HUMAN SERVICES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HUMAN SERVICES - Essay Example This also shows that he has the determination to work hard and make it in life despite his current situation. Concerning Phil’s family, the parents are still married, and the family is in need of support. Regarding the case of Rachel, the strengths include the ability to make friends, being a good student, self-confidence, survival skills, and optimism. Rachel’s family is still intact despite the challenges they are facing. The strengths that Phil exhibits have great influence on his life. For instance, Phil lives in a difficult environment because of constant fights by his parents, but the strengths give him a strong will to excel despite the family challenges. In addition, though Phil drinks alcohol, the strengths allow him to keep on track of becoming someone better in the future, and not losing his life to street vices. The strengths also have an effect on the family; they bring out the attributes of the family necessary creating an effective collaboration and intervention strategy. Similarly, strengths demonstrated by Rachel influence her life. For instance, she has developed survival skills that allow her to be independent at her young age. These strengths make her a strong-willed person and shape her attitude towards life. With respect to the family, the strength allows the family to function as one unit despite the challenges they have. Strength-based approach is an effective theory as it extends the idea that every individual has inherent capabilities. As a social worker, I believe that each person is unique with capabilities and strengths that determine their story and define whom they are. Additionally, this theory gives the opportunity to turn challenges into capacity in order to create optimism and hope out of a difficult situation (Saint-Jacques, Turcotte and Pouliot 454). Since individuals have the belief that change is inevitable, every person has the urge to explore the world around them, succeed, and help one

The Different Types of Clouds Essay Example for Free

The Different Types of Clouds Essay Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the processes of evaporation and condensation. As a basis for understanding this concept: c. Students know water vapor in the air moves from one place to another and can form fog or clouds, which are tiny droplets of water or ice, and can fall to Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow. Objective: Students will create a picture that shows three different cloud types (Cirrus, stratus, and cumulus). Student Materials: 1 piece of blue construction paper per student 3-4 cotton balls per student bottle of glue per 4 students crayons Management Strategies: This lesson is intended to be an introduction to cloud types and is appropriate for large group (whole class) instruction. The complete lesson will take about 50 minutes. Cooperative group work is not required, but could be implemented at the teachers discretion. Procedure: 1. Begin the lesson by discussing the weather at the time. Ask probing questions like, What is the difference between the weather today and the weather yesterday? , What kind of an effect do you think clouds have on weather? or What makes one loud different from another? . 2. Show the students selected pictures from the book Spacious Skies and a series of pictures from the laser disc. Talk about what they are seeing by discussing the different characteristics of the clouds. Be sure to point out height (elevation), texture and color. 3. Introduce the four types of clouds with which the class will be working. These clouds are cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus. Write the four names on the chalkboard and ask the class to describe each type (where it would be found, what it looks like, its color). While working on ach name, use the corresponding picture from the laser disc. When the class is done listing characteristics, ask them to place the four different types of clouds in the appropriate spot on the cloudscape that youve created. 4. Explain to the students that they will be responsible for making a cloudscape. They will be using construction paper, cotton balls, glue and crayons to create a scene that incorporates all four of the cloud types discussed. Their cloudscape must show the clouds in relation to ground level and the clouds should depict the attributes discussed by the class. Their scene should include buildings as well as the ground. They will have 15-20 minutes to complete this activity. 5. Bring the class back together as a whole by having the children present their cloudscapes to the class. Make sure that they explain what each cloud is and its relation to the horizon. Concept: Cloud formation results when warm, humid air rises and cools, causing the water vapor in the air to condense and form clouds. Teacher Materials: a large Jar a plastic bag of ice that will fit over the Jar opening a pitcher of warm water 1 sheet of black paper flashlight -matches Student Materials: pen and paper to record observations Optional Extension Student Materials: more Jars, bags of ice, black paper, flashlights, and warm water flour sand cedar shavings any other particulate materials white construction paper newspaper crayons Teacher Background Information: -collected dust Sunlight causes water to evaporate into the atmosphere. This air containing the water vapor is heated at the surface of the earth and rises. As it rises, it cools and the water vapor condenses on some form of particulate matter such as dust, ash, or moke to form clouds. Management Strategies: This activity would be most appropriately done with small groups so that all students can view the cloud formation in the Jar. Other class members could be working on researching the different types of clouds, drawing and labeling these clouds, researching and drawing the water cycle, working on a forecast for the rest of the day based on the clouds in the sky, etc. The activity itself should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes. For safety reasons, students should not be allowed to handle the matches. Also, students need to be careful around the glass Jars. Much of the following procedure will vary, depending on students reactions, comments, and levels of understanding. Procedure: 1 . Ask students what some of the different types of clouds are, what they are made of, and ask the focus question, how do you think clouds form?

Affirmative Action Promotes Discrimination in America Essay -- affirma

Success is something that everyone yearns for in life. Whether it is becoming happy, healthy, or wise, there are certain achievements and triumphs that deem a person prosperous. However, in order to obtain success, one must dedicate themselves to what they want out of their journey, working hard to come out on top in the competitive worlds of school and work that dominate our society. All through life, people are taught that overall hard work and moral character will allow one to achieve their goals. This sounds like the ideal situation- both fair and ethical. However, our nation has often ignored these moral teachings of justice and evenhandedness in an effort to give more "equality" to the American population. A program known as Affirmative Action was introduced in 1965 by the federal government under Lyndon B. Johnson and was thought to be a great idea in order to bring more diversity and equal opportunity to the many different races, ethical groups, and certain minorities (Affirmative Action 1980). However, the intentions affirmative action provides have only discriminated members of society further, and segregated individuals in this land of equality. Affirmative action can be described as a "program for giving preference to individual applicants for positions in educational institutions, or in employment, based on that person's membership in a previously discriminated-against racial, ethnic, or gender minority" (Affirmative Action vs. Equal Rights 2003). Even before America was a nation, our country was regarded as a place of equal opportunity for all. Thomas Jefferson once said, "We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal...," words that have echoed through the centurie... ...n "Affirmative Action vs. Equal Rights." The Jeffersonian Perspective. 20 Oct. 2014 <http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7970/jefpco60.htm>. Brown, Jeff. "Two Views of Affirmative Action." Third Place. 20 Oct. 2014. http://saugus.byu.edu/writing/contest/20001/brown.htm>. McElroy, Wendy. "What Does Affirmative Action Affirm?" Zetetics. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.zetetics.com/mac/affirm.htm>. "The Equality Project Learning Center." Quotes on Equality. 27 Oct. 2014. <http://equalrightslesbigay.com/quotes.htm>. "The Social Construction of Reverse Discrimination: The Impact of Affirmative Action on Whites." The Impact of Affirmative Action on Whites. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.adversity.net/Pro_AA/docs/Pincus_JIR.htm>.

Greed Essay †Enron and Northern Rock Corporate Collapse

Abstract The spectacular collapse of both Enron and Northern Rock illustrate two very distinct methods of errant policy that deserve continual study.This essay examines and compares the roles of both companies during their respective period of failure in order to determine the fundamental causes that led each of these companies to ruin. The evidence presented outlines a pattern of greed, ambition and poor policy that combined to drive the entities to failure. This research will be of value to any person looking into corporate collapse. 1 Introduction Failure in business comes in many forms making continual evaluation beneficial. The cases of the spectacular collapse of both Enron and Northern Rock illustrate two very distinct methods of errant policy. This essay examines and compares the roles of both companies during this period of failure in order to determine the fundamental causes that led each of these companies to ruin. With a focus on the role of fraud, market value accounting, fraud and creative accounting this study will identify and evaluate the underlying causes that have been credited with defining business risk in the modern age. In the end, this essay examines and evaluates the fundamental factors associated with the collapse of Enron and Northern Rock with the stated goal of determining the best methods of avoiding such a scenario in the future. 2 Corporate Collapse2.1 OverviewEnron was once considered a blue chip investment with the inherent capacity to bolster any portfolio during the 1990’s until the collapse of 2001 (Khan, 2011). Once regarded as a premier investment, Enron became associated with a wide range of questionable accounting practice, fraud and insider trading during their term of operations. Over the course of 1990’s, Enron was cited and held up as a pillar of innovation and performance with many institutions attempting to emulate their professed success (Arnold and Lange, 2004). This early idolization of the rising company seems to have increased overall investor interest and expectation. With a platform based on gas and electricity and a long list of associated enterprises including online and investment services utilized by nearly every other energy entity of the period, Enron was the acknowledged leader in the international energy industry (Solomon and Solomon, 2004). With a broad based syst em of investors, there was substantial fallout when the final collapse of the company was announced in 2001, with many in the industry decrying the lack of oversight amid the opportunity for fraud (Khan, 2011). The rise and fall of Enron, even on basic level is a reflection of a company’s ability to build and play upon investors’ expectations, which indicates a willingness on the part of the investors to risk their money in a questionable investment. Northern Rock was once considered a leading voice in the UK banking industry (Marshall et al, 2012). Created as a result of a merger between the North East Building Society and the Northern counties Permanent Building Society and the Rock Building Society, the Northern Rock Building Society was in an ideal position to create and further their own business interests. A key area of concern for investors was the fact that Northern Rock derived its capital from depositors until the deregulation efforts of the 1980’s (Ma rshall et al, 2012). With the relaxation of oversight, it became possible for entities such as Northern Rock to consider and implement alternate solutions for revenue increase that included heavy investment in the stock market and mortgage industry. Complementing the perception of leadership and dedication to the market were statistics that cited Northern Rock as one of the leading mortgage lenders during the period of the early 2000’s (Mclean and Elkind, 2003). With a wish to capitalize as much as possible on the conditions of the growing market, which included the American mortgage market prior to 2008, Northern Rock leadership opted to invest heavily in the subprime market that generated so much profit during this period (Dawley et al, 2012). This argument suggests that the old industry region that was home to the company’s operations had a direct impact on the initial success and eventual failure of the Ban. This initial overview demonstrates that there was a real drive to produce revenue on the part of both of these companies, which in turn fuelled their need to succeed at any cost. In both cases, Enron and Northern Rock began with a legitimate business foundation, yet desired a continual increase in power and revenue which led to poor decisions and policy implementation. In a very real way, this brief illustration suggests that the success factor prompted these companies to act in the selfish and rash manner that brought about their downfall.2.2 Companies2.2.1 EnronThe manner in which leadership creates, endorses and implements a company policy is a critical component to any entities day to day operations (O’Connell, 2004). In this case Enron leadership including Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling and Andy Fastow were primarily credited with first leading the company to incredible heights, and then engineering the massive failure due to their own incredible greed. Perhaps a leading indic ator of the manner of leadership Ken Lay found appealing lay in his continual support of the oil trading company headed by Borget that was deemed acceptable as long as there was a profit, regardless of method (Swartz and Watkins, 2003). Organizational culture built on greed and corruption will continue to breed these same elements throughout any organization (Solomon et al, 2004). In this case Enron leadership’s goal of creating a nature gas stock exchange was driven by the desire to increase market share and revenue. In the beginning this form of innovation and aggressive marketing were deemed acceptable, but with subsequent discoveries of accounts including M. Yass, or My ass, created by Borget there was an acknowledgement of corruption (Fox, 2003). Despite Enron initially endorsing Borget and his practices as the scope of the losses mounted, Ken Lay actively denied any wrong doing, taking advantage of the lack of information that he cultivated. The lack of any serious form of financial oversight allowed Enron to create questionable forms of accounting and bookkeeping that extended their perception of propriety (Solomon, 2004). During deregulation effort of the late twentieth century, there was serious contention on the part of the business community that there was a need to reduce regulation in order to benefit the consumer. Leadership at Enron eagerly campaigned on the notion that deregulation would actively increase the capacity for the worker (Swartz et al, 2003). Blaming regulation for higher electricity the lobbyists were largely successful in their drive to remove any meaningful oversight in the industry. This push included a state by state approach that allowed Enron to utilize their regional positions to great advantage, thereby ensuring a smoother experience (Boje et al, 2004). Skilling created concept of an asset lite strategy, or not actually owning the assets, simply bundling and selling the energy, which in tur n provided Enron with a potential method to drastically increase revenue with little to no paper trail (Solomon et al, 2014). The summer of 1998 witnessed a bonanza for Enron as there was a perception of volatility that enabled them to drastically capitalize on the market, leading to the perception that Skilling was a genius (Swartz et al, 2003). During this period following deregulation many of the Enron’s greatest profits were made by employees finding loopholes and exploiting these accounting or business practices to the utmost in order to increase revenue (Arnold and Lange, 2005). Again, this policy of attempting to end run regulation only promotes the false ideal that the company or its employees was smarter than the system. Enron has been credited with employing many questionable accounting techniques during their period of operation in order to bolster expectations (Gordon, 2002). This drive to provide a continuous profit for the company led the leadership to adopt acc ounting practices that did more to obstruct the revelation of negative data in order to maintain profits. A combination of being at the right place in the form of evolving deregulation and belonging to a culture of greed and corruption created the atmosphere that prompted these increasingly poor accounting practices (Macey, 2003). At the heart of Enron’s trouble rests a lack of strong corporate governance and an increasing disregard for public regulation and investor welfare (Vinten, 2002). Beginning with methods that merely bent the rules, the accounting practices at Enron had to become larger in order to account for the burgeoning debt that was being created (Parker, 2005). This form of creative bookkeeping suggests that there was a strong knowledge that operations at the company were not only limited in scope, but there was a need to make as much money as possible at any cost. This form of accounting was illustrated in the Mark to Market accounting expansion that served to misinform investors on accurate valuations, thereby increasing Enron’s value (Shelly, 2011). While essentially legal, the stretching and reinterpretation of the rules allowed Enron to create a wide margin of profit on paper. Further, the use of limited partnership and outside parties increased the level of secrecy and uncertainty that surrounded every Enron valuation process including the Credit Default Swaps and Collateralised Debt Obligations (Swartz et al, 2010). These measures became necessary in order to provide the company with the means to maintain expectations, bonuses and pensions. From the outset, Enron was out to make money (Jennings, 2002). Each innovation was aimed at delivering the most revenue to the leadership, not the investors. Each decision and example of culture illustrates the greed and ambition of those behind the Enron debacle. In the accounting profession a fair presentation is regarded as an accurate representation of a working operation, creative ac counting is identified as flexible practice that best serves the interests of the clients, with fraudulent accounting made up of those that blatantly step outside the law (Buckley, 2011). Enron has displayed an initial fair value accounting method that degenerated into a fraudulent accounting method with evidence that paints a portrait of unrestrained greed, propped up by poor regulation and aided by tacit indulgence of success. There is a clear need to conduct ethical business in order to sustain opportunities (Gill, 2009). This was does not seem to have happened in the case of Enron. This evidence suggests that no matter how Enron had attempted to compensate for poor practice, there could have been no other plausible outcome than failure.2.2.2 Northern RockInitially specialising in residential and commercial mortgages Northern Rock quickly became an industry frontrunner under the leadership of Adam Applegarth in 2001(Marshall et al, 2012). This form of leadership actively profited from the prior methods of operation, utilizing the past profit to invest in the present stock market, primarily the growing sector mortgage securities. Linsley and Slack (2013) argue that prior to 2001 Northern Rock projected a ethic of care, which in turn was cited for the intense feelings of betrayal following the collapse of the Bank. There was a sense that leadership of the Bank was overly ambitious in their efforts to capitalize on their existing assets by putting all of the previous savings at risk (Marshall et al, 2012). This suggests that the clientele of Northern Rock expected their leadership to take greater care and substantially less risk. Three primary points including Northern Rocks previous existence as a building society, the local or regional nature of the bank and the appearance of the Northern Rock Foundation bolstered the perception of a caring institution that was out to serve the populace (Linsley, 2013). With the change in policy brought about by a new leader , there was a palpable sense of anger and disillusionment with both Northern Rock and the direction of their investments. It very much seems as if was this effort from the previous eras, the caring and attentive attitude that served to amplify the negativity as the bank began to crumble under the weight of poor leadership and management. With the onset of the subprime collapse in the United States and the massive international recession that followed, it became impossible for Northern Rock to meet its financial obligations, which in turn prompted the failure of the bank (Linsley et al, 2013). The innovative nature of the investment pattern such as the ‘Together’ investment scenario set out by Northern Rock was a stark departure from the mutualisation process of previous eras (Nesvetailova and Palan, 2013). With the ambitious investment goals set out by Applegarth, it became necessary for the bank to move from the 75% per cent income from depositors to a much more modest 25% with the remaining balance being accounted for by investment and loans (Nesvetailova, 2013). As reflected by consumer discontent with the policy decision, the entire process became disliked and heavily blamed for the eventual run on the bank. The new pattern of investment required Northern Rock to pursue securitization in a fashion that created special purpose vehicles in order to allow these securities to become liquid and thereby tradable (Deegan and Unerman, 2011). This process allowed Northern Rock to obscure their accurate worth by essentially hiding these accounts offshore (Scott, 20 08). With an accounting practice that was creative and innovative at the time, Northern Rock utilized this method in order to expand their projected revenues, thereby further enhancing their operations. In order to continue lending at the bank level, mortgages could be sold, or further funds borrowed on the mortgage securities, which in turn kept Northern Rock liquid initially (Gaffikin, 2008). This culture of greed no matter the cost fuelled the leadership drive to not only continue this practice, but expand it to incorporate up to 50 per cent of the Northern Rock operational platform (Deegan et al, 2011). Depending too heavily on any volatile market has the potential to put any operation at risk at any time (Domhoff, 2013). This evidence suggests that Northern Rock was substantially impacted by the subprime mortgage collapse and the inability to borrow money from the lenders. With a business model that was directly dependant on the interbank lending process, this sudden halt of funding was a severe and crippling blow, only enhanced by the need for the bank to have these funds on hand in order to shore up fading public support. The perception of dismay and lack of trust only increased as Northern Rock found itself undercut by rivals with better loan rates (Deegan et al, 2011). With no ready pool of funding available and no one to purchase the securities, some of which were frozen due to questionable value, the internal situation deteriorated to the point of collapse nearly overnight. Regulation and lack of effective constraints in the financial process has been cited as an element of the Northern Rock collapse (Nesvetailova, 2013). There was a sustained feeling that the explosive pattern of growth quickly overwhelmed any regulation effort, which in turn led to unsatisfactory testing and performance assessments. The caring culture that once benefited operations at Northern Rock was transformed to increased discontent with the announcement of the government bailout, which in turn fuelled the run on the bank (Deegan, et al, 2011). This evidence suggests that it was the very elements of safe investment that had given Northern Rock the opportunity for investment initially and that the prudent course of action would have been to maintain a pattern of considerate investment rather than an all-out bid for industry leadership. With the nationalization of the Northern Rock entity, the government became the only remaining investor, shouldering the substantial loss that had once been a thriving multi-generational company (Deegan et al, 2011). 3 Conclusion Both Enron and Northern Rock exhibited similar and distinctly different traits as this study as illustrated. Each of the companies possessed leadership that was very focused on success and revenue. This culture of greed and ambition served to initially propel both companies into positions of leadership which was demonstrated by their drastic increase in value and recognition during the early phases. While both companies began with fair trade accounting methods, there were driving forces behind each entities operation after that period. Enron began to employ outright fraud in their accounting practices, in some cases going so far as to completely create fictional assets in order to maintain viability. In contrast Northern Rock employed creative accounting methods to legally utilize their existing assets to invest in the subprime mortgage market. While Northern Rocks leadership made poor choices, there was no element of blatant fraud as perpetrated by Enron. There was a distinct organi sational culture gap between Enron and Northern Rock. The ethic of care environment enacted a perception of interest in the consumers of Northern Rock aided the long term business efforts and sustained operations over generations. Enron was focused on profit and the means to increase profit from the point of inception, creating management techniques that encouraged a liberal interpretation of any regulation, placing revenue generation above the need to present a high level of honesty during operation. A similarity that binds both companies together was the leadership intention to use the open market to increase their net assets. Further, there was a directed action by both management institutions to hide the debt from the consumer and investors in order to prop up their image and brand. Once considered pioneering, creative and innovative the combination of deregulation, massive growth and complex rules provided a wide range of opportunities that these companies chose to exploit for their own gain. Each of these entities found itself in the position that required them to borrow money in order to meet expectations. Lacking the means to borrow money was the death knell for both of these enterprises. Northern Rock found itself caught in the subprime mortgage collapse and Enron found itself the focus of scrutiny concerning their assets and true valuation. In the end both Enron and Northern Rock exhibited poor policy decision as well as experiencing bad luck. While there is no guarantee in the business world, large scale deception and fraud will eventually come back to roost. It was the utilization of questionable practice, greed and ambition that served to derail these companies, teaching us all that honesty is indeed the best policy. 4 References Arnold, B. and De Lange, P. 2004. Enron: an examination of agency problems. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 15 (6), pp. 751–765. Boje, D. M., Rosile, G. A., Durant, R. A. and Luhman, J. T. 2004. Enron spectacles: A critical dramaturgical analysis. Organization Studies, 25 (5), pp. 751–774. Buckley, A. 2011. Financial crisis. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Dawley, S., Marshall, N., Pike, A., Pollard, J. and Tomaney, J. 2012. Continuity and evolution in an old industrial region: the labour market dynamics of the rise and fall of Northern Rock. Regional Studies, (ahead-of-print), pp. 1–19. Deegan, C. and Unerman, J. 2011. Financial Accounting Theory: European Edition, 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill. New York, NY. Domhoff, G. W. 2013. The myth of liberal ascendancy. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers. Fox, L. 2003. Enron. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Gaffikin, M. 2008. Accounting Theory: Research, Regulation and Accounting Practice, Pearson Education. New York, NY . Gill, M. 2009, Accountant’s Truth: Knowledge and Ethics in the Financial World, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1(1). Gordon, J. N. 2002. What Enron means for the management and control of the modern business corporation: some initial reflections. The University of Chicago Law Review, 1(1) pp. 1233–1250. Gordon, R. W. 2002. New Role for Lawyers: The Corporate Counselor after Enron, A. Conn. L. Rev., 35 p. 1185. Jennings, M. M. 2002. Primer on Enron: Lessons from a Perfect Storm of Financial Reporting, Corporate Governance and Ethical Culture Failures, A. Cal. WL Rev., 39 p. 163. Khan, M. A. 2011. The Reasons Behind a Corporate Collapse: A Case Study of Enron.Available at SSRN 1923277. Linsley, P. M. and Slack, R. E. 2013. Crisis management and an ethic of care: the case of Northern Rock Bank. Journal of business ethics, 113 (2), pp. 285–295. Macey, J. R. 2003. Efficient capital markets, corporate disclosure, and Enron. Cornell L. Rev., 89 p. 394. Marshall, J. , Pike, A., Pollard, J. S., Tomaney, J., Dawley, S. and Gray, J. 2012. Placing the run on Northern Rock. Journal of Economic Geography, 12 (1), pp. 157–181. Mclean, B. and Elkind, P. 2003. The smartest guys in the room. New York: Portfolio. Nesvetailova, A. and Palan, R. 2013. Minsky in the Shadows Securitization, Ponzi Finance, and the Crisis of Northern Rock. Review of Radical Political Economics, 45 (3), pp. 349–368. O’Connell, B. T. 2004. Enron. Con:â€Å"He that filches from me my good name†¦ makes me poor indeed†. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 15 (6), pp. 733–749. Parker, L. D. 2005. Corporate governance crisis down under: post-Enron accounting education and research inertia. European Accounting Review, 14 (2), pp. 383–394. Richardson, S. 2011. From the Invisible Hand to CEO Speak: Enron and a Rhetoric of Corporate Collapse. Russell, D. 2013. Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance and Sustainability, Vol. 3Business and Sustainability: Concepts Strategies and Changes. International Journal of Law and Management, 55 (1), pp. 74–76. Scott, W. R. 2008 Financial Accounting Theory, 5th Edition, FT Prentice Hall. Solomon, J. and Solomon, A. 2004. Corporate governance and accountability. New York: John Wiley. Swartz, M. and Watkins, S. 2003. Power failure. New York: Doubleday. Vinten, G. 2002. The corporate governance lessons of Enron. Corporate Governance, 2 (4), pp. 4–9.

Assessment for Teacher Essay

The primary purpose of assessment is for the learner to provide evidence of learning by demonstrating the understanding of content and achievement of learning outcomes. This gives an insight of their strengths and areas of development. Whereas for teacher, it provides a moment to review their assessment strategies in terms of effectiveness and facilitate progression by giving constructive feedback. It also informs the curriculum board, managers, and relevant staff to evaluate learning programmes for any improvements. Learners are assessed through various stages of learning journey by using variety of methods and strategies. They are usually assessed formatively before or during the course and summatively near or the end of it. Formative assessment provides a continuous source of information about students’ progress, improvement and problems encountered in the learning process. It could be an â€Å"Initial Assessment† to determine prior knowledge or â€Å"Diagnostic Assessment† to find areas of development and strengths. Feedback is an integral part of it. (NCFOT, 1999) said it â€Å"occurs when teachers feed information back to the students in ways that enable the student to learn better, or when students can engage in a similar, self-reflective process†(Principle 4). It has also been supported by several educationists such as Scales (2008 p. 179), Black and William (1998: 17) and Reece and Walker (2007 p. 325). Formative assessments are not graded which allows flexibility to modify and adjust the teaching practices and reflect the needs and progress of learners as well as motivating them. However, formative assessment in its purist form is seldom used (Brookhart, 1999). I feel that teachers should be given training to as â€Å"how† and â€Å"when† to employ it successfully. There are variety of methods by which students are assessed formatively such as Accreditation of prior learning (APL), Observation, Oral Questioning, Discussion, Role play, Case study, Essays, Projects, Assignments, MCQs etc. which when used in combination has proven effective in measuring a variety of complex learning outcomes (Reece and Walker, 2007, p. 326) It is useful for development of â€Å"Cognitive†, â€Å"Psychomotor† and â€Å"Affective Domains† of learning as explained in Bloom’s Taxonomy and could assess higher order skills of these domains. Some teachers are predominantly concerned with cognitive learning with some use of psychomotor skills but affective learning can be a useful tool in changing attitudes i. e. gender, culture etc. even if it’s not a requirement of a course. Summative Assessment happens at the end of the course, unit etc. and is for grading and decision purpose. It is used for informing employers, institutions etc. about learner’s overall performance. It does not however, give information about detailed abilities of learner and there is no feedback so it is debated for its complete reliability and validity. (Scales, 2008 and Rust, 2002). Learners are assessed summatively mostly by Examination, Assignments, Portfolios, and Essays. They develop the skill levels of ‘cognitive and psychomotor domains’ depending on how effectively they are set out and the type of course. ‘MCQs’ and ‘Viva’ for instance can provide better coverage of syllabus as well as assessment of deeper knowledge whereas essays does not serve the same purpose but assess higher levels of cognitive domain i. e. synthesis and evaluation. Feedback is an important element of assessment and is directly related to motivation. In order to accelerate learning process it has to be timely, positive and constructive. â€Å"Maslow’s hierarchy makes us think about the total experience†¦.. From physiological factors†¦. to relationships (do we give positive regard and development feedback? ) to self-esteem needs (‘I’m no good †¦ ’), his hierarchy provides a useful device to help us understand learning and motivation(Scales, 2008 p. 72). We need to keep records to track and monitor the progress of our learners. They are many different types of internal, external and formal and informal records. Internal records include mark books, matrix, learner progress sheets/ reviews and results of mock tests. In ESOL, we keep records of Initial interview, Initial assessment, spiky profile, ILPs, Diagnostic assessment, Formative assessment, observation reports, feedback reports, peer/self assessments and Summative assessments to assess the progress of learners and efficacy of programme and teaching. The external records include all the evidence in form of written work or internal verification to sent to external bodies i. e. exam board, auditing bodies, other educational organisations, support staff, etc.

Last Twenty Years essays

Last Twenty Years essays The article I picked to do my summary on was about the changes in technology over the past twenty years. Americans have adjusted to include technology in their daily lives. Americans find that having a computer is just as common as having a refrigerator or other various household appliances. Different countries including Europe and Asia have included technology in their daily lives just the same as we do, but we are still the most interested in the future. A lot of changes have occurred since 1982, including computers and vast array of technology. The prices have dropped dramatically on computers, which makes them more available to Americans. If you bought a computer in 1982, $3,000 dollars would get you a computer that is no comparison to what you get today. The computers of twenty years ago were used for one task at a time but now Americans have adjusted to doing multiple things at once on a computer. If you were able to use a computer in 1982, you were one of the few people who had access to them, but now it is just as normal as using a telephone. The internet as we know it has changed a lot since 1982, where only one percent had access, now nearly half of the population of the united states has access. Technology is going to be everywhere, whether you want it or not. Children have been affected by technology today, but would it have been different without computers and other technologies? Dan Bricklin states in the article about, Right now you have a generation of Americans growing up who cant imagine life without PCs, in the same ways that the previous generations could not imagine a world without telephones or automobiles. Even though technology is still incredible, there are still households in America that do not have computers. Many parents cant find the money to buy computers for their children. They usually access computers from friends, community centers and libra ...

How to Write a Sick Day Email

How to Write a Sick Day Email You woke up feeling wretched. You just can’t go to work. But you also don’t want your boss or coworkers to think you’re slacking off with your feet up, watching The View. The accepted way to communicate the message that you’re staying home is to send an email to your boss. But what to say? First of all, you want to make sure to send your email well advance of your start time, lest it look like you just overslept and could not be bothered coming in late.Then, just follow these 3 simple guidelines.Keep it ShortKeep it lean and mean. And resist the urge to overshare. Your boss does not want to hear the details of your phlegmy cough or stomach flu. A simple â€Å"flu† or â€Å"food poisoning† or even â€Å"migraine headache† will suffice. If you’re taking a mental health or personal day, and your company has a policy allowing for that, you can say, â€Å"I’m taking a sick day to attend to a personal matter.† And leave it at that.Be Clear on Your AvailabilityIt’s important to let your boss know whether she can expect you to check emails while you’re out of the office. If you’re too sick, just add a line making it clear that you will be totally offline (though, do give a phone number at which you can be reached if any emergencies arise). If working remotely is an option for you, just say, â€Å"I’m staying home today, but will be available by email (or will be working remotely).†Make Sure You Have an In-Office CoverIf you have any pressing projects or deadlines, or you serve a crucial role, make sure to name a qualified colleague who clients or coworkers can turn to for guidance instead. Bonus points if you reach out to that person before you give their name to your boss! If you’re working on a team project, consider shooting an email to your other team members, as well, in addition to your supervisor; it’s always nice for them to get the heads up di rectly from you.Finally, If you have it in you and want to avoid the guilt of idleness, spend a half an hour shoring up any loose ends, referring people to other parties, and setting yourself an out-of-office message so people know not to expect a prompt response. Then go right back to bed and get better already!

The Victorian Period Was a Time of Change

The Victorian Period Was a Time of Change The Victorian Period revolves around the political career of Queen Victoria. She was crowned in 1837 and died in 1901 (which put a definite end to her political career). A great deal of change took place during this periodbrought about because of the Industrial Revolution; so its not surprising that the literature of the period is often concerned with social reform. As Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) wrote, The time for levity, insincerity, and idle babble and play-acting, in all kinds, is gone by; it is a serious, grave time. Of course, in the literature from this period, we see a duality, or double standard, between the concerns of the individual (the exploitation and corruption both at home and abroad) and national success - in what is often referred to as the Victorian Compromise. In reference to Tennyson, Browning, and Arnold, E. D. H. Johnson argues: Their writings... locate the centers of authority not in the existing social order but within the resources of individual being. Against the backdrop of technological, political, and socioeconomic change, the Victorian Period was bound to be a volatile time, even without the added complications of the religious and institutional challenges brought by Charles Darwin and other thinkers, writers, and doers. Consider this quote from Victorian author Oscar Wilde in his preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray as an example of one of the central conflicts of the literature of his era. All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their own peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their own peril. Victorian Period: Early Late The Period is often divided into two parts: the early Victorian Period (ending around 1870) and the late Victorian Period. Writers associated with the early period are: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Robert Browning (1812–1889), Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), Emily Bronte (1818–1848), Matthew Arnold (1822–1888), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882), Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), George Eliot (1819–1880), Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) and Charles Dickens (1812–1870). Writers associated with the late Victorian Period include George Meredith (1828–1909), Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889), Oscar Wilde (1856–1900), Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), A.E. Housman (1859–1936), and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894). While Tennyson and Browning represented pillars in Victorian poetry, Dickens and Eliot contributed to the development of the English novel. Perhaps the most quintessentially Victorian poetic works of the period are: Tennysons In Memorium (1850), which mourns the loss of his friend. Henry James describes Eliots Middlemarch (1872) as organized, molded, balanced composition, gratifying the reader with the sense of design and construction. It was a time of change, a time of great upheaval, but also a time of GREAT literature!

Mind You Own Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mind You Own Business - Essay Example Health care managers (HMOs, POSs and PPOs) coordinate and manage the quality and cost of health care (Themedica, 2006). Due to the global financial crisis, health care managers must employ good management skills in determining the services to offer, the costs to incur and how to allocate the funds. They are they creating more focus on preventive and comprehensive care services for enrollees and their families. Careful and considerate allocation of funds and economic management of the funds ensures that the operational costs are reduced without reducing the quality of service offered. Despite the health sector being a business, it does not operate like a typical business market. In a normal market, the consumer chooses what to take from the supplier whereas in the medical field the doctors choose what is best for the patient. The current economic status in the world has spear rocketed the cost of medical care. Political and social factors have contributed to the prevailing economic status. With high rates of unemployment, people are not being able to pay the cost of their medical services which is creating financial problems to the medical sector (Themedica, 2009). Economy specialists have prospected that in the next decade the rates of unemployment and cost of living will continue to increase. It is expected that the medical resources available will be strained by the expected population increase (Themedica, 2009). There is a need for the medical sector to make changes that will suit the current situation so that high-quality health care will be maintained. The sector should improve their services by employing the latest technology and researching on better

Law Case Study about Charity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law Case Study about Charity - Research Paper Example Lord Parker’s observation in Bowman v Secular Society Limited it therefore instructive. According to Lord Parker, a gift is charitable if it is for the â€Å"benefit of the public and recognized as â€Å"charitable in the legal† sense rather than in the â€Å"popular sense†.2 A trust is legal if it is for at least one of four identified purposes: â€Å"relief of poverty; advancement of education; advancement of religion; and for other purposes beneficial to the community†.3 A gift to the homeless can thus be said to be for the relief of poverty. According to Kitto J. poverty exists with an individual cannot afford the bare necessities â€Å"for a modest standard of living in the Australian community.†4 Being homeless would certainly meet the criteria of poverty and thus is a legal charitable trust and as such is a valid trust. Moreover, a gift for the relief of poverty does not have to be specifically for the benefit of the public. It can be for an y number of individuals. The rationale is that relief of the poor is beneficial to the public in general.5 Paragraph 3(b): The gift described in Paragraph 3(b) must likewise meet the legal charity requirement in order to be a valid gift. The only category that this gift can fall under is for the advancement of education. ... fit on the public.7 In order to qualify as beneficial to the public the gift is required to be for either the public or for a section of the public and must not be associated with a particular private organization so as to make it a group of private individuals.8 The gift in Paragraph 3(b) does not identify or favour a specific company or organization or individuals. It provides for the briefing of any business people participating in the North Australian export market with East and South Asia. Thus the gift is for a public class of beneficiaries rather than a private class and therefore is a legal charitable trust for the advancement of education.9 Paragraph 3(c): The trust described in paragraph 3(c) appears on its face to be a charitable trust for the advancement of education. The trust speaks to spending the trust funds designated for this gift on a charitable organization that educates the public relative to the desirability of amending the Northern Territory (Self Government) A ct. However, such a gift will not likely be regarded as a legal charitable trust since it seeks to support a cause directed at changing a legislative provision. It was held in National Anti-Vivisection Society v Inland Revenue that a gift designed to support of make changes in the law is not a charitable trust.10 Thus this particular gift will fail as a charitable purpose trust. The only way for the gift to succeed is if it meets the requirements of an ordinary trust. The gift described in paragraph 3(c) does not specify a group for the purpose of an ordinary trust. It is not definitive enough for the court to execute and would only survive if it were a charitable gift.11 As a result, the shares designated to paragraph 3(c) will be regarded as an undisposed of gift and will fall to Foina

Federalist paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federalist paper - Essay Example It was published on November 22, 1787, under the pseudonym Publius, the name under which all the Federalist Papers were published. The essay is the most famous of the Federalist Papers and among the most highly regarded of all American political writings (qtd from Federalist No. 10 2005). Federalist Paper No. 10 addresses the question of how to guard against "factions," groups of citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or the interests of the whole community (Federalist No. 10 2005). Madison defines "factions" as a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community (Madison 1787). Madison begins his essay by arguing that a well-constructed Union can have the tendency to break and control the violence of faction. Moreover, he continues that instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations (M adison 1787). Madison takes the position that there are two ways to limit the damage caused by faction: removing the causes of faction or controlling its effects. He contends that there are two ways to remove the causes that provoke the development of factions. One, the elimination of liberty, he rejects as unacceptable (Federalist No. 10 2005). The other, creating a society unified in view and interest, he sees as impractical because the causes of faction, among them variant economic interests, are inherent in a free society. Madison concludes that the damage caused by faction can be limited only by controlling its effects (Federalist No. 10 2005). He continues to argue that Liberty is necessary to its survival. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. However, it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it breeds faction, than it would be to wish the extinction of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency (Madison 1787). As long as the connection subsists between man's reason and man's self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a give-and-take influence on each other; and the former will be objects to which the latter will connect themselves. The variety in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an undefeatable barrier to an equality of interests (Madison 1787). By controlling its effects in order to secure the public good and private rights against the danger of such a faction, and at the same time to preserve the spirit and the form of popular government, is then the great object to which our inquiries are directed (Madison 1787).A republic, Madison writes, differs from a democracy in that its government is delegated to representatives, and because of this, it can be extended over a larger area. The fact that a republic can encompass larger areas and populations is strength of th at form of government (Federal No. 10, 2005). Madison believes that larger societies will have a greater variety of diverse

Islam and democracy are not compatible comment on this sentence Essay

Islam and democracy are not compatible comment on this sentence - Essay Example The nature of Islam as a religion accounts for the reason why democracy is a distant vision in the vast Muslim world. Muslim scholars and political philosophers have conducted numerous empirical studies meant to establish the relationship between Islam and democracy. Most of these empirical studies are motivated by the fact that there has been a profound resistance of democracy by Muslims; thus indicating that Islam and democracy are not compatible. As an illustration of the aforementioned incompatibility, we will discuss interaction of religion and democracy in modern Islamic states like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Admittedly, Saudi Arabia has been an absolute monarchy state since time immemorial. Citizens of Saudi Arabia have never participated in any political election (58-59).1 The only reason for this absence of participation is attributed to the fact that the absolute monarchy system in Saudi Arabia does not permit formation of political parties. The king, who is the leader of the royal family, literally rules the nation. However, the king must comply with Islamic law, commonly referred to as the Sharia. This means all functions and decisions of the royal leadership are made in accordance with provisions of Sharia. Influence of Islam remains fully practical particularly because the royal leadership performs all the executive, judicial and legislative functions.2 Presently, Saudi Arabia is an example of modern st ates where Islam remains fully influential in social, economic and political platforms. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy state. Citizens participate in election of parliamentary representatives. However, the king of Malaysia is appointed by a royal council of hereditary rulers. Citizens have limited participation in high-level politics. Recently, political parties like the

Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values Essay

Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values - Essay Example The essay "Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values" explores how fashion and music influence on the lifestyles and values. Both fashion and music suffered similar fate. Fashion seemed inclined to consider designer labels more important to wearability of the clothes. In music, post-modernism allowed the â€Å"collage, pastiche and quotation,† a hodgepodge way of creating music erasing the distinction between music genres. But superficial or not, music and fashion would definitely affect the cultural language and dynamics of contemporary youth. Mcrobbie (1994) wrote about the power and influence of music on fashion of youth but the result was contrary to what many would perceive as sexist. Shabba Ranks, a raggae / pop music crossover musician created a rage called Ragga girls (p.183). This created a sensation in the 1990’s when Ragga girls would be taken up not only by black girls but Asians and Caucasians. Along with the music was a distinct fashion sense that sep arated Ragga girls from the mainstream. The Ragga girls wore the hair â€Å"scraped back tightly into buns, wearing gold jewellery, trainers, leggings and fake-fur winter coats†. Examining the content of the song, many observed that the lyrics include sexist and homophobic contexts. The cultural interpretation of the Ragga girls, however did not conform to what was observed. Instead, an alternative value on the power of the female sex and pleasure emerged. The dance routines that go with the Shabba Ranks music was considered explicit. also considered sexually explicit and bordering on the obscene. However, Mcrobbie (1994) would provide another explanation for the behaviour. The girls were merely expressing "the rhetoric of a proud young female sexuality. " It is "combined with the sheer physical enjoyment of dance, working together to produce a euphoria of pleasure and of power" (p.184). The above example presented evidence that subculture of fashion and music was a departure from the frame of cultural contexts and values. Fashion and Music: A Postmodern Construct The youth category on cultural and sociological research lacks appropriate definition and orientation. The classification of youth can differ from culture to culture. For example, preadolescent individuals and people in their 30's and 40's may comprise the youth sector of a given cultural context. The distinction may also be derived from chronology or cultural position (Bucholtz 2002,p.526). The youth represents a segment of society that many sociologists and anthropologists consider as innovative. The youth may work inside or outside the system depending on the situation. Traditional views consider the youth subculture were consequences of the working-class consciousness where emergent subculture was "authentic and in the first instance at least uncontaminated by an avaricious commercial culture" (Mcrobbie 1994, p.179). The presumption is no longer applicable as today's complex social systems of mass media, commercial culture and the state (p.179). The proliferation of fashion and music purported to be rebellious expression of the youth against control and authority would in fact be more congruent with Michle Barrett's observation that youth subculture is a product of "turn[ing] to culture and the 'processes of symbolization'" (p.179)

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR - Essay Example This has led to the quest for measures to ensure efficient communication and motivation of staff in order to ensure understanding and coordination within the company. Pioneer Technologies Limited could benefit more from the application of psychological contract in the company. A Psychological Contract is a construct that describes the mutual respect and understanding between an employer and the employees. Most times, the employees support their employer’s casual culture norms which they were accustomed to before they were hired by the employer to be their employees. In Psychological Contract relationship, the employees perceive overt and covert expectations from their employer. Although both parties may not be aware or confess their relationship to each other, they continue to govern their relationship to each other (Hughes, L. W., & Palmer, D. K., 2007). Due to the negative response faced from the staff of Pioneer Technologies Limited, the psychological contract can be integrated by establishing a system of mutual understanding and respect such that both employee and employer perceive each other as important for the survival of the business. The Iceberg model can be employed in Pioneer Technologies Limited to ensure a state of balance where Murthy; founder and the employees are confortable and have a healthy working environment (Janssens, M., & Sels, L., 2003). The iceberg model represents the relationship between the expectations of both the employer and the employees and thus it helps us understand several aspects and influences of their behaviors within the Psychological Contracts theory. The model represents an iceberg with almost 90% of submerged into water. This feature is consistent with the fact that most of the perceptions of the Psychological Contract are not written and neither are they open. They are hidden in our subconscious and neither the employer nor the employee has claim to it. The contract is thus established through a good

Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values Essay

Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values - Essay Example The essay "Impact Youth Subcultural Lifestyles and Values" explores how fashion and music influence on the lifestyles and values. Both fashion and music suffered similar fate. Fashion seemed inclined to consider designer labels more important to wearability of the clothes. In music, post-modernism allowed the â€Å"collage, pastiche and quotation,† a hodgepodge way of creating music erasing the distinction between music genres. But superficial or not, music and fashion would definitely affect the cultural language and dynamics of contemporary youth. Mcrobbie (1994) wrote about the power and influence of music on fashion of youth but the result was contrary to what many would perceive as sexist. Shabba Ranks, a raggae / pop music crossover musician created a rage called Ragga girls (p.183). This created a sensation in the 1990’s when Ragga girls would be taken up not only by black girls but Asians and Caucasians. Along with the music was a distinct fashion sense that sep arated Ragga girls from the mainstream. The Ragga girls wore the hair â€Å"scraped back tightly into buns, wearing gold jewellery, trainers, leggings and fake-fur winter coats†. Examining the content of the song, many observed that the lyrics include sexist and homophobic contexts. The cultural interpretation of the Ragga girls, however did not conform to what was observed. Instead, an alternative value on the power of the female sex and pleasure emerged. The dance routines that go with the Shabba Ranks music was considered explicit. also considered sexually explicit and bordering on the obscene. However, Mcrobbie (1994) would provide another explanation for the behaviour. The girls were merely expressing "the rhetoric of a proud young female sexuality. " It is "combined with the sheer physical enjoyment of dance, working together to produce a euphoria of pleasure and of power" (p.184). The above example presented evidence that subculture of fashion and music was a departure from the frame of cultural contexts and values. Fashion and Music: A Postmodern Construct The youth category on cultural and sociological research lacks appropriate definition and orientation. The classification of youth can differ from culture to culture. For example, preadolescent individuals and people in their 30's and 40's may comprise the youth sector of a given cultural context. The distinction may also be derived from chronology or cultural position (Bucholtz 2002,p.526). The youth represents a segment of society that many sociologists and anthropologists consider as innovative. The youth may work inside or outside the system depending on the situation. Traditional views consider the youth subculture were consequences of the working-class consciousness where emergent subculture was "authentic and in the first instance at least uncontaminated by an avaricious commercial culture" (Mcrobbie 1994, p.179). The presumption is no longer applicable as today's complex social systems of mass media, commercial culture and the state (p.179). The proliferation of fashion and music purported to be rebellious expression of the youth against control and authority would in fact be more congruent with Michle Barrett's observation that youth subculture is a product of "turn[ing] to culture and the 'processes of symbolization'" (p.179)

Sociology and Biological Determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociology and Biological Determinism - Essay Example Before the hormones were found in the early 1920s, scientists believed that sex differences arose from physiologically active substances - the talented women had high level of masculine genes. If the early 20th century such assumptions were logical, today biological determinism fails both in terms of sociology and biology. Contemporary neuroendocrinologists disagree with the key assumptions of biological determinism and point out that the idea of sex hormones is completely misleading (Miller 2000). The characteristics the society attributed to masculinity and femininity are not reflections of biological processes. Gould noted that the critique of biological determinism is timeless and timely at the same time. It is timeless because biological determinism is based on deep errors. It is timely because the same arguments about biological determinism arise at all times (Gould 1999). The first problem with biological determinism as the explanation of social factors (in particular, differentiating between masculine and feminine features) is the misleading name. Biological concept can refer either to evolutionary psychology (brain being not the learning machine shaped by culture, but having the innate skills and predispositions endowed by natural selection. Further, biological determinism is focused on the large group of people (differences between men and women or between the races). Finally, biological determinism fails to address the question of individual genetic destiny - how much of intelligence are heritable and how much of phobias are shaped by the culture and experiences (Johnson 2002). The idea that we are a mix of nature and nurture would seem to be common sense by now. Beyond the basic support systems - breathing, excreting - human personalities are the product of social existence, arriving courtesy of parents, teachers, peer groups, media, dominant id eologies and cultural norms: the product, in other words, of history, both personal and public. Biological determinism limits the human mind purely to abstract learning machines. Sure, all people share the same body plan and probably might have similar DNA to chimpanzee, however, the human brain is another matter. "Natural selection works to homogenize a species into a standard overall design by concentrating the effective genes--the ones that build well-functioning organs--and winnowing out the ineffective ones. Just as we all have the same physical organs, we have the same mental organs" (Johnson 2002, p. 12). This is most obvious in the case of language, where every neurologically intact child is equipped to acquire any human language; but it is true of other parts of the mind as well. Discarding the blank slate has thrown far more light on the psychological unity of humankind than on any differences. Of course, some of the assumptions underlining the biological determinism theory can be referred to as logical. In particular, men might prove to be on average better mathematician than women, while women prove to be more accomplished at the social interactions. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that biological determinism is based on average assumptions: men on average are more prone to violence than women, but any given woman might well be more violent

Evacuation Sources Questions Essay Example for Free

Evacuation Sources Questions Essay Well, to answer this question I must first analyse both the sources, source B is a picture depicting what seems to be a class of evacuees and their teacher walking down the road, probably to the train station to be evacuated. The picture shows many of the children waving and smiling, and what seems like a lot of them skipping, showing them being happy about being evacuated. Being a photograph, it is quite unlikely that it has been changed in any way, or staged to show the children being happy, as the scene seems quite natural. However it is still possible that it was staged by the government at the time to encourage people not to resist evacuating their children, this would be done by showing the children happy and carefree, not afraid or worried about it. Also the picture was taken at the start of the war, when not many people had been evacuated, at this time the children and their families may not know exactly where they were going, and may have treated it like a holiday, so therefore they probably wouldnt be to afraid about what was happening. So, overall this source is quite a useful source, but that of course depends on what for, it is useful for showing childrens reactions to being evacuated at the start of the war, however this wouldnt be useful for any time before or after this, limiting its usefulness. This also could, if it was a staged photograph by the government, be useful for showing what the government wanted people to think. Source C however is quite different to the previous source, this is an interview with a school teacher during the evacuation, in 1988, in this source, it offers a different view of the childrens feelings about being evacuated, in this source, it tells us that the children were afraid to talk, showing that they werent care or worry free about the situation. This source is primary evidence, as the person was there at the time, however this is taken in 1988, and the person could very well have forgotten some of the details of the evacuation, and therefore their memory of the event could be unreliable. However this might not be the case, and therefore it could be quite reliable. Overall, I think that source B is the most reliable, as it is a photograph taken at the time, and therefore the details of the situation would nearly definitely be correct, source C however is an account from memory and therefore the details could be wrong. Source D is a photograph taken by the government during the war of evacuees being bathed, it shows three bath tubs close together with all the children washing and laughing, this scene would be likely to give the impression that the children, and the places they went to were hygienic, this would lessen the worries of the childrens families, and also may convince more people to become host families, because the children here seem healthy, clean and happy, not dirty smelly children with bad manners, as was many peoples views of them. Also this may convince people to evacuate their children, as many families living in the cities were to poor to even bath their children, so this would be seen as an improvement in their lifestyle and living conditions. Also, if this picture was taken after around January 1940, when many evacuees returned, many of their reasons being that they felt they were better of at home, and that life with the host families was unhappy, or the parents believed this to be so, then this photograph could be being used by the government to convince families to keep their children with host families, that life out there wasnt as bad as it was made out to be. So overall I think that it really depends on when this photo was taken, which would determine why it was taken.

Our Ethical Duty to Prevent Child Abuse Essay -- Violence Against Chil

Beating children, chronically belittling them, using them for sexual gratification, or depriving them of the basic necessities of life are acts that cannot be permitted in a civilized society. Tolerating child abuse denies the worth of children as human beings. Each of us has a moral obligation to turn in a child abuser. In the United States, teachers are told to report child abuse to the Department of Community Services because the department has the responsibility and legal mandate to insure a child's safety, care, and welfare (Bender et al. 1). Why must this responsibility be separate among people who live in the same city and care for these children? The Department of Community Services (DCS) should not have to be concerned with the moral responsibility of protecting a child or doing everything correctly as to not violate a law. They should only have to be watching out for these children and find ways to stop child abuse. This needs to change by building a real community where everyone can feel active, involved, and as though they are making a difference. The presence of child abuse goes back as far as history can remember. It was present in such societies as Ancient Egypt and Rome. We remember these societies as being great and prosperous. On the down side child abuse was very common, and mostly by the elite who had the power and the gold. We also have cases of child abuse in the Church. And when the case of the child is over the priest is just sent away to another city to preach, with the chance of the abuse happening again. People need to speak out to stop this "higher Power" from getting away with such a hurtful crime (Pride 1). "The Social service ... ...ave no future if our children are treated worthlessly. Community is a big key here. And community needs to come together and fight against child abuse. Protection of children from harm is not just an ethical duty; it is a matter of national survival. Works Cited Bender, et al. Child Abuse-Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego CA, Green haven Press Inc., 2004. Jackson, Valerie. Racism and Child Protection-The Black Experience of Child Sexual Abuse. London: Cassell Press, 2011. Kalichman, Seth C. Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse, Ethics, Law, and Policy. Washington DC: APA, 2005. Pride, Mary. The Child Abuse Industry. Illinois: Crossway Books, 2009. http://www.alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au/LocalResources/DepartPol/Childprotect/Child%20prot%20html#index. Roystone, Jennifer. All of our Children. 2008. http://www.vcuethics.org/

My Goal of Teaching Essay -- College Admissions Essays

To state that my goal is to become a teacher in the primary grades of elementary school is somewhat like writing a one-sentence synopsis of an intricate and wonderful dream. In Webster's Dictionary the word "goal" is defined as: "A point towards which effort or movement is directed; the objective point or terminus that one is striving to reach; the end aimed at." In each of the definitions the aim of the goal is stagnant. My goal of teaching feels much more like a living thing. I would define it more as a journey than a goal. I do not remember a time when I was not interested in becoming a teacher. Although I followed a different career path when I was young, I never let go of my dream to teach. For various reasons it was pushed to the back of my consciousness and seemingly forgotten. But for the past seventeen years, since the birth of my first child, my life has been intertwined with children and my desire to teach has been rekindled. I started out working with my own children. As they grew so did I. My interaction with kids progressed to include their new friends and ult...

Marketing and Soft Drink Concentrate Essay

The brand Rasna is owned by Pioma Industries that introduced the concept of Soft Drink Concentrate (SDC), a segment that had been created and nurtured by the company in the Indian beverages Market. The brand was originally launched by the name of ‘Jaffe’ in 1976 and marketed with the help of Voltas, but was renamed to ‘Rasna’ in 1979. When the product did not do as well as it was expected, in 1983, the advertising was handed over to an advertising agency named Mudra Communications Ltd. Pioma Industries Limited is perhaps not a familiar name for the average Indian consumer. But Pioma’s brand Rasna is very well known. In fact, the name Rasna is almost a generic name for soft drink concentrates in Indian beverages market. Rasna’s extremely popular advertisements with the tagline â€Å"I love you Rasna† had become an integral part of the Indian advertising folklore. In March, 2002, Pioma announced a radical overhauling of its strategies for the Rasna Brand. This development was rather unexpected, as the brand had been lying dormant since long. Rasna is the market leader in the 250 Crore Indian soft drink concentrate industry. The SDC industry is miniscule compared to the 5000 crore carbonated soft drink industry (CSD). The powdered soft drink concentrate industry is worth around 90 crore. During the ‘80s, Soft Drink Concentrate (SDC) was not a known concept. For the consumers, Soft Drinks were just the aerated drinks which could be purchased in bottles and were usually consumed outdoors. Rasna came, and changed the whole mind set. COMPETITORS IN THE MARKET As the pioneers in Concentrated Soft Drink Industry in India, Rasna, never had to face any threatening from any of its competitors, be it a global player or a small local company. Powder concentrate occupy 85% of the total soft drinks concentrate market. Here, in this study, we are considering both Powder and Syrup CSD as competition for the Brand Rasna. Following are some of the competitors who tried to make their mark in the 250 Crore Indian soft drink concentrate industry: 1. Tang- Kraft Foods. 2. Sunfill- Coca Cola. 3. Fanta Fun Times- Coca Cola. 4. Sugarfree D’lite- Zydus Cadila. 5. Kissan Mr Fruit- Hindustan Unilever. The journey of a brand is not always easy. The market is very dynamic and a brand needs to keep a track of the changes in the market. Rasna had to face such challenges too. But it is the resurrection this brand has shown, through strategic marketing, in all instances that makes it stand out and lead the market. MARKET SHARE Rasna has always been recognised at large for Brand and Company. It ranks No.1 in the beverages category as â€Å"Most Trusted Brand of India†. It is listed among the top 15 brands in the country. It was awarded as the most preferred brand in the SDC category at the FMCG Most Preferred Awards 2003 and 2004 and Consumer World Award 2004. It has pioneered not only with its strong marketing strategies but also with its proper scaled distribution chain. Rasna has always concentrated on its marketing and brand building and has achieved an expertise in flavour technology. Its efficient management in production and market environments has harnessed to bring to the global consumers, technologically superior products in fruits, vegetables, beverages and confectioneries and to stand as the leader in processed food industry. Rasna has adequate and in-depth knowledge and information on Market sizes and behaviours, Growth prospects, Project Viabilities, Government Policies, Finances etc. and access to more, enabling the company to respond fast to any proposal with suitable recommendation. It believes that there is a huge and emerging market for Rasna’s kind of product range, all over the world. Rasna is capable of managing global sized manufacturing set-ups working on the most advanced technologies to cater to the huge markets, locally and globally. Rasna has managed to dominate the colossal SDC market because of its massive International operations. One of Rasna’s biggest strength is its marketing and sales set-up, through which millions of customers worldwide is experiencing the flavour of satisfaction. It provides a strong and pro-active marketing support to its distributors and importers around the world- just so that their products stand out and apart on the shelves. Timely delivery schedules of its products anywhere in the world are what have helped them to reach a strong position in the global market. Rasna has its offices in the following countries: * USA and Canada * UK and Europe * Saudi Arabia * Russia * Fiji This strong chain of distribution to large number of countries within a stipulated period of time has helped the brand gain a reputation in the market. It has also helped Rasna in creating enormous business relations all over the globe. The countries which imports Rasna products globally are as under: In recent years, the brand has had to face off challenges, though not from its direct competitors. International soft drink giants like Coca-Cola (Sunfill) and Kraft Foods (Tang) have introduced competitor products in the market. PepsiCo India too is gearing to launch a glucose-based ready-to-drink beverage under the Lehar brand that will be sold at price point of Rs.5 for a 200 ml stock-keeping unit. All of them have deep marketing pockets and standard products to lure customers away from Rasna. Even the profile of Rasna’s target audience is changing. Kids today are a lot more aware, and their parents don’t mind buying more expensive ready-to-drink products, which the MNCs have. But, true to its entrepreneurial spirit, Rasna is not about to give any ground to its rivals. Though some analysts feel that Rasna has been slow to react to the competition, Piruz Khambatta, Chairman, Rasna, still dismisses the challenge saying â€Å"water is our only competition.† According to the 2010 data, Rasna leads the SDC market. The market shares of Rasna and all the competitors are as follows: * Rasna- 97.2 % * Coca-Cola’s Sunfill – 2% * Sugarfree D’lite- 0.2% * Kissan Mr Fruit- 0.1% and * Tang- 0.5%. COMPARTIVE STUDY ON 4 Ps SCALE The Marketing Mix: Here in this study of the Brand Rasna, we are comparing the brand with its competitors available in the market on the scale of the 4 Ps. The 4 Ps of the marketing mix are: 1. Product. 2. Price. 3. Promotion. 4. Place. Product Line of Rasna: Rasna began with 9 flavours in 1982, and added the 10th in the year 1987. The company was revamped in the year 2002. * In 2002, Rasna changed its look and came up with a new logo. * The tagline of the company was also changed and with a new tagline â€Å"Relish a Gain†, Rasna has tried a deep penetration in the rural and semi-urban market. The Price of Rasna: Accessing all socio-economic class: Rasna’s sole goal has been always to make profit with the volume sale. The pricing strategy has always been the key of Rasna’s success. It targeted the mass rather than the class. * Rasna has always made its products in such a way that it can be accessible to all socio-economic classes. * Its volume sale starts at as low as 1 popular in the name of 1 ka 2. * The added sugar product Rasna Frootplus starts from 2 and goes up to 105 for the family pack. * The box pack has a starting price of 10 which can make 12 glasses of drink and is known popularly as 10 ka 12. * The family box pack is available at 35 which is enough for 32 glasses of water. * Rasna has some skus which are very interesting for regular use. The air tight jar has different pack size with price range starting from Rs.75. The company is constantly focussing on the rural market of India. So, accurate pricing is very important for the company’s growth. For Rasna, accurate pricing has been the key growth driver. They understood that the Indian market is highly segmented. And making products targeting each segment has helped a lot. Whereas pricing has been the key growth factor for Rasna, the competitors have not been able to enjoy that benefit of pricing. Only Tang is available at a sachet of 2 which is again meant for making 1 glass of drink. Likewise, the other competitors cannot even come close to the pricing strategy of Rasna. Promotion: Adding an Emotional Touch: Rasna has from its inception relied heavily on advertisement. The famous mass media campaign, â€Å"I love you Rasna† was one of India’s longest running TV ad. * The promotion of Rasna always highlighted a strong connection with its customers through brand association. * Rasna has always created a brand value by emotionally attaching the customer to their brand. * Focus of the promotion is always to promote the quality of Rasna. * Rasna spends a lot on Research on the target audience, and promotes there products accordingly. * Rasna has used child characters in their advertising campaigns, and through them the company emphasised on the quality of products which was an effective way of promotion. * Rasna has done a great deal to understand the pain of summer and to deliver a product which will ease the pain. This kind of unique and innovative marketing ideas and campaigns made Rasna the monopoly in the Soft Drink Concentrate industry till the time the competitors entered the market. Even now, no brand has been able to beat the promotional campaigns of Rasna. Going by the set standards of Rasna, we can say that the competitors have spent very less time and money understanding the Indian market and the promotional activities that works in the India. Place: Distribution Channel of Rasna: The distribution channel of Rasna follows 3 to 5 tier architecture. It follows the Super-Sub concept of distribution. The steps are as follows: 1. First the product produced in a factory which is strategically located to minimise the transportation cost. 2. The packed product is sent to various company depots across the country to distribute and meet the respective market demand. 3. From the company depot, the product is delivered to the different super stockists according to their previously placed order. 4. Then the goods are sent to the sub stockists or in some cases to the wholesale store. 5. The secondary sale from the super stockist or the sub stockist is ensured by the constant monitoring by the company personal. Rasna follows different distribution channel model according to local market demand. But for every model the end goal of the company is to deliver a quality product to the end user. With a distribution channel consisting of 35 depots across the country and 1.8 million retail outlets Rasna is bound to be the leader. Among the competitors the only one that has a good and competitive network of distribution is Sunfill by Coca Cola, but still they are not able to compete as availability with retailers is not as widespread as Rasna. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE The competitive advantages of Rasna are listed below: * Being the Pioneer in the market Rasna is well known and very much trusted in the Indian market. * Being in the market for a long time, Rasna knows the Indian taste the best. * Having 7 state of the art production units across the country, the production is never disturbed for any reason. * Because of the widespread distribution network, it is more close to the public. * The marketing strategies used by the company are of superior standard. * Last but not the least, the pricing of the product, which is so low that it is affordable by the lowest segment of the pyramid also. The competitive advantages of Tang are: * Being one of the largest brands of the world, Tang has the sustainability even if it is hit at the beginning. * Tang is available in variety of flavours based on local consumer’s preference. * Tang is fortified with vitamins and minerals. * It is available as powdered and ready to drink bottles. * The powdered Tang is available at low cost. The Competitive advantages of Sunfill are: * Being a brand owned by Coca Cola, the distribution cost is cheaper, so can offer the product at a low and competitive price. * The taste is superior compared to other competitive brands. * Setting up of a production unit close to the target customer segment will help in better marketing. * The company can spend substantial amount on advertising and promotion. The Competitive advantages of Sugarfree D’lite are: * It is a brand owned by a medical company, so people have trust in the product. * It contains no sugar, so it is healthier. * Has medicinal advantages. * Helps in controlling blood sugar level, at the same time gives the pleasures of a soft drink. The Competitive advantages of Kissan Mr. fruit are: * It is there in the market for a long time, so knows the customer taste and preferences. * Tastier than many of the competitor products. * Supply chain is quite strong as it’s a product owned by Hindustan Unilever. SUGGESTIONS FOR GAINING UPPER MARKET SHARE As we conclude the study on the No.1 Soft Drink Concentrate in India, Rasna, I have the following suggestions to make so that the company can gain more market share and continue to be the leader of the industry: Product- In terms of product, the following can be done: 1. Try to minimise waste in production, so that the cost of production comes down further. 2. Venture into new products, like ready to drink bottled drinks. 3. Try producing sugar free products so that even a diabetic patient can enjoy the drinks. 4. Health drinks and energy drinks is another field where the company can venture into. 5. Backward integration is another option that can be suggested to minimise the cost of production. Price- the Company can be more price effective and in turn can gain more market share if, 1. More products are offered in the lower price category. 2. Price be reduced for the larger quantity cartons or bottles. 3. New and introductory products are sold for lesser price so that people are interested in trying the new things. Promotion- In terms of promotion, the company can follow the following suggestions: 1. Use newer and cheaper modes of advertisement, like the social networking sites. 2. Spend more on Banners, posters, Hoardings. 3. Stop the use of sportspersons and celebrities, as the same doesn’t have a long standing effect on the general public. 4. Remove the time lag between the promotion and the availability of new products in the market. Place- Place plays a vital role in the success of a company or a brand. The following are my recommendations for improving the market share: 1. Go to the newer potential places which have not been tapped earlier. 2. The untimely dispatch of goods from the depot to the super stockist needs to be taken care of as it may lead to cancellation of order bookings. 3. Unavailability of goods at certain periods needs to be taken care of with a proper distribution control. 4. Promotional events along with the distribution of brochures, stickers and leaflets should be done through sub-stockists and retailers which will help in increasing the brand value. ___________________________________________________________ References: During the preparation of this project, help and references has been taken from many web sites and blogs and articles. They are mentioned here: -Rasna Pvt Ltd. Official site. -Wikipedia-the free encyclopaedia -Puneet Tandon Blogs -Economic Times -Times of India Articles -4psbusinessand marketing.com

Bristol and Liverpool: the Demise and Rise of Rival Ports in the Eighteenth Century Slave Trade.

Bristol and Liverpool: The demise and rise of rival ports in the eighteenth century slave trade. In the early eighteenth century, Bristol’s dominant position as a slave trading port remained virtually unchallenged. Yet, by the end of the century, Liverpool firmly established its status as Britain’s leading slave trading port, surpassing Bristol completely. Despite some similarities between the rival ports, a number of factors, decisions and circumstances serve to explain Liverpool’s magnificent rise and Bristol’s consequent demise. The ports differing geographical locations, markets, trade goods, vessels, voyages and war impacts all played a role in Liverpool’s subversion of Bristol. The decision-making and business capabilities of the merchants also proved influential in the developments of the ports. This essay argues that most importantly, the Bristolian merchants’ poor economic and market decisions, compared with the exceptional business acumen of Liverpudlian merchants, sealed the fate of both ports. Bristol’s geographical location and new parliamentary legislation acted favourably to propel the town into the slave trade. The location of the River Severn and Bristol Channel encouraged early involvement in trade over the waterways, stimulating the development of the port city. Contributions to Atlantic trade also initiated Bristol’s role in the sugar trade, following the capture of Jamaica in 1655. [1] However, increased competition in the trade of sugar thrust Bristol merchants into the trade of slaves. An Act passed in 1698 further encouraged Bristol’s participation in slave trading, stating that any subject of Great Britain could trade to any part of Africa â€Å"between Cape Blanco and the Cape of Good Hope†, successfully ending the London Company’s monopoly. 2] Bristol’s geography served to hinder the port’s trading ability, mainly due to difficulties in navigating the meandering River Avon, its wide tidal range, and industrial waste in the river. Geographical location and legislation also contributed to Liverpool’s commencement in the slave trade. Located on the coast in northwest England, Liverpool benefited from close proximity to many industrial and textile producing centres such as Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield. A network of rivers, including the River Mersey, made the port easily accessible to the many incoming and outgoing vessels. 3] The Isle of Man provided a useful off shore base, allowing for trade with Ireland and entry into the contraband trade with Spain. The Grenville Treaty of 1747 soon ended this arrangement, forcing Liverpudlian merchants to consider new options for trade. Utilizing the knowledge and wealth gained from contraband trade, the merchants developed vessels and goods specially suited to the African market, putting them towards gaining entrance to the slave trade. [4] Small vessels and on board slave revolts lessened the slave carrying capacity and efficiency of Bristol merchants ships. The smaller size of Bristol vessels perhaps resulted from the winding nature of the River Avon, with navigation difficult for larger ships. The period 1727 to 1769 provides an example of seventy Bristol vessels, one at fifty tons, thirteen at fifty-one to seventy-one tons, and thirty-eight at seventy-six to one hundred tons. [5] Even before Liverpool’s rise, London outshone Bristol in tonnage, 5,925 tons to 4,250 tons at a value of 137,000 to 98,820 pounds Stirling. [6] The origins of slaves purchased by Bristolians, coupled with lengthy on shore waiting times for slave deliveries, both reduced carrying capacity and efficiency of vessels. A concentration of suicide prone Ibo slaves and rebellious Ibibio slaves caused many problems. Consequently, merchants received instruction to shackle and bolt slaves from the popular Bight of Biafra region, to reduce the loss of slaves on board vessels. [7] Liverpool merchants similarly witnessed slave revolts, but they experienced superior carrying capacity and efficiency of vessels. Liverpool specialised in manufacturing fast slaving vessels in the docks of the River Mersey. [8] Liverpool’s carrying capacity far exceeded that of Bristol, as demonstrated in the 1100 ton Kent of 1773, the largest ship built in Northern England. 9] Such large ships and the capacity of five slaves per two tons, allowed for maximum vessel efficiency, and in 1753, 101 Liverpool vessels managed to carry over 30,000 slaves to the Americas. Poor vessel conditions for slaves resulted from maximising carrying capacities, and up to a third of slaves died. [10] One renowned incident on board the Zong di splays how captains attempted to avoid the loss of slaves: Captain Collingwood threw 132 sickly slaves overboard in order to claim insurance, rather than risk not selling them in the Americas. 11] Unbearable conditions on board also resulted in increased mutinies between 1751 and 1775, which Mannix and Cowley attribute to ruthless Liverpudlians’ efforts to save money by reducing the size of crews on vessels. [12] Slaving voyages and their destinations impacted greatly on Bristol’s attempts to gain prominence in the slave trade. Bristol’s shorter voyage time gave merchants a distinct advantage over London, and until the 1730s most Bristol voyages travelled to the Bight of Biafra where they encountered little competition. 13] Most Bristol voyages targeted Old Calabar, which oversupplied male slaves, leading to many trading failures. Merchants such as James Rogers only managed a delivery rate of seventy-three per cent from this region. [14] Bristol destination choi ces remained conservative, including Angola and the Gold Coast, despite increasing competition there from Liverpool. [15] The rise of Liverpool caused a vast reduction in voyages made by Bristolians. Jamaican voyages fell from sixty-nine to twenty-five per cent from 1728 to 1730. [16] As a result, the period of 1786 to 1807 produced only 240 voyages, compared with 2,473 from Liverpool. 17] Voyages direct to Jamaica became a common trend by 1750, with 104 trips taking place between 1749 and 1755, compared with seventy-four voyages following various triangle trade patterns. [18] Liverpool merchants achieved more numerous and varied voyages and destinations compared with Bristol. Liverpool’s first slave trade voyage departed in 1708, which is a much later entry than Bristol. Despite Bristol’s early advantage and established market destinations, Liverpool succeeded in creating new slaving destinations in areas such as Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Gabon. 19] In contrast with Bristol’s prioritisation of the region, only one voyage took place to Old Calabar in 1793 out of forty-seven voyages, instead thirty-six sailed to Angola where slaves were much more desirable. [20] In 1771 alone, 105 vessels travelled to Africa, obtaining 28,200 slaves. [21] In Jamaica, Liverpool trade comprised seventy-four per cent of delivered slaves and seventy-two per cent of visiting vessels. Liverpool’s dominant presence at Atlantic slave trade destinations displays the port’s numerous options, and their lack of presence at the unpopular sites displays their competent business choices. The choice of trade goods further influenced Bristol’s success as a slave trading port. James Rogers' voyages, perhaps not entirely typical of Bristol trading, provided African merchants with East Indian and English textiles, bar iron, gunpowder, beads, hardware and liquor. [22] Other Bristol merchants traded with refined sugar, haberdashery, window glass, bottled beer, wrought iron, woollens, copper and brass, in return for slaves. Wales generally provided the tin and iron for Bristol’s supplies. 23] Once in Africa, in addition to slaves, Bristol merchants requested items such as wax, ivory and redwood, either for sale in the Americas or back in Bristol. [24] Interestingly, Bristolians sent little linen to the African coast in comparison with other slave trading ports. [25] Linen stood as a leading commodity in Liverpool’s choice of trading goods, giving the port a considerable advantage over Bristol. Linen formed ninety-one per cent of all British exports to No rth America and West Africa, which Liverpool benefited from due to its easy acquisition of Lancashire cottons and Manchester textiles. 26] Manchester’s provision of checks and silk handkerchiefs contributed to the expulsion of Bristol’s German, French and Scottish textiles from the market. [27] In addition to linen, Liverpool traded copper and brass from Staffordshire, salt from Cheshire, and firearms from Birmingham. Liverpool also re-exported a number of goods from East India, such as Chintz, glass beads, cotton and calicoes. [28] The careful assortment of trade goods meant numerous colonies demanded trade with Liverpool. A number of international conflicts severely hindered Bristol’s progress in the slave trade. Throughout the eighteenth century conflicts existed with France, Spain and America. Bristol’s location in relation to the Bristol Channel meant a great number of vessels were lost to french privateers. [29] Consequently, Bristol successfully turned to privateering during the Spanish Succession from 1702 to 1713. The capture of over seventeen of its vessels by the Spaniards deepened Bristol’s involvement in privateering further during the Seven Years War (1756 to 1763). Trade with the West Indies suffered in consequence, due to the heavy amount of investment in privateers. 30] The American War of Independence and subsequent loss of American colonies hampered the triangular trade, which Bristolians heavily relied on. Shipping from the United States dropped from approximately 21,202 tons in 1773-7 to 12,326 in 1778-80. [31] Bristol’s slave trade experienced war in an entirely negative way during this period. On the other hand, Liverpool made substantial gains from G reat Britain’s involvement in international conflicts. Williamson, an observer of the War of the Austrian Succession 1739 to 1748, stated that: â€Å"trade flourished and spread her golden wings so extensively that if they had ossessed it seven years longer, it would have enlarged the size and riches of the town to a prodigious degree†[32] Involvement in conflicts meant that the dockyards on the River Mersey fitted out many ships in order to fill the void left by Bristol’s departure from trade. Slave trading voyages increased considerably during the wars, and vessels successfully avoided meeting French privateers due to Liverpool’s advantageous geographical location. War also enabled Liverpool merchants to take advantage of price differentials between England and the colonies. Profits inevitably resulted, which contrasts starkly with Bristol’s experience of the wars. [33] Vast potential existed for profit in the slave trade, yet when factoring in costs, Bristol struggled to reap the benefits of the system. Loss of slaves in the middle passage presented one expense, as Captain Black’s letter to James Rogers depicted. His voyage lost thirteen female slaves, fifty-six males and sixteen sailors. [34] Bristol merchants also paid generous wages, commissions and financial incentives to captains and slave sellers in order to ensure a loyal partnership. 35] When Robert Thiennison’s brother, a cook on Rogers’ Pearle, died, he requested wages of 55 shillings for a month’s work, revealing the high wages paid by Bristolians. High duties also frustrated Bristol merchants, especially those on tobacco, which is something they specialised in. [36] David Richardson offers an estimated return of 7. 8 to 19. 8 per cent on Bristol voyages, ho wever Rogers’ voyages barely managed three per cent profit, and the highest estimate still comes in lower than the profits made by Liverpudlians. 37] Liverpudlian merchants made significantly higher profits in the slave trade, primarily due to cunning commercial decisions. Manipulated stock records enabled merchants to avoid paying duties on up to twenty per cent of the tobacco shipped into the port. [38] Proposed estimates suggest that 100-ton ships returned profits of 750 pounds Stirling based on five Negroes per two tons. [39] The Liverpool vessel Lively produced a 300 per cent profit in 1737, but most voyages secured around ten per cent profit, which barely proved sufficient considering the risks involved in slaving. 40] One particular Liverpool voyage achieved a profit of 8000 pounds Stirling (before deductions for victuals and trade goods), with costs approximately comprising duties of 134 pounds, Doctor wages of thirteen pounds, Captain salary of 4 pounds per 104 made on total returns, and commission costs of 454 pounds Stirling. [41] Liverpudlians clearly possessed a unique capability to make large profits, despite mounting costs. The merchant oligarchy of Bristol overlooked crucial investments in port facilities in favour of spending profits on luxurious lifestyles, proving detrimental to their trade accomplishments. Instead, investments centred around the urban â€Å"renaissance† taking place in the city, rather than focusing on shifting towards industrialisation[42]. Prioritising Caribbean ventures over local industrial schemes demonstrates a further hindrance to the development of Bristol. [43] It appears that Bristolians’ preferences centred on funding a lifestyle founded on wealth and consumption, reflected in the growing local demand for sugar and tobacco. Furthermore, Bristol did not invest in the port until the nineteenth century, when developments included a floating harbour, which proved highly inefficient also. 44] Comparatively, the port of Liverpool received extensive urban development as a result of profits made in the slave trade. The city underwent considerable expansion and urban growth, facilitating merchants’ ability to exploit the Atlantic trade system and various markets. The city’s wealth stemmed from the merchants, hence their control over city d evelopments. Subsequently, profits funded financial structures and transport networks including canals, enabling Liverpool to maintain control over sources of goods such as the salt of Cheshire. 45] Investment in the docklands proved most influential, earning Liverpool the title of largest ship construction site in England, with sixty-one of the 161 English-built slave vessels manufactured in Liverpool. [46] The swift response to mercantile needs and construction of the Midlands canal network resulted in the shipment of valuable, high demand trade goods to Liverpool, not Bristol. A notable shift in Bristol’s priorities may account for Liverpool’s eclipse of Bristol as the leading slave trading port in England. The transition to specialisation in the sugar trade proves the most convincing causal factor in the reduced role in slave trading. The Bristolian pleasures derived from sugar, tobacco and snuff consumption drove merchants to focus on supplying the domestic market with what locals demanded. [47] The sugar industry thrived in Bristol, which is reinforced by the sustained existence of twenty sugarhouses between 1720 and 1775. [48] Tobacco and sugar faced restrictions regarding direct trade to foreign countries, perhaps further encouraging Bristolians to cater to local markets. 49] One argument proposes that Bristol became more conservative, simply preferring safer, more profitable trade options as they arose. A Jamaican agent noted that â€Å"Bristol†¦is rich enough, but don’t care to launch out much†. John Wesley, an abolitionist, also observed Bristol’s â€Å"love of money and ease†. [50] The increasing abolitionist environment and comparative ease of the sugar trade perhaps rendered the Bristolians content with exiting the slave trade. The lack of familial slaving dynasties and a reluctance to engage in mercantile competition with close ties offer two further justifications for Bristol’s demise in the slave trade. Bristol failed to secure dynasties through which to pass commercial knowledge and wealth to, mainly because eighteen of the leading twenty-five Bristol merchants died as bachelors. Encouraging others to continue the slave trade proved particularly difficult. The problems faced in re-exporting tobacco presented one deterrent, and the inevitable encounters with disease on the African coast and challenges in securing return goods also discouraged new entrants to the trade. [51] Bristol merchants tended to form strong, friendly connections with fellow traders, making ruthless competition difficult. To â€Å"wage war† against familial, banking or residential associates would destroy useful connections and jeopardise one’s reputation. [52] Liverpool merchants, on the other hand, formed strong bonds and maintained family dynasties, but did not refrain from competition, further enhancing their prominence. [53] The Bristol merchants experienced limitations in available market options, which presented a sizeable obstacle to success in the slave trade. Bristol traders lacked the vital trade goods necessary for securing demand from markets that would stock vessels with healthy slaves from desirable locations. Merchants such as Rogers tended to focus on Jamaica and Grenada to sell their slaves, places whose markets displayed an aversion to slaves from Old Calabar due to their poor health and high mortality. [54] These detrimental oversights in buying unsuitable slave cargoes and being unaware of the slave preferences at plantations provided great motivation to move away from trading in slaves. Bristol persisted in trading commodities with Jamaica, South Carolina and Charlestown, however they gained no advantage over Liverpool or even London. 55] Furthermore, Bristol failed to respond to new markets such as the Ceded Islands including Dominica and St Vincent, leaving the opportunity wide open for Liverpool. Liverpool slave traders successfully seized every new market opportunity that arose, providing numerous market options for the diverse trade goods they supplied. After trade opened up in 1750, Liverpool launched into trade with Upper Guinea and other markets in America, where they made g ains over Bristol. 56] Liverpool also possessed advantageous contacts throughout the West African coast, especially Sierra Leone. [57] In contrast to Bristol, Liverpool concentrated on lesser markets such as Barbados and the Leeward Islands. Barbados supplied over fifty per cent of Liverpool’s imports after 1735, closely followed by Chesapeake, the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. The range of trade goods supplied, and entrance into the trade at a time of colonial economy deceleration also enabled Liverpool merchants to almost monopolise the Anglo-American commercial market. 58] Liverpool merchants conducted business on the coast of Africa from the Senegal River to Ambriz[59], where healthy slave populations attribute to the demand for Liverpool commerce in a vast number of West Indian locations. With so many options for destinations to conduct trade with slaves, it is unsurprising that Liverpool ousted the port of Bristol from its dominant position. Despite the numerous causes a ttributed to the demise of Bristol, the inability of merchants to make economical, competent business decisions ultimately present the most significant explanations. Bristolians paid munificent salaries to captains and crew, as well as allowing privileges, daily charges and commission payments. Captains ate and drank excessively on shore, eroding profits considerably. Less profit also resulted from fully manning vessels, with the knock on effect of needing to charge more for slaves. [60] Bristol merchants found themselves outbid for slaves in Old Calabar, driving them to purchase unhealthy slaves. Their condition worsened further due to cheap provisions on board. [61] Consequently, prices achieved in the Americas for slaves were lower. The Bristol merchants justifiably earned a reputation as extravagant and unbusinesslike squanderers, who treated their Captains like â€Å"young gentlemen on the Grand Tour†. [62] A credit crisis in 1793 caused many merchants to go bankrupt, putting an end to the slave trade for the majority of Bristolians. [63] The lack of business acumen amongst Bristol merchants proved detrimental to their success. Conversely, the business expertise and economical ability of Liverpudlian merchants secured the city’s title of the most successful slave trading port in Europe. Liverpool merchants trained their crew better, paid lower wages, and minimized outfitting costs. Additionally, merchants were economical by paying wages annually not monthly, and refusing cabin privileges, primages and port allowances. For example, crew ate salt beef and drank rum punch on board their vessel, compared with Bristol crewmembers’ excessive drinking of Madeira on shore. [64] Low expenditure enabled Liverpudlians to sell slaves for four to five pounds Stirling less than other traders, underselling Bristolians considerably. 65] Accepting Bills of Exchange avoided reliance on return goods for payment, giving flexibility to merchants, which allowed them to return direct to Africa to embark more slaves. Liverpool merchants skilfully evaded customs administrators by importing â€Å"damaged† and therefore duty free goods, and disembarking â€Å"underweight† hogsheads, only to re-export them at heavier weights. [66] These tricks meant payment of less duty ta x, maximising profits. Resourceful and imaginative actions and decisions thrust Liverpool to record heights never reached by Bristol in the slave trade. Liverpool’s skilful rise to prominence in the slave trade undoubtedly provides explanation for Bristol’s demise from a once eminent slave trading port. Geographical location, vessel size, voyages, trade goods, international conflicts, market destinations, and urban development all provide convincing explanations of Bristol’s fall from the position of leading British port. However, problems could easily have been overcome or averted had the Bristol merchants possessed strong business capability, judgement skills and knowledge. Perhaps Bristol’s priorities did shift toward catering for the domestic market. Nevertheless, the Bristolians’ lack of skills and knowledge, so clearly possessed by Liverpool merchants, sealed Bristol’s demise from a once world-leading slaving port to an average sugar-importing town. Liverpool on the other hand, traded slaves on such a grand scale that it secured its position amongst Europe’s leading port towns far beyond the abolition of the slave trade. Word Count: 3,258 BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary Sources An account of the ships employed in the African trade, from the ports of London and Bristol, belonging to the separate traders to Africa; with the value of the said ships and cargoes, and the number of Negroes usually carried by the said ships, London, 1713, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. Captain W. Black of the Ship Jupiter to James Rogers, owner of The Jupiter, 20th August 1790, James Rogers Papers, Public Record Office, C/107/12, http://www. englandpast. net/education/. Great Britain, Parliament, An act for the better improvement of the trade to Africa, by establishing a regulated company, London, 1708, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. Letter To Captain Richard Prankard commander of the Unity Snow to Angola, Bristol, 29 January 1732, Bristol Central Reference Library, The Jefferies Collection: Volume 13, http://www. englandpast. net/education/. Letter from Robert Thiennison (? ) to James Rogers, slave ship owner concerning his brother who was a ship’s cook on the Pearl, Mr. Rogers London 15 August, 1786, Public Record Office, C107/8, http://www. englandpast. et/education/. Secondary Sources Behrendt, Stephen D. , â€Å"Markets, Transaction Cycles, and Profits: Merchant Decision Making in the British Slave Trade†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2001, pp. 171-204. Behrendt, Stephen D. , â€Å"The Annual Volume and Regional Distribution of the British slave trade, 1780-1807†, Journal of African Hi story, Vol. 38, 1997, pp. 187-211. Benezet, Anthony, Some historical account of Guinea, its situation, produce, and the general disposition of its inhabitants. With an inquiry into the rise and progress of the slave trade, its nature, and lamentable effects. Also a republication of the sentiments of several authors of note on this interesting subject: particularly an extract of a treatise written by Granville Sharpe, Philadelphia, 1771, http://www. gutenberg. org/files/11489/11489-h/11489-h. htm. Clarkson, Thomas, The history of the rise, progress, and accomplishment of the abolition of the African slave-trade by the British parliament, Vol. 1, London, 1808, http://www. gutenberg. org/files/12428/12428-8. txt. Clemens, Paul G. E. , â€Å"The Rise of Liverpool, 1665-1750†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1976, pp. 211-225. Enfield, William. An essay towards the history of Leverpool, drawn up from papers left by the late Mr. George Perry, and from other materials since collected, by William Enfield. With views of the principal public structures, a chart of the harbour, and a map of the environ, 2nd Ed. , 1774. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. Hyde, F. , Parkinson, B. , & Marriner, S. , â€Å"The Nature and Profitability of the Liverpool Slave Trade†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1953, pp. 368-377. Jones, S. J. â€Å"The Growth of Bristol: The Regional Aspect of City Development†, Transactions and Papers (Institute of British Geographers), No. 11, 1946, pp. 57-83. Klein, Herbert S. , â€Å"The English Slave Trade to Jamaica, 1782-1808†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 31, No. 1, 1978, pp. 25-45. MacInnes, C. M. , â€Å"Bristol and the slave trade†, in Patrick McGrath (ed. ), Bristol in the Eighteenth Century, Newton Abbot, 1972. Mackenzie-Grive, Averil, The Last Years of the English Slave Trade: Liverpool, 1750-1807, London, 1941. Morgan, Kenneth, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, The English Historical Review, Vol. 07, No. 424, 1992, pp. 626-650. Morgan, Kenneth, â€Å"Bristol West India Merchants in the Eighteenth Century†, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Vol. 3, 1993, pp. 185- 208. Morgan, Kenneth, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, Historical Research, Vol. 76, No. 192, 2003, pp. 189-216. Morgan, Kenneth, â€Å"Shipping Patterns and the Atlantic Trade of Bristol, 1749-1770†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 3. , 1989, pp. 506-538. Richardson, David, â€Å"Shipboard Revolts, African Authority, and the Atlantic Slave Trade†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2001, pp. 69-92. Richardson, David, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, Slavery and Abolition, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2005, pp. 35-54. Williams, Gomer, History of the Liverpool privateers and Letters of Marque: With an account of the Liverpool slave trade, London, 1897. Williams, Eric, â€Å"The Golden Age of the Slave System in Britain†, The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 25, No. 1, 1940, pp. 60-106. Websites Liverpool & The Slave Trade, http://www. liverpoolinpictures. com/Slavery_in_Liverpool. htm —à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [1] S. J. Jones, â€Å"The Growth of Bristol: The Regional Aspect of City Development†, Transactions and Papers (Institute of British Geographers), No. 11, 1946, pp. 64; 71. [2] Great Britain, Parliament, An act for the better improvement of the trade to Africa, by establishing a regulated company, London, 1708, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. [3] Eric Williams, â€Å"The Golden Age of the Slave System in Britain†, The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 25, No. 1, 1940, p. 67. [4] Gomer Williams, History of the Liverpool privateers and Letters of Marque: With an account of the Liverpool slave trade, London, 1897, pp. 67-468. [5] C. M. MacInnes, â€Å"Bristol and the slave trade†, in Patrick McGrath (ed. ), Bristol in the Eighteenth Century, Newton Abbot, 1972, p. 173. [6] An account of the ships employed in the African trade, London, 1713, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. [7] David Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Gold en Age’†, Slavery and Abolition, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2005, p. 44; David Richardson, â€Å"Shipboard Revolts, African Authority, and the Atlantic Slave Trade†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2001, pp. 74, 80. 8] Eric Williams, p. 69. [9] Averil Mackenzie-Grive, The Last Years of the English Slave Trade: Liverpool, 1750-1807, London, 1941, p. 16. [10] F. Hyde, B. Parkinson, & S. Marriner, â€Å"The Nature and Profitability of the Liverpool Slave Trade†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1953, p372; Anthony Benezet, Some historical account of Guinea, Philadelphia, 1771. [11] Thomas Clarkson, The history of the rise, progress, and accomplishment of the abolition of the African slave-trade by the British parliament, Vol. 1, London, 1808. 12] David Richardson, â€Å"Shipboard Revolts, African Authority, and the Atlantic Slave Trade†, p. 77. [13] David Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, pp. 42-3. [14] Kenneth Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, Historical Research, Vol. 76, No. 192, 2003, pp. 195, 200. [15] Kenneth Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, The English Historical Review, Vol. 107, No. 424, 1992, p. 641. [16] Similarly, South Carolinian voyages also fell by twenty-fiver per cent. Ibid. , p. 640. [17] Stephen D. Behrendt, â€Å"The Annual Volume and Regional Distribution of the British slave trade, 1780-1807†, Journal of African History, Vol. 38, 1997, p. 189. [18] Kenneth Morgan, â€Å"Shipping Patterns and the Atlantic Trade of Bristol, 1749-1770†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 3. , 1989, pp. 515, 532. [19] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 641. [20] Stephen D. Behrendt, â€Å"Markets, Transaction Cycles, and Profits: Merchant Decision Making in the British Slave Trade†, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2001, p. 88. [21] William Enfield, An essay towards the history of Leverpool, 2nd Ed. , 1774. [22] Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, p. 197. [23] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 635. [24] Letter To Captain Richard Prankard commander of the Unity Snow to Angola, Bristol, 29 January 1732, Bristol Central Reference Library, The Jefferies Collection: Volume 13. [25] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 635. [26] Ibid. ; Eric Williams, p. 67. [27] Gomer Williams, p. 467. 28] Liverpool & The Slave Trade, http://www. liverpoolinpictures. com/; Enfield, p. 85. [29] MacInnes, p. 175. [30] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, pp. 630-2. [31] Jones, p. 76; Ibid. [32] Mackenzie-Grive, p. 4. [33] Paul G. E. Clemens, â€Å"The Rise of Liverpool, 1665-1750†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 29, No. 2, 1976, p. 210. [34] Captain W. Black of the Ship Jupiter to James Rogers, owner of The Jupiter, 20th August 1790, James Rogers Papers, Public Record Office, C/107/12 [35] Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, p. 40. 36] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 645. [37] Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, p. 215. [38] Clemens, p. 215. [39] However, restrictions of two Negroes per ton reduced potential profits to 200 pounds Stirling per voyage. Hyde et al. , p. 372. [40] Liverpool & The Slave Trade, http://www. liverpoolinpictures. com. [41] Gomer Williams, p. 471. [42] Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, p. 46-7. [43] Kenneth Morgan, â€Å"Bristol West India Merchants in the Eighteenth Century†, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Vol. , 1993, p. 205. [44] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 628. [45] Clemens, p. 212-7. [46] Herbert S. Klein, â€Å"The English Slave Trade to Jamaica, 1782-1808†, The Economic History Review, Vol. 31, No. 1, 1978, p. 42. [47] Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, p. 47. [48] Jones, p. 71. [49] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 646. [50] Morga n, â€Å"Bristol West India Merchants in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 204. [51] Ibid. , p. 203. [52] Ibid. , p. 205. [53] Clemens, p. 217. 54] Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, pp. 205, 209, 215. [55] Clemens, p. 219. [56] Richardson, â€Å"Slavery and Bristol’s ‘Golden Age’†, p. 46. [57] Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, p. 199. [58] Clemens, pp. 213-8. [59] Behrendt, â€Å"Markets, Transaction Cycles†, p. 172. [60] Gomer Williams, p. 471. [61] Morgan, â€Å"James Rogers and the Bristol slave trade†, pp. 196, 203. [62] Mackenzie-Grive, p. 4. [63] Morgan, â€Å"Bristol and the Atlantic Trade in the Eighteenth Century†, p. 633. [64] Gomer Williams, p. 471; MacInnes, p. 170. [65] Ibid. , p. 470. [66] Clemens, pp. 215, 221.