Reconstruction of African Americans Dbq Essay

New Societies, new people, and new communities usually originate as a result of migration. People decide to move from one place to another for better opportunities, better lives, and new challenges. This remains true for the African American race as well. It has been believed that the original migration took place in 1619 when African Americans arrived to Jamestown, Virginia. However, the first African Americans migrated to the United States almost a century earlier in the 1500’s coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territories of Florida, Texas, and other parts of the South. African-American Migration Experience Though many migrated to the U. S. voluntarily, most African Americans were victims of massive enslavement. War, slave raiding, kidnapping and political religious struggle accounted for the vast majority of Africans deported to the Americas. African Americans were forced into slavery. Many children were kidnapped and sold as slaves. There were those of which who rebelled by refusing to be enslaved that would be expelled from their homes and families then either murdered or forced to be slaves. Slavery developed because the Northern Africans had a monopoly over spices, gold, and other commodities that the Europeans wanted. Europe would send ships back and forth to Africa to trade goods and in the process they were able to grow comfortable with navigating the seas. As a result, Europe was able to develop very good shipbuilding skills that in turn led to the sending of large vessels. That moved the Portuguese to add an additional commodity to their cargo: African men, women, and children. The Portuguese then used African Americans as slaves to work their sugar plantations. Over time English and Dutch ships preyed on the Portugal vessels for slaves, while raiding and looting the African mainland. Slaves were brought to the United States of America during the triangular trade. Ships were built to handle a maximum of 350 people, but Europeans would transport over 800 men, women, and children under some of the harshest conditions. Slaves would be branded, stripped naked during the entire trip, lying down in the midst of filth, all while enduring unbearable heat. All slaves went through frightening, incredibly brutal and dehumanizing experiences. Women and children were raped for the pleasures of the crew. The sick were tossed overboard unto the sea. People who tried to starve themselves to death were forced to eat by the torturing of scolding hot coal pressed onto their bodies. African-American Migration Experience Those who survived the Middle Passage arrived to America only to encounter more grief. They were sent to plantations and farms for agricultural duties. They were used for mining, and placed in towns as servants. In South Carolina and Georgia they grew rice, cotton, and indigo. In Louisiana they slaved over sugarcane plantations. They labored over tobacco farms in Virginia and Maryland. This went on until 1808 when the United States abolished its slave trade from Africa. However, slave trade went on unabated until 1860. In 1898 the boll weevil ate its way through Texas and proceeded to eat its way East across the South. The cotton was destroyed and slaves were thrown off of the land. After WWI there was an economic boom that resulted in the need for agricultural work, but unfortunately most states in the South passed the Jim Crow laws that discriminated against African Americans and led to segregation. African Americans couldn’t attend the same schools as white Americans. They couldn’t use facilities such as restaurants, theaters, hotels, cinemas, and public baths. Public transportation was also segregated and in some states marriage between white and black people. African Americans were at the mercy of landlords, abusive employers, and almost anyone set on depriving them of their rights. This went on until president Franklin D. Roosevelt was forced to issue an executive order mandating the end to racial discrimination. The Fair Employment Practices Committee was created to enforce this mandate, which acted as the launching pad that would bare dividends in the future. Riots erupted in 1943, leading to beatings, deaths, and arrest. African American then resulted to boycotts and sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement. As a result, the Supreme Court reversed the separate but equal doctrine in 1954, ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. There was also the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act that signaled an attack on Jim Crow. The African-American Migration Experience This report reveals the enormous amount of pain, grief, and violence suffered by my ancestors during slavery. I am so appreciative to all those people who marched, boycotted, and endured the pain and suffering so that my children and I could have the freedom to eat in any restaurant, sleep at any hotel, drink water out of any fountain, and go to school to get a good education. I may not be able to relate culturally to the ethnic group that I have written about because I am way too young, but that doesn’t change the fact that I recognize what they fought and stood for and I plan to make sure that my children are taught the history of how African Americans migrated to the United States, and what they went through to get here. References In Motion. The African-American Migration Experience. Retrieved April 9, 2007, from http://www. inmotionaame. org/home. cfm.

Financial Analysis of Mitchells & Butlers 2007 Annual Report

Title Page Date: 12/12/09 The following report is designed for the purpose of a business analysis. I have chosen to analyse Mitchells & Butlers PLC by firstly, looking closely at the annual report produced by the company over a two year period and secondly, by researching their financial activities further than the annual report explains. I will compare and contrast ratios to help give the reader a better understanding of the company’s profitability, liquidity, activity and leverage. Summary In my analysis of Mitchells and Butlers PLC accounts for the years ending 2007 and 2008 I found that the Group has a very complex financial structure. Especially with the occurrence of a financial disaster which ended in the loss of two years worth of earnings, which, in turn resulted in the departure of the finance director and calls for further boardroom departures from the disgruntled shareholders. Mitchells & Butlers is a high geared business and therefore a risky investment venture. The company are well positioned in the market for long-term success but the ratios do let down the attractiveness of investment by their much lower percentage of current assets to current liabilities, high gearing and low net profit margins. *Brief Historical Background* Mitchells & Butlers is one of the UK’s largest operators of managed establishments with a strong portfolio of branded and unbranded pubs and restaurants with a mass market appeal. Their popular brands include All Bar One, Harvester and Ember Inns. Founded in Smethwick Birmingham as a result of the Beerhouse Act of 1830 easing the law on domestic brewing, Henry Mitchell’s and William Butler’s breweries merged in 1989. The company acquired rival breweries and rapidly expanded and merged with Bass in 1961, emerging as Six Continents before separating into hotel and retail businesses and becoming Mitchells & Butlers once again. Implication of Ratios on Mitchells & Butlers *(M&B)’s Financial Position* Mitchells & Butlers Gross1 profit ratio for both 2008 and 2007 is 25% and 24. 9% respectively. An increase of 0. 1% is satisfactory during these trying times for Mitchells & Butlers PLC. This indicates that operating costs account for 75% of the sales revenue. These huge costs are largely down to M&B’s ‘value and volume’ strategy. The company feel they are well placed in the troubled economy as they offer great value for money. This strategy makes for a high sales turnover but not a huge mark up on the product. They are constantly striving to be as efficient as possible and have a low paid and low skilled workforce to help combat high operating costs, and gain a competitive advantage. The Group have faced a turbulent year, dealing with the economic downturn in consumer spending and the inevitable decline in alcoholic beverage sales across the sector as a whole. This was not helped by the introduction of the smoking ban in England and Wales, following suit from Scotland and Northern Ireland, and costs such as fuel and energy spiralling ever higher. It’s no surprise then, when we look at the Net Profit Margin2 and see that it has decreased by 1. 5% from 10. 9% in 2007 to 9. 4% in 2008. In the midst of a depression this decline is not too alarming. With a Gearing ratio3 of 2. 4:1 in 2008 and 1. 5:1 in 2007 there is a high risk involved when investing in this company. From analysing M & B’s debt structure it seems further leveraging of its balance sheet would be difficult given the harsh, current conditions in debt markets. The Group’s pension fund deficit creates further problems when trying to attract prospective private equity buyers. As you can see it has become a considerably higher geared company in 2008 and this is due to the considerable loss faced by the company in an unexpected twist in the Mitchells & Butlers story. When entering into a property venture with company R20, both groups were advised by the bank, as part of their loan agreement, to take out hedges against interest rates and inflation. This investment would prevent Mitchells & Butlers from losing as much money as they would have, had they not taken out the hedges in the instance that the market turned against them. The bank also advised the companies to do this, two weeks prior to the investment being made as the hedges could take some time to execute. The hedges were purchased mid July, by the end of July the credit crunch had kicked in and the bank withdrew its credit approved terms. Both companies were left with hedges in place but no investment to back them against. M & B held onto their hedges until January 2008 hoping for an upturn in the market. By January 2008 it had become apparent that this was not going to happen and M&B disposed of them. Using them would have been very risky, especially since finance director Naffah had already been let go. â€Å"At the end of last financial year, an exceptional accounting loss of ? 155m post tax was booked in respect of the hedges. The above settlement of the majority of the hedges results in a further ? 119m post tax exceptional loss which will be taken in the current year,† the company said in a statement. Looking equally bleak is M&B’s current ratio4 of 0. 888:1 in 2008 and 0. 391:1 in 2007. Many believe that businesses must have a current ratio of at least 2:1 to survive, proving Michells & Butlers as an unorthodox company. Unbelievably it functions with a negative working capital6, this is due mainly to the company keeping stock levels impeccably low and thus giving the acid test a similar result with a quick ratio5 of 0. 794:1 in 2008 and 0. 343:1 in 2007. Most of the stock is perishable, for example food served in their restaurants. A stock turnover7 of 9. 95 days in 2008 and 9. 75 days in 2007 is quite acceptable in the food and beverage sector. Low stock levels keep the business as liquid as possible. This gives the company some leverage when incorporated with the debtors8 and the creditor’s9 turnover which works out in favour of M&B’s debt structure. Debtors, pay-up within an average of 14. 3days. Contrast this with the creditors who give M&B, on average between the years 2007 and 2008, 66. 4 days of credit. That’s nearly five times as long as M&B allow their debtors. Another consideration I wish to highlight concerning the worryingly low current ratio is that for the most part M&B’s non-current assets are made up of property, plant and equipment. If the company found themselves with cash flow problems these assets could become non-current assets held for sale to help increase the current ratio. Return on Capital employed10 is 20. 18% and 19. 7% in 2008 and 2007 respectively. This is evidence that M&B is still a profitable company contrary to the problems arising in the last two years and are still gaining market share year on year. A three year plan has been put in place to rectify the hedging mishap. Ordinary Shareholders will not receive any dividend pay-outs for the next year three years as well as board members forfeiting their bonuses in a bid to pay off their ? 74m deficit. *How the inclusion of a Cash Flow* helps in the Analysis of the company’s financial position There are several advantages to preparing a cash flow statement along with the balance sheet and profit and loss account. The cash flow statement provides data which allows the reader to better understand where cash has come from, where cash has moved to, and why. If a company has no cash it cannot pay wages or bills or suppliers. Employers won’t come to work if you don’t pay them. Energy companies will cut off their supplies, as could the suppliers if the bills are not paid. If this happens the company may not be able to operate. This is why cash flow statements should be taken seriously by managers and done as often as daily if cash flow is tight. The cash flow statement explains where the cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet come from in greater detail. It takes operating profit and adds back exceptional items, depreciation and amortisation to give us a better understanding of how much cash is to hand, as well increases and decreases in debtors and creditors. In M&B’s cash flow statement we can see that in 2007 M&B acquired ? m worth of Whitbread Pub Restaurants and made additional pension contributions of? 40m. In the cash flow statement figures can be compared more easily, they also aide preparation of forecasts. In both years a considerable amount of cash is spent on property, plant and equipment. It may be that these assets have not had time to realise their full potential. We can see that M&B has increased its cash and cash equiva lents by ? 12m at the end of 2008 compared to its previous year. Differences between the spread of cash year on year is quite apparent. In 2008 shareholders received ? 480m worth of dividends less than in 2007 as part of M&B’s three year strategy to eliminate hedging debt amounting to around two years worth of earnings. Conclusion At first glance, the ratios I have calculated show the illusion of a company in the midst of a financial crisis. But Mitchells and Butlers are breaking all the rules and coming out with a profit, succeeding where many competitors are failing, due to the down turn in the alcoholic beverage market and consumer spending overall. The hedging losses have no doubt affected a great deal of critical decision making regarding Mitchells and Butlers finances including investment attractiveness, risk taking and dividend payouts. The high amount of non-current assets is due to the extensive property portfolio which helps diffuse the worrying situation of such a low current and quick ratio. This company is constantly expanding and is year on year gaining market share. It adapts appropriately to its ever changing environment, as it keeps up to date with the economic climate and responds quickly to consumers needs. The ‘value & volume’ strategy is working well and the brands are becoming very well established in the UK. Debt payment is accounted for in the long term financial plan and the future looks far from dismal. I see a company trying to be as efficient as possible whilst waiting for the storm to pass. Appendix Gross Profit Ratio Gross profit x 100 Sales (turnover) 2008 – 477/ 1908 x100 = 25% 2007 – 472 / 1894 x 100 = 24. 9% Net Profit Margin Ratio Net Profit Before Interest & Tax x100 = Sales / Turnover 2008 – 179 / 1908 x 100 = 9. 4% 2007 – 207 / 1894 x 100 = 10. % Gearing Fixed Income forms of Finance : equity Fixed Income forms of Finance = Borrowings 2755 + Debentures 33 + preference shares 14 =2802 Equity – Capital Share 34 + reserves 2008 – 2802 : 1175 = 2. 4:1 2007 – 2317 + 47 + 14 = 2378 : 1576 = 1. 5:1 Current Ratio Current Assets : Current Liabilities 2008 – current assets 253 + non-current assets held for sal e 114 = 367 367:413 = 0. 888:1 2007 – current assets 303 + non-current assets held for sale 6 = 309 309:790 = 0. 391:1 Non assets held for sale within the next twelve months Quick Ratio / Acid Test Current Assets – stock Current Liabilities 2008 – 367 – 39 = 328. 328/ 413 = 0. 794:1 309 – 38 = 271 271 / 790 = 0. 343:1 Working Capital Days of Inventory /Stock Turnover Stock at the year end x365 Cost of goods sold 2008 – 39 / 1431 x 365 = 9. 95 days 2007 – 38 / 1422 x 365 = 9. 75 days Debtors Collection Period Debtors Turnover x365 Sales 2008 – 80 / 1908 x 365 = 15. 3 days 2007 – 69 / 1894 x365 = 13. 3 days an average of 14. 3 days Creditors Payment Period Trade Creditors x365 Cost of Sales 008 – 276 / 1431 x 365 = 70. 4 days 2007 – 243 / 1422 x 365 = 62. 4 days An average of 66. 4 days Return on Capital Employed Ratio Profit before interest & tax x 100 Capital employed 2008 – 179 / 1058 x 100 = 16. 9% 2007 – 207 / 1202 x 100 = 17. 2% Profit & Losss Account is profit after tax + any interest paid = 127 + 171 Capital Employed represents Share Capital =Called up shared capita l and share premium account = 34 + 14; the balance on the profit and loss account + 127 + 171 and any other reserve accounts in the balance sheets + 3 + 697 + 12 = 1058 for 2008

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay Example for Free

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay AN INTEGRATED CRITIQUE OF KOZOL’S AND DAWKIN INTRODUCTION Richard Dawkins was born on March 26, in 1941. He is an ethnologist, an evolutionarily biologists and a popular writer in science. He also holds the Simonyi Chair, which is designed to promote the understanding of science to public at Oxford University. The first time Dawkins come into the limelight and became popular was after writing his book ‘The Selfish Gene’ in 1976. This book introduced the term ‘meme’ and consequently helped discover memetics fields. It also made ‘gene-centered view of evolution’ popular. Around 1982, he made significant contributions toward evolution science. THE SELFISH GENE BY RICHARD DAWKINS Richard Dawkin’s ‘The selfish Gene’ was a very popular reading and to some extent controversial on evolution. The book elaborates and goes deeper to discuss more about the theory of William’s first ever book to write ‘Adaptation and Natural Selection’. The theory discussed on this book is principal to William’s book. Richard introduced, ‘Selfish Gene’ to provoke and express his views on gene’s evolution. This view states that evolution acts on genes and when we select some organisms or a population, this selection is normally based on the type of genes. According to his book, an organism must evolve since it is the only way of maximizing its ‘inclusive fitness’, which refers to the total number of the genes which are transmitted globally, rather than the genes passed on by a particular individual. Consequently, a population tends to learn towards ‘Evolutionarily Stable Strategy’. (Richard, 1990) This ‘selfish gene’ came up with the term ‘meme’. ‘Meme refers to a single unit of human’s culture evolution which is analogous to genes. It suggests that this is a ‘selfish’ replication of human genes, and it can affect the culture of human in a totally difference sense. There is no doubt that ‘memetics’ evoked a discussion of meme since he published his book. ‘Meme’ is cultural information units, which can be transferred from one mind to another. Examples of memes are tunes, clothes fashion, catch phrases, pot making or building arches. â€Å"Meme’ is properly defined in the theory of memetic, which is comprised of information on culture in a unit theory; how evolution of culture or diffusion is blocked, how it propagates form mind to mind and the way a gene propagates from one person or from an organism to an organism. Where memes are multiple, they propagate as â€Å"memeplexes’. Meme complexes act as cooperative groups. (Richard, 1990) A ‘gene’ on the other hand, is a region that can be located and has a sequence called ‘genomic sequence. This corresponds to an inheritance unit that is closely associated with regions that play a regulatory function, the regions, which are transcribed, and other regions with functional sequence. The phenotype and physical development of organisms is believed to be productivity of genes, which interact among themselves and with their environment. Genes are generally inheritance units. A gene generally defines human or organism’s characteristic and the functionality of potential products. Genes do not define products but rather they contain regions. Eukaryotic organisms contain regions, which do not have coding regions and are called introns. These are taken away from RNA, which acts as the messenger in a process referred to as ‘splicing’. Exons are regions, which encode the products of gene. A total number of genes, which make a set, is called ‘genome’. The genome size of an organism is usually low in prokaryotes, which come in base pairs and the gene’s numbers. The theorists of meme state that meme evolve through natural selection, this is similar to biological evolution of Darwin through competition, inheritance, variation and mutation. THE ROLE OF CULTURAL EVOLUTION Cultural evolution and socio-evolution fall under the umbrella called ‘socio-cultural evolution’. It describes how societies and cultures have come into being over time. Cultural theories provide us with models to enhance our understanding on the relationship between our social structure, technologies and society values; and give reasons why and how they change gradually. They change to a degree to which specific mechanisms of social change are described. (Richard 1990) Around 20th and 19th century, there were approaches, which were aimed to give models for humankind evolution. The argument is that the social development of different societies is not in the same stage. The recent approaches of the 20th century emphasize on changes, which are specific to a society as an individual and turn down social progress and directional change. Archeologists and anthropologists use modern theories as the framework of socio-cultural evolution. Sociobiology and neo-evolutionism are some of modern approaches employed to cultural evolution. Richard Dawkins, the ethnologist discovered ‘meme’. According to his book, â€Å"TheSelfish Gene’ 1976, likened human’s cultural evolution unit to a gene. His argument was that replication happens in the culture, through in a different sense. Dawkins contends that meme, which resides in the brain represents units of information and it is the replicator that controls mutation in cultural evolution of humans. This forms a pattern, which has the power to influence surroundings, that is, it can propagate and possesses causal agency. However, his theory caused a heated debate among biologists, sociologists and scientists from other disciplines. Dawkins failed to given adequate explanation about the information units replicates, in organism’s brain, how it can control the behaviour of a human being and finally culture. It is apparent that it was not Dawkins intention to give the theory of memetics. Comprehensively in the selfish gene, he coined the word meme in a kind of speculative spirit. In the same sense, ‘unit of information was given different definitions by different scientists. (Richard 1990). MEME AND EDUCATION It is not entirely impossible though it is hard to debate the subject matter of the functions of emotions in education system if we are lacking the right words to sufficiently discuss the topic. This is the scenario when we reach a point of discussing the functional role of ‘emotional intelligence’ because it has got to do with the needs of our younger brothers and sisters as well as great grandchildren and become stochastically and mathematically proficient so as they can exist and fit in the competition which is characterized by technological advancement. Many educators are failing because they lack words such as ‘eipiphiny’ and ‘mehme’ and hence do not have words, which play an important role of ‘emotional intelligence,’ and how it relates to stochastic and mathematical literacy sufficiently and appropriately address attempts that can be made. The outcome is a system of education that is believed to be failing. If the kids can experience and feel eipiphinies and MEHMES, kids will definitely love maths, and see its relevance to their lives daily. It also contributes a feeling of self-confident. The key here is to create the terms mehme and eipiphiny. Introduction of mehme and eipiphiny may have a positive effect if incorporated in the meme selection process. An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins. (2017, Apr 30).

HR Strategies for Hotel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR Strategies for Hotel Management - Essay Example The most significant feature in the management of this chain of hotels is the availability of well trained, efficient and motivated work force. The company understands the necessity of the keeping the spirits of its employees high to realize its business dreams in the most acceptable manner. The hospitality industry and more specifically hotel industry is one of the most dynamic and sensitive business sector which performs very high during the favourable business environment while experiences a very sharp fall during the periods of recession or economic slow down. Thus being one of the leading hotel chain in China, Metropark hotels company need to create a unique style of management leadership that could set benchmarks in the hospitality business segment (Grand Metro Park Hotel, n d). The major domains the HR practices need to be reinforced is in the domain of delegation of work. The concept of right work to right people needs to be promoted well. As the hotels have different target clients based on the brands attached to it, the employees capabilities expected shall also differ from one type to the other. The Grand metro park hotels has most of its visitors from US and European Union, mostly the business executives who have their business operation expanding in China. Thus the capability of all the staff who are placed to handle different tasks must be highly capable to ensure not only to deliver their responsibilities well but also to ensure the retention during their future visits. The customer relation team shall also work in tandem with them to ensure the future business too. In addition to their skills to use English, language, the linguistic abilities of the front office staff shall include their abilities to handle other foreign languages like Spanish, French, Russian, Italian and also Arabic. Further, the

Discuss critically distinctions between Islamic finance regulation and Essay

Discuss critically distinctions between Islamic finance regulation and conventional financing of commercial credit - Essay Example Islamic financing was first introduced in the UK in 1990 and has since developed to such an extent that the UK hosts the largest share of Islamic assets (valued at US$18 billion) among all Western countries and is eight worldwide.6 As of 2008, there were five â€Å"stand-alone† Islamic banks in the UK and more than 20 conventional banks offering Islamic products.7 This paper provides a critical analysis of the distinctions between Islamic finance regulation and conventional financing of commercial credit. The modernized form of Islamic finance began in Egypt during 1963 when the Mitt Ghamr savings system was introduced as a â€Å"social banking initiative†.8 By 1975 the first commercial Islamic banks were established: Islamic Development Bank and the Dubai Islamic Bank. The Islamic banking sector grew at a steady pace and by the 1990s there was a growing demand for Islamic financial products in investments and loans. In more recent years, the growth in demand and supply of Islamic financial products has been more expansive. Between 2006 and 2008, Islamic financial assets experienced a growth rate of 30%. As a result, Sharia compliant banking products have been described as the worlds â€Å"fastest growing financial sector†.9 There are at least 614 â€Å"registered Islamic finance institutions† in 47 countries with Islamic assets increasing from US$150 billion during the 1990s to approximately US$700 billion by 2007.10 The growth and expansion of Islamic banking and financial products have been impressive. Holden reports that over the last thirty years or so, Muslims all over the world have demonstrated a propensity for withdrawing billions of dollars from conventional banking systems and transferring them to Islamic banking and financial systems. In addition, conventional banks have shown an increasing willingness to offer Islamic banking and financial products and services.11 Islamic banking is defined as a â€Å"system of

Biochemistry lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Biochemistry - Lab Report Example Paper chromatography is mainly used for separation of molecules and consists of cellulose with hydrophilic characteristics. The rate of movement of biomolecules depends on the affinity of the molecule and the solvent with hydrophobic molecules moving faster than the hydrophilic due to the little attraction of the molecule to the hydrophilic paper. Paper chromatography helps in the characterization of amino acids due to the different rates of movement of the amino acids on the chromatographic paper. Additionally, the different amino acids move at different rates on the chromatographic paper due to the differences in the size of the side chains. The rate at which a biomolecule moves on the chromatographic paper is expressed as its relative mobility (Rf). A mobile phase for use in the chromatography was prepared by mixing 60cm3 of ethanenitrile (acetonitrile) with 40cm3 of 0.1M ammonium ethanoate. Drops of concentrated ethanoic acid were used to adjust the pH value to 7.2 after which 30cm3 of this mixture was placed in a tall form beaker and cover it with a watch-glass. Small amounts of trypsin, leucine, valine, proline, glutamic acid, glycine and lysine amino acid solutions were prepared in water and each amino acid labelled. A faint line was drawn using a pencil on the lantern-type chromatography paper making sure that the line was above the level of the solvent in the beaker. Using a clean capillary tube each time, one small spot of each amino acid solution was put on the chromatography paper and each spot identifies and marked. An unknown sample was also spot on the paper and marked. The spots were dried using a warm air blower. The chromatographic paper was then bent around the cylinder and fixed in this shape using a paperclip. The chromatographic paper was then placed inside the beaker so that it stood on the edge without touching the sides and the chromatogram run until the solvent front moved three quarter way in the

U.S. History to 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. History to 1877 - Essay Example The European background After the fall of the Roman Empire, settlement and colonization of the Americas became the first significant move by Europeans. The European occupying powers acquired overseas territories into their possession without clear and obvious authority. The first European powers to establish settlement on the American mainland included Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, and England (Gary, et al 109). Of the five, England arrived relatively later than the rest, but ended up establishing large scale and enduring settlement in America. The British became the most significant colonizers of the US. The British empires in the Americas grew to rival those of the Spanish in economic and military might. European settlement in the Americas resulted to great upheaval among the indigenous civilizations. There were cultural disruptions, military force and introduction of diseases. Apart from promotion of settlement and development, the European powers extensively used trade with t he natives as a policy in their conquest of the Americas. The colonial experience Under British supervision, the American colonies grew and flourished. The colonies practiced limited forms of self government. The vast size of the Atlantic Ocean ensured that the American colonists developed skills to govern themselves. ... England regulated trade by forbidding colonies to trade with other European countries. They also maintained the right to levy taxes on the colonies. English colonialists tried to control American trade, but they could not entirely succeed to oversee the whole American coastline. In the process, colonial merchants learned how to operate outside the British law to enhance their trade. Religiously, those who evaded persecution in England demanded freedom of worship according to their belief systems. The Quakers settled in Pennsylvania, Catholics in Maryland, and the puritans and pilgrim settled in present day Massachusetts (Gary, et al 318). The colonialists brought along religious diversity, which called for freedom of religion in the Americas. The revolutionary period The American Revolution period cover the era from 1763 to 1800. The American Revolution represented the efforts of the thirteen colonies joining together to separate from the British Empire and rule. The era began after the treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian war in 1763 (Gary, et al 402). This ended the military threat fronted by the French in the British North American territories. The British began to exact more authority over the colonies through a set of direct taxes and additional laws. These moves became extremely unpopular in America since most colonies lacked representation in the British parliament. These laws got viewed as illegitimate and a violation of the colonist’s rights. The American enlightenment gets attributed as an ideology behind the revolution. The enlightenment constituted ideas such as liberalism, republicanism and condemnation of corruption. The

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

Other - Essay Example The Act necessitates GAO to evaluate the execution of the Act. This report discusses the Act's execution; evaluates NRSROs' performance-related expose; evaluates getting rid of NRSRO orientations from confident SEC rules; appraises the brunt of the Act on antagonism; and provides a scaffold for evaluating substitute models for compensating NRSROs (Sherman, 2011). To tackle the mandate, GAO reviewed SEC rules, assessment supervision, completed assessments, and staff memoranda; scrutinized required NRSRO exposes and market allocate data; and dialogued SEC and NRSRO officials and souk participants (Bangemenn, 2005). The procedure for reviewing NRSRO claims limits SEC staff's aptitude to fully guarantee that interviewees meet the Act's necessities (Bangemenn, 2005). An example of how the current processes used by agencies can be improved is while SEC had recorded 10 of 11 credit ranking agency interviewees as of July 2010, some employee’s memoranda to the Commission abbreviation t heir review of claims described anxieties that were not tackled prior to congregate (Bangemenn, 2005). 2. Analyze the impact of the attention rates on both short -term and long term debt plus how health care organization might best leverage your psychiatry. Illustrate your retort with specific illustrations. The answer to this inquiry lies in the fixed revenue nature of debts and debentures, often referred to jointly simply as "bonds" (Bangemenn, 2005). Without imaginative repackaging of the contemplation of prepaid health tactics, the appearance and timing of the conventional response to the immoderation of the medical institution would almost definitely have been quite diverse (Bangemenn, 2005).When a financier purchases a specified commercial bond, he or she is in fact purchasing a segment of a company's debt (Bangemenn, 2005). This debit is issued with precise details concerning episodic coupon payments, the chief amount of the debt and the instance period until the bond's prime (Bangemenn, 2005). Another notion that is vital for consideration interest rate risk in bonds is that bond values are inversely related to notice rates. When attention rates go up, bond values go down and thus vice versa (Bangemenn, 2005). There is a greater likelihood that interest duty will rise (and thus pessimistically affect a bond's bazaar price) within a longer time epoch than within a petite epoch. Long-term bonds have higher extent than short-term bonds. Because of this, a specified interest rate alter will have greater consequence on long-term bonds in comparison to short-term bonds (Bangemenn, 2005). This notion of duration can be hard to conceptualize, but presently think of it as the span of time that your bond will be pretentious by a notice rate change. For instance, suppose debt interest rates rise nowadays by 0.25% (Bangemenn, 2005). A bond with merely one coupon payment left in anticipation of maturity will be underpaying the loaners by 0.25% for only one coupon c ompensation (Bangemenn, 2005). Short and long terms debts on health care may result to the devastation of the health cares (Sherman, 2011). 3. Discuss the likelihood of a non-for -profit health care association issuing supply and why the management of such an association might want to do this. clarify your rationale. Management of such organizations

Western Cultures. Loss Of Centerdness In The Early 20th Century Essay

Western Cultures. Loss Of Centerdness In The Early 20th Century - Essay Example The political power exerted by the colonizer made it easy for them to establish that they were culturally superior as well. The establishment of the cultural superiority of the colonizer has been a step by stem process by which first of all, the colonizer’s culture is imposed, then the culture of the colonized is replaced with a new culture that is still inferior to, but imitative of the colonizer’s culture. The result of this phenomenon is that slowly the colonized cultures and people belonging to them loose their self-esteem and abandon their culture out of an inferiority complex. The tragedy of this situation is that even when colonization ends, this sense of inferiority of one’s own culture will remain for a long time in the minds of the colonized. Introduction Culture is a phenomenon that embeds all human being, gives meaning and purpose to their lives and provides them a sense of belonging and connection. Once culture is disintegrated, a whole society can a lso get disintegrated. In the history of humanity, nothing else than colonialism had made such an impact on specific cultures as to disintegrate them partially or completely. As the colonizers were mostly the westerners and the colonized being the non-western cultures, the result was an imposition of the cultural hegemony of all western values. The non-western cultures faced a complex identity crisis in the face of this cultural invasion. In the later nineteenth and early twentieth century, colonialism emerged as an extension of western political and cultural imperialism, to such an extent that â€Å"the self-proclaimed â€Å"superiority† of â€Å"Western culture†, functioned as the rationale and mandate for colonialism† (Narayan and Harding, 2000, p.83). The result was that whichever cultures colonized by the western world, began to feel themselves as inferior cultures to the western culture and lost their sense of centeredness. For example, David (2011) has in vestigated the colonial experience of Philippines and showed that the Americans settled in Philippines as part of the colonial legacy, still view Filipino culture as inferior to western and American culture (p.13). Sonnenburg (2003) has pointed to how the British colonization of Australia treated the indigenous people of Australia as some animal or cattle and forcefully separated children belonging to these aborigines from their mothers, â€Å"a practice that continued into the mid-twentieth century† (p.1). Similarly, the English colonial experience in Ireland resulted in the Anglicization of Ireland and suppression of Irish language and culture (Sonnenburg, 2003, p.280). All the colonized cultures had experienced this kind of cultural oppression and this experience was described as, â€Å"loss of centeredness,† by many scholars (Kebede, 2004;Sayre, 2012). What is meant by this expression is that the colonized cultures that were self-reliant and centered around their o wn culture were forced to feel that their cultures were no more the center of the universe they knew. Instead they began to feel that their cultures were inferior to the cultures that colonized them. The most serious consequence of this loss of centeredness has been that even after the colonial rule was withdrawn, the people continue to experience this loss of centerednedd (Kebede, 2004). Rightfully calling colonialism, â€Å"a cultural project of control†, Dirk (1992) has described the complex experience of colonialism from the point of view of culture (p.7). He (Dirk, 1992) has tried to describe this complexity by saying that â€Å"not only did colonial rulers align themselves with the universal and inexorable forces of science, progress, rationality and modernity, they displaced many of the disruptions and excesses of rule

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Research Methods - Essay Example Sampling The level of analysis adopted in this study is the company or organizational level. Level of analysis, as defined by Louche and Baeten (2006), refers to the level which this analysis will apply. In this study, the company level of analysis of the impact assessment focuses on the organization, their processes, challenges, decision-making methods, outputs and outcomes (Wood, Logsdon, Lewellyn & Davenport, 2006). The population identified for this study consists of the employees comprising the global virtual teams of a multinational corporation. Random sampling will be used to ensure the representativeness of the sample. Random sampling is a type of probability sampling where each item or member of the population of interest has an equal chance of being included in the sample. This type of sample guarantees that the respondents are selected without bias and at the same time permits the determination of a specified statistical level of confidence in the statement of inferences ( Kazmier, 2004). A Web-based random sample size calculator was used to compute for the minimum required sample, based on the following parameters: (1) margin of error, 5%; (2) confidence level, 95%; (3) population size, 60,000; and (4) response distribution, 50% (Raosoft, 2004). Based on the output generated by calculation, the minimum required sample size was 382. A screenshot of this output is exhibited as Appendix 2. However, in anticipation of contingency which may arise during data gathering, such as invalid or incompletely answered questionnaires, failure to retrieve floated questionnaires, or withdrawal of the respondent’s participation at any point in the study for whatever reason, the minimum sample size required was augmented by 10% and rounded off to the nearest tens. Hence, the sample size in this study is 420. Random sampling will be carried out by obtaining pertinent information such as names of the employees and corresponding e-mail addresses. Permission has alr eady been requested from the HR department after purpose of the study and request for information accessed have been discussed. Approval has also been given on condition of anonymity and confidentiality of the information disclosed. The names of the employees have been inputted in Microsoft Excel (2003). Each name in one column was automatically assigned a random number and sorted from lowest to highest. The first 420 random numbers representing employee names were selected as respondents. Measures Five constructs are being measured in the current study. Three of these constructs are organizational variables included in the first research problem: communication, culture and diversity. Communication is measured in terms of level of adequacy of communication within and among the virtual teams using Part 2 of the research instrument. Respondents assess the adequacy of communication within and among the virtual teams using a five-point Likert Scale. The responses are interpreted accordi ng to the mean of the

A critical review of a story in the press Essay Example for Free

A critical review of a story in the press Essay The story I have chosen to review is about Derek Bond, a 72 year old pensioner from Bristol. Mr Bond was arrested by South African authorities, when he arrived for a family holiday with his wife in South Africa. Mr Bond was detained at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on suspicion of being one of Americas most wanted criminals; the alleged crime a $4. 8 million telemarketing fraud. Fortunately, for Derek Bond it was a case of mistaken identity. Eventually he was released, with the help of media intervention after a traumatic three week ordeal, locked up, in a South African prison. The story broke in a television news broadcast by the BBC six o clock evening news, on Tuesday 25th February 2003. The story was published by the newspapers the following day, 26th February 2003. The two newspapers I have chosen to compare the story are, The Guardian, and The Daily Mirror. The Guardian is a politically left-of-centre broadsheet newspaper aimed at professional middle- class Britain. The Guardian uses formal vocabulary to report on the facts of a story it is writing about. The Guardian costs 55 pence to buy, and provides, national and international news, policy and politics section, finance, sport, theatre, art reviews, and finally human interest supplements. The Guardian offers extremely good value for money, over an average of 35 pages. In contrast, The Daily Mirror is a politically left-of-centre tabloid newspaper aimed at working- class Britain. The Daily Mirror uses informal vocabulary consisting of common words that are easily understood. This would indicate that its aimed at a lower readership, than The Guardian. The Daily Mirror costs 32 pence to buy, and provides, national news, showbiz gossip, advertising, holiday offers, horoscopes, television listings, finance, and, finally sport. On average, the reader will get 60-70 pages of coverage. ANALYSIS DAY ONE THE GUARDIAN The coverage of the story began on Wednesday 26th February 2003. It was placed on page three of the newspaper on a day when front page news headlines focussed on, War rebels challenge Blair, about the up and coming war on Iraq. The article, in question was headlined, The Names Bond but is he a fraudster wanted by the FBI or a Bristol family man? The headline was printed black on white, with an approximate letter size of one inch. The effect of this is a play on the catchphrase of James Bond 007 spy films, to create mystery and intrigue, and grasp the readers attention. Two feature photographs 5 wide, and 8 long, in size are placed directly beneath the headline. The photograph on the left hand side, of the real fugitive is in black and white print. This image shows him looking very sombre, similar to an FBI, Mugshot photograph. In contrast, the photograph of Mr Bond is in colour, portraying him as a respectable family man dressed in evening attire, smiling and looking very healthy. This obviously shows the contrast in style between the two men. A further two photographs appear directly beneath Mr Bond; one of the police station, in Durban where he was held, and the other a photograph of his three children. Both photographs are in colour and approximately 3 wide and 2 long, in size. The reason behind these two photographs is so the reader is given an insight where Mr Bond was held, and too see the look of pain and disbelief, on the faces, of his children. A sub-heading occupies the top left hand corner, which summarises the whole story. Emotive words have been used, Victim, and Theft, to attract and engage the readers attention. Different styles of typography have been used across the whole page. For example, a bold print dropped capital letter, one inch in size, at the beginning of the opening paragraph, to draw the eye of the reader, to the introduction, and not browse over the story to the end. Directly beneath the photograph of fugitive, Derek Sykes, alias Derek Bond, a different style of typography has been used, to show a comparable section in which comparisons are made between, what Mr Bonds family claim, and what the FBI claim is true. This has been highlighted by the use of a sub-heading in red bold print. In addition to this, bullet points have been used to divide the statements. ANALYSIS DAY ONE THE DAILY MIRROR The coverage of the story also began on Wednesday 26th February 2003. The story was placed on page nineteen of the newspaper, in contrast to The Guardian where the story was placed on page three. This means that The Guardian, considers the story of rather more importance, than The Daily Mirror. Two totally different headlines stole front page coverage, firstly, Is Richard the No 1 VILLAIN in TV soap history? Secondly, MUTINY- 100-plus Labour rebels to defy Blair over Iraq. This is typical of a tabloid news headline; TV soap is given priority over the Iraq crisis. The story began with a bold print capitalised headline, THE NAMES BOND The letters are one inch in size. The headline is similar to The Guardian, but leads the reader on to the next part of the page. The typography of White on Black has been used to highlight two sub-heading statements, which are as follows: Is he a toupee wearing $4. 8m fraudster and one of the FBIS most wanted criminals Or a balding 72-year-old wine-tasting Rotarian who lives in Bristol? Each statement has a letter size of half an inch, and is placed in a 3 squared black box, creating maximum effect of the WOB. Directly beneath the first statement is a round photograph of fugitive Derek Sykes, in black and white, 3 in diameter. The photograph used by The Daily Mirror, is identical to The Guardian, but is scaled down in size and a different shape. In addition, a photograph of Mr Bond is placed directly beneath the second statement. Basically, this reveals who, The Daily Mirror thinks is the real, and false, fugitive. Furthermore, a photograph of Mr Bonds children appears beneath the main headline, which is black and white, and 2 squared in size. The photograph is different to the one used by The Guardian; its in a different place, and in addition is not posed. It seems to have been taken by chance, rather than with consent from the family. ANALYSIS DAY 2 THE GUARDIAN By the following day, Mr Bond had been released as the FBIs mistake was acknowledged. The story on day 2 is given front page priority. A sub- heading in red bold print is placed as a footnote; the footnote reads, Good news for Mr Bond, followed by a brief summary, and the reader is directed to page 3, where the story continues. In addition, to the footnote a cartoon caption appears next to the directional pointer, which is sarcastically laughing at the incompetence, of the FBI.

Explain the impact of relevant legislations Essay Example for Free

Explain the impact of relevant legislations Essay In this task I will explain the impact of relevant legislations / regulations on two types of employment contract of the company New Forrest logistics as well as analyse the impact of the legislation of the two contracts of the company. Contract 1 The key contrasting differences between the two contracts in question is that contract 1 the job title is for a secretary. Its hours of work are stated as 16 hours a week. Which means that it is part time temporary employment? While a member of time is on maternity leave. The employ will be required to be flexible with regard to the hours as he and she will work in accordance to the employers needs. The employee will be paid on an hourly basis. Being a temporary position, no pension scheme will be available to the employee. The employee will be required to complete a monthly signed timesheet as a record of the employees work schedule. No payments will be made for any unused holiday. In case of sickness for more than 3 days, in order to be entitled to statutory sick pay, the employee will need to provide a sick note, further if the employee wishes to leave before the end date he or she will need to provide a weeks’ notice. The employer two will provide the employee with one weeks’ notice of termination before the end date given in the contract, or else he has offered his/her basic salary in lieu of notice. However no notice will be provided to the employee in case of dismissal. With regard to disciplinary procedures, in case of serious problems, the employee will either be given verbal warning which will be recorded in his or her personal file (for a period of normally 6 months) or a first written warning will be given which will also be recorded in your personal file. This could then if need arose be followed by a final warning which would also be recorded in your personal file. Contract 2 The key points in contract 2 which differ from contract 1 are the job title which is that of a Personal assistant to the Managing directors. It in contrast to contract 1, it is fulltime appointment with the hours of work being 35 hours a week. The employee will be paid a salary which will be subject to revision from time to time. This job title also includes a probationary period of 3 months from the start date. As regards time keeping, it differs in that there is no need to sign in and the employee is required to have a responsible attitude towards keeping time. In contract 2 unlike contract 1, the employee is entitled to full annual holiday entitlement of 28 days exclusive of bank holidays. With regard to sickness, in contract 2 the employee will be entitled to a contractual pay for the first 6 months of any period of sickness. However the employee will need to complete a self certification form if ill for 7 days or less. If sick or 8 days or more than a medical certificate needs to obtained from the doctor. The employee in contract 2 is entitled to maternity or paternity leave. The employee will also be entitled to participate in any pension scheme operated by the company. The retirement age is stated to be 65 years. With regard to confidential information the key difference is that employee is not authorised to disclose any confidential information related to companies business affairs irrespective whether he resigns or is dismissed. Regarding Notice, the employee is entitled to one weeks’ notice after 4 week of employment. A copy of the companies’ grievance procedure is contained in the staff handbook and even the companies disciplinary and dismissal procedures are also contained within the staff handbook. The employee is required to take steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of him/her and others affected by his or her work. The employee also needs to have knowledge of fire regulations and necessary precautions. The organisation is an equal opportunity employer, thus no employee can be discriminated against on any grounds. Wage salary Contract 1: The wages for the Jobsite will be  £9.50 an hour before national insurance contributions and tax deductions. Contract 2: the employee’s salary is  £26,000 as stated in the appointment letter. This will be subject to revision from time to time. The employee will be paid monthly. According to law the main wage rate is  £6.19. Therefore it is essential for new Forrest logistics to have knowledge and awareness of different pay rates and confirm to them. Now I shall analyse the impact of the national minimum wages act 1998 on the 2 employment contracts of the company New Forrest logistics. This act is an important piece of legislation that the company is advised to follow very closely. This act sets the minimum wage levels an employee is entitled to per hour in accordance with the age group the employee falls under. The current wage of those falling under the group of 21 and above is  £6.08 and that falling under the group of 18 to 20 is equal  £4.98. This legislation will obviously have an impact on both the contracts of employment drawn by New Forrest logistics as they will have to state in the contract what wages they will pay the concerned employees. Thus they will need to ensure that they abide by the act and pay the employees the correct wages in accordance with the age group. If they violate the legislation, they will be liable legal action. Grievance procedure Contract 1: The employee will be required to comply with the grievance procedures which will be detailed in the staff hand book. Contract 2: it is stated in the contract that the employees are expected to comply with the companies’ grievance procedures, a copy of which is contained the staff handbook. The law states that if the employee is not satisfied with the decision, he or she has a right of appeal. Thus NFL needs to be aware of this in case it runs into problems. More over it is also necessary that all employees are thorough knowledge of the grievance procedure. The grievance procedure is another legislation that will impact both of these contracts. The main impact that it will have on the both the contracts is that by law the organisation will be bound to give a clear detailed grievance procedures to the employees through the staff handbook and staff intranet. Furthermore the employer will also need to be aware that if the employee is not satisfied with the decision he or she has the right to appeal and if correct remedial action is still not taken, he or she can refer the case to an employment tribunal. This legislation ensures that all procedures including appeals against grievance decision or appeals against a disciplinary or dismissal decision are clearly detailed in the staff handbook. Both the contacts abide and comply with the legislation. Holiday entitlement Contract 1: it is clearly stated in the contract that the holiday year is from 1st January to 31 December. It is also stated that payments will not be made for any unused holiday. It is further stated that any holidays must be agreed with the employer at least four weeks in advance and lastly should the employee exceed his or her holiday entitlement, it will be deducted from the final pay packet. Contract 2: also states that the holiday year runs from first January to 31 December. The employees’ full annual entitlement of 28 days exclusive of bank holidays is also clearly stated therein. It also states that all holidays must be in agreement with the company and lastly except in exceptional circumstances no more than two weeks holiday entitlement maybe taken at any one time. Health and safety Contract 1: there is no mention of health and safety in the contract. Contract 2: employees are reminded that they are responsible for observing and complying with all health and safety rules and to work at promoting health and safety at work not only for themselves but also for their fellow employees. NFL is duty bound to ensure that they comply with all health and safety rules within the workplace and to place total importance on the health and safety and the welfare of employees at work. NFL also needs to follow the health and safety act at work 1974. If NFL does not do so appropriately then they are able liable to criminal prosecution. Therefore NFL needs to put all procedures and policies in place in order to ensure that employees follow them carefully and remain safe. Maternity and paternity Contract 1: There is no mention of Maternity or Paternity in this contract. Contract 2: this contract states that an employee who is pregnant has the right to the time off with pay. The right to Paternity is set out in the Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulation 2002. The right applies to those individuals who share a sufficiently close relationship to the child or its mother. The law states that if an employee is pregnant or adopting a child she could be entitled to 56 days leave and her partner could be entitled to 2 weeks paternity leave. NFL will need to comply with this legislation. The impact of this law will be that if a man /women take this leave, they are legally entitled to their previous job role upon their return failing which she or he can appeal against the unfair dismissal in accordance with the unfair dismissal act. Confidentiality Contract 1: Information relating to the employer, the employer’s family and the employers domestic or personal circumstances is strictly confidential Contract 2: You must not disclose any confidential information relating to the business affairs of the company during your period of employment or even after you have either resigned or been dismissed. The Data Protection Act 1998 states and controls how you use the information of others with regard to businesses or the government. NFL too needs to abide by this act and to inform employees of their responsibilities in this regard. The impact of the law for this legislation for NFL is that they must ensure that all information is kept strictly confidential. Disciplinary Procedure Contract 1: Minor problems will be dealt with and resolved informally. In case of serious problems, first a verbal warning will be given and then it could be followed by a first written warning and if need still arose then a final warning could be issued after which further misconduct could lead to dismissal. Contract 2: disciplinary procedure can be found in the staff handbook, you do have the right to appeal against a disciplinary or dismissal decision, the procedure for which is detailed in the disciplinary and dismissal procedures. The impact of this legislation is that NFL needs to make sure in case of dismissal of an employee that all disciplinary and dismissal procedures have been duly observed and complied with. Termination of contract Contract 1: you will be provided with one weeks’ notice of termination before the end date given in this contract. You are required to give the employers one week’s notice should you wish to terminate your employment before the end date. Contract 2: the company will give a minimum of one day notice of termination for up to four weeks service. After 4 weeks employment you are entitled to receive one weeks’ notice increasing to two weeks after 2 years continuous service. There after you will be entitled to receive a further week’s notice for each additional year’s service up to a maximum of 12 weeks after the 12 or more year’s service. Should the employee leave, then he or she is required to give the company one months notice. The law states that termination rights are dependent on individual contracts. So NFL need to be aware of different offers stated in contracts. The impact of this is that NFL cannot dismiss an employee unfairly. Sick leave Contract 1: the employee will be required to inform the employer at the earliest of any sick leave. The employee will be entitled to statutory sick pay on production of an employee’s statement of sickness form for sick leave of more than 3 days. Contract 2: the employee is entitled to his or her contractual pay for the first 6 months of any period of sickness. The law states that you are entitled to sick pay depending on your contract of employment. This will vary from job to job. However any business cannot offer you less than you are entitled to through your statutory sick pay. NFL need to take into consideration the law on sick pay and keeping abide by it , keeping in mind the individual contracts.

Discourse of Language in Our Lives

Discourse of Language in Our Lives Discourse of Language in Our Lives Introduction When a human start living in this world, then he adopts set of rules and properties that become his identity and sometimes there are certain traits that will define live and become our identification. The way which we adopt in our lives and the method that we use become the part of our identity and we are then recognized and known on terms of those traits and qualities. Even the simple tasks like walking, talking, reading and writing set us in a certain box and our social status and the role is decided on the basis of it. A number of tools are used to define a discourse in life and among that tools language is the most important one being the social animal, we have to communicate with people and to make relations with them. While living among the group of people, it becomes essential to communicate with them on daily basis and this communication process may change from people to people. Moreover, a single people may communicate with different people differently depending on the socia l status and the role of that person in our lives. Here, use of language as the identity of the person and the role of language in our lives, while we communicate with people. Investigation Being a single person we adopt different roles in our lives and then these roles give us the identification and determine our role in the lives of the others. Our communication and use of language is dependent on the person we are talking to, the gathering in which we are, the current environment or the background of the communication. All these factors affect how we use language and how we interact with people. We adopt different discourses with parents, friends, teachers, siblings, bosses, acquaintances and relatives. We will discuss discourses of parents, friends and teachers. Our first communication and interaction is always with our parents. The relationship that we have with our parents cannot be developed with any other person in the world. Since we are in the habit of watching our parents taking care of them and providing us all we need, so we feel indebted to them, all through our lives. In the type of environment where I grew up, there was never option of calling parents with their first or Last name and it is considered a serious disrespect of the parents. It is even considered disrespect to lie down or sit, when they are standing. In order to address my parents I call them by saying dear mother or dear father. No matter how much friendship we have with our parents, it is obligatory to give respect to them and to use the tone that shows respect for them. When I will need to go out of house, instead of informing them I would ask, may I go out for an outing with my friends or can I go to the birthday part of my friend. If I am hungry I will ask, mom can I have something to eat please? While communicating with parents, it is essential to take care of the fact that they are the ones who guided us throughout our lives and have the right to make decisions for us. Even in opting for a career I did ask that what do you suggest is this decision right for me or should I think about something else. My relationship with friends is completely different than what is with the parents. Usually we have to pay no such attention to the selection of language. We may use slangs and the vernacular speech while talking with the friends. In the environment, where I grew up, the last name of the friends is taken and we call them with their last names only if we feel more association and love towards them. If I have a real close friend by the name of Thomas Butler, then I will call him like Hey Butler, how you doing and usually the first name are is taken for the friends with whom we are not very friendly or in the beginning of our relationship. If I am together with my friends, I would say, hey I am becoming a bear (used instead of hungry as a bear), do you want me to eat you or will you give me something to eat? If one of the friends fall down and hurt himself, them friends first laugh at him and then ask, Hey clumsy, are you alive? Similarly, if someone is I trouble it feel easier and comf orting to say to him look before you shoot than saying that don’t worry this will be over soon. In short, the language that is used with the friends is informal and colloquial. The place from where I came, teachers are considered spiritual parents. We are not supposed to give them nicknames or to even argue with them. I used to talk to my teachers with same respect that I gave to my parents, but the more formal one. But, since we have a professional relationship with the teachers, so, we have to use more formal and professional language. If I have to seek guidance regarding my career, then I would ask, ma’am /sir can you please guide me on the choice I have made and can you mention what difficulties I might feel in this career. We may ask our parents directly to our parents that we need your help in some matter, but, from teacher we used to ask that can you excuse me and spare some time for me, so I can discuss my issue with you. In the current setting in which I am getting education, we are more informal with teachers that I used to be with my previous teachers. When we are formal with the teachers, we address them from their last name and we do mak e an appointment with them, but, now the conversation is more informal and here the teachers treat students are the researchers and also the member of their own community, as the students who will join them after completing their studies. Looking Forward In university the language that we use is more formal than what we have used throughout our lives. In the beginning of university life, the academic writing that we are taught to do are in accordance with the future needs i.e. the writing we should learn, in order to become a successful researcher and the writer. Academic writing is more formal because most of the work that is done in academics is research related and the information that we have to present to the people, needs to be accurate and while presenting that information and the language that we use needs t be the technical one because the use of technical language reduces complications and the length of the writing. Since the people are working at the same level, in university, so we don’t need to add unnecessary details and informal language, to make it understandable for people. When before writing this piece, I went through a series of steps, like how to read the material that is provided to use, before writing the paper and how to present ideas formally and with a pattern that they seem easily understandable, it is also expected that the information that we present is complete and answer all the questions, that might come in the minds of the people. In academic writing, it is expected that the person should use formal language, technical details professional style and the accurate information. This information and style is necessary in academic writing because, the information that is present by one researcher serves as the source of information and detail, for the other, so the information that is presented, should be accurate and presented in a manner that it is easily readable and understandable. Such expectations from academic writing are due to the need that one person. In order to become a good academic writer, it is essential to have the attributes of good writer, but, in addition, it is mended to have the knowledge of the particular field, in which we are working so that our academic writing can become the actual source of knowledge for the others. It is expected for us to present new ideas related to our field and to present them in most accurate and professional manner. It is certainly needed to become a good writer because if we know how to share information in a proper manner then we can become true successful writer and these are the same things that I also expect from me to be the professional academic writer because they can ensure my success and will help me in becoming the writer who can present ideas in most understandable manner. Reflection We may adopt different roles in life and may communicate differently with people on the basis of that role, but, there are certain terms that do not change and never leave our site, no matter, in which environment we are in and these attributes remain with us all the time. while I was young, I was taught that we have different relations with different people, but, the thing that need to be remembered that all relations demand respect and a relation becomes stronger if we give people their space and never be offensive in the use of language. I believe that this lecture of my parents never left my side. Irrespective of the fact that what type of people I am communicating with, parents teachers, friends, siblings, acquaintances, people of other social class or other religion or culture, I never use offensive language or tone. I do not do it intentionally, but it has become the part of my personality and never leaves me. But, we certainly change our selves while being with other people. It can be well explained by Howard Giles Communication Accommodation theory. We generally want to be appreciated by the people and want to be felt as the part of community or group we are talking with and sometimes we want to separate ourselves from the group. In this case we unconsciously adopt different tones and styles of the people with which we are communicating. When we are among the group of people, we do not want to feel that we are left alone and are not part of that group, that why we tend to change our selves and we tend to communicate differently with different types of people and this thing has become the essential art of our personalities and we now keep on doing it, without giving it much thought. After joining the university we are taught thorough to become a successful academic wrier and in order to succeed in this field, we are taught different techniques and styles and these determine and guarantee our success. If we learn to use the essential parts of becoming the successful writer, we can also develop our own special identity. The shifts in our common languages are due to the unconscious reasons, but, in university, we put conscious effort in becoming a good academic writer because it is the part of our learning process and it can benefit all throughout professional lives we may be the good researcher, but, if we are not good academic writers, then we cannot present our research to the people. We can establish our distinct identity by being more informative, readable and effective writers and our choice of words and the style we use can provide us the distinction among the other academic writers. After earning to become a good academic writer, it is completely on the wri ter to present his ideas effectively. Conclusion Use of language, in a proper way is important and it is also essential to use language in accordance with the environment and the surrounding in which we are in. also, when we reach university, research work and academic writing become essential part of our daily lives. It is essential to learn to become successful academic writer and also to become the most effective one by choosing to write in a manner that is understandable for other researchers.

Expressionism in Black Swan Essay examples -- Film Analysis

The Black Swan is a psychological thriller that documents a prima ballerina’s descent into madness. Nina Sayers is a dancer at a New York City ballet company. Her mother is a very controlling, ex-ballerina whose career ended when she became pregnant with Nina. Having forced his current prima ballerina into retirement, Thomas Leroy, the company's director, is searching for someone worthy enough to play the Swan Queen in his next production. Despite his doubts about her ability to successfully dance the role of the Black Swan, he gives the role to Nina. However, Nina fears Lily is trying to steal the Swan Queen role from her especially when Leroy makes Lily Nina’s understudy. As they move further into the production, Nina's strive for perfection with the White and Black Swan roles causes a slow descent of her mental state. By using a variety of expressionistic techniques, Director Darren Aronofsky uncovers Nina’s worsening psychosis. (Huggo) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an â€Å"anxiety disorder characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform† (Segal and Smith, â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Behavior, and Treatment†). This disorder occurs when the brain becomes obsessed with a specific action or thought. Uncontrollable, recurring thoughts and images, known as obsessions, can take attention away from more important matters. Compulsions consist of actions and rituals that one is compelled to carry out multiple times. (Segal and Smith, â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Behavior, and Treatment†) Nina's obsession is perfection. She states repeatedly that she â€Å"just wants to be perfect† (Aronofsky). Her compulsion is practice. No matter ho... ...chiatrists-diagnose-natalie-portmans-portrayal-psychosis/story?id=12436873&page=1>. Schoenstadt, Arthur. "Bulimia." Bulimia. 23 Sept. 2008. Web. 22 May 2012. . Segal, Jeanne, and Melinda Smith. "Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Effects, and Treatment." Helpguide.org. May 2012. Web. 15 May 2012. . Segal, Jeanne, and Melinda Smith. "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Symptoms, Behavior, and Treatment." Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges. Apr. 2012. Web. 10 May 2012. . Segal, Jeanne and Melinda Smith. "Understanding Schizophrenia." Helpguide.org. Jan. 2012. Web. 10 May 2012. .

Acute Morphology of Streptococcus pyogenes Essay -- Medical Disease Ba

Acute Morphology of Streptococcus pyogenes Abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes is a gram positive coccus bacterium that is extremely common bacteria. This bacterium is part of group A streptococci, which meant that it has a certain type of polysaccharide antigen on its cell surface. It is commonly known as pharyngitis, or strep throat and produces over twenty exotoxins. Even though this bacterium has been around for thousands of years it still has a susceptibility to penicillin and there have only been a few cases of resistance. Streptococcus pyogenes is a gram positive bacteria that is associated with multiple types of diseases. Streptos means a chain of links and coccus means a round object. Together this describes the shape of Streptococcus pyogenes, a round chain of ten or more cocci, each measuring 0.5 to 0.75 ÃŽ ¼m in diameter. This bacterium can cause scarlet fever, streptococcal pharyngitis and erysipelas in humans. It is identified mainly by its ability to create ÃŽ ²-haemolysis in blood agar plates. Streptococci can be separated into groups by a polysaccharide antigen that is deep inside the cell wall. The groups are labeled by the letters ranging from A to R, each group represents a different type of organism that it mostly infects. Group A is mainly pathogenic to humans, while group B is found in cattle. Groups C to R infect animals of lesser complexity. Streptococcus pyogenes is part of group A, which means that the polysaccharide antigen is composed of rhamnose and N-acetylglucosamine and its main host is in humans. The morphology of S. pyogenes is a chain of cocci that are normally in groups of ten and each cocci range in diameter from 0.5 to 0.75 ÃŽ ¼m. They are nonmotile, which means that they 2 have no form of moveme... ...agar plates. S. pyogenes produces many extracellular products, they are called streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins and are classified into three serotypes, A-C. SPE B is the most unique of the three and is responsible for multiple diseases, including toxic shock syndrome. This bacteria does have a weak point, almost all streptococci are susceptible to penicillin. 7 Works Cited Christie, A. B. (1987). Infectious Diseases (Vol. 2, 4th ed.). New York: Churchill Livingstone. Evans, A. S. (1991). Bacterial Infections of Humans (Vol. 1, 2nd ed.). New York: Plenum Medical Book Company. Kaplan, E. L. (2000). Streptococcal Infections (Vol. 1). New York: Oxford University Press. Todar, K. (2002). Streptococcus pyogenes (Vol. 1). Madison: University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bact. Retrieved July 30, 2008, from http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/streptococcus.html

Essay example --

The Great Irish Famine was undoubtedly one of Irelands darkest periods of history. The Great Famine, or also referred to as the Irish Potato famine was from 1845 through 1852 where many people starved, were disease stricken, poor and some forced to emigrate. The reliance on the potato to the Irish people was so great that when the Famine struck, the population declined greatly. The famine caused around one million deaths and another million immigrated to different countries. The Irish people’s health, death and emigration didn’t only impact themselves and their families but also Irelands social and economical state. For what began as a natural disaster, the conditions of Ireland during and post famine were intensified by actions (or the lack of action) from the Whig government. (BBC) In 1800 the British Act of Union made Ireland apart of the United Kingdom after the Irish staged a major rebellion against British rule. Before the famine happened, Ireland was a society in a crisis because of a rapidly expanding population. The population went from 2.5 million to 8.5 million, which put pressure on land, and food. The potato was a cheap crop, which was the staple diet of the rural population of Ireland. While it was cheap and easily accessible, it was also easily diseased. Potatoes are good with cleansing soil so they became more numerous in Irelands agriculture and diet. About one acre of potato growth could feed a family for a year since it is a crop that is healthy and can well feed people. Pre-famine, the rural poor people of Ireland ate around fourteen pounds of potato per person per day. They would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a liquid compliment such as salty water, skimmed milk, buttermilk, etc. The potato was ... ...sh Potato famine from 1845-1852 was Irelands greatest natural disaster that created a lasting struggle. The famine produced struggles that had a great effect on the economic and social trends for many years. The impact it had on the country and its lasting legacy through out the world is significant in Irish history. Unfortunately the famine had great negative impact on the country and forced many citizens to immigrate. The political aspect of the famine was disordered and produced a lot of difficulties and troubles. Although it is unknown what exactly the death count was, it was exceptionally high enough to be called a natural disaster, which occurred within the authority of Great Britian. Great Britian was the most industrially advanced empire at the time. The impact that Great Britian had on the Irish famine produces questions on how they reacted to the tragedy.

Q Manual Essay

After the lecture Tutorials and your learning Reading in your study 2. 8. 1 Reading to understand or comprehend 2. 8. 2 Reading for critical comment Checklist for studying faculty units and courses 13 14 14 15 16 16 Chapter 3 The research process: A basic guide 3. 1 The research process 3. 1. 1 Step 1: Understand the assignment topic/question(s) 3. 1. 2 Step 2: Decide what sort of information you need to complete the assignment 3. 1. 3 Step 3: Decide where to look for this information 3. 1. 4 Step 4: Develop and use a search strategy for database searching 3. 1. 5 Step 5: Evaluate the information found and revise the plan 3. 1. 6 Step 6: Presentation 3. 1. 7 Step 7: Final evaluation Using the Internet for research 3. 2. 1 Some further tips for productive Internet research 17 17 17 17 18 18 20 22 22 23 23 3. 2 Chapter 4 Academic writing skills 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 Characteristics of successful writing 4. 1. 1 Responding to the task Exam question, Accounting and Finance 4. 2. 1 Initial analysis, key terms and directions Structuring your writing clearly 4. 3. 1 Writing structure Forming and expressing your perspective on the task 4. 4. 1 â€Å"Crystallised response† 4. 4. 2 Plan the response Supporting your perspective 4. 5. 1 Paragraph structure 4. 5. 2 Use of references Presenting a consistent and logical response Expressing your ideas clearly 4. 7. 1 Formal academic language 4. 7. 2 Some other features of academic language Checklist for academic writing skills 25 25 25 27 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 31 32 33 33 34 34 36 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 Chapter 5 Writing essays 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 Analyse the task Synthesise your information Plan the essay Reference the sources of information 37 37 37 37 38 Chapter 6 Writing a literature review 6. 1 6. 2 6. 3 6. 4 The nature of a literature review Procedure for completing a literature review Writing the literature review Checklist for a literature review 39 39 40 40 41 Chapter 7 Report writing 7. 1 The process 7. 1. 1 Identify the purpose of the report 7. 1. 2 Identify the readers and their needs 7. 1. 3 Research the topic 7. 1. 4 Outline the report 7. 1. 5 Write the draft 7. 1. 6 Edit the draft 7. 1. 7 The finished product 7. 2 Report presentation and layout 7. 2. 1 Structure of a report 7. 3 Report writing checklist 42 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 44 44 44 46 Chapter 8 Case study method 8. 1 8. 2 Some general issues Problem solving case format. 49 49 49 Chapter 9 Academic integrity and honesty: avoiding plagiarism in written work 9. 1 9. 2 What is plagiarism? Monash University Statute 4. 1 and policy regarding plagiarism 9. 2. 1 What happens when plagiarism is suspected 9. 2. 2 Students’ responsibility Using references appropriately in your written work Use of references in writing 9. 4. 1 Unsuitable use of references Suitable integration of references 9. 5. 1 Techniques for using an author’s ideas 9. 5. 2 A summary 9. 5. 3 Paraphrasing, or writing in your own words Conclusion 51 51 52 53 53 54 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 9. 3 9. 4 9. 5 9. 6 Chapter 10 Referencing. 10. 1 10. 2 10. 3 10. 4 What is referencing? When should you reference? Why should you reference your work? Referencing using the APA style 10. 4. 1 Creating in-text citations 10. 4. 2 Creating a reference list Footnoting 10. 5. 1 In-text citations using footnotes 10. 5. 2 Creating the bibliography 58 58 58 59 59 59 62 69 70 74 10. 5 Chapter 11 Presentation skills 11. 1 11. 2 11. 3 What is a presentation? Planning and preparation 11. 2. 1 Analysing your audience Presentation design 11. 3. 1 Objective 11. 3. 2 Content 11. 3. 3 Structure Visual support 11. 4. 1 Handouts Delivery 11. 5. 1 Methods of delivery 11. 5. 2 Rehearsal Nerve control 11. 5. 3 11. 5. 4 Your voice 11. 5. 5 Non-verbal communication Group presentations 11. 6. 1 Team balance 11. 6. 2 Transitions 11. 6. 3 Support for the speaker 11. 6. 4 Your role as coach Evaluating the presentation Why do some presentations go wrong? 76 76 76 76 76 76 77 77 79 79 80 80 80 80 80 81 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 11. 4 11. 5 11. 6 11. 7 11. 8 Chapter 12 Exam strategies Preparing for exams 12. 1. 1 Establish the type of exam 12. 1. 2 Develop a broad understanding of the unit’s objectives 12. 1. 3 Develop summaries of topics 12. 1. 4 Review unit material and topics 12. 1. 5 Practise past exam questions 12. 1. 6 Multiple choice questions 12. 1. 7 Short answer and essay questions 12. 1. 8 Calculation questions 12. 2 Operating in the exam 12. 2. 1 Reading and noting time 12. 2. 2 Completing the exam Answering multiple choice questions 12. 2. 3 12. 2. 4 Completing written response questions 12. 3 Checklist for exams 12. 1 84 84 84 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 87 87 87 88 88 88 Q Manual Preface and Acknowledgements The purpose of the Q (for Quality) Manual is to provide new students with practical and easily accessible information regarding university-level study. As its name suggests, this publication is aimed at increasing your effectiveness as a student. For many of you who have not experienced university level study, the Q Manual will provide you with ideas, suggestions and guidelines to enable you to achieve academic success by producing quality work, and getting it submitted on time. We suggest you read the Q Manual thoroughly and refer to it often throughout your course of study. The Q Manual commences with an overview of the Faculty of Business and Economics, its goals, structure and expectations regarding student performance, as well as important policy information about student assessment. The next chapter provides useful advice in relation to approaches to study at the university level. Then follows the bulk of the Q Manual, which focuses on research skills, academic writing skills, and in particular, chapters devoted to commonly required academic assignments, such as essays, literature reviews, reports and case study method. The section relating to academic writing and assignment preparation is followed by chapters covering academic honesty and referencing techniques. The final sections of the Q Manual cover oral presentation skills and exam strategies. There are many people whose valuable contributions to this edition of the Q Manual must be acknowledged. They include (in no particular order): Andrew Dixon, Caulfield Campus Library David Horne, Caulfield Campus Library Owen Hughes, Faculty of Business and Economics Sally Joy, Faculty of Business and Economics Lynne Macdonald, Faculty of Business and Economics Michael Scorgie, Department of Accounting and Finance Claire Tanner, Faculty of Arts Our special thanks go to Lynne Macdonald and Claire Tanner for the many hours spent collating and editing the content and for coordinating production of the Q Manual. Without your efforts and patience, this edition could not have been published. Sincere thanks also go to my dear friend and colleague, Glenda Crosling, who has collaborated with me for many years on a number of significant educational projects for the faculty. A dedicated educator, Glenda works enthusiastically and tirelessly, keeping an open mind, and most importantly, always retaining her wonderful sense of humour! Glenda also thanks Nell for her collegiality, dedication, inspiration and hard work on this and other educational projects. Together, we have produced a publication that we hope will assist you in your studies. Finally, we wish you a stimulating, challenging and rewarding learning experience throughout your undergraduate and postgraduate studies with the Faculty of Business and Economics. Nell Kimberley Department of Management Faculty of Business and Economics January, 2008 Glenda Crosling Education Adviser Faculty of Business and Economics Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 1 Welcome Congratulations on your selection to study one of the courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University. This manual is intended to provide you with information on how to produce quality work and achieve the best possible results in your examinations. The major goal of the university is to assist you to obtain an excellent education so that you may take your place in society as a well-qualified graduate. It is important to note that while the courses provide the teaching support and the necessary framework for your studies, success can be achieved only through your personal commitment and dedication to hard work throughout all the years of your course. The following information is aimed at familiarising you with the Monash University study environment and increasing your effectiveness as a Monash student, thereby enabling you to reach your potential. For those of you who are experiencing university level study for the first time, this manual will lay an important foundation and prepare you for a new world. 1. 2 Monash University Monash University was established in 1961 and named after General Sir John Monash (1865–1931). Sir John was a soldier, scholar and engineer, and the Commanding General of the Australian forces in France in World War 1. In addition, as the first Chairman of the State Electricity Commission, he took on the immense task of overseeing the development of the LaTrobe Valley’s brown coal resources. Sir John was a man of wide interests and vast intellectual range. He was this country’s first Doctor of Engineering and exemplifies the University’s motto – Ancora Imparo (I am still learning). The university now has a population of more than 50,000 students from over 100 countries, who speak 90 languages. There are eight Monash campuses and two centres, in Italy and London. The primary pursuits of teaching and research are carried out in the university’s ten faculties. The faculties, which each cover a specific body of knowledge, are: Art and Design; Arts; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Information Technology; Law; Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; Pharmacy; and Science. 1. 3 1. 3. 1 Faculty of Business and Economics Goals The aim of the faculty is to use its scale, scope and unique internal diversity to become an international leader in the pursuit, dissemination and analysis of knowledge, particularly in the disciplines of accounting, banking, econometrics, economics, finance, management, marketing, and tourism. By the application of such knowledge, its staff and students will contribute to the economic, social and commercial development of Australia and other countries in an increasingly globalised environment. 1. 3. 2 Faculty structure The Faculty of Business and Economics is the largest faculty in the university, with more than 17,000 students enrolled over five Australian campuses at Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Gippsland and Peninsula, as well as in Malaysia and South Africa. In addition to a diverse range of undergraduate bachelors degrees, the faculty offers a comprehensive range of graduate courses including an executive certificate, graduate certificates and diplomas, masters degrees by coursework and research, the Master of Business Administration, the Doctor of Business Administration, the Master of Philosophy and the Doctor of Philosophy. Courses are delivered on campus, usually through lectures, tutorials and WebCT Vista, while offcampus students are catered for by distance education. 1 The Dean and the main faculty office are located on the Caulfield campus. In addition, there are faculty staff located at the other campuses. Go to http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/contact/ for location and contact details. 1. 3. 3 Departments and centres The Business and Economics faculty is subdivided into organisations that are responsible for particular areas of knowledge. There are six departments and two research centres. The departments are: Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, Econometrics and Business Statistics, Economics, Management, and Marketing. The research centres are: Centre of Policy Studies, and Centre for Health Economics. They cover fields of study including accounting, banking, business law, business statistics, economics, econometrics, finance, international business, management, human resource management, marketing, taxation and tourism. Whatever your major or areas of study it is essential that you have an understanding of each of the disciplines and how they interact with each other in the overall operations of a business organisation. 1. 3. 4 Aims for learning at Monash University and in the Faculty of Business and Economics The university and the faculty recognise the needs of students for their lives following graduation. As a Monash graduate you will be operating in a globalised and rapidly-changing world, and the university and faculty aim to develop in students’ attributes beyond the ability to understand and operate competently with course and unit content. The aims are that students will develop in ways that will enable them to: †¢ Engage in an internationalised and increasingly globalised world; †¢ Engage in discovery, analysis, integration and application for problem solving and learning with knowledge; †¢ Communicate competently orally and in writing across cultures and settings, including their specific disciplines. As you undertake your studies, you will notice an emphasis on these attributes and you will be engaged in activities and tasks to help you develop them. In the following chapters of this guide, we explain the influences of these attributes on your approach to study. 1. 3. 5 Units Each department offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate units. In a three-year undergraduate degree, there are twenty-four units, with four units to be taken in each semester (parttime students would normally undertake two units each semester). The unit leader or coordinator is responsible for the administration of the particular unit. You can consult with your unit leader, and or coordinator in larger units you may also consult with the other lecturers and tutors. 1. 3. 6 Role of lecturers/tutors Lecturers and tutors have a key role as facilitators of your learning. They are able and most willing to help you with your studies and can be contacted using your student email account. Their email addresses are located in the unit outline. Alternatively, academic staff can be contacted during their consultation hours which are often posted on their door or outside the main administration office. 1. 3. 7 Role of on-line sources of information Monash has adopted a learning management system which provides you with access to on-line unit information. The web contains information that you need to know for the unit, both of an administrative nature as well as useful material for your studies. 2 1. 3. 8 Role of course directors/coordinators If you are encountering academic performance issues, course progression and similar problems you should initially discuss these with enrolment officers or course advisers. You may, occasionally, then be referred to course directors or course coordinators to help with these issues. Undergraduate students are referred to course directors or course coordinators by the faculty office and postgraduate students by departmental administration staff. If referred, course directors and coordinators are available during their consultation hours. 1. 3. 9 Additional important information The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Handbooks and the Student Resource Guide provide important information regarding various aspects of university life. The Student Resource Guide is distributed to all students at the time of initial enrolment and is available on-line at www. monash. edu. au/pubs. It contains details of the university’s code of practice for teaching and learning, as well as grievance and appeals procedures. Further copies can be obtained from Student Service Centres on all campuses. An excellent resource for students is also available on-line via the student link on the Business and Economics Faculty webpage at http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/. The site contains links to important information regarding: courses and units, admissions and enrolments, schools and departments, exams and results, administration, study resources, calendars and timetables, IT and computing, support services, careers and employment, international students, and clubs and associations. 1. 4 Faculty expectations of student performance As students of the faculty, there are a number of units that you will study as part of your course. Although these units may have differing methods of assessment, the faculty has the following expectations of your behaviour and performance. 1. 4. 1. Attendance and participation at lectures and tutorials Lectures and tutorials are central to your performance in the university. Lectures provide the material you require in order to understand the overall nature and direction of the unit. Important concepts and analysis can be emphasised by the lecturer and put into context for the student. Tutorials are a vital part of your studies. They reinforce lecture material and provide you with an opportunity to discuss material presented in lectures, as well as to ask questions. Tutorials also provide you with the opportunity to develop your oral communication skills. The material presented is not designed to give you one view on a topic but to facilitate your understanding of the issue under discussion. Where there are alternative views on an issue, you should learn to articulate, critically approach and assess these differing positions. 1. 4. 2 Special consideration and extension of time for submission of an assessment task Students need to use a Special Consideration Application when applying for Special Consideration for overall assessment, end-of-semester examinations, or additional assessment for a unit (or units) studied during the current semester. Please refer to the following webpage for information on both faculty and university special consideration policy and procedures: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/spec-con. html Students who require more time to complete a piece of work should apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment task. Reasons for special consideration include serious short term circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness, accident, personal trauma, family emergency or compassionate grounds. Applications should be discussed with the examiner/lecturer/tutor responsible for assessing the task. Please refer to the current student faculty webpage for forms and further information: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/exams/specconsemester. html 3 1. 4. 3 Workload You are expected to undertake private study in addition to attending lectures and tutorials. Preparation of work to be discussed in tutorials is essential. You will also be required to complete assignments and projects and submit them on the due dates. When taking into account the work carried out during mid-semester breaks and exam weeks, you would expect to study more than thirty hours each week. 1. 4. 4 Self-reliance Compared to your school experience, at the university you are expected to be more independent and self-reliant. In contrast to teachers at school, lecturers and tutors usually teach large numbers of students, sometimes as many as one thousand. They are happy to assist you, but you need to approach the staff member and be clear about what you wish to discuss. It is also your responsibility as a self-reliant student to attend lectures and tutorials, prepare your tutorial work and submit all written work on time. 1. 4. 5 Time management. The expectation at the university is that you learn to manage your own time. This applies to full-time students who have a great deal of time available outside of classes, as well as for part-time students who have to balance work and study. The following chapter on study techniques in this manual provides, among other things, some helpful hints on how to best manage your time and get the most out of your career as a student. 1. 5 Student assessment Assessment in a unit may be made up of several components: a formal examination, essays, tests, assignments, oral presentations and tutorial participation. Assessment details for each unit are provided in the unit guide that you will receive in the first week of each semester. The final mark that a student receives in a unit will be determined by the board of examiners on the recommendation of the chief examiner, taking into account all aspects of assessment. The rights of students to have assessed work re-marked are determined at the departmental level. A student can only be failed after the exam paper has been marked by two staff members. All results are reviewed by the unit leader. You can find further information relating to the university’s assessment in undergraduate units and the responsibilities of examiners using the main policy bank link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat /policies/ 1. 5. 1 Examinations For details of examination regulations, please refer to the Monash University Calendar: http://www. monash. edu. au/pubs/calendar/ 1. 5. 2 Use of English dictionaries and calculators As English is the language of instruction within Monash University, foreign language translation dictionaries are not permitted to be used by students sitting examinations. Calculators are permitted if specified on the examination paper, but some units may have a calculator restriction. Students are advised to familiarise themselves with any calculator restrictions applying in units they are studying. For permitted calculator(s) for examinations and units of study go to the faculty policy link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/calculator. html 4 1. 5. 3 Results At the end of each semester, following the completion of examinations, a board of examiners considers student performance as a whole before the results are published. All undergraduate and coursework graduate students who pass are graded into the categories of high distinction, distinction, credit and pass. Honours courses use a different grading system, classified into first class, second class division A, second class division B, third class and pass. 1. 5. 4 Marks and grades Following is a list of marks and grades used within the faculty: 0–49 40–49 45–49 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 N NS NP P C D HD NE WH Fail Fail, supplementary exam awarded by Board of Examiners only to graduate students and under special circumstances Near pass is only awarded to undergraduate students. It may be awarded for the last unit to complete a degree. Pass Credit Distinction High distinction Not examined. Used when a unit is taught over two semesters Withheld. Used, for example, when assessment is outstanding due to a special consideration application or incomplete assessment. DEF Deferred examination granted SFR Satisfied faculty requirements This grading system will be current until 2009. For amendments after this time go to: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/methods-assessment. html 1. 5. 5 Honours grading Honours units are graded as follows: Below 50 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 Fail HIII HIIB HIIA HI 5 1. 5. 6 Examples of grades and corresponding achievement levels HD High Distinction 80–100% D Distinction 70–79% A very high standard of work which demonstrates originality and insight C Credit 60–69% Demonstrates a high level of understanding and presentation and a degree of originality and insight Thorough understanding of core texts and materials P Pass 50–59% Satisfies the minimum requirements N Fail 0–49% Fails to satisfy the minimum requirements General description. Outstanding or exceptional work in terms of understanding, interpretation and presentation Strong evidence of independent reading beyond core texts and materials Demonstrates insight, awareness and understanding of deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic. Ability to consider topic in the broader context of the discipline Demonstrates imagination or flair. Demonstrates originality and independent thought Highly developed analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve very challenging problems Reading Evidence of reading beyond core texts and materials Evidence of having read core texts and materials. Very little evidence of having read any of the core texts and materials Knowledge of topic Evidence of an awareness Sound knowledge of and understanding of principles and concepts deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic Knowledge of principles Scant knowledge of and concepts at least principles and concepts adequate to communicate intelligently in the topic and to serve as a basis for further study Articulation of argument Evidence of imagination or flair. Evidence of originality and independent thought Clear evidence of analytical and evaluative skills. Well-reasoned argument based on broad evidence Sound argument based on evidence Very little evidence of ability to construct coherent argument Analytical and evaluative skills Problem solving Evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Some evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Very little evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve non-routine Ability to use and apply problems fundamental concepts and skills Well developed skills in expression and presentation Good skills in expression and presentation. Accurate and consistent acknowledgement of sources. Adequate problem-solving Very little evidence of skills problem-solving skills Expression and presentation appropriate to the discipline Highly developed skills in expression and presentation Adequate skills in expression and presentation Inadequate skills in expression and presentation. Inaccurate and inconsistent acknowledgement of sources Source: University of Adelaide 2005 6 Chapter 2 Approaching study in the Faculty of Business and Economics Introduction Study at university is like a full-time job that requires commitment, and cannot just be added on to a range of other interests. It differs in many ways from study in other educational settings. A major difference is the independence and self reliance expected of students in their study. This idea concerns: †¢ Managing your time, balancing your study with other commitments. †¢ Your approach to learning in your units. In this chapter, we discuss the implications of independence and self reliance for the way you approach your studies. Assistance with time management is also available from university learning and personal support services, go to http://www. monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/srg/srg-266. html for faculty and campus contacts. 2. 1 The study â€Å"mindset† The units that you study present information, concepts and theories. It is expected that you will understand these fully. In addition, you must think critically and analytically so that you can evaluate and apply the knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. You also need to think about the information from international and global perspectives, and to communicate your thinking clearly and appropriately orally and in writing. This means that you must do more in your written work than merely describe the concepts and knowledge, which will not get you good marks. There are times when you do need to provide definitions and an overview of concepts and theories, but such information usually only functions as an introduction for your integration of ideas, critical analysis and application, in relation to the issue, topic and task. Integration of information and critical and analytical thinking are central to the idea of independence in study. It means that you take an objective approach to the knowledge, concepts and theories. Such an approach is necessary so that you can: †¢ Integrate sometimes contrasting ideas from a range of sources and develop your own perspective on an issue or topic in relation to these; †¢ ‘Pull apart’ the knowledge in your units and explain how the parts all work together (analysis); †¢ Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of knowledge, concepts and theories for particular situations (critical approach). This emphasis may differ from how you approached your study in other educational settings. For instance, you may have expected there to be one right answer, or two sides to an issue or topic. In your university studies, you need to understand that there are multiple views surrounding a topic or issue. The suitability of the view that you develop, often by synthesising several views, depends on the perspective from which you look at the issue. Such a concept of the relativity of knowledge applies to all the business and economics disciplines. In accounting, for instance, particular accounting situations are interpreted in terms of the Standard Accounting Concepts, and in econometrics and business statistics, a set of data is interpreted in relation to a particular purpose, or the needs of a particular user. Your ability to operate in the way explained above is based on you understanding the nature of academic enquiry and discovery, as we explain in the next section. 7 2. 2 Academic enquiry, discovery and independence in study Academic enquiry and discovery are concerned with the development or advancement of knowledge in a field of study, which occurs through research and investigation. Students engage in academic enquiry and discovery, to some degree, when they integrate and apply knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. Thus, in university study, there are: †¢ No absolutes †¢ Knowledge evolves as researchers challenge, confirm or modify earlier understandings. When investigating an issue for an assignment task that is based on evidence from the literature, you need to overview and integrate the range of views surrounding the issue or topic. When you have formed your response and structured your written work to express this, you must indicate to your reader how you have arrived at that view. That is, the ideas and views that you read in the literature function as the ‘building blocks’ of your response. In your writing, if you do not explain to your reader the evidence or the building blocks for your view, you are only expressing opinions. These are ideas unsubstantiated by evidence and are not valued in university study. Another perspective The manager has a range of roles that are significant in the operations of an organisation, and decision making is one of these (Mintzberg, 1979) One perspective Decision making is an important aspect but only part of the manager’s role (Lee, 2000). Decision making in the manager’s role. Further perspective Decision making is the foundation of a manager’s role (Brown, 2002) Figure 1: Multiple views of a topic or issue Figure 1 depicts the situation in relation to a topic in a unit that relies on views in the literature. Note how decision-making in the manager’s role is seen from different perspectives by different authors. In a unit such as econometrics and business statistics, you may be required to analyse a set of data from a perspective of, for instance, a marketing manager, or a city council. Thus, the information in the data that would be relevant for the former would be on aspects such as sales, while for the city council which is concerned with providing services, the emphasis would be on the city’s population and its needs. Thus, in units that rely on data such as econometrics and business statistics, you need to analyse the data, form a perspective on the issue from the data analysis, and then select from your data to support the viewpoint you have developed. In a unit such as economics, it means being able to distinguish between facts and value statements. 8 2. 3 Approaching study in the faculty disciplines As you continue with your faculty study, you will realise that the approaches to knowledge in the disciplines of the faculty differ in some ways. Understanding such variation will help you adjust your thinking and approach across your units of study. This is particularly applicable if you are a double degree student and studying across two faculties. For instance, when you are studying a first year law unit in your Business and Economics degree, you will be presented with problem question assignments. You approach and think about these, and structure information differently, than you would for essays in a unit such as management, or, for example, reports in a marketing unit. You are using different forms of data and evidence, and applying critical analysis in ways that are particular to the unit and its discipline. The approach that the disciplines take to knowledge is reflected in the way information is put together in the texts and in lectures. These exemplify the characteristics of the particular discipline. To develop some understanding, you should think about your units in terms of: †¢ The type of data and info.