Language Development in Exceptional Circumstances

â€Å"Ever since attempts have been made to describe and explain normal language development, references to exceptional circumstances have been made. † (Bishop & Mogford, 1988: v) Language development in exceptional circumstances refers to cases of child language acquisition which are considered as departing from the norm. In the following, five types of exceptional circumstances will be taken into account; that is: the case of neglected children, the case of hearing children brought-up by deaf parents, the case of bilingual children, the case of twins, and the case of children affected by Williams syndrome. This is by no means a full consideration of all existing exceptional circumstances for language development; rather it is a selection of the cases which I find most revealing to gain insight into normal language development. Indeed, in the light of the aforementioned exceptional circumstances, we will be able to draw understandings about language development in its unexceptional nature, such as its relationship to environmental factors (I) and to other cognitive devices (II). First of all, exceptional circumstances can provide important evidence relevant to the role played by the verbal environment in child language acquisition. Neglected children, hearing children brought-up by deaf parents, bilingual children, and twins, are all faced to a certain form of restricted verbal stimulation. For instance, Marie Mason (1942) reported a case that concerned a neglected child, Isabelle, who had been kept in seclusion with her deaf and mute mother because she was illegitimate. They spent their time in a dark room shut away from the family who had rejected them, and Isabelle was completely deprived of language until she gained her freedom at the age of 6. Children of deaf parents are also limited in their exposure to spoken language, although in the context of otherwise normal social, communicative and environmental stimulation. As for children who are brought-up bilingual and as twins, verbal stimulation is similarly impaired, the former because their exposure to one particular language is reduced ecause they must deal with two languages simultaneously, and the latter because one family’s linguistic resources are shared between two infants in the same developmental stage. Yet, just as Isabelle went on to develop normal language in only 18 months’ time after gaining her freedom (Skuse, 1988: 33), children of deaf parents, bilingual children, and twins, also develop normal language over time, albeit the adverse circumstances. This provides evid ence of resilience of language acquisition. Indeed, the fact that these children, despite such unfavourable circumstances, ultimately achieve linguistic proficiency (not unlike an ordinary child) tells us that children learn language despite a restricted language input, meaning that innate language abilities must have a substantial role in normal language acquisition. In this sense, exceptional circumstances indicate that the principles of language development advocated by behaviourists are quite inadequate to explain how the child develops language, and provides evidence in favour of Noam Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar. Conversely, however, exceptional circumstances do provide some evidence of the importance of the verbal environment for normal language development. For instance, Genie, another neglected child who was discovered at 13 years of age after having been locked in a small room and beaten by her father whenever she uttered a sound, never fully recovered from the deprivation of language in her early years. Although she is now 55 years-old, she never acquired true linguistic competence. This gives evidence for the existence of a time window during which external influences have a significant effect. Just as songbirds will learn to sing the appropriate song for their species only if they hear that song in the first few weeks of life, there is a critical period for the child to successfully develop language† (Bishop & Mogford, 1988: 252). This ‘critical period’ is set from birth to sometime between 5 and 7 years of age depending on the individual, which is why Isabelle –who was 6 when liberated– developed language readily, while Genie –who was 13– did not. Therefore, exceptional circumstances provide insight into a critical period for language development after which failed experiences in infancy cannot be compensated. Moreover, exceptional circumstances can also provide insight into the relationship between language and cognition. In this section, we shall consider the case of children affected by Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome is characterized by a sophisticated use of language with complex syntax and adult-like vocabulary in individuals who otherwise demonstrate no evidence of concrete operational behaviour on Piagetian tasks, and whose overall level of mental development is below that of a 7-year-old (Jones & Smith, 1988: 248). In other words, Williams syndrome children are mentally retarded, yet they demonstrate impressive lexical semantic abilities, complex expressive morphology and syntax, and good metalinguistic skills. For instance, three Williams syndrome adolescents were investigated: Van (age 11), Crystal (age 15), and Ben (age 16). Their full-scale IQ scores on traditional intelligence tests were: Van, 50; Crystal, 49; and Ben, 54. However, their scores on formal tests of language were higher than performance on non-language cognitive tasks (Bishop & Mogford, 1975: 182). This relative sparing of language in the face of other cognitive impairments is particularly revealing about the relationship between language and cognition in that it implies that there is dissociation between language and other cognitive functions. Similarly, it may be particularly striking that, in patients of global aphasia, which is a severe language disorder, other cognitive skills remain functioning, affirming that language faculty is indeed a separate domain (Saffran et al). Therefore, the exceptional case of Williams syndrome children, and the rather converse instance global aphasia, indicate that normal language development is not directly related to intelligence, hence why language is acquired rapidly and uniformly by all ‘normal’ children, irrespective of intelligence. In conclusion, language development in exceptional circumstances stands as a window into the analysis of normal language development. In the words of Gary Dell: â€Å"the inner workings of a highly complex system are often revealed by the way in which the system breaks down† (Baars, 1992: 5). Indeed, throughout this essay, the study of exceptional circumstances has provided us with evidence that, although language input has an important role in language development, it may be limited, given the Poverty of Stimulus argument. The study of exceptional circumstances has also evidenced the existence of a critical period for language development and made the issociation between language and other cognitive functions clearer. Nonetheless, one must bear in mind that a more in-depth study of exceptional circumstances, for instance one that would take into account infantile autism or Down syndrome children, would certainly provide us with further information about the components of normal language development. Unfortunately, given the time limitations for the realization of this essay, these aspects will be left for o thers to analyse.

Gender and Sex Worksheet Essay

What is gender? What is sex in biological terms? Are gender and sex the same thing? Explain why or why not? Gender is a subclass within a grammatical class (as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics (as shape, social rank, manner of existence, or sex) and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms (â€Å"Merriam-Webster†). Biological term for sex is one’s biological classification as male or female which is set into motion at the moment the sperm ertilizes the egg (â€Å"Intro To Sociology†, 2009). Gender and Sex in my opinion are not the same. Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women, gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. How do gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity? According to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc (2013), â€Å"Culture determines gender roles and what is masculine and feminine. What does it mean to be a woman or man? Whether we are women or men is not determined just by our sex organs. Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics. How do you act, talk, and behave like a woman or man? Are you feminine or masculine, both, or neither? These are questions that help us get to the core of our gender and gender identity. † Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity? Yes, I do feel that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity. I feel that we look at males as the ones who are supposed to be the readwinner, the rough and tough kind of person and we look at females as the ones who are supposed to be the sweet and kind caregiver at home taking care of the house and kids and being the emotional one, when it can be the other way around. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation? Explain. Yes, I feel that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation in many ways. We have a understanding of what each gender is and what they provide, causing us to make a decision on who we want to be with in life.

Explain the concept of globalization. Critically discuss the main Essay

Explain the concept of globalization. Critically discuss the main features of globalization - Essay Example Globalisation is also a product of investment and cultural exchange between nations. Although globalisation possesses many economic, social and political benefits it has negative impacts on most global economies as well as the environment e.g. pollution and tampers with the sovereignty of various nations. Globalisation can be divided into five categories; internationalisation, universalisation, modernalisation, liberalisation and respatialisation (Ferendinos, 2009:4; Clayton, 2004: 274-294). Internationalisation portrays globalisation as an aspect of cross-border relationships while liberalisation discusses the aspect of creating open world economy by elimination of interstate movement restrictions among countries. Universalisation views globalisation as a process of distributing a wide range of knowledge and products all over the world. International business aspects such as capitalism and industrialism determine the modernisation aspect of globalisation (Egan, 2005: 559–64). Globalisation increases global economic interdependence. This involves the rise in the sensitivity of individuals and companies on the changes taking place around the global business circle and the measures necessary for curbing possible challenges emanating from such changes. Global dependence can be unilateral i.e. a country depending on the global economy, or bilateral i.e. a country benefitting from the global economy and the global economy benefitting from that country, in return. The free movement of goods created by the globalisation process provides multi-national corporations with an opportunity to establish a global competitive advantage. Globalisation is caused by various factors. The prominent cause of globalisation is the enhancement in technology which most multinational corporations have adopted in a bid to improve production. Technological progression has led to reduced cost of transport as well as communication. The availability of cheap, rapid and reliable communi cation channels is the key to integration of the international capital markets. This nurtures the growth of multinational corporations as they exploit intellectual property efficient in various locations from a central point. The change in lifestyle has also led to increasing demand that makes most enterprises establish branches in other locations. The dimensions of globalisation include economic, political, psychological, sociological, anthropological, geographical and communications. The economic perspective of globalisation focuses on economic drivers such as trade, money, banking, corporations and capital. Economic dimension posits that globalisation has taken the form of an increase in trade liberalisation, expansion of world markets and the increase in the international mobility of capital. This has made many countries to come together under supranational trade unions such as the European Union as well as the formation of multinational institutions such as the World Trade Orga nisation (Ingham, 2004). Economic globalisation has also enabled firms gain the ability to locate their production facilities everywhere in the world. Most of these multinational firms take advantage of globalisation to target less developed countries that provide cheap labour which, in turn, reduces operational costs. Economic globalisation enables multinational corporations to establish their business close to the sources of raw materials, capital, technology and other business components; thus improving

International Business Management Research Proposal

International Business Management - Research Proposal Example Such enterprises are not only supposed to come out with cost effective solutions to the energy needs but they are also supposed to make provision for the environment friendly techniques. Recently concluded UN environment summit at Copenhagen highlighted host of issues related to industry and business. Conflict of interest was apparent when the world leaders could not agree on a common binding declaration. Environmentalists say that the industry has a larger interest and bigger role in letting the conference fail. While all concerned appear to agree on protecting the environment, the cost of adopting alternative fuel seems to act as a dampener. For example, government of UK has planned out to make use of 15 percent of its energy requirements through alternative means within the next 10 years. But experts are sceptical about this ambitious plan citing a number of practical considerations like higher costs, requirement of more space, lesser efficient processes etc. (Kahya, 2009). We are living in a highly industrialised world today, which requires energy in different forms for allowing the developmental policies go ahead. At the same time, we need to make sure that the world remains liveable for generation to come. Having recognised the urgency to adopt environment friendly measures, the European Commission's Fifth Action Programme on the Environment entitled "Towards Sustainability" calls for enterprises to (Herath, 2005): Disclose in their annual reports details of their environmental policy and activities, and the effects thereof Detail in their accounts the expenses on environmental programmes and a clear definition of such expenses; and Make provision in their accounts for environmental risks and future environmental expenses Oil and Gas form key energy sources and it is because of the fast growing consumerist society that despite a consistent increase in the crude oil prices over the years, its use has not decreased. Instead the use of oil and gas has kept growing over the years. As per the report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) titled, 'International Energy Outlook 2008', Carbon dioxide happens to be the most abundant anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas in the atmosphere (EIA, 2008). The report indicates that 'Carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the OECD economies are significantly higher than in the non-OECD economies. Industrial sector is considered to be one of the main pollutants of greenhouse gases. Therefore while venturing out in the international arena, a company is required to be well aware about the standards set by the industry and the governments in regard to the environment. Renewed emphasis on alternative fuels has certainly made things more competitive for the oil and gas sector. But, the fact that it is considered as one of the most dependant and cost effective sources of energy by the industries as compared to the renewable sources will help a company to make a successful foray in the international arena. Research Questions and Objectives This study is primarily being undertaken to study how a company will be able to successfully manage its international venture. The study will try to seek answers to the following key objectives. To analyze the levels of competition and management scenario in the oil and gas s

Gender Discrimination in Hotel Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Gender Discrimination in Hotel Industry - Essay Example A hotel provides a carefree atmosphere for its customers. It is a very sociable industry; its employees have a very high exposure to the customers. Looking at its contribution to the economy we can say that it is one of the most fast growing and biggest industries of the world.. Almost 10% of the gross national product is due to this hotel industry. In 2005, it gave revenue of almost 27 billion. After 2000 there was an increase of almost 4.5% in the hotel sector. In 2004, it gave almost 11.5 billion revenue. This huge increase shows that it is one of the fastest growing industries. In 2002, there were almost 280 000 employees in almost 40 000 establishments. London is the hub of hotel establishments in United Kingdom (Data Monitor, n.p, 2005; Hotel Research, n.p. 2006). In recent years we can notice that the hotel sector has been growing very fast. The main reasons for this are mergers and acquisitions. Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, Marriott London Park Lane, The London Hilton on Park Lane, Intercontinental etc are all five star hotels in the UK. Though we can see that there are many big names in this sector of the hospitality industry, but there is almost nothing being done in case of human resource management. Employment opportunities in the hospitality profession abound all over the world. In the majority of West European countries women predominate in the hotel staff but unfortunately, only a small number of women are in management positions. Though it might provide employment to many individuals but certainly does not provide equal opportunities to the women. A research was done by Purcell which revealed that women in the five star hotel sector of United Kingdom are horizontally segregated into particular jobs while being vertically segregated (Purcell, 18, 1996). Many researches have investigated the problem of equality rights and gender prejudices in the workplace. Many claim that because of the established dominance of males in the vast number of areas of public life, women are often placed in a disadvantaged position from the very beginning; Recruitment is considered to be one of the major issues in equal opportunities for women. However, statistical data shows a considerable increase in the percentage of women who are engaged in some kind of professional work. This increase has been in the lower level of the hierarchy, but as we go up we will notice lesser and lesser number of females. The Five star hotel sector of the hotel industry has conventional employment model. It has a linear path of progression (Boaxall & Purcell, 47-70, 2003). The top four positions in a five star hotel are General Manager (GM), Financial Director, Director of Sales and marketing (DSM) and Food and Beverages Manager (FBM). The general manager has the top most positions and other positions are mere steps of getting to the top. Other positions like house keeping and human resource are usually confined to women. These positions are less attractive to men as they usually have lesser pay. So, women are confined to these low paying jobs. It has also been investigated whether the level of education has any effect on this discrimination. It was found that female hospitality graduates were at least three

Hw Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Hw - Assignment Example The unique factor about Kiva.org’s organization that distinguishes it from other businesses is its role as an agent instead of a party to the lending business. The organization’s role in its empowerment objective is to link different stakeholders towards ensuring that potential entrepreneurs whose major challenge is capital receives help into starting their desired small scale businesses. It only facilitates the lending process and does not lend from its finances, a contrary approach to other businesses that are parties to lending agreements. The organization’s model would not work for larger loans and large-scale business. This is because the types of loans and businesses would entail higher risks such as loss of large amounts of money in defaults. This would have impact that is more significant on the organization and challenge its success as compared to risks in small-scale loans. Lenders would also be unwilling to offer money for large loans because of the nature of the model in which lender have limited control over involved

Day of leisure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Day of leisure - Essay Example To begin with, leisure is such a word that cannot be defined by a single statement, as there is so much to it than meets the eye. It is thus agreed that the best way to really cover its meaning is to define it as an activity, as time, and as a state of mind. Leisure as time defines leisure as being free from obligations or duties that may be either paid or unpaid or tasks that are essential for our existence. Leisure time in this case is seen as residual time. While there are those who see all the time that they spend away from work is leisure time, the truth is only a small percentage of this time is essentially spent for leisure. Some of the time spared after work can be used to do other activities that are crucial to our survival, say eating or sleeping. As an activity, leisure does not entail life maintenance tasks such as sleeping or general house cleaning. Leisure in this case means the activities that we engage in for relaxation, growth, meditating, competition, engaging in certain sport activity, painting and so on. These tasks are not done for our existence but for fun. As an activity, leisure is solely dependent on an individual. As a state of mind, it relates to the above definition in that leisure is dependent on an individual’s perception of what they are doing and whether they perceive that to be leisure. Concepts that come into play here include perceived freedom or competence, intrinsic motivation, and the positive effect of the activity. Remember it is the above effect that helps the individual knows whether a certain experience was pleasurable to them. To elaborate a little on the above, we would say that in perceived freedom, the individual is free to choose the activity they want to engage in without any obligation to do so. In intrinsic motivation, the individual is not influenced by any external force to engage in a given activity and that such motivation comes from within. Perceived competence refers to an individual

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 232

Assignment Example For the cable news network, I decided to watch CNN while I settled on Fox Network for the broadcast news network. After the thirty-minute session, I came up with the following outcomes. The first thing that I noted was that the top stories for both networks differed significantly. I decided to pay attention to the top three news stories for both the Fox Network, which is a broadcast network, and for CNN which is a cable network. I noticed that only one story was similar across the board for the two networks. For CNN, the similar story came third while the same story came first in Fox Network. This was a direct implication that the news stories that are covered by both networks are totally different. It is, however, important to note that ordinary viewers may not note this difference because they could be cruising through different stations oblivious of whether it is a cable or broadcast network. During the session, I also noted that both networks did not give the same weight to similar stories. As already mentioned, one story was broadcasted by both networks. However, Fox made the story their top story while CNN did not accord the same story equal weight. This is an implication that the two networks were not in communication so as to decide on a single pattern of airing the same story. In addition to that, the comprehensiveness of the story was different for both networks. Fox gave a comprehensive analysis of the story while CNN seemed to provide a mere overview. When it came to the amount of airtime given to the top three stories, Fox seemed to offer more airtime to its stories as compared to CNN. That notwithstanding, Fox was more comprehensive in analyzing the content of its stories as compared to CNN which seemed to provide a quick overview of the contents. Despite the difference in the airtime accorded for the stories in both networks, I was unable to notice a significant difference in the slant of presentations of the stories aired on that day.

The Color Purple. Applying Adult Learning Theory Through Character Assignment

The Color Purple. Applying Adult Learning Theory Through Character Analysis - Assignment Example Description of the character’s learning The film identifies its narrator, Celie, as an uneducated woman who is oppressed by her stepfather who rapes her, makes her pregnant and then steals her children. She writes letters to communicate to God but she maintains a passive role in her life as she submits to abuses under her stepfather and later from her husband. Her learning develops from a naà ¯ve uneducated woman to an informed woman who knows of herself worth and can take a stand to defend her position and ideas. She initially assumed little control over her life and environment and a quiet and invisible position for survival, as is evident in her passive position towards her abusive stepfather and her husband. Celie’s learns through her interaction with Shug Avery, a music icon who is beautiful and have potentials to achieve her objectives. Avery stimulates Celie’s development and allows Celie to unwind her history to gain sexual, spiritual and voice empowerment. Avery also succeeds in exposing Celie to ne w perspectives from which Celie can develop new insights about live. An example of such exposure is in religion in which Avery exposes Celie to a new form of God who is not traditional and one who treats people as equals regardless of their gender. Avery also helps Celie to discover Nettie’s previous letters. The letters informs her of her history and empowers her to comprehend her thoughts and emotions towards independence and she is able to protest against her husband’s oppressive acts. Celie also learns, through her interaction with Avery, of self-actualization potential and succeeds in developing a sewing enterprise from an assumed position of a part time activity for women who only perform domestic roles, to a profitable and established business that also gains her financial independence from her husband (Walker). The scope of Celie’s learning identifies the role of a moderator as Celie adopts an active learning approach in the process. In her interaction w ith Avery, Avery does not instruct Celie on what to do, neither does she tell her how to conduct herself, but the two women undergo the learning process together. Avery, for example, prod Celie’s past that allows Celie to develop spiritual and sexual aspects. Avery’s narrations also empower Celie and with the help of Avery, Celie discovers Nettie’s letters that lead Celie to new knowledge about her past and her children. Interaction with Avery also empowers Celie to self-actualization and the change in perspectives and capacity occurs through Celie’s active interaction with Avery’s world and her experience to transform her life and perception on life (Walker). Factors that caused the character to learn The film identifies interaction between Celie and Avery as the immediate reason for Celie’s learning. Factors into the learning can however be explored through Mezirow’s transformational learning theory and through Knowles’ theor etical based assumptions on adult learning. Knowles’ assumptions explain motivational factors as a cause of Celie’s learning. Knowles explains that learning is continuous and can occur at any age, aspect that allows Celie to learn at an elderly stage. Her ability to direct herself in learning, subject to Knowles self-concept assumption, is one of the factors that empowered Celie to learn from her interaction w

BreadTalk Group Limited Essay Example for Free

BreadTalk Group Limited Essay Bread is one of the most popular staple in the Asian food culture. In the years, BreadTalk has successfully expanded their influence and reputation to 16 countries with more than 500 bakeries all around the world. BreadTalk is known for their see thru kitchen concept which enables their chefs a platform to showcase the skills and capabilities. This also allows interaction between customers and employees. A comprehensive analysis of the business strategy of BreadTalk Group Limited for the Thailand market revealed that its strategic objectives are aligned to the company’s vision and mission statement: Vision Establish BreadTalk as the foremost international, trend-setting lifestyle bakery brand | Mission Leading a new lifestyle culture with new, innovative changes and creative differentiation to craft products with passion and vibrancy | Innovative improvement and design of their products increased awareness of the brand, BreadTalk, complimented with the use of locations with high human traffic are increasing the market share of its bakery arm within the Thailand market. Lessons drawn from the analysis have shown that BreadTalk is consistently seeking improvement and reviewing their strategies to stay abreast. Being in a country with cultural differences in food preferences, working attitudes and lifestyle, BreadTalk’s adaptation and globalization strategies has proven to be effective. Success is reflected in the confident future investment promise and processes in place to overcome their strategic implementation issues. Introduction BreadTalk is aggressively expanding globally and leaves footprints in China, Indonesia and Thailand. With Singapore and China markets dominating the overall revenue for the bakery arm, a review on the business strategy for the Thailand market carried out. Strategies and implementation issues are identified to increase the market share and revenue for BreadTalk Thailand using the rational / formal model. BreadTalk’s company history and background is attached in Appendix A. With a strategic analysis on the external and internal environments using models / theories like PESTEL, Porters’ 5 Forces, analysis of turbulences and internal strategic competitive advantage, useful strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified in this report. Strategic implementation and implementation issues are discussed further. Successful implementations are useful lessons for review. Strategic Analysis External analysis: General environment PESTEL model Political/Legal Thailand has faced various political/government instabilities, such as the Thai coup dà ©tat in 2006, the elections for a new constitution in 2007, a political crisis in 2008, and crackdowns and protests which involved violence from 2009-2010. Although the ruling of the July 2011 elections belonged to the Pheu Thai Party, the political situation was still shaky. There was a conflict between the â€Å"red shirts† (supporters of current ruling Pheu Thai Party) and â€Å"yellow shirts† (oppositions of the Pheu Thai Party), resulting in continuous tensions. All the bloodshed also damaged the economy, sinking the already suffering consumer confidence even more. Besides this matter, Thailands also having issues with its neighboring country, Malaysia. Both countries relationships have soured greatly because of the Pattani separatists’ issue, which involved the struggle of independence by the ethnic Malays in Southern Thailand. These incidents have raised concerns among foreign investors and manufacturers regarding Thailands political stability. Thailand has strict regulations when it comes to working terms and conditions. A proper visa must be applied from a Royal Thai Embassy, with some countries needing to obtain an entry visa, which allows a stay of 15 days upon arrival in Thailand. However, Singapore is one of the countries that could stay for 30 days without an entry visa, but must obtain an entry stamp on their passports. The disadvantage of Thailands employment regulation is that it is time consuming, expensive and has a tedious amount of paperwork. Economic Following the constant tremors in the economy in 2008 and late 2011’s Euro crisis, Thailand has suffered duly in retrospect. With a staggering 41.06% debt of Thailand’s total GDP January this year and an additional 2 trillion baht for the beginning of next year (Good only at borrowing jibe haunts Pheu Thai Party, 2012), the country has much to recover from. The nation’s currency, Thai baht, has also taken a beating from the economic crisis in 2008 and 2011, falling from a high of 43.6 baht in 2002 to 29.44 baht per 1 USD today. However, it is to be noted that Thailand has come a long way since its third world country days back in the 90s. It has reduced its poverty by a third, from 27% in 1997 to 9.8% in 2002, and even has a health care policy which covers approximately 70% of its citizens (Data Thailand). Countries surrounding Thailand portray a mixed basket of economy statuses. With Myanmar slowly opening its doors to foreign investors, and Malaysia running a high risk of going into debt (Budget 2013 proof Malaysia falling into debt crisis as income slows, says MP, 2012), Thailand has to weigh its opportunities and costs with great consideration in order to maximize its potential in this crisis-stricken economy. Social/Cultural Buddhism is the main religion in Thailand (about 85%) and it greatly influences the Thais’ working attitude such as respect and politeness, forgiving and thoughtfulness. Respect is also reflected in the country’s monarchy system with military-dominated hierarchy present in both the society and workplace (Bi, 2012). In addition to their religious beliefs, modern Thais also display patience and hospitality at work emphasizing positive outlook. Thais prefer to work in a group, with ample time for completion in social environment; isolating them will lead to stress and discomfort. They have great respect for age and authority, preferring obedience and tolerance to conflict (Gross, 2001). Thai cooking is under the influence from the Chinese from southern China, Indians nearby and Malays from the south; the main dietary staple is rice. Due to the social nature and friendliness of Thai people, dishes are shared and enjoyed together. They love to eat in groups and eating alone is considered bad luck. Thais are known to take 7 meals a day; besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, they ‘snack’ a lot, savouring snacks along roadside or marketplaces anytime. Bread is becoming popular due its convenience. Baked products are expecting an annual growth of 5-6% (Jitpleecheep, 2012). Technology According to Internet World Stats, Thailand is ranked 9th in 2011 amongst countries in Asia, in terms of number of Internet users. Currently the population of Thailand is at 66.7 million; the country has an Internet penetration rate of approximately 31%, which amounts to 20.7 million in 2011 (Singapore Management University, 2012). There is a growing percentage of advertising spend with more large firms diverting a proportion of their advertising budgets to online advertising (Appendix B). Amongst the Asia-Pacific countries, businesses in Thailand are relatively active on social media channels (Kemp, 2012). As enterprises tap on social media for their business, they play on the personal touch factor that social media is able to achieve. Social media inspires and influence the behavior of Internet users, such as purchasing a product, by stimulating and attracting them to participate in online activities (New Media Trend Watch, 2012). This participation makes the purchasing process more personalized, hence increases sales. Thus, if BreadTalk intend to increase their sales in the FB industry in Thailand, they could make use of the developing social media platforms to aid in publicising the brand and its products (MVF GLOBAL, 2012). In this case, it would be more effective and they can reach to a wider audience too, bringing BreadTalk to greater heights. Environment The Thai Government has been focusing on the social and economic development for the past 35 years. Nevertheless, over the past decade Thailand has been increasingly threatened by the problems of industrial waste, hazardous wastes, natural resources degradation and water pollution (Thailand Info : Economy, 2008). Thailand has been suffering the threat of floods in the recent years. This has caused a dip in their production of rice-their staple and in their tourism industry. During the times of floods, there was a scarcity of food supplies. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand (MNRE), since 1992 the Government has made protecting the environment one of its top priorities. Thailand can be described as a tropical and humid country throughout the year. They claim to have only two seasons, the wet and dry. The summer extends from March to June with a temperature of 320 C to 360 C and monsoon extends from July to October with temperatures averaging around 290 C (The Global Climate Change Regime, 2012). This climate is suitable for BreadTalk. The process of fermentation and baking of various types of breads needs a tropical environment. Extreme weathers would change the uniformity of the ‘raising process’ for the bread and its fermentation process. External analysis: Industry Related Porter’s 5 forces Threat of new entrants (HIGH) The threat of new entrants is high as barriers of entry are low due to the little regulations from the government, the low capital outlay as compared to other industries, low Research and Development costs, and it is likely a highly profitable market. Also, because food has always been popular with people, and people are always looking for something new and fresh, many food joints have been opening, resulting in high amount of entry candidates. What attracts consumers is the variety of food being offered, therefore BreadTalk can consider widening their variety of breads, or by coming up with new flavors seasonally so as to stay competitive with the new entrants. Bargaining power of customers (HIGH) Customers have a generally strong bargaining power due to the high competition in the Food Beverage (FB) industry. Should customers not be satisfied with BreadTalk’s provision of goods and services, they have the power to boycott and purchase from a different provider, causing huge losses to the company. BreadTalk has to constantly update itself on customers’ tastes and preferences to better cater to their needs. It should also focus on hearing what consumers have to say, to be able to meet consumers’ expectations. Bargaining power of supplier (LOW) The overall bargaining power of suppliers for the FB industry is usually low due to the similar quality of the products. Bulk purchases lead to economies of scale, further bring down the prices of the supplies. Suppliers of these FB ingredients are in abundance; many in the market that lead to price competition. However, the bargaining power of the suppliers may escalate due to climatic influence that may cause shortages in the supplies; the supplier may then choose to work with companies who are willing to pay more. BreadTalk has its advantage over the suppliers, as the ingredients and packaging material are normal goods that are available from many suppliers. Threat of substitutes (HIGH) The Food and Beverage market has a big industry span and goes a long way back into history, therefore the risk of substitutes for food is actually very high (Aswe Travel, 2011). The food vendors must take note of mutual substitution. Congruently for bread-wise, there is no need for customers to consume them, especially in Thailand where its unique food culture provides various alternatives like rice and noodles that can fulfill the same purpose altogether (Aswe Travel, 2011). Thus, there is a certain level of risk for BreadTalk’s expansion and they need to tackle into the eating habits of the population, in order to win them over. Overall, there is a high threat of substitutes in Thailand for BreadTalk. Competitive rivalry – price war, elasticity within the bread industry (HIGH) The Food and Beverage industry normally experiences intense competition. The bakery market in Thailand is increasingly growing since bread can be favored as substitute for rice. In the meantime, competitors may want to get advantage of this growing trend. With growing urbanization in Thailand, now comprising of 33% of the total population have been observed to move away from traditional open air markets to retail stores (Exporter Guide THAILAND FOOD BEVERAGE Market Profile, 2011). The competitors in this industry for BreadTalk can be roughly categorized into Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Coffee shops, in-store shops in restaurants and hotels and open-air wet/flea markets. Recently over the past 5 years, there is an emergence of regional cafà © come bakery concept (Exporter Guide THAILAND FOOD BEVERAGE Market Profile, 2011). The main competitors of BreadTalk in Thailand are Ka-nom, U-Bake, Pee Pee Bakery and The Human Bakery. An analysis of the Porters’ 5 Forces reflected that despite the overall competition for BreadTalk within the industry being strong, BreadTalk is still able to sustain and achieve above average profitability due to the following: Turbulences Complexity BreadTalk is positioned at the â€Å"Moderately Complex Environment† due to the wide range of products and competitive substitutes available but low interconnectedness among the products, markets and competitors; the bakery market in Thailand is relatively small (Appendix C). Dynamism FB industry in Thailand is generally low dynamism and is said to be in a â€Å"static environment’; the intensity and frequency of change is minimal and not drastic for this industry (Appendix D). Predictability Besides the normal business cycle, other influences such as natural disaster eg flood and drought caused the environment to be unpredictable. Despite this influence, tourism is still picking up (ranking 39 in 2009 and 42 in 2008 (Blanke Chiesa, 2009)) and growth of private investment is healthy (East Asia Pacific Economic Update Navigating Turbulence, Sustaining Growth, 2011). Internal analysis: BreadTalk Strategic Competitive Advantage Consistent with the company business strategy, BreadTalk continues to seek competitive advantages (Loh, 2011) based on their unique: BreadTalk is consistently pushing out new products and upgrading of retail space to enhance customers’ experience. Their innovative achievement is strongly supported from top management to front-liners, starting from strategic planning by the top management, support from staff and feedback from customers, high quality control baking process and release of new products frequently. SWOT Analysis With the above analysis on the external and internal environment, the following SWOT is identified and a summary attached in Appendix E: Strengths BreadTalk has the capacity of preparing the raw material (dough) for all the outlets ensuring strict quality control and a team of innovative designer taking care of new product design and customer experience. Its unique branding and concept attract customers giving them new snacking experience at convenient locations. Weaknesses There is limited sales and marketing effort in place for BreadTalk leading to low brand awareness and no loyal customer base. Allocating 20% adaptation to local food culture may not be sufficient for the Thailand. Opportunities Increase in tourism business boost the growth of FB sector and Thailand being ranked no. 13 out of 133 countries who are like foreign visitors, is adjusting to accommodate the foreign visitors’ likes and dislikes (Blanke Chiesa, 2009).

Cooperative Learning Academic Social

Cooperative Learning Academic Social Cooperative Learning Academic Social Literature Review: Cooperative learning is an informative technique in which students work together in small fixed groups on a structured learning with the aim of maximizing their own and each others learning (Johnson Johnson 1986). Cooperative learning has two very striking aspects on focus; these are academic and social learning benefits. Academic benefits include high grades in all that they achieve, reading intellectual capacity, keeping the kids physically fit, enhanced hypothetical understanding and great triumph in science. Social benefits focus mostly behaviors towards certain tasks and the way they relate among group members, development of higher skill that come from within and self esteem. Social benefits also focus on how they positively relate with others, how they involve themselves in class activities and to develop a positive attitude towards schooling. (Johnson Johnson 1986, Buron, James and Ambrosio 1993; Gillies 1999: Gillies and Ashman 1998; McManus and Gettinge r, 1996) Johnson and Johnson’s â€Å"Learning together† approach involves a more collaborative approach in which students are directed to coordinate their efforts towards task completion emphasizing less on competition. One purpose of the approach is to cater for the third grade leaner’s’ cooperative learning. Several studies on the application of cooperative learning in computer classes have been carried out. Barons (1999) studied the effects of 276 fifth and sixth grader cooperative learning and their ability to form groups during microcomputer learning. The outcome of the four measures of achievement did not go for the idea of cooperative learning or the ability to form groups during microcomputer learning. Seymor (1994) did his study with 57 computer aided design students. Some students worked individually while being given commands by their teacher, another group worked cooperatively and the last group combined both approaches. Seymor made conclusions later on , that cooperative learning proved more efficient in the use of computers. While cooperative learning has so merits behind it towards the students’ academic achievement, building of self esteem, active learning, achievement of equity and the development of social skills, it surely is not a universal remedy for education; it cannot solve all the problems for the students. (Cohen, 1994; Johnson Johnson, 1989; Kagan, 1992; Slavin, 1995), found out that students who had behavioral disorders and had not received proper social skills, performed better with direct instructions rather than with the cooperative approach. Its for this reason that teachers will be advised to have some substantial understanding of how o bring to effect their design of cooperative learning. They should take relative or social-ecological variables into consideration, as proper initial consultation while using cooperative learning requires strong basis in the theoretical and empirical foundation before it is used. The use of computers in group learning enhances deep learning and critical thinking (Eunsook Hyun 44 (2005) 69–91). The children tend to move deeper into what they are learning and critically analyze the activity, to get a deeper understanding. According to these researchers (Newman, Johnson, Webb, Cochrane, 1997), the critical thinking chains positive peer self-motivation, learner’s internal evaluation and the amalgamation of newly acquired information with the already existing comprehension. In the early childhood classes, the computer technology can be used as means of motivating collaborative learning (Eunsook, 2005). Crook (1998), from his own perspective observed that children cooperate and learn collaboratively. If natural and learner-favoring environments were provided, where the children are free to explore, negotiate with their peers, teach and share with their peers, while taking charge of their own learning, would be critical in uncovering the characteristics of young children’s cooperative-learning behavior in now a classroom rich in computer technology. Eunsook (2005) also cites Crook (1991) arguing that technology based activities are effective especially when they help the groups of kids to explore ideas at developmentally meaningful levels. Roth et al (p.1009) describes how a particular computer display affords the possibility of a coherent conversation. Malone and Lepper (1987) show how certain computer games afford intrinsic motivation. This includes control of activity, interactivity, immediate results, graded goals, conflict and moderate certainty. The outcome of interest was working theories or schemas and the individual technology relationship can be described as anchoring. In Papert’s book, Mindstorms, (1980), he asserts that anything is easy if it can be assimilated to your collection of models. He continues to put it across that what an individual can learn and how he learns it depends on what models he has available. Children tend to assimilate the real things, for instance Mathematics, with what interests them most or what preoccupies their minds most. Ceci and Bronfenbrenner (1985, 1991) studied students of age 10 and 14, and found out that a change in how a certain was located, changed the skill of the children. In one of their studies they changed the computer settings in a laboratory. Geometric shapes were to be predicted using a video game setting. In this, the migration of butterflies was to be predicted. The cursor was changed to the picture of a butterfly net and the students were to capture the insects in the butterfly net instead of pointing to the position of the shapes The authors describe strategic and attention behavior that was more efficient for a particular problem solving task in the more familiar context than in a laboratory context. There appeared to be several aspects of a meaningful or comfortable context that anchor the skill, knowledge or strategy. For a variety of reason, then the technology or the problem is more transparent, understandable if anchored to meaning and effect. Nicola Yelland (1999) in his article â€Å"Technology as play† has tried to paint the picture of how the advent of technology has contributed greatly towards how children learn from the technology through play. Learning is not only fun but children can actively form their own meanings and make sense out of the world around them, in different ways. The angle in which toys were observed has changed considerably over the years after the invention of the new technologies. They have brought other dimensions to objects that previously were taken to play a passive role. Computer software that allows children to engage in play tends to be unrestricted and do not simply require the child to press a button to get a feedback. Such softwares are regarded as high yielding cognitive actions. Some software enables children to play with the real world items such as musical instruments, but now in a different dimension. The children can create their own sounds using these softwares which prove to be so interesting to them and a motivation to even create more tunes. Nicola Yelland ha also identified, through other research works, softwares that contribute towards play include the electronic games. Some of these games involve the application of education concepts such as early skills in science and art, like making patterns, matching objects and placing object according to certain specifications. Traditional activities can now be complemented with different experiences that have been made possible with the new information technologies. The new information technologies and the activities associated with them have the potential to extend new learning in new and exciting ways. The question that hovers in many researchers’ minds is whether really children can really learn effectively using the collaborative approach, in a technology filled classroom. Young children are very enthusiastic about technology and therefore, they may be less inhibited about working with computers than adults (Clements, 1994; Haugland, 1999, 2000; Shade, 1999). But the question still remains; how do they behave if placed in a classroom with a great deal of technology. However, little attention in writing has been taken about the impact of this kind of an environment on the computer proficiency of young children. Tiene and Luft (2001a&b; 2000ab) completed a number of quantitative studies focusing on teacher’s general perception of children’s collaboration learning in this kind of a facility. The teachers reported that both they and their students improved their technological proficiency during the time they were in the technology saturated environment. REFERENCES Charles Crook (1998). â€Å"Children as computer users: The case of collaborative learning† Computers and Education pg 237-245. Eunsook Hyun (2005). â€Å"A study of 5- to 6-year-old children’s peer dynamics and dialectical learning in a computer-based technology-rich classroom environment† Computers Education 44 (2005) 69–91 Tiene, D., Luft, P. (2000b; 2001b). â€Å"Classroom dynamics in a technology-rich learning environment.† Learning and Learning with Technology 29(4), pg10–13. Shu Ching Yang and Shu Fang Liu (2005) â€Å"The study of interactions and attitudes of third-grade students learning information technology via a cooperative approach† Computers in Human Behavior Pg 46-49. Margret Carr (2001). â€Å"Analyzing the Relationship between the Learner and Everyday Technology in Early Childhood† Journal of Research Science in Education pg 29-33

The Truman Show And Hierophonic Visions :: essays research papers

"The Truman Show" and Hierophonic Visions The Truman Show depicts the life of a human that was adopted by a company and filmed all his life. His life had been broadcast all around the world and people everywhere have lived his life with him. The story starts with the main character, Truman, an adult and married now, leaving for work. It follows his day by day routine and the viewer quickly realizes how boring and mundane this man's life is. The hierophonic vision in the movie was the smile of the young woman Truman saw while he was in high school. It stood out because of the sincerity of her smile. Truman hadn't seen the behavior of someone making their own decisions, in this case her decision to smile at him, so when it occurred his normal life of pretend emotions faded away and lost all importance. What took its place was a dream of this other world that, through her smile, he saw a glimpse of. Throughout the rest of his life, Truman longed for so much more than his mediocre life, cutting out pictures of models in hopes of recreating the look that he received from the girl. He also showed his discontentment through what he said to his friend when he told him that he wanted to go to Fiji. This desire built up and Truman became less and less trusting of his world until the day came that he decided to sail away from his reality, where everything evolved around him. I see this movie as an analogy of the story of the Garden of Eden in the Bible. Truman, playing Adam, is tempted to desire more than this perfect life he was given. Christof, the "creator" gave Truman a life without hurt, without pain, without most of the troubles that humans deal with throughout their lives and even though everyone Truman encountered were merely scripted acquaintances, he still had the ability to make his own decisions. So when the smile of the woman caught his attention, he desired for more, he, in a way, desired for the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He controlled the members of his society, like Adam controlled the beasts of the garden, but Christof controlled both the actors and Truman by his ability to change weather, time of day, what people said, and other means. So when the serpant, the woman from outside of Truman's world, tempted him with a new reality, his curiosity took over and all he could think about was this idea of something diff erent, something he was unable to have.

Explore proposals of marriage and the representation of married women in Pride and Prejudice :: essays research papers

Explore proposals of marriage and the representation of married women in Pride and Prejudice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marriage is the ultimate goal in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The book begins with the quote 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife', and this sets the tone for all the events that are to follow. It manages to present a miniature version of all that happens over the course of the novel, the entire plot of which is basically concerned with the pursuit of advantageous marriage by both male and female characters. The obsession with socially beneficial marriage in nineteenth-century English society manifests itself here, for although she points out that a single man 'must be in want of a wife,' Austen reveals that the reverse might be more accurate, as almost all of the unmarried female characters are virtually desperate for marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Married women are represented as foolish, for example Mrs Bennet and Charlotte Lucas/Collins. Mrs Bennet is very much a one-dimensional character, and this might be because she is already married, and her story is therefore of no real interest to Austen, so she does not spend time developing Mrs Bennet as a fully rounded character. However, she does manage to show Mrs. Bennet as a frustratingly irritating character, as she is both noisy and absurd, and her single-minded obsession with seeing her daughters married to rich and eligible bachelors becomes tiresome early on in the novel. More irritatingly, her pursuit of her daughters' well being is usually her undoing, as her attempts tend to fail, due to her lack of social graces, which separate her from the class of men she wishes for her daughters. She shows how utterly preoccupied with marrying her daughters off, regardless of their happiness, in the way that she is pleased with Lydia's marriage to Wickham. It is painfully obvious that Lydia will soon become disillusioned with her hasty marriage, but Mrs Bennet still sees it as 'delightful indeed' 9169). It is very likely that Austen's use of Mrs Bennet's character is only a deliberate device to highlight the necessity of marriage for young women to avoid scandal or scorn and to ensure that they are provided for, and this explains why her character is never developed any more than necessary. Charlotte, however, is still given as much attention after her marriage as she was before, and this is probably because Austen wants to let us as the reader see how her marriage of convenience affects her.

For Your World :: essays research papers

For Your World A story consists of many small parts. When these parts are put together they create a piece of literature that conveys a message. This message can be about almost anything. Literature can tell a story about happiness or an experience of love. It all depends on what pieces and how they are placed together which makes a story. Anton Chekhov has written a wonderfully pieced together short story titled â€Å"Misery†. The elements which allow me to understand â€Å"Misery† are narrator point of view, setting, character, and theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting is the only other device, besides the title, which can set a mood for the story before any characters are introduced. When you place any character in a setting, that setting reflects onto the character. â€Å"Iona Potapov, the sledge driver, is all white like a ghost†¦ His little mare is white and motionless too†¦She is probably lost in thought. Anyone who has been torn away from the plough, from the familiar gray landscapes and cast into this slough, full of monstrous lights, of unceasing uproar and hurrying people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (69); this quote allows for the reader to build a picture of the scenery. No one would want to have to sit on a sledge for many hours and be covered in snow waiting for someone to come by. The words used to describe Iona’s setting are very carefully picked to create this powerful imagery at the beginning of the story. The city is described as a slough. Slough is defined as a state of deep despair or moral degrada tion. With this deep pit of despair called a town, â€Å"monstrous lights† and â€Å"unceasing uproar† continue all round these two characters. With this as the opening paragraph the story has already started an emotion or feeling inside the readers mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How a story is told can alter the meaning of the story. Finding the right combination of who tells the story if very difficult. When the right order of voices are found it makes the story come alive. It allows for the imagery of the person’s actions and the characters thoughts to be read at the same time. â€Å"Misery† has found this great combination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Narrators are used show or place a given mood in the story. â€Å"It is a long time since Iona has budged. They came out of the yard before dinner-time and not a single fare yet.† (69) At the start of the story the narrator has started the emotion of sympathy for the main character.

Food Memoir Essay

During my early twenties, I developed a passion for cooking. The deeper I delved into the art of cooking quality food, the more I realized the amalgamating properties it held. Little did I know, this hobby was something my new wife Jenn and I did not share. The first indication that there might be a problem in the kitchen occurred with a simple request one evening after work: â€Å"Honey, I would like some bacon,† I said. To my astonishment, my bride declared, â€Å"I don’t know how to cook bacon, I don’t even like bacon! † I knew this woman for seven years—my high school sweetheart—and I never knew she didn’t like bacon. â€Å"Who doesn’t like bacon anyway? It’s un-American! † I said. No wife of mine would ever dislike bacon. And even if you didn’t like it, how could you not know how to cook it? Exasperated, I explained how you begin with a cold pan, as not to scorch it. I continued, showing her how not to overlap the bacon, but not to leave too much space either. The conversation continued and I took jabs where I could. She contended that she did not like bacon because of its texture; I argued it was because she did not know how to cook it right. I couldn’t really blame her though, she came by it honestly. My mother-in-law cannot cook—at all. She has a rotation of three to four meals that come from a can or a package. Hamburger Helper was commonplace growing up in that house. A simple meal such as spaghetti is a botched experiment in â€Å"homemade cooking. † Her recipe consists of un-doctored, canned sauce poured onto over-cooked, mushy noodles, that she stirs the entire time they are boiling. Sometimes, she’ll even add a couple of frozen meatballs from a bag. To our delight, most of our meals with the mother-in-law take place in a restaurant, where it’s safe. We are able to enjoy the occasion of food and family, while actually being able to stomach the food. It is the aforementioned reasons that my wife could not cook when we first got married; she simply was not taught or even exposed to the practice of cooking. She was also rather close-minded when it came to new things. After-all, Hamburger Helper only came in so many varieties. It was up to me to change all this—to teach her to cook, and open her mind to new flavors. I grew up with real home-cooked meals. My dad, now an engineer, was once the chef at a local restaurant in our hometown of Marion, Illinois. He imparted in me an appreciation for real food, and dispelled the myth in my mind, that â€Å"mom† was responsible for putting dinner on the table. Years later, dad is a still a major influence in my relationship with food, which in turn strengthens my relationship with him. For the past ten years, going to dad’s house for Sunday dinner has been tradition—first me, then my wife, and now our three children. Dad and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on certain things, but there is an emulsifying, unifying power that quality food possesses, that helped heal our relationship. Even before the modern days of Sunday dinner began, my dad was my inspiration to learn to cook, and I aspire to be the same for my children. One factor that enhanced my appreciation for cooking was the time I spent in my early twenties watching the Food Network. There, I watched Emeril Lagasse cook up his latest masterpiece with a â€Å"BAM! † I attempted to emulate many of his dishes, some even with success. It was in this time period that I actually began to develop some culinary skill. My mother was my faithful and willing test subject. Her only complaint was the disaster I left in my wake. I could cook, but would somehow manage to destroy the entire kitchen in the process. One of my favorite dishes I picked up in this time period was a simple bologna recipe I picked up from Emeril, which became an oft-requested Super Bowl staple. Emeril’s Favorite Brown Sugar-Crusted Baked Bologna1: An all-beef bologna, smothered in Dijon mustard and brown sugar, and slow-cooked for five hours. The resulting deliciousness is served on fresh, white bread with yellow mustard. I never would have thought bologna could become gourmet, and it was with this dish I learned it is often the simpler recipes that have the most impact. This taught me that delicious cuisine doesn’t necessarily take hours of preparation alongside fancy ingredients. Sometimes, all a simple recipe needs is a creative twist to turn it into something incredible. It took some time, but Jenn came around. The more I encouraged her to try new things, the wider her horizons became. She began to cook, and found she was actually a natural in the kitchen. And how did I finally get her to eat bacon? While she was pregnant with our first son, she would eat anything. I would come home from work to find family-size boxes of macaroni and cheese decimated. I knew this was my chance. I started sneaking bacon into dishes, and onto sandwiches—anywhere I remotely thought I could fit it in. Lo and behold, she found she actually liked it! Now that we both have a healthy appreciation of cooking, we keep a strong focus on it in our day to day lives. Despite our busy schedules, it is a priority of ours to eat together as a family whenever possible. Because of our passion for a unique blend of health and great taste in our diets, our children are always trying, and usually liking, new foods. We can already see in them an appreciation for good food, and an affinity for family meal time. What’s the number one request for just about any meal? Bacon, of course.

A Good Manager Essay

Managers can use humor and give their employees small tokens of appreciation for work well done. Also, when leaders themselves are in good moods, group members are more positive, and as a result they cooperate more. 127 Finally, selecting positive team members can have a contagion effect because positive moods transmit from team member to team member CASES Emotions and positive moods appear to facilitate effective decision making and creativity. Recent research suggests mood is linked to motivation, especially through feedback. Leaders rely on emotions to increase their effectiveness. The display of emotions is important to social behavior like negotiation and customer service. The experience of emotions is closely linked to Job attitudes and behaviors that follow from attitudes, such as deviant workplace behavior. Our final managerial implication is a question: can managers control colleagues’ and employees’ emotions and moods? Certainly there are limits, practical and ethical. Emotions and moods are a natural part of an individual’s makeup. Where managers err is in ignoring co-workers’ and employees’ emotions and assessing others’ behavior as if it were completely rational. As one consultant aptly put it, muff can’t divorce emotions from the workplace because you can’t divorce emotions from people. † 129 Managers who understand the role of emotions and moods will significantly improve their ability to explain and predict their co-workers’ and employees’ behavior. 1 . The first reason can be the diversity of people because not everybody has the same action and reaction; there are different kind of people who have different emotion and feelings. It will become harder to manage employees when the organization becomes bigger. In addition to these, as mentioned in the case the way of acting people’s business culture and etiquette sometimes can create ineffective managing environment. Applying wrongful behaviors like shouting when somebody did wrong work is the indicator of the poor managing. I think the emotions or reactions of people are related with their psychology but not their education level. A Good Manager By Miramar

Take Home Final Exam

The following plates will be reviewed from Rosebush's History of Photography textbook: 1) Charles Sheller, Industry, plate #585 2) Eve Seaman, Oranges, Manhattan 1978, plate #743 3) Berne and Hill Becker, Winding Towers, plate #736 4) Aaron Siskin, New York NO. 6, 1951, plate #664 5) Lynn Cohen, Corridor, plate #700 6) Mary Ellen Mark, Tiny in her Halloween Costume, Seattle, plate #689 Charles Sheller, Industry' Charles Seller's image, Industry represents a time during the Industrial Age when Ford was uncompromising machinery and assembly lines were moving at a constant rate.Seller's work can be placed in the Aesthetically Evaluative à ©tagà ¨re due to the symmetry and balance in the photograph. The shapes and lines crisscross and work together to form a well-composed photograph. A second category to place Industry in would be Descriptive because this photograph has a certain sense of style that we cannot deny. A third category is Explanatory because the image depicts a certain era of time that significant in the history books. This era is the Industrial Age in America. Explanatory photographs are intended to document a certain way of life.Charles Seller's Industry certainly earns a place in the history books not only because of this lance/symmetric sense of style shown in the image but it illustrates how the use of space or lack of can really accent the photograph as a whole and make it aesthetically pleasing to the eye. On the same note, during this time great changes were occurring and manufacturing was booming so kudos to the photographer, Charles Shelley, for not only capturing this in a documentary form but composing a beautiful image as well.His work would be categorized in the era of Modernist photography because of his efforts in the asses and later. His work also depicts the great changes ND during that time and changes that the Industrial Age brought about. You can see examples of this through his documentary photography of Henry Ford and his manuf acturing lines. Artists involved in photographing dramatic engineering and urban landscapes can be grouped together as Protectionists. Protectionists pay special attention t geometrical structures and have a smooth handling of surfaces.They have unexpected viewpoints in the sense of angle and the way they crop their picture. Charles Demise's idea of Cubism-geometric shapes and overlapping planeloads be found in this Protectionist form and style. Eve Seaman, Oranges, Manhattan 1978 Eve Seaman's image can be interpretive in regards to addressing what the world views are in this photographers eyes. A category that could be used for interpreting this photograph would be Descriptive because the particular style works, being a diptych, and allows views to compare and interpret the two photographs.A second category could be Aesthetic because one looking at the photo and noting the color changes as far as shading goes on the person's face, the change in action of the subjects in the photogr aph, and the existing question f â€Å"what is going on right now? † in the photograph. I also appreciate the white line in the middle of the image as a whole making it a diptych. Today there is less room between the two photos and I like the style of this one. Seaman's image falls into the modernistic era due to the stylistic properties as far as the alteration of the image and the comparison of each to each other.Eve Seaman's success should never be discounted and embarking on these stylistic endeavors are worth printing in the history books because of the way it was altered. Berne and Hill Becker, Winding Towers Berne and Hill Becker s Winding Towers is described to be art about art. Thomas South's Museum Photographs is similar to the Beeches, as discussed in class. A category I would classify this piece of work would be Theoretical photography because you can Compare these Structures to social class and hierarchy because of the nature in which the tower itself is structur ed.It is also said that art about art is classified as Theoretical. Another category would be Explanatory because the photograph explains in a scientific sense by capturing these photos over a number of years and in owing so the photographers have created a typology of form. There is also a nice tonal range represented here so this image can also be categorized as stylistically sound or Descriptive because the piece â€Å"works†. The work can be classified as Modernist art since they create typologies of form that challenge the traditional meanings of art.Berne and Hill Becker have rightfully earned their place in the history books because of the typology documented and their technique of which to gather the information over time. All photographs are said to fit in the descriptive category, interpretive and heretical, as stated in the onset of Terry Barrette's Criticizing Photographs, chapter 4. Since all photographs give relatively accurate information of people, places and objects, they can technically fit in the descriptive category.Moreover, all photographs can fit in the interpretive category because most photographs interpret how the photographer interprets and sees the world. Finally all photographs are influenced by other art forms so these photographs can be placed in the theoretical category. Aaron Siskin, New York No. 6 Aaron Skin's New York No. 6 is Aesthetically Evaluative cause the lines and shapes and ongoing symmetry work together to create on cohesive piece of art.This photograph looks similar to the one of Charles Sheller, Industry because has qualities of lines, shape and form and the importance of all of these aspects fitting into one aesthetically pleasing piece of work. Feel the category of Theoretical is a fit category because it plays with perceptions of art and how the photographer interprets art but also provokes the viewer to question how the art was created. The photograph looks more like a something created with paint or Har old and less likely produced with film.Aaron Siskin, an Abstract Expressionist painter, emphasized experimentation and worked on color, multiple montages, and collages (Rosenberg 516). He was part of the post-war photograph trends in the United States. This group of artist espoused straight photography and therefore can be categorized in the Modernist era. Lynn Cohen, Corridor Lynn Cohen, Corridor can be classified as Aesthetically evaluative because you can see how the image was purposely framed cropped. I think this image ‘works' and is successful.This image is also categorized as Descriptive cause of the artificial light and the detached distance from the subject matter pictured in the photograph. In looking at the crop of the image and how the image hold most of its weight on the right side of the photo, this image can be seen as Aesthetically evaluative because the photo is a success artistically with composition and style. In saying this, believe that this photograph sho uld remain in the history books because it gives viewers positive insight on the importance of composition and plasticity (or the absence of) in photographs.The era this type of art is seen in is the era of modernism and more pacifically, contemporary surrealism. Mary Ellen Mark, Tiny in her Halloween Costume Mary Ellen Mark, Tiny in her Halloween Costume can be classified as Ethically Evaluative because it illustrates a certain time in this young girls life and how her life is affected by the neighborhood she lives in the peer pressure that surrounds her to fit in or not to fit in. This photograph can also be considered Interpretive because this category covers the directorial nature of the photographer with its subject matter.Mary Ellen Mark's photograph can also be categorized as Explanatory because the image can be viewed as a sociological or anthropological perspective because it is a visual study of a Seattle area using a very documentary style of photography. This is a succes sful picture because it is aesthetically pleasing in that the photograph is very stylistic: the picture is in black and white so it gives off a moody vibe. Mary Ellen Mark's photograph should remain in the history books because it provides insight on how society was during this era and the poverty that some people had to live in.Streetwise was produced during the Modernist/Post-Modernist era because he portrait is untraditional in the Pictorial sense. In other words, it's not meant to be smoothing to the eye or flattering but more of a documentary style picture. Personal Work As a photographer, I must also be able to evaluate and categorize my own work. Not only that but it's important to identify as to WHY we capture certain images. What is interesting about the pictures we create? If we can't identify with or answer these questions, why would someone else care about the work or find the photographs intriguing?

Hrm Issues

Identify 5 current trends in HRM and how these trends may effect the human resource practice of the company. Human resource management has evolved from its traditional function as workplace management to a more strategic partner in many companies. Many organizations are witnessing changes in its system due to global alignment. Some of the most observable trends in the human resource management are outsourcing, brain drain, globalization, modern management practice, and technological advancement. Human resource outsourcing has become a new accession in most midsize firms. Outsourcing HR has become a strategic tool that relieves businesses off its HR responsibilities and focus on their core business. Outsourcing also enables businesses to get the specialised services and have access to vast experience and knowledge. Besides, outsourcing can also help to reduce cost. For example, companies like Sime Darby Auto Connexion have outsourced their HR functions to Sime Darby Global Services Center (GSC). Sime Darby Global Services Centre (GSC) delivers high performance Finance & Accounting, Human Resource and Information Technology services to the Sime Darby's diverse business in the Asia Pacific Region – Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia and Singapore. Its mission is to provide their customers with cost competitive and high quality services. It is achieved by investing in people, processes and in the right technologies. GSC continuously seek for and invest in talents that are motivated to deliver outstanding performance and breakthrough ideas and solutions, which are key to providing unparalleled services to its clients. Another pressing trend in the human resource management is the flawed approach to it that has lead to a serious issue of brain drain. The main contributing factor to this condition is the harsh economic and political condition of the country and better opportunity, living and working condition in other countries. According to a recent news release in the Star Newspaper, 57% of Singapore’s professionals are Malaysians. The brain drain isn’t only a pressing issue in Malaysia but also in other countries such as Italy and South Africa. According to a recent article published in the Time Magazine, Italy is losing its best and brightest talents to decade of economic stagnation, frozen labor market and entrenched system of patronage and nepotism. Many of its young graduates are fleeing to countries like China, Dubai, Washington, etc where they feel their experience and skills are more valued. Human resource managers have to put serious consideration in addressing this issue. Many young talents leave their home country due to desire to further their careers. Many home companies will not be able to offer financial benefits or resources that are likely to satisfy the demands of these young talents. Thus, creative approach has to be undertaken retain these young talents by identifying other attractive measures to keep them rooted in the home country. The free flow of technology across national boundaries and the spread of Information Technology has presented an ever changing and competitive business environment. Many companies are opening up their economies to external forces and at the same time penetrating into other countries economy. With the aid of globalization, businesses can now concurrently conduct business in any part of the globe. Globalization has made the business process not only more efficient and effective, but more streamlined and modernized. The corporate sector has become more receptive and reactive as new and innovative ideas and opinions such as the outsourcing of labor have emerged. The advancement of technology has also tremendously affected the human resource management. Technology has transformed the way in which human resource personnel manage and communicate employee information and communicate with employee. For example, technologies like intranets, webinars and blogs have made communication among employees across the globe easier and faster. Employees can now collaborate virtually and form distant teams to get works done more effectively without the need to meet physically. They hold meetings and share visuals with teams from all over the world. Technology has also enabled traditional human resource functions such as trainings, seminars and meetings to be held in a more efficient manner via the aid of podcast, tele-seminars, online learning, screen capture and many other technology intensive gadgets. Technology has also brought about difference in employee recruiting. Employee profiles are now easily available via discussion sites such as Linkedln, Facebook, Twitter, Jobstreet and many other social websites. With so many profiles available, recruiting will never be the same again. What are the factors that need to be considered for recruitment and selection of the company? Recruitment and selection involves attracting the right applicants to apply for vacancies and choosing the best applicant to fill the post. Recruiting individuals to fill particular posts can be done either internally by recruitment within the firm, or externally by recruiting people from outside. There advantages of hiring internally as are as follows: †¢Save cost- as internal hires already have knowledge about the business operations and will not need much training and time to fit in. Internal promotions can motivate other employees within the company to work harder as it provides a clear sign that the organization offers room for advancement †¢The firm will know the recruit fills the position perfectly as he/she has already been working in the company and thus reducing the risk of hiring the inappropriate candidate. Disadvantages of hiring from within are: †¢It might create resentment among existing staff that are not promoted †¢Those who have been working in an organization for a long period of time may become familiar with expected methods of doing work and may not be able to identify improvements. Position of the promoted person will have to be replaced. Advantages of hiring externally: †¢External recruiting creates an influx of new ideas into the company. An outsider can review work processes with a fresh perspective and have innovative suggestions for change. †¢Able to hire someone with more knowledge, talent or experience if we have a larger selection of applicants to choose from. †¢When external employees are hired into organizations, especially into management positions, these outside hires don’t have political alliances already set up. This can help them implement new ideas without the â€Å"baggage† of past political battles. And these new ideas are easily accepted and executed by subordinates. Disadvantages of external hiring are that it is more costly and the company may end up with someone who proves to be less effective in practice than they did on paper and in the interview. To what extent the company has to go beyond the number game? HRM implies that planning has to go beyond the ‘numbers game' into the softer areas of employee attitudes, behaviour and commitment. The human resource function doesn’t just end in acquiring the ight amount of talent to fit job vacancies but also to place these candidates into jobs that best fits them to get the best out of the employees. These aspects are critical to HR development, performance assessment and the management of change. Employee attitude, behaviour and commitment can be said as employees’ viewpoint on aspects such as their career and th eir organization. Work situation is one of the major causes of employee attitude and human resource can help address these issues through organizational programs and management practice. Employee attitude, behaviour and commitment can affect the way employees do their job. Although companies can’t impact employee personality, selecting and placing candidates into jobs that fits them best will help to enhance job satisfaction. There are many ways that human resource department can undertake to improve employee job satisfaction that leads to positive employee behaviors such as: †¢Handling negative employee relations such as firing in an orderly manner so that it doesn’t affect the motivation of existing employee †¢Supporting job promotions for deserving employees Providing employees with supports/ aids- financial and morale during hard times †¢Equal share of workload among employees of the same job title †¢Supervision that is not too rigid or demanding or too involved in the work process †¢Supervision that supports and provides needed guidance to employees to complete their job †¢Offering recognition to employee efforts †¢Providing employees with meaningful jobs helps to create self-worth and image The above listed are just the few matters that human resource management division has to look into in order to improve job satisfaction of employees. With these measures looked into, organization can garner employee commitment towards and their continued participation in organization objectives. Committed workers will normally have good attendance records, demonstrate a willing adherence to organization policies and have lower turnover rates. Having a satisfied workforce can increase productivity of employees by reducing tardiness, absences, extended break hours and slow- downs. Satisfied workers may normally provide beyond the call of duty, have good work records, and participation in development activities. 1 + 1 can be more than 2 in HRM. Please discuss. Modern HRM is all about synergizing the workforce to work together and create more value than the total individual input. Allowing individuals to work together as teams can help organizations to achieve their goals. Effective work teams magnify the accomplishments of individuals and enable organizations to better serve customers. With the right amount of motivation, effective work culture, mobilized and empowered employee, these accomplishments can be attained. Empowering employees is one of the most effective method to achieve more within organization. Employee empowerment is when the management vests decision making and approval authority in employees which enables employees to make decisions about their work. Empowered employees feel a greater sense of professionalism, more motivated and feel committed to companies success. Employees who are equipped with the right tools, information and support to make a more informed decision, acts more quickly and thus accomplish more. Organization culture is also another important aspect for the foundation of empowering employee to be built. The organizations which successfully implement employee empowerment will have certain values at their core from which the process of empowerment can flow. Among these values are respect and appreciation for individuals and the value they bring to the organization. Culture of the organization must support the thrust of empowerment if there is any chance for success. For example, the working culture in Google allow every employee to be a hand –on contributor and at Google, everyone is believed to be equally important to its success. Googlers share cubes, yurts and huddle rooms and there are very few solo offices which enables them to work together as a team.

Social DQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social DQ - Essay Example It can be disingenuous to look at science as free of values as from the practices of good sciences only more immediate values concerning norms and customs may pursue. A comprehensive study into the theories and practices reveal that science is not let off from ethical behavior. Science captures the kind of behavior that is in interest for ethics. Gender and creed have not been the only component to mould good sciences but regional origins religious believes and traditions, social class and personality traits have major contributions too. Scientific values and ethics can permeate through society and social classes. Human psyche is habitual of assimilating the scientific values with other ethics and values. In the practice of good sciences, the operation of concrete facts in always in coherence with social values and ethics. Improbabilities and human interpretation causes some tribulations in applying scientific values. Sciences do not generate new ethical principles but its practices impart information and explore the matter inside them. Some technologies influence values in a more subtle manner. (Allchin) (Goguen, 2003) More often drug abuse starts while trialing and testing the affects of different drugs.

Biology home worl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biology home worl - Essay Example nd shows the status of the daughter strand after the action of DNA polymerase, DNA primase,  and DNA ligase,  and  could represent a final resulting strand sequence  after DNA replication is complete. The DNA polymerase enzyme that was synthesizing the leading daughter strand  in this  example, shown again below, would be producing that daughter strand of  DNA from the right  side of the page toward the  left. In the scenario presented above in question #2, we can also see whats happening on the lagging strand with our snapshot.   The lagging strand (the second daughter strand) is being copied from the parental strand  complementary to the one you deciphered in question #3.  Ã‚   During  DNA synthesis, the replication forks are bi-directional (two forks unzip the DNA helix in both directions), and thus  there are a total of  two DNA polymerase enzymes simultaneously working on this replication  zone.   HINT: look again at your packet from class and the drawing of the replication bubble. An enzyme called __________________ unwinds the double helix, but thank goodness for the enzyme _________________ which is responsible for relieving the coiling or supercoiling ahead of the replication fork.   During the synthesis of DNA, DNA polymerase breaks the bond between the first and second phosphates from an incoming deoxynucleoside triphosphate. In the process, a new bond links two nucleotides together, from the carbon in position # 3 with the carbon atom in position # 5, of the sugar.   You are more likely to be struck by lightning in a given year (based on average Homo sapiens  activity,  which doesnt include those people who stand at the top of a Colorado  alpine ridge with a metal rod in late July), than for a mistake to result from the replication of DNA and not be corrected  (based on the average number of errors per number of nucleotide bases,  after proofreading and DNA repair is complete. DNA can be replicated for the purpose of cell division.   However, the

Workplace Literacy - Problem-Solving Letter Proposal Essay

Workplace Literacy - Problem-Solving Letter Proposal - Essay Example For instance, there are regular traffic jams during the mornings and afternoons. The central emphasis on cars as public transport also contributes to pollution. Although buses contribute to the pollution problem as much as cars, buses are able to aggregate the amount of people traveling, thus reducing the total amount of emissions in the atmosphere. Another major transportation concern is safety. The proportion of deaths from car accidents is increasing. In fact, the report of 2011 issued by the World Health Organization says that 1.3 million people die each year from traffic accidents (Joffe, 2011). This number is expected to increase to about 1.9 million deaths annually by 2020 if public transportation is not instituted. The number of traffic accidents during the year 2011, amounted to 544.179 thousand accidents, which amounts to 1.537 per day. The number of people injured in the same year amounted to more than (39.000) and (7.153) death with rate of (20) deaths per day. The cumulative recognition of these statistics demonstrates that transportation is a serious concern that strikes to the heart of pubic safety. In addition to the previously mentioned concerns, the nature of public transportation is additionally a significant civil rights concern. As you surely recognize driving is restricted to males (Jeddah, 2012). While many homes have their own drivers a significant amount do not. This leaves a majority of women without an adequate means of transportation. In both cases a significant amount of money is expended because the people who have their own driver have to pay for them and for the car. For people who don’t have their own driver, they still have to hire someone to take them to their jobs or schools or whatever destination they need to attend. This situation creates an instance where a large part of the working public

Renewable Energy- Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Renewable Energy- - Research Paper Example Over the time, the researchers have analyzed that there is a prompt need for the adaptation of renewable energy. For instance, the usage of solar, biomass and geo-thermal energy is important throughout the world to generate sustainable energy and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (Nnadi et al, 2011). Oil, coal, water and woods have been used since long to produce energy. However, as the technological advancement takes place, there are new methods of producing energy that are flourishing. The world may face a major energy crisis in the future if the natural resources and energy production is not organized. The energy production is a highly technical field which needs skilled people and machinery. Once the energy is produced, it has to be used efficiently so that it is not exploited or wasted. Thus, it is our duty to focus on the important pathways of producing, using and conserving energy so that the future crisis is resolved. Before the energy is produced or used in any country, a detailed study should take place by their scientists to ensure the processes are carried out in the proper ways. There are certain countries in the world that are in a bad condition due to energy shortfalls which impacts their future progress immensely. It is important to adopt measures that are efficient and reliable to make sure the energy resources of a country are not exploited but used up efficiently. The countries suffering a crisis can overcome it by using natural resources to fulfill the everyday energy demands. Nigeria is an example of the countries that are suffering an energy crisis (Nnadiet al, 2011); China is the country that has made active use of its renewable energy resources and India fights the energy crisis it faces and uses up their renewable energy to the fullest (Ravikrishna, 2011). Nigeria is one of those countries that are rich in natural resources. Their natural resources are water,

Organisational Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organisational Change - Assignment Example In most cases, the process of change is met by some sort of resistance because employees tend to uncertain about the new concept being introduced as its outcomes tend to be uncertain (Pardo del Val & Maartinez Fuentes n.d, p. 5). Change should be a gradual process that should focus on having all team members on board, but those that seek to maintain the status quo are usually outshined by the same. John Kotter, a leading thinker in management, asserts that an eight step model is the surest way for leading changes in an organisation with a high chance that the organisation that applies it assured of success. The eight step model will be discussed later within the paper so as to capture an in-depth analysis of the same. Resistance within an organisational setting is something that a leader should anticipate, meaning that being prepared for this is likely to influence the speed of implementing the changes desired. Once change has been implemented, managing it becomes the next task as poor management of change is likely to foster undesired results. In essence, the need to implement change results from the aspect of globalisation and new technology innovations made every day that seek to make business practices be more effective, which is what every business organisation seeks to achieve (Aquinas 2010, p. 244). The implication of this is that organisations should operate at their l ocal level but apply international strategies so that their products and services can go global which a concept that McDonalds understood well (Vignali 2001, p. 98). With this, the essay will delve into the perspectives of John Kotter on change, the three schools of thought on change and their relevance today. In an organisational setting, change management refers to the process of helping individuals and teams within an organisation to transition towards the future that that the organisation desires (Burgess 2004, p. 169). According to many, change tends to be deliberate and