Improving Organizational Retention Essay

As an independent consultant hired to improve retention issues at JC’s Casino concerning dealers and housekeeping I will look at this as two separate entities. The casino owner needs the quickest fix possible and I must look at the area first causing the most issues with the customers. Though there is a fast turnover of dealers there are enough employees to cover this area for the time being. The first issue is the housekeeping staff because it is causing customers to have to wait on their rooms until six in the evening. This can cause loss of revenue by customers moving to other casino hotels where they can check in at a reasonable time and this in turn could cause loss of revenue at the gambling tables. The first person I will meet with is the HR director, Tom Sneed, to see how the company process of hiring is done and if there is a job analysis directive with requirements and training procedures in place. Tom Sneed said applicants are sent through the local unemployment office, and apply through newspaper ads. The job application is a standard application with previous jobs, history, and education. The applications are passed to Andrew Keen for approval or disapproval. There is a job analysis in place for requirements from bending and lifting, to chemicals used in the cleaning process, and training videos. Each floor has carts set up to cover all the required products for each room; this is checked by the director of housekeeping each day and refilled as needed. All products are on carts, including boxes of gloves for protection for the housekeepers. As the director of housekeeping, Andrew Keen is responsible for staffing, scheduling the employees, keeping the housekeeping budget in check, keeping up with new policies, and initiating the new policies (Education Portal, 2012). As there has been a tremendous staffing issue with absenteeism and high turnovers, we need to see where the shortcomings are in this department. Keen does not think there are any issues within the company for the position, but that it is just hard to find good help. The hotel consists of 15 floors with 20 rooms on each floor except the top floor, which has eight suites. Each floor has two housekeepers per floor with each employee required to clean up to 10 rooms a day on his or her shifts if the hotel is full. The top floor employees are required to clean up to four suites a day on their shift. I introduce myself to the employees who are working and ask for a list of those who are not in for the day. I call all the employees off for the day to come in and request the employees who are at work to stay after for a meeting when they are done with their shift. I am setting up food trays and drinks from the kitchen plus paying them for the time at the meeting. I start out the meeting by explaining who I am, letting them know that any comments made to me about their dissatisfaction in the job is confidential. They will fill out a questionnaire on why they think there is such a huge turnover of employees in housekeeping, what they see as a way to fix it, and any dissatisfaction with the job. I let them know that the questionnaires are for my eyes only and I will assemble a list of issues myself, which I will take to the director of housekeeping and possibly on up the ladder to the owner. Occupational Stressors and Job Satisfaction The immediate items I notice from the questionnaires are extreme dissatisfaction with their supervisor Keehn. The list includes everything from watering down the cleaning supplies so much it does not clean or sanitize properly, to shortages on sheets and towels to scheduling issues. The employees believe that Keehn is trying to keep under budget to make him-self look good. Scheduling issues are not enough hours and refusing to work with anyone on scheduling needs. The 22 employees who were at the meeting said they get into trouble by Keehn if he sees them talking to each other or trying to help someone else get his or her rooms done. Job control stressors can be lack of control over your work, lack of recognition for work done, harassment, lack of respect from supervisors, and isolation from fellow employees to name a few (CWA, 2009). Each of these factors is all stressors with the housekeeping staff. Over all there is very little job satisfaction with the company because of all the negative issues. Those who are here would leave if they found another job with better scheduling and a better supervisor. Several of the employees suggested Rhonda Jordan should be the director of housekeeping. She has been here longer than anyone, knows the ins and outs of the company, always has a kind word, and has good communication skills. Many of the employees go to her for help instead of Keehn. I go back to HR with Tom Sneed and discuss with him the issue of the dealers quitting and look over the exit interviews on those who bothered to do one before they left. Mr. Sneed said that some of the dealers in the step-sons Joe’s pit have walked out during their breaks because of his attitude. He has a tendency to belittle the dealers and make the customers angrier instead of defusing a bad situation. His paperwork is haphazard and the accounting office is always calling him in to explain his paperwork to them. Two Work Motivation Theories The issues with the housekeepers and the dealers both stem from issues with their immediate supervisors. Using the goal-setting theory and reinforcement theory I am in hopes that the casino president will put into effect immediately the outline I have to present to him. The foremost and most important fix needs to be the housekeeping staff so that customers can check in at the normal industry standard time of three in the afternoon instead of six. After talking to Keehn and his denials of the accusations by his underlings and not taking any responsibility for any part of the housekeeping staff leaving, I will suggest that Andrew Keehn be fired and the position offered to Rhonda Jordan, who is an intelligent, warm, and job-oriented person. The employees all look up to her and respect her. Rhonda and I discussed in detail ways to keep the employees they do have and ways to hire and keep new employees. Goal setting will be to replace Keehn with Ms. Jordan, to make sure all cleaning products are up to standard market mixes, to have each cart filled for what each person needs and ready each morning, and to even out scheduling with fairness to each employee. New procedures need to be set in place, employee teamwork will be applauded, and all employees will help each other every day until all can go home at the same time, basically no employee left behind. To further enhance the housekeeping staff to come to work on their scheduled times we will offer a reinforcement of a free meal for a family of four in the hotel restaurant for every 30 days of scheduling each person does not call in and arrives at work on time. Until enough staff is hired all staff employees on the payroll will get an incentive of paid hours off for each room past 10 they clean during a workday. We want the employees here to feel as if they are important to the company by reinforcing the hard work they do. After talking to Joe, the pit boss, he knows that he is not cut out for the job he is in. He has admitted the stress of all the paperwork and the constant spotlight put on him by the customers and dealers is just not for him. He has agreed to go to his stepfather and tell him that he is not satisfied with the position and wants to move to head of security because the head of security is retiring in 30 days. For the employees under Joe who have stayed through his supervising an incentive check of 100 hundred dollars for each month they have been here will be given to them as a thank you and reinforcement to them as employees that they are valued. A new supervisor will be found and put into the position with the abilities to get the job done with good and appropriate communication skills. As a further reinforcement to let employees know they are valued, an employee suggestion box will be hung by the time clock. Counterproductive Employee Behavior The employee behavior is walking out on-the-job, calling in to work, and general turnover of employees which cost time and money to retrain new employees. The outline above will help with employee behavior by putting new supervisors in the positions needed that can act professional, fairly, and treat the employees with respect. Giving the employees incentives will also help with keeping the employees here until all positions and staff are put into place. Conclusion Common job facets include pay, supervision, job conditions, and communication to name a few (Spector, 2012). With this as a prelim, JC’s Casino hopes to fix the issues that are making the employees leave the job by getting better supervisors who are open to ideas from the employees, who show respect to the employees and are not short on praise when employees do a good job. Taking away some of the stressors of the job should help with job retention.

Associate Nurse VS. Baccalaureate Nurse Essay

There has been much debate over the years about the differences in competenciesbetween Associates Degree nurses (ADN) versus Baccalaureate Degree (BSN) nurses. In thispaper I will discuss my findings and also give a patient care situation in which I describe hownursing care or approaches to decision-making may differ based upon the educationalpreparation of the nurse BSN versus a diploma or ADN degree. Besides the difference in time,credits and money studies are showing a significant difference in ADN nursing versus BSN.â€Å"Research has shown that lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors, and positive outcomesare all linked to nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate degree levels.† (AACN, 2013) An ADN program is a two-year program in which students learn the basics of nursing such as care plans and performing every day nursing skills, they offer courses that are more affordable and accessible which in this day and age can be a blessing and in the end they produce competent bedside nurses  who can sit for the NCLEX. We can thank Mildred Montag for founding the ADN program back in 1956 due to a major nurse shortage after the war (Friberg, 2011, p. 87-88). But some downfalls are â€Å"when combined with practical nurses, the total number of technical nurse types being produced is excessive given current and future market demands (Benner et al, 2000). As for jobs they are limited to hospitals, skilled nursing, long-term care facilities, clinics and physicians offices. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is a four-year degree that is focused on theory and research. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) states that education â€Å"enhances both clinical competency and care delivery.† (Rosseter, 2013) Due to more formal education the BSN nurse is more of a critical thinker advancing in daily nursing tasks and avoiding deadly errors. They tend to look farther into the disease process and critical thinking behind it rather then just being a task oriented ADN. â€Å"Programs provide a solid liberal education and substantive upper division nursing major. Both components are combined in ways that prepare a nurse generalist who is able to provide professional nursing services in beginning leadership positions in a variety of settings† (Friberg, 2011, p. 87-88). Obtaining a BSN can open up more job opportunities for a person and in most cases makes you more desirable to employers. Many nurses get burnt out from being floor nurses so if you have your BSN you have the option to move into management or many other areas like insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, research jobs or even a clinical instructor. â€Å"Research shows they use evidence based practice for better patient outcomes.† (Moore, n.d.) â€Å" As also stated in the same article â€Å"numerous research studies have demonstrated that the ADN and BSN nurses are not different in skill competency when they graduate, but within a year, the BSN nurses show greater critical thinking skills better problem solving, and the development of clinical judgment; three skills of increasing importance for the increase in acuity of patients in hospitals and other health care settings.† (Moore, n.d.) In the February 2013 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Mary  Blegen and colleagues published findings from a cross-sectional study of 21 University Healthsystem Consortium hospitals which found that hospitals with a higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate or higher degrees had lower congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay. By having the added knowledge from school, it shows in studies that BSN’s have better outcomes with less patient complications, which is good for everyone. PATIENT CARE SCENARIO A patient care scenario that comes to mind for me would be a patient in Labor and Delivery that has had slightly elevated blood pressures prior to the pregnancy, but with diet and exercise was able to avoid medication. But on admission an order for a blood pressure medication was ordered as a PRN in case it was needed. As the patient progresses into labor, her pressures start to rise slightly. The ADN nurse comes in see’s the reading looks at her orders and dispenses the medication, because that is what she is trained to do. Whereas the BSN nurse comes in to the patient’s room and see’s the same reading, notices the patient seems more uncomfortable and is a little upset. So as the BSN nurse I would ask if she was having increased pain and if she was offer her something for pain relief because that may help decrease the blood pressure. I would also ask her if something else was bothering her because she seemed agitated and the patient stated that her and her boyfr iend had just had a huge argument and she was upset over that. So with some pain relief and quiet environment the BSN nurse was able to avoid giving the patient an extra medication for her blood pressure. References Blegen, M.A., Goode, C.J., Park, S.H., Vaughn, T. & Spetz, J. (2013, February). Baccalaureate education in nursing and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 89-94. Creasia, Friberg, Joan L. Elizabeth E. Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice. 5th Edition. Mosby, 2011. VitalBook file. Pageburst online. Pages 87-88. Moore, D.S. (February 2009). The Difference Between Associate Degree Nurses and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurses. West Coast University: Dean’s Corner. Retrieved from www.westcoastuniversity.net/deanscorner. Rosseter, R. J. (2013) American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Creating a More Highly Qualified Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/NursingWorkforce.pdf

William Glasser

Glasser is an internationally recognized psychiatrist. William Glasser was born in 1925. He was raised in Cleveland, OH. His first profession was a Chemical Engineer but decided to go into psychiatry when it became apparent to him this was his real interest in life. He attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for medical school. At Veterans Administration Hospital he took his psychiatric training also attending UCLA. He became board certified in 1961. He did private practice from 1957 to 1986. Dr. Glasser’s approach is non-traditional.He does not believe in the concept of mental illness unless there is something organically wrong with the brain that can be confirmed by a pathologist. In 1967, he founded The Institute for Reality Therapy. In 1994, The Institute was renamed The Institute for Control Theory, Reality Therapy and Quality Management to reflect the scope of The Institute’s teachings. Two years later it became The William Glasser Institute with Dr. Glasser renaming his theory, choice theory. Initially, The Institute was active only in the United States and Canada but under Dr.Glasser’s direction, his teachings have now spread to many countries (wglasser. com) Glasser is best known for his book Reality Therapy which he wrote in 1965. The idea behind this type of therapy is that people need to meet the basic needs of love both giving and receiving and the need of finding self-worth. A therapy that leads all patients toward reality, toward grappling successfully with the tangible and intangible aspects of the real world, might accurately be simply called Reality Therapy. Glasser 6) Glasser states the in order for us to fulfill our needs we must have one person that we care for and in return cares for us to meet our basic needs. Reality Therapy is based on Choice Theory. Choice theory states that: †¢all we do is behave, †¢that almost all behavior is chosen, and †¢that we are driven by our genes to satisfy fi ve basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. There are ten axioms that go along with this theory as well they are all follows: 1. The only person whose behavior we can control is our own. 2.All we can give another person is information. 3. All long lasting psychological problems are relationship problems. 4. The problem relationship is always part of our present life. 5. What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are today, but we can only satisfy or basic needs right now and plan to continue satisfying them in the future. 6. We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our Quality World. 7. All we do is behave. 8. All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of for components: acting, thinking, feeling, and physiology. . All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking components. We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think. 10. Al l Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that is most recognizable. (wglasser. com) Dr. Glasser is semi-retired, but is still a much sought-after speaker nationally and internationally. Some of his many accomplishments are as follows:†¢listed in Who’s Who in America since the 1970s; 1990 – awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from the University of San Francisco; †¢2003 – presented with the ACA Professional Development Award recognizing the significant contributions made to the field of counseling; †¢2004 – presented with the â€Å"A Legend in Counseling Award† by the ACA; †¢January – 2005 presented with the prestigious Master Therapist designation by the American Psychotherapy Association; and finally, †¢2005 – presented with the Life Achievement Award by the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology for his enormous influence as a ps ychotherapist and author. wglasser. com) William Glasser’s methods of psychity are very useful. He teaches people to love them self and others. If you have a so called mental illness he tries to get to the under lying cause believing that you only have a mental illness if it can be proven by Drs. Glasser still does speaking about his theories. Works cited 1. William Glasser Institute. Oct. 6, 2009. [www. wglasser. com] 2. Glasser, William. Reality Therapy. New York. Harper& Row 1990.

Organizational Design, Growth and Challenges Research Paper

Organizational Design, Growth and Challenges - Research Paper Example This is an acronym used to depict the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of an organization. The four components are separate yet integrated; in this regard, the best way to carry out SWOT analysis entails identifying the strengths and weaknesses of any organization prior to tackling the opportunities and strengths. This paper analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Wal-Mart Stores. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is a renowned American multinational retailer corporation operating chains of large discount warehouse and departmental stores. It is currently the biggest private employer in the world with slightly over 2 Million employees. Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton. It was incorporated in 1969 and began to publicly trade in the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. Wal-Mart’s headquarters is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. It has eminently expanded over the years. Currently, Wal-Mart runs 8,416 stores located in 15 different countries. With the view of understanding the entire environment of Wal-Mart, it is important to critically analyze its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Oldham, 1980). As evidenced by its incredible success, Wal-Mart has abundance of strength. For instance, Wal-Mart offers a wide variety of merchandise at very competitive prices. Due to their large purchases they receive exorbitant discounts from their suppliers, which is passed down to the customers. Strength of Wal-Mart is in fact that they manufacture their own brands and supply goods from local suppliers to retailers. Wal-Mart’s large size and high purchasing power is also strength on its own. It has an incredible team of executives who form its leadership. This has equipped Wal-Mart with a management of high caliber. The company spends its resources carefully with the aim of maximizing their margins (Burton, 2012). With regards to weaknesses, Wal-Mart, being a large multinational company, has a large pool of employ ees. Managing all these employees is never an easy task. It, therefore, poses a major challenge to Wal-Mart’s management. Quality of goods sold is another major concern. Owing to its low prices, customers sometimes question the quality of goods. Customer satisfaction is, therefore, not guaranteed. As with opportunities, Wal-Mart has been able to expand into other countries and has formed partnerships with other companies. However, there are still some markets that are yet to be reached by Wal-Mart. Another opportunity is that of taking over some overseas companies, such as ASDA in the United Kingdom. With the escalated trend of internet shopping, Wal-Mart has the opportunity to develop strategies that will enhance home delivery of goods whose orders are placed via the internet. Another opportunity is that of creating convenience stores. This could enable Wal-Mart to overcome local restrictions, as well as travel costs. The most prevalent threat facing Wal-Mart is competition. Local, as well as international competition, has posed a major threat to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been vulnerable to attacks regarding ethical issues as well. In this purview, they have been accused in providing low pay and poor working conditions to its workers. Environmental issues also threaten Wal-Mart’s success. Company/Organization Name: Wal-Mart Stores STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Large market share Discounts by suppliers Price leader Large variety of

Inorgnic Synthesis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inorgnic Synthesis - Lab Report Example Test for SO42- required use of BaCl2 whereby the resulting component was a precipitate of BaSO42- whereas that of Al3+ yielded to a cloudy precipitate by adding KOH and disappearing in excess. During the experiment, the first step was to cut aluminum foil into small pieces, hence increase their surface area for effective and quick reaction. Afterwards, the prepared pieces of aluminum foils were put in a beaker having a capacity if 150 ml and its weight taken before they were put in a 250 ml whose weight together with its contents was 1104.7g. Then the rest of the experiment was transferred to the fume hood to void inhaling of obnoxious gases while reactions were in progress. 13 ml of 3M KOH were added in the 250 ml beaker coupled with stirring continuously to ensure all the aluminum pieces were completely dissolved. Observations made during this process encompassed bubbling reaction, black color and elevation of the contents’ temperature above the room’s ordinary. Upon completion of the entire reaction process, the contents were cooled to room temperature whereby the involved chemical equation was as follows, The cooled contents were then filtered using glass wool. This is by putting glass wool in a funnel and in 100 ml beaker whereby based on the resulting filtrate’s clearance one could do another filtration to ensure clearer resultant. There was rinsing of the glass wool (using 2 ml of hot water) before allowing resulting filtrate to cool and addition of 22 ml of 4M H2SO4. On adding of 23 ml of 4M H2SO4, the filtrate stated to change its appearance from black color to colorless before becoming dense near the bottom of the beaker. This was a precipitate while the reaction equation that took place encompassed, After the above reaction, the resultant was heat on a hot plate (5-10 minutes) to vaporize excess liquid to approximately 25 ml then testing

Women's misrepresentation in media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women's misrepresentation in media - Essay Example Advertisers usually objectify women in their ads; they portray them as sexual objects. In addition, media value women neither for their achievements nor for intelligence. They are valuable for their youth, look and beauty. Jean Kilboune in and Carmen Sering share the same idea that media tend to represent women inappropriately. In Kilbourne’s work â€Å" Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt†, the author shows us how these ads attract consumers, then she starts to explain how these ads affect us more than we think. She claims that bodies are portrayed as objects, which leads to sexual harassment. Jean emphasizes that pornographic ads objectifie women. Providing many examples of different ads she proves how ads portray women in inappropriate way, which shapes the attitude towards women in the communities. For instance, an ad for MTV presents young lady with exposed breasts, and the word â€Å"Bitch† under her bosom. Like Jean Kilbourne, Carmen Siering’s work â€Å" Taking a Bite out of Twilight† discusses how the main character Bella is misrepresented. The author also mentions that there are two teams, which are Edward’s and Jacob’s. But there is no team for the girl Bella. Siering writes about how Bella, the main character of the novel, cannot take care of herself. In addition, Bella always needs someone to help her out making her decisions. The idea of â€Å"Taking a Bite out of Twilight† goes against the feminism. Furthermore, the author writes about how women are manipulated by men. Bella is represented in the novel as an object or a prize. Siering continues explaining that Stephanie Meyer, who is the author of Twilight, does not comsider Bella to be a personality. These two works, â€Å"Two Way a Woman Can Get Hurt† by Jean Kilbourne and â€Å" Taking a Bite out of Twilight† by Carmen Siering, share the same idea, which is the misrepresentation of women in media. Meg Kamerick also talks about the misrepresentation of women in the work â€Å"Woman Should Represent

Communism And Nonalienated Labor is best Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communism And Nonalienated Labor is best - Essay Example According to communism, which was highly promoted by Karl Marx, the means of production should be controlled by the state (the state owns everything). Mass production implies producing large amounts of commodities at a cheaper cost. Alienation simply means to segregate things that naturally occur or belong together. An alienated labor implies a worker being separated from his/her products. In division of labor, workers specialize to perform specific tasks assigned to them in production process. Karl Marx (1818-1883), argues that communism and non-alienated labor is the best practice in any society based on the arguments discussed below. Marx in his theory found that there are two groups of people in the capitalist society. On one side, there are the Bourgeois class who owns means of production and wealth. On the other side, there are the Proletarians, who are the working class. The Bourgeois exploit the proletarians. He further argues that the bourgeoisie’s agglomeration of population, centralization of means of production and of wealth in the hands of a few, is not a good practice to the society. It is against the social justice in the society. That, according to Karl Marx, leads to centralization of political power. Regions in a given society tend to be independent though loosely attached. They have different political interest, laws and taxation policies. After centralization, they suddenly become one with a common law, one frontier, one class-interest and similar costs. It is unfair for such a society to exist, given the gap between the upper class (the rich) and the lower class (the poor). Laws governing such a society especially taxation laws and policies might not reflect true scenario on the ground. The bourgeoisie takes advantage of the proletarians since they can easily influence them using their wealth or resources. The working class

International Trade Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Trade Speech - Essay Example It also threatens to affect business activities as it benefits consumers at the expense of traders. As the legislature, we have to be worried that the country’s current importation rate surpasses export capacity, meaning the nation’s inflows of foreign currency are higher than the outflows. For instance, in the year 2012 the nation imported more cars compared to the exported figure. The importation value surpassed the exportation value by over $152 billion (Mankiw, 2014). The huge differences between the import and export values have created a balance of trade deficit in the nation. The balance of trade deficit has in turn presented severe consequences to the economy, and drastic measures must be taken to mitigate the situation. Among the challenges, the condition has created include weakening of the domestic market, reduction of the GDP of the nation, reduced value of the US currency, and investments. It has also led to the increased interest rates levied by the financial institutions on loans and selling of bonds (Mankiw, 2014). The imbalance is benefiting consumers who presently can access goods cheaply while businesses are hurting due to unfair competition. From the speaker’s position, it is apparent that this kind of imbalance is not healthy for sustaining the economy of a great nation such as US. Therefore, it is time the trade imbalance is corrected through the development of effective international trade policy guidelines. The idea is to improve fairness and equity in business activities through creation of a favorable environment where business owners’ record fair returns and customers get value for their money. To correct this, the house seeks to make an amendment in the international trade Act to regulate importation and exportation activities in a bid to cushioning the nation from experiencing economic difficulties generated by an imbalance of

Sew What Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sew What Inc - Essay Example Examples, which justify information technology’s role in Sew What, Inc.?’ success entail, i. During its onset in the market, information knowhow contributed to its credibility where numerous people were able to recognize it besides the business’ products and services. Hence, gaining enormous clientele pool interested in drapers and other products it produced. v. Megan Duckett’s knowledge regarding the essence of technological knowhow enabled the company to expand besides having effective operations (Murphy, 2006). This is evident in the way she embraced the Dell’s operations into her business. It is irrefutable if Megan Duckett intends to dominate and attain enormous market share globally she has no alternative but to utilize technology effectively (Murphy, 2006). This entails ensuring the company has the capability of reinventing itself especially in monitoring what is new in the world of technology and implementing it, for effective services’ delivery. However, the business ought to consider the cost and effectiveness of the information technology prior applying it. Assuming the position of management consultant, I will advise Megan Duckett to undertake the following: i. She must ensure that all the business’ marketing assets are up to date, which entails training marketing personnel in all aspects of sales (Murphy, 2006). This is to ensure that the business is capaable  of containing stiff competition evident in the market presently. iii. The business should take advantage of the current social sites (Orkut, Facebook, tweeter ete) besides blogging. This will ensure more interactions amid the people and the business management meant to know reactions of its clientele. v. Megan Duckett besides specializing in drapery making, she should think of being a global provider of the same line materials to other corporations, which will yield to an increased market share (Murphy, 2006). Information technology usually enables small

Journey of life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journey of life - Essay Example Another family tradition that has been very important in my family is the weekly prayers and lunch, every Friday, we would get together and share a meal after our prayers, and this helped us understand the importance of family and spirituality. Religious Events As a Muslim, each year we have the Ramadan, this is the time we take to fast and pray, we do not eat after sunrise and after sunset we are allowed to partake in our meals. This event has taught me that one cannot be a slave to food or the desires of his body and that the spiritual life is crucial. We also have the Eid Alfeter and Eid Aladha in our calendars in addition to Alhaj when we go the Mekkah in December for one week to worship Allah; it is a time of rejuvenation for our spiritual life, this seems to echo the sociocultural theory that children master activities and add value to them just as we do with our spiritual life. Academic Events I have been very fortunate in life to have two graduations, one from college and the other from the English program and in both events my family was there to celebrate with me, they were some of my proudest moments in life. I knew that I had achieved a major milestone as is expected in my journey through life and as an interpretation of the sociocultural theory which includes learning as part of cognitive development. Having my family to be a part of it showed me that family always rejoices with one in good and in bad times. This achievement was a step into the adult life because I was now walking into the world to fend for myself and not rely on my family as I always had. Career Events After school, I got a job with a company and to celebrate, I invited my colleagues for dinner, this was a way to form a relationship with them while at the same time celebrate the blessings in my life. After a while I moved jobs and took another one as a high school teacher, this was necessary as in life one cannot stagnate in the same position, growth is expected and is a way of sh owing positive development, it is one of the steps to self actualization Relationship Events My wedding day was one of the happiest days in my life, after an year of engagement to my fiance I was happy to be taking this major step, this was the only romantic relationship I had had in my life in line with the psychosocial development theory, intimacy as compared to isolation became important in my life. Taking the marriage step was a bold move on my side, despite it being the norm, there were times I was not sure if I would make a good husband but after evaluating myself I decided that I was ready and I would become better each step of the way as we guide each other, my wife and I. Challenging Events Coming the United States was not just exciting but challenging as well, I was overwhelmed and culture shock hit me hard, I did not know how o speak English and it being the main language I knew I had a long road ahead of me. As the social cognitive theory states that people observe and a t times take up the behaviour of others, I took up the challenge and decided that I would master the language come rain or shine and I am happy that my determination bore fruits as I can now effectively communicate in English. Looking back at all the events in my

Features of Efficient Market Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Features of Efficient Market Hypothesis - Essay Example As a result one cannot earn returns over and above the average return of the market provided that the information is available when invested. The following are the underlying assumptions of efficient market hypothesis. The ‘weak form’ of the efficient market hypothesis identifies prices of tradable assets like stocks, property and bonds etc, which reflect all information that was available to the public in the past. In other words, say for example, the past prices of stock A is reflected in its current stock price. The ‘strong form’ of the efficient market hypothesis is the strongest form of efficiency of financial markets. It is of the view that information, public or private in nature, is reflected through the stock prices, in the market. Thus even insider information cannot put the investor in an advantageous position (Fama, 1970, p.383). As already discussed the efficient market hypothesis makes the assertion that asset prices reflect all the information available in the market. Now we shall explain as to why it is not able to adequately explain asset pricing with respect to debt and equity. The efficient market hypothesis is the right platform to start when one is thinking of asset price formation. However evidences have suggested that it has been unable to explain some features of market behaviour. The market prices at times are subjected to misalignments which can exist for a prolonged period of time (Fama, 1991, p.8). The random walk model is one of the versions of efficient market.

ICT Meeting Special Needs Essay Example for Free

ICT Meeting Special Needs Essay Introduction In this report I will describe a wide range of technologies which Tony Mcnulty, who is disabled, with an evaluation of the extent to which these meet their needs. Tony is paralyzed so he can no longer use his hands and legs properly. Sometimes Tony cannot hear very well sometimes and has to have sentences repeated to him several times. Tony was formally an architect but he fell off a building site whilst on a job. He now gets his staff to go on sites and he draws the designs at home. Tony is cared for by his brother but is married with three children. Tony normally goes out with his friends to pubs and clubs with people with similar disabilities. Technology 1 Electronic Wheelchair An electronic wheelchair is a wheelchair which uses a battery (usually a gel cell or wet cell) that must be re-charged on a regular basis. These types of wheelchairs are significantly heavier than most manual wheelchairs because they must house both the battery weight and the weight of any additional adaptive equipment. Advantages The advantages of electronic wheelchairs are that they are powered by a battery which means less physical use of the body for those who find it hard to use their hands properly. Another advantage of electronic wheelchairs is that there is no need for someone to assist you can go by yourself. Another advantage is that it easier going uphill because you are not using up any of your energy. Disadvantages The disadvantages of electronic wheelchairs are that they cannot be folded like manual wheelchairs so this may be a problem in small houses. Another disadvantage is that the battery runs out and needs to be charged so you can not travel far without it needing a recharge. Personal Needs An electronic wheelchair meets Tonys personal needs because he can go out anywhere he wants to go without the need of assistance from anyone. He also goes out and does shopping if his carers are not at home. An electronic wheelchair meets Tonys personal needs because Tony has the chance to go out for fresh air for longer and more often because if Tony used a manual wheelchair he gets tired of moving it with his hands so would then have to go back home. Another personal use that Tony uses the wheelchair for is to go shopping, the wheelchair allows him to do this on his own, as it can lift to reach products on high shelves and it can also climb stairs, meaning that he can go shopping almost anywhere without being assisted by a family member or a friend to help him. But with his power wheelchair he goes out for a lot longer but he has to be back home before the battery runs out. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs It can be found from the personal needs above that the Electronic wheelchair fairly effective at meeting Tonys needs. This is because Tony needs the wheelchair to be able to run for at least 6 or 7 hours at the time, and it can do this very easily, this is as the battery life of the electric wheelchair is reasonably long and it can allow Tony to stay on the move for long periods of time. Also because the frame of the Wheelchair is so strong, it allows him to do a lot of things. For example the wheelchair has the ability to climb stairs, and without the strong frame it would simply break apart under Tonys weight, so therefore the strong frame allows the technology to meet his needs even more effectively as it proves that it is dependable and will not crack under pressure. Electric wheelchair is mainly positive, however it has some problems, one being that because it is so heavy due to its metal frame, Tony finds it hard to travel with it meaning that he cant really go on holiday on hi s own or even fold it away when he is at home, although he never really does as he cant walk. This means that the electric wheelchair is not completely successful at meeting Tonys needs, but it is the best thing for it as other forms of wheelchair simply do not have enough functions to help Tony. Social Needs An electronic wheelchair meets Tonys social needs because he can take it to go out with his friends and family on outings. He also doesnt have to worry about the battery running out because his friends or family members push him home whenever this does happen. Electronic wheelchairs allow Tony to more free time because he is going out with his friends so he can get to the destination faster rather than pushing a manual wheelchair around and having to stop for quick breaks when he gets tired. He can also set other dates to go out on his days off. The electric wheelchair has quickly become an integral part of his social life as it simply has allowed him to do things he was not able to do before, such as going out for a drink or even going to go and watch a football match with his mates. As the Technology meets this need, it gives him the opportunity to go out with friends to bars and restaurants, which is his main social need. Evaluation of how it meets his Social needs The Electric wheelchair is almost perfect at meeting Tonys social needs as it has almost all the properties needed to meet his social needs. Due to its reasonably long battery life it allows him to successfully meet his social needs, such as going out for lengthy periods of time, giving him more time to enjoy himself. The electric wheelchair is one of his most helpful tools that help him conquer his disability, but even this technology has some problems. For example due to it being quite dangerous because it is vulnerable to faults, such as the brakes not working. Professional Needs Tony uses his electronic wheelchair in his professional life because he cant walk properly very much without falling so he takes his electronic wheelchair to work so he can look around the building site properly An electronic wheelchair meets Tonys professional needs because he can look around the building site properly without having to tell his staff to look around all of the time and make suggestions. The electric wheelchair is a vital part of Tonys workplace, in terms of mobility. As I have said earlier, Tony is an architect, and this involves a large number of tasks that are almost impossible for him. Especially the electric wheelchair, it allows him to perform the most crucial part of being an architect. It lets him get to sites on time and then move around the site so that he can keep on top of all his jobs and do it on his own, as the wheelchair allows him to move freely in and around his workplace. Another important need of Tony that he has at work is that he needs to be able to go up stairs to view sites which require climbing stairs so his wheelchair allows him to climb stairs as it has this function, meaning that he can get around work without having to get people to carry him up stairs. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs Overall the technology is very effective at meeting Tonys professional needs. It gives him the opportunity to move around building sites freely as the wheelchair can get through the tightest spaces, meaning that is effective at meeting his need off moving around building sites effectively. Also because the battery life of the wheelchair is quite long it can get him through the average 9 to 5 day and even more as it is possible for the day to be delayed. Therefore the electric wheelchair helps Tony get through any un-suspected surprises that might come up at work. This makes the wheelchair very reliable as it is not only mobile but very reliable and Tony can almost always depend on it. Although the wheelchair is very good at meeting Tonys work needs, it lacks a few things, for example, if Tony had a worst job he would not be able to afford the wheelchair that he has and he might not be able to keep his job without it. Also because the wheelchair can be dangerous sometimes, he often ne eds the help of colleagues to help him out in certain situations, such as opening doors or getting down stairs. Technology 2 Braille Keyboard The Braille keyboard was designed to stop the development of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Repetitive Motion Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Disorders and Repetitive Stress Injuries, and other injuries. Your entire upper body and arms are relaxed as your wrists remain straight while you type. Advantages The advantages of a Braille keyboard are that it helps stop the development of many diseases which may save you lots of pain in the future. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of a Braille keyboard is that it costs more than a standard keyboard so this may be a problem for people that cant work. Personal Needs Tony uses his Braille keyboard in his free time when he is using his computer at home he mainly uses it to browse the internet. He also uses it to type letters to companies and spreadsheets for tax purposes. A Braille keyboard meets Tonys personal needs because he uses the internet on a daily basis. Although he can use a standard keyboard it puts lots of strain in his hands so he then has to stop. Another need it meets is that it allows him to use a computer that he can surf the internet and do any other things he may want to do. Also a Braille keyboard allows him to make notes and type letters to people through meaning that he no longer has to rely on a notepad and pen. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs The Braille keyboard is very successful at meeting Tonys personal needs. This is because it allows him to do a lot of things he was unable to do before on his own, primarily communicating with people in spare time which he was unable to do before due to his disability. Also the fact that he no longer has to rely on people to help him around the house means that the Braille Keyboard does its job really well when he is actually spending time on the computer. The Braille keyboard is also very successful at meeting Tonys personal needs as he can connect it to his wheelchair and have it with him almost everywhere, meaning that not only can he be independent at home but also outside the home. Therefore he can use it like a laptop. Although the Braille keyboard seems to be great it has some setbacks. For example it is very expensive and Tony had to save every penny to get it, meaning that there was a chance he could not get the keyboard. This is because he has already had to invest in other expensive technologies to meet his needs such as the Electronic wheelchair. Professional Needs The Braille keyboard has eventually become the heart of Tonys workplace as it allows him to do his job in almost the same way as he used to do before he sustained his disability. The keyboard gives him the opportunity to go to building sites again and to continue his job as he used to, maybe not as fast as before and with a few mistakes but there is no doubt that slowly it allows him to get back to a normal architects organization. Being a architect also involves a lot of computer input and the Braille keyboard allows him to do it very easily so he can input as much information as he wants into any kinds of types of programs, such as typing letters in Microsoft Word or creating spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs The Braille keyboard is efficient at meeting Tonys work needs. It gives him the chance to once again have the same work life as he had before his accident by allowing him to do things that are important to his job that he could not do without it. For example with the keyboard he can still create designs which are required of him as an architect. Therefore this allows him to do his job even though he has a disability. Also because it can be connected to a computer it allows him to complete any computer input he may have at his office without the use of extra technologies such as a tracker ball mouse or a single fingered keyboard, meaning that it is very effective as it incorporates a few technologies in one. However the Braille keyboard sometimes has problems inputting information into a computer as he sometimes finds it hard to fully control his hands meaning that the Braille keyboard is not always fully successful at meeting Tonys work needs. Technology 3 Stair lift A stair lift is for people who cannot use their own feet to climb the stairs or for people who sometimes get dizzy whilst climbing the stairs. Advantages The advantages of stair lifts are that you can climb the stairs without being afraid that you will fall and you can climb the stairs any time of the day without the worry of possibly having to climb the stairs. Disadvantages The disadvantages of stair lifts are that most stair lifts are very expensive to buy and maintain. Another disadvantage is that if the lift stops working the person may not be able to climb the stairs until the lift is back working. Personal Needs Tony uses a stair lift personally as he has to climb the stairs to go to any of the rooms. He also has to have a shower upstairs so he uses the lift many times a day. Tony also has to use the lift to get to his bedroom when he is going to sleep. A stair lift meets Tonys personal needs because he uses the lift many times a day and cannot live in his own house without it. Tony has to use the lift every day and several times a day. Also the stair lift has allowed him to and from his own room as he can now use the stair lift without the fear of falling down the stairs. The stair lift can also be used by him to communicate with friends through email, as he has to climb the stairs to get to his computer. Evaluation of how it meets his personal needs The single finger keyboard is good at meeting at Tonys needs, this is as the stair lift is very easy to use and it takes little time to get used to operating it. This means that Tony learns how to use more and more technologies so if he bought another similar technology it would not be very hard for him to use as he can quickly learn the ins and outs of this easy to device. The stair lift is also very good at meeting Tonys personal needs as it is reasonably cheap and he doesnt have to spend large amounts of cash in order to be able to climb stairs, this allows him to save money for more essential things. Professional Needs Tony uses the stair lift for a number of important work needs. One of the most important was that the stair lift allowed him to get to his office on the second floor of his home, meaning that he could do his job again even though at a slower pace. Another need that it met was that he could transport documents whilst on the stair lift without needing someone to help him. Also with the help of the stair lift he can gain access to his computer which is also in his office so he can once again type letters to clients and business partners without having someone to do it for him, meaning that he can do most of the real important things that an architect has to do. Evaluation of how it meets his professional needs The stair lift is good at meeting his work needs as it allows him to do one of the most important architect tasks, which are computer designs. This means that his work life can go back to an almost normal state, as the stair lift is very good at helping him work through the disability and resuming a almost normal working life. Without the stair lift he would have had to move his office downstairs then he would have had to sacrifice one of the rooms downstairs to make way for his office. Due to the large amounts of work that have to be done in a architects office, the keyboard frequently has to be maintained as it is cheap parts and it can easily break, meaning that it could break at any moment, not letting Tony work until he gets a replacement or he has to wait for an engineer to fix it for him. Therefore the stair lift doesnt completely meet Tonys work needs.

Interpretations of Winston Churchill

Interpretations of Winston Churchill Evaluate two or more competing interpretations of Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill has become an icon of modern history, and is probably the most celebrated Prime Minister or the twentieth century. It was not until he was 65, however, that Churchill achieved his popularity and fame, and it was almost wholly the result of the end of the Second World War. Without this, the popular impression of Churchill would fall a long way short of what it is today. Churchill is remembered by most, of course, as a great national hero; a war leader who delivered Great Britain, and the rest of the world, from the threat of Nazi Germany advancing inexorably to extend the Third Reich. There were many other aspects to Churchill’s life, however, of which it was the culmination only, in victory, that secured his historical legacy. As is to be expected with someone as successful and popular as Churchill, the man has attracted a great many academics to research into and report on Churchill’s life (between fifty and one hundred in the estimate of Roy Jenkins[ 1]). These various interpretations are many, and each one must be considered in the context of the time and societal circumstances in which it was written. As with all history, (especially biography,) one must evaluate such works sceptically, trying to discern the biographer’s own views and prejudices, and those of the society which produced the biographer. What each work tells us about Churchill must be cross-referenced with other accounts, and with impartial accounts of events in which Churchill was involved. This essay will focus on four key biographies of Churchill; Addison’s Churchill, the Unexpected Hero, and Jenkins’ recent Churchill primarily, as well as Gilbert’s Churchill, a Life, and Ponting’s Churchill. When one considers the various biographies of Churchill that the post-War years have yielded, it is fair to say that there are discernable patterns. An increasing scepticism in the historiography is an example of such a trend. It seems accurate to describe the later biographies of Churchill as less laudatory and unquestioningly praising towards Churchill than, say, Jenkins’ recent biography. This, in its stated mission, sets out to reconsider the wholly celebratory nature of some earlier biographies. Jenkins introduces his magisterial work with the assertion that Churchill was ‘many faceted, idiosyncratic and unpredictable†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢[2] The work is not, however, hagiographical; indeed from the outset, Jenkins’ esteem and fondness of Churchill (albeit based upon a very brief series of encounters in the early 1940s) is obvious. â€Å"I was aware of witnessing something unique, but also remote and unpredictable.†[3] As a whole work, however, Jenkinsâ€℠¢ is more thorough than anything that has gone before. It is a dense, academic and politically charged work, obviously written by an insider of the political world from its clear understanding and appreciation of the main passion of Churchill’s life; politics. Churchill was, after all, in the House of Commons for over sixty years. The other major work which will be considered is somewhat less academic, and more populist in its structure and style. Addison covers the life of Churchill from his birth through his early years as a journalist and soldier, through his early parliamentary career and later premiership and his last years in less than 250 pages. While this remains a convincing and thorough biography, it is by no means as comprehensive as the project undertaken by Jenkins. What of the content of these two books, however? How do their respective authors present Churchill? It has already been mentioned that Jenkins has sought to adopt a holistic approach which is relatively free of unquestioning praise. Addison’s is, perhaps, more preoccupied with the popular appeal of Churchill, and as such, it is less sceptical of certain aspects of Churchill’s life. This is, however, to be expected, as rather than present a fully comprehensive account of the whole of Churchill’s life, this account s eeks to assess the reasons for the man’s ascendancy to national hero. The tone of the work is established in the Prologue, which states that Churchill ‘won two great victories in the Second World War. The first was a victory over Nazi Germany. The second was a victory over the many sceptics who, for decades, had derided his judgement, denied his claims to greatness, and excluded him from 10 Downing Street on the grounds that he was sure to be a danger to King and Country.†[4] The first appropriate period to consider in Churchill’s life covers the years from his birth in 1874 up until 1901. Both begin with a brief account of the birth of Churchill and of his family history; that he was the grandson of the seventh Duke of Marlborough and his mother was an American named Clara, the daughter of a New York financier. This was the period that saw Churchill attend Harrow School, an adolescence which, according to Addison, was ‘overshadowed by the physical and mental decline of Lord Randolph [Churchill’s aristocratic Tory minister father].’[5] Gilbert offers an early insight into what he later considers to be one of the principal driving forces of Churchill, when he remarks that to the young Winston, the death of his father provided ‘yet further proof that the Churchills died young.’[6] Throughout Gilbert’s work, this driving force features heavily in causing Churchill to pursue his goals first in the journalistic fi eld, and later in politics. When considering Gilbert’s interpretation of Churchill’s life and achievements, it is also important to consider the esteem with which he held Churchill. It should be remembered that prior to writing his biography of Churchill, Gilberts continued Churchill’s life work (in another field from politics) in completing, in six volumes, an historical work which had been started by Randolph Churchill. This is surely significant, firstly in the level of understanding of Churchill such an undertaking would have afforded Gilbert, but also as a sign of the reverence with which Churchill was held. According to Addison, the ‘official biography’ is ‘sometimes said to perpetuate the Churchill myth and it is true that Randolph Churchill’s volumes were partisan.†[7] It is this very partisanship that one must be aware of and vigilant about in considering biographies generally, and in particular when it comes to one with such an awesome accompanying reputation. Gilbert’s work, although in places stricken with this identified partisanship, on the whole offers a record of the events of Churchill’s life, in which evidence is collected from a huge variety of sources, including Churchill’s own papers, private correspondence held at the Marlborough seat of Blenheim Palace, and other more official evidence such as parliamentary records and reports and Churchill’s own journalistic offerings and speeches. Gilbert’s biographical work is unique in that it generally forms attachments to the evidential, or chronicled record which he helped to produce. Again, and as Addison points out, from a reading of Gilbert’s work in these volumes, it is clear ‘that his admiration for Churchill is profound’.[8] Gilbert’s sympathy with Churchill, and indeed his contempt for those who sought to sully the name and reputation of Churchill, is obvious from various parts of his writings. One such person was Field Marshall Alanbrooke, who was one of Churchill’s most successful, and trusted generals (when he was General Alan Brooke). According to Jenkins, Churchill ‘succeeded in angering Alan Brooke at a staff conference on 9 September [1944].’[9] Later, various diarists, foremost amongst whom was Brooke, began complaining about Churchill’s ‘ramblings’. These were characteristic of his ‘long rather than decisive meetings’ that members of the government and the forces became increasingly frustrated about.[10] Although the relationship had been tense and often problematic between the two, Alanbrooke (as he now was) recorded in his diary that during his farewell in 1945, ‘it was a very sad and very moving little meeting at which I found myself unable to say much for fear of breaking down.’[11] The purpose of this is to show that despite their differences, it seems unlikely that Alanbrooke harboured any ill- feeling towards Churchill that would colour his memoirs. According to Gilbert, however, it was the publication of Alanbrooke’s diaries that did much to harm the image of Churchill. ‘No single book’, Gilbert writes, referring to the diaries as edited by Arthur Bryant, ‘gave a more distorted picture of Churchill’s war leadership, or would provide for many years to come so much material for critical, hostile, and ill-informed portrayals of Churchill in the war years.’[12] This is not to disparage Gilbert’s work with the taint of one-sidedness, however, as the work, vast as it is, is generally free of value judgements or even a coherent doctrine as to the character of Churchill. For this; a more personal and judgemental view of Churchill, one must turn to the works of Jenkins and of Ponting. It is clear from the introduction of Ponting’s unashamedly revisionist work that he seeks to challenge the ‘Churchill myth’, which Gilbert is perhaps more instrumental in moulding, or at least perpetuating. The central thesis in Ponting’s work, as stated in his introduction, is that the Churchill myth was in fact largely the result of Churchill’s own writing; that Churchill managed successfully to shape the way in which he would be seen by the succeeding generation by his own artful and indeed self-promoting work.[13] It is not usually the prerogative of statesmen to shape future generations’ views of themselves; this being left to later historians and scholars. If Ponting’s theory is correct, it would make Churchill one of the few successful statesmen to have achieved this, obviously prior to his death. The two major prong s of Ponting’s attack are firstly that Churchill was not in fact the brilliant wartime leader that popular perception imagines, and secondly that his popularity was not in fact as high as has been assumed. His bases for these revisionist claims are official papers that have been released in recent years. Although revisionist history is always going to offend and upset those of the old school by its very nature of, in Ponting’s case, sheer iconoclasm, but in this case, one cannot avoid the impression that Ponting is not so much blazing a trail to a more truthful and less fanciful perception of Churchill, as he is simply inaccurate. Ponting reconsiders the pre-War years of Churchill’s political career. He claims that Churchill was opposed to democracy and social progress.[14] This is an unlikely character trait of Churchill, for whom one of the principal motivations for one of his most famous pre-War decisions, the 1925 return to the Gold Standard, was the ‘paradox of unemployment amidst dearth †¦ I would rather see Finance less proud and Industry more content.’[15] As well as this, it was Churchill who pioneered the system of national insurance during his time at the Treasury (something which he and Lloyd George had started prior to the First World War) . This was a policy which, although not redistributive as certain forms of taxation might have been, certainly improved the lot of many of the more unfortunate elements in inter-war British society. Ponting goes on to suggest that Churchill harboured racial prejudices.[16] This may well be accurate, but it is presented by Ponting in a misleading way; a way which neglects the wider contemporary social attitudes of the early twentieth century. While it is never forgivable to view any race or creed as in any way inferior, Churchill was not guilty of this in the way that Ponting suggests. It was more an opinion of racial differences and idiosyncrasies than any judgement as to the relative merit of different races. As Addison remarks, such views were characteristic of the time without any attendant racism, amongst the foremost social reformers.[17] Indeed there is supportive argument for Ponting’s assessment to be found in other biographies of Churchill. One such example is John Charmley’s revisionist work which suggests that Churchill’s treatment of the Poles in the last months of the war revealed racial prejudices. He accuses Churchill of both weakness in this respect, and of hypocrisy, for his earlier criticism of Chamberlain’s similar treatment of the Czechs.[18] The most striking evidence that Ponting is erroneous in this assessment of Churchill is to be found in Churchill’s view of the European Jews who were increasingly under threat during his early parliamentary career. Indeed it was Churchill’s perceived sympathy for the Jews in the wake of such atrocities as Kristallnacht in November 1938 that strengthened Churchill’s position as against Neville Chamberlain.[19] Earlier in Churchill’s career, he had fought vehemently to defeat the restrictive Aliens Bill of 1904, which was unfavourable to the Jews. Jenkins suggests, however, that although this was a brave and commendable battle to be undertaken by Churchill, his motivation was less that of a sense of equality and concern for the well-being of the Jewish population, than the political expedient of appeasing a large and powerful political lobby in his constituency. ‘†¦It could be cynically alleged that the vigour with which Churchill opposed (and hel ped to kill) a restrictive Aliens Bill in the session of 1904 was not unconnected with the fact that this was exactly when he alighted on Manchester North-West [where the Jewish lobby was so strong].’[20] While this may well be so, it does not make it the case that Churchill harboured anything other than deep resentment of the Nazi views as to the inferiority of the Jewish race and non-white populations. Ponting’s criticisms of Churchill are obvious, and pervade much of his work. Gilbert, on the other hand, is generally more praising and less critical throughout his work; he is not, after all, seeking to debunk the so-called Churchill myth. Gilbert’s work, however, is not free from criticism. The most striking is, perhaps, his assessment that Churchill had a great and significant character weakness that he allowed to control him at vital stages throughout his career. This weakness was an almost-obsessive desire to be at the centre of affairs, and to be seen to be there in the public perception. He was, then, a courtier of public opinion (which is of course to be expected from a politician) but Gilbert seems to suggest that it led to an inefficient and sometimes disastrous management style that may have been avoided had Churchill been more willing, for example, to delegate.[21] A significant advantage which biographers such as Gilbert and Jenkins have over those such as Ponting is that they actually met, and in the case of Gilbert at least, knew considerably, their subject. Gilbert was in fact something of an insider in the life of Churchill which affords him an insight which Ponting and other later biographers could not emulate. Examples of this intimate contact abound throughout Gilbert’s work, such as the conversations which he had with Churchill’s wife Clementine. One such conversation is occurred when Clementine told Gilbert of how in the immediate aftermath of Churchill’s downfall in 1915, ‘I thought he would die of grief’.[22] Gilbert’s is an insight which comes from first-hand interviews with those who knew and were close with Churchill (although not always on good terms). A further example is the interview which Gilbert conducts with General Sir Edward Spears, who accompanied Churchill on many journeys and w ho recalled on one occasion during the First World War when Churchill was at the Admiralty, how the French commanders had not taken Churchill’s suggestions about the development of the tank seriously, remarking ‘Wouldn’t it be simpler to flood Artois and get your fleet here?’[23] It is this first-hand knowledge and experience which puts Gilbert’s work (as well as, to a lesser extent, Jenkins’) above the likes of Ponting’s. Gilbert’s work is not, however, free from potentially controversial statements. Surely fully aware of the impact on the historical debate of such assertions, he states, for example, that on the eve of the Munich agreement, which saw Neville Chamberlain (then Prime Minister and of whom Churchill was a stern critic) announced that he was seeking agreement from the third Reich leadership that no further advances would be made, in the words of Jenkins, ‘the whole House †¦ rose to its feet and sent Chamberlain off in a splurge of goodwill.’[24] Jenkins suggests that it was the ‘almost solitary exception of Harold Nicolson’, the House supported Chamberlain. Gilbert states that neither Churchill, nor his fellow Members Eden or Amery stood to applaud Chamberlain as he set off on his mission.[25] It is, of course no secret that Churchill opposed Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement of Hitler, but small facts like this are potentially controversial w hen one considers the general atmosphere in England on the eve of the War; an attitude that everything possible should be done to avoid another conflict so soon after the devastation and destruction of the Great War. With the notable exception of Ponting’s iconoclastic work, the overwhelming thesis in the various biographies of Churchill is one of praise and respect for Churchill. This is not wholly the product of his achievements at the head of the Government during the War, but also due to his achievements before the Second World War. The formative years in the making of the Churchill myth were undoubtedly the war years, as is evidenced by the fact that their presence in any biography is disproportionately large compared to any other period of his life. The chapter covering the war years in Addison’s book is titled ‘The Making of a Hero’.[26] The overwhelming sense from all of the biographies is that once the authors have been exposed to their subject, the result is an almost awe-like reverence for him. The concluding pages of Jenkins perhaps best summarise this pervasive attitude: ‘I now put Churchill, with all his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasiona l childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street.’[27] BIOGRAPHY Addison, P., Churchill, the Unexpected Hero (Oxford, 2005) Danchev and Todman (Eds), War Diaries, 1939-1945: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke Gilbert, M., Churchill: a Life (Pimlico, 2000) Jenkins, R., Churchill (MacMillan, 2001) Ponting, C., Winston Churchill (Sinclair-Stevenson, 1994) Footnotes [1] Jenkins, R., Churchill (MacMillan, 2001), pxiii [2] Jenkins, p3 [3] Jenkins, pxiii [4] Addison, P., Churchill, the Unexpected Hero (Oxford, 2005), p1 [5] Addison, p13 [6] Gilbert, C., Churchill: a Life (Pimlico, 2000), p49 [7] Addison, p251 [8] Addison, p252 [9] Jenkins, p754 [10] Ibid, p774 [11] Danchev and Todman (Eds), War Diaries, 1939-1945: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, p712 [12] Gilbert, p1232 [13] Ponting, C., Winston Churchill (Sinclair-Stevenson, 1994), pp10-15 [14] Ponting, pp300-325 [15] Quoted in Addison, p114 [16] See, for example, Ponting, p375 [17] Addison, p252 [18] Quoted in Jenkins, p779 [19] See Jenkins, p537 [20] Jenkins, p108 [21] See, for example, Gilbert, p30 [22] Gilbert, vol III, p457 [23] Gilbert, vol III. p625 [24] Jenkins, p525 [25] Gilbert, vol V, pp986-987 [26] Addison, chapter 6 [27] Jenkins, p912

The Media Influence on Public Perceptions of Crime

The Media Influence on Public Perceptions of Crime Introduction The publics knowledge of crime is primarily derived from its depiction in the media. The media affects the publics opinion of crime and punishment, and its perception of the police. If the media is responsible for the headlines, the conclusion is that it influences the publics attitude regarding crime incidents. (Muraskin and Domash 2007). Crime stories are covered extensively by the print-based media seemingly because they help to sell newspapers. Stories are often sensationalised with the intent to make attention-grabbing headlines that do not always represent the true facts; but do these articles play a part in needlessly fuelling the publics fear of crime? This dissertation will attempt to answer this question by conducting primary research in the suburban village of Stannington in Sheffield. Aims/Objectives/Hypothesis The objective of this research is to analyse the relationship between crime and the media, more specifically fear of crime levels and print-based media articles. Due to the geographic location in which the research will be conducted, two specific crime types have been chosen; personal crimes such as burglary and theft and community-based crimes such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour. These crime types were chosen as a result of the suburban area in which the study will be conducted. These crimes are those which are more likely to be of a concern to the respondents of the study and are therefore more suitable for this particular piece of research if I wish to collect an accurate data set. More serious crimes like rape, murder and assault are less likely to occur on a private, middle class housing estate and thus these crime types would probably not be a major concern to residents living in the area. Prior to conducting any research; the hypothesis chosen which predicts the outcom e of the research is that respondents who are female and who read print-based media more frequently will have an increased fear of crime in comparison to males who dont read print-based media articles. Literature Review Fear of crime Garofalo (1981:840) defined fear of crime as an emotional reaction characterized by a sense of danger and anxiety produced by the threat of physical harm elicited by perceived cues in the environment that relate to some aspect of crime. The definition of fear of crime can vary depending on the individual and their own personal experiences of crime; and this is in fact similar to how people have differing levels of fear. An individuals level of fear could be influenced by several factors. Personal experience of crime is one of many factors which can significantly increase the level of fear which a person has, with the fear of repeat victimisation a key issue in this. Balkin (1979) and Hough (1985) argue that a commonly accepted belief is that people who have been victimised, particularly in their neighbourhood, or who know others who have been similarly victimised, will tend to be more afraid. Similarly, a report published by the Beth Johnson foundation in 2006 looked at the fear of c rime in people over the age of 50. It found that several respondents who had been mugged and/or burgled had a particularly high level of fear of crime as a result of their previous experiences. This publication shows many interesting opinions of the elderly, however it does not take into account the opinions of a larger demographic of people with varying ages. As a result it allows an opportunity to conduct research on a broader scale to investigate fear of crime from people of all ages. Jewkes (2010:155) acknowledges that victims of crime will probably become more fearful about the likelihood of future victimization as a result of their experiences, however many more individuals will experience fear as a result of indirect contact with crime. Fear of crime has become a major social problem and although some of this fear can be accounted for by the actual amount of criminal activity, particularly in the neighbourhood (Kinsey et al.1986). People may come to be fearful of criminal victimisation because they perceive their immediate environment to be threatening, thus noisy neighbours, teenagers hanging around street corners and flats with broken windows may all signify to some individuals that their neighbourhood is threatening (Baumer 1985; Hunter and Baumer 1982), however much of it is caused by other subjective/perceptual and social structural factors. A substantial amount of research has already identified several factors which appear to make a contribution to fear. Box, Hale and Andrews (1988: 341) classify these under the following headings: vulnerability, environmental clues and conditions, personal knowledge of crime and victimisation, confidence in the police and criminal justice systems, perceptions of personal ris k, and seriousness of various offences. The research for this piece of work will be carried out by households in close proximity to each other; consequently the environmental conditions should be very similar for each respondent. However other factors, in particular vulnerably; personal knowledge of crime; and confidence in the police and criminal justice system should be different for every respondent. As a result, the findings of the research should be particularly diverse. In terms of fear of crime, the British Crime Survey offers an in depth insight into the British publics perception of crime, in comparison to actual crime statistics. The BCS is a face-to-face victimisation survey in which people inhabiting households in England and Wales are asked about their experiences of crime in the 12 months prior to interview. The 2009/10 BCS shows that a large proportion of people (sixty six per cent) believe crime has risen across the country as a whole in the last few years. There has been a large majority of respondents who think crime has risen at a national level since the questions were first included in 1996. Statistics provided by the Home Office (2010) show an actual decrease in a large number of crimes between 2002 and 2010. The total of sexual offences, robbery, burglary, fraud, drug offences, and the total of all recorded crime have decreased every year for the past 8 years. These figures would suggest that the publics fear of crime is unjust base d on the number of crimes which have fallen throughout Britain in recent years. It would appear that the publics perception of these high crime levels is influenced by more than just official statistics released by the Home Office, the most obvious contributor to this fear of crime being the media. Fear of crime and the media It is often argued that the media exaggerate the extent of crime in Britain. This includes newspapers, news and entertainment on television and radio, as well as crime fiction (Greer,2005). These exaggerations of crime stories which are in the public eye daily can have a substantial impact upon the publics perception of crime, but more significantly their fear of it. As previously mentioned, personal experiences of crime can often result in victims becoming increasingly fearful of being victimised; while accounts of crime from family, friends and neighbours may also have this effect. However as previous research has discovered; the most influential source to fuel fear of crime is usually the media. As Jewkes (2010) states numerous writers have examined the proposition that the media present crime stories (both factual and fictional) in ways which selectively distort and manipulate public perceptions, creating a false picture of crime which promotes stereotyping, bias, prejudice and g ross oversimplification of the facts. Their conclusion is that it is not just official statistics that misrepresent the picture of crime, but that the media are also guilty of manipulation and fuelling public fears. Roberts and Doob (1986) and Surette (1998) reaffirm this view of crime and the media in their analysis of how influential the media can be. The publics perception of victims, criminals, deviants, and law enforcement officials is largely determined by their portrayal in the mass media. Research indicates that the majority of public knowledge about crime and justice is derived from the media. Western society is fascinated with crime and justice. From films, books, newspapers, magazines, television broadcasts, to everyday conversations, we are constantly engaging in crime talk. In this sense; the mass media play an important role in the construction of criminality and the criminal justice system. Research conducted by Ditton and Duffy (1983) came to a similar conclusion to Jewkes in regards to coverage of crime stories in the media after their analysis of three Scottish newspapers. An analysis of the crime content of the newspapers (in terms of the numbers and page areas of crime reports) was completed and found that six per cent of the news involved crime, with forty five per cent of this being violent or sexual crime. This figure was then compared with actual police statistics which showed just two per cent of crime in the locality to be of a violent and/or sexual nature (Williams and Dickinson 1993:35). As a result of their findings, Ditton and Duffy came to the conclusion that this research exemplifies the level of sensationalism and exaggeration of crime stories which appear throughout print-based media. Consequently, they called for further research to be conducted to determine whether the misrepresentations of crime in newspapers influence the general perceptions of re aders. Despite a large percentage of violent or sexual crimes covered in the newspapers, it is arguable as to weather a percentage of just six out of the total of all articles in them is substantial enough to conclude that print-based media exaggerate and sensationalise as Ditton and Duffy suggested. This research took significant steps to examine the content of crime stories in print-based media and be regarded as a successful study, however it was conducted almost thirty years ago which means in terms of quantity and coverage of crime stories in modern Britain, it is somewhat outdated. In addition; the research fails to determine any links between media coverage and fear of crime, so with this in mind, the study which will be conducted for this piece of work primarily aims to investigate if there is any sort of correlation between print-based media and fear of crime in an attempt to come to a conclusion which Ditton and Duffy were unable to achieve. When the discussion takes place surrounding how influential the media can be on crime levels and fear of crime; the theory of moral panics often surfaces. This model made famous by Stanley Cohen in the 1970s with the publication of Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The creation of Mods and Rockers refers to public and political reactions to minority or marginalized individuals and groups who appear to be some kind of threat to consensual values and interests. (Jewkes 2010:74) By labelling certain groups as deviant; missing out key facts and extensively covering crime stories; the creation of moral panics by the British press has becoming arguably one of the more damaging aspects of crime coverage, causing unnecessary for fear and apprehension amongst the public. These fears when compared to actual crime statistics do appear to be uncalled for, but figures from the British Crime Survey suggest that they are still present in the minds of newspaper readings. The British Crime Survey has been conducted by the Home Office since its introduction in 1982 and from 2001 it has run continuously each year. The survey of around forty thousand adults is conducted to gain an insight into public attitudes to crime as well as other criminal justice issues, with the findings often used to assist the Government in their policy formations (Home Office 2010). The 2003 edition of the BCS was the first to ask respondents directly about their newspaper reading habits. The results showed that attitudes to crime are very much influenced by newspaper reports. Forty three per cent of tabloid readers believed that crime has increased a lot with seventeen per cent also claiming to be very worried by the threat of physical attacks (Guardian 2003). These findings are based on a very large scale with the respondents geographically located across most parts of Britain. They offer an accurate representation of the populations fear of crime and how this is influenced b y newspapers articles, however due to its large scale, a more appropriate approach to use in order to get a localised view on crime would be a study of households in one particular part of a city. This method then allows the researcher to investigate if the immediate area in which the respondent resides is influential in their levels of fear. Several other pieces of research have been carried out to understand fear of crime in both the elderly and in women respectively. A recent Age Concern reported entitled The Fear Factor: Older people and Fear of Street crime reported that forty seven per cent of those over 75 years of age and thirty seven per cent of those over fifty no longer take part in social and community activities after dark because of fear of street crime (Help the Aged 2006). Similarly an article in the Independent (2005) entitled Women and Crime: Fear in Suburbia goes into depth about the fear which single women have about being attacked in their own homes. In this article many women interviewed agreed that the media has a role to play in increasing womens fears despite official Home Office statistics suggesting total recorded crime is down by six per cent year-on-year (Independent 2005). Both pieces of research gain insight into two separate groups of society with valid and reliable data collection, however they fail to make comparisons of fear of crime levels with other groups of people. By conducting research from both men and women of varying ages, this allows for more in depth analysis, where comparisons and correlations can be made between all respondents to determine if age and/or sex are an influential factor in fear of crime levels. There has been extensive criticism of the empirical and theoretical validity of the claims that media images cultivate a misleading view of the world of crime (Howitt 1998; Ditton et al. 2004); and according to several critics, there is still not enough sufficient evidence to suggest that exposure to the media as well as other variables such as class, gender, race, place of residence and actual experience of crime can and do effect an individuals fear of becoming a victim of crime (Reiner 2006). Despite these criticisms; the research carried out for this piece of work will attempt to gather enough evidence to show that the media along with other variables does in fact influence fear of crime. Methodology The data collection method which will be used for this research is a cross-sectional questionnaire consisting of both qualitative and quantitative questions. The questionnaire will be given to twenty four randomly selected respondents living on a housing estate in the semi-rural village of Stannington, in Sheffield. At the last census (2001), the population for Stannington village was listed as 16,600 (www.stannington.org.uk). This number is far too large as it would require a significant amount of questionnaires to be produced which is unrealistic given the resources and time-frame available; therefore a combination of both cluster and systematic sampling will be used to select certain roads and houses within a small geographical location. Kalsbeek (1998) defines cluster sampling as: sampling in which sampling units (that is, households) at some point in the selection process are collections, or clusters, of population elements. For the primary sample group; eight roads on the housi ng estate will be selected as part of the cluster sampling process, then house numbers two; five and eight are to be chosen systematically. This approach eliminates any potential bias, allowing the validity of the research to be increased. Similarly; for the secondary sample group, four roads will be selected with house numbers one and ten chosen to receive the questionnaire if not all twenty four primary respondents decide to complete the questionnaire. In order to be courteous when addressing the respondents, the electoral register will be accessed at the Sheffield Town Hall to gather the names of those chosen to participate in the study. Doing this should allow for the respondents to be contacted formally whilst making it more manageable to record which households responded and those who declined. When the collection of data from the primary sample group commences, personal introductions will be made informing the randomly selected respondents what the research study is for and how they have been chosen. If the respondents then decide to take part in the study they will be given the questionnaire along with a cover sheet, outlining the instructions on how to complete the questionnaire and a brief letter explaining the purpose of the study. If the there is no one in at the chosen addresses; the questionnaire will be posted to the respondents and will be collected a week from that date. The decision to utilise a cross-sectional questionnaire was made because this method allows data to be collected relatively quickly and at a single point in time. These characteristic of data collection are very much suited for this type of research study due to the time and transport limitations which apply. A questionnaire is preferable over other designs such as a longitudinal survey or case study as it lends itself well to quantifiable data, allowing for variations to be established which may appear throughout the different variables. According to Bryman (2008:45) cross sectional studies are very effective in terms of replicability because the researcher can spell out procedures for selecting respondents, designing measures of concepts; administrating research instruments and analysing data. When the questionnaires have been collected from all respondents and the required amount of data has been gathered; it will then be analysed using the data analysis software SPSS. This software allows complex data to be interpreted very easily through the use of bivariate and multivariate crosstabulations as well as frequency tables. This data can then be used to create graphs which allow for patterns of correlation to be identified. SPSS was elected due to its capability to eliminate any issues regarding inter-coder reliability. It also lends itself well to quantitative closed-ended question data (which I intend to collect) because this form of data requires very little coding and can therefore be inputted into the programme with ease. Data Analysis Following the collection of twenty four questionnaire responses; the data was inputted into the SPSS software and the variable values were coded. After compiling frequency tables and crosstabulations it appears that the research has identified some interesting findings, which do not necessarily agree with the original hypothesis stated at the beginning of the study. Table 1 (below) shows how participants responded to the question Do newspapers influence your fear of crime? It appears that only 37.5% of people felt that their fear of being a victim of crime was influenced by newspapers. 50% stated that they werent influenced which is reasonably more than those that answered yes to the question; however it is not significantly high enough to suggest a majority because there were 3 respondents (12.5%) who were undecided. (Table 1) Do newspapers influence your fear of crime? Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Yes 9 37.5 37.5 37.5 No 12 50.0 50.0 87.5 Dont know 3 12.5 12.5 100.0 Total 24 100.0 100.0 When the variable of gender is factored into the same question, it appears that men are more influenced by print-based media than women. A crosstabulation of the two variables shows that 6 males in comparison to just 3 females stated that their fear was influenced by newspapers. This figure at first appears to be a surprise when compared to the Independent (2005) article (referred to earlier); which stated that the media has a role to play in increasing fear of crime levels amongst women. However when a crosstabulation was formed which analysed the gender and how often do you read national newspapers? variables; it appears that the male respondents in the study read newspapers more regularly than the females. Table 2 (below) shows that half (6) of all male respondents read a national newspaper once a week in comparison to only 2 female respondents. It also illustrates that all of the male respondents read a newspaper at least once a month in comparison to 5 females who stated that th ey never read a newspaper. (Table 2) How often do you read national newspapers? * Are you male or female? Crosstabulation Are you male or female? Total Male Female How often do you read national newspapers? Every day 2 3 5 Several times a week 2 1 3 Once a week 6 2 8 Once a fortnight 2 0 2 Once a month 0 1 1 Never 0 5 5 Total 12 12 24 With this in mind; the statistics appear to suggest that those who are subject to newspaper articles more frequently appear to be influenced by them more in terms of fear of crime. Lichtenstein et al (1978: 575) state Fear sells. Past research by Ditton and Duffy (1983) amongst others, primarily focused upon newspaper content analysis. Some evidence was found to suggest that certain crime types; in particular violent or sexual crimes appeared continuously throughout newspapers articles. This research along with several other studies has collectively suggested that sensationalism of crime stories does occur in order to sell more copies. The questionnaire given to respondents asked them Do you think newspapers sensationalise crime stories? The pie chart above shows the overwhelming majority (91.7%) of participants felt that sensationalism does occur in British newspapers. This figure is particularly high considering that 5 out of the 24 respondents stated that they didnt read newspapers. In this case the assumption could be made that those who dont read newspapers would not be fully aware of the extent to which sensationalism appears to occur. However this statis tic confirms that this is irrelevant. In a similar manner, many newspapers (and the media in general) have been accused of creating moral panics. These accusations have especially

Comparing Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky :: Educational Psychology, cognitive development

Methods and approaches to teaching have been greatly influenced by the research of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have contributed to the field of education by offering explanations for children's cognitive learning styles and abilities. While Piaget and Vygotsky may differ on how they view cognitive development in children, both offer educators good suggestions on how to teach certain material in a developmentally appropriate manner. Piaget proposed that cognitive development from infant to young adult occurs in four universal and consecutive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Between the ages of zero and two years of age, the child is in the sensorimotor stage. It is during this stage the child experiences his or her own world through the senses and through movement. During the latter part of the sensorimotor stage, the child develops object permanence, which is an understanding that an object exists even if it is not within the field of vision (Woolfolk, A., 2004). The child also begins to understand that his or her actions could cause another action, for example, kicking a mobile to make the mobile move. This is an example of goal-directed behavior. Children in the sensorimotor stage can reverse actions, but cannot yet reverse thinking (Woolfolk, A., 2004). During a child's second and seventh year, he or she is considered to be in the preoperational stage. Piaget stated that during this stage, the child has not yet mastered the ability of mental operations. The child in the preoperational stage still does not have the ability to think through actions (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Children in this stage are considered to be egocentric, meaning they assume others share their points of view (Woolfolk, A. 2004). Because of egocentricism, children in this stage engage in collective monologues, in which each child is talking, but not interacting with the other children (Woolfolk, A. 2004). Another important aspect of the preoperational stage is the acquisition of the skill of conservation. Children understand that the amount of something remains the same even if its appearance changes (Woolfolk, A., 2004). A child in the preoperational stage would not be able to perform the famous Piagetian conservation problem of liquid and volume, because he or sh e has not yet developed reversible thinking – "thinking backward, from the end to the beginning" (Woolfolk, A., 33). Concrete operations occurs between the ages of seven to eleven years. Students in the later elementary years, according to Piaget, learn best through hands-on discovery learning, while working with tangible objects.

The European Balance :: Euros Money Finances Essays

The European Balance New Year’s Day 2002 had me in Dijon, France, where I first had possession of euros, the new common currency for 12 European nations. It was sunny out, and the automated teller machine was on the corner of a town square, where an old cathedral stood tall, peering over centuries of architectural variety. It was quite typical – very European, that is – because I felt myself on the brink of novelty amidst a haze of antiquity. It was like a stylish, young woman, donning Yves St. Laurent and swaying past the Pantheon in Paris; it was a suave Italian driving his Smart Car in front of La Scala. Europe has a penchant for surprising developments and we feel compelled to admire every swing of the Continental pendulum. At the hotel the concierge sat behind a wooden counter and methodically laid out the new coins for us to see. â€Å"500 years,† he said in a thick, French accent laden with exasperation. â€Å"[For] 500 years,† he repeated for emphasis and to finish his thought, â€Å" we have had the franc.† â€Å"To change to the euro – it is an enormous difficulty,† he told us. He shook his head while further expressing his dismay through the peculiar amalgam of a grunt and a sigh, one that can only be heard in France. Perhaps most amazingly, he managed to make this noise with a French accent. Several days later I arrived at Madrid’s Chamartin train station and I got into a taxi. After a few minutes of silence, the driver – an old man with his gray hair pulled back into a ponytail – asked me, â€Å"Pesetas [or] euros?† The whole motivation behind withdrawing euros in Dijon was to have cash immediately upon arrival in Spain; so here I was readying myself to pay for a Spanish taxi ride with money I could have just as easily used in eastern France, where I withdrew it. â€Å"Euros,† I replied to his question. â€Å"Euros,† he mocked with a snide, condescending tone. He punctuated his disgust with a slight chuckle – it was his way of telling me he did not see what the big deal was about this new currency. As far as he was concerned, the peseta was perfectly fine and the euro was an immature exercise in futility.