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Olay Marketing Plan - 4888 Words

1) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Olay is the top facial skin care retail brand in the world and is one of Procter Gamble (PG)’s multi-billion dollar brands. It is the world’s number one facial care brand in the past four years (2006-2009) based on Euromonitor data. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of PG’s $79 billion in revenue. Olay has extended its heritage as a moisturizer to stay looking young, to formally creating the â€Å"anti-aging† category† in mass stores with the launch of Olay Total Effects in 1999. The launch was almost double the typical price of a mass market moisturizer at the time. Today, there are tremendous products in market more expensive than Olay. While†¦show more content†¦Line Minimization: Reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles 2. Nourishing Moisturization: For a radiant, healthy glow 3. Tone Enhancement: Balances color reduces appearance of age spots 4. Gentle Exfoliation: Smoothes and e vens skin texture 5.Show MoreRelatedBrand Management and Plenitude Skincare Line1250 Words   |  5 Pagesintroduction and was introduced in the U.S. market in 1988. It had grown quickly to become the #2 brand in the market, behind Oil of Olay. Plenitude was marketed as an upscale product bringing new people into mass channels from department stores. A four-year sales plateau was reached and their #2 position was lost to Pond’s. Carol Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the L’Oreal Retail division was faced with a division that wasn’t making any money after an 8-9 year introduction into theRead MoreMarketing Communication Creative Brief and Imc Plan7930 Words   |  32 PagesContent Page Executive Summary 3 1. Situation Analysis 3 1.1 Internal Analysis 3 1.2 External Analysis 4 1.3 SWOT 4 2. Identification of Marketing Problem or Opportunity 5 2.1 Marketing Problem 5 2.2 Marketing Opportunity 5 3. Marketing Objectives 5 4. Positioning 6 5. Communication Objectives 7 6. Campaign Budget 8 6.1 Budgeted Costs 9 7. Campaign Target Audience 11 7.1 Brand Loyalty 11 7.2 Creative Targets 12 7.3 Behavioural Sequence Model (BSM) 13 8. ChoiceRead MorePlenitude Case1224 Words   |  5 PagesPlenitude Case Plenitude’s Position in the US Market – 1996: Plenitude’s position has been bumped from 3rd position behind Pond to 2nd position behind Oil of Olay who is the market leader in the skin care industry. The move of Plenitude’s position to second position has been due to the introduction of a new product – Revitalift known with L’Oreal. Revitalift is the 20th brand product of Plenitude’s product line sold in the US in a 1.7 ounce container and sales for $11.05 per unit. RevitaliftRead MoreMarketing Communication Creative Brief and Imc Plan7937 Words   |  32 PagesContent Page Executive Summary 3 1. Situation Analysis 3 1.1 Internal Analysis 3 1.2 External Analysis 4 1.3 SWOT 4 2. Identification of Marketing Problem or Opportunity 5 2.1 Marketing Problem 5 2.2 Marketing Opportunity 5 3. Marketing Objectives 5 4. Positioning 6 5. Communication Objectives 7 6. Campaign Budget 8 6.1 Budgeted Costs 9 7. Campaign Target Audience 11 7.1 Brand Loyalty 11 7.2 Creative Targets 12 7.3 Behavioural Sequence Model (BSM) 13 8. Choice of Media 14 8.1 TraditionalRead MoreAnalyst Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagesyears. It was planned that LOreal would gain share and well establish its brand Plenitude. Despite careful planning, LOreal failed to meet profit targets 8 years after the US introduction of Plenitude due in past to Ponds price strategy and Oil of Olay maintaining its leadership amongst other issues (see answer to question 2). LOreal then decided to carefully study through research why The French success formula was not very successful in the US. The French formula was a little twisted whenRead MoreEssay on Social Class1002 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferently to different ethnic groups. 2. Foxtel is marketing pay television services in Australia. What approach should it take to households where the main decision makers are: a) Baby boomers b) Generation X c) Generation Y? 3. What allowance should be made for the ability of the elderly to process complex information in making product purchase decisions? 4. In view of the anticipated growth of the 50-plus market should Oil of Olay consider a new strategy for its face cream? Would it beRead MoreSwot6410 Words   |  26 PagesUS$425.7 bn Bath and Shower US$37 bn Baby Care US$13.6 bn Hair Care US$73.7 bn Small Appliances Jewellery 1,724,022 Men’s Grooming US$32.7 bn Procter Gamble is the global leader in beauty and personal care. Its key brands here include Olay, Gillette and Pantene. The company has however underperformed some of its rivals including Unilever and L’Orà ©al, which have made significant gains in the Chinese market to Procter Gamble’s detriment. Procter Gamble may suffer from being too midRead MoreProduct Market Analysis : Procter And Gamble Essay1089 Words   |  5 Pagesresponsibility for developing the overall brand strategy and innovations with new product and upgrades, along with marketing plans. Proctor and Gamble customers include merchandisers such as stores, grocery stores, drug stores, membership clubs, department stores and salon distributors with their e-commerce sites. Procter and Gamble is responsible for developing and executing a market plan at local levels by utilizing the Company s Sales and Market Operations (SMO). (Thomson Reuters) The SMO includesRead MoreMarketing Analysis : The Soap Market1448 Words   |  6 Pages INTERNET MARKETING (TASK 3-4) Image Task 3 When someone starts a new business or expands existing business, there is need for market research to make stronger and better decisions and improve chances of success. There are two type of research; secondary market research and primary market research. 3.1 Conduct secondary market research The soap market in United Kingdom has been protected from the worst recession cutbacks but unfortunately the situation is not appreciableRead MoreAs Paolo Decesare, What Factors Do You Need to Consider Before Deciding What to Recommend in Your Sk-Ii Presentation to the Global Leadership Team (Glt)? What Kind of Analysis Will You Need to Do in Preparing for?1306 Words   |  6 PagesThis is my own view to the question The factors appropriate for SK-II as an existing brand in a country which would have had some priority over other products in the market will have to consider the PESTEL factors, Porter s five forces, SWOT,Marketing mix,Investment decision and the culture as well must be understood to position the product in new global market. PESTEL FACTORS This looks at the possibility of how SK-II cosmectics product can be a booming brand in Japan for Pamp;G company

Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Thesis Statement Example For Students

Dulce Et Decorum Est Essay Thesis Statement Whereas, throughout Dulce Et Decorum Est, Owen mainly describes the condition the soldiers were facing (with the help of metaphors), cursed through sludge and their appearance, He plunged at me, choking, drowning. He uses sludge to portray the battleground as it was filled with gooey mud that the soldiers found very hard to move in and so had to put a lot of effort in which it stimulated them to resent suggesting by the word curse in the line cursed through sludge. Hence, he gives an impression of the war as vile, malignant and an appalling situation to be in; haunting flares, blood-shod, white eyes writhing and incurable sores. Moreover, he contrasts Tennysons noble soldiers, he purposely does not mention any valiant characteristics of the brave men in battle; Incurable sores on innocent tongues. Instead, he compares them to beggars from the phrase (simile) Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, to describe the horrible position they had to adopt, a very destitute one. Not only that, he calls them old beggars, which I believe to make us sympathise the unfortunate soldiers as people immediately and are more inclined to feel sorry for the old ones. It also contrasts the young strong fighters. I believe he views us the soldiers uniform as sacks which is a definite contrast between Tennysons glamorised weapons. He further writes, coughing in the phrase coughing like hags to show the soldiers poor physical condition. He calls them hags judging from their pitiable state. Hag is an old woman that is considered very revolting and dreadful but soldiers were meant to be fit and so he contrasts between the two. Both poets include the word Plunge but for different effects. Tennyson uses it to create a swift and ambitious movement made by the soldiers; Plunged in the battery-smoke, whilst Owen uses it to produce a horrible depressed nightmare of his associate in agony, shortage of air; He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. We can also deduce from this that he seems to be in reality suffering from nightmares and therefore wants to anxiously share his misery. Tennyson uses the repetition method several times, to show great power and force of the cavalry, and to exhibit the soldiers commitment. In the preface of The Charge of the Light Brigade, he repeats half a League three times to ensure that we acknowledge the elongated distance the bold soldiers voyaged despite their difficult task and frightened feeling. Additionally, I believe it is repeated to represent a cyclic movement of the horses dashing. The line, Rode the six hundred is repeated in the first three stanzas as a notice, in spite of the soldiers knowing their imminent death; they continued their courageous approach. He uses a powerful prominent verb Rode to illustrate such movement. He also uses words like charged and stormed, to support this. Six hundred represents the number of soldiers. This was extremely small compared to the amount of their enemies but still the audacious men carried on ahead. This alone proves their patriotism. The three opening lines of the third stanza; Canon to right of them, Canon to left of them, Cannon in front of them, occurs two times (in the fifth stanza the Cannon in front of them changes to Cannon behind them). It accentuates the type of danger awaiting them. They are doomed by the vicious cannons and without an exit route but still they carry on. The third and the fifth verse is merely the same as one another except the first one is pertaining to the Light Brigade going to battle and the fifth one concerns them retreating from a defeat. .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .postImageUrl , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:hover , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:visited , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:active { border:0!important; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:active , .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7 .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7b28f5b54992ef6e8a59eacaf2cae2a7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The war of the worlds by HG Wells EssayLikewise, Owen uses repetition too but not as much as Tennyson does. In fact, he uses it only twice, to illustrate how frightened and desperate for protection they were, in the verge of dying from a poisonous gas, Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! It is also a direct speech, which he uses to communicate with us. He uses an exclamation mark on the word gas so as to call desperate attention (to the reader and) to his fellow soldiers for it meant a death penalty to those who were not able to distinguish the gas. This also shows the fond between soldiers even though they were extremely tired and had probably only met each other for the first time; a word of caution was still notified. This creates a very sympathetic atmosphere to the readers. I also think that the fond between the soldiers are a contrast to Tennysons soldiers seeing that out of the 600 some still survived. I believe if the fond between the 600 was to that of the depicted soldiers in Owens than all would have died, as they would want to help their dying associates. The other repetition is the face in the lines writhing in his face and His hanging face. It signifies that Owen was most certainly traumatized by this part of the gas victim. Both poets use metaphors to emphasize and overstress their intentions. Tennyson uses metaphors as well as a biblical references such as Into the valley of Death, which recurs several times (to remind the reader of the dangers) and Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell. A valley once very peaceful becomes a valley that is filled with death. The soldiers were aware that they would eventually meet their death once they entered the enemys territory. Tennyson personifies Death and Hell to give a vivid portrait. Owen uses metaphors such as Men marched asleep, Drunk with fatigue, to express the soldiers pitiable condition. They had to sacrifice their sleep to be alert in the war, thus they desperately strived to get as much sleep as possible when they had the chance and that I assume was when they were marching. I believe the men marching asleep and without formation is a contrast to the marches that are done in a much-formatted way today. He regards fatigue as the effect caused when you are drunk by alcohol in this case. Another metaphor deaf even to the hoots accentuates the soldiers inability to hear presumably because of the loud gunshots and bombs. He states that even the largest possible noise was not audible to them. This creates a horrifying image of the soldiers at war, thus discourages glory of war. Owen uses a simile as well as a biblical reference His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin to convey a fellow soldiers miserable look since he was unfortunate in getting his mask on in time and hence he died. I believe, he writes that his face was so lynching that it represented the symptoms of an illness consisting of sins derived from the devil (who is the source of sin). He uses devil to express it given that we all identify him to be very dreadful and appalling, thus helps us to visualise the awful image of the soldier. Another example of similes Owen uses are Obscene as cancer and bitter as the cud. Both of them are used to clarify the blood that gargled out of the gas victim. He compares the disgust to cancer to facilitate his intention. Cud is the remaining bit of food that is to be chewed again by a cow and so he employs this to regard that the sufferer went through the same process. All of these are direct contrasts to Tennysons glorified poem.

Marketing Intelligence and Planning Survey †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Intelligence and Planning Survey. Answer: Introduction A service company is a firm with a specialty in delivering processes and experiences that are intangible to their clients such as hotels, health, and transportation companies. Services marketing mix is the combination of some elements that are used by enterprises in services industries to communicate organizational and brand message to customers (Rafiq, 2016, pp.4). The 7Ps identified in the case are discussed below. Developing the right product is at the core of the success of any organization. There is a need identifying process and hatching a product with the good quality, and that which satisfies the need. The product in the case study is the dentistry services. Dr. Beckett new facility is revamped and well furnished with modern decoration, technology, and furniture. The technical equipment is advanced, look new and spotlessly clean. The presence of art of state facility is critical for marketing of her business due to the comfort and perceived quality. The firm, therefore, gains a reputation and brand of high quality and gains traction as a result (Hunt and Goolsby, 2011). Promotion is essentially the mode that a company communicates its core business and what it offers to its potential clients. For it to achieve its intended task, promotion ought to be appealing and command attention. Dr. Beckett's dental practice facility has an element of quality and class in all its processes and procedure and not forgetting its premises (Rodrguez, Rabanal and Rubio, 2017, pp. 178196). The facility provides its customers with excellent before, during and post procedural treatments. The firm has the mission statement visibly portrayed on the wall of the waiting room that communicates the intention of the business to its customers thereby selling the business (Blythe, 2009). The mission reads in part, It's our goal to provide superior dentistry I an efficient, profitable manner within the confines of the caring, quality environment.'' The facility also treats its patients to special offers and post procedural treatment. The patients are given thank you cards and follow up calls after procedures; a caring act meant to tighten the relationship between them and the dental team (Wilson, 2012). Patients are also given goodie boxes containing items critical for proper dental care like toothbrushes and paste. Blankets and pillows are also offered to patients who by situations need them. The firm stands to gain a long term partnership relationship as a result of these promotional elements that depicts the quality of services (Lovelock, Wirtz, and Chew, 2011). Price is a critical factor in marketing and largely determines the fate of the business through revenues. The product or service is only worth what potential clients are willing or prepared to pay. The pricing needs to be competitive yet with reasonable profit margins. The cost of services in the case study made Dr. Bickett to make hard decisions. She decided to opt from the controversial HMO because the price of services dictated therein could not sustain her business mainly because she wanted to offer high-quality services. She decided to relocate her business to another town and revamp everything including infrastructure, processes, and operations to bring out the quality in her services and justify her pricing (Journal of Islamic Marketing, 2012, pp. 212-216). This major decision enabled her to achieve the highest level of dental care at an extra cost to its patients. This decision also meant that patients who could not afford her prices had a decision to seek treatment from other facilities operating under the HMO scheme. Dr. Bickett had value added elements in her services like goodies, offers and post follow ups measures that justified her high prices (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2013). The place element entails the right and quality location where the patients receive their services and the means of distributing the same. Dr. Beckett moved her business from a previously unappealing location and office to an attractive, pleasant place for her staff and patient. The premises were classical and serene perfect environment for patients. Patients are naturally attracted by an appealing environment. To this effect, the business owner is likely to benefit a long term close relationship with them translating to revenues (Booms and Bitner, 2011, pp. 47-51). The physical evidence is an element of the service mix that enables one to make a judgment to an organization based on appearance and service received. They are the material cues including the paper work; staffs contact experience and many others (Luan and Sudhir, 2010). Inside the facility, the waiting room is modernized with arts, television screens which displayed very informative dental procedure and care; smooth entertainment and children toys to pre-occupy the patients while waiting to be attended. She had also provided magazines and other literature for the same purpose. Dr. Beckett's dental staff team is very friendly and professional to the patients. They carried out their procedures within the stipulated timelines and also advised patients on the rescheduling of processes depending on the queue. The process is the flow of activities by which services are consumed. It is an important factor to market any business because it depicts the quality levels and culture of the organization. Dr. Dickett dental practice has value adding processes aimed at providing a standardized quality of service to its patients without errors. The facility has redesigned system in place like the billing and re-ordering systems to achieve efficiency and efficient service delivery. Time is allotted for every procedure and, therefore the dental team had to work diligently to deliver within timelines (Shimizu, 2016, pp. 25-62). This is an important factor and a manifest of quality when systems and procedures are organized, predictable and auditable. People refer to the human element that delivers the services through established systems and procedures. The quality in an organization is judged from the look of the facility and importantly interaction with the front office workers and the rest of the team. Dr. Bickett facility had seven employees and her making it a total of 8. The team was organized into those working at the front and back offices depending on their qualifications. The team had uniforms for identity and neatness purposes. Besides, she had natured a friendly and professional team to the patients courtesy of her values and objectivity to the course (Google Trends, 2015). The culture that guided her interaction with the employees was translated down to the patients. Her team was cohesive and worked together towards the sole goal of high-quality service delivery without distracted by attitude and arrogance that could dent the reputation of the firm. Service quality and productivity relate to the case Productivity and quality service delivery are intertwined factors in this case study. The Dentist implies in her decision to relocate that she moved from a place that was cramped and luckily procured a spacious office with serene environment. The productivity of her team was directly impacted by the organization in her office and space available. Therefore, the new spacious and better organized new offices she acquired significantly improved the rate and quality of services of her team thereby satisfying her customers. Patients education is an important factor because it derives trust and confidence from the patients as they become familiar with processes and know what is expected of them. Dr. Bickett had a fairly large number of patients who streamed her facility due to its reputation. Her good and quality services attracted close to 2000 patients who were majorly professionals with white collar jobs and employees in other organizations gained through referrals who would market the organization through word of mouth. The facility had resources and systems in place to offer knowledge to its clients. She has magazines and education films in the waiting room that are informative on the dental procedures and post treatment measures to patients. Dr. Bickett ensured that her new patients were treated to the new patient examination and feedback that distinguished her services from the rest (Solis, 2011, pp. 201-202). Supplementary services are those services offered to complement the major procedure done. They are also a manifest of quality and commitment to the facility. Dr. Bickett Dental precise had some supplementary services. Post procedure services like follow ups on patients to know their condition. She also educated her patients on dental procedures and health practice The contrast of my own dental care experiences with that offered by Dr. Beckett practice. My dental experience has not been largely different from that one offered by Bickett facility. I had visited a dental facility for a procedure and witnessed pain and agony in the patients. The waiting rooms had large pictures of the dental formula displayed and some chats on dental care. Dr. Beckett's facility is advanced with modern technology with predictable systems in place. She has invested a lot in material cues and the culture of her team which uplifts the standards of her services. I would advise Dr. Beckett to proceed on that path and even expand her business to offer dentistry training on acquiring the required documentation and authorization. My former dentist needs to improve service delivery because it determines the reputation of his firm. Further, he should invest more in training his team to be professionals and implement a good public relations strategy to improve his business. Finally, he should offer value for money to his patients. References Blythe, J. (2009). Key Concepts in Marketing. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Ltd. Booms, B. and Bitner, M (2011). "Marketing Strategies and the Organization Structures for the Service Firms." Marketing of Services. American Marketing Association, pp. 4751. Google Trends (2015). The Interest on the topic of Marketing 3. 0 over time (2006-2015). Hunt, S. and Goolsby, J. (2011). "The Rise and Fall of a Functional Approach to Marketing: A Paradigm of Displacement Perspective," (originally published in 1988), reprinted in: Review of the Marketing Research: Special Issue - Marketing Legends, Vol. 1, Naresh Malhotra,(ed), Bingley, UK, Emerald Journal of Islamic Marketing (2012). Marketing, pp. 212-216 Lovelock, C., Wirtz, J. and Chew, P. (2011). Essentials of Services Marketing (2nd Ed). Singapore: Prentice Hall. Luan, Y. and Sudhir, K. (2010). Forecasting Marketing-Mix Responsiveness for the New Products, Journal of Marketing Research Rafiq, M. (March 31, 2016). "Using the 7Ps as a generic marketing mix: an exploratory survey of the UK and European marketing academics". Marketing Intelligence Planning, pp.4 Rodrguez, I, Rabanal, P. and Rubio, F. (2017). "How to make a best-seller: Optimal product design problems." Applied Soft Computing, pp. 178-196 Shimizu, K. (2016). "Co-marketing (Symbiotic Marketing) Strategies," (Japanese) 5th edition, Souseisha Book Company (ISBN978-4-7944-2482-2) pp. 25-62. Solis, B. (2011). Engage! The Complete Guide for the Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in New Web, John Wiley Sons, Inc. pp. 201202. Wilson, (2012). Looking at the Islamic marketing, branding and Muslim consumer behavior beyond the 7P's Zeithaml, V., Bitner, M. and Gremler, D.,(2013). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, (6th ed), New York: McGraw-Hill.

Peer Pressure Essays - Youth, Human Behavior, Habits, Management

Peer Pressure Peer Pressures of High School Glaring down at the reddish glow coming from the tip of the cigarette, I found out that I was in a peer pressure situation. Peer Pressure can be a huge problem for some young adults. It can sometimes be positive, but most of the time it's negative and destructive. Smoking is just one of the peer pressures someone can go through. Alcohol and staying out late can also be huge peer pressures in high school. I know this because I have experienced them for myself. Drinking, smoking and staying out late were constant peer pressures throughout my high school career. Looking down at the cigarette and being encouraged by my friend to take a hit off of it, I knew that smoking was not something I wanted to do at that time in my life. Although smoking wasn't a huge peer pressure for me, it can be for others. Some of my friends did give into the pressure and are now addicted to cigarettes, and wish they hadn't give in to that peer pressure in high school. I would have say that during high school, smoking was the most persistent peer pressure. It was at every party and gathering. Although it was there all the time sometimes alcohol would ?rear its ugly head? at some of the parties. Drinking was probably the most dangerous peer pressure. It was extremely illegal for an underage adult to be caught drinking during this time. I never experienced this peer pressure during high school because I didn't hang around those types of people during that time. They were the types of people who didn't think it was a ?party? unless there was alcohol involved. I have seen drinking totally deteriorate people, because it got the best of them. Some of my friends totally changed after they started drinking. At first it was just a social thing to do at parties, but then lead on to drinking during their ?spare time?. It affected their grades and their overall behavior. I do think this was the most dangerous peer pressure in high school, but there was always the pressure to stay out late. Staying out late was a peer pressure I gave into on several occasions during high school. I know it affected my grades many times, and also made me late for school more than once. In high school you could always spot the students who stayed out late. Those students were always the ones falling asleep in class. When I was hanging around with the ones who never did stay out late, I always got to school on time and never fell asleep in class. Peer pressure was not impossible to resist in high school. I found out in order to keep you away from certain peer pressures just stay away from those who you knew would try to influence you. Resisting peer pressure is all in whom you go out with, and whom you call your ?friends?. Peer pressure cannot be totally avoided, but staying away from situations where you know a peer pressure situation will occur, will help your odds.

Biography of Sir Seretse Khama, African Statesman

Biography of Sir Seretse Khama, African Statesman Seretse Khama (July 1, 1921–July 13, 1980) was the first prime minister and president of Botswana. Overcoming political resistance to his interracial marriage, he became the countrys first post-colonial leader and served from 1966 to his death in 1980. During his tenure, he oversaw Botswanas rapid economic development. Fast Facts: Sir Seretse Khama Known For:  First prime minister and president of post-colonial Botswana  Born:  July 1, 1921 in Serowe,  British Protectorate  of  BechuanalandParents: Tebogo Kebailele and  Sekgoma Khama IIDied:  July 13, 1980 in Gaborone,  BotswanaEducation: Fort Hare College, South Africa; Balliol College, Oxford, England; the Inner Temple, London, EnglandPublished Works: From the Frontline: Speeches of Sir Seretse KhamaSpouse: Ruth Williams KhamaChildren: Jacqueline Khama,  Ian Khama,  Tshekedi Khama II, Anthony KhamaNotable Quote: It should now be our intention to try to retrieve what we can of our past. We should write our own history books to prove that we did have a past, and that it was a past that was just as worth writing and learning about as any other. We must do this for the simple reason that a nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul.   Early Life Seretse Khama was born in Serowe,  British Protectorate  of  Bechuanaland,  on July 1, 1921. His grandfather Kgama III was paramount chief (Kgosi) of the Bama-Ngwato, part of the Tswana people of the region. Kgama III had traveled to London in 1885, leading a delegation which asked for Crown protection to be given to Bechuanaland, foiling the empire building ambitions of Cecil Rhodes and the incursions of the Boers. Kgama III died in 1923 and the paramountcy briefly passed to his son Sekgoma II, who died two years later. At the age of 4, Seretse Khama effectively became Kgosi and his uncle Tshekedi Khama was made regent. Studying in Oxford and London Seretse Khama was educated in South Africa and graduated from Fort Hare College in 1944 with a Bachelors degree. In 1945 he left for England to study law- initially for a year at Balliol College, Oxford, and then at the Inner Temple, London. In June 1947, Seretse Khama first met Ruth Williams, a WAAF ambulance driver during World War II who was working as a clerk at Lloyds. Their marriage in September 1948 threw southern Africa into political turmoil. Repercussions of  Mixed Marriage The apartheid government in South Africa had banned interracial marriages and the marriage of a black chief to a British white woman was a problem. The British government feared that South Africa would invade Bechuanaland or that it would immediately move for full independence. This was particularly a concern for Britain because it was still heavily in debt after World War II. Britain could not afford to lose the mineral wealth of South Africa, especially gold and uranium (needed for Britains atomic bomb projects). Mixed Marriage Controversy Resolved Back in Bechuanaland, the regent Tshekedi, Khamas uncle, was annoyed. He attempted to disrupt the marriage and demanded that Seretse return home to have it annulled. Seretse came back immediately and was received by Tshekedi with the words, You Seretse, come here ruined by others, not by me. Seretse fought hard to persuade the Bama-Ngwato people of his continued suitability as chief. On June 21, 1949, at a Kgotla (a meeting of the elders) he was declared Kgosi and his new wife was warmly welcomed. Fit to Rule Seretse Khama returned to Britain to continue with his law studies, but he was met with a Parliamentary investigation into his suitability for the chieftaincy. While Bechuanaland was under its protection, Britain claimed the right to ratify any succession. Unfortunately for the British government, the investigations report concluded that Seretse was eminently fit to rule. The British subsequently suppressed the report for 30 years. Seretse and his wife were banished from Bechuanaland in 1950. Nationalist Hero Under international pressure for its apparent racism, Britain relented and allowed Seretse Khama and his wife to return to Bechuanaland in 1956. They could return on the condition that both he and his uncle renounced their claim to the chieftaincy. What the British did not expect was the political acclaim that six years of exile had given him back home. Seretse Khama was seen as a nationalist hero. In 1962 Seretse founded the Bechuanaland Democratic Party and campaigned for multi-racial reform. Elected Prime Minister High on Seretse Khamas agenda was a need for democratic self-government and he pushed the British authorities hard for independence. In 1965, the center of Bechuanaland government was moved from Mafikeng, South Africa, to the newly established capital of Gaborone. Seretse Khama was elected as Prime Minister. When the country achieved independence on September 30, 1966, Seretse became the first president of the Republic of Botswana. He was reelected twice and died in office in 1980. President of Botswana Seretse Khama used his influence with the countrys various ethnic groups and traditional chiefs to create a strong, democratic government. During his rule, Botswana had the most rapidly growing economy of the world (starting from a point of great poverty). The discovery of diamond deposits allowed the government to finance the creation of new social infrastructure. The countrys second major export resource, beef, allowed for the development of wealthy entrepreneurs. International Roles While in power, Seretse Khama refused to allow neighboring liberation movements to establish camps in Botswana but permitted transit to camps in Zambia. This resulted in several raids from South Africa and Rhodesia. Khama also played a prominent role in the negotiated transition from white minority rule in Rhodesia to multi-racial rule in Zimbabwe. He was also a key negotiator in the creation of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) which was launched in April 1980, shortly before his death. Death On July 13, 1980, Seretse Khama died in office of pancreatic cancer. He was buried in the Royal Cemetery. Quett Ketumile Joni Masire, his vice president, took office and served (with reelection) until March 1998. Legacy Botswana was a poor and internationally obscure country when Seretse Khama became its first post-colonial leader. At the time of his death, Khama had led Botswana to become more economically developed and increasingly democratic. It had become an important broker in Southern African politics. Since Seretse Khamas death, Botswanan politicians and cattle barons have begun to dominate the countrys economy, to the detriment of the working classes. The situation is more serious for the minority Bushman peoples, which form 6% of the countrys population, with pressure for land around the Okavango Delta increasing as cattle ranchers and mines move in. Sources Khama, Seretse.  From the Frontline: Speeches of Sir Seretse Khama. Hoover Institute Press, 1980.Sahoboss. â€Å"President Seretse Khama.†Ã‚  South African History Online, 31 August 2018.â€Å"Seretse Khama 1921–80.†Ã‚  Sir Seretse Khama.

The Rule of Law is not a Legal Rule, but a Political and Moral Research Paper

The Rule of Law is not a Legal Rule, but a Political and Moral Principle - Research Paper Example Law so conceived is a set of practical dealings for cooperative social life, using signals and authorizes to guide and conduct channels. British constitution most distinguishing features - federalism, a constitutionally well-established court, a states' upper house, the legislative sanction of treaties, and various other 'checks and balances' were significant innovations, and have over and over again been copied. It was simply in the nineteenth century that Europe began engendering institutional innovations of its own: conscientious parliamentary government, the welfare state, and accountability mechanisms such as the organizational tribunal and the ombudsman. If the rule of law is the rule of the good law then to explicate, its nature is to set out a complete social philosophy. But if so the term lacks several useful functions. We have no need to be rehabilitated to the rule of law just so as to discover that to believe in it is to believe that good must triumph. The rule of law is a political pastoral which a legal system might lack or might possess to a greater or lesser degree. That much is universal ground. It is also to be persisting that the rule of law is just one of the merits which a legal system may hold and by which it is to be judged. ... Rights, on extensive poverty, on racial isolation, sexual differences, and religious discrimination may, in principle, conform to the rations of the rule of law better than any of the legal systems of the more progressive Western democracies. This does not mean that it will be better than those Western democracies. It will be an infinitely worse legal system, but it will outshine in one respect: in its consistency to the rule of law (Dworkin 1986). 'The rule of law' means exactly what it says: the rule of the law. Taken in its broadest sense this means that people must obey the law and be ruled by it. But in political and legal theory of moral principle that has come to be read in a narrower sense, that the government will be ruled by the law and subject to it. The idyllic of the rule of law in this sense is frequently expressed by the phrase 'government by law and not by men'. No sooner does one use these formulas than their insignificance becomes evident. Surely the government should be both by law and by men. It is said that the rule of law means that all government action should have a foundation in law, should be authorized by law.  

Steganography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Steganography - Essay Example Various data sizes are embedded onto the images and PSNR is also recorded for every image evaluated. The current media and communication domain is subjugated by digital multimedia artifacts. In essence, digital content usage has turned out to be a reality to most individuals. Nevertheless, with the exception of its daily usage, digital media play a significant role in research and academics. Media facilitated the access to essential resources, training of essential skills and efficient time management. However, the information processing tasks which are performed by such media, still need to develop significantly. Through embedding; intended to connect two data types and improve the metadata capacity, steganography might come handy in resolving this issue. In the given research, the author seeks to undertake an analysis of digital multimedia and its effects on numerous aspects of human life, through the inclusion of spatial domain of steganography. As specified, the analysis will be undertaken through the least significant bit subscription scheme (LSB). The selection of research methodology was preset by the high levels of simplicity, remarkably huge hiding capacity, and the essence that it relies on such particulars of human eye as the insensitivity of low bit images. When stereo-image has not to be choked by the SDDS system, there is need to have messages embedded at a specific spot; thus offering maintenance to the statistical aspects on the cover page. Examining the spatial domain embedding technique, which limits the selection of a given position as a result of the message distribution regularity, it is clear that the process of embedding a message in a specific location would be faced by a number of challenges including: definin g the changes in the spatial project. With the subject project, the mapping technique would be utilized so

Global warming Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global warming - Term Paper Example With the implementation of information taken from scholarly texts, this report will address the history of global warming, what causes global warming, what the effects and consequences are, and how global warming can be prevented. Global warming Brief history of global warming Global warming may seem to many people like a modern day concern, an event that our current generation has brought upon itself. However, scientists and researchers have been following the steady progress of global warming since the 1800s. During the first Industrial Revolution, it was recorded that the coal, railroads, and the clearing of forests for various factories were causing greenhouse gas emissions to accelerate (Weart, 2008). As scientists studied the second Industrial Revolution, the same changes were again noted. A connection was then made between what was taking place on earth, such as wars and deforestation, and the moderate change in the earth’s surface temperature. Since these first recordi ngs of the changes in the world in relation to the changes of the surface temperature, the earth’s temperature has increased from 2.5 to 5 degrees Celsius. While this may seem like a minimal increase, scientists today have reason to believe that the increase will become more prominent over time as people find more ways to release dangerous emissions into the air. Causes of global warming Global warming is the result of greenhouse gases being trapped within the earth’s atmosphere. As these gases build up, the temperature becomes warmer and the earth feels the effects. Carbon dioxide is one of the main gases involved in the process of global warming as it has the capability of building up for a span of time that can exceed a few hundred years (Weart). Carbon dioxide is also considered to be the most dangerous of the gases since it only takes a small amount of carbon dioxide emissions to cause a significant increase in temperature. The more emissions that enter our atmosp here, the greater the buildup that remains, which results in a higher surface temperature. Human beings have a slightly less direct involvement with the causing of global warming, but our actions are no less important to take into consideration. The majority of human beings have played a rather detached role in the building up of emissions in our atmosphere. The cars that people drive require gasoline, which produce vapors that rise into the air. Numerous forests and parks have been demolished to make room for stores and factories; the absence of trees and plants means that less carbon dioxide is being absorbed and turned into oxygen (Weart), which is vital to the overall health of the environment. While many of the gases are naturally released into the air, the human race is to blame for the quantity of emissions currently building up in the atmosphere. Up until recent years, finite resources were being used up as if there were no end to their supplies. Electricity and gasoline, fo r example, are used on a regular basis (Weart) with little to no thought about the emissions that they release into the atmosphere. All the same, people still make sure that all of their cars are gassed up and every room in their house is well-lit. People continue to create factories and businesses that constantly release deadly gases, but no thought is ever put into the harm that these apparent necessities bring about. Effects of global warming

The Merchant Of Venice Anti Semitic Essay

The Merchant Of Venice Anti Semitic Essay Many texts are classed as racist purely because they contain some element of racism, whether or not this is intended to be taken literally. Specifically, The Merchant of Venice is often viewed as anti-Semitic, and thus regarded in a worse light than other, less contentious, Shakespeare plays. However, it is questionable as to the extent to which the play can be considered entirely anti-semitic, or whether it is merely a social commentary, still relevant today. The primary criticism regarding Anti-Semitism within The Merchant of Venice is the presentation of Shylock. His portrayal as the stereotypical Elizabethan Jew has caused much controversy, gaining further poignancy after the plays use as Nazi propaganda. However, the bardolatry evident in modern society has limited our ability to see the play as racist, preferring to blame the anti-semitic stance on alternative influences, and flawed interpretation. However, there are certain instances within The Merchant of Venice that are surely anti-semitic, such as Lancelots statement the Jew my master is a kind of devil  [1]  . There is no effort to disguise the hatred for Shylock, despite the fact that being Lancelots master, he should rightly command some degree of respect, yet he is ridiculed for his inability to control, perhaps the reason why he asks for such a barbarous forfeit. Consequently, Shylock is viewed as comical; an almost pantomimic villain. Yet there are few more disquieting speeches in Shakespeare than Shylocks to Solanio and Salerio (III.i.49-68). For whilst his initial statements are eloquent and justifiable: I am a Jew. Hath a Jew not eyes?, forcing sympathy from the audience, his words hide a darker sentiment. He must remind the Venetians that he too has hands, organs, dimensions and senses  [2]  , and thus feels the same emotions and pains that they themselves do, proving himself an theoretical equal. Yet this is not a speech of exaltation for shared experience, nor an exercise to force acknowledgement of his humanity. On the contrary, Shylocks monologue is anguished, highlighting a deep-rooted desire for vengeance, as seen when he states if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?  [3]  . The use of first person adds a sense of imminency, making it more personal, forcing the audience to evaluate their own stance. Furthermore, the use of rhetoric adds to sense of internal conflict, demanding a sympathetic response, yet that he goes on to state the villainy you teach me, I will execute  [4]  , shows a lack of culpability for his revengeful actions, but that he blames his need for violence and revenge on his maltreatment, and thus Christians. Despite the empathy we are forced to feel, the ending reaction to this speech is more one of pity; whilst Shylocks motivation is understandable, the perpetuation of malevolence and racism is not, turning us against the Jew, and Judaism as a whole. It could be argued, however, that anti-semitism is perpetuated by the characters within the play, and the audiences interpretations, as opposed to the play being anti-semitic as a whole. For example, whilst many characters have reason to despise Shylock, due to his lack of mercy, the fact he is rarely referred to by his actual name, and simply as Jew, implies that his malevolence is an embodiment of his Judaism. Furthermore, this derogatory referral (with parallels evidently drawn between the alternatively named Jew of Venice and Marlowes clearly anti-semitic The Jew of Malta), gains significance as it is repeated; it becomes a term with connotations that infuse it with additional meaning. As such, it is not necessarily the act of the disparaging use of Jew that can be construed as anti-semitic, but the repetition of the insult. This is comparable to the use of the phrase the moor, in Othello (interestingly, the phrase the moor  [5]  was also used offhandedly in The Merchant of V enice, highlighting the candid fashion in which racism was used in Elizabethan society). Whilst the expression is clearly racist, it is the recurrence of the term, such as at the climax of Othello, when Othello is at his weakest (the Moor may unfold me to him  [6]  ), that creates the overall disparaging effect. It could be argued, however, that rather than an anti-semitic play, The Merchant of Venice could be classed in modern terms as Brechtian, in the sense that societal flaws concerning racism as a whole are highlighted, causing the audiences reflective detachment from the performance. For example, the Prince of Morocco, an evidently respected individual, states mislike me not for my complexion  [7]  , showing his ability to objectively observe the racism that was commonplace at the time, forcing the other characters into recognition of their discrimination. The use of the personal pronoun, as opposed to Shylocks earlier use of the collective we is interesting, as it highlights the sense of personal victimisation the Prince feels, and is demonstrative of a more personal vendetta. However, it is questionable as to whether this statement is aimed at the other characters, or at the audience, with the racism of the characters embodying the views of the public at the time of writing: Lanc elots image of the Jew as the devil incarnate conforms to a common medieval notion  [8]  . This questions whether the play was created as a vessel through which societys failings could be highlighted, or as genuinely anti-semitic, which at the time of writing would have been wholly acceptable, and thus the plays moral stance would have been less poignant. That is not to say that because racism, and in particular anti-semitism, was socially acceptable that it was morally correct. On the contrary, Shakespeare frequently refers to equality between religions. For example, when Antonio states The devil can cite scripture for his purpose, and evil soul producing holy witness, he adds weight to the dichotomy of the play, demonstrating how Jews and Christians will both argue that their interpretation of scripture is correct, purely because they naively assume the other point of view is that of the devil. Shakespeare highlights that scripture is in fact subjective, and open to various interpretation, a profound ambiguity that is also true of The Merchant of Venice. Furthermore, there is equal hatred from both sides, with Shylock proclaiming he hates our sacred nation  [9]  , mixing his own personal feelings with anti-semitism, but also Ill go in hate, to feed upon the prodigal Christian  [10]  . Here, he accepts a dinner invitation purely to fuel the mutual religious hatred. That there is so much previous animosity between the two parties proves that the invitation cannot be taken as a real gesture, but merely as a cloying flattery, and thus he responds with hatred. This further emphasises the contextual view of race overriding intention and personality, a sentiment perfectly summed when Lancelot leaves a rich Jews service to become the follower of so poor a gentleman. Evidently, Lancelot has chosen religion over wealth, preferring a poor Gentleman over Jew. Interestingly, although Shylock has admittedly treated him badly, Lancelot criticises the religion, rather than the individual. However what is most significant in this assertion is the comparison between the referral to a Christian as a poor gentleman versus simply Jew. This implies the impossibility of direct contrast, denoting an inequality between the two. It could be argued that there is no need to specify a gentleman as Christian as Christianity would have been the norm at the time, perhaps everyone was assumed a Christian, yet either way, to be Jewish is portrayed as abhorrent. Consequently, Shylocks forced conversion to Christianity is one of the most disturbing scenes in literary history. Although it could be construed as a way for Shylock to access heaven, and thus an act of compassion and acceptance, the fact that it is foreshadowed when Antonio states the Hebrew will turn Christian, he turns kind  [11]  , creates a sense of inevitability, and thus a feeling of resolution when it occurs. That Antonio also states he will turn kind is a further insult, the implication being that personality is based upon race and religion, and thus Shylock cannot be considered kind or equal until he relinquishes his faith. Yet there are flickers of moral justice within the play, particularly visible in the character of Jessica, insinuating that the play is a device to highlight societys moral injustices. For example, she states I shall end this strife, become a Christian and a loving wife showing how she prises love and family above race, and can accept the racist Venetian ideals in order to find love. That Shakespeare also satirises the stereotypes of many nations, creates a link with the audience, and whilst also gaining popularity, adds a sense of clarity and societal significance outside the plays boundaries. Ultimately, The Merchant of Venice is a play not centralised around the glorification, or acceptance of anti-semitism, but about highlighting racism as a whole. Whilst, in recent times, Shakespeare has been overly revered, the play is undeniably captivating and thought provoking. Whilst it may not be an anti-semitic play, or even a play wholly about anti-semitism, The Merchant of Venice is an accurate social commentary on human nature, still relevant today.

The History of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Essay -- Egyptian Kingdom

The History of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both cradles of civilization. Both contributed greatly to human development through their achievements, failures, peoples, scientific accomplishments, philosophies, religions, and contributions. Mesopotamia is a rich flat plain created by deposits from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. At the southern end of this plain developed the first recognizable civilization, in the area known as Sumer. In 3000 B.C. Sumer contained a dozen or more city-states, each ruled by its own king and worshiped its own patron deity. The citizens of these city-states were classified into three classes: nobles and priests, commoners, and slaves. In the center of a Sumerian city usually stood a tower culminating in a temple for the patron god of the city. The Sumerians believed that this patron god owned the whole city. The Geography of this city helped a lot with the trade, and led to mathematics as well. The Sumerians developed a precise system of mathematical notation called the sexagesimal, in which the number sixty is the main element. We even use this system in our world today! The Sumerian’ chief contribution to later civilizations was writing, even though their script was pictogra phic. Through these pictographic scripts historians found a long narrative known as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is a great hero and ruler who sets out to recover cedar from northern lands. He travels with his companion Enkidu, who is killed by the storm god, Enlil. Mourning the loss of his companion and confronted by death himself, Gilgamesh travels the world in search of eternal life. He ends up finding the plant of eternal youth, but a serpent swallows it while he is bathing. The epic ends with his death and funeral. The Sumerians believed that the gods created people to be their slaves. The first Great Warlord came from the region of Akkad, an area north of Babylon. His name was Sargon, and he conquered all of Mesopotamia. Sargon was from a group of people called the Semites. The only difference between the Semites and the Sumerians were linguistics. Semites spoke many different languages like Akkadian, Hebrew, and Canaanite. The Sumerian people adapted the Akkadian language. Sargon and his successors ruled from Akkad until 2230 B.C, when internal disagreement ended the Akkadian... ... King Tutankhamen moved the capital back to Thebes and favored the older god Amen-Re. In the 19th Dynasty arose the greatest pharaoh, Ramses II. Ramses achieved a period of temporary peace. In this period he spent time and money on luxurious building projects. A major achievement in Egyptian society was the role of women. Women were allowed to own land and pass it down to their daughters. Women also helped with agriculture and went shopping. Women were legally equal to men but in their own class. They even started having occupations. Some were singers, dancers, priests, and professional mourners. Women were even buried next to their husbands in an elegant tomb. As you can see there are many differences and similarities between the Sumerians and Ancient Egyptians. Both were one of the first civilizations and contributed into the development of how our world works today. From politics to family life our culture today has come from a very long line of ancient civilizations and reforms. Work Cited Chambers, Mortimer, The Western Experience. McGraw-Hill College, 1999 pg. 6-20 David, A. Rosalie, The Egyptian Kingdoms. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1975.

Education Is the Most Important Thing Essay

Education is the most important thing we can offer to our children and the generations to come, yet it is one of the topics that we struggle with the most. With the choices between local, state and federal authorities, who should have control over education? It is my belief that the control should lie with the federal authorities because they are able to maintain a complete situational picture over all the states. Many of our founding fathers of the United States feared that leaving education in the hands of private families, churches, local communities or philanthropic societies would not guarantee the survival of a democracy. (Pulliam & Van Patten, 2007, p. 122). In this paper I am going to defend my opinion of why the federal authorities should have control of education. How programs they have developed have flourished, and even how some of their programs could be run better. I currently serve as an instructor for the Navy teaching junior Sailors how to do their job better thus pr otecting the ship for harm, however; I am not the only one who teaches these classes, so to ensure that all Sailors are taught the same information all of our learning sites fall under one controlling entity. The education of our youth should be run the same, and if education was to be allowed to be completely run by local or even state entities, then the education opportunities may not be the same throughout the cities and even states. One of the best programs I have seen is the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002. NCBL is a United States Act of Congress that was originally proposed by the administration of President George W. Bush immediately after taking office. The House of Representatives passed the bill on May 23, 2001, and United States Senate passed it on June 14, 2001. President Bush signed it into law on January 8, 2002. NCLB is the latest federal legislation that enacts the theories of standards-based education reform, which is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those sta tes are to receive federal funding for schools. The Act does not assert a national achievement standard; standards are set by each individual state.(â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act of 2001â€Å", 2006) Not only does the NCLB Act standardize learning for the students it also is used for standardization of teacher qualifications. For decades, local policymakers and school officials turned a blind eye to a set  of vexing problems in public education. In practice, there was a situational definition of teacher quality. No one thought anything about, as one principal said, scheduling â€Å"a physical education teacher to fill in for one class of history.† It was a common practice for middle school principals to employ elementary certified teachers because it provided the principals maximum flexibility in assigning teachers to classes, whether or not the teachers were qualified to teach those classes. (Hayes , 2003) As stated earlier, I believe that all children should not only have the same opportunity to get an education, but should also be entitled to the same education as every other child. If control of our educational system was given to the local or even state authorities this would probably not be the case as each state would want to do it â€Å"their way†. The No Child Left Behind Act ensures that all children no matter race, religion, or financial status is given the same opportunities for education, and educated children are our future. References: Hayes , M. (2003). NCLB: Conspiracy, Compliance, or Creativity?. Retrieved from http://www.middleweb.com/HMnclb.html No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (2006). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2006/02/02062006.html Pulliam, J. D., & Van Patten, J. J. (2007). History of Education in American (9th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Columbus, Ohio.

Jesus and Mohammad, Christianity and Islam

Jesus and Mohammad, Christianity and Islam Free Online Research Papers Jesus and Mohammad shaped what Christianity and Islam are today. These two men were born at different places and times in history that touched many lives that begin from birth through their lives to beyond their deaths. Though their teachings were about one God, their beliefs were different in many ways. Tracing their lives to compare and contrast their differences will show each of us the meaning and purpose each of these men had here on earth. The beliefs of Jesus and Mohammad are carried on today throughout society in many different ways. Comparing their births starts with Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary and adopted father, Joseph around 4 B.C. in the town of Bethlehem. An angel came to Mary to tell her she was going to have a son and to name him Jesus, which means Savior. Jesus was raised by both Joseph and Mary throughout his childhood. Mohammad was born around 570 A.D. by his mother Aminah and father Abd Allah in the town of Mecca. Mohammads name means Praised One. Mohammads father died before he was born and his Mom died by the age of six leaving Mohammad to be raised by a nurse, then his grandfather and finally by his uncle. Both these boys had different childhoods as Jesus labored as a carpenter with his adopted father, Joseph and Mohammad started out as a shepherd then became a camel-caravan leader. Jesus at the age of 12, started going into the temple to listen, ask questions of his elders and speaking knowledge of the word that a boy of this age normally would not know. Mohammad traveled many distances as a young boy with his uncle doing main trade routes. Mohammad went to work for a woman by the name of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, who happened to be the wealthiest person in Qurasih. She trusted Mohammad with her trades which brought much money in return. At the age of 25, Mohammad married the widow woman Khadijah. Mohammed was known to go into the mountains to meditate and pray to God. At the age of 40, according to (Rivzi 2009),On Mount Hira that an Angel by the name of Gabriel came to Mohammad and bought him a message that Allah (God), choose him as the last prophet with a mission to preach submission to the will of Allah. The will of God is that the Prophet to-be should undergo the entire sufferings, pains and privations incidental to human life in order that he might learn to bear them with becoming fortitude and raise his stature in human perfection (Rizvi 2009). By the age of 30, Jesus was seeking John the Baptist, to perform a baptism for him in the Jordan River. Jesus then went into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Jesus as God was in human form here on earth to show that he was thirsty, hungry, and tempted as a normal man but could prove to everyone that he was in perfect form and could resist any temptation. Jesus went on to perform miracles, had followers fall at his feet, and continued to spread the good news, the Word of God. Jesus never married and Mohammed married many times over the course of his life. Jesus was literate and Mohammed was illiterate but commanded by Angel Gabriel to read. Mohammed learned to recite and memorize the revelation of Gods word. This revelation was revealed in the book of Holy Quran. With Jesus, the word of God was revealed in the New and Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Jesus lived a life free of sin and did not have to ask forgiveness where Mohammed prayed to Allah (God) sometimes five to seven times daily. Jesus did not wage any wars, ordered death and established love for everyone around him. Jesus was sent to earth to become a sacrifice for our sins. Believe in Him and have everlasting life. Jesus created a spiritual kingdom while here on earth and was recognized as a Savior, the Son, God, Holy Spirit, Messiah, Redeemer, Prophet, and Lord among other things. Mohammed created an earthly empire and by the permission of Allah (God) waged war by fighting or leading battles in which he was Messenger of God to reunite all people. One of Mohammads best recognized qualities was his representation of his proclamation of principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of equality of everyone. He was recognized also as a Prophet, a king, a warrior, a businessman, a general, a preacher, a judge, a protector and a saint among other things. Mohammed became a significant figure in Islam regarding his qualities of honesty, sincerity, and noble virtues where Jesus became a significant figure to Christianity for his qualities of miracles, teaching and knowledge, giving, willingness, and sacrificing himself for our chance at eternal life. Mohammed became ill died sometime in his sixties. Mohammed is believed to have gone to heaven after his passing to be with Allah (God) in Paradise. Jesus was persecuted, tortured, and crucified to death on a cross. Jesus resurrected three days after his burial to ascend back to heaven. There are those who believe that Jesus crucifixion and death symbolized a chance of forgiveness of sins. His death gives those who believe salvation and redemption from hell. There are many disputes over the Christian belief of what transpired during Jesus time and has many beliefs and different denominations that are known today. Mohammeds death was merely losing a leader, someone of importance to the traditions, faith and unity of Islam. Again, Mohammads death created different beliefs and splitting the Islamic faith. Christians today follow the teachings of the Old and New Testament of the Holy Bible. The common belief for Christianity is that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ here on earth to pay a price for our sins, so that we would have a chance at Eternal Life, residing with him in Heaven. For those who do not believe in Jesus as their personal Savior and ask for forgiveness will pay the price and reside in the fiery pits of hell forever. The common belief for Muslims is their full submission to Allah, the only God. Muslims strive hard to protect the Holy Quran to its original form. Muslims also believe that at the end of the world, each one will resurrect from the grave and be held accountable for his or her actions on earth and those who were good, will reside in Heaven and those who were bad, will reside in hell. Both Jesus and Mohammed were extraordinary men for their time here on earth and the religion they taught others, setting an example to others, and holding true to their faith and belief in God (Allah) to their followers. Throughout history both religions, Christianity and Islam have created many conflicts among many people but each person is entitled to his or her beliefs and most hold true to their heart what is considered to be religiously correct. Everyone according to the Christianity and Islamic belief is that each of us will be held accountable on Judgment Day. Research Papers on Jesus and Mohammad, Christianity and IslamBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceMind TravelThe Fifth HorsemanAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite Religion

The Constitution Essays (588 words) - United States, James Madison

The Constitution Essays (588 words) - United States, James Madison Prof Lauren Conj Comm 301 15 November 2015 A chief aim of the Constitution as drafted by the Convention was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that fundamental rights would be at risk. One way that this was accomplished was to separate the power of government into three branches, and then to include checks and balances on those powers to assure that no one branch of government gained supremacy. This concern arose largely out of the experience that the delegates had with the King of England and his powerful Parliament. The powers of each branch are enumerated in the Constitution, with powers not assigned to them reserved to the states. Much of the debate, which was conducted in secret to ensure that delegates spoke their minds, focused on the form that the new legislature would take. Two plans competed to become the new government: the Virginia Plan, which apportioned representation based on the population of each state, and the New Jersey plan, which gave each state an equal vote in Congress. The Virginia Plan was supported by the larger states, and the New Jersey plan preferred by the smaller. In the end, they settled on the Great Compromise (sometimes called the Connecticut Compromise), in which the House of Representatives would represent the people as apportioned by population; the Senate would represent the states apportioned equally; and the President would be elected by the Electoral College. The plan also called for an independent judiciary. The founders also took pains to establish the relationship between the states. States are required to give "full faith and credit" to the laws, records, contracts, and judicial proceedings of the other states, although Congress may regulate the manner in which the states share records, and define the scope of this clause. States are barred from discriminating against citizens of other states in any way, and cannot enact tariffs against one another. States must also extradite those accused of crimes to other states for trial. The founders also specified a process by which the Constitution may be amended, and since its ratification, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. In order to prevent arbitrary changes, the process for making amendments is quite onerous. An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the states request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification. In modern times, amendments have traditionally specified a timeframe in which this must be accomplished, usually a period of several years. Additionally, the Constitution specifies that no amendment can deny a state equal representation in the Senate without that state's consent. With the details and language of the Constitution decided, the Convention got down to the work of actually setting the Constitution to paper. It is written in the hand of a delegate from Pennsylvania, Gouverneur Morris, whose job allowed him some reign over the actual punctuation of a few clauses in the Constitution. He is also credited with the famous preamble, quoted at the top of this page. On September 17, 1787, 39 of the 55 delegates signed the new document, with many of those who refused to sign objecting to the lack of a bill of rights. At least one delegate refused to sign because the Constitution codified and protected slavery and the slave trade.

Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art - Research Paper Example The different figures include Long, which is related to the Dragon; Feng Huang, which is related to the Phoenix; the Qilin, which connotes the Unicorn and Sun Hou Zi, referring to the Monkey King.1 The linguistic collection of terms has a similar interpretation in Japanese, Korean and traditional Vietnamese; it is a reflection of traditional as well as modern exchange of cultural formulations, forms and values. The symbolic â€Å"gateways† are references to the transition process for the Asian community into the new community, and is also a reflection of the social tradition of Spadina Avenue, where the situation used to refer to the displacement of a given culture replaced another, following the arrival of immigrant populations into the city. This paper is a review of Millie Chen’s â€Å"Gateway†, documenting its attributes, the information needed to understand the art work, the artist, the style used and the historical dimensions employed.2 The â€Å"Gateway† is a part of the Colonnade Pole, which is located along at the right side of Spadina Avenue I in Toronto. Starting 1997, the Gateway was identified as the landmark intersection of Chinatown at the Dundas and Spadian Streets – by the Toronto Transit Commission.3 One pair of the poles covered by the name â€Å"gateway† lie to the northern side of the intersection, and the other pair lies to its south. The dimensions of the two pairs of sculptures are six meters in height, 3 meters in length and 0.5 meters in breadth. The materials used for the construction of the different sculptures include steel, fiberglass, polyurethane foam and Endura. The sculpture by Millie Chen is composed of different casts made from fiber glass, showing four legendary creature, which are revered under Chinese and Asian mythology. The four figure forms curved out include a dragon, a phoenix, a Unicorn and a Monkey King, together with the 20 poles used as markers in spell ing out the Chinese inscriptions for the

Coaching Analysis Flow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Coaching Analysis Flow - Essay Example Dominance and high ego, lack of strategic vision and inability to delegate authority lead performance deficiencies and poor performance of the team. I know this person for 6 years and can objectively describe advantages and disadvantages of his style and approach to coaching. The problem is that poor communication and lack of coordination prevents the team from effective performance and positive outcomes. The facilitator, I am working with, has no such important interpersonal skills as empathy, motivation, and communication. What has received considerably less attention than the skills is that appropriate application of these skills requires a thorough understanding of one's social setting, or social intelligence. Social intelligence has been defined in a variety of ways (Aldrich 2006). One of the ways in which executive leaders co-opt stakeholders is through their relationships with the members of their boards of directors. The main problems are caused by inability to forecast possi ble problems outside the team and lack of coordination between the facilitator and the team. ... An examination of the task bank for the software development team shows you must operate at the People negotiating level in dealings with the product owner and the other team members. You will have to be tactful, tolerate others, listen to their concerns, share ideas with team members in an acceptable manner, and deal constructively with conflict. The main problems need to be addressed are communication and cooperation between the facilitator and team members, delegation of authority and change in leadership style (Brocato 2003). Coaching Analysis Flow The problem is worth solving because it will help to improve communication and performance outcomes. Most of the likes and dislikes, preferences, and displeasures experienced in carrying out particular activities are registered on a subconscious level. People tend to become aware of them only when questioning certain choices and decisions. To some extent determinations about who we are and how we got that way may be a theory that we test from time to time by trying new things, undertaking new experiences, pushing ourselves to extremes, and in the process affirming or disconfirming theories about ourselves.In the course of growing up, people focus on particular interests and content areas. But perhaps more importantly, they develop behavioral styles, preferred ways of functioning, and preferred environments to be in (Brocato 2003). The performance deficiencies are that nobody knows obstacles outside the team members control. If problems occur, team members are not ready to solve or prevent them. In some cases, negative consequences follow good performance. It de-motivates employees and brings anxiety and depression. People learn to make numerous other adaptations to

Business Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Business Communication - Essay Example In addition, it compromises the privacy of vital personal digital footprints. Use of social media communication has adverse effects on various careers and development of professionals globally. This platform encourages a lazy culture in workplaces. Many professionals are no longer innovative and creative as before the introduction of social media. According to Kincel et al., this platform simply allows people to question other for ideas at their comfort without trying to research or engage their minds to come up with alternatives. Consequently, this form of communication has reduced innovation around the world. Currently, professional are using readily available resources online to solve various problems in their workplace. As a result, professional are deprived an opportunity to be innovative and creative thinkers that lead to career development. Moreover, use of social media leads to cyberbullying especially of children by various strangers on the internet (Kincel et al.). Family members especially children are vulnerable and are the primary target for cyber bullies. Anonymous individuals disguise and manipulate or abuse young kids through the internet. As a result, these attacks are always devastating to the victims. They lead to depression and fear among young family members. Thus, victims of the cyber bullying resort to suicide to ease their pain. In addition, some prefer to suffer silently which leads to mental disorder. In order to prevent and eliminate such cases, family members are supposed to be discouraged from the excessive use of social media. Besides, these forms of communication also have adverse effects on personal digital footprints. Uploading of personal digital footprints into the social media platform can be detrimental to the owner. The various sites such as Facebook insists on retaining the copyright of anything uploaded to their site. This results in losing ownership of

The price at the gas Essay Example for Free

The price at the gas Essay The price at the gas pump seems outrageous as the national average price per gallon hits $3. 09, but the real tragedy of the rising prices is in the unseen affects across the spectrum of daily life. While several surveys have said people are not changing much due to the rising cost of gas, they are doing some things and the rising cost of gas has affects that people do not even realize. In some cases, the effect of the effect is the real news. At the grocery store, people are not even equating the rising cost of groceries with the cost of fuel, but it is a major factor. Consciously or not, people are traveling less and putting off other expenditures because they are spending so much more on gas. The rising cost of gas is affecting the amount people spend on groceries, the amount they travel and the amount they spend on other things. It’s easy not to think about the rising cost of gas as it relates to the rising cost of groceries, but in some markets the increase has been dramatic and the cost of gasoline and other fuels are a factor in the price increases. Last week, the U. S. Department of Agriculture estimated that the cost of making a Thanksgiving dinner was up 11 percent over the same dinner last year. With some items the price increase is only a few cents, but over the course of a holiday meal or a month’s worth of groceries, the difference is very noticeable. Strangely, efforts to reduce the cost of gasoline may also be contributing to the rise in prices at the grocery store. Many of our food products are animal based, eggs, milk, cheese and meat at the very least. All of these products rely on the animal being fed, usually a mixture of corn and other things, but because of the demand for corn to make ethanol, the price of feed corn has skyrocketed. An effort to reduce the cost of fuel in one area passes it on in another means. Based on personal observation, costs of dairy products are up an average of 25 percent over last year. While consumers realize it or not, the cost of gasoline is affecting them at the grocery store. Another effect of the high price of gasoline is the choice to make fewer trips. This means that people are not simply running to the store for every little thing they need or are going to only one store instead of shopping around. It means a late night snack attack will usually have to be met by whatever is in the house and it means that people are planning their spending more wisely. By taking fewer random trips to the grocery store and other stores, impulse shopping is reduce and the entire economy is affected by the price of gasoline. Furthermore, people take fewer random pleasure trips when the price of gasoline is high. Deciding to drive an hour or so to go to a concert or another event takes on a new dimension when the cost of actually getting there has to be considered a major expense. When people do decide to travel, they are travelling to areas closer to home. This has an interesting economic effect. Smaller, more out of the way travel destinations may see an increase in business as people try to find vacations close to home, but traditional resort destinations may see significant reductions in the number of visitors because of the cost of travel. Additionally, some people may elect not to have a vacation at all. With the rising cost of gas and its effects on the costs of other items, many people are choosing to forgo vacations and luxury purchases because their disposable income level is dropping. People are choosing more fuel efficient vehicles over luxury cars and many are choosing to eat at home instead of having dinner out. Even the important things, like oil changes and other car repairs are sometimes being put off indefinitely because people are spending more on gas. It may not seem like a few cents more at the pump would make a huge difference, but when added to the other things that are affected by the price increase, it means people simply have less money. The first visible effect of having less money was the move to more fuel efficient vehicles. It meant that the ultra big sports utility vehicles which had been in their heyday were suddenly being traded in mass for smaller, cheaper and more fuel efficient vehicles. Suddenly, Americans were more concerned about where every penny was going, some without even realizing why. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem like a big deal – a few extra pennies per gallon at the gas station, but then it began to build. The rising cost of gasoline and the devotion of corn to ethanol production drove up the price of food. Then, people stopped driving as much, making fewer trips to the store and other places because they wanted to save money and that meant fewer impulse purchases. Finally, the impact of rising gasoline prices made a significant dent in the average pocketbook and Americans had to find other ways to save, by cutting back on luxuries, forgoing unnecessary expenses, or putting off necessary expenses in hope that a time would come when things might be more affordable. Suddenly, in the big picture, that few extra cents hurts a lot.

Essay --

People relate to landscapes through tactile and visual experience of surfaces around them, beneath their feet and in their hands. Textures are most immediate and close physical contact with the landscape. Ploughing, grazing, clearance – create distinctive textures of surface, some of them deliberately created for the properties of the texture itself. Textures incorporate time; they are result of a slow but constant change of the very texture of surface. Mundane practices which might have a minimum impact on the surface can in a long term combine to form a distinctive textures. Aerial photographs and high resolution topographic data is full of textures. We tend to ignore them and focus solely on "features", traces. What can we do with textures? How can they be harnessed for deciphering the biography of surfaces and the way people interacted with the land in close physical contact? In the modern, Western, world the visual sense has primacy over the other senses. Since sixteenth century, vision has become increasingly important in how we engage with and understand our world, with the other senses marginalised. The visual became considered the most reliable form of representation. Archaeology, and especially aerial archaeology, has come to rely almost solely on vision for both the collection of data and the dissemination of information. Visual sense turns us into spectators, detached and distanced from the object of study. Landscape becomes a particular way of seeing and representing the world from an elevated, detached and even ‘objective’ vantage point, --- as an artistic genre and a culturally conditioned habit of visual perception, unique to European, Western societies. In this way visual technologies (photographs,... ...worth exploring. Textures offer access into the richness and immediacy of the perceivable world and allow us to enmesh with it. When we turn the eye in the organ of touch, we are able to see the â€Å"stuff† of landscape rather than its â€Å"things.† It is highly subjective, embodied view of the world, but one that helps us to "understands materiality" of the landscape. Dwelling in the landscape is about the rich intimate, ongoing â€Å"togetherness† of beings and things which make up textures and which, over time, bind together nature and culture. Textures blur the nature/culture divide and emphasise the material and temporal nature of landscape. In this way, landscape is a never finished process of weaving, â€Å"entanglement", of materials and activities. And they can perhaps to help us to reflect what we really see when we interpret aerophotos and lidar imagery.

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury :: Veldt

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of The Veldt, is a delving into the issue of how modern technology can destroy the nuclear family.   The editor of the Encounters book, John A. Rothermich comments that "This story is almost devoid of characterization.", I agree with this statement and think it is key to the plot of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story begins with the mother of the family, who has quite a generic name.   We are given no information of the characters background and how they came to the point in time they are now.   The lines "Happylife Home" and the familiar room settings like the parent's bedroom and the nursery give you a sense that this is a typical suburban home of the time. The mother seems alarmed or confused about something, "the nursery is...different now than it was", this at first might lead you to believe the mother has true individual characteristics.   However, when you read on, you see the stereotyped reactions to every situation that comes about, the parents then say "nothing's too good for our children".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the story the parents discuss the problems of the incredible house and nursery, "The house is wife, mother, and nursemaid, Can I compete with it?", and the father has a generic answer "But I thought that's why we bought this house".   The parents in the story look upon their children's needs as services instead of ways of expressing any love or care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the story we never learn anything about the children except for their obsession with the nursery, "I don't want to do anything but look and listen and smell; what else is there to do?".   When the parents tell the children the idea of shutting down the computerized house "for a vacation", the children react shocked and stay with their one, single characteristic given, they act shocked "Who will fry my eggs for me, or darn my socks?". You see then the children's primary relationship is to the house and not the parents, the children exclaim "I wish you were dead!".   And sure enough, by the end of the story the children act on their on

Reflective Review of Youth Work Practice

My decision to study E131 Introduction to Working with Young people was based on my desire to cement my experiential learning by developing my knowledge of theoretical concepts through academic study. I have worked with young people for seven years, and the majority of my training thus far has been practice based. My current role is as a group worker in a therapeutic community for children and young people. The therapeutic community is a residential provision with a specialist education and therapy centre for children and young people with attachment disruption and trauma leading to social and behavioural difficulties.We also work with children displaying sexualised and self-harming behaviours. The therapeutic milieu which exists within the community is underpinned by an attachment focussed approach and provides stability for chaotic behaviour and a disregulated emotional state. The therapeutic provision is underpinned by an integrated team approach which includes Child Psychotherapy , Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Educational Psychology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Social Work and Counselling.Prior to beginning Open University’s E131 Introduction to Working with Young People, and due to the highly specialised nature of the work I do, I held the belief that I had little to learn relating to youth work. The most significant, and surprising, realisation I experienced whist working through the module was that I will never and can never know everything there is to know about youth work. In fact, the very nature of my role within the Therapeutic Community may have narrowed my view of young people to only the most damaged individuals, which in turn has narrowed my outlook on the issues that young people are faced with today.A young person commented ‘†¦you can’t talk about â€Å"understanding young people† – all young people are different, so you would have to know different things to understand them all’ (The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 3, pg 5). This statement impacted me in a way that I didn’t expect. Not only in my working life, but also in my view of young people in general. When working with the most damaged children in society the danger is that all young people become viewed as potentially violent, harmful and not to be trusted.This view is contradictory to the very nature of youth work as set out in the National Youth agency’s Ethical Principles, which states ‘youth workers have a commitment to treat young people with respect, valuing each individual and avoiding negative discrimination’ (Harrison and Wise, 2005, pg 20). Although I do not feel my practice is discriminatory, my somewhat insular views on young people, and preoccupation with high risk behaviour in my working life, may have negatively influenced my ability to ‘value the individual’.This is an area that, due to my learning throughout the module, I have made a concerted effort to address. I have renewed my efforts to look past the negative behaviour and the diagnoses to view the young people I work with as individuals who are not defined by their circumstances. This has had a positive impact on my working practice as I continue to reflect on ways in which I can be more open to the individual needs of the young people with whom I work. The learning throughout the module has also given me the opportunity to come to terms with and challenge another view I was unaware I held.I had given little consideration to the view I held on youth work in general other than my belief that the work I do is not technically ‘youth work’ but rather more specialised and important. This is a view I now consider to be arrogant and unhelpful. Howard Williamson states that the ‘public perception of youth work is still largely locked into ideas about youth clubs and table tennis and pool’ (Williamson, 2005, pg 70), and prior to beginning this module I mus t admit that I held a similar misconception.However, Williamson’s account of his own experiences of youth work and the positive impact it has on the lives of young people has altered my perception. Although this has not directly impacted on my working practice, it has enabled me to view my role as a group and individual worker within the wider context of youth work, and realise the importance of broadening the experiences of the young people with whom I work, through valuing the opportunities on offer within the wider community.The shift in my view of youth work has also enabled me to consider the challenges that exist in my own work setting. One of the fundamental principles of youth work is the ‘voluntary principal’ (Jeffs, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 12, pg 5). This is described as ‘the kind of work where young people can choose not to take part†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 1, pg 5). Within the setting of a t herapeutic community, and specifically within the context of my role as group worker, I find it difficult to describe the opportunities on offer for the young people as voluntary.For example, the therapeutic, social and educational workshop programme, which young people who are resident in the therapeutic community have access to during the school holidays, is considered to be voluntary, although it is incentivised through access to days out and rewards for attendance. However, some of the young people resident within the community may consider that their placements are not voluntary, making it difficult to consider any of the interventions on offer as such.Although I accept that youth work in its truest form should be voluntary, it has been difficult for me to accept that the work that takes place with the young people within the Therapeutic Community is any less valuable. The young people with whom I work are the most damaged in the country and would not be able to access the type of support they need without what Mark Smith calls coercive forms of participation (Smith, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 2, pg 31). Should we let them choose to avoid forming relationships and realising their potential forever simply to retain a puritanical view of what youth work is supposed to be?Or should we, as adults, do everything in our power to prevent these young people, who society has already failed, become casualties of that failure? Mark Smith also introduced the idea that targeting ‘at risk’ young people for focussed work as a negative progression in terms of youth work in its purest form. Smith feels that ‘the identification of specific target groups has the potential to lead to a narrowing of the diversity of young people worked with’ (2003, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 2, pg 30).Although I agree with Smiths statement, I am also aware of the funding limitations which exist, and am a strong believer that the most vulnerable or ‘at risk’ young people in society are a priority in terms of accessing the support they need. Despite my desire to defend the work I do, and its less than voluntary nature, my practice has been positively impacted by reflecting on the reason why the ‘voluntary principal’ is so highly regarded in relation to youth work.Within the process of planning the therapeutic, social and education groups within our group work programme, I have realised the important of extensive consultation with the young people to ensure the topics covered are relevant to them; something they are interested in and value, rather than what I feel they need or want. In this regard, I have been able to ensure that group participation is due to values that are closer to the concept outlined by the ‘voluntary principal’ than the idea of coercive participation.The impact of my shift in perspective on the young people within the therapeutic community is ye t to be evidenced, but the planning process for the groups has been much more focussed. Bruce Tuckman (cited in the Open University, 2005, Study Topic 6) has identified the five stages in a group’s life, his concept names the stages as Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Morning. As a group worker this concept underpins my practice in that my observations of the group and its progress are linked to identifying the stage in which the group is functioning and adapting my role as facilitator accordingly.Due to the chaotic nature of the client group within the therapeutic community the group regularly revisits the Storming stage of group development. In Study Topic 6, (The Open University, 2005, pg 27) this stage has been identified as a time when ‘there may be overt or covert antagonism towards the group worker’. When reflecting on my role as group facilitator, the reaffirmation of the pressures placed on me during this stage has been helpful. I have been rem inded about the importance of regular reflection in relation to the emotive aspect of group work in order to ensure the experience is safe and effective for the young people involved.In addition, the reflections of Guy Butler-Madden a Youth Support Worker at Lowbridge Youth Centre (Audio theme 6), in relation to the ‘storming’ stage of the DofE groups, impacted my learning through developing a shared understanding of some of the more challenging aspects of group work with others who work in a similar field. The final area of the module which has impacted on my learning is the importance of reflection. Study Topic 10 introduced the work of Donald Schon (1996) who advocated the ‘reflective practitioner approach to professional decision making’ (cited in the Open University, 2005, Study Topic 10, pg 6).Schon emphasises the importance of reflection for professional development and problem solving, rather than relying on ‘off the peg solutions’. Thi s concept has significantly impacted my approach to the work I do, in as much as I have introduced a weekly reflective space with my colleagues in order to consider decision making and problem solving in a formal setting. The act of practicing the art of reflection in a formal setting should impact my learning in that reflection will become second nature, thus improving my practice.In conclusion, the most significant impact my learning from the module has had on what I have already learned in my work with young people, has been identifying and challenging some of my preconceptions. In particular I feel that studying E131 has helped me gain a better understanding youth work in its purest form, its purpose and its values; and has allowed me to view youth work as a valuable tool in aiding young people through their transition into adulthood. My understanding of group process has been cemented and I have developed an insight into the challenges faced by other organisations in relation t o group dynamics.Finally, I have learned the value of effective reflection, and how professional development through using my knowledge as a fluid tool to enable effective decision making, rather than having a ridged view of the way an issue should be approached, can lead to more positive outcomes. All of these areas have impacted on what I have already learned from working with young people by allowing me to view my role within the wider context of youth work. My outlook has shifted insomuch as I now feel part of a wider agenda which seeks to enable young people to transition successfully and positively into adulthood.