Gender and Aging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender and Aging - Essay Example For instance, Ms. Beatrice engages in volunteering work in order to find time to share with her daughter and grandchildren (Anno. 2014). This helps her to feel better because of the company and the chance to interact with others. The aging services can help widows like Ms. Beatrice Newman cope with such challenges and age successfully by providing social occasions where they can interact with others. This is essential since it will make them feel appreciated and forget about their problems back at home. It would also be appropriate to encourage them to participate in volunteering activities where they can keep busy and socialize with other members of the society (Anno. 2014). This arises because the main challenge to them is loneliness and loss of touch of the family members. As a result, aging services can support caregivers by providing suitable facilities and conditions for taking care of the

Pest Analysis of Sainsburys in a 3rd World Country Essay Example for Free

Pest Analysis of Sainsburys in a 3rd World Country Essay Interest rate, economic growth, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation and the exchange rates are the important economic factors. These factors play a vital role in a firm’s business strategy and decision making. Every country has it’s own culture and the nation has a strong impact on their living. The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. Social  factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, language, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a companys products and how that company operates. For example, the roles of men and women in the society. Furthermore, companies may change various management strategies to adapt to these social trends Technological  factors have vital place in PEST analysis. Some markets are labour intensive and some are capital intensive. Technological factors determine  barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence  outsourcing  decisions. It is one of the major drivers of globalization and is the base for competitive advantage. Innovation is offered to the customers or consumers through technology for example internet banking, smart phones etc. It also enables the firm to produce a product cheaply and to a better quality in standard. Pakistan is the sixth most populated country in the world with over 180 million people. It is estimated that the 25% of the population belongs to the middle income class. It is also estimated that 55% of the Pakistani population is in the 10-40 years age bracket. The upper middle-income class is estimated at 17 million with relatively high per capita income which favours more consumer spending. The average Pakistani consumer spends 42% of his income on food related products. The upcoming changes in demographic will create opportunities and challenges for businesses in Pakistan. Pakistan’s food retail sector is unorganised and highly dominated by independent small stores. Over the past few years, some large European food retailers have opened stores in all major Pakistani metropolitan cities like Makro, Metro and Carrefour (Hyper star). Pakistani families are attracted towards these stores due to their strategic location, multiple product range and imported processed food. Studies also show that there has been a significant shift to organized format of shopping from traditional format, in urban areas. This provides a challenging and profitable opportunity to other food retailers to enter the market. Sainsburys provides convenient shopping under one roof, has wide range of products, consumer friendly environment, large storage and discounted prices. These factors give Sainsburys an advantage over other food retailers currently present in Pakistan. If Sainsburys decides to enter in food retail sector then it has to perform a PEST analysis. PEST Analysis of Sainsburys in Pakistan : Political Factors : The political factors revolve around the current government in a country. Currently, in Pakistan, the ruling party is Pakistan People’s Party which was democratically elected in 2008. Though it is backed by western powers but still is considered to be a weak government. The basic questions arise such as how stable is the political or is there any government intervention in the economic policy making or laws and legislation protecting the businesses. Unfortunately, due to weak governments in the past, the security and corruption has been the key issues Pakistan has been facing over the the last decade. Which certainly is not a good sign for any foreign investors. However, giants in food-retail sectors like Metro and Carrefour ( hyper star) have set an example with an increasing growth in profit and expansion even in such circumstances. Sainsburys may enter in the Pakistani market with it’s variety of products which are available under one roof, as the increasing trend in urban areas shows, there will be high demand for it. Political factors may also include the goods and services which the governments want to provide or be provided. Sainsburys collects much of it’s revenue by selling it’s wide range of wines and spirits. Pakistani law prohibits the sale or consumption of any type of wines and spirits within its geographical boundaries, Sainsburys will not be allowed to sell it in their stores which may negatively affect their sales. Government of Pakistan ensures that there is foreign investment in Pakistan and it has signed a few trade agreements too. It also provides foreign investors the incentives to invest here. Partial ownership by the Pakistan government usually serves as an insurance policy for the share holders and the investors. Economic Factors: Extremely volatile oil prices are the root cause of global financial crisis in Pakistan which has also worsened the energy crisis. These two factors increase the cost of production. High inflation is a key resultant of it As Sainsburys produce much of it’s products in stores so they may go beyond their feasible region in producing a product. Interest rates are at their peak, economic growth is quite slow and this is due to the low level of lending and purchasing power of the consumer is weak. Though it is a labour intensive country and labour supply is quite high and also available at low cost than most other countries but unemployment is rising regardless of the above mentioned fact. The gap between rich and poor continues to expand and the percentage of poor is increasing everyday. However relatively quite cheaper labour may do a significant impact in Sainsburys production. It will also bring employment opportunities for young and skilled labour. Heavy loans from financial institutions like IMF and world bank has made the government in debt upto neck and there are no significant changes in sight. However financial aid packages in the name of war on terror and from the friends of Pakistan has kept the economy from collapsing. Pakistan has integrated with global economy and has brought positive impact on economy with increase in GDP. Despite of the worse conditions, Investing in such a country where cheap labour is available and more than half of the country’s population lies in the labour force, targeting middle-income class-keeping the fact in mind that government provides support to private investors would not be a bad decision. Social Factors : The culture and religion are very close to each other in Pakistan. As mentioned above this will affect the sales of wines and spirits of Sainsburys as it is not only prohibited by the dominant religion and prohibited by law but the targeted class does not accept it too. Health and Education are the two important sectors for any developing nations and Pakistan lack both of them and government of Pakistan fails to allocate the required budget in both the sectors. However, people like to shop and come with families to the big retail stores. There has been a significant shift from traditional to organized format. The studies show that 11% of the population tend to buy long life food related products in advance for a month. Sainsburys provides a healthy and safe environment to work with,which for a change would attract the people to work and shop here. In comparison to the past, women have also started to contribute in the labor force. Language will be a barrier for the citizens of Pakistan as english is not the first language in Pakistan. Buying imported products is considered a status symbol in Pakistan so there is a high demand for foreign products in Pakistan and is appreciated in the local market. According to studies people spend 42% of their income on food related products. So there will be high demand for a food related products provided by Sainsburys. Technological Factors : Technological expertise is overflowed in Pakistan as the labour supply and demand for IT professionals is high. There has been an improvement in the industrial sector but still the country’s imports are higher than exports. Since it is a labour intensive area and not capital intensive so use of technology higher the cost of production but shift to focus more on labour may help Sainsburys to produce it’s products relatively cheaper. There is also a trend of buying products online seen. Sainsburys already provides the service of buying it’s products online which saves much time so the typical â€Å"9-5† workforce can also be targeted.

William Buffalo Bill Cody Essay -- Biography Biographies Buffalo Bill

William Buffalo Bill Cody Buffalo Bill was one of the most interesting figures of the old west, and the best known spokesman of the new west. Buffalo Bill was born in 1846 and his real name was William Frederick Cody. Cody was many things. He was a trapper, bullwhacker, Colorado 'Fifty-Niner';, Pony Express rider, Civil War soldier, wagonmaster, stagecoach driver, and even a manager of a hotel. He changed his name to Buffalo Bill sometime in his early twenties for his skill while supplying railroad workers with buffalo meat. He would soon begin his career as one of the most famous prairie scouts of the Indian Wars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Buffalo Bill worked the army from 1868-1872. Cody was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1872. He was considered good luck by the men of the Fifth Cavalry. Cody guided them to victory, kept them from ambush, and his own fame in turn reflected glory on the regiment. Buffalo Bill thought himself to be lucky too. Cody was very fortunate to be wounded in action only once, and that one time it was only a minor wound. Most of all, he was most gracious for always being in the right place at the right time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Buffalo Bill Cody appeared on stage for the first time in 1872. He played himself in a play titled 'Scouts of the Prairie';. Following this, he kept acting in the winter and he worked for the army in the summer. The Wild West show began in 1883 in Omaha. When this began, real cowboys and real Indians showing how life really was in the west....

Celebrities That Are Good Role Models

The world through the eyes of some can be looked at as a mirror. From birth we are beings that are constantly watching. Babies and kids watch everything that is put in front of them; parents, siblings, television, and other kids that are around. This is especially true when it comes to celebrities. Every day in the modern world we as a society are exposed to the media, which tells us that celebrities can be viewed as good or bad role models. There are many celebrities that can do good things for the world and model behavior that is honorable; through this we as a society can mirror that behavior in our everyday lives. One celebrity who is an extremely talented model and talk show host, Tyra Banks, can be a model for women and minorities alike. She is host of the UPN/The CW reality television show and America's Next Top Model, as well as the co-creator of True Beauty. She also hosts her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. A few good things that Tyra has done for society to model includes forming the Tyra Banks Scholarship in 1994, which promotes greeting cards under Children + Families Organization to help abused and neglected children. Tyra took a journey to Costa Rica rainforest to arise the world's attention about endangered ecosystem. As a model, Tyra challenged weight discrimination by advertising her curves instead of hiding them. One is able to view examples of this in her book titled Tyra’s Beauty Inside and Out. This book does however share beauty secrets that she has learned from experts, she gives practical advice on skin care, cosmetics, hair, exercise, and fashion. What she also addresses in this book are serious subjects such as substance abuse, romantic relationships, sexual concerns, and being a complete person. She works hard to promote positive self-images for young women of all races and body types on her shows as well; â€Å"Why are we so obsessed with weight? † she said. When Tyra Banks went on her show in her bathing suit and said, â€Å"’Kiss my fat ass†¦ ‘ That's what I feel right now. I'm like, ‘Kiss my fat ass! ‘† she puts her middle finger to those who have to say anything bad about people who are bigger than a size 2. Another example from one of Tyras’ shows which exhibits women having a healthy body image, in episode Better Body Image, Tyra tries to help change three young women’s distorted perceptions of their bodies. Through this we as women and anybody who feels that they are different are able to look at Tyra and some of the same steps that she has in promoting acceptance throughout the world and we are able to apply this in our everyday lives. There are also many other celebrities that can help the public mirror good behavior. One major who is highly active in doing charitable things is the lead singer from U2, Bono. Bono writes most lyrics which uses political, social, and religious topics. In the song, â€Å"Sunday Bloody Sunday† ‘I can't believe the news today I can't close my eyes and make it go away How long, how long must we sing this song How long, how long Tonight we can be as one, tonight Broken bottles under children's feet Bodies strewn across a dead end street†¦.. ’ Bono addresses the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, in which 26 civil rights protesters were shot. In these lyrics we are able to visualize and feel what Bono is communicating, the sadness in the beginning, and the description of the massacre towards the end. One is able to have more awareness of the world by listening to lyrics as well as having an outlet in times of tragedy. There are hundreds of song lyrics by the Band U2 that highlight issues of the world today that is just one. He has become one of our best known philanthropic performers who has powerful diverse allies which vary from government leaders, religious leaders, popular media, and even global organizations. In examples through the organization DATA, aimed to eliminate poverty and AIDS/HIV in Africa, also aimed at American citizens to become proactive and voice their opinions regarding political and social issues by contacting senators and legislatures. Product Red is also something promoted by Bono which raises money for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Product Red is partnered with major companies and when the companies sell things with Product Red logo on it, the funds go to the Global Fund. We as a society are able to look at Bono, and what he promotes to open our eyes to the current situation of the world and just be more aware. We as a society are also able to look at Bono in general and model/listen to his causes, support his causes by buying Product Red, and even become activists ourselves. With celebrities having the high salaries that they do, they are able to do a bit more with their money than the average person. A charity, being a vivid example in celebrities using money to help the world, is another way we can look up to celebrities and model their good efforts. One celeb importantly, includes the singer Pink. Pink is involved with many charities including Phoenix vert, Human Rights Campaign, ONE Campaign, Prince's Trust, New York Restoration Project, Run For The Cure Foundation, Save the Children, Take Back the Night, UNICEF and World Society for the Protection of Animals. Pink was recognized as an advocate for the RSPCA in Australia. Pink also announced she was donating $250,000 to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal to aid the victims of the bushfires that swept through the Australian state of Victoria. A total of 173 people were confirmed to have died in the fires with around 500 injured, the death toll was estimated to be 210. Charities are not something that everyone in the world is able to contribute to however, rich or poor we as a society can volunteer at local charities in our neighborhoods and if we have the means we can even contribute to them. Thus proving that we are all able to look throughout the media and at celebrities and model their good doings. The world can be viewed as a harsh place; there is death, disease, famine, killers, and more. The most anybody can do is stay positive and appreciate the good things that occur. In almost every story there are good guys and bad guys, some very impressionable can follow the wrong path, they can also model the good guys. The good guys in our modern era, being celebrities that do a lot of good and we as a society, can follow their good actions and do good our selves. Some say it is inevitable, we are just constantly in a world of mirrors, just mimicking everything we see, hear, and read. As long as it always doesn't benefit ‘number one' then I think it's a good thing that we see great things being accomplished that way we can strive to do great ourselves.

Enron and Corporate Ethics Essay

On December 2, 2001, Enron Corporation, then the seventh largest publicly traded corporation in the United States, declared bankruptcy. That bankruptcy saw thousands of Enron employees and shareholders losing their jobs and their investments. Enron’s fall sent shockwaves to all corners of the business world. A Fortune 400 company with all the appearances of stability and corporate soundness, the company’s collapse was unthinkable. For here was a company who grew by leaps and bounds in so short a time – a company who came from obscurity to national prominence as the world’s largest in terms of revenue. But like anything else if it is too good to be true it probably is. Unlike most bankruptcies which are caused by poor management and stiff competition, Enron’s demise appears simple enough: individual and collective greed. It was shameless greed that motivated company officials to dupe thousands of honest individuals out of their hard earned money – money that ran up to billions (Nakayama, 2002). The scam was unearthed just like any other scam – when people start getting suspicious. Enron was generating a lot of revenues – it was a smokescreen that allowed the company to attract more investors. While revenue generation was at record highs, profit was scant and minimal – a fact many people overlooked until it was too late. Enron’s mirage was selling the same things over and over and over again. The illusion was the company was generating this much sales but the reality was there was barely any profit made. Like everything else in hindsight, it is now clear that tell tale signs were all over Enron’s 2000 Annual Report. Still questions remain as to how a company that paraded its own Code of Ethics be so shamelessly unethical, a corporation that prides itself as having a reputation for â€Å"fairness and honesty† be so downright ruthless, callous and arrogant. Beyond the dollars and cents, the Enron debacle offers a new textbook example of failed ethics in business (Berenbeim, 2002). ENRON’s 2000 Annual Report – Warning signs Most of the investigation on Enron’s finances has focused on its balance sheet—it reported an otherworldly increase in revenue: Between 1996 and 2000, Enron reported an increase in sales from $13. billion to $100. 8 billion – a 57% five-year sales growth rate. The company more than doubled its reported sales between 1999 and 2000. Looking back then, this was a sign that the company appeared too good to be true. Before it declared bankruptcy, Enron said it was on track to double revenue again the next year. Had it done so, it would have become the second-largest corporation in the world in terms of sales. According to Forbes. com, Enron’s reported revenue was based on its exploitation of a loophole in accounting rules – a tactic that may have been legal, but few investors understood it (Ackman, 2002). Forbes. com goes on to say that Enron earned more than 90% of its revenue from a business it calls â€Å"wholesale services,† Enron’s euphemism for trading. Here is how its 2000 annual report describes that activity: â€Å"Enron builds wholesale businesses through the creation of networks involving selective asset ownership, contractual access to third-party assets and market-making activities. † Yet again, another warning sign. Footnotes in the annual report for 2000, also show hints of the hidden debt that pushed the company into bankruptcy. According to Businessworld, a footnote on â€Å"preferred stock† indicates that if Enron’s share price were to fall below $48. 55–which first occurred on June 14–the company would be obliged to issue stock to a partnership called Whitewing Associates (Tergesen, A. 2002). Other footnotes reveal similar arrangements. True, Enron never put a dollar value on its potential obligations, and the footnotes did not divulge the extent of the partnerships. But enough was revealed to suggest that investors were not getting a full view of the company’s finances. Enron and its Code of Ethics Enron trumpeted its own Code of Ethics, but based upon investigation by the U. S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, it willfully and shamelessly violated the very code it promised to upheld (U. S Subcommittee on Investigations, 2002). In its decision, the Subcommittee cited, among others, the following: (1) Fiduciary Failure. The Enron Board of Directors failed to safeguard Enron shareholders and contributed to the collapse of the seventh largest public company in the United States, by allowing Enron to engage in high risk accounting, inappropriate conflict f interest transactions, extensive undisclosed off-the-books activities, and excessive executive compensation. The Board witnessed numerous indications of questionable practices by Enron management over several years, but chose to ignore them to the detriment of Enron shareholders, employees and business associates. (2) High Risk Accounting. The Enron Board of Directors knowingly allowed Enron to engage in high risk accounting practices (Thomas, 2002). (3) Inappropriate Conflicts of Interest. Despite clear conflicts of interest, the Enron Board of Directors approved an unprecedented arrangement allowing Enron’s Chief Financial Officer to establish and operate the LJM private equity funds which transacted business with Enron and profited at Enron’s expense. The Board exercised inadequate oversight of LJM transaction and compensation controls and failed to protect Enron shareholders from unfair dealing. (4) Extensive Undisclosed Off-The-Books Activity. The Enron Board of Directors knowingly allowed Enron to conduct billions of dollars in off-the-books activity to make its financial condition appear better than it was and failed to ensure adequate public disclosure of material off-the-books liabilities that contributed to Enron’s collapse. 5) Excessive Compensation. The Enron Board of Directors approved excessive compensation for company executives, failed to monitor the cumulative cash drain caused by Enron’s 2000 annual bonus and performance unit plans, and failed to monitor or halt abuse by Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Lay of a company-financed, multi-million dollar, personal credit line. (6) Lack of Independence. The independence of the Enron Board of Directors was compromised by financial ties between the company and certain Board members. The Board lso failed to ensure the independence of the company’s auditor, allowing Andersen to provide internal audit and consulting services while serving as Enron’s outside auditor. Conclusion While Enron’s officials were caught and brought before the bars of justice, many wonder how widespread the lack of corporate ethics is in the business world. Greed they say is universal. Who knows what will be the next Enron. As long as there are CEOs, CFOs who disregard the simplest form of business decorum there will always be an Enron story. Let’s hope that people will not forget that story and profit from it.

The Tragedy of the Vietnam War essays

The Tragedy of the Vietnam War essays The Vietnam War is considered by most to be a mistake for many reasons. Many victims emerged from the war and especially for the soldiers who participated in it, it was simply wrong. Many of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam entered Vietnam with unclear directives and returned from Vietnam transformed and displaced. Many individuals have chosen to express how the Vietnam War was a tragedy from many angles. Through books, images, and movies, the memories of Vietnam are filled with pain and regret. These expressions are beneficial because they create within us a sense of understanding for what is often termed indescribable. One of the most powerful tools for expression is writing. Tim O'Brien, author of the book, The Things They Carried, vividly recounts what Vietnam did to him and those with whom he served. His stories about the transformations he witnessed offer proof that the war was indeed a mistake. For example, he tells us about how Norman Bowker was a gentle person, but as a soldier, he carried with him the thumb of a dead Vietcong boy. Another example of how the war changed individuals is when Rat Kiley shot the baby buffalo. We are told that Kiley stroked the buffalo's nose and then shot at it repeatedly. He shot it in the knee, its back and legs; he shot off an ear. "It wasn't to kill; it was to hurt," O'Brien tells us. (O'Brien 78) Kiley was reacting to losing his best friend, Curt, who stepped on a land mine and died. In the unknown land of Vietnam, Kiley found no other way to express his feelings. We can understand the extreme pressure the soldier was under when O'Brien tells us that "Rat Kiley was crying. He tried to say something, but then cradled his rifle and went off by himself" (79). O'Brien is able capture moments of emotional collapse that result from extreme conditions. O'Brien writes of what he saw, "We had witnessed something essential, som...

Free Essays on Memory And Recollection Of The Soul

Memory is mentioned in quite a few philosophical books and dialogues. It is a main theme in both Meno and Confessions of St. Augustine. Meno starts off contemplating virtue and whether it can be taught. This leads the dialogue to the subjects of learning and memory. Memory is also the focus of Book X in Confessions. Socrates asserts that learning is really the soul’s process of remembering what it knew before birth. St. Augustine’s and Socrates’ theories are fairy similar to each others and Plato’s. Socrates believes in anamnesis; the idea that learning truth is really a matter of the soul recollecting what it has learned in previous lives. He often says that he knows he knows nothing, so this is a change because he seems to be very sure of this theory. He believes the soul is eternal and each time it is born it forgets everything it knows and must relearn it. When experiencing something, you are actually relearning what you already knew. He proves this is by asking a young servant of Meno’s geometrical questions. He draws a square and asks the boy if the lines are not equal and if a square can be any size. Socrates continues to ask the boy more complex questions. When he is satisfied, he presents this process to Meno as evidence that learning is in fact a recollection. If the boy was never taught this, how did he come to know the relationship between the diagonal of a square and a square double the area? Socrates concludes this point by adding â€Å"But if he has al ways possessed this knowledge he would always have known; or if he has acquired the knowledge he could not have acquired it in this life, unless he has been taught geometry and every other branch of knowledge. Now, as you say, he was born and bred in your house.† Meno admits that he is certain no one has ever taught the boy geometry. Meno is satisfied with Socrates explanation and even goes as far to call his worlds excellent. Like Socrates, Augustine's answ... Free Essays on Memory And Recollection Of The Soul Free Essays on Memory And Recollection Of The Soul Memory is mentioned in quite a few philosophical books and dialogues. It is a main theme in both Meno and Confessions of St. Augustine. Meno starts off contemplating virtue and whether it can be taught. This leads the dialogue to the subjects of learning and memory. Memory is also the focus of Book X in Confessions. Socrates asserts that learning is really the soul’s process of remembering what it knew before birth. St. Augustine’s and Socrates’ theories are fairy similar to each others and Plato’s. Socrates believes in anamnesis; the idea that learning truth is really a matter of the soul recollecting what it has learned in previous lives. He often says that he knows he knows nothing, so this is a change because he seems to be very sure of this theory. He believes the soul is eternal and each time it is born it forgets everything it knows and must relearn it. When experiencing something, you are actually relearning what you already knew. He proves this is by asking a young servant of Meno’s geometrical questions. He draws a square and asks the boy if the lines are not equal and if a square can be any size. Socrates continues to ask the boy more complex questions. When he is satisfied, he presents this process to Meno as evidence that learning is in fact a recollection. If the boy was never taught this, how did he come to know the relationship between the diagonal of a square and a square double the area? Socrates concludes this point by adding â€Å"But if he has al ways possessed this knowledge he would always have known; or if he has acquired the knowledge he could not have acquired it in this life, unless he has been taught geometry and every other branch of knowledge. Now, as you say, he was born and bred in your house.† Meno admits that he is certain no one has ever taught the boy geometry. Meno is satisfied with Socrates explanation and even goes as far to call his worlds excellent. Like Socrates, Augustine's answ...

History of Sliced Bread, the Greatest Invention

History of Sliced Bread, the Greatest Invention A clichà © that just about every American knows The greatest thing since sliced bread. But how did this epoch-making invention become so celebrated? The story begins in 1928,  when  Otto Frederick Rohwedder created the greatest invention- pre-sliced bread. But, believe it or not, Rohwedders innovation was initially met with skepticism. The Problem   Before the invention of pre-sliced bread, bread of all kinds was either baked at home or bought in full loaves (not sliced) at the bakery. For both home-baked and bakery loaves of bread, the consumer had to personally cut off a slice of bread every time he wanted one, which meant rugged, irregular cuts. This was time-consuming, especially if you were making several sandwiches and needed many slices. It was also very difficult to make uniform, thin slices. A Solution This all changed when Rohwedder, of Davenport, Iowa, invented the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. Rohwedder began working on a bread slicer in 1912 but his initial prototypes were met with scoffs from bakers who were certain  that pre-sliced bread would quickly go stale. But Rohwedder was certain that his  invention would be a major convenience for consumers and did not let the bakers skepticism slow him down. In an attempt to address the staleness problem, Rohwedder used hatpins to keep the pieces of bread together in the hopes of keeping the loaf fresh. However, the hatpins continually fell out, detracting from the products overall convenience. Rohwedders Solution In 1928, Rohwedder came up with a way to keep pre-sliced bread fresh. He added a feature to the Rohwedder Bread Slicer that wrapped the loaf in a wax paper after slicing. Even with the sliced bread wrapped, bakers remained dubious. In 1928, Rohwedder traveled to Chillicothe, Missouri, where baker Frank Bench took a chance on this idea. The very first loaf of pre-sliced bread went on store shelves on July 7, 1928, as Sliced Kleen Maid Bread. It was an instant success. Benchs sales quickly skyrocketed. Wonder Bread Makes It Go National In 1930, Wonder Bread began to commercially produce pre-sliced loaves of bread, popularizing sliced bread and making it a household staple familiar to generations. Soon other brands warmed to the idea, and for decades there has been row upon row of sliced white, rye, wheat, multigrain, rye and raisin bread on grocery store shelves. Very few people living in the 21st century remember a time when there was no sliced bread, the universally-agreed-upon greatest thing.

Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Plagiarism - Essay Example Electronic communication has become prevalent in the modern era, such as through the internet or telephone. In particular, the internet has become a popular method of spreading information, both positive and negative (Buttle, 1998). Other potential WOM mechanisms that are not included in Arndt’s definition are forms of written communication such as e-mail, letters and faxes. The second problematic aspect of this definition is that the person communication is considered to be unassociated with the item that is being discussed. Consumers are becoming more wary about how independent advice from a third party is, but WOM remains an influential source of information. Many businesses have been working to try and take advantage of the ability of WOM to promote goods or services, by playing a direct role in the recommendation process. For example, relationship marketing uses the approach of rewarding customers who recommend family or friends. Likewise, the use of reciprocal referrals has been developing in many businesses (Stokes & Lomax, 2002). One form of this is schemes that are known as Member Get Member (MGM). In addition, network marketing has developed to the extent that the personal relationships that an individual has and that clients have, have become crucial in the development of sales. The fact that this form of recommendation is often successful shows that although the person giving the recommendation is not independent, there is still a significant effect on behaviour, and thus, it is a WOM activity. These arguments have resulted in the development of a more up-to-date definition of WOM, which is all communication that occurs between people that focuses on either products or services, where the communication is believed to be impartial by the receiver (Stokes & Lomax, 2002). The use of personal referral is often considered to be a highly effective method of influencing the behaviour of consumers.

With reference to a specific firm, discuss the role of different Essay

With reference to a specific firm, discuss the role of different sources of knowledge in the innovation process - Essay Example Interactive learning mainly takes place between companies and other organizations like technology service providers, knowledge providers, and customers. This paper aims to discuss the role of sources of knowledge in innovation process of Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company has highly benefited from its sources of innovation knowledge, which has highly enabled the company to venture almost in the entire globe (Mazzarol, Elena, and Delwyn 2014, p. 84). Sourcing international innovation knowledge enables Coca-Cola Company to engage in continuous process of innovation that enables the company to stay ahead of its competitors. When there are barriers in the local markets, the company is able to expand into oversea markets hence overcoming these barriers. It is only through external avenues and sources of innovation knowledge that has enabled Coca-Cola Company to dominate many markets around the world (Rothwell 1994, p. 13). However, innovation knowledge sources do not always generate pecuniary benefits to Coca-Cola. Nevertheless, these external sources of innovation knowledge play a vital role of ensuring that the company sustains its innovation process and gives the company a reputation of being the leading soft drinks company in the world (Masegosa, Villacorta, & Cruz-Corona 2014, p. 72). Building relationships and networks with other successful companies is clearly the key to Coca-Cola success since this enables the company to sustain access of international innovation knowledge (Uecke 2012, p. 60). Therefore, companies should not underestimate the significance of their informal networks. The innovation knowledge sources have enabled Coca-Cola Company to define its market dominance ensuring the firm’s success through the implementation of significance global operations that enable the company to control its programs in a unified approach. Secondly, Coca-Cola defines the international quality and regulatory

Corporate governance for westpac Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate governance for westpac - Assignment Example In addition, it has profound implications at all the levels of an organization (Hill and Jones 27). Significantly, the document reveals that numerous scholars argue that strategic planning provides a mere and perhaps less relevant understanding of strategic decision making, thus, the increasing adaptive strategy. In response, this document provides a comprehensive critique to the existing literature against the perception of emerging trends as well as the pressures in the contemporary business world. Therefore, it has referred numerous sustainability competencies that suggest the need of capable consideration of holistic and systemic pressures predicting future scenarios and considering how numerous stakeholders would perceive normative business practices. The sources have revealed that the Westpac group ranks among the top listed financial companies on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASE): in September 2010 Westpac’s market capitalization realized E.5 billion (AUD). Addit ionally, it has five key diverse customers; significantly, it serves approximately, 12.8 million customers ranging from institutional, business and retail banking, wealth management, and insurance. For instance, there is the Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB), Westpac Retail and Business Banking (WRBB), and BT Financial Group (BTFG). The sources have further identified that sustainability plays a central position in Westpac’s vision. The vision states that the Westpac has become one of the largest firms in assisting consumers, communities and prosperous people. Significantly, the company recognizes the links between healthy societies and sustainable businesses. Accordingly, Westpac has managed its direct as well as indirect environmental impacts. It has put appropriate strategies of dealing with the critical issue, such as climate change. Significantly, the company has recognized that climatic change influences profoundly on economic, social, and environmental aspects in their operating regions. Consequently, the Westpac has considered such issues before embarking on their investments, lending, and operational decisions. Additionally, the company has

Property law - Land Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Property law - Land - Essay Example The next year, Mr. Kernott and Ms. Jones acquired a loan to extend their house, with Mr. Kernott undertaking most of the construction work. The couple separated in 1993 and Mr. Kernott left their home in Badger Hall Avenue. Mr. Kernott stopped contributing to the household bills and the mortgage. Further, he made little contribution towards maintaining the two children that the couple had. Three years later, Mr. Kernott and Ms. Jones decided to redeem their life insurance policy, dividing the proceeds between themselves. Mr. Kernott bought a house on 114 Stanley Road in Essex with his share of the proceeds. However, in 2006, he sought payment for the value of his share of the house on Badger Hall Avenue. Ms. Jones declined, requesting that the Appointment of Trustees and Trusts of Land Act 1996 grant her total ownership of the property2. The court decided, after considering precedence in the cases of Dowden v Stack and Hiscock v Oxley that both parties share the total value of the property in different proportions, awarding 10% of the property to Mr. Kernott and 90% awarded to Ms. Jones. According to this judgment, Mr. Kernott would recieive  £24355 and Ms. Jones would receive  £219,190 in the event that they sold the property then Mr. Kernott appealed this decision at the High Court4. Mr. Kernott argued at the High Court that the judge wrongly imputed or inferred an intention that after the separation of the couple, both parties’ beneficial interests were supposed to change. Further, he claimed that the court was unfair in its quantification of the beneficial interests owned by both parties. By a simple majority, Mr. Kernott’s appeal went through. The court declared that both parties were joint owners of the property, and were tenants with equal shares5. Judges Wall P., Rimer L.J. and Jacob L.J. presided over the appeal6. Wall and Rimer argued that there was no way to indicate a change in the intentions of both parties

Attorney-client Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attorney-client - Essay Example Doe has advised his attorney that he did, in fact, kill the person for which he has been arrested. While Ms. Smith did not solicit this information during the discussion, she is now privy to the fact that her client is guilty. This revelation, however, does not require Ms. Smith to notify the authorities. As an officer of the court, she is precluded from putting a witness—in this case Mr. Doe—on the stand if she knows that the witness will commit perjury; but she is not mandated to turn her client in as a result of the attorney-client privilege. It should be noted that the right to have one’s discussions with an attorney kept private is absolute in the United States. In fact, courts â€Å"have considered the attorney-client privilege to be among the most fundamental testimonial privileges in the legal system" (Kressel, 2006, p. 413). The reason for this is clear, and was recently set forth by Silbert & Joannou (2006) as necessary because it â€Å"protects confi dential communications between an attorney and his client and exists to encourage full and frank communication between attorneys and their clients and thereby promote broader public interests in the observance of law and administration of justice" (Silbert & Joannou, 2006, p. 1225). Thus, with just these facts, it is understood that Mr. Doe is safe from prosecution as a result of his attorney’s knowledge; he won’t be put on the stand to testify in his own defense, but he will not be revealed as the murderer by Ms. Smith either. His secret is safe with his attorney, who will mount an aggressive defense and force the prosecution to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Only one added fact could change this dynamic and actually reverse the situation. Assuming all facts as provided above, add the fact that during their conversations, Mr. Doe not only reveals that he is the killer, but is holding the child of the victim hostage in his basement. At this point, Ms. Smith has no

Property law - Land Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Property law - Land - Essay Example The next year, Mr. Kernott and Ms. Jones acquired a loan to extend their house, with Mr. Kernott undertaking most of the construction work. The couple separated in 1993 and Mr. Kernott left their home in Badger Hall Avenue. Mr. Kernott stopped contributing to the household bills and the mortgage. Further, he made little contribution towards maintaining the two children that the couple had. Three years later, Mr. Kernott and Ms. Jones decided to redeem their life insurance policy, dividing the proceeds between themselves. Mr. Kernott bought a house on 114 Stanley Road in Essex with his share of the proceeds. However, in 2006, he sought payment for the value of his share of the house on Badger Hall Avenue. Ms. Jones declined, requesting that the Appointment of Trustees and Trusts of Land Act 1996 grant her total ownership of the property2. The court decided, after considering precedence in the cases of Dowden v Stack and Hiscock v Oxley that both parties share the total value of the property in different proportions, awarding 10% of the property to Mr. Kernott and 90% awarded to Ms. Jones. According to this judgment, Mr. Kernott would recieive  £24355 and Ms. Jones would receive  £219,190 in the event that they sold the property then Mr. Kernott appealed this decision at the High Court4. Mr. Kernott argued at the High Court that the judge wrongly imputed or inferred an intention that after the separation of the couple, both parties’ beneficial interests were supposed to change. Further, he claimed that the court was unfair in its quantification of the beneficial interests owned by both parties. By a simple majority, Mr. Kernott’s appeal went through. The court declared that both parties were joint owners of the property, and were tenants with equal shares5. Judges Wall P., Rimer L.J. and Jacob L.J. presided over the appeal6. Wall and Rimer argued that there was no way to indicate a change in the intentions of both parties

Global Warming - Causes, Impacts, the Way Ahead Essay

Global Warming - Causes, Impacts, the Way Ahead - Essay Example The effects of global warming are already obvious as many of the impacts are adversely experienced by the common man these days. For instance, there have been notable variations in the climatic patterns all around the globe. In last couples of decades, the incidence of climatic disasters like floods, hurricanes, landslides and droughts became more and more frequent at different parts of the world. There is widespread consensus in the scientific community that driving force behind climatic changes can be attributed to 20th-century humans’ activities that disturbed the natural atmospheric and the ecological balance and eventually leads to climate change and global warming. The objective of this easy is to analyses the causes and impacts of global warming. The last century industrial revolution greatly influenced global surface temperatures by raising the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and hence changing the concentrations of aerosols and ozone layer. These changes modified the land cover of earth’s surface and it changed the radiative balance governing the earth on various timescales and at varying spatial scales. Various studies show that in last 100 years the average temperature of the air near earth’s surface has risen by 1.3 Fahrenheit (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). The increase in temperature results various changes in the physical system of earth. For instance, it accelerates the melting of glaciers and poles ice that raises the sea level. The rise in sea level would have devastating effects as it would submerge a large number of islands like the Maldives laying at very low sea level and hence hundreds of thousands of human lives would be at risk. Also, the rise in global temperature changes the wind pattern across the globe. It would result in colder winters in Europe and more rain in West Africa. On the other hand, there would be an acute scarcity of rain in central Africa (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011).  

Sales Tax Essay Example for Free

Sales Tax Essay OBJECTIVE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The objective of this work is to discuss sales tax issues from the viewpoint of both the citizen and the Budget Director. Reviewed will be issues of ‘volatility’, ‘reliability’, and ‘equity’ as well as how the sales tax impacts activities of government such as economic development, community initiatives and service provision. Finally this work will answer the question of whether there are any other taxes or revenue sources to substitute for the sales tax as well as stating why or alternatively why there is not an existing substitute. INTRODUCTION: SALES TAX ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sales taxes are collected at the local and state levels and utilized by the government in service provision to the citizens of the United States. The United States imposes sales taxes in both state and local administrations in which the customer is charged a combined rate which bundles together (USA Sales Use Tax, 2006) the state tax with the local tax. A merchant is required to charged a sales tax if the business has nexus. A nexus is defined as a substantial physical presence. (USA Sales Use Tax, 2006) Not all products are subject to the sales tax and different states exempt difference products. Sales taxes are applied on the end purchase of goods in retail sales. Economic development has been defined as a multi-faceted approach to the development of policies and programs designed to preserve, enhance and promote a vibrant and successful business community. (Economic Development Action Program, 2005) The health and success of the businesses in communities are stated to be directly linked to the quality of life experienced by residents in that community (Economic Development Action Program, 2005) which is of primary importance to the entire city or municipality. Creation of jobs and generation of sales tax revenues provide a major contribution to fund the initiatives of service provision with the city. The economic development within a city of municipality is greatly dependent on sales tax revenues in most U.S. states. VOLATILITY, RELIABILITY, AND EQUITY ‘Volatility’ and ‘Reliability’ are the two primary considerations of a budget director when revenues raised by taxes are spent on new initiatives. Hirsch et al state that Reliability and Volatility are that which marks the outcome of the question which asks: â€Å"Are new revenues raised by the taxes relatively stable over time or are they excessively volatile and difficult to predict? It is a fact that generation of revenues from sales taxes may be unpredictable since these revenues are greatly dependent on seasonal factors and economic conditions therefore, merchants may experience a really great Christmas hence the sales tax revenues for the government will be great as well however, a lean year for merchants will also result in the coffers of the government for spending in economic development being quite thin as well. In a journal article relating to the impact of sales tax on the economy of the state of California it is stated that: â€Å"If times are good and consumption is high, there will be more revenue from sales taxes than otherwise. If times are bad and layoffs and unemployment are up, personal income taxes will be reduced. Some taxpayers will lose their jobs or not have opportunities to work overtime. Sluggish economic activity will hurt profits and thus collections from corporate income taxes. Similarly, if times are bad, certain kinds of welfare-related expenditures may increase. While the linkage between economic developments and the status of the budget is clear, the actual budget process involves making a forecast of what those economic developments will be. Then budget forecasters must estimate precisely how the assumed developments will affect revenue† (Hirsch, et al, 2004) The third element is that of Equity which is one of the five principles stated by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that were compiled in 1988 with input from lawmakers and academics. The principle involving Equity along with the other principles for sound tax policy. The five principles are:   (1) Provision of appropriate revenues (sufficiency, stability, and certainty of revenues produced) (2) Neutrality; (3) Equity; (4) Easy and economical to administer; (5) accountability – (i) taxpayers are accountable for payment of their taxes (ii) tax agencies are accountable for administration and enforcement of the tax laws efficiently and fairly; and (iii) lawmakers accountable for the integrity of the tax laws. (Hirsch et al, 2004) III. VIOLATION OF PRINCIPLES IN NEW YORK ECONOMIC DEVELOPEMNT In a recent testimony before the U.S. Senate in a hearing before the Subcommittee on International Trade of the Committee on Finance earlier this year given by Walter Hellerstein who is said to be: â€Å"the nations leading legal academic authority on state and local taxation† stated is that a New York economic development incentive to attract sales to the New York exchanges was a discriminatory tax to the Boston Stock Exchange that viewed the incentive as diverting economic activity from the Boston exchange, a view with which the U.S. Supreme Court concurred. (Testimony of Walter Hellerstein, 2006) Stated as well is that the economic development incentive for its fledging wine industry was a discriminatory tax to sellers of alcoholic beverages produced in other states, a view with which the U.S. Supreme Court concurred. (Ibid) SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clearly the sales tax scheme or plan of a city or municipality involves the necessary view which is all-inclusive of the factors that will impact the revenues realized from sales taxes and as well are able to realize the volatility or alternatively the reliability of the sales tax revenues in the budget plan. Then the comprehension of the sales taxes as they affect the individuals within the community both from the advantages of the economic development in the community as well as the impact the increase of sales tax will have on the spending habits in times that are characterized by layoffs and unemployment in the area. Finally it must be comprehended that all of this is inherently linked in the planning of sales taxes, city budgets and economic development in that economic development works to ensure a healthy and quality lifestyle for the taxpayers that reside in the community, and as well that economic development furthers the growth of businesses and employment within the community. These successful individuals and households within the community in turn replenish the community or city coffers with the sales taxes on the purchases that they make in the community thereby funding even more economic development in the community. Last, the principles that have been reviewed in this research as set out by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) must be followed in order to avoid the situation that the economic development initiatives in New York and Hawaii experienced in being found in violation of those principles by the U.S. Supreme Court. WORKS CITED Testimony of Walter Hellerstein before the U.S. Senate; Hearing before the Subcommittee on International Trade of the Committee on Finance (2006) Online available at: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:EnVhxxKAqIYJ:www.law.uga.edu/news/advocate/spring2006/hellerstein.pdf+seconomic+development:+sales+tax+issueshl=engl=usct=clnkcd=17 Economic Development Action Program (2005) City of Bothell nd Online available at: http://www.ci.bothell.wa.us/dept/CM/EconDev/ActionProgram.html One Taxpayers Economic Development Incentive Is Often Anothers Discriminatory Tax.(Advocate: Spring/Summer 2006 Online available at: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:EnVhxxKAqIYJ:www.law.uga.edu/news/advocate/spring2006/hellerstein.pdf+seconomic+development:+sales+tax+issueshl=engl=usct=clnkcd=17 Hirsch, Werner A. et al (2004) Making California’s State Budget More User-Friendly And Transparent Online available at: http://www.spa.ucla.edu/calpolicy02/HirschEtc.pdf USA Sales Use Tax, (2006) http://www.ustaxnetwork.com/

Nathaniel Hawthorne | Dr Heideggers Experiment

Nathaniel Hawthorne | Dr Heideggers Experiment Dr. Heideggers Experiment is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 19th century. Dr. Heideggers Experiment is about a doctor who claims to have water from the fountain of youth. He then he invites his friends over and conducts an experiment on them. He uses the water from the fountain of youth and makes them young again, but they break the vase holding the water and it wears off. Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American novelist and writer. He is known for his allegorical tales and excellent usage of literary devices. In Dr. Heideggers Experiment, Hawthorne uses symbolism, allegory and characterization to describe how people dont learn from their mistakes. Hawthorne uses the characterization of Dr. Heidegger to describe how people dont learn from their mistakes. Right before Dr. Heidegger lets his friends drink the water from the fountain of youth he says, Before you drink, my respectable old friends, said he, it would be well that, with the experience of a lifetime to direct you, you should draw up a few general rules for your guidance, in passing a second time through the perils of youth. Think what a sin and shame it would be, if, with your peculiar advantages, you should not become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age!' (Holt 231). Dr. Heidegger is characterized as uninterested in the how growing young again happens, or how the water from the fountain works. It is also revealed that Dr. Heidegger is wise, and is seeking answers about peoples behaviour and the folly of man. Dr. Heidegger has the intention of testing whether if given the opportunity, will people change their ways and learn from their mista kes. After the vase holding the water from the fountain breaks, Dr. Heidegger says, Yes, friends, ye are old again, said Dr. Heidegger, and lo! the Water of Youth is all lavished on the ground. WellI bemoan it not; for if the fountain gushed at my very doorstep, I would not stoop to bathe my lips in itno, though its delirium were for years instead of moments. Such is the lesson ye have taught me!' (235). It is revealed that Dr. Heidegger is curious about whether one will learn from his/her mistakes of the past. Dr. Heideggers experiments hypothesis that people dont learn from their mistakes was proven to be accurate. For my own part, having had much trouble in growing old, Im in no hurry to grow young again (231). Dr. Heidegger is characterized as one who values age and experience which he understands gives him wisdom. He remembers the mistakes he made in the past and learns from it. Hawthorne wrote Dr. Heideggers Experiment as allegory, where the four friends taking part in the experiment stand for mistakes and flaws which they dont change, to describe how people dont learn from their mistakes. As Hawthorne introduces the characters at the beginning of the short story he writes, Mr. Medbourne, in the vigor of his age, had been a prosperous merchant, but had lost his all by a frantic speculation, and was now little better than a mendicant (228). Mr. Medbourne stands for greed. He lost money making bad business decisions in the past. After the four friends transformed into their younger selves, Hawthorne writes, Mr. Medbourne was involved in a calculation of dollars and cents, with which was strangely intermingled a project for supplying the East Indies with ice, by harnessing a team of whales to the polar icebergs (233). Mr. Medbourne made the same foolish greedy business ventures again when he transformed. He has not learned from his mistakes. As Hawthorne intro duces the characters at the beginning of the short story he writes, Colonel Killigrew had wasted his best years, and his health and substance, in the pursuit of sinful pleasures, which had given birth to a brood of pains, such as the gout, and divers other torments of soul and body (228). He also describes Colonel Killgrew later in the story, Colonel Killigrews compliments were not always measured by sober truth (232). Colonel Killigrew stands for dishonesty and sin. He was a liar and pursued sinful pleasures, such as drinking and lusting. After the four friends transformed into their younger selves, Hawthorne writes, Colonel Killigrew all this time had been trolling forth a jolly bottle song, and ringing his glass in symphony with the chorus, while his eyes wandered toward the buxom figure of the Widow Wycherly (233). Colonel Killigrew is once again lusting and drinking excessively when he transformed. He is repeating the mistakes he made in the past. As Hawthorne introduces the ch aracters at the beginning of the short story he writes, Mr. Gascoigne was a ruined politician, a man of evil fame, or at least had been so till time had buried him from the knowledge of the present generation, and made him obscure instead of infamous (228). Mr. Gascoigne stands for stagnation. He failed as politician due to the lack of new ideas. After the four friends transformed into their younger selves, Hawthorne writes, Mr. Gascoignes mind seemed to run on political topics, but whether relating to the past, present, or future, could not easily be determined, since the same ideas and phrases have been in vogue these fifty years (233). His mind ran on the same ideas and topics just as he did in the past. He didnt learn from his mistakes and change. As Hawthorne introduces the characters at the beginning of the short story he writes, As for the Widow Wycherly, tradition tells us that she was a great beauty in her day; but, for a long while past, she had lived in deep seclusion, on account of certain scandalous stories which had prejudiced the gentry of the town against her (228). Widow Wycherly stands for vanity and promiscuity. She was very beautiful and did many scandalous things which forced her to go into hiding. After the four friends transformed into their younger selves, Hawthorne writes, As for the Widow Wycherly, she stood before the mirror courtesying and simpering to her own image, and greeting it as the friend whom she loved better than all the world beside. She thrust her face close to the glass, to see whether some long-remembered wrinkle or crows foot had indeed vanished. She examined whether the snow had so entirely melted from her hair that the venerable cap could be safely thrown aside (233). Hawthorne also writes, Doctor, you dear old soul, cried she, gets up and dance with me!' (234). Widow Wycherly is repeating her obsession with looks and vanity. She is also not changing her old promiscuous ways. She doesnt learn from her mistakes. When introducing the characters, Hawthorne also writes, It is a circumstance worth mentioning that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, were early lovers of the Widow Wycherly, and had once been on the point of cutting each others throats for her sake (228). The three men used to fight over Wycherly. This conflict between the characters stands for hate. After the transformation, Hawthorne also writes, Dance with me, Clara! cried Colonel Killigrew. No, no, I will be her partner! shouted Mr. Gascoigne. She promised me her hand, fifty years ago! exclaimed Mr. Medbourne. They all gathered round her. One caught both her hands in his passionate grasp another threw his arm about her waistthe third buried his hand among the glossy curls that clustered beneath the widows cap. Blushing, panting, struggling, chiding, laughing, her warm breath fanning each of their faces by turns, she strove to disengage herself, yet still remained in their triple embrace (234). The four of them repeated what happened in the past and the men started fighting over Wycherly again. They all again didnt learn from their mistakes. Hawthorne uses symbolism of items belonging to Dr. Heidegger to describe how people dont learn from their mistakes. When describing Dr. Heideggers study, it says, Between two of the bookcases hung a looking-glass, presenting its high and dusty plate within a tarnished gilt frame. Among many wonderful stories related of this mirror, it was fabled that the spirits of all the doctors deceased patients dwelt within its verge, and would stare him in the face whenever he looked thitherward (229). The mirror symbolizes Dr. Heideggers failures as a doctor. The mirror reminds him of those failures and he learns from them. After the transformation and when they are fighting over Wycherly, it says, Never was there a lovelier picture of youthful rivalship, with bewitching beauty as the prize. Yet by some strange deception, owning to the duskiness of the chamber, and the antique dresses which they still wore, the tall mirror is said to have reflected the figures of three, old, gray, withered gran d-sires, ridiculously contending for the skinny ugliness of a shrivelled grand-dam (234). The mirror reveals that they are making the same mistakes as they did in the past and how foolish they are. The mirror symbolizes their repetition of those mistakes. When first introducing the experiment Dr Hiedegger says, This rose, said Dr. Heidegger, with a sigh, this same withered and crumbling flower, blossomed five and fifty years ago. It was given me by Sylvia Ward, whose portrait hangs yonder; and I meant to wear it in my bosom at our wedding. Five and fifty years it has been treasured between the leaves of this old volume. Now, would you deem it possible that this rose of half a century could ever bloom again?' (230). Dr. Heidegger kept this rose as a reminder of his mistakes in his relationship with his dead wife. It symbolizes Dr. Heideggers learned lessons of the past. Also in the description of Dr. Heideggers study, it says, In the obscurest corner of the room stood a tall and narr ow oaken closet, with its door ajar, within which doubtfully appeared a skeleton (229).The skeleton symbolizes peoples refusal to learn from their mistakes and as a result being internally dead. The skeleton being kept in the closet reveals that Dr. Heidegger has past horrible mistakes that he now learns from. The usage of the literary devices characterization, allegory and symbolism by Hawthorne excellently reveals the theme of the story, which is that people dont learn from their mistakes. Hawthorne characterizes Dr. Heidegger as wise and seeking answers about peoples behavior. Dr. Heideggers real intention of the experiment was to find out whether his friends will learn from their mistakes. Dr. Heideggers Experiment is written as an allegory. The four friends taking part in the experiment stand for the mistakes of the past which stay unchanged. Mr. Medbourne represents greed, Colonel Killigrew represents dishonesty and sin, Mr. Gascoigne represents stagnation, and Widow Wycherly represents vanity and promiscuity. The three mens conflict over Widow Wycherly represents hate. Items owned by Dr. Heidegger symbolize different aspects of learning from mistakes. The mirror represents Dr. Heideggers mistakes as a doctor and the repetition of mistake. The rose symbolizes Dr. Heideggers learned l essons of the past. The skeleton symbolizes Dr. Heideggers mistakes and also people not learning from their mistakes. Siddhartha: Book Analysis Siddhartha: Book Analysis One utilizes a potters wheel to mold and shape a piece of clay. As the wheel continues to spin, the clay transforms into a beautiful shape of art. This tool, however exists as more than just a mechanism for sculpting clay. The potters wheel stands as a profound metaphor for the circle of life. Herman Hesses prolific novel, Siddhartha, illustrates this metaphor through the examination of its protagonists life. In Siddharthas spiritual journey, his potters wheel initially spins, then slows down almost to the point of a standstill, and, with the help of that delay, sets into motion again. Just as the wheel physically sculpts clay into beautiful art, it metaphorically sculpts Siddharthas life into enlightenment. Siddharthas potters wheel spins from the very beginning of the story. Even his name exemplifies this metaphor, for it translates into the journey of life. (Lachotta) As the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha feels unsatisfied with his transitory existence. (Hesse) He constantly thirsts for spiritual knowledge. In an effort to obtain this knowledge, he pumps the pedal of his potters wheel, and leaves his family behind to live a life of asceticism. On his spiritual journey, he encounters the samanas and Gotama, but cannot accept their teachings. He believes that true peace cannot be taught; he must experience it for himself. He expresses this belief in his conversation with the exalted Buddha, stating that for myself alone must I judge, must I choose, must I decline. (Hesse) In essence, he believes that he exists as the only potter in control of his wheel. He realizes that only he can cultivate his clay of life. As his journey continues into the city, his eyes become transfixed on an entirel y different existence Kamalas love. Although he previously denies all teachers, he allows Kamala and Kamaswami to teach him the arts of love and trade. This sets the new motion within his potters wheel, and ultimately, the new motion within his circle of life. As Siddhartha adapts to this new life of prosperity, he remains the samana within his heart. He continues to practice his own arts of thinking, fasting, and waiting, and feels indifferent to business affairs. (Hesse) However, as he plunges further into the world of the child people, his wheel begins to slow. The game of samsara begins to occupy his thoughts as much as the gods and Brahmin once [occupy] them. As Siddhartha makes love to Kamala, he slowly becomes seized by the spiritual malaise of the rich. (Hesse) The potters wheel within in his soul encompasses the wheel of asceticism, the wheel of thinking, [and] the wheel of determination. These wheels continue to whirl. However, they now spin slowly and hesitantly, and nearly [come] to a standstill. A slower speed in a potters wheel prompts errors in the clays structure. Similarly, this speed endangers Siddharthas self. Once the wheel reaches a standstill, it contains the potential to permanently engulf its creation. Siddhartha no tices this gradual transformation within his self, but becomes paralyzed to act against it. He lives as the hollow men do in the twilight kingdom. (Eliot) No longer a man of spirituality, he becomes a prisoner to gambling, wine, and dancing girls; he exists as the bird in the golden cage. In a symbolic dream, Siddhartha sees that the bird in the golden cage lies dead. This prompts him to head to the river, where his wheel sets into another motion. Upon his arrival to the river, Siddhartha stands hesitantly by the shore. The bird in his heart feels dead, and thus, his potters wheel feels at a standstill. He spits at his reflection, and then plunges into the water, where he sinks down toward death. Then he hears a word from the remote precincts of his soul. The holy OM of perfect completion penetrates his being, and sets his wheel in motion again. Siddhartha feels reborn. He realizes that with his unity of suffering and prosperity, he achieves true understanding of the world; he achieves nirvana. Although the slowing of the wheel exists as potentially detrimental to the clay, it also exists as necessary for a beautiful masterpiece. Paralleling the unity of both worlds, a potter must spin the wheel both fast to make the clay taller, and slow to center it. (Devries) Thus, Siddhartha molds his clay into enlightenment. Also, just as Siddhartha went through many smaller cycles to achieve his goals, the potters wheel spins in smaller cycles as it cultivates the clay. Siddhartha realizes these many cycles of life when he tells Govinda that the wheel of forms turns quickly. Furthermore, the river guides Siddhartha through his entire journey, just as the potter must continuously wet the clay as he guides its final shape. Water, therefore, exists as the sustenance for the potters wheel, in both physical and metaphorical terms. Siddharthas wheel sets into motion again, and ultimately, he completes his circle of life. Overall, Siddharthas spiritual journey parallels that of a potters wheel. Hesse creates this metaphor as the circle of life, and intricately weaves it throughout his entire novel. Siddharthas wheel initially spins, slows down almost to a standstill, and, with the help of that delay, sets into motion again. A potter must meet both motions in order to obtain a deeper and more beautiful creation. Otherwise, the creation exists as nothing more than a shadow, just as Siddhartha before he obtains his unity. In the end, Siddharthas circle of life results in an enlightened self. With his potters wheel, he creates something beautiful.

Chinas Railway Essay examples -- China History Infrastructure

In 1894, the Qing government was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War; the Boxer Rebellion in China seized the railway interests. More than ten thousand kilometres to be swallowed up in China and carved up the right of way to form the imperialist plunder of China's first climax. Subsequently, in accordance with their needs, they were designed and built a number of railways; however it was in different standards, equipment clutter, resulting in confusion and China Railway backwardness. The development of China's railway construction was started from 1876, which named ‘Songhu Railway’ since 1981, and it was 105 years ago, building a 50,181 km railway. Before the People’s Republic of China was been built up, the annual average of railway construction is only more than 300 kilometres. During the Qing Dynasty Songhu Railway which was been built by British merchants in Shanghai is considered to be the China's first railway on the land. Before that, the British businessmen in Xuanwumen(Peking), built a 500 meters a small railway, only for the people to treated. In the Qing Dynasty (1876 ~ 1911), the construction of railway was about 9400 km. Imperialism, which directly accounts for about 41% of the construction business; imperialist control through loans, about 39%; state-owned railways, including China's Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was built as self-reliance, the business head office was redemption of the Beijing-Hankou Railway; and Guangzhou third rail only accounted for about 20%. From 1881 to 1911 the railway built in the Tang Xu, which collapsed the Qing government for 30 years, is the first phase of the railway. At this stage, the Qing government as the continuous Westernization and domestic proposals to promote people with lofty... ...y two. First goal is to reclaim those foreign concessions whose agreements had already been signed or drafted before this period. Secondly, the goal is to construct a Chinese railway system through investments in China. (LEE) Works Cited C.H.Paul, 1931. Railway Politics and the Open Door in China, 1916-1917[Online], 25(4). Available at: [Accessed 26 November 2010] D. Mclean, 1973.Chinese Railways and the Townley Agreement of 1903[Online], 7(2). Available at: [Accessed 14 November 2010] L.Enhan, 1977. China’s quest for railway autonomy 1904-1911. 1st Ed. Singapore: Singapore University Press. The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, Available at: [Accessed 28 November 2010]

The Importance of Man’s First Landing on the Moon

Case Study Latin America and the Catholic Church Malaika Nicholson DeVry University Pope John Paul II visited Nicaragua in 1983. His visit was a response to rumors regarding an alliance that was developing between Marxists revolutionaries and priests that was beginning to emerge in Latin America. The Catholic Church historically was strongly against communism. Therefore, these alliances that were emerging between priests and revolutionaries were troublesome to Pope John Paul.Even though the priest denied doing anything wrong, but instead were only doing the will of God and what Christ, himself would do in taking interest in the poor. News of Pope John Paul’s II upcoming visit created hope among reform minded Catholics. Not knowing exactly how, they hoped he would lend his support for the revolutionary case. Because the Pope as well as the Catholic Church did not support the principles the Marxist held regarding Liberation Theology, the people hoped that if nothing else, he wou ld offer words of compassion and support.There were thousands of Nicaraguans who died and suffered by the oppressive regime and were in desperate need for hope . They hoped that the gap between the people and church could be repaired and that economic and social changes could become a reality. The Pope’s visit would come during the time that the country was in major lack due to governmental corruption. Reform minded Catholic in Nicaragua had high hope that he would speak out on behalf of the people. The position the pope took led to disappointment by Nicaraguan Catholics because he did not focus on political reform in his speech.They had anticipated him to serve as a catalyst in social and political reform by publically supporting their cause. Instead, Pope John Paul II expressed the civic duty by Nicaraguan priests to help the less fortunate and to be good examples to the rest of society. The people of Nicaragua became painfully aware that the pope was not going to support t heir revolutionary cause during his visit. During his visit he did express his extreme disapproval to liberation Theology encouraging people to abandon their ideological commitments in reference to his views on mingling of Marxist values withChristianity. Pope John Paul II wanted to emphasize the importance of not compromising Christian views of God at the center of all things with Sandinistas ideals of Humanism. The Pope’s visit was an event of great significance; some say even leading to the Nicaraguan Civil War. His visit also intensified tension between Sandinistas and Nicaraguan Catholics who supported them. Pope John Paul’s II visit also fueled rebel groups (Contras) as a form of propaganda, supporting their cause by giving them more legitimacy.

Early Childhood And Why Parents Choose Certain Schools

I merely want my kid to hold merriment! is a remark I hear on a regular basis from parents touring my preschool. But the thaumaturgy of merriment someway disappears as kids reach the age of three or four, and when they start to fix for â€Å" existent school. † Standards, standardised trials, awards, classs etc. , shortly become parents ‘ greatest concerns. Somewhere along the line, the fun remark is replaced with inquiries refering to kindergarten preparedness and petitions for worksheets, prep and some kind of â€Å" class † . As a preschool owner/educator, I remember so vividly the twenty-four hours I decided to go forth an unbelievable 13-year calling as a public school instructor in one of Ohio ‘s wealthiest school territories to have and run my ain preschool. This was non an easy determination, because I love learning ; go forthing the schoolroom was one of the hardest professional determinations I have of all time made. However, the criterions and standardised testing that were ordering our course of study patterns were in complete struggle with my beliefs. Fortunately, I had options and decided to remain in instruction by traveling to younger ages, which at the clip, seemed exempt from the open force per unit area of standardised testing. I envisioned a installation that embraced drama as the primary acquisition doctrine – 1 that valued child involvements and focal point groups, one that integrated multicultural aspects. I could non be more pleased with my determination to walk off from an astonishing retirement, nice wage, and summers off with my ain kids to offer my ideals to other immature scholars. Small did I realize that the same incubuss that plagued me antecedently would go on to stalk me at my preschool. Although research on drama and cognitive development provide a batch of support for the play-based course of study for our immature kids, the recent province and national accent on proficiency trial public presentation has reinforced the construct of minimum drama clip, even in the primary scene. Many preschools and simple schools have reduced or even eliminated drama from their agendas ( Bodrova & A ; Leong, 2003 ; Brandon, 2002 ; Johnson, 1998 ; Murline, 2000 ; Vail 2003 ) . Play, even the little sections, are being replaced with academic preparedness patterns, peculiarly literacy and reading to fit the content of standardised testing ( Brandon, 2002 ; Fromberg, 1990 ; Johnson, 1998 ; Stei nhauer, 2005 ; Vail, 2003 ) . The changeless battle for answerability, every bit good as â€Å" top-down criterions and coercive force per unit area to raise tonss on an eternal series of standardised trial † – ( Kohn, 2004, p.572 ) , in add-on to the conflict of bettering instruction, all seem to be ordering current educational tendencies. Even if a plan embraces the importance of drama, the outer forces that continue to press for faculty members is invariably endangering the foundation from which our immature kids build their educational hereafter. â€Å" We strip them of their best innate assurance in directing their ain acquisition, travel rapidly them along, and frequently wear them out. † ( Almon, 2003, p.20 ) . This push for a more academic foundation in the early old ages may happen us losing sight of the existent intent of larning. If we continue down this way of making a test-prep course of study in which our accent is on how the kid scores on a reading trial instead than on leting kids to read for pleasance and information after go forthing school, we might bring forth rather the opposite consequence and negatively impact cognitive development. However, the planetary challenge that the Information Age has imposed on us has similarly prompted instruction functionaries to redefine school accomplishment. The authorities ‘s move to set up educational criterions through the ( No Child Left Behind Act ) NCLB was based on the diminution of instruction criterions since the start of the 70s ( Peterson, 2003 ) . At present, most schools implement standard-based course of study, formal rating methods, and numerical scaling system in response to the call for a wider educational transmutation. Suffice to advert, the U.S. ranks merely 19th in the Literacy Index established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) ( 2007 ) . Such informations support the current tendency in instruction, and connote the demand of preschool pedagogues to react consequently. In this consideration, it is worthwhile to weigh what we know about the significance of play-based course of study as it contradicts with what functionaries in Higher Education promote, the standard-based course of study. With the aid of parents who themselves have witnessed the relevancy of play-based course of study to the current instruction system and to the broader facets of their kids ‘s lives, this survey shall derive fresh findings on how parents understand the play-based course of study. Knowing how parents understand play-based course of study is of import, it will supply insight into what information parents draw upon in doing early educational determinations for their kids. . Since parents are the 1s who decide where to inscribe their kids, it would be best to larn how they feel towards play-based course of study. To procure a intelligent research determination, during this survey I will concentrate on interviews, observations and documents/documentation, with parents whose kids are presently enrolled in a play-based course of study. I plan to interview five parents ; carry oning three interviews: a Life History interview, a Current Context interview that includes a sum-up of their present state of affairs, and a Follow up interview. In add-on to the three interviews, observations will be conducted and artefacts will be collected to heighten the informations aggregation. I presently own and operate a preschool situated in a Northeastern Ohio suburb. The demographics environing my school consist of upper in-between category, educated, two-parent families. In the recent yesteryear, we were runing with 248 Caucasic households but have noticed a cultural tendency altering our school ‘s population: we now house six native Asiatic households, eight native Indian households, three Afro-american households, and two biracial households out of a sum of 257 households. This tendency, I believe, is due to a new 30-acre infirmary installation opening across the street. This survey will take topographic point in a similar preschool. The commercial trade name preschool ( anonym ) has similar demographics and utilizes a play-based course of study. As I tour households, I am ever assured that parents want the best for their kids. The determination to go forth a immature kid to a non-family member is hard but common, and it is what brought me to this point in my life: a 43 year-old female parent of two girls, ages 10 and 13, prosecuting a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an early childhood focal point. A really attractive, well-groomed adult female in her thirtiess, entered my school anteroom keeping an expensive pocketbook, and armed with a list of inquiries, began her pursuit for the perfect child care supplier. This well-spoken ma has a two-year-old boy and an infant girl. She, an lawyer and her hubby, a occupant physician, merely moved to our community from Washington, DC. My tour involves a short debut of myself and my background, every bit good as the school ‘s. I ever include a short description of our doctrine, which includes drama, a circuit of the installation, an debut to all instructors, and, eventually, a meeting in my office where we address all inquiries on their list. Such a list typically includes: safety and security, ratios, ill policy, subject policy, sanitation processs, tiffin and bite, tuition, etc. In this case, course of study was ne'er mentioned, even after I spoke of our play-based doctrine, our Flex Learning Program, etc. Such things did non look o f import to this ma. She asked about instructor turnover, how many babies were presently enrolled, how many instructors were in the schoolroom, and if her babe would be rocked to kip. She asked if her immature yearling would see the gym, which is located in the older edifice ; if he would travel outside every twenty-four hours ; and if he could take part in karate and association football. Literature back uping everything discussed during the circuit, including course of study issues, was handed to her, every bit good as a concern card with the web reference for any extra information. This is really much a typical circuit. The female parent called subsequently to denote that her determination was complete and her kids would be get downing the following Monday. That was two old ages ago. Her kids still attend my school full clip, now ages three and five. Both childs are in the West installation that houses older kids: older Preschool, Pre K, Jr-K, K, and after school classrooms/program. Her kids are booming academically and socially. Yet, two old ages subsequently, her concern shifted to academic preparedness. She made an assignment with me to reexamine the Ohio Pre K criterions which she received from her neighbour. Our hour-and-half hr meeting consisted of illustrations of merely how these criterions are being implemented, met, and mastered without the usage of paper/pencil, bore, skill worksheets, and appraisal tools. Although our doctrine has non changed, nor has her desire for her kids to hold merriment, the fright of success in school has crept into this ma à ¢â‚¬Ëœs thought. Walking through her boy ‘s and girl ‘s schoolrooms daily and detecting childs edifice blocks, making dramatic drama, utilizing sand and H2O, and working at art Stationss, reassures her that the childs are so holding merriment, but what are they larning? How can she be certain they will be prepared for â€Å" school? † This has me presenting several opposing inquiries. What are parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based course of study, and has their beliefs and attitudes changed since come ining the play-based plan? What grounds can I offer parents that play-based course of study is an appropriate course of study for primary school preparedness? How do I recommend for kindergartners as a clip in life to care for drama as a footing for holistic development and acquisition? It is my desire, as a strong advocator of drama for little kids, to better understand where parents are coming from, how they are informed, and what they draw upon to do their concluding decisions. Therefore, in my survey, I will ask from parents their beliefs and attitude about play-based course of study in the hope of better apprehension where parents are coming from. This information will better inform instructors in their parent instruction patterns every bit good as parents in their hunt for a preschool. Approximately Early on Childhood Education Programs Early on childhood instruction plans provide foundational acquisition experiences to really immature kids in readying for formal schooling. Early childhood instruction plans strive to supply kids with the basic accomplishments in literacy and numeracy, which are important for all degrees of instruction, while, at the same clip, supplying the societal, emotional, and cultural interaction that kids need for adulthood and societal development. There is a broad fluctuation in kid attention plans in the United States runing from basic care-based, and sometimes merely custodial-based attention to nationally accredited early childhood plans such as those promoted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children ( NAEYC ) . A figure of early childhood instruction theoretical accounts are in topographic point: Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, Play-Based, and Academics-Based, each holding a different doctrine and educational aim, but all nisus to lend to the preparedness of k ids for formal direction ( Singer, Singer, Plaskon, & A ; Schweder, 2003 ) .Theoretical ModelsEarlier theories on kid development do non straight stipulate drama as an indispensable facet of cognitive development yet constructivist theories recognize it as an of import factor impacting kids ‘s involvement and societal development. In add-on, neuroscience contributes to the position that physical and age-related drama enhances encephalon, physical, and overall development ( Frost 1998 ) . The societal constructivist theory is the force that determines this survey. It claims that persons ‘ perceptual experiences of the â€Å" world † around them shape their ideas and behaviour ( Berger & A ; Luckman, 1966 ) and that the building of significance is a procedure â€Å" forged in the melting pot of mundane interactionaˆÂ ¦meanings are negotiated, exchanged, and modified through mundane interactions with others † ( Rosenholtz, 1989, p. 3 ) . It besides says that people construct their ain apprehension and cognition of the universe through sing and reflecting upon those experiences. Constructivism posits that kids develop their ain constructs of things based on anterior cognition and experience. Guided by people, anterior cognition or experience, they perceive, analyze, and finally do up their ain thoughts sing the universe. Therefore, anterior accomplishments used at drama may be applied relevantly to other state of affairss, such as job resolution, analysis, or decision-making. This makes play an of import portion of kids ‘s life, as it serves as the debut to higher accomplishments and more hard challenges of life. In peculiar, Lev Vygotsky ( cited in Palmer, 2004 ) , a well-known constructivist supports the importance of drama in the kid ‘s development. In his last talk, â€Å" Play and the Psychological Development of the Child, Vygotsky emphasized the importance of drama during the kid ‘s early old ages. Harmonizing to him, drama is portion of a kid ‘s Zone of Proximal Development ( ZPD ) . ZPD is the difference between what a kid can make and what s/he can non. During drama, the kid behaves beyond his age, and discovers new ways of making things such as different forms and highs of blocks. As the kid does this, s/he explores the deepnesss of ZPD, which consequences to a better acquisition ability. In the same manner, neuroscience provides support for kid ‘s drama. Frost ( 1998 ) paperss that encephalon development is farther improved as kids engage in age-appropriate drama. Conversely, he illustrates that want of drama could ensue in â€Å" deviant behaviour † ( 8 ) . It can be gathered that in Vgotsky ‘s societal constructivist theory, parents form an apprehension when it comes to placing the â€Å" fit † academic environment for their kid based on their outlooks Research Methodology Focus and Questions Based on the ends of this survey, the employment of methodological analysis through the acquisition of narrative enquiry and the instance survey design are appropriate. Narrative instance survey will be used for this research undertaking as it will let me, the research worker, to witness and describe a descriptive scene in order to portion experiencesCase StudyThis survey adopts the instance survey design with the position that single instances provide more in-depth information. Case surveies focus on the person, his/her experiences, and immediate world, which is needed to deduce significance and apprehension of the issue or concept under scrutiny. Furthermore, it provides existent illustrations from existent people who are unencumbered by the usage of preset steps or studies, and whose responses will merely ensue in Numberss and statistics ( Bogdan & A ; Biklen, 2007 ) . In this survey, persons, the parents ( either female parent or male parent in one household ) should hold a kid o r kids who are enrolled in a school that implements play-based course of study. These persons will be interviewed and asked to portion their narratives based on open-ended inquiries that correspond to the over-arching research inquiries. In making so, the persons ‘ experiences and beliefs will be discussed in order to get at a better apprehension of the research subject, which regards parents beliefs and attitudes of a play-based course of study. It is expected that other factors such as race, faith, and socioeconomic position would act upon the experiences and ideas of parents. Therefore, the parents selected for the survey will come from different backgrounds. In add-on to the three planned interviews, observations including parent/ instructor conferences, PTO meetings, assorted parent jubilations such as â€Å" A Day in the Life of PreSchooler † , â€Å" Muffins With Mom † , â€Å" ( Root ) Beer and Pretzels with Dad † , Parents Night Out, Parents †˜ Information Evening etc will be observed. Artifacts such as Parent Handbook, School ‘s literature including the school ‘s mission statement, pupil rights, pupil portfolio information will be submitted to supplement Narrative Inquiry For the intent of this survey I will besides be pulling on narrative enquiry ( Clandinin & A ; Connelly, 2000 ) to look into five parents beliefs and attitudes towards a drama -based early childhood course of study within a in private owned early childhood installation. Coming from the societal constructivist position, I believe that experiences are important. Clandinin & A ; Connelly besides suggest experience is important in their three dimensional model for analyzing how the participants past, present and future contexts act upon their beliefs and attitudes towards a drama -based early childhood course of study. Concentrating on narrative enquiry will assist me to underdtand how parents beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood course of study have been established. This alone attack is attractive because it provides the chance for the parents ‘ voices to be heard. In understanding their beliefs and attitudes of a play-based early childhood course of study, narrative enquiry will let me to research how their beliefs and attitudes affect their decsion to inscribe or non in enroll in a installation that promotes a play-based curriuculum and how these beliefs and attitudes have evolved, through the narratives that they portion. This survey will utilize the narrative in-depth interview as a qualitative information aggregation method, which can arouse far richer information than a study. Further, interviews offer the research worker a means to clear up responses and validate participant responses. Cohen et Al. ( 2000 ) posited that single behaviours can merely be understood by understanding persons ‘ readings of the universe around them. Therefore, meaningful societal action demands to be interpreted from the point of position of the histrions or the people who are in that peculiar state of affairs. It can be said that parents who have already enrolled their kid in a play-based preschool would of course experience more strongly about it than parents who have non sent their kid to a play-based preschool ( Bryman, 2004 ) . This qualitative instance survey will analyze preschool parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes utilizing a narrative enquiry data-collection scheme in order to showcase the experiences and perceptual experiences of parents towards play-based course of study in early childhood plans. Case survey and narrative enquiry seek to understand the peculiar inside informations in a historically and socially bounded context ( Clandinin & A ; Connelly, 2000 ) .Main Research QuestionsThe chief research inquiry for this survey is â€Å" what are parents beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based course of study? † Supporting Research Questions I have identified several back uping research inquiries to reflect upon throughout Clandinin and Connelly ( 2000 ) 3-dimensional interviewing procedure. In looking forward/backward I am interested in understanding how persons ‘ life histories inform their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based course of studies. In looking inward/outward I am interested in understanding what outside factors influence their current beliefs and attitudes towards play-based curriculums.. What are their beliefs on drama? What are parents ‘ beliefs sing developmentally appropriate patterns? What are parents ‘ perceptual experiences of early acquisition? What grounds can I offer parents that play-based course of study is an appropriate course of study for primary school preparedness? How do I recommend for kindergartners as a clip in life to care for drama as a footing for holistic development and acquisition? . Childs have different demands and the preschool plan should be able to turn to those demands. From my experience, I have found that parents frequently choose preschools that are child-friendly ; that is, they have passed safety criterions, provide plenty learning stuffs, employ qualified and caring instructors, and maintain an attractive installation. Rarely do parents inquire about the school ‘s course of study or its academic offerings. In my experience, parents expect preschools to learn kids rudimentss like forms, colourss, alphabet, Numberss, and reading. Most preschools integrate these basic accomplishments into their acquisition plans, but each preschool differs in how the said accomplishments are presented to the kids for learning intents. Researching parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes would assist place the relevancy of play-based course of study, whether it has helped ease their kids ‘s preparedness and ability to larn and develop accomplishments needed for the â€Å" existent school † or for mundane life. Furthermore, their responses will function as valuable penetrations to pedagogues in general, including those who are non implementing drama. Sing its focal point, play-based course of study may be mostly misperceived as non supplying adequate attending to accomplishments and acquisition. Besides, the current standard-based instruction being implemented, may see drama unimportant, therefore curtail clip for it or wholly disregard it. Such would be deterrent to kids whose basic needs include drama and merriment. In this position, the inquiries that I would wish to elaborate on include: What are parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes towards play-based course of study? What factors led to the development of these beliefs and attitudes? How do/did play-based course of study affect their kids ‘s acquisition and development? and How do parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes sing drama impact the execution of play-based course of study and standard-based curriculum/formal direction?Purpose of the StudyI believe it is of import for all parents to hold a thorough apprehension of the course of study that their kid will be sing, whether in preschool or in any other educational scene. Preschools enjoy a certain sum of flexibleness in how they teach immature kids. Different learning theoretical accounts are available, and some schools integrate two theoretical accounts ( i.e, Montessori and Reggio Emilia ) . When parents know and understand the course of study of their kid ‘s preschool, they are more likely to go involved in the school ‘s activities. They so cognize how to reenforce their kid ‘s acquisition at place, and tend to join forces more with instructors ( Sission, 2009 ) . My quest to understand the beliefs and attitudes of five parents towards a play-based course of study has multiple intents. First, is to supply readers and the early childhood instruction sector with information refering parental beliefs and attitudes towards play-based course of study ; 2nd, to larn how, harmonizing to parents ‘ positions has play-based course of study affected their kids ‘s acquisition and development ; and 3rd, to spot whether they believe it serves as an effectual tool for early childhood instruction.Statement of the ProblemEarly on childhood research workers have reported that immature kids learn best through activities that support the development of the whole kid ( Elkind 2001 ) . David Elkind ( 2001 ) , in a piece reminiscent of Piaget ‘s constructivist positions, entitled â€Å" Young Einstein: Much Too Early, † argued that immature kids learn best through direct interaction with their environment. Before a certain age, they merely a re non capable of the degree of concluding necessary for formal direction. However, national concern with answerability, competition, proving and â€Å" back-to-basics, † puts an over-emphasis on faculty members and single-subject instruction ( Elkind, 2007 ; Ornstein, 2002 ; Perrone, 2000 ) . In response to these concerns, early childhood plans may concentrate the course of study on the instruction of academic accomplishments ( Morrison, 2004 ) . These factors have led to narrowly-defined course of study, which deny immature kids valuable life experiences found in drama. Although a turning concern on math and linguistic communication ability in the higher twelvemonth degrees has prompted the execution of standard-based course of study, it is non plenty to enforce such sort of system in the preschool degree. In the first topographic point, kids are a batch different from grownups in their ways to larn. Unlike grownups, kids, particularly little 1s, need drama ( Ginsburg, 2007 ) ; they need to be interested in what they do in order to go on with it. Therefore, the demand for drama in the preschool should non be disregarded. However, the significance of drama in direction should be supported by research and by parents ‘ belief in the course of study. Therefore, a survey of the parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood course of study may supply information utile to instructors and decision makers when be aftering schemes for implementing a successful preschool plan.RationaleWith the demand for effectivity, trial accomplishment tonss, and answerability, many preschool plans have adopted and reinforced formal direction, and have used drama as a recreational period instead than a learning medium. In an Oregon state-wide study sent to all kindergarten instructors and principals with first-grade instructors, Hitz and Wright ( 1998 ) found that 64 per centum of kindergarten instructors, 61 per centum of principals, and 72 per centum of first-grade instructors reported that formal academic direction was more prevailing in kindergarten than it was 10 to 20 old ages ago. In this scenario, originative look may be considered non every bit of import as cognitive development. Creativity may be viewed as irrelevant to the development of thought and job resolution. Conversely, it is possible that instructors and decision makers have adopted academic direction and other formal patterns, even though most of them considered such developmentally inappropriate. This last scenario implies the loss or deficiency of academic freedom among pedagogues, therefore beliing democratic rules. Early on childhood pedagogues have shown concern with the type of direction used in their instruction plans. Practices used in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten categories reflected an environmentalist-behaviorist position, even though instructors reported holding other positions. From a survey of instructor pattern, Hatch and Freeman ( 1988 ) found that two-thirds of early childhood instructors were implementing plans in struggle with their doctrines refering kids ‘s acquisition. Early childhood experts have long asserted that plans for immature kids should supply for the development of societal, emotional, physical, cognitive, and originative accomplishments, but the abovementioned findings do non reflect this anymore. In short, there is a spread between research workers ‘ recommendations and instructors ‘ patterns ( Bredekamp, 1997 ; Logue, Eheart, & A ; Leavitt, 1996 ) . Parents are the make up one's minding authorization when it comes to the type of instruction that their kids should have. Their beliefs and attitudes towards a course of study and later their determinations are typically influenced by their ain beliefs, experiences, and attitudes. As a effect, their positions affect the execution of plans for immature kids. This survey does non corroborate that parents ‘ positions sing course of study execution are sufficient to implement a favourable plan. However, it considers their positions because they form portion of kids ‘s acquisition environment. It is of import to derive their positions about play-based instruction because aside from the instructor, they are the 1s who have entree to information sing their kids ‘s development and ability whether in school or outside it. Motivation As an experient primary pedagogue, and a current preschool proprietor and pedagogue, I am interested in parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based course of study and whether their determination to inscribe their kid in a play-based course of study is borne out of their apprehension of the plan or other factors. I personally believe in the play-based course of study and would wish to find if this attitude is shared by the parents. If they do non, I would wish to cognize the footing for their disfavor of the course of study. Parents of my pupils are informed of our play-based course of study at registration. Despite this, nevertheless, some still face me with incredulity about the course of study. As an pedagogue and concern proprietor, this survey would take me to a better apprehension of parents ‘ beliefs and attitudes approximately play as a vehicle for larning Understanding how parents understand play-based course of study is important and wi ll add to the literature in many ways. In researching how parents understand play-based course of study this survey will lend to current literature available offering new thoughts Contributions to the Research Children ‘s drama has come under renewed onslaught. Inspired by my ain experiences as a preschool proprietor I hope to lend through this narrative instance survey assorted lived narratives of parents and how their beliefs and attitudes towards a play-based early childhood course of study have evolved. Since parents are the â€Å" clients † of early childhood plans, is it of import to understand their beliefs and attitudes. While there is plentifulness of research back uping play-based course of studies in the early childhood schoolroom, it is largely from the pedagogues ‘ and child ‘s position point, literature is missing in this country as it pertains to the parents, their ain beliefs and attitudes. While non meant to portray generalised information the rich descriptive narratives of these five parents will stand for the larger community. Mentality In chapter two of this research proposal, Literature Review, I describe the context in which preschool plans, play-based course of study, and parental picks have been studied in the yesteryear, and the deductions of research findings to current pattern. . The literature reappraisal is organized from the general to the particular, which means that a general overview of preschool plans is provided, followed by a treatment of the play-based course of study, and reasoning with parents pick. . In chapter three, Methodology, I further depict the usage of instance survey and the narrative enquiry attack to warrant the usage of such methods and design as proposed for this survey. The chapter besides provides the description of the research scene, the research sample, the informations assemblage process, information analysis, the timeline, and cogency and dependability concerns, every bit good as the awaited restrictions of the survey. The chief research inquiry every bit good as the back uping inquiries will be outlined in item as good within the chapter three. Chapter four, Findings, will pull on common subjects that exist within the participants narratives that describe their beliefs and attitudes towards an early childhood play-based course of study. The deductions this research has on informing the preschool community will be found within chapter five, the concluding chapter, Discussions and Implications.KeywordsPreschool Plans: refers to the pre-kindergarten plans that are geared towards fixing kids ages 2-5 old ages old for kindergarten. The plans offer assorted services for different age groups and follow different course of study theoretical accounts. In this survey, preschool plans refer to the scene and object of the research work. Curriculum Models: refers to an educational system that combines theory with pattern. A course of study theoretical account has a theory and cognition base that reflects a philosophical orientation and is supported, in changing grades, by kid development research and educational rating. The practical application of a course of study theoretical account includes guidelines on how to put up the physical environment, construction the activities, interact with kids and their households, and support staff members in their initial preparation and on-going execution of the plan. In this survey, the theoretical account used by the preschool plan is a play-based course of study. Play-based course of study: refers to the larning theoretical account based on developmentally appropriate drama. This theoretical account is child-centered ; it is based on kids ‘s involvement to guarantee maximized engagement, focal point, and acquisition. Developmentally appropriate patterns: patterns that are â€Å" designed for the age group served and implemented with attending to the demand and differences of the single kids enrolled † ( Bredekamp, 1998 p. 53 ) . In this survey, developmentally appropriate patterns refer to the instruction patterns of kindergarten instructors as manifested in their categories. Beliefs: refer to a set of thoughts or ideas that a individual finds of import or that influences his or her feelings, attitudes, and behaviour. Beliefs are subjective and can be measured by inquiring participants to clarify their ideas on a certain subject or issue. Attitudes: refer to a societal concept that is predetermined by a individual ‘s beliefs. If the belief is negative, so the attitude toward the issue or job is besides negative. Attitudes are associated with stereotypes of what is socially acceptable. Feelingss: refer to the affectional constituent of an person ‘s belief and attitude towards a certain issue or subject. Feelingss are associated with the personal experience and rating of the said issue. Understanding/Perception: refers to the entirety of the person ‘s beliefs, attitudes, and feelings towards a certain issue or subject.