Ptlls Assessment 1

Describe what your role, responsibilities and boundaries as a teacher would be in terms of teaching/training cycle. What is the teaching/training cycle? How is it relevant to what teachers do? What are teachers’ responsibilities to their learners? I. e. keeping up to date in subject area, awareness of codes of conduct, preparing sessions, keep records etc. An awareness of how not doing this might affect your learners What is a teacher role? What are teachers’ contractual obligations? Understanding of IFL’s code of practice What are boundaries of what teachers can do and can’t do? I. e. ersonal boundaries with leaners, management demands, professionalism, deadlines etc.? The teaching/training cycle is a process, which identifies needs, planning, delivery, assessments and evaluation in each the responsibilities, role, and boundaries; all have an element of the training cycle, each works hand in hand, I am going to give a definition of each, and how each has an element of the training cycle. The responsibilities of a teacher to be a member of the institute of learning (ifl), have had carried out a CRB check, an understanding of organisational policies and procedures. Understanding issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. It’s a teacher duty to be a source of information regarding accessing grants and funding opportunities, and in full support and promotion of the programme they are teaching. Always making sure that the student/learner is on the right learning path, to be able to advise and give guidance, and referring to other organisations or agencies if the need arises. Or talk, to other professionals, on the behalf of their leaners. Keeping accurate records of everything that is agreed between them and the student. And being able to maintain confidentiality at all times. The role of a teacher is to always think of their learners as ‘all different but all equal’. (Kenny Fredrick’s George Green Annual Report 1997) To create a simulating environment for the leaner, offering an advancement of progress. To assess leaners either by oral or written testing, one to one or within a group learning, this also enables the teacher to plan the lessons, and preparing any teaching materials, and any differentiation that needs to be added to any scheme of work, to the level of their learners. The teacher has a duty of care to their learners and have the responsibility to follow the organisations polices and ethics, and to introduce to their learner to this information, a teacher should be in full support of the organisation, by attending meetings, complying to all administrative tasks such as schemes of marking, attendance records and maintaining records of learners progress, (of interviews, tutorials, assessments, exams etc. ) To act appropriately at all times. A teacher is to always evaluate themselves and their delivery of the subject. You will have professional boundaries within which to work and it’s important not to overstep these. ’ (Gravells, 2010: 11) As a teacher there are boundaries of course, because of working with people, people begin to think as you a friend and not just a teacher, boundaries should not be crossed, always make sure the student knows where he stands with you, ground rules are a must, always giving clear objectives and achievabl e aims. A teacher is to act professionally at all times, and maintain absolute confidentiality at all times. References Kenny Fredrick’s – George Green’s – Annual Report 1997 Gravells, 2010: 11

The Social Effects of Industrialization

The Industrial revolution began during the 1700s in Great Britain. This was mainly due to the large textile production during this time. The grow in textile production was because of the increase in the demand in the wool and cotton industries. New machines were made to help control these demands. But, because the new machines couldn't fit within the homes of the people like previous times this led to the beginning of Textile mills. But as these mills became more involved and advanced the lives of the workers became harder and much less safe in the working environment.Great Britain was the ideal situation to begin the Industrial Revolution because it received raw materials from the colonies, commerce was encouraged because of political stability, and their shipping was defended and protected by the world's most powerful navy. Due to all of this, the government supported business, agriculture, and other factors the contributed to production. Plus, during this time in history there was a substantial increase in the population of Europe as well. The first factories were powered by water mills but eventually these were replaced with steam engines that were improved by James Watt in 1763.After this improvement there were other inventions that were made as well. The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, removed the seeds from the cotton. The spinning jenny, invented by James Hargreaves, allowed weavers to spin the threads more quickly. Lastly, the Flying Shuttle, invented by John Kay, allowed the weavers to push thread back and forth on the six foot wide loom much faster than was previously possible. After the start of factories began, life in society changed immensely.Farmers started leaving to work for more profitable jobs in the factories and most of the time, owners would provide housing but the families were usually overcrowded in the small living areas. Pollution was crazy because there weren't any environmental standards like there are today. Most of the factor ies had very few toilets and trash was left on the streets. Over time, factory jobs became known as â€Å"woman’s work†. The reason being because most factories hired women and children over men because they could pay them less for the same amount, or more, work.Children were small, so they were used to make repairs and adjustments to the machine parts as well as crawl through small tunnels to get more coal. But working conditions were poor and hazardous to the people. Many were injured or killed because of unsafe working conditions. Finally unions were made to try and help better the work environment for the employees. One of the men who helped make a huge difference during this time was Lewis Hine. Lewis Hine took pictures of the work conditions and the workers themselves to provide evidence for cases to help create laws to make things better.After a short time, with the help of Hine's photographs they were successful in betting the working environment for the people and those laws actually still influence the work environment to this very day. So the Industrial Revolution effected many people and created many inventions for many things that help to make the base of what led to many of today’s inventions but it also led to many new laws that help to influence their time as well as still influences our time to help keep people safe.

Mexico and Argentina have the commonality of export economies

1. Mexico and Argentina have the commonality of export economies. In other words, the rich and the poor alike relied on the exportation of agricultural goods to foreign markets. This type of economy places heavy emphasis on the large plantation, or hacienda. Because of the latifundia being equivalent to a hacienda, a lot of money was needed to run and manage it. Of coarse, the latifundia's earnings greatly surpassed that of the mere plantation, making the rich even richer. For these reasons, â€Å"the political and social structures of both countries were conditioned by the mode of production of the latifundia. Mexican history reveals this trend in economic activity. During the reign of Diaz, the country opened up new markets for its mineral and agricultural products and brought new land under cultivation. Concentration of land ownership during the Porfiriato, coupled with the loss of communal holdings, made it difficult for people to practice subsistence agriculture. Diaz favored the rich owners of large estates, increasing their properties by allowing them to absorb communal lands that belonged to Native Americans. Many landless peasants fell into debt peonage, a system of economic servitude in which workers became indebted to their employers for both money and supplies and were forced to labor in mines or plantations until the debt was paid. By 1910 some 90 percent of the rural inhabitants of central Mexico were landless. Under Diaz, a two-tier society emerged, as those able to take advantage of modernization became rich and the poor sank further into poverty. As many rural inhabitants and Native Americans lost land to large commercial interests, agricultural workers failed to secure a reasonable share of the nation's growing wealth. Moreover, agricultural production of staples for internal consumption dropped as agricultural exports reduced food stocks. Corn and beans, the core of the lower-class diet, had to be imported. Periodic food riots occurred throughout the country. In 1905, the government sold food at subsidized prices, and in 1909 it opened 50 subsidized food stores in Mexico City. When Madero adopted a cautious policy on land reform, Zapata revolted and issued his Plan of Ayala in November 1911. The proclamation called for the immediate transfer of land to peasant farmers and insisted on the right of Mexican citizens to choose their own leaders. Zapata actually stated, â€Å"†¦ that the lands, I mount and waters that have usurped the landowners, scientists or caciques in the shade of the venal justice, will of coarse enter possession of those real estate, the towns or citizens who have their titles, corresponding to those properties, of which they have been undressed by bad faith of our opresors, †¦ that they settle down to the triumph of the Revolution. † This quote supports the fact that Diaz favored the cientificos and the caciques in the distribution of land. He would sell this â€Å"unowned† land to them for cheap, and they would make sure that Diaz profited well from the deal, showing support for his conservative ways and assuring protection of their investments. After his election, Cirdenas moved to reduce the role of the army in Mexican politics, and emphasized land reforms (returning land to the peasants), social welfare, and education. This is ironic because of Cirdenas's past, being a great landowner who had once served Diaz. (As it turns out, he became the first chief of the revolution before his presidency. Cirdenas established a reputation as a revolutionary reformer. By the end of his term, one-third of the country's population had received land, usually as a member of a communal farm known as an ejido. However, Mexican governments post 1940 rejected the ejido system, which caused a parallel growth of large landed property, leading to the emergence of a new latifundia. Beginning with Cirdenas, attempts to expand the economic focus from and agricultural-based economy to and economy with other capitalist opportunities is clearly visible. Carranza, whom was essentially a conservative with moderate leadings, called for the election of deputies to a convention that was to frame a new constitution and prepare the way for his election as president. The draft that they came up with did not contemplate a radical agrarian reform. In Article 27, which dealt with property rights, he proclaimed the nation the original owner of all lands, waters, and the subsoil. Also, the state had the power to expropriate them, with compensation to the owners. National ownership of water and the subsoil was inalienable, but individuals and companies could obtain concessions for their exploitation. Foreigners to whom that privilege was granted must agree that they would not invoke the protection of their governments in regard to such concessions. Of prime importance were the same article's agrarian provisions. It declared that all measures passed since 1856 alienating ejidos were null and void; if the pueblos needed more land, they could acquire it by expropriation from neighboring haciendas. These and other provisions of the constitution of 1917 laid legal foundations for a massive assault on the latifundia. Proof exists that the constitution was not anticapitalist: its sanction and protection of private property; its desire to control foreign enterprises, rather than eliminate them, creating more favorable conditions for the development of capitalism. During November of 1920, Obregin becomes president; the next 80 years will be more corrupt and inquisitive than anyone in Diaz's regime. Power under Obregin's reign, in comparison to Diaz's, was held by a ruling class of wealthy generals, capitalists, and landlords. Obviously, Obregin pretended to be a conservative, but was truly moderate. He regarded agrarian reform as a safety valve for peasant discontent, and even distributed some land to the pueblos. He distributed 3 million acres of land to the people. Of coarse, the good land was given to the latifundias, and the marginal land to the peasants. Even after a village had received land, its prospect for success was poor. The government failed to provide the peasants with any means of getting loans from the bank, seeds, tools, or modernization. Industry occurred only on the latifundias because that is where the money was. This was the same reason that latifundia owners were granted loans; they had the money to pay them back. The Labor and Agrarian Party did manage to slow down land reform. The delayed large landowners sued to prevent land distribution. Calles, Obregin's handpicked successor, also neglected to provide the peasantry with irrigation, fertilizer, tools, or seed. He established a government bank that was supposed to lend money to the ejidos, promote modern farming techniques, and act as agents for the sale of their produce. But four-fifths of the bank's resources were loaned not to ejidos, but to haciendados with much superior credit ratings, and many of the bank's agents took advantage of their position to enrich themselves at the expense of the peasants. Land reform had failed once again†¦ big surprise. Calles concluded that peasant proprietorship was economically undesirable, and announced the abandonment of land distribution. Meanwhile, on his own large estates, Calles introduced machinery and other modern agricultural techniques and advised other large landowners do the same. Finally, Cirdenas, a self-proclaimed liberal, resumed the ignored Revolution. Land distribution to the villages on a massive scale was accompanied by a many-sided effort to raise agricultural productivity and improve the quality of rural life. Labor was encouraged to replace the old, corrupt leadership with militant leader and to struggle for the improved conditions that were denied in the past. Land was distributed to the peasantry in a variety of ways, according to the climatic soil conditions of the different regions. The principal form was the ejido, the communal landholding system under which land could not be mortgaged or alienated, with each ejidatario entitled to use a parcel of community land. The ejido was the focal point of agrarian reform, but land was also distributed in the forms of the rancho and the collective ejidos. Surprisingly, the government generously endowed these enterprises with seeds, machinery, and credit for the Banco de Cridito Ejidal. In 1822, hoping to raise revenue and increase production, Rivadavia, chief minister under Martin Rodriguez, governor of the province of Buenos Aires, introduced the system of emphyteusis, a program of distribution of public lands through long-term leases at fixed rentals. This measure actually contributed to the growth of the latifundia. Argentina had to meet the steadily mounting European demand for Argentine wheat and meat, the Conquest of the Desert triggered the driving of land prices ever higher, due to increased land speculation, and caused a prodigious expansion of cattle raising and agriculture. This expansion took place under the sign of the latifundia. Few of the millions of Italian and Spanish immigrants who entered Argentina in this period realized the common dream of becoming independent small landowners. Argentina, although far more industrialized to begin with, was also dependent upon an export economy. In fact, Argentina's dynamic economic development during the latter 19th century and early 20th century was particularly due to the influx of large quantities of foreign investment capital, which went to put more land under cultivation. Another factor of economic development at that time was the inflow of millions of immigrants, who provided cheap labor for the expanding agricultural sector. Argentina's prosperity, at that time, depended on its ability to export huge amounts of agricultural commodities, to import the manufactured goods it required, and to attract a steady stream of large-scale foreign investment. Every sector of the Argentine economy depended on exports. In contrast to Mexico, however, Argentina raises enough agricultural products not only to fill domestic needs but also to export surpluses to foreign markets. Agriculture and livestock raised employment levels 35 percent. The nation's greatest agricultural area, the Pampas, exported 70 percent of its production (including wheat and cereal grains). Irrigated areas, from the Rio Negro north through Mendoza, San Juan, Tucumin, and San Salvador de Jujuy, are rich sources of fruit, sugarcane, and wine grapes. The export economy had other major exports besides agricultural goods, which placed less emphasis on the latifundia. Argentine industry centered on food processing and mainly meat packaging. Around 1935, foodstuff processing accounted for 47 percent of all industrial production, and textiles for another 20 percent. The transportation industry handled mostly export commodities, through their railroads and coastal shipping. In addition to large numbers of farm laborers, many urban and industrial workers depended on the exports for their jobs. The major trade and industrial unions in Argentina arose in the industries of coastal shipping, railroads, dock work, and packinghouses, where their well-being would be guaranteed in their control of overseas trade. Because the government relied on revenues derived from the import taxes, significant numbers of white-collared workers and professionals employed by the government also were intimately tied to the export economy. Both the rich and the poor were reliant upon the export economy for their livelihood. The ruling elite was composed of large landowners, who produced almost entirely for the export trade. The upper class acquired its wealth and prestige through its ability to capitalize on opportunities presented by the export economy. Large landowners used the export boom of the last quarter of the 19th century to solidify and enhance its power. The most powerful in the elite was the cattle fatteners, who supplied beef for both the domestic and foreign markets. This inner circle was composed of four hundred families that were closely allied through social clubs and business associations. Geographically, most of the wealth was located in the cattle and cereal regions of the Pampas. From 1880-1912, the elite class that controlled the nation's land also controlled its politics (hence, the larger land owners, or the latifundia owners, were the most powerful politically during this time period). Later, and urban middle class arose, who was still dependent on the export economy. The lower class, conversely, was divided into two groups: workers and urban marginals. A considerable amount of workers were employed by the railways and in the Port of Buenos Aires. Mexico is still more dependent upon the latifundia system than Argentina, both socially and politically. Argentina has gone further with industrialization, creating more jobs available for the middle and lower classes of their complex class structure. Also, Mexico took much longer to set up their domestic market. By the time they were just beginning to set their goals on producing staples for their own markets, Argentina had a healthy domestic market with plenty of staples for their people. However, both countries tended to rely on exportation as a means of capital for a great deal of time.

The Report on Presidential Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Report on Presidential Elections - Essay Example The candidates have their own parties some of which are fragmented. The electoral laws advocate that the candidates should employ an interactive model, which incorporates the political influence of institutions and social cleavages. Social cleavages are linked with social identity because in electoral institutions or in the society, there are always divided groups. This may determine the way the society behaves towards voting for their preferred presidential candidate. The empirical research in comparative politics reveals that social cleavages impact the number of presidential candidates or parties in the election process. The electoral process has been a political issue in the late 20th century; thus, many political scholars provide their viewpoints that the electoral policies should exercise an outstanding self-governing effect on the political party system. The electoral exercises are determined by the electoral laws of a state and they depend on the party systems. The electoral laws exercise significant roles in the political society because of the independent effect they create on the party system. The research indicates that the electoral system influence on a party system is significant and it is unpretentious when comparing it with the effect of sociological factors (Jones 106). The issue of the party system fragmentation is one of the causes that creates varying degree in the presidential elections.... Thus, they advocated on the use of interactive model in assessing the combined political institution influences and social cleavages on the party fragmentation. Therefore, they came up with the solution of employing interactive model in political institutions. Though, the model is unclear as to whether it can be beneficial in understanding the party fragmentation in presidential elections. Understanding the party fragmentation determinants in the presidential elections is crucial because of the three main reasons. One of the reasons is that presidential elections exercise significant effect on the party system and the electoral laws (Jones 74). Another one is that the fragmentation level of the party system in the electoral laws may have a strong impact on the nature of the administration in the presidential democratic system. For example, one party government and the coalition government or effective or ineffective legislation; thus contributing to party fragmentation. The greater t he fragmentation levels the more problems in identifying the probable governance option in the presidential elections (Jones 74). Many voters can be incapable of making effective choice in the presidential elections because of party fragmentation and poor electoral legislation. The presidential election with weak legislative support may end up being deemed as candidates with undesirable traits in fragmented party systems. The influence of electoral policies is restrictive on the extent of social cleavages polity. The social cleavages seem to impact effective presidential election process; thus, many scholars argue that institutional and interactive models are among the effective approaches in competitive presidential elections. Dickson and Scheve (351) argue that social cleavage can provide

Business ethics as contemporary management topic Term Paper

Business ethics as contemporary management topic - Term Paper Example The study has selected business ethics in order to understand following learning outcomes: Many companies (read Nortel, Enron, Layman Brothers and others) have suffered the ill effect of poor business ethics in last two decades hence discussing contemporary issues related to business ethics can help the author to gain knowledge about organizational sustainability. Business helps the organization to build sustainable representation in front of their stakeholders. Unethical business practice creates a negative impact in the mind of both shareholders and stakeholders. In many cases, it has been observed that government of a particular country takes legal action against organizations practicing unethical activities such as bankruptcy, fraud, misrepresentation of financial asset or fraud. Legal action against unethical organizations not only perturbs sustainability of them but negatively impacts shareholder’s interest. Studying business ethics will help the author to understand the importance of organizational sustainability in terms of financial perspective. Many companies of USA have understood the importance of business ethics hence they have created ethical assistance lines for stakeholders to report the ethical concern about the business practice to them. The following diagram will show an increase of concern related business ethics in recent times. There is a vast gap between ethics and self-interest in the business practice. Many business executives emphasize on self-interest in order to fulfill personal prosperity instead of doing business for the betterment of society.

Organisations and thier environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisations and thier environment - Essay Example Mullins (2005) contends that organisations comprise 'people, objectives, structures' and 'management'. External: These are the factors which on which an organisation may not be able to exert much of its control. These include, the legal and political scene prevailing within the state/ country of its operations, number and types of competitors, suppliers in the market, terms and conditions from financial institutions, alternative products available in the market, newer technological innovations etc. Worthington (2006) places greater importance on political developments occurring at different levels - local, national and international. Organisations resort to strategic planning to take care of these factors and. Organisations learn a lot from there environment and prevailing circumstances. But the strategic intent alone cannot be planned all in advance. It has to be a continuous evolutionary process depending upon the experiences. Henry Ford said, "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently"1 Environment Analysis: It involves studying and analyzing the surroundings to identify the competitors, the threats and opportunities. Maslow's hierarchy of needs argued that the driving force for human actions is the urge for satisfaction of one or the other need. These needs go on changing depending upon a number of factors. In fact the needs of consumer/ customer and those of the organization are inter-linked because organization too is an active component, so needs of the organization too keep changing. Similarly changing needs of the customer must drive an urge for change in the organization for it to succeed in the long run. Environment changes with; The form of government i.e. whether democratic, parliamentary or not. The market forces depend a lot on the form of government. Frequency of elections and leaning of the political party coming to power. Existing trade facilitations/ barriers amongst the partner countries. For example EU is composed of 27 member states, which help businesses to prosper within the region. In addition regional trade associations like NAFTA, SAFTA etc also lessen the trade barriers and prove to be helpful in preparing strategies for the organisation. Government's economic policies, taxation rates, rates of interests, currency convertibility, competition policy, employment policy, environment protection policies etc. PESTEL analysis provides an important tool to take a comprehensive look at the external environment affecting an organisation. PESTEL determines the factors like Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal. Organisations are supposed to devise their strategies on the basis of this analysis. Environment analysis involves market analysis as well. In fact environment analysis tends to be unique to the strategists, because what may appear to be an opportunity to one organization may

Technology and Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology and Organizations - Research Paper Example The influence of technology extends beyond influencing the organization to enhancing the services given to its customers. Of particular importance to organizations has been information and communication technology, commonly interchanged with the terminology technology, which could be attributed to the rapid increase in adoption of information technology in organizations (Zammuto et al., 2007). This paper adopts the definition of technology by Prasad (2009) which encompasses three elements: human processes, physical system and knowledge. Technology occurs through the interaction of human and organization processes and the physical hardware. Knowledge allows the creation of the physical product. Therefore, technology refers to the product resulting from a body of knowledge aimed at achieving a design for a physical system and the human processes interacting with the product, allowing it to meet the intended function. Importance of Technology to Organizations Technology plays a critical role in shaping the function and form of an organization. According to Zammuto et al. (2007), technology, and in particular information technology, propagates automation of organizational operations and increases communication speed. Automation of organizational functions has made it possible to collect and store tasks and replace people and papers with electrons, without necessarily changing the outcome of the tasks. Digital filing saves on paper and printing costs. The use of computer systems allows for instantaneous corrections and also, together with the capabilities provided by information technology, make information available when need be. Therefore, it could be said that technology enhances the efficiency of organizations. Secondly, technology in organizations eliminates time and space by promoting mobility (Prasad, 2009). For instance, video conferencing technology allows people in different localities to interact with each other. This creation of virtual meetings reduces travel costs and distributes data without necessarily being in the same room. Therefore, technology propagates the establishment of a global presence at minimal cost. Another importance that comes with technology focuses on human capital. According to Prasad (2009), technology in organizations enables effective screening, recruiting and hiring of rightful workforce. Various organizations use the Internet to attract potential employees. Technologies such as personality assessments have been useful in determining the fit of candidates in an organization. Negative Impact of Technology on Organizations Even as technology improves organizational performance, it also has limitations which could render it worthless. Birchall and Giambona (2008) point out job elimination as one of the major negative impacts of technology. According to the scholars, whereas technology could greatly reduce paperwork and human intervention on one hand, it reduces employment opportunities for people on the othe r hand. For example, the introduction of automated telephone answering systems has cut down on the human intervention through receptionists and telephone operators needed in many organizations. This results in elimination of jobs and in other cases alienation of customers. It further makes it difficult for the unemployed specialists to secure future employment. Nonetheless, Freeland (2013) argues against this postulate

EC 417 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EC 417 - Essay Example He stresses the point that economists and the World Bank which he represent, have great concerns about improved standards of living for poor countries which would enable people in villages like Gulvera to live better. This Easterly (2002) indicates would prevent them from being hungry and diseased. He indicates that increases in GDP per capita would translate into rising income for the poor, lifting them out of poverty. Easterly (2002) then uses the situation in Lahore to look at a number of problems facing the poorest countries compared to the richest. These include infant mortality, diseases and nutritional deficiencies. Easterly (2002) also provides an explanation of the higher infant mortality rates and provides information on the low cost per dose of oral rehydration and vaccination that would prevent these deaths and diseases; and exclaimed that despite the low cost, the extent of poverty is significant. Easterly (2002) sought to emphasize the point that wealth has positive imp lications for one’s health and indicates that findings suggest a relationship between infant mortality and economic growth which implies that the high death rate of infants in Africa in 1990 could have been prevented if the standards of living in was just a little higher than it was. In terms of assessing the poorest of the poor the Easterly points to how they are treated in the poorest countries of the world by the poor themselves and how they are described. Some of the countries mentioned are Tombouctou, commonly referred to as Timbuktu in Mali which is one of the poorest countries in the world and where a 1987 survey showed that 41% of children die before reaching age five. Easterly (2002) also gives some startling statistics on the calorie intake of the poorest 5th countries and the richest 5th countries, and notes the absence of famine in the richest countries while a 1/4th of the poorest countries faced famines in the last three decades. Easterly also looked at the oppr ession of the poor worldwide, child labor which is ignored in 88% of the countries, child prostitution and the oppression of women which takes many forms including wife beating in Jamaica. Easterly (2002) then provides a definition of poverty as: â€Å"that part of the population with incomes below $1 per day†. Easterly (2002) stresses the point that a fast growth rate will lead to fast poverty reduction as economic contraction goes along with increased poverty. Easterly (2002) also gave examples of poverty increasing significantly with severe recession in countries in West Africa as well as the effects of economic growth and economic contractions in Asia. Easterly also points to World Bank statistics that found that a change in the average income of a society led to a proportionate change in the poorest 20% of the population and suggests that the poor could improve their standard of living through the redistribution of income and economic growth. In concluding the Chapter Ea sterly points to the quest of improving the welfare of poor and re-emphasizes the importance of this to the next generation. Chapter 2 – Aid for Investment Easterly starts with a quote, this time from Shakespeare’s â€Å"Two Gentlemen of Verona† as to how something becomes a habit. The focus this time was on

Workplace Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace Issues - Essay Example If the employee is not working in an area that "involves public safety or sensitive government policies", the courts may disallow drug testing (Bergman and Berman-Barrett, 2008, p.70). Limiting drug testing is based on the provisions of probable cause, and the search and seizure protections in the constitution. The federal government justifies drug testing using the legal theory that the potential for harm must outweigh the damage inflicted by the loss of the subject of constitutional rights. In any event, employees in private employment should have the same protections as a government employee. Without probable cause, IE obvious intoxication, the employee should not have to submit to an invasive search of his blood or breath.  Ã‚   Employees are protected from discrimination in their compensation based primarily on the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Equal pay and compensation discrimination, 2009). The 1963 act was meant to target gender discrimination, but subsequent acts have focused on minority status, age, and disabilities (Equal pay and compensation discrimination, 2009). The 1963 Act prohibits paying different rates of pay based on gender when the employees are equal in skill, effort, and responsibility (Equal pay act of 1963, 2009). Women have argued for gender equality, and the 1963 Act was keeping with our country's tradition of fairness and reflected a fundamental shift away from the traditional roles of men and women (Persily, Citrin, and Egan, 2008, p.158). However, the equality of pay also depresses overall wages and benefits business the most. Artificially higher pay for women attracts more women to the labor pool, and this surplus of labor drives down wages (Sowell, 2004, p.163). The fact that we have co mplied with the principles of gender equality does not fairly compensate for the economic loss incurred in the labor market, and gender should not be considered as a criterion for pay equality.   

Cultural Influence on Human Development Essay Example for Free

Cultural Influence on Human Development Essay It is important to understand why culture affects and is an integral part of human development and should not be overlooked. Demographic experts predict that the human population will reach 9 billion by 2050, but the rise will not occur equally around the world. The existing demographic divide between the wealthy developed countries and the poor developing countries will only widen because majority of the increase will occur among the developing countries whilst that of the former will actually decline progressively. As it is, the combined population of developed countries only make up 18% of the total world population, and 9 of 10 individuals living here are in the top 20% of the global income distribution. In contrast, about 40% of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars per day (Arnett, 2012). Variations in human development occur because of differences in cultural settings, which in turn are significantly impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) of a group. Educational level, income level, and occupational status are all parameters within the SES. It pervades all aspects of human development, from risk of infant mortality to quality of education and job prospects to affording healthcare in old age. It is no surprise that differences in SES are sharp between developed and developing countries. Like SES, gender and ethnicity are strong drivers of culture and are key factors in development. The dichotomy is blurred now, but throughout our history cultural expectations of men and women have been vastly different. The Hunter-gatherer way of live evolved because our Homo ancestors needed to adapt to the long infant dependency to the mother, who remained in a stable home base caring for the offspring and gathering edibles within reach while the males ventured out to hunt for food. An extreme example of women assuming a secondary role occurred in Imperial China (10th or 11th century) where young women of the wealthy elite who did not need them to work were subjected to painful foot binding to prevent further growth. This was a display of status and became the symbol of beauty in Chinese culture. So deep-seated is the gender difference in Antiquity that it manifested in the ancient conceptions of human development that the three ancient religions – Dharmashastras (Hindu), G reek (conceived by the philosopher Solon), and the holy Talmud (Jewish) – were all written by and for men only. Women were excluded from areas such as religious leadership and philosophy. Religion,  along with race and language, is a component of ethnicity. Recent scientific conceptions of human development also hinge on the influence of the social environment. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) draws attention to the broader cultural environment beyond the mother-child relationship that people experience as they develop. He distinguishes an exosystem of social institutions school, religion, and media – that have indirect but pivotal influences on development. His more encompassing macrosystem of cultural beliefs and values form the foundation of economic and governmental systems. Middle Eastern countries possess governments and economic systems that are based on Islam. Conversely, developed countries believe in the value of individual freedom and this is reflected in their capitalist economy and democratic government. No matter how we look at it, every aspect of human development be it biological, psychological or social, is invariably intertwined with culture. Moreover, a study on human development that focuses on the 18% of the world’s population living in developed countries that can fund major research undertaking is both inadequate and unfair. Poor developing countries have rich and complex cultural systems that have legitimate impact on human development. Therefore it is vital that we learn about human development as it is experienced around the world.

Emily Dickinson Publication As Auction English Literature Essay

Emily Dickinson Publication As Auction English Literature Essay One question that confounds readers of Emily Dickinsons poetry is why she was so reluctant to have her work known in her lifetime. Not even her family knew, until after her death, the extent of Dickinsons writing, that she had left behind 1,775 poems. Publication-is the Auction, poem #709, provides some insight into Dickinsons thinking. She compares publication to an Auction / Of the Mind of Man (1-2), and not even poverty truly justifies it. To sell what has been given you and is only yours while you are on Earth is like reducing the Human Spirit / To Disgrace of Price (15-16). In this poem, Dickinson equates the publication of poems to the selling of her self. Not publishing, then, is a form of self-preservation. When Dickinson writes in #709-Publication-is the Auction that it is better to avoid so foul a thing (4) and instead go White-Unto the White Creator (7), she compares her writing to Snow (8). She lets the reader know that publication represents a sullying of the Snow, a disgrace to what is divine and God-given (from the White Creator, who is himself pure). It is not only divinity contained in the poems, she argues, but also the Human Spirit (15). Although these are compelling reasons to guard against any adulteration of her work, these are not the only reasons Dickinson gives for not pursuing publication and the fame that (she feared?) might follow. In #1659-Fame is a fickle food, she compares fame to an overly rich and ultimately unwholesome meal. Here, as often in Dickinsons poems, the birds are possessed of a knowledge that human beings do not have. The birds look at the crumbs of fame and Flap past it to the / Farmers Corn- / Men eat of it and die (8-10). Those birds are a stand-i n for the poet, their song and her song, even their ironic caw, much her own. But Fame is a fickle food also speaks to a fear that fame would be transitory if it came at all. In poem #1763, quoted immediately below in its entirety, she states succinctly: Fame is a bee. / It has a song- / It has a sting- / Ah, too, it has a wing. It seems her emotions here are moving somewhere between longing and fear. And so the pull between publication (and the fame she seemed to believe would come with it) and the realization of her work on her own terms remained a preoccupation. As she recounted to T. W. Higginson (Dickinsons friend and adviser, he was the editor of the Atlantic Monthly), there were the occasional calls from editors who wished to publish her work. She wrote and told him: Two editors of journals came to my fathers house this winter, and asked me for my mind, and when I asked them why they said I was penurious, and they would use it for the world (405). The world that the editors would use it for, however, was not the world that most concerned Dickinson. The ambition in her to go beyond the concerns of this world, to even, perhaps, achieve a fame beyond this world, is but one of the more fascinating aspects of her. The power of this woman, whose life appears so circumscribed, who could say, I feel the presence of that within me, unseen, yet indescribably mighty, that can comprehe nd worlds systems of worlds yet cannot comprehend itself (241), is to be wondered at. is why it is odd to find a critic who would imagine that Dickinson possessed power in abundance but she confined it to the speaker of her verse (Bennett 43), so clearly does her power exhibit itself in all she does. Her originality caused William Dean Howells to welcome Dickinson as a distinctive addition to the literature of the world (Benfey 40). Emily Dickinson would not sell the substance of herself, her words. To her, her gift was greater than gold. When the world was ready for Dickinson the poet, it found her.

Pride And Prejudice And The Romantic Ages English Literature Essay

Pride And Prejudice And The Romantic Ages English Literature Essay Despite its name, Romantic, the Romantic age had only a few things that was related to the real meaning of romance known now, however, love had been the main subject of most of the ages art. The age was actually a great achievement of art and philosophy that resulted in the western societies to change the way they thought about themselves and their surroundings as mentioned in the article Romanticism Adapted from  A Guide to the Study of Literature. Differing from the classical age the romantic age has given artists of that period more freedom and creation. Music for instance was of great value in terms of the way it expresses. Composers of the age used music along with freedom in expression to express nationalism and hence proving their cultural identity also as mentioned in the article Romantic Literature. And as mentioned in the article The Romantic Era it is stated that composers experimented length of compositions, new harmonies, and tonal relationships.   Furthermore, all s trict ideas in the structure of the society were breaking down. The romantic aged has marked a great power of more artistic energy and creativity. Romanticism is featured by many characteristics that influenced art and literature of that age. Starting with love of nature in which the romantics valued the beauty of nature because if the industrial revolution that has happened during that age forcing people to live in cities and loosing the peaceful country side livings. Romantics also valued nature because they believed it helped in realizing the real identity of ones self as mentioned in the article Romantic Literature. A clear romantic feature also appeared in the difference between rationality and emotions. The romantic age writers trusted their emotions in composing and writing unlike the classical ages. Romanticism created trust in human emotions and feelings and has reflected in the creativity of art. Romanticism also showed the belief in artists as the creators of the art. Unlike older ages where an artist was bond to reflect the surroundings in his art, Romanticism gave artists of its age the ability to express their inner feelings and emotions in their work. In older ages, literature and art were for high educated people of certain classes only but Romanticism gave chances for more common the ability to compose and create art under the concept of Nationalism. Exoticism has also reflected along with other features as people became fonder of exotic ideas and the idea of mystery. According to the article Romantic Literature supernatural ideas were also an approach that showed on artists work as they became more attracted to ideas of horror and mystery. Romantic age creativity also ga ve chances to normal people to be heros of an art unlike older classics where a hero is a noble man of high value. Most novels in the romantic age were written by females. One of the most important artists that appeared was the great Jane Austen an English novelist of romance based fiction. One of Jane Austens great writings was the novel Pride and Prejudice. The novel was based on the idea of marriage and how it was affected by the society. austen.jpg She believed that marriage should not be affected by the way people think or family issues and wealth and that it should be based more on ones need and feelings. She tried to convince readers that one should be married for the sake of love. Jane Austen showed how different ideas of her ages society affected the idea of marriage. Different classes of society during that age had certain ways of thinking when the idea of marriage from another class appears. Such ideas included the differences in reputation, pride, identity and family wealth. pride_and_prejudice-movie-picture.jpg In the novel the middle class family, The Bennets get to socialize with the higher class family the Bingleys and the Darcys but the idea that they are lower than them keeps on appearing in the way the novel events go by. Mrs. Bennets hope was to get her five daughters married to men whose class will provide good financial aid to her daughters as at that time a womans only way to possess good financials was getting married to good fortunes as mentioned in the article Marriage in Pride and Prejudice. The first sentence in the novel appears to provide a clear thought of the idea of classes. It stated that, It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. This also shows the opposite, that even a woman is in need of a wealthy man with good fortune. It is stated in the article Pride and Prejudice Marriage that marriage for a woman in the authors age is a status for her strive and achieve. Jane Austen reflects that the idea of prejudice between Darcy and Elizabeth when they first met and shows how love can break the boundary of class differences and pride. A major idea that was shown in Janes novel was the idea behind how certain physical appearances really hid how a persons real character is. It is clearly shown in the way Elizabeth was misguided with Mr. Darcys and Mr. Wickhams appearance on how their internal character really is as mentioned in the article Pride and Prejudice: Appearance vs. Reality. By the time most of the novels events are over Elizabeth comes to a decision that her primary impact on both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham were incorrect. Jane Austen clearly concludes on her novel that appearance often tricks how people judge ones real character. The idea of hypocrisy appears several times in the novel mostly in positions where one of the novels characters has a sarcastic view on some point where he/she neglects that it might be in him/her self. For instance hypocrisy appears when the Bingleys make fun of the Gardners and the Lucas that they have gained their fortunes through trade which reflects low identity when they actually ignore the fact that their fortune has even been gained through trade. Caroline from the Bingleys, is also an example of hypocrisy where she supports her friend Elizabeth as long as it would not harm her plans and then at the closest stop gives her away with a low value letter intentionally. Finally, Pride and Prejudice, is a subject of how marriage acts in a demanding society, a society that demands pride, dignity, wealth and well-being. The novel clearly illustrates the writers feelings of how marriage should not be in the control of society pressures, wealth and appearances but for the sake of ones love. The novel also clearly shows how women had prejudice towards their low class when getting indulged with families of higher class levels. Pride and Prejudice shows not only the idea of love in marriage but represents all kind of relationships and how that the perfect couple with the perfect circumstances and reasons was hard to be found. The writer illustrates this by showing all kinds of thoughts that appear in marriages according to her view of her ages society. Works Cited Page Romanticism. 15 Feb. 2009. 10 May 2010. The Romantic Era. 10 May. 2010. Romantic Literature. 10 May. 2010. Marriage in Pride and Prejudice. 10 May.2010 Pride and Prejudice Marriage. 5 July 2010. 10 May. 2010

The Nightmare Essay -- Fantasy, creative writing, fiction writing

Exhausted and beat, Kai grasps his face. The prominent slap that the girl he saved has left a mark. The battle that left one town saved and a hero in pain. His shoulder gashed deeply, a painful memory of the dragon’s last attack before being dismantled and left headless. Kai stands in distraught his right-hand holding his left shoulder and his left hand grasping his face. He watches as the girl he saved stampedes off with steam coming from her ears as her ass imprinted with a bloodied hand, the hand print that Kai had accidentally left. Kai stands within the beloved town just staring at his hand wondering if something was actually wrong. The silence is broken as his companions join him. Even before he can say anything Amber, the girl secretly in love with Kai, slaps him across the face ferociously as fire burns with in her eyes. Without giving him time to explain, Amber scolds Kai and begins to yell â€Å"I don’t believe you oh my gosh. What is wrong with you? Do you h ave to grope every hot girl you see?† Kai looks at her as if a hint of jealousy has arose, but knowing if ever bought up he’d be tormented like no other and can only reply â€Å"It wasn’t me this time I swear. This hand is out of control†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Just then, Kai passes out clinching his shoulder as he crashes to the ground. The next morning Kai wakes up in a bed with his shoulder bandaged and in a sling. He hears Melody and Amber talking in the next room and as he goes and sees how they are doing, his left hand breaks from the sling and gropes Melody upon her ass. This hand which was named by the group as the â€Å"lecherous hand† seems to have a mind of its own. With his hand squeezing her firm ass, Sai walks in. â€Å"What the hell is going on here?† Kai does not know how to reply. H... ... in bed. He looks at his left hand and then feels his shoulder bandaged and in pain. He removes the bandage and his deep wound has not healed. He lies back down trying to catch his breath when as four people enter the room. They sit next to him asking what had happened and all he can say is â€Å"nothing it was a dream†¦just a bad dream.† As his friends stick by his side watching over him he notices the pouring outside. The rain smashes at the windows like hail and he whispers to himself â€Å"even the heavens weep.† But outside a notorious figure works the night, peering through the window he steps aside and takes his leave. With a malevolent grin on his lips his raspy voice utters â€Å"Kai†¦you are almost ready.† The wet and dark night shakes and rumbles as a devilish laugh echoes through the night making even the Devil himself quiver. This is only the beginning of the end. The Nightmare Essay -- Fantasy, creative writing, fiction writing Exhausted and beat, Kai grasps his face. The prominent slap that the girl he saved has left a mark. The battle that left one town saved and a hero in pain. His shoulder gashed deeply, a painful memory of the dragon’s last attack before being dismantled and left headless. Kai stands in distraught his right-hand holding his left shoulder and his left hand grasping his face. He watches as the girl he saved stampedes off with steam coming from her ears as her ass imprinted with a bloodied hand, the hand print that Kai had accidentally left. Kai stands within the beloved town just staring at his hand wondering if something was actually wrong. The silence is broken as his companions join him. Even before he can say anything Amber, the girl secretly in love with Kai, slaps him across the face ferociously as fire burns with in her eyes. Without giving him time to explain, Amber scolds Kai and begins to yell â€Å"I don’t believe you oh my gosh. What is wrong with you? Do you h ave to grope every hot girl you see?† Kai looks at her as if a hint of jealousy has arose, but knowing if ever bought up he’d be tormented like no other and can only reply â€Å"It wasn’t me this time I swear. This hand is out of control†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Just then, Kai passes out clinching his shoulder as he crashes to the ground. The next morning Kai wakes up in a bed with his shoulder bandaged and in a sling. He hears Melody and Amber talking in the next room and as he goes and sees how they are doing, his left hand breaks from the sling and gropes Melody upon her ass. This hand which was named by the group as the â€Å"lecherous hand† seems to have a mind of its own. With his hand squeezing her firm ass, Sai walks in. â€Å"What the hell is going on here?† Kai does not know how to reply. H... ... in bed. He looks at his left hand and then feels his shoulder bandaged and in pain. He removes the bandage and his deep wound has not healed. He lies back down trying to catch his breath when as four people enter the room. They sit next to him asking what had happened and all he can say is â€Å"nothing it was a dream†¦just a bad dream.† As his friends stick by his side watching over him he notices the pouring outside. The rain smashes at the windows like hail and he whispers to himself â€Å"even the heavens weep.† But outside a notorious figure works the night, peering through the window he steps aside and takes his leave. With a malevolent grin on his lips his raspy voice utters â€Å"Kai†¦you are almost ready.† The wet and dark night shakes and rumbles as a devilish laugh echoes through the night making even the Devil himself quiver. This is only the beginning of the end.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: Free Essays on 1984

The novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is an American classic which explores the human mind when it comes to power, corruption, control, and the ultimate utopian society. Orwell indirectly proposes that power given to the government will ultimately become corrupt and they will attempt to force all to conform to their one set standard. He also sets forth the idea that the corrupted government will attempt to destroy any and all mental and physical opposition to their beliefs, thus eliminating any opportunity for achieving an utopian society. The novel shows how the government attempts to control the minds and bodies of it citizens, such as Winston Smith who does not subscribe to their beliefs, through a variety of methods. The first obvious example arises with the large posters with the caption of "Big Brother is Watching You" (page 5). These are the first pieces of evidence that the government is watching over its people. Shortly afterwards we learn of the "Thought Police", who "snoop in on conversations, always watching your every move, controlling the minds and thoughts of the people." (page 6). To the corrupted government, physical control is not good enough, however. The only way to completely eliminate physical opposition is to first eliminate any mental opposition. The government is trying to control our minds, as it says "thought crime does not entail death; thought crime is death." (page 27). Later in the novel the government tries even more drastic methods of control . Big Brother’s predictions in the Times are changed. The government is lying about production figures (pages 35-37). Even later in the novel, Syme’s name was left out on the Chess Committee list. He then essentially vanishes as though he had never truly existed (page 122). Though the methods and activities of the government seem rather extreme in Orwell’s novel, they may not be entirely too false. "Nineteen Eighty-Four is to the disorders of the twentieth century what Leviathan was to those of the seventeenth." (Crick, 1980). In the novel, Winston Smith talks about the people not being human. He says that "the only thing that can keep you human is to not allow the government to get inside you." (page 137). The corruption is not the only issue which Orwell presents, both directly and indirectly. He warns that absolute power in the hands of any government can lead to the deprival of basic freedoms and liberties for the people.

Diverse Communication and Classroom Management Essay

For teaching to be successful at any given stage, there should be an effective management of the classroom. This can be done through showing respect for the diversity that exists in the classroom situation. Diversity entails physical attributes, beliefs, gender, ethnic and cultural background, styles of learning and age among others (Dowdy & Delpit, 2008). The communication in the classroom setting is also of immense importance because through it, the students are able to reach out to the teacher and their peers while the teacher can be able to deliver the content in a manner that the learners will find easy to follow. This calls for the incorporation of effective management skills and promotion of good communication in class (Kassem, 2004). Respect can only be achieved if the teacher and the students communicate well and avoid dispensation of prejudicial materials (Snow & Fillmore, 1999). In addition to this, there should be some connections between the teacher and the students individually so as to enhance understanding of the feelings and personality of the students (Dowdy & Delpit, 2008). The relationship between what is learnt and their application to the daily lives is paramount in eliciting excitement and the enthusiasm to learn among the students. This paper looks in depth at these important parts that go into making the process of teaching and learning a success. The evaluation of these factors have been based of the fieldwork activities done by Ulrich, which are a one-on-one encounter with the learners and outside the classroom and the building of connections by the new teacher Introduction There are a myriad of challenges in the classroom that a teacher faces due to the diverse nature of many schools today (Snow & Fillmore, 1999). The number of students has increased and issues pertaining to gender and disability are rife in many schools. Communication therefore becomes a vital component of the teacher’s day to day teaching activities as well as the learning that takes place in the classroom (Kassem, 2004). The teacher has to recognize and analyze the cultures that the learners come from so as not to appear or be prejudicial and thus affect the smooth learning process, an issue that makes communication in such diverse classrooms to be challenging (Snow & Fillmore, 1999). The different cultures of the teachers may also prove to be an influence on the communication in the classroom thus affecting the manner in which the teacher has to deliver his/ her content. Promotion of positive behavior in students and achievement of good results are only possible if there is efficacy on the part of the teacher which is a constituent of good management in the classroom (Cummings, 2004). Generally, the realms of classroom management include the management of content, the conduct, and management of the covenant between the teacher and the students. Management of the content entails the skills that spans all activities and subjects taught in the class while conduct management entails the beliefs appertaining to people’s nature. The knowledge of people’s diversity should be integrated with some philosophies of instruction so that teachers can have a more effective and better way of handling their classrooms (Cummings, 2004). Management of the covenant between the teacher and the students regards classroom as a system that is social in nature and that the roles of the teacher and the students do shape the teaching- learning environment but is informed by the culture within which the school is found (Dowdy & Delpit, 2008). This calls for close relationship between the community and the school so that the school can be dynamic enough to cope with the dynamic needs of the society. For a school to be qualitative, the effectiveness of the teacher and the achievement of the student must be enhanced through the creation and strengthening of interpersonal skills for instance as seen in Ulrich’s journal entries. The learner has to feel wanted and treated as an important person. Central to this is communication between the teacher and the students such that in case of errant behavior, there should be an agreement on how the punishment can be meted, both the student and the teacher can solve it or the whole class can participate in deciding what punishment befits a given misbehavior (Kassem, 2004). This helps in the building of trust between the teacher and the students since the teacher cannot now assume a supervisory role but the learners become individually responsible for their own actions. Importance of language and identity in the classroom Perceptions of a given language or given languages and how such perceptions affect the classroom situation is of essence to the teacher as expounded by Dowdy & Delpit (2008) who say that the visibility of a language is just like the visibility of someone’s skin color. Dowdy & Delpit say that the judgment of a person’s intelligence, class and status can be based on their language. Those who speak Englishes other than the standard or other languages other than English are treated as being inferior. In the classroom, language and what it contributes towards identity is very important and the way to address the problem of inadequacy in one’s beliefs and attitudes is by letting them know that they are not inadequate but just different from the rest (Dowdy & Delpit, 2008). Students need this bit of encouragement since without confidence in themselves and their apparent lack of acceptance derail their performance in studies. The best way to go about this is by incorporating language studies in the curricula which will thus make the students appreciate the diverse languages that might be found in the classroom situation. The students’ home languages should also not be negatively referred to because it will tend to make them reject all that the school offers (Dowdy & Delpit 2008). The assertions made by Dowdy & Delpit imply that language marks the culture from which a student comes from. It further highlights the cognitive and socio-economic position that the student hails from and that the acquisition of the language considered to be of power may help the learner acquires a better social and economic standing. However, the urge to learn a new language is all within the feeling of the student. Whether he/ she learns a new language depends on him / her and not the teacher. This calls for student-centered approach to appeal to the needs of the learner as opposed to the teacher centered approach which the student may find very unpopular and fail to co-operate. The teacher must be ready to induct the learners in understanding the culture that accompany a target language that he/she wants them to understand because language is a microcosm people’s culture. If it is English language that they are being introduced to, then the home-used, formal and the professional forms must be made known to them (Kassem, 2004). Dowdy & Delpit further indicate that there is a clear connection that between identity, race, school success and the language a student speaks. Students of Englishes other than the standard English for example most African Americans have a different view of themselves. Their dilects may one time or another make their teachers, peers or other people in th community to make judgements on their academic capabilities. These writers found out that Afro-American kids do not switch their codes as easily as the others when they enter different environments that require the use of formal or professional language and the teachers have to learn to accept their culture and, through acceptance, these kids will learn to code-switch as easily as other students not from different cultural background. Importance of making connections Research has established that those teachers who show acceptance, support and care to the students are essential in the students’ learning for they create an enabling learning environment. The basic aim of the school as argued by Noddings (1994) is to grow and nurture people who are caring, loving, competent and lovable. Students will only be able to care for themselves and others only if they are cared for. Those teachers who know how to care are good in establishing good relations with the students although caring and making good relations are two different things for caring relations involve an element of mutual understanding and exchange of feelings that result to making of connections thus bringing some bonding between the student and the teacher. To make connections can be very hard since both parties must learn how to accept each others weaknesses and at the same time learning must take place. Most curricula in teacher training do not provide for how to facilitate good relationships between the teacher and the student. There is no provision for interpersonal relationship skills in the curricula making it hard for teachers to foster good relations with the students. Teachers who learn how to replenish their emotions have been found to be enduring even as many leave the teaching profession because of the inability to create enabling environment for student-teacher relationship (Noddings 1994). Generally, caring works in an intrinsic manner so as to establish the right emotions which in turn make the children to appreciate the content in the best way possible. How do we create the intelligence arising from correct student emotions and how can teachers be more caring so as to develop the right emotions hence intelligence in their pupils? Drawing from Gruwell’s example, classroom management, which involves building the right emotions, is not all about seniority in class level and neither is it about handling the best or gifted learners. Gruwell was given the less gifted ninth graders making the school that she taught to have some racial boundaries whereby the group that was favored was recognized and the other students left out. The â€Å"dumber† kids were looked down upon by both the teachers and the parents of the students who were gifted. The less gifted learners tended to be left out even in matters of great importance like access to some resource materials as seen in Gruwell’s case whereby she had to buy some copies of books herself (Gruwell, 2007). Students also need to have a connection between what they learn and their daily lives that is what they learn should have a connection with their real lives. They have to get what they are learning means to them, how it relates to them directly or indirectly (Gruwell, 2007). Information has to be given to them as carefully as possible so as to arouse some interest in them. In the journal entries in the fieldwork by Ulrich, the filing in of the students on the robot activity by the students (Engineering) made the students get excited about the idea. Their going to the geology department made them see things in a different light via practical melting of rocks and so forth. This reinforces the point that information which comes about due to communication is vital in changing the attitudes of the learners and thus making the teaching-learning experience enjoyable to both the teachers and the students. It is important to know the cultural background of the students because it might explain their personalities and thus make the teacher attend to them in a better manner (Lomawaima & McCarthy, 2006). If for instance the learners are asked to write about their families, they are likely to write that which makes them dull or insecure and so on, based on their expectations, feelings and memories. From such, writings, the teacher is able to draw an informed idea on why the students act the way they do which in the long run helps the teacher to assist the learner in the best way possible and help them improve their performance. Building respect in the classroom Respect means a lot to learners at all stages for they all want to be treated by others including teachers just as they would want the students to treat them. Teachers need to know that how they treat their students is exactly how the students will portray their attitudes towards them. This includes being nice to them, treating them equally, avoiding degrading remarks, being gentle and polite, courteous and minding one’s own business. The behavior exuded by the teacher is directly proportional to the respect they are accorded as can be seen in Shobe’s journal (Lomawaima & McCarthy, 2006) on correctional education. Musicians were not identified as being respected by any students from any culture perhaps because of their dressing and other mannerisms while such people as the teachers, parents and nannies were cited as the most respected by varied student. This is the direct result of love and respect that the identified persons showered on the students in addition to the encouragement they gave them in their academics. Encouraging respect can thus be said to be a very important endeavor so as to have an orderly classroom environment. It is the main ingredient in creating an environment in which the learner does not feel threatened but motivated to explore their academics to the highest levels. The learners must respect other learners and the teacher so as to enable progressive learning to take place. This is part of the realm of teaching as opposed to academic work alone because some learners may have the problem of not showing respect to others but do want to be respected by others. This demands teaching of the right way to expect respect from other learners as well as the school community (Gonzalez, 2001). Respect of individual students also entails making them feel accepted despite their differences from the rest. They should be taught that their unique attributes give them an opportunity to contribute what is of value in a special way, a way only capable of being exploited by their kind alone. Many students go to school knowing too well what they want to achieve in their academics meaning that teachers are just but helpers in making them realize their dreams (Gonzalez, 2001). This means that they already have some attitudes as they enter the school either from other schools or from home. Some do not like the school because of waking up early, others do not like academics and some do not like teachers who are not helpful in their teaching especially where they have not understood. This calls for the teacher’s intervention in matters pertaining respect to the students who will find it easier to listen to what they are being taught. They should feel respected which will make them want to learn that which their respectful teacher requires of them. In a diverse classroom situation, building respect can be achieved through literary studies that purpose to bridge the cultural gap among the students and between them and the teacher (Dowdy & Delpit, 2008). English teachers get most challenging moments in choosing the literary materials that are incorporative for a trusting, and respectful classroom environment is possible if only the teacher regards the different cultures in the classroom setting. There should be literary materials that offer different kinds of protagonists who reflect the society and appreciate other cultures while preserving some of the ideals from their cultures. Students’ self-esteem is increased if the literature selected represents varied cultures and that this literature must be taught with acceptance and respect without any form of prejudice. Realistic goals must be set and discussed in the class based on thorough and informed research on the students’ cultural beliefs which might be of influence to their behavior for instance where some cultures require learners to listen to teachings and not air their views (Cummings, 2000). In this way, the teacher will be able to establish the reason for the students’ laid –back attitude and not treat it as impudence which might jeopardize their mutual respect. The teacher, in an environment like this, cannot achieve the objective with ease because he/she has to bring the student to accept that their opinions are valued and anticipated whether correct or wrong. Literature with implicit cultural material for instance pronunciation of the students’ names in correct way and leading the whole class to accept such pronunciations is the inception of respect in that class. In addition to this, the learners should not be asked to voice the opinions or beliefs of their race, culture or gender because there might be some stereotypes that will be raised thus affecting the classroom balance (Noddings, 2004). Should there be a need to speak of other cultures; the students need to be taught how to respond to such culture-sensitive topics so as to be devoid of stereotypes. Different modes of teaching should be adopted for literature with diverse cultural content because the students who are diverse understand the subject of discussion using different modes. They can be seated as individuals or in groups so as to create an interactive environment, told to write on diverse cultural matters and so forth. The use of non-standard English texts which are full of idioms, slang, and so on present challenges to students from diverse background and the teacher therefore needs to avoid them at all costs since the students may feel that their needs have not been respected hence may show unruly behavior towards the teacher (Kassem, 2004). In addition to this, more than one mode of teaching especially literary materials should be adopted since students from diverse cultures may not full read then respond to some literally materials selected. Other ways to improve respect in class include not over-using example from one culture or gender as well as making the assumption that those quiet students do not learn for among the Asians, for instance, keeping silent is a shows respect. Humor that can be subject to a variety of interpretations should be avoided by the teacher and/ or the students because it might not be taken lightly by others thus putting the classroom manager’s respect in a questionable stand (Cummings, 2000). The study of literary materials is vital for showing the richness of the cultures from which the learners hail. Such materials should be carefully chosen so as not to embarrass or isolate some learners from others and worse still put them in doubt of the respect that the teacher and the other learners accord them and their culture. This will in turn define the respect they wish to give back to their fellow students and the teacher. Conclusion From the evaluation of the requisites for an effective teaching –learning process shown in this paper, it is worth concluding that the relationship between the teacher and the learners need to be as warm as possible. The caring and loving attitude, which brings terrific results, should be adopted by teachers. They should also enhance acceptance of the diversity in the classroom by other students so as to build lasting friendships and avoid disrespect which has far-reaching consequences of both teaching and learning. Stereotypical materials and too much focus on one culture, gender, race or individual is detrimental to effective classroom management. References Cummings, C. (2000): Classroom Management Strategies: Baltimore; Alexandria press Dowdy & Delpit (2008): The Skin that We Speak: New York; New Press Gonzalez, N. (2001): I am my Language: Tucson: Arizona University Press Gruwell, E (2007): Teaching with your Heart: New York; Harvard Kassem, C. L (2004): How to Develop a Caring Teacher: New Jersey, Mahwah Publishers Lomawaima, T & McCarthy, L. T (2006): To Remain an Indian: New York: Teachers College Press,

Does Internet Enhance or Reduce Social Interaction Essay

Papers like HomeNet publications have been following the effects, positive or negative of Internet on its users. The findings are interesting as it reports both positive and negative results. Initially the effect was negative on those who relied heavily on internet for communication. However that scenario has changed with time. Current studies no longer show the overall negative effects of the past. Using internet to communicate with families and friends as well as being involved in community activities has been on the rise. Negative effects are generally experienced by people with less support economically and introverts and positive effects experienced by people with good social resources and extraverts. Some people who have integrated internet into their ordinary lives have generally benefited, but they now experience new social problems. These problems are highlighted in this discussion in depth and a summary made in a table. Those internet users who find communication important, have good reason to expect that Internet has positive social impact on their lives. For such people communication, including contact with neighbors, friends, and family, and participation in social groups, improves their level of social support. To them interacting with internet gives them fulfilling personal relationships, a sense of meaning in life, and commitment to social norms with their communities. Their psychological and physical well-being (Diener et al. 1999; Cohen and Wills 1985; Mirowsky and Ross 1989;). They think through the use of internet for communication, they could have important positive social effects on individuals (McKenna and Bargh 2000), groups, organizations (Sproull and Kiesler 1991), and communities (Hampton and Wellman 2000), including society at large (Dertouzos 1997; Hilts). Just like the telephone did, they think broad social access could increase people’s social involvement, and facilitate formation of new relationships (Fischer 1992; Wellman 1996). People who are generally isolated could find new social identity and commitment (Katz and Aspden 1997). Isolated members of communities could participate in group organizations at a distance (Sproull and Kiesler 1991). Internet is also handy for political mobilization (Bonchek 1997). Whether Internet has positive or negative social impact depend upon the quality of the people online, their activities and what they give up to spend time online. Stronger social ties generally lead to better social outcomes than do weaker ties (Wellman and Wortley 1990). As we go through the discussion we find that the ease in communication that internet offers has encouraged people so much that they now spend more time alone, talking online with strangers and very little time with their communities. Increasingly people are connecting to each other through the internet, and looked at positively, one would say internet has increased the frequency of communication among its users. There are pertinent issues to look at today regarding our social interaction compared with the past: †¢ Has our social relation one-to-one improved or diminished? †¢ Has it provided more evidence of the difference between our virtual self and real self? †¢ Has our group interaction improved or diminished? Users of internet are socially withdrawn because they are most of the time lonely and hooked onto the net. Research has found that the more people are online, the more they become socially isolated ( James E. Katz). The study further shows that people who are constantly online the more they become isolated from social life and that there is a relationship between depression, stress and strength in social ties created by extensive use of the internet. This on the extreme can weaken the social ties that people normally have. Robert Kraut who is a researcher in the field and professor in the Department of Communication at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J. is the leading author of the study. However the finding has been seriously challenged as inadequate and lacking in rigor. The critiques say there needed to have been a control group used for comparison purposes and that the sample size was too small. On the contrary, computer experts are quoted as saying internet has greatly increased their human interaction. They say that they can now meet more people than ever before. But sociology experts say this is more a manifestation of people in a state of denial than the truth. But the truth is that there are two divergent views about computers and its social effect on people. Hoffman and partner Tom Novak at Vanderbilt University’s Project 2000 have for example have conducted a collaborate research with Georgia Institute of Technology in which they find many web users find the net browsing enriching and satisfying and that they are usually left in a happy state of mind far from being depressed. Philip Aspden, executive director of the Center for Research on the Information Society, surveyed 2,500 Internet users and found no evidence of social withdrawal. The study found that online participants are no less likely to join religious, leisure or any community organized activities than people who aren’t online. Virtual interaction is the norm in internet activities. People using portable computers can work in one office, one project without necessarily being physically in a place. They could be several kilometers away and do everything together that they could do in one environment, one office, and location. They can talk and hold meetings and discussions together. Internet has made the world look like a one local village. The issue is what is the social implication of this arrangement? Is it positive or negative socially? The answer is positive because the physical location can be anywhere most convenient for the individual. It can be your house / study room, supermarket; or inside your car. People work better when they operate from premises of their liking. Negative because supervision, control, co-ordination and monitoring becomes difficult. People find such arrangements new and odd though not necessarily bad socially. With time we shall be used to it and our sense of belonging will change. In this discussion we try to bring into focus the positive and negative social impact of internet. However we seem to agree that internet users have more social problems than usual. They are among other things withdrawn from normal social life and in virtual solitude as is commonly known. It is interesting to hear what some of these people say. Please allow me to quote some experiences from people who use internet. â€Å"Every time I go through the process it seems more and more like a religious ritual. When I reflect that I am connected to thousands or millions of people across the world, I forget that I am seated in a solitary confine of my computer room. I admit it is a strange feeling, one that I really like to the extent that I forget the social pleasure I normally find socializing with people outside there. Sometimes I also get frightened that I am beginning to like my computer mediated communication (CMC) better than talking with most real people with whom I come into daily contact face to face. Though I find it sad to say, I have never enjoyed serious discussions before where people say what is in their heart. Social opportunities and even academic opportunities for such discussions are dwindling. Our culture has become more and more trivial and superficial. † Through CMC people can find intellectual stimulation. It is easily available and comfortable. But the human touch is more natural and more satisfying. We are social animals and we need to meet and chart. Intellectualism has its time just as social life also has its time. The other negative aspect of internet is privatization which was introduced by Marshall McLuhan. This theory states that as entertainment and information becomes readily available to people, they are less likely to seek them outside their homes. As that happens, social interaction is becoming less and less frequent. We can select the people to talk to and use special words and mode of communication. Soon we shall be out of touch with the real world where we have different type of people needing different types of communication. My entertainment, amusement, and even communication have become private rather than public. Family people have very little time for each other because they spend all that time on the net. The young ones are the most affected. During the day, they are out in school and their parents are out for work. When they come home they cannot meet either, because everybody is busy with internet. When will they talk or learn from the parents one would ask? All that they imitate are programs from the internet, some very weird indeed. As parents we might overlook and despise the experience we got through social interaction with our peer groups and communities while we were young. It taught us to be at peace with our environment. In this environment there is richness found in diversity. The diversity found in behavior and culture of its people. We come to be more informed that the world is made of both order and disorder and become equipped to handle both occurrences. That is how we have been molded to be strong and resilient. The world of internet is denying our children that freedom and experience. Children never play together at home and very little in school. Computer mediated communication CMC is a new phenomenon in the computer world. There are other technologies more commonly used such as e-mail and interactive chat on the internet. These modes of communication have both bad and good sides. They have made communication, fast, easy and affordable. The physical location of the people we communicate to is no longer a barrier. We talk to people anytime anywhere by a mere touch of a button. When we play with our peers and join social clubs we meet people and friends and that is healthy for our body and mind. We are able to do some exercise which our body needs to avoid aging. We use our bodies more than our minds. To conclude my analysis on the effects of the internet talking about pornographic ideologies is no new phenomena as it is one of the high condemned vices of the internet as it is being used in all ways. Income generating activities, a source of employment to others but highly exploitative and seriously abusive in all ways, it ranges from child pornography to adult pornography.

Marketing educational organizations

The basic resource of society is (will be) knowledge and value is to be created by productivity and innovation (Drucker 1993). Amidon (2002), in her recent work entitled The innovation superhighway: harnessing intellectual capital for collaborative advantage states that the rapid shift in orientation over the past 50 years from data to information to knowledge is a profound and fundamental change that highlights the importance of individual and collective knowledge in the new economy.   The rapid changes that have taken place in this new era have created a â€Å"new economy† that presents new challenges and problems. There are now new markets that are available and the traditional mindsets or practices that have been utilized by institutions and foundations in the past may even be no longer applicable to the current scenario.   This short discourse seeks to explain how these changes have created an impact in the â€Å"new economy† by highlighting the influence that these changes have made to modern education administration theory in relation to the emerging contemporary marketing perspectives. As previously mentioned, the basic resource of society is (will be) knowledge and value is to be created by productivity and innovation (Drucker 1993).   While this may not necessarily be a new concept, it certainly creates an added dimension in this discussion as it leads to three (3) implications. The first being that educational institutions are no longer immune or removed from the â€Å"new economy†, as was previously thought; the second implication being that education presently being looked upon to provide answers or solutions to the challenges of preparing people for this new environment or â€Å"new economy† and the third being that educational institutions need to face radical organizational change issues in order to be aligned with the â€Å"new economy† consumer and the operating requirements demanded by the â€Å"new economy†. In order to properly understand or comprehend the impact of these changes it is first essential to delve into a brief discussion of what marketing really means and how it is currently being understood in the context of the present day discussions regarding this issue.   â€Å"Marketing, according to Kotler (1994, p. 6), â€Å"is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they most need and want through creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with others†. As key to achieving organizational goals, marketing focuses on satisfying customers and meeting their needs and is central to any organizational improvement.   This aspect of marketing is what makes it essential to the concept of the â€Å"new economy† in that marketing determines the success of organizations existing and operating within the bounds of the â€Å"new economy.† Since the marketing has constantly evolved evolving from a concept with the purpose of convincing consumers that they should buy what is offered, to a conceptual base that suggest that the product or service be customized to meet and satisfy what consumers want, its applicability to modern education administration now becomes clear. There is no question that with the emergence of the â€Å"new economy† there has been a shift towards education being a basic resource of society (Drucker 1993).   What is questionable however is the extent that this shift is relevant to contemporary marketing perspectives.   The answer to this question lies in the relevance that education has in the application of contemporary marketing perspectives. As an ongoing conceptual evolution in practice, marketing in education is the key to gaining a competitive advantage over the other players in the field.   While this relevance may substantially vary from one educational institution to another, there are some elements of marketing that have always (arguably) existed in educational institutions. As Amidon highlights, this is now the essential ingredient for economic prosperity (Amidon 2002).   The reason for this is because of the impact that education has on contemporary marketing perspectives.   In this highly competitive â€Å"new economy†, for any player to survive and to prosper, it must be able to sustain its advantage over the other players.   This can only be achieved by employing an effective strategy aimed at developing the current advantages and addressing the needs as posed by the current disadvantages which the organization is faced with.   An effective strategy however necessarily entails initiating an analysis of the total operating environment (Porter 1996). There are those however who are highly critical of the idea of applying contemporary marketing perspectives to modern education administration theory, citing that there is no need to apply such perspectives because of the fact that educational institutions are beyond the realm of these perspectives and are hence inapplicable to the current scenario.   But as shown in the earlier discussion, the emergence of the â€Å"new economy† has indeed prompted the examination of traditional views and practices and necessitated the application of new theories such as contemporary marketing perspectives. The resistance to such application also springs from the fact that most of these educational institutions are too focused on the perceived failure or threats from the application of such theories that they, in essence, become too hesitant to institute or implement such changes (Kotler 1985).   The tendency of institutions to embrace these perspectives only when they are confronted with problems that they cannot deal with at a time when the application of these perspectives may become too late is the real problem.   Institutions, according to Kotler, must learn to realize and understand that the analysis of opportunities is more important than focusing on the perceived threats and dangers that come from its utilization in such a scenario (p 75). Marketing of education has been approached mainly from the operational level as tools for student recruitment and income generation. Responsible marketing in education, as called for by its terms of reference, is concerned with how to effectively bring students into contact with programs that are both beneficial and rewarding from the broadest sense of personal as well as societal fulfillment (Liu 1998). Most, if not all, of the current individual educational institutions are at any of the three (3) stages in terms of their understanding and application of marketing to modern education administration.   While it has been argued that in the current scenario marketing is only at the early stages of development in most educational institutions, typically at stage 1 or stage 2 of this continuum, there promises to be more growth and development in this field because of the relevance that it has as discussed in the previous segments of this discourse.   Marketing, therefore, as a selling or product based concept can be applied to modern education administration. The application of marketing perspectives to educational theories is possible in many different aspects.   One of these aspects is in recruitment, which is analogous to the earlier theory of coming up with a strategy.   In this aspect, marketing can play a very important role as it will effectively make the educational institution stand out and become more recognizable.   When products become increasingly similar, companies need to segregate themselves from the rest of the players to create a preference for their offerings. This is similar to the current scenario which exists in the education sector wherein most schools provide the same basic services and information as others.   By employing marketing strategies, such as branding, these educational institutions are able to distinguish themselves from the other players in the field by promising that the company's offering will create and deliver a certain level of performance, and in this case that the education offered will be exactly what the target market needs in order to succeed (Kotler 1994). The concept of branding is also applicable to a stage one (1) or stage two (2) marketing approach which essentially is limited to recruitment.   The ability of branding to increase recruitment is only one aspect as branding has also been shown to increase retention and referral.   This however exposes a fundamental difference between the various approaches to marketing education. A stage three (3) marketing approach incorporates a focus on what can be termed the 3Rs: †¢ recruitment – student (and parent) †¢ retention – student (and parent) †¢ referral – student (and parent).   The successful implementation of these strategies however clearly creates for opportunities for any educational institution than it does threats and therefore strengthens the position that there indeed is an advantage that contemporary marketing perspectives can bring to the field of modern education administration. In conclusion, the dawning of the â€Å"new economy’ which emphasizes the primacy of knowledge and education also brings about new challenges and opportunities for the field of education administration.   In order to capitalize on this whoever education institutions need to recognize the fact that there are indeed more benefits to be gained from employing these perspectives and should instead consider marketing and strategy concepts that allow for sophisticated planning, implementation and monitoring procedures to anticipate and meet customer needs and enhance satisfaction in line with the current development in marketing theories. References: Amidon, DM (2002) The innovation superhighway: harnessing intellectual capital for collaborative advantage, Butterworth-Heinemann, USA Drucker, Peter (1993) Post capitalist society, Butterworth Heinemann, UK Kotler, Philip (1994) Marketing management, Prentice-Hall International, USA. Liu, Sandra (1998) Integrating Strategic Marketing on an Institutional Level Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong Journal of Marketing for HIGHER EDUCATION