of Hollywood and Celebrity culture are named often in the debate. Its is recognised by psychology that our ability to weigh desirability and value is knocked awry if the item is endorsed by a well known face. The part of the brain involved in trust and learning is activated and as a result we feel like we are their acquaintances and we want to be like them. (Naish, 2008). We chose carefully who we copy and why and have evolved to emulate the most successful, maybe why many of us feel compelled to keep up materially with celebrities. Consumption, is it addictive? Lasch (1991) takes a pessimistic view believing that western consumerism, sustained by mass production and celebrated in the mass media, amounts to a mechanism of addiction. Though Migone (2007) concedes that rather than marketing being at the root of this addiction: it is due to technological advances which facilitated large scale production which in turn leads to large scale consumption. Consumerism and loss of Community Naish notes that only modern capitalist countries concentrate on material greed. In pre capitalist societies the highest worths was ascribed to things like family, clan, religion, honour not shiny new objects. This he says relates to our most base instincts which are the need to relate to others and feel part of a community. According to Naish, man has lost his moral framework, sense of community and lifes higher meaning, so that now all that remains is our thirst for possessions and pleasure. That being a hedonistic consumer does not make us happy and has a detrimental effect on our human relationships. Critics have linked this loss to marketings lack of focus on these types of human values. In defence of Marketing Consumerism and Wealth The 80s recognised a triumph for consumerism old moral restraints on consumption (frugality, thrift and guilt) swept aside by an extraordinary, credit lead consumerist boost (Lee, 1997). Gabriel and Lang recall that greed lost some of its pejorative and puritanical connotations, in reference to the 1980s. Consumption and Identity It has been said that consumers take identity from their possessions. Consumption has expanded to fill the vacuum left by the decline of the work ethic. Bauman (1988) also argues that consumption is the new pioneer frontier in which individuals may successfully assert themselves, with no insecurity and not harming others. Shopping is not merely the acquisition of things: it is the buying of identity. (Clammer,1992). This is another view that consumer consumption comes from within. Also the general rise in disrupted families has been linked to new ways of forming identities through goods how negative the effects are depends on the underlying motives. Human Nature Naish believes we are genetically programmed to always want more. In prehistoric times its been discovered that cave dwellers had collections of axe handles, that these were the Jimmy Choos and Ferraris of their time. Important to note that OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy argue that marketing materialism are interdependent and that marketing helps precipitate materialism and materialism in society advances the development of marketing. According to Bauman, (1999) the major contributing factors to hedonistic lifestyle are pervasive insecurity and uncertainty fear of the future and the ecology of the planet; danger- threat of terrorism and wars; decline of family breakdown of traditional institutes such as family as one of the main cultural reference points. It has been argued that marketing creates hedonism by creating wants. This begs the question can wants be created? According to Moore (1994) materialism and hedonism were not invented by consumer marketing; they were there before its advent. Although, it has been widely acknowledged that consumers have latent wants that can be activated, but recognise that they have a great ability to filter information. Marketers often chose hedonistic appeals, but marketing in itself is simply an orientation and a set of tools that are value neutral and can be used to proselytise any perspective. (Cook, 1992). Social commentators have noted that that pursuit of pleasure is mans natural position and it goes against human nature to deprive oneself and that accumulation of material possessions is due to the fact we have the means to indulge our wants. However they agree there is an acknowledged link but no proven cause and effect but this is viewed as marketing being in the role of facilitator not creator. Marketing and Economy Marketers have accused critics of taking the hyper real world of marketing, advertising and dreams too literally. Arguing that freedom of choice is better for consumers and is a fundamental underpinning of our economic system. Stimulus-response model of buyer behaviour This widely accepted model of consumer behaviour illustrates that whilst marketing stimuli are important so are as are culture, politics, economics and technology. These come merge with consumer psychology and the individual consumer characteristics. These are interlinked and conclude with a final selection of a product. This model is illustrative of the fact that marketing stimulus is only part of the consumer behaviour process. (Please refer to appendix 1). The Future Western style consumerism is facing and creating serious threats ecological crisis, climate change, resources shortages and financial uncertainties. There is an increased awareness among academics and consumers of the ecological limits of consumerism and current debate is focused on its sustainability. Consumers are said to dictate production, they fuel innovation, create new social systems, drive modern politics to have the power to save the environment and protect the future of the planet and yet at the same time are seen as weak and malleable creatures, easily manipulated, dependant, passive and foolish. (Gabriel Lang, 2006). It is recognised that there is a need to engage in debate on the containment of the negative aspects of consumerism. At the centre of the debate is the question of social consequences and the role of marketing in creating the consumption culture.. If we suspect that marketing is contributing to the harmful effects of consumerism what are the courses of action marketers should review? Abela (2006) cites Csikszentmihalyis (2000) suggestion that greater transparency about the effects of materialism would help. Recommends marketers undertake studies for emerging groups the non consumerist consumer, anti consumerism groups and should monitor general consumer awareness. So if the consumer is more aware of the consequences they might not choose the path of consumption especially if it leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction. Increased efforts at consumer education maybe able to correct this and lead to changes in consumer behaviour. One possible area of study is to look at regions not affected yet possibly in eastern cultures. Some believe we are at the point of a fundamental structural change in the nature of consumerism. Others keeping the faith in the market to right itself. Optimists believe technology will provide an answer (cleaner cars, recycling, energy conservation). The outcome will be a complex dynamic between politics, production, international trade, economics cultural and moral values. (Abela, 2006, Gabriel Lang, 2006, Kasser 2002). In summary, the main culprit behind hedonism would be the development of strong value orientation that puts unrestrained freedom to the forefront. Marketing does not invent or creates wants; it merely surfaces them. Man has always been, in all societies materialistic. In older days poverty didnt allow him/her to indulge into hedonistic lifestyle. The role of marketing in creation of hedonism, is more of a facilitator than of an inventor. (OShaughnessy and OShaughnessy, 2002). Conclusion This paper has recognised that there is debate on what role the discipline of marketing plays in the creation of hedonistic consumers and outlined the argument that marketing has not created hedonistic consumers, that such a stance does not allow for the complexities of human behaviour and motivations and does not take account of the dynamic nature of consumer society. We agree there are associations and parallels in the development of both consumerism and marketing, but there is no evidence to prove cause and effect. However neither is there evidence to disprove. When deciding what marketing strategy an organisation should follow the primary aim is building profitable relationships with the target consumer however, the organisation has many choices in guiding their marketing strategy in terms of which philosophy should underpin the strategy. Many of todays large corporations employ the marketing concept by knowing the needs/wants of the target market and delivering satisfaction better than the competition. (Armstrong et al,2009). Based on the theory that there is a parallel in the patterns between the rise of the hedonistic consumer and the sophistication and intensity of marketing efforts (Abela, 2006) ethical marketers would be advised to consider a move toward the Societal marketing concept a concept that holds that marketing strategy should deliver value in a way that maintains or improves both the consumer and the societys well-being (Armstrong et al, 2009, p14-15). Executed correctly this strategy would provide long term profits and protect both society and the consumer within this framework. sReferences Abela, A.V. (2006) Marketing and consumerism European Journal of Marketing Vol. 40 Number 1/ 2 pp 5-16 Abercrombie, N. (1994)The Authority of the Consumer, Routledge, London,UK Armstrong, G et al (2009) Marketing an Introduction, Prentice Hall, UK Baudrillard, J. (1981), The Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign, tr. Levin, C., Telos Press, St Louis, MO in OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2002) marketing, the consumer society and hedonism European Journal of Marketing, Vol.36 Number 5/6 pp 524-547 Bauman, Z. (1988) Freedom, Open University Press, UK Campbell, C (1987) The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism, Basil Blackwell, UK Csikzentmihalyi, M. (2000) The cost and benefits of consuming, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.27,September, pp 267-272 in Abela, A.V. (2006) Marketing and consumerism European Journal of Marketing Vol. 40 Number 1/ 2 pp 5-16 Douglas, M and Isherwood, B. (1979) The World of Goods, Basic Books, US Firat, A.F and Schultz, C.J. (1997) From Segmentation to Fragmentation: Markets and Marketing Strategy in the postmodern era, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, No 3 /4 Hirsch, F. (1977), Social Limits to Growth, Routledge Kegan Paul, London, UK Jantzen, C., Ostergaard, P. and Fitchett, J.A. (2004) A History of Mentality based Analysis of Hedonic and Experiential Comsumption, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol.31 pp 328 340 Gabriel, Y. and Lang, T (2006), The Unmanageable Consumer, 2nd Edition, Sage, UK Kagan, J. (1999) Three Seductive Ideas, Harvard University Press, US Kasser, T. (2002),The High Price of Materialism, MIT Press, Cambridge, US Kotler, P and Keller K.L. (2006) Marketing Management 12th Edition, Prentice Hall, UK Lasch, C. (1991) The True and Only Heaven; Progress and Its Critics, Norton New York Lee, M.J. (1997) Consumer Culture Reborn, Routledge, London Mick, D.G (2008) Degrees of Freedom of will: An essential endless question in consumer behaviour, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol.18, pp17-21 Migone, A. (2006) Hedonistic Consumerism: Patterns of Consumption in Contemporary Capitalism, Review of Radical Political Economics, Vol. 39, No 2, pp 173-200 Moore, R.L. (1994), Selling God, Oxford University Press, New York, NY Naish, J. (2008) Enough Breaking free from the world of more, Hodder and Stoughton, UK OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2002) marketing, the consumer society and hedonism European Journal of Marketing, Vol.36 Number 5/6 pp 524-547 OShaughnessy,J. OShaughnessy, N.J. (2007) Reply to criticisms of marketing, the consumer society and hedonism, European Journal of Marketing Vol. 41, Number 1 /2 pp7-16 Richins, M.L. and Dawson, S. (1992) A Consumer Values Orientation for Materialism, Journal of Consumer Research, December 1992 Salzer-Morling, M. and Strannegard, L. (2007) Aint misbehavin consumption in a moralized brandscape, Marketing Theory, Vol.7(4) pp 408-425 Simmons (2008) Marketing to post modern consumers: introducing the Internet Chameleon, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 42, No  ¾, pp 299-310 Solomon, M., Bamossy, G. Askegaard, S. and Hogg, M.K. (2006) Consumer Behaviour A European Perspective, Third Edition, Prentice Hall, UK. Further Reading: Arnould, M.J. and Reynolds, K.E (2003), Hedonic Shopping Motivations, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 79 Dittmar, H. (2004) Are you what you have? The Psychologist, Vol.17, No 4 pp 206-210 Dholakia (1999) Going Shopping: Key determinants of shopping behaviour and motivations, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 27,No 4 pp 154-165 Mick, D.G. (1996) Are studies of Dark Side Variables Confounded by Socially Desirable Responding? The Case of Materialism, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.23 pp106-119 Naish, J (2008) Enough is Enough: Learn to want less, http://women.timesonline.co.uk/to/life, Date accessed 04/10/09

Islamic Finance in Malaysia (Bay Al-Dayn)

Islamic Finance in Malaysia (Bay Al-Dayn) Bay al-dayn is an Islamic financial instrument which was developed and currently practised in Malaysia. Bay al-dayn is considered a controversial issue because some countries practice it and some leave it out without prior improvement taking place. It is worth mentioning here that the principle of bay al-dayn is not widely used by other Islamic banks, especially in Middle Eastern countries but, bay al-Dayn has been mainly used in Malaysia as one of the fundamental Shariah contracts in structuring various Islamic finance facilities including, Islamic money market instruments, Islamic bonds, Islamic accepted, Islamic treasury bills and Islamic negotiable instruments. Firstly, bay al-dayn as money market instrument. The application of bay al-dayn is pertaining to trading instrument which has contributed to the development of various securitized products and tradable bonds. Due to this, it has provided a wide range of assets for investment. Money Market Instruments based on Islamic principles have arisen in competing the conventional ones. The securitization refers to the creation of tradable certificates as evidence of a debt that arising out from financing facilities. It also means putting a guarantee for the issuance of securities that are financial assets. For example, if Ali owes RM 5,000,000 to Bank Islam, apart from legal documents, a legal document of ‘I Owe You’ (IOU) would be created as evidence of the debt, as securitization. Secondly, Islamic bonds on the basis of bay al-dayn. A bond is a security which gives the holder a financial claim on the issuer.[1] This claim protects the holder if the issuer is unable to pay the amount due. The development of Islamic Economy in Malaysia has positively contributed to the application of bay al-dayn. Malaysia has successful in the application of Islamic securities which is based on the concept of bay al-dayn. Even though, bay al-dayn has not been applied in other countries, but its potential in Malaysia seems has grown. Basically, the creation of Islamic securities or bonds involves three main steps: Securitization- the creation of murabahah and BBA assets. Bond issues-issuance of debt certificates Trading of debt certificates- that is buying and selling of debt certificates in the secondary market using the contract of bay al-dayn. Thirdly, Islamic accepted bills (IAB) as a liquidity instrument. IAB is a bill of exchange, which is made by the bank and accepted by the purchaser or buyer, hence creating a debt owing to the bank. The bank then in turn, may sell the IAB in the secondary market at a discount value under the bay al-dayn. Therefore, bay al-dayn is instrumental in becoming a liquidity instrument and it is governed by the principles of murabahah and bay al-dayn. An exporter who uses an Islamic Bankers Acceptance Facilities (IBAF) prepares the export documents as required under the sale contract or letter of credit. The export documents will be sent to the importer’s bank. In addition, there must be genuine transaction between the parties involved, the goods involved must be lawful purpose, and there is adequate documentary evidence and that it is drawn in accordance with the law and requirements of IAB as indicated by Central Bank of Malaysia. Evaluation of bay al-dayn- Malaysian experiences: As been mentioned above, on 21st August 1996, The Malaysian Securities Commission Shariah Advisory Council approved a resolution unanimously agreed to accept the principle of bay al-dayn as one of the concepts for developing Islamic capital market instruments. This was based on the views of some of the Islamic jurists who allowed this concept subject to certain conditions for instance there is a transparent regulatory system in the capital market to safeguard the maslahah (public interest) of the market participants. There are arguments among the past and the present jurists on the issue of bay al-dayn. Nevertheless, there is no general consensus (ijma’) prohibits it. In general, majority of the jurists are unanimous in allowing the selling of debts. They only contrast in terms of the debt being sold to a third party for reason that the seller may not be able to deliver the sold item to the buyer. The illah for some Islamic jurists do not allow bay al-dayn is due to the risk that might be faced by the buyer, element of gharar, absence of qabadh and riba. Despite all of the controversial issues regarding the application of bay al-dayn, there is a logic idea behind the application. For instance, a transaction between Ali, Hap Seng Motorcar Sdn Bhd and Maybank Islamic. Ali wanted to buy a car from Hap Seng Motorcar with price RM 900,000 but at that time he does not have enough money to pay. Later, Ali sells his debt with Hap Seng Motorcar to Maybank with discount that amount RM 850,000. Thus, Maybank have to pay the car price to Hap Seng Motorcar. This is where the issue arise, when Ali sells his debt with discount. Some of the scholars agreed that there is a riba in this transaction. However, the logic is if we sell the debt with full price, who would want to buy it from Ali. At the end of the transaction Ali still need to pay his debt to Maybank at par value. Malaysia Islamic Banks: Bank Muammalat[2] refers bay al-dayn to the sale of a debt arising from trade and services transaction in the form of a deferred payment sale. The customer will sells this debt to the bank at a discount. The benefit is customer gets paid from the bank before realization of the sale. There are several features of bay al-dayn that includes: The cost must be revealed The price and tenor of the lump-sum deferred payment must be agreed upon by the Bank and customer The Bank appoints customer as an agent to sell on its behalf Only trade transaction on usance term is allowed Financing for finished goods Meanwhile, Bank Islam Malaysia[3] Berhad provides fews concepts for Trade services which includes Bai’ Dayn (Debt Trading). This contract refers to the selling of your trade debts/receivable arising from trade-related transactions. You will sell your trade debts/receivable to the bank for a discounted amount. Issues on bay al-dayn: However, there are lots of issues regarding the application of bay al-dayn in Malaysia. Bay al-dayn has formed many doubts amongst the countries practising Islamic Banking as to its permissibility as an Islamic financial instrument. The instrument is being developed to compete with the conventional banking to create a flow in the secondary market. It is also understood to create large capital by attracting investors to invest in Malaysia. It is widely used in the sales, bonds, import and export sales. Banking institutions in Malaysia are concern about maintaining the liquidity in the financial system therefore has developed this concept. However, other Islamic countries are reluctant to use this concept because it does not seem permissible and there is a possibility that this concept handles interest or riba which is prohibited in Islam. One of the main issues is, whether it is permissible to sell a confirmed debt which is backed by non ribawi goods at discounted price. Islamic scholars have put a plug on the possibility of earning profit by confirming that any sale of debt (Bay-al-dayn) or transfer of debt (Hawalat-al-dayn) must be at face value. This means when the bank buys the instrument of debt (shahada-al-dayn) from the original buyer, it is not entitled to any discount. There will be no riba by disallowing any difference between what it pays and what it receives on maturity (its maturity value). Some Islamic banks have been offering Islamic bill discounting products, and they essentially treat debt as any other physical asset that can be traded at a negotiated price. In fact, the prohibition of bay al-dayn is a logical consequence of the prohibition of riba or interest. A debt receivable in monetary terms parallels to money, and every transaction where money is exchanged from the same quantity of money, the pr ice must be at par value. Any increase or decrease from one side is equivalent to riba. Somehow, some parties in Malaysia encourage the development for debt discounting as an Islamic Financial product on the basis that it represents an important field of short term and self-liquidating investment, because the terms of negotiable instruments do not extend beyond six months especially in trade based debt discounting.[4] The scholars from Malaysia claims that debts can be sold because the original transaction is a debt created with an underlying contract of sale. They claim that it is legitimate to gain profit from the debt because the original transaction is legitimate. Gaining profit is usually being associated with risk ‘Al-Kharaj bi al-Dhaman’. The secondary market is a mechanism that allows lenders to obtain liquidity to make additional loans. Through the secondary market the lender will receives the benefits which may then passed on to the borrower in the form of lower interest rates and longer fixed rate terms. During the financial crisis in 1998 which was experienced by Malaysia, â€Å"the exchange rate essentially was affected by the flight of foreign funds while the stock market was being additionally pulled down by the herd behaviour of the local speculators†. Therefore, a flow to the secondary market does not necessarily be beneficial as it creates a flow to derivative s and speculators. Secondary market also encourages debt-creation as experienced in the financial crisis which has created too much debt for a nation to hold and therefore lead to the downfall of the economy. Comparison with Indonesia: In Malaysia issuance of a debit note which is then bought by the client and the results of the purchase are used for investment while, in Indonesia, the Shariah National Council of MUI does not permit trading in debit notes. There is no any shariah banking system in Indonesia including Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI) apply the bay al-dayn product. This is because the National Shariah Council (DSN) has not issued a fatwa in order to support this type of transaction. In Indonesia, the main concern in this matter is that the benefit which is determined in a transaction is usury. The classic ulama agree that bay al-Dayn with a premium is illegal, and not permitted according to shariah principle. Indeed, many contemporary ulama are of the same opinion. However, several Malaysian ulama have legalised this contract, relying on the Shafie opinion, but nor taking into consideration that the Shafie ulama permit this contract only in cases where a debt is sold at the nominal value of that debt. Bibliography Azhar, S. (n.d.). International Journal Of Islamic Financial Services. Bank Islam. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2015, from Concepts of Shariah Trading: http://www.bankislam.com.my/en/Pages/ShariahContractsConceptsforTradeServices.aspx?tabs=1 Bank Muamalat. (n.d.). Retrieved May 8, 2015, from Trade Finance: http://www.muamalat.com.my/business-banking/corporate-banking/trade-finance/bwcf.html Billah, P. D. (n.d.). Applied Islamic Finance. Retrieved May 8, 2015, from Modern vs Islamic Bond: http://applied-islamicfinance.com/category/readmore/6 [1] (Billah) [2] (Bank Muamalat) [3] (Bank Islam) [4] (Azhar)

Atrocities In Afganistan (Women) Essay -- essays research papers fc

(NOTE TO STUDENT: my teacher gave me a B+ and said I would have had an A if I had had more detail on the Taliban's reasons for these laws) The women of Afghanistan have been enduring unfathomable suffering since the Taliban, a religious faction, seized control of the country in 1996. (NOTE TO STUDENT: my teacher gave me a B+ and said I would have had an A if I had had more detail on the Taliban's reasons for these laws) Since 1996 Afghan women have been living fear for their safety and lives. A myriad of discriminating laws has been placed on Afghan women. The punishments for violating these laws are unimaginably inhuman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Taliban is an ultra-fundamentalist group that has 90 percent of Afghanistan under its control (Taliban). When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Islamic factions united to expel the Russian occupiers from Afghanistan (Afghanistan). The new government that had formed soon collapsed from the deep-rooted ethnic and religious differences of its members (Afghanistan). The Taliban emerged victorious from the ensuing civil war to establish a reign of terror on the Afghan people (Afghanistan).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The women of Afghanistan have ended up bearing most of the weight from the oppressive hand of the Taliban. A woman is no longer allowed to be seen in public with out wearing a cumbersome burqa, a robe that covers the entire body from head to toe with only a small mesh screen to see and breath through. â€Å"I feel like I am invisible.† Claims one woman, â€Å"Nobody knows whether I’m smiling or crying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She then explains how hard it is to see through the mesh screen (Shanahan). There have been accounts of women being run over by tanks because they couldn’t see through their burqa (Shanahan). Not only are women not allowed in public without the burqa, they must also be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative, when outside their homes (Women). When they are inside their homes, women must have the blinds pulled or the windows painted black so others can’t see them from the street (Women). A Taliban representative explains the logic behind these laws: â€Å"The face of a woman is a source of corruption for men who are not related to them.† (Women). So what does a woman do when she needs to go outside and there is no man to accompany her? One woman was shot while running through the streets with her sick child. ... ...ghts restored.† (Women). Although then UN and various countries condemn the Taliban for their disregard for the life and welfare of Afghan women, no aggressive actions have been taken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clearly the harsh laws and punishments the Taliban have created are unjust and wrong. Since the Taliban base their laws on religious believes it would be difficult for anyone to â€Å"talk them out of it†. There are many countries and organizations that are opposed to the Taliban’s treatment of women. I believe the Taliban will never gain recognition as a legitimate government from these countries unless they change drastically and it is only a matter of time before the Taliban fall. Works Cited â€Å"Afghanistan.† Nutshellnotes. Online> 28 Jan. 2000. Shanahan, Noreen. â€Å"Fighting gender apartheid in Afghanistan.† Herizons. V>13 (3). (Fall’99): 23-25. â€Å"Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan!† The Feminist Majority Foundation. Online. 20 Feb. 2000. â€Å"Taliban publicly execute woman murderer.† Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. Online. 17 Nov. 1999. â€Å"Women in Afghanistan: The violations continue.† Amnesty International. Online. June 1997.

The Systematic Destruction of Womens Agency in Juárez, Mexico :: Gender Culture Murder Womens Agency Papers

The Systematic Destruction of Women's Agency in Juà ¡rez, Mexico As citizens, people rely on the state as an agent that acts on their behalf, by providing them with benefits such as basic protection. However, the state itself derives its power (or agency) from the fact that its citizens give up some of their individual agency in exchange for the benefits that belonging to a state provides. People are, thus, both the creators and the subjects of the state. In Juà ¡rez, Mexico the state has been shaped by a patriarchy that is very oppressive to women. The women are then subjects to this very oppressive state. Virginia Woolf claims that these women can gain agency and freedom by obtaining economic independence. But, in the case of Juà ¡rez, Mexico this economic freedom has deadly effects. Woolf's argument is very limiting and applied to a much more ideal situation. In this essay I will explore the climate in Juà ¡rez that seems to prove Woolf's theory wrong. I will also look at how her claims can offer hope to the women of Juà ¡rez so that they c an alter the climate so that everyone has agency not just the men and the state. Mexican culture has always placed the women in the home. Placement in the private sphere without the opportunity to earn money has always limited women's agency and freedom. Men have typically held the position of power because of their economic independence. As the holders of power in the public sphere, men have created a patriarchy in which the opinions have governed the laws that are passed within Mexico. Before the murders in Juà ¡rez began, and even still, women were offered very little protection by the government especially when it came to violence and rape. The machismo culture in Mexico sets up a climate in which young women can be beaten raped and murdered with little to no consequences. Domestic abuse laws in Mexico, state that a woman may not file domestic abuse charges if her wounds heal before the end of 15 days. Women are constricted to the private sphere according to Mexican culture. The women give up their rights to be in the public sphere with the hope and understa nding that they will be protected in the private sphere. They, however, do not receive this protection. Men can essentially beat their wives with no consequence. Additionally, rape laws are very lax.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: essays research papers

Have you ever thought about what life would be like if Hitler had won WWII? Just think about not being able to choose the job of your choice or not being able to express your feelings about the government. Those are just two of the many freedoms that would have been lost if the U.S. would have lost the war. The book 1984 gives a view of what life would be like if we lived under a totalitarianism government. The story 1984 is about Winston Smith an average person who lives on airstrip one in Oceania, which used to be London, England. The ruling government of Oceania is IN SOC, which is a totalitarianism government. The author George Orwell wrote this book to warn people about the negative effects of a totalitarianism government. In the first section of the book, it tells about Winston's job changing the past and present news for the government. Winston belongs to the outer-party and is suppose to love Big Brother who is the ruler of Oceania. The official language developed by the government, which is spoke in Oceania is Newspeak. Oceania is constantly at war with the brotherhood, which allows Big Brother to stay in power. Winston's rebellion against Big Brother starts in section one with him writing in a diary, which is not allowed in Oceania. Later in section one he has sex with Julia who is also an outer-party member and having sex is also illegal in Oceania. In the second section of the book Winston has a love affair with Julia. The two of them continue to break the laws of Big Brother and the thought police, which is the police core of Oceania, begin to catch on to Winston and Julia. Winston also meets O'Brien who works for Big Brother and is spying on Winston and Julia. In the third section of the book is when the climax of the book takes place. Winston and Julia were caught by the Thought Police because of their acts against Big Brother. O'Brien then takes Winston to room 101, which contains in it a person's worst fears. For Winston his worse fear is rats because when he was a kid he saw his mom lying dead in a field with rats all over her. In room 101 is where the climax of the book takes place when Winston yells out, "do it to Julia.

Controversial Rap Themes, Gender Portrayals and Skin Tone Distortion Essay

The following six questions are addressed in a critique of an article entitled: Controversial Rap Themes, Gender Portrayals and Skin Tone Distortion: A Content Analysis of Rap Music Videos. This article was published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media and written by Kate Conrad, Travis Dixon, and Yuanyuan Zhang. Kate and Yuanyuan are PhD students in the Department of Speech Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Travis is Assistant Professor of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Q1: Does the program address age-related patterns of disorder and competence? From the description of the program provided, it appears that this program does address age-related patters of disorder and competence, however this is inferred. The methods section of this article describes the sample as consisting on 93 sixth graders from five different classrooms in three towns in the Northeast. In statistical analyses, this sample of six graders was compared to a control group of 34 fifth graders from two different classrooms in two of the three same towns. The author indicates sixth graders were selected because they are considered old enough to have developed the cognitive skills and scholastic abilities to follow the curriculum. This assertion is supported with citation from numerous published research including: Flavel, Flavel, Green & Korfmacher, 1990; Singer, Zuckerman & Singer, 1980; Suddendorf, 1999). Additionally, fifth and sixth graders were selected because they are considered old enough not to be frightened or disturbed by violent images that were analyzed in the study (Cantor, 1994). And finally, sixth graders are considered young enough chronologically to still be forming patterns for media consumption, as well as opinions regarding mass media. The author and other scholars believe these opinions may persist into adulthood as supported by Comstock & Scharrer, 1999). Q2: Does the program target the appropriate age group? This rationale for selecting this age group is outlined in the response above. Just to recap, sixth graders were selected because: †¢ They are believed to have the cognitive and scholastic abilities to follow the curriculum. †¢ They are considered old enough not to be frighten or disturbed by violent images †¢ They are considered young enough to still be forming patterns of media consumption †¢ They are considered young enough to still be forming opinions about mass media Q3: Does the program include a representative sample? Based on the information presented in the article, this program does not include a representative sample of all sixth graders. The author addresses sampling issues in the discussion of limitations. â€Å"†¦.control group members were fifth graders, whereas treatment group members were sixth graders. Although statistical analysis accounting for previously existing differences in comprehension and critical thinking about media violence alleviates this limitation, it is nonetheless a flaw in the design.† Q4: Does the program address relevant contexts? Based on the information presented in the article, this program addresses relevant contexts in the following ways: 1. The school as a social context and an appropriate setting to access children in this age group 2. Media literacy as a socially relevant ‘context’ to encourage students to become active consumers of the media by questioning media practices, messages, and effects. 3. Violence in media that is consumed by children in this age group because violence is the primary concern among a list of ethical issues pertaining to entertainment media content (Lind & Rarick, 1992). 4. The â€Å"high-risk† factors in the portrayal of TV violence are relevant context because they are believed to constitute a particular high risk for older children and adolescents (ages 7-18) due to their association with aggressive outcomes in this age group. Does the program address relevant developmental tasks? Based on the information presented, this program addresses relevant developmental tasks for the sample. Students preexisting comprehension of concepts and critical thinking about ethical issues associated with media were measured. A part of the study procedure was to introduce, define, discuss each high-risk portrayal factor and discuss the general conclusions drawn from the literature pertaining to each factor. Discussion was a key component of the procedure and this may or may not have been developmentally appropriate even though the author indicates special emphasis was placed on why each factor was associated with a heightened risk of learning aggression. Additionally, the author uses ‘ethical responsibilities and social responsibilities’ of ‘media producers’ and whether and how media should be ‘regulated’. These concepts may be understood by some of even many in this population, however this information was not provided in the article. How well does the program address relevant risk/protective factors? Based on the information presented in the article, the author does not explicitly state that knowledge, comprehension and critical thinking are protective factors, however this can be inferred based on the commonly held belief that increased critical thinking skills results in increased protective factors. Likewise, the lack of knowledge about violence and inadequate or poor critical thinking skills would result in increased risks. Summarize your opinion about the feasibility and cost of this program. Based on the information provided, it is my opinion that this program is quite feasible particularly since it is only five 1-hour visits to the sixth-grade. Additionally, college students served primarily as staff further limiting the costs to implement this program and increasing the probability of it being sustained beyond the initial study if desired. Summarize your opinion about the level of evidence demonstrated for this program based on the articles you reviewed. The level of evidence presented in this article seems sufficient in some of the assertions and less than sufficient in others. For example, the literature review in support of media literacy was sufficient. The assertions regarding ethics of media producers and that they should be socially responsible seemed more like conjecture, although I happen to agree. Critical thinking is a central tenant to this research and the literature or ‘evidence’ regarding it was minimally adequate, although sufficiently cited. Space or word limitations often make it more difficult to thoroughly explicate the rationale in the background and significance section of an article such as this.

Employment Law Compensation Plan Essay

In response to your prayer to consider an consumption rightfulness submission jut for our customer, Bradley Stonefiled who externalizes on comeing a limousine service c all(prenominal)ed landslip Limousine, I micturate developed an business plan which covers both(prenominal) State and national appointment laws. Being in conformance with the Texas accede piece of work laws, as well as national study laws depart greatly help out customer in avoiding and penalties. The traffic plan is motifd on Texas employment laws, which is where our clients base of operations will be. The employment plan will also intromit federal employment laws which are relevant to our clients needs in component part him start his limousine service. I have also included the consequences for not be compliant with State and Federal employment laws.Texas affair LawsTexas is a right-to- land State. This means that a person tail assemblynot be denied employment base on the fact that they ar e or are not a ingredient of a labor union or other labor organization. The Texas Labor commandment has five titles public Provisions, Protection of Laborers, Employer-Employee Relations, Employment Services and Unemployment, and Workers Compensation (Texas Statue, 2013). The Texas Labor ordinance covers all aspects of employment. entitle II (Protection of Labors) covers allowance and discrimination. Being noncompliant can head in a civil accomplishment being brought by the employee, which can burden in a monetary face that is determined by the courts (Texas Statue, Chapter1). Title IV (Employment Services & Unemployment) covers unemployment benefits and insurance which our client will be responsible. failing to make unemployment component part can result in a class A misdemeanor (Texas Statue, Chapter2). Title V (Workers Compensation) covers workers compensation insurance coverage, workers wellness and safety, and workers compensation benefits.The penalty for noncomplia nce is sanction, savage prosecution, fines and restitution (Texas Statue, Chapter 4). Texas gestateday Law covers how employees are to be paid, either monthly or bi-weekly. The law also states that companies are not call for to compensatetheir employees for vacation time, breaks, and lunches. However, they are infallible to pay employees for attending company meetings. Failing to pay employees can result in administrative cost equal to the salary in the claim plus 25% per employee. In addition to the wages which have not been paid ((Texas custody Commission, 2014)Federal Employment LawsStates have their own employment laws which strengthen Federal employment laws. However, the Federal employment laws set the standard by which the States follow and or strengthen by adding new protections. Since our client is altogether feel to hire 25 employees, this would be considered a small privately owned business. Our client should also be made aware of the federal laws that he must o bserve to. The Fair Standards be active (FLSA) which requires employers to pay extra time to employees working more than 40 hours per week, at a rate of one-and-a-half times their rule-governed hourly rate. The FLSA also includes the Equal Pay Act, which is an amendment to FLSA, which establishes the same rate of pay for both women and men (Cascio, p.82, 2013). Since our client is going to start Landslide Limousine in capital of Texas Texas, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) should also be included in this employment plan.The IRCA explicitly states that employers cannot hire soul that is not legally authorized to work in this country. The employer must exercise his receivable diligence by verifying all documents supplied by a potential employee as verification of who they are. The penalties for noncompliance can depart from $100 to $1,000 per employee furthermore criminal sanctions can be imposed if a name of hiring unauthorized employees (Cascio, p.88, 2013). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its amendments, which is the ancestor to the Texas Labor Code, protects employees from discrimination based on their race, color, religion, gender, and national origin as it pertains to employment and promotions.This law was expanded in 1972 to include public and private employers with 15 or more employees. The penalty for an employer who is in rapine of the Civil Rights Act can be responsible for compensatory and punitive damages (Cascio, p.82, 2013). The compliance plan stated here is a necessary start to get our client, Landslide Limousine, in compliance with Texas employment laws, as well as Federal employment laws. The goal here is not only to educate our client but to moderate that he is aware and understands all employment lawswhich pertain to him and his company.ReferenceAttorney General of Texas. (2013, February 20). Right-to-Work Laws in Texas. Retrieved from Texas Constitution and Statutes https//www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/agency/righttow ork.shtml Cascio, W. F. (2013). Managing tender Resources. New York.McGraw-Hill. Statutes. (2013). Retrieved from http//www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=LA Texas Workforce Commission. (2014, June 02). Texas Payday Law. Texas. Retrieved fromhttp//www.twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/texas-payday-law.htmlpayPeriods