How Democracy Has Made A Grand Mark On Humanity Essay

The concept of democracy has made a grand mark on humanity, evolving in one of the most powerful civilizations of humankind, Ancient Greece. The perpetual idea emerged during the 6th century B. C. E., almost 2,500 years ago. Its untimely disappearance for a few thousand years gave way for various ups and downs of tyrannical and dictatorial monarchs and sovereigns. Worldwide, many states have struggled with maintaining steady political powers that consider the best interests of all of the state’s people. John Dunn addresses the history of democracy, expressing similarities and differences between modern and ancient democracy. According to Dunn, though the type of â€Å"demokracia† occurring in Ancient Athens was very different from the forms of democracy that we see in the world today, all successful democracies share similar fundamental characteristics, equality, stability, and change. A country’s past affects its future, especially within the political realm. In order to shift from a politically traditional to a more politically modern state, major crises must be underway. For efficient and effective progress to be realized, there must be changes to the customary norms of the political culture and overall political atmosphere, starting from the elites, moving down towards to citizens. Identity, leadership, and participation all must have dramatic shifts of their primary elements before a country is able to stabilize itself as a building block for a democratic government.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Postmodernism: Myths and Realities1996 Words   |  8 Pagespostmodern world--a world better explained by theories and concepts different from those of the modern world dating from the Enlightenment and before. The theories and concepts of postmodernism are widely and prominently applied in adult education. So, how do postmodernists characterize postmodernism? What are the critics critiques? Do proponents and critics agree on anything? Characterizing Postmodernism Discussing postmodernism and continuing education, Leicester (2000) writes that postmodernismRead More Columbus and the New World Discovery Essay4487 Words   |  18 Pages October 12, 1992, marks the five-hundredth anniversary of the most crucial of all encounters between Europe and the Americas. In the contemporary global mood, however, the quincentennial of Christopher Columbuss landing in the New World - new, anyway, to the European intruders; old and familiar to its inhabitants - seems an occasion less for celebration than for mediation. Indeed, in some quarters the call is for penitence and remorse. Christopher Columbus has always been as much a mythRead MoreJoseph Needham s Impact On The Historiography Of Chinese Science And Technology3648 Words   |  15 Pagesscience in China (and India, and the Middle East) was like the river that flowed into the sea of modern, universal science. Needham sought to correct pompous Eurocentric historians and glorify Chinese scientific achievements. However, his guiding â€Å"Grand Question† (or â€Å"Needham Question†) maintained a Western looking comparative framework: â€Å"Why did modern science, the mathematization of hypotheses about Nature, with all its implications for advanced technology, take its meteoric rise only in the WestRead MoreTheories Of Historical And Social Foundations Of Education2122 Words   |  9 Pagescurrently happening in society. The educational system has changed so much since the birth of the American educational system and there have been many influential thinkers who have had a hand in the crea tion in the structuring of the educational institution. Throughout this paper there will be several philosophical leaders whose themes will support the best learning environments and curriculums for students. This paper will also address how to continue to serve God in a secular world without havingRead MoreDevelopment And Proliferation Of The European Union2681 Words   |  11 Pagesglobal community sharing common values and beliefs, but which also exchanges information and knowledge. Modernization gave stimulus to the development and proliferation of intercultural communication methods, thus enabling humanity to situate itself on the threshold of a unified grand society. Albeit internationalization can be rendered both in dichotomous terms, as well as by means of binary oppositions (traditional values vs. modern ones and globality vs. locality), it all amounts to a combinationRead MoreChristian Ethics in a Postmodern World Essay example6531 Words   |  27 PagesPostmodernity Since Federico de Onis’s use of the term ‘postmodernismo’ to describe the Spanish and Latin-American poetry of 1905-1914 which had reacted against the ‘excess’ of modernism in 1934, (Rose 1991: 171) â€Å"Postmodernism† became very popular. It has been used in the fields of art (Christo-Bakargiev 1987), architecture (Pevsner 1967), literature (Hassan 1971), video, economics, films (James 1991), ideology (Larrain 1994: 90-118), theology (Tilley at al 1995), and philosophy (Griffin et al 1993)Read MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesGovernment Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons 3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have aRead MoreThe Rise of Cultural Exceptionalism4803 Words   |  20 Pageselectric chair, has only reluctantly turned to other methods of execution to conform to the U.S. Constitutions prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Yet when Americas Western allies tell it that the U.S. system of capital punishment is barbaric, local politicians and courts reply that it is their way and no one elses business. Which is precisely what the Taliban say. This is not to indulge in what Jeane Kirkpatrick, a former U.S. permanent representative to the U.N., has called the sinRead More Citizenship and The French Revolution Essay7066 Words   |  29 PagesCitizenship and The French Revolution The French Revolution of 1789 changed the meaning of the word â€Å"revolution.† Prior to this year, revolution meant restoring a previous form of government that had been taken away. Since then, revolution has meant creating a new institution of government that did not previously exist. This required that a constitution be drafted. After a series of four mini-revolutions from May to July, the â€Å"Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen† was released on theRead Morerhetorical analysis of obamas political speeches5660 Words   |  23 Pagesrelationships of causality and determination between (a) discursive practice, events and texts, and (b) wider social and cultural structures, relations and processes; to investigate how such practices, events and texts arise out of and are ideologically shaped by relations of power and struggles over power; and to explore how the opacity of these relationships between discourse and society is itself a factor securing power and hegemony. It should be noted that the relationship is bi-directional.

Essay on Cell Phone Use Should be Banned While Driving

You are driving down the road in your brand new Cadillac Escalade. The sky is bright blue without a cloud in the sky. Your phone rings and you answer it. You start talking and get deeply involved in the conversation. Before you know it, you just ran a red light and get side swiped by a school bus. Your life is now upside down. Finally, you are able to pull yourself out of your new Escalade with no injury. However, a few of the students have been injured and one killed. Now you have to live with that for the rest of your life. This is a prime example of cell phone distraction. Therefore, all cell phone usage in vehicles should be prohibited throughout the United States. Many people have invested in hands-free headsets for their†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, a good alternative to prevent cell phone distraction would be to put the phone in the glove compartment. Relevant phone messages can always be retrieved after you arrive at your destination. Some people might say that banning cell phone usage while driving is similar to banning a person from tuning the radio or lighting a cigarette while driving. Tuning the radio or lighting a cigarette does not require deep concentration for most people. Many people are not placing phone calls without relevant reasons. Several thought processes such as decision-making, calculation, and rationalization are used while making a phone call. Another argument that proponents of cell phone use while driving utilize is â€Å"everyone does it.† Although this statement might be true of some drivers, it is not true of all vehicle operators. Responsible drivers do exist who realize that cell phone conversation can wait until they arrive at their destinations. Another point is that those who possess poor judgement will continue to use poor judgement regardless of what situation they are involved. This view may be accurate; however, banning cell phone use while driving will eventually lower the overall car accident rates throughout the United States. Several taxpayers might imply that police salary rates would increase as a result of focusing our law enforcement on cell phone abuse, and this could culminate in escalatingShow MoreRelatedSpeech Outline: Use of Cell Phones Should be Banned While Driving623 Words   |  3 PagesOutline Topic: Why Banning the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Should Be Mandatory Nationwide. General Purpose: To save lives, up to 3,000 a year in America, by reducing the number of car accidents. Specific Purpose: Keep drivers attention on the road, where it belongs. Central idea: Cell phone use while driving a vehicle should be banned nationwide because it distracts drivers and thereby causes accidents. Introduction Key point #1: Use of cell phones has proliferated to the extent thatRead MoreEssay about Cell Phone Use While Driving should be Banned in all States546 Words   |  3 PagesCell Phone Use While Driving should be Banned in all States Imagine you are driving down the road and you begin to notice the car in front of you is swerving. You start to wonder if the driver may be under the influence; you keep a close watch on the car, but keep your distance for safety precautions. All of a sudden the driver slams on their brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian and you end up rear-ending them. Later you discover that the driver was texting on their phone and almost hit the pedestrianRead MoreStop the Use of Cell Phones While Driving854 Words   |  4 Pages13 2013 Many people driving don’t know that they can be so many wrongs they can be doing without realizing it. Plenty talk on the phone while driving, drink, text and drive. A lot of people even innocent people as well have had accidents involving one of those. Out of the three there has been one that has become more common, and it’s only increasing if people don’t put a stop to it themselves. A usage of a cell phone should not be displayed at any point while driving. It can wait many have hadRead MoreEssay on Get Off The Phone!!! While Driving...584 Words   |  3 Pagesfor cell phone banning. One of the worst train accidents in U.S history occurred when a conductor exchanged text messages on his phone while operating the train. People in the United States are often pulled over for cell phone use and cited. This issue has sparked big controversy with lawmakers. The use of a cell phone is not the only distraction while driving but it is known that it could potentially cause disaster like discussed above. The result of this has caused many states to outlaw cell phoneRead MoreCell Phone Dangers While Driving1046 Words   |  5 PagesCell-Phone Dangers While Driving Introduction Today, we use our cell phones for just about anything and everything to include; texting, talking to our loved ones, and connecting with the rest of the world via social media. Cell phones have become a natural way of life to where we pick up our phones and use them like second nature. However, the dangers present themselves when we get behind the wheel of a car and carry these habits of cell phone addictions with us. If all states ban the use of cellRead MoreDangers Of Cell Phones1241 Words   |  5 PagesEven though cell phones can be used as navigators and for quick communication. They can still lead us to car crashes and death departures in families. In most cases, cell phones being the chief culprit. Cell phone use in the car can cause brain distractions, addiction towards drivers and deteriorate driving skills. Altogether these reasons show that cell phone usage should be banned while driving, in order to prevent death and unnecessary trauma. Firstly, cell phones should be banned because theyRead MoreCell Phone Use While Driving1114 Words   |  5 PagesToday, we use our cell phones for just about anything and everything to include; texting, talking to our loved ones, and connecting with the rest of the world via social media. Cell phones have become a natural way of life to where we pick up our phones and use them like second nature. However, the dangers present themselves when we get behind the wheel of a car and carry these habits of cell phone addictions with us. If all states ban the use of cell phones while driving, then there would be a reducedRead MoreCell Phone Use While Driving990 Words   |  4 Pages Cell phones are integral to people’s lives in Canada because they are vital communication and entertainment tools. However, the use of cell phones has remained contentious, because texting and talking on the phone are associated with distracted driving. Distracted driving is, â€Å"defined as the diversi on of attention away from activities critical for safe driving toward a competing activity† (Klauer, Guo, Simons-Morton, Ouimet, Lee Dingus, 2013, p. 55). Although distracted driving is also associatedRead MoreCell Phone Use While Driving1503 Words   |  7 Pagesforth over the lines or driving at very inconsistent speeds. You wonder what could possibly be causing the driver to drive so erratically. Is the driver drunk? Is the driver preoccupied with eating his or her lunch? Is the driver busy attending children in the backseat? Once you pull along the side you realize that was not the case, instead you notice the driver has a cellular telephone up to her or his ear chatting away, or even worse you pass and see the driver holding a phone texting, you pass byRead MorePersuasive Essay on Cell Phone Driving1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe use of cell phones in drivers have been linked too frequently in accidents. There are too many distractions in life as it is, are we so arrogant to think that we are such amazing drivers that we can do several things at once? Most accidents involving cell phones wouldn t have happened if the driver wasn t distracted. When we drive that should be the only activity we are doing. Posted by: Gri5Helpful Report Post Like Reply 0 0 Cell phone usage while driving

International Journal Operations Production-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The International Journal Operations Production? Answer: Introducation The mission of the start-up company is to launch a fruit shop for the students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA, in order to serve them with fresh fruits (Blank 2013). The company also has the mission of incorporating innovation and presenting the fruits in a tasty and healthy way. Team structure The team of 5 people are needed to start the business. The flow of supply of fresh fruits has to be ensured, by taking quotations from various suppliers and choosing the best one. The initial investment of 15000$ are needed. The breakups are as follows: Rent: 5000$ Suppliers: 4000$ Wages to the employees: 3000$ Inventory and stationeries: 3000$ Automated information system will be used for accounting and billing. Customers and strategies to attract customers The customers are mainly the students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA. Since the shop is opened inside the campus, hence the best suppliers needs to chosen. The main strategies that the start-up business will take up are the low cost and discounted price, yet fresh fruits, served with innovation. Since the target customers are the students, hence low price strategy is the best and most appropriate strategy, with incorporation of innovation. Competitors The main competitor is Woolworths. However, the price of the fruits are high at Woolworths, hence the start-up business is not able to receive high competition from Woolworths. The red ocean strategy for the company is to focus on the students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA (Wapshott 2014). The blue ocean strategy of Woolworths is to expand in the Asian market and venture into unknown zones. Mintzbergs 5P Plan- Plan for setting up the business Ploy- Keeping the price low Pattern- The pattern is to provide fresh fruit at a low price Position- Fresh fruits for the students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA Perceptive- Develop a brand image Generic strategy suitable for the business The cost leadership generic strategy will be used by the start-up business. This will ensure that the company will grow steadily. McKinseys Seven Degree of Freedom for growth Maximising existing customers- High discounts given to the customers Attracting new customers- High discounts given (Brooks et al. 2014) Innovation of the products- Fresh fruits being sold with innovation Innovation of value-delivery system- Ensure timely supply Improving industry structure- Ensuring working of all the components Geographical expansion- The Company is not focusing on geographical expansion Stepping out into new business- Since it is a start-up, hence venturing into new business is not done. Components of IT strategies The database management and the accounting system are the major IT strategies that are to be taken up by the start-up company. High-level enterprise architecture The Open group architecture framework could be used as a high level architecture for the start-up business of selling fresh fruits. This architecture is useful for ensuring successful setup of the business. Minimum expected cost to purchase The minimum expected cost of the purchase and setting up, estimated to be $15,000. This includes the cost for renting the shop why the fruits rich source along with paying wages to the employees, purchasing from the suppliers and for inventory and stationery management. The inventory and stationery includes the computer system with advanced database and accounting system alarm with other stationeries are the required for setting up the fruit stall. Reasons for failure of the strategies If the strategy taken up for the business fails in the next 12 months the probable reasons include the lack of planning, lack of adequate market research,lack of steady flow of capital, in experience in the field of business or any other unforeseen reason (Hartmann et al. 2016). Simons seven questions Customers- The students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA Core values- Selling fresh fruit Critical performances- Fresh fruits at low price Strategic boundaries- Planning and market analysis (Mullins 2013) Creative tension- Innovation in processing and serving the fruits Commit- Committed to serve fresh fruits at low price to the students of Mawson Lake campus of UniSA Strategic uncertainties- Threat from rivals Operaion governance mechanism for: Budget and expenses- efficient financial controller Availability of services during extended hours- well trained and diligent employees Suppliers- quality control mechanism References Blank, S., 2013. Why the lean start-up changes everything.Harvard business review,91(5), pp.63-72. Brooks, G., Heffner, A. and Henderson, D., 2014. A SWOT analysis of competitive knowledge from social media for a small start-up business.The Review of Business Information Systems (Online),18(1), p.23. Hartmann, P.M., Hartmann, P.M., Zaki, M., Zaki, M., Feldmann, N., Feldmann, N., Neely, A. and Neely, A., 2016. Capturing value from big dataa taxonomy of data-driven business models used by start-up firms.International Journal of Operations Production Management,36(10), pp.1382-1406. Mullins, J., 2013.The New Business Road Test: What entrepreneurs and executives should do before launching a lean start-up. Pearson UK. Wapshott, R., 2014. Book review: Resourcing the start-up business: Creating dynamic entrepreneurial learning capabilities.International Small Business Journal,32(4), pp.473-474.

Teen Pregnancy Essays - Human Development, Midwifery, Ageing

Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy & Parenting You sit there tense, your face is turning cherry red, your eyes are fixed on the little white machine, and you feel like the suspense is killing you, two minutes seem like forever. All of the sudden you see a ?+.? You're 15 and pregnant. What are you going to do now? Jessica Inhoff, a junior at Grant, tells us what she did when she found out she was pregnant with her son last year. She said that she was overly surprised and didn't know what to do. She didn't want to have to be there when her parents found out, so she just left a note on the table and went to work. Luckily for her, her parents were remarkably supportive, and still help her out as much as they can with her son. Her mother watches Kyle every day while she is at school, and will baby-sit one night a week, so Jessica can go out and still be a kid. According to the Oregon Health Division, during 1997 in Multnomah County, 654 girls between the ages of 10 and 17 got pregnant and kept their babies. Between 1974 and 1998 pregnancy for teens between the ages 15 and 19 increased by 200 percent. Also once the babies are born to teen mothers they are more than twice as likely to have a lower birth weight than those born to older mothers, which can cause major health risks. It makes babies more likely to die within the first 2 days of life. All those unwanted pregnancies among teens cost U.S. taxpayers almost 7 billion each year. One question you should ask yourself before you decide to have sex is; Am I ready to be a mother or a father? If you can answer yes to all the questions below, you are ready to go out Saturday night and decide by having sex with them, to tell your boyfriend/girlfriend, ?Hey honey, I want us to have a baby!? 1. Could I handle a baby and a job at the same time? Would I have enough time and energy for both? 2. How would a child interfere with my growth and development? Would I finish school and would I be able to go to college and get the career I want while caring for a child? 3. Can I afford to support a child? Do I know how much it takes to raise a child? 4. Am I willing to give a great part of my life ? at least 18 years ? to being responsible for a child? And spend a large portion of my life concerned with my child's well being? 5. Do I like doing things with children? Do I enjoy activities that children can do? Do I like cleaning up children's messes and do I want to have a child around me 24-7? 6. What do I do when I get angry or upset? Would I take things out on my child if I lost my temper? 7. Could my partner and I give a child a good home? Is our relationship a happy and strong one? Do we want to have to be connected for the reast of our lives, until death do us part? As Leslie Clark, an alumnus from Grant, figured out, having a baby and being in high school is a hard job. She had to skip the last couple months of her senior year to have her baby, which put her behind a year and not able to graduate with her class. She had a hard time raising her son Allyn on her own for the first five years, but luckily after that she and Allyn's dad started dating again, and ended up getting married. Seventeen years have now passed, and she is a happily married certified public accountant. Jessica Inhoff is now experiencing the responsibilities of being a teen mother, which she says, are ?endless.? A normal day goes like this for Jessica; she gets up at 6, after being awake half the night (with her son's wake up calls at 12:30 and 3 A.M.), and goes to school. She goes through six rigorous classes and then leaves during seventh period to go

Personality Traits and Study Habits

Personality Traits and Study Habits We all like to take tests that tell us something about ourselves. There are many assessment tools available online that are based on Carl Jungs and Isabel Briggs Myers typology assessments. These tests can tell you a little more about your personality and personal preferences, and may provide insight into how to make the most of your study time. The widely-recognized and popular Jung and Briggs Myers typology tests are used by professionals in the workplace quite often to determine how and why people work, but also how individuals work together. This information can be valuable for students, as well. The results of the typology test are a set of specific letters that represent personality types. The sixteen possible combinations include variations of the letters I for introversion, E for extroversion, S for sensing, N for intuition, T for thinking, F for feeling, J for judging, and P for perceiving. For example, if you are an ISTJ type, you are an introvert, sensing, thinking, judging person. Please note: These words will mean something different from your traditional understanding. Dont be surprised or offended if they dont seem to fit. Just read the descriptions of the traits. Your Traits and Your Study Habits Individual traits make you special, and your special traits affect how you study, work with others, read, and write. The traits listed below, as well as the comments that follow, may shed some light on the way you study and complete your homework tasks. Extroversion If you are an extrovert, you tend to be comfortable in a group setting. You should not have trouble finding a study partner or working in groups, but you might experience a personality clash with another group member. If you are too outgoing, you could rub somebody the wrong way. Keep that enthusiasm in check. You might tend to skip over parts of a textbook that are boring to you. This can be dangerous. Slow down and re-read things if you realize youre skimming over parts. Take the time to plan any essays that you write. You will want to jump in and write without an outline. It will be a struggle, but you will need to plan more before jumping into a project. Introversion Introverts can be less comfortable when it comes to speaking in class or working in groups. If this sounds like you, just remember this: introverts are experts at analyzing and reporting. You will have great things to say because you will take the time to ponder and analyze things. The fact that you are making a good contribution and you tend to over-prepare should bring you comfort and make you more relaxed. Every group needs a thoughtful introvert to keep them on track. You tend to be more of a planner, so your writing is normally pretty organized. As for reading, you may tend to get stuck on a concept you dont understand. Your brain will want to stop and process. This just means you should take extra time for reading. It also means that your comprehension is likely above average. Sensing The sensing individual is comfortable with physical facts. If you are a sensing personality, you are good at putting puzzle pieces together, which is a good trait to have when conducting research. Sensing individuals trust concrete evidence, but they are skeptical of things that cant be easily proven. This makes some disciplines more challenging when results and conclusions are based on feelings and impressions. Literature analysis is an example of a subject that might challenge a sensing person. Intuition A person with intuition as a trait tends to interpret things based on the emotions they evoke. For example, the intuitive student will be comfortable writing a character analysis because personality traits become evident through the feelings they give us. Stingy, creepy, warm, and childish are personality traits that an intuitive could identify with little effort. An extreme intuitive may be more comfortable in a literature or art class than in a science class. But intuition is valuable in any course. Thinking The terms thinking and feeling in the Jung typology system have to do with the things you consider most when making a decision. Thinkers tend to focus on facts without letting their own personal feelings impact their decisions. For example, a thinker who is required to write about the death penalty will consider the statistical data about crime deterrents instead of considering the emotional toll of the crime. The thinker would not tend to consider the impact of a crime on family members as much as a feeler. If you are a thinker writing an argument essay, it might be worthwhile to stretch outside your comfort zone to focus on feelings a little more. Feeler Feelers can make decisions based on emotions, and this can be dangerous when it comes to proving a point in a debate or a research paper. Feelers may find statistics to be boring, but they must overcome the urge to argue or debate on emotional appeal alone- data and evidence are important. Extreme feelers will be excellent at writing response papers and art reviews. They may be challenged when writing science project process papers.

Starting a Historical Fiction Series †A Reedsy Success Story

Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Starting a Historical Fiction Series – A Reedsy Success Story Author R.P. Wollbaum is another example of the tremendous opportunity that indie-publishing represents for writers. He self-published his first book in 2015 and is now working on book 5 of his Bears and Eagles series. He has found his editor and cover designer through Reedsy and has been working with them ever since. His story is quite nice, so we thought we'd let him share it on our blog.I have always been interested in history. As a young lad, I used to listen to the old-timers talk about the old country. There were still a few around that had been born in what they called Russia, now called Ukraine, and they talked about life there. They also talked about life in their new home, Canada and how there had been literally nothing but open sky and prairie when they had arrived. They even told stories they had heard from  their grandfather about life in the ‘Old Country’, and the struggles they faced to make a life for themselves.I had always had an interest in writing. B ut writing things in longhand - my handwriting is terrible- then transcribing them by typewriter was a pain and any hope of finding someone to publish your work was almost impossible. So it was just an infrequent hobby for me.Then life in Canada changed and our young men and women were once again losing their lives in war. This time in Afghanistan and a young man serving as a member of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment lost his life. Most of us in Canada know of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Battalion. Albertans know about the Lord Strathcona Horse (an armored brigade), and Calgarians know about the Calgary Highlanders. They are all famous Canadian regiments. But the King’s Own Calgary Regiment? Who were they?So I researched this little-known cavalry brigade and thought to myself, what led this young man from a country not known for its military history, to join a reserve reconnaissance battalion? A plotline developed and I worked backwa rd in time to come to a starting point in the late nineteenth century when things were much like they are today, but I definitely still needed to do some worldbuilding. Huge Imperial Empires were dueling over land and prestige. Islamic fundamentalists were fighting to expand their territories and Christians were fighting them.I placed a young educated man, Russian born to German emigrants and his younger brother in a Cossack battalion along with other younger sons of other German families and progressed from there. Each book of the Bears and Eagles series follows the next generation of this family and I place them in times and events that did occur, but perhaps not exactly how or when.The explosion of indie-produced writers made the decision to publish easy, and I made a choice early on to obtain professional help for editing and book cover design. I had enough budget to edit two novels and one book cover. So I published Bears and Eagles, the first book in the series. It was well re ceived for a first effort by an unknown author.My original cover was eye-catching, but its retro art was not particularly suited to my theme. That is when I discovered Reedsy and the services they provided. I chose Dane Low to be my cover artist. Not only was he easy to work with, but I thought his addition of a battle scene into the background of the design was masterful. He is my choice as cover artist for the rest of the series.The original editor I had hired did a good job, but there were mistakes. So I again looked to Reedsy for help. I am a guy. I write for guys, but I have many powerful female characters in my novels, and I made the decision to find a female editor to work with. Kate O’Donnell and I came to an agreement for an editorial assessment of Eagles Claw and right away we had a connection. I take most of what she wants me to do to heart. Although we speak the same language, we have different cultures and usages of language that have to be ironed out at times. S he is Australian, I’m not, and my target market is North American males; but we are able to compromise, both of us being a little quirky and offbeat in our own ways.She was my sole choice for Eagles Talon, the third release of the series. She performed the whole editing process for me and did fantastic work. My work is now being noticed, even though I only first published last June. Kobo has recently asked me to participate in a pilot project they are putting together that may see my hard copies distributed with the Indigo chain. Kate is about to do an editorial assessment of the fifth novel in the series, and I am about to begin rewrites on book four, for which she did everything - from an editorial assessment to a full and substantial copy edit.I have expanded my distribution beyond Amazon and Kobo and have found that other sales channels, for me, sell as well or better than Amazon.  My Reedsy experience has been fantastic. Soon I will be searching for a marketing profess ional to join my team and will be looking to Reedsy once again.My journey continues.You can check out R.P. Wollbaum's Bears and Eagles series on Amazon here.  As always, feel free to leave any questions for R.P. Wollbaum in the comments below. And if you're ready to follow his example and looking for an editor, designer, or marketer, take a look at Reedsy here!

Quality1a Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quality1a - Essay Example W. Edwards Deming is an authority of the quality management movement. He came up with the cycle of improvement known as the ‘Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA). Edwards created this cycle to assist organizations to plan protocols through which they can develop quality services in health care. Through PDSA, healthcare organizations will first identify areas that require improvements, and then form plans to better develop these areas. In the ‘do’ phase, the plans are then tested; after which they analyze and interpret performance statistics in the ‘study’ phase. If the changes being enacted lead to improvement, they will then be implemented in the ‘act’ stage. There are other additional foundational frameworks that are addressed in the implementation of QI in different sectors. Each of them function as quantitative parameters for evaluating progress in health related matters such as the decrease in maternal deaths in childbirth, immunization rates, and the number of physicians that are available to serve given numbers of patients.  According to Leischow & Milstein (2006) FOCUS PDCA, API, ISO 9000, Baldrige Criteria, Lean, and Six Sigma, are additional frameworks that are employed in the improvement of healthcare quality. Why do various health care stakeholders define the quality of care differently? Quality is defined in different ways by various healthcare stakeholders. This is due to the fact that health care quality deals with intricate aspects of care from several perspectives. Quality can be measured through the character of the results that are gotten after implementing new outcomes or may be determined through process, in how health care is delivered to patients. Essentially, the definition of quality relies on the person that is describing the quality. Healthcare providers, such as nurses, will have a different definition from healthcare researchers, for instance. On the other hand, government officials working in t he healthcare sector will define quality in a different way from patients who receive the end product of treatment. What are the roles of various clinicians and patients in QI? Stakeholders in the healthcare sector who stand to benefit in different ways from the implementation of quality improvement include medical practitioners, patients, contractors, government official who work in the healthcare sector, and various healthcare organizations. These stakeholders have significant roles in contributing towards the implementation of quality improvement (Lee, 2007). For patients, quality improvement is important because it affects their chances of getting the best treatment.  Medical care providers, on the other hand, care for quality improvement because their tasks and responsibilities will be simplified if processes of improvement are implemented in their facilities. For instance, the implementation of quality processes will allow them to be able to easily monitor the spread of dise ases in the public. The payers like Medicaid and Medicare, on the other hand, make it possible for the medical provider to develop quality by means of incentives that support quality improvement. Healthcare organizations  can contribute towards the development of performance measures and standards that update the processes involved in quality improvemen

Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Strategy - Essay Example 8), Hershey’s marketing strategy has been predicated on consistently superior product quality, intensive distribution and best possible value in terms of price and weight (p. 207). With a vision to continuously provide premium quality confectionary goods to its customers, Hershey became the market leader with a market share of 29%. Hershey’s selling and marketing organization is comprised of Hershey North America, Hershey international and global marketing groups. Hershey International markets its products worldwide and has responsibility for pursuing growth in other countries focusing mainly in Asian growing markets like India and China. The global marketing group is responsible for building global brands, developing transformational growth platforms, brand positioning and pricing strategies. Hershey has been approaching various methods in order to gain competitive advantages on its counterparts like MARS, Cadbury and Nestle. It has been operating business worldwide with various strategies that helped them to be strong in most markets like India. Taylor (1997) emphasized that Hershey had been using a range of strategies to penetrate the international confectionary markets and it had always relied heavily on direct exports to smaller markets and had participated in the processes of acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing agreements and strategic alliances of various kinds (p. 344). Acquisition of major market players has been considered to be an effective strategy in order to gain access in to global market. Accessing in to a global market like confectionary is extremely vulnerable, especially when the competition within the marketplace is fierce, the technological innovations put forward by companies are highly advanced and strategies are constantly fluctuating. But, through acquisition and mergers, the company can gain the advantages of easy access and effective marketing operations with the help of acquisitioned firms as they are well aware of the market

Management Study Guide Essay Example for Free

Management Study Guide Essay Commanding Heights: Episode 3 (Chapters 11-14); available at online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/story/index.html With communism discredited, more and more nations harness their fortunes to the global free-market. China, Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America all compete to attract the developed worlds investment capital, and tariff barriers fall. In the United States Republican and Democratic administrations both embrace unfettered globalization over the objections of organized labor. But as new technology and ideas drive profound economic change, unforeseen events unfold. A Mexican economic meltdown sends the Clinton administration scrambling. Internet-linked financial markets, unrestricted capital flows, and floating currencies drive levels of speculative investment that dwarf trade in actual goods and services. Fueled by electronic capital and a global workforce ready to adapt, entrepreneurs create multinational corporations with valuations greater than entire national economies. When huge pension funds go hunting higher returns in emerging markets, enterprise flourishes where poverty once ruled, but risk grows, too. In Thailand the huge reservoir of available capital proves first a blessing, then a curse. Soon all Asia is engulfed in an economic crisis, and financial contagion spreads throughout the world, until Wall Street itself is threatened. A single global market is now the central economic reality. As the force of its effects is felt, popular unease grows. Is the system just too complex to be controlled, or is it an insiders game played at outsiders expense? New centers of opposition to globalization form and the debate turns violent over who will rewrite the rules. Yet prosperity continues to spread with the expansion of trade, even as the gulf widens further between rich and poor. Imbalances too dangerous for the system to ignore now drive its stakeholders to devise new means to include the dispossessed lest, once again, terrorism and war destroy the stability of a deeply interconnected world. The Bush Bailout Plan (Rounds 1 and 2) Round 1: Allow the Treasury to borrow up to $700 billion to buy mortgage-related assets from US financial institutions over the next 2 years. –May stabilize the capital markets ( could protect investment and retirement funds) – MAY stabilize housing prices. Consequences of doing nothing: -Small businesses will fail. -Companies may not be able to make payroll -People, even those with good credit records, may not be able to get credit for mortgages, car loans, student loans, or credit cards. -People will lose jobs. Round 2: Same deal: with same possible benefits. House version of the bill: $350 billion upfront; $350 billion later unless congress holds it back. -NO new golden parachutes if the institution sells more than $300 million in assets -Must try to â€Å"claw back† past bonuses if based on misleading financial statements -No golden parachutes when the treasury has ownership stake in the firm (.ie., it is failing). Defined Contribution Retirement Plans – A defined contribution plan provides an individual account for each participant. The benefits are based on the amount contributed into the plan and are also affected by income, expenses, gains and loses. There are no promises of a set monthly benefit at retirement. Some examples of defined contribution plans include 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, employee stock ownership plans and profit sharing plans. Contagion The tendency to spread, as of a doctrine, influence, or emotional state. When one nations economy is negatively affected because of changes in the asset PRICES of another country’s financial market Foreign Direct Investment – Is when a firm invests resources in facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country. Horizontal FDI versus Vertical FDI Horizontal FDI: investment in the same industry in which a firm operates at home. Vertical FDI: investment in an industry that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic operations or that sells the outputs of the firm’s domestic operations. Backward Vertical FDI versus Forward Vertical FDI- Backward vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that provides inputs for a firm’s domestic production processes. Forward Vertical FDI: an investment in an industry abroad that sells the outputs of a firm’s domestic production processes. BACKWARD vertical means that there are more places to help build the product. Stock versus Flow of FDI – Stock flow is the total accumulated value. Flow of FDI is the value over time. Gross Fixed Capital Formation GFCF is a flow value. It is usually defined as the total value of additions to fixed assets by resident producer enterprises, less disposals of fixed assets during the quarter or year, plus additions to the value of non-produced assets (such as discoveries of mineral deposits, or land improvements). Greenfield Investment – Establishing a new operation Acquisition – When one firm buys an interest in another firm Merger – When two firms agree to integrate their operations on a relatively co-equal basis. Exporting – The sale of products produced in one country to residents of another country Licensing – when one firm (the licensor) grants the right to produce its product, use its production processes, or use its brand name or trademark to another firm (the licensee) Tacit versus Codified Knowledge – Tacit knowledge: information that is intuitive and difficult to articulate or codify in writing. (Can be gained through personal experience or interaction. Shared knowledge might be dispersed throughout the company.) Theoretical Explanations for FDI: Transportation Costs, Market Imperfections, Strategic Behavior, Product Life Cycle, and Location-Specific Advantages Impediments to the Sale of Know-How Impediments to the sale of know-how explain why firms prefer horizontal FDI to licensing. These impediments arise when: (a) a firm has valuable know-how that cannot be adequately protected by a licensing contract, (b) a firm needs tight control over a foreign entity to maximize its market share and earnings in that country, and (c) a firms skills and know-how are not amenable to licensing. Multi-Point Competition Arises when two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets, or industries. The Radical, Free Market and Pragmatic Nationalism Views of FDI Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Host Country – Resource transfer effects, employment effects, balance of payments effects, effect on competition and economic growth. Host country benefits from initial capital inflow when MNC establishes businessFINANCIAL CREDIT Host country benefits if FDI substitutes for imports of goods and servicesCURRENT ACCOUN TCREDIT Host country benefits when MNC uses its foreign subsidiary to export to other countriesCredit on CURRENT ACCOUNT Resource-Transfer Effects: Capital, Technology and Management Employment Effects: Direct, Indirect, Substitution, and Acquisition Restructuring – -Mergers and acquisitions are quicker to execute. -Foreign firms have valuable strategic assets that would be risky and time consuming to develop. -Acquiring firm believes it can use its core competencies to increase the efficiency of the acquired firm. Balance-of-Payments Effects of FDI for the Home and Host Countries – Home country – The balance of payments account is improved by the inward flow of repatriated earnings. The balance of payments account is improved if the foreign subsidiary needs home country equipment, component parts, etc. National Sovereignty Sovereignty is the exclusive right to control a government, a country, a people, or oneself. A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority. Benefits and Costs of FDI for a Home Country – Balance of payments effects, employment effects. Home Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Outward FDI – Restrict: Limits on capital outflows, tax incentives to invest at home, Nation-specific prohibitions Encourage: Foreign Risk Insurance, Capital Assista nce, Tax Incentives to Invest Abroad, Political Pressure. Host Country Policies to Encourage and Restrict Inward FDI – Restrict: Ownership Restraints Encourage: To gain from the resource-transfer and employment effects of FDI, to capture FDI away from other potential host locations. Performance Requirements – An expectation placed on a foreign direct thingy requiring them to do certain things like having some local employees. Basically, this puts restrictions on them like local production requirements. Regional Economic Integration –refers to agreements among countries in a geographic region to reduce and ultimately remove, tariff and non-tariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production between each other. Levels of Economic Integration: Free Trade Area: Remove internal Barriers Customs Union: Common External Barriers Common Market: Free Movement of Factors Economic Union: Common Economic Policy Political Union: Political Integration The Case for and the Case against Regional Integration â €“ For: Increases world production, stimulates growth, regional economic integration can provide additional gains from free trade beyond the international agreements such as GATT and TWO. Against: a regional trade agreement is beneficial only if it creates more trade than it diverts. Impediments to Regional Integration – Nation as a whole may benefit but certain groups within countries may be hurt. Concerns about loss of national sovereignty and control over the nation’s sovereignty and control over the nations monetary, fiscal and trade policies. Trade Creation versus Trade Diversion – When an inefficient non member nation replaces an efficient member nation (NAFTA). Like Mexico replacing China in the textile business. Creation: occurs when free trade leads to the substitution of inefficient domestic production for efficient production in another member country. Diversion: Occurs when efficient non-member production is replaced by inefficient production by a member nation as a result of high trade barriers for non-members. The European Union (EU) – is composed of 27 member countries, covers an area of 4 million square kilometers and has approximately 460 million inhabitants. The EU’s member states combined represent the world’s largest economy by GDP, the seventh largest territory in the world by area and the third largest by population. Political Structure of the European Union: European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Parliament and Court of Justice Optimal Currency Area In economics, an optimum currency area (OCA), also known as an optimal currency region (OCR), is a geographical region in which it would maximize economic efficiency to have the entire region share a single currency. It describes the optimal characteristics for the merger of currencies or the creation of a new currency. Copenhagen Criteria – are the rules that define whether a nation is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a nation have the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, a functioning market economy, and that the nation accept the obligations and intent of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU) with amendments to the Treaty on European Union (TEU, Maastricht) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC, Rome), the latter being renamed Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in the process. The stated aim of the treaty is to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Pros and Cons of NAFTA – Pros: Labor intensive industries move to Mexico, resulting in better resource allocation, Mexico gets investment and employment, increased Mexican income to buy US/Canadian goods, demand for goods increases jobs, consumers get lower prices. Cons: Loss of jobs to Mexico for people who don’t have other employment options, Mexican firms have to compete against efficient US/Canadian firms, environmental degradation, loss of national sovereignty. The Andean Community The Andean Community is mainly a trade block formerly called the Andean Group (Grupo Andino, in Spanish) which saw light after the Andean Pact (Pacto Andino) or more formally the Cartagena Agreement (Acuerdo de Cartagena) was signed in 1969, in Cartagena (Colombia). Mercado Comà ºn del Sur (MERCOSUR) Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuala. Was originally envisioned as a common market but has yet to reach that goal. Critics contend the agreement results in more trade diversion than trade creation as a result of the high external tariffs. Free Trade Area of the Americas –was a proposal to expand NAFTA to include all countries in the Western Hemisphere, except Cuba. This region has 850 million people and a $13.5 trillion economy. Talks are stalled and stronger support would be needed by the USA and Brazil for this agreement to become a reality. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) / ASEAN Free Trade Area – Indonesia, Malaysia , Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Total population of 500 million, GDP of US $740 billion, and a total trade of US $720 billion A free trade area among some of the nations exists, but several nations are refusing to lower all tariffs. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – Founded in 1990 to promote open trade and economic cooperation. Currently has 21 members including the United States, Japan and China. Members account for 57% of the world’s GNP and 46% of global trade. Despite little progress, it could potentially become the world’s largest free trade area. Fiscal versus Monetary Policy Market economies have regular fluctuations in the level of economic activity which we call the business cycle. It is convenient to think of the business cycle as having three phases. The first phase is expansion when the economy is growing along its long term trends in employment, output, and income. But at some point the economy will overheat, and suffer rising prices and interest rates, until it reaches a turning point a peak and turn downward into a recession (the second phase). Recessions are usually brief (six to nine months) and are marked by falling employment, output, income, prices, and interest rates. Most significantly, recessions are marked by rising unemployment. The economy will hit a bottom point a trough and rebound into a strong recovery (the third phase). The recovery will enjoy rising employment, output, and income while unemployment will fall. The recovery will gradually slow down as the economy once again assumes its long term growth trends, and the recovery will transform into an expansion. Foreign Exchange Market –a market for converting the currency of one country into the currency of another. Exchange Rate – the rate at which one currency is converted into another. Foreign Exchange Risk – the risk of an investment’s value changing due to changes in the currency exchange rates. Arbitrage – the purchase of a product in one market for immediate resale in a second market in order to profit from a price d iscrepancy. Currency Speculation – short-term movement of funds from one currency to another in hopes of profiting from shifts in exchange rates. Spot Exchanges –the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer would convert one currency to into another currency on that day. Forward Exchanges – the exchange rate at which a foreign exchange dealer will agree to convert one currency into another currency on a specific date in the future. Hedging: Forward Contracts versus Options Selling on a Discount versus Selling at a Premium Currency Swaps A currency swap (or cross currency swap) is a foreign exchange agreement between two parties to exchange a given amount of one currency for another and, after a specified period of time, to give back the original amounts swapped. Economic Theories of Exchange Rate Determination – Law of One Price The law of one price is an economic law stated as: In an efficient market all identical goods must have only one price. The intuition for this law is that all sellers will flock to the highest prevailing price, and all buyers to the lowest current market price. In an efficient market the convergence on one price is instant. Purchasing Power Parity The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power. Developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920, it is based on the law of one price: the theory states that, in an ideally efficient market, identical goods should have only one price. Big Mac Index The Big Mac Index is an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. As stated in The Economist, it seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible In 120 nations the big mac is the same. How Increasing the Money Supply Impacts Exchange Rates Price Discrimination Price discrimination or yield management occurs when a firm charges a different price to different groups of consumers for an identical good or service, for reasons not associated with costs. Fisher Effect / International Fischer Effect Real versus Nominal Interest Rates 8% interest + 2%inflation = 10% nominal interest. $100 on $1000 loan. Investor Psychology and Bandwagon Effects The Efficient Market School versus the Inefficient Market School – Efficient: Those who believe the foreign exchange market actually predicts things accurately. Fundamental versus Technical Analysis Currency Convertibility: Freely, Externally, and Nonconvertible Currencies Capital Flight Capital flight, in economics, occurs when assets and/or money rapidly flow out of a country, due to an economic event that disturbs investors and causes them to lower their valuation of the assets in that country, or otherwise to lose confi dence in its economic strength. This leads to a disappearance of wealth and is usually accompanied by a sharp drop in the exchange rate of the affected country (depreciation in a variable exchange rate regime, or a forced devaluation in a fixed exchange rate regime). Transaction versus Translation versus Economic Exposure – Economic exposure: the extent to which a firm’s future international earning power is affected by changes in exchange rates. Lead versus Lag Strategies – Lead: an attempt to collect foreign currency receivables when a foreign currency is expected to depreciate. Lag: An attempt to delay the collection of foreign currency receivables if that currency is expected to appreciate. Delay paying foreign currency payables if the foreign currency is expected to depreciate. International Monetary System – are institutional arrangements countries adopt to govern exchange rates. Exchange Rate Regimes: Formal Dollarization, Fixed, Currency Boards, Pegged, Dirty/Managed Floats and Independently Floating – The Gold Standard – Pegging currencies to gold and guaranteeing convertibility is known as the gold standard. Gold Par Value – The amount of a currency in an ounce, one ounce of gold was referred to as the gold par value. The Bretton Woods Exchange Rate System Created a fixed exchange rate system where the countries agreed to peg their currencies to the US dollar which was convertible to gold at $35 an ounce. Countries agreed to defend the value of their currencies to within 1% of par value. Currency, Banking and Foreign Debt Crises – Currency speculators believed that the devaluation of the dollar was inevitable. President Nixon dropped the gold standard conversion and the dollar was devalued. Following a second round of speculative attacks, the US dollar was allowed to float against other world currencies. Concerns about the IMF’s Policy Prescriptions – The system of adjustable parities allowed for the devaluation of a country’s currency by more than 10 percent if the IMF agreed that a country’s balance of payments was in â€Å"fundamental disequilibrium.† Moral Hazard – arises when people behave recklessly because they know they will be saved if th ings go wrong. Capital Market The capital market is the market for securities, where companies and governments can raise longterm funds. The capital market includes the stock market and the bond market. Financial regulators, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, oversee the capital markets in their designated countries to ensure that investors are protected against fraud. The capital markets consist of the primary market, where new issues are distributed to investors, and the secondary market, where existing securities are traded. Cost of Capital The cost of capital is an expected return that the provider of capital plans to earn on their investment. Initial Public Offering Initial public offering (IPO), also referred to simply as a public offering, is when a company issues common stock or shares to the public for the first time. They are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately-owned companies looking to become publicly traded. Commercial Banks versus Investment Banks Equity Loan: An equity loan is a mortgage placed on real estate i n exchange for cash to the borrower. For example, if a person owns a home worth $100,000, but does not currently have a lien on it, they may take an equity loan at 80% loan to value (LTV) or $80,000 in cash in exchange for a lien on title placed by the lender of the equity loan. Debt Loans: A loan is a type of debt. This article focuses exclusively on monetary loans, although, in practice, any material object might be lent. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower. Corporate Bonds A Corporate Bond is a bond issued by a corporation. The term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments, generally with a maturity date falling at least a year after their issue date. Systematic Risk In finance, Systemic Risk is that risk which is common to an entire market and not to any individual entity or component thereof. It can be defined as financial system instability, potentially catastrophic, caused or exacerbated by idiosyncratic events or conditions in financial intermediaries[1]. It refers to the movements of the whole economy and has wide ranging effects. It is also sometimes erroneously referred to as systematic risk. Portfolio Diversification – By using the global capital market, investors have a much wider range of investment opportunities than in a purely domestic capital market. The most significant consequence of this choice is that investors can diversify their portfolios internationally, thereby reducing their risk to below what could be achieved in a purely domestic capital market. Drivers of the Global Capital Market: Information Technology: Financial services is an information-intensive industry. It draws on large volumes of information about markets, risks, exchange rates, interest rates, creditworthiness, and so on. It uses this information to make decisions about what to invest where, how much to change borrowers, how much interest to pay to depositors, and the value and riskiness of a range of financial assets including corporate bonds, stocks, government securities, and currencies. Deregulation: Many restrictions have been crumbling in the US since the early 80s. In this part, this has been a response to the development of the Eurocurrency market, which from the beginning was outside of national control. Hot Money: In economics, hot money refers to funds which flow into a country to take advantage of a favorable interest rate, and therefore obtain higher returns. They influence the balance of payments and strengthen the exchange rate of the recipient country while weakening the currency of the country losing the money. These funds are held in currency markets by speculators as opposed to national banks or domestic investors. As such, they are highly volatile in Mexico and East Asian financial crisis. Patient Money: Selling land in large blocks under frontier conditions is to sell at a time before it begins yielding much if any rent. It is bid in by those few who have large discretionary funds of patient money. Eurocurrency Eurocurrency is the term used to describe deposits residing in banks that are located outside the borders of the country that issues the currency the deposit is denominated in. For example a deposit denominated in US dollars residing in a Japanese bank is a Eurocurrency deposit, or more specifically a Eurodollar deposit. Attractions and Drawbacks of the Eurocurrency Market Attractions: Lack of government regulation. Drawbacks: When depositors use a regulated banking system they know that the probability of a bank failure that would cause them to lose their deposits is very low. Secondly, borrowing funds internationally can expose a company to foreign exchange risk. Reserve Requirements The reserve requirement (or required reserve ratio) is a bank regulation that sets the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer deposits and notes. These reserves are designed to satisfy withdrawal demands, and would normally be in the form of fiat currency stored in a bank vault (vault cash), or with a central bank. Foreign Bonds vs. Eurobonds: A Eurobond is an international bond that is denominated in a currency not native to the country where it is issued. It can be categorised according to the currency in which it is issued. London is one of the centers of the Eurobond market, but Eurobonds may be traded throughout the world for example in Singapore or Tokyo. Attractions of the Eurobond Market – Absence of regulatory interference. Less stringent disclosure requirements than in most domestic bond markets. A favorable tax status. The Impact of Exchange Rate Risk on the Cost of Capital Benefits and Costs of Financial Globalization Inter-Temporal Trade – Consumption smoothing usually between advanced economies and developing economies. Developing economies need money NOW. Capital Mobility The ability of money to cross national borders. The free flow of money in and out of a country. Impossible Trinity The Impossible Trinity (also known as the Inconsistent Trinity, Triangle of Impossibility or Unholy Trinity) is the hypothesis in international economics that it is impossible to have all three of the following at the same time: Exchange Rate Stability, Independent Monetary Policy, and Capital Mobility. You can only have 2 of these 3 things at the same time ever. The Exchange Rate is simply the relative price of currencies. For example: It tells you how many Euros you can get for a dollar. A government has to main monetary policies it can use: The Fiscal Policy, or the Monetary Policy The Fiscal Policy concerns government expenditures and tax collection The Monetary Policy concerns the interest rate in the economy. The interest rates are established to help stabilize the economy.

Rock N Roll Research Essay -- essays research papers fc

First there was love and music. Then there was love, music, and a lot of drugs. Lastly there was love, music, a lot more drugs, and death†¦ The ugly turn was taken at the Altamont Speedway during a festival promoting free rock music and peace all around. The festival soon turned from carefree to tragedy with one lick of the guitar. The whole idea around the Altamont Speedway music festival was the idea of the ever so present Rolling Stones. The Stones being a rock band, who wanted to, in a way, mimic the basic idea of its predecessors, the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock. The idea that the people of the time weren’t about fighting and violence; they were all about loving oneself, loving one another, and most importantly, loving the music. Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones lead singer, expresses his views on what they believe will be what people will conceive from this festival, he states, â€Å"Its creating a sort of a microcosmic society†¦it sets an example to the rest of America, as to how one can believe in nice gatherings.† (Remember A Day: Altamont) The Stones saw the positive effect these gathe rings had on the people and they also saw the amount that the publicity improved for the performers. So they assembled some of the most prolific bands of the time and chose to put themselves as the headliners. They booked acts such as Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. What could go wrong? You have all the ingredients for a great music festival; you’ve got great music, loving people, loving peaceful time, and it’s free to whoever attends. Although that’s not all that was added. I forgot the main ingredient for this heaven turned hell, I forgot to add the security services of the Hells Angels. Boylen, 2 The so-called mastermind of the festival was Mick Jagger. He decided to employ the Hells Angels as security since he had previously had good luck with them while doing a free concert in London. Also the Grateful Dead had acquired the help of the Hells Angels before and all went off without a hitch. There was something different about these angels; â€Å" they were notorious for their violent nature and their excessive drug use.† (Remember A Day: Altamont) with this in mind, Rolling Stones road manager, Sam Culter, decided to do his part to maybe calm down the angels. So he bought them $500 in beer (wh... ...r the stage and fell and one man over-dosed on drugs. Throughout this whole festival there were only three main problems that hindered it from being perfect; the lack of sanitary facilities, numerous reports of people jumping fences to gain access, and the catastrophic traffic jam that took place when it was over. All in all, Woodstock did a wonderful job of getting the points across they feel that needed to be addressed. Nobody really wants violence and nobody will be around violence if they are not put into a violent atmosphere. The Monterey Pop Festival proved it. Woodstock proved it. If only Altamont could of followed in theirs footsteps, who knows where music would be today. One can only imagine. Works Cited Altamont. 23 Mar 2000. www.visi.com/~astanley/rad/altamont.html. Monterey. 23 Mar 2000. www.visi.com/~astanley/rad/monterey.html. Woodstock. 23Mar 2000. www.visi.com/~astanley/rad/woodstoc.html. 1969 Woodstock Festival & Concert - How Woodstock Happened. 23 Mar 2000. http://www.woodstock69.com/wsrpnt.htm. Woodstock At 25. 23Mar 2000. http://www.publiccom.com/14850/9407/coverstory.html. Introduction. 23 Mar 2000. www.visi.com/~astanley/rad/intro.html.

Carib Studies Ia

Acknowledgement Nobly, the researcher would like to bestow gratitude to all who has helped me in the completion of this Internal Assessment. Gratitude and appreciation to, God most of all, because without him there's is no ability to complete something. He helped to guide the researcher and helped her put away her indolence and complete her study effectively. The youngest sister of the researcher deserves appreciation because she helped the researcher in getting references and gathering the essential for this project. Much love to you, Lisan.To all those such as my peers and respondents to my questionnaire, Merci. Hope to submissively return the favour one day. Introduction Locale: Urban Parish: St. Ann School Code: 06063 Gender: Female School Organization: Whole Day Size: Class III Attendance Rate: 92% Capacity: 1000 Enrolment: 950 Number of Teachers: 41 Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 24:1 Owned by: Anglican Church Socio-Economic Context St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School for girls was e stablished by the Anglican Church in 1906 as a small day school run by the Deaconesses.In 1917, it was named The Diocesan High School for Girls and moved to its present site in 1922. It was given the present name in 1927. St. Hilda’s is located in Browns Town, St. Ann. It is a medium sized boarding school with approximately 950 students, and it has a capacity of 1000. With 41 teachers, the student teacher ratio is 24:1. The school’s average daily attendance is 92 per cent. Students are from mixed socio economic backgrounds drawn from all over the island and include a few who are not Jamaicans. Many parents are unemployed but some are professionals. Some work in the hotel industry, some are farmers.The school motto: Res Severa Verum Gaudium (Hard work brings true joy) is a source of inspiration for staff and students alike and summarizes the school’s general attitude towards its endeavours and accomplishments. St. Hilda’s High school gets valuable support from business and community organizations in the forms of donations and scholarships. Its high academic standard is complemented by a rich cultural heritage which is showcased in its annual Eisteddfod. In 2010, the school was placed fourth in the ‘All Together Sing’ choir competition and came first in Bob Marley’s Song Arrangement Competition.For the latter, the school received a replica of the icon’s guitar. Intervention programmes like ‘Young women of Change’ give support to students with emotional and social needs. Statement of problem What is the extent of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High, Brown’s Town? Aims and objectives Racism is vastly evident at this institution. The completion of this IA will therefore determine: The extent of racism at the institution The influence of racism at the institution The consequences of racism at the institution Literature review Racism is the ideologies of social processes which discrimin ate against people based solely on the basis of their belonging to different ethnicity. It should be noted that some sociologists such as Parsons, think that people are primarily socialized to be racist. The influencing factors of racism are: parents, siblings, peers, schools, governmental officials, religion, mass media and many others’ (Solomos, 1993, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Racial disadvantages are a result of the differences in cultural characteristics that do not coincide with the norms and values of the upper class’ (Smith, N. D adopted from Mustapha, 2009). for integration in the creolization process to take place multi- culturalism and plurality of cultures must be first accepted in order to reduce racial stigmatization (Braithwaite, adopted from Mustapha, 2009). ‘Similarly, functionalists aim for a cultural consensus for a consequential balanced and functional society’ (Kirby,1997 adopted from Haralambas and Holborn, 2004). Marx, how ever, views racism as a belief system used to legitimize the exploitation of the lower class citizens by the upper class. ‘ Some sociologists even believe that if capitalism had not developed then racial prejudice, in question, would not exist’ (Kirby et. l 1997; Cox, 1970, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Interactionists believes that racial conflict was a result of the deficiency in communication about the variation in the self-conceptualization. In society, race and ethnicity are viewed as variable because they are often being discussed’ (Lal, 1998; Kirby, 1997, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘Racism was used to validate slavery during colonialism’ (Roleff, 1991). ‘In the 19th century, indentured workers were bought to Trinidad to supplant the Africans on the plantations and there was an immediate awareness of the ethnic differences.Hence, social stratification in the plantation society was based on the differences in the race in societ y. Therefore, race is one of the fundamental factors behind class division in society. ’ (Brereton, 1979 adopted from Reddock and Barrow, 2001). ‘The term race was first used in the 15th century but only grew in importance with the relation to the development of liberalism bought a sense of identity to people, which was intended to bring further improvement of society, along with equality’ (Golberg, Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). Whites in society being superior encouraged racism and racist beliefs in society and the racism led to the limitations in the social life chances of proletariats’ (Golberg, Haralambos and Holborn) ‘Segregation and discrimination in society are also the results of racism’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 20004). ‘Policies can be formulated to enclose equal opportunities and cultural integration such as the Race and Relations Acts’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). ‘The Creolization Thesis proposes the governme nts can promote cultural assimilation and integration in order to have syncretism.A variety of the cultural traits blended together to form a new culture that is satisfactory for all members of society’ (Braithwaite, 1971, Mustapha, 2009). Research Design The term research design may be defined as the scientific data collected. It is from research that theories are derived. Quantitative data was the selected research data since it is general, objective and value free. The statistics of the data gathered can be easily quantified and is used to support the findings of research. Questionnaires were used because they are used for obtaining particular instruments for data collection.The data gathered from the questionnaires would be easily quantified and displayed in various figures and diagrams. The study is based on the degree of the existence of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. To effectively complete this project, the study was done during the period of November 20t h to November 30, 2012. In order to attain data randomly, the sample population was selected by process. Two out of the fifty questionnaires presented were separately distributed to students from each grade level and class with permission from the school principal and form teachers. SampleA sample may be defined as a portion of a large population and it is often used to represent the large population. For this study, random sampling was used. So two out of fifty questionnaires were to distributed 2 students from each class from each grade level, who willingly participated in the study. This would be considered systematic random sampling. It is considered as such because the subject units were chosen in a logical order. The method of sampling is practical because it is time effective when selecting the same from a large population. Data Collection InstrumentQuestionnaires were used to collect data. The use of questionnaires was both cost effective and time effective. The use of quest ionnaires assured the maintenance of increased objectivity and the accuracy in the study. The data gathered from the questionnaires can be easily quantified. Questionnaire Gender male female How old are you? To what ethnicity do you belong? African Chinese American Mixed Do you know what racism is? If yes, explain. Do you think racism exists at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High? Please explain the reason for your answer. How prevalent is racism at St.Hilda’s Diocesan High? Great extent not a great extent non-existent Does racism at school affect you? If yes, in what way. Would you consider yourself racist? Would you consider any of your friends as racists? Explain answers for both number 7 and 8. Have you ever been involved in any racist activity? Please account for your answer. Have you ever been a victim of racism? If so, how: Persons provoke you about your ethnicity and religion persons ignore your existence and humanity persons demean your ancestry and heritage other. Plea se specify. Does anyone at your school instigate racism?If so, who: academic staff peers principal ancillary staff Do you think racism has a negative impact on students? If yes, in what way: causing students to fail academically because of low self-esteem and confidence emotionally scarring students, especially the younger ones, for life If other, specify. What are some of the methods that could be used to eliminate or reduce racism at St. Hilda’s? How do you think the school on a whole can benefit from the reduction or elimination of racism? Presentation of Findings Figure 1: Students affected and not affected by racism Figure 2: Been vs. haven’t been victims of racism.Figure 3: ways students were victims of racism Figure 4: racism is instigated/ not instigated Figure 5: Does racism has or doesn’t have a negative impact on students? Analysis and Discussion of Findings As seen in figure 1, 10% isn’t affected by racism while 90% is. This shows that general ly, a large percentage of students are affected by racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. The concept behind this question was to ascertain whether multi- culturalism and plurality of cultures are accepted, in order to reduce racial stigmatization as Braithwaite claimed it must in order for integration and prober flow of communication.Without proper communication students’ learning and interpretation of certain matters will be affected. Figure 2 shows the percentage of students who have been victims of racism at St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. The diagram is based on information received from the related question from the questionnaire. The diagram shows that 80% have been and 20% haven’t. figure 3, displays the percentage and different ways in which students are victimized by racism. Its displays that 10% persons demean their ancestry and heritage, 40%, persons provoke them about their ethnicity and religion and 50%, persons ignore their existence and humanity. Figure 4, 5% said no racism isn’t instigated, while a mighty 95% said it is. When asked how and by who, a large number of students stated that it is instigated by the principal in the way she treats certain students because of either their grades or their light coloured skin. One student notably wrote that she thought about becoming a racist so many times because of the way the principal treated her different from all other students. She notably stated that she is of Chinese ethnicity and is academically well of as she is a prefect at the school. She states that ometimes she thinks she is better than other students academically and when it comes to beauty because of how Mrs Johnson, her principal idolizes her. Also certain things that Mrs Johnson would say instilled some kind of racial feelings inside her. This indeed proves that racism is instigated and goes back to: ‘Racism was used to validate slavery during colonialism’ (Roleff, 1991). ‘In the 19th cent ury, indentured workers were bought to Trinidad to supplant the Africans on the plantations and there was an immediate awareness of the ethnic differences.Hence, social stratification in the plantation society was based on the differences in the race in society. Therefore, race is one of the fundamental factors behind class division in society. ’ (Brereton, 1979 adopted from Reddock and Barrow, 2001). This could cause class division yes because this student might think so highly of herself that she will be-little others as it were in slavery days. Also, racism was instigated by planters to cause division and immediate distinction between owner and slaves.Maybe this is the similar to what Mrs Johnson is doing, separating brighter and prettier students from the rest so the less intelligent or less beautiful one will feel inferior as the slaves did to the whites. All this adds to what is seen in Figure 5. There are 8o% of students who are affected negatively by racism and 20% wh ich aren’t. this incorporates Brerton’s prospective on racial and ethnic discrimination, racism between slaves from other ethnic groups based on stratification. Also with regards to Figure 3, Marx perspective that racism is a belief system used to legitimize the exploitation of the lower class can be applied.Students who say they are affected by racism are those who are may belong to different social classes in social hierarchy or may belong to different ethnic groups than those who are not affected. Certain students who are affected may also be considered less academically accomplished to those who are not. Racism has negative effects on students as shown in Figure 5. This according to Lal, is that interactionists believe that racial conflicts were a result of the deficiency in communication about the variation in self- conceptualization. ConclusionIn conclusion, racism impacts negatively on the lives of the young ladies of St. Hilda’s Diocesan High. Racism neg atively affects school interaction, and behaviour of these young ladies. However, as Braithwaite indicates, through formulation of policies, the Government can promote cultural assimilation and integration in order to have syncretism. A variety of cultural traits blended together to form a new culture that is satisfactory for all students of the St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School. Bibliography Barrow C and Reddock R, (Eds. ), 2001Caribbean Sociology: Introductory Recordings. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Haralambos, M and Holborn, M (Eds. ) 2004 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. Mustapha, N (Eds) 2009. Sociology for Caribbean Students. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Kerwin, C and Jackson, I, 1996. Sociology for Caribbean Students, Volume 1. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers Ltd. Table of Contents Topic Page Acknowledgement Introduction Statement of problem Literature review Research design Sample Data collection instrument Pre sentation of findingsAnalysis and discussion of findings Recommendations Limitations Conclusion Bibliography bRecommendations The researcher would recommend: The government implement some non- racist movement within all schools The government go about implementing ways to encourage students in schools and fire any employee at the school who encourages racism The school’s chairman visit the school more often and see just what is going on there, ask the students their opinions on the matter discussed and go about making changes Students appeal to authorities who might help them on the matterLimitations Within the completion of this project the researcher didn’t have any limitations. All resources were at hand especially at home. The researcher should proudly say that she put these resources to good use. This project was well organized and put together because of this. He researcher hopes all readers and the examiner feels the same.

Race Class and Gender in Learning

Race, Class, and Gender in Learning Strayer University There is no simple definition or answer when one asks the question, â€Å"What is the purpose of education in adult learning. † To justly answer or define this question one most first ask one definitive question that will provide three important variables. Ultimately, we must ask â€Å"Who is asking this question? † simply, what is this person’s background, are they a WASP or a minority? What is their social class? Are they male or female? The answers to these questions will provide a contextual framework and starting point in which can genuinely begin to answer our original question, â€Å"What is the purpose of education in adult learning? † The values and norms developed in institutions such as education are authored by the dominant culture. In American society, White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPS) are the authors of the dominant culture. Unfortunately, there are major disparities between White European Americans and other minorities. These inequalities are prevalent in every American institution, including education. Blacks and other people of color are underrepresented in all types of adult education (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Traditionally, statistics show that minorities do not participate in adult education. Some researchers cite racism as a barrier to adult education. Adult educators have examined how the invisibility/norm of Whiteness has affected adult education, curriculum, theories, evaluation criteria, and instructional practices (Manglitz, 2003). Researchers found that racism in adult education was not intentional; many adult educators were unaware of the extent to which theories and research reinforce White racist attitudes and assumptions, thus sustaining the perpetuation of inequalities ( Colin & Preciphs, 1991). Some researchers have contended that socioeconomic status not race is the major barrier in adult education. Socioeconomic status is America is highly stratified; only a very small percentage of the population owns all of the wealth, power and influence in American society. In adult education, when social class is the focus, the aim of the analysis and subsequent action is to bring about a change from a capitalist political economy to a classes socialist form of government (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Some researchers argue that a classless society would result in more participation in not only adult education but in education in general. Usually those categorized in classes lower than middle class tend to have limited educational experiences. When considering race and class we must examine the inequality of gender in adult education. Feminist have placed gender, and gender as it intersects with race and class (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Statistics have shown that women are increasingly participating in adult education, despite this women still experience inequality in the classroom. Some argue that content knowledge, theories and research encountered in the classroom is still heavily influenced by American patriarchal dominance. Along with addressing the questions of Race, Class and Gender one most also account for the theories of Critical Theory, Postmodernism and Feminist Pedagogy. These 3 theories will give us a clue into how educators can contextualize the learning experience for each variable (race, gender and class). Each theory offers its own explanation on how the adult learning process should be conducted or imporved. First we will examine critical theory and its context to education. Critical Theory’s aim is to transform and improve society through the use of criticism (Henslin, 2008) Critical Theory defines its social critique through the use of social problems often citing â€Å"systems† as part of the problem. The â€Å"system† in a critical theory analysis is an institution (such as government or education) that functions to reproduce the status quo (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 253). Social institutions exist to positively regulate, order and control members of its society ( Henslin 2008), the institution of education seeks to do the same. Although ideally the institution of education is supposed to improve society, critical theorists often cite the â€Å"status quo† of education as hindering a learner’s experience. Critical Theorist argue that in adult learning there needs to be a paradigm shift in the status quo. Should learning be centered around technology or should more attention be given to emancipatory learning? Essentially critical theorist desire critique the status quo in hopes of developing one that is appropriate and equal to all learners. Postmodernism is a term that is widely used in many fields, such as literature, art, architecture, history, and philosophy. By definition, postmodernism resists definition (Kerka 1997). Postmodernism like Critical theory questions the status quo. Technically one cannot define postmodernism as a theory. According to Kerka postmodernism is a (Kerka, 1997)â€Å"form of questioning, an attitude, or perspective. † Postmodernism never accepts the truth as absolute and sees truth as ever changing. One can make the contention that postmodernism is part of the foundation of adult learning. Concepts popular with adult learning such as transformative learning or narratives urge learners to question their own â€Å"truth† thus by definition, inviting the learner to practice postmodernism. As one would suspect, Feminist Pedagogy is derived from feminist theory. The feminist theory is based in liberation and the feminist pedagogy seeks to create a liberatory learning environment and it also focuses on the concerns of women in the teaching-learning transaction (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Traditionally a woman is characterized as a docile nurturing human being but rarely as an authority or as assertive. Feminist pedagogy seeks to liberate a woman from this role in the classroom and urges her to be assertive and firm as a learner and to â€Å"find acceptance for her ideas in the public world† (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986, p. 20). The liberatory classroom allows for this sort of transformation. As potential adult educators we have to consider â€Å"what is the purpose of education? † for learners and how that question should be answered individually. As we have seen, that answer varies for each learner. We must be vigilant considering each learners diverse background and constantly examine and revam p the status quo to ensure that each learner’s background is included. Works Cited Henslin, J. (2008). Sociology : A Down To Earth Approach. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Kerka, S. (1997). Postmodernism and Adult Education. Trends and Issues Alerts. ERIC Clearing House on Adult, Career and Vocational Education. Manglitz, E. (2003, Feb). Challenging White Privilege in Adult Education : A Critical Review of Literature. Adult Education Quarterly , p. 119. Merriam, S. B. , Caffarella, R. S. , & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in Adulthood : A Comprehensive Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary The WritePass Journal

Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary Introduction Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary IntroductionRESPONSE TO PEER APPRAISAL OF KATHRYN AND LISAReferences Related Introduction The Personal development group I believe is to learn about yourself and be able to discuss with others and share ideas and advice; for me, i guess the assumption of individuality point out really many important  concepts, which has made me indentify many issues within myself.   I now realise that many experiences, which I had been through in life have been important in shaping my character. The exercises to increase myself awareness have extremely challenged the way I feel, think and respond to others; for example where I may not have given someone a chance previously due to the way they present themselves, I have now learned not to judge based on first impressions  Ã‚   to the extent that for my personal development to grow I needed to gain further insight of myself to understand my responses. Communication plays an important part in a learning experience. I believe we can communicate through words and body language. Within the group sometimes i felt and sense hostility in a level where, at times when I felt like some comment weren’t appropriate or misunderstood I felt powerless to speak my mind. Robinson et al (2005) states that â€Å"status can cause distress within the team; in the group, members have different skills, experience and opinions, which we were always expected to respect†. From the start of the PD group, I didn’t feel that my arguments were listened to by some of the group members. I felt like people were inconsiderate and difficult in their responses and feedbacks however, my stubbornness and persistence in the group strengthened me and enabling my involvement in the group to grow considerable in the topic discussed regardless as the weeks went by.   Also my listening skills and the use of silence improved because these were the counseling skills areas that I was finding difficult to use. I   have learn to open myself to others and allowed them to give me feedbacks which mean I did put myself sometimes in a vulnerable position.To illustrate this I felt betrayed by a friend in a personal issue during this course. My immediate reaction would have been for that person not to be part of my study life but due to skills I’ve learned from this course such as active listening, reflecting, self challenge of my behaviours and responses this did not happen. This means that because I allowed someone to show me my blind self, my unknown self became smaller. I accepted the person’s criticisms about me but do not feel responsible for that person’s behaviour. What I have learnt during this course alongside further reading is a more competent understanding of the signals. I now feel more secure in my interpretations and acknowledgment of my body language. I feel these skills that I’ve learned and body language are beneficial to the extent that I can keep myself safe by noticing my own intimacy and interpretating it for what it shows. Due to my initial difficulties settling into the first personal development group, I used meditation often for relaxation prior to attending the group; a benefiting skill l have acquired during the course of my studies which has helped me in continuing and focusing on this course.   My approach to teaching meditation to prisoners was to treatthese men the way l personally would like to be treated regardless of my crime that is, to regard them first as human beings and individual, then as clients   which l tried to share with the group.   One reasonfor this success is based on my approach to backgrounds. When communicating within the group I have learnt over the period to rephrase my sentences and asked questions to make better understanding of what have been said. I felt taking turns when giving feedback was beneficial and it had prepared me for my placement practice in improved communication.   I have gain better understanding of my experience in my group; I have not only recalled my experience but made decision on what I am going to do to improve my interprofessional skills. During my time in the group, I have gain better understanding of what group work is about. Through my experience, I feel that I have learned how to relate better to other members and how to respond in a professional manner. I now feel that the facilitator was attentive and easy to communicate with. She was quite observant of what was happening in the group. I am happier as I believe the group has moved forward and I have learnt so much.   As being from African ethnicity fluent in French language rather than English, I have since living the UK, grown in an environment where people are treated differently. The PD group as I saw it was a diverse group; we all come from different backgrounds with different beliefs and values; I have over the years and in the course of my studies experience different types of treatment and discrimination to say the least. I have always been fully aware of people’s individuality and treated it with respect as I know how this feels. Throughout this course I have challenged my behaviour and responses in professional and personal relationships and I have raised myself awareness and will continue with this learning process. These skills I have gained will be the roots of further learning in any other counselling courses I embark on and also in life as whole. RESPONSE TO PEER APPRAISAL OF KATHRYN AND LISA Kathryn mentioned in her peer appraisal that I don’t take feedback; I disagree. I have always been able to take constructive feedback not feedback based on my person but on my contributions in the group regardless of my limitations. I might appear to take my feedback wrongly; this is due to lack of clarification and misunderstanding in communication from me and the group. Everyone in the group had noticed and mentioned changes and improvement in me. It is a pity that there was a personality conflict within the group, but this If I may allow myself to believe, has brought some positive changes within each and every one   of us in this group. References Robinson M. and Cottrell D. (2005) Health professionals in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams: changing professional practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care. Vol 19(6) p547-560