Teenage Suicide

Teenage suicide is a major issue in todays society; suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life and is a momentous issue that should be addressed as quickly as possible. Teen suicide has been the topic of numerous news headlines; yet, It still continues to have a detrimental effect on todays youth.. There have also been numerous misconceptions about the leading cause of teenage suicide. Although there are a number of things that can cause someone to commit suicide, there is one main reason that has been proven to be the principal cause: mental illness.Some other the leading causes of suicide among teenagers include bullying, depression or anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual and physical abuse. At some point in most teens' lives, they will experience periods of sadness, worry and/or despair. While it is completely normal for a healthy person to have these types of responses to pain resulting trom loss. dismissal, or disillusionment, those with serious (otten undiagnose d) mental illnesses often experience much more drastic reactions.Many imes these severe reactions will leave the teen in despair, and they may feel that there Is no end In sight to their suffering. It is at this point that the teen may lose hope, and with the absence of hope comes more depression and the feeling that sulclde Is the only solution. It Isnt. Bullying is Indubitably becoming one of the leading causes of teenage suicide: In todays society, it isnt unheard of to hear news stories explaining how another teenager has committed suicide as a result of bullying.Bullying has been a major ontroversy In schools for countless years, and I believe that It will continue to be an issue for many years to come unless we do something about it. I do believe that people are beginning to take bullying more seriously than they have in past years: however, there is still a lot more that can be done In order to decrease the amount of bullying that takes place. Teens with bipolar disorder are more likely to commit suicide due to the fact that although they might teel tine a majority ot the time, there may also be times when they feel extremely depressed.Depression Is highly treatable, but the problem with a lot of teens is that they do not realize that they are depressed: therefore, they don't get the proper treatment needed to overcome depression. They dont realize that there are other solutions opposed to suicide, and they don't realize that the decision to commit sulclde as a result ot a short-term problem will have a long-term ettect that can never be reversed. When depression is properly treated, a persons thoughts on suicide become more coherent, and it is less likely for them to attempt suicide.Teen girls are statistically twice as likely as their male counterparts to attempt suicide. They tend to turn to drugs (overdosing) or to cut themselves, while boys are traditionally more successful In their sulclde attempts because they utilize more lethal methods such as guns and hanging. This method preference makes boys almost four times more successful in committing suicide. All In all, altnougn tnere are many tnlngs tnat can cause a person to commit sulc10e, mental illness is currently the primary reason.Suicide is preventable; anti- epressant drugs have proved to be highly effective in helping to thwart teens from committing suicide. The reason as to why so many teens think it is alright to bully and tease others is due to the fact that the repercussions are not stringent enough; therefore, bullying continues to happen. As IVe stated before, a majority of people planning to commit suicide give some type of warning signs that indicate that they might be planning to commit suicide. Through research, I have found that a lot, not all, of suicides that have occurred could have been prevented.While some teens uffer from depression and/or anxiety, others are victims of bullying or abuse. People need to realize that every single one of our actions will have a reaction, whether it is good or bad. When we bully and mistreat others, we hardly ever think about what they are feeling. If people were to be more selfless and considerate of other's feelings, then I am sure that the there will be fewer teens committing suicide. Also, when someone gives up hope on living, it is up to the people around them, such as friends and family, to give them the support that they need to carry on. Teenage Suicide Teenage suicide is a major issue in todays society; suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life and is a momentous issue that should be addressed as quickly as possible. Teen suicide has been the topic of numerous news headlines; yet, It still continues to have a detrimental effect on todays youth.. There have also been numerous misconceptions about the leading cause of teenage suicide. Although there are a number of things that can cause someone to commit suicide, there is one main reason that has been proven to be the principal cause: mental illness.Some other the leading causes of suicide among teenagers include bullying, depression or anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual and physical abuse. At some point in most teens' lives, they will experience periods of sadness, worry and/or despair. While it is completely normal for a healthy person to have these types of responses to pain resulting trom loss. dismissal, or disillusionment, those with serious (otten undiagnose d) mental illnesses often experience much more drastic reactions.Many imes these severe reactions will leave the teen in despair, and they may feel that there Is no end In sight to their suffering. It is at this point that the teen may lose hope, and with the absence of hope comes more depression and the feeling that sulclde Is the only solution. It Isnt. Bullying is Indubitably becoming one of the leading causes of teenage suicide: In todays society, it isnt unheard of to hear news stories explaining how another teenager has committed suicide as a result of bullying.Bullying has been a major ontroversy In schools for countless years, and I believe that It will continue to be an issue for many years to come unless we do something about it. I do believe that people are beginning to take bullying more seriously than they have in past years: however, there is still a lot more that can be done In order to decrease the amount of bullying that takes place. Teens with bipolar disorder are more likely to commit suicide due to the fact that although they might teel tine a majority ot the time, there may also be times when they feel extremely depressed.Depression Is highly treatable, but the problem with a lot of teens is that they do not realize that they are depressed: therefore, they don't get the proper treatment needed to overcome depression. They dont realize that there are other solutions opposed to suicide, and they don't realize that the decision to commit sulclde as a result ot a short-term problem will have a long-term ettect that can never be reversed. When depression is properly treated, a persons thoughts on suicide become more coherent, and it is less likely for them to attempt suicide.Teen girls are statistically twice as likely as their male counterparts to attempt suicide. They tend to turn to drugs (overdosing) or to cut themselves, while boys are traditionally more successful In their sulclde attempts because they utilize more lethal methods such as guns and hanging. This method preference makes boys almost four times more successful in committing suicide. All In all, altnougn tnere are many tnlngs tnat can cause a person to commit sulc10e, mental illness is currently the primary reason.Suicide is preventable; anti- epressant drugs have proved to be highly effective in helping to thwart teens from committing suicide. The reason as to why so many teens think it is alright to bully and tease others is due to the fact that the repercussions are not stringent enough; therefore, bullying continues to happen. As IVe stated before, a majority of people planning to commit suicide give some type of warning signs that indicate that they might be planning to commit suicide. Through research, I have found that a lot, not all, of suicides that have occurred could have been prevented.While some teens uffer from depression and/or anxiety, others are victims of bullying or abuse. People need to realize that every single one of our actions will have a reaction, whether it is good or bad. When we bully and mistreat others, we hardly ever think about what they are feeling. If people were to be more selfless and considerate of other's feelings, then I am sure that the there will be fewer teens committing suicide. Also, when someone gives up hope on living, it is up to the people around them, such as friends and family, to give them the support that they need to carry on. Teenage Suicide Teenage suicide is a major issue in todays society; suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life and is a momentous issue that should be addressed as quickly as possible. Teen suicide has been the topic of numerous news headlines; yet, It still continues to have a detrimental effect on todays youth.. There have also been numerous misconceptions about the leading cause of teenage suicide. Although there are a number of things that can cause someone to commit suicide, there is one main reason that has been proven to be the principal cause: mental illness.Some other the leading causes of suicide among teenagers include bullying, depression or anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual and physical abuse. At some point in most teens' lives, they will experience periods of sadness, worry and/or despair. While it is completely normal for a healthy person to have these types of responses to pain resulting trom loss. dismissal, or disillusionment, those with serious (otten undiagnose d) mental illnesses often experience much more drastic reactions.Many imes these severe reactions will leave the teen in despair, and they may feel that there Is no end In sight to their suffering. It is at this point that the teen may lose hope, and with the absence of hope comes more depression and the feeling that sulclde Is the only solution. It Isnt. Bullying is Indubitably becoming one of the leading causes of teenage suicide: In todays society, it isnt unheard of to hear news stories explaining how another teenager has committed suicide as a result of bullying.Bullying has been a major ontroversy In schools for countless years, and I believe that It will continue to be an issue for many years to come unless we do something about it. I do believe that people are beginning to take bullying more seriously than they have in past years: however, there is still a lot more that can be done In order to decrease the amount of bullying that takes place. Teens with bipolar disorder are more likely to commit suicide due to the fact that although they might teel tine a majority ot the time, there may also be times when they feel extremely depressed.Depression Is highly treatable, but the problem with a lot of teens is that they do not realize that they are depressed: therefore, they don't get the proper treatment needed to overcome depression. They dont realize that there are other solutions opposed to suicide, and they don't realize that the decision to commit sulclde as a result ot a short-term problem will have a long-term ettect that can never be reversed. When depression is properly treated, a persons thoughts on suicide become more coherent, and it is less likely for them to attempt suicide.Teen girls are statistically twice as likely as their male counterparts to attempt suicide. They tend to turn to drugs (overdosing) or to cut themselves, while boys are traditionally more successful In their sulclde attempts because they utilize more lethal methods such as guns and hanging. This method preference makes boys almost four times more successful in committing suicide. All In all, altnougn tnere are many tnlngs tnat can cause a person to commit sulc10e, mental illness is currently the primary reason.Suicide is preventable; anti- epressant drugs have proved to be highly effective in helping to thwart teens from committing suicide. The reason as to why so many teens think it is alright to bully and tease others is due to the fact that the repercussions are not stringent enough; therefore, bullying continues to happen. As IVe stated before, a majority of people planning to commit suicide give some type of warning signs that indicate that they might be planning to commit suicide. Through research, I have found that a lot, not all, of suicides that have occurred could have been prevented.While some teens uffer from depression and/or anxiety, others are victims of bullying or abuse. People need to realize that every single one of our actions will have a reaction, whether it is good or bad. When we bully and mistreat others, we hardly ever think about what they are feeling. If people were to be more selfless and considerate of other's feelings, then I am sure that the there will be fewer teens committing suicide. Also, when someone gives up hope on living, it is up to the people around them, such as friends and family, to give them the support that they need to carry on.

Minority languages Essay

The world has very many languages that are considered as minor. These are well spread through the lands and they are threatened towards extinction. Various policies have been put forward by different countries to help preserve these unique dialects and one of the ways is by use of education scholarships given to people of these languages to encourage the to advance. As they advance, their languages get known in various places. Broadcasting stations that air programs in these languages have also been set up. Many more people can as a result hear them and adopt their ways. The culture of these minority groups can be used as a platform of preserving the dialects. Various campaigns have been set up to help market the culture of these people so that they remain dominant. Some countries have also gone to an extent of declaring that the minority languages are the national languages of their countries and this is a boost towards preserving the languages. Some education curriculums have also been set up so that these languages can be used in learning institutions and this has worked to spread awareness on these minority languages. This occurred in Sami which is an Irish dialect. Some important books like the bible have been printed in these languages and this gives security and helps to preserve the languages. The local owners of these languages are hence kept busy in their tradition and they feel comfortable and lack nothing because of the translations. The minor languages can best be preserved by making sure that the members fit in all arena of life by providing books and programs that are representative of their language. This is the only secure way. Source Tomasi, K. (2005). World History. NY: Oxford press.

Behavior is hereditary Essay Example for Free

Behavior is hereditary Essay The whole issue of nature and nurture is complex with potential debates centered round their influences on human development. Nature refers to the traits inherited from parents while nurture refers to the influence of the environment to an individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 26). Psychological research shows that both nature and nature have a general influence on the physical and behavioral characteristics of people. This paper seeks to explain the factors which affect nature and nurture. The nature theory holds that human behavior is hereditary. True to the theory, some traits such as blood type and eye color are known to be predominantly genetic. It can therefore be asserted that genetic variation of people affects the development and characteristics of the next generation (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Nurture on the other side holds that the environment in which an individual is brought up in influences his or her behavior. In this context therefore, it can be acknowledged that the ability of an individual to interact and conform to the societal requirements and the environment at large affects the degree to which the environment can influence the individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Still to be noted here is the effect of age on the influence of nature and nurture. Inherited traits are first noticed when a child is born. As the child grows up to teenage, behavioral characteristics are predominantly influenced by the environment because of the interactive nature of people at this stage of growth as well as the ability to conform to peers and the society at large (Lerner & Bearer 2004, p. 86). At adult stages, people tend to become more independent hence less influenced by the environment. At this stage therefore nature prevails but the nurture traits acquired at early stages of growth remains effective. In conclusion therefore, nature and nurture are undoubtedly influential to human development. Nature gives inborn traits while nurture takes these inborn abilities and changes them with age to fit the individual’s environment. ? Bibliography Lippa, R 2005, Gender, nature, and nurture, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Lerner, R, & Bearer, E 2004, Nature and Nurture: The Complex Interplay of Genetic and Environment. Routledge: New York. Behavior is hereditary. (2016, Sep 12).

Aristotle and the Appeal to Reason,the author refers to topos Assignment

Aristotle and the Appeal to Reason,the author refers to topos - Assignment Example Topoi are referred to various categories that help to delineate different relationship among ideas. In those important group of â€Å"topoi† within the Rhetoric, certain instruction for arguments are contained that does not pertain to a certain form but it come with a certain predicament. While those â€Å"topoi† material are still used in argument building, there is also implementation of â€Å"topos† in the context where the non-argumentative persuasion is implemented. Modern writers and students widely use and are benefited by the topos. The topos in the present context is used for placing on things such as scientific facts, statistics and various other hard evidences. Classical rhetoricians viewed topos as the area of investigation and inquiry which is envisaged in the present context purely in the domain of logic. Topos is used in present academic domain to develop syllogism, find contradictions and cater various needs of logical development and inquiry. A good argumentative essay has number of benefits and positive aspects. It helps to come to a conclusion through logical interpretation and syllogistic contention. The framework of an argumentative essay is always strong. There are always less lacunas or vague propositions in an argumentative essay. There are logic and space for points on both the sides. The book â€Å"To the Point: Reading and Writing Short Arguments† is a series of essays that presents such strong argumentative and short essays that cater issues ranging from cell phones to terrorism. This is also an effective point that can be displayed for the support of the argumentative essay. Argumentative essays can be written on any facets of life and can cater a wide range of topic under broad heads. Affirmative or negative essays limit the space for cognition but with argumentative essay more and more cognitive ideas can be implemented. Since the ancient period, the arguments

Analysis and explanation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis and explanation - Essay Example The events and situations taking place in the book are also important and they include: meeting Sharraf, killing of the wild animals, and the railway incident among other minor ones like the journey itself, the terrains and the insecurity. Lawrence the townsman (who is the main story teller and the one being taken on this tedious journey through harsh, unfriendly and uninhabitable land to go meet Sharraf) is relentless despite the rough terrain of this dessert to go find Sharraf and discuss undisclosed business. Since this land is very harsh not only from the unbearable weather which is marked by scotching sun, terrible winds and extreme heat, but also in terms of insecurity. There seems to be an ongoing war between the Arabs and the Turks. It is as a result of this insecurity that Lawrence hires several men to accompany him in his entourage for the sake of protection because a large number of these Arabs could easily defeat the Turks if they met them (and they did meet a group on their journey back from visiting Sharraf but they were few men and when they opened fire at Lawrence’s entourage, they got a dose of their own medicine and they saw that they were quickly outnumbered and they fled). Auda is the guide of the entourage as he is very familiar with that terrain despite it being a dessert. He is an interesting individual and very friendly towards Lawrence even trying to teach him their language which Lawrence is not very fluent in and hence cannot effectively communicate. The Arab scout’s familiarity with the area is also portrayed when he recalls the name of almost each and every place they pass during their journey which is quite interesting and amazing (Lawrence 164). The roughness of the dessert terrain with deep feet-sinking sand and rocks is an indication of how terrible that place is and it is no wonder the means or travel is through camels (in spite of the insecurity). In some locations, they have to go

Financial aspects of business an overiew Assignment

Financial aspects of business an overiew - Assignment Example For sale traders, the liability is unlimited and the personal assets can be used to repay the liabilities of the business. It is important for sole traders to maintain their accounts in order to have an idea about the performance of the business. It would enable the owner to have an idea about the present debt condition of the business. It would also enable in keeping a track on the total sales and purchases of the goods and services. It is essential to keep and maintain accounts because it helps in maintenance of transparency of the business transactions. It also reduces the existence of flaws in any decision making by the trader. Partnership business is conducting business activities together by two or more partners and earning and sharing the profit earned from the business operations. In case of partnership business, the company needs to maintain its book of accounts in order to have a clear and transparent disclosure of all the business activities to all the business partners. I t would also enable assessment of profitability of the company followed by its division among all the business partners. It is very important to keep a track on all the financial transactions of the partnership business in order to maintain its stability. ... There are a large number of complex financial transactions taking place every day. It is very essential to keep a track on each and every transaction taking place (Glynn ?and Murphy 22). Thus, the significance of maintaining accounts by a company is very high. It would display the exact financial position of the company in the market and disclose the profit or loss incurred by it. It would also help in keeping a track on the total assets and liabilities of the company. Question 2 a.1) Trading Account Trading Account Debit Credit Particulars Amount (in ?) Particulars Amount (in ?) To opening stock 2000 By Sales 95414 To Purchases 57580 By Closing Stock 2745 To Wages 11438       To Gross Profit 27141       Total 98159 Total 98159 a.2) Profit and Loss Account Profit and Loss Account Debit Credit Particulars Amount (in ?) Particulars Amount (in ?) To rent 2650 By Gross Profit 27141 To heat and light 3698       To sundry expenses 950       To Net Profit 19843       Tot al 27141 Total 27141 b) Balance Sheet as on 31st December 2012 Balance Sheet Liabilities Amount (in ?) Assets Amount (in ?) Capital 24770 Fixed Assets    (+)Net Profit 19843 Premises 35000 (-)Drawings 2000 Oven and Equipment 9560    42613 Delivery Van 9580 Long term Debt 20440    54140 Current Liabilities    Current assets    Creditors 2000 Debtors 3098       Bank 620       Cash 4450       Closing Stock 2745          10913 Total 65053 Total 65053 c) Importance of double entry book keeping Double entry book keeping suggests that there should be double entry for each and every transaction into the books of accounts (Miner 21). This method of book keeping helps in dealing in a special way with the opening as well as closing balances at

Atomic Bomb Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Atomic Bomb - Research Paper Example Miscamble C.S.C  (Cambridge University Press, 192 pp.) This book focuses on the American use of the atomic bomb and how it affected the result of World War II by exploring the situation and context in which President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb. Miscamble uses archival research and latest scholarship to address the value of the decision to end the war and at the same time writes on the moral premise of such an act. The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki: August 1945 by Dennis D. Wainstok  (Westport: Praeger, 1996. x, 180 pp.) In his book Dennis D.Wainstock, a teacher at the Salem–Tieyko University in Salem, West Virginia, discusses the political aspect and the implications of President Truman’s decision in the backdrop of the last year of World War II, when the Japanese were on the brink of conditional surrender. The author uses important sources e.g. Strategic Bombing Survey interrogations of leading Japanese officials to substantiat e his argument. Atomic Tragedy: Henry L. Stimson and the Decision to use the Bomb against Japan by Sean L. Malloy Atomic Tradgedy provides a distinct outlook of the situation in World War II and the decision to drop the atomic bomb. ... In the August of 1945, towards the end of the World War II, the United States of America dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The estimated loss of life within four months after the bombing were more than 80,000 in Hiroshima and 60,000 in Nagasaki, with almost half of the deaths occurring on the first day only.1 To date these bombings have been the only instance of nuclear weapon use in a war. Such an acute episode of mass killing along with its long-term radiological consequence is unprecedented in the wars of the twentieth century. In order to assess the necessity of such an act it is important to analyze the event in the military and political backdrop of the involved nations. In his book ‘The most controversial decision’ Miscamble provides a persuasive argument behind the rationale to bomb Japan. Miscamble states in the book that â€Å"the time has come at long last to explode permanently the myth of a Japan ready to surrender.à ¢â‚¬ 2Although Germany had already surrendered Japan was providing fierce resistance to the Allied forces. The Americans had suffered huge losses in the battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and now they had to prepare for more losses which would be incurred during the invasion of Japan. Many in America’s military regime were ready to bend their initial war aim and accept a conditional surrender by the Japanese but the latter’s minimum demand was that their emperor system should remain intact. This was unacceptable to the Americans as President Truman believed that the root of Japan’s militarism was their imperialist government. Furthermore negotiations with the Japanese would take months which would provide Japan enough time to strengthen their

A formal Business plan about a fictouse landscping company that i Essay

A formal Business plan about a fictouse landscping company that i briefly outline - Essay Example The mission statement of the company will be the basis of the company’s marketing strategy and the creation of the company’s image as a brand. Already the company has a reputation of offering quality services in a timely manner and within budget. The company’s mission statement will therefore be â€Å"JMB Giving Landscaping Holistic touch of Creative Art.† The aspect of imagination will portray the company’s intention to apply creativity innovation and invention towards ensuring that consumers enjoy unique landscaping services because creativity cannot be easily reproduced but requires talent. At JMB our visions will be to turn imagination into reality to ensure that our customers enjoy unique and customized services and that the outcomes have the uniqueness and aesthetics only found in art. In addition we believe in keeping of time and operating within the customer’s budget. Once you give us the contract you will only have to sit back and wait for your finished product. Currently JMB has built reputation among small scale consumers. The company is now targeting contractual agreements with corporate partners to increase on the volume of contracts and to be able to make future projections. The company will depend on its capacity to deliver quality services in a timely manner and to add artistic creativity to landscaping. According to Ingels one of the ways to attain competitive advantage that cannot be easily reproduced by rivals in landscaping business is by applying graphic and design art to landscaping (15). The company will employ the services of reputable graphic designers and computer animators whose work will be to create visual images of designs for display to customers. The graphic designers and computer animators will also be able to turn the imaginations of the consumer into 3D images to allow the consumer to have a taste of what the finished products will

Creation and Development of New Firms Assignment

Creation and Development of New Firms - Assignment Example Side by side, the trouble of poverty also became highlighted in these emerging economies of the entire world. However, in order to recover from such distressful state, most of the countries, especially the emerging or developing countries are reliant on economic liberalization. Due to such economic shift, most of the emerging economies and the firms of recent age are entirely responsible for economic recovery of the world (Yalcin & Kapu, 2008, p. 32). Due to which, most of these firms offered high concentration over the development of the entrepreneurship programs. Therefore, the importance of entrepreneurship program is highlighted in this assignment and it also focuses on five significant areas: Creation and development of new firms Success rates of entrepreneurial activities Global entrepreneurship in developing economies Degree of risks or safety of entrepreneurial programs Present entrepreneurs and innovative technology Creation and Development of New Firms In recent age, the em erging economies of the world are always trying to develop large number of new firms so as to improve their financial condition. Along with this, it also helps in improving the profit margin and revenue of the firms might also be improved. It also helps in enhancement of the employment rates resulting in upliftment of the living standards of the citizens of the economies. As a result, the reputation of the developing economy increases to a certain extent among other neighboring ones in the entire world. For the above reasons, the rate of entrepreneurship is increasing day by day and thereby improving the prospects of the firms and the employees as well. This is mainly because, the entrepreneurs of recent age are extremely talented and intelligent and comprise of excellent management and leadership skills that are extremely essential to control and operate any business firm or organization in this competitive age. As a result, the level of interaction among the employees and the mana gement is extremely high resulting in invention of varied types of new ideas and facts that might result in betterment of the organization (Yalcin & Kapu, 2008, p. 31). So, the prospect of the entrepreneurship has been increasing and it is resulting in amplification of the rate of development of new firms in the emerging economies. Success Rates of Entrepreneurial Activities As the entrepreneurs of recent age always try to develop and introduce new ideas and information for the betterment of the firm. This is done only after analyzing the situation and the strengths and weaknesses of the firm. By doing so, an entrepreneur might attain get a better analysis of the essential requirements of the firm. On the basis of that, the entrepreneur might develop the plans and the strategies that might lead to its betterment. Along with this, after the plans are finalized, the goals and objectives are also developed after consulting with the other employees of the firm. Then, to attain such obje ctives, the innovative skills and talents as well as equipments are introduced within the employees of the organization. Therefore, with the coordinated efforts of the employees, equipments and management, the objectives might be surely achieved resulting in success of the organization. Due to which, the working condition of the organization improved resulting in enhancement of the rate of devotion of the employees towards work. This is the

VALUE OF HUMAN CAPITAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

VALUE OF HUMAN CAPITAL - Essay Example The accountants continue to ignore the value of human capital and stick to the age-old theory of ratio analysis and interpretation of financial statements. Ironically, these too are fraught with errors and can be easily manipulated to deceive the stakeholders. The happenings at Enron are well known when all they were concerned was with maximizing shareholder value and hence they hid debts and overemphasized profits (Gardner, 2006). Dubious accounts were passed and the account that was presented to the public was fraught with discrepancies. At WorldCom the company’s profits were artificially boosted and costs were considered as capital investment, on which they even claimed depreciation (Bhattacharya, 2004). All these helped the company to sustain its apparently smooth and rapid earning growth. The stock prices were artificially escalated and the company loan was used to buy personal properties. Several such instances can be found round the world and such manipulation is possible only with the connivance of the auditors or the accountants. Human capital has become important as it is the source of innovation and strategy. Human capital is the combination of genetic inheritance, education, experience and attitude towards life and business (Bontis and Fitz-enz, 2002). Tacit knowledge is acquired by interacting with others and is connected to life’s experiences. This tacit knowledge has to be converted and retained within the organization so that they can compete in the knowledge-based economy (Marwick, 2001). Human capital adds value, is not substitutable and leads to sustained competitive advantage. At Microsoft, human capital is the greatest asset, is demonstrated by the fact that they form teams to accelerate design and test new software modules. They invest in people and technology and they have learnt how to share knowledge rapidly through out the organization (Edmondson, 2003). They

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay Example for Free

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay To have a liable viewpoint on the topic of Animal Rights, one must practically have the abilities of a well-practiced philosopher. You must be able to fully evaluate the characteristics of every possible relationship, good or bad, between man and his fellow members of the Animal Kingdom, and their potential outcomes. You must also decide if you believe in human exceptionalism, that is, whether or not we are equal to animals. â€Å"A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. † Says Ingrid Newkirk, head of PETA, in 2003, â€Å"They are all mammals†. Other individuals, however, such as Wesley J. Smith (2010), believe that this attitude will devalue the â€Å"the unique status of humans†. Everyone has their own take on this topic, and, if we resolve this in a civilized and orderly fashion, we can potentially have a perfect balance between humans and the world’s diverse flora and fauna. Across the globe, there are hundreds of organizations that are constantly fighting for the equality of animals, and the elimination of their mistreatment. Some of the bigger names include the World Wildlife Fund, (WWF), and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). These groups rally, lobby, and petition against criminal acts against practically every species of animal, and believe you me they have their hands full! In some laboratories, primates are being rigorously forced through difficult tests, and on some farming facilities belonging to today’s big corporations, such as the large restaurant chain known as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), animals are being harvested in an inhumane manner. Among the worst cases is the solicitation of â€Å"crush films†, in which puppies and small, cute animals are â€Å"slowly crushed or impaled by women wearing heels,† reports David Michael (2010). These videos were banned in 1999 by the Supreme Court, until the federal law had overreached, and the law was overturned. These acts are clear examples of cruelty towards animals, and can never be truly justified. If we take the rights steps, in a warranted and honest manner, then we can stop animal abuse, and save future species from an unruly and unjustified future as slaves to man-kind. There also exists a whole other group of people who believe that life is just a game of the survival of the fittest, which is similar to the point of view of Wesley J. Smith, author of A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The  Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement. He, and many others, believe that â€Å"valuing humans over animals is a form of discrimination† against humans, which he describes in his new book published in 2010. He also tells us that giving animals the same legal status takes away from who we are, as the dominant species of Earth. I personally, do not believe this is completely true. We moved these creatures out of their homes to build our houses and buildings, and then polluted them with the carbon outputs of our cities and towns. This makes it our responsibility to help them find new homes any way we can. On the other hand, he did mention something I could partially relate to. â€Å"Humans do indeed have a moral obligation to promote animal welfare, but they are also entitled to use animals, particularly if the use of animals alleviates human suffering.† I can get behind this statement to some extent. There are hundreds of scientists using animals to research possible cures for certain diseases that affect thousands of humans daily. However, harming these animals would be completely unacceptable. We could use alternative solutions, like observing animals in their natural habitats, if possible, and study them there, or at least let them go, unharmed, after the experiment is completed. Although many groups and individuals are taking the right steps to put an end to this epidemic, not everyone likes to play by the rules. There have been numerous cases of arson, theft, and animal right activists terrorizing companies that test on animals. In fact, â€Å"fifty-one out of fifty-eight of the incidents of domestic terrorism identified in the FBI’s report Terrorism 2002-2005 were suspected to have been perpetrated by animal rights activists,† claims Smith (2010). â€Å"Which is surprisingly violent for its (animal rights movement) allegedly non-violent goals,† agrees David Michael (2010). Some of the more extreme cases include lighting entire laboratories on fire, death threats, and, in 2007, a researcher’s children being sent HIV-infected needles in the mail. Even PETA is not completely innocent of such acts. In 1995, they donated over $45 000 to the defense funds of Rodney Coronado, who was guilty of burning down a Michigan State laboratory. PETA finds these are â€Å"acceptable crimes†¦when used for the animal cause,† says Alex Pacheco, a co-founder of PETA. They also compared animal cruelty to the Holocaust in one of their many campaigns, to get their message across crystal clear, which offended many members of the public, and therefore raised many eyebrows. I believe that we must find was  to eliminate animal abuse with this ‘militaristic’ component. In conclusion, I believe that, a long time ago, before man first started his evolutionary track, a balance of rights and respect between our kind and the rest of the world’s fauna existed. However, as we evolved, this balance shifted into our favor. We became the dominant exception in the Animal Kingdom, removing inferior species from their homes, either by enslaving or killing them. This behavior is unacceptable, and must be stopped, because of its excessive injustice towards animals. I also believe that organizations like PETA are on the right track. In order to make change, we have to fight for it, but to certain extents. Arson and burglary are deplorable, and will only make the problem even worse. We must deal with these issues in a civilized and organized manner. Burning laboratories simply won’t do. Once these steps are taken, and if we are able to treat animals with the respect and value, we will be able to coexist in harmony with the rest of the Animal Kingdom, and the balance we once had can be restored. Works Cited Michael, D. (2010, July 21st). Animal Spirits. Retrieved July 30th, 2010, from the Book: http://www.tnr.com/book/review/animal-spirits

The New Deal and Its Triumph Essay Example for Free

The New Deal and Its Triumph Essay The New Deal and it’s Triumph The 1930’s were a time of despair, poverty and distress and those who lived during this time believed it would be better to die, than to continue to live this way. When Franklin D. Roosevelt came into office in 1932, the United States was in the most disconsolate moments of the Great Depression. However, he brought with him a promise, a promise to make things better through a series of reforms he was planning on implementing known as the New Deal. In the first one hundred days following his inauguration as president, FDR, had already put into place a variety of programs, all with the goal to briskly improve the lives of those that had been most affected by the Great Depression and boost the economy. Through these programs FDR hoped to create jobs, lower the amount of people living on the streets, and most of all, uplift the spirits of the American people which had taken the biggest hit of all. The New Deal was a success because even though many minorities were overlooked, the overall population was influenced in a significant positive manner through job creation and governmental aid despite having negative effects in other areas of the country. Although the New Deal was an overall success in the United States, a significant amount of the minorities, especially the African Americans and Native Americans were neglected as opposed to the rest of the population. During the Great Depression, 50% of the African American citizens became unemployed, due to the fact that they were the first to be fired, and the last to be hired. Furthermore, many of the programs put into place by the New Deal, by improving the lives of other Americans, would damage and harm those of the African Americans. For example, as the excerpt from the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History online textbook , when the AAA was put into place between 1933-1934, more than 100,000 black workers who made their living as sharecroppers and tenant farmers were forced off the land (document B). When African Americans had a job, such as in the WPA, their working conditions would be incredibly harsh and unmerciful. These men were forced to work under harsh circumstances and if they didn’t they would lose  their job. A WPA foreman in the South being interviewed by a questioner from the Federal Writer’s Project claimed that, â€Å"As a matter of fact they cannot be sick for more than five days in succession. If they are†¦ they are automatically dropped from the rolls† (document H) demonstrating that these workers cannot afford to be sick if they want to be able to maintain their jobs. Additionally, even though the Black Cabinet was formed during these years, no civil rights reforms became law during the 1930 since the New Deal had no intention of working towards the civil rights movement. Another minority that was significantly overlooked and even negatively impacted was the Native Americans. As Document G mentions, â€Å"Many Indian problems remain unresolved, but every one has been addressed†. Sometimes, by addressing these problems, the government would actually hurt the Native Americans. For example, the Navajo Reduction Program forced hundreds of Indians to kill or sell thousands of their sheep and other forms of livestock; therefore raising the tension between the Native Americans and the government. The New Deal, even though it helped and lessened the economic problems throughout the country, actually weakened the situation of many minorities such as the African Americans and the Native Americans. The overall population of the United States was significantly enhanced by a number of the programs put into place by FDR through the New Deal. Roosevelt made the purpose of these programs and what he intended to do with them clear through he Fire Side Chats. For example, in one of these many chats, he claims, that â€Å"First, we are giving opportunity of employment to one-quarter of a million of the unemployed, especially the young men, to go into forestry and flood prevention work (document B) † He planned to do this through programs he implemented a short time after such as the CCC and WPA, which gave jobs to young men all over the country, whether they were skilled or not. Slowly, the effect became clear not only in the amount of young men with jobs, but also in the overall attitudes of those in America, which had begun to lose hope. As George Dobbin, he declares that â€Å"It’s the first time in my recollection that a President ever got up and said, ‘Iâ€⠄¢m interested in and aim to do somethin’ for the workin’ man (Document C)† Norman Thomas would have agreed with this whole heartedly since one of this main  objectives was to try and support the industrial worker and to improve their conditions. The results of these programs being put into place were obvious, as unemployment statistics were brought to light. In only two years, the unemployment rate had gone down from 20.6 % to a 14.2% (document E). These percentages strongly supported the idea that the New Deal programs were helping boost the country’s economy once more. Finally, many of these programs brought assistance to other areas of living. For example, the WPA brought hot lunches to schoolchildren and would serve 500,000 meals a day (document D). This made it possible for many children, living in detrimental conditions, to eat at least one nutritional meal a day. Huey Long, a past governor of Louisiana, would have agreed with this hot-lunch program due to the fact that he believed in the re-distribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, and in this case the money is being targeted to those of more humble background. Many programs put into place by FDR such as the CCC and the WPA significantly improved the wa y of life of hundreds of Americans. Eventually, even though the New Deal brought with it a lot of progress and improved life conditions, there were some areas of every day life it was not able to amend completely. One of these was the spirit of the American people. Songs such as â€Å"No Depression in Heaven† performed by the Carter Family showed the true feelings of those that were still struggling to survive. Lyrics such as â€Å"out here the hearts of men are failing† or â€Å"no orphan children crying for bread, no weeping widows toil or struggle, no shrouds, no coffins, and no dead (document E)† demonstrated how desperate and disconsolate many of the people are still and how they feel that it would be better to die, than to continue to live this way. Other negative impacts of the New Deal on the United States was the continuous discrimination towards woman and the fact that they were paid lower wages by many of the programs put into place such as the WPA or the PWA. Additionally Alden Stevens mentions that, â€Å"the New Deal Indian administration is neither as successful as its publicity says it is,† (document G) showing how improvements were not made in all areas of life in the United States. Furthermore, programs such as the TVA destroyed the environment by flooding hundreds of acres of land in order to build dams and reservoirs. The New Deal did not bring with it only positive effects towards the country. It had  negative connotations as well, those which could be observed in different, minor aspects of every day life. When FDR put into place the New Deal, he had three goals in mind. These were reform, recovery and reconstruction. He pretended to do this through various programs he implemented right away, which included the CCC, the WPA, the SSA, and much more. Slowly the effects of these programs began to be seen all over the country and the overall response was that yes, this program was working. People stopped living on the streets and began working, those who had lost everything now had insurance, and unskilled workers were now learning skills they needed in order to get a job. Even though many minorities were overlooked, and not all aspects of life in America were improved, the general impact of the New Deal was a positive one. Therefore, the New Deal was a success, because through this Roosevelt was able to create jobs and provide governmental aid, despite having slight negative effects in other areas of the country.

Analysis Of The Indian Hotel Company Limited

Analysis Of The Indian Hotel Company Limited The Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) is an Indian based Hospitality Company which provides accommodation services in four different market segments globally. The company has its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is listed in Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Company strategies The growth strategy of the company is to operate 20,000 rooms from the current 14,000, in 25 major destinations around the world. They target on a group turnover of US$ 2 billion, from which 33% would be from international operations by 2012. Company operations The company portfolio comprises of 4 brands; The Taj hotels which concentrates on luxury market, The Vivanta which is upper upscale, The Gateway hotels which is upscale and Ginger their budget hotels. The company operates Indias only wildlife lodges called Taj safaris in joint venture with CC Africa. Company Background The Indian hotel company limited (IHCL) was established in 1902 by Mr Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata. In 1903 the first hotel Taj Mahal Palace was opened in Mumbai. The year 1974 saw an expansion of the company by opening its second property at Goa and went on adding properties at a rapid rate fuelled by the Tourism growth in India. Till date it has added 104 properties across the globe to its portfolio. The company is listed on Bombay stock exchange (BSE).Tata sons limited which is the parent company holds 28.5% equity capital in IHCL. Parent Company The Tata Sons limited was founded in 1868 by Jamsetji Tata. It has its presence in various sectors such as Steel, Automobiles, Information technology, Communication, Power and Tea. It operates in more than 85 countries across 6 continents. It has a group turnover of over Rs.124, 970 crores ($24.5 bn). It accounts for nearly 6% of the total market capitalisation of Bombay Stock exchange (BSE). Stakeholders Shareholders Key people Mr. Ratan Tata: Chairman of Tata sons Limited He became the chairman of the Tata sons in the year 1981 which is the largest Indian conglomerate. The group comprises of companies namely Tata motors, Tata steel, IHCL, Tata consultancy services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata tea, and Tata Telecom. He graduated from Cornell University in architectural and structural engineering and joined the company in the year 1962. In 1971 he was appointed as the director in charge of NELCO which was in strong financial crisis. His risk taking capability and vision made him the successor of JRD Tata. Tata sons under his leadership made a number of acquisitions such as Chorus steel, Jaguar motors and Land Rover. This made the companys presence in global market. Mr. Raymond.N.Bickson : MD and CEO of IHCL He joined IHCL in the year 2003 as chief operating officer of the luxury segment. In the same year he assumed the responsibility of MD and CEO of the company. He carries more than 30 years of international hospitality management experience. Prior to IHCL he worked nearly 15 years as a vice president and general manager for The Rafael group. An American national, Mr. Bickson attended the École Hà ´telià ¨re Lausanne in Switzerland and Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. He is an active member of Leading hotels of the world and World travel tourism council. During his tenure, IHCL went through rapid expansion by acquisitions, managing contracts and joint ventures at domestic as well as international market. Mr. Anil P Goel : Executive Director Finance He overlooks the Taj Groups Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, Purchase and Legal Secretarial function. He is a non-executive director for Taj GVK limited. Mr. Abhijit Mukerji : Executive Director Hotel Operations He oversees hotel operations of the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces which include Taj Luxury Hotels India and International, Taj Business Hotels, Taj Leisure Hotels, Taj Spas, Taj Trade and Transport and Indi travels. Mr. Ajoy K. Misra : Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing He represents Taj in industry organizations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTC II), World Tourism Organisation (WTO), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He served as General Manager of the Taj President in Mumbai and Area Director in the Sri Lanka and Maldives region. Mr. Prakash V. Shukla: Sr. Vice President, Technology and Chief Information Officer. He is currently responsible for total IT deployments at the Taj Group and is on MDs management committee. Mr. H.N. Shrinivas: Sr. Vice President Human Resources Mr. Shrinivas has worked for 18 years with the Taj in Human Resources, Learning Development and Business Excellence functions. He holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the National Institute of Social Sciences, Bangalore, and a Masters in Industrial Law from Bangalore University. Mr. Veer Vijay Singh : Chief Operating Officer Upper Upscale Hotels He is responsible for the Operations and Overall Performance of 36 hotels in 26 locations spread across seven countries under upper upscale category. He graduated from IHMCTN, New Delhi and had the opportunity to enhance his skills by attending training programmes conducted by Cornell University Singapore, INSEAD Harvard. Ms Jyoti Narang : Chief Operating Officer Luxury Division Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces She is responsible for the overall development and operations of the luxury category hotels. When she was the Chief Operating officer for the upper upscale division, she was instrumental in pioneering the launch of Taj Safaris which is a unique concept that offers adventure tourist a distinctive wildlife experience. In 2008, Ms.Jyoti was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of The Gateway Hotels, the new upscale brand of the group, and was involved in developing the concept and launching the brand. Mr. P.K.Mohankumar : Chief Operating Officer Gateway Brand Mr. P. K. Mohankumar has over 35 years of experience in hotel operations with the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palace. He is an alumnus of Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and has participated in several senior leadership workshops conducted by Harvard Business School, Michigan University, USA, Cornell University, Singapore and IIM, Ahmedabad. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gateway hotels, and is responsible for the operations and performance of 19 properties in India. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3hid=102sid=ce8939c4-8df1-4962-9afe-f373f4140a95%40sessionmgr112 accessed on 23 Nov Sustainable Tourism EARTH (Environment Awareness Renewal at Taj Hotels) The EARTH program was launched in August 2008, put forward to reduce the impact of the Hotel groups daily operations on the environment. EARTH programme has received certification from Green Globe. Currently 55 properties under IHCL are certified and the company is looking forward to put all the hotels under the certification by 2009-2010. The company focus on improving energy efficiencies, water management, solid waste management which helps to reduce the strong impact on environment. Porters five forces Competition plays a major role in todays world. Competition can have both beneficial and unfavourable effects. Competition for profits goes beyond established market rivals to include four other forces as well. They are Customers, Suppliers, New Entrants, and Substitute products. To understand industry competition and profitability, we must analyse the industrys structure in terms of the five forces. Threat of new entrants: New entrants can put pressure on prices, costs, and the rate of investment necessary to compete. Due to globalisation and rapid economic growth of Indian market a favourable market has emerged for International hotel chains. Hotel chains like Four seasons, Marriott International Inc., Starwood Hotels and Accor Hotels have recently came up with projects across India. New International hotels such as Shangri la, Mandarin, Movenpick and Ritz Carlton are in pipeline. Entry of non-hospitality companies into hotel sector can be a threat; such as Reliance Industries. Due to dilution in the market the profitability of IHCL can be at stake. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers have more power if they have the monopoly or do not depend heavily on the industry for its revenues. As hospitality industry is hugely labour oriented, their trade unions and labour suppliers are powerful. As hotels chains are looking for rapid expansions and prime properties, the power of property owners is high. Inbound tour operators are having an upper hand as they provide huge volume of business to the hotels. Infrastructure suppliers have moderate power over the company. Bargaining power of buyers: Powerful customers demand more value by forcing down prices for better quality and more services. This results in higher operating costs thereby bringing down profitability. Corporate clients due to their huge volumes have negotiated rates. Company had to come up with loyalty programme for retaining customers which incurs costs. The threat of substitutes: A substitute does the same or a similar function as an industrys product by a different means. The threat of a substitute is high when it offers an attractive price and service to the similar industrys product. Luxury serviced apartments, camping and lodges are in demand. The Governments introduction of bed and breakfast hotels can really be a threat. Web 2 which enables video conferencing is an emerging product which can be a threat to MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Events) Rivalry among existing competitors: Rivalry among hotel chains results in discounting of price, new product launch, advertising campaigns, and improvement in service. If there is high rivalry the profitability of the company can be affected. The hotel products are highly perishable, which creates an urge to cut prices and sell the inventory below its profitable rate to cover the fixed cost. Internal environment of the company: The internal environment of the company can be divided into two types they are Tangible and Intangible resources. Tangible resources include assets which can be seen and felt, like physical properties, Yachts, Flights, and other fixed assets which spread around 5 continents. The intangible resources are the one which cannot be seen or felt but play a major role in the business like the brand value, Leadership style, Human resource etc. IHCL being the subsidiary company of Tata Sons Limited, which has a company background since 1868. IHCL itself operates in hospitality sector in India for last 108 years, and have the market share of 22% in India shows the brand value of the company. In terms of leadership style the company has a style of innovations and pioneer of Luxury property and wild life lodges (Joint venture with CC Africa) and budget hotel chains (Ginger Hotels), Spa resorts and properties in India. The human resources in the company is around 20,000, which includes permanent staff, Fixed term contract workers and other Executives and Corporate staff. The company has various staff development program such as TMTP (Taj Management Training Program) SPEED PLUS, HOMT for standardization of operations throughout the company. External Environment: It can also be called as Operating environment. Factors which influence organizations opportunities and risks; such as conditions, entities and events consists of its external environment. PEST Analysis Political: Political instability in some parts of India made foreign investors cautious; in turn brought down investment from abroad and business travel. Due to the recent terror attacks on hotels in Mumbai, there has been a drastic drop in tourists arrivals. Most of the Embassies have send travel advisory regarding African and Asian countries which has reflected tourist inflow. As Government of India has reduced the tariffs and duties on various items, trade relations have improved. It encouraged travel and trade which resulted in growth of hotel industry. The Ministry of external affairs has implemented visa on arrival for several countries in an effort to promote tourism. The government has released a five-year tax holiday to promote the growth of new hotels. External Commercial Borrowings have been eased by the Ministry to elucidate the problem of liquidity being encountered by the hotel industry due to economic slowdown. The Ministry of Home Affairs has agreed to grant Long Term Tourist Vi sa of 5 years duration with Multi-entry facilities carrying a condition of 90 days on each visit to the nationals of the following 18 countries which are France, Iceland, Germany, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Argentina, Finland, Brazil, Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Mexico, Norway, and Vietnam on request of tourism ministry. Economical: Early 1990s saw economic liberalization which led to a boom in the hospitality industry. The Government has allowed Foreign direct investment and Foreign institutional investment; which favours business travel. Compared to other South East Asian countries; tax structure in India is very high. Inadequate infrastructure facilities like Airports, Communication facilities and commuting facilities is a challenge for the Tourism sector. The effect of recession is causing serious problems for many hotels especially luxury hotels in particular. Hotels in certain global markets, mainly those operate in leisure sector, are less affected. All geographies are not equally affected by recession.(have to include graph from the site quoted in link , leading hotels of the world) Social: Indian customers are highly sensitive to price. A lot of them tend to compare services offered with price. Hoteliers face a challenge to design price strategy in each sector. There is a conflict between local community and hotels on space availability especially at beach destinations. The company has got an advantage of worlds largest concentration of young educated work force and thus decreasing the labour costs. Two religious communities being Hindus and Muslims have religious sentiments towards beef and pork which is consumed by foreign tourists. This raises conflicts between the organization and religious groups. Large scale tourism operation results in environmental pollution and an increase in carbon emission. Technological: The launch of E-commerce has revolutionized the hotel sector by reducing cost and increasing functionality. The introduction of Global Distribution System allows customers to access current time availability of products. The growing influence of video conferencing has got negative impact on MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events) division. It is possible to get critical information on clients and products while away from desk due to wireless technology. This has improved customer relationships, saved time and increased revenue and profit. Indian Tourism Scenario Despite a drop in FTAs in India due to economic slowdown, domestic tourism has showed an impressive growth of 15.5 % in the year 2009.Domestic tourism supported the industry during unfavourable condition. Indias performance in tourism sector has been remarkable. During the period 1997 to 2009, India perceived an increase in the Foreign Tourist Arrivals from 2.37 million to 5.11 million. Because of global slowdown, terrorist activities and H1N1 influenza, growth rate in FTAs during 2009 fell by 3.3 per cent. The global tourism fell by 4.3 per cent. The plummet in India was less than that of the scale of global slowdown. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism increased from Rs. 10511 crore in 1997 to Rs. 54,960 crore in 2009. The growth rate in earnings in 2009 vis-a-vis 2008 was 8.3 per cent. The percentage share of India in International tourism receipts has nearly doubled in past 12 years. Solutions: The Company has got only insignificant investments at political instable locations. To prevent future security threat the company has sought advice of security experts and invested heavily on improving security infrastructure. To reduce the conflict between local community the company has come up with corporate social responsibility. For instance the company works closely with NGOs to develop and train underprivileged housewives to earn their livelihood. The company tries to promote Indian culture by encouraging local artisans and craftsmen. This helps the local community in broadening their own outlook. Foreseeing sustainable tourism IHCL has come up with EARTH initiative to reinstate its vision and to preserve nature. To overcome the revenue loss due to video conferencing the company came up with new strategy of marketing in- house video conferencing facilities for corporate clients. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths IHCL has a very dominant position in Indian hospitality industry with largest distribution of hotels around the country. Its key advantage is the established Taj brand name. It has got a much diversified hotel and brand portfolio catering to different market segments which helps in capturing wider customer base. The company has got sales and marketing reach globally. The parent company being Tata sons limited which is one of the largest companies in India is an added advantage. Their presence in every segment namely luxury, upper upscale, upscale and budget allows more flexibility and stability. They have a well-diversified business model of subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures and management contracts which help in reducing risk and fuels faster growth. This asset light policy will help in revenue stability during economic turndown. Presently 45% of IHCL hotels are operated through joint-ventures, 40% are management contracts and 15% are owned in part or full by IHCL. Source: Adapted from HotelierIndia Nov 2010, Press Release The company has introduced a strong loyalty programme which helps in retaining customers. The companys alliances and partnerships have helped it in entering into new markets such as wildlife lodges and air catering. They have the advantage of very strong corporate purchase chain whereby they can considerably reduce raw material cost. As the parent company is present in the production of FMCGs they are able to procure items in a much competitive price. The company even have introduced loyalty programmes in conjunction with all leading airline companies. Weakness The less established brand name of the company in international scene can be viewed as a weakness. Nearly 75% of the companys income is generated by domestic operation resulting greater dependency on Indian market. In domestic market even though company has its presence in more than 15 states; 66% of their revenue and nearly 90% of profits come from top six hotels in four cities. Even slight fluctuation in the countrys economy can affect profitability. The high dependency on higher-end luxury market can also be viewed as a weakness. Nearly 54% of the revenue is generated by these properties. Comparative size in line with international chains and insignificant international presence is a setback. The hotel industry in India is heavily staffed. In spite of international average 1:1 in India it stands at 2.1:1. Investments in acquiring international hotels have resulted in huge debt for the company. Opportunities Rapid growth in inbound and domestic tourism is a great opportunity for the company. Domestic tourism is growing at a phenomenal rate of 15.5% annually. Growing demand for budget and mid-segment hotels due to the growth of Indian middle class can be viewed as an opportunity. Healthy salary increases in corporate world is expected to create demand for leisure tourism. Launch of incredible India in both domestic and international market to promote destinations can be a boost in business. The introduction of medical visa may promote more volume and extended stay in all key destinations. The companys entry into new markets such as wildlife lodges, luxury residences, and spas will create new growth prospectus. Budget airlines now have connectivity across the country with competitive rates and attractive offers which will inspire domestic tourism. Increased business opportunities in India again have paved path for growth of conference and event tourism. Threats Growing presence of international hotel chains such as Marriot international, The Four seasons, Accor group, Shangri-La, Dreams resorts and spas etc. can be considered as growing threat to the company. The expansion plans of Indian hotel chains like ITC India limited, The Leela group, The East India Hotel Company and The Lalit may affect the market share of the company. Due to the arrival of international airline operators and affordable international travel, there has been massive growth of outbound tourism mainly to south East Asia, Europe and Australia. This has increased risk for domestic leisure segment. Due the companys portfolio of foreign currency debts, it is vulnerable to fluctuations in currency and interest rate risks. The debt equity ratio of the company shows drastic hike from the previous years which can really be a threat . Source: Adapted from Annual Reports Debt to equity ratio indicates how the firm finances its operations with debt relative to the book value of its shareholders equity (Fabozzi and Drake 2009 pp80). This indicates the comparison of equity and debt the company is using to back its assets. If the ratio is high then the company is said to be chancy as it is financed more by with debts and it might become even worse if the interest rates are high. The company stands at a threat as the debt equity ratio shows a trend of escalation from .52 to .99 within a span of 4 years. Strengths and Opportunities Due the companys presence across the country in different market segments it can capitalize the growth of domestic tourism. As the company has a well-established budget and mid-market segment hotels, it can benefit from the growing spending power of Indian middle class. Only IHCL has presence in wildlife lodge segment which shows growing demand every year. Loyalty programmes in tie-up with leading airline companies have resulted in greater exploitation of tourism growth in India. Companys entry into wellness tourism by establishing Spas in its existing properties can milk governments plan to issue medical visa. Strengths and Threats By virtue of the companys loyalty programmes and corporate tie-ups they would be able to hold to their market, even though new international players could stand a threat. IHCL have huge expansion plans in answer to other domestic hotel chains. By their plans to expand internationally it can lower the risk of outbound tourism. Weakness and opportunities Since domestic travel became cost effective, domestic leisure tourism turned robust and distributed, consequently reducing risk of concentration of revenue from key city hotels. Weakness and Threats To oppose the dependence on high end luxury market, the company has entered into budget segment which is stable comparing to the later. The company have international expansion plans other than existing properties outside India so that it will be resistant to domestic economic fluctuations. Diversification The IHCL has diversified its operation in hospitality sector from the hotel operation to other sectors like Air catering, Spa operations, Wild life lodges, Yachts, Charted Flights and Taj Khazana. TajAir TajAir is a charter flight operating company owned by IHCL, the subsidiary company of Tata Sons Limited4 pioneer aviation operator in India. TajAir at present owns 3 Air crafts which can be chartered by guests for domestic and international air travel. Ginger Hotels The Ginger Hotels are self-service budget hotels operated by IHCL which targets mid-market sector. Spas Jiva Spas the subsidiary of IHCL which operates at more than 25 Taj hotels at 20 different destinations which offers different rejuvenating treatments and massages. Taj SATS Taj SATS is an air catering division of IHCL in collaboration with Singapore Air Terminals which caterers to domestic and international flights operating from 6 different cities. Taj Safari Taj Safari is a wild life lodge which operates in collaboration with CC Africa which is one of its kinds in India. Taj Khazana Taj Khazana is a signature boutique store of Indian handicraft, Jewellery and garments which operates at selected IHCL properties. Current Situation The Company has decided to raise Rupees 850 crores by issuing shares and warrants to the promoter company Tata Sons Ltd to fuel its rapid expansion plans. Since the market is strong now the company has decided to raise its room tariffs by 10-15 percent. The company announced the roll-over of 19 hotels under its new brand Vivanta by Taj Hotels and Resorts. The introduction of Vivanta which is a brand architectural exercise by the company will be slotted in the 5-star upper upscale segment in the Indian hospitality industry. To exploit the on-going spree by Indian households on food and beverage spending, the company has rolled out several new FB outlets in collaboration with world renowned chefs and restaurateurs. To meet the current demands, they have invested a major share in Serviced Apartments, Wildlife lodges and Spas. To achieve their goal of generating 33 per cent of total revenue from international operations, they are engaged in Management contracts and Joint venture oversees. To capitalize the high demand of mid-market segment, IHCL has unveiled more than 20 budget hotels across India named Ginger Hotels In order to recover the loss of revenue due to the dip of tourism in India, the company has gone into a new strategy of putting hold on salary hike and the incentive for the executives and freeze new recruitment in the company and predicts a profit of 15 cr.

Death Of Christ Essay -- essays research papers

The Death of Christ EXAMINATION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose to look into Jesus death and the people who were involved in it. The first group of people who got hold of Jesus was the Roman soldiers. They were probably the most innocent in the whole thing. Granted they did perform the actual act of crucifying Christ, but it was because of the order that Pilate gave them. As I looked into crucifixion and how it started I found that before Jesus was crucified, more than 30,000 men, in Israel alone, had already been crucified. It all started by this guy named Ormazd from Persia. He thought that the earth was sacred, so he did not want to defile the earth by killing criminals on it so he put them on a large pole and left them there to die. After Pilate gave the order to crucify Christ the soldiers took him. The part of their wickedness was not the act of crucifying Christ, it was by what they did to Jesus before they crucified him. The scripture says in Matthew 27, that the soldiers, â€Å"gathered a full Roman cohort around Him.† I looked into what a â€Å"full Roman cohort† was. It seems that a total of 600 soldiers make up a full Roman cohort. I also learned that Jewish people were given the right not to be in the Roman military. I also fount out the cohort was traveling around with the governor as a military escort. Because of that it is pretty safe to say they never heard of Jesus, other than the fact that He was being crucified because he was claiming to be some sort of king.. The soldiers knew that he claimed to be a king so they stripped him down and put a scarlet robe on him. Next they took thorns and thistles and weaved a crown together and put it on Jesus head. My understanding is that Caesar wore a wreath on his head and the soldiers were mimicking Him. As they put the crown of thorns on Jesus head blood ran down on Jesus face, which made him even more unrecognizable. The final piece of dress that the soldiers put on Jesus was a reed in his right hand. The way John MacAuthur, Jr. explained the reed was that it was to represent royalty, authority, and power. After giving Jesus the reed the soldiers were making fun of Jesus by getting on their knees and pretending to worship Him. They then took the reed from his hand and beat Jesus on the head with it while they were saying this like, â€Å"Look how easy we strip you of your power and authori... ...sense? My next biggest thing would be the knowledge of what is wrong but giving into the flesh. I guess that would be what the people standing around the cross were doing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It might seem a little weird but I kind of want to be like the Pharisees. Not what they did but what they know. This paper has pushed me just a little closer to that and I’m pretty happy with the outcome and cant wait until I can use what I have now learned in real life. Douglas, J.D. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Publisher House,1978 MacArthur, John The MacArthur New Testiment Commentary Library of Congress in Publication Data, 1989 Tenney, Merrill C. The Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible Zondervan Publishing House, Douglas, J.D. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary Part 2 Inter-Varsity Press, Cross, F.L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Oxford University Press, 1968 Green, Joel B. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels Inter Varsity Press, Bible translations used: NIV, The Message, New Living, and New American Standard The Death of Christ Death Of Christ Essay -- essays research papers The Death of Christ EXAMINATION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose to look into Jesus death and the people who were involved in it. The first group of people who got hold of Jesus was the Roman soldiers. They were probably the most innocent in the whole thing. Granted they did perform the actual act of crucifying Christ, but it was because of the order that Pilate gave them. As I looked into crucifixion and how it started I found that before Jesus was crucified, more than 30,000 men, in Israel alone, had already been crucified. It all started by this guy named Ormazd from Persia. He thought that the earth was sacred, so he did not want to defile the earth by killing criminals on it so he put them on a large pole and left them there to die. After Pilate gave the order to crucify Christ the soldiers took him. The part of their wickedness was not the act of crucifying Christ, it was by what they did to Jesus before they crucified him. The scripture says in Matthew 27, that the soldiers, â€Å"gathered a full Roman cohort around Him.† I looked into what a â€Å"full Roman cohort† was. It seems that a total of 600 soldiers make up a full Roman cohort. I also learned that Jewish people were given the right not to be in the Roman military. I also fount out the cohort was traveling around with the governor as a military escort. Because of that it is pretty safe to say they never heard of Jesus, other than the fact that He was being crucified because he was claiming to be some sort of king.. The soldiers knew that he claimed to be a king so they stripped him down and put a scarlet robe on him. Next they took thorns and thistles and weaved a crown together and put it on Jesus head. My understanding is that Caesar wore a wreath on his head and the soldiers were mimicking Him. As they put the crown of thorns on Jesus head blood ran down on Jesus face, which made him even more unrecognizable. The final piece of dress that the soldiers put on Jesus was a reed in his right hand. The way John MacAuthur, Jr. explained the reed was that it was to represent royalty, authority, and power. After giving Jesus the reed the soldiers were making fun of Jesus by getting on their knees and pretending to worship Him. They then took the reed from his hand and beat Jesus on the head with it while they were saying this like, â€Å"Look how easy we strip you of your power and authori... ...sense? My next biggest thing would be the knowledge of what is wrong but giving into the flesh. I guess that would be what the people standing around the cross were doing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It might seem a little weird but I kind of want to be like the Pharisees. Not what they did but what they know. This paper has pushed me just a little closer to that and I’m pretty happy with the outcome and cant wait until I can use what I have now learned in real life. Douglas, J.D. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Publisher House,1978 MacArthur, John The MacArthur New Testiment Commentary Library of Congress in Publication Data, 1989 Tenney, Merrill C. The Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible Zondervan Publishing House, Douglas, J.D. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary Part 2 Inter-Varsity Press, Cross, F.L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Oxford University Press, 1968 Green, Joel B. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels Inter Varsity Press, Bible translations used: NIV, The Message, New Living, and New American Standard The Death of Christ

An Analysis of Elizabeth Bishops 12 OClock News Essay -- 12 O Clock

An Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop's 12 O'Clock News In â€Å"12 O’Clock News,† Elizabeth Bishop accentuates the difficulty involved in perceiving the â€Å"truth.† She utilizes a technique of constructing an exotic world out of objects that can be found in a newsroom. By defamiliarizing a newsroom, she questions our trust in what we perceive. Is it truly a journey to another world or just another perspective on something we are already familiar with? The intent of this transformation is to create a substitute for reality, analogous to the substitute reality which the media presents to us each day as its product, the â€Å"news.† The news media are capable of creating a world beyond what we see everyday, presenting us with what appears to be the truth about cultures we will never encounter firsthand. Bishop’s manipulation of a newsroom parallels the way the media distorts our perception of the world, and by doing so questions our ability to find our way out of this fog which is â€Å"reality.† By choosing the newsroom to manipulate in â€Å"12 O’Clock News,† Bishop draws attention to the relationship between the news and the public. Bishop never directly admits that it is a newsroom with which she has defamiliarized us. One indication of the setting being a newsroom is the format in which she presents the information. Along the left margin, Bishop includes a title or subject matter for each stanza, similar to the inclusion of a headline for each news story. These titles serve as clues to the reality of what she is presenting, allowing or urging us to relate the two or to keep in mind that although the objects she presents seem foreign, they are actually common and known to us. Comparing the two creates a clouding of perception; although the truth or... ...ndition of society. It is also somewhat optimistic since Bishop refers to the soldiers as â€Å"our opponents† or what we do not want to become. This alludes to the war that we must fight against ourselves to discern our path through the cloudy air that surrounds us. As much as we would like to believe this optimism, even that is unclear because Bishop delivers the entire poem with such skepticism that the words cannot be taken at face value. Is it possible to have a â€Å"superior vantage point,† or is this too optimistic? This â€Å"superior vantage point† could also be an admittance that Bishop herself is acting as the new media, throwing everything perceived throughout the poem into further question and cloudiness, leaving everything uncertain and up to us to elucidate. Work Cited * Elizabeth Bishop, â€Å"12 O’Clock News,† in Geography III (New York: Noonday Press, 1988).

The Doctrine of the Indefinite Terms in the Ancient Commentators of Aristotle :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

The Doctrine of the Indefinite Terms in the Ancient Commentators of Aristotle ABSTRACT: The ancient commentaries on Aristotle's Peri Hermeneias (De Interpretatione) give us important elements to understand more clearly some difficult passages of this treatise. In the case of the indefinite names and verbs (i.e. 'not-man', and 'does not recover', respectively), these commentaries reveal a doctrine which explains not only the nature of the indefinites, but also why Aristotle introduces these kinds of term in Peri Hermeneias. The coherence and explanatory capacity of this doctrine is entirely absent in modern exegesis of Peri Hermeneias. This fact has important implications: it can make us to think whether there will be another topics in which the ancient commentators are still indispensable to understand Aristotle. It can also make us to think to what extent a profounder reflection of the ancient commentators can modify our idea of Aristotle and the ancient world. I. The labour of translation of and comment on the ancient interpreters of Aristotle, which in our days have been edited by Professor R. Sorabji,(1) has put modern readers in contact with new dimensions of Aristotle's thought. In these ancient commentaries, many of the traditional and well-known doctrines of Aristotle find not only theoretical basis, but also a number of obscure and condensed texts reach an important and valuable elucidation and explanation. The subject-matter that I would like to discuss today is a sample of how these commentators can still contribute to understand Aristotle. I would like to warn, however, that the theme of the indefinite terms is especially illustrative of what I indicate, for the modern comments on this topic have been made without a profounder consideration of the ancient teaching. In my opinion, however, a more reliable and complete explanation about this difficult subject is to be found in the analysis of the ancient view. II. The commentaries of Boethius(2) and Ammonius son of Hermeias(3) contain in a slightly different manner the ancient doctrine of indefinite names and verbs. They explain some questions whose answers are not evident in Aristotle's Peri Hermeneias (= PeriH.):(4) namely, (i) why does Aristotle introduce indefinite names and verbs after defining name and verb? I.e. Why does Aristotle consider adequate to define expressions like 'not-man', 'does not recover', etc., once he has defined 'man' and 'recovers' as name and verb respectively? Even more, (ii) why does Aristotle in Chapter 10 of PeriH. leave indefinite verbs aside and introduces only indefinite names in simple (= categorical) propositions?

Best Practices & Most effective strategies for Curriculum Design in K-12 education in America Essay

Curriculum is a plan for learning that includes targeting a student population, conducting a needs assessment, and writing a mission statement. It includes developing goals, objectives, content, teaching strategies, and assessment tools. Alignment is critical in curriculum development from purpose and philosophy, to goals and objectives, to content and activities, and to assessment and evaluation. Working through a process of asking and answering who, what, where, why, when, how questions is essential in designing and developing curriculum. A curriculum serves several purposes that include: †¢ Explicit statements of ideology underlying the instruction (why are you teaching it, and why is the teaching the way it is? †¢ General long-term aims (what are students intended to gain from following the course? †¢ Specific, testable, short-term objectives (what will they be able to do as a result of following the course? ) †¢ Resources to be used (what is needed to deliver the course? ) †¢ The delivery methods to be employed (how is it to be taught? ) †¢ Timing of the units and their sequencing (when is it to be taught and in what order? ) †¢ Assessment procedures and the balance of assessments to be made (how, when and why will it be examined? ) †¢ A methodology for evaluating how well the course has been received (how will instructor acquire feedback from the students about the course? ). K-12 education is defined as educational technology in United States, Canada and other countries for publicly supported grades prior to college. The K stands for kindergarten and 12 denotes 1st to 12th grade before the 13th that is the first year of college. Curricular Theory and Theorists The word curriculum has its origins in the running/chariot tracks of Greece. It was, literally, a course. In Latin curriculum was a racing chariot; currere was to run. A useful starting point for us here might be the definition offered by John Kerr and taken up by Vic Kelly in his standard work on the subject. Kerr defines curriculum as, ‘All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school. [1] This gives us some basis to move on. For the moment all we need to do is highlight two of the key features: †¢ Learning is planned and guided. We have to specify in advance what we are seeking to achieve and how we are to go about it. †¢ The definition refers to schooling. We should recognize that our current appreciation of curriculum theory and practice emerged in the school and in relation to other schooling ideas such as subject and lesson. In what follows we are going to look at four ways of approaching curriculum theory and practice: †¢ Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted. †¢ Curriculum as an attempt to achieve certain ends in students – product. †¢ Curriculum as process. †¢ Curriculum as praxis. Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted Many people still equate a curriculum with a syllabus. Syllabus, naturally, originates from the Greek. Basically it means a concise statement or table of the heads of a discourse, the contents of a treatise, the subjects of a series of lectures. In the form that many of us will have been familiar with it is connected with courses leading to examinations. For example, when teachers talk of the syllabus associated with, say, the Cambridge GSCE exam. What we can see in such documents is a series of headings with some additional notes which set out the areas that may be examined. A syllabus will not generally indicate the relative importance of its topics or the order in which they are to be studied. Those who compile a syllabus tend to follow the traditional textbook approach of an ‘order of contents’, or a pattern prescribed by a ‘logical’ approach to the subject, or the shape of a university course in which they may have participated. Thus, an approach to curriculum theory and practice which focuses on syllabus is only really concerned with content. Curriculum is a body of knowledge-content and/or subjects. Education in this sense is the process by which these are transmitted or ‘delivered’ to students by the most effective methods that can be devised [3]. Where people still equate curriculum with a syllabus they are likely to limit their planning to a consideration of the content or the body of knowledge that they wish to transmit. ‘It is also because this view of curriculum has been adopted that many teachers in primary schools, have regarded issues of curriculum as of no concern to them, since they have not regarded their task as being to transmit bodies of knowledge in this manner’. Curriculum as product The dominant modes of describing and managing education are today couched in the productive form. Education is most often seen as a technical exercise. Objectives are set, a plan drawn up, and then applied, and the outcomes (products) measured. In the late 1980s and the 1990s many of the debates about the National Curriculum for schools did not so much concern how the curriculum was thought about as to what its objectives and content might be. It is the work of two American writers Franklin Bobbitt, 1928 and Ralph W. Tyler, 1949 that dominate theory and practice within this tradition. In The Curriculum Bobbitt writes as follows: The central theory is simple. Human life, however varied, consists in the performance of specific activities. Education that prepares for life is one that prepares definitely and adequately for these specific activities. However numerous and diverse they may be for any social class they can be discovered. This requires only that one go out into the world of affairs and discover the particulars of which their affairs consist. These will show the abilities, attitudes, habits, appreciations and forms of knowledge that men need. These will be the objectives of the curriculum. They will be numerous, definite and particularized. The curriculum will then be that series of experiences which children and youth must have by way of obtaining those objectives. This way of thinking about curriculum theory and practice was heavily influenced by the development of management thinking and practice. The rise of ‘scientific management’ is often associated with the name of its main advocate F. W. Taylor. Basically what he proposed was greater division of labor with jobs being simplified; an extension of managerial control over all elements of the workplace; and cost accounting based on systematic time-and-motion study. All three elements were involved in this conception of curriculum theory and practice. For example, one of the attractions of this approach to curriculum theory was that it involved detailed attention to what people needed to know in order to work, live their lives and so on. A familiar, and more restricted, example of this approach can be found in many training programs, where particular tasks or jobs have been analyzed and broken down into their component elements and lists of competencies drawn up. In other words, the curriculum was not to be the result of ‘armchair speculation’ but the product of systematic study. Bobbitt’s work and theory met with mixed responses. As it stands it is a technical exercise. However, it wasn’t criticisms such as this which initially limited the impact of such curriculum theory in the late 1920s and 1930s. Rather, the growing influence of ‘progressive’, child-centred approaches shifted the ground to more romantic notions of education. Bobbitt’s long lists of objectives and his emphasis on order and structure hardly sat comfortably with such forms. The Progressive movement lost much of its momentum in the late 1940s in the United States and from that period the work of Ralph W. Tyler, in particular, has made a lasting impression on curriculum theory and practice. He shared Bobbitt’s emphasis on rationality and relative simplicity. His theory was based on four fundamental questions: 1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain? 2. What educational experience can be provided that is likely to attain these purposes? 3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? 4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? Like Bobbitt he also placed an emphasis on the formulation of behavioural objectives. Since the real purpose of education is not to have the instructor perform certain activities but to bring about significant changes in the students’ pattern of behaviour, it becomes important to recognize that any statements of objectives of the school should be a statement of changes to take place in the students. We can see how these concerns translate into an ordered procedure and is very similar to the technical or productive thinking steps set out below. 1. Diagnosis of need 2. Formulation of objectives 3. Selection of content 4. Organization of content 5. Selection of learning experiences 6. Organization of learning experiences There are a number of issues with this approach to curriculum theory and practice. The first is that the plan or programme assumes great importance. For example, we might look at a more recent definition of curriculum as: ‘A program of activities by teachers designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives [4]. The problem here is that such programmes inevitably exist prior to and outside the learning experiences. This takes much away from learners. They can end up with little or no voice. They are told what they must learn and how they will do it. The success or failure of both the program and the individual learners is judged on the basis of whether pre-specified changes occur in the behaviour and person of the learner. If the plan is tightly adhered to, there can only be limited opportunity for educators to make use of the interactions that occur. It also can deskill educators in another way. For example, a number of curriculum programs, particularly in the USA, have attempted to make the student experience ‘teacher proof’. The logic of this approach is for the curriculum to be designed outside of the classroom or school. Educators then apply programs and are judged by the products of their actions. It turns educators into technicians. Second, there are questions around the nature of objectives. This model is hot on measurability. It implies that behaviour can be objectively, mechanistically measured. There are obvious dangers here: there always has to be some uncertainty about what is being measured. We only have to reflect on questions of success in our work. It is often very difficult to judge what the impact of particular experiences has been. Sometimes it is years after the event that we come to appreciate something of what has happened. For example, most informal educators who have been around a few years will have had the experience of an ex-participant telling them in great detail about how some forgotten event brought about some fundamental change. Yet there is something more. In order to measure, things have to be broken down into smaller and smaller units. The result, as many of you will have experienced, can be long lists of often trivial skills or competencies. This can lead to a focus in this approach to curriculum theory and practice on the parts rather than the whole; on the trivial, rather than the significant. It can lead to an approach to education and assessment which resembles a shopping list. When all the items are ticked, the person has passed the course or has learnt something. The role of overall judgment is somehow sidelined. Third, there is a real problem when we come to examine what educators actually do in the classroom, for example. Much of the research concerning teacher thinking and classroom interaction, and curriculum innovation has pointed to the lack of impact on actual pedagogic practice of objectives. One way of viewing this is that teachers simply get it wrong as they do not work with objectives. The difficulties that educators experience with objectives in the classroom may point to something inherently wrong with the approach, that it is not grounded in the study of educational exchanges. It is a model of curriculum theory and practice largely imported from technological and industrial settings. Fourth, there is the problem of unanticipated results. The focus on pre-specified goals may lead both educators and learners to overlook learning that is occurring as a result of their interactions, but which is not listed as an objective. The apparent simplicity and rationality of this approach to curriculum theory and practice, and the way in which it mimics industrial management have been powerful factors in its success. A further appeal has been the ability of academics to use the model to attack teachers. There is a tendency, recurrent enough to suggest that it may be endemic in the approach, for academics in education to use the objectives model as a stick with which to beat teachers. ‘What are your objectives? ‘ is more often asked in a tone of challenge than one of interested and helpful inquiry. The demand for objectives is a demand for justification rather than a description of ends. It is not about curriculum design, but rather an expression of irritation in the problems of accountability in education. [5] Curriculum as process We have seen that the curriculum as product model is heavily dependent on the setting of behavioural objectives. The curriculum, essentially, is a set of documents for implementation. Another way of looking at curriculum theory and practice is via process. In this sense curriculum is not a physical thing, but rather the interaction of teachers, students and knowledge. In other words, curriculum is what actually happens in the classroom and what people do to prepare and evaluate. What we have in this model is a number of elements in constant interaction. It is an active process and links with the practical form of reasoning set out by Aristotle, which is as follows: Teachers enter particular schooling and situations with an ability to think critically in action and with an understanding of their role and the expectations others have of them, and a proposal for action which sets out essential principles and features of the educational encounter. Guided by these, they encourage conversations between, and with, people in the situation out of which may become thinking and action. They continually evaluate the process and what they can see of outcomes. Curriculum as praxis Curriculum as praxis is, in many respects, a development of the process model. While the process model is driven by general principles and places an emphasis on judgment and meaning making, it does not make explicit statements about the interests it serves. It may, for example, be used in such a way that does not make continual reference to collective human well-being and to the emancipation of the human spirit. The praxis model of curriculum theory and practice brings these to the centre of the process and makes an explicit commitment to emancipation. Thus action is not simply informed, it is also committed. It is praxis. Critical pedagogy goes beyond situating the learning experience within the experience of the learner: it is a process which takes the experiences of both the learner and the teacher and, through dialogue and negotiation, recognizes them both as problematic. It allows, indeed encourages, students and teachers together to confront the real problems of their existence and relationships. When students confront the real problems of their existence they will soon also be faced with their own oppression. The process model is modified to fit the praxis model, which is as follows: Teachers enter particular schooling and situations with a personal, but shared idea of the good and a commitment to human emancipation, an ability to think critically in action, an understanding of their role and the expectations others have of them, and a proposal for action which sets out essential principles and features of the educational encounter. Guided by these, they encourage conversations between, and with, people in the situation out of which may become informed and committed action. They continually evaluate the process and what they can see of outcomes. Proposed Curriculum Design: A curriculum prepared for the targeted students of K-12 education must be tailored to meet their needs for a fast and productive mental growth. Therefore a curriculum for k-12 education must be prepared so that it supports all children and young people from 3 – 18 to develop as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors, ready to play a full part in society now and in the future. As part of the review process we need to develop clear guidance which sets out expectations of what children and young people should learn and also promotes flexibility and space so that teachers can use their professional judgment creatively to meet children’s needs. Therefore, before beginning to design a curriculum for k-12 education, one must capture the essence of what young people will learn over the course of their schooling and express this through the experience and outcome statements. Curriculum Designing Guidelines Purpose The construction of experiences and outcomes that effectively provide progression in each curriculum area and convey the values, principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence is central to the success of the program. In particular, it is important that you reflect relevant aspects of the four capacities in your work. If we can get this right these outcomes and experiences will have a significant, positive, impact on classroom practice and hence on the learning experience of all children and young people. It is an exciting prospect. Starting point In phase 1 each early review group should be asked to simplify and prioritise the curriculum (from age 3 to 15 in the first instance) retaining what currently works well and making changes where these were justified by research evidence. The output from phase 1 of the review process and the rationale for your curriculum area, research and other national and international comparators are your starting points. Your work will be based on the relevant parts of the Curriculum Frameworks: for Children 3 – 5, 5 – 14 guidelines, Standard Grade, and National Qualifications. It is important that experience and outcome statements you write at each Curriculum for Excellence level provide appropriate cognitive demand. The framework for outcomes The experiences and outcomes will sit within a framework of advice to teachers. Curriculum Area The eight curriculum areas are: Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Maths, Religious and Moral Education, Science, Social Studies and Technologies. Rationale The rationale provides an overview of the curriculum area states its main purposes and describes its contribution to the values and purposes. Subsets of the curriculum area Each curriculum area is subdivided either into fields of learning – or ‘subjects’ (e. g. Expressive Arts into art, drama, dance and music) or into aspects of learning in that area (e. g. Languages into listening and talking, reading and writing) Lines of development These identify learning tracks in each subset of the curriculum area. They are expressed in different ways in each area of the curriculum. For example within expressive arts they identify the skills to be developed: creating, presenting and evaluating in art, drama, dance and music; within science they describe broad areas of knowledge and understanding to be developed; biodiversity, being human and cells in Our Living World. Experiences and outcomes Within each line of development, experiences and outcomes describe the expected progression in learning for children and young people. Essential outcomes Essential outcomes are a small number of high level statements, derived from the main purposes described in the rationale, that encapsulate what learning in that curriculum area provides for all children and young people. Taken together, the essential outcomes are intended to sum up the expectations for the broad general education of all young people. The focus of your work will be writing the experiences and outcomes for your curriculum area. It is likely that there will be interplay between what you produce and the ‘essential outcomes’ , which are the ones helping to shape and refine the other in an iterative manner. Outcomes should be written in the clearest possible English. Where possible these should be accessible to children and young people, but not at the expense of clarity. It is also important to try to write lively and engaging experiences and outcomes. Best Practices of Writing the Curriculum Ultimately the intention is to produce streamlined guidance for the entire curriculum in a single document. We also intend to make the outcomes available in electronic format to allow curriculum leaders and teachers to identify and blend outcomes from both within and beyond curriculum areas. Several stages will be required to achieve this. Curriculum for Excellence Achievement framework In the first stage of work the aim is to produce experience and outcome statements up to Third level with provisional work done to Fourth level. Both Third and Fourth level have particular significance. Third level is important because it defines the point at which a young person has experienced a broad general education and has satisfied the essential outcomes in all curriculum areas. At this point there may be opportunities to choose what she or he wishes to study, typically with a greater degree of speciality and in greater depth to Fourth level and possibly beyond. For some pupils, their choices will result in continued, lateral progression, in curriculum areas at Third level. Fourth level is important because it will enable transition into the formal qualifications system. Experiences and outcomes at this level will tend to be more specific than those for earlier levels. The outcomes and experiences written during this stage will be subject to refinement through the engagement process. Writing an excellent outcome Always remember that the experiences and outcomes should have an impact on classroom practice and learning. The outcomes should not be written in the form of assessment criteria, nor should they constrain learning. Every outcome should therefore be tested against the following criteria: 1. It should express learning that is clear to the teacher, and where possible the young person. This will promote the application of formative assessment strategies. 2. It should indicate the purpose of the outcome and/or direct the selection of learning activities for all children and young people. 3. It should allow evaluation of the outcome. In other words, it should be clear from the outcome what evidence might be observed to demonstrate progress by the child or young person. Also bear in mind that there is no intention to produce an elaborated curriculum. Outcomes should therefore offer and support opportunities for enrichment and development for those young people with additional support needs who may not progress beyond the first levels. As you complete blocks of work a further test is to consider the extent to which you have prioritised and simplified existing guidance and to ask yourself if any changes are robust and justifiable. As a general rule outcomes should begin with the ‘I can’ stem. Experiences describe purposeful and worthwhile tasks, activities or events that contribute to motivation, personal development and learning. As a general rule they should be signalled using the ‘I have’ stem. The following additional general parameters will help you get started. †¢ Simplification and prioritisation should result in time and space being made to operate the seven principles of curriculum design. For example, teachers should have time for greater depth of study, to introduce topics or ideas in a relevant context or to respond to local events or circumstances and to ensure progression. †¢ Assume your outcomes can be taught within the time allocations typically applied in schools at present.