Review of Evaluation of Jamaica's Path Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Review of Evaluation of Jamaica's Path - Essay Example The program is concerned with provision of cash transfers to health centers and academic institutions. The program has grown to other parts of the world. In the article the growth of CCT is referred to as the CCT wave. This program has been proved to be very efficient in the education and the health sectors in many countries in the world. The program is also affected by some factors like the household and the quality of the services provision. Furthermore, the program is implemented differently in different parts of the world. In addition, the other variables are the amount of benefits accrued and the input amount also varies. In Jamaica the program analyzed is called the PATH- program of advancement through health and education. PATH as an organization has two major components. It gives assistance to the children below 17 years in education and health sectors. The organization is committed as it visits health centers after two weeks during the first year and two times in the second and consecutive years. It offers social grants to pregnant women, the poor mothers, the disabled women and the destitute adults below 65 years. The care and the grants are non-conditional in all the regular clinics. To fully understand the program, figure 1 gives the facts in a table manner. There are some differences between short term and the long term outcomes of this program. In the model, the short-term outcomes are felt after the beneficiaries enroll. In the model, the long term outcomes is shown by dotted lines and it takes some more time to cause an effect that can increase human capital for the poor. There are several conditions that are put out for one to be eligible to participate in this program. First, a firm has to apply to the labor and the Social Security Ministry parish offices. Also it has to provide a detailed socio-economic and a demographic information which will allow MLSS to be in a position to calculate an applicable household score. The score is later used i n finding the eligibility of the program. The evaluation program was based on the site visit which was conducted in two distinct rounds. In each of the rounds that were conducted, there was a random visit to the chosen parishes in whole country. There was focus on groups which had some beneficiaries and an interview with the MLSS representatives either from health centers, schools and post offices. Eligibility information was given out by the interviewees and the participants of the focus group. The two parties also provided adequate information about the health, education requirements and the adequate benefits. The success of PATH was fostered by MLSS operations. The stakeholders had a feeling that the program’s missions had been adequately accomplished. Despite the success in the program, there are some weaknesses that should be improved. First, the beneficiaries have to receive their dues on time. This will reduce the hardships that the beneficiaries face. Delays can lead to many problems as the shareholders in PATH do not have any spare resources which can lead to difficulties in finance management. Secondly, the stakeholders have to be provided by accurate information about participation of the healthcare and schools. The suspension of the PATH benefits should be disputed. Furthermore, MLSS should make a quick pay after an error has been realized. This will lead to a satisfaction of the both parties. During the analysis, PATH was created to increase Jamaica’

Global Corporate Governance Standards: Pros and Cons

Global Corporate Governance Standards: Pros and Cons 1.0 Background and history Increasing numbers of public companies and shareholders base lead to shareholders of the companies not involved in management and control their own company. Thus, they employed professional managers to running their business as a result some of the managers are not working on the behalf of shareholders and caused companies collapsed through financial statement fraud and money laundering. The case Watergate scandal due to break-in to Watergate building complex in the United States at 1970s had lead to arising of Corporate Governance. Besides, UK had experienced increasing numbers corruption by senior executives or director in late 1980s and early 1990 as well. Corporate such as Enron scandal in US caused by conflict in interest of Arthur Andersen which was as an auditor and consultant at the same times lead the Enron Corporations and one of the five biggest accountancy and audit firms in the world collapsed. Besides, Lehman Brothers and several UK and European Banking Groups were coll apsed in recent year at September 2008 due to poor corporate governance. Thus, Corporate Governance is the system by which companies is directed and controlled (Cadbury Committee, 1992) in order to avoid fraud happened. It is the responsible of Board of Directors to governance their companies and work on the behalf on stakeholders in their companies. Due to control failure at several major corporations, USA and UK had introduced numbers of guidance reports and laws in individual country in order to have an effectiveness internal control, independent audit committees, and directors remuneration packages results in increase the reliability of financial statements. For instance, there was Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and Treadway Report published in 1987 at US while there was Cadbury, Rutteman, Hampel and Turnbull reports available at UK since 1992 2.0 Advantages and disadvantages of global corporate governance standards Since we are moving toward globalization of business and growth of global capital market, there are quite a numbers of advantages of implemented global corporate governance standards as a basis to replace national basis of corporate governance. Meanwhile, organizations all over the world are adopting same principles of corporate governance which it can reduce cost of organizations compare to national basic of corporate governance. It is expensive to cost organizations when they adopting additional set of rules imposed by local government. Stanwick (2008) claimed that in direct response to the corporate scandals of Enron and WorldCom, the Unites States Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002.When it passed in 2002, many corporations were vocally opposed to it and claimed that is was just an additional set of government regulations that would cost additional time and money which they could not afford in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Additionally, it can e nsure foreign investor no need to facing multi-codes when they are investing at overseas. For instance, Combined Code at UK based organizations and SOX at US based organizations would be removed. By the way, all organizations implemented global corporate governance able to stimulate performance of top-level management. Since institutes clear accountability and effective link between reward and performance, top-level management will on the behalf of stakeholders and adherence to the standards. Moreover, investors investing their capitals in others countries would get better protected and would be more safety compares to every countries implementing different set of corporate governance standards. Roussey (1997, pg207) stated that once a business entity lists its shares outside of it national borders, it should be subject to a set of global corporate governance rules. It can effectively decrease the chance of top level management using investors capital for self-interest as well as it required companies to disclose all relevant information while implemented global corporate governance standards. Thus, high quality financial reporting and credible accounting provides the transparency than enables investors to make informed evaluation of investment opportunities (Sutton, 1997). Besides, it can attract more foreign investors to invest in the capital market since risk of investors invest in foreign country has reduced and capital markets has becomes more stability. Consequently , there is more and more investors invest in capital market results in organizations getting abundant funds to running their business as well as shareholders getting more dividends in return. Next, global in business move toward to use of global shares. As it enable investors to access home country capitals market and non home country capitals market by using same form of shares. In November 1999, for example, Daimler-Chrysler listed on the New York Stock exchange the same shares listed in its home market (Roussey, 2000). Despite of this, it is needed to implement global corporate governance standard to effectively protect shareholders capital. Furthermore, implemented global corporate governance standards can effectively counter financial statement fraud and money laundering by top management which led to corporate collapse. Otherwise it will back to the situation of severe misstatement of financial statement happened in 2002 such as Enron, Tyco, Global Crossing, and Worldcom. All of these are due to nation poor corporate governance exists at those companies and has introduced new corporate governance standards like Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002 to replace previous standards. Under International Standard on Auditing (ISA), auditor has to communicate audit matters with those charged with governance of an entity in all audit situations, and not just in audits of publicly traded entities (Roussey, 2000). It claimed that auditor must informed and discussed with the people who accept the responsible for companies once they discovered organizations have poor corporate governance such as poor internal control system and missta tement of financial statement. Therefore, they can establish appropriate strategies to address those matters through the knowledge and experience of auditor. By the way, auditor and people who accept the governance responsibilities would be appointed by International Auditing Practices Committees to make sure they are independent enough. Thus, employees at top management level are work accordance with the standards of global corporate governance and move towards credibility of financial statement which prepared by them. Nevertheless, it is possible for top management not to comply with the standards of global corporate governance after long periods of implementation it. As it is developed from convergence of corporate best practice and global legal system, top management likely to take legal loopholes once they familiar with the standards of corporate governance in order to satisfies their needs. Additionally, it just only and only one standard that all the organizations need to comply with. Political will is absolutely crucial to the developing of means and methods to integrate domestic corporate practices with the best standards followed internationally. Only then can integrity of a countrys economic system get reflected properly and foreign investment in domestic business increase (Bhasa, 2004). Implementation of global corporate governance standards is hard to satisfy the needs of shareholders and stakeholders from all over the world because everyone has different demand. However, diverse in cultural and organization structure lead to people accept the responsibilities of governance find it difficult to adapt since the organization members are in different value and belief results in they are using different kind of behavior to achieve organization objectives. For example, the problems of corporate governance arise when the rights of the stakeholders are violated. However, what may be considered stakeholder rights violation in one country might not necessarily be considered so in some other country. This diversity may be particularly because of the different legal structures and cultural settings adopted by different nations (Bhasa, 2004). Cross-cultural psychological, sociological, and anthropological research shows that many cultures do not shares the same assumptions underlying leader behavior and style (Den Hartog et al, 1999). Thus, global corporate governance standards must devise appropriately according to every countries culture dimension and condition. Otherwise it is so hard to monitor the provision of strategic direction performance by top-level of managers in different country are align with companies objectives. Besides, globalization of business lead sociopolitical dynamic and the relation between business, stakeholders, and government will change. According to International Capital Markets Group studied international corporate governance in 1994-1995 (ICMG, 1995), it concluded that it was not appropriate, given the need to respect diverse cultures and legal structures, to prescribe an international standard for corporate governance (Roussey, 2000). 3.0 How the situation might develop or be resolved with the next year or so Based on the articles, there is a need to for global corporate governance standards for all corporations because it can add another extent of protect foreign as well as local shareholders and stakeholders. It encourage the internal securities commissions to consider development and implementation of a set of global corporate governance rules applicable, at a minimum, to business entities listing shares or obtaining financing in the public capital markets outside of their national borders (Roussey, 2000). Additionally, it can enhance the transparency relationship between shareholders and companies since the resources in every organization are use appropriately as well as top-level managers are not abuse their responsibilities on their own interest. Other than that, global corporate governance provides everyone to rely on the organizations financial statement and take it as a reference when investing as well as reporting to shareholders during annual general meeting. N-nitrosamines in Food: Effects and Legislation N-nitrosamines in Food: Effects and Legislation Effects and response The safety of exposure of humans to inorganic nitrite and nitrate received increased scrutiny in 1960s. Cases of infantile methemoglobinemia associated with high nitrate in drinking water were documented. Besides, the formation of N-nitrosamines in certain foods, which had been shown to be carcinogenic, raised awareness regarding potential human health concern. A plausible biological mechanism which explains carcinogenicity of ingested nitrate and nitrite is endogenous N-nitrosation reactions (Bryan et al., 2012). Normal intakes are not proven to have carcinogenic effects. On the other hand, it is the excessive nitrate or nitrite intake which can generate N-nitroso compounds which are carcinogenic and mutagenic by causing DNA alkylation. N-nitrosamines are also genotoxic, which interacts with DNA directly or indirectly, inducing permanent genetic changes in cells, and causing cancer. For this group, as there is no dose which does not result in a possible effect of the genotoxic carcinogens, thus a no observable effect level (NOEL) cannot be estimated (Ravnum et al., 2014). In addition, exposure to nitrosamine affects the immune response strongly. Nitrosamine-induced response towards the immune system is much stronger than nitrosamide-induced response, in a same exposure period. Nitrosamine induces a higher percentage of modulated genes, and involves more pathways. This immunosuppressive effect in turn influences the innate immune response of cells. This plays an important role in the promotion phase of carcinogenic processes, indicating an additional way for nitrosamines to cancer risk (Hebels et al., 2011). Animal toxicology research serves as an important area for investigation which provides us with safety data. About 90% of the 300 nitrosamines tested showed carcinogenic effects in laboratory animals and bioassays. Nevertheless, the usage of animal models requires understanding of the difference between human and animal systems. Rodents used for this purposes have fore-stomachs and Hardarian glands, which is not analogous as in humans (Bryan et al., 2012).. Acute toxic effects of nitrate intake had been encountered only at very high doses. On the other hand, nitrite causes acute toxicity in much smaller doses. In laboratory animals, the LD50 of inorganic nitrite is approximately 2.6 mmol/kg. Some early studies may have shown methaemoglobinaemia when exposed to lower doses of nitrate due to contamination with nitrite (Gilchrist, Shore and Benjamin, 2010). A follow-up study of the Swedish Mamography Cohort found that there is a two-fold elevated risk of stomach cancer with intake of dietary nitrosamines (Larsson, Bergkvist and Wolk, 2006). On the other hand, Loh et al. (2009) suggested that there is a positive association between N-nitrosamine intake and gastrointestinal cancer, especially rectal cancer (Loh et al. 2009). N-nitrosodiphenylamine has shown carcinogenic effects at levels of 1000 parts per million (ppm) to 4000 ppm in both sexes of rats, and there is induced transitional cell carcninoma of the urinary bladder of male and female mice. Dimethylamines and diethylamines are two of the most potent carcinogens among nitrosamines. 50 ppm of dimethylamines in the diet was found to produce malignant liver tumours in rats in 26 to 40 weeks. Meanwhile, higher doses were shown to cause kidney tumours. For diethylamines, a lag period between dosing and onset of tumours increases with dosage below 0.5 mg/kg, with the total tumour yield remaining roughly the same. There is not yet a clear threshold dose for carcinogenicity of nitrosamines in diet established (Shibamoto and Bjeldanes, 2009). According to the Netherlands Cohort study, nitrate and nitrite exposure based on food intake and drinking water show no significant elevation in stomach cancer occurrences, and shows no apparent trend (Larsson, Bergkvist and Wolk, 2006). On the other hand, there is evidence that long-tern consumption of drinking water which contains more than 4 mg/L nitrosamine has been positively associated with risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Although nitrates are absorbed quickly in mostly excreted within the next few hours, the internal dose or nitrosamine cannot be measured as a 24-hour urinary excretion. A study done by Levallios et al., (2000) showed that there is a stronger correlation between urinary nitrate excretions with dietary nitrate as compared to urinary nitrate excretion with water nitrate intake. Nevertheless, there is no relation found between nitrosamine excretions with nitrate intake. This might be due to low nitrate concentrations in water, thus causing it to be harder to observe for immediate effects. Further studies are required to determine if the use of urinary nitrosamine excretion as a biomarker of exposure is useful (Levallois et al., 2000). Food laws (limits) EU legislation allows nitrite and nitrate addition of 150 mg/kg respectively for each additive in meat products. On the other hand, Denmark only permits the use of 60 mg/kg of nitrites in meat preservation for Danish products (Herrmann, Duedahl-Olesen and Granby, 2015). Further studies are required to determine if the addition of 150 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg of nitrite added would cause an increase in average nitrosamine levels. On the other hand, there are no maximum limits established by EU for nitrosamine content in processed meat products. The United States had set a limit of 10  µg/kg of total volatile N-nitrosamine content for cured meat products (Crews, 2010). The highest amount of a contaminant allowed in drinking water is known as maximum contaminant level (MCL). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a (MCL) for N-nitrosodiphenylamine of 7  µg/L (micrograms/Liter) or 7 ppb (parts per billion) based on a lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 1 000 000 (ATSDR, 2010). The EPA established a cancer risk if 0.7ng/kg body weight of N-nitrosodimethylamine is consumed daily. In drinking water, the maximum allowed concentration of N-nitrosodimethylamine in Canada is 40 ng/L and 10 ng/L in Germany (Mestankova et al., 2014). Although the EPA has not established a limit for maximum contaminant level in water, the California Department of Health Services has established 10 ng/L as notification level for action to be taken (Mestankova et al., 2014). The amounts of N-nitrosodiphenylamine in some commonly eaten foods are 0.023  µg/100g in buns, muffins and bagels, 0.149 µg/100g in ham, and even 0.109 µg/100g in oysters (Stuff et al., 2009). Current issues (worldwide) Apples from America have recently encountered some export issues to other countries due to its toxicity. In America, apples which are to be exported are treated with diphenylamine (DPA), which is a preservative added to prevent the apples from turning brown for as long as a few months. This is to prevent cold injury during cold storage, since apples are usually harvested once a year. By itself, DPA isn’t harmful, but it breaks down into carcinogenic elements, namely nitrosamines. The European Union has banned the use of DPA in 2012. They set the maximum allowable limit of DPA on apples to 0.1 parts per million (ppm). Nonetheless, DPA residues with an average reading of 0.42 ppm have been found on over 80 apple samples imported from America, which is well over the maximum allowed limit. Thus, the EU is banning apples from America, until the readings are found to be in accordance with the regulation (Lunder, 2014). Although the US EPA and World Health Organisation (WHO) found that long-tern exposure to DPA is unlikely to cause a public health concern, the EU maintains that absence of evidence of harm is not a strong enough indicator. The EU claims that there is insufficient testing regarding DPA to prove that their products as well as chemicals formed are safe to be consumed when broken down. The main source of concern is the presence of nitrosamines. As DPA is the most common chemical used for apples preservation, the presence of cancer-causing nitrosamines should present a great concern. References Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2010. Addendum to the  Toxicological Profile for N-nitrosodiphenylamine. Atlanta : ATSDR- Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine   Lunder, S. 2014. Behind Europe’s Apple Chemical Ban.  http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2014/04/apples. Retrieved 21 October 2014. Bryan, N.S., Alexander, D.D., Coughlin, J.R., Milkowski, A.L. and Boffeta, P. 2012. Ingested  Nitrate and Nitrite and Stomach Cancer Risk: An Updated Review. Food and Chemical Toxicology 50: 3646-3665 Crews, C. 2010. The Determination of N-nitrosamines in Food. Quality Assurance and Safety  of Crops Foods 2(1): 2-12 Gilchrist, M., Shore, A.C., and Benjamin, N. 2010. Inorganic Nitrate and Nitrite and Control  of Blood Pressure. Cardiovascular Research: 1-7 Hebels, D.G.A.J., Brauers, K.J.J., van Herwijnen, M.H.M., Georgiadis, P.A., Kyrtopoulos, S.A., Kleinjans, J.C.S., and de Kok, T.M.C.M. 2011 Time-Series Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles Induced by Nitrosamides and Nitrosamines Elucidates Modes of Action Underlying their Genotoxicity in Human Colon Cells. Toxicology Letters 207: 232-241. Herrmann, S.S., Duedahl-Olesen, L. and Granby, K. 2015. Occurrence of Volatile and Non-Volatile N-nitrosamines in Processed Meat Products and the Role of Heat Treatment. Food Control 48: 163-169 Larsson, S.C., Bergkvist, L., and Wolk, A. 2006. Processed Meat Consumption, Dietary  Nitrosamines and Stomach Cancer Risk in a Cohort of Swedish Women. International Journal of Cancer 119: 915–919. Levallois, P., Ayotte, P., Van Maanen, J.M.S., Desrosiers, T., Gingras, S., Dallinga, J.W., Vermeer, I.T.M., Zee, J., and Poirier, G. 2000. Excretion of Volatile Nitrosamines in a Rural Population in Relation to Food and Drinking Water Consumption. Food and Chemical Toxicology 38: 1013-1019. Loh, Y.H., Jakszyn, P., Luben, R.N., Mulligan, A.A., Mitrou, P.N. and Khaw, K.T. 2009. N-nitroso Compounds and Cancer Incidence: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nitrition (EPIC) – Norfolk Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 93: 1053-1061 Mestankova, H., Schirmer, K., Canonica, S. and von Gunten, U. 2014. Development of  Mutagenicity During Degradation of N-nitrosamines by Advanced Oxidation Processes. Water Research 66: 399-410. Ravnum, S., Runden-Pran, E., Fjellsbo, L.M., and Dusinska, M. 2014. Human Health Risk Assessment of Nitrosamines and Nitramines for Potential Application in CO2 Capture. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 69: 250 – 255. Shibamoto, T. and Bjeldanes, L. Introduction to Food Toxicology, Second Edition. UK:  Academic Press: 267 Stuff, J.E., Goh, E.T., Barrera, S.L., Bondy, M.L., and Forman, M.R. 2009. Construction of an  N-nitroso database for assessing dietary intake. Journal of Food Composition Anal 225: 542-577

The Many Themes of A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

The Many Themes of A Tale of Two Cities The Tale of Two Cities has many assorted themes. The themes are interconnected with each other. Theme plays a big part in the plot a book. The opinions formed by the audience, of the characters, are also affected by the themes in a book. Three themes in this book are sacrifice, love and hate, and death; these themes show up many times in this book. The themes in this book are shown through the characters and their actions. Sacrifice shows up in the book many times. Sacrifice is giving up something that is apart of your life that you do not really want to give up. The greatest sacrifice in the book is Carton's death. He sacrifices his life for his love for Lucie Manette. Sydney Carton met his death with great dignity. In fulfilling his old promise to Lucie, Carton attains peace; those watching see "The peacefullest man's face ever beheld"(366) at the guillotine. Charles Darnay gives up his estate in France, for the idea of working in England. His decision to become a teacher put him in a conflict with his uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde. Miss Pross lost her hearing when she tried to stop Madame Defarge from killing Lucie and her family. Miss Pross was the loyal servant for Lucie. She showed her loving devotion to Lucie by fighting off Madame Defarge. Many characters are skilled with the force of love in this book. Miss Pross, fought off Madame Defarge for the reason that she loved Lucie, and did not want anything to happen to her. The true love was the feelings of Sydney for Lucie. This love was so great he sacrificed his own life for her. He showed more love for her than for himself. Hate is also plays a big part in the book. Madame Defarge had so much hate she went to the extent of trying to kill Lucie. This backfired and instead of Lucie dying she died in a struggle versus Miss Pross. Even Madame Defarge's husband Earnest Defarge shows hate when he accidentally runs over a peasant's son and kills him. Mr. Defarge showed no remorse for what he had done, and instead was very hateful toward the father of

Alternative Beverage Industry †Paper Essay

1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U.S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. The strategically relevant components of the global and U.S. beverage industry macro-environment are Market Size, Market Growth, Markets Segmentation, and Intensity of Rivalry. Market Size: The beverage industry serves an incredible large market. In 2009 alone, the beverage market consumed more than 458 million liters of beverage, resulting in over $1.58 trillion in sales for the industry. Although there is a declining trend in the consumption of carbonated soft drinks in the United States, as of 2009, carbonated soft drinks still accounts for the lion share of the U.S. beverage market with 48.2% of the market; while bottle water and fruit juice account for 29.2% and 12.4%, respectively. The remaining market space was occupied by the alternative beverages segment, which includes sports drinks, flavored or enhanced water, and energy drinks with 4.0%, 1.6%, and 1.2%, respectively Market Growth: While U.S. beverage market saw a decline of 2.1% and 3.1% for the years 2008 and 2009, respectively, due in large part to the economic recession, the global market dollar value as well as volume sales saw an increase year-after-year, from 2005 to 2009. The industry is expected to maintain a growth trend, with sales forecasted to reach approximately $1.78 trillion in 2014, as beverage producer enter new market and develop new types of beverages to accommodate the shifting consumer preferences—and capitalize on the growing and profitable alternative beverage segment. Market Segmentation: The global beverage market is categorized as carbonated soft drinks (soda), bottle water and alternative beverages, which includes sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin-enhanced water, energy shots, and relaxation drinks. Sports drinks accounted for nearly 60 percent of alternative beverage sales in 2009, while vitamin-enhanced drinks and energy drinks were approximately 23% and 18% of sales in the U.S., respectively. Scope of rivalry: There has been a long lasting rivalry in the carbonated beverage market segment between the two largest producers—PepsiCo and Coco-Cola. However, in the alternative beverage segment, other than Red Bull and Hansen Natural Corporation which also have international presence, most of the other sellers are specialty or regional brands, with distribution limited to a small geographic region. 2. What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? Competition in the alternative beverage industry is low to moderate. Although there are many sellers, the high profit margin in the alternative beverage segment allows for everyone to earn respectable profit. In addition, the leaders, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Red Bull appear to understand the importance of maintaining the stability of the industry as a whole, as opposed to aggressively jockeying for individual strategic advantage at the expense of the industry. Although the five competitive forces in the beverage industry are quite favorable, threat of substitute product is the strongest force. This is evidence by the fact that branding and taste are the primary strategic differentiations in the segment. Additionally, the cost of switching is undiscernibly low; and there were many substitute alternative beverages such as tea, soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water and tap water, which made it easier for consumers to easily switch from one brand to another. The bargaining power and leverage of suppliers was the weakest competitive force because, with the exception of few rare ingredients, there are many suppliers available for producers to purchase ingredients from. Suppliers for packaging are also abundant. Even though substitute products had a bigger market share in the US, consumers bought more alternative beverages. This change in customer preference weakened the competitive power of substitute beverages. The threat of new brands varies by the development of each alternative beverage category. There is a low threat for mature categories and moderate to strong in young categories. During the early stages of developing a category, when famous brand leaders had yet to be established, the threat of entry in alternative beverage categories was strong. This enabled consumers who did not have a brand preference to be attracted to new beverages and allow a quick gain in market share. Once brand preference is established, the threat of entry would is lower for all types of alternative beverages except energy shots and relaxation drinks. The proficiency among sellers of alternative beverages could be considered the strongest competitive force. Among the sellers of energy drinks and other alternative beverages competition among major brands is focused on brand image, taste, packaging, R&D, sales promotions, endorsements, and better access to shelf space. 3. How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changed? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? As the industry experiences a saturation rate for all types of beverages in the mature markets (i.e. the U.S. and Europe), it is exercising great effort to enter new international markets . In fact, the industry is expected to gain a good portion of its future growth from consumers in developing countries. As a result, maturity of change in the long-term growth rate, industry consolidation and product innovation are all driving forces of the alternative beverage industry. The annual rate of growth for the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages was forecasted to decline from the 9.8 percent annual rate occurring between 2005 and 2009 to an anticipated annual rate of 5.7 percent – 2010 through 2014. While dollar value growth rates were expected to decline only slightly in Europe and Asia-Pacific, the annual rate of growth in the U.S. was projected to decline from 16.6 percent during 2005 – 2009 to 6.7% between 2010 and 2014. Product innovation is a constant force as the alternative beverage industry is continuing to create new ideas that give rise to new beverage industry categories and niches. Drivers of change are unlikely to dramatically alter the attractiveness of the alternative beverage industry in the next 3-5 years. Even with a slowing economy, there is no indication that the larger producers such as Red Bull GmbH, Coca-Cola, or PepsiCo are prepared to compete aggressively on price for volume and market share gains. They will likely rely on product innovation and acquisitions to increase sales and market shares. However, the individual and collective effect of industry drivers of change can make the industry less attractive for unknown independent brands unless such companies gain an advantage in the industry. 4. What does your strategic group map of the energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like? What strategy groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? The strategic group maps show the industry participants competing in scope of geographic distribution and brand portfolio breadth. It shows that beverage producers competing internationally with broad brand portfolios are positioned most favorably in the industry, because as the matured market saturate, and volume sale declines, the producers with international presence and capabilities will have the edge to enter into other international markets. Companies with a single brand and regional or national distribution only (i.e., Living Essentials, Vacation in a Bottle (ViB), Dream Water, or Drank) seem to be positioned most poorly in the industry because they are positioned as specialty or regional brand, which exposes them to the ebb and flows of market conditions of the economic cond ition or consumer preference of a narrow market. The current level of competition makes it doubtful that small regional producers will survive over the long-term unless acquired by a large international bottler. 5. What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? There are four factors that are necessary for competitive success in the alternative beverage industry. The first one is access to distribution, which is seen as the most important industry success factor due to the fact that most brands of energy drinks/alternative beverages cannot achieve good sales volumes and market shares unless they are widely available in stores, and there are also too many brands for all to be included on store shelves, especially in convenient stores who require placement fees. The second factor is innovating product skills. By definition, alternative beverages were different from traditional beverage; line extensions permitted entry to new categories. The third one is name brand, which was also a critical factor in choosing a target customer demographic. The image which the brand represents and exemplified and emphasized in advertisements, endorsements, and promotions created a following and demand for one brand over another. Brand image was also a result of labels and packaging that alternative beverage consumer found appealing; small producers with poor image building capabilities had difficulty competing in the industry. Finally, sufficient sales volume to achieve scale economies in marketing expenditures is also an important driver. Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes in order maintain marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit ratio. 6. What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? To PepsiCo? To Red Bull GmbH? Coca-Cola should go beyond a distribution deal with Living Essentials’ 5-Hour Energy drink, and instead, make a move to acquire it. Secondly, with only 10.2% of market share in the United States, as compared to PepsiCo’s 47.7%, Coca-Cola should focus on building strength in alternative beverage sales in Asia where it has a slight edge over its competitors. As globally established brand, and the market leader in the alternative beverage segment, PepsiCo is well positioned to maintain its market strength in the foreseeable future. And with its global distribution capacity, PepsiCo should leverage its strength and aggressively enter new markets in Asia, South America, Africa and the Middle East before its competitors and or new entrants gets ahead of it. For its U.S market, PepsiCo should continue to maintain its market position by investing in R&D in order to develop new expand its product lines. As the energy drink market leader in the U.S. and the third-largest producer of alternative beverages worldwide and the number two seller of alternative beverages in the U.S. and Europe, Red Bull had notable performance for an independent producer. To maintain their competitive advantage, Red Bull GmbH should also create product line extensions to aid in the appeal of its brand.

Galapagos Island Essay

Galapagos island is located at the Pacific Ocean placed along the equator which is about 1,000 km from the coast of South America. It is composed of 13 main islands, 6 small islands and â€Å"107 islets and rocks. † A province of Ecuador, Galapagos islands’ capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno which is mostly inhabited by an estimated 18,000 people. Some of the islands were formerly active volcanoes but some are still active (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Biodiversity in Galapagos Island Galapagos Island’s seclusion and controlled population contributed to its rich and extensive biodiversity. Because of these factors, the pace of evolutionary changes have accelerated that resulted to diversification and the formation of new species called speciation. The geographical isolation of the island wherein the â€Å"archipelago is isolated from the continent, the islands from each other by different distances, and the habitat types by their climatic differences,† aided in the promotion of different evolutionary tracks resulting to varying terrain, vegetation, animal and plant life between every islands (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). Vegetation in Galapagos is influenced by land habitat and climate but is â€Å"strongly zoned by altitude. † There are four vegetations zones in Galapagos namely: Littoral Zone which is affected by the salt spray alongside the coast; Dry Zone has the biggest scope in the island; Transition Zone is a vegetation of woodland; and Humidi Zone is characterized by highland grasslands and Miconia scrub (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). A variety of animal and plant life also forms the abundant biodiversity of Galapagos. There are many animals living in the island, in which most of them roam freely because of the absence of predators. Reptiles, terrestrial mammals, birds and fishes are all endemic creatures and consider Galapagos as their home (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). One of the famous specie in this island is a giant pre-historic tortoise called Lonesome George. Galapagos tortoises are part of the species â€Å"Geochelone elephantopus. † These animals have undergone fourteen forms depending on their location at the Galapagos. But bad news for Lonesome George, if experts cant’ produce or obtain a mate for him soon, his species will become extinct. In addition, a wide array of animals have gained popularity within and outside the islands including the marine turtle, marine and land iguanas, lava lizards and others (Galapaguide, â€Å"Galapagos Animals†). Meanwhile, plant life is also as diverse and one of a kind as the animal life. There are many theories on how vegetation started in Galapagos. One possible scenario is when spores and seeds were transported by the wind or through the â€Å"feet, plummage and digestive system of migratory birds† or probably because of the force of the marine current (Galapagos Voyage, â€Å"Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna†). Depending on the vegetation, various species of plants, flowers and trees are present in every island. Some can only be solely found in Galapagos such as passion flower, tomato, guava and cotton. Numerous plant species have changed into an assortment of endemic species which scientists explained as ‘adaptive radiation’ (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). All of these species though diverse have a symbiotic relationship with each other. Galapagos’ rare but exquisite ecosystem had produced a lavish and fertile marine, aquatic, terrestrial, avian and flora and fauna life all over the islands. Furthermore, the distinctiveness and the detachment of the islands from the hustle and bustle of civilization gave Galapagos a unique feature that it can clearly claim for its own. No other place in the world comes close to being as diverse and extraordinary as the Galapagos islands. Conservation and Preservation of Galapagos Island Galapagos Island is one of the best kept secrets of the world. Its captivating beauty and enigmatic charm have lured numerous people ranging from tourists, scientists, fishermen and others. Because of this, the Galapagos have been put on the list of sites that are in danger by the World Heritage. The influx of humans in the islands have caused a domino effect that have immensely affected the plant and animal life and the whole ecosystem as well (People & the Planet, 2007, â€Å"Galapagos Islands put on danger list†). The ecological degradation is caused by the development trends that are in contrasts with the conservation efforts in the islands. Three main factors that affected Galapagos’ ecology were the growth in human population, increase of transportation from the main island to Galapagos and the intensified fishing (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†) . The â€Å"accelerating cycle of economic and population growth pushed by external markets† have elevated the danger to local biodiversity. The increase in demand for â€Å"tourism and marine resources† have caused the emergence of invasive species, too much harvesting of marine life, and pollution. As a consequence, the islands have suffered from social, economical and political stresses due to the amplified desire to use Galapagos’ natural wealth and public services. This was manifested because of tourism mismanagement in the islands. Tourism brought economic growth, however, Galapagos being a fragile ecosystem, was not able to adapt to the changes causing major damages in the biodiversity (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Human intrusion to the delicate biodiversity of Galapagos is very much evident in the modern age but civil groups and the government are drafting efforts to ensure that most or all of forms of life in the islands are conserved and preserved. The presence of marine reserves and the Galapagos national park are the initial drives to protect the endemic species and the pristine environment (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Issues in Galapagos†). More so, the Ecuadorian government have set up significant initiatives the following: 1) migration to the islands was regulated; 2) quarantine inspection system was installed; 3) public funds for ecoparks were increased; and 4) additional monetary support were yielded for conservation projects (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†). To further the enterprise for preservation and conservation, there should be numerous researches to be conducted regarding social and biological sciences to help intensify the information drive on Galapagos biodiversity. Through this, environmental awareness will be increase thus reducing the possibility of disruption of the ecosystem. Also, there should be local and national agencies that would consolidate all conservation forces in the islands and ensure its effective management . Another solution would be putting up â€Å"sustainable and equitable businesses† to make sure that humans don’t abuse the natural resources and Galapagos’ ecology (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Meanwhile collective efforts are very powerful in conserving and preserving, however as an individual, you can also contribute by donating to institutions that help foster the growth of Galapagos biodiversity. Also, in today’s technological era, you could use the internet to raise awareness about the environmental problems plaguing Galapagos to awaken the senses of millions and millions of people all over the world. Another contribution for the advancement of conservation and preservation is by joining organizations whose objectives are to save the animal and plant life of Galapagos. Galapagos island is indeed a place where all living species exist in peace but the constant threat of human intervention can increase the possibility of Galapagos having a tragic death. If things will not be controlled and modulated, this pristine archipelago will soon be extinct. The existence of endemic plants and centuries old animals in Galapagos are the most crucial elements that can’t be replaced and renewed once they have been exterminated. These environmental gems are the key to future development of other living organisms. Without them, things will not be the same and we would be depriving future generations the chance to experience and study these unique and bountiful ecosystem. So to prevent this from happening, we must start within ourselves by promoting and practicing preservation and conservation of our natural resources and this will have a chain effect wherein every living being would experience existing in a sustainable environment. References Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. (2006). Galapagos Land Ecosystems. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. darwinfoundation. org/en/galapagos/land Bensted-Smith, R. (Ed). 2002. A biodiversity vision for the Galapagos Islands. CDF: Galapagos. Galapaguide. Galapagos Animals. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapaguide. com/islas_galapagos_fauna. htm Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Explore Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/intro. html Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Issues in Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/issues. html Galapagos Voyage. Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapagosvoyage. com/page_content. asp? id_page=149 People & the Planet. (2007, July 07). Galapagos Islands put on danger list. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://peopleandplanet. net/doc. php? id=3061

God Bless America by Faith Ringgold essays

God Bless America by Faith Ringgold essays Faith Ringgolds "God Bless America" is an expression of the emotional and physical torment of black Americans prior to and during the Civil Rights Movement. This piece of art movement had a lot of cultural ties to the population during the 1960s that also can be applied today in the year 2001. Through the description of medium, subject matter, form, and style I will relate this piece of history and the signfigance of what this composition means to me today. Faith Ringgold composed this piece by using oil paints on a 31 by 19 inch canvas. It is depicting the struggles that her community and herself were facing while trying to gain equal rights from the majority of white American culture. She uses line, shape, color, value and texture to depict the points shes trying to make. She uses mostly outline in an expressive quality to depict the extremity of the situtation. The most promindint shapes she uses is rectangles. The strips are long rectangles and even her face has a very square feeling to it. The only colors she uses are red, blue, black and white. All of these colors are in a low key, which are very bright and draw your attention equally. All of the principles of design are indicative in this painting. Unity and balance are achieved through her use if red and blue together and black and white. The positioning of the strips/cell bars gives the painting rhythm. The focal point of this painting is the womens face, particularly her eyes that have a heavy black outline. The entire composition is done to scale and is proportionate. God Bless America is done in a representational style. It is a stylized representation of real life that it still recognizable to the average person. Ringgold has done numerous paintings that depict the struggle of the black community during and prior to the 1960s. Her other artworks include titles such as, The Flag is Bleeding following the theme of the blac...

Ap Biology Pill Bug Lab Discussion Essay Example

Ap Biology Pill Bug Lab Discussion Essay Example Ap Biology Pill Bug Lab Discussion Paper Ap Biology Pill Bug Lab Discussion Paper Essay Topic: Discussion This lab felt very â€Å"slow† because there was not a lot of action going on. The pill bugs would either walk around in circles or stay put. However, it was both fun and annoying when my group tried to put the pill bugs in the chamber and take them out. We had to put a lot of effort to get the pill bugs on to the paint brushes because they would scurry around and it would take a while to find them. Also, it was cool to see the pill bugs use their defense mechanism (it only happened once) by going into a hard circular shape when being prodded at by a paintbrush. This lab had a lot of experimental areas. The amount of water or basic or acidic solution to the paper may have affected results. For the first part of the lab, outside factors could have contributed to the results, such as lighting, vibration, or chemical residue. Also, as soon as we put all the pill bugs in the chamber, we started the lab. If we had given five minutes or so for the pill bugs to be attributed to the environment, the results would have changed. For the second part of the lab, the strength of the pH values were a big factor in forming the results, and a change in strength could be a major alteration. In addition, my group did not use the same pill bugs in the second part as we had used in the first part. Different pill bugs would have been subject to different things, and so their learned behaviors may be different, which would change the results. No two animals are the same.

Misspelled Numbers, Months, and Days

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Synthesis of Attributes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Synthesis of Attributes - Essay Example In the past 25 years, worker skills or level of education were a favorable recipe that would earn any bearer of these attributes better and more stable jobs, amounting to job security. However, the trend in the current economy has been manipulated by the emphasized need to lower production expenses and increase profit margins. This aspect has caused many jobs to be offshored to countries such as China and India where the production expenses for jobs pertaining impersonal services are lower. Reportedly, only workers in possession of skills pertaining personal services such as barbers, medical practitioners, and counsellors can have some level of security. This calls for workers to develop leadership and innovative attributes that will facilitate the possession of innovative skills that cannot afford offshoring. According to Carnevale, Cheah, and Strohl, thanks to the U.S Department of Labor, data provided projecting employment projections in every ten years could go a long way in help ing prospective workers in decision making towards a choice of career path. Contrary to the attributes discussed first, possession of higher levels of education is a key attribute to ensure success in the new economy. At the time of the research reporting provided by Carnevale et al. (as cited in Behrens &Rosen, 2013, p. 180), the unemployment rates of Bachelor’s degree holders stand at 8.9%, while those of high school leavers and high school dropouts stood at 22.9% and 31.5% respectively. The risks that high school dropouts or lower educated job seekers faced included the grabbing of job opportunities that did not require high skillsets and education by more educated individuals. An emphasis is, however, put on the career path chosen as Carnevale et al. states: (as cited in Behrens &Rosen, 2013, p. 180) â€Å"not all college degrees are created equally.† The existing data indicated higher absorption rates in some career fields with specific college degrees that other fields. For instance, employment rates in the fields that required Computer Science, Education, and Healthcare competency had a higher absorption that greatly reduced the unemployment rates that then stood at an average of 5.4% compared to absorption in Architecture that left 13.9% unemployment rate. These differences arose due to the dynamic status that various job markets faced due to a variety of aspects such as collapse of housing construction in Architecture. Studies also revealed a higher absorption rate for individuals that contained graduate degrees than those with Bachelor’s (BA). However, the majoring specific was highly relevant as some undergraduate degrees like Computer Science seemed to perform way better than any Graduate degree. Successful workers in the new economy will have to possess a competitive and creative attribute of being creators and not servers. Kessler (as cited in Behrens &Rosen, 2013, p. 203), is quick to dismiss the existence of the two classic al types of workers; white-collar and blue-collar workers, and instead, replaces these categories by two types of workers: creators and servers.

American Literature- Book- The Virginian by Owen Wister Essay

American Literature- Book- The Virginian by Owen Wister - Essay Example The author has explained the differences between the settled east and the west through its characters. In the west, people do not give much respect to the lives of others and they are killed even at the smallest of matters. However, the morals of the main character can be understood when at one point he refrained from killing a person. Following is an excerpt from the third chapter; These lines suggest that the main character is different from other men in the west and he tries to follow his own code of conduct in life. He does not draw his gun at every smallest matter like most men in the west. The author explains that it is the cowards who shoot before it is even necessary. It is the brave men who rationalize their actions first. The passage also suggests that it is only cowards who may be dangerous when they draw weapons, however brave men do not use their weapons irrationally and unless it is absolutely necessary. Thus, the author explains the moral values of the Virginian. The author explains the differences between the west and the east through the differences between the characters of the Virginian and Molly Wood. Molly Wood is a schoolteacher who does not exactly understand the Virginian’s ways but still they find themselves liking each other. In chapter eleven, the relationship between the Virginian and Molly strengthens when after a party, Virginian takes Molly for a horse ride and they get into an argument. Afterwards, Molly gives Virginian some books to improve his education and the Virginian gives Molly riding lessons. The Virginian finds himself in love with Molly and tries to confess it to her but Molly does not feel the same way. They had to separate due to their jobs. This may be the factor that triggered a change in the Virginian’s life. Towards the end of the book, the author shows that the Virginian is a changed man. When

ITEC640 - IT PM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ITEC640 - IT PM - Essay Example Since it is a software house, their technical staff is considered to be their asset who is responsible for making good quality products for their clients. Therefore, it makes sense to give the project manager full command over the projects as he is technically sound and has the required skills to make best possible decisions. The organization under discussion hires technical people on the basis of their skills and then assigns them positions in the most appropriate ‘Product Team’. Every product has its own respective team and ‘Team Lead’. These team members are entirely responsible for this one product and are involved in its development, deployment, support etc. The ‘Team Lead’ will be managing and leading the projects in which his team members will be involved. This enables the technical staff to gain expertise in their product and induces product loyalty to a great extent. Whenever the company gets a new project, a new project team is made (which is discussed in more detail later in the report). There is another type of structure that prevails in many organizations. At times, the formal structure is not sufficient to get work done quickly. In such situations, informal structure and reporting comes in play. Informal communication tends to ignore the complex chain of command and jump starts stalled activities. It helps in meeting deadlines exceptionally well. Informal structure promotes communication among the employees and management, integration, flexibility etc. Some degree of informal reporting is also present in the company under discussion. The members of different product team have informal brainstorming sessions for most efficient solutions to problems. Marchewka (2009) stated that power in the organization is not always governed by the hierarchy but by the degree of connectedness with the colleagues. Informal communication between the employees also

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

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Cause and effect essay, topic can be general Essay - 1

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Management and operation of Abu Dhabi and Singapore Airport Research Paper

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Cause and effect essay, topic can be general Essay - 1

Cause and effect , topic can be general - Essay Example There is a lengthy history uniform use in schools, mostly from the private sector until expanding more so into the public arena relatively recently. All of these factors clearly demonstrate the benefits of uniforms. The majority of the public school uniform policies include relatively common restrictions, such as khaki or navy pants and solid colored shirts with collars with the school insignia patch only, no brand name or symbol allowed. Despite the benefits of uniforms and somewhat relaxed standard of dress there remains great opposition to uniform policies by parents who misguidedly insist that uniform policies somehow limit a child’s ability to express themselves. The proposition of requiring K-12 students to wear uniforms is not a new idea. It has been utilized for more than a century to help promote a sense of scholastic endeavors along with respect for oneself and others within the school setting. By including students in a particular social group as a member of a singular identifiable student body, uniforms help to build a sense of cooperation and community among children who may not otherwise get along. Students who outgrow their uniforms can donate them to students who can’t afford them. Uniforms reduce clothing costs for all parents and are especially helpful to families on a strict budget. Studies into self-expression and fashion have shown that a direct link exists between the kind of clothing we wear and the way we feel about ourselves. Therefore, regardless of the kind of cloths we wear, we are making a announcement about how we wished to be perceived and what we want to be associated with. Parents often disagree with the idea of student uniforms because they think this requirement prevents students from expressing themselves. It must be acknowledged that there many types of occupations that also require a uniform.

Child Labor is a form of abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Care of a Confused Parent

Care of a Confused Parent I N T R O D U C T I O N The first FETAC Level 5 Assignment in Care Skills module requires that learners produce an assignment on the care of a confused person. This confusion can be the result of any number of causes – from an illness such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or the long term use or an abuse of drugs and /or alcohol. The assignment must be completed answering very specific points (as outlined in the table of contents). This assignment was compiled using various methodologies including: Classroom lectures and feedback sessions Class notes and Manual, hard copy manuals and books One to one sessions with Work Experience Skills Coach Previous life experience of caring for an ill family member Online research and library research For the purpose of this assignment the author has decided to highlight one particular client who is in the Nursing Home in which the author is completing her work experience module. The clients name has been changed in order to respect her rights to privacy and dignity. The client in this example has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer (T4, N3) which denotes that she suffers from a malignant tumour which has invaded the oesophagus, epicardium, pleural cavity, T5 and T6 vertebrae with Metastasis to the supraclavicular lymph node. She also suffers from osteoarthritis of L2-L5 and S1-S5, Type 2 Diabetes and Psoriasis. She is currently on a variety of medications which are listed in her Care Plan, along with creams and ointments for the Psoriasis. Presently she suffers from severe bouts of confusion as a result of her pain medications and needs constant monitoring and care. In conjunction with her family, and a multi-disciplinary team Catherine has decided to move to a Nursing Home where she will receive the type of holistic care she requires. Catherine has also documented her specific wishes regarding her death and funeral arrangements and all of which has to be respected by all involved, the details are listed in her Care Plan along with the emergency contact details if her condition should suddenly decline. INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT Initial assessment of Catherine’s needs using the Logan Roper Tierney model of assessment an individualised, client-centred holistic approach to Catherine’s care has been devised. Physical Catherine loves the outdoors and she should be encouraged to continue this through gardening – taking her out for walks, especially during spells of confusion. Ensure she has her walking stick and bring the wheelchair as she gets breathless very easily. Shower rails and chair must be available in her room and always ensure that the non-slip mat is on the ground. When she is confused she forgets how to wash herself properly and will need assistance. Intellectual Catherine loves to read and complete quizzes and cross words – these are very good for stimulation and they should be made available to her in her room and in the day room. The news and primetime are two of her favourite programs – ensure that they are on the TV in her room and the day room. Diversional therapy of card games and jigsaws are great for completing when she is confused. Emotional As a result of the illness and her pending death Catherine can become depressed – she must be encouraged, made feel wanted loved, needed and always try to support her decision to move into the nursing home Social/Spiritual Socially, Catherine has a lot of friends with whom she plays cards – they are going to come visit her once a week to continue this tradition, the other residents should be encouraged to join in also as it will help integrate her more. Her large family of 8 children and 63 grand-children/great-grand-children/great-great grand-children all visit her when she is at home and will continue to do so. It is amazing the Catherine remembers all their names and dates of birth – during spells of confusion though she does tend to forget them a little. Catherine is very religious and attends mass every Sunday when she is well – the angelus must be said at 12pm and 6pm and the rosary at 9pm. I D E N T I F Y T H E L E V E L O F A S S I S T A N C E R E Q U I R E D Catherine has very low level needs when she is not confused. She needs help sitting up in the bed and cannot use the remote control as her fingers are very badly damaged from the arthritis and as such will need assistance getting out of bed. She cannot manage small buttons when dressing and most days she just wears t-shirts but on Sundays she wishes to wear a blouse going to mass and will need assistance with that. Catherine dose not wear dentures and is on a chopped diet for now, she can manage to use cutlery but prefers to use a spoon. When she is confused she forgets when to eat and sometimes forgets that she has eaten so she will need monitoring when eating rather than assistance. MAINTAINING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT During confused spells Catherine likes to walk and as such walkways will have to be completely compliant with the Health and Safety Regulations for care as set out by the Health and Safety Authority. (HSA.ie, 2014) It would also be a good intervention to ensure that her walking aid is always within arm’s reach and that her shoes/slippers have rubber soles and are well maintained. For showering, the shower stool must be readily available and ensure that the hand rails are well maintained. The toilet in her room has a raised toilet seat and rail which must be cleaned and maintained regularly. Catherine will also use a commode, but when she is confused does not realise where she is when trying to urinate therefore she should be encouraged to go to the bathroom to protect her dignity. When going on outings with her family Catherine’s wheelchair must accompany her always and kept well maintained and ensure the wheels are pumped. PROMOTE CLIENT INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL EVENTS AND THERAPIES Catherine likes to play cards therefore she would enjoy it as part of the available diversional therapies. The HCA can have table quizzes added to the curriculum of activities by the activities co coordinator and help her participate by writing the answers to the questions and holding the cards – when she is confused one to one games such as Patience or Snap are very helpful. Catherine is quite a sociable person and will have loads of visitors – they will help to integrate her with the other residents and they play cards, tell stories, Irish dancing and play music some days she wishes not to have any visitors or participate in activities – in order to keep her from this depression the HCA could encourage her to attend the card game or maybe say some prayers with her as her strong beliefs will help to alleviate the depression. Catherine has refused to attend the Cuisle Centre in Portlaoise which has numerous activities and therapies available to cancer sufferers. The HCA could bring her more information on the services provided and explain what they are in detail and answer any questions she may have in order to encourage her to attend. They offer a Gardening Therapy workshop each week which would really benefit her along with the CranioSacral therapy and Holistic Massage would be beneficial for her also and she should be encouraged to go by bringing her down to the centre and having a talk with other clients that attend. (Cuisle Centre, Cancer Support Centre Laois, Cancer Support Portlaoise, 2014) MOBILITY INDLUDING FALLS AND PRESSURE AREA CARE FALLS The results from the Morse Falls Assessment in Catherine’s Care Plan show that on non-confused days she is at low risk, but during spells of confusion she is moderate risk and as such – should be encouraged to walk around more during lucid days and be accompanied outdoors for short walks if her breathing allows – allow her to push the wheelchair for a while will help and support her. The activities co-ordinator has a great curriculum for mobility and Catherine should be encouraged to participate in order to help keep her arms active. PRESURE AREA CARE As Catherine suffers from Psoriasis she is even more susceptible to pressure sore development. Her skin should be cared for as per her prescribed treatment – creams and lotions to be applied daily. At the moment she is fairly mobile and does not remain in the one spot for too long – if she suffers bad pain during the day she tends to stay in bed and will need assistance turning and should be encouraged to do so – a second HCA may be needed for this as she has had two hip replacements which have to be cared for also – a hoist may be needed on occasion. Gel cushions should be used when she is playing cards with friends as she could be in the one position for hours, to break this she should be encouraged to get up and walk around every hour – even if for a few minutes. EFFECTIVE VERBAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENT AND HEALTHCARE TEAM Catherine has to attend various appointments for scans and pain medication updates. Any new developments need to be explained in full to her so she can make an informed decision as to what course of action she wants to pursue. Catherine must be kept informed at all times of any changes in her condition and has requested that she be told first so she can decide whether to tell her family. She has stated during meetings regarding her funeral wishes but may want to change these so ensure any changes are documented. All daily charts are to be kept updated immediately and inform the staff nurse of any noted changes in her condition at handover. As her cancer is rapid and fast progressing Catherine’s condition can and will change on a daily basis therefore food and fluid charts are vital. At the moment she is normal on the M.U.S.T scale, but as she tends not to eat when in pain this has to be carefully monitored and reported if she is refusing food or fluids. ASSIST CLIENT WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING Mobility Assistance Catherine needs assistance when getting in and out of bed. She can sometimes sit up on her own but during spells of confusion she forgets how to stand up and should be encouraged and supported to do it herself as long as possible without the aid of a hoist. She may also need assistance getting in and out of the shower and needs her hair to be washed as she can no longer raise her arms above elbow height. If the weather if favourable Catherine likes to go outside – she should be accompanied and ensure her wheelchair is in good working order. Allow her to walk as much as she can pushing the wheelchair but ensure she does not get too tired – encourage her to get into the wheelchair and continue until she wishes to return. Catherine’s pain medication is prescribed by the GP and monitored by the Palliative Care team. She has certain pain killers that are available to her without the nurses supervision – please record when and what she is taking and report it back to the nurse for monitoring. At the moment Catherine is normal on the M.U.S.T scale and we have to endeavour to keep her that way – she is on a chopped diet but needs to be monitored as the tumour is pressing on her oesophagus – it could cause a choking hazard – any noted changes to her swallow must be reported back to the nurse for further investigation by the MDT. When she is confused Catherine needs assistance eating as she forgets how to use the cutlery. PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF THE CLIENT TO DIGNITY, PRIVACY, INDEPENDENCE, POSITIVE SELF IMAGE As Catherine is very self-conscious about her body – every effort must be made to give her as much privacy as possible when dressing and showering. She will need assistance dressing on occasion especially when she is confused as she gets the order of clothing mixed up. The HCA can discuss her wishes with her and come to an arrangement regarding the assistance she requires. Catherine is very independent and likes to take her own medications and feed herself. She has expressed her wishes numerous times to all her family and multidisciplinary team regarding her funeral wishes and insists that she not be left alone from now on and even when she passes she does not want to be alone until she is buried with her husband. Catherine needs to feel in control of the disease and wants to be informed if there is any changes being made to her medications or if the multidisciplinary team think that she is declining in any way regardless of the news make sure she is kept informed and involved in all decisions – it is best practice to inform Catherine first and let her decide when and how much information he and the rest of the family is to be told. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.upledgerclinic.com/conditions_symptoms.html http://www.cuislecentre.com/therapies/ http://www.ahrq.gov/legacy/research/ltc/fallpxtoolkit/fallpxtool3h.htm http://www.clinicaloncologyonline.net/article/S0936-6555(08)00451-2/abstract http://www.nurse2nurse.ie/Upload/NA6762article.pdf http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059769 http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/end-of-life-care-pro REFERENCES Cuisle Centre, Cancer Support Centre Laois, Cancer Support Portlaoise, (2014). Therapies Cuisle Centre, Cancer Support Centre Laois, Cancer Support Portlaoise. [online] Available at: http://www.cuislecentre.com/therapies/ [Accessed 19 Dec. 2014]. Knott, D. (2014). End of Life Care | Doctor | Patient.co.uk. [online] Patient.co.uk. Available at: http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/end-of-life-care-pro [Accessed 15 Dec. 2014]. 1

Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - The Three Witches :: Macbeth essays

Macbeth: The Three Witches William Shakespeare has been by far the world's most popular playwright for more than 350 years. His ingenious ability as a playwright has captivated audiences and will captivate audiences for years to come. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. The specific date of his birth is not known but is celebrated on the feast of St. George, April 23. Little is known about his boyhood, but through examination it is thought that he collected a lot of his information from books and from daily observation of the world around him. During his life Shakespeare wrote many brilliant tragedies. He died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52. One of these brilliant tragedies was Macbeth. It is thought to have been written between 1603 and 1606. Macbeth is considered the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies, but not less powerful in its depiction of evil, greed, jealousy, and the madness these emotions bring to a person. (Shakespeare, pg. v) In any work of literature or drama there is usually foreshadowing. Foreshadow can be defined to be, "a sign of something to come: indicate or suggest beforehand; prefigure; presage." (Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia) Playwrights use this technique to give the audience a sense of what is to come or what exactly is going to happen to a character. Foreshadowing can be easily detected or it cannot be noticed at all until the end of the play or story. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the prophecies of the witches and thoughts of Macbeth himself to foreshadow within the play. And Macbeth himself detects them somewhat as does the audience. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the three witches as main sources foreshadowing. In the play they are conveyed as prophecies. The audience experiences a little of these prophecies almost immediately in the opening scene and act of the play. When they talk about meeting Macbeth they say they will greet him, "when the battle's lost and won." (Shakespeare, pg.1) And then they yell together, "fair is foul, and foul is fair."(Shakespeare, pg.1) These two examples foreshadow that some sort of evil will be coming and that there will also be a victory of sorts, but the audience doesn't know specifically what yet. These also suggest a great battle is to be fought against good and evil and the events that follow will unfold at a rapid pace. This foreshadowing can be detected by the audience because they can feel the emotion of doom and evil rising. The actual prophecies given by the witches occur in the third scene

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Throughout history, racism has played a major role in social relations. In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, this theme is presented to the reader and displays the shallowness of white people in the south during the depression. The assumption that Blacks were inferior is proved during the trial of Tom Robinson. Such characteristics served to justify the verdict of the trial. In this trial, Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell and is found guilty. Many examples from this novel support the fact that Tom Robinson was in fact innocent. Atticus Finch represented Tom Robinson in the trial. He showed that Tom's left arm was crippled due to a former injury using a cotton gin. Atticus expanded on this point by unexpectedly throwing a ball at Tom Robinson. Tom's only reaction was to catch the ball with his right arm. This point is connected to Heck Tate's testimony in telling the court that the right side of Mayella's face had been severely bruised. A left-handed person would logically have inflicted this injury. Tom's left hand is shriveled and totally useless. On the other side of the coin, Atticus shows the court that Mr. Ewell is not ambidextrous but is only right-handed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A second testimony that supports the opposite of the verdict, was the fact that Mr. Ewell never called a doctor after learning of Mayella's injuries. Following the incident, there had not been any physical examination performed by a certified physician. If indeed Mr. Robinson had committed the crime, Mr. Ewell's first instinct would have been to get his daughter checked out. Upon finding his daughter 'assaulted';, he would have wanted to have her injuries treated including the injury that might been caused by rape.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third example of the trial that strongly contrasts with the outcome of the verdict was Mayella's testimony. If Mayella was so sure that Tom Robinson was the one that assaulted her, her testimony would have been clearly stated. Instead, during the trial, Mayella seemed to be unsure of herself at times and hesitated when thinking about certain answers. When Atticus asked Mayella if she remembered the person beating her face, she first answers that she does not recollect if the person hit her. Under her next breath, she says the man did in fact hit her. Once Atticus challenges this statement she gets flustered and continues to use the excuse that she does not remember.

Relationship influence relationships Essay

Physical attraction is based on people’s appearances. Often a caring, kind, and affectionate person will go unrecognized among others. Mostly such people find their partners due to physical proximity, â€Å"one’s actual physical nearness to others, in terms of housing, work, school, and so forth.† On the other hand, an attractive person usually would have far more attention from others. Mills had an experiment which showed that â€Å"most important determinant of desire to continue relationship was physical attractiveness.† (1982) However, in Today’s Magazine, the article read : â€Å"according to a new study, [men are] willing to overlook a woman’s body shape and weight if she’s friendly and likeable†. But, consider that the article, if you read it, doesn’t present other important information, such the percentage of people who are in the category, and to what extreme were those studies true: it’s likely that men can overlook minor unattractive traits, but it doesn’t totally disprove the study mentioned above. Even though the point if this study may have changed slightly, it is not a secret that attractive people seem to be more of everything, since with beauty, person seems happy, healthy, successful, interesting, even if it isn’t necessarily so, which is called the halo effect. Another kind of attraction is romantic attraction. It is â€Å"love that is associated with high levels of interpersonal attraction, heightened arousal, mutual absorption (‘with regard to romantic love, the nearly exclusive attention lovers give one another.’), and sexual desire.† Romantic attraction has a â€Å"like scale† and a â€Å"love scale,† that Zick Rubin brought up to measure the â€Å"attitude† towards friends and love partners. In result, love usually included passion and commitment, whereas liking lacked those things. Estimated by these scales, type of attraction can be described by the chosen attitude towards each other, as to what the two people think of each other, and whether they are intimate or not, and so on. Just as there are different reasons for forming our personalities, there are different causes which bring people together. The reason some people choose to date who they date is partially due to homogamy -â€Å"the attraction of people who are alike† and heterogamy – â€Å"the attraction of opposites.† A person may seek to find someone with similar qualities or with the opposite ones to â€Å"balance out.† To some degrees, love may be just a mere excitement. This love (which is also something like secret love) is determined by different situations, such parents’ disapproval, or when fleeing the country with someone. Just as in secret love, those events may lead to feel even stronger attraction. But even if such situations can be an attribute to the relationship, it can also bring conflict. Those relationships can be affected by uncertainty of whether there is any kind of attraction between the two people. (As Kenrick wrote, â€Å"it is sometimes hard to tell the difference among sex, love, and infatuation (1989).† There are also two problems: excitement that adds to attraction and boredom that decreases it; the influenced behavior may not be the cause of attraction. (Homans 1961) Similarly, I am sure there have been times when you’ve known or heard of someone who, for example, embraced everyone he or she was friends with. His or her behavior doesn’t necessarily mean deep attraction, but it may just be a way in culture, personal way of showing friendship, or a habit, or may be the fact that he or she misses his/her girlfriend/boyfriend. Any of those reasons may be the factor, why due to body language, a woman may take such action for affection, or, from another point, a man can misunderstand woman’s â€Å"warning signals†. References Homans, G.C. (1961) Social Behaviour: Its Elementary Forms, New York, Harcourt, Brace and World. Kenrick, D.T. and Trost, M.R. (1989) ‘A reproductive exchange model of heterosexual relationships’ in Hendrick, C. (ed) Close Relationships (Review of Personality and Social Psychology 10) Newbury Park, CA, Sage. Miell, D. & Croghan, R. (1996) ‘Examining the wider context of social relationships’ in Dallos, R. & Miell, D. (eds) Social Interaction and Personal Relationships, Milton Keynes, Open University. Mills, J. and Clark, M.S. (1982). ‘Communal and exchange relationships’ in Wheeler, L (ed.) Review of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol 3), Beverley Hills, CA, Sage

Lieducation in preliterate societies Essay

Education, History of, theories, methods, and administration of schools and other agencies of information from ancient times to the present. Education developed from the human struggle for survival and enlightenment. It may be formal or informal. Informal education refers to the general social process by which human beings acquire the knowledge and skills needed to function in their culture. Formal education refers to the process by which teachers instruct students in courses of study within institutions. Before the invention of reading and writing, people lived in an environment in which they struggled to survive against natural forces, animals, and other humans. To survive, preliterate people developed skills that grew into cultural and educational patterns. For a particular group’s culture to continue into the future, people had to transmit it, or pass it on, from adults to children. The earliest educational processes involved sharing information about gathering food and providing shelter; making weapons and other tools; learning language; and acquiring the values, behavior, and religious rites or practices of a given culture. Through direct, informal education, parents, elders, and priests taught children the skills and roles they would need as adults. These lessons eventually formed the moral codes that governed behavior. Since they lived before the invention of writing, preliterate people used an oral tradition, or story telling, to pass on their culture and history from one generation to the next. By using language, people learned to create and use symbols, words, or signs to express their ideas. When these symbols grew into pictographs and letters, human beings created a written language and made the great cultural leap to literacy. IIIEDUCATION IN ANCIENT AFRICA AND ASIA In ancient Egypt, which flourished from about 3000 BC to about 500 BC, priests in temple schools taught not only religion but also the principles of writing, the sciences, mathematics, and architecture. Similarly in India, priests conducted most of the formal education. Beginning in about 1200 BC Indian priests taught the principles of the Veda, the sacred texts of Hinduism, as well as science, grammar, and philosophy. Formal education in China dates to about 2000 BC, though it thrived particularly during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, from 770 to 256 BC (see China: The Eastern Zhou). The curriculum stressed philosophy, poetry, and religion, in accord with the teachings of Confucius, Laozi (Lao-tzu), and other philosophers. IVEDUCATION IN ANCIENT GREECE Historians have looked to ancient Greece as one of the origins of Western formal education. The Iliad and the Odyssey, epic poems attributed to Homer and written sometime in the 8th century BC, created a cultural tradition that gave the Greeks a sense of group identity. In their dramatic account of Greek struggles, Homer’s epics served important educational purposes. The legendary Greek warriors depicted in Homer’s work, such as Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Achilles, were heroes who served as models for the young Greeks. Ancient Greece was divided into small and often competing city-states, or poleis, such as Athens, Sparta, and Thebes. Athens emphasized a humane and democratic society and education, but only about one-third of the people in Athens were free citizens. Slaves and residents from other countries or city-states made up the rest of the population. Only the sons of free citizens attended school. The Athenians believed a free man should have a liberal education in order to perform his civic duties and for his own personal development. The education of women depended upon the customs of the particular Greek city-state. In Athens, where women had no legal or economic rights, most women did not attend school. Some girls, however, were educated at home by tutors. Slaves and other noncitizens had either no formal education or very little. Sparta, the chief political enemy of Athens, was a dictatorship that used education for military training and drill. In contrast to Athens, Spartan girls received more schooling but it was almost exclusively athletic training to prepare them to be healthy mothers of future Spartan soldiers. In the 400s BC, the Sophists, a group of wandering teachers, began to teach in Athens. The Sophists claimed that they could teach any subject or skill to anyone who wished to learn it. They specialized in teaching grammar, logic, and rhetoric, subjects that eventually formed the core of the liberal arts. The Sophists were more interested in preparing their students to argue persuasively and win  arguments than in teaching principles of truth and morality. Unlike the Sophists, the Greek philosopher Socrates sought to discover and teach universal principles of truth, beauty, and goodness. Socrates, who died in 399 BC, claimed that true knowledge existed within everyone and needed to be brought to consciousness. His educational method, called the Socratic method, consisted of asking probing questions that forced his students to think deeply about the meaning of life, truth, and justice. In 387 BC Plato, who had studied under Socrates, established a school in Athens called the Academy. Plato believed in an unchanging world of perfect ideas or universal concepts. He asserted that since true knowledge is the same in every place at every time, education, like truth, should be unchanging. Plato described his educational ideal in the Republic, one of the most notable works of Western philosophy. Plato’s Republic describes a model society, or republic, ruled by highly intelligent philosopher-kings. Warriors make up the republic’s second class of people. The lowest class, the workers, provide food and the other products for all the people of the republic. In Plato’s ideal educational system, each class would receive a different kind of instruction to prepare for their various roles in society. In 335 BC Plato’s student, Aristotle, founded his own school in Athens called the Lyceum. Believing that human beings are essentially rational, Aristotle thought people could discover natural laws that governed the universe and then follow these laws in their lives. He also concluded that educated people who used reason to make decisions would lead a life of moderation in which they avoided dangerous extremes. In the 4th century BC Greek orator Isocrates developed a method of education designed to prepare students to be competent orators who could serve as government officials. Isocrates’s students studied rhetoric, politics, ethics, and history. They examined model orations and practiced public speaking. Isocrates’s methods of education directly influenced such Roman educational theorists as Cicero and Quintilian. VEDUCATION IN ANCIENT ROME While the Greeks were developing their civilization in the areas surrounding the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Romans were gaining control of the Italian peninsula and areas of the western Mediterranean. The Greeks’ education focused on the study of philosophy. The Romans, on the other hand, were preoccupied with war, conquest, politics, and civil administration. As in Greece, only a minority of Romans attended school. Schooling was for those who had the money to pay tuition and the time to attend classes. While girls from wealthy families occasionally learned to read and write at home, boys attended a primary school, called aludus. In secondary schools boys studied Latin and Greek grammar taught by Greek slaves, called pedagogues. After primary and secondary school, wealthy young men often attended schools of rhetoric or oratory that prepared them to be leaders in government and administration. Cicero, a 1st century BC Roman senator, combined Greek and Roman ideas on how to educate orators in his book De Oratore. Like Isocrates, Cicero believed orators should be educated in liberal arts subjects such as grammar, rhetoric, logic, mathematics, and astronomy. He also asserted that they should study ethics, military science, natural science, geography, history, and law. Quintilian, an influential Roman educator who lived in the 1st century AD, wrote that education should be based on the stages of individual development from childhood to adulthood. Quintilian devised specific lessons for each stage. He also advised teachers to make their lessons suited to the student’s readiness and ability to learn new material. He urged teachers to motivate students by making learning interesting and attractive. VIANCIENT JEWISH EDUCATION Education among the Jewish people also had a profound influence on Western learning. The ancient Jews had great respect for the printed word and believed that God revealed truth to them in the Bible. Most information on ancient Jewish goals and methods of education comes from the Bible and the Talmud, a book of religious and civil law. Jewish religious leaders, known as rabbis, advised parents to teach their children religious beliefs, law, ethical practices, and vocational skills. Both boys and girls were introduced to religion by studying the Torah, the most sacred document of Judaism. Rabbis taught in schools within synagogues, places of worship and religious study. VIIMEDIEVAL EDUCATION During the Middle Ages, or the medieval period, which lasted roughly from the 5th to the 15th century, Western society and education were heavily shaped by Christianity, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. The Church operated parish, chapel, and monastery schools at the elementary level. Schools in monasteries and cathedrals offered secondary education. Much of the teaching in these schools was directed at learning Latin, the old Roman language used by the church in its ceremonies and teachings. The church provided some limited opportunities for the education of women in religious communities or convents. Convents had libraries and schools to help prepare nuns to follow the religious rules of their communities. Merchant and craft guilds also maintained some schools that provided basic education and training in specific crafts. Knights received training in military tactics and the code of chivalry. As in the Greek and Roman eras, only a minority of people went to school during the medieval period. Schools were attended primarily by persons planning to enter religious life such as priests, monks, or nuns. The vast majority of people were serfs who served as agricultural workers on the estates of feudal lords. The serfs, who did not attend school, were generally illiterate (see Serfdom). In the 10th and early 11th centuries, Arabic learning had a pronounced influence on Western education. From contact with Arab scholars in North Africa and Spain, Western educators learned new ways of thinking about mathematics, natural science, medicine, and philosophy. The Arabic number system was especially important, and became the foundation of Western arithmetic. Arab scholars also preserved and translated into Arabic the works of such influential Greek scholars as Aristotle, Euclid, Galen, and Ptolemy. Because many of these works had disappeared from Europe by the Middle Ages, they might have been lost forever if Arab scholars such as Avicenna and Averroes had not preserved them. In the 11th century medieval scholars developed Scholasticism, a philosophical and educational movement that used both human reason and revelations from the Bible. Upon encountering the works of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers from Arab scholars, the Scholastics attempted to reconcile Christian theology with Greek philosophy. Scholasticism reached its high point in the Summa Theologiae of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century Dominican theologian who taught at the University of Paris. Aquinas reconciled the authority of religious faith, represented by the Scriptures, with Greek reason, represented by Aristotle. Aquinas described the teacher’s vocation as one that combines faith, love, and learning. The work of Aquinas and other Scholastics took place in the medieval institutions of higher education, the universities. The famous European universities of Paris, Salerno, Bologna, Oxford, Cambridge, and Padua grew out of the Scholastics-led intellectual revival of the 12th and 13th centuries. The name university comes from the Latin word universitas, or associations, in reference to the associations that students and teachers organized to discuss academic issues. Medieval universities offered degrees in the liberal arts and in professional studies such as theology, law, and medicine. VIIIEDUCATION DURING THE RENAISSANCE The Renaissance, or rebirth of learning, began in Europe in the 14th century and reached its height in the 15th century. Scholars became more interested in the humanist features—that is, the secular or worldly rather than the religious aspects—of the Greek and Latin classics. Humanist educators found their models of literary style in the classics. The Renaissance was a particularly powerful force in Italy, most notably in art, literature, and architecture. In literature, the works of such Italian writers as Dante Aleghieri, Petrarch, and Giovanni Boccaccio became especially important. Humanist educators designed teaching methods to prepare well-rounded, liberally educated persons. Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus was particularly influential. Erasmus believed that understanding and conversing about the meaning of literature was more important than memorizing it, as had been required at many of the medieval religious schools. He advised teachers to study such fields as archaeology, astronomy, mythology, history, and Scripture. The invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century made books more widely available and increased literacy rates (see Printing). But school attendance did not increase greatly during the Renaissance. Elementary schools educated middle-class children while lower-class children received little, if any, formal schooling. Children of the nobility and upper classes attended humanist secondary schools. Educational opportunities for women improved slightly during the Renaissance, especially for the upper classes. Some girls from wealthy families attended schools of the royal court or received private lessons at home. The curriculum studied by young women was still based on the belief that only certain subjects, such as art, music, needlework, dancing, and poetry, were suited for females. For working-class girls, especially rural peasants, education was still limited to training in household duties such as cooking and sewing. IXEDUCATION DURING THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION The religious Reformation of the 16th century marked a decline in the authority of the Catholic Church and contributed to the emergence of the middle classes in Europe. Protestant religious reformers, such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Huldreich Zwingli, rejected the authority of the Catholic pope and created reformed Christian, or Protestant, churches. In their ardent determination to instruct followers to read the Bible in their native language, reformers extended literacy to the masses. They established vernacular primary schools that offered a basic curriculum of reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion for children in their own language. Vernacular schools in England, for example, used English to teach their pupils. As they argued with each other and with the Roman Catholics on religious matters, Protestant educators wrote catechisms—primary books that summarized their religious doctrine—in a question and answer format. While the vernacular schools educated both boys and girls at the primary level, upper-class boys attended preparatory and secondary schools that continued to emphasize Latin and Greek. The gymnasium in Germany, the Latin grammar school in England, and the lycee in France were preparatory schools that taught young men the classical languages of Latin and Greek required to enter universities. Martin Luther believed the state, family, and school, along with the church, were leaders of the Reformation. Since the family shaped children’s character, Luther encouraged parents to teach their children reading and religion. Each family should pray together, read the Bible, study the catechism, and practice a useful trade. Luther believed that government should assist schools in educating literate, productive, and religious citizens. One of Luther’s colleagues, German religious reformer Melanchthon, wrote the school code for the German region of Wurttemberg, which became a model for other regions of Germany and influenced education throughout Europe. According to this code, the government was responsible for supervising schools and licensing teachers. The Protestant reformers retained the dual-class school system that had developed in the Renaissance. Vernacular schools provided primary instruction for the lower classes, and the various classical humanist and Latin grammar schools prepared upper-class males for higher education. XEDUCATIONAL THEORY IN THE 17TH CENTURY Educators of the 17th century developed new ways of thinking about education. Czech education reformer Jan Komensky, known as Comenius, was particularly influential. A bishop of the Moravian Church, Comenius escaped religious persecution by taking refuge in Poland, Hungary, Sweden, and The Netherlands. He created a new educational philosophy called Pansophism, or universal knowledge, designed to bring about worldwide understanding and peace. Comenius advised teachers to use children’s senses rather than memorization in instruction. To make learning interesting for children, he wrote The Gate of Tongues Unlocked (1631), a book for teaching Latin in the student’s own language. He also wrote Orbis Sensualium Pictus (1658; The Visible World in Pictures, 1659) consisting of illustrations that labeled objects in both their Latin and vernacular names. It was one of the first illustrated books written especially for children. The work of English philosopher John Locke influenced education in Britain and North America. Locke examined how people acquire ideas in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690). He asserted that at birth the human mind is a blank slate, or tabula rasa, and empty of ideas. We acquire knowledge, he argued, from the information about the objects in the world that our senses bring to us. We begin with simple ideas and then combine them into more complex ones. Locke believed that individuals acquire knowledge most easily when they first consider simple ideas and then gradually combine them into more complex ones. In Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1697), Locke recommended practical learning to prepare people to manage their social, economic, and political affairs efficiently. He believed that a sound education began in early childhood and insisted that the teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic be gradual and cumulative. Locke’s curriculum included conversational learning of foreign languages, especially French, mathematics, history, physical education, and games. XIEDUCATION DURING THE ENLIGHTENMENT The Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century produced important changes in education and educational theory. During the Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason, educators believed people could improve their lives and society by using their reason, their powers of critical thinking. The Enlightenment’s ideas had a significant impact on the American Revolution (1775-1783) and early educational policy in the United States. In particular, American philosopher and scientist Benjamin Franklin emphasized the value of utilitarian and scientific education in American schools. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, stressed the importance of civic education to the citizens of a democratic nation. The Enlightenment principles that considered education as an instrument of social reform and improvement remain fundamental characteristics of American education policy. XIIEDUCATION IN THE 19TH CENTURY The foundations of modern education were established in the 19th century. Swiss educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, inspired by the work of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, developed an educational method based on the natural world and the senses. Pestalozzi established schools in Switzerland and Germany to educate children and train teachers. He affirmed that schools should resemble secure and loving homes. Like Locke and Rousseau, Pestalozzi believed that thought began with sensation and that teaching should use the senses. Holding that children should study the objects in their natural environment, Pestalozzi developed a so-called â€Å"object lesson† that involved exercises in learning form, number, and language. Pupils determined and traced an object’s form, counted objects, and named them. Students progressed from these lessons to exercises in drawing, writing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and reading. Pestalozzi employed the following principles in teaching: (1) begin with the concrete object before introducing abstract concepts; (2) begin with the immediate environment before dealing with what is distant and remote; (3) begin with easy exercises before introducing complex ones; and (4) always proceed gradually, cumulatively, and slowly. American educator Henry Barnard, the first U. S. Commissioner of Education, introduced Pestalozzi’s ideas to the United States in the late 19th century. Barnard also worked for the establishment of free public high schools for students of all classes of American society. German philosopher Johann Herbart emphasized moral education and designed a highly structured teaching technique. Maintaining that education’s primary goal is moral development, Herbart claimed good character rested on knowledge while misconduct resulted from an inadequate education. Knowledge, he said, should create an â€Å"apperceptive mass†Ã¢â‚¬â€a network of ideas—in a person’s mind to which new ideas can be added. He wanted to include history, geography, and literature in the school curriculum as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Based on his work, Herbart’s followers designed a five-step teaching method: (1) prepare the pupils to be ready for the new lesson, (2) present the new lesson, (3) associate the new lesson with ideas studied earlier, (4) use examples to illustrate the lesson’s major points, and (5) test pupils to ensure they had learned the new lesson. AKindergarten German educator Friedrich Froebel created the earliest kindergarten, a form of preschool education that literally means â€Å"child’s garden† in German. Froebel, who had an unhappy childhood, urged teachers to think back to their own childhoods to find insights they could use in their teaching. Froebel studied at Pestalozzi’s institute in Yverdon, Switzerland, from 1808 to 1810. While agreeing with Pestalozzi’s emphasis on the natural world, a kindly school atmosphere, and the object lesson, Froebel felt that Pestalozzi’s method was not philosophical enough. Froebel believed that every child’s inner self contained a spiritual essence—a spark of divine energy—that enabled a child to learn independently. In 1837 Froebel opened a kindergarten in Blankenburg with a curriculum that featured songs, stories, games, gifts, and occupations. The songs and stories stimulated the imaginations of children and introduced them to folk heroes and cultural values. Games developed children’s social and physical skills. By playing with each other, children learned to participate in a group. Froebel’s gifts, including such objects as spheres, cubes, and cylinders, were designed to enable the child to understand the concept that the object represented. Occupations consisted of materials children could use in building activities. For example, clay, sand, cardboard, and sticks could be used to build castles, cities, and mountains. Immigrants from Germany brought the kindergarten concept to the United States, where it became part of the American school system. Margarethe Meyer Schurz opened a German-language kindergarten in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1855. Elizabeth Peabody established an English-language kindergarten and a training school for kindergarten teachers in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1860. William Torrey Harris, superintendent of schools in St. Louis, Missouri, and later a U. S. commissioner of education, made the kindergarten part of the American public school system. BSocial Darwinism British sociologist Herbert Spencer strongly influenced education in the mid-19th century with social theories based on the theory of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin. Spencer revised Darwin’s biological theory into social Darwinism, a body of ideas that applied the theory of evolution to society, politics, the economy, and education. Spencer maintained that in modern industrialized societies, as in earlier simpler societies, the â€Å"fittest† individuals of each generation survived because they were intelligent and adaptable. Competition caused the brightest and strongest individuals to climb to the top of the society. Urging unlimited competition, Spencer wanted government to restrict its activities to the bare minimum. He opposed public schools, claiming that they would create a monopoly for mediocrity by catering to students of low ability. He wanted private schools to compete against each other in trying to attract the brightest students and most capable teachers. Spencer’s social Darwinism became very popular in the last half of the 19th century when industrialization was changing American and Western European societies. Spencer believed that people in industrialized society needed scientific rather than classical education. Emphasizing education in practical skills, he advocated a curriculum featuring lessons in five basic human activities: (1) those needed for self-preservation such as health, diet, and exercise; (2) those needed to perform one’s occupation so that a person can earn a living, including the basic skills of reading, writing, computation, and knowledge of the sciences; (3) those needed for parenting, to raise children properly; (4) those needed to participate in society and politics; and (5) those needed for leisure and recreation. Spencer’s ideas on education were eagerly accepted in the United States. In 1918 the Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education, a report issued by the National Education Association, used Spencer’s list of activities in its recommendations for American education. XIIINATIONAL SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION In the 19th century, governments in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries organized national systems of public education. The United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, and other countries in North and South America also established national education systems based largely on European models. AIn the United Kingdom. The Church of England and other churches often operated primary schools in the United Kingdom, where students paid a small fee to study the Bible, catechism, reading, writing, and arithmetic. In 1833 the British Parliament passed a law that gave some government funds to these schools. In 1862 the United Kingdom established a school grant system, called payment by results, in which schools received funds based on their students’ performance on reading, writing, and arithmetic tests. The Education Act of 1870, called the Forster Act, authorized local government boards to establish public board schools. The United Kingdom then had two schools systems: board schools operated by the government and voluntary schools conducted by the churches and other private organizations. In 1878 the United Kingdom passed laws that limited child labor in factories and made it possible for more children to attend school. To make schooling available to working-class children, many schools with limited public and private funds used monitorial methods of instruction. Monitorial education, developed by British educators Joseph Lancaster and Andrew Bell, used student monitors to conduct lessons. It offered the fledgling public education system the advantage of allowing schools to hire fewer teachers to instruct the large number of new students. Schools featuring monitorial education used older boys, called monitors, who were more advanced in their studies, to teach younger children. Monitorial education concentrated on basic skills—reading, writing, and arithmetic—that were broken down into small parts or units. After a monitor had learned a unit—such as spelling words of two or three letters that began with the letter A—he would, under the master teacher’s supervision, teach this unit to a group of students. By the end of the 19th century, the monitorial system was abandoned in British schools because it provided a very limited education. BIn Russia Russian tsar Alexander II initiated education reforms leading to the Education Statute of 1864. This law created zemstvos, local government units, which operated primary schools. In addition to zemstvo schools, the Russian Orthodox Church conducted parish schools. While the number of children attending school slowly increased, most of Russia’s population remained illiterate. Peasants often refused to send their children to school so that they could work on the farms. More boys attended school than girls since many peasant parents considered female education unnecessary. Fearing that too much education would make people discontented with their lives, the tsar’s government provided only limited schooling to instill political loyalty and religious piety. CIn the United States Before the 19th century elementary and secondary education in the United States was organized on a local or regional level. Nearly all schools operated on private funds exclusively. However, beginning in the 1830s and 1840s, American educators such as Henry Barnard and Horace Mann argued for the creation of a school system operated by individual states that would provide an equal education for all American children. In 1852 Massachusetts passed the first laws calling for free public education, and by 1918 all U. S. states had passed compulsory school attendance laws. See Public Education in the United States. XIVEDUCATION IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY At the beginning of the 20th century, the writings of Swedish feminist and educator Ellen Key influenced education around the world. Key’s book Barnets arhundrade (1900; The Century of the Child,1909) was translated into many languages and inspired so-called progressive educators in various countries. Progressive education was a system of teaching that emphasized the needs and potentials of the child, rather than the needs of society or the principles of religion. Among the influential progressive educators were Hermann Lietz and Georg Michael Kerschensteiner of Germany, Bertrand Russell of England, and Maria Montessori of Italy. AMontessori Montessori’s methods of early childhood education have become internationally popular. Trained in medicine, Montessori worked with developmentally disabled children early in her career. The results of her work were so effective that she believed her teaching methods could be used to educate all children. In 1907 Montessori established a children’s school, the Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House), for poor children from the San Lorenzo district of Rome. Here she developed a specially prepared environment that featured materials and activities based on her observations of children. She found that children enjoy mastering specific skills, prefer work to play, and can sustain concentration. She also believed that children have a power to learn independently if provided a properly stimulating environment. Montessori’s curriculum emphasized three major classes of activity: (1) practical, (2) sensory, and (3) formal skills and studies. It introduced children to such practical activities as setting the table, serving a meal, washing dishes, tying and buttoning clothing, and practicing basic social manners. Repetitive exercises developed sensory and muscular coordination. Formal skills and subjects included reading, writing, and arithmetic. Montessori designed special teaching materials to develop these skills, including laces, buttons, weights, and materials identifiable by their sound or smell. Instructors provided the materials for the children and demonstrated the lessons but allowed each child to independently learn the particular skill or behavior. In 1913 Montessori lectured in the United States on her educational method.