Kindred: A neo-slave narrative Essay

Often, man resorts to story-telling as a way of reconciling with a formidable incident in the past. By re-telling the story to another party, he comes to accept that this is a reality to be faced. He realizes that acceptance, rather than denial, is the best way of going about this trouble. Aside from the rehabilitating ability of story-telling with its contributory effect in dealing with a painful memory, others simply do this as a way of remembering. Concretizing the past as a piece of literature would ensure that the incident would not just be buried in the recesses of the memory; that it would be kept alive and the pains and suffering would not be without significance. In this light, it would come clear for readers how and why the proliferation and the presence of slave narratives came about. One may think that with the end of the painful era of slavery, all dialogues and discussion about the subject would also desist. For the African-American slaves and their descendants, this was not the case. The words of Robert Crossley of the University of Massachusetts rerated the thought: â€Å"First-person American slave narratives should have ceased being written when the last American citizen born into institutionalized slavery died. But the literary form has persisted, just as the legacy of slavery has persisted, into the present. † To be more specific, the birth and popularization of the slave narratives started in the nineteenth century. James Olney stated that each narrative â€Å"a unique production† as an autobiography, and â€Å"is not every autobiography the unique tale, uniquely told, of a unique life? † (148). Therefore, the uniqueness of each narrative from the others is a trait of this genre, as it narrates the experiences of the writers which are unique to another’s. However, certain characteristics are evidently similar in the work to be considered a part of the genre. For one thing, it has to tell the story of a black slave’s struggle for literacy and freedom, while testifying against the â€Å"peculiar institution/’ which in practice meant human bondage and humiliation (Gates, â€Å"Introduction† ix). By the second half of the twentieth century, a sub-genre of the slave narrative has arisen; called the â€Å"neo-slave narrative,† it is a fictional mutation of the slave narratives of nineteenth-century Americans (Crossley). This sub-set of the slave narrative genre is very similar with its umbrella genre in the sense that it presents personal accounts of slavery. However, the difference lies in the choice of the author to fictionalize existing accounts, and not his own personal experiences. The authors base the structure of their fictional work on the oral histories and existing slave narratives to make sure that the story would still echo true events in the historical sense. The birth of this sub-set of the slave narrative genre may be attributed to the void that it fills, or attempts to fill. Anita Wholuba in her paper said that the chasm which is attempted to be explored and filled is the ironic presence of silence in slave narratives, despite of the voice earned by the slave narrative writers. Wholuba said that â€Å"while a significant number of scholars have established that certain silences exist in the traditional narrative of history, neo-slave narrative authors have committed themselves to the task of identifying and sounding those silences where the representation of the American slavery era is concerned. † A novel titled Kindred, penned by Octavia Butler, is among the body of neo-slave narratives published in the last century. It was published in the year 1979, and speaks of an African-American woman’s sojourns to the past. The character Dana, lives in contemporary California, but is transported back in time to the antebellum South. In her involuntary travels to the past, she understands how difficult the situation for people before her ancestors actually was. As I was reading Kindred, I had the initial impression that it was just to be appreciated for its science fiction values. Although the science element in this novel was not so much as it was felt in other novels from the same genre, her meshing of science fiction and history was an innovation that should be noted and lauded. In any case, what caught my attention more was the similarity Kindred has with other novels we have read subsequently in the class, which were the Narrative of the Life of Frederic Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Up from Slavery. Evidently, there were characteristics of a slave narrative in the novel Kindred. However, the text didn’t meet the five criteria for it to be called a slave narrative, the genre which the other works fell under. As Kindred is a work of fiction, it would naturally be categorized as a neo slave narrative, a concept I came to be familiar with after research. Kindred as a neo-slave narrative With the plot and simple and direct language employed by Butler, Kindred could not be missed as a neo-slave narrative. Characters that are actual African-American slaves and Caucasian American masters and violence inflicted on slaves are presented in the novel. On a deeper sense, on the other hand, the novel follows the same pattern present in other slave narratives. Wholuba in the same paper added that although the text refers to other slave narratives such as the work written by Douglass’, in an effort to explore existing themes, the novel still manages to introduce new themes. The new themes that this novel presented, according to Wholuba still, include a more blunt â€Å"analysis and depiction of the slave’s struggle for sexual autonomy, the experience of middle passage, and the concept of memory. † As was mentioned, the novel Kindred follows the typical pattern for a slave narrative, and this will be the thesis of the paper. It will attempt to discuss and prove the characteristics of a slave narrative present in Butler’s popular piece of art. Another writer mentioned some of the other patterns commonly found in neo-slave narratives. Lysik mentioned in her essay that neo-slave narratives portrayed the â€Å"vital slave culture† in a positive light as it could serve as a means of surviving the brutal reality they are subjected to (Lysik). What this implicates is that the writers of the neo-slave narratives provide a new perspective in terms of viewing the arduous tasks and obligations slaves have to fulfill. Most authors show how slaves then turn this otherwise appalling condition to something that they could actually seek refuge in. First and foremost, the novel carried a prefatory statement by a person from Caucasian American race attesting to the authenticity of the author. The second criterion which has to be satisfied is the movement from slavery to freedom. Kindred has been classified under slave narratives by critics as leans toward the freedom narrative category. This concept will be further discussed in the following paragraphs. Aside from this, the most obvious criterion which the novel has to satisfy is that the story should portray the physical, emotional, and spiritual deprivation of slavery. Kindred, undeniably, does not fall short on this end. As the journey through time and space allows Dana to witness the events during the period of slavery firsthand, the novel is rich with narration regarding the struggles of the African-American slaves. Through Dana’s experiences, the tales of the different forms of deprivation and coercion were regaled to the readers. James and his contemporaries talked of this in a paper, saying that many forms of violence and intimidation were observed to be used to maintain white dominance in the slave economy through the eyes of the character of Dana. These â€Å"preservation† measures, so to speak, included the sexual violence against black women that was common during slavery, the assault on black families, the difficult choices that black people were compelled to make in acts of love, survival, and resistance, and the outcomes of internalized oppression (James, et. al). A specific scene in the novel would be that time when Dana personally witnessed the beating of a slave. The slave was hunted by white patrollers because of a crime that would seem absurd for people of the modern times: the slave was found spending time with his wife in their own bedroom without the slave master’s permission.

Developing Yourself as an Effective Learning and Development Practitioner Essay

The knowledge that HRPs in Band 1 show or demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of training and learning needs analysis at the organisational and individual levels but it ensures that the activities are carried out effectively and to / with the right level of knowledge. With my organisation it is imperative that I know the organisation is structured, what products and services the organisation provides to enable the understanding about the way the company works and objectives it has. This is to ensure the service provided is accurate and effective. He/she also has to have knowledge of relevant employment l and discrimination law to minimise risk within and to the organisation. The Serco HR and L&D manager must demonstrate their knowledge about how to collect and collate cost data and how to analyse feedback from training programmes in order to demonstrate a return of investment. HRPs in Band 1 must be someone who is driven to deliver as they need to actively plan, prioritise and monitor key performance (KPI) areas of each employee in order to prompt employees when training opportunities that are in line with and when their personal development arises which should be reflected within the staffs’ appraisals. They must also need to work effectively at all levels within the organisation and work closely with external training providers for example:- Chartered Management institute, Northbrook and Chichester College. Behaviours The behaviours required the L&D practitioner to deliver a successful service. The team needs to be clear, accurate and positive when communicating messages within the organisation but in a way that also motivates all staff to perform their job roles well. Also under the heading of behaviours it is very important that the L&D manager and his/her team needs to have a fair un-biased view and be non-discriminatory at all time but, be assertive, curious and have the confidence to challenge but most of all be approachable to colleagues and managers and lead by example and act as a role model to others. www.cipd.co.uk/cipd.hr.profession/hr.profession-map/example.map.aspx Activity 2 – Understand customer needs (including examples of 3 different customers and 1 need for each, and explain how you would priorities conflicting needs) Customer Needs It is important that the Serco HR practitioner provides a timely and effective service. Therefore; the he / she must understand each of their customer’s needs and how to prioritise them in accordance to urgency but, also how to manage the customer’s expectation. Table 5:- 3 examples of three customers: needs- Customer Needs Customers’ needs Customers are:- 1. Participants (Learners, Candidates or Students) of the training programme 2. The training development coordinator 3. Line Managers, supervisor of the L&D practitioner practitioners time urgent information regarding training results from training analysis 1. All three customers may need the L&D practitioners time, this need may happen where by the customers may wish to see the Practitioner at the same time. This might cause a conflict where the L&D Manager may have to prioritise which is more important and what needs are to be addressed urgently and which could be handled later 2. The L&D training coordinator and facilitator may need to see urgent information regarding the training from the Lead L&D practitioner. 3. The L&D supervisor may need to see and speak to the L&D practitioner to know whether the training has achieved its intended results from training analysis 2.2:- Effective communication (include: examples of three different communication methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each) Effective Communication The examples of 3 different communication methods together along with the advantages and disadvantages of each are listed below in Table 6:- Communication Methods: Advantages & Disadvantages

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay

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

Journal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal - Coursework Example While some people exhibited high level of self-management as a result of supportive workplace and family along with personal capabilities, there are others who showed psychological problems like denial and also were constrained by socio-economic problems. According to the authors, self-management is â€Å"hard work, and is enabled or constrained by economic, material and socio-cultural conditions within the family, workplace and community† (p.83). The study concluded that different factors influence the self-management of people ranging from personal capabilities at micro level, accessibility of healthcare services at meso level to socio-economic conditions at macro level. The importance of self-management for diabetes patients cannot be ignored. For its effectiveness, the need is that people remain aware of the negatives impacts of the disease along with knowledge about available healthcare resources. It is necessary that clinicians prepare the patients to deal with chronic disease on daily basis so that they can accordingly change their behavior for positive outcomes. One common issue associated with older adults is falls, and although this can be the result of multiple factors, Deborah Mayne, Nigel R. Stout and Terry J. Aspray (2010) in their article have studied the extent of the impact of diabetes and associated complications on falls of older patients. In UK, it has been estimated that 40 percent of older diabetic patients who are over 65 years suffer from falls every year, and in Scotland almost 86 percent of fractures occur due to falls. It has been further estimated that diabetic patients have 1.5 to 12 times more possibility of hip fracture than non-diabetic patients. According to the authors, orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a principle factor for falls, and this phenomenon is common among 10 percent of diabetic patients.

Will upload documents about the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Will upload documents about the topic - Essay Example orld outward stock of FDI was estimated to be $10,672 billion in 2005 (EC, 2015).This huge amount was due to the increasing activities of multinationals. These activities of Multinational enterprises have a direct impact on rising amount of world GDP. The overall global foreign direct investments have been fluctuating over the last few years. One of the reasons for this was the economic and financial crisis that has affected the world economy. Economic crisis of 2008 has changed the behavior of the international investors and they have become more cautious before making investment in other countries. If the Foreign direct investment flow for the last few years has been analyzed; then a fluctuating trend can be identified. FDI flows had declined in the year 2012. However this flow had increased again in the year 2013. This increase in the FDI Flows was caused in the era of 2010 and 2013 because FDI flows during this period were less influenced by the global financial and economic crisis. Total FDI outflows increased approximately by 57Â  % in the year 2011. From this, the equity capital and reinvested earnings were the main cause of this increment as reported by EC (2015). However, in the year 2012, outward flows of FDI dropped a gain. This decline in FDI was caused due to reduced FDI activity with some traditional partners. Then in the year 2013, the FDI flow rose again up to 12Â  %. The main source of improving FDI was The United States and its direct investment into the European Union that rose approximately three times more than the year 2013 (EC, 2015). At the present time, Multinationals have become an integral part of life. Today, a local citizen can drive a BMW or Toyota. He can work at the IBM office while staying in his own country, eat at McDonalds, use an Apple cell phone, etc. All of these luxuries and facilities have been possible due to the existence of Multinationals Enterprises. It is due to these Multinational outlets that citizen of one country can

Kraft Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kraft Foods - Essay Example This form of marketing is recognized as internet marketing or online marketing in addition, there are several types of internet marketing. Internet marketing has several merits and demerits. Internet marketing is quite cheap to reach the target audience and it can also allow for online shopping. In this case, Krapf Foods uses its website as part of their marketing strategy. A website is considered as one of the most effective marketing tools. According to most business analysts, a high-impact website is regarded as a remarkably potent marketing tool. Apart from acting as a marketing tool, websites enhance the image of an organization; they educate about the business and also serve as a communication tool with the customers (Moran & Hunt, 2008). All these features are included in Krapf Foods’ website. Krapf Foods’ website contains summarized information about the organizations’ business. This notifies the customers of what they are supposed to expect from this organization. The website also includes a news center whereby all the latest news regarding the organization is detailed. Furthermore, Krapf Foods has also included prior information about the company which also includes some of the major brands that the business deals with. This information is extremely critical in ensuring that the company attracts its target market. Moreover, Krapf also included an investor center section which allows investors to buy shares from the company. All the sections included in their website can significantly increase customer traffic.

How does buying a cup of coffee from Starbucks affect the environment Dissertation - 1

How does buying a cup of coffee from Starbucks affect the environment - Dissertation Example Unfortunately, when it comes to Starbucks, their biggest negativity is the non –recyclable cups of synthetic nature which pollute the earth on a considerable level. Starbucks being a huge food chain have captured the coffee market globally by taking on the increased demand of coffee lovers. According to (Austin,2004) â€Å"Starbucks had revenue of $2.7 billion in 2001, up from $465 million in 1995 (see Exhibit 1 forfinancials). Nearly two-thirds of revenue came from coffee beverages, 15% from coffee beans, and24% from food and coffee-related items†.They also maintain their good will by means of powerful advertisement they display in the international business arena. This coffee chain have spread over much part of the globe and have influenced people many people in buying their product , as it is assured to be the best and perfect in the market. As per (Laminetez)â€Å"Starbucks switched its plastic cups from polyethylene (No. 1) to polypropylene (No. 5), which uses 45% less greenhouse gases†. ... The Starbucks in order to save on the cost factor ignore the natural disaster their coffee cups can bring about in the nature. Even though people feel convenient in drinking from their non –recyclable cups, they are less knowledgeable about the consequences it can bring to the natural sustainability of the planet. â€Å"Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for—and in many cases is already affecting—a broad range of human and natural systems† (Clooney,2010, pg.484-48). There are many studies done in order to perceive the amount of waste disposed in nature by Starbucks by taking into account various factors. The first phase was considering the determinants of waste generation in South Eastern America by keeping in mind the elements like economic, structural and demographic variables. In this per capital retail sales, urban population percentage and per capital income was taken it account to calculate the waste generation quotient. However, the study concluded that when retails sales increased the per capital waste generation also increased. So an effective solution for Starbucks is to consider recycling cups which reduce pollution of the environment According to (Zaida,2009)â€Å"One of the many challenges in reducing the use of disposable products is that the true social cost of using these disposable products, the externalities, are not incorporated into the price we pay for them†. It is a general fact, that the cups used by Starbucks for hot beverages are made out of paper fiber and low density plastic materials. This plastic element in the cups is the main culprits in

Evaluating Teachers Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evaluating Teachers Assignment - Essay Example Bearing in mind that Miss Paulson had received adequate points in her previous evaluation despite having some difficulty in managing classes goes to point out some issues in the evaluation that have to be addressed within the shortest time possible to avid the recurrence of some incidents as the one she was involved in. The officers responsible for evaluation have shown clearly that they are too lenient during their evaluation sessions. Secondly, there has been a poor teacher supervision structure, which led me to find Miss Paulson attending to individual students leaving the rest of the class unattended, which was also not reported. In this case, the state requires that teachers should be evaluated annually although tenured teachers can even be evaluated once in three years or a twice in a decade, in Ms Paulson’s case, evaluation was done within the stipulated timeframe by the law. In this case, a formal investigation is not necessary as such, incident has never been reported in the school; however, some form of internal (within the school) investigation must take place. Steps to be taken in investigating the incident Wednesday morning constitute an investigating panel Wednesday afternoon the panel to identify the students and staff to be interviewed Thursday morning interviewing of the students Thursday afternoon interviewing of staff members Friday morning Investigating panel meets to draw conclusion and finalise on the investigations. Friday afternoon the principal receives the finding of the Investigations and hands them over to the superintendent. Monday morning official communication from the school is received by the parent of Jessica Robertson The students and staff to be interviewed will be selected depending on their probability of having some information relating to the incident. Among those to be interviewed will be Jessica Robertson since she is the complainant and will provide insight on the incident, which involve the pornographic picture s in class. In addition, the class monitor will be interviewed as he is in charge of the class when the teacher is not around. Those on the front row of the class will also have to be among those to be interviewed since they may have seen who interfered with Miss Paulson’s computer. Miss Paulson will also be interviewed to give her side of the story and what happened on the material day and time; any other staff member who was responsible in setting up of the projector will also have to be interviewed to get the clear picture of all that happened. The interviews will be oral to enable the panel read the body language and will be conducted with utmost confidentiality to ensure the respondents open up on the incident. The panel will have to undergo an oath of secrecy before the district attorney to ensure confidentiality of all the information. Miss Paulson will continue to teach other classes and will not be subjected to any discrimination until investigations are complete Sin ce the investigation will be done internally, any correspondence with the media and community will be done by the principal so as to avoid any form of miscommunication or misstatement. 2.) Evaluation of the conduct of professionals needs to be understood from the activities in which they engage themselves and the manner in which they carry themselves out in performing their duties. This means that any activity of a professional has to be

Fanon on Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fanon on Africa - Essay Example This national consciousness is perceived as the key to true liberation although some were not convinced because of its actual pitfalls like what happened in Africa. In other words, the formation of liberation movements is not seen as an effective remedy to battle the aftermaths of the colonization period. Post-colonialism writers have significantly explained and offered various ideas regarding the proper ways of gaining back national identity while preventing the continuous unnoticeable acts of colonization. In relation, the book entitled The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon clearly elaborated these methods (Magaisa). A chapter regarding â€Å"The Pitfalls of National Consciousness† mainly tackled on the aftermaths of the colonial period during which liberation movements for national identity were rampant. Comprehensively, the book presented theories why the African anti-colonial liberation movements emerged after their independence. Frantz Fanon declared that these parties have contributed to the degeneration and destruction of their identity politics rather than gaining back their true independence. The author introduced the chapter with a statement pointing out the relation between colonialism and nationalism. He said that â€Å"the battle against colonialism does not run straight away along the lines of nationalism† (Fanon 148). Fanon further stressed that the â€Å"social and intellectual incapability of the educated class, the absence of unified mass effort, the unprecedented laxity and timidity at the crucial struggling stage of liberation will result to disastrous misfortune† (148) . Likewise, he defined national consciousness as the â€Å"all-embracing crystallization of the innermost hopes of the whole people and the immediate and most obvious result of mobilization† (Fanon 148). In articulating the effects of colonization to the society, Fanon contended that some interest groups are harmful and

Transcendentalism of Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Transcendentalism of Henry David Thoreau Essay Henry David Thoreau had many talents and interests and who spent most of his time communing and appreciating nature.   He even looked for God behind the stars.   In his works, he urged his readers to re-examine their lives as he did with his.   He had many questions about life and searched nature for answers.   He was fundamentally a transcendentalist in the sense that he goes beyond sensual experiences to see the innermost meanings in the mundane.   He sees not just the physical beauty of nature, but also its effect on the spirit, and its significance to life.   Ã‚  In On Civil Disobedience and in Walden he bared his transcendental philosophies to his readers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On Civil Disobedience.   At one point he questioned a government ruled by the majority.   The majority came to power only because of their strength in numbers and not because they were a collective body who were right in everything, every time.   Even if the minority had come to accept that as fair enough, it was still contentious if the majority’s decisions were based on right over wrong and not just what were easy and acceptable.   Thoreau further asserted that only conscience can decide right from wrong.   Every single man, therefore had surrendered his conscience to this majority. Why then, he asked, should each man be given his own conscience?   He believed that man must stand up for what he thinks is right and not just let the majority to decide it for him.   Respect for what is right must take precedence over respect for law.   It is every citizen’s moral duty to defend what is right all the time.   He cited corporations and soldiers to expound on his thoughts about conscience.   It is generally accepted that corporations have no conscience, but if it is run by men of conscience then it becomes one with a conscience.   Laws do not make a society just.   It makes citizens obey laws that do them injustice instead.   The soldiers are made to march to war â€Å"against their wills, against their common sense and consciences† (Thoreau 1849).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Walden Chapter 1 – Economy.   An Indian wove baskets to sell to his neighbors. The Indian thought that weaving baskets was something he could do and assumed that such was his role in life, as it was his neighbor’s role to buy his baskets.   The basket would put food on the Indian’s table. A neighbor refused to buy.   For Thoreau, the Indian must realize that his neighbors must really want to buy the baskets, or the Indian must make the baskets attractive to at least tempt the neighbors to buy them, or the Indian must make something else to sell to his neighbors.   Thoreau himself made a basket but he did not make it to sell it but he made it so no one would buy it. What Thoreau was trying to point out was that one need not only see his side of things.   He must see beyond one’s end and consider others have their own desires and thoughts, which may sometimes be contrary to his.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Walden Chapter 5 – Solitude.   Thoreau found moments alone as wholesome, recreating and reparative.   Solitude does not make one lonely.   There will be times when a person would rather be by himself than in a company of strangers.   A man at work or in deep thoughts, even in an office or in school with people around, can still be alone.   Physical distance between a man and other people does not make him alone. When one is busy even if he is alone will not make lonely.   Strange, though, that when he comes home in the company of family after work, he seeks to compensate for the solitude he had spent earlier in the day.   When asked if there were days when Thoreau would wish to be nearer the others instead of the isolation of the woods, he countered that he was nearer than the nearest star in the Milky Way.   He said that there would be nowhere that he would wish to be near than nature that give and nourish life, like the brooks and the trees.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Walden Chapter 8 – The Village.   Losing one’s way in the woods when it was very dark was common and happened often.  Ã‚   One was guided by one’s feet instead of one’s eyes in finding one’s way back.   Even the one most familiar with the way was lost in the woods too.   For Thoreau these people were like the pilots who were guided by beacons and lighthouses, who were steered off course but were guided back by their intuitions.  Ã‚   Thoreau believed that it is only when we have lost our way, that we realize that our world is indeed so vast.   It is also when we are jolted back from stupor, momentary distraction or confusion that we check our compass again to find our way back.   It is also when we have lost everything that we realize how blessed we were all along.   It is also through all these that we find ourselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Walden Chapter 10 – Baker Farm.   Thoreau’s next door neighbor was an Irishman who dreamt of life in America with tea, coffee and meat.   He and his son had to work hard to afford these.   Thoreau had much simpler life compared to the Irishman.   Thoreau had a small house that was easier to clean and tidy up.   He did not work hard, so he would not have to eat much and he did not live on tea, coffee and meat so he did not have work hard to buy them. For the kind of hard work the Irishman did, he had to have thick clothes and thick boots which were more costly than Thoreau’s light clothing.   Thoreau did light work, like fishing, and he had more than enough to feed him for the week.   The Irishman dreamt of a comfortable life in America.   Thoreau thought that life in America was not about comfort but more of freedom to live in comfort.   From the look of things, the Irishman would not improve his lot if he continued to work hard and not change his mind set and attitude in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Walden Chapter 17 – Spring.   Spring is like man reborn.   We are upbeat in anticipation of opportunities ahead.   The lesson of Spring is to live in the present and leave the past behind.   To see the world with renewed sense of joy and promise, we must forget the burdens and the unpleasant past.   Hurts, anger and pain have healed and forgiveness had taken their places.   When Spring comes, we should not live in Winter.   Even plants come into life in Spring.   Thoreau had likened our life to Spring when God has forgiven and forgotten our sins and we come into the Spring of our lives. References Thoreau, H.D. On Civil Disobedience.   Constitution Society. Retrieved August 24, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.constitution.orgciv/civildis.htm Thoreau, H.D.   Walden.   Retrieved August 24, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.transcendentalists.com/walden Woodlief, A.   Henry David Thoreau.   American Transcendentalism Web. Retrieved August 24, 2008 from http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/

Describe The Mandatory Rotation Of Audit Firm Accounting Essay

Describe The Mandatory Rotation Of Audit Firm Accounting Essay Introduction From the 2008 financial crisis, the weakness of audit system has exposed in several aspect. European Parliament and public consider that the auditors fail to play during the financial crisis. The European Commission said that the auditors only consider majority of banks had exposed a great quantity of loss from 2007 to 2009 in both on and off balance sheet in the financial crisis, however, it is a hard work for the public and stakeholders to know how the auditors to give the clean auditing reports to their principal. In addition, the European Commission takes into account preventing the concentration in the audit industry, which including restricting the choices and competition. Further, they also consider the independence of the audit firm and the reduction of the expectation gap. All things the European Commission do is to increase the quality of audit, so they think that the current auditing system should be reform. According to KPMG (2012), because of the failure of auditors in financial crisis, the lobby of small firms and the US has taken action on the independent issue. Meanwhile, in order to adapt to the environments, which contain changes to financial reporting and increasing the risk and going concern issue for the companies. The European Commission came up the proposals on 30th November 2011 to address the matters that appeal in the financial crisis and rebuild the confidence of the audit system. The proposals define the role of auditors and propose more restrict provisions for audit firms. It aim at strengthening the independence and professional skepticism of auditors, making the audit industry more diversification, enforcing the regulation, promote the cross-border stipulation of audit services and relieving the burden of the small and medium-size enterprise. To enhance the independence of audit firm and prevent the concentration of the audit industry is the main purpose of the propos als. The Elliott and Jacobson (1998) suggested that audit independence is an absence of interests that create an unacceptable risk of material bias with respect to the reliability of financial statements. The basic goal of audit is to assure the information which provide to shareholders are reliable. Further, as for audit independence, the direct role is to provide auditing serve and make the cost of capital market more efficiently. Consider about preventing the concentration, should make the audit industry more dynamic, such as decreasing the power of the Big Four audit firm (KPMG, Deloitte, Pricewaterhousecoopers and Ernst Young). In addition, the dynamic of audit market give the opportunities for small and medium-size enterprise to benefit from the internal market. In order to strengthen the independence of audit and make the audit market more dynamic, the European Commission brought up the proposals to perfect the audit system, the key elements of the proposals is mandatory rotation of audit firms, mandatory tendering, non-audit services, and European supervision of the audit sector, Enabling auditors to exercise their profession across Europe, Cutting red tape for smaller auditors. This essay is aim at discussing the issue of mandatory rotation of audit firm, one of the key elements to enhance the independence of audit industry. The essay will divided into three parts, firstly, it will describe the mandatory rotation of audit firms; secondly, it will analyses the argument for and against this issue; finally, it will come to a conclusion. Describe the mandatory rotation of audit firm In order to strengthen the auditor independence, the European Commission is considering introducing mandatory external rotation. In the previous years, only internal rotation is required, which means only auditors should be rotated, because they think that auditors may make less suggestions because the routine activities of audit. However, the internal rotation cannot enhance the independence of the auditors, because the audit firm and audited entity build up partnership, no matter which auditors engage in the audit procedure, they have closely relationship, the independence of auditors cannot be enhanced. Therefore, current environment has suggest that the internal rotation is not sufficient, the external rotation should be taken in account to achieve the independence of audit. The proposal required the audit firm should be rotated after at most six years (with some exception). In addition, it should be after at least four year before the same audit firm can be entrusted again by the client, this is stated as the cooling period. The cooling period ensure the mandatory rotation can be implemented effectively, because if there is not the cooling period, the client can entrust the same audit firm after a short time, so that the closely relationship cannot be avoidance. There is a exception that the period of rotation can be extend to nine years if joint audits are engaged. This means that if an audited entity entrust at least two audit firm, it can extent the period of rotation to nine years, because the joint audit can make each audit firm work harder to avoid another audit firm find out their failure, this can increase the quality of the audit, so called four-eye principle. Hence, the joint audit is encouraged. According to Bocconi, which do a survey of the effect of mandatory rotation in Italy. The investigate shows that 69 % of managers of listed companies approve of rotation. 14 % consider it negatively. The survey presents a positive result, because they consider that in previous years, auditors focus on routine activities rather than making improvement. The people including in the survey agree the mandatory rotation in Italy can strengthen the independence. Discussion of the mandatory rotation The argument for the mandatory rotation of audit firm Firstly, the mandatory rotation of audit firm can reduce the risk of familiarity threat. If there is not mandatory rotation, the audit firm may have closely relationship with the audited entity, which would lead to several problems. For instance, the proposal (2011) of the European commission suggests that the audit firm tend to know well about the management of the audited entity, so that they may think the audit work as a routine work, which just repeating the work annually, and they pay less attention to make an improvement and find out the mistake the audited entity made. In addition, the auditor may be less suspicious of the audited entity, instead, they may decrease the difficulties so as to maintain the good relationship with the partner. The long period of engagement will cause routine, which may affect the competence and the quality of audit, hence, the mandatory rotation is necessary for reducing the familiarity threat. Secondly, according to Hoyle (1978), short term engagement will encourage the auditors to do better. If the audit firm fails to make the improvement in their auditing period, however, the next audit firm detects the unreported information, the reputation of the previous audit firm may be affected, so that the auditor will minimize the errors for managing the reputation. Further, the mandatory rotation can avoid the mistake or unreported information continue, because the next audit firm will scrutinize the document provide by the former audit form. Also, the long term engagement of the same auditor may cause the auditor trust the previous auditing procedure, so the rotation can reduce the risk of the auditor regards the engagement as the repetition of the last years work. Therefore, the mandatory can improve the quality of audit. Thirdly, the rotation provide the small and medium-size entities good opportunity to enter the competition in the segment of market. Although, the Bocconi study (2002) showed that the mandatory rotation did not provide the small and medium-size entity opportunity to compete in the audit market, they cannot compete against the large audit firm for the public-interest entities. However, take the mandatory tendering into account, the situation can be changed, the rules allow the small and medium-size entity to bid in the tendering, so that the rotation and joint audit enlarge the choice of audit firm for the audited enterprise. Therefore, combined with the mandatory tendering, the mandatory rotation can encourage the competition of the audit firm and provide more opportunity for small and medium-size entity to enter the audit market. Last but not least, the rotation can reduce the risk of fraud, which the audited entity collude with the audit firm. If both of the audited entity and audit firm fraud the public, when rotation implement, the fraud will be exposed by the coming new audit firm. The scandal of Enron can give a good example of this, if the rotation enact, the deceptive accounting may be found early or the audit firm will not collude with Enron in order to prevent the impairment of the reputation. So the mandatory rotation can reduce the risk of fraud. The argument against the mandatory rotation of audit firm According to the Bocconi study (2002), the opinion the audit firms and managers argue is that the cost of auditing fees as well as man-hours will increase under the mandatory rotation. It takes time for the incoming audit firm to read the sufficient document to know the audited entitys business. If the incoming audit firm do not know the audited entity enough, the quality of audit will decrease. Further, because there are many kinds of industry, it is difficult to maintain the industry specialization and may cause lack of choice of audited entity. According to Chi et al. (2004), they do not agree the mandatory rotation, they hold the opinion that the rotation may have negative impact on the quality of audit. They show the explanation that in the last year of audit before the rotation, the auditors may abandon their independence because they do not need to worry about the loss of quasi rents for they will not be re-elected. These can lead to the decrease of the last periods auditing quality. Bigus and Zimmermann (2007) said that because of the rotation, the quasi rent had been decreased, which implies the rotation may not increase the independence of audit firm. Consequently, the mandatory rotation cannot increase the quality and independence of audit firm as expect. Conclusion When come up the new proposals, there will have different voice because of the different role they play. As for the rule of the mandatory rotation of audit firm, according to the European Commission, the Big Four hold the opposed attitude, they insist there is studies that have certify the mandatory rotation affect the quality of audit firm; the Mid Tier Firms and small and medium-size entities also do not stand by the rule, they consider the increase cost and harm to the quality of audit firm; the investors had divergent opinion; some of public authorities did not favor of the mandatory rotation, while others think the rule will be beneficial, one of the idea regards to the issue they came up it to allow the committee to decide whether the rotation of a firm should be needed. To sum up, the new rule of the mandatory rotation of audit firm may be beneficial, but only under certain situation. For example, the cost of fees and man-hours can be low to change audit firm; the negative impact of last period of audit before rotation can be avoid. So that, the proposal can be beneficial if more detail and rules can be add in to make the mandatory rotation more perfection.

HR Management And Workplace Diversity

HR Management And Workplace Diversity As you know that diversity in the work force is one of the main object in employment favorable conditions, managing variety has been either ignored, poorly done or received little attention in some existing work organizations. To do workers some validity, many governments have tried legislating against different kind of ability to appreciate good quality or test in the workplace. However, research has demonstrated competence the defective and unfinished of such legislation since it still allows for employers to use statistically unbiased criteria in employee selection, recruitment and development providing it can be shown to be a valid qualification. Form the view of statement above, evaluate and analyze the diversity legal context (underlying set of ideas) in UK in relation to employment policy on equality issues and the do something as custom connected with the effective management of diversity. It is vital to understand the legal context for state of being equal and your legal duties not to recognize or identify difference in employment or the supplying of goods, facilities or services, as well as the favorable conditions, the law provides for implementing positive measures to help bring about impressively large equality at work. The law covers the six equality strands of age, restricted capability to perform particular activities, distinctiveness, gender (including pay and transvestites), religion or belief and nature of sexual preference in relation to employment and all but age in relation to services. To make sure that you obey with the law makes good business sense and helps you to minimize both reputational and connected with money risk resulting from costly existence of lawsuit. These guides provide a broad survey or summery of the law and cover all six diversity strands however are not a conclusive and final or most authoritative legal guide. For precise layout of instructions to look for legal consultants. Equality is about creating a fairer society, where everyone can take part and has the favorable condition to satisfy their capacity for development (DH, 2004). It is about recognizing designs of experience based on group recognize, and the challenging series of actions that limit individuals expressing possibility health and life chances. For example, occupational act of segregation. Women make up almost 75% of the NHS workforce but are concentrated in the lower-paid occupational areas: nursing, allied health professionals (AHPs), top level managers and subordinate    workers (DH, 2005). People from black and minority of particular origin comprise 39.1% of hospital medical staff yet they depend only 22.1% of all hospital medical consultants (DH, 2005). The state of being equal approach understands that our social identity in terms of gender, race, disability, age, social class, sexuality and religion will effect on our life experiences. Diversity literally means difference. When it is used as a contrast or addition to equality, it is about identifying individual as well as group differences, behaving people as individuals, and placing positive value on discrepancy in the people in area and in the workforce. In the past, employers and services have ignored many differences. However, individual and group of people from different culture should be taken into account therefore the needs of everyone and their needs are properly accounted for and understood react to within employment practice and service design and delivery. For the matter of diversity there is a proper way on which the organization can work out on the flexibility of employees and the flexibility of work and the development of business in recent years. For example, an employer may gave permition to an employee in flexible working pattern and accommodate child care arrangements, or a General Partition surgery may offer surgeries at the weekends in accommodate people which works the whole week. These approaches recognize that order to include many things and equal to all, organizations may need to respond distinctly to individuals/groups. Therefore, a previously planned engagement to equality in relevant facts to recognition of diversity which means that dissimilar can be equal. Why is equality and diversity important? Equal opportunity and diversity is becoming very important in all points of view of our lives and work for different reasons. †¢ We are living in a society of increasingly diversity and need to be able to respond suitable and thoughtful and sympathetic to this diversity. Around gender the healthcare setting will reflect this diversity, race and ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, states and distinct age. †¢ Your organization believes that successful implementation of equality and diversity in all point of view of work make sure that pears, all kind of workers and students are valued, motivated and treated honestly. †¢ We have human rights and legal framework (underlying set of ideas) protecting employment practices and service delivery and we need to ensure we work within this and elude discrimination. The UK framework has two parts to it: the anti- discriminatory framework (which gives individuals a way to increase complaints of discrimination around employment and service delivery) and the duties of the people (which place a proactive duty on organizations to address important organization discrimination). Overview of anti-discriminatory framework †¢ Sex Discrimination Act 1975 †¢ Race Relations Act 1976 †¢ Disability Discrimination Act 1995 †¢ Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) and (Religious Belief) Regulations 2003 †¢ Equality Act 2006 (covers service delivery in relation to sexual orientation and religious belief) †¢ Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 In the area of employment diversity and the age limit is the most important thing other than service delivery. Disability Act 2001 The students who have any kind of disability they are explored with some appropriate adjustments in the Disability Act 2001 and Discrimination Act 1995.For this reason teachers are required to get more knowledge regarding the disabled student so that they could anticipate their core abilities in reputed organizations. Diversity: In any organization diversity is very important part of any business. To give equal opportunities to Women, men, people in relation to gender reassignment. If there are different people from different origin with diversified point of view, it can produce more chances to create different ideas that could be helpful for the organization to get their objectives. Anyone in relation to ethnic origin, nationality, color or culture. Age, Religious or Sex: In order to any specific religion of any believe, age, gender including men, women, gay men, bisexual and heterosexual people there are following legislative principles: †¢ Indirect discrimination †¢ Individual discrimination †¢ Reasonable adjustment †¢ Positive action †¢ Genuine Occupational Qualification †¢ Harassment †¢ Victimization. Moral Duties of Public: There are also some significant duties for which Public are bound. NHS bodies and trust, education sector, local authorities, security agencies and the health services department all come in the circle of these rules. It is possible only by the implementation of these rules in the organization to get focused and demonstrate the diversity in the organization The duties were brought in under the following legislation: Race Relations Amendment Act (2000); Equality Act (2006): Disability Discrimination Act (2005). Each of the public duties requires organizations to: †¢ publish the results of any work make pledge to do something. †¢ produce a (race, disability and gender) equality scheme †¢ Carry out impact evaluate on their functions, policies and practices †¢ carry out equalities monitoring and take action to redress any imbalance A brief detail is discussed below. Ethnic and Race Disability: Eradication of discrimination which is not in the provision. Eliminate unlawful discrimination. Establish and propagate the equal opportunities. Always make sure that when the employees are functioning at the job in any organization, there should not be any religious or any sex discrimination between men and women or which does not come under the discrimination legislation. In public life good attitude should be encouraged toward the anticipation of disabled people. Disabled people should be treated with more favors as compared to the other people. Since 1998 the UK has also included human rights within its legal framework. The Human Rights Act applies to all public right to command and bodies acting a public function. The Human Rights Acts places the following responsibility on your organization. †¢ Organizations must support and make safe to an individuals human rights. This means treating people moderately, with self respect and respect while safeguarding the rights of the big community. †¢ Organizations should apply essential part human rights values, such as equal opportunity, privacy, dignity, and involvement, to all organizational service planning and decision making. The Human Rights Act facilitates a complementary legal framework to the anti-discriminatory framework and the people duties.

Free Argumentative Essays: It’s Time to Put an End to Campus Isolation

It’s Time to Put an End to Campus Isolation A situation on campus which I would like to see changed is not so much the increasing ethnically and racially-based separation of student clubs and organizations, but the lack of communication and exchange between them. There are valid arguments for the various racially "isolated" clubs in that they provide a support network and common identity for students who might otherwise feel culturally marooned on a campus as large as ours. (Specifically, I feel that the "Iranian Students Club," "Armenian Americans" and "Hillel House," to name a few, all provide emotional support to students away from home and their native culture.) Perhaps one could even justify racial-based separation within an area of common interest on the grounds that common racial and cultural ties promote even better understanding within a common sub-group. I refer specifically to the fact that there is a "Student Business Association (almost exclusively white), a "Black Student Business Association" (exclusively black), and a ...

Sotos Black Hair Essay -- Soto Black Hair Essays

Soto's Black Hair The title of Soto’s â€Å"Black Hair† is very ordinary. The image that forms from the color â€Å"black† serving as an adjective to describe the common noun â€Å"hair† paints a mundane picture that does not allow for any analysis beneath this concrete image. But in cases where the title is not an attention getter, the content of the poem is usually more of a challenge and Soto’s â€Å"Black Hair† is a perfect example. As the title suggests, there are many concrete images and figures presented throughout the poem, but after a close reading it is apparent that the underlying themes of family and culture lay beneath these tangible images through the poetic elements of the metonymy, the metaphor, color imagery, and the pun. The poem begins by introducing the main figure in the poem, a naturally talented baseball player named Hector Moreno. To the narrator, the game of baseball is more than just a simple game, â€Å"it [is] a figure – Hector Moreno† (6). Describing Hector Moreno initially as a figure closely associated with the game of baseball shows just how revered a person Hector is in the narrator’s mind. This image of Hector Moreno is quite concrete, but as the poem continues, the narrator expresses to the reader that his father died sometime during his childhood, as â€Å"his [father’s] face no longer [hangs] over the table† (18). Suddenly the image of Hector Moreno is not as concrete as it first appears, especially through the lines leading up to Moreno’s first appearance on the baseball field â€Å"in the lengthening shade† (4-5). The shadow of the narrator’s father over the dinner table when he was a boy has now taken the form of Morenoâ₠¬â„¢s figure in the shade over the baseball field since the narrator’s father has died. This initial me... ...se, watching Moreno touch home plate is like the narrator being welcomed into the arms of the â€Å"brown people† (30). Because of his difficult home life, the narrator finds comfort and love in the midst of baseball and his Mexican culture. Soto’s â€Å"Black Hair† is a perfect example of a poem that is effective through close analysis of certain concrete images which hold the key to the foundation of the poem and its underlying themes. In this poem, the universal themes of family and culture are hidden under the figure of Hector Moreno, the image of the narrator’s hair, as well as the extended baseball metaphor about culture. Although the title may seem ordinary at first glance, the challenge that the poem presents through its connection of concrete images and themes is very intriguing, and the themes are made clear through the effective use of certain poetic elements.

Integrated Information Management Essay

Economic, sociological, political, and technological environments make up the four external considerations. The sociological domain covers community values and the larger political divisions and their agencies. It comes up with lists – of people, their problems, needs, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities – in a data form that is easy to report. The political domain encompasses what the Board of Directors will manage, and how to handle their concerns. The economic domain is sources of funds, contributions, and referrals, and also includes customers and the company’s competitors. It aims to get the most from these sources. The technological domain includes technological advancement, so that a company remains on top of new technology. Organizational purpose, mission statement and philosophy, organizational planning, organizational operations, Human Resources, technological factors, and financial assets are the Internal considerations. The factors that influence a company’s goal sare covered by organizational purpose. It checks that all data about populations and expected outcomes has been gathered so that it can move ahead. Organizational planning keeps track of goals and marks their achievement. Organizational resources makes sure that the members of each department are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Human Resources wants information about its demographics, licensing, certifications, and staff training. Technological resources makes sure that the newest technology and know-how is being put into practice. Financial resources follows income and expenses, so that managers can predict a financial problem.

Intermediate Accounting

Deflation of consistency (vs.. Comparability) 2. Relevance vs.. Faithful representation a. Investors want information right now 3. Calculate net assets 4. Adjusting entries related to Prepaid Insurance 5. Fundamental qualities of useful accounting information a. Chart In beginning chapters that has relevance, neutrality, etc. 6. Costs that are expensed vs.. Costs that are capitalized for Internally created Intangible assets a. What did we do with R&D costs? 7. Calculate percentage and number of periods for quarterly compounding interest a.Time value of money . Straight-line depreciation a. For an asset that originally had a nine year useful life and decided later that it only had 5 year useful life. Change the depreciation expense 9. Under which cash flows statement category certain satellites fall a. Investing, Financing, or Operating? 10. Review the â€Å"Land† problem related to lump-sum purchases a. Look back at chapter with example about buying a huge tract of land, then land was divided, had to allocate cost of the land. B. Boxes are yellow 11. Calculate goodwill a. Purchase price – fair value market of the net assets 12.Calculate depletion . Like depreciation, except for natural resources 13. Ordinary annuity vs.. Annuity due a. Ordinary annuity happens at the end of a period b. Annuity due happens at the beginning of a period 14. Where should treasury stock be reported? A. On the balance sheet under stockholders equity 15. Bank reconciliation (compute the correct cash balance) 16. Compute ending balance In allowance for unconvertible accounts given the percentage of receivables method is used a. Calculate the ending balance in allowance for doubtful accounts 17. Diagram depiction of TV concept a. Chart is given b.Present value of an annuity due, present value of an ordinary annuity? 18. Revenue recognition – magazine subscriptions a. When do we recognize revenue? B. We recognize revenue when we earn it 19. Identify selling expense 2 0. Compute the floor when apply lower-of-cost-or-market 21 . Compute double-declining balance depreciation expense 22. Impairment of machinery 23. Land vs.. Land Improvements receivable gross method (vs.. Net method) 26. Compute annual insurance expense given premiums paid and prepaid insurance beginning and ending balances 27. Yield from various compounding interest approaches (yearly vs.. Monthly vs.. Weekly) 28. On what type of intangible is recoverability test used? 29. Events that have no effect on net income 30. Capitalization vs.. Expense of expenditures related to a machine 31 . Ingredients of relevance 32. Major distinction between FAST and APP 33. Entry to write off unconvertible accounts using the allowance method 34. Journal entry related to unearned revenue 35. What is consigned inventory 36. Accounting for goods in transit purchased f. O. B destination/f. O. B shipping point 37. Compute PEPS 38. Common stock issued to buy machine – how does this affect statement of cash lows 39.Why use accrual accounting? 40. Publicly traded companies submit financial statements to whom? 41 . Compute net realizable value 42. What principle is violated when a company switches inventory valuation methods from year to year? 43. Characteristics of a perpetual inventory system 44. Capitalized costs of self-constructed assets 45. Compute net accounts receivable 46. Identify cash and cash equivalents 47. Primary users of general-purpose financial statements 48. Characteristics of plant assets 49. Examples of downward earnings management 50. Calculate goodwill

Accounting Roles in the Company and Importance of Accounting Essay

Accounting is an information and the measurement that system identifies, records and communicates information about an organization business activities. In business we used accounting in all the aspects. The most common contact through accounting is through credit approvals, checking accounts, and payrolls. In a layman term accounting is a language of business because all the organization set up an accounting information in order to communicate information to help people to take decision.. There are 2 kinds of decision makers: 1) External Users and Internal Users External users: They are not directly involved in running the business. So, they will have a very limited access to an organization details. Still their business decisions depend on the information that is reliable, comparable and relevant. . External users include people like Lenders, Government shareholders, external auditors and regulators.. Example: External auditors use financial statements to verify that they are properly prepared according to GAAP. 2) Lenders would look into the information whether an organization will repay its loan and interest. 3) Customers use financial statement to check the power of the suppliers. See more: Homeless satire essay Internal Users: They are directly involved in managing and operating an organization they will help in improving the efficiency of the business. They include managers, officers(employees), internal auditors, and sales staff . Example: Managers would look into the information about the project cost and revenues in order to makes changes in products and services. Both Internal and external users rely on internal controls in order to control, monitor company activites.

Hunger Games Research Paper

The Hunger Games The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins, takes place In a post-apocalyptic America with 12 (originally 13) Districts and an over controlling government who lives in the city known as The Capitol. As punishment for an uprising against the government almost 75 years before, each district must volunteer one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 every year.The well written and well known trilogy appeared on the American Library Association's (ALAS) list of most frequently banned and challenged books for the second year in a row in 2011 ranking third in cost frequently challenged books. The ALA defines a challenge as â€Å"a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness† (ALA). The protagonist in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catkins Overseen, must survive The Hunger Games while facing many challenges.The Hunger Games trilogy is on the LA'S list of Banned and Challenged books because of violence, being unsuited to age group, and being anta-Ethel, despite Its many contributing factors which make It a favorable trilogy, including many historical attributes. Violence is never a good thing, especially when it comes to killing. The Hunger Games trilogy Is a war trilogy with a lot of violence. Collins does a very good Job at putting In an appropriate amount of violence In each book to give It Just the right effect of gruesomeness (Bobbin).The violence in the trilogy occurs very often, mainly while the tributes are in the arena. As the tributes rise up on metal platforms, a giant metallic Cornucopia filled with helpful supplies sits in the center. Just seconds Into the games. Tributes are being slaughtered and picked off by other tributes. A boy. I think from District 9, reaches the pack at the same time I do and for a brief time we grapple for it and then he coughs, spattering my face with blood. I stagger back, repuls ed by the warm sticky spray. Then the boy slips to the ground. That's when I see the knife In his back. Collins 158) Within the first couple of minutes of the games, when everyone charges in to gather supplies from the Cornucopia, fighting starts right away and many tributes are already killed Immediately. When Cat, the male tribute from District 1, sees that the supplies that him, and the members of his alliance, had organized Into a pyramid has been blown up he goes Into a rage and walks over to the boy from District 3, who planted the mines after Cat told him to, and snapped his neck (Collins 224). The violence in this trilogy is ongoing and a natural part of a dyspepsia society.Violence is also one of the main reasons why it has been challenged for being unsuited to the age group targeted. Throughout The Hunger Games, suspense builds and the violence becomes more frequent which is one of the reasons that many parents, including a mother from Softwood, New Hampshire, have challen ged it. In 2010, the mother of a seventh- grade student claimed â€Å"her daughter was having nightmares and that the children In the book were being exploited for their having to fight each other for entertainment† (CTD. In Floorboards).The mother's challenge was unsuccessful and her daughter was taken out of class while the rest of the student read. Society would. A few of these ethical dilemmas include lying and slaughterhouse the trilogy, she is forced to face many choices that go against her morals in order to save someone (including herself) pay the ultimate price of their lives (Bobbin). Not many people would be willing to kill someone for any reason even if it is to save someone else's life which are dilemmas Catkins faces on a day to day basis, both inside the arena and out.A decision that Catkins faces is to either kill her friend and fellow tribute from District 12 and win, or kill herself and let PETA win. Both Catkins and PETA choose that they would rather kill t hemselves than kill one another and let the Capitol have no single victor (Bobbin). There are many other decisions that Catkins and her friends must make throughout the trilogy. Although the Hunger Games has been challenged by many people to be taken off shelves, very few have been successful because it has many contributing factors that make the trilogy marvelous.Many history teachers like to teach this book due to the many historical attributes throughout the book. Many history teachers say that Collins based Catkins off of the hero in the myth of Theses and the Minotaur (or the Labyrinth myth). According to the author of the Percy Jackson series, Rick Ordain, â€Å"Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America† (Ordain). In a high school in Texas, English teacher Rebecca Tortes stated that â€Å"History teachers also enjoyed the references to classic history and gladiator theme† (CTD. N Smith). Many history teachers say this because fighting for the entertainment of the government is what gladiators and these tributes did. All in all, The Hunger Games is a thrilling trilogy in which many fight for the government's entertainment. Many challenges saying that The Hunger Games are violent, unsuited to the age group, and anti-ethic have been made but few have been successful because of the many historical references made throughout the trilogy.

Saudi Females Experience Between the United States and Saudi Arabia Research Paper - 1

Saudi Females Experience Between the United States and Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example ent of Saudi Arabia, thousands of Arabian youth have moved to the US to study under the scholarship named â€Å"King Abdullah’s Scholarship Program.† Half of these people are young ladies, who the government, in an attempt to empower the female gender in line with the global requirements. Some came at a tender age, after completion of their secondary education, while others came at an advanced age of their youth, at tender ages of their marriages. An argument can be raised that the variations in the experiences among these scholars lie on their age. However, the reasons for coming to study could also be a reason for the reactions. This paper focuses on the experiences of the female Saudi Arabia women in the US, by reviewing literatures done by various scholars and newspaper articles. The inception of â€Å"King Abdullah Scholarship Program† was supposed to give as many Saudi Arabian citizens education opportunities as possible, all over the world. According to Newswire, (2007) students who were to benefit under the scholarship would be provided with full tuition fees, a living stipend, books and computer allowances. The purpose of this move was to make sure that no student who qualified for the program was left out due to financial constraints. Applications for the programme are either done directly or student nomination through a professor. Since the inception of the program, has been successful if the number of Saudi Arabians who have benefited through the program is anything to go by. Statistics reveal that in 2010, 1984 high school students were selected to join in the program to pursue bachelors’ degree, while 6736 students were chosen to join masters’ programme, as doctorate degree beneficiaries were a total of 1283 (Newswire, 2010). The high number of people being chosen to join the programme is an indication of its success and citizens’ willingness to study. The United States and United Kingdom colleges and universities are classified as some of

Case Study 3 - Input Diagnosis (skype) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Study 3 - Input Diagnosis (skype) - Essay Example Now in the context of the project, the report will highlight the business strategy of Skype. Apart from that the report will also shed light on the three generic strategies of Porter and its resemblance with the organizations strategy of Skype. Furthermore Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model will be also emphasized in accordance with the strategies of Skype. Finally the report will present the critical inputs of Skype and will then offer a conclusion based on the findings from the study. The next part will therefore put emphasis to the business strategy of Skype. Skype mainly follows the business model, which is the combination of network effects model and service provision and thereby collective referred to as â€Å"freemium† model. Skype offers both free as well as premium services to the customers. Some of the applications that are offered free include chatting, Skype-to-Skype calling, file transfer, multi-party calling, and video calling. On the other hand premium or paid serv ices comprise of Skype-In, Online numbers, Voicemail, subscriptions, Skype-Out and SMS. Since Skype offers a number of communication methods via internet, it has been able to target a large number of customers, who seek communication over the internet at low cost. In the recent past the company has also entered the mobile market by incorporating software that runs on a Smartphone. Skype also caters to the television segment along with the blue-ray devices. Hence from an overall viewpoint the basic business strategy of Skype is to have global coverage for the users of mobiles and computers. Apart from generating revenues from the premium services, the company earns revenue by providing partnership perspectives through licensing, and advertisement opportunities (Hagstedt, Hakansson & Thideman, 2011). Nevertheless, one of the important factors that played a major role in driving the business of Skype is the security it offers to the customers and a strong brand reputation supported by Microsoft. Porter’s Three Generic Competitive Strategies The three generic strategies of Porter include cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy. The cost leadership strategy is about being the low-cost manufacturer. The differentiation strategy can be characterized by the offerings of a service or product that is unique and highly valued by the customers. Finally the focus strategy is about focusing and catering to a particular customer segment. Now comparing with the business strategy of Skype, it can be concluded that Skype makes use of differentiation strategy. The company offers a large number of unique communication modes that are distinctive and are highly value by the customers. Organizational Inputs The organizational inputs are those materials which the organization has to utilize for completion of their desired objectives. There are several different types of inputs, each of which signifies different resource for the organization. All t he organizational inputs are interlinked; especially the environment and resources have a very close relation. The environmental conditions affect the availability and price of acquiring the resources. The key organizational inputs are: a) Environment: It includes all the factors such as events, groups, individuals, institutions, and the whole

Bernard Montgomery Vs. Erwin Rommel Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bernard Montgomery Vs. Erwin Rommel - Term Paper Example Montgomery was a fascinating organizer and an exceptional field commanding officer, whose knowledge and years of learning, writing and arranging for a forthcoming warfare distinguished him out as of his recreational colleagues as complete professional. A man of words and actions, Monty at all times spoke his thoughts, owned an inborn air of power and had a clear strength of mind to succeed which rapidly disabused those who considered that he was not capable enough. Montgomery was forever a general for soldier’s who acknowledged the vital significance of confidence and developed successful way of setting up a lasting connection of communal faith and self-assurance with his official and staff. He was an inspiring person in charge, an accomplished coach of parades and masterful diplomat, whose approval of how to carry out war below progressive circumstances made him as a rule effectual general that Britain appointed in Northwest Europe throughout World War 2. Comparatively Rommel ’s functioning in World War 1 deserve him a place in the minor post-war military of the Weimar Republic, the Reichswehr. Once more, he neither did extremely well nor was unsuccessful and would have mainly almost certainly finished his profession as a divisional or at greatest service chief officer if it wasn’t for his near affiliation with Hitler. Owing to his association he was offered authority of one of the ten divisions of Panzer that waged war and succeeded the movement in 1940 in the West in spring.

What policies, if any, should Europe implement to address Spains Essay

What policies, if any, should Europe implement to address Spains economic problems of declining prices and high unemployment - Essay Example ies include provision of financial assistance to Spain and its banks, substantial economic reforms, improve liquidity in the Euro zone banking system and initiate reforms on economic governance (Lee, 1). As a point of departure, the economic crisis in Spain going down to the rates of inflation and unemployment need immediate response to help the situation. The euro zone should release financial assistance from the it’s lending facility called the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to Spain and its banks to rescue the nation’s financial base from further sliding prices. This facility provides loans in a direct manner to the euro zone governments (Patrick, Cohn-Bendit, and Griffiths, 38). The money is meant for recapitalization and purchase of government bonds primarily on the secondary markets. With the purchase of government bonds through the commercial banks of Spain, the situation is expected to slowly come to normal due to the ability of the government to pay for its spending, particularly the capital expenditure intended for national development. Equally, the European Union should seek that the Spanish government reaches and adheres to the set fiscal asceticism and structural reforms benchmarks. It is realizable that, the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF help most of the euro zone nations to create and monitor implementation of sound reform programs. This process reassures a stable market for the euro zone goods and services and attracts rescue funds from the EFSF (Patrick, Cohn-Bendit, and Griffiths, 45). In addition, the reformed structures help in faster comeback from an economic downturn. For this case Spain stands a better chance of receiving these funds, because of its early adoption of the reforms assures a stable market free of volatility. The other rescue response involves the unprecedented steps intended to improve the liquidity status of the Euro zone banking structure. For instance from May 2010, the ECB

Punitive vs. Restorative Justice Policies in American Criminal Justice Research Paper

Punitive vs. Restorative Justice Policies in American Criminal Justice - Research Paper Example During the progression of court proceedings, the plea-bargaining begins and the person charged with the crime would eventually deny accountability, his representative would eventually bargain for a lesser charge and punishment in exchange for a guilty plea. Supposedly, in these proceedings, justice is served and the offender is sent to prison. Net widening is where offenders are subjected to more invasive sanctions than before ­Ã‚ ­. When offenders are going to be subjected to probation orders or are going to be fined, they are now subjected to conditional sentences. If ever that the offender got imprisoned for violating a conditional sentence or be jailed for more than he should be than if he had never been subject to conditional sentence order ( Cohen and Reaves, 2007). On the other hand, restorative justice involves the victim, the offender and the community in a meaningful journey of healing, renewal and recompense. This system makes offenders accountable for what they have done and would let them recognize that injustice violates people and relationship. It would show to them that every there violation entails an obligation to fix the mistake. Through this system, we can realize that punishing the offender alone will not work. Making the offender experience the effects of their action towards the victims would lead to lower repetition of the same action thus producing safer communities in the future. The use of conditional sentences is justified when the courts embraced restorative justice as an approach to sentencing. Ambiguities and complexities of the conditional jurisprudence piled up because of this reliance on restorative justice. These complications came out since restorative justice is not a traditional sentencing philosophy and it has different interpretations. Some problems might arise specially in the interpretation of restorative justice and the balance of using restraint in imprisonment with the

Business M2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business M2 - Essay Example Features that can be added to the website are such as virtual help desks, whereby a customer can access real time customer care services. In this case, this requires embedment of a chat widget, where they can initiate a chat with an online operator. Businesses have derived substantial benefits from their websites, whereby they are able to promote their services and products. Other uses their websites to conduct online transactions that contribute to overall sales for the company (Smith, 2012). On the other hand, they can communicate to their customers through the website and this leads to increased efficiency. Customers are provided with a platform through the website where they can communicate effectively and send their complaints, facilitate processing of orders, following up and seeking other services (Smith, 2012). Moreover, customers are able to gather information concerning the business that can be used for making relevant decisions such as selection of vendors. Smith, D. (2012). IT and Business Working Together for Better Compliance. In Defense of Data. Retrived from:

Productivity within Allstate Insurance Corp Research Proposal

Productivity within Allstate Insurance Corp - Research Proposal Example That was one conclusion drawn from a study carried out recently by Benjamin Waber and Sandy Pentland of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.† (2) Although the methods for achieving the same or better outcomes with fewer resources may vary, improved productivity will not occur unless it is pursued actively. Ineffective searches and wasting time looking for information is a cost of a company. Many service economy jobs could enjoy substantial productivity growth through better application of information technology. For example, every time you check in at the airport, you wait several minutes as the agent frantically taps away at a hidden computer. Most of this time is wasted due to airline softwares horrendous usability. With a better user interface, agents could process passengers much faster, which would immediately increase their productivity and save time for customers. The answer, according to Nick Bloom, Raffaella Sadun and John Van Reenen, researchers at the Center for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, is that American companies make much more effective use of information technology than European companies.† (4) The importance of incentives to employees on the productivity is well known fact. Even socialism has admitted it. As Gerard Roland says â€Å"Prior to the privatization, It was China that went the farthest in trying to give managers better profit incentives. Data on 769 Chinese enterprises between 1980 and 1989 in four provinces (Sichuan, Jiangsu, Jilin, and Shanxi) analyzed by Groves and colleagues (1994) showed that increased autonomy to managers led them to give more incentives to workers by increasing the shares of bonuses in total wages payments and the share of contract workers relative to permanent workers. Increased incentives also had a positive effect on productivity.† (5) Companies can increase productivity in a variety of ways. The most obvious methods involve automation and

Memo- soaps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Memo- soaps - Essay Example According to the article the study has shown that some customers are not aware of existence of some brands. Some brand soaps like Lux, Dettol and Lifebouy have a high demand and on the other hand, there is less demand for brands such as Dyna, Camay and Sach. The research involved administration of questionnaires. These articles have gone further to give projections on the sale of liquid soaps and antibacterial soap. Soap marketers are trying to come up with new brands to try and heighten the current slow growth soap sales (Berger and Arthur 78). In Europe, tablet and liquid detergents account for the huge soap market. However, in US this is not the case as put by Kumra. The high cost of Raw materials has made the cost of the soaps to shoot. Cross-category branding has is a global strategy that has been used Dove and this has made its products to become competitive at global level. This memo has advised soap makers have to embrace efforts made on global branding and pay attention to established and new products so as to meet consumer’s expectations. I would love to discuss this with you at your earliest

Price Elasticity to Identify a Brands Competitors Essay Example for Free

Price Elasticity to Identify a Brands Competitors Essay Firms today are in their perspective industries to maximize consumer satisfaction, increase revenue, and shareholders profits. These tasks require attention to detail when pricing their products. There are always competitors lurking and waiting by the wayside to gain market share and a competitive advantage. When identifying brands competitors, price elasticity is a major determinant. Demand for a product or service constitutes what the company’s price will be and whether the price will be higher or lower than the competitor’s price. In terms of the elasticity, price increases may decrease demand and price decreases may increase demand. However, according to Kotler, The introduction or change of any price may initiate a response (favorable or unfavorable) from customers and competitors† (Kotler, P. and Keller, K., 2012) Ultimately, the concept of price elasticity can identify a brand’s competitors along with marketing research to identify consumer needs, wants, and desires, as well as current industry and competitor’s going- rate pricing. Reference Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management 14E. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. How might marketers use conjoint analysis to improve pricing strategies? When determining pricing strategies marketers must perform research that allows the consumer to voice their opinions in reference to what they need and how important the product or service is to their well-being. One method of doing so is through conjoint analysis. â€Å"Kotler defines this method as a  means to ask customers to rank their preferences for alternative market offerings or concepts, then they use statistic analysis to estimate the implicit value placed on each attribute† (Kotler, P. and Keller, K., 2012). Marketers have their work cut out for them when a firm or pricing department requests their assistance to establish a competitive advantage for their product or service. In order for a firm to know and understand what value or benefits the customer expects when utilizing their products and services the use value propositions is of the essence. According to the strategy and performance coaching company Edborrows,† items that firms need to consider when applying customer value propositions are as follows: †¢ All Benefits †¢ Favorable Points of Differentiation †¢ Resonating Focus †¢ Resonating focus highlights one or two critical differences between the firm’s offerings †¢ Generic Value Propositions †¢ Operational Excellence †¢ Customer Intimacy †¢ Product/Service Innovation (Barrows, 2010) Price elasticity of demand is a way to determine marginal revenue. Optimal revenue and, more importantly, optimal profit will occur to the point when marginal revenue = marginal cost, or the price elasticity of demand The proportion of the total sales of a product secured by one particular company or brand

The Benefits of Compulsory Education

The Benefits of Compulsory Education In Ireland all children of the state are obliged to attend school and receive an education. Compulsory education in Ireland is enforced by the school attendance act 1926 and the education welfare act 2000. The acts insure all children are provided with an equal opportunity to education. There are three levels of education available. Each student is required by law to attend up to the age of 16 or to Junior Certificate level. Prior to the existence of compulsory education many children had no access to basic education because their parents may have not been able to afford tuition. That problem has been eradicated due to the introduction of free public schooling. Basic education prepares a child intellegualy for mature adult life. Education shall prepare the child for an active adult life in a free society and foster respect for the childs parents his or her cultural identity, language and values and for the cultural back round and values for others (Article 29 of unconventional of the rights of a child) As a result of compulsory education, Ireland has one of the highest education rates in the world. 81% of Irish students complete second level and approximately 60% of these students proceed to higher education. Compulsory education follows a holistic approach. Although it is important to focus on the academic aspect of education it is also vital to point out the social aim of education. The main purpose of a holistic approach to education is to prepare individuals for a competent adult life emotionally, physically and spiritually. It aims to provide each child with the ability to seek out their own uniqness. Few schools are committed to holistic principles but many teachers try to use the ideas behind holistic education. By teachers using real life experience and events and not just delivering facts and notes, helps engage a student into a subject making learning fun and enjoyable. Self direction and resilience are major components of holistic principles. With the guidance and support for teachers, children can learn from their own experience and in turn can build on them. The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole (Jiddu Krishnaminti) Education provides a daily routine, responsibility and activities, which contributes to a healthy well rounded development. Compulsory education discourages child labour. Child labour is the exploitive employment of a child under the minimum legal age limit. The minimum age limit to work differs in each country. Irelands minimum age limit is age 15. Child labour occurs when there is limited access to education, no child labour laws and no employee rights. Working children are under paid. This in turn sees the high demand for low paid employees and leaves less employment available to adults. The cycle then continues. In 1919 the International Labour Organisation began to address the major issue of child labour. This contributed to the introduction of the School Attendance Act in Ireland in 1926. The act obliged children between the age of 5 and 16 to attend school. Previous to compulsory education the majority of families may have relied on children to leave education to help obtain basic necessities for the family. This undoubtedly denied children their right to education. The more education available to individuals can only benefit Irelands economic growth. Our progress of a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.(John F Kennedy) Presently in Ireland child labour is near to non existence. Child labour has decreased from 25% in 1960 to 10% in 2003 mainly due to the introduction of compulsory education Illiteracy levels continue to decline since the introduction of compulsory education. Illiteracy is the inability to read or write in any language. Prior to the existence of the compulsory education acts, reading and writing were seen as a skilled profession and only the rich and important had access to gain these skills. Illiterate people were unemployable even in the most basic working environment as many could not even fill out simple information details. Currently in Ireland illiteracy may not be attributed to poor attendance in school. Many individuals who experience literacy difficulties have physical or psychological issues. Illiterate people were often seen as carless, immature and unintelligent individuals. . Since physical and psychological issues are now often detected early on in school and addressed, ilitricy and discrimination are uncommon. There are five levels which literacy is assed at. Level one is classified as having very poor or no literacy skills. Level three is classed on having an adequate amount of skills to cope with life. Level five is seen as highest level of literacy which individuals can process difficult information. In Ireland 17% of 16 to 25 year olds are at level one compared to 44% of 55 to 65 year olds. This percentage is mainly due to enforced attendance in school. Although literacy levels are declining people who dont readily use there literacy skills daily can easily get out of practice. Compulsory education provides a skilful and qualified workforce. A qualified and skilful workforce is necessary for economic growth within a country. Education helps individuals become self sufficient therefore able to earn a living. Educated individuals create wealth for the country and these attract foreign investment. Foreign investment was up 10% since 2008. Even with Irelands economic down turn Ireland is still capable of attracting investment due to Irelands competent and highly skilful workforce. Presently in Ireland 81% of Irish students complete second level education. Approximately 60% of these students continue on to further or higher education. Compulsory education gives the individual the incentive to further their education. Being obliged to attend school to Junior certificate level gives the student a chance to make mature and sensible choices regarding their future. Education is the main component in the structure of adult life. Ethnic minorities in Ireland are socially accepted due to compulsory education. An ethnic minority are a group of people who have their own cultural values. These minorities hold different views on culture, religion and language. The travelling community are one of Irelands oddest ethnic minorities, accounting for 0.5% of the population. Approximately 7,769 traveller individuals are in education in Ireland toady. Prior to the compulsory education act the majority of travellers did not attend school. Traveller parents may have felt education was not necessary as they were traditional self employed. Traveller individuals were also less likely to obtain employment due to their life style and were often socially excluded and discriminated. Traveller children who attended school prior to the education act were thought in the same class room regardless of age. Presently in Ireland 100% of traveller children are in age appropriate classes. The traveller community have become integrated with society. People from a wider community have begun to understand their cultural differences and needs. Today the department of education and science employee 503 resource teachers for travellers (RTT). The resource teachers address their ethnic and cultural needs and help promote cultural awareness to other students. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26 (2) Compulsory education leads to equal opportunity for every individual regardless of back round. The traveller community are now employed in all sectors of the workforce. A number of travels now attend third level education.