Organizational Behavior Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example A meeting was conducted with senior leadership at the law firm to discuss which of the three nominated employees should actually make partner. In this meeting, different attitudes regarding certain human resources policies were quite mixed as were the reactions from the attending leaders about which employees could provide the most long-term value in the role of partner. The main issue in this case is that there is a lack of unity when it comes to decision-making regarding who to elect as partner in the group. This is an organizational culture where policy is open to multitudes of different interpretations and nobody seems to have a clear handle on how these policies should be communicated regarding promotion opportunities. For example, the part-time employee up for partner nomination was not necessarily informed that moving to part-time status would impact her potential for reaching partner. None of the senior leaders can seem to agree on whether this is beneficial for the business long-term or whether it actually causes more harm in areas of corporate employee dedication. There are concerns within the senior leadership group that promoting Julie, the part-time employee in question, could set a policy precedent which gives too much flexibility to part-time staffers and could impact their ability to effectively carry out the role of partner. This di vision at senior leadership level is noticeable at the colleague level and at the employee level when they have access to read the meeting minutes. In terms of organizational behavior and culture, the lack of senior leadership unity regarding policy creation and implementation and their belief about how human resources impacts the business creates a culture of division. The process of promoting an individual to partner also seems to be ritualistic at the senior level, where they feel they must perform this annual

The Liberty Leading the People - Eugne Delacroix Essay

The Liberty Leading the People - Eugne Delacroix - Essay Example The painting reveals the picture of a heroine carrying a flag and a musket slightly at the right of the painting. There is also a child who is holding two guns on the right of the painting. Additionally, another man is holding a sword and is armed for battle on the left corner. There is also another young man holding a musket at left of the painting. Apparently, many people are helplessly lying on the ground. In the background a blue sky and light is seen on the horizon. The flag carried by one woman, the heroine, is colored red, white and blue. The men, who are armed, are dressed in uniform ( Coetzee 45). The uniform constitutes of grey shirts, black three-piece tops, and khaki trousers. Additionally, all the armed men are wearing hats. The men are also carrying black bags with a certain trademark and a white handle. The buildings near the scene of the battlefront seem demolished. Some of the people lying down are in the same uniform as that of the men in action. The parts of the ar t, which are in light are the standing people like Eugene Delacroix and the woman with a rifle. The subdued people are in shade and the source of light is the rising sun at the horizon. The painting has a good mixture of colors, which have been used to create dà ©cor and beauty of the images and the background. The whole scene reveals a fierce confrontation between two rival groups and the scene that catches my eyes is the woman carrying the flag implies that a battle was worn and the group owning the flag worn the battle (Delacroix sand ONeill 67). The figures are intriguing and attractive to the audience especially because of the colors used to present them. There is movement portrayed by the painter. The woman with a rifle is presumed to be in motion given her position. The three dimensional reflection of the painting is manifest in the creative location of the background, the sky and the people at the forefront. The painter was standing at the front

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay This report highlights three aspects of business development and market growth for British Petroleum considering the competitive environment of BP, the key business strategies of BP for five years and the resources and capabilities that are available to BP for the last five years. The competitive environment point towards new capabilities that BP has developed for years to maintain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage has been analyzed using Porters model and it is suggested that differentiation and focus could be a response to changing market conditions. The competitive environment is also affected by factors such as brand image and reputation as related to social responsibility and environmental awareness. BPs strategies have focused on IT outsourcing to energy efficiency, leadership building and stakeholder management, application of resources and technologies, safety as well as climate change concerns. BPs investments have led to sustained production and volume growth and this is expected beyond 2010. BPs capabilities and financial resources received a boost with the rise of oil prices and growing demands worldwide with BP main businesses being in petrochemicals, petroleum refining, and oil and gas exploration and production. 1. Competitive Environment of BP BP is a diversified energy products company engaged in oil and gas explorations and development or production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. BP is responsible for refining, marketing, transportation, sale of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other petroleum products; and the production, marketing and sale of petrochemicals. The global oil and gas industry being high competitive show that with expanse and success of a company, capabilities are stronger and competitors could have problems understanding or imitating these. So developing new capabilities would be essential in maintaining competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is attained when capabilities are neither simple and highly imitable nor too complex that defies internal steering and control. Capabilities that grow through use are considered critical to success and BP and other similar companies will have to develop such capabilities (Kay, 1993). A resource based view suggests that sustainable competitive advantage could help in developing existing and new resources and capabilities in response to changing market conditions. Knowledge and knowledge management are related to value creating assets and helps in competitive advantage. As far as the competitive environment is concerned, there could be sufficient competition in the main markets of BP although world energy markets are unaffected by government policies and changes. The global economy and globalization could be some of the factors that have triggered competition in the world market and more so for the oil and gas industry (Bowman and Faulkner, 1997). The oil industry has been dominated by a few major international oil companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron along with companies of the gulf states. Seven major oil companies produced, transported and refined as well as marketed two thirds of the oil supply around the world for several years. State owned oil companies as in Saudi Arabia, Gulf and OPEDC countries are the largest suppliers of crude oil even today. Aramco has produced more than four times as much oil as ExxonMobil which is the largest private sector oil company and ExxonMobil produces twice as much oil and gas. Gazprom is anot her such company which is majority-controlled by the Russian government but also privatized and is responsible for more than 20% of world production and of exports of natural gas. The oil industry and companies in the OPEC states have diversified into refining, marketing and petrochemicals, but these may be of secondary importance when considered on a global basis although the contributions of such companies are important in certain regional markets. There are also problems of environmental awareness and corporate responsibility and BPs strategies have been framed by these considerations. Sarkis and Tamarkin (2005) addressed the ways of reducing greenhouse gases and organizations involved in reducing emissions and with emergent markets. Investment in equipment could help reduce emissions and could boost sales. However there could be a faster price rise and projects may not be economically feasible leading to the need for more stringent regulations. Real options analysis is considered an important tool for the energy industry and the energy industry is still completely influenced by greenhouse gas policies drawing attention to emissions and the role of controlling greenhouse gas emissions within the industry. 2. Key business strategies of BP over the past five years. Analysis using Porters generic strategies to discuss why this strategy was pursued or changed. Some of the key directions towards strategy included energy efficiency with BP operations such as considering the price of carbon in investment decisions and promoting low cost energy pathways through gas or power generation. The company also plans to make continued investments in alternative energy with bio fuels, wind and solar or carbon sequestration and investments in research and technology. Companies focus on safe and reliable operations with continued journey in personal safety and implements operating management system with compliance. The people efforts are on building capabilities and leadership behaviors and performances help in restoring revenues or reducing complexity and costs. Apart from the culture of leadership and restructuring, building skills and capability and diversity or reward for performance are important elements of company strategy. BP already identified new regions of access for its operations including Iraq, Indonesia, Jordan, and new acreage in Gulf of Mexico and Egypt. The reserves and resource replacement are at 12%-250% and production growth was at 4% (Hayward et al, 2010). The success story of the company has been projected as governance and shareholder alignment, safer operations and volume growth as well as steady financial performance. 2010 expected performance has been projected at $4 billion investment, production growth of 1-2%, focus on cost efficiency and development of projects with an average 1-2% volume growth until 2015 with increased potential and sustained growth to 2020. Resource bases and sources of growth beyond 2015 has been marked through expanding deepwater, leveraging expertise in gas and managing the giant oil fields of the world and enabling application of technology. The focus of the company has been on cost and capital efficiency and profit growth and diversifying the portfolio with a growing resource base. A momentum on costs and strategies and operations and an average 1-2% volume growth was expected until 2015 (Hayward et al, 2010). BP is also shown as having increased potential to sustain growth to 2020 and changes in the process could drive capital and cost efficiency. Fuel value chains through quality and integration could mean right markets and right locations for logistics and refineries and quality products and brands through marketing and channel management. BP has also highlighted supply optimization and trading and common processes at the back office. Among its infrastructural changes, BP has undergone major rebuilds of CDU to process heavy crude and for the manufacture of crude oil and also new world scale sulphur removal and gas oil hydro treating units. Refinery infrastructure upgrade shows location advantage. The market share possibilities discussed showed 40% capital employed in growth markets with leading technologies and strong customer relationships with margin share growth and premium brands. The company also gives importance to safety and efficiency, quality and integration and application of resources and technology and the emphasis provided is on safe and reliable operations. In the next 2-3 years over $2billion of pre tax performance opportunity was also identified. Costs were at 2004 levels with their refinery modification in 2012 (Hayward et al, 2010). The strategy of the company was given as a focus on the growth of profits as well as cost and capital efficiency through upstream production and downstream strategies are higher turnaround and cost efficiency. Alternative energy is seen as focused and disciplined with higher corporate efficiency and strategic growth. The focus on strategy is based on profit growth and use of alternative energy, as also a focus on corporate performance and efficiency and on cost and capital efficiency. BP was among the first multinational companies that joined in the merging consensus to address climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). BP has focused on a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and along with solar energy, BPs other lines of business are seen as exploration, oil and chemicals. However as far as BPs position towards climate change is concerned, analysts have tried to examine Is BP reacting to inevitable environmental pressures, but conducting business as usual, or is BP seizing the moment and opportunity and using global climate change as a doorway to a new business model for the 21st century? This seems an important analysis as it marks whether BP is projecting a new business model through the climate change focus or simply responding to the global environmental pressures and challenges and whether the climate change focus within its strategy would be positive or negative for BP (Lowe et al, 1998). As far as the analysis of BPs strategies are concerned, Porter has argued that any firms strength would ultimately depend on cost advantages and differentiation. The generic strategies that should be followed by any firm for success have been given as cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1998). Cost leadership is attained through low cost of materials and integration decisions and differentiation strategy offers unique products and attributes to clients giving a competitive edge, and focus provides a narrow market focus so that specific needs of segments are met. Porters general strategies could explain the key business strategies adopted by BP in the last five years and these were related to climate change as well as cost and capital efficiency and profits. Juris (1998) suggested that in the UK it is possible to move from a monopoly of one company dominating the market to a competitive environment with many players and this is true even in the natural oil and gas industry without significant structural reforms within the business environment, although this could be expensive. Structural reforms and innovation brings about differentiation and launch of products and services that the consumer perceives to be different, Any form of change or deregulation must be accompanied by regulatory and institutional frameworks and all entrants to the market should be given equal rights. With cooperation between the government and industry participants, there has to be mechanisms for appropriate balancing and operating. BP will also have to follow these regulations towards market balance despite being a major player. Industry participants have tried to reach a consensus on how to enhance the existing framework that could make markets more efficient. British oil and gas industry will have to effectively give more time and resources to developing a tariff structure for pipeline capacity and transportation services in tariff markets (Juris, 1998). BP has a role to play in stabilizing tariffs that could make the markets efficient. Cross (1995) highlighted outsourcing as a BP strategy and explained how the BP Exploration Operating Company, $13 billion division of British Petroleum Company explores and produces oil and gas and outsourcers all IT operations in efforts to cut costs and get more flexible higher quality IT resources to improve business. At BP exploration it was decided that the company no longer needed technologies that provided business information to employees and this could be outsourced. There were problems encountered with internal IT departments and the old and new machines as well as the need to focus on technological details rather than wider more important business issues led to the need for outsourcing these to technicians. As far as BPs technology strategy is concerned, BP diverted its IT support through outsourcing. Outsourcing helped in the reshaping of the IT department. At BP information technology was used as utility for operations to develop application and supply processing power as also to provide technology support. This is now given to outsourcing providers and the company buys generic applications or contracts the work. The IT department is expected to improve business rather than be an internal group that simply meets supply of the company. The company however has a different IT strategy and does not rely on a single supplier for all IT needs although this could make BP to escalate its fees and become more rigid in its services. At the same time selective outsourcing and division of IT operations led to strain on management resources. BPs IT strategy focused on buying IT services from multiple suppliers although these could be delivered in a way as if by single supplier. Contractors delivered services to 42 BP businesses worldwide. The subcontracts were also performed effectively and the cornerstone of the BP outsourcing strategy was to use services from multiple suppliers and yet project them as one. The IT department is kept separate from Operations so that the IT managers could independently work on the business rather than get involved in technicalities. Several IT services including large and small providers were used for outsourcing which was however a difficult task but had the benefits of reduced fixed costs, im proved service, and access to new ideas and technologies (Cross, 1995). However the downsides were the technical issues and the danger of operations and management getting loaded with IT problems. 3. Resources and capabilities of BP over the five years, and analysis of the extent to which the company has aligned its resources and capabilities to its business strategies The alignment or use of resources and capabilities to shape business strategies of the company shows that BP placed a great emphasis on infrastructure and profit growth by building its resources and through partnering and strategic alliances. BP has built its larger base by organizing around the smaller business units and the company has several smaller business units that work together and the resources are available easily and quickly. The company follows a decentralization strategy with its various units having independent operations although there are differing views on whether this has been particularly helpful or led to original thinking. New approaches to BP business showed how the BP business could successfully steer through crises although the recent focus has been on BPs strategy towards climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). Considering the changes in BP strategy, it has been noted that BP had a politicized bureaucracy managed matrix structure and with the complexity performance declined and the company faced financial crisis. In recent years however BP has reported highest profits $4 billion in the third quarter of 2004 alone. The high prices of crude oil added to the profits although the companys cost efficient operations were key to strong performance. The company also absorbed two oil companies Amoco and Arco and other companies and the acquisitions helped in the expanse and scope and several strategic and organizational changes added to the remarkable turnaround in the companys performance (Roberts, 2005). BPs transformation came as it divested unrelated lines of business and divided business into units with three basic businesses with upstream oil and gas exploration and production, downstream petroleum refining and marketing and petrochemicals. There were different functioning markets and the unit s were run independently adding to the strategic advantage of the company. The company presentations showed that the US refining portfolio was fully operational and US convenience retail helped in reducing marketing footprint with cash costs down by 15% in 2008. $4billion was invested by the company for alternative energy since 2006 and employee count was reduced to 7500 and cash costs were also reduced by billions in 2009, bringing down the overall expenses of the company (Hayward et al, 2010). Among other strategic directions of the company are using solar energy as alternative energy and fuel and BP has been successfully developing the solar energy potential as one of the greener sustainable sources of energy. BP corporate strategy has also been focused on issues of climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001) and there are two directions to this strategy. One is the potential advantage in corporate reputation and image if BP is projected as green and clean company which controls its business units and functions according to global climate conditions, and the other is the possibility of a new business model within which BP could work and using of solar energy as green energy is already a step towards this motive. In the last five years BP resources and capabilities have changed drastically. Along with addition of BP solar energy, there has been increased investments and increased profits with higher oil prices. BP has also potentially expanded its reach and operations across many new regions and continued to add new resources and capabilities including material and financial to fulfil its strategic directions. The business strategies of BP have been primarily geared towards profitability and corporate responsibility so along with cost leadership, focus, innovation, differentiation and climate change, BP had diversified and categorized its business units along with mergers and acquisitions.

Economics: Turn Around Is Fair Game :: essays research papers

Economics: Turn Around is Fair Game   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America's size and prosperity have made it the largest consumer of imported products in the world. Brightly lit shopping malls adorned with the latest foreign-made apparel, gadgets and trinkets, testify to the vast selection of goods available for purchase. There is a dark side to this enormous quantity of choices: a hefty price tag - the federal deficit. Unfair trade agreements, and, predatory pricing strategies and practices from abroad, placed those goods on the store's shelves. The United States Trade Representative (USTR), who is directly responsible to the President and Congress for trade negotiations; is forecasting a two hundred billion-dollar trade deficit for fiscal year 1996. The American people must demand reciprocal trade agreements for overseas business competitors. Complimentary trading would; put an end to subsidized dumping, curb the loss of manufacturing jobs, and, tear down the barriers associated with free trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The practice of selling items at a price less than what it costs to make them is called dumping. Foreign governments subsidize the manufacturing processes of certain industries so their companies can displace the competition's industry. The television industry is a perfect example of subsidized dumping. The post World War II infusion of subsidized Japanese-made televisions, terminated the United States(U.S.) television manufacturing industry. In the late 1950's, half a million units crossed our borders, tax and tariff free. These television sets were made using cheaper components and cheaper labor. However, the cost of transportation, which would normally escalate each individual price, was paid for by the Japanese government. The pioneering inventors of the electronic marvel were forced out. No longer able to compete by meeting rapidly declining prices, companies had to stop production, liquidate all available assets, and release their entire work force.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unemployment figures for 1996 are predicted to be at seven percent (USTR, 1996.) This equates to nearly twenty million skilled American workers without jobs. The math is simple; imports cost an economy jobs, exports produce jobs. Reciprocal trading contracts would definitely curb the exponential loss of manufacturing jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade barriers are the largest problems facing American companies in overseas markets. The obstructions are sometimes overt, sometimes hidden and usually extremely complex. Deals are covertly impeded with complicated licensing and import procedures. Regulations concerning special specification standards and testing of American goods are hurdles deliberately enacted to block fair trade. If foreign governments were mandated to treat American businesses the same way native companies were treated, free commerce would truly be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. has used an arsenal of tools to try to mitigate unfair trade practices and enhance U.S. access to overseas markets. These include: Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act - Section 301 serves as the flagship of the

The Banking Concept

Through Freire†s † The Banking Concept of Education,† we see the effects this concept has on it†s students and also we see the effects that the alternate concept, problem-posing has. The ‘banking† concept allows the students to become vessels of knowledge, not being able to learn at a creative pace. By using communism, seeing through how education is taught in the classroom, it is parallel to Freire†s ‘banking† concept. We can see that both ideas are similar and both were harmful to the human mind. While ‘banking† poses the threat of creative growth and power, Marxism, which applies Marx†s ideas to learning in a communistic way, it creates the threat of never being able to learn. The banking concept is † a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those who they consider to know nothing† (Freire 213). The goal of the ‘banking† concept is to deposit as much information into the students as possible. This results in disconnected memorization without the real understanding and discouragement of creative thought. They cannot think for themselves. As Marx writes, just as there are two types of learning, ‘banking† and problem-posing, he explains that society is this way also. There is the upper class and subordinate classes. They both struggle for economic and political power and the primary way the upper class keeps its power is through their beliefs and values. They are allowed to think. The subordinate classes believe they are subordinate due to the upper classes prestige and way of thinking. Like Freire†s ‘banking† concept, education is the way to keep students down and this works because the students accept all knowledge from the teacher, just like the dominant class in Marx†s ideology, keeps the subordinate classes submissive. There are also things that make Freire†s ideas of teaching that leave Marx at a disadvantage. This is because most submissive people will eventually fight back to get their ideas heard. So therefore the ‘banking† concept has a flaw in itself. When Marx talks about the subordinate classes believing that they had to live up to the upper class, he forgot to mention that throughout time, an oppressed people will figure out that they deserve better than what they are receiving. Overthrowing a government or standing up to a figure of power allows the submissive to no longer not be able to learn. They learn through facing what they had been crushed by for so long. ‘Banking† will eventually fall to its demise, to its students. This will then pave the way to actually learning something that is useful and can be utilized. ‘Banking† and Marx both do not realize that you cannot keep something hidden out of sight, a people that can learn and live, without having to keep them subservient.

Microsoft Recruiting Strategy

Those people adapt faster to new situation and hence solve problems much faster, and it is also unnecessary to antenna them their cooperate culture. Rule N minus 1 To keep the people busy and permanently challenged. The HRS management has developed a general rule of hiring people. The so-called n minus 1 rule. What Is this rule, it basically means that Microsoft is not hiring the needed amount of employees, instead they hire less than needed. In this case, they are not pressured to fill up all the positions and can make sure only to hire the best and most fitted for the Job.All the employees are challenged with more work to keep workstation and work performances high. Hire/ no hire – system In Microsoft, the hiring process followed the strict hire or no hire system. The system works Like this. There are approximately 10 Interviewers for one employee and all of them have evaluate the candidate base on his creativity, problem solving skill and their personal opinion. Then they a re bound to give their vote of hire or no-hire. All the results come together and finally the manager over the position, which to be filled, will decide on those results and his personal opinion over the candidate.Babbler says, if we are not 100% sure that we want this guy, we always don't hire. Hiring mediocre is far worse than hire the bad. Work environment Campus Work Place Since most people are recruited fresh from college education, most employees lack comfortable and familiar. So he created his firm to look like a campus for fresh off college employees. The offices of the employees were all closed offices which you could decorate and personalize. Those reminded more of dormitories than of offices.A garden and a small pound in the middle of the campus for leisure and creative thinking process were also included. Caffeine culture Microsoft spent a lot of money for mandated benefits for their employees. The key to this strategy is to bind the workers as long to their workplace as possible. So the average day of a Microsoft employee looked like this: get up in the morning, drive to work, do some work, breakfast, do some more work, lunch, do more work, dinner, drive home sleep. The cafeteria was subsidized and basically everything with caffeine was for free – to raise productivity.Feeling of a small company Bill Gates wanted to keep the feeling of his company the same one when they first founded Microsoft – a small company. To ensure that, he splinted his firm into small divisions and even smaller workups. That way people felt more important of their job, not like some wheels in a big company. Development Personal mentoring To ensure competitiveness, Microsoft has developed a ladder system – linked to their salaries. If work was accomplished in a satisfactory way, one could climb up the ladder without being promoted to management level.This system is especially fitting to Microsoft, since most newly recruited employees were high technical ly skilled programmer, that meant not everyone of those people was a good manager. Don't fire the learning When people at Microsoft fail at some projects, they won't have to fear being fired. Bill Gates says that it would be stupid to fire people who Just learned a lot from allures and give them away to other companies. Instead they even get promoted to other projects to encourage them and motivate them to do better on this new project.Review and Reward SMART system. It was a evaluation system of the employees achievement based on his work results quantified in Specific, Measurable, attainable, result-based, and time-bound features. That way, comparison between coworkers was made possible. Evaluation system Everyone at Microsoft was evaluated twice a year. They were given a rating between one (poor) and 5 (outstanding) to evaluate their work. All employees had to evaluate homeless first before seeing their supervises and getting evaluated by them.That way it was made sure that every one stayed on track and was getting permanently challenged. If an employee had no idea of what rating they were going to get, it meant that their manager did a poor Job. Options Last but not least, people were motivated with options on the firm. It not only meant, being rewarded for their present work but also meant to reward those in the future, to bind monetary rewards to the future performance of the firm, which is all dependent on the employees performances.

God of the Underworld Professor Ramos Blog

God of the Underworld If someone talks to you about Hades, you probably think of a powerful evil Greek mythological God. A tall, stoic, dark haired man who hates his life and wishes to be more powerful than his brother Zeus. If you research Hades and learn more about his personality and all the bad he has done, is he really a monster? People were afraid of Hades because of the types of punishments he would give mortals. Such as Sisyphus who cheated death so many times that Hades decided to punish him by cursing him with an eternal task of carrying a boulder to the top of the hill and anytime that he got close to the top the boulder would roll back down. Pythia who was also punished by being bound to the chair of forgetfulness for trying to kidnap Hades queen Persephone. Lastly, Tentalus who tried to convince mortals that the Gods were easily tricked by sacrificing his own son to prove a point; his punishment was that he was supposed to stand in a deep pool of water underneath a low hanging branch of a fru it tree for eternity with a burning thirst and aching hunger. Every time he tried to get water or fruit it would go further away from him. All these stories make Hades seem like a villain, but a lot of punishments he did was requested from his brother Zeus. To help understand Hades I will show you how he connects to monster theory, how he is represented in pop culture, and my judgement on it.   Hades fits into five out of seven of Jeffery Jerome Cohen’s â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† Thesis one â€Å"The Monster’s Body is a Cultural Body† discusses how a monster can represent the fears of that time period. As we know, Hades was in the classical Greece era circa 500 b.c.e and during that era people were afraid of the Gods, especially Hades. Hades was already an intimating guy; he was a rather large muscular man, with a beard, a weapon called a bident, and robe like clothing. What got people really scared of Hades is the type of punishment you would be given if you did something wrong in the God’s eye. Thesis two is that â€Å"The Monster Always Escapes† for Hades it is impossible to catch him/kill him. He is a powerful immortal god, so unless you are a god yourself it will be hard to defeat Hades. For thesis three â€Å"The Monster is the Harbinger of Category Crisis† how Hades fit into that is quite interesting. T hesis three is about how a monster is created/born/raised a different way and for Hades he was raised in the stomach of his father. Hades father Cronus ate five out of six of his children because of the prophecy that his children will one day overthrow him and take his power. Zeus was the only who was not eaten because his mother hid him away after he was born. Zeus and his mother Rhea come up with a plan to get his five siblings out by giving Cronus a drink to make him regurgitate his five siblings. After they defeated Cronus, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon divided the universe among themselves. â€Å"They kept the earth and Olympus as common property, while Zeus took the heavens as his domain, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the misty darkness of the Underworld† (March, 1).   For thesis four â€Å"The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference† states the monsters are different from normal people and that â€Å"for the most part monstrous differences tends to be cultural, political, racial, economic, and sexual† (Cohen, 18). Not only does Hades being a God make him different from the mortals, but also the fact that Hades is judged as a monster based off his appearance and title. He has dark features, a dark kingdom, and a scary title. People feared him because he seemed like a dark person, but in fact he was not a dark person. Hades was occasionally loyal, honest, caring, and compassionate. What makes him seem scary is his expressionless face and anti-social personality. â€Å"He was aloofness personified, the invisible presence of darkness and the less he did, the more terrifying he became† (Bloomsbury, 2). Lastly, Hades fits into the monster theses six â€Å"Fear of the Monster is really a Kind of Desire†. The monster ref lects things that attracts us during that time period. Hades has the power to punish/hurt people who treat him wrong and we wish that we could have that same power at times too. To punish someone for trying to kidnap our spouses or to hurt someone for talking badly about you. In many movies, books, and stories we watch or read about Greek mythology Hades usually becomes the villain of the story. In the 1997 Disney movie â€Å"Hercules† Hades is the main monster who is trying to re-arrange the cosmos and over power his brother Zeus because he is unhappy with his duties in the underworld. There is a prophecy that states if Zeus’ son grows up to be a man, he will defeat Hades. Hades tries to kill Hercules many times in the movie, but fails to do so and ends up losing. Hades is animated as tall, pale/gray skinned guy with blue flame hair, pointy teeth, sharp nails, yellow eyes, and dark clothing. His personality in the movie is manipulative, merciless, and does not care if he causes pain or panic among the mortals. He appears to be calm and collected but can be set off easily. The only good quality that Disney gives Hades is that he is fair and will stay true to his word even if he knows he will lose. In the 2010 movie â€Å"Percy Jackson and t he Olympians: The Lightning Thief† Hades once again is the main villain of the movie and Percy Jackson is our hero. The plot of the film is that Zeus bolt (the most powerful weapon) has been stolen and every character assumes that Percy Jackson did it, even Hades. Hades kidnaps Percy’s mom and tells him that he has one week to give him the bolt or else he will kill his mother. Hades personality is represented more as a dictator; a person twitter pated with being the most powerful God and will not listen to reason until he gets it. He is cruel, abusive, manipulative, and cold hearted. Hades appearance in the movie is somewhat of a normal person. He is average height, has a well-groomed beard, and a â€Å"Mcjagger† style. When he tries to intimate a person to get what he wants, he transforms himself into a devil like character; huge, red eyes, horns, wings, sharp teeth/nails, and covered in flames.    The more I learned about Hades the more I like him as a Monster, but that is also the thing about Hades is that he is not as much of a monster as I thought he was. All through my childhood I have thought Hades was the villain in Greek mythology, but that is just how he is portrayed in pop culture. Once you learn about Hades back story and what kind of person he is, he is not as evil as a person as he seems. It’s unfortunate that based off his power, appearance, title, and the things that Zeus asks of him makes him a monster, even though his siblings do just as bad of things. Zeus constantly commits adultery, and Poseidon kills without good reason. It’s not fair that Hades is the one considered bad when his brothers do equally as bad things.   Everything you have thought that you knew about Hades thanks to pop culture is actually false facts. Hades is not the monster that he is made out to be. Hades is loyal, fair, caring, sturdy, and an introvert. Hades deserves to be represented properly, and in doing so it could also teach kids to not judge a person based off their appearance and titles. Just because he has dark features and could be intimidating does not mean he is a monster. Looks could be deceiving especially in Greek mythology.   Boser, Ulrich. â€Å"The First Soap Operas.† Mysteries of History: The Ancient World, Jan. 2004, p. 60. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=f6hAN=16340453site=ehost-live. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† University of Minnesota Press. 1996. Print. Hades. Bloomsbury Dictionary of Myth, Kenneth McLeish, Bloomsbury, 1st edition, 1996. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/bloommyth/hades/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 24 Jul. 2019.   Hades (1). Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Jennifer R. March, Oxbow Books, 2nd edition, 2014. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/hades. Accessed 17 Jul. 2019. Hercules. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. Walt Disney Pictures. 27 June, 1997. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Directed by Chris Columbus. 1492 Pictures. 12 February, 2010.

Should Race Be a Considered fo essays

Should Race Be a Considered fo essays `In the generation that we live in, and especially in America, we tend to believe that racial problems are almost nonexistent, but we could not be further from the truth. Although it might be hidden from our sights through clever wordings and such, racial profiling and racist thinking still goes on. According to USA Today in June 2003, In a 5-4 ruling in June, the Supreme Court upheld affirmative action in college admissions, allowing colleges and universities to use race as a factor in deciding whether to admit students. The ruling resolved, at least for now, one of the most divisive legal battles in higher education, and provided a road map for colleges and universities as they seek to diversify their student bodies a laudable goal, the justices said. (Marklein, 2003, Pg. 8d) Apparently race is still an issue if this still goes on. Academic admissions should be about decided on academic achievements, it is a given, so why then does race (skin color) even factor in? Although our government tries to correct pass mistakes using affirmative action to help some unfortunate African Americans get into the colleges of their choice, it also hurts those who belong in those colleges. If the student really wanted to get into a good college they would have pushed themselves to be the top of their class. Dennis Ross writes in USA Today June 2003, Here in New Jersey, we recently passed a law making racial profiling by police a crime. Isn't affirmative action the same thing? Are we not "profiling" perspective students, then giving preferential treatment to them? Isn't that what we are trying to abolish? (Hairston, 2003 Pg. 12a) Hard work and dedication should be what gets students into certain colleges and keep certain students out of others; this is the first step to a truly free world. The idea of hard work getting people to where they want to go is the grounds that built America to what it is today. ...

10 Best Interior Design Schools in the US

10 Best Interior Design Schools in the US SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips An education in interior design is getting more and more important for aspiring professionals in the field. In many states, you can’t call yourself an interior designer unless you have a license or a certain level of education. If you’re thinking about becoming an interior designer, you’ll want to know about the best interior design schools you can attend in the US. Whether you want to work on residential or commercial design, the following programs will prepare you well for your future career as an interior designer. But before we get to the rankings list, let's briefly go over what makes interior design programs unique. What's So Special About an Interior Design Program? Interior design schools teach a unique set of skills. These programs focus on the creative aspects of design, of course, but a good program also instills strong technical, business, and management skills in its students. If you attend a top interior design school, you'll learn the following: Client-facing skills, such as researching clients' goals and project requirements How to create 2D and 3D space plans How to select colors, materials, textures, and decor How to ensure space plans meet all public health, safety, and welfare requirements and codes How to prepare project budgets and schedules How to prepare construction documents How to collaborate with other professionals, such as architects and engineers How to oversee, manage, and supervise projects Some of these programs offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA), while others offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) or even a Bachelor of Science (BS). I'll talk more about the difference between these degrees at the end of this article. How Are These Interior Design Schools Ranked? To come up with a reliable list of the top 10 interior design schools, I aggregated common ranking lists from interior design industry experts (including DesignSchoolsHub and Design Intelligence). These lists compiled the rankings by surveying design professionals and asking which schools best prepare students' for a career in interior design. Note that the following programs aren’t listed in any particular order. If a school is on this list, it’ll give you a top-notch interior design education, regardless of the order it appears in. That said, I did separate the schools into two tiers based on their aggregate rankings. Keep in mind, though, that the most important consideration in choosing one of these schools is finding the one that best fits your own preferences and interests. Now then, let's get to our rankings of the best colleges for interior design! Best Interior Design Schools: Tier 1 These are the top-rated interior design schools, the cream of the crop. They're likely to be the most competitive of all interior design programs, so be cautious when putting together your applications- you don't only want to apply to schools with very low admissions rates! If you want more information about admissions statistics and requirements for any of these schools, just click their names. New York School of Interior Design - New York, NY Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: #5 by Design Intelligence, #4 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $350 enrollment fee plus $1060 per credit (16-17 credits per full-time semester) The New York School of Interior Design is the only school on this list that specializes solely in interior design education. It's also a top-ranked grad school for interior design, which indicates strong faculty, networking, and post-grad opportunities. Graduates of this institution have pretty great career prospects: 98% of students find jobs within six months of getting their degrees. If you aren't sure whether you want to commit to a full degree program, or if you don't yet feel prepared to apply to an interior design program, you can also enroll in one of the school's non-degree certificate programs to work on building up your portfolio. One of the best cities to be for any type of arts program. Parsons School of Design (The New School) - New York, NY Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: #4 by Design Intelligence, #5 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $25,230 per full-time semester The Parsons School of Design (one of five colleges at The New School) boasts some well-developed networks in commerce and industry, so this school might be a particularly good option for those who wish to pursue commercial design. If you're not sure what you want to focus on, however, you can still find your niche here: Parsons offers more than 35 undergraduate and graduate programs (their grad programs are top-ranked as well). This institution states that they put a special focus on collaborative work, meaning you'd have the opportunity to complete group projects, perhaps even with students who belong to different degree programs. As interior designers have to work with many types of professionals to finish a job, this type of collaboration will be vital in helping prepare you for a career in design. Pratt Institute - New York, NY Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: #2 by Design Intelligence, #2 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: Around $52,000 per year for full-time students If you're hoping to get a job directly after graduation, then you'll definitely want to check out the Pratt Institute. In 2015, 100% of graduates (who responded to the survey) found jobs within just seven months after graduation. Or if you'd rather continue your education with a grad degree, you'll be pleased to know that 100% of graduates in May 2014 who applied to grad school were accepted to at least one program. (Unfortunately, the school doesn't offer any data on the quality of programs students attended.) Like other schools on this list, the Pratt Institute boasts a top-rated graduate program for interior design. In this MFA program, you'll learn about topics such as sustainable practice, environmental quality, aesthetics, and changing technologies. Rhode Island School of Design - Providence, RI Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: #3 by Design Intelligence, #3 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $51,800 per year for full-time students One of the most famous and well-ranked arts and design schools in the US, RISD is located in the city of Providence, which has one of the highest concentrations of artists in the country. The interior design major is known as "interior studies" or "interior architecture" at RISD. RISD is particularly well-known for teaching students with practical instruction and coursework. If you're interested in eventually going to grad school, you should know that RISD also has a highly ranked grad program for interior design, through which you can earn an MA degree. Savannah College of Art and Design - Savannah, GA Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: #1 by Design Intelligence, #1 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $37,575 per year for full-time students SCAD is ranked highly across the board for all its art and design programs (not just interior design), ensuring you’ll have access to other artistic and creative resources on campus. While the main campus is located in Savannah, SCAD also has interior design programs in Atlanta and Hong Kong, as well as online. This array of program locations means that you will have more opportunities to land internships in metropolitan areas and even study abroad. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Architecture's not bad for a design school, right? Best Interior Design Schools: Tier 2 These schools are generally lower-ranked than Tier 1 schools, but they still offer pretty strong interior design programs and tend to show up toward the top of many ranking lists. Like with the Tier 1 schools, just click any school name to get more information about admissions statistics and requirements. Cornell University - Ithaca, NY Degrees Offered: BS Rankings: #7 by Design Intelligence, #8 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $37,880 per year for full-time in-state students; $56,550 per year for full-time out-of-state students Cornell is the only Ivy League school that offers an interior design program. This program has a special focus on the impact of design decisions on the environment. Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA Degrees Offered: BS Rankings: #14 by Design Intelligence, #10 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: Around $18,000 per full-time academic quarter Drexel's program in interior design combines the study of interior design with the study of art and art history. Students explore the behavioral aspects of interior design in addition to aesthetic aspects. Fashion Institute of Technology - New York, NY Degrees Offered: BFA Rankings: # by Design Intelligence, #7 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $3,435 per semester for full-time in-state students; $10,396 for full-time out-of-state students Although FIT is well known for its fashion design programs, it also boasts a strong interior design program. It's the largest program of its kind in NYC, with around 400 students. If you attend FIT, you'll have the opportunity to work with top professionals in the area, such as architects and interior/lighting/graphic designers. Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY Degrees Offered: BFA, BID (Bachelor of Industrial Design) Rankings: #22 by Design Intelligence, #9 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: $52,210 per year Syracuse offers a program called Environmental and Interior Design, which is a bit broader than most other programs on this list. At Syracuse, interior design students take studio courses in fine arts and crafts to supplement their main course of study. This program might be a good option for students who want to focus on design but also want parts of a more standard liberal arts experience. University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH Degrees Offered: BS Rankings: #6 by Design Intelligence, #6 by Design Schools Hub Tuition: Not yet set for 2019 onwards as of this article's publication; we'll update as it becomes available The interior design program at UC's School of Architecture and Interior Design emphasizes the physical, psychological, and social needs of people at work and at leisure. The program is five years long- slightly longer than the standard four-year bachelor's degree program- and requires one and a half years of cooperative education experience. Furthermore, about 70% of graduates get jobs within three months of graduating. Let's talk about how to choose the interior design program that's best for you. Picking the Right Interior Design Program for You: 5 Factors Although there isn't a gigantic variety of interior design program choices out there, you still have to sift through a lot of information to pick a school that's right for you. Hopefully, this last has got you started on the right track. That said, there are other things to keep in mind before committing to a particular interior design school. Here are five key factors to consider. #1: Make Sure the School Is Accredited by the CIDA First, you'll want to check that the interior design school you're interested in is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). Any program that claims to prepare you for a career in interior design should be approved by this organization. All the schools on our list above are accredited by CIDA and state this fact very clearly on their websites. If you're not sure whether a particular school is accredited, contact its admissions office and ask. #2: Choose a School That Offers the Degree You Want Most interior design programs offer a BA or BFA, with some offering a BS. If you attend a BA program, you'll likely get more of a traditional liberal arts degree, meaning that the program strives to educate well-rounded artists and scholars. BS degrees, by contrast, are more strictly focused on their subject matter than BAs, so you'll take fewer general education courses. Finally, BFAs are professional degrees; you'll take some general education courses, but the main focus of the program will be helping you hone and focus your artistic talent and voice. #3: Decide Whether You Prefer a Flexible or Focused Program Some of the programs above offer plenty of room for students to explore their artistic and design interests, and boast dozens of degree options and specializations, whereas others are more focused and therefore might be better fits for students who already know what interests they want to pursue. Spend some time exploring the programs' websites to get a better feel for whether they're good fits for you. #4: Look for Portfolio Requirements You Can Meet As with any design or arts program, you'll have to submit a portfolio as part of the application process for any of the schools listed above. Some of these portfolio requirements might seem reasonable, while others might be tough to meet. Explore each program's portfolio requirements well ahead of any application deadlines. #5: Take Location Into Account Are there particular fields or specialties where you might have an advantage if you're living in a certain area? Also, think twice before applying to a school in an area you absolutely hate or are really unsure about. Once you consider these five factors, you'll be better able to choose an interior design program that's right for you. The better the fit, the more successful you're likely to be in school and your career! What's Next? Interested in design but don't know much about it? Start with our guide to the 7 principles of design. If you're planning on going to an interior design school, you'll likely need to create a portfolio of your best work. Learn more about how to make a great portfolio that will definitely impress your dream school. Once you're done putting together a list of schools to apply to, the next step should be figuring out how to pay for your education. Learn more about how to apply for financial aid, how to pay for school without loans, and how to get some of the top scholarships in the country. Thinking about going to an art school instead? Check out our guide to the best art schools in the US! Or, whet your appetite for art school with our short guide to contour line art. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Dance - Essay Example Beyonce’s video is only a modern version of Fosse’s, with differing dance moves. Inspiration is important; every artiste takes his inspiration from his favourite and most liked work. However, there is a stark difference between being inspired and plagiarising. There is no reason to â€Å"borrow† work from another, and if one is doing that, he is supposed to credit the person. Beyonce has a reputation of originality and unique work and I agree with that reputation. This video, however, did bring doubts to my mind and every time I will watch her video now I will stop to ponder whether it is her original idea or a borrowed one. Fosse’s Rich Man’s Frug has been a sensational video and one of the best works of Fosse. Space, timing and effort qualities are three choreographic tools very much visible in the video. The groups of dancers, whether just standing or moving as well, perform perfectly together; the way the dancers move around in sync and unison; and the very vigorous and sharp dance

Analyze how realistic this rags-to-riches story is in today's America Essay

Analyze how realistic this rags-to-riches story is in today's America - Essay Example In actuality, poor people from various ethnic backgrounds have more chance of realizing financial independence in different European nations than in the United States. The myth of American opportunity has probably persisted due to the chances that existed for motivated immigrants in past centuries. In the 19th century, America was obviously a better option for slum dwellers in England and Continental Europe. The chances that individuals from these nations found in America were so different from those they were exposed to in their motherlands that they began to view America as a land akin to paradise. Horatio Alger’s book, ‘Ragged Dick’ mirrors this enthusiasm about the chances given by America to the disenfranchised. In ‘Ragged Dick’, the hero lives in New York City and starts out in a deprived and pitiable state, but, due to hard work and dedication, ends up being educated and respected by society. The latter part of the 19th century was a time of ch ange and great progress in American History. Moreover, it was also a time of falsehood. The reality is that corruptive practices, at this time, were more accepted in today’s America. ... Gangs randomly attacked successful business men and forced them to pay ‘protection fees’ in order to keep operating. Politicians were corrupt and did not have the current organizations that check excesses to curtail their crooked activities. In Horatio Alger’s book, Dick is a dedicated and punctilious person who takes advantage of the opportunities that come his way (Alger 247). Alger shows how his main character gains an opportunity to improve his chances of overcoming poverty when he is rewarded for being of assistance to the child of a rich man. This, in itself, presents a contradiction in what Alger believed about the American society’s fairness. For instance, if Dick had been of African American ancestry, it is unlikely that he would have been given the chance to improve his life even if he had saved fifty sons of rich men. Dick was privileged in this particular circumstance, even though he was poor, because he was from the accepted race. In today†™s world, people from all ethnic backgrounds do not have equal opportunity to improve their lives in spite of what is constantly asserted by the media. The fact that America has become more technologically advanced and is also experiencing a recession merely makes things harder for people or migrants who have little in the way of material goods to raise themselves economically. Not all Americans are well-educated. This means that there will be a lot of competition for the existing blue-collar jobs. In such cases, it is likely that ethnic minorities will be disadvantaged as those that are able to bribe for the jobs or belong to the predominant race are given the existing opportunities. Where white-collar jobs are concerned, sex, race, education and good resumes are

A Short Paper on the Inside the Solar System Essay

A Short Paper on the Inside the Solar System - Essay Example It will focus on Karl Tate’s article on the solar system, presented in 2011 at space.com. The solar system comprises of eight planets and five dwarf planets. This is according to a valid astronomers count (Tate, 2011). Some of the terrestrial planets include Mars, Neptune and the inner planets also called the Jovian planets. Dwarf planets are small in size. The sun is the closest planet to planet earth and the largest object in the solar system. The sun is orbited by eight planets. Meteors and meteoroids are strip of lights commonly referred to as falling or shooting stars although they are not stars. They consist of small pieces of rocks or metals that come from space into the sky and move at a remarkably high speed. Comets are larger than meteors. They move at a much lower rate and have tails. Comets consist of mostly ice and rocks. Asteroids are small rocky objects with round or irregular shapes (Tate, 2011). In conclusion, the publication shows the beauty and the science behind what is observed from time to time in the

Colour and Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colour and Culture - Assignment Example he color is considered powerful and forbidding especially when not accompanied by another color, when black is accompanied by other colors such as white, it symbolizes elegance and formality. For as much as the Japanese culture has existed, the white color has been used to represent purity and cleanliness and in their religion it is considered as a blessed color (Addiss, Rimer, & Groemer, 2006). The white color is used in happy events such as weddings and other joyful life events. The color is even used in the Japanese national flag due to their respect for culture. According to the Japanese culture, the red color represents powerful ideas and energy. The color is also used to symbolize love and sexual desires. It is used in their national flag to show that their country is rich in ideas and has power. The blue color symbolizes a state of purity and cleanliness and this belief was drawn from the blue waters surrounding the islands in japan. Blue color also shows calmness and stability (Addiss, Rimer, & Groemer, 2006). The color is majorly worn by females to represent purity and cleanliness especially in unmarried women. Green color symbolizes fertility and progression of the culture. It is mainly associated with the youth to show their vitality and energy to grow. The green color also symbolizes eternity and most of the things to be preserved for many years are painted green (Addiss, Rimer, & Groemer,

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Research paper - Essay Example Business administrators therefore believe that if advertisement is carried in the right way, at the right place, via the appropriate media as well as within a particular time limit, it can also attract new customers. As a result, advertising assists in capturing the market as well as increasing the advertiser’s sales. Secondly advertising is critical in the promotion of services, ideas, goods as well as events. This implies goods such as cosmetics, stationary, cosmetics .Services that can be promoted include banking, hospitality, consultancy etc. Promotion of ideas leads to encouragement of the general public by the entrepreneur to invest in his/her idea. Events that can be promoted include exhibitions, festivals, rallies as well as ceremonies (Christina & Demand, 2013). Advertising is also responsible for increasing or boosting sales. This is because advertising creates awareness in masses regarding the advertised products or services .This awareness is responsible for creation of demand in the market which leads to increased or higher sales. According to business administrators, the advertisers will thus fulfill his key objective in advertising. For such impressive results to be maintained, a business ought to sustain excellent price-quality ratio alongside constant and continued advertisement campaigns. Advertising is also used by businesses to create consumer awareness-business professionals are of the perception that constant advertising generates awareness basically by informing potential customers and consumers. Awareness is created amongst consumers by bringing to their attention the availability of a particular service or product in the market. Advertising tries to pass to them why a particular service or product is superior to the other available alternatives. Customers are also informed mostly about different benefits, features, prices as well

Criminal assingnment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal assingnment - Essay Example Under this law, the jury is given wider latitude in determining the mens rea by giving it the ability to evaluate each given circumstances. In connection with the case at bar, let us therefore apply the principles of mens rea and the underlying laws that punishes criminal offenses. The actus reus can be established here as negligent act of Alan in loading the gun and accidentally firing it at his father. To recall, the actus reus maybe be the acts R. v. Majoram [2000]1, omission (R v. Dytham [1979]2; R v. Pittwood (1902)3 or negligence (see R v Stone and Dobinson (1977)4 of the parties involved. The mens rea of the case is loading of the gun which caused the accidental shooting. According to the case of Metropolitan Police Commissioner v. Caldwell [1981]5, where the actor recognized the danger of the act but still persist to perform such act; the requirements of mens rea are satisfied. However, the fact Alan confessed later that he was hearing voices; he never really had any criminal intentions of killing his father mitigates the degree of the act. Alan as a soldier knows about guns. In fact, as a soldier, he had formal trainings when it comes to guns. In the case of R v Cunningham (1957)6, the court decided that where the accused can reasonably foresee the consequences of his or her actions but did not really care whether the consequences of his or her action will actually happen or not, that person is considered guilty of recklessness. Since Alan did not have any intentions of really injuring or killing his own father, the offense will now fall within the ambit of sections 47 and 20 of the Offences Against the Persons Act. Under section 20 of the Act, a person who â€Å"unlawfully and maliciously wound or inflict any grievous bodily harm upon any other person, either with or without any weapons or instrument†¦Ã¢â‚¬  shall be guilty of battery. The use of the gun as a weapon

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Research paper - Essay Example Business administrators therefore believe that if advertisement is carried in the right way, at the right place, via the appropriate media as well as within a particular time limit, it can also attract new customers. As a result, advertising assists in capturing the market as well as increasing the advertiser’s sales. Secondly advertising is critical in the promotion of services, ideas, goods as well as events. This implies goods such as cosmetics, stationary, cosmetics .Services that can be promoted include banking, hospitality, consultancy etc. Promotion of ideas leads to encouragement of the general public by the entrepreneur to invest in his/her idea. Events that can be promoted include exhibitions, festivals, rallies as well as ceremonies (Christina & Demand, 2013). Advertising is also responsible for increasing or boosting sales. This is because advertising creates awareness in masses regarding the advertised products or services .This awareness is responsible for creation of demand in the market which leads to increased or higher sales. According to business administrators, the advertisers will thus fulfill his key objective in advertising. For such impressive results to be maintained, a business ought to sustain excellent price-quality ratio alongside constant and continued advertisement campaigns. Advertising is also used by businesses to create consumer awareness-business professionals are of the perception that constant advertising generates awareness basically by informing potential customers and consumers. Awareness is created amongst consumers by bringing to their attention the availability of a particular service or product in the market. Advertising tries to pass to them why a particular service or product is superior to the other available alternatives. Customers are also informed mostly about different benefits, features, prices as well

Learning Team Reflection Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Reflection Essay There are several factors to consider when contemplating a potential lawsuit or settlement. As a person who is not trained in the law, it is important to seek counsel before making any decisions. Counsel can provide professional guidance in a field that a victim may be unfamiliar with. To attempt to navigate though the legal system without professional help would be confusing and frustrating. There are alternatives to litigation that some people may not be aware of. A professional in the law can give guidance and perspective as to which is the best route to take. One must consider the time involved in litigation. Cheeseman (2010) stated, â€Å"A trial can last less than one day to many months, depending on the type and complexity of the case† (p. 41). Also, a consideration must be the costs involved. It can be extremely costly to obtain counsel, although it may be wise to invest in legal representation. Counsel will be able to provide you the statue of limitations so that you know how long you are eligible to seek damages. Additionally, counsel will provide you realistic picture of the benefits and/or risks of going to trial or settling. Counsel would be able to explain the intricacies regarding a trial and provide a relative timeframe. Most people are unaware of the details and involvement of going to trial. In many cases it is in the best interest of both the injured party and the accused to seek a resolution outside of court. According to Cheeseman (2010), â€Å"More than 95 percent of all cases are settled before they go to trial† (p. 40). A victim may feel compelled to go to court, when counsel may know that a trial may not provide a favorable outcome. Counsel would need to be available as already discussed to decide whether litigation is the way to go. Once the decision had been made to pursue the issue legally, the appropriate legal representation would have to be found. The type of counsel would depend on the type of case. There are several specialties in law and finding the best person to represent you is crucial. You would not ask a lawyer that specializes in real estate to represent you in a wrongful death suit. If possible, legal representation should be made available before the decision to seek legal action is decided on. A lawyer is there to provide professional advice, but they cannot force you to make a decision one way or the other. Two main intentional torts that should seek council especially if there were bodily injury to the person or persons are assault and battery. Cheeseman (2010) stated, â€Å"Assault is (1) the threat of immediate harm or offensive contact or (2) any action that arouses reasonable apprehensio n of imminent harm† (p. 75). The threat to the life of an individual or offensive contact are two very good reasons to seek counsel for either monetary charges such as paying medical bills from the harmful contact or seeking restraining orders to prevent such contact form occurring. Cheeseman (2010) stated, â€Å"Battery is unauthorized and harmful or offensive physical contact with another person that causes injury. Basically, the interest protected here is each person’s reasonable sense of dignity and safety† (p 75). The other tort situation that should seek legal counsel are strict or product liability cases. Cheeseman (2010) stated, â€Å"That is, a participant in a covered activity will be held liable for any injuries caused by the activity, even if he or she was not negligent† (p. 89). To clarify further Cheeseman (2010) stated, â€Å"This doctrine holds that (1) there are certain activities that can place the public at risk of injury even if reasonable care is taken and (2) the public should have some means of compensation if such injury occurs† (p. 89). These cases either involve wrongdoing to the individual that usually ends in harm or death. If a product malfunctions which hurts the consumer or shorts out and the consumer dies are both reasons legal counsel should be involved. Again, legal counsel should specialize in the area that you need representing and the monetary costs of acquiring counsel should be researched before hiring them to represent your case. Seeking legal council is prudent in helping a victim understand their choices. There are situations when there is not enough evidence or legal grounds for any form of legal action, and legal council can provide that information. The proper and professional legal guidance can help a victim recover losses and damages. References: Cheeseman, H. R. (2010). Business law: Legal environment, online commerce, business ethics, and international issues (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Womens Rights in the 20th Century

Womens Rights in the 20th Century Throughout the history of the human race, women have been chastised, degraded and completely controlled by their male counterparts. Women have been oppressed and controlled without any room for retaliation. Whether it be an over-bearing father or an abusive husband, women had barely any say in what happened to them. They were housewives and child-bearers first and human beings second. Only during the 20th century did women make the most considerable progressions towards gender equality. Opportunities arose and women seized them, grasped for them; and used them to their full potential. Inter-related events throughout the 20th century allowed women to progress and they provided the necessary pushes towards gender equality. The women of the 20th century are responsible for the rise of gender equality in Canada The role of women in World war one (WW1), the Persons Case and the Famous five the first wave of feminism were important turning points in the beginning of the century as well as the roles of women in World War 2, their changing roles, and the actions of Agnes MacPhail which all lead to the second wave of feminism that instigated the alteration of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The beginning of the century was extremely important to the proclamation of gender Equality. It introduced Women as important figures in society and that they could make as much of a contribution to the world as men. Women participated in World War 1 and helped with the war effort; they combated womens rights on a legal scale for the first time via the Persons Case and sparked the first wave of feminism. Women sewed socks and attire for the men in the war and prevented them from suffering from diseases such as trench foot and they provided money for the war effort as well as took care of the children back at home; some women even worked in factories to make sure the economy was stable in Canada. In fact, by 1914, almost 20% of the workforce was female (Hundey and Margarry, 45). Almost 2400 nurses worked near the horrific battlefields in World War 1 and provided aid for the injured men (Santor, 36). These were important contributions because they gave women a base to fight with; they showed their capability and that they were not helpless individuals. This displayed that women could make just as much contributions to the world as men. Robert Bordens promise to allow women to vote after the war was important in starting the first wave of feminism because women could now vote. It allowed them to make a legitimate say in what occurred in the government by voting who becomes the leader of the government. In the beginning, it only permitted them to vote if they had husbands in the war or if they were participating in the war by being nurses. This eventually escalated to them being able to vote without complications which sparked the first wave of feminism. The first wave of feminism included the flapper movement which emancipated them from the bonds of traditional womanhood through the scandalous clothing and makeup (Hundey and Margarry, 118-119) also the previous events of World War 1 had more women going into the workforce. Women no longer had to have husbands to b e self-sustainable, independent women. Unfortunately, women did not earn as much as men and at the end of World War 1 were expected to step down from their jobs for men (Hundey and Margarry, 45). Regardless, some women proved that they were capable and even fought for womens rights more intensively. The first step into legal battles against gender equality was initiated by the famous five through the Persons Case. Famous women like Emily Murphy and Nellie Mclung petitioned and fought a legal battle to have women be considered as qualified persons recognizing their right to education and work, relinquishing them of their ambiguous person status (Historica). This was a vital step in setting up the stage for the Charter of Rights because it recognized women as legitimate members of society. Women tried hard to promote gender equality and it paid off. The efforts of the women in the beginning of the 20th century were the women who would be the initial instigators of the re-evaluation of the Charter of Rights and freedoms. At the start of World War 2 women had a chance to portray themselves as the useful and needed members they were of Canadian society. f They were not incapable second-class citizens. Women throughout the 1930s and World War 2(WW2) participated in World War 2, changed the role of women and portrayed their commitment to politics through Agnes MacPhail. Women played a pivotal role in World War 2 because the participated in directing planes in the RAF as well as cooking, cleaning and supporting the men in military bases, over 46,000 Canadian women were enrolled in military services (Hundey and Margarry, 221-222). On the home front, everyone relied on women to work and to take care of their children. Many women took care of the children back at home and worked in factories in order to provide munitions for the military, by 1944 1 million Canadian women were in the Canadian workforce (Hundey and Margarry, 221-222). Unfortunately, it seems like women made no advancement in the public mind be cause people still expected women to drop their jobs for men when they came back from the war but even so women kept fighting (Hundey and Margarry, 223). However, just like in WW1, it continued to give women a base to fight with. They used their participation to accentuate their contributions and once again to prove that they should not be enslaved to lives as housewives and child-bearers. By participating in WW2, women proved their worth once again and they had sewn the seeds for a new wave of feminism (Hundey and Margarry, 223). Women finally began to challenge their roles in society and began going into higher level careers as well as entering into politics, they had begun developing more community organizations and services for women (Hundey and Margarry, 223; Anderson). The Role of women was changing throughout World War 2 and they were slowly becoming accepted participants of the workforce. Although their wages were still minimal they were presenting themselves as a capable mi nority that was beginning to work in professions such as Medicine and Law. Agnes Macphail was the first female senator and the first woman with a political position in Canada. Although her term was short, she made contributions to feminist movements by constantly writing articles and performing at speeches (Hundey and Margarry, 129-130, Doris Anderson). Although she did not actively participate in womans suffrage she was good friends with suffragists like Nellie McLung and was a role model for women all throughout Canada (Anderson). By the mid 1940s, women were still fighting for gender equality; they did not forsake the efforts of the women who strived before them and instead built upon the efforts of those who had started the surge of gender equality. The second wave of feminism was an international surge of all women in the world that promoted gender equality. By the 1960s women were fed up with their conditions, they felt like they were treated as second class citizens because wages were going up, unemployment rates were going down, but women were still considered lesser to men (Bellamy, Liz, and Kate Moorse, 73) and therefore started the second wave of feminism or the Womens Liberation Movement (Hundey and Margarry, 277-278). Women finally had the resources to strongly campaign for gender equality: they had the media, television, radio as well as constantly increasing literacy and education rates for women (Bellamy, Liz, and Kate Moorse, 73). The second wave of feminism would be the final push needed to seal the deal with gender equality. In response, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was created in order to recommend steps towards womens equality (Hundey and Margarry, 341) and was important because it gave a layout a s to how the Charter of Rights and freedoms would be altered in the upcoming years. The Royal Commission made sure that in the 1970s discriminatory employment on the basis of gender was illegal and it gave recommendations towards how gender equality would be achieved (Anderson). All of these events, in conjunction were crucial in battling the government to change the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By the 1980s women were still frustrated because they were not considered equal, even though 45% of the workforce was female at this point, women only earned 72% of what men earned (Colyer et al. 32) it was evident that the RCAW was not helping and it was time for a change. It was a turning point in the century because the constitution was the highest law in Canada and no government was allowed to violate it to the point where a government that did could be struck down (Colyer et al., 377) and in 1982 the constitution was finally changed to include sex in the following passage Every indiv idual is equal before and under the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.(Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 15[1]). Women had finally achieved what they rightly deserved. Their intense lobbying managed to push the government to change the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which was considered the highest law in Canada, it was a pivotal moment for women but it could not have been achieved without the struggles prior to it. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms made sure that women had completely equal rights in all aspects and any violation of it could be challenged in court as an offense towards human rights. Women had succeeded in triumphing over the gender boundary that had kept them chained for millennia. They put a stop to the battle of the sexes and legally introduced gender equality through the Canadian charter of Rights and freedoms, the most vital document in the history of g ender equality. In conclusion, the women of the 20th century and their actions were indubitably the prime forces in the rise of gender equality. The 20th century was the turning point for how women would live their lives. It is sad to imagine that prior to the 20th century women were confined to being wives, child-bearers and basically objects for a mans desires. This has all changed thanks to the efforts of women through all the events that occurred. The role of women in World War 1, the first wave of feminism and the Persons Case as well as the role of women in World War 2, Agnes Macphail and the changing role of women were all events that set the playing field and boosted the status of women in society to have the required edge to begin the second wave of feminism that would lead to the Charter of Rights being changed once and for all. Through all of time women were oppressed, manipulated and used and it is only now that they finally get the opportunity to flourish and succeed in an equal and fai r country, Canada. Nonetheless, women had to work hard and fight for their right to be considered equal; Roseanne Barr once said that, The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power.ÂÂ   You just take it.

Hazard Mitigation Planning Essay -- Natural Disasters

Executive summary Hazard mitigation planning is an approach aimed at ascertaining ways to reduce the effects, deaths and damage to property that might result in the occurrence of a natural of man-made hazard. Hurricanes are among the costliest and the most destructive of natural disasters. Since 1995, the United States has witnessed more intense activities by hurricanes with Mobile County in Alabama experiencing hurricane Ivan and hurricane Dennis in 2004 and 2005 (Link, 2010). In 2005, Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes to have hit the United States and was rated category three in Mobile County (Marchi, 2007). The response to the disaster was poor owing to the lack of proper disaster preparedness as well as hazard mitigation planning. The very possibility of a hurricane hitting Alabama in the near future-within which the County of Mobile is located- appears as a near certainty going by past occurrences. The authorities as well as the community in Mobile County need to be more prepared for disasters by instituting hazard mitigation measures. These measures should be actualized through an effort by the County authorities in conjunction with the major s takeholders to put together a team that will comprehensively analyze hurricane Katrina and other past hurricanes affecting Mobile County. The Hurricane mitigation plan for the city of Mobile sets out the available resources and important information that would assist the community in reducingthe effects of a hurricane that might occur in future. The plan concentrates on measures and actions that can be put in place to reduce the effects of a hurricane. It covers an assessment of risk, sets out a strategy for minimizing the effects, and present... ... Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. Ocean Engineering, 37(1), 4-12. Marchi, B. D. (2007). Not Just a matter of Knowledge: The Katrina Debacle. Environmental Hazards, 7(2), 141-149. Rodiek J. (2007). Landscape Planning in Hazardous Zones, Lessons from Hurricane Katrina, August 2005. Landscape and Urban Planning, 79(1), 1-4. Sadowski N. & Sutter D. (2008). Mitigation Motivated by Past Experience: Prior Hurricanes and Damages. Ocean and Coastal Management, 51(4), 303-313. Waugh, W. (2006). Shelter from the Storm: Repairing the National Emergency Management System after Hurricane Katrina. Michigan City: SAGE Publications. Yarnal B. (2007). Vulnerability and all that Jazz: Addressing Vulnerability in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Technology in Society, 29(2), 249-255. Forren J. (2005). Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Peri Anesthesia Nursing, 20(5), 303-304.

Cival Rights Act 1964 :: essays research papers fc

When the Government Stood Up For Civil Rights "All my life I've been sick and tired, and now I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. No one can honestly say Negroes are satisfied. We've only been patient, but how much more patience can we have?" Mrs. Hamer said these words in 1964, a month and a day before the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 would be signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. She speaks for the mood of a race, a race that for centuries has built the nation of America, literally, with blood, sweat, and passive acceptance. She speaks for black Americans who have been second class citizens in their own home too long. She speaks for the race that would be patient no longer that would be accepting no more. Mrs. Hamer speaks for the African Americans who stood up in the 1950's and refused to sit down. They were the people who led the greatest movement in modern American history - the civil rights movement. It was a movement that would be more than a fragment of history, it was a movement that would become a measure of our lives (Shipler 12). When Martin Luther King Jr. stirred up the conscience of a nation, he gave voice to a long lain dormant morality in America, a voice that the government could no longer ignore. The government finally answered on July 2nd with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is historically significant because it stands as a defining piece of civil rights legislation, being the first time the national government had declared equality for blacks. The civil rights movement was a campaign led by a number of organizations, supported by many individuals, to end discrimination and achieve equality for American Blacks (Mooney 776). The forefront of the struggle came during the 1950's and the 1960's when the feeling of oppression intensified and efforts increased to gain access to public accommodations, increased voting rights, and better educational opportunities (Mooney). Civil rights in America began with the adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution, which ended slavery and freed blacks in theory. The Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875 were passed, guaranteeing the rights of blacks in the courts and access to public accommodation. These were, however, declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, who decided that the fourteenth did not protect blacks from violation of civil rights, by individuals.

Fitzgerald the Misogynist Essay

At first, the female characters in Fitzgeralds â€Å"The Great Gatsby† seemed to be rather dissimilar. Daisy was the angelic and innocent beauty, Jordan was the androgynous golfer, and Myrtle was the sensuous and vivacious seductress. One was from the holy heavens above, another from the sinful depths below, and the last from the neutral in between. Seems like a good balance, however, as the story progresses, we see more and more that the angle is a fallen one, and that the human is a demon in disguise. All three women in this novel use men in some form to get what they want. Looking at the depictions of the female sex in this novel, I believe that, yes, Fitzgerald was a misogynist. Daisy is a careless siren who uses everything given to her by birth to win what she loves, namely attention, adoration, and social status. The only thing that will give her the three is wealth, and the only thing that can give her wealth is Tom Buchanan. Despite having supposedly change her mine (Fitzgerald 74) just prior to their wedding, Daisy still married Tom Buchanan without so much as a shiver (75), and very eagerly uses her new-found money and power to buy her way to the top. It is evident that, from Daisys point of view, true love cannot compare to the money and adulation she craves. Upon her reunion with Gatsby, the first in five years, she breaks down into tears because shes never seen suchbeautiful shirts before (89). The beautiful shirts owned by Gatsby have proven to Daisy that he is even wealthier than Tom, and this fact sends Daisy into a deep lament. That is, if she had just stayed with Gatsby from the beginning, shed be receiving even more attention and adoration than the already considerable amount she possesses at present because Gatsby could have offered her even more than the immense fortune she already holds. Poor, poor girl. Jordan is the least female of the three females, and I believe this is the reason why Fitzgerald did not have her meet an untimely death, destroy familial relations, or come to any other end she could have at the mercy of a woman-hater. Jordan is representative of the wives and daughters who emerged from WWI as androgynous, self-esteemed, and slightly misandric new women. When Nick first meets Jordan, she was perceived as balancing something on it [her chin] which was quite likely to fall (14). Though it is  not directly stated, I think Jordan is balancing men on her chin. New women like Jordan dont need men, and thus they must use men to prove just that. Myrtle is the home wrecker of the novel. As a direct result of her affair with Tom, she gets herself killed, which leads Wilson into shooting Gatsby, which obviously puts an end to the Gatsby and Daisy affair, the result of which leaves Nick disgusted and breaks it off with Jordan. Besides ruining the lives of everyone around her, Myrtle also meets the most tragic end of all the females in the novel. She is killed on impact in a gruesome car accident, while both Daisy and Jordan are at least left with the prospect of a fresh start. I believe this is because Myrtle is the most feminine of the three. Nick describes her as sensuous, and despite possessing no facet or gleam of beauty, there was an immediate perceptible vitality about her as if the nerves of her body were continually smouldering (28). If Fitzgerald was not a misogynist, then how could someone whose vice is simply being too much of a woman deserve an end as graphic as a left breast hanging loose like a flap (131)?This nove l is certainly not one of happily ever afters, and I believe the fact that women are portrayed as the causes of all the tragedies within this novel is reason enough to proclaim Fitzgerald as a misogynist.

Early Literacy in Education Essay

Introduction â€Å"Literacy learning has a profound and lasting effect on the social and academic lives of children. Their future educational opportunities and career choices are directly related to literacy ability. Since early childhood is the period when language develops most rapidly, it is imperative that young children are provided with a variety of developmentally appropriate literacy experiences throughout each day, and that the classroom environment is rich with language, both spoken and printed. Early childhood teachers are responsible for both understanding the developmental continuum of language and literacy and for supporting each child’s literacy development. Literacy learning begins at birth and develops rapidly during the preschool period. The main components of literacy—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—should all be encouraged and supported through conversations and activities that are meaningful to the child and that involve adults and peers. Each child’s interest and motivation to engage in literacy-related activities are evident before that child is able to read or write conventionally. Children should be provided with environments that encourage literacy exploration and their emergent reading and writing behaviors should be valued and supported by their teachers. Effective language and literacy programs provide children who do not speak English with opportunities for listening, speaking, reading, and writing in both English and the home language. It is important for the teacher to recognize the need to make modifications in the presentation of vocabulary, directions, storytelling, reading, and other oral language communication when working with children who do not speak English as their home language. These modifications may include the use of visual aids, scaffolding, repetition, rephrasing, and modeling. † (NJ Department of Education, 2009) Gone are the days in which manual labor was the backbone of our society. We are a people living in the information technology age. Everything that is done from brewing your morning cup of coffee to setting your I-pod to wake you up morning and everything in between requires reading. Without reading a person will face great adversity in day to day living let alone success. It is now critical that every child and adult be able to read and comprehend. Over the past ten years, the amount of information that requires one to read, utilize writing skills, problem solving, and critical thinking has grown enormously. Studies have shown that one of the strongest indicators of a child’s success in school is the educational attainment of his or her parents. As you can imagine, this can plainly effect more than the person who is illiterate. This can also be a death sentence of poverty and destitution as the child grows into adulthood just as doors open for the life-long reader. Today we will discuss: what is needed to prepare children to read, the methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers, and what can be done to encourage reading in the future. Preparation In order for a child to begin reading parents must begin assisting their child from an early age. â€Å"Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most children †¢Talk and listen. †¢Listen to stories read aloud. †¢Pretend to read. †¢Learn how to handle books. †¢Learn about print and how it works. †¢Identify letters by name and shape. †¢Identify separate sounds in spoken language. †¢Write with scribbles and drawing. †¢Connect single letters with the sounds they make. †¢Connect what they already know to what they hear read. †¢Predict what comes next in stories and poems. †¢Connect combinations of letters with sounds. †¢Recognize simple words in print. †¢Sum up what a story is about. †¢Write individual letters of the alphabet. †¢Write words. †¢Write simple sentences. †¢Read simple books. †¢Write to communicate. †¢Read simple books. Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading. † (Helping your child become a reader) While these ideas may seem structured, it is also important to allow children to be creative and use their imagination. Although reading is imperative, too many arrangements and rules can turn a child off and lead to feelings of resentment, anger, and resistance. Reading should be set to the tone and pace of the child. Emergent Readers As the standards of education change a consistent factor remains the focus on reading. Early childhood educators must provide an atmosphere that is both developmentally stimulating to the student while also meeting the standards of education. The methods used to help recognize phonics and begin the transition into emergent readers vary from student to student. Without the foundation of phonics research shows that a child will not learn to read. All children must know the alphabet in order to communicate effectively. Phonics cannot be drilled into the child. This will only produce memorization. Instead, educators must understand a child’s individual needs as well as balance. There is no true need to teach phonics as a separate subject. Most children will develop a sense of curiosity from their own knowledge, ideas, and interest. There will of course be a select few that may benefit from a more formal instruction. When children have a reason to know this will provide enthusiasm. For example: The first letter and sound a child typically learns may be his or her own name. A teacher may ask Billy to identify the first letter of his name. â€Å"B† replies Billy. â€Å"What sound does the letter B make? † â€Å"Buh-buh-Billy exclaims the child. Billy is now inspired and driven to want to learn the other sounds the letters make. Parents and teachers must also realize that reading will contrast greatly as children grow. Below is a list that may help each parent as well as teacher: â€Å"Infants †¢Talk, read, and sing to infants–they learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life. †¢Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people. †¢Always make books a part of your baby’s toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be able to name the pictures, too. †¢Encourage associations between symbols and their meaning–as they get closer to toddlerhood, children may begin to recognize familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants. Toddlers †¢Help toddlers make the transition from baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without reprimanding them. †¢Let toddlers â€Å"read† their favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word. This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains. †¢Provide magnetic and block letters to introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name. †¢Before you take your toddler on a new type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning. Preschooler †¢Add new books to your child’s collection, but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now–this represents an important step in learning about reading. †¢Continue to take children shopping with you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as you follow a recipe. †¢Take books on long trips with you to encourage reading as entertainment. School-age children †¢Continue to read to your child, even if she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books. †¢Encourage story writing by listening to the stories children tell. †¢Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles. † (NAEYC, 1998) Encouragement â€Å"The first step in teaching a child to read is encouraging them to read. † – Unknown. This is a proven fact in the development of children. A child that is encouraged has no limit on what he or she can achieve. As educators and parents the responsibility begins early. Reading will encourage children to develop a life-long love for learning. If knowledge is power, books are full of it. Why is reading so important to children? â€Å"The Media Awareness Network emphasizes the potentially negative effects watching television can have on kids. This includes increased exposure to violence, sexual content, and adversely affecting a child’s course of development. In addition, watching television teaches children habits that promote a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to childhood obesity. Meanwhile, reading has been proven to enhance a child’s life by assisting cognitive development and helping children build language skills. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization points out that reading helps children develop a sense of empowerment. It can also help children develop social and communication skills. Furthermore, good reading skills increase educational opportunities and may dramatically increase a child’s chances for academic and lifelong success† (Lendabarker, 2010) There is a vast assortment of options for parents to help encourage reading at home. One of the longest running programs to encourage reading is Pizza Hut’s â€Å"BOOK IT† program. â€Å"This provides an incentive to motivate children to read. BOOK IT! runs every school year from October through March. The teacher sets a reading goal for each child in the class. A tracking chart and reproducibles are included to make it that much easier. As soon as a child meets the monthly reading goal, the teacher gives him or her a Reading Award Certificate. † (Pizza Hut) Flexible BOOK IT! goals are based on reading ability. Number of books, number of pages, or number of minutes – they all work. BOOK IT! can also be used with the reading curriculum or as support for comprehension or intervention programs. For children not reading independently, the goal can be set where a parent or others read to the child. Fun Pizza Hut is proud of all BOOK IT! readers! The restaurant manager and team congratulate every child for meeting the monthly reading goal and reward them with a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza, BOOK IT! card and backpack clip. Other ideas to encourage reading include: †¢Make a habit of reading to your child every day, whether she is a one-year-old or a 10-year-old. †¢When your child is able to, have her read to you. You can take turns reading chapters in a simple chapter book, for example. †¢Get a library card for your child. Go to the library every week and take out several books. †¢Be aware of your child’s interests and direct your child to related books. †¢Try to find a series that she really likes and will want to continue reading. †¢Provide a comfortable reading area, with good lighting, in your home. †¢Discuss books with your child. †¢Buy books for your children that are related to their special interests. †¢If your child is a reluctant reader and not reading on grade level, buy her hi/lo books (books with a high interest level, low vocabulary). †¢Talk to your child’s teacher and ask for suggestions. †¢If your child likes incentives and the computer, enroll in an online book group. †¢If your child really enjoys a particular author, check with your librarian about other authors or books she might enjoy. †¢Children also often enjoy the opportunity to read children’s magazines As parents and educators, it is more important to spend time reading with your child on a consistent on-going basis. The method you select is not nearly as important as the time spent actually reading together. Conclusion Show me a child that can read and research will show you a child on his or her way to succeed. Parents, educators, grandparents, aunts, uncles all need to take time to read to a child. All too often parents rush out to buy the latest video game or latest toy. Where is that enthusiasm for the love of reading? How many children even see their parents read? We live in an age where technology surrounds us at every given moment; that does not negate the need to read and to take an active role in the education of children. The research speaks for itself. Reading equals succeeding. Works Cited Bagert, B. C. (1993). Helping your child learn to read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Kids Source: http://www. kidsource. com/kidsource/content/learread. html Lendabarker, K. (2010, January 3). Encouraging Children to Read. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Suite101: http://earlychildhood. suite101. com/article. cfm/helping_children_develop_good_reading_habits NAEYC. (1998). Phonics and Whole Language Learning. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Education. com: http://www. education. com/reference/article/Ref_Phonics_Whole/ NJ Department of Education. (2009, Unknown Unknown). Retrieved February 16, 2010, from www. state. nj. us: www. state. nj. us/education/cccs/2009/PreSchool. doc Pizza Hut. (n. d. ). Pizza Hut. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program: http://www. bookitprogram. com/bedtimestory/ Uknown. (n. d. ). Literacy Guide. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from Bankstreet: http://www. bankstreet. edu/literacyguide/early2. html Unknown. (unknown, unknown unknown). Helping your child become a reader. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from Ed. gov: http://www2. ed. gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part4. html.