Black People and Civil War Essay

?Introduction: In this essay I am going to compose a piece of text which will involve the tension of Segregation. In the 1930s, although 50% of the population of Southern towns were black, they had no vote and could not marry whites. Also in the 1930’s, many black people lived in the southern states. During that time, racism reached its highest point. For instance, the whites treated the blacks very poorly because they thought that the blacks were lower than them. Therefore, the blacks had to fight for the right to be treated equally. As a result, black people had to face the Jim Crow Laws and the Ku Klux Klan. In my own opinion I think that the 1930 was a turbulent time for race relations in America. Paragraph 1: The first racism incident that I have spotted out and chosen to write about in my essay is when the Wallace’s’ poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them on fire. One of the nephews died, the other one is alive but has the same condition as Mr Berry. The reason why the Wallace’s poured kerosene over the Berry’s was because they caught them flirting with a white woman which wasn’t allowed back then. In fact, it was not even true! The Berry’s didn’t even flirt with her. They lied about it. The quote that goes with this event was when mama (Cassies’ mum) said to her kids, â€Å"The Wallaces did that, children. They poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them afire. † â€Å"Everyone knows they did it, and the Wallaces even laugh about it, but nothing was ever done. † At this right moment I feel disgusted and baffled that people could actually do this in the 1930s. The sympathy for the Wallace’s has decreased because setting fire to someone is arson and that makes Mr Wallace and his clique an arsonist. Also it makes us feel that the Wallaces are black-hearted and atrocious people, because who would want to set a person on fire? Then laugh about it. The sympathy for the Berrys has definitely increased because of what happened to both Mr Berry and his two nephews is utterly excruciating and the fact that there is no reason behind why the Wallaces did it, makes the reader feel more sorrowful for them. On the other hand in the book it says, â€Å"Disfigured man lying in the darkness† In that quote you can see how dreadful his injuries were. He was even camouflaging with the darkness; see that is real bad? Paragraph 2: The second racism incident that I found very crucial was when Cassie bumped into Lillian Jean Simms by accident but Lillian Jean still DEMANDED for a sorry and for Cassie to get on her knees instantly. As well as this was racism, it was also bullying in some kind of way because Cassie didn’t want to get on her Knees but she still got forced. â€Å"Kicking at the sidewalk, my head bowed. It was then that I bumped into Lillian Jean Simms. † Cassie really didn’t mean to bump into Lillian Jean at all but she took it over the top& reacted to the bump by saying, â€Å"why don’t you watch were you’re going? † â€Å"Well apologize† â€Å"That ain’t enough. Get down in the road† This right here is what you call racism. Cassie didn’t intend to bump into Lillian Jean, it was just an accident but because Cassie is black they didn’t care at all. Cassie even got pushed around by Mr Simms. Mr Simms was even sticking up for his daughter even though she was in the wrong. Lillian Jeans’ father was saying to Cassie that when Lillian tells you that you should get off the sidewalk, you get off it. The sympathy towards Lillian Jean Simms has totally decreased because what she did was just too dramatic and it was just a ‘bump’. In my opinion Cassie did not have to go on her knees because she didn’t deliberately bump into her; all that should have been done was an apology to Lillian. My sympathy towards Cassie has increased more. The reason why I said this was because she was intimidated and forced to get on her knees even though she had already shed a tear; they didn’t care, they just wanted an apology from her. Conclusion: To sum up I think that Racism is totally unacceptable and utterly inglorious. In this novel I think that Taylor was trying to put across the fact of what the black people had to go through in the 1930s every day of their lives, and how their wouldn’t even be an us our even a peaceful world if racism was still occurring. I also think that Taylor is trying to compare today’s life to the 1930s and too see how much the black people suffered.

Becoming a Social Worker

Becoming A Social Worker Sindy Griffin Rasmussen College Author Note This research is being submitted on June 10, 2011, For Ian Provo HS100/HUS1001 sec01 Introduction to Human Services at Rasmussen College by Sindy Griffin Growing up in the 1970’s where there were limited resources, and having an abusive father was very difficult for my mother and us four children. Having such difficult times as a child though no fault of my mothers and then being married to an abusive husband for 18 years myself, has given me the strength and desire to become a Human Service Worker. Becoming a Caseworker will be fulfilling a lifelong dream to help those in need no matter the crisis they may be seeking to cure. In realization becoming a Caseworker has many responsibilities. Some of the main responsibilities include:† Verifying information through interviews, applications, and applying regulations and memoranda to provide income to individuals and families. † (US Department of Labor, 2010-11). Optimizing client functioning by providing quality services in an efficient and effective manner to people with complex needs. Being a caseworker requires a strong foundation of training, values, knowledge, theory and skills. Clients who have been identified as in need as the result of an outreach or referral service can be assisted by a caseworker, which must then conduct face-to-face assessments of the client’s strengths and weaknesses, as to conduct research for financial and or institutional recourses that may be available for the client’s individual needs. Many resources may be used in this process to insure the client receives some if not all the requested needs. Some of the responsibilities are as follows: In a case where a client came to me and requested assistance to escape from an abusive husband, I would assist her first by analyzing her situation to properly resolve her immediate needs, such as shelter, food, clothing and etc. We would then progress to other needs such as legal, emotional and psychological support. Researching outside sources would become the most of priority to give the client the help she is requesting. We will also have many clients come forth with substance abuse problems as well. Again we must analyze his or her situation to determine what resources are available for the client. Whether it be simple counseling or a rehab center. We must then try talking to the client about what they think the best treatment plan would be for themselves to overcome their addiction. These situations have to be handled gently as not to scare the client away. Developing a relationship to the client is very important in this situation. Once this has been accomplished the client will be more acceptable to change and be prepared to move on to outside agencies or support groups to assist with their addiction. A Caseworker must also meet the required education standards which are as follows: â€Å"The social work case manager shall have a baccalaureate or graduation degree from a social work program accredited by the council on social work education. † (Workers, International Federation of Social) A social worker must also use professional skills for all clients they attempt to assist, while keeping the information confidential. They must also be knowledgeable as to the resources that are available to the client, as well as knowing the cost of such resources. The caseworker should be sure they can handle the caseload they attempt to assist as to not leave anyone out. Being very committed to our job is one of the main keys to being a successful caseworker. A Caseworker will also experience many challenges along the way. These challenges will have to be handled with a smile and lots of patients as to not let the client see that you may be distressed. Although there are many challenges we will face along the way, one of the main ones is the case overload. Many caseworkers today have an over abundance of cases at one time. This problem causes the paperwork process to be slow and seem as though we are not doing our job, causing the client to become frustrated and feel as if they are not getting your full attention. Being able to communicate with the client should be of utmost importance as well as assuring them that you will in fact complete their case as soon as possible. There are also many stress outlets that come along with our profession as well. We may face this on a daily basis as well. One of the most common in our field is rude clients and emotional attachment. The loyalty of a caseworker is often in the middle of a conflicting interest. † (Workers, International Federation of Social) Meaning that as we do our jobs as caseworkers, we may also come across situations that we have encountered ourselves as a non-caseworker and actually experience some sort of favoritism to the case at hand, in turn we this could cause a conflict with the interest of your remaining clients. Caseworkers must re member the urgency of all of their cases not just the ones that mean the most to them. Clients that become rude may only be acting in this manner because they feel as if they are being ignored and that they will not receive the proper assistance as quickly as they anticipated. This type of action may cause undue stress on the caseworker to complete their case. We must be able to some how assure the client we are working on their case as quickly as possible and they will be contacted as soon as it is complete. Handling stress that comes with being a caseworker can be quite challenging in itself. One of the first things I may try and do is try and remind myself of the reasons I chose to become a caseworker. Though our jobs may be stressful in many ways we have to remember the desire we had or have to help those in need. We may also learn that just simple things like taking a walk or stopping and making a phone call to a friend or colleague can reduce the amount of negative energy we may be experiencing. Co-workers can be great stress relievers as they too experience the stress that is closely related to what you may be feeling at that time, after all we are here to help one another not only help the client in need, but those who work closest to us as well. The reason I have chosen to become a Social Worker is that I have a strong desire to help those in need. No matter what their issue may be. I believe there is help out there for everyone. I want to be part of the reason some of the ones that are struggling in this world today will be able to find hope and succeed in their lives. Although my job will come with many challenges, requirements, and responsibilities, it will not let me forget the reward I will feel in my heart that someone somewhere is beginning a new life because we stopped long enough to let them no that they could. Just as â€Å"Jane Addams, who is considered the mother of all social workers said: Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men. She is known for being one of the most famous social workers of all times, using her training and education to do only good. † (Article Pros , n/d) . I too hope I can be one of the greatest Social Workers of all times. Conclusion Although there are many responsibilities and requirements in the caseworker field of employment, and the job consists of lots of commitment and research to assist clients with their psychological and physical needs. Case Workers must understand the complexity of all cases they have, as well as knowing who and where they need to refer the client to for their specific needs. Keeping in consideration the Caseworker poses so many challenges, stress and stress outlets, We as Caseworkers must remember that we are here to help those in need. They are like harmless children waiting to be saved from the world. Overcoming the many challenges and stressful situations is what we have been waiting to do our entire lives. We just have to remember the compassion and desire to be a Caseworker is instilled in us and we should never forget its value to the client in need or ourselves. By doing all these things we can make a difference in the world one case at a time. Becoming a Caseworker is my life long dream. Being able to help those in need will give me the fulfillment in my life I have been missing for so many years. Just waking in the morning and knowing that I could possibly save someone’s life or even just give them a sense of belonging makes all the esponsibilities, requirements, challenges, stress and commitment worth the effort. References Bibliography Article Pros . (n/d). Retrieved May 2011, from www. articalpros. com/self-improvement/phycology/artical-665318. htm. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Us Department of Labor. (2010-2011). Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011 Edition, Social Workers. Retrieved May 2011, from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos060. htm. Demand Media Inc. (1999-2011). http://ehow. com/about_514504_ caseworker-description-job-html. Retrieved May 2011 http://www. careerinformation. tml/e-p-a-c-s-c-a. (n/d). Retrieved May 2011 NASW National Association of Social Workers N. A. (2007). Retrieved May 2011, from www. socialworkers. org/pubs/code. asp. US Department of Labor. (2010-11). Http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos060. htm. Retrieved May 02, 2011, from Bereau of labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Social Workers Workers, International Federation of Social. (n. d. ). International Association of Schools of Social Work. (FSW, Editor) Retrieved May 2011, from http://www. ifsw. org/f38000032. htm.

Exam Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam Case Study - Assignment Example Later to follow are the recommendations to overcome the stated problems and improve company’s performance. Problems faced Primary problems faced by Sunshine Shirts come under the category of delivery delays and bottlenecks in quality. Delays are attributed to factors like large number of inspections, inventory and warehousing issues and lengthy production cycle of shirts. Also, type and volume of orders in the three categories also contribute to delays in deliveries. For quality concerns, even large number of inspections is not proving beneficial since printing is not getting appreciated by the customers. Faulty shirts are also getting in the orders which are resulting in increased number of complaints and reduced customer loyalty. Delays in deliveries and quality pitfalls cumulate to rising costs but no increased profit margins. Thus, an indirect offshoot of the above mentioned problems is an urgent need for cost-cutting campaign which can not be realized unless careful and m eticulous strategic planning is undertaken. Following next are specific instances which have led to the above mentioned problems of faulty planning, delays and quality concerns. Sources of problems Superficially, problems seem to be very generic, trivial and operations based. However, upon careful observation and deep analysis, the sources of these problems vary from strategic planning to inventory management, quality management and even setting up of performance measures. Detailed breakdown of sources of problems is given below: Strategic planning Strategic planning is a wide concept covering numerous operations within a specific business. From human resources to operations, production to management and even after sales, strategic planning entails setting up of standards, crafting plans according to those standards and measuring actual outputs to find out deviations. At Sunshine Shirts, planning has not taken a serious form. Various loopholes exist in different functions and domain s. Opening sentences where it is mentioned that the company budgeted for but still reported losses is a clear example of poor planning. Next for example, the problem of delivery delays can primarily be attributed to planning glitch. Before actual inventory management, it is the work of planning to ascertain the flow of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods. Faulty planning has led to faulty warehousing and chaos at factory space. Secondly, customer complaints have increased at Sunshine Shirts due to printing issues as ink on shirts peels off. This might be due to wrong supplier selection of printing inks which is again a function of strategic planning in a company. Further, regarding costs, company officials and heads of various departments are suggesting different solutions- reducing number of inspections, outsourcing, and charging premium price for better quality and even enter women shirts market. However, consensus cannot be achieved in finalizing a solution. This i s because the company does not know whether its competitive advantage lies in low cost or better quality. As such, direction of its strategic planning is not focused on one of these dimensions, leading to disadvantages and losses in both. To cut costs, managers are recommending outsourcing some of the activities to nations where production costs are lower. However, they do not see that expenses incurred on its three types of customer segments outweigh the returns yielded by these. Thus, even customer profitability analysis is not

Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cold War - Essay Example Allies disagreed on how the European map ought to be drawn. Western allies desired democratic governments. Independent governments would resolve their differences through international organizations.Defeat of Japan and Potsdam conferenceAfter the defeat of Germany, differences arise on the progress of Germany and the other countries in central and Eastern Europe. Truman announces of their atomic bomb to Stalin. A week after this conference USA bombs Hiroshima and Nagasaki which results in Japan’s unconditional surrender.Formation of eastern blockThe Soviets liberate central and EasternEurope territories from Nazi and make them among the eastern bloc. Stalin maintains control of the eastern bloc through force and secret Soviet police.Preparation of ‘new war’George F Kennan’s telegram from Moscow helped enforce US governments against the Soviets. This telegram became strategic base towards the Soviet Union during the cold war. Soviet respond to George telegra m with Novikov telegram. Soviet accuses the USA as monopoly capitalist and she was building up military capabilities. As the World War 2 came to end, mistrust and suspicion were rampant among states. The major cause of the cold war was dominance and spread of ideologies (communism and capitalism).The Soviet Union wished to spread communism ideology to the whole world. Americans also wanted to spread capitalism worldwide also.The atomic capability of America was a source of major suspicion and fear by the Soviets.

Dear Abby Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dear Abby - Research Paper Example They are exposed to and benefit from computer literacy in schools, some students attend school exclusively online, and then, of course, there are the games, chat rooms, and other social media, like Facebook. However, there is one thing that a very dangerous, hurtful, and serious threats to the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of adolescents and teenagers every single day for some children who visit the internet; this occurrence is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a cruel child of our modern technological age. There are a number of actions that qualify as fitting under the umbrella of cyberbullying, including: 1. Sending unkind or threatening messages through emails or messaging boards. 2. Intentionally spreading untrue rumors onto the internet or text messages. 3. Posting inappropriate, offensive, or insulting photographs of a person onto a site with the sole purpose than to criticize them. 4. Taking another’s internet information and use it to invade the accounts in order to be unkind or may pretend to be someone else that you already know. 5. Participating in the â€Å"forwarding† of such messages is perpetuating the problem (Hatch, 2011). It is, essentially, the same type of degradation, insults, humiliations, and intended embarrassments that children experience in the physical world accept adapted to attacks via the internet. Fortunately there are practical and applicable answers for those concerns. There are a long list of pros and cons related to children, teenagers, and the internet. It can improve classroom learning, helps children keep up with the changing technology, can increase visual reasoning, and can, in some case, widen ones social circle. However, there are also, all of the negative, or, potentially, negative aspects, like loss of privacy, sedentary lifestyle, and the potential for cyberbullying ( Hatch, 2011). Individual people react differently than the next. For some children, the internet becomes their solace from the stressors in their lives, and is beneficial. The trick in this case is moderation. Like with anything there is such a thing as â€Å"too much of a good thing.† When the time spent on the internet begins to supersede the living of their life, which causes them to shy away from all things that are not involving the computer, then there be an issue or problem that needs addressing. It is the responsibility of parents to understand the difference and take the time to be involved in the things your teens, and, especially, adolescents and pre-teens are doing when online. One such proposed negative effect is that excessive internet time, in fact, causes loneliness or depression. This is a rather broad statement. There are so many different factors that contribute to feelings of loneliness and in the case of depression, hereditary and genetic predisposition elements that have absolutely nothing to do with computer usage (Dean , 2010). There is, also, theories that too much internet can cause users to become addicted. Again, like with depression, there are so many factors to consider, like psychological predispositions and hereditary elements, that would contribute it solely to their computer use is a rather impractical argument (Siegel-Itzkovich, 2011). Therefore, for the most part, computers cannot be blamed directly, especially with limited data to support such theories. Cyberbullying is something that is happening every day, in every school, and in every state in the

Key Influences For Choosing a Political Party Research Paper

Key Influences For Choosing a Political Party - Research Paper Example Political parties desire to control the administration and fight for merely manipulating the government. Politicians usually have zeal to create and impose policies. The roles of political parties are conscripting candidates that will be liked by others. Political parties also schedule and control elections, for the rationale of involving other individuals. A further task would be to propose numerous strategies, for the function of diversity, and a sentiment of option within the citizens. Taking a political scope to establish personal views in regarding to others is what a person should concern in the choice of a political party (Hauss, 2011). Political parties will systematize congress, as a function. There are various resemblances amid interest clusters and political parties. One resemblance is that all of them desire and fight to change the laws and decrees of a country. Secondly, these parties reason to comprise and include the public as a resource in their objectives to reach an d conquer their goals. These functions and aims have diversities and similarities ranging from diverse parties and interest clusters. The most diverging factor amid the political parties is the interest in collaborating or rejecting the government. ... One should choose a party that is centered on the citizens and what they actually want. The influence of the people is what counts. This is in respect of democracy and articulation of party policies regarding chain of command and author authoritative factors. Some limiting factors of these political parties might be their employment tactics as far as implementation and the manner of execution is concerned. One merit of a political party in the United States egalitarianism is that they amalgamate diverse groups to work and visualize in the same perspectives, who have assumed the same position. A good choice should be choosing a party that appeal to the citizens as a whole in order to have a universal control in the government. This factor is beneficial since it offers individuals an opportunity to take a stand on who they desire to run the federal government. Presentation of information to the public is one factor that most political parties lack. At times, they will administer false information that misleads for the purpose of attaining their objective. Once a political party is in power, it can manipulate all degrees and level of the government. This might not be a proper aspect if the party has no interest in the public. This might be a reason one should foster in an attempt to scrutinize the aspects of the political party of choice. Political parties comprising of interest clusters and groups create a beneficial association in the U.S democracy since establish a representation of the citizens and their civil rights. This is due since they comprise of individuals in the society who have undergone all that partakes to fulfill the citizens interests (Rosati & Scott, 2011). One should look at a political party that would want to

An object in the field of study of radiology Essay

An object in the field of study of radiology - Essay Example There are two distinctive nuclear procedures that can handle X-ray photons. One of it is called Bremsstrahlung. They can both happen in the overwhelming molecules of tungsten The adversely ran after electron abates in the wake of swinging around the core of an absolutely charged tungsten iota. This vitality misfortune produces X-ray radiation. Electrons are scattered flexibly and in flexibly by the decidedly charged core. The in flexibly scattered electron loses vitality, which shows up as Bremsstrahlung. Flexibly scattered electrons (which incorporate backscattered electrons) are by and large scattered through bigger plot. In the collaboration, numerous photons of diverse wavelengths are handled, however it is believed that none of the prevailing photons have more vitality than the electron needed in the first place. In the wake of discharging the range of X-ray and its radiation, the first electron is eased off or ceased (Panichello, 2004). X-ray tubes generate x-ray photons by means of quickening a flow of electrons to energies of a few hundred kilo-volts with speeds of a few hundred kilometres for every hour and impacting them into a substantial target material. The sharp quickening of the charged particles well known as electrons generates Bremsstrahlung photons. However, X-ray radiation characterised by a constant range of energies is handled with an extent from a couple of keV to a greatest of the vitality of the electron pillar. Target materials for streamlined tubes are normally tungsten, which implies that the wave capacities of the hurdle tungsten electrons are needed. The inborn filtration of an X-ray tube must be figured, and controlled by the sum that the electron infiltrates into the surface of the mark and by the kind of vacuum window present. Keep in mind that molecules have their electrons masterminded in shut "shells" of diverse energies. The K-shell is the most reduced vitality state of a particle. An

Answer below question 50 or more words Assignment

Answer below question 50 or more words - Assignment Example Almost all the agents of socialization have great impact on the political opinion of any person. At top of the list, family plays an important role in developing the basic mindset of any person. Usually people perceive anything in the same way as their family taught them. Therefore, we can say that the people may support any political party if all the family members are supporting them. After that, the role of colleagues and peers is also very important. In most of the situations, we have conversations with our colleagues and it is possible that at the end of the day we may think in a way as our friends was saying. At this point of time, we cannot ignore the role of unbiased media in developing the mindsets and perceptions of people. In my opinion, the identity proofs should be checked before the voting procedure just to make sure the validity of the elections. There can be variety of ways to check any persons’ identity. Many of the countries are following electronic devices to cast the votes against the candidates. These electronic devices are reliable and thus give valid results. Any country may have to face many of the problems after the elections therefore it is advisable to use any of the technique to clarify the election procedure. In today’s competitive and busy world, it is very important for an individual to have an association with different interest groups, i.e. political, social, economic, etc.†¦ because there is a famous saying â€Å"Unity is Strength†. Therefore, most of the individuals prefer to have a representation in a group, so that they can discuss and resolve their problems in an organized and united way. I have also joined an interest group known as SASE (Society for the Advancement of Socioeconomic) (https://www.sase.org) because I believe that social conditions and societal norms have a great impact over the economic progress of a country. This organization helps me to

The Importance of Self-Expression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Importance of Self-Expression - Essay Example This is what Charlotte Perkins Gilman explained in her literary work in 1892, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. With her own personal experiences on this predicament, she narrated her poignant tale of suffering, depression and nervousness. She asserted that vitality can be achieved only when pent-up emotions are given the right of self-determination. In her case, or of her narrator, suppression of emotions and lack of mental stimulation jeopardized her sanity and further worsened her mental illness rather than curing it. The monotony in her life turned out to be detrimental in her psychological well-being. As aforementioned, a mind needs an outlet to express the imagination it holds. This imagination is meant to be projected and communicated. Hence, a simple idea existing in mind can provoke a reaction and convey it in a coherent, lucid form. Be it in a form of art, words, plain gestures or even attitude, these expressions are a form or a medium for communication. If this connectio n is held back, only trouble brews inside the mind without any release or escape. Without release, mind and body, both go in a state of helplessness and lunacy. And this is what the narrator of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† experienced. In her case, insanity took over because of her powerlessness to control her life. The constant reminder of not exhausting herself from any mental or physical work by her physician husband, John, situates her in a mental asylum. His patronizing attitude and lack of understanding about her feelings reduces their relationship into â€Å"...trust me as a physician?† (Gilman 278) one. Rather than interacting and understanding his wife’s problem, he abandons her to isolation of the house to cure her depression. Assuming that isolation from work and an idle mind would heal depression was actually not the right conjecture here. It’s because of this her imagination soars to new heights. With nothing worthy to do except stare at objec ts around her, she falls for the menacing yellow wallpaper in her bedroom. The horrid wallpaper then becomes her personal consolation and a subservient object of her undivided attention. She obsesses about discovering the intricate patterns and for the first time feels the thrill of the power to solve the enigmatic wallpaper patterns. The connection she feels after every discovery of the patterns is what excites her. This is how normally a sane person would react too. The need to express and share discoveries is ubiquitous and expressing one’s self or one’s perception is profound. Without self-expression, the communication process simply stops. The silence then becomes darkening and intimidating. And then eventually, the purpose of living easily succumbs to the black hole of nothingness. If this can disappoint a sane person, then the narrator of the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was already a victim of nervousness. The burgeoning desire to confront her problems pe rmits her to discover means of expression. But the restrictions imposed on any mental and physical work shun her mental capability. This provokes her to find reprieve in keeping a secret diary. By jotting her feelings, she finds a relation with the ‘dead paper and a great relief to my mind’ (Gilman 272). As she figures that her insight on any mundane task isn’t appreciated or understood by any of her family member, she resorts to writing. It becomes her sole companion who without any questions listened to her whine about her

How Did the Decision to Conduct an ROI Study Influence the Design of Coaching Program Essay Example for Free

How Did the Decision to Conduct an ROI Study Influence the Design of Coaching Program Essay How did the decision to conduct an ROI study influence the design of coaching program. Nations Hotel Corporation is one of the reputed USA based hotel company, with an international presence in 15 countries worldwide. Hospitality industries are quiet competitive in nature and today’s success rule of hospitality includes knowledge, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency which provides pleasure of stay and departure to their guests. Any addition or subtraction in these components can increase or decrease the rating of any organization. Nations Hotel with 98% brand awareness and 72% as customer satisfaction ratio were still far from the race of preferred choice amongst the customers. Hence there, arose a need to identify the gap , so a study was conducted by the Nations hotel learning organizations (NHLO), as a result need for high leverage training program (Chapter 1-Introduction to employee training and development- High Leverage Training Program) was determined, which can improve the operational efficiency, help in retention of high performing employees and increase the level of customer satisfaction, so a structured coaching program was proposed in front of senior executives, which can have impact on business . (Chapter 1-Introduction to employee training and devlopment -ASTD Competency model, this model shows the role of training and how it will impact the business strategy). Since these strategic trainings, are expansive in nature , senior executives of Nations hotel were concerned with the calculation of Return on Investments (â€Å"Chapter -6, Training Evaluation-ROI) on coaching project, calculation of direct and indirect cost and benefits achieved through the coaching program became crucial factor in designing the program. Instead of directly going ahead with the coaching program for all employees , Nations hotel selected 25 employees randomly for the training( chapter 6-Training and evaluation-Pilot Testing, random assignment). This small selection of team was an effective decision , as identifying the strength and weakness of the coaching program brought an opportunity to make changes before ,this coaching program became available to all employees, besides this factor, another strong reason was individual coaching was a huge investment for Nations hotel, so through pilot testing evaluating the effectiveness of training and cost , and conducting need assessment was better approach to calculate the ROI for the coaching program, so that finally while evaluating the results and business impact after conducting the coaching program for the executives, Nations hotel can make a decision on further expanding this coaching program for rest of the employees. Hence the coaching program was designed in 14 steps, which comprised of the following steps. 1. Voluntary participation 2. Need for Coaching 3. Self Assessments 4. Commitment for data 5. Roles and responsibilities 6. The match 7. Orientation session 8. The engagement 9. Coaching session 10. Goal setting 11 . Action planning 12. Active learning 13. Progress review 14. Reporting. These steps helped in calculating various components of ROI which includes both the calculation of tangible and non tangible benefits, evaluation of confidence level amongst the newly trained employees, monetary value gained or lost, impact on turnover, measurement of service improvement, and last but not the least job satisfaction amongst employees after this coaching program, which will finally have impact on business. (Chapter 6-Training Evaluation-Results Return on Investment). Question 2. Discuss the importance of getting participants committed to provide quality data. Determining the effectiveness of training program is referred as evaluation. Kirkpatrick’s four level framework measures the outcomes of an effective training program, which includes following four levels of evaluation, also there is a fifth level of evaluation, which is out of the Kirkpatrick’s framework of evaluation, and is known as Return on Investment. (Chapter 6-Training Evaluation-Kirkpatrick’s four level of framework of evaluation criteria) Level 1 Reaction: It provides feedback about the content of the program, participant’s engagement, data gathered in this level helps in improving the training program Level 2. Learning: Knowledge and skills of trainees are tested through norm referenced test, criterion referenced test or quizzes, observations and work samples, and data collected at this level, helps to judge the skill based outcomes of trainee from the training. Level 3. Application: These are also known as affective outcomes, which are measured through collection of data via interviews and attitude surveys, to measure the skill enhancements after training. Level 4. Results or Business Impact: How much training program has paid off for the company, such as improvement in customer care inclined or declined on turn around time after the training, measuring such outcomes falls, under this level, which is measured by collecting data through performance records, observation, information system Level 5. ROI: This step compares the monetary benefits to the organization with the cost of training, such as by collecting data for both tangible and intangible benefits, which includes direct and indirect cost , level of confidence , job satisfaction , cost benefit analysis etc.. Result of one level of evaluation, becomes the benchmark for the next level of evaluation, this can be best explained by the example of Nations Hotel, where careful and quality data recorded in action plan and company records by executives helped the NHLO team in making of convincing ,coaching business impact program. The ROI process in Nations Hotel, involved gathering data through out the coaching, so that evaluation result can be evaluated in all the above mentioned five levels. Since participants (executives, senior executives, coach) provided data at every level of evaluation, which helped in further clubbing of all the data, that was collected at all five levels separately, were than integrated to provide an overall evaluation of the program, and measure how effectively the program is impacting the strategic goals of the company, careful and accurate data collection at all levels helped the NHLO team to measure the result of coaching program at every step, so that any flaw at one level , can be rectified easily before moving to the next step, for example the benefit cost ratio of NHLO was 3. 21, that is it, suggests that on every dollar spend,$3. 21 was returned, but in absence of accurate data this figure would have been misleading , and could have resulted in fiasco. Not only Nations Hotel, infact most of the companies follows similar process for evaluating the levels, by collecting data at every level, and than utilizing the data for moving ahead with the next level. These data’s were further converted into monetary value, through various ways, which was further utilized in analyzing the ROI on training. In absence of quality data, training will have no impact neither for an individual in terms of cognitive, skills application, and affective outcomes nor for any organization in terms of positive business impact and ROI, which an organization aimed for. Hence quality data from the participants has a huge impact in determining the credibility, reliability and relevance of the training program ,so active participation from the trainees and providing reliable data, is essential for an effective training program (Chapter 6-Training evaluation-Outcomes used in evaluating training programs)

The Theory And Arguments Of Dividend Policy Finance Essay

The Theory And Arguments Of Dividend Policy Finance Essay Dividend is a cash payment made by a company to its shareholders. A companys dividend decision has important implications for both its investment and financing decisions which would what money should be give to the shareholder and how much money should be kept in the firm which may be used in the later years. The dividend decision, which consider the amount of funds retained by the company and the amounts to be distributed to the shareholders, is closely linked to both investment and financing decisions. For example the company with few projects should return the unused funds to shareholder by the way of paying more dividends. A company with several suitable projects that maintains high dividends will have to fund from external sources. In the recent years, the decision what amount to retain and what amount to pay has become an important corporate decision. The Management should take into account the expectation of the shareholders and the capital market when making dividend decision. Theory of Dividend Policy Waston and Head ( 2007) state that there are two main theories of dividend policy which are as follows: Dividend Relevance Theory: Lintner (1956) and Gordon (1959) claim that dividend policy affects the value of a firm, because of shareholder prefer dividend to capital gain. The logic of their preference regarding dividend is that divided is certain but not capital gain. So, dividend policy affects the value of a company. The assumptions of Gordon findings are investors are risk averse and uncertainty augments with regard to whether dividend payments would take place in future. Dividend Irrelevance Theory: Miller and Modigliani (1961) claim that value of a firm is not influenced by its dividend policy in perfect capital market with some assumptions. The assumptions which are needed for the perfect market are as follows: There is no tax effect on dividend and capital gain There is no transaction cost All the investors are behaving rationally There is a perfect market Arguments for and against that a Higher Cash Dividend Payout Increases the Share Price Arguments in favor of the statement: Information content: Waston and Head (2007) mention that a higher cash dividend payment plays an important role to provide favorable information to the investors. Higher cash dividend indicates that the companys financial condition is strength. Reduce Conflict of Interest: Waston and Head ( 2007) states that management tries to ensure their personal benefits, whereas owners are concerned about their own interest which cause agency problem. Higher dividend payment rate decreases conflict of interest, because it indicates that agent (management) is doing all things for the wellbeing of the shareholders. Risk free: Gitman (1997) argues that higher cash dividend reduces the uncertainty of shareholders income, so it leads to increase the share price of a company. Arguments against the statement: Shortage of Cash: High cash dividend payments cause shortage of cash which lead to forgo of making investments in profitable projects and it will act as a fuel to reduce the share price rather than increase. Increase the Cost of Capital: The given company has to manage fund from the external source which is comparative expensive than retained earnings, because of paying higher cash dividend, the capability of the given firm decreases to collect fund from internal source i.e. retained earnings. Therefore, a higher payment of cash dividend increases the cost of capital and decreases the share price. Hindrance of Growth: A higher payment of cash dividend hinders growth of the firm through squeezing the investment capacity. Arguments for and against that Divided Payment is Irrelevant to Maximize the Shareholders Wealth Argument in favour of the statement Homemade Dividend: Dividend is irrelevant to the maximization of shareholders wealth, because of if the company does not pay dividend, shareholders can continue their regular income through selling some holding shares which is called homemade dividend. Profitability: The market price of share depends upon the earnings or profitability of the firm and not the dividend policy of the given firm. Arguments against the statement The Clientele Effect: There are some differences for the different types of investors which invested in the given stock of the firm. Normally, the investors such as Pensioners and Institutional investors expect regular income in order to meet their liabilities. But in case of wealthy investors, they expect capital gain rather than small regular income in the form of dividend. So, dividend payment ratio is relevant to change the share price. Information Content: Waston and Head ( 2007 ) mention that a higher cash dividend payment plays an important role to provide favorable information to the investors . Higher cash dividend indicates that the companys financial condition is strength. Reduce Conflict of Interest: Waston and Head ( 2007 ) say that management tries to ensure their personal benefits, whereas owners are concerned about their own interest which cause agency problem. Higher dividend payment rate decreases conflict of interest, because it indicates that agent (management) is doing all things for the wellbeing of the shareholders. Risk free: Gitman (2009 ) argues that higher cash dividend reduces the uncertainty of shareholders income, so it leads to increase the share price of a company. Argument for and against that Dividend payment should be avoided since it reduces Shareholders Wealth Arguments in favour of the statement Tax effect: Shareholders need to pay tax on the dividend received on the shares which decreases their net income as a result it will decrease wealth. Reduction of investment in profitable projects: Payment of dividend to the shareholders will reduce the opportunity of the firm to invest in the profitable projects. So, the firm should try to avoid the dividend payment to its shareholders and try to concentrate on its investment opportunities. Argument against the Statement Information content: Waston and Head ( 2007) mention that a higher cash dividend payment plays an important role to provide favorable information to the investors . Higher cash dividend indicates that the companys financial condition is strength. Reduce Conflict of Interest: ( 2007) mention that management tries to ensure their personal benefits, whereas owners are concerned about their own interest which cause agency problem. Higher dividend payment rate decreases conflict of interest, because it indicates that agent (management) is doing all things for the wellbeing of the shareholders. Risk free: Gitman (2009 ) argues that higher cash dividend reduces the uncertainty of shareholders income, so it leads to increase the share price of a company. Determinants of Dividend Policy: Samuels and Brayshaw (1995) and Weston, Beasely and Brigham (1996) mention that the following factors affect the dividend policy: Constraints on dividend payments : There are some constraints in the dividend payments which includes Debt contract imposes some restrictions because the interest on debt is to be paid before the dividend and it is the obligatory payment. The face that the dividend payment should not exceed the retaining earning which was mentioned in the balance sheet It is subject to the availability of the cash , because the dividend is paid only with cash. Investment Opportunities: Company which pays more dividends it will postpones the opportunity to invest in the new acceptable projects which might be selected on the basis of Net present value of the project. Alternative source of capital: When a firm want to raise a capital though either debt or equity it have to incur some cost which is known as Cost of capital. Generally, a firm which want to raise money should try to make the cost of capital low. Normally, the Equity cost of capital and cost of debt capital should be referred as external cost and the retained earnings should be mentioned as internal cost. If have retained earning almost, its cost is less when compared to the cost of external cost. If the firms has strong Retained earning it should not depend upon the profit of firm which is not predictable, and you could not restrict your investment opportunities in new projects. Ownership dilution: If the management of the company think that they should not allow any further shares by raising through equity capital or they are reluctant to dilute the ownership it should hold large amount of retaining earning or reserves. If the firm has large number amount of reserves then it need to raise capital for any future projects. Hence, the company which dont like dilution of control should hold sufficient amount of reserves or retaining earning and whenever they need they can use for the Business. Effect of dividend policy: The effect of dividend policy depend on 4 factors this includes :Shareholder desire for current future income; the perceived riskiness of dividends versus capital gains; the tax affect on the capital gain or divided which may depend upon the relevant statues and the information content of dividend. Distributable profits: The companies act stipulated that the dividend should be paid out accumulated net realized profit which includes the current profit and the previous accumulated profit. Because there is no concise definition of the word accumulated profit in the act the Committee of Accounting Bodies issued guidelines on the determination of the realized and the distributable profits and the mentioned that the profit is as per the Accounting standards and Generally accepted accounting principles i.e., Profit available for distribution should be calculated after providing accumulated loosed from the previous year. Liquidity: When the firm announces the dividend it should have sufficient cash to pay the dividend otherwise there liquidity position should be strong. Because, the company may generate more profit its does not mean that it should have it have all the profit realised in terms of cash. It may invest some funds in Projects or investment for returns. So the management should consider the liquidity before announcement of dividend. CONCLUSION The dividend policy is the crucial part of the management decision that need to be handled carefully . If they handled properly they need not to worry about the investment decision and financial decision. According to the dividend relevance theory, the dividend policy plays a vital role in hands of the investors because the wrong decision might affect the capital structure of the firm. We got from the theory that dividend give the signal effect to the investores and it has a clientele effect so we cant avoid the payment of dividend. On the other hand if we pay dividend regularly year by year it will affect the growth of the company and it will create liquidity problems. Big company like Mcdonals they avoid the dividend in the intial year and they will create a Brand name across the world and later they pay the dividend.

How to Organize and Run Effective Meetings Essay -- Workplace Meetings

INTRODUCTION Workplace meetings can be considered as essential but one of the most inefficient components of a corporate environment. Project managers can significantly influence the project performance by proactively influencing and controlling the dynamics of project meetings. This can ultimately generate highly valuable outputs in achieving team integration and consensus. ISSUES WITH MEETINGS Experts widely concur that there are too many meetings than required and most meetings are a waste of valuable time (American Marketing Association, 2011). Meetings can tend to get long and futile. Unfortunately, most of the meetings are hampered by vague agendas and directionless discussions. An attitude of low commitment creeps in and leads to dwindling participation. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Detrimental effects of unproductive meetings on a project are generally overlooked. In this essay I will attempt to examine meeting dynamics, including the five Ps (purpose, product, participants, process, and probable issues) and develop a reference cookbook for organizing and running meetings. INITIATION PHASE Strategy Meeting: The purpose is to analyze if a suggested business need fits with the organization’s strategic framework and vision (Tammy Adams, 2008). Products of this meeting include developing an initial draft of the business case, aligning it to overall organizations strategies. The participants should be low in number and include senior executives, sponsors and business process experts who would analyze the direction of the project. The process should focus on dividing the meeting in short segments and focus on individual items at a time. The possible issues could stem from to not presenting the complete data for the busine... ...p://www.the-program-manager.com/project-management/how-to-organize-an-effective-meeting/ PMI. (2004). Quickbooks. (2009, December 16). Project Closeout Meeting Agenda - DOC. Retrieved 4 12, 2014, from docstoc: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19614443/Project-Closeout-Meeting-Agenda Schwalbe, K. (2012). Information Technology Project Management. Boston MA: Cengage Leaning. Tammy Adams, J. M. (2008). Project Meeting Facilitator: Facilitation Skills to Make the Most of Project Meetings. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. UGM Consulting. (2009, July 23). Strategy Design and Facilitation: The UGM Consulting Approach. Retrieved 4 12, 2014, from UMGConsulting: http://www.ugmconsulting.com/Effective%20strategy%20design.pdf Vick, J. (2012, January 12). Project Management: How to Run Team Meetings. Retrieved 4 12, 2014, from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW0CjH95K3Q

Formation Of False Memories :: essays research papers

Have you ever been an eyewitness at the scene of a crime? If you were, do you think that you would be able to accurately describe, in precise detail, everything that happened and remember distinct features of the suspect? Many people believe that yes they would be able to remember anything from the events that would happen and the different features of the suspect. Some people, in fact, are so sure of themselves after witnessing an event such as this that they are able to testify that what they think they saw was indeed what they saw. However, using an eyewitness as a source of evidence can be risky and is rarely 100% accurate. This can be proven by the theory of the possibility of false memory formation and the question of whether or not a memory can lie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been several experiments done to try to prove that false memories can indeed be formed. One experiment, for example, was tried with a 14-year-old boy. The boy was told four memories, one of which was falsely constructed but similar to that of a true memory. The memories that were suggested took place when the boy was about 10 years younger. As the false memory was retold to him, he was asked to explain in detail what he had remembered from that event. Surprisingly, he claimed to remember the event, even though it was falsely created by the interviewer and his brother, and went on to explain what he remember to have happened, details and all. After collecting everything he had said about the four memories, he was told that one of the suggested memories was made-up and he was asked to guess which one it may have been. When he couldn’t decide which one it was, he was told that it was in fact the memory of getting lost in a store. He was confused and had trouble believing the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Similar studies were done to a different set of college students and they tended to have the same results. After giving as much detail about each memory, the students were interviewed about what they may have written done about what they had remembered. During the last part of the experiment, each of the students were debriefed and asked to guess which memory they believed was false.

Essay on the Vengeful and the Virtuous in William Shakespeare :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Vengeful and the Virtuous in Shakespeare Whether you hate your King, your Christian rival or a neighboring foe, if you're in a Shakespeare play then you will be punished.   In the first act of each play Shakespeare shows a conflict between two groups of people, one is vengeful the other virtuous.   After the conflict is introduced, the malignant characters have important parts of their lives taken away and in the end the ultimate penalties of each are inflicted.   All of the antagonists are left desolate in the end of the plays by either lost fortunes or their lives.   Shakespeare takes good care to give the protagonists of the plays much reward for being on the right side of the spectrum.   As the characters hate increases throughout the play they begin to loose what is precious to them, first in small amounts, but in the end, they are stripped of all they love and value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The basis for the hate is introduced to the audience very early on in all three plays.   The Capulets and the Montagues were neighboring feuding families.   Shakespeare never states the reason for the dispute between the two but he does clearly show the hatred from the beginning.   "Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean" (I i 1-4).   These first few lines of the play clearly describe the hatred between the two families and at the same time foreshadow an unpleasant end.   In "The Merchant of Venice", Shylock more boldly states, "I hate him for he is a Christian" (I iii 39).   This cry of hate is also early on in the play, which clearly helps show the reader that he is the antagonist of the play.   In "Henry IV" it is revealed in the first scene that a young Hotspur has kept prisoners of war away from th e King.   He calls the King Bolingbroke behind his back out of disrespect.   "All studies here I solemnly defy, save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke.   And that same sword and buckler Prince of Wales (I iii 227-229).   In Shakespearean plays, a character who hates or plots against the King is automatically the villain of the play.   The first act in all three plays revealed the characters for the audience to root against throughout the play.

Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or Republic Act No. 10175 Essay

What are the Cybercrime Offenses? offenses against confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems includes illegal access, illegal interception, data interference, system interference, misuse of device and cybersquatting computer related offenses this includes computer-related forgery, fraud, identity theft content-related offenses this includes cybersex, child pornography, unsolicited commercial communications and libel The definition under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for libel is followed: public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice, or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead. Unsolicited commercial communications refer to the transmission of commercial electronic communication with the use of computer system which seek to advertise, sell or offer for sale products and services The law also punishes those who aids or abets in the commission of the cybercrime as well as those who attempt to commit the same. Penalties to be imposed include imprisonment of prision mayor or 12 years plus a fine ranging from P200,000 up to P1,000,000. Under Sec. 12, law enforcement authorities shall be authorized to collect or record traffic data in real time associated with specified communications transmitted by means of a computer system. o The requirement for this is â€Å"due cause† and no warrant is necessary. o Traffic data refer to communication’s origin, destination, route, time date, size, duration or type à   but excludes content. o To seize or disclose content, a court warrant is necessary. Under Section 19, the Department of Justice can issue an order to restrict or block access to the computer data, should the computer data be found to be prima facie (presumed to be) in violation of the law. [Critics have called this the take down clause] Comments: The inclusion of libel No clear definition à   allowing people who share, retweet, post to be prosecuted Penalty for online libel is 12 years imprisonment as opposed to the libel under the RPC which is 4 years and 2 months. The Philippine libel law has been previously been declared by the UN Human Rights Commission as excessive and incompatible with international human rights law. (October 2011) Individuals can get punished for libel under the Cybercrime Law and under the RPC because of Sec. 7 which provides that a prosecution under this law shall be without prejudice to any liability for violation of the RPC or special laws. Under Section 19 or the â€Å"Takedown clause,† the Department of Justice can immediately order blocking access to your computer data, depriving you of the opportunity to access and see your stored information. Here, the DOJ acts as the prosecutor and the court who issues the â€Å"gag† order. Law is silent on the liability of service providers.

Profit Maximization / Maximization of Shareholder Wealth Essay

The primary goal of financial management regarding corporations should be to maximize shareholder wealth on the whole. If management was to only concentrate on profit maximization, they would more than likely run their corporations into the ground. The very existence and concept of a corporation is beneficial to business in numerous ways. First and foremost, corporate status helps release management from possible enourmous financial liability issues. Second, shareholders are the key of checks and balances in a corporation. Management is wise to heed the concerns and needs of shareholders. The book uses a good example when referring to mergers. A merger in the future of a corporation could be viewed as a positive move – bringing more wealth, more talent and/or a larger consumer base. However, management could see the move as a negative one as they would have to possibly change roles and give up certain privledges they are accustomed to. Although the merger may bring the corporation positive growth, management could be reluctant to make the merge. This could be the case in a main goal of personal profit maximization. Without the merge, the company could lose steam and competitiveness and shareholder could lose in the end. It is important to note that shareholders may be employees of the firm who would become more loyal and efficient when they are rewarded financially. Shareholders financially invest in the corporation and if rewarded with good returns, will continue to invest generously. The more shareholders find value in a given corporation, the more likely they are to financially invest, which in turn gives the corporation more positive funds to grow business. Also, social responsibility may play a part in the maximization of shareholder wealth. If the public perceives a corporation as being socially responsible they may become more loyal customers. Knowing that a local corporation has taken steps toward pollution control would make me much more likely interested in consuming their goods as I would feel that I was aiding my community. More business from loyal consumers maximizes profits as well as shareholder wealth. Although the above example of pollution control may  cost more for the corporation than not deploying the controls, it would create a more loyal customer base. I believe that a loyal customer base is more beneficial to have than a fly-by-night customer. As shareholders are rewarded financially and P/E grows, corporations appear to be winning investments on the stock market. The more value customers perceive in a business, the more likely they are to financially support the institution.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence Essay

Human intelligence involves many skills such as problem solving, decision making, learning understanding and reflex actions. Many experts in AI have dreamt of creating machines that can imitate our human intelligence. This has led to many possibilities; however, the field of AI has to be understood from both sides of the coin. On the one hand, artificial intelligence has allowed the design of applications that can explore every part of the world that the human cannot visit. For example, in the field of space exploration, artificial intelligence’s machines explore universe parts that are totally hostile to human beings. Intelligent robots are programmed to excavation mining of fuel. These machines can also measure the depth of the oceans. Some of these sophisticated machines have replaced human beings in many fields that require manpower, time and money. Often, these tasks are harmful to humans and therefore programmed robots save people’s health in a big way. On the other hand, the establishment of ethics, moral values and standards is difficult when humans are dominated by machines. Any amount of automation cannot create intelligence; it is only a human feature. No machine can show dedication or emotion s at work and we as human beings cannot live in a world that is only surrounded by machines. For example, in hospitality industry, robots cannot replace the care or concern shown by the hospital staff. Therefore, beyond a point, the capabilities of lateral thinking can probably get delayed if the daily tasks are just made for power cycle machines. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is possible that a machine can develop areas of knowledge very specific and complicated; making the machine can simulate processes which man performs. But we can highlight that it is not achieved yet a machine that can thing like a human. Indeed, this limitation is the fact that human beings are irreplaceable because human beings have an  own feature: common sense.

Cost Pools and Cost Objects

Topic 6: Management Accounting and Cost Case: Shelter Partnership a. My main learning outcomes from Topic 6 and the Case Study; 1)Firstly, I realize management accounting has much to offer. Somehow I can handle physics but not accounting. Now thanks to this course I can appreciate and make sense of it. The bit that really caught my attention was seeing how management accounting can be really useful for business planning, cost management, budgeting and performance measurement. It offers critical and more objective inputs for decision making. On my part, I would say this is one of my most important learning outcomes as it changed my personal view and outlook of accounting. 2)I have learnt that a good costing system is needed to get a better grip on the â€Å"actual† cost of my products and services. Gaining a better understanding of the Cost Pools (and the types of cost) and how these costs are allocated to the Cost Objects is a good starting point. 3)I realize that it is very important to identify and define the Cost Objects properly from the start. While I may like to define the Cost Objects narrowly, it should only be done to the extent it is economically viable. )I recognize that there are a number of ways to allocate indirect costs (from the Cost Pools) to the Cost Objects and these can cause distortion. It is therefore imperative to establish a meaningful and acceptable way of allocating such cost to better reflect the true cost. This leads to my next learning outcome. 5)Stephen Covey’s â€Å"begin wi th the end in mind† rings true here. If I had wanted to measure and analyze the Cost Objects by products, services and countries(Multinational Company), both the Cost Objects and the way cost is allocated needs to be defined early. In this case, a deeper engagement between my Marketing Department and the Finance Department is necessary to fine tune the costing system. 6)When looking at the cost numbers, it is imperative for me to consider and discern the context and assumptions used in arriving at the numbers since these are not â€Å"standardized†. b. Applying the learning outcomes to my own organization. 1)I work in a large IT company and my portfolio includes Marketing, Consulting and Strategic Account (Client) Management. In the area of Account Management, the company had recently implemented a system to track the profitability of each Client. In the case of revenues, it is a relatively simple process. However, getting a truer picture of the cost of providing professional services to each of our clients is a major challenge. In a sense, our client account is a â€Å"Cost Object†. 2)In a typical project undertaken for our client, professional services are provided by dynamically formed teams made up of Project Managers, Business Consultants, Senior Project Leads, Business Analysts, Programmers and Testers. Presently we are allocating cost to each of our clients according to the numbers of professional man-days consumed by the clients based on a â€Å"blended† man-day rate. The following is a simplified illustration of how cost is allocated. 3)We have room for significant improvements in the way we allocate cost. a. Labor cost which is a direct cost becomes a little complicated due to the project nature of the service. But since our systems captures the actual time-sheet for each employee according to projects, we should be able to eventually allocate labor cost directly to the Client, â€Å"Cost Objects† and give a truer reflection of cost. . Secondly, we should explore for more appropriate ways for allocating indirect cost such as travel & ticketing administrations and office space which is presently added into the blended rate. Since administration for travel and ticketing only applies to overseas projects, In-Country projects should not be â€Å"burdened† with t hese costs. Similarly, office space is only applicable for projects running out of our own premises and should not be loaded to projects undertaken at specific clients’ premises. At any one time around 50% of our staff is based outside of our office. )We found the shortcomings in cost allocation affects our decisions on pricing, discounts, expense provision, use of resources (especially when contending for resources), budgeting and business planning. 5)We have some multi-nationals clients, and I am curious about the effect of establishing overlapping â€Å"Cost Objects† to present a group/enterprise level view in addition to the present individual client level view. In our case, we have local offices in a number of countries and resource sharing is quite extensive, however no cost transfer has been allocated to the individual client account.

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism Essay

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism - Essay Example The second wave feminism battled against domestic violence, giving proposals on the establishment of marital rape laws, divorce laws and establishing shelters for battered women. As put by Scanlon, it was a movement of obsession with â€Å"women’s professional opportunities† and â€Å"about their dating prospects† (2009, x). It is believed to have ended in the early 1980s, paving way for third-wave feminism. The work and life of Helen Gurley Brown was observed as being impertinent and daring. It entailed a celebration of feminism and the sexual practices that women enjoyed, thus giving an appropriate understanding of the second wave movement and further providing a vantage point to view the third wave feminism. Born in 1922 in Green Forest, Arkansas, Brown never noticed as she inherited some aspects of her young life and traditions (Scanlon 2009, 1). Her father died when she was young, something that caused her mother a lot of bitterness, claiming that the husban d had enslaved her through motherhood and marriage and later left her alone even after she had quit her job to undertake these responsibilities. The realization of her mother’s feelings opened up Brown to feminism (Scanlon 2009, 11). She grew up to author an international best-seller in 1962 titled, Sex and the Single Girl. Additionally, she became the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine for over thirty years, giving her audience articles such as â€Å"if you're not a sex object, you're in trouble† and â€Å"good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere† that brought out her feminist ideologies. Even so, Brown faced criticisms from various second wave feminists with regard to the messages carried in her books and the Cosmopolitan. First, Brown was criticized of focusing on her individuality as opposed to the group identity of the body of women. Having come from a background of no education and poverty, Brown worked herself up the economic ladder and secured herse lf employment. She did not allow herself to be held back by structural barriers which she fought against on her way up from a secretary to a copywriter and further to a popular magazine editor (Scanlon 2009, 25). She did not prescribe to overthrowing systems but working towards change. This saw her succeed in her career at Cosmopolitan, earning her a loyal movement of women who prescribed to her philosophies. The women and men equality that Brown prescribed to differed from what other feminists taught. Brown believed that the equality of women to men was in the sexual desire of women. She further alluded to their right to be sexual whether outside or inside marriage. In Cosmopolitan, Brown wrote articles promoting not just economic access equality but also sexual freedom equality. She was an ardent supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, ERA alongside her support for rights to abortion (Scanlon 2009, 256). The second-wave feminists considered men in the then patriarchal society as enemies because they limited opportunities for women. These men took advantage of the caring and nurturing nature of women to confine them to motherhood, denying them their chances in the professional world. These feminists perceived marriage and children as tools used by men to oppress women. On the contrary, Brown did not consider men as enemies, choosing to perceive women as being equal to men in all aspects including their ability to abuse power and playing the games men play in dating. She was therefore criticized of having been absorbed into a system that was oppressive to women. However, Brown argued that she was being a realist and appreciated that if men made rules, then women should have

Culture & Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Culture & Technology - Essay Example The paper tries to analyze the relationship and significance of food as an aspect of culture and technology. Bodily circumstances and physical images, like being overweight or slender, are intensely embedded in femininity features and cultural aspects, and represent how people classify themselves differently through food eating habits and cravings. Food offers a wide variety of meanings since the daily practices all over the world revolve around that aspect. There is an extensive range of etiquette, tastes, and cuisines associated to it. Technology dictates a chief role in the food, and beverage industry bringing evolution in the industry as a result of advancement in the technological field. New information has resulted in the invention of several brands and variety in the market bringing about competition and quality brands. As the populace grows, the numerical figure agricultural grower is on the decline. This exerts pressure on transportation and storage space systems. This makes it impractical to overcome the challenges experienced in the food and beverage industry. Nevertheless, technological evolution in food manufacturing industries has resulted to fresh discoveries in nutritional knowledge have led to an increase in the quality and standards hence enhancing the variety of foods. Technology has resulted to forecasting of sales and records organization in the industry thus helping in prediction of sales volume leading to delivery of products in time. Nowadays, the food and beverage industry experiences worldwide competition in the market which is healthy as it promotes quality services. Technology has led to the advancement of marketing procedures and brand name positions in the food and beverage companies. Companies have developed supply series by replacing the old ways of supply with new schemes to surpass their competitors. Food and beverage manufacture

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness - Essay Example Marlow’s narration about his journey to the Congo in Africa is the central subject of the novel. Marlow is employed as a ferry-boat captain by a Belgian trading company. His job is to carry ivory downriver, but the main task assigned to him is to bring Kurtz back to his society. Kurtz is a rebel who has moved away from his own civilization and settled in deep jungles of Congo. The character of Kurtz is revealed by Marlowe’s narration inducing a mixed feeling of hatred and sympathy for him. In the epic poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost† by John Milton, the poet recounts the events that led to the downfall of mankind. Adam and Eve, the first human beings to be created by God lived in the Garden of Eden. The beauty of the Garden of Eden was so enchanting that it was also called as Paradise. But Satan who was keen to avenge God, lures Eve to consume the forbidden fruit. On the knowledge of Eve’s horrendous act, Adam also eats the fruit for he is not ready to leave Eve alone in her suffering. Adam and Eve are expelled by God from the Garden of Eden as a chastisement for their act of disobedience. The title of the poem refers to the lost purity of Adam and Eve. The two characters that make one to feel sympathetic towards them are Kurtz in the novel, â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Adam in the poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost†. Kurtz has gained control on the tribes of the jungle and taken over the territory. He has a great influence on the native tribes who worship him. The company is not ready to accept any threat to its own control over the region and assigns Marlowe to bring Kurtz back to his own civilization. Kurtz has settled in jungles as an act of defiance against the cruel ways of the company but he is not able to keep himself away from the temptation of power. He utilizes the natives to conduct brutal incursions in the neighboring regions to procure ivory. Though Kurtz is living amidst the

Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Part 3 - Essay Example The swimming exercise lengthens the lower and upper body. The stretching that one does using their arms and legs pushes the swimmer through the water. The safety in the water is high since there is no impact involved. This security reduces the risk of getting injured in the course of swimming, making it a safe and efficient exercise for joint flexibility. It is a necessary activity when one requires stretching shoulder and elbow joints in the arm and muscles and joints of the legs. The third exercise for improving flexibility in the joints of the body is stationary rowing. This exercise involves making movements with the upper body as if one is rowing a boat. This exercise is a cardiovascular one and extends and contracts all the muscles and joints of the lower and upper body. This training is necessary for improving the knee, shoulder and elbow joints. The fourth exercise is Pilates. It engages the abdominal muscles and improves the mobility of joints. The shallow and profound breaths that take place during Pilates promote flexibility and relaxation. This exercise is necessary for improving the range of motion in one’s joints (Watkins, 1988). Watkins, R., & Buhler, B. (1988). The water workout recovery program: Safe and painless exercises for treating back pain, muscle tears, tendinitis, sports injuries, and more. Chicago: Contemporary

How does Robert Grave's The naked and the nude (1957) use concrete Essay

How does Robert Grave's The naked and the nude (1957) use concrete diction in order to draw a distinction between the naked and the nude - Essay Example Nevertheless, the heart of the poem is the controversy between the naked and the nude. The first and probably initial meaning of nakedness is anatomical, as in the following synecdoche: "The Hippocratic eye will see In nakedness, anatomy" (ls. 3-4), but the secret meaning of the term is freedom, absence of shame and ignorance of scorn. Nudity, thus, points to the 'social' meaning of nakedness: "deficiency of dress" (4), prohibited and scorned by most people. The nude should be understood as those blaming and judging the naked with religious or moral values: "They grin a mock-religious grin Of scorn at those of naked skin" (17-18). Another meaning of nakedness is therefore the reception of scorn and hatred, addressed to both nudity and nakedness as indecent. When the person is nude, they feel themselves an anatomical pattern, a body, similar to other human bodies of the same gender, whereas nakedness indicates that each body is a unique and exceptional piece of art, as in the followin g metaphor : "And naked shines the Goddess when She mounts her lion among men" (11-12).

Compare and contrast between a resturant in the US and a resturant in Essay

Compare and contrast between a resturant in the US and a resturant in Kuwait - Essay Example That was the direct origin of the restaurant which is a French present participle of the word ‘’restorer’’. Therefore, ‘’restaurant’’ meant, a place where people went to restore their energy and vigor and feel refueled with food. Therefore, the first restaurant which has the same concept of the modern restaurant where people sit side to side of a table and order for food from a menu and wait to be served, was started in Paris in 1782 by one Antoine Beeauvilliers who was an entrepreneur and a chef and one time cookbook writer. It is a fact without any doubt that restaurants are big business in the United States. Looking at the information from the National Restaurant Association in their Restaurant Industry Pocket Factbook of 2010, US had a total of 945,000 eating establishments which employed a total of 12.7 million workers. This accounted for a total of 9 per cent of work force in the US and was expected to produce up to $580 billion in sales in 2011 (Fredric 2010). Currently, research shows it that Americans are dining away from home than it has ever happened where they take a total 4.8 of their total meals per week away from home. Most of the American restaurants create conditions that would encourage eating food rich in a lot of calories, salt, sugar and fat than the recommended amount in a single meal. You find that the normally regarded as good stuff such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are often not found on the American menu. The content of food at restaurants is one big problem. Though an analysis of 30, 923 menu items, taken from 245 restaurants chains, 96% of the meals served here do not meet the standards of the USDA nutritional guidelines. Far from serving extra-large potions and failing to offer vegetables, fruits and grains except for potatoes and most meals, most of the US restaurants cover the threat by adding limitless quantities of bread or chips as well as providing free refills of sodas (Deborah 2014). In

Product Designs & Development Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Product Designs & Development - Dissertation Example As the report declares each and every product in business is offered with an intention of making profits as it fulfills the consumer’s need. As such, a well conceived product is bound to sell more, have wider reach, increase market share, improve profit margins and possibly carve out new opportunities for the business. In other words product design is a crucial element in the production or manufacture, and by extension marketing of physical products. A product should be designed to meet specific needs of the society with other factors taken into due consideration. There is therefore a correlation between product development, social culture and business success. According to the essay findings China as a country has for long maintained its culture of Confucianism and Socialism even in the business environment. Confucianism demands submission to authority and near absolute obedience in every situation. This culture of course has its pros and cons when adopted in the business setup. While several independent surveys have been conducted concerning product development and people’s culture, none has been conducted to establish the relationship between the two. This study seeks to bridge this gap with focus on art and craft businesses in China. This study will be limited to art and craft businesses within the borders of China and will hence preclude any businesses engaging in art and craft or DIY products outside the country.

Critical Analysis of a Childs Reading Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of a Childs Reading Essay Reading is an essential skill in modern society. Not only does it enable people to access information, it provides people with a great deal of pleasure. It is vital that primary schools equip children with effective strategies for reading as well as foster a desire to read that will stay with them throughout their lives. This analysis of reading will firstly give a brief outline of the context of my school placement. It will analyse two pupils as readers and their strategies. The school’s policy indicates that the context of teaching reading is very important suggesting a variety of text styles. English Williamson (2005) inform us that the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy (DfES 2001) broadened the range of texts children are introduced to at primary level. The school is superbly resourced, with thousands of books available to all pupils. Silent reading is also practised daily. X Primary is a larger than average three-form entry primary school with 472 pupils. It’s in an area of average to high socio-economic status and the majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds with few pupils who speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. (Ofsted 2010). Below is an analysis of a childs reading. I will focus on analysing the childs mistakes in reading, called miscues (Hall, 2003) to gain information of the child as a reader. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline Pupil A was chosen for assessment as he enjoys reading and is a strong reader. He has had several school moves due to family issues, and has received intervention and support throughout his time at Primary X due to his level of absence. He is eager to learn, and was keen to read for me. The assessment involved analysing his word recognition and comprehension skills. This provides an opportunity to understand how Pupil A as a fairly fluent reader may process a text. The text which was read by Pupil A was chosen as it was unknown to him. It was also chosen as a text that was suitable for his level of reading. Many of Pupil As miscues take place in the form of substitution. These miscues often relate to his syntactic knowledge. He reads a instead of one (line 3) and but instead of and (line 8). He also produces the miscue even (line 9) as an insertion. These miscues suggest that he is making predictions about a text using his syntactic knowledge. This suggests that Pupil A brings his own knowledge to a text which causes him to make predictions (Smith cited in Hall, 2003), resulting in a miscue. This suggests that Pupil A uses his syntactic knowledge to obtain meaning in what he reads (Hall, 2003). This miscue can also alter the meaning of the text which may affect his understanding. Pupil A makes the same miscue when he substitutes for for from (Page 2 line 1). He self corrects and asks for reassurance in his correction. Pupil A also corrects himself on the word quickly (Pg 3 line 3). This self-correction reveals that he uses syntactic knowledge to process the text, but also that the text Pupil A sees is different from the text on the page (Goodman cited in Hall, 2003). Goodman suggests that there are two texts in question when reading takes place, being the actual text, and the perceived text. Pupil A demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the text. He demonstrated an understanding for the organisation of the text and recalled events of the story. Pupil A demonstrated an ability to infer from the text and evaluate it. When questioned, he was able to express that he liked the text and expressed why. He demonstrated emotional or psychological response to the text and characters feelings. This suggests that Pupil A engaged with the text and was interested in the plot. In conclusion Pupil A demonstrates a clear ability to read fluently and uses different strategies for decoding words. His ability to decode unknown words could be extended by knowledge of consonant digraphs. Pupil A shows an ability to understand a text on a literal level, as well as engaging in a text by making inferences and evaluating a text. We could improve this motivation to read by encouraging Pupil A to read regularly for pleasure. Pupil B was chosen as although she receives literacy support, she does not enjoy reading. She has accessed literacy support since starting at Primary school in Year 3 and has made considerable progress and is able to read certain texts independently however she also shows little interest in reading for pleasure. She is willing to read with me, as she is used to reading with adults, in a 1-1 situation, and is comfortable with me as I have been in her class for several weeks. She is reluctant to pick a book she in unfamiliar with and cannot think of a favourite author/book when questioned. Pupil B begins well, with her decoding strategies revealing her processing of a text but also her phonic knowledge. She reads the word spider lings (line 8) correctly, by segmenting the word in her head first. She then blends ‘ling’ quietly, to herself, and then asks for reassurance to put both words together. This is because this is an unusual, unknown word, and Pupil B is unfamiliar with the term. She stumbles over the word ‘different’ (line9). She did not segment the word out loud and so it is difficult to determine which strategy she used to decode the word. Nevertheless, it is possible that Pupil B may have used one of two strategies. For the first strategy, it’s possible that she segmented and blended the word in silently. This suggests that Pupil B is confident in segmenting and blending. For the second strategy, Pupil B may have used her graphophonic knowledge to decode the word. Therefore it is possible that she recognised the word from previous reading exercises. She demonstrates her grapheme-phoneme correspondence knowledge in her unsuccessful attempt to decode the word notice (line 10). She fell silent which suggests she attempted to segment the word in her head. However, Pupil B finds this strategy unsuccessful and then chooses to segment the word out loud Pupil B often falls silent throughout the exercise, and waits for a prompt. I feel this is due to her lack of confidence rather than lack of knowledge. Pupil B demonstrates her grapheme and phonemic knowledge (Hall, 2003) by successfully sounding out the first syllable of the word ‘children’ (line11). She was unable to sound out the second syllable. This suggests that she struggled to sound out a particular grapheme. It’s possible that Pupil B was unfamiliar with the consonant digraph il. However, Pupil B demonstrates a fluency in reading which may suggest that she uses sight reading as a strategy (Ehri cited in Hall, 2003) to process a text. Erhi (cited in Hall, 2003) suggests that readers find new ways of identifying words. Finding new methods to identify a word can help a reader to become a more fluent in reading. My reading assessment can provide an insight to how a reader may process a text (Ellis Lewis, 2006 but it’s only an insight. I cannot be certain that the suggested reading strategy is the method used. The childs responses is dependent on the text. Another influence could be the texts difficulty. Too difficult a text may cause them to make miscues and create an unfair representation of the reader (Campbell, 2011). A readers inability to engage in the text may be because the reader is not interested in the text. To remedy this, it would be useful to find out what books the reader prefers. Another strategy for developing reading is shared reading which provides opportunities for children to peer assess. Iversen Reeder (1998) suggest that this allows children to actively participate when they feel comfortable. This is useful when children haven’t developed full confidence in their own reading ability, it provides a ‘safe’ structure encouraging contribution. This would be beneficial if both pupils could work together as Pupil A may help Pupil B become more engaged with the text. After analysing both Pupil A and Pupil B, I was surprised at how both pupils used similar techniques, however they were different when reading aloud. I felt there was a gap in understanding and intonation from both pupils, despite being close in age, and both receiving support. I believe another difference was the pupils was desire to read, with Pupil A keen to read books, demonstrating a clear opinion on authors or genre, however Pupil B was reluctant to name a book she’d read, and didn’t have a favourite author/style. I believe this lack of enthusiasm for reading will hinder her development, regardless of support put in. In conclusion, both pupils show an understanding and varying strategies to break down a text, however the major difference seems to be their attitude towards reading itself. References EDP 4120 Assessing Reading Riley, J Reedy, D. (2000) Developing writing for different purposes: teaching about genre in the early years. Paul Chapman Publishing, London. Iversen, S. Reeder, T. (1998) Organising for a Literacy Hour, London: Kingscourt Publishing. Hall, K 2003 Listening to Stephen Read: Multiple perspectives on Literacy Buckingham: Open University English, E. and Williamson, J. (2005) Meeting the Standards in Primary English. Routledge Falmer. DfES. (2006) The Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics, London: Department for Education and Skills. DfES. (2006) The Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics: Core position papers underpinning the renewal of guidance for teaching literacy and mathematics, London: Department for Education and Skills. DfEE. (1999) The National Curriculum: Handbook for primary teachers in England, London: Department for Education and Employment. Ofsted 2010 Campbell, R 2011 Miscue Analysis in the Classroom Leicester: UKLA

Religion and Animal Rights Essay Example for Free

Religion and Animal Rights Essay Speciesism – Discrimination in favour of one species, usually the human species, over another, especially in the exploitation or mistreatment of animals by humans. Sentient – Able to feel pain; conscious through the senses. Shallow ecology preserving the environment to the extent that it benefits human beings. (This is an anthropocentric view of ecology – human centred). Deep ecology Giving all life respect and value – caring for all of nature, not just the aspects of nature which benefit human beings. Dominionism Judeo-Christian idea that human beings have a special place in the natural world; they are given the power to rule over it (as overseers) in behalf of its creator, God. Stewardship – Judeo-Christian idea that human beings have a special responsibility for the natural world (and indeed all other areas of responsibility such as other people, their money and possessions) acting as caretakers on God’s behalf. Autonomy – Free will, able to self-govern. Deontological – Duty led approach. Emphasis on the act itself in determining moral righteousness. Inaugurated eschatology The kingdom of God was started/established in the agapeistic life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and continues in the life of the church, but will be fulfilled after bodily death in heaven. Realised eschatology The kingdom of God is here and now on earth, through agape and the life of the church. Futuristic Eschatology: The Kingdom of God will come in the future – after bodily death, resurrection (bodily or spiritual) in heaven. Vivisection – Experimenting on animals. Instrumentalist approach – A pragmatic (practical) approach that says an action should be taken in order to achieve an active solution to a problem. Mutate – Change, transform (e.g. as part of the process of evolution). Immutability – Unable to change (e.g. from species to species). Commodification – To turn into and treat as a commodity – an article suitable for trading/buying and selling. Scholars Aristotle – Identified the hierarchy of being placing human beings above animals. Augustine – Human beings are superior to animals as human beings are rational, being made in the image and likeness of God, Genesis 1:26. Aquinas – Influenced by Aritotle – â€Å"animals†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦by divine providence are intended for man’s use in the natural order.†. Charles Darwin – Theory of evolution – ‘Origin of Species’, 1859. The process of natural selection, challenged the Bible, and in particular the Genesis creation story which claims that human beings are created in the image of God, Genesis 1:26. Albert Schweitzer – A pioneer of animal rights with his ‘reverence for life’ ethic. For Schweitzer ‘all life is sacred’, sentient or non-sentient, animal or vegetable. A deep ecologist. St Francis of Assisi – Often referred to as, ‘The Patron Saint of animals’. God has created the world and so the created order reflects God’s goodness and purpose of design and order, animals are a particularly important aspect of that created order. Peter Singer – If a being has interests then they are morally important and should have rights; sentient, self-conscious beings have interests. What matters is not what species a being belongs to, but to what extent a being is a person – fulfils Personhood criteria. Jeremy Bentham Believed that unnecessary suffering was morally wrong, irrespective of the species. KEY TEACHINGS FROM CHRISTIANITY AND AWARENESS OF HOW RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND OTHER FAITH MEMBERS HAVE INTERPRETED THESE TEACHINGS AND APPLIED THEM TO LIFE IN SOCIETY TODAY. Religious beliefs about the status of animals. SCHOLARS * Aristotle (4 BC – a foundation and influence for later Christian thought) -everything had a telos, an end purpose. The end purpose of nature (and animals) according to Aristotle, is human fulfilment Hierarchy of Being, Anthropocentric (human centred), Speciesist approach. * Augustine (4th to 5th century AD). Human beings are superior to animals as human beings are rational, being made in the image and likeness of God, Genesis 1:26. , â€Å"To refrain from the killing of animals and the destroying of plants is the height of superstition.† (Augustine). Hierarchy of Being. Speciesism. * Thomas Aquinas (13th century AD). Influenced by Aristotle’s ideas there is no sin in using a thing for the purpose, telos, which it is intended. There is no possibility of sinning against non-human animals or against the natural world which exist for the use and good of humanity. Hierarchy of Being. Anthropocentric. Speciesist. * St Francis of Assisi (12th to 13th century). Francis of Assisi thought that the natural world, and in particular animal life, was an expression of the creative will of God and was worthy of respect. Patron Saint of animals, emphasised the importance of sentient beings as part of God’s creation. Humanity should behave as responsible stewards to care and look after all of God’s created creatures. Shallow ecology preserving the natural world, including animals to the extent that human beings benefit. (This is an anthropocentric view of ecology – human centred) where human beings have a caretaker role over nature. * Albert Schwietzer (20th century). Albert Schweitzer was a Christian who pioneered animal rights with his ‘reverence for life’ ethic. He was astonished at the indifference that human beings show to fellow creatures on the planet. Schweitzer was a ‘deep ecologist’ who believed that all life was sacred – sentient or non-se ntient; human, animal, plant. BIBLICAL TEACHINGS * Human Beings created perfect, imago dei (St. Augustine). Genesis 1:27. * Genesis 1:28 – Dominionism (to rule over, use, control) â€Å"Then God saidHave dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.† This was the traditional position of the church towards animals as identified by Peter Singer. * Genesis 2:15 – Stewardship (to look after and care for on God’s behalf) â€Å"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.† More recently this is the role taken by the church, replacing dominionism with responsible stewardship. * Genesis 2 – creation story has focus on creation of man and woman (Adam and Eve). Human beings have a soul (animals do not) â€Å"The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed (ruach) into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being† (Genesis 2:7) * Human beings, but not animals have free will, autonomous, with the opportunity of choosing a love relationship with God. â€Å"Love God, love your neighbour.† (Jesus, Mark 12:30/31). With autonomy comes responsibility, stewardship (see church teachings below). * â€Å"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.† Proverbs 12:10. * â€Å"The wolf will live with the lamb† Isaiah. An O.T. eschatological vision of harmony between all sentient life. * â€Å"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.† Luke 12:6. CHURCH TEACHINGS Roman Catholic Catechism (1994) †¢ God willed creation as a gift addressed to humankind. †¢ Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present and future humanity. Anthropocentric, arises out of the shallow ecology approach to the natural world that is the usual the way for Christianity to deal with this area of ethics/moral issues. †¢ Animals do not have rights but humans do have duties towards animals. Roman Catholic Papal Encyclicals Centesimus Annus and Solicitudo Rei Socialis (Pope John Paul II) †¢ Human beings are stewards of God’s creation, not masters of it. †¢ Animals are part of God’s creation and must not be abused. †¢ The Church opposes cruelty / exploitation of animals. †¢The earth and all life on it is a gift from God given to us to share and develop, not to dominate and exploit. Church of England documents: Our Responsibility for the Living Environment (GS 718) and Animal Welfare (GS 341) †¢ Animals have been created by God and deserve respect. †¢ The value of animal life is secondary to human beings. †¢ Humans have a common heritage with, and have an obligation to animals. †¢ Humans are the most efficient predators and therefore must exercise responsible stewardship. †¢ Medical / scientific testing within reasonable limits is acceptable as it promotes the common good of humanity. Quaker Peace Testimony * show a loving consideration of all the creatures, maintain the beauty and variety of the world and show reverence for life. * Quakers have long supported vegetarianism. * Quakers oppose animal experimentation for weapons. * They also oppose the use of animals for the testing of cosmetics. * Most Quakers oppose the fur trade. * Quakers do support the use of animal testing for medical research. The extent to which animals are different from humans and their relative value. Humans are animals. * Charles Darwin 1859 â€Å"Origin of the Species† * Evolution, Natural Selection, Survival of the Fittest. Humans have evolved to become the dominant/controlling species. * â€Å"With all these exalted powers humanity still bears in its bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.† (Charles Darwin) * Darwin challenged the idea of a designer God, and the anthropocentric view of the world. â€Å"Humanity in their arrogance think themselves a great work, worthy the (inter)position of a God. More humble, and I believe true, to consider them created from animals.† (Charles Darwin). * Many religious believers accept evolutionary theory as a way of explaining the origins of life on this planet, but still see that God’s power was behind the very start-theistic evolution (God the Uncaused Cause brought everything else into existence – based on Thomas Aquinas’s cosmological argument). How can an anthropocentric approach be upheld if humans ar e descended from animals – all are of equal worth and value – deep ecology. Hierarchy of species. * See above. God created animals for a purpose to be of value and support to human beings. Human intelligence versus animal instinct. * Rationality, intelligence and autonomy set humans apart from animals. * Capacity for sophisticated methods of communication is a human skill. * Creativity (music, literature, art) and complex/sophisticated (developing/utilising science and technology) societies for a good and worthwhile quality of life rather than for instinctive survival are hallmarks of human existence. * Most humans protect the weak and vulnerable arguably for altruistic motivations rather than for survival of the species. * Humans can choose to behave morally. * Humans are spiritual beings. However, just because the status of animals is lower than humans many argue for care and respect. * Stewardship. Deep ecology. Animal Rights.   * â€Å"The question is not can they reason, can they talk, but can they suffer.† Jeremy Bentham (19th century). * Peter Singer thinks that if a being has interests then these things should be satisfied, other things being equal. What matters is not what species a being belongs, but to what extent a being fulfils the criteria of personhood:- rational, sentient (experience pleasure / pain), self-conscious, can establish relationships and can communicate. Religious views on animal rights and the means of protecting those rights. See scholars, biblical and church teachings above. * Rev Humphrey Primatt (19th century) argued all life was made by God and any sentient creature has the right not to have pain inflicted upon it including animal suffering. â€Å"Pain is pain whether inflicted on man or beast† (Primatt). The work of Humphrey Primatt led to the foundation of the RSPCA in 1824. * Organisations such as WWF and RSPCA campaign for animal rights so that they may live according to their own nature and not be harmed, exploited or abused, maintaining a dignified existence. * Such pressure groups oppose factory farming (a method of raising animals intensively for maximum economic gain and to produce food at a lower cost for consumers, resulting in the commodification of animals), animal experimentation (vivisection) and using animals for entertainment;, although opinions vary on all these issues. * Controversy exists about vivisection and the extent of justifiable protest on animals’ behalf – SPEAK campaign sought to end the building of ne w animal labs for scientific experimentation on animals at Oxford University, often using intimidation and direct action which was judged by the law courts to be illegal. â€Å"If possessing a higher intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his own ends how can it entitle humans to exploit non-humans for the same purpose?† Professor Peter Singer VERSUS â€Å"You can’t go to a doctor without having treatment that has been tested on animals – you can’t pick and choose.† Professor Colin Blakemore, Oxford University. * International Animal Rights Day = December 10th annually. * British law protects animals form cruelty and neglect which are criminal offences. * Revd Professor Andrew Linzey – Department of Theology at Oxford university = world’s first academic post in Ethics, Theology and Animal Welfare. Rejects an instrumentalist view of animals as ‘speciesist’; privileging one species, human beings, giving them a unique moral status. For Linzey, animals are part of God’s creation, and have God-given rights, or ‘theos-rights’, and thus have moral status. Religious responses to the preservation of species from extinction. * Genesis 1:12 – Species were created immutable (fixed and unchanging). Dominionism means human beings have used species and their environment for the good of humanity which has inevitably led to extinction of some. However, stewardship imposes a duty of care implying preservation and conservation of God’s sacred, creation for future generations upholding biodiversity. * Evolution teaches that species naturally change, mutate, and die out as part of the process of survival of the fittest and natural selection. Some religious people accept evolutionary theory theistic evolution (God the Uncaused Cause brought everything else into existence – based on Thomas Aquinas’s cosmological argument). * Breeding programmes in zoos have helped to save species from extinction. * Ohito Declaration 1995 – sustaining environmental life is a religious responsibility.