Personal Income Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Income Taxes - Essay Example The rich taxpayers are seem to be reporting almost 48.5% of their total income as capital gains and dividends, effectively getting 48.5% of their income taxed at extremely lower rate of 15% compared to that of the low income people. The trend now is that such wealthy taxpayers with more than $10 million continue to report huge increase in their income and get taxed at extremely lower rates. Legendry investor Warren Buffet has complained that he pays much lower tax rates than his secretary. John: I should agree with Mike on this point. Studies have shown that one of the major reasons for income inequality in US is such special tax rates on investment income. While the percentage of capital income is as high as 50% for some of the wealthy, it is as low as 2% for people below the income level of $200,000. In fact, Mitt Romney is reported to have close to $14 million income and the effective tax rate is seemed to be as low as 13.5%. All these instances point to the fact that current tax system just keeps accelerating the income disparity in US. A fix to this is indispensable in order to check this inequality from spreading. One option that the government can consider is to increase the tax rates on investment income. I: Taking it on from John, I should say that is already high time that the government should find a fix for this issue. Effectively, only a higher tax rate can curb the huge tax rate disparity in US. Regarding John’s note on increasing the tax rates on investment income, I should say that it will again adversely affect the small taxpayers who have considerably small percentage of investment income. Increase in the tax rate on such income would effectively leave the small taxpayers with fewer after tax profits. Therefore, a more ideal choice would be to determine the tax break loopholes that allow the rich to lower their income tax percentage and close such

Executive Briefing Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Executive Briefing - Research Paper Example There are several reasons for which strategic planning is implemented in the department and its many organizations. This executive paper explores the importance of strategic planning to the Department of Homeland Security and its organizations. However, it is important that the meaning of strategic planning is first understood, more so in the context of the department and its agencies. In essence, strategic planning refers to the mechanisms established to indicate the direction an organization intends to take in a specified period. In addition, strategic planning entails the processes and activities by which an organization will attain its objectives within the target period and the indicators of the attainment of the set objectives (Allison & Kaye, 2005). Unlike business plans, which focus on specific programs or products, strategic planning covers an entire organization’s vision, mission, interests, and goals. A number of models and approaches to strategic planning are used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The determinants on the models of strategic planning to be applied by a given organization include an agency’s leadership, complexity, planner expertise, organizational culture, structure, size, and environment (Allison & Kaye, 2005). Recognizing the importance of strategic planning, the department established the office of strategic plans with the mandate to express the department’s and its Secretary’s vision, mission, goals, objectives, and priorities. This role of articulating these priorities helps the department to plan for the creation of products that meet client needs using the available resources economically (Homeland Security, 2012). There are several pillars that drive the office of the strategic plans to achieve its goals. These principles include the responsibility to promote inter-departmental/organizational collaborations,

Social Cohesion And Quality Life

Social Cohesion And Quality Life In the last few decades, quality of life has replaced the idea of wealth as the dominant goal of societal development. In opposition to the individual-centered perspective of societal development, several other welfare concepts emerged which put the focus on the aspects concerning societal qualities such as the extent of equality, security or freedom, or the quality and structure of the social relations within a society. Among those welfare concepts referring to characteristics of societies are, for example, „sustainabilityâ€Å", „social cohesionâ€Å", „social inclusionâ€Å" etc. Idea of the social cohesion of a society received great political attention at the national and supranational level. In regard to these developments, this paper attempts: first, to clarify the meaning of the concept of social cohesion and to determine its inherent dimensions by reviewing the existing theoretical approaches to this issue; second, to explore relationship between social cohesion and the quality of life. Quality of life is a concept related to the individual welfare. Although social cohesion represents a societal quality, it affects the individual quality of life because the elements of social cohesion are perceived and experienced by the members of the society. Thus, the social cohesion of a society can be conceived as an aspect relevant to the individual life situation, and in this sence, it represents a part of the individual quality of life. Under this perspective a broad conceptualization of quality of life seems appropriate. Quality of life can be considered as the complex policy goal which includes social cohesion as one component. The very broad and multidimensional notion of quality of life enlarged the perspective of societal development by considering not only economic aspects but also social and ecological concerns. Several welfare concepts emerged which put the focus on aspects concerning societal qualities such as the extent of equality, security or freedom, or the qual ity and structure of the social relations within a society. One of these welfare concept is social cohesion. The goal of this paper is: first, to clarify the meaning of the concept of social cohesion and to determine its inherent dimensions by reviewing the existing theoretical approaches to this issue; second, to explore relationship between social cohesion and the quality of life. 1. The concept of social cohesion The idea of social cohesion is difficult to express in a single definition. Émile Durkheim first coined the concept of social cohesion at the end of the nineteenth century. He considered social cohesion as an ordering feature of a society and defined it as the interdependence between the members of the society, shared loyalties and solidarity [14]. Aspects often mentioned in describing social cohesion are the strenght of social relations, shared values and communities of interpretation, feelings of a common identity and a sense of belonging to the same community, trust among societal members as well as the extent of inequality and disparities [26; 14). The simpler the division of labor in a society is, the stronger the bond between individuals and the social group will be. This bond is a result of mechanical solidarity, which arises from segmented similarities based on territory, traditions and group customs. The social division of labour that modernity brings with it erodes and weakens such bonds, as does the increased autonomy of individuals in modern society. In such a context, cohesion is part of the social solidarity that is required in order for the members of a society to remain bound to it with a force comparable to that of pre-modern, mechanical solidarity. This requires stronger, more numerous ties, and must even include bonds based on common ideas and feelings, leading to what Durkheim calls â€Å"organic solidarity†. As of today there is no single definition of social cohesion and it is still debated whether social cohesion is a cause or a consequence of other aspects of social, economic and political life. There is no clear definition of the concept probably because the very tradition of social citizenship that characterizes European societies assumes that social rights entail an intrinsic relationship between social inclusion and the provision of mechanisms to integrate individuals and give them a sense of full membership in society. According to this view, social cohesion implies a causal link between the mechanisms that provide integration and well-being, on the one hand, and a full individual sense of belonging to society, on the other. Inclusion and belonging, or equality and belonging, are the cornerstones of the idea of social cohesion in societies organized around the principles of the welfare state. The concept of social cohesion is often confused with other concepts, like social capital, social integration, or social inclusion. Social capital is closely related to social cohesion, and the two are very important concepts in policy and policy research circles. Social capital understood as a symbolic societal asset consisting of the ability to manage rules, networks and bonds of social trust which strengthen collective action, pave the way for reciprocity and progressively spread throughout society resembles cohesion, and can largely be described as a stock upon which social agents can draw to make society more cohesive. However, social capital is both a consequence and a producer of social cohesion. Whereas social cohesion emphasizes processes and outcomes, social capital emphasizes the notion of investments and assets that bring benefits, benefits that are not fully appropriated by the individuals making the investments. Social cohesion is often confused with social inclusion. Inclusion mechanisms include employment, educational systems, rights and policies designed to encourage equity, well-being and social protection. In that context, social cohesion may be understood in terms of both the effectiveness of instituted social inclusion mechanisms and the behaviours and value judgments of the members of society. Behaviours and value judgments include issues as diverse as trust in institutions, social capital, belonging and solidarity, acceptance of social rules and the willingness to participate in deliberative processes and collective endeavours. Another proximate notion is that of social integration, defined as the dynamic, multifactoral process whereby individuals share in a minimum standard of well-being consistent with the level of development achieved by a country. This restrictive definition views integration as the opposite of exclusion. In a broader sense, integration into society has also been defined as a common system of efforts and rewards, which levels the playing field in terms of opportunities and delivers rewards based on merit. The idea of social inclusion may be viewed as an expanded form of integration. Rather than emphasize a structure to which individuals must adapt in order to fit into the systemic equation, it also focuses on the need to adapt the system in such a way as to accommodate a diversity of actors and individuals. Inclusion requires not only an improvement in conditions of access to integration mechanisms, but also an effort to increase the self-determination of the actors involved. The idea of a social ethic also includes an essential aspect of social cohesion, emphasizing common values, agreement on a minimum set of rules and social norms, solidarity as an ethical and practical principle, and the assumption of reciprocity. These concepts are part of the â€Å"semantic universe† of social cohesion. Viewed in this light, the specific difference that sets social cohesion apart is the dialectical relationship between integration and inclusion, on the one hand, and social capital and social ethics, on the other. Consequently, there is a distinction between social inclusion and social cohesion, inasmuch as the latter includes the attitudes and behaviours of actors, without being limited to those factors. Social cohesion may thus be defined as the dialectic between instituted social inclusion and exclusion mechanisms and the responses, perceptions and attitudes of citizens towards the way these mechanisms operate. A definition of social cohesion by relating it to the concepts of social exclusion/exclusion and social capital has also been present. For example Dahrendorf et al. described a social cohesive society as a society preventing social exclusion: „Social cohesion comes in to describe a society which offers opportunities to all its members of a framework of accepted values and institutions. Such a society is, therefore, one of inclusion. People belong; they are not allowed to be excludedâ€Å" [4, str.vii]. Other scientist have emphasised that the social capital of a society is an essential foundation of its social cohesion [18; 17]. On the basis of review of the various approaches we could conclude that the concept of social cohesion incorporates mainly two societal goal dimensions which can be analytically distinguished: 1) The first dimension concerns the reduction of disparities, inequalities, and social exclusion. 2) The second dimension concerns the strengthening of social relations, interactions and ties. This dimension embraces all aspects which are generally also considered as the social capital of a society [6]. These two dimensions must be viewed as independent from each other to a certain degree. In principle, strong ties within a community can be accompanied by the tendency to discriminate and exclude those people who do not belong to that community [19]. This problem highlights the importance of considering both dimensions disparities/inequalities/social exclusion and social relations/ties/social capital in order to get a comprehensive picture of the social cohesion of a society. 3. Social exclusion Social exclusion represents concept with increasing popularity among scholars during last decade. The popularity of the concept was especially promoted through the growing interest in matters of social exclusion at the level of the European Union. The European Commission launched a series of research programmes in the framework of the European Observatory on National Policies to Combat Social Exclusion and of the European Poverty Programmes. Research on social exclusion replaced, to some extent, older terms of poor living conditions, such as poverty or deprivation. Originally, the term was used in the context of debates on a new poverty and defined as a rupture of the relationship between individual and the society due to the failure of societal institutions to integrate individuals. Today, it is suggested that social exclusion should be conceptualised as the insufficiency of one or more of the following four systems [1, str. 258-259]: This approach focuses on relational issues, i.e. on the disruption of social ties between individual and the society. Unlike social cohesion, poverty is concerned with distributional issues, i.e. on the lack of resources at the disposal of individuals or househods [23; 12]. Thus poverty may be regarded as characteristic of indiviudals and households, whereas social exclusion may be conceived as a feature of societies and of the individuals relations to society. In contrast to this position are considerations that social exclusion can be regarded both as a property of societies and as an attribute of individuals. As an individual attribute it is defined as a low level of welfare (economic disadvantage) and the inability to participate in social life (sociopolitical disadvantage). This perspective equals social exclusion to a multidimensional notion of poverty which describes a state or an outcome of a process. As a societal characteristc the term social exclusion refers to the impairment of social cohesion caused by the way in which institutions regulate and thereby constrain access to goods, services, acitivities and resources which are generally associated with citizenship rights. This view focuses attention to the processes of social exclusion and its causes which are attributed to the failure of institutions [5]. The conclusion arising out of these considerations is the requirement to differentiate between the causes of disadvantageous living circumstances and the processes leading to them on the one side and the outcomes of those processes themselves, that is peoples living situation. The causes may be attributed to societal institutions and can then be described by the concept of social exclusion as a property of societies. The impact of social exclusion on people is observable in the form of poor living conditions. In this sense, social exclusion represents a characteristic of individual and corresponds to the concept of poverty in a multidimensional notion. 4. Social capital The counceptualization of social cohesion as it is proposed here considers social capital as representing a second main dimension which may be used to describe the social cohesion of a society. Social capital represents one of the most powerful and popular metaphors in current social science research. Broadly understood as referring to the community relations that affect personal interactions, social capital has been used to explain an immense range of phenomena, ranging from voting patterns to health to the economic success of countries [7]. Literally hundreds of papers have appeared throughout the social science literature arguing that social capital matters in understanding individual and group differences and further that successful public policy design needs to account for the effects of policy on social capital formation. In this paper we will give the primary focus to the role of social capital in stenghtening the social cohesion and further link with the quality of life. We often observe countries with similar endowments of natural, hysical, and human capital achieving very different levels of economic success. This paradox has led scholars to search for deeper and more meaningful explanations about what holds people and societies together in order to foster economic development. Over time, scholars have constructed various frameworks for understanding the social aspects of this phenomenon and what we currently refer to as â€Å"social capital†. Fueled by continuous empirical investigations, these frameworks have evolved quite rapidly in recent decades. Since Loury [16] introduced it into modern social science research and Colemans [3] seminal study placed it at the forefront of research in sociology, the term social capital has spread throughout the social sciences and has spawned a huge literature that runs across disciplines. James Coleman popularized the term as he sought to conceptualize the aspects of social structure that facilitate eco nomic transactions. His work is widely recognized as one of the most significant, as is Robert Putnams study of voluntary associations in Italy. Putnam [21] concluded that the high density of voluntary associations in the north was responsible for the regions economic success. Many others have also made significant strides in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the subject. However, despite the immense amount of research on it, however, the definition of social capital has remained elusive. There are various theoretical approaches and perspectives of social captial which use more or less narrow concept. But they all have in common that they regard social capital as a property of a social entity and not of an individual [10]. It is a relational concept, it presupposes a social relation and exists only as far as it is shared by other individuals. Therefore, it cannot be the private property of a single person, but heas a character of a public good [11; 19]. The social capital of a society includes the institutions, the relationships, the attitudes and values that govern interactions among people and contribute to economic and social development. Social capital, however, is not simply the sum of the institutions which underpin society, it is also the glue that holds them together. It includes the shared values and rules for social conduct expressed in personal relationships, trust and a common sense of civic responsibility, that makes society more than a collection of indi viduals. Without a degree of common identification with forms of governance, cultural norms and social rules, it is difficult to imagine a functioning society [25, str.1]. Social capital is not only considered to be an essential basis for the social cohesion of a society, but at the same time as a main component of the wealth of a nation and as an important determinant of economic growth, besides physical, human and environmental capital [13]. The view is empirically supported by results showing a relation between the social capital of a society and its economic well-being [21; 15; 24]. Furthermore, there are also investigations pointing to the improvement of other dimensions of welfare such as education, health, rates of crime, and the environment [3; 20]. 5. The interdependence of social cohesion and the quality of life The concepts of social cohesion and quality of life are interrelated [8; 9]. Althought social cohesion represents an attribute of a society, it ultimately rests on the behaviour, attitudes and evaluations of its members, too. Social cohesion is based on social capital which is also created by social relations and ties established, maintained and experienced by individuals. Thus, looking at the social cohesion of a society involves aspects which are part of the individual life situation and in this sense components of the individual quality of life. Secondly, elements of the social cohesion of a society may have direct impact on individual quality of life. Empirical examples are the above cited results on the influence of social capital on economic and other dimensions of welfare. At a conceptual level, the perspective of social exclusion as a process rooting in the malfunction of social institutitons and resulting in a deprived living situation of the individual is another example. Social cohesion can be conceived as a societal quality which is experienced by individuals in their daily lives, for example in the form of the perceived inequality or the social climate at the working place, at school or in the neighbourhood, and thus also refers to the individual quality of life. This perspective conciders elements of the social cohesion of a society to form an integral part of the quality of life of the individuals belonging to that society. Such a position, which is supported here, advocates a broad conceptualisation of quality of life encompassing not only individual characteristics of the life situation but also societal qualities. In this sense, quality of life represents the common policy goal with social cohesion as an important component to be addressed. 6. The measurement of social cohesion On the basis of the conclusion about two dimensions of social cohesion, measurement of social cohesion should include measures concerning: Concerning the first dimension measurement dimensions for the various aspects can be derived for nearly all domains. Regional disparities are taken into account for example with respect to access to transport, leisure and cultural facilitites, educational and health care institutions, employment opportunities or the state of the environment. Issues of equal opportunities/inequalities could be considered therough political participation and employment opportunities, generation of inequalities in social relations or unemployment risks; inequalities between disabled and non-disabled people in access to public transport or educational institutions; etc. The aspect of social exclusion can be operationalised in many domains, too. Manifestatios of social exclusion are ususally measured such as homelessness, social isolation, long-term unemployment, poverty or a lack of social protection. Concerning second goal dimension of social cohesion and that is strenghtening the social capital of a society, most of the aspects of this dimension refer to the life domain of „social and political participation and integrationâ€Å". This domain covers all general issues of social relations and engagement outside the own household community such as the availability of relatives and friends, frequency of contacts and support within those personal networks, membership in organisations, engagement in the public realm such as volunteering and political activities. The quality of societal institutions is a component of social capital which applies to several life domains since, for example, institutions of education, health care, social security or the legal system. 7. Possible contemporary threats to social cohesion There are numerous possible demographic, socio-economic and political trends and processes which have been associated with a general deterioration of social cohesion throughout the world. Over the past three decades, globalization in the form of processes of structural transformation has impacted severely, in many ways, on people throughout the world. The intensified linkage of local social conditions with activities and decisions within world financial, commodity and labor markets is increasingly apparent and in many places its consequences are devastating. Perhaps the most fundamental feature of structural transformation in industrial countries has been reducing the share of industry in the formation of GDP and consequently the massive decline in manufacturing employment. We have been witnesses to the massive relocation of capital, jobs and manufacturing to areas of the globe where labor is cheaper. Instead of a relatively stable work conditions, characterized by institutionalized wage agreements and strong trade unions, internal labor markets within large firms, and secure, tenured and full-time employment; new socio-economic patterns emerge: More and more, opportunities for work and flows of income became variable and unpredictable and stable conditions characterizing employment are replaced by growing insecurity. These kinds of changes add to a growing polarization not only between employed and unemployed, but between secure, highly skilled, well paid workers and the larger proportion of insecure, unskilled, low paid workers. In addition to that, the gender dimension is critical to this shift, since women are greatly over represented in the new flexible yet precarious sectors of casual, part-time and short-contract employment [2, str. 142]. The rise of neo-liberal political philosophy has driven many of the processes of political restructuring over the past two decades. A key aspect of the neo-liberal vision of society is bringing the market principle, along with notions of self-responsibility and individualism, to almost every sphere of politics, economics and society. Aspects of political change which have subsequently emerged, and impacted dramatically on social cohesion, include: Such policies and processes which have brought about â€Å"the new inequality† can be seen as fuelling a process of â€Å"inequalisation†. The consequences for social cohesion, however defined, are devastating. â€Å"Such a divergence of the life chances of large social groups†, Dahrendorf observes, â€Å"is incompatible with civil society† [4, str. 38]. The most socially stigmatised, spatially segregated and economically disadvantaged also become the most politically excluded. The combined forces of economic and political restructuring, along with the new social fissions created in their wake, have also threatened a key socio-psychological source of social cohesion, the idea of â€Å"the nation†. The changes associated with globalization (here considered as processes involving the intensified linkage and increased scope, scale and speed of world-wide economic activity) are now so pervasive that national governments arguably no longer hold the keys to their own national larders. The flow and control of a variety of forms of investment, currency trading, commodity markets, and labor pools are increasingly determined by agents and forces above and beyond the reins of nation-state policy. For the nation-state, prerogatives and margins for maneuvers in economic policy are greatly reduced. Conclusions Social cohesion represents a concept which focuses on societal qualities such as the extent of inequality or the strength of social relations and ties within a society. In the terms described above, it is both a means and an end. As an end, it is an object of public policy, to the extent that policies attempt to ensure that all members of society feel themselves to be an active part of it, as both contributors to and beneficiaries of progress. In an age of profound, rapid changes resulting from globalization and the new paradigm of the information society, recreating and ensuring a sense of belonging and inclusion is an end in itself. Social cohesion is also a means, however, in more ways than one. Societies that boast higher levels of social cohesion provide a better institutional framework for economic growth and attract investment by offering an environment of trust and clearly defined rules. Moreover, long-term policies that seek to level the playing field require a social contra ct to lend them force and staying power, and such a contract must have the support of a wide range of actors willing to negotiate and reach broad agreements. In order to do so, they must feel themselves to be a part of the whole, and they must be willing to sacrifice personal interests for the good of the community. The formation of the social covenants needed to support pro-equity and pro-inclusion policies is facilitated by a greater willingness to support democracy, become involved in issues of public interest, participate in deliberative processes and trust institutions, as well as a stronger sense of belonging to a community and solidarity with excluded and vulnerable groups. In this paper we have established two goal dimensios inherent in the concept of social cohesion: 1) the reduction of disprarities, inequalities and social exclusion and 2) the strenthtening of social relations, interacions and ties. Concerning the first dimension of social cohesion, examples of measurement dimensions within various life domains are regional disparities of the state of environment, equal opportunities of women and men in employment, inequalitites between social strate in the state of health, social exclusion from material goods measured by income poverty. As far as second dimension is concerned, it comprises all aspects which together constitute the social capital of a society. This includes the social relations available at the informal level of private networks and the more formal level of organisations, the activities and engagement within private networks as well as within public realms, the quality of social relations and the quality of societal instiutitons. The quality of societal institutions represents a component of social capital which applies to several life domains. Institutions of education, health care, working life, social security, social services, the political system and legal system. The perceived quality of these institutitons are measured by the level of trust, satisfaction with or approval of institutions. The combined forces of economic and political restructuring, along with the new social fissions created in their wake, threaten to deteriorate a key sources of social cohesion in contemporary societies. It is therefore not surprising that idea of social cohesion receives great attention by social scientists as well as by politicians and gradually establish itself as one of the central societal goals at the national and the supranational level.

Murasaki and Medea Essay -- Euripides Medea Essays

Murasaki and Medea        Ã‚   Although The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, is set in late tenth-century Japan, the plights of the characters are universal. In Chapter 12, Genji leaves his wife, who is named after the author, and goes into exile. Desperately in love with Genji, Muraskai is similar to Euripides' Medea in the play of the same name. She suffers because her husband, Jason, abandons her for a princess. Shikibu and Euripides seem to have shared the same worldviews about women's emotional dependence on their mates.    Women often rely on men to whisk them away from their old lives and to take the place of their father. Genji brings Murasak at age ten from a convent to his world at the Japanese court and raises her as the perfect wife. As an adopted daughter, Murasaki gradually becomes "closer to Genji than her own father" (2143). As for Medea, she kills her father and replaces him with Jason, who then takes her away to Corinth (474-475). The main difference is that Murasaki, since she was only a child, does not choose Genji as a replacement, but rather is forced...

Juvenile Justice System

The juvenile justice system and parents across America struggle on a day-to-day basis with their children and substance abuse. It is stated that four out of every five children arrested within the system are under the influence of a substance (alcohol or drugs) when committing the crimes that forced them to be detained and arrested (Alcoholism. about. com, 2010). It is reported within the textbook that seventy-three percent of high school seniors had used alcohol within the past year, which makes the possibility of teenagers entering the juvenile justice system even higher (Siegel & Welsh, 2009).It is also believed that we as a society, does not provide the adequate support to those youth that are using controlled substances; which could in turn result in a more positive outcome, versus a decline in their behavior from initial arrest (Alcholism. about. com, 2010). This is a very true statement because in 2009, the SAMSHA reported that 374,000 citizens were treated for substance abuse between the ages of eighteen to twenty-four; that does not include the amount of individuals who did not seek help and those that were even younger.It also does not tell the story about how many of those individuals started using controlled substances at an earlier age as a juvenile (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n. d. ). According to Joseph Califano, Jr. , we are writing of the younger Americans by releasing them back into society without attending to their substance abuse needs (Alcholism. about. com, 2010). As an American, it is notable that social status plays a vital role in why juveniles embark into the realm of substance abuse.When children aren’t accepted by their peers, they tend to lash out and try things to make their peers accept them, or hide in a corner and not seek any help because they want to be left alone (Siegel & Welsh, 2009). Social disorganization plays another vital role in why juveniles resort to substance abuse. Because t he United States has so many different juvenile justices systems, it is hard to be held accountable for the different practices taking place, and the fact that non of the practices are helping one hundred percent of the time is unacceptable (Alcoholism. bout. com, 2010). Many juveniles fall into the system, and because there is limited help for them within their state/system, they become long time offenders and turn their adult careers into offending and spend the majority of their lives in adult prison institutions (Alcoholism. about. com, 2010). It is estimated that if provided the proper treatment, juvenile course could save a whopping $14 Billion per year (Alcoholism. about. om, 2010), but it is up to the state and local governments to put the time, efforts and resources into the system to help rehabilitate the youth while they are young, because at some point, the rehabilitation slows or stops completely. It is and always has been difficult to judge whether punishing juveniles was more acceptable than rehabilitating them, but numbers in the state of California has declined to show that rehabilitating is the most viable option to release the strain on our justice system and over crowding in prisons (Mellon, 2008).At times, the most viable option is not the best, but in this situation, it is believed that if you truly want to help youth and keep them on the path of becoming responsible citizens, it is very much necessary to rehabilitate them and coach them early in their childhoods. If we wait until after they commit a crime and become a reactive society, the numbers will blossom into a flower that does not glorify our country.Adults who commit violent crimes that are not first time offenders, they generally had a record as a juvenile that was never addressed and rehabilitated (Deitch, Barstow, Lukens, & Reyna, n. d. ). Although rehabilitation is not always the answer, it can definitely help solve the equation. Alcoholism. about. com. , (2010). Most Juvenil e Offenders use Drugs, Alcohol. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://alcoholism. about. com/od/teens/a/blcasa041007. htm Deitch, M. , Barstow, A. , Lukens, L. Reyna, R. , (n. d. ). From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System. Retrieved February 6, 2012 from http://www. utexas. edu/lbj/archive/news/images/file/From%20Time%20Out%20to%20Hard%20Time-revised%20final. pdf Mellen, G. , (2008). A Historic Struggle: Punishment or Rehabilitation. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www. presstelegram. com/justice/ci_9327709 Siegel, L. J, & Welsh, B. C. , (2009). Juvenile Delinquency –Theory, Practice and Law. California.

Cabeza de Vaca

The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca: Attitude Towards the Native Indians In The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca, we follow the journey of Cabeza de Vaca to one of the earliest conquests to the New World. De Vaca's perspective was not like that of conventional conquerors, but he was rather an anthropologist who accepted other cultures and traditions. De Vaca was an advocate for better treatment of Indians, which lead to him being convicted and sent to Africa.This action alone speaks volumes about the heightened prejudice that fueled in the minds of the Europeans against the Native Indians. In The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca, we witness the superior and greedy attitude of the European conquistadors, which later evolves to a civil and sympathetic view. During the 16th Century, European attitude towards Indians was dehumanizing as they felt that the Native Indians were inferior to them because they didn't have European characteristics of blue eyes and blonde hair .The European conquistadors were looking for new land in hopes to live, seek gold and gather wealth. Europeans enslaved the Native Indians and tried to force them off the land, thus the Indians had to fight back. Religious missionaries tried to convert the Indians to Christianity, they believed that this was the right thing to do because the Indians were superstitious and savage. Due to this perception of Europeans, Cabeza de Vaca suffered greatly because of his sympathy for Native Indians. Like most European explorers, Cabeza de Vaca was inclined towards their conquest.Cabeza de Vaca expressed sympathy and somewhat superiority towards the Indians, while welcoming their hospitable nature throughout the expedition in order to justify his entitlement to their land. As him and his Spanish conquistadors made their westward journey, they encountered many obstacles, such as natural disasters and the initial captivity by the Native Indians. During his almost decade long odyssey, Cabeza de Vaca went through many transform ations from being a conquistador to a slave, then a trader, and then a spiritual healer who was regarded almost as God by the Native Indians.This shows how his perception and understanding changed over time, as he bonded more with the Native Indians. Although, initially, he was at the receiving end of brutality by the hands of the Native Indians, later he developed an amiable relationship with them, which resulted in him becoming an advocate for the better treatment of the Native Indians later on. Due to this, he faced great challenges and punishment, and was sent to Africa. Also, Cabeza de Vaca learned many valuable survival skills from the Native Indians during his journey there.The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca takes us through a voyage of transforming attitudes from the initial enslavement of the conquistadors by the Native Indians, to the creation of a pleasant relationship with them later. During this expedition, we witness the changing view of Cabeza de Vaca, from a egocentric European conqueror to an advocate for the Native Indians. The penalization of Cabeza de Vaca for speaking up for the better treatment of Native Indians demonstrates the biased and repugnant attitude of the Europeans during the 16th Century.

Free Essays on Vocal Repetoire

1.) Bizet, Georges (1838-1875). â€Å"Carmen.† Habanera, (1875) G. Schirmer, Inc., 1937. George Bizet’s â€Å"Carmen† is arguably the most popular opera in the world. Comprised of four acts, it is based on the novella of Prosper Merimee’s. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. The first performance was held at the Theatre National de l’Opera in Paris, France on March 3, 1875. Critics were not receptive of Bizet’s opera at first, but as time went on, its success increased to what it is today. This French opera mimics the styles of Spanish Gypsies, known as flamenco. Habanera, the famous aria sung by a gypsy named Carmen, is based on a melody by Sebastian Yradier. The song is based on a dance style, as habanera is a slow dance originated in Havana, Cuba that is in duple meter. Carmen, a mezzo-soprano/dramatic mezzo, comes out of a factory and sings this seductive aria. Ranging from D4 to F#/G 5, Carmen sings of love and its unpredictable actions. 2.) Offenbach, Jacques (1819-1880). â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann.† Elle a fui, la tourterelle (1881). G. Schirmer, Inc., 1953. Jacques Offenbach’s â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann† is based on the play written by Jules Barbiere and Michel Carre, â€Å"Les Contes fantastiques D’Hoffmann.† Debuting on February 10, 1881 at the Opera-Comique in Paris, France, the French opera is composed of three acts. The libretto is by Jules Barrier. Elle a fui, la tourterelle is an aria from â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann† that is sung by a sick woman named Antonia. Singing from a room in Crespel’s house, in Munich, Antonia laments over a lost lover. Wishing he would return to her, Antonia, a lyric soprano, sings Elle a fui, la tourterelle, which ranges from D4 to A6 with the tessitura being G4 to F#/G 5. 3.) Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791). â€Å"Le Nozze di Figaro.† Voi, che sapete, (1786). G. Schirmer, Inc., 1956. â€Å"Le Nozze di Figar... Free Essays on Vocal Repetoire Free Essays on Vocal Repetoire 1.) Bizet, Georges (1838-1875). â€Å"Carmen.† Habanera, (1875) G. Schirmer, Inc., 1937. George Bizet’s â€Å"Carmen† is arguably the most popular opera in the world. Comprised of four acts, it is based on the novella of Prosper Merimee’s. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. The first performance was held at the Theatre National de l’Opera in Paris, France on March 3, 1875. Critics were not receptive of Bizet’s opera at first, but as time went on, its success increased to what it is today. This French opera mimics the styles of Spanish Gypsies, known as flamenco. Habanera, the famous aria sung by a gypsy named Carmen, is based on a melody by Sebastian Yradier. The song is based on a dance style, as habanera is a slow dance originated in Havana, Cuba that is in duple meter. Carmen, a mezzo-soprano/dramatic mezzo, comes out of a factory and sings this seductive aria. Ranging from D4 to F#/G 5, Carmen sings of love and its unpredictable actions. 2.) Offenbach, Jacques (1819-1880). â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann.† Elle a fui, la tourterelle (1881). G. Schirmer, Inc., 1953. Jacques Offenbach’s â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann† is based on the play written by Jules Barbiere and Michel Carre, â€Å"Les Contes fantastiques D’Hoffmann.† Debuting on February 10, 1881 at the Opera-Comique in Paris, France, the French opera is composed of three acts. The libretto is by Jules Barrier. Elle a fui, la tourterelle is an aria from â€Å"Les Contes d’Hoffmann† that is sung by a sick woman named Antonia. Singing from a room in Crespel’s house, in Munich, Antonia laments over a lost lover. Wishing he would return to her, Antonia, a lyric soprano, sings Elle a fui, la tourterelle, which ranges from D4 to A6 with the tessitura being G4 to F#/G 5. 3.) Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791). â€Å"Le Nozze di Figaro.† Voi, che sapete, (1786). G. Schirmer, Inc., 1956. â€Å"Le Nozze di Figar...

Benefits of the internet

Benefits of the internet Internet is needed in our day-to-day lives. Globally, the use of internet has become very popular especially in this modern century, where the technology has advanced in all aspects. It is even hard to imagine living in a world without internet, Activities all over would be chaotic to an extent of even affecting the global economy (Barron 112).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Benefits of the internet specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is enough proof that the whole of humanity is directly related with the use of internet. According to several research done, it is evident that internet has both advantages and disadvantages. However, there are solutions to overcome the problems that may arise from the use of internet, or rather prevent those problems from occurring. Communication is one of the main benefits received from using internet services. People in the whole world enjoy convenience in communication, entertainment is brought nearer to them, and they can now access the latest news through the internet. Currently it the fastest means of passing information from one point to the other. Most of people prefer using emails to pass messages, as it is convenient and fast. One of the uniqueness of using internet to communicate is that, there are no barriers, as people can connect easily at any place and all the time (Berre 341). Businesses have something to celebrate about, because the executives make use of the internet to pass their information as quick as possible. In the well established companies, the top management initiates the use of teleconference through the use of webcams, to conduct meetings with other executives when discussing crucial issues. Through the use of teleconference, companies are in a position to save money and time. Through the use of the most recent website known as â€Å"face book,† social communication has become very popular. Most of people are using this website to keep in touch with their friends, as well as search for their old friends. For the people who lost contacts long time ago, a solution is now found through face book, as people can always reunite. People chat on the net, and feel being part of one another by viewing the profile of one another, where the current activities of every person are indicated (Meersman 65). A big percentage of people in the world have proved to be users of this website, an indication that the whole world has been brought together by net.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result of having so many users of this social website, employers are putting job adverts in it, where they can get the best candidate for their vacancies. This has helped so many job seekers to secure some form of employment, hence promoting the global economy. Once an advert is put on net, the company or the ind ividual responsible is so sure that, the information has reached the relevant people. Entertainment is another major benefit of using internet. By just clicking to access the services of internet, there are so many movies available in â€Å"you tube† websites, which can be used for entertainment (Meersman 76). All television and radio programs can also be watched and viewed through the net respectively. When employees are in the office doing their daily activities, they can on the other hand be listening to their favorite radio or television programs through their computer nets. There is no need of having radios and televisions in an office, as everything can be accessed through the net. All types of movies meant for entertainment can be watched anywhere, at any time, as long as one is connected with internet. The era when people could only watch movies through television is past, and people now are embracing this change with much happiness, as there are no limitations to ent ertainment. When at home, in office, or when traveling one can have entertainment as he or she wishes through the use of net. The use of internet in the banking sector has saved people the great agony of spending time in banking halls. Some years back, people could only access their money through visiting bank branches. In every banking hall, a long queue of clients waiting to be served was the issue every day. A client could spend much time on the queue waiting to be served (Berre 287). Nowadays, internet banking serves clients quickly through safe bank transactions. The biggest percentages of banking services are offered through internet banking such as withdrawals, deposits, bill payments, and transfers. Internet banking is also very convenient to the clients, as it offers the services throughout the 24 hours. Any time of the day or night, a client can receive the services he or she requires from the bank. International market has been greatly promoted by the use of internet. It is evident that, some people lack time to go shop for all the items they require. Most of people spend their daytime in offices, and evening hours are for them to have time with their families. Due to such challenges of having a tight schedule, most of people have turned to internet shopping, where one can buy everything he or she deserves through online.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Benefits of the internet specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consumers prefer online shopping, as it saves much of their time and the prices are low compared to the actual prices at the stores. Business people have also found it relevant, as they display all their products and prices for their customers to have a wide range to choose from. Educational sector has a lot to enjoy from the use of internet. Learners have an opportunity of getting useful materials from the net. Almost every subject has some important materials that c an be found on the net. Educators also prepare some course outlines, and distribute them to students through online. Students globally, find a good place to conference and collaborate with one another, as they share their learning experiences (Barron 106). Whatever the students learn from class, they then find all the relevant materials to handle their assignments and to advance their grades. Through the use of electronic libraries, students all over the world have enjoyed the availability of educational materials. According to most of the research done, it is evident that some students are pursuing their bachelor or masters degrees through online programs offered by some higher institutions of learning. The education sector has advanced and developed a great deal, through the use internet. In conclusion, everyone is enjoying the services of internet all over the world. Through easier communication, any sector has benefited in one way or another. The distance that has been a challen ge to effective communication was eliminated by use of internet (Barron 115). An open opportunity was created to all people to communicate, watch, and get entertained together with their friends and families. Internet offers cheap and fastest communication compared to other means of communication. It is the most reliable way of one to keep in touch with friends and family. Barron, Ann. Technologies for education: a practical guide. New York: Libraries Unlimited, 2002.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Berre, Arne. Future Internet-FIS 2010: Third future internet symposium, Berlin,  Germany. Michigan: Springer, 2010. Meersman, Robert. On the move to meaningful internet systems. Benefits of  internet (2009): 50-95.

Battle of Island Number 10 in the Civil War

Battle of Island Number 10 in the Civil War Battle of Island Number 10 - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Island Number 10 was fought February 28 to April 8, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders Union Brigadier General John PopeFlag Officer Andrew Foote6 gunboats, 11 mortar raftsapprox. 20,000 men Confederates Brigadier General John P. McCownBrigadier General William Mackallapprox. 7,000 men Battle of Island Number 10 - Background: With the beginning of the Civil War, Confederate forces began making efforts to fortify key points along the Mississippi River to prevent Union attacks south. One area that received attention was the New Madrid Bend (near New Madrid, MO) which featured two 180-degree turns in the river. Located at the base of the first turn when steaming south, Island Number Ten dominated the river and any vessels attempting to pass would fall under its guns for protracted period. Work commenced on fortifications on the island and adjacent land in August 1861 under the direction of Captain Asa Gray. The first to be completed was Battery No. 1 on the Tennessee shoreline. Also known as the Redan Battery, it had a clear field of fire upstream but its position on low ground made it subject to frequent flooding. Work at Island Number Ten slowed in the fall of 1861 as resources and focus shifted north to the fortifications under construction at Columbus, KY. In early 1862, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant captured Forts Henry and Donelson on the nearby Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. As Union troops pressed towards Nashville, the Confederate forces at Columbus came under threat of being isolated. To prevent their loss, General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered them to withdraw south to Island Number Ten. Arriving in late February, these forces began work to strengthen the areas defenses under the guidance of Brigadier General John P. McCown. Battle of Island Number Ten - Building the Defenses: Seeking to better secure the area, McCown commenced work on fortifications from the northern approaches to the first bend, past the island and New Madrid, and down to Point Pleasant, MO. Within a matter of weeks, McCowns men built five batteries on the Tennessee shore as well as five additional batteries on the island itself. Mounting a combined 43 guns, these positions were further supported by the 9-gun floating battery New Orleans which occupied a position at the western end of the island. At New Madrid, Fort Thompson (14 guns) rose west of the town while Fort Bankhead (7 guns) was built to the east overlooking the mouth of a nearby bayou. Aiding in the Confederate defense were six gunboats overseen by Flag Officer George N. Hollins (Map). Battle of Island Number Ten - Pope Approaches: As McCowns men worked to improve the defenses at the bends, Brigadier General John Pope moved to assemble his Army of the Mississippi at Commerce, MO. Directed to strike at Island Number Ten by Major General Henry W. Halleck, he moved out in late February and arrived near New Madrid on March 3. Lacking the heavy guns to assault the Confederate forts, Pope instead directed Colonel Joseph P. Plummer to occupy Point Pleasant to the south. Though forced to endure shelling from Hollins gunboats, Union troops secured and held the town. On March 12, heavy artillery arrived in Popes camp. Emplacing guns at Point Pleasant, Union forces drove off the Confederate vessels and closed the river to enemy traffic. The following day, Pope began shelling the Confederate positions around New Madrid. Not believing that the town could be held, McCown abandoned it on the night of March 13-14. While some troops moved south to Fort Pillow, the majority joined the defenders on Island Number Ten. Battle of Island Number Ten - The Siege Begins: Despite this failure, McCown received a promotion to major general and departed. Command at Island Number Ten then passed to Brigadier General William W. Mackall. Though Pope had taken New Madrid with ease, the island presented a more difficult challenge. The Confederate batteries on the Tennessee shore were flanked by impassable swamps to the east while the only land approach to the island was along a single road which ran south to Tiptonville, TN. The town itself was sited on a narrow spit of land between the river and Reelfoot Lake. To support operations against Island Number Ten, Pope received Flag Officer Andrew H. Footes Western Gunboat Flotilla as well as a number of mortar rafts. This force arrived above the New Madrid Bend on March 15. Unable to directly assault Island Number Ten, Pope and Foote debated how to reduce its defenses. While Pope desired Foote to run his gunboats past the batteries to cover a landing downstream, Foote had concerns about losing some of his vessels and preferred to commence a bombardment with his mortars. Deferring to Foote, Pope agreed to a bombardment and for the next two weeks the island came under a steady rain of mortar shells. As this action ensued, Union forces cut a shallow canal across the neck of the first bend which allowed transport and supply vessels to reach New Madrid while avoiding the Confederate batteries. With the bombardment proving ineffective, Pope again began to agitate for running some of the gunboats past Island Number Ten. While an initial council of war on March 20 saw Footes captains refuse this approach, a second nine days later resulted in Commander Henry Walke of USS Carondelet (14 guns) agreeing to attempt a passage. Battle of Island Number Ten - The Tide Turns: While Walke waited for a night with good conditions, Union troops led by Colonel George W. Roberts raided Battery No. 1 on the evening of April 1 and spiked its guns. The following night, the Footes flotilla focused its attention on New Orleans and succeeded in cutting the floating batterys mooring lines leading it to drift away downstream. On April 4, conditions proved correct and Carondelet began creeping past Island Number Ten with a coal barge lashed to its side for added protection. Pushing downstream, the Union ironclad was discovered but successfully ran through the Confederate batteries. Two nights later USS Pittsburg (14) made the voyage and joined Carondelet. With the two ironclads to protect his transports, Pope began plotting a landing on the east bank of the river. On April 7, Carondelet and Pittsburg eliminated the Confederate batteries at Watsons Landing clearing the way for Popes army to cross. As Union troops commenced landing, Mackall assessed his situation. Unable to see a way to hold Island Number Ten, he directed his troops to begin moving towards Tiptonville but left a small force on the island. Alerted to this, Pope raced to cut off the Confederates sole line of retreat. Slowed by fire from the Union gunboats, Mackalls men failed to reach Tiptonville before the enemy. Trapped by Popes superior force, he had no choice but to surrender his command on April 8. Pressing forward, Foote received the surrender of those still on Island Number Ten. Battle of Island Number Ten - Aftermath: In the fighting for Island Number Ten, Pope and Foote lost 23 killed, 50 wounded, and 5 missing while Confederate losses numbered around 30 killed and wounded as well as approximately 4,500 captured. The loss of Island Number Ten cleared the Mississippi River to further Union advances and later in the month Flag Officer David G. Farragut opened its southern terminus by capturing New Orleans. Though a key victory, the fighting for Island Number Ten was generally overlooked by the general public as the Battle of Shiloh was fought April 6-7. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of Island Number 10CWSAC Battle Summary: Battle of Island Number 10New Madrid: Battle of Island Number 10

Constructions of gender,sexuality,and the family in indian religions Movie Review

Constructions of gender,sexuality,and the family in indian religions and cultures - Movie Review Example Deepa Mehta, a Canadian-Indian filmmaker has tackled this issue with a new dimension by producing a controversial movie, Fire. When the film was released in India in 1997, it caused a major uproar with Hindu fanatics burning down the cinemas and attacking the cast. The film story revolves around the relationship between two middle class Indian women, Radha and Sita, living in Delhi, the capital of India. The house is ‘ruled’ by the elder brother Ashok, who is also the husband of Radha. Sita is married to Jatin, younger brother of Ashok. As per the Indian family system norms, they all live in an old joint family house running their convenience store and video rental business. Ashok is into celibacy and has rescinded from the sexual life to attain spiritual purification. He mostly keeps to himself and remains aloof from the issues faced by his wife and other family members. Unlike the traditional Indian male culture, where the head of a family is fully aware of his family’s situation and actually control the course of events, Ashok has taken a back seat. Jatin, on the other hand, is a typical young Indian urbanite who does not take care of family rules. He is involved with a Chinese masseur and keeps this affair as a tightly guarded secret. He thinks that a wife has the only purpose of serving his husband and reproduce. Men should seek extra-marital affairs to fulfill their sexual desires. This behavior is typical of Indian men who are wary of arranged marriages. Parents arrange an overwhelming majority of marriages in India and in many cases; parents do not even ask the opinion of their children, especially daughters. Then we have Mundu, the lone employee at the store who doubles as a domestic help. He is an aged, single person with a penchant for watching porn (that is easily available from their video store) and masturbating in front of the

Breast Cancer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Breast Cancer - Assignment Example Overall, women’s risk of getting breast cancer is said to increase by 35-50% (GÃ ¸tzsche and Nielsen, 2011). Another risk factor has to do with lack of activity. In this, there continues to be variable rates of increase in risk. The main issue however remains that activeness is very necessary for all women to ensure that they are kept safe from the risk factor of inactiveness. The third major lifestyle related risk factor has been found to be the use of oral contraceptive, where premenopausal breast cancer is said to be the most likely in this situation (Wallace, 2012). This means that the onset of breast cancer with the use of oral contraceptive is very high as compared to the rate of onset for other risk factors (GÃ ¸tzsche and Nielsen, 2011). The last risk factor under lifestyle is diet, where high fat and high alcohol intake have been noted to be major risks. In terms of genetic risk factors, Nelson, Smith, Griffin and Fu (2013) mentioned that there are genetic susceptibility that play minor part in some cases of breast cancer. The causes of breast cancer as associated with genetics have however been quoted to be less than 10% in most of the case. The average range has often been given as 5% to 10% with variations occurring, depending on the number of relatives with the situation. GÃ ¸tzsche and Nielsen (2011) actually stressed that the probable rate of cause for people with 0, 1 and 2 relatives with the disease is 7.8%, 13.3%, and 21.1% respectively. There are actually women who have been found to develop hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome as a result of genetics but the rate given in this instance has been found to be only 5%. On medical conditions as risk factor, Nelson, Smith, Griffin and Fu (2013) mentioned that there are some diseases that increase the risk of women of getting breast cancer. Typical example of this has been mentioned to be diabetes mellitus. What is more, fibrocystic breast has been found to be common among those with benign

Energe sources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Energe sources - Research Paper Example Generally unlike fossil fuels which are considered to be expensive, pollutants and non-renewable energy, the new alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy should be encouraged and supported by the federal government in an attempt to curb the nation’s increased demand for conventional fuel. This paper proposes the development and support of solar energy and wind power as some of the best alternative sources that should receive government assistance to enable the country address some of its energy related challenges. Solar energy Solar energy refers to the clean energy that is derived from the sun in form of solar radiation. Generally the current technology primarily harnesses solar energy either through the use of solar thermal collectors or the more complex photovoltaic cells. Although currently only 1% of the total energy consumed in America is derived from solar energy, the renewable energy source has got immense potential in the future and is consequently one of the best energy sources that should receive federal funding and support. ... According to Bradford â€Å"this is a relatively large area with an untapped potential to produce up to 76,000MW of clean photovoltaic electricity.†(106). On the other hand, there is also a huge energy potential in solar thermal power plants. Although critics argue that such plants often occupy large tracks of land, a comparison of their electricity output verses land size reveals that solar thermal plants use significantly less land than hydroelectric power or coal plants. It is also worth noting that adopting solar energy will significantly help the government in its efforts to reduce the emission of green house gasses that have been largely associated with the fossil fuels. This is particularly because solar power is a clean energy source that does not produce any green house gases, smoke or other chemical by products. Consequently as a green energy technology, assisting the development of solar energy will also help the United States to be a leader in addressing the issue of climate change and curbing emissions. Lastly solar energy is a decentralized power source that does not need to be transported from one place to the other within the country or internationally and therefore its adoption will bring additional benefits such as reduced pollution due to transport as well as less tear and wear of our roads (Scheer, 67). Generally the role and purpose of the federal government in the development of solar energy include the provision of incentives such as loan guarantees and tax credits, funding researches on solar energy and developing policies that support investment in such renewable energy sources. Wind power Wind power is another

Ashford - BUS311 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ashford - BUS311 - Essay Example The paper will spot the key employment laws and concepts that have some effects on each of the candidate’s employment status. The paper is also going to explain whether there is any explanatory regulatory circumstance, which would influence the decision to end the employment of each of the candidates. Finally, the paper will make a decision on the way each of the candidates can be dealt with in a way that puts the interests of the company at the best grounds In any company doing business in today’s dynamic workplace, the importance of having effective workplace procedures and policies has continued to rise. The driving force for this rise has been the changes seen in the codes of practice, regulation, and legislation. For instance, the recent changes seen in the industrial relations legislation as well as the move by companies to a national system have led to the rise of workplace issues of unfair dismissals, workplace rights, and discrimination. These should be handled by effective policies. Business company law has been set to look into these policies to ensure that both the employer and the employee are protected from any form of workplace injustice. In this paper, we are going to concentrate on the employee protection in the workplace. This is because it is always likely to find employees being handled unfairly in the companies by the employers, and not the other way round. Fortunately, several laws have been enacted under company law to ensure that the employees are treated fairly in the workplace. This research paper is going to use five candidates listed for dismissal in Fast Service Company. These candidates are Carl Hairnes, Brian Carter, Sarah Boyd, Nora Manson, and Jenny Mills. These candidates were listed for dismissal due to different reasons. Carl Hairnes is accused of displaying acts of sexual harassment to fellow employees. He is also a

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools Assignment

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools - Assignment Example In this essay the researcher presents his proposal for a piece of research, which is aimed to investigate the relationship between the current state of management, technology and culture and the knowledge management activities in the Emirates secondary schools. The researcher also hopes that this study will promote an improvement of the existing knowledge management practices in the UAE educational system and make a contribution in positive changes in the country economy at a whole. The modern education system in the UAE is based basically on the same fundamentals as educational systems of many other world nations – on Western pedagogical models and the current K-12 curriculum. However, it differs profoundly by its cultural and political context. One of the major distinctions of the system is the lack of qualified national teachers. Results of the study presented by Muysken discusses the causes of the deficient educational system in the UAE, the implications of this system and main factors constraining knowledge transfer in the UAE schools. The results prove evidently the necessity of improvement of the educational system of the Emirates, where the effective KM may be crucial. This essay suggests that this research will be a remarkable step towards the deeper understanding of nature and particular features of these supporting factors regarding the UAE educational system. The researcher believes that this study will be also helpful for researchers who are going to conduct further research in the area of KM in education.

Define the Unique Selling Proposition ( USP) for Nordstrom. Describe a Assignment

Define the Unique Selling Proposition ( USP) for Nordstrom. Describe a USP for each keyroduct and create an Executive Summary - Assignment Example Nordstrom promises that the customer will not only get a product of high quality but also will get the best service from the product and from their staff (Nordstrom). Nordstrom has Jackets that they it calls â€Å"Jacket of all Trades†. The branding of the Jackets is the first unique aspect of the clothing. Secondly the branding proposes that the jackets they sell are for all occasions and third is that the jackets are of high quality at affordable prices and thus gives the customers value for their money and this also has the potential to attract new customers (Nordstrom). Nordstrom has a variety of key products and these include clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, Jewelry, beauty accessories and house ware. The USP for these products is embedded in the overall companies USP of quality and service. All the products are of high quality and give the customers the service they are intended to give besides the exceptional service that the customers are given at the shops. For example their shops have personal stylists assigned to customers shopping for clothing and this shows how much they care about their customers (Nordstrom). Nordstrom, Inc. is America’s leading fashion specialty retailers. It was founded in 1901 as a shoe shop in Seattle, currently Nordstrom manage 225 stores in 30 states, including 117 full-line stores, 104 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one treasure &bond store and one clearance store (Nordstrom 2). Nordstrom is also available online at  Nordstrom.com  selling on the internet and through its catalogs. Furthermore, the Company operates in the online private sale marketplace through its subsidiary HauteLook. Nordstrom, Inc.s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN. Its mission is to provide the best possible customer service, selection, quality and value and this has made it attract a huge customer base (Nordstrom). The

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools Assignment

Knowledge Management in Emirates Secondary Schools - Assignment Example In this essay the researcher presents his proposal for a piece of research, which is aimed to investigate the relationship between the current state of management, technology and culture and the knowledge management activities in the Emirates secondary schools. The researcher also hopes that this study will promote an improvement of the existing knowledge management practices in the UAE educational system and make a contribution in positive changes in the country economy at a whole. The modern education system in the UAE is based basically on the same fundamentals as educational systems of many other world nations – on Western pedagogical models and the current K-12 curriculum. However, it differs profoundly by its cultural and political context. One of the major distinctions of the system is the lack of qualified national teachers. Results of the study presented by Muysken discusses the causes of the deficient educational system in the UAE, the implications of this system and main factors constraining knowledge transfer in the UAE schools. The results prove evidently the necessity of improvement of the educational system of the Emirates, where the effective KM may be crucial. This essay suggests that this research will be a remarkable step towards the deeper understanding of nature and particular features of these supporting factors regarding the UAE educational system. The researcher believes that this study will be also helpful for researchers who are going to conduct further research in the area of KM in education.

Developed country Essay Example for Free

Developed country Essay 1. In many countries schools have severe problems with students behaviour. What do you think are the causes for this? What solutions can you suggest? It is undeniable, that most problems with students in the school occur because of their behaviour. There are many cases that prove it and, of course, the majority will agree due to own experience. There are several causes of this problem and few measures that could be taken. To begin with, psychologists argue that reasons for all children’s problems are their parents. So the first and the main cause for the stated issue is bad upbringing. For example, give a child an excessive care and worry. It means that in school child feel like at home and require as much attention as at home. Moreover the student feel deprived if doesn’t recieve the attention and demand it with the help of bad behaviour. Next reason for bad student’s behaviour in many countries is separate education of boys and girls. Approaches to the education of two sexes vary a lot. For example, girls can easily ask a teacher for a help and see in him an ally, boys, in contrast, in the cases when they can’t deal with the problem, start to fool and disturb the lesson. Consequently, separate education and different approaches for both genderes can prevent problems with behaviour. Speaking about possible solutions, first of all, I can suggest the professional development of teachers. Inasmuch as in most cases teacher is able to deal with problems between students and to prevent a serious scandal. Secondly, separate education can help students to be more concentrated and teachers to develop successfuly the peculiarities of both genderes. In conclusion, it is clear that there are various reasons for student behaviour, and steps need to be taken to prevent and solve this problem in order every country has a great young generation. 2. Many universities charge higher fees for foreign students. Why do they do this? Do you believe it is fair? It is undeniable that nowadays many students decide to move to another country to get better education or just to get a 2 or 3 months practice in foreign university. It’s the fact that fees are higher for foreigners. To my mind, it’s fair, and I’ll provide some reasons for this phenomenon. To start with, often students, in particular, from poor areas, e. g. India, Africa, move to other countries to get higher education. So developed countries try to save balance of native students and set higher fees for foreigners. For example, Russia suffers from migrants from the near abroad, that is why in many russian regions, such as Lugansk, fees raised. Next reason is that foreign students bring monetary gain not only to a particular university, but also to a citys budget and a whole country. Universities upgrade their equipment, pay for utilities and so on. For instance, countries, in which are said to be many prestigious universities, such as America, England, Spain, Netherlands, have higher fees for foreign students, but demand for them increases every year. In my point of view, it’s fair, because every country should support its own students. If the difference between payments become low, people from poor regions will be able freely to migrate and it is said to be a great harm for economy of developed country and, moreover, to the economy of poor country, which lose its â€Å"brains†. In conclusion, it is clear that higher fees only support the economies of countries and prevent the unneccesary migration.

Construction Economics And Finance Construction Essay

Construction Economics And Finance Construction Essay The economic downturn while unfortunate is real life problem that needs to be managed and controlled by construction companies. Construction is experiencing particular suffering as it relies on large capital expenditure to finance projects and the unavailability of a steady cash flow has resulted in many companies being forced into bankruptcy despite making a profit. Cash flow management has been described as the most important of all a companys resources as its inadequate management can lead to liquidity problems whereby day to day activities cannot be supported (Navon, 1996; Singh and Lakanathan, 1992). As contractors have to wait a number of months before being payed for completed work, this places increased pressure on credit facilities that they have agreed with banks, sub-contractors, suppliers, etc. This is why there is such agreement within the industry towards the importance of cash flow forecasting and control (Navon, 1990; Carr, 1993; Cook, 1991). The UK Governments policy has been to provide a fiscal stimulus by increasing spending on large public projects so as to inject money into the economy which will filter down through all sectors (McFall, 2008). Green (2009) forecasted that the recession will match up to the recession of the late 80s and early 90s but that it will recover quicker. Once again public spending is the underlining reason for the upturn but it is questioned whether the continuous spending can be sustained. The logical relation between high inflation which causes a rise in borrowing costs and a reduction in construction investment and thus a fall in the construction cycle is shown below in Figure 2.2 (Ren Lin 1996). These ups and downs in the economy in general used to be called business cycles but cycles implies predetermined or automatic recurrence and according to Myers (2008) we are not experiencing automatic recurrent cycles and we should refer to these activities as business fluctuations instead. Construction companies need to analyze these cyclical indicators so that they can plan activity and investment depending on the fluctuations. Whitten (2009) writing for Construction News explained how The Civil Engineering Contractors Association has warned of an emerging trend of firms pricing below cost. Both Whitten (2009) and Scully (2009) argue the point that below cost tendering is unsustainable and will increase the risk of contractors facing insolvency. Reductions in material and plant costs have been exceeded by the drop in tender prices. Insolvencies are predicted to occur firstly among contractors who tender correctly but fail to win the contract and then among those who win the contract with unsustainably low bids (Whitten, 2009). Cash flow management is extremely important and despite interest rates being at their lowest levels in a number of years borrowing is still a cause for concern as profit margins have been reduced and in some causes wiped out as contractors take on jobs at cost. Methods to improve the cash flow are described below at the different stages of a contract but in general firms need effective financial planning and control to monitor its position. Before a contract begins issues such as plant ownership, labour, subcontractors, materials, etc need to be discussed and the right mix found for each project. Better buying and terms for sub-contracts involve negotiating improved deals either from suppliers or sub-contractors and therefore improve the cost of the project (Coates, 2009). This is widespread in the current climate due to the reduced amount of work available. The last three methods will bring in early money but must be done before submitting the priced bills (Cooke and Williams, 2009). On site, the use of skilled labour increases efficiency and allows tasks to be completed earlier without the need for expensive and time consuming repair work. For complex tasks which the workforce could perform but not efficiently, specialist sub-contractors should be used. Plant costs can be extremely high which means that any plant that is not being used should be off-hired immediately and if any plant is owned by the company then there should be added emphasis on its use. Strategic tendering and project mix become even more crucial to a companys success during times of a recession. As the private sector feels the impact of a recession firstly and for a slightly longer period it is in a companys long term interest to carry out a more aggressive bidding policy towards the public sector (Ren Lin, 1996). Another advantage of the public sector is its transparency and openness during the tender stage. While the public sector may be susceptible to mal-practice, construction companies know that they will be impartially assessed and receive feedback. Strategic planning can be very beneficial as it seeks to align a company in a certain direction. In todays climate contractors need to evalute the client when deciding to tender as many contractors have commenced work on a project only to instructed to withdraw as the funding has been restricted (Edum-Fotwe McCaffer, 1999). A number of contractors have also begun to take on jobs at cost or even a loss in an effo rt to win work with the chance of repeat work. Also this keeps the company name in circulation and also to hold onto valued staff that might otherwise have to be made redundant. Partnering has been widely adopted in construction in the last number of years as it offers the opportunity for improving the project outcome aswell as benefiting the whole supply chain (Dozzi et al., 1996; Larson and Drexler, 1997). It utilizes each participants expertise and resources so that the required business objectives can be met or exceeded (Bennett Jayes, 1998). The use of sub contractors has increased as there is less overheads involved (Langford Male, 1992). The benefits of partnering can be applied to co-contracting (main contractor-sub contractor) and supply chain integration (contractor-supplier), (Edum-Fotwe McCaffer, 1999). This allows greater flexibility as both partners are working for a common goal and greater economies of scale can be achieved when tendering as contractors will have their own list of preferred suppliers or sub contractors which allows them to price new projects quickly and efficiently. As suppliers account for such a high percentage of building costs their involvement at an early stage should be welcomed as they can contribute new ideas, products or processes (Cartlidge, 2002). Tyreman on the other hand draws attention to the fact that the construction industry is inherently mis-trusting and while benefits do exist he doubts whether it will be fully supported within the construction industry. This opinion is similar to that of Wood and Ellis (2005) who estimate that it will still be some time before a fully genuine relationship exists as there is an engrained culture of mistrust and deception. Successful partnerships offer the opportunity for repeat work but the client must be assured that tenders remain competitive within the relationship of trust. As Project Programme Management provides training and technology advancement, it has allowed them to move into new markets which owing to the current high unemployment rate are particularly busy. They have also looked towards cheaper marketing tools such as over the internet to keep their overheads down while still keeping potential client exposure high. At Laing ORourke, Tyreman discusses how credit checks are performed on all potential clients to rate them but they also use strategic tendering which has led them to tender more aggressively for public sector contrasts which is in line with the theories put forward by Ren and Lin (1996) and discussed in the literature review. Supply chain integration has also helped to achieve greater economies of scale. The importance of cash flow cannot be overstated for construction firms and regardless of its time consuming requirements is particularly worthwhile. Despite many construction firms making a significant profit they can run out of cash and have to cease trading. If firms fail to correctly forecast when cash flow is required they can become insolvent as the cash is not available to pay their debts as they fall due. Effective communication will strengthen your existing relationships and help you to form positive bonds in future interactions with clients, banks, sub-contractors, suppliers, etc. The importance and basic need for cash flow analysis has been stressed in the literature review and by both interviewees. Cash flow analysis is an essential day to day activity in construction and it is recommended that effective planning is carried out by experienced management. They need to establish good terms with suppliers and sub contractors and to put in place an efficient cash flow reporting system. Cash flow analysis can refer to both day-to-day analysis (short term) or economic forecasting (long-term). As discussed by Myers (2008) business fluctuations have been occurring since the start of business and while they are complicated and rely on a number of variables they can help to provide a company with the potential to forecast market conditions and thus position itself accordingly.

A Rolling Model :: Role Models Media Cartoons Essays

A Rolling Model When I was twelve years old, I had every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle that was ever made. I had cases of the plastic figures lining the walls in my room. Posters were laid out everywhere, and my whole room was completely decorated in Ninja Turtle material. My bed, my drapes, my walls, literally everything was something about a Ninja Turtle. I spent a lot of my time watching those television shows, memorizing each tape word for word. I would pretend with my friends that we were the turtles, always fighting crime and always on the move under the streets, showing up only at night to fight the â€Å"foot clan†, the archenemy of the turtles. You could say that it was an obsession, and yes, maybe it was, but as a little child I could not realize it was an obsession, or that this obsession could make me a different person. It was intriguing, even as I grew to understand that the Turtles were made-up figures, that I still had an attachment to them. It was as if these imagin ed characters had become role models for me. Is it possible that something that doesn’t exist can become a role model, and continue to be one even after the discovery is made that they are only cartoons? And what effects do these role models have on people? Are they long term affects or short term? Just what is a role model? It seems to be anything or anyone that can influence people to do things that they normally wouldn’t have done without the inspiration of the model. Role models cause others to follow their ideas or concepts. As long as the object gets a person to follow in the footsteps of the object, anything can be a role model. Even if one concept makes an impact on a person’s life, people will admire the model more, placing the role model on a pedestal. The object has become the object of admiration and thus becomes a role model. Furthermore, people can have more than one role model. As long as others move to follow ideas and characteristics and eventually change the way they think about things, there may be several role models that people follow.

Missouri Compromise Essay -- essays research papers

Missouri Compromise The Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1877, was mainly caused by the diverging society between the North and the South. The North and the South had different goals. There were many factors that led to the war and the chief ones were political and economic differences between the North and the South. The North’s aggression to control the South had led to the point where it was intolerable. The issue on slavery was one of the causes of the Civil War. Slavery and slave trades had become a big part of the South’s economy. The slaves were needed to work on plantations which helped the South prospered. During the 19th Century, the North worked hard on abolishing slavery, which they thought was a disgrace to the Union. Compromises were proposed working toward an end to slavery. One of the compromises was the Missouri Compromise, which made Maine, a free state, and Missouri, a slave state, excluded slavery from Louisiana Territory and everything above the 36 30-north latitud e. Other compromises such as the Compromise of 1850 did please both sides. The Compromise included admitting California as a free state and interstate slave trade to be abolished, which went in favor of the North. The Compromise also went with the South when it included stricter fugitive slave laws and New Mexico and Utah were created without slave restrictions. A book called, "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" was also published at this time emphasizing the evils of slavery. This added tension...

Is Psychology a Science Essay

Psychology is commonly defined as ‘scientific’ study of human behaviour and cognitive processes. Broadly speaking the discussion focuses on the different branches of psychology, and if they are indeed scientific. However, it is integral in this to debate to understand exactly the major features of a science, in order to judge if psychology is in fact one. There must be a definable subject matter – this changed from conscious human thought to human and non-human behaviour, then to cognitive processes within psychology’s first eighty years as a separate discipline. Also, a theory construction is important. This represents an attempt to explain observed phenomena, such as Watson’s attempt to account for human and non-human behaviour in terms of classical conditioning, and Skinner’s subsequent attempt to do the same with operant conditioning. Any science must have hypotheses, and indeed test them. This involves making specific predictions about behaviour under certain specified conditions, for example, predicting that by combining the sight of a rat with the sound of an iron bar banging behind his head, a small child will learn to fear the rat, as is the case of Little Albert (1923). Also, empirical methods are used in scientific fields to collect data, relevant to the hypothesis being tested, as is the case in many psychological experiments, such as the use of brain scanning in Dement and Kleitman’s 1957 study. Science is meant to be objective and unbiased. It should be free of values and discover the truths about what it is studying. Positivism is the view that science is objective and a study of what is real. For example, schizophrenia, when diagnosed as being caused due to excess dopamine, is being studied in a scientific manner. The explanation does not take into account any cultural customs or individual differences that might lead to ‘schizophrenic’ behaviour. However, even in scientific research like this the person is doing the diagnosing has his or her own views, and may misinterpret behaviour because of his or her own subjective biases. For example, if someone talks about hearing voices, they may be referring to a spiritual experience, but a medical practitioner might well diagnose schizophrenia. So objective, value-free study is not easy, because the scientist has views and biases, and cultural or other issues are perhaps important factors. Some say that a truly objective study is not possible. In conclusion, it’s a science.

Migrations CCOT Essay

From 1700 to 1900 the migrations of people from Europe and Africa to the US grew and then receded due to the limits the U.S. put on immigrants.At the beginning of the period, Europeans stuck to their side of the ocean. However, When the Irish potato famine struck in 1845 however, there was a mass exodus of irish people in search of a steady source of food and a new life. In the beginning on the African side of things, there was a mass movement of africans to the US due to the slave trade but by the end of the period the slave trade was outlawed so there was a mass migration of Africans who migrated as indentured servants to find a better life. During the 18th century, there was much migration in between the thirteen colonies, Europe and Africa. In the 18th century, the slave trade was in full swing. People from the colonies and Europe were buying slaves very frequently. There were many slave markets and any child born to a slave also became a slave. Millions of Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. During this time, although people went from Europe to the colonies, it was only to strengthen the colonies themselves. During the 19th century, the migration patterns changed. In 1845 the Irish potato famine made 250 thousand people migrate from their homes. The country had no food and was riddled with disease so the Irish people came to the U.S. to try to start a new life for themselves. In addition to this, people from Europe came to the U.S. as indentured servants to have a better life. In Africa, by 1807 the slave trade had been abolished.

University Study Skills

Students need to make a number of adjustments when starting university. Critically discuss some of these adjustments in terms of skills brought with them, and new skills that must be developed. Draw on relevant SSK12 material in your essay. ————————————————- In this essay it will be argued that even though students may bring with them such skills as competence in writing secondary school essays and reports, good comprehension and grammar and motivation to succeed with them to university, there are other skills they will need to develop as well as refine those they already possess.The main skills which any new student will need to develop in order to succeed at university are critical thinking, which also includes critical reading, reflective thinking, learning independently and adjusting to the concept of the university culture which has its own languages and behaviours. Ne w students are likely to experience a cultural clash as university possesses its own culture, and sub-cultures. Adjustments will have to be made with students needing to develop bicultural habits. As Kolb asserts, students entering higher education will have to engage in ‘learning how to learn’ (Kolb 1981).The lead-up to the first study period, as well as the first study period itself, of a student’s beginning in university can be a massive culture shock. Some students may develop the feeling of uncertainty as to whether they have made the right choice about pursuing higher education and whether they are even likely to succeed. This can be observed by reading some of the student comments on the SSK12 Facebook page during the first weeks of the first study period. In other cases we may see students that take on a particular discipline and after a period of time find that they no longer have a desire to pursue that discipline.There may be few opportunities for stud ents in these positions to change disciplines. This is primarily due to the fact each discipline has its own sub-culture within the greater university culture. As Kolb has discussed, there are many faculties within the university, each have their own conventions that are unique to themselves such as language, values, ideas and norms (Kolb 1981). This impending transition may be too much for a student who has already had to become acculturated and has potentially experienced a culture shock.The average individual can be affected by several cultures, for example and not necessarily restricted to, culture of family, culture of the workplace and culture of religion. The culture of university is but one of the cultures that can make a big impact on the individual. Students are faced with a new workload that may come with a pace of instruction that is probably faster and more intense than what they may be used to. There is a potential to feel overwhelmed at first and ways to overcome this may be to develop habits of early preparation, prioritising and time management.There is an expectation that students need to be self-motivated and independent. There will be some guidance available but the general expectation is that the individual should know their own deadlines and the amount of study that is required. This may take some adjustment for individuals as they may be reeling from the cultural demands that university has already begun to place upon them. If they are studying more than one subject in their first study period they will have already potentially experienced the distinction in sub-cultures.For example, Ballard and Clanchy have noted that each sub-culture will have its own language and values and the new student will have to navigate themselves through an unsteady transition between cultures (Ballard and Clanchy 1988). Individuals also need to develop critical thinking as it is a cornerstone of university studies. Warren contends that critical thinking is n ecessary to university studies as an individual cannot â€Å"process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, or articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking† (Warren 1995, 4).I can support this through my own experience as critical thinking has been an important component of my university studies to date. One may see, however, that some individuals may have difficulties bringing themselves around to this mode of thinking as critical thinking involves developing an impersonal approach and attempting to put aside any biases that the individual may possess about particular subjects. Critical thinking may also involve critical reading and this may also be a foreign concept to the new student.One needs to get into the habit of identifying theses in readings rather than just ‘reading’ – ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’, as it were. Once the thesis has been identified the argument then needs to be ana lysed and criticised. Any evidence within the reading needs to be assessed. Any conclusions reached need to be examined as well as whether they are supported by evidence. Any other alternatives also need to be considered. In short, the individual will need to read more widely than what they may be used to and in a more analytical fashion. Reflective thinking is another skill that students must develop as it is a valuable tool.Reflection is integral to learning and assists in critical thinking as it starts with being self-critical in order to learn and improve. As Marshall and Rowland assert, ‘thinking about your own thinking, or metacognition, will give you insights into how you go about your learning, and is important if you want to change or adapt study behaviours’ (Marshall and Rowland 2006 9). Warren further asserts that ‘critical thinking is necessary to learning. One cannot process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, o r articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking.As such, the critical self is integral to learning itself’ (Warren 1995). Reflective thinking makes the individual ask themselves what may be working, what is not working and what may require improvement. Some students may already bring a form of this skill with them to university. I can support this through my personal experience in this area. I served in the police force for thirty years and the procedure in the police force was to conduct ‘debriefs’ of incidents that we were involved in. The police debrief was always framed in the format of discussing what went well and what could be done better.Every individual involved in that particular incident was expected to contribute. The expectation was that this process would lead to constant improvement in performance. It is a very similar process to reflection within university learning. One method of reflective thinking that students may learn a great deal from is through the keeping of a reflective journal, also known as a learning log. Pavlovich asserts that reflective journals are an invaluable aid in the development of self-awareness and inner leadership (Pavlovich 2007).The use of a reflective journal aids in developing the individual as a critical thinker as the very nature of its use forces the user to be critical of themselves and lead to change and improvement. Students will also need to develop the skill of speaking and writing in academic English. This is part of the acculturation to the university culture of which language is a major part. Students will have to learn very quickly to become bicultural. In their written work they will have to learn to avoid contractions and develop the passive voice over the active voice.Academic English is specific whereas informal English, that the student may be used, to is rather vague. Academic English is also often structured in a cautious manner whereas informal English is often stru ctured in a more definite manner. Using my own personal experience to add support to this, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of formal English having come from the police force where, for example, great care goes into compilation of files for the prosecutors to proceed with, but I have also had to make adjustments and become bicultural through working on my own understanding and application of academic English.The new student may bring skills with them to university but they will be confronted with the need to refine these skills and indeed develop new skills in order to survive at university. Skills that will need to be developed will include the need for critical and reflective thinking, critical reading and adjustment to independent learning. Students will also have to become acculturated to university which possesses its own culture and sub-cultures which are separate to what they may be used to. REFERENCES Avruch, Kevin. 2002. Culture and Conflict Resolution.Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press. Ballard, Brigid, and John Clanchy. 1988. Literacy in the university: An ‘anthropological’ approach. In Literacy by Degrees, ed G. Taylor, et al. , 7-23. Milton Keynes: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. Beasley, Colin. 2012. Communicating at University. Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Bizzell, Patricia. 1986. What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College? College Composition and Communication. 37(3). Grant, Barbara. 1997.Disciplining Students: the construction of student subjectivities. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18(1): 101-114. Hobson, Julia. 1996. â€Å"Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self†. SSK12 lecture transcript. Ed. Lorraine Marshall. Perth: Murdoch University. Kolb, David A. 1981. â€Å"Learning styles and disciplinary differences. † In The Modern American College. Ed. A. W. Chickerine & Associates, 232-235 and 251-252. S an Francisco: Jossey Bass. Marshall, Lorraine, and Frances Rowland. 2006. A guide to learning independently. th ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Pavlovich, Kathryn. 2007. The development of reflective practice through student journals. Higher Education Research and Development 26 (3): 281-295. Samovar, Larry A. , and Richard E. Porter. 2004. Communication Between Cultures. 5th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Vivekananda, Kitty, and Penny Shores. 1996. Uni is Easier When You Know How: Success Stories, Study Secrets, Strategies. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger. Warren, Karen. 1995. ‘The critical self’. Perth: Murdoch University.