Global Warming and Earth - 925 Words

Earth is home of human survival, for our homeland climate change concerns, is everyones wise performance. The United Nations has been commissioned by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( commissioned by IPCC, because it is a loose organization to hire many well-known scientists in the world consisting of ) the world has done a comprehensive assessment of climate change . IPCC concluded that: most likely human behavior leads to global warming. Specific details are to a lot of human use of fossil fuels, so that an increase in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the greenhouse effect is the main cause of rapid global warming. This is the current mainstream climate change theory - the greenhouse effect, said. Greenhouse effect, said after being asked, many people have been objected that it is highly inaccurate. In particular, the IPCC conclusions as to guide our human behavior norms, for such a doctrine is intensifying dispute. May 7, 2010 the American magazine Science has published 255 U.S. Academy of Sciences on Climate Change and scientific impartiality, the open letter. The letter fully expressed: 255 American Academy for the greenhouse effect theory put forward, which has a serious, serious impartiality, greenhouse effect theory also has scientific integrity. However, a serious, also have extremely credible scientific theory, is not necessarily a true picture of the academic nature of objective facts. For Crowe DIS  · Ptolemys Show MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Global Warming On Earth1577 Words   |  7 PagesTo sustain life on earth, the earth temperature must be maintain at a very delicate figure. But what if the unthinkable happens? What if the earth’s temperature was to increase by a just mere half a degree, maybe a full or even two or three, the effects could be devastating to the environment, to me and to you. Unfortunately we may have the opportunity to see the effects of the earth temperature rising a few degrees in this lifetime. According to scientist, for hundreds of thousands of years, a phenomenonRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects On The Earth927 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal-Warming Mother Earth is burning as we speak; humanity has killed our precious Earth. Global-warming is a vicious killer that was created by the humans on this Earth, and there s no way to cure it. We,as humans, have the power to cleanse the Earth, but instead we destroy it. Heat is absorded by carbon dixide and greenhouse gases. A greenhouse gas absorb thermal radiation emmited by the Earth s surface. As the sun s energy reaches the Earth’s surface some of it goes back out into spaceRead MoreThe Impact Of Global Warming On The Earth900 Words   |  4 PagesImpact of Global Warming Purpose Statement: To inform my audience about how global warming is impacting the earth. Central Idea: Data shows that all throughout history, the temperature of our planet has changed over and over again for natural reasons. Holli Riebeek, education and outreach specialist at NASA, stated that these changes are due to small shifts in the Earth’s orbit and the Sun’s energy levels varying throughout time. Today, unfortunately, with the average temperature of the earth risingRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On The Earth901 Words   |  4 Pages What is Global Warming? Countless feel as if it is a natural phenomenon that the Earth cycles through. They are terribly mistaken. It is the effect of greenhouse gasses that are emitted by the machines we use today. These gasses are becoming trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature to rise. The effects of global warming are all around us and are becoming more prominent. There are already efforts in place to stop it and programs to â€Å"go green†. This climate change is a serious threatRead MoreThe Effects of Global Warming on the Earth990 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal Warming Earth’s temperature is a vital aspect to Earth and its surroundings. The atmospheric temperature along with natural gases is the significant reasons why Earth inhabits all of its life. When there are changes that alter the natural affects of Earth’s environment there are factors that places the environment at risk. Increase warming of global temperatures account as a major concern of Earth’s surroundings. Global warming is a prominent source to consider how and why the environmentRead MoreGlobal Warming And The Planet Earth1341 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming and the Planet Earth: We Broke It and We Can Help Fix It! Global warming is a problem, caused in large part by human activity, and as it stands, poses a monumental threat to the planet and all of its occupants; while mega polluters do not have an incentive to stop greenhouse gas production, we can, as individuals work towards the solution, greenhouse gas reduction, by improving our awareness and implementing the day to day measures necessary in achieving this goal. The purpose ofRead MoreGlobal Warming And The Planet Earth1588 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal Warming and the Planet Earth: We Broke It, Let’s Help Fix It! Global warming, often confused with the term â€Å"climate change,† is a problem of worldly proportions that knows no limits, caused in large part by human activity. If it continues unchecked, its effects will be felt around the planet, from human society, to the environment, to the world economy. The purpose of this research paper is to understand the topic of global warming, you will hear from scientists and experts in the fieldRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Earth1612 Words   |  7 PagesName: Course: Title: Global Warming Introduction For over a hundred years, humans have understood the possibility of atmospheric warming due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. As early as 1896, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius predicted that a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide would raise average global temperatures by 4.95 degrees C (9.0 degrees Fahrenheit) (Valente, 1995). The greenhouse effect, a natural phenomenon that has allowed the development of life on earth, is thought by manyRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On The Earth992 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Earth. Global warming is a problem that some people choose to ignore. They claim it doesn’t exist. Global warming is real. It is time for people to stop ignoring it and start finding a solution. What is global warming? Global warming is the result of certain gases building up in the atmosphere that block heat from escaping. These gases are causing a temperature rise in the Earth’s atmosphere and causing climate change. The rise in the Earth’s temperature has had many effects on the Earth itselfRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On The Earth901 Words   |  4 PagesInconvenient â€Å"by Al Gore. In this video Gore is explaining about how the earth has became hotter than it ever has before. The ten hottest years we have ever had have been in the last fourteen years. According to the video the hottest year was in 2005. From Gore’s viewpoint we as the people are causing global warming by ourselves. Because we are the ones that are causing global warming it is having some major effects on the earth. You have Mt. Kilimanjaro, which over the years has had a lot of snow on

John Wilson - 967 Words

English Review Simile: a phrase that uses the words like or as to describe someone or something by comparing it with someone or something else that is similar. Example: â€Å"She s as fierce as a tiger† is a simile, but â€Å"She s a tiger when she s angry† is a metaphor. Metaphor: a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar. Theme: A topic of discourse or discussion. Example: Italy, dark mansion, etc. Irony: The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning. A literary style employing such contrasts for humorous or†¦show more content†¦Olfactory imagery pertains to an odor. Gustatory imagery pertains to a taste. Tactile imagery pertains to a texture or sensation of touch. Kinaesthetic imagery pertains to movement, or an action. Organic imagery pertains to feelings of the body, including hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Narrative Poetry: Tells a story Lyric poetry: Emotional, reflective, descriptive, and subjective. Point of View: Who is telling the story? 1st person....I saw the car....I did. 2nd person.....he/she/it....most novels. 3rd person: Omniscient-know feelings of the character...god like narrator...italic parts of the novel. Prologue: is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that tie into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance, more like the meaning of preface. In a book, the prologue is a part of the front matter which is in the on the facts related in the prologue. The importance, therefore, of the prologue in Greek drama was very great; it sometimes almost took the place of a romance, to which, or to an episode in which, the play itself succeeded. Epilogue: is a final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters. Some epilogues may feature scenes only tangentially related to the subject of the story. They can be used to hint at a sequel or wrap up allShow MoreRelatedJohn Wilson And Thomas Church1749 Words   |  7 Pagesthat I encountered, my strongest connections were near the beginning of the semester. It is difficult to pick one favorite, because of commonality across the voices of Thomas Long, Paul Wilson, and Frank Thomas. In varying combinations, they share certain beliefs about both the form and function of sermons. Wilson and Thomas both structure their sermons around parallel points: trouble in the Bible, trouble in our time, grace in the Bible, and grace in our time. Long and Thomas share the beliefRead MoreSimilarities and Differences Between Polly and Jessie Wilson in The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson791 Words   |  3 PagesPolly and Jessie Wilson both have man y similarities and differences in the book The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson. First, both of these characters stay dedicated to John Wilson throughout the entire story, trusting he is always doing the right thing. Second, neither Polly nor Jessie suspect John is doing anything wrong. Third, Polly and Jessie are both married at a young age, which doesn’t give them time to experience life before dedicating themselves to this man. Fourth, both believe every wordRead MoreThe Accomplishments of Bertha Wilson1005 Words   |  4 PagesBertha Wilson was a remarkable woman who changed the face of the Supreme Court of Canada forever. She was the first woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the first female partner in a major law firm. Even though she wasn’t a Chief Justice, it was a huge accomplishment for a woman to be a Puisne Justice. Bertha Wilson was chosen for my Heritage Fair topic because Bertha worked hard even when she knew that no woman had been where she had been before. ThisRead MoreEssay Woodrow Wilson and The Treaty of Versailles815 Words   |  4 PagesWoodrow Wilson and The Treaty of Versailles Woodrow Wilson, Premier Clemenceau, Prime Minister Lloyd George and Premier Orlando started the Versailles Treaty committee. Wilson worked to win the Senates consent of the Treaty of Versailles when he returned to America in July of 1919. Basically the treaty forced on Germany the burden of reparations, and to take complete blame for the war. Woodrow Wilson felt that the treaty was too harsh, placing unrealistic goals on Germany. Wilson wanted toRead MoreThe Life and Presidency of Woodrow Wilson Essay1160 Words   |  5 PagesThomas Woodrow Wilson was born December 28th, 2014. Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia to Joseph Ruggles Wilson, and Jessie Janet Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was born into a deeply religious family, his father was a Presbyterian minister. Wilson’s family didn’t stay in one place, because of Pastor Wilson’s duties, their family moved often. When Wilson was only 2 their family moved to Augusta, Georgia. Later on they moved to Columbia, South C arolina. Wilson was born just shy of 5 years before the outbreakRead MoreAmericas Involvement in World War I Essay1141 Words   |  5 PagesNew York. It was hit by a German torpedo and was sunk within 18 minutes. The ship was British, but on board were Americans. One thousand and nineteen of the original 1,924 died, 114 being American men. The sinking aggravated Americans and President Wilson to protest against Germany. Germany proclaimed, in September, that ships will be sunk only with foregoing warning and the convenient safeguard for passengers. Nonetheless, America’s resentment towards Germany was set in stone. Two year later AmericaRead MoreWorld War I Predicted as the War to End all Wars847 Words   |  3 PagesWith the end of Great War in 1918, the world struggled to form a structure of peace that would avoid another world conflagration. It was anticipated that World War I would be â€Å"the war to end all wars.† President Woodrow Wilson was the primary leader to achieve this goal with his 14 Points making and keeping the peace in the world. Albeit the Treaty of Versailles amalgamated many of Wilson’s points, it struggled to be ratified in the Senate. The defeat of the Treaty of Versailles was largely due toRead MoreThe Liberal Era Of The Progressive Era1220 Words   |  5 PagesWoodrow Wilson. Roosevelts held office in the year of 1901 – 1909 during his time his administration busted up the Northern Securitas Company for breaking the Sherman Antitrust Act, proposed the square deal, passed the Hepburn Act, Interstate Commerce Commission, Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat inspection Act. Following Roosevelt, William Taft held office 1909-1913, however there wasn t much changed during this time it wasn t until Woodrow Wilson did the abrupt change begin again. Woodrow Wilson heldRead MoreRealism Vs. Realism Of The United States889 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieves that we can solve our conflicts without wars. They believe that war is the failure in human evolution and that we should not turn to it to solve our problems because â€Å"all war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal† (John Steinbeck). Woodrow Wilson is an example of an idealist presedent Afred Thayer Mahana was a great realist, a U.S naval officer and a historian. Mahan was also a professor in the Naval War College and lectured on naval history and naval strategy. Out of his lecturesRead More Woodrow Wilson and Vladimir Lenin Essay1099 Words   |  5 Pages Through the years, peace has been achieved in different ways, yet the manner in which it is accomplished has been endlessly debated about. Woodrow Wilson and Vladimir Lenin were two very different individuals who were raised in two different countries. Lenin was born and raised in Russia, and Wilson was born and raised in the United States. They each had their own ideas on how peace should be achieved, but they were alike in one way though; they were both important revolutionaries of the twentieth

International Law for Sources and Status as Law - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theInternational Law for Sources and Status as Law. Answer: International Law and Organizations Why have Multinational Corporations (MNCs) become so important in international relations and law? Business companies which operate in one or more countries are known as Multinational Corporation or transitional corporations. These kinds of corporations are rapidly becoming an active part of international relations which specific regards to the issue of human rights. Historically multinational corporations have been heavily involved in domestic and foreign markets and thus have become center of discussion in relation to economic development and international law. These corporations perform their operations in various countries. Such countries are governed by domestic law and therefore it would be difficult for the international organizations to comply with different domestic laws and changing political situation specifically of the developing countries. International law has to intervene in order to ensure that the organizations are not exploited by the domestic governments (Nowrot, 2004). On the other hand international human rights law also has to intervene in the functioning of such organizations because these organizations employ thousands of workers all over the words who are at the risk of being exploited by the organization. The organizations may not provide proper working conditions to the staff in order to maximize their profit. The huge availability of fund for such organization also initiates corruption within different countries. Multinational organizations are companies who are operated centrally and function in various countries. The absence of corporate regulations in international law for such organizations causes gap in corporate governance and accountability lack. Therefore the issues related to multinational organizations are becoming an important area of concern in the study of international relations and law (Sornarajah, 2017). Despite considerable emphasis by some international law scholars on court cases and precedents, can an argument be made that treaty law is the most important source of international law? Why? International law is the body through which the conduct of the states in relation to each other is governed. There are various sources of international law which include international customs, treaties, the decision of the international court of justice, scholarly writing and general principles of law which are accepted by the nations. The provisions and principles which govern the relation between states are derived through these materials. According to (Paust, 2015) treaties between states are the primary source of international law. They are considered hard law as they are the most persuasive source of international law. Treaties form a contract between the states who are parties to it like a defense pact or an extradition treaty. Treaties can also play a role of legislations in international law to govern a particular matter of international relation or establish the constitution of international organizations. These are considered as the most important source of law between the states because they themselves get into the treaty by understanding their rights and obligation therefore leaving little if any scope for further dispute however the way in which the treaty has become legally binding is essential to determine whether they are a competent source of law or not. International customs and case precedents are also important sources of international law however they are not as important as treaties as they do not have a legally binding effect as strong as what is created by a treaty between the states. Therefore it can be evidently stated that treaties are the most important source of international law. In the absence of a world government, in what way can the legislative function be carried out at the international level? Global government or world government is the movement of a common political authority established for developing global government, single state and all of humanity. However such a framework is not practically present in the area of international law. The question which arises is that how are the functions of a legislature carried out in relation to drafting international legislation. International legislations are generally framed by the United Nations which is a body from with the association of several member states. Legislations on international law are formed by mutual consent of the nations which is given either by a treaty agreement or an international practice. Such agreement or practices may consist of two nations which is known as a bilateral agreement and may also consist of several nations which are known as a multinational agreement. All nations are sovereign and no one has the right to tell them what is to be done. The way in which each nation may act for the purpose se curing its rights in relation to international law is decided by the nation itself. For instance if a state believes that it fishermen are invading its territories it can either tell the other state to stop such invasion or get into a treaty to allow its fishermen from entering the other state. Therefore the rights which are provided by the states to other states come back to them as their own rights. Thus when Global government or world government is not present the legislative functions of international law are carried on based upon the mutual consent of the states (Kaczorowska, 2015) What are the jurisdictions coastal states possess that extend seaward from the baseline of a state? Maritime laws which are recognized by international law include territorial seas, internal waters, exclusive economic zones, continental shelf, contiguous zones and high seas. Except of the High Sea each maritime areas is measured from the baseline and is determined according to customary international law as reflected in the law of the Sea Convention 1982. According to the convention every costal state has the right to claim a territorial sea from its baseline which is extending seaward to 12 nautical miles. Sovereignty is exercised by the coastal states over the territorial sea along with the air space over the water. The jurisdiction also extends to the sea bed and subsoil in the area. An innocent passage is enjoyed by the foreign seas subjected to the rules and regulations which have been accepted by the state and are in accordance to the convention as other rules of international law. A contiguous zone may also be claimed by the state which extends to 24 nm from its baseline. He re the state may implement control to ensure protection of immigration, custom, fiscal and sanitary regulations. An exclusive economic zone may also be claimed by the states which may include 200nm from its baseline. Here the states are provided with the right to explore, exploit and manage natural resources from the sea (Hill Kulkarni, 2017). References Hill, C., Kulkarni, Y. (2017). Maritime law. Taylor Francis. Kaczorowska-Ireland, A. (2015).Public international law. Routledge. Nowrot, K. (2004). Multinational Corporations and International Law. Paust, J. J. (2015). Customary International Law: Its Nature, Sources and Status as Law of the United States(1990).Michigan Journal of International Law,12, 59-76. Sornarajah, M. (2017). The international law on foreign investment. Cambridge university press.

Ukrainian Music Essay Example For Students

Ukrainian Music Essay The Ukrainian nation is famous for its musicality. One could see the first musicians of Caving Russ in the frescos of Saint Sofas- Cathedral. Archeological researches stated that first musical instruments were made of mammoth ivory. The most widespread musical instrument of the Old Russ was psaltery. The psaltery was used to accompany songs that were narrating about brave princes and bodyguards. The psaltery werewolves for the family holidays. During the Mongol-Attar invasion the development of Ukrainian musical culture was stopped. The Ukrainian folk songs inspired famous composers in their work. One can hear the spiritual music of Ukrainian composers (D. Abortionist, M. Verbosely, A. Vided) in different churches of the world. Len S. Hula-Radiometrys and M. Lessons operas Ukrainian character and spirit, tender lyrics and patriotism are presented. The most famous among the Ukrainian musical companies are State Academically capable Dumas and State Academically National Choir of G. Everyone, State Academically Ensemble of folk dance of P. Frisky. The Ukrainian folk songs are widespread in the world. We will write a custom essay on Ukrainian Music specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Let us remember the P. Ambassadors Papayas pro rushing. Over the centuries the Ukrainian people have created music. Music art of Ukraine is very rich, it reflects our life, our ideas and emotions. In their folk songs the Ukrainian people showed their heroic past connected with the defense of the Motherland , the struggle for national freedom. Bandeau, kabob and copilot are national musical instruments which are often played at Ukrainian festivities. Now Ukraine has 6 opera houses, 3 operettas, 10 state philharmonic societies, dozen of folk choirs, 5 higher USIA schools. Ukraine actively participates in the worlds cultural progress. The Ukrainian orchestras, folk-music performers, pop and opera singers visited different countries every year and are warmly received abroad. The best known soloists are Dimmit Anatomy, Anatoly Shallowness, Havening Morphophonemic. The Ukrainian national composer school is connected with the name of Nikolas Lessens, pianist, conductor and folklorist who de veloped the traditions of the famous Ukrainian composers, S. Gulag-Earthmovers and P. Kowalski. Ukrainian music

Ku Klux Klan Essays (414 words) - Religion, Culture,

Ku Klux Klan Prejudice comes in many forms. Two such forms of extreme prejudice are the Salem witch-hunts and the Ku Klux Klan. In the colonial time, from 1700 to 1775, the Salem witch-hunts took place. The KKK originated after the civil war and is still going on today. These two groups based their prejudice on religious beliefs. People from many different cultures founded our nation, which gives us a unique diversity that was and is not always respected. The Ku Klux Klan states they are based on Christianity and uses such symbols as the flaming cross. Burning the cross is supposed to represent opposition to tyranny and obedience to God. The KKK believes they are superior to all non-whites. The people responsible for the Salem witch-hunts feared and persecuted those whom didnt share religious and personal beliefs. A way of testing your beliefs was being forced to recite the 10 commandments without falter. Ku Klux Klan often expressed their beliefs by putting burning crosses in non-white homes, se tting homes and businesses on fire, and even hanging non-whites. In the same way, the witch-hunts would force those who were prosecuted to confess and incriminate, if not, they would be hung, burned, or in one case smashed to death. Both groups use Christianity against other people that differed from them. The KKK was an underground organization, and used robes and hoods to disguise themselves. Rarely did members become publicly known because they were denounced by majority of society. Public leaders such as, reverends and government officials conducted the Salem witch-hunts. The trials were often public events that were well attended by the general population. The Ku Klux Klan was not based on fear of non-whites, rather their own supremacy. While the witch-hunts feared those with different beliefs including what we would now consider, mentally disabled. What good are religious beliefs such as Christianity if they are twisted, warped, and used as an excuse for violence. The KKK can no longer get away with their violent acts because of their shrinking numbers and the prevalence of equal rights today. Hopefully nothing as severe as the witch-hunts could ecure today, although, the more recent McCarthy trials were similar in that they were based on fear. We are a nation of cultural diversity and that diversity should be respected, no one should have the right to force their beliefs on others. Social Issues

Healthy Snacks Lesson Plan

Healthy Snacks Lesson Plan Title: Investigating Healthy Snacks Goal/Key Idea: The overall goal of this lesson is for students to understand that eating foods that are low in fat is important for their overall good health. Objective: The learner will analyze snack foods to determine if they are high in fat as well as identify snack foods that are low in fat. Materials: Brown PaperPencilsOilGrocery ads Science Words: fatsOilsSnacksLow-fatHigh-fat Anticipatory Set: Access Prior Knowledge by asking students to respond to the question, Why do you think people need to eat healthy snacks? Then record their answers on chart paper. Refer back to their answers at the end of the lesson. Activity One Read the story What Happens to a Hamburger? by Paul Showers. After the story ask students the following two questions: What healthy snacks did you see in the story? (Students may answer, pears, apples, grapes)Why do you need to eat healthy food? (Students may respond, because it helps you grow) Discuss how foods that are low in fat help you develop properly, give you more energy and contribute to your overall good health. Activity Two/ A Real World Connection To help students understand that oil contains fat, and that it is found in many of the snacks that they eat, have them try the following activity: First discuss what foods are high in fat and have a lot of oil.Then have students write the word oil on a brown paper square (cut out several squares from a brown paper bag).Then have students place one drop of oil on the paper.Next, have them think of three snack foods that they like to eat and have them write these foods on three separate pieces of brown paper.Then direct students to rub each paper with the snack name on it and wait a few minutes and observe the paper.Tell students to hold their paper up to the light to see if the oil shined through the paper.Have students compare each paper with the square with the oil, then record their data.Have students answer the questions: How did the oil change the paper, and which snack foods contained oil?   Activity Three For this activity have students search through grocery ads to identify healthy snack foods. Remind children that foods that are low in fat are healthy, and foods that have a lot of fat and oil are unhealthy. Then have students write down five snack foods that are healthy and tell why they chose them. Closure Refer back to your chart on why do you think people need to eat healthy snacks, and go over their answers. Ask again, Why do we need to eat healthy? and see how their answers have changed. Assessment Use an assessment rubric to determine the students understanding of the concept. For example: Did the student conclude what snack foods are low in fat and healthy?Was the student able to distinguish different foods that were low in fat and high and in fat?Did the student choose healthy snack foods? Childrens Books to Further Explore Eating Healthy Snacks Nutrition written by Leslie Jean LeMaster - This book is discusses our bodies nutritional needs. Nutrition: Whats in the Food We Eat written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent - This book discusses fats and talks about the food groups. Healthy Snacks (Healthy Eating My Pyramid) written by Mari C. Schuh - This book discusses healthy snacks and how to eat healthy using the food plate guide. Looking for more lesson on healthy eating? Try this lesson on healthy vs unhealthy foods.

International Relations High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Relations High School - Essay Example That the WASP should dominate, be regarded as the superior race, is a direct outcome of the fact that, to a large degree, they shaped the land, created the nation and framed its culture. Irrespective of the fact, or myth, that America is a melting pot, it is ultimately a nation created in the image of the WASP culture, religion and world view. Indeed, the capitalist system which is so distinctly American is the product of the Protestant work ethic. Democracy, which is as American as is capitalism, was born of the historic encounter between these early immigrants and the British. Added to that, the country's founding fathers, its first president and most of those which played such a seminal role in the formation of the United States of America, are WASP. The perception of superiority, therefore, is rooted in the making of America. Similarly, the American Indian's occupation of the bottom tier and the persistent perception of them as an inferior race emanates from the historical circumstances surrounding the encounter of the races. As noted in Chapter 6, not only did the American Indian emerge as defeated but was decimated, virtually purged off the land.

Human Recourse Management Amounts to Little More Than a Simple Essay

Human Recourse Management Amounts to Little More Than a Simple Reworking of the Human Relations School of Management - Essay Example This essay stresses that there are several factors which have there impact on the growth of the HRM as a field. The main factors are economy and society. During the period of agrarian economy the social structure and economy was very simple. It developed into a complex system during industrial revolution. The social set up changed. There was more emphasis on the productivity. Manufacturing industry contribution to economy decreased in subsequent years and Service Industry experienced growth. The importance of human increased due to the fact that human is important factor in the production and consumption of services. Human resources have been an important factor of production from the agrarian economy. This paper makes a conclusion that the scientific methods of management by Taylor and his stress on efficiency improvement gave food of thought to others. Mayo and others focused on the soft components of workers’ life. These were the psychological and social components. This was the starting of the study of human resource management. Various theories of motivation, leadership, loyalty, perceptiuon, behaviour and others have developed. The contributions of Human Relations School of Management encouraged the managers and leaders to understand individuals’ various needs and develop their human resource strategies on the basis of that. This have demanded for an individual department in the organisations. It is Human Rsource Management department which independently handles the needs and requirements of the human resource. Hu

The first two chapters of Hard Times Essay Example for Free

The first two chapters of Hard Times Essay Dickenss was a lively writer who knew what he wanted to write about but also what his readers wanted to read. In each of his books dickenss is careful to select a balance between his own ideas a morel intention with that of what the Victorian public enjoyed, (mystery, crime, romance and comedy). Dickens also felt strongly about the unfair class division in the cities. He was determined to portray the wrongs done to children and make a stand against the utilitarianism in society. (Perhaps his own childhood experiences never left him). All of these factors contributed to the initial creation of Hard Times. In this essay, I will look at the satiric methods Dickens uses in the opening chapter of Hard Times). When first reading the opening chapters of the novel it is apparent that there is an obvious difference in style and language from todays text. The sentences are far longer, some of the language is unfamiliar and Dickenss is clearly manipulating the reader. To do this, Dickens uses a number of techniques, such as humour, irony, wit and exaggeration to describe the education system in this period. These methods combined are known as satire and are all used simultaneously to engage the reader into reading further and believing the plot. This was a very common tool used in the Victorian time as it encompassed comedy and exaggeration to attack an otherwise difficult situation. However this method sometimes involved the twisting of facts and over amplification of ideas in order to convey a view point. Despite this, the technique was widely accepted by Victorian society as they much preferred an exciting and interesting read. Determined to portray an insight into the education system, dickens set about describing a sinister class room scene with the aid of satire. The school is host to a new schoolmaster starting his first day teaching pupils. Dickenss carefully assigns names to each character in relation to their individual personality or stature. For example, the figures of authority are named Mr Gradgrind and Mr Chokumchild which both suggest rough, abrasive and menacing individuals. In contrast a young girl, new to the class, is named Sissy Jupe. A name which compliments her weak, feminine and vulnerable persona.

Independant Amateur Filipino Film Makers Film Studies Essay

Independant Amateur Filipino Film Makers Film Studies Essay In the spirit of independent expression, the Cinemalaya Awards seeks to discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity. Cultural Center of the Philippines As of today, we filipinos are very fond of Hollywood films. Cinemas in the Philippines are currently full of different Hollywood films. There are very few films that are recognized throughout the country. This is one of the reasons why the Cultural Center of the Philippines arranged Cinemalaya, an awards show giving Filipino independent films credit. We wonder, though, is it enough? We think that it is absolutely not. Most of the Philippines creative young minds are not recognized by as much people as that of Hollywood films. We also believe that independent films carry more true-to-life stories, and that it actually has more values instilled in it. We find it very disappointing that cinemas today show less of these, and show more of Hollywood films that make us fantasize more than make us realize the harsh realities of life, and how to deal with them in a realistic way. Also, Filipinos nowadays are supporting the movies of other countries more than their own. This is why we are forw arding our proposal that cinemas in the Philippines should showcase more Filipino independent films than Hollywood films. In this paper, we define independent films as films made by amateur Filipino film makers, films that are low-budget, or home-made. We define Hollywood films as films made in Hollywood, films that have high-budget productions, films that have professionals working on it and the like. We will be limiting our statistics to only Philippine Independent films. We will make surveys regarding the awareness of students of independent films, their stand (against it, for it, neutral) on independent films, their views toward independent films. We will also research more about independent films. First of all, we believe that independent films are needed more than Hollywood films when it comes to education, especially for the children. From our observations, weve noticed that independent films capture a more realistic view on life. One example of these independent films is Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan (2007) which is about an honor student ending up cheating for the sake of his friends, portraying a reality of peer pressure, selfless actions, and of course cheating. Another example is Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros which focuses on the emotional damage a boy can undergo, as if he was a female. Lastly, the most dramatic and realistic example is Magnifico which shows us how hard life is especially when youre poor. A young mind, Magnifico attempts to help out his family earn by working at such an early age. It shows the effects of poverty, the beauty of simple living or contentment, and the love for family. Whether it focuses on social issues such as cheating (Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan,2007) or homosexuality (Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,2005) or economic issues such as poverty (Magnifico, 2003) , independent films successfully presented actual happenings in our world today. Most Hollywood films, on the other hand, a re fiction, a literary work, history, and the like. Some Hollywood films also depicted realistic stories such as World Trade Center (2006) which focused on the 9-11 bombing, Kramer vs Kramer (1979) which focused on the realities of marriage and family problems, and John Q (2002) which focused economic problems, but these films dont have much of a filipino sense. It is important to be reminded of our values not only as people but as Filipino people, so we should be seeing these realities set on the Philippine situation, the Philippine customs, the Filipino attitude. Another point is that sure, some Hollywood films like Troy (2004), 300 (2007), and Beowulf (2008), are very helpful in our studies, but then we arent planning on removing films like that from cinemas. We just need to have more Filipino independent films because we need more education about the realities of the present situation, as weve established earlier. We also noticed the difference between the objectives and focuses of Philippine independent films and Hollywood films. Weve noticed that Philippine independent films seem to aim to open the minds of children rather than adults. Hollywood films seem to aim to open the minds of adults- parents, teachers etc. Weve also noticed that Philippine independent films seem to aim to remind people of the mistake in actions, mistake in character, and mistake in society. It seems like these films focus on the problems present. Hollywood films on the other hand, seem to aim to make people see possible problems, though these problems are less likely to occur in the Philippines. Like racism, for example, there are fewer races here so the chances of racism are minimal. In terms of focus in target, through research, we were able to find out that independent film, as said by the online Wikipedia focuses on niche audience (Wikipedia, no page), meaning a portion of people, not the general public. Hollywoo d focuses on the general public. We researched more about art films in contrast with Hollywood films. David Bordwell, as Wikipedia said, wrote about the difference of the two kinds of films. According to an article in Wikipedia, Bordwell wrote in his article, The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice(Wikipedia, no page) , that those of Hollywood films use stereotype characters, familiar settings, and wherein the protagonists actions lead to only one end point, sort of like a cause and effect. He also stated that independent films often deal with an inner drama that takes place in a characters psyche. (Bordwell. no page). He also said that its more realistic, and it breaks away from the stereotype, mainstream structures. Looking at these facts, we saw that independent films have more value in content. This is one more reason why there should be more independent films in our cinemas. In terms of appeal, of course the majority will go to Hollywood films. Hollywood films have a greater budget; so of course, they will have trailers that could capture an audiences attention. Since Independent films are low-budget films, they can not advertise their works, or even if they could, they wouldnt bother because as Bordwell said, independent films are focused only on a portion of the public. Hollywood films also have better effects and cinematography than that of independent films. But we dont take this as a liability, mainly because if there is less quality of effects and cinematography, the audience is forced to focus on the main story, the lessons, and more importantly, the problems presented. If youre thinking how are cinemas going to earn money if you put more independent films, which are less appealing to the public? theres answers for that. First of all, there have been films that were made a hit, especially Magnifico (2003), and Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2 005), though not in box office. Independent movies are also beautiful, and we believe that people would like to watch these films if they were aware of this. Also, in Malls, we see a lot of advertisements of films, and if independent films were to be put on big screen, with matching advertisement, people would be encouraged to watch. Lastly, since most people can relate to these films better, theyd be encouraged by people whove seen the film. Therefore, putting these films in theaters wouldnt really affect the cinemas in terms of economy. How many people are actually aware about independent films? Based on our surveys, the average ratios we got were the following: six out of ten people are aware of these independent films, one out of six is for independent films, four out of six are against independent films, and one out of six are neutral about it. This is another problem. The answers we got indicated that many people arent even aware of these films. So, all the more we have to show these independent films. As you can see with the statistics, more filipinos are against it, showing lack of nationalism. If you are wondering What benefits would cinemas gain with this proposal? our proposal has a lot. First of all, it encourages nationalism. By watching an independent filipino film, you support a group of filipino citizens. By supporting these people, you support the country. Second of all, more talent would be recognized. We are used to recognizing the same people as producers, directors, and especially actors. In indep endent films, since you have low budget, you get people who are either unprofessional, or people who have low talent fees, but of course, have talent. So, when the movie hits the theaters, the people who contributed there would be recognized. Also, was we said said in our introduction, there is something called the Cinemalaya awards which is an awarding ceremony for all independent films. If these films are shown in theaters, more people can vote/nominate independent films, plus this awarding ceremony will be given more attention by the public. Furthermore, showing these films in theaters help us showcase the talents of young filipino artist to foreigners. That is something to be proud about. Lastly, as weve said earlier, independent films have more value in content, and are aiming to enlighten or remind us about the realities or problems in life, therefore showing these films in the cinemas are also a way of spreading education to the youth, and even to the adults, especially filip inos. As the world evolves into a more modern world, our values and nationalism goes down. Our talents, its hidden in one corner of the world, while stardom, its just across the theater doors. This is the problem we want to solve. That is why we exposed our views and points about our preposition: The cinemas in the Philippines should showcase more Filipino independent movies than Hollywood Movies. We need to raise our Filipino flag. We have to show them what we have. We have to educate the future of the country. We have to restore the values that were gone. If this proposition is approved, then maybe its another victory for me and you.

Information technology in business environment Essay

The business environment is becoming increasingly competitive. Information technology is now providing business entities with basic as well as progressive business tools that will enable them to improve their financial performance, efficiency, and its use of the organisation central operational resource and staff members. Adoption of computerised system is vital to the businesses entities that want to improve their efficiency and performance by using computerised systems to facilitate their day-to-day transactions. Lots of researches were conducted to assess the critical success factors or CSFs for implementations of computerised systems, but the results were different from each other. Trough lots of researching, the nine CSFs were outlined in this paper. The interrelations between the nine CFSs were also discussed. Introduction. The business environment is becoming increasingly competitive. Market boundaries have become larger and barriers to entry have diminished. In the current turbulent economic environment today’s modern organisations must closely examine the way they currently do business not only to remain competitive and profitable but also to simply remain in business (Cameron & Philip, 2001). Information technology is now providing business entities with basic as well as progressive business tools that will enable them to improve their financial performance, efficiency, and its use of the organisation central operational resource and staff members. Adoption of computerised system is vital to the businesses entities that want to improve their efficiency and performance by using computerised systems to facilitate their day-to-day transactions. The purpose of this paper is to outline and assess the critical success factors for the adoption of computerised systems including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementations by businesses entities, and then analysis the interrelations between these critical success factors. Outline of Critical Success Factors for Adoption of Computerised Systems Implementations of computerised systems including ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Implementations are usually large and complex projects. Although  the adoption of small businesses would be simple and easy, we focus on the adoptions of computerised systems by medium or large organisations here, especially ERP implementations. Because ERP systems seek to integrate all department and functions across a company onto a single enterprisewide information system that can serve all those departments’ particular needs (Considine, et.al, 2005:p290). ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems may well count as ‘the most important development in the corporate use of information technology in the 1990s’ (Davenport, 1998). The adoptions of cumputerised systems, such as ERP implementation, by large organisations often involve large groups of people and other resources, working together under considerable time pressure and the developments could not be predicted. Lots of researches were conducted to assess the critical success factors or CSFs for implementations of computerised systems, but the results were different from each other. Trough lots of researching, the CSFs could also be concluded in this paper below: No. Critical Success Factors & Rank 1 Top Management Support: A 2 Clear Goals & Objectives: A 3 Project Management: A 4 Interdepartmental Co-operation & Communication: A 5 Project Team Competence: A 6 Vendor Support: B 7 Computerised System Package Selection: B 8 Data Analysis & Conversion: C 9 Staff Training: C Although beside the CFSs stated above, there must be a lot of other CFSs affect the implementations of computerised systems, these nine CFSs listed above should be the most important ones among all the factors affecting the implementions of computerised systems. As shown in the diagram, the CFSs are numbered form one to nine and ranked from A to C. The CFSs ranked A represents the ones that are most important CFSs should be taken into consideration when we come to implementations of computerised systems. Generally, CFSs in the same rank seem to be equally important; because it’s hard to say which one is the more important than the other, that depend on what situation we faced. Analysis of Critical Success Factors for Adoption of Computerised Systems (1) Top Management Support (Rank A) If top management is not actively backing an all-pervasive project like an ERP implementation, there is little hope for it (Akkermans & Helden, 2002). This does not mean that middle management and other staff are not important, top management itself is not omnipotent in the whole project. The key is that top management is vital and other issues such as middle management are also important as well in this kind of processes. However, if top management permanently delegates its responsibilities to technical experts, the chances for project failure are high (Ewushi-Mensah & Przanyski, 1991). (2) Clear Goals & Objectives (Rank A) When people or oganisations want to do something, the goals and objectives must be clear. Because you don’t know why you have to do it without goals as well as objectives, and you can’t plan for it. This simple rule certainly applies to the implementations of computerised systems. Especially for implementation of an IT project, the first step should be identification of goals and ways to accomplish these. (3) Project Management (Rank A) As it is mentioned above, adoption of computerised system is complex, costly and time consuming. The management of such a project should be tight and careful because of the complexity. Some degree of improvisation would be needed because of some unforeseen changes would occur during the process. The performances of the employees are also important. As A.R. Elangovan and Jia Lin Xie(2000) said: managers should pay more attention to how their power is perceived by their subordinates as well as carefully examine the trade-off between short-term and long-term consequences of such perceptions to be effective. (4) Interdepartmental Co-operation & Communication (Rank A) Interdepartmental communication: Communication across different business functions and departments is one of the most important issues involved in the IT implementation literature. According to one author on IT project management, ‘communication is the oil that keeps everything working properly’ in these contexts (Schwalbe, 2000). Interdepartmental co-operation: The effectiveness of interdepartmental co-operation heavily depends on the extent of interdepartmental communication. Quality interdepartmental communication reinforces the quality of interdepartmental co-operation. Because the computerised systems seek to enable the organisation to operate as a whole, interdepartmental co-operation is vital. (5) Project Team Competence (Rank A) The ability of the project team is also important to the implementation of a computerised system. This argument is supported by considerable amount of researches. It’s really important. Effective project team could minimise the cost as well as the time consumed and ensures the implementation of project is in the correct way. (6) Vendor Support (Rank B) Most of the time, organisations do not have all the technical as well as transformational skills and knowledge for managing such a major undertaking on its own. As a result, support provided by the vender is important to aid the implementation of new system. (7) Computerised System Package Selection (Rank B) Different system packages are designed to meet different organisational requirements. For example, some packages are suited for large organisations but some are more suited for smaller ones. Selection of system package depends on what kind of organisation you have got and other organisational requirements and goals. (8) Data Analysis & Conversion (Rank C) Before use of the newly installed computerised system, the project team and the organisation have to transfer existing data from existing system to the database of the new comprised system. This refers to the process of Data Conversion. As data conversion is typically a manual operation, controls are needed to ensure that the data conversion has been accurately performed (Dhaliwal & Konsynski, 1977). Data should be tested to ensure that the process is successful, no errors incurred and no information lost. (9) Staff Training (Rank C) The desirability of computers taking account of user capabilities was pointed out by Licklider (1960)(Feeney & Hood, 1977). It’s not so important but essential for orgaisations to train their employees after installation of new computerised systems. To some extent, the performance of a new system depends on the performance of the staff within the organization (Bartol, et.al 2001:p295). Quality staff training would enable the new system to be successful and effective. Interrelations Between These Critical Success Factors. All the CFSs should not be considered in isolation, because they are interacting with each other and affecting each other as well. The relationships between these critical factors are delicate and different from each other. For example, with strong vendor support, the project team would work more effective and the project team competence would be strengthened. This is known as the virtuous cycle. But the interaction and relationship between CFS 6 and CFS 7 would be different. The vendor support should be taken into consideration when we are selecting computerised system software. Software with strong vendor support is always preferred by the organisations, but the quality of the software itself is also important. In addition, increase of CFS 4 has a considerable positive impact on all other CFSs as well as the whole process of implementation. As it is mentioned above, all the CFSs are working together and interacting with each other throughout the whole project. None of them can be considered in isolation. Interdepartmental co-operation & communication within the project team was found to be the core process for project progress. Presence and attitudes of the surrounding stakeholders, ie top management, project management, software vendor support and so on, were identified as the root causes driving performance of this core process. At the time of the crisis, simultaneous and mutually reinforcing changes in presence and attitudes of all these stakeholders enabled the transition from a vicious into a virtuous cycle of project performance (Akkermans & Helden, 2002). Conclusion. Information technology is now providing business entities with basic as well as progressive business tools that will enable them to improve their financial performance, efficiency, and its use of the organisation central operational resource and staff members. Adoption of computerised system is vital to the businesses entities that want to improve their efficiency and performance by using computerised systems to facilitate their day-to-day transactions. Lots of researches were conducted to assess the critical success factors or CSFs for implementations of computerised systems, but the  results were different from each other. Trough lots of researching, the CSFs could also be concluded, they are top management support, clear goals & objectives, project management, interdepartmental co-operation & communication, project team competence, vendor support, computerised system package selection, data analysis & conversion and staff training. All the CFSs should not be considered in isolation, because they are interacting with each other and affecting each other as well. Bibliography: Akkermans H. and Helden K. V. 2002 ‘Vicious and Virtuous Cycles in ERP Implementation: a case study of interrelations between critical success factors’, European journal of information system, no.11, pp35-46 Bartol K, Martin. D., Tein M. and Matthews G., 2001, Management, A Pacific Rim Focus, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill, Sydney, p295 Cameron, D. and Philip, J. ‘The Adoption and Use of Electronic Banking by SMEs in Australia: An Exploratory Study’ CollECTeR 2001. http:// www.collecter.org/collecter01/Doug_Cameron.pdf (6 May. 2005) Considine B., Razeed A., Lee M. and Collier P. 2005, Accounting Information System: understanding business process, 1st edn, John Willey & Sons Australia, Ltd, Queensland, p290 Davenport T. 1998, ‘Putting the enterprise into the enterprise system’, Harvard Business Review July-August, pp.121-131 Dhaliwal D. and Konsynski B. 1977, ‘Data integrity considerations in computer based accounting systems’, Proceedings of the 1977 annual conference Elangovan A. R. and Xie J.L. 2000, â€Å"Effects of perceived power of supervisor on subordinate work attitudes†, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol.21, no.6, pp.319-328 Ewushi-Mensah K. and Przanyski Z. H. 1991, ‘On information systems project abandonment: an exploratory study of organizationa practices’, MIS Quarterly 15, pp.67-85l Feeney R. and Hood J. 1977, ‘Adaptive man/computer interfaces: information systems which take account of user style’, ACM SIGCPR Computer Personnel, Volume 6 Issue 3-4 Schwalbe K. 2000, ‘Information Technology Project Management’, Course Technology, Cambridge MA

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 6

The Concrete Doughnut I notice that my father waits until the game is just about to begin before he comes into the family room. It is only preseason, so we do not engage in any of the regular-season game-day rituals, but Dad has put on his number 5 McNabb jersey and now sits on the edge of the couch, ready to jump out of his seat. He nods at my brother solemnly but completely ignores me, even after I heard my mother say, â€Å"Please, just try to talk to Pat† when they were arguing in the kitchen. Mom puts the food on folding tables, takes a seat next to Jake, and we all start to eat. The food is excellent, but I am the only one to say so. Mom seems happy to get the compliment, saying, â€Å"Are you sure it's all right?† like she does, because she is modest when it comes to cooking, even though she is a great cook. â€Å"What do you think the Birds will do this year, Dad?† Jake asks. â€Å"Eight and eight,† my dad answers pessimistically, like he always does at the beginning of every NFL season. â€Å"Eleven and five,† my brother says, to which my father shakes his head and blows air through his teeth. â€Å"Eleven and five?† my brother asks me, and I nod because I am optimistic, and winning eleven games would most likely put the Eagles in the play-offs. Since we have season tickets, I know we are assured play-off tickets should the Birds earn a home game, and there's nothing better than an Eagles play-off game. Now, I admit that I have not been keeping up with the Birds in the off-season, but when the starting lineups are announced, I am really surprised that many of my favorite players are no longer on the team. Duce Staley. Hugh Douglas. James Thrash. Corey Simon. All gone. I want to ask, â€Å"When? Why?† but don't, fearing my father and brother will think I am not a true fan anymore, which they said would happen when I first moved to Baltimore with Nikki and gave up my season ticket. To my surprise, the Birds are also not playing in Veterans Stadium, but at Lincoln Financial Field, just like Jake had said. Somehow they have built an entire stadium since last season, and I must have missed all the hype because I was stuck in the bad place. Still, something does not really seem right to me. â€Å"Where is Lincoln Financial Field?† I try to ask nonchalantly when the commercials come on after the first series. My father turns his head and stares at me but does not answer my question. He hates me. He looks repulsed, like it is a chore to sit in the family room watching the game with his mentally messed-up son. â€Å"It's in South Philadelphia, just like all the other stadiums,† my brother says too quickly. â€Å"Good crabby snacks, Mom.† â€Å"Can you see Lincoln Financial Field from the Vet?† I ask. â€Å"The Vet's gone,† Jake says. â€Å"Gone?† I ask. â€Å"What do you mean, gone?† â€Å"March 21, 2004. Seven a.m. It fell like a house of cards,† my father says without looking at me, just before sucking an orange piece of meat from a chicken bone. â€Å"Over two years ago.† â€Å"What? I was at the Vet just last †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I pause because I start to feel a little dizzy and nauseous. â€Å"What year did you just say?† My father opens his mouth to speak, but my mother cuts him off, saying, â€Å"A lot has changed since you were away.† Still, I refuse to believe the Vet is gone, even after Jake retrieves his laptop from his car and shows me a downloaded video of the Vet being imploded. Veterans Stadium – which we used to call the concrete doughnut – falls like a circle of dominoes, gray dust fills the screen, and it breaks my heart to see that place crumble, even though I suspect that what I am viewing is a computergenerated trick. When I was a boy, my father took me to many Phillies games at the Vet, and of course there were all of the Eagles games with Jake, so it is hard to believe such a big monument to my childhood could be destroyed while I was in the bad place. The video ends, and I ask my mother if I can talk to her in the other room. â€Å"What's wrong?† she says when we reach the kitchen. â€Å"Dr. Patel said that my new medication might make me hallucinate.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"I think I just saw Veterans Stadium demolished on Jake's computer.† â€Å"Honey, you did. It was demolished over two years ago.† â€Å"What year is it?† She hesitates, and then says, â€Å"Two thousand and six.† That would make me thirty-four. Apart time would have been in progress for four years. Impossible, I think. â€Å"How do I know I am not hallucinating right now? How do I know you're not a hallucination? You're all hallucinations! All of you!† I realize I am screaming, but I can't help it. Mom shakes her head, tries to touch my cheek, but I swat her hand away and she starts crying again. â€Å"How long was I in the bad place? How long? Tell me!† â€Å"What's going on in there?† my father yells. â€Å"We're trying to watch the game!† â€Å"Shhhh!† my mother says through tears. â€Å"How long?† I yell. â€Å"Tell him, Jeanie! Go ahead! He's going to find out sooner or later!† my father yells from the family room. â€Å"Tell him!† I grab my mother's shoulders, shake her so her head wobbles all over, and yell, â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Almost four years,† Jake says. I look back over my shoulder, and my brother is in the kitchen doorway. â€Å"Now let go of Mom.† â€Å"Four years?† I laugh and let go of my mother's shoulders. She covers her mouth with her hands, and her eyes are full of pity and tears. â€Å"Why are you guys playing jokes on – â€Å" I hear my mother scream, I feel the back of my head hit the refrigerator, and then my mind goes blank.

The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective The WritePass Journal

The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective Introduction and Background The policy to include SEN pupils in mainstream education has failed to address many of the key issues for these pupils and as such fails to be effective Introduction and BackgroundAims, Objectives and MethodologyCurrent Theoretical PositionConclusionsReferencesRelated Introduction and Background The broad policy which involves the inclusion of pupils who are considered to have special educational needs (SEN) within mainstream schooling across England and Wales first originated as part of the Warnock Report, 1978 (DES, 1978). However, over the years, several different codes of practice and governmental guidance documents have established strong policies and even legislation which states that it is essential in mainstream schools to provide a learning environment that is suitable for a diverse range of pupils and abilities, including SEN. In accordance with the Education Act 1996, this requirement is a statutory requirement and therefore mainstream schools are bound to have a facility within them to deal with SEN. Despite this, there remains a seeming lack of understanding when it comes to the best practical ways in which these individuals can be managed within the mainstream environment, with a focus primarily being on ensuring that there are school level policies in place in order to facilitate the needs of these individuals, with a particular focus on behavioural concerns. In reality, however, it is suggested here that the handling of SEN pupils in the mainstream environment needs to be much more individualised, so that it can offer valuable guidance to all teachers, not simply those directly involved in the support of SEN pupils (Harden, 2003). One of the immediate difficulties which arise when undertaking this type of research is that of defining what is meant by special educational needs, in the first place. This definition can have a dramatic impact on how the particular school or educational establishment then goes on to actually include such students. For example, there is an argument to be had that a particularly gifted student would potentially have special educational needs. If the concept of a special needs pupil is simply based on the amount of time that is required from the teacher and is based on requirements which go beyond the â€Å"average† student, these types of questions and the influence that they would have on teaching practices, in general, is potentially huge for the development of the success of the inclusion policies, started back in 1978. Aims, Objectives and Methodology The overall aim of the research is to determine whether or not the specific policy and now legislative requirement placed upon mainstream educational establishments to have an agenda in place to include SEN pupils has been effective or not. In order to achieve this, there are several strands to the research which need to come together through the use of an interpretivist approach, recognising that opinions and activities vary, depending on the surrounding circumstances, but with the ability to draw central themes and ideas such that the original statement can be answered. The actual concept of special educational needs will be looked at in terms of how policy defines these pupils with recognition that this definition will have an impact on the way in which the students are to be supported under the general inclusion of these students within mainstream education. Inclusion is a critical factor in this regard and this is also one of the strands of the research, which requires a larger amount of attention. By stating that the policy aims to include SEN pupils, it is impossible to determine whether the policies are proving successful or not, without considering what precisely is meant by inclusion and whether it is judged, based on educational achievement, or whether it is based on some softer issues such as social inclusion. Taking an interpretivist research approach to this paper, the aim is to establish more specifically whether inclusion in mainstream education can impact on particular individuals with special needs, with the recognition that the impact will naturally vary, depending on the surrounding circumstances and it may also vary from school to school and classroom to classroom. The research question here has expanded the issue of inclusion within mainstream school by taking on an interpretive paradigm as it is thought that, in order to gain a greater understanding of the various factors that may ultimately impact on the practical application of the policies being produced. From an ontological point of view, the research will establish an understanding of the nature of the area of special educational needs and how these pupils could potentially be integrated into mainstream education. The research will, therefore, focus largely on how special educational needs are defined and the practical ways in which the policies deal with the requirement, in order to add value to this research area. The secondary stage of the research takes a more epistemological perspective and looks at the nature of the knowledge that has been established and whether there are fundamental flaws in the approach which has been taken, so as to question whether some of the known factors remain valid. Consideration will also be given as to whether a different form of reality within the area of special educational needs should be established. The area of SEN within mainstream education is, potentially, relatively complex and it is therefore necessary to take a balanced approach between questioning current policies and looking at the foundations behind them and looking towards the future of how these policies could be shifted or applied, in order to achieve the underlying aim of genuine inclusion at every level. Current Theoretical Position The area of educational needs and the treatment of those with special educational needs have gained considerable attention from both academics and professionals, particularly since the government created a formal policy to demand greater inclusion within mainstream education. As noted during the introduction, there is now a statutory requirement on mainstream schools to ensure that they have suitable methods of provision for including SEN pupils within their organisation and this has created a large body of information and research as to how this has been implemented and whether or not it has been effective. As part of the â€Å"general statement on inclusion† in Curriculum 2000 (QCA, 2000), some general principles of inclusion were established which argue that, if these principles of inclusion were suitably pursued, the general policies relating to the effectiveness of SEN inclusion would be achieved. The three areas included: setting suitable learning challenges; responding to the learning needs of individuals who are often very diverse; and thirdly, recognising and putting in place processes to overcome any potential barriers (Wang and Algozzine 2008). Previous research in this area has, however, typically fallen into specific areas, namely the way in which mainstream educational establishments can provide an appropriate response to any behavioural concerns and behavioural issues within their school, as a result of the inclusion of SEN pupils (Harden, 2003). Research has also been relatively extensive when it comes to determining the impact that this additional support can have on participation and inclusion, e.g. the role of the assistant teachers. Finally, there is also a body of research which has looked at the approaches taken at school level to manage a variety of different communities which may be around them. However, whilst this point of view clearly offers valuable information as to how inclusion is achieved, it is argued here that a somewhat limited view has been taken by the existing literature in this area (Dyson et al., 2002). Inclusion in itself needs to be questioned and there is a large volume of research which has looked specifically at whether or not inclusion should automatically be viewed as a positive aspect of these types of social policies. For example, Oliver (1996) argues that inclusion is, in fact, an automatic right for all children with any form of special educational needs, regardless of the extent of the need or the personal reasoning for each individual. Other researchers have taken a different approach and have failed to take on board the underlying assumption that inclusion is a positive aspect, in all cases. For example, Smelter et al. (1994) argues that placing an individual within mainstream education may not always be the best approach for that individual. Therefore, the focus needs to shift towards establishing policies where the underlying aim is to provide the best possible educational environment for each individual. This would automatically mean that some pupils would not neces sarily be focused upon in terms of gaining inclusion within mainstream education, but rather the policy setters would be looking at the broader issues of educating SEN pupils in such a way that they gained the best overall results and this may require a different educational approach to be taken. The perceptions of both teachers and teaching assistants in the area of inclusion of SEN pupils are also a crucial factor and has gained some attention, in recent years. For example, the way in which support provisions are provided is in itself potentially a vitally important research area. According to the SERC Report in 1993, approximately 8,000 SEN pupils were found to be educated in mainstream classes, within primary school education. However, only 50% of these pupils were receiving additional support which was primarily focused on learning and remedial support, rather than social needs. The way in which additional support interacts with the mainstream educational establishment is arguably a crucial aspect of this research. The research, therefore, takes an interpretivist approach which recognises that the effectiveness of inclusion may depend on whether or not the support structure is in place for effectively filling the gaps that would prevent an SEN pupil from struggling with being involved in mainstream education. It also looks at the underlying policies for achieving inclusion in mainstream education, and how these needs should to be accommodated within mainstream education, looking at the practical approaches taken when it comes to providing specific support that is tailored for each individual. Due to statutory requirements, it is taken as a given that inclusion is the ultimate target, yet research in this area has looked primarily at how precisely this should be achieved. INTO (2000). For example, research has looked at how SEN pupils should be accommodated within mainstream education, so that these pupils remain within the mainstream education establishment, but are required to attend special c lasses to assist with their specific area of difficulty. This focus is primarily aimed at establishing the resource needs of teachers who are providing support for special educational needs; however, it also gives a strong indication of how these SEN pupils can be accommodated within mainstream education, but can also have their own needs met through the use of special classes, where appropriate (Norwich and Lewis, 2001). The increasing need to provide teachers and resources to support inclusion in mainstream education is justifiably one of the key areas of literature that has previously been established within the area of special educational needs, as the current situation seems to suggest that the need to achieve inclusion within mainstream education is a given. However, the real difficulty comes when it is necessary to this area is how to implement inclusion in the most appropriate way. It could be argued for example, that inclusion is potentially beneficial, provided it is suitably resourced and supported, so as not to be the detriment of any pupil, whether they are SEN pupils themselves or, indeed, others within their peer group. Conclusions Even a cursory glance at issue of including SEN pupils within mainstream education indicates a much broader range of factors and issues which need to be considered when looking to implement such a policy. Statutory requirements for inclusion are already part of this system within the UK. Therefore, the chosen area of research is to look at how effective these policies have been, while also questioning whether indeed setting policies is the appropriate way of providing the best educational background for all pupils. The research will also look at ways in which these policies should be practically applied and the types of resources that need to be made available in order to support the inclusion of SEN pupils within mainstream education. By taking a rounded view of the issue of SEN pupils within mainstream education and even questioning the foundation of the original policy, a stronger understanding of the various different factors can be had. These finding should help prevent mainstre am schools from becoming too focused on practical issues such as achieving educational results, but also recognising that issues such as social inclusion are likely to be of considerable concern, when it comes to the overall picture of achieving inclusion within mainstream education. References Department of Education and Science (DES) (1978) Special Educational Needs, Report of the Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People (Warnock Report). London: HMSO. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (1998) Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action. London: DfEE. Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2001) Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. London: DfEE. Harden A (2003) Supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in mainstream primary schools: a systematic research of recent research evidence of strategy effectiveness (1999–2002). In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education Howes A, Farrell P, Kaplan I, Moss S (2003) The impact of paid adult support on the participation and learning of pupils in mainstream schools. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education. INTO (1997) The Visiting Teacher Service for Special Needs, INTO Report. Norwich B, Lewis A (2001) Mapping a pedagogy for SEN. British Educational Research Journal 27: 313–330. QCA (2000) General Statement for Inclusion in Curriculum 2000. London: QCA. Roaf C, Bines H (1989) Needs, rights and opportunities in special education. In: Roaf C, Bines H (eds) Needs, Rights and Opportunities: Developing Approaches in Special Education. London: Falmer Sebba J, Sachdev, D (1997) What Works in Inclusive Education. Basingstoke: Barnados Wang C, and Algozzine B (2008) Effects of targeted intervention on early literacy skills of at-risk students. Journal of Research in Childhood Education 22: 425-439.

Stegners View of the True Hero of the West essays

Stegners View of the True Hero of the West essays The West -" home on the range where the deer and the antelope play; where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day."" The romantic idea of the land west of the hundredth meridian has often inspired songs and poetry, like this one, about idyllic conditions in this dry "paradise."" Often these ideas did not prove to be completely accurate, and a very few people attempted to present the facts to the public to dispel the romantic ideas of an effortless existence in these western lands. John Wesley Powell was one of these people. Wallace Stegner viewed Powell as a champion for science and one of the true heroes of this time because he did not follow the romantic ideas that so many of his contemporaries held about settlement in the West. One of the men Stegner presented as the epitome of Western romanticism was the Honorable William Gilpin, who eventually became the first territorial governor of Colorado. Throughout Stegner's book, he used Gilpin as a contrast to Powell, who represented science. Gilpin was the example of the people that Stegner believed to be enamored with the idea of the West as a huge frontier, able to support millions, without looking at the facts and examining the situation from a scientist's point of view. He pointed out several differences in Powell and Gilpin that illustrate how he believed Powell to be the hero, even though he was never recognized as one, and Gilpin to be a dreamer. Stegner gave several examples to prove that the loudest promoters of settlement were often ignorant of the lands in which they lived, which proved that they were in fact, unable to determine whether the West was ready to be settled. One of the examples Stegner used was the fact that Gilpin believed all Indian tribes to be the same. In his zeal to promote Western settlement, he made the statement that with settlement in these lands came a unity of the people of the United States. Native Americ...

What Makes a Leader Harvard Business Review Article

What Makes a Leader Harvard Business Review - Article Example For each of these classes of authority, job descriptions hat define the duties of that specific entity and his area of expertise come handy. While all these entities are considered controllers of some department or business area within the company, they are separated from one another by the number of characteristics that guide their line of duty. Hence fore, there is a difference between leadership and other categories of authority. A leader is an entity that does not command any line of business to a number of subjects but rather an entity with various characteristic attributes that guide the entity’s choices, approach to problems, and inclusion or exclusion of other entities in the decision making process. A leader is therefore an individual in charge of a certain line of operations or a number of people with a common goal. However, to be a leader, an individual must have self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill as his/her core attributes. Self- awareness is the wholesome of the person in terms of how they understand themselves and how they make decisions that have an impact in their lines of duty. For a self-aware individual in the line of leadership, personal decisions are a reflection of personal abilities. Hence fore, self-awareness helps the leaders to take or turndown duties that are in or out of the scope of their abilities. Self-regulation is a second attribute of leadership that cultivates behavior and habit of a leader. When faced with a crisis, self-regulation helps a leader to limit his reaction in terms of outburst or emotional instability. Empathy is the third attribute of leadership and helps a leader to understand the emotional status as related to how people react in the line of duty. The discussed three leadership attributes make up the most important component of leadership, emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and control emotions and channeling one’s line of tho ught to productivity. It is through emotional intelligence that various companies thrive or fail with regards to their management’s embrace of emotional intelligence. Data Analysis and Opinion: Following a study to test the competency of some 188 companies in terms of IQ, professional skills, emotional intelligence, and other management attributes, it was observed that leaders who applied emotional intelligence were 20% more productive than their own expectations forecasted. Those leaders who do not exercise emotional intelligence were found to be 20% less productive than their counterparts who use emotional intelligence. However, while emotional intelligence can be appraised as a very important management tool, it is important too to understand that leaders are required to have personal skills that relate to IQ. Being smart is one thing, and being a leader is another. Therefore, while the characteristics of being a leader work hand in hand to create or manifest emotional int elligence. Research has found that emotional intelligence is more a genetic capability than it is a learnt attribute of leadership. Research analyzes programs designed to manifest emotional intelligence but has found out that there are attributes that can be learnt and others that cannot. For example, empathy is a major installment in emotional intelligence. However, it is one of the most difficulty attributes that can be learned especially from a manager’s or an executive’s position. For example, an executive may be interested in

NUMMI Case Study External Environment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NUMMI External Environment - Case Study Example Discussion The effects of the government`s laws and regulations to the business. The aspect of a government`s involvement in the operations of a given business is an external factor that can either have a positive or negative impact on the business. In this case, the government of the United States has stipulated various regulations to guide various aspects in the production of motor vehicles; the main role of the set benchmark was to govern the construction of motor vehicle engines in a manner that emits limited quantities of exhaust whose final impact on the business became negative. These regulations forced the company to increase their production cost since the production of the required engines was very expensive thus leading to a negative influence on the General Motors Company which at that time focused on production of large vehicles with bigger engines that emitted large quantities of exhaust since the production cost was favorable. This presented the Company with a major ch allenge that involved seeking for better ways that that could not agree with the financial status of the company since the customers started demanding for high quality vehicles thus leading to a left shift in the demand curve of the vehicles manufactured before the new regulations came were enforced. Despite the fact that the General Motors struggled to produce vehicles that met the government and customer standards, they experienced frequent losses as their products were of low quality since they could not meet the required standards of both the customers and the government. The management of the NUMMI had to modify their strategies used in terms of production so as to face the challenge. As a result, the above challenge created the need to seek external assistance in order to improve their productivity hence profits; a solution was formulated which could see the Company form a partnership with the Toyota Company in Japan. The agreement was that Toyota could assist General Motors C ompany to produce smaller cars with higher operational qualities. The merger led to the formation of the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI). However, General Motors Company did not implement most of the modes of car production systems employed by Toyota Company hence leading to the closure and failure of some of its branches such as the Van Nuys in the year 1992 (Glass 9). Economic Recession The second aspect of external environment that led to the failure of the General Motors Company is the economic recession experienced in the United States of America that resulted to the loss of the Company’s market share from forty seven percent to thirty five percent from the late 1907’s to the early 1980’s (Glass 10). At that time, the recession was characterized by excessive car production that led to deflation in the markets. The reduction of the market share of the General Motors Company enabled many of the customers to develop a negative perception to wards the products produced by the company due to the fact that they were of low quality. The media and the consumer report magazine also played a big role in the failure of the company since they portrayed a negative perception of the company towards the consumers thus enabling them to ignore the NNUMIS`s products (Glass 12). By the year 1992, the Company had made a loss of approximately twenty billion US dollars propagated by the recession and the

Critical Analysis Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Analysis - Research Paper Example The first casualty accident that killed the hugest number of people since the invention of the first aircraft occurred in December 1910. A historic twenty-seven people perished in this accident. Since then, several other upsets, mostly connected to the military aircrafts have occurred. This triggered the world community to rethink and evaluate their airline safety rules and regulations. In the United States, for instance the first law regulating the industry was passed in the 1920s. A definite case was the Air Commerce Act 1926 (Diab 79). This law required the examination and licensing of all aircrafts and pilots. It also provided for the proper investigation of all accidents that occur in the aviation industry. Besides, this Act set out rules and aids of navigation under the â€Å"Aeronautics Branch of the Commerce Department† (Diab 79). Since then, many countries in the world have developed their own rules on safety as well as being parties to the international aviation rule s (Diab 79). Personal perspective Statistics show that the stages of a flight that are more to accidents include during landing, take off, descent and climbing. This is a cause for alarm on the basic areas neglected within aircrafts. Therefore, the aircrafts that land and take off frequently have a higher probability of being involved in accidents as compared to those that have few stopovers. Based on these statistics, it will be important to choose the aircrafts that operate on nonstop flights. The laws and regulations across the land are always keen on aircrafts whose seats exceed thirty. Smaller aircrafts do not have regulations as stringent as their larger counterparts do. This makes the larger aircrafts safer to use for travel. In as much as the enforcers and implementers of policy decisions are the aircraft staff, it is equally important for passengers to take care of their own safety. Passengers should neglect a definite airline that is notorious for safety neglects, financia l constraints and persistent complains from customers. Additionally, passengers must be keen on instructions and take stringent precautionary measures to help avert emergencies. Regional perspective The issue of airline safety must be addresses by people who use airlines and state governments. The US is a victim of airline terrorism and must practice extreme vigilance on all the passengers including those who appear innocent. It is necessary to vet before boarding airplanes. This is in cognizance to the fact that most terrorism activities are conducted by people who pose as passengers. In the year 1996, a Boeing Jumbo 747 jet crashed while en route to Paris from New York, killing all the two hundred and thirty people (Been-Yosef 182). Amidst this confusion, the rescue team could not fix the electrical wires to prevent short-circuiting the fuel tanks and minimize sparks. This incident brought to the fore, not only the preparedness of security and rescue team but also the actual mater ial to be used while making some parts of the plane. Consequently, rules were made that established provisions for the installation of nitrogen generating equipment to safeguard the protection of the fuel tank (Been-Yosef 182). National perspective The US is a target for terrorism activities. This means that it needs stringent rules and regulations to address this phenomenon. The general rules of flight and operations are executable within Part 91 of the Federal

Healthcare management capstone by nikita brown Essay Example for Free

Healthcare management capstone by nikita brown Essay Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday, and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time. Administrators must continuously seek opportunities to increase the profitability of their practice or facility. Throughout this course, you will develop a plan to integrate a current and emerging trend in health care in your organization. Your Executive Summary to integrate a current or emerging solution into your organization will include the following: †¢Week 1: Topic Research/Selection and Literature Review †¢Week 2: Organizational Assessment †¢Week 3: Project Plan †¢Week 4: Implementation Plan †¢Week 5: Evaluation Plan Week 1: Topic Research/Selection and Literature Review Part 1: Topic Research and Selection Begin this process by researching what health care organizations are doing or attempting to do to increase profitability. Remember, profitability can be improved from many different angles. A nonexclusive list of potential ways would be adding additional services, decreasing costs, increasing the amount of services that are provided, or implementing a quality improvement program that qualifies for incentive monies. Check trade journals or professional discussion boards, or reach out to existing health care managers. Part 2: Literature Review Perform a literature review of the solution that you have decided to apply to your organization. The review will encompass several articles, and at least 1 of the articles must be peer-reviewed. Look at current material (within the last 2 years). Remember, a literature review includes a summary of the information that you found that is relevant to your topic as well as an APA reference for each resource that you reviewed. Identifying what topic to perform research on should be accomplished quickly because you will need sufficient time to perform your literature review. Review a minimum of 10 documents. The review should be between 10–15 pages, including the bibliography. Use APA format.

Great Gatsby 2 :: essays papers

Great Gatsby 2 F. Scott Fitzgerald is an author who is distinguished for his use of symbolism in his literature, like in the novel The Great Gatsby. He uses the image of Doctor T. J. Eckelburg's eyes to symbolize a godlike being. Fitzgerald uses the symbol of the two women in yellow at Gatsby's party to represent the values of the 1920's. The food provided at Gatsby's party symbolically represents the members of 1920's society. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Symbolism in the novel The Great Gatsby as an accurate reflection of life in the American 1920's. In The Great Gatsby the symbol of T. J. Eckelburg's eyes represent a godly being watching over society. Fitzgerald incorporates the eyes into his novel to represent a pair of all seeing, all knowing and judging eyes, which are meant to intimidate. The character of George Wilson believes that the eyes are the eyes of God. "I spoke to her," he muttered, after a long silence. "I told her she might fool me but she couldn't fool God. I took her to the window- " With an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned his face pressed against it, "-and I said 'God knows what you've been doing, everything you've been doing. You may fool me but you can't fool God!' " Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. "God sees everything," repeated Wilson. (p.167) Through Wilson's beliefs Fitzgerald explains that the eyes can see everything including Myrtle's infidelities. Myrtle is a typical person of the 1920's. She has put her own life and interests ahead of everyone else's including her husband's. The eyes of God are frowning down on the 1920's society. But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. The look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose...his eyes, dimmed a little by many painless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.(p.27-28) Through Fitzgerald's wording in describing the image of Eckleburg's eyes the reader develops a mental image of an omnipotent being who is constantly watching over the land. The reader discerns that the eyes not only see everything but that they eyes are morbidly unhappy.

Aims and objectives Essay

This paper provides a context for this special edition. It highlights the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also makes the point that there is a policy agenda that provides workable solutions. Results An overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world, highlighting considerable variations, with Africa and South East Asia having the lowest average ratios. The paper argues that the ‘shortage’ of nurses is not necessarily a shortage of individuals with nursing qualifications, it is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the present conditions. The causes of shortages are multi-faceted, and there is no single global measure of their extent and nature, there is growing evidence of the impact of relatively low staffing levels on health care delivery and outcomes. The main causes of nursing shortages are highlighted: inadequate workforce planning and allocation mechanisms, resource constrained undersupply of new staff, poor recruitment, retention and ‘return’ policies, and ineffective use of available nursing resources through inappropriate skill mix and utilisation, poor incentive structures and inadequate career support. Conclusions What now faces policy makers in Japan, Europe and other developed countries is a policy agenda with a core of common themes. First, themes related to addressing supply side issues: getting, keeping and keeping in touch with relatively scarce nurses. Second, themes related to dealing with demand side challenges. The paper concludes that the main challenge for policy makers is to develop a co-ordinated package of policies that provide a long term and sustainable solution. Relevance to clinical practice This paper highlights the impact that nursing shortages has on clinical practice and in health service delivery. It outlines scope for addressing shortage problems and therefore for providing a more positive staffing environment in which clinical practice can be delivered. Keywords: nurses, nursing, workforce issues, workforce planning Go to: Introduction The world has entered a critical period for human resources for health. The scarcity of qualified health personnel, including nurses, is being highlighted as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving health system effectiveness. In January 2004, the High Level Forum on the Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reported, ‘There is a human resources crisis in health, which must be urgently addressed’ (High Level Forum on the Health MDGs, 2004, p. 4). Later in the same year, the Joint Learning Initiative reported that ‘There is a massive global shortage of health workers’ (Joint Learning Initiative 2004; executive summary, p. 3). In 2006, the World Health Organisation devoted the whole of the World Health Report to the negative impact that human resources shortages was having on global health care (WHO 2006). Against this backdrop of growing concern about shortages of health personnel, this paper focuses on one of the most critical components of the workforce: nurses. As such, it provides a context for the other papers in this special edition of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. These other papers focus in detail on specific nurse workforce issues and priorities facing policy makers and researchers in Australia, Canada, Japan, the USA and elsewhere. They emphasise the need to develop a better understanding of the specific dynamics in organisational and country level nursing labour markets if policy makers are to be well informed about the judgements they must make about what will be effective policy solutions for the nursing workforce. This paper provides a broader perspective, highlighting the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also making the point that there are many common challenges and a policy agenda that points to workable solutions. Go to: Nursing and the global health workforce challenge WHO has estimated there to be a total of 59 ·2 million fulltime paid health workers worldwide in 2006, of which about two thirds were health service providers, with the remaining third being composed of health management and support workers (WHO 2006). WHO also calculated a threshold in workforce density below which consistent coverage of essential interventions, including those necessary to meet the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was very unlikely. Based on these estimates, it reported that there were 57 countries with critical shortages equivalent to a global deficit of 2 ·4 million doctors, nurses and midwives. The proportional shortfalls were greatest in sub-Saharan Africa, although numerical deficits were very large in South-East Asia because of its population size (WHO 2006, p. 12). WHO also highlighted that shortages often coexist in a country with large numbers of unemployed health professionals: ‘Poverty, imperfect private labour markets, lack of public funds, bureaucratic red tape and political interference produce this paradox of shortages in the midst of underutilized talent’ (WHO 2006, p. xviii). WHO concluded that the shortage crisis has the potential to deepen in the coming years. It noted that demand for service providers will escalate markedly in all countries – rich and poor: ‘Richer countries face a future of low fertility and large populations of elderly people, which will cause a shift towards chronic and degenerative diseases with high care demands. Technological advances and income growth will require a more specialised workforce even as needs for basic care increase because of families’ declining capacity or willingness to care for their elderly members. Without massively increasing training of workers in this and other wealthy countries, these growing gaps will exert even greater pressure on the outflow of health workers from poorer regions’ (WHO 2006, p. xix). Nurses are the main professional component of the ‘front line’ staff in most health systems, and their contribution is recognised as essential to meeting development goals and delivering safe and effective care. One difficulty in making an accurate global estimate of numbers of nurses is the definition of  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœnurse’. Different international agencies, at different times, have developed different definitions, some related to educational level, some to years of training. The primary focus of this paper is on registered nurses, but this focus is hampered by the absence of a clear definition for some data sources, and the overall lack of a single universal definition of ‘nurse’. To give one indication of the size of the nursing workforce world wide, the International Council of Nurses reports 129 national nurses’ associations representing 13 million nurses worldwide (ICN 2007). This section of the paper provides an overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world. The data must be used with caution. The country level data collated by WHO which is reported in this paper may in some countries include midwives under the broad category of nurses; for some, it is also likely that the data may include auxiliary and unlicensed personnel. There can also be varying interpretations relating to the calculation of the number of nurses – some countries may report working nurses, others may report all nurses that are eligible to practice; some may report ‘headcount’, others may report full time equivalents. The analysis presented below should therefore be taken as illustrative of a broad pattern of regional variations, rather than an accurate representation of each country. Current initiatives by international organisations such as WHO, ILO and OECD to agree to standard definitions and improve the collection of count ry level HRH data should improve the current unsatisfactory situation.