Recruitment research and documentation Essay

It was a very well presented from then; it included clear questions and very valid ones as well, such as work permissions within the UK, and criminal offence questions. However, there were some which could have been altered or excluded, if they were related to anyone at Coventry City Council was unneeded, that should not have any issues with them in the job. Disability and Equal opportunities had to be included which meant that their gender and origin had to be responded to truthfully and meant we got a slight overlook to get a better understanding of who they were. Education was rather bleak, candidates were asked on what schools they had gone to and what degrees were gone from where, but that was about it, they were not asked why they wanted to and so forth, but in any other situation, professionally we would have been able to ask it all in the interview, but with limited time we could not afford to include it. Most of the employment history was very good, it gave high amounts of detail and was also so simple, yet we still added questions into our interview which could have then been excluded, the questions at the end informing us about their intentions over why they wanted to employ here, again we added it within our interview and now I feel it was something we needed to refer to rather than go into detail as we did. The job description gave a simple overview of the job role and what they would be looking to get paid and work a week. The duties and responsibilities as well as the brief description meant that the applicant would understand what we were looking for and if they were suitable to apply, however, the basic number qualifications could have been added in to make it even more suitable, therefore the applicants would know what degrees and grades we would be associating to our job role. The specification gave the number of GCSE grades and experience we were looking for which meant that together the job description and the specification were working well together and also suited the job. We included a physical essential that I feel should have been worded differently; to say we needed a â€Å"clear voiced† applicant was for me incorrect. It should have been more based on communicational skills and a more confident desirable. Team or social activities as well as personality aspects are seen in essential also but these are small issues, other than this, I feel both are successful and complete their roles well. As stated before, our interview was rather successful in its plan, we made concentrated on sections for each individual and when it came down to making notes, we took turns based on what questions were asked, also the grade given to the responses meant that we could evaluate effectively and without too much hassle. We had researched and included some of the legislation aspects within our application, and we believe we have concluded it up to a good standard, my knowledge has been relatively good up till now and we have been able to apply it successfully within our interview as well. We made sure all our questions were not biased and asked rather in the same manner to each individual, we never included any sexual or ethical discriminating questions or implied as much, but if we had the funds, we could have asked and gone to a legal advisor to completely check our application and interview plan to make sure were conducting everything in and orderly fashion. Legislation is difficult situation as anything which can be seen as slightly biased would be approached, yet we feel we have successfully completed and understood this section to a certain extent. Yet I feel we have done this on a basic level and to work at a higher standard this could have been elaborated and an increase in the number of suitable acts within our application would prove this. We have included different ethical initiations within our documents which meant that we would not be revealing any detail given to us and this fell under the privacy act, we had thought to test it out prior to the interviews but insufficient time gave us a limited period in which to do so. I personally feel that this would have benefited the group as we could then make the alterations that were likely to appear. Recruiting is a difficult section with all its legal and ethical dimensions, to get it correct can be a mission in itself, yet we took these into consideration and worked around them as best we could. We placed lines initiating what the documents would be used for and how privacy would be kept within the company. I feel we had a good variety of job adverts and other such documentations to which we could refer back to or get ideas from, yet it was a basic bit of annotation to which we conducted to, we didn’t do any detailed evaluation over other companies documents which meant that the standard of ours would fall slightly due to this. Therefore I would suggest next time that we re-do this section in order to get a better analysis over detailed aspects of the documents by realizing the types of wording used as well as the layouts provided. Job advertisements were provided but could have been identified and found out easily off the internet or at a job centre, however, internal documents had to be released or made up as we could not just get our hands on them. We had ideas given to us that related to them and we used them to the best we could but again I feel the time we had meant we had to make basic adjustments rather than go into strict detail over them. I would perhaps get a wider research range from the internet and companies to find small aspects of the job description to which I could include and then it would increase the standard on a general scale. I was the one who created the induction package, yet I had not thought of interviewing a real manager to see if they felt that it was suitable, this would have been rather easy under the circumstances and would benefit the group tremendously, yet previous induction packages off the internet and ones provided gave a good outline which made it easier to identify areas which needed to be targeted. It included all the basic details such as the general facilities and the safety procedures. Yet the layout again is rather basic, without a previous internal document to refer to in order to gain a good understanding, it was difficult to gain certain point or include others. Yet, the basic layout is made up for by the inclusion of all the main issues and points which need to be included in a real induction, signatures at the end and instructions are there also to professionalize the document as well as giving the candidate some sort of reference to what should be included once in the job.

Compare the first impressions of school we receive in ‘Hard Times’ and ‘To Sir with Love’ Essay

Charles Dickens set the play in the 1850’s during the industrial revolution in Lancashire. ‘Hard Times’ is set in a town called ‘Coaltown’ which is stricken with poverty and this is reflected in most of the town’s inhabitants-in their garb and in the way they look. There is a big rift between the rich and the poor and the rich like this arrangement. The school which the children go to is more like a military training camp, where the children are taught only facts: â€Å"Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts† â€Å"Facts alone are wanted in life† The children at this school are partitioned-boys on one side of the classroom and the girls on the other. The teachers are all male. ‘To Sir with Love’ is set in the East End of London during the 1960’s, this was a period of rebellion and change with teachers unable to punish pupils, and certain people took this opportunity to cause havoc, with the powerless teachers unable to do anything. The class in the play come from working, families and are all dressed scruffily. In Dickens Hard Times the pupils are not allowed to let their minds wonder, they are taught constantly. The classes were run by organisations and in some places there were up to a thousand pupils in one room, they are all taught at once, their age is irrelevant. The teachers are shown an amazing amount of respect and the children would never backchat or disobey any order they were given. Since there were so many children being taught the teachers addressed them by a number instead of name. The teachers in Hard Times, all dress in suites in an attempt to gain even more respect than they have-this is nearly impossible. To Sir with Love is a complete contrast the children have a choice of what to wear, even though they come from working class families, they still look like the children in Hard Times: â€Å"Those rough looking untidy children† The teachers first impression of the pupils is lazy, dirty scruffy kids, they talk in slang and at the start they act like kids always shouting and screaming: â€Å"The words bloody and bleeding were hardly ever absent from any remark† Both sexes interact constantly especially during break when they all start dancing in the hall. During classes the pupils annoy their teacher so much that he gives up teaching and throws all the text books in the bin- this is very symbolic because it is when he stops treating them as kids and starts treating them as adults. This is when the teaching moves on from teaching facts to telling them about life (e.g. how to behave, address each other, speak properly etc). The pupils and teachers in Hard Times have no personal relationship, in fact the teachers try too rid the pupils of any unwanted imagination or personality: â€Å"You are never to fancy† This basically translates to ‘you are not allowed to imagine or have your own opinions.’ According to the teachers there is only one way to live and they mould the pupils into their perfect image of person, leaving no room for argument. The relationship between pupil and teacher in ‘To Sir with Love’ changes as the play progresses, it starts off with the pupils ignoring whatever their teachers and not cooperating, this is only while he is trying to teach them facts, the main reason they shun him is because he acts and dresses like a gentleman (he is different to them). Everything changes when he throws the books away because they understand that he isn’t like their other teachers and is really like them-he has faced all the problems that they have faced-and with time they grow to respect him and almost care about him, just as he does them. Unique things happen for example the teacher gets taught about their lives and he gains an insight into why teenagers are the way they are . after he hears some of their problems he feels compassion for them. He treats them as individuals whereas in ‘Hard Times’ they are treated as objects and the teachers don’t really care about any of them . The language used in Dickens’ ‘Hard Times’ starts significantly with the title which on its own signifies a time of poverty, unemployment and a general struggle. The names of the teachers also have hidden meanings-Mr Choakumchild is one name which as soon as you say it the word ‘choke’ comes to mind-as in choking the ‘fancy’ out of his pupils. Mr Gradgrind’s name brings words like ‘hard work’ and ‘grinding’ or ‘crushing.’ As in crushing the imagination out of pupils. They speak very formal/standard English. The book often repeats that Mr. Gradgrind is â€Å"square†, this means he is dull and boring but also suggests that he is sharp, rigid and harsh, it is repeated so that you get the picture about him. As well as how â€Å"square† Mr Gradgrind is, you get the message that all that should be learnt is facts since it is shouted by the teachers so many times. The language used tells a lot about characters and how they behave/teach, for example Mr Choakumchild is said to have too much knowledge and so cannot teach as well as he could: â€Å"If he had only learned a little less how infinitely better he might have taught much more† In ‘To Sir with Love’ the characters use of language varies between each person. The teacher talks in polite, standard English. Whereas the pupils use an informal colloquial speech with an Anglo-Saxon dialect mixed in (Swearing!!). The teacher speaks with respect. He wants to help the pupils and tries to set a good example. He is well educated and wishes no harm to anybody. There are many things that are the same in both plays, yet there are also a lot of things that vary as well-the teachers all speak aristocratic whereas the pupils speak colloquially, also in both novels the teachers try to do their best to help their pupils even though they do it in many different ways.

An Example Of Transition Economy Economics Essay

An Example Of Transition Economy Economics Essay Around 1.21 billion people currently living in India, which is about 17.4% of the global population or one, can say 2.4 per cent of world GDP in US dollar terms and 5.5 % in PPP terms. The universal wellbeing too is linked to progress in India as reflected in the eager global interest in India. But, India seems to instigate and disappoint at the same time. Where some countries raced ahead in the development process, India lagged behind. It took 40 long years for India’s real per capita GDP to double from 1950-1951 to 1990-91. But, for India 1991-92 was a significant moment in modern economic history because of a severe balance of payments catastrophe prompted far accomplishment economic reforms, unlocking its growth potential, and the result was that in only 15 years, India’s per capita income doubled again by 2006-07. If India will maintain its current growth rate then, India’s per capita income could definitely double by 2017-18 in next some years. The key pol icy reforms since 1991-92, reviewing the economic progress made so far Policy Reforms before 1991 Macroeconomic crisis of 1991 discernible a turning point in India’s economic history for two reasons. First, fiscal arrears driven external payment mishap with a dip in foreign exchange reserves to below US$ 1 billion in 1991. Second, concurrently efforts were made towards wide ranging structural reforms surrounding areas of trade, management of exchange rates and industry, public finance as well as financial sector. The main objective was to create a competitive environment to improve output and efficiency. New industrial policy fostered competition by Abolishing monopoly restrictions Terminating the phased manufacturing programmers 100% foreign direct investment Import of foreign technology De-reservation of sectors till then reserved for the public sector. Only five industries are under licensing presently, mainly on account of environmental, health, safety and strategic consi deration and two industries are reserved for the public sector and those industries are: ATOMIC ENERGY RAILWAY TRANSPORT Reservation of industrial products for the small scale sector is still an enduring issue. FDI i.e. Foreign Direct Investment up to 100% is allowed under the automatic route in most sectors, but with a few exceptions. The infrastructure sector is being in the hands of private sector. Because of the large requirements of funds for infrastructure, 100% FDI has been allowed in all infrastructure sectors. There are unmitigated tax holidays to encourage the business of development, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure facilities. The monetary policy framework and its operating procedures in India have evolved over time with the changes in the macroeconomic structure and financial markets development. After the deregulation of the financial sector, the stability of money demand became deduce. Because of that, Reserve Banks switched from monetary targeting framewo rk, to a multiple indicator approach. In this approach, many indicators available on a high frequency basis. The various indicators are: Rates of return in different markets Movements in currency, credit, fiscal position, inflation rate, exchange rate etc Refinancing and transactions in foreign exchange The objective for the financial sector was to provide operational litheness and functional self-sufficiency to all the financial institutions so that they could allocate resources more efficiently. Some of the important initiatives in the financial sector were:

Bombing of Pearl Harbor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bombing of Pearl Harbor - Essay Example Due to its massive impact on the foreign and war policy, the attack is also considered a defining moment in the US history. Rightly, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941 as the date, country would live in ‘infamy.’ Later ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ became a universal theme in the wartime propaganda (Slackman, 1990). Pearl Harbor is 10 square miles of navigable water located on the southern coast of Oahu island in Hawaii. It had capacity to hold large warships and submarines. Even prior to the transfer of Pacific Fleet from San Diego on the west coast in 1940, Pearl Harbor was under development as a major naval base. The revamping of the Pearl Harbor had begun in 1936. At the time of attack, the Pearl Harbor was equipped with an industrial plant for repair and maintenance of warships and oil tanks for fuelling purposes. Central to the Harbor was a Naval Air Station for fighter planes. However, facilities Pearl Harbor were grossly inadequate to meet the needs of Fleet and its large manpower. The housing and recreational facilities were grossly inadequate for thousands of sailors, marines, and soldiers even though a massive project was underway for proper accommodation of the Pacific Fleet and thousands of its marines and sailors. The inadequacy of facilities had rendered the Fleet handicapped and vulnerable to attack. As a result, the morale of the forces was on the low ebb. Roosevelt too was convinced of the vulnerability of the Pearl Harbor, but the White House repeatedly ignored warnings and intercepted messages of an impending attack. The attack was master-minded by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. The attacking force was immediately commanded by Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Senior officers ensured that planning was text-book perfect, but Japans limited energy resources was the weakest link in the plan (Maechling, 2000). Consequently, the attack plan was complex and it

Financial reporting and corporate governance disclosures of Saudi Essay

Financial reporting and corporate governance disclosures of Saudi banks - Essay Example The intention of this study is the corporate governance as â€Å"the set of institutions that determines how the residual claims are distributed between those who have participated in the generation of profits†. In respect of the corporate reproting Shleifer & Vishny provides a clear statement to elaborate corporate governance as â€Å"a form in which stakeholders make sure they will obtain a return of their investment†. This implies that companies need to develop and implement corporate governance policies and practices to ensure that shareholders can have the confidence in the decisions made by managers and expect returns on the investment. Overall good corporate governance could be viewed as â€Å"the subset of those practices that are welfare enhancing for the economy†. The emphasis on corporate governance took its lead when in the early 2000 the US corporate sector was hit by a series of major corporate scandals involving management and those who were respon sible for ensuring integrity in the financial reporting. These corporate failures were mainly argued as a resultant of not enough supervision and regulatory role played by the government. The accounting profession was also blamed for having weak conceptual framework allowing managers to manipulate their financial reporting in favor of attracting investment from shareholders and eventually collapsing due to unveiling of major frauds involving external auditors assisting managers to cover up the internal mismanagement of financial reporting.

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 Assignment

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 - Assignment Example For example, in last 60 years the company has penetrated in almost 35 countries by establishing more than 300 retail outlets with the help of joint ventures, foreign direct investment, merger-acquisition, franchising etc. Euromonitor International (2009) has reported that, IKEA has the capacity to earn more than â‚ ¬20 billion annually from its retail operation. When it comes to value delivery, the company delivers value to customers in the form of readymade furniture, functional home furnishing items and tailor made home furnishing solutions. Low price and Scandinavian stylish design can be treated as unique selling proposition (USP) for IKEA (IKEA PS, 2012). Value proposition of IKEA is not limited to its ability differentiate its product offering through innovation but also includes its ability to position itself as a unique brand among its target segment. For example, IKEA targets customers who are ready to engage with the brand and participate in the selling process. These cu stomers are ready to self transport and self assemble the furniture parts in order to get quality furniture products at affordable price. IKEA designs its product for customers after conducting detailed market research for understanding the needs and wants of customers. In some cases, the company establishes strategic partnership with local players in order to understand desired value proposition for local customers. For example, IKEA has established partnership with Ikano Group in order to penetrate in Malaysian and Singaporean furniture market (Ikano Group, 2008). The strategic partnership has helped the Swedish furniture retailer to deliver value to Malaysian and Singaporean which can satisfy their needs and wants. Value Chain Von Krogh & Cusumano (2001) and Nickerson & Zenger (2005) have stated that IKEA uses different sources in order to deliver value to customers. For example, the company has established more than 45 purchasing centers and trading offices in order to collect r esources from suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Suppliers of different parts of furniture has to sign a contract with IKEA which is states that, all suppliers are expect to adhere all the legal norms, environment act, ethical norms of their respective country while sourcing the supplies. For example, in Russia, supply managers of the IKEA check all the shops of potential entrepreneurs or suppliers in order to find the right suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Throughout the supply chain the Swedish furniture retailing giant tries to ensure that their suppliers behave in socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. For example, in Poland, IKEA has opened its purchasing offices and supplier base that are capable of sourcing supplies in 20% cheaper rates in comparison to their European counterparts while the IKEA has also forced its supplier base in Scandinavian region to reduce carbon emission in the supplying process. Overall, it can be surmised tha t IKEA is successful in maintaining the three verticals of value delivery process, 1- delivering affordable products to customers (economic), 2- delivering product which can satisfy the social and cultural dimension of customers and 3- decreasing carbon footprint throughout the value chain in order to offer environment friendly products to customers. Intangible Products Core values of IKEA can be classified as biggest intangible

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example In order to keep an open mind to the situation of both the employees who are asking for lighter workload it is a good idea to start will looking at the client portfolios that each of the employees are currently holding. Those who have a tougher client listing should thus be catered to first as they are managing more than others. David has a more demanding client and as he has done his job in an efficient manner he should be considered above Jane for the time off. Not only this, but David has given his ideas on how he will make up his time off by working the extra hours which are certainly a plus for him. However, even David has conceded that there may be some effect of his lighter workload on his clients who are the main priority and so it then becomes difficult to let his off. In deciding the time that the employees have spent in the company and their track record there is also of great importance. In the end thought there will be an effect on either parties and there may well be th inking that will be established in the company that those who have kids have an easier job getting a lighter workload as compared to those who need it for other personal reasons. Electronic employee monitoring has taken off since the technological age has made it easier to do so. In certain cases there has been a lot of hue and cry over the idea of employees being monitored all the time in the workplaces. It, however, makes sense at times to be able to track the use of office time and resources. Employers should be able to gauge how much of the time employees spend doing work and how much is being spent otherwise as this can determine how employees are promoted and given other benefits. It is also necessary for companies to avoid espionage from the inside even and monitoring helps to do this. To avoid these threats call monitoring is perhaps within certain permissible limits. There is a downside, as such practices erode the privacy of the employees and certain ethical

The Importance of Living a Healthy Lifestyle with Proper Nutrition and Research Paper

The Importance of Living a Healthy Lifestyle with Proper Nutrition and Exercise - Research Paper Example It would be ideal if nurses be the primary examples of healthy living for their patients rather than be bad influences. In this regard, this paper aims to (1) Confirm the actual health status of nurses in a local hospital and how it is affecting the treatment of patients, (2) suggest ways on how to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices for nurses in the hospital, and (3) Get the potential impact of better lifestyle practices of nurses with regards to their patients. Patients will be more responsive with adapting healthier and better lifestyles if the nurses attending them are also practicing healthy life styles. II. Review of Literature In 2003, Hasselthorn et al. (as cited by Hensel, 2009, p.42-43) performed an experiment among 33,491 nurses from across 10 European Countries and studied their views of health and work ability using the Work Ability Index (WAI). Highly stressed and burned out individuals showed lower WAI scores while nurses with good health are the ones with higher WA I scores. He and his colleagues observed that from all the nurses who participated in the study, there was twice the probability of nurses leaving their profession if they had low WAI scores than those with higher WAI scores. The nurses’ perception of their health also affects their perception of how well they are able to do their job. Health affects competence and this is one of the biggest reasons why nurses quit their jobs regardless of gender or age. If the health of nurses is on a decline, then the population of practicing nurses will continue to decline and the shortage for nurses will continue placing much stress and burden to those nurses who chose to remain in service. Without nurses, hospitals (may it be private or state owned and run) will cease... This essay stresses that the data will be collected and tabulated from the survey questionnaires and will be analyzed for trends and patterns for the nurse’s perspective and the patient’s perspective. This data will be compared to the data gathered in different sources and the trends will also be compared. Depending on the constraints identified by the nurses on why they can’t pursue a healthy lifestyle, recommendations will be given and a healthy lifestyle program will be designed to cater to the nurses’ needs. Many of the diseases common nowadays can be prevented or eased by lifestyle choices, and nurses have the vantage point in influencing their patients to make to make healthy choices This report makes a conclusion that the administration of the hospital will also be given a copy of the results of this paper. If given the chance, the implication of the results of the survey will be reported to them and the necessary actions that they will have to undertake will also be suggested so as to help them get their nurses to fulfill their duties better. The administrators of the hospital will actually benefit from this study the most because with a few adjustments in their policies and also with the support that they will be giving to help nurses life healthier, then they will reap the rewards of having a nursing staff with less sick days and more patients will come to their hospitals because their nurses don’t only give prescribed medicine or monitor their vitals, but they are concerned about the health and wellbeing of the patients even outside the hospital. This type of care will boost profits for the hospital, and the administrators have the power and capabilit y to make all of these possible just by being sensitive to the health needs of their nurses.

Case analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case analysis - Assignment Example Hence a negative effect could be witnessed. "Where there is a will, there is a way". Macy's can definitely recover from this downward trend. It is the effective management practices that play a vital role. A firm's performance solely depends on the strategies followed by the management. Nothing is permanent in the world except the word itself. Failures are the stepping stones for success. They are cyclic process. If a firm is not moving well today then it does not mean that till the end the same trend will continue. Innovations and initiatives will make a difference. So, planned first order and second order changes should be made. Hence the downward spiral for the departmental stores will not continue. 5. STEPS TO INCREASE SALES AND CUSTOMER TRAFFIC Higher the customer satisfaction, greater is the profit. Some of the steps include: Perform market research through the firm's market intelligence team to know about the customer's attitude, tastes and preferences. Find out the prospects and set the store there. Get frequent feedback from the customers. Develop a good rapport with the employees and keep them motivated and satisfied. Deliver good quality products, services and offers to customers. Today the people are quality conscious and not cost conscious. Provide training to the employees. Develop a standard mission and vision for the organization. Plan the strategies perfectly and convey it clearly to the employees. Make changes only if is really needed and seek the aid of the change agent. Make planned changes and not unplanned changes. Make both first and second order changes carefully. Make it only if there is a real need for it. Adopt strong marketing techniques. If the customers are satisfied then word of mouth would be effective. Maintain a good reserves and surplus level. Adopt either focus or differentiation strategy. Develop a strong competitive advantage. References http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/business/07macys.htmlscp=1&sq=macy%27s&st=nyt http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004168802_macys07.html http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/129108 http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Business/2008/02/06/macys_may_consolidate_office_staff/5199/

Pablo Casals Essay Example for Free

Pablo Casals Essay Pablo Casals, one of the most recognizable cellists in history, was born December 29, 1876. His career was unsurpassed by any other cellist during the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for the multiple recordings throughout his career which included solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as recordings while conducting. For most cellists his most notable accomplishment was his recordings of the incomparable Bach Cello Suites which were recorded from 1936 to 1939. His early years in his native Catalonia, Spain were spent being educated in music by his father who was a parish organist and choirmaster. As would be clearly seen in his later years, his understanding of music was amazing. Today his master classes on the cello are available for cellists to observe on YouTube. His ability to demonstrate proper tempo and rhythm as well as the use of dynamics is still a benefit even in the age of famous cellist, YoYo Ma His father’s techniques included he and his brother listening to, and name notes on the piano by ear. Although his father’s methods may have seemed extreme, they served only to further young Pablo’s musical ability. By the age of four he was playing the flute, piano and violin and by age six was proficient enough to perform a public solo on the violin. It is amazing to know that his first exposure to any cello like instrument was that of a street performer that had been fashioned from a broom handle! His first personal experience with the cello was much like my own. At fourteen I asked for a cello and was allowed by my father to borrow a very broken down cello. Casals was given an instrument made from a gourd by his father as his first cello. When he was eleven he heard some travelling performers and saw a real cello for the first time. After that, the cello was his instrument of choice. Although I play other instruments, as Casals did, it was hard to deny that I wanted to be known as â€Å"a cellist†! The Cello Suites composed by J. S. Bach were discovered by Casals in 1890 in a second hand music store. He was thirteen at the time and spent the next thirteen years practicing and perfecting them and then finally performing them in public. He graduated with honors from Escola Municipal de Musica in Barcelona, having made impressive progress, at age nineteen. His professional career began when he moved to Paris in 1895 and played second cello in a theater orchestra. In 1895 he returned home to Catalonia and was appointed to the faculty of his own Escola Municipal de Musica. He was also made principal cellist in the orchestra of Barcelonas opera house, the Liceu and in 1897 he performed as soloist with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded the Order of Carlos III from the Queen of Spain. His later career found him conducting master classes, as mentioned earlier, throughout the world. Some of the master classes were actually televised in the 1960’s and are still available for budding cellists. It was at this point in his career that he created unique versions of the six Brandenburg Concerti. To add this to his already amazing recordings of the Bach Suites truly showed the depth of his musical abilities! In addition to performing remarkable renditions of famous pieces he was a wonderful composer in his own right. One of his most notable works was La Sardena, composed for a cello ensemble. The completion of his composing career was a piece titled â€Å"Hymne of the United Nations† which he performed in 1971, at a special event, for the United Nations shortly before his 95th birthday. Looking back with appreciation to a man who died many years before I was born, I am humbled by his talent and personality. He had the opportunity to perform before queens, presidents and dignitaries. His performances took him around the globe and his influence is felt to this day. His unique recordings and master classes continue to inspire and delight cellists and cello music lovers alike. In 1963 the world lost PabIo Casals at the age of 96 while residing in Puero Rico where he was buried. I am happy to say that I have been fortunate enough to observe a number of his master classes and hear recordings done almost a century ago that have stood the test of time.

Islam in Indonesia

Islam in Indonesia Islam in Indonesia Modern Indonesia is known for having the largest Muslim population by percentage of any country in the world.   Coming to Indonesia in the 13th century A.D., Islam has continued to spread, and approximately 90 % of the current population considers itself to be Muslim. Nevertheless, many forms of Islam practiced there combine animist, Hindu, and Buddhist elements from the countrys rich and varied religious past, creating an Islamic faith that looks different from that of the Orthodox Islam of the Middle East.   With over 17,000 islands spanning 3,000 miles along the equator, Indonesias Islamic variations differ significantly not only from other countries but also from one part of its own land to another. Still, while Islam dominates the political and social structure of Indonesia, the country still maintains its other religious roots; as one critic notes, â€Å"Indonesias civilization is like a marbled layer cake.† Convergence of Religions Before the introduction of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam into the country, early Indonesians were prominently animists who practiced ancestor and spirit worship. This form of religion, generally described as superstitious and ritualistic, believes that plants and animals, all living things, have a soul.   For instance, many Indonesians consider the waringin tree as sacred and a symbol of the â€Å"vital essence.† Thus they often bury animal sacrifices at the roots of the tree and no one is permitted to cut down the tree or its branches, otherwise severe punishment or even death ensues.  Ã‚   As another example of animism, many Indonesians still believe hair to have a magic quality called mana.   Young men, therefore, are encouraged to send girls a lock of their hair in order to seduce them. Furthermore, the Indonesians hold many rituals regarding life and death; some very important for appeasing the dead souls or assisting them through the underworld.   Although this d edication to the god and spirit of nature changed somewhat with the arrival of other religions, the natives usually just incorporated elements of their animist culture and superstitions into the new religions. In 1,500 A.D., the Hindu and Buddhist faiths came to Indonesia and meshed with the primitive animism of the country. The Indonesians accepted and accommodated these new beliefs by mixing them with each other, as well as with their own culture.   In fact, in many parts of Indonesia, the natives combined all three religions to create something of a new Hindu-Buddhist animism.   A great relic from the ninth century called the Borobudur temple on the island of Java evidences this unique blending of faiths.   As the largest Buddhist monument in the world, this great structure holds almost fourhundred images of Buddha, while simultaneously displaying many Hindu, Hindu-Buddhist, and animist sculptures.   With its conglomeration of different deities in one temple, Borobudur manifests the Indonesians unique combination of separate religions. As one example of a specifically Hindu-Buddhist convergence, Shiva, a Hindu god, was transformed into something of a Buddha image, while still ke eping the Hindu name of Shiva.   As seen later, the Shiva god eventually adopts the Islam faith as well. The Shiva-Buddhist cult poignantly reflects the Indonesian mindset toward the variety of religions offered.   Despite these convergences, some places, such as the island of Bali, became solely Hindu and remain so to this day.Following the fusion of Hindu, Buddhist, and native religions, Islam appeared and lay yet another brick on the religious structure, which was held together by a mortar of deep cultural roots. Introduction of Islam Traveling to Indonesia by way of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, Muslim traders and mystical literary figures first brought Islam to the country in the thirteenth century. Coming from India, this was the mainstream Sunni variant, which was initially founded in Arabia. Scholars speculate that the mystical Sufi tradition influenced this Islam, which could have been easily fused with the native Indonesian culture.   Sufi holy men are described as â€Å"devout Muslim mystics renowned for the beauty of their music, poetry†and their internal spiritual focus, rather than for seeking to impose their religion on their surroundings or onto politics.   As one scholar notes, although no evidence of Sufi communities from early centuries in Indonesia exists, Indonesians would have been more likely to accept the more mystical form of Islam than the strict, law-bound versions. One similarity between the Sufi and Indonesian cultures was the idea of having a teacher who formed around him a small group of disciples to pass on higher wisdom.   Also, the Indonesian and the Muslim both seemed to focus more on the correct ways in which to communicate to god instead rather than on the nature of god.   Furthermore, Indonesian tantric mantras were means of meditation similar to that of the Muslims, as the Muslims often recited the Koran or other Arabic texts. This form of Islam, therefore, could be easily incorporated into the native culture.   Because of the traders traveling routes, Islam spread most rapidly in the northern parts of Sumatra, Java, and the eastern archipelago.   Evidence of this beginning Islamization comes from Marco Polo.   In 1292 he landed in Sumatra where he found an Islamic town named Perlak.   Although Perlak was already Islamic with a Sunni monarch, Islam was not found within its surrounding towns.   One of the larger cities, Melaka, was a major impetus for the spread of Islam.   This rich port city controlled the Strait of Malacca and much of the archipelagos trade throughout the fifteenth century.   Iskandar Syah, a prince converted to Islam, founded Melaka, and through his rule, his successors, and the trading fleet he extended the religion to various parts of the archipelago.   Islam not only offered a simple message of personal faith and hope, but it could also give one favor and therefore success in trade or nobility; thus Indonesians had a double incentive for conversion.   S till some regions were resistant to Islam, such as Bali and parts of Java that kept a more strictly Hindu culture. Islamic Expansion Islam branched out further in the sixteenth century, when Muslims began establishing Islamic kingdoms.   The Aceh kingdom, formed on the western part of Sumatra, was a region of major Islamic allegiance in the early sixteenth century and today is a part of Sumatra where â€Å"Islamic character of population is most pronounced.†Ã‚   Also in the early 1500s the Portuguese came to Indonesia; although they intentionally brought Catholicism with them to Christianize the islands, their efforts inadvertently aided Islamization.By closing off the central ports to Indian Muslims, they pushed the Muslims with their Islam faith to smaller ports across the islands.   Islam, then, was taken to some of the more remote pockets of the widespread country. Nevertheless, Java still did not easily accept the faith. There, Majapahit was the last and greatest of the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that predominantly controlled the archipelago and surrounding regions in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Islamic port towns conflicted with Majapahit power, however, and under the challenge of Islamization Hindu Javanese leaders fled to the small island of Bali to keep their faith alive.   Bali, as an exception in Indonesia, remains untouched by Islam to this day.   Those inland on Java eventually accepted Islam but only as a â€Å"formal legal and religious context for Javanese spiritual culture.†Ã‚   In Java, Islam was allowed to exist only on Javanese cultural terms.    That is, only as in a form mixed with previously held religious beliefs.   Although most early conversions were peaceful, one scholar says that converted Islamic states sometimes waged war against traditional Hindu-Buddhist regions.   The same scholar also recognizes that because of inadequate historical records and evidence, the process of Islamization in Indonesia is somewhat unclear.Although some believe Hindu princes converted to Islam because of their desire for power, commerce, and riches, the legend of Sunan Kalidjaga offers a different perspective on the eventual conversion of inland Java. Kalidjaga was a prince in Java who grew up in the traditional Hindu-Buddhist culture of the Majapahit kingdom.   In a conversion experience similar to that of the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, Kalidjaga had a vision of a Muslim religious leader who instructed him to spread the doctrine of Islam.   Consequently, the prince converted to Islam and began peacefully sharing the faith throughout Java.   He was thus able to bridge the two religions; for t he Javanese, his life is â€Å"the meaningful link between a world of god-kings, ritual priests, and declamatory shrines and one of pious sultans, Koranic scholars, and austere mosques.†Ã‚   Kalidjaga is considered, therefore, to be one of the wali sanga, or nine apostles, who helped bring peaceful conversions to Islam in Java. Because of the differences between Indonesian culture and the Islam of Mecca, however, conversion usually meant an acceptance of Islam wherein the faith would be combined with traditional and indigenous beliefs. Versions of Islam Most Indonesians, when converting to Islam, synchronized the new religion with their personal mixture of one or more of Hindu, Buddhist, or, animist religions, while a minority switched completely to Orthodox Islam.   Therefore, like the many diverse cultures of the islands, Islam began to take on different shapes across the country.   The two distinct versions of Islam, Orthodox and the blended , were in tension with one another.   A believer in Indonesia who became exclusively Muslim and adhered strictly to Mecca-oriented Islam and the laws of the Koran is called santri.   Santri can also signify a person who removes himself from the secular surroundings to devote himself to Islamic schools called pesantren, which translates literally as â€Å"the place of the santri.†Ã‚   The second form of Islam commonly identified is called kebatinin.   This version is a mixture of Hindu-Buddhist beliefs, animism and Islam practices.   Kebatinin is also called kejawen, agama J awa, Javanism, or abangan.One case of this blend of religions was described earlier in the Hindu god Shiva who adopted Buddhist characteristics.   As Islam spread through the culture, the Javanese claimed Shiva went to Mecca and also embraced Islam, thus creating a god of three faiths combined. Because Hinduism never completely reached the eastern islands, a more pure, orthodox form of Islam formed in the east, while the western part of Indonesia tended to more often combine Islam with its Hinduism or other ancient belief systems. Political History By the end of the sixteenth century both the Dutch and British had gained interest in the â€Å"Spice Islands† (Indonesia) and its wealth of trade.   The Dutch East India Company was formed in 1602, which attempted to take over all trade control with Indonesia from other European countries, thus creating a commercial monopoly.   This monopoly served to shape the foundation of the Dutch territorial empire.   Historians mark this time, which is disputed to be either 1511 or 1600, as the commencement of European control and influence that would last up to the twentieth century.   The time between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries has been generalized as an â€Å"age of commerce† both for Indonesians and foreign traders.   The Dutch East India Companys involvement did not remain limited to trade, however, but instead it became a political force among the islands.   Although opposed by certain Islamic leaders in Java, such as Sultan Agung and his successor Amangkurat II, the Dutch eventually dominated all of Java and then spread its empire into Sumatra and other surrounding areas.With this Dutch influence extending into Indonesia, the face of Islam underwent various changes.   For instance, the native trading peoples were forced further inland.   Holding a strong Islam faith, they brought their beliefs with them and began to rely more and more on the pilgrimage to Mecca as their connection with the larger Muslim world.   Consequently, they formed and spread an Islam somewhat orthodox but still mixed with the deep traditions of Java culture. After the Napoleonic Wars, the Dutch decided to try to make its governed lands at least self-sufficient, but they met some unexpected challenges.   In 1825 the Java War began, due in part to protest of Dutch rule on the island.   The war was supported by many Muslim leaders in Indonesia who also recognized the Korans promise of a coming Madhi, a messiah or â€Å"Just Ruler† that would bring peace and harmony to the territory.   In the years of 1826-30, a man who was overthrown from Javanese rule by the Dutch claimed himself to be the Madhi of Islam and he began a jihad, or Holy War, against the government. During the Java War, another battle began in Sumatra called the Padri-War.   This conflict began between the traditional leaders of the community, called the adat, and the revivalist Muslim leaders; some of the orthodox revivalists killed a royal family of the more Indocized Islam.   As a result of the battle, Dutch authorities called for a military invasion, which served to strengthen Dutch administration in the area. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Dutch were able to make the islands into a â€Å"unified colonial dependency,† which formed the basis for the future republic of Indonesia. By this time, western thought began to pervade Islamic circles, forming a modernist strain of Islam.   Furthermore, Indonesian nationalism began to develop, and with it, an organization called the â€Å"Islamic Association† or Sakerat Islam, the largest nationalist party of the time.   After World War I, many more of these types of associations were formed, most of which were aimed toward nationalism.  Ã‚   Inner conflicts between the conservative and communist leaders in 1921 caused the decline of Sakerat Islam, and a new nationalist movement rose to prominence: the Indonesian Nationalist Party, formed under the leadership of Sukarno, the rising president of Indonesia.   As a result of World War II, Indonesia fell from the clasp of Dutch rule and into the hands of Japan.   The Jap anese allowed the rise of both Muslim and nationalist leaders, including Sukarno, who began establishing himself as the leader of the nation.   After an Indonesian revolution, Japan gave Indonesia its independence in the year of 1945. Role of Islam in Politics After gaining independence, the Indonesians needed to decide on the role of Islam in the nations government.   After heated disputes, the leaders agreed to keep religious freedom and to create â€Å"a civic code instead of an Islamic one.†At the same time, one current of Kebatinin, the more indigenous-type of Islam, became legitimized by the government.   Sukarno then became the first Indonesian president of the Republic.   Because he disliked the divisions among Muslims and other religions (specifically Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian) of the nation he propagated a somewhat disguised, authoritarian form of government called the â€Å"Guided Democracy.†Ã‚   His successor, Suharto, introduced a similar type of rule named â€Å"The New Order.†Ã‚   Some scholars say both of these rulers showed â€Å"their Javanese religious-cultural bias against Islam†and made sure that Islams political influence was limited by various forces, including the military.   Both Sukarno and Suharto, therefore, restricted political freedom throughout the nation.   In response to the bias against Islam, Islamic and nationalist organizations united to create parties against Suhartos government.   The â€Å"red-green† alliance, in existence today as the Wahid-Megawati administration, was one political coalition of the nationalist- Islam that helped to defeat the dictatorship of Suharto.  Ã‚   Suharto, upon realizing the threat to his rule, turned to a militant form of Islam.   This led to much violence across the nation, and religious groups who had formerly lived in peace, such as Muslims and Christians, began to fight against one another.  Ã‚   This more militant, violent form of Islam instigated by Suharto became a lasting part of Indonesias various branches of Islam. Branches of Islam Today The two most influential Muslim organizations of Indonesia society today are the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), made up of the traditionalists, and the Muhammadiyah, or, the modernists.   The traditionalists tend to be organized around Muslim boarding schools (the pesantren) while they preserve traditional Islamic education.In fact, the name of the organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, literally translates as â€Å"renaissance of Islamic scholars†, and the thirty-five million involved with this Islamic orientation follow charismatic religious scholars. The Muhammidiyah, on the other hand, embrace modern thought and culture while keeping to orthodox Islamic theology.   Founded in 1912, this modernist organization was aimed to create social institutions, such as orphanages and hospitals, in order to compensate the Protestant and Catholic efforts.  Ã‚   With about twenty-five million followers, it has less participation than the NU Modern Muslim Culture According to the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, 210 million inhabitants of Indonesia today consider themselves Muslim.   Many of these believers, however, practice Islam in profoundly different ways.   The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles provides information on various modern Muslim groups in Indonesia.   The profiles show an incredibly diversified Islam with many lasting effects of animism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.   For instance, ninety-nine percent of the 800,000 Komering who live in Sumatra today claim Islamic faith, yet they mix their beliefs strongly with animism and superstitions.   In order to keep evil spirits away, for example, many Komering wear good luck charms that contain verses of the Koran.   Also, some believe that â€Å"whistling indoors at night entertains demons, or that walking around on your birthday will bring bad luck.† Thus, although Islam remains prevalent and maintains a strong influence on the culture, the Komering still incorporate old religious beliefs. The Sekayu is another tribe of mixed religion.   Found spread throughout southern Sumatra, they consider themselves devout Muslims.   Indeed, they pray five times a day toward Mecca and reject common sacrificial rituals, believing only Allah gives true redemption.   Nevertheless, they still maintain some of their ancient animistic beliefs.   For example, many Sekayu visit a â€Å"soothsayer,† or dukun, in order to contact the dead spirits or have their fortune told.   They claim, however, that they do not pray â€Å"to† the dead spirits, as others do, but instead they pray to Allah â€Å"for† the benefit of their ancestors.The Sekayu, therefore, practice dedication to Allah while still sustaining animistic beliefs.   The Alas-Kluet Batak people of the Aceh province in northern Sumatra, on the other hand, have very little concern for or devotion to Orthodox Islam even though they have been considered Muslims since the 1600s.  Ã‚   This tribe directs their religious practices toward what they consider good and bad ghosts who must be appeased through cult rituals and exorcist healings.   For instance, at a childs birth, the parents shave the childs head, leaving only a small lock of hair.   If the child then becomes ill, they cut the remaining lock of hair believing that bad luck will also be removed.   The people of Alas-Kluet Batak, then, remain Muslim only in name, not in practice. The Bajau, as another example, are mostly Sunni Muslims who live mainly in the coastal districts and islands of Sulawesi.   These â€Å"Sea Gypsies† consist mostly of nomadic boat dwellers who often lack mosques for worship. Consequently, they rely on different communities on shore to visit a mosque.   Islamic religious status is very important to the Bajau.   For instance, they show special honor to descendants of Mohammed, or salip, and â€Å"variations of Islamic practices are associated with the relative status of different groups.†Although the Bajau uphold Islamic religious piety and learning for individual prestige, they continue to practice traditional forms of spirit worship.   At least once a year, they hold a â€Å"public sà ©ance and nightly trance dancing†while the spirit mediums assemble to contact the spirits.   The Bajau call on the spirit mediums particularly in times of illness to remove evil spirits from the community.   They accomp lish this by putting a â€Å"spirit boat† adrift in the ocean.This people group, therefore, does not hold to a pure worship of Allah, but instead also looks to other supernatural powers. A Country of Mixed Islam Since the 13th century, Islam has filtered into the corners and remote pockets of Indonesian civilization.   Coming into a religiously mixed world of animism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, Islam began taking on forms different than that of Middle Eastern orthodoxy.   The majority of Indonesian Muslims today shape the Islamic religion to fit their traditional superstitions and other religious beliefs, while the minority strives for orthodoxy.  Ã‚   These various forms of Islam combine to dominate both the cultural and political aspects of the nation and give Indonesia the largest Muslim population of the world.   Yet in reality, rather than being unified under a pure Islam, this population truly is a â€Å"marble layered cake† of mixed religious belief.

McDonalds Corporation :: GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

McDonalds Resturant From just one restaurant in San Bernadino, California, run by two brothers, McDonald’s has grown to become the best known and most popular fast food restaurant chain in the world. The first McDonald’s opened in 1948. The franchising operations soon became McDonald’s Corporation in 1955. As most of the world now knows McDonald’s as the home of the Big MAC, the first restaurants had a slightly different main menu item, hot dogs. Ray Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers, Mac and Dick, for $2.7 Million in cash in 1961. Kroc’s prototype store in Des Plaines, Illinois, is now a museum. Also in 1961, Kroc opened Hamburger University in the basement of a McDonald’s restaurant, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. By 1963, McDonald’s was selling a million hamburgers a day. The company went public in 1965. In 1967 the opened their first international restaurant in Canada. In 1971, McDonald’s restaurants opened in Europe and Australia. Their signature â€Å"Big MAC† wasn’t introduced until 1968 and the first â€Å"drive-thru† McDonald’s was opened in Sierra Vista, Arizona in 1975. About half of McDonald’s sales were accounted to â€Å"drive-thru’s† in the late 1990’s. Their â€Å"winning† strategy has remained an unchanged through the years. It provides quality food and fast service, in a clean environment at an affordable price. It has been noticed throughout the running of McDonald’s that they tend to market to the eyes of children with Ronald McDonald as their notorious â€Å"spokesclown† that is recognized by 96% of American children. Also, in 1998, McDonald’s signed a long-term deal with the Walt Disney Company to include Disney merchandise as giveaways in its Happy Meals. The â€Å"Made for you† concept menu was also introduced in 1998. It was introduced to revamp kitchens and promote sandwiches made especially for the consumer. This was to keep food fresher. It is a computer based production system. McDonald’s developed the software itself. The new system will also replace the â€Å"batch† method where food is often made before the consumer enters the restaurant. In 1998, McDonald’s, in order to remain strong, tested the â€Å"McDonald’s Big Xtras† or â€Å"MBX† which was a potential hit. The â€Å"MBX† was a 4.5-ounce burger launched mainly to compete with Burger King’s â€Å"Whopper†. It was also reminiscent of the1980s â€Å"McDLT†, In ’98; they also brought back the â€Å"Filet-O-Fish† which in 1996 had been replaced by â€Å"Fish Filet Deluxe†. On a promotion basis, they offered novelty sandwiches, like â€Å"Cheddar Melt† and the â€Å"McRib†.

Clinton Administrations Proposal To Increase Taxes For Multinational Co

My topic is the increase if the taxes which Clinton Administration is planning. This increase in taxes will target "multinational Corporations, end the favored tax treatment of extra long term bonds", It will also raise capital gains taxes by â€Å"changing the rules for computing the cost basis of securities when they are sold at a profit†. What this will do is increase the taxes for the rich and will decrease the difference between the rich and the poor. The plan is intent on cutting the middle class tax and finance higher education (yeah right). The current tax law decreases the Federal Treasury Revenue and makes the economy less efficient or less competitive. The multinational tax would disallow multinationals to assume half of their goods are foreign even if they are made in the US. Thus they could export to a country with low taxes and thus pay less taxes. This change would bring an increase of 7.9 Billion in corporate taxes over the next 5 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This withdraws a lot of money from the economy and may thus decrease demand for goods, as people have less money to spend. The multinationals would employ many people and with and increase in their cost (tax is a type of cost) they would be forced to decrease the average amount of wages which the their employees received. This may take the form of decreased raises, or the laying off of some people. This would thus decrease aggregate demand for goods Nationally (as Multinationals would employ people in th...

Serotonin & Depression :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Serotonin & Depression In the brainstem, the most primitive part of the brain, lie clusters of serotonin neurons. The nerve fiber terminals of the serotonergic neurons extend all throughout the central nervous system from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. This neurotransmitter is responsible for controlling fundamental physiological aspects of the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), serotonin has widespread and often profound implications, including a role in sleep, appetite, memory, learning, temperature regulation, mood, sexual behavior, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, and endocrine regulation. Not only does this bioamine control physiological aspects of the body, but it also has an involvement in behaviors like eating, sleeping and aggression. Serotonin has been noted to produce an inhibitory effect on the nervous system that calms, soothes and generates feelings of general contentment and satiation. Not surprisingly, serotonin is implicated in a broad range of serotonin disorders like depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease (3).. Serotonin deficiencies have been one of the factors to blame for ailments such as anorexia, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorders, migraines, social phobias and schizophrenia. (9). (12). I am not taking a stance that serotonin has its hand in all of these different pots, but after the research that I have completed for this paper, I feel comfortable talking about serotonin in reference to depression. No one can say for certain what exactly "causes" depression. But in this paper, I hope to give further insight into serotonin's specific role as a possible predeterminant for major depression and some hopes for those suffering from this illness. Approximately 5% of the United States' population experiences a depressive episode that requires psychopharmacological treatment; in any one year, 10-12 million Americans are affected by depression, with the condition twice as common in females than in males. It has been estimated that 15% of patients hospitalized for depression will commit suicide. These figures are incredible, so finding the root of the problem when it comes to depression is extremely important. "Alterations in serotonin metabolism may be an important factor in the etiology and treatment of depression." (7). Although historically depression has been considered a character condition, evidence has accumulated suggesting the role of a biological substrate, namely serotonin, in subgroups of depressed patients. This accumulated evidence supports the indoleamine hypothesis of depression, which suggests that major depression results from a deficiency of available serotonin or inefficient serotonin. (16). We see that depletions of serotonin from certain regions of the brain such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and cortical areas involved in cognition and other high processes, can have a great impact in contributing to depression.

Marx’s Theory of Alienation

Sociology Essay – Assessment 1 Q. Outline and assess Marx’s concept of Alienation Alienation, a concept that became widely known during the 19th and 20th century has been looked at extensively by a number of leading theorists. Theorists such as Georg Hegel first used the idea of alienation as a philosophic idea, but his work was later grasped upon by theorists known as Ludwig Feuerbach and more importantly Karl Marx. The world till now has been witness to a change in different social structures and forms in which society operates. We as human beings must ask, what purpose do we serve within society?What means do we have to sustain an effective or prosperous way of living? Marx believed we have been through different economic stages and ownership of the things we need to live, beginning with the times of the ancient to feudalism (land granted from the crown) to now where we have arrived at capitalism (private ownership). He saw this as historical stages of development wh ere each stage has the characteristics of a system of production and division of labour, forms of property ownership and a system of class relations (Morrison,K. 1995:40).This brought forward Marx’s idea of historical materialism which centred on how to interpret the history of mankind and the development of one stage of society to the next. In turn it looks for reasons for changes in human society and how humans together produced the necessary requirements to live. In relation to historical materialism there was another idea of dialectal materialism. This was a term used by Marx to study natural phenomena, the evolution of society and human thought itself as a process of development which rests upon motion and contradiction (Clapp,R: Acc 10/11/2012).Marx further explains historical and dialectical materialism which will be looked at further in the essay. By understanding how humans produce the necessities to live (historical materialism) and how a way of reasoning helps us t o see the growth in efficiency of economic orders where in turn they develop contradictions and weaknesses (dialectical materialism), we can begin to look at the idea of alienation and how it exists through expanding economic orders according to Marx. Alienation can be described as an idea where humans are dominated by forces of their own creation, which pose as ‘alien powers’ (Coser: 1977 Acc. 0/11/2012). It is seen that we are subject to psychological or emotional separation from the things we produce and the surplus value that is gained, all be it in the control of private owners in a capitalist climate. There are different ways in which we are separated from these factors. They are the worker from the product of labour, the actual activity of labour, members of society and from our ‘species being’. However both the worker and capitalist suffer forms of alienation which will be discussed further.The purpose of this essay is to outline and assess Marxâ₠¬â„¢s theory of alienation where many forms of separation occur and how different members of society suffer from it, as well as taking into account how historical and dialectical ideas help to give a background to it. Karl Marx who was born in 1818 in Germany was considered as an unconventional theorist. His reputation for being a political economist, philosopher, revolutionary and founder of Communism did not bring people to the typical image of a sociologist.Marx was a strong believer in the materialistic understanding of factors such as social change, class conflict, labour and the organisation of production. He put forward some notions that would help him identify the materialist perspective. So what does historical materialism tell us about history? When using this idea to analyse society we are always looking at the economic base or structure of it. In order for society to live in this sense, we must be able to produce the necessities like food, shelter and clothing in order t o do so. The act of production is one of the principle requirements to satisfy human economic needs.Marx also made a comparison of humans to animals where we as humans produce the means to satisfy our primary material needs. For this reason humans are different from animals because humans need to produce the means for survival and when done, they build an active conscious with nature in order to do so (Morrison, K. 1995:40). Another point was that the way humans produce depends on what is already there in nature and what they must to survive. If this is the case then how they exist and how they live will run parallel to what they produce and how they produce. Historical materialism was given a number of main concepts to look at.These were the means of production (necessitates for survival), relations of production (the link between producers and non-producers of physical labour) and the mode of production (changing the way of making a living). By taking these points into account we can see how an economic structure has been formed over different periods of time and how historical materialism helps to look at social processes of human economic work and how it will help give a background to the theory of alienation. Historical materialism serves a link to the dialectical way of thinking as Marx was the first person to merge materialism and dialectics together.The dialectics was a way of thinking to understand the world. Marx was mainly influenced by the theorist Hegel in his younger days, he was a pioneer in understanding philosophic logic through his process of dialectic. This involved looking at natural phenomena, the evolution of society and thought through motion and contradiction with a direct challenge to formal logic. Marx seen that the contradictions and oppositions were paramount to the whole analysis. For example in using dialectics imagine there is tension for a nurse trying to accommodate a client but at the same time we know she is trying to bring c hange for the client.Using this small scale example in the greater picture we can see that dialectics accepts reality as a set of opposing forces which exist at the same time (Estefan,A:2002 Acc 10/11/2012). Moreover by understanding historical and dialectical materialism in nature, society or economy we are able to understand how through different economic periods it gives a background to Marx’s theory of alienation. As we discuss alienation by Marx we first need to analyse the environment he sees it in. Capitalism is an economic system, whereby ownership of factories, materials and machinery for production is the property of private individuals.The term alienation relates to the specific levels of separation that are seen through the production and increasing surplus value by workers. Marx had this idea that private property is the ‘material summary expression’ of estranged labour. Marx highlighted that labour power had a major value where the use of it by the capitalist was turned into surplus value. This labour is something that cannot be similar to work because it has a social relationship that can only identify with capitalism. What he is trying to say is that during the production of goods, physical effort (work) is changed into labour.With an increasing industrial demand for production workers are subject to exploitation, where they are required to work harder to meet demand but still for a wage not in proportion to the work carried out. The wage that the workers receive will fluctuate but will not be in proportion with the increase in productivity, the increased input turns into surplus value in which the capitalist owner takes in the form of profit. The relationship between the productivity of workers and the production of surplus value is therefore the more wealth he produces the less he will expect to see back or he will become all the poorer (Calhoun, Craig. 002). This shows us that an object which the worker produces becomes m ore distant from him as the bond created between the product and worker is lost, knowing that it will be owned or disposed of by another, the capitalist. In turn, the object that the worker has put a part of his life into stands against him as something alien. In all societies people use skills that have been gained over time to produce goods that they need to live, exchange or sell. This is not the case in a capitalist environment because ‘‘the worker cannot use the things he produces to keep alive or to engage in further productive activity†¦The worker needs, no matter how desperate, do not give him a license to lay hands on what these same hands have produced, for all his products are the property of another’’ (B Ollman, Alienation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143). This form of separation was highlighted by Marx as separation of the worker from the product of labour. He identified other main levels of separation within the idea of alienation . These consist of separation from the act of labour, from fellow members of society and from species being.When looking at separation from the activity of labour we mean that the worker is alienated by the lack of control in the process of production. This drainage of control completely restricts on how the worker can carry out his work. He is limited to a systematic process so the input of creativity almost becomes nothing as the worker would need to follow restrictions. With lack of input in the activity of labour, it would seem that an increased division of labour from the process would become more existent. For example in a car factory there would be a line to assemble a car together which consists of many different parts.With little say in the process the worker may be restricted to assembling only the tyres on the car. The activity would be a repetitive process and would separate the worker from the rest of the production line and in essence from his natural being as his pote ntial is not being utilised. A third aspect of alienation is that man is a species-being. Marx argues that humans come across as social animals where he states ‘man makes his life activity itself the object of his will and of his consciousness. He has conscious life activity.It is not a determination with which he directly merges. Conscious life activity distinguishes man immediately from animal life activity. It is just because of this he is a specious-being’ (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 38). What Marx is saying here is that we as humans have the ability to consciously interact with the world around us and it is in our character to do so. Also, the main thing that separates us from the animal world is that we know who we are and have a personal conscious of our self with a kind of relation to the natural world.In terms of capitalist relations of production when our labour is used, we are displaced from our species being as it turns labour into a physical act. We are effectiv ely revoked from what nature has favoured us for over animal life. Also, by converting conscious being into physical being it makes human labour like the labour of animals (Morrison, K. 1995. 96). With this kind of alienation by being taken from our specious being we become creatures of physical activity all in tandem with the drive for profit for the capitalist owner.However under capitalism the development of production methods results in specialised division of labour which with some difference can increase society’s ability to produce, but the benefits in turn will flow in the favour the few private owners. The fourth factor of alienation that Marx brought forward is that from fellow humans and from our human social community. Those who live in a capitalist society are separated from fellow members as a class structure becomes evident.There is a structure of those who work and those who exploit the workers so for this reason Marx feels we are alienated from fellow members . Those in the capitalist society are only partially connected by the way of the market. In the market members will come to buy and sell goods that they produce or sell so by looking at it this way individuals are not connected properly but as separated representatives of different relations of production in competition with each other. We can then see the different forms of alienation that Marx sees existent in a capitalist society.The theory of alienation has taken many forms and laid down many points, but it may be important to consider a few criticisms that may exist within it. By looking at it from a modern perspective, some may consider that the concept is not fully defined in the sense that working for someone else or above with free movement is difficult. A main feature of Capitalism is that property rights and freedom of contract is what strengthens it. In a contract of employment if a worker is not satisfied with a job then it is possible for them to leave with notice and look for work elsewhere or even start up their own business.This level of autonomy in decision making is what one may argue shines light on capitalism. The government may play a role in alienating the capitalist owner as it may be through legislation that they need to follow specific rules. In turn it will filter through to the worker and that feeling of degradation may be situated elsewhere. In defence of the private owners the hate feeling of workers may point at the wrong direction when it is other factors that have contributed to their change.For example in 1912 employees went on strike from a textile factory in Massachusetts, U. S. A when owners reduced wages due to the reduction of working hours by the state from 56 to 54 hours. As the root of the change was the state, it should be them that are targeted not the owner. Marx’s theory of alienation therefore contests that in modern industrial production under a capitalist system workers will eventually lose control of the ir lives by the overwhelming conditions they are faced with at work.Through the different degrees of separation be it from the product of labour, the activity of labour, from species being or from fellow members of society Marx attempts to show that under the conditions of modern factory production the average worker is just like a cog in a machine where it is continuously worked and replaced by swarms of other parts. The new workers perform repetitive tasks which are closely under watch and with them they don’t have control over production, the products of labour and relations with each other. As a result the worker is taken away from his human nature.Overall, the role and conditions for the labourer has changed through time along with the changes in economic systems. Word Count: 2,475 Bibliography (B Ollman, Alienation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143) * (B Ollman, Alienation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143) Calhoun, Craig. (2002). Economic and Philosophic Ma nuscripts of 1844. In: Classical Sociological Theory. Massachusetts: Blackwell. 35. * (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 35) * (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 38) Coser. (1977:50-53) Alienation. Available: http://www. cf. ac. uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/marx7. html. Last accessed 10/11/2012. (Coser: 1977 Acc. 10/11/2012) Clapp, R. An Introduction to Dialectical Materialism. Available: http://www. marxism. org. uk/pack/dialetics. html. Last accessed 10/11/2012. * (Clapp,R: Acc 10/11/2012) Estefan, A. (2002). Dialectical Thinking. Available: http://www. palgrave. com/nursinghealth/mcallister/suggestions_thinking/example%20of%20teaching%20dialectical%20thinking. htm. Last accessed 10/11/2012. * (Estefan,A:2002 Acc 10/11/2012) Morrison, K. (1995). Laws of Historical development. In: Morrison, K Formations of Modern Social Thought. London: SAGE. 40. * (Morrison, K. 1995. 40) * (Morrison, K. 1995. 96)

History of education Essay

â€Å"Education driven by passion awakens us to a world bigger than ourselves and makes us curious. Learning becomes self-sustaining as it transforms from a requirement to a desire. † First of all, what is a globalization education? A Globalization is a series of social, economical, educational, ethnological, cultural, and political changes that promote interdependence and growth. Globalization raises the standard of living in developing countries, spreads technological knowledge, and increases political liberation. The main cause of globalization is influence from other, more developed, countries. Globalization is a historical process that results from human innovation and technological progress. Creativity and technology are very important as knowledge. Especially technology because it had helped in many ways with educations. To me education is knowledge, success, intelligence, achievement. Education is the best because you can also teach others. I can just say that some people didn’t have education are just lucky to become who they are. For example, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and many other super achievers never finished grade school. But They succeeded because they knew how to research, how to create certain activities to make them who they are. They also collect information for a selected project and process knowledge. Classroom environment does not work that way, it focuses on the collection of knowledge without a clear purpose, other than high class grades. If the purpose does not motivate, other than to please the teacher, then there is nothing to process outside of memorizing answers for test. The typical student is academic challenged while being motivation starved. Lack of motivation is lack of knowledge processing skills. The typical college graduate will have a professional skill that supplies life’s basic needs. Additionally, the globalization education in the world is the most powerful thing that can exist because it is the general base that people around the world have opportunity to learn things that didn’t learn before. From day to day education expand much more to the world and that’s the reason why technology became also more develop because people by doing research they are learning much more than they expected. Also while they are developing their knowledge they are also entertaining themselves. Technology in the globalization education allows certain people or nations around the world to stay closes. Moreover, we as a society are destroying our children’s right to a quality education. By introducing the standardize test we have only accomplish one goal; teaching our children how to take a test. It does not matter if they know the right answer it is multiple choice they have a one in four chance of getting it right. Standardize testing forces teachers to educate children one way. Children need creativity to learn. Our schools are heading in the same direction with the standardize test. Because children learn in different ways, we must introduce different styles of learning techniques into our schools. One way to do this is to encourage more creativity in education. The lack of creativity in teaching has been a significant issue in recent years. The report highlighted that children profit from using creative skills and by having these skills developed. It also suggested that creative teaching should be made part of all academic education. This was the first time that this issue had been fully recognized. In response to this report, the government has acknowledged the significance of developing the creative skills of children, as these could become essential in future workplaces. The Nation Curriculum recognizes that many employers want and need creative people: ‘Schools that promote creativity will ensure that pupils respond positively to opportunities and responsibilities and are better able to handle with new challenges as well as change and difficulty. Creativity helps teachers deliver the academic curriculum to students in an appealing manner. Further more, another basic source of learning is technology. Now a day, technology has become an important component in education. Especially the Internet that has allowed the world to communicate and allows even the people who cannot read to educate especially if the person is unable to go to school. They can do all their research on the internet. Everyday software makes people lives easier and improves on the technology. Making lives easier is not, however, the only role technology plays in our lives but it teaches us things we didn’t know and helps us learn more than we thought we couldn’t t learn. Technology is playing an increasing role in education. As technology advances, it is used to benefit students of all ages in the learning process. As technology advances, students have better access to educational opportunities like these. When something new and better is revealed, the older technology becomes more affordable, allowing it to be used in educational settings, even when schools are on a tight budget. Technology has also advanced to help children even before they’ve started school. Educational video games and systems for young children help them prepare for school and in some cases get a head start on their education. Regardless of these arguments, technology is an important part of today’s society and education. In conclusion, there are many ways we can try to improve the world. For example, not open to innovation, Teachers, and much more. Education is a vital part of society in which everyone plays a role. It is not only the role of parents and teachers to support a child’s education, but also the role of the whole society to provide a structure of living that supports what is being taught. Education is the way through everything. Lucky for us we have technology and much more to help us get through an education, so let’s not waste the advantage of education we have and learn something so we can make a better future.

An Application for Admission to the UCLA’s Anderson School’s MBA Program for the fully employed

My childhood dream was to establish a business concern of my own. With the passage of time this desire to foray into the world of business intensified. However, my dream remained unfulfilled due to the absence of financial support as I had been born in a poor family.In addition to this, a major calamity befell upon me due to the sudden demise of my father, which resulted in the devolution of the family responsibility upon my young shoulders.Nevertheless, my inner aspiration of establishing myself in some business never subsided and it continued to haunt me, so that I ultimately decided to join a fully – employed MBA course. The objective of my seeking admission to this course was to further my interests in the financial markets.However, my circumstances and responsibilities towards my family forced me to complete my graduation in Computer Sciences. The main reason for my acquiring a degree in this field of study was that it offered very good job opportunities at that point of time. My assessment was that a job in the computer field would provide me with sufficient money to discharge my responsibilities towards my family.  After the completion of graduation in Computer Science, I received offers of employment from a number of companies as a software consultant. I excelled in developing software for different tasks, especially in the Banking and Trading sectors.While developing software programs for the Trading sector, I obtained a fairly deep insight into the world of Trading and Investments in the stock markets. My childhood aspirations that had lain dormant for years came to the forefront.The knowledge that I had gleaned, enabled me to establish my own trading portfolio in the year 2002 and I started to trade stocks on my own. I was quite successful in motivating a number of my friends to enter into the financial markets and I explained to them the concepts involved in trading, the secrets of financial markets and more or less everything about the mar ket.Consequently, most of my friends invested in the financial markets and became wealthy. The upshot of this was that a number of people started to come to me for my valuable advice regarding financial matters. Moreover, I became an adept in financial issues and the people, who took my advice in financial matters, advised me to join some reputable MBA program.I evaluated their advice and the consequences of changing my career. I decided upon a short term goal, to work for a brokerage firm as this would enable me to achieve sufficient knowledge in investments and takeovers. After having accomplished this goal, I was desirous of establishing my own brokerage firm in India to provide support to native companies that yearned to acquire international companies.The scrutiny of a number of international universities offering the MBA program convinced me that my desire to acquire excellent managerial and analytical skills would be best satisfied by the fully employed MBA course of the UCLA . Moreover, this degree will equip me with sufficient knowledge and expertise to succeed in the financial markets.A perusal of the curriculum of the MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management was overwhelming to say the least. The teaching style adopted in this school is practical and interactive.It emphasizes active participation and case study techniques in a virtual business atmosphere, which will go a long way to gain expertise in problem solving methods and make me highly proficient in my electives, namely, venture capital, option market strategies, takeovers and restructuring (Fully Employed MBA Program, 2007).Furthermore, I conducted a number of interaction session with the alumni of this school and concluded that this MBA program would provide a very good learning experience and expertise, which would enable me to realize my childhood dream of establishing my own business.Moreover, this program provides an objective review of the business luminaries and provides a gol den opportunity to examine the business practices and case studies of multinational businesses in an academic setting.In addition, this course will enable me to avail myself of the opportunity to make use of sophisticated academic facilities that will enhance my knowledge. In short this program would conduce to transform me into a powerful character and instill me with confidence and this would allow me achieve my professional and personal goals.  My perseverance and positive attitude helped me to discharge my duties towards my family and my financial status has also improved enormously. These factors will be extremely helpful in reaching my lifetime goals.I had established two companies and my intention, at this juncture, is to acquire sufficient business experience and skills to expand my businesses. Due to globalization, a trend has commenced in the developing countries to encourage businesses and industries that conform to the international norms.This is the era of great oppor tunities and the most opportune time to join the MBA program at UCLA Anderson School. The Anderson School also conducts the International Field Study program which would be of great advantage to me, because it permits students to participate and learn the business practices of the foreign companies.ReferencesFully Employed MBA Program. (2007). Retrieved October 4, 2007, from UCLA Anderson School of Management: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x119.xml

Blood and Vengeance Essay

In Sudetics book, Blood and Vengeance, the author portrays a multicultural country whose people were living together more or less peacefully until their dormant ethnic hostilities were awakened and manipulated in a war of aggression. It was a war that was brought on by a few people with a thirst for power and a score to settle which is indicative of the title. It is the tradition of Serbs to demand blood vengeance for past crimes against them and, while there may be readers who consider magnanimity as the noble thing, the Serbs and their culture, in sharp contrast, appear unsympathetic at times. In brief, Sudetic successfully illustrates the macro policy issues with an in-depth view of the Celik family’s experience in Srebrenica. This book is a devastating indictment of the international community for allowing atrocities like this to occur again, after similar incidents which occurred in WWII, Rwanda, Cambodia and Guatemala. It is a firm and definitive account of a tragic chapter in Bosnia’s history. The first section of the book helps explain the root causes of the war in Bosnia and contains a brief yet momentous introduction of the history of Bosnia. Sudetic then introduces the reader to the Celiks (A Bosnian Family). The reader becomes completely enveloped by the tragedy and ordeals that the family endures and it becomes hard not to empathize with them, sharing their deepest emotions and concerns. Central to the theme of this book is Sudetic’s comprehensive account of the atrocities that took place in Srebrenica after the town was overrun by the Bosnian Serb army. Muslim men were taken to different locations to be shot. Those who survived have been able to testify about these heinous atrocities. The Celik family fled from their village of Kusupovici to Srebrenica when the war began. Approximately forty thousand people from neighboring towns sought shelter in Srebrenica which was later taken under siege and was constantly shelled by the Bosnian Serb army. Very few U. N. convoys were allowed to enter Srebrenica in order to deliver food and medical supplies to its refugees. Srebrenica’s people were isolated from the rest of the world for three long years with severe food rations, the lack of electricity, clean water and medical supplies. Hundreds of refugees died from starvation and disease. Blood and Vengeance is virtually a gripping account of unlucky people who were trapped in an ironic â€Å"safe† zone of Srebrenica. The city fell on July 12, 1995 after three years of Serb occupation. The author describes the events as vividly as it was illustrated on television. Bosnian Serb forces summarily executed approximately eight thousand Muslims, an event not witnessed since WWII. The details of the massacre were gruesome including the days leading up to it. It was even more disturbing that the U. N. was completely indifferent to the plight of these people with numerous documents corroborating this. The U. N. maintained that, though they were given the authority for air strikes, they did not because they felt it would exacerbate the conflict. Those Muslims who tried to escape were frequently ambushed by the Bosnian Serb army. The impression a reader gets from this book is probably the most accurate one concerning the war in Bosnia. This war was not the mandate of the people but instead, the cruelty imposed by General Milosevic. It appears that, in this book, it’s the United Nations and Western diplomats that take the blame. In addition to blame put on the U. N. , Sudetic writes of the convenient fallacy that all sides in the Bosnian war were equally guilty of the evils perpetrated there. That was never the case. He also dispenses with the international community’s implication that the corrosive three years was inevitable. In reality, it was deliberately manipulated by nationalist Serb leaders. Sudetic also exposes the moral cowardice & incompetence of the international community. Even though it can be argued that the Serbs were manipulated by the anti-Muslim propaganda monopolizing the media in the former Yugoslavia, it is fair to state that the Muslims had nothing comparable to cloud their judgment. In summary, Blood and Vengeance, is a true account of a family in the Serbian conflict engaged in a political and social context of violence and aggression. There is a balance in the author’s criticism of Muslim and Serb atrocities, and his anger at the failures of politicians and peacekeepers is extremely pronounced. It is a riveting tale of the experiences of the Celik family and to the welfare of each family member as they try to escape the violence. Bibliography: 1. Blood and Vengeance: One Family’s Story of the War in Bosnia, Chuck Sudetic, 1999

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk1 Essay

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk1 - Essay Example On the other hand, Information Systems refers to the interlinked elements that control information with an organization in order to help in the decision-making process. It also helps in examining products for using new innovative ways to design a product. The Information System provides information regarding the organization as well as business external environment that affects the organization operation/undertakings. The main components of information are the input of information, processing of the information and finally giving the information as an output. The Information System of an organization is available for use by outsiders such as customers, competitors and other stakeholders. The main roles that Information System has played cannot be underestimated. Many organizations have been registered online; online advertisement has become a new phenomenon, and more internet users have been recruited (Loudon & Laudon, 2009). ABB is a multinational company that is based in Sweden.The organization is involved in supplying electricity and building automation products. It has an average of 7,000 employees in Sweden (ABB, 2014). Research was carried out to determine the role Management Information System had played in the organization. The study was necessary since one of its subsidiary company had adopted a new Information System. After a vigorous investigation, it was established that Information System had played five important roles that turned around the company’s fortunes (Askenas&Westelius, 2003). According to the investigators Information, system acted as a manipulator, administrative assistant, a consultant, was bureaucratic in nature, and was a changed. The Information System that was used before was very efficient.However, due to the dynamic technological environment; the company was forced to adopt a new system called Triton

The effects of poverty in the development of children's thinking Research Paper

The effects of poverty in the development of children's thinking related to mathematics - Research Paper Example Children from economically challenged families appear to have a more difficult time in learning mathematical skills than do children from families with secure finances. While the body of research that exists on the topic has tended to focus on ethnicity as a component to the achievement gaps that are appreciated where learning mathematics is involved, it is more clearly evident that economic disparities create achievement gaps where expectations are not being met. Economic power asserts a certain level or propriety where knowledge is concerned, but this can be used where context is shown to be essential in learning mathematical knowledge. Putting math into context with real life situations appears to increase the ability to effectively use mathematical knowledge. Socialization appears to be the key to how learning is accomplished and learning math is affected when earlier socialization towards learning intangible concepts has not been established. The effect of economics on the gaps in achievement as observed between low and high income families is more likely due to the differences in socialization towards learning rather than in a disparity in income. There is a belief based upon research that children from African American and Latin ethnic origins, as well as those from low socio-economic areas have lowered scores on standardized tests than to those from Caucasian ethnic origins and with a higher level of socio-economic advantages. According to Flores (2007), â€Å"Specifically, data show that African American, Latino, and low-income students are less likely to have access to experienced and qualified teachers, more likely to face low expectations, and less likely to receive equitable per student funding â€Å" (p. 29). ... In the study done by Flores (2007) who also focuses on socio-economic status, the statistics concerned with ethnicity is also considered. Flores (2007) presents data concerning standardized tests still shows a disparity in regard to ethnicity. In African American students, 91% have not met the mathematics proficiencies expected by the eighth grade. For Latino students that figure is 87%. Asian American students, on the other hand, show that 53% are not meeting mathematical expectations and Caucasian students are at 63%. The first notable information from these statistics is that over half of all students are not meeting mathematical achievement expectations by grade eight. The discussion, when focused on socio-economic backgrounds, shows that while 38% of children from financially secure homes meet expectations in mathematics on standardized tests, only 13% of children from economically insecure families meet those expectations (Flores, 2007). Economic disparities also lead to cultur al disparities with families having members with minds that have been trained academically have a much easier time in transferring that type of learning discipline onto their children. As poverty and academic achievement are related, families in lower socio-economic levels are less likely to have achieved higher education; therefore their children are not taught how to pursue education nor to have an admiration for economic achievement. One of the other misconceptions where research has focused on culture and ethnic issues where learning is concerned is that there has been an association with culture and ethnicity. According to work done by Nasir and Hand