A Day with Nelson Mandela

After many days of anxious waiting, I finally managed to obtain permission to spend a day with one of the truly great men of all times. This person is none other than Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was born on the 18th of July, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa. He actively took up the struggle to achieve equality for Africans. The South African Regime of those days introduced Apartheid, which segregated the whites, Africans and the Asians. Mandela was sentenced to five years hard labor in 1962. Subsequently, he was sentenced to life imprisonment (Nelson Mandela, 2007). People the world over, were disgusted with the racist regime led by P.W. Botha and a number of trade and economic sanctions were imposed on this despicable regime. Botha received his just desserts and was paralyzed due to a cerebral stroke. F.W. de Klerk took over the reins of power and released Mandela from prison on the 11th of February, 1990 (Nelson Mandela, 2007). After the exchange of trivial pleasantries, I asked Mandela to expatiate on his achievements and beliefs. He gave me some nuggets of information, which I am setting out in the sequel. Nelson Mandela represents one of the greatest examples of the triumph of the human spirit. He was incarcerated for twenty – seven years, under extremely barbaric conditions by the racist South African Regime. He remained strong, he never lost hope, he was always brave and he never compromised his moral integrity. He was verily the lodestone for the suffering and oppressed humanity of the world. After this he described what he considered to be one of his greatest contribution, namely, the fact that he was successful in reconciling the blacks and the whites in South Africa, ending Apartheid and transforming South Africa into a country that was bereft of bloodshed. The South Africa that he wrought was peaceful and democratic. He also told me that he was a true lover of peace and the welfare of mankind. Moreover, he had never compromised the welfare of his people for his personal freedom and he had never relinquished his political beliefs. With this adamant attitude, Mandela attracted the world’s attention and became the symbol of the sufferings and struggles of black South Africans. He was appointed by the United Nations as an ambassador to deal with the civil war in Burundi and to negotiate with the militia groups (Nelson Mandela, 2007). The personality and behavior of Nelson Mandela made him a very popular leader. He was instrumental in inspiring people to greater heights of endeavor. He gained the admiration of the world’s populace and became a global leader. He was a staunch follower of Gandhi the Indian Messiah of peace, and had followed the precepts of Gandhi in campaigning against apartheid. An extremely interesting fact that he disclosed to me was that he had changed his ideology, which had initially accepted that violence was inevitable to end apartheid to an ideology that used non – violent methods (Nelson Mandela, 2007). Accordingly, his campaigns and struggle did not involve widespread bloodshed. During his period of incarceration widespread crime against blacks and coloreds were committed by the apartheid regime. Despite these incidents, Mandela never harbored thoughts of revenge.   He exhorted his people to forgive the whites and to reconcile their differences with them (Nelson Mandela, 2007). It was getting late and I had to bid farewell, although, unwillingly, and as a parting gift; Nelson Mandela told me that after assuming Presidency, he had instituted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in order to promote peace and reconciliation between the enraged and vengeful blacks and their white oppressors. Moreover, he had introduced several welfare measures such as better housing, education and economic reforms to improve the standard of living of black South Africans (Nelson Mandela, 2007). References Nelson Mandela. (2007, July 30). Retrieved September 26, 2007, from moreorless : heroes & killers of the 20th century: http://www.moreorless.au.com/heroes/mandela.html Nelson Mandela. (2007, July 30). Retrieved September 26, 2007, from moreorless : heroes & killers of the 20th century: http://www.moreorless.au.com/heroes/mandela.html   

Business: Revenue and Target Gross Margin

Additional facts about this case: 1. CHP is believed to be close to a long-term contract to supply parts to Medit, a giant construction company with excellent government contracts in southern France and nearby Euro countries. 2. Mission’s price for the coupling in questions (PT40) is $1. 26, FOB, Los Angeles. The target gross margin for exports is 30% FOB$1. 26 (location Los Angeles) COGS$ . 88 (Fixed) GTM $0. 38 CIF$1. 3627= $1. 36 FOB (1. 05) (1. 03)= 1. 0815 Pricing FOB $1. 33- $. 88= $. 45 $1. 54- $. 88=$. 66 Target (Gross Margin for exports 30%) 3.Mission has a reputation for high prices in the US, and running the factory below capacity limits will raise costs further. 4. International sales missed forecast for 1Q03 by 7%. 2Q03 forecast is $4. 3 million, but early customer response is not encouraging. International sales are now 20% below target. 5. Key account sales force compensation: 70% salary, 15% bonus on sales quotas, 15% bonus on profitability targets. 6. In 4Q02, Mission’s sales to CHP were $83k – 18% of CHP’s flexible couplings purchases. Questions to answer: 1. Write a short, one-paragraph summary of the facts in this case.Mission Rubber Technology Corp. is a company that creates an industrial product. The traffic has created trouble with CHP. Shipping has costs $11,000 for CHP because Mission Rubber Technology error. Damages occur often. The issues need to be addressed be Mission Rubber Technology and CHP is late on their payments. Late payment causes a lack of losing customers and cash, which can also cause a company to fail. Sales 20012002 $114k$165 Increased 165/114= 1. 44 percent growth The American market has become weak domestically and slowing down which businesses tend to lose assets.Sales and productivity decreases causing the growth of the business to also decrease. One of alternative is to globalization seeking for new business. An unsuccessful Cash flow issues can occur because lack of assets or maybe bec ame they okay with paying late. Price 2. Prior to negotiations, what price will you ask for each unit of PT40? 3. What is the highest price you think you can get for PT40 (explained)? 4. What is the lowest price you would accept for PT40 (explained)? 5. What is the highest price you believe CHP will accept (explained)? There are times when the company receives credit from the company instead of cash refunds.

Business Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Cultures - Essay Example These beliefs and expectations produce norms that powerfully shape the behaviour of individuals and groups within the organization† (Schwartz and Davis 33).2 From an employee’s standpoint it would simply be â€Å"the way we see and do things around here.†3 In 1985, noted writer Charles Handy, in his book Understanding Organizations, drew inspiration from Roger Harrison’s (1972) work to link organizational structure to business culture and elucidated Harrison’s four types of business cultures. This culture is centered around a strong leader, who wields all the power and influences the company culture with his personality. For example, Jack Welch (former CEO of General Electric) and Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation). At times businesses are dominated by the owner/founder, for example, Michael O’Leary (Ryanair) and Richard Branson (Virgin). Its structure is usually represented by a web. Dramatic changes can be made to make the business successful as the leader has no opposition. Fair and firm leaders distribute resources equally and are generous to loyalists. As there is no need for consultation and few rules, quick decision making is possible helping businesses react fast to fluid market situations. Fear rules, and there is abuse of power and political intrigue. As only one individual is making decisions, he could make an error in judgment affecting the organization’s success. There is low motivation, high turnover, and poor loyalty among staff, who feel undervalued because of the prevalent inequality. Subordinates work to patronizing their managers to get rewarded. The second level of management is underdeveloped since powers are not delegated. The web can break if the organization becomes too complex and big. In role culture (previously termed â€Å"bureaucracy†), businesses are split into various functions, and every individual has predetermined roles, with a clear reward system. Usually found in large hierarchical organizations with

Trategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trategic Management - Case Study Example In the pat three year, a Emeron ha intenified it focu on growth, annual diviion planning conference have been devoted entirely to thi initiative. (Hitt, Ireland and Hokion, 2006) One element of the management proce i the Bet Cot Producer trategy. With thi trategy, Emeron trive to manufacture product at the lowet relevant global cot that meet or exceed cutomer expectation. Firt articulated in the early 1980, thi trategy enure that Emeron utain high level of profitability, which in turn provide funding for top-line growth initiative. In the pat five year, Emeron' bet cot poition ha improved the gro profit margin by 1.6 percent, allowing u to increae ale and marketing expenditure in upport of growth program. (Hitt, Ireland and Hokion, 2006) Two area in which the Bet Cot Producer trategy ha been particularly effective recently are upplier conolidation and material cot reduction, and etablihing local market preence in developing region of the world. In fical 1993, Emeron formally began a program of upgrading the Company' procurement function to contain inflation in the cot of material. The primary focu of thi program, upplier conolidation, ha contributed ignificantly to material inflation containment and productivity and, therefore, to overall profitability. By reducing upplier by more than 10 percent per year, Emeron ha achieved lower cot of material through leverage. Working more cloely with fewer upplier further enable them to better undertand Emeron' product and manufacturing procee, and to ugget additional cot reduction. In elected intance, the Company ha formed joint venture with upplier to provide the neceary invetment for tate-of-the-art technology to enure that material are available at the bet cot. (Gomez, Lui , David , Balkin and Robert , 2008) Etablihing a local market preence i another mean of achieving bet cot tatu. In the pat five year, for example, while dometic employment level have increaed, the Company ha imultaneouly created approximately 4,000 new job in Aia and Eatern Europe to better erve thoe growing market. Thi expanion of infratructure in developing region provide manufacturing flexibility and the ability to repond to fluctuation in currencie and economie. Additionally, the Company benefit from lower regional cot that are neceary to compete effectively in thee area. The management proce alo include organization planning. Each operation i regularly reviewed to conider it organization tructure and the kill et of it people relative to it revenue and profit initiative. We evaluate the talent pool in each unit to identify high-potential manager, provide career enhancing opportunitie and, a a reult, enure that the human reource are in place to upport our continued ucce. Emeron' hitory of conitent financial performance i the bet meaure of the effectivene of the management proce. B: Identify the potential profit pool that are available to Emeron Electric. Emeron Electric Co. aid it fical econd-quarter earning roe 11 percent on international growth and ale in it egment that make product including communication infratructure and temperature gauge. The electrical product maker aid late Tueday it earned $547 million, or 69 cent per hare, compared with $494 million, or 61 cent per hare, in the year-ago quarter.

Understanding Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Understanding Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Wayne and Deborah (2009) define the term consumer behavior as â€Å"Consumer behavior reflects the totality of consumer’s decisions with respect to acquisition, consumption, and disposition of goods, services, activities, experiences, people, and ideas by (human) decision-making units.† (Wayne & Deborah, 2009, p. 3) The main aim of literature review is to provide an inclusive description about different models and theories of consumer behavior in context of generating positive attitudes related to some particular products or brands. Models and theories are selected which have a core relationship between consumer behavior and marketing strategies. The other main area of literature review is to specifically review the effects of celebrities on some certain products. One way of analyzing the markets is to review and examine the projected goals through customer satisfaction, communication, and anticipation. It is quite normal that marketers conduct public surveys to judge t he consumer behavior and to find out their primary target market. By doing so, they understand the needs of their customers better than competitors and therefore implement their strategic marketing more effectively (Jobber, 2001 and Peter & Olson, 2008). Marketing researchers assert that attracting the new customers to a particular product is much cost effective and harder as compared to retain the existing customers, therefore organizations apply ‘Below The Line (BLT)’promotion model to keep the existing customers loyal with the organizations and to attract the potential customers through some comprehensive advertising campaign and marketing plan (Lanman, 2003). There are certain types of industries which primarily are... The intention of this paper is consumer behavior as the study of individuals, oragnizations, and their procedures with respect to the selection, security, and utilization of products, services, ideas or experiences to put a positive impression on the satisfaction and confidence level of consumer or society. Primarily there are four areas of application of consumer behavior. The first and foremost is marketing strategy and thats why consumer behavior is also termed as psychology of marketing. Obviously the main purpose behind any marketing strategy is to formulate and execute a better marketing campaign. For instance, the media schedule snake or fries advertisements in later afternoon because it considers that consumers are more food receptive during that period of day. It is natutal that each new product takes it time to gain popularity amongst consumers, therefore, the introductory companies need to be finacially strong to stay afloat untill their product achieves commercial dominan ce. Further, it is necessary to make the initial customers plaese because they will actually play the most important role in launching a succeessful campaign. The second applicarion is public policy i.e. to gather the data of ceneral trends of the target market and the atracts thge attiyudes of consumers towrds some specific brands or products. Marketers use several theories and models to attract the consumers and change their behavior by influencing positive attitudes towards different brands.

Discuss red scare or mccarthyism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discuss red scare or mccarthyism - Essay Example Abridgement of civil liberties had had to be resorted to by the United States administration even during the Civil War in the 1860s, and even later. Many Americans had initially resented deprivation, or curtailment, of their freedoms by Abraham Lincoln, but they got reconciled to it considering the imperatives of preserving the Union and abolishing slavery. But McCarthy went berserk in his self-assumed crusade against communists who, he believed till his death shortly after his disgrace, had sneaked into the United States government. Maybe he would have got away with it, or at least got off lightly, if he had not spread his net of suspicion wide enough to include writers, Hollywood celebrities, and even common people; and when McCarthy finally pointed an accusing finger at the United States Army, he met his Waterloo. But by then he had already done irreparable damage to America's democratic institutions. Little wonder, therefore, that even today McCarthyism is synonymous with crucifi cation of innocent American citizens on the cross of unsubstantiated charges. It is against this background that the book, "Give Me Liberty: An American History" by Eric Foner becomes essential reading. "McCarthyism is often referred to as the Second Red Scare, as the (first) Red Scare refers to a time in which Americans feared communist influence in the United States from 1917 to 1920." (Encycle Media; 1990). "Throughout the 1940s and 1950s America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism growing in Eastern Europe and China. Capitalizing on these concerns, a young senator named Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than 200 'card-carrying' communists had infiltrated the United States Government." (Miller; 1965) "Though eventually his accusations were proven to be untrue, and he was censured by the Senate for unbecoming conduct, his zealous campaigning ushered in one of the most repressive times in 20th century American politics." (Miller; 1965) However, "investigation of Hollywood radicals by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 and 1951 was a continuation of pressures first exerted in the late 1930s and early 1940s by the Dies Committee and State Senator Jack Tenney's California Joint Fact-finding Committee on Un-American Activities." (Georgakas; 1992). "Between 1948 and 1956, or later, the government was engaged in political repression of the Communist Party, USA, its leadership, and others suspected of being communists. After the allegations that both assistant treasury secretary Harry Dexter White and Franklin D. Roosevelt's advisor Alger Hiss were Soviet agents, loyalty tests were required for government and other employment, and lists of 'subversive' organizations were maintained." (SourceWatch; 2008). While the witch-hunt launched by McCarthy against mostly innocent Americans has been both publicized and condemned internationally, its social costs have not received due attention. "Congressional investigations of the 1940s and the 1950s fueled the anti-communist hysteria which eventually led to investment of thousands of billions of dollars in a nuclear arsenal." (Navasky; 1980). "McCarthy

Do countries that vote against the US trade less with the US Essay

Do countries that vote against the US trade less with the US - Essay Example International organizations are meant to make use of democratic procedures in all their decision making since they obtain their legitimacy from the countries they govern. However, the UN appears not to base all its operations on this tenet. This is primarily based on the hypothesis that super countries such as the US use their economic, as well as political might to persuade less superior countries to favor them in their voting endeavors. Varied studies have identified links between UN voting and financial aid from national and institutional donors. One of the most vital studies found that aid from multilateral donors such as the World Bank and the IMF is determined to a significant extent by countries that make major contributions to these institutions (Oatley and Yackee 416). Therefore, in addition to influencing the flow of their own donations, rich countries such as the US also influence the flow of aid from international donor organizations. Notably, so as to enhance its buy-in of significant powers, the US incorporates in its voting strategies, among others, deviations from majority rule, for instance, through weighted voting and consensus norms in global financial powerhouses such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and at the World Trade Organization (WTO). A vast majority of international organizations are renowned for their deviations from democratic voting, for instance, through induced voting on account of adverse implications associated with going against countries such as the US. The US is known to make use of its direct, as well as indirect links, to sway voters to vote in their proposals or requirements at the UNGA. The voting strategies employed by the US at the UN are linked to bilateral international aid with global institutions such as the IMF and World Bank. This is implicit of the fact that elements such as financial aid and trade relations are used to corrupt the process of voting at the UNGA (Oatley and Yackee 417). The corrupt proc ess of indirectly buying votes entices countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran into voting for the US rather than against it at the United Nations General Assembly. Scholars who have long examined the US Congress poise that the US uses campaign contributions, as well as other special financial endowments, to influence the voting tendencies of other countries at the UN. Economically endowed countries such as the US both purchase votes and offer financial and political assistance to friendly regimes, particularly in countries that have long experienced political strife, for instance, Syria and Iran. The foreign trade and global economic policies of the US have significantly altered trend in the course of the more than two centuries that the US has been a sovereign country. In the early years of the country’s history, the government and business environment focused intently on the development of the domestic economy regardless of the occurrences in other countries. Howeve r, since the Second World War and the 1930s Great Depression, the US has generally endeavored to coordinate the global economic system and reduce trade barriers (Oatley and Yackee 419). The US’ commitment to free trade has been rooted both in political and economic factors. For instance, the US has increasingly considered open trade as the means through which it can advance its own economic

Right to silence - Protecting only the guilty Dissertation

Right to silence - Protecting only the guilty - Dissertation Example It would also be necessary in this review of literature to consider the situation that would arise should the rule be abolished in its entirety. Besides, it would also be appropriate to assess the effect on legal professional privileges as a result of the change in rules and its impact on the conduct of criminal cases. Present status of the right to remain silent: Under the laws of the United States, a person cannot testify for himself. Thus, under the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, a person cannot be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.† (U.S. Constitution: Fifth Amendment, 2011). Thus it is well within the ambit of a person’s Fifth Amendment rights to refuse to answer any questions put forth by a policemen or any law enforcement authority to assess a person’s complicity or otherwise in a crime. A person could refuse to testify not only in order to save himself from the possible use of his stated words against himself, or even to disapprove his involvement, or state a claim of his innocence in a given case scenario. However, the laws are now changing and there are proposals to bring about reforms in the aspect of the right to remain silent during questioning. In the landmark case of Miranda v Arizona 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the Court reiterated the suspect’s rights under Fifth and Sixth Amendment of US Constitution. A suspect does have a right to remain silent and also has to be informed that whatever statements he makes could be used as evidence against him during trial proceedings. Besides, a suspect has the right to a lawyer, who could act as his counsel and be present during interrogation of the suspect.†You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?† (What are your Miranda Rights?, 2010). However, it is seen that in recent times, there are proposals to change or reform the concept of the right to silence enjoyed by suspects in cases. In the year 2010 case of Berghuis v. Thompkins, the defendant, Thompkins accused of first degree murder failed to invoke his Miranda rights to remain silent and to counsel because he failed to do so "unambiguously." Moreover, the Supreme Court reasoned that Mr. Thompkins waived his Miranda right to remain silent when he "knowingly and voluntarily" made a statement to the police. The Supreme Court further held that, even if Mr. Thompkins' counsel was ineffective, he cannot show he was prejudiced by counsel's deficient performance – a prerequisite to establishing that his Sixth Amendment right was violated.† (Thompkins, 2009). This was indeed a departure from the Miranda judgment regarding enforcement of Fifth Amendment laws, and is a decision by the United St ates Supreme Court in which the Court considered the position of a suspect who understands his or her right to remain silent under Miranda v. Arizona and is aware he or she has the right to remain silent, but does not explicitly invoke or waive the right. The changes in the law are evident in the fact that Miranda ruling could not be enforced in the Sebastien Boucher case. In a recent case of In re Grand

Reading Response #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reading Response #3 - Essay Example the article describes, about how the class room atmosphere or its appearance imposes an impact on the teachers, children and education system of the school and the process through which it develops the structure of the education and intellectual capabilities of the children in the later stages of their life. Secondly, it further discusses about the critical aspects of school environment by analyzing different kinds of methods such as Macro Analysis, school appearances and classroom analysis among others. Thirdly, the article portrays the expectations and influence of the kindergarten teachers about the chances of the success and failure of the children within the available education environment. The final and the fourth stage reflect on the fact that the article expresses the thought of equal distribution and educational opportunity among the children. The author plans to observe the poor children in formal and informal ways as well as record their activity and development within the school and clarify the benefits that have been derived from the analysis. The article provides the information regarding the process of that the school environment follows in terms of the teacher’s involvement and expectation, which influenced and benefited for increasing a diverse view towards the future development of the children. In the provided article, the author discussed about the distribution of Socio-Economic Status of the children in the kindergarten school. He divided the family based on the number of the children who were associated with the school. Following the segregations the author classified those selected in 3 tables that are designed based on the sitting arrangement specified for the children. The children who are the only child of the parents have been depicted under Table-1. The depiction under Table 1 is reflects on the fact that the lifestyle followed by the people is more sophisticated and quite different from the other people who are listed under Table-2

Colonial America & American Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Colonial America & American Art - Research Paper Example What is most striking is their approach to social, economic and political inequality, a theme that has run deep throughout American history, and continues to do so today. Zinn begins his account of American history, predictably, with the first expeditions of Columbus to the New World. Some pages later, the author gives a clear excursus on his approach to and conception of history, and his view on the role of the historian. Zinn explains that he has rejected history which involves a grand narrative of political events, of war and of conquest; in short, he has rejected the history of the nation. He quotes Kissinger’s assertion that ‘History is the memory of the State’ in order to reject it (19). Kissinger, by contrast, was most interested in a model of history based on the nation-state, and relations between nation-states. He penned several works on theories of power relations, and on the history of European state relations in the 19th century. Zinn suggests a diffe rent approach – an attempt to view history from the perspective of ‘the people’: ‘the story of the discovery of America from the viewpoint from the viewpoint of the Arawaks, of the Constitution from the standpoint of the slaves, of Andrew Jackson as seen by the Cherokees’, and so forth (10). ... This is in contrast to the more conventional view of history taken by Craven. Craven’s book is essentially a catalogue of the styles and trends in art and architecture which have developed and flourished at different stages in American history. The historical summaries given at the beginning of each major section (i.e. Colonial America, Federal America etc.) are essentially a narrative of high political developments. The historical introduction given to the Federal period is a particularly good example. Having mentioned that the newly-independent colonies were troubled by their squabbling Congress, Craven goes on to emphasize that America was ‘also the home of a large number of exceptional men – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton, to mention but a few’ (110). This presentation of the ‘great men’ view of history, explored in some detail by the great 19th century historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle, could not be more different from the presentation of the so-called ‘Founding Fathers’ in Zinn’s account. In a chapter entitled ‘Tyranny is Tyranny’, in which he charts the beginnings of the American Revolution, Zinn interprets events in a framework which could easily be called Marxist (59). He sees the events leading to the War of Independence as a struggle between the working class and a landowning, wealthy class for control of political power in the nascent country. The initial skirmishes may have been the work of commoners, but, as Zinn sees it, ‘certain important people in the English colonies’ the seized control of the convulsions (59). By creating a

Accounting Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Accounting Information Systems Essay Every Company or Business has different Information Systems that the use to run the Company. There are various types of information systems employed by payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and accounting? Types of Information systems that are employed by payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are Paychex, UltiPro Payroll Software, ADP Payroll services, Intuitive Payroll Systems, and QuickBooks Payroll. Various types of Accounting Software is Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, Intuit Quicken, Sage 50, and QuickBooks. Paychex Inc. s a payroll and human resource service company which serves approximately 572,000 businesses in the US. The company provides services including Payroll Services, Time and Labor Management, HR Administration Compliance, 401(k) Employee Benefits, Group Health Insurance, and Paychex HR Solutions. UltiPro by â€Å"Ultimate Software† is a comprehensive payroll, HR and talent management system that is delivered on-demand as Software-as-a-Service in the cloud, giving organizations a highly accessible solution for human capital management (HCM). See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay QuickBooks payroll is used for payroll, calculating taxes, and filing and paying taxes. You can also switch to running QuickBooks payroll manually. Manual payroll requires you to calculate, file and pay your own taxes. Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that can be used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. Other operations that excel can be used for includes: graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends and sorting and filtering data to find specific information. QuickBooks is accounting software developed and marketed by Intuit. Sage 50 is an accounting software. With sage 50 you can manage cash flow, custom payments, and collections. You can gain insight with custom reporting for budgeting, cash flow management, and benchmarking. Also Track inventory, plan purchases, or expand service offerings and Reduce errors and deter fraud with screen-level security and a clear audit trail. Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer. The company is owned by Riordan Industries, which is a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. The products that they produce is plastic beverage containers. The containers are produced in Albany, Georgia, the custom plastic parts produced at its plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and plastic fan parts produced at its facilities in Hangzhou, China. They employ 550 persons with projected yearly earnings of $46 million. Riordan Manufacturing’s mission is to focus its industry leaders in using polymer materials to provide solutions to our customer’s challenges. Riordan is a privately held company. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is Hugh McCauley and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is Dale Edgel. Individuals in a business usually do not work alone all the time, but instead in teams, committees, departments, and other types of workgroups. Riordan Manufacturing is one of them. The hardware that Riordan Manufacturing used within the organization to support information systems is Management information systems, internal control system, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System. The hardware this used is very sufficient. Todays ERP systems can cover a wide range of functions and integrate these functions into one unified database. ERP is a way to integrate the data and processes of an organization into a single system. Other hardware that is used to support the information systems is a monitor, processor, printer, and keyboard. They all work together to accept, process, show data and information. The types of software applications that is utilized to support the information systems is Windows NT 4. 0. Windows XP would better meet the needs of Riordan Manufacturing. Windows is very much a compatible software and it is easy to use and user friendly. Payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivables, and accounting information systems interact with one another. They all do this by storing and maintain information relating to business or financial transactions. Accounting software packages usually consist of several different modules based on the traditional manual accounting process. Modules include general accounting, fixed assets, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll. The accounting information system is divided into following sub-systems. The sub-systems include but not limited to payroll, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. The integration of the sub-systems leads to greater accuracy and higher speed with inputting and maintaining information. With that being said all four interact effectively. I would make some viable recommendations or uggestions to management to make the organization more efficient. Some recommendations or suggestions that I can make is making everything mobile. They can take advantage of mobile devices and mobile workforces to get information spread quicker. They can make the business more social. They can do this by integrating social technologies and using social networks to advertise the business. Riordan can do away with paper record keeping and use technology to record information. They also can elaborate more on the hardware and software that they utilize to support their information systems. It was very difficult to find certain about the company. Riordan Manufacturing can make public information easier to find and more readily available to whomever needs to view it. Other areas of business of improvement that I would make is sharing resources, software applications that are installed on servers, and managing resources better. In all business can always use room for improvement because things changes and there is always a continuous growth when it comes to new advances in technology. Change is never a bad thing. With making the organization more efficient allows things to be a lot easier and run more smoothly.

Review of Eric Johnsons Psychology and Christianity

Review of Eric Johnsons Psychology and Christianity Review of Eric Johnsons Psychology and Christianity: Five Views TITLE: Psychology Christianity: Five Views EDITOR: Eric L. Johnson EDITION: 2nd CONTRIBUTIONS BY: David G. Myers, Stanton L. Jones, Robert C. Roberts Watson P.J., John H. Coe Todd W. Hall, David Powlison PUBLISHERS: Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2010 NUMBER OF PAGES: 319 PRICE:  £14.37 Introduction This book discusses five views on the relationship between Psychology and Christianity. The five views, put forward by seven contributors, include: A Levels-of-Explanation View, An Integration View, A Christian Psychology View, A Transformational Psychology View and A Biblical Counseling View. Each view is also mirrored by proponents of other approaches. The editor provides an insight through the preface and the introductory and concluding chapters. In the preface, he clearly puts the background to the book and its coverage in perspective. Chapter 1: A Brief History of Christians in Psychology In this 39-page chapter, Johnson gives the history of the debate on psychology and Christianity and summarises the five approaches. He traces biblical psychology to creation. Johnson rationalises that, from the beginning of creation to His continuous orderly guide, God presents a rationality that can be verified. He argues that the history of Christianity has shown science as a cardinal gift from God. He further talks about late modernism witnessing Darwin’s perverse theory of evolution with psychological developments replacing biblical study and philosophical reflection. Johnson also discusses the church’s intellectual crisis and the responses of Christians to the new psychology and finally highlights the five approaches of the book. Chapter 2: A-Levels-of-Explanation View Myers begins his 30-page exposition by looking at differing definitions of psychology over time and replies inquisitive critics that psychological science and Christian faith blend well. He argues that one’s perspective depends on what one wants to talk about and that religious and scientific levels of explanation and analysis are often complimentary. He sees no contradiction of explanations at different levels and states that psychological science, hidden values and spiritual awe are complimentary. He also argues that our values, ideas and predictions guide research thereby exposing the reality. He claims that people of faith have no problem with psychological inquiry and that a connecting link exists between the two. Myers tabulates â€Å"Seven Ways to Relate Faith and Psychology† with examples (p.57). He states that several of psychologists’ conclusions concerning attitudes, behaviour and situations are drawn from religious ideas. He states that psychology cha llenges us sometimes to examine some cherished ideas and consult the Scripture as in research on erroneous thinking and new information about sexual orientation. Myers concludes that psychology and faith share the same ideals of humility and scepticism. He summarises the several links between psychology and faith and warns that psychological science should not be seen as the final word but rather keep alive the â€Å"ever reforming Reformation spirit† (p.75). Other writers agree that Myers’ piece has a bias for good science but there are also criticisms of his view. Jones, for example, faults Myers’ approach for failure to specify which beliefs will shape the work and for offering nothing compelling from science itself. Watson too sees Myers’ definition of psychology as suspect and his essay as mere Christians’ interpretation of various scientific findings. Coe and Hall claim that Myers’ approach provides only complimentary views with no proper articulation to critique and that it is merely descriptive and not prescriptive. Lastly, Powlison states that Myers’ example of rationality is ambiguous and that his treatment of self esteem and self-affirmation is futile. Chapter 3: An Integration View In his 28-page essay, Jones looks at the integration of Christianity and psychology as the employment of â€Å"God’s true Word† (p.115) and the elements include biblical truth, methodical science and argumentation, psychological learning and Christianity. He talks about engaging psychotherapy theories critically and constructively. He examines several studies and argues for the need to frame the understanding of the client in counselling and psychotherapy in terms of the Christian understanding of Jesus. He advises that there should be careful reflection on the Bible to understand better what it says about sexuality and homosexuality for future research. He concludes by defining integration as â€Å"the discipline and profession of psychology with a commitment to having one’s Christian convictions shape every aspect of one’s work† (p.125). Myer notes the similarity between him and Jones in using science to interpret the Bible. He faults Jones, however, for overstating the extent to which biblical truths are as stable as empirical evidence. Roberts sees Jones as integrating two dissimilar concepts – psychology and Christianity and making one thing out of two things very strange to each other. He advocates that Christianity and psychology should be seen as one. Furthermore, Coe and Hall criticise Jones’ failure to adequately criticise a wrong view of science which excludes the study of faith and values. Lastly, Powlison, criticises Jones for restricting the impact of Christianity to narrowly religious topics and for failing to mention details of human experience. Chapter 4: A Christian Psychology View In their 30-page essay, Robert and Watson state how one psychology assumes several dimensions that are similar to many psychologies. They call for the retrieval of the long tradition of Christian psychology as a first step with the Bible having a special place. They say that the sermon contains psychology because it conceptualises â€Å"personal well-being† and the broad themes of character traits and attitudes and preaches against psychopathology topics like divorce and hatred. They further look at Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 5 as containing virtues qualified to be psychological themes. Their second step concerns empirical research within the Christian tradition on human beings like in contemporary psychology. Thereafter, they write on Operationalising the Christian Tradition by using socio-scientific methods. They also call for future comparative empirical investigations that will conform to world views. Finally, they see the prospects of Christian Psychology as promisin g. Myers agrees with Roberts and Watson’s psychology from broader perspective. He, however, sees their call for a distinct Christian Psychology as misdirected and irrelevant. Jones praises this work too but sees a problem in Christian psychology being treated as a singular entity. Coe and Hall criticise the view for failing to affirm what Christianity itself affirms and for its two-step approach for empirical work. Finally Powlison sees a similarity between Christian psychology and his own brand of Biblical counselling and raises some similar research questions that may arise from both approaches. He, however, â€Å"felt jarred by Roberts and Watson’s use of the word trait to describe the quality of flourishing humanness† (p.197). Chapter 5: A Transformational Psychology View In their 46-page essay, Coe and Hall look at transformational psychology as a model which tries to mould â€Å"traditional way of thinking of psychology in relation to Christianity† scientifically (p.199). They discuss the history of psychology and engaging in psychology in the spirit. They also discuss the practitioners doing one single psychology but with a complex study of reality in faith and those doing psychology as descriptive and prescriptive science. They thereafter address the issue of existential and theoretical framework as it relates to the person, the process and the product of practising psychology in conformity with God. They explore five levels of transformational psychology on theories, research and training which are depicted in their figure 3 labelled `Contours of a transformational model of psychology` (p.222). They conclude by emphasising that focus of transformational psychology is on the person and process, and affirm that the implications are compellin g. Myers recommends Coe and Hall’s ambitious effort to psychological scientists. He, however, queries their assumptions and dissents from â€Å"their effort to transform â€Å"psychology† into religion† (p.228). Jones criticises their individualism and sees their call for freedom from past thinking about Christian psychology as likely to lead to the argument as to which psychologist is spiritually mature or transformed. Roberts criticises the writers for saying little about the subject of Christian psychology and the character of the psychologist. Finally, Powlison commends them for their comprehensive goals but faults their reliance on the monastic and labels the form of Christianity brought into psychology as problematic. Chapter 6: A Biblical Counseling View This 29-page chapter is by Powlison who sees at the heart of Christianity a coordinated understanding of the basis of work by people. He reveals that God sets the agenda of human blossoming through counselling and says Christians’ understanding is bound to differ from that of other psychologies. He states that Christ’s revelation creates a unique idea of the relationship between counsellor and counselee as well as difference in methodology and counselling location. He argues further that Christian psychology and psychotherapy do not appear in the Bible automatically and that wisdom from biblical counselling is ongoing. Furthermore, Powlison looks at the numerous dimensions underlying the Christian view and implications for helping people. He examines three themes of Nicene Creed and affirms that â€Å"God is the maker of all that is†, that He is judge of both the dead and the living and that Jesus â€Å"came down for us and for our salvation† (pp. 247-248) . He states that Christian faith and psychology are related by reasons of psychology incorporating the feelings, thoughts and experiences of people, supplying systematic observations and descriptions of how people work and giving explanations about human behaviour. He also sketches out how biblical understanding and practice address realities about people’s problems using a thirty-eight year old uncoordinated father of two, Clyde, a medical doctor whose wife and parents also have diverse problems, as a case study. He states that we can make a sense of Clyde’s problem of adjusted disorder and emotions (p.266) by resorting to Christian faith and Jesus’ teachings on heart, faith and love. In conclusion, he foresees his hypothetical Clyde, through the counselling process, taking on the culture of change. Myers sees no serious discussion of the mainstream psychology in Powlison’s view. He queries the effectiveness of biblical counselling but leaves the judgement to others. Jones queries Powlison’s focus on the Nicene fundamentals which do not articulate Christian psychology. He also objects to the counselling offered to Clyde, arguing that, where resources of the faith and the church are inadequate, they should be supplemented with resources from psychological sciences, (integration), and not replaced as suggested by Powlison. Watson praises biblical counselling for adopting revelation from Jesus in its commitment to counselling practice. He faults Powlison’s approach, however, for suggesting that Christian psychologists should only do counselling while they can work on other forms of human endeavours. Coe and Hall see the genuineness of Powlison’s work to relate psychology to Christianity. They, nonetheless, criticise biblical counselling for failing to pr esent a peculiar version of science. They also query Powlison’s use of mainly the quantitative and descriptive methods while ignoring the prescriptive method that talks about values, characters etc. (p.287). Chapter 7: Gaining Understanding Through Five Views In this 22-page chapter, Johnson assists the reader to appreciate the â€Å"multiperspective† nature of the book (p.292). He acknowledges some contradictions in the five views but warns the readers to wait and read all so as to appreciate the valid insights of each of the positions. Furthermore, Johnson encourages understanding of psychology and counselling by participating in the book’s dialogue. Moreover, he advises on having critical ability for understanding. Finally, he encourages us to read this book in order to engage with others in the formulation of a new understanding. Conclusion This book is a huge success by all standards. First, Johnson’s elaboration of the perspectives of the book in his preface and the first chapter of the book serve as a good introduction and a quick guide to the reading and understanding of the book. Second, all the lead authors of the five approaches have also tried hard to articulate their views and their contributions bear an imprint of lofty scholarly presentation. Third, the co-contributors to each of the five approaches assist the reader to see the interdependence of the five chapters on one another. Fourth, the co-contributors to each chapter also discuss the perceived weaknesses of each approach thus assisting the reader to have a balanced view of the whole book and to form an impression about each of the approaches. Fifth, the references to each of the seven chapters are appropriately put at the end of each chapter thereby encouraging easy crosschecking of facts. Besides, the references have a uniform style – the APA style. One noticeable weakness common to most of the writers is the tendency to exclude Jesus Christ, the basis of Christian belief, from their works. Another weakness is the difference in style exhibited by the writers, especially the supportive writers of each chapter. While some of them have headings and sub-headings for their works others do not. Some of the supportive essays failed to reference their supportive essays. These flaws, however, become inconsequential in view of the book’s sterling qualities. The objective of the book to give an opportunity for Christians to dialogue publicly about the value of psychology and the problems in psychological study and counselling practice has also been largely fulfilled. Based on these outstanding qualities, I wish to recommend this book to practitioners in psychology and Christian theology and indeed the general reading public. Ayo Adeola Emordi COU 2001 Book Review 1

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme Research Methods BT1 Numeracy Abstract This research will investigate the readiness of students to join the basic training program. It will focus on the perceptions of staff at No1 Radio School while marrying these comments to student performance. The research will focus on the levels of numeracy within the student population and their ability to apply this to the course material, whilst relating this to their current level of qualifications. These issues are not purely associated with the Royal Air Forces training but are prevalent throughout the education and training sectors. The subjects of literacy and numeracy have been identified as areas that are vastly under research, it is hoped that the issues raised in the short research project will identify further research questions that in turn may form part of further research. Introduction The field of work this research will investigate lies within the MoD, specifically the RAF at DCAE Cosford. The school being used to conduct this research is No1 Radio School, delivering training to Basic Trainees and Assimilation Trainees for all ground trades now known as Trade Group Four (TG4). The students ages range from 17 to 30 years of age. This research will focus on one specific target group, Basic Training 1 (BT1). These students are new members of the Royal Air Force and will have just completed their basic training at Halton (Ten weeks); they have come to Cosford to begin their trade specific training. The course is ten months in length, over which the students will cover both principles and trade training. The entry requirement for this trade is a minimum of three GCSEs, in Physics, Maths and one other subject. However they do accept some individuals with lesser qualifications as an exception and occasionally current members of the RAF who wish to change their trade. The trade requirements are specific and therefore it would be reasonable to assume the students basic level of literacy and in particular numeracy, would be sufficient to allow them to develop throughout this course. Research Issue. This research will look specifically at the levels of numeracy within the BT1 student population. It will try and identify if there is a problem and seek to provide evidence of any issues while providing recommendations for improvement. To ensure that there is no breach of ethics, the research will focus on the perceptions of the staff and the results from the students. This research issued raised questions that required answering, why is it that qualified students find the level 2 key skills and the level 2 maths phase of the BT1 training difficult? It is these issues that have intrigued me for some time. I believe this issue is worthy of research, however it is quite possible that additional questions will be raised that fall outside the scope of this research and may require additional research before they can be answered. Research Focus It has become apparent that new students entering the Royal Air Force as trade group 4 operator maintainers, although qualified for trade do not appear to posses the prerequisite knowledge required to complete the Key Skills at level 2 and the Maths phase of the course. That is not to say they all fail. That would be far from the truth, it is the difficulty they demonstrate when completing this phase of the course. The reason that this research is so important is this first phase of the course is crucial for the students. It gives them the skills and knowledge they require, which in turn will allow them to apply this knowledge to new problems and situations as they progress through the course. These skills could be considered tools of the trade, without a good grasp of these concepts the students will not gain the maximum benefit from the course. Literature Literacy and numeracy have become major issues in the field of education since the Moser report 1999, the working group chair by Sir Claus Moser in the opening statement of the report stated, Something like one adult in five in this country is not functionally literate and far more people have problems with numeracy. Moser, C (1999) This statement is met with surprise when you discuss this subject, however Moser states, We have found that people are staggered when one confronts them with the basic facts about literacy and numeracy, and rightly soIt is a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue, and our Report proposes a wide ranging approach to the challenge Moser, C (1999) Many organisations have concerns about the statistics when it comes to Literacy and numeracy in the adult population, Wells, A (2004) states, Surveys in the 1990s suggested that between 15 and 19 per cent of adults had poor basic skills. However, the International Adult Literacy Survey in the late 1990s suggested a much higher figure of 23 per cent or seven million adults. Wells, A (2004) Are we seeing a true picture of the problem? This research has highlighted concerns from staff about the students abilities. It would seem from the statistics that there is a strong correlation. One area this research was unable to quantify was how does gender affect numeracy, It was not possible to confirm or deny this because there were insufficient females included in the sample group to make a good judgement. However a recent article published by the DFES suggests there is a considerable difference between females and males when it comes to numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) states, Women and men perform near equally for literacy, but men significantly outperform women at numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) At level 2 this is an interesting fact and one that is perhaps worth of further research. If gender is an issue then what about current qualification level. Grinyer, J (2006) states Highest qualification appears to be the best predictor of an individuals literacy and numeracy level, with parental background and local deprivation having larger effects than current employment status Grinyer, J (2006) Research Hypothesis. The research hypothesis should be constructed in such a way that the research can disprove the hypothesis. So while the researcher believes students have issues with numeracy that directly affect their ability to perform throughout the course, and that the accepted entrance qualifications standards do not reflect the abilities of the students, the hypothesis should refute this. (See the hypothesis) The Hypothesis for this piece of research is: All BT1 trainees are sufficiently numerate to attend the BT1 course, as all trainees are qualified to a minimum standard. (Three relevant GCSEs) Research Hypothesis. There are a number of possible questions encompassing a range of different methodologies the scope of this research will be limited to one Research question, below are two possible questions. Why do students on the BT1 course suffer with the issue of numeracy when attending the taught lessons, completing assignments and examinations when they are course qualified? How do staff perceive the readiness of students on the BT1 course to deal with the academics of the course? After consideration and due to the constraints of this research it was decided to use the later, an interpritivest approach. Using this question offers the research some distinct advantages, firstly a limited scope and secondly and more importantly, it eliminates the students from the research which removes a large percentage of the ethical issue that may arise from questioning the students directly. This research should identify how instructors feel about the perceived problems students have when using the different forms of numeracy. Mercer, N states, one function of theories is to set agendas for research  ¿Ã‚ ½ to generate certain kinds of questions which the research will attempt to answer. Mercer in Walford (1998 p.42) This question could use a likert style method of answering, thus allowing the individual to grade their agreement or disagreement of the above question. This question as it stands would not necessarily be suitable for the students to answer as it is likely to produce a Yes/No response, however it could be acceptable for the staff. The same question could be asked in a different way. i.e. How has the GCSE maths helped the students with their study of the other principle subjects? Although it would be more difficult to analyse a short answer would bring out more of the individuals feelings, where as the likert style just grades the agreement or disagreement. Other questions that might be asked are: I. Do you feel the students could complete this course successfully without this qualification (GCSE maths)? II. How did the students maths affect their ability to complete this phase of training? III. Has the student qualification helped them with their studies? Youngman (1986) in Bell said, The more structured a question the easier it will be to analyse. Bell (1999 p.119) Research Paradigm What is a paradigm? A Paradigm  ¿Ã‚ ½ group of coherent ideas about the nature of the world and of the functions of researchers that are adhered to by a group of researchers, conditions and patterns of their thinking which underpins their research actions. What paradigms exist? There are a few key paradigms that exist within educational research positivist and Interpretiveist. Positivist research uses scientific, Statistical analysis and empirical methods, Cohen and Manion said, Traditionally, the word refers to those techniques associated with the positivistic model  ¿Ã‚ ½ eliciting responses to predetermined questions, recording measurements, describing phenomena and performing experiments. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.38) Interpretiveist research deals with human emotions, personnel perspectives. Cohen and Manion said, The central endeavour in the context of the interpretive paradigm is to understand the subjective world of human experience. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.36) Ethnographical methods are interpretivist. Gall, M. et al (1996, p607) say, Ethnography involves first hand, intensive study of the features of a given culture and the patterns in those features. Judith Bells thoughts on quantitative and qualitative research identify that quantitative researchers collect facts and study the relationship. They are measured using scientific techniques producing quantifiable and generaliseable conclusions, where as a qualitative perspective is more concerned with individuals perceptions of the world; Seeking insight rather than statistical analysis. In addition she concludes that on occasions qualitative researchers draw on quantitative techniques and vice versa. This would suggest that one method alone does not have all the answers and therefore we could consider various methods when conducting research. This research will use an interpretiveist methodology, this approach has been selected as the most appropriate as the information will come from members of staff, the information they provide will be their interpretation of the situation hence interpretiveist. This approach has been chosen as more appropriate than positivist approach because there is little scientific evidence and the amount of data collected would be insufficient to produce any valid statistical analysis. Ethnographical and eclectic research was also dismissed although it bridges the gap between Positivist and Interpertiveist research. It would however,still have positivist elements as mentioned previously. However the over arching reasoning for adopting an interpretiveist approach was the limited nature of this research project. Although, it is hoped that the findings from this research will generate further questions and spark yet further research questions for future research Research Methodology This style of research could be considered a case study, as its focus is centred on a specific group of students, belonging to a single organisation. Cohen and Manion state, a case study researcher typically observes the characteristics of an individual unit  ¿Ã‚ ½ a child, a clique, a class, a school or a community Cohen and Manion (1996,p106) While this approach would work it is more suited to a continuous improvement program and not a specific piece of research, in addition the length of time it would take to conduct a program of this nature makes this approach unsuitable. In planning the research, various methodologies were considered, however due to the limited nature of this research and to limit the impact of ethical issues, this research decided that an Interpretiveist approach would be most suited. This style of research is relevant, as the research will investigate the attitudes and opinions of the staff and not the students, while using student data to support or refute the findings. To facilitate this research there were a number of preferred techniques available for gathering the data: Interviews / Meetings Academic results Reference to external sources (Collages, Universities, Schools, Government Departments) The main reason behind this strategy, methods and analysis tools was time. The other key issue was ethics, for these reasons this research will be conducted through focus group meetings with staff using structured questions, this data will then be compared with the average results for a class. This approach will limit the impact of ethical issues and allow some conclusions to be drawn. This approach was discussed with the staff that felt that due to busy teaching commitments this was the most appropriate solution. Judith Bell states, Talking through problems and possible topics with colleagues is an essential stage of any plan. Bell (1999 p.21) The focus group will consist of five lecturers and four instructors, it is envisaged that a single meeting will take place to pose the questions to the staff. The data will be collected via questions directed to the staff in discussion groups; the responses of the staff were recorded. (See Annex B) To support the findings from the discussion groups the students results will be analysed. Data Collection instruments The data collection will be achieved through structured questions delivered at group meetings where the responses will be tabulated; this will give a feeling for the staffs concerns and perhaps some misconceptions. It will also allow any further research to focus its attention on specific areas of concern. Once the data has been collected this can be cross referenced to the student results, identifying any disparities, in addition student results and student retention rates may be useful sources of information. The other methods considered were, interviews, these could be time consuming, as staff are not always available. A well constructed questionnaire could produce valid reliable results in a reasonable time frame. However due to the limited time constraints, this research will utilise meetings with a number of groups and evaluate comments from those meetings to produce an Interpretivist style report. This will not provide hard evidence, however it will illustrate any concerns or trends that may be apparent which in turn could instigate further research. This approach although less structured will give a general feel for the issues, which could lead to further research questions. Sapsford and Jupp note the following facts about collecting data, There are both advantages and disadvantages to both highly structured and less structured methods; in no sense is it true to say that one is more objective than the other. Sapsford and Jupp (1996, p94) Research validity ensures the data collected is accurate and meaningful, collecting data in a non valid way would affect the final analysis; which may produce misconceptions when analysing the research data, thus rendering the research valueless. The research will improve validity through accurate data collection and careful analysis of the results, in addition reliability and repeatability could be enhanced through the triangulation of the data collected. Triangulation is method of verifying the data, checking and ensuring accuracy and ensuring that the findings are qualitative and thus reducing the chance of unsubstantiated data. Cohen and Manion said, Triangulation may be defined as the use of two or more methods of data collection the study of some aspect of human behaviour. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.233) The triangulation of the data was achieved through data collected from the meeting notes; these were then supported by student results and reference to national statistics. Chosen methods of data collection. This project will use a structured set of questions derived from the research question. The aim was to ask these questions at the focus group meeting, where the staffs responses and opinions were recorded. The rationale behind the choice of research and the methodology is predicated upon the limited nature of the research this in turn has limited the choice of methodology (interpertiveist). The limited time scale in which this research was conducted has in turn restricted the modes of research used to produce the data for evaluation; the aim was to gain a feeling from the staff as to how they perceived the research issue. The use of structured questions helped guide the process of data gathering and allowed the collection of data within a very short time scale, this was imperative due to the limited time constraints of this research. The interpritiveist approach allows the staffs feelings to be represented against the set criteria thus giving a good degree of relevant data for analysis. While this approach aided the collection of data at a rapid rate it did not offer the widest selection of data. Other methods could have produced further data to support or refute the findings. However this research hopes to triangulate its findings against student data (examination and assignment results). Research ethics. The matter of ethics is an important one; if the researcher wants to achieve open and honest answers they must consider ethics when conducting the research. To reduce the impact of this research the methodologies have been carefully chosen to reduce the data collection to that of the staff. The students results will be anonymous, to such an extent that the research will not identify the individual students, thus reducing the opportunity for others to identify individuals through the results and class group. Researchers cannot always predict what they might find and they may not like what they find; however it is the duty of the researcher to be open and honest about the research they are conducting. These are some of the things to consider when conducting research: Peoples amenity, that is to say protecting an individuals identity, ensuring that a respondents comments cannot be tracked back to a single individual or group. The Oxford Brookes University classifies research ethics and says, The integrity of any research depends not only on its scientific rigour, but also on its ethical adequacy. Ethical issues are many and varied, and may be quite complex. Research involving human participants is undertaken by many different disciplines and conducted in a broad range of settings and institutions. While some issues are specific to professional groups, all research should be guided by a set of fundamental ethical principles to ensure the protection of human participants. Wood,L (2006) Design Constraints One of the main issues when conducting any form of research is time; given enough time the research could produce massive amounts of facts, figures and an impression of peoples feelings. In addition to time there is always the cost of conducting research. However most organisations would expect any form of research to be conducted within certain time constraints, thus limiting costs and obtaining results within that time frame. Therefore the research can only be expected to deliver some of the information that is available, and that data would need to be substantiated through triangulation, generalisability and reliability. It is the limited nature of this research that has influenced the chosen methodology, interpertiveist. Although this may limit the validity of the research, the triangulation of the staffs comments and answers to the set questions when linked to student results, should give a reasonable confidence in its findings. Analysis of Results The questions asked at the focus group and the responces are given below: The group was asked, Are current BT 1 Trainees academically equipped to join this course? The staff responded with the following statements: Although students are qualified they do not seem to be prepared for the challenges this course offers. Some staff feel that GCSEs are a lower level qualification than a traditional O level (This used to be the entry requirement some years ago.) Although the students are qualified they do not seem to have the prerequisite skills to work effectively on the course. Students do not seem to remember some of the basics of mathematics. It would appear from the response that the staffs perception is that students are not prepared for this course and that the qualifications they hold do not reflect the students abilities. The BBC news web site on 30 October 2003 stated, The survey found 47% of the adults in England or 15 million people had a lower level of mathematical knowledge than was needed to gain a grade G at GCSE. The Department for Education and Skills blamed decades of neglect for figures showing millions of people lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3227263.stm There seems to be a general distrust of current qualifications as opposed to the traditional O Levels. This was the minimum entrant standard for this trade. The group was then asked, Which area of the course do students find difficult? The Maths is the most difficult for students because they do not possess the basic skills required to complete the work. Key Skills, Numeracy Some struggle with Electronic fundamentals mainly due to a lack of maths ability. They coped well with Addition and subtraction, however multiplication, division were more problematic. Additional areas where students struggled were percentages, area and fractions. These are not the only subject areas where students found difficulty, however they cover the major problem areas. These issues are similar to those identified in a recent TES, they stated, In last years skills action plan, the Assembly government revealed that 24% of the working age population lacked level 1 literacy skills and 53% level 1 in numeracy. In Wales, 20% have no qualifications compared with 14% across the UK (TES Cymru, June 30 2006) The focus of the problem seems to be centred on the Maths / arithmetic elements of the course. One of the key areas was Key Skills, in particular numeracy. Students seemed to find this difficult; they did not seem to posses the basics. Staff were asked to consider, Are there any circumstances that might affect students ability to perform on the course? Poorly prepared when leaving school. Length of time away from a learning environment. Lack of ability Some seem unable to apply previously learnt knowledge to new situations. Its is difficult to believe the students were poorly prepared as they all are qualified, suggesting they once had the knowledge, however it is interesting to note the comment about the length of time, as it is well known that constant and repetitive use of knowledge aids retention, lack of use leads to little or no retention of knowledge. A recent news article in the Daily Mail by HARRIS, S (2006) stated, One in five about to embark on teaching careers still have problems spelling and using punctuation as well as doing the most simple multiplication, division and percentages. Harris, S (2006) The question, Do you believe the students are suitably qualified? Staffs response to this was, Yes, they are for the trade and on paper, but do the qualifications match up to the expectations of the course? This alludes to a previous question about students being prepared. Do the qualifications meet the minimum requirements of the course. The answer is yes they do, however there seems to be a void between students retained knowledge and the paper qualifications. To illustrate this issue the House of Commons raised the issue of literacy and numeracy with the Secretary of State for Defence being asked, how many and what proportion of new recruits to the army in the last 12 months had (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills at or below (i) entry level 3, (ii) entry level 2 and (iii) entry level 1. Mr. Touhig replied, Consolidated literacy and numeracy initial assessment figures for recruits to the army in the period 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2005, are provided as follows. Literacy Numeracy Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Percentage 0.71 7.81 32.51 0.19 7.65 37.11 Number of recruits 72 795 3310 19 770 3737 Total number of recruits(11) Literacy Numeracy These figures were given from an Official Report, column 98W on departmental staff literacy and numeracy. No Author (2005) The group was also asked, Are students prepared for the academic rigor of this course? No, Students are ill prepared when it comes to learning in this environment. This may also relate to the time away from a learning environment, the beginning of the course is quite intensive and therefore the students find it difficult to get back into a learning environment. In summary of the responses, the staff feel the students were inadequately prepared for this course. However this was not for lack of qualifications more a perceived difference between the more traditional O Level and the existing GCSE qualifications, while the time away from the learning environment may have its part to play. Student results for the first eight classes illustrate that not all students struggle to achieve good results. (RAF pass is set at 60) So could this purely be a staff issue and not one of the students. As the results below indicate some classes obtain reasonable results, that is to say, not all struggle. The results for the first eight classes are shown below: Maths BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 59 66 75 56 72 66 68 62 Electronic Fundamentals BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 68 73 82 77 73 74 59 While these classes passed the respective subjects, there are some low scores in maths for classes 1, 4 and 8. Electronic Fundamentals produces better results, however class 1 and 7 have still scoured low marks. This information is not entirely conclusive as can be seen from the results, some classes did well. Findings The hypothesis has been refuted through the data collated from staffs responses to questions and the student data, all be it limited in nature this research has been shown to support the staffs comments. The analysis of the questions suggests a lack of ability on the students part, this however does not seem to be predicated on qualification. The staffs perceptions of students abilities seem to suggest the students are not sufficiently prepared to attend this course, more over they are not used to the training methods utilised within the MOD. These facts when grouped together cause the students and staff some problems, however this is not to say that large numbers of students are failing to achieve a pass in these subjects, therefore is there a problem? On the face of it, no. However modifications to the training methodology and some additional sessions may improve some of these issues. This research has investigated a broad range of issues relating to new students entering the RAFs BT1 training program, their ability to cope with the academic pressures of the course and their ability to complete the work to the required standard. It would appear many students, although qualified on paper have some difficulty when it comes to the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phases. Some of the underlying problems relate to the methods of delivery on the course as it is unlike traditional academic institutions. This means that the students take time to adjust to this training methodology and as the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phase of the course is at the front end, it does not allow sufficient time for this adjustment to take place. On the subject of time between learning, many students left school twelve months before joining the course and have not practiced these skills for some time. As with the maths unless a student continues to use these skills they are quickly forgotten. However this does not explain why students do not remember when prompted. Perhaps this could point to a lack of understanding at the initial point of learning and may require further research to substantiate this theory. Recommendations This piece of research has been limited in its nature, however it has allowed the researcher to gain a wider perspective on these issues, to further improve this work and make the findings more valid it is proposed to include the students in any future research. The students were excluded in this case to speed up the data collection and to reduce any ethical issues that may arise from the research. Further research could be developed from the fi

Essay --

Immanuel Williams ... ...d an impact in my life because it has made me more responsible, more focused and more determined to accomplish my goals also putting forth my best effort. This will help me more for practical purposes relate, while also increasing my learning potential because I can learn from other individuals. I believe that knowledge truly is power, and the more I obtain, and the more I can learn from myself and other people, the better off I will be. Bissinger B. James L. Shooting Stars (2009) Eisele R.Hurricane Season (2009) Hogan B. Belman K. More Than a Game (2009) www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public

Female Discrimination in Intercollegiate Sports :: Athletics Feminism Essays

Female Discrimination in Intercollegiate Sports Through the history of human kind, there are evidences that females were excluded from almost everything, including sports. For example, in Greece there are evidences in the form of paintings and sculpture indicating that only males were allowed to participate in sports. Females were absent from these pictures because they were â€Å"unable† to play sports. Females were considered too fragile to play, too weak to stand up to the challenge; their definition of female was a â€Å"home wife.† They could not imagine female wrestling, fighting or participating in other sports because of their ideas of â€Å"women† as weak. This â€Å"image† of female as not being able to play sports was held through centuries until the twentieth century when the â€Å"Revolution† began to bring equality to females. Moreover, this â€Å"image† had bad effects on females’ lives, especially on female athletes, who were not wanted in sports because sports were only for males. Because females were not wanted, colleges and universities tried not to take female athletes and did not give female athletic scholarships. It resulted in decline of participation of females in sports. Females finally had enough of being treated as less than males and receiving smaller funds for athletic scholarships. Around the 1950’s, females started to protest against this unequal treatment in education, sports, and scholarship programs. They had to fight hard to receive any attention at all. In 1972, they were finally heard. Congress had enacted a new law, adding to the Educational Amendment Act, called Title IX. â€Å"Title IX of the Educational Amendment Act of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational programs receiving federal financial assistance† (Kovacs 36). It states: No person in the United States Shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. (Title IX and Sex Discrimination) â€Å"Athletic are considered an integral part of an institution’s education program and are therefore covered by this law† (Equal Opportunities in Intercollegiate Athletics). Colleges and universities are required to provide opportunities for scholarships to both sexes. Those scholarships must be distributed proportionally to the rate of each sex. This does not mean that the number or amount of the scholarships has to be equal. However, the total amount must be substantially proportionate to the participation rates in athletic programs. Female Discrimination in Intercollegiate Sports :: Athletics Feminism Essays Female Discrimination in Intercollegiate Sports Through the history of human kind, there are evidences that females were excluded from almost everything, including sports. For example, in Greece there are evidences in the form of paintings and sculpture indicating that only males were allowed to participate in sports. Females were absent from these pictures because they were â€Å"unable† to play sports. Females were considered too fragile to play, too weak to stand up to the challenge; their definition of female was a â€Å"home wife.† They could not imagine female wrestling, fighting or participating in other sports because of their ideas of â€Å"women† as weak. This â€Å"image† of female as not being able to play sports was held through centuries until the twentieth century when the â€Å"Revolution† began to bring equality to females. Moreover, this â€Å"image† had bad effects on females’ lives, especially on female athletes, who were not wanted in sports because sports were only for males. Because females were not wanted, colleges and universities tried not to take female athletes and did not give female athletic scholarships. It resulted in decline of participation of females in sports. Females finally had enough of being treated as less than males and receiving smaller funds for athletic scholarships. Around the 1950’s, females started to protest against this unequal treatment in education, sports, and scholarship programs. They had to fight hard to receive any attention at all. In 1972, they were finally heard. Congress had enacted a new law, adding to the Educational Amendment Act, called Title IX. â€Å"Title IX of the Educational Amendment Act of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational programs receiving federal financial assistance† (Kovacs 36). It states: No person in the United States Shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. (Title IX and Sex Discrimination) â€Å"Athletic are considered an integral part of an institution’s education program and are therefore covered by this law† (Equal Opportunities in Intercollegiate Athletics). Colleges and universities are required to provide opportunities for scholarships to both sexes. Those scholarships must be distributed proportionally to the rate of each sex. This does not mean that the number or amount of the scholarships has to be equal. However, the total amount must be substantially proportionate to the participation rates in athletic programs.

Gender Studies :: essays research papers

Gender Studies My decision to take the extracts from literary discourse to illustrate the differences between the male and female manner of writing was dictated by the fact that it is more interesting to search for such differences in this very discourse, then in scientific or newspaper, where there are strict rules of how to write (non-personal narration, non-emotiveness, usage of terms; laconic phrases, etc.) In literary discourse one may write whatever one wishes. (Jane Austen. Pride Prejudice) After a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, might be alleviated on his side, by preparations for the reception of his bride; as he had reason to hope, that shortly after his next return into the Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter for thanks. (F. Scott Fitzgelald. Tender is the Night) Rosemary had another dinner date, a birthday party for a member of the company. Dick ran into a Collis Clay in the lobby, but he wanted to dine alone and pretended an engagement at the Excelsior. He drank a cocktail with Collis and his vague dissatisfaction crystallized as impatience – he no longer had an excuse for playing truant to the clinic. This was less an infatuation than a romantic memory. Nicole was his girl – too often he was sick at heart about her, yet she was his girl. Time with Rosemary was self-indulgence – time with Collis was nothing plus nothing. Already from the structure of the passage it is visible which passage was written by a woman and which by a man. Austen writes the events without any consequence, together with her thoughts and comments, whereas Fitzgerald, by contrast, enumerates the events in strict consecutive order. In addition, Austen uses more emotional and subjective adjectives to describe people and their state. It was counted that the female author uses verbs almost half less then the male author does (7:13). In the domain of punctuation, the gender differences are the most conspicuous: Jane Austen tends to the idiosyncratic usage of semi-columns; she does not use dashes in the given passage, whereas F. Scott Fitzgelald uses three dashes (as the indicator of reason-result understanding of events; ٭he prefers to explain the human behavior using a dash) and not a single semi-column.

A Most Ambitious Experiment

Reading Log Title: A Most Ambitious Experiment Author: Mike Krath Length: 5 pages Plot – What is the short story about? Message? Hidden messages? It’s about a man named Robert who travels 20 years ahead in time to find out if he had invested his money well. He tells his wife he’ll be back in five minutes, but instead she waits for 20 years for his return. When he comes back he finds out his wife had spent all the money. He travels back in time to make sure she cannot do that again, and eventually kills her in order to check on his investment in the future and then return back five minutes before the murder. However, the future Robert kills the old Robert as soon as he arrives. Describe the setting (where does the story take place? ). Some short stories are written to highlight a special place (e. g. a city) or a special period of time (e. g. the time after the Second World War). The setting can also involve a limited group of people (social class, students etc. ). The story is set in the house of Robert and his wife. Robert goes down the basement every time he makes a time travel while his wife is waiting for him in their home, startling her when he shows up in their home 20 years later. Who is telling the story? (Who is the narrator? ) Perhaps the author has chosen a particular person to tell the story. Why? The main characters are Robert and his wife. The story is told from a third-person perspective and focus mostly on Robert’s wife as she’s is waiting for him, thinking he abandoned her. She even contacts the authorities to search for him, but after a few months the shut down the case and she legally declares him dead in order to get hold of the money he put away in a fund. What is the author’s message to the reader? Why was the story written? What is the overall meaning of the story? ) Has the story affected you? In what way(s)? I don’t know if there’s a real message behind this story. It describes much of the wife’s feelings towards Robert, as she first is worried that something had happened to him, then thinking he had abandoned her. Over the years she grows bitter and spiteful against him. Robert doesn’t seem to realize he has made her wait for 20 years and becomes angry when he finds out she spent the money. He’s also shown to take very big risks just to find out how the funds are working out: He isn’t sure of the outcome of the experiment and displays no hesitation when he kills his wife, thinking he will travel back in time before he could do that. However his plan backfires and he’s killed by his future self. Rating – give the short story a grade from 1-5 and motivate the grade, why was it good or bad? I’d give this story a rating of three. It isn’t badly written, but the story isn’t very engaging. The author could have described in more detail the feelings of the wife, or went more in-depth with Robert and the description of his character and motivations. I like the time-travelling theme and the ending, which is somewhat humorous although tragic. Vocabulary – pick five words from one or several short stories and explain them in English. 1. scowl – frown, bitter expression 2. muddled – â€Å"her mind was muddled†, i. e. â€Å"she was confused† 3. ambitious – desire for success and achievment 4. grubby – dirty or filthy 5. inquire – investigate, inspect

Character Development in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Writers usually make use of and incorporate certain literary elements into their novels in order to make character development possible. Literary elements—Conflict, Theme, and Symbolism—were employed by Twain, Austen, and Potok in varying levels as well as executed using their own literary styles and techniques in order to show the characters’ development and growth throughout the novels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck braved that era’s social conventions (including his own personal prejudices) by associating with a black man and later helping that person escape from slavery. Jane Austen’s Emma is a lighthearted story about a young woman’s disastrous foray into the pursuit of romantic matchmaking. It shows how Emma’s false presumptions can conflict with the real intentions of the people whose lives she meddles with, and how her misguided actions can create unfavorable results. In Chaim Potok’s My Name is Asher Lev, the young man, Asher, was embroiled in the clash between his passion and the sensibilities of his family and religious congregation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents social conditions and attitudes during the late 1800s in America, particularly that towards racism. It chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Huck wherein he faces numerous moral and ethical dilemmas. And just like Twain’s novel, Austen’s Emma is a study on the sensibilities and social norms of her time. It tells the story of Emma, a rich and beautiful girl with a lot of idle time on her hands. Although she lives a trouble-free life, it is uneventful and devoid of excitement—she is a woman, hence, she has no true career prospects. But then Emma discovers that she has a knack for matching couples. She discovers that this endeavor provides her with great amusement so she goes off pairing up the people around her. Lastly, Asher, in My Name is Asher Lev, struggles as he is confronted by two cultural influences—that of the Orthodox Jewish subculture that he grew up in, and that of the pervasive, secular Western culture. He is presented with the dilemma of choosing between art and his religion. Just like Huck’s and Emma’s stories, Asher’s story chronicles his quest for truth and self-discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many authors use the element of conflict to bring about and affirm certain facets of a protagonist’s character.   In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck faces the conflict between the society’s expectations and what his conscience tells him is right when he is given the opportunity to help Jim, a black man, escape. He struggles to see beyond the black stereotype—what the society has taught him to be right. In the end, Huck chooses to follow what his conscience dictates—that Jim is a human being who deserves the same rights as everybody else. He admits about Jim: â€Å"I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n† (Twain, 1999, p. 141). In the end, Huck developed a pure, undiscriminating sense of morality that many people of that era did not posses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel Emma, the conflict lies in Emma’s inability to understand the true desires and intentions of the people around her, including her own. Emma does not realize this, and fancies herself as a good matchmaker, and as Austen describes in one episode, Emma was â€Å"amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which often arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for ever falling into† (Austen, 2003, p. 89). Ironically, what Emma thinks of other people (as evinced in the previous sentence), actually applies to her. In the end, Emma realizes that it’s no good making decisions for others   and manipulating their lives because only they know and therefore should decide what’s best for them. This discovery also leads her to mature and develop emotionally, and in the end, makes her realize what her heart truly desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novel, My Name is Asher Lev, Potok portrays the kind of pain and emotional anguish one can carry when one chooses to embrace those things that come in conflict with one’s upbringing and religious ideologies. In a lecture wherein he reveals the analysis to his novels, which included My Name is Asher Lev, Potok states: â€Å"Ideas from this secular world inevitably impinge upon an individual born in a church community or a synagogue community, especially when that individual embarks on a college experience† (Potok, 1896, par. 7). As a young boy, Asher tries to break free from the conservative Hasidic community that shuns the very thing that he was passionate about—art. However, his dream is met with condemnation from almost everyone around him, including his family. The following litany succinctly expresses the kind of backlash and emotional turmoil this conflict has brought upon him: â€Å"So strong words are being written and spoken about me [†¦]: I am a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of shame upon my family, my friends, my people; also, I am a mocker of ideas sacred to Christians† (Potok, 2003, p. 3).   Another point of conflict deals with Asher’s relationship with his father. Amidst the weight of the conflict bearing down on him, Asher chooses his own path and tries to discover his own truths. By confronting these issues, he grows as a human being, artistically and emotionally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One dominant theme in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that of racism and slavery. The novel is set in a time where blacks are considered to be no more than property. As the story develops, so does Huck’s character and value-system. Eschewing the societal and cultural norms of the time, he adopts a different moral outlook towards the people around him, especially when he decides to help a black man escape from slavery. In a climactic episode, Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, to tell her where Jim was, but then tears up the letter and says to himself: â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell† (Twain, 1999, p. 193)—here, he finally decides to ignore social convention and help Jim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marriage is a major theme in the novel, Emma. In the 1800s, marriage was one of the most important concerns for women, especially since they were financially dependent on men and could not have their own careers. Emma takes this into consideration when planning her match-ups and decides on unions which will yield the best material benefit for both parties. However, Emma eschews the idea of marriage for herself—when her father tells her not to do any more match-making, Emma replies: â€Å"I promise you to make none for myself, papa; but I must, indeed, for other people. It is the greatest amusement in the world!† (Austen, 2003, p. 10). But in the end, she realizes that she too can fall in love, after all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One important theme in My Name is Asher Lev is that of Individualism. This was explored in the context of Asher’s adolescent struggle to assert his identity in an environment that rejects the very thing that makes him stand out. When an uncle compares his work that of Chagall, he replies: â€Å"No, my name is Asher Lev† (Potok, 2003, p. 313). Asher is a visionary and has prodigious painting skills, but he is pressured to conform to the conventions of his society.   He tries to discover his role as an artist and reconcile it with his faith—this paves the way to his personal development, not to mention the realization of his gift’s significance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Twain’s novel, the Mississippi river figures greatly in the story. It is used to symbolize life; the river’s ebbs and flows—its movement—shows the ever-changing nature of life. The changing tides causes Huck and Jim to come in contact with different people and situations. It represents man’s capacity to change—the same way Huck’s attitude and personality changed to embrace the greater morality regarding human existence. It’s also a symbolic representation of freedom—in the confines of the raft, they are safe. They are in a world where laws do not apply, far from the reaches of society. Huck says: â€Å"We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft†Ã‚   (Twain, 1999, p. 107).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Emma, charades and word games are symbolic of the misunderstandings in the story. The same way that it’s hard to guess the intimations and desires of the other characters in the novel, word games are meant to be elusive—one   can easily go wrong and perceive a totally different meaning. In a gathering, Frank makes words for the ladies to decode, but each lady attaches different interpretations to them. Such is Emma’s situation: she does not perceive everyone’s feelings correctly so she makes a lot of false assumptions. This is more evident when she tries to hook-up Harriet and Mr. Elton—she construes Mr. Elton’s words and actions as proofs of his adulation for Harriet, when in fact it is Emma the he is interested in. When she finds out, she woefully reflects: â€Å"The picture!—How eager he had been about the picture!—and the charade!—and an hundred other circumstances;—how clearly they had seemed to point at Harriet† (Austen, 2003, p. 106).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism, particularly those in paintings, also plays a significant part in the novel, My Name is Asher Lev. Paintings were used to convey the abstract and intangible; Asher said: â€Å"I worked for – what? How could I explain it? For beauty? No, Many of the pictures I painted were not beautiful. For what, then? For a truth I did not know how to put in words. For a truth I could only bring to life by means of colour and line and texture and form† (Potok, 2003, p. 369) In his controversial painting, Asher uses the crucifiction scene as a symbolism of his mother’s sufferings, much to the chagrin of his religious community. But even with all the antagonism towards art, he feels that painting was but a natural way to express his feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Literary elements give writers the means to project the qualities as well as develop the personalities of their characters. All protagonists in the aforementioned books were presented with points of conflict that each of them must address and contend with. Various symbolic representations, those that attribute certain intangible meanings to things, events, and other sensuous manifestations, were also utilized in order to highlight the protagonists’ personal issues and struggles. Thematic concepts tell what the stories are about and help reveal how each character progresses. References    Austen, J. (2003). Emma. New York: Oxford University Press. Potok, C. (2003). My name is Asher Lev. New York: Random House. Potok, C. (1986). On being proud of uniqueness. (J. Gladson, Ed.) In La Sierra University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   website. Retrieved July 24, 2006, from http://www.lasierra.edu/~ballen/potok/Potok.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   unique.html. Twain, M. (1999). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Oxford University Press.