Monday, September 30, 2019

Most Influenced People in My Life Essay

In China, people always say, â€Å"If three people are walking together, at least one is good enough to be another’s teacher†, which means you will always be influenced by someone else in your life. For me, many people have affected me, such as my grandmother, my father, and my high school physics teacher. Each of them has some talents and characters that I really want to learn. I admire my father’s great enterprise and noble spirit. His strong spirit always influences me when I face challenges or make big decisions. My grandmother’s thoughtfulness teaches me how to take care of myself well when I am alone and I learn that people would be nice to you when you treat them in a friendly way. Also my high school physics teacher is one of the greatest people I have ever met. He was the one who helped me most when I was growing up to an adult. I cannot think of anyone else who has influenced me more than him or her. My father is one of the most influenced people in my life. He is an enterprising entrepreneur. Read more: The person whom I  admire the most essay He always tells me three important traits that a real man must have: enterprising, caring, and conscientious. He also likes to talk with me about what he has done to his company and employees. After hearing his experience, I want to start my own business when I graduate from university so that I can be an enterprising man like my father. He is a person whom I am familiar with the most, so I learn a lot of things from him both mentally and materially. Lots of people said that my motion and appearance completely look the same as my father’s from behind when we are walking together. The last reason that my father is one of the most influenced people in my life is that he assists me financially in my abroad study in United States. As we know, there are not a lot of Chinese have the economic capability to send their children to study abroad. I should be grateful that my father is willing to provide me money to study abroad. My physics teacher of my high school is another person who has influenced me the most. He was a very patient man. I was a naughty boy when I was studying in my high school in Connecticut. I skipped the classes to play basketball and video games; I always did not finish my homework; I fought with other classmates. He was still patient to teach me, so physics became the subject that I had the highest grade. He always convinced people by reasoning. In China, many teachers teach bad students by scolding them or giving them corporal punishment. He was the most reasonable teacher that I had seen since I studied in United States. I respected him very much. I just could not find any disadvantages from him. I once had a chance to have dinner in his house and met all of his families; they were all very nice and easy going. It could be regarded as the most touching thing in the world for a bad student who was often ignored by teachers. My grandmother is also one of the most influenced people in my life. She never got mad at people no matter what they did to her. All of her neighbors evaluated her as the kindest person in their community. My grandmother is also a laborious person. She was born and growing up in the famine. There were six children for her to raise. At that time, my grandmother had no job, so she had no extra money to buy what my father and his brothers needed. She made straw sandals every night to sell in order to buy some snacks and stationery for her sons. She took care of me for over 9 years. When I was a kid, both my parents had job to do and had no time to take care of me, so I was sent to my grandmother’s home. I love her very much because she took care of my daily life and health in the majority of my childhood. People are always influenced by the person appear in their life. The point is that we should be thankful to the people who bring positive influence on us. I am really thankful to my enterprising father, my kind grandmother, and my patient physics teacher because they all have positive effects on me. My father provides me lots of valuable things both mentally and materially. I would still be Yiqin who can only speak Chinese not Scott who can speak both English and Chinese without my father’s help. I would not know how to get alone with people well without my grandmother’s teaching through her personal behavior as well as verbal instruction. I feel confident in saying that I am able to hit it off with the majority of people. I said I worshipped my high school physics teacher very much, not only because he was a patient and reasonable person, but also because his influence on his family made me want to be the person like him. In the future, we may become the one who could influence others, so we must take positive influence from people around us as much as we can, and then let our good personalities to influence others. It would be one of the most important things that could make us to succeed.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

How I Believe America has changed since 9/11

The 9/11 incident is a unique one being considered as one of the worst catastrophes not only in America but all over the world. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and of the Soviet Union in 1991 a period of extreme optimism opened, with markets triumphant and globalization as the universal panacea (Evans, 2003, para.3). Such nations who experienced failure in one way or another have shifted and depended on their sanguinity for success and advancement through the United States of America.However, after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the world was in shock that even the world’s greatest superpower has met some vulnerable moments against an uncertain force. The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda (Bush, 2001, para. 13).Following the 9/11 disaster, one aspect of change which should be analyzed is how Americans perceive freedom now after this event. U.S. President George W. Bush has applied an aggres sive and one-sided approach in dealing with the terrorist issue.The Bush administration is presently the prime mover of the long running â€Å"war on terrorism.† Everything has changed in the sense that the war on terrorism has given U.S. foreign policy a focus not seen since the height of the Cold War (Garrett, 2002, para. 1). The invasion and occupation of Iraq is a result (politically, of course, not logically)†¦(â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?,† 2006, para.2). Undaunted and unapologetic, the Bush administration continues to argue the virtues of staying the present course (Connetta, 2006, para. 6). Can the Americans live in the real essence of freedom with this road the Bush leadership is taking?Will the Bush Administration sacrifice civil liberty for the sake of national security? America has always takes pride of being a free nation embedded with dignity and glory. But after 9/11, the Americans have lived in fear, ambiguity and doubt.ReferencesBush, G.W. ( 2001). Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.htmlConnetta, C. (2006). Pyrrhus on the Potomac: How America's post-9/11 wars have undermined US national security. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.comw.org/pda/0609br18.htmlEvans, L. (2003). America and the World: What Has Changed Since 9/11? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=3552Garrett, G. (2002). One year after 9/11: What Has Really Changed? Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=2617â€Å"What has changed since 9/11?† (2006). Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://ask.metafilter.com/41748/What-has-changed-since-911  

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Are Dynasties Good for Sport Leagues? Essay

In sports, the term dynasty is most typically used to refer to a team that is considered or recognized as having dominated their sport for a certain period of time. There are many different factors that are considered as ‘making’ a sports dynasty, and basically a sports dynasty is a franchise that has success in different generations, one which has gained success over a period of time and not just once in particular. When we look at North American sports, for instance, there are basically a few teams in particular that are really considered as being dynasties: the New York Yankees, Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Celtics. Of course this may be argued, however it is truly hard to literally define the term ‘dynasty’, especially when we really only have about 120 years of professional sporting history to work with, in comparison to the millions of years of human civilization. There are many controversial issues that surround the subject of sports dynasties, and in particular whether or not they are good for sports. Although again the response to this will technically vary from one person to the next, in all honesty dynasties definitely have strong points and are good for the health of sports overall. One subject that plays a large role in sports dynasties is economics. The architect of modern-stadium economics and owner of the Dallas Cowboys, for instance, is planning to unleah a $1 billion stadium in the year 2009 and thanks to this new stadium, the Cowboys will then become $1. 5 billion, and will also be considered as a sports dynasty. This raises the question of whether the term ‘dynasty’ refers to a team that is skilled and continuously makes impacts in the actual game, or one who is willing to spend a large chunk of money on a stadium that is going to have other NFL owners begging for mercy. â€Å"The Cowboys have not finished better than 10-6 since 1995. ‘Architect of modern stadium economics’ may be too strong a term, but American sports dynasties are no longer made on the playing field† (The Sports Economist, 2007). This is a significant issue because even though a new stadium, which will be belonging to the most valuable sports franchise in the world, should not alone make a team a dynasty. The struggling Cowboys need to enhance their performance and make this the reason that fans keep coming to watch, rather than a fancy stadium. There is also the issue however of how although at first the stadium may attract a new wealth of people, there will be others in its place soon enough and eventually they are going to have to win some games or the title of dynasty will wear off rather soon. Overall from this review we can conclude several things, one of the most major being that the term ‘sports dynasty’ is very hard to define concretely, especially in the present day with the wads of cash that are being thrown around, mostly at taxpayers’ expense. Building a dynasty is never easy, but it has become much more so with the influence of money gaining more and more as time goes by. There are many people who argue that money should not make a team, but it can be pretty hard to fight against this belief when there is so much coming against you in response. Really, not until there is a more specific definition of the ‘dynasty’ term will there ever be a real understanding on this matter and a line that can be drawn in terms of what it is that makes a sports dynasty. References Clements, R. (2007, September 18). Pressure Builds for Cor Jesu ‘Dynasty’. South County Journal. Douthat, R. (2007). Dynastic Policies. Retrieved September 21, 2007, from http://rossdouthat. theatlantic. com/archives/2007/09/dynastic_politics. php Sanderson & Siegfried. (2003, November 30). Sports Dynasties. Journal of Sports Economics. Great Sports Rivalries. (2007). Dynasties. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from http://greatsportsrivalries. com/gsr_topteams. html Sporting News. (2007). Kcland’s Sports Potpourri. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from http://www. sportingnews. com/blog/kcland/page3/ The Sports Economist. (2007). Billions at Stake. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from http://thesportseconomist. com/ (2006, October 30). Celtics Dynasty Began in ’57. The Washington Times.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Power Point Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Power Point Presentation - Essay Example The percentage of online gaming users are increasing every month from 10 to 15 percentages. Online and mobile games have become highly affordable. This is reason behind the increase in rate of online gaming users. Women and older generations are playing more and more online games. The potential customers of online gaming industry are more diversified. The fastest probable mode to conduct business by consumers over internet is by electronic commerce.The application of electronic commerce over past ten years has drasticallytransformed the possible to sociological environment and activities on economics. Over the past four years, it has been assumed that the market growth rate of e-commerce will be doubled. The reason behind E-commerce becoming more common is due to time saving and exceedingly convenient. The introduction of E-commerce has doubles the opportunity for new markets, enormous fiscal benefits and increased the exposure. E-commerce has become vital for every organization to maintain competitive advantage over other multinational organization. This resembles the fact that the total sales revenue of 3% generated in America is occupied by E-commerce. The sales of online gaming DVD and videos are coupled. The contribution of online gaming towards the sales revenue generated in humongous. 24% of international commerce sales ar e equal to the total amount of sales revenue generated through online gaming. The profit of certain organization can be effectively increased by providing service and product to customer electronically. This reveals the fact that more than 900 million users have preferred to shop online via internet. The market share of CanGo has gained radically over the past year. The pivotal strength of CanGo Company it to attract small children and teenagers by providing product delivery and customer care support through

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Argument Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Argument Analysis - Essay Example is thesis statement is that violent entertainment can be good for children, because it helps them to manage their feelings, especially anger and fear. The fact that his thesis statement is so clear to the reader, makes his overall argument easy to understand and follow, because the reader does not have to guess what the author’s argument is, because it is mentioned in the text. On the one hand, Gerard Jones gives a lot of examples of how violent media has helped children in different situations, including himself and his son. This makes his argument strong and believable, especially, because he writes about working together with Melanie Moore, who is a psychologist. The fact that he is working together with a psychologist makes his argumentation look scientific and professional. On the other hand, he does not use any statistics, which weakens his argumentation that violent entertainment helps a lot of children and only harms a few. His argument would appear to be stronger and even more scientific, if supported by statistics. In addition, the reader might think that not all relevant factors have been considered in the text, because he just claims that violent media is mostly good for children, but does not support it with any data. Gerard Jones seems to target mostly adults, especially those adults who are also parents. In the last part of the text, he uses â€Å"we† (for adults/ parents) and â€Å"they† (for children), for example, he says: â€Å"We moan to other parents† and â€Å"We risk confusing them†. Jones gains his audience’s trust by telling them about his own and his son’s experience with violent media and how it helped both of them. By writing about his experience, the audience feels as if a relationship is established, which in turn makes him trustworthy. So, writing about his own experience is the first part of his strategy and the second part is to write about his work with the psychologist Melanie Moore and examples about how violent media has

Structure and Functions of the United Nations Organization Research Paper - 1

Structure and Functions of the United Nations Organization - Research Paper Example It also has an Economic and Social Council which has 54 members and an international court of justice consisting of fifteen judges. It has a Trusteeship council and a secretariat which are discussed subsequently. The United Nations through its five bodies is helping to maintain international politics in such a way that the whole world remains in peace and harmony. It is basically acting as a judge of politics so that countries do not fight or the populations of the countries do not suffer either financially or physically because of any threat. In order to develop a norm for all the countries, international laws are laid down by the United Nations which have to be followed by all the member countries. These international laws are regulated by treaties between the UN and the countries. These treaties are broad as they consider many aspects of the society such as human rights, refugees and border restrictions (United Nations 2010) Rwanda Genocide is cited to be one of the failures by the United Nations organization which shows that the UN has not been very successful in achieving its objectives. On the contrary, many other successful scenarios of UN can also be analyzed all over the world which shows that they have regulated international politics in such a way that many wars have been avoided. An example of Indo Pak can be cited here which was stopped with the help of UN intervention. It can clearly be seen that the UN Security Council after the genocide got more particular about warnings. It sought out its policies in such a way that future incidents occurring all over the world could be avoided. The policies which were taken by UN regarding the war on Afghanistan can be cited here which have served to be purposeful in decreasing the terrorism rate in the world. The UN Security Council urged all its member countries to follow the rules as laid down by Resolution 1267.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Is it important for managers in youth work to have an understanding of Essay

Is it important for managers in youth work to have an understanding of the concept of organisation culture Why, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of th - Essay Example Taking all of the criteria into consideration, I feel that the answer to the question is yes for the reasons presented in this paper. Anderson writes about this concept and other in "Imagined Communities". He takes the premise and considers it in the context of nationalism. Anderson contends, "Nationality, nation-ness, and nationalism are cultural artifacts whose creation toward the end of the 18th C was the spontaneous distillation of a complex ''crossing'' of discrete historical forces; but that, once created, they became ''modular,'' capable of being transplanted to a great variety of social terrains, to merge and be merged with a variety of political and ideological constellations. Theorists of nationalism have encountered three paradoxes: (1)The objective modernity of nations in the eye of the historian vs. their subjective antiquity in the eye of nationalists. (2) The formal universality of nationality as a socio-cultural concepts vs. the particularity of its concrete manifestations. (3) The political power of nationalism vs. its philosophical poverty. (Anderson URL http://ssr1.uchicago.edu/PRELIMS/Culture/cumisc1.html 2005) What Anderson says that applies to management and youth work is that there are clearly defined boundaries and common interests that have been derived from common circumstances. Through a managers understanding of this and implementation of this philosophy to their youth work an organisational culture can be formed and maintained. In order to understand an organisational culture beyond the premise of nationalism takes some understanding of society and the ways that people identify themselves within a given society. The consideration we are concerned with for this discussion is managements understanding of organization culture for youth work. Youth work is the process of creating an environment where young people can engage in informal educational activities. The concept of organizational culture is an important concept in youth work and a clear understanding of it by management will provide strength to the youth organizations implemented by management. The premise of organizational culture can only enhance any management position including youth work. Organizational culture can be thought of as the values, beliefs and customs of an organization. However many managers, especially youth managers, do not understand what the actual values and beliefs of their organization is. By gaining, an understanding of the factors that encompass organizational culture an organization can only benefit from a clear understanding of it. However, if the factors that make up organizational culture are not clearly defined or understood weakness within the organization can and most likely will result. Pollitt (1993) points out that organizational culture and its tenets are especially important in public services. There are several reasons for this and the main one is that public services encompass all of a society not just one sector of it. Although the specific interest of this discussion involves youth work that type of work ultimately effects and influences society. Polit explains, a single definition of organizational culture has proven to be very elusive. No one definition of organizational culture has emerged in the literature. One of the issues involving culture is that is defined in terms of its both causes and effect. Pollitt 1993 URL

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Companies in GCC Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Companies in GCC - Research Paper Example The performance analysis of all these companies and recommendations will be presented in a detailed manner in this report. The Business plan highlights the performance analysis of the companies in UAE through the balance sheet, the income statement and stock market movement of the companies such as Dana Gas, Sorouh, Tabreed, Emirate Islamic bank and Orient insurance (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). Among these, Dana Gas is a company which functions independently and deals in gas. The major private shareholder in this company is Crescent Petroleum . Sorouh, on the other hand is the largest developer in the real estate business of UAE. Tabreed is another company for which detailed performance analysis will be conducted. It is a company based in Abu- Dhabi which is associated in the business of district cooling. Emirates Islamic Bank is the leading bank in Middle East and has a huge asset base (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). There will be analysis of the performance of Orient insurance as well, which is a pioneer in the insurance business. They provide security for covering all kinds of risks (The Wall St reet Journal, 2014). The current assets of the company like inventories increased in 2012 to USD 54 million from USD 53 million in 2011. The increase in the inventories is a negative indication to the company and should be curbed. A high rate of inventory denotes low rate of turnover of the same. This adds to the cost of the company in terms of storage (Terterov, 2006). Again, through the performance analysis of the current assets it can be noticed that there is an increase in the trade receivables in the year 2012, as compared to the year 2011. There is increase in the trade receivables from USD 501 million in 2011 to USD 670 million, which is a positive sign (Bloomberg, 2012). A high rate of return from the debtors of the company is always beneficial to maintain the liquidity position. From the analysis of the equity and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Effective recruitment and selection of employees Essay

Effective recruitment and selection of employees - Essay Example 1. Starbucks introduce the recruitment and selection based on equal opportunities policies. They include racial and national diversity of the staff, fair treatment of all recruiters in spite of their religion, sexual orientation, social background, marital status, age and disability. The main advantage of Starbucks Coffee HR management is that it does not consider recruitment and selection in isolation, but in the context of the overall manpower plan and personnel management action program. For example, it investigates the potential of the persons appointed for training, development and future promotion; and their flexibility and adaptability to possible new methods, procedures or working conditions. In anticipation of a suitable applicant being selected, Starbucks have also prepared an orientation script and training proposal to assist both with their smooth transition into the role, together with their future development and advancement (Armstrong, 2003). The first step includes position requirements, needs and skills identification, selection of the tools to be used. During this process, strategic areas of competency are identified. These are broken down into number of clusters and a series of specific individual competency requirements. For example, the strategic competency business knowledge and skills, had marketing as one of the items in its cluster, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of competition as one of the individual competency requirements (Stone 2005). Starbucks Coffee uses both online and off line recruitment which helps to attract wider target audiences of job seekers. One of the critical differences among Internet recruiters is the method by which their service matches candidates with jobs. Bulletin boards allow employers to search using key words they choose but do not participate actively in making matches. Other types of services take advantage of computer technology to varying degrees in the method they use to match candidate characteristics with the requirements of open jobs (Stone 2005). For off line recruitment, Starbucks uses recruitment agencies and advertising in press. The recruitment and selection practices are based on the interview structure and practical assessment of skills and knowledge of employees, his/her psychological peculiarities and ability to work in teams. The main types of practices are: "behavior-based interviews, training and experience evaluations, ability tests, biographical data, motivational fit inventories" (Armstrong 2003, p. 338). In Starbucks, the practices are based on collecting, measuring and evaluation of the information about recruiters and their skills. Usually, the selection process is based on the interview method. Interview consists of two stages (HR manager's evaluation and interview with the department manager). During interviews, two distinct strategies for selection are used by Starbucks. One strategy, used for managers and leadership positions, suggests that in an environment of rapidly changing job demands, selection based on general abilities such as intelligence, conscientiousness, or adaptability will con tribute most to the overall effectiveness of the organization.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Jim Morrison by Kelly Larson Essay Example for Free

Jim Morrison by Kelly Larson Essay Jim Morrison by Kelly Larson 1943-1971 There are many figures in music that make them a household name, Jim Douglas Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors a popular rock group in the late 60s who died at a very young age, has made him just this. Jim Morrison was in the only extremely progressive rock bands of that time, experimenting with synthesizers, and new ways to play the otherwise boring guitar; this band the doors was truly something else. Many people thought that Jim was a genius others thought he was a fool. He had very public arrest and court trail about exposing himself to a crowd in 1969 raised increasing questions about his actual death in 1971. Jim Morrison set new ways to write music and poems for the new avant-garde generation that would follow in the years to come. He would inspire some of the most successful musicians many years after his death. In death Jim was perceived more than just a rock star he was now a legend. Jim Douglas Morrison was born on December 8th, 1943 in Melbourne Florida, what is now cape Kennedy naval base. Jims father Steve Morrison was from Florida; in high school he was a gymnast and a cheerleader. He entered the Second World War but never actually fought. He met Jims mother Clara in Honolulu Hawaii in 1941, at a naval dance. Clara was Steves opposite; he was conservative she was liberal. Soon after they met they married in that same year. After they were married Steve was taught how to fly, he would regularly fly over the pacific. In 1943 Jim was born in one of many naval bases were he and Clara stayed. After the war ended he returned home to Clearwater Florida, to live nearby his parents and Jim grandparents who were extremely republican and average churchgoers. Lifestyle for Jims early life was hectic they moved frequently a typical military lifestyle; over the point of five years after Jim was born the Morrisions had two more children besides Jim. Although Jim always said his parents and siblings were dead in many interviews they were very much alive at that time. They lived in Washington D.C, and Florida to California. When Jim was five years old he was in a car traveling along with relatives along the highway near Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Jim had a life changing experience. Jim grandmother Caroline said We came upon an accident Indians were wailing And crying. Later we thought it was very unusual Because we  thought Indians didnt cry. We thought They were more stoic than that. Jimmy was very Much affected he wanted to do something. We Stopped lance (her husband), jimmy wanted To do more. He was upset, his father finally Had to say, jimmy you dreamed it didnt happen. Its not true; you just had a bad dream. Source 1-P.34 Jim said when they stopped the car dying Indians became reincarnated into his young body. This would forever change Jim Morrison life. He began to take up writing and art when he was seven. Then when he entered junior high he was exposed to new films that blew his mind. Then in 1957, in Alameda California Jim started high school He excelled in writing and art not a surprise to people who knew him. Many teachers noticed how bright Jim was beyond his years. Jim read everything he could get his hands on. Halfway between his sophomore year the Morrisons moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Jim enrolled in George Washington high school; a segrated upper middle class school. Jim began pulling himself into cartooning and writing. He had a girlfriend named Tandy that year, who lived houses three houses down who was extremely tormented by him, but it kept on her toes and it made her like him. He would say things to shock and embarrass her. Jim had his own room in the basement; he painted, self-portraits, and impressionistic paintings. He filled up notebooks with poems and songs, some songs that were later used with his work with The Doors a band he would later be the singer in. Jim took a IQ test in high school were he scored a 149, but he got bs in high school because he didnt care about his grades. Shortly after he graduated from high school Jim broke up with Tammy, and he packed up and enrolled in St Petersburg junior in Clearwater Florida living with his grandparents. When college started Jim began to get severely into alcohol. After one year, passing all of his classes he decided to enroll to Florida State to pursue majoring in theater arts. Jim made very big impressions on everyone he would meet. Jim over the summer retuned to California where his parents and siblings were living since Jim left for college. He fought with his parents that summer because he wanted to live with them but they didnt want him to but he did anyway and he enrolled in UCLA. He began to take classes in filming and directing, there thinking it would be something he wanted to do. In fact Jim began involved more into the party scene than his studies, he got a D on his  first film and it crushed his dreams of begin a filmmaker. During this time he began to write various poems that would become The Lords and New Creatures book. During one of his random parties he met a musician named Ray Manzarek, a man in a jazz band that Jim liked. Jim told everyone he knew he was going to New York after college to be a poet, after college barely graduating Jim didnt know what to do. Many nights he would spend his night sleeping on rooftops and the beach in California. One day in the august after school got out Ray ran into his friend Jim Morrison and asked him what hes been doing, Jim said he was writing. Ray asks him to read or sing something hes written Jim sings off key the song moonlight drive a popular Doors song, that would in fact make them famous but they didnt k now that yet. Ray immediately asks Jim if he wanted to start a band with him, Jim agrees. They begin to start this new band with Rays two brothers; they name the band The Doors after the book The Doors of Perception. Often very nervous on stage Jim just stood there and didnt sing very well. After they thought the band wasnt going anywhere rays brothers lefthe band. Ray and Jim met john Densmore, a drummer Whos off beat style intrigued Jim and Ray, and then they met Robby Krieger a guitarist in a jazz band at the time, they immediately asked him to join the band. They lacked a bassist but when they had practiced Ray and Jim decided they didnt need one. They began to play shows and Jims stage freight began to go away faster and faster. They released a demo with 4 songs on a 45-rpm. They began to become known as part of the California scene, along with the grateful dead and Jefferson airplane. They began to be a house band for the whisky A-go-go, a popular nightclub. They also were signed to Columbia records, although they would never released anything on that label. One night when the doors were playing at the whisky Jim began to sing something he wrote that shocked many people in that building. In the song the end a song about the end of a relationship, Jim whispered Father, yes son. I wanna kill you mother I wanna ck you. source 1, page 70. The doors were immediately fired from the whisky but a reporter wrote about it in the local paper and people were buzzing about the performance for weeks. Columbia records had dropped the band; The Doors thought this was the end for them. In fact it was the only the beginning. The Doors were signed to Electra records, two weeks after Columbia had dropped them. The Doors began recording their first album with  producer Paul Rothchild but many songs were left on the cutting board because they were not needed. Jim never wore shoes when he was recording; the studio was always lit in candles. They recorded their first album The Doors in two weeks. Never knowing it would be a complete success and put them into the media spotlight. After The Doors album was relased it had critical success and the fans were buying it, Jim was instantly a sex symbol. Their first single Light My Fire hit number 1, though it was 6 minutes long. The doors had become popular, after a year of touring and publicity, once appearing on the Ed Sullivan show, but not invited back because Jim sang a line he agreed he wouldnt sing before they went on. They began to record their second album Strange Days, this album would become another hit. Touring had become a big part of Jim met a girl name Pam Zuribca also became a part of his life; he met Pam after a show. They began a long-term relationship. She once said once that Jim was her soul mate. The Doors began to record their third album Waiting For the Sun, Jim began to capture more of his personal side as he called himself The Lizard King, the album did increasingly well again even thought the album was hard to understand but the fans still bought the records then they released The Soft Parade. Often drunk or high Jim on stage would fall or stumble he had slurred speech or wouldnt sing their popular songs. One night John said he was fed up with the band and said he was quitting but then showed up for practice the next day. The Doors were getting the reputation of an extremely rowdy band that couldnt be controlled sometimes. Some of the doors fans were teenyboppers who just didnt get the music they just knew they wanted Jim. Frustrated Jim said he was leaving the band; ray talked him into staying another six months. Jim had always wanted to be a poet he got to live out that fantasy by publishing a book called The Lords and New Creature Poems, which was originally started in high school. As Jim Morrison began to slip deeper and deeper into drugs and alcohol, the band continued to soar touch me a song from the soft parade reached number one in the untied states. In 1969 the doors went into the studio to record Morrison hotel, often very stoned Jim usually didnt know what he was singing, The Doors and their producer Paul Rothchild got more and more fed up with the band, eventually leaving. Jims appearance had changed drastically, he was no  longer the tall thin sex symbol he was a fat guy with a beard, this scared away The Doors teenybopper fans. With this tour there would become a disaster Jim often was too drunk to even sing falling on stage like a clown. One night in Miami Jim in a drunken rage continued to say the f word on stage when a police officer threatened him he would go to jail if he used it again. Jim began to ask the audience if they would like to see his penis, the crowd went wild. There was a flash some say he flashed others say he didnt. Jim was taken into police custody; The Doors were now banned in 6 states. Jim was arranged in October 1970, on the counts of lewd behavior, indecent exposure, public drunkenness, and open profanity, this was a media event, and Jim was proven guilty on all counts. He wasnt going to be sentenced till the spring of 1971. The doors still released one more album with Jim Morrison L.a. Woman; the album came out in the summer of 1970. Jim said he was quitting The Doors and fled to Paris with Pam, Pam and Jim were never married though. He became exiled, lost weight and shaved his beard. These not known to him would be his last days. Though many people still dont know if Jim Morrison really died of a heart attack on July 3, 1971 because only one doctor and Pam actually saw his body there was no autopsy. Could Jim still be alive, to escape his future jail time, or did he really die that day in a bathtub of a heart attack. Shortly after Jim died Pam died also of a heroin overdose. Jim has truly been missed, even though his music remains extremely influential today. His music and poetry will live on forever.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Racism and the Criminal Justice System

Racism and the Criminal Justice System What are the implications of Racism and Policing for the human rights of individuals in the criminal justice system? Human rights are basic rights such as freedom, fairness, equality and diversity etc. It belongs to everyone regardless of ethnicity, gender, race or religion. Human rights are protected under the Act of Human Rights 1998 to set out values and essential rights. To make sure the human right act is followed in accurate way in relation, the criminal justice system has been designed. This system contains set of practice and government institutions such as courts, police, prison and probation service, which all work together to uphold social values and human rights. However, cases like Stephen Lawrence and Mark Duggan have caused many concerns, especially regarding the police force. This is mainly because much of policing is controversial and conflictual (Newburn, 2012: 607). Therefore, this essay will highlight particularly natural right core concept, human right history, the Stephen Lawrence case, stop and search, police brutality and implication of racism on the criminal justice system. There are many core concepts that hold different views such as: natural, constructed, transformative and pragmatic. The main world view I will be focusing on is natural human rights which was influenced by John Locke who has identified three different rights which are life, liberty and property. Constructed right is the belief that rights are socially construct by society and it is a social norm to follow them. Transformative rights are concerned with cultural and social rights rather than political issues as it believes in releasing people from constraint and irrational structure that limits individuals self- development. Unlike natural right worldview, pragmatic view point discusses that there is no absolute truth and human rights do not need any philosophical theories instead human rights should be put into practice. Human right act came into force in 1998 and Human Rights have been developed since Magna Carta in 1215 as it allowed people the chance to have a trail before imprisonment. Further development took place through Bill of Rights in 1689 and throughout the years developed into Human right act 1998. The human right act allowed members of the public to enforce their rights and made it possible to breach public and it required public institutes to comply with European conventions of Human Rights (ECHR). Despite having legislation rights to equality which is a crucial concept of Human Rights is violated as black and Asian ethnic minority are not treated the same as white ethnic groups. This impacts on the government bodies of criminal justice system as equality is not promoted between police and different ethnic groups causing conflict. There have been many conflict and debates regarding contemporary policing and especially British ethnic minorities have experienced difficulties with the police or many individuals have felt that police are biased. There was an increase in controversies regarding racism after the Scarman Report in 1980 and Macpherson Report in 1999 was published. These reports outlined problems for the police and how different ethnic minority communities were treated as public members felt that their human rights were being obstructed by the police. An inquiry was announced by the home secretary- Jack straw and it was led by Sir William Macpherson. MacPherson report highlighted the figures to show that institutional racism exists and human rights are violated in Police organisation. The Lawrence case mainly highlighted that Institutional racism is about stereotyping; it is about being unwitting; it is about ignorance (Green, 2003). In the case police lacked in co-ordination and understanding once they arrived at the crime scene. A prior assumption was made by the police that it was a fight. Therefore, rather than following correct procedures to save life of Stephen, they decided to question his best friend Duwayne Brooks who was with Stephen at the time of the incident. According to Brooks Their prejudices arent just against black people, but all kinds of people. With the police its not just about race, but about class, too. (Taylor, 2014) This infers that ethnic minority communities such as black communities are over policed an d not compared to white community. As stated in the natural right theory, you have to be a human in order to lose your rights. Due to the over policed environment created by the police, Stephen Lawrence lost one of his main human rights in article 2 which states everyones right to life shall be protected by law (Participation, 1998). The police officers at the scene wrongly thought that the best thing was to leave him and allow the paramedics to take over (Macpherson, 1999:77). As a result, police did not conduct first aid as soon as arriving at the scene was one of the reason why Stephen lost his Human Rights. Right to life is the most crucial rights and, once it is breached you cannot reverse the result or resolve the violation. Article 2 of Human Right 1998 is not the only article that has been violated in the Stephen Lawrence case. According to article 14 of human right act 1998 rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion. (Participation, 1998). The tension and violation of the human right article 14 had impact on the government, court and police influencing the Criminal Justice act of 2003 allowing one person to be prosecuted or trailed for the same offence twice. This was a major breakout for the case as scientific evidence was used to prove Dobson guilty for the murder. The implication of the act effected the police and the court . The legislation was created to make sure criminal trails ran effectively. The act attempts to reopen a case merely because there is a feeling, either amongst the police, or prosecutors (BBC,2006). This eventually scraped the double jeopardy rule and judges were obliged to give 30 years sentence in cases including murder or any dangerous offences hence, justice could be served as seen in case of Stephen Lawrences murder. Macpherson report has some aspect of positivism worldview as racism being one of the factors that took Stephens life which is the most basic and natural right of a human according to two treaties of the government identifies by Locke (1689). The Macpherson report written by Sir William Macpherson is considered to be one of the most reliable sources in the Stephen Lawrence case after the Scarman report on Brixton riots. The Macpherson report presents the fact that racism exists within all organisations and institutions (Macpherson, 1999: 22) hence, it violated Human Rights and impacted on the criminal justice system which led to recommendations being made. It uses mixed methods from qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods include interviews with police officers and SIO and quantitative methods include statistics such as racist incidents rose 6% in 1997/98 to 13,880 (Macpherson, 1999: 361), showing biased opinion blaming the police and the entire organisation for not conducting duties properly and using racism as one of factors affecting their job. The weakness of this source is that it was written in 1999 which means that large amount of changes have been made since then such as 40 police forces are now using the latest version of the Holmes criminal investigations and incident management system (Bicknell, 2014) to store and retain information. However, I would consider Macpherson report as reliable source as it was the first time in history where faults of the police were identified and presented to the public also, the government gave full authorisation. On the other hand, many were in support of the police officers and detectives in the case of Stephan Lawrence such as, Janet foster (2008) who published an online journal article in 2008 on police and society- an international journal of research and policy. The online article described the murder of Stephan Lawrence from the perspective of the detectives who were blamed for making assumptions and not treating the case seriously. The article suggests that the Stephen Lawrence case was treated as the organised politics of race, not the organised politics of murder (Foster,2008: 4). The public portrayed the police negatively after the MacPherson report. For instance, the article suggests that the Lawrence family hired a solicitor and it contributed to the breakdown in communications between the police and the family (Foster, 2008, p5). Therefore, the family felt that police were not listening to their requests. The article suggests that police were not able to communicate properly beca use solicitors and others were involved in the process unnecessarily. Nevertheless, this source written by Janet Foster can be considered as a reliable source as many personal interviews were conducted with detectives and police officers personally and qualitative data was collected through the interviews whereas, in the Macpherson report testimonies were presented that blamed the police officers. However, the weakness of this source is that it can be considered biased for the police service as it does not mention some of the mistakes made by the police such as the police not making arrests in the golden hour period when enough evidence could have been collected however, delay in making the arrests has led to the problems (Macpherson, 1999, p:123). Macpherson report agrees with the idea that not only black and Asian minority are more likely to be searched but also more likely to be arrested then white people. Instead of viewing black or ethnic minority groups as victim they are turned into perpetrators (Macpherson,1999, p:361). In 2011/12 1,235,028 arrests were made and individuals were categorised as 102,424 black; 37,628 mixed race; 72,443 Asian; and 17,444 Chinese or other (Soady, 2013). Figures show that black people are up to 17.5 times more likely than white people to be stopped and searched by the police (Andrews, 2015). This is a breach of the human right as many police forces misuse the powers to complete their duties. Police forces in London and Manchester have received many complaints as the public are not pleased with the police dealing with situations in the black community. According to the section 1 of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 police officers are able to search a person or a vehicle for theft, weapons and etc, the search has to be conducted on reasonable grounds. However, it has been found that 27%, either no grounds had been recorded or the officer had entered a reason which would not justify a search, such as speeding (BBC, 2013). This had a critical impact on the criminal justice system because, in 2014 the home secretary appointed HMIC to examine if police use stop and search powers effectively including strip searches and if the searches are necessary and lawful. The report found that 15% of stops may have been carried out without reasonable suspicion of criminality (Dodd, 2016). As the result of police forces following correct stop and search procedures were so disappointing, it eventually led HMIC to make ten recommendations. One of the recommendations required police officers to note down individuals race and ethical background as it was found that there are no records of the stop and searches conducted by the police. Therefore, HMIC recommended to introduce a nationally agreed form for the recording of stop and search encounters (HMIC, 2015). If the police use the forms to record information, then HMIC will be able to gain sufficient evidence on if black young men are much more likely to be stopped and searched than white men (Halliday, 2015). Stop and search has had a major effect on the police service and many inspectors are speaking in the media regarding this topic. The Guardian newspaper has published many articles regarding police institution being racist. The newspaper supports left wing and the left wing of politics is known to work with social justice system. The source does not show any biased opinions because, according to newspaper police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has stated that after stop and search cases and Stephan Lawrence inquiry his force had to take such accusations on the chin (Halliday, 2015). This infers that police have been portrayed very badly after serious cases occurring in the past. However, it also suggest that there is truth in regards to institutional racism and weve got to accept that( Halliday,2015). Even though many statistics are not presented but, I will consider this source as credible as qualitative methods have been used such as interviews with commissioner and president of NBP A- Janet Hill and their opinions have shown that there is lack of faith between the institute and the public. Stephen Lawrence was not the only case where public lack faith in the police as police have been blamed for institutional racism many times. After the Stephen Lawrence case, Metropolitan police are trying to reform the force and restore public trust in officers. (Halliday, 2015). However, London riots occurred in 2011 . Mark Duggan was a 29 year old black British man shot by the police in Tottenham. The police stated that officers were suspicious of Duggan having possession of a gun after he came out of a taxi however, according to evidence and witnesses Duggan was only holding a phone. Nevertheless, the killing had been lawful (Wollaston, 2016) causing a devastation for the family and the public. The shooting sparked a wave of violence across the UK (Morgan, 2014). The shooting was defined as lawful but, Duggan still lost two of his main human right, article 2 right to life and article 3 which states that No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. (Participation, 1998). When Duggan walked out of the minicab he was threatened by the police to put it down (Casciani, 2014). Even when Duggan had his hands up in the air as witnessed by the minicab driver he was still shot in the chest. In relation to the Human Rights Duggan suffered physically as he was shot with lethal force and mentally as he was threatened in public which is considered as inhumane under the Article 3 of human rights. Due to the violation, public were outraged and caused the worst riots in the history of Britain. To black members of the public the death of Mark Duggan symbolised the most extreme end of a spectrum of targeted, unjust and brutal treatment (Rusbridger, 2011). Therefore, it had large impact on the police as more officers w ere deployed to be on the street to stop any crimes. In conclusion, I support the natural right theory which believes that humans should be given their most basic rights such as right to life, freedom and property. The whole concept of natural rights is that laws are not constructed by the government instead it derives from nature. However, society has evolved and legislations have to be written to be considered as rights. Factors such as race should not affect the rights that every human deserves. In cases like Stephen Lawrence and Mark Duggan who were young black men were discriminated and had their natural rights such as right to life and freedom taken away from them. Reference list Andrews, K. (2015) Stop and search is a disgrace across the UK not just in our cities. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/07/stop-and-search-uk-rural-black-people-police (Accessed: 3 January 2017). BBC (2006) The law of double jeopardy. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5333230.stm (Accessed: 22 January 2017). BBC (2013) Police use of stop-and-search powers criticised by HMIC. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23228019 (Accessed: 14 January 2017). Bicknell, D. (2014) Future of police HOLMES system driven by cabinet office buying influence government computing network. Available at: http://police.governmentcomputing.com/news/future-of-police-holmes-system-driven-by-cabinet-office-buying-influence-4432104 (Accessed: 23 January 2017). Casciani, D. (2014) Mark Duggan did not need to die witness. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25657206 (Accessed: 21 January 2017). Dodd, V. (2016) UK police forces still abusing stop and search powers. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/feb/11/uk-police-forces-still-abusing-stop-and-search-powers (Accessed: 22 January 2017). Foster, J. (2008) It might have been incompetent, but it wasnt racist: Murder detectives perceptions of the Lawrence Inquiry and its impact on homicide investigation in London, Policing and Society, 18(2), pp. 89-112. doi: 10.1080/10439460802008579. Green, D. (2003) Institutional racism and the police: Fact or fiction? Available at: http://www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/cs06.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2017). Halliday, J. (2015) Met chief admits institutional racism claims have some justification. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/05/met-chief-admits-institutional-racism-claims-have-some-justification (Accessed: 18 January 2017). HM Government (1999) THE STEPHEN LAWRENCE INQUIRY REPORT OF AN INQUIRY BY SIR WILLIAM MACPHERSON OF CLUNY ADVISED BY TOM COOK, THE RIGHT REVEREND DR JOHN SENTAMU, DR RICHARD STONE cm 4262-I. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/277111/4262.pdf (Accessed: 19 January 2017). HMIC (2015) Stop and search powers 2: Are the police using them effectively and fairly? Available at: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/stop-and-search-powers-2.pdf (Accessed: 22 January 2017). Human rights act1998, c. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/schedule/1 (Accessed: 10 January 2017). Morgan, G. (2014) Mark Duggan: A single death that sparked the riots. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10559449/Mark-Duggan-a-single-death-that-sparked-the-riots.html (Accessed: 21 January 2017). Newburn, T. ed, 2012. Handbook of Policing. Routledge. Soady, A. (2013) Black people more likely to be arrested. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-n 24942641 (Accessed: 19 January 2017). Taylor, D. (2014) Duwayne Brooks: Met still prejudiced but not only against black people. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/08/duwayne-brooks-met-police-prejudiced-stephen-lawrence (Accessed: 6 January 2017). Rusbridger, A. (2011) Reading the riots. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/46297/1/Reading%20the%20riots(published).pdf (Accessed: 24 January 2017). Wollaston, S. (2016) Lawful killing: Mark Duggan review tries and fails to make sense of a bleak, murky case. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/06/lawful-killing-mark-duggan-review-bleak-murky-case-docudrama-community-police-broadwater-farm-riot (Accessed: 19 January 2017).

Friday, September 20, 2019

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development Primary Science Task Introduction It is important that assessment in primary science is linked to learning outcomes if it is to be successful (Hudson, 2005). It is therefore important that all primary teachers in science understand the learning outcomes which are appropriate to their year, and that learning activities and assessments are based on that. Most children in year 4 at school would be expected to be working between levels 2 and 5, although most children would only be expected to reach level 4 by the age of 11 (DirectGov, 2008). Here a set of activities based around circuits are discussed in terms of how they allow for development in Sc1 Scientific Enquiry and Sc4 Physical Processes skills. Assessment of Sc1 and Sc4 Skills In order to ensure appropriate development through both Sc1 and Sc4, it would be considered preferential to change the order of the learning activities. The first activity which would be approached would be that of the safety session. This would be approached first due to the importance of approaching safety considerations before approaching any practical activities utilising electricity. This activity is not only considered crucial to safety, but presents a good introduction to circuits, as the learning objectives would be considered to be at level 2 (L2) of Sc4. For example discussion of the differences between mains and battery electricity corresponds to pupils being able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (QCA, n.d.). The learning outcomes of this activity, being able to record the characteristics of the devices using mains electricity, would also be at L2 of Sc1, which states that pupils should be able to describe observations using simple scientific vocabulary. The second activity approached would be that of looking at drawings of circuits. This is an important step before practical work with circuits as it may address some of the gaps in knowledge of circuits which may be present in children of this age (Glauret, 2008). The learning objectives and the activity itself allow for development from L2 of Sc 4 to L3. For example while knowing that a circuit needs a power source means that pupils are able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (L2), it could also be developed so that pupils are able to discuss cause and effect (L3). The same could be said of the knowledge that a complete circuit is needed for a device to work. The actual activity itself, in which children look at drawings of circuits and decide and explain which will work and which will not could be performed at L2 of Sc1, where pupils are able to observe and compare objects and events, and say what is expected. It could however allow for develo pment to L3, where pupils are able to use their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena to link cause and effect in simple explanations. By asking children to design a circuit which will work, record it, and annotate it, this is however only tackling L1 of Sc1 in terms of notation, where pupils are able to communicate their findings in simple ways (QCA, n.d.). Although not specifically addressed in this learning activity, it may also be useful to include some discussion in pairs or small groups. This is due to evidence that vocalisation of scientific concepts may help with development of scientific vocabulary (Mercer et al., 2004). This may then assist in developing from being able to communicate findings in simple ways (Sc1 L1) to using simple scientific vocabulary (Sc1 L2) and beyond. Using the third activity, in which pupils test their ideas about what make good conductors would allow for further development of Sc1 and Sc4. For example the learning objective about how to find out which materials allow electricity to pass through them could be approached from L1 if suggestions are actively offered to the pupils (Sc1 L1), or could be developed through the L4 if pupils are given freedom to design their own approach with lower levels of guidance. The learning objective relating to the development of the knowledge that some materials are better conductors of electricity than others relates to both L3 and 4 of Sc4. This involves development from being able to use knowledge to link cause and effect to being able to use knowledge to create generalisations. This development is also addressed by the objective that pupils are able to use results to draw conclusions about which materials conduct electricity. This objective also addresses development of L3 to L4 in Sc1 in tha t pupils develop from being able to provide explanations for their observations (L3) to pupils being able to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge. The specific learning outcomes of this activity would be that pupils would be able to use equipment to make observations, by being able to construct a circuit to test which materials let electricity pass through (Sc1 L2) and that they would be able to provide explanations for their observations by explaining that with some materials the bulb did not light because the circuit was not complete (Sc1 L3). This may even be developed through to Sc1 L4, where pupils begin to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge, if pupils are able to relate their findings to other sources of information. Rather than approach it as a separate activity, it would be better to incorporate the activity of making simple switches here, as it too relates to conductors and complete circuits. As such, it does not particularly offer further development of any of the learning targets, so does not warrant investigation as a separate session. As a development of the third activity, it then makes logical sense to proceed to discuss the uses of metals and plastics as conductors and insulators. This would lead to the development of Sc1 L4 if pupils were not previously able to relate their own work to outside information. This also includes exploring secondary sources, which can also be developed from L2 of Sc1 to L4, depending on the sophistication of sources used and what is done with the information. For example using the information to explain why metals are used for some purposes and plastics for others indicates being able to link cause and effect in simple explanations (Sc4 L3), although if pupils are also able to make generalisations about physical phenomena and use physical ideas to explain, then this may indicate development to L4. The final activity in the paper would be included last, as this is generally a culmination of the information gathered to this point, and offers development of Sc1 and Sc4 to L4. For example making predictions about what will happen indicates that pupils are able to make generalisations and use physical ideas to explain simple phenomena (Sc4 L4). Deciding how to change the brightness of bulbs and speed of a motor in a circuit also shows that pupils are able to decide on an appropriate approach towards answering a question and also able to vary one factor while keeping the others the same (Sc1 L4). Designing their own experiment also indicates that pupils are able to describe physical phenomena, for example how a particular device may be connected to work in a circuit (Sc4 L4). This type of self-directed activity may also be essential for some young children in developing scientific confidence (Glauert, 2005). Finally, a self-directed activity at the end of the series of sessions also allows for a better assessment of progress through the levels, as it allows for complete flexibility as to how much assistance is given in the task, thereby allowing for a better assessment of competency. Conclusions By utilising the appropriate activities from those given, it is possible to allow for development of both Sc1 and Sc4 right through from level 2 to level 4, which is appropriate for this age group. There is also some degree of flexibility in the levels which the selected activities could be approached from to allow for individual achievement levels within the class. The sessions lend themselves to culmination in a self-directed session, which allows for more accurate assessment of levels within Sc1 and Sc4. References DirectGov (2008) National curriculum teacher assessments and key stage tests. DirectGov. Available [online] from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ExamsTestsAndTheCurriculum/DG_10013041 [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Glauert, E.B. (2005) Making sense of science in the reception class. International Journal of Early Years Education, 13(3), 215-233. Glauert, E.B. (2008) How young children understand electric circuits: Prediction, explanation and exploration. International Journal of Science Education, DOI: 10.1080/09500690802101950. Hudson, P.B. (2005) Analysing preservice teachers’ rubrics for assessing students’ learning in primary science education. Proceedings Australian Curriculum Studies Association. Available [online] from: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00002102/ [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Mercer, N., Dawes, L., Wegerif, R. Sams, C. (2004) Reasoning as a scientist: Ways of helping children to use language to learn science. British Educational Research Journal, 30(3), 359-377. QCA (No date) Attainment targets for science. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Available [online] from: http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/attainmenttargets/index.aspx?return=/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/keystage2/index.aspx%3Freturn%3D/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/index.aspx [Accessed 22/08/2008].

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Importance of Point of View in The Black Cat :: The Black Cat Point of View Literature Essays

The Importance of Point of View in The Black Cat Point of view is a very important aspect of The Black Cat. The main character tells the story to the reader from his first person point of view. You have a good feel for the story because you have the first person narration. As you read into the story it comes apparent however that the narrator telling the story is not a reliable interpretation of the details around him. You have a good feel for his emotions and the events of the story, but the narrators opinions are so far out that you are forced to wonder just what of the story is the askew interpretation of a madman and what is the reality of the situation. The first person narration of the story plays an integral part in the reader's level of understanding of the main character's madness, as well as the unfolding of plot of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story revolves around a man and his cat that loves him very devoutly. At the start of the story he is very fond of his loving companion the cat, Pluto. The cat's love for his master eventually becomes Pluto's demise. The cat would follow its master's every move. If the narrator moved the cat was at his feet, if he sat Pluto would clamor to his lap. This after a while began to enrage the narrator. He soon found himself becoming very irritable towards Pluto and his other pets. One night he came home "much intoxicated" and he grabbed Pluto. Pluto bit his hand and this sent him into a rage. "The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame"(Poe 103). At this point he seems to have lost it. This description is not that of someone of sane mindset. His soul taking flight from his body appears to be symbolic for the loss of his rational thought. The fury of a demon gives you the imagery of something not human. Poe takes every opportunity to use the narrator, and the point of view, to give you insight into the mind of the madman. He uses eloquent imagery and symbolism to further your understanding of the main character's rational.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Simultaneous Bilingual Language Acquisition Essay -- Literacy Investig

Rationale and Strategy I originally grew up in a small town and wasn't exposed to different cultures like I am now in the city. I became fascinated with different languages and how amazing it is that children are capable of learning multiple languages at one time. To fulfill the requirements of a class here at State University, I spent two weeks assistant teaching at a bilingual elementary school. I greatly enjoyed this experience and returned home to become a nanny for a family near by my home that are raising their children to be bilingual with the help of the mother who is fluent in Spanish as well as English. While taking care of these children, I experienced language barriers and was faced with an amazing opportunity to witness children learning two languages first hand. I plan to discover the advantages or disadvantages of children being bilingual at a young age. I would like to investigate which language they are more fluent in and their strategies for increasing vocabulary in both languages. I wou ld like to discover the techniques that they are using for increasing their Spanish vocabulary in addition to their English vocabulary. My strategy for this investigation is to spend time with the family and observe them. I plan to note the toys or other strategies that the family uses to increase the fluency of both languages for their children. I will interview the parents as well as two of the three children since the other child is still an infant. I will observe the children playing and see which language they typically communicate with each other to and how they speak to their parents. I will do research on bilingual children and their language development in order to learn more information and provide the parents with s... ...abulary Development." International Journal of Bilingualism 6.4 (2012): 541-565. Print. MacLeod, Andrea, Leah Fabiano-Smith, Sarah Boegner-Page, and Salome Fontolliet. "Simultaneous bilingual language acquisition: The role of parental input on receptive vocabulary development." Child Language Teaching and Therapy 29.1 (2012): 131-142. Print. Patterson, Janet. "What Bilingual Toddlers Hear and Say: Language Input and Word Combinations." Communication Disorders Quarterly 21.1 (1999): 32-38. Print. Restrepo, M. A., A. P. Castilla, P. J. Schwanenflugel, S. Neuharth-Pritchett, C. E. Hamilton, and A. Arboleda. "Effects Of A Supplemental Spanish Oral Language Program On Sentence Length, Complexity, And Grammaticality In Spanish-Speaking Children Attending English-Only Preschools." Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 41.1 (2010): 3-13. Print.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A view from the future and the medieval ages

The great publicist of the enlightenment, Voltaire, even while he advocated the widening of historical inquiry to embrace social and economic activities and their effect, strongly believed that any objects worthy of historical study were the peeks not the valleys of the achievements of mankind. l This statement shows that among the civilization that rose, the western civilization is always ahead of the other societies. There is an assumption that western civilization are progressive than Asians. In comparison to the medieval world, view, however believed in a fixed order of things and was theocratic.It is true that the western civilization started the economic and social activity through the Industrial revolution. The industrial revolution began at the United Kingdom in 1750-1850 and spread to the Germany, United States and the rest of the Europe in 1850 – 1950. And in 19502050 it expand through Asia and Brazil . lt also started the massive release of additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In the comparison between Industrial Revolution and French revolution, we can see that the two have similarities.The French Revolution was a transformation in society and political. In the start of French Revolution, France becomes a monarchy. The Industrial revolution was resulted to transform agricultural economies to industrial. But it also changed the whole society. The social changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution were significant. As economic activities in many communities moved from agriculture to manufacturing, production shifted from its traditional locations in the home and the small workshop to factories.Large portions of the population relocated from the countryside to the towns and cities where manufacturing Duchesne,Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization, KoninkliJke, Brill NV,2011 PASCUA, Diane JOY T. 2013-63299 enters were found. New groups of investors, businesspeople, and managers took financial risks and reaped great reward s. 2 There is also similarity in the Dark Ages and in the Industrial Revolution in social stratification. In the Dark Ages, Feudalism flourished in the Western Europe. It is a specific kind of decentralized government which started in Western Europe in ninth century to thirteenth. Three elements are considered in the classical Feudalism; the decentralized of government and law. 4 The lord is the most powerful in this stratification. They are the one who holds the power in economic aspects. In some cases, some lords are more powerful than the kings. While in the Industrial Revolution, industrialists, bankers and political leaders govern over the ordinary people. Industrialists hold the power in Economic aspects and they also â€Å"control† the political system because of the wealth. We can see that the power in this time is in hands of the wealthy.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Individual Project

I was the youngest of my two brothers and one sister, growing up in a small city on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Salisbury is the city name of my hometown. Our father died when I was at the young age of four. My mother who was very strong willed and independent raised all of us on her own after daddy died. She raised us and taught us to do well in school and to make good grades. She instilled in all of us to be very loving and presentable children that respect our elders. We were brought up in the church and taught to say our daily prayers before going to bed at night. Hygiene was a must and cleanliness was a daily routine. My grandson is nine years of age and he also lost his father(my son) at a early age, as we did. He use to come visit me during the summer and on holidays. He is a lovable child that had no will to do his best in anything. His mother is a deaf mute and very uncaring to her children. My grandson and his siblings have been removed from their homes by the State Dept. of Social Services over seven times since he has been born. They were taken away because the mother wouldn’t send them to school, would not keep appointments for their dental work or health checkups and leaving them unattended for more than 24 hours. Because of her neglect my grandson lost all hope of being anybody in his world. He has been placed in foster homes, unknowingly to me over the past three years of his life. The mother is in and out of jail. During her absence from their home has caused so many terrible events. The kids were attacked by a dog that they brought in the house off the streets of Baltimore. His two sisters were raped by friends of their mother. They have gone to bed without anything to eat or drink. I went to Baltimore and rescued my grandson from his mother and that terrible city of Baltimore. My daughter and I have taught him so much since he’s been living with me for the past two years. He now knows how to bathe daily, brush his teeth, match his clothes and shoes and most of all has been on the honor roll for the past two years in school. I’ve filed for custody of him. I’m still waiting for the custody courts to grant me a decision. I’m strongly leaning toward being granted sole custody of him. My children are grown and one of them is deceased. I raised them in the footsteps of my mom raising me. This venture has been very stressful for me at times, but I’m not going to give up on him. I’m at the age of 55 and starting all over again raising a child. I’m overjoyed because my grandson is safe and well taken care of and very much loved. Neglect is one of the main reasons for early age deaths of many children who are raised in the inner cities. Evidence and witnesses are needed to win a custody case. Even though the decision that the courts and custody hearings, I feel that I should be awarded sole custody of my grandson.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Chattel Slavery as a Institution

St. Vincent and the grenadines community college| The Caribbean: A history of Chattel Slavery and what it brought to the Caribbean| An Internal Assessment| | Okieve Graham| 12/1/2011| â€Å"By the 19th century the slave ship had brought much more than chattel slaves to the Caribbean. †| Introduction: Chattel Slavery affected the Caribbean by bringing it from its Mesoamerican roots to the vibrant mix of races that coexist and cohabitate it today. The Africans and other races brought their art, music and their very way of life to the Caribbean. I am researching this topic to go in depth and examine how the Caribbean came to be what it is today. I am driven to research this topic because it means something to us as a people, something that is worth knowing, and something that is worth remembering. It will bring the bond with our ancestral ties stronger than ever before. Knowledge is power and knowing our past will make us linked to one another. This is a step to unity to us in the Caribbean. There are arguments against this view and blatant disregard for the obvious changes in the world have been made. There are some with the beliefs of White supremacy but all this adds in the mix of different beliefs in the Caribbean. Never before in history have an entire society and race of people have been affected in such a large scale. Nonetheless, one can give thanks to our European forefathers, if those events did not occur, the Caribbean could not be the community as we knew it today. Chattel slavery not only brought commerce to its geographically unique location but it also resulted in a rich and colorful world, complete with its own mix of cultures, music, art and belief systems. Chapter 1: Origin of Chattel Slavery in the Caribbean The term â€Å"chattel† is defined as an article of tangible, personal property. One can therefore see the underlying effect of the choice of words in comparison to how the Europeans viewed the black race. They viewed the African race as a sub-species, animalistic and inhumane. This was because of their color and their religion and way of life. One must remember the Europeans believed that their religion was the only one and true way so that means their way of life was viewed as pagan. Eric Williams however stated that â€Å"Slavery was not born of racism: rather, racism was the consequence of slavery. Unfree labor in the New World was brown, white, black and yellow; Catholic, Protestant and Pagan† (7) It is his opinion that racism was not a beneficial factor in the creation of the institution of Slavery but in my further studies, race did in fact play an important role in the enslavement of the African people. Also, one can see from Williams’ deduction that religion also played a role, it was categorized according to what race you were. The labor force however comprised of the Mesoamerican inhabitants of the Caribbean, White indentured servants from Europe and Africans. White indentured servants were whites who worked in the Caribbean. There is a notable difference in their title in that, they were called servants instead of slaves. Again, white supremacy reigned in the society at that time. There was an economic need for cheap labor, hence Africans were in high abundance and it was quite cheap to acquire them and ship them across through the Atlantic to the New World. They were also a form of human capital, being property; a value was put over their head. The money which procured a white man’s services for ten years could buy a Negro for life. The economic superiority of free hired labor over slave is obvious even to the slave owner. Slave labor is given reluctantly, it is unskillful, and it lacks versatility. Not so much that the Europeans were the only ones playing apart in enslaving the Africans, but it was also African sons and brothers who helped to facilitate this. There were the men who were paid to acquire the required persons for shipment. They were known as middlemen, so one can see, whereas one African might think he was one of his own, they came to enslave and doom their own. In return for capturing the Africans, the Europeans provided those sub-par weapons and tools, not worth the total price but to the foolish middlemen, they were of the best quality. In essence, Greed was a major player in this. Eric Williams stated in his work that â€Å"Here, then is the origin of Negro slavery. The reason was economic, not racial; it has to do not with the color of the laborer, but the cheapness of labor. As compared with Indian and white labor, Negro slavery was eminently superior. † (19) From his perspective, an economic one, his deductions has all the truth attached to it. Negro slavery is indeed superior to all other races of slavery but from another view, the Europeans did have pre-existing prejudice towards the Negroid people, their hate and prejudice towards them was just amplified when encountered the Negros. This view have even been backed by Hilary Beckles and Verene Shepherd when they stated â€Å" This was a unique form of domination in which one group was defined and used another group as property; in which people were targeted for slavery because of their race; they were described as sub-human, and they were bonded to each other for life. Chattel slavery brought economic power to the Caribbean and the lives of the Negroid people has been scarred ever since the advent of African Slavery. Chattel slavery brought much more than a few million people, a whole new race to our shores. Hilary Beckles and Verene Shepherd expressed â€Å"the enslaved people survived and they protected their humanity and identity; and over time they redefined themsel ves as a new, vibrant cultural force. † (137) Chapter Two : Culture, Art, Music & Religion The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was a perilous one. Tribes from all over West Africa such as the Mande and the Mandingo congregated and stacked like sardines in one deck. They were separated from the rest of civilization and their family. Often, they could not speak to one another, whether it is by difference in language or values. Never the less, the African people adapted and they banded together, took on cultural customs and traditions that strengthened their ethnic identity. They developed attitudes and practices that shaped the Caribbean civilization as we know it today. The main idea to understand is that they were scattered. No one African was acquainted with another upon arrival, meaning they were of different tribes, different backgrounds, cultural beliefs and language. They may have had knowledge of these people before but for the first time in their life, this is where they got to be acquainted with each other. There, they shared views, beliefs, customs and their languages. For some, it was the first time they had encountered the Europeans. Rather, some had previous knowledge of the Europeans through trade, migration and war. As a result of this, some may have had knowledge of Christianity and European languages even before arrival in the Caribbean. This cultural reshaping that Africans and Europeans experienced is called ‘creolisation’. Thus, those combined with the culture of Africans and Europeans, born into the Caribbean became known as Creoles. They procured rites and rituals that exist even to this day. Simple events that we know of today are because of the forerunners, our ancestors. They observed and preserved the rites and rituals that were a part of life in Africa. The coming together of these African and Post-African ideas came together to create an Afro-Caribbean community as we know it today. Rituals such as lighting up the grave, an event that we are fond of at the end of October were part of African culture. It was a part of paying respects to our ancestor and warding our own selves from harmful spirits. Similar to this are funeral procedurals. The Africans believed that death was just the start of a journey to pass over from toil to reward and in their case at the time, a life of slavery to an eternity of freedom. Beckles and Shepherd stated in their book that â€Å"the power of ancestors was central to African-Caribbean culture. To know ancestors was to know one’s cultural identity. (140) They procured dances and music as rituals that again pay respects to their ancestors and celebration of them. It was an intense ritual in which it was said the person was possessed in order to feel the waves and moves of the dance. This was their way of attributing their ancestors, to demonstrate that in the Caribbean Africans had their own recognized ancestral culture that w as still important to them. Events on holidays and labor free days were a time of friendship and kinship. It was a time of sharing with their enslaved brothers in times of despair. They often danced on evenings (which became a part of the African-Caribbean culture). They even formed festivals where they danced and celebrated, one notable festival is the Crop-Over festival in Barbados, one that is still happening even today. They had even more established festivals and rituals where they danced such as the Gombay festival, John Canoe dance and the Kumina dance. There are even more dances each that are identifiable to each different colony in the Caribbean. They incorporated their religion from Africa in the West Indies. They brought their spirit based religions such as obeah or voodoo and myal. It was the belief of the people that it was possible for the living to use ancestral spirits to determine the future and to shape the nature of social events. The myal and obeah religion was a high prolific aspect in the community. It was used for removing curses, cures for illnesses, bless children and curious insights. Incorporation with European beliefs and African gave birth to what we know as the Baptist Faith today. This aspect of religion is still up today and continues to make its mark on the community. It’s not going anywhere time soon, even now; most grand-parents and parents believe and attend Baptist churches across the nations of the Caribbean. Notably however, West Indian Cricket became an important aspect in their communities. Cricket was invented by the English and thus it founds it way into the Caribbean during a period of war between Britain and France. The Africans observed it and began to practice it. Cricket quickly became incorporated in their communities as entertainment away from the hard days of field work. In conclusion of this chapter, the Africans brought a host of their art, religions, beliefs and cultures. They mixed and nurtured the combination of cultures that clashed in the Caribbean. They formed it to be their own and formed a new way of life. The cultural rites and rituals that exist today, that pay respect to their Ancestors while carving a path to the future, the dances that provided entertainment that procured kinship and friendship among the communities and the wider area the colonies, the art and music that is unique to the Caribbean, the only place in the world, forms a cultural boom that wavelengths across the Caribbean and make what makes the Caribbean our home. Bibliography: 1. Hilary Beckles, Shepherd, Verene. Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 2. Williams, Eric. Capitalism and Slavery. United States of America: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994. 3. Verene Shepherd, Beckles, Hilary. Caribbean Slavery in the Atlantic World. Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, 2000 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Eric Williams, Capitalism and Slavery. United States of America, The University of North Carolina Press, 1994, 19 [ 2 ]. Eric Williams, Capitalism and Slavery. United States of America, The University of North Carolina Press, 1994, 6 [ 3 ]. Hilary Beckles, Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 137 [ 4 ]. Hilary Beckles, Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 138 [ 5 ]. Hilary Beckles, Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 147

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Global Staffing Strategies and Starbucks Essay

Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) is a specialty coffee retailer of hot and cold beverages, coffee-related accessories, complementary food items, teas, and other non-food related products. Starbucks has retail stores in 39 countries and about 146,000 employees. The company operates primarily in the United States (U.S.) with headquarters in Seattle, Washington (Starbucks, 2007). In the early 1970s, Starbucks was established and the first location was in Seattle’s Pike Place market in 1971. By 1982, Starbucks began supplying coffee to restaurants and coffee shops. Starbucks expanded the business in 1996 to new locations in Japan, Hawaii, and Singapore. Other locations in Taiwan, New Zealand, Thailand, and Malaysia were created in 1998. Starbucks continued to expand globally in 1999, by reaching locations in China, Korea, Kuwait, and Lebanon (Starbucks, 2007). In a hypothetical situation, Starbucks will acquire a similar business in Mexico. The company will explore locations within Mexico and identify the human resource (HR) challenges that will arise from this expansion. Mexico has unique cultural and regulatory factors that need consideration for the development of Starbucks stores. The organization’s effectiveness to succeed in Mexico is dependent upon solving any issues that result from the growth of Starbucks in a new country. Starbucks will address recruitment and selection practices to use in the newly acquired company. Another HR decision is determining the appropriate mixture of expatriates and nationals to ensure the acquisition is successful. The skill and abilities of employees, along with training and development practices, are an essential part of the company’s organizational strategy to achieve goals. The HR department of Starbucks has a considerable amount of research and decision making to ensure this acquisition successful. Mexico’s DemographicMexico is prepared to become the wealthiest country in Latin American between 2008 and 2010 in basic gross domestic product (GDP). The middle class is expanding with employment growth and rising incomes. Mexico has the second highest population in Latin America after Brazil. The  population is young, with the average age of 27.5 years in 2006 (Country Insight, 2007). A survey in 2006 found, in the United States, that 30% of new customers are college graduates and the average age of a new Starbucks customer is 42 (Harris, 2006). Retail investors view Mexico as a major attraction because of the large size of the Mexican market (Country Insight, 2007). Tourism in Mexico plays an important role in the economy. Past presidential elections and hurricanes have steadily declined tourism, but latest indications show that the industry is marketing toward higher-end tourists who are willing to spend more (Country Insight, 2007). The increase in tourism with high-end vacationers will produce a good market for Starbucks. Human Resource ChallengesUnder the Mexican labor laws, an employee’s daily minimum wage must be at least U.S. $4.50, and includes minimum statutory fringe benefits. Very few Mexican residents receive this low minimum daily wage. The fringe benefits include annual vacation compensation of at least six working days at 125% of the salary, an annual bonus of at least 15 days of salary, a profit sharing program that equals 10% of pre-tax earnings distributed among all employees except high officers, and variable payroll contributions for Social Security and worker’s housing. Social Security contributions can be as high as 22.57% of the payroll salary. Worker’s housing contributions are 5% of the payroll salary (Abogados, 2008). The basis for severance payments for termination cases is the actual daily salary of the employee. Salary can consist of any type of bonus, commissions, and any other payment that provides additional economic benefit and may include cars or club fees. To calculate the severance compensation, divide the total of all these services in the last calendar year by 365 or the actual period worked in the year. Severance payments are also dependent upon the type of termination (Abogados, 2008). The three types of termination are termination with fair cause, termination without fair cause, and termination by mutual agreement. Termination without fair cause allows the employee to collect three month’s salary, 20 days of  additional salary for each year of employment, a seniority premium equal to 12 days for every year of employment, prorated vacation, annual bonus, and profit sharing for the year of termination. These additional salary requirements continue to accrue after the date of termination until the date of payment. Termination with fair cause permits the employee to many of the same benefits except the three’s months salary and additional 20 days. Employees generally do not consent to a mutual agreement unless termination compensation exists. This payment usually equals less than the termination without fair cause (Abogados, 2008). Many of the employment laws in Mexico are similar to the United States. The right to form unions, the right to worker’s compensation, the right to safety, the right to be free from forced labor, and the right to be free from discrimination. Mexicans must consist of at least 90% of the employees in a Mexican company. According to the Commission for Labor Cooperation (n.d.), the most important Mexican labor and employment law to realize is â€Å"there is a single court in every state that deals with most labor and employment disputes, including collective labor relations, unjustified terminations, disputes about whether an on-the-job injury occurred, and equal pay problems†(p. 1). In Mexico, to discriminate against workers because of sex, their social status, political opinion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, or age, as well as other grounds, is illegal. Overtime pay in Mexico must equal twice the amount of regular wages (Commission for Labor Cooperation, n.d.). In 2007 and 2008, the government is pushing for a new labor market bill to reduce the strictness in employment legislation. Congress must obtain a two-thirds vote to pass this bill and that will be complicated. Shortages of skills remain an issue in Mexico (EIU Viewswire, 2006). All the regulations in Mexico that differ from those in the United States will present challenges for Starbucks. Hiring a consulting firm or a group of attorneys who are well versed in the Mexican labor and employment laws will aid Starbucks in understanding and interpreting these laws. Going global can be risky if performed improperly and leaves no room for wrong interpretations of the laws and regulations. Understanding the daily wage  versus an hourly wage, discrimination policies, along with the termination packages can affect the profits of Starbucks immensely. Starbucks must evaluate the turnover, labor, and skills availability in the Mexican market. The need for multilingual employees is a necessity to serve the members of the community and the tourists. Scarcity of workers who speak English is a common problem for investors. Mexico, a country much ridiculed from those critical of the United States trade agreement because of its lower labor costs, has observed companies adjust investment decisions. Skilled labor is an issue receiving more attention as companies seek low-cost sourcing programs and workers with a high competency in English (Jackson, Houdard, & Highfield, 2008). As Starbucks and other companies look to venture into Mexico, the need to understand cultural differences and to study different management practices proves critical. Attention to human resource management is necessary when making strategic choices in the various business avenues available in Mexico. Researchers believe that most companies do not give enough attention to human resource issues. To maximize performance issues such as recruiting, selection, training, compensation, and performance management that require thorough planning and organizing human resources, strategic management is a requirement. Understanding these human resources issues contributes to employee motivation, performance, satisfaction, and empowerment. These factors are critical aspects to an organization’s effectiveness. The common personnel problems that companies encounter are in the areas of loyalty, staffing, decision-making, promotions, compensation, and performance management. Human resource management practices can be the most challenging undertaking for companies, especially when handling cultural changes (Rao, 2001). Mexicans view joint ventures as an opportunity to increase their economic status and as a career opportunity. As more companies move to Mexico, U.S. practices are becoming more acceptable. The ideas of quality circles, flat organizations, teamwork, pay-for-performance, and a careful selection process are more customary. In Mexico, the cultural view of work and  personal life activities intermingles. Because of this attribute, hiring and recruiting mix both personal and work activities (Rao, 2001). Commonly multiple interviews for managerial level positions are performed in an effort to select a candidate who demonstrates a good fit. Hiring qualified personnel with joint ventures will achieve the company’s objectives. Developing a strategic recruitment practice to generate a qualified labor source to ensure effective employee selection is recommended. Employees with adequate technical, organizational, and interpersonal skills should be selected. Bilingual skills are very important in the selection process. Social referrals are widely used in Mexico in the selection process. According to Rao (2001),Social referrals are used. However, the credentials are looked at only as a courtesy. The credentials are not looked at close enough. I specifically know a couple of social referrals, known to the upper hierarchy, who did not perform up to the company standards. These employees had to be removed, taking care, that no disruptions were caused in the social hierarchy. Social referrals are both good and bad. On the positive side, employees are sometimes the best recruiters (p. 16). Mexicans have a strong sense of loyalty toward their bosses. The idea of corporate loyalty is not part of the culture. This results in high employee turnover. To increase organizational loyalty, frequently conducting company-oriented training sessions assists in conquering this issue. The training sessions help develop and instill a sense of commitment, loyalty, and understanding of the company. Orientation programs should provide information on the company’s mission, goals, and strategies that provide the employees with opportunities for socialization, which is valued, by the Mexican employees. Rao (2001) states that U.S. companies usually placed low emphasis on such training programs and invest little. Both U.S. and Mexican companies consider training costly, but many joint ventures have found training programs to have considerable benefits. Ford’s executives believe the joint venture with the Hermosillo plant in Mexico concerning the training and development programs are the main reasons for increased commitment, satisfaction, and a reduction in employee turnover. Starting  with selection and all the way through retention practices, human resource policies can influence employee satisfaction and motivation and consequently the performance of the organization (Rao, 2001). Based on the research of human resource practices and polices in Mexico, the recruitment and selection process can be based on social referrals. Using the existing employees acquired through the purchase of a similar company, Starbucks will continue using the social referral policy. At least two expatriates with Spanish speaking abilities will be sent to each Starbuck’s coffee shop to oversee the transition. This will allow coverage for all shifts. All other employees will be nationals. An assessment of skills necessary for the positions will completed to ensure all skills are identified. Goldstein’s model, which consists of the assessment phase, the training and development phase, and the evaluation phase, will be used (Dreher & Dougherty, 2001). The employee skills necessary will be bilingual, with good interpersonal and communication skills. The employees must possess a cheerful attitude. The ability to read and follow directions in making different items on the menu is another necessity. Establishing relationships with local colleges will prove beneficial in hiring personnel with these abilities in conjunction with the social referral method. Training sessions on the procedures will be offered with face-to-face, hands-on sessions. In auditing the effectiveness of the human resource management, the collection of data will be performed. The data will include hiring statistics such as the acceptance rate, hiring rate, and hiring projections, turnover ratios, exit interviews, employee complaints, and the human resource budgets and expenditures. The level of complaints will consist of, but not limited to, discrimination, harassment, and safety. Another method for auditing will be internal interviews asking what are the perceptions of the company and its goals, the strengths and weaknesses of management, the relations with coworkers, what HR functions work well and what needs improvement, and any other issues the employees cares to discuss. Customer satisfaction cards will be available at all Starbucks locations to obtain results concerning customer service. A legal audit of personnel files and recordkeeping, pay equity, job descriptions, legal postings, Equal  Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Workerâ⠂¬â„¢s Compensation, and other Mexican legislature is a requirement. Conclusion As Starbucks moves into Mexico with the recent acquisition, many human resource management obstacles will be observed. Understanding the difference legislation Mexico has compared to the United States will be a large undertaking. Complying with these laws while being profitable, will determine the market prices for the coffee products. Reducing turnover, hiring the right people, offering a high-level of training and development is a critical factor for Starbucks. Understanding the culture, along with the skills and abilities necessary to provide excellent customer service will determine the success of the company. Audit results will provide the HR department with information to improve the process. If Starbucks follows the guidelines of Mexico, while instilling U.S. policies, a successful and profitable business should develop. Working in a foreign country can be successful or a failure. Understanding the culture and values of the country, as well as the people, will provide opportunities for Starbucks, the Mexican government and the Mexican people. References Abogados, V. (2008). Mexican labor relationships. Retrieved , from http://www.solutionsabroad.comCommission for Labor Cooperation. (n.d.). Foreign Worker’s Guide to Labor and Employment Laws. Retrieved , from http://www.naalc.orgDreher, G. & Dougherty, T.W. (2001). Human Resource Strategy. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved , from University of Phoenix, rEsource, MMPBL530-Human Capital Development Web site. Harris, C. (2006). Starbucks wants to open 40,000 new stores. Seattlepi. Retrieved , from http://seattlepi.nwsource.comJackson, M., Houdard, F., & Highfield, M. (2008). Room to grow: business location, global expansion and resource deficits. Journal of Business Strategy 29(1), p. 34-39. Retrieved , from EIU Newswire database. Mexico an expanding consumer market. (2007). Retrieved , from Country Insight database. Mexico: Business environment at a glance. (2006). Country overview. Retrieved from EIU Viewswire database. Rao, P. (2001). Human resource issues: US-Mexico joint ventures. Retrieved , from http://www.usmcoc.orgStarbucks. (2007). Starbucks Corporation overview. Retrieved , from MarketLine Business Information Center database.