Teaching a Specialist Subject Essay Example

Teaching a Specialist Subject Essay Wider Professional Practice Assignment 1 How Recent Changes to UK Immigration Legislation Affect ESOL Provision in the Further Education Sector (Level 6) BryAnne Conley 7 January 2011 Introduction In recent years the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) sector has been dramatically affected by top-level UK immigration legislation. Immigration changes emanating from the Home Office, as well as corresponding funding changes for ESOL through Skills for Life, have significantly impacted public-sector Further Education (FE) teaching of ESOL. This essay will outline the recent history of national legislative changes affecting English-language teaching and identify the current operating policy and include a description of my education sector and learners. Following this description will be a detailed analysis of how the policy has been implemented in the public FE sector and especially within my own organisation. The analysis will begin by examining funding issues that affect the implementation, followed by a point-by-point discussion of positive benefits as well as negative impacts of each aspect. Both pre-existing and pending funding changes which impact ESOL provision will also be briefly mentioned. Historical Overview Hamilton and Hillier (forthcoming, p 1) could not have been more accurate when they stated It is clear from the historical record that ESOL has received uneven and often unhelpful attention from government. In the early 2000s the UK began significantly tightening immigration controls in an effort to reduce the number of immigrants to this country, and many amendments were added to the main law controlling immigration to the UK: the Immigration Act 1971. We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching a Specialist Subject specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching a Specialist Subject specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching a Specialist Subject specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Prior to this time, the law specified only that any immigrant desiring British citizenship should have a sufficient knowledge of English (British Nationality Act 1948). In the last decade, however, an astounding 267 Statutory Instruments and 5 Acts dealing with immigration have been approved. These changes began with the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and eventually led to the complete restructuring of the UK immigration system. A new Five-Tier Points-Based System (HC 439) was introduced and phased in during 2008 and 2009. This system tightened language regulations considerably, requiring different levels of English for different types of immigrants. HC 439 is the pertinent policy which this report will analyse, and one which significantly affects the FE ESOL sector, as it further restricts specifications regarding proof of English language progress and proficiency: A person is deemed to have sufficient knowledge of English and of life in the UK if he has attended a course using teaching materials derived from ‘Citizenship Materials for ESOL Learners’ and has thereby obtained a relevant accredited qualification in ESOL (or if he has passed the test known as the Life in the UK Test). [that] evidenced progress from one [ESOL] level to the next is required and that qualifications can only be obtained through attendance at a college that is subject to inspection by [approved agencies are listed]. This means that immigrants seeking to settle in the UK must now submit formal proof of their initial level of English in addition to proof of their final level, thus confirming an improvement of one whole ESOL level. In addition, instruction must now be provided by an approved, inspected college a change that could leave many private English language colleges without enough students to survive. (Tahir, 2010) Sector and Learners However, I teach in the public (approved) sector of Further Education: specifically in Adult and Community Education. ESOL provision in our sector is divided into several types of courses; the two areas I currently teach in are Skills for Life and Family Learning. Skills for Life ESOL, at the lower levels, has experienced significant cuts, whereas Family Learning ESOL is the only type of course for which funding has remained relatively stable. (NIACE, 2007) Our students are a mix of those who are settled, or wish to settle, permanently in the UK, and those who arrive from EU or EEA countries and want to improve their English for work purposes. As the Home Office has no power to regulate EU/EEA citizens in this country, this report will deal with the former group of students and how we help them achieve the required levels of proof of language proficiency and cultural knowledge for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR) and ultimately British citizenship. Implementation of Home Office Policy Backdrop: Funding Cuts An analysis of the implementation of Home Office policy in the Further Education sector would not be complete without mention of the effects of recent FE-wide funding cuts, for they have dramatically increased the negative impact of changes in immigration legislation. In 2007, the UK government introduced a major restructuring of the funding for the FE sector which included monetary cuts, reworking of fee remission structures, an increased emphasis on certain areas of Skills for Life, as well as workforce reforms requiring the upskilling of teachers in the FE sector (Learning and Skills Council, 2007). According to the 2007 NIACE report, all providers of FE and Adult Education experienced a reduction in LSC funding, which was their major source of revenue. The institutions surveyed by NIACE cited a few positive changes, such as becoming more focused and efficient, and learners benefiting from a sharper focus on quality. However, most of the changes cited were negative: †¢ reduction in learner numbers †¢ increased course fees and other supplementary charges (eg exam fees) †¢ significant barriers raised for low-income learners including ESOL learners staff reductions including teachers, support staff and managers †¢ reduction in administrative capacity †¢ cuts in the range and locations of provision †¢ reduction of course lengths †¢ shorter planning horizons †¢ need to invest in additional staff training In my own organisation, I have seen the following impacts of these funding changes: †¢ Job losses have caused demoralisation and increase d stress for tutors, and especially for managers, as an increased workload is shared among fewer people. †¢ The target-driven climate has resulted in more paper shuffling by tutors and learners. Much time has been wasted by tutors and managers tracking targets on computer programs that dont work, trying to force the reality of students learning and progress into pre-determined aims, and the necessity of managing the numbers to satisfy funding requirements. †¢ Fewer locations of provision have meant that learners and tutors must travel further to classes, resources such as libraries have been considered luxuries and closed, and there has been a constant reshuffling of offices resulting in cramped, or a complete lack of, office space for many staff. Cuts in administrative staff and services have meant extra planning and workload for tutors, and learners are short-changed by receiving reduced resources and support. †¢ Selection of students is now often based on factors such as motivation or ability to complete exams rather than the need to learn the language. Our funding is now inconsistent, erratic and short-term, leading to general confusion, lack of continuity and increased spin-up time for everyone involved. As early as 2003, Lea noted problems with this approach to funding, stating that an environment in which FE is considered a profitable business †¦ could affect which ESOL students we take in or not. Requirement One: Life in the UK HC 439 requires proof that our courses include materials from the approved Citizenship Curriculum. These must be used in our planning, and we must specify what we have covered on each students Individual Learning Plan. This specification has an overall positive impact in that learners gain greater cultural knowledge of the UK; the negative impact is a small amount of extra paperwork for tutors. Requirement Two: Increase English One Full ESOL Level This requirement of the law is significantly more involved in its implementation, and has several aspects which will be discussed in turn. Aspect 1: Initial proof of English level is now required in addition to final level proof. Before, a quick initial assessment of learners’ skills levels sufficed, but now we must perform a more-thorough and well-documented diagnostic assessment. This assessment forms critical evidence that may be inspected by agencies such as Ofsted. The impact of this is significant: nearly all of the first one or two class sessions are now devoured by extensive assessments. These are stressful for the students and require huge amounts of time for tutors to prepare, mark, record and file. Additionally, because this is the public sector, Ofsted monitoring and funding concerns have led to creating a new electronic Data Return to track this assessment data. It has taken phenomenal amounts of time over two years to implement this system and train staff to use it. An unintended positive impact of these assessments has been a more detailed knowledge of students’ strengths and weaknesses, which targets the delivery of learning more precisely. Aspect 2: Students must pass exams to show an increase of one complete ESOL level from their initial assessment. This requirement has led to more teaching to the test which puts pressure on students and tutors alike to have exam success. Areas of vocabulary, grammar or knowledge which fall outside the scope of the exam are less likely to be covered in class. In the short term, this can be frustrating to learners and does not positively contribute to the quality of educational provision; in the long term, it may negatively impact other areas of students lives such as their job or family where they may need this extra information to function well and enhance their quality of life. This can lead to negative consequences for learners’ equality of opportunity in society. A further negative impact is the pressure on tutors to under-assess students levels initially, so that they can achieve an increase of one complete level in one year. It is essential for funding that students pass a minimum of one exam annually. ) Some students may not be accepted to learning programmes if it is not felt that they can achieve the required exam results; this can potentially lead to a lowering of the diversity in the class. One positive benefit, however, has been greater motivation by students to attend classes, focus on their studies and do well. Aspect 3: The Home Office is only interested in increased proficiency in speaking skills; reading and writing skills are not a priority. As a result of this, reading and writing skills can tend to fall by the wayside, and this can impact on students employability, especially for higher-skilled or higher-paid jobs. Students may be quite qualified in their own country, but unable to obtain jobs in the UK in the fields in which they were trained. A possibly-unintended consequence of this is keeping immigrants job prospects low, thus preserving higher-skilled jobs for British nationals; this is in direct contradiction to the points-based immigration scheme and the stated intentions of government policies! Future and Wider Issues At the time of this writing (Nov 2010) another change to the point-based immigration system is about to be implemented (Command Paper Cm 7944, 2010). The rule change will require spouses of UK settled individuals to have level A-1 level English before they can even enter the country. This pre-entry spouse language requirement has the potential to impact our sector significantly by reducing the number of students and making it more difficult to reach our target group of priority ESOL learners under the governments ‘New Approach to ESOL’ scheme. (DIUS, 2009), thus leading to further reductions in the diversity of our classes. It may even violate human rights and race relations laws. (Travis, 2010). Although this policy does not emanate from the Home Office and is therefore not considered directly in this report, it will nevertheless impact our sector with perhaps even greater intensity. The New Approach to ESOL was introduced by the UK government in the summer of 2009 as a joined up approach for handling ESOL provision (ibid. , p 23). A New Approach does indeed echo many of the aims of the Home Office legislation such as a refocus on ESOL priority learners, ESOL as part of preparing for work, and English to gain citizenship and integrate into communities. However, no new funding is provided to accomplish these additional tasks, and this will be intensely problematic. The Union of Colleges and Universities (2008) has stated categorically: Laudable government aims to lift migrant workers out of poverty and to deliver its community cohesion strategy [will] not happen unless appropriate funding is found. Conclusion The research done for this report suggests that ESOL provision in the Further Education sector is reaching a crisis point. More requirements are being piled on by government legislation emanating from a variety of agencies, while at the same time crippling funding cuts are being made across the sector. Staff in the sector are being stretched and stressed to the maximum. Barriers are being raised for learners that will keep immigrants in an economically-disadvantaged position in direct opposition to touted government ideals. It appears to be mainly funding policies, rather than requirement policies, which drive improvements or lack thereof in educational provision. In my opinion, the current situation is untenable, and prospects for the near future of ESOL provision are bleak. word count = 2164 Bibliography Ainley, B. (2007). Guide to Race Equality in FE. London: Continuum. Avis, J. (2007). Education, Policy and Social Justice. London: Continuum. Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. (20 January 2010). [Electronic version. ] The Guardian. Retrieved October 2010 from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2009/feb/13/civil-liberties-immigration. British Nationality Act 1948 (11 12 Geo. VI. c. 56) British Nationality Act 1981 (1981 c. 1). Command Papers. (2010). Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, presented to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty October 2010. (Cm 7944). London: HMSO. Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). (n. d. ) Skills for Life: ESOL for Work — A new suite of qualifications. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://rwp. excellencegateway. org. uk/readwriteplus/bank/368 7_ESOL_leaflet_A4_AW. pdf. Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. (last updated 2 February 2009). Planning Funding. [Online. ] Available: http://rwp. excellencegateway. org. uk/readwriteplus/Planning_and_Funding. Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. (2 February 2009). Proposed Funding Changes to ESOL and other Provision. [Electronic version. ] Extract of article first published in Update Magazine, issue 20. Available: http://rwp. excellencegateway. org. uk/readwriteplus/ESOL_changes. Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. (2 February 2009). Race Equality Impact Assessment on proposed changes in the funding arrangements for English for Speakers of Other Languages and asylum seeker eligibility for Learning and Skills Council Further Education funding — report and emerging proposals. Download, PDF. ] Available: http://rwp. excellencegateway. org. uk/readwriteplus/bank/ACF1BE9. pdf. Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. (May 2009). A New Approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://www. bis. gov. uk/assets/biscore/corporate/migratedD/publications/E/esol_new_approach. Hamilton, M and Hillier, Y (for thcoming). ESOL Policy and Change. [Download, PDF. ] To appear in Language Issues, the NATECLA Journal. Available: http://www. lancs. ac. uk/fass/doc_library/edres/hamilton_07_esol_policy_and_change. pdf Hillier, Y. (2006). Everything You Need to Know About FE Policy. London: Continuum. Home Office. (2010). Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, laid before Parliament on 18 March 2010 under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971. (HC 439). London: HMSO. House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. (9 March 2010). Follow-up to the Committee’s Report on Domestic Violence, Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Violence (HC 429-i). Available: http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmhaff/429/429i. pdf. London: HMSO. Lea, J et al. (2003). Working in Post-Compulsory Education. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Learning and Skills Council (LSC). (March 2007). Funding Guidance for Further Education in 2007/08. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://readingroom. lsc. gov. uk/lsc/National/FEFundingGuidance0708. pdf. Learning and Skills Council. (2009). Fast Facts The New Approach to ESOL. [Download, Microsoft Word. ] Available: http://readingroom. lsc. gov. uk/lsc/National/nat-esol_fast_facts_LA-july2009-v1-1. doc. Migrant Health. Infectious diseases in non-UK born populations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A baseline report 2006: Appendix One: The history of migration to the UK. (November 2006) [Download, PDF. Health Protection Agency. Available: http://www. hpa. org. uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1201767922096. National Archives. (As of 4 January 2011). Database search for legislation using keyword immigration across years 2000 through 2010. [Online. ] Accessible at: http://www. legislation. gov. uk. National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). (August 2007). Understanding the Impact of Funding Changes on Adult Learning: Further Education Colleges and Local Authorities. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://www. unison. org. uk/acrobat/NIACE_Aug07. pdf. Papp, S. (18 September 2009). The impact of language assessment for language assessment for migration and integration in the UK: a preliminary survey study. [Presentation. ] Conference on Language and Integration. Berlin: Goethe-Institut. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://www. goethe. de/ges/spa/pro/sog/ikz/pdf/Szilvia-Papp. pdf. Paton, A and Wilkins, M. (2009). Teaching Adult ESOL: Principles and Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Singh, R, QC, and McColgan, A. (21 September 2010). In the Matter of Pre-Entry English Language Requirements. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://www. liberty-human-rights. org. k/human-rights/asylum/pre-entry-language-req-matrix-legal-advice-sept-2010. pdf. Tahir, T. (2010). English language schools fear new visa rules. The Guardian, 19 January 2010. [Online]. Retrieved Nov 2010 from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/education/2010/jan/19/foreign-student-visas Tett, L; Hamilton, M; and Hillier, Y. (2006). Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Language: Policy, Practice and Research. Ma idenhead: Open University Press. Travis, A. (27 September 2010). Human rights lawyers condemn English tests for spouses coming to UK. [Electronic version. ] The Guardian. Retrieved November 2010 from: http://www. uardian. co. uk/uk/2010/sep/27/lawyers-condemn-migrants-english-tests. University College Union (UCU). (2007). Increasing exclusion, raising barriers: the real costs of charging for ESOL. [Download, PDF. ] Available: http://www. ucu. org. uk/media/pdf/l/6/ucu_esolbriefing_nov07. pdf. University College Union. (2008). UCU warns community cohesion cannot happen without English classes for migrants. (2 April 2008). UCU News. [Online. ] Available: http://www. ucu. org. uk/index. cfm? articleid=3183. UK Border Agency. (July 2009). Earning the Right to Stay: A New Points Test for Citizenship. [Download, PDF. Available from the European Archive: http://webarchive. nationalarchives. gov. uk/20100422120657/http://www. ukba. homeoffice. gov. uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultat ions/earning-the-right-to-stay/earning-the-right-to-stay/earned-citizenship-consultation? view=Binary. United Kingdom country information sheet. (n. d. ). [Online. ] European Web Site on Integration. Available: http://ec. europa. eu/ewsi/en/info_sheet. cfm? ID_CSHEET=21. Windsor, V and Healey, C. (2006). Lifelines 20: Developing ESOL, Supporting Achievement. Maidenhead: Open University Press. WorkPermit. com. UK Immigration English language requirements for spouses and

Drug testing in the workplace.

Drug testing in the workplace. Companies need to have the right to perform drug tests in order to provide for a safe and productive workplace. There are several ways for companies to perform these tests with different levels of acceptance. Companies can perform indiscriminate drug tests that test employees randomly or as a whole. Drug tests may be reserved for those who are suspected of drug use based on job performance. Companies may select to test all new hires. A computer test may be used to test for impairment. Companies who do drug testing will most likely perform a combination of these tests.Indiscriminate drug testing of hired employees in the workplace in the United States is a controversial issue due to Americans' strong belief in the right to privacy and due process. Indiscriminate drug testing violates the principle of due process by forcing employees to prove their innocence without any evidence of guilt. The process of the drug test often involves a urine sample taken in a degrading manor that violate s personal privacy.Any Lab Test Drug Testing LabEmployees with no performance problems and no indication of intoxication should not have to endure an indiscriminate drug test. These drug tests are equivalent to an unreasonable search and employers should not have the right to perform these tests even though the employee has the right to quit.The only time indiscriminate drug testing is acceptable is when it is applied to employees in sensitive positions whose actions can negative impact many others. This would include drivers of mass transportation or very large vehicles, military weapons operators, chemical plant operators, nuclear facility operators and employees required to carry a firearm. In these cases the concern for public safety out weighs the privacy issues.Mandatory drug testing as a condition of employment is a form of indiscriminate drug testing but this violation...

The Radical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Radical - Essay Example For example, women in some Islamic communities are facing severe problems from the dominant male community. This paper analyses religious radicalism with the help of the problems facing by Muslim women in radical or fundamental societies. One of the recent reports from Afghanistan showed the brutalities suffered by an young Muslim girl from the hands of her husband. When Aisha was 12, her father promised her in marriage to a Taliban fighter to pay a debt. She was handed over to his family who abused her and forced her to sleep in the stable with the animals. When she attempted to flee, she was caught and her nose and ears were hacked off by her husband as punishment (Bates). Even though many of the scholars even in Muslim culture condemned above brutality, it is a fact that there are many women in Muslim communities who are suffering from similar treatments from their male counterparts. A civilized world like ours cannot tolerate such brutalities even if it has something to do with t he religious beliefs. It is hard to believe that the creator has created two types of people; one for domination and the other for suffering. Holy Bible says that Eve was created to give company to Adam; not for working as a slave to Adam. In Hindu culture also, women enjoy equal status with men. In fact, women are respected more than men in Hindu culture since they are instrumental in giving birth to future generation. â€Å"Koran says girls must stay home and that it is right to beat women if they disobey their husbands† (Chu). The above teaching of Koran cannot be accepted for an advanced culture like ours. It is difficult to digest the argument that only girls must be punished if they disobey their husband whereas boys can do anything as they like. It should be remembered that in Islamic culture, men can keep more than one wife at the same time whereas women cannot establish relations with other males. In other words, Islam treats males and females in different manner whi ch is unacceptable to any other cultures in the world. Some Muslim scholars are of the view that many of the teachings of Koran were misinterpreted. In their opinion, women beating don’t mean severe punishment in Islam. It is only a symbolic act for the wrong activities of women. In any case, it is a fact that Koran remains silent over the punishment of men who commit mistakes to their wives. Global media recently reported an incident from Saudi Arabia in which a woman who tried to drive her vehicle suffered punishment from the authorities. Woman driving is prohibited in Saudi Arabia even though it is allowed in many other Islamic countries. In other words, Saudi Arabia has its own laws and traditions which are entirely different from that in many other Muslim countries. For example, in UAE or Oman, woman driving is not a punishable act. In fact the number of women drivers in these countries is more or equal to the number of the male drivers. It should be noted that both Oman and UAE have similar culture as that of Saudi and they have no problem in allowing woman driving. It is evident from the above facts that misinterpretation of Koranic teaching is taking place everywhere in the world. Otherwise all the Muslim cultures in the world should have similar rules and regulations. The Saudi Koran and UAE Koran are one and the same; but the teachings of Saudi scholars and the UAE scholars are entirely different. In other words, Saudi is executing a hidden agenda against the women in community there

Today hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Today hero - Essay Example Ideally, a hero is someone who rises above adversity or faces dangerous situations with valor and courage. In the face of danger and adversity, the courageous actor is willing to be self-sacrificing for the greater good. In this regard, the true meaning of the term hero is one who is distinguished by bravado and near superhuman will to help others in distress at his or her own expense. In the late 19th century Carlyle provides a common understanding of what makes a hero. He writes: Contemporary heroes however, challenge the true meaning of the term hero. Quite often we canonize people for athleticism, beauty, celebrity status, wealth and a number of other qualities that have little or nothing to do with valor, courage, strength or sacrifice. In this regard, today’s hero rarely possesses any of the qualities and strengths associated with heroism in its true form. One of the most endearing attractions to heroes is the thought that the individual can believe that heroism resides in each of us and we might, if we try, successfully emulate our heroes. However, with today’s assignations of heroism it is entirely impossible to be inspired. It is impossible to emulate wealth, beauty, athleticism or celebrity. On the other hand it is possible to emulate bravado, valor, courage and strength. So to this end, today’s heroes, rather than inspire positive feelings, discourage individuals and leave them feeling inadequate and entirely unsuccessful. The truth of the matter is that today, it simply enough to be famous or popular to attain the status of heroism. It has been argued by media observers that today’s youth culture is greatly influenced by media images and representations of heroes. For the most part many of these token heroes are not worthy role models. Essentially, that the media’s representation of heroism leaves an impression on young people. It is hardly surprising that in light of the

MIrc (Internet Relay Chat) client Research Proposal

MIrc (Internet Relay Chat) client - Research Proposal Example In specific, this paper will discuss different features and aspects of one of the most popular internet relay chat clients, mIRC. An internet relay chat client was developed especially for Microsoft Windows by Khaled Mardam-Bey in the year 1995, (mIRC, 2008) which has been successful in establishing and proving its versatility and popularity by different features including real-time chat, file transfers, group discussions through channels, buddy lists, and a number of other features that will be discussed in this paper. According to sources, mIRC is used by more than twenty million users in different parts of the globe, and is considered one of the top ten internet applications. Interestingly, letter ‘m’ in mIRC is still unknown despite of its popularity and success, whereas, IRC stands for internet relay chat in mIRC. (Miller, pp. 221) According to the creator of mIRC, a number of basic features required for an IRC client were lacking in WinIRC that is considered the first IRC client created for Microsoft Windows. Thus, he felt a need for creating mIRC that received enormous appreciation from its competitors, as well as, users around the globe, even after introduction of a number of interactive real-time chat clients on the internet. One of the major causes of mIRC’s popularity and success is its inexpensive price, as it costs only $20.00 per mIRC application. (mIRC, 2008) In addition, it comes with a 30-day evaluation period that allows a user to interact and benefit from its various and all the features; whereas, a number of internet chat applications disable some functions during their evaluation period. Interestingly, a user may use the application and benefit from it even after the evaluation period, which is considered another major cause of its popularity and success. According to studies, dominant scripting language of mIRC has played a vital role in the success of mIRC, as it allows the creation of

Porsche company changes and breakdown

Porsche company changes and breakdown Much has changed for Porsche over the past few years. Negative market forces combined with questionable strategic moves have the iconic sport car company fighting for its life. Markets forces such as escalating fuel prices during the summer of 2008 followed by the global financial crisis have significantly suppressed demand for gas-guzzling, high-end specialty vehicles. In concert, Porsche has overstretched itself with new product introductions and an attempted takeover of rival Volkswagen. Porsche has left itself with limited strategic options. This case describes the market conditions affecting the global auto industry, presents Porsches resources and poses options for the future. As of early 2008, Porsche was celebrating a JD Powers highest quality rating for the second year in a row and 7 years of strong financial performance after near-bankruptcy in the late 1990s (see Exhibit 1)  [1]  . Porsche was again seen as a leading, high-end car company. The rest of the industry had been consolidating into fewer than 10 large, multi-brand conglomerates. Against this backdrop, Porsche was defiant about not losing its independence. However, the road forward has been full of hazards. The global economy turned downward during the second half of 2008 and the slump has continued into 2010. Porsche almost went out of business the last time the US economy lagged for an extended period in the early 1990s. Porsche must formulate its strategy carefully. Their expansions into the sport utility and sports sedan segments and attempt to take over Volkswagen have been risky, even careless moves. What should be Porsches next move in light of the rapidly changing global auto industry and Porsches current internal challenges? Should Porsche hold pat and try to ride out the market downturn and industry shakeout with its current lineup of vehicles? Should Porsche continue to expand its product range in order to further leverage its brand and become a broader player to rival German competitor, BWM? Or, should Porsche retreat from expansion, return to its core product, the 911, and focus on its engineering expertise? The global auto industry has suffered greatly from the worst US financial downturn since the 1930s. Two US auto giants, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and there has been a new wave of mergers and acquisitions. Industry growth and leadership are shifting to China and India, and environmental technologies are leading innovation in the global auto industry. Excess car making capacity worldwide has increased sharply in the past few years. Amid weak demand, Japanese automakers have frozen or delayed new capital investments and have stepped up such efforts as lifting productivity at factories, with the goal of boosting their profitability. Toyota Motor Corp. is struggling to remain profitable as its sales have fallen by around 20% from 2007s record tally of 9 million units. Honda Motor Co. has decided to delay new plant construction until 2012 or later from the originally planned 2010. These moves are also driven by anticipation that GM and Chrysler will emerge from their bankruptcies as meaner, leaner competitors. GM has announced plans to bolster its profitability by consolidating production to support global sales of around 6 million vehicles a year, a roughly 30% decline from its worldwide sales in 2008  [2]  . New rivals have appeared with Fiat, an Italian automaker that ranked 10th in global sales rankings in 2008, taking a stake in Chrysler. In addition, the Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. entering into car manufacturing through its agreement to acquire Opel, a German unit of GM. In addition, as Americas auto companies lose market share due to declining demand, Chinese auto sales have increased steadily, China is likely to pass Japan soon as the worlds largest car maker. Chinese companies have focused on acquiring production expertise as well as brand cache by bidding on Fords Volvo and General Motors Saab and Hummer. China has a reputation as a copycat manufacturer. Therefore, acquisitions offer reputation to some of Chinas 100 car companies which unknown to most people outside of China  [3]  . For example, Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover Indias Tata Motors Ltd. in 2008 for $1.7 billion. This positions an Asian company as a potential world leader at the low-end with the $2,500 Nano and at the high-end with two global icons in Jaguar and Rover, positioning it to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi  [4]  . 2008 was the worst year in a decade for the US auto industry as demand slowed because of tightening credit, higher gasoline prices, and rising unemployment. Continuing declines in sales are likely for the foreseeable future in North America and Europe, while growth is projected in India, China, and Brazil. The global auto industry has been consolidating because on high costs and low demand and profitability. There were 42 independent, global car companies in 1960, and this shrunk to only 17 by the year 2000. In the medium to long term, environmental technologies will likely be instrumental in carmakers success. Germanys Daimler AG has taken a stake in Tesla Motors Inc., a U.S. electric car venture firm. Another German company, Volkswagen, has tied up with Chinese battery maker BYD Co. to bolster its ability to develop electric vehicles. BYD announced in late 2008 that it had succeeded in developing a commercial model plug-in hybrid vehicle. The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are due to hit the market in 2011  [5]  . Porsches Resources Porsche, with over 12,000 employees in 2008, is the smallest German automobile builder, but the largest sports car specialist in the world. Sales in the 2007/2008 reached nearly 99,000, including approximately 45,000 Cayennes and 31,000 911s. Net income climbed over $6.3 billion in 2007/2008  [6]  (See Exhibit 1). The company was founded in December 1930, when Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, with 12 close associates, established an office in Stuttgart for design and consultation on engines and vehicles. By 1932, Porsches design office had developed the torsion bar suspension element that is still in use in automobiles around the world. In 1934, the Porsche Company was commissioned by the manufacturers association to design a utilitarian car of normal dimensions but relatively low weight, to be achieved by new basic measures. Prototypes of this car were on the road by the end of 1935 but World War II postponed mass production of the vehicle. After the war, Volkswagen started production of the car, which came to be known as the VW Beetle. In 1972, when the 15,007,034th unit left the VW Wolfsburg assembly line, this Porsche-designed vehicle had displaced the Model T Ford as the all-time automobile production leader  [7]  . After World War II, Dr. Porsche was commissioned to build the most modern formula race car in the world. This car started to win international road races by 1948, and based on this car design, Porsche started building the 356 sports car (see Exhibit 2) in rented production space in Stuttgart for sales through Volkswagens international network of dealers and importers. While the original plan called for only a modest production of 500 cars, sales of the 356 Porsche eventually reached an overall total of 78,000 vehicles. The success of the 356 model was followed by design of the Porsche 911 (also shown in Exhibit 2) that initially went into production in 1964. The 911 had sales, through 2008, in excess of 600,000 vehicles and was the most successful rear-engine sports car in history  [8]  . In the 1970s internal car developments included the Porsche 928, with the first all-aluminum V-8 engine, that started production in 1977, and the Porsche 924, targeted as an introductory model below the 911 model. The 924 was originally developed for the Volkswagen, but they lost interest after the 1973 energy crisis. Porsche sold the car under its own name and, with sales of 100,000 units in only five years; it became the most successful Porsche of all time. Porsche continued its tradition of active involvement in racing competition. Dr. Ferry Porsche, chairman and son of the companys founder, claimed, competition entries in racing and rallying aided technology for our production cars. Designers felt that after only a few months, and often after only weeks or even days, racing provided answers to whether new technical measures were the right ones. Porsches RD work flowed into its production cars, and was the basis for extensive sales of engineering capabilities to outside customers  [9]  . German counterparts such as Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen dwarf Porsches production volume of about 95,000 cars per year. In 2007/2008, Mercedes and BMW sold over 1,000,000 units and Volkswagen in excess of 1,500,000 cars  [10]  . Porsches small production volumes, however, still have to accommodate great diversity. Each car is built to a customers order, and has to conform to different national and state regulations. Choices included right-hand and left-hand steering, automatic and manual transmissions, and many other options. Porsche customers frequently traveled to the Zuffenhausen plant in the northern district of Stuttgart to watch their car actually being built. Since 1972, the companys technical development has been located in a large RD center outside of Weissach, a small town about 20 kilometers from Stuttgart. To maintain its technology leadership, Porsche has invested, at Weissach, in a minimum scale of expensive capacity, including a test track, crash center, wind tunnel, motor engine test facility, and pollution test equipment. A large number of designers, engineers, technicians, and mechanics are employed to support continual innovation. With its extensive commitment to advanced technology development and its small production base, Porsche spent 15 percent of its car sales revenue on RD, a much higher figure than the 4-6 percent typically spent by other car companies. The large investment in technology development capabilities required that Porsche sell some of its equipment, design, and engineering capabilities to other car companies  [11]  . Porsche still assembles a large proportion of its cars by hand on the same site where company patriarch Ferdinand Porsche built and delivered the Volkswagen Beetle in 1937. There have been modifications, of course, especially since 1991 when Wiedeking was hired to oversee production and materials management. One shocker: He forced the company to choke down nationalist and institutional pride and bring in Japanese consultants to teach Porsche not only how to build cars better, but also how to build better cars. In the upholstery shop, craft workers soften leather with heat guns and use hand tools of their own making to caress the hide smoothly onto curving dashboards and door panels. They get the leather from workers at sewing tables. In a nearby building, a technician uses a hand wrench to apply what he suspects his power wrench or a robot might not just the right amount of force on bolts that will hold an exotic, six-cylinder Porsche engine together when some over-enthusiastic driver revs it into the danger zone. When the wrench wielder and co-workers complete the engine, it gets hauled off to one of a dozen dynamometer chambers. There, testers run it through a demanding routine for approximately 20 minutes. Charming and eccentric as Porsches factory is, it is perhaps no more than a curiosity next to less-visible enterprises that the automaker relies on for independence: Weissach, restructuring, and partnerships. Porsches Weissach RD center is responsible not only for Porsches own auto technology and innovation, but also additional profits from work it does for others. Weissach developed, for instance, a cockpit for the Airbus jetliner, a minivan for General Motors, the guttural sound of modern Harley-Davidson motorcycle engines and their low-emission performance. Porsche does not report Weissach earnings separately. Some industry analysts suppose they account for most of what the financial reports call other operating income about 12 percent of total operating income. But Weissachs biggest contribution is not on the financial statement. Weissach is staffed by 2,200 engineers and technicians, meaning that highly paid professionals are one-quarter of Porsches total head count. Too expensive for us alone, says Anton Hunger, Porsche spokesman. Yet other automakers are comfortable renting Porsches engineering brains because the tiny sports-car maker is unlikely to be a rival. Restructuring in the late 1990s was painful as Porsche has cut 25 percent of its workers. And though much handwork remains, Porsche has halved the worker-hours necessary to build the 911 Carrera, and relies more on Japanese-style, just-in-time parts delivery. About one-third to total parts is the same on Boxster and 911 Carrera. And the Boxster S gets its upgraded handling and performance from 911 Carrera parts. In 1992, Porsche was selling three dramatically dissimilar models: rear-engine, six-cylinder, air-cooled 911; front-engine, V-8, water-cooled 928; front-engine, water-cooled, V-6 968. Literally not one common part. Incredible. Not even the lock system, says Manfred Ayasse, financial spokesman  [12]  . As of 2009, Porsche sold only 5 vehicles, Boxster, 911 Carrera, Cayenne, Cayman, and Panamera. The 4 automobiles are six-cylinder, high-performance, high-priced sports cars. In an industry bent on more and more segments, this is an anomalous approach. However, Porsche is an expert at bringing out ever-more-desirable iterations, raising prices for the upgraded versions and earning much higher profits. The enhanced models do not cost much more to manufacture than the base models. Boxster made its debut late in 1996, its $41,000 price putting a new Porsche within reach of more buyers than can afford a $66,000 Carrera. The Boxster S joined the lineup in 1999, starting at around $49,000. Its appeal is chiefly a bigger engine. At the same time, the standard 2000 Boxster received enhancements that could support a price increase. Its engine grows to 2.7 liters from 2.5, and horsepower rises to 214 from 204  [13]  . The 911 Carrera is a case study in Porsches genius. The current generation was launched in late 1997, as a coupe. A pricier convertible came in early 1998. Even more-expensive all-wheel-drive versions, called Carrera 4, were added in late 1998. In 2000, Porsche offered a turbo-charged 911 Carrera. Turbo Porsche models have the brilliant high-performance credentials and legacy to command six-figure prices. Also possible is a targa-top 911, which would have a removable, hard-roof panel for those who like the breeze but dislike folding convertible tops. Porsche has recently added an S version to the 911 Carrera line-up, just as it did with Boxster. Even though Porsche says it will never merge, its not above partnerships. For example, it co-owns, with Daimler-Chrysler, Car Top Systems, the company responsible for the folding tops on Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Saab convertibles. And Audi manufactured the now-discontinued 924 and 944 sports cars for Porsche. The automaker has decided to outsource more manufacturing so it can boost sales, and enjoy the extra earnings that it should bring, without investing in expensive expansion. Porsche calls it the virtual factory approach. The factory in Stuttgart can manufacture only 30,000 cars a year. It is surrounded tightly by the city, limiting sprawl room. But Porsche considers the original brick factory historic and could not bring itself to replace it with a modern facility. Thus, playing well with others becomes a survival tactic. Since late 1997, most Boxster sports cars sold in the US have been made at Valmet Automotive, a car factory in Finland that also builds Saabs. The automaker helped Valmet modify its tooling and production system to accommodate the Boxster, and Porsche has quality auditors there to ensure Valmet Boxsters match Stuttgart Boxsters. The logic is impressive, says Deutsche Banks research report on Porsche: It is the design, the technology, and the brand that make a Porsche stand out. These are core competencies for Porsche. The production itself, which is more or less a commodity competency, may as well be outsourced to Valmet or VW at a lower cost than Porsche could achieve with its highly paid workforce.  [14]   In 2002, Porsche began selling Cayenne, which it developed in collaboration with Volkswagen. Porsche sells the Cayenne for around $60,000, and VW sells its version, the Touareg, for around $35,000. The two companies shared the development costs and VW manufactures both vehicles. This allows Porsche to get some of the development costs paid by VW, and Porsche does not have to invest in more factory capacity to build the vehicle (See Exhibit 3). In 2005, Porsche added the Cayman to its roster positioned between the Boxster and the 911 and priced at around $60,000 (Exhibit 4). The Cayman matches the weight and styling of the Boxster with nearly the power of the 911. This makes the Cayman lightning fast, with a 0-to-60 time around 4.5 seconds. This performance and price has made the Cayman the most sought after vehicle in Porsches lineup in 2005. In September of 2005, Porsche acquired 18.5 percent stake in Volkswagen. Porsche claimed it was attempting to secure its supply chain as Volkswagen makes much of the Cayenne, the Porsche sport utility vehicle  [15]  . Volkswagen has not performed recently and has been seen as a potential takeover target. Porsche increased its ownership of Volkswagen to 31 per cent and majority ownership in 2008. Porsche introduced its first four-door sedan in 2009 when it offered the Panamera (Exhibit 5). BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Maserati are the Panameras primary rivals catering to the high-performance, four-door sports sedan market, and the Porsche hopes to take some of this market share. The companys association with Volkswagen is leveraged as the Panamera uses the Volkswagen Phaeton platform. The Panamera is powered by the same engines that are currently available in the Cayenne, the Porsche SUV. Porsches financial situation represents its biggest challenge. Porsche and Volkwagen reached an agreement in 2009 to call off Porsches efforts to take over Volkswagen. The final shape of the two companies has yet to be fixed, but Porsche is now likely to be fully integrated into the Volkswagen Group, joining its seven other car brands-VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. Porsche got into this challenging situation when it took on à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9 billion ($12.2 billion) of debt acquiring its 50.8% in Volkswagen with its sights on taking over Volkswagen. Three things prevented Porsche from this goal. First, acquiring 50.8% of Volkwagen tripled Porsches debt. Second, the credit crisis beginning in 2007 made it more difficult and expensive to borrow money. Third, Porsche was blocked by the German government from acquiring a larger share of Volkwagen so it could access its cash reserves  [16]  . The most challenging aspect for Porsche is its debt, which Porsche wants to reduce by at least à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5 billion. Qatar and Abu Dhabi were seen as top candidates to loan the money. However, Mr. Pià «ch, who owns 10% of Porsche, says he opposes selling a stake in Porsche to an outside investor. Instead, Volkswagen is likely to buy Porsches car business. The Future of Porsche Based on the current conditions in the global auto industry, the economy and the natural environment, what should be Porsches strategy for 2010 and beyond? Should Porsche hold pat and try to ride out the market downturn and industry shakeout with its current lineup of vehicles? Should Porsche continue to expand its product range in order to further leverage its brand and rival German competitor, BWM? Or, should Porsche retreat from expansion, return to its core product the 911 and focus on its engineering expertise? These options are influenced by and could influence Porsches current financial challenges. Porsches strategic moves are critical to its future success and existence. Exhibit 1 Porsche Financials Exhibit 2 Exhibit 3 Cayenne Exhibit 4 Cayman Exhibit 5 Panamera

The Tragedy of the Jim Crow Laws :: Jim Crow Laws Essays

Jim Crow laws are about power. Power of one race over another. These laws really highlight the flaws and weakness of human nature. One group of people asserting power over another for the pride and vanity of a system of politics that had been defeated at the cost of thousands of American lives during the civil war. The term "Jim Crow" has its origins of interest also. The interpretation was intended to ridicule the African American by white American's in the position of power. The Jim Crow laws were initiated after the civil war during the deconstruction of the new south and they help to create a racial caste system in the American South. These laws were protected by the constitution and were a form of constitutional racism. When the Supreme Court ruled on Plessy v. Ferguson the Federal Government legalized racism but under the guise of a doctrine referred to as "separate but equal". The Jim Crow laws were in place until the Supreme Court of 1954 threw them out with it's ruling on Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka. This court had a different opinion of equality. Soon after the Reconstruction, African Americans and whites Americans ate in the same restaurants, often rode together in the same railway cars, used the same public facilities, but did not often interact as equals. The development of large black communities in urban areas and the significant black labor force in factories presented a new challenge to white Southerners. They could not control these new communities in the same informal ways they had been able to control rural black Americans, which were more directly dependent on white landowners and merchants (sharecropping system) than their urban counterparts. In the city, blacks and whites were in more direct competition than they had been in the countryside. There was more danger of social mixing. The city, therefore, required different, and more rigidly institutionalized, systems of control, henceforth Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws were a response to the new reality that required the white supremacy to move to where it would have a more rigid legal and institutional basis to retain control over the black population. Why title these laws Jim Crow? The definition tells why; Jim Crow or jim crow (jà ®m ¹ kro ¹) Slang. noun The systematic practice of discriminating against and suppressing Black people. adjective 1. Upholding or practicing discrimination against and suppression of Black people: Jim Crow laws; a Jim Crow town.

Hospitality Across Culture

Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. When coming to another country, we always want to make a good impression to the native people like showing them our hospitality. But sometimes, because of different culture our hospitality is considered as offence.So what should we do in this case?In case study, a typical situation surprised me. The American manager by the name of Bill Morris just simply want to show his emplyees in France his hospitality. He decided to throw a party for the whole office. His intention was pretty good. He thought it would be a good way to get accquainted with everyone in a less formal environment. Then, people with know that he is an open person and easy to talk. However, this wasn’t work.His employees didn’t think like that and just in a negative way.In French employess’s thought, their boss was showing off his money by inviting them to his elegent apartment. They felt strange and uncomfortable in his home as well as socializing together. Certainly, Morris didn’t make a good impression to his employees.The situation gave me knowledge of America and France hospitality culture in : socialize with employess from different levels of the company, role of the boss in the social life of the office, style of entertaining colleagues, different about socialiszing with friends and collagues, common ways of socialising with business colleagues. This is two different country with different culture, working style : formal and informal. It’s not easy to mix them. In solving situation tasks, our class was discuss to help Morris able to adapt to the social ways of his French employees. We all think he should learn about France culture, shouldn’t so formal with his colleagues to build his presigate. He should care to his working style, languages using, attitudes †¦Above all, following French culture will make his employees respect him and feel heâ₠¬â„¢s more familiar to them. Step by step, they’ll sure understand his good intention and have a good point of view on him.Hospitality across culture isn’t simply at all. It requires a certain knowledge about culture and ways to apply it appropriately. This situation reminds me a famous saying : ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Obviously when you come another country, the native people expect you to do as their culture. This will make they feel that you searched and interested in their culture before and respect it. Getting to know about eachother culture is a simply way to communicate people from all over the world. This is a chance to widen your knowledge, open your working opportunity, build relationship across border.

History of African American Newspapers Essays - Free Essays

History of African American Newspapers Essays - Free Essays History of African American Newspapers February 17, 2015 Intro to Mass Comm Written Assignment African-American newspapers came into existence before the Civil War as an expression of abolitionist sentiment. Black newspapers were the central representation of communication of black culture. There were numerous of newspapers that operated as the channel through which black news moved at a time white America ignored everything concerning with Blacks. Once African-Americans migrated to urban areas, large cities with a significant African-American population had newspapers. Blacks problems and interests were similar but were difficult to obtain but because of such significant newspapers, they got to receive national news. According to the African-American newspapers, even though the purpose was to report news, their key motivation was to basically make a profit instead of reporting the news to people. The idea of an African-American newspaper was to give African- Americans something they can relate to. The main reason for the newspapers was to uplift the black community. Many blac ks pursued to adapt to a larger society. The newspapers represented a sense of pride for the African-Americans to stick together and fight through the oppression they were under. With this being a factor, it was very beneficial for African-American newspapers to be inspired by uplifting and profiting. Because large newspapers often covered news thats in interest to the public, it was easy to see why people of different race and ethnic groups would be interested in hearing about events from people who might see the world with the same perspective as them. Blacks ability to establish many environments and black neighborhoods in the North led to first gesture of publications. The very first African-American newspaper was Freedoms Journal. The editors were Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm. It was established the same year that slavery was abolished. The newspaper was intended to serve the African American community to pledge the racism that often appeared. Freedoms Journal criticized slavery and supported for black peoples political rights, the right to vote and spoke out against lynchings. This challenged racist attacks against African Americans. All the newspaper wanted to accomplish was to reach African Americans in the North and South to build a sense of black unity and pride. Freedoms Journal also pursued to raise African American consciousness by publishing news about the African culture. It was a powerful publication for racial uplift and distributing information about local, national and international news and with news that could serve to entertain and educate. The newspaper wanted to improve conditions for the thousands of freed black men a nd women. The newspaper widened readers knowledge of the world. Freedoms Journal published birth and death rates, domestic news, wedding announcements and encouraged black figures accomplishments. Freedoms Journal eventually dispersed in 11 states with advertisements starting a $.25 to $.75. Freedoms Journal purpose was not only to defend African-Americans but it was to place great worth on the need for reading and to empower the black population and they hoped a black newspaper would be enough encouragement to intellect development among African Americans. Regardless of the newspapers two-year lifespan, Freedoms Journal made a massive impact on African American communities. Three decades later, there were over 40 African American newspapers throughout the United States. Another famous African American newspaper was The North Star. The North Star was established by Frederick Douglass in the 1800s and developed into the most influential black antislavery paper published. His inspiration came from a reference to the directions to give runaway slaves to reach the Northern states and get them After Douglass escaped, he wanted to promote freedom for all slaves so that was his motive for creating his own newspaper. The paper got its name because slaves who escaped at night were following the North Star in the sky to be free. All the slaves aimed at one goal, which was to be free from oppression. The North Star was used not only to condemn slavery but also to fight for the freedom of women and other oppressed groups. Frederick Douglass goals were to abolish slavery in all its forms and aspects, to advance the moral and intellectual improvement of the colored people bring freedom to all enslaved people. His viewpoints toward

World View Essays

World View Essays World View Essay World View Essay Even without resorting to radical concepts such as solipsism: a philosophical theory which suggests that an individuals experience is made up only of their subjective experiences and subjective perception of the world and that objective reality cant actually be known, it is fairly easy to make a convincing case that boredom is a state which mirrors the inner-world, rather than the outer world, of the person who is bored. Most of us have experienced the seemingly contradictory feelings of being at a place of excitement: a concert, a movie, a party, or even a sporting event perhaps even one which we had looked forward to attending, and, instead of finding excitement and fun, we discovered boredom and disinterest in participating in the very event we had been looking forward to attending.On the other hand, history records examples of tragically isolated and/or lonely individuals who experienced very little outside stimulation and yet were able to not only expres s an attitude of deep energy and involvement with the world, but they were able to influence the world as well. Names that spring to mind are poet Emily Dickinson, chess champion Bobby Fischer, physicist Stephen Hawking and many, many others. The fact remains that ones inner-world is both projected upon and influenced by the outer-world. So if an individual is bored during what should be a momentous or even dramatic event, the emotion and feelings of boredom obviously have an internal source, one which may well be more potent than any kind of deprivation of outer stimulation.I agree with the statement that People get bored because they are not thinking   and I think I can even use the topic of this paper, itself, as an an example of how intellectual stimulation staves off boredom. Shortly after receiving this assignment, I found myself stuck in a line at the store where I had to wait for approximately ten to fifteen minutes to check-out. Normally, I would consider myself very bore d during this kind of wait, but I was thinking about the topic of this paper and whether or not I believed boredom came from within or from without and the experience of thinking about the issue caused time to pass so fast, I hardly noticed my wait in line.   After that experience I am convinced that mental and intellectual stimulation: the use of the human imagination (or lack of its use) are the primary influences as to whether or not a person will suffer from boredom.

Reflective Essay, Scottish Higher Grade English Essay

The Mistreatment is of Animals - Essay Example My first impressions were reserved, as I attributed such differences in behavior to their nature as animals. However, reason quickly turned into apprehension when I realized why they were located discreetly; they were separated in order to avoid possible skirmishes with other dogs. We were told that these dogs were so badly treated by their previous owners that they could not be reintegrated into a normal family home due to their antisocial behaviors. At that point, the whimpering of a small brown dog caught my attention. Witnessing it cower in the corner in its malnourished state immediately aroused a sense of compassion within me. When we were told that the scars on its back were caused by the previous owners extinguishing their cigarettes on its back, a sense of helpless rage momentarily filled me up inside. It only heightened my degree of compassion for the animals. We moved on, taking notes as to which dogs might make for suitable pets. I had a particular interest in a black and white cross breed that appeared visibly sad in its caged state. I was subsequently told by the RSPCA advisors that this dog was not suitable to go into a home environment that had children as a result of mistreatment by the previous owner. The news sent a wave of shame and disgust up my spine for the cruelty of those responsible. I embarrassingly moved on to my next choice, which was a small white dog with black flashes. This dog was deemed suitable and was brought by a handler to the walk area. It was noticeably unhappy in the environment, barking at every dog it passed; this dog clearly had spirit but, having heard the severity of mistreatments, I had reservations regarding its aggression. When brought into the large meeting area, the dog proceeded to sprint two laps of the area and only then came to meet us.   Ã‚  

INTERPRETING CRIME AND CRIMINALS 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

INTERPRETING CRIME AND CRIMINALS 2 - Essay Example My research was able to establish that there is not much difference in the experiences of male and female victims of cyber-stalking. One distinct difference between the male and female victim is that males are more likely not to report incidents of stalking to the police or law enforcers. The findings in this research imply that stereotypes in cyber-crimes have been firmly entrenched in our minds; little information is known about male victims of cyber-stalking-about how they became victims, how they dealt with it, and how they learned to live with it. Cyber-stalking is an old crime given new teeth. It used to be just plain stalking-following and watching a person doing his or her routine activities. But now that we are in the age of cyber technology, it has evolved into a much more sophisticated crime. I have chosen this topic because it is very interesting to explore the unconventional angle in the commission of this crime. People are familiar about the statistics in this crime-there are both male and female victims—however, they tend to focus more on the female victim, and dismiss the male victim to be of lesser importance and concern. This crime is also considered one of the newer crimes created by cyber-technology. It largely explains why legislation and implementation has not caught up with it yet. There are many countries right now that have yet to make this act a punishable offence. Although the UK has firmly entrenched legislation to address this crime, it has the same problems as other countries--the implementatio n of these laws. This topic also interests me because I would like to find out how the victim became a victim, how he felt about being a victim, and how he was dealt with by police officers when he eventually reported the crime. I used the qualitative method of research in this study. More specifically I