A Good Example Of Environment - 3143 Words

An industries environment allows organizations to survive and strive by undertaking the opportunities presented to them and overcoming the threats that may come in its way. A good example of environment influence would be the opportunity presented to smartphone application writers created by organizations such as Apple and Samsung with the lines of smart phones Iphone and Samsung Galaxy and at the same time a threat to newspaper companies, as the usage of online sources of information increases. The study of strategic management, through the use of various frameworks, gives organizations the possibility to identify their position in the industry in respect to its competitors. Moreover this allows them to set realistic goals to pursue†¦show more content†¦Firstly the political environment refers to the influence governments may have on the industry’s environment. When looking at Ryanair, an airline with 1,600 routes around the european union and north africa, legislation varies between governments of different countries, forcing them to adapt to the different tax policies between countries such as Spain and Morocco, however government taxes don’t vary as much given most flights are within the EU however there is passenger service charge, which some airports have which â€Å"is a charge made by the airport authority to an airline for the use of the terminal, runway, emergency services, security facilities†(Ryanair, 2015). Furthermore there is a l egislation on the maximum hours a pilot can fly for, which forces Ryanair to hire more employees. Additionally any passengers on flights which are delayed or cancelled have the right to refund, hence the self pride Ryanair have on being the best on time airline with â€Å"91% OF RYANAIR FLIGHTS ON-TIME IN JUNE†(Ryanair,2015). Secondly the economic influences of the framework can vary from the exchange rates to taxes to economic growth. Due to the economic crisis suffered by the EU, oil prices have seen a rise in recent years, fuel for low-cost airlines is considered the biggest expenses, therefore a system of,Show MoreRelatedAn Example Using Theoretical Soap Is Good For The Environment Essay1487 Words   |  6 Pagesgreenwashing, the example provided by the participant being the BNZ bank investing in a Kiwi recovery program, while at the same time investing in oil exploration. Ambiguous claims by advertising are also legal and terms that imply nature, such as those which leave the consumer with the perception that it is good for the world only it is the opposite. The only instance where it is illegal is when the product implicitly claims to do something it does not. To explain this concept an example using theoreticalRead MoreCows Are Destroying Our Planet?861 Words   |  4 Pagesvegetarian diet will r estore the environment. She lacks a realistic solution for her American meat-obsessed audience. Lundberg also used unreliable sources to over emphasize the effects that the meat industry has on the environment as well as shows no evidence that a vegetarian diet is actually good for the environment. At the beginning of â€Å"Eating Green† the audience is promised a conversation on how a vegetarian diet is good for the body and possibly good for the environment. Lundberg was to go on withRead MoreEconomics1444 Words   |  6 Pagesresources are not used in the best distribution by firms or organizations. An ETS is executed when the environment has been polluted and the government intervenes in order to control the pollution by providing economic encouragements towards the firms and organizations to reduce the amount of pollution emitted in the environment (Brown* 2001). When ETS is implemented it reduces the pollution of the environment caused by different firms thus making it its main goal. The type of market failure the ETS is addressingRead MoreHumans Nature - Good or Bad? Essay1132 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Nature Good or Bad? Whether human beings are instinctually good or evil in an elementary natural state is a question that has been boggling the minds of even the greatest philosophers. There is a spectrum of theories that support both good and evil within the human race, each with valid points that explains the range of our interests, being either for ourselves or for others. However, my personal stance is the sensible theory of Altruism. Past experiences and observations allow me toRead MoreUsing Data Driven Decision Making1548 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Provost and Fawcett (2013) data-driven decision making refers â€Å"the practice of basing decisions on the analysis of data rather than purely on intuition.† For Example, a seller could select the advertisement based on his long experience in that field or his eye for what will work. He can also do the selection on the analysis of data regarding how the people will react to different advertisements. In today’s organization, mana gers make a great effort to use data driven decisions becauseRead More Common Law Concepts Essay1655 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Law is to protect the environment as it amplifies the need for organisations and individuals within a society to prevent nuisance. Furthermore, compensation concept has raised conflict between environmental concerns and restricts the property holder’s rights to fully utilize their resources. Nevertheless, the idea of compensation can also be seen as an ethical guideline for the society, of which if any laws were to be broken, for example harming the environment, appropriate punishments willRead MoreThe Effect of Family Environment on the Society1680 Words   |  7 PagesEffect of family environment Introduction A family environment refers to the surroundings of a group of people affiliated by co-residence, consanguinity or affinity. A family environment affects a childs development and growth, in addition to other genetic factors, inherited from the parents, which could still be modified by the family environment. It is necessary to note that parents have the biggest responsibility of shaping the lives of their children by example, demonstrated by the choicesRead MoreP5: Explain the Characteristics of the Local Business Environment1276 Words   |  6 PagesP5: Explain the characteristics of the local business environment In this task, I have been asking explain the characteristic of local business environment. I will relate it into the following * Markets * Sector and industry changes * Economic trends * Legal Framework * Markets * Sector and industry changes * Economic Trends * Legal Framework The legal frameworks are all laws and regulation that are made by the government; those laws are madeRead MoreEnvironmental Education Is Not Always Implemented Within Schools1306 Words   |  6 Pagesactivities that surround around current events in the environment and by connecting students to nature, this can have positive effects in which it influences the individuals sense of self and their community (Mcinerney, Smyth, Down, 2011). Research found that children who play in a natural environment to develop better physical skills such as improved motor skills, fitness, and coordination more than other children who play in build environments. They also develop better cognitivitly in which theyRead MoreEco Assessment1343 Words   |  6 PagesContents Section 1 2 1.1 Market Failure 2 1.2 Public goods 2 1.2.1 Relation between Market failure and Public goods 2 1.3 Merit goods 2 1.3.1 Relation between Merit goods and Market Failure 2 1.4 Externalities 2 1.5 Imperfect competition 3 Section 2 4 2.1 UK government policy on the environment 4 2.2 About the policy 5 2.2.1 Water quality 5 2.3 Instruments the government use to achieve their policy 5 2.4 A justified evaluation of the performance of the policy in relation

Adoption of Ifrs Free Essays

string(187) " more likely to understand the different assumptions used by management to calculate such pension accounting, which will limit the chances of management to engage in earnings management\." ADOPTION OF IFRS: IT`S BENEFITS AND IMPACTS ON FIRMS AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD The IASB was established in 2001 and since have assumed the responsibility of the standard setting from its predecessor body, the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) and began issuing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IFRS has recently been dominating the regulatory changes in accounting for listed companies around the world. Through the years, over 100 countries have adopted IFRS reporting, some of which include Australia, the European Union, India, Japan, South Africa, Russia and most recently Canada. We will write a custom essay sample on Adoption of Ifrs or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition, the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are working towards the final element of a work plan to incorporate IFRS into the U. S. financial reporting jurisdiction. In November 2007, the SEC voted to allow foreign issuers that report in IFRS to file their financial statements with the SEC without reconciling to U. S. generally accepted accounting standards (GAAP). Accounting standard setters anticipate that the use of IFRS will improve the comparability of financial statements, improve reporting transparency, and increase the quality of financial reporting which in turn will lead to greater investor confidence. From an economic perspective, some believe that it’s challenging to perceive that such expectations will be achieved as a result of converting to IFRS. However according to proponents of IFRS, publicly traded companies believe that applying these principles will allow for a single set of high quality accounting standards as this will contribute to better functioning of the capital markets (Quigley 2007). In the following paper I will discuss the reasons why firms around the globe have adopted IFRS in relation to the financial reporting and disclosure quality, comparability across firms and countries, and the costs and benefits associated with reporting improvements. Most countries are in favor of adopting IFRS, from the viewpoint that IFRS standards are more capital market oriented, which in turn provides higher quality information that will benefit constituencies of financial statement users as supposed to local GAAP (Daske and Gebhardt 2006). If this statement is true, one way to validate it is through recommendations by empirical studies that suggest firms engaging in IFRS implementations should see an increase in market liquidity followed by a decrease in the firm’s value of cost of capital. According to Leuz and Wysocki (2008), they have provided some evidence in relation to the effects of reporting quality on market liquidity. They indicate the issue regarding information asymmetry, where investors who possess less knowledge of a firm’s reporting structure or policies, are concerned about trading with the better informed investors. They indicate how these non-informed investors are to lower the price at which they are willing to buy, to protect themselves from losses incurred from trading with better informed investors. Hence investors that possess less information about a stock are less likely to trade. These effects of adverse selection and information asymmetry reduce the liquidity of securities market. Therefore, IASB strongly encourages essential financial disclosure. This will alleviate the adverse selection problem and will result in increased market liquidity by leveling the playing field among all market participants. In addition, other studies have shown that improvements in financial reporting and disclosure can affect the cost of capital in a variety of ways. Some of which include, investors that require a higher return from less liquid securities and lower estimation risk as this makes it easier for the investor to estimate a firm’s future cash flow. This in turn, will improve risk sharing in the economy by making investors aware of certain securities or by making them more willing to hold them (Leuz and Verrecchia, 2004). Hence reducing the cost of capital. As important as it can be for firms to disclose essential information to investors, other firms can also benefit from these disclosures for the purpose of decision making and will help reduce the agency problem existing between shareholders and management. For example, â€Å"disclosure on operating performance and governance arrangement provides useful benchmarks that help outside investors to evaluate other firms managerial efficiency or potential agency conflicts and, in doing so, lower the costs of monitoring† ( Leuz and Wysocki, 2008). In addition, the information environment has improved as firms switch over to IFRS, which has also contributed to the increase in higher quality financial reporting. According to Mary E. Barth (2006) firms that voluntarily adopted IFRS generally seek lower earning management, lower cost of capital, and more value relevant of earnings. All of which interpret evidence of higher accounting quality. Barth indicates that the accounting quality could be mproved by removing other accounting methods that are not reflective of a firm’s performance and which are used by managers to manage earnings. As part of his testing, he compared firm’s earnings management between those firms reporting under IFRS and firms reporting according to their local GAAP. As a result of his study, it was indicated that after firms had adopted IFRS, they had larger volatility swings in net income, increase ratio of variance in cash flows, higher correlation of accruals and cash flows, small positive ne t income, and increased occurrence of larger losses. Opponents argue that a single set of internationally accepted high quality financial reporting standards may not be appropriate for certain firms as they are exposed to different cultural, political and legal differences as this might continue to impose major obstacles in the progress towards the harmonization of standards. These differences however may not provide for any greater value relevance and reliability. For example a study conducted by Ball (2006) indicates that pension accounting may be subject to earnings management in countries that have less developed pension systems. Another empirical study indicates that managers can take advantage and use different assumptions to manipulate financial statements (Soderstorm and Jialin Sun, 2006). Proponents of IFRS argue that using common accounting standards across countries will make it more cost efficient for investors to identify earnings management. When accounting standards are uniformed and relevant disclosure is provided, investors are more likely to understand the different assumptions used by management to calculate such pension accounting, which will limit the chances of management to engage in earnings management. You read "Adoption of Ifrs" in category "Papers" The second important factor as to why countries have chosen to adopt IFRS, is mainly because of its increase in accounting comparability across firms. The advantage of a global movement towards IFRS reporting makes it easier for investors and stakeholders to compare different firms and the relevant information to help them assess the company objectives. Comparative reporting will enable users of financial statements in identifying which firms are more or less profitable. Firms that are exposed to high or low risk of return as a result, will reduce investors information asymmetries and lower estimation risk. Moreover, the improvement in comparability across firms allows for increase market liquidity and reduces firms cost of capital (Luez et al. 2008). Studies have suggested that prior to adopting IFRS, firm’s local GAAP standard which were tailored to the needs of analysts and investors would in theory reduce biased information and build investor confidence. A study conducted by Tan, Wang and Welter in 2009, indicated that once firms had adopted IFRS, their foreign analysts had increased significantly more for those who had the greatest level of GAAP differences. There have been a number of studies conducted to test whether IFRS adoption does in fact increase comparability. The outcome of these studies are mixed. Bielstein et al. (2007) concluded that IFRS adoption, results in greater foreign investment for countries that have strong reliability and comparability. Other empirical studies claim that cultural, political and business differences continue to impose significant obstacles in increasing the comparability of accounting information. Lang Maffet and Owens (2010) find that accounting comparability does not improve for IFRS adopters relative to a control group of non-adopters. The two conclude that there is little evidence that IFRS adoption increases comparability. Overall, from the research obtained, there is little empirical evidence proven on the effects of reporting comparability than reporting quality. The third important factor for countries adopting IFRS, are the costs and benefits associated in producing high quality accounting standards and the improvement in comparability across firms. As mentioned previously, the ultimate benefit a firm receives by adopting IFRS reporting is from the increase in market liquidity followed by a lower cost of capital. In order to achieve this high standard, there are costs that a firm is exposed to. Such incurred costs include transitional costs, ongoing costs of compliance to the firms, and enforcement costs relevant to government agencies (Standish, 2003). Standish summarizes his findings in relation to cost and benefits of firms moving to IFRS that will tend to see lower transaction costs when preparing financial reports. They will only be reporting against a single set of accounting standards instead of multiple sets. In addition, he makes note of a â€Å"positive network externality† that arises through the use of a single set of accounting standards by all constituencies. This will save market participants from requiring additional time and energy of having to learn, apply and understand multiple sets of standards. Other benefits that result from the transition to IFRS will improve comparability between firm’s financial statement for investors and shareholders. Thereby, making investment decision’s easier. According to Leuz and Wysocki (2008), there are direct and indirect costs associated with improving reporting. The direct costs include preparation, validity and circulation of accounting reports. These costs can vary and increase significantly. In addition, firms will require assistance and hire consultants that have expertise in IFRS reporting. These specialists help train key personnel in the organizations so that they are able to produce financial statements that are in accordance to IFRS reporting. The costs tend to be more difficult for smaller companies to finance such activities for disclosures and reports, as their profitability margins are small. Disclosure costs have characteristics of indirect costs. Whereby a firm can reduce its monopoly power by providing too much detail to the market, as sensitive profitability information is assimilated to its competitors. Other empirical studies have noted that with these costs and cost-benefit trade-offs that firms are undergoing, it may not be suitable for them to obtain high quality reporting. Rather, encourage firms to provide certain disclosures which the cost of disclosing such information does not exceed their benefit. Moreover, it is of importance that the standard setters recognize the net benefits obtained from the high quality reporting and comparability, as they differ across firm industries and countries (Leuz and Wysocki, 2008). It’s relatively evident why most companies would like to switch over to IFRS due to the number of benefits that are associated with the transition as described above. One would automatically presume that a single set of accounting standards that are used universally by most firms within different countries would deliver comparability, increase reporting transparency, allow for foreign investments, hence increasing market liquidity and low cost of capital. However, there is very little empirical evidence that claim these characteristics as being true after conversion. Having said that, Ball (2006) has noted that IASB has been successful in serving the public by developing comprehensive set of high quality standards that have convinced over 100 countries to adopt these principles for the purposes of financial reporting. There are some advantages of having a single set of accounting standards unified. As such, these standards contain characteristics of a â€Å"public good†, for example, the investor can use this information in an annual report without eliminating its usefulness to other investors. In other words, the marginal cost for another investor viewing these annual reports would be zero. A second advantage of unifying accounting standards and disclosure practices is to reduce management from using their own judgement in financial reporting, by reducing the risk of altering the reports to mislead capital market participants. Moreover, these uniform standards provide protection for auditors against firms. These standards are to also be enforced by auditors, whereby the firm has very little opportunity to shirk, hence reducing information asymmetry and increasing investors and stakeholder’s confidence of the firm. Lastly, unifying these standards will increase the accounting comparability across firms. If each firm or country were to implement different local accounting standards, this can impose high costs for both the firm and its external users, such as investors as this will create negative externalities and will reduce domestic investments which can impact countries trade volume profitability, where the majority of countries main source of income is driven from. Opponents of IFRS adoption feel that a single set of accounting standards do not benefit all firms and countries. These differences in countries arise from cultural, economic, political and legal systems. For example, firms may have to respond to political pressures from the government due to balance sheet volatility, as a result of fair valuing. The IASB should review accounting standards as they are released to eliminate the possibility of political pressures on countries that are exposed to such tight regulation. One of the main reasons why countries and firms around the world adopt IFRS is due to the results achieved from reporting quality and disclosure practices. However, IFRS can occasionally produce ineffective reporting quality and disclosure. For instance, IFRS can lack in setting descriptive details in their guidelines that make it difficult for countries to follow. Some countries find their local GAAP easier to read and understand due to the level of detail and examples provided. These complexities in the rules creates havoc for firms that would like to report in IFRS, but find it challenging to exclusively follow these guidelines outlined by the IASB. As a result, this can lead to poor financial reporting quality. Other countries and firms conclude that fewer rules and guidelines will encourage management to produce effective accounting policies that will rompt them to make appropriate judgement calls. Information asymmetry and agency costs play a significant role in relation to the disclosure and financial reporting quality. The key motivating factor for any firm is, the more disclosure provided will create a positive signal to investors and hence, will reduce the information asymmetry and agency costs. Companies will see increases in investor confidence while earning high profitability levels. Moreover, firms adopting IFRS, chances are that they are subject to fewer opportunities to part take in earnings management or deceive investors. Studies have indicated that countries which have adopted IFRS do not all achieve the same degree of benefit. The study implies to those countries which have a weak structure in place for investor protection, will tend to see the most benefits from adopting of IFRS. In contrary, countries that have a strong structure in place for investor protection will see marginal benefits. The increase in benefits received by a country whether small or large will improve investor protection and provide for more comparable and comprehensive financial reporting. The cost and benefits of a firm converting to IFRS can be substantial depending on how one views it. The benefit driven through the implementation of IFRS will include lower cost of capital, increases firm value and creates a stable level of investors’ confidence. In addition, as discussed above, the benefits will also increase as a result of better financial reporting quality and cross country comparability for foreign investors, auditors and other constituencies. These benefits obtained through adoption of IFRS are not free. The cost of implementing such an accounting standard can cost firms millions. There are various types of costs that are incurred in the different processes a firm undergoes. The transition costs can be significant in relation to auditing fees. The cost of auditing work will increase, due to testing and validating accounting data as most of the assumptions used by firms are judgemental. Other costs involve training key personnel to apply applicable standards in practice. Companies tend to have shortages of staff that have ever been exposed to IFRS accounting, this is more apparent in Canada. As a result, these companies struggle as they need to learn and apply these new standards. Moreover, the cost related to the risk involved of manipulation of accounting standards, as these standards do not provide strict reporting rules for companies to follow, can impose a huge cost on the firm, if the auditor refuses to provide an unqualified opinion on the firm. Overall, the costs are generally higher during the first couple of phases through the transition. In the long run, costs tend to decline as employees are more aware of the standards and a basic foundation has been developed by IFRS consultants and auditors. At the present moment IFRS reporting is widely used by many countries across the globe. Based on the studies gathered above, countries and firms are optimistic about replacing their local GAAP to IFRS accounting standards. By moving towards a universal set of high quality accounting standards this will lead to improving the firm’s performance, by increasing shareholders wealth though investors’ confidence, lower cost of capital hence reducing information asymmetry. In addition, other benefits include comparability across all nations, this will help facilitate in better understanding by investors of accounting information released in public financials. Comparability will result in an increase of auditors understanding in the types of policies and assumptions companies implement. This will help ensure that companies are not partaking in earnings management. Comparative accounting standards can be most beneficial to analysts. This will enable analysts to predict the firm’s future forecast of cash flows in comparison to the industry average. As mentioned above, the IFRS accounting standards are costly to implement. Studies have made reference to these transition costs as extremely pricy to develop, however, in the long run their costs tend to decline. This may in fact be true, however, for those companies that have incorporated IFRS standards, will continue to see new accounting pronouncements issued by the IASB, as they work to improve their guidelines. As a result, firms will continue to spend in areas of training and seeking professional advice on how these new standards will impact their firm. References 1. Bielstein , 2007. How the IFRS movement will affect financial reporting in the U. S. : Article: KPMG 2. Daske andGebhardt, 2006. Discussion of Daske and Gebhardt, Journal of Accounting Finance and Business Studies. 3. Lang, Maffet and Owen, 2010. Earnings Movement and Accounting Comparability, the Journal of Accounting Research 4. Leuz and Verrecchia , 2004. Firms Capital Allocation Choices, Information Quality and the Cost of Capital 5. Luez and Wysocki, 2008. Economic Consequences of Financial Reporting and Disclosure Regulation, Journal of Accounting Research 6. Mary E. Barth, 2006. Accounting Quality : International Accounting Standards, The Journal of Accounting Research 7. Ray Ball, 2006. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): Pros and Cons for Investors, Journal of Accounting Research 8. Soderstorm and Jialin Sun, 2007. IFRS Adoption and Accounting Quality: A review, The Journal of Accounting Research 9. Standsih, 2003. Evaluating National Capacity for Direct Participation in International Accounting Harmonization, Journal of Accounting Research 10. Tang, Wang and Welkor, 2011. Analyst Following and Forecast Accuracy After Mandated IFRS Adoption. Journal of Accounting Research. 11. William R. Scott, Fifth edition , 2009. Financial Accounting Theory How to cite Adoption of Ifrs, Papers

Kate and Merle in Ferris Beach McCorkle Ferris Bea Essay Example For Students

Kate and Merle in Ferris Beach McCorkle Ferris Bea Essay ch Essays Kate and Merle in Ferris Beach Kates perspective and understanding of deceptive appearances is heightened by her encounter and ensuing relationship with Merle Hucks. Kate had gone to school with Merle and been his neighbor for many years, but never knew him as anything more than a bully and a Hucks. However, Kate finally meets Merle one day at Mrs. Pooles house and learns that all her judgments and fabricated perceptions of him were based on his appearance and on rumors, and they were way off target. When Kate finally gets to know Merle, she finds that he is a very compassionate young man and nothing like what she had judged him to be. Her understanding of Merle becomes clear one evening as she watches Dexter, R.W., and the rest of the vigilantes rape Perry Loomis. In an attempt to save Perry from the violent unfolding, Merle is brutally beaten down by Dexters companions. Merle chivalrous behavior demonstrates to Kate that he is certainly not one of them; he is different. ` Shortly after the rape, Merle and Kate meet for the first time in the Whispering Pines graveyard to discuss what happened to Perry. The graveyard is significant because it serves as a symbolic haven where the youths of Fulton can evade the society around them, explore their minds, and employ their imaginations. Her meeting with Merle in the graveyard initiates her first real relationship with a boy and also confirms the very reality of the rape she witnessed a few nights earlier. The rape signifies the bitterness of the dark side of Kates surrounding society which becomes vividly clear to her. Kates understanding of Merle marks another threshold in her education as she realizes how deceptive appearances can be. When Kate has the chance to delve beneath Merles misleading facade, she learns that he has a much different character than she ever thought.Kate and Merle are very close to one another when tragedy again strikes down into their lives, this time with the arson of Merles house and the murder of his brother Dexter. The Hucks tragedy serves as a threshold which provides Kate with a deeper understanding of relationships and the significance of family. As the drama unfolds in front of the Hucks house, Kate stands by Merle comforting him until he leaves her to attend to his family. She watches Merle and his family console one another and she realizes that tragedy affects everyone regardless of their social class. The Hucks are certainly not upper-class nor are they even middle class citizens. However, they are still humans and when tragedy reigns down upon them, they are affected just like everyone else. As she stands watching the fire and the emotional drama, Kate realizes that tragedy transcends the walls of social classes and affects people on all levels.

National policy on education free essay sample

As a democratic society with a diverse population of different cultures, languages and religions we are duty bound to ensure that through our diversity we develop a unity of purpose and spirit that recognises and celebrates our diversity. This should be particularly evident in our public schools where no particular religious ethos should be dominant over and suppress others. Just as we must ensure and protect the equal rights of all students to be at school, we must also appreciate their right to have their religious views recognised and respected. We do not have a state religion. But our country is not a secular state where there is a very strict separation between religion and the state. The Policy recognises the rich and diverse religious heritage of our country and adopts a cooperative model that accepts our rich heritage and the possibility of creative inter-action between schools and faith whilst, protecting our young people from religious discrimination or coercion. We will write a custom essay sample on National policy on education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What we are doing through this Policy is to extend the concept of equity to  the relationship between religion and education, in a way that recognises the rich religious diversity of our land. In the Policy, we do not impose any narrow prescriptions or ideological views regarding the relationship between religion and education. Following the lead of the Constitution and the South African Schools Act, we provide a broad framework within which people of goodwill will work out their own approaches. The Policy is neither negative nor hostile towards any religion or faith and does not discriminate against anyone. Rather it displays a profound respect towards religious faith and affirms the importance of the study of religion and religious observances. Professor Kader Asmal Minister of Education STAATSKOERANT, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 No. 25459 Introduction to the Policy on Religion and Education 1. In this document we set out the policy on the relationship between religion and education that we believe will best serve the interests of our democratic society. The objective is to influence and shape this relationship, in a manner that is in accordance with the values of our South African Constitution1. In recognising the particular value of the rich and diverse religious heritage of our country, we identify the distinctive contribution that religion can make to education, and that education can make to teaching and learning about religion, and we therefore promote the role of religion in education. In doing so we work from the premise that the public school has an educational responsibility for teaching and learning about religion and religions, and for promoting these, but that it should do so in ways that are different from the religious instruction and religiousnurture provided by the home, family, and religious community. 2. We do so also in the recognition that there have been instances in which public education institutions have discriminated on the grounds of religious belief, such that greater definition is required. In many cases pupils of one religion are subjected to religious observances in another, without any real choice in the matter. The policy is not prescriptive, but provides a framework for schools to determine policies, and for parents and communities to be better informed of their rights and responsibilities in regard to religion and education. The policy genuinely advances the interests of religion, by advocating a broad based range of religious activities in the school. 3. In clarifying the relationship between religion and education, we might consider four possible models for structuring the relationship between religion and the state: A theocratic model identifies the state with one particular religion or religious grouping. In some cases, this model has resulted in a situation in which the state and religion become indistinguishable. In a religiously diverse society such as South Africa, this model clearly would be inappropriate. At the other extreme, a repressionist model is based on the premise that the state should act to suppress religion. In such a model, the state would operate to 1 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) No. 25459 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 marginalise or eliminate religion from public life. In a religiously active society such as South Africa, any constitutional model based on state hostility towards religion would be unthinkable. We reject both the theocratic model of the religious state, such as the Christian-National state in our own history that tried to impose religion in public institutions, as well as any repressionist model that would adopt a hostile stance towards religion. A modern secular state, which is neither religious nor anti -religious, in principle adopts a position of impartiality towards all religions and other woridviews. A separationist model for the secular state represents an attempt to completely divorce the religious and secular spheres of a society, such as in France or the United States. Drawing strict separation between religion and the secular state is extremely difficult to implement in practice, since there is considerable interchange between religion and public life. Furthermore, a strict separation between the two spheres of religion and state is not desirable, since without the commitment and engagement of religious bodies it is difficult to see us improving the quality of life of all our people. In a co-operative model, both the principle of legal separation and the possibility of creative interaction are affirmed. Separate spheres for religion and the state are established by the Constitution, but there is scope for interaction between the two. While ensuring the protection of citizens from religious discrimination or coercion, this model encourages an ongoing dialogue between religious groups and the state in areas of common interest and concern. Even in such exchanges, however, religious individuals and groups must be assured of their freedom from any state interference with regard to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, and opinion. In regard to the relationship between religion and public education, we propose that the cooperative model which combines constitutional separation and mutual recognition, provides a framework that is best for religion and best for education in a democratic South Africa. STAATSKOERANT 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 5. No. 25459 Under the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, the state, neither advancing nor inhibiting religion, must assume a position of fairness, informed by a parity of esteem for all religions, and worldviews. This positive impartiality carries a profound appreciation of spirituality and religion in its many manifestations, as reflected by the deference to God in the preamble to our Constitution, but does not impose these. . Background to the policy on Religion and Education 6. This Policy for Religion and Education is the result of many years of research and consultation. This commenced with the National Education Policy Investigation of the early 1990s, was taken further in the National Education and Training Forum during the transitional period of 1993-1994, and in the extensive consultations around the South African Schools Act, prior to 1996. It was further developed by the Ministerial Committee on Religious Education in 1999, and the Standing Advisory Committee on Religion and Education, established for this purpose in 2002. Reviewing the progress made in all of this work, we see an emerging consensus about the relationship between religion and education. 7. This policy links religion and education with new initiatives in cultural rebirth (the African Renaissance), moral regeneration, and the promotion of values in our schools. Religion can play a significant role in preserving our heritage, respecting our diversity, and building a future based on progressive values. 8. To achieve these goals, the relationship between religion and education must be guided by the following principles: In all aspects of the relationship between religion and education, the practice must flow directly from the constitutional values of citizenship, human rights, equality, freedom from discrimination, and freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, and opinion. Public institutions have a responsibility to teach about religion and religions in ways that reflect a profound appreciation of the spiritual, non -material aspects of life, but which are different from the religious education, religious instruction, or religious nurture provided by the home, family, and religious community. Religion Education should contribute to creating an integrated and informed No. 25459 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 community that affirms unity in diversity. Teaching about religion, religions, and religious diversity needs to be facilitated by trained professionals, and programmes in Religion Educationmust be supported by appropriate and credible teaching and learning materials, and objective assessment criteria. The Context 9. South Africa is a multi-religious country. Over 60 per cent of our people claim allegiance to Christianity, but South Africa is home to a wide variety of religious traditions. With a deep and enduring indigenous religious heritag e, South Africa is a country that also embraces the major religions of the world. Each of these religions is itself a diverse category, encompassing many different understandings and practices. At the same time, many South Africans draw their understanding of the world, ethical principles, and human values from sources independent of religious institutions. In the most profound matters of life orientation, therefore, diversity is a fact of our national life. 10. Our diversity of language, culture and religion is a wonderful national asset. We therefore celebrate diversity as a unifying national resource, as captured in our Coat of Arms: ! Ke E:/Xarra //ke (Unity in Diversity). This policy for the role of religion in education is driven by the dual mandate of celebrating diversity and building national unity. Values 11. This policy for the role of religion in education flows directly from the Constitutional values of citizenship, human rights, equality, freedom from discrimination, and freedom for conscience, religion, thought, belief, and opinion. By enshrining these basic values, the Constitution provides the framework for determining the relationship between religion and education in a democratic society 12. Our Constitution has worked out a careful balance between freedom for religious belief and expression and freedom from religious coercion and discrimination. On the one hand, by ensuring that Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, STAATSKOERANT, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 No. 25459 thought, belief, and opinion, the Constitution2 guarantees freedom of and for religion, and citizens are free to exercise their basic right to religious conviction, expression, and association. On the other hand, by ensuring equality in the enjoyment of all the rights, privileges, and benefits of citizenship, the Constitution explicitly prohibits unfair discrimination on grounds that include religion, belief, and conscience. Protected from any discriminatory practices based on religion, citizens are thereby also free from any religious coercion that might be implied by the state. The South African Schools Act (Act 94 of 1996) upholds the constitutional rights of all citizens to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion, and freedom from unfair discrimination on any grounds whatsoever, including religion, in public education institutions. 14. Within this constitutional framework, public schools have a calling to promote the core values of a democratic society, through the curriculum, through extra -curricular activities, and in the way that they approach religious festivals, school uniforms and even diets. As identified in the report of the ministerial committee on values in education, these core values include equity, tolerance, multilingual ism, openness, accountability, and social honour. Our policy on religion in education must be consistent with these values, and the practices of schools may be tested against the following national priorities: Equity: The education process in general, and this policy, must aim at the development of a national democratic culture with respect for the value of all of our peoples diverse cultural, religious and linguistic traditions. Tolerance: Religion in education must contribute to the advancement of inter- religious toleration and interpersonal respect among adherents of different religious or secular worldviews in a shared civil society. Diversity: In the interest of advancing informed respect for diversity, educational institutions have a responsibility for promoting multi-religious knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of religions in South Africa and the world. Openness: Schools, together with the broader society, play a role in culturalformation and transmission, and educational institutions must promote a spirit of openness in which there shall be no overt or covert attempt to indoctrinate pupils 2 Sections 15(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 11 No. 25469 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 into any particular belief or religion. Accountability : As systems of human accountability, religions cultivate moral values and ethical commitments that can be recognised as res ources for learning and as vital contributions to nation building. Social Honour: While honouring the linguistic, cultural, religious or secular backgrounds of all pupils, educational institutions cannot allow the overt or covert denigration of any religion or secular world-view. THE POLICY Application 15. The policy covers the different aspects of Religion Education, Religious Instruction and Religious Observances, and is applicable in all public schools. The spirit of the policy, which is to embrace the religious diversity of South Africa, must also be applied at other levels of the education system, including District, Provincial and National level gatherings.

Alice Walker Research Paper Example

Alice Walker Research Paper Example Alice Walker Paper Alice Walker Paper Journal 4 The Flowers Alice Walkers, â€Å"The Flowers†, is a short story about a young girl Myop. One day, Myop is happy and carefree as she skips around her familys cabin playing with the animals. On this day she decides to explore the woods as she had done many times with her mother in late autumn while gathering nuts. Myop then leaves the safety and peacefulness of her familys cabin to search for new and wonderful flowers. The flowers represent innocence, life, and the beauty of life. This summer morning she makes her own path and finds herself about a mile from home in unfamiliar surroundings. The cove she had come upon was gloomy, damp and had a mysterious silence. This description of the cave is very effective because it provides a picture for the reader to visualize, and makes the later events all the more shocking. In her quest to recapture the happiness of the morning, and find her way back to her cabin, she stumbles onto the remains of a man who had clearly been killed in a lynching. She sees the brittleness of his death when she discovered his large white teeth, all of them cracked or broken showing that he might have been beaten before his murder. She then looks up at a tree and sees the rotted remains of a noose. The dead man represents death, and shows that even though he was once a big, strong man, this had no bearing on preventing his own death. Myop laid down her flowers was a sign of releasing her youthfulness, as she was forced to face one of the most violent forms of racism. The end of her childhood innocence was recognized in the last sentence of the story with the statement And the summer was over.

How to Get a Copy of Your High School Diploma 2 Scenarios

How to Get a Copy of Your High School Diploma 2 Scenarios SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you need a copy of your high school diploma and are wondering how to get it? Perhaps you need your diploma for a job or college, but you can’t find your original copy. High school diplomas can be required for a variety of reasons, and it’s important to have a copy of yours on hand. This guide will go over each step you need to follow in order to get a copy of your high school diploma, whether you graduated recently or years ago. Why Do You Need a Copy of Your High School Diploma? Simply put, a high school diploma provides proof that you completed high school and (hopefully!) have all the knowledge and skills that go along with that accomplishment. A diploma shows which school you graduated from, when you graduated, and may also include awards or honors you received. Many places may be interested in seeing a copy of your high school diploma in order to make sure you have knowledge and skills needed to do certain jobs or continue your education. Some colleges and technical schools require you to submit a high school diploma copy before you enroll in order to make sure that you meet the school’s education requirements. Most colleges only require your high school transcript, but some may also want to see a copy of your diploma as well. Each individual college decides what to require in their application, but online schools are often more likely to require a copy of your diploma since they won't meet you in person and want to make sure you are qualified to enroll in their school. Certain jobs may also require you to submit a copy of your high school diploma when you apply to make sure you completed the education you said you did and have certain skills or knowledge needed for the job. Also, sometimes you may simply want your high school diploma for your own personal use, or because your mom wants to hang it on the wall. How to Get a Copy of Your High School Diploma Most high school graduates receive a copy of their high school diploma shortly after graduation; however, for whatever reason, you may not have gotten a copy, or you may have misplaced it. Below are two scenarios; follow the guidelines for the one that best describes your situation in order to learn how to request and receive a copy of your high school diploma. Scenario 1: You Know Your High School’s Contact Information If you have contact information for your high school (this includes an e-mail address, phone number, or physical address), then you're in luck because it should not be too difficult for you to get a copy of your diploma. First, contact your school, tell them that you are trying to get a copy of your high school diploma, and ask them how you can do that. If you aren’t sure which person you should speak to, contact the school’s main office, and they should be able to direct you from there. Once you contact your school, the process for getting a copy of your diploma is usually pretty straightforward. You may have to prove your identity by sending a copy of your ID or telling them information such as your date of birth or social security number. You may also have to pay a small fee (typically a few dollars) for a copy of your diploma to be sent to you. If you know your school's contact information, getting a copy of your diploma could be just a phone call away. Scenario 2: You Can’t Contact Your School or Your School Closed Down Your school likely has multiple methods of contact, including a school website, e-mail address, phone number, and physical address. However, sometimes you simply can’t get in contact with your school and have to try another method of getting your diploma. This may also be the case if your high school has closed down. Typically, the best thing to do in this case is to contact your former school district or the education department for the state where your high school is or was located. If you attended a public high school, contact the district office for the district your school used to belong to. Search "school district [your school’s district number] [state you live in]" to find your district’s contact information. This should bring up a phone number and e-mail address for the district. You can also search for your school district at the National Center for Education Statistics website. From there, you can contact the district and tell them you are trying to get a copy of your high school diploma. The district will still have student records for each high school that belonged to it, and they should be able to get you a copy of your diploma. If you can’t find your school’s district, the district no longer exists, or you went to a private high school, contact your state’s Department of Education. The Department of Education will have records for current and past high schools, and they should be able to put you in contact with someone who can help you get your diploma. Be ready to give them your name, the name of your high school, the town your school is or was located in, and the year you graduated. If you attended a private high school, you can also search for its records and contact information on the National Center for Education Statistics page for private schools. After you enter some information about your school, such as its name and location, the site should be able to retrieve contact information you can use. They may provide ways of contacting your school directly or give contact information for a place that stores student records. The majority of college applicants are high school seniors, and most of the college application advice out there is aimed at them. But what do you do if you don't fall into this narrow category? Our eBook on how to prepare for and apply to college as a nontraditional student will walk you through everything you need to know, from the coursework you should have under your belt to how to get letters of recommendation when you're not a high school senior. Does the Diploma Need to Be Sealed? Occasionally, a school or employer will request that you send them a sealed copy of your diploma. What this means is that the diploma will be placed inside a sealed envelope that is usually stamped or otherwise marked with your school’s stamp or seal. If you need to send a sealed copy, don’t open the envelope you get the diploma in before you send it! If you do, the diploma will no longer be considered sealed and may not fulfill the school's or employer’s requirements. The diploma itself will look exactly the same whether it’s sealed or unsealed. Sealing the diploma is a way for the recipient to know that it is genuine and wasn’t tampered with. Places that require a sealed diploma are usually trying to be extra sure that the diplomas applicants are sending them are legitimate. If you are required to send a sealed diploma, be sure to mention this when you order your copy. This is usually not a problem for your school to do, although they may be a small additional fee for sealing the diploma. If you need to get a sealed copy of your diploma, it may be a good idea to request a regular copy of your diploma as well so that you have a copy you can keep for yourself. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What If You Can't Get Your Diploma? What if you’ve tried all the above steps but still can’t get a copy of your diploma? The most likely reason you can’t get your diploma is because you were unable to contact your high school. Before proceeding with this section, make sure you have tried all methods of contact: searching for your school online, asking former classmates if they know how to contact the school, or even stopping by the school itself if you’re nearby and it is still open. If you absolutely cannot get a copy of your diploma and need one to apply to a job or school, you should talk directly to a person involved in the hiring or admissions process to figure out what your options are. One possibility is to substitute your high school transcript for your diploma. If you have a copy of your transcript or are able to get one, it may be able to serve as a replacement for your diploma. This is especially true if it’s the final version of your transcript, created after you graduated because it will list every high school class you took and will often contain a note that you graduated. The process of getting your high school transcript is similar to the process of getting a copy of your diploma, and we’ve created a step-by-step guide for you to follow to get your transcript. Some schools, particularly if you graduated a while ago, may not give duplicate copies of your diploma and will instead send you a copy of your final high school transcript. In general, this should be fine, but you may want to verify with the school or employer you are sending it to in order to make sure that works for them. If you can’t get a copy of either your diploma or high school transcript, there are a couple of possible solutions. You could ask one of your former teachers to write a letter stating when you graduated, you could submit relevant coursework you completed, or you could submit standardized test scores in place of a diploma. Some places are very strict with their requirements while others are more flexible, so some of these options may not always work. Ask about the school or employer's policies before you try one of these substitutions. In any case, what you should definitely not do is try to make or buy a fake high school diploma. Not only is this illegal, but you will almost certainly be fired or expelled if it’s discovered that you fabricated documents. The best thing to do if you can't get a copy of your diploma is to explain the situation to the person requesting your diploma and ask what advice they have. Summary A high school diploma is proof that you graduated from high school, and you may need to provide a copy of it in order to apply to certain jobs or schools. The easiest way to get your diploma is to contact your former high school and ask them what the process for this is. They should be able to direct you to the next steps. If you can’t contact the school itself, try contacting the school district or Department of Education for your state. They will likely be able to give you contact information or have the records themselves. If you have tried to get a copy of your high school diploma without success, talk to a person at the workplace or school you are applying to and see if they have any suggestions, such as substituting your transcript or relevant coursework for your diploma. What's Next? Want to know more about high school transcripts? Our guide explains what transcripts are, what information they include, and why they can be one of the most important parts of your college or job applications! Wondering where to go to college? We have a step-by-step guide that will help you choose the best college for you. Not sure how to apply to college? We've broken down each step of the college application process for you to make sure you create your strongest application and maximize your chances of being accepted. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making Essay - 1

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making decisions in business - Essay Example The success of organisations heavily relies on the decision making processes undertaken by managers. Organisations are complex, and thus present complex problems or contexts in which the manager makes decisions. Monahan argues that sound decision making brings positive results while poor decision making can prove deleterious to an organisation. The author also states that although management involves a variety of functions, decision making is a central managerial function as all others entail its use. A good decision making process will result in good decisions and thus success in business, while a flawed process underlying conception of decisions will have the opposite effect.The use of these decision making approaches together will be analysed in terms of how managers apply them in an integrated manner. Managerial Decision Making, Problem Solving and the Structured Analytical Approach According to Yates, a decision refers to the act of making a commitment to undertake an action that will yield satisfactory results to the beneficiaries of that action. From this definition, it is clear that a decision has three fundamental aspects. First is the resolution to execute an action, deliberateness/intention-where the manager purposefully decides so as to achieve specific objectives, and lastly, the satisfaction of those affected by the decision-the beneficiaries. Decision making, thus, implies the process used to arrive at a decision which translates to the different approaches adopted by different business managers. Russell-Jones argues for the importance of the underlying decision making process, stating that a robust, consistent and analytical approach leverages the elements of complexity, uncertainty, objectives, trade-offs., consensus and flexibility among others. This results in the making of sound decisions that can consistently bring about business success. On a c losely related note, managers increasingly find themselves having to undertake problem solving. Hicks (2004, p. 8) details the concept of problem solving, explaining that it entails the manager seeking ways to move from a present situation to a more desirable one. A problem arises when a there is a disparity between what is and what should be. It also represents a situation in which the decision making individual- manager- has alternative courses of action, all with significantly different effects and thus accompanied by doubt about the best choice (9). A number of approaches can be adopted to make managerial decisions and/or solve problems. Monahan (2001, pp. 2-3) explains the dynamics that affect decision making processes; including availability of information, scarcity of resources, and psychological factors. The author also discusses uncertainty in the process of decision making. Deterministic models of managerial decision making activities are used in the absence of uncertainty , while probabilistic models are for cases where business decisions have to be made under uncertainty. One of the most highlighted approaches to effective decision making is the structured analytical approach. Saaty and Vargas (2006, p. 258) explain that structuring the process through analogies and attribute association helps establish a new perspective to a problem and create an environment in which controllable and distinct alternatives can be generated. Gustafson (2006, p. 12) states that an analytical approach to decision making deconstructs a problem into logical, sequential and distinctive elements which can be assessed separately before recombining the components to arrive at

The theme of Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums Essay

The theme of Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums - Essay Example Steinback explores the feminist approach in this short story. Summary of ‘The Chrysanthemums’ Steinback weaves a tale of a passionate woman, Elisa who lives in a male-dominated society. Elisa Allen lives with her husband in her ranch and is his helping hand. Elisa is shown as women more intelligent than her husband but being a woman, she cannot hope to become her husband’s equal. Elisa’s intelligence is matched with her passion towards the ranch, especially towards the Chrysanthemums that she plants. But even with all her intelligence and passion, she cannot guide her husband to improve upon the ranch. Her husband generally ignores her passions and treats her more like a sibling or a friend. Another man enters Elisa’s world, the tinker. The tinker is a person who has travelled much and matches Elisa’s intelligence. He woos her by complimenting on her Chrysanthemums and Elisa becomes attracted towards him. His attention towards Elisa, even thou gh is proved false in the end, makes Elisa aware of her own sexuality as she watches her naked reflection in the mirror after the tinker leaves (Steinback, 1995). However, Elisa is brought back to the realities of the male-dominated world when she finds that the tinker threw away the Chrysanthemums, she offered as a gift, after leaving the ranch. Theme of ‘The Chrysanthemums’ Gender Inequality is the main theme of the book and other themes are secondary to this theme and help support the actual theme. The book is set in the 1930s when males were given the ruling hand just because they were male. Females, on the other hand, were expected to be subservient and their use in the home was to help the husband. Steinback, uses this novel to point out the prevailing gender inequality at that time. Even though Elisa was more passionate about the ranch and had the aptitude to growing beautiful Chrysanthemums, she was not able to guide her husband towards any improvement in the ra nch. Even if she provided any suggestions, they were merely ignored by her husband. This was either because he did not expect her to come up with good suggestions or because he was not interested in making any changes. It is not just Elisa’s husband who gets to lead his life his own way but also the tinker who visits the ranch. The tinker lives an adventurous life, a life that Elisa envies because he gets to see the whole world and the beautiful flowers within while Elisa is only confined to the ranch. She cannot leave the ranch because females at that time were not allowed to leave her homes on such adventurous journeys without their husband. In the case of Elisa, her husband would not have been interested. Thus, Elisa is forced to live her life according to the wishes of her husband, while it is obvious there is so much more that she could with her life. Another theme in the short story is the sexual fulfillment of females. The society during that time was constructed on id eals that were not ideal for the females. Sexual fulfillment was only considered the right of the males while females were just necessary partners in the activity. It is clear that the relationship between Elisa and her husband is more fraternal instead of a husband wife relationship. The arrival of the tinker in the ranch awakens sexual feelings within Elisa and Steinback here makes a point that women are as likely to have sexual feelings as men; and that sexual feelings are so powerful that they make people behave in foolish ways. The passionate and robust nature of Elisa hints at a sexual person

Assess the idea that globalisation leads Essay Example for Free

Assess the idea that globalisation leads Essay Globalisation leads to transnational organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations. Also transnational companies such as Nike. Globalisation also leads to the developments in new technologies such as internet, fibre optics, and jet planes, this means there can be an instant link between one person searching on the internet about one specific culture and finding out everything they need to know whereas before this was not possible. This leads to the relativity of truth, the decline in Meta narratives and also mass tourism. These transnational companies such as Nike, Ford, Enron etc all cause developments around the world due to the fact that they can move around freely around the globe. This is called industrial migration. Big companies such as these move to places where labour is cheap and they build big, new developments such as city centres with big industrial buildings, and mines where they can exploit the local cultures. An example of this would be the kayapo, where they found that a gold mine was situated on their land and so they group was therefore split in two as one group wanted to sell the gold to the big corporations and get wealth for it, whereas the other half did not want to sell their land to the foreigners and so the culture of the kayapo was destroyed and the industrial companies exploited the native kayapos for their surplus value. These developments also spread to places such as conservation parks such as in Peru where the sacred ground of the michu pichu was made into a world heritage site and so the michu pichus could not afford the entry price and so could not worship or pay their respect, even on a Sunday when the entry prices are taken away there is no silence and so they cannot pray still. Therefore this meant that the culture of the michu pichus has broken down and the main beliefs of their culture have been taken away from them and so leading to the slow eradication of that culture. A similar thing has happened in the safari parks in Botswana where bushmen where pushed off their lands unfairly to make room for rich upper class tourists who want to hunt ‘big game’. So the Bushmen who lived in peace with the animals were forced to work for the safari park as rangers and guides for the tourists who pushed the natives off their land changing their culture from hunter gatherers to capitalistic workers. A similar thing has happened to ayers rock in Australia where for sixty thousand years the native aborigines paid their respect to the rock, where they believed that it is where the souls of their ancestors go after they die and the rock has been turned into another world heritage area where many tourists come to see and disrespect the rock by climbing all over it. This has made it increasingly difficult for the aborigine people to pay their respect to their ancestors as there are many people around all the time and disrespecting it often. The masaai Mara where hired by the mayers to perform their native dances for the mayers regular guests. The Mayers founded the group to show the masaai in their traditional culture, houses, and dress ware, but were severely exploited by the Mayers for their surplus value as they were not paid properly instead were given food and told that the food that they eat and the fact that they live in the Mayers residence was payment enough. The Mayers hired the masaai as the western tourists wanted to see firsthand the cultural beliefs, and also rituals in a traditional manner, even when it was their ancestors who had intentionally destroyed the culture of the masaai. The Mayers residence was closed down as the government thought that the Mayers were exploiting the masaai far too badly and so closed them down. The exploitation of the masaai is imperialism as the masaai people were hired as pretty much slaves and made to work for the people who had taken away their culture in the first place but made the masaai men and women show their traditional dances and lifestyle.

Revelation through Experience in Heart of Darkness, Going After Cacciat

Revelation through Experience in Heart of Darkness, Going After Cacciato, and The Things They Carried Foreign lands seemingly possessed by evil spirits as well as evil men, ammunition stockpiles, expendable extremities and splintered, non-expendable limbs carpeting the smoking husks of burnt-out villages, the intoxicating colors of burning napalm, and courage mixed with cowardice in the face of extreme peril. These are just a few examples of the spell-binding images presented in the novels read in the class entitled The Literature of War at Wabash College. These images and their accompanying stories do far more than fill the mind with fantastic ideas of war and heroism; they force the reader into uncomfortable situations thereby compelling the him or her to contemplate and evaluate his or her own personal ideas of valor, honor, decency, morality and mortality. While reading these stories, the reader is not only thrust inside the hearts and minds of the characters as he or she accompanies them upon their physical and/or mental journeys, but he or she is also forced to e xplore the darkest corners of being that exist inside every human being, male and female. Almost all of the novels are set during wartime and focus on the trials and tribulations faced by the common soldier. In his book The Great War and Modern Memory, Paul Fussell suggests that war literature can generally be broken down into three stages; the first being the innocence stage before the soldier goes to battle, the second being the loss of innocence precipitated by experiencing the horrors of war, and the third stage being the consideration stage where the soldier is removed from the war and contemplates his experiences. (Fussell). ... ...d Tim O’Brien have lost their innocence and in doing so, they have unwittingly destroyed the blissful ignorance that made their previous lives possible. One of the only means that these three men find to ease their pain is in the telling of stories. By voicing their feelings and experiences, they are able to continue living and cope with the awful truths they have learned about the war and more importantly the truths they have learned about themselves. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Penguin Group. London. 1995. Fussell, Paul. The Great War and Modern Memory. Excerpts from In-Class handout. 2002. O’Brien, Tim. Going After Cacciato. Broadway Books. New York. 1978. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Penguin Group. New York. 1990. Remarque, Erich M. All Quiet on the Western Front. Ballantine Books. New York. 1930.

Best Journal Article Award Essay

Academic journals are periodicals in which scholarly material relating to a certain academic discipline is published and reviewed. These peer-reviewed periodicals provide a platform through which new topics or ideas pertaining to that particular discipline can be introduced, researched and debated upon. The articles published are details of original research conducted by one or a group of stakeholders, reviews of book publications related to the discipline, and are therefore sometimes commonly referred to as professional magazines. They range from journals of science to applied technology, journalism, social sciences and humanities. In the professional circles, there is a habit of any willing interested party making unsolicited submissions of their research and discoveries, opinions or articles to these professional magazines. Usually, a bench of editors peruses the submitted entries to determine their quality and relevance and therefore choose which entries they are going to publish and those that are going to be published. Once an article has been published, any interested parties are free to respond either in support or criticizing the information published therein. This is what is called peer reviewing (Effs. org, 2009). Reviewing involves the checking of progress on the research of topics published in these professional journals. This process covers progressive research either on a long term or short term depending on the topic concerned. The reason for journal awards is that the prestige of an academic journal’s award establishes itself over time; the dominant academic journals consequently receive the highest number of submissions and are consequently the preferred choice of seeking the relevant information and opinion regarding a certain topical issue. It is for this reason that certain journals dominate over others in terms of relevancy and credibility. For example in the United States of America, the American Historical Review and the Journal of American History have been able to stamp their authority over most of the other related journals. The ranking of journals is based on the prestige derived from their accuracy, relevance and professional reverence of their most frequent contributors. In the fields of technology and applied science, it is easier to establish the top most journals but when it comes to the social sciences, it becomes very hard to rank these journals mostly on account of the diverse nature of the opinions available and the scope of the discipline. The approach used here is estimating the impact factor, that is counting the total number of submissions following the publishing of all particular original submissions and also counting the number of citations based on the publications (Carl, 2000). The duration through which submissions are continually cited, also called the half life, is an important criteria of gauging the impact of a particular journal. In virtually every professional discipline, it is very important that the industry players get a feedback to gauge the standards and the levels of professionally time over time. To increase competitiveness, progress and professional integrity, different foundations have initiated programs of awarding excellence (Clapp, 2003). Individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary professional standards are awarded depending on merit and this acts as a source of motivation to the recipients but also to their competitors and partners to put the specific industry on the course of achieving greater heights. The importance of the media on contemporary society cannot under any circumstances be underestimated. It is the media that is on the forefront of creating awareness on the most relevant topical issues directly affecting people. From politics to the economy, human rights to diseases and education, the influence of the media is the most significant. It is not a surprise that most people base their interpretation of topical issues almost always based on how the media has put the facts on paper (Wheeler, 2009). It is for this reason that there has been a lot of effort geared towards ensuring that the media is impartial, relevant and correct on the issues that are of most significance to society as its role in determining how they are received by society in general is insurmountable. To increase integrity in this important industry, very many civil, corporate, governmental and even private organizations have come up with numerous awards all aimed at rewarding excellence and increasing journalistic standards. Among these, perhaps the most significant is the award gala night organized by the International Centre for Journalists (ICJ). Each and every year, the ICT holds an award dinner in honor of the achievements and feats accomplished by its fellows. These awards honor those journalists who have, for the preceding year, demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the cause and have exhibited the most commendable professional standards (Mackenzie, 2007). This colorful event brings together those journalism professionals from the United States of America as well as from overseas countries, who have made the headlines, constantly putting their lives and safety on the line to bring in the news as it is from the harshest and most hostile locations around the world. They are a perfect demonstration of a passionate commitment of excellent news collection and pointblank reporting. Another significant excellence award by the journalism industry is held by The Canadian Journalism Foundation. Started just over ten years ago, the Excellence in Journalism Award has continued to gain credibility over the years. It is now one of the most prestigious journalistic awards held annually and is the only award of its kind given to a media organization for exhibiting an overall excellence in journalistic performance (Chism, 2006). The Excellence in Journalism Award aims to recognize an outstanding dedication to the cause of journalism. Sponsored jointly by the Jackman Foundation and the Canadian Journalism Foundation, the Excellence in Journalism Award has the overall objective of embracing and enhancing the social and political ideals of citizenship under a working democratic system, rigor and professionalism in journalistic practice, honesty and independence in ideology, accuracy in information collection and accountability (Fredrick, 1995). The award also rewards initiative and an artistic flair in information presentation and clarity. The excellence in Journalism award has winners in two separate categories. One award is dedicated to small and medium sized media houses from the locality (that is within Canada) and the North American region while the second category is for the large national and international media houses. The next awards are scheduled to be held on the fifth day of March this year. The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Journal Awards are the other main journalistic awards. Specifically targeting the radio broadcasting industry, he awards are aimed at recognizing those radio companies that have stood out from among their competitors in terms of successfully using the technology of Radio Frequency Identification. The RIFD journal, to ensure a relevant and trustworthy, has put in place a panel of qualified judges who undertake the work of evaluating all competitors and eventually choosing the winner (Burnett, 2000). The aim of these awards is to encourage the application of the radio frequency identification in radio broadcasting and award the winner in this sector. The RIFD has five distinct award categories fro the best implementers of the radio frequency identification technology, the company that has best used frequency identification to enhance their service and the quality of their service to their clients and a special achievement award (PressRelease. com, 2009). Other influential journals include the Harvard Law Review, The Academy of Management Journal and the American Journal of Sociology for the discipline of Social Sciences, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Proceedings of the Royal Society and Science in the area of general sciences. In the specific sciences, the leading journals are the Archives of Sexual behavior, Industrial Engineering and Industry Research and the Journal of the American Mathematical Society (Wankat, 2005). The reason why journals hold award giving events is to award leading contributors for their commitment and research in a particular discipline and therefore encouraging research and progress. The prestige of any intellectual society is directly derived from the relevance and applicability of their findings; therefore by awarding leading researchers, there is every potential of encouraging further leaders and nurturing the aspirations of future scholars and therefore ensuring intellectual continuity.

How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty

How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty We’ve all been approached by someone asking for a favor. It could be at work, home, or even out with friends while painting the town red. It usually happens so unexpectedly that we feel pressured and compelled to say yes, regardless of what we currently have on our plate. Sometimes we’re happy to help. We like this person and this favor won’t interfere with our lives in a significant manner. Other times, even though it’s not in our best interest to say yes, we do so anyway because we want to avoid feeling  guilty.But why feel guilty?Before we advance to the how, let’s look at the why. It’s worth deconstructing why we feel guilty for saying no. Guilt is an emotion we feel when we have done something wrong. If you’ve truly wronged someone, guilt is an appropriate emotional reaction. But saying no is not an example of wronging someone.This person might have to seek alternatives to your help, but it’s hardly harmful to their overa ll well-being- especially if it’s a small favor. Saying no puts this person in a position where they simply have to get creative and recalibrate their direction. Besides, it’s highly unlikely you’re this person’s only hope.Another reason we feel guilty is because we’re nervous this person will resent us, or be angry. But this feeling is unreasonable. You need not look any further than yourself. Would you hold a grudge against someone denying you a favor? Most likely not. So, the same standard applies. All this fear of saying no is simply an emotional response to an unlikely reaction by the other party. Logically, it holds no merit.Now that we’ve dispelled this notion, let’s take a closer look at how we can actually say no.1. Offer an alternative solutionâ€Å"Sorry, I don’t have time to help you with building your cover letter, but here’s a link to an article on 5 resume tips to guarantee an interview.†It’s quick, easy, and you offer the person an alternative solution. Just make sure you’re doing this to help, not just because you feel guilty.2.   Show empathy when saying noYou want to show this person you truly understand their problem, but it simply isn’t something you can handle right now.â€Å"I know you really need someone to take care of your dog while you’re on vacation, and you worry he won’t get enough exercise, but my job really just takes up too much of my time right now.†Empathy is what connects us as human beings, so it’s important to convey this on some level.3.   Blame your responsibilitiesAs mentioned in the previous example, work is always a good excuse. In fact, very often it’s the truth. We all work a lot so it’s definitely not a stretch and it most likely won’t raise any eyebrows.4. Turn it into a complimentSpin this into an opportunity to flatter the requester. Everyone loves a good ego boost.†Å"I’m surprised you’re asking me for help on this, I personally think you have far better taste than I do, but I’m very flattered that you’re giving me the opportunity to help you.†And that’s when you drop the no bomb on them. Psychologically, you’re softening the blow while bolstering their ego. It’s a win-win.5.   Say no without apologizingSaying thank you instead of sorry makes a world of difference. Do not apologize or say sorry- that will only  make  the requester think you’re either lying or you feel guilty†¦especially if you keep emphasizing how sorry you are.If you say no in a positive manner, that will make it more likely that the requester will leave the interaction feeling positive and upbeat.So there ya have it. Make sure your no is quick and concise. Don’t drag your answer out for too long, otherwise it will make you look bad. It’s important to say no every now and again because somet imes we truly need the time for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’ll conserve energy and time, and hopefully be able to help the next time around.Source:  BusinessInsider

Animal Testing

Animal Testing Essay Animal TestingThis theme song to a popular cartoon is a farce dealing with experiments carried out on animals. In the cartoon one mouse is made very smart and wants to take over the world while the other is clearly not as smart. While the cartoon makes jokes, the reality is that mice and other animals re being used for medical tests every day. For some people this testing brings up ethical questions. One of the biggest questions: is it really necessary to take the lives of animals in the name of science and for the betterment of humanity? For animal rights activists, like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the answer is no. PETA pressures labs into halting experiments because they believe that animals are not to be used by humans for food, clothing, entertainment, or to experiment on (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 1). Its stance is that any testing is painful, inhumane, and unnecessary when alternatives are available. The PETA website says that animals, like humans, have interests that cannot be sacrificed or traded away simply because it might benefit others. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 2-3). Essentially, PETA is of the opinion that animals and humans should have identical rights. In their press releases PETA puts out pictures of rabbits with open flesh wounds and dogs with rashes on their skinsall in an attempt to disgust people into sympathy for their cause. In actuality the number of lab animals used has been cut in half in the last 25 years (James-Enger 254). Of the animals used, 90 percent are rats and mice (James-Enger 1). Moreover, 11 million animals die each year in animal shelters (Americans for Medical Progress 2) and an astounding 95 percent of the animals that die in America do so from human consumption (James-Enger 254). The reason that animal testing is appropriate is that there are regulations in place to minimize testing and pain, the alternatives are insufficient for now, and most importantly the information obtained from experimentation is irreplaceable. While animal rights groups such as PETA advocate abolishing all animal testing that inflicts pain on animals, proponents of testing cite laws and regulations which minimize pain and discomfort. PETAs position is based on the belief that humans are not superior to animals (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). The vice president of the Humans Society of the United States (HSUS), an animal rights group that is nearly as extreme as PETA, has been quoted as saying the life of an ant and that of my child should be granted equal consideration (Americans for Medical Progress 2). If, as PETA and HSUS say, animal and human life is equal, then putting an animal through any pain is immoral. However, there are laws in place to minimize discomfort and inhumane treatment. The laws limit the amount of distress and pain an animal is subjected to. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the body that governs animal test ing, must approve all tests (United States Department of Agriculture 2). The USDA must also authorize the numbers and types of animals experimented on (United States Department of Agriculture 2). Tests can no longer be performed if conclusive data is already available. In 1991 it was discovered that Procter and Gamble had performed experiments on 300 guinea pigs when the data the tests was to obtain was already available (Animal Testing by the Cosmetic Industry 2). This is just one of the situations that newer animal testing legislation would have prevented or at least deterred. A fifty-point criterion for assessing pain is in place (United States Department of Agriculture 3). These points include everything from vocalization of pain to apparent depression. If there is no clear criteria then it is assumed that procedures that cause pain in humans also cause pain in animals (United States Department of Agriculture 50). When an animal must be restrained it is to be limited to brief pe riods of around three minutes (United States Department of Agriculture 3). This is similar to the procedure followed when a doctor holds a child to administer a vaccination shot. For all surgeries and painful tests, sedatives and anesthetics must be utilized (United States Department of Agriculture 49). If the test will leave the animal permanently damaged, euthanasia must be administered before the anesthetic wears off (United States Department of Agriculture 48). For humans this topic is still being debated, but animals are put to sleep every day when an owner or veterinarian decides the quality of the animals life will be too low for it to go on living. These few but important changes in animal research legislation have aided in improving animal welfare. PETA believes that the benefits of animal research do not outweigh the costs when alternatives are available; proponents argue that those alternatives are not effective. PETAs stance is that animal life is too valuable to risk on experimentation especially when there are alternatives, such as false human skin grown in culture, computer programs, and using human subjects. Taking a few skin cells and growing them into small squares of skin produces the false human skin. This piece of skin can be used to test irritation reactions to different chemicals. It is being used in the cosmetic industry, which has all but ceased animal testing. One problem with the false skin however is that it can only be exposed to water-soluble chemicals or it suffers extreme damage (D.E. 168). Furthermore, it currently contains no melanocytes, the chemicals that give skin its color, or immune cells (D.E. 168). It is not known how or if these substances effect any laboratory setting, but it is desirable for any experiment to mimic real life situations as closely as possible. Another alternative to actual animal experimentation is using computer simulations. These programs are like encyclopedias of chemical information. They can only run simulations based on information on chemicals and reactions that are already known. This is an obvious problem with this alternative. Computer simulation software cannot accurately predict the effects of enough situations and theoretical chemical combinations to be heavily relied on. What it comes down to is that there currently is no viable replacement for live, responsive cells. Jack H. Botting and Adrian R. Morrison point out that there are no basic differences between the physiology of laboratory animals and humans (Botting, Morrison 85). These similarities are what scientists need for experiments to be accurate. The matches are never perfect, but animal experiments are a good place for researchers to start looking for answers to questions that are important to human health care. Another proposed alternative to animal testing is to use human subjects. PETA suggests using people who have particular ailments who would be willing to participate in experiments. The problem with this alternative is that it is not scientifically sound. When conducting a scientific experiment, all variables must be controlled, and running tests on random human subjects does not give reliable results. Assuming that a researcher could find enough people to run an experiment, there would be too many extraneous variables, such as the subjects environment, genes, and other pre-existing conditions. With lab animals the complete medical history is known, the entire life of each animal is documented. Also they are selectively bred to produce genetically similar subjects. Simply put, lab animals are a cheap, reliable source of information. The benefits gained from animal testing are too widespread to ignore. Everyday life has been changed for the better because of this testing. As 1990 Nobel Prize Laureate Joseph E. Murray, M.D. said, Animal experimentation has been essential to the development of all cardiac surgery, transplantation surgery, joint replacements and all vaccinations ( Americans for Medical Progress 1). The numbers to back up this claim are that over 440,000 open-heart surgeries are performed and 11,000 kidneys are transplanted every year, not to mention that animal experimentation has made possible the salvation of 20,000 kidney dialysis patients each year (Botting 1). Also, the ability to test on animals has made possible the relatively safe and successful use of dangerous chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer (Americans for Medical Progress 1). Drugs such as this cannot be tested on humans because of their strength and potential for killing in inappropriate doses. If the proper dosage were not known, the results would be inaccurate and could be lethal. Many antibiotics and vaccines used today were developed and tested through animal research, as were insulin to control diabetes and nearly all modern anesthetics (Botting 1). It is hard to imagine life without some of these lifesaving drugs, or even the ones that do not save lives, just make life a little more bearable. It is likewise significant to note that animal testing has benefited animals as well. When a pet owner takes his or her animal to the veterinarian to receive shots, chances are that those shots are available because of animal experimentation. Heartworm, feline leukemia, rabies, anthrax, and tetanus are all preventable because of animal testing. PETA and HSUS are honorable institutions with admirable goals, but they are over idealistic and overzealous. That fact can best be described by the following quote: Animal rights activists blocked for two years research aimed at stopping transmission of HIV from mother to child. That research ultimately demonstrated how AZT can prevent babies from getting AIDS (Americans for Medical Progress). Sometimes the good of the many outweighs the good of the few. This does not mean that animal testing should go unchecked. Suffering is kept to a minimum by legislation and advancements in testing alternatives. As these alternatives progress, the number of live animals needed for testing will gradually decrease and eventually the need for them will hopefully be eliminated. But in the meantime, animal testing is too important to stop. The benefits waiting to be had are too important and any possible drawbacks are too insignificant to allow a halt in animal research. BibliographyBibliographyAnimal Testing by the Cosmetic Industry. (20 March 1999). Animal Research Saves Human and Animal Lives. Americans for Medical Progress. (20 March 1999). Animal Research Holds the Key to Saving Human Lives. Americans for Medical Progress. (20 March 1999). Ball, Matt and Anne Green, and Jack Norris. Veganism as the Path to Animal Liberation. The Animals Agenda Sep/Oct 1998: 44-45. Botting, Jack H. and Adrian R. Morrison. Animal Research is Vital to Medicine. Scientific American. 187 February 1997: 83-85. D. E. Skin Stand-Ins. Scientific American. September 1990: 168. James-Enger, Kelly. Beyond Animal Testing. Vegetarian Times. October 1998: 254. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. (20 March 1999). 21 Things You May Not Know About the Animal Rights Movement. Americans for Medical Progress. (20 March 1999). U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Animal Welfare Report Fiscal Year 1997. READ: The Terminal Man Essay

Communication in the 21st Century Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication in the 21st Century - Term Paper Example Communication is one fundamental process in human’s existence. Due to the fact that the economic and corporate environment is one of the important components of the present society, the interest regarding the process referred to as corporate communication is also an immediate concert and interest. The main objective of the study undertaken is to be able to present the issues that are related to corporate communication specifically in the 21st century. The importance of the said study can be considered based on the role of communication in different aspects of the corporate world. As in human interaction, it is also important for the different processes in the operation of organizations and participants in the corporate world. In addition, it is considered as one of the most significant resource that can be viewed as an input for the success and profitability of a company (Kitchen and Schultz 1). The objectives of the study are achieved through the determination of the differen t ways and methods that corporate communication is defined due to the fact that communication can vary through the transition of history. In addition, the elements and factors that are related to corporate communication are also defined. The different elements include the innovations and the effects that are associated upon the application of the said innovative technologies and methods to the conventional system. The importance of communication in the corporate and business context an be described on the basis of the importance.