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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Original Writing Essay

A boy wearing spectacles who was very fat and dressed in what looked like a school uniform, found himself lying on a long white beach. He sat up rubbing the back of his head, which he must have bumped. He looked out to the ocean wondering where on earth he could be. The last thing he could remember was looking out the plane window and seeing the wing on fire. He must have blacked out then. He wiped the sweat away from his brow, as it was the hottest weather he had ever been in. After a while of sitting there and looking out into the ocean, The fat boy pulled himself up, and looked around. Behind him all he saw was thick forest, with palm trees and weird looking plants which he had never seen or heard of before. He felt starving hungry, so he decided to go and look for something to eat. As he started to venture into the forest, He saw weird looking fruits that were just in arms reach, so he picked a few down, and started to eat them. He liked the taste, so he picked some more. He then heard a rustling in undergrowth next to him. Someone was coming! He thought that it could be another person from the plane crash so he shouted out into the undergrowth, â€Å"Hi!† He stood there with a fruit in his hand, and a load of it round his mouth and then another boy about the same age as him (about 13) crawled out of the undergrowth. He looked up at him, looked down again, picked himself up and carried on walking straight past him. â€Å"Hey!† the fat boy shouted after him. He ran to catch up with him and he asked him his name. â€Å"Ralph,† he said. Ralph did not make the acquaintance of asking the fat boy’s name. Ralph was taller than he was, but thin and he looked like he could make a boxer because of the heaviness and width of his shoulders. He was very fair too. â€Å"Where’s the man with the megaphone?† the fat boy asked him. He shrugged his shoulders. â€Å"Perhaps there aren’t any adults anywhere.† â€Å"What about the pilot?† The fat boy said, and Ralph replied, â€Å"the planes not here, so he must’ve flown off.† â€Å"No, I saw flames coming out of the wing.† Ralph grinned, suddenly realising something to himself. â€Å"What?† I said. â€Å"No grownups,† he said quietly to himself. â€Å"No grownups!† This time he shouted it joyfully. But the fat boy felt daunted by the fact that there were no grownups. The two of them carried on walking in the blistering heat along the white sand and beside them was what looked like miles of jungle. â€Å"I think we’re on a island.† Ralph said to the fat boy. â€Å"I climbed up on a rock and looked around and all I could see was the ocean.† â€Å"So were stuck here.† The fat boy muttered to himself. Ralph did not hear. They both carried on walking along the beach, half looking for anybody else that survived the crash (or at least they thought it was a crash). â€Å"There must be others here, you haven’t seen any have you?† the fat boy said to Ralph. Ralph shook his head. â€Å"We ought to make a list of everybody, know all their names. We ought to have a meeting.† The fat said this hoping Ralph would ask him his name, but Ralph did not take the hint, so he was forced to continue. â€Å"I don’t care what everybody calls me, as long as they don’t call me what they used to call me at school.† Ralph was suddenly interested, â€Å"what was that?† The fat boy leaned towards Ralph and whispered in Ralph’s ear, â€Å"they used to call me Piggy.† Ralph jumped up with a howl of laughter, â€Å"Piggy!† he screeched. â€Å"Piggy, piggy, piggy!† â€Å"Ralph don’t.† â€Å"Please!† â€Å"Piggy, Piggy, Piggy!† Then Ralph fell on the sand in fits of laughter. â€Å"Okay as long as you don’t tell the others.† Ralph was still laughing. Piggy decided to go back into the forest and get some more fruit, so he went, picked some and when he came back he found Ralph swimming in a pool of water with little shoals of fish, darting back and forth. Piggy felt green with envy to how Ralph was swimming as he wished he could swim like that. His auntie had told him he wasn’t allowed to swim because of his asthma so he had never swum before. Ralph swam very graciously and well. Ralph had taken his clothes off, so, with a decision Piggy decided to as well. â€Å"There!† Piggy said to himself, when he had finished. â€Å"Aren’t you going to swim then?† Ralph asked Piggy demandingly. Piggy explained to him about his auntie. â€Å"Sucks to your auntie!† Ralph replied. Piggy hesitated but eventually got into the water and he stood waist deep and stayed there. Piggy watched Ralph dive under and swim about on the surface. â€Å"How can you swim so well?† Piggy looked at him with bewilderment on his face. â€Å"My Dad taught me. He’s in the navy and he’ll come and rescue us.† Ralph said undoubtedly. Piggy thought for a moment then said, â€Å"how does he know where we are?† There was a pause then Ralph said, â€Å"I just know he’ll come,† and he dived under water. When they had both got out of the water, they sat down on a rock and they put on their clothes. â€Å"We got to do something.† Piggy said to Ralph. He said nothing. â€Å"We have to get everybody together. Do you know how many of us there are?† â€Å"No.† Piggy sat there trying to think. â€Å"What’s that?† Ralph pointed to a creamy object laying among some weeds.† â€Å"It’s a stone.† Piggy replied. â€Å"No, it’s a shell.† He ran over to it and picked it up. Piggy followed. â€Å"I seen one of them before!† Piggy said excitedly. â€Å"That’s a conch. I know somebody who had one exactly the same on his back wall. He used to blow into it and it would make a loud trumpet noise and then his mum would come. It’s very valuable.† Ralph admired the beautiful colour of the conch that was a deep cream touched here and there with fading pink. The conch was about eighteen inches long and had a spirally twist in the middle. At one end the shell wore down to a small hole and at the other end were some pink curved out lips (presumably where the sound came out). Ralph stroked the gentle curves of the shell. It was very smooth. Piggy suddenly got a very excited look on his face. â€Å"We could blow down it to call the others! They’ll come when they here this!† â€Å"How did your friend blow down it?† Ralph asked Piggy. â€Å"He sort of spat. My auntie said I couldn’t do it because of my asthma, but he showed me. It moo-ed like a cow. You blow from here.† He placed his hand on the end with the small hole. â€Å"You do it Ralph. You call the others.† So Ralph lifted the conch to his lips and He blew. The noise of the conch filled the air with a piercing bellow. Once Ralph had stopped blowing you could hear the squawks of the birds fluttering out of the treetops. â€Å"Gosh.† Ralph said surprised. He brought the conch to his lips again. The noise sounded even louder than the last time. â€Å"That could be heard from miles around!† Piggy shouted when the noise had stopped. The noise was deafening. â€Å"Look!† Piggy shouted. There was a little boy appearing out of the trees. He made towards them. Meanwhile Ralph continued to blow. The little boy reached them. Piggy leaned down to him. â€Å"What’s your name?† â€Å"Johnny.† More people were now appearing out of the trees, some about the same age as Piggy, some a lot smaller like Johnny. They all came to Ralph and Piggy, and Piggy went around asking all their names and trying to remember each of them while Ralph was still blowing the conch. Soon there was a crowd. Piggy was still trying to remember their names and Ralph then ceased blowing because there was no more people coming out of the trees. But then Ralph noticed coming along the beach from quite a distance, what looked like a large black creature, but as it drew nearer he could make out clothing and he worked out it was a group of boys wearing black uniform. By now everybody else had seen them and was watching them steadily march towards them. They were all marching in a line and all had black cloaks and black square caps. One of them was walking in front. They came into the group, and the one standing at the front shouted â€Å"Who’s the man with the trumpet!† â€Å"There’s no man with the trumpet, only me.† Ralph replied to him. He turned to Ralph who was sitting down on a rock holding the conch in his lap. The boy turned away from Ralph and examined the rest of the group. This boy had ginger hair, was quite tall and skinny and his face was plastered with freckles. â€Å"Where’s the ship?† â€Å"There is no ship.† Ralph looked up at him. The other boys that came with this boy were standing still in formation. They were all fully clothed and looked pale and giddy from the heat. â€Å"Where are the adults?† â€Å"There are none.† Ralph replied. â€Å"Were having a meeting, join in.† After, Jack (the ginger haired boy (he had told them his name)) had finally let his choir break from the formation. They decided that they needed a chief, to sort out how they were going to be rescued. Immediately Jack sprung up his hand and said â€Å"I should be chief!† But one of the choir boys said they should have a vote. Everybody agreed much to Jacks disappointment. Piggy knew that Ralph would be voted for, just because Jack was so arrogant and Piggy knew they wouldn’t vote for him because he was so fat. Ralph then said, â€Å"who wants to vote for Jack?† His choir slowly raised their hand with obedience. Nobody else did. â€Å"Who wants to vote for me?† the crowd raised their hands. â€Å"That’s sorted then. I’m chief.†

E-Hr in P&G

Introduction to Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a multinational corporation that provides consumer products in the areas of pharmaceuticals, cleaning supplies, personal care, and pet supplies. The global consumer goods company was started by William Procter, an English candle maker & James Gamble, an Irish soap maker in 1837, and has been well established since then, ranking fifth place of the â€Å"World's Most Admired Companies† by Fortune Magazine . P constantly strives to provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improves the lives of the world’s consumers , where P brands serve 4. billion people in more than 180 countries. A High Performing Organization Being a multinational corporation, P values its people as the company’s most important as-set and source of competitive advantage, and understands that its success greatly depends on the strength of the talent pipeline. The Human Resources department inevitably plays an im-portant role to the company, responsible in attracting the top talents, managing P talent globally to enable career development and growth across businesses and geographies and de-veloping leaders at P around the world in every business, in every region and at every level. In view of the fast technological advances, P continues to stay at the global frontline by in-corporating e-HR into its everyday processes such as selection, recruitment and training. The use of the Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) was also able to increase administra-tive efficiency and produce reports that have the potential to improve decision making for managers. E-HR not only provided human resources departments with the opportunity to make information available and accessible to managers and employees, but was also able to improve the company’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. With all its efforts over the years, P has been widely recognized as the industry’s global in-novation leader and brand-building leader of the industry, being consistently ranked by leading retailers in industry surveys as a preferred supplier and generating $82. 6 billion dollar of sales in 2011 alone. The HR department was also awarded the â€Å"2010 Asian Human Capital Award from Singapore's Minister for Manpower†, a highly recognized award in the industry. Technology in HR Functions Training & Development Early 2000s Being a global company that has hundred years of history, P&G owes its success partly to its large pool of capable and well-trained workforce. P&G trained its workforce on a regular basis. Since early 2000s, P&G sees the need to share product information and knowledge to its em-ployees quickly, while keeping its employees skilled and knowledgeable. P&G thus appointed Saba Learning Enterprise to develop an Internet-based learning system to be used by over 100,000 of its employees in over 70 countries . Through the collaboration with Saba Learning Enterprise, P&G were able to have a scalable system which featured various functions through its web compatibility. Powering the RapidLEARN initiative , Saba had helped P&G to consolidate multiple Learning Management Systems (LMSs) into one that improved the company’s global learning pace, thus reducing its costs greatly . New strategies and direction could be passed on to its employees with great consistency. Through the development of such integrated system, P&G was thus able to meet the needs of various business requirements. As a result of this, number of employees that utilized e-learning had increased from less than 5% to over 25% . It was estimated that such initiative had resulted in cost savings of around $14million after 5 years. In 2003, P&G moved on to engage BrightWave, UK e-learning developer, to transform its in-house presentation materials into an online training program, a 2-hour stand alone modular course, for its employees . Late 2000s With the success of Saba since early 2000s, the system had undergone multiple upgrades and customization. By 2009, the Saba system provided online training to over 90,000 of its em-ployees. There was an average of 16,000 individuals among P&G’s employees that made used of its online training each month. Such success leads P&G to expect an online training growth in the near future. To support such anticipation, P&G planned to improve its learning management system in terms of its availabili-ty, tracking, learning process governance and application support . As a result, P&G decided to assign Accenture in developing its learning management system for 6 years. Prior to the transformation, P&G had over 200 training administrators that provided decentra-lized Tier 1 support, with multiple vendors providing support on more serious application issues on Tier 2 and Tier 3 . Over a period of 3 months, all support services from Tier 1 to Tier 3 had been successfully migrated to Accenture to meet several objectives such as creating a consis-tent development on its application system, having a reliable learning system with high availa-bility, as well as improving the control of its learning process . To meet the increasing demand that P&G was expecting, it moved its Saba-based RapidLEARN to a clustered environment. Today, P&G had a reliable LMS which was scalable to meet the increasing need of web-based training across the globe. More than 90,000 of P&G’s employees now have access to the system. Today †¢Online system To enable all its employees be updated with the most up-to-date trainings, all of P&G’s em-ployees have access to a website (P&G’s online system) listing all the available courses, with details such as timing, course descriptions, and illegibility. P&G’s employees are to sign up for all the trainings online through a common online system. With online registration, em-ployees are able to understand the details of the course as well as select the suitable sche-dule for the courses quickly through a simple click. New courses can be search and signed-up courses can be dropped through the same online system. Aside from the course listings, the webpage also has other information (guidelines) that guides its employees through their own learning path. The system contains detailed infor-mation on the career stage at which certain trainings should be taken. Trainings are categorized into â€Å"General Trainings† which covers soft skills such as leadership and business communications and â€Å"Functional Trainings† which covers expertise knowledge such as finance and marketing. All these trainings are also categorized according to different career stage. As a result, the availability of the guidelines aims to help its employees sign up for the suitable courses during different career stage. E-learning For online trainings or the so-called â€Å"e-learning courses†, employees are able to complete the course at the leisure of their own pace. The system will track the attendance and progress of each employee in the trainings. In fact, employee’s attendance record for all courses attended is readily available online. Some of the common e-learning courses include training on procedures, standard business models , and business ethics. Upon completion of such courses, there will be compulsory tests which the employees have to pass. According to one of the employee’s experience, while such e-learning courses provide them with the necessary information, the knowledge absorbed is very much short-term. Some-times, employees will end up skip the on-line courses and move on directly to the tests by guessing the correct answers so as to pass the tests. Such ‘short-cut’ approach defeats the company’s purpose of having online trainings and wastes the resources of the company. †¢Trainings across the globe Being a global company, the company carries out its e-learning globally. The same trainings are made available to all of its employees at different countries. For other trainings that are not carried out online, the company provides the same content to be used globally. The ac-tual trainings will, however, be carried out by P&G at different regions and offices separate-ly. The trainers for such courses often come from P&G’s employees. These are keen employees who sent to external trainers to receive trainings. As a result of that, the training content of non-online trainings (despite having the same content across the globe) may vary slightly depending on the trainers’ style and expertise. In any case, not all trainings can be attended by all employees. Some training has specific requirements of having to meet certain career stage. Hence an approval status is needed before the employee can attend it. There are also certain trainings which can only be at-tended by certain employees upon recommendation from the managers. Therefore, em-ployees have to take note of such details as well as the location of trainings as an employee in Singapore could not simply attend trainings that are held in United States. The overall benefit of having such a complete online system in its training system is to allow P&G’s employees to realize their own learning progress and to direct them into knowing what kind of skills they need to develop further in the future. It also serves to save employees time by providing the employees the flexibility of completing the trainings at the own time. E-Recruiting With nearly 300 brands worldwide, P&G places high importance in the people and values the talent of every individual. The company spare no effort in attracting suitable talents into its company and promises to offer exciting new challenges, tremendous growth and support, and a chance to touch and improve lives daily for every of its staff. In the modern era, there have been an increasing number of people who are dependent on technology and the internet. In the past, people used to flip through job ads in newspapers. However in this age of internet technology, more people are increasingly turning to online job portals such as monster. com, recruit. et and efinancialcareers. com. USA Today reports that 95% of the college graduation class of 1997 used the Internet as the medium of choice for their job searches while a recent study by JWT Specialized Communications found that 70% of active job seekers are more likely to use the Web than traditional job hunting methods . The increasing popularity of these new and rising recruitment channels provide fresh and innovative ways that P&G can tap onto for thei r recruitment efforts, instead of relying only on personal network or head hunters. One example of such a channel is the increasingly popular use of online job por-tals (e-recruiting) in a candidate’s job search. P&G’s human resource team was able to identify the fast and moving trends of technology and in turn capitalize on the accessibility and availability of the internet to incorporate into its hiring process, making e-recruiting a part of their overall recruiting strategy. The key to successful e-recruiting is by providing a good job site which would make it easy for candidates to understand and apply and for the company to accomplish its goals of attracting the right talent. McKinsey & Company, the global consulting firm, identified recruiting as a critical issue in its 1998 report, The War for Talent, where McKinsey points to various demographic and industrial changes that are making it harder to recruit and retain good employees . A Fast Company article on the report also reiterated the importance of talent, stating that â€Å"The most important corporate resource over the next 20 years will be talent: smart, sophisticated businesspeople who are technologically literate, globally astute, and operationally agile. And even as the demand for talent goes up, the supply of it will be going down. By providing a good e-recruiting website, P&G is able to benefit as the website has acted as an effective filter, making it easy for the correct candidate to apply and deter the wrong applicants from applying. Other benefits of e-recruiting include huge cost savings. Research has shown that e-recruiting is not only faster than traditional channels but the efficienc ies of e-recruiting can also cut the amount of time needed to identify, interview and hire for a vacant position, in turn helping a company to save as much as $8,000 per hire over traditional hiring channels . Considering the scale of P&G with more than 129,000 employees worldwide, the amount of cost savings is substantial by just making 10% of it hires through e-recruiting. A unique website domain was devoted to P&G’s career centre: http://jobs-pg. com/, with a link to a similar interface easily accessible, appearing on the home page just beside the â€Å"Investor Relations† tab, signifying that P&G values e-recruiting as much as it cares about its investors. This career website has been designed in a very user friendly manner, where one is able to search jobs by category, location or groups, enabling candidates to be able to identify the area of interest or job they would like to apply quickly. P&G’s hiring process is then spilt into 5 gen-eral stages, namely application, assessment, initial interview, final interview and the offer, with specific instructions on what is required for every individual step. †¢Application This simple application process instituted a â€Å"paperless† online application system allowing electronic applications to be submitted 24 hours a day and helping the company to find ap-plicants in a timely manner. The information required in the application stage includes con-tact information, education, resume, questionnaire, confirmation and a summary. Appli-cants are also able to save the application as a draft first before completing it at a later time, allowing greater flexibility. †¢Assessments P&G uses online assessments to measure skills and accomplishments that generally do not emerge from interviews. These assessments are beneficial and well received by the appli-cants as it not only allow the company to assess the abilities of the applicant, but also help determine if it is equally beneficial for the applicant to continue through the hiring process, in turn acting as a screening stage for both parties. Examples of the online assessments are: oSuccess Drivers Assessment: â€Å"Assess your background, experiences, interests and work related attitudes and measures your compatibility against P&G compe-tencies for defining successful job performance† oReasoning Screen: â€Å"Measures your cognitive ability. This is important because the nature of our work is complex and continually changing† †¢Initial Interview Behavioural based interviews used to know more about the applicant’s previous accoplish-ment and the applicant relate to, compare with and connect with the company’s Success Drivers. †¢Final Interview One-to-one or panel interviews to find out in greater detail about the applicant’s skills and capabilities. This is also an opportunity for the applicant to get a more in depth understand-ing of P&G’s unique culture, values and endless opportunities. †¢Offer An offer of employment will be first notified through a phone call before a confirmation with details is given through the electronic mail. The comprehensive and descriptive steps of e-recruiting has allowed P&G to achieve a competi-tive advantage in attracting global talents to its company by making job postings available and conducting a firsthand filter of the job applicants through the several stages of recruitment in place. The advantages of e-recruiting for P&G include the ability to reach a wider range of audience, being cost effective and achieving a faster recruitment cycle. With cost effectiveness and a faster recruitment cycle being discussed previously, the ability to reach a wider range of audience is especially important for a global company with job openings suitable for people from all over the world. Opportunities/ Recommendations P&G faces many opportunities that it can tap onto for growth. With the constant increase in the use of internet revolutionizing the way people communicate and interact, majority of the companies today have incorporated e-recruiting into their recruitment strategy. Therefore there is a need for P&G to tap into new opportunities to further enhance and improve its current e-recruiting strategy. In conducting the field research of e-recruitment in P&G, it could be seen that technology was greatly used in the application, assessment and offer process, but not applied in the initial and final interview process. Hence P&G could actively test alternative methods of recruitment such as using audio and video conferencing or a real-time virtual Business Game Challenge in the interview stages to continue develop its recruitment strategy. For training wise, our group believes that P&G could have regular pop-up quizzes which test its employees on the general contents of the past trainings that the employees have attended. This serve to add on the recall on the employees and reminding them about knowledge taught such that it will prevent the employees from forgetting the training content after attending them. This is to ensure that all the resources that P&G develop are put into good use. Such pop-up quizzes, though simple, could serve as a constant reminder about the need of being aware of such knowledge even though they may not use them directly on a day-to-day basis. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, we see that talent is the key resource that drives P&G forward and helps the company to remain on top in today’s competitive market. Realizing this, P&G never let loose its effort in finding the right talent and providing them with proper trainin. The company want to ensure that all of its employees share the same values and are equipped with the most up-to-date product knowledge in a consistent manner. In order to do this efficiently, the use of technology in its e-HR system has proven to be an ef-fective and efficient method that keeps the company ahead globally. With change being the only constant in today’s world, the continuous upgrades in its HR system as well as review on recruitment process are some of the key efforts which require great efforts and are of high importance to the success of the company. Considering the size and global positioning that P&G has, keeping its e-HR competent is therefore the key to success. ? References Fast Company (1998). â€Å"The War For Talent†. Retrieved 22 December 2011 from http://www. fastcompany. com/online/16/mckinsey. html Mark. H & Jakob. N (1999). E-Recruiting. Creative Good Inc. McKinsey & Company (2001). â€Å"The War For Talent†. Retrieved 22 December 2011 from http://autoassembly. mckinsey. com/html/downloads/articles/War_For_Talent. pdf CNN Money (2011). â€Å"World’s Most Admired Companies†. Retrieved 20 December 2011, from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2011/snapshots/334. html Procter & Gamble (2011). Purpose & People†. Retrieved 20 December 2011, from http://www. pg. com/en_US/company/purpose_people/index. shtml National Center for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (January 2002) â€Å"Asia-Pacific e-learning Alliance: A Report on e-Learning and Best Practices† Retrieved 19 December 2011, from http://unpan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN011272. pdf SABA Customer Overview (Se ptember 2001) â€Å"Procter & Gamble†. Retrieved 21 December 2011, from http://www. betacom. com. pl/files/other/PnG_v4. pdf National Center for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (January 2002) â€Å"Asia-Pacific e-learning Alliance: A Report on e-Learning and Best Practices† Retrieved 19 December 2011, from http://unpan1. un. org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN011272. pdf Training Press Releases (11 April 2003). â€Å"Procter & Gamble use BrightWave†. Retrieved 20 December 2011, from http://www. trainingpressreleases. com/news/brightwave/2003/procter-gamble-use-brightwave Accenture (2009). â€Å"Helping Procter & Gamble strengthen a culture of high performance through its learning program†. Retrieved 21 December 2011, from

Friday, August 30, 2019

Mahatma Gandhi Essay

Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Style The Father of the Nation is now being held up as the master strategist, an exemplary leader, and someone whose ideas and tactics corporate India can emulate. Gandhi reinvented the rules of the game to deal with a situation where all the available existing methods had failed. He broke tradition. He understood that you cannot fight the British with force. So he decided to change the game in a fundamentally different way. He unleashed the power of ordinary people, inspired women and men in the country to fight under a unifying goal. Resource constraint did not bother him. That was the motivation. Gandhi’s leadership style is being termed as ‘follower-centric’ and one that took into account existing conditions before determining the strategy. Gandhi advocated having leadership styles that were dependent on the circumstances. When Gandhi was in South Africa, he launched his protests in a suit and a tie. But when he came back to India, he thought of  khadi  (handspun and hand-woven cloth) and launched non-violent protests on a greater scale, It shows that Gandhi’s leadership style was situational leadership style. A Quote from the book: Count your chickens before they hatch by Arindam Chaudhuri â€Å"Mahatma Gandhi’s example to me is a perfect case of adopting styles to suit the culture. The country today stands divided on whether what he did was good or bad†¦ I just know one thing: there was never a leader before him nor one after him who could unite us all and bring us out in the streets to demand for what was rightfully ours. To me, he is the greatest leader  our land has ever seen. It is ‘Theory ‘I’ management’ at its practical best: productively and intelligently utilizing whatever the resource you are endowed with,† says Chaudari.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 11

Strategic Management - Essay Example These, along with many other factors combine to form a strategic plan for a business (Carroll 1993). This further is usually divided into three parts namely the corporate level, the business level and the operational level strategy. Where corporate level strategy is the overall goal or plan of the organization, the business level is a little narrow and focuses on how each will compete within a particular market and lastly the third one is how different units of the business will achieve the business level strategy. For example, a local caterer will have a corporate strategy which will be providing catering services for different occasions, whereas the business level strategy will be to provide special and custom edited services to the various clients and finally for this purpose the operational level strategy will include the training of workforce to provide high quality service and chef training to adjust food according to the client’s individual requirements (Barry 1998). After we have understood what exactly business strategy is, we can now move on to discuss what strategic management in meticulous does. In simple words, strategic management includes the decisions and plans related to the strategies working within an organization. It is a series of steps that form a never ending cycle. In simple words one thing follows the other and is an ongoing process. A strategy is very important because it makes sure that the organization is able to achieve its short term and long term goals and satisfy the various stakeholders. Therefore it is of utmost importance that these strategies are planned and regulated in the best possible way so as to have the result up to the desired mark (Stonehouse 2004). But before this cycle starts off it is very important that the goals of the company are clearly recognized and defined. Apart from the goal there is a mission

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Investment Data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investment Data - Essay Example It came into existence as a result of several mergers and acquisitions. Based on the latest Annual Report of the company, it has not issued shares of common stock using investment bankers or a syndicate of investment bankers, or at least there is no mention of any from accessible official documents ; in fact, it has been known to be buying back its shares. The only reference which could give one an inkling of common stocks being handled is this excerpt from its Notes to Financial Statements: â€Å"The merger was accounted for using the purchase method in accordance with SFAS No. 141, and the aggregate transaction value was $6,890 million, consisting of $5,829 million of cash and common stock issued at closing, $973 million of consideration for the shares acquired from . . . .† One major investment bank, Morgan Stanley, has probably handled some negotiations leading to some acquisitions. However, there is no explicit mention of Morgan Stanley anywhere in the companys most recent Annual Report, although the investment company has on several occasions made evaluative comments concerning Verizon. If anything, there seems to be a close relationship between the firm and Morgan Stanley. One of its Directors has had former ties with the investment bank: â€Å"Mr. Nicolaisen, 63, . . . has been a Director since 2005. He is also a director of MGIC Investment Corporation, Morgan Stanley and Zurich Financial Services.† (Annual Report 2007) Investment Dictionary defines Financial Intermediary as an institution that acts as the middleman between investors and firms raising funds. Often referred to as financial institutions. Investopedia states that it can include chartered banks, insurance companies, investment dealers, mutual funds, and pension funds. building societies, credit unions and financial advisers or brokers. Evidently, the investment banker also serves as financial adviser and broker/dealer for

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

How Does XML Improve and Enhance the E-business Framework Dissertation

How Does XML Improve and Enhance the E-business Framework - Dissertation Example With business booming across the nations coupled with the gaining prominence of the web technology, it was only natural that two most promising things of the future, business and Web could be combined-resulting in massive restructuring of enterprises and explosive growth of business ventures. Web technology today boasts of much new functionality each having their specialties, but the biggest breakthrough achieved by World Wide Web consortium was the introduction of XML has changed the dynamics of the business enterprises. Today with complex problems present at each application arena rise of integration based business was not a surprise. XML became so popular in areas like customer services, relationship marketing and electronic news items. Its only because of XML and its integration with business that made global trading possible among the companies. Other than this the concept of aggregators and rss feed brought out new feature of accesing information at faster and easier pace. This dissertation describes how XML enabled business process interacted intelligently and with the help of advanced techniques of Supply Chain Management and Just In time (JIT) Inventory, electronic business performance improved. The idea of combining information, people and technology, by integrating business process electronically using XML, that was the main topic of the dissertation has proven to be a masterful stroke for all the areas attached to it and thus initiating the mankind to explore and innovate himself to move great strides forward.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Trespass On The Person; Battery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Trespass On The Person; Battery - Essay Example In the case of Wilkinson v Downtan [1897] 2 QB 57Â  emotional anguish was held to be battery, irrespective of the fact that there was no physical contact with the claimant. The defendant told the claimant as a form of bad joke that her husband had been seriously injured. The claimant suffered emotional distress and had to be taken to the hospital due to the shock suffered. The person being battered may not necessary be aware of the act or the harmful nature of the action being carried out against his/her person and causation may be direct or indirect. It is further not necessary to prove damage in order to get an award. The degree of offensive or harmful standard is measured against what a reasonable man in the omnibus would deem offensive or harmful, when he analyses the contact objectively. Further battery does not have to entail physical to physical contact, this is because, touching an object that is construed to be intimately connected to another person with the owners consent is also deemed to be battery. Further, there may be a disconnect of events between the defendants actions and the plaintiff damage; and still the court will construe battery to have occurred. If for example person A sets a trap for person B in the form of a mouse trap, battery occurs when person B is actually caught in the trap. As stated earlier it not material that the victim is aware that the tort is being carried out. A good example is when a doctor is performing a caesarian section and in the process decides to and the doctor for his own personal reasons decides to take uterus, then battery has occurred. Further battery occurs when the doctor allows the his visiting housewife to help with the operation, this is because the consent to the procedure only entails persons to who the patient agreed to and not persons she could not have anticipated take part in the process. Intent is another principle relevant to the tort of trespass to the person. It means that the person carrying o ut the tortuous act desires the consequences of his action. The American law institute further echoes this definition by construing intent to mean the consequences of the act rather than the act itself. There are various types of intents depending on the nature of one’s action consequences. Specific intent refers to a situation where A intended the actions arising from his conduct. A good example is when A, loads a gun, aims and fires at B. The subjective state that person A intended the consequence of his actions. General intent on the other hand refers to a situation where the consequences are far more reaching than the original though the actor was certain, or substantially certain of a degree of consequence. Then in such a case the law will conclude that he intended the magnitude of the consequences of his action. However, if the probability of a consequence occurring are minimal, then he the law will construe that it was mere negligence. Transferred intent occurs in a si tuation where a person A intends to assault person B but in the process, batters person C. There law will transfer intentions of A as to intending to also batter C. This was established in the case of Livingston v Ministry of defenc [1984] NILR 356 , A intended to hit B with a Baton, he accidentally missed and hit C instead. It was held that A battered C. The doctrine of transfer intent occurs in the cases of assault and battery, where an intended assault becomes a battery after the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Writing about Hospitality Industry Research Paper

Writing about Hospitality Industry - Research Paper Example With expectations built on prior basic research aided by an omnipresent internet spewing details with adventurous reviews, a revised marketing strategy focusing on the Price-Conscious, Hyper-Connected customer is but a priority. A multi-billion-dollar technology, E-Hospitality has provided an avenue of cultivating the ultimate customer experience, right from improved availability to accommodate travelers’ needs round the clock to the enlightening, participative forums where professionals share information in private chat rooms, with the possibilities of developing new friendships and/or business connections (Hatch par 3-4). The technology has enabled sharing of efficiency boosting experiences in terms of managerial capabilities, ethical dilemmas in the same, and ad targeting that reaches out directly to the travelers who are most likely to book reservations. The utilization of the innovative ideas is barely past the takeoff stage, with hotels sparingly replacing the traditional methodologies in their managerial aspects. The injection of advanced skills in technology into this particular industry is, however, fundamental in reducing costs [the main objective of business organizations] and conserving the world’s limited resources for a sustainable future (Nikolis par 2). Leisure professionals, therefore, have no choice but to adapt to the new reality to maintain

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Bayesian Estimation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bayesian Estimation - Essay Example bability is a number between 0 and 1 which is used to determine, the chances of occurrence of the specific outcome, if an experiment is repeated for 100 times over and over again. The humans are always interested in finding out what happened in the past and what is going to happen in the future as well. The historical article named â€Å"The Future has already happened† delivers the idea of Bayesian statistics very adequately as it states that one can easily extrapolate future events by observing the happenings of the present. Additionally, the main difference between Bayesian and traditional statistics is simple because the former one developed techniques for interval estimation for mean, standard deviation and proportion of target populations. The interval estimation works its numbers in order to find the maximum limit and minimum boundary in between which a parametric value can assume any figure. On the other hand, the traditional statistical theory is based on the belief t hat humans can measure parametric values with perfection and therefore, its followers came up with methods that can supposedly be used in order to determine point estimates of values of the population. The science is believed to be nothing more than a best guess and the whole world is demonstrating change of one kind or another. The point estimates are going to be good for one point in time. However, an interval estimate will be applicable in the fairly distant future. The old Greek scientists were of the view that human intellect is superior and they can estimate each and every thing in the world. Muslim scholars later came up with a logic that supported presence of change in the universe and one time experiment is expected to change in terms of its results in future. Bayesian statistics argue that humans cannot know anything for certain and therefore, they work in order to perfect the estimation techniques. The natural and physical laws do not change but human behavior does as time goes by.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Be a successful Adult learner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Be a successful Adult learner - Essay Example I chose to take a writing course not because I’m interested purely in the subject (on the contrary - I am not really found of writing essays), but mostly because I am eager to deepen my knowledge. I believe effective writing is extremely important for a person of my profession for several reasons. First of all, effective writing is always an attribute of an educated person who is a professional in one’s field. Secondly, knowledge and skills in the subject are to help any future nurse to avoid spelling or other mistakes that might be vitally important for a patient. In addition, I believe the course in writing will not only help me to improve the writing skills, but will also enrich my knowledge about the better ways and methods of studying and gaining new knowledge, as well as expressing own thoughts and ideas. Since I am eager to obtain a nationally recognized professional qualification, the writing skills, I believe are an integral part of it. Besides that, good and experienced teaching staff as well as well-developed academic programs will broaden my mind and help me to acquire all the necessary skills to succeed in my future

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Memorandum to Karen Saunders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memorandum to Karen Saunders - Essay Example If there is too great a disparity in the costs, when weighed with the additional considerations outlined below, then we will immediately know which move to make. While capital outlay will be our driving concern, we will also consider other aspects of the site location so that we can make an informed decision based on a well-rounded analysis. Obviously, the question of transportation access will be an important consideration. The plant must be supplied and, once the product is ready, it must be distributed. The ease of access for both ends of the manufacturing process will be a key factor in our analysis. After consideration of costs and access, we will verify that we can comply with all zoning restrictions currently in place. This will include researching the previous operations of the bankrupt plant we are viewing for purchase, as well as any zoning issues related to expanding our current facility. We must confirm that our operational plan for each site is within the limits imposed by local governmental entities. Finally, we will evaluate the land use of both potential scenarios. This assessment will consider current use efficiencies, as well as any future potential for additional expansion. The land must serve our needs for today, as well as provide for our requirements tomorrow. Once these four factors are clearly understood within the context of corporate s

Cari Story Essay Example for Free

Cari Story Essay How can an infection in Cari nasal passages and pharyns spread into her sinuses? The infection in Cari’s nasal passages and pharynx was able to spread into her sinuses due to the sinuses being a drainage area for the nasal passages. What is the cough reflex? Describe the process that Cari’s respiratory system is using to clear her lungs by coughing. The cough reflex is used to clear sputum and irritants that are in the nasal passages and pharynx. There are cilia in her trachea that is moving mucus up from the lungs. When the mucus becomes or abundant it triggers the cough reflex. Which structures found in the terminal bronchioles and alveoli normally would protect Cari’s lungs from infectious pathogens and particulate matter? Macrophages found in the terminal bronchioles and alveoli that normally would protect Cari’s lungs from infectious pathogens and particulate matter. How would the resistance of Cari’s airways be affected by excess mucus and fluid in her lung? Excess mucus and fluid in the lungs would raise the resistance of Cari’s airways because of the small diameter the buildup would cause. The fluid would have some of alveoli under water where they could not function properly and there would also be more friction from the buildup. How would Cari’s lung compliance (the effort required to expand the lungs) be altered as her alveoli fill with fluid due to pneumonia? Lung compliance would increase from trying to force gases into and out of the alveoli. Those are filled with fluid due to the pneumonia. How would fluid in Cari’s lung affect her total lung capacity? Fluid in Cari’s lungs would lower her total lung capacity by not allowing the space that is taken up by the fluid to be filled with air. How does the elevation of Cari’s respiratory rate alter her minute ventilation? Elevation in her respiratory rate would alter her minute ventilation by raising it. Minute ventilation is determined by times ing respiratory rate by total volume. Normal blood oxygen saturation levels are greater than 94 percent; Caris blood oxygen saturation level was 90 percent at the time of her exam and an initial arterial blood gas analysis done when she was admitted to the hospital revealed her arterial Po2 was 54mmhg. How do these clinical finding relate to the internal respiration in cari body?

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Treatment For Women Survivors Of Childhood Abuse Psychology Essay

Treatment For Women Survivors Of Childhood Abuse Psychology Essay Many women in the United States are adult survivors of child abuse. As testimony to this to this fact, it was discovered in surveys of 1,931 women that up to 62% had a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and up to 30% reported childhood physical abuse (McCauley et al). Numerous female adult survivors of child abuse will experience psychological and behavioral issues as a result, and may benefit from some form of psychotherapy as treatment. Typical strategies used include cognitive-behavioral, trauma-focused, and emotion [-] focused approaches (qtd. in Hodges). Cognitive-behavioral therapy should be considered by women survivors of childhood abuse who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The impact of childhood abuse on women is profound. Dr. Ileana Arias reports in her article The Legacy of Child Maltreatment: Long-Term Health Consequences for Women that Documented psychological problems in adulthood among women survirors of child maltreatment include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, somatization, substance abuse, eating disorders, personality disorders, and suicidal behavior. According to reported and documented occurrences of abuse, one particular type of abuse that affects females more than males is childhood sexual abuse. The National Center for Victims of Crime (2007) reported that girls are victimized at least three times more often than boys, and one in four adolescent girls will experience CSA before reaching 18 (qtd. in Hodges). Unfortunately, for the disproportionate amount of female survivors, results of childhood sexual abuse are so traumatic that it can actually alter the brain. For example, this information was given in The Publics Health, Newsletter for Medical Professionals in Los Angeles County in an article titled Adult Manifestations of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Controlled studies have shown that adult survivors of child sexual abuse (ASCSA) are more likely to exhibit adverse psychopathologies in adulthood, and neuroimaging studies confirm that exposure to sexual abuse in childhood alters the neurobiology and neurostructures in the brain, leading to scarring, an abnormal neurohormonal response to future stressors, and predisposes the victim to a lifetime of negative consequences. (3) The article states that the affected areas of the brain are the left hemisphere, the hippocampus and amygdala, and the corpus callosum. If there is neurodevelopmental damage to these parts of the brain, the victim can experience a number of psychological results, including depression, panic disorder, and PTSD (qtd. in DeCarli 3). This is of particular concern to women because PTSD is often a result of experiencing sexual abuse as a child. PTSD is defined in Women Are Diagnosed With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder More than Men, Says Research, as an anxiety disorder precipitated by a traumatic event and characterized by symptoms of re-experiencing the trauma, avoidance and numbing and hyperarousal. (APA). The article notes findings by the American Psychological Association (APA) that women are diagnosed with PTSD more than men. It is common knowledge that men and women are different in a variety of ways, and the way that trauma seems to affect each gender is no exception. The article states that, A reason that men may not fit the current diagnosable criteria of PTSDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is that their symptoms may manifest themselves differently. (qtd. in APA). Women would be more likely to report depression or anxiety whereas men would report behavior or drug problems (APA). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the best methods of treatment available and practiced in the U.S. today. Dr. Helen Kennerly defines CBT as therapy which aims to improve mood and change unhelpful behaviors by tackling the thoughts, memories, images and beliefs which are linked with problems (Kennerly 58). Use of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques would be beneficial to women survivors because it is aimed to supply the victim with a thought process to counter the thoughts that provoke or perpetuate depression, anxiety, or PTSD. The process is explained in The Clients Guide to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: How to Live a Healthy, Happy Lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ No Matter What! by Aldo R. Pucci, President of the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. First, the book teaches the Emotional ABCs. The ABCs are this: one is aware of something, then he or she has a belief about it, and the result of the belief is the consequential emotion that results. The belief is positive, neutral, or negative (23). Those thoughts are propelled by underlying assumptions that would be the core to the beliefs (35). Being aware of this process and core beliefs is empowering, and this awareness gives the victim the power to change it. In example, if a woman was abused as a child, and her underlying assumption is that shes not worthy of respect as a result, then that could influence her beliefs and actions in any number of scenarios. She may act timidly in a situation or be a doormat to others because that is her underlying assumption. The core belief must be found and challenged, and the emotional ABCs lead the way to discovery. Next, Puccis version of the The Common Mental Mistakes, mistakes that could also provoke depression, anxiety, and PTSD in a female adult survivor, is introduced. Pucci lists 26 mental mistakes, and then gives a list of Common Emotional Problems and the Common Mental Mistakes. Of the 26 mental mistakes, he lists some that would cause a feeling of depression, including irrational hopelessness/helplessness and catastrophizing (85). A female adult survivor might feel helplessness or hopelessness as an adult because those feelings were likely in the child who had no control of or escape from the abuse. As an adult, however, the former abuse victim has much more control of their life. Pucci describes catastrophizing as another form of underestimating ones potential to deal with a situation effectively (71). He goes on to say that words and expressions often used when catastrophizing are: awful, terrible, horrible, catastrophic, and end-of-the-world (71). If those words were to be replaced with a more neutral word, such as unfortunate, the impact might be deflated (Pucci). This is not say that a female adult survivor of child abuse should want to minimize the validation of their feelings during childhood, but rather to recognize in adult situations if those overwhelming feelings and words are automatic when met with challenge in adult life. These are some of the stepping stones that would lead women survivors to a rational approach, so that even if happiness isnt always attainable, maybe a neutral, solid ground can be reached instead of being sucked into the quicksand of depression and anxiety (Pucci). Alternatively, a trauma-focused CBT approach may be more beneficial to the women survivors experiencing PTSD as a result from childhood sexual abuse. This therapy requires the client to revisit the traumatic experiences through detailed descriptions of the occurrences to assist in identifying the triggers for PTSD, then developing cognitive processes to counter the behavior that follows, such as avoidance of things that are non-threatening triggers. Hodges states, Counseling interventions like trauma-focused therapy presuppose that the focus of therapy with women survivors of CSA is the trauma experience and that reviewing the experience is necessary for the client to improve psychologically. This type of therapy has been stated as generally beneficial for adults who were sexually abused as children (qtd. in Hodges). Although CBT would prove beneficial to treating adult female survivors, there are, of course, alternative treatments, and some experts would not consider this to be the treatment of choice. For example, Hodges takes a different stance on treatment, suggesting a wellness approach instead. Focusing primarily on the trauma itself neglects the individuals growth potential and the positive effect posttraumatic growth has on psychological distress (qtd. in Hodges), she notes, however, Wellness-focused interventions validate the individual and the fact that the important thing is not why the individual survived but how (Hodges). This type of therapy would pay homage to the clients strong points in having dealt with sexual childhood abuse, such as resiliency. Though this, too, could prove beneficial to the women survivors, the CBT approach helps to excavate the core self-belief that is the origin of the suffering they are experiencing in adult life, and gives them tools to successfully comba t the origins of their suffering. Another approach to treatment would be medication for anxiety or depression, in combination with therapy or as a sole treatment. Not only do antidepressants have the potential to cause side effects ranging from weight gain to insomnia to anxiety, they are of particular concern to women who are or could potentially become pregnant. The Mayo Clinic states that some types of antidepressants have been associated with health problems in babies. For instance, these risks are listed by the Mayo Clinic for the selective serotonin reuptake inihibitor (SSRI) Citalopram, better known as Celexa: Risks: Has been associated with a rare but serious newborn lung problem (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, or PPHN), when taken during the last half of pregnancy; has been associated with septal heart defects; has been associated with a birth defect that affects the brain and skull (anencephaly), a birth defect that affect sutures on the head (craniosynostosis) and a birth defect that affects the abdominal organs (omphalocele). This is just one example, and nearly all the other popularly prescribed antidepressants have similar or equally serious risks. This possibility of side effects in all users and the risks of use in pregnant women make psychotherapy a more reasonable treatment, and the effects may be longer-lasting, as cognitive behavioral therapy aims to treat the causes of depression, not just the symptoms. Likewise, anti-anxiety medications come with their own risks. Anti-anxiety medications known as benzodiazepines (i.e., Ativan) are effective in treating anxiety disorders, however, side effects include drowsiness, poor concentration, and irritability (WebMD). Perhaps of greater concern, these medications are addictive and are not as desirable for long-term use (WebMD). A female adult survivor of child abuse would most likely find long-term benefits and methods that can be used indefinitely in the tools that are developed in cognitive-behavioral therapy rather than relying on medication for these reasons. Although using cognitive-behavioral techniques with a therapist as a guide is ideal, some seeking help may not have the means to attend therapy. In that case, there are a good number of self-help books that employ the fundamentals of this approach. One book that directly addresses using CBT for the adult survivors of child abuse is Overcoming Childhood Trauma: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques by Helen Kennerley. Puccis book could be used without a therapist as well. Because childhood sexual abuse affects more women than men, books can more easily be found that are written for women. One book is called The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis. If the woman survivor has the will to treat her anxiety, depression, or PTSD but does not have the financial luxury (or insurance coverage) to use a therapist, any of these books and others available can be of assistance. In conclusion, the primary goals cognitive-behavioral therapy of identifying the mental cues that perpetuate the women survivors suffering and then dealing with the irrationality of some beliefs and behaviors is an ideal treatment. Identifying the underlying assumptions of what has shaped the survivors thoughts and being given those mental tools to fix the problem would be more beneficial than some of the alternatives. Some therapies may not get to the core of what the client is experiencing, and medications can have unfavorable side effects and carry risks for babies carried by mothers using the medications. A therapist can help guide the women survivors in recovery with the cognitive-behavioral techniques, yet if this is not possible, self-help books using those techniques can also help.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The five outcomes of every child matters

The five outcomes of every child matters Within this resource pack, I aim to guide practitioners and parents to implement the five outcomes of every child matters for children age four and five years in their care. I will begin by given the historical background of Every Child Matters and Policies and Legislative material in order to outline the definitions of social justice and inclusion. Also, I will discuss the significance and possible barriers of inclusion. Portions of the resource pack will reflect critically on Every Child Matters agenda which led to the enactment of The Children Act 2004 linking it to the five outcomes. In 2003, the government initiated Every Child Matters which was launched in the United Kingdom followed by the death of Victoria Climbie. It was a significant plan of the government to change and improve the lives of children and childrens services. The idea of the plan was to safeguard children; however it went beyond and expands the prospects available to young people from birth to 19 years. After the death of Victoria Climbie, there was a long meeting of all the various professionals working in children services. The outcome of the meeting underlined a lot of failure of the system, such as not being able to protect vulnerable children from purposeful harm. As the above has not being the only or a one off incident this was based on professionals not communicating with one another therefore Lord Laming suggested a structural reform which means different agencies working together (DfES, 2003). Following the consultation, the Government published Every Child Matters, the next steps which gave way to the Children Act 2004 which provided the legislative backbone for developing more useful and within reach services, focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The document carried 108 recommendations for fundamental changes. It aimed at supporting all children to have the support they need, no matter whatever their background or circumstances. This Act brought in a change for children. In 2005 a Childrens Commissioner for England was assigned to stand for the views of children. The Every Child Matters agenda was further developed in 2007 through the publication of the Childrens Plan. This plan was a ten year strategy ensuring that every child gets the best in life and helps parent into work as well as making an informed choices about child care and family life. Also it aims to improve childrens educations, health and eradicate poverty (DfES, 2004). Every Child Matters focuses on the well being of children and young people. It lays emphasis on better outcome for children, hence the five outcomes a guideline every practitioner should follow. Being Healthy requires that Early Years settings must show that practitioners are enabling children to be in an environment that let them to enjoy physical, mental and emotional health. All settings have the responsibility to make sure children learn how to achieve these things for themselves and live healthy lifestyles and understand the importance of being healthy (Knowles 2009:59), this has significance to Article (24) (27) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which recommends that all children should have right to health, clean water and environment, nutritious food, and have a good standard of living that meets moral and social needs (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). One will include that children should be supported through various measure, ensuring that they are mentally and emotionally healthy, practitioners must promote, encourage and set good example through the curriculums and its policies and practice as well as attracting children in physical activity in order to educate them on how to wash their hands and what to eat and drink. Also families should be provided with other health-care support needed which represents the good multi agency practice already in place at Children Centres (DfES, 2004c). (Practitioners should refer to appendix A for illustration of promoting a healthy environment for children). The next key outcome is Staying Safe which enables children to be safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and harm. Practitioners should ensure that there is policies and procedure in place that clearly demonstrate an ethos of zero tolerance to bullying. Children should be protected from maltreatment, ensuring that providers and all relevant staff are appropriately trained in order to contribute to their safe from any harm. This is in relation to UNCRC article (9) (19) which states that all children should be protected from violence, abuse and neglect and Government should protect them (Meggitt and Bruce 2007) One could argue that providing a safe and secure environment will enable the children to achieve their full potential. (Practitioners should refer to Appendix B for the illustration of keeping safe). Enjoying and achieving is the third most crucial outcome which stresses that children of all potentials are to be helped to achieve personal and social development with particular focus on those with special and additional needs and also to those in disadvantage and isolated areas (Bruce and Meggit 2007). Practitioners in early years settings should make available for all children to achieve their full potential despite their educational needs. Also pupils should be provided with an environment regardless of any physical disability so that they can access the social and educational aspects of school. Furthermore practitioners should promote and support inclusive learning, gender, culture, social and emotional desires. Lastly children with special education needs (SEN) should be encouraged by practitioners to experience equal opportunities to achieve and attain their ultimate goal (Knowles 2009) This is eminent of the UNCRC, article (28) (29) stresses that all children have the right to an education and the purpose of education is to develop every childs personality, talents and mental physical abilities. (Practitioners should refer to appendix C for illustration of the above). One could agree that taken education to some extend will teach children to respect individuals, their own and other culture and also prepare children to live responsibly and peacefully in a free society. Within the policy document, the section on enjoying and achieving cited in (DfES 2003:para1.8) meaning that out of the five outcomes this does give a highlight on leisure time whilst the rest is mainly about educational attainment. Children imagine Enjoying as playing yet within this document it seems to be more emphasising on education. Enjoying appears to be one of the most vital outcomes requested by children. If children are seen as the citizens of the present why not pay particular attention to them. It is important to respect their views (William 2004:412 cited in Hendricks: 2008). In additional to this, making a positive contribution to childrens life is most important this include taking part in decision making and supporting the community, being law abiding, developing positive relationships with others being, self confident and able to deal with challenges and enterprise behaviour (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). In essence practitioners should encourage children to partake in planning and development of activities. This correspond to article (12) of the UNCRC which requires that the views of children must be sought after and given due weight in all matters affecting them. Lastly, achieving economic well-being helps children to conquer income barriers and achieve their full potential (Bruce and Meggitt 2007). Consequently, practitioners should make sure that children are given the best start in life. Evidently, educational attainment is the most effective route out of poverty. Within article (24) of the UNCRC achieving economic well-being the standard of living for children should meet their physical, mental, spiritual moral and social needs (DfES 2004). (Practitioners should refer to appendix E) The reason for writing this resources pack is to guide and support early years practitioners, parents and carers to implement the five outcomes of every child matters in the settings. Although Every Child Matters agenda outcomes seeks to promote the well being of all children which is underpinned by social justice and inclusion, practitioner still needs some ground rules to follow. Social justice is a theme in the United Nations and the European agenda for young children (Jones et al 2008:106). In Britain social justice is a belief that is currently in used to support public policies and practices with a view of making sure that all have equivalent chance to achieve the necessary goods and provisions they need to thrive and achieve well. This idea of fairness is embedded in the concept of social justice (Knowles 2009). Many young people as citizens take their rights and responsibilities seriously as it is necessary to keep hold of the belief in freedom and rights. Undesirably, some o f the policies linked to social welfare are challenge by beliefs of rights and justice (Jones et al 2008). In an ideal and fair society all children and families should have an equal chance of achieving well being yet the society we live in is homogenous entity. This encompasses of huge number of smaller groups between which is unequal distribution of power and access to goods and as part of the unequal power distribution some groups will knowingly and unknowingly discriminate against others. In this way some are prevented from being able to achieve well-being (Knowles, 2009:5). The achievement gap between boys and girls is smaller than that between working class children and middle class children. The focus on underachieving boys hide the fact that boys who come from the different class background and that some middle class boys gain well and some working girls do not. Practitioners should promote a healthy environment for all the children in their care. (Practitioners should refer to appendix A), practitioners should engaged and also supervised the children when they are washing their hands. A child needs water to stay healthy therefore practitioners should make water fountain accessible. Being healthy is in line with Emotional Healthy and Well-being, (2008 cited in Knowles 2009:60) which states that promoting positive health and well being of children helps them to understand and express their feelings as well as building confidence. In other words practitioners should listen and respect children views. According to Rinaldi 2001 (cited in Abbott, 1999), listening means being open to differences and recognising the value of different points of view and the interpretation of others. Children should be allowed to play and rest anytime they want to. As I have mention earlier practitioners should promote a safer environment for the children. Practitioners should support learning with symbolizing materials for children who are not able to read text. This helps them to understand what is required in different situation. According to Piaget (cited in Penn 2008 :42) It is the teachers job to provide a well resourced classroom, where children could have lots of opportunities to learn for themselves how things worked, with guidance and suggested from the teachers. Every child has the right to enjoy and achieve, practitioners should make play a high lead as this is central form of learning. Children should have the opportunity to play for thirty minutes this must involve children with special needs. Also, both boys and girls need to be allowed to experiment wider range of play. For example if a boy wants to ride a pink bicycle he should be permitted to do so. According to Vygotsky (cited in Penn 2008 :43) play is a mental kind of support system which allows children to represent their everyday social reality and therefore enables them to think and act in more complex ways to invent their own rules and narratives. In regards to achieving economic well being practitioners must make sure that neutral advice and quality information are available to children and their families in order to make a thriving move to further learning. In addition to this Practitioners should ensure that children are provided with access to different facilities and safe spaces where they can meet and engage in positive activities. For example play grounds with various facilities. At the centre of all these lies inclusion, this has been one of the vital problems in the early years framework. Social Inclusion is a focal point within the early years education and care policy documents. The Government has stomp inclusion as the Keystone to good practice (DfEE 1998:8). It is the process by which early years settings develop their ethos, policies, and practices to include all learners with the aim of meeting their individual needs. Historically, inclusion has been seen as a process that is relevant to those groups who have been marginalised, but now it is about all children, and it is closely linked to the Governments personalised learning agenda that lie at the heart of the EYFS. Practitioners should deliver personalised learning development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life (DfES, 2007a, paragraph 1.7). One would argue that social Inclusion denotes that all children are involved in appropriate activities making sure that they will not feel isolated or excluded from taking part in any learning performances for whatever reason. This link up with what Roffey (2001) proposes that inclusion does not only take charge of a few children but all. She went on to say that one of the main achievement of the last twenty years legislation has been the increase focus on the desirability of inclusive practices rather than the segregation of children with special education needs which is backed by the 1994 Salamanca statement that pose the Government to agree to the principle of inclusive education and make it a policy (www.unesco.com). Children who find it hard to communicate in class often feels excluded I believe that when practitioners introduce symbol cards in the settings it will help children who feels shy to talk in class and also, it will raise confidence among children and enable them to deal positively with life changes and challenges. Again it will stop practitioners wrongly labelling children as being slow. For example my little boy is very loud at home but very quite in school so when he was introduced to the symbols cards, at his nursery he began to involve in the classroom activities. Practitioners will send newsletters to the parents to inform them about family evenings. In the interest of the child, practitioners and parents should work together to see how best they can understand each other. Helen Penn (2008) noted that working together will not only help the child but also make the individuals understand each others professional rareness and work together this will not isolate the child. After the peer assessment group discussion, I went home to read over the comments my peers made about my resource pack. My peers noted both positive and negative comments therefore I decided to correct the negative ones. Within my resource pack, I explained the five outcomes of Every Child Matters but I had not planned for the activities so I started to gather information about the activities. I had written down my points which I have not yet linked to theory and practice and also had to expand on my points. I found it a bit difficult finding books for the assignment and there was no evidence of critical thinking in my resource pack. During the Christmas break I borrowed books from the university library so I started rewriting my whole work again. Moreover I had already written down notes of what I was going to write for the resource pack so I added some little information from the books I had borrowed. Although I had planned wanted to do, it was still not easy for me to do, as I did not know where to begin. However, the comments given by my peers really helped me to get started. An activity I had planned for the practitioners was for them to give the children in their care all the telephone numbers of people and organisation to contact when they feel unsafe. Later on I changed my mind, to make a poster which can be on the classroom walls so that children can always revisit when they need help. I had read children story book on what they should do when they are in trouble and I found it very good which I wanted to include in the main essay however I was advised by my colleague to put it in the appendix and then refer it in the main essay. Also, I had printed out some pictures which I was going to use for my activities but was told by the initial group not to use them. However, during the second group discussion in lectures, I joined another peer assessment group who were pleased with the pictures and I was told to use them. I found the peer assessment very helpful because I met different people and got various feedbacks regarding my course work. To conclude this, practitioners should ensure that the resource pack is followed as required, because it provides vital and timely contribution to the development of children between the ages of four and five. As laid out in the Every Child Matters agenda every child has the right to education irrespective of his or her background that is cultural, religion and gender or needs. Practitioners should develop a very good relationship with parent and carers this is very important on childrens achievement as well as leading them into adolescence and better adulthood. Part of healthy and successful education comes from home. Involving parents and the community will have a good impact in the setting. Similarly, it makes parents feel a part of the setting and their children education. Also, practitioners should recognise individual needs of each child and respond to them by organising extensive teaching strategies to help them. Conversely, practitioners should also create and work in multicu ltural settings which ought to demonstrate an understanding of the value of diversity and respect for difference.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Irish Potato Famine and The Holocaust in Literature Essay -- Liter

The Irish Potato Famine and The Holocaust in Literature Writers often use literature as a means of communicating traumatic events that occur in history, and such events are recorded by first-hand accounts as well as remembered by people far removed from the situation. Two traumatic events in history that are readily found in literature are The Irish Potato Famine and The Holocaust. A literary medium that has been used quite poignantly to convey trauma is poetry and the poetry from these two historical traumatic events is not difficult to find. Some wrote poetry to maintain their sanity as they experienced the traumatic event while others wrote after-the-fact as an outlet for emotional pain. Some wrote in remembrance of what they had lived through and so that others in succeeding generations could fathom even a glimpse of their traumatic experience. Another group of writers, far removed from the events, felt they had some light to shed on the subject. These people may be from a background similar to the victims or very learned on the matter surrounding it. A reader may wonder why poetry is such a viable option for conveying the trauma of so many people. Hilda Schiff writes, â€Å"the contemporaneous literature of any period of history is not only an integral part of that period, but it also allows us to understand historical events and experiences better than the bare facts alone can do because they enable us to absorb them inwardly† (xiv). The facts are raw and bare, like a skeleton. The literature and poetry add the skin and features to the bones to make the people and images they represent more realistic. Historians hope that by teaching younger generations about historical mistakes of the past, the knowledge will... ... ed. The Last Lullaby, Poetry from the Holocaust. Syracuse University Press, 1998. Miller, Alice. For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-rearing and the Roots Of Violence. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1983: 197. Morash, Christopher. Writing the Irish Famine. Clarendon Press, 1995. Parmet, Harriet L. The Terror of Our Days. Lehigh University Press, 2001. Reznikoff, Charles. from â€Å"Holocaust.† Holocaust Poetry. Ed. Hilda Schiff. St. Martin’s Press, 1995: 78-80. Sachs, Nelly. â€Å"A Dead Child Speaks.† Holocaust Poetry. Ed. Hilda Schiff. St. Martin’s Press, 1995: 67. Schiff, Hilda ed. Holocaust Poetry. St. Martin’s Press, 1995. Tal, Kali. Words of Hurt: Reading the Literatures of Trauma. Cambridge University Press, 1986. Wiesel, Elie. â€Å"Never Shall I Forget.† Holocaust Poetry. Ed. Hilda Schiff. St.Martin’s Press, 1995: 42.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Impact of the Internet on the Production, Distribution, and Consump

The creation of the web was not only a revolutionary movement but also acted as a door for endless opportunities in the music industry. Its ability alone to provide the general public with continuous information is astounding, but it also acts a platform for users to access, distribute and produce music. According to Andrew P.S (2006, 1), the internet was not created with a business mentality but as the years went by it began and continues to be moulded into a continuous path where consumers grasp the aptitude to which they could discover incessant possibilities online such as the access to music. Evidently, the internet solely acts as a huge factor in the shaping of the music industry today, more positively than negatively. Below, we will take a look at effects the internet has had on the production, distribution and consumption of popular music. By analyzing the various methods the consumer is able to get access to, distribute and consume music, the essay will be able to draw on a conclusion. The internet proves to have a far and wide reach to its users, and popular music is short of what ends it can attain. ‘’ The success of the internet is due to its worldwide broadcasting capability that allows the interaction between individuals without regard for geographic location and distance’’ Romualdo Pastor-Satorras and Alessandro V. (2007, 1). The distribution of music on the internet can be a very delicate situation. Organizations such as the RIAA provide websites such iTunes where music can be legally purchased and this in turn allows users who have no method of substantial purchase a way to access music. However, with the internet’s rapid and continuous progression, it would only be of habitual nature that illegal download we... ...ay 2012. Andrew P. Sparrow (2006). Music Distribution And the Internet: A Legal Guide for the Music Business. unknown: Gower Publishing Ltd. 1. Bruce Fries, Marty Fries (2005). Digital Audio Essentials. Sebastopol,US: O'Reilly Media. 22. Marie Heimer (2011). The Theory of Access Replacing Ownership on the Example of Spotify. unknown: Grin Verlag. 24. Michael Zager (2011). Music Production: For Producers, Composers, Arrangers, and Students. 2nd ed. unknown: Scarecrow Press. 18. O.C. Ferrell, Michael D. Hartline (2007). Marketing strategy. 4th ed. unknown: South-Western College Pub. 373. Romualdo Pastor-Satorras, Alessandro Vespignani (2007). Evolution and Structure of the Internet: A Statistical Physics Approach. unknown: Cambridge University Press. 1 unknown. (2012). Youtube. Available:http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/youtube.com. Last accessed 15th May 2012.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Functionalism in Education

? Having attended public schools throughout my childhood and adolescence, I never was familiar with the term functionalism and its many elements. After observing and analyzing my field placement classroom I have come to understand the concept of functionalism to some extent. In general, functionalists â€Å"see schools as serving to socialize students to adapt to the economic, political, and social institutions of that society† (Feinberg, p. 6, 2004). They also theorize that in order for societies to survive, they must carry out vital functions such as, attaining fundamental knowledge and acquiring essential skills and proficiency, acknowledging certain norms and values within their community, and recognizing authority figures. It is also believed that social solidarity and role differentiation are the primary aspirations for a society and is achieved by means of the educational system. I can recall instances from my schooling experience, where functionalist aspects were taught and are presently being utilized in the classroom I observed. Some of the various features of functionalism that I identified within the classroom are hidden curriculum, role differentiation and specificity, which I will be addressing, more in depth throughout this paper. The classroom I analyzed from Smith Junior High consists of six special education students between the ages of 13 to 17. A majority of the students are racially diverse and come from a low income household. These students are classified as moderately mentally disabled and each have an IEP, which include their present level of academic achievement and functional performance. The setting of the classroom is comprised of a structured yet uncomplicated curriculum, where their teacher Angi Root, incorporates practical and efficient learning strategies. The entire curriculum is based upon the concept of functioning in every day situations so I was able to identify numerous functional activities. My first observation of the class was on January, 29th at 12pm in the afternoon. The students were just arriving back in the room from lunch and were quite boisterous because I was in the room. As soon as their teacher, Mrs. Root asked them to settle down, they instantly became silent. This is an example of an unspoken expectation of the teacher and is one of many hidden curriculums that I witnessed in the classroom. Another instance was during instruction; Mrs. Root had asked a question pertaining to shapes and who ever knew the answer, demonstrated this particular hidden curriculum by raising their hand. The functionalist concept, hidden curriculum, is best defined as â€Å"organizational features and routines of school life that provide the structure needed to develop the psychological dispositions appropriate for work and citizenship in industrial society† (Feinberg, p. 1, 2004). It is intended to assist in achieving norms, learning one’s position in society, and how to think of oneself. Hidden curriculum has also been explained as making the transition from family to the real world less difficult. This concept applies to the examples I gave because when the teacher asked the students to settle down, they instantly knew that they needed to follow directions. The idea that teachers are authority figures and deserve to be respected is instilled in children at a very young age and is expected to be upheld. As for students raising their hands when wanting to speak or answer a question, this has also been implanted in children’s minds and is a norm in today’s society. I conducted my second observation the following week on Monday, February 2nd, in the morning at 9am. The students had just barely arrived to school and it was the first day back after the weekend. Mrs. Root began the day by allowing the kids to choose their designated job o the week. The six jobs the students can select from are line leader, door holder, paper passer, sharpening pencils, turning the lights on/off, and errand runner. The kids get so excited about choosing their job or â€Å"role† for the week. This motivates them and makes them want to become more efficient and responsible. Functionalists dispute over the fact that all members within a society are compelled to perform different tasks. The concept of role differentiation is found in almost all communities and guarantees that even the most unpleasant jobs are completed. The process of selecting and fulfilling a classroom responsibility helps student’s form a personal identity of themselves. Role differentiation facilitates individuals to gain a sense of belonging in their society and helps build their character. It also assists them in learning responsibility which they can apply to every day life. My final observation took place on Tuesday, February 3rd, at 2:30pm. I was able to observe the teacher, Mrs. Root, enact the norm of specificity. One of the students, a girl named Shelby, is required to wear leg braces because she has a difficult time walking. When walking to Adapted P. E, we had to travel up stairs, which proved to challenging for Shelby. So she wouldn’t trip and fall, Mrs. Root helped Shelby maneuver up the steps until she was safely at he top. Another student named Marcus asked why we didn’t help him up the steps. Mrs. Root answered, saying that Shelby has a harder time getting up the stairs then he does. While Marcus can easily run up and down the steps twenty times, Shelby can barely make it up once with assistance. Specificity â€Å"refers to the treatment of a person in terms of some standardized basis of comparison† (Feinberg, p. 19, 2004). Universalism, which is equal treatment of individuals, is quite the opposite of the term specificity, permitting exceptions to be made for special circumstances. In lieu of the observations I made, Mrs. Root used her judgment on how to handle the situation of fairness. Instead of requiring the same treatment for all her students, certain exceptions are made for individuals with specific needs and disabilities. Overall, I was surprised to discover exactly how many differential functionalist aspects were actually utilized in the classroom I observed. Analyzing the roles and behaviors of the students and teacher, I now feel I have a greater grasp on the functionalist concepts. As for my view on functionalism, I am a bit concerned with the increasing diversity of school populations and the effect this is having on teaching functionalism in schools. At Smith Junior High, where I conducted my observations, â€Å"curriculum mapping†, which is quite the opposite of functionalist ideals, was being used by most of the teachers. There are many challenges that must be dealt with, in regards to this, because of the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act†. I am not in opposition to the cohesion of different ethnic groups but am worried about the direction public schools are taking. I sense that the main functionalist approaches taught in public schools may become phased out, which in turn, will be extremely detrimental for the society as a whole.

Inferno Essay

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are classifications of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct Christians how to avoid committing any sins. These sins are actually recognized as wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. One of the 7 deadly sins that man can commit but should not commit is the lust. Lust comes with the things about human sexuality. It has something to do with being attached sexually with someone whether opposite or same gender. Lust in layman’s term is the very strong sexual desire or excessive sexual desire for someone. In Dante’s Inferno, all the women that we encountered there seems to be there because of their misconduct connected to sexuality. These people have committed sins that gradually show excessive love and desire for someone else and because of this, they are punished with eternal damnation. Lust is caused by excessive love or desire for someone, but lust and love is a two different thing. Lust is self-gratification without thought or consideration of your partner. You just use him or her to gratify your urge. And this is obviously wrong on any level because lust is not taking responsibility for your actions, nor in having any forethought as to the consequences. Meanwhile, love is a strong emotion. It is an intense feeling of deep affection for someone or something. In this case, we could say that lust really is a deadly sin because most of the time we say that it’s love that allows us to do that, but the truth is we just often times mistake lust as love. Here in Inferno, people who were overcome by lust were placed in the second circle which is the Carnal. In this specific circle, Dante has placed all those sinners who committed sins because of lust. Dante condemns these â€Å"carnal malefactors† for letting their appetites sway their reason. And as a punishment, these souls are blown back and forth by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without rest. This symbolizes the power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly. In this circle, Dante has placed several known people who were able to commit sinful crimes because of excess love and desire and most of these known people are women. If you have noticed, most of the women, if not all, are sinners of the second circle. These women were able to commit adultery and too much sexual passion for their lovers. One good example for this is Francesca. Francesca was able to commit adultery against her husband when she had a relationship with his husband’s brother which is Paolo. Her husband which is Giovanni have caught them while they were in a room and Giovanni have killed them both. As a punishment for committing adultery, their punishment in the second circle was to be whirled and buffeted endlessly through the murky air (symbolizing the beclouding of their reason by passion) by a great gale (symbolizing their lust). Next in line is Semiramis. Semiramis is a legendary queen of Assyria who assumed full power at the death of her husband, Nimus. Same punishment was applied to her. Another known woman can also be found in the second circle. Dido she is the Queen and founder of Carthage. She had vowed to remain faithful to her husband, Sichaeus, but she fell in love with Aeneas. When Aeneas abandoned her she stabbed herself on a funeral that she had had prepared. Actually, if you will follow Dante’s system of punishment, Dido should be placed in the Seventh circle with the suicides. But the reason why she was placed in the second circle is because â€Å"she killed herself for love† and that makes her sing more acceptable. Next is Cleopatra who committed a very lustful relationship with his lover Antony. Cleopatra was actually known to be the â€Å"Queen of the Lust† during her time. Cleopatra took her own life to avoid capture by Octavian (the future emperor Augustus); Octavian had defeated Mark Antony, who was Cleopatra’s lover (she had previously been the lover of Julius Caesar). Finally, Helen can also be found in the second circle. We all know that Helen committed adultery against her husband and so because of this she was placed in the second circle still considering that she was only able to do such sin because of extreme love for Paris. On the other hand, it’s not only women that are capable of doing such crime but also men. There are several men who were also able to commit sins because they were overcome by lust namely, Paolo, Achilles, Paris and Tristan. Paolo eventually was the lover of Francesca who committed adultery against his brother Giovanni. Next, Achilles as we all know was a warrior/fighter. He was placed among this company because of his passion for Polyxena, the daughter of Priam. For love of her, he agreed to desert the Greeks and to join the Trojans, but when he went to the temple for the wedding he was killed by Paris. Next to Achilles is Paris who eventually had an affair with Helen who was the wife of Menelaus. They have committed adultery that actually caused the Trojan war. Lastly, Tristan, nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, and Iseult (Mark’s fiancee) became lovers after they mistakenly drank the magic potion intended for Mark and Iseult. Mark shoots Tristan with a poisoned arrow, according to one version of the story popular in Dante’s day, and the wounded man then clenches his lover so tightly that they die in one another’s arms. Generally, the stories and sins of these souls shares a common ground and that is â€Å"everything in the name of love. † Because of this, people commit sins that they thought are acceptable because there is an intervention of love. Moreover, I personally believe that sinners like them do not deserve to be in the second circle and receive the lightest punishment. Why so? Simply because no matter what you do, committing adultery and destroying the sacred thing of marriage or union is a sin. It is a sin not only ethically but most importantly it is a sin in the eyes of God. Destroying a sacred union is an awful sin and receiving such light punishment should not be. I feel that these souls should also be given a harder punishment since they have committed a very big sin. In conclusion to this, the second circle generally is a circle for those who sinned by excess of sexual passion. It is the most natural sin and the sin most nearly associated with love, so its punishment is the lightest of all to be found in hell proper. But I still believe that since man has given the will and choice, each one of us has the power to follow our wills and choose our choices as dictated by ourselves but of course with considering all the possible factors. We always have a choice, so these sinners could have chosen to commit it or not.