Read instruction below; Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Read instruction below; - Research Paper Example Starbucks has the most recognizable brand in coffee industry business and that the experience they provide to their customers is irreplaceable makes the main strengths harnessed to be successful (Lussier, 131). The other strengths are sound, visionary, and capable leadership of Howard Shultz leading Starbucks to greater success and growth from its beginning to be a global leading it is currently. Owing to the Starbucks experience, the company has loyal customers who are willing to pay premium prices for the company’s coffee increasing the profit margins and revenues for the firm. Starbucks also has the soundest financial statements in the speciality coffee industry and is a respected employer having been named among Fortune Top 100 Companies to work for due to the offer of medical insurance, fair remuneration, as well as good working conditions. Starbucks has developed a strong ethical culture and values, and this is well depicted in the mission statement. Other strengths are ability to developing and innovating new products, and customers are guaranteed of getting high quality taste at Starbucks (Lussier, 131). The main weakness at Starbucks is the inability to control the prices of coffee globally. Starbuck’s businesses are affected by fluctuation in coffee prices that occurs due to changes in global demand and supply, as well as weather conditions and climate affecting the profits and revenues of Starbucks. Starbucks cannot be able to change the prices of coffee hence is the main weakness at Starbucks. The second weakness is pricing of Starbucks coffee in Chin with the belief that it is highly priced loosing the market share in the region to McCafe. The other weakness has been a loss in the customer experience from the high rate of expansion experienced at Starbucks. Negative publicity on the health implications of consuming coffee, high fat content, and high calories in the products offered

Discuss the regulation of gene expression in HIV and the life cycle, Essay

Discuss the regulation of gene expression in HIV and the life cycle, and comment on the importance of these in the success - Essay Example Memory helper cells are differentially infected by the virus. The virus binds to the target cell using interactions between viral surface proteins (gp120) and cell surface proteins. The CD4 antigen, and the CXCR4 and CCR5 co-receptors on the host cell membrane are crucial in mediating viral entry into the cell. The interaction allows the viral and cellular membranes to fuse, so that the viral contents, including RNA and viral enzymes, enter the host cell. The viral capsid then uncoats and disassembles to release the 2 viral RNA strands, which are used to make complementary DNA by the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase. The virus cDNA is transported to the nucleus, where the viral integrase enzyme incorporates viral DNA into the host DNA, forming the provirus. The viral DNA genome remains latent in the cell for many years, as long as the T cell is quescent. The duration of latency is indefinite and varies based on the genetic makeup of the individual. When the T cell becomes activated by cytokines to carry out the immune response, the HIV provirus also becomes activated and starts transcription, leading to the formation of new viral particles (Moore and Stevenson, 2000). Regulation of gene expression of HIV The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets immune cells, specifically T helper cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. Upon entering the host immune cell, the virus RNA undergoes reverse transcription to form complementary DNA, which is then incorporated into the host genome. The viral DNA genome remains latent in the cell for many years. When the T cell is activated by cytokines to carry out the immune response, the HIV provirus also becomes activated and starts transcription, leading to the formation of new viral particles. Specifically, cytokines and antigens induce activation of NF-kB, which is a transcription factor that goes to the T cell nucleus and up-regulates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory proteins. The incorporated HIV genome also contains a site that can receive NF-kB and in response activate the gene promoter. Thus, the regulation of expression of HIV genes depends at least in part, on the activity state of the infected T cell, and transcription of HIV genes is regulated by cellular transcription factors (Robbin and Cotran, 2009). The genome of HIV contains codes for at least nine viral proteins. The structural proteins include Gag, Pol, and Env. The accessory proteins are Vpu, Vpr, Vif, and Nef. The regulatory proteinsare Tat and Rev, and they control the replication of the virus (Hope and Trono, 2000).The early genes are Tat, Rev, and Nef, and the rest are expressed late. The Tat protein is a transcriptional activator necessary for HIV replication. It promotes the elongation phase of HIV’s transcription, so that full-length, functional transcripts of the genome are produced. Rev is an RNA binding protein that acts post-transcriptionally to induce the transition from the early to the late, cytopathic phase of HIV gene expression (Cullen, 1991). It facilitates the export of unspliced and incompletely spliced viral RNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, which permits the production of viral late genes so that all the proteins for the full virion can be transcribed. How gene expression regulation and life cycle contribute to the success of HIV as a pathogen HIV-1 as a pathogen is found all over the world today, while HIV-2 is restricted to

Dimensions of Organisational Misbehaviour

Dimensions of Organisational Misbehaviour Critically discuss the dimensions where organisational misbehaviour is rooted. Use relevant academic references and organisational examples to illustrate. Whilst the subject of organisational behaviour has been widely studied, as a method for improving the performance of organisations and improving the level of managerial control, organisational misbehaviour has received considerably less attention. Indeed, Ambrose et al (2002) argue that there is little agreement around the dominant motives of sabotage; which Ackroyd and Thompson (1999) cite as being the most hostile example of appropriation of work. This makes it somewhat difficult to accurately assess and discuss the dimensions where such misbehaviour is actually rooted, with the majority of the literature focusing on the impacts and manifestations of organisational behaviour, rather than the root causes. In spite of these difficulties, this piece will attempt to uncover the dimensions where organisational behaviour is rooted, through a detailed analysis and interpretation of the literature around organisational misbehaviour. One of the most interesting explanations comes from Spicer and Bohm (2007) who argue that organisational misbehaviour is simply another one of the methods through which workers can resist the hegemony of management. As such, this view of organisational misbehaviour fits it within the general framework of worker resistance, which includes trade unions and civic movements. Indeed, Spicer and Bohm (2007) argue that these forms of resistance only differ in terms of whether they take place inside or outside the workplace, and whether they are conducted inside or outside the organisational and societal norms. As such, one of the dimensions where organisational misbehaviour is rooted is arguably in the fact that managers have such absolute control over workers that workers will naturally tend to look for a way to regain some of this control. Organisational misbehaviour may simply be a method for achieving this for workers whose concerns are not met by unions or civil movements. Boddy (2006) looks at another potential cause: the presence of so called ‘organisational psychopaths’, who are determined to make life difficult and exploit the organisations and corporations which employ them. Their study indicates that organisational psychopaths make up around one per cent of the employable population but, similar to societal psychopaths, are almost undetectable to employers and co workers. As such, they manage to present themselves as being desirable employees, in order to obtain valuable positions within organisations. Their psychopathic nature means that they have no conscience, and hence are willing to lie, charm and manipulate their way through an organisation, in order to pursue their ultimate goals. These may be to obtain power and status, or may simply be to obtain as much wealth as easily as possible. As such, they tend to create the majority of organisational misbehaviour, using tools such as fraud, stock manipulation, theft, lying and other methods. In the worst case, such psychopaths can rise to the top of a major corporation, and hence the entire organisation indulges in misbehaviour designed to benefit itself at the expense of society (Boddy, 2006). Everton et al (2005) provide a different argument, claiming that whilst some employees will simply misbehave, due to circumstances or a lack of morals, the majority of organisational misbehaviour occurs in response to unfair managerial policies. Indeed, their initial case study demonstrates how previously responsible and high performing employees can be turned to organisational misbehaviour, such as the appropriation of time, by poor quality supervision. Their other research also demonstrates how Robinson and Bennett’s (1995) typology of organisational misbehaviour can be used to support a correlation between management styles and fairness, and organisational misbehaviour. Whilst, this study runs into significant difficulties as a result of the difficulties in separating genuine issues, such as illness, from organisational misbehaviour, such as calling in sick. However, it also points out significant variations in rates of theft, turnover and aggression, and indicates that the se variations can largely be explained by the level of fairness displayed by managers, and the amount of organisational justice present in the organisation (Everton et al, 2005). As such, the level of fairness and justice can be seen as a significant dimension where organisational misbehaviour is rooted. Gruys and Sackett (2003) also revealed three further dimensions in which organisational misbehaviour was rooted. The first two of these stemmed from the results of their study into the root causes, and showed that the interpersonal and organisational relationships were a key driver of organisational misbehaviour, as was the task relevance. This indicates that the relationships that employees hold with their co workers, and the organisation as a whole, are key drivers of organisational misbehaviour: if an employee does not get on well with their co workers, they are more likely to let them down by skipping work or other forms of misbehaviour. Also, as was also shown by Everton et al (2005), giving an employee a task which is not relevant to their skills or interests is more likely to increase their level of misbehaviour and discontent. However, one interesting finding which was not part of the actual study was the discovery of general positive correlations between all different types of organisational misbehaviour. This tends to indicate that initial misbehaviour leads to more, potentially more serious, offences. For example, an employee who successfully claims one fake sick day may be encouraged to claim more, and may then move on to other offences such as theft and fraud (Gruys and Sackett, 2003). Another potential dimension comes from the public sector in the UK, where government reforms of the NHS have led to doctors becoming increasingly responsible for the overall management of the hospital. As a result of this role confusion, and workload increase, many doctors have begun to engage in what could be referred to as organisational misbehaviour (Forbes et al, 2004). In particular, this can involve breaches of management expectations, and a move towards getting even, when these breaches occur. However, this type of misbehaviour tended to be strongly dependent on the nature of in individual, with some doctors actively pursuing their management responsibilities, and others merely assuming management roles out of a belief that they must, or that if they did not they would fall under the influence of less capable managers. As such, the ones who reluctantly assumed managerial roles were more likely to poor relationships with hospital managers, as a result of their unwillingness und erstand and fulfil their dual responsibilities (Forbes et al, 2004). This indicates that role confusion can be a contributor to organisational misbehaviour, for certain types of people. Finally, Johnson and Indvik (2001) provide a potentially more mundane dimension along which some transitory organisational misbehaviour, such as incivility and anger, can be rooted. Their data implies that factors such as workplace stress and a dislike of the actual act of working can encourage incivility, and sometimes hostility, towards co workers. Whilst these issues have not been proven to lead to more serious forms of organisational misbehaviour, given that Gruys and Sackett (2003) have shown that misbehaviour tends to breed further misbehaviour, it is clear that even minor forms of misbehaviour such as these need to be addressed or they can spread throughout an organisation. In conclusion, there are a variety of dimensions within which organisational misbehaviour is rooted, some of which are internal to the organisation, and some of which are simply inherent to the particular individual, such as an unwillingness to undertake a certain role, or even organisational psychopathy. In addition, the literature has shown that even minor concerns, such as stress or dislike of work, can lead to initial organisational misbehaviour, and this misbehaviour can then potentially spiral and trigger more serious misbehaviour. As such, it is important for any organisation to do as much as possible to minimise the managerial and organisational factors which create and exacerbate organisational misbehaviour. References Ackroyd, S. and Thompson, P. (1999) Organisational Misbehaviour. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Ambrose, M. L. Seabright, M. A. and Schminkec, M. (2002) Sabotage in the workplace: The role of organizational injustice. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes; Vol. 89, p. 947-965. Boddy, C. R. (2006) The dark side of management decisions: organisational Psychopaths. Management Decision; Vol. 44, Issue 10, p. 1461-1475. Everton, W. J. Jolton, J. A. and Mastrangelo, P. M. (2005) Be nice and fair or else: understanding reasons for employees’ deviant behaviours. Journal of Management Development; Vol. 26, Issue 2, p. 117-131. Forbes, T. Hallier, J. and Kelly, L. (2004) Doctors as managers: investors and reluctants in a dual role. Health Services Management Research; Vol. 17, Issue 3, p. 167-176. Gruys, M. L. and Sackett, P. R. (2003) Investigating the Dimensionality of Counterproductive Work Behaviour. International Journal of Selection and Assessment; Vol. 11, Issue 1, p. 30-42. Johnson, P. R. and Indvik, J. (2001) Rudeness and Work: Impulse over Restraint. Public Personnel Management; Vol. 30, Issue 4, p. 457-465. Robinson, S. and Bennett, R. (1995) A typology of deviant workplace behaviors: a multidimensional scaling study. Academy of Management Journal; Vol. 38, Issue 2, p. 555-72. Spicer, A. and BÃ ¶hm, S. (2007) Moving Management: Theorizing Struggles against the Hegemony of Management. Organization Studies; Vol. 28, Issue 11, p. 1667-1698.

Much Ado About Nothing Essay: Beatrice, Benedick, and Love

Beatrice, Benedick, and Love in Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing   is set in thirteenth century Italy.   The plot of the play can be categorized as comedy or tragicomedy .  Ã‚  Ã‚   Villainy and scheming combine with humor and sparkling wordplay in Shakespeare's comedy of manners. Claudio is deceived into believing that Hero, is unfaithful. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice have "a kind of merry war" between them, matching wits in repartee.   This paper will attempt to present the fact that Beatrice and Benedick are in love during the entire play despite their witty rivalries.   Their friends' schemes lead each to think that the other is in love, which allows the true affection between them which leads to the exchange of the sacred vows. â€Å"They offer comedy of both character and situation.   The â€Å"merry war† between them is established in the opening scene: Beatrice piles comic insults on Benedick both before she sees him and to his face, yet there is no mistaking her interest in him, however it may be expressed;   and   although Benedick declares himself ‘ a professed tyrant to their sex’   (1.1.161) and an opponent to marriage, he tells Claudio that Beatrice ‘an she were not possessed with fury, exceeds’ Hero ‘as much in beauty as the first May doth the last of December’   (1.1.180-2).   Beatrice, too, though she says she prays morn and night that God will send her no husband, admits that there is something to be said for Benedick, were it not for his perpetual tattling (2.1.6-26)†Ã‚   (Wells 167). Beatrice and Benedick had been more or less in love for some time, and Benedick had retreated: Bene: O God, sir, here’s a dish I love not! I cannot endure my Lady Tongue. Exit D. Pedro: Come, la... ...eason’, she loves him ‘but in friendly recompense’; he takes her only ‘for pity’, she yields to him ‘on great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption’.   As pipers strike up the music for a final dance we can only agree that they were ‘too wise to woo peaceably’ (5.2.65)†Ã‚   (Palmer 119). Shakespeare’s interest in action frequently is merely tertiary to his powers of characterization and of language.   In Much Ado he created a puzzling relation between Beatrice and Benedick.  Ã‚   It is upto the reader to interpret this relation as love or â€Å"merry war.†    Works Cited Bloom, Harold.   Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York : Riverhead Books, 1998. Palmer, John.   Comic Characters of Shakespeare. New York : Macmillan, 1959. Wells, Stanely.   Shakespeare -   a Life in Drama. New York : W.W Norton, 1997.

Why Evolution and Religion Can Coexist

Jason Soares 1-1 Science and Religion Can Coexist – Revision 2 For centuries science and religion have been competing with each other to reign supreme over the other. It makes one wonder just why it has come to this. After all aren’t they in many aspects quite similar? Consider the following; the theory of evolution, the big bang theory, and the Copenhagen interpretation theory all have one constant term, â€Å"theory†. Why? – All of them haven’t been proven yet as they are still mere theories.Now shifting over to religion, when reading a holy book, one finds no facts or substantial evidence of how things exist as they do today. Religion, as much of science, is merely based on beliefs. Yet billions choose to either believe in a higher being or eliminate the idea of a god altogether. No matter which side is true or false, one true statement that can be made is that one could not exist without the other. Religion is for spiritual healing and belief; w hereas, science is, in most cases, the actual embodiment of our beliefs.Science and religion can coexist because; arguably the greatest mind of them all said so, religion’s morals and values uses science to the benefit of all mankind, and perhaps God himself used science to create all that we see. Firstly, if indisputably the greatest scientist in the history of mankind, Albert Einstein – the person who set the base for modern science as we know it today – found no problem in believing in both science and religion, then why should we?Einstein did not believe in a personal God, a god who cares for us or intervenes in the lives of people, but in one that maintained and created the harmony of the universe; a god nonetheless. That may seem quite odd as many beliefs render science and religion incompatible. Yet, many scientists, according to surveys, say that there is no conflict between their faith and their work. Joel Primack, a professor from the University of Cal ifornia, Santa Cruz, co-developed the cold dark matter theory that seeks to explain the formation and structure of the universe.He also believes in God and that God and science can exist in harmony. He claims that â€Å"in the last few years astronomy has come together so that we're now able to tell a coherent story† of how the universe began, Primack said. â€Å"This story does not contradict God, but instead enlarges [the idea of] God. † (National Geographic News website) This is one example of how clearly science and religion go hand in hand. Secondly, most religions in this world teach three basic steps in being able to enter the â€Å"eternal life† that most of them offer: respect one another, love your neighbour and be kind to all.Not a bad list on which to base a whole religion on. In fact it sounds quite noble. Think about it, many lives are based on the above list due to a strict enforcing of religion from family or a community, and if even a small port ion of those people grow up to be doctors and scientists, we can say with ease that the future of our technological advancements is bright and it is in the right hands. After analyzing the upbringing of these theoretical people, we can come to a conclusion that religion helped a great deal in steering their science-filled future in the right direction.It will be foolish on our part to deny religion just because we've advanced in science and technology. As our knowledge increases, we must move nearer to the roots of our religion, and this is the stage when both religion and science will be working together for the betterment of mankind. For example, euthanasia, the killing of a human being to relieve pain and suffering (mercy-killing), is widely considered unethical. This mercy-killing is just a euphemism for suicide. The reason why we don’t say suicide is because it is usually frowned upon by society, yet when someone is on a hospital bed and doesn’t want to live anymo re, it’s justified.People say suicide and mercy-killing are different, but they both lead to the same result: the killing of a human being because the person no longer has a desire to live. By definition, this is indeed suicide because it is taking a life away since they no longer find value for it, and yet it is being done throughout the world in public hospitals. Now a doctor with a good moral and ethical background due to religion or a community with strong values would not succumb to the pressures of this daily occurrence. And aren’t doctors supposed to bring life into this world and help sustain it when outside forces threaten it?Moreover, it is daunting to think that someone can just â€Å"pull the plug† on another being just because the former wants to die. Science and technology can be a blessing in the hands of wise men, while it can be deadly in the hands of others, and if we are wiser and nearer to our religious roots we can enjoy our lives better kno wing that religion’s morals and values will use science to the benefit of all mankind. Thirdly, possibly one of the most controversial and heated theories of all is the one that concerns the very place in which we live in, the big bang theory.According to the big bang theory, space, time, and all matter around us was created by the grandest explosion ever to occur in our universe. When consulting religious persons about this theory they would whole heartedly disagree with it. Assuming they were Catholics, they would immediately refer to the Bible and cite that God created the world, the vegetation, animals, and humans within it. Now level headed persons who are on neither side of the science-religion debate would argue that, why can’t both the big bang theory and the biblical story of God be true?They would reason that perhaps God used this method of creation for His own purpose, to create a world that is habitable by life. Once again the religious would disagree, sayi ng that according to the book of Genesis, God created Earth in seven days, and according to the big bang theory the earth took billions of years to develop in order to exhibit any traces of human life. Seven days compared to billions of years is quite a difference, yet when examining the word of God in the Bible, the religious cannot take the seven day period so literally.Perhaps it did take God seven days to create the earth, but maybe God was on a different time scale. One day for us is twenty four hours, but one day for God could have been thousands, millions, or billions of years. Furthermore, perhaps these seven days weren’t consecutive. They could have been spanned out over billions of years and just the major days on which God created his most praised wonders are mentioned. In addition to the creation process of the earth, God could have used the scientific methods of photosynthesis, natural selection, and countless others to create this world.Not only can we bring sci ence and religion closer together than ever by this new perspective, but we can say that one definitely assisted in the process of the other and that the relationship between science and religion is strong. Ultimately, one can see that science and religion can coexist, because; many of our brightest minds are an example of this, science can be used for worthy causes due to religion’s ethics, and with a new perspective it can be debated that God himself used science for his own creation purposes. No one is forced to sway either way of the debate and everyone is elcomed to stay neutral, nonetheless, one cannot obliviously deny one and praise the other with an un-open mind. We can choose to believe one, but we shouldn’t reject the other altogether. All we should ask of ourselves is not to ignore the pressing questions which alter our views on religion or science, but to expand our tunnel vision and wander into unfamiliar territories to grasp a better understanding of both ; consequently closing the gap between science and religion so that one day the feud between the two may rest peacefully in the minds of all.

West Virginia State Board of Education

It understandable that there are â€Å"certain unalienable rights† that we, as human beings, possess. These rights can†t be, or should never be, taken away from us. Of course, there have been many great crusaders who have fought with everything they owned to make sure that we kept those rights. The case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U. S. 624, is a case that really expresses the beliefs and interests of the time. The case reached the US Supreme Court after there was huge controversy on both sides of the debate. It just so happened that three years before this case, in 1940, the US Supreme Court ruled in the case of the Minnersville School District v. Gobitis, 310 U. S. 586, that it was necessary for every school student to stand to salute and pledge allegiance to the flag. The act of saluting and pledging, along with the teaching of American history and ideals â€Å"for the purpose of teaching, fostering and perpetuating the ideals, principles and spirit of Americanism, and increasing the knowledge of the organization and machinery of the government. – 1 The justices voted 8 to 1 for the Minnersville School District to force teachers to salute and pledge to the flag, leaving only Justice Harlan Stone to dissent. Then on January 9, 1942, Minnersville Board of Education came up with a resolution. This resolution contained recitals that were mostly from the Courts† Gobitis decision. The resolution said that every school student and teacher alike must salute and pledge allegiance to the flag, and if anyone disobeyed this law, it â€Å"would be regarded as an act of insubordination, and shall be dealt with accordingly. 2 This meant that they would be immediately be expelled from the school, and only be allowed back into the school if they denounce they†re acts and agree to honor the flag as stated in the resolution. And â€Å"any such child shall be treated as being unlawfully absent from school during the time he refuses to comply with such requirements and regulations, and any person having legal or actual control of such child shall be liable to prosecution under the provisions of this article for the absence of such child from school. 3 This parent or guardian is then in jeopardy of bein! g given a fine not to exceed $50 and jail term not exceeding thirty days. This, however, fueled a few sparks, especially among some relatively religious sect of people. Namely, the sect was the Jehovah†s Witnesses, which is a division between them and Catholicism. The Witnesses believe in God, as do regular Catholic Christians do, but they strongly believe that the â€Å"obligation imposed be law of God is superior to that of laws enacted by temporal government. 4 Basically, they feel that laws made by mere mortals can†t be obeyed when a law of God contradicts it. Their definition of laws from God comes from a very literal and precise interpretation of Exodus, Chapter 20, verses 4 and 5 5, which says: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt now bow down thyself to They feel that the flag stands for, or is a symbol, which directly contradicts their view of this message from God. For this reason they refuse to salute the flag. The boy, Walter Barnette, was taken out of class when he refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance. He was accused of disrupting the class, of being obnoxious, and of being a threat to national security. No matter how much of an overreaction this was, we have to remember this happened in the year 1943, about the time the Second World War broke out and at a time nationalism in this country was running high. He belonged to a family of firm-believing Jehovah†s Witnesses. His family pleaded to a District Court of three judges, and argued that they had a right to not stand if they did not want to. They also argued that it was a blatant denial of they†re First Amendment rights, including the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech, and that the laws were unconstitutional, violating their due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court restrained their enforcement of the resolution; the West Virginia State Board of Education took the case to the US Supreme Court by direct appeal. Once in court by March 11th, 1943, the hearings began. The Board of Education argued that just three years ago the court had decided that the Board of Education could force the students to stand to salute and pledge to the flag. Since the court had already decided that they were allowed to do this, the people had to abide by the US Supreme Court†s decision. Also, the West Virginia State Board of Education argued that since the job of the schools was to teach them US History as well as Americanism, all they were doing was teaching the students to be good, honest Americans. They argued that there was no difference between them teaching the students about great Abraham Lincoln and brave Stonewall Jackson then teaching them to the salute the flag-which would foster a healthy pride for their nation. They also argued that it was a matter of national security to keep the masses united. They felt that they had a duty to preserve the national unity, and the only way to make sure! this happened would be to make sure there is strong nationalism, which can be heightened be pledging to the national flag, which goes like this: I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. † The Board of education also argued that the boy†s parents had the option of sending them to a private school, instead of the public schools. They said that they didn†t have to go to a public school. And since the funds for the public schools come from the state, they had the right to raise the students as they pleased, which included teaching the students to be model Americans. The Jehovah†s Witnesses argued back that the ruling in the Minnersville School District v. Gobitis was tremendously biased, and was blatantly unconstitutional, since it was an incredible violation of they†re First Amendment rights, which includes the freedom of worship. They felt that since it was in their religion to not salute the flag, they shouldn†t be forced to do so. They also argued that the ceremony was too much like the salute Hitler forced his people to do-the salute where the hand is outstretched a little above the heart. Also, it was too much like the fascist compulsory salute. They argued that the idea of the gestures like that was extremely unconstitutional and takes away a lot of our rights that are seemingly guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. In the Minnersville School District v. Gobitis (1940), all but one of the Supreme Court Justices voted that the boards of education do have the right to impose the salute and pledge on the students. The only judge to dissent was the brave Justice Harlon Stone. However, in 1942, a year before the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette case, there was a very interesting turn of events. There was a US Supreme Court case, not involved with either of the two flag salute cases, where the court reversed its decision and held the compulsory flag salute as being unconstitutional. Three of the initial judges, Justices Black, Douglas, and Murphy, publicly recanted their decision, making the case alive again. The next year, however, they didn†t make the same mistake. The Court ruled in favor of Walter Barnette and his family, that forcing people to salute to the flag was unconstitutional. However, their decision was based less on the Freedom of Religion clause under the First Amendment, but under the Freedom of Speech clause. They decided that it was a form of uttering that they were supposed to perform towards the flag, a symbol of the United States. In this manner, they were outlawing the enforcement of the resolution altogether-you didn†t have to have a religious conflict with saluting and pledging to the flag, you could just not agree with the idea of saluting and not do it all. On June 14th, 1943, Mr. Justice Jackson, along with the other 5 Justices of the previous Gobitis case, voted that it was unconstitutional for any board of education, or anyone in the United States, to impose their ideas on anyone in that fashion. The Court voted 6-3 in favor of the Barnettes and the Jehovah†s Witnesses. Justices Frankfurter delivered the opinion of the dissenting party. He felt sympathy for the minority in this case, but couldn†t find any constitutional right in their favor. According to him, he warned that â€Å"minorities can disrupt civil society †¦ nd there is NOTHING in the Constitution which subordinates the general civil authority of the state to sectarian scruples. † Because of the ruling of the court, a lot of questions and speculations were finally put to rest. It would be decades later before this type of flag case would need to be contested again. However, even in that ruling, the justices sided for the freedom of speech. The precedent was set and it has never been overturned. The West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U. S. 624, was an extremely important case. Because of this case, people began to realize how much of a violation the enforcement of the resolution to salute the flag was. People realized such a practice can†t be enforced, but should only be done in a state of absolute pride for the country. Also, in a political sense, the people realized that it was still wrong to force people to salute the flag. The government thought it was doing the country such a favor by making every child in the nation patriotic, but since the utterance was done only because they were told to, it had no real meaning, and didn†t necessarily institute patriotism. During the Second World War (1939 – 1945), the government was eager to make sure that the union was really united. The sign that someone was saluting the flag raised eyebrows for more than the said reasons. Not only did they disrespect the rules of this nation, but the Jehovah†s Witnesses were also thought to have double interests. They thought the Witnesses could easily have been a threat to national security because they could a stirred a revolt amongst those who didn†t support the war. There are a lot of different sides to this case, and all the sides have really good reasons to support their case. That†s what makes this case so difficult to judge. However, I agree with Mr. Justice Jackson and the other judges who voted that Walter Barnette has â€Å"certain unalienable rights† that just can†t be taken away from him. He has the right to stand, sit, or do anything he feels like during the pledge. In his right to sit during the pledge, he is not hurting anyone or violating anyone else†s rights by doing so, so in my opinion, there shouldn†t be any reason to judge the case any other way. The argument that the nation would not be united if they didn†t all salute the flag is outrageous. First of all, the students aren†t saluting the flag because of there incredible sense of pride, but merely because they have to. Second of all, if the government forced us to all stand straight at the same time and recite a national poem glorifying the nation at the national flag (sounds very Hitler-ish, doesn†t it), then the very reason that millions have so much love and pride for this country will vanish with that freedom. We have to understand that we can†t force people to like something, they have to want to like it. In the case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U. S. 624, the judges decided that the board of education could not force any student to salute the American flag and recite the pledge of allegiance. This was a case where the very existence of the United States was at the hands of these fine justices as we know it. If it wasn†t for the extremely knowledgeable justices that judged the case, we would have lost something profoundly special.

Free Essays on Osama Bin Laden

Osama bin Laden : America’s #1 Terrorist Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombing, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have sprung up all over the world. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a generally accepted definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims (Crenshaw 523). Because it is so hard to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty drawing up policies against terrorism. Within the recent century, the subject of terrorism has risen as a major problem for all major countries. The United States is a nation that is not exempt from terrorism but actually a key target for many terrorist groups. A single individual, a certain group, or even governments may commit terrorist actions. Most terrorists, unlike criminals, claim to be dedicated to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. The methods used in terrorism include threats, bombings, the destruction of property, kidnapping, the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations (Crenshaw 523). There are many reasons why political groups attempt to bring about radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. They may in some way feel persecuted or oppressed because or their race, religion, or they feel exploited by a government. Any group that uses terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in those activities. In 1957 a radical Muslim by the name of Osama bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He ... Free Essays on Osama Bin Laden Free Essays on Osama Bin Laden Osama bin Laden : America’s #1 Terrorist Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombing, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have sprung up all over the world. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a generally accepted definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social aims (Crenshaw 523). Because it is so hard to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty drawing up policies against terrorism. Within the recent century, the subject of terrorism has risen as a major problem for all major countries. The United States is a nation that is not exempt from terrorism but actually a key target for many terrorist groups. A single individual, a certain group, or even governments may commit terrorist actions. Most terrorists, unlike criminals, claim to be dedicated to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. The methods used in terrorism include threats, bombings, the destruction of property, kidnapping, the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations (Crenshaw 523). There are many reasons why political groups attempt to bring about radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. They may in some way feel persecuted or oppressed because or their race, religion, or they feel exploited by a government. Any group that uses terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in those activities. In 1957 a radical Muslim by the name of Osama bin Laden was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He ...

Oakland Killing Fields essays

Oakland Killing Fields essays A round of bullets killed Katherine Bagwell adding to the growing number of homicides in Oakland, California this summer. Her 7-year-old daughter sat beside her in the car as she watch the horrific event. Sadly, it had been only one year ago that the girl witnessed her father shot and killed. Oakland currently stands vulnerable with 100 homicides this year and counting. This has been a dramatic increase from last years low of 85 deaths. This is currently the highest Oakland has seen since 1995. From 1986 to 1995 the average was at 138 homicides a year. Much of the killings are over drugs and turf wars, mostly in the poor flatlands of East and West Oakland. 80 percent of these deaths are amongst the African-American community. Some action clearly needs to be taken by the community and the roots of the problems must be addressed. Much of the hype over Oakland could be blamed on the media. Lately the death toll has taken the attention of the media nationwide. The concerned community has to ask, why is all the emphasis going to Oakland? Is the media sensationalizing crime? Whenever you continuously project negative images of a community, people start to become the images the see on TV, said rapper, Chuck D. Oakland is the prime target when other areas in California like Bayview/Hunters Point, East Palo Alto, and Compton are just as bad, if not, worse. Even statistics have shown that the south, especially places like New Orleans, have the greatest counts of killings in the country. So why stomp all over Oakland when the greater issue needs to be addressed to all our communities? When it comes down to it, Oakland is a problem area and is an important local concern even for us in the suburbs. Violence is gradually becoming more of a growing threat like it was in the early 90s. Losing their friends to the gun has become, an every day thing in the eyes of a local high school student. ...

Causes and Preconditions for the Industrial Revolution

Causes and Preconditions for the Industrial Revolution Historians may disagree on most aspects of the Industrial Revolution, but one thing they do agree on is that 18th-century Britain experienced a huge change in the economic field of goods, production and technology, and the social sphere (through urbanization and treatment of workers). The reasons for this change continue to fascinate historians, leading people to wonder if there was a set of preconditions present in Britain shortly before the Revolution which enabled or allowed it to take place. These preconditions tend to cover population, agriculture, industry, transport, trade, finance, and raw materials. Preconditions for Industrialization in Britain Circa 1750 Agriculture: As a supplier of raw materials, the agricultural sector was closely linked to the industrial; this was the main source of occupation for the British population. Half of the arable land had been enclosed, while half remained in the medieval open field system. The British agricultural economy produced a large surplus of food and drink and had been labeled the Granary of Europe because of its exports. However, production was labor-intensive. Although there had been some new crops introduced, and there were problems with underemployment. Consequently, people had multiple occupations. Industry: Most industries were small scale, domestic and local, but traditional industries could meet the domestic demands. There was some inter-regional trade, but this was limited by poor transport. The key industry was wool production, bringing in a substantial portion of Britain’s wealth, but this was coming under threat from cotton. Population: The nature of the British population has implications for the supply and demand for food and goods, as well as the supply of cheap labor. The population had increased in the earlier part of the 18th century, especially closer to the middle of the era, and was mostly located in rural areas. The people were gradually accepting of social change and the upper and middle classes were interested in new thinking in science, philosophy. and culture. Transport: Good transport links are seen as a basic requirement for the Industrial Revolution, as the transport of goods and raw materials were essential for reaching wider markets. Generally, in 1750, transport was limited to poor quality local roads - a few of which were turnpikes, toll roads which improved speed but added cost - rivers, and coastal traffic. While this system was limited, interregional trade did occur, such as coal from the north to London. Trade: This had developed during the first half of the 18th century both internally and externally, with a great deal of wealth coming from the triangle slave trade. The main market for British goods was Europe, and the government maintained a mercantilist policy to encourage it. Provincial ports had developed, such as Bristol and Liverpool. Finance: By 1750, Britain had begun to move towards capitalist institutions - which are considered part of the development of the Revolution. The produce of trade was creating a new, wealthy class prepared to invest in industries. Groups like the Quakers have also been identified as investing in areas which contributed to the industrial boom. Raw Materials: Britain had the raw resources necessary for a revolution in plentiful supply. Although they were being extracted in abundance, this was still limited by traditional methods. In addition, the related industries tended to be nearby because of poor transport links, exerting a pull on where industry occurred. Conclusions Britain in 1870 had the following which has all been stated as necessary for an Industrial Revolution: good mineral resources, growing population, wealth, spare land and food, ability to innovate, laissez-faire government policy, scientific interest, and trading opportunities. Around 1750, all of these began to develop simultaneously. The result was a massive change. Causes of the Revolution As well as the debate over preconditions, there has been a closely-related discussion over the causes of the revolution. A wide range of factors is generally considered to have worked together, including: The end of medieval structures changed economic relationships and allowed for change.A higher population because of less disease and lower infant mortality allows for a larger industrial workforce.The Agricultural Revolution frees people from the soil, allowing - or driving - them into cities and manufacturing.Proportionally large amounts of spare capital were available for investment.Inventions and the scientific revolution allowed for new technology to increase and cheapen production.Colonial trade networks allowed the import of materials and the export of manufactured goods.The presence of all the required resources close together, such as coal near iron.Culture of hard work, risk-taking, and the development of ideas.Demand for goods.

The Case of Aileen Wuornos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Case of Aileen Wuornos - Essay Example The reality was that she lured each of the men through the promise of some form of sex (she was posing as a prostitute), took them into the woods, and killed them. There is a lot of controversy as to whether she was mentally ill and whether putting her to death was the "right" thing to do under the circumstances. With this information in mind, this case study will look at Wuornos through Attachment Theory and Biopsychosocial Theory. Between the two theories, it seems that the Biopsychosocial Theory is the best one to use for analyzing her situation although a combination of both would probably be more accurate. Aileen (Lee) Carol Wuornos had a very tumultuous childhood. According to Chesler (1994, p. 96), Wuornos was a very abused child who had been "serially raped" and was beaten both as a child and as an adult. She perceived that she was always under attack in her life. Shipley and Arrigo (1994) state that Wuornos was raised by her maternal grandparents because she was abandoned by her mother as a baby. According to several other accounts, including MacLeod (2008) and Osborn (2009), she and her brother were abandoned when Aileen was three or four years old because her mother could not handle the noise that the children made. Her father was a convicted child molester and killed himself while in prison; Aileen never had contact with him. By the age of 14, Aileen was pregnant with someone's child. Although the father was never revealed, she said it was her brother at one point, or someone she called "An Elvis Presley look-a-like" (Shipley and Arrigo, p. ix). Her grandparents sent her to unwe d mothers home where she had the baby and then gave it up for adoption; the baby was adopted by another family. Aileen's life with her grandparents consisted of physical abuse by her grandmother who was also an alcoholic. Aileen was never told that she was being raised by her grandparents but she found out at age 12 (MacLeod, Chapter 2).

Forecast of the Nature of Training 20 Years Hence Essay

Forecast of the Nature of Training 20 Years Hence - Essay Example The next step is to make augmented reality systems mobile (Macchiarella, 2005). In 1995, Gordon Moore, Chairman Emeritus of Intel predicted that computational power will double every 18-24 months. This would mean that in 20 years, computers would be able to handle data and processes at least 10 times of what it can do today. Having said that, we can let imagination run wild with the kinds of computer-based training systems that will be available 20 years from now. This author predicts that in 20 years time computing power would have multiplied ten times over, the physical size of devices would have shrunk 10 times its original size, and mobile facilities would have increased an unimaginable number. This means that limitless training can be had conveniently using a conveniently small computing device which can be carted around anywhere. Palm-sized computers equipped with electronic writing device, earpiece, internet access, and interactivity can replace conventional devices used for web-based training. Such devices can even be taken to the work area and can be used to provide a readily accessible reference "material" in case problems are encountered on the job. Macchiarella's prediction of making augmented reality training systems mobile could well be achieved in 20 years. Learning booths for various AR training would have been mass-produced and installed in convenient locations such as community centers, malls, airports or other places where p eople go to when they have spare time or where have to wait and needlessly waste time. Access cards to the training booths may be equipped with a payment facility for pay-per-use training or to logon to an organization’s training program. ... Access cards to the training booths may be equipped with a payment facility for pay-per-use training or to logon to an organization's training program. Trainer-trainee interaction may have become readily available after 20 years. In much the same way that 24/7 operations are conducted, trainers on shift would be able to interact with trainees from any part of the world who has accessed a training material over the internet. Using a mobile device with instant messaging capabilities would make this possible. According to Wexler (2008), different training technology modalities are on the rise and this is expected to continue for the next decades. These are podcasts, blogs, communities of practice, Wikis, LMS, online references, online assessment and testing, synchronous and asynchronous e-Learning, learning content management and portals. Moreover, the training profession is also forecasted to diversify and specialize in new areas such as aggregators of content who will sell access to t heir content to organizations which need them, developers of generic courses who will sell their courses on a pay-per-use basis, or developers of specific courses targeted to specific industry requirements (Heathfield, 2008). With technology advancing by leaps and bounds, the applications for training may well be limitless. If it can be imagined, it will most probably be possible. Assignment 2: Statement of Work Abstract Due to increasing diversity in the workplace, there is a need to level the field in terms of English language communication. Effective communication among community members is essential for peaceful coexistence and for solving many day-to-day problems. The constant flow of information from country to country in a globalized world has created the need to

Mental Health by the Red Cross Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mental Health by the Red Cross - Essay Example The five different articles utilized in this paper are from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from the purely medical and scientific to reports by media professionals and concerned community members. The given paper aims to streamline and narrow the research scope and clearly flesh out a more coherent and viable research question. The Red Cross, founded in 1919 has been providing emergency relief services all over the world in all manners of disasters since almost a century, but it was not until 1989 that the need for addressing the mental health needs of disaster survivors was tabled seriously. Over the subsequent years Red Cross mental health services have developed and improved by leaps and bounds, evolving to provide both the victims of disasters as well as the workers and volunteers who help them to deal with the immense mental trauma and stress experienced by survivors and witnesses of such disasters. Red Cross mental health care has developed to provide a wide variety of cross-sectional mental care help to all types of affected parties, presenting a cross-functional and highly versatile approach to mental health care needs of all affected parties, whether victims or helpers. Mental health care begins with an assessment of the patients’ needs and requirements, this is often a complicated requirement as survivors of disaster victims are generally unaware of any mental trauma to themselves and instead focus on the more physical aspect of their wellbeing. Their care needs don’t usually immediately turn to mental health services (M. Hartsough, Don, Planning for Disaster: A new community outreach program for Mental Health centers, 1982). There is definitely a need for a mental health care outreach program that are linked to the disaster relief efforts. Such strategies need to be intrinsically related to three main components of disaster relief such as: Helpers, services, recipients and locations (Golan,

Safety at the Fire Emergency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Safety at the Fire Emergency - Essay Example Overloaded buildings are also dangerous when the fire starts. This includes structures such as warehouses and factories which are packed to the brim and hence increasing the number of casualties (NFPA 588). Wild land fire is the opposite of a structure fire because it happens outside in the wild without habitat. Fighting these types of fires is also dangerous because of weather conditions such as wind which changes the direction of the fire. It is also hard to predict which area will burn next as the fire changes every time. These fires take long to be controlled leading to burnout by the fire fighters and hence laxity which is dangerous when it comes to fires. Due to the uncontrollability of the fire, prevention efforts are more crucial than the actual fire fighting. The fire fighters have to enact measures to prevent the fire spreading to a wide area and control it on one place to make it easy to fight which involves starting other small fires (NFPA

Performance Analysis Between Told by and Idiots The Horse You Rode In Essay

Performance Analysis Between Told by and Idiots The Horse You Rode In On and Earthfalls The Factory - Essay Example Analysis of a play or a stage show initially demands the nature of its theme and in this point of viewer can make out the theme of political satire in And the Horse Your Rode In On. It is not possible for a viewer or critic to approach the Horse Your Rode In On merely an entertainment and the plays have need of a special attention from the viewer because of its effort of social criticism. In the same way, the dance program entitled The Factory bestows a new theatrical experience for the viewer through its magnificent performance. As a piece of popular theatrical performance, both Told by an Idiot and Eartfall made a unique effort in creating their latest works as a delighting one. It is obvious that And the Horse Your Rode in On captures the attention of its viewers through its theme and unique structure. Unlike And the Horse Your Rode in On, Ear fall’s The Factory marked its greatness through its magnificent movements. Both of them have their own compensations as well limitat ions in designing and performance. Hayley Carmichael and Paul Hunter tackle politics in first time and most of the events in this stage show concerned with politics and related violence. Advocates of the show design the performance of the characters of the show with the presence of number of intersecting narratives which illustrates political events. In this respect Brian Logan observes; â€Å"the show's ostensible subject is "extreme acts of violence and the lengths people will go for their beliefs" (Logan, 2011). Producers of the show effectively used the possibilities of black humor in their play. Director practices variety of performance strategies like mime, singing, one act play, and fart noises. All these techniques help the viewer to justify the intentions of its makers. The image of Conrad’s bomb-carrying anarchist permits the viewer to analyze the existence of armed revolution in modern world. Characters of the play made a conscious effort to create funny moments t hroughout the play and through these funny moments they transformed their criticism. Mat Trueman rightly comments that â€Å"Its outwardly jocular demeanor delights in slapstick and silly voices, but its core is a passionate reflection on revolution drawn out of a pop-cultural mash-up† (Trueman, 2011). The problem of identity crisis and gender issues that affected in modern society are obviously weaved in the play and viewer can hit upon the fact that the honest approach towards its theme is a significant reason for its general acceptance. One can begin the discussion about the performance of the play And the Horse Your Rode in On with a statement that it is not possible for a viewer to come across many occasions which makes much sense. Therefore, it is better for a viewer to watch it without prejudiced mind and stay away from questions about the reason behind it. The great thing is that the conclusion or moral of the play is brilliantly formed through a serious combination o f different stories and the outstanding performance of its actors. The entire play mirrors the inability of common people to have a handle on the real intentions of political parties and also the failure of people to be aware of terrorist’s motivations. The viewers can understand how an individual or a person with good intentions changed into an anarchist or how the lives of victims or revolutionaries changed into a moment of explosive. The great challenge that the performers faced was that the creation of humor in the play. It is evident that the

Childhood and Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Childhood and Depression - Research Paper Example Researchers propose that although major depression affects anywhere from three to five percent of children and adolescents, up to 15 percent of children and adolescents at any given time manifest at least some symptoms of depression (Bhatia and Bhatia 73). Despite the prevalence of depression in younger populations, there are a number of treatment avenues that parents and guardians can follow in order to alleviate an individual’s suffering in those areas of life most affected by depression. In order to prevent future generations from being severely and negative impacted by depression starting in the childhood or adolescent years, professionals and parents should be better educated to recognize the risk factors and the symptoms. Childhood depression, particularly in children younger than seven years, is particularly difficult because of children’s inability to give details about their internal mood states. However, symptoms like chronic irritableness, impaired attention, and poor concentration are common possible indicators of a depressed child. When diagnosing depression in children, doctors must rule out physical causes of such symptoms, such as chronic disease and vitamin deficiency. If the depression is the result of these physical causes, the depression is considered secondary to its medical prerequisite. Major depressive disorder is a primary diagnosis that relies on symptoms similar to those seen in adult depression. If the depression is not a major disorder, it could either be classified as adjustment disorder, which starts within three months of an identifiable stressor (such as the loss of a parent), or as dysthymic disorder, which is a milder form of depression characterized by irritable or depressed moods and must occur for no less than a year (Bhatia and Bhatia 75). The risk factors for depression are not equivalent to causes, since none of them alone leads directly and invariably to childhood depression. Some common risk factors for c hildhood and adolescent depression include psychosocial and biomedical factors; that is, nearly two thirds of children and adolescents who have major depressive disorder are comorbid with another severe or moderate mental disorder (Angold, Costello and Erkanli 76). That means that even if a child or adolescent has been diagnosed for one mental disorder, there should still be a concern that the patient has a related but separate mental disposition toward major or moderate depression. For physicians, they must be able to recognize and treat the associated physical sources of depression; the most common among them are dysthymic disorder, anxiety disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. For parents, they must be able to identify and seek treatment for their child’s symptoms as soon as they recognize them. In terms of treatments, medication is a common avenue for physicians to take in order to alleviate their patients’ suffering because of depression symptom s. Tricyclic anti-depressants are largely ineffective in children and adolescents according to meta-analyses and SSRIs likewise have underwhelming effects on reduction of symptoms in children (Bhatia and Bhatia 78). Concerns about effectiveness and safety keep some parents from putting their children on these medications (Merrell 209). Currently, only fluoxetine is approved by the FDA to treat childhood depression, so it is acceptable in cases of major depressive

Performance Analysis Between Told by and Idiots The Horse You Rode In Essay

Performance Analysis Between Told by and Idiots The Horse You Rode In On and Earthfalls The Factory - Essay Example Analysis of a play or a stage show initially demands the nature of its theme and in this point of viewer can make out the theme of political satire in And the Horse Your Rode In On. It is not possible for a viewer or critic to approach the Horse Your Rode In On merely an entertainment and the plays have need of a special attention from the viewer because of its effort of social criticism. In the same way, the dance program entitled The Factory bestows a new theatrical experience for the viewer through its magnificent performance. As a piece of popular theatrical performance, both Told by an Idiot and Eartfall made a unique effort in creating their latest works as a delighting one. It is obvious that And the Horse Your Rode in On captures the attention of its viewers through its theme and unique structure. Unlike And the Horse Your Rode in On, Ear fall’s The Factory marked its greatness through its magnificent movements. Both of them have their own compensations as well limitat ions in designing and performance. Hayley Carmichael and Paul Hunter tackle politics in first time and most of the events in this stage show concerned with politics and related violence. Advocates of the show design the performance of the characters of the show with the presence of number of intersecting narratives which illustrates political events. In this respect Brian Logan observes; â€Å"the show's ostensible subject is "extreme acts of violence and the lengths people will go for their beliefs" (Logan, 2011). Producers of the show effectively used the possibilities of black humor in their play. Director practices variety of performance strategies like mime, singing, one act play, and fart noises. All these techniques help the viewer to justify the intentions of its makers. The image of Conrad’s bomb-carrying anarchist permits the viewer to analyze the existence of armed revolution in modern world. Characters of the play made a conscious effort to create funny moments t hroughout the play and through these funny moments they transformed their criticism. Mat Trueman rightly comments that â€Å"Its outwardly jocular demeanor delights in slapstick and silly voices, but its core is a passionate reflection on revolution drawn out of a pop-cultural mash-up† (Trueman, 2011). The problem of identity crisis and gender issues that affected in modern society are obviously weaved in the play and viewer can hit upon the fact that the honest approach towards its theme is a significant reason for its general acceptance. One can begin the discussion about the performance of the play And the Horse Your Rode in On with a statement that it is not possible for a viewer to come across many occasions which makes much sense. Therefore, it is better for a viewer to watch it without prejudiced mind and stay away from questions about the reason behind it. The great thing is that the conclusion or moral of the play is brilliantly formed through a serious combination o f different stories and the outstanding performance of its actors. The entire play mirrors the inability of common people to have a handle on the real intentions of political parties and also the failure of people to be aware of terrorist’s motivations. The viewers can understand how an individual or a person with good intentions changed into an anarchist or how the lives of victims or revolutionaries changed into a moment of explosive. The great challenge that the performers faced was that the creation of humor in the play. It is evident that the

Facilities Planning Essay Example for Free

Facilities Planning Essay * To understand the basic fundamentals and importance of Facilities as applied in the Small or Medium-Scale Manufacturing industries * To understand and apply the concepts of product and process design in terms of MANUFACTURING * To develop alternative materials in to yield cost-reduction and productivity * To understand and apply the concepts of evaluating, selecting, preparing, presenting, implementing and maintaining the workplace and formulate preventions and propose improvements. * To conduct improvements in product mix and design; processing and materials technology; handling, storage, and control technology; production volumes, schedules, and routings, and Management philosophies. * To come up with assessment, findings, analyses and recommendations on how to quickly respond to varying customer requirements. * To propose changes whether in the process, methods, or materials with the end view of improving the reduction of work-in-process and just-in-time manufacturing REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Machines Can Only Produce as Efficiently as the People Who Operate Them Summary: U.S. manufacturers are making a strong effort to gain back some of the consumer loyalty lost to their foreign competitors, who since the late 70s have been offering American consumers higher quality products at lower costs. U.S. companies believed that foreign competitors were able to achieve more efficient production through technological advances, when in fact the competition abroad was actually achieving increased production by relying on more productive people, not machines. Addressing this misconception, U.S. manufacturers have begun to concentrate efforts on making people more productive and machines more user friendly. Manufacturers are beginning to realize the best way to improve quality and increase efficiency is through better training and more informed operators. A person who is given a clear directionà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ as to what the corporate objectives are for his or her function, as well as responsibility and authority, will produce a far superior product than a person who has no ownership in their job. There is no one better equipped to improve a process than the person working closest to it. Modernizations have reduced the overall number of machine operators, a greater majority of those remaining are being asked to take a more responsible and participatory role in the manufacturing control process. Rather than being blindly driven by new manufacturing technologies, companies are demanding better ways for operators to interact with their machines or processes. Operators are being asked to become managers, to be more involved in the decision-making process, they are being trained to use tools designed to determine whether the manufacturing process will result in a quality product. Effectively operators need fast access to accurate data. Since the operator workstation is at the heart of each manufacturing information system, the concentration has been to make workstations more responsive. Operators are demanding higher levels of information presentation in their workstations, so design engineers have been forced to seek technology that not only allows for a more sophisticated display of information, but also permits the operator to act on the information quickly, accurately and easily. The demand for increased productivity and efficiency on the plant floor has prompted factory floor automation suppliers to develop more open relationships to identify effective methods of integrating new technology into the production process. Suppliers are beginning to realize the advantages of sharing their proprietary design information. While there is a risk associated with releasing technological information, the benefit to suppliers working cooperatively to give operators the tools they need to be more productive is increased market share domestically and worldwide. As we strive to deliver more information to the factory floor in less time through advances in computer technology, we should never forget that our most sophisticated technologies must eventually flow through the hands of a single operator. Thats why companies are devoting resources to bringing products to market which make the connection between man and machine easier, faster and better. COMPANY BACKGROUND The Rotessas Garment was owned by Mr. Rogelio Habacon Sr. The operation started at the year 2003. They found out that the demand of denims or known as pants can be a good business. They sub contract the different kinds of pants like Diesel, Guess, Nafnaf, Abercrombie and many more. As of now their main client was the Swan Lake which is responsible for distributing in the market. According to Mr. Rogelio Cu Sr., the assistant, being in the garment business is hard to manage. You really have to put more attention to be able to have a large profit. One of the main problems they are encountering was the sewers. They must be trained properly and there must be discipline. Existing demand: 152 pieces/day (Standard) ; 19 units per hour No. of workers: 25 workers No. of machines: 22 machines 6 Special Machines * FOA * Pipe thread * Loop Machine * Bartaxs * Waist binding machine * Button holes 16 High Speed Sewing Machines Machine Cost: All machines were second hand PHP 20,000 High Speed Machine(per machine) PHP 25,000 Buttonholes PHP 15,000 Pipe thread PHP 20,000 Waist Binding, Bartax, Loop Machine PHP 15,000 FOA Working Time: * 4 Hours per day * 8 Hours per day * Unlimited or 24 hours Sales per Unit PHP 125 STATEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM Rotessas Garments main problem is manual material handling in transferring their products. They generate waste from the time on hand (waiting), distribution and processing of garments. By assessing the companys workplace the team found out that these problems were generated due to the lack of workers performance, the equipment being used, material handling and transportation techniques. Since cutting, sewing, and pressing of buttons are involve in the operation, handling of materials play an important role. Work done causes difficulty since the method of work is time-consuming. Signs are situated at the left area of the vicinity. It is posted on the wall where some workers cant see. Because of this, some workers forgot to follow proper procedures and policies inside the building. This creates difficulty with respect to the processing sequence of the industry. We have observed that the operation in the shop environment is manual creating complexity with the tasks being utilized by the workers. There is an improper placement of raw materials and poor layout of the orderly flows of material, equipment, people and information. We can say that the equipments being used are over-depreciated, which can no longer be used to utilize production effectively. The reason why poor equipments are present is because of improper maintenance of equipment. Tools like scissors, cutters and screwdrivers are not properly secured. This happens because there are on policies that involve good handling of equipment. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The following objectives of this study should be considered: * Create an environment that results in the production of high-quality products * Provide planned and orderly flows of material, equipment, people and information * Design a layout and material handling system that can be easily adapted to changes in product mix and production volumes * Reduce work-in-process and provide controlled flow and storage of materials * Reduce material handling at and between workstations * Utilize space most effectively, considering overhead space and impediments to cross traffic SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study focuses on the methods, layout and processes used in the Garment industry. We limit our scope within the product mix and design; processing and materials technology; handling, storage, and control technology; production volumes, schedules and routings; and management philosophies. All the data collected in this study must meet the requirements stated in the objective of the study. However, each study has its limitations that will be discussed below. * Inflexible in the number of products manufactured * Improper labeling, storage and arrangement of materials * Inflexible layout * Large deviation in production rates in case of equipment failure in the line * Waste arising from unnecessary motion (unlikely event) * Waste arising from producing defective products * Waste arising from transporting * Waste arising from processing itself * Waste arising from unnecessary stock on hand DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATION STEPS IN MAKING PANTS DRAFTING PATTERN MAKING CUTTING CODING SEWING 1. Marking or Stamping 2. Edging of pockets 3. Heaming 4. Watch pocket to front pocket 5. Front pocket to lining 6. Lining to front panel 7. Staynant 8. Zipper to ply 9. Zipper to panel 10. Tap zipper 11. Connecting riser 12. Back seam 13. Attach back pocket to back panel 14. In seam 15. Side seam 16. Tap side (side binding) 17. Waist band 18. Closed band 19. Making loops 20. Heam leg 21. Button holes 22. Bartaxs / loops attaching 23. Trim 24. Revise and fold WASHING FINISHING FLOW CHART (PRESENT SYSTEM) DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS In order to determine what specific problem we will be focusing on, we will use the Pareto principle to determine the significant few (80%) of the main problems in the company. We will focus on the significant few problems of the company however, we will still propose an improved plan for the trivial many after payback period of the first investment in order to fully utilize production rates effectively. The reason behind this is because the company does not have enough funds to support the entire plan that will be proposed. After saving enough money from the minimization of the top problems, the company will implement the entire plan that will be proposed. Identifying the reasons of the impact on the facilities design function, the researchers surveyed the reasons of such event. The survey resulted as follows: CONCLUSION We design a plan in order to solve the significant few problem of the company. This program is designed to provide the smoothest flow of materials, achieve flexibility, improve quality, increase productivity and space utilization, and simultaneously reduce facilities and operating costs. The following trends can be utilized: * Eliminate or minimize non-value-adding activities * Simultaneously use Material Handling * Improve design * Proper storage and arrangement of materials * Anticipate unlikely events * Proper labeling * Need for test/ inspection * Ergonomic orientation * Minimize the use of time and space resources * Manufacture in the shortest cycle time possible * Stockless production * Material as needed and required * Continuous-flow manufacturing * Zero-inventory production systems In conclusion, we recommend this plan that we designed to improve the performance of the company and to improve the impact of the facilities design function. The continued trend toward just-in-time manufacturing puts the material handling and layout functions to the front line. By designing and implementing the plan we were able to meet out objective and creates the essence of the material handling function by 50%. The following elements will be further discussed: * Right Amount How much inventory is needed? What is needed? What is not anticipated? * Right Material Simplifying the parts numbering system and maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the database system are more fundamental tasks * Right Sequence Eliminate unnecessary operations or improving those that remain. * Right Orientation Means positioning the material for ease of handling * Right Place Addresses both transportation and storage. It is desirable to directly transport material to the point of use rather than store the material at some intermediate location. * Right Time It means on-time delivery. The goal is to develop a material handling system that will result in lower production cycle times, and not to lower material handling delivery times. * Right Cost To design the most efficient material handling systems at the most reasonable cost. This would entail the lowest possible cost that can be acquired from the From-To Chart. * Right Method Using more than one method is generally the right thing to do

Parent Involvement In Education And Issues Arising Education Essay

Parent Involvement In Education And Issues Arising Education Essay Introduction This small scale research is to consider parental involvement in a childs education and how parents contributions help children to achieve while at school and examines the barriers of parents and school which prevent successful partnerships flourishing. In order to carry out a study that would be relevant to my own practice I have focused on both parents, and teachers perception of parental involvement and the type of partnerships that exist between home and school. I have also briefly looked at the government role, the initiatives and policies that encourage schools and parents to work together. My main focus however, is the barriers that prevent parental involvement. In my proposal, I noted initial key findings, that I wanted to research further, however, after reading a vast amount of literature, time-scales prevented me to look at all areas in depth. My interest in this area first began when in a parent role I used to listen to children read once a week at a local primary school. Over the years in my role as a parent, I have seen more encouragement to be involved with my local primary school that my own child attends. Offers of courses in Maths and Literacy have been available, as well as many after school activities such as clubs, or invitations to school events outside of school time. My initial reading, led to me research commissioned by DCSF (2007) which showed that 51% of parents questioned felt very involved in their childs education, compared to 27% in 1963 (DES). This would indicate that parents are now seen as an integral part of a childs school life. Government policies involve parents through consultations about aspects of behaviour and school uniform, and the White Paper (2011) has further still increased parental power. There are still barriers, however, that prevent parents becoming more involved fully in their childs education. In the same research (DCSF 2007) found that 61% of parents indicated that they would like to be more involved with school. I wanted to understand why parents perceived that they were not involved enough with their childs education. I also wanted to see how teachers felt when working with parents and their perceptions and what barriers, if any teachers also had. My study focused on two primary schools, one rural school serving villages in Lincolnshire with 100 pupils, and a large town school serving mainly a large council estate with 400 pupils. Research (Quote) suggests, that parent engagement is higher when a child is attending primary school, and this lowers as children enter the secondary sector. For purposes of my study I have not included this element due to size and time constraints. I have also not considered socio- economic background but I have found that this area has overlapped in much of my reading. However Cosin Hayle (1997) indicate that if a child has a parent who feels involved, and participates with their childs education, benefits will be seen regardless of background. Schools also have a part to play and Ofsted (2007) suggest that all schools value parental involvement but the best schools offer resourcefulness, flexibility and determination in their engagement with parents. In order to assess how schools encourage parents to be involved, evidence was collected through interviews with both Head-teachers of the schools. Class Teachers were also invited to take part in interviews; however of the eight teachers invited only two were interviewed with rest offering to complete a questionnaire. Time constraints were the general reason for this. Literature Review The importance of parental involvement It has long been recognised since the publication of the Plowden Report (1967) that the importance of Parental involvement in education brings lots of benefits to children. This term covers a wide range of issues but generally is defined as how a parent uses available resources with the intention of improving a childs learning. (Docking, 1997) This involvement may take place in or outside school. Parental involvement at home may include activities such as discussions with their child about school, helping with homework or reading, or working on tasks such as cooking, make and do projects or being part of the wider community and using the facilities that may be on offer. Involvement at school may be attending parents evenings, volunteering in the classroom, or helping with decision making, such as belonging to the PTA or on a higher level working within a Parent governor role. Studies have shown that children who have parents that take an active interest in their education benefit in a number of ways. These children are usually higher achievers (Ballantine, 1999; Docking, 1997 😉 attendance is higher, (Haynes, Comer, Hamilton-Lee, 1989), homework is readily completed (Rich,1988;) and self- esteem and confidence is high. (Hoover-Dempsey,1997; Walker,2000; Jones Reed, 2002). The Labour Government also recognised the importance of parental involvement, they emphasised that parents are active partners in the production of educated children (McNamara et al, 2000; p474). Excellence in Schools (DFEE, 1997) states that parents are a childs primary educators, and parents are key partners in the modern school system. Many initiatives have been aimed at parental involvement such as Sure-Start. The Barriers of Parental Involvement- Parents perceptions Parents beliefs and how they view education, can act as barriers to effective parental involvement. The way parents view their role in their childs education is crucial. Parents, who believe that their role is to ensure their child attends school, and the rest is up to the school, are often not willing to be actively involved in their childs schooling. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) reported that this attitude is more prevalent in some communities than others, but did not attribute low income as a factor. Clarke (1983) found that if pupils were high achievers, the parents supported their learning at home and interacted with school in a positive way. Clark found that parents of high achieving of pupils had a greater belief than other parents because they feel their help makes significant contributions. All the parents in Clarks research were from low economic backgrounds- this research would indicate that income is not a factor for lack of parental involvement. Hoover-Dempsey and S andler (1997) point out that parents who have low levels of belief in their ability to help their children are likely to have little contact with school because they feel that such involvement will not give positive outcomes for their children. There may be many reasons for the lack of confidence that parents may feel. Language barriers may lead to a parent feeling they cannot communicate effectively with teachers, or negative experiences through their own schooling can often be the problem. Parents may also take the view that their academic competence is not high enough to effectively help their children. This view is expressed more often as children progress from primary to secondary school and academic work becomes more advanced (Eccles and Harold, 1993.). All of the above views act as a barrier to Parental involvement, despite research that acknowledges support for a childs learning does not need a high level of education from parents. (Clark 1983; Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler 1997; Hornby 2000) Another barrier, which is important to involvement in their childs education, is the views parents hold about their childs intelligence. (Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler 1997) If parents hold the view that their child is intelligent through luck, they will not see the point of getting involved. Alternatively, parents who hold views that achievement and effort are linked and that this can be developed are more likely to be positive about parental involvement. This view can be linked with child rearing in general and parents who hold beliefs that the role of a parent is the way they bring up children that is very important, usually are considered to have positive views, and make considerable impact on their childs development overall (Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler 1997). Parental barriers may be due to circumstances, parents who left school early or felt they didnt succeed at school may be indifferent to helping their own child. They may be unconfident in their own knowledge and skills, theref ore unable to help with homework or school projects (Green et al, 2007). This attitude also may prevent parents working with teachers as they feel that they are not qualified enough. Other commitments such as work can also cause barriers. When parents are unemployed, money could be an issue as they may not be able to afford a car or to pay babysitters in order to get to school meetings. For parents with jobs it is often time constraints and the kind of jobs they have that cause issues. There is often less time to be involved at home or school, as parents maybe for example, too tired at the end of the day to help children with homework or have constructive discussions about their childs school day (Catsambis, 2001; Green et al. 2007). Finally socio-class, gender and ethnicity, can be seen as barriers to parental involvement, issues relating to differences may play a role and initiatives from Government have aimed to address this (Quote). Barriers- Teachers perceptions Barriers to parental involvement, is not just the responsibility of parents. Teachers also face hurdles that may prevent them having successful partnerships with parents. In order for parental involvement to be successful it is important to look at the role of teachers and their perspective of the partnership. Lazar Slostad, (1999) state that teachers who invest time in working with parents, experience more empowerment within their teaching, report that stress levels are reduced and feel their professional status and authority is appreciated. Additionally teachers reported that they felt the work they did with the children was greatly respected due to parental involvement (Hara and Burke, 1998). For many years teachers have been under the impression that parents do not value education or the job that teachers do. Ascher, 1988; Henderson, Marburger, Ooms,1986 report that many teachers find parents un-cooperative, when issues of discipline arise, and argue that contacting parents is often futile. Teachers fear that when contacted, parents maybe argumentative and hostile, and may have a misguided belief that the problem, if left alone, will not cause confrontations. However, this is the opposite of reality teachers who contact parents when they have a concern usually find parents co-operative and willing to work with the school (Johnson Webster, 1994). Another reason cited is that teachers do not appreciate or fail to understand the importance of parental involvement (Broderick Mastrilli, 1997; Greenwood Hickman, 1991; Hoover-Dempsey, Walker, Jones, Reed, 2002) in home- school links. Much literature on this subject (Hoover-Dempsey, Walker, Jones, Reed; Lazar Slostad, 199 9) discusses communication between home and school is often weak and home visits to really understand families would help to improve this. Parent teacher partnerships As discussed, in order for parental involvement to be effective, teachers and parents must have the same goals. Parental involvement must not just be seen as simplistic desire. Much of the literature that surrounds this area discusses opposing agendas and goals (Wolfendale, 1983; Epstien 2001). Government and schools goals towards parental involvement, maybe so they are accountable to communities, or to promote childrens achievements through league tables. Parents goals are more concerned with their childs happiness, how well they are doing in terms of school work. Montgomery (2009), points that barriers may occur when there is a conflict over ability. Children that are gifted and talented may not be viewed so by their teachers which then causes barriers through frustrations. Equally this may be seen when children are talented in a sport, or musically and do not attend school in order to pursue this. Rudney (2005) discusses teacher goals and states that the focus of teachers in paren tal involvement is through homework, providing a nurturing environment, parent meetings and reports, and attending school events. Parent-teacher meetings provide a good insight to how goals of teachers and parents may differ. Bastiani (1989) has suggested that teachers wish to discuss different things to parents, although both are concerned with the childs progress, their concerns are viewed in different perspectives which then create barriers for involvement later on. Aldeman (1992) discussing the impact of differing goals considers that home-school relationships are based on socialisation, where schools attempt to shape parents attitudes so they enable schooling. He further suggests that underlying agendas often have an impact on parental involvement if the goals are more about meeting the needs of schools rather than individuals. These differences can cause frustrations to both parties and limit parental involvement and partnership successes. Breaking down the barriers As discussed, researchers have identified several types of parental involvement. Epstien (1995) categorized this as parenting, communicating, volunteering, home learning, decision making, and working with the community. Although all of these categories have an impact on a childs learning, not all achieve academic success. The key to success is the relationship that is established between children and parents in the home. (Burns, 2000; Clark, 1983; Norton Nufeld, 2002). High expectations of a childs achievements and making education a priority should be of high importance if barriers are to be broken, (Brown, 1999; Kurdek, Fine, Sinclair, 1995;Muller,1993;Rosenzweig, 2000; Solo, 1997). Evidence is overwhelming that families, who set high expectations for their children, have a high academic success (Clark 1983). This also can been seen in the classroom, and teachers who set high expectations for the children they teach, are often seen as Outstanding (Ofsted,; ) Teachers should empha sise this importance when communicating with parents, and reassure them that their child can reach high levels of academic success (Hughes, 2003; Johnson, 1998). Secondly parents have to take an active role in learning at home (Becker Epstein, 1982; Dornbusch Ritter, 1988; Tizard, Schofeld, Hewison, 1982; Rosenzweig, 2000). Children who have well-structured routines at home do very well at school (Muller,1993). Teachers can help parents to actively get involved by offering specific strategies that parents can use to organise homework, discussions or their time in general. (Finn, 1998). Parents can provide materials or have an area where children can study, but it is critical that they show an interest in their childs school work. Discussions about school not only help parents monitor their childs activities, but more importantly they are showing their child that they care about their progress and what they do (Brown, 1999; Finn, 1998). Teachers can help parents to monitor progres s more readily if they provide parents with information such as homework policies that discuss the type, how much should be done, how it is marked. Parents generally welcome information such as this, as well as knowledge of the work their child will be doing over the school year (Loucks 1992). This type of information could be presented via school newsletters and many schools are using this method as part of parental involvement strategies. Lastly, parents and teachers need to emphasise the importance of effort over ability (Stevenson, 1983). Dweck (1986) noted that children who attribute success and failure to effort rather than ability gain satisfaction, will seek challenges and will overcome obstacles that they may face. Parents nor teachers cannot significantly change the ability of pupils, but they can have an important impact on encouragement of effort. Children who have parents and teachers that convey messages of success through effort are usually confident, self-efficient, and strive to be high achievers (Folwer Peterson, 1981). Researches (Darling Steinberg, 1993; Gonzalez, 2002; Robertson, 1997; Rosenzweig, 2000; Zellman Waterman, 1998) have identified a model of parenting, and have termed it as authoritative parenting. This model encompasses all the above points discussed. This model includes setting high expectations, providing emotional support, granting appropriate independence, setting limits, and most importantly acknowledgement of their childs perspectives of home and school. This model appears to be most conducive to academic success. Teachers should encourage parents to follow this model through discussions, helping to strengthen home-school relationships. In conclusion, the importance of parental involvement in a childs academic success is inarguable. The literature available clearly identifies the benefits of parent participation, outlines the obstacles facing parent and home relationships, and has made some suggestions in order for th e barriers to be broken down. It is an unfortunate fact that after much research over the decades some parents are still disengaged from their childs school life. In order to include all parents, the classroom teacher has a major role to play, and is the key to changing the level of parental participation. Teachers have the skills and strategies necessary for creating successful partnerships, with those who are so critical to a childs success in school, the parents. Methodology The participants of this study were parents of children who attended either school, or teachers, including heads, who are part of the school staff. Both schools offer a positive approach to parental involvement, with the rural school having an emphasis on homework. Both schools gave the researcher permission to carry out surveys through questionnaires, and semi structured interviews. Diaries were given to parents 5 from each school, after asking parents if they wished to participate. All participants were assured of confidentiality verbally, and it was made clear on paper-work which parents were required to fill in. A letter was sent to both Heads also seeking permission to conduct a small study. This is accordance to Ethical guidelines (Cohen, 2000; Woolley, 2010). Prior to the study taking place, a pilot questionnaire was emailed to 10 parents that had children. The questions asked, were based around my initial reading, and after receiving the responses, I realised that I had only focused on the broad issues of parental involvement, and therefore needed to change the questions in order to collect precise data to answer my question. Once I devised my questionnaire on agreement with both schools, parents were invited to take one and complete it and return back to school office. I had originally wanted to use a random selection processes using class lists, however after consideration I decided that as a cross-section of parents went into the school, on a daily basis so my data would still be valid. Each questionnaire had a standardised set of questions (talk about this not always getting the correct response and quote) Problems arose in the speed of responses, however all participants did respond and 30 completed questionnaires were returned from each school. The homework diaries gave me another set of complications, I wanted to assess the activities that enhance childrens learning and how parents achieved this, however, (talk about parents may lie to feel better, or feel they have to write something in fear of not looking like a good parent relate back to model in journal. The sample overall was not large enough to equate real findings to empirical research, however there has been some similarities which would concur with the evidence collected. Throughout my design and research I kept ethical issues at the front of my mind, this is critical in any research which is undertaken, to protect all who are involved. Analysis of Findings Conclusions and Recommendations