Arieanne Evans-Hill Essays (266 words) - Mali Empire, Songhai Empire

Arieanne Evans-Hill November 27, 2017 History of Art 01 Dr. Jones West African Manuscript Questions Importance of manuscripts to the community. How does this change with Africa's place in European history? Manuscripts in Timbuktu provide a new understanding of West African history. Conserving the manuscripts is very important to the culture because conserving history and reiterating what happened in the past is how the culture survives in the world. African history is built on oral tradition, historians believe that it's not credible but it is a source, nonetheless. Timbuktu translates into something relating to books. The manuscripts also rendered as tools to teach Islamic practices and knowledge in the community. The information in West Africa's manuscripts is a great source of common knowledge which will always be good for teaching. The existence of a manuscript is a legay within itself because even after an entire original culture is long gone, written history keeps the memory alive forever (if preserved correctly) and provides a credible way of learning about it through words. With Timbuktu having manuscripts and basically having a long history and established culture before European imperialism, it negates the fact that Europeans "made" Africans better when they captured them and put them into slavery. West African and Chinese manuscripts can be compared in two ways: both are essential to their respective cultures when educating people about the ways of the ancestors or in China's case, about Buddhist gods and their relationships as well as learning about and keeping West African and Chinese cultural history alive to this day.

How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op

How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op A homeschool co-op is a group of homeschooling families who meet on a regular basis to provide educational and social activities for their children. Some co-ops focus on elective and enrichment classes while others offer core classes such as history, math, and science. In most cases, the parents of the students are directly involved in the co-op, planning, organizing, and teaching the courses offered. Why Start a Homeschool Co-Op There are many reasons that a homeschool co-op  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ large or small  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ can be a beneficial endeavor for parents and students alike. Some classes simply work better with a group. It can be hard to find a  chemistry lab partner at home, and unless you’re doing a one-man play,  drama needs a group of kids. Sure, you may have siblings or a parent who can help out, but for activities such as science labs, it can be beneficial for students to work with their peers. In  a co-op setting, kids learn how to work with a group of students. They can practice vital skills such as delegating tasks, doing their part to make the group activity a success, and resolving conflicts when disagreements arise. A co-op provides accountability. You know those classes that tend to fall by the wayside? Starting a small co-op is an excellent way to prevent that by adding a layer of accountability. You may find that you have good intentions, are continually pushing aside enrichment classes such as art and nature study. When youre meeting with a few other families, youre more likely to follow through on the classes. It’s much easier to stay the course when other people are counting on you. A co-op is a great solution for teaching difficult subjects or skill-based electives.  A co-op can prove to be the perfect way to tackle subjects like  high school level math and science courses or electives for which you lack the knowledge or skill set. Maybe one parent can teach math in exchange for another sharing her talent for art or music. If you know a parent with a unique skill, such as photography or fluency in a foreign language, they may be willing to offer group classes for a fee.  Ã‚   A co-op can make the subject  more fun for the students. In addition to the prospect of greater accountability, a co-op can make a  boring or difficult subject more fun for the students. While the class may still be dull or complicated, the prospect of tackling it with a few friends can at least make the class more palatable. The students might even find the course fun with an instructor and one or two students who display enthusiasm for it, or who have a good grasp on the topic and can explain it in easy-to-understand terms.   Homeschool co-ops can help kids learn to take direction from someone other than a parent. Kids benefit from having instructors other than their parents. Another teacher  may have a different teaching style,  way of interacting with children, or expectations for classroom behavior and due dates. It’s useful for students to learn  to interact with other instructors so that it’s not such a culture shock when they go to college or into the workforce or even when they find themselves in classroom settings within the community. How to Start a Homeschool Co-Op If you’ve decided that a small  homeschool co-op would be beneficial for your family, it’s relatively straightforward to start one. While you needn’t worry about the complex  guidelines that a  larger, more formal co-op would require,  a small, informal gathering of friends still calls for some ground rules. Find a meeting place (or establish an agreed-upon rotation). If your co-op is going to be only two or three families, you’ll likely agree to gather in your homes. You may also be able to use a room or two at a   library, community center, or church. Wherever you meet, be considerate. Offer to help clean up afterward.  Arrive on time.Start on time. It’s easy to get caught up in socializing for the students and their parents.Leave promptly after the class is over. The  host family may have school to complete or appointments on their calendar.Ask if there is anything you can bring or do to simplify hosting. Set a schedule and guidelines. Small groups can disintegrate quickly if one or two people have to miss the class. Set a schedule at the beginning of the year, taking holidays and any known date conflicts  into consideration. Once all the parents have agreed to the calendar, stick to it. Make arrangements for students who have to miss class to make up the work. If youre completing a DVD course, perhaps students can borrow the DVD set and complete the assignment on their own. For other classes, you may consider making copies of materials or having another student take notes for those who are absent. Be sure to build a few flex days into your calendar for the inevitable disruptions such as inclement weather or times when multiple students are sick or unable to attend class. You will also want to determine how long and how often each class will meet and set start and end dates. For example, will this be a year-long or single semester co-op? Will you meet one hour twice a week or two hours once a week? Determine roles. If the course needs a facilitator or instructor, determine who will fill that role. Sometimes these roles fall into place naturally, but make sure that all the parents involved are okay with the tasks that fall to them so that no one feels unfairly burdened. Choose materials. Decide what materials you’ll need for your co-op.  Will you be using a particular curriculum? If you are piecing together your  own course, make sure everyone knows who is responsible for what. For example, if youre teaching an  art co-op, one parent may already own the curriculum that youll be using, so each student would just need to purchase their own supplies based on a materials list provided by the  instructor.For a DVD course, one parent may already own the DVD set required, and each student would need only to purchase their own workbooks. If you’re buying materials to be shared by the group,  such as a DVD set or a microscope, you  will probably want to split the cost of the purchase. Discuss what you’ll do with the non-consumable materials after the course is over. One family may want to buy out the other family’s share to save something  (such as a microscope) for younger siblings, or you may wish to resell  non-consumables and split the proceeds between the families.   Identify age-ranges. Decide what age students your co-op will include and set guidelines for older and younger siblings. If youre teaching a high school chemistry course, it will be distracting for parents and younger siblings to be chatting in the corner. So decide from the beginning if younger siblings will need to stay at home or if there is another room where they could play under the supervision of a couple of parents. You may also want to consider ability-level rather than age. For example, a wide range of ages could learn a foreign language together depending on what level of reading and writing are involved. However you choose to structure it, a small homeschool co-op with a few families is an excellent means of providing  the accountability and group atmosphere that you may be missing in your homeschool.

Management accounting system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management accounting system - Essay Example A cost management system for Skytop would provide information to make life easier for all involved.Cost accounting system will assign costs (costing) to specific products (meals, room per night, gaming machine round, etc.) and services (cleaning, room service, meal preparation, etc.) and other cost objects as identified by management. This in-turn will satisfy the financial reporting requirements then management decision-making essentials. For example the General Manager gets to know the actual cost of a room to make the pricing decision; the HR Manager is informed of the actual cost of each staff (salary, benefits, etc.) for HR related decisions; the Marketing Manager would be able to find out actual profit (revenue from the campaign minus the actual cost of the campaign) generated by a specific marketing campaign; the respected owners will be informed of the actual cost of keeping a hotel and would be able to make related decisions. Operational control system on the other hand will provide accurate and timely feedback concerning performance; the activities that should be performed and evaluation of those activities (controlling). Furthermore it concentrates on finding scope for improvement and aids in the planning process. In other words helps planning realistic budgets (uses information from cost accounting system as well) and accordingly enables performance control. For instant all managers will be able to compare budgeted costs to actual costs, understand the difference and thereby use the information to find means of improvement e.g. cost cutting, hire new staff, changing the menu policy, etc. The owners too can conduct performance evaluations of the management, measure actual return on investment and assess hotel’s growth in financial and non-financial terms. b) Type of information required For efficient function of the system the management will be required to gather variety of information both fina ncial and non-financial. The sources of this information could be from both internal (within the company) and external sources (external environment for comparison purposes). The internal information from within the company which are financial such as cash flows, labor charges, material costs etc Also non-financial information such as time records (labor hours, meal preparation time), stock levels, quality measures, customer feedback ratings, etc. The external information from the environment would typically include global competition, growth of the hotel industry, advances in information technology, advances in the food preparation, customer orientations, new product development, total quality management, time as a competitive element, and efficiency. Depending on the budgetary control system and the reporting system that is used these information would be required regularly on daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly basis. c) Key cost drivers A cost driver is an activity or factor that originates costs. Activity based costing which is considered to be the most realistic and accurate method of costing requires identification of cost drivers. Thus, ‘Number of rooms’ night’ and ‘number of stays’ is two of the key cost drivers that are widely used in the hotel industry (Pavlatos & Paggios,

Conspicuous consumption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Conspicuous consumption - Research Paper Example Tastes and preferences were the principal determinants for the purchase of lavish goods. Exceptionally luxurious products that maintained good quality where desired more. Income did not have a bearing on the decision to purchase luxurious goods, as many people were not fascinated by the price of goods. The Chinese middle class engage in conspicuous consumption so that they can maintain a high standing in the society. They are more westernized and stylish thus seeking to be more exceptional than the other Chinese. Recently, China has witnessed a steady annual growth rate of 10%. This rise has propelled China to an economic powerhouse in less than three decades. Because of China’s rise, approximately 500 million people were raised above the poverty line (Frith, 2010). The middle class did not only resort to unfeasible high-end lifestyles but also changed from a saving to a spending culture. Conspicuous consumption is more pronounced in China because it has a relatively high number of young millionaires. Chinese millionaires lie at the age of 39 years being younger than their international peers are. These millionaires consume luxury goods in order to maintain their professional relationships and high social ranks (Dorothea, M2011). Chinese people are known for bragging in society through ownership of luxurious commodities. They greatly value success, wealth, and social status through displaying expensive watches, jewelry and cars to gain respect from the commoners. Chinese ‘little emperors’ are also an important factor contributing to conspicuous consumption of luxurious goods in China. These young consumers are a result of the one child policy that was adopted in the 1970’s. Those born during that period are without siblings therefore being the focus of attention of parents (Dorothea, M2011). They were brought up as spoilt children who got what they wanted, when they wanted it. It is for this

Prejudice Definition Essay Example for Free

Prejudice Definition Essay During the process of communication the vast majority of people judge cultural values in their own image and likeness. Their ethnic and cultural values serve as a criterion for judgment. Really, it is slightly confusing but the main reason for watching the foreign programming is to let the viewer ‘feel’ ethnocentrism. Some things or even an overwhelming majority of what you will see in the foreign film of program will feel a bit ‘off’ or even downright ‘wrong’ for an average American. This feeling occurs due to ethnocentrism. The paper examines how such an attitude can have influence on an individual’s behavior and response from another culture, how society wide ethnocentrism can affect relationships and understandings of other societies, and how it can have an adverse impact on business practices for multinational corporations. Japanese version of the foreign film â€Å"Shall We Dance† will be used as an illustration for some aspects of the paper. Ethnocentrism is a psychological reaction, which occurs when a representative of one culture perceives, sees, values and tries to understand other cultures and their behaviors through prism of his own culture. The person considers the elements of his own culture (standards, roles, values, etc) as natural and â€Å"right†, while the elements of other cultures and nations are considered to be unnatural and â€Å"wrong†. The customs and traditions of his own culture are considered to be â€Å"universal† and â€Å"right† as well. The film â€Å"Shall We Dance† by Masayuki Suo tells us the story of Shohei Sugiyama, who falls in love but not in other woman (being married), but in the art of dancing. When we watch the film, we feel the differences between Japanese and American cultures. Japanese culture seems to be very odd, alien and strange, as the world of dance socials and private lessons is considered ‘shameful’ and ‘improper’ for a Japanese person. The film gets insight into Japanese customs and traditions, explaining that in Japan married couples are more reserved in relation to each other and rarely express their emotions in public (e.g. never say ‘I love you’, or hold hands, etc.). The American nation, on contrary, is more emotional and more ‘open’, therefore we feel really odd while watching the movie. The ethnocentrism that occurs in result of watching the foreign programming evidently has an impact on our behavior. Probably, to a certain extent we are unable to understand the behavior of other cultures in a manner different from that one dictated by our own cultural environment. So, how such an attitude can have influence on a person’s behavior and response from another culture and how society wide ethnocentrism can affect relationships and understandings of other societies? As with any social-psychological phenomenon, ethnocentrism cannot be examined as entirely positive or entirely negative. Although ethnocentrism often put obstacles in the way of intergroup (intercultural) communication, it supports positive ethnical identity and keeps the integrity and specificity peculiar to a certain culture. At the same time, ethnocentrism is inevitable part of our live being a logical consequence of socialization and familiarization with another culture and understandings of other societies. The person’s response predominantly occurs in the form of comparison – a peaceful nonidentity. Yet, ethnocentrism can have an adverse impact on business practices for multinational corporations, because it often impedes effective intergroup (interethnic and international) communication (Allport 1954). Interethnic comparison can be expressed in the form of contraposition or setting off (e.g. the people deny intercultural differences; proclaim their culture to be superior; sometimes people perceive cultural differences as something that imposes a threat to their existence and try to withstand them, often resulting in conflicts between different cultures, etc) that, in its turn, implies at least preconception and prejudice in relation to other cultures and has an adverse impact on business practices for multinational corporations. References Allport, G. W. (1954). The Nature of Prejudice. Garden City, NY: Doubleday

Factors for Political Participation

Factors for Political Participation The term political participation has a very broad meaning. It is not only related to Right to Vote but simultaneously relates to participation in: decision making process, political activism, political consciousness. Women in socialist democratic countries have higher proportion of representation in their federal parliament than women in Canada because In Canada there is less population as compare to socialist democratic countries. Moreover, females are least interested in parliament. In democratic Female politicians are more likely to concentrate on problems that matter more to women such as daycare, gender equality, reproductive rights, elderly care and childrens welfare.Women turnout during Indias 2014 parliamentary general elections was 65.63%, compared to 67.09% turnout for men. India ranks 20th from the bottom in terms of representation of women in Parliament. Not only has these women politicians taken an interest in various policy issues. But it also had been shown that they a lso govern differently. In Sweden 45 per cent seats are occupied by women in parliament. So far as the administration is concerned, there are only 592 women IAS officers out of 4,671 officers(Puja mondal). The demand for special concessions and privileges along with the reservation of posts and other civic institutions are a few steps towards women empowerment in India Assemblies and parliament. Lyn Kathleen shows that American female politician have very different leadership styles from men. In her study Not only do women politicians take an interest in different policy issues, but it has also been shown that they also govern differently. Since the modern notion of human rights originated in a western women in Islamic countries in particular, find themselves in a quandary when they initiate, or participate in, a discussion on human rights whether in the west or in Muslim societies. Indian women have a distinction to become UNO Secretary (Vijay laxmi Pandit), Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi), Chief Minister (Sucheta Kriplani, Jayalalitha, Uma Bharati, Mayawati and Vasundhara Raje) and even President (Pratibha Patil). Furthermore, the limited empowerment that we have seen has been nurtured within the socio-economic-political empowerment process of people, including women, through the Panchayat system (Bagchi 2002) Structural: Structural barriers include the level of socio-economic development in a society and the percentage of women in professional and managerial activities. There is a direct link between the social and economic status of women in society and their participation in political institutions and elected bodies. Socio-economic obstacles include poverty and unemployment, lack of adequate financial resources, illiteracy and limited access to education, choice of professions and the dual burden of family and a full-time job. Women take on a disproportionate share of household tasks which makes a political career almost impossible. Moreover, household tasks, taking care of the children and elderly are not always considered as actual work. Institutional structures: Because of their multi-level hierarchy and complex decision-making help to preserve barriers in such a way that proposals regarding any aspects of gender equality often do not reach the top decision-making level. In Slovakia, the electoral system is based on proportional representation on candidates lists, which means that women have (theoretically) a better chance to be elected. The position of women on the candidates lists is then crucial for their eligibility: the higher a woman is seeded on the list, the bigger chance she has to be elected. In the 2002 elections, the share of female candidates seeded in the top half of candidates lists was 20.9% and the share in the top quarter was 17.9 %.( Alexandra 2002). Many women and men do not think that introducing quotas is a good idea. Men argue that it would be humiliating for women to introduce a quota system because our clever women can succeed themselves, and it would be against the basic human rights and equality of all. Women are skeptical mainly because of the experience with quotas from the socialist past, and because they believe that the society is not yet prepared to accept quotas. Education: Education is the best way to understand the inequality. With the help of education they have better job opportunity and serve better their community. Because women have less access to education than men, their professional advancement and chance to enter institutions involved in corporate politics at an operative level are reduced. Some societies and parents see their role in giving a full quality education to women as a privilege that can be withdrawn. The impact of illiteracy on the exercising of ones political rights has been the main method to reduce it. Women do not enter nontraditional occupations; instead women enter nurturing or tertiary occupations which inhibit political life and the growth of self confidence. There is a mindset on the part of many men and women that a role in politics is unsuitable for a woman. Poverty: Poverty is also one of the major hindrances for women to be involved in politics, namely, the disproportionate effect of poverty on women. Because of womens care giving responsibilities they often work part-time, which has a lifelong effect on womens income and women who do work full-time still earn less than men Whereas men who enter into politics tend to come from law and business and earning better. In addition, many women are discouraged by a lack of resources to finance their electoral campaign or undertake serious initiatives. Often poverty also prevents women from taking the time for political involvement. Christy Clark BC MLA(2001) asked by several Journalists to explain how she could do her job properly as provincial minister of education while simultaneously raising a new born child Type of democracy is also important. References: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com https://www.equalvoice.ca Bashevkin, Sylvia (2009), Introduction, in Bashevkin, Sylvia, Women, Power, Politics: The Hidden Story of Canadas Unfinished Democracy, Oxford University Press, p. 15, Bagchi, A.K.(2000), sangskriti, samaj,o Arthanity (in Bengali: culture, society, and economics), Calcutta. United Nations Childrens Fund, The State of the Worlds Children 2004: Girls education and development, UNICEF, New York, 2003.

Bias in Epidemiological Research

Epidemiology is the study of the factors associated with different types of diseases for example, how often does the disease occur, how is the disease transmitted, ways in which the disease can be prevented. There are two main types of epidemiology: descriptive epidemiology and analytical epidemiology. Descriptive epidemiology is concerned with the frequency and distribution of risk factors in a population and it makes it possible for one to assess the way the disease has spread. Analytical epidemiology aims to study the causes and risks involved with the disease and the preventive measures.This is according to Pinchinat, S, & Ponton Sanchez (2006) Observation epidemiological studies In this case the epidemiologist does not carry out any actual experiment or in other words does not take part in any active role in the research. The epidemiologist simply makes observations on what is happening based on an already existing situation without administering any treatments for example if on e wanted to compare the exposure of PCBs exposure to occurrence of cancer over a 20 year period, he would not be required to give any form of treatment only to observe the available case available according to epidemiology home page.Experimental epidemiological studies In contrast to observational studies here the epidemiologist will be required to do the actual experiments or play an active role by administering the treatment to subjects and then observing the effects of the treatment. For example an epidemiologist can perform a clinical trial of a new drug on willing subjects and then observe the changes in subjects based on epidemiology home page. There are different types of biases associated with epidemiological research.According to Eric’s Notebook, bias arises when an estimated value deviates from the original or true value. The case studies given in the assignment are going to provide a basis for the discussion of various types of biases and the effects of the biases on the measures of association. Based on CES-Research-bias & confounding, different types of biases will be discussed. Case 1 This case might show both selection and measurement biases.Selection because the epidemiologist might select the children non-randomly in which case the results could be overestimated or underestimated in that if he over picked children who are not exposed to the chemical then his or her result will be underestimated and vice versa. The results will show a bias in measurement if the epidemiologist measures the outcome inaccurately in which case the results will either be over or underestimated. Case 2 This case could show measurement and analytical biases. Analytical bias is evidenced when patients give false information for example about having less sexual partners.This would lead to over or underestimation of the results. Measurement bias would occur if the epidemiologist collected the wrong data from the studies. This also would lead to over or underestima tion of the results. Case 3 This case will show two kinds of biases; measurement bias because the epidemiologist may collect inaccurate data and analytical bias because of not following up the outcome. All this would lead to either under or overestimation of data. Case 4 Measurement and analytical biases could occur in this case.Incase of analytical bias the results could remain unchanged or underestimated and in case of measurement bias it could either be under or overestimated. Word count: 551 References Aschengran, A, & Seage, G. R, (2008). Essentials of epidemiology in public health, (2nd Ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. CEM-Research- Bias & confounding is a site that provides essential information on research bias on epidemiology. file:///c:/biasconfound. html Checkoway, H, Pearce, N, Kriebel, D. (2004) Research methods in occupational epidemiology.Epidemiology Home Page is a website that gives an introduction to epidemiology File:///c:/epi1. html. Ibrahim, A. M. (2001) Eric Notebook: Selection Bias. Department of veterans’ affairs, epidemiologic research, and information center at Durham, NC. http://eric. unc. edu/notebooks/issue8/eric_notebook_8. pdf Pinchinat, S, & Ponton-Sanchez, A, (2006): Analytic and descriptive epidemiology. Biostatem SARL. File:///c:/epidemiology. htm Study Types in Epidemiology http://www. nwcphp. org/training/courses-exercise/courses/study-types-in-epi

Changing Your Social Class Essay

Social stratification is a ladder of positions with respect to economic construction which influences the social rewards to those in the positions (â€Å"Questions on Social Stratification†). With that, a person may belong to a specific class while being part of the whole society. Social class means the existence of sharing among the people of similar status with respect to wealth, power and prestige. For a layman’s understanding, social class refers to being rich or poor as regarded by the society. A concrete example of this is a situation wherein a person’s social class has changed overnight, where he suddenly becomes homeless. That situation happens to me, and I could say that at that particular moment, my life has changed drastically and dramatically. The privileges that I experienced when I am still rich were lost when I become suddenly homeless. In addition, my opportunities in life also changed when I become poor. While I am still in a higher social class, I do not need to work hard just to earn a living. At that time, I can hire people to work for me and help me to improve my life’s station. But when I become homeless, everything was altered such that I cannot even afford to pay all my basic commodities like food, shelter and clothing. For me, there is always shortage of food when I am already in the lower social class. My family is suffering so much since we need to share a little amount of food everyday. All we can do is to think of those times that we enjoy eating all the food that we want. Since I become homeless, seeking for a good shelter is a problem. I realized that living in the streets is possible. I learned to look for places where squatters stayed. Aside from that, my clothing materials are not enough to keep me warm all day. I need to ask help from those who have enough clothes and request for old but clean and usable clothing materials. With all these hardships that I encountered, people view me as living in extreme poverty. Moreover, the opportunity to work is limited since those people who knew me before no longer consider me as a friend. Yet, I tried hard to find a job just to earn a living. Although people view me recently as poor, I need to work hard and show to them that I am worthy for a decent living. I will work hard for me to rent a house for my family. While it is true that housing costs pose the biggest obstacle for low-wage workers, I also believe that there are realistic solutions to the lack of affordable housing. The government is the only hope for the poor people to help them have their own homes. What the government should do is to facilitate a housing project that offers an affordable housing loan to low-wage workers. The government may also provide homes for the homeless in such a way that presence of perennial squatters will be lessened.   In that way, those who are living in poverty will have the chance to work hard and pay for a simple yet decent home. As a worker, having a work system that does not offer benefits like overtime pay, retirement funds, and health insurance is not fair. The workers should be given good working conditions as they are considered the strength and backbone of the economy. Besides, the request for an increase of salary for workers is not the solution for lack of benefits. Both provision of benefits and increase of salary for workers is necessary things that a worker must have in the society. It is but fair for workers to receive compensation that could improve his station in life and escape from extreme poverty. Therefore, an increase of salary for workers could not redress the lack of benefits for them such that it is completely a separate problem. References Sociology Guide. (2006). Questions on Social Stratification. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from http://www.sociologyguide.com/questions/social-stratification.php.

Identification of the Callery or Bradford Pear

Identification of the Callery or Bradford Pear Bradford is the original introduction of Callery pear and has an inferior branching habit when compared to other flowering pear cultivars. It has many vertical limbs with embedded or included bark packed closely on the trunk. The crown is dense and the branches long and not tapered, making it susceptible to breakage. However, it does put on a gorgeous, early spring display of pure white blossoms. Fall color is incredible, ranging from red and orange to dark maroon. Basic Information Scientific name: Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’Pronunciation: PIE-rus kal-ler-ee-AY-nuhCommon name: ‘Bradford’ Callery PearFamily: RosaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 5 through 9AOrigin: not native to North AmericaUses: container or above-ground planter; parking lot islands; tree lawns; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; screen; shade tree Native Range The Callery pear was introduced into the United States from China in 1908 as an alternative to native pears that were subject to severe fire blight. These pears tended to be blight resistant and would grow in nearly every state with the exception of those on the northern and southern fringes of North America. This tree has become invasive over portions of the area of introduction. Physical Description Height: 30 to 40 feetSpread: 30 to 40 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, most individuals having identical crown formsCrown shape: egg-shaped; oval; roundCrown density: denseGrowth rate: fast Flower and Fruit Flower color: whiteFlower characteristics: spring flowering; very showyFruit shape: roundFruit length: .5 inchFruit covering: dry or hardFruit color: brown; tanFruit characteristics: attracts birds; attracts squirrels and other mammals; inconspicuous and not showy; no significant litter problem; persistent on the tree Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact; stems can droop as the tree grows and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; routinely grown with  or trainable to be grown with multiple trunks; not particularly showy out of season; no thorns.Pruning requirement: requires pruning to develop a strong structure Other Callery Pear Cultivars Aristocrat Callery PearChanticleer Callery Pear In the Landscape The major problem with the ‘Bradford’ Callery pear has been too many upright branches growing too closely together on the trunk. This leads to excessive breakage. Use the recommended cultivars above for better landscape management. Pruning Bradford Pear Prune the trees early in their life to space lateral branches along a central trunk. This is not easy and a skilled pruning crew is needed to build a stronger tree. Even following pruning by a skilled crew, trees often look misshappen with most of the lower foliage removed and the lower portions of the multiple trunks showing. This tree probably was not meant to be pruned, but without pruning has a short life. In Depth Callery pear trees are shallow-rooted and will tolerate most soil types including clay and alkaline, are pest and pollution-resistant, and tolerate soil compaction, drought, and wet soil well. ‘Bradford’ is the most fireblight-resistant cultivar of the Callery pears. Unfortunately, as ‘Bradford’ and some of the other cultivars approach 20 years old, they begin to fall apart in ice and snow storms due to inferior, tight branch structure. But they are certainly beautiful and grow extremely well in urban soil until then and probably will continue to be planted because of their urban toughness. As you plan downtown street tree plantings, remember that in downtown sites many other trees succumb before this one due to a variety of reasons, but the Callery pears seem to hang on pretty well despite the problems with branch attachments and multiple trunks.

International Business Environment The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia

International Business Environment The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia The recommendation by the IMF for Guidia to embrace deeper globalization aims at increasing the economic opportunities of the country. The IMF believes that Guidia will have an increased volume of trade, more foreign direct investment, and greater transfer of knowledge if it pursues deeper globalization.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business Environment: The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The basis of this recommendation is the view held by development economists from the IMF based on the belief that globalization can improve the economic fortunes of any country. Research into this subject does not support a universal positive outcome for countries that embrace globalization. This paper reviews the specific economic circumstances of Guidia in order to determine whether it will benefit or lose from deeper globalization. What is Globalization? Th e term globalization normally refers to the sum total of several forces that are shaping the relationships of nations across the world. It includes political issues, social and economic relationships, and cultural interaction among the peoples of the world. There is no consensus on when globalization started. Some scholars pin the origin of globalization to the departure of Columbus to the Americas, while others prefer to associate it with the colonial era during the industrial revolution. Others prefer to look at it as the technology driven changes of the latter half of the twentieth century. For purposes of this report, globalization refers to the current forces shaping global relationships. The recommendation of the IMF to Guidia to pursue deeper globalization assumes this meaning. In this sense, this report will investigate the actual circumstances of Guidia in relation to its political, social, cultural, and economic realities through a PESTLE analysis. While the IMF offered it s recommendation to Guidia to improve the performance of the economy of the country, deeper globalization will precipitate several other changes.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the political scene, globalization creates a greater desire for political space by the citizens of any country. Depending on the political system in use in the country, globalization can lead to either political instability or political maturity. If the government does not want to become more accountable to its citizens, then globalization can precipitate political instability. Economically, deeper globalization can create opportunities for profit by meeting the demands of the international market. The IMF foresees this situation for Guidia. Becoming a player in the international market will ensure that Guidia harnesses its competitive advantages as a country on order to enjoy the benef its of international trade. However, deeper globalization can also lead to deeper exposure of the country to shocks. Events in far off countries that trade with Guidia will have an effect on local economic conditions. On the social front, globalization tends to increase the expectations of citizens from their governments when they see how people in other countries live. Globalization exposes citizens to new ideas and different viewpoints that at times contradict local customs. For instance, many African and Asian countries are reluctant to accept same sex unions as an alternative to heterosexual unions. In the West, same sex unions find wider acceptance. Globalization means that the ideals of a country will experience challenges associated with the ideals of other countries. Technologically, deeper globalization calls for the introduction of new technologies that support globalization. The most significant technological investment needed for deeper globalization is the internet. It also means that the country will need the human resource to handle the technologies it adopts to support deeper globalization. Increasingly, a free press is becoming an important aspect of globalization. In a globalised economy, it is impossible to control news because people have a multiplicity of new sources.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Business Environment: The Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Environmental issues are also an important part of the global economy. The main issue underlying global discussions on the environment is global warming and the fight to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Industrializing countries such as India and China are opposed to emission reduction because they feel that it is unfair to ask them to control their emissions at this point in their development. They feel that no one asked the West to do the sam e thing when they were industrializing. Finally, on the legal landscape, international law is becoming more important. The free movement of labor means that every country needs to subscribe to an internationally acceptable code to guide international trade and international relations. The issue of jurisdiction in cyber crime is a very sensitive topic in online commerce. For instance, what happens when someone located in a foreign country hacks into local systems? Is there a way to prosecute them for cross boarder crimes? The issues above underlie this analysis. They will form the bedrock for the analysis of the benefits and risks Guidia will experience by taking IMFs advice to pursue deeper globalization. A Review of Guidia’s Socio-Economic Profile: A SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is the best tool for carrying out a socioeconomic analysis of the condition in Guidia. Guidia has a relatively high-income per capita standing at four thousand dollars. This means that with a popula tion of sixty million, the country has a strong local market. The fact that sixty-five percent of the population is in urban areas means that it will be easy for the country to embrace deeper globalization. Urban communities tend to have better exposure to international issues. A high urban population is a critical sign of the ability of a country to pursue deep globalization. The country also has raw materials, which it currently exports.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The presence of raw materials is an indication that the country can establish local industries through foreign direct investment (FDI) in order carry out value addition for products before export. Finally, the country’s trade in natural gas and the recent establishment of export processing zones are sources of learning for the country that can enable it to pursue deeper globalization. The main weaknesses of the country include the potential problems associated with middle and low-income countries that have high population densities. The information provided does not substantiate the population growth rate or the demographic ratios. Therefore, the classification as a weakness comes from the perception that the country has a high population. High population can hinder the growth of a country because of competition for resources. Secondly, the country will suffer because of little industrial development. The fact that the country exports natural resources shows that the industri es in the country are underdeveloped. The opportunity cost of being a net exporter of raw materials high. It is always better to sell value-added products. Thirdly, the country has limited experience in international trade. So far, the only exports the country makes are natural gas and products made in the newly created export-processing zone. The two opportunities the country has in the context of deeper globalization the availability of affordable labor and the availability of raw materials. The population of the country is an asset. The citizens can provide labor for business process outsourcing. As a middle-income country, it can compete favorably for outsourcing contracts with companies from high-income economies. Apart from this, its population is already high enough to provide a market for products from both local and international companies. Secondly, the presence of raw materials makes the country an ideal investment destination for international investors. The country can attract foreign direct investment from investors who can utilize the raw materials in the country to produce products for sale in the international markets. The threats facing Guidia include the potential for exploitation by international investors, and lack of capacity to deal with the consequences of deeper globalization. Experienced international investors can bind the country in unreasonable contracts. Due to its lack of experience in international trade, Guidia can fall for one-sided contracts. Elements of one-sided agreements include unreasonably long tax holidays, long land leases, and unfair profit repatriations. Secondly, the country is vulnerable to the disruptive effects of deeper globalization. People in the country will demand changes in the political and social environment to match the experience of other countries. Such changes can cause political and social instability. If Guidia’s political leadership is not accountable, then deeper globalization may lead to political unrest in the country. Benefits of Deeper Globalization Based on the SWOT analysis of the socioeconomic environment of Guidia, and the examination of its environment, the country can enjoy some benefits by pursuing deeper globalization. First, the country can gain from deeper globalization by making use of its competitive advantages. The SWOT analysis revealed that the country has natural resources, and a high population. In addition, its classification as a middle-income country suggests that labor costs are more competitive in Guidia than in high-income countries. These are potential sources of competitive advantage for the country as it determines the best policies to pursue in its globalization efforts. According to Faulkner and Segan-Horn (2004) when a country concentrates on using its competitive advantages in international trade, it receives better returns. In turn, the country can access products from other countries, which are more expensive to produce locally. In this sense, Guidia can enjoy better quality of goods and services by increasing its returns from international trade. It can then use those returns to access high quality goods and services bought at lower cost from competitive producers. If Guidia chooses to pursue a globalization policy based on the Washington consensus promoted by the IMF, then it means that the country will need to focus on institutional changes as the primary means of economic development. Institution-driven changes usually mean that the country’s development programs will move from personality driven to issue driven policies. As such, decision-making will move from a centralized model to a more institutional approach. Foreign investors usually feel more confident in institution-driven systems rather than personality driven systems. The benefit that Guidia will experience from such a shift is that it will have a more predictable environment. Therefore, no radical changes take place when new people ascen d to the helm of the institutions. The second model that Guidia can follow is pursing growth spurred by foreign aid. This model will involve finding countries and international lending organizations that can forward development aid to Guidia. The basis for this approach is an economy grows through various thresholds. Each of these levels corresponds to certain operating characteristics of the economy. In order to grow from one level to another, the country needs a certain amount of capital injection in order to arrive at the next threshold. International aid is an example of the capital injection needed to spur the growth of an economy. An example of a region that benefited from international aid at some point in its history is Europe after the Second World War. However, the structure of the aid is very important. Some countries in the developing world have found themselves in a perpetual poverty cycle caused by aid. When international debt equals or exceeds GDP, the debt becomes un sustainable. Apart from the debt cycle, international aid may come with conditions. These conditions may not reflect the priorities of Guidia. For instance, the IMF and the World Bank promote democratic ideals and free market policies in their aid programs. If Guidia does not believe in these ideals, then it must take care as it accepts the conditions imposed on it. Change is very disruptive. Guidia must take such aid with caution if it decides to use this model to pursue globalization. Risks of Deeper Globalization The global financial crisis of 2009 illustrates the interdependence between global economies. The crisis arose from events in the financial markets and the real estate sector in America. Property prices plunged as many people saw their investment in real estate disappear. Financial institutions suffered most because most of their assets were in the real estate sector. When more and more people defaulted on their mortgage payments, financial institutions could not remain afloat. These events affected the entire global economy. The countries that had the most globalised systems suffered most from the global crises. This illustrates the exposure Guidia will have if it pursues deeper globalization. Globalized economies are at a high risk of exposure to events taking place in other countries. Another risk that Guidia will need to address if it takes on deeper globalization is that it will have to deal with the disruptive impacts of globalization. As a country, Guidia has a set of national values, culture, and a generally unified worldview. These elements of the Guidia society will come under scrutiny from outsiders, and its citizens will ask questions. The Arab Spring is a good illustration of the disruptive nature of globalization. The citizens of the countries that faced the wave of popular dissent found their voice based on information gleaned online. The actual coordination of the protest meetings took place via social media platforms. The demonstra tions received support from people across the entire world. In response to these disruptions, some countries developed controls over the internet to reduce the risk of popular revolt coordinated through the internet. China, for instance does not allow unhindered access to the open web by its citizens. Some commentators refer to the Chinese control over the internet as the great firewall. This is means of controlling the disruptive effects of globalization. There is debate whether such efforts will remain in place over the long term. The point here is that deeper globalization will have an impact on Guidia. These impacts will be more severe if the country does not embrace democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. As soon as the citizens of the country learn about the extent of freedom citizens in other parts of the world enjoy, they will revolt. The success of deeper globalization in Guidia also depends on the financial system of the country. Deeper globalization will f orce Guidia to conform to international norms of trade. Part of these norms includes market driven currency exchange rates. This means that the strength of the national currency of Guidia will depend on the demand and supply of the currency. In addition, Guidia will have to develop a tariff system that is in conformity with rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Failure to conform to these rules will lead to the isolation of Guidia from international markets. In addition to these issues, Guidia will stand a better chance of benefiting from international trade if its financial policies conform to the national culture and business practices. While the World Bank and the IMF previously argued in favor of free market economies, the experiences of many countries show that it is better to develop a national policy in line with the governance systems rather than adopt foreign systems. The Asian financial crisis affected countries with liberal financial policies proposed by the Washin gton Consensus. However, China, which still controls many aspects of its economy, did not suffer a lot from the crisis. The lesson here is that opening the markets to the forces of globalization without appropriate checks and balances can result in economic problems for the country. Conclusion Guidia can benefit from deeper globalization based on the following conditions. First, Guidia must develop policies that affirm its aspirations and its economic objectives, and not the will of external parties. Secondly, the country will benefit from deeper globalization if it can align its political system to conform to the international norms of governance. This means that the country will benefit more from globalization of it upholds open and accountable governance. Thirdly, there will be a greater reward for the country from globalization if the country uses a capitalist model in its economic planning. The model must take into account the country’s culture and traditions, and the ex pectations from players in the global markets. Finally, Guidia will benefit from deeper globalization if it can identify and use its competitive advantages as a country as it positions itself as a global player. The competitive advantages should encompass aspects such as national branding, strategic planning, and any peculiar elements of the population such as availability of skills. On the other hand, Guidia will face a number of risks associated with deeper globalization. These risks include the disruptive effects of forces of globalization, risk of increased national debt, and the risk of internal economic instability caused by institutional changes demanded by international financiers. Reference List Bond, P 2008, Global Uneven Development, Primitive Accumulation, and Political Economic Conflict in Africa: The Return of the Theory of Imperialism, Journal of Peace Building and Development, vol 4, no. 1, pp. 1-14. Dodgson, M Gann, D 2010, Innovation: A Very Short Introduction, Ox ford University Press, Oxford. Dunning, JH 2001, The Eclectic (OLI) Paradigm of International Production: Past, Present and Future, International Journal of the Economicsof Business, vol 8, no. 2, pp. 173-190. Dunning, JH 2008, Location and the Multinational Enterprise: John Dunning’s Thoughts on Receiving the Journal of International Business Studies 2008 Decade Award, Journal of International Business Studies, vol 40, pp. 20-24. Faulkner, D Segan-Horn, S 2004, The Economics of International Comparative Advantage in the Modern World, European Business Journal, pp. 20-31. Goldman, G Nieuwenhuizen, C 2006, Strategy: Sustaining Competitive Advantage in a Globalised Context, Juta and Co Ltd, Cape Town. Gordon, RJ 2012, Is U.S. Economic Growth Over? Faltering Innovation Confronts the Six Headwinds NBER, vol 18315, pp. 1-23. Guttal, S 2007, Globalisation, Development in Practice, vol 17, no. 4-5, pp. 523-531. Holmes, D 2005, Communication Theory: Media, Technology, and Society, SAGE, London, UK. Meon, P-G Sekkat, K 2012, FDI Waves, Waves of Neglect of Political Risk, World Development, vol 40, no. 11, pp. 2194-2294. Meredeth, JR Mantel, SJ 2011, Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th edn, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Porter, ME 1980, Competitive Advantage: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY. Rodrick, D 2006, Goodbye Washington Consensus, Hello Washington Confusion? A Review of the World Bank’s Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform, Journal of Economic Literature, vol XLIV, pp. 973-987. UNWTO 2011, Tourism and Climate Change, United Nations World Tourism Organization, Geneva. Wade, R 2009, Is the Globalization Consensus Dead?, Antipode, vol 41, no. 1, pp. 142-165. Walker, DM, Walker, TD Schmitz, JT 2003, Doing Business Internationally: The Guide to Cross-Cultural Success, McGraw-Hill Professional, New York, NY. Wolf, M 2003, The Morality of the Market, Foreign Policy, pp. 47-50. Zatzman, G Islam, R 2007, Economics of Intangibles, Nova Publishers, New York, NY.

Drunk Drivers should be imprisoned on the first offence Research Paper

Drunk Drivers should be imprisoned on the first offence - Research Paper Example Many people’s lives are put to risk by this annoying habit. Drunk driving began long before the invention of automobiles. As soon as a man climbed onto the back of a transport animal and began riding, there were drunken donkey, camel, elephant and horse riding. In almost all cultures backdating to thousands of years ago, there has been awareness that drunkenness is undesirable. Moderation has always been advised since wiping out alcohol is impossible. The fact that alcohol is continually referenced through history as a bad thing proves that there have always been abusers of alcohol. These abusers have either caused harm to themselves or society at large. Almost all of us have had an experience with a drunk driver weaving in between lanes or driving on the opposite side of the road. Worse still, we have witnessed fatal accidents caused by these drunk drivers (Klein A10). No form of irresponsibility by anyone justifies such loss of lives. This ill vice has to come to an end! The government has tried to curb the menace by introducing road sobriety tests and other measures but the habit is still not dying down. Certain ages are prone to drink more than others men are responsible for 81% of drinking and driving incidences. Young men between 21 to 34 years of age contribute 11% of the incidences and 85% by people drinking above the required amounts. This is according to Centre for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). The problem is so grave that it has attracted anti-drunk driving activism. Opposition to drunk driving is as old as the automobile. One of the activists, Doris Aiken who got involved in anti-drunk driving activism in 1978 says the tragedy that inspired her involved two teenagers who she barely knew. This led her to establish an organisation called Remove Intoxicated Drivers (Baron 1, 4). An unfortunate incident is of a young girl who got an accident after a 17-year-old male

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Human resource management - Essay Example ON-THE-JOB TRAINING: It takes place in a normal work environment using the actual projects, documents, tools and the work place as the training location. In this type the trainee is assigned to a supervisor or a senior employee and he/she observes their training in more like a one to one situation. The purpose of on-the-job training is a better work performance; the trainer can not only focus on his/her input in training, in fact the trainings must have its desired impacts. Although there are no specific ways applied in training because different situations, different assignments call for different methods but the many different types of on the job training are (Rapid Training Development 2010): JOB ROTATION: Job rotation is one of the commonly used methods in on-the-job trainings, this method involves the trainee to move from one job or assignment to another in order to gain experience. In this method the trainees are placed under each and every type of job from clerical job to assistant, cashier, manager for them to learn the importance and the manner to handle every job. COACHING: in this method the trainee is placed under the watchful eyes of a supervisor who acts as a coach and supervises him/her through different assignments. They offer their feedbacks regarding the trainees work and performance make suggestions and help them make improvements in their work quality. But there is only one limitation for the trainee that he/she cannot express their ideas so openly. JOB INSTRUCTION: this method is also known as â€Å"step-by-step training†, in which the trainer explains the different ways of doing jobs. He also gives him/her job knowledge, teaches them the method of doing it and allows him to do the job on their own but under their supervision. After the job is job the trainer appraises, provides feedback, and corrects the mistakes that are made. The