The Lawrence Textile Strike, known as the Bread and Roses strike Essay

The Lawrence Textile Strike, known as the Bread and Roses strike - Essay Example The paper tells that for many decades, Lawrence has been one of the most important centres of textile manufacturing in USA. In 1900s, the textile industry in the area was well developed. The American Woollen Company ‘owned the mils in Lawrence and employed approximately 40,000 people’. In the context of the industrial revolution, the company decided to proceed to the mass replacement of skilled workers with un-skilled workers, the compensation of whose could be quite low, compared to the skilled workers. At the same time, the rents in the buildings where the workers were staying, were continuously increased leading the workers to severe concerns in regard to their capability of covering their basic needs. Workers in other regions were also suffered similar problems. The owner of the mills, the American Woollen Company, had no intention to step back in regard to the demands of the workers, as it was made clear through its reaction to the workers’ efforts. The reluc tance of the company to provide fair wages, to keep the working hours stable and to ensure health and safety in the workplace has led to the development of the Lawrence Textile strike, known as the ‘Bread and Roses’ strike, the success of which was just temporary, as explained below. The union that joined the workers, the Industrial Workers of the World, has failed in securing the duration of the strike’s benefits, a fact that led to the decrease of the union’s power globally.... At the same time, the rents in the buildings where the workers were staying, were continuously increased leading the workers to severe concerns in regard to their capability of covering their basic needs (Brenner et al. 2009). Workers in other regions were also suffered similar problems. The owner of the mills, the American Woollen Company, had no intention to step back in regard to the demands of the workers, as it was made clear through its reaction to the workers’ efforts. The reluctance of the company to provide fair wages, to keep the working hours stable and to ensure health and safety in the workplace has led to the development of the Lawrence Textile strike, known as the ‘Bread and Roses’ strike, the success of which was just temporary, as explained below. The union that joined the workers, the Industrial Workers of the World, has failed in securing the duration of the strike’s benefits, a fact that led to the decrease of the union’s power gl obally (Greenberg and Watts 2009). 2.2 Key events of the strike - Parties The strike in Lawrence has begun in the 11th January of 1912 by workers in Everett cotton mills (Brenner et al. 2009) as ‘a reaction to the reduction in wages’ (Brenner et al. 2009, p.146). More specifically, the Polish women working in Everett cotton mills noted that their wages in January was further decreased, with no previous notice of the company. The women responded immediately: they left the workplace (Brenner et al. 2009, p.146). Shortly, workers in other regions joined the strike; the union, the Industrial Workers of the World, decided to take initiatives: a letter was sent to the company with the demands of the workers; the company did not respond (Lib organization 2006). The union decided to organize

Literature review Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature review - Research Proposal Example 1243). Alsaif (2011) considered the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents and recognized the problem as an epidemic. Dehgan (2011, p. 2) confirmed these findings. This study conducted quantitative research throughout the United States and established that one in every six children aged 6 to 18 years old are obese. Reilly (2010, p. 205) conducted a comprehensive examination of recent systematic reviews and clinical guidelines regarding childhood and adolescent obesity. One of the predominant findings in this study was the recognition that many parents failed to recognize obesity in their child or adolescent. Additionally, the study recognized that many medical professionals under-diagnosed obesity in children and adolescents, and did implement a uniform means of diagnosis. There are a number of considerations that link obesity to specific factors. These specific factor considerations are notable as they further establish the means through which the eventual structured i nterview questions can be established. Additionally, they factor into the qualitative portion of the analysis. Barnes (2011) examined recent statistical trends among childhood obesity. This investigation revealed that childhood and adolescent obesity greatly contributed to the potential for adult obesity. O’Connor (2011, p. ... Liou, Liou, & Chang (2010, p. 1246) examined the causes of adolescent obesity between 2007 and 2008 among 40 middle high schools with 384 classes, implementing a three-stage systematic sampling design. Among the participants 7.2% were identified as obese and 16.1% overweight. These results were correlated with findings that demonstrated individuals with obese parents were at a high risk of obesity. There are a number of notable concerns related to potential treatment methods and avenues for progress. These elements are highly significant to the qualitative portion of the research investigation. The challenge of treating childhood obesity has heightened as studies such as Lawrence et al. (2010) indicate there is no single determinant of adolescent obesity. This study recommends then that treating adolescent obesity necessarily involve a multi-dimensional approach. Stevens (2010, p. 233) studied obesity in middle school students and confirmed the perspective that it must be treated wit h a multi-dimensional approach. Still, this study indicated that the combination of diet and physical activity directly contributed to weight modification. Swain (2009, p. 22) considered these perspectives. This studied specifically presented an exercise program, referred to as ‘Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!’ (MEND). This program would involve repeated consultations for parents and children with physicians. These consultations would then work to establish goals and overall lifestyle change. Doak (2009, p. 111) considered many of the specific intervention elements the previous studies examined with varying degrees of accord. This study argued that nearly three quarters of school-based obesity interventions are effective. Still,

Analysis The Uk Oil And Gas Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis The Uk Oil And Gas Industry Environmental Sciences Essay With this report is a PESTE Analysis of The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom. An analysis of the factors affecting the industry shows that it operates under legal, fiscal and environmental regulations where prices are determined by international organisations like the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom is a mature one, and after 40 years of offshore exploration, the country remains self sufficient in oil and gas. This is an important sector for the UK, supplying the majority of the countrys energy needs, and virtually all the countrys transport fuel. Economic factors that affect the industry are oil demand, price, production, investment and employment. Awareness of sustainable development and renewable energy sources is the major social factor. Technology plays a crucial role in reducing the costs of exploration and producti on of oil and gas, in addition to making the process safer and more environmental friendly. There is considerable attention being paid to the affect of oil exploration operations on the environment, and this will also determine the future of the industry. The three scenarios that can emerge for the industry mainly depend upon the oil and gas reserves left in the North Sea, the viability of their exploration and the development of alternative renewable energy sources. Introduction PESTE Analysis of the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry What is a PESTE Analysis? PESTE shows which external factors are influencing a business or an industry, also measuring the market potential and situation. This report is to understand and assess the various determinates of the external environment that influences the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry. The factors assessed include Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological and Ecological. Once completed this PESTE model will provide an in-depth understanding of the situational factors that affect and have the potential to affect the UK Upstream Oil Gas Industry now and in the future. Political / Legal Factors Political stability and a good law and order situation are conducive to the smooth functioning of the upstream oil industry. Wars and terrorism can prove detrimental to operations. There are also several legislations passed by individual governments and associations who affect the functioning of the industry. 2.1 Legislation The Upstream Oil Industry in the United Kingdom is well regulated. In addition to the laws and regulations governing business in general, there are several laws that pertain to the Oil Industry specifically. Petroleum Act 1998 (www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980017.htm) Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regulations 1995 (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1995/Uksi_19951434_en_1.htm) Master Deed System 2003 (www.gnn.gov.uk/gnn/national.nsf) The Offshore Installations (Emergency Pollution Control) Regulations 2002 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021861.htm) The Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021355.htm) The Offshore Combustion Installations (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Regulations 2001 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20011091.htm) The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2001/20011754.htm) 2.2 Taxation The North Sea Tax regime has three tiers, Petroleum Revenue Tax (PRT), Corporation Tax and a Supplementary Charge of 10%. The Budget proposals for 2004 are to remove from the scope of PRT, new tariff business. 2.3 OPEC OECD The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed in 1960 with 5 members. By the end of 1971 six other nations had joined. OPEC stabilizes prices in the international Oil markets with a view to eliminate fluctuations, by setting the production quotas in the member countries. Oil Price History Analysis. WTRG Economics In contrast, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was instituted to counterbalance the role of OPEC and has a membership of 30 countries. The core of original members was located in Europe and North America but has expanded to include Asia, Latin America and the former Soviet bloc. Economic Factors As in every industry, there are economic factors affecting the health of the industry. It is abundantly clear that economic growth will remain the primary driver of energy demand. 3.1 World Economic Growth Oil Demand The global economy has grown at an average rate of about 3% per year since 1970, and the expectation is that it will continue to grow at the same pace over the next two decades (Raymond, Lee R., (2003). The most important factor governing upstream activities is the demand for Oil, which continues to increase. 3.2 Oil Prices Crude oil prices behave much as any other commodity with wide price swings in times of shortage or oversupply. Currently the Brent Crude price is around $30 per barrel  and is heavily influenced by the current world oil price set by the OPEC and OECD. 3.3 Oil Production The current production rate is around 4.25 million boe per day (North Sea Oil Leopard Magazine 2003) this is expected to decline to 3.6 million boe per day by 2005. By 2010 the government has a target of 3 million boe per day, although some industry experts reckon that production will be below 2.5 million boe per day. 3.4 Employment in the Oil Industry The Oil Gas Industry in the UK, employs around 300,000 staff in exploration and production. Skill levels and multi-skill training are important issues keeping in view the technology improvements. 3.5 Financial Investment Investment in upstream infrastructure like pipelines, tankers etc. results in more exploration activity. Socio-Cultural Factors The Upstream Oil Gas Industry is indirectly affected by socio-cultural factors. 4.1 Awareness about Sustainable Development Conservationists and more recently the general public are showing concern about saving non-renewable energy sources and switching to renewable energy sources. 4.2 Health Safety at rigs The perception of the Oil Industry has always been that it is a dangerous environment to work. Since the Piper Alpha disaster there has been a more conscious effort by the HSE and Industry bodies to make it a safer place to work. With the perception now changing the UK Upstream Oil Industry is now attracting a better quality of manpower. Technological Factors New upstream technologies will increase access to economically exploitable new liquids and gas reserves and reduce exploration, development and production costs. They will also mitigate adverse environmental efforts and risks to public health and safety from exploration and production activities.  Technology and RD activities will be responsible for the development of alternative energy sources. 5.1 Improvements in Oil Exploration Production In the past 10 to 15 years research and development within Oil and Service Companies has seen the development of powerful new and advanced technologies and tools for use in exploration, reservoir evaluation and production. Some of these are:   3D, 4D, 4C Seismic Imaging. Horizontal, Directional and Multilateral Drilling. Advanced Drilling Completion and Stimulation Technologies. Logging Tools and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Intelligent Completion Reservoir Life Extension. New Energy Technologies in Upstream Oil Gas. The Middle East Economic Survey. 28th October 2002 5.2 Renewable Energy Technology There are a wide range of renewable energy sources available and in the process of development and use. These are Biomass, Electricity, Geothermal, Hydropower, Solar, Wind and Tidal energy. Ecological / Environmental Factors The exploration, drilling and use of oil and gas will have to be kept in check due to the detrimental effects on the world ecosystem. 6.1 Ecological Impact The ecology of the North Sea has deteriorated over 30 years of oil exploitation in spite of anti pollution regulations. Discharges of oil and chemicals have various lethal and non-lethal effects on fish, birds, molluscs, cetaceans and other mammals (The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch.) Seismic surveying, drilling and rig installation cause disturbance to seabed ecosystems. The numbers of certain varieties of fish have reduced drastically. 6.2 Climate Change The rampant use of oil and petroleum products leads to Carbon Monoxide emissions (The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch), resulting in the greenhouse effect. It has been proved that there is a rise in temperatures, which will eventually lead to the melting of icecaps, the reversing of the Gulf Stream, and eventually great changes in climate all over the world. Flooding and coastal erosion will lead to massive population migration and loss of infrastructure all over the world. Significant Issues / Trends in the UK Upstream Oil Industry 7.1 Reserves in the North Sea Basin There are 260 oil and gas fields currently under development or in production on the UKCS (248 in 2001), with remaining reserves in these developments of around 11 billion boe (Alexanders Oil Gas 2002). At the current rate of production, it will take around 10 years for the oil and gas to be exhausted. The future of the industry depends upon new finds and further development of existing fields 7.2 Viability of Exploration Initial indications from a new survey reveal the UK offshore oil and gas industry has reached a critical point in terms of its international competitiveness, with projections of investment growth not being matched by increased production volumes. New technological developments in the upstream oil field aim to improve recovery rates of existing reserves (typically only 35% of which are currently recoverable by primary and secondary recovery technologies) and also reduce relative costs. The volatility of the oil price has led to changes in the structure of the oil sector. There has been consolidation both horizontally and vertically in the traditional contracting supply chain. OPEC will continue to be a major force in setting world oil prices. Over 1998 / 1999 there was a severe reduction in oil price, but increases in the oil price since the end of 1999 have improved the cash flow for oil companies, however the recovery for the industry will depend on technology transfer and new oil finds. 7.3 Development of Alternative Energy Sources Technology has come a long way in recent years with individuals, communities and businesses recognising the benefits of switching to renewable energy. The Energy Saving Trust was set up by the UK Government after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and is one of the UKs leading organisations investigating the development of alternative energy sources. Their goal is to achieve the sustainable, efficient use of energy and to cut carbon dioxide emissions being the key contributor to global warming. The use of alternative energy sources is one way to address this vital goal. Scenarios for the UK Upstream Oil Industry Based on the above three issues that affect the upstream oil industry in the next decade, there could be three scenarios: the optimistic, the pessimistic and the middle of the road. 8.1 Optimistic Scenario The need for affordable and clean energy will continue to increase, especially in growing economies as energy is of fundamental importance for the development of societies. The consumption of primary energy sources will increase over the next 20 year forecast and most of the increment in energy consumption will be in the form of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal). It is expected that fossil fuel prices will remain relatively low, and the cost of generating energy from renewable sources will not be competitive. The fiscal climate of the UK will encourage the long-term investment necessary to secure the development of those supplies. In the UK, PILOT a partnership of the UK Oil and Gas Industry and Government, will fulfill its vision set out for 2010. Over the next 25 years, the UK upstream industry will make 130 new discoveries and 240 new developments. Oil prices will stay at a high level and long term investment in new technology will increase productivity and find new sources of oil and gas. (About Pilot What is Pilot? Pilot. 2003) The industry will achieve a production level of 3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2010 and a sustained investment level of  £ 3 billion per year. There will be a 50% increase in the value of industry-related exports by 2005 and additional revenue of  £1 billion from new businesses. There will also be a prolonged self-sufficiency in oil and gas for the UK with 100,000 more jobs than there would otherwise have been in 2010. (About Pilot What is Pilot? Pilot. 2003 8.2 Pessimistic Scenario Environmentalists and pro-conservation groups will influence all countries to maintain the delicate ecological balance of the planet by stopping the use of fossil fuels. UK government policy and programs will back alternative energy sources and the electricity generated will rise. At the regional level, the Energy Saving Trust will work with local authorities and a range of organisations to promote the implementation of alternative energy sources. The environmental programs and government policies, particularly those designed to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be implemented. More support and financial funding for long-term renewable options to bring viable options to the market will achieve this. The Government will exceed its committed target and will achieve a 50% renewables target by 2010. The manufacturing sector all over the world will proactively implement methods to use renewable sources of energy. In view of this, the price of oil will plummet, due to cleaner and cheaper alternatives for energy being available. The OPEC will loose control over regulating oil and the market will be competing with other sources of energy. This will reduce the investment in the upstream oil sector and the transfer of technology for exploiting oil more efficiently will slow down. Eventually, the phasing out and decommissioning of Oil rigs in the North Sea will commence earlier than expected. 8.3 Middle of the Road Scenario The production of oil and gas in the UK peaked in 1999 and will continue to decrease over the years if there are no new significant discoveries in the North Sea Basin (Analysis of the UK Oil Production. PeakOil. 22nd February 2001). In the meantime renewable energy sources will get a boost with more funding and research development efforts being committed in that direction. The new technologies being used to make oil exploration more cost effective will not be transferred effectively to the rig, due to a lack of investment and funding. The price of oil will not be high enough for a comfortable cash flow in the upstream oil industry. The OECD will govern the prices of energy, as it will increasingly become non-fossil fuel based. UK will export most of its oil to the developing countries whose infrastructure would not have been upgraded enough to use renewable sources of energy. Conclusion On analysing the PESTE factors affecting the Upstream Oil industry, it is apparent that the major issues that will impact the health and longevity of the industry are the remaining reserves in the mature North Sea Basin, the viability of exploration and the development of alternative renewable sources of energy. From my readings I feel that with the technology that is constantly being developed by the Oil companies Exploration and Production in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry in the United Kingdom will continue steadily for at least another 20 years. Even with renewable energy sources becoming increasingly more evident, oil and gas will remain the most important fuels for the next 20-30 years. References Internet 1.Industry survey reveals challenges ahead for UK offshore oil and gas. Alexanders Gas Oil Connections. 27th November 2002. 2.Analysis of the UK Oil Production. PeakOil. 22nd February 2001. 3.The Oil Gas Industry A guide for UK Activists. Corporate Watch. Raymond, Lee R., (2003) The Petroleum Industry in the 21st Century: Building on a Great Legacy. World Energy. 6 (2): 24-29 4.About Pilot What is Pilot. Pilot. 5.UKOOA Sustainability Strategy Striking a Balance. UKOOA. 2002. 6.North Sea Oil Leopard Magazine Professor Alex Kemp 7.North Sea Oil and the UK Economy. UKOOA. 8.Oil Price History Analysis. WTRG Economics. 22nd 9.Is OPEC necessary? Oil Online. 25th November 2002. 10.New Energy Technologies in Upstream Oil Gas. The Middle East Economic Survey. 28th October 2002. 11.Forces Driving the Petroleum Industry in 2000 and beyond. Energy Saving Trust Website

The Cause of Death in All Quiet on the Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

The Cause of Death in All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT is a very interesting and true-to-heart novel based in the first world war where many men and women died because someone called them the enemy. The main character is Paul Baumer, a nineteen year old man who is swept into the war, along with his friends, not one day before he is out of school. They are sent to the front to "protect the fatherland" or Germany as it is called. Paul and his friends go from this idealistic opinion to disillusionment throughout the book as they discover the truth that the enemy is just like them, and Paul's friends start being killed one-by-one. This novel is a gripping account of how war is most of the time bloody and horrid. The few who came out of this war were not the people they were when they left. They become pale and emotionless, without feeling or thought. Some killed themselves, they had experienced ultimate horror, the horror of war. The novel starts two years after Paul and his friends first reached the front and then goes back and forth between present and past. The main topics throughout the book is the change from idealism to disillusionment, the loss of Paul's friends, and especially the loss of Paul's innocence. The change from idealism to disillusionment is really the driving force behind the novel. From young school boys, listening to their schoolmaster asking "Won't you join up comrades?"(11) to "weary, broken"(294) men, idealism and disillusionment play a major role on Paul's decisions and thoughts. For example, on the second page of the novel, Paul says, "It would not be such a bad war if only one could get a little more sleep." (2) Later in the book, a disillusioned Paul says of the same war, "I see how people are set against one another and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another."(263) Even though he has been in the war two years, the first quote shows how Paul's idealism is still strong. In the second quote, Paul sees the war for what it truly is, a waste of time, food, money, and young men. The

Study Case Marketing About Harmonix

CASE STUDY: HARMONIX Harmonix is a company originally founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, they were the original developer of guitar hero series, the idea was originally create some demo software with the vision of providing a different way for people without music training or talent to experience the joy of playing and creating music. One of the most successful product that was produced by hamonix were guitar hero series, which subsequently became the fastest videogame in history to top 1 billion dollars just in north America. . )What marketing philosophy did harmonix use at first and how did their philosophy change? * The Marketing management philosophy used Harmonix, at first, was production oriented. The company focused on some demo software they had created in 1995, and the company focused on the internal capabilities rather than the wants or needs of customers. Then they tried the make a product by persons who wants know that will feel   be a rock star and decide to eng age with their customers, changing their philosophy to the market orientation.Since 2004 the company searched for the wants and likes of the customers creating products such as the microphone in karaoke Revolution, and in 2005 Guitar hero. This means that the company took actions by creating products to deliver and provide value to customers. The company seeks to satisfy needs , wants and likes of the customers with their products. S. W. O. T. STRENGHT * Innovation in the sector of video games * Strong brand image * Quality of the product (reality, sound, image) * Their games offer another experience that the consumers wants WEAKNESS * High prices Focus only in people with middle and higher incomes * Focus only in the music and entertainment market OPPORTUNITIES * New markets (games experiences) * New ways of advertising using internet THREAD * Increasing competitors * Indirect competition from other substitutes (other experiences with motion games) * Changing market experiences * I llegal downloading and piracy * Global economic conditions MARKETING MIX PRODUCT : like any other products have a life cycle, which begins at the time of its release, continues its growth and maturity, and finally goes into decline.They must understand each of the phases for the design, or strategies aiming at the attraction of video games to boost sales, it is for this reason that was listed as the fastest and most sales in history. PRICE: their units were sold at a higher price than other products on the market. By having so much market acceptance, Harmonix knew that despite the increase in their cost, their game was going to be one of the most competitive; the problem was that these prices keep out the people with low incomes, which is a big part of the market.DISTRIBUTION: still retains its operational autonomy, good budget for product development and licensing of music for their games. With its software can provide basic kinds of musical composition as an attribute to the parti cipants of the game, so funding invest for their internal costs and seek adjustments in the bid as and distribution consumer needs. PROMOTION: this company provides advertising that discloses a new way to experience the joy of playing and creating music through video games.Sales staff often plays an important role in word of public relations, Also they used a different way of advertising, using demos, tournaments with huge rewards that motivated the gamester to buy the game. Conclusion: * In conclusion this company show their evolution , through the time since that Harmonix beginning when was had created in grad school in 1995. Even now when this company developement fun and extraordinary videogames and one philosophy that will could satisfy   the needs , wants and likes of their customers. Related post: Advantages and Disadvantages of Administrative Management

Proposal for relationship Essay

The idea was about to show gender inequality through different aspects of people. To do a notch thinking about the topic. The documentary shows different views of what they think of gender inequality or equality. There are interviews that were conducted from different people from different background, races, genders, and status. We have conducted interviews of teachers, politicians general public, a barber, a corporate person and so on. Although the world has become so advanced but there are gender inequalities on high levels. Gender inequality is not just a problem in it slef, it is a major problem for the economy aswell. People still thinks women if start going out for work will get dominant and powerfull over man and if she goes ot, she becomes commercial, people look them with different perspectives. Though they forget, that women are to be respected and treated as she is supposed to and given all her rights. GENDER INEQUALITY Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. Gender systems are often dichotomous and hierarchical; gender binary systems may reflect the inequalities that  manifest in numerous dimensions of daily life. Gender inequality stems from distinctions, whether empirically grounded or socially constructed. On differences between the sexes. We will be looking into the following what causes inequality between women and men: how does it arise, why does it take different forms, why does it vary in degree across societies, what are the components that add up to gender inequality, how do various institutions and practices contribute to it, and how does it change? There is a coordination problem in social relations; namely, for interactions between individuals to proceed smoothly, they must be able to synchronize their behavior. In US society, there are many shared category systems used to create â€Å"common knowledge.† However, according to Ridgeway, these categories, â€Å"†¦must be so simplified that they can be quickly applied as framing devices to virtually anyone to start the process of defining self and other in the situation.† If you meet an unfamiliar person, you will, â€Å"automatically and instantly,† categorize them, and your interaction will proceed with this information in mind. In the US, the basic â€Å"primary† cultural categories include sex, race, and age. – In general, men are believed to be especially more competent than women in male-typed settings (e.g. engineering, sports) and positions of authority, while women are advantaged in female-typed settings (e.g. childcare, communicat ion). In mixed sex, gender neutral settings, men are believed to be modestly and diffusely more competent. Even though these beliefs are based are based on the â€Å"average† woman and the â€Å"average† man, they become the â€Å"default rules† for coordinating behavior. So if equally qualified applicants apply for a male-typed job, such as a computer engineer, male applicants will be advantaged relative to female applicants. But if two equally qualified applicants apply to a female-typed job, such as a nanny, the woman would be more likely to receive the job offer. TYPES OF INEQUALITIES Mortality inequality: In some regions in the world, inequality between women and men directly involves matters of life and death, and takes the brutal form of unusually high mortality rates of women and a consequent preponderance of men in the total population, as opposed to the preponderance of women found in societies with little or no gender bias in health care and nutrition. Mortality inequality has been observed  extensively in North Africa and in Asia, including China and South Asia. Natality inequality: Given a preference for boys over girls that many male-dominated societies have, gender inequality can manifest itself in the form of the parents wanting the newborn to be a boy rather than a girl. There was a time when this could be no more than a wish (a daydream or a nightmare, depending on one’s perspective), but with the availability of modern techniques to determine the gender of the foetus, sex-selective abortion has become common in many countries. It is particu larly prevalent in East Asia, in China and South Korea in particular, but also in Singapore and Taiwan, and it is beginning to emerge as a statistically significant phenomenon in India and South Asia as well. This is high-tech sexism. Basic facility inequality: Even when demographic characteristics do not show much or any anti-female bias, there are other ways in which women can have less than a square deal. Afghanistan may be the only country in the world the government of which is keen on actively excluding girls from schooling (it combines this with other features of massive gender inequality), but there are many countries in Asia and Africa, and also in Latin America, where girls have far less opportunity of schooling than boys do. There are other deficiencies in basic facilities available to women, varying from encouragement to cultivate one’s natural talents to fair participation in rewarding social functions of the community. Special opportunity inequality: Even when there is relatively little difference in basic facilities including schooling, the opportunities of higher education may be far fewer for young women than for young men. Indeed, gender bias in higher education a nd professional training can be observed even in some of the richest countries in the world, in Europe and North America. Sometimes this type of division has been based on the superficially innocuous idea that the respective â€Å"provinces† of men and women are just different. This thesis has been championed in different forms over the centuries, and has had much implicit as well as explicit following. It was presented with particular directness more than a hundred years before Queen Victoria’s complaint about â€Å"woman’s rights† by the Revd James Fordyce in his Sermons to Young Women (1766), a book which, as Mary Wollstonecraft noted in her A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792), had been â€Å"long made a part of woman’s library.† Fordyce warned the young women, to whom his sermons were addressed, against  Ã¢â‚¬Å"those masculine women that would plead for your sharing any part of their province with us,† identifying the pro vince of men as including not only â€Å"war,† but also â€Å"commerce, politics, exercises of strength and dexterity, abstract philosophy and all the abstruser sciences.† Even though such clear-cut beliefs about the provinces of men and women are now rather rare, nevertheless the presence of extensive gender asymmetry can be seen in many areas of education, training and professional work even in Europe and North America. Professional inequality: In terms of employment as well as promotion in work and occupation, women often face greater handicap than men. A country like Japan may be quite egalitarian in matters of demography or basic facilities, and even, to a great extent, in higher education, and yet progress to elevated levels of employment and occupation seems to be much more problematic for women than for men. In the English television series called â€Å"Yes, Minister,† there is an episode where the Minister, full of reforming zeal, is trying to find out from the immovable permanent secretary, Sir Humphrey, how many women are in really senior positions in the British civil service. Sir Humphrey says that it is very difficult to give an ex act number; it would require a lot of investigation. The Minister is still insistent, and wants to know approximately how many women are there in these senior positions. To which Sir Humphrey finally replies, â€Å"Approximately, none.† Ownership inequality: In many societies the ownership of property can also be very unequal. Even basic assets such as homes and land may be very asymmetrically shared. The absence of claims to property can not only reduce the voice of women, but also make it harder for women to enter and flourish in commercial, economic and even some social activities.2 This type of inequality has existed in most parts of the world, though there are also local variations. For example, even though traditional property rights have favoured men in the bulk of India, in what is now the State of Kerala, there has been, for a long time, matrilineal inheritance for an influential part of the community, namely the Nairs. Household inequality: There are, often enough, basic inequalities in gender relations within the family or the household, which can take many different forms. Even in cases in which there are no overt signs of anti-female bias in, say, survival or son-preference or education, or even in promotion to higher executive positions, the family arrangements can be quite unequal in terms o f sharing  the burden of housework and child care. It is, for example, quite common in many societies to take it for granted that while men will naturally work outside the home, women could do it if and only if they could combine it with various inescapable and unequally shared household duties. This is sometimes called â€Å"division of labour,† though women could be forgiven for seeing it as â€Å"accumulation of labour.† The reach of this inequality includes not only unequal relations within the family, but also derivative inequalities in employment and recognition in the outside world. Also, the established fixity of this type of â€Å"division† or â€Å"accumulation† of labour can also have far-reaching effects on the knowledge and understanding of different types of work in professional circles. When I first started working on gender inequality, in the 1970s, I remember being struck by the fact that the Handbook of Human Nutrition Requirement of the World Health Organisation (WHO), in presenting â€Å"calorie requirements† for different categories of people, chose to classify household work as â€Å"sedentary activity,† requiring very little deployment of energy.3 I was, however, not able to determine precisely how this remarka ble bit of information had been collected by the patrician leaders of society. FACTS ABOUT GENDER INEQUALITY The five countries with the best record of gender parity are Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Philippines. Iceland holds the top spot for the fifth year in a row and â€Å"continues to be the country with the narrowest gender gap in the world.† The U.S. is at number 23, falling behind several countries that it has tried to bomb or colonize, such as Cuba and Nicaragua, or moralize at, such as Burundi. (Official U.S. government goals in Burundi are â€Å"to help the people of Burundi realize a just and lasting peace based upon democratic principles and sustainable economic development.†) The U.S. also is only at number 17 in gender parity out of the 49 high-income countries that have been measured–a rather poor showing for a country that tops the chart when it comes to high incomes. According to one recent study, incomes among the top 1 percent in the U.S. rose by 31.4 percent between 2009 and 2012, while incomes for everyone else grew just 0.4 percent. This wealth is obviously not going toward ensuring gender equality. China, the emerging economic competitor to the U.S., is at number 69 with a steady  deterioration in its gender relations since 2010. China and the U.S. have the greatest number of millionaire households, and China has seen one of the biggest economic booms in recent years. It is thus alarming that in China, just like in the U.S., the sole beneficiaries of this boom has been the rich. The disparity is particularly clear in certain key areas: for instance, the report ranks China at 133, almost to the very bottom of all the countries surveyed, in the Health and Survival category. Indeed, some of the leading affluent nations perform very poorly on the â€Å"Health and Survival† Category. Israel, for example, is at 93 falling below the country it demonizes regularly: Iran! The five countries with the poorest record for gender parity are Mauritania, Syria, Chad, Pakistan and Yemen. Not to let the national ruling classes of these countries off the hook, but it’s important to bear in mind that these countries have all been the victim of devastating imperialist policies and violence from the West. Along with colonialism, drone strikes and International Monetary Fund demands, we can also add the resultant gender disparity to the list of the West’s â€Å"gifts† to these countries. GENDER EQUALITY Gender equality is the measurable equal representation of women and men. Gender equality does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment. The United Nations regards gender equality as a human right. It points out that empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty. Equal pay for equal work is one of the areas where gender equality is rarely seen. All too often women are paid less than men for doing the same work. This is one of the reasons that the majority of the world’s poor are women: around 70% of the people who live in extreme poverty, on less than US$1 a day, are girls and women. Suffrage (the right to vote) is another area of gender equality that still does not extend to all the women in the world. Saudi Arabia does not give women the right to vote; in the USA right wing commentators say that women should never have been given the right to vote. The impor tance of gender equality is highlighted by its inclusion as one of the 8 Millennium Development Goals that serve as a framework for halving poverty and improving lives. Despite  this, discrimination against women and girls (such as gender-based violence, economic discrimination, reproductive health inequities and harmful traditional practices) remains the most pervasive and persistent form of inequality. CONCLUSION Despite modernization and acknowledgment of right, we still see countries facing the problem of gender inequality and let most to suffer from this are developing countries. After the research we can conclude that inequality does not only brings in stress and problems along it but also economically affects. The relationship between economic and gender equality is very clear. there are people who still do not allow women to go ut and work. We still think women are not supposed to go out and work as they go out they will get dominant over men. Girls are removed early from schools. Early marriages. Those who work have a glass ceiling or are not allowed to go on higher posts then men. And so on so forth. If we remove this gender inequality, let the women work educate them, they will not only be contributing with the man to run the house expenses but also help in economy; less dependent people, more bread earning hence a good lifestyle. With such an inflationary economy where prices are go ing up, one person is not enough to earn and feed the family. A women who is educated, can raise her children in a very well-mannered and appropriate way with good moral and ethnic values. A healthy home comes with educated women. BIBILOGRAPHY Amartya Sen. Many faces of gender inequality. FRONTLINE. Volume 18 – Issue 22, Oct. 27 – Nov. 09, 2001 Sex differences in humans . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_inequality Tithi Bhattacharya. Measuring gender inequality. report on the gender gap internationally. from http://socialistworker.org/2013/11/04/measuring-gender-inequality

Heres the Number One Resume Mistake Youre Making

Heres the Number One Resume Mistake Youre Making We spend so much time trying to craft the perfect resume in order to land our dream job. We’re all painfully aware how important that one little document can be in determining our futures. But what if there is one thing, one major mistake, that continues to stump recruiters and keep holding us back from achieving career success? And what if it would be a pretty easy fix for us to make sure we never make that one mistake? Good news and bad news. The good news is that this cardinal mistake is easily prevented and possible to fix. The bad news is: you’re probably guilty of having committed it at some point. It is rampant.That one mistake? Sloppiness. You guessed it. No matter how carefully you finesse the information and the layout of your resume. No matter how you choose your keywords and your formatting. No matter how kick-ass your job history. If you’re careless and don’t pay enough attention to the little details- or the spelling and grammar- on your resu me, you’re just as likely to have your document shredded as you are to be asked in for the interview.Don’t be lazy. Don’t forget to update your dates and jobs. Don’t forget to accurately list information that is up-to-date. Don’t include any irrelevant information. And don’t don’t don’t let it leave your email outbox with a single typo. That’s what spell check (and a few minutes of your careful reading time) is for.If you’re afraid you’ve spent too many hours looking at your own resume to catch any or all of these little errors, have a friend look it over for you. Just don’t let it out the door without making sure it’s as perfect as it possibly can be.

Do Colleges Accept ACT Takers as Much as SAT Takers Is the ACT Disadvantaged

Do Colleges Accept ACT Takers as Much as SAT Takers Is the ACT Disadvantaged SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The ACT is rising rapidly in popularity, but students and parents have a good question do colleges accept ACT tests as much as they accept SAT tests? Do colleges mark you down for taking the ACT? The Straight Facts: More Students Take the ACT Now Parents of many students today may remember the SAT as being the only game in town. When I first took the test as a young student in the 1990s, everyone took the SAT. But in 2012, the ACT overtook the SAT as the top test. In fact, these days the ACT has about 10% more takers than the SAT, and this number is climbing every year. With this fact out of the way, the question still remains, is the ACT as legit as the SAT? Will the same universities accept the ACT as the SAT? And more subtely, are there disadvantages to taking the ACT? The ACT is Accepted In terms of pure acceptance, the ACT is accepted by all 4-year colleges. This was true as early as 2007. So you can rest easy knowing that if you take the ACT, you do not need to take the SAT to get into college. In terms of nominal legitimacy, the ACT is equal to or even above the SAT. Universities will accept ACT takers universally. Caveat: Mandatory ACT Takers One reason that the ACT has more takers than the SAT is that the ACT has been aggressive in pressuring states to use the ACT as statewide tests. That is, certain states like Kentucky require all students to take the ACT. Some of these "forced takers" won't be applying to colleges, or won't be applying to the level of colleges you're planning to. That means that the "real numbers" for the ACT may be a bit less than the official numbers. In my opinion though, this issue is not serious, but still one to take note of. Caveat: Acceptance Doesn't Mean Equal In many spheres of life, just because something is accepted on paper, doesn't mean it's equal in practice. For example, many colleges say the writing section is "optional but recommended" you should read this as "required" unless you're really exceptional. Colleges say the ACT is accepted, but is it equal in practice? In reality, since the ACT has been popular for a shorter period of time, admissions staff may not be as informed about what the scores mean. They may understand the SAT math-verbal split, but have a hard time grasping what it means to be strong in science but weak in math on the ACT. My belief, from speaking to many admissions committees directly and indirectly, is that this was more of a concern before 2010. These days almost all colleges have substantial experience with both tests. There is no substantial bias against the ACT anymore, certainly officially, but also in practice. Verdict: The ACT is every bit as accepted and legit as the SAT Other Articles to Read: Should you take the SAT or ACT? Class of 2017: Consider Skipping the new SAT for the ACT? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Animals Intentional Literary Effects In Miss Julie

Animals Intentional Literary Effects In Miss Julie In Miss Julie, Julie’s dog, Diana, serves as an embodiment of Julie’s fate. Diana gets into an affair with a pug of lower standing, the â€Å"gatekeeper’s pug†. Through the use of antitheses- purebred bitch and gatekeeper’s pug it foreshadows the future dualism- aristocrat and commoner where Julie transcends her social boundary by having a sexual affair with Jean. This parallelism follows that just as Diana faces severe consequences for her actions â€Å"that Miss Julie won’t allow†Ã‚   [ 2 ]   , Julie’s sexual folly has dire consequences. Julie in demanding Christine prepares â€Å"some filthy muck†Ã‚   [ 3 ]   for an immediate abortion conjures ideas of death, termination and annihilation engendering in readers an ominous, apocalyptic mood which foreshadows Julie’s termination of her own life. Coupled with the sensual engagement with the use of an olfactory imagery in â€Å"the [abortion potion] smellâ€⠄¢s infernal†Ã‚   [ 4 ]   , it has overtones of fiendish punishment creating an image of hell, invoking in audience the wrathful punishment for follies such as these, heightening the foreboding sinister horizon ahead. After Julie’s sexual folly later on in the play, audiences are once again reminded â€Å"She, who all but had poor Diana shot for running after the gatekeeper’s pug!†Ã‚   [ 5 ]   , provoking heightened apprehension of Julie’s punishment as has been prescribed to Diana. Miss Julie then â€Å"enters in travelling clothes with a small birdcage.†Ã‚   [ 6 ]   By engaging audience with a visual image, it explicitly shows Julie is trapped just like the bird in a small birdcage. The bird’s confinement in this tiny cage is symbolic of Miss Julie being trapped by the consequences of her action for which there is no absolving. This parallels Julie’s anguish at recognizing her actions are unforgivable and would not be pa rdoned. Eventually, Jean snatches the bird from Julie, â€Å"takes it to the chopping block and picks up the kitchen axe†Ã‚   [ 7 ]   . This act of snatching the bird from Julie is symbolic of Jean taking control of Julie and Julie losing control over her own being. The killing of the greenfinch foreshadows Julie’s eventual suicide. Like the Finch who dies at the hands of Jean, Julie’s eventual suicide death is dictated by Jean and is emblematic of patriarchal society. Preceding this, arising from her aristocracy, Julie asserts dominance over Jean who belongs to the working-class. Contrastingly, this very act of snatching the bird and Jean â€Å"bringing down the axe† signifies the reversal of roles on grounds of the more dominant sex regardless of economic position.   [ 8 ]   Jean’s act, true to social Darwinism, clearly show that it is the male that defines the female, it is he on whom she will hinge her existence into, her existence is lar gely defined by how he allows [or not] it to be.   [ 9 ]   Like the Greenfinch, Julie succumbs to her own ruin, analogous to female sensibility succumbing to the male, phallic, patriarchal order, reaffirming man’s control over human affairs.   [ 10 ]    Similarly, like the death of the greenfinch which cannot survive outside, and who is saved through Jean’s brutality, Julie’s death is an escape. Julie’s eventual suicide dictated by Jean is the fulfillment of the sado-masochistic ritual where the victim desires her fatal end, the consummation of her masochistic fantasy.   [ 11 ]

Bus. Research and Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Bus. Research and Writing - Essay Example These may include the business plan, bank statements, business history and references. Most business start their operations before the owners decide to expand. This can be done by establishing new ventures or expanding. Some of the new ventures that can be explored include developing new product lines, creating and sustaining a presence in a new geographical area and establishing a new market. Each one of the ventures requires funds in order to be successful. The funds that are required by businesses, organizations or enterprises either to start up new ventures or to bolster already existing ventures may be acquired through external sources or internal sources. The sources of capital usually depend on whether the business or organization is at an early stage of rapid expansion. The first source of capital for any corporation is usually the retained profits. The corporation has to approximate the amount of money required. The retained profits are the profits that are kept by the corporation rather than being distributed as dividends to the shareholders. The profits are retained in the organization and invested in new business ventures. A business can choose to opt for debt financing. This form of financing allows the borrower to use the money borrowed for a specified period provided they repay the money with some interest. In most instances, the terms of the loan are usually outlined in the loan agreement. To ensure that the repayment of the loan is guaranteed, the loan may be backed by â€Å"collateral† for the sake of a secured loan or â€Å"cash flow† for the sake of unsecured loans. A corporation can raise capital through the sale of shares. Essentially, shares relate to public limited companies or private limited companies. â€Å"Shares† are self-explanatory and once one buys a shares form a particular company, they in turn own a share of the company. Shares are

What Is So Important About Jerusalem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What Is So Important About Jerusalem - Essay Example At the beginning of the twentieth century, British forces captured Jerusalem from the Turks. Following this capture, the British troops pledged that they would conserve all religious sites and places of worship in the holy city. In the same era, Chaim Weizmann, a Zionist purchased the area surrounding the wall in order to make it accessible to other Jews. This event shows that the Jews were willing and able to sacrifice their wealth in order to gain access to the western wall. Christianity: Church of the Holy Sepulchre is an ancient church in Old City of Jerusalem. The church is believed to be the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. The church has an extensive history that stretches all the way from the 4 century AD. Currently, the church serves as the control center for Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. The control of the church and adjacent land is under the control of several Christian churches around the world. The church is believed to be the center of key phenom enon and sites in the Christian faith that include Golgotha, the hill of Calvary, and the original cross of Jesus. The church is of immense significance to Christian of all ages. Being the main Christian establishment in the holy land, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is of interest to many world leaders. Moreover, the church was the target of crusaders who travelled from Europe to the holy land6. The church was an important symbol in ancient early civilization and it was destroyed and reconstructed many times. For example, the churchy was demolished by the Persians in 614 AD under the command Khosrau II. The church underwent numerous demolitions and reconstructions under various authorities. In the 7th century, the Persians invaded Jerusalem and removed the Cross-from Church of the Holy...Recent archeological evidence has revealed that the wall was not completed during Herod’s reign. The studies have revealed that constructions may have been completed at the end of the seven the century. The wall and the temple courtyard that it encloses have been a pilgrimage site for the Jews over the centuries. Since the establishment of the Zionist movement, the wall has been a major cause of conflict between Jews and Muslims3. Both the Muslims and the Jews claim right of ownership including the right to worship and pilgrimage to the wall and the temple. Indeed the wall is a fundamental aspect of the Jewish religion. According to the Jews, King Solomon constructed the western wall and it serves as the only remnant of the first temple. The Jews regard the wall as the only accessible spot of the holy land. The site is the closest to even ha-shetiya (the foundation stone) located in the temple mountain4. The foundation stone is regarded ans the holy of holies and no one is allowed to set foot upon it. The Jews used to pray by the walls during the time of tribulation and it is believed that God heard their prayers. Through the ages, Jews of all age gathered and prayed beside the western wall.Certainly, there are many unknown facts about the holy lands and their significance to the future of humanity. Therefore, modern religions cannot be based on these holy lands.

Senior Phase Teaching Diverse Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Senior Phase Teaching Diverse Learners - Essay Example The school preparation for this activity involves providing families with psychological support literature and extending the family into the transitioning process. This type of family-oriented workshop likely understands the difficulties of finding quality work as a disabled person and will rely on patient and tolerant family members to assist in this difficult process. This would appeal to the self-determination theory, by providing family members with information to give the disabled student the guidance necessary to remain self-motivated and focused on the tasks at hand. To assist in this transition, the Australian government also ensures that schools have Interagency Collaboration workshops, which focus on developing a sense of teamwork with community individuals and professionals (learningplace.com.au, 2009). In addition, this module exposes disabled students to various literatures which highlights career options (and other services) after completing the senior phase of schooling. This type of transition module would appeal to the disabled students’ least dangerous assumptions, in terms of choosing a post-phase option which is best suited for their strengths and their limitations. In lieu of evidence which is earned through job experience, the disabled individual must be responsible for making decisions which will provide the least harm in the long-term to their unique, disabled positions. Internally, human resources training is part of the steps taken to ensure disabled students are prepared for post-school options. Adequate teacher training is an â€Å"essential factor in helping students achieve greater self-determination† (Zhang and Stecker, 2001, p.293). Teachers are equipped with modern psychological and sociological theories to develop a program which is most effective for the emotional well-being of the disabled student during this period. Part of the preparation process is to ensure that teachers are equipped with

Family on Film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Family on Film - Movie Review Example Atticus is a lawyer who does not bend his ideals and principles. Though everyone was discouraging him to defend a black man—because he is already guilty by the mere color of his skin, he was determined to prove the innocence of Tom. Although it was a very unpopular decision, a white man defending a black man accused of raping a white woman, Atticus stuck by his principles; undeterred by the social pressures caused by his unpopular decision. Although he successfully defended Tom and proved his innocence yet lost the case, his social defiance sent a very powerful message to his children. Unlike Atticus, Antonio of â€Å"The Bicycle Thief† was someone who wanted to stay true to his principles but failed to do so due to social pressures. Like Atticus and all decent fathers, Antonio also wanted to provide for his family to the best of his capacity. That is why the bicycle is symbolic in so many ways—income, dreams, hope, escape, and security among others. But because Antonio was hard-pressed in all possible ways, he no longer could stand-by his morals. In the end, he opted to steal a bike, and ended up embarrassing himself not just in front of the whole community, but in front of his son.

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Business management - Essay Example Luckily, the company I wish to work for i.e. GE was not on that list and the ethical report from GE as well as other data gathered from secondary sources about GE show that the company is on rather well footings when it comes to ethics. To conduct the audit, the first source was GE’s own report on their corporate ethics and their citizenship in terms of being a part of the business world (GE, 2006). As discussed by Carmichael et. al. (2008), elements such as ethical values, baseline ethics, social expectations and stakeholder analysis were used to create an ethical audit on the position of GE and to understand their current standings with regard to ethics. Additionally, secondary sources were also used that show that GE still has some trouble with regard to ethical treatment of certain minority employees which shows that there is room for improvement. The company itself is well esteemed and held in high esteem by business analysts as well as CEOs of other companies (Demos, 2006). It has a long history of global operations and has excellent in many sectors and fields of business such as administration, human resources management. According to Welch (2005), a large part of this admiration comes from the manner in which GE handles its business aspects of good leadership coming from the highest end of the company and the process of creating positive motivation for the employees of the organisation. As a global player, GE is certainly a giant with a history that goes back to the invention of the light bulb at the hands of Edison. Today, GE is the name given to a large group of companies work under the same umbrella with eleven different concerns. From finance, to technology to aviation to manufacturing, GE engages in a variety of business which require a large number of employees spread across the globe. More than 300,000 employees in a 150 countries work for the company with a unified system that has been

Senior Phase Teaching Diverse Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Senior Phase Teaching Diverse Learners - Essay Example The school preparation for this activity involves providing families with psychological support literature and extending the family into the transitioning process. This type of family-oriented workshop likely understands the difficulties of finding quality work as a disabled person and will rely on patient and tolerant family members to assist in this difficult process. This would appeal to the self-determination theory, by providing family members with information to give the disabled student the guidance necessary to remain self-motivated and focused on the tasks at hand. To assist in this transition, the Australian government also ensures that schools have Interagency Collaboration workshops, which focus on developing a sense of teamwork with community individuals and professionals (learningplace.com.au, 2009). In addition, this module exposes disabled students to various literatures which highlights career options (and other services) after completing the senior phase of schooling. This type of transition module would appeal to the disabled students’ least dangerous assumptions, in terms of choosing a post-phase option which is best suited for their strengths and their limitations. In lieu of evidence which is earned through job experience, the disabled individual must be responsible for making decisions which will provide the least harm in the long-term to their unique, disabled positions. Internally, human resources training is part of the steps taken to ensure disabled students are prepared for post-school options. Adequate teacher training is an â€Å"essential factor in helping students achieve greater self-determination† (Zhang and Stecker, 2001, p.293). Teachers are equipped with modern psychological and sociological theories to develop a program which is most effective for the emotional well-being of the disabled student during this period. Part of the preparation process is to ensure that teachers are equipped with

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Business management - Essay Example Luckily, the company I wish to work for i.e. GE was not on that list and the ethical report from GE as well as other data gathered from secondary sources about GE show that the company is on rather well footings when it comes to ethics. To conduct the audit, the first source was GE’s own report on their corporate ethics and their citizenship in terms of being a part of the business world (GE, 2006). As discussed by Carmichael et. al. (2008), elements such as ethical values, baseline ethics, social expectations and stakeholder analysis were used to create an ethical audit on the position of GE and to understand their current standings with regard to ethics. Additionally, secondary sources were also used that show that GE still has some trouble with regard to ethical treatment of certain minority employees which shows that there is room for improvement. The company itself is well esteemed and held in high esteem by business analysts as well as CEOs of other companies (Demos, 2006). It has a long history of global operations and has excellent in many sectors and fields of business such as administration, human resources management. According to Welch (2005), a large part of this admiration comes from the manner in which GE handles its business aspects of good leadership coming from the highest end of the company and the process of creating positive motivation for the employees of the organisation. As a global player, GE is certainly a giant with a history that goes back to the invention of the light bulb at the hands of Edison. Today, GE is the name given to a large group of companies work under the same umbrella with eleven different concerns. From finance, to technology to aviation to manufacturing, GE engages in a variety of business which require a large number of employees spread across the globe. More than 300,000 employees in a 150 countries work for the company with a unified system that has been

SPECIAL PROBLEM IN OFFICE MANAGEMENT Essay Example for Free

SPECIAL PROBLEM IN OFFICE MANAGEMENT Essay Relative Standing Today from the Past to Today criteria: a.) Nation’s Share of Capital Definition of â€Å"Share Capital†: Funds raised by issuing shares in return for cash or other considerations. The amount of share capital a company has can change over time because each time a business sells new shares to the public in exchange for cash, the amount of share capital will increase. Share capital can be composed of both common and preferred shares. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The GDP is monetary value of all goods and services produced in a nation during a given time period, usually one year. Basically, it’s a tally of everything bought for money during the course of a year. Consumer purchases from a candy bar to a car are counted in the GDP. When business buy  computer, farmers sell their crops, or a corporation exports goods overseas, the transaction all increase the GDP. Government spending, whether for a highway or a new bomber, also contributes to the GDP. Gross National Product (GNP) It is an additional measure of the size of the economy. It is the market value of final goods and services purchased by households, by government, and by foreign in current year. It uses slightly different criteria than GDP, and GDP is more often used for comparison of a nation’s economic progress against that of other countries. GDP and GNP in the Global Economy Due to factors such as technological advances, of trade barriers, and expansion of international financial markets, the world’s economies are more interconnected than ever before and the weakness of one can affect the health of them all. An internal crisis that affects the financial health of one country can send shockwaves around the world. Most government of the world maintains a national accounting system that compiles various measures of economic activity. There is even a set of international guidelines, the system of National Accounts, which provides on measuring GDP and other key statistic. Income approach Sum the income received by all producers in the country. Production approach Estimating the Gross values of Domestic output in various economic activities. Determining the intermediate consumption Deducting intermediate consumption from domestic value to obtain the Net Value of domestic output. Comparing GDP of Different Nations When computing GDP, nations use their local currency. In order to compare it to the GDP’s of other countries, it must be converted to a common currency. Converting value of currency, however, may result in an incomplete understanding of the true worth of money on a foreign nation’s economy. The same goods and services do not the same amount in every country. In addition to asking how much local currency equal in U.S., dollars one should ask how much value of a dollar will buy in the country. Expenditures Approach to Calculating GDP The expenditures Approach to calculating GDP by summing the four possible types of expenditures as follows: GDP = Consumption +Investment +Government Purchases +Net Exports Consumption The largest components of the GDP, consumption are calculated by adding durable and non-durable goods and services expenditures. Investment Investments in fixed assets and increases in inventory. Government Purchases Equal to the government expenditures less government transfer payments (welfare, unemployment payouts, etc.) Net exports Exports minus imports. Imports are subtracted since the GDP is defined as the output of the domestic economy. There are three approaches to calculating GDP -Expenditure approach Calculated the final spending on goods and services. -Production approach Calculate the market value of goods and services. These three approaches are equivalent with each rendering the same result. Per capita income The concept of international inequality refers to inequality across countries due to differences in per capita income among them. This concept of inequality takes as the unit of analysis, countries (nations) and, implicitly, omits intra-country income differences among its citizens. There are several methodological considerations involved in cross-country comparisons of per capita income: the exchange rates used in the comparisons (observed or purchasing power parity), the source of income data (survey-based or national accounts), etc. An important methodological issue, relevant for assessing the empirical recent evidence on the evolution of international inequality is how to weigh countries to compute an index of international inequality. One procedure —unweighted international inequality— is to assume that all countries count equally (in an analogy, a sort of UN General Assembly concept in which one country is one vote). Another concept is to weigh countries by population weighted international inequality. Here a more populous country (e.g. China) counts more than a small country (e.g. Luxembourg) when making inferences about the welfare level of the â€Å"representative individual† in the world economy. Another concept is world inequality. Here the unit of analysis is the citizen of the world rather than countries. The concept of world inequality treats, in principle, all individuals in the world the same and ranks them from the poorest to the richest, regardless their country of origin (Milanovic, 2001). An index of world inequality can be decomposed as the sum of international (between countries) inequality plus national (within country) inequality plus an overlapping component or residual (Yitzhaki, 1994). In other words, the distribution of income (welfare) of an individual of the world is the outcome of distributional patterns within the country he/she lives and the distribution of incom e of his/her country with respect to other countries (plus the overlapping term or residual). National inequality, say the disparity of the distribution of income within a country, provide the bridge between international and world inequality. The determinants of international inequality are the forces generating different rates of growth across countries that, over time, generate (important) differences in per capita income, living standards and levels of development across nations. In turn, national inequality depends on factor prices, ownership of productive resources within countries, demographic patterns, technical change and macroeconomic cycles. Of course, several of these factors can affect also international inequality. Health care Services Although predicated on the premise that the global concept is new, it actually had its origins in the late 1800s. Religious foreign mission groups felt it was their spiritual calling to tend to the sick and afflicted in poor countries (Schroth Khawaja, 2007). The religious work of missions was closely linked to medical work. These missionaries believed that the services they provided were designed to reduce human misery and suffering, thereby elevating the status of God in the minds of people. Mission hospitals and mission doctors served as important points of entry of Western medicine into other countries, and were the hub of medical knowledge and practice. Private healthcare facilities were established as part of the charitable mission. Even now, medical mission groups, such as Doctors without Borders and Heal the Nations, provide charitable medical care to the developing world. Subsequent innovations in healthcare have made it possible to bring patients from other countries into US hospitals for care that is not available in their home country. Specialists from US hospitals may also be utilized in countries that have no such physicians. For instance, Operation Smile, an international medical humanitarian organization, has a presence in over 50 countries (Magee, 2009). Their focus is surgical treatment of children with cleft lip and palate while providing the necessary medical training for local medical volunteers that will result in self-sufficiency for these communities. Often  persons travel to the US to avoid delays in care due to long lines and waiting periods experienced in other countries that may have universal coverage. Telemedicine is the exchanging of patient information through the Internet or cybertechnology. This ability allows healthcare professionals to communicate patient status regardless of distance (Goldbach West, 2010). Telehealth and teleconferencing have been used extensively for consulting with other professionals as well as reaching patients who live in rural or remote areas. The most popular direction globalization has taken is in the area of medical tourism. This aspect involves patients choosing to leave one country for another in order to seek quality specialized care or major surgery at a reduced cost (Keckley Underwood, 2007; Goldbach West, 2010). Countries such as India, Singapore, and Thailand provide care such as cardiac surgery, joint replacements, and reconstructive surgery at significant differences in cost. For instance, in India, a person can have cardiac surgery for approximately $25,000 less than the cost in the US. Along with the medical care provided, these locations offer a vacation-like atmosphere. Another feature that encourages the use of medical tourism is the availability of medications and technologies that may be experimental in some countries but readily available in others. Because of the cost differential, some private insurers also offer incentives to utilize medical tourism as a means of accessing health care services. Although medical tourism has led to knowledge development on a worldwide scale, concerns remain as to quality and liability. However, despite these concerns, entities such as medical tourism have the potential to increase awareness of illness and disease processes. This knowledge could be empowering to developing countries. Since the early 1990s, over 48 million people have been displaced due to the environmental crisis and its health related impact (Toole, 1995). HIV rates are increasing both in the US and abroad, infecting nearly 25 million people. Other diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera have developed into drug-resistant strains proven difficult to treat, thus increasing the disease transmission rates. It is predicted that by 2020, heart disease will  become the leading cause of disease an disability followed by depression and traffic accidents (Murray Lopez, 1996). Poverty has been found to be a leading predictor of health disparities. More than 25 percent of the world’s population lives in poverty. This economic burden results in decreased access to necessary and affordable healthcare. Public and private healthcare expenditures worldwide equal about 8 percent of the world’s economic output (World Bank, 1993). Life Expectancy As noted at the beginning of this chapter, globalization is here to stay even if it benefits just one set of nations of the world. However, that does not mean that it is fair, justifiable, and that its course cannot be altered. On thing remains clear: Most citizens of this world realize the injustices and are asking the major powers and corporations that benefit from the system to ensure that the planet is the ultimate winner, bringing an end or reduction to inequities or disparities, especially in health, the theme of this chapter, and provide the means, the knowledge, and the empowerment they need politically, economically, and environmentally to live better lives. This chapter has argued, and many others have done, that one of the most potent sticks through which to measure the objectives and the success of the phenomenon we have come to call globalization is the extent to which health and health care systems function for the extension of life expectancy and access to quality health care services. One can argue that, in the final analysis, globalization and its acclaimed successes are interdependent on people’s health. Health concerns and priorities dominate our lives and without it, life is almost meaningless, as it is for many who carry the burden of disease, especially when this condition can be easily alleviated, as is the case with many infectious and communicable diseases in the developing world. According to Okasha (2005): The process [of globalization] has clearly both negative and positive results and is likely to create both losers and winners. Globalization has promised to grant the world instant communication, fast and efficient means of travel, a widened access to technology, cross-border cultural interaction and globalized approaches to environmental issues. However, it also entails  deregulation of commerce and the creation of supernational political and economic bodies. As a result, the gap is widening between societies that â€Å"enjoy knowledge, tec hnology and the ability to control events and others which are still backward, ignorant, frustrated, helpless and unable to follow progress and selfactualization† (Okasha, 2005). The public response It is encouraging, however, that the unfairness of the system has not gone unnoticed. Labonte Torgerson (2003) remind us that the WTO has actually been under fire from social and human rights activists, the United Nations, civil society, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and even from the European countries themselves, which created it at the Uruguay Round of Talks on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO’s â€Å"level playing field,† with different rules and treatment, â€Å"is pushing many of these countries into deeper health-compromising poverty. Its negotiations to open public services to trade will hasten their privatization, with loss of access for the poor.† In other words, the health needs for most inhabitants of this planet appear gloomy for the foreseeable future. Looking toward solutions What is the solution? The intent of our chapter was not to give solutions to the problems of globalization but to provide an overview of what the phenomenon and its system have done to the health of many people of the world, currently reflected in the existing health disparities or inequities that have prevented them from enjoying access to quality health â€Å"care, life saving knowledge, reasonable income, clean air, clean water, sanitation, land, and gainful employment.† In order to reap the benefits of globalization, say many experts, â€Å"we need novel approaches to international cooperation that place national self-interest in the context of global mutual interest to promote international cooperation and goodwill† (Frenk and Gomez-Dantes, 2000; Pang Guindon, 2004). References: The Impact of Globalization Determinants and the Health of the World’s Population Mario J. Azevedo and Barbara H. Johnson School of Health Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, USA Globalization for Development: Trade, Finance, Aid, Migration and Policy Golding Kenneth A. Reinert

Why are Professional Standards Important?

Why are Professional Standards Important? Introduction To start this report I would like to explain the importance of professional standards. According to the LLUK (no date) the professional standards have a purpose. These standards are for all educators who work within the lifelong learning sector which describe the skills, knowledge and attributes required for those who are in teaching and training roles. Professionalism in a teacher role According to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (no date) teacher professionalism has relevant significance in education and that it affects the role of the teacher, which in return affects the students ability to learn effectively. This definition however does not describe how a professional should act within their job or workplace. According to teaching expertise (2006) the post-compulsory education and training (PCET) sector is broad and diverse. Teachers, trainers and tutors who work within the FE sector have all had different experiences. Educators have often gained specialist knowledge within a particular industry e.g. hospitality and catering. An alternative route is through university and specialising this way. Critically examine societies and your own, values in relation to education or training. (K1) Values of professional practice, according to Wallace (2009), Our values represent something internal to us a part at our own moral and ethical guidance system. I believe that teaching and learning has a purpose to educate learners in the means to proceed and progress a learners future and career prospects. I believe that a value is a value created on someones own behalf. The purpose of education, I believe, is to educate and furthermore we need education in our daily lives to survive. The educator has a role which is to support and provide a service whilst at the same time motivating learners. Furthermore, it is important to stress that there should be a connection between the educator and learner and that there is a positive relationship between them. It is important, as an educator, to communicate effectively. In addition, a profession and a professional work together in harmony. It should be made clear that a professional person needs values of professionalism. There may be some overlap in terms of how a professional should act or carry out a professional job. The comments above tie in closely with what makes a good teacher. From personal reflections and thoughts, three distinct aspects came to my attention, which are: An effective listener towards the learners and staff Being respectful to colleagues and learners To be understanding towards learners and staff Poor teaching or poor professionalism in teaching is as follows: Not letting students finish tasks No reassurance of learning Impolite to staff and students Favouritism with students In summary, the values which are distinct and should be considered as acceptable values for teaching professionals are being supportive, being a listener and also to respect all staff and students within the institution. Professional practice can be determined with a set of values. These values are what educators should be following with on-going observation and reflective practice. According to LLUK (no date) there is a set of standards called the New overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector. Furthermore, the standards categorised into sub-sections which have specific professional objectives and act as guidelines. It is these objectives which educators must abide to throughout teacher practice. According to LLUK (no date) there is a set of 7 professional values. An example would be, AS 1 all learners, their progress and development, their learning goals and aspirations and the experience they bring to their learning AS 2 Learning, its potential to benefit people emotionally, intellectually, socially and economically, and its contribution to community sustainability As mentioned, each point has a value and purpose. From just observing the set of values, purposely constructed for educators within the LLUK sector, they are powerful and strong. I believe there is a problem with the values that educators may not be able to abide to all of these due to several reasons. Firstly, funding, and that some institutes may suffer to deliver consistent values. Secondly, some of the values will have more demand than others. It can be argued that these values will vary according to the institute. It can be suggested that some institutions would decide to keep their dominant values. Additionally, the values set by the LLUK are and should be approached with underpinning knowledge and understanding and a professional practice. For example, referring to LLUK (No name), The knowledge and understanding: AK 1.1 What motivates learners to learn and the importance of learners experience and aspirations. Professional practice: AP 1.1 Encourage the development and progression of all learners through recognising, valuing and responding to individual motivation, experience and aspirations Darling-Hammond (1988) commented that the value of professionalism, in regards to educators, is fundamental and direction of excellence. The author states that educators need competence and that professionalism relates to three focuses which are preparation, knowledge of subject area, and defined pedagogy. Firstly, preparation, prepares the professional for the classroom which examines the language and cultural barriers. All educators face deterrents in the classroom that must be broken down by individualised techniques. Darling-Hammond (1988 pg. 59) related this to state, Decision making by well-trained professionals allows individual clients needs to be met more precisely andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦promotes continual refinement and improvement in overall practice It is to suggest that values of professionalism are to be approached correctly. This will encourage the educator to be prepared for the classroom. Furthermore, the values of professionalism exist for a reason. They will benefit the professional teacher in terms of motivating and encourage student participation. Alongside preparation, a professional educator with a strong knowledge of his/her subject area will create opportunities to be creative around the subject taught. As a result, Lesson planning and resource preparation time will be less because the educator will already understand the subject. This will reduce the time researching material. It is worth commenting that it would be an advantage to know a subject inside out and would reflect and portray confidence in his/her teaching. In addition, the educator should have a wealth of experience which would benefit his/her practice and enhance their teaching. According to Lunenburg and Ornstein (2000), developing such expertise and knowledge can take years to develop such knowledge. As a result of this, I believe that constant reading and information seeking is important to teaching a specialist subject. It would be beneficial that an educator has worked and gained enough experience within the industry in order for them to teach or become specialists in their profession. I also believe that this would improve and develop opportunities when it comes to being creative. It is helpful to outline the wider context within which FE practice and values of the professional educator. Notwithstanding, the tutor groups in FE who were not previously included in the FE (e.g. colleges 14-19 diplomas), colleges have become livelier places. Lecturers activities have now geared more to ensuring that students remain on courses and that students pass qualifications (Hyland and Merrill 2003 P.g. 86). To summarise, I would like to comment that professional values assist the educator and that they should be utilised at all times during his or her practice. Guile and Lucas (1999 P.g. 204) suggested that clarification in terms of describing the FE educator is needed. It is worth suggesting that society decides and determines professionalism and the values of professionalism within reason to how the educator should be. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the concept of professionalism as this relates to the current role of a teacher working in the PCET sector. (K1, K2) With regard to the concept of professionalism, Humphreys and Hyland (2002 P.g. 06) argued that, the concentration on performance in teaching and professional development is to be welcomed, provided that performance is not defined in purely technicist or instrumental terms In other words, there is a purpose for performance in teaching which should not be confused or misinterpreted. The criteria, the role and responsibilities of a teacher have and are becoming more and more centralised. The questionable scenario/point to highlight here is that of the educator and how they are to overcome this challenge. According to IFL, a Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status is recognition for newly qualified teachers within PCET. This highlights the identity of teachers in post-compulsory education and training. All new teachers need to achieve a Level 3 teaching qualification. Following this, new teachers have five years to achieve a Level 5 teaching qualification which leads to the QTLS status. The QTLS status is recognition of the teaching qualification in order to teach within the PCET sector. In working towards a new profession, the IFL raises the importance for continuing professional development (CPD) which ensures that educators remain specialists in their chosen subject/s. According to Millerson (1964), there is conflict and discussion to how the teacher should carry out their professional role. This relates to the nature of professionalism. Millerson (1964) mentioned that professionalism concerned a lot of attention to sociologists in the 1950s. The main approach at the time focused on establishing the features that an occupation should have in order to be termed a profession. Within context, this questioned how professions such as medicine and law should be perceived. In contrast, Hanlon (1998) highlighted that there is research on professionalism. The author stated that people see professionalism in a profession. The author has highlighted the point that teaching is a profession and that the role of the teacher is professional. Critically evaluates a chosen aspect of quality assurance in PCET and relates this to the concept of professionalism. (K3) To critique quality assurance within PCET it would be appropriate to define quality assurance. To summarise, quality assurance is a system which prevents a lack of professionalism and through regular control standards and values can be maintained. This makes sure that the needs of the user/s are satisfied. The main purpose is to control assessment and also seeks to improve performance. In addition, quality assurance controls and helps to benchmark against existing qualitative and quantitative results/feedback. Professionalism and quality assurance are two complex areas which overlap and must work together. The two areas concerned are of high importance to the teacher, the course team and the college/Institution. The quality assurance process is closely linked with being a professional teacher and that the professional values should aim to assist and facilitate a direction. Being a professional teacher requires continuous professional development which is carried out by completing research within the specialist subject, faculty and institution. According to the LLUK (no date), student feedback is valuable. There are two types of feedback, formal and informal approaches. It is vital that the PCET teacher considers regular peer observations which will help to improve teaching skills. Observations can help to critique teaching styles/approaches within teaching. Through regular peer assessment and observation, the PCET teacher/tutor must demonstrate effective and appropriate organisational skills which should be evidenced through lesson planning. According to LLUK (No Date), The department and staff should be measured using a variety of ways which should include and involve statistical data such as attendance records, grades, percentages, student profiles, student surveys and lesson observations and more. This data can interpret and help to benchmark against information. This should assist the control and assessment of quality assurance as mentioned above. The institution has a reputation to uphold and a quality status to achieve through goals and action plans. It is part of the PCET teacher to ensure that constant contributions and efforts are made which are then measured through internal audits, college records, league tables and every child matters policies. Lastly, external bodies, as they help to mould the quality together. It could be stated that they are the back bone. External bodies such as, LLUK or Ofsted Inspectors signify what must be done. It is an essential part for guidance and that these external bodies are to help and improve the PCET teacher, college/institution and department. According to The University of Bath (2005) there would be a board or a quality assurance committee who would be responsible for the staff teaching. Internal and external examiners are also utilised to produce reports which help to evaluate and review the teacher, department and institute. All parts of the quality assurance system within PCET are vital to the mix of an overall quality performance. The chosen aspect for critical evaluation is observation. Reasoning for my decision is that there is plenty of research and information about the topic. Observations assist educators and institutions in terms of learning and teaching. It should be made clear for what purpose the observation has and will this benefit the teacher or the institution or both. Bains (2006) highlighted two main categories, formal and informal observations. These must be an agreed upon before it takes place. Bains (2006) stated that Formal observations are those for Performance Management e.g. Ofsted. Informal observations are those used for professional development. These take part of internal monitoring systems. Peer observations, for example, for informal feedback. The University of Sussex (no date) highlighted the importance of peer observation of teaching and that this enhances the status of teaching and learning and also strengthens quality assurance processes. The University of Exeter (2005) explained peer observations to be an assessment of teachers by teachers. Furthermore, pairings may be experienced by mentor/novice or experienced teacher. It could be argued that peer assessment can alternatively assess on various levels in terms of teaching experience. It is also questionable whether the observation criterion assesses appropriately against the observed teacher. The peer observation should help the teacher to develop teaching skills by carrying out observations with colleagues. It should be highlighted that the main objective is to provide opportunities for teachers to reflect on his or her teaching. The QAA (2000) stated that peer observation provides educators with opportunities to learn from each other in a non-threatening environment. This could suggest that teachers would share ideas constructively to his or her professional benefit and within relation to professional values. In summary, it can be argued that peer assessment is for the educators benefit. It is debatable how institutions guarantee that students learn effectively and consistently at all times throughout their education. Peer observations are to improve teaching practice which can be seen as beneficial to newly qualified teachers. It can be commented that peer assessment assists less experienced teachers to improve their teaching skills. Pagani (2002) commented that educators should have the freedom to choose peer assessor/observers. This approach could be argued as vague due to various reasoning behind fairness, equality and also being critical. In agreement, Pagani (2002) stated that institutions should identify an area of focus for peer observation. In summary, peer observations are useful and appropriate. There is some overlap and a lack of decisiveness to a concrete definition of observation. Furthermore, peer observations need to be carefully planned on the grounds of professionalism. I believe that peer observation should not be considered as an informal practice. It would be fair to comment that it is a formal in-house procedure which adopts formal guidelines. In agreement, Partington and Brown (1997) identified that peer review is an essential process for reviewing ideas and identifies where mistakes could occur if action is not followed through carefully. It can be commented that this improves the quality of a product/service. The authors argued that it is an opportunity to criticise and that it is an aspect of building ones confidence and teaching. Using relevant models of reflective practice to critically analyse learning on the Course The course, for me, has been beneficial and an enjoyable experience. It is time to reflect on my teaching practice. There have been some difficult stages which I have highlighted and times where improvement and action have been considered. According to Brookfield (1988) critical thinking is a process on recent experience with a past experience and should create an area or topic for discussion. Brookfield (1988) mentioned that critical reflection should include differences and or any relationships which can be highlighted. The aim of critical reflection is to develop critical thinking skills which will determine specific and realistic outcomes. On many occasions throughout the course I have reflected and it would be difficult to reflect on the whole course due to such varied topics and vast complexity of discussion. Hatton and Smith (1995) designed a critical reflection model which identified a framework for writing and identifying different kinds of reflection. The model will be used to help assist with my critical reflective practice. The framework will also determine stages within my teaching practice where I believe it is worth discussing. The first point of the model is descriptive and aims to create a starting point. To the attention of past reflections and practice it is a wise and an appropriate decision to reflect upon the micro-teach (pttls). The micro-teach was carried out within the early stages of my teaching practice. This was my starting point for teaching and reflecting. The second point will highlight descriptive reflections which attempts to provide reasons based upon personal judgment. I realised that an active approach to my hospitality students was required and that the VAKs strategies improved my lesson planning and time management. Gradually, as the course continued, lesson planning developed to become more structured and defined in terms of my aims and objectives. Throughout my reflective practice, to my attention, a number of students did not respond to how my lessons were planned. Thinking about this, this was down to the level of functional skills applied to the level delivered. To my attention, I needed to improve my skills on delivery. I needed to understand how I should apply them appropriately and effectively in lessons. The forth action point within the model must relate to a broader historical, social and/or political context and what better than my experience and knowledge gained throughout the independent study of the curriculum module. The study helped to generate some valuable points on social, political, economical and technological factors within context to my teaching practice. Brookfield (2001) described critical reflection to be a systematic effort which identified and discovered material. Brookfield (2001) developed the four lenses model which helped to analyse and assist teaching practices. The four lenses are our own experiences as learners, students, colleagues, and reading the professional literature. These help to reveal the assumptions behind those practices and call them into question. The model of reflection will help to analyse my teaching practice within the points identified above. My micro-teach was an experience and made me feel nervous and apprehensive as I have never taught before in my life. Due to my nerves, I wanted to make sure that I was delivering correct and appropriate information. I researched around my chosen topic which reassured my teaching delivery. I also found that this became useful when I was using the question and answer technique. I found that I was applying teaching techniques and strategies that I had learnt in the first few weeks of the course. Having applied these teaching strategies they helped boost my confidence. The question and answer technique was adopted to assist my delivery. I believe that this engaged my learners. I applied the VAKs strategies to help all learners. The students engaged well to my micro-teach and I now believe that I need to consider an active learning approach as I teach hospitality students. I personally found that the micro-teach went smooth considering it was my first time. Having now reflected, I think that more literature could have been used to support other learners. To summarise, the micro-teach was certainly a stepping stone towards becoming a successful teacher within the PCET sector. I found this a leap forwards and was extremely beneficial before going to my placement. After Christmas I personally felt under a lot of pressure as I was accumulating my teaching hours as well as working towards my assignments. Most of my lesson reflections identified that my teaching technique and style was too relaxed. Some of my students started to misbehave and use this to their advantage in class. I realised, after many lessons and observations that I needed to deliver my lessons with an active approach which would then control and manage my class. As a teacher trainee, I found that I was spending a lot of time on my lesson plans. They were not seeking the best out of students. I revisited my approach and consulted my mentor who kindly assisted my lesson planning. I found that this helped tremendously in writing and structuring my lessons. I found myself researching around activities and being creative when it comes to teaching. I researched and functional skills which closely linked with my VAKs and as result, I eventually found that students were learning effectively through their preferred methods of learning and my classroom management skills improved. About half way through the course there were several issues regarding my lesson planning. My mentor assisted me to improve my aims and objectives. I needed to make sure that my aims and objectives were measurable and considered direction towards my classroom approach and student benefit. As a teacher trainee, I feel that lesson planning is something that can only come in time. In fact, I realised that I needed to make sure I can plan a lesson now to ensure that I can deliver a lesson. My mentor and other colleagues supported me by letting me look at their lesson plans. My mentor and I agreed that I would submit my lesson plans before delivery. This helped me to understand and or rethink my aims and objectives. My lessons improved by being realistic about the aims and objectives and, as a result, improved student learning and teaching skills. The course has certainly been a learning curve. One of the most challenging reports was the curriculum assignment. I personally found that the report involved a lot of reading around political, economical, sociological and technological topics. The curriculum models were difficult to understand so I tried to refer to them in a realistic context at my placement. My mentor was supportive and guided me through some of the curriculum models. From past reflections, I think that curriculum models and understanding them are vital towards delivering specific courses such as the BTEC national diploma course. This is a course I was helping to deliver. This helped me to understand how I should approach my delivery. Make a critical comment on the value of reflective practice in the development of professional teachers. (K4, A2, A3) It would be appropriate to explain and define reflection before making assumptions and critical comments. Reflection is an everyday sense which assists and looks back on past experiences. Osterman and Kottkamp (1993) stated that critical reflection is known as a vehicle. This is used by educators to evaluate and analyse experiences within a classroom environment. Brookfield (1995) mentioned that critical reflective practice is a process which is used to analyse experiences. For example, curriculum development or theories. It can be stated that reflection is a process which analyses a point or action. In addition, critical analysis could be used to understand why a point or action is how it is. Within reason, critical reflection will be used. As a metaphor, the reflective practice could be the foundations of a house. The purpose of reflection is clear. Consequently, reflection does not indicate who, what, where, how and or why practitioners should carry out reflections and that it is left to the educator. This leads on to the work of Brookfield (1995) and stated that critical reflection can be broken into a number of dimensions which address or at least suggest a route for reflecting. 1. Descriptive 2. Descriptive with some reflection 3. Dialogic reflection 4. Critical reflection Reflective practice, according to Brookfield (1995), stated that practitioners can develop self-awareness if they evaluate their performance/s on an on-going basis. The author stated that teaching practice can be improved by focussing on the experiences and activities used. Within agreement, reflective practice is meaningful and it improves skills and knowledge. It can be argued that time and patience is an issue and not to forget how experienced the practitioner/educator is. I mean that reflective practice could prove more meaningful for a trainee teacher than an experienced teacher of over 10-20 years. There are many angles which could be argued and that reflective practice improves over time and not over night. Hatton and Smith (1995) agreed that self-awareness is meaningful when we want to improve teaching practice. Various teaching methods and skills allow the professional to consider alternative avenues. This would have a positive impact on their teaching by increasing their level of self-awareness. It can be argued that teaching practice and professionalism can only be developed in time. In addition, personal experiences and the experiences of colleagues should create an environment that enhances student learning. This suggests that the experienced practitioner is valuable and they should help trainee teachers to improve their teaching. As a result, the student, department and institution will benefit. Bruner (1990) highlighted that critical reflective practice is an ongoing process which enriches curriculum. I would agree that educators strive to be effective and students want to be creative. This suggests that curriculum should reflect both parties concerned. There seems to be contrast and overlap to authors opinions on reflection and being critical. It is to suggest that all practitioners have aims and objectives which determine enhance teaching practices and students performances. Curriculum awareness is highlighted and reflective practice should aim to achieve and improve the educator in terms of the teaching practice, students grades, the college league boards and attendance and reputation. Bruner (1990) would recommend that teachers engage in critical conversations with colleagues which would enhance and determine educational philosophies, instructions, and responsibilities to students growth. To summarise, it can be commented that a practitioner should reflect on their experiences. Reflective practice would eventually re-shape his or her teaching practice. It should be expressed that reflection is wise and is compulsory towards becoming and or achieving higher standards of teaching practice for the practitioner, the students and the institute. In addition, I believe that the professional teacher/educator should consider and value students comments. This would engage the students more and would assist the practitioner to understand the students better. Reflective practice develops professionals and enables us to learn from our own experiences. Although, I would argue that more experience does not guarantee improved learning. In addition, I dont believe that twenty years of teaching is twenty years of learning about teaching. It may also be the case that one year repeats over twenty times with no reflections made. I would consider this as poor teaching. It is worth commenting that reflections are honest and effective which should, in time, improve teaching skills. From reading, it has drawn to my attention that additional research is required around critical reflective practice. A review for appropriate opportunities within my personal professional development and to discuss my acquisition of skills in relation to professional development. (A1, A3) ATL (Association of Teachers and Lecturers) (2009) mentioned that since September 2007, all educators within the further education and skills sector in England came under new regulations which revised teaching qualifications. Continuous professional development (CPD) for all teachers are now required and is requested by the Institute for Learning (IfL). To gain and create opportunities within PPD and CPD action will be considered. First of all, up to this date, a review of my skills will be summarised which will help and assist the development opportunities. As part of the PPD and CPD, IFL membership is required in order to complete the CPD. Depending on a job after the course, full-time teachers should undertake at least 30 hours of CPD per year for professional development. CPD is a condition of retaining the IFL membership and aims to improve teaching skills. IFL made CPD compulsory for newly qualified teachers and permits them to teach within FE colleges. Examples of informal CPD might be to work shadowing, peer observation, attendance at subject-specific conferences, reading journal articles, or gathering up-to-date information on new curricula and or helping on qualifications such as 14-19 diplomas. A skills audit was completed for WBE 1 file which identified various weaknesses which could potentially be made into positive outcomes. In addition, WBE 1 and WBE 2 files were compared using the reflective practice gained throughout the course. The skills audit identified some weaknesses and also strengths. One of the main highlighted weaknesses was maths/numeric skills and that consideration would be focussed to embed these into lessons. This was a smart target objective to accomplish before finishing the course. Secondly, writing and literacy skills and was more closely related to proof reading documents before submission. On the other hand, the audit highlighted that IT and communication skills were high and that confidence developed. Action was considered using smart objectives which were defined to achieve in a step by step process however I still feel discomfort w