The moon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The moon - Research Paper Example The parts that fragmented from this impact came together to form what is now seen as the moon (Howell 2014). A recent study by scientists upon a rock drawn from Apollo mission on the moon shows some evidence of this occurrence. The new research shows isotopic differences between the moons rock and those from the earth. The importance of this development is that it shows that a body of different composition must have caused the difference. If the moon came from Theia which is different from the earth, then the composition must be different. The scanning was done on samples from three Apollo missions 11, 12 and 16 with electron microscopes that are way better than what was used in the 60s and 70s when scientists took a first look at the rocks. By then, the microscopes could not allow them to detect any significant differences. The recent findings have it that the moon has 12 parts per million-17 greater oxygen content than that of the earth (Henney 2014). One of the most obvious effect s of the moon on earth is the presence of ocean tides, especially the spring tides which occur when the gravitational pulling of the earth combines with that of the moon to cause the highest rise. The rise of the sea and the fall of the same have major effect of sea life as life is exposed to air and dipped in water in a matter of hours. This shift is thought to be a major influence to evolution. The moon also has an effect on the rising tides of solid bodies on earth.

How to meet the learning needs of mixed age groups in the home-based setting Essay Example for Free

How to meet the learning needs of mixed age groups in the home-based setting Essay One of the biggest advantages of mixed age groups is that they make us really analyse the individual needs, interests, and temperaments of each child in the group. We can then plan and provide for the next steps in learning, by getting to know our group of children very well, and making careful observations on them, as individuals, what they do and how they interact with others. This knowledge can then be mapped to the EYFS Practice Guidance over the six areas of Learning and Development and used to devise individual learning plans by assessing activities, opportunities and experiences based on their individual development, interests and needs. Careful planning and organisation are critical factors in meeting the learning needs of different age groups. Each play area, including outside, must provide the maximum of learning opportunities for all ages in your care, using barriers e.g. gates and big cushions only where needed for safety so that infants and toddlers feel included whenever possible. A good idea is to go through the house looking at the room from the child’s level. What would the baby see first, what would the toddler or pre-schooler see first? What appeals to the school-age child? You can create small play areas for special activities, e.g. using a sturdy playpen or hallway as an office for older children when they want to colour, do a puzzle, play a board game or do something without help from toddlers. The little ones can then watch without interfering with the activity. A range of open-ended multiple-use resources should be used, that can be played with in different ways according to stage, such as balls and bricks and Lego. Toys that are safe for children of all ages can be kept on low shelves easily accessible, e.g. blocks, board books, dressing-up clothes,  dolls, stuffed animals, materials to play house, and a collection of heuristic play items (plastic containers, measuring spoons, funnels, etc.), which should be changed round frequently. It is possible to use the same activity to support the learning of mixed age groups, with modifications. This is differentiating the curriculum, by extending or adapting the original play into more specific areas of learning, as per the aims and targets set for each child. For example, younger children can handle gloopy paint to explore colour and texture, while older children use the same paint materials to express their feelings and ideas. Each child does the bit of the activity that he is ready and keen to do. If one child in the group is using a schema e.g. ‘Enveloping’, this can be used as the basis of a plan for the whole group e.g. to make a den, dress up or wrap up some ‘presents’. It is important to set up these activities for shared learning, as children develop socially when they have opportunities to observe and play with those who will play differently due to being older or younger. Being at different stages of their learning journey should mean that all will be able to share other viewpoints and richer experiences. This will help them be co-operative, and for the group to ‘gel’. NEC 733.000 08/516573 Ruth Dickerson The older members of the group can help to meet the younger ones’ learning needs, e.g. by ‘communicating’ pulling faces with babies, reading to preschoolers, putting on a play or a puppet show, or teaching a board game. They do often enjoy being valued for their input, but their help should be volunteered, not relied on, and they should have lots of opportunities away from the babies, since being your ‘assistant’ can be a way for older children to avoid their own age group, and a way to escape peer conflicts. Unplanned opportunities are also very useful as they can often spark off the kind of conversations and reminiscences about other experiences, and sharing of ideas, that just wouldn’t have happened unless that event had occurred.  They encourage communication and social skills which the smaller ones can pick up on and everyone can share. We can also help children to think about ways to include each other in their play, e.g. if the older children are playing house you could ask As you are the daddy, could you read Tom and me a book? (710)

Uses of DNA Technology

Uses of DNA Technology Introduction DNA typing was first used in Great Britain for law enforcement purposes in the mid- 1980s and has revolutionized forensic science and the ability of law enforcement to match perpetrators with crime scenes. It wasnt employed in the United States until 1987. DNA profiling has changed forensic science. DNA technology has given police and the courts a means of identifying the suspects of rapes and murders. Thousands of cases have been closed and innocent suspects freed with guilty ones punished because of the power of a silent biological witness at the crime scene. Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation performs the bulk of the forensic DNA typing for local and state law enforcement agencies. In criminal investigations, DNA from samples of hair, bodily fluids or skin at a crime scene is compared with those obtained from suspected suspects. (http://faculty.ncwc.edu) ‘DNA fingerprinting, or DNA typing (profiling) as it is now known, was first described in 1985 by an English genet icist named Alec Jeffreys. Dr Jeffreys found that certain regions of DNA contained DNA sequences that were repeated over and over again next to each other. He also discovered that the number of repeated sections present in a sample could differ from individual to individual. By developing a technique to examine the length variation of these DNA repeat sequences, Dr Jeffreys created the ability to perform human identity tests. (John Butler, 2005) Sir Alec John Jeffreys, was born 9 January 1950 at Oxford in Oxfordshire. He is a professor of genetics at theUniversity of Leicester, and he became an honorary freeman of the City of Leicester on 26 November 1992. (Leicester City Council, 1992) In 1994, he was knighted by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, for Services to Science and Technology. Jeffreys had a eureka moment in his lab in Leicester after looking at the X-ray film image of a DNA experiment at 9:05 am on Monday 10 September 1984, which unexpectedly showed both similarities and differences between the DNA of different members of his technicians family. (BBC Radio, December 9, 2007) Within about half an hour, he realized the possible scope of DNA fingerprinting, which uses variations in the genetic code to identify individuals. The method has become important in forensic science to assist police detective work, and it has also proved useful in resolving paternity and immigration disputes. (BBC Radio, December 9, 2007) The method can also be applied to non-human species, for example in wildlife population genetics studies. Before his methods were commercialized in 1987 his laboratory was the only center carrying out DNA fingerprinting in the world, and during this period of about two or three years it was very busy, receiving inquiries from all over the globe. (Ne ston, Giles February 2, 2004) The technique used by Dr Jeffreys to examine the VNTRs was called restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) because it involved the use of a restriction enzyme to cut the regions of DNA surrounding the VNTRs. This RFLP method was first used to help in an English immigration case and shortly thereafter to solve a double homicide case. Since that time, human identity testing using DNA typing methods has been widespread. The past 25 years have seen tremendous growth in the use of DNA evidence in crime scene investigations as well as paternity testing. Today over 100 public forensic laboratories and several dozen private paternity testing laboratories conduct hundreds of thousands of DNA tests annually in the United States. In addition, most countries in Europe and Asia have forensic DNA programs. The number of laboratories around the world conducting DNA testing will continue to grow as the technique gains in popularity within the law enforcement com munity. (John Butler, 2005) How DNA Typing Is Done Only one-tenth of a single percent of DNA (about 3 million bases) differs from one person to the next. (Internet Source www.ornl.org, 2009) Scientists can use these variable regions to generate a DNA profile of an individual, using samples from blood, bone, hair, and other body tissues and products. In criminal cases, this generally involves obtaining samples from crime-scene evidence and a suspect, extracting the DNA, and analyzing it for the presence of a set of specific DNA regions (markers). Scientists find the markers in a DNA sample by designing small pieces of DNA (probes) that will each seek out and bind to a complementary DNA sequence in the sample. A series of probes bound to a DNA sample creates a distinctive pattern for an individual. Forensic scientists compare these DNA profiles to determine whether the suspects sample matches the evidence sample. A marker by itself usually is not unique to an individual; if, however, two DNA samples are alike at four or five regions, o dds are great that the samples are from the same person. If the sample profiles dont match, the person did not contribute the DNA at the crime scene. If the patterns match, the suspect may have contributed the evidence sample. While there is a chance that someone else has the same DNA profile for a particular probe set, the odds are exceedingly slim. Many judges consider this a matter for a jury to take into consideration along with other evidence in the case. (Internet Source www.nfstc.org, 2009) Experts point out that using DNA forensic technology is far superior to eyewitness accounts, where the odds for correct identification are about 50:50. The more probes used in DNA analysis, the greater the odds for a unique pattern and against a coincidental match, but each additional probe adds greatly to the time and expense of testing. Four to six probes are recommended. Testing with several more probes will become routine, observed John Hicks (Internet Source www.alabany.edu/nerfi, 200 9). He predicted that DNA chip technology will enable much more rapid, inexpensive analyses using many more probes and raising the odds against coincidental matches. Types of DNA Technologies Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism RFLP is a method used by molecular biologists to follow a particular sequence of DNA as it is passed on to other cells. RFLPs can be used in many different settings to accomplish different objectives. RFLPs can be used in paternity cases or criminal cases to determine the source of a DNA sample. RFLPs can be used determine the disease status of an individual. RFLPs can be used to measure recombination rates which can lead to a genetic map with the distance between RFLP loci measured in centiMorgans. (Internet Source www.bio.davidson.edu, 2009) Total DNA is first extracted from the microbial community and the16S rRNA gene  is amplified from samples using fluorescently-labeled forward and reverse primers. Next, the PCR product is purified and subjected to restriction enzyme digestion with enzymes that have 4 base pair recognition sites. This step generates fluorescently-labeled terminal restriction fragments. The digested products are then se parated and detected on an appropriate electrophoresis platform. For a given sample the terminal fragments will contain a fluorescent label at the 5 end and will therefore be detected. The output will be a series of peaks (fragments) of various sizes and heights that represents the profile of that sample. (Osborn, A. M., Moore, R.B. and Timmis, K.N., 2000) Polymerase chain reaction PCR is used to make millions of exact copies of DNA from a biological sample. DNA amplification with PCR allows DNA analysis on biological samples as small as a few skin cells. A polymerase is a naturally occurring enzyme, a biological macromolecule that catalyzes the formation and repair of DNA (and RNA). The technique was made possible by the discovery of Taq polymerase, the DNA polymerase that is used by the bacterium Thermus auquaticus that was discovered in hot springs. This DNA polymerase is stable at the high temperatures need to perform the amplification, whereas other DNA polymerases become denatured. Since this technique involves amplification of DNA, the most obvious application of the method is in the detection of minuscule amounts of specific DNAs. This is important in the detection of low level bacterial infections or rapid changes in transcription at the single cell level, as well as the detection of a specific individuals DNA in forensic sci ence. It can also be used in DNA sequencing, screening for genetic disorders, site specific mutation of DNA, or cloning or subcloning of cDNAs. (Internet Source www.plattsburgh.edu, 2009) Short tandem repeat STR technology is used to evaluate specific regions (loci) within nuclear DNA. Variability in STR regions can be used to distinguish one DNA profile from another. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uses a standard set of 13 specific STR regions for CODIS. CODIS is a software program that operates local, state, and national databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons. The odds that two individuals will have the same 13-loci DNA profile is about one in a billion. (Internet Source www.ornl.org, 2009) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has chosen 13 specific STR loci to serve as the standard for CODIS. The purpose of establishing a core set of STR loci is to ensure that all forensic laboratories can establish uniform DNA databases and, more importantly, share valuable forensic information. If the forensic or convicted offender CODIS index is to be used in the investigative stages of unsolved cas es, DNA profiles must be generated by using STR technology and the specific 13 core STR loci selected by the FBI. (Internet Source www.dna.gov, 2009) Mitochondrial DNA analysis mtDNA can be used to examine the DNA from samples that cannot be analyzed by RFLP or STR. Nuclear DNA must be extracted from samples for use in RFLP, PCR, and STR; however, mtDNA analysis uses DNA extracted from another cellular organelle called a mitochondrion. (Internet Source www.fbi.gov, 2009) While older biological samples that lack nucleated cellular material, such as hair, bones, and teeth, cannot be analyzed with STR and RFLP, they can be analyzed with mtDNA. In the investigation of cases that have gone unsolved for many years, mtDNA is extremely valuable. (Internet Source www.dna.com, 2009) All mothers have the same mitochondrial DNA as their offspring. This is because the mitochondria of each new embryo come from the mothers egg cell. The fathers sperm contributes only nuclear DNA. Comparing the mtDNA profile of unidentified remains with the profile of a potential maternal relative can be an important technique in missing-person investigations. ( Melton, T. et. al., 2001) Y-Chromosome Analysis The Y chromosome is passed directly from father to son, so analysis of genetic markers on the Y chromosome is especially useful for tracing relationships among males or for analyzing biological evidence involving multiple male contributors. Y chromosome analysis is a useful technique for analyzing DNA that can be likened in one sense to studying male surnames. Think about the way that male surnames are passed down from one generation to another and continue on through sons. This mechanism is a simplistic representation of Y chromosomes. A son inherits a Y chromosome from his biological father and he also inherits an X chromosome from his biological mother. Conversely, a female would inherit an X chromosome from her biological mother and an X chromosome from her biological father. (Internet Source www.esploredna.co.uk, 2009) As such, when scientists study Y chromosomes, they are studying these chromosomes as they are inherited over time through males in a famili al line. This type of DNA analysis has important ramifications for scientists wishing to investigate the familial ties between male members. (Internet Source www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2009) Conclusion No field has benefited more from the tools of molecular biology than forensic science. DNA technology affords the forensic scientist the ability to eliminate individuals who have been falsely associated with a biological sample and to reduce the number of potential contributors to a few (if not one) individuals. Inculpations are strong evidence regarding the source of the biological sample. Today, some wrongly convicted people have been exonerated because of DNA evidence. Moreover, in casework, individuals are excluded routinely. Since the inception of forensic DNA profiling, there has been a debate in the legal setting regarding admissibility on the methods and the practices of computing DNA profile frequencies. While the scientific basis of DNA typing were sound, both the methodology and the statistical interpretations were aggressively challenged in court. The methods challenge focused on reliability and validity testing. The statistics debate focused on the reliability of the ass umption of independence for applying the product rule to derive estimates of DNA profile frequencies. References Butler, John â€Å"Forensic DNA Typing: Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers† 2nd Edition 2005 Elsevier Science Desert Island Discs, â€Å"Desert Island Discs with Alec Jeffreys† BBC Radio 4 December 9, 2007 Leicester City Council â€Å"List of persons upon whom the honorary freedom of the city has been conferred† http://www.leicester.gov.uk/aboutleicester/lordmayorcivic/freeman/honorary-freemen/list-of-freemen Retrieved December 10, 2009 Newton Giles, â€Å"Discovering DNA fingerprinting: Sir Alec Jeffreys describes its development†. Wellcome Trust. http://genome.wellcome.ac.uk.doc Retrieved December 10, 2009 Osborn, A.M., Moore, R.B. and Timmis, K.N. (2000). An evaluation of terminal-restriction fragment lengty polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis for the study of microbial community structure and dynamics. Environmental Microbiology 2(1): 39-50. Journal of Forensic Science â€Å"Diversity and Heterogeneity in Mitochondrial DNA of North American Populations.† January 2001; 46 (1):46-52. Melton T. et al Internet Source www.ornl.org 2009 Internet Source www.plattsburgh.edu 2009 Internet Source www.fbi.gov 2009 Internet Source www.dna.com, 2009

Marvel and Toy Biz :: essays research papers

My previous two columns have focused on the story of my short-lived involvement with a group of investors seeking to purchase Marvel Comics in January, 1998. As I related last time, my role in examining the Marvel documents was to analyze the licensing division with an eye as to how much potential revenue we could anticipate from this area. In the end, I had to tell my fellow investors that there really wasn't a whole lot of licensing potential left. Either the rights were hopelessly entangled due to bungling on the part of Marvel's legal staff, or that most of the decent licensing properties had already been sold for many years forward, in exchange for upfront cash payments in previous years. The one area that held some potential was the possibility of somehow breaking the ToyBiz royalty-free licensing agreement. That license not only gave ToyBiz the rights to produce any and all Marvel toys in perpetuity, but also granted them a zero royalties rate! It seemed quite plausible to me that the bankruptcy court had the discretion to void such an encumbering agreement. That, in fact, was exactly what investor/raider Carl Icahn was seeking in his reorganization plan for Marvel. He was so sure he could have the toy contract terminated that he bet upwards of $200 million of his money, and that of closely allied investors, by purchasing Marvel bonds at distress prices. It was exactly the prospect of losing their sweetheart agreement which made ToyBiz owners Isaac Perlmutter and Avi Arad passionately committed to purchasing Marvel. ToyBiz was almost completely dependent on its Marvel license for its survival, so there was no way they could give up on this deal. That is why Perlmutter arranged his own financing group, and ultimately bid over $400 million for Marvel. Returning to our investment group, while I was reading the licensing agreements, the bankers whom I accompanied to the Marvel bankruptcy trustee's office went over the financials. We were originally going to work through the night to establish a criteria under which we could craft a bid for the company, or some part of the company. We stopped for lunch at 1 PM, however, and it quickly became apparent from our conversations that no one in our group thought Marvel was worth anything near what Icahn and Perlmutter were bidding.

The Art of Akhenaten – Paper

The Art of Akhenaten A Formal Analysis of House Shrine and Akhenaten Making Offerings The Art of Akhenaten A Formal Analysis of House Shrine and Akhenaten Making Offerings One of the most enigmatic pharaohs of Egyptian history, Amenhotep IV, had grown up in the most powerful family in ancient Egypt. Once he became pharaoh and ruler of Egypt’s empire in 1378 BCE, he changed his name to Akhenaten, â€Å"effective spirit of Aten†, and was known to the people as â€Å"the heretic king.Early in his reign, Akhenaten encouraged ideas by using art as a way of emphasizing his political and religious intentions of doing things differently; therefore, changing Egyptian society. This was true for the following reasons. Politically, when Akhenaten denounced the state deities, he altered the artistic style and technique of ancient Egypt, by the intimate settings and placements of him and his royal family. Religiously, the forced monotheistic religion was artistically stylized by hav ing the new deity, Aten, as the main theme in his reliefs.These emphases were what came to be known as Amarna art, an erratic, sensual, new style of art that celebrated the vibrancy and movement of the real world during Akhenaten’s reign. Akhenaten’s famous two relief sculptures, House Shrine and Akhenaten Making Offerings, reflect the revolutionary changes in art and religion and  therefore of politics during the reign of this monotheistic pharaoh. Akhenaten and his family were the only royal family that was intimately described by the king as displaying love and devotion under the protection of Aten.In House Shrine (figure 1), the limestone stele, depicts King Akhenaten and his â€Å"Holy Family† starring his wife Queen Nefertiti and his two daughters. It was intended to be stored in a private room in the Amarna palace. The stele is decorated with an intimate scene showing the daily life of the Holy Family. The sculptor’s color choice of bright, yello w limestone background shown in this art piece complements the sun that shines down on all the individuals. The use of fine lines emphasizes the sun shining down on Akhenaten and his family.This sense of illumination by both the sun and indirectly by the family expresses that they are full of love and happiness. Often times bright colors are associated with love and happiness, such as this yellow limestone stele. The sunken relief technique is also used. As Janson explained in his text it was a popular technique amongst Egyptian art sculptures. In this technique, the sculptor cut sharp outlines into the stone’s face, and modeled the figures within the outlines, below the level of the background, rather than carving away the surface around figures to allow them to emerge from the stone.Light shining onto the stone’s surface then cast shadows into the out-lines, animating the figures without compromising the solid planar appearance of the wall. In this art piece the sunk en relief technique gives further emphasis of the sun above shining over them and creates shadows throughout the art piece by the deep incisions of the curved lines along the back of King Akhenaten’s neck and Queen Nefertiti’s right shoulder tracing down her arm. In addition, there are deep incisions along the outline of his children, which give the shadows symbolism that presents the whole family as the focal point of the piece.However, the incisions along the children do not run as heavy as the ones on Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and the sun god. By using heavier incisions it gives the idea that these three figures are of greater importance. In conclusion, the choice of color gives the mood of the stele, the lines tell us the focal point and establishes the important figures. Overall, this piece is well put together. In the beginning of Akhenaten’s religious reform, the official state religion was still based on polytheism with Amun rising above other deities throug hout classic Egyptian art.During his third reign, Akhenaten started to build his own public temple, near the temple of Amun at Karnak. This first act as king brought with him a shocking speculation and hostility between his throne and the priesthood of Amun. Inside the temple was an entirely new style of art, which was often described, as â€Å"naturalistic† in Akhenaten’s portrayal of the human body. No longer was the Pharaoh portrayed as half animal with the perfect body fitted for the afterlife. Akhenaten and the royal family were shown with long toes, massive hips, extremely long fingers, skinny torso, ample breasts, big buttocks, and an elongated face.This exaggeration of the royal family’s bodies altered classic Egyptian art and became better known as Amarna Art. Another astonishing act to this religious revolution was the Akhenaten’s order of the construction of a new capital, far to the north of Thebes known as Amarna, horizon of the sun, claiming the sun god lead him there. A few years after, Akhenaten made the decision to abandon Thebes and ordered his people to pack up and leave behind the city built by his father to receive the blessings of Aten in the city of Amarna.Shortly thereafter, he abolished traditional gods and goddesses, declaring one monotheistic deity, Aten, and introduced in art as a more intimate worship in public and personal settings of the royal family, receiving blessings from Aten, and showing day to day life and activities. A classic example of the radical transformation of Egyptian state religion is found on the Royal Tomb in Amarna, Akhenaten Making Offerings (figure 2), depicting Akhenaten and his wife Queen Nefertiti carrying flowers to be laid on the table beneath the â€Å"life-giving† rays of the Aten with his two eldest daughters behind him praying and offering gifts.In Akhenaten’s hands are four flowers that represent his minor wives Merytaten, Kiya, Mekytaten, and Ankhesenpaate n. What made this piece so alarming to the Egyptians is the misshapen facial structure and body style of Akhenaten and the royal family, and the worshipping of a single god. Starting at the top of Akhenaten Making Offerings there is  a subtle linear band going across the fragment, which is a hieroglyph for sky. The open space with the round geometric shape in the sky symbolizes the royal family is open to worship.King Akhenaten, standing in front of Queen Nefertiti, bathing in the rays of the Aten, could symbolize that he was the solo priest of his monotheistic religion. As giver and sustainer of life, Aten's rays of light form a radial path that begins from the sun and, if  one looks closely, he'll notice the rays of light end in hands holding ankhs, the hieroglyph for life. This characteristic is often repeated in Akhenaten’s art pieces, including the House Shrine. The outline of the rays forms a triangular pyramid. In ancient times pyramids were built as a guise to pro tect the deceased pharaohs as they traveled to the afterlife.Similar to the House Shrine, the sunken relief technique is used to covey the importance of the figures. The heavy incisions around Aten, behind the Pharaoh and his wife, emphasize them as the main focal point of the art piece and the importance of their religious standing with Aten. The dark underline around Aten creates a dark shadow symbolizing his great power as the monotheistic deity. The curved lines behind Akhenaten and his family could symbolize a shadow effect since Aten is placed in front of the family and the lines around the front side of the figures are a lot finer.The shocking effect this piece had on the Egyptians was King Akhenaten’s way of stating his radical vision of breaking Egyptian tradition. Furthermore, King Akhenaten’s abandonment of the traditional gods and roles of kingship also took a toll on Egypt’s political status seen in his art by worshipping Aten. Tucked inside his new ly construed city, obsessed with his monotheistic religion, he spent little to no time on his foreign affairs and more time posing with his family for the sculptor.The military pleaded for support against enemy attacks, but King Akhenaten was distracted with building more temples of Aten so that he and his family would always be protected. This was depicted in his art by showing Aten placing the sunrays over his family as a symbol of protection. In the backlash that followed during the end of his reign, the people and the kingship referred to him as the â€Å"Great Criminal†. And in the events following his death, the misshapen face and body feature of Akhenaten and his family were rubbed and broken off.Amarna art was desecrated and traditional Egyptian art was reinstated. His capital was destroyed, the people returned to Thebes, and after awhile his image was abandoned, and the heretic king was forgotten. In conclusion, three thousand years ago, in the short time of the Amar na period, Akhenaten turned Egypt upside down by breaking classical Egyptian art tradition and announcing a new deity. During that time, capitals were moved, religious ideas developed and flourished, foreign affairs depleted, and artistic changes took place in art within the walls of the court.

Class and Death Essay

Comparing â€Å"In Mrs. Tilcher’s Class† and â€Å"Death Of A Naturalist. † Concerning the loss of innocence. â€Å"The horrors of this dangerous world are shielded to the eyes of a young child. † These are the words of celebrated behavior moderator Thomas Fullerton. In this piece of coursework I am going to be conducting an in-depth analysis of â€Å"In Mrs. Tilcher’s Class† by Carol Ann Duffy and â€Å"Death of a Naturalist† by Seamus Heaney. I will be explaining exactly what these poems mean, how relevant they are to Thomas Fullerton’s description of the loss of childhood innocence. I will also be discussing the literary techniques used to achieve this, the background information on the two authors of these poems and I will also be highlighting the astonishingly similar way I think these poems have been written. Carol-Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow, but moved to Staffordshire in 1960, her father was a counsellor and the manager of a small football club. She went to Staffordshire Girl’s High School which could have been where she got some of her ideas for In Mrs. Tilcher’s Class from. She also read philosophy at Liverpool University. She lives with her 13 year old daughter Ella and her partner, Jackie Kay, as she is now a lesbian. Because of this, some of her works contain strong feminist messages, such as, ‘Standing Female Nude’ ‘The Female Gospels’ and ‘The World’s Wife’. She was awarded an O. B. E in 2002. Seamus Heaney was born in Derry on the 13th of April 1939 and had eight brothers and sisters to compete with while growing up. In 1947 he went to St. Columb’s college in Derry, but was transferred to Queen’s University. In 1953 his brother, Christopher Heaney, was knocked down by a car. Seamus was distraught and expressed his feelings through many poems including Mid-term Break. He taught at Queens’s University for a while, just writing poems for a hobby, but he quickly became famous for his work and decided to shift his concentration on writing poems full-time. In 1965 he married Marie Delvin and a year later they had their first son Michael. This was the same year that â€Å"Death Of A Naturalist† was published. In 1968 he had another son, Christopher named after his dead brother. Seamus Heaney mostly writes about himself and his past, like Death Of A Naturalist and Mid-Term Break, so that his emotions of love, mourning and general repulsion are realistic. As we have seen both of these authors have children which would help them to see things the way a child would see them and also help them to recall their old experiences back once again. These two poems differ in many ways, but the alikeness is still quite striking. The two poems are both split by time. In â€Å"Mrs. Tilcher’s Class† the poem is split into four stanzas, underlining the change of season, whereas in â€Å"Death of a Naturalist† the poem is split into two stanzas, showing the change in time when childhood innocence is lost. Both of these poems depict the protagonist growing up. In Carol Ann Duffy’s poem, she uses second person narration and tells of how she can’t wait to grow up, for example † you run through the gates impatient to be grown. † , whilst in â€Å"Death Of A Naturalist† He tells of how he is frightened of growing up and it revolts him. â€Å"I sickened, turned and ran† for example. Both of these poems have a teacher, Mrs. Tilcher and Miss Walls, both female, who are considered to be the authority figures, who are wise, loving and always reliable to tell you something that you don’t know or don’t really understand. E. g. I Mrs. Tilcher’s class â€Å"you asked her how you were born. † And In death of a Naturalist â€Å"Miss Walls would tell us how the daddy frog was called a bullfrog. † The fact that these poems are written by different genders changes their views on growing up entirely; Carol-Ann Duffy is excited at the prospect, as she attempts a go at adult language by saying â€Å"the heavy sexy sky. † While Seamus Heaney is nervous and afraid of the world by thinking that â€Å"The great slime kings were gathered there for vengeance. † He means the frogs of course. Both poems feature frogs, which is a very basic way for children to learn but not fully understand the concepts of sex. Basically it tells the children how the frogs got there whilst not revealing the whole process. We could also view the frog spawn that both poets include to be a child’s view of sperm, as they wouldn’t really know about it. Carol-Ann Duffy goes one step further and says â€Å"A rough boy told you how you were born. † Which really takes a leap towards the loss of childhood innocence as children wouldn’t have heard about sex or birth before. The two poems are made to make the readers feel differently about childhood innocence and growing up. Carol-Ann Duffy makes the reader feel safe, but aware of the dangers that are going on outside school. â€Å"Brady and Hindley, fading like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake. † She couldn’t really be bothered about that because the teacher would keep you safe. Carol-Ann Duffy is very excited about growing up and thinks that its great, but doesn’t really know what is to come as she says that â€Å"the sky is sexy. † without knowing how to properly use the word. In Death of a Naturalist Heaney is curious about nature in the first stanza and would very much like to get involved in nature despite the horrible odours and scenes, but in the second stanza, nature repulses him and he sees it as a weapon when he says that the frogs were â€Å"poised like mud grenades. † This shows us that his childhood innocence has gone, as he feels in a somber, panic-stricken mood. Both poets use a very clever array of literary devices. Carol-Ann Duffy tends to focus on metaphors â€Å"the inky tadpoles changed from commas to exclamation marks† similes â€Å"like the faint uneasy smudge of a mistake† and personification â€Å"An xylophone’s nonsense† to give the reader a good idea of how children see the world. Seamus Heaney tends to focus on onomatopoeia â€Å"coarse croaking that I had not heard before. † He does this to draw the readers in and then repulse them. In Mrs. Tilcher’s Class is not very well structured in terms of rhythm, as the lines lengths are all over the place to show how a child speaks without being embarrassed, but in Death of a Naturalist it is structured to a long steady beat to around ten or eleven syllables per line to make it easier to read. There is scarce rhyme in Mrs. Tilcher’s Class as a child couldn’t structure a rhyme, but Seamus Heaney does include some. Overall I find that the two poemse remarkably similar as they are both school based involve frogs as an early guide to sex and talk about the loss of childhood innocence. However they both have completely different views to how good it is.

Significance of Studying Homosexuals

Significance of Studying Homosexuals In today's society, many people are concerned with morality. Tradition dictates that marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of raising children. With the advancement in technology, homosexuals can undergo special operations to have their sexes changed and at the same time live a life of their choice - to become "gay" or to become a "lesbian". Many people wonder how come there is a rapid growth of homosexuals. Hence, in this study the researcher aims to provide sufficient information to help people understand the various aspects of homosexuality.This study will explain the hardships encountered by homosexuals because people cannot accept them for what they are, their difficulties in understanding themselves and the emotional pains because of rejection by families and relatives. This research is mainly conducted to clarify the misconceptions and controversies surrounding homosexuality.During the first half of the 20th century, gay men were viewed as effeminate, l esbians were portrayed as mannish, and both were seen as being obsessed with sex, with little self-control or morality.English: Barbara Gittings picketing the White Hous...

Make Your Own Solid Perfume With This Recipe

Make Your Own Solid Perfume With This Recipe Solid perfume is easy to make, plus its practical and it wont spill. It doesnt contain alcohol, which makes this a good perfume project for people who dont want the additive in their perfume. Solid Perfume Ingredients You can find beeswax and oils at most health food stores or craft stores. 1 tablespoon beeswax or petroleum jelly1 tablespoon jojoba oil or sweet almond oil8-15 drops essential oil (fragrance oils used for making perfume)Â  Small clean container (1/2 ounce) to hold your solid perfume If you dont want to purchase a new container for your perfume, look for lip balm tins. Lipstick or Chapstick containers also work well. Make Solid Perfume Melt together the wax or petroleum jelly with the jojoba or sweet almond oil. You can either microwave the ingredients for a few seconds in a microwave-safe container or else you can heat the mixture over a double-boiler.Once this mixture has liquefied, remove it from heat. Stir in the essential oils. You can use a toothpick, straw or even a spoon. Expect your perfume to coat the stirrer, so either use something disposable or else something you can wash (i.e., dont use a wooden spoon, unless you want it to smell pretty forever).Pour the liquid into your final container. Set the lid on top of the container, but leave it ajar. This will help prevent condensation inside your container while minimizing the chance of microbial contamination of the product.Apply the perfume by rubbing a finger on the product to liquefy it, then rub your finger on the area you want to be scented.

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay

Brazil As An Emerging Market Economy Business Essay Globalisation has become the order of the day and as multinational companies are scouting for new avenues in the bid to achieve competitive advantage over rivals and have at the same time economic viability of operations, nations too are vying with each other for a significant share of the global economic pie to cater to the development of themselves and take care of the socio-economic conditions prevalent amongst the population. Whilst the dominance of the developed nations persisted for a significant period of time, with political conditions such as the cold-war, division of Germany, and the like, abetting it, the changed political atmosphere worldwide threw up many opportunities and challenges requiring an introspection of policies of the nations and a need for reinventing and refurbishing of existing laws and governing policies to make the nation more dynamic and competitive. This assignment is sequentially structured to analyse the nature of emerging markets, the role of multin ational organisations in emerging markets, Brazil as an emerging economy, the need for cultural familiarisation for working in such an environment. This study also takes into consideration the cultural analysis of Brazil done by the renowned Geert Hofstede in an attempt to familiarise managers with aspects they should expect, and practice whilst in Brazil. These are followed by a PESTLE analysis of Brazil and finally end with a summative conclusion. Critical Analysis and Discussion Whilst no one-liner definition exists of emerging market economies (EME), the characteristic features tend to determine what they really are. Rapid economic growth, increased and sustained foreign investment, coupled with significant international political influence are the main markers of this type of economy. These economies are not on par with those of advanced nations due to the difference in the level of development .Very often bad policies namely those that interfere with the efficient performance of economic factors, and fragile institutional structures that place an additional burden of transactional costs for domestic and foreign investors, tend to inhibit potential investors. The expansion of organisations spanning different countries is centuries old, the expansion of multinational companies and their relevant importance in world trade achieved rapid pace post 1980 era. The propensity of integration with the global economy, together with the decline in the importance of the economic role of the nation led to the tremendous expansion of MNCs, particularly in the developing nations of the world. The significance of the functions of transnational companies in the shaping of the global economy has manifested, in significant proportions in the 20th century, such that â€Å"any of the top 100 or so global firms exceed the GDP of many nations†Ã‚  [18] and as it stands today, multinational companies are responsible for most of the employment and output and t in the world . [19] They have a reciprocal relationship with the globalization process; whilst globalization has contributed to high FDI flows to nations, countries eager to acquire a share of these FDI flows have undertaken significant policy shifts towards liberalisation. [20]Additionally, multinational companies have made it possible for the creation of â€Å"the global village† by facilitating international amalgamation of markets.[21]

Summarize chapter 16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summarize chapter 16 - Essay Example The wheels are made in two halves which need to be matched by manufacturer and part number. d. Air craft Tire Construction. Air craft tires are tubeless tires designed to with stand high speed along with static and dynamic loading. Unlike automobile aircraft tires fail under continuous operation. e. Tire Specification The specification details are mentioned on the side walls of tires and available in manufacturer’s data sheets. These include ply rating, load rating, speed rating, retread history etc. m. Coefficient of Friction. The stopping of aircraft on runway after application of brakes is the function of friction of tire and runway. The value used in all deceleration calculation is coefficient of friction which is the ratio between the force needed between the two surfaces to slide against each other and force holding them. The coefficient is measured from MU meter and diagonally brake

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operations Management - Essay Example Being low on variability is good for an investment company. Their multi-level investment model has been their strength of their operations. The diversification they offer to their investor is definitely top notch. The highlight of their operational management reflects in their company returns and growth. But the same experience of great return can be coupled with improved client communication. To make sure they offer the best fund management service, they can improve their visibility and information they give to the client. Certain recommendation have been suggested in this paper for improving client-manager relationship. They can certainly improve their customer retention and attract new businesses. They can even improve the information they offer on their website. Contents Introduction and Business Context 3 Operations overview (conceptual analysis) 4 Performance Objectives – order qualifiers and winners 6 A selection of key OM concepts applied 7 Analysis of â€Å"failingâ €  process studied – â€Å"the operations problem† 13 Improvement Plan 15 Implementation plan 17 Conclusion 18 References 20 Introduction and Business Context Architas is an investment corporate, offering best investment pools to clients. Their theme is to make sure client’s investments go in the best fund. Not every investor is that aware of investment and finance world, that is where Architas offers their services. The have a team of professional investment managers, at the top of their game. They handle different fund genres and specialize in their particular niche. So the business model is very simple, investors invest in the funds offered by Architas, and fund managers manage client’s investments. Delivering returns and controlling risks are two primary tools they excel in. Architas is a part of the global AXA group. Architas was founded in 2008 to meet the ever changing needs of today’s investors. The volume of assets advised and managed a t Architas exceeds ?12.1 billion (Architas, 2013). The AXA group is a truly global investment company, employing 160,000 employees worldwide. Operations overview (conceptual analysis) System model Every company has its own custom business model, cut to fit in its special needs. Architas is no exception; they incorporate a strategy they call the ‘multi-manager investing’, from a client’s perspective, a reverse funnel in terms of its operations. What it does is, offers a client access to different investment managers through just one product. ‘Fund of funds’ is a term widely used in investment world, but here it truly delivers what it’s supposed to; offering a mix of investment managers to clients as a single solution while keeping the costs low. Illustration of fund of funds portfolio1 4 V’s Analysis – the operational environment Architas’s operational environment in terms of 4 V’s of operations give a clear picture as to how they handle their operations and how they can improve them. In terms of Volume, they have a huge investment portfolio. They can’t be compared with manufacturing industry, they have soft products, fund management and in terms of fund volume, they are huge. Variety regarding an investment company like Architas is also plentiful. There are huge number of options in terms of funds and other financial tools. Keeping expectations grounded in reality, what Architas offers to its clients is a huge array of bonds, equities, money market tools, and different collage of portfolios. Clients can

Journal Of Course Readings Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journal Of Course Readings - Coursework Example Nevertheless its study is still of great importance in order to grasp the dynamics of the cognitive capacities of a human being. P.D. REYNOLDS A theory no matter how abstract it may be presented is still bound by reality, it can be a result of experiments, observations, or simply the product of insights on how something works or how it comes into existence. But ultimately these theories start with a simple idea. DAVID HUME To further delve into the concept of what actually is an idea and what gives birth to it, there is a need to understand its origins. In or daily existence we perceive a lot of things, which are consciously or unconsciously stored in our memory. Different perceptions stored in our minds in the form of memory or imagination mimic the sensations, perceived by the body’s five senses, in so far as representing the perception based on its characteristics. (e.g. how a body shivers whenever feeling cold) But can never fully copy the force of the actual perception fe lt by the body (Hume, 2008, p.7). Hence we often come across phrases such as â€Å"we can almost taste† what a certain food actually tastes like. Otherwise if no such limitation is placed, an individual would be able to transcend the need for physical contact or worse madness may set in. Feeling an emotion is different from thinking how that same emotion felt like. Thus it is worth noting that, of all the thoughts that an individual posses about different subjects that he or she had encountered, it is the vaguest of these thoughts that make a person’s ideas. If an individual does not have a clear perception in mind about a certain subject all the information pertaining to that subject will simply be impressions of the individual. Such impressions can be correct or incorrect, or based on the individuals innate nature or referenced from another impression. Thus we can also come across a phrase like, â€Å"I was under the impression† that this was how it was suppos ed to be done. KARL POPPER Due to an individual’s orientation and or nature one can develop ideas into theories, scientific or non scientific in nature, and through the criticism that these theories yields more objective knowledge as it opens the door to more questions and possibilities for its own improvement or paves the way for it to be debunked. Nonetheless the process of criticizing a theory rather than holding on to its proposed validity ensures that it is cleared of any biases, and false claims thus promoting objectivity even more. T. KUHN Furthermore if a theory can be criticized then it is not farfetched that a deviation from a long standing train of thought brought about by a theory is possible. A paradigm shift, or an event of deviation from a widely known belief founded to incur several anomalies. Hence, a shift is needed, once an established theory is proven to be unprecedented and sufficiently open-ended. Much like in conducting an experiment, in order to prove its validity, repetitive experiments are done to gain acceptance in the research community. There are different kinds of paradigm which can explain parts and parcel of different events. Such weakness prevents them to gain notable success. Paradigm shift is a radical idea in expounding and establishing new concepts that contributes to contemporary beliefs and making them more sophisticated and comprehensive theories.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law Case Study

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law - Case Study Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that there were very good strategies that were applied by Enron Corporation in accounting and this made it be ranked among the top ten largest companies in the United States. From the previous trend that was recorded by the company, it was anticipated that it was to dominate in business transactions it carried out. It had very a milestone in such transactions whereby it had conducted trade in weather preparedness and security, power, and communications. In contrary to many expectations and hopes of the people of the United States and the world at large, it turned to be a legend in failure that is outspoken up-to-date. Policies are a set of principles of action adopted or proposed by an organization. They are tools of management whose absence leads to consequences as severe as the collapse of the organization. Business organizations run on a primary objective of maximizing profitability. However, in doing this it is unders tandable that the organizations exist within the society and must, therefore, operate in accordance with the norms of morality and ethical provisions as set by the society. The organizations interact with the society in their everyday production endeavors, some of the key modes of the organization- society interaction include, the recruitment of personnel. The collapse of the company apart from recording the highest form of bankruptcy has triggered a myriad of unanswered questions and behind the bar scenes that ought to unraveled to help in the implementation of preventive mechanisms incorporations of the same type, to deter the occurrence of such incidences. This historical happening contradicts the code of ethics of the corporation. Most of its ethics were easy to be followed and almost all the employees confirmed to them. In case of misunderstanding and disagreement, the legal committee or the supervisors were to be contacted for clarification. Enron had policies which were imple mented under the supervision of the management board. The policies included the principles that protected human rights. The policies clarified further on the secrets of the company concerning trade businesses and information that was supposed to be censured hence be kept as confidential information. There was also provision of additional information on the penalties of workers who misbehaved. The core values of the company were excellence, communication, integrity and respect. In excellence, their aim was to produce the best and to progressively move from where they have been before. There major purpose in communication was to ensure that there existed smooth flow of information among people. They were supposed worked with people in an open, sincere and faithful way in fulfillment of their integrity. Moreover, the company was supposed to treat everybody within a human way. According to the company’s manual, ruthless treatment, arrogance, abuse and disrespectful handling of pe ople was prohibited. The manual of their codes of conduct that was delivered to all workers stated that; the company was working hard to ensure that all the business transactions are conducted in accordance with both local and international regulations. The section clearly emphasized that the company was to observe the act of free corrupt practices of the United States, but this was not the case. Unfortunately enough, from the findings these codes of conduct and policies were only put only on papers, manuals and booklets to show to the public and the regulating authorities that they are existing in the company.

The Data Protection Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Data Protection Act - Essay Example . Data which are classified as confidential by the counselor are kept in a separate file and place. Interview notes, test results, personal data about the individual, home and family, which can have meaning only to the counselor, often prove to be means of solving many problems of maladjustment. This sample case is termed confidential. A case involving the information being disclosed by clients especially the personal and confidential information that becomes known to the counselor and the amount of these data that can disclosed to only limited people and with the consent of the client. There is an ongoing divorce case and the some data is being required by the lawyers and prosecutors. The psychologist should seek the consent of the client as to what and to whom the information will be given and the purpose that these data will serve. Fidelity is a part of the ethical guidelines stated by BACP. Increasingly, attention has focused on providers of psychological services who need to balance the ethical principles of their profession with legal and regulatory mandates, as well as with the institutional policies of the organizations where they work. The General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services and the Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services were promulgated to aide those involved in the professional practice of psychology within several contexts. Additional guidance on specific issues is provided in other documents, such as the Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings, drafted by the Committee on Professional Practice and Standards and several others. Social Security and Work In UK employment law there is an important distinction between 'employees' and 'workers'. Most agency workers are classed as workers and this serves to exclude them from entitlement to important employment rights such as unfair dismissal and redundancy protection, which are only available to employees. A company's reward philosophy should be simple - they should pay for performance and the better the performance the more they should pay. Most companies have adopted a 'market based pay' approach to determining salaries which means they pay according to the value of the job in the market. Companies should be dedicated to the principles of employment and pay equity. They should be committed to taking steps to facilitate the integration and promote the full participation of previously under-represented designated groups such as agency workers in the labour market and encourage the utilization of the talents of all employees in order to realize the business objectives of the companies Employers should also be

Journal Of Course Readings Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journal Of Course Readings - Coursework Example Nevertheless its study is still of great importance in order to grasp the dynamics of the cognitive capacities of a human being. P.D. REYNOLDS A theory no matter how abstract it may be presented is still bound by reality, it can be a result of experiments, observations, or simply the product of insights on how something works or how it comes into existence. But ultimately these theories start with a simple idea. DAVID HUME To further delve into the concept of what actually is an idea and what gives birth to it, there is a need to understand its origins. In or daily existence we perceive a lot of things, which are consciously or unconsciously stored in our memory. Different perceptions stored in our minds in the form of memory or imagination mimic the sensations, perceived by the body’s five senses, in so far as representing the perception based on its characteristics. (e.g. how a body shivers whenever feeling cold) But can never fully copy the force of the actual perception fe lt by the body (Hume, 2008, p.7). Hence we often come across phrases such as â€Å"we can almost taste† what a certain food actually tastes like. Otherwise if no such limitation is placed, an individual would be able to transcend the need for physical contact or worse madness may set in. Feeling an emotion is different from thinking how that same emotion felt like. Thus it is worth noting that, of all the thoughts that an individual posses about different subjects that he or she had encountered, it is the vaguest of these thoughts that make a person’s ideas. If an individual does not have a clear perception in mind about a certain subject all the information pertaining to that subject will simply be impressions of the individual. Such impressions can be correct or incorrect, or based on the individuals innate nature or referenced from another impression. Thus we can also come across a phrase like, â€Å"I was under the impression† that this was how it was suppos ed to be done. KARL POPPER Due to an individual’s orientation and or nature one can develop ideas into theories, scientific or non scientific in nature, and through the criticism that these theories yields more objective knowledge as it opens the door to more questions and possibilities for its own improvement or paves the way for it to be debunked. Nonetheless the process of criticizing a theory rather than holding on to its proposed validity ensures that it is cleared of any biases, and false claims thus promoting objectivity even more. T. KUHN Furthermore if a theory can be criticized then it is not farfetched that a deviation from a long standing train of thought brought about by a theory is possible. A paradigm shift, or an event of deviation from a widely known belief founded to incur several anomalies. Hence, a shift is needed, once an established theory is proven to be unprecedented and sufficiently open-ended. Much like in conducting an experiment, in order to prove its validity, repetitive experiments are done to gain acceptance in the research community. There are different kinds of paradigm which can explain parts and parcel of different events. Such weakness prevents them to gain notable success. Paradigm shift is a radical idea in expounding and establishing new concepts that contributes to contemporary beliefs and making them more sophisticated and comprehensive theories.

The Data Protection Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Data Protection Act - Essay Example . Data which are classified as confidential by the counselor are kept in a separate file and place. Interview notes, test results, personal data about the individual, home and family, which can have meaning only to the counselor, often prove to be means of solving many problems of maladjustment. This sample case is termed confidential. A case involving the information being disclosed by clients especially the personal and confidential information that becomes known to the counselor and the amount of these data that can disclosed to only limited people and with the consent of the client. There is an ongoing divorce case and the some data is being required by the lawyers and prosecutors. The psychologist should seek the consent of the client as to what and to whom the information will be given and the purpose that these data will serve. Fidelity is a part of the ethical guidelines stated by BACP. Increasingly, attention has focused on providers of psychological services who need to balance the ethical principles of their profession with legal and regulatory mandates, as well as with the institutional policies of the organizations where they work. The General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services and the Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services were promulgated to aide those involved in the professional practice of psychology within several contexts. Additional guidance on specific issues is provided in other documents, such as the Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings, drafted by the Committee on Professional Practice and Standards and several others. Social Security and Work In UK employment law there is an important distinction between 'employees' and 'workers'. Most agency workers are classed as workers and this serves to exclude them from entitlement to important employment rights such as unfair dismissal and redundancy protection, which are only available to employees. A company's reward philosophy should be simple - they should pay for performance and the better the performance the more they should pay. Most companies have adopted a 'market based pay' approach to determining salaries which means they pay according to the value of the job in the market. Companies should be dedicated to the principles of employment and pay equity. They should be committed to taking steps to facilitate the integration and promote the full participation of previously under-represented designated groups such as agency workers in the labour market and encourage the utilization of the talents of all employees in order to realize the business objectives of the companies Employers should also be

Human behavior theories Essay Example for Free

Human behavior theories Essay Working as a community facilitator is all about empowering and facilitating change within individuals and communities. As their practice facilitators need to identify any challenges and work with the communities to look at ways of solving these problems together. This then requires first for the facilitator to find out why these challenges or problems come about in the first place. Theories are designed to understand human development, identity and approaches to practice. They help turn complicated human, behavioural and social singularities into ideas that are more accessible. It can be said then that theories provide a basis for understanding and reflecting on what we do which then helps us help communities on a micro, mezzo and macro levels. This essay will look at two of the human behaviour theories and how they help us understand and work with our communities (that we as facilitators serve) better. 2. DEFINITION OF TERMS 2. 1. Theory According to (Body, 2014) â€Å"A theory is a logical system of concepts that helps to explain why something happens in a particular way and to predict outcomes†. This means that by preparing their practice on theory, this leads a facilitator to get a better understanding of his/her own task, do some goal planning and also anticipate whatever outcomes there may be. 2. 2. Community Communities are unique with regard to the people in them, place, interaction meaning. According to (Heaven, 2014) â€Å"While we traditionally think of a community as the people in a given geographical location, the word can really refer to any group sharing something in common†. This could also mean any small geographical areas from e. g. a neighbourhood, housing project or development to any community with a large geographically-defined community. 3. HUMAN BEHAVIOR THEORIESÃ'Ž 3. 1. Social Construction Social construction is influential in changing grounded theory. As a way of trying to understand the social world, social construction views knowledge as being 2 constructed (as the name suggests) instead of being created. In this theory communities are seen as alternating between both subjective and objective reality. Past theorists believed that knowledge is beliefs in which people have rational confidence, a common sense of understanding and consensual notion as to what is knowledge. Social construction came about as a way to deal with the nature of reality. It has its origins in sociology and has been linked with the modern era of qualitative research. Reality is it may be something that we are not even aware of. Things like segregation according to what gender, race and class you are a just basic examples of social construction. These things only have meaning because society gives them meaning. According to Tom Andrews (2014) â€Å"Constructionists view knowledge and truth as created not discovered by the mind and supports the view that being a realist is not inconsistent with being a constructionist†. A person can believe that concepts are constructed other than being discovered yet relate to something in the real world. This is consistent with an idea that was put out that reality is socially defined but this one referred to the subjective experience of everyday life as opposed to the objective reality of the natural world. As Steedman (2000) said, â€Å"most of what is known and most of the knowing that is done is concerned with trying to make sense of what it is to be human, as opposed to scientific knowledge†. Individuals or communities decide or rather create this reality one may then ask how this reality or knowledge emerges or how it comes to have significance for society to which social constructionists may answer as they view knowledge as being created by the interactions of individuals within society which is at the centre of social construction as a theory. Andrews (2014) believes that subjective reality is brought about by the interaction of people with their social world and with this social world influencing them it results to routines and habits. That is to say that any regularly repeated action becomes a pattern which at some point can be done without much effort needed. With time this forms a sort of store of knowledge which is passed on to future generations which is then subjective reality. 3 Society gives you and identity from birth. Our identities as people come not from the inside but from the social sphere. Conversation is the main way of maintaining, modifying and reconstructing subjective reality. It compromises notions that are shared unproblematically between the communities so much so that these notions need not be defined each time they are used in conversation and come to assume reality. 3. 2. Examples of Social Construction The most common of all social constructions is that of men and women. Men are required (by society) to have qualities such as control, efficiency, toughness and coolness under emotional distress whilst women on the other hand are said to be the fragile amongst the two with qualities such as inefficiency, emotional expressiveness, caring and mutuality. This is what society has deemed as normal over the years which is what gives the battle of Patriarchy versus Matriarchy in this modern generation. Women today believe that they are more than able to do whatever the â€Å"men† can do and sometimes do it even better. It is clear though that in society’s opinion of gender that men should hold all the power. Laura Flores (2012) is quoted as saying â€Å"Power looks sexy on men, not on women†. But this could be seen as having a double meaning. Other than the obvious meaning we get, it could also mean that women are seen as unable to learn the skills or unable to do whatever a man can do as well. Feminists have been fighting hard battles in order to change this thinking and they have succeeded in changing some people’s minds but the in the traditional societies, mostly in the rural areas this social construction of men and women is still very much evident. Men still go out to provide for the family while the women is expected to stay behind and take care of the children and the home. One other example one could use is that of the social construction of gender. This is slightly different from the previous example used. When a baby is brought into the world the first thing that the doctor will look at is the baby’s sexual category (whether they are male or female) and this is where this social construction begins. Immediately after they are classified as boy or girl the parents then fall into this shared mechanism by dressing them in colours that are â€Å"appropriate† for their gender. Flores says â€Å"the â€Å"normal† thing to do in this case would be for the 4 baby girl to be dressed in pink and the baby boys to be dressed in blue†. You don’t want to be seen as weird for dressing your baby girl in blue or your baby boy in pink, right? Society has put aside colours as some of the symbols that differentiate between boys and girls. Children will then grow like this and then start to try to be like the people who are the same gender as them, â€Å"girls should start acting like their mommy and boys act like their daddy†. Each one will be expected to dress or act in a certain way (as in the first example) but such things are what leads to stereotypes. 3. 3. Asset Based Community Approach 3. 3. 1. What is Asset Based Community Approach (ABCD)? Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is an approach for sustainable community development. The basis of ABCD is that it believes that communities can develop themselves by recognizing and using existing but often hidden assets to create economic opportunities. It builds those already existing assets in the community and gets individuals, associations and institutions to band together to build on their assets instead of focusing on their needs. It is a naturally positive approach. A large amount of time is spent in trying to identify the assets within a particular community whether it be from individuals, institutions and associations before they are then organised to build on them to the benefit of the community as a whole. The basic key as mentioned above is to use what is already in the community. The ABC approach aims to change people’s view that their needs can only be met by an outsider (professional). When it comes to working with the community, a facilitator who applies the ABCD approach should be adamant about stepping back and letting the community figure things out for themselves. They enlist the help of associations that are within the community in terms of the community development approach and additional support. However Community driven development is mostly done by outside agencies instead of networks that exist in the community already. 3. 3. 2. Discussion on ABCD ABCD pulls out the strengths and weaknesses within a community’s shared history as a starting point for change. Out of all the assets that a community may 5 have ABCD focuses on the assets that are deep rooted in social relationships and sees them as being both evident in both formal and informal networks and associations. It believes that everyone in the community has something to offer and that no one can be said to unimportant. ABCD view individuals as being as being at the centre of it all. The residents of the community has gifts and skills which they can out on the table. These need to be recognized and noted as in community development you can’t do anything with people’s needs but only their assets. Needs are only valuable to institutions. Institutions are groups of people (usually professionals) who share a common interest out of their own choice. These could be agencies or schools etc. these institutions help the community get resources and that in turn gives them a sense of civic responsibility. In terms of assets one could include physical assets such as land, space, funds etc. as they also could be used. 3. 3. 3. How is it facilitated in communities? As mentioned above ABCD is the development of self-mobilisation for change. This development has been implemented in many communities. The task for any agency that comes into a community such as NGO’s is how to put in place this development in other communities without creating a sense of dependency. There are different methods that are facilitated by NGO’s in communities for ABCD. Methods such as Collecting stories whereby they build confidence, informal discussions and interview that also have the goal of drawing out people’s experiences. Success in this will also enable them to uncover any gifts, skills, talents and assets that people in the community may have. Mapping the capacities and assets of individuals, associations and local institutions. Mapping is more than just gathering data on the community. It is of importance that you let the community and institutions d the mapping for themselves as they build new relationships, learn more about help and talents of other community members and also see any connections between different assets. 6 CONCLUSION Understanding a community is crucial to being able to work in it. Failing to understand it will deny you credibility and make it difficult for you both to connect with community members and to negotiate the twists and turns of starting and implementing a community initiative or intervention. Social constructionism places great emphasis on everyday interactions between people and how they use language to construct their reality. It regards the social practices people engage in as the focus of enquiry. This is very similar to the focus of grounded theory but without the emphasis on language. Social constructionism that views society as existing both as objective and subjective reality is fully compatible with classical grounded theory, unlike constructionist grounded theory which takes a relativist position. The ABCD is a substitute the more known needs-based approach. Instead of focusing on what the communities do not have, ABCD looks at what they have to offer. It not only creates a chance for the community to play a part in but they also lead the community planning process. The ABCD is always successful in getting individual participation in the projects in brings to their communities. 7 REFERENCE LIST Andrews, T (2012). What is social constructionism? [ONLINE] Available at: http://groundedtheoryreview. com/2012/06/01/what-is-social-constructionism/ . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Body, A. (n. d. ). Theories Used in Social Work Practice. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www. socialworkdegree. net/theories-used-in-social-work-practice/ . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Cunningham, G and Mathie, A. (2002). Asset Based Community Development- An Overview. [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www. synergos.org/knowledge/o2/abcdoverview. htm . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Flores, L (2012). What is social construction? [ONLINE] Available at: http://oakes. ucsc. edu/academics/Core %20Course/oakes-core-awards-2012/laura-flores. html . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Hampton, C and Heaven C (n. d. ). Section 2. Understanding and Describing the Community. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ctb. ku. edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-a nd-resources/describe-the-community/main . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Simmons staff. (n. d. ). Theories Used in Social Work Practice. [ONLINE] Available at: http://socialwork.simmons. edu/theories-used-social-work-practice/ . [Last Accessed 26 August 2014]. Steedman, P. (2000). On the relations between seeing, interpreting and knowing. London: Sage. Suttles G, D. (1972). The social construction of communities. 1st ed. Illinois: University of Chicago Press. Vance S. C. (1989). Social construction theory: problems in the history of sexuality. 1st ed. Amsterdam: An Dekker. 8 Varien M, D Potter, M. J, (2008). The Social Construction of Communities: Agency, Structure, and Identity in the Prehispanic Southwest (Archaeology in Society). 1st Ed. New York: Rowman and Littlefield publishers.

Issues Surrounding Barriers To Leadership And Leadership Development Management Essay

Issues Surrounding Barriers To Leadership And Leadership Development Management Essay Current leadership practised today goes further than getting people to do what a leader wants them to do. Leadership today is concerned with bringing out the best quality of ability people have to offer and helping to focus an individuals energy and zeal along a united front to achieve common goals. Outstanding leaders assess their own abilities to lead. Todays leaders build teams and oversee the essential elements of teamwork-communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Effective leaders promote shared values among employees, such as open communication, honesty, quality, respect, and mutual support. A clearer understanding of what leadership and leadership development means is necessary in other to understand the issues surrounding barriers to effective leadership and development the construction industry. Leadership as a term has different meaning to different individuals and organisations. Prof. Kenneth Clark defined leadership as an activity or set of activities, observable to others that occur in a group, organisation or institution or institution involving a leader and followers who willingly subscribe to common purposes and work together to achieve them. (Philip 2003). Harry Truman also defined it as the ability to get men to do what they dont want to do and like it (Philip 2003). On the other hand, Leadership development refers to any activity that improves the quality of leadership within an organisation. These activities could range from courses offered in schools to seminars and retreats focused on developing the leadership skills and attitudes of individuals. In the world today, the construction industry plays a major role in the national economy of countries both developed and developing due to the high demand for industrialisation and urbanisation. Due to this fact, essential and effective leadership skills such as good communication skills, Strategic vision and an understanding of the industry are the most essential traits required. The right leadership in the construction industry results in self-managed teams and shared leadership among team members. Leadership development will be required for the advancement, growth, and continued existence of construction businesses in the next millennium. Unfortunately, from the research survey carried out by the chartered institute of building (CIOB) in 2008, the construction industry as a whole was lacking in leadership and most companies in the industry were lacking in developing leadership potentials of employees due to a lot of barriers. This essay is focused on identifying these barriers and critically discussing issues surrounding them. Looking at the construction industry in general, irrespective of country, it was discovered that the a lot of barriers hampered the growth of leadership and leadership development, based on a research survey carried out by the chartered institute of building (CIOB) in 2008, where questionnaires were administered to members of the institute and members of other organisations in the construction industry. Results obtained showed that the major barriers to leadership development and leaders reaching their maximum potential were a lack of opportunity and organisational culture. Other barriers identified were poor communication skills, lack of skills and training, lack of general management skills in work force, lack of incentives, political environment, society/national culture, self confidence, and autocratic management. Further barriers to leadership development where, lack of leadership development programs and individual/personal barriers. However, a lot of issues are what gives rise to these barriers which makes it impossible for proper leadership development in the construction industry. These issues in one way or another are inter related to all the barriers obstructing leadership. Many of the problems arising in an organisation are as a result of people failing to communicate properly which degenerates to confusions and leads to failure in project plan. Communication basically referred to as the exchange of information and ideas from one person to another. A lot of issues arise which make it impossible for leaders to communicate effectively with other members of the organisation in the construction industry. One of this is problem of perception, which adversely affects how we interpret a message gotten from another based on how we perceive the person and sometimes the wrong message is delivered and ultimately has an adverse effect on a project. Secondly, is the problems of culture, background and bias, which makes people to be prejudiced at times ultimately affecting the way a message is received and interpreted thus interfering with the communication process. Thirdly, is the personal attitude of an individual, such as focusing on ones self and feeling superior to others or defensive towards them and sometimes just plain ego hinders effective communication which results in conflicts and confusion arising. Other issues which also hinders effective communication could also be due to stress, as individuals tend to react differently when u nder stress and thus affects the way a message is received and understood for the proper instructions to be carried out. Organisational structure is another key barrier to leadership development in the construction industry. The organisational culture is simply referred to as the a system of shared values, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of an organisation which has being acquired over a period of time which distinguish one organisation from another and affects the way in which members of the organisation react to the opportunities and threats affecting the organisation. Sometimes, this culture has an adverse effect on an organisation and acts as a barrier to change and diversity whereby, the culture is so ingrained that they are ok with the working dynamics and refuse to respond to change from a new leader trying to bring about change or introducing leadership development programme which will improve the organisation but prefer the status quo. Employees are thus, forced to conform to existing culture and potential leadership qualities in employees are subdued and never achieved which affects leadership development in the organisation. A clear example of this, is seen in the UK construction industry which is seen as a predominantly male (that is young white male) dominated, coupled with harsh working conditions which has been translated into a culture embodying crisis, conflict, masculinity and embracing a casual approach to working norms of commitment. This has being summed up accordingly by Harvey and Ashworth (1993)as construction having an image of being a difficult, demanding and unbecoming occupation with an adversarial culture. Gale (1992) also observed that,.it seems that it is in the interest of those who have chosen to work in the industry to maintain the maleness of the culture, thus keeping conflict and crises as preferred aspects of everyday working life. This culture of the industry makes it difficult for female, other ethnic minorities and better educated people from considering construction as a worthwhile career option which will bring about a change in the industry as a lot of this individual coul d have potential leadership qualities which will make the industry to be better organised and developed. This organisational culture has made it a particularly unattractive profession for potential individuals who might consider going into the profession as it is alleged to have a casual, fragmented and hierarchical nature which makes it incapable of functioning in a harmonized, homogenous way when dealing with issues relating to development, training, education etc. This fact has being recognised by professionals and clients in the industry and acts as a major barrier for potential change to occur in the organisation as members are strongly opposed to change occurring in the industry. The society/national culture also acts as a barrier to most leadership development and the potential for leadership to be developed in organisations. A typical example of this is seen the Nigerian context where the cultural characteristic of leadership in Nigerian society is mostly patrimonial-based on hereditary within members of a family. The leadership mantle is masculine which is mainly handed down to the first male child and where this is unattainable, other family members play a major role in the selection of predecessors to head the organisation. Family members also have strong influences on the decisions taken by these leaders who may or may not have acquired the proper training qualification or skills that is required from a leader. A notable case of patrimonial selected leadership can be seen in DANTATA SAWOE which is arguably the most prominent indigenous construction company in Nigeria. Like most indigenous companies, it is owned by a family with about fifty years of exi stence and its leadership has gone through the generations of the kin of the founder and is still expected to go down the lineage. With this style of leadership style, there is the tendency for individual leaders to try to distinguish themselves and carve out a niche for himself. This may lead either to the leader given diminutive chances for various individuals under him to participate and air their views in such organizations. Secondly, because the leadership consist of a group that shares similar beliefs and values, the organisation portray weakness in its cultural diversity and place more emphasis on their own culture. Further barriers to leadership and leadership development are a lack of opportunity and lack of skills and training in the industry. A general lack of opportunities exist in the industry for employees and individuals to improve their leadership skills and ability as most organisations under-invest in leadership development programmes and employees have no access to new experiences coupled with the fact that organisations failed to meet their employees expectation and needs all act as a barrier to improving leadership skills. From the survey carried out by the CIOB, it showed that 25% believed that a lack of opportunity was the greatest barrier to potential leaders becoming leaders and that about 45% of companies in the industry did not have a formal succession plan or leadership strategy. A lack of leadership development program in most organisation is a key issue as most organisations do not invest in training their employees or improving their skills by organising seminars or sending them on courses which in the long run benefits the company or organisation by enabling the company to be better organised and co-ordinated. In some other cases, where training is offered by the organisation, the leadership development methodology is often wrong as employees receive this training without development as sometimes what is learnt is not applicable to the industry directly or entirely different. Moreover, a shortage of skills in the industry also acts as a barrier to leadership development this is as a result of the poor image projected by the industry, low incomes and a lack of academic/vocational courses and apprenticeship where all contributing factors to a general lack of skill in the construction industry in UK. Also, a lack of general management skills in work force acts as a barrier to leadership development as poor management often result in leaders not delegating work properly and results in assigning the wrong people for the wrong job and at the wrong time, this is as a result of being disorganised and not being able to organise schedules. This barrier could arise as a result of not having the proper management skills such as, having a positive attitude to work which influences employees to have such attitude and work is done and finished on time. By not be trustworthy and honest also affects management skills. By not been arrogant or imposing but be able to listen to other views of individuals and reach a compromise. A typical example of poor management skill is seen in autocratic management in which only the leaders views are taken as utmost and final leaving no chance for subordinates to take initiatives but the leader prefers to hand down instructions which amounts to bad mentoring. This practice is very common with most construction companies in Nigeria specifically with the organisation CTA PARTNERS LTD where the companys head felt other members of staff where not competent enough to do particular work and refused to allow staffs use their initiative which often resulted in projects not being completed on time and acquired more cost for the client and all involved in the project. However, when proper management skills are administered in an organisation, it can result in an efficient, productive team of happy workers whereas if not it can lead to a general feeling of resentment, bad atmosphere, loss of productivity and loss of team morale. Further barriers also could be a lack of incentives in the industry such as not recognising and rewarding team members or employees who have made valuable contribution to the industry. As if this is done it motivates and inspires employees to take on more challenges to reach the organisations goal. In addition to all the barriers mentioned above is personal/individual barrier imposed by employees on themselves. Issues surrounding this barrier are numerous such as the unwillingness to developed or coached and employees assume that they know all whereas they are lacking in a lot of leadership abilities and skills. Another clear case is the inability or unwillingness to try something new and not being open to innovation but prefer to carry on with the way things are run in the industry. Closely followed by this negative reaction to feedbacks or change and refuses to change to make the company operate better. Next is the issue of being threatened by others (especially those below in rank or subordinates) this causes envy to arise and victimisation through creating obstructions that would make it impossible for their potential leadership skills to manifest. Other issues are sometimes our need for power and recognition coupled with greed makes it impossible for leadership skills to b e developed properly. In conclusion, having identified the barriers and issues surrounding leadership and leadership development, in other to resolve these issues, it is essential for leadership programmes to include education and training particularly in communication skills and general management training so that individuals can harness their leadership skills. A conclusion reached from the research survey was that recognition of effective and successful leaders within the industry would help to promote leadership and inspire others and these leaders could serve as mentors to the younger generation. Also, the perceived organisational culture of industry has to change so barriers which prevent opportunities for people to show leadership potential are removed and the industry is better organised and co-ordinated improving the working culture of the industry. Strategies for identifying potential leaders should also be in cooperated into organisations if the industry is to develop leaders. Another critical issue is addressing the shortage of skills in the industry; this can be remedied by making sure the industry strives to retain its skilled workforce, employing graduates and offering the appropriate professional development to achieve their potential for leadership management careers in construction and continuous training to ensure employees are competent enough to do the job. All these factors if addressed will provide a level ground for leadership potential to be developed in the construction industry REFERENCES Gale, A.W (1992), The construction industrys male culture must feminize if conflict is to be reduced: the role of education as a gatekeeper to male construction industry, in Fenn, P., Gameson, R. (Eds), Construction Conflict Management and Resolution, E. F.N. Spon, London. Harvey, R.C, Ashworth, A (1993), The Construction Industry of Great Britain, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Philip, S., (2003). Leadership (2nd Edition), Kogan Page Limited, London.

Sun Also Rises and Decline and Fall :: Free Essay Writer

Sun Also Rises and Decline and Fall Poverty is an issue which society faces each day. It is a constant struggle that cannot be ignored. Defeating poverty would take great efforts and contributions from all. Canada and the third world are examples of countries which are experiencing poverty, yet each differ in different ways. Once seeing the multitudes of condominiums, expensive restaurants, and streets jammed with cars, one would never see Canada as a place suffering from hunger, lack of food or clothing. Yet poverty exists. Poverty in Canada cannot be compared to that of a 3rd world country, since many of the poor have access to transportation and television. What people lack is ability to see the inadequate nutrition overcrowded housing and chronic unemployment. â€Å"A visitor to Canada from Africa or Asia, if told if told that there is a widespread poverty in this country, might find the statement hard to credit.†(Schlesinger 89) In most places, the poor are thought to be isolated, away from shopping zones a s well as residential areas. They are seen as a crowded cluster, living in shantytowns drinking a bottle of whisky, uselessly lying there in search for a job, or some method of employment. This is just one of the stereotypes given to the poor person, we must first define poverty. Individuals and families whose financial resources and/or other resources (including educational and occupational skills, the condition of the environment at home and at work, and material possessions) fall seriously below those commanded by the average person or family in society, are in poverty. (Schlesinger 105) The â€Å"poverty line†, is a method used by the government to determine the number of poor people living in a certain area. It is based on an individual’s income. Anyone below the annual level of income is classified as being poor. Who Are Our Poor? The Special Senate Committee on Poverty, using a poverty line, calculated that â€Å"approximately five million Canadians live in poverty† (NCW 10) Studies show various groups in society tend to be poorer in comparison to others. Over 1 million Canadians who work are poor. The working poor are usually employed in service sales, farming, fishing and clerical jobs characterized by low pay, limited opportunities for advancement, and instability. It is said â€Å"1 person in every eight who lives alone is member of the working poor.† (NCW 6) The second highest group is individuals that live in poverty are the elderly.

Women in Umuofian Soceity Essay -- essays research papers

Women in Umuofian Society "It is the woman whose child has been eaten by a witch who best knows the evils of witchcraft." That simple saying can best relate to the experience of women in the Umuofian society. A person cannot truly hope to understand how things work unless he or she was there to experience it. And that can apply to learning a new language, a new culture or learning history. The perspective given from the book Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, states the way of life without any favoritism towards any particular way of life. Achebe just affirmed that lifestyle as a native would, void of any outside influences. In this case, the male narration focuses not only of the tragedy of Okonkwo, but also how the people around are affected and how in turn the culture affects him. Women seem to play a minor role in everyday life, but their function in the community is just as important as that of the men. The main role that was given to women was that they belonged in the home and for the most part they were to bee seen and not heard. Their influence and authority do not exist much in that culture, especially for the wives of Okonkwo. A main character in the novel, Okonkwo has several wives. Okonkwo presided over all of his wives and children with a heavy hand. When Ikemefuna comes to live in Okonkwo's household, the first wife questions the length of the boy's stay. In reply he answers, " 'Do ...