Psychology and Child Essay

3.1 – Explain how practitioners promote children’s learning within the relevant early year’s framework. All practitioners need to promote children’s learning within the guidance given by the EYFS framework by offering a balance of child led and adult led based activities. Each practitioner must observe the children and plan activities which meet the individual needs and interests. They must also follow the interests of the child; asking them what they would like to do and how they may do it etc. We must also ensure that we are providing opportunities for children to lead the activity themselves, and supporting them to do this. 4.2 – Explain the importance of engaging with a child to support sustained shared thinking It is important to allow shared thinking of two or more individuals where they are working together on deciding how they are going to do something. They will talk about how they are going to do it, and what could happen. Children will need support so they feel confident they can do something and they will also need encouragement to actually take part. The more opportunities they get to do this the more confident they will feel about doing it on their own. If you use a topic the child is really interested in they are more likely to take part and become more confident. Evaluation It is important that you promote the learning and development of a child at this age as it will allow them to become more confident in themselves and their ideas. It is important for a practitioner to reflect on what they have done as it will allow them to see what went wrong or well and what they can do better next time. This is effective as it allows us to think on what we have done. For example if we have done an activity with a child for the first time afterwards we could reflect and see how it went and what we could do next time to make sure it is better.

Social Contexts and Adolescent Development

How did I become the person I am today? Is it because of the way my parents raised me? Does it have anything to do with the friends that I had growing up? Could it be that my teachers went above and beyond their content to teach me life lessons? The fact is that I had many influences in my life including my parents, friends and teachers that led me down the path to become the adult I am today. The numerous social contexts that I have encountered in my life each had their own part in contributing to my behaviors, personality, beliefs, goals and essentially every part of my being.As an adolescent, and even as an adult, much of the information and guidance I have received about achieving adult status was acquired from my parents. I am very fortunate to have parents who have made such a positive impact on my life. As an adolescent, I did not always get along with my parents. They were very strict and I was often angry with them for not letting me have as much freedom as my friends. I can still hear my mom saying, â€Å"If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you? † Now, as an adult, I understand that they really were just trying to look out for me.As far as preparing me for adulthood, my parents encouraged me to always do my best. My parents taught me that hard work is important and not only did they talk the talk, but they walked the walk. They led by example, and because of them I have an excellent work ethic which will be useful when I begin my teaching career (which I hope is very soon). Many adolescents do not look to their parents for information and guidance. They often feel like their parents do not understand them or their problems.As a teacher, I can try to help foster strong relationships between parents and students by providing support for those families who need it. I can provide parents with information about raising adolescents as it can be a very tough time with their child going through so many changes. As far as the students are concern ed, I can encourage them to go to their parents for advice and let them know that their parents are smarter than they think. I can even provide them with examples from my own life where my parents gave me excellent advice, even though I didn’t think that at the time.Another influential source of information and guidance in my adolescent years was that of my middle and high school teachers. In fact, one of the reasons that I chose teaching as a career was because of the positive interactions that I had with many of my own teachers. My favorite teachers were the ones who taught me how to be a better person, not just a better student. They had high expectations, taught organizational skills, encouraged self initiative, and provided guidance and advice outside of the content.I felt like they were always open to help in any situation. I want my students to understand that teachers can make a make a big difference in their life. I want them to know that they can always come to me w hen they have a problem and that I will always try my best to help them find a solution. I hope to teach them skills that they can use after they leave my classroom. I want what I teach them to stay with them forever, not just while I am their teacher. I also think it is important that they are encouraged to have relationships with other teachers, not just myself.All teachers have experienced adolescence, and each one of us brings something different to the table. If I am not able to help a student with a problem, then I can point them to someone who can. In typical adolescent fashion, I was also very influenced by my peers. While it may not seem that adolescent peers would provide much information and guidance for reaching adult status that is just simply not true. Interactions with my peers taught me about handling conflict, considering others, and making decisions. These peer experiences prepared me for similar situations that I would encounter as an adult.I think that peer inter actions are so important to adolescents because at this stage in their development much of their behavior is influenced mostly by their peers. As a teacher, I want to teach my students how to use interactions with their peers in a positive manner. I want to foster strong relationships in the classroom, so that students can use the characteristics of these relationships to build new relationships. I want my students to know that they can learn a lot from their friends, both good and bad. The important thing for them is to know how to separate the good from the bad, and learn rom their mistakes, as well as the mistakes of others. A context that involved both peers and teachers and one in which I learned many skills and responsibilities required for achieving adult status was high school marching band. Being a part of band taught me many skills that were necessary for attaining adult status. One of the most obvious skills that comes from being in band is teamwork. I also learned confid ence and pride. Dedication was also necessary because we put so much time into practicing and performing. One of the most difficult lessons was learning that we could not always come in first place.This lesson is very helpful because as an adult, because I am not going to get every job I apply for. Learning to keep going when we feel defeated is very important. I want to encourage my students to participate in extracurricular activities, whether it be band, sports or other clubs. Students should have the opportunities to learn these skills that come from being a part of something. I them to know that when I look back at my adolescent years, the thing I miss the most are the activities such as band, school musicals and community service clubs.Though I am not active in church as an adult, it was definitely one of the social contexts that had a great influence on who I am. There are so many lessons that one learns at church that can be applied to life. Going to church introduced me to being a part of something greater than myself and gave me the opportunity to express my beliefs. While I am not able to bring religion into the school setting, I can still remind my students that organizations that they are a part of can provide much information and guidance in becoming an adult. I can encourage them to stand strong in what they believe in, but to also respect the beliefs of others.In this day and age, it would pretty much be impossible for the media to not have any influence on the development of adolescents. However, I would say that in my own personal experience media had a part, but only a small part, in informing and guiding me from adolescence into adulthood. One of the reasons that media was not a big influence in my life goes back to how strict my parents were. I was not allowed to watch a lot of television or listen to a lot of music. My time on the computer was very limited. All of my interactions with media were monitored pretty closely.Unfortunately, mos t adolescents in today’s world have entirely too much media influence. Many students have their own smart phones which gives them access to pretty much anything they want access to. Television and movies that are geared toward adolescents are more risque than they were a decade ago. As a teacher I think it is important that I warn students of the negative impacts that media can have on their development. However, media can also impact students in a positive way if used correctly. I would like to teach my students how to use media to research important topics that can help them grow into knowledgeable young adults.If media is a big influence in their life, I want to make sure that it is a positive influence. I think my experiences as an adolescent are still relevant to the lives of adolescents today. While my experiences as an adolescent took place more than a decade ago, adolescents in today’s world continue to encounter many of the same situations of the past. Peer pr essure still exists and takes a toll on the decision making of adolescents when it comes to risky behaviors such as drinking, drugs and sex. The interaction and conflict that they have with their parents, is very similar to the interactions that I experienced with my own parents.I felt the need for independence, just as they do. The emotions that I encountered as an adolescent are still experienced by adolescents today. I went through heartbreak, making new and losing old friends, the desire to be popular, and trying to impress others. Our world has changed tremendously over the past decade, but the issues of adolescence as well as adolescent development have continued to remain the same. Having experienced the years of adolescence myself, along with the education I have received about adolescent development, I believe that I can have a positive influence on the lives of my students.Helping my students understand that they are in control of who they become is one of my top prioritie s. I can accomplish this by teaching them to be open to information and guidance from the many social contexts in their life, and emphasizing focus on the positive aspects of the various influences. I also believe that it is important for me to share how I was influenced by many different contexts in my own life. I would hope that this would help me connect with my students and lead them to attaining adult status using what they learn from the many contexts in their own life.

Business Forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Forecasting - Essay Example The third step includes testing the predictability of a model while using the ‘out-of-sample data’, that establishes whether the model can fulfill its duty of predictability. Historical data is essential to predict the future demand. Even though the future data may fit the future data, it is not an assurance that the forecast in the future is accurate. Like in the carbonated soft drink study, the estimate went on for over 153 weeks, with the 13 weeks used as out of sample data. The increased lead times for some specific packaging components is due to the complicated process. Also, the surfacing of more than normal supply and demand issues force a change in the supply chain after only thirteen weeks of the entire plan. The scenarios The scenarios as analyzed in the case study include sensing demand, shaping demand and ways of maximizing Return on Investment. The sensing demand handles the measures the organization undertakes to increase volume in the retail business assoc iated with grocery. The scenario is imperative in demand forecasting because it ensures the production of enough products for existing customers. The firm concentrates on major business indicators, to push sales up thus increasing profitability. The third scenario associated with maximization of ROI, the organization researches on other scenarios that can help boost sales and promote productivity. Another fourth scene not mentioned in the case study, but remains important is to understand the consumer in terms of quality and quantity standards.

Discuss the ways in which individuals and communities demonstrate Essay

Discuss the ways in which individuals and communities demonstrate agency in their lives - Essay Example Agency facilitates the way the individual’s negotiates their lifestyle particularly through interpersonal dialogues. Some may however not use interpersonal dialogues but settle on constructing their lives â€Å"spaces† individually, and avoiding linguistic interactions and interpersonal dialogues entirely. Nevertheless, it is vital to note that individual’s demonstration of agency later on forms the building blocks of a community. This is because individuals are community agents since they express their thoughts on cultural matters to other people. Through agency, people are able to carry out face-to-face conversations with people from other communities. This has an impact on either side of the communities since culture is a negotiated meaning (Gutman 5). Being a negotiated meaning, a cultural forum in which the culture is negotiated and re-negotiated is what makes and remakes the culture and the community. This therefore supports the earlier argument that throug h agency, individuals are not passive recipients of community outcomes. Through agency, individuals are able to engage in cultural construction (Gutman 6). Another demonstration of agency is seen in babies. ... This could also mean that the adults from the children could also be the same. Children therefore exploit the meaning they derive from the pre- existing culture to build their own understanding of the world that later on helps them or destroys them as adults. Based on this argument, it is evident that agency plays a vital role in shaping up the future of individuals. For instance, if an individual is given to express his/her opinion of an event, the person will be treated by the other based on the opinion. There is also a probability that the individual may influence others in the process. The opinion may have been constructed from the way the individual views the society from his/her own small world. Agency also influences personal behavior among individuals. The various changes in personal behavior evolve with time and it determines the way people respond to different circumstances. The changes in individual behavior lead to changes in the culture of a society. Some individuals vie w them as suggestions meaning they can be ignored, circumvented or disregarded (Gutman, 6). Through agency, cultural influences have no power over individuals unless they allow them to have power over them. Gutman (7) concluded that the depiction he had of Mexican men was wrong. This is because what he saw was different from what he had the society expected of Mexican men i.e. the men were hard drinkers and philandering macho men. This therefore shows that the men had evolved and developed their own views and goals different from the overall depiction of community as seen by outsiders. The limiting factor in the argument above is the lack of empirical data to measure the extent of ignoring or circumventing the cultural influences in the above case. Furthermore, the

Exporing the properties of gases Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exporing the properties of gases - Lab Report Example ain objectives of these experiments were to develop skills in performing simple gas phase experiment, determine the effects of variations in the three variables of an ideal gas and test the formulated hypothesis. Our first hypothesis was that the pressure of a given volume of gas increases with a decrease in the gas volume at a constant temperature. Our second hypothesis was that increase in temperature of an enclosed gas sample increases the pressure exerted by the gas at a constant volume. Our final hypothesis stated that the volume of any gas increases with an increase in temperature at a constant pressure (Daniel et al 275). Boyle’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas and its pressure at a constant temperature. The syringe plunger was pressed to increase the pressure as the volume decreased. The pressure was recorded using the pressure sensor. Charles law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas sample and its temperature on a constant pressure. Gay-Lussac’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between the temperature of an enclosed gas sample and the pressure exerted at a constant volume (Daniel et al 275). Test of our hypothesis gave positive results hence our hypothesis were adopted. It was discovered that decrease in volume of a given gas increase the gas pressure at a constant temperature Increase in temperature led to increase in volume of a given gas at constant pressure and pressure increase with increase (Daniel et al 275). Gas is one of the states of matter besides liquids and solids. There are very many types of gases some of which are poisonous while others are not. A gas like Hydrogen Sulphide is very poisonous while oxygen gas is not poisonous. All the gases have varying pH values whereby some are acidic, neutral or basic but not both. Gases like CO2, O2, H2 and N2 among others are found naturally on the environment (Daniel et al 275). The ideal gas

Managing People and Organizations and Changing Business Scenario and Coursework

Managing People and Organizations and Changing Business Scenario and Management Practices - Coursework Example There are different approaches and perspective of management however management is about planning, organizing, leading and controlling to ensure that the organizational objectives are achieved. The task of managers is not only to ensure that organizational objectives are achieved, but it is the responsibility of the management to make sure that the motivation level of employees is high (Glueck, 1980). There is vast scholarly evidence suggesting that the theory of management came after the Second World War.; and its basic in-depth study has begun ever since. But the concept, in essence, started after the Industrial Revolution which brought upon mass production, specialization and seeing people a critical resource all paved way for management to viewed as a critical area of discourse. Principles of management are basic truths and the clarification between a dependent variable and an independent variable. Principles shall hathe ve a predictive or explanatory effect into it and it is muc h more deeply related to the dependent and independent variable as to whether these principles are applicable in given situation or not The rapidly changing environment along with different technological advancements, have been raising questions that the theories related to management are applicable in the current environment or not. Different researches and studies have been carried in this regard. In this report, an attempt has been made in order to understand the different management theories and their implications in the changing workplace. Managers are important for any modern organization i.e. plant managers look after machinery working properly, sales manager’s task is to build an effective sales team and formulate an effective sales strategy and a personnel manager’s job is to provide an enthusiastic, effective task, accomplishing and productive workforce (Rogg, Schmidt, Shull, & Schmitt, 2001). Managers are responsible in the organization to ensure that all the tasks are accomplished within the deadline and to complete the tasks in the most appropriate manner, they assign the tasks and manage people with the intention that the organizational objectives are accomplished properly.  

Toumin Essay-Baseball players using steroids should be banned Essay

Toumin -Baseball players using steroids should be banned - Essay Example One of the fundamental lessons and guidelines that kids are taught include saying no to drugs. However, in various sports publications and reports, the public has been made aware that the role models, Major League Baseball (MLB) players were reported to violate rules by using steroids that can damage the game and themselves repeatedly. In this regard, one contends that professional baseball players who use steroids should be banned from the game. MLB has faced and dealt with many issues in regards to players violating rules and policies resulting in suspension. However, players have been banned from baseball for serious offenses. For example, Pete Rose, former manager of the Cincinnati Reds and the all-time Major League leader in hits, was banned from baseball for gambling; and ultimately banned from the Hall of Fame (PETE ROSE STILL BANNED FROM HALL OF FAME). Marge Scott, former owner of Cincinnati Reds, was banned from baseball for saying racist slurs about African Americans and homosexual comments. Ferguson Jenkins, former Texas Rangers player, was banned for having possession of drugs trying to clear U.S. Customs. If these individuals mention were banned, the use of steroids, which is a greater offense, would ultimately be prevented through eliminating all players proven to have used it in the game. In an article written by Sari (2010), sports players are predominantly identified to manifest prolific use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), noted to have been synthetically obtained from testosterone, â€Å"the sex hormone that stimulates development of male sex characteristics and growth of muscles and bones† (68). Steroids were also reported to include performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) which likewise encompass human growth hormone (HGH) (Schmotzer, Kilgo and Switchenko). The reasons for using non-therapeutic

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

History - Essay Example The ideologies of the movement would not have gained impetus if the print media had not yet flourished, which promoted a renewed interest in the discovery of knowledge especially among the elites. One of the founding centers of the Enlightenment was France. Voltaire (1694–1778) was a French radical thinker who epitomized the Enlightenment ideals of freedom of speech and rational thought over blind faith in religion. Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) was another Enlightenment figure who revolutionized political discourse. He praised the republic as the best form of government and paved way for the division of the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. Diderot was the architect of the Encyclopedia which was published over a period of twenty one years (1751–1772). Though the Enlightenment ideals originated in France it spread to different parts of Europe and the world. Each country saw the emergence of a bunch of radical thinkers in various fields. In England it was epitomized by Isaac Newton. John Locke, Adam Smith, David Hume were the other exponents of the Enlightenment in England. In America the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin created waves. It encouraged a widespread thirst for knowledge among the elites and the cultivation of scientific rationalism. Many of these philosophes set the mood for a tremendous intellectual and cultural revolution which left no stone in the society unturned. In the essay let us look at the political, economic, and scientific ripples created by the Enlightenment across the world. Many leaders of the American Revolution like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Paine were greatly influenced by the English and French Enlightenment thought, especially John Locke’s idea of liberalism. The Enlightenment clearly defied the absolutism of monarchy and upheld democracy. The common man was tired of being suppressed under the absolutist monarchs and they were influenced by the teachings

A Risk Management Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Risk Management Proposal - Assignment Example Risk evaluation is also extremely important in order to minimize the occurrence of risks. The two widely used methods of risk evaluation include subjective and objective methods. Many people from different departments are involved in the process of risk management who oversee different phases of the project risk management. If case of construction industry, people included in the process of risk management are project risk manager, risk management team, project risk custodians, risk profile owners, and team members of the project. Project risk manager provides the risk management strategy to the team in order to manage the risks associated with the project. The project management team collects necessary information required for the purpose of risk management. The risk profile owners allocate the responsibility of the risks to the concerned staff. The custodians of the risk oversee and consolidate the risks within a particular risk category. The project team members provide the necessary information regarding risks to the project profile owners and the risk management team. The phases of the risk management process include establishment of context for risk management, communication of risk management, risk identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, risk treatment, and monitoring and reviewing of the risk. Emaar is a Public Joint Stock Company whose motive is to provide the people with high standard life styles. Emaar is a Dubai based Construction Company and has been working successfully since 1997. Emaar Construction Company competes in various areas related to construction industry. These areas include building beautiful homes, master planned communities, various construction projects, and providing the customers with full range of high life style requirements. The risk occurs when the client asks for a change in the design of the building at a later stage by commenting that the design document was not shown

Three Skills I Would Like to Learn Essay Example for Free

Three Skills I Would Like to Learn Essay â€Å"Nothing is work unless you would rather be doing something else.† This is one of my favorite quotes. Several years ago in high school, my teacher put a new quote up every day. That particular quote really spoke to me. For example, if I am working, doing something I want to do, am I really working? I often think how amazing it would be to learn to operate heavy machinery, construct buildings, and fly airplanes. I have always been interested in learning how to operate heavy equipment. Driving along the interstate, I am always distracted when I see a construction site. First, I think it would be intriguing to completely reshape the earth into what I want it to look like. Second, how fun it would be to build nearly anything I want? Third, I am excited by the freedom of working outdoors while I operate a piece of machinery that has the power to move earth. Operating heavy equipment sounds like a very beneficial talent to have. Building construction is a useful skill for many reasons. First, think about how much money a person could save if they knew how to build their own home. Second, the freedom it would give me to choose exactly how my home was to be built. Third, there would never be any waiting for someone else to construct something for me; it would be done on my time. I think it would be very rewarding to look at my home and know that I assembled it myself. Building construction would be a lifelong skill that would pay off for many years to come. For me, learning to fly an airplane would be a huge accomplishment. One reason is I live three hours from my parents. I could save so much time by flying a small plane to visit my loved ones. A second reason is I would also be able to see them a lot more; I’ve heard that flying is significantly faster than driving. Another reason, I would be delighted to know that I was clever enough to fly a plane. For me, learning to fly a plane would give me the freedom to see the things I want anytime I want. I would love to be skilled in operating heavy equipment, building construction, and flying planes. Any of these trades would never feel like work to me, I would feel like I was playing every day. I often think how remarkable it would be to have a skill I love and all the perks that would come with it.

Swot And Pest Analysis Of Wal Mart Management Essay

Swot And Pest Analysis Of Wal Mart Management Essay INTRODUCTION This assignment is basically based on SWOT analysis of Wal-Mart, a leading biggest global retail company. Wal-Marts Sam Walton opened the first discount store in Rogers Arkansas back in 1962, and 47 years later, Wal-Mart operates 8,159 units in 17 countries. Wal-Mart employs over 2.1 million people worldwide, making them one of the largest private employers in both the US and Canada, and the largest private employer in Mexico. ² Even in the midst of a recession its estimated that Wal-Mart stores retail market share has raised markedly ³ and they are seeing sales gains for 2009. Wal-Mart has a dramatic story of success from its humble beginnings to its transformation into an industry leader; one can only wonder what the future holds for this corporate giant. One aspect of Wal-Marts structure that has given them a competitive edge is their efficiency in logistics. Beginning in the early 1970s, Wal-Mart utilized a warehouse distribution strategy facilitating bulk purchasing and streamlined distribution processes enabling them to dramatically minimize distribution costs. Today Wal-Mart has more than 147 distribution centres with the average facility serving 75-100 stores. Their truck fleet travels about 800 million miles a year and they move over 5.5 billion cases of products. A Wal-Mart distribution centre can have up to twelve miles of conveyor belts and about 500 1,000 employees. [via : http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/FactSheets/] Wal-Mart has also been able to gain competitive advantage with their embracement of Technology advance. This network included voice and video communication which streamlined the companys communication and facilitated the flow of sales and inventory information to the corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.6 During a period of slower growth in the early 21st century, Wal-Mart made substantial technology investments that were successful in gaining more inventory control and improving company performance. In addition to their technological competitive edge, Wal-Mart continues to make smart strategic decisions to exploit potential new revenue sources as they continually to expand into new markets. Wal-Mart opened the first Wal-Mart Super centre in 1988. Wal-Mart include a complete super-market, garden centre, pet shop, pharmacy, tire and lube express, optical centre, photo processing centre, and some additional smaller shops ranging from hair, nail, video, and fast-food outlets. Today there are over 2,700 supercenters in the US. By 1998 they introduced the Neighbourhood market concept which catapulted them into becoming the largest US food retailer by 2001. [via: http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/FactSheets/] By 1991, Wal-Mart began its international expansion with the introduction of its first store into Mexico. Two years later they formed Wal-Mart International their rapidly growing third division. Today, Wal-Mart has a total of 3,859 international locations and operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, the United States and the United Kingdom. Wal-Mart is now planning on expanding their operations in India and China even further. [via : The Wall Street Journal] Some innovative products and programs Wal-Mart has created have contributed to their popularity and profitability. Wal-Mart began its site to store program in 2007 which offers free shipping or delivery to a local store for purchases on their website walmart.com. [via : CNET] Wal-Marts signage and logo have recently evolved; in 2007 they revised their long time slogan Always Low Prices, Always with the current Save Money Live Better motto. Wal-Marts three Basic Beliefs and Values as follows are: Respect for the individual, Service to our customers, and striving for Excellence. [via : http://www.walmartmovie.com/facts.php] These long-standing beliefs havent stopped them from becoming the source of some controversy and damaging press over the past decade including involvement in multiple lawsuits involving questionable business practices. There have been multiple allegations of sexual discriminatory practices and cases involving unpaid wages. To achieve a greater understanding of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., it is important to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as to what one should expect in their future performance as a company. PEST ANALYSIS The way businesses operate is influenced by the wider political, economic, social and technological environment. These are usually referred to as PEST factors PEST is an acronym for political, economic, social and technological By analysing trends and developments in their business environment, firms can spot new market opportunities and threats. Political factor: Wal-Mart is currently operates its operation worldwide. In this operation Wal-Mart need to follow certain rules and regulation of host countries. Last year 2009, international operations generated 27.2% of Wal-Marts net sales. [via : wikiinvest] They are facing big challenge from Chinese government and forced to Wal-Mart to acquire its operation with local firm. Political condition includes political instability, economic condition, currency regulation, legal and regulation constrains, intellectual property rights, tax system etc. Wal-Marts international operations have greater impact of host countries law and regulation like Indian government open door for foreign investment to operate business acquire with local firm. For Eg, currently, Wal-Mart acquired with Bharati Airtel leading Telecommunication Company and open new retail store in year 2009 and shut their operation in Germany and South Korea. Economic factor : Economic condition of host countries has greater impact on any business firm. Recently, Wal-Mart facing high inflation rate and currency devaluations. In US, Wal-Mart facing challenge of high interest rate, higher fuel and energy cost, inflation, higher level of unemployment, higher consumer debt level, unavailability of consumer credit, higher tax rates, economic slow down and other economic factor could adversely affect consume demand of the product or service offering by Wal-Mart. Social factor : Wal-Marts international operation should operates according to local culture of host countries. It includes population growth, age distribution, career attitude and emphasis on safety. Trend of host countries affect demand of Wal-Marts products and services. [via : wikipedia.org] Technological factor : Nowadays, technology has a grater impact on any business. This factors includes ecological and environment aspects. Wal-Mart need to invest in Research Development activities, automation, technology incentives and respond the rate of technological change for remain in competitive market and No. 1 retailer. Wal-Marts spend huge amount behind continuous new advanced technology upgrade program. PEST analysis helps to examine influences macro environment and with the help of PEST analysis, firm can successful examine its strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats i.e. SWOT. Wal-Marts SWOT analysis as follows : SWOT ANALYSIS The internal and external environment scanning is an important part of the strategic planning process. SWOT is acronym, standing for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis enables an organisation to place itself and its products into perspective. The analysis helps to highlight the main strength and weaknesses of the organisation, together with any external opportunities and threats. SWOT Analysis Internal Analysis External Analysis Threats Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Strengths: Marketing Aspect : Wal-Mart emphasis is on its brand image everyday low prices and good quality of products when marketing by using different channels. Wal-Mart is become superior to their competitors by using their expertise core competencies. Wal-Mart involving local communities and they are sponsoring local teams. This is a major competitive advantage Wal-Mart has over the competitors. Wal-Mart has roughly 4000 stores in US. In UK, Wal-Mart takeover Asda on 26 July 1999 for $10.8 billion, internationally it has more than 1300 stores and this number is set to grow dramatically. Wal-Mart has excellent logistic system. They create the ideal one stop shopping experience. Because of conglomeration of its wide product range customers can do one stop shopping products, the typical customer can go into any Wal-Mart and walk out without having to stop at another store for anything that they could need. Management Aspect : Wal-Marts policies and practices are designed to ensure an environment that is inclusive and equitable. Wal-Mart has 2,100,000 employees including international operation. They provide training on working with people, equal employment opportunities, leading skills, diversity and help to achieve career objectives. Wal-Mart has strong community based initiatives. Corporate structure of Wal-Mart is very well rounded and managed with core values like respect for the individual, striving for excellence and service to their customers. The management of Wal-Mart is the backbone to the entire firm and these core values have propelled them to the top of their industry. They have allowed Wal-Mart to be worlds largest company. Finance and Accounting Aspect : The company operates nearly 7,873 stores worldwide, with over 3,000 of them in international markets, where the company has grown its presence at an average annual rate of 30% between 2005 and 2009. The company focuses on offering the lowest prices across its business segments, which together earned $408 billion in revenue in 2010, a 1% increase from 2009 which is rapidly increases in revenue shows good financial position. Key Figures: (via : wikiinvest.org) Operation Growth Rate of Revenue of Operating Income Sams Club 63.7% 79.6% Wal-Mart (International) 11.7% 7.4% Wal Mart (US) 24.6% 21.7% Current share price $ 53.90 Human Resource Aspect : Wal-Mart has more than 2.1 million associates or employees worldwide. They provide continuous training to their workforce to run successful business. Production and Operation Aspect : Wal-Mart has strong distribution system and its known as cross docking. They are continuous delivering goods to warehouses and to their stores within in one day. However it gives a faster response to market demands and low level of inventory. This system has allowed them to decrease its sales cost by 2 to 3 % over the industry. Research and development : Wal-Marts innovation keeps it a leading retailer in retail industry as it is regularly turning out new patents/proprietary technology. Development and innovation are high at Wal-Mart with regard to their products/services which give ultimate profit. Computer Information System : Wal-Mart uses satellite based communications for connecting all the network of stores. Wal-Mart is offering safe, secure and informative complete website where consumer can purchase products easily. Through web-site of Wal-Mart, one can find A to Z information of Wal-Mart. Weaknesses: Marketing Aspect : One of the biggest marketing weaknesses seems from Wal-Mart lobbying to expand into new market nationally and internationally. There are many areas across the US tried to block the introduction of Wal-Mart because of the economic impact like local stores, traffic and environmental problem. Wal-Mart has a damaged reputation because when they move into a new location they end up forcing for opening new stores which is unethical at all. Wal-Mart also shut down its underperforming business in South-Korea and Germany in fiscal year 2007-08. Management Aspect : There are few females in top management role and few minorities employed. Wal-Mart is lacking equality demand which is not ethical decision for Wal-Mart to be making. They are really hurting their corporate image by maintaining this position in market. There is also lack of union. Because of perception of treating employees poorly, Wal-Mart does not have any union involvement. There is biggest problem is lack of job security for associates. Finance and Accounting Aspect : Ratio Proposition Fixed Asset Turnover 8.4 % Earnings Per Share 3.35 % Average collection period 8 % As above ratio are presented weak finance condition. Fix assets turnover ratio present high investment but not being used. The EPS ratio is not good as compare to the industry. The collection ratio presents that Wal-Mart allowing their debtors to carry account with above average period of time. It increases the likelihood of non-payment. Human Resource Aspect: Wal-Mart is non-unionized firm. Wal-Mart employees commence at lower wages than unionized corporations. Wal-Mart pays low wages to their employees which affect their standard of living. Wal-Mart is presently involved in class action suit behalf of formal and current female employees across its US retails and warehouses. These employees totalling to 1.6 million alleged that the company showed gender discrimination at the time of pay, promotion, training and job assignment. This is one of the biggest gender discrimination cases in the US. Production and operation Aspect : Since Wal-Mart sell products across many sectors, it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused competitors. Research and Development Aspect : Wal-Mart is not actively engaged in any R D. Specifically, they do not do prior research before opening a new store in any new area. Opportunities: Economic Aspect : When any countrys government invite foreign investment with new trade agreements, businesses like Wal-Mart have ability to offer products and services. This simply increases the markets available to retailers. Wal-Mart offers all products under private labels. Expanding brand portfolio, Wal-Mart incurs lower operational costs, high quality product and gaining higher margin. Wal-Mart has tremendous opportunities for future business in expanding consumer market by acquisition, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers. Social, cultural, demographic and environmental Aspect : To fulfil obligation or responsibilities towards social and culture, Wal-Mart announced plans to open in store clinic The Clinic at Wal-Mart to be connect with local hospitals in February 2008. The company could leverage rising health care spending in the US to boost revenues of its pharmacies and health clinics. (c) Political, Legal and Government Aspect: Asian market is virtually untapped by the retail world in many extent. It gives huge opportunities to expand business with unlimited and unexpected potential growth and profits. Technological Aspect : Nowadays, online shopping is growing stage. To take advantage and experience of internet shopping, customers can easily purchase products by receives friendly site designs, efficient order fulfilment, fast delivery and response. It can help Wal-Mart to make huge revenue. Threats: Economic, social, demographic and environmental Aspect : Wal-Mart is facing stiff competition from a large number of companies in the retail market worldwide and local stores. Intense competition could adversely affect the revenues and profitability of Wal-Mart. They face opposition and resistance from communities by local and international market like small retailer in US and opposition of shopkeepers and retailers on introduction of Wal-Mart in India. Growing opposition to opening new stores from local communities and entry into international markets is likely to hold back expansion plans of Wal-Mart. Political, Legal and Governmental Aspect : Being a global retailer, each firm threaten by political problem in the countries where they operate in by nations industrial and general laws, rules and regulations. Like Chinese government does not take kindly open to their country to foreign establishments. Technological : As technological change and advances, products being sold today are gone tomorrow; this provides fewer products to sell and continuous change with technology update. Thus, Wal-Mart has to update technology as per current demand and upgrading requires high investment. CONCLUSION Wal-Mart is the largest retail firm in the world with strong market position in the US. The companys strong market position in the US provides economies of scale and enhances the brand image to the company. It derived almost 75% of revenue from the US market. However, the company faces stiff competition with local players which can adversely affect the revenue and profitability of Wal-Mart. In order for Wal-Mart to stay at the top of their game and follow the company strategy and achieve their key policy goals, they are going to have deal better with their stakeholders and make sure they guard their reputation well nevertheless they are criticized by some community groups, womens rights groups, labour union, grassroots organisations, resistance to union representation and alleged sexism. Key Strengths : The key strengths are employees, financial position, customer oriented, one-stop shopping, satisfaction guaranteed programs, employee stock ownership and profit-sharing, well-rounded business, ease of website, good reputation, and favorable access to distribution networks. Key Weaknesses : The key weaknesses are some ratios are not sufficient, non-unionization, no formal mission statement, few women and minorities in top management, undifferentiated products and services, site research, slow speed of checkout service, and finally a damaged reputation. Key Opportunities : The key opportunities are expansion of business, better segmentation, leverage tech. and financial know-how. Key Threats : The key threats are competition, labour unrest, brand loyalty disappearance, supplier backlash affects performance of company.

Descartes Vs. Pascal Essay -- essays research papers

Descartes vs. Pascal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For centuries, human beings have been debating over the validity of the use of reason. This is a very, very difficult subject to discuss, as one is forced to study something which is at that moment being used in their study. Two classic thinkers who contrasted on their view of reason were Descartes and Pascal. Though both saw reason as the primary source of knowledge, they disagreed over the competence of human reason. Descartes, the skeptic, said that we could use reason to find certain truth if we used it correctly, while Pascal said that we can't know certain truth, but reason is the best source of knowledge that we have. Descartes:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reason is the tool by which we know everything that we know. But most people make the mistake of basing their reasoning on assumptions which are not known with 100% certainty. As I've said, â€Å"I am greatly astonished when I consider [the great feebleness of mind] and its proneness to fall [insensibly] into error† (K&B, p. 409). But it is possible to avoid falling into error if we use the valuable tool of reason correctly. In order to do this and find certainty, we must find something that we cannot doubt. This is impossible, as we can logically doubt anything. A certain truth must be something that is not logically possible to be false.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We must doubt, as that is the only way to find certain truth. It is the only way to wipe the slate clean of all of the uncertain assumptions which are believed and taught in the universities today. Just as mathematics will lead to uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths, so will all use of reason lead to uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths. There is a way to use doubt, though, to find certainty. If 100% certainty equals 0% doubt and we are certain that we can doubt everything, then we can use doubt as our certainty. We cannot doubt that we are doubting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With our one certainty, we can now methodically use reason to find more certainties. For example, we can use the certainty â€Å"I am doubting† to find out that â€Å"I exist.† If I am doubting, than there must be an â€Å"I† who is doubting, which means that I must be. Like I've often said, â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† We can continue building on our certainties using rationa... ...e knowledge. Watson:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with Pascal on his view of the capabilities of reason. We are feeble, misled creatures in the midst of a reality which we cannot know. Descartes was correct in his attempt to use mathematical logic to get rid of uncertain assumptions and find truth, but he needs to realize that most truth is beyond our reach. We, as thinking humans, do have the remarkable ability to study ourselves. Yet we have limitations in this study and cannot expect to be able to get a complete grasp of ourselves. Pascal was right on when he said that there are no complete skeptics. There are many things which we must accept, using reason, that we cannot prove with certainty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I don't lean quite as far in Pascal's direction on his view of intuitionism. I believe that there is intuitive knowledge which we know with our heart. But this knowledge is only believed correctly when it is rationally processed. As with almost everything, we must find a balance between the use of reason and intuition. We err on the side of believing unreasonably if we use too much intuition, we become too skeptical if we ignore intuitive knowledge.

Essay --

Throughout history, many different types of economic models and theories have been developed. These different philosophies of business often were an important and integral part of a government’s basic structure. For example communist countries like China and the Soviet Union practiced a type of socialism. While, democratic nations like the United States and Canada practice forms of capitalism. Also within these economic models exists different theories as well such as Keynsian economics and laissez faire economics. To understand how these types of economies work in the world today, it is important to study and define a variety of economic systems. Researching such economic systems as capitalism and socialism, and also looking at the ideas of laissez faire and the Keynsian economics, a person will start to have a better understanding of how business works in the world today. One of the most common major types of economic systems in the world today is capitalism. In its simplest terms, capitalism can be defined as an economic system in which a country’s trade and industry are run by private organizations for profit. So within capitalism major industries such as manufacturing, energy, banks, transportation, medicine and more are not run by the government. The earliest forms of capitalism can be traced to the 17th century English Puritans who possessed a strong work ethic that focused an importance on productive labor. Modern capitalism is said to have started in the mid-18th century with the birth of factories. Factory owners were able to maximize wealth by making goods that were in-demand and also by streamlining labor. For capitalism to work. supply and demand is typically unregulated by government. It is based on the f... ...omy. For example, China is considered a communist government. However for their economy to exist in the world market, some private ownership and factories have been allowed to exist with government oversight. And the United States while considered a capitalistic society has such institutions as public schools, energy, medicare, and services which all share in and benefit from equally. All economic systems also have their pros and cons. For example, Capitalism has been accused of ignoring the individual in pursuit of profit. While socialism does not reward the entrepreneur with wealth, but often punishes the rich with crushing taxes. In the end, the best way to understand how economies work in the world today is to research each ones basic history and definition. In this way a person can make an informed decision on what economic system they believe works best

Essays --

Mao Zedong was considered to be the father of communist China. He was born in Shaoshan, China in Hunan province on December 26, 1893 and died in Beijing on September 9, 1976. He was born into a peasant family with 3 siblings, 2 younger brothers and a younger sister. Unlike most peasant families in Nineteenth Century China, his family was more wealthy than most. He went to Shaoshan Primary School. When Mao was 11 he attempted to run away from home to get away from the Confucian upbringing, but his father brought him back and 2 years later he completed his primary education. He worked full time in the fields with his father. To fulfill his restless mind he was always reading. It was at that time that after reading a booklet by Zheng Guanying that he developed a political consciousness. His future political standing was influenced by George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte and their love for their countries. In 1911 when he was about 18 he moved to Changsha for a secondary education. H e served as a private soldier in the rebel army for the Xinhai Revolution, it was successful in defeating the monarchy in the southern province but the Northern Province still supported the monarchy rule. After the victory he returned to studies but soon moved out of Changsha School because it was set to Confucianism. After that he spent most of his time reading at the public library with a goal to be a teacher. He enrolled himself in a teacher training college. He then started writing articles for the radical newspaper, New Youth. He participated in many school activities and he graduated from that same school in June of 1919. He then moved to Beijing in search for a job not being able to find one on his own his mentor helped him get one as an assista... ...ding it was somewhere between 2 and 7. Some of Mao’s most famous quotes were †¦ â€Å"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.† – From Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan â€Å"War is the highest form of struggle for resolving contradictions, when they have developed to a certain stage, between classes, nations, states, or political groups, and it has existed ever since the emergence of private property and of classes.† From Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War â€Å"Every Communist must grasp the truth, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.† From Problems of War and Strategy

Violent Video Games Are Harmful to Young People

Violent video games can definitely be harmful to young people, especially very young, easily influenced children. Maybe they don’t affect each child the same, but I’m sure that there are times when they negatively affect the life of an adolescent. I would imagine that any one exposed to violence like some I’ve seen on some video games, would pick up the behavior subconsciously over time, even if they don’t consciously act violent. Sometimes young people who play games like these sort of separate themselves from reality, which leads to angry behavior.Other times, it leads straight to violence because that’s what these kids know and experience daily on the television screen. Everyone has heard the controversy surrounding the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto games. In which, young people steal cars and kill people for absolutely no reason. I see this as a perfect example. I wonder how often kids spend time playing this game, or others similar to it, and suddenly start acting out violently as a result. I believe that young people don’t always necessarily have the maturity to realize that video games aren’t real.It’s at these young ages that our lives are shaped, and we learn by example to become well rounded adults. If kids are constantly observing violence, then as they age they are sure to act violently or at least harbor a great deal of anger into adulthood. While I haven’t seen this happen first hand, I’m sure that this type of thing happens all the time with young people who play violent video games all the time. Doubt: I seriously have to wonder if violent video games are harmful to young people.It seems like blaming video games is the most pleasant way for parents to avoid taking the responsibility for raising a violent kid. It’s just like how so often people blame kids’ bad behavior on music or television shows. I’ve watched violent movies, heard violent music, even pl ayed violent video games, but I don’t run around killing people or robbing liquor stores. Does that mean that the games I played weren’t violent enough to affect me? If these games are so harmful to young people, then how did I avoid these harmful side effects of them?Furthermore, if violent video games have the potential to turn sweet little children into murderers, then why does our government allow them to be sold all over our country? To me it sounds awfully familiar to the concept that rock n’ roll taught children to be wild and rambunctious. Then there’s the claim that rap music makes kids hate women and sell drugs. Young people might be easily influenced, but they aren’t stupid. It all boils down to how they were raised. I think that violent adults are most likely the result of parents who didn’t do their jobs correctly when their children were young.I mean, give young people some credit, most of them turn out all right, despite the t hings they are exposed to on a daily basis. Assuming that violent video games makes every kid violent is like believing that every young person that observes a person smoking a cigarette is going to pick up the habit. Just because kids are young that doesn’t mean that they don’t have the brain to choose how they act. I know plenty of people who love violent video games, and who are not violent people. Therefore, it’s wrong to claim that violent video games are harmful to all young people.

It is only Physical Abuse if you set out to hurt Your Child Essay

The issue of child abuse is characterized by many contentions and therefore it is a subject of discussion. For instance, some people argues that a physical action will not be abusive if it was not intended to hurt the child while on the other hand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States defines child abuse as any action that can hurt or result to hurting of a child whether intentional or not. In this paper, I argue against the statement that it is only physical abuse if you set out to hurt your child. I therefore give reasons as to why I disregard the statement as wrong and misleading. Physical actions against a child involves but not limited to hitting kicking and slapping. Psychologists have proved that taking these actions against children teaches them how to do the same to others. Available research information shows a direct link between physical actions to children and their violent behavior at later stages of growth (Wolfe, 1999). It is quit reasonable to say that children build their character from their parents. It is therefore apparent that by hitting children for example, parents teach them how to hit and can grow up to be criminals. That physical action whether intended to hurt or not have negative effects to the life of the child and hence it is abusive. Physical punishments for instance may not necessarily amount to physical injuries but can be and indeed they are very destructive to the emotional life of the child (UNICEF, 2000). This amounts to frustrations and anger which cannot be safely and effectively expressed but remains subconsciously stored inside. The child then grows with disclosed anger which at late stages can be released inform of violence. Emotional destruction, if it is not attended, can result to stress and later depression which has other psychological and health effects. True to the authors stand, this is not a desirable situation especially when it is brought about by our irresponsibility, ignorance and illogical beliefs on physical actions against our children. Available psychological research results show that it is a subconscious need of human beings to be in love and stay in harmony with their offspring. It is therefore illogical and unreasonable for parents or any other person to expect to be loved by children who they have hurt whether intentionally or not (MedlinePlus, 2010). Physical actions on children can robe the members of the society the true spirit of love and cooperation from their children which they all desire. In addition to this, it must be appreciated that even if the intended purpose of the action is achieved, it will be based on fear and lack of alternative to the child and hence the child will grow to resist in a manner to suggest that he or she was revenging. Physical punishment for this matter is therefore abusive to the kinds because it cultivates unethical behavior of revenge to children (Baskerville, 2006). Psychologists also warn that by hitting a child, you instill the message that hurting people is permissible as long as you are older and stronger than them (Wolfe, 1999). The child then grows with that attitude of mistreating and hurting the young ones. This is unethical behavior and it is very annoying especially when it is as result of our mistakes In conclusion therefore, any physical action that can hurt a child is abusive whether it is intentional or not.

Child Rearing Practices

Every aspect of one’s life has a distinct effect on his well being. This aspect can possibly be from emotional, environmental, physical, to social aspects of life. Family is connected and a part of each aspect, hence why the family can never be excluded in everyone’s life. Looking more into the influences of the smallest unit of the society, there are many factors that contribute to the impact brought by this agent that seeks for attention. One of these factors that affect an individual’s personality is the way his parents raise him up.Parenting in the early years is an exciting but challenging time, it is never an easy task. Parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the biological relationship, it dwells on how a parent or a guardian in some cases brought up a child providing his needs, ensuring safety, disciplining, showing love and affection. Parenting in simple words is guiding and supporting your child into an outstanding life until he is old and capable enough to do it by himself. How is Parenting Usually Occurs Nowadays in Terms of Disciplinary Strategies?The rapid phase of time is slowly changing the customary and conservative practices of raising a child inside a Filipino family. Base from what the elders often told the youngsters, the way of upbringing they had experienced during their childhood into adulthood life was a thousand times strict compare to what the generation as of today undergo. Looking back to the time of our grandparents, the way their own parents raise them was too old-fashioned and superstitious. According to some old folks their parents usually have set rules that once a single one is broken will immediately result to a punishment for them to learn from and remember.An old lady said that in their household her father used to set a rule that requires every member of the family particularly the children will have to do their designated chores, and if forgotten or neglected they will receive fi ve to ten times hit on their hands using a very thin stick. Since there is no law against such action back that time, it was a norm to have rules with assigned punishments in a regular Filipino threshold. At the present day, laws against violence are widely implemented rendering people to cause physical pain or assault.From each respondent of the parenting interview conducted, there are still rules being enforced in every household. Only that these rules are what can be called fundamental or basic rules such as asking permission before leaving, attending to their household task (if they have), the usual sleeping and curfew time for the younger children, prioritizing studies all the time, etc. According to a grandfather whom stands as a guardian to his daughter’s children, these kind of rules have to be enforced to ensure their safety, health, and also as an opportunity to train the younger children on following rules.However, when asked to rate themselves on a scale of one to ten of how strict they are towards their children (ten being very strict), majority of the respondents appear to be lax to their children giving five, six and seven as the highest rate. They claimed that they don’t have to be very strict towards their kids because they already know what the consequences are awaiting for them and simply because adults pose as a good example to them.In relation with the strictness of parents, the rules, and the suitable punishments, parents were asked how they discipline their children once they commit a mistake or break a rule. A working parent and mother of two teenage boys said that if a mistake was committed, she usually ask them to sit, explain what was wrong of their action, lecturing them why is it inappropriate and should be avoided and last, remind them to never do it again. Majority of the parents said that; â€Å"pinapagalitan sa una at saka pagsasabihan† are what they often do to handle their children’s misbehaviours and discipline them.While some says that it takes a little threatening of taking away things like cell phone or reducing allowance for them to think twice before repeating the same mistake. Spanking Some parents claimed that although they strongly disagree of spanking or any other cause of physical pain as a method of discipline, there are times where physical act cannot be avoided because of several reasons. For instance is during times where in the parent worries to much about the safety of his child due to leaving without permission, resulting to releasing anger through spanking.A widow said that; â€Å"minsan talaga hindi rin maiiwasan na makasakit ka (e. g. kurot) dahil hindi makontrol ang emosyon mo gaya sa mga panahon na marami kang iniisip o problema tapos nadagdagan pa ng pag-aalala sa anak mo†. Although some physical act cannot be avoided sometimes, parents do not recommend this type of disciplinary method and as much as possible according to them should be avoided because it will only bring trauma, fear, and might drive the child into violence.Child- Rearing Practices for Warmth and Nurturance All dimensions of maternal and paternal nurturing and involvement were positively related to positive characteristics of peer relationships, self-esteem and life satisfaction (Rohner, Khalique, & Cournoyer, 2005). Through nurturance of parents, children develops a sense of security that enables them to grow up with confidence and which serves as their foundation in life.

Unit Assign

As of now Maryland and New York are the sole two states that are using such a database, however only a small amount of fire arms have been recorded so far which is seriously impeding the possibilities and achievements one could get out of such a system. Paul Evans, Boson's police commissioner was quoted at a news conference stating â€Å"We think it would be a great law enforcement tool. † Evans said. While hoping for a bill to pass that would subject all fire arms sold state wide to be recorded in a database.Case and point being when law enforcement run tests on seized fire arms more likely than not they find that numerous crimes across efferent cities in one State can be linked to one fire arm that may have been sold or passed around sort of speak. This technology was first introduced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in 1 995, which was called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, allowing law enforcement the ability to match shell casings and bullets found at crime scenes to the exact fire arm that ejected or expended said rounds.Summary Every barrel on a fire arm leaves unique scarring or markings on bullets or ejected shell casings that have been fired. These specific markings are much like human finger prints allowing law enforcement to make a match that is detrimental in solving and in turn preventing crime. The Massachusetts bill would require that gun makers shipping firearms into the state for sale a test- fired bullet and shell casing would come with it. The Massachusetts State Police would then record them as electronic images for storage in a computer.Evans expected a large amount of resistance from gun owners for requiring such a large national gun registry causing law abiding citizens who wan fire arms to feel as if they were being looked upon as criminals. Although this database would be quite small due to only recording new fire arms, Evans was quoted saying â€Å"We have to start somewhere. † A bill along the same lines is being introduced in Connecticut by state Representative Michael Lealer, and D-East Haven. State Senator Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, of California is also planning to introduce a like bill although Lealer is expecting a large amount of support.

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada Essay

Economic and Health System Comparison between U.S.A and Canada - Essay Example The Canada Department of finance publishes tax expenditure estimates and projections belonging to personal and corporate income taxes. In addition, the department also brings into the public domain goods and services tax (GST) since 1994. Finance Department does the publication in two different documents. The first document is known as tax expenditures and Evaluations. The document provides for a broader definition of estimates and projections of tax expenditures. Besides tax expenditures, it also outlines analytical papers that address particular tax measures. Tax expenditure is the second document that outlines the objective of tax expenditure and describes the calculations of projections and estimations of tax. The Department of Canada prepares this document annually and makes it available to its website. However, tax expenditures in America and Canada show a lot of variations and differences though there are a few notable similarities. The two states have almost similar sectors in which they redistribute their tax expenditure, but comparing them reveals different priorities. Such priorities are more pronounced in the education, health, medical, military, Social Security among other sectors. US tax expenditure has been growing over time since its introduction in 1960’s with a focus mainly given to the defense department. However, in the recent past, the focus is shifting from defense towards health care and Medicaid. Canada has also shown the same trend in tax expenditure increase since 1994 to date, though with the focus on different sectors. Both America and Canada have comprehensive health or medical tax expenditure coverage. However, the two states have various contrasts in the amount and manner of acquisition. Both Canada and the US have shown gradual growth in the health expenditure over the years since their introduction. Canada, for example, divided its health tax expenditure into four

Pasta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pasta - Essay Example Considering that pasta is made from healthy items like wheat and corn and that it is relatively cheaper, â€Å"total U.S. consumption rose 0.4 percent by volume, according to The Nielsen Co (cited in The Associated Press). With the inflation speeding up through out the American grocery stores a few years back, pasta suddenly became the top priority of American public concerning food. Chief executives of many pasta companies in US claim that the way sales of other goods got reduced, pasta sales did not reduce as commodity prices jumped up which shows that American people certainly do not know what to do without pasta (Twiddy). Availability in a wide variety of attractive shapes makes pasta a favorite item of the American cuisine presently. Nutritional value, great taste, and economical value majorly contribute to pasta’s popularity in America. According to the American Pasta Report, â€Å"77% of the 1,003 Americans surveyed said they eat pasta at least once a week, while a third eat it three or more times a week† (New Taste Dimensions Foods, Inc). Concluding, pasta remains highly popular food item in America because it is everything what any food item is required to be since it is cheap, tasty, and nutritious. The interesting thing about the research is that pasta pairs quite harmoniously with recession as well, which I did not know before. The Associated Press. â€Å"Forget the carbs, pasta pairs well with recession.† Msnbc.com. 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2011.

Leadership observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership observation - Essay Example For this reason, this paper discusses a leadership observation activity that was conducted in the crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida. Crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center in Davenport Florida is a facility with a bed capacity of sixty. The mission statement of crossroad nursing home and rehabilitation center is to commit to quality care and services to acknowledge, clarify, meet and exceed the expectations of the clients. The facility cares for the health needs of both the patients who need specialized nursing care, as well as those with rehabilitation needs. However, a small facility, Crossroad offers a perfect environment for enhancement of both social and medical health. The medical and non-medical staff maintains a cordial and cooperative, friendly relationship from the administrative level to the housekeepers. Working as a regular staff nurse, I managed to follow and observe L.C, who is a BSN and the unit manager. L.C being the manager of the entire units is in charge of all the sixty patients who are the residents of the facility. This work requires constant interaction with the staff and the pat ients. L.C maintains a cordial relationship with the director of nursing who is her supervisor in the unit. Following and observing L.C as my leader model, I realized she employed a transformational and democratic leadership approach where she influenced her juniors with motivation and need for achievement of objectives (Denhardt & Campbell, 2006). I realized the unit manager was categorical with time management and execution of duty among the employees under her supervision. L.C reports daily and begins by inquiring for the presence of all the staff on duty, this is followed by making a follow up on any staff who may not be present, this goes to a level where she calls the clients to inquire the reason for lateness, and then proceeds to make a work schedule for the day. L.C keeps herself informed of

Foundation for critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foundation for critical thinking - Essay Example humility does not mean loss of power to reason but rather understanding that each encounter with other people is an opportunity to learn (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2013). Intellectual perseverance refers an awareness of the importance to adhere to insights and facts no matter how disabling situations might be or the magnitude of unreasonable oppositions from other people with different points of view. Intellectual perseverance denotes the ability to take our time to work through confusion and questions that trouble our minds in order to gain deeper understanding on various issues. It is the ability to acquire courage to navigate intellectual complexities (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2013). Intellectual autonomy is the capacity to have control over our values, beliefs and inferences. Intellectual autonomy implies that an individual is able to use reason and evidence to analyze different beliefs. He /she is able to object where it is expedient to object and only believes when it is sensible to believe (Cone, 2013). Depending on situations, it may not be rational to object or believe. Intellectual autonomy in such cases dictates that we conform (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2013). Therefore, to maximize my intellectual perseverance, I will look to hard tasks as opposed to easy tasks. It won’t matter how time consuming they will be. I will repeatedly attempt to accomplish the task until it’s done. The satisfaction of achievement that I will gain after tackling the hard task will leave me with a magnified sense of accomplishment and pride that I chose the harder way and persevered. I will improve my intellectual humility by training myself to tolerate and listen to other peoples’ views and ideas, bearing in mind that they may be more knowledgeable than I am. Finally, I will maximize intellectual autonomy by developing a habit of gathering adequate facts regarding a particular issue, analyzing the facts and making a final liberal decision

International businesses look to locate foreign operations in Essay

International businesses look to locate foreign operations in countries which are stable. Outline and critically discuss the criteria by which they judge whether or not a country is stable - Essay Example Even so, international expansion is a complicated matter and companies intending to enter a new country should take into consideration a lot factors. They include the economic and political environment, the individual strengths and weaknesses of the company, the opportunities and threats seen there, business and marketing strategies, and even the cultural factors that is peculiar to a particular region. This paper looks at these factors and will provide a detailed review with regard to its importance and relevance in international expansion strategies. It will establish a system by which companies can assess whether a market is attractive and stable. The focus will be on two countries namely China and Dubai, to provide specific applications of theory and literature on this area. Specific factors influencing international target markets: The increase in globalization and free trade has now resulted in more and more companies looking to expand to overseas markets. Domestic competition is another factor the drives these companies to look for new markets. There are many factors (as mentioned above) that influence decision making by companies as to which market they should enter. â€Å"While only a few decades ago these external aspects were seen as centring on the home country of the business, the environmental horizon of business has widened to take in a host of international forces, which interact with national and local factors† (Morrison 2002, p 2). Morrison has provided a broad overview of the factors that influence international business as follows. The organization is pictured at the core of the diagram which shows the various forces that act on it in a domestic and international environment. The additional forces that act on it in an international setting are the nation-state, region, and world ones. It can be seen that economic, socio/cultural, legal, technical and political forces are common to both domestic and international

Professional Development and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Professional Development and Management - Essay Example With the growing competitors in the business world, it has become vital for every business to implement steps that would help them in maintaining their competitive position and also facilitate them in attracting more customers towards the business practicing effective product development (Johnson & Kirchain, n.d.). The main objective of this paper is to provide a detailed analysis of the company that would help in to improving their ethical standing and approach to environmental sustainability through product development of the biscuits category of product of the company. Discussion Current Products Desirability Relative to the Market Egyptian Company for Foods commonly acknowledged as BiscoMisr is determined to be one of the well-known local manufactures of biscuits along with confectionary products. The company’s products are also sold under various brand names that mainly comprise cakes, uncoated wafer, chewing gums and cocoa products (Diaspora Interactive Media, Corp., 200 9). It has been recognised that the company has conquered nearly 41% of the biscuit market in Egypt. It has been further viewed that the retail volume growth of biscuit market has slowed down in the nation. It is measured that the growth rate that was 7% in the year 2010 slid down to only 4% in the year 2011 and continued over the first half of the year 2012. The vital reason which has been identified as the key constituent for the slow growth in the biscuits’ market has been the fact that a substantial proportion of customers have started to prefer consuming homemade snacks as they believe it to be healthier (Euromonitor International, 2012). In this regard, it can be stated that the desirability of the product from the part of the consumers is derived upon having a healthy product within affordable cost. Identify Market Opportunities North Africa is recognised to be one of the most preferred destinations amid the others emerging markets globally (Bloomberg L.P., 2013). With in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, every organisation is establishing strategies and programmes that would help them to get acclaimed in one of the largest and fastest growing populations in the world i.e. North Africa, resulting in increasing the consumers demand for new goods. Considering the aspect of bakery industry within the nation of Egypt, it has been ascertained that in recent years, the growth of biscuit sale has dropped considerably as people have started to prefer consuming homemade biscuits and cookies as they find it expensive to buy it from the market. Table 1: Egyptian Confectionery Sales by Retail Channel (Bryant Christie Inc., 2009) Such a trend has primarily resulted from the slowdown of the currency value of the nation, making the import of raw materials more expensive and compelling businesses to raise their product price. However, it is worth mentioning that according to an estimation done by Oxford Business Group (2013), 70 to 80 present of the sales in the confectionary market come from products

Safety Training Program Development Assignment Case Study

Safety Training Program Development Assignment - Case Study Example Also, it revolves around implementation and careful training to ensure that goals of an organization are effectively reached. This way each phase of the training produces results that are useful in the next phase. Training stands as the best way forward for professionals given that they often make mistakes without ever realizing it. By basically acknowledging them, one can begin to improve performance speedily, without problems and without incurring losses on any new training programs. The learners in this case are the trainees in which case any personality who is required to go into a confined space or a permit required confined space must have to receive this type of training before they may gain admittance to the area. The outcomes of this course include understanding the hazards of confined spaces, learning the responsibilities and duties of the confined space entry participants achieve familiarity with atmospheric testing equipment and entrance equipment and become knowledgeable on safety standards for conservation of confined space entries The learning constraints that exist in the training program include the need for acquiring a permit. In this case, if workers are not to enter and work in permit spaces, employers must take effective actions to avoid them from entering these spaces. If workers are expected to enter permit spaces, the employer must develop in print a permit space program and make it obtainable by employees or their legislative body. To make it easier for the learners, the mode of delivery involves bringing the training facilities close to the trainees. This makes it possible for learners to acquire the skills at the door step. Once the training program has identified resources and milestones, you can structure a timeline. Generally, its a wise idea to work backwards, since it should be known when the project is due. Next, adjustments are made

Language in Anthony and Brutus’ Speeches Essay Example for Free

Language in Anthony and Brutus’ Speeches Essay Compare and contrast Henry’s use of rhetoric to affect others in his Harfleur speeches with the effectiveness of the language in Anthony and Brutus’ speeches In Henry V, Henry uses rhetoric very effectively as he persuades the Governor at Harfleur to surrender and encourages his troops onward with his ‘Once more unto the breach’ speech. This is very similar to Anthony and Brutus of Julius Caesar as they use rhetoric to influence the ‘mob’; firstly Brutus wins the crowd over and they believe the death of Caesar is a good thing and then Anthony turns them around and they end up hating Cassius and Brutus. Henry uses rhetoric to create a number of different effects one of them being to persuade the Governor to surrender. Rhoda Koenig suggests that this scene ‘points up the character of this immature and disaffected king’, which I disagree with as I believe that this speech shows just how the King has matured as he is able to bluff his way through as his army is, really, worn and battered. This speech shows how Henry’s words are more powerful than his army, which is similar to Anthony in Julius Caesar who turns the mob into a state of madness just through the use of his oratorical skills. For example, Henry starts his speech with short, sharp sentences: â€Å"How yet resolves the governor of the/ town?† This creates an assertive beginning and one that makes Henry seem powerful and stern. This coupled with the use of a rhetorical question puts the Governor in a situation where the mercy of Henry is in his hands, as if the outcome of his men depends on his decision. This also removes the responsibility from Henry’s shoulders which is a recurring theme throughout the play. Henry also describes what the outcome could look like if the Governor doesn’t surrender: â€Å"The gates of mercy shall be all shut up.† The use of a metaphor here, ‘the gates of mercy’, refers to Henry as if once he starts the battle there’s no goi ng back. This is used to scare the Governor so that he believes Harfleur will be desecrated once the battle has begun. This, of course, is a faà §ade as Henry knows full-well that his army is worn thin and lacking in strength. This demonstrates Henry’s good leadership, as he bluffs his way through with confidence. Also, this quote contains lots of monosyllables which make it very powerful and reinforces the threat which forces the Governor to surrender. Bernard Richards raised an interesting point where he said that Shakespeare ‘wanted to show the full range of war – the glamour as well as the squalid and obscene violence.’ This interested me as throughout this speech there is talk of atrocities of war such as ‘shrieking daughters’ while elsewhere in the play we see the French think of war as glorious. This is very similar to Brutus in Julius Caesar who has to use rhetoric to convince the crowd to surrender, as they are initially angry at the conspirat ors for killing their leader. For example, he uses rhetorical questions to force the crowd to realise that the murder of Caesar will benefit them: â€Å"Who here is so base [†¦] Who here is so rude [†¦] Who is so vile [†¦] for him have I offended.† The crowd are forced to ask themselves if they would want to be slaves, for example, which they of course answer ‘no’. The use of a three-part list also emphasizes this and would allow the crowd to remember this more accurately: â€Å"Let him be Caesar!† This quote shows that Brutus’s rhetoric successfully convinces the crowd, although they appear to have missed the point as they want Brutus to be ‘the new Caesar’ and the sole leader of Rome which is what the conspirators were fighting against. It is also interesting to note that Shakespeare’s main characters usually speak in blank verse, but here Brutus speaks in prose. This is because prose is the perfect way to persuade so has a stronger affect on the crowd. It could also be argued that because he speaks to the low-life characters, they will understand prose better than blank verse. Within his speech Brutus also uses repetition which reinforces his message: â€Å"Hear me for cause [] hear.† The use of framing repetition here grabs the crowd’s attention and makes them listen. He also repeats ‘honour’ throughout his speech: â€Å"Believe me for mine honour, and have respect for mine honour.† This repetition is used to emphasize to the crowd that the conspirator’s cause was honourable and that they have done the right thing while it also serves to remind the crowd how Brutus is an honourable man, which is a similarity with Henry who also takes great care in ensuring the cause for going to war is moral. The repetition would ‘grind’ it into the crowds’ heads so that it’s almost like subliminal messaging. The repetition also shows how Brutus is still unsure himself and that he is trying to convince himself that they have done the right thing. Henry also uses rhetoric to empower his army and urge them on at Harfluer in what Hal Hinson of the Washington Post calls ‘the greatest half-time speech in human historyà ¢â‚¬â„¢. Here, Henry is forced to persuade his army that they should not retreat but attack once again: â€Å"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.† Similarly to Brutus, Henry uses framing repetition to encourage his army to attack Harfleur once more. The repetition helps to reinforce the message and will stick in their minds through the battle. Also in this quote, he uses an endearing pronoun ‘friend’. This affects the army as they will feel that they are all friends of the King and will have a surge of confidence. This will help the army to conquer whatever they face, even though they have had to retreat. Interestingly, this contrast to what the Chorus says in the preceding scene as he states that the great British are invading France when really they are being forced to retreat. Henry also uses alliteration: â€Å"But when the blast of war blows in our ears.† The use of plosive alliteration here creates a powerful sound which suggests that the English army are powerful enough to defeat the French. This also shows Henry’s passion as if it’s bursting out of him as he desperately wants his men to survive as he feels guilty that the war may not have an honourable cause. Also is this speech, sibilance is used: â€Å"Stiffen the sinews.† This also creates quite an aggressive sound which would be passed onto the soldiers and make them feel aggressive and willing to fight. Henry also uses figurative language: â€Å"Let it pry [†¦] like the brass cannon.† This simile likens the mind prying to a cannon – an item associated with war – which would rile up the soldiers and also remind them that they are at war, its kill or be killed. Another simile used refers to Alexander the Great: â€Å"On, on, you noblest English [†¦] like so many Alexanders.† Here, Henry likens his army to a group of Alexander the Greats. Alexander the Great is a figure of Greek legend which states that he conquered the Persian Empire. It also says that he was often reckless with his own life and his soldiers as he believed he was indestructible. This would encourage his men and fill them with confidence as Alexander was a great warrior and Henry’s army will feel equally invincible. Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience were very interested in Greek culture so the simile would have been more relevant and had more effect than it would on our society who have a lesser interest. Also, in this quote he addresses the ‘noblest English ’while further on he addresses the â€Å"good yeomen.† Henry directly addresses each social class as his army was compiled of a number of different classes, even nationalities. King Henry V was known for uniting people under him as he prevented a civil war between the Church and the Government and th is unity is shown in the scene between Gower, Fluellen, Jamy and MacMorris. This scene also, as James Shapiro suggests, ‘prophetically anticipates the notion of a united kingdom’. Although these nations were far from united in 1599, when the play was written as England and Ireland were at war, and some were very hostile during Henry’s reign. For example, James Shapiro criticizes that Henry says the Scots may attack yet here they are united. This would make each soldier feel important, needed and a friend of the king’s, which would, ultimately, provide the soldiers with confidence to fight, and beat, the French. Likewise, Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar also addresses his crowd individually while manipulating them until they run riot around Rome: â€Å"Friends, Romans, countrymen.† Anthony immediately begins with a three-part list which grabs his audience’s attentions and the first word used is ‘friends’. This instantly makes the crowd warm to him as he is speaking to them as equals. This is similar to Henry who calls his army the ‘noble English’ and ‘good yeomen’, while it contrasts with Brutus who says, â€Å"Romans, countrymen, and lovers†, as if ‘lovers’ is an afterthought. This may hint at why Henry and Anthony were successful at convincing their audience while Brutus failed, because Henry and Anthony allowed the audience to warm to them while Brutus did not. Another way Anthony wins his crowd over is by using repetition: â€Å"And Brutus is an honourable man.† This is repeated at regular intervals throughout his speech and each time it becomes more sarcastic. The sarcastic tone induces the crowd to question whether killing Caesar was an honourable thing. Here, in the same way as Brutus, he uses subliminal messaging; however he uses it against Brutus and to much better effect as the crowd end up rampaging across Rome. In conclusion, Henry and Anthony use rhetoric and their oratorical skills very well combining repetition, friendly language, and other techniques to persuade their respective crowds to see their way of thinking. Brutus, however, fails to convince his crowd (or is unable to deliver a speech worthy of Anthony’s) which goes to show how good Anthony’s speech is. Henry manages to convince the Governor to surrender, and convince his battered army to continue, while Anthony manages to convince an audience who love Brutus, to hunt him down. Brutus, on the other hand, cannot prevent the people of Rome from turning against him as he didn’t endear himself to the crowd.

Beer Market Analysis Essay Example for Free

Beer Market Analysis Essay Brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several leading multinational companies and many small local producers. Regardless of beer consumption been affected by the economic crisis, expected growth at a CAGR globally for years 2009-2014 is 1. 8%, with Africa, Asia-Pacific and Middle East becoming the leaders of beer consumption. Moreover, the industry’s further growth is expected due to increasing beer consumption in China. But at the same time, expected CAGR for North America is only 0,5%, and Western Europe is supposed to have marginal decline. Leaders of the market, with 50% of sales, are Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Heineken NV and Carlsberg A/S. From the â€Å"Leading global beer brands† graph we can see that category of lagers holds leading position in industry. According to SUBMiller report, there are 3 trends, which had anticipated the increase drive in beer market value by 2012, and those are: * Consumer upgrading to better beer quality due to increase purchasing power * Growing beer-consumer population base * Marketing and promotional activities aimed on differentiation From the other side, there are several threats for both local and global beer producers. Some of them are: increased competition from other alcoholic beverages (mainly, wine in Europe and spirits in the US), or the smoking ban in public places, which has negatively affected the the number of orders of beer in restaurants and bars. Moreover, it is forecasted that due to increasing health consciousness, customers may switch to alternatives like dry wine, which also would retard the beer consumption. All these trends and numbers made beer brewers to improve their brand image in order to increase sales and grab global market share. For that many leading brewer companies focused on innovative packaging and labeling concepts, which would help to inform clients about innovations in health, following the sustainability trends and increase in premiumisation. For example, one of largest beer producers in the world, Carlsberg, in order to double profits by 2015, had to revamp branding, ingredients used and to widen the distribution. Carlsberg launched their â€Å"That calls for Carlsberg† campaign in over 140 markets, to adopt a single global brand positioning and to relate brand to global consumers.

Strategies for Confessions and Interrogations

Strategies for Confessions and Interrogations Interrogation refers to a method of questioning that is usually used by investigating officers such as police, detectives, or military to obtain information from a suspect (Michael, 2007). Interrogation is a process that is allowed in law as defined by the constitution, but not all forms of interrogation are legal or even ethical from a moral point of view. In United States for instance the form in which interrogation must be undertaken in order to obtain a confession from a suspect are governed by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Michael, 2007). The techniques of carrying out interrogation are not strictly defined by law but guidelines exist that define the limits by which procedures of interrogations must be done. Indeed the type of interrogations that exists and the form it can take are as varied as they are unethical. Generally interrogation techniques can be described in two ways, those that are legal and the ones that are carried out using illegal methods (Michael, 2007). Legal interrogations are defined by each countries law on the subject. However illegal interrogations are not specifically defined per se, but only categorized due to their nature, depth and breadth. The shapes in which illegal interrogation can take are many and cannot be exhaustively defined or even accounted. They are the most common types of interrogation that are usually subjected to suspects regardless of the countries legislation pertaining to the subject, including United States which is seen as the model of constitutional law. These forms of illegal interrogation are generally referred as torture (Michael, 2007). This is because they almost always involve inflicting of physical pain or deprivation of a vital necessity that directly contribute to normal body function such as sleep deprivation, alternating temperatures. However interrogation is not only limited to suspects but is also commonly done to witnesses and crime victims as well. Let us briefly analyze the nature of interrogations most commonly used both legal and illegal. In order to ascertain the level of significance of truth that exists for a person writing a confession under these circumstances. Legally there are four forms of interrogations that are routinely applied by law enforcement worldwide. One technique is use of suggestive words or statements that imply through conversation a notion of promise or threat to the person being interrogated (Kassin, Appleby and Perillo, 2010).. An interrogator therefore suggests to the suspect in no conditional or uncertain terms the possibility of the suspect being given lenient sentence if they were to cooperate. Or makes known availability of discriminating evidence that a witness to the crime has already recorded. This technique is also sometimes referred as deception since most of the time it involves downright lies (Kassin et al, 2010). Whichever the approach that an interrogator will choose it will have an impact to the suspect confessing to the crime. This is because under the circumstances of interrogation his rights will have been compromised. This method is not in any way defined as illegal in many countries, including United States. Another method of interrogations used is Suggestibility. It is built no two important assumptions, that the suspect will believe and accept the implied statements and two that they will act by confessing (Kassin et al, 2010). This method usually involves techniques such as sleep deprivation and sometimes use of drugs that inhibit the ability of mental functions to resist or think logically. The techniques used in this method seem to border on torture and are allowed in some countries as interrogation method. Another method is Goodcop/Badcop (Kassin et al, 2010). A technique used by an investigator that strives to alienate the suspect with the particular detective. The bad cop undertaking the interrogation intentionally exhibiting rough methods such as manhandling. Consequently, the idea is to make a suspect hate the cop and in the process be able to cultivate another relationship with another investigator brought in intermittently and who projects empathy, understanding and consolation. This is a notion that most researchers believe is part of the criminology theory. It elaborates on the main cause of crime, although this shall not be considered in depth. Finally there is the Reid technique, an interrogation process that focuses on a suspect body language to analyze the behavior of the suspect in order to tell if they are lying (Kassin et al, 2010). It is a technique that requires an investigator to have specific interrogation skills and high level of knowledge in behavior analysis. It is usually used by senior detective who have conducted numerous interrogation procedures. Body language analysis is an art that is taught to all FBI officers, that they apply in routine investigation tasks as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). It is a legal form of interrogation allowed by almost every other country but it is not without it criticism. This criticism pertains to the conduct of the parties involved in the deed. Another method that is very much related to this is one that applies polygraph tests to suspects in order to tell if they are lying. Polygraph is a scientific device that analyzes brain structure activity and heart beat levels to ascertain the truthfulness of answers to statements (Kassin et al, 2010). The other forms of interrogations are the ones whose confessions are not admissible in court and usually involve torture. United Conventions Against Torture defines this type of interrogations as torture (Michael, 2007). But torture is not used to define illegal interrogation alone. It defines torture as ..any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental. Is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession? It goes on to define torture as acts such as punishments without necessarily intention for information or confession (Michael, 2007). It also defines and includes discrimination and coercion as torture. This form of interrogation and torture in general is illegal according to the International Law. The Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions have ratified torture to be illegal even when directed to prisoners of war (Michael, 2007). UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibits use of any form of interrogation which it considers to be Human Right Violations. The forms that illegal interrogations can take are many and sometimes the techniques themselves cannot be clearly explained to belong to one category or another. What is clear though is that interrogations in whichever form are an effective form of obtaining confessions, and certainly one of the methods that contributes to the success of criminal convictions in courtrooms. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, states..No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself (Michael, 2007), a clear reference to a confession. And if such evidence was presented in a court of law then the law is required to view it with suspect and observe discretion (Michael, 2007). Indeed the regulatory mechanisms that have been put in place to guard against coerced confession are numerous and are informs of legislative laws and court rulings. United States for instance provides that Miranda warnings be read to a suspect at the time of arrest (Inbau, 2008). The Miranda statement serves to make the suspect aware of their right under the circumstances. All this procedure indeed proves that the nature of confessions given by suspects through all forms of interrogations in general is usually highly doubtful. But since confession is a product of the interrogation procedure, the method of the interrogation is a huge determinant to the nature of confession that a suspect is likely to make (Inbau, 2008). For instance interrogation through torture can be said to be effective in one way. Since a suspect is more likely to divulge valuable information at times of unbearable physical pain than it is possible for them under any other circumstance. Sometimes the notion of threat is alone can achieve this. What is important to note in this case is that this method is probably only effective when the goal is information and not a confession. On the other hand using torture to obtain a confession cannot be said to present a high probability of the confession statement being truthful. For the simple reason that a person under dire physical pain or strived of vital physical necessities would almost do anything that would ease the pain at all cost. The priority in that case is to deal with the present condition regardless of the consequences associated with the confession. Perhaps the reason why most law enforcement agencies worldwide resorts to torture interrogation mostly when what they is require is information (Inbau, 2008). Torture is against human rights. Although in certain cases, torture will be recommended and opposed to other forms of interrogation. Torture should only be used when information that is critical to saving lives is required from a terrorism suspect. The torture employed should be a matter of personal preference until the suspect surrenders the pertinent information. However the likely hood of obtaining a truthful confession is seen to be high when legal interrogations procedures are used which plays on the suspects fear such as deny of freedom. And which also uses the components of promises, threats and deception appropriately. These are interrogation techniques allowed and the confession obtained is admissible in a court of law. However the interrogator should only be in pursuit for the truth since false confessions cannot be upheld by a court of law. Ultimately the nature of a confession that is obtained whether truthful or not through interrogation method does not matter so much. Since it is provided by law that confessions can be retracted at any point by the suspects if they just so much like mention their confession was not obtained in proper method. In any case conviction of a suspect does not so much depend on the confession by itself but is based on the outcome of a full trial. Hence I would say interrogation certainly results in truthful confessions, but it depends with the independent variable which is the nature of interrogation. Therefore interrogation method can be said to be the independent variable and the truthfulness of the confession as the dependent variable, since it outcomes is influenced by the method of interrogation. The ethical implications posed by the interrogation methods that are used are one that depends on the definition of ethics, since ethics is a relative term. If the saying that the end justifies the means were to hold true then indeed ethics must be found their place in the issues that surround interrogation. Ethics are defined as value, belief, principle and convictions that a groups of people hold to be noble in their life and which they strive to practice in their everyday life. It is the highest moral perception and ideals that a community works to promote and which they have desire to be associated with the larger community. Interrogation by itself is in no way an ethical process and the attempt to introduce ethics in interrogation methods would perhaps require that the purpose of interrogation be redefined. In interrogation a suspect is meant to divulge information that is usually self incriminating so to speak, through confessing probably to crimes committed. Interrogation aids in the preservation of human rights. Indeed, all suspects have equal rights as those who are free and have not been arrested. Hence, using this method ensures that the criminal justice agents do not go against the human rights as required by international law. Therefore, the suspects are required to be truthful and perhaps remorseful as well. In doing so an interrogator is supposed to achieve this according to defined ethical procedures that have been put in place. But ethics have no place in interrogation and one is therefore forced to choose between the two whether to choose undertaking the interrogation process using certain ethics that would probably not yield any confession. Or whether to use every technique in order to obtain the end results which is the confession. If ethics in interrogation existed then they would certainly not be found in coercion. Because coercion involves use of methods on a suspect that are meant to pressurize and presents a level of discomfort and lack of peace mentally that make a suspect yield to the demands of the interrogator. They involve such methods as bullying, harassment, physical force, intimidation including cruelty. It is certainly among the most degrading interrogation methods which are in no way ethical or humane. Therefore, interrogation is an effective method that is aimed at ensuring that the suspects release pertinent information. Although this has its own challenges, it should be the first method that the criminal agencies should employ. If this fails, then they should seek alternative methods which are normally more thorough and involve the use of force or inflicting pain. References Inbau, E. (2008). Law and Police Practice: Restrictions in the Law of Interrogation and Confessions. Criminal Law and Criminology. 89, 87-98. Kassin L. (2009). The Psychology of Confessions. Annual Review of Law and Social Science. 45, 22-35. Kassin, Appleby, Perillo (2010). Interviewing Suspects: Practice, Science, and Future Directions. Legal and Criminological Psychology. 67, 47-60. Michael, J., G. (2007). U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Technique. Washington, DC: McGraw Hill Publishers.