Computer in Life Essay

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘computer’? Do you think of technology? Or maybe one of the ways to get on Facebook which I am sure many of you are thinking right now or you might even imagine a boring office full of screens and keys with people typing frantically in front of. All of those visions are correct, but first let’s take a look at the history of several inventions that led the creation of computers which has dramatically changed the world of technology. The first machine that was invented, which worked like a computer, was a gear-powered German device dubbed the Calculating Clock created by Wilhelm Schickard in 1623. It operated by pulling or pushing rods set inside a glass case. 20 years later, in 1640s, a similar device known as a Pascaline was invented and became famous dramatically.. In 1944, the Harvard Mark-1 computer was completed. That computer was approximately similar to a modern computer, but it was a large calculator driven by a camshaft with no stored programs. This massive computer filled a large room and was a joint effort between Harvard University and IBM. Personally, I believe that one of the most important inventions in my life has always been a computer. I was raised in this technological world where computers are a necessity. Computers dramatically transform my life in terms of education. They acknowledge me with the events that happen around the world, which I think are extremely important to learn. They give me an efficient, convenient and cozy way of work and study. Computers do not just provide me with education or learning experiences, but they are also one of the means of entertainment and globalization. They provide me with leisure time watching movies online or listening to music. According to me, it is one of the most relaxing ways to release the stress from studying and working day and night. Also in terms of globalization, with the aid of computers, I can visualize and make conversations with my long distance family and friends. They assist me in keeping relations with my family and friends, even though I am extremely far from them. I, as a student, strongly believe that computers are extremely important in terms of education as I mentioned before. Before computers were invented, I (you were born after computers were invented) as well as everyone else relied on books to provide them with educational knowledge. Now that computers are available, I never search through hundreds of pages of books. I can just surf the Internet in the blink of an eye to research for learning information. If I need to type anything or write an essay, I have easy access to my Microsoft word or Notepad in which I can also save the information and open it whenever I desire to and if I make any errors typing, it provides me with the correct word or information. Isn’t that amazing? It’s like a human sitting in the back of the computer screen reading my essay and correcting it of any mistakes I may make. Furthermore, the computers also assist me when it comes to math, such as math problems like logarithms, sine, cosine, and tangent can be awfully difficult to calculate and may take students a long time to do so manually. Luckily, with the help of computers, students may turn a five-minute problem into a one-minute problem. Computers have also made a major impact in the business field. They have gained importance as they have increased the productivity and efficiency of workload. Large amounts of data in the personal lives as well as in business and industrial sectors are stored on computers. Overall, as I provided you with all the benefits of computers, according to me, computers are one of the necessities in today’s technological world. In today’s world, it is almost impossible to think that one can survive without computers. They have become a gadget of almost daily use for people of every age. With the computer industry growing rapidly, the computer technology has also brought about a revolution of laptops and palmtops replacing the desktop, which are still popular in many of the industries. With the reduction in size, it has become quite easy to carry the computers and use them to the fullest. Computers are extremely helpful in terms of education, entertainment, globalization, etc. People might think that there might be negative aspects to the inventions of computers, but as far as I am concerned, I do not believe that the statement is true. The computers have had numerous positive effects and they will continue to do so in the future as well.

Dr. Faustus as a Tragically Flawed Character Essay

It seems impossible to define Dr. Faustus, from Christopher Marlowe’s play â€Å"Doctor Faustus,† as being anything other than tragically flawed. Faustus is not evil, foolish, or rebellious. Faustus’s flawed nature rests solely on his own prideful, overly-ambitious ways. Even so, the question still remains as to whether or not such an all-encompassing flaw should result in the damnation of one’s soul. Faustus is obviously confused as to the nature of religion, but attempting to justify Faustus’s punishment through any sphere other than religion would be improper considering the implications of the play. While Faustus’s punishment is obviously upheld by the Christian religion, his behavior, in a moralistic fashion, suggests that his soul is not deserving of such damnation. During the initial Prologue, the Chorus, reminiscent of earlier Greek tragedies, prepares the reader for the tragic story of Dr. Faustus, a man whose â€Å"swollen and cunning† ways lead to his inevitable downfall (Prologue. 20) . Faustus, who eventually will â€Å"mount above his reach†, is compare to Icarus from Greek mythology who flies too close to the sun and drowns (Prologue. 21). The Chorus tells us that this is most assuredly not a story about â€Å"pomp of proud audacious deed,† but of a man whose ineptitude leads to his eventual fall from grace (Prologue. 4-5). The Prologue serves to begin the story by focusing on Faustus, comparing him to any other tragic hero of Greek literature, and letting the reader know that even though they may sympathize with Faustus position, he is essentially damn for the beginning of the story. Because of the inclusion of a Chorus it the play, Marlowe is reiterating the fact that Faustus should still be considered a tragic hero. Like Achilles, Faustus has a flaw that will lead to his demise, but the damnation of Faustus would be the equivalent of damning great Greek heroes such as Achilles or Hercules. As Faustus’s character is revealed through his initial speeches in the first chapters, his flaws of pride and ambition become apparent. Faustus begins by contemplating the merits of various forms of science. He deems the study of rhetoric, medicine, and religion to all be unworthy subjects for a variety of selfish reason. Even when he decides to pursue a study of magic, he does so in hopes that magic make him â€Å"a mighty god† (1.62). This initial decision is instrumental in much of Faustus’s character development throughout the play. Faustus considers two important alternatives, the study of medicine to help people or the study of religion to learn of God. Faustus decides that neither of these goals is personally profitable for him at that time. His shortsightedness when deciding which subject to study is in direct correlation with his other various displays of pride and selfishness. Shortly after beginning his studies of dark magic, Faustus summons Mephistopheles, one of the demons at the service of Lucifer. Here and many other times throughout the play, Faustus displays signs of guilt and remorse, and even considers repenting of his misdeeds. Because of these various vacillations on the part of Faustus, many times throughout the play two angels, one good and one evil, appear to present arguments as to why Faustus should or should not repent. Even the early arguments that convince Faustus to enter into his pact with the devil are aimed at his ambitious pride, telling him he may one day be king of all Germany. Later in the play, he is convinced to remain in league with the devil because of all the money and riches he could make through his powers. Faustus proves that he is unable to consider the long term ramifications to his decision. Even when his own body revolts against the pact, congealing his blood to prevent his signature, Faustus seems unaware of the negative consequences of his actions. His lack of foresight has confined his logic to considering only the short term gains associated with this pact. In another particular instance, Faustus again shows uncertainty in his convictions toward the devil. This time, the simple arguments presented by his angelic representations are not sufficient to easy Faustus’s mind. In order to relieve his misgivings, the devil and his demons parade images of the Seven Deadly Sins before him. These sins, all representatives of tragic flaws themselves, encourage Faustus, and he delights in this parade. His enjoyment of the sinful display points to a need within Faustus to recognize tragic flaws or sin within others. He is reassured by this display because he sees a common connection with these other various sins, and is able to relate to them. Throughout the play, he continues to build himself up by seeking dramatic flaws in other characters. During a previous discourse with Mephistopheles, Mephistopheles tells Faustus that he is constantly â€Å"tormented with ten thousand hells in being deprived of everlasting bliss,† but Faustus only seems to delight in Mephistopheles admission of weakness (3. 77-80). Instead of recognizing Mephistopheles statement as a warning toward the horrors of Hell, Faustus chastises Mephistopheles for his lack of â€Å"manly fortitude† (3. 85). Faustus’s conversation with Mephistopheles reveals his own blinded nature. Even when presented with the raw, uncensored truth of Hell, Faustus is unable to comprehend the vital information that is being given to him. Faustus is too prideful, and here, as in the parade of sins, he reaffirms his own position by delighting in the infirmities of others. As Faustus wanders, displaying the powers that he has obtained from the devil, his inevitable demise becomes apparent. Initially, Faustus has high hopes of obtaining his lofty goals. He rides through the heavens in chariots drawn by dragons and is even able to confront the pope, but, as his time on earth begins to wane, his performances become less impressive. He has transformed from a hero with a tragic flaw into a comic display of simplicity and waste. Everything about him is rather unimpressive. He is reduced to playing pranks on horse-coursers and performing tricks for royalty. In Vanholt, he appears to be just another rouge or clown. As a response to his own demise, Faustus comments to himself, â€Å"What are thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to die? † (10. 24). While his flaws become more and more apparent throughout the play, the idea that Faustus deserves harsh punishment becomes more ambiguous as the play continues. Many of his tragic qualities seem to be the direct result of his inability to comprehend the true nature of God, as presented through the Christian faith. In his initial consideration of religion, Faustus is unable to focus on forgiveness or salvation, but only sees that all men are condemned to death for their sins. He is constantly reminded by his angel companions that God’s forgiveness is available to him if he only repents, but Faustus finds himself unable to do so. He confuses Mephistopheles statement that Hell is everywhere to mean that â€Å"hell is a fable† and simple a continuation of an earthly existence. Because of his apparent naivety toward religion, Faustus character is able to effectively question the legitimacy of his punishment, even though he has been warned of it consistently throughout the play. It is because of this ambiguity that Faustus is able to remain a sympathetic character. It is apparent from the beginning of the play that Faustus is a tragically flawed character, but, by its end, the reader must decide what becomes of a tragic character whose flaw prevents him from overcoming the need for grace and repentance in his life. Faustus is a character overcome by the expectations of grandness in his life and a pride that he will someday meet these expectations. Because Marlowe places Faustus within the context of a struggle between the acceptance and denial of traditional Christian values, the reader is forced to judge Faustus within the circle of Christian ideology. Faustus denies grace and, through this particular ideology, deserves the punishment of being condemned to Hell, but, in a strictly moralistic fashion, in may seem to many that Faustus has previously found his Hell on earth and is undeserving of an eternal damnation.

INFS1602 Assignment A Essay

The purpose of this report was to design a start-up strategy and IS infrastructure for Ruth & Luke (R&L) Crowdsource’s business. Research for this report identifies the focus (target market), opportunities and threats in entering the market and provides a detailed business model. This report incorporated recent statistical data in relation to online social media, various journal articles and books obtained online. Research for the target market indicates that the seekers comprise of mainly businesses of a variety of sizes that are familiar with the practice of crowd-sourcing. In regards to the solvers, findings suggest that university students and academics will be the dominant target market for R&L Crowdsource’s business. Using the five-forces model to identify new market entrants, substitute products and services, customers, suppliers, and competitive rivalry, overall there is a medium-high level of threat in entering the market. Further research recommends that R&L Crowdsource should focus more on achieving an easily accessible system with availability to an extensive range of audiences while raising reputation and credibility by advertising through online social media, the ‘Google’ search engine and newspapers. The efficiency and effectiveness of R&L Crowdsource’s business operations will be dependent on the amount of investment into the appropriate information systems, which may be financed through revenue obtained by charging a fee to seekers. Target markets (seekers/solvers) R&L Crowdsource will be commencing the online business initiative for clients who are seeking for their business problems to be solved through outsourcing the business solution. To identify potential target markets R&L Crowdsource needs to consider following characteristics: Seekers: Type of clients : R&L Crowdsource needs to determine the type of business that their client conducts i.e. retail companies or IT companies. Online and offline research needs to be undertaken to see which sectors of these markets need R&L Crowdsource’s business solution services. This is because a variety of companies encounter different levels of difficulty within the businesses operations. As this is a relatively new type of service, it has not widely adopted it yet. Therefore, R&L Crowdsource should focus more on those who have used this service previously or are in the same industry where their competitors have used due to the fact that they are more likely to be interested (Alzawahreh & Khasawneh, 2011). This can be done through online research and surveys. Size of clients : Online research conducted primarily from Innocentive.com (www.Innocentive.com) suggests that the size of clients should not be prioritised. The research revealed that regardless of whether they are operating internationally or domestically, a variety of different sized companies are likely to favour outsourcing their business problems. Examples of these companies include P&G (Spradlin, 2012). Solvers: In order to target the market for seekers effectively, the directors of R&L Crowdsource should reflect on their experiences as past seekers. Primarily, different participants will conduct each project and depending on the characteristics of the projects, it may require more time and work. People who already have a full-time job are not likely to desire spending their spare time on additional works unless it has either a high level of reimbursement or it is an area of interest. Therefore, R&L Crowdsource should initially seek university students and academics that are qualified in certain fields so that the outcome will be more reliable. Implementation of 5 forces model New Market Entrants This type of business initiative is fully based on the supplier and they are free to participate and exit for the given challenges. The company will have a middleman role, which connects the suppliers to its clients. There are few economies of scale in place because there is no significant capital investment required and specialised technology is not required. The company will likely encounter other competitors coming into the market when it commences sooner or later. However, its strong brand development achieved by successful and stable customer relationship established will lead to a low threat of new entrants in the market. Substitute products and services Those who request these services would be less concerned about the process, caring only about the outcome. The assumption based on this initiative is that â€Å"the wisdom of crowds† will come up with optimised ideas for the challenges. Furthermore, clients who are considered as conservative will have a tendency to solve the business problems with internationally well-recognised business consulting companies as they can work collaboratively. They provide more systematic ways of solving problems and can work interactively with the companies as their group of employees will work for the company with well-trained and qualified human labours while it costs more. This may result a high level of client satisfaction rate. Furthermore, there is the likelihood that large sized companies would substitute this type of service by using their internal resources. This means that there is a medium to high level of threats of substitute services. Customers At the present, the bargaining power lies with the customers until R&L Crowdsource has built up a reputable audience consisting of both seekers and solvers. The main feature of this business initiative is that clients do not know who will be participating in the task and this will seem unattractive to more conservative companies due to the fact that they would be prefer to spend their resources on reputable companies and individuals instead of taking a risk through Crowdsourcing. Suppliers Suppliers will be those who are willing to attempt given challenges with other people collaboratively to discover the ideal solution. Since the business has a fundamental idea that collaborative work with other people who have different background will come up with better ideas, supplier bargaining power will be considered as relatively lower in this business type. This is because development of Internet accessibility has allowed a large number of users to facilitate a variety of internet resources regardless of their geographical location. Therefore, we assume that there will be a large number of potential participants who would like to take challenges with certain level of reimbursement. Competitive Rivalry This type of an online business is not widely recognised so far and only few existing competitors have provided the services. However, this does not benefit the R&L Crowdsource’s business because it also has a disadvantage, which is the lower level of switching costs for clients. A differentiated feature of this business from its potential competitors in the market is that the business problem will be worked on by a group of people who have different background knowledge rather than one individual. Therefore, even though this business market is considered as a blue-chip business, there is medium to high level of industry rivalry between competitors. Business Strategy R&L should utilise a click only strategy to assist their online business. The strengths of an online business lie with the low start-up capital and overhead costs, consisting of mainly purchasing a domain, designing the website and promoting the business. In this case, however, we will be promoting the business mainly through online social media which no cost. In order to gain exposure or popularity, something essential for every business, after designing the website, marketing should be invested in to find potential customers. Re-iterating the target markets from above, solvers would primarily consist of people who may not have full-time jobs and for people who may be full-time studying. However, knowing the target market will not increase website traffic, advertisements and other methods should be used in establishing R&L’s company’s reputation. R&L should advertise firstly with ‘Google’s AdWords’. As ‘Google’ dominates the search engine market, with 83% of search users using ‘Google’ and just under 1 trillion uses per year it emphasises its popularity. This online advertising program would allow for R&L’s advertisements to appear on ‘Google’ and its partner websites and will only charge R&L when someone clicks their ad. Using online social media is another method they should undertake in order to attract more seekers and solvers. Creating a page on ‘Facebook’ will allow R&L to announce co-creation projects and communicate with the public. If, for example, a large business ‘likes’ this page, it will be opened to a greater number of people, increasing credibility and reputation. Other sites such as twitter may also be used for announcements and increasing popularity. Advertising on newspapers or magazines should also be considered. Placing advertisements on the business section of newspapers may appeal more to seekers whereas advertising on other sections may appeal more to solvers. However, this may be less effective in finding solvers if we consider our target market for solvers to be full-time students in comparison to advertising on ‘Google’ and online social media websites. Once a Crowdsourcing project is established and seekers are found, if the project is successful, R&L should attempt to increase popularity and credibility through their client’s business in an attempt to continue the network effect mentioned earlier. Web 2.0 Mainstream and emerging Web 2.0 technologies and applications have greatly enabled users to share with and communicate to the broader world through online media. By advertising R&L’s business through social media, there is a higher potential to develop and expand this business. This business strategy relies partly on the network effect, as it will be dependent on the amount of users. As more users participate, the network will grow exponentially. Statistics also reveal that 60% of social media users are willing to post about products/services on ‘Facebook’ if it is of interest and that 91% of experienced social marketers see improved website traffic due to social media campaigns . As seen from these statistics, it is evident that the use of online social media such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ will be of benefit in increasing website traffic and exposure to the broader population. Also, in order to establish this liaison system, many applications or programs of web 2.0 should be employed to enable the operations of the business. As they are just starting the business, the use of free web-based tools such as ‘Google Docs’ and ‘eGroupWare’ will enhance the ability for the solvers to collaborate as any work submitted or edited will be updated automatically for everyone to read. As with any content management systems, roles must be set in order to maintain an efficient workplace. Having editors who can only edit material and administrators to watch over the work and behaviour of the editors will dissuade solvers from abusing their editing privileges. Using web based email clients such as ‘Gmail’ or ‘Hotmail’ will allow for seekers and solvers to communicate with R&L in regards to any problems outside of the work. As these web-based clients have options to organise emails into separate areas or folders, the emails won’t be as cluttered and be easier to deal with. Business Model: An organisation’s business model is essentially the blueprint of their business logic and ideologies (Ludeke-Freund, 2013). As such, it is critical that an effective business model is both established and adhered to. Osterwalder’s business model canvas is explained in nine different pillars. Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Relationships Clients Key Resources Channels Cost Structure Revenue Stream Source: Alexander Osterwalder Value Proposition RL Crowdsource needs to provide a universal crowd sourcing service, which connects solvers and seekers alike. The competitive advantage that RL Crowdsource should be striving for is an easily accessible system, which provides access to an extensive range of audiences. Whilst crowd sourcing is freely available on the Internet, R&L should implement a system that easily connects a seeker directly to the best available solvers. In an increasingly global generation, RL Crowdsource should also have the ability to bypass language issues, which would normally stop a seeker from outsourcing work. The presence of RL Crowdsource as an intermediary will also enable easier transactions. Payment and reward incentives would be transacted through RL Crowdsource, decreasing the possibility of fraud and enabling peace of mind for many users. Other solvers may be motivated by the social benefits derived from creations that benefits society greatly. Some others may not be motivated by recognition or monetary incentives but instead, choose to â€Å"free reveal† ideas (Krogh, 2006). R&L Crowdsource should endeavour to harness these different sources of motivation by being the delivery system for any rewards and incentives. The communication and collaboration between solvers and seekers in the project should produce greater satisfaction and results. It should be noted that the satisfaction and results were facilitated through RL Crowdsource’s C2C business system, and thus forms part of the value proposition to R&L Crowdsource’s clients. Pathak (2009) articulates this through emphasising the efficient nature of platforms, which allow consumers to cooperate and collaborate with each other in real time. RL Crowdsource will conduct advertising and recruiting activities on behalf of the client. This is particularly important because a large part of RL Crowdsource’s target audience will have little or no expertise and experience in this area. Key Activities To successfully enable the value propositions stated above, R&L Crowdsource must establish a system to connect consumers. A key element of that aspect would be a search RSS feed that connects a solver’s characteristics and qualifications with that of a seeker’s. The feed should have different categories alongside a onsite search engine. De La Torre-Diez (2013) educates that an RSS Feed is an extremely effective method for sharing frequently updated information on the Internet. It is also a low-cost method of creating universal access to the offerings of the firm through the Internet (Ning et al., 2008). A customer relationship management system and a multilingual search engine within the company’s website would also be useful for developing customer relationships and achieving the value propositions. The implementation of these systems would be dependant on the availability of capital. As the firm invests in these information systems, the key is for quicker and more accurate connections between seekers and solvers. This will thus create more value for everyone as more users use the site. Key Resources Capital is clearly the most important resource. It will enable R&L Crowdsource to obtain technological requirements such as computers, networks, databases and customised ERP systems. A physical location to store these items will need to be available as well. As the value propositions are primarily based online, R&L Crowdsource should mitigate a lot of resource expenses attributed to traditional brick and mortar businesses (Pure-Play e-Business Development, 2000). Key Partners The key partners of a firm are those who support and aid the firm’s success on a professional level (Clark, Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2012). As such, R&L Crowdsource should consider its I.T department or outsourced I.T consultants to be a key partner. This is because the firm’s value propositions rely entirely on the ability of its information systems. The design and accessibility of the system will also determine the success of the system. Other key partners could include large business customers whose reputation can give credibility to R&L Crowdsource’s legitimacy. Likewise, R&L should consider all users as a key partner simply because it relies on its users to create the value proposition for other users. Customer Relationship Managing customer relationships is critical for every business that aspires to attain a competitive advantage. The nature of a customer relationship is defined by how responsive, attentive, personalised and customised it is (Bankston 2013). A key aim to maintaining customer relationship is therefore to increase efficiency and effectiveness for every seeker or solver. Due to the low switching costs attributed to many businesses based primarily online (Pure-Play e-Business Development, 2000), customer loyalty is often defined through the value and customer service attained by the customer. Therefore, R&L Crowdsource must continue investing in the key resources defined above to maintain customer loyalty. Other methods to enhance customer loyalty can be through discounts and lower pricing. Channel Communication between the firm and its customers is a vital element. For a firm whose value proposition is primarily based online, it is rational to have communication channels based primarily online as well. Milburn (2004) states that the challenges faced by companies, involves encouraging a behavioural change to electronic communication. This makes sense for the company because electronic communication is often the method of communication with the lowest cost as well (Milburn, 2004). Methods such as email and enquiry forms on the website should be used. The advantage of electronic communications lies in the fact that it is accessible at any time of the day. However for electronic communication to be successful, it must be quick, responsive and easy to navigate (Bernier, 2013). Customer Segments R&L Crowdsource should be creating value for both seekers and solvers. It is paramount that both segments of the market see value in order for R&L Crowdsource to deliver its value propositions. The most important customers are the customers who generate the most revenue for the firm. These typically include organisations that use R&L Crowdsource extensively . Cost Structure The most important costs in this business model involve the business systems that deliver the value proposition to our clients. This includes the database (which needs to be constantly updated), alongside server bandwidth and RSS Feed design. These resources are likely to be the most expensive as it also incurs a constant maintenance cost. Legal support will also be required to make sure R&L Crowdsource abides by national and international legislation in its activities. Revenue Streams The revenue streams for R&L Crowdsource should be primarily from the seekers. An example of this can be seen by eBay.com, where the seller pays a percentage of the final sale price to eBay, alongside administration fees. This is a model that R&L Crowdsource should adopt. Bonakdar et al. (2012) educates that misguided revenue gaining ideals will hurt all business models. Therefore, R&L Crowdsource should refrain from charging fees on solvers. This will allow the number of solvers to increase because the service is free to them. Revenue will thus rise naturally as the number of seekers increases. References 1. Alzawahreh, A., Khasawneh, S. (2011). Business Strategies Adopted by Jordanian Organisations: The Key to sustained Competitive Advantage. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, Volume 3 . 2. Amir Bonakdar, T. W. (2013). Transformative Influence of Business Processes on the Business Model: Classifying the State of the Practice in the Software Industry. Hawaii: Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 3. Bankston, K. (2013). What’s Your Top Goal. Credit Union Management . 4. Bernier, P. (2013). Taking the Customer Experience Mobile. Business Source Premier (7), pp. 8-11. 5. Clark, T., Osterwalder, A. (2012). Business Model You: A One-Page Method For Reinventing Your Career. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons . 6. Cherry Tree & Co. (2000). Pure-Play e-Business Development. USA: Cherry Tree & Co. 7. ComScore, 2011. Statistic Brain. [Online] Available at: http://www.statisticbrain.com/google-searches/ [Accessed 16 April 2013]. 8. Kristin Purcell, J. B. L. R., 2012. PewInternet. [Online] Available at: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Search-Engine-Use-2012/Summary-of-findings.aspx [Accessed 16 April 2013]. 9. Krogh, v. (2006). Free Revealing and the Private Collective Model for Innovation Incentives. R&D Management , 36 (3), 295-306. 10. Ledeke-Freund, F. (2013). Business Models for Sustainable Innovation: State-of-the-art and Steps Towards a Research Agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production , April Edition, 9-19. 11. Milburn, P. (2004). Customer Communications: Keeping Pace in an Ever-Changing Environment. Keeping Good Companies , 56 (8), 458-459. 12. Pathak, B. (2009). C2C Business Models: Beyond Online Marketplaces. Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Publishing. 13. Pring, C., 2012. The Social Skinny. [Online] Available at: http://thesocialskinny.com/99-new-social-media-stats-for-2012/ [Accessed 16 April 2013]. 14. Spradlin, D. (2012). Are you Solving the Right Problem?. Harvard Business Review 15. Torre-Diez, I. d. (2013). Development and Performance Evaluation of a New RSS Tool for a Web-Based System. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, Volume 7. 16. X Ning, H. J. (2008). RSS: A Framwork Enabling Ranked Research on the Semantic Web. Information Processing and Management . Overview of the Report The main purpose of the assignment is to illustrate how our client should commence their own business initiative into a viable business venture with our recommendation as a team of Information System consultants. Basically, we had to design a ideal and optimized business model for our client with reasonable explanation and how Information System will accelerate their business initiative. During our preparation for the group project for INFS1602, we started from reviewing the lecture notes and prescribed text book individually for the brainstorming stage. This was suggested by Justin as we did not fully understand all concepts and theories that the lecturer explained during the week 1 to 5 lectures. This idea was an absolutely good starter for our group work and we were able to find the right direction and it gave us a clear way of completing the work After the brainstorming stage, we had to discuss more details regarding of the assignment as none of us had the identical idea such as which target market we should decide as well as how we can recommend which business model Ruth and Luke should adopt. Throughout the brainstorming process, we came up with a variety of different ideas for potential target markets and Porter’s competitive forces model described in the text book was used in order to justify why we chose the target markets for the client’s business. This textbook resources were quiet useful, however, we needed to do further researches since it illustrated mainly generalized ideas and we wanted to see how actual Porter’s competitive forces model is adopted in practice. Therefore, we found some samples of the Porter’s model and this gave us very clear ideas about the first part of the assignment. When we were doing the second part of the assignment which is describing how our client should use information systems and technology to create value and how mainstream and emerging Web 2.0 technologies and applications could be used to enable the strategy and operation of the business, we referred to our textbook mainly from chapter 3 to chapter 4. Some case studies from the text book were significantly helpful to understand how actual information system is working for existing companies. Particularly, in terms of answering how the business initiative can generate revenue, the case study in chapter4 was a time-saver as we discussed these issues during workshop and various different opinions and perspectives from classmates stimulated when we were doing the brainstorming. In conclusion, while we were doing the group assignment, we encountered some conflicts as they had different point of view for the same issues and we effectively solved those issues cooperatively. Workshops, textbook and the lecture notes were the main resources that we used and a bit of supportive online researches were conducted in order to verify our recommendation for the client. Also we all agreed that information system is a combination of all different business knowledge and can maximise a business strategy if we can apply properly.

Low-Costs in Aviation Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Low-Costs in Aviation Industry - Essay Example The proliferation of low-cost carriers came into being after the 9/11 attacks that were directed towards the Americans. According to the Irish career boss, lowering the cost in the aviation industry will result to carriers accessing a pool of passengers that would be used to replace high-income passengers that would not be using air travel. According to him, low-cost flights would serve the needs of cost conscious passengers. These passengers are concerned with making saving or using the minimal amounts on travel expenses. Low-cost flight carriers target passengers who are keen on cost related issues.Managers have determined that price is the largest determinant that influences consumer decision-making processes. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that their products and services are priced lowly. In the aviation industry, lowering flight charges would facilitate increased traffic for carriers. This will, in turn, lead to increased profitability for the org anization. In this context, managers are required to initiate measures that would ensure that despite the carrier having cheap services; it makes profits.For instance, some managers took advantage of the 9/11 attack to buy new air crafts, which enabled them to exercise low-cost activities (Dunn, 2009). Managers are concerned with incorporating innovative activities in their flights at a relatively low cost. Such innovations and features would attract customers to carriers.

The Economic Structure Of Trusts And Fiduciary Obligation Essay

The Economic Structure Of Trusts And Fiduciary Obligation - Essay Example The inflexibility of the no conflict rule and the no-profit rule seems hardly fair in the field where discretion requires the utmost flexibility in decision-making. The no-profit rule has also been segregated from the no conflict rule6 and the rationalization of the no-profit rule makes sense. In Swain v Law Society Oliver LJ stated that no profit rule is predicated on the distinct principle that obtaining a profit without authorization is a breach of fiduciary duties because the profit itself is actually trusted property.7 The no-profit rule is therefore not entirely inflexible as trustees may make a profit out of the trust with the proper authorization. 8 However, should a beneficiary complain of a breach of trust pursuant to the no-profit rule, it may be difficult for the trustee to claim that the profit was authorized.9 The no profit rule is intricately tied to the no conflict rule as the operation of the no conflict rule is often applied to the making of profits.10 For instance, in Industrial Development Consultants Ltd. v Cooley it was held that the trustee must account for profits made in his competing business.11 Although the ruling was obviously made pursuant to the no conflict rule, the case clearly related to making profits and thus the no-profit rule. It would, therefore, appear that the no-profit rule is ultimately unnecessary as any conduct amounting to the making of a profit can properly be dealt with under the no conflict rule. As for the no conflict rule, there is considerable debate over whether or not the rule should be stricter or more relaxed or constructed with greater flexibility.12 However, the House of Lords’ ruling in Boardman v Phipps makes it clear that the no conflict rule is strictly applied.

Business plan- definition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business plan- definition - Essay Example A business plan is aimed at justifying business idea and its future potentials. It is the conclusive document that details the strengths, risks, future developments and other relevant technicalities involved in undertaking the business venture. Business plan is primarily and usually developed for undertaking a new business venture. However it may also be developed when an existing business makes some new initiative changes for which a sizeable investment and analysis is required. Externally, business plan helps in communicating to the potential stake holders about the financing of the new business idea. Simultaneously, a business plan serves the internal purpose by making the picture clear to the people in organization about the business. Having a conclusive business plan serves as a guideline of future moves and is an important controlling mechanism against which actual performance can be compared. The business plan encompasses several elements of significant importance to new busin ess idea. These include idea generation, strategic objectives, market analysis and research, understanding the competition, cash flow, profit and loss forecasts, balance sheet projections, competitive strategy and scenario analysis. These elements are critically analyzed in the following discussion. Elements of Business Plan 1. Idea Generation Idea generation is the process in which problem under consideration is understood and ideas to solve that problem are generated and communicated. It is the basic element of business plan on which the success of business relies heavily. An idea that understands the problem only at surface and does not address the core depths of issue will result only in short-term success and ultimate failure. A successful idea is the one, for a new business, that is feasible and profitable. Idea generation is the rigorous task (Legrand 2011, p.125). It requires a great analysis and commitment to arrive at successful business ideas. Most of the business failure s trace to unworkable business ideas. Business idea turns out to be a failure because of very common problems that include; surface understanding of problem, improper understanding of environment where idea is to be introduced and miscalculations in assessing future potential of idea generated. These are the most common areas that are not properly addressed while proposing any idea. In organization, a leader can take steps to help in generation of useful and successful ideas. He/she can do so by directing idea generators in a way so as they may not overlook the common areas of mistake that result in ultimate failure of business plan. Group idea generation is the common organizational practice. It offers the benefit of the pooled knowledge f group and ensures a proper critical analysis of idea before it is implemented. 2. Strategic Objectives: The term ‘Strategic Objectives’ refers to the concrete financial and non-financial goals that an idea is supposed to achieve. Set ting of strategic objectives serves various important purposes in a successful business venture. It defines the targets in concrete terms and also the role of different functional units of organization for achievement of strategic objectives. Strategic objectives outline the amount of financial and non-financial resources that are required to make an idea a success. This is a critical step in business plan. A business idea can be a failure if its translated strategic objectives are vague, unclear and ill-calculated. A major coordination problem, among functional units, will arise in case the objectives are not well understood. A

Hazardous Geographical Environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hazardous Geographical Environments - Assignment Example Surveying and mapping projects have extensively employed lidar technology for precise or accuracy in distance measurements (Lee 298). Lidar has a broad range of applications. Lidar is used in topographic mapping, through which land is categorized into various zones. Lidar yields highly accurate topographic data which has allowed researchers to analyze farm land and determine sun exposures and the contours or slopes of farmland. Through lidar, geologists have been able to extract accurate maps on areas that are covered by forest canopy. Through lidar generated digital elevation models, geologists have been able to create high resolution maps across various zones on the earth’s surface (Lee 302). The detection of obstacles has also been enhanced through the application of lidar technology. In return navigation across various environments has been made effective. In geology, lidar has been applied in the detection of various topographic features across the earth’s surface. For instance, detection of river banks, terraces and elevations on land surface have been made possible through the application of l idar technology. Lidar technology has specifically been applied in the delineation of hazard zones. For instance, lidar has been used by geologists to monitor the processes of costal evolution and analyze the various hazards that are associated with coastal regions (Lee 310). Through lidar technology, geologists have also been able to identify and measure changes in landforms within hazard zones with a lot of precision. Such measurements have been used to predict the implications that are associated with specific hazards. The discovery, mapping and measurement of natural hazards, such as mudslides, landslides and flooding debris have been made possible through the application of laser technology. It is through lidar that hazard zones can be seen through

MGT 302 MOD 1 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 302 MOD 1 CA - Essay Example The intensity of the behavior and the persistency of the individuals also play a major role in the overall study. There are number of factors that influence the needs of a person and that impact the satisfaction levels thereby impacting the behavior of the individual (Brooks). The drive to satisfy one's needs is what arouses or energizes behavior. Habits, in turn, provide a direction for behavior. Habits are stimulus response bonds that are built up over time as a result of prior learning. There are two main components that explain behavior, one, is the motivation component and second is the learning component. Motivation component deals with the drive those energies the behavior while learning component is the habit that provides direction or indicates what particular behavior will be initiated (Mullins). The drive theory is one of the many theories that impact the level of motivation of the employees in the training sessions and this helps realize the factors that act as satisfiers and dissatisfies for the employees. The impact of drives as an organizing construct therefore waned. Furthermore, it became accepted that organisms are always active and the field of motivation shifted from the study of what turns organisms "on" and "off" to an interest in the direction of behavior, including choice and persistence.   The cognition and interest in this led to the development of the expectancy – value theory which involves some of the most common sense aspects that lead to motivated behavior. It is also important to note that the behavioral choices also determine to a great extent provides a clear image of what the goal is of the person and the focus and dedication that the person has to achieve the same (Tracey). Hence all these factors impact the level of motivation of employees in an organizational training. Recommendations The main need for motivated and well focused employees is for the survival of the company. A workplace tends to be very effective if the employees are motivated as these employees tend to be more productive and effective. It is crucial that the manager is able to identify what motivates the employees and what does not in order to keep a clear context of the performance. Of all the functions a manager performs, motivating employees is arguably the most complex. This is due, in part, to the fact that what motivates employee's changes constantly (JD and Mazin). For example, research suggests that as employees' income increases, money becomes less of a motivator. Also, as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator.   The main aim of the training program is to ensure that the employees have a better idea of working within diverse workforces and how to deal with the various cultures within the workforce (Tracey). Here it is clear that the company has taken all attempts to ensure that the environment and style of imparting the training is different and is also interesting. However, if the level s of motivation are still low this is a major issue. The mission of is to facilitate individual and organization awareness and provide assistance in preparing and accessing the diversity program. Cognitive theorists do not assume that beliefs are based entirely on previous experiences with contingencies (e.g., reward and punishment) to one's own behavior (JD and Mazin). A few of the possible solutions

Dell's Product Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dell's Product Policy - Essay Example This translates to their system having low cash conversion cycle hence cash is generated steadily. However, the system has its limitations. The low inventory held means shortage is a possibility in cases where manufacturers delay in supplying the PC chips, like in 1996. The very high dependence on on-time component supply by manufacturers poses a major threat to steady supply. In addition, changes in product means an overhaul in processes which is an expensive venture. This means that working capital can be funded through the management of inventory and cash flow cuts (Ruback & Sesia 2003). Working capital is the measure of efficiency and liquidity in a company. To obtain the computation, one needs to subtract current liabilities from the firm’s current assets. Inventory process For comparison, we assume that the cost of goods sold by the competitors remains constant. We observe that the carrying costs only depend on the DSI (Ruback & Sesia 2003). For 1995, the cost of sales = $2737, equivalent to a daily COS of 2737/365= $7.5% We make a comparison with the highest observed DSI of the competitor, Compaq, 73. Hence the inventory Compaq holds over dell is (73-32)*75=$307.5 m This means that for Compaq to acquire new goods, it has to sell its old inventory. Since new technology is 30% cheaper, Compaq incurs and an opportunity loss, given by 0.3*307.5=$92.25m Cash funding This provides a simple way for the company to grow its assets in the short term without borrowing long term. Assume we want to grow the cash by 52% for 1996 internally. The total assets denoted TA for 1995 is computed as follows: TA (1995) =1594-484=1110. As a fraction of sales, 1110/3475=0.3194 or 31.94%. Assuming that they want to hold this for 1996, the required increase in the total assets without long term investment is given by 0.3194*0.52*3475=579.37m. This should be done without the increasing account payables (as this is an external means). This means that the cumulative liabilities should be computed excluding these payables, i.e. for CL (cumulative liabilities) for 1995=1594-403 and for 1996=2184-466. The change in current assets not factoring in accounts payable is the difference in the two values, yielding a value $491m. Assuming the company adopts the same strategy of maintaining the profit generated, the net profit to sales ratio should remain constant. This value computed as 149/3475=0.0429 or 4.29%. We can determine the cash flow from net profit for 1996 by holding the sales value constant, computed as shown, .0429*1.52*3475=$226.89m, surpassing the debt level as the total cash inflow which is the sum of the net profit and the increase in liabilities against the cash outflow required for 1996 Fund growth for 1997 The increase in total assets, TA for 1996, 2148-591=1557 as ratio of sales, 1557/5296=0.294 or 29.4 %.Assuming a growth of 50% is desired, the increase in 1997 is given by 0.294*0.5*5296=778.51m. For cumulative liabilities, CA as a ratio of th e sales value is given as (2148-466)/5296=0.316 or 31.6%. Hence the cash flow from the change in the current assets in 1997 is given by 2523-(2148-466) =841m. The net profit as a ratio of sales in1996 =272/5296 = 0.0514 or 5.14%. Hence the cash flow from operating profit for 1997 is given as 0.0514*1.5*5296=408.32m.This means that Dell Corporation has the ability to fund itself in 1997 internally without external injection of capital. (Ruback & Sesia 2003) Aventis

Psychology Journal Essay Example for Free

Psychology Journal Essay Jaime, a nine-year-old kid living nearby is the youngest son of a couple namely Cel and Eugene. He has 4 siblings who are of a large age gap with him, somewhat around 7, to be exact. The boy is fond of racing cars, playing basketball, â€Å"hide and seek† and interactive games with his neighbors and cousins living near their compound. Since his siblings are from different levels, that three of them are already in college, he finds company with other young boys in town like for Aldrin and Benedict. His parents try to understand him since they could not provide the boy with the things he needed like for material things and also the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the situation of the young boy, it can be said that, reading and analyzing his family background, he needs some attention from the parents and he finds it in the presence of his friends and playmates. For some other kids who are lacking for attention, they might bully other children or might really someone who seeks attention badly by acting strange or hitting others. But the kid is just hyperactive on play time and he pays attention on his class, studies well on weekends before going to sleep and do household chores like washing the dishes when his sisters are not at home. Therefore the kid is a normal kid, without having attention deficit disorders and some bullying attitudes that might be evident for young people who do not receive adequate time and attention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The parents are lucky though to have inculcated good breeding with their son who in turn realizes at his young age the essence of behaving properly outside the house.   Having a lot of different friend from different families, the boy might be affected for some point, that he can adapt their attitudes. But it never came to a point that the family had some trouble with Jaime. Like most of the children who have problems for concentration, I think it would not cost the family much for treatments and sessions with a psychiatrist who treats ADHD and the like for kids at Jaime’s age. From the article of Richard R. Matt, the discipline and behavior of a child is of great importance with a kid to become efficient in their education or studies. In Jaime’s case, it is not a problem hence; he is part of the honor roll in his batch. References Richard R. Matte and Jon A. Bolaski. ADHD in the Classroom, Part 1: Strategies for  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Behavior Management. Retrieved December 5, 2007 from  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/child_behavior/cfadhd01.html

Impacts of Knife Crime

Impacts of Knife Crime Britain is in the grip of a knife crime epidemic. This is the impression one gets from the media: every week seems to bring new stories of stabbing and murder among city youth. But why are these youngsters engaging in such activity? This quote suggests that young people who carry knives do so protection, status and peer pressure. The media also plays a part by reinforcing the idea that everyone else is carrying a weapon. Finally, the quote claims socially excluded young people from dysfunctional families are more likely to use knives. The first part this essay will first give an overview of the labelling approach and social construction theory, it will then go on to consider whether young people are in fact engaging in knife crime because of the above reasons, or whether it is simply a consequence of the labelling process. The labelling theory devotes little effort in explaining why certain individuals begin to engage in deviance. Rather, it stresses the importance of the process through which society defines acts as deviant and the role of negative social reactions in influencing individuals to engage in subsequent acts. The labelling theorists shift their attention away from individuals and their actions and toward the dynamic of social definition that particular acts or actors are deviant. The first labelling theorist was Frank Tannenbaum (1938), he suggested the person who is labelled, subsequently becomes the thing he is being described as. Whether that label be given by those who would punish, or by those who would reform. In either case the emphasis is upon the conduct that is being disapproved of. The harder the criminal justice system works to reform the evil, the greater the evil will grow and the harder it will become to suppress the bad behaviour. He claimed the way out was through a refusal to dramatize the evil. The less said about it the better. The more said about something else, still better.   Taylor et all (1973) reinforced the labelling theory by suggesting that the way a stop will be put to deviant behaviour is: to create a society in which the facts of human diversity, whether personal, organic or social, are not subjected to the power to criminalize.   Sociologist Haword Becker(1963), recognised deviance is not a quality that lies in the behaviour itself but in the interaction between the person who commits an act, and those who respond to it. A good way to demonstrate this point is by referring to the study of opiate use  by the sociologist Alfred Ray Lindesmith, his findings demonstrated how a person becomes aware of their addiction. In essence it is not the drug that makes the person an addict, the addiction is a result of social definition. When others label them as addicts, then the person too comes to define himself as an addict. In other words behaviour is not inherently deviant or normal but is defined and labelled that way. So how does the labelling process work? Erikson (1975), the founder of the labelling theory, describes two main stages to the labelling process. The first stage involves primary deviance, which is the initial criminal act, after which a person may be labelled as deviant or criminal, but does not yet accept this role. So the person does not view himself as a criminal. It is this lack of viewing that separates primary deviance from the next stage, second deviance. Secondary deviance involves a status degradation ceremony This begins by a formal confrontation between the deviant and the officials, as in the criminal trial; this is then followed by an announcement of the verdict, and finally the deviant is assigned with a special role, like a prisoner which redefines his position in society. According to Tannenbaum (1938), formal proceedings signify the dramatization of evil, whereby the act is publically announced and defined as immoral. News of the formal sanction will then spread across the community leading to others also labelling him as deviant. The individual finally accepts the criminal label; their self concept is changed from normal to deviant. According to Lemert, This becomes a mean of defence, attack, or adaption to the problems caused by societal reaction to primary deviation.  This process can also take place in a more subtle fashion as well. For example, the family of deviant may become withdrawn and distance themselves from hi m in disappointment, regardless of whether a formal charge has occurred. Accordingly, the labelling theory suggests: if the individual accepts this negative criminal label that has been applied, they are then more likely to continue engaging in the behaviour that the label was initially meant to control. In other words the label leads the deviant individual to follow a self-fulfilling prophecy conforming to ascribed label, causing them to lead deviant careers. For example, if a person is caught carrying a knife, but is not apprehended or labelled as deviant, that person is more likely to forgo such behaviour in the future. However, if the person is apprehended and labelled as a criminal, then the person is subsequently more likely to change his identity as a rest of the exclusion felt by the individual from normal routines or conventional opportunities, and increased contact with the deviant groups. Having explained the theory, this essay will now interlink the labelling theory with the quote. The quote itself suggests most young people carry knives for: protection, status and peer pressure. The perceived need for protection is compounded by the sense, reinforced by the media coverage of stabbings, that everyone is carrying a weapon, as well as experience of victimisation. In terms of socially excluded young people from dysfunctional families are more likely to engage in knife use. For young people, the transition from childhood to adult can be rather confusing, their adult identity is not yet developed and so they often become bewildered as to their own position within society. George Herbert Mead claimed an individual develops a sense of self through how others perceive them, he coined this as the looking glass self. He suggested as children develop, they become more aware of their own social position and others around them, and subsequently become concerned about the demands and expectations of others and of the larger society. To demonstrate this point, he used a basketball game as an example, to show children, like basketball players, must take into account the roles of all players, as well as consider their own role.  [8]   This symbolic interaction to the study of deviance focuses on the process by which the wider social audience creates deviance and deviants by defining the acts and actors that way. The problem with defining young people as either knife carriers or knife users is that the term knife crime encompasses a very broad range of offences, and makes no distinguish between actual carrying and using. Furthermore, knife crime statistics are equally as difficult to quantify due to lack of clarity. The offences recorded involve sharp instruments these might actually refer to screwdrivers, broken bottles or glass, not a knife. Similarly offences listed as threatening another person with a weapon might involve sticks, rocks or other objects as well as knives. Furthermore certain types of knife may be carried legally if the carrier has a good reason, for example if it is work related, or for religion purposes. So there is some confusion as to who should be labelled when the definition itself is so br oad, a clearer definition is required in order to prevent sensationalised use of the term. If deviance is therefore just a label, where does the label come from? And how does the label come to be applied to specific behaviour and particular individuals? According to the sociologist Howard Becker(1963), moral entrepreneurs are often ones who create the rules about what constitutes deviant or conventional behaviour.  He believes that moral entrepreneurs use their own perspectives on what they believe is right or wrong to establish the rules by which they expect the rest of society to live, usually for their own political agendas. Furthermore, it has been suggested that these rules as to what is right or wrong are not randomly distributed across the social structure, but are instead more likely to apply to the powerless, the disadvantaged, and the poor. Because of existing stereotypes, which portray criminals as members of lower classes, minorities, urban dwellers, and young adults, individuals who belong to such groups are more likely than others to be labelled delinquent.   So the labelling process is a clear case of double standard, one rule for the rich and one for the poor. A perfect example to show this inadequacy is the recent MP expense row, those in power were stealing from the rest of society, yet their power enabled them to put the issues of youth violence, weapon use and gangs at the fore front, sending out sensationalised messages of a broken society  to exploit their own agendas. So the crime of the powerful is somewhat ignored by shifting societies focus on crimes of the middle and lower class. So is the quote correct in assuming knife users are generally from dysfunctional families? A dysfunctional family is one who has very few values or discipline within the household. An interesting theory to incorporate here is the control theory; this is concerned not with why people commit crime, but why so many refrain from doing so. It suggests those children who grow up with parents who exercise fair and consistent discipline are less likely to offend, and more likely to stay committed to conventional definitions of right or wrong behaviour. Those children who typically engage in knife crime or any other crime for that matter are said to come from broken homes, where they have not experienced love or care. Linking this back to the labelling theory, which suggests the powerless, low class are more likely to lead deviant careers, because they lack bonds with society and law. Subsequently, young people who have dysfunctional families within these communities will more likely conform to stereotypes they face. More so, if their parents informally label them as deviant which is very likely in cases of minorities from lower class; because they engage in more objective deviance.  This appraisal from the parent will influence their further delinquency. The quote also suggests the mass media also plays a part in ones decision to carry a knife, but is this true? Does the medias public labelling have an impact on a young persons decision to carry a knife around for protection? The media is one of the most persuasive features of society. The messages and information society receives through the media plays a huge impact on influencing their opinions and understanding. It sends out an image of the world as unrealistically clear-cut and understandable.  The media messages are in fact cleverly selected and edited, in order to offer identifiable values, interest and normative expectations. Stanley Cohen researched the social reaction of the Mods and Rockers disturbance in 1964; he claimed the media created a moral panic by labelling them as folk devils and exaggeration the initial events.  The original incident simply became an opportunity to exploit and enhance the social status of the moral entrepreneurs. In terms of knife crime or any other crime for that matter, the media is able to cultivate in their audience a belief that the larger social environment is dangerous and frightening, for example, when the mail screams that Shock figures reveal no part of Britain is safe as knife violence spreads everywhere, Thugs committing 350 knife assaults EVERYDAY, as blade menace spreads to rural areas, Britain on alert for deadly new knife with exploding tip that freezes victims organs, these are just a few examples to demonstrate the medias exaggeration. In the last headline, the knife was only sold in America, designed to kill sharks and bears, so no risk was being posed in Britain. But these types of sensationalised reports enhance social control, because the frightened audience are easily manipulated and easily accept what the media presents, and knife crime becomes wider and threatening then it actually is. The media has its good elements too; it helps raise knife crime awareness and also brings to the forefront campaigns against knife crime. The bad news is that the huge publicity devoted to raising awareness has the preserve effect of normalising it. The crime reduction charity Nacro, for example, argued: the suggestion that it is in any sense the norm to carry weapons is likely to increase the number of young people who do so, simply because they fear attack and wish to have the means to protect and defend themselves.  Furthermore the Mothers against Murder and aggression Wales found the way knife crime is portrayed in the news gives out the message that all teenagers are armed, which is a frightening concept, Almost everyone carrying a knife does so because they feel they have to protect themselves as everyone else is doing so.  So the media, like the labelling theory, labels certain groups of people, in this case young people, without any proper justification. Furthermore headl ines such as war on young thugs contributes to the concept that for some young people there is a war being waged against them and they be fighting back.  Furthermore the negative connotations of youths, when the vast majority are law-abiding, can add their sense of being under attack. As a consequence these labelled youths may begin to believe stereotypical beliefs surrounding them, or they may think that these beliefs exist based on their learned perception of what people think about criminals; fearing rejection, they may withdraw from interaction with conventional peers. Goffman (1963) suggests labelling can cause the interaction between normal people and stigmatized youth to be uneasy and embarrassing. These awkward experiences are felt by those who bear the stigma as well as those who do not. According to Goffman (1963 the very anticipation of such contacts can lead normals and the stigmatized to arrange life so as to avoid them. Therefore non labelled adolescents and labelled adolescents may tend to avoid one another in order to avoid uncomfortable interaction dynamics. Feeling isolated from the mainstream of society, and being locked within their deviant role, they may seek others similarly labelled to form deviant subcultures.  The deviant subculture will represent a source of social support in which deviant activities are accepted. A social shelter will be provided by the subculture away from those who react negatively towards the deviant status; it will offer alternative values, habits, interests and attitudes. So if an individual is labelled as deviant from society, then that labelled person is increasingly likely to become involved in social groups that consist of social deviants and unconventional others.  Tannenbaum and Becker highlight the role of deviant networks in explaining how public labelling can increase the likelihood of deviance. A final step in the career of a deviant is movement into an organised deviant group. The deviant group provides opportunities that encourage, support and facilitate deviant behaviour. These deviant sub cultures are made up of leaders and followers, solidarity of intention, clarity of purpose. These characteristics may seem positive in an adult world, even necessary for achieving adult identity and self esteem. However this hierarchy proves to be negative in terms of delinquent groups. Those at the top of the hierarchy, the leaders are often given a prestige status, one which would not be given in the mainstream society. With regards to knife crime, these leaders of the gangs side step the risk of being caught carrying a knife, by pressuring the younger member of the gangs to carry them, some as young as seven, this is often referred to as golf caddy. This often leads to an arm race among young people who feel increasingly threatened by peers carrying blades and so carry knives to protect themselves. So as the quote suggested, protection is rightfully a number one motive for knife carriers. Furthermore, young people will carry knives, out of respect, maybe trying to make a name for themselves on the street and gain respect,  so the status which they lack from mainstream society is obtainable within the subculture, To conclude, having gone through the factors within the quote, it seemingly appears that the quote is incorrect. The factors listed within the quote are simply all a consequence of the labelling theory. Society itself is quick to judge and put a label on everything, it was not so long so ago when gun crime was the cause of concern, and now it is knife crime. The term knife crime itself needs a clearer definition, so a distinction can be made between knife use and knife carrying. Furthermore, those who enjoy the power to label need to put an end to class biasness, as the powerless appear disproportionately in official statistics on deviance, which gives an inaccurate account of knife crime. Moving on to the factors themselves, status is something young people crave in order to develop their own adult identity. Once officially labelled through a status degradation ceremonythe individuals criminal status becomes their master status. The peer pressure elements falls into the equation onc e the individual has united with deviant subcultures, as peer pressure is part of the gang culture. The media also plays a big part, by publically labelling certain subcultures as delinquent. So all the factors form one vicious circle, which an individual will have to go through once labelled, This could be avoided, if the courts refused to dramatise the evil by implementing a system whereby minor crimes would not involve formal sentencing and the status degradation ceremony that goes with it. Instead a rehabilitative therapy and out of court settlement could be introduced in order to give young offenders the opportunity to reform and integrate back into society, not excluding them further.

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change

Causes of Obesity and Strategies for Change Introduction Generally, obesity is the accumulation of fatty deposits build up inside a persons body. This occurs when the tissues become excessive fat. Worse, obesity may interfere with and injure organs and eventually cause serious health problems. Being overweight is associated with a higher risk if you have a medical problem such as diabetes and heart disease. Apart from limiting the physical and social activities, life expectancy was much shorter in the patient. The problem of obesity is becoming more prevalent among students. Obesity is the second most common disease in Malaysia after heart disease. Studies show that 15% of children aged 12 to 19 years have a problem of overweight and fatness. This problem is higher among children who come from poor families because of a lack of awareness of the importance of having the ideal body weight as compared to richer households. In this assignment, students are required to tell the causes of obesity and the ways to overcome it. Main body What causes obesity in teenagers? Among them are neither balanced diet. Balanced means that the calories and energy that must be earned at a rate equal to the amount of energy released or calories to be obtained through the diet and can only be removed through activities, exercises and so on. Teens often take advantage of snacks such as crackers, instant noodles and soft drinks as well as foods that are high in fat. They did not know that actually these foods contain high calories. Increases a persons weight when they eat more than what can be burned by the body and excessive calories are stored as fat. Weight gain and obesity and obesity resulting from excess intake of calories will not occur in a certain number or a week, but the fat in the body will be collected and stored for several months and years. To ensure that weight is always on a normal BMI or ideal weight, one must ensure that the energy in the body is at a normal, balanced diet. In addition, the duration of sleep can also contribute to obesity. If a person in bed, the individual is likely to have the disease of obesity. If a lack of sleep, the same problem will be faced, namely the risk of weight gain. Hormone released by the body during sleep will control the rate of appetite and energy levels in the body. For example, the hormone insulin to control sugar levels in the body when a person is sleeping. Therefore, if a person lacks sleep, the energy content of sugar in the body similar to diabetics. If teens do not have to sleep on an ongoing basis, they will have high hormone in the body called ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that is responsible for increasing the rate of an appetite. At the same time, when a lack of sleep, the individual will also have low leptin content in the body. Leptin is responsible to suppress appetite. The main causes of this obesity is genetics. A gene of a person have a strong influence on a person’s weight. It is like, if a person has obesity, the person maybe inherited it from the parents. Obesity also tend to run in their families, or few of a family member has obesity since young. The chances of being obesity are greater if any one of their parents are obese or both mother and father are being obese. The genes in a person’s body could affect the amount of fat which is in your body. Even a child could adopt the habits of or from their parents, which is something like eating habits. Eating not in a very proper and controlled way will lead a person to obesity too. A person’s lifestyle choices are one the causes of being obesity. Overeating also can contributes to obesity. Nobody is following the food pyramid and control their eating habits according to the food pyramid. Some of them are in diet, but are they following the proper diet? These peoples thinks that they are in a correct way and following a good lifestyle. But they are eating a diet which is very high percentage in calories come from sugary, high in fat, refined foods promotes weight gain. In children lifestyle, there is no activity, outdoor activity which involves physically. These children are very inactive in physical activity. They are more interested in inactivity such as playing games, watching television, listening to music and so on. Lack of exercise contributes obesity to adults and it also makes them difficult to maintain weight loss. Age of a person is also playing an important role of being obese. As a person get or grew older, the person will tend to loss muscle if the person is less active. Muscle loss of a person can slow down the rate which it burns calories of a person’s body. If a person does not reduce the calorie intake as he grew older, the person might gain weight and being obese. Menopause is another cause of being obese. Many women gain their weight during menopause and gain more fat around their waist. Pregnancy is another factor for a woman being obese. Women gain weight when they are pregnant to support their babies gowth and development. But after giving birth, some women can easily lose their weight and for some women it is very hard to lose their weight. They even gain more weight. This may lead them to obesity. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of obesity. People who sleeps fewer hours are like people who likes eating food that is higher in calories and carbohydrates, which also brings them to overeating, gain weight and obesity. Getting a good sleep helps us maintain a healthy balance of the hormones which can makes us feel hungry or full. Lack of sleep results in a higher sugar level, which may increase our risk for getting diabetes. To prevent obesity caused by this problem, we should eat more vegetables, fruits and other protein sources such as fish. We also need to reduce the use of oil to fry food and cooking by steaming, baking or boiling. In addition, laziness and dislike of exercise is also a cause of obesity. When we pamper the body by not doing any exercise movement, the fat will continue to accumulate in our body. Finally, a chubby little body, plump, and fat. Therefore, we must exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Among the exercises that can be done by those who are lazy or difficult to perform the movement was brisk walk, swim, or play badminton. This exercise can prevent injuries. In addition, the increase in fast food restaurants and food sold in packages or cans also be a cause of obesity. Fast food restaurants such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut favorites, especially those who work because they no longer need to bother to cook a meal after a hard days work. Although the food is provided by fast food restaurants are tempting, people should be aware that food intake should be reduced because the food is not nutritious and contain levels of salt, sugar, and fat. Among the steps that can be taken to prevent ourselves from this problem is to adopt a well-balanced diet. We must take into account the need of carbohydrates, fat and nutrition in accordance with age. Therefore, we must make the food pyramid as a guide in the selection menu or foods for a healthier life. In addition, we must eat on time regularly, especially the three main meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) was the slogan healthy eating, healthy life to ensure that people eat a healthy diet. This is because we are not only healthier but happier and more secure life without diseases if we are wise in choosing healthy foods and a balanced diet every day. Aside from the diet and doing regular exercise, we should not be fooled by slimming products rising galore in the market. Various slimming products sold and advertised that can obscure the users eyes. Users should be careful because often ingredients in slimming products can be harmful to health, but, most of the product is not a guarantee of safety from the Ministry of Health. Therefore, use of this product is not safe and can cause a variety of negative effects that can affect health. Use of these products is not able to lose weight otherwise detrimental to health. Therefore, we must seek the advice and insights of a qualified physician before using any slimming products available in the market.

Why Female Youths Join Gangs :: Youth Gangs Essays

Why Female Youths Join Gangs Female youths join street gangs on the basis of gender conflict, lack of family support and violence in their lives. Through adolescence young females have a much harder time than young males dealing with family, sexuality and the harsh reality of living in the urban ghetto. Young females who must endure these facets of life have little opportunity to succeed. Consequently, these young women turn to a replacement family, a place where they feel they are needed and loved and can escape reality, even if momentarily. This type of place is in the common street gang. Presently, inner city minorities are hopelessly discriminated and isolated from economic opportunity. Young females see society as having nothing to offer young minority women. Neglected communities with high crime and a lack of resources force young females to turn to others in the same situation for support. Thus, they develop an exaggerated sense of belonging and gain excitement lacking in their lives (Chesney-Lind 53). According to Thornberry there are three types of models that account for gang membership: selection model, social facilitation model and enhancement model. Female membership seems to fall into the selection model. The selection model states that gangs only recruit or associate with already delinquent persons (Dukes, Martinez, Stein 143). In 1994 â€Å"females accounted for 24% of all juvenile arrests† (Chesney-Lind 11). Also, female gang members show higher levels of delinquency than non gang members (Curry 12). However, they do not necessarily influence members once in the gang. Such as many researchers have found; once in a gang, female members are not expected to involve themselves in delinquency. Recent estimates of female gang involvement have shown a tremendous increase in female membership. These increases have become great enough to turn researchers attention to female gang members. Studies have shown that ten to thirty eight percent of gang members are female (qtd. in Miller 431). Miller has recognized two different types of female gangs. First, the independent female gang. The independent female gang is completely separate of the male gang. The females make their own set of rules and have decision making powers. Miller’s studies have shown that less than ten percent of female gangs are independent (qtd. in Chesney-Lind 46). Second, the auxiliary gang (qtd. in Curry 105). The auxiliary female gang is the most common and one in which the females are separate from the males in the gang, but are still apart of the whole gang. The males make all the decisions and essentially control the females. These type of female gang groups are, â€Å"an expression of the gender relations and boundaries of society† (qtd.

Spirituality in John Greenleaf Whittiers The Worship of Nature :: Whittier Worship of Nature Essays

Spirituality in John Greenleaf Whittier's The Worship of Nature If man ever said that he could not experience God outside of the walls of a church, it is evident that he never read John Greenleaf Whittier. John Greenleaf Whittier was a Quaker who, like all Quakers, placed an emphasis on a simple life. Quakers believe in leading a life without artificial things. Because of his Quaker beliefs, he had a deep understanding of the spirituality of the natural world. In his poem, The Worship of Nature Whittier takes his readers on a spiritual journey through a world untouched by man. The title of the poem is an indication that the reader should prepare himself or herself for some sort of spiritual experience. Whittier uses the word "worship" to title his poem because by the end of the poem the reader will learn that there is much more to the natural world than water, land, and sky. The poem starts with the birth or creation of nature. Whittier explains to his readers that the natural world has existed since God created it. He compares the creation of nature to music. This stanza is very appealing to the senses because nature is musical. The insects, winds, and birds are all a part of this "song" that "has never died away". The poet reminds readers of this very important idea because we as humans have a tendency to forget the value and importance of nature. The second stanza takes readers beyond the initial creation and introduces readers to the many purposes that nature serves. Whittier explains that "prayer is made and praise is given." Personification is an imp ortant tool used in this poem. Obviously nature cannot really pray or give praise, but the various functions of nature in this world give the illusion that it does pay homage to a higher being. For instance the lines in the second stanza, "The ocean looketh up to heaven, /And mirrors every star" says that the ocean is a mirror for heaven. If we look into the deep sea, we are in essence looking into a reflected image of heaven. Other instances when Whittier uses personification in this way are the first and second lines in the third stanza, "Its waves are kneeling on the strand/As kneels the human knee". Whittier tells his readers that just as man bends his knee to show respect to God so the ocean waves bend when they reach the shore as a sign of respect.

Analysis of “Pleasantville” Essay

The film ‘Pleasantville’ is about two modern teenagers, David and his sister Jennifer, somehow being transported into the television, ending up in Pleasantville – a 1950s black and white sitcoms. David knows that they have to act like the ‘real’ characters as he definitely knows the world well, but soon he realises that it is impossible – that change is inevitable, which is the main theme of the movie. The two characters from the modern world have the role of bringing ‘evil’ knowledge to the citizen of Pleasantville. They brought changes to the town, adding colours to it. Change is an important element in this film. It shows that change is inevitable by introducing two characters into a never-changing world. Both are uneasy when they arrive. However, Jennifer threatens to rebel and states that â€Å"no one is happy in a poodle skirt and sweater set†. The citizen of Pleasantville have only learned about the geography of two streets, the firemen have never seen a fire, and sex and double beds do not even exist. They live their lives according to their routines. â€Å"Where is my dinner?† Mr Parker asks when he is surprised that the dinner is not ready for in at quarter to six. Though, the curiosities of the people living in Pleasantville lead them to change. â€Å"What is outside Pleasantville?† some ask. The people of Pleasantville are no longer innocent, and they are ready to change. This is shown by the shifting of people from black and white to colour. The people can only gain colours when they break their barriers, discovering the missing element in their lives. Some gain colour from having sex, Mary-Sue gains colour from reading books and Bud gains colour from getting into a fight. Pleasantville is no longer Pleasantville. The basketball team starts missing shots, and colours can be seen everywhere. Bud is horrified when he sees the changes, but soon realises that it is hardly life when all people do is to follow the robotic routines. Not all people react pleasantly with the changes. A committee is set up to limit the use of colours, kinds of music and books, and shutting down Lover’s Lane. The film comments on censorship and the social discriminations  base on racial background. The plot of Pleasantville is relatively simple – two real people being sucked into an unreal world. However, it makes allusion to the real world, such as segregation and censorship. It also deliver its message successfully, that change is inevitable. The scenes where the black and white tree bursting into bright orange flame, and the Lover’s Lane as Eden, have strong visual impact on the audience, and allows the audience to re-evaluate our society.

Education Essay

Sure Start Childrens Centre-Family based centres who not only provide early years education but offer help and support to parents too. Day Nursery-These are independently run businesses. Childminder-You would normally take your child to the childminders’ home. They can look after upto 6 children but no more than 3 of these can be under the age of 5. Nannie/Live in carer-Would look after your children in your home. There are four main types of State schools which are funded by local government. They all follow the National Curriculum and are monitored by Oftsed. Community School- Community schools are run by the local government, which employs school staff, owns the land and buildings, and sets the entrance criteria that decide which children are eligible for a place. Foundation and Trust schools- Foundation schools are run by a governing body which employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria. Land and buildings are owned either by the governing body or by a charitable foundation. Trust schools are similar, but are run together with an outside body – usually a business or charity – which has formed an educational trust. Voluntary aided school- Voluntary-aided schools are religious or faith schools. Just like foundation schools, the governing body employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria. School buildings and land are usually owned by a charity, often a church. Voluntary controlled schools- Voluntary controlled schools are a cross between community and voluntary aided schools. The local authority employs the staff and sets the entrance criteria, like a community school, but the school land and buildings are owned by a charity, often a church, which also appoints some members of the governing body. Other types of schools are; Specialist- State secondaries often specialise, which means they have an extra emphasis in one or two subjects. Schools can specialise in: the arts, maths and computing, business and enterprise, music, engineering, science, humanities, sports, languages, and technology. They would usually gain extra funding for these departments. Academies- Academies are independently managed schools set up by sponsors from business, faith or voluntary groups in partnership with the local authority and the government Department for Children, Schools and Families. Special school- Pupils at a special school have usually been assessed and given a statement of special educational needs (SEN). These may include learning disabilities or physical disabilities. Some special schools are funded by the local education authority. These could be community, voluntary-aided or controlled, or foundation special schools. Some special schools are independent. Free school- Free Schools are normally brand-new schools set up by teachers, charities, community or faith groups, universities and groups of parents where there is parental demand. They will be set up as Academies and will be funded in the same way, directly from central government. They also share with Academies a greater control over their finances, the curriculum, and teachers’ pay and conditions. There are several post16 options for young people and adults to consider. During the course of year 11 at school you should have met with a careers advisor who has a wealth of information that they can share regarding the different options available. Depending upon choice and exam results there are different routes that could be taken. Staying on at your own school to retake exams or partake in new subjects. Or sixth form at a new school to do the same thing. College is also another option for either the retaking of exams or to study something new. University is available for those who wish to take their education to another level. Employment is obviously an option immediately for some people who have been able to gain required exam results to obtain a position at work straight away. Volunteering to do work is an opportunity to gain invaluable experience that may be needed to clinch a position of employment. Task 2 The strategic purpose of the school governors, senior management team, other statutory roles, teachers and support staff is primarily to provide a safe, secure environment to provide an excellent range of teaching and learning. However they all have their own roles in facilitating this. School governors- Are responsible for how the school is performing, for staffing and budgeting. Challenging the head and/or teachers about any issues and ensuring that the school is meeting all of its pupils needs. Senior Management team- The head, deputy and heads of departments usually make up this team. The SMT will ensure that they keep the rest of the staff up to date with any issues and help to motivate staff and students in trying to lead by example. SENCO- Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator will oversee all of the pupils on role who have any sort of educational need and is usually directly involved with the management and deployment of the support staff. Teachers- Are responsible for providing students with the best education possible. They are role models to all students and their teaching will have a direct impact on them. They will help motivate students and colleagues. Support staff- Will work under the guidance of the Teacher either in the whole class setting, with small groups or indeed on a 1:1 basis. Again will be looked upon as a role model and supports both students and staff alike. Other professionals who may work with a school include; Educational psychologist, The Educational Psychologist’s role is to work closely with the Senco and parents to support children who are experiencing on going difficulties with learning. The Police, In our school we actually have a Police officer on site who all pupils get to meet and who also works closely with the local community. School nurses work closely with the school and various pupils who may have certain medical requirements. They also provide drop in clinics within school for confidential help such as quitting smoking. The ethos, mission, aims and values of a school should be reflected in working practices by leading through example. The Ethos of the school should be recognisable when entering the school setting as it is part and parcel of the environment of the school and the daily practice of the staff and pupils there. All adults who work at a school have an important esponsibility in modelling standards of behaviour, both in their dealings with children who attend the school and amongst colleagues, as their own example has a great influence on the children. Good associations and strong collaborations between adults will encourage the good behaviour in children. All adults within the school should aim to create an optimistic and positive environment that holds high but reasonable expectations of ev ery child who attends the school, emphasise the significance of being respected as an individual within the school as well as outside. Encourage, through example, truthfulness and politeness while encouraging children to have relationships based on fairness, kindness and understanding of the needs of the other children within the school. The ethos and mission of a school are often referred to as the same, however, they are both different. The mission of a school is based upon what the school intends to achieve in a more physical and academic way, as set out by the head teacher. This is often seen as a motto and slogan as you enter a school. Ours is â€Å"Inspire, Believe, Achieve†. The Ethos of a school is more related to the beliefs and feelings of a school. The Ethos of the school should be recognisable when entering the school environment as it is part of the nature and daily practice of the staff and pupils who work there. The ethos is set out for the whole school to be aware of and is reinforced through daily activities. It enforces that children’s safety is paramount and that the children are at the centre of everything. The aims of the school are set out by the head teacher in partnership with the parents, staff and the community which should provide all members of the school community with a safe and respected environment which is paramount in obtaining a successful learning environment. The aims for the children at our school are to provide each pupil with the appropriate balance of both challenge and support in their learning, to provide for the spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development of the pupils regardless of their gender, race, ethnic background or disability. The roles of regulatory bodies relevant to the education sector which exist to monitor and enforce the legislative framework, including; General bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive. Health and Safety Executives (HSE) is a UK government body that is responsible for enforcing Health and Safety at work legislation. The HSE plays an additional role in producing advice on Health and Safety issues and guidance on relevant legislation. The HSE mission is to prevent ill health, injuries and to ensure that professionals within education or elsewhere are managing any significant risks arising from school activities and off the school premises. The HSE will check a number of things within a school e. g. toilet facilities for both staff and pupils, the condition of the school premises, medical rooms, water supplies, weather protection, lighting, heating and ventilation. Properly maintained flooring and that the appropriate measures are in place to prevent slips on wet surfaces. In the playground, the equipment that the children play on or use is not faulty or rusted and that the playground surfaces are adequate. On school trips and off site visits HSE will be carried out on any special educational or medical needs of the students. The age, competence and fitness of the pupils, along with the usual standard of behaviour. Adult to student ratio. The proficiency and experience of the accompanying adults. Modes of transport, journey routes and location visits as well as any emergency procedures. School specific regulatory bodies. School specific regulatory bodies (OFSTED for England) are responsible for carrying out inspections of colleges, children’s homes and schools to ensure that the quality of the service provided is adequate for every individual child and young person. During an inspection they will gather evidence based on the practice they are observing as well as what they learn from the people using the service. They then use this evidence and other information that is gathered to make a professional judgement on the service offered and it will then be published in an Ofsted report. The report will contain the quality of provision in the National Curriculum subjects and aspects of childcare, social care, education as well as learning and skills. Ofsted will also act as a regulator in checking that the people, premises and the services that are provided are suitable to care and educate children and potentially at risk young people. If childcare or a child’s social care provider does not meet the adequate or required standards then Ofsted will need them to take the necessary actions to improve their facilities. Policies are important because they help schools establish rules and procedures and create standards of quality for learning and safety, as well as expectations and accountability. Without these, schools would lack the structure and function necessary to provide the educational needs of students. Ultimately, policies are necessary to the success and safety of a school. Policies for staff are put in place to protect the staffs’ welfare and their rights within a school setting and to support staff in their management of situations they may be involved in. Every policy should outline its aims, purpose and responsibilities the staff will have. Examples of policies staff may have relating to; Anti-bullying policy: will outline what the school will do to prevent and tackle bullying. How the school will discuss, monitor and deal with bullying. Whistle blowing policy: will provide avenues for staff to raise genuine concerns about other members of staff and will allow a member of staff to take the matter further if they’re dissatisfied with the governing body or local authorities response. The policy will also assure staff of the steps that will be taken to protect themselves from reprisals in whistle blowing real worries. Pupil welfare policies will include; Discipline policy: which will show that the school will encourage positive behaviour which will enhance opportunities for children to learn and develop, and establish acceptable patterns of behaviour that will encourage a sense of responsibility towards others. Child protection policy: will consist of key elements in protecting children and young people, these elements being: To ensure that the appropriate steps will be taken in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers who work with children and young people in a school environment. Raise awareness of child protection issues and providing children with the skills and knowledge they require to keep themselves safe. Develop and apply procedures to identify and report cases, or suspected cases of abuse. Support victims of abuse in accordance with their arranged child protection plan. Establish safe surroundings in which children and young people can learn and develop to the best of their ability. Teaching and learning: will include curriculum policies, special educational needs policy, planning and assessment policy and marking policy. The aims and missions of these policies are to provide safe, stimulating learning environments for pupils and teachers. These policies are put in place to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to the school curriculum so that learning is differentiated to fit each child’s individual learning needs and capabilities. Equality, diversity and inclusion: the following policies are set in place to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, abilities or disabilities, race or religious beliefs have equal access to the school and its curriculum and to be treated equally in every aspect of school life. The Gifted and Talented policy outlines the way that the school identifies what ‘gift and talented’ means and also identifies the procedures and measures that are used in supporting a child or young person who is gifted and talented. An Equal Opportunities Policy is set in place in education to ensure that children and staff recognise that discrimination on the foundation of colour, culture, origin, sex or ability is not acceptable and to ensure that all staff feel valued, supported and have the appropriate advice and encouragement for professional development. Children are to be seen as an individual and each child‘s education is to be developed in relation to their needs and abilities. Parental engagement: parents and families play a fundamental role in helping children achieve their full potential in education by supporting them in their learning and developing within their own homes. By working together with the child’s school parents can create a learning environment to help reinforce lessons that are learned at school. Homework policies contribute towards building responsibilities and self-discipline in a student. Homework should provide a student with the opportunity to apply the information they have learned in class, complete unfinished class assignments and develop independence. Home School Agreement: can raise standards and contribute to school success by providing structure for partnerships between home and schools on issues such as; pupils progress, information on what pupils will be taught and any concerns that may affect the pupils ability to learn. Parents are able to support and help their child’s learning at home with more success and confidence. Schools need to ensure that policies and procedures that are in place are regularly revised and updated. Each policy will be dated and have a date for its revision. There are model policies available on the internet through local education authorities to assist the schools in drawing them up as this can be a time consuming process. Depending on the policy, the person responsible for a curriculum area (for example, the numeracy coordinator) may produce a draft policy and then have it checked by other staff during a meeting. It will then need to be agreed or ratified by the governing body before it takes effect. The revised/new policies or procedures would be communicated/distributed in the appropriate way ie. If it was an updated mobile phone policy for pupils then letters would be sent to parents and the new version posted on the school website. National Government. The Department for Education is responsible for education and children’s services. Basically, this means that they are responsible for setting the national curriculum and early years foundation stage, which the schools and nurseries operate and also looks into new ways to develop the quality of service available to children. Other roles and responsibilities of the Department of Education include funding research into Education based projects concerning children and young people. Developing workforce reform such as the 2020 children’s workforce strategy. Promoting integrated working for those who work with children and young people. Developing the role of the third sector, which are non-government organisations, such as voluntary, community organisations and charities that work with children and young people. Local Government. Are responsible for providing services to all the schools in the community. The local Education authority is responsible for providing, school management issues, behaviour management, the development of school policies, staff training and development and special educational needs. The LEA will have policies which communicate their own leadership for schools in the community. The local authority will employ specialist advisers for different aspects of the curriculum. They will also have people with their own area of expertise in place for pupils with challenging behaviour and special educational needs. The majority of these services will be provided free to schools by the LEA, but in some circumstances the school could be expected to pay, this will be when specialist teachers need to come into the school setting. The LEA will be responsible for informing the schools in the community of changes to the education policy and they will then be given extra training within the area of changes. It is the responsibility of all schools to make sure they are up to date with all the current policies which are put in place for children, young people and their families. There are a large range of organisations that work with children and young people. All these organisations will delegate with each other as a team and share their knowledge and experiences to achieve the best interest of children and young people. Social services will work with schools if certain information comes to light about pupils or if they need to gather information for court reasons. Children’s Services. Are based on the framework Every Child Matters. These are basically based in different areas of professionals including; Education, health, early years, child care, social services and youth services. These will work with secondary schools, but will be more involved with the training and provision of young people from the age of 14 and beyond. National Health Services. There are many different services which will work with and within the school setting. These may be employed by the national health services and the primary care trust. This will include; Speech therapists, Occupational therapists, Physiotherapists.