Gender Violence

Gender and Violence The young woman from the military article was very courageous for coming out and telling her personal story about the rape she endured while serving In the military. I feel the word and the action of â€Å"rape† has been seen as sort of a taboo for many generations throughout the army. So many questions about gender and violence came to my mind after reading the article. One being, why must woman be afraid of losing their occupation for speaking of a vicious violent act on them?Rape, is such a violent act, which can both physically and psychologically ruin a woman forever. How can these military men shun someone who has no control over what was done to her? The ethics of the case I feel would be found in a country without a justice system. Certain measures need to be changed In order for this order to prevent this type of desensitizing behavior In the military and throughout male driven occupations. Often both abuse and violent behaviors are Internalized at a young age and further exemplified In the person's adulthood.For example, Byron Hurts mentioned In his article how stunned he was about learning the lengths that women do to protect themselves from sexual assault; and how it really evoked him to think ND want to learn about gender. After learning about the female gender issues of violence, I felt he begun to learn what respect a woman really meaner. It is interesting how him choosing to educate himself about violence and gender had a more powerful effect on him than seeing the emotional effects of verbal abuse as a child.He even mentioned how he had a special bond with his mother and seeing her emotional pain did not change his mannerisms and understanding of the proper way to treat a woman. Education may be the most powerful tool in order to prevent violent gender behaviors amongst men towards woman In the military. Many Individuals that enter the military do not have a college education which may have exposed them with some kind of background from a course about violence against women.Being said, some of these men may have grown up in an environment where abuse against a woman was okay and therefore will further exemplify the learned mannerism in the military. Education and creating programs in order to prevent these violent actions are important to erase the macho like mentality found in the military and will help men to understand that it is unacceptable to exhibit such violence against any woman. Reading the articles also made me want to wink further about some personal instances in which female family or friends have kept quiet about unwanted male behavior In the workplace.An event that came to mind was how my sister said she always tries to avoid the copy room at work because the last time she went In there a random man asked her out on a date. It Is Interesting how that small level of male Inappropriateness made my sister forever want to avoid the copy room. Comparing this to the violence against the women in the military is nothing, I can only imagine Just now terrible these woman tell trot all the negativity of an unpreventable violent act against their body.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 30

Part VI Passion Nobody's perfect†¦. Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him. ANONYMOUS Sunday Joshua's mother and his brother James found us outside of the Golden Gate of Jerusalem, where we were waiting for Bartholomew and John, who were looking for Nathaniel and Philip to return with James and Andrew, who were off trying to find Judas and Thomas, who had been sent into the city to look for Peter and Maggie, who were looking for Thaddeus and Simon, who had been sent to look for a donkey. â€Å"You'd think they'd have found one by now,† Mary said. According to prophecy, Joshua was supposed to enter the city on the colt of a donkey. Of course, no one was going to find one. That was the plan. Even Joshua's brother James had agreed to be part of the conspiracy. He'd gone ahead to wait inside the gate, just in case one of the disciples had missed the point and actually came back with a donkey. About a thousand of Joshua's followers from Galilee had gathered on the road to the Golden Gate. They had lined the road with palm fronds for Joshua's entrance to the city, and they were cheering and singing hosannas all afternoon in anticipation of his triumphant entrance, but as the afternoon wore into evening, and no colt showed, the crowd gradually dispersed as everybody got hungry and went into the city to find something to eat. Only Joshua, his mother, and I were still waiting. â€Å"I was hoping you might talk some sense into him,† I said to Mary. â€Å"I've seen this coming for a long time,† Mary said. She wore her usual blue dress and shawl, and the usual light in her face seemed faded, not by age, but by grief. â€Å"Why do you think I sent for him two years ago?† It was true, she had sent Joshua's younger brothers Judah and Jose to the synagogue at Capernaum to bring him home, claiming he was mad, but Joshua hadn't even gone outside to meet them. â€Å"I wish you two wouldn't talk about me like I'm not here,† Joshua said. â€Å"We're trying to get used to it,† I said. â€Å"If you don't like it, then give up this stupid plan to sacrifice yourself.† â€Å"What do you think we've been preparing for all of these years, Biff?† â€Å"If I'd known it was this I wouldn't have helped. You'd still be stuck in a wine amphora in India.† He squinted to see through the gate. â€Å"Where is everyone? How hard can it be to find one simple ass?† I looked at Joshua's mother, and although there was pain in her eyes she smiled. â€Å"Don't look at me,† she said. â€Å"No one on my side of the family would ever sacrifice a straight line like that.† It was too easy, so I let it go. â€Å"They're all at Simon's house in Bethany, Josh. They aren't coming back tonight.† Joshua didn't say a word. He just climbed to his feet and walked off toward Bethany. â€Å"There is nothing you can do to stop this from happening!† Joshua screamed at the apostles, who were gathered in the front room of Simon's house. Martha ran from the room crying when Joshua glared at her. Simon looked at the floor, as did the rest of us. â€Å"The priest and the scribes will take me, and put me on trial. They will spit on me and scourge me and then they will kill me. I will rise from the dead on the third day and walk among you again, but you cannot stop what must happen. If you love me, you will accept what I'm telling you.† Maggie got up and ran out of the house, snatching the communal purse from Judas as she went. The Zealot started to rise to go after her but I pushed him back down on his cushion. â€Å"Let her go.† We all sat there in silence, trying to think of something to do, something to say. I don't know what everyone else was thinking, but I was still trying to formulate some way for Joshua to make his point without giving his life. Martha returned to the room with wine and cups and served each of us in turn, not looking at Joshua when she filled his cup. Joshua's mother followed her back out of the room, I presumed to help her prepare supper. In time, Maggie came back, sliding through the door and going directly to Joshua, where she sat down at his feet. She took the communal purse out of her cloak and from it she pulled a small alabaster box, the sort that was used to store the precious ointments that women used to anoint the bodies of the dead at burial. She tossed the empty purse to Judas. Without a word, she broke the seal on the box and poured the ointment on Joshua's feet, then untied her long hair and began to wipe the oil from his feet with it. The rich aroma of spices and perfume filled the room. In an instant Judas was on his feet and across the room. He snatched the box of ointment off the floor. â€Å"The money from this could have fed hundreds of the poor.† Joshua looked up at the Zealot and there were tears in his eyes. â€Å"You'll always have the poor, Judas, but I'm only here for a short while longer. Let her be.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Let her be,† Joshua said. He held out his hand and Judas slammed the alabaster box into it, then stormed out of the house. I could hear him shouting out in the street, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. Maggie poured the rest of the oil on Joshua's head and drew patterns on his forehead with her finger. Joshua tried to take her hand but she pulled it away from him and stepped back until he dropped his hand. â€Å"A dead man can't love,† she said. â€Å"Be still.† When we followed Joshua to the Temple the next morning, Maggie was nowhere to be seen. Monday On Monday Joshua led us through the Golden Gate into Jerusalem, but this time there were no palm fronds laid on the road and no one was singing hosannas. (Well, there was this one guy, but he was always singing hosannas at the Golden Gate. If you gave him a coin he'd stop for a while.) â€Å"It would be nice to be able to buy a little something for breakfast,† Judas said. â€Å"If the Magdalene hadn't spent all of our money.† â€Å"Joshua smells nice, though,† Nathaniel said. â€Å"Don't you think Joshua smells nice?† Sometimes you find yourself grateful for the most unlikely things. Right then, when I saw Judas grit his teeth and the vein stand out on his forehead, I said a quick prayer of thanks for Nathaniel's na;vet. â€Å"He does smell nice,† said Bartholomew. â€Å"It makes one want to reassess one's values regarding the material comforts.† â€Å"Thank you, Bart,† said Joshua. â€Å"Yes, there's nothing like a good-smelling man,† said John dreamily. Suddenly we were all very uncomfortable and there was a lot of throat-clearing and coughing and we all walked a few paces farther apart. (I haven't told you about John, have I?) Then John started to make a great and pathetic show of noticing the women as they passed. â€Å"Why, that little heifer would give a man some strong sons,† John said in a booming and falsely masculine voice. â€Å"A man could surely plant some seed there, he could.† â€Å"Please shut up,† James said to his brother. â€Å"Maybe,† said Philip, â€Å"you could have your mother come over and tell that woman to cleave unto you.† Everyone snickered, even Joshua. Well, everyone except James. â€Å"You see?† he said to his brother. â€Å"You see what you've started? You little nancy.† â€Å"There's a nubile wench,† exclaimed John unconvincingly. He pointed to a woman who was being dragged toward the city gates by a group of Pharisees, her clothes hanging in shreds on her body (which indeed appeared to be nubile, so credit to John for working outside of his element). â€Å"Block the road,† Joshua said. The Pharisees came up to our human blockade and stopped. â€Å"Let us pass, Rabbi,† the oldest of them said. â€Å"This woman has been caught in the act of adultery this very day and we're taking her out of the city to be stoned, as is the law.† The woman was young and her hair fell in dirty curls around her face. Terror had twisted her face and her eyes were rolled back in her head, but an hour ago she had probably been pretty. Joshua crouched and began writing in the dust at his feet. â€Å"What's your name?† he asked. â€Å"Jamal,† said the leader. I watched Joshua write the man's name, then next to it a list of sins. â€Å"Wow, Jamal,† I said. â€Å"A goose? I didn't even know that was possible.† Jamal dropped the adulteress's arm and stepped back. Joshua looked up at the other man who was holding the woman. â€Å"And your name?† â€Å"Uh, Steve,† said that man. â€Å"His name is not Steve,† said another man in the crowd. â€Å"It's Jacob.† Joshua wrote â€Å"Jacob† in the dust. â€Å"No,† said Jacob. He let go of the woman, pushing her toward us. Then Joshua stood up and took the stone from the man nearest him, who surrendered it easily. His attention was focused on the list of sins written in the dirt. â€Å"Now let us stone this harlot,† Joshua said. â€Å"Whoever of you is without sin, cast the first stone.† And he held out the stone to them. They gradually backed away. In a moment they had all gone back the way they had come and the adulteress fell to Joshua's feet and hugged his ankles. â€Å"Thank you, Rabbi. Thank you so much.† â€Å"That's okay,† said Joshua. He lifted her to her feet. â€Å"Now go, and sin no more.† â€Å"You really smell good, you know that?† she said. â€Å"Yeah, thanks. Now go.† She started off. â€Å"I should make sure she gets home okay,† I said. I started off after her, but Joshua caught the back of my tunic and pulled me back. â€Å"You missed the ‘sin no more' part of my instructions?† â€Å"Look, I've already committed adultery with her in my heart, so, you know, why not enjoy it?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You're the one who set the standards. By those rules, even John committed adultery with her in his heart, and he doesn't even like women.† â€Å"Do too,† said John. â€Å"To the Temple,† Joshua said, pressing on. â€Å"Waste of a perfectly good adulteress, if you ask me.† In the outer court of the Temple, where the women and the Gentiles were allowed to go, Joshua called us all together and began to preach the kingdom. Each time he would get started, a vendor would come by barking, â€Å"Get your doves. Get your sacrificial doves. Pure as the driven snow. Everybody needs one.† Then Joshua would begin again and the next vendor would come by. â€Å"Unleavened bread! Get your unleavened bread! Only one shekel. Piping hot matzo, just like Moses ate on the way out of Egypt, only fresher.† And a little girl who was lame was brought to Joshua and he started to heal her and ask about her faith when†¦ â€Å"Your denariis changed to shekels, while you wait! No amount too large or small. Drachmas to talents, talents to shekels – all your money changed while you wait.† â€Å"Do you believe that the Lord loves you?† Joshua asked the little girl. â€Å"Bitter herbs! Get your bitter herbs!† cried a vendor. â€Å"Dammit all!† Joshua screamed in frustration. â€Å"You're healed, child, now get out of here.† He waved off the little girl, who got up and walked for the first time in her life, then he slapped a dove vendor, ripped the top off his cage of birds, and released a cloud of doves into the sky. â€Å"This is a house of prayer! Not a den of thieves.† â€Å"Oh no, not the moneychangers,† Peter whispered to me. Joshua grabbed a long low table where men were changing a dozen currencies into shekels (the only coin allowed for commerce inside the Temple complex) and he flipped it over. â€Å"Oh, that's it, he's fucked,† Philip said. And he was. The priests took a big percentage from the moneychangers. He might have slid by before, but now he'd interfered with their income. â€Å"Out, you vipers! Out!† Joshua had taken a coil of rope from one of the vendors and was using it as a scourge to drive the vendors and the moneychangers out of the Temple gates. Nathaniel and Thomas had joined in Joshua's tirade, kicking at the merchants as they scampered away, but the rest of us sat staring or ministered to those who had come to hear Joshua speak. â€Å"We should stop this,† I said to Peter. â€Å"You think you could stop this?† Peter nodded to the corner of the courtyard, where at least twenty priests had come out from the Inner Temple to watch the fracas. â€Å"He's going to bring down the wrath of the priests on all of us,† Judas said. He was looking at the Temple guards, who had stopped pacing the walls and were watching the goings-on below in the courtyard. To Judas' credit, he, Simon, and a few of the others had managed to calm the small crowd of the faithful who had gathered to be blessed and healed before Joshua's tantrum. Beyond the walls of the Temple we could see the Roman soldiers staring down from the battlements of Herod the Great's old palace, which the governor commandeered during feast weeks when he brought the legions to Jerusalem. The Romans didn't enter the Temple unless they sensed insurrection, but if they entered, Jewish blood would be spilled. Rivers of it. â€Å"They won't come in,† Peter said, a tiny note of doubt in his voice. â€Å"They can see that this is a Jewish matter. They don't care if we kill each other.† â€Å"Just watch Judas and Simon,† I said. â€Å"If one of them starts with that no-master-but-God thing, the Romans will come down like an executioner's blade.† Finally, Joshua was out of breath, soaked in sweat, and barely able to swing the coil of rope he was carrying, but the Temple was clear of merchants. A large crowd had started to follow him, shouting at the vendors as Joshua drove them out of the Temple. The crowd (probably eight hundred to a thousand people) was the only thing that kept the priests from calling the guards down on Joshua right then. Josh tossed the rope aside and led the crowd back to where we had been watching in horror. â€Å"Thieves,† he said to us breathlessly as he passed. Then he went to a little girl with a withered arm who had been waiting beside Judas. â€Å"Pretty scary, huh?† Joshua said to her. She nodded. Joshua put his hands over her withered arm. â€Å"Are those guys in the tall hats coming over here?† She nodded again. â€Å"Here, can you make this sign with your finger?† He showed her how to stick out her middle finger. â€Å"No, not with that hand, with this one.† Joshua took his hand away from her withered arm and she wiggled her fingers. The muscle and tendons had filled out until it looked identical to her other arm. â€Å"Now,† Joshua said, â€Å"make that sign. That's good. Now show it to those guys behind me with the tall hats. That's a good girl.† â€Å"By whose authority do you perform these healings,† said one of the priests, obviously the highest-ranking of the group. â€Å"No master – † Simon began to shout but he was cut off by a vicious blow to the solar plexus from Peter, who then pushed the Zealot to the ground and sat on him while furiously whispering in his ear. Andrew had come up behind Judas and seemed to be delivering a similar lecture without benefit of the body blow. Josh took a little boy from his mother's arms and held him. The boy's legs waved in the air as if they had no bones at all. Without looking away from the boy, Joshua said, â€Å"By what authority did John baptize?† The priests looked around among themselves. The crowd moved in closer. We were in Judea, John's territory. The priests knew better than to challenge John's authority under God in front of a crowd this size, but they certainly weren't going to confirm it for Joshua's sake, either. â€Å"We can't say at this time,† said the priest. â€Å"Then I can't say either,† said Joshua. He stood the little boy on his feet and held him steady as the boy's legs took his full weight, probably for the first time ever. The boy wobbled like a newborn colt and Joshua caught him and laughed. He took the boy's shoulders and helped him walk back to his mother, then he turned on the priests and looked at them for the first time. â€Å"You would test me? Test me. Ask me what you will, you vipers, but I will heal these people and they shall know the word of God in spite of you.† Philip had moved up behind me during this speech and he whispered, â€Å"Can't you knock him out or something with your methods from the East? We have to get him out of here before he says any more.† â€Å"I think we're too late, John,† I said. â€Å"Just don't let the crowd disperse. Go out into the city and bring more. The crowd is his only protection now. And find Joseph of Arimathea too. He might be able to help if this gets out of hand.† â€Å"This isn't out of hand?† â€Å"You know what I mean.† The inquisition went on for two hours, with the priests concocting every verbal trap they could think of, and Joshua wiggling out sometimes, and blundering through at others. I looked for some way to get Joshua out of the Temple without him being arrested, but the more I looked, the more I noticed that the guards had moved down off the walls and were hovering around the gates to the courtyard. Meanwhile the chief priest droned on: â€Å"A man dies and leaves no sons, but his wife marries his brother, who has three sons by his first wife†¦[and on] The three of them leave Jericho and head south, going three point three furlongs per hour, but they are leading two donkeys, which can carry two†¦[and on] So the Sabbath ends, and they are able to resume, adding on the thousand steps allowed under the law†¦and the wind is blowing southwest at two furlongs per hour†¦[and on] How much water will be required for the journey? Give your answer in firkins.† â€Å"Five,† Joshua said, as soon as they stopped speaking. And all were amazed. The crowd roared. A woman shouted, â€Å"Surely he is the Messiah.† â€Å"The Son of God has come,† said another. â€Å"You guys aren't helping,† I shouted back at them. â€Å"You didn't show your work, you didn't show your work,† chanted the youngest of the priests. Judas and Matthew had been scratching out the problem on the paving stones of the courtyard as the priest recited, but they had long since lost track. They looked up and shook their heads. â€Å"Five,† Joshua repeated. The priests looked around among themselves. â€Å"That's right, but that doesn't give you authority to heal in the Temple.† â€Å"In three days, there will be no Temple, for I'll destroy it, and you nest of vipers with it. And three days after that, a new Temple shall be built in honor of my father.† And then I grabbed him around the chest and started dragging him toward the gate. The other apostles followed the plan and moved around us in a wedge. Beyond that, the crowd pressed in. Hundreds moved along with us. â€Å"Wait, I'm not done!† Joshua yelled. â€Å"Yes you are.† â€Å"Surely the true king of Israel has come to bring forth the kingdom,† one woman shouted. Peter smacked her on the back of the head. â€Å"Stop helping.† By the sheer mass of the crowd we were able to get Joshua out of the Temple and through the streets to Joseph of Arimathea's house. Joseph let us in and led us to the upper room, which had a high arched stone ceiling, rich carpets on the floors and walls, piles of cushions, and a long low table for dining. â€Å"You're safe here, but I don't know for how long. They've already called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.† â€Å"But we just left the Temple,† I said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"You should have let them take me,† Joshua said. â€Å"The table will be set for the Passover feast of the Essenes,† Joseph said. â€Å"Stay here for supper.† â€Å"Celebrate the Passover early? Why?† John asked. â€Å"Why celebrate with the Essenes?† Joseph looked away from Joshua when he answered. â€Å"Because at the Essenes' feast, they don't kill a lamb.†

Physical and Mental Effect of Teenage Pregnancy Essay

One of the most traumatic and devastating effect of teenage pregnancy is making it difficult for the girl to continue her education. And this is verily alarming especially here in the Philippines. It is a major contributor to poverty, single parenthood, and limited futures for adolescents and their children that is why it is so significant to attend to the problem now and not later. We must help young parents rise above what the statistics forecast. We can no longer look the other way when it comes to the issues our youth face today whether it is drugs or alcohol abuse, crime, sexual orientation, sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. Our community must work together to empower, educate and encourage these individuals. We can address these issues by offering workshops on life skills such as budgeting, parenting, and financial planning. Young parents need access to resources in terms of rehabilitation, communication, parenting classes, relationship counseling and training. Successful intervention methods must be established to resolve teenage pregnancy issues and teenage mother’s predicaments The sexual revolution has ushered in a period in which the average adolescent experiences tremendous pressures to have sexual experiences of all kinds. Filipino teens get a higher exposure to sex from the Internet, magazines, TV shows, movies and other media than decades ago, yet without any corresponding increase in information on how to handle the input. So kids are pretty much left to other kids for opinions and value formation when it comes to sex. Sexual misinformation is therefore equally shared in the group. Parents at home and teachers in school feel equally inadequate or uneasy to discuss the topic of sex with youngsters. The problem mounts because theirpeers has a more profound influence than parents do and they exert pressure and expect the adolescent to conform to the rest of them. Teen pregnancy has become known to be one of the most serious social problems in thewhole world. The youths today is at high risk of becoming an early and immature parent who areexpose to a malevolent behaviors. This issue is a severe family stressor that may quickly lead toa family crisis. The main objective of this research is to consider the physical and mental health ofapregnantteenager. As well as the cause and effect of pregnancy to the teenager and their social interaction. The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find  forgiveness†. Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines is increasingly becoming a major cause of concern. There is a rising trend of young women becoming mothers and majority of whom are unmarried. Young pregnant women are more vulnerable to death during pregnancy while childbirth and huge number are not physically and emotionally prepared for motherhood. This is a direct reflection that there is inadequate and inaccurate information on adolescent pregnancy and not enough priority is given to maternal and child health care. If pregnancy occurs, teenagers and their families deserve honest and sensitive counseling about options available to them, from abortion to adoption. Special support systems, including consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist when needed, should be available to help the teenager throughout the pregnancy, the birth, and the decision about whether to keep the infant or give it up for adoption. The ability to talk openly about problems is one of the most important aspects of the  parent and child relationship. Developing this relationship  and open communication takes time,  persistence, and understanding. The relationship develops gradually  by spending time with the child. Meal times, storytelling, reading, playing games, outings, vacations, and celebrations are important opportunities for parents to spend time with their child. Parents should also try to spend some individual time with each child, particularly when talking about difficult or upsetting things. This relationship creates the foundation for talking with the child when struggles and conflicts  emerge  during  adolescence. Whatever feelings you’re experiencing, this is likely to be a difficult time for your family. The important thing to realize is that your teen needs you now more than ever. Being able to communicate with each other – especially when emotions are running high – is essential. Teens that are carrying a baby to term have special health concerns, and your child will have a healthier pregnancy – emotionally and physically – if she knows she doesn’t have to go it alone.

University Convineince Store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

University Convineince Store - Essay Example The store,  which is planned to be opened in the university campus,  is mainly targeted to provide a convenience to the students residing in the university accommodation and just off campus. The opening of convenience store in the university campus will be of a great deal because the campus is located in  the out strikes of the city  and there is no convenient availability of groceries and other products available to students. The store will be of a great convenience to the student community  and  there is also a high need of such store in the area. The store will provide a hassle free experience of shopping the daily requirement commodities used by the students (Targeting Convenience Store Customers, 2011). The convenient store will also provide utensils like books, pencils, pens and so on, to students in the campus which is in high demand at the campus and which the students found it difficult to manage. Bringing the convenience store will be highly beneficial to the ar ea and students (City of Saint John Citizen Survey - Fall 2010, 2010). Target Market The target market has been identified by analyzing the need of the community at large. The target market needs to be evaluated in order to analyze the targeted customer group. The target market for the convenience store is the main university area and the nearby localities which can approach the store in an easy and convenient manner.  As the campus is located in the out strikes of the city, there is a high inconvenience and hassle faced by the students to meet their day to day requirements (Dunne, Lusch & Carver, 2010). Looking at this factor the target market set for the convenience store are the university campus and nearby areas. There are a large number of students residing in the university... Convenience is the vital factor which is seen by each and every individual around the globe when looking for purchasing the day to day usability items. Convenience store can be said to be as the store which provides a range of products with respect to the day to day usability items like, toiletries, alcoholic, news papers groceries and tobacco products and so on. These stores are opened in the localities which provide convenience to customers to make their purchases in an easy and convenient manner. The report has successfully defined about the convenience store which offers the day to day usability items to the individuals. The report has also discussed the market and customers, which can be targeted by the store for selling their products. The report has discussed that university and hospitals can be targeted for selling the goods. The report has also described that students, staff, patients, local business, tourist, researchers, and athletics can be targeted by the convenience store and can easily increase their sale. Through offering a wide range of goods; the store can enhance its sale and increase its profitability. If the customer based is increased the store can gain reputation or popularity in the near by area and can easily increase its customer along with customer loyalty.

Fff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fff - Essay Example This tool will: I. Evaluate production achieved and the expectations, II. Enhance communication that will allow exchange of ideas between the employee and the supervisor on matters concerning job performance, III. Assist in highlighting areas that employees will require training and development needs as well as plan for growth in their career, IV. Assist in identifying skills to enhance promotion, V. Act as pillars for organization and employee goals and VI. Offer legal protection against false lawsuits against termination. Through performance evaluation, several benefits will be accrued. These include: I. The work done will be easily controlled and II. The employees will always feel motivated and as a result, production will increase, To achieve these benefits, performance reviews must be conducted annually and rely on individual job-related issues. A guideline must be provided that is used in the review of individual based performance and a review of the past performance. Team base d performance must be annually reviewed. The review must rely on the performance of the team in relation to the functions of the employees. The program is to enhance of quality of products. Question 1.4B: Based on your team’s experience, what data from the exploration phase would be of greatest help in developing the field? Subsurface information is used in the search for reservoirs and petroleum and gas traps through a process known as prospecting. This process is carried out on paper or with the assistance of computers. This involves the use of art and science. The success of a prospector lies in the use of a three dimensional space. This helps in developing a model that reveals lateral and vertical dimensions of the reservoir targeted. There are several sources from which a geologist can gather information from. These include: I. Study of the rocks on the surface of the earth, II. Information gathered from holes drilled in the prospect area after a careful study, and III. Through seismic reflection. The data collected are recorded, interpreted by geologists who develop cross sectional drawings of rocks that contain oil and gas. The cross sectional drawings reveal the changes in depth of the reservoirs. Structure maps developed by geologists assist in showing the folds or faults in the layers of the earth. Reservoir composition data collected assists in developing the size of the facility, and the design process. Question 1.4C: Based on your team’s experience, or â€Å"brainstorming† session, what unforeseen problem would most hinder developing the field? The best location of the surface of the well is determined by the geologist. The land is leased and a permit of drilling the well obtained. For a permit to be granted by the Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Oil and Gas Management, proper environmental planning is necessary. The exact position of the well may be shifted to protect key natural resources like streams, wetl ands and endangered species. Other producing wells may also be a barrier in locating position of the wells. When the wells are closely dug, production from the existing wells may decrease. Erosion and sedimentation are likely to occur because of heavy earthworks during construction of access road and well site (Flaherty and Flaherty, p.11). Question 1.4D: Well performance evaluation and enhancement are the primary charges of the production engineer. With the

Analytical Procedures Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analytical Procedures Report - Essay Example While auditing a client, the analytical procedures are performed by the auditor at all stages of the audit. In planning stage, the analytical procedures are performed to gain a better understanding of the entity and identify and assess any risks that contradict the auditor’s basic understanding of the entity. At performance stage, the analytical procedures are performed as substantive procedures. The use of substantive analytical procedures during the audit increases the efficiency of the audit. The auditor shall also perform analytical procedures near the audit end. Those procedures will help the auditor to form an overall conclusion to evaluate whether the Financial Statements of the entity are consistent with the understanding of the auditor about the entity. During the audit, the analytical procedures may be applied by the auditor on the assertions of Completeness, Existence, Classification and Accuracy. Analytical procedures may be performed through various methods. These methods include simple comparisons and also complex mathematical and statistical analyses using advanced statistical formulae. The following mathematical and statistical tools are mostly used as analytical procedures: Financial ratio analysis Trend analysis Regression analysis Indicators analysis RATIO ANALYSIS: It is the most commonly used technique of financial analysis. The technique uses the study of relationships among several elements of the financial information. Various ratios may be found by using the formulae on the financial information of the company. The comparison may also be made by calculating ratios for the prior periods or the ratios for the competitor company. JD Sports Fashion PLC is a company engaged in selling and distribution sports goods and apparel. The company is the prospective audit client. Sports Direct International PLC is also engaged in the retailing and wholesale distribution of sports clothing, footwear and apparel. Thus, it stands as a strong comp etitor of JD Sports Fashion PLC. Financial Ratio Formulae JD Sports Fashion PLC Sports Direct International PLC 2008 2009 2010 2011 2011 Current Ratio Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 0.95 1.14 1.29 1.45 1.29 Acid Test Ratio Quick Assets/ Current Liabilities 0.30 0.50 0.73 0.87 0.53 Debt Ratio Total Liabilities/ Total Assets 0.57 0.53 0.54 0.50 0.64 Debt Coverage Ratio (Net Profit + Non-cash expense)/ Total debt 0.35 0.44 0.42 0.45 0.21 Return on Assets (Net Income/ Total Assets) x 100% 12.34% 11.11% 13.96% 15.19% 9.08% Return on Total Equity (Net Income/ Total Equity) x 100% 28.48% 23.62% 30.71% 30.35% 25.13% Net Profit Margin (Net Income/ Net Sales) x 100% 3.98% 3.65% 5.55% 6.32% 5.20% Cash Flow from Operations to Net Income Cash Flow from Operations/ Net Income 2.39 2.21 1.77 1.35 2.21 Cash flow Liquidity Ratio (Cash + Marketable Securities)/ Current Liabilities 0.13 0.28 0.49 0.62 0.21 The Ratio analysis, a tool of analytical procedures, may be used while making a decision ab out the financial performance of the entity. This will also assist the auditor to focus on any unusual deviations from expected amounts and thus, to evaluate whether these may cause a significant risk. The above table shows the financial ratios of JD Sports Fash

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Crucible by Arthur Miller - Coursework Example The Crucible is known as a parable, this mean there can be a direct link made between the events of the 17th Century witch trials, to the Communist ‘with hunts’ in the United States that occurred at the time Miller wrote the play. The first US production of The Crucible occurred in January 1953, this was a time of the Red Scare where Senator John McCarthy made false allegations of Communism against various people, this particularly affected people in the Arts and film industry who were know to hold more Leftist views. Miller comments that the propaganda of McCarthyism, the Red Scare and Communism â€Å"from the far Right was capable of creating not only a terror, but a new subjective reality† (39). Miller speaks of himself being astounded within the McCarthy era by how fear, an â€Å"interior and subjective an emotion could have been so manifestly created from without† (40). Miller describes John Proctor as intelligent, physically strong, rationale and stab le. With particular reference to his state of mind he’s described as â€Å"even tempered† with a â€Å"steady manner† (239). Yet, despite this outward appearance there is a sense of him feeling hypocritical from having sinned, and it is said that he â€Å"has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud.† (239). He is shown as determined to put an end to any previous relationships with Abigail in a polite but determined manner, this is indicated by the stage directions, â€Å"PROCTOR, gently pressing her from him, with great sympathy but firmly† (241). Proctor’s guilt for being disloyal to Elizabeth is show by anger when Abigail mentions her. Proctor is shown to be a rationale man who doesn’t believe in all the nonsense about devils and he’s a person who speaks his mind: â€Å"I may speak my heart, I think† (246). Proctor’s relationship with Elizabeth is awkward, they initially make formal small-talk about food and w ork, but there is evident strain in their relationship, evident when he says to her â€Å"I mean to please you† and she finds it difficult to acknowledge â€Å"I know it John† (262). When he kisses her she is disappointed. There is a sense of duty perceived from Elizabeth as she performs her housewife role, and an expectation from Proctor. As their conversation turns more argumentative, Proctor is described as â€Å"Angry and Stubborn† whilst Elizabeth is â€Å"quiet†¦cold†¦and lost all faith† (264). Elizabeth is still suspicious of Proctor, whilst he is fed up feeling guilty and judged by her. Proctor learns that the total accused women has increased form 14 – 39 and that one of the ladies has been sentenced to hang. It is indicated that Elizabeth’s name was mentioned too. He finds the whole accusations ridiculous when good honest religious women are accused, and elderly women too. As the scene progresses and he is tested on the c ommandments – he begins to take the threat more seriously. When Proctor is talking to Hale about the girls’ lies he says: â€Å"There are them that will swear to anything before they’ll hang† (275). He thinks if Hale does not believe him, that others in court may not too. When Cheever arrives with a warrant for Elizabeth and mentions the poppet, Mary is summoned. Proctor’

Global Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Trade - Essay Example th reference to the guardian, the governments will be in a position to pass international restrictions that protects domestic industries (The Guardian, pp. 1-3). Furthermore, the governments will be promoting national security. It will be a means of implementing a foreign policy targeting enemy states. According to Reimer, by intervening in trade, the governments are trying to adhere to the strategic trade policy (Reimer, pp. 1-50). By encouraging domestic employment, governments may raise their tariffs to influence trade. Additionally, they may use the strategic policies to mitigate influences of big corporations. It will be assisting growing companies domestically. Governments may raise taxes on goods that trade with enemy country to implement their foreign policies (Reimer, pp. 1-50). Trading in the past mostly dwelt in trade politics. Nowadays international trade has advanced and trade laws have replaced trade politics. Additionally, trade has transformed gradually till nowadays countries trade with a body called World Trade Organization supervising the activities. According to Pauwelny, trading system has developed from power based to rules based trade (Pauwelyn, pp. 1-20) Poverty is an issue that affects current global trading. The major cause of poverty is structural adjustments by the World Bank. Additionally, the loans to third world country are another issue in trade. The loans undermine developments and reduce trade

Access to Special Education Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Access to Special Education - Case Study Example While there are numerous approaches which have been adopted in combating HIV/AIDS, it has become essential to enhance the general knowledge of the population regarding the disease. In Zimbabwe, 15% of the population in the country have been infected by the disease (UNAIDS, 2012). This is worrying statistic which requires immediate action for the country to achieve the MDG goal number 6 of the United Nations. While the country has made significant progress and resulted in reduction of people infected with the disease, there is still a challenge in developing a long term solution. The programmes adopted within the country to fight the epidemic are commonly spearheaded by the National AIDS Council (NAC), non- governmental organisations, and Intergovernmental organisations, academic and religious organizations. These organizations have achieved a significant impact in the fight against HIV/ AIDS within the country. An education programme focusing of the young people will be implemented seeking to integrate education on HIV/AIDS within the school curriculum. Both private and public schools are believed to have the capability and significant influence on the information spread among the young generations within the population. The integration of and education programme for AIDS will be critical in ensuring the young people understand the nature of the epidemic and specific actions which they can take in prevention of the disease. Specific emphasis on prevention will be focused on the adolescents and early adulthood when the people become sexually active. The scope of the content presented within this programme will be determined locally in order to ensure consistency with the community and parental values of the society. Community participation in the projects will be critical in the programme because of some controversial issues which regard social values and norms of the people. The disease

User Frustration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

User Frustration - Essay Example Additionally, the majority of researchers have outlined the basic reasons of these frustrating experiences as dropped network connections, error messages, long download times, and hard-to-find features. In addition, users face a variety of problems due to these frustrating experiences for instance, they lose more than 50% of their time because of these frustrating experiences. In many cases users’ frustration emerges dues to problems in the computer software, hardware, or networking or troubling interactions among components supplied by various suppliers or is the result of malicious activities performed by other users (Ceaparu, Lazar, Bessiere, Robinson, & Shneiderman, 2004; Reynolds, 2001). 1. Errors Without a doubt, there is a strong relationship between errors and frustration. Additionally, an error can be used to demonstrate a variety of actions. In simple words, an error occurs when a computer user observes that something is in an improper state, no matter it is due to fault of the developers, or an implementation bug or a design flaw. Even though a computer is working properly and carrying out the required functionality but there are still a variety of things that could be the cause of users’ frustration for instance viruses, pop-up advertisements, and spam mail) (Ceaparu, Lazar, Bessiere, Robinson, & Shneiderman, 2004). ... e development team must spend considerable time in researching the issues and errors that an application can encounter and develop solutions accordingly. In this way, it will reduce the chances of errors at user end (Ceaparu, Lazar, Bessiere, Robinson, & Shneiderman, 2004). 2. Time Delays Normally, users like to have a smaller response time. However, the system’s response time heavily depends on the users' previous experiences, the cost of an error, the users' knowledge level and experience of using that technology, and external time pressures. For example, a new user can wait a little longer than professional user for a computer to respond. Sometimes, the significance and complexity of the job and its associated time pressure can also have a significant effect on users' frustration and expectations due to time delays (Ceaparu, Lazar, Bessiere, Robinson, & Shneiderman, 2004). Solution Since an application is developed in keeping the requirements of a specific user in mind so f irst of all software development teams must categorize its users, complexity and criticality of jobs and so on. According to these measurements they should look for the required algorithms and mechanisms that can address that specific issue. In addition, frustration can also be reduced when the users are made well aware of predictable delays projected time they will require to complete their task (Ceaparu, Lazar, Bessiere, Robinson, & Shneiderman, 2004). 3. User Satisfaction and Frustration Previous researches and studies have used user satisfaction as a reliable variable, for the measurement of the success of a software application. The term satisfaction can be vague which can be defined in many ways. In simple words, the user satisfaction refers to completion of a task or goal, and

MGMT345 U4 DB Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT345 U4 DB - Assignment Example r the 12 weeks leave are such as when the employee gives birth and has to take care of that child; is under placement for a child as a foster; seeks to care for their spouse, child or family member with serious medical conditions; the employees themselves are seriously ill and cannot discharge their duties normally; or when there is a succeeding exigency arising from the circumstance that the employee’s spouse or child is actively covered with the military. For the 26 weeks leave, may arise when an employee seeks to attend to a spouse or child seriously injured and is a covered service member (Aitchison & United States, 2003). This Act can affect an organization’s operations in two dynamic ways. First, the organization would need to reinstate the employee to their original position or a similar one should they return to work after the leave; thus, likely to affect the firm’s productivity. Second, the company would be required to continue offering the medical coverage for the employee, despite being away on leave. Finally, with this new Act, the organization is required to put up posters at all places that inform the employees of its contents, which may be costly to the

Classroom Scenarios Essay Example for Free

Classroom Scenarios Essay Mrs. Ross has her fourth grade students move their desks together into groups of 2 to do a group activity. She instructs them to pair with anyone they choose. Teresa raises her hand, â€Å"I don’t want to pair with Megan again because she doesn’t do any of the work. Can I have someone else? † Megan who is soft-spoken just looks down at the floor as the class waits for the teacher’s response. Mrs. Ross asks Teresa and Megan to come with her outside and instructs the class to carry on with the activity. 1. What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? A high level a mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario. Mrs. Ross had to trust the students at least a little bit in order for her to believe they could handle moving their desks around to do group work. Teresa showed respect for Mrs. Ross by raising her hand to properly voice her concern about her partner. Not only did she raise her hand, but she respected and trusted the teacher enough to feel safe expressing her feelings. Although soft-spoken, Megan could have found some way to negatively reply to what Teresa said. However, I believe she respected Mrs. Ross enough to know she could trust her to act in a fair and kind manner, so Megan waited quietly for her response. Mrs. Ross showed respect for the two girls when she asked them to come with her outside. She didn’t just ignore the issue or thoughtlessly assign another partner for Teresa. Mrs. Ross took the time to acknowledge their thoughts and feelings in private where she could assess the situation better without putting either of the girls on the spot. Finally, Mrs. Ross showed respect for the class when she trusted them to carry on with the activity while she stepped out of the class with Megan and Teresa. The class showed respect for Mrs. Ross by continuing to work while she steps outside the classroom for a moment. Mutual respect affected the whole classroom dynamic in a positive way. There was a feeling of cooperative learning. I am pleased with the high level of mutual respect shown in the classroom and find no need for improvement. 2. How well did the teacher handle herself in the scenario? What student-teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher handled herself very well in this scenario. She could have chosen to react immediately to Teresa’s comment with disappointment and frustration, but instead she calmly asked the two girls to come with her outside. She even thought of the rest of the class and took the time to instruct them so they weren’t left hanging while she went out with Teresa and Megan. Teresa raised her hand, but did not wait to be called on before calling out to the teacher. It was good that she felt safe enough to express her concerns, but not good that she made Megan feel badly in front of the class. I hope, if I was a teacher given the same situation, that I would be able to handle myself in a similar manner. I would want Teresa to know in front of the class that she is to wait until she’s called on to speak, but discussing the rest of the details in front of the class would only put Megan even more in the spotlight and add to her discomfort. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? I could not see any communication roadblocks in this classroom. It appears to me that the teacher communicated well with the students, and the students felt comfortable communicating with the teacher. To resolve this situation, I would remind Teresa specifically, as well as the class in general, to raise their hands and then wait to be called on before speaking. I would also ask my class to pay attention to all the instructions. The instructions Mrs. Ross gave told students they could choose their own partner. There was never a need for Teresa to comment on not wanting to be Megan’s partner as Mrs. Ross had already told students to pick their own partner. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The conflict in the classroom was between Teresa and Megan. To resolve the conflict I would bring the two students together and have them work cooperatively on the issue with my guidance. I would want both students to feel free to speak their mind, feel listened to, and feel that they are an important part of the solution. I would want them to understand that they both need to be respectful, listen to each other, and try to understand the others’ point of view. As part of the process I would also expect them to work together to come to an agreement they both feel good about. I would not use peer mediation methods in a fourth grade class. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? I don’t see any changes I would make, but something I would talk to the class about to make the classroom become more of a community would be respect. I would plan a mini lesson on respect and how we treat others for another day. It would be important to help the class develop into a community because community members care about each other, look out for each other, and help each other when needed. I would want my class to work together cooperatively and build a positive learning environment where everyone would feel valued. Tenth Grade Classroom Scenario The bell has rung and Mr. Dunn’s tenth grade math class has settled into their seats. â€Å"Good morning! Let’s begin by having everyone pass their homework to the front of the class. † Tom walks into class 5 minutes late. Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Tom, do you have your homework? † Tom looks down at the floor when he answers, â€Å"No, I didn’t finish it. † Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Why not? You knew it was due today, right? † Tom just shrugs. Mr. Dunn asks the rest of the class, â€Å"Who else did not turn in their homework today? † Pamela did not do her homework, but is afraid to raise her hand. Mr. Dunn says, â€Å"Good job, class! I appreciate everyone who worked hard to get their work turned in on time. † Daniel chimes in, â€Å"Which is everyone except Tom! † The class laughs. Tom angrily gets out of his chair and storms out of the room as he says, â€Å"I’m sick of this stupid class. † 1.What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? There exists no mutual respect between the students and the teacher. Mr. Dunn’s only attempt at positive enforcement was telling the class â€Å"good job to those who did turn in their homework†. While this seems like praise to those who complied, those who didn’t are left feeling like failures. By Mr. Dunn singling Tom out and embarrassing him, he created a classroom of disrespect and the other students felt free to tease and laugh at Tom. Tom will now view Mr. Dunn as being indifferent if not an enemy and other students may fear if they do anything wrong they will be chastised and humiliated as well. We can see this playing out in the case of Pamela feeling afraid to admit she didn’t do her homework either. Students will not thrive in an environment where they do not feel comfortable and safe and where they risk public ridicule by their peers for not doing their work. To encourage mutual respect teachers should never single out a student in front of the class, but rather talk with him privately at a later time such as after class or when students are busy working. Before making any decisions about consequences for late work seek to understand the reason the student failed to follow through. Show concern and understanding when they are facing difficulties at home or otherwise. Use encouragement rather than negative words and discuss ways you can help them, such as creating a study plan. Make mutual respect a classroom rule that is enforced by consequences for violation. Never allow students to laugh at or embarrass another classmate or group of classmates. 2. How well did the teacher handle himself or herself in the scenario? What student–teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher did not handle himself well in this situation. The student-teacher interactions were negative and the students were not willing to admit difficulties or problems to the teacher. None of the interactions described worked well. Tom left class because it was so negative. The teacher should handle this situation by having in place a policy for tardiness. The teacher should not waste time bringing attention to tardy students. Students should know what to do when they enter a classroom even if they are tardy. One way to handle tardiness – especially for older students like these ones is to have a required slip students must fill out when they are tardy explaining the reason. They should then have a place they put slips for the teacher to look at later. There should also be a policy for not having homework completed. If the teacher setup these policies at the beginning of the year he would not need to say anything when a student walks in late, the student would know what to do. The teacher put Tom on the spot by singling him out in front of his classmates, and then showed further disrespect by asking him why he didn’t do his homework. It is unnecessary to ask â€Å"you knew it was due today, right? † This statement doesn’t help the situation and is only demeaning to Tom. Most likely he knew the assignment was due and if he had forgotten he would have remembered as soon as Mr. Dunn asked for them. He should not dwell on something Tom cannot go back and remedy. The appropriate thing would be to talk to Tom privately and ask if he is having trouble remembering his assignments. He should show care and concern by offering to help Tom get organized and devise a way to remind himself to do the work. This teacher did not even take the time to find out why Tom had forgotten his homework. He may have had a very good reason in which case Mr. Dunn should consider allowing Tom to make it up. If Mr. Dunn had handled himself appropriately, Tom would not have been so upset as to get up and leave the classroom. Students should not be left feeling worthless and disrespected. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? There were several communications roadblocks in place in this classroom. The biggest problem is that the teacher and students had no respect for each other. As stated before, if a teacher models respect for his students and sets in place policies for behavior and academics, his students have clear expectations and are more likely to respect one another. This saves teachers time having to deal with problems as they arise. After the rest of the class has received necessary instruction and direction, the teacher should talk privately with Tom about tardiness and missing homework. The teacher should take time to listen and allow Tom to maintain his dignity. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The main conflicts in this classroom are created by the teacher. The teacher publicly humiliated a student in front of the class because he was late and did not turn in his homework. The teacher also created an environment where it is ok to belittle your classmates. To resolve the conflict the teacher should talk to Tom individually and apologize for the way he handled the situation. Mr. Dunn should let Tom see that teachers make mistakes too and that they should not be exempt from apologizing. He should address Tom’s homework including why Tom didn’t finish it and what plan they can come up with that would help Tom remember in the future. He should then talk with the entire class and admit his mistake, emphasizing the rules of mutual respect. He should remind the class it is inappropriate to make fun of or embarrass a fellow student. There is not any real need for peer mediation with the students if the teacher is more respectful the students will be also. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? The most effective way to create a community in the classroom is to set the tone the first day of class. Allow the students to get to know each other, have group activities and team work projects. Allow and teach students to respect individual differences and celebrate the multitude of talents and cultural practices among classmates. When students feel like they are part of a group they perform better in school, are supported by their peers to do well and do not miss as much school; learning in this environment can be enjoyable and fulfilling. Students should learn to help and encourage one another. Set specific rules that the whole class can decide on together. Ask students what they think a caring, respectful classroom looks like. Brainstorm class rules with them and have them vote on which ones they feel are the most important. Have the students sign their names to a pledge that they will abide by the rules and work together to make the class a nice place to be. Enforce consequences of violation of these rules with consistency. Never put students down or make them feel incompetent – especially in front of others. Listen to students’ needs and treat them with respect if that is what you expect from them. Emphasize promoting positive behaviors rather than fixing negative ones. Help students learn moral values and develop a good work ethic rather than doing things simply because they are told. Rather than punishing for poor behavior, look for ways to correct problems by discussing consequences and choices.

Effectiveness of the Environmental Levy Scheme

Effectiveness of the Environmental Levy Scheme Investigate the effectiveness of the Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags and Give suggestions on alternative solutions to saturating landfills within 5 years. I have chosen this topic on the basis that this scheme is the first measure in the Product Eco-Responsibility Scheme, thus by reviewing its effectiveness I can give suggestions regarding successful factors and areas for improvement on further schemes of similar nature. (Part 1) Also, as the controversy on construction bill for an incinerator in Hong Kong is hot these days, it has interested me to evaluate other alternatives to reduce waste production, using the analysis in Part 1. (Part 2) Date of submission: 1st July,2015. Table of contents Introduction Background Literature review Objectives and expected outcomes Focus questions Methodology Findings and analysis Effectiveness of the Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags Did the PSB scheme succeed in bringing down plastic bag waste production? To what extent? The pros of the PSB scheme and successful factors The cons of the PSB scheme and areas for improvement Implications of the effectiveness of the PSB scheme Recommendations on future waste reduction schemes from the experience of PSB What elements of the PSB scheme can be kept in further schemes of waste reduction? What are the problems in the PSB scheme that further schemes of waste reduction needs to tackle? The direction for future waste reduction schemes and feasible solutions Education and promotion Public attitude reflected from the PSB scheme Conclusion Reflection Bibliography Appendix Introduction 1.1 Background I am interested in the topic Investigate the effectiveness of the Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags and Give suggestions on alternative solutions to saturating landfills within 5 years as recently debates on the urgency and essentiality of building an incinerator in Hong Kong are boiling hot in Hong Kong. As an eco-friendly person, I am deeply concerned that all landfills in Hong Kong are estimated to meet saturation by 2019, calculating by the current waste production rate. [i] Coincidentally, the PSB scheme was entering the second phase on 1st April 2015 and is another hot eco topic this year. From analysis on Hong Kong Connection (TV programme produced by RTHK), it inspired me this PSB scheme may provide some insights into how waste reduction works and what the pros and cons are of utilizing financial disincentive. Based on evaluation of the PSB scheme, I can give suggestions on alternate solutions of waste reduction. Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Bags is the taxing of plastic bag of $0.5 per bag. It is the first scheme under the Producer Responsibility Scheme under the Environmental Protection Department. In the first phase 7 July 2009 – 31 March 2015, about 3000 retail outlets were covered. In the full implementation phase starting 1 April 2015, all retail outlets (more than 100,000 points of retail sales) in Hong Kong are covered.[ii] 1.3 Objectives and expected outcomes There are two main objectives in this study: 1. To evaluate the successful factors and areas for improvement of the PSB plan and 2. To give recommendations on future waste reduction schemes using the experience learnt from the PSB plan. By data collection and analysis, I expect to gain the following outcomes: the actual results of the PSB scheme, the reasons people support or boycott the scheme, governmental communication with the public regarding waste production, the criteria for a successful eco- scheme in the public’s eyes and the relation of education and promotion to effectiveness. 1.4 Focus Questions The focus questions regarding the topic include: -What is the current situation of Plastic Shopping Bag Levy? How effective is it in reducing plastic waste? -How do citizens evaluate the effectiveness of the PSB Levy? -What are the benefits of the PSB Levy to HK’s environment? -What damage or disharmony will PSB Levy bring to HK? -What can we conclude from the current situation on the effectiveness of the PSB Levy? What elements can thus be used to make future environmental policy more effective? 2. Methodology I have used the following data collection method for primary data: 3. Findings and Analysis 3.1 Effectiveness of the Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags 3.1.1 Did the PSB scheme succeed in bringing down plastic bag waste production? To what extent? The PSB scheme was to a large extent successful in bringing plastic bag waste production. The distribution of PSB in retail outlets has reduced by 90% since the launch of the PSB scheme in 2009.[iii] It was estimated that 84 million PSB was distributed in 2009, thus it has decreased to 8.4 million approximately uptil now. [iv] From the questionnaire survey, the majority of 80% respondents said they would not use PSB while only a minority of 20% said they would. It shows the effectiveness of the PSB scheme. From the field observation, the PSB distribution is a low 5% per hour.[v] The number of PSB distributed in supermarkets has decreased to 403, according to a survey conducted by Green Action. [vi]The government has attributed the change to the increasing public awareness of Bring Your Own Bag promoted by the PSB scheme. [vii] Therefore, the PSB scheme has succeeded to bring down PSB distribution and raise eco-awareness. 3.1.2 The pros of the PSB scheme and successful factors The PSB scheme is successful in bringing down PSB usage and raising eco-awareness, as mentioned in 3.1.1. According to the questionnaire survey, 57% and 39% of respondents said they choose not to claim PSB because they don’t want to pay the $0.5 charge and that they are eco-friendly. This shows that one of the successful factors of the scheme is the financial disincentive, as Hong Kong people are money-conscious. [viii] This also shows that the PSB scheme has raised public awareness towards their eco attitude. The elements that made the PSB scheme successful can give reference to future waste reduction schemes. Firstly, financial disincentive is effective in discouraging waste production, thus this element should be kept. Also, another successful factor is promoting positive value such as Bring Your Own Bag, as public awareness has been raised in the PSB scheme.[ix] The cons of the PSB scheme and areas for improvement Despite the obvious effectiveness, there is still room for improvements for the PSB scheme. The cons of the PSB scheme include the small amount of levy not being threatening enough and the difficulty in supervision. According to the questionnaire survey, 70% of respondents said they would use PSB as it is convenient and 65% said the levy is affordable. [x] Thus, we see that maybe the levy should be increased to be more effective. Also, according to the field observation, some customers tend to buy prepackaged goods or take many storage bags with no hand-hold to avoid the levy.[xi] Therefore, this shows that ineffective supervision would negatively affect the effectiveness of the measure. The major problem of the PSB scheme right now, concluded from the above, is the deep-rooted public attitude. Hong Kong people are often money-minded and cynical, which may cause them to disregard the PSB scheme for their personal interest, such as avoiding the levy but still using other plastic bags or misusing recycling bags. [xii] The main issue to tackle in order to better future waste production schemes is how to change the public attitude and promote correct values in the long run. Implications of the effectiveness of the PSB scheme The PSB scheme is the first scheme under the Producer Responsibility Scheme, thus is the water tester that indicates whether financial disincentive is effective to reduce waste production. Its success reflected that Hong Kong people are very conscious when something affects their personal interest directly, such as additional financial burden, therefore future waste reduction scheme should still be focused on this weakness of Hong Kong people (financial disincentive). [xiii] One supporting evidence is found in the questionnaire survey. When asked to rank what are the priorities that urge them to support a waste reduction scheme, most respondents ranked economical factor first, then personal factor. Remarkably, they least value environmental factor and sustainability, showing Hong Kong people are generally more money-minded than eco-conscious.[xiv] The implications of this phenomenon are that financial disincentive is most suitable for waste reduction in Hong Kong as financial concern is the greatest motivational power for Hongkongers to change living habits, also that future schemes should focus on delivering positive values such as the importance of eco-protection and sustainability in promotion and public education.[xv] Recommendations on future waste reduction schemes from the experience of PSB 3.2.1 What elements of the PSB scheme can be kept in further schemes of waste reduction? As discussed in 3.1.2, the main elements to be kept in further schemes of waste reduction are financial disincentive and effort to change public attitude in changing lifestyles, also their approaches to waste. [xvi] Based on the questionnaire findings, most respondents are supportive to the PSB scheme and regard it a political and social success. [xvii] This also showed that transparency of government measures and effective downward communication and public consultation is important, and should be continued in future waste reduction schemes.[xviii] 3.2.2 What are the problems in the PSB scheme that further schemes of waste reduction needs to tackle? As discussed in 3.1.3, the main problems of the PSB scheme are the hard-to-change public attitude and thus their living habits, also non-threatening amount of levy and insufficient supervision. Furthermore, most respondents think the crux of the waste production problem are inadequate environmental education, lack of promotion of government eco-schemes and the buy-and-throw habit of the prosperous metropolis.[xix] These are problems that future waste production scheme most urgently face. The direction for future waste reduction schemes and feasible solutions In response to 3.2.2, hereby I would recommend important points for improvement with regard to the above problems. Firstly, when implementing waste reduction schemes, powerful financial disincentive should be enforced to respond to Hong Kong people’s money-conscious mindset and relatively smaller concern for the environment. [xx] It is the only way to receive biggest response from the public and see changes in their daily living. Secondly, to tackle the supervision difficulty, a report system by hotline can be opened to the public to report violation of the policy by either shops or the general public.[xxi] This can make supervision more all-rounded. Thirdly, education and promotion to indoctrinate correct and positive values is also important. As shown in the questionnaire findings, the public value economical concern over environmental concern, which is unhealthy and detrimental to eco-protection. Thus, education and promotion is essential. In order to find out the most supported waste reduction schemes, I have asked respondents to rank policies that they regard as most effective in reducing waste. The survey results show that policies involving separation, recycling and levy are seen as most effective, with the top being Source Separation of Domestic Waste, scoring 1580 in sums.[xxii] This shows that the public would support waste reduction schemes that only require little alterations in daily living, such as household waste separation, or recycling and financial disincentive. This match with the fact that their top concern is economical factor and second is personal factor when responding to a waste reduction scheme.[xxiii] In contrary, public opinion do not support policies involving new landfills and incinerators, the bottom being opening up new landfill in current country parks, scoring only 882 in total.[xxiv] This shows that the public is least likely to support waste reduction scheme that might be detrimental to their living environment and health, or those that may use a large amount of government reserves as it violates economic efficiency. This match with their priority list as they most value economical factor (efficiency, personal burden) and personal factor (impact to living environment and health). This ranking gives us important and clear insights into which directions to go and also how best to suit public concerns and gain public support in waste reduction schemes. Education and promotion à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ©Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬  à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã‚  Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ²***** With reference to 3.2.3, we have gained some insights into what values are to be changed for future waste reduction schemes to go smoothly (money over environment) , and also what are most motivational to the general public. 3.2.5 Public attitude reflected from the PSB scheme à ¦Ã…  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ 4. Conclusion 5.Reflections 6. Bibliography 7.Appendix [i] Environment minister Wong Kam-sing, 2003, Hong Kong issues dire warning on landfills amid protests by residents, South China Morning Post, http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1246229/city-could-drown-trash-environment-minister-warns [ii]Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Bags, Environmental Protection Department, http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/pro_responsibility/env_levy.html [iii] Press Release, 28 Mar 2015, Environmental Protection Department, http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201503/28/P201503270921.htm [iv] Will Hong Kongs city-wide levy on plastic bags really change behaviour?, Time Out Hong Kong, http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/71898/will-hong-kongs-city-wide-levy-on-plastic-bags-really-change-behaviour.html [v] Field observation, appendix 3 [vi] Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags What are the problems?, CSR Asia, http://csr-asia.com/csr-asia-weekly-news-detail.php?id=11753 [vii] Press Release, 28 Mar 2015, Environmental Protection Department, http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201503/28/P201503270921.htm [viii] Plastic society rethinks bags, Macau Business, 26th May 2015, http://www.macaubusiness.com/news/plastic-society-rethinks-bags.html [ix] Press Release, 28 Mar 2015, Environmental Protection Department, http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201503/28/P201503270921.htm [x] Questionnaire survey, Q3, appendix2 [xi] Field observation, appendix 3 [xii] Values Education in Hong Kong – Problems and Possibilities, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/99_fok_values_ed.pdf [xiii] Values Education in Hong Kong – Problems and Possibilities, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/99_fok_values_ed.pdf [xiv] Questionnaire survey, Q8, appendix2 [xv] Values Education in Hong Kong – Problems and Possibilities, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/99_fok_values_ed.pdf [xvi] Waste Reduction Framework Plan, Environmental Protection Department, http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/wrfp_summary.html [xvii] Questionnaire survey, Q5 and Q6, appendix2 [xviii] Public Consultation Report on the Proposal on An Environmental Levy on Plastic Shopping Bags , http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/files/Consultation_Report_Levy_Eng.pdf. [xix] Questionnaire survey, Q9 , appendix2 [xx] Values Education in Hong Kong – Problems and Possibilities, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/99_fok_values_ed.pdf [xxi] Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags, Environmental Protection Scheme, http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/pro_responsibility/env_levy.html [xxii] Questionnaire survey, Q7 , appendix2 [xxiii] Questionnaire survey, Q8 , appendix2 [xxiv] Questionnaire survey, Q7 , appendix2

Effects Of Block Scheduling :: essays research papers

How Block Scheduling Effects In recent years many educators have voiced their concern about as losing our edge in the global marketplace as well as an apparent decline in American students' achievements. This has become a recurring belief for many teachers, parents, and school districts throughout the United States. As a result, many states have begun to increase the amount of units necessary to fulfill graduation requirements in hope to enhance education and make American students more globally competitive. As many districts have found, it is not feasible to add more subjects to the already demanding 6-or 7-period days. The problem in doing so is that there was little time for electives. At the same time they began to find that adding classes only took away time from other parts of the curriculum already established. While some districts fumbled with the idea of adding classes and minimizing losses in other areas, a large number of schools, more specifically 25-40 percent of U.S. high schools adopted block scheduling (American Federation of Teachers, 1999). It is apparent the block scheduling craze is thought to be a fix all solution to the problem, at least for those districts and individuals looking for anything to help increase the status quo. In a nutshell, block scheduling is the practice of breaking up school time into blocks or units of classroom time. More recently we have seen this practice redefined to stand for a restructuring movement for longer classroom periods. Typically average class periods ranged from 45-50 minutes long. Block scheduling has taken this traditional style of time management and have increases class periods anywhere from two to four times longer. As one might be amazed at the novelty of more time in the classroom, it is vital to understand that number of class periods are correspondingly decreased, thus the overall length of time is virtually the same. The majority of information gathered and the studies reviewed tend to overwhelmingly represent the results derived from the two we are describing. Hence from this point forward the term "block scheduling", as used in this paper shall consider the first two categories one and the same. It has been taken into consideration and concurred that there are many variations of block scheduling, however all research, testimonials, cases, and opinions taken into consideration are of the specific type of block scheduling mentioned above. It has also been taken into consideration that there may be many uncontrollable variables that directly and indirectly skew the results of some of the studies.

Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing :: English Literature

Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing the Political Message Conveyed Introduction My essay is based on comparing the poems ‘Nothings Changed’ with ‘Vultures’. I am looking at the similarities and differences in the writing, characters, setting, structure, words and poetic devices used. I am also looking at the different emotions the different poets have used. How do the poets use setting to convey mood? ============================================ In ‘Vultures’ the poet uses sad and dull words to convey the mood. I know this because in the poem the poet has used words such as ‘greyness’ and ‘dead tee’. He has used these to express his emotions and to reinforce the atmosphere of the poem and what the poem is about. In ‘Nothings Changed’ the poet has used words to describe what he is looking at and how he feels. He has used words like ‘new up-market, haute cuisine’ and ‘working mans cafà © which sells bunny chow’. The words he has used are to enhance the setting and for the reader to acknowledge the comparisons between blacks and whites in the poem I think that the similarities in the poem are that both poems enhance the poet’s emotions and feelings. The differences are that in ‘Vultures’ has described his setting in a simple way, whereas in ‘Nothings Changed’ the writer has gone into detail. How does the poet use characters? The poet who has written the poem ‘Vultures’ has used his main characters as animals, which are vultures. He has also added the commandant. I know that the vultures are the main characters because the title of the poem is ‘Vultures’ and in there he has used sentences such as ‘a vulture perching high’ and ‘Nestled close to his mate’. The commandant has been introduced in the poem in the sentence ‘Thus the commandant’. As the word ‘Vultures’ is a metaphor it creates an image in the readers head to make the poem more effective and he commandant has been given two personalities to say what the character is like and to give more of an idea of what the poem is about. First, the commandant is said to be grouse, yet affectionate and capable as he stops at the sweet shop to buy his kids some sweets. The characters in ‘Nothings Changed’ are blacks and whites, which are against each other. The poet himself is also a character. The reason for this is that the poet tells how different whites are to blacks, as he uses setting and actions to suggest how the blacks and whites are seen to others. Sentences he uses are ‘New, up-market, haute cuisine†¦ Whites only inn’ and refers to the blacks in this sentence; ‘Working Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing :: English Literature Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing the Political Message Conveyed Introduction My essay is based on comparing the poems ‘Nothings Changed’ with ‘Vultures’. I am looking at the similarities and differences in the writing, characters, setting, structure, words and poetic devices used. I am also looking at the different emotions the different poets have used. How do the poets use setting to convey mood? ============================================ In ‘Vultures’ the poet uses sad and dull words to convey the mood. I know this because in the poem the poet has used words such as ‘greyness’ and ‘dead tee’. He has used these to express his emotions and to reinforce the atmosphere of the poem and what the poem is about. In ‘Nothings Changed’ the poet has used words to describe what he is looking at and how he feels. He has used words like ‘new up-market, haute cuisine’ and ‘working mans cafà © which sells bunny chow’. The words he has used are to enhance the setting and for the reader to acknowledge the comparisons between blacks and whites in the poem I think that the similarities in the poem are that both poems enhance the poet’s emotions and feelings. The differences are that in ‘Vultures’ has described his setting in a simple way, whereas in ‘Nothings Changed’ the writer has gone into detail. How does the poet use characters? The poet who has written the poem ‘Vultures’ has used his main characters as animals, which are vultures. He has also added the commandant. I know that the vultures are the main characters because the title of the poem is ‘Vultures’ and in there he has used sentences such as ‘a vulture perching high’ and ‘Nestled close to his mate’. The commandant has been introduced in the poem in the sentence ‘Thus the commandant’. As the word ‘Vultures’ is a metaphor it creates an image in the readers head to make the poem more effective and he commandant has been given two personalities to say what the character is like and to give more of an idea of what the poem is about. First, the commandant is said to be grouse, yet affectionate and capable as he stops at the sweet shop to buy his kids some sweets. The characters in ‘Nothings Changed’ are blacks and whites, which are against each other. The poet himself is also a character. The reason for this is that the poet tells how different whites are to blacks, as he uses setting and actions to suggest how the blacks and whites are seen to others. Sentences he uses are ‘New, up-market, haute cuisine†¦ Whites only inn’ and refers to the blacks in this sentence; ‘Working

Iranian Education Essay -- Iran Middle East

Iranian Education: From Modernization to Traditionalism An education system, because of its purpose as the shaper of the future, is a good indicator of what is going on within a country politically and culturally. The history of the Iranian education system showed change as the ideological values of the country shifted with each new regime change in the mid twentieth century. Iran, as a country, went from a country focused on modernization and secularization under the Reza Shah, to a country focused on traditional Islamic values under the new government established after the Islamic Revolution of 1977-791. These changes shifted the very purpose of education, its impact on women (in arguably negative or positive ways), and its literature. The shift in political focus from modernism to religious traditionalism can also be seen in how religion is taught in Iran, especially compared with different countries around the world. The history of the Iranian education system from 1907-1977 is one that is filled with problems. In 1907, Iran established a Ministry of Science and Art to control all areas of education, even religious education. In 1910, this ministry was reorganized and renamed the Ministry of Education, and given more power to set laws and guidelines for education, religious and secular. This body was not necessarily effective in setting new guidelines for Iranian schools. The main problem was overcoming was the lack of qualified, quality teachers (Szyliowicz 176- 7). After 1925, the Shah2 built many new schools and tried to revitalize the educational system. This effort was hampered again, by lack of qualified teachers (Szyliowicz 231), a lack of coherent ideology (Szyliowicz 232), and a program of edu... ...ern Iran. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1992. Rivard, Jean-Franà §ois and Massimo Amadio. â€Å"Teaching Time Allocated to Religious Education in Official Timetables.† Prospects 33 (2003): 211-217. Shavarini, Mitra K. â€Å"Misconceptions about Islam and Women’s Education: Lessons learned from the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI).† International Education. 33.1 (Fall 2003): 40(11). Gender Watch. Proquest. Univ Mass Amherst. 10 Feb 2006. . Szyliowicz, Joseph S. Education and Modernization in the Middle East. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1973. UNESCO. Integration of Technology and Vocational Education into Special Needs Education. Austria, Colombia, Iran, Tunisia. Geneva: Imprimeries Popularies, 1977. Zia, Rukhsana. â€Å"Religion Education in Pakistan: An Overview.† Prospects. 22 (2003): 165-178.

Islamophobia Description Essay

Racism occurs all over the world. To believe that there would be a point where racism wouldn’t exist is too idealistic. Racism has occurred in the past and racism continues to occur today. When people say that racism doesn’t exist as much as it used to or when they used the words â€Å"improved† or â€Å"better† to describe it, they are either speaking from their opinion or they are to an extent true. Yes, it is true that there is no more slavery; it is true that people aren’t as discriminatory to African Americans as they used to be, but as a matter of fact, something doesn’t end when it shifts. Racism and discrimination have shifted towards a Muslims. Racism towards Islam increased after 9/11. Society understands that being prejudice is wrong, however, they still have negative opinions about Muslims. For example, we are all humans, and just because some of us are criminals, that doesn’t make all of us criminals. Because some are insa ne doesn’t mean all are. Because some are extremists doesn’t mean all of us are. If a person agrees, that one man’s actions shouldn’t define the personality of another man, then why do people tend to discriminate? Racism’s effects are really harmful; they keep the society from progressing and cause corruption within. Security has increased at the airport; a person has to go through multiple bag checks and metal detectors, in order exit or enter this country. What ceases to amaze me is that the Declaration of Independence, states that â€Å"all men are created equal† but people can still have intolerance towards others. What really aggravated me was when I had to travel this summer to the Middle East with my family, my brothers, who are only 9 and 13 years old, were thoroughly checked: they stood in a glass cubicle, they had to take off their shoes, and they had to go through further metal detection all because of their names. My question is what did these children know? How to play football or video games? They didn’t even watch the news, they rather yelled at my Dad to change the channel, every once in a while he decided to watch TV because they wanted to watch cartoons. I felt like yelling at the security guard, but I chose not to, because that would’ve been either used aga inst me, or because of the glare that my mother was giving me. Also, there have been many terms that I found  derogatory. Terms like â€Å"Islamophobia† or â€Å"xenophobia† are used to describe an irrational fear or dislike of outsiders and â€Å"Muslims† or rather Terrorists. What people fail to realize is that there will always be extremes. Another thing that aggravates me, are false and misleading websites that teach other people to hate Muslims. These websites say quotes like, â€Å"Are you burning with the peace of Islam† in a sarcastic way, while showing pictures of violence. The sad thing is that people have come to trust these websites, with false and misleading statistics and information. I don’t see extremists and murderers as people of faith, I see these people for who they are: murderers, murderers of human life, of equality, of freedom and of faith. In my opinion, Extremists use faith as a way to rationalize their actions and that’s exactly what these websites deny. The websites falsely accuse all Muslims to be violent and barbaric. This causes peo ple to become hostile towards all of my kind. Once, I went to a program at a Precinct in Manhattan. The program was â€Å"trying† to promote peace and â€Å"helping† Muslims feel comfortable with Cops or other authoritative officials. A woman Muslim/ Cop made a speech at the podium about, how she was treated as an equal among her fellow workers. She was from Yemen, but even if she was Muslim, she didn’t wear the head scarf which separated her from her audiences. A woman that I can never forget stood up during her speech, she was wearing a head scarf, she had most of her face covered and she said loudly, â€Å"You don’t wear the head scarf, How would you feel, If a Cop came to your doorstep, and started yelling at you to remove your scarf when you did nothing? I am a Black Muslim woman and I am proud of it, and No one has the right to tell me to take off my scarf!† The speaker didn’t have a proper response towards the woman. It is indecent, inappropriate, immoral, and unjust to use author ity in a wrong way that would violate another human being’s boundaries. What happened to her freedom and equality when she was forced to do so? How can we trust our officials? How can we trust society if we know that nothing has changed? In conclusion, the effects of racism diminish the chances of an equal, free and prosperous life. Things have only escalated over the course of these years, I don’t know when things will change, I don’t know how they  will change. But what I do know is that I hope and I try to make a difference to change things and so do other people, maybe change is right around the corner or maybe we have to fall before we can stand back up again. Change will come, Discrimination will end and when it does it will hopefully be everlasting.

Milinder Recycling

Companies which experience rapid growth paired with a high turnover rate in staffing often manage the problem using a reactive approach, that is employees who are adept at their job are promoted without proper training and thrown into the world of management in a â€Å"trial by fire†. This leads to several problems in and of itself: lack of respect from the remaining employees, lack of proper and appropriate communication, inability of upper management to do little more than put out the latest fire and a further increase in the turnover rate. According to Small Business Transitions, â€Å"The main reason for failure [in business start ups] is inexperienced management†. In the case of Milinder Recycling, the management team is composed of employees who were hired only brief months before their promotion to fill spaces vacated by new hires who subsequently left the company. With no management experience and little or no training, these individuals are â€Å"thrown to the wolves† and expected to fend for themselves. According to Keith Mudd, Director at the University of Houston Victoria: â€Å"Most business problems are people problems. More explicably, the problems are either what people have created or the result of having inadequate and inexperienced staff.† Once an employee is promoted to a position with more power, it is often difficult to do something about it. The only option is demotion (which is usually not accepted) or dismissal (which only furthers the problem of high turnover). The key in dealing with this problem is to be proactive in the future. The first step for upper management at Milinder Recycling is to reformat their Human Resources department (if they have one; if not this lack needs to be rectified immediately!). The job of recruiting personnel should be to keep staffing levels on par with need and to retain resumes from applicants who might not fit into a current position but would be good hires when the need arises. Secondly, upper management needs to work more closely with the newer managers. A process of the more experienced staff shadowing the inexperienced managers, if only for an hour or two a day, would be very beneficial not only to the new managers but to upper management to identify where problems are occurring. A weekly training session focusing on some aspect of management needn’t be scheduled for more than an hour and can be slotted into a slow sales period. Training sessions including topics such as mentoring employees, hiring good employees, treating employees fairly, etc. are all good to begin with. New managers also need to be held accountable. Procedures regarding key communications (and the manner in which it is communicated) and processes should be in place that apply to all management positions (again, the Human Resources department would be responsible) and managers held accountable for performing these duties. After a certain number of warnings for noncompliance, the manager can be then demoted, or, if necessary, fired. According to Small Business Transitions, â€Å"Managerial issues such as the poor use of outside advisors, lack of emphasis on quality, an unwillingness to delegate responsibilities, departure of key personnel, and ‘personal’ problems associated with the owner/manager become relatively more important factors that contribute to failure as a business ages.† Milinder Recycling is moving in the right direction by promoting growth but missing the boat on obtaining experienced key personnel to help achieve successful growth. References Mudd, Keith, (2006). It’s Always People Problems†¦ Retrieved September 17, 2007 from University of Houston Victoria Small Business Development Center: . Small Business Transitions (2007). Thirteen Stupid Tricks by Business Owners. Retrieved September 17, 2007 from the SBT Web site.