Grammar-Translation Method, Audio-Lingual Method and...

Three of the earliest teaching methods were the Grammar-Translation Method, the Direct Method, and the Audio-lingual Method. Discuss these three methods. Also, explain their shortcomings which led to more current approaches in the teaching of grammar to L2 speakers. 1. i) Grammar Translation Method (GTM): Grammar-translation method is the extension of the Classical method which began in Germany (Prussia) in the late 18th century. It was then become popular in the early 19th century. It is one of the earliest teaching methods and was considered as the first institutionalized and the oldest method of language teaching. This is because; GTM was an adopted language teaching method in various schools. In the book, â€Å"The Empirical Evidence†¦show more content†¦By the time GTM was used in normal schools, a new form of method has been developed focusing on the speaking skills. It was then used widely in the private schools, particularly at the Berlitz schools. 2. i) Berlitz or Direct Method: Berlitz or Direct method was first introduced in the 19th century which attempt to build a methodology around observation of child language learning. This method has emphasized more on speaking and listening and uses little emphasize on grammar. This method was developed as a response to the Grammar-Translation method. It required immersing learners the same way L1 is learnt. L2 is used in teaching while grammar is taught inductively. There is a focus on speaking and listening, and only useful ‘everyday language is taught. Major techniques such as the questioning technique were used to elicit student oral production as well as an importance on the ‘here and now’. Moreover, Direct method is the secondary role of grammar. This is because; grammar is deemphasized in speech as it is a direct effect of these techniques. The development of phonetic and phonology somehow has given Direct method an advantage during that time. However, the w ay teachers’ teach is more important rather than any scientific rationale about this method. ii) Shortcomings of Direct Method: There are many critics regarding this method. First of all, many abstract words cannot be interpreted directly in EnglishShow MoreRelatedLinguistic Theories Essay1626 Words   |  7 PagesIn the past, the study of grammar has been investigated for centuries, it was also significantly role in language teaching and learning. The reasons for teaching and learning are different in each period. In some eras, a major aim of teaching and learning was making learners to be able to communicate. In others, it was essentially taught for the purposes of reading and writing. For these reasons, the studies of two linguistic theories, the traditional grammar and the structuralism were created.Read MoreWhat Links Theory Into Practice Within The Classroom1647 Words   |  7 Pagestheory into practice within the classroom. There are many different teaching methods that can be used in the classroom; in this essay I will compare and contrast the traditional grammar translation method, the communicative teaching approach and the audio-lingual method and the communicative approach and how they impact in the classroom environment. Deciding which method is best for the classroom can be difficult as each method has its own strengths and weaknesses both on teacher and the learner, oneRead MoreEnglish As A Foreign Language1136 Words   |  5 Pages Grammar teaching has an irreplaceable place in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) because of the fact that without grammar learners can use the language in a limited way; they may not achieve to fully express their intentions or meaning of the messages in a communication activity. It has been seen that throughout the history, the attention given to grammar teaching has differed from time to time. In the beginnings of the twentieth century, grammar teaching was regarded so essential that other aspectsRead More The Audio-Lingual Method for Teaching Languages1398 Words   |  6 Pageswill be the audio-lingual method which is a teaching method that was first used in the 1950s until the 1970s, although it could be safely stated that the method is regularly used in modern day language teaching. This essay will describe the functionality and history of the audio-lingual method as well as evaluate its usage compared to other mainstream teaching approaches. However before the method is analysed in itself, two factors must be recognised in order to understand the method. These factorsRead MoreThe Evolution of Second- and Foreign- Language Teaching1662 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough change in teaching methods; 2. Innovation through language-related sciences and research; 3. Technological innovation. During the nineteenth century, the Grammar-Translation Method with its emphasis on the transmission of structural rules and analysis of form served as the principal method of teaching modern and classical languages in schools. The goal of studying a foreign language was to learn the language so as to be able to read its literature. Grammar was taught deductively withRead MoreAudio Lingual Method2617 Words   |  11 PagesGGGV 2044 METHODS IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Semester 2 2009/2010 AUDIO-LINGUAL METHOD: A DISCUSSION (INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT) LECTURER: DR. HAMIDAH BT. YAMAT @ AHMAD LISA KWAN SU LI A123040 TESL/2 2 1.1 INTRODUCTION The Audio-lingual Method (ALM), by its very name – â€Å"audio† and â€Å"lingual† – refers to a language teaching approach that focuses on two aspects of language, namely listening and speaking. Unlike its predecessor, the Grammar Translation Method, which focusesRead MoreThe Purpose Of Education1041 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish than by learning any other language’ (Crystal, 2003, p. 111). Also teaching English will help those who wish to pursue higher education in native countries and will open up a wide range of job opportunities. Certainly there are different methods in which students learn a language best. However based on my experience I would state that students learn a language best by immersing themselves in the language as much as possible, in order to grasp all different aspects of that language. LearnersRead MoreMethodological Approaches Test4679 Words   |  19 Pagesview of learning based on analytical processes. | Score 0.5 / 0.5 Question 5 (.125 points) Certain methods/approaches and trends state specific roles for the teachers and prescribe their types of behavior in the classroom. Below, there is a list about the role that, according to these trends, the teacher should fulfill in the classroom situation. Read it carefully and choose the method/approach it belongs to: Never translate: demonstrate Never explain: act Never make a speech: ask questionsRead MoreCommunicative Language Teaching and Audio-Lingual Method3681 Words   |  15 Pagesby Abdul Bari Communicative Language Teaching and Audio-Lingual Method: Definition Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. It is also referred to as â€Å"communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages† or simply the â€Å"Communicative Approach.† The Audio-Lingual Method, or the Army Method, is a style of teaching used in teaching foreign languagesRead MoreTeaching Methods For Teaching And Learning1809 Words   |  8 Pages Teaching Methods Introduction Although teaching and learning are closely related, they are different. Good teaching is measured by the quality of learning a student is getting as measured by the information the students will then have gained knowledge of. There is a high degree of connection between what has been learned by students and how they then grade the teacher and the subject area. Cohen, 1981; Theall and Franklin, (2001), postulate that learners awarded high marks to their teachers

Color Symbolism, The Invisible Man, By Irving Howe

Color Symbolism In The Invisible Man Lucinda Gainor As described by Irving Howe in his 1952 review of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man â€Å"This novel is a soaring and exalted record of a Negro s journey through contemporary America in search of success, companionship, and, finally, himself;†. Invisible Man paints a portrait of self-discovery through a narrator who journeys through the dialects and microaggressions of American Multiculturalism. Displaying an Alternate Universe where obvious symbolism is presented not only the audience, but the narrator as it guides him in his travel to finding who he is. Artists for years have been fascinated by the implications of the psychological theory of Automatism, it refers to personal analysis, not the judging of images in the subconscious , but the accepting of them as they come into the conscious mind so they can be analyzed. It has always been understood that the unconscious has important messages for the conscious mind, but the former always communicates through images, such as symbols and archetypes, while the latter communicates through language. Symbolism by definition is the practice or art of using a word or an object to convey an abstract idea, and many surrealist artists want their work to be a link between the abstract realities and the physical formations of the material world. This perfectly explains Ellison’s usage of linguistic technique and visual description between creating semblance of cultural andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Invisible Man By Irving Howe1584 Words   |  7 Pagesolor Symbolism In The Invisible Man Lucinda Gainor As described by Irving Howe in his 1952 review of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man â€Å"This novel is a soaring and exalted record of a Negro s journey through contemporary America in search of success, companionship, and, finally, himself;†. Invisible Man paints a portrait of self-discovery through a narrator who journeys through the dialects and microaggressions of American Multiculturalism. Displaying an Alternate Universe where obvious symbolism is

Financial Accounting Business Organizations

Question: Discuss about the Financial Accounting for Business Organizations. Answer: Introduction This study is based on the subject of financial accounting. During this study, the focus is made on the current approach that the business organizations follow to accounting for the liabilities. In the beginning, the study discusses and analyzes the shortfalls in the current definition of the liabilities in the modern business context. At the same time, the discussion focuses on the influence of current accounting approach to the liabilities on the profit overstatement. After that, the study analyses whether the definition or the current accounting approach for the liabilities needs to be changed or not. Proper justifications are provided for each argument in the study. Discussing about the shortfall of the current definition for liabilities As per the current approach for liabilities accounting, liability refers to the economic benefits in terms of future sacrifice that an organization is liable to pay to other party or other organizations against the past transactions (Scott 2016). The resultant liability transactions or events should be settled between the parties that involves transfer of assets, use of assets, provision of business services or transfer of funds. Liability is considered as an obligation that is legally binding that incorporates accounts payable, interest payable, accrued liabilities and other payables (Rosen 2016). Besides, accounting of liabilities requires a company to recognize the amount of liability as a credit balance in the account of liability. However, accounting of liability requires to classify the liabilities as per the nature and type of obligation that is classification as per short- term and long- term and contingent liability (Arnold, Harris and Liu 2016). In several cases, liability also includes environmental liability, which refers to an obligation resulting in future payments because of the past transactions or if the liability resulted from the harm caused by environmental damage. Liabilities also include contractual obligations, deferred revenues, deposits for customers and other outstanding payments. It can be said that the accounting of liabilities should be done appropriately by considering the relevant definition stated in the principles and standards of accounting. Many organizations fail to recognize the liabilities appropriately due to several shortfalls in the liabilities definition when it is applicable to the potentially negative environmental situation (Penner, Kreuze and Langsam 2016). Current definition of liability states that liabilities occur as present obligation due to past events, which does not provide clear understanding to many organizational management and therefore fails to recognize as and when it occurs. For instance, liability occurred with respect to interest payable against the amount of term loans borrowed from bank is required to be recognized as liability since the end of the first year. However, due to lack of clear understanding of definition of liability, organizations fail to recognize the liability on interest payable in the first year (Kumar a nd Misra 2016). Another shortfall in the current definition of liability consists of clear understanding on classification of liabilities as per the nature and terms of occurrence. Accounting of liabilities depends on the nature of liabilities that involves short- term, long- term and contingent liability. There are certain liabilities arise as contingent liabilities that are disclosed under notes to the accounts in the financial report and not in the income statement or balance sheet (Song 2016). Considering the current definition, many organizations fail to classify liabilities appropriately that results in incorrect recognition in the financial statements. Shortfall in the current definition of liability involves lack of providing importance and impact on the cash flow of the organization results in inappropriate accounting in the financial statements (Irwin 2016). Such shortfall in the definition of liability provides impact on the organizational financial statements when the same is applicable to the environmental situations that are potentially negative. Overstatement of profit due to shortfall in definition of liabilities Liabilities are considered to be one of the essential components of financial information which represents the financial position of the organization in terms of amount of obligation that company owes to other parties (Parmar 2016). Accordingly, it is important for the organizations to recognize and represent the transactions of liabilities to provide true and fair financial position during the financial year. Inappropriate of accounting for liabilities result in misstatements in financial statements that represents incorrect profitability and incorrect financial position of the business organization (Jrgensen 2016). In case the transaction of liability is not recognized by the organization for the accounting year in which the liability actually occurred, then the financial statements would not reflect the correct financial information (Mudel 2016). For example, if the amount of liability occurred during the current financial year, it is required to be recognized in the current years financial statements as per the requirement of liabilitys definition. However, if the organization fails to record the amount of liability as and when it occurs i.e. in the current year, the financial statement would be reflecting inappropriate result while the profits would reflect overstated balance (Ratnatunga 2016). Further, inappropriate recognition of liability that may occur due to probable mistakes in identifying the transactions as liability would result in overstatement of profits. Provisions on assets or bad debts include liability that should be recognized as current liability in the statement of financia l position. Therefore, if the organization commits mistake in measuring correct amount of provision, then the operating activities would be recognized at higher cost resulting in overstated profits during the financial year. Other liabilities involve identification of contingent liability inappropriate accounting of which results in overstatement in organizational profitability. As per the definition of liability, contingent liability refers to the potential obligation that occurs due to tentative future event, amount of which is estimated on reasonable basis and disclosed in the financial statements under the notes to the accounts (Weidner 2016). Accordingly, if the organization fails to recognize the contingent liability correctly as well as fails to determine correct amount, then the cost of respective event would reflect lower balance and therefore, amount of profit might reflect overstated balance (Bhasin 2016). In addition, there are certain transactions occur in the business activities that represent both the feature of cost and liabilities. Hence, the organization is required to classify correctly the cost and liability component because recognition of cost affects the income statement while liability component affects the statement of financial position. Accordingly, if the cost component is included in the liability component of the transaction, the same would be recognized in the balance sheet instead of income statement and consequently, the same would reflect overstated profits. Moreover, overstatement of profitability in the financial statement of the organization results due to lack of creating correct provisions on debtors i.e. provision for bad and doubtful debtors (Moehrle et al. 2016). Considering the sales transaction of the organization, it includes credit sales for which provision for doubtful payments and bad debts is required to be estimated and recognized as liability. If the organization fails to estimate such provision, amount of sales would be recognized at higher value reflecting overstated profit. Importance in accounting if it fails to capture the information Identification of liability is important for appropriate accounting, information of which reflects true and fair view of the companys financial performance as well as financial performance. As the amount of liability represents the companys total obligation to be paid in future due to past events, it is recorded in the statement of financial position based on the reasonable estimates and historical judgments (Mudel 2016). Correct identification and accounting of liabilities in the business organization is particularly relevant during the potential impact of the environment on production and disposal of materials in the manufacturing process. It is essential to recognize the correct value of costs and liabilities even in the operating activities for the purpose of determining correct financial information of the company (Song 2016). In case, the accounting of the company fails to capture the relevant information on appropriate understanding of liabilities it matters because incorrect understanding would result in wrong estimation of liabilities that would affect the true result of financial performance. If the organizational accounting fails to capture the information on appropriate recognition criteria of liabilities in the current financial year, it will disclose incorrect accounting balance in the financial statements i.e. income statement as well as balance sheet (Moehrle et al. 2016). As per the principles and standards on accounting, it is essential to recognize the transactions and financial information at fair value and as per the best estimates so that the true and fair result can be obtained (Ratnatunga 2016). Further, in case the liabilities with respect to provisions on doubtful debts or long- term liabilities is classified and recorded incorrectly, the same would result in overstated profit and fals e information to the present and potential investors. Accordingly, organizational accounting is required to understand the concept of definition of liabilities to recognize it in correctly so that the transparent financial information can be determined. However, failure to capture the appropriate information on accounting of liabilities may occur especially during the negative environmental situation that results in presenting correct business information in terms of social and environmental impact. Such misrepresentation affect the sustainability of the organization as it is disclosed in the sustainability report for the current financial year. Misrepresentation of liabilities in the statement of financial position of the company reflects incorrect financial result as well as incorrect amount of obligations that the company owes to other parties. Such misappropriation represents incorrect information on current ratio; cost of capital that involves long- term debt along with the weighted average cost of capital. Further, in case the amount of short- term liability or long- term liability is classified as contingent liability, then the same would be eliminated from the accounting of financial statements and disclosed in the notes to the accounts. Such error in considering and classification of liability would overstate the profit and reflect inappropriate financial information to the investors and other stakeholders. Analyzing whether the definition of liability should be changed or not As per the current definition liability stated by International Financial Reporting Standards, a liability is the present obligation of the business organizations, which is resulting from the past events and which is expected to cause the outflow of the firms resources in order to gain some economic benefits (Demerjian, Donovan and Larson 2016). However, as identified in the above discussion that there are some shortfalls in the current definition of liability that the business organizations follow. In the discussion, it has been identified the current definition of liability does not provide any clear classification regarding the short-term liabilities, long term liabilities and contingent liabilities (Metzger 2016). Due to this, sometimes the actual financial position of the company is not reflected by its financial statements or report. This indicates that the definition of liability must provide the clear guidance that how the business organizations or accountants should classify the liabilities in to short term, long term and contingent liabilities (Oulasvirta 2016). This will make the accounting tasks easier and at the same time, this will also help the business organizations disclosing their actual financial position clearly (Myers 2016). At the same time, the reliability of the financial statements of the company will increase more (Couch and Wu 2016). The above discussion has also mentioned that in the current definition of liability, nothing has been mentioned about the time duration within which the business organizations must account for their liabilities. If the current definition of the liability is analyzed critically, then it can be identified that in that definition, it has been mentioned that the liability is the present obligation of the business organization, which is resulted from the past activities (Kahiya and Kahiya 2017). This may confuse the accountant or the business organizations regarding the timing within which they must account for the liabilities. Therefore, it is very important to specify the timing to account for the liability in the definition of liability. However, in this context, Wu et al. (2017) mentioned that when the companies are accounting for the transactions for a particular financial year, it is obvious that they must account for their liabilities in the same year in which the liabilities have generated. From this point of view, it cannot be said that there is any mistake in the current definition of the liability for which the definition needs to be changed. On the contrary, Cade, Ikuta and Koonce (2016) stated that the understanding of each person can differ. Hence, if the definition is not clear then the accounting techniques, which are based on the human understandings, may also differ. Apart from these, the above discussion has also stated that the current definition of liability does not provide any clue regarding the impact of liability on the cash inflows of the organization. The companies sometimes do not account for the liability fully in the year, in which the liability has been generated (Swieringa 2016). The comp anies do this in order to overstate their profits. It does not increase the cash inflows of the organization (Bolla, Wittig and Kohler 2016). However, if the definition itself indicates the impact of liability on the cash flow of the organization, then it may stop this kind of activity. Therefore, from this discussion, it can be said that current definition of liability must be changed and the new definition must consider the factors like, classification of liabilities, impact of liability on the cash flow and the time span within which the company must accounting for the liabilities. Identifying the broader ramifications for accounting and business due to the accurate capture of liabilities In the above discussions, it has been identified that current definition of liability does not provide complete guideline to the accounting for liabilities. The discussions have also indicated the definition of the liability must be changed so that the accounting for the liabilities can be done more accurately. However, if the liabilities are accounted or captured accurately, then some complexities may take place for the accounting and businesses. One of the broader ramifications that may take place for the accounting and businesses is the business organizations cannot hide any situation in which the business organization earns less profit (Grahn and Bigus 2016). Sometimes, it happens that in a particular financial year the performance of the company is down and the liabilities of the company is high. Due to this, many shareholders and investors of the company stop to invest more funds in that business (Mokhtar, Jusoh and Zulkifli 2016). Due to this, the financial health of the company becomes weaker. In order to avoid this kind of situations, the business organizations overstate the profits by showing less liability. However, if the liabilities are accurately captured, then the companies cannot overstate the profits by lowering down the liabilities (Fornaro, Lange and Lucido 2016). Hence, the actual situation will be in front of the stakeholders and that may affect the financial health of the organization negatively. The proper accounting for the liabilities of the organizations may also de-motivate the new investors or stakeholders (Alrazi and Husin 2016). If the accountants in the business organizations account accurately for the liabilities, then the actual obligations of the business will be clear to the new investors or potential investors. If the liabilities of the company are high, then the potential investors may feel that their investment will not be safe in that company (Bolla, Wittig and Kohler 2016). On the other side, the existing shareholders and investors may feel that their current investment is not secure and due to this, they may back out from the further investment. The accurate capture of the liabilities can also make the accounting for liabilities more critical. If the accountants of the companies account for the liabilities accurately, then they will require more knowledge regarding accounting techniques, classifications of liabilities and their impacts on the financial position of the company. At the same time, the accountant will also require detailed analysis of each liability, which will be more time consuming as well as costly (Grahn and Bigus 2016). Moreover, the proper accounting for the liabilities will make the accounting more complex to understand. The stakeholders especially the shareholders of the companies, who are not accounting experts, will not be able to clearly understand the accounting for the liabilities (Kahiya and Kahiya 2017). If the shareholders cannot understand the financial reports due to the accounting complexities, then the companies will not be able to convince them for investing their money in the business. This will be huge loss to the company, which will affect not only the current financial position, but also the future financial position of the company. Therefore, from the above discussion, it is clear that if the liabilities of the companies are captured accurately, then several problems or ramifications may take place. Due to the ramifications the financial position of the company may decline, which will not be acceptable to any business organization. Conclusion In this study, it has been identified that the current definition of liabilities has some shortfalls due to which many problems take place within the business organizations. The major shortfalls that the study has identified in the current definition of liability are the current definition does not provide any classification of liability, though actually there are three different types of liabilities short term liabilities, long term liabilities and contingent liability. Another shortfall is not proper time span is mentioned within which the liabilities in the business organizations must be accounted. The study has shown that this shortfall sometimes confuses the accountants regarding the time within which the accounting for the liabilities must be done. Due to these different problems or shortfalls, the study has suggested that the current definition of liability must be changed and some modifications must be made in the areas where the current definition has loopholes. The study has also identified that if the liabilities of the companies are accounted properly, then also some problems or ramifications may take place. The major complexity that may take place is regarding the financial position of the companies. The study has stated that if the liabilities are accounted accurately, then the actual financial position of the company will be clear to every shareholder or investor and if the liability of the company is high, then the shareholders may not be agreed to invest their money in the company. At the same time, the accurate accounting for liability may increase the complexity of accounting. Reference list: Alrazi, B. and Husin, N.M., 2016, March. Institutional Governance Framework for Determining Carbon-related Accounting Practices: An Exploratory Study of Electricity Generating Companies in Malaysia. InIOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science(Vol. 32, No. 1, p. 012063). IOP Publishing. Arnold, L.W., Harris, P. and Liu, M., 2016, January. CORPORATE ACCOUNTING MALFEASANCE: AN OVERVIEW. InGlobal Conference on Business Finance Proceedings(Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 202). Institute for Business Finance Research. Bhasin, M.L., 2016. CREATIVE ACCOUNTING PRACTICES at Satyam: THE FRAUD METHODOLOGY REVEALED. Bolla, L., Wittig, H. and Kohler, A., 2016. The liability market value as benchmark in pension fund performance measurement.Journal of Pension Economics and Finance,15(01), pp.90-111. Cade, N.L., Ikuta, K. and Koonce, L., 2016. Assets and Liabilities: When Do They Exist?.Available at SSRN 2742336. Couch, R. and Wu, W., 2016. The fair value option for liabilities and stock returns during the financial crisis.The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance,59, pp.83-98. Demerjian, P.R., Donovan, J. and Larson, C.R., 2016. Fair value accounting and debt contracting: Evidence from adoption of SFAS 159.Journal of Accounting Research. Fornaro, J.M., Lange, C.D. and Lucido, P.D., 2016. The Continuing Evolution of Accounting Alternatives for Private Companies.The CPA Journal,86(1), p.48. Grahn, A. and Bigus, J., 2016.GHG Measurement Precision, Reporting Incentives, and Environmental Liability. Working Paper. Irwin, T.C., 2016. Dispelling fiscal illusions: how much progress have governments made in getting assets and liabilities on balance sheet?.Public Money Management,36(3), pp.219-226. Jrgensen, T., 2016. Changes in External Accounting Framework and its impact on Asset Liability Management. Kahiya, E.T. and Kahiya, E.T., 2017. Export barriers as liabilities: near perfect substitutes.European Business Review,29(1), pp.61-102. Kumar, A. and Misra, P., 2016. Convergence of Accounting Standards: An Overall View.PARIPEX-Indian Journal of Research,4(11). Metzger, C., 2016. Accounting of pay-as-you-go pension schemes using accrued-to-date liabilities: An example for Switzerland.FZG Discussion Papers,59. Moehrle, S.R., Franzen, L., Meckfessel, M. and Reynolds-Moehrle, J., 2016. Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2015 academic literature.Research in Accountng Regulation,28(2), pp.96-108. Mokhtar, N., Jusoh, R. and Zulkifli, N., 2016. Corporate characteristics and environmental management accounting (EMA) implementation: evidence from Malaysian public listed companies (PLCs).Journal of Cleaner Production. Mudel, S., 2016. A Study to Show the Relation between Creative Accounting and Corporate Governance.Available at SSRN 2710567. Myers, L.P., 2016. Knowledge structures and their relevance for teaching and learning in introductory financial accounting.South African Journal of Accounting Research,30(1), pp.79-95. Oulasvirta, L., 2016. Accounting Principles. Parmar, B., 2016. Ethical Issues in Accounting Finance.PARIPEX-Indian Journal of Research,4(5). Penner, J., Kreuze, J. and Langsam, S., 2016. Analysis of Simplification of Accounting Initiative for Inventory and Update of Other Simplification Proposals.Journal of Corporate Accounting Finance,27(4), pp.9-12. Ratnatunga, J., 2016. The Accounting Delusion: Faith and Trust in IFRS Reports.Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research,14(1), p.1. Rosen, B., 2016. Best Practices for Accounting Procedures for Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Businesses.Ariz. J. Int'l Comp. L.,33, p.317. Scott, P., 2016.Accounting for Business. Oxford University Press. Song, X., 2016. Changes in lease financing practice during lease accounting standard overhaul (2005-2014).American Journal of Finance and Accounting,4(3-4), pp.309-326. Swieringa, R.J., 2016. Memorial: Robert T. Sprouse and Fundamental Concepts of Financial Accounting.Memorial Articles for 20th Century American Accounting Leaders,49, p.378. Weidner, D.J., 2016. New FASB Rules on Accounting for Leases: A Sarbanes-Oxley Promise Delivered. Wu, C., Li, X., Li, S. and Xu, B., 2017. An Evaluation of Project Management System of Public Construction Sector in Shenzhen, China. InProceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate(pp. 563-573). Springer Singapore.

Problem Solution Homelessness free essay sample

Homelessness the Problems of America Homelessness has always been a problem in major cities across the United States and even the world. This problem also affects out local community and even all of us individually. (Daily) A majority of the American people lives paycheck to paycheck, and according to statistics, we are only one or two paychecks away from becoming homeless. While there are many reasons a person or family can become homeless, a majority of those problems come from a lack of income. The job market of today is quickly dwindling and shows no signs of improvement. This market mixed with new government policies is becoming an issue for struggling American’s on the poverty line. Homelessness is becoming a vast problem for Americans, According to (Hope for the Homeless) 22 of every 10,000 people are homeless which comes out to an estimate of at least 672,000 people. While that may not seem like a staggering amount, that number is rising quickly. We will write a custom essay sample on Problem Solution Homelessness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, 42 percent of those 672,000 are unsheltered (meaning they live on the streets or in other forms of shelter not meant for human habitation), while 58 percent are living in shelters or transitional housing 37 percent of the homeless are people in family units, while 63 percent are individual adults. The vast majority of the homeless populous are kicked to the streets because as the economy becomes worse, jobs are becoming harder and harder to find. However, even though it is becoming more difficult for the average American to find a job that is not the only reason why people become homeless. Another reason a person could become homeless is various types of abuse such as drug abuse, physical abuse, or mental abuse. Another prevalent reason why some individuals become homeless can be traced to mental illnesses. (Hope) Most mental illnesses that contribute to homelessness are diseases such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, some extreme forms of anxiety, depression, and trauma to name a few. In addition, an even smaller percentage of those suffering from mental illness are veterans that served in the military. Some veterans suffer from a mental illness known as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when they do not seek medical help they have a higher risk of becoming homeless then those that seek medical advice. This disorder was caused by something that the military veteran experienced while in active duty during war. While the idea’s that have come forth to try to solve the problem of homelessness, many people have come up with great solutions that are currently helping these individuals. The programs that are in place provide shelters for people who have been kicked to the streets and have no place to stay. These shelters provide food, clothing, water, and best of all a place to sleep. However, these shelters require the individuals staying there to seek a job during the day. The biggest problems these shelters have come from the rules that apply to those staying. The current rules allow homeless people to take advantage of the program by allowing them to stay there for up to 6 months, and then they must move to another shelter or live on the streets. The problem presented with this rule is in most cities they have more than one shelter, which allows people to abuse the system and live under the care of taxpayers indefinitely. However, most people understand that there could potentially be more than one reason why a person would need to return to a homeless shelter within 6 months to a year, but not spend almost their entire life using this system. Comparatively, another great solution that is already in place by the government are programs that were intended to try to help the homeless get on their feet and become productive members of society. Specifically, some of the programs established by the government help homeless people that have families with children, by providing food stamps, welfare, and cash assistance. These programs help prevent people from becoming homeless, but can and often become abused as well. This free government money given to those without jobs provides no real incentive to get a job. (Article) People abuse this system by getting money from all of the government welfare programs and then lying about looking for a job. While not everyone that is on a government program abuses the system, there seems to be almost an equal amount of people who do. Instead of using the taxpayer’s money to give it directly to these men and women who are unable to get ahead in life, this plan would require people to willing give their time to this cause. However, this plan will still require the use of taxpayers’ money, but it will not be given to the homeless in the form of cash. When a person becomes homeless and has been kicked to the streets, when that person(s) comes to the homeless shelter the first thing that will be provided to them will be a suit, pair of shoes, a dress tie, and a razor. Proper female attire will be provided as well, and a member of the staff will help them put together a resume using previous job experience. This person will be given bus passes if public transportation is available in that city, and will be required to fill out at least three applications a day and must provide proof to the shelter. This solution, if put into place will not only help reduce the number of people that are homeless, but it will help those who are not productive members of society become productive. Even though the job market has suffered greatly within the last few years, there are still jobs out there that can provide a good start for someone struggling and on the verge of becoming homeless or already homeless. This solution will not solve the entire problem with homelessness but it is better than the current policies in place. Homelessness caused by mental illnesses and abuse require help from professional medical advisors, and doctors who are trained to help heal these individuals.

Title Of Paper Germany Essays - Geography Of Europe, Europe

Title of Paper : Germany Grade Received on Report : 92% Germany ( Deutschland) Germany is a country in the middle of Europe. At the north there is the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; on the east are Poland and the Czech Republic. On the south are Austria and Switzerland and on the west are France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The official name is the Federal Republic of Germany. It has good relationships with its neighbours and other countries. Germany is in the Northern hemisphere and its capital city's are Bonn and Berlin. Population and Climate ( Bevolkerung und klima) Many people live in Germany. In 1993 Germany had an estimated population of 80,767,591. This means that Germany had about 226 people per sq km. Germany has a changing climate, with an average annual temperature of 9? C. In January the temperature changes from -6? to 1? C. This changes depending on the location. The average July temperature range from between 16? and 20? C. The some places in the north of Germany have a warmer climate than the central and southern parts of Germany. The precipitation is hers. In the south, on the Rhine, is an important industrial area on the cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Karlsruhe. Chemicals, machinery, and building materials are made. Stuttgart is the centre of a manufacturing areas because motor vehicles, electronic equipment, office machinery, textiles, and visual instruments are created. Products that are made in Munich are aircraft, motor vehicles, clothing, and beer. Many important industrial areas located in the north west of Germany. These are the Hannover-Brunswick area, where steel, chemicals, and motor vehicles are made. Another major manufacturing area is coastal p! ort cities like Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, and Wilhelmshaven. The products of this area are refined petroleum, processed food, beer, ships, office machinery, and printed materials. Berlin is also a major producer of electronic equipment. About 8000 companies were working in East Germany in 1990.

Permissions Needed Before Starting a Hospital in Mumbai Essay Example

Permissions Needed Before Starting a Hospital in Mumbai Essay Example Permissions Needed Before Starting a Hospital in Mumbai Essay Permissions Needed Before Starting a Hospital in Mumbai Essay Before starting a Hospital following permissions are needed FOR PRIMARY REGISTRATION OF HOSPITAL |Act |Purpose |Authority |Validity | |Bombay Nursing Home Registration|Registration with Mumbai |Local or Area Municipal Ward |Renewal of Registration yearly | |Act |Municipal Corp. |Office | | |Bombay Nursing Home Registration|For extra Satellite Clinic if|Local or Area Municipal Ward |Renewal of Registration yearly | |Act. started in other part of the|Offices | | | |city | | | |Public Trust Act | |Charity Commissioner, Mumbai |Yearly Report to be sent | |Society Registration Act |For Income Tax benefit, | Charity Commissioner of Mumbai |Yearly Renewal | | |Concession on Import Duty | | | |Pre-natal Diagnostic Test Act | |Municipal Corporation |Yearly Renewal | |Human Organ Transplant Act |For Kidney and other organ |Maharashtra Health Service |Yearly Renewal | | |Transplant |Department | | |MTP Act of Govt. of Maharashtra |For Medical Termination of |Maharashtra Health Service |Yearly Renewal | | |Pregnancy |Department | | |FDA Act. For in-house pharmacy under |Food Drug Administration, |Yearly Renewal | | |drug cosmetic act. |Govt. of Maharashtra | | |FDA Act |Blood bank |Food Drug Administration, |Yearly Renewal | | | |Govt. of Maharashtra | | |FDA Special Narcotics |For Pethedine, Fentanyl |Food Drug Administration, |Yearly Renewal | |Psychotropic Drugs |injections for OT ICU | Govt. f Maharashtra | | |BARC Registration for Regulatory|For handling Radioactive |Bhaba Atomic Research Centre |Yearly Renewal | |Consent Radio- active substances|Substances | | | |BARC Registration |Radiology Badges |Bhaba Atomic Research Centre |Yearly Renewal | |BARC Registration |Radiation Therapy for Oncology |Bhaba Atomic Research Centre |Yearly Renewal | | |Department | | | |Maharashtra Pollution Control |Sewerage Disposal |Maharashtra Pollution Control |Yearly Renewal | |Act | |Board | | |Biomedical Waste Act. |Waste Disposal |Municipal Corporation of Mumbai|Yearly Renewal | |Bombay Shop Establishment Act. For Gifts Items Flower Shop |Municipal Corporation of Mumbai|Yearly Renewal | | |in the Hospital | | | |Power Permit under BMC Act |Maintenance Department |Municipal Corporation of Mumbai|Yearly Renewal | |License from Ministry of |For Internal Paging Services |Central Ministry of |Yearly Renewal | |Telecommunication |for RMOs Consultants |Telecommunication | | | Import Export License |Import of Machineries |Finance Department |Yearly Renewal | |Income Tax exemption |For Income tax benefit |Income Tax Department |Yearly Renewal | |certificates 80-G 35 | | | | |(I),(II),I. Tax195J | | | | |PWD License |For Elevators |Public Works Department |Yearly Inspection | |License from Weight Scale |For Weighing machines I the |Weight Measuring department, |Yearly Inspection | |department |Hospital |Govt. f Maharashtra | | |License for EPBX |Internal Telecommunication of |Mumbai Mahanagar Telephone |Yearly Renewal | | |Hospital |Nigam Ltd. | | |Explosive Act |For Liquid Oxygen |Inspector of Explosive |Yearly Inspection | | | |Substance, Mumbai Fire Brigade | | | | | | | FOR HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT OF THE HOSPITAL Act |Purpose |Authority |Validity | |Minimum Wages Act |Government Labour Guidelines |Maharashtra Labour Board |Always Applicable | |Dispute Redresal act |Redresal or settlement between |Maharashtra Labour Board |Always Applicable | | |employer Employees | | | |Factory Safety Act |Safety norms for employees |Maharashtra labour board |Always Applicable | |Employees Welfare Act |For well being of Employees |Maharashtra labour board |Always Applicable | | | | | | FOR RESEARCH Registration of National Survey of Resource for Science Technology, under the authority of Science technology Ministry Govt. of India. FOR FINANCE DEPARTMENT 1 Provident Fund Return norms by Provident Fund Commissioners 2 – VAT/TIN No 3. – PAN No

Poverty and Pollution Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poverty and Pollution Case Study - Essay Example It would be convenient for these businesses to ignore environmental regulations because it would be more cost-effective for them and they can easily get away with these violations (Singer, 1972). Moreover, most of them do not see a sense of environmental responsibility for these affected developing countries because these countries are not their home countries. In other words, these MNCs would feel that they would not be affected by the impact of the pollution they would be releasing in their host countries (Singer, 1972). Fewer environmental regulations include limited resources for host countries, especially on the detection of greenhouse gas emissions from these businesses (Shue, 1999). Businesses polluting in the third world countries are violating environmental laws and the inherent right of all human beings to live pollution-free lives. These violations also imply contraventions on developments and strides towards sustainable development, as well as violations in the protection of the environment vulnerable to destructive man-made activities (Norton, 1984). Violations of environmental laws also indicate the application of post-modern policies which often do not ensure the protection of the environment. Under these conditions, businesses polluting in third world countries are discarding environmental laws and ethical values in favor of financial gains. 2. ... The primary regulatory authority for any country is always the government. In instances where the legislative and executive functions of this government are weak, it is easy for its citizens and the citizens of other countries to perpetuate wrong and illegal acts in the territory (Fobete, 2008). Most of the time, the executive departments of these countries are extremely weak and corrupt, and officials are often easily vulnerable to bribes. These businesses may also disregard standards of pollution control because the third world countries do not have sufficient technology to detect and monitor any environmentally damaging activities which these businesses may perpetuate in their country (Fobete, 2008). The standard monitoring devices in developed countries which monitor air, water, noise, and land pollution and toxicities are often not present or are too expensive for these developing countries to avail (Taylor, 2010). Most of the monitoring in developing countries is carried out wi th personnel who occasionally inspect the facilities for apparent signs of pollution. It is easy enough for businesses to conceal their environmental violations during these inspection periods (Taylor, 2010). Actual monitoring of toxic levels of pollution cannot accurately and efficiently be carried out through visual inspection alone. Hence, without firm and effective tools, these businesses can easily disregard any standards of pollution control. As such, these businesses can easily carry out activities which would normally have high levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in these developing countries (Adams, 2001). Normally, in developed countries, GHG levels would be regulated and violations may prompt government regulatory processes, including closures (Adams,

Richard Branson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Richard Branson - Research Paper Example to reduce risk in their business choices. There are also leaders who do not follow existing leadership practices; rather, they develop their own leadership style avoiding to be influenced by the traditional perceptions on leader’s role. Such case is Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of Virgin Group. Since the establishment of his first enterprise, the Virgin Records in 1972, Richard Branson has been made popular for his style of leadership, which is considered to be unique. The aspects of the leadership style of Richard Branson are analyzed below. It is made clear that the success of Virgin Group is not related only to the carefully planned strategies on which its activities are based but mainly to the leadership style of Richard Branson. The management practices of Richard Branson have become a valuable example for leaders worldwide; in fact, it is primarily the entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector that has proved his capabilities and skills as a charism atic leader. In his first involvement in business activities, Richard Branson did not show signs of a strong willingness for success; maybe it was exactly this fact that led to his differentiation from other entrepreneurs worldwide who focus only on the profit. Even now, Richard Branson supports that there are many values and interests in life and the achievement of profits should not be a priority (Dearlove 2010). The entrance of Richard Branson in the business sector can be identified in 1971 – when the first Virgin Record store was established in order to respond to the relevant needs of students (Murray, Poole and Jones 167) – before this initiative Richard Branson has been involved in the publication of ‘a magazine for students’ (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). Because at that period the trends of the market regarding the buying of records were rather negative, Richard Branson introduced certain strategies aiming to attract the attention of young people ; free coffee and extremely friendly environment were the two main parts of Branson’s strategy in order to attract customers (Murray, Poole and Jones 167). The above strategies had positive results; indeed, the company managed to achieve an important growth proving Branson’s capabilities to establish a successful enterprise in a market sector, which was underdeveloped. One of the most important characteristics of Richard Branson as a leader is his ability to handle crises. This fact was revealed in the crash of one of the firm’s highspeed trains in Northern England, in 2007 (Reuters, February 24, 2007). The investigation developed by the local authorities revealed that Virgin could not be held responsible for the crash since the accident was caused because of a faulty track (Reuters, 2007). During the period that the case was under examination, Richard Branson had to face a strong criticism regarding the measures taken for the safety of Virgin trains. This issue is analyzed in the study of Regester & Larkin (2008); reference is made to the exceptional ability of Richard Branson to cover all issues highlighted by the journalists; in fact, the day of the crash Richard Branson was in holidays and he returned immediately in order to check the situation closely. The media welcomed the specific initiative noting that ‘even the chief executives avoid being involved personally in cases of crises’

Strategic Alliances and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Alliances and Globalization - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to explain the key advantages and disadvantages of strategic alliances in the globalization of products and services. When two companies join forces they are able to share resources and exploit the expertise of each company. Corporations formed strategic alliances for a variety of reasons. In the service industry many companies are forming strategic alliances in order to outsource business functions oversee. A prime location for the exporting of customer service contracts is the nation of India. A business function that is responsible for the formation of many strategic alliances is marketing. A lot of strategic alliances take the form of marketing alliances. There are four types of marketing alliances: product or service alliances, promotional alliances, logistic alliances, and price collaboration (Kotler, 2003). A product or service alliance occurs when one company licenses another to produce its product. This strategy has the benefit of reducing overal l costs of producing the product or service. In a promotional alliance one company carries out the promotion of another company. Logistic alliances involve one company offering logistical services to another. In pricing collaboration alliances two companies provide combined package discounts.

DNA, Genes and chromosomes

DNA, Genes and chromosomes Introduction Assignment two will firstly explain about DNA, genes and chromosomes. It will then evaluate some pre- disposed genetic factors that affect normal human functioning and look a range of different diseases. It will then evaluate pre-disposed environmental factors that may also affect normal human functioning and discuss another range of diseases. Genetic information is contained in nucleic acids, which are the molecules that hold the information. All living cells and viruses contain information and there are two types of nucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the self replicating genetic material in living cells and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The structure of DNA was worked out by Watson and Crick in the 1950s. Nucleic acids are made of units called nucleotides and an individual nucleotide is in three parts which combine by condensation reactions. These are phosphoric acid, pentose sugar, which in DNA is deoxyribose and in RNA ribose and there is an organic base comprising of five and divided into two groups. The DNA is a double stranded polymer of nucleotides (polynucleotide) comprising of many million nucleotide units. Its structure is in the form of double helix which is maintained by hydrogen bonding and it contains four organ bases, adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. A gene is the unit of heredity, comprising of a length of DNA that influences an organisms form and function. The protein produced when a gene is expressed produces a characteristic and each gene occupies its own position on the chromosome called the locus. Different forms of the same genes are called allele and there may be different alleles of the same gene with slightly different DNA structure. The chromosome is one long coiled DNA molecule which has genes dotted along its length. The genetic material of each cell is packaged together in the nucleus as chromosomes and each one of these contains very long DNA molecules. The human body has 46 chromosomes and in each body cell the chromosomes are in pairs, called homologous and a full set of chromosomes is called the karotype. Chromosomes make copies of each other so that when they divide, each daughter cell receives an exact copy of the genetic information. This is called replication and results in two DNA molecules. The Human Genome Project started in 1990 and it was a huge task to determine the order of bases in the human genome as well as identifying all the genes formed by the bases. Its other aims were to find the location of the genes on the 23 chromosomes and store the information on a data base. The purpose of collating the information was for scientists to know which sections of DNA, on which chromosomes are responsible for many inherited diseases. The main uses of genetic testing are in carrier screening, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, new born baby screening, and for prediction testing of onset disorders such as Huntington disease, onset cancers and Alzheimers disease. Using a sample of DNA it is possible to find out whether a person is carrying a faulty gene which causes a disease such as cystic fibrosis, or to identify genes that play a contributory role in diseases such as breast cancer. From results it is possible to eliminate all risk of the disease by correcting the faulty a llele. Sexual reproduction produces genetic variation amongst individuals in a population. Mitosis is when cell division takes place and it results in growth or repair of body tissues which is not to be confused with Meiosis which is the cell division that produces gametes (sex cells). In mitosis, one cell divides into two identical cells and in meiosis one cell divides into four daughter cells that a genetically unique. A species must change to its environment if it is to survive and the genotype of an organism gives it the potential to show a particular characteristic. Characteristics that are determined by a number of genes are called continuous variation such a height and characteristics that are clear cut are by a single gene are called discontinuous variation. The origins of variation are either non-inheritable or heritable. The environment has a huge role in determining phenotypic variation and factors in humans can include diet and exercise. Heritable variations are when an organism, for example, inherits genes which will determine its eventual size, although this can depend on nutritional influences. Monohybrid inheritance is when a characteristic controlled by a single gene is passed on from one generation to another. Examples of genetic diseases that are passed on in this way are Huntingtons disease and cystic fibrosis. The gene can be either dominant or recessive. Huntingdons disease is due to a mutation in a single gene that occurs on chromosome 4. Every cell nucleus has two copies on the gene and the codes for the protein are Huntingdin. People who develop the disease carry a mutation in one of copy of the Huntingdin gene. Huntingdin is concentrated in areas of the brain and that degeneration of the gene is called Huntingdons disease. Huntingdons disease is rare but another more common disease is cystic fibrosis which is caused by a recessive allele. To inherit the disease both parents have to be carriers of the defective alleles. In the UK one person in 2000 suffers from this condition and people that develop the disease produce a thick sticky mucus from the epithelial cells lining some passages in the body. The pancreatic duct can become blocked so food digestion can not complete and the bronchioles and alveoli of the lungs can become blocked. The normal allele of the cystic fibrosis gene makes an important protein called CFTR. Normally CFTR will transport chloride ions through the plasma membrane, however, the mutated allele causes production of a channel protein that does not transport the ions so the person who is homozygous suffers from cystic fibrosis. The full amount of alleles and their combination a person has is called their genotype and some of these are recessive and some dominant. The effect that these alleles have is called the phenotype. Different alleles of a gene do not have to be recessive or dominant and if two alleles both produce a protein that can function then the alleles can be codominant. An example of a disease that is codominance is Sickle cell anaemia, where a mutant allele of a normal haemoglobin gene causes one amino acid in the two beta polypeptide chains to be different. The shape of the molecule is altered and the red blood cells can be crescent or sickle shaped. These can be easily damaged and the number of working cells decreases the amount of oxygen going to the tissues. The heart works harder and the defective cells join together making the blood sticky. This can result in many side effects including kidney failure, heart attack and strokes. The spleen is over burdened and can stop its ability to remo ve bacteria from the blood so infections can be common. Another type of faulty cell division is called non disjunction where the daughter cell receives two copies of a chromosome and the other gets none. This can result in the condition called Downs syndrome where chromosome 21 is affected. The genetic condition is known as trisomy, where a person inherits an extra copy of one chromosome. People with the syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 rather than two and this additional genetic material affects the balance of the body and results in characteristic physical and intellectual features. Many people have alleles of genes which can make them much more susceptible to certain diseases. The disease may only develop if the person become in contact with something in the environment such as a chemical. An example of this would be lung cancer as some smokers die from cancer in middle age, while others carry on well into old age without being affected. The expression of genes can also be affected by environmental factors such as diet, disease and temperature during development. Mutagenic agents can cause gene mutations in tissues which then grow abnormally. There much scientific disagreement about a persons intelligence as is it determined by genes or by the environment that they grow up in. Asthma is a condition that tends to run in families that are prone to allergies. Although there are many factors that cause and influence asthma there is no single gene that is involved, although scientists are searching for the gene involved which may lead to a cure. The condition affects the bronchioles that carry air in and out the lungs which become swollen or narrowed and excess mucus is produced. It is a chronic condition and symptoms are wheezing, shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest. There are environmental factors which increase the risk of the disease such as being brought up in a house that has a pet, exposure to cigarette smoke in the uterus or in early life, air pollution and being born at the time of year when pollen is at is highest. Coronary heart disease is a condition in which genetics and environmental factors determine which humans get the disease. The disease is caused by a blockage of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart. In a healthy heart the walls are smooth and the blood flows easily, but the disease develops when material blocks the walls of the arteries causing narrowing of the vessels and possibly a complete blockage. This can lead to a wide range of cardiac problems including angina. The disease often occurs within the same family which can indicate that there maybe genetic link between people with the condition. It is difficult to establish if there is a direct correlation between family members due to genes or whether it is the environmental factors which they all are exposed to. Some of the main environmental factors that increase the risk of developing the disease are smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, unhealthy diet, mental stress, alcohol and coffee. It has been proved that genetic factors have an influence on cholesterol levels, but overall, it seems that a combination of genetics and the environment would best explain the family link to heart disease.

African American Musuem

Intro to Museum Studies Professor Kirsch September 19,2010 The African Museum in Philadelphia is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, the AAMP is located in historic Philadelphia, a few blocks away from the Liberty Bell. Charles H. Wesley was a noted African American historian, educator, and author.He was the fourth African American to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard University. An ordained minister, Wesley’s distinguished career included 40 years of leadership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1976, he served as Director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, now known as the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Programs The African American Museum that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has some interesting education programs.These education programs focus on arts, culture, a nd heritage education. They place a major emphasis on the interests of the students, educators, artists, historians, scholars, and community organizations. These programs offer diversity with scheduling. The programs explore various African forms of cultural expressions. In these programs there are literary performances, hands on demonstrations, workshops, and storytelling performances as well.The African American Museum in Philadelphia feels its programs can be a vital link between the permanent and visiting collections for the many communities they serve. Exhibitions The exhibitions in the African American Museum in Philadelphia can some to be pleasing to the eye and stimulating to the mind. According to the African American Museum of Philadelphia these exhibitions invoke a deep collection of emotion ranging from pride and passion to excitement and enthusiasm.When visitors enter the museum they will come to Gallery 1, which includes a interactive timeline, images draw from histori cal record, that spans 100 years of history. In Gallery 2 there are full size video projections in which visitors can in engage in them. Once they are activated, a monologue about life in Philadelphia will begin. Some other aspects of the exhibit include an experience where you can walk the streets of Philadelphia through a large scale map, which is located between galleries 1 and 2 .

Recruitment and Staffing Proposal Essay

In follow up to your request, I drafted a recruitment and selection proposal for your review. The proposed methods for the senior level positions will streamline our processes and align them to the organization’s business strategy. My proposal includes: Three recruitment methods. Three selection methods. A cost/benefit analysis and comparison of the approaches. Metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing recruitment and selection. Recommendations. As part of our recruitment and selection strategy, it is very important to assess the candidate’s true interest in our organization and their position within the organization. A bad hiring decision at the senior level can have extensive implications that could impact the direction, strategy and operations of the company causing a negative impact to the company’s bottom line. After you review the proposal, please contact me to coordinate a follow-up discussion. Thank you, HR Director Cost/benefit analysis Purpose The purpose of this cost-benefit analysis is to determine which recruitment and selection methods are the best options for HSS to perform for senior level positions. Overview The following is a brief overview of the methods analyzed in this document. Recruitment Methods Internal Recruitment – This is accomplished by choosing among current  employees to fill a position that falls vacant over time. It can be achieved by a promotion or a lateral move. Executive Search Firm – This is executed by hiring a recruiting company to research viable candidates working for competitors or related businesses. Social Media – This is executed by coordinating candidate sourcing through social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter . Selection Methods Assessment Centers – A candidate can undergo a series of standardized tests conducted by trained assessors. The exercises may include comprehensive interviews, individual and/or group simulation activities, and work-related performance. A good test would be to ask a potential employee to look at a profit and loss statement and describe how best to increase the sales. The content, instructions, and time allowed must be the same for all candidates. The results would be evaluated by a panel of trained assessors (SHRM). Structured Interviews – Uses a list of predetermined questions. All candidates are asked the same set of situational and/or behavioral questions; however, the follow-up probes may be different. These interviews ensure that similar information will be gathered from all candidates. References – The purpose is to obtain information about the candidate’s behavior and work performance from prior employers that could be critical to our decision. Costs/Benefits Method Cost Benefit Recruitment Internal Recruitment Internal labor cost for a 6 month timeframe: HR Director & HR Generalist @ 30-40 hours (5-6 hours per week) = $2,200-$3,000 Cost effective, supports positive employee morale and retention, candidate is familiar with the business, provides opportunities for promotions and we can access known past performance. Executive Search Firm 20% – 30% of first year salary = $20,000 – $30,000 Reduces time of recruitment, broad range of candidates, can bring new talent/ideas and we can gain knowledge, experience and contacts from recruiter. Social Media No fees Low cost publicity, attracts a variety of workers, directs more traffic to our company’s website and enhances company branding. Selection Assessment Center Up to $2,000 for each candidate 3 candidates = $6,000 (Hale) More reliable than traditional testing, reduces charges of political favoritism, they can predict short and long term success and does not produce an adverse impact. Structured Interviews Internal labor cost for a 6 month timeframe: 5 employees @ 10 hours = $2,100 Ensures that similar information will be gathered from all candidates and reduces equity concerns. References Internal labor cost for a 6 month timeframe: HR Generalist @ 20 hours = $529 The supervisor will know the candidate’s work performance and be able to confirm employment and compare similarity of jobs. Comparative Cost/Benefit Summary While internal recruitment is the most economical method for recruitment, it is not always the best method. This is good for employee morale; however, we should look externally as well to ensure that we identify the ideal candidate. An external candidate can offer a fresh perspective that would help our organization move to the next level. Executive search firms are expensive; however, they can provide current market intelligence on our  competitors. Also, they could deter the risk of litigation if selection decisions prove to be discriminatory. By hiring an external candidate, the employee can take HSS in a different direction by introducing new perspectives. According to Jobvite, a leading recruiting platform, â€Å"One of six job seekers polled credited a social network for leading to their current/most recent employment. The goal of using social media as a recruiting tool is to create a buzz about your organization, share stories of successful employees, and tout an interestin g culture†. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are excellent places to obtain a media presence to attract a variety of candidates. Social Media can enhance our employer branding through these tools to attract the most suitable talent by engaging passive job candidates with no external cost. We can capitalize on our reputation to attract large numbers of potential job seekers. If we are able to improve our branding, we can save money on traditional recruiting methods because viable candidates will be asking us to hire them. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests that organizations should not use social networks as the only recruiting tool because â€Å"not every job seeker uses social media†. This could cause adverse impact † on those who are economically less advantaged, which may correlate with certain racial and ethnic groups†. Structured interviews makes it possible to compare qualifications and reduce equity concerns at low internal costs. Telephone reference interviews are the best way to get more depth about the candidate’s character and background. â€Å"Past performance is the best predictor of future success† (SHRM). Assessment centers can be expensive; however, their tests are more valid because the candidates would be evaluated by many different experts. According to a journal written by Gunderson and Haynes, â€Å"Numerous studies have determined that the assessment center method has greater validity for promotion and selection than traditional techniques. Having been developed on the basis of job analysis, it is inherently valid and has proven to be a better indicator of future success than any other tool yet devised†. Furthermore, if they are easy to defend if challenged due to their fairness and objectiveness. Based on a study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), they stated that â€Å"In terms of the organizational needs, when the company was dealing with a cultural or strategic change, executives were more likely to be successful  if they were promoted from within rather than hired from the outside†. This is due to the employee’s familiarity with the company and established relationships. Metrics After we implement the new processes, we will evaluate them to ensure that they were cost-effective, timely and, most significantly, that we hired the right employees. Information gathered may be invaluable for further recruiting and to ensure HSS is meeting its goals. There are many metrics to track recruitment results, including the following: Measure the turn-over rate to determine if we have a balance of new employees and experienced staff. Employees leaving in large numbers may indicate that we did not use the right method of recruitment and selection to find the right employee. Measure the cost of turnover – all of the costs associated with replacing a new employee (recruitment costs, selection costs, training costs, etc.). Evaluate the job performance reviews. A good way to measure is to look at the performance evaluations of new employees after the initial 6-month probation period and 1 year anniversary. Solicit employee feedback on what they thought of the recruitment and selection methods. Getting their measurement data will help us make an informed decision. Ask them if the recruitment and selection methods had any effect on their decision whether to accept the position. Positive feedback indicates a measurement of doing it right. Measure the number of days from the vacancy being posted to the time it was filled. Measure the cost per hire and check to see if we stayed within budget. Measure the number and qualifications of the applicants for the position. Measure the time it took for the new employee to get acclimated to the new position. Selection ratios—the number of a group selected as a percentage of the total number recruited. Recommendations Our recruitment and selection process needs to change to adapt to the evolution of technology. We will need to start with an organizational needs assessment to define and assess the work environment (Sessa & Campbell); we can analyze the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, goals and trends. The assessment will help us to develop a profile of our ideal candidate and to construct a valid set of questions to use in our interviews. The next  step should consist of reviewing the job description. This will help us to define the job postings. This will also help develop our recruitment strategy. Then we can review the recruitment and selection processes that are listed in the cost and benefit analysis. I recommend that we use all of the methods that I listed. The costs for contracting an assessment center and an executive search firm may be high; however, I feel that the costs are fair trade-offs, considering the level of the positions. Furthermore, we can hire a contingent executive search firm so we do not have to pay any fees unless we hire the candidate. Each tool is an excellent approach. However, if we diversify our methods, we can have a stronger opportunity in hiring an ideal senior level employee. Conclusion Today, our competitors are using a variety of methods to attract the ideal candidate. Since we are a young company and we are projecting that we are going to have more than 200 employees in the next five years, we need to strengthen our recruiting and selection methods for our senior level positions to ensure that we have the right people in place and be at the cutting edge. We can achieve this by implementing all of the methods that I described in my cost/benefit analysis. Hiring the wrong person for the job can be a costly mistake. References Executive Selection A research report on what works and what doesn’t [Review [Title of Reviewed Work], by V. I. Sessa, R. Kaiser, J. K. Taylor, & R. J. Campbell]. (1998). Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/ ExecutiveSelection.pdf Gunderson, G. J., & Haynes, B. R. (2000). Assessment technology: Its use in improving leadership and management performance. Journal of Extension, 38. Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/2000december/tt1.php Hale, C. (2005, April). Pros and cons of assessment centers. Retrieved September 17, 2014, from http://www.hendonpub.com/resources/article_ archive/results/details?id=3975 Jobvite. Retrieved May 10, 2013, from http://recruiting.jobvite.com/company/press-releases/2012/75-of-american-workforce-is-actively-seeking-or-open-to-new-jobs-jobvite-s-annual-social-job-seeker-survey-reveals/ Recruitment. (2013). In Society for Human Resource Management (Comp.),Workforce planning and employment (Vol. 2, pp. 164-233). Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management. Segal, J. A. (2014, September 1). Social Media Use in Hiring: Assessing the Risks. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from SHRM website: http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/ editorialcontent/2014/0914/pages/0914-social-media-hiring.aspx#sthash. Hxh35wT5.dpuf

What to Do When You Are Bored in Class

What to Do When You Are Bored in Class Who hasn’t zoned out in class before? Whether your professor has a monotonous voice or you just didn’t get enough sleep last night, everyone has times when paying attention in class is a challenge. Here are some things you can do when boredom overcomes you during a lecture: Eat or Drink Something Depending on your class rules, a quick blood sugar or caffeine boost can be exactly what you need. Just make sure it’s not distracting to the rest of the class such as eating something crunchy or something with an overpowering smell. A fruit salad or cereal bar can be ideal snacks for a classroom setting. Chewing gum can also help give you something to do while you’re passing the time. A cup of coffee is a great pick-me-up for any time of the day and could be just the boost you need to make you sit up and pay attention. Record The Class If you simply can’t pay attention to the lecture, try using a recording app on your phone to make sure you at least have the class on file. That way you can listen to it later when you’re able to concentrate better. Some recording apps also give a written version of the recording, which can be convenient for you to look over. Take a Lot of Notes Sometimes when the teacher is droning on and it’s hard for you to keep focused on what they’re saying, it can be helpful to just write down as much as you can from their lecture. Keep your pen moving as he/she speaks and try to capture as much as you can. This will give you something to concentrate on and keep from zoning out. It will also ensure that you have some enviable class notes that your classmates who fell asleep will want to borrow. Participate More If your professor has class activities such as breaking you up into groups or allowing for question and answer periods, make sure you participate, even if you don’t feel like it. It can force you to wake up and engage more seriously with the material. Ask questions, offer to be a group leader or volunteer to take part in an informal debate. Read Your Textbook You might not be able to pay attention to what your professor is saying, but it could help if you look over your textbook to remind yourself of the context of their lecture. As you read, keep an ear tuned to your professor’s voice to see if what they’re saying connects with the content you’re reading to help you follow along better. Count Everyone has days when their attention span is less than desired. You can’t be â€Å"on† all the time. If you find yourself spacing out in the middle of a lecture, give yourself a break and count to 100. Counting will likely be more boring than your teacher’s lesson so take a big breath after you get to 100 and prepare yourself to focus. Every time you space out again after that, count to ten and then get your focus back on track. This gives your brain a temporary break and allows you to reset. Use Fun Note-Taking Tools When you were a kid, you probably liked using crayons or colored pencils or funny erasers and notebooks with your favorite cartoon characters for school. So, make note-taking fun again by buying some cool accessories, whether it’s colored markers, fun stationary, or other things that ignite your excitement. You could also use a note-taking app on your tablet that makes it more entertaining for you to go to class. Whatever you end up doing to get through class, just make sure you’re not interrupting your professor or being a distraction to your classmates. image credit: flickr.com

Home Computer Privacy essays

Home Computer Privacy essays Some say that the world is a dangerous place. When it comes to computers, thats not necessarily true. With every new virus or hacked web page on the Internet, there will be a new way to fight back and secure privacy. Some people are also concerned about large companies and government invading privacy although there really is no need for great concern. Home computers are relatively safe from Big Brother. Cookies are small files planted on Internet users computers by web pages to track their web browsing habits (Slover C8). They allow companies to send users targeted ads that correspond with the information about them in their databases. Almost anything users fill out on the Internet will be linked to their computer with a cookie. But critics say that hackers have a slim chance of reading your cookies. Another possible threat on the Internet is data brokers. Data brokers are people who collect information about others and sell it to anyone with a few dollars claiming to be a landlord or private investigator (Eckhouse 91). They get their information from phone directories; birth, marriage, divorce, death, property tax and drivers license records; credit bureaus; and other assorted databases. Internet users also need to be careful when they fill out surveys and forms on the Internet. They are all over websites. This information often gets sold to large companies and data brokers. It is looking like there will be many changes in privacy in the near future. The National Security Agency wants to put a chip in every telephone and modem allowing them to remotely spy on the public (Jackson 33). They hope for telephone and modem manufactures to design their products so that only infected telephones and modems can communicate with other infected telephones and modems thus forcing the public to by their products. They also want to do this wi ...

Responsibilities of a Team in Managing Resources Assignment

Responsibilities of a Team in Managing Resources - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the organization has to make use of its resources to achieve its objectives. Therefore, the team has to ensure that the group members aim at attaining the set standards by making proper use of the resources to avoid wastage. The team acts as the organization’s ambassadors. The team together with the stakeholders and the board develop strategies for future operations and give recommendations on the appropriate course of actions in the management of resources. More often, management of resources depends on the recommendations of the team-leaders and leadership of the organization. The team plays a critical role ensuring that it gives relevant information on the management of resources. It also keeps an eye on the progress of the organization in its operation. It acts as a watchdog on how the organization operates and making use of its resources. Constant monitoring of the organization ensures those resources are used appropriately a nd wastage is reduced significantly. Lastly, the team has a duty of advising the management team on the proper use of resources. There is no doubt that most managers cannot manage the organization effectively without the help of other staff and groups. These are the information sources on how the organization can be managed. The team, advice on particular areas the organization can do to manage its resources effectively. Resource plan is a document that explains the aim and purpose of the team, how it operates as well as the expected outcomes. They are simply the ‘roadmaps’ that ensures that the organization achieves its goals. Most importantly, this plan ensures that the organization uses its resources as intended thus achieving its objectives. Although the organization may face challenges, it provides a guideline on how to make use of the available resources and attain its success.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 21

History - Essay Example On the other hand John Locke in his book the Second Treaties proves that an individual should have his own identity and thoughts. Moreover Karl Marx in his book â€Å"Communist Manifesto† mentions his view against capitalism. According to Marx, Locke’s documentation resembles more like capitalism. This essay brings out some important evidences about the argument of Locke against the interest of monarchs as represented by Machiavelli and Marx’s argument against capitalism as represented by Locke. As per the documentation and evidences mentioned by Locke in his book the â€Å"Second Treaties† there should be self dependency and individual rights assured to every people in a society. Locke did not argue literally about the monarch rule as represented as an interest of Machiavelli. Locke represented his ideologies about various aspects of the society during his period. Locke’s documentation seems argumentative by readers because of some lines mentioned in Chapter 3 of his book which is the state of war in his book. It says that â€Å"The Prince, who is a ruler, must control his people even by any ruthless means. By this statement Locke did not actually argue about Machiavelli’s interest he just wanted people to think differently and he wanted the society to be less dependent on some one. He wanted people to be perfectly free and one person should not be subjected to another person’s authority without his or her permission. However, according to Mach iavelli the world is full of people who are unworthy and can-not be trusted. If power is given in hand of common people they will end up making the society a worst place (Fukuyama 29). Hence people should be under the command of a leader who has a vision higher and greater than anyone else and a king should be able to take greater responsibilities. A ruler should not show kindness and mercy on each and every person as it can lead to social disturbance and can lead to developments of traitors. The

Db1 managing high performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Db1 managing high performance - Research Paper Example I prefer the free reign type of leadership to the autocratic. Free reign leadership style is motivational to employees, and it gives them room to exchange ideas within themselves and even work towards the same goal. Autocratic does not give the employees room to participate in the decision-making process, exercising of individual leadership styles hence influencing negatively on worker talents and skills (Gino, 2013). While working with Digg Company, I observed the management styles employed by the company director, Mr. Willy to be laissez-Faire. Mr. Willy delegated duties, responsibilities coupled with adequate authority to his junior staff, gave them room to take part in the decision-making process, and without strict supervision. It helped the company meet its set goals within the period; employees felt encouraged and motivated. On the contrary, Mrs. Helena, the sales representative of Frontier Marketers Company, where I started my career, designed an autocratic style that did not achieve success (Benincasa, 2012). She harshly directed her employees, fired and hired without warning. It led to employees feeling inferior, could not contribute much to organization’s development, and soon losses struck the company. Benincasa, R. (2012, JUNE). 6 Leadership Styles, And When You Should Use Them. Retrieved OCT 8, 2014, from FC leadership: http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and-when-you-should-use-them Nayab, N. (2011, SEPT 28). Examples of Companies with Autocratic Leadership. Retrieved OCT 8, 2014, from Bride Hub Project Managment:

Martin King and Henry Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Martin King and Henry Thoreau Essay Martin King and Henry Thoreau both write persuasive expositions that oppose majority ideals and justify their own causes. While this similarity is clear, the two essays, Letters from Birmingham Jail by King and Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, do have their fair share of differences. Primarily in the causes themselves, as King persuades white, southern clergy men that segregation is an evil, unjust law that should be defeated through the agitation of direct protesting, and Thoreau, writing to a more broad, non addressed audience, and focusing more on the government itself, contends that at its present state, with the war with Mexico and the institution of slavery, that one should do as he does and refuse to pay government taxes that support such evil practices or traditions. While both Thoreau and King prevail in establishing a firm impression for what they strongly believe in, they each succeed in their persuasive efforts through different means. Chiefly, in the way that King draws emotional appeal with the usage of a burning passion and devotion, and Thoreau, while still making it evident that he is devoted in what he believes in, draws more emotional appeal through being more distressed and concerned than naively hopeful and optimistic. However, similarities remain to be as numerous as differences as both Thoreau and King bring credibility or ethical appeal to their assays essentially with allusions to Christ and the Bible. First, Kings emotional appeal is what above all contrasts his essay with Thoreaus. As virtually everything else; the theme of disobeying unjust laws, their admiration for the minoritys viewpoint, and even, coincidently, where they wrote their essays prison, is all the same. King makes two references to conversations shared with his children. Once with his little girl who wants to go to the public amusement park and is quickly developing tears in her eyes as her father has to sadly explain the reality that black children arent allowed in Funtown. Promptly once again, King refers to being forced to somehow concoct an acceptable answer to his five year old sons question why do white people treat colored people so mean?. King does not stop there with his ability to throw his readers into the harsh emotional realities that he had to face. While answering the same question of why we cant wait in regards to protesting, King refers to the tragic sadness of how his wife and mother are almost  never granted with the respectable title of Mrs and how his own name has virtually been transformed from Martin Luther King to Nigger Boy John in the heartland of discrimination in the South. The rhetorical use of detail is Kings second element that he takes advantage of to draw such tremendous, but necessary emotional appeal. With his despairing response to the clergy mens appraisal of the policemens ability to maintain peace and order when he asserts with great detail that maybe they wouldnt be so warmly supportive if they would have been in the streets to witness the police slapping Negro men and boys with sticks and pushing and cursing old Negro women and girls in such a cold-hearted and cruel fashion. Furthermore, Kings account of what the South would be like if blacks sided more with the Black Nationalists than himself brings emotion to all that contemplate his perception of streets flowing with blood during the central time of the otherwise inevitable racial nightmare. Thoreau, on the other hand, never consents to revealing such frightful nightmares and makes only one brief reference to his children. Instead, Thoreau draws emotional appeal through many different techniques in the art of persuasive writing. Most predominantly, with despaired and concerning rhetorical questions such as when he asks about established governments viewpoint on great men, why does it always crucify Christ and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?. And again when he provokes the question of how men assert their grievances when he asks How can a man be satisfied to entertain and opinion merely and enjoy it?. As stated above, Thoreau and Kings great persuasive similarity is in the way they give their essays ethical appeal. They both repetitiously make use to references of the Bible. King first asserts that he is in Birmingham for the same reason that the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the Gospel of Jesus. Once again, in comparing his civil disobedience to that of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego when they refused to obey the worship laws of Nebucadnesser. Finally King affirms to not being offended by the criticism of being called an extremist by the thought of how many great extremists there where in the past, such as Abe Lincoln, Martin  Luther, and Jesus Christ. Thoreau in the very same manner and with many of the same figures, continues with his own set of biblical allusions. He subscribes to the verse of Christ and the Herodians when they ask him about his stance on taxes and Christ replies to give Caesar what is Caesars, and to give God what is Gods. And then, more broadly, Thoreau poses the question of why after eighteen hundred years of being written, no legislator in America or anywhere else has taken advantage of the science of legislation revealed in the New Testament. In conclusion, both Thoreau and King succeed in establishing their points on the benefits of civil disobedience. I feel that King does succeed farther with his inclusion of more passionate emotion and easier to understand, heartfelt metaphors. Though it is debatable that the scientific and matter of fact tone Thoreau uses ultimately make his case more credible by establishing his work as not only a great personal exposition, but also a considerable scientific exposition that could be considered among the ranks of Thomas Paines Common Sense or even Machiavellis The Prince.

Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essay -- Kate Chopin Story Hour Ess

Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin, the author depicts how someone can be trapped in an unproductive and unsatisfying reality because of other’s thoughtlessness, exploitation, and domination. When combined with the contemporary society’s belief, presumably the later half of the 19th century, a further understanding of Chopin’s thoughts and feelings can be realized. Mrs. Louise Mallard, the victim and messenger of this story, is the image of such a person. Her relationship with her husband is so oppressive and limiting that even death is considered a reasonable means of escape. The condition of life for Mrs. Mallard is terrible, yet for some reason she doesn’t seem to come to the full realization until her husband death. This leads one to believe that was a common place for women to be unhappy in their marriage and have no conventional means of escape (divorce). However, Chopin doesn’t directly make that point. Many women are in se arch of freedom from their marriage and they believe the only way to be free is to experience the death of their husband. Mrs. Louise Mallard is a repressed married woman that has a heart condition and the reaction to her husband’s presumed death is a sign that she is unhappy. After hearing the tragic news she goes up stairs and looks out an open window and notices â€Å"new spring life†, the delicious breath of rain†, and â€Å" countless sparrows tittering in the eaves.† As she looks out the window among th...

Maori Culture Essay

Abstract The Maori, which means â€Å"ordinary or common,† arrived in New Zealand in the 14th century. Polynesian by descent, they came from the mythical land of Hawaiki, believed by many experts to be a combination of places, including Tahiti, Samoa, Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Upon arriving in New Zealand, the Maori dubbed the picturesque land Aotearoa, or â€Å"land of the long white cloud.† The Maori Culture The Maori like many other Pacific Islanders started their journey in a canoe. Living on an island afforded the Maori with a unique and diverse culture that is still evident in Modern day New Zealand. In the next few pages I will give you a brief glimpse of the Maori way of life then and now. I will discuss the belief and value system, gender roles, healing the sick and also the impact of Colonialism on the Maori way of life. There are three basic beliefs and values of the Maori. I nga wa o Mua, Whakapapa and Mana. I nga wa o Mu. Maori believe that ancestors and supernatural beings are ever-present and able to help the tribe in times of need. The Maori world view is to look in front of us to the past for guidance as that is where we came from. It was because of this philosophy that the Maori did not conveniently forget about the Treaty of Waitangi once it was signed. Through facing the past they can learn from past mistakes and not repeat them. This concept is totally reversed in other cultures, who try to encourage them to forget about the past and to put things behind them Whakapapa Whakapapa translated means genealogy. The Maori believe that everything and everyone are connected and therefore a part of their Whakapapa. Whakapapa includes genealogies of spiritual and mythological significance, as well as information about the person’s tribe and the land he or she lives on. The Whakapapa is passed down orally in the form of stories. One of the most famous stories is story of the creation of Aotearoa. Aotearoa was pulled from the sea by the demi god Maui. Maui was the last of five brothers and was known to be clever. He hid in the canoe of his brothers and when they would not give him bait to fish he took his magical hook and slashed his face and smeared the blood on his hook so that his blood would attract the fish. Smelling the blood the god of the sea gave Maui his biggest fish. Maui asked his brothers to not cut up and eat the fish until proper arrangements had been made to appease and thank the gods for their gift. While Maui was on land trying to pull the boat to shore his brothers started to cut the fish because it started to move. That is why Aotearoa the fish and the mountains and the valleys are where Maui’s brothers tried to cut the fish. Mana According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Mana is â€Å"Among Polynesian and Melanesian peoples, a supernatural force or power that may be ascribed to persons, spirits, or inanimate objects. Mana may be good or evil, beneficial or dangerous, but it is not impersonal; it is never spoken of except in connection with powerful beings or things. The term was first used in the 19th century in the West in connection with religion, but mana is now regarded as a symbolic way of expressing the special qualities attributed to persons of status in a hierarchical society, of providing sanction for their actions, and of explaining their failures†. The Maori believe in three forms of Mana. The first type of Mana is the Mana that you have when you are born. This Mana comes from your Whakapapa and can attribute to the rank and status of your descendants. This Mana is not only the ancestor themselves but also the deeds that they did and the skills, traits and abilities taught to them by their tupuna (elders). The second type of Mana is Mana given to you by other people. Today there are people who seek Mana and deliberately go around trying to gain Mana by telling people about their own importance. There is a Maori saying: â€Å" The Kumara does not talk about its’ own sweetness.† But Mana seekers do exactly that. Humbleness is a very highly valued trait in the Maori world. Many of the great leaders are very humble people, hence part of their greatness. The Maori people sing their praises, thereby heightening their Mana. You will never hear the great leaders singing their own praises. It is not that they are trying to be humble; it is that they just are. The third type of Mana is Mana from the group. The best example I could come up with is the Mana of the marae. The marae is the sacred courtyard that you must be formally invited to enter for the first time. The marae is where challenges are met and issues are debated. When you stay on a Marae all are treated well and fed great food. When the visitor leaves they tell everyone about the great time they had thus increasing the Mana of the marae. If they tell everyone they were treated ill and unkind then the Mana of the marae decreases. Traditional Maori folklore focuses on oppositions between pairs, such as earth and sky, life and death, and male and female. From the time of creation the original couple, Rangi (sky) and Papa (earth) were locked in sexual union until the god Tane was able to push them apart and provide for the creation of human life. So as you can see opposition existed before the creation of human life according to Maori traditional stories. It then would suffice that opposition would exist throughout Maori culture. Premarital sexual relationships were considered normal for Maori adolescents. Both males and females were expected to have a series of private relationships before they married. When Maori females became sexually active, they were to publicly acknowledge this so that they could become tattooed. Tattooing marked their ritual and public passage into adulthood. It was also considered extremely attractive and erotic. Tattooing among the Maori was highly developed and extremely symbolic. Maori facial tattoos were created by two methods. One was by piercing and pigmenting the skin with a tattooing comb. The other was by creating permanent grooves in the face with a chisel-like instrument. . Females were also tattooed in Maori society. Female facial tattooing was known as ta ngutu. Designs were placed on the chin and lips. When it comes to sickness and healing in Maori culture things were very different before Colonization. In traditional times before the colonization of New Zealand, Maori saw science and religion as the same entity and believed that illnesses were caused by supernatural sources. Maori had a good concept of anatomy, physiology and the use of plants for healing; however there was an undefined distinction between the mind and body. Maori believed an evil spirit or a type of witchcraft would attack an individual to cause ill-health as a punishment for breaking the tapu (sacred restriction) of the family that the spirit belonged to. This type of illness was called mate atua (disease of the gods) since there was no obvious physical cause. The individual would experience pain, weakness, loss of appetite, malaise, fever and occasionally delirium due to possession of the spirit. When Captain James Cook colonized New Zealand in 1830 he brought with him, evasive plants and animals as well as guns, alcohol and diseases that the Maori were previously exposed to. New Zealand’s isolation meant that the Maori people lacked immunity to bacterial and viral infections that were common in other countries. The Maori found that their healing methods were ineffective against the new diseases and had to rely on the medicines of the missionaries. The effectiveness and popularity of the missionaries’ medicines assisted in the conversion of Maori to Christianity. It appeared to the Maori that the Christian god had superior powers and this attributed to the health and prosperity of the Europeans. The fundamentals of Maori society, culture, religion and medicine became strained as religion was involved in their everyday lives and many of their beliefs were based upon it. The people began to lose their Mana due to the shift of religion and the spread of Western knowledge undermining the tohunga’s ( spiritual leader) authority The downfall of the whare wananga (school of learning) was also due to conflict between Maori religion and Christianity. In 1907 the Tohunga Supression Act was passed due to concern being raised over the practice and safety of some tohunga. Maori healing was seen as ‘dangerous’ by Western modern medicine as it was not scientifically proven. The Tohunga Suppression Act was repealed in 1962 however this had little significance as some tohunga had practiced throughout the 20th century especially in remote rural areas of the country. Tohunga are still significant in current Rongoa Maori however modern tohunga have not been trained in traditional methods giving them a position of authority and prestige however they are still recognized as experts in their field. Many modern tohunga showed potential in their childhood by spending time with their elders and learning tribal and cultural lore. They then became an apprentice under an established tohunga to learn their expertise Current Maori healthcare is based on a holistic model that incorporates the physical, emotional, family and spiritual aspects of health. Each aspect must be treated or used to ensure full recovery of a patient. The current function of modern tohunga is varied. Conventional medicine is incorporated into the tohunga’s practice however traditional methods of karakia (chants) and inoi (prayer) are still extensively used. Native plants for medicinal purposes are widely used however application of uses varies between each practitioner. References 1. Franklin- Barbajosa, Cassandra. â€Å"Tattoo: Pigments of Imagination.† National Geographic News. March 7, 2008. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0412/online_extra.html 2. Maori.org.nz. http://www.maori.org.nz/ 3. â€Å"Moriori.† Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9053755/Morior 4. The Legend of Maui. http://www.sacredtexts.com/pac/maui/maui04.htm 5. The Definition of Mana. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mana 6. Maori Colonization. http://www.heritagehistory.com/www/heritage.php?Dir=eras&FileName=britain_11.php