What are the challenges posed in researching media audiences and how Essay

What are the challenges posed in researching media audiences and how have media and cultural studies researchers addressed them - Essay Example is considered as valuable by authors Morley and Barker who want the contribution of audience research to extend beyond what they term mere â€Å"stories† (Press, 2007: 95). Audience Research: Research on users of information systems, and the World Wide Web environment which combines the features of an information system with many potentially entertaining visuals should be studied using the gratification theory. When there are a variety of different channels to choose from, our understanding of individual’s selection as well as use behaviour may be enhanced, according to Iyer (1998: 14). It is an accepted fact that television presents a distorted view of reality (Bryant; Zillmann, 2002: 69). Researchers, media critics, television executives, and the general public are interested in knowing whether the distortion has any effect on people, and if so, why and to what extent. Over the past few decades there have been two persistent criticisms against media effects research: one is that the evidence accumulated till date show very little indication of media effects on people’s psyche, behaviour, etc, in spite of the myth of â€Å"massive media impact†. The second criticism of media effects research is that it has for the most part lacked any focus on Barker (2007: 128) states that researchers felt the need for a fully elaborate audience research paradigm, and responded to it by developing the Uses and Gratifications Tradition. The virtues of this essay which has not yet been published, and the research that lay behind it, are the attempt to combine in a mutually informative way, a theoretical framework, working concepts, methods of enquiry, research implements and paradigmatic studies. Audience research in the United Kingdom, and consequently in the rest of Europe was conceived and constructed under Stuart Hall’s encoding-decoding model (Hall, Stuart, 1992: 31 as quoted in Barker (2007: 128). This model created a conceptualization of text-audience relations

Person centred reviews in adult services

Person centred reviews in adult services The underlying principles for this assignment are to critically evaluate my professional development in a practice placement setting and record reflections for future learning. Within this essay, I will include my reflections on the social work process of assessment, planning, intervention and review, and will critically analyse what I feel was successful and unsuccessful in each process, with efforts to identify what could be changed to enhance future practice. I will also include my knowledge, skills and values incorporated into my practice with two service users and my group work, while explaining my efforts to promote anti-oppressive practice. Throughout my assignment I will endeavour to portray my learning journey from the beginning to the end of my placement and conclude with future learning needs, to enhance my practice as a social worker. Introduction: The practice placement I acquired was a Court Childrens Officer (CCO), based at the Belfast Family Proceedings Court. It forms part of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. My role as a CCO, formerly known as a Child Welfare Officer, was to use my training and experience to ascertain the wishes and feelings of children and their families in private law matters. The role falls within family and child care services and determines that the childs interests remain paramount in court proceedings. As a CCO my role was to deal with cases where assistance was needed to help parties focus on the needs of their children, as opposed to continuing the incriminations as to who was responsible for the breakdown of their relationship. As a CCO I was then asked to present the information to court in oral or written report format. The CCO is used if other efforts to get the parties to reach a decision in the interests of their children have failed. This is to prevent the court process itself cont ributing to a lengthy breach in contact before it reaches a decision. As a CCO I was also responsible to act as liaison officer between the court and HSS Trusts, or other agencies (e.g. NSPCC etc) in respect of the courts decisions. Although employed by the Trust, I was responsible to the court. Before commencement of this placement I had limited understanding of the court process, and the legislation involved in private law cases. I was excited about the prospect of the experience I would gain having undertaken law and court modules, and attended court for certain flexible learning days, but I was also anxious about identifying the social work role within such a specific placement. I feel nervous and uncomfortable. Im finding the role intimidating being surrounded by legal professionals and legislation (being just a student). Im worried about having to provide oral and written evidence to the court, and perhaps having to disagree with the legal representatives views in court. I feel deskilled and anxious (PPDW: 21/01/10). After this initial anxious stage I began researching private law and knowledge, and used my practice teacher and on site supervisor to ask questions. Having completed a practice placement last year I already knew of the benefits of using reflection as a crucial aspect of my practice and learning. Thompson (2005) explains that it is important that practitioners use not only established theories, but use their own knowledge and experience to meet the needs of service users. He claims that reflective practice should help us to acknowledge the important links between theory and practice and to appreciate the dangers of treating the two elements as if they were separate domains (Thompson, 2005: 147). I was anxious to identify the social work process within my placement, as it was not evident on commencement. I was already familiar with the process of assessing, planning, intervention and review having had a previous placement with adults with learning disabilities. Within a court, however, this was very different, as a direction of the court determined my involvement with service users. Schà ¶n (1987) identifies that more than a process is needed with service users practitioners need to incorporate experience, skills and intuition for outcomes to be successful. The knowledge and skills that I identified, within my Individual learning plan, were skills in working with children, assertiveness skills, report writing and presenting skills, organisational skills, and group facilitation skills. I also wanted to enhance my value base as my previous placement helped me challenge issues around learning disabilities and the current placement is a very different setting. I wanted to devel op my values around childrens feelings about parental separation, and also working in partnership with children to ascertain their wishes and feelings about contact issues. I have outlined below the three cases I intend to use that will help identify my professional development within my placement setting. I will use these to provide an analysis of how my knowledge, skills and values have been developed through the social work process. Family C: Polish origin Child C (Age 7) currently resides with her father. The parental relationship lasted for seven years. Mother (Ms C) moved out of the family home to gain alternative accommodation when the relationship broke down. Ms C and the childs contact have been very sporadic since. Contact has not taken place since December 2009. Mr C is concerned with Ms Cs new accommodation being unsuitable for the childs safety staying overnight claiming alcohol misuse and the child coming home smelling of smoke. Ms C requires an interpreter and is seeking a Contact Order. As directed by the court I carried out an assessment of Ms Cs home, and also used mediation and counselling when meeting with the parties to focus on the childs best interests. The childs wishes and feelings were also ascertained. Family E: Child E (14) currently resides with his father (Mr E). Mother (Ms E) is seeking a Residence Order. Father currently resides with the child in a family hostel provided by the Belfast Housing Executive, which Ms E is concerned about. Court direction stipulated me to ascertain the childs wishes and feelings about residence with his father and contact with his mother. In addition to this I used mediation as an intervention to try to help the parties reach agreement about the child. I concluded my work with the family using a Person Centred Review with Child E to determine if the plans implemented earlier in my practice were working, and what he would like to change when his case was due for review in court. Group Work: My group work consisted of working with teenage girls at a high school in North Belfast; they were aged 14/15. I worked alongside the Health for Youth through Peer Education (HYPE) team who regularly visit schools to promote sexual health awareness. I co-facilitated this group and worked to educate the group about sexual health and relationships. This was to promote the need for the provision of accurate information to prevent teenage pregnancies and STIs, which have been highlighted as statistically higher in this area of Northern Ireland. Preparation of placement As indicated above, to prepare for this placement, I began by developing my knowledge base around the court setting and private law, so that I could be accountable to the court and the Trust for my actions. Trevithick (2000:162) claims to be accountable denotes professionalism by using knowledge, skills and qualifications, and adhering to values and ethics when serving a client. I began to tune in to the placement setting using knowledge, skills and values, with legislation such as The Children (NI) Order 1995, The Family Law Act (NI) 2001 and The Human Rights Act 1998. I tuned into the court setting and the rights of the service users who used it. Article 3 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 claims that the court should act in the best interests of the child, and I was interested in seeing if this occurred or if parental interests were considered higher. I tuned into the effects that divorce and separation have on children, and focused on gaining knowledge on how to minimize the negative impact this may have on children. The issue of contact in private law proceedings is a complex subject which raises questions of rights, responsibilities and ownership of children (Kroll, 2000: 217). I was initially interested in researching if children knowing both parents were in their best interests, and why. Having had a placement with adults and learning disabilities last year I had reflected on the medical model versus the social model of disability, this placement was very different in that it would be the a legal context versus the social work role. I found this initially difficult as the legal obligations of the court over-shadowed the social work process. Court directions dictated the aspects of work to be done, which I found difficult as service user needs were not necessarily established and met. Assessment: Ms Cs assessment required me to meet with her, discuss issues regarding contact with her child, and investigate her living environment to determine if it was suitable for the child to have contact in. Prior to Ms Cs assessment it was necessary for me to tune in to contact disputes between parents. I recognised that there is significant animosity with both parties, but that having contact with both parents is in the childs best interests to promote for attachment, identity and positive relationships. To initiate Ms Cs assessment I had received court directions, a referral and met with her legal advisor. I was at this time I was informed that Ms C was Polish and required an interpreter. The Human Rights Act 1998 and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 both stipulate that an interpreter should be provided for health services to promote anti-discriminative practice and equal opportunities. I was then required to make a referral to the Trust interpreting service, and they informed me that they would make initial contact with Ms C. I found this unnerving, as the interpreter would be making first contact with the service user, and I would have liked the opportunity to explain my role. Having carried out previous assessments, I knew that communication was essential for the assessment and central to the process of gathering information and empowering service users (Watson and West, 2006), therefore to not be able to make initial contact with a service user I found to be restrictive and stressful. On initial contact with Ms C (and the interpreter) communication was difficult to establish. I found that by communicating through an interpreter I was limited in gathering information. I found it difficult to concentrate on Ms C, especially observing body language and tone of voice; instead I focused on the interpreter and actively listening to her. Ms C came across as frustrated and disengaged, showing signs of closed body language. I felt empathetic to Ms C because of the court process she was involved in, and the fact that she had to go to court to gain contact with her child. I felt the initial meeting with Ms C was not as successful as I had hoped, I was not able to discuss the issues affecting her, and unable to establish an effective working relationship due to the barrier on an interpreter. I left the meeting feeling deskilled and questioning my practice. On reflection, I should have provided more time to Ms C due to the language obstacle and gathered more information on her issues. I should have focused on Ms C and not the interpreter, and used the interpreter more effectively to establish a relationship. For future learning I will endeavour to use these reflections. The next part of Ms Cs assessment was her home assessment. I was initially reluctant to carry out a home assessment, as I had no previous experience, and did not know what was classed as an unsafe environment for children. I began tuning in and identified that a home assessment required strong observational skills for child protection concerns. I also discussed the home assessment with my practice teacher and on site supervisor for aspects I should be concerned about within the home. It was indicated that a safe environment for a child did not have to be overly clean, just safe considering where the child sleeps, fire hazards, is there evidence of drug or alcohol use, or smelling of smoke (as Mr C alleges). On entering Ms Cs home, as the interpreter had not arrived yet, I was reluctant to try and converse with Ms C. Ms C spoke limited English, and I did not want to confuse or alarm her by trying to discuss the case issues. However, I did try to use body language and facial expressions to reach for feelings and try to build a rapport by asking general questions about weather and work etc. I feel this helped our relationship, and helped me empathise about how difficult it must be to not be able to communicate effectively. By the time the interpreter had arrived I felt more at ease with Ms C, and addressed her (as opposed to the interpreter) with non-verbal cues such as nodding and body language. I felt more comfortable talking with Ms C, I felt more able to understand her frustrations at the court process, her ex-partner and his allegations. Prior to the assessment of the home I had gained stereotypical perceptions about Ms Cs home. I thought that the house, as it was in a working class area, would be unclean and neglected. However, the assessment of the home, using observational skills, indicated no child protection concerns, a clean environment for a child, and Mr Cs allegations unfounded. On reflection of my perceptions I feel I was oppressive to Ms C having been so judgemental, and I felt guilty about my opinions having been class discriminatory. Throughout the assessment with Ms C I found that by using an interpreter Ms C was able to stay informed and in control over her situation (Watson and West, 2006). I feel that by working with Ms C has helped my challenge my future practice with individuals who are non-English speakers. It will help me consider the needs of the service user, before judging them solely on language or their country of origin to provide equal opportunities. I now feel interpreters are required for a balance of power between the worker and service user, and promote anti-discriminatory practice. Planning: According to Parker and Bradley (2008: 72) Planning as part of the social work process is a method of continually reviewing and assessing the needs of all individual service users. It is based upon the assessment and identifies what needs to be done and what the outcome may be if it is completed. Prior to the beginning of placement I had limited experience of planning, or group work. It was important for me understand the facilitation and communication skills needed for successful group work, and help to develop my understanding of group dynamics, group control, and peer pressure for this age group. The key purpose of planning the group was to enable the young people to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to make informed decisions and choices about personal relationships and sexual health. I began preparing for the planning stage of the social work process by meeting with the HYPE team and researching their work. I was interested in the sexual health training for young people at school, as my own experience at school showed that the information was often limited, and I was interesting in finding out if it had been challenged. I then began by tuning in to how I wanted to proceed through the planning process, and researching the topics of the different sessions as I considered I had limited knowledge on sexual health awareness. As I had to plan every week separately it was important to tune in to each and use knowledge, such as group work skills to inform my practice. During initial sessions I noted how group members were quiet and withdrawn, this was important to note as the subject of sexual relationships may have been embarrassing for them to discuss. I too felt uncomfortable discussing the material, as I had limited understanding of sexual health, but it was important for the group to overcome these anxieties and work through them together. I identified that ice breaking techniques were required to facilitate trust and partnership. As the sessions progressed, one of the main challenges found was that peer influence was a major issue, with some of the participants controlling other quieter members. I felt it was necessary to include all members and encouraged participation using games. However, it was important not to push individuals when they became uncomfortable, as this could cause them to withdraw and disengage, disempowering them. Another challenge was that despite time management of the sessions, inevitably there had to be flexibility. Some of the group monopolised more time than others and it was necessary to be able to alter the plans according to time restraints. I also needed to be aware of my own values when planning sexual health awareness training, as it is still regarded as a controversial issue, especially in Catholic schools with teenagers (www.famyouth.org.uk). I considered sexual health awareness to be a great benefit in schools, but obviously due to religious considerations many Catholic schools continue simply to teach abstinence as the only form of contraception. This was important to consider as the group was facilitated in a Catholic school and many of the members or their teachers could have had religious views and opinions on the sessions, creating tension or animosity. Reflecting on this parental consent had been provided for the group, but the group itself were required to take part during a free period. I consider this to be an ethical dilemma as the childrens views werent regarded as highly as their parents. If undertaking this group in future, I feel it would be necessary to ask the group if they wish to take part, and gi ve the opportunity to withdraw promoting anti-oppressive practice. Intervention: Prior to this practice placement I had limited experience using intervention methods. My previous placement focused on task centred work with service users, but in the court childrens service this could not be facilitated due to the time restrictions of the court. I had also previously used Rogerian person centred counselling which I found I could use some of the theory and apply it to this setting. After gathering a range of information from the court referral, C1 and other professionals, I began to tune in to Es case. I had been directed by the court to ascertain his wishes and feelings in regards to residence and contact arrangements, and mediate between his parents to find agreement about the childs residence. As Child E is fourteen, I felt it was necessary to research levels of development for this age group and understand, according to psychologists, what level Child E would be at emotionally, physically and psychologically. I found that Child E should be at a level of becoming more independent, having his own values, and being able to make informed choices. One of the most important issues, through mediation, was challenging my own values and becoming aware of my own stereotypical views on adults who have separated, and the effects on their children. I had to challenge the idea that Child E just wanted to reside with his father as he was the less disciplined parent, or that Child E would most likely be playing his parents off against each other to get his own way. However, by challenging these views, and working with the parties through mediation, I came to realise that E had strong views about living with his father and had a stronger attachment to him. By reflecting on my values I realised that it was oppressive to consider the child as manipulating and could have affected my work with him. I found that having to be a neutral third party in mediation was difficult, I found myself having a role as a witness, a referee and a peacekeeper trying to find common ground. Despite this I feel a third side was necessary to help the parties work through issues. I found the most difficult aspect of this role to be impartiality as I found myself empathizing more with the mother (as the child refused to live with her). However, I also understood the childs reasons behind his decision. During mediation, and in court, I also challenged my judgements on gender and the notion that the mother is the nurturer or primary care giver in the home (Posada and Jacobs, 2001). The child clearly stated that he wanted to reside with his father, and when using questioning skills to probe about this, he claimed he had a stronger bond with his father, and that his mother was continually ridiculing him. I found myself having to alter my views about attachment and mother being the primary care giver and focus on what the child wants. As the intervention progressed I used family mediation session to work through issues. I found that effective communication was principal in ascertaining Child Es wishes and feelings, and helping the parties consider his views, as opposed to their own relationship incriminations. This not only empowered E by promoting partnership, but also gave him the knowledge that the court would be considering the information he provided. Within the meeting I felt I could have paced the meeting better and made better use of silences with E, as I dominated the conversation. I consider mediation to be successful as it helped the parties focus on the needs of the child, and helped them realise that they had a childs feelings to consider instead of the adversarial relationship built from court. Review: Prior to the review process I had experience of carrying out person centred reviews (PCR) through my previous practice placement. I had previous training on PCRs and found them to be more effective than traditional reviews, due to the service user involvement. A PCR is an example of a person centred approach and the information from a review can be the foundation of a person centred plan (Bailey et al., 2009). Within the family proceedings court the purpose of reviews are to reassess interim plans, and either change them, or confirm they are working for the child(ren). In Child Es case a review was necessary to indicate if living with his father was working, and to discuss if he wanted to change anything about his interim plans, which were introduced three months earlier. Within the court childrens team a review is fundamental to consider what is in the childs best interests, assess what is working and what is not working, and how to progress (considering the childs wishes and feelings). Child centred preparatory work with Child E was fundamental to the review success as it established what was important to him (Smull and Sanderson, 2005). Reflecting on my person centred work last year; I recognised that it was important to have preparatory work with Child E as it promoted choice and options to explore. I had also recognised that the information gathered from the preparatory work could be the foundations of the review itself, especially if Child E felt embarrassed or shy speaking out in front of his family on the day of the review (Smull and Sanderson, 2005) I conducted the review with Child E and his parents present, but reflecting on this it could also have been useful including his school teacher or other friends to have a holistic approach. Throughout the review I feel I was able to engage the participants successfully using goals to focus on, and we were able to create a person centred plan for Child E. During the preparation for the review Child E had expressed that he felt he was having too much contact with his mother, and would like to limit this, he also expressed that this was an awkward subject to discuss with his mother present. I identified this in the review as child E did not wish to. I used skills such as facilitation and communication to show that Child E felt strongly about this issue, and both parents claimed they understood his view point. The review was also useful in presenting the information in court, as the child could not be present and I could advocate on his behalf. On reflection of Child Es review I feel it was a successful measure to determine what was working and not working since plans were implemented from the last court date. I had confidence in facilitating the review, but I did feel I perhaps dominated the conversation as both parents were hostile towards each other, and Child E was shy and unassertive about expressing his feelings. During future reviews I will endeavour to promote communication between parties, while empowering of the child. I will use better use of silences and encourage active involvement. Conclusion: No matter how skilled, experienced or effective we are, there are, of course, always lessons to be learned, improvements to be made and benefits to be gained from reflecting on our practice (Thompson, 2005: 146) I feel this PLO has provided me with learning opportunities and identified my learning needs. It has encouraged me to reflect on my knowledge, skills and values and ensured that I used my reflections to learn from my practice. At the beginning of placement I was concerned I would oppress the service users by having limited understanding of the court process, and unable to work effectively as a result. However, through training, help from my practice teacher and knowledge, I soon realised that the placement was about providing support, not being an expert. I feel I was able to establish a balance of the legal requirements of court and social work role, which has contributed to my learning experience and future knowledge. As my placement progressed I used tuning in and evaluations to analyse my practice, and use them to learn from. My placement has enabled me to improve my court report writing skills, presentations skills and legislation knowledge, which I consider to be invaluable for the future. In terms of future professional development, I will endeavour to challenge my stereotypical assumptions about service users, I will seek advice and guidance from more experienced members of staff, and I will use knowledge and theory to inform my practice prior to meeting service users. Future learning requires me to continue to develop skills in working with children, to use silence as a skill, as listen actively to what the service user wants. Having an opportunity to work within the court system has been invaluable, but I would also like the opportunity to have more experience working with children to enhance my knowledge, skills and values further. References: Bailey, G., Sanderson, H., Sweeney, C. and Heaney, B. (2008) Person Centred Reviews in Adult Services. Valuing People Support Team. Kroll, B. (2000) Milk Bottle, Messenger, Monitor, Spy: Childrens Experiences of Contact. Child Care in Practice: 6: 3 Parker, J., and Bradley, G. (2003) Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review. Learning Matters Ltd. Posada, G and Jacobs, A. (2001) Child-mother attachment relationships and culture. American Psychologist. 56(10), 821-822. Schà ¶n, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Smull, M and Sanderson, H. (2005) Essential Lifestyle Planning for Everyone. The USA: Learning Community Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparing for Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Trevithick, P. (2005) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook (2nd Ed). Buckingham: Open University Press. Watson, D and West, J (2006) Social Work Process and Practice: Approaches, Knowledge and Skills. Basingstoke; Palgrave Macmillan Williams, P (2006) Social Work with People with Learning Disabilities. Learning Matters Ltd Webpages: http://www.famyouth.org.uk/pdfs/CondomControversy.pdf accessed 24/4/10

Essay --

Connor Peterson Miss. Cota Survival October 19th, 2013 The Tools of a True Survivor Jeannette Walls had a horrific childhood that truly brought out the survivor in her. Jeannette had troubles with her family, friends and siblings but she was not hindered by the difficult situations and the choices that she had to make. In order to survive she to had be resourceful and use what she had to her advantage and also learn to adapt to any situation. Through it all she had the drive and purpose of a true survivor. Her survival tools of Ingenuity, Adaptability and Purpose helped her to grow into the person she is today. Ingenuity is one of the survival skills that Jeannette possessed throughout her childhood. She continued to find new ways to accommodate herself in different situations. One such example is when she made herself braces because her parents could not afford them. Since she did not have the money to get them, Jeannette invented a clever way to make homemade ones. These braces (worn only at night so no one would know) were made from rubber bands and a coat hanger. In the survivor tool kit it describes ingenuity with, â€Å"you find novel uses and applications for everyday objects†(324). Jeannette’s braces clearly exemplify this quote. Ingenuity is also described as, â€Å"Bricolage: the art of building things from whatever materials are available.†(324). Jeannette used everyday objects such as rubber bands and a coat hanger to make a complicated set of braces. Besides from making braces, she also made her own catapult. Bullies would throw rocks at Jeannette and her brother on their walk home from school and then ride away on their bikes. Having limited resources, Jeannette used an abandoned mattress and some springs she found as ... ...n high school and she was striving for big goals, working hard to achieve them, and overcoming countless obstacles. Even when her father stole that piggy bank money she did not give up. Her purpose in life helped transfer her into adulthood. Without this determination and sacrifice, seceding into a successful adult would have been much more challenging. Each survivor has a set of tools at their disposal that can be used throughout their lifetime. Jeannette was able to overcome staggering odds to with her ability to use almost anything to her advantage and by being able to bend to the situation around her and constantly change. And finally, by having a drive in life that is simply incomprehensible, a drive and purpose so deep we cannot even begin to fathom its depth. Jeannette used these techniques to conquer her life and overcome every obstacle that stood in her way.

Disclosure Analysis Paper

Individual – Disclosure Analysis Paper ACC 422 Intermediate Financial Accounting II February 25, 2013 Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc. is the company that I will analyze. To analyze the disclosures of the company’s financial statement is important because it allows one to understand the position of the company. Toys â€Å"R† Us is one largest in the world toy retailers offering a selection of toys and baby products for families around the world. For more than 60 years, Toys â€Å"R† Us has been an all-time favorite for kids and grown-ups with many kinds of toys, games, learning aids, electronics, apparel and furniture.Merchandise is sold in 872 Toys â€Å"R† Us and Babies â€Å"R† Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico and in more than 645 international stores and over 150 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions (About Toy â€Å"R† Us Corporate). One category to analyze is cash and cash equivalents which are the most liq uid current assets. On the statement of cash flows, cash has a much broader definition than just seeing it as cash on hand and cash in the bank. It cash equivalents plays an important role within. Cash equivalents are short-term investments that are easily converted to cash but treated like cash.In the third quarter, Toys â€Å"R† Us showed $2. 3 billion of liquidity which included cash and cash equivalents of about $399 million and available lines of credit that totals about $1. 9 billion. The amount of cash used in the operating activities totaled to $449 million which was lower than the previous year (About Toy â€Å"R† US Corporate). Toy â€Å"R† Us along with other companies is responsible for disclosing components of cash and cash equivalents along totals from the cash flow statement with the equivalent items showing in the balance sheet.Extraordinary items, interest and dividends, taxes on income and foreign currency cash flows and non-cash transaction sh ould be disclosed separately. Accounts receivable is another short-term liquid asset that results from credit sales to customers. Credit is offered to increase sales, uncollectible accounts associated with credit sales should be charged as expenses in the period in which the sales are made. A small number of customers account for a large share of Toy â€Å"R† US net sales and accounts receivable. Toy â€Å"R† Us receivables in 2012 are $236 million. Total current receivables make up 4. 6 percent of total assets for the year.Accounts and other receivables consist primarily of receivables from vendor allowances and consumer credit card and debit card transactions. The accounts receivable turnover compares the level of receivables with sales. Its allowance for doubtful accounts reduced to 2. 9 million in fiscal year 2011 to 2012. Toy â€Å"R† Us capital expenditure plays a major role of it long term toy and juvenile strategy (Toys â€Å"R† Us, Inc. ). By the end of the quarter the company had about $2 billion of liquidity, including cash and cash equivalents of about $6 million and unused available for lines of credit totaling $1 billion.Inventory is another current asset of a company. Inventory represents items held for resale that will go into the manufacturing of goods to be sold. Toy â€Å"R† Us financial disclosures states that the inventory balances of $3,551 on October 27, 2012 and $2,232 million on January 28, 2012. This financial disclosure wants investors to know that inventory on this statement were at completion. Toys â€Å"R† Us offers customers the Toys R Us Credit Cards, both by GE Capital Retail Bank.Toy â€Å"R† Us maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure and maintain information that is required to be disclosed in the financial reporting. The purpose of the disclosures notes to the financial reporting presents information which cannot be presented on income statemen t, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Analyzing the disclosures contained within the notes to the financial statements is mainly conducted in order to identify the company financial performances, such as, cash and cash equivalents, receivables and its inventory.Toy â€Å"R† Us wants to be committed to maintaining and conducting its business with integrity ensuring that each asset, liability, expense and other transaction are disclosed accurately. The disclosure analysis defines whether or not the company under analysis is a good or bad investment for the company interested in acquisition (ehow. com). References Kieso, D. E. , Weygandt, J. J. , & Warfield, T. D. (2010). Intermediate accounting (13th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. About US – Toy â€Å"R† Us Corporate, retrieved February 25, 2013 from http://www. toysrusinc. com How to Write a Disclosure Analysis Paper | eHow. com

Promoting national unity in Malaysian public schools Essay

Introduction â€Å"Malaysia, Truly Asia† aptly describes the country as a melting pot of three major Asian cultures. Yet, less than 140 years ago, a homogenous society existed in the Malay Peninsular with a population of 90% Malays (Gullick, 1969). However due to colonial policies and increasing economic prosperity, the society evolved ethnically into present day multi-ethnic Malaysians The 2010 consensus from Department of Statistics Malaysia revealed Malaysians of the 21st century as coming from three major groups; 67.4% Bumiputera (Malays, Sarawak and Sabahan bumiputera), 24.6% Chinese, 7.3% Indians and 0.7% others. In short, this land has changed from a homogenous society to a pluralistic society with Malaysians coming from different cultures, languages and religions. It can be deduced that integration among Malaysians are crucial factors that contribute to the nation’s success. This unity has been a main concern of the Malaysian government from pre-independence day to the present. In the face of multi-culturalism, Ho (1952) stated that â€Å"It is accepted that education is not the only means available in the tasks of achieving national unity and solidarity in the plural community of Malaya, but it remains the most important single factor for integration in the racial, religious and cultural complex of Malaya.† Thus he proposed that education be used to unify the multi-ethnic Malaysian society starting from school level where early stages of inter-racial socialisation process begins. Through education, the younger generation of Malaysians are nurtured with stronger national consciousness and imbued with stronger national identity. Ideologies and policies like Rukun Negara,and Bangsa Malaysia were formulated to cater to each succeeding generation of Malaysians. With integration still remaining as a top national agenda, the first part of this paper attempts to examine the role of education reports on national unity in Malaysia from pre-independence to the present day, and analyse their impact and success. The impact is analysed by relying upon a combination of historical investigation from various education reports in the light of national unity. With 1Malaysia being the latest effort of integration, the second part of this paper tries to gauge the awareness of NKRA 4, a visible  mechanism of 1Malaysia among 1the educationists through analysis of empirical evidence gathered from the interviews with them. Finally, the paper will analyse if 1Malaysia concept conceived to promote unity will be the right panacea for removing ethnicity barriers among Malaysians. Inculcating national unity in education: A pre-Independence to present day review of the educational reports The current Malaysian education policy for national unity has its roots in pre-independence era and it has become part of the society’s prevailing colonial inheritance (Azhar Wahid, 2011). During the colonial era, the existence of vernacular schools catering for each race had physically divided the Malayan society. The second divisive factor was the different ethnic languages used as medium of instruction to educate the respective races (Marimuthu, 2008). The third was the geographical separation of the vernacular schools according to the unequal population distribution of different races (Omar, 1991). The only opportunity for integration was among students in English medium schools established in towns (Marimuthu, 2008). Separate curriculum for vernacular schools was the fourth factor splitting the communities. With focus on ethnics’ respective countries of origin and the nonexistent Malayan context in the curriculum, the vernacular education failed to build a sense of national identity and consciousness (Marimuthu, 2008). To integrate multi-ethnic communities in Malaya through educational system, the 1950 Barnes Report 1950 suggested replacing the vernacular schools with national schools using English or Malay as medium of instruction in primary schools and English for secondary schools and bringing students and teachers of different races together under one education system to build a nation with national characteristics (Noriati Rashid et al., 2012). As the report was viewed unfavourably by the Chinese, another report, the 1951 Fenn-Wu report, was commissioned; it recommended Chinese education curriculum to include local Malayan elements to help form a sense of national identity among its students. Both Barnes and Fenn-Wu reports were taken into consideration when the 1952 Education Ordinance was passed (Ee, 1995). It supported the National School concept with a common curriculum using Malay and English language as media of instruction. However, lack of funding and insurgency hampered its implementation. Historically, 1957 was the year an independent Federation of Malaya was formed. To cater to a post-independent Malaya, the Razak Report, the most influential education committee reports, was commissioned. It cited two major considerations: using Malay language as the main medium of instruction and incorporating Malayan context and values into school curriculum (Omar, 1991). The proposal desired to instil national consciousness and mutual understanding among multi-racial communities through mono-language and socio-cultural values. The Razak Report led to the 1957 Education Ordinance. As a follow-up, 1960 Rahman Talib Report recommended retaining a single schooling system for all pupils with the same school curriculum using Malay language as medium of instruction. This report resulted in the Education Act of 1961with its most significant outcomes of phasing out English medium schools and converting Chinese and Tamil National secondary schools to Malay medium secondary schools, standard ising school system, and nationalisation of curriculum and examinations (Omar, 1991). The 1969 racial riot had warranted the need for a more intense scrutiny of the nation’s fragile unity. Poverty, ethnic disparity in economic participation and wealth distribution had emerged as the primary causes of racial tensions and social political instability (Syed Husin Ali, 2008). Hence, in 1971, New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced as a remedy. The policy emphasised on education as a major role in eradicating poverty and in restructuring economic and wealth disparity in Malaysian society leading to social integration and national unity (Hussein Ahmad, 2008). Not surprisingly, the 1979 Mahathir Education Report again emphasized on national unity. Process of reforming Malaysian education system continues on in strengthening socio-cultural mechanism to build a stronger national identity and consciousness (Hussein Ahmad, 2008). In 1990s, national unity and social cohesion were still the major agenda of Malaysia’s nation building which led to Vision 2020 with the first goal of establishing a united Malaysian nation made up of one Bangsa Malaysia (EPU, 2011) together  with Vision  Schools where children of all races study in their respective mother-tongue primary schools under one roof and sharing same facilities. Impact of Educational Reports on National Unity in Schools Past and present educational reports have highlighted the needs for curriculum standardization, use of common medium of instruction, employing teachers of all races, using multi-cultural Malaysian context in curriculum and bringing all students together to share common classroom so as to increase openness, interaction and understanding among them. All these criteria which were absent in pre-independent Malaya have now been implemented in national schools. In particular, the National Philosophy of Education entails using Bahasa Malaysia as medium of instruction, using the same curriculum, standardising examination and syllabus as well as introducing school co-curriculum. The 1979 Mahathir Report brought about the New Primary School Curriculum (KBSR) which was formulated to help develop socio-cultural values based on the Rukun Negara, and national culture (Azhar Wahid, 2011). Integrated Secondary School Curriculum (KBSM) was introduced with emphasis given on mastering Bahasa Malaysia and nurturing national consciousness through inculcating common values, aspirations and loyalties (Nagendralingan, 2008). Multi-cultural education is promoted in the curriculum to ensure that all students are aware of cultural, gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the nation and to foster mutual respect and positive social interaction with each other (Azhar Wahid, 2011). In the classrooms of national secondary schools, teaching and learning process promote cooperative learning methods such as doing projects, case research, group discussion, pair work and group assignments to help students of different races to not only improve communication skills with each other but also to interact, share ideas and learn teamwork spirit (Neo et al., 2009). When students are aware of the values of multi-cultural education, they learn to respect different cultures, thereby reducing misconceptions and prejudices towards those of  other ethnic groups. Syllabus and curriculum  are replete with elements of Malaysian cultural heritage where students learn and understand another culture’s dominant practices, way of life and religious holidays (Azhar Wahid, 2011). As part of co-curriculum activities, sports and games, uniformed bodies, clubs and societies help students to interact with each other; speech day, field trips, sports carnivals, fund raising events are designed to draw out involvement from all students to socialise together (Nagendralingan, 2008). Parent Teacher Associations and alumni associations help to integrate the school communities with the outside communities. Though the National Education Policy may not have achieved the highest degree of ethnic integration, some of its strategic policies such as using Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in secondary schools have been successful (Azhar Wahid, 2011). This has created generations of Malaysians communicating and learning using the same language. The concept of equal access to education at every schooling level is another major characteristic of education development in the mid-1970s. Affordable access to education for all can help to narrow the education gap between races and increase upward social mobility. With equitable ethnic participation in the economy and wealth distribution, the causes of racial tensions can be remedied and this promotes social political stability. National Key Results Area 4 (NKRA) Pemandu (2011) reported that National Key Results Area (NKRA) is part of 1Malaysia’s concrete efforts to give priority to people’s needs first. Improving student outcome is one of the seven NKRAs â€Å"which have been deemed crucial and urgent for achieving 1Malaysia.† NKRA goal for education is improving student outcome by developing students’ minds, talents, and capabilities to safeguard the nation’s future generation. THE INTERVIEW RESULTS: Views on NKRA 4 from Education Practitioners The  interview questions focused specifically on eliciting their understanding of the NKRA goals which are â€Å"access to affordable education† and â€Å"quality of education† as well as how their contributions can make the policy a success. Respondent 01 is a school principal who has been an educationist for 24 years; respondent 02, an assistant principal, has been an educationist for 33 years; respondent 03 has been a teacher for 32 years and respondent 04 36 years. Regarding the term â€Å"access to affordable education† , respondent 01 replied that it means giving free education from a young age up to secondary education. Respondent 02 said that affordable education includes scholarships and financial help for underprivileged students to keep schooling. Both respondents 03 and 04 mentioned that it means children can easily attain education without been financially burdened. â€Å"Access to Quality of education† was understood by respondent 01 and 03 as getting a holistic education with balanced intellect, spiritual, emotional and physical development. Respondent 02 interpreted it as what makes students employable after finishing their secondary or tertiary education. Producing quality students who have the ability to think critically, apply their knowledge and contribute to society is regarded as quality education by respondent. All the respondents agreed that Malaysians have access to affordable education in reality. But as to the quality of education, all the respondents conceded that it has declined. Respondent 01 explained that he has experienced the unsatisfactory situation of rural schools where the parents and students do not prioritise education and school principals fail to play their part. According to respondent 02, the decline is partially due to the low standard of admission for applicants applying for teaching training at universities and training colleges and this lowers the quality of education. Respondent 03 believed that the intellectual formation has been over emphasised to the detriment of other JERIS aspects (physical, emotional, spiritual and social). As for respondent 04, she claimed that lack of vocational schools and their limited enrolment make it difficult for under  performing students to continue their studies in a meaningful way. Towards attaining NKRA education goals, respondent 01 pointed out that the principal’s most important contribution is strong leadership with clear and achievable vision and mission for his school. He further enunciated that a principal who sets achievable standards for both the under achievers and bright students can enhance the school’s performance. Respondent 02 and 03 mentioned that active supervision of students and teachers by the principal can significantly improve their performance. Showing interest in students’ performance and connecting with them at ground level are some of the ways according to respondent 04 that the principal contributes to improving student outcomes. Regarding the role of teachers, respondent 01 stressed that â€Å"the input of teachers is proportional to increasing student outcomes in developing students’ minds, talents and capabilities†. Both respondents (respondent 02 & 03) pointed out that students’ access to quality education is enhanced by receiving quality teaching and mentoring from teachers. Therefore, according to them, teachers must be good role models and have the right attitude towards their students. Instead of just settling for mediocrity among students, respondent 04 suggested that teachers should discover students’ weaknesses and motivate them to overcome it. Evaluating the findings Generally, it is agreed that Malaysian students have access to affordable education as currently school fees are waived, textbooks are provided on loan, deserving students receive financial aid and rural schools provide free lodging and food. The overall consensus is that quality of education is the holistic development of the whole person. However it may not necessarily correlate with better quality of education as there are other factors involved such as parental involvement and awareness, teachers’ input and principals’ leadership. Two key factors in better education quality are the principal’s leadership and the teachers’ cooperation in increasing students’ performance and outcome. NKRA education recognises this by creating High Performing Schools whereby schools are categorised into bands according to performance in order to motivate and increase principals’ performance (The Star, 2012). To produce committed, responsible and caring teachers, intervention programmes to train and motivate teachers towards higher achievement are also in place under NKRA 4. To improve the quality and standard of professionalism, the Education Ministry plans to pick only top-scoring university graduates to be 20% of trainee teachers by 2015 and review the passing criteria for trainee teachers at training colleges (Fernandez & Lingan, 2012) to ensure quality teachers. The goals of NKRA in improving student outcome help teachers and principals to tackle the challenges faced in providing quality education. Achieving the goals can indirectly increase unity goal under 1Malaysia as better education opportunities for all can bridge the gap between ethnic groups by balancing their l evel playing field and providing economic advancement. Evaluating 1MALAYSIA as the underlying key towards unity in cultural diversity Although efforts were made to integrate the Malaysian society using national education and ideologies, strong feelings of ethnicity in Malaysian social life are rife (Centre for Public Policy Studies, n.d.). In response, the current Prime Minister, Najib Razak introduced 1Malaysia concept in 2009 which aspires to unite the pluralistic Malaysian society by inculcating the spirit and values of solidarity and sense of togetherness, irrespective of race, religion and creed. (Najib Abdul Razak, 2009). The objective is to have the Malays, Chinese, and Indians perceive themselves collectively as a single identity –Malaysians. 1Malaysia founded upon the principle â€Å"People First, Performance Now† means that the government’s prime concern is people’s welfare and producing high quality performance that benefits them. In identifying his government with Malaysians regardless of race, soc ial background or religion and understanding their aspirations, he seeks to lead his government to identify their needs and to incorporate their feedback. Consequently, 1Malaysia can strengthen solidarity and cooperation among races for unity in cultural diversity. Is 1Malaysia the underlying key towards achieving unity in cultural diversity? According to Mujibu Muis et al. (2012), history shows that when national unity and integration focused on assimilating minority cultures into the dominant culture, it invariably caused minority ethnic groups to hold stronger to their languages and cultures. As Hazri Jamil and Santhiram Rahman (2012) suggested, the past assumption that the main method for national integration is the educational policy has been over simplistic. They claimed that racial harmony cannot be fostered through education initiatives alone. Hence, the concept of integration is not only about a mono-language, but is about mutual respect and understanding of other cultures and beliefs. In this respect, 1Malaysia concept which celebrates multi-culturalism, accepts cultural diversity and sees it as an advantage which can contribute to a prospering, stable and sustainable future (Hasnul Salleh, n.d.). As examples, Malaysian multi-culturalism has been packaged as the main attractions for the tourism industry (Tourism Malaysia, n.d.) and it brings about economical advantages in trade relations with China and India because of the language and cultural link. Has 1Malaysia concept being embraced by all Malaysians when through its acceptance, Malaysia has the potential to be more developed and stable economically, politically and socially? Without Malaysians’ acceptance, the implementation of the concept may not reach its full capacity. Yet, time will tell if 1Malaysia is to be seen as an underlying key to achieving unity in pluralistic Malaysia. Such a unity attained through the acceptance of the ideology of 1Malaysia renders one’s loyalty more towards the country and breaks down barriers of ethnicity. Conclusion Among the government educational policies built on the educational reports, the national language, common curriculum, standardised syllabus and examinations and national schools have always been tools of unity. Such policies have been effective and workable throughout the first 50 years of the nation’s independence. However, the idea of integration has somehow  progressed further according to the changing times with 1Malaysia concept which proposes that  the nation celebrates its unity amidst cultural diversity and views multi-culturalism as an edge that makes the country unique as in â€Å"Malaysia, truly Asia.† This means that the cultural diversity can become its strength rather than its Achilles heel when rather than assimilating minority cultures into dominant cultures as the only way of integration, 1Malaysia concept accepts the reality of multi-culturalism and promotes unity in its diversity. Therefore, the realisation of the concept may be the way forward fo r Malaysia to reinvent itself as a progressive nation at the dawn of the 21st century. REFERENCES Azhar Wahid. (2011). HBEF1103 Sociology and philosophy of education in Malaysia. Seri Kembangan, Selangor: Meteor Doc. Centre for Public Policy Studies. (n.d.). National unity fact sheet. [Online]. Available: http://www.cpps.org.my/downloads/factsheets/National%20unity%20factsheet.pdf . [2013, February 20]. Education NKRA reaping success. (2012, March 28). The Star. [Online]. Available: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/28/nation/10970176&sec=nation. [2013, February 20]. Ee, A. M. (1995). Pendidikan sebagai suatu proses: Asas pendidikan 1. Shah Alam, Selangor: Fajar Bakti. EPU Economic Planning Unit. (2011). Economic development: Vision 2020, 1991-2020. [Online]. Available: http://www.epu.gov.my/184. [2013, February 19]. Fernandez, E. & Lingan, L. (2012, June 6). Degree a must for new teachers by 2020. The News Straits Times. [Online]. Available: http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/degree-a-must-for-new-teachers-by-2020-1.91540. [2013, March 1]. Gullick, J. M. (1969). Malaysia: Nations of the modern world. London: Ernest Benn. 11 Hasnul Salleh. (n.d.). 1Malaysia – Concept and Values. [Online]. Available: http://www.jba. gov.my/files/Microsoft%20Word%20- %201Malaysia%20website%201705.pdf. [2013, February 19]. Hazri Jamil, & Santhiram Rahman. (2012). Malaysian educational policy for national integration: Contested terrain of multiple aspirations in a multicultural nation. Journal of Language and Culture, 3(1). [Online]. Available: http://www.academicjournals. org/jlc/PDF/pdf2012/Jan/Jamil%20and%20Raman.pdf. [2013, February 19]. Ho S. O. (1952). Education for unity in Malaya : An evaluation of the educational system of Malaya with special reference to the need for unity in its plural society. Penang: Ganesh Printing Works. Hussein Ahmad. (2008). History, policy, and reform in Malaysian Education. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp. 35-82). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. Department of Statistics Consensus. (2010). Population and Housing Census Malaysia, 2010: Percentage of distribution of the population by ethnic group, Malaysia, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www. statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_content& view=article&id=1215. [2013, Feb 22]. Marimuthu, T. (2008). Tamil education: Problems and prospects. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp. 113-138). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. 12 Mujibu Muis et al. (2012). Ethnic Plurality and Nation Building Process: A Comparative Analysis between Rukun Negara, Bangsa Malaysia and 1Malaysia Concepts as Nation Building Programs in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 8(13). In Ebscohost (OUM Digital Collection). Nagendralingan, R. (2008). Reflections on the development of curriculum in Malaysia. In Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid (Ed.), Malaysia from traditional to smart schools: The Malaysian educational odyssey (1st ed., pp.221-254). Shah Alam: Oxford Fajar. Najib Abdul Razak. (2009). The 2010 Budget speech: 1Malaysia, together we prosper. [Online]. Available: http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/budget/bs10.pdf. [2013, March 1]. Neo, T. K., Neo, M., & Kwok, W. J. J. (2009). Engaging students in a multimedia cooperative learning environment: A Malaysian experience. 2009 Ascilite Conference Proceedings . [Online]. Available: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/neo.pdf . [2013, Feb 27]. Noriati A. Rashid et al. (2012). Falsafah & Pendidikan di Malaysia. Shah Alam, Selangor: Oxford Fajar. Omar Mohd Hashim. (1991). Pengisian Misi Pendidikan. Ampang, Selangor: Percetakan Dewan Bahasa dan Pusaka. 13 Pemandu Performance management and delivery unit. (2011). Annual report 2011 Executive Summary. [Online]. Available: http://www.pemandu.gov.my/gtp/annualreport 2011/pdf/pemandu_ar2011_ executive_summary.pdf. [2013, February 18]. Syed Husin Ali. (2008). The Malays: Their problems and future. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: The Other Press Tourism Malaysia. (n.d.). Malaysia Truly Asia. [Online]. Available: http://www.tourism. gov.my/en/my/Web-Page/About-Malaysia/Culture-n-Heritage. [2013, March 1].

sexuality essay essays

sexuality essay essays Many experts agree that homosexuality has existed as long as human beings themselves, although the attitude towards them has undergone dramatic changes in some countries. Accepted by many societies during Greek and Roman era, most of the time homosexuals were considered to be sinners against nature and even criminals. In Medieval and modern periods homosexuals were prosecuted. Enlightenment brought some liberation, substituting death penalty by imprisonment. In Nazi Germany so-called "doctors" tried to "cure" gays by the ways of castration and extreme intimidation. Until 1973 attempts to find a cure against homosexuality, what by majority was viewed as a disease, were continued. Today, when research on twins suggests that sexual orientation is not a choice, but our genetic predisposition, homosexual acts are still considered to be immoral and even illegal in majority of countries and in the eyes of most religious groups homosexuals, probably, always will be the subjects of anathema. As much as the future may look gloomy for many gays and lesbians all over the world, there are remarkable changes in public opinion and officials attitudes toward homosexuals in some countries. For example, in 1989, Denmark was the first to allow the same-sex marriage. In the United States the subject of homosexuality remains controversial. For example, In Hawaii three homosexual couples asked the court to recognize their right to get married and the court did. However, the state government refused to legalize this marriage. Consequently, a new amendment was introduced to the state Constitution. At the same time, majority of the states are not even considering this option and homosexuality itself is still illegal there. Still, not only authorities try to determine the position they should take towards homosexuals, many common Americans also have no clear understanding of how to react to homosexuality. Why should we bother to find the answer to the ...

Violin and Pitcher essays

Violin and Pitcher essays Georges Braques Violin and Pitcher shows a combining of ideas and the beginning of analytical cubism. This work is perhaps Braques first break away from faceting purely to display subject matter and towards a style where facets flow of a logic of their own. The work of Paul Cezanne led the way for paintings like Violin and Pitcher. Cezanne was interested in the way light reacted to form rather than what it was lighting: the form itself. Cezanne also began to explore the object that the viewer knows to exist in the painting; not just the view of the object gained by looking at it from one angle. Cezannes work was largely known as impressionism. His impressionist paintings such as Basket with Apples, Bottle, Biscuits and Fruit were the beginning of what would become Violin and Pitcher. The unnatural tilting of the plates surface made way for the multiple viewpoints in the violin and the lack of form or outline in the fruit the eventual faceting. The subject matter of Violin and Pitcher cant be read immediately due to the rather heavy fragmentation. An obvious clue is the paintings title and upon inspection the viewer can soon find the violin in the foreground and the pitcher somewhere in the midground. Beyond the violin and pitcher the paintings subject matter is less obvious. What the two objects are actually placed on, their base, either doesnt exist or has been fragmented to the point where it can no longer be seen. What does eventually come through are the walls of the room the painting is set in. Fragmented architecture draws the strong vertical lines of intersecting walls as they disappear into a sea of facets. Violin and Pitcher jumps straight from the formative early period of cubism and straight into analytical cubism. The work Braque painted before Violin and Pitcher such as his Harbour in Normandy of the same year help illustrate the transition between early and analyt ...

Definition of Suffrage, as in Womens Suffrage

Definition of Suffrage, as in Women's Suffrage Definition of suffrage Suffrage is used today to mean the right to vote in elections, sometimes also including the right to run for and hold elected public office.   It is commonly used in phrases like woman suffrage or womens suffrage or universal suffrage. Derivation and History The word suffrage comes from the Latin suffragium meaning to support. It already had the connotation of voting in classical Latin, and may have been used as well for a special tablet on which one recorded a vote. It likely came into English through French. In Middle English, the word took on ecclesiastical meanings, as well, of intercessory prayers. In the 14th and 15th centuries in English, it was also used to mean support. By the 16th and 17th centuries, suffrage was in common use in English to mean a vote in favor of a proposal (as in a representative body like Parliament) or of a person in an election. The meaning then broadened to apply to a vote for or against candidates and proposals. Then the meaning broadened to mean the ability to vote by individuals or groups. In Blackstones commentary on English laws (1765), he includes a reference:  In all democracies .. it is of the utmost importance to regulate by whom, and in what manner, the suffrages are to be given. The Enlightenment, with emphasis on equality of all persons and consent of the governed, paved the way for the idea that the suffrage, or ability to vote, should be extended beyond a small elite group. Wider, or even universal suffrage, became a popular demand. No taxation without representation called for those who were taxed to also be able to vote for their representatives in government. Universal male suffrage was a call in political circles in Europe and America by the first half of the 19th century, and then some (see Seneca Falls Womans Rights Convention) began to extend that demand to women as well as woman suffrage became a key social reform issue through 1920. Active suffrage  refers to the right to vote.   The phrase passive suffrage is used to refer to the right to run for and hold public office.   Women were, in a few cases, elected to public office (or appointed) before they won the right to active suffrage. Suffragist was used to denote someone working to extend suffrage to new groups.   Suffragette was sometimes used for women working for woman suffrage. Pronunciation: SUF-rij (short u) Also Known As: vote, franchise Alternate Spellings: souffrage, sofrage in Middle English; sufferage, suffrage Examples: Should the females of New York be placed on a level of equality with males before the law? If so, let us petition for this impartial justice for women. In order to insure this equal justice should the females of New York, like the males, have a voice in appointing the law makers and the law administrators? If so, let us petition for Womans Right to Suffrage. - Frederick Douglass, 1853 Similar Terms The word franchise or the phrase political franchise is also often used for the right to vote and the right to run for office. Denied Suffrage Rights Citizenship and residency are usually considered in deciding who has the right to vote in a country or state.   Ã‚  Age qualifications are justified by the argument that minors may not sign contracts. In the past, those without property were often ineligible to vote. Since married women could not sign contracts or dispose of their own property, it was considered appropriate to deny women the vote.   Some countries and U.S. states exclude from suffrage those who have been convicted of a felony, with various conditions. Sometimes the right is restored upon completion of prison terms or parole conditions, and sometimes restoration depends on the crime not being a violent crime. Race has been directly or indirectly a grounds for exclusion from voting rights. (Though women got the vote in the United States in 1920, many African-American women were still excluded from voting because of laws that discriminated racially.) Literacy tests and poll taxes have also been used to exclude from suffrage. Religion in both the United States and Great Britain sometimes was grounds for exclusion from voting. Catholics, sometimes Jews or Quakers, were excluded from suffrage. Quotes About Suffrage â€Å"[T]here never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers.† - Susan B. Anthony â€Å"Why is a woman to be treated differently? Woman suffrage will succeed, despite this miserable guerilla opposition.† - Victoria Woodhull Be militant in your own way! Those of you who can break windows, break them. Those of you who can still further attack the secret idol of property...do so. And my last word is to the Government: I incite this meeting to rebellion. Take me if you dare! - Emmeline Pankhurst

Business Case Formulation for a successful SAP (ERP System) Literature review

Business Case Formulation for a successful SAP (ERP System) Implementation - Literature review Example Aladwani (2001) elucidates that, businesses are operating in environments that are undergoing continuous experiences of dynamic changes and as a result, many organizations are striving hard to remain competitive. Nonetheless, the changes pose challenges for most companies as they focus on improving their business practices and procedures, as a way of maintaining a strategic influence in the competitive market using the current forms of information systems. More significantly, the advancements have seen organizations adapt support information systems with advanced operations that include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which enhance companies maximization of strategic management of its resources by allowing maximum potential use of diverse enterprise systems that suit the organizational needs (Peffers, Gengler & Tuunanen, 2003). In most cases, the ERP systems implemented are based on the extensive knowledge of the industry, readily usable assets besides proven ERP processes, strategies and technologies. Kerimo & Uluhan (2003), emphasis on the fact that the use of clearly implemented ERP systems for a suitable company practices provide viable solutions that remain significant in achievement of business advantages in the competitive global markets. Nah & Delgado (2006) describes the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as being of great importance to companies as it offers integrated, enterprise-wide systems that can be used in the provision of automated support. As a result, the automated support system will allow effectiveness and efficiency of business procedures as it is considered essential for standard business processes within and outside operations of organizations. More considerably, companies have found it beneficial to adopt an ERP system that allows for improvements in management and decision-making. More considerably, the implementation

Locating Mobiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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Change in the demographics of Central America from 1450 to 1914 Essay

Change in the demographics of Central America from 1450 to 1914 - Essay Example It is an unequivocal fact that industrialization has drastically changed the world and profoundly impacted the human societies in a way that would definitely be astounding for someone who inhabited the present massively industrialized areas 6 or 7 hundred years back. Central America is also such a region that has experienced a lot many changes in the human population over time owing to the threat of different diseases particularly, urbanization, and the industrial revolution.Historical evidence suggests that most of the people occupying the region of Central America in 1450 did hunting for existence. They were also not much acquainted with norms or ethical values, that are given major importance presently. Native population in 1450 was roughly in millions and by 1750, the figures of the population decreased significantly. This marked decrease in the native population can be majorly linked to the spread of myriad diseases like malaria, chicken pox, and tuberculosis for which no medica l remedies were present then because advances in microbiology occurred much later. â€Å"The introduction of infectious diseases like smallpox, to which Native Americans had no immunity, reduced their population by 90 percent from 1500 to 1700.†. It's not that the native population extinguished completely, rather the native American was present after 1750. During this period, Indians and Africans continued to be brought in Central America as slaves by the Europeans who began colonizing and settling in this region.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 27

Philosophy - Essay Example However, scientists throughout the history have argued about the existence of free will. They describe the hidden and uncontrollable factors responsible for human actions. Therefore, genuine freewill has no veracity, as one’s actions are pre-determined by the controlling factors. Scientists believe that behavioral patterns depict the existence of controlling factors which are unconsciously and consciously present in the society. This scientific notion indicates that most actions of a human are subconsciously rooted or extracted from the previously observed patterns of behavior. Thus, this makes humans unaware of the cause of their actions. In addition to it, scientists object to the invisible forces of motivation. They determine them as visible sources which humans can see to an extent that they recognize their source of inspiration for any action, which consequently determines their predictable course of action. The idea of invisible forces inspiring humans for voluntary actions serves only to justify oneself incase of resorting to it (Caruso, 2012). Determinism has established a theory that human actions are a result of old patterns of behavior and are based on former experience of events. Thus, it excludes the freewill concept and is based on metaphysical theory that any uncaused incident is impossible. Free will describes one’s course of action as a choice or decision and determinism describes the happening of an event as an expected outcome based on former experience and hence choice is not in the control of the agents due to the law of nature. Therefore, the above theory negates the responsibility of one’s action onto him. If the theory is true then every action of a human being is necessitated by events, which are fixed in pattern even before the existence of the agent. If this theory is accepted wholly then all the actions come under the category of determinism, which leaves one with the absence of

Teaching English in primary school why I chose this age and what is Research Paper

Teaching English in primary school why I chose this age and what is the benefit - Research Paper Example What a teacher who teaches in primary school can give a child is the best towards his language acquisition. The selection of this level is the apt one mainly because acquisition process is quick in this period and there will not be any interruption in it. It is necessary to go through the significant points related to the selection f the age of a primary school child for teaching English. A child who is always listening to his mother happens to hear the words she repeats. A misunderstanding that children acquire language through imitation exists. But in fact the process here is recurrence. Linguists too had the same belief until 1957. Noam Chomsky, a then relatively unknown man Noam Chomsky propounded the theory that the capacity to acquire language is in fact innate. This particular theory propounded by Noam Chomsky revolutionized the study of language acquisition, and after a brief period of controversy upon the publication of his work, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, in 1964, his theories are now generally acknowledged widely. Chomsky says, â€Å"Indeed language is not a skill such as many others, like learning to drive or perform mathematical operations-it cannot be taught as such in early stages.†,Chomsky. [Anandan, 57]. It is so clear that language cannot be learned but acquired through listening. Every human being has got an area called Language Acquisition Device in their brain. This area helps him to acquire a language when an exposure to it is given. But another fact is there. All the aspects of the language are not innate. Chomsky has claimed that all of us are born with what he terms a Universal Grammar, an inherent sensitivity to linguistic structure and patterns applicable to every human language. When the child gets exposure to the language, he begins to reproduce the particular language specific sounds that gradually lead to the acquisition of that language. These sounds are eventually produced by him when he acquires the lexis

Business Strategies Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Strategies - Research Paper Example Organizational strategy therefore requires that all business units, support units and employees are aligned and linked with the business strategy. The most important management responsibility in this context is to design, create and implement organizational strategies which are best suited to the demands of the market, its customers and the business model. However, since the competitors in the market would also have access to the same or similar information and might develop the same strategies, it is crucial that it must consider its organizational design as its most important strategic weapon. Some of the factors to be kept in consideration are as follows (Heracleous, p.XIV). Firstly identifying the right organizational strategy suited for executing the business strategy of the firm is important. This must be followed by identifying its own operating capabilities and sources of competitive advantage. Organizations can only act according to its business strategies if management desi gns the right way for them to do so. The most important factor in this context is strategy and structure alignment in designing its capabilities in a completely informed and rational manner. Some of the problems that might arise in the process are the strategy changes that might have implications or poor alignment with the organizational design and structure; need for restructuring of organizational parts due to sudden changes in technologies and other competitive pressures; organizational growth demanding changes in organizational design and finally, poor execution and organizational effectiveness (Jensen, p.5). The first phase in this alignment is gathering and organizing of data which is then fed to the management in a way which supports validation and learning. The management reaches out on the many different key issues, causal factors and problems and organizational requirements. This is followed by the design process which includes scale and leverage assessment, designing vert ical alternatives and lateral structures etc. Since organizational structures work through trade-offs the various alternatives are evaluated through with regards to their fit with requirements, impact of implementation etc. Based on the evaluation the new organizational structure is created with clear roles and responsibilities; development of values and norms for the alignment of culture with strategy; designing rewards and metrics etc (Jensen, p.5). A theory of management has three main components, a set of assumptions regarding the attitudes and behaviors of humans, the managerial practices, policies and actions consistent with the assumptions, and expectations regarding the performance of employees if the policies are implemented. Research reveals that organizational structure affect the performance of a firm. There are evidences which show that a firm’s performance declines considerably when the strategies are not rightly matched with the appropriate structure and contro ls. The structure necessarily specifies the work which needs to be conducted and how to do it also. It influences the way managers perform their work activities and the decisions resulting from the same. Supporting the organizational structures, strategies are concerned with the processes used for conducting the task activities. Effective structures provide the stability and steadiness towards an organization’s needs and requirements to establish and implement its strategies. It also helps to maintain and its present

Teaching English in primary school why I chose this age and what is Research Paper

Teaching English in primary school why I chose this age and what is the benefit - Research Paper Example What a teacher who teaches in primary school can give a child is the best towards his language acquisition. The selection of this level is the apt one mainly because acquisition process is quick in this period and there will not be any interruption in it. It is necessary to go through the significant points related to the selection f the age of a primary school child for teaching English. A child who is always listening to his mother happens to hear the words she repeats. A misunderstanding that children acquire language through imitation exists. But in fact the process here is recurrence. Linguists too had the same belief until 1957. Noam Chomsky, a then relatively unknown man Noam Chomsky propounded the theory that the capacity to acquire language is in fact innate. This particular theory propounded by Noam Chomsky revolutionized the study of language acquisition, and after a brief period of controversy upon the publication of his work, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, in 1964, his theories are now generally acknowledged widely. Chomsky says, â€Å"Indeed language is not a skill such as many others, like learning to drive or perform mathematical operations-it cannot be taught as such in early stages.†,Chomsky. [Anandan, 57]. It is so clear that language cannot be learned but acquired through listening. Every human being has got an area called Language Acquisition Device in their brain. This area helps him to acquire a language when an exposure to it is given. But another fact is there. All the aspects of the language are not innate. Chomsky has claimed that all of us are born with what he terms a Universal Grammar, an inherent sensitivity to linguistic structure and patterns applicable to every human language. When the child gets exposure to the language, he begins to reproduce the particular language specific sounds that gradually lead to the acquisition of that language. These sounds are eventually produced by him when he acquires the lexis

Vulnerable Populations - Homeless People in Los Angeles County, Research Paper

Vulnerable Populations - Homeless People in Los Angeles County, California - Research Paper Example m homelessness problem that last for a long time having this disability which is often complicated by means of getting addicted to drugs and suffering from some physical illnesses. According to the statistics regarding Los Angeles County in California, almost one quarter of the county’s homeless population are homeless as they are chronically ill. The chronic homelessness is described as an unaccompanied disabled person who has been made homeless for more than a year or has at least suffered four periods of homelessness in last three years (National coalition for homelessness, 2009). In Los Angeles County, there is increasing number of youngsters who have become homeless and there is also growing number of homeless veterans in the area. According to the report submitted by the government of Los Angeles, cited by Burt (2011), about 18% of homeless in County are veterans which are a 3% increase from last year i.e. 2010. Even the number of male and female veteran homelessness has increased by 51% and 22% respectively. According to Einspar (2010), homelessness is described as a lack of permanent housing that usually results either from extreme poverty problem or inability to have instant access to living environment which is suitable and ideal for the people. Recently, there has been growing trend of family homelessness and the main factors that have contributed to increase in this problem are decline in rental housing as they are unable to cover the rent amounts charged to them and widening of gap between income that is earned and cost of housing for families that have low income. Almost all vulnerable populations are facing extreme poverty and are at great risk for both mental and physical illnesses (Nooe & Patterson, 2011). In Los Angeles County, families that have children have received attention from government authority as it is the rising area of population that is homeless. Most of the cases have revealed that homeless families mainly comprise of mother

Stereotyping and Social Identity Theory

Stereotyping and Social Identity Theory Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went wrong here. Stereotyping is the basis of the social identity theory. Stereotyping can be characterized as the way to assign qualities to people in light of their investment in a social theory (McShane, 2010, p. 72). When you further investigate stereotypes, we find two different types. Prescriptive stereotypes and descriptive stereotypes. Prescriptive stereotypes depict the specific behavioral norms that individuals must uphold to avoid derogation or punishment by others (Gill, 2004). Descriptive stereotypes are perceivers beliefs about the characteristics of a social group and indicate the attributes, roles, and behaviors that describe that group (Gill, 2004). Collectively, stereotyping lays the groundwork for prejudice and discrimination. The social identity theory states that the in-group will discriminate against the out-group to enhance their own self image. It also clarifies how we perceive people through differentiation, homogenization and categorization. It is crucial to remember that in-groups are the groups you are apart of and that you associate with and out-groups are the groups that we dont normally identify with and my discriminate against. It was clear on in the case of Rochelle Beauport that she appreciated being an assistant brand manager. The position appeared to be more challenging and had a greater affected on the organizations profits than the new position, market resource coordinator. The market resource coordinator position was more classified as a behind the scenes job. Rochelle had the feeling that the new position was not the route to top administration in most organizations. Because of her skin colour she had also built up a perception that she was placed on reserve and felt that Syd Gilman thought she didnt deserve her previous position. What went wrong was that Syd Gilman thought that Rochelle would enjoy and appreciate the new position that had brought him to the high position he holds at the company. He felt as if offering the new position to her, would help her widen her experience and enhance her career at Hy Dairies, Inc. Mr. Gilman thought that his journey up the corporate latter through market resource coordinator would benefit Rochelle the same way. He believed that his experiences he would be able to share with Rochelle in the future. From Rochelles point of view she was confused that the job offered to her was at the same level or even a downgrade for he previous position. Since she had such a great year boosting the company sales, Rochelle was anticipating a promotion to a higher position. Hearing that Mr. Gilman offered her market resource coordinator she was shocked to say the least. She thought that the position was a downgrade and that Mr. Gilman didnt want her to get promoted because of her skin colo ur or even her gender. Rochelle wasnt aware that the new position had been given with positive implications that shed advance in the company the same way Mr. Gilman did as well. What other perceptual error is apparent in this case study? While reading the case study I noticed that the Halo effect, and others is apparent as well. The Halo effect is when you immediately form an impression on someone just from one trait/behaviour. Since you are blinded by the one trait/behaviour its hard for you to be able to see their other traits because you are so focused on one. For Rochelle when Syd Gilman offered her the new position she immediately thought he was trying to downgrade her because the market resource coordinator was known to be a sideline job. Just based on this interaction she felt as if she was being betrayed because of her differences, her thought was that Syd Gilman didnt want her to reach top management so he gave her market resource coordinator trying to make her think she was getting a promotion. Through the lack of communication What can organizations do to minimize misperceptions in these types of situations? In conflict situations, avoiding misunderstanding takes a lot of time and effort. Some considerations that the organizations or Mr. Gilman can do are: A.) The first is active listening. The goal of active listening is to understand the receivers as well as you understand yourself (McShane, 2010, pg 81). A message cannot be interpreted by the listener if he/she does not pay attention to what the speaker says. In this case, Syd Gilman should pay close attention to what Rochelle Beauport is saying. If need be, he should have the eagerness to discuss, clarify, or repeat anything that is unclear or seems unreasonable. It is possible that Syd is thinking that he understands Rochelle very well, but this is mere a confusion of interpretation and understanding. Because Syds goal is to give Rochelle the position where he started, he should first hear her side of story. A major problem is that Rochelle Beauport is interpreting Mr. Gilmans actions in a different way. You could go as far as saying she felt that she was underestimated. Because of the misunderstanding, there was an error in the communication between the two. To avoid this Syd Gil man should attempt to repeat back her case just as she has presented it to him. This will show that Mr. Gilman is listening (which suggests that Gilman cares about what Rochelle has to say) and that Syd Gilman understands what she has said or feels. It does not indicate that Gilman agrees with what she said, nor does Gilman have to agree. Mr. Gilman just needs to indicate that he does understand her perspective.

A River Runs Through Us Essay -- Essays Papers

A River Runs Through Us 1. â€Å"The Anacostia River is a metaphor for the way poor people and minorities are treated† (Hoover). In 1994, the Anacostia River was fourth on the list of American Rivers' â€Å"Most Endangered Rivers† (Rynor). Since the late 19 th century the water quality in this river has slowly declined with the onset of urbanization and industrialization and the pollution that accompanies this growth. The Anacostia is severely polluted with â€Å"sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins, and trash† (â€Å"Cleaning†). And it is no coincidence that the river runs through some of Washington D.C.'s poorest communities in the south-eastern sections of the city. 2. Environmental injustice has been an ongoing battle that continues to plague many lower class, high minority communities. Environmental injustices occur when â€Å"low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of the nation's pollution problems† (Bullard 15). Three of every five African Americans live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites (Bullard â€Å"Toxic†). In a 1991 report Greenpeace explained that, â€Å"being poor in America means breathing foul air, working filthy jobs, and living next to toxic waste landfills and incinerators† (Novotny 13). 3. In Washington, D.C. much of the pollution plaguing the Anacostia River is caused by trash, raw sewage and runoff from the city streets in the river's drainage area, or watershed. When the District's sewage system exceeds capacity due to heavy rains, the runoff is dumped into the Anacostia River (â€Å"Cleaning†). Between 75 and 90 percent of the pollution is caused by runoff from areas of Washington, D.C. with heavy pavement, roads, and parking lots, which produce runof... ...universe/document>. Loeb, Vernon. â€Å"Currents of Change.† The Washington Post 01 Dec 1996: B01. LexisNexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb 2003 < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document >. Novotny, Patrick. Where We Live, Work and Play . Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2000. Raynor, Joyce. â€Å"Bill Norton Would Fund Grass-Roots River Cleanups.† The Washington Post 3 Mar. 1994: J3. Lexis-Nexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb. 2003. Ruffins, Paul. â€Å"Talking Trash.† Washington City Paper 26 Jan. 2001. 25 Feb. 2003. . Spencer, Duncan. â€Å"Caucus Rallies for Anacostia.† The Washington Post 8 Jan 2003: Pg.23. LexisNexis. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 30 March 2003 . A River Runs Through Us Essay -- Essays Papers A River Runs Through Us 1. â€Å"The Anacostia River is a metaphor for the way poor people and minorities are treated† (Hoover). In 1994, the Anacostia River was fourth on the list of American Rivers' â€Å"Most Endangered Rivers† (Rynor). Since the late 19 th century the water quality in this river has slowly declined with the onset of urbanization and industrialization and the pollution that accompanies this growth. The Anacostia is severely polluted with â€Å"sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins, and trash† (â€Å"Cleaning†). And it is no coincidence that the river runs through some of Washington D.C.'s poorest communities in the south-eastern sections of the city. 2. Environmental injustice has been an ongoing battle that continues to plague many lower class, high minority communities. Environmental injustices occur when â€Å"low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of the nation's pollution problems† (Bullard 15). Three of every five African Americans live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites (Bullard â€Å"Toxic†). In a 1991 report Greenpeace explained that, â€Å"being poor in America means breathing foul air, working filthy jobs, and living next to toxic waste landfills and incinerators† (Novotny 13). 3. In Washington, D.C. much of the pollution plaguing the Anacostia River is caused by trash, raw sewage and runoff from the city streets in the river's drainage area, or watershed. When the District's sewage system exceeds capacity due to heavy rains, the runoff is dumped into the Anacostia River (â€Å"Cleaning†). Between 75 and 90 percent of the pollution is caused by runoff from areas of Washington, D.C. with heavy pavement, roads, and parking lots, which produce runof... ...universe/document>. Loeb, Vernon. â€Å"Currents of Change.† The Washington Post 01 Dec 1996: B01. LexisNexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb 2003 < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document >. Novotny, Patrick. Where We Live, Work and Play . Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2000. Raynor, Joyce. â€Å"Bill Norton Would Fund Grass-Roots River Cleanups.† The Washington Post 3 Mar. 1994: J3. Lexis-Nexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb. 2003. Ruffins, Paul. â€Å"Talking Trash.† Washington City Paper 26 Jan. 2001. 25 Feb. 2003. . Spencer, Duncan. â€Å"Caucus Rallies for Anacostia.† The Washington Post 8 Jan 2003: Pg.23. LexisNexis. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 30 March 2003 .