Monday, September 30, 2019

War for Independence

Waging War for Independence (1764 – 1783) Stephanie Maharaj History 1301 Antrece Baggett October 12, 2012 The thirteen colonies moved from peaceful resistance to outright war against the British government’s â€Å"reform† programs of new taxes and regulations during the period of (1764-1783). These new programs had a significant impact on the people of the colonies, and caused a great uproar. Protests broke out, and eventually the American Revolution came into the picture.I will explain some of the reasons colonists rebelled against the new reform programs, the roles African Americans played during the American Revolution, how the patriots achieved the unity needed to wage the War for Independence, and the impact the American Revolution had on the Native Americans. First, I will start with the opposition the colonists had when it came to the Sugar, Currency, and Stamp Acts. Unlike the Molasses Act which benefited the people of the colonies, the new acts imposed o n them were just a burden and quite unfair. The Sugar Act came about during the time that George Grenville was appointed as first minister.His responsibility was to solve the debt crisis they were facing. Since the British at home were highly taxed, Grenville’s solution was to tax the Americans since he felt they benefited from the war. Needless to say, the Sugar Act was primarily to raise revenue rather than regulate trade. The Sugar Act eliminated the sugar trade between the Continental colonies and the French and Spanish. This angered the colonists along with the newly added Currency Act which forbade the colonies from issuing paper money, thus creating a shortage of currency.Next came the Stamp Act which provoked an even greater storm of protest. The law departed entirely from the confines of mercantilist policy. Parliament just wanted to raise internal revenue so that they could use that money to pay troops in the colonies. The colonists were extremely infuriated because for them this meant that they had to purchase stamps for official documents and published papers, which included a multitude of items. All publications and transactions were subject to this special tax. To make matters worse, the colonists were only permitted to in specie.They habitually used paper money and credit instead of the scarce gold and silver. One of the groups of people involved in the American Revolution was the African American group. Lord Dunmore, royal Governor of Virginia, declared all indented servants, Negroes, or others (owned by rebels) free, that were able and willing to bear arms and join His Majesty’s Troops. The blacks were divided into two specific groups: the free blacks and slaves. The British wanted to disrupt and weaken the colonists so that’s why they offered the southern slaves emancipation.The Whigs considered this foul play and as a consequence they increased slave patrols and warned of harsh punishments to those who ran away or took u p arms against their masters. The penalty for slave rebellion was death. Although threatened, the African Americans still aided the British by joining the army and employing their firsthand knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay. Some served as pilots along its tributaries; others delivered fresh provisions to the British ships by foraging plantations at night. African Americans certainly played a role within the American Revolution, but they received little welcome from the Whigs.When the Americans created an army from volunteer forces besieging Boston, they excluded slaves and even free blacks from participating. The patriots achieved the unity they needed to wage the War for Independence because of the British Government’s constant restrictions and need to be in control. The British expected the Coercive Acts to isolate Boston and convince other provinces to be obedient, but instead all the acts did was push the Americans toward unity. The patriots knew they had to work together to even stand a chance at breaking away from Britain’s overbearingness.Their unity grew even stronger when the British government sent General Cage to take forceful action. His method of doing that was attempting to seize the patriot’s stores of food and ammunition at Concord which he learned about from an informer. Militant Bostonians had spies that ended up discovering Gage’s plan, and they were ready to spread the alarm. This is the moment the patriots stood as â€Å"one† unit. It didn’t matter that they were not finished being trained and were unprepared. They all came out to fight, and they fought for all the same basic reasons.There were numerous battles that were yet to come, but this was the start of the patriot’s unity. Eventually all of the battles/wars led to drafting of the Declaration of Independence, which some people believe to be the ultimate reason the patriots achieved the unity they needed to wage the war for independence. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and set forth Congress’s reasons for separating from the government George III; the revolutionaries focused on the king’s offenses because they had already denied the sovereignty of Parliament.The Native Americans were also another group impacted by the American Revolution. Many took the side of the Americans but the majority sided with the British and assisted them in this revolution. Native Americans believed the Americans were more of a direct threat to them because they lived on the continent and would immediately â€Å"take the land†. Native Americans assimilated, and adopted new norms and customs of white America. The result of the American Revolution was a win for the American Whigs. They were finally able to create a new government and not be ruled by a king or anyone of nobility.Unfortunately for the Native Americans, the new government gave them the short end of the stick. They got exactl y what they were afraid of, and that was their land being at stake. Their land rights were not respected. As it is evident, the colonies tried to maintain some sort of composure and not have to resort to violence with the British Government. They quickly transitioned from this peaceful resistance to outright war because the British Government kept intervening in their lives and trying to have control of every aspect of it.When things got out of hand, the American Revolution took place and it impacted everyone including: the African Americans, Native Americans, the British, and etc. The result of the war for independence was success for the patriot’s and since many Native Americans sided with and assisted the British, their outcome was losing what they feared most. They’re land was not respected and they had no control over that. Works Cited Edward Ayers, Lewis Gould, David Oshinsky, and Jean Soderlund. â€Å"American Passages 4th Edition : A History of the United Stat es. No. 4 (2009): 1-170

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Chess vs Human

It is hard to distinguish between that that is better in chess Human or Artificial Intelligence. Some would say humans because of their critical thinking and throwing computer off guard. And others would say artificial intelligence like Deep Blue because of its capability to calculate upto 4,000,000 chess moves per second as compare to human chess player who could only calculate upto three moves in a second. But in my opinion I think human has the upper hand. Human plays better chess than Artificial Intelligence. We know that presently computers can only use the intelligence that is load in it.It is not capable of thinking anything else as human minds can do so. All the moves that computer make are based on the series of calculations and this all based on the positions of the pieces on the chessboard. A computer chess program like Deep Blue makes its move by using its evaluation function. The evaluation function is an algorithm that measures the chess position. Positions with positiv e values are good for ‘White’ and positions with negative values are good for ‘Black’ (IBM Research – Deep Blue – Overview).Here is where I think that human has the upper hand while playing chess with an artificial intelligence. Human chess players use their skills, judgment and previous experiences to decide about the moves they are going to make next (Connor, 1993). And artificial intelligence moves are based on its algorithms and so a human chess player can disturb its algorithms making an unusual move that artificial intelligence does not recognize. In 1996, Gary Kasparov beat Deep Blue by 4-2 in a â€Å"regulation-style match† held in Philadelphia.Although Gary Kasparov lost the opening game to Deep Blue but he came game back and won the game 2. â€Å"Gary Kasparov won in an interesting ending, though due to programming errors the computer in that game played without any opening database. Two draws followed. Kasparov's second win came in Game 5 after the IBM programmers refused a draw offer even though Deep Blue considered the position roughly equal. In this game, Deep Blue demonstrated its lack of understanding of the danger of a kingside pawn majority.In Game 6, Kasparov totally outplayed Deep Blue by gaining a ecisive space advantage and by avoiding any weaknesses. In this game, Kasparov trapped the computer's rook and bishop, in part because the IBM programmers had never properly adjusted a parameter that signals when bishops are trapped† (Lesson 4: Deep Blue vs. Kasparov). Here a human player skills, experience and critical thinking helped him to win the match against artificial intelligence. Also it also shows that artificial intelligence has flaws in its. And how can it not have flaws. Artificial intelligence is created by us ‘Humans’. And we are not the perfect being on this planet.So how could we create something that is better or at our level in every circumstance of the life? We could not. We tried cloning and we failed in it to. So how could we create an artificial intelligence that is by no means different from us? We are not God, so we could not create anything like what He has created. â€Å"Although Man has done a pretty good job in creating his own complexities here on Earth, they're still nowhere near what Nature has done on her own†(Artificial intelligence vs. Human intelligence). Furthermore, the human brain has the capacity to do anything.Its possibilities are endless, which is why the imagination is so powerful. And computers lack the traits of humans; they are tools for our use and are limited physically. Computer cannot do anything on its own. Series of arguments and methods are inserted in it in order to preform an action. â€Å"But humans have the capacity to store information indefinitely, seeing as how we cannot be rebooted or turned off/on†(Intelligence: Artificial vs. Human). Also â€Å"The human brain is the most complex part of the human body if not the most complex subject known to human kind.Although a computer may work on a complicated series of circuits and processors it is a relatively simple item to understand in comparison to the human brain. So many important functions of the brain is beyond our understanding and has un-quantifiable properties† (Artificial Intelligence). Thus a simple program, which uses artificial intelligence by no means, is capable of beating a complex human brain. Another important point is that Howard’s mentioned is that intelligence suddenly changed in the last 30 years, while several putative causal factors had been present since 1920, such as the fact that chess became a popular sport, many illions played.Also chess participation rate was very high, chess was taught in schools and factories, and was identified early and given special training, sizeable government salaries, and overseas travel. Howard’s reasoning is that if these factors, rather t han rising general intelligence, were the explanation for the decreasing age of younger chess top players after 1970 (Howard 1999). Its would not be reasonable to say that humans minds have no limits to its critical thinking but it has the power to make the correct decision while the artificial intelligence may not be capable of doing that.All the artificial intelligence has is memory and the programs that are in it to perform the action. It cannot think on its own. It works on the algorithms and as soon as it is disturbed, artificial intelligence gets confused and makes the wrong moves. But a human chess player if in the same situation can make the right move that is need using his critical thinking, which is why I think that human play better chess than artificial intelligence.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Financial and sovereign debt crisis In Europe Essay

The Financial and sovereign debt crisis In Europe - Essay Example However, the sovereign debt crisis particularly worsened in 2010 raising many concerns over the effectiveness of the fiscal policy adopted by the European Monetary Union, which appeared to have failed totally in abating the crisis. Greece and Ireland were among the worst hit countries while Spain and Portugal experienced its impact to a lesser extent. Nevertheless, other European countries have raised concerns that the crisis needs to be controlled amicably lest it spreads to other European countries a scenario, which may become difficult to solve. As a result, the European Union has proposed a raft of measures, which it aims to use in solving such crises in Europe. This paper will analyze some of the new policy initiatives that the European member states has proposed for tackling the financial and sovereign-debt crisis in the region. ... This is in spite of the fact that the policy has put a lot of emphasis on keeping the debts of the public sectors low, as well as strengthening a forward-looking budgetary planning. Furthermore, even after the occurrence of the crisis of 2010 that resulted in the agitation of the financial markets, it became apparent that the EMU did not have what it takes to manage and solve the crisis as noted by Cottarelli et al. (Par.4). Such a failure has prompted the European Union to respond to the crisis in more appropriate manner that will prevent any financial and foreign debt crisis in the future. The first proposed policy for solving Europe’s financial and sovereign-debt crisis in the region was the stabilization of Greece followed by the establishment of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) that has proved effective in stabilizing markets (Honohan par.2). Nevertheless, Swartz reveals that these crisis responses were established in an ad-hoc manner and on a provisional basis and fails to provide an adequate basis for dealing with any probable future debts and financial crisis (6). There are also several other policies which have been proposed as a means of tackling the financial and sovereign debt crisis in the Euro zone. The paper will examine the new policies that have been proposed to solve the financial and sovereign debt crisis in Europe. Becker argues that Europe is one of the regions that suffered most from the effects of financial and sovereign debt crisis that affected several countries in this region following the debt and financial crisis of the 2010 spring (Par.1). This crisis is said to have affected many financial markets in the region including banking institutions, which suffered

Friday, September 27, 2019

Unit IV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unit IV - Essay Example Three years’ statements are provided for the company. In addition, statements can also be viewed on quarterly basis. This is an interesting link and shows prices for IBM stocks since December 31, 1965 to date. The information that is provided include open and close prices for the day, highest and lowest prices and total volume of transactions for the day. One can search the range of dates for which the historical stock prices are to be viewed and the system provides these readily. This link shows the industry in which the company operates. For IBM, the industry is â€Å"Diversified Computer Systems† in the â€Å"Technology† sector. It also gives a brief comparison of the company with the industry changes in stock prices. This page provides comprehensive information about IBM. This includes the full business address of the company, its website, the stock exchanges where the company is listed, number of employees (366,486 for IBM) and a brief summary of IBM together with a description of key executives and their pay package. The research reports provide various analysis of the company by different research agencies like Standard and Poor’s, Plunkett, Reuters etc. The reports are provided for existing and potential shareholders to gain an insight into company’s strategies, operations and market standings. The P/E ratio for IBM is 16.92 (as on June 28, 2007). The stock price depends upon factors like last dividend paid, dividend growth ratio and the interest rate in the market. The actual figure, though, might differ from the calculated one because other non-financial factors like market conditions, speculation, and company’s image are also critical in the actual stock price. 2. Yes. Government needs to intervene into the operations of companies from the viewpoint of a regulator. This is because these listed companies use common people’s money to develop their systems and procedures and hence, have

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The conflict in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The conflict in the Middle East - Essay Example Similarly, international relations are concerned with how countries in the world relate to each other and the impact of that relation and whether it is beneficial or destructive. In essence international relation is meant to bring mutual cooperation amongst countries. Before we go further we need to know in a nutshell the history and the nature of Israeli Palestinian conflict. This conflict began in the late 19th century, but the conflict turned into a nasty during the early 1990s with both sides employing the use of artillery that resulted in many deaths from both sides. Consequently as the aggression increased so did the human suffering and this definitely caught the attention of the world thus the need to find a lasting solution to the issue. Historical accounts indicate that the Jews were displaced from the land which they were occupying formerly known a Canaan through continuous conflict with its neighbors. During the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire had conquered the whole of t he Middle East. Thus all the peoples of this region came under the Ottoman rule and during the First World War the Ottomans sided with the Germans while on the other hand the British supported an Arab uprising against the Ottomans. The British did this with the promise that they were then going to give the Arabs independence and thus self rule. Of importance to note at this point is that the British also promised to give the Jews who were scattered the world over a homeland in the Palestine. After the war, a declaration known as the Belfour declaration was signed by the British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour. The declaration stated its support for... The conflict in the Middle East The American- Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (2013), puts the number of Jews killed at 24,841 and that of Palestinians killed at 90,785. This paper will thus be looking at the global position of the Middle East, the two warring states (Israel and Palestine), nature and history of the conflict, cost of the war, current state of the conflict, role of leaders, impact of the conflict, and that of religion in this conflict. The Middle East is a location in the east of the world map and it can also be said to comprise Western Asia. This is a region starting from the northeastern part of Africa to southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe.Several ethnic groups inhabit this area with the largest group being the Arab with Jews, Palestinians, Kurds, and Persians among others being the small ethnic groupings. In spite of being neighbors the two states are in a constant war mode that is detrimental to the populations in both states. Interestingly, part of the Palestinian state is located on the southwest of Israel (Gaza) and the other part is located east of Israel (west Bank). This therefore means that both Israel and Palestinian Gaza have access to the Mediterranean Sea and both share borders with Jordan and Egypt. There are several reasons that created this conflict which have had negative impacts on populations of both countries, their economies as well as the social order. Numerous attempts have been made by world leaders at bringing this situation under control but results have not as yet been positive.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Individual Leadership Growth Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 15

Individual Leadership Growth Reflection - Essay Example I have found that I calm and patient when I differ with other people’s opinions, drawing them to my personality. I have high regard for innovation and creativity. It is important to me as an individual that in all areas of life, people be allowed to explore their ability to come up with new ideas. I have found that it is innovation that people find better alternative solutions to the problems they have. Through creativity and innovation, people are able to enjoy the process of work much more. People that have not been allowed this explorative ability are usually much more likely to give little input. This is because they are working out of obligation and not motivation; the end result cannot be successful. In a world where more and more issues are controversial, people have learned to define their opinions as â€Å"grey.† For me, however, I have found that my opinions can only be classified as either â€Å"black† or â€Å"white.† This is to say that my sta nd on any issue whatsoever is very clear. I also ensure that my stand, though not enforced, is known. This would allow my followers to be in a position, in my absence, to make a decision that would concur with my line of thought. It is important that followers be able to understand their leader so that incidence of conflict is not a likely occurrence. In my interactions with people, I have found that I only encourage people to do as I would. This is because I would wish that a situation does not bring about negativity into their lives. If I feel that is an act would bear negative results, I tell them to carry on with it. However, I am uncomfortable with telling people to carry on and act on something in a manner that I myself would not. I would prefer that this approach is reciprocated to me. From my experiences, I have come to the conclusion that people reciprocate what you to do them – if you are honest; they are likely to give you the same.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

How Apple Company developed Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How Apple Company developed - Research Paper Example The product range offered by the company includes mobile phones, computer operating systems and other consumer electronics. Delivering effective products as well as user friendly technology services to the customers in the worldwide market, the company has given tough competition to its rivals operating in identical business conditions. Owing to this aspect the performance of the company has seen a continuous hike which further rewarded a leadership position to the company in the global business world. However, like every company, there were certain negative aspects associated with the company which ultimately hampered its brand image to a considerable margin on the basis of sustainability (Mrak-Blumberg, Renery and Bundgaard, â€Å"Strategic Report for Apple Computer Inc†). From an overall perspective, it can be stated that the development of the company, from its inception stage to the modern day, has been a vital topic of debate. The rapid development of Apple Inc has been quite a significant topic of study in the recent times owing to its aggressively competitive approach to sustenance. The rapid growth of Apple, over the years, can also be affirmed as a result of its commitment towards delivering quality products and services, keeping pace with the continually changing preferences of its customers. This thesis would therefore aim at addressing the development of Apple, since its inception to the present day. As can be observed from the above conducted theoretical analysis of Apple’s performance, although the company has been able to secure its leadership position going through various ups and downs, the future probable rise in competition is likely to raise certain barriers to the trend in case of Apple. This further indicates the requirement to conduct a rigorous research to understand the rudimental driving forces which have contributed to the performance

Monday, September 23, 2019

Java Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Java Technology - Essay Example Sun systems first released the language to the public in 1995, with a promise of portability to run anywhere without many modifications. From this instance, Java quickly developed and was incorporated into many web browsers. The main goal of the developers was a language that was high performing, dynamic, threaded, robust, secure, and neutral in architecture, simple, familiar and object oriented. Various existing types of Java today have been developed with time since the language was developed. They include; JDK (1.0 and 1.1), J2SE (1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 5.0), Java SE (6, 7 and 8). Due to the diversity in functionality and the sense of portability that has allowed the language to be put into practice in most Operating Systems developers, the language is now incorporated into almost all systems. Due to the presence of the Java virtual machine, the language is currently the most applicable for development of most web-based software as it allows independence in platform usage (portability). Being a high-level language, Java is used to make applications that can store data, transmit information, play games, develop android applications and do a myriad of other things. The major concept of Java is "Object oriented Programming." It is, therefore, necessary to learn the concepts of OOP in order to learn Java more easily. Above the OOP concepts, learning C or C++ would make one learn Java easily, considering that the language was developed from these languages. The de facto standard for Java implementation today is Oracle Corporation, which is the current owner of Sun Microsystems. This implementation has been widely accepted across various platforms such as Windows, Linux, Mac and Solaris. The implementation, which is mainly based on the Java SE platform. contains a "Java Runtime Environment" for end users and a "Java Development Kit for developers." There was an initial problem with the compiler that made programs developed in this language to run slower than

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Discuss these abstracts in the context of academic research and recent Essay

Discuss these abstracts in the context of academic research and recent developments in audit regulation and practice - Essay Example ted in the financial statements can be termed to be material if its omission or misrepresentation can have an effect on the decision-making process among the users of these records (Ndreca, 2013, pp 350). In simple definition, materiality in financial accounting is the intolerable misstatements that are embedded in the financial statements with the intention of justifying a non-existent transaction (Dodaro, 2013, pp419). In other words, materiality is the intolerable or unacceptable errors which cannot be ignored because they have a greater effect on the financial information represented in the records (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp26). These errors are huge hence, when neglected; they may lead to big losses of the firm’s resources. This paper explores the concept of materiality in the financial accounting showing the importance of materiality in auditing process, the main development of the concepts of materiality over time. Materiality can be categorized into two; quantitative materiality and qualitative materiality. Quantitative materiality is the actual financial value that a certain misstatement can cause to the organization. On the other hand, qualitative materiality can be just a mere statement that has either misled certain transaction (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp41). Accountants and management teams in most cases misstate the financial information to conceal particular information not to be known by the shareholders for their own benefits. Sometimes, certain information may qualify to be material without the intention or knowledge of the accountants and the management (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp26). Therefore, the auditors have the task of exploring all the financial records and scrutinize them to establish, justify and certify that the information represented in them is quite relevant to the true status of the organization (Dodaro, 2013, pp419). Any deviation should be investigated to establish whet her it can amount to the material or can have an effect on

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Philosophy of Teaching Essay Example for Free

Philosophy of Teaching Essay Philosophy of teaching is a self-reflective statement of your beliefs about teaching and learning. It discuss how you put your beliefs in practice by including concrete examples of what you do or anticipate doing in class. My teaching philosophy is ‘participatory learning’. It a type of learning process whereby learners are put in the centre of every learning situation, in other words pupils take active part of the lesson presentation. . I hold this belief in the sense that, when children are involve actively in the lesson delivery with the relevant teaching methods and techniques and also appropriate learning materials, it’s inspires them to explore and take up their own responsibility. This belief once again, gives children the opportunities to discuss, talk and ask questions. It also allow the teacher to listen to the children and see how their understanding is developing, it makes learning permanent in any learning situation. Validity of my philosophy To validate my philosophy, James Hartley (1998) said that activity is very important in learning. Learning is better when the learner is active rather than passive; therefore learning by doing is to be applauded. My teaching style can best be described as one that incorporates different methods and techniques that encourages learners to be active participant in the delivering of lesson. By engaging students in variety of activities that address each child’s learning style, I believe that they will achieve academic success and build the self confidence. Learning occurs when a student is fully encouraged in the process, make a personal connection with the information taught and apply the knowledge to variety of experiences. When this happened the child is inspired to become engaged over and over again, make connections and apply his or her knowledge. Application of my philosophy I understand the importance of using participatory learning to appropriately address the different learning styles and needs of students in order to become effective in the near future. Consequently, it is extremely important to determine each child’s dominated learning style and continually monitor each student’s academic progress through a variety of assessment in order to plan instructions that draw upon each child’s strength to improve academic development. With my teaching philosophy in mind, I try my best to prepare my lesson before time, rehearse on my own base on the teaching and learning materials prepared and available. Introduction of which is an important part of lesson delivery is done first based on the relevant previous knowledge of student then proceed to tell them objectives of the lesson and the future benefit of the topic. In doing so the learner become informed of what would be discussed as the lesson proceed, they think critically and consciously about each objectives. For example I taught the topic shapes and space with the sub topic solid shapes. I used variety of relia like Milo tin, milk tins paper boxes, match boxes, etc. During the presentation stage l allowed pupils to have a look at the TLMs. Teacher then assisted pupils to explore the materials and came out with their own findings. Pupils discussed their findings to identify the shapes as solid shapes while teacher served as a facilitator. Teacher also assisted pupils to identify the parts of the various solid shapes talked about. Likewise in all the topics I treated during the program I used methods and techniques that allowed pupils to fully participate in the lessons. Such techniques include activity method, demonstration, discussion, games, etc. As a teacher I only served as a facilitator and guide to all the activities that went on during teaching and learning process. Effectiveness This philosophy â€Å"participatory learning† with the needed teaching and learning materials is very effective as it enhance pupils taking part fully in the lesson that is they communicate, ask questions, write down points and share ideas with friends. Conclusion I will therefore conclude that when a teacher impact knowledge by involving pupils in every activity or lesson, with appropriate, adequate and suitable learning materials using a variety of teaching techniques such as demonstration, dramatization and role play, the teacher will achieve his or her set goals and get the needed feedback from pupils. This also makes learning more practical and permanent.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Positive Communication in Pre-School Setting

Positive Communication in Pre-School Setting Janet Murphy 1. Maintaining effective communication and avoiding any barriers It is essential to have effective and positive communication within a pre-school setting for the staff, the children and their families or carers in order to develop solid and caring relationships. It is important for pre-school managers to develop a strong working relationship with staff with effective communication. This will create a much happier and productive working environment for all staff, which in turn will encourage an effective and positive relationship with the children within the setting and their families or carers. In order to keep all up to date with current issues within the setting, e.g any child protection issues, medical diagnosis needs of a child, any new children starting within the setting, any new policies introduced by the setting, it is necessary at all times to keep communication between all staff and management up to the minute and current. This can be carried out either verbally or non-verbally, for example via e-mail, memos etc. Nurturing and maintaining good communication levels between staff and management also helps staff to know what is required of them and for the manager to be aware of any feelings, anxieties or uncertainties the staff may have within the setting, which then can be discussed and addressed. It is important to ensure that the staff see this communication as positive and not just the manager ‘checking up on them’. If a manager does not have this positive and effective level of communication with their staff, this could cause problems within the setting that go un-noticed and could have a negative effect for the children and families or carers. ‘The relationships that my staff and I have with the children and their families are what make or break the business. Relationships are difficult and not always positive. The important thing is to talk. If you want staff to be nurturing then you need to nurture them show you appreciate them, make sure they’re not overloaded and ensure that they know they can talk freely’. (Sue Chesson, Skips Nursery). As the manager of the setting it is important to try to identify and eliminate any barriers that staff may feel towards effective and useful communication. Barriers to communication can include verbal barriers, for example a noisy environment, cultural or personality barriers and the environment of the setting being segmented making it difficult to have effective two way communication. Other areas of verbal barriers may include when a member of staff is stressed which in turn could cause a fractious atmosphere within the setting or a member of staff could possibly not understand the communication that is trying to be conveyed. Non-verbal barriers mostly consist of ‘body language’ barriers, for example a lack of eye contact between the members of staff, unhelpful or misread facial expressions and different perceptions of body language and gestures. One of the most common communication problems within a preschool setting is simply a failure for people to listen to comments or instructions being made. 2. The appraisal process The main aim of the appraisal process is to have a two way discussion between manager and employee to identify any issues relating to the role expected of the employee and to identify any strategies necessary to improve performance within the setting. Discussions should also be made as to the wellbeing of the employee, within the setting and personally. Appraisals should also be designed to include discussions on when employee has done well in their role so that they feel that their hard work and effort has been recognised, which will then encourage good morale and motivation. The appraisal process within the pre-school setting is very important and is a very effective way to review and employee’s performance over the last year and to identify any strengths and weaknesses and any concerns and barriers there may be with the employee’s performance. It gives the manager and member of staff the opportunity to discuss any further training and development which would be beneficial to both the employee’s long term potential and the pre-school setting and identify appropriate targets for the future. Appraisal meeting with staff and manager should be positive and productive and encourage effective working practice and strengthen the working relationships. Formal appraisals are normally carried out once a year between the manager and employee and should cover items such as working relationships, professional knowledge, communication and organisational skills. It is an opportunity for an employee to raise any issues they may have and any ideas they may have in their role and in the setting. The employee should be provided with guidance notes and an Appraisal Form prior to the meeting to assist them identify the areas they wish to discuss with the manager. There should also be an Appraisal Policy within the setting which should be available to the employee to read and discuss upon commencement of employment. Although the annual appraisal meeting is a very effective and productive way to communicate with staff, it must be remembered that some staff may find it daunting and be apprehensive about the process. It is important that the manager tries to dispel any concerns the member of staff may have and convey the meeting as positive and productive for all parties involved. Apart from the annual appraisal meeting, important issues that may raise time to time within the setting would be best addressed at the time rather than be allowed to continue, for example if a member of staff is using inappropriate language within the setting. Discussions between the manager and the employee should also take place informally throughout the year in order to monitor any targets, training and development which has been set within the appraisal meeting and/or any new issues which may have arisen since the meeting. 3. Disciplinary and Grievance procedures The disciplinary procedure within the pre-school setting is there to ensure a fair and effective method for dealing with any matters arising relating to the performance, capability and conduct of any employee. The grievance procedure is designed to enable an employee to raise any complaint they may have relating to their employment within the setting to the manager. The disciplinary process must be adhered to and the setting is expected to comply with the principles as set out by the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. Upon the onset of any disciplinary procedure being taken with an employee is it important that the manager follow the process as follows:- 1. The manager should carry out a full and fair investigation into the allegation to establish the facts. 2. The employee should be informed immediately of the case against them and provided with all evidence of this. 3. If the manager establishes that it is necessary to pursue a disciplinary meeting the manager must prepare a written statement of the employee’s alleged misconduct relating to the setting. 4. The employee should also be issued with a letter giving clear and concise advice on the allegation made against them. The letter should be given to the employee at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting and include full details of date, time and location of the meeting and who will be in attendance. 5. The employee should be advised of their right to be accompanied at the meeting by a recognised trade union representative or a work colleague. 6. During the meeting the manager should inform the employee of the allegation against them and provided with any evidence and or witness statements obtained regarding the matter. The employee should be given full opportunity at the meeting to respond to the manager over the allegations. 7. During the meeting the manager must decide whether or not a disciplinary penalty is to be issued. The outcome of the meeting must be confirmed in writing to the employee giving them full details of the appeal process available to them. 8. Following a disciplinary meeting there are usually three outcomes: No action taken or deemed necessary A Warning issued to the employee Dismissal of the employee 9. If the employee feels that they have been disciplined unfairly the manager should ask the employee to appeal in writing to the pre-school, detailing the grounds for their appeal. The employee must follow this procedure within seven days of the disciplinary meeting. 10. Following this an appeal meeting should then be arranged with the employee where possible with a different panel to that of the original disciplinary meeting. 11. Managers are also able to follow an informal grievance procedure where an employee and manager can discuss any issues on a day to day basis in a more comfortable environment and therefore hopefully resolve any problems that may have arisen within the setting with the employee. It is the responsibility of the manager to ensure that disciplinary and grievance procedures are carried out in an open and transparent manner with good and clear communication between all parties involved. The process should also be no-discriminatory and all matters should be dealt with quickly and within any specified times. Where at all possible the manager should attempt to deal with the disciplinary action informally to avoid the need for formal disciplinary action and possible employment tribunal. 4. Recruitment and selection process The first process within the pre school setting for recruitment and selection of staff is to evaluate the role of the job being advertised including the job’s purpose within the setting, the tasks that will be required of the job holder. It is very important to consider what skills will be required to carry out the role. Decision on salary offered, hours of work, holiday entitlement and other terms and conditions must be made in order to be able to effectively create a job description for advertising. This will then give candidates a clear indication of what role they would be expected to play within the setting and what their key responsibilities will be. Advertisement of the vacancy should be made in various locations enabling applicants from all different groups the opportunity to apply. It is important to inform applications that you are an equal opportunities employer and that you welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community. The format of advertising and applying should be clear as to the role being offered and give details of the renumeration package. The advertisement should include the following job description and person specification : The name of the pre-school Description of the position vacant Skills required for the position by the applicant Details of essential requirements of the applicant Location of the position Renumeration package Hours of work Whether position is temporary of permanent Full details on how to apply for the position Contact details of the pre-school Closing date for applications Creating an application information pack for applicants to fill out helps the process of recruitment as all information received from candidates will be received in the same consistent format. This also gives the applicant full details of the job description and person specification required. It should also include guidelines on how to complete the application and the pre-schools terms and conditions relating to the role. Once all applications have been received by the pre-school it is then the process of short listing the applicants which are believed to be suited to the role. This process must not be discriminatory in any way, e.g. exclude applicants because of race, age, religion, sexual belief, etc. Following the process interviews can then be offered to applicants. All applicants which have not been successful in the short listing process should be informed in writing. All interviews should be conducted in a fairway for all applicants. Interviews can be very daunting and nerve-wracking for people so you should try to make them feel at ease during the interview. Staff Policies Upon recruitment of a suitable applicant, the applicant should be given a copy of the Pre-school policies and encouraged to read them in order to become familiar with them. They should also be given the Employee Handbook which provides them with all the information regarding the pre-school policies, procedures and guidelines. It is a good idea to recruit an existing member of staff where possible to mentor the new member of staff which will give them an opportunity to get familiar with the day to day running of the pre-school and the other staff and children within the setting. All new staff should be made aware of the pre-school health and safety policy, fire safety policy, children’s medication policy and information on any children with allergies. Particular emphasis should be placed on staff development to ensure skills are kept up to date and a high quality of care can be provided to the children and their parents/carers. The possibility of promotion within the pre-school should be made available to all staff and run in conjunction with the Appraisal process.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Tractarian Objects Cannot Be Properties and Relations :: Philosophy Papers

Tractarian Objects Cannot Be Properties and Relations One of the most frequently discussed notions in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus is the notion of simple object. However, among the literature on Tractarian objects, recent or classic, none has treated configurations of objects as a major and non-trivial issue. In this paper, I show that a detailed study of configurations of objects will yield a series of interesting and important results: it leads to a new understanding of the picture theory, helps us calculate the maximum numbers of internal and external properties of objects, and enables us to reinterpret and reach a solution to the notorious debate on whether properties and relations should be included as Tractarian objects. In this paper I reinterpret and offer a solution to one of the most famous debates in Wittgenstein's early philosophy: the debate whether the Tractarian objects include properties and relations (hereinafter 'PRO' for the thesis that properties and relations are Tractarian objects, 'PRO debate' for the debate whether properties and relations are Tractarian objects, and 'PRO issue' for the issue whether properties and relations are Tractarian objects). Since the very beginning, PRO debate has been equated with the debate whether objects include universals in many secondary literatures. However, it seems to me that these two debates are not exactly the same thing, for the following reasons: PRO debate is in fact a debate concerning whether properties and relations are objects or "modes of configurations of objects" (hereinafter 'MCOs'), insofar as object and MCO are two distinct and exhaustive types of components of states of affairs. Since the essential difference between objects and MCOs is that objects can be the subject matter of states of affairs while MCOs cannot, PRO debate is essentially a debate concerning the logical status of properties and relations, i.e., whether properties and relations can be the subject matter of states of affairs. However, the debate whether objects include universals is a debate concerning the metaphysical nature of objects, i.e., whether some objects can have multiple instances at the same time. T he two debates are clearly not logically equivalent, for on the one hand, we can hold that properties and relations cannot be the subject matter of states of affairs, and yet insist that the Tractarian objects be abstract entities, e.g., Platonic forms; on the other, we can hold that properties and relations are also what states of affairs are about, and yet claim that they are nominalized properties and relations, and moreover, all of the Tractarian objects are particulars, e.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Grasshoppers :: essays research papers

Grasshoppers are herbivorous insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish them from bush crickets or katydids, they are sometimes referred to as short-horn grasshoppers. Species that change colour and behaviour at high population densities are called locusts. The Characteristics of a Grasshopper The Grasshoppers have antennae that are almost always shorter than the body (sometime filamentous), and short ovipositors. These species that make easily heard noise usually do so by rubbing the hind femurs against the forewings or abdomen (stridulation), or by snapping the wing sin flight. Tympana, if present, are on the sides of the first abdominal segment. The hind femora are typically long and strong fitted for leaping. Generally they are winged, but hind winds are membranous while front wings (tegmina) are coriaceous and not fit for flight. Females are normally larger than males, with short ovipositors. They are easily confused with the other sub-order of Orthoptera Ensifea, but are different in many aspects, such as the segments in their antennae and structure of the ovipositor, as well as Ensiferans have antennae with at least 30 segments and Caelifera have fewer. In evolutionary terms, the spilt between the Caelifera and the Ensifera is no more recent than the Permo-Triassic boundary (Zeuner 1939) Their Diverstiry and range Recent estimates (Kevan 1982, GÃ ¼nther, 1980, 1992, Otte 1994-1995 subsequent literature) indicate some 2,400 valid Caeliferan Genera and about 11,000 valid species described to date. Many un-described species exist, especially in tropical wet forests. The Caelifera are predominantly tropical but most super families are presented world wide. Families The suborder Caelifera consists primarily of five major families: ? Acrididae (field Grasshoppers and locusts) ? Emuastacidae (tanaocerids) ? Tetrigidae (grouse locusts, pygmy grasshoppers, and pygmy locusts) ? Tridactylidae (pygmy mole crickets) The most important family is Acrididae consisting of about 10,000 species. The family is characterised by the short thickened antennae and relatively unmodified anatomy, they are visually more striking than othe Caelifera, die to the adult?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

General Motors - Financial Ratio Analysis Essay -- Business Finance Ac

General Motors - Financial Ratio Analysis I. General Motors History Highlights In its early years the automobile industry consisted of hundreds of firms, each producing a few models. William Durant, who bought and reorganized a failing Buick Motors in 1904, determined that if several automobile makers would unite, it would increase the protection for the group. He formed the General Motors Company in Flint, Michigan, in 1908. Durant had bought 17 companies (including Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Pontiac) by 1910, the year a bankers' syndicate forced him to step down. In a 1915 stock swap, he regained control through Chevrolet, a company he had formed with race car driver Louis Chevrolet. GM created the GM Acceptance Corporation (auto financing) and acquired a number of businesses, including Fisher Body, Frigidaire (sold in 1979), and a small bearing company, Hyatt Roller Bearing. With the Hyatt acquisition came Alfred Sloan, an administrative genius who would build GM into a corporate colossus. Sloan, president from 1923 to 1937, implemented a decentralized management system, now emulated worldwide. The auto maker competed by offering models ranging from luxury to economy, colors besides black, and yearly style modifications. By 1927 it had become the industry leader. GM introduced a line of front-wheel-drive compacts in 1979. Under Roger Smith, CEO from 1981 to 1990, GM laid off thousands of workers as part of a massive companywide restructuring and cost cutting program. In 1984 GM formed NUMMI with Toyota as an experiment to see if Toyota's manufacturing techniques would work in the US. The joint venture's first car was the Chevy Nova. GM bought Ross Perot's Electronic Data Systems (1984) and Hughes Aircraft (1986). In 1989 the company bought 50% of Saab Automobile. In 1990 GM launched Saturn, its first new nameplate since 1926, reflecting a new companywide emphasis on quality. Two years later it made the largest stock offering in US history, raising $2.2 billion. Culminating a period of boardroom coups (relating to the company's lagging effort to reduce costs) in the early 1990s, John Smith replaced Robert Stempel as CEO. NBC apologized in 1993 for improprieties in its expose alleging that GM pickups equipped with "sidesaddle" gas tanks tended to explode upon side impact. The government nonetheless asked the ... ...improved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The stock holders equity has increased dramatically indicating the better management of the companies equity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The EBIT has improved for the last two year mainly because the level of interest paid has decreased due to the reduction of liabilities. Profitability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gross Profit Margin has increased from 1993 to 1994 as the cost of goods sold did not increase at the same level that the sales increased. The Operating Profit Margin ratio was stable in 1995 when compared to 1994 and the Net Profit Margin has also been improving for the last two years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Return on Total Assets has increased due the increase in the companies profitability, while Return on Equity has decreased on the last two years as the stockholders equity increased Overall   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is clear that the profitability of the company has been increasing for the last 2 years, mainly due to the decrease in liabilities, improvement in accounts receivable and better management of the company debt..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company also demonstrates that the profitability can be improved even further by having better inventory management and productivity maximization on their fixed assets.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Macbeth vs the Godfather Essay

The change from good to evil can happen to anyone. It can happen to the best of people, just like Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Copalla’s the Godfather. In these two completely different stories, the protagonists Macbeth and Michael Corleone, start off good and transition into evil and gain too much power for them to handle. Changing isn’t a choice for either of them and evil just presented itself upon them. In both the Godfather and Macbeth, the change of the protagonist from good to evil is in complete plain sight; however, the protagonists themselves do not see or sense the change. In the Godfather, the protagonist Michael Corleone changes rapidly from god to evil without even a bit of realization what he is getting himself into, some may say that he is the new godfather. As soon as the original godfather (Michael’s dad) was put into the hospital, Michael didn’t even know until days later, he had to find out through a newspaper, this shows how uninvolved Michael is with his family. When he goes to visit the family, he takes over immediately. As soon as he takes over he already is planning to kill someone and he has never killed anyone before, by the end of the movie, he is already lying to his wife about him not killing someone because he has now been transferred into a true Corleone and made his transition from good to evil. In Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth eases into his transition from good to evil a little more smoothly and a little more hesitant. Macbeth debates killing Duncan because he is his follower, when he is talking about it with his wife Lady Macbeth she calls him a coward for not helps frame some of the innocent drunks from the night before, when she says â€Å"a little water will clear us of this deed.† She is saying the water will wash away their guilt and consciences. When Macbeth becomes king he gains too much power and has too much self-confidence because the witches have told him â€Å"Macbeth cannot be killed by anyone born of woman.† He now has way too much power and becomes mad with it, the thought of killing Duncan has made Lady Macbeth crazy. The comparison between Macbeth and Michael Corleone is a strangely different but similar situation because they have both started out good with no evil thoughts or intentions at all, and then throughout each of the stories, Macbeth and Michael Corleone both become evil without realizing the power that the each of them have, they have both transitioned in completely different ways but they ended up in the same ending situation.

Long period of time Essay

I was lucky to interview someone from the RTW Garments industry and whose day seems endless from deadlines and fast phased fashion trends to chase. He is Mr. Dave Smith. He graduated in an art school, majored in advertising and decided to pursue Graphics artistry as a career. What do you like/best worst about your job/work? What I really love about this job is the access you get to the latest trends in graphic designs and the fashion shows that only few famous people that works in the industry knows of until it hits the magazine stands sort of a VIP pass. Well, developing new trends is also one of those and also seeing other people buying and appreciating your work would be the most rewarding thing that can happen. Well, the worst would be getting your most loved works be rejected for its not in season, its out of budget or for some insane random reason they have up their sleeves. Office politics sometimes kicks-in too but that’s another thing. What are the steps necessary to break into the field? It was hard at first breaking into the industry when you want to make it big as a fresh graduate. The worst part about it was, the companies taking advantage of your status. I experienced being paid below minimum wage for quite some time, and all that you’re left to do is be patient and gain experience from all of it. But with my goal at an aim on my mind, I’m now in one of the leading brand there is in this industry. The basic would be getting to know what software to use and why. Some of it is Photoshop, Corel, Illustrator and Freehand. Another investment that you must have is a quirky imagination to stand out and create something new. If you don’t have it, you must know the latest trend there is and what sells in the market, have a market survey and what appeals most of your target market. Browsing through magazines and the internet is a must to survive, for it helps you formulate what other possibilities there is in a particular design/look you want to achieve. There’s also the printing aspect of it, which a graphic artist must also be armed with. So that you’ll know or have a peek of the end result of the artwork you did. It’s definitely a plus if you know at least some of it. What is a typical day like for you? A typical day for me would be buried in the computer for a long period of time. As in long, until I can dig a hole in my chair at the office. Its either you search for references for whatever seasoned collection your boss wants you to do, what your mind ticked you to do, or you’re doing promotional item before you knew it. Well, in the place I work in I never had a single day without having a new assignment to work on. What are some related occupations to your profession? As a graphic artist, you can choose which field to specialize in. You can be in the garments, in a printing company, product development division, as photo editor, as a company’s only graphics artist who’ll do their collaterals. There are really so many job opportunities as a graphic artist, as long as it involves photo editing and vectors. Do you see yourself doing the same job till you get older? Yes I do see myself being in the business till I age. I mean, it pays well to people who are experienced, who perseveres and also as long as I feel that being a Graphic artist fulfill my purpose. One thing more, if you really enjoy what you are doing you, you felt the fulfillment in every thing that you do, definitely you will stay on the job your in. What made you decide to pursue this profession? I decided to pursue this because it makes me feel accomplished as an artist, as a designer, as a human being who appreciates art, it makes me feel happy that at the end of the day I know I can make someone feel confident, happy, at-home with their statement with my designs. It’s like I liberated someone from being a fashion victim, because I care for what other people look like, and because its feels great to lift someone up in a different way. I do believe that Fashion is good for the soul every once in a while. A boost of confidence one design might give, getting your message across through the artworks’ you did. It’s all worth-it even though the deadlines are next to impossible sometimes, and the revisions are inevitable, but still I have to go up there because I know in my own way I’m helping other people feel good about themselves. After this interview I had, I have a deeper reason why I should pursue to be a Graphic artist. With all the things my interviewee mentioned, I have a deeper knowledge and appreciation of who I want to be. Whether what field of graphics designing I want to concentrate on. There are really so many choices. I’m sure I can pick out something that I like among it. I know it will take me a lot of hard work, patience, and determination to be able to achieve my goals. In addition to that the job also pays well, I don’t mind being in front of the PC for such a long time, as long as I know that I can express my ideas and thoughts very well thorough the means of designing and I have to agree also with what Mr. Smith told me, that it feels great to make someone better through your work, and that’s really fulfilling as an artist.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Dealing with a Uni-Polar World Essay

The world today is undeniably uni-polar which is in fact brought forth by years and decades of competition in the past among countries aiming for global dominance. Specifically, the most recent of such would be the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the use of military force or the presence of actual battles are apparently lacking throughout the aforesaid war, both the United States and the Soviet Union are evidently engaged in a contest concerning technological and economic aspects. Of course, throughout history, more violent wars have occurred for achieving greater dominance and expanding the reach of a nation’s control and influence. At present though, it is irrefutable that there only a single superpower exists throughout the world, the victor in the Cold War, which is the United States. However, while some may perceive this as an irrelevant matter to discuss, it is quite obvious that the presence of a single superpower amidst the ensuing process of globalization has a myriad of associated concerns and repercussions and thus change is needed. As noted beforehand, there are a number of issues involved in having only a single superpower today. To further expound upon the current global status of United States, it would be necessary to point out that its economy contributes to roughly one fourth of the global GNP. In effect, the United States may express its control and influence over international concerns through military, economic, and even implicit power. Having unparalleled military prowess allows the aforesaid nation to handle and be involved with global issues independently; however, a direct detrimental effect of such military capabilities and actions is that global views assume a stance that the United States merely desires other nations to follow its ways. As noted beforehand, aside from military powers, the United States may also express its dominance and control through economic might. In particular, aside from having manipulative potential in both the IMF and the World Bank, the United States may also prevent or limit trade with other countries. Not being able to establish economic ties with the United States or with American firms, which contributes to the largest portion of the global economy, would detrimentally affect nations. Lastly, implicit powers are also present as the American thought becomes the universal basis of perception and evaluation. Due to the unrivaled power of the United States and its evident capability to influence the outcome of global issues and concerns, other countries without such potential eventually succumb into state of powerlessness. As expected, powerlessness does not entail positive thoughts as terrorism and doubts regarding the course of globalization manifest as the most concerning repercussions of such. Hence, multilateral institutions have been established to alleviate if not complete resolve such problems involving various nations. Regardless of the appropriateness of the goals of such multilateral institutions to maintain order worldwide, doubts as to whether the aforesaid goals are achieved in an unbiased manner are existent. For example, the WTO, having leaders from affluent nations, is believed to be driven by the opinions of those from more capable nations as well as America. Similarly, the IMF is also branded in a negative manner as critics have noted an over generalized approach in resolving the concerns of highly diverse nations, leading to ineffective outcomes. Even the appropriateness or the rationale behind the act of giving loans to developing nations has become a basis for doubt and dispute. Possibly, a shift from being a uni-polar to a multi-polar world would be the most ideal solution to the aforesaid problems. As a matter of fact, while the United States is at present the only superpower in the world, it is undeniably that certain nations also hold the potential to reach such status. Specifically, the European Union, Japan, China, and the United Nations are among the countries considered to be most likely to become superpowers in the future. Regardless of such, while transitioning to a true multi-polar world would be beneficial, it is still impossible at present. Thus, the IMF have opted to take up the task of eliminating doubts and maintaining order internationally through the pursuit of aiding countries which are in need of financial support. A specific example of such would be the support given to Indonesia, Thailand, and Korea for endeavors focused upon achieving economic stability and establishing reforms. Furthermore, more than 30 billion US dollars have been allocated and spent for the aforesaid purposes which have been acquired through both multilateral and bilateral sources. IMF’s programs for developing countries, specifically in terms of structural reforms, encompassed means to lessen depreciation, enhance the financial system, eliminating economic aspects detrimental to financial growth, and establishing a proper fiscal policy. It is quite evident that while the formation of other superpowers in the future is indeed a possibility, it is still irrefutable that the United States is still at present the most notable nation across all international domains such as politics. In particular, American maintains economic dominance through the presence of materialism as well as consumerism which have been also known to positively affect the economy of other nations as the businesses thrive from meeting the demands of the population. Furthermore, economic stimulation through the aforesaid societal trend is also supported by the presence of free trade and democracy. Nonetheless, even though criticisms are present regarding the dominant mindset embodied in the American nation and its global impact, it would still be expectable that even the American public have been affected by an imperialistic manner of thinking; not providing a response to global concerns have become an unacceptable course of action to take for Americans. The role of the United States in resolving international concerns only highlight the lack of ability among regional authorities to accomplish such. Therefore, in order to ensure that globalization unfolds in its truest sense, multilateralism in without doubt vital.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Title Critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy.

Introduction Communication strategies are designed to help governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. In the new digital age, communicating through the media has become an effective way of targeting audiences and persuading them to act by either providing support or giving money (Goodman and Hirsch, 2010: 2). The non-governmental organisation (NGO) UNICEF provides an example of how the effective use of persuasive media techniques in a communications strategy can help to generate capital and support. UNICEF uses a number of different techniques, which all help to raise awareness of the objectives that are trying to be achieved (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). With particular focus on children, UNICEF is able to communicate with audiences to obtain humanitarian assistance. A higher degree of financial independence is acquired and subsequently used for humanitarian and development activities (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtained without the use of various media techniques. This essay will critically discuss the ways UNICEF engage media techniques in their communications’ strategy. Media Techniques and Political Communications The main objective of most media messages is to persuade or encourage the audience to believe or do something (MLP, 2014: 1). In doing so, a number of different techniques are used to grab the audience’s attention and to establish trust and credibility (Erwin, 2014: 104). One technique that is used by the media is the use of direct quotations from identified sources. This makes the reader believe the story being told and is often used as a powerful motivator to encourage the reader to act, for example, by giving money or purchasing something (MLP, 2014: 1). Where direct quotations are used, it is more likely that the message being conveyed will be successful received as the audience will believe what is being said. Such techniques are referred to as the â€Å"language of persuasion† and are essential media literacy skills (Changing Minds, 2013: 1). This was recognised by Lippmann who believed that persuasion had become a â€Å"self-conscious art and a regular organ of popular government (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). Persuasion is thus a way of creating consent from individuals about a particular premise and is capable of modifying political communications in a very influential way. Unless communications are persuasive, it is doubtful that they will be effective since persuasion is the main communication tool that is required by the media. Governments use persuasion as a means of obtaining consent from the messages being conveyed, also known as political communication. Political communication is considered to have the following four elements; 1) short-term orientation; 2) based upon specific objectives; 3) primarily mediated; and 4) audience centred. Political communication is not exclusive to the political world as non-political actors also use this type of communication as a way of communicating messages to the public. This is generally done by organisations that have a political objective such as; non-governmental organisations (NGO’s). An NGO is an organisation that is separate and distinct from governments and profitable businesses. Although NGO’s can be funded by governments and businesses, they are usually set up by ordinary citizens to further an agenda (Welch, 2000: 1). Whilst the agenda’s of many NGO’s will differ, the methods of communication that are used will be similar in that they will all seek to effectively communicate their objectives to the targeted audience. The primary objective of most NGO’s is to ensure that human rights are being fully protected. Although NGO’s from different jurisdictions will not always have the same goals, they will still be structured in a similar manner. This is because NGO’s generally seek to promote human rights worldwide, which requires them to co-operate with governments and the United Nations (Wong, 2012: 37). NGO’s are also important in helping to bring public interest matters before the courts (Wadham, 2001: 1). The ma ss media is a useful tool that allows political communications of NGO’s to be effectuated, yet social, cultural and psychological problems are usually associated with media content and use (Perse, 2001: 1). It was stressed by Young that modern society engulfs its members through the media, education and participation within the marketplace (Young, 1999: 82). The media is capable of articulating beliefs by adopting various ideological approaches. It has been said by Croteau and Hoynes that the media do not promote a singular perception of ideology and instead communicate a number of different ideological perceptions (Croteau and Hoynes, 2012: 154). They noted that social ideologies are more domineering of society than mainstream ideologies because of the fact that people pay as much attention to street scenes, housing and clothing as they do to the commentary when watching international news (Thompson, 1995: 176). Arguably, it is clear from these assertions that the media is e xtremely powerful in influencing the minds of individuals, which is why it is a form of communication that is commonly used by NGO’s to further their agenda’s. The media is capable of shaping an audiences subjectivity through the representation of ideological belief’s. NGO’s thereby benefit from using media techniques to persuade their targeted audience to act in a certain manner. The media is extremely powerful in persuading the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of society through the use of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication that influences an audience to act based on a particular agenda. Propaganda is used as a means of generating emotional responses to messages that are produced to influence societal attitudes towards a particular cause or position. NGO’s often use propaganda to fulfil their objectives and are thus considered effective cultural propaganda disseminators (Cull et al; 2003: 193). NGO’s have been considered politics of the poor on the basis that they represent political ideologies (Karim, 2001: 92). Political ideology is a set of ideas which represent the objectives, expectations and actions of a political party. A broad range of belief systems exist within different political parties and have generally been acquired from doctrines, ideals, myths, principles and social movements. Ideology is a system that is made u p of values and beliefs â€Å"regarding the various institutions and processes of society that is accepted as fact or truth by a group of people† (Sargent, 2008: 2). Political ideology therefore comprises the views of political parties on how the world should be. This allows political parties to allocate social values (Easton, 1971: 129) and determine what is considered an ‘ideal’ world. There are different views and opinions of ideological theory, though ideology is largely driven by competing groups in society who strive for hegemony (Hall, 1997: 13). Hegemony happens when the most dominant in society promotes, through the media and culture, a set of ideals that members of that society must conform to (Allan, 2004: 6). This is beneficial for NGO’s who use the media to establish an ideological perception of the rights in which they are trying to protect. In deciding whether certain behaviours conform to society, the set of ideals that have been created wi thin that society will need to be considered by the media when deciding what messages need to be conveyed. Many believe that this is unfair and problematic as ideology only serves the interests of one segment of society over all other segments (Curra, 2000: 6). This prejudices many parts of society as certain groups may not benefit from the established ideals that are created. As pointed out by Brown et al; ideology may only be beneficial to certain ethnic groups, genders or religions (Brown et al; 2010: 9). This does not provide an accurate reflection of the whole of society and whilst ideals are necessary in helping people to identify what is right and wrong, it seems unacceptable to segregate certain parts of society. This may, however, be necessary when protecting the rights of certain individuals. Political ideologies are subject to further critique on the basis that they do not consider the needs of modern society (Stankiewicz, 2012: 408), yet as pointed out by Selinger; †Å"There is no politics without ideology† (Selinger, 1975: 99). In effect, this appears to demonstrate that all political communications will have some element of ideology as moral judgements will be contained within them. Effectively, the objectives of NGO’s will be based upon ideological beliefs and will mostly have a political objective. An example of this can be seen in relation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is an NGO that provides humanitarian and development assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) created UNICEF on the 11th December 1946 to provide food and healthcare to children that had been affected by World War II. Although UNICEF is not operated by the government, it like many other NGO’s largely relies upon governmental support and political communications. NGO’s have, for some time, relied upon the mass media to expose violations of human-rights and encourage governments to put pressure on those found to be abusing them (Thrall et al; 2014: 3). This is intended to discourage human rights abuses from taking place and to help the perpetrators be put to justice. The effectiveness of this is arguable, though it seems as though greater support is being acquired by the likes of UNICEF as a result of this. Since the advancement of modern technology UNICEF is now able to establish new communication strategies for channeling information politics via the internet (Chadwick and Phillip, 2008: 3). It is arguable whether the strategies that are being undertaken by UNICEF are effective in persuading audiences to support their cause, though it seems likely given UNICEF’s use of the med ia. The media is largely proficient in influencing society of certain ideological perceptions through television programmes, newspapers, magazines, films and radio programmes (Long and Wall, 2009; 285). These forms of communication are used in a way that manipulates societal values and beliefs and will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously (Kenix, 2010: 1). Not only does the media send out ideological messages to the public but media systems have also been intertwined into society’s ideological framework. This highlights the power of the media in shaping individuals values and beliefs within society. UNICEF’s campaigns are mainly in the form of mass media, radio programmes, posters, street plays and localised outreach (UNICEF, 2014: 1). Because of this, a wider range of support will be acquired. UNICEF is reaching out to a broader audience, which will generate a huge amount of support and funding that would not otherwise be available. Arguably, it is imperative that the media techniques being used in UNICEF’s communications strategy are effective in helping to shape ideological views on the rights of children. UNICEF is an advocate of children’s rights and so it is necessary for UNICEF to communicate how these rights are being violated and what protections need to be in place. This will help UNICEF to gain support and the message UNICEF is trying to put across will be better received by the public. Communications Strategy The communications strategy of UNICEF is vital in strengthening human development and avoiding missed opportunities. An ineffective communications strategy will generally yield poor results and stifle the development of UNICEF (UNDP, 2014: 1). UNICEF’s targeted audience will not receive the message that is being portrayed. This will prevent UNICEF from developing, which will impact its success.. Effective communications are important skills NGO’s need to survive and be successful (KDID, 2013: 28). To make an impact, UNICEF will thus be required to use effective means of communication to ensure that their views and opinions are heard. In doing so, they will most likely face a number of difficult challenges because of the fact that it has become increasingly difficult to deliver to society complex humanitarian crises. It is also difficult to explain to society who is involved in certain humanitarian crisis’ because of how widespread they generally are (ICRC, 2005: 673). A huge amount of NGO’s currently strive for media attention, thereby highlighting the need to have effective communication strategies in place (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). UNICEF must adopt a coherent and credible approach when conveying public communication so that its message can be heard. It has been said that in order to understand political communication, one must understand how consent is created (Denton and Kuypers, 2007: 1). UNICEF will thus be required to communicate messages in a way that allows consent to be obtained, which will need to be included within the communications strategy of UNICEF. A good communications strategy will help to certify good organisational branding and positioning, which will help to attract staff, donors and volunteers (KDID, 2013: 28). Successful branding through media communications will put an NGO in a desirable position within the community, which will help to garner support and belief from the public. This will require NGO’s to be completely transparent so that the messages in which they are trying to put across can be clearly communicated (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). Unless UNICEF adopts a transparent and clear approach, it will be difficult to gain support and belief from the public (Lilleker, 2006: 4). Public support is, however, crucial to the implementation of change (Rabinowitz, 2013: 3). Without public support, it is doubtful that UNICEF would be as successful as they are. It is debatable what the best techniques for gaining public support are, though an effective communications strategy that takes into account UNICEF’s agenda and identifies points that will require persuasive communication will most likely prove successful. It is important that the communications strategy identifies the appro aches and tools that are needed to make a particular event more effective. In developing a communications strategy, it first needs to be established what UNICEF is trying to achieve. Subsequently, it will then need to be considered what communications objectives will most likely support the objectives of the project (McManus, 1994: 58). The communications objectives of UNICEF will be those that are capable of being reached through various means of communications. Such objectives will also need a target audience. This will require UNICEF to consider who they are trying to reach. In reaching out to the target audience, UNICEF will need to develop appropriate messages which highlight the relevant issues; the actions that needs to be taken by the target audience; and the benefits of such action (KDID, 2013: 28). Once this has been done, UNICEF will then have to consider how these messages will be delivered. Different methods of communication will be considered depending upon the type of event that is being promoted such as; media conferences, social media, interviews, marketing, advertisements and news stories. Given that UNICEF targets underdeveloped countries, it is likely that difficulties will be faced when considering the political objectives of various countries. Political communications are likely to vary from one country to another, which will create a number of problems. An effective communications strategy will seek to address these difficulties, though it will remain arguable whether they will prove sufficient in achieving certain objectives (Thrall et al; 2014: 19). In Africa, for example, the media seems to control those in power by reporting to citizens. Whilst this demands a degree of institutional independence from the political system, it has been said that there is actually a â€Å"clear interdependence between the media and political systems† (Windeck, 2014: 17). Information from political systems is usually exchanged for coverage in the media system and vice versa. The media consequently rely heavily on the supply of information from politics, whilst political bod ies rely on the media to spread their messages and objectives (Windeck, 2014: 17). Political communication is an important tool in the political process, and will continue to influence politics. In effect, the political communications of certain countries will be driven by cultural and political factors, which may be difficult to overcome. Female genital mutilation is one area that UNICEF continues to campaign against, but is faced with many political objections from countries where FGM is prevalent; Asia, the Middle East and some parts of Africa (Gaber, 2007: 219). UNICEF are resultantly required to implement a strategy that is capable of strengthening the political commitment of governments. UNICEF’s Communications Strategy There are three components of communication that are used by UNICEF to garner support and funding. These are; advocacy, social mobilisation and behaviour change communication (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Advocacy is used to inform and motivate leadership so that a supportive environment can be created. This will allow the objectives and development goals of the program to be achieved. Social mobilisation seeks to engage support and participation from various institutions, social and religious groups, and community networks. It is intended that the development objectives of UNICEF will be maintained through the use of social mobilisation and that greater demand will be generated. Behaviour change communication involves face to face discussions with a number of individuals and groups to motivate, inform, plan and problem-solve. It is anticipated that by using this technique, the objectives of UNICEF can be met (UNICEF, 2008: 7). Various conceptual models are used by UNICEF to implement communica tion including ACADA, P-Process and COMBI. The ACADA (Assessment, Communication Analysis, Design, Action) model is frequently used by UNICEF to use systematically-gathered data to link communications strategies to development problems. The P-Process model, developed by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), is used for the strategic planning of evidence based communication programmes and contains the following five steps; 1) analysis, 2) strategic design, 3) development and testing, 4) implementation and monitoring, and 5) evaluation and re-planning (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The COMBI model uses a ten step process for communication planning, which are; 1) overall goal, 2) behavioural results/objectives, 3) situational market analysis, 4) results strategy, 5) plan of action, 6) management structure, 7) monitoring, 8) impact assessment, 9) scheduling, and 10) budget (UNICEF, 2008: 7). All three of these models seek to establish an effective communications strategy by analysing the different approaches that can be taken and considering the necessary steps needed. Analysis is integral to an effective communications strategy as it will enable any underlying issues to be identified and thereby dealt with accordingly. UNICEF undertakes a comprehensive analysis comprising of; the situation, the programme, the participants, the behaviours, and the communication channels (UNICEF, 2008: 7). The situation section describes the issues that are being addressed by UNICEF such as; child poverty, disease, malnutrition and trafficking. This is based upon data that has be en collected from local knowledge, programme documents and research. The data highlights the underlying social and cultural issues by demonstrating what changes need to be made to social structures and practices. The programme section is designed to establish where the objectives of UNICEF can be achieved by communication. The participant section establishes what people are required to achieve UNICEF’s objectives. The behaviour section focuses on setting behavioural objectives and analysing the behaviours or practices that have been selected for change. Finally, the communication channels section considers the available communication channels that are applicable in achieving the objectives. Once the analysis has been completed, UNICEF will have identified the participants, behaviours and channels of communications that are needed to encourage audience participation and accomplish its goals (UNICEF, 2008: 7). In order to ensure that the objectives of UNICEF are being met by changing the attitude and behaviour of individuals, knowledge alone will not be sufficient. Instead, a supportive environment will also need to be established (UNICEF, 2008: 37). Therefore, whilst the communications strategy of UNICEF will need to instil knowledge into the community so that support can be acquired, a supportive environment will also need to be created. This will involve creating policies that improve access to services and by using leaders that help to promote social and behaviour change amongst various members of society. Resources will also need to be allocated for the programme activities that are to be carried out and positive change will be effectuated by using a combination of communication techniques. UNICEF believes that communication goes way beyond providing information to the targeted audience and instead argue that communication is vital for development (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 673). UNICE F has therefore set up a development programme, also known as C4D, which aims to engage communities through understanding people’s beliefs, values and social and cultural norms (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). This is achieved from listening to adults and children, identifying issues and working out solutions. This is considered a two way process that allows individuals to share knowledge and ideas through the use of various communication techniques that empower communities to take action in improving the lives of children (Lenni and Tacchi, 2013: 16). Advocacy is one technique UNICEF engages in its communications strategy, which is the â€Å"act of supporting a cause to produce a desired change† (Save the Children, 2014: 1). Advocacy is capable of influencing governments to effect change by communicating with the media, elected officials and influential leaders. Advocacy is able to encourage leaders to implement various changes such as; legal reform, policy decisions, addressing social and political barriers, and altering funding priorities. Advocacy efforts being used by UNICEF occur at global, national and sub-level and seek to influence the decisions of policy makers as well as political and social leaders. This is done through the creation of an enabling policy and legislative environment and by allocating resources appropriately to create and sustain social transformation (UNICEF, 2011: 1). For example, in 2010 when polio resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there existed a lack of awareness of the disease and how it could be prevented. Influential leaders, such as Marco Kiabuta, did not believe that the vaccination of polio was necessary. After a number of debates with community mobilisers and leaders Kiabuta came to realise just how vital a vaccination was. This example demonstrates how effective communication techniques ca n make a huge difference in implementing change and possibly saving lives (UNICEF, 2011: 1). Advocacy is used by UNICEF to target political, business and social leaders at national and local levels. It is not used simply to create mass awareness but is also used as a means of generating change and leading to a specific action that is to be taken (UNICEF, 2010: 20). UNICEF uses advocacy to inform and motivate appropriate leaders to create a supportive environment by changing polices, speaking out on critical issues, allocating resources and initiating public discussion. Communication is a powerful tool, which is why it is important for various media techniques to be adopted by NGO’s such as UNICEF. Social mobilisation is another method of communication that is used by UNICEF to enlist participants, community networks, and religious groups to strengthen participation in various activities. This helps to engage and motivate partners and allies to raise awareness of UNICEFâ€℠¢s development objectives through face-to-face dialogue. Partners and allies subsequently work together to target audiences and convey certain messages. Social mobilisation is used as a way to facilitate change through a range of players that are engaged in interrelated and complementary efforts (UNICEF, 2012: 1). An example of this can be seen in relation to the training community health workers in Madagascar received from UNICEF. The health workers were trained to provide outreach to families on various issues including, hand washing, vaccinating children, and not defecating in the open (UNICEF, 2012: 1). This is clearly an effective communication technique that is used by UNICEF as it allows certain individuals to be trained up so that they can pass their knowledge onto others. This has a domino like effect and will enable the views of UNICEF to be conveyed to a wider audience than that which would have been possible through advertisements alone. Social mobilisation is therefore an effective way of spreading messages to targeted audiences and helping to achieve the objectives of UNICEF, which is to provide assistance to mothers and children in underdeveloped countries. Behaviour change communication is another method that is used to address knowledge, attitudes and practices that are linked to programme goals. This is done by providing participants with â€Å"relevant information and motivation through well-defined strategies, using an audience-appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass media channels and participatory methods† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). Behaviour change communication strategies focus on the individual to effect change. In order for behavioural changes to happen on a larger scale, social change communication needs to be employed. This technique helps to define and address social influences in life and is currently being employed by UNICEF through the Social Ecological Model framework† (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). The media techni ques that are currently being used by UNICEF do appear effective in helping to persuade audiences to provide support. The more UNICEF does to spread its message, the more successful UNICEF will be in achieving its aims. The Meena Communication Initiative in South Asia gives an example of how mass media and interpersonal communication is used to enhance the self-esteem and self-worth of children by enabling them to become familiar with life skills that are essential empowerment tools. The programme is primarily school based and is centred around a nine-year old girl called Meena who seeks to fight against the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS (UNICEF/INDA, 2012, 1). A radio station called ‘Meena Radio’ was launched in 2010 to communicate with children, their parents, educators and community leaders. This provides an effective means of communication and provides a platform for UNICEF’s political beliefs to be heard. It is intended that the radio station’s audience will be persuaded to act so that the voices of children and communities can be heard through the power of communication. This helps to promote child survival, development, protection and participation (UNICEF, 2014: 1 ). It is clear that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy to achieve its objectives. Without the use of such techniques, the voices of children and communities would not be heard and UNICEF’s message would not be delivered to its intended audience. It has been said that UNICEF â€Å"raises considerable funds and carries out strong communication on its own through its national committees, press centre and media team† (Dijkzeul and Moke, 2005: 683). This signifies the importance of having an effective communications strategy is in place as it can generate a significant amount of funding that would not otherwise be available. UNICEF also uses high profile figures to be its ambassadors who have been considered a highly effective in persuading society (Stromback, 2011: 42). Conclusion Overall, an effective communication strategy in an important tool for helping governmental and non-governmental organisations communicate effectively to meet core objectives. Given that UNICEF relies on voluntary donations from members of the public, government departments, charitable trusts and event organisers, it is important that they are capable of successfully communicating their objectives. In doing so, they will be required to persuade or encourage their audiences to provide support or funding so that UNICEF’s end goals can be achieved. Given that UNICEF uses a number of different media techniques in its communications strategy, the approach that is currently being undertaken does appear workable. The media is a powerful tool in the art of persuasion, which is what UNICEF needs in order to survive. The use of media techniques will help to raise awareness of UNICEF’s objectives and obtain humanitarian assistance. It is unlikely that such assistance would be obtai ned without the use of various media techniques, which is why UNICEF’s communications strategy does appear largely effective. References Allan, S. (2004), News Culture. Bukingham: Open University Press. Changing Minds. (2013). Persuasive Language, [Online], Available: http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/persuasive/persuasive.htm [07 July 2014]. Chadwick, A. and Phillip, H. (2008). 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