Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Plantation Mistress Essay
In the book, ââ¬Å"Plantation Mistressâ⬠(Clinton, 1984) by author Catherine Clinton, it seems that Clinton desires to express her disapproval for the manner in which women were treated so harshly.à She talks about maids brought to our country during the year 1620 and in Clintonââ¬â¢s writing, it is extremely interesting how she gathered her information for this book from letters that were written so many years ago, and even from diaries, suggesting that women from that ancient time period werenââ¬â¢t treated as equals in the deep South and in this slave era and time in our history, the author relays to her readers that there is evidence that cruelty did take place toward women and practices such as using females as workhorses shouldnââ¬â¢t have been acceptable in any time period. Also, many of these women referred to as mistresses werenââ¬â¢t taken care of properly and didnââ¬â¢t even receive the necessary and basic essentials, such as proper toiletries or fo od. They were treated like second class citizens and werenââ¬â¢t considered as good as men. à à à à à à à à à à à We gather aà new appreciation for maids as we read Clintonââ¬â¢s writing and feel regret for those who had to suffer because of neglect and misunderstanding. Clinton teaches us that all humans were created as equals and all women and the slaves from that same time period were regarded less than human. à à à à à à à à à à à Itââ¬â¢s interesting to be able to read some of those old letters that were written so many years ago so that we have a greater appreciation for women who lived on these plantations in the deep South. à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à REFERENCE PAGE Clinton, Catherine. (1984). Plantation Mistress. Pantheon.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Hamlet Analysis Essay
Ghost appears and then leaves Horatio decides to tell Hamlet about the ghost He tells Hamlet about the ghost Hamlet decides that he wants to see the ghost Hamlet sees the ghost Hamlet follows the ghost Ghost tells Hamlet about his death Hamlet decides to get more information / prove what the ghost was saying before doing anything about it Hamlet swears his friends to secrecy about what the ghost said and about his plans to act crazy in order to get more information Offstage trigger ââ¬â Hamlet acting crazy with Ophelia) Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet has gone crazy Polonius concludes that this is because Hamlet loves Ophelia Polonius decides to tell this reasoning to Claudius (side track 1ââ¬â Claudius tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to figure out what is afflicting Hamlet) Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is crazy because of Ophelia Polonius speaks to Hamlet and decides to plan a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia (side track 1 ââ¬â Rosencrantz and Guildenstern speak with Hamlet and tell him of the players) side track 1 ââ¬â Hamlet decides to use the players to weed out the truth from Claudius) (side track 1 ââ¬â Hamlet asks Polonius to have the Claudius and Gertrude watch the play) Hamlet meets Ophelia while Claudius and Polonius hide and listen Hamlet says he doesnââ¬â¢t love Ophelia Polonius and Claudius decide there must be another reason for Hamletââ¬â¢s madness and plan to figure out what it is by watching him (side track 1 ââ¬â Hamlet speaks with the players to make sure everything is going to go exactly the way he has planned it) side track 1 ââ¬â Hamlet asks Horatio to watch the king during the play) (side track 2 ââ¬â the players enact the Murder of Gonzago) (side track 2 ââ¬â Hamlet comments on the play) (side track 2a ââ¬â Claudius rises and leaves mid-play, very upset, along with Gertrude , who is also upset) (side tracks 1 & 2a converge ââ¬â Hamlet and Horatio decide that because of Claudiusââ¬â¢ reaction to the play, the ghost was telling the truth) (side track 1 ââ¬â Hamlet decides to take violent action) (side track 2b ââ¬â Gertrude asks to speak with Hamlet) side track 2b ââ¬â Hamlet agrees to speak with Gertrude, and sends Polonius to tell her so) (side track 2c ââ¬â Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because he is becoming a danger) Polonius decides to hide and listen to Hamlet and Gertrude (side track 2b ââ¬â Hamlet is on his way to speak to Gertrude and sees Claudius ââ¬Ëprayingââ¬â¢) (side track 2b ââ¬â Hamlet decides not to kill him then because he would go to heaven) (side track 2b ââ¬â Hamlet decides to go on and talk to Gertrude) Polonius hides when Hamlet enters side track 2b ââ¬â Hamlet speaks with Gertrude, then hears a noise) Polonius makes a noise Main thread and side tracks 1 & 2b converge ââ¬â Hamlet stabs Polonius an d kills him Hamlet takes Poloniusââ¬â¢ body Gertrude tells Claudius about Hamletââ¬â¢s actions Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find where Hamlet put Poloniusââ¬â¢ body Rosencrantz and Guildenstern talk to Hamlet and bring him back to talk with Claudius Main thread and side track 2c converge ââ¬â Claudius talks with Hamlet and officially sends him to England (to be killed) side track 3 ââ¬â Fortinbras is passing through Denmark and speaks to Hamlet) (side track 3a ââ¬â Hamlet decides that he is not giving up ââ¬â ââ¬Ëmy thoughts be bloodyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬â¢) (side track 4 ââ¬â Ophelia has gone crazy) (side track 5 ââ¬â Laertes gets back, learns of Poloniusââ¬â¢ death, and blames Claudius) (side track 5 ââ¬â Laertes confronts Claudius) (side track 5 ââ¬â Claudius tells Laertes that Poloniusââ¬â¢ death was not his doing) Offstage trigger ââ¬â pirates attack Hamletââ¬â¢s ship Offstage trigger ââ¬â pirates take Hamlet prisoner and return him to England Main thread and side track 3a converge ââ¬â Horatio hears news of Hamletââ¬â¢s return (side track 5 ââ¬â Claudius convinces Laertes that Hamlet was the cause of Poloniusââ¬â¢ death) (side track 5 ââ¬â Claudius tells Laertes that he has a plan to kill Hamlet) (side track 5 ââ¬â Laertes asks to be the instrument of Hamletââ¬â¢s death) (side track 5 ââ¬â Claudius plans for Laertes and Hamlet to duel, Laertes with a poison- tipped sword, and adding a poisoned drink, just in case, to ensure Hamletââ¬â¢s death) (side track 4 ââ¬â Gertrude says that Ophelia has drowned herself) Main thread and side track 4 converge ââ¬â Horatio and Hamlet meet in the graveyard and learn of Opheliaââ¬â¢s death, and see Laertes jumping into the grave Hamlet also jumps into the grave and accuses Laertes of putting on a show of emotion Hamlet and Laertes scuffle then are pulled apart Hamlet feels bad for accusing Laertes the way he did and scuffling with him Hamlet agrees to do whatever Laertes wishes of him (side track 5 ââ¬â Osric come to tell Hamlet of the proposed duel between him and Laertes) Main thread and side track 5 converge ââ¬â Hamlet agrees to duel Laertes Hamlet and Laertes begin to duel Claudius poisons a cup and plans to offer it to Hamlet Hamlet refuses the cup and continues dueling (side track 6 ââ¬â to cheer on Hamlet, Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup) Hamlet gets scratched by the poisoned rapier Hamlet and Laertes scuffle and switch rapiers Laertes gets scratched by the poisoned rapier (side track 6 ââ¬â Gertrude dies) Main thread and side track 6 converge ââ¬â Laertes says that Claudius poisoned the cup, and that the rapier-tip was poisoned, then he dies Hamlet realizes that he is dying and that he now has the excuse to kill Claudius Hamlet stabs Claudius and makes him drink of the cup Claudius dies Hamlet entreats Horatio to tell the story of their deaths, then dies (side track 3b ââ¬â Fortinbras is returning through Denmark and happens upon the scene) main thread and side track 3b converge ââ¬â Horatio plans to tell Fortinbras et. al. the story of what happened, and Fortinbras plans to take his claim over the country Part II: Events Tracked Backward for Hamletâ⬠¦ Hamletâ⬠¦ Stops Horatio from drinking the poisoned cup Tells Horatio to be the messenger ââ¬â to tell everyone his story Kills Claudius Scratches, and therefore kills Laertes with the poisoned rapier Gets scratched by Laertes with the poisoned rapier Taunts Laertes at the moment when Laertes is considering not killing him And Laertes begin the gentlemenââ¬â¢s duel Agrees to duel Laertes Resolves that whatever will be will be, and feels bad for Laertes Insults Laertes in Opheliaââ¬â¢s grave Jumps into Opheliaââ¬â¢s grave Talks to Horatio about death Sees the grave diggers Returns from the ship bound for England Ship gets attacked by pirates Leaving for England, but is not going to give up Banished by Claudius Hides Poloniusââ¬â¢ body Kills Polonius Talks with Gertrude Decides not to kill Claudius while he is praying (appears to be praying) Agrees to talk with Gertrude Accuses Guildenstern of playing him like a recorder Discusses Claudiusââ¬â¢ reaction to the play with Horatio Adds commentary to the play Flirts with Ophelia Asks Horatio to mark how Claudius reacts to the play Tells the players to act exactly as he has instructed them Tells Ophelia to ââ¬Ëget to a nunneryââ¬â¢ and says that he doesnââ¬â¢t love her Decides to use the players to get the truth from Claudius about his fatherââ¬â¢s murder Hears of the players from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (offstage? acts crazy toward Ophelia to the point of frightening her Swears his friends to secrecy about the ghost and the way he is going to act Plans to learn whether the ghost was telling the truth, or just a demon playing games Learns from the ghost that he was murdered Speaks to the ghost Follows the ghost Sees the ghost Hears of the ghost Part III: Stasis, Intrusion, New Stasisâ⬠¦ Stasis: Claudius has married Gertrude and become king after his brother, the previous king, died. Hamlet, the son of Gertrude and the previous king, is still upset about his fatherââ¬â¢s death. Intrusion: The appearance of the ghost New Stasis: The majority of the characters are dead, and Horatio is asked to tell their story as Fortinbras becomes the new king Part IV: Dramatic Conflict for Hamlet and Claudiusâ⬠¦ Hamlet ~ Individual versus self: Hamlet gets down on himself for not being able to take immediate action or to react as strongly / emotionally as characters like the player and Fortinbras. Individual versus others / individuals: Hamlet has obvious conflict with Claudius, who he believes killed his father. He also has some physical ââ¬Ëconflictââ¬â¢ with Laertes. Individual versus society: Hamlet cannot simply kill Claudius because he has to consider how society would react to that if they did not know what Claudius had done initially. Individual versus the universe / nature / fate It becomes Hamletââ¬â¢s duty to avenge his fatherââ¬â¢s death. Claudius ~ Individual versus self: Claudius appears to show guilt about murdering his brother (shown when he wishes to pray but is unable to) Individual versus others / individuals: Claudiusââ¬â¢s first conflict with an individual was before the play started, and that was with his brother, the king. Once he ââ¬Ëwonââ¬â¢ that conflict, his new conflict became the one between himself and Hamlet Jr. He was afraid that Hamlet knew too much and / or that he would try to take the throne back from him. Individual versus society: If the people in that society knew what Claudius had done, there would have been much more conflict between them and him, but as it was, their only real conflict was that Claudius couldnââ¬â¢t take Hamlet to them to be punished for Poloniusââ¬â¢ death, essentially because they liked him too much. Individual versus the universe / nature / fate
Child Marriage in Bangladesh Essay
Juvenile marriage has long been an issue in many developing countries where poverty, lack of education and strong cultural traditions and religious beliefs exist. It is most prevalent in ââ¬â however not restricted to South Asia, especially Bangladesh where studies have shown that the practice of juvenile marriage is most common and severe. Although the legal age of marriage for women in Bangladesh is 18, some girls are married off as young as seven years old mainly as a result of poverty which consumes 55% of the population and also because Bangladesh is a patriarchal society where there overall attitude towards women is ââ¬Å"galay atkano kataâ⬠which is translated to ââ¬Å"the spine of a fish stuck in the throatâ⬠. In the rural areas of Bangladesh, certain cultural traditions must be preserved as they have been present for centuries and also contribute to juvenile marriage as dowry, which mainly exists in patrilineal societies, determines how much the brideââ¬â¢s parents must pay to the in-laws which varies upon the age of the girl. On the surface, it would seems as though Bangladeshis accept this atrocity and feel quite passive towards it as they are aware that juvenile marriage is being practiced but do not take action against it. Is it because human rights are not universal? Could it be possible that something such as juvenile marriage is overlooked because the vast majority of the population of Bangladesh is not educated and ignorant to such and through intervention, they could benefit from the first worldââ¬â¢s input in regards to their sociocultural ââ¬Å"issuesâ⬠? It is evident that juvenile marriage is very common and equally problematic in South Asia and seems to be an issue which is most present in developing countries for varies reasons which are customized to that particular culture and region. The marriage of a child is illegal in all of the countries in which it takes place and even in spite of actions such as reinforcement of laws opposing to such, juvenile marriage continues, especially in rural, densely populated areas. This is because these societies are anchored by their cultural traditions and beliefs which have been their way of life for centuries, passed down from generation to generation. Bangladesh in particular operates as a patriarchal society and the women, both rural and rban, traditional and modern, are considered the most oppressed in the world because they live in a social system that condones their being granted an inferior status. ââ¬Å"After birth, girls are viewed as a burden to the parental house hold, whereas boys are regarded as an asset. â⬠(White, 1992). The minute they are brought into the world, girls are resented and considered ââ¬Å"not valuableâ⬠as they cannot provide for their natural families financially and they will not carr y out the family name, which is very important in Bangladeshi culture. Girls are taught as early as childhood that women should always be under menââ¬â¢s control because the common attitude towards women is that they are weak and vulnerable and they are treated as such. In Bangladeshi society, women are unable to support and protect themselves and male guardianship is necessary to prevent possible rape and this is very important because society places the utmost importance on female sexual purity and this cannot be guaranteed if a woman is without a male guardian as 97% of all rape incidents go unreported and women are subject to brutality and even murder if they do not terminate the pregnancy before it is too late. However, abortions illegal and expensive in Bangladesh and even if a woman can afford to proceed with the termination, they are often malpracticed and result in severe infection, illness and death. Therefore, protection and security is provided (and guaranteed) through marriage and it is also a local belief that younger girls are more obedient and will become devoted to her in-lawsââ¬â¢ family more so than her natal family which is logical considering at a young age, the girl would move to her in-lawââ¬â¢s and essentially become more attached to her husbandââ¬â¢s parents rather than her own. Girls are also forced to terminate any existing education (if there is any at all) when they get married and are expected to take on house hold responsibilities and cater to her in-laws right away and produce children which often results in failed pregnancies or death as they are too young and malnourished. A UNICEF report says: In many parts of South Asia, due to the poor quality of emergency obstetric care and high levels of malnutrition among young women, particularly anemia and stunting, early marriage presents considerably increased risks to life itself. Teenage mothers have a 2-5 times greater risk of maternal death than women aged 20-25 years (UNICEF, 2001: 7) It would seem that a simple and logical solution to this problem would be to continue the girlsââ¬â¢ education as it would alleviate some of the social pressure in regards to house hold responsibilities and child-rearing and it would also provide them with life skills and knowledge which could possibly generate a new attitude towards women without disrupting the deeply rooted nature of Bangladeshi cultural traditions. Opportunities for young mothers to continue their education or to work are often limited because they have little access to resources and are responsible for child-rearing and house hold tasks. The women married at early age are more likely than those who are married off as adults to have early, frequent and unplanned pregnancies, typically from lack of contraceptive use. The children of teenage mothers experience serious health consequences as well. A child born to a teenage mother is twice more likely to die before his/her first birth day than the child of a woman in her twenties. If they survive these infants tend to have higher rates of low birth weight, premature birth and infant mortality than those born to older mothers. â⬠(Kamal, 2011: 218). It is evident that there are very harsh social, psychological and health consequences for both women and their children which occur when a girl is married too young, juvenile marriage is not only recognized as a human rights violation, but it is also a barrier to individual and social development. As mentioned above, girls are forced to terminate their education and in most cases they have not even reached secondary level education which shows in the literacy rate among men and women which is not surprising ââ¬â 38. 1% rate for women, versus the 55. 6% rate for men. Considering Bangladeshââ¬â¢s dense population, this is quite a significant amount of women who have received education. A study by Farah Chowdhury of the Rajshahi Univeristy in Bangladesh shows the education level of men and women in the village of Chamrabo which is in the Narshingdi District (located 30 miles from Dhaka, the capital city). Her studies indicate that: Out of a population of 261, 130 men and 131 women not including children under six years of age, fifteen of the men and 25 of the women were illiterate. Most of the villagers, both make and female, have had at least minimal schooling. Sixty-two men and 70 women completed primary education (Grades 1-5); and 24 men and 18 women secondary education (Grades 6-10). Five men had a secondary School Certificate (SSC), four a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and one a college degree. Only one woman had an SSC and none a HSC or college degree (Chowdhury, 2004: 247). Poverty is ften a determining factor regarding education and it can be linked to the age at which a girl is married; if a family is poverty stricken, they will marry off their daughter(s) as early as possible to decrease the size of the dowry. In some cases this age could be as young as seven or younger, according to Chowdhury, the belief in some Bangladeshi villages is that seven is a suitable age for girls to marry and that girls of nine are already old and may be subject to abuse or harassment due to shame they might inflict on themselves and their families as a result of not being desirable for marriage. Naturally parents prefer to marry off their daughters before the girls are regarded as old. â⬠ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ Furthermore, young girls are thought to have greater sexual and procreative power than older girls, and to be less risk of miscarriage. â⬠(Chowdhury, 2004: 247). Although the rate of poverty in Bangladesh has decreased over the recent years, 55% of the population lives below the poverty line and among those, 27% live in extreme poverty. Most of those affected by poverty live in rural and semi urban areas where they cannot afford to send their children to school. However, the problem goes both ways as the Bangladeshi education system also faces challenges such as funding, inflexibility, insufficient ratio of skilled teachers to schools and lack of resources. In recent years, NGOââ¬â¢s like ââ¬ËBecause I am a Girlââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËHuman Rights and Education Program for Women (HERP)ââ¬â¢ recognized the deficit of education facilities and have stepped in to rehabilitate the education sector of Bangladesh to create an accessible and affordable system which does not discriminate against women but in fact encourages the enrollment female students by employing female teachers. NGO schools are well resourced, with a network that extends to the remotest part of the country. There schools facilitate the integration of students from economically and socially vulnerable communities, operate at times that are suitable for students (many of whom work during the day or at specific times of the year), offer small class size (with teacher-student r atios of one to thirty), and ensure and interactive learning environment. â⬠(Arndt, Hastings, â⬠¦ & Woods, 2005). Since patriarchal societies such as Bangladesh are very concerned about a womenââ¬â¢s personality as they see it as a challenge and do almost anything to contain it, it seems quite logical that girls are pulled out of school early due to marriage as it disables them from knowing anything else outside of their inferiority. It also helps to diffuse the rate at which self-discovery happens by marrying the girls off at a young age which decreases their future opportunities of education and furthermore, they become more submissive to their husbands and simply accept the life they are forced to live as they do not know any other way. Their great, great grandmothers did the same and it is a tradition that has been passed down by many generations. However, with this system in place there is some hope. The educational sectorââ¬â¢s main goal and aspiration is to break the cycle of dependent women and rid them of their inferior status. Through education, women can learn how to be self-reliant and resourceful, they will be taught personal development and will understand their bodies as well as become aware of their rights as women. This is interesting because these opportunities could spark a new generation of women who will not tolerate their subjective social roles which could lead to protests and other actions against gender exploitation and oppression. It is not something that would happen overnight of course, possibly over a few decades women would start to realize their worth and become bold enough to speak out and protest but even still, education alone cannot change the rich, traditional cultural soil in which the beliefs of society is so firmly planted. Knowledge will empower the women of Bangladesh but it will not change their sociocultural position and it does not change the existing issue of poverty. Even if the education is provided and accessible, the issue of poverty is still present and as long as poverty exists, poor parents will be inclined to marry their daughters as early as possible to decrease the amount of the dowry owed to the groomââ¬â¢s family. As discussed above, traditional cultural values and beliefs outweigh all other potential blames to child marriage even though poverty seems to be the main cause, it is simply a scratch at the surface to the bigger picture. It would seem as though Bangladeshis practicing juvenile marriage are doing so because they feel it is a divine command and in not doing so they are exempt from society and victims of harassment, dishonor and shame. However, if we examine the situation carefully, we will see that the locals are not marrying their daughters off as young as possible simply to decrease the dowry, it is mostly because of their traditional beliefs about fertility in relation to age. Therefore, juvenile marriage cannot be directly linked to poverty because the strong influence of local beliefs is almost certainly the main cause as ethnic communities are inclined to trust their beliefs as well as respect and preserve their traditions. The locals of rural Bangladesh have relied on the same superstitions, methods and practices for centuries, it is deeply embedded in their culture and essentially it is the glue that holds them all together. Bangladeshi officials are aware that juvenile marriage is taking place in the rural areas and they recognize this as a punitive crime but they do not risk interfering or tampering with such rituals as it could lead to an even bigger problem such as the collapse of a society. It is a local belief that if a womanââ¬â¢s marriage is prevented or interrupted, the woman has been a victim of sorcery and she must be exiled from the community. In most cases these women are children and they are taken outside of the village to remote areas, blindfolded and left there with no food or means of survival which results in death. The girlââ¬â¢s family is said to be subject to harassment, and if they have other children, they will be considered socially condemned and will not be desirable by other in the village to marry. It is also believed that the parents will inherit the age of the girl in years of bad luck, example: if the child was five years old, the parents will inherit five years of bad luck. So, Bangladesh will continue to suffer as a result of such an intricately woven culture, everything is connected and affected by their belief system which makes for a fragile society. In conclusion, juvenile marriage is a violation of human rights and has physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional implications for the young brides. It deprives girls of their childhood and adolescence where crucial development occurs and this is important for the promotion of good mental and sexual health. From an outsiderââ¬â¢s point of view, the issue of juvenile marriage seems easy enough to ââ¬Å"fixâ⬠with a simple prescription of proper education and the implication of Western knowledge and sociocultural values but it is not that easy to undo centuries of rich and complex cultural values, in other words, we cannot use the â⬠Band-Aidâ⬠approach to cover up an issue which needs to be addressed internally. So how can we prevent juvenile marriage? An obvious solution is to change the male views and attitudes towards women which can be addressed by including womenââ¬â¢s studies and sexual/personal development in the syllabus of primary and higher levels of education. Also, the state should see that sufficient measures are put in place to ensure that women have the same rights and obligations to look after their natural families both financially and physically because if this became a strong social value, then girls would not be considered a burden to their families and this would increase their sociocultural ââ¬Å"valueâ⬠. Finally, the belief that women are weak and vulnerable is the result of the lack of social security provided for women in Bangladesh so if the state cannot ensure the security of women, then naturally the people (especially the men) of Bangladesh will be reassured in their beliefs of women and that they are in constant need of protection of their male guardians which will further encourage the practice of child marriage.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham - Essay Example It has increased far more in 2011 from 2010 than that of in 2010 from 2009. But the reported percentage is not at all a good indicator of asset performance (NYU, 2012). Debt ratios Debt ratios determine the companyââ¬â¢s over debt load an also mix of equity and debt. So these ratios evaluate the financial risk the company and its shareholders have been facing. Debt ratio is a compared unit of companyââ¬â¢s total debt with respect to its total assets. Specifically it shows the amount of leverage the company is using. Higher debt ratio means the company is highly dependent on its leverage and the equity position of the company is very weak. So higher the ratio means more risk the company and its shareholder has been taking. Although the total liabilities of the company has been increasing over the year but the total assets also has been decreasing in similar proportion. As a result the ratio has increased more in 2011 than it decreased in 2010 from 2009. Debt equity ratio represe nts the overall status of debt of the company. It compares the total liability of the company with respect to the shareholders fund. ... The company improved a lot in terms of shareholderââ¬â¢s equity in 2010 than that of 2009 as it reported the shareholderââ¬â¢s amount of ?13,063,000 from tremendous growth from -?290,000 in 2009. But in 2011 again it has come down to huge deficit of its shareholdersââ¬â¢ fund. So, due to the deficit of the shareholdersââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢ equity in two alternative years except 2010 with respect to huge liability of the company, the shares of the company have become worthless. The main reason behind this the company is highly depended on its creditors which adversely affects the interest of investors or the shareholders towards this company. Interest coverage ratio is an indicator that determines the how easily the company can pay its interest on the basis of its gross earnings before paying interest and tax. Higher the ratio means the companyââ¬â¢s gross earning is very high and it can easily pay the interest of its outstanding debt. This company has been reporting negative g ross income i.e. loss before paying tax and interest. So has been able to pay interest expense of its outstanding debt and these have remained due or payable for the company (JMU, 2010). Liquidity ratios Current ratio represents the working capital position of the company as it is one of the important indicators of liquidity of a company. It measures the performance of the company regarding its short term ability to pay the short term liabilities of the company. The3 current ratio of the company is has been lower than 1 in all the tree consecutive years that means it has not been able to pay its liabilities as has remained lower than liabilities. Quick ratio or acid test ratio indicates that the company has enough short term
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Observation of a biligual child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Observation of a biligual child - Essay Example The class that I am observing is a key stage one classroom which is a year one class and the children are aged between five and six. The classroom environment is filled with exciting displays and a separate display for language of the month which is currently Urdi. According to Baker (2006) the school setting is vital in developing the first language of any bilingual pupil. The children are split into different grouping according to their abilities. Flowers is the theme of this classroom daffodils, tulips, lilies and poppies this is their abilities settings for numeracy reading and literacy there is a BTA ( Bilingual teaching assistant) in class as well she will work with the EAL children ( English as an additional language) regardless of their abilities. Research (Cummins 1981, Collier and Thomas 1989) show that, it takes as long as seven years for EAL pupils to acquire a level of English proficiency compared to their monolingual peers. Teachers cannot wait till EAL pupils to develop high levels of English language ability before embarking on the demands of the national curriculum but must enable pupils to participate in curriculum context learning while they are simultaneously learning English (Gravelle, 2000) children's use of language in school differs from the language used outside of school. In addition, different academic subjects' areas have specific genres or registers. An important aspect of an inclusive curriculum is that the mainstream class teacher and the EAL/EMAG specialist should work together; to ensure that academic context is linked to language objectives and that language objectives are compatible with academic context. The lesson that I was observing was a literacy lesson and the teacher firstly went over the class rules which took approximately ten minutes then we started our literacy lesson the Bilingual Teaching Assistant (BTA) sat with the four EAL focus children on one table when there is a BTA in a classroom she always sits with the EAL children regardless of their abilities. The children in the group where Somalia and Tamil speakers (Some of them came from war torn countries and have seen a lot of war and poverty). The literacy lesson was to understand the features of a non- chronological report, such as an introduction impersonal language and present tense. The teacher asked the children what the features where of a non chronological report a Somalian child put his hand up and said "not in order" although his answer was partly correct when the teacher asked him to explain what he meant he was not able to answer even with the BTA help the teacher did not take into account of his English know ledge may not be enough to explain his thoughts further. The BTA was able to explain clearly in his home language as well as use a white board to record their thoughts and draw a diagram as a visual aid the BTA praised all the children relevantly. Moreover as the focus children in group two were Somalia speakers the BTA was able to explain clearly in their home language as well as used a white board to record their thoughts and also used a sheet containing a diagram of visual aid. The BTA praised all the children relevantly however, being one of the largest multi ethnic school in the
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Reading Responses 9 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Reading Responses 9 - Case Study Example Birth control can be supported on economic and social grounds with the big families being an economic strain to any family. The social limits show that, in the modern era, the socially acceptable family size is the small family. It is necessary toà make sure that the members of the community are well informed to make choices that will favor the family. Making sure that the society has adequate knowledge so as to make informed decisions will enable the society to progress. Controlling the birth levels of the human race is crucial in the evaluation of living standards. Increased population causes a strain on natural resources, which causes competition for available resources (Sanger 3). Birth control needs to be done to maintain socially acceptable behaviour or morals in the society. Maintaining high moral standards in the society will determine the nature of interactions in the society. The issue of birth control is thus a sensitive issue in the society and should be resolved by ensuring that the members of the society are provided with adequate information. It is noteworthy that the members of the society make their own decision with regards to the matter since they have the information required (Sanger 4). The question arises, is the information available to the citizens enough for them to make the right decision? The article evaluates birth control in the society and the factors that affect the perception of the community towards the action. Birth control has been a discussion topic for some time with the moral side of the activity being evaluated. The main questions asked with regards to the need of birth control is the issue of the population effect on global peace, the legal issues affecting birth control, effect of birth control on moral attitude and the amount of knowledge in the society with regards to the issue. The need for birth control needs to be
Friday, July 26, 2019
Read Case 7.2 titled Poverty and Pollution, prior to starting this Essay
Read Case 7.2 titled Poverty and Pollution, prior to starting this assignment - Essay Example In many third world countries, large volumes of the population live in poverty conditions due to lack of quality infrastructure, lack of taxation revenues for government improvements, or even warring regimes attempting to seize power as a primary goal that depletes national resources. This is why businesses that conduct their operations in poor nations disregard pollution control standards: Because they can easily get away with these actions with little to no consequence. Thoroughly assessed the connections between economic progress and development, on the one hand, and pollution controls and environmental protection, on the other. Thoroughly suggested the reasons a business may conduct operations in a third world country and disregard any standards of pollution control. Many third world nations, since government is unable to stimulate economic growth internally, rely on foreign direct investment as a means of trying to stimulate the national economy. Many will provide taxation incen tives or even removal of tariffs as a means to foster foreign investment, which provides an ample incentive to move operations from developed nations to the third world country. For example, in Yemen, there are viable opportunities for water-based transport industry leaders to invest in the nation. The Yemen currency is substantially below that of major nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, therefore companies attempt to exploit these opportunities for substantial profitability when local investments require very little start-up or asset procurement capital. Between 2009 and 2011, transport and shipping projects were estimated to be valued at $9 billion, with much of this foreign investment being recruited by the countryââ¬â¢s Council of Ministers (United Nations, 2009). Using Yemen as the relevant example, companies will establish operations in this country due to the political problems currently plaguing the nation. Powerful militant groups in this country took over the majority of government oversight, forcing the nation to consider a complete rewrite of its constitution. Instability in this country politically defies opportunities for the business to devote resources to attempt to impose sanctions on businesses that pollute, therefore it becomes simplistic business practice to simply dump its unwanted waste in the country and in its waters without concern of local government backlash, fines, or complete dejection from the nation. Yemen is a member of the United Nations, however the UN only maintains jurisdiction in partnership with the legal systems abiding in the country. By the time nations such as Yemen with difficult political environments make legally-supported appeals to the UN to curb pollution by foreign companies, the ensuing process is so elongated that the business is able to exploit foreign nation resources and simply move to another, less developed third world country. Are the aforementioned practices of bu siness polluting in other nations due to lack of authority over government or UN-supported legalities ethical? Any reasonable individual that believes in corporate social responsibility and many global standards of human rights would absolutely indicate that this is highly unethical. However, at the same time, a person considering the ethical responsibility of foreign businesses must consider the theory of ethical relativism before making a determination. Those in global society that are strong supporters of ethical relati
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Family Assessment and Nursing Diagnoses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Family Assessment and Nursing Diagnoses - Essay Example Family Assessment and Nursing Diagnoses Value/belief-this familyââ¬â¢s greatest value was the health of its members. According to Mr. Jacobs, nothing matters in this life like the good health of his kids. The second value was education. For this matter, Jacobs made sure that his children went to school. He wanted these kids to have a bright future, I suppose. The family also had a strong belief in their religion. They never miss a single church service. Analytically, the morals of this family were shaped by their religious beliefs. Health perception- this family perceived health and life as a God given gift. Jacobs argued that good and bad health is determined by God. However, he admitted that one had to take good care of his health. He answered that the main cause of health problems was poor eating habits and bad lifestyle. When asked how his culture had influenced his perception on health, he said that his conservative nature had helped him avoid the modern lifestyle that lead to many diseases such as obesity. He argued that doctors cannot provide effective treatment without the help of God. Nutrition- Jacobs mentioned whole grain rice as the main staple food in the community and as the familyââ¬â¢s favorite. He had raised the kids with this particular food. On the question of food quantity, he said that they were eating just enough. No meals were skipped. However, the daughter does not like to finish up her food from the plate. Rice was not the only meal in the family. They balance it with some red meat and potatoes.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
History - Assignment Example ââ¬Å"In two years, through murder, mutilation, or suicide, half of the two hundred fifty thousand Indians on Haiti were dead.â⬠Zinn goes on to explain, ââ¬Å"a report of the year 1650 shows none of the original Arawaks or their descendants left on the island.â⬠3. One major difference in worldview between European and Native American cultures is the idea of property rights. Europeââ¬â¢s aristocracy thrived on land ownership, and in a culture where land meant power, ideas on dissolving property rights were scarce. The Native Americans, mostly, believed in living in harmony with the land. Humans were only part of the larger picture. So to destroy a forest to build a city isnââ¬â¢t just egocentric, its sacrilegious. When Europeans attempted to buy Native American lands in some instances, some Native Americans couldnââ¬â¢t understand the idea of owning the land. 4. While differences certainly existed in the slavery systems in Africa and the Americas, Americans bein g much crueler to our slaves and Africans viewing slaves more as indentured servants, I think the similarities are too outstanding to ignore. Slavery anywhere should be intolerable to humanity everywhere. I think Dr. Akurang-Parry summarized this sentiment best in his article Ending the Slave Blame: ââ¬Å"The viewpoint that ââ¬Å"Africansâ⬠enslaved ââ¬Å"Africansâ⬠is obfuscating if not troubling. The deployment of ââ¬Å"Africanâ⬠in African history tends to coalesce into obscurantist constructions of identities that allow scholars, for instance, to subtly call into question the humanity of ââ¬Å"allâ⬠Africans. Whenever Asante rulers sold non-Asantes into slavery, they did not construct it in terms of Africans selling fellow Africans. They saw the victims for what they were, for instance, as Akuapems, without categorizing them as fellow Africans. Equally, when Christian Scandinavians and Russians sold war captives to the Islamic people of the Abbasid Empir e, they didnââ¬â¢t think that they were placing fellow Europeans into slavery. This lazy categorizing homogenizes Africans and has become a part of the methodology of African history; not surprisingly, the Western mediaââ¬â¢s cottage industry on Africa has tapped into it to frame Africans in inchoate generalities allowing the media to describe local crisis in one African state as ââ¬Å"Africanâ⬠problem.â⬠(source: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=180999) 5. English people migrated to North America to escape religious persecution, for the possibility of achieving power or wealth in the new colonies, and to make money on early expeditions to North America. 6. England wanted to establish colonies in North America to expand its cultural influence, for the possibility of gold or natural resources, and to out muscle the French and Spanish who were colonizing the area at the time. 7. An indentured servant was a worker, typically a young per son from Europe, who agreed to work a certain number of years for a master if that master would pay for their voyage to America. These workers were crucial to our developing economy, as low wage workers were scarce and slaves were expensive. 8. One similarity between all the colonies is
Theory of knowledge- When should we discard explanations that are Essay - 1
Theory of knowledge- When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing - Essay Example ally, I believe that it has some roots in our subconscious because with the help of it we express those ideas which we are unable to share or act upon otherwise; as those ideas cannot be supported by rationality. So, basically our instinct gets its guideline from our submissive feelings. The question demands here, should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing? Before giving concluding remarks we have to view the subject in the light of other knowledge-related issues like science. First take this example of my own:Ã I used to eat an excessive amount of chocolates on a daily basis, I am just obsessed with it; apart from the fact that it contains considerable amount of fat. But because I wanted to be able to justify my habit of eating chocolates in such large quantities, I did some research on the benefits which chocolate offers and found that it contains certain amount of chemicals like tryptophan, phenyl ethylamine and theobromine, that are good for the human brain and that, its consumption give some extra benefits to the human body, mind and spirit (Duke and Yeager 26). These facts illustrate that it has some good nutrition elements in it that are find effective for the mind due to its ability of reducing tension. Thus, it formed the basis of an in tuitively appealing explanation that would help me justify my obsession. Although these facts may have been proven, but those small percentages did not actually prove that it constitute a healthy eating habit. Without a doubt, the fact that it was made of more than half fat and sugar proved the exact opposite. So was I still able to accept my intuitively appealing explanation? The main idea of this example was to show that intuitively appealing explanations that are false, with obvious evidence against it, should be discarded. So, we get a new idea here: we are talking about those explanations that are not definitely wrong and which are appealing to our intuition. The definitions of our actions as having
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Global Climate Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Global Climate Models - Essay Example Furthermore, recent studies have shown that the model is very efficient in estimating global climate change. It has been adopted by many nations globally because of its effective understanding of climate sensitivity. Moreover, the ECHAM5 reproduces the global metrics of the tropical cyclones. The other submodels before the ECHAM5 include the ECHAM4 which reproduces the extremes and variability of rainfall (Randall and Wood). The model was developed in 2005 by the Beijing Climate Centre. It was designed as a global ocean, atmospheric global model to reflect or study the mean climatological state (Bader, 2008). Therefore, it was not designed climate change in China, but to be used all over the globe. Additionally, it is very important to note that this model is used to predict global and East Asian seasonal climate. It presents a very high resolution of climate forecasts in China and more so it produces monthly scale forecasts of the climate in this region (Palmer, 2014). As a result, the monthly extended dynamic range system is thus based on the BCC-CM1 model. The BCC-CM1, 2005 has proved to be very accurate in predicting seasonal climate change as compared to the atmospheric and ocean models. After the analysis of the two climate models, it is crystal clear that the models were created in the same year and that both of them are coupled employing a combination of two models in one. However, the two models greatly differ from each other. The BCC-CM1, 2005 was designed in China while the ECHAM5/MPI-ON was designed in Germany. The most important difference is that the BCC-CMI model is very effective in predicting seasonal climate change. On the other hand, the ECHAM5/MPI-OM forecast climate change in the long run (Semenov & Stratonovitch, 2010). The computation of the ECHAM5 is meant to predict the climate change globally, but for a long duration of time.Ã Ã
Monday, July 22, 2019
The Bane of Living in the Cities Essay Example for Free
The Bane of Living in the Cities Essay When we discuss about living in big cities or small towns, different people have different point of view. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. From my personal opinion, big cities have more advantages as compared to small towns, which I quiet disagree with the topic. There are three points I would like to highlight here on why I said living in big cities brings more benefits. Firstly, big cities have far better quality education from lower to higher education. What I am trying to emphasize here is big cities can provide us with modern and adequate academic environment which I find it is very important as education is the key for success in the future career. Therefore, students in big cities can get several benefits from the modern education offered such as multimedia teaching, electronic library and also internet. see more:advantage and disadvantage of living in the city By contrast, those who are living in small towns cannot take the opportunity as much as in big cities because there are not enough modern facilities provided in small towns. Secondly, we can see that more and more people especially the young people migrate to big cities because they see many opportunities in employment. As we all know, most of the local and international companies are situated in big cities so there are many places that they can work as opposed to small towns. Consequently, they have bigger chances in achieving their dreamed career and also pursue in what they like. In addition to this, most of the jobs offered in big cities have bigger salaries so that is why it is one of the attractions for the young people to live in big cities. Last but not least, people live in big cities can enjoy several entertainments and closer to better services like hospitals. To illustrate, in big cities there are many shopping centers, entertainment parks and also many of the international events are held here. We can enjoy our quality time with our family in the entertainment parks but not for those who live in small towns because there is no such thing there. Furthermore, hospitals are nearer to you in big cities and the services offered are better compared to hospitals in small towns as they are fully equipped with modern equipments and also most of the specialists work there, It is true that despite these benefits of living in big cities, there are certain disadvantages to it. However, when compared both, I tend to see the advantages outweigh the disadvantages so that is why I am more on living in big cities. In a nutshell, no matter where we live it depends on an individual to make the decision to continue living your life.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Forensic In Digital Security Information Technology Essay
Forensic In Digital Security Information Technology Essay Computer forensic is a branch of forensic science that involves largely around computer crimes and legal evidence that pertain and revolve around digital evidence. The main aim of computer forensics is to explain the current state of the digital artifact and to provide analysis on the data as evidence to the court. Acquisition of evidence from the scene of crime A police officer or investigator upon receiving the laptop from the parents should first establish if the laptop is switch on or not. If the laptop is running perform a force shutdown by holding down onto the power button and take out the battery. If the laptop is showing clear signs of data of apparent evidentiary value onscreen. The police officer should first seek trained technical personnel who have experience and training in capturing and preserving volatile data before proceeding. The police investigator would also immediately shutdown the laptop through irregular shutdown if there is any sign or indication of activity onscreen indicating data is being overwritten or deleting. Indication of destructive process is being performed on the computer data storage system. This is to ensure that no further evidence is being lost or being tamper. The investigator would also need to check if there is any disk in the disk drive and take a picture of the disc on the disc drive before putting into the anti static bag. The investigator would next place tapes across all disk drives so that no media would be placed in the disk drives. The investigator would also place tapes on the power button on the laptop. This is to ensure that no the evidence would not be tamper in order to preserve the integrity of the data. Documentation If there is cables and wires attached to the laptop. The investigator would also uniquely label, document and take pictures of the wires, cables and devices connected to the laptop. If there is devices attach at the other end of the cables it would also be photographed and documented of it being connected to the laptop. The device, cables and wires would then be individually documented and photographed before putting in the evidence bag. The documentation of the evidences should also include a detail record of the notebook brand, model, serial number, attachments on the notebook and it current state. The surrounding environment where it was being use should be also photograph as evidence. If the notebook is running photographing the screen help in visually documenting the state of it and what was running upon the initial response. Taking photos of front, side and back of the computer. A photograph of the notebook and the surrounding environment and the devices connected help in the reconstruction of the setup should the notebook need to be taken to the lab for further investigation. Documentation is important as it allow the court to verify that correct forensic procedures are being adopt and undertaken. It also effectively allows the recreation of the activities that are performed during the initial response. Evidence Custody Form An evidence custody form is also necessary in order to proof the chain of custody has been in place. As it proof that proper custody of the evidence and the state of the evidence upon custody to proof that proper forensic evidence has been taken place. Handling Digital Evidence All potential evidence should be à ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Å"Bag- and-tagà ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ã refers to the process of placing crime scene evidence into bags and tagging them with single or multi evidence form. This help in withholding the chain of custody and also the integrity of the evidence. Evidence should be kept in anti-static bags to prevent damage through electrostatic discharge. Computer manuals of the laptop if there are any would also be taken for reference in the lab. A copy of the hard disk image will also be created using programs and also generating of a hash sum to check for consistency or integrity in it. The copy data would then be handed to the appropriate party assisting in the investigations. The source copy would be retained in a locked room with limited or restricted access and kept in anti static bags. This is to ensure that there is a chain of command in place and that the source data is always available and not tamper. In order to preserve the main copy evidence and also allow recreation of procedures if necessary. Transportation When transporting digital evidence, the investigator or the first responder should take note in preserving of the evidence state. The first responder should always keep digital evidence away from magnetic fields produced by radio transmitters, magnet or any other form of magnetic field that might affect the state of the evidence. Potential hazards like heat, cold, humidity or static electricity should be taken note. While transportation, mobile phones should always be kept in faraday isolation bag. Storage Digital evidence should be stored in a secure, climate-controlled environment that is not subject to extreme temperature or humidity that might damage hardware. Digital evidence should not also be expose to magnetic fields, moisture, dust or vibration that might affect the state of the evidence or destroying it. Evidence custody form should also be use to identifies the evidence, who has handled it and the date. Hardware resources for analyzing notebook Hardware Resources The hardware and tools that needed to analyze a notebook are: Laptop Large-Capacity disk drive IDE ribbon cable, 36 inch Linux Live CD ( Backtrack 4.0 ) Laptop IDE 40- to 44 pin adapter Write-blocker Anti static evidence bag Evidence log form Firewire or USB dual write-protect external bay IDE disk drive box Faraday isolation bag ( For cell phone ) Architectural differences between a notebook and desktop One of the key differences between notebook and desktop are that due to the size of the desktop and it ability to be customized the hardware generally follow a certain guidelines or rules. This make forensic easier on desktop as the tools available are able to process most desktop computers. However with notebooks becoming more common in today society tools that are commonly use for desktop are required to be modified and change. The main architecture difference is that a notebook being compact and much smaller in size requires hardware to be much smaller, like the motherboard, ram, and hard disk. Also with some manufacturer installing drivers on their laptop for certain function eg. Webcam, biometric fingerprint scanner set a level of difficulty in investigation as some of this program might not be able to run on a different computer system without the appropriate driver. The difference in architecture of laptop and computer requires different forensic technique and procedures. The interface of an IDE laptop hard disk for instance due to manufacturer maybe smaller than a normal 40 à ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬ pin ATA ribbon connector. As due to the constraint of a laptop size the hard disk might be smaller. The internal structure of a laptop is much more delicate so it is much harder for the investigator to get the hard disks and component for imaging or storage as evidence. Smaller size laptop known as netbooks are not installed with a CD Rom drive unlike a desktop computer due to their restriction in size. This further complicate forensic process which certain forensic tools that required live CD are not able to be use. This would require the use of USB thumb drive loaded with the OS in order to extract images and information. Laptop unlike Desktop computer also does not allow the use of more than one hard disk at the same time. So imaging process of hard disk would take longer time as it cannot be done simultaneously. Most laptops do not allow the use of CD-Rom and the floppy disk at the same time. Unlike the Computer desktop system this complicates the process of common tools used for desktop. Forensic Tool for Disk Imaging FTK Imager and DCFLdd command would be use for imaging. FTK Imager is a forensic windows based acquisition tool found in various forensic toolkits like HELIX , SANS SIFT Workstation and FTK Toolkit. FTKImager support storage of disk image in EnCase or Smart file format and dd format. With Isobuster technology being built in it, it allows FTKImager to image CD to a ISO/CUE file combination. DCFLDD is an enhanced version of dd it allows hashing for the transmitted data, wiping of disk with known patterns and verifying that the image is identical to the harddisk, using bits. It can also split into multiple files, logs and data can also be piped into external applications. The use of two different imaging software with it generated hash value allow comparison in order to ensure that there is consistency and integrity in the hash value of both image. Additional evidence for clues to victim whereabouts It is important to obtain as much information as possible from the surrounding environment as they might be crucial to investigation and solving of the case. As they might be able to provide a clue to the time line, possible password phrases, that might help in aiding the steps in investigations and step. Additional evidence might include papers with possible password phrases, handwritten notes, blank pads of paper with impression of prior writing on it. Hardwares, software manuals and documentations. Calendars, literature or graphic material these form of materials and article should be treated as possible evidences and preserved in compliance with department policies or protocols. Preserving integrity of digital evidence Hashing is a method for reducing large input into a smaller input. Common hashing algorithm like MD5 and SHA-1 are commonly used to check the integrity of the data as evidence for the court. It is required to have 3 independent checks on the consistency of the image to be computed and recorded for further reference and support as evidence in court. The first check would be against any tool that is running. The second check would be after the disk image duplicate is complete to check that there is consistency in the disk images. The last check would be the consistency of the recipient data image against the source data. Bad File Headers In most file the file headers contain identifying information for the computer to recognize it. Image file headers are often manipulated to trick investigator into overlooking it. The user would often change the file header into different format eg. JPEG to DOC file format. If a forensic investigator were to conduct a search on the machine for pictures, he would simply see it as a doc file and skip it. Another reason is that examining recovered data remnants from file in slack or free space. The file header might be damage and cannot be readable. Thus there is a need to examined it file header using a HEX editor in order to repair it for it be able to view. Source Phillips, Amelia, Nelson, Bill, Enfinger, Frank. (2005).Ãâà Guide to computer forensics and investigations. Course Technology Ptr Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for First Responders, Second Edition by National Institute of Justice April 2008 Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice. Searching and Seizing Computers and Obtaining Electronic Evidence in Criminal Investigations. http://www.cybercrime.gov/ssmanual2002.htm
Overview Of Company And Pharmaceutical Market Commerce Essay
Overview Of Company And Pharmaceutical Market Commerce Essay GSK is one of the leading pharmaceutical players in the world whose operations span 117 countries globally and it markets to 140 countries around the world. (Source: www.gsk.com) It is primarily organised along product and regional divisions, including Prescription Medicines, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. In recent times it has undergone a major streamlining of its operations in order to better respond to the environments in which it operates. Clearly, its environment is characterized by a great deal of change and uncertainty and hence it is extremely important that the structure in place is one which allows for information flow and knowledge exchange between subsidiaries and operations throughout the world in order to achieve its objectives and also to anticipate change and turn it to its advantage as a Marketing opportunity, rather than be surprised by it when it occurs and perceive it as a threat. (Baker, 1992) It is primarily structured on a regional basis covering Europe, No rth America, Central and South America, Caribbean, Asia and Australasia, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The nature of the industry and the varying legal and regulatory environments which govern the industry makes this necessary as the environments are highly variable with different stakeholders and interest groups participating at different levels with varying degrees of authority and influence, though convergence is increasingly evident. Although primarily involved in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, the company also produces a variety of consumer products with some leading brands such as Lucozade, Aquafresh and Ribena. This implies that the company is rather varied in terms of its product portfolio and thus, the structure needs to be adapted according to the markets it serves which are clearly varied on a global basis. In recent times, the pharmaceutical sector became increasingly consolidated on a global level as a number of notable mergers took place throughout the latter part of the 20th Century as companies sought to gain competitive advantage by combining skills and assets and to achieve scale economies in research, development and production. One of the main characteristics of the industry is that it is intensely competitive and the overriding goal of the majority of players is to provide innovative and speedy responses to market. The industry has also come under the spotlight for certain unethical practices, reflective of the nature of the industry as a whole and particularly the fact that its success is very much dependent on the purchasing power of nations. Hence, there has also been much criticism voiced, especially in developing and poorer countries where access to medication and treatment is clearly not as available as in the developed West. As a result, recent years have seen many of t he larger players becoming much more involved in issues of Corporate Social Responsibility, integrating the concept into the overall strategic framework of the company. (Katsoulakos Katsoulacos, 2007) The pharmaceuticals sector has been affected by the enormous speed of change in its operating environment, one of the principal being that of the development of the Internet and other communications technologies. In the past 20 years or so, the industry has undergone major upheaval and consolidation has been prevalent. In order to survive, business models and organisational structures have had to be adapted to cope with the wider external forces or contingencies and the complexities which exist within the industry. The high number of mergers and acquisitions which have take place has also clearly impacted on the subsequent structures in place, especially relevant in the case of cross border deals where cultures vary at both organisational and national level. This has been a major factor in the development of the structure within GSK as the company has had to deal with 2 major mergers within a relatively short space of time and has massive implications for the management of the variou s cultures, both at organisational and at national level, which it subsequently had to deal with. Hence, the creation of a uniform GSK culture across its many divisions became of paramount importance for the leadership of the company. This is obviously a major area of concern, especially in post-merger management as the correct structures and cultures need to be put in place if synergies are to be realised and was a problem area initially for the Greek subsidiary. If we look back to the 1960s as the time when the Pharmaceuticals Industry began to evolve, the business models adopted by companies then were primarily based on innovation and the creation of new and effective drugs. Many were organised along functional lines, which arguably, were appropriate at the time. Much in line with the Contingency theorists, particularly Burns and Stalker (1961), environmental factors have had an astounding impact on the way organisations in the sector are structured and subsequently managed. The 1960s were characterised by rapid growth in economic terms in most developed countries, and this new prosperity clearly brought advantages to many market sectors, the pharmaceutical industry being one such benefactor. At the same time, the regulatory environment was considered to be much less rigid than that we know today and consequently it was easier for drugs companies to bring products to market and secure patents to ensure sole distribution. Differentiation bec ame a key strategy which thus affected the structures in place (Lawrence Lorsch, 1967) which tended to focus on the distinct competencies and specialisations within the firm. Up until the 1980s, research and development was still an integral part of the value chain and the product offering, but costs were continually rising and the returns were gradually being eroded. Some might say that consolidation was inevitable, but this alone was not enough. Companies had to rationalize their manufacturing procedures and many opted to locate operations in just several markets around the world, to gain both financial savings and create hubs of specialists who would contribute to the continued drive for innovation in the market. The structures in place were no longer fitting to the environmental factors at play nor did they facilitate the execution nor realization of objectives, which had also altered radically. In the case of GSK, it was able, due to its sheer size and consequently, resources, to take advantage of technology so as to create competitive advantage in its market, much in line with the resource dependency view as advocated by Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) as opposed to the view of Hannan and Freeman (1977) who tended to see the environment as being constraining to organizations, rather than looking at how companies can benefit or exploit what others may view as contingent factors. One of the most significant developments affecting all players in the industry was the development of the Internet. This ultimately offered up choice to the end user, increased distribution efforts as well as facilitating negotiations and alliances between suppliers in the market, but ultimately, it made consumers more informed and automatically made them part of the purchasing process. This ultimately called for new structures to be put in place which could satisfy all stakeholders in the chain while still retaining and concentrating on core competencies of research and development, though the pressure to innovate has become much more intense. All of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies have undergone senior executive-level changes within the last two years, bringing in an influx of new C-suite talent that includes many individuals from industries that have successfully tackled the challenges now confronting Pharma,à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦These leadership changes should help innovative companies to transform their finance function, organizational design, and business models in ways that enable them to continue to prosper in a challenging time. (Carolyn Buck Lane, Global Pharmaceutical Leader, Ernst Young, available at http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com/article.mvc/Pharmaceutical-Industry-Needs-To-Speed-Up-0001?VNETCOOKIE=NO) Organizational Structure For most companies, organization design is neither a science nor an art; its an oxymoron. Organizational structures rarely result from systematic, methodical planning. Rather, they evolve over time, in fits and starts, shaped more by politics than by policies. (Goold Campbell, 2002) Globally, the company is organised along regional and product lines and also involves a structure which encompasses the different functions of the company. As research and development is so high on the priority of the organisation, and the industry in general, this part of the company appears to operate almost independently, though with links to the other areas of the business. As the company has evolved over time, and obviously as a result of its merger with Smithkline in the 1990s, the power structures within the company have also changed somewhat and is much more widespread and less centralised. It is evident that the company has attempted to capture the essence of Druckers information-based organisation (1988) recognising that information must be distributed throughout in order to capitalise on the existing expertise within the company and to promote further learning and development of individuals within, promoting cross-collaboration and knowledge exchange which shall in turn produce creativity and innovation, much in line with Quinns theory of the learning Organization (1980) . This is viewed as a key to achieving competitive advantage and obviously, the quest for finding new and innovative solutions for the market at all levels. It also recognises how distinct and separate functions must work together so that there is cross-collaboration, communicati on and knowledge exchange as propagated by the likes of Drucker (1988) and Handys notion of federalism (1992), The states of federation stick together because they need one another as much as they need the center. (Pg. 65) One of the major problems for GSK in terms of structure is that it not only operates across different and unique functional lines, but also across various national environments. Contingency factors are therefore also varied across legal, political, economic and social spectrums, requiring different approaches to different environments. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990) looked to the matrix structure as a response to this problem which essentially required a degree of centralised control but also national responsiveness to the different contingency factors at play. In theory, the matrix structure should have been able to deal with the complexities, but as argued by Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990), the failure of such a structure was due to the fact it had not been created in the minds of management and they had continued to operate at local or national level. This was evident within the Greek operations as well as evident in other operations worldwide, who essentially felt isolated and independ ent of HQ at the end of the 1990s, and much was done to overcome this problem through improved communication networks and attempts at promoting an organisational-wide philosophy and mission which ultimately translated into a more uniform culture, while still retaining a degree of local responsiveness. The requirement for the effectiveness of the matrix structure is that it required a specific mindset and a major shift in organisational culture and values. Trans-nationality was a new management mentality; one that essentially attempted to recognise and deal with complexity rather than attempt to remove it. Within such an organisation, the anatomical structure of the organisation itself matters less, and the psychological element, the people element has become the most important factor of doing business globally, hence the quest to shape organisational culture and mindset. In line with the overall evolution of strategic management, the people element and the organisational culture ele ment, became more important in subsequently shaping both strategy and structure within organisations and has been the path pursued by GSK. Within the GSK, combining control and responsiveness has been problematic as employees are geographically dispersed, such as with the Greek subsidiary, operating within different socio-economic environments, whereby it is impossible and inadvisable to assume that they will share common values and be motivated by the same things. Consistency was highlighted by Bartlett and Ghoshal who saw that many corporate objectives were not being achieved as individual country subsidiaries were too concerned with the attainment of national targets, rather than overall global company objectives. Subsequently, advances in technology have facilitated and improved communication and reporting lines overcoming some of the obstacles and hurdles, yet psychological barriers remain the most difficult to deal with and shall undoubtedly be a major hurdle. The analysis has shown that GSK chose this as a suitable structure as it allowed, concentration on specific projects or special efforts and essentially it a llowed for a combination of the previously presented functional and product structure (Held et al, 2009, Pg.58) while still retaining responsiveness to specific situations or markets as required. Although some principal functions are still essentially centralised from the company HQ in the UK Finance, HR, Legal, Communications, Ethics and Compliance and IT, they work closely and in unison with the companys various divisions and regions across the globe, including Greece. It is deemed necessary to have these areas to be centralised to a certain degree in order to exert a degree of control and allow for consistency. However, there is also a great deal of emphasis on autonomy of the various units while still allowing for a unified vision and the pursuit of common objectives. As Huczynski and Buchanan described, By having a power structure, the group avoids continued power struggles which can disrupt its functioning (1991). This is much in line with Handys view of the Federalist Organisation, and the subsequent structure which has been created is simultaneously a reaction to the environments as well as being predetermined by individual opinions and the objectives of the company, as the Strategic Choice perspective of organisations advocated and reinforces Chandlers notion that structure follows strategy. One of the difficulties for GSK is the expanse of its operations globally which makes control and co-ordination difficult, but necessary. As Bartlett and Goshal argued in the 1990s, top-level managers à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ are losing control of their companies. The problem is not that they have misjudged the demands created by an increasingly complex environmentà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦nor even that they have failed to develop strategies appropriate to the new challenges. The problem is that their companies are organisationally incapable of carrying out the sophisticated strategies they have developed. GSK have attempted to create a structure which is in part evolutionary, a reaction to its environment and markets, thus following a contingency view of the organisation, and has also been predetermined by management, as highlighted by Thompson and McHugh (2002) . As later commentators observed, the contingency theorists did not take into account the fact that organisations as entities could actually alter the contingency factors deliberately or unintentionally through their actions. Introducing new products or new ways of doing business, can actually alter and in many instances shape their environment, as argued by Moss Kanter (2002). GSK wanted to push accountability to all levels of the organisation, seeing this as necessary to capitalise on the internal assets available to them as well as recognising the diversity of its divisions, its markets and its employees. There is a great sense of urgency surrounding the notion of a common and unified vision and the creation of a structure which allows a positive and unified culture throughout the company, while still allowing for a degree of autonomy throughout the different divisions and functions regionally. For so long structures had been very mechanistic with clear reporting lines and lines of authority in place. Such organisations are now generally referred to as bureaucracies. It is now recognised that power must also be coordinated and integrated in some way and GSK recognised that by pulling together the overall power of the organisation is increased at a global level. They have attempted to apportion the same degree of power to different divisions, recognising that they all have a valuable and strategic role to play in the organisations overall success. Again, in line with Handy and Druckers predictions, employees are now viewed as assets, and although technology has taken on an extremely dominant role in all organisations, in essence, it is viewed as a facilitator to fully take advantage of the skills and assets a company may have in its possession, that is its people. Hence GSK fosters a learning approach, investing substantially in its people at both a functional and personal l evel and recognises that without them, it shall not achieve its objectives. Organisational Goals and Mission Strategic Fit Prahalad and Hamels (1989) view of strategic intent being the necessary ingredient of success is highly relevant to GSK. The authors saw that the Empowerment of the Strategic Intent was key to the effectiveness of strategy process and that it was, a matter that involves everybodyà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦..to challenge the traditional downward communication style to an upward communication stream of new ideas coming from all the organization. (Source:http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_hamel_prahalad_strategic_intent.html, accessed 11/11/09) The fostering of an open communication system while still maintaining central control and direction should facilitate the exchange of ideas across the company, thus enhancing knowledge as well as market insight from specific customer markets, and thus promoting and inciting creativity and innovation which is one of the most important goals of the company. At the same time, it develops not only a sense of common purpose across the organisation but makes employees feel part of the overall strategic plan, thereby increasing motivation and productivity levels which have knock on effects across the board as employees feel empowered (Kotter, 1995). GSK has realised that much more important than the anatomical structure in place, there is a sense of common purpose across the company and its divisions which are characterised by diversity in functional, people and cultural terms. The important element of the new structure is that it revolves around the markets it serves rather than around functional areas, though these are still of great importance, especially the RD function. There are much fewer reporting lines to allow for the free flow of information and communication throughout the company. Flexibility and 360 degree feedback are built into the system and an open network of communication is encouraged to aid in the innovation process. As Barr (2005) concedes, According to Tidd, Bessant and Pavitt, (2005), innovative organisations are those that are flexible, adoptive, learning, characterised by organic culture, with capabilities of networking and team-working. (pg.1) Although the overall objectives have remained largely the same over the years, there has clearly been a shift in emphasis, particularly a renewed importance placed on innovation, in light of increasing competitive intensity as well as the expiration of many patents globally. In addition, there has also been a greater importance attached to the notion of people as assets and the recognition of the diversity of its workforce, its operations and the differing needs of its markets. This is particularly relevant given the emphasis on new and emerging economies of China and India who shall become increasingly important strategically in the very near future, as well as the concerns surrounding access to medication and healthcare in developing countries. In this respect, the environment and the external drivers which impact upon it, have an overriding influence on the strategy and structure adopted by the company. It could, however, also be argued that the companies themselves have also had an amazing impact on the environmental landscape due to the sheer size of some of the big players as well as the innovations they have brought to market which have ultimately shaped the industry, particularly with respect to consolidation. This is likely to continue, so structures and strategies shall be part evolutionary in line with external developments, but also determined by individual organisations through their activities. In summary, the main objectives of the company are as follows: Grow a diversified global business Deliver more products of value and Simplify the operating model. The mission is: We have a challenging and inspiring mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. By focusing our business around our strategic priorities, were confident that we can fulfil this promise. Source: GSK Annual report, 2008 Conclusion and Recommendations The dictum Structure follows strategy refers specifically to the historical shift in the strategy and structure of large firms, first documented in the development of American industry (Chandler 1962). This shift involved the transition in strategy from single to multiple product lines and the concomitant structural innovation, the introduction of divisional structure, which made it possible to overcome the inefficiencies of functional structure (in particular, decision overload at the top of the organizational hierarchy). (Source: www.le.ac.uk/ulsm/doc/suhomlinova_organizational.pdf, accessed, 02/07/09) GSK have worked extremely hard at creating an organisation which is responsive to its environments and also one which allows it to shape the environments in which it operates. While many view the opinions of Burns and Stalker as being outmoded for business in the 21st Century, the analysis has shown that many of their assumptions still hold true today according to both firm and industry context and are particularly relevant to the pharmaceuticals industry and GSK in particular. The overriding thrust of the analysis undertaken in light of looking at the company from the perspective of the contingencies affecting it, is that an overwhelming emphasis of the structure which it has created is one that is fluid enough to facilitate innovation and the exchange of knowledge, and also one which recognises the diversity of its workforce, its markets and its operations, thus it essentially takes the best elements from the contingency school and the resource dependency theory which ultimately tr anslates into the strategic choice perspective . In this respect, it is attempting to achieve an organic structure which is flexible enough to respond to the uncertainty and unpredictability of the sector while simultaneously actually taking action which ultimately shapes the environment in which it operates. It appears that diversity is now a challenge of all business today, particularly those involved in global operations, and it appears that GSK has attempted to use this diversity as a key to its competitive advantage rather than seeing it as a problem which has to be overcome. Simultaneously, although it recognises that a certain degree of flexibility is required in its structure, it is also extremely important for the organisation to exert control and power, particularly given the intensity of competition and the fact that much of its business is of a particularly sensitive nature, both socially and politically. Power is dispersed throughout the organisation so that individuals , units and functions, can be exploited to their full potential. As Moss Kanter (1989) highlighted, to add value, managers think and work across boundariesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦every manager must think cross-functionally because every department has to play a strategic role. Hierarchies appear no longer to be a source of power in terms of both expertise, knowledge and success in the marketplace. GSK appears to be in an excellent position to capitalise on the opportunities available to it in the markets it serves globally. Its continued investment in learning and its support of staff, should allow it to recruit and retain the best skills available to it in its market. Clearly, more work and undoubtedly, changes to structure may be needed as the market changes further, particularly with regard to emerging economies, but its recognition that it is both a product of its environment as well as a shaper of its environment, should allow it to make the best possible strategic decisions going forward. Organisational structures are no longer used as a means to exert control and no longer operate in the same mode as political systems. This would be too rigid and would be at odds with the increasingly dynamic nature of the global business environment we know today. There shall be a continued emphasis on alliances and networks, internally and externally and the structure in place should be one which facilitates the pursuit of objectives but not be too rigid as to make changes, when required, impossible to achieve. As objectives change over time, the structure which accompanies it, may need to be altered as a result. As Kim and Mauborgne (2009) concede, There are three factors that determine the right approach: the structural conditions in which an organization operates, its resources and capabilities, and its strategic mind-setà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Even in a not-so-attractive industry, the structuralist approach can work well if a company has the resources and capabilities to beat out the competition. In either case, the focus of strategy is to leverage the organizations core strengths to achieve acceptable risk-adjusted returns in an existing market. In summary, our analysis of the industry has highlighted the importance and relevance of external events on a companys business model and strategic offering to the market. The nature of the industry across the value chain has changed substantially, with new entrants to the market and new and more demanding consumers of the end product. Differentiation strategies are much more difficult to create and certainly, even more difficult to maintain, hence many have formed partnerships or mergers in a bid to improve their competitive position. Price is extremely important, as we have seen from the success of the generic companies, but this alone will not suffice in such a competitive environment where stakeholders demands and expectations are constantly increasing, and the quest for innovation will continue to be important. As Daft and Marcic (2007) contend, The right structure is designed to fit the contingency factors of strategy, environment, and production technology. (Pg. 273) The chall enge is to define a business model which permits research and development to continue and succeed, while ensuring that returns are adequate and the market accepts a fair price. Over time, business models have also changed to become more focused on key competencies and strategic capabilities of the firm, much in line with the post-entrepreneurial model advocated by Kanter (2002), with many non core functions being outsourced in a quest to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage, others have opted for strategic partnership, seeing collaboration with apparent competitors as a viable option to outstripping the competition and obtaining market leadership. The contingency School of Thought, many argue, was a response to these new demands being placed on companies. Additionally, many also argued that it was in essence an extension of the Systems School, which focused more on the internal subsystems and interdependent functions within organizations. The challenge now, was to find a new a nd improved organization that fitted with its environment, which arguably calls for elements of each school of thought according to both external factors and internal capabilities (resource view). The important point is that there is no uniform answer to this problem as different industries and different companies need different responses. What may work well in one company will not necessarily translate across industry or organizational boundaries. What has become more important is that if strategy changes, for whatever reason, (internal or external), organizations must revisit structure to ensure that there is a fit between the two.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Eriksons Psychosocial Theory Of Development: Young Adults :: Psychology Young Adult Development
The young adult has numerous stresses placed upon them through the route of development. Erikson has theorized developmental stages of growth into tasks. Of Eriksons' theoretical tasks, one task describes the theory of intimacy versus isolation. This task theory can be examined using the normative crisis model. The knowledge of developmental tasks of the young adult can be beneficial to the nurse especially associated with their ability to relate to the young adult. One of the stages in life is the young adult, which suggests significant changes and an increase of responsibility. This stage of development is described as between twenty and forty years, where "...the potential for furtherance of intellectual, emotional and even physical development occurs". (Gething, 1995, p.377). As people age the progress of the developmental stages can differ, so they have formulated to assess the progression by using two principal crisis models. The first, are the normative crisis model and the second includes the timing of events crisis model. The normative crisis model has been powerful in shaping the psychology of the developmental stages as it has allowed theorists to imply that stages of development can follow an age related time sequence. (Gething, 1995). The normative crisis model suggests that human development has a built in ground plan in which crisis as describe by Erikson are seen as a requirement that must be resolved by the person before successful progression from one developmental stage to another. Such achievement of this task crisis should provide the young adult with the ability to challenge previous ideas held by the adolescent about intimacy and isolation. This model is adapted for progression of the tasks to follow the chronological age of the adult, while the related social and emotional changes progress through a sequence that Erikson characterises in to eight specific crisis tasks over the life span. (Kozier, erb, blais & wilkinson, 1995.). The second crisis model depends upon the timing of events and is not dependant upon resolution of crisis or a ground plan, but stresses the importance of each event that occur in the young adults life. Life events that proceed as expected will encourage development, where as life events that are unexpected can result in anxiety and a slow progression of development. (Gething, 1995.). The young adult according to Erikson's theory of personality should be progressing through the psychosocial crisis of intimacy versus isolation. The tasks for this stage of life consist of courting and selecting a "mate", marriage and associated choices, e.g. children and monogamous relationship, career choices and lifestyle changes and furthering intellectual abilities to accommodate choices. (Turner & Helms, 1987.).
Friday, July 19, 2019
Warriors of the Amazon :: Yanomami Tribe
In the Amazon between Venezuela and Brazil, there is a tribe of native people known as the Yanomami. The Yanomami are an ancient people who are relatively unaffected by the civilizations and technology of today. They are a culture of hunting and gathering. The men are warriors that help to defend the tribe from other tribes, hunt for meat, and attack opposing tribes. The women stay home and cook, raise the children. Many people stay in the shibono, or community complex. The children are raised for a rough life, to be warriors. They learn that every injury suffered must be repaid. Men are the powerful gender, with all the rights. The relationships created by having in-laws are the basis for their power. If a favor is granted, it must be returned. A person is always supposed to be loyal to their family connections. A shaman is appointed to be the head of the tribe. Spirituality is a very important, everyday thing. The tribe is constantly at war with demons. There are ritual hallucinogens that are used for contact with spirits and the spirit world. The spirits control events in life which the shaman attempt to harness. The shaman gains the powers of these spirits by going to the spirit world, and he uses these to put curses on enemy shamans and heal tribe members from the vices of demons. Diseases and illnesses are causes by the demons and as such can only be heal by spiritual power. When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again. Enemy tribes fight and put curses on each other. To become allies again they must trade and negotiate. Then, the tribes combine together with a large peace celebration. They conduct a dance in ceremonial dress and test each others strength.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Ece 315
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT ECE 332 ROBERT GALLO FEBRUARY 20, 2012 Child development is a process involving developmental milestones during predictable time periods. Brain maturation lays the foundation for all other aspects of a childââ¬â¢s development. Growth and development of the brain is rapid, exceedingly complex, and influenced by a combination of maternal environment and genetics (Marotz, p28).This paper will include the developmental characteristics/milestones of preschoolers, appropriate activities that will enhance their cognitive, motor, social, emotional, and language development, and how the activities will enhance their development. Child development is a process that every child must go through. Major markers or points of accomplishments are referred to as developmental milestones in tracking the emergence of motor, social, cognitive, and language skills. They represent behaviors that appear in somewhat orderly steps and within fairly predictable age ranges for typ ically developing children.With developmental milestones, the child will need to develop a portion of skills before he/ she can establish new ones (Marotz, p. 26). Cognitive Development Jean Piaget called early childhood the preoperational stage of cognitive development because children this age are not yet ready to engage in logical mental operations, as they will be in the concrete operational stage in middle childhood. The preoperational stage, which lasts from approximately ages 2 to 7, is characterized by the use of symbols to represent objects and relationships among them (Rathus, p. 48). Advances in symbolic thought are accompanied by a growing understanding of causality, identities, categorization, and number. Some of these understandings have roots in infancy and toddlerhood; others begin to develop in early childhood but are not fully achieved until middle childhood (Papalia, p. 269). At this age, preschoolers: request stories with riddles, guessing, and suspense, plays re alistically, experiment with things to see how they work; takes objects apart and reassembles them into ââ¬Å"new interventionsâ⬠, places eight to ten egs in a pegboard or six round and six square blocks in a form board, Attempts to draw; imperfectly copies circles, squares and some letters, sorts objects logically on the basis of one dimension; usually chooses color size as a basis for classification, identifies triangle, circle, square; can point to requested shape, listens attentively to age appropriate stories, and makes relevant comments during stories, especially those that relate to home and family events (Marotz, p. 39). Motor Development Children ages 3 to 6 make great advances in motor skills both gross motor skills, which involve the large muscles, such as running and jumping, and fine motor skills, manipulative skills involving eye-hand and small-muscle coordination, such as buttoning and drawing. They also begin to show a preference for using either the right or l eft hand. Motor skills do not develop in isolation.The skills that emerge in early childhood build on the achievements of infancy and toddlerhood. Development of the sensory and motor areas of the cerebral cortex permits better coordination between what children want to do and what they can do. Their bones and muscles are stronger, and their lung capacity is greater, making it possible to run, jump, and climb farther, faster, and better (Papalia, p. 257).Preschoolers are able to: walk up and down stairs unassisted, balance momentarily on one foot, kicks a large ball, feeds self, needs minimal assistance, jumps in place, pedals a small tricycle or riding toy, catches a large bounced ball with both arms extended, enjoys swinging, shows improved control of crayons or markers, uses vertical, horizontal, and circular strokes, holds crayons or marker between first two fingers and thumb(tripod grasp), turns pages of book one at a time, enjoys building with blocks, builds a tower of eight o r more blocks, begins to show hand dominance, manipulates large buttons and zippers on clothing, achieves complete bladder control, for the most part, during this time (Marotz, p. 138). Language Development The development of vocabulary proceeds at an extraordinary pace. Preschoolers learn an average of nine new words a day (Rathus, p. 158). The preschooler can use their growing vocabulary and knowledge of grammar and syntax to communicate more effectively.Children seem to form a quick hypothesis about the meaning of the word, which then is refined with further exposure and usage (Papalia, p. 269). Word learning does not occur gradually but is better characterized as a process of fast mapping in which the child quickly attaches a new word to its appropriate concept. There is a grammar explosion during the third year. Childrenââ¬â¢s sentence structure expands to include the wordââ¬â¢s missing in telegraphic speech. Usually between the ages of 3 and 4, children show knowledge of rules for combining phrases and clauses into complex sentences and add an array of articles, conjunctions, adjectives, pronouns, and propositions to their vocabulary (Rathus, p. 159).Preschoolers talk about objects, events, and people not present, talks about the actions of others, adds information to what has just been said, answers simple question appropriately, asks many questions, particularly about location and identity of objects and people, uses an increasing number of speech form that keep conversation going, calls attention to self, objects, or events in the environment, promotes the behavior of others, joins in social interaction rituals, comments about objects and ongoing events, recites nursery rhymes, sings songs, uses understandable speech most of the time, produces expanded noun phrases, answers questions dealing with familiar objects and events(Marotz, p. 141). Social and Emotional Development In early childhood, childrenââ¬â¢s sense of self develops and grows mo re complex. They begin to acquire a sense of their own and abilities and their increasing mastery of the environment. In the preschool years, children continue to develop their sense of self. Almost as soon as they speak, they describe themselves in terms of certain categories such as age grouping and sex. One category of self-concept is self-esteem. Children with high self-esteem are more likely to be securely attached and have parents who are attentive to their needs. They are more likely to show prosocial behavior9Rathus, p. 174).Preschoolers express a wide range of emotions and are able to use appropriate labels such as mad, sad, happy, and just okay to differentiate their feelings. During this age, childrenââ¬â¢s emotional states are very situation-specific and can change as rapidly as they switch from one activity to another. As children develop from three-year-olds into five-year-olds, there is an increasing internalization and regulation over their emotions. As three-, fo ur-, and five-year-olds acquire new cognitive and language skills, they learn to regulate their emotions and to use language to express how they and others feel. Their emotions are very connected to the events and feelings that are occurring at that moment (Seefeldt, Wasik, p. 46).Preschoolers seem to understand taking turns but is not always willing to do so, laughs frequently; is friendly and eager to please, has occasional nightmares and fears about the dark, monsters or fire, joins in simple games and group activities, talks to self often, identifies self as boy or girl, uses objects symbolically in play, observes other children playing; might join in for a short time; often plays parallel to other children, defends toys and possessions; is becoming aggressive at times, engages in make believe play alone and with other children, shows affection toward children who are younger or children who get hurt, might continue to have a special blanket, stuffed animal, or toy for comfort ( Marotz, p. 142). Activities that will enhance cognitive development is I Spy (colors, shapes, textures, and so on), board games such as Memory, candy land or connect four , and simple puzzles. Motor activities may include dancing, pretend play, or riding tricycles, scooters, and pulling wagons. Language activities are reading the childââ¬â¢s favorite books, letting child be the storyteller, or simply engaging in conversation while asking questions.Musical activities, books or stories that deal with emotions, worries, and so on, and writing or drawing about what the child is feeling. Through music and movement young children express themselves, explore space, develop language and communication skills, increase sensory awareness, and express themselves through rhythm, gesture, time, and space. Recent neuropsychology research suggests that music and movement integrate the functions of both hemispheres of the brain and contribute to the language, social/emotional, cognitive, and phys ical development of young children. Music is one of the basic intelligences possessed by all humans and, as such, is an aspect of human potential.There is a musical impulse in young children, and their potential and aptitude for music are nurtured by the musical environment provided to them during infancy and early childhood. Music activities require neither specific skills nor competence, and all children are able to participate at varying levels of involvement from listening, to singing, to active movement (Eliason, p. 353). Music skills such as rhythm, meter, pitch, and tone are introduced to young children through music. Music enhances a sense of belonging to and functioning within a group. When responding to music and movement, the whole child is involved with voice, body, and emotions: listening, singing, moving to the beat, playing instruments, and imitating simple movements of objects or concepts.Learning music and words together, often accompanied by hand and body motions, is a wonderful way to wire brain connections for childrenââ¬â¢s learning. Reading and singing are closely connected; reading lyrics while singing also helps to develop reading and language skills. Additionally, it has long been recognized that music is a valuable memorization tool (Eliason, p. 353). Play promotes significant mental or cognitive skills. Research on brain growth and development supports the need for active and stimulating play for all children. Play gives the child opportunities to express thoughts and ideas. It provides occasions to organize, plan, solve problems, reason, try out solutions and skills, create and explore.According to the work of Piaget, play allows children to construct knowledge through assimilation, acquiring information through experiences, as well as through accommodation or modification of an existing point of view because information cannot be integrated into a particular scheme of understanding. Play contributes to the childââ¬â¢s develop ment of imaginative thinking. Play enables children to formulate ideas and then to test them. Much skill development occurs through play. During play, children have the opportunity to develop their senses of touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight to assimilate new stimuli. In addition, their attention spans are expanded as they stay on task and remain attentive to activities in which they are involved (Eliason, p. 25). Play assists communication, language, and literacy development.Many researchers think that communication skills are developed in part through peer play and the need for children to communicate with each other in their play. Play stretches the vocabulary and expands language development by providing opportunities to use new words, converse with playmates, listen to anotherââ¬â¢s language and point of view, learn new semantics (meanings of words), and hear and subsequently use new syntax (parts of speech). Play synthesizes previous experiences and thoughts, allowing c hildren to piece them together. Because children plan, communicate, listen, read, and write in their play, it offers the right conditions for learning language and literacy skills.Play also fosters creativity and aesthetic appreciation, which can influence the way children think and solve problems (Eliason, p. 26). Play promotes physicalââ¬âmotor development. Play is active; children are never passive recipients. Children use their bodies and increase large-muscle dexterity as they run, climb, skip, hop, jump, throw, and catch. Play, therefore, provides the exercise and physical activity needed to strengthen and coordinate childrenââ¬â¢s muscles and bodies. Children need play for health reasons. According to the American Heart Association, the U. S. obesity epidemic is currently affecting even young children, with more than 10% of 2- to 5-year-olds being overweight.The physical activity of play facilitates release of stress and helps children manage feelings in a positive way . Through physical play, children can learn appropriate ways to display aggression and other assertive behaviors without hurting themselves or others (Eliason, p. 27). Play encourages positive emotional development. Play affects the childââ¬â¢s motivation. It is the means for fostering a healthy personality, and it provides the opportunity for each child to discover the self. Play lets children express thoughts and ideas and try out ways of behaving and feeling. Play experiences provide safe avenues for expressing both positive and negative emotions.As they express thoughts and ideas, children can learn and be directed to the most positive ways of handling their emotions through support and reinforcement by both peers and teachers (Eliason, p. 27). There are many meaningful and remarkable benefits of stories in the lives of preschoolers; they open minds to understanding, touch hearts, and capture imaginations. Stories help children to make sense and meaning of the things that the y are taught. When ideas and concepts are taught with stories, they are remembered. Stories have a powerful effect because they not only impart ideas, concepts, and information and describe people, events, and places, but they also engage emotions.Through stories we exchange experiences and feelings. Stories clarify what is being taught and enable children to make sense and meaning of what the teacher is trying to teach (Eliason, p. 45). In conclusion, the developmental characteristics/milestones of preschoolers, appropriate activities that enhanced their cognitive, motor, social, emotional, and language development, and how the activities enhanced their development were discussed. Children in the stage of early childhood need a strong base of experiences that will provide a foundation for later learning. Children need experiences that encourage them to manipulate, explore, use their senses, uild, create, discover, construct, take apart, question, and ultimately understand the world in which they are living. They must be active, engaged, and involved in their learning. The larger the stock of experiences, the more meaning that they develop, the more elaborate is their map, and, ultimately, the clearer their thinking (Eliason, p. 41) REFERENCES: Allen, K. & Marotz, L. , (2010) Developmental Profiles: Pre-birth through Twelve Papalia, D. , Olds, S. & Feldman, R. (2010) A Childs World, Infancy through Adolescence, 11th Edition, McGraw Hill Rathus, S. A. (2011) CDEV 2010-2011 Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning Seefeldt, C, Wasik, B. A. (2006) Early Education: Three, Four, and Five Year Olds Go to School
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