Love - And Its Portrayal In Literature Research Paper

Love - And Its Portrayal In Literature - Research Paper Example It is an emotion felt when one makes himself vulnerable to the idea of being loved by someone else. It is full of regard and affection for another person; love is not love until it is for someone, however in many cases love is used selfishly in order to get past certain obstacles in life. All over the world, throughout times immemorial, love has been a very vivid and stark feeling portrayed everywhere. Some people that are in love with each other are not afraid to show it, they in fact engage in being affectionate each other wherever they are, without caring about the rest of the world or societal norms. However, there are some people that are not so open about their love; they feel constricted in a manner that they are not aware of how to show their feelings to others because they are afraid of being judged by others. Love is not something that can be judged by someone who is not feeling it. Those who do not open themselves to the idea of love will not be able to know how to feel it . Love is not a closed feeling, it can be towards anything. A person starts learning how to love with the help of the family and environment he grows up in. Being loved is not about having both parents or many siblings; it is in fact about how a person is able to learn to love whatever family he is born into, and whatever the circumstances might be. It is about adapting to someone else’s needs and habituating oneself beautifully in a manner befitting ease. According to the Bible: Corinthians Chapter 1, 13:4-7, â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love is like air. You can't see it, but you can feel it.† Since the time of Adam and Eve and the apple on the tree, a new feeling is said to hav e arisen in the world in the form of love and its other aspects. The two felt ashamed of being around each other completely naked, because they started developing feelings for one another. Adam and Eve have been said to try and cover themselves from one another all of a sudden after eating the sacred fruit because they realised that a man and a woman have the capacity to be able to love each other and try and impress the other in order to be loved back by them. In all aspects of life, one is able to find love. It could be with anything, and for anything. Children love their parents, and as they grow older into teenagers and adolescents, they begin loving other people around them. As one gets to know more and more people, he understands truly the effect love and friendship can have. To be loved by someone is a true boon gifted to all of mankind by God. Having someone care for you and love you when the entire world seems to be against you is a feeling people will know only if they ope n their hearts and let themselves be loved. Along with love comes trust and commitment; these are responsibilities that people should be willing to accept if they want to be in love and love another person. In love, a person gives his or her heart away to another person, and in turn the other should take care of that heart and not cause it to break. In giving away such a large part of one self, a person thrusts a large amount of trust on the other. Many people say that love in the 21st century is not like it used to be earlier. In this modern era of technology, people have a habit of falling in love with the idea of love as they ‘hook up’ with any random person over the internet and with a few exchanges of niceties, ‘fall in love’

Alfred the Great Essay Example for Free

Alfred the Great Essay Alfred the Great ruled between the years of 871- 899. He was a son born to Aethelwulf, King of Wessex and his queen, Osburga, in 849 in Wantage, Berkshire London. He was born of the royal house of the Jutes of Wight. He was the fourth son born and had one younger sister. He became king only after each of his older brothers had ruled for some time. When he did rule he ruled at a time that they were battling the Vikings. In his period of ruling he defended the Vikings and became the dominate ruler of England. Alfred the Great was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself King of the Anglo-Saxons†. He was a king who encouraged education and improved his kingdoms legal system and military system. King Alfreds education as a child was important to his reign. He did not have a formal education and learned to read and write only after he became king in 871, but he did receive great instruction throughout his life. At the age of four, Alfred went to see Pope Leo IV in Rome for instruction. The Pope later adopted King Alfred as his spiritual son. Most of the Popes instruction to Alfred was concentrated on Christianity and not the liberal arts. This instruction was well giving for his future role as he would spend most of his reign defending the Christian Anglo-Saxons The word great was given to Alfred because of his great leadership of a king and of a leader of the military defeat. Although Alfreds greatest achievement during his reign was the defeat of the Danes, he also had other accomplishments. He pushed for better education and helped make learning important in the lives of the people of his land. This was necessary during his reign because education had declined due to the fact that the Danes were looting the monasteries and churches which were the center of education. Alfred believed that learning makes life more rewarding and enjoyable; the worst thing of all is ignorance. He also kept the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and established a code of law based on the teachings of the Bible. This helped maintain social order. King Alfred the Great died on October 26, 899 and was buried in the Old Minster at Winchester. His death brought sadness to the people in his land that looked forward to Alfred the great being their leader. Alfred the Great was a great leader, Christian, and ruler of England for many years. His people established trust in him because of the battle he won for his people in his land. Alfred the Great is forever known in history. He is the only English monarch to be known as the Great. He is well-deserving of this title. He defeated the Danes and protected his people, but he also contributed his ideas for better education and social order.

Biliography of Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts on January 19,1809. He was the second child of Elizabeth and David Poe. Both of his parents were actors traveling to perform in theatres from Massachusetts to South Carolina. David Poe abandoned his family while Edgar was still an infant. His Mother died in December of 1811, at which time the orphaned Poe was taken in by a prosperous Virginian Merchant and his wife, John and Frances Allan. Edgar Allan Poe and his new family moved to England in 1815, where he attended boarding school until he was eleven. The Allan family returned to Richmond Virginia because his foster Father’s business failed. Poe attended the University of Virginia. He was very good in ancient and modern languages. His past time was gambling, which he did not do so well incurring a large debt. His father refused to help him pay off his gambling debt. This caused he and his father to fight. Poe left for Boston to avoid further conflict. In Boston, he published his first volume of poetry†Tamerlane and Other Poems†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. He also joined the United States Army using the name Edgar A. Perry. Poes foster mother died in 1829, at which time he made up with his foster father. His foster father arranged for Poe to be nominated to West Point. Poe began his studies at West Point but was dismissed for disobeying orders in 1831. He Moved to New York where Poe tried to support himself by writing but had to rely on his grandmother, aunt and cousin for room and board. Early in 1835, he began to publish book reviews in a Richmond magazine called the Southern Literary Messenger. He was hired as a regular contri butor and as an editor of the journals review. He re established family ties in Richmond and married his cousin Virginia Clemson in 1836. Poe resigned from the Messenger in 1837 due to disagreements with the owner. Poe obtained another steady job in 1839 as editor of Barton’s Gentlemen’s Magazine, where he published â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† Poe was fired from Barton’s in 1840 and accepted a job as literary editor for Graham’s Magazine. Poe published â€Å"The Man of the Crowd† and his first detective stories in this magazine Virginia Poe became seriously ill in 1842 and almost died; Poe’s own health was also poor.

Usefulness of Accounting Ratios in Financial Analysis

Accounting ratios are a technique normally adopted by financial analysts in order to highlight the financial health of the company at hand.   There are a vast number of accounting ratios, each of which outlines certain aspect of the organisation.The main areas normally considered are the financial performance, financial position and financial stability of the corporation.   In this respect it is imperative that one first classifies the ratios in accordance with the aforesaid categories.   In this respect, the ratios that portray the financial position of SR Building Service Limited are: current ratio, acid test ratio, stock turnover, debtors days and credit ratio.Ratios are a static figure, which on its own merits is meaningless to the financial analyst.   Therefore it is important that such figure is either compared in the same organisation over time or with a company in the same or similar industry.   The financial ratios of Easy Build Limited are utilised in order to amp lify the financial position of SR Building Service Limited.   This will provide fruitful information on such facet.1.1 Financial Position of SR Building Service LimitedThe financial position of the company will be examined in three main areas.   These encompass the working capital on a generic basis, followed by the management of stock and debtors plus creditors.   This will be conducted in the proceeding sections.1.1.1 Working Capital of SR Building Service LimitedThe capability of the current assets to cover the current liabilities of SR Building Service Limited is inferior to the other company.   This is revealed by the lower current ratio of the firm.   The variance of 0.71 indicates that the short-term liabilities of SR Building Service Limited are in a higher proportion to the current assets.   Such variable implies that management is less effective in administering the working capital of SR Building Service Limited.Further more, the ability of the most liquid asse ts (debtors and cash and cash equivalents) to cover the short-term liabilities is also weaker than that of Easy Building Limited.   This factor is outlined in the lower acid test ratio amounting to 0.38.It is therefore pertinent to state that on a generic perspective the financial position of SR Building Service Limited is worse than the other business entity.   Further amplification of the liquidity of the company can be performed by examining in more detail the main current assets and current liabilities of the organisation.   These encompass the analysis of the stock, trade debtors and trade creditors of the firm.   Such examination will be performed in the forthcoming sections.1.1.2 Management of StockThe stock turnover ratio portrays the number of times stock of the company is turned over.   The higher such ratio the more effective is the management in the utilisation of stock.   An organisation with a low stock turnover ratio normally implies that the company is st ocking goods for a considerable time.This is a highly risky element in light that the product may quickly turn obsolete realising a price lower than its original cost.   For example, stocking a lot for retailers of clothes and electronic equipment namely computer hardware is significantly risky.   Clothes may easily turn out of fashion leading to the aforementioned effect, and technological advancements may quickly turn electronic goods into obsolete products.   Indeed organisations like Toyota nowadays are adopting a Just in Time Inventory System.   Such technique encompasses keeping stock to a minimum, normally zero level.In light of the above, SR Building Services Limited surpasses Easy Build Limited on the stock facet.   At this stage one would thus ponder the reason why the overall working capital of the firm at hand is weaker in comparison to Easy Build Limited.   The proceeding examination may shed further light on such matter.

Conformity and Obedience

Conformity and Obedience. In order to answer the question it is first necessary to define conformity and obedience. According to Woods, (2001 p. 107): ‘ We often adjust our actions or opinions so that they fit in well with those of other people. This is known as social conformity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ’ And Gross, (2001 pg. 392) stated that: Obedience is affected by direction (from somebody in higher authority). This essay will explore circumstances in which we are likely to conform; or obey others. This will be done by drawing on research carried out by Milgram, Asch, Crutchfield and Zimbardo.There are many ways in which we conform; some are useful others are not. For example, if we did not conform and adhere to the Highway Code there would be absolute chaos on our roads and lives would be at risk. At the other end of the scale we have the horrific example of ‘blind’ obedience in relation to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s – 40’s. In this situation Hitler’s soldiers obeyed and carried out their orders without question because their orders came from a legitimate authority. (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999, pp. 79-80).In 1963 Stanley Milgram carried out a psychological experiment to try to discover why so many people co-operated and committed such atrocities in the concentration camps. This experiment involved groups of two people one – a confederate – played the part of a student trying to remember different words. The other person who was the subject played the role of a teacher and gave him the test. The teacher was told to ‘shock’ the ‘student’ every time he missed a word. Milgram thought that most people wouldn’t shock another human being and especially not all the way up to deadly levels of electricity.However, I transpired that 63% were obedient to their instructor (since he was the one in a position of power) and went all the way up to 450v which was lethal ( Hayes, 2000 pp. 50-51). Experiments carried out by Solomon Asch (1995) showed how easy it is to make people conform. In one of his experiments Asch used groups of 6-8 people who were told they were participating in a study on visual perception. He presented these subjects with 2 cards. On one card was a single ‘standard’ line; on the other were 3 ‘comparison’ lines. Participants were asked to judge which of the comparison lines were equal in length to the ‘standard’ line.Each of Asch’s groups only contained one real subject – the rest were confederates. Asch instructed each of the confederates to give the same wrong answer. There was a 75% conformity rate of the participants, meaning that they gave the same answer as the confederates, showing that people do not want to ‘appear different’ (Gross, 2001 pg. 382). However, researchers discovered that if the participants were alloed to give their answers away from the grou p, then conformity decreased. If people were allowed to give their answers in private, then it is found that they will be less likely to be swayed by other people’s opinions.Again, in experiments, researchers like Asch (1955) have discovered that if the task is ambiguous or the problem made harder, then conformity levels are likely to increase. Under conditions where the problem is less obvious, then people are likely to go with the majority of the group (Gross, 2001 pg. 383). An experiment carried out by Crutchfield (1954) found that pressure to conform can also occur without face to face communication. In this particular study each participant was placed in a separate booth facing a screen which displayed questions and what they believed were answers of the other participants.The questions were simple and the answers obvious. In around half the cases the answers were incorrect. Each participant was led to believe they were the last to answer having seen the other answers. C rutchfield in fact placed the answers there. This experiment suggests that in certain situations people will conform to avoid being the ‘odd one out’ and labelled as a social outcast. In addition, the fear of rejection by peers helps to assure that conformity is guaranteed. Crutchfields’ experiment found that 37% of the participants conformed all the time which shows that conformity can occur even without face to face contact.Both these experiments show that people will go with a group norm and conform to other people who they might not even know (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 73). Clearly, there are several reasons why we conform i. e. we don’t want to be seen as troublesome or a nuisance – the psychological term being ‘compliance’. Perhaps we simply wish to be accepted into a group ‘normative influence’ (Gross 2001 p. 386). We may also feel that we are amongst people who are more knowledgeable than us and that we have no rig ht to argue, which is termed ‘information social influence’ (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 4). It could be argued that conformity studies are often designed to illustrate the dangers of conformity, and the following study could be seen as an example of this. ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ was carried out in 1973 by Zimbardo. It involved taking at random 24 men who responded to a newspaper advertisement asking for volunteers to take part in a psychological study on prison life. A mock prison was created and the volunteers were given ‘roles’ of either guards or prisoners.This experiment found that the guards conformed to the roles expected of them in that they took charge of the prisoners and treated them cruelly and the prisoners conformed to their roles in that they allowed this to happen and did not say that they wanted to stop the experiment. Some even asked for parole instead of requesting that the experiment be terminated. The level of confo rmity in this study was exceptionally high to the extent that the ‘prisoners’ became very distressed and the experiment had to be aborted on day 6 – it was planned to last 2 weeks (Class notes, March 2005).Research also shows that levels of conformity are likely to increase if the status of the people in the rest of the group is high. Low status people are likely to conform more to high status people, especially if those people are in some form of authority (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 77). Without doubt all societies require a certain level of conformity in order to function as a society. If social norms are not adhered there would be confusion and disorder. However, what research has shown is that anyone is capable of conforming/obeying under the right circumstances or situations.It is also evident that the circumstances in which we conform or obey can be seen as positive or negative and although it is not always the case, it is usually a positive social influen ce. In the UK today we live in a society which places great value on the individual: ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. there is a great emphasis on individual responsibility to contribute to society. ’ (Alcock et al, 1999 pg. 41) we are expected to contribute, conform and obey. Following like sheep may be regarded s weak, however, the fact remains that many of us conform i. e. religion, fashion, politics.In addition to these factors it is important to mention that non-conformity also has its place in society because if there were total conformity there would be no change, no improvement, or new ideas. For many, life may well be a struggle – battling with the desire to be an ‘individual’ and also having to ‘conform’ to how society expects them to be, think and do. It could be argued that conformity and obedience are necessary elements of society as conformity and obedience helps create a stable society. From an early age we have been instructed to obey a nd conform as we grow up we continue to be exposed to these pressures i. . our parents demand obedience, friends require us to be ‘part of the crowd,’ teachers demand homework, our religion tells us what to believe and the government expects us to obey the law and pay our taxes. Culturally too we are expected to conform i. e. arranged marriages, customs, traditions and dress. In conclusion, with regard to the experiments that have been discussed in this essay it is important to remember that they are just that – experiments, and it is difficult to know for certain what would actually happen in the ‘real world. References. WOODS, B. Basics in Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. GROSS, R. 2001. PSYCHOLOGY. The science of the mind & behaviour. 4th edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. MCILVEEN, R & GROSS, R. 1999. Social Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. HAYES, N. 1994. Principles of Social Psychology. East Sussex. Psychology Press Ltd. ALCOCK, P. , ERKSINE, A. , MAY, M. 1998. The Students Companion to Social Policy. Oxford. Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Conformity and Obedience Conformity and Obedience Assignment In this assignment I intend to evaluate Stanley Milgrams studies of obedience and in particular the ethical issues broken. I hope to determine whether the knowledge gained justifies his experiments. After the destruction and atrocities committed in World War II many historians argued that there must be some sort of character defect that made the German people more obedient. Mailgram’s study was an attempt to test ‘the Germans are different’ hypothesis. The hypothesis states that Germans are more likely a person or people in authority regardless of what the act is. Social psychology handbook pg. 8) Milgram conducted an experiment into the nature of obedience in 1963 at the prestigious Yale University. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the level of obedience participant would go to in giving electric shocks to another person when ordered to by an authority figure. (Social psychology handbook pg. 8) Milgram issued an adv ertisement in a local paper requesting people aged 20-50 from all walks of life, excluding students to take part in an experiment at Yale University. The experiment would last an hour and the pay was four dollars fifty.The participants were told they were getting paid for coming to the laboratory regardless of the results of the experiment. (Gross, 2010, pg. 416) 40 male participants were selected; they arrived at Yale university psychology department and were greeted by a young man dressed in a lab coat. He introduced himself as Jack Williams, the experimenter. He was to appear stern and emotionless throughout the experiment. There was also another participant introduced as a likeable and mild-mannered man named Mr Wallace, he was a confederate and everything from here on has been pre-planned except the results of course. Gross, 2010, pg. 416) The participant were given a short introduction and told the aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of punishment on learning. The participant was then asked to pick a piece of paper out a hat to determine who would be playing the role of the teacher, and who was to play the learner. This was rigged in order for the experiment to work; Mr Wallace was always the learner and the participant the teacher. Next they were all led into an adjoining room and the learner (Mr Wallace) was strapped in full view of the participant into the electric chair and electrodes were attracted to his arms and legs.The teacher (the participant) was told that the electrodes were attracted to the shock generator next room. The generator was a convincing fake created by Milgram. The participant and the experimenter went into the next room where the generator was. The teacher gave a 45 volt shock to convince them that it was real. The volt was battery power and not attached to the mains. The generator switches were labelled with voltage levels and verbal descriptions from: 15-60 slight shock up in intervals of 15 volts to 435-450 XXX. Gr oss, 2010, pg. 416) The learner was asked to memorise a series of paired words. The teacher was to then test the learner by giving him one the words in a pair along with four different words. The learner then had to answer which of the four words had originally been paired with the first one. The learners answer was indicated by one of the four switches which lit up one of four lights on the generator machine. If the learner gave the correct answer, then they moved onto the next question.If the answer was wrong the teacher had to tell the learner the correct answer, and then say that they were going to give them a shock which went up higher 15 volts each time an incorrect answer was given. . (Gross, 2010, pg. 216). In the first experiment known as the ‘remote-victim condition’ the leaner was to give vocal response until 300 volts was used, then the learner was scripted to start pounding on the wall and after 315 volts were administrated to stop. In the second experiment the responses were voice recorded ‘voice feedback’ and the teacher was to believe these were the reactions of the learner from being shocked.For example at 75 volts he made a grunt, at 150 he cried out and refused to be part of experiment asking to be set loose, at 315 he screamed out in pain and finally after 330 volts no sound could be heard. The teacher was instructed that if an answer was not given then it was to be treated as an incorrect answer and a shock was still to be given. If the teacher was to turn to the experimenter for guidance on whether to carry on giving shocks or indicate that they didn’t want to go on the experimenter would reply with a series of ‘prods’.The ‘prods’ were responses such as ‘please continue’ ‘the experiment requires that you continue’ or ‘It’s absolutely essential that you continue’. These ‘prods’ were to be repeated in a sequence for example if ‘prod 1’ was unsuccessful then only could ‘prod 2’ be used if the learner disobeyed after the fourth ‘prod’ the experiment was to end. There was also a special prod used in case the participant was concerned on the physical state of the learner, which was ‘although the shocks may be painful, there is no permanent tissue damage, so please go on. ((Social psychology handbook pg. 11/12). After experiment the participants were introduced to the victim again to prove that he was unharmed. They were debriefed using open ended questions and psychometric measures were used to make sure the participants left the experiment unharmed. Milgram found the results quite shocking and unpredictable. In the first ‘remote victim’ experiment all participants went up to at least 300 volts when the learner pounded on the wall, 65 per cent went all the way to 450 volts.In the second ‘voice feedback’ condition 62. 5 per cent went to the lethal 450 volts. He also found even though the participants hesitated and objected they still continued with the experiment. Although many were observed to tremble, stutter, dig their nails into their palms and even laugh, one participant had a seizure. (Gross, 2010, pg. 416/417). Milgram evaluated his own experiment and devised nine factors that could explain the reason why such high levels of conformity were visible. To test the factors he devised further versions of his experiment.I believe that this strengthens the experiment the amount of control that Milgram was able to give and the different variations helped to strengthen Milgrams conclusion as to why we obey people in authority. (Gross, 2010, pg. 417). A weakness of the experiment is the sample used is not representable to the rest of the American population and can’t be generalised. Only males who read the advert and were prepared to take part in a laboratory experiment were used Milgrams have been accused of d eliberately using an ethnocentric sample. Class notes) I also believe that the experiment was not ecologically valid as laboratory is not considered a normal situation and this could contributed to the experiment having demand characteristics as the participant might have thought that they were in an controlled safe environment and were also encouraged to do so by the experimenter. Another big weakness of the experiment and one that Milgram has been heavily criticised on is ethics. Ethical guidelines are necessary to clarify the conditions under which psychological research is acceptable. British psychological society) (Ethics PowerPoint Moodle). Baumrind (1964) argued that Milgram’s participants had been abused, their feelings not taken into consideration, and not enough was done to protect them from emotional and psychological stress. (Gross, 210, pg. 779) Part of the reason ethical guidelines were brought into force was because of Milgram’s experiment. In my opinion certain ethical guideless were broken, such as no deception should be used, and participants should be informed of all aspects of the experiment unless there is no alternative.Milgram clearly didn’t tell the participant that the learner was an actor and the ‘shock generator’ a fake. I’m sure that this breaks another ethic which is protection, meaning that the participants must not suffer any physical of psychological damage. I believe the participants did receive some emotional stress from the experiment to begin with. It’s argued that Milgram did not take suitable measures to ensure this didn’t happen, but Milgram argues that didn’t predict his results and they were unexpected.That could be believable that Milgram believed the participants would not need protection, but after seeing the distress caused in his first experiment why continue repeating it 17 more times? The participant’s right to withdraw was also breached. All pa rticipants must be informed of their right to withdraw without losing any payment and the results from these must be removed from the records. This wasn’t made clear and the ‘prods’ used strongly suggest to the participant that withdrawal isn’t possible.There is also another important issue broken; consent was not given as the participants were not fully informed of what was happening in the experiment. However milgram argues that the participants were shown that Mr Wallace was unharmed after experiment and a debriefing was issued. A year after the experiment an independent psychologist interviewed the participants used, and found that no evidence of any lasting psychological damage was apparent. He also argues that the experimenter didn’t make the participant shock anyone, they choose to do it themselves milgram wanted everyone to have free will. Social psychology handbook pg. 14/15) To answer the question is Milgrams experiment justified the answe r I believe is yes. Although certain ethical issues are apparent such a situation was unavoidable, and as Milgram says â€Å"the central moral justification for allowing my experiment is that it was judged acceptable by those who took part in it† (â€Å"The Individual in a Social World†, Milgram 1977) Its seems that it was necessary to brake certain rules in order for the experiment to be completed and more real to life.If Milgram’s participants were to be fully informed his results would not be real to life and his experiment a failure. I believe the experiment was very powerful and although unethical the results were important in the study of obedience. Bibliography Ethical Guidelines and Social Research, PowerPoint Presentation on Moodle available @ https://moodle. lincolncollege. ac. uk/AAE/course/view. php? id=361 Gross, R. (2010) Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour, sixth edition, London, Hodder Education. Social Psychology Unit Handbook handed o ut September 2011 by Lynn Train-Brown. Conformity and Obedience Conformity and Obedience. In order to answer the question it is first necessary to define conformity and obedience. According to Woods, (2001 p. 107): ‘ We often adjust our actions or opinions so that they fit in well with those of other people. This is known as social conformity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ’ And Gross, (2001 pg. 392) stated that: Obedience is affected by direction (from somebody in higher authority). This essay will explore circumstances in which we are likely to conform; or obey others. This will be done by drawing on research carried out by Milgram, Asch, Crutchfield and Zimbardo.There are many ways in which we conform; some are useful others are not. For example, if we did not conform and adhere to the Highway Code there would be absolute chaos on our roads and lives would be at risk. At the other end of the scale we have the horrific example of ‘blind’ obedience in relation to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s – 40’s. In this situation Hitler’s soldiers obeyed and carried out their orders without question because their orders came from a legitimate authority. (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999, pp. 79-80).In 1963 Stanley Milgram carried out a psychological experiment to try to discover why so many people co-operated and committed such atrocities in the concentration camps. This experiment involved groups of two people one – a confederate – played the part of a student trying to remember different words. The other person who was the subject played the role of a teacher and gave him the test. The teacher was told to ‘shock’ the ‘student’ every time he missed a word. Milgram thought that most people wouldn’t shock another human being and especially not all the way up to deadly levels of electricity.However, I transpired that 63% were obedient to their instructor (since he was the one in a position of power) and went all the way up to 450v which was lethal ( Hayes, 2000 pp. 50-51). Experiments carried out by Solomon Asch (1995) showed how easy it is to make people conform. In one of his experiments Asch used groups of 6-8 people who were told they were participating in a study on visual perception. He presented these subjects with 2 cards. On one card was a single ‘standard’ line; on the other were 3 ‘comparison’ lines. Participants were asked to judge which of the comparison lines were equal in length to the ‘standard’ line.Each of Asch’s groups only contained one real subject – the rest were confederates. Asch instructed each of the confederates to give the same wrong answer. There was a 75% conformity rate of the participants, meaning that they gave the same answer as the confederates, showing that people do not want to ‘appear different’ (Gross, 2001 pg. 382). However, researchers discovered that if the participants were alloed to give their answers away from the grou p, then conformity decreased. If people were allowed to give their answers in private, then it is found that they will be less likely to be swayed by other people’s opinions.Again, in experiments, researchers like Asch (1955) have discovered that if the task is ambiguous or the problem made harder, then conformity levels are likely to increase. Under conditions where the problem is less obvious, then people are likely to go with the majority of the group (Gross, 2001 pg. 383). An experiment carried out by Crutchfield (1954) found that pressure to conform can also occur without face to face communication. In this particular study each participant was placed in a separate booth facing a screen which displayed questions and what they believed were answers of the other participants.The questions were simple and the answers obvious. In around half the cases the answers were incorrect. Each participant was led to believe they were the last to answer having seen the other answers. C rutchfield in fact placed the answers there. This experiment suggests that in certain situations people will conform to avoid being the ‘odd one out’ and labelled as a social outcast. In addition, the fear of rejection by peers helps to assure that conformity is guaranteed. Crutchfields’ experiment found that 37% of the participants conformed all the time which shows that conformity can occur even without face to face contact.Both these experiments show that people will go with a group norm and conform to other people who they might not even know (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 73). Clearly, there are several reasons why we conform i. e. we don’t want to be seen as troublesome or a nuisance – the psychological term being ‘compliance’. Perhaps we simply wish to be accepted into a group ‘normative influence’ (Gross 2001 p. 386). We may also feel that we are amongst people who are more knowledgeable than us and that we have no rig ht to argue, which is termed ‘information social influence’ (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 4). It could be argued that conformity studies are often designed to illustrate the dangers of conformity, and the following study could be seen as an example of this. ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ was carried out in 1973 by Zimbardo. It involved taking at random 24 men who responded to a newspaper advertisement asking for volunteers to take part in a psychological study on prison life. A mock prison was created and the volunteers were given ‘roles’ of either guards or prisoners.This experiment found that the guards conformed to the roles expected of them in that they took charge of the prisoners and treated them cruelly and the prisoners conformed to their roles in that they allowed this to happen and did not say that they wanted to stop the experiment. Some even asked for parole instead of requesting that the experiment be terminated. The level of confo rmity in this study was exceptionally high to the extent that the ‘prisoners’ became very distressed and the experiment had to be aborted on day 6 – it was planned to last 2 weeks (Class notes, March 2005).Research also shows that levels of conformity are likely to increase if the status of the people in the rest of the group is high. Low status people are likely to conform more to high status people, especially if those people are in some form of authority (Mcilveen & Gross, 1999 pg. 77). Without doubt all societies require a certain level of conformity in order to function as a society. If social norms are not adhered there would be confusion and disorder. However, what research has shown is that anyone is capable of conforming/obeying under the right circumstances or situations.It is also evident that the circumstances in which we conform or obey can be seen as positive or negative and although it is not always the case, it is usually a positive social influen ce. In the UK today we live in a society which places great value on the individual: ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. there is a great emphasis on individual responsibility to contribute to society. ’ (Alcock et al, 1999 pg. 41) we are expected to contribute, conform and obey. Following like sheep may be regarded s weak, however, the fact remains that many of us conform i. e. religion, fashion, politics.In addition to these factors it is important to mention that non-conformity also has its place in society because if there were total conformity there would be no change, no improvement, or new ideas. For many, life may well be a struggle – battling with the desire to be an ‘individual’ and also having to ‘conform’ to how society expects them to be, think and do. It could be argued that conformity and obedience are necessary elements of society as conformity and obedience helps create a stable society. From an early age we have been instructed to obey a nd conform as we grow up we continue to be exposed to these pressures i. . our parents demand obedience, friends require us to be ‘part of the crowd,’ teachers demand homework, our religion tells us what to believe and the government expects us to obey the law and pay our taxes. Culturally too we are expected to conform i. e. arranged marriages, customs, traditions and dress. In conclusion, with regard to the experiments that have been discussed in this essay it is important to remember that they are just that – experiments, and it is difficult to know for certain what would actually happen in the ‘real world. References. WOODS, B. Basics in Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. GROSS, R. 2001. PSYCHOLOGY. The science of the mind & behaviour. 4th edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. MCILVEEN, R & GROSS, R. 1999. Social Psychology. 2nd edn. London. Hodder & Stoughton Educational. HAYES, N. 1994. Principles of Social Psychology. East Sussex. Psychology Press Ltd. ALCOCK, P. , ERKSINE, A. , MAY, M. 1998. The Students Companion to Social Policy. Oxford. Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

Community Development and Its Role in the Public and Private Sector

Community Development and Its Role in the Public and Private Sector Introduction James and Susan (2009, p. 67) have defined community development as a set of activities taken by a group of people within a given society to eradicate poverty, social injustices and such other undesirable factors within a given society. It is a set of principles, practices and values that are geared towards making the society a better place to live in.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Community Development and Its Role in the Public and Private Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For a long time, many countries have been looking for the government to undertake most of the development issues within the society. Even in countries that were practicing communism, the government was expected to direct most of the activities that were taking place within the society. As Rhonda and Robert (2009, p. 90) note, Russia was the leading communist state. However, the projects that were meant to bring development to the country were fostered by the government. In capitalist countries like the United States, individuals had to depend on themselves for development, and the state, for such issues as infrastructural developments. Community development begun in the United States of America in early 1960swhen some citizens noted some serious disparities within the society. There was a huge gap between the rich and the poor. These specific individuals noted that although the government was doing much to ensure that every member of the society was uplifted both socially and economically, this effort was not translating to direct benefits for the lower members of the society. Those who were benefiting from this program were the richer society members. There was therefore a need to devise other methods to ensure that all the society members were liberated from poverty and other social injustices. Community development gained popularity very fast. People begun to realize that this was the best way throug h which the society would be developed was through an effort made from all the members of the society (Balshem 1993, p. 62).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Community development was viewed as the strategy through which the communities would be developed. From the United States, it spread to other countries like Canada and other developed nations. In the mid eighties, a number of philanthropists noted with concern that African countries and other developing nations were ridden with poverty among other social evils. The gap between the governed and the governors was big, and these societies were not enlightened in many fronts. Community development was therefore the only way through which these societies could be developed. Currently, community development is seen as a very important approach of enhancing a prosperous society both in the developed and developing nations . The Concept of Community Development Community development is a concerted effort made by members of a given society that is geared towards the development of a given society. Jerry (2011, p. 54) argues that community development is an principle taken by moderate capitalists to ensure that although members of the society are to work for themselves to achieve specific goals in life, other well endowed members of the society should make an effort to ensure that they help the less fortunate. Community development may take various fronts. As Lee (1989, p. 78) explains, the empowerment of the society may take social, economical or religious front. The most important concern of community development is the attainment of the basic needs. Margaret (2011, p. 23) notes that community development is currently viewed as being relevant in the developing countries, a concept that is very misleading. When it was started, community development was to ensure that people were empowered in the three aspects named above. However, it was noted that before a person is empowered economically, other fronts of empowerment may not make sense. A person who is hungry may not understand the need to actively participate in the leadership of a given country. As such, economic empowerment was given the first priority. Most of the developed societies do not have serious problem with the basic economic requirements. For this reason, the economic front of community development has been relevant in the developing nations. The other front of community development is the political front. There has been need to ensure people participate in the leadership of the country. They should influence the way their country is governed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Community Development and Its Role in the Public and Private Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Low (2000, p. 81) says that leadership starts from within the community. Go od leadership within a given community would lead to desired results. As such, every members of the society would be required to participate actively in determining the direction that the leadership takes within that particular community. Just like economic empowerment, economic empowerment is much needed in the developing countries. In many developed democracies like Australian, members of the society understands the need to actively participate in the leadership of the country. Community development may also take the social approach. Civilization is one of the most controversial words in the current world. Each society considers itself civilized in its own front. An American, civilized in the western culture, would be astounded by the cultural practices of the Indians. They may consider the respect Indians accord cows as a backward behavior that is passed by time. On the other hand, a Russian would be perplexed at the practices of the Muslims. An African would similarly be uncomfo rtable with the practices of the west (Hasson Ley 1994, p. 29). Each of these societies would therefore have their own ways of defining civilization. However, there are some cultural practices of some societies that have been considered as archaic by most societies in the world. For instance, some African societies would offer human offerings as a sacrifice to their gods when they needed rain or any other blessings that they believed could only come from god. Other still practice female genital mutilation. Such practices are inhumane because they result into serious harm to the specific individuals of the society. On social front therefore, community development seeks to ensure that cultural practices of a given society do not in any way result into harm to other members of the society (Qiu 2006, p. 36). It strives to ensure that the practices of the society are acceptable universally and that all the members of the society are treated equally and with the respect they deserve, irr espective of gender, color, religion or any other demographical groupings. The practice should also be geared towards the betterment of the society.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the foregoing, it is evident that community development is one of the ways through which the society may develop without having to depend on other members of the society. It would take effort of both the public and private sectors to ensure that a given society is developed in all the fronts. Community Development and the Public Sector There has been need to have a ‘perfect’ community. Even among the developed nations, there has always been a feeling that something is missing. Recently, there was a public rebellion in Britain, one of the countries that are considered as the most developed in the world. In United States, there is pressure for the government to ensure that its citizens get employed as per their qualifications. Other developed nations also have their own concerns that they feel should be addressed in order to have the ideal community. This need is even more among the developing nations. According to Robbins (2007, p. 20), most of the developed nations have a lot of challenges economically, socially and politically. The government, through its public sectors, has the obligation to ensure that its citizens are provided with various facilities that would ensure their well being. Such facilities may include among others, hospitals, schools, accessibility to waters, source of employment among others. These are facilities that are very basic, and a community may not be considered complete without them. Basically, the government would be expected to provide the above facilities to the community (Visser 2010, p. 31). However, it is common to find that the government has failed in one or two of the above requirements. In such occurrences, there must be a means of ensuring that the facilities that the government cannot provide are provided for through others means. Community development has been one of the strategies through which communities have ensured that they are able to achieve beyond what the government cannot provide. This has ma de the work of the government easier. Because members of the society would be willing to support some of its projects, it can redirect its finances to other projects. Relevance of Community Development in the Public Sector Community development is very relevant in the public sector. As Martine (2008, p. 89) states, in order to ensure prosperity of a given society, there is need to involve every member of the society. Government effort alone may not achieve the best results that the society expects. Community development is the best strategy that can be applied to ensure that the society is developed in all fronts. Government may build a hospital within a given location of a community. However, this facility may either be too far for a section of the society, or it may not be well equipped to serve the need of all the members of the society. Through community development, other well endowed members of the society may consider improving the facility, by either offering to buy the faci lities needed for the hospital or building other supportive clinics that may help decongest the existing government health facility (Zhao 2011, p. 37). This combined effort by the government and members of the society would make it easy for the society to realize its dreams with much ease. Similarly, government may build a school. However, the community should come in to finance the school as per their own expectations. Supplementing government effort in this manner makes it easy to have such infrastructural developments much easier. Through this partnership, the government would find it ease in achieving its development goals. It would be easy to ensure that projects that require huge investments are completed within the desirable time. Resistance of Community Development within the Public Sector The benefits that community development offers the public sector is as numerous as can be seen above. However, at times there arises some resistance towards community development by the pu blic sector. The first conflict always arises due to conflict of interest. The effort of the community development team may seem to be conflicting with the government effort. This is especially so when the empowerment is on the political front (Hofstede 2005, p. 68). Some countries, especially in the aristocratic and dictatorial leaderships, governments have been keen to ensure that the community remains less empowered politically. This makes it easy for the government to manipulate them. When an organization comes in to sensitize the society on their rights to actively participate in the leadership of the society, it would be viewed as a direct interference to the efforts of the government and this would be met by resistance. In some extreme cases, some governments have been keen to ensure that the community remains less empowered economically. As Meng (2010, p. 73) once said, it is very easy to control the less economically empowered members of the society because they will be str uggling to get the basics in the society. An effort to empower such a society economically will be met by some form of resistance. Some cases may involve conflicting priorities. Community development team may have a priority that may be contrasting that of the government. In such cases, the government may be trying to implement a policy across the whole country. However, the community may have a different view as to what project they need most urgently. As such, community development may meet some form of resistance from the private sector. When the private sector fails to support community development, the projects may take longer than the expected duration, or at times it may completely fail. This is because the private sector is a major financer of community development projects. Withdrawing their financial assistance may mean that such projects would have to get other alternative financial sources in order to be implemented. If such alternative financing fail to come, the projec t may completely stall. Community Development and the Private Sector Community development is also very important in the private sector. Just like the public sector, private sector is also geared towards ensuring that the community is developed. The private sector works in a similar front as public sector but as different entities. The private sector stands to gain a lot in case of the success of the projects set forth for community development. Through community development, such micro-finance facilities may be developed to empower the society economically. When such facilities are developed, the private sector stands to benefit a lot because their financing solutions would have been made easier. Through an effort of community development facilitators and government, such infrastructures like roads can be developed. As such, the private sectors would find it easy to undertake their activities through improved transport system. Such other facilities as hospitals and availability of water would make it easy for the private sector to undertake their duties. They would be working in an environment that has basic infrastructural requirements. Resistance of Community Development within the Private Sector Although the private sector has a lot to benefit from community development, there has been some form of resistance from some quarters. The main form of resistance always comes from competing interests. Some of the activities of community development offer direct challenge to the private sector. According to Hakim (2000, p. 79), most of the projects undertaken in community development are always meant to ensure that the community is economically empowered. Some of the projects may involve starring businesses for some members of the society. This would directly affect the section of the private sector that was involved in that particular business. In this case, the private sector would not view community development as a partner in the development of the society, bu t a competitor that threatens to push it out of the market. Just like any other competitor, community development would face a lot of resistance from the private sector. In some cases, community development may pose a real threat to community development. For instance, some not for profit organizations would offer free medications to the public as a way of ensuring that the community has good health. However, this would have direct negative effect to the private firms like pharmacies. Resistance of Community Development within itself There arise situations where resistance would come from the concerned individuals that are involved in undertaking certain projects in community development. As stated above, community development refers to principles and values geared towards ensuring that a given community is liberated. Because different people would reason differently, the principles that a given party would support may be different from what another party would have. Anarchy may ari se especially when both parties insist on their strategies as being the best. One party may accuse the other of bringing strategies that do not work, while the other may also view the other group as fronting strategies that are not workable. Such antagonistic relationship within community development itself poses great challenge to prosperity of the intended projects. Much of the resources would be spent on choosing which approach to take in undertaking certain duties. Furthermore, even after one approach is taken, the party whose strategy was not taken would most likely fail to support the project. On the contrary, they may bring in strategies that would ensure that the project fails just to prove that their strategy would have worked better were it to be chosen. Caves (2007, p. 36) says that most projects would fail because of such misunderstanding. Besides government interferences, this scholar notes that in-fights among the implementing partners is the most destructive factor th at would interfere with the success of community development. Conclusion Community development is one of the best ways through which a given society can develop its structures. It started out in the United States in early sixties as a way of ensuring that members of the society who were economically challenged get elevated economically. Community development was also motivated by the need to have a society where equality of the citizens is respected both socially and politically. It moved to other countries when people realized that it was the best approach through which different societies could be developed. Currently, community development is very popular in the developing countries. In these countries, there is a serious need to ensure economic empowerment as other members of the society live on deplorable conditions. This has made community development be viewed as an approach fit for the developing nations. However, it is very helpful both to the developed and developing natio ns. Community development has a lot to offer to the public and private sector. To the public sector, it helps in ensuring that the infrastructure is developed. Through this combined effort, a given community would be able to develop such facilities as schools, hospitals and other related facilities. To the private sector, community development comes as a tool that allows the concerned involved to work in collaboration to ensure that the society is self sufficient. Community development is very vital to the private sector. Through it, the infrastructure of a given society will be developed. When such facilities as roads, banking institutions and even hospitals are developed, the private sector would find it very easy to progress in their activities. Despite the obvious benefits community development has to offer to the public and private sectors, it has met some resistance from both of these sectors and within itself. From the public sector, many government or government institutions view the activities involved in community development as a challenge to their leadership, or conflicting their own projects. For this reason, such public sectors may fail to support the projects for the community development. This would pose a challenge to the success of these projects. To the private sector, some of the project may pose challenge to their prosperity, hence making them view community development as an impediment to their development. Within community development itself, there may be resistance, especially when there seems to be a contradiction in the approach that should be taken to accomplish a given project. List References Balshem, M 1993, Cancer in the community: Class and medical authority, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. Caves, RE 2007, Multinational enterprise and economic analysis, Cambridge University Press, London. Hakim, C 2000, Research Design: Sucessful Designs for Social and Economic Research, Routledge, New York. Hasson, S Ley D 1994, Nei ghborhood organization and the Welfare State, University of Toronto Press, Toronto. Hofstede, G 2005, Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. 2nd edn, Sage, London. James, D Susan, S 2009, The Community Development Reader, Taylor Francis, New York. Jerry, W 2011, Introduction to Community Development: Theory, Practice, and Service-Learning, SAGE, London. Lee, C 1989, Community Development as a Process, University of Missouri Press, New York. Low, N 2000, Consuming cities: the urban environment in the global economy after the Rio Declaration, Routledge, London. Margaret, L 2011, Community Development: A Critical Approach The Policy Press. New York. Martine, G 2008, The new global frontier urbanization, poverty and environment in the 21st century, Earthscan, London. Meng, X 2010, The great migration: rural-urban migration in China and Indonesia, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. Qiu, X.2006, A case of two cities, St. Martins Minotaur, New York. Rhond a, P Robert, H 2009, An Introduction to Community Development, Taylor Francis, New York. Robbins, P 2007, Encyclopedia of environment and society, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Visser, R 2010, Cities surround the countryside: urban aesthetics in post-socialist China. Duke University Press, Durham. Zhao, J 2011, Towards sustainable cities in China analysis and assessment of some Chinese cities in 2008, Springer, New York.

Can You Write in the SAT Booklet

Can You Write in the SAT Booklet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips After you take the SAT, your score will be determined by the little bubbles you fill in on your scantron sheet - a sheet where there’s no place to show your work. It’s normal (even important) to want to take notes and work through problems. Since you won't receive any extra scratch paper in the testing room, your SAT booklet is the place to do it. Here, I’ll go over what, how, and even why you should write in your test booklet. That little stack of paper might end up more helpful than you expected. Can You Write in the SAT Test Booklet? AsI mentioned above, you are allowed to write in the SAT booklet. There are no limitations to where or what you scribble (although I’d caution you against writing anything that could be construed as a message to other test-takers). I’ll go into more detail about how to use your booklet in the next section, but here’s the most important information you should take away from this article: Write anything you’d like - notes, diagrams, or calculations - but remember that nothing you write in the SAT test booklet will be graded. Graders won’t even see your test booklet, which means you don't have to worry about showing your work or making your notes legible. Even if you're not a big note-taker, you can still use your booklet to work more efficiently.For example, you might mark answers in your test booklet first, and then transfer your responses to the answer sheet at the end of the section (most students save time by doing this). How Do You Use the SAT Booklet Effectively? Some students love marking up tests and reading passages, whereas others have a natural tendency to keep their tests pretty pristine. I want to encourage you to make the most of your SAT test booklet by taking notes all over it! Here are some tips and strategies for marking your booklet that will save time and improve your performance: When you're taking the SAT, you'll want to make use of all available resources - including the SAT booklet itself. Use Notes to Engage With Reading Passages You'll have to read through quite a few passages on the SAT, and most of them aren't exactly exciting. It can be difficult to stay focused and alert over a long period of time, especially when you're dealing with material like this. You may end up wasting time if you have to read passages or sections of passages multiple times due to a lack of focus.Actively reading - taking notes and engaging with the passage the first time you read it - may help you save time. If you understand the passage better the first time you go over it, you won’t have to go back and re-read as often. This gives you more time to focus on the questions. Here are some universally helpful active reading strategies: Underlining topic sentences and thesis sentences Circling key terms Taking notes in the margins alongside each paragraph (e.g. just a few words summarizing the main point) Use Notes to Work Through Math Problems (Especially Word Problems) When you have to keep track of several variables or steps, writing down your thought process will keep you from getting confused. You should also mark up geometry diagrams with information that’s provided in the questions themselves! This is especially helpful when figures are not drawn to scale - you don't want to make any assumptions about the dimensions of a figure. Mark Up Your Questions and Answer Choices When you usethe process of elimination, get a helpful visual of your thought process by crossing off the answers you know to be incorrect (this saves you time if you come back to the question later). If you decide to skip a particularly difficult question - this is an important time management strategy - circle it! This provides a helpful visual cue for when you double back to the question after finishing the rest of the section. Don't Waste Time With Notes That Won't Help Your Score AsI mentioned earlier, no one is going to see or grade the notes you make on the SAT booklet. Don’t worry about explaining your answers (I know it’s a force of habit for many students) - there are no points for showing your work. The Most Important Things You Should Remember Yes, you can write all over the SAT test booklet. No, nothing you write on the booklet will be graded (so remember to transfer your answers to the response sheet). And yes, strategically marking up your booklet can save you time and improve your score! What's Next? Marking up your SAT booklet isn't the only helpful strategy you should know about before taking the test. First, you'll want to make sure you're physically and mentally prepared for test day. Start by checking out our guide to how you should spend the night before the SAT - then, read our post on exactly what to expect the day of the exam. Finally, learn about the top SAT test day tips to make sure you optimize your score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

What to Do If You Have a Family Emergency in College

What to Do If You Have a Family Emergency in College Even though college students are often mocked for not living in the real world, many students do, in fact, deal with major life situations and events. Unexpected family illnesses, financial situations, deaths, and other events can happen during your time in college. Unfortunately, your academics might end up paying the price simply because you cant manage everything all at the same time. (And when faced with a major family emergency, its unrealistic to expect yourself to manage everything anyway.) If you find yourself faced with a family emergency in college, take a deep breath and spend 20-30 minutes doing the following. While it might seem like you dont have the time now, this small allotment of effort can do wonders for keeping your academics and college situation in check. Notify Your Professors and ​​Academic Adviser You dont have to go into too much detail, but you do need to let your professors know whats going on. Be as honest as you can without being dramatic. Let them know: What has happenedWhat it means for things like your class attendance, assignments, etc.What your next steps are, whether its an emergency trip home for the weekend or a longer absenceHow they can contact youWhen and how youll be contacting them next Ideally, everyone will then be aware of your situation and wont penalize you for having to miss class, be late on an assignment, etc. Additionally, your adviser should reach out in response and offer you some resources that can help with your situation. Tell the People You Live With Whats Going On Again, you dont need to share more than you need to. But your roommates might wonder whats going on if you leave without telling them for a few days; similarly, your RA might start to be concerned if he or she sees you missing class and/or coming and going at odd hours. Even if you just leave a note or send an email, its better to let people know that, for example, youre heading home to visit a sick relative than to cause undue worry or concern over your unexplained absence. Spend a Minute Thinking About Your Financial Situation Does this family emergency have financial consequences for you? Do you need to find funds right away for a flight home, for example? Does this emergency have a larger impact on your financial aid? It might seem awkward, but being aware of how your changed situation might affect your financial status is important. You can send a quick email to the financial aid office or even pop in for an emergency appointment. The staff there knows that life happens while youre in school, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the resources they have available for students in your situation. Think About Using the ​Counseling Center By their nature, emergencies cause turmoil, unrest, and all kinds of mixed (and often unwanted) emotions. At many (if not most!) institutions, visits to your campus counseling center are included in your tuition and fees. Even if you arent sure what youre feeling or how to feel about the situation, a visit to the counseling center might be a smart idea. Spend a minute or two calling the center to make an appointment they might have emergency slots open or at least finding out what resources are available if you decide you want them later. Tap Into Your Support Systems Whether its your best friend on campus or a favorite auntie who lives 3,000 miles away if youre facing an emergency family situation, check-in with those who support you the best. A quick phone call, text message, email, or even video chat can do wonders to update them as well as provide you with some love and support. Dont be afraid to reach out at a time you need them the most to those who love you the most. After all, if your friend or loved one were in your situation, you likely would be more than happy to support him or her however possible. Let yourself be supported by those around you as you deal with your situation.

Social Biases Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Biases Paper - Essay Example Prejudicial attitudes are dangerous because these are based on mere beliefs or impressions which can be very far from the truth. It can lead to wrong assumptions and then lead further into erroneous actions or judgment on someone who may fit a certain stereotype. Some of the ways to avoid prejudice is to keep an open mind and see a person for what he or she is and dispose of the preconceived notions one may have against another individual. Another is to have adequate and open channels of communication to prevent prejudice from taking more sinister forms such as an action that is discriminatory or exclusionary which is what happens if a person has the wrong or incomplete information to make an informed and wise decision. Biases are dangerous traits because it prevents rational arguments from influencing a rigid outlook or viewpoint from being changed and corrected. A biased person therefore can be said to have a warped mind and precludes an impartial judgment on any matter being discu ssed. Most of biased persons end up as bigots who are inflexibly intolerant of other people and their opinions; it can lead to conflicts from an irrational fear, hatred or suspicion of a particular group. Discussion Prejudice pertains to the attitudes of a person towards a particular group that is not totally correct because these are based on incomplete or wrong information. Prejudice can be thought of as a form of latent discrimination because there is as yet no actual action taken by that person to express or externalize those distorted attitudes, values and beliefs. Prejudice can vary in intensity or mode of expression but all its forms exhibit a negative sentiment towards a certain group or to an individual belonging to that group (Brown, 2010, p. 35). Although not outwardly manifested, prejudice has serious consequences for any society because of its adverse impact on any target. On the other hand, stereotyping of people is putting them into â€Å"neat† categories which are often mistaken because these are based on the wrong beliefs, or in short, a prejudiced viewpoint. A stereotype is an over-simplified conception, notion, representation or image that conforms to a particular set of characteristics of a group of people but disregards any individual traits. It is very damaging to a person because that particular person may not have the same group features. It is a bad to stereotype someone because it imputes negative attributes (Zanna & Olson, 1994, p. 1). A person who classifies people because of unique characteristics is guilty of stereotyping. Lastly, discrimination is the overt manifestation of prejudice and stereotyping. It is external and expressed through actions which are favorable to one group and injurious to another group. Discrimination results from the prejudices of a person who then makes a distinction between the stereotypes of a certain group to which an individual belongs and makes a decision based on the group's features or chara cteristics and no longer on the individual merits of a person. Different Kinds of Biases – the subtle bias is often unconsciously practiced by the person. It means he or she is even not aware of the inherent bias. More distressingly, a subtle bias is very hard to detect by the persons

Civil Aerospace Market Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Civil Aerospace Market - Case Study Example In the following discussion we'll analyze the industry structure of the civil aerospace market in general and the two main companies in particular. vi. World's second-largest defense company. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems provides end-to-end services for large-scale systems that combine sophisticated communication networks with air-, land-, sea- and space-based platforms for global military, government and commercial customers i. FAA (US) Aerospace forecast for the period 2006-2017 states that, 'By 2017, U.S. commercial air carriers are projected to fly 1.6 trillion ASMs and transport 1.07 billion enplaned passengers a total of 1.256 trillion passenger miles. Passenger trip length is also forecast to increase by more than 120 miles over the forecast to 1,171.9 miles (up 10.2 miles annually). iv. New entrants in the business particularly from India, China and Japan. These countries are trying very hard to tap the market with state owned companies getting full support from respective governments Headquartered in France and employing about 60,000 people worldwide Airbus has made a commitment to itself that it will remain in the 40-60 percent range as far as market share is concerned1. During 2006 also Airbus was able to capture 44 percent market share with 824 new firm orders worth US$75.1 billion. Buyers'/Consu... v. Highly investment intensive and labor intensive business. Opportunities i. FAA (US) Aerospace forecast for the period 2006-2017 states that, 'By 2017, U.S. commercial air carriers are projected to fly 1.6 trillion ASMs and transport 1.07 billion enplaned passengers a total of 1.256 trillion passenger miles. Passenger trip length is also forecast to increase by more than 120 miles over the forecast to 1,171.9 miles (up 10.2 miles annually). ii. New technological breakthroughs in IT, computers and electronics industries, providing opportunity to serve the customer in a better way. iii. New product development efforts are focused on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane that is expected to be in service in 2008. Threats i. Global slowdown (decelerating growth) in airlines business, particularly after the 9/11 incident ii. Shrinking profit margins for airlines industry, resulting in closing down of many airlines iii. Fluctuating oil prices and turbulent political scene in the middle-east region iv. New entrants in the business particularly from India, China and Japan. These countries are trying very hard to tap the market with state owned companies getting full support from respective governments v. Widespread opposition of the outsourcing moves by the unions at Boeing as well as from other unions in the country, fearing widespread retrenchments. SWOT analysis for Airbus Headquartered in France and employing about 60,000 people worldwide Airbus has made a commitment to itself that it will remain in the 40-60 percent range as far as market share is concerned1. During 2006 also Airbus was able to capture 44 percent market share with 824 new firm orders worth US$75.1 billion. Strengths: Leading position in the

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Intelligence - Essay Example Thus, business intelligence allows an enterprise to generate data related to the enterprise customers, competition and internal functions, to be able to predict and plan for the future performance of the business (Stackowiak, Rayman & Greenwald, 2007:27). Business Intelligence allows an enterprise to generate significant data that points at both the enterprise trend and the general business trend in the industry that an enterprise serves. Thus, through the use of the Business Intelligence techniques, it becomes possible for an enterprise to make more accurate decisions. For example, Business Intelligence helps in reaching managerial decisions regarding the appropriate tactical and strategic managerial decisions, customer satisfaction improvement, as well as determining the right supply and distribution channels or entry strategy into a specific market segment (Inmon, 1999:42). The most common types of Business Intelligence techniques that are applied by businesses include the data mi ning techniques, statistical analysis, online analytical processing (OLAP), forecasting techniques and the basic query and reporting technique (Stackowiak, Rayman & Greenwald, 2007:21). Apple Inc. is a USA based computer and electronic manufacturing multinational company that was established in 1976 (Linzmayer, 1999:14). This company has served as the model for numerous case studies into both innovation and management efficiency, for its role in transforming a potentially small home-based computer manufacturing garage into a leading giant multi-national corporation in the global computer and manufacturing industry. Thus, the company deals in the business of manufacture and sale of computers and related computer products, computer software, electronics and also offer of various online services such as music, software and apps retail services

Week 9 case theme paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Week 9 case theme paper - Essay Example I never had the time before to notice the beauty of my grandkids, my wife, the tree outside my very own front door. And, the beauty of time itself.† This statement regarding retirement was quoted from Hartman Jule. Retirement became an eye-opener for him and a chance to enjoy life each day. Of course, this is also what I want to achieve but before retiring, things must be planned well and as Corporate Officer, unfinished businesses must be completed. In achieving global competitiveness in the company, strategic marketing management is needed. Innovation, customer satisfaction and producing quality products are the main objectives. Secondary objectives include optimizing processes to achieve better performance like the incorporation of the Six Sigma method and minimizing waste through the Lean method. For the domestic market, we must be aggressive in sales and advertising of our products to attract more buyers. We must always make sure to provide quality products and deliver them on time to these buyers to gain their loyalty and support. For the international market, marketing policies and objectives must be reviewed from time to time. Considering Europe, higher profit opportunities, larger customer network and global competition may be achieved. According to Kotler and Keller (2009), risk and competitive advantage of our products must be taken into consideration basing from the customer’s needs. If there comes a time that the problems such as projections of the company hitting the wall and the need to downscale operations, solutions to these troubles must be prepared beforehand or must be immediately executed as to prevent aggravation of the said problems. One solution is to lay off employees, from corporate officers to management staffs up to administrative personnel and laborers. This solution may act as a double-edged sword to both the company and employees. Another solution is to tap the loyalty of customers as to

President Barack Obama, the war power, and executive orders Essay

President Barack Obama, the war power, and executive orders - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that executive orders are used by presidents to promote civil rights and in emboldening or discourage regulation by federal agencies. Both Presidents Barack Obama and President George W. Bush have observed that the executive order has progressively become a powerful political weapon. The executive order has been used in pushing through regulations and this may end up being a political worse crisis. President’s executive orders are derived from Article II, section 1 of the America constitution specifies that the president has the executive power "He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed†. Executive orders in my perception are controversial because the through the executive order the president can make a major critical decision. The excises executive order by presidents run against the general logic of the constitution that says clearly that no one should have the power to act unilaterally. The executive order has a drawback for it undermines the trusted system of check and balance, giving rise to unjustifiable acts by the executive branch which may use it to safeguard their personal interests rather than national interests. For this reason, executive orders are considered too inappropriate in democratic and civilized country like the United States. Therefore, it is essential for the three arms of government to acts as a watchdog of each other thus enabling democracy to triumph without being hindered by the presidency through executive orders.

Female Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Female Entrepreneurship - Essay Example And, they have succeeded properly to show the world that they can be equality powerful and wise to run an organization as an entrepreneur. From the family run business and small business to the multinational companies the existence of the females in the powerful positions are clearly visible in the present time. From the grass root these females are nourishing themselves with great education. In the present time it has been seen that in most of the business schools the involvement of the male and female are almost same. This paper will focus on the general discussion about the female entrepreneurs. The leadership qualities and the present scenario in which these ladies are performing astonishingly are also mentioned accordingly. Introduction: In this modern society the men and women share the same respects. However, the females used to be taken as the weak gender for several years in the history of the human civilization. According to the mythical stories men and women are evolved fr om the same living organism. However, the behavioral approach and the communication pattern are totally different among these two living organism. John Gray’s book â€Å"men are from mars women are from Venus† became one of the most successful book in the last few decades for the behavioral study of these two living gender in the earth. It has been observed at a high intensity that the most important resource for an organization’s overall development remains to be its people and the customers whom it is serving to. It is by far the vital component in prospective decision making processes. (Heller, 2005). The policies and the practices within the organizational framework depend highly on its ability to adapt itself within an intensified competitive environment. (Dragun, n.d) Business environment: Men and women are different in their approaches and may be that is the reason the difference is seen in the decision making process of the females in the business enviro nment. It has been approved that the board of the companies have understood the potentials of the women CEOs and they have understood the impact of the positive impact of the new generation women CEOs in the field of brand building and building the new business empires (Price, 2007). There are many factors are important for the female CEOs to be successful in the men dominated world. Due to diverse range of participation, implementation of policies and variety of individual perception over execution of equal employment policies for females, the field of international business has become so diverse. Scholars like Toyne are of different opinion, as they have provided special emphasis on individual business organizations as participating units in the operation of international business and they also have pointed out the main reason behind disparity is actual consensus that more emphasis is provided on the entire business situation; rather than the organization â€Å"as unit if analysi s† (Vaghefi, Paulson and Tomlinson, 1991). Thus, the entire field of international business highly diversified and encompasses within its scope diverse range of strategic applications that are actually aimed at ensuring survival of an organization in an extremely competitive market. The strategic application regarding investment in international bus

President Barack Obama, the war power, and executive orders Essay

President Barack Obama, the war power, and executive orders - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that executive orders are used by presidents to promote civil rights and in emboldening or discourage regulation by federal agencies. Both Presidents Barack Obama and President George W. Bush have observed that the executive order has progressively become a powerful political weapon. The executive order has been used in pushing through regulations and this may end up being a political worse crisis. President’s executive orders are derived from Article II, section 1 of the America constitution specifies that the president has the executive power "He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed†. Executive orders in my perception are controversial because the through the executive order the president can make a major critical decision. The excises executive order by presidents run against the general logic of the constitution that says clearly that no one should have the power to act unilaterally. The executive order has a drawback for it undermines the trusted system of check and balance, giving rise to unjustifiable acts by the executive branch which may use it to safeguard their personal interests rather than national interests. For this reason, executive orders are considered too inappropriate in democratic and civilized country like the United States. Therefore, it is essential for the three arms of government to acts as a watchdog of each other thus enabling democracy to triumph without being hindered by the presidency through executive orders.

The Importance of Parking Lots, and Why Parking is Already So Much Essay

The Importance of Parking Lots, and Why Parking is Already So Much More - Essay Example They take up a significant amount of space and a prevalent wherever a person travels, at least in developed countries. However, in his argument, Ben-Joseph does not take into account the necessity of parking spaces, or the cost of the changes that he argues for. Before a suggestion like his is implemented, our society needs to become less dependent on cars and learn to use the parking spaces that we do have more efficiently. It is true that there are more parking spaces than cars, and Ben-Joseph’s figure of three times as many is probably very accurate. However, does this actually suggest that there are too many? The difficulty that is associated with finding parking at a popular venue suggests otherwise. For example, a parking space study in Bristol, Virginia found that the city needed more parking spaces in its downtown area. Furthermore, the study recommended that a parking building be created that had up to 240 spaces (McGee 2012). The stress and difficulty in finding a pa rking space in some cities is so bad that smartphone applications have been developed to help motorists find a space effectively (Gonzales 2011). These two examples suggest that the current number of parking spaces that are available is not enough in some places, rather than there being an excessive amount, as Ben-Joseph suggests. Another aspect of parking that Ben-Joseph does not take into account is the difference between parking spaces and parking lots. He suggests that there are approximately 800 million parking spaces in the United States, and extrapolates this to mean that parking spaces cover 4,360 square miles. This is not completely true. One only has to look at city streets to see that a large number of parking spaces are not part of parking lots, but are on the side of the road. Often, these are the most important parking spaces to people trying to get somewhere specific. While these spaces do take up the same amount of physical area as a parking space within a lot, remov ing these would not result in more available space. The impression that Ben-Joseph gives of parking lots sprawling across the country, blotting the landscape and taking up substantial amounts of space may be true. However, the level at which this occurs is not as dire as he suggests. As a potential solution to the ‘problem’ of parking lots, Ben-Joseph argues that parking lots themselves need to be transformed. He considers that there needs to be a greater focus on appearance, public uses and the environment. However, there are two problems with this proposed solution. The first is the associated cost. The way that parking lots are created is largely due to the relatively low cost. In terms of both time and money, it is much cheaper to create a flat, paved lot with the required lines, markers and other components, than it would be to create one that is more aesthetically pleasing. Even the simplest approach of landscaping the area would cost. The second problem is that r evamping car lots in this way would also decrease the number of parking spaces that they provide. This is a significant problem, as parking spaces are an important component of our society, and many people rely on them in order to store their car while they work. An alternative solution to the perspective that Ben-Joseph proposes a two-pronged approach, where the use of parking spaces is optimized and transportation via cars is decreased. The smartphone application for determining

Cultural Tasks Essay Example for Free

Cultural Tasks Essay The main idea of postmodernism is that individuals from different cultures have diversified values, beliefs, interests and perspectives, which are not the result of natural human nature, but have been formed by human history and culture. Since at a particular time knowledge is socially constructed in different ways, it changes through time from one context to another. As a result, there is no universal truth about anything; it should rather be perceived as multiple truths about different issues and concepts, which are unique and applicable for particular situations and cultures. The current chapter discusses the principles of postmodernism as applied to educational changes offered by modern grand schemes and programs. According to postmodernists, the best way to achieve changes is to combine collaborative and individual efforts. Though, since changes are usually unpredictable, there is no guarantee whether those efforts and actions can lead to real success and progress. Moreover the perception of the progress differs among nations and cultures: while one culture can consider change as positive leading to progress, the other might consider such change as negative or undesired. If to apply postmodernism ideas toward the educational programs and changes they can bring, it is possible to state that there is little guarantee that contemporary grand schemes and programs such as No Child Left Behind can bring positive change to schools and educational changes. On the contrary, the changes within the school premises are usually caused and influenced by the local context, which might include the school culture, the environment of the community the school is located and other aspects. To determine what can bring educational change might require certain research by gathering and analyzing the related information. Since self-study, according to postmodernism, is socially constructed knowledge, it cannot be applied without the external data of multiple values and experiences. Nowadays many schools try to implement uniformity in cloths, lectures, teaching methods, attitude to students, etc. From one side, it is a good way of making all students feel as they all have equal chances to learn and show their knowledge. However, according to postmodernists, such uniformity might suppress the personality and opportunities of some more progressive students. That is why, it is very important to identify what should be the same in the schools and what should be different. To ensure positive and effective changes in schools it is important to organize the combined work between school members by applying innovative and latest teaching methods in order to change teaching and learning for all the students. Change in the school teaching methods can be achieved if every teacher realizes the importance of personal professional learning, the results of which can mature the learning process of the students. It is not mandatory that such learning should be professional and obtained from some learning center or university. It can start from everyday desire to learn something new and apply this new knowledge into the teaching process. Moreover, every teacher should try to understand each students way of perceiving information, recognize and respect diversity among students and apply the teaching methods, which will be the most effective for all the students in the classroom. Finally, collaborative learning stimulates deep thinking about teaching and learning while ensuring that the students are prepared to be active participants in a global world. There can be large number of different educational programs, teaching styles, and advices, but the most important thing is to realize and understand the individual nature of each student and his/her demands in the education. Friendly, trustful and respectful teachers/students relationships are the most important factor in the teaching process. Works Cited: Part 6: Cultural Tasks of Supervision, pp. 414-456.

Eating Christmas in the Kalahari | Essay

Eating Christmas in the Kalahari | Essay Eating Christmas in the Kalahari Abstract Richard Borshay Lee was a social anthropologist that had lived with and studied the southern Tswana tribe. In â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari† Richard Borshay Lee introduces us to some very useful techniques in social science. What he decided to do was take part in an ox Christmas festivity. Mr. Lee felt he had to give a gift because the tribal community thought he was a miser, this was due to the fact the Mr. Lee had been there for quite some time and never shared his food. Being Christmas and both sides believing in this spiritual holiday, he felt obligated to share. Ultimately, his beliefs does not coincide with the !Kung people and we witness the power of socializing agents. Even though Mr. Lee had lived with and was engaged in every part of the !Kung people’s lives, he was still an outsider and alien to the society. It seems after Mr. Lee decided to attend the ox Christmas festival, he felt it would be a nice gesture to buy an ox to eat at the celebration. Among the !Kungs, the slaughtering of an ox is a custom. After choosing the ox to bring to the festival, the Bushmen started complaining and calling the ox old and skinny. To Mr. Lee, the ox looked big, fat and perfect for the Christmas celebration and the reaction of the !Kung Bushmen people leave him very insulted. His feelings and how he perceived the Bushmen’s reaction was likely founded on his own culture, where people are supposed to appreciate other people’s generosity no matter the outcome. But to the Bushmen, giving an ox was no more than what they usually do every day, and was nothing special. After consulting with cultural experts, Mr. Lee discovers the native’s viewpoint. In the !kung’s culture, things such as gifts and generosity are appreciated. However, it is not easily shown and always behind closed doors. Their cultural belief is that it will cause more harm to praise any individual even for a job well done. They believe by boosting someone’s ego it will eventually swell his pride to the point where he may kill someone. The !Kung’s survival is based on their awareness of the environment around them and how people act and think in the society. This I think would be a good thing as long as people were not taken for granted. Why did the !kung people’s insult bother Mr. Lee so extensively? I feel the anthropologist thought he had gone through so much to choose, and buy the ox for the !Kungs just to be ridiculed for his efforts. Lee finally received the message of what the !Kungs were trying to put out, and this was the concept that there is some motive behind every gift and somehow, someway the gift will be repaid. However, I must disagree with this concept and disagree with the !Kungs. This is supported by the fact, every day I see many charitable acts, and the people that are giving, have no intention of receiving praise or anything in return. There are many cultural rules about gift giving in our society. Gifts in our society are given in celebrations and special occasions. Usually in our society, the amount spent on the gift is based on the rareness or the size of the event taking place. Mr. Lee’s views brought on by his own cultural beliefs, left him feeling inadequate and insulted. But to the !Kungs, it was an everyday occurrence and reaction. To understand the !kungs is to understand and accept people of different cultures. This is dually noted in the above paragraphs. The !Kungs who live in the Kalahari were raised quite differently than someone who grew up in the society we live in today. In accepting gifts in our country, we always say thank you and how much we appreciate it. This praise gives us a feeling of arrogance knowing that the receiver really likes our gift. In different cultures there are different guidelines. The people of the !kung tribe think badly of individuals that show arrogance. To eliminate these characteristics in the children, they were raised to mock and make fun of others while doing things such as hunting and viable activities. And by telling Mr. Lee that his ox was skinny and old, they were ultimately doing him a tremendous favor according to their cultural beliefs. As in contrast to our beliefs that characteristics such as bulling and mocking is very wrong. However sometimes in our society we see arrogance as a negative quality but it is not always discouraged in the same manner. Agents of Socialization was a strong influence in the article that Mr. Lee wrote. The feeling of being insulted only came from his own inadequacies and the way he was taught in his society. His status while being among the tribe was less than in his own society and also contributed to his feelings. His cultural values were very different than that of the !Kung people, and in time he came to understand and accept their attitudes learned as a social group. He realized that even though it was a celebration known to people of his culture, it could also sustain a part of the !Kung tribe. This is a documentation of another instance of how different societies of people distinguish themselves from one another with certain customs and differences, and how they conduct themselves socially. References Scavetta, Charlene (February 22, 2009). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari, Richard Borshay Lee. . retrieved 9/23/2014, from Athropology 1001 Web Site: http://scavettacharlene.blogspot.com/2009/02/eating-christmas-in-kalahari-richard.html ThatPresence ( December 2005 ). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari . retrieved 9/23/2014, from StudyMode.com Web Site: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Eating-Christmas-In-The-Kalahari-74594.html Ontaneda, Ana (February 22, 2009). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari . retrieved 9/23/2014, from anthropology Web Site: http://unam0ur.blogspot.com/2009/02/ana-ontaneda-february-22-2009-ant-1001.html Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects Introductory orientation Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Truant behavior is a problem for the individual, the family, the school and society in general. Free and compulsory education is recognized as a basic entitlement under international standards, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950). With the right to free education and the obligation corresponding to this right observed and enforced through a national emphasis on school attendance, The National Statistic Office (Malta) states that in the 2004/2005 scholastic year the figure for school absenteeism accounted for 7.7% of the total number of school days in the reference period or an overall absence rate of 9.2 absent days per pupil that for boys being 10.0 days per pupil and for girls 8.4 days per pupil. As a teacher this makes me fretful about students missing school as this can be associated with subsequent emotional and psychosocial problems in early adulthood and is a predictor of multiple problems (Fogelman and Hibbert, 1990). Truancy may have both short and long term effects on society. There is evidence that truancy is linked to delinquent behaviour and juvenile crime (Collins, 1998; Reid, 1999). According to Jones (1996), ‘Absenteeism is a sign of trouble that often leads to lower academic skills and grades, delinquency, and dropouts. Studies have shown that high school dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed and on welfare, and overall, tend to be facing a more difficult life than their graduating counterparts. Jones (1996; p.128), All members who form part of any educational institution cannot allow these students to give up on themselves. We as a modern, fast developing society, we cannot afford to let them surrender. It is clearly far less expensive to educate them than pay for a lifetime of welfare and all of the deprivations that welfare represents. These are ominous issues, which imply that the number of students who skip school is rising and that school absenteeism is a new generations behaviour that is today a dramatic social phenomenon. This proposal drafts the intent to investigate and explore realities of how truancy manifests with Maltese youth and also explore the psychosocial world of truants in Maltese schools. Problem Analysis The Pre-Scientific Problem awareness As a supply teacher for these past five years, I have witnessed incidences of truancy in the period 2006 to 2009. One of the common truancy reducation measures used was to lock the school gates during lessons and breaks and open them after school hours (my personal exsperience). Despite the limited impact on truancy reducation, the approach of locking gates is still common and evident in some secondary schools. I found locked gates while visiting some of the schools. Gangsters, to control late coming and to stop learners from dodging classes, locked gates to prevent trespassing, sepecially. Exploring the problem Incidence and nature of truancy Malta Since 1946 education has been compulsory for all children between six to fourteen years and extended to the age of 16 by the Education Act (Malta) of 1971. Maltese law imposes a duty on parents to ensure that their children of compulsory school age receive appropriate education, whether through attendance at a state or independent school. If they fail to do so, without any reasonable excuse and if found guilty, they are liable to a fine not exceeding in previous currency one Maltese Lira (equivalent to â‚ ¬2.33) for each day during which the offence continues, unless the parent fails to give a good and sufficient explanation within three days from the date he or she receives a notice from the Director of Education (Malta Education Act 1988). From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before the local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the time frame of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of students that systematically plan three days off from school each month, just for the sake that they use their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Surveys show that the overall absence rate between 25th September 2000 to 31st March 2001 stood at 10.5 days per pupil (NSO Malta, 2001). This figure reveals an increase of 5.2% over 1999/2000 scholastic year (NSO Malta, 2001). Thus it shows that during this period, 657,604 pupil days were lost to absenteeism and authorised absence due to sickness. Indeed, the Clark Report (2005) shows concern for the increase in unauthorised absenteeism with parental consent, particularly in state secondary schools which cater, in the main, for a student population coming from a working- class background. Family problems, psychological problems, illnesses, school phobia and bullying have, significantly, been indicated by the Clark focus group to be the topmost reasons contributing to school avoidance. Some Overseas Countries Most of the research conducted abroad seems to provide information regarding the nature and extent of truancy in secondary schools. Results of a study conducted at a school in London from 1985 to 1987 revealed that 70% of the sampled pupils admitted truanting during the three-year period (Stoll, 1990:22). In the study that involved nine secondary schools, 66% of the 765 fifth year pupils admitted truanting (ibid). Figures on truancy in 150 English secondary schools revealed that 31% of pupils in years 10 and 11 admitted that they played truant or skipped lessons (OKeefe Stoll, 1995:12). Gray and Jesson (1990:25) report about the major national survey results of truancy in English secondary schools. According to this study, 23% of all fifth year pupils were involved in truant behavior and they were less likely to stay on in full-time education. Furthermore, schools facing serious problems of truancy tend to be in the inner city rather than in other areas (ibid). on the other hand, Collins (1998:26) reports that absentee rates vary between schools in the London Education Authority. Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) found that out of a sample of 50 Scottish secondary schools, 18% of the pupils (11% in June and 7% in November) were classified as truants and were mostly form the senior years. These figures exclude truants within the school day, as â€Å"14 schools reported that they did not keep period attendance records† (ibid). Truancy has long been a subject for research in various parts of the USA. According to Nelson (1972:98), 64% of the 591 students surveyed identified themselves as class truants. Learners habitually play truant each day in Los Angeles, Pittsburg and Milwaukee (Black, 1996:33). Bos, Ruiters and Visscher (1992:393) found that the average rate of truancy in 36 schools in the four Dutch cities studied was 4.4% and that truancy increased with the level of the class in almost all schools. Some researchers further indicate that truancy does not necessarily mean missing the whole day of school but found that I could be in the form of missing a part of a day or particular lesson (Kilpartick, 1998:31; Reid, 1999:91). In a study conducted by Malan in South Africa (1972:144), 2,738 out of 69,908 pupils were identified by their teachers as truants. Masithela (Masithela, 1992:33) observed that learners tend to miss lessons during the first and second periods, as well as during the last give periods. The tendency of missing certain lessons towards the end of the school day shows that some form of â€Å"hidden truancy† is prevalent and that pupils can be marked present in the register but fail to attend all lessons (ibid:45). On the other hand, they may come late and be marked absent or be somewhere on the school premises not attending certain lessons or periods, but still be marked as being present on the class resisters. Factors associated with truancy Malta Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Tyerman (1968) defines the term truant as the child who is absent from school purely on his or her own initiative. Gabb (1994) includes in his definition of truant, that a child who is absent with leave given by his or her parents, or who are actually kept at home by the parents. Hersov (cited in Gabb, 1994) goes still further, dividing from truants, ‘school phobics and ‘school refusers. King (2001) furthermore defines school refusal/school phobics as a difficulty to attend school due to emotional distress, especially anxiety and depression. Fenech (1991) (in an unpublished research) defines ‘absenteeism as ‘being away from lessons for any period of time and for reasons not considered as legitimate, with or without the parents knowledge (p.3). She goes on to include ‘physical presence without any attention being given to a lesson in progress [as well as] masked or selective truancy (ibid., p.3). Fenech (ad. lib.) refers to the latter as ‘skiving off specific lessons or disappearance after registration (p.3) remarking that a number of sources consider absenteeism and truancy synonymous. Sultana (1997), like Fenech (1991), defines absenteeism as ‘staying away from school for reasons not justified by the law (p. 355). However, she goes on to include other ‘less overt ways (ibid., p 355) such as what Willis (1977) calls participating in ‘informal mobility (ibid., p. 355). This includes not entering the class for lesson, intentionally staying in another class, leaving the class without permission, or staying in class without bothering to follow the lesson. Studies conducted abroad When seen from a psychological viewpoint, truancy may be symptomatic of learns who are insecure and have low academic achievement levels and low self-esteem. Lewis (1995:37) states that attendance difficulties my broadly result from a combination of â€Å"pull† and â€Å"push† factors. Pull factors are personal and social aspects that â€Å"pull† a learner out of school. The pull factors may be related to the psychological indices mentioned by Reid (2002:11), such as maladjustment, a lower general level of self-esteem and academic self concept, anxiety and lower career aspirations. Factors that â€Å"push† learners away from school include academic and classroom aspects such as inapproachability of the teaching staff, incomprehensible teaching style and inappropriate classroom management. Other factors relating to the school and the classroom include bullying, the curriculum, boring lessons (Reid, 1999:91), teachers humiliating remarks (Porteus, Clacherty, Mdiya, Pelo, Matsai, Qwabe and Donald 2000:11), poor record-keeping and school organization (Bimler Kirkland, 2001:90; Coldman, 1995:29). According to Pappas (1996:1), truancy is often symptomatic of family dysfunction, since the parents of truants tend to be permissive, undisciplined and unavailable. Some authors believe that truancy is associated with a poor socio-economic background, including poverty, poor housing and unemployment (Bell, Rosen and Dynlacht, 1994:204; Tyerman, 1958:222). Some researchers state that there is a link between truancy and delinquent behavior (Collins, 1998:38; Brown, 1998:298-299; Reid, 1999:25). Truancy differentiated from school phobia There is a need to distinguish between truancy and school phobia. The concept â€Å"school phobia† describes a learner who is unwilling to attend school and stays at home with the knowledge of parents (Wicks and Nelson, 2000:123). A learners problem often stats with a vague complaint or reluctance to attend school and progresses to total refusal to go to school. Blagg (1992:121) asserts that school phobia may be induced by fear-arousing aspects of school, such as fear of failure caused by anxiety about meeting the standards. Fear may also be related to worries about the health and welfare of parents (Blagg, 1992:123). In the other hand, a learner who plays truant misses the whole school day or lessons without the knowledge of parents or caregivers. Furthermore, a truant tends to be involved in various forms of anti social behavior (Blagg, 1992:121). Milner and Blyth (1999:18) acknowledge the difficulties involved in studying the prevalence and pattern of truancy and in comparing current and past school attendance or absence. The difficulties are partly compounded by the variations in the definition of truancy itself (Boyd, 1999:22; Gabb, 1997:2) and the multifaceted nature of truancy (Edward and Malcolm, 2001:1; Reid, 1999:17). The problems associated with studies on truancy should, however, not prevent further research from being conducted. Solutions should be found, or the cause at least eliminated, because truancy is regarded as a serious problem with socio-economic implications. A preliminary review of the literature reveals that truancy is a major problem form schools and society and a most powerful predictor of juvenile delinquent behavior (Van Petegem, 1994:272; Wiehe, 2000). Reid (2002:2) maintains that the amount of money spent on truancy reduction initiatives proves the extent of truancy. Statement of the problem Data on the extent and nature of truancy in schools are often based on information obtained from class registers. This information may be inadequate or almost incomplete and limits the understanding of the phenomenon, thus making it difficult to develop appropriate intervention strategies. More insight on how truancy manifests is needed to provide a base on which to suggest, plan and develop effective intervention strategies. Therefore, further research is needed to enable education officials, schools, parents and other professionals to manage learners with attendance difficulties more efficiently. This study serves to bridge the information gap regarding the nature of truancy and to provide a picture of the life world of truants in Secondary Schools. Aims of the Research The General Aim The aim would be to describe truancy in general as stated in the literature and to conduct an empirical study in order to determine how truancy behaviour manifests in secondary schools and what the life world of truants looks likes. The findings can then be used to inform and guide future practice. The Specific aim The aim of the study would be to gather information that will be used to guide the school (college) community namely the SMT, form teachers, subject teachers, guidance teachers and school councillors, youth workers in school and other stakeholders to help in the interventional approaches and procedures that can be used for reducing truancy. In order to realise the above aims, the following questions are set to direct the research: What is the extent and degree of truancy in terms of the frequency and number of learns involved? What are the patterns, type or nature of truancy? Where do truants go when not at school or in class? What measures are used to monitor and manage truancy? Research Method The study will comprise two methods, namely, a literature study and an empirical investigation. A study of the literature will derive information on studies about poor school attendance and procedures employed to mange or reduce truancy from books, research articles, journals and other resources. A quantitative research design will be used in the empirical investigation. This investigation aims to gather data by means of a questionnaire that will be given to learns in Form 1 and Form 2 in eight randomly selected schools, , incorporating two Junior Lyceums, two Area Secondary and two Church schools. A qualitative research design will be used with guidance teachers, counselors, youth workers, form teachers, Assistant Head of Schools and Heads of School currently working in schools. A focus group and interviews with Heads will help me to investigate what the School community is doing to combat truancy. Such data will be advantageous in that they are ‘the most adequate [tool] to capture how a person thinks of a particular domain (Goldsmiths Collage, n.d.). More over since a face to face rapport with the interviewee, it is induced to continue questioning the subject in order to confirm the hypothesis about his or her beliefs, seeking appraise any underlying meaning in the process. Demarcation of research Due to time constraints, the preset research is confined to then 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Malta. A list of all secondary schools was compiled to allow for the random selection of 8 schools, which will form part of this study. This sample was mainl cohosen on the basis of cost implicaitons and accessibility. Explanation of concepts In this section a number of concepts that are relevant to this research are defined. Truancy Reids (1999:1) asserts that the term ‘truancy is often misused and can be applied both generically and with a local meaning. In the different parts of Great Britain, truancy is known as ‘dodging, ‘skipping off, ‘mitching, ‘skiving, ‘bunking off and ‘going missing, respectively. Whitney (1994:49) defines truancy as ‘absence that has not been authorized by the school and where leave has not been given or approved. Another definition provided by Collins (1998:2), who states that truancy is about pupils who have been registed with a school but identified as not attending school when the law says they should. This definition includes absences from a particular lesson or lessons, known as ‘post-registation truancy (Gabbs, 1994:5; Stoll, 1990:23). Clark Report (2005) identify as truancy when a student is voluntarily absent or not attending school without their parents permission and often, awareness (Anglicare, Werribee Family Services 2000). Truancy is defined as unjustifiable or unexplained absence from school with attempts by the student to conceal the absenteeism. Usually the child avoids home when not at school and the parents are often unaware of the childs absence (Rollings, King, Tonge, Luk, Heyne, Ramsdell, Burdett Martin, 1999). The concept blanket truancy refers to absence from the whole school day, which is usually reflected on the class register, while post-registration truancy occurs when the learner is marked present but fails to turn up at a lesson or lessons (Stoll, 1990:23). In this research, the term ‘truancy is broadly defined as unauthorized absence from school. The definition is adopted with the assumption that absence with the knowledge and permission of the school and parents or guardians does not constitute truancy. Since the study seeks to explore the type of truancy as manifested at secondary schools, both concepts of truancy (blanket and post-registration) are relevant and will be investigated. A Truant A truant is a ‘child aged 6 17 years old who absents himself or herself form school without a legitimate reason and without permission of his or her parents or the school official (Schaefer and Millman, 1981: 335). For the purpose of this research, a truant refers to a learner who, after being registered at a school, absents himself or herself from school or lessons without a legitimate reson or permission from parents or the school official. The traditional or typical truant: Traditional truants tend to be isolated that come from an unsupportive home background, possibly with a tendency to be shy. It is likely that they will have a low self-concept, be introverted and be the citim of their social circumstances. The psychological truant: could be the school phobic (school refusal) case but more othen than this psychological truant miss school for psychological related factors such as illness, opsychomatric complaints, laziness, a fear of attending scholl for any reason (such as dislike of a teacher, a lesson, an impending confrontation or fear of bullying.) The Institutional truant: Institutional truants are more likely to indulge in ‘on the spur of the moment absences from lessons and to be selective about days or lessons to miss. Secondary School A school that admits or registers and educates learners in Form 1 Form 5 is known as a secondary school. Life World In this research, the term ‘life world refers to the psychological context this is made up of elements such as interpersonal aspects, the family, school and the broader community. According to this definition, the life world involves the personal and external world of the learner. The personal word refers to intrinsic factors. The external word is made up of the broader educational systems, the home environment and the community where the child spends his time when not at school. Relevant intervention strategies would be easier to suggest if the contextual issues related to the phenomenon under investigations are understood. Research Program The research comprises give chapters, as follows: CHAPTER 1 In this chapter, the background information in the seriousness and implication of truancy are discussed. The chapter also includes an analysis of the problem, the problem statement, aims of the study, description of the research method and definition of the concepts. CHAPTER 2 Chapter 2 entails a review of the literature on types of truancy and the causes of truancy or contributing factors in different countries, including in Malta. Different approaches that the various countries and schools use to manage truancy will also be discussed. CHAPTER 3 This chapter deals with research designs and methods. A discussion of the research problem, the aim of the empirical investigation, the research tool used in the study and the selection of the sample will be included. Details of the compilation and administration of questionnaires as well as an analysis of data will be presented. CHAPTER 4 In this chapter, the results of questionnaires will be presented. The results will be analyzed to find answers to the research questions. CHAPTER 5 The chapter entails a summary of the research finding, conclusions and recommendations. A summary of the results from the literature study and the limitation of the study will be included. Conclusion This chapter focuses on the background and analysis of the problem, as well as the aims of the study. An attempt will be made to explain the research method used, relevant concepts and planned programmes of the research. The next chapter will contain the review of the literature on the types of truancy, factors contributing to truancy behavior, the rate and extent of truancy and the strategies used to manage truancy. CHAPTER 2 TYPES OF TRUANCY, CAUSAL FACTORS AND APPROACHES USED IN THE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION OF TRUANCY Introduction According to Tyerman (1958:217), truancy has been a problem to all concerned with education since 1870s. Approximately 750 children were charged for truancy in England and Wales in 1954 (ibid: 220). This figure could have been an underestimation as it was based on learners who were referred to courts, and therefore represented mainly incorrigible truants (ibid). Furthermore, the figure gives a general picture of truanting children in one country only and without an indication whether it was absence from certain lessons or whole school day absence. Truancy is currently a problem in communities. In Clarks report concern was expressed about truancy among school children. Data presented in this report indicates that non-attendance exists, and has become an issue of increasing concern for schools, educational and student welfare organizations. Non-attendances viewed as being among one of the key problems facing some schools. There is increasing concern for the seemingly large number of ch ildren and young people, who are, for a range of reasons, missing out on the benefits of education and possibly on a better future (Dr. L. Galea, The Times 9th February, 2005). Non-attendance can be the beginning of countless problems for students who regularly miss out on school (Heyne, King, Tonge, Rollings, Pritchard Young,1999). The extent and nature of truancy are best understood in terms of whether it implies absence for the whole day or during a particular lesson. This chapter deals with how blanket and post-registration truancy manifest, the causal factors and various measures of reducing truancy in secondary schools. Blanket Truancy Perspectives in various countries England and Wales Normab (2001:49) states that 50,000 children play truant on a normal school day in England. The number of truants increases steadily with age and most truants are found at secondary school (ibid). This confirms past research findings about the existence of truancy in secondary school in some parts of England. Gray and Jesson (1990:25) gathered information on the incidence of truancy from the youth cohort survey of England and Wales. The result of their survey shows that 6% of final-year secondary school learners reported to have played truant for several days or weeks at a time. Malcolm, Wilson, Davidson and Kirk (2003:50) state as follows: ‘In 1999, the Audit Commission noted that at least 40,000 of the 400,000 learners absent from school are truanting. Scotland In a study done at 50 Scottish secondary schools, it was found that 30% to 33% of learners had been playing truant at least once in the survey week (Munn and Johnston, 1992:38). These schools were requested to provide both the overall attendance rate and the numbers of learners (ibid). Australia Haddon (1996:110), citing a comprehensive study conducted in Victorian secondary schools in Australia, states that 40% to 60% of learners of compulsory school age reported that they engaged in truancy. Cohen and Ryan (1998:12) state that about 10,000 learners in Tasmania play truant at least one day a week. The Netherlands The research done at 36 schools in four Dutch cities indicates that the average level of truancy at all schools was 4.4% (Bos, Ruiters and Visscher, 1992:393). The average percentage of allowed absence was 4.7%, therefore suggesting that learners in most schools are just as often absent with a valid reason as without one. United States of America It appears that truancy is a problem in American schools, although at varying levels. According to Black (1996:33), approximately 2,500 and 4,000 learners play truant on a daily basis in Pittsburg and Mulwaukee, repectively, while 300,000 of the 1.6 million students in Los Angeles are habitual truants. This shows that some learners stay absent without permission every day and that a day never goes by with a recording of 100% attendance. Truancy is so much of a concern that the Department of Education has prepared a manual that gives schools some guidelines on how to reduce it (United States Department of Education, 1996). Malta From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the space of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of pupils that systematically take three days off from school each month just for the sake that they use up their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Survey results issued by the National Statistics Office Malta on December 16, 2002 showed that overall absence rate from schools between September 25, 2000 and March 31, 20001, stood at 10.5 days per pupil. That included both absenteeism and authorized absence (such as those due to sickness). During this period, 657,604 pupil days were list to absenteeism, accounting for 8.9 per cent of the total pupil days. This reveals an increase of 5. 2 per cent over the 1999/2000 scholastic year. Absences in government schools stood at 19.12 days per pupil whereas that of government dependent (church schools) and independent private schools was 5.76 days per pupil. The rate of truancy in terms of gender Some of the overseas researchers state that there is no difference in the levels of truancy reported for males and females (Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; Haddon, 1996: 110; Smith, M., 1996:226; Stoll, 1994:36; Whitney, 1994: 59). Recent research on truancy in the seven local education authorities reports that the numbers of learners in secondary school admitting truancy was almost equal for boys and girls (Malcolm et al., 2003:31). Coldman (1995:68) also states that the variation that exists in truancy levels of males and females is slight. It is, therefore, apparent that some research are in agreement with regard to the truancy levels of male and females learners. Earlier research that was conducted in South Africa suggests that more males than females tend to play truant Coldman (1995:68) warns against making assumptions and generalisations about the existence of gender differnce in truancy levels. He argues that observed findings might result from the fact that some schools have more males than females, particularly when one is dealing with a large sample. What the above studies suggest about truancy levels of males and females is that the difference might be slight, if it does exist. Furthermore, observed diffrenences may be incfluenced by other variables, such as the enrolled number of male and female learners in a sample. Truancy rate according to the geographical location of the school Serious truancy is said to be more prevalent in inner-city secondary schools in England (Gray and Jesson, 1990:36; Stoll, 1990:23). Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) also found that the Scottish school with the highest percentage of unauthorized absence was all in the inner city. Coldman (1995:69) asserts that claims that truancy is a problem mainly experienced in inner city schools are disputable, since another survey showed that the truancy level is high even in the suburban, rural and industrial areas of England. It may therefore be purely speculation, without much supporting evidence, to suggest that inner-city school experience higher levels of truancy. Hard evidence needs to be gathered, where possible, in order to verify the claim that inner-city experience higher rates of truancy. According to some researchers, truancy levels also appear to differ from school to school, since they may be more prevalent in schools than in others (Blackm 1996:33; Bos et al., 1992:385; Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; OKeefe and Stoll, 1995:12). It is therefore apparent that the levels of truancy seem to vary from country to country, and in some cases, also in terms of geographical locations within a city or town. The literature indicates that blanket truancy is common in many secondary school and that, in some cases, learners play truant on a daily basis. The levels of blanket truancy can also vary according to regional locations within the same country. In the next section, the evidence regarding the level of post-registration truancy drawn from the literature will be discussed. Post-registration Truancy Very little information is given in the literature about national trends of post-registration truancy in countries where research on truancy was conducted. Most of the studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United St