How Does Phonics Develop Early Reading?

How does phonics develop early reading and how should phonics be taught? The most important skill any child can leave primary school with is the ability to read independently and effectively for meaning. ’ (DFE National Literacy Strategy) Reading has become an integral part of our lives; within the world we live in today we rely heavily on information and environmental text. It is important that from an early age Children are immersed in books everyday.With parents reading short stories to there children daily it will be inevitable that those children will stand a better chance at becoming stronger fluent readers. However distractions at home can have a detrimental affect on children’s development in reading as parents may not have enough time to help this. Many subjects rely on access to texts and an holdup or absence in basic literacy skills will effect progress in these areas. Phonics is â€Å"a method of teaching people to read by correlating sounds with symbols in an alphabetic writing system. (Oxford Dictionaries) Phonics is not something new and has been used in schools to help children learn and read since the â€Å"mid nineteenth century† (Browne 2011, 27) Although it had become less significant within schools during 1950’s it has continued to appear in practice within schools since. Within this essay I will be looking into the role of Phonics within teaching children to read while also looking at the different phonic systems in place and choosing the most effective one.I will be talking about the theory I have learned as well as my experience in schools while on placement with my foundation two class. There are two methods of teaching phonics in the classroom both Synthetic Phonics and Analytical Phonics. I will be concentrating more on Synthetic Phonics as it is considered to be â€Å"the best method for teaching reading. † (DfE 2010, p11) Children are taught to read and spell during the same period. They are taugh t the individual correspondences between sounds that are known as phonemes and written letters, which are known as graphemes.An example of this would be h-a-t = hat. They can also use this technique to pull apart those sounds that would help with spelling of words. For example hat = h-a-t. (Rowlingson) Whereas Analytical phonics is the complete opposite as they will start with a whole word and analyse a part of it. â€Å"In English there are 44 sounds (Phonemes) which are written using 26 letters of the alphabet† (Browne 2011, p27) There are many more Graphemes than Phonemes with most phonemes being represented by a number of different graphemes. Synthetic phonics can be taught in many ways.The Primary Framework for Literacy (DfES, 2006a) gives a progressive plan on how to teach phonics. I found during my time with Foundation year 2’s the teacher I was working with concentrated on implementing four new letters every week as well as recapping what they had learnt from t he previous week. I asked her if it worked well and she certainly seemed to think so. Before she would be doing a new letter a day, although this would allow her to teach at a good pace she noticed the children were struggling to remember all the letters and sounds they would learn.Because of this she had to revise the way she was teaching the phonics to go at a pace the children were comfortable with. She revised her plan so that every day her children would recap over the letters they had previously been taught. I noticed that however much planning was in place that it was always best to go by how the children would cope and over time you will become familiar with the class you are working with and this will come naturally.Once the alphabetic code has been taught you will advance to more complex graphemes and simple consonant-vowel-consonant words to much more complex CVC words. This will give the children a good understanding of being able to read and write these. It also allows them to then combine what they have learnt from the sounds into whole words. This however doesn’t always work with all words that are known as ‘phonically irregular’ also known as ‘tricky words’ as they do not comply to the phonics rules that are being taught.An example of this will be l-i-g-h-t, which clearly won’t make much sense when viewed from a phonics point of view. These words will be learnt by rote, which is a memorizing process using repetition where the teacher feels appropriate based on how successful the child is at reading. By understanding these procedures of reading it is possible to decode entirely unfamiliar words. From my experience within my Foundation year two class I learnt that it was important to keep the phonics lessons short, with around thirty minutes a day dedicated to this.Some people may believe that because it was only a short period of time to cover phonics the lesson will be very restricted with the children ha ving to take in all the information they are being given by the teacher with no participation. While being on placement I witnessed first hand exactly what happens in the typical Phonics lesson; it would start with ‘Fast phonics first’ where the children would watch a musical animation of the alphabet being sang out with the children engaging and singing along.The lesson then covers what the children had learnt the previous week in a short recap while then covering the new letters. This can be done in many ways. The teacher often puts the new letter on the interactive board and plays magic finger which sees the children watch the letter being drawn in the air with her finger and gets the children to copy this and then write this down on there own individual whiteboards which keeps them involved.This way it allows the children to experience an engaging lesson that they will remember, its also important that the teacher recaps on the letters the following day so that the children will keep the letters in there minds much longer. Over my six weeks I saw that the lessons would get gradually harder which follows what The Primary Framework Literacy (DfES,2006a) plan states.The diagraphs such as consonant diagraphs where two consonants join together to produce a single sound the most popular being â€Å"ch† â€Å"sh† and â€Å"th† Vowel diagraphs can also be used such as â€Å"ai† â€Å"ea† and â€Å"oo† etc by using these as well as CVC words it will help with the children’s understanding and knowledge of reading. A structure is very important when teaching Phonics and in Jim Rose’s independent review of the teaching of early reading many people agree with this. The review itself was conducted during 2005 with Jim Rose publishing his discovery early the following year.He talks about how phonics should be taught at the age of 5 years from foundation until year 2 and beyond. It should be Systematic c arefully planned and progressive which fits well to my observations while on placement. It should also be taught discretely daily at a brisk pace with the main point being that children are learning to decode and encode print. The key point from this Rose review however is that â€Å"it is part of a broad, rich curriculum† Meaning it should be used in all areas of teaching the children and not something that is separate.Another scheme would be that of Michael Gove Secretary of state for education who stated â€Å"A solid foundation in reading is crucial to a child’s success as they progress through primary school, into secondary school and then in later life† (Michael Gove 2012) He talks about how expected reading levels of ages 7 and 11 are simply not achieving with the government are looking to raise the standard of reading in the early years of primary school, his idea is that he wants children to read to learn information rather than reading to learn to read . We are determined to raise literacy standards in our schools, especially of those not achieving the expected level – a light-touch phonics-based check will provide reassurance that children in Year 1 have learned this important skill, will enable us to pinpoint those who are struggling at an early age and will give them the help they need before it is too late. (Michael Gove 2012) Systematic Synthetic Phonics is an extremely valuable program that works effectively within the reading and writing of children’s lives however It should be used alongside other strategies such as analytical I briefly mentioned earlier this is because every child is different and just because something works well for one child doesn’t always mean it’s the same for every child. With other strategies it will help every child no matter what the ability maybe. By using more than one program, most topics will be covered that suit the child. â€Å"Phonic knowledge can be taught in many ways† (DfES,2006a). Word Count – 1490

Early Childhood Education Essay

He taonga te reo: Honouring te reo me ona tikanga1, the Maori language and culture, within early childhood education in Aotearoa2. Dr Jenny Ritchie, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Teacher Education, Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand Abstract This paper considers data from recent research which illustrates the ways in which tamariki (children), whanau (families) and educators are integrating the use of the Maori language within their everyday educational interactions, as mandated by the bilingual New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996). Languages reflect cultures, expressing our deeper meanings and representations. Inscribed within verbal and non-verbal languages are our ways of being, knowing and doing (Martin, 2008). Jeanette Rhedding-Jones has inquired in her Norwegian multicultural context as to â€Å"What kinds of constructions are the monocultural professionals creating for cross-cultural meetings and mergings? † (2001, p. 5). What follows is an exploration of strategies by which Maori ways of being, knowing and doing are being enacted through the medium of te reo in early childhood centres. Introduction Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), the first bicultural education curriculum in Aotearoa, reaffirmed a commitment already widely acknowledged across the early childhood education sector in this country, to Te Tiriti o Waitangi3, and the validation and inclusion of te reo me ona tikanga4 as an integrated component of early childhood education programmes. Te Whariki contains strong clear statements of expectations for educators in terms of enacting te reo Maori within their teaching: New Zealand is the home of Maori language and culture: curriculum in early childhood settings should promote te reo and nga tikanga Maori, making them visible and affirming their value for children from all cultural backgrounds. Adults working with children should demonstrate an understanding of the different iwi and the meaning of whanau and whanaungatanga5 (Ministry of Education, 1996, p. 42) The juxtaposition of the promotion of te reo and tikanga alongside whanau and whanaungatanga is insightful. Previous research had identified that as early childhood 1 2 Te reo is the Maori language, tikanga are Maori beliefs, values and cultural practices. Aotearoa is a Maori name for New Zealand. 3 Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and the British Crown, promised protections to Maori of their lands and taonga – everything of value to Maori , which includes their languages, beliefs, values and traditions. 4 Te reo is the Maori language and tikanga are Maori cultural practices. This phrase, literally, â€Å"the language and its cultural practices† demonstrates how intrinsically the language and culture are linked. 5 Iwi are tribes, whanau are families, and whanaungatanga is the building of relationships. 2 educators generate an environment reflective and inclusive of Maori values such as whanaungatanga, Maori families are more comfortable and become more involved within that early childhood setting (Ritchie, 2002). Te reo Maori has been severely jeopardised by the processes of colonisation. As Mere Skerrett has written: Maori ways of speaking were also colonised through the subjugation of te reo Maori, to be replaced by English. This, at times violent, process of colonisation caused a disruption in the intergenerational transmission of Maori language, Maori knowledge and, as a consequence, disrupted Maori lives and Maori societies. (2007, p. 7) Whanau Maori have consistently stated their preference that their children learn their language and culture within education contexts (AGB/McNair, 1992; M.Durie, 2001; Else, 1997; Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development, 1998) in affirmation of their identity as Maori, since â€Å"Te reo Maori serves as the medium through which symbolic and cultural components are properly united and Maoriness most appropriately expressed† (A. Durie, 1997, p. 152). Young children learn languages comparatively easily. Early childhood centres are a logical site for young children to have opportunities to learn te reo Maori, in naturalistic experiential ways, consistent with both early childhood and second language learning pedagogies (Cummins, 2001; Ritchie, 1994). This will only occur if we are able to provide them with a linguistically rich environment and authentic language models. It is reasonable that Maori parents might expect that their children will not acquire poor pronunciation of their own language from their educational experiences. Previous Research In 1999 as part of my doctoral research (Ritchie, 2002), I observed 13 different early childhood settings in the Waikato area (Ritchie, 1999). I noted that in most of the settings there was at least one staff member who attempted to use some Maori language. This was a stronger use of te reo than Pam Cubey observed in eight Wellington early childhood centres in 1992, when she reported that virtually no Maori language was heard (Cubey, 1992). During my observations, the most frequent usage of te reo Maori were ‘commands’, such as: â€Å"Haere mai ki te kai; E tu tamariki; E noho; Haere mai ki te whariki; Horoi o ringaringa†6. There were also instances of counting and naming colours in te reo Maori. Several staff repeatedly inserted single Maori nouns within some of their regular English sentences, for example, â€Å"Do you want some fruit? Some panana 6. Haere mai ki te kai – come and eat E tu tamariki – stand up children E noho- sit down Haere mai ki te whariki – come to the mat Horoi o ringaringa – wash your hands panana – banana aporo- apple taringa – ear(s) waha – mouth 3 or some aporo? Turn on your taringa, zip up your waha†. During my visits, eight of the 13 centres sang at least one song in te reo Maori, usually at structured mat-times, which were compulsory for all children. These teachers identified confidence and competence as barriers, because, as one teacher explained, â€Å"you feel like a real twit when it comes out wrong†. I was concerned that the available te reo Maori resources appeared to be under-utilised and that the range of language use was restricted to simple commands, the use of colour names and counting in Maori. This indicated reliance on a limited range of vocabulary, with little knowledge of Maori grammar. Teachers expressed their need for support and encouragement to broaden their ‘comfort zone’ beyond single words, to using complete and more complex phrases that represent linguistically authentic Maori structures. I suggested that teachers consider widening the range of formats in which they used Maori phrases. Recent data Whilst 6. 58% of registered early childhood teachers are Maori (Ministry of Education, 2007), only 1. 6% of New Zealanders of European ancestry speak Maori (Ministry of Social Development, 2007). Early childhood teachers’ use of te reo may seem encouraging in that 75% of Pakeha early childhood teachers said that they use some Maori whilst  teaching, yet 70% of these teachers reported themselves as speaking Maori â€Å"not very well† (Harkess, 2004, p. 12). In 2006 we reported on a two-year study7 with a range of participants, which included early childhood educators, an Iwi Education Initiative8, teacher educators, specialist educators and professional learning providers, co-exploring strategies for supporting the involvement of whanau Maori within early childhood settings other than Kohanga Reo9 (Ritchie & Rau, 2006). Using narrative (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990; Schulz, Schroeder, & Brody, 1997) and Kaupapa Maori (Bishop, 2005; Smith, 1999, 2005) research methodologies, we explored early childhood educators’ strategies for encouraging the participation of whanau Maori within early childhood education settings, and ways for implementing understandings of commitments derived from Te Tiriti o Waitangi as expressed in the bicultural early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, through the delivery of Tiriti-based programmes10. Participants in this study were those who were strongly committed to implementing Tiriti-based practice. Pedagogical enactment described in this study was consistent with 7 This project was funded through the Teaching Learning Research Initiative, a fund provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, and administered by NZCER. 8 We gratefully acknowledge the support and contribution of Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative to the Whakawhanaungatanga study. 9 Kohanga Reo are Maori-medium educational settings where young children are immersed in the Maori language and culture in a whanau-based context. 10 The term Tiriti-based practice is derived from a commitment to Te Tiriti oWaitangi, the treaty signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown, that legitimated the presence of immigrants, initially from Britain, alongside the tangata whenua, Maori, the indigenous people of this land. 4 a view of Maori language and cultural practices as being holistically and simultaneously performed. This enactment includes daily welcoming and spiritual rituals in te reo, and is inclusive of waiata11. This climate generated a sense of welcoming and safety for Maori families, which resulted in their increasing involvement in centre reo and tikanga implementation. An educator demonstrated how this whanau participation was integral within their early childhood centre programming: â€Å"In partnership with whanau we  introduce new waiata each term, and tikanga experiences, such as, hangi, powhiri, harakeke, [and] legends of the whanau, hapu12, and iwi attending the service. † Other Maori co-researchers within the Whakawhanaungatanga research project also identified aspects of Te Ao Maori13 that they would like to see reflected within early childhood education and care settings. They considered it important that Maori parents and whanau sense a match between their values and those of educational settings. They valued a sense of whanaungatanga generated and enacted within the early childhood centre, whereby tamariki and whanau, kuia and kaumatua, and other whanau members such as â€Å"Aunties† (Martin, 2007) participated as a collective, learning and teaching alongside the teachers and children, educators sharing responsibility and demonstrating willingness to identify and support the needs of all members of that collective. In this vision, te reo Maori is modelled and integrated throughout the programme, with support for adults to increase their own facility with the language alongside their children, and there is ongoing everyday enactment of tikanga such as: rituals of welcoming and farewell; sharing of kai14; a value of inclusiveness; reference to Te Ao Wairua15 and nga Atua16, and annual celebrations such as Matariki. 17 Children, in this view are exposed to te reo as part of the daily enactment of Maori beliefs, values and practices. Co-researchers in this project demonstrated a commitment to integrating te reo and tikanga within their centre practice, in ways that were meaningful and contextual for children and families. Working with natural materials, such as harakeke (flax), provided a source of learning of traditional knowledge, involving the planting and care of the flax bushes, weaving of rourou18, children observing alongside adults, connected to the land and its spiritual significance, as Ana, a Playcentre kaiako, described: So even though we had those harakeke within our centre boundary, in our lawn, we knew that the pa harakeke19 of that harakeke that we had, came 11 12 Waiata are songs. Hangi are feasts cooked in earth ovens, powhiri are greeting ceremonies, harakeke is flax, and hapu are sub-tribes 13 Te Ao Maori is the Maori world. 14 Kai is food 15 Te Ao Wairua is the spiritual dimension. 16 Nga Atua are supernatural beings, or gods. 17 Matariki is the constellation whose arrival announces the Maori New Year. 18 Rourou are flax food baskets. 19 Pa harakeke are flax bushes, often planted as a source of flax for weaving and rongoa (medicinal remedies), and also refers metaphorically to the nurturing by the wider family of the offspring, the younger shoots. 5 from a bigger picture. And all the natural resources on our little wagon inside, in the area of where they go and make pictures and glue things and make structures out of the driftwood and put their shells and tie their shells on and harakeke, they might have been just in the rourou baskets, but we knew and the tamariki knew they come from this bigger picture out there in the whenua20, because they had gone to get them. So we brought our big world reality and our spiritual world reality into the bounds of that centre. Pania, a Maori kindergarten teacher, spoke of her bilingual approach as being like a whariki,21 †¦where you get two strands and you build them together to make your little kete22 or your whariki of learning. And [implementing a bilingual approach] is a way that I can facilitate my programme that is non-threatening. It’s an option for the child – and the parent – whether they would like to do it, but it’s also another teaching technique and a resource and a learning strategy. Daisy, a Pakeha kindergarten teacher, actively researched aspects of tikanga that she was interested in integrating into her teaching: I wrote a story and what I wanted to do was encompass the tikanga aspects on collecting kai moana23. I wanted it to be something Pakeha could grasp, something simple, that was really clear and conveying the tikanga aspects because it’s not just about going down to the beach and picking up a few pipis24, its deeper than that, there’s a lot of kaupapa25 behind it. How did I know about all the tikanga? —I’ve never gone out collecting kai moana in my life? Research, korero26 with others more knowledgeable. As far as getting it to children it needs to be simple and straight-forward. The pipi story is focused on Tangaroa,27 the protocols around that. The tamariki seem to enjoy it, but in order to deepen their understanding, and extend the story, I set up the pipi hunt in the sandpit. So the story was a visual and a listening experience, whereas the pipi hunt was a tactile experience, so that then I think I would have managed to tap into every child’s way of learning. Daisy also involved whanau Maori of her centre in her planning, although she took primary responsibility for researching the reo and tikanga that was to be incorporated. Incorporating te reo and tikanga was more effective when educators were committed both individually and collectively to proactively integrating this within planning, teaching 20 Whenua is land. Whariki are woven flax mats. 22 A kete is a woven flax basket. 23 Kai moana are seafoods. 24 Pipi are cockles. 25 Kaupapa is philosophy. 26 Korero is talking. 27 Tangaroa is the Atua, supernatural being, or God, of the sea. 21 6 interactions, programme evaluation, and centre review. Many of the Pakeha coresearchers have worked hard over the years to increase their competence in te reo, and continue to do so, by taking courses. At Ariel’s childcare centre, all the teachers had attended a reo course offered in their local community. Penny, a kindergarten head teacher who was also studying te reo, explained that as her own confidence grew, and supported by her co-teacher, the quality of te reo within the centre programme continued to strengthen, as â€Å"the reo is fed in gently and quietly†. Respondents from the Hei Ara Kokiri Tuwaretoa Education Initiative data articulated aspirations for early childhood education services that envisioned all children as being supported to become biculturally and bilingually competent. The following example recognises the important role of early childhood services in offering quality models of te reo Maori: To be fully bicultural and therefore bilingual all children in Aotearoa/NZ should have the opportunity to learn to be fluent in Maori and English and develop understanding of both cultures’ world view. We need proficient Maori speaking teachers in all ECE learning environments. It is not enough to use Maori language in directives – information – acknowledgment contexts. We need to work towards providing environments where children can use the target language, be completely immersed in te reo Maori. We need to promote environments where the conscientization of language is constructed as normal to prevent dialogue being used by teachers to act on children. Teachers and children need to be using dialogue to work with each other – co-constructing. In order to reflect this, we need to provide environments rich in Maori language. We need proficient speaking Maori teachers! Regurgitating learnt phrases will not provide the opportunities for children to really conscientise their experiences, that is, thinking in Maori. Only a very high level of exposure in Maori will do that. Honouring the indigenous language and culture of this country remains an ongoing challenge for educators, particularly given the legacy of colonialistic arrogance that has limited access for many people, both Maori and non-Maori. Kaupapa Maori models are providing inspirational pedagogical models that honour te reo me ona tikanga (Skerrett, 2007). However, as the numbers of Maori children in education services other than kaupapa Maori remains high, the onus is on educators in these sectors to find strategies to provide Maori children and families with the language that is their birth-right and source of identity as affirmed by Article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child (1989), which requires that: In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of Indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is Indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. 7 Conclusion Maori continue to seek education provision that respects and honours their identity, including the linguistic affirmation of authentic models of te reo Maori (Robertson, Gunn, Lanumata, & Pryor, 2007). As early childhood educators seek to deliver on the expectations outlined in the early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), there remain many challenges, not the least of which is the lack of linguistic competence in te reo Maori of the vast majority of teachers (Harkess, 2004). Our research indicates that educators who are dedicated to an ongoing journey of reflexive praxis founded in a commitment to social justice and the promise of Tiriti-based partnership are generating early childhood programmes which respectfully reflect the Maori language and culture, and this in turn encourages the participation of whanau Maori in these services. References AGB/McNair. (1992). Survey of Demand for Bilingual and Immersion Education in Maori. A Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: AGB/McNair. Bishop, R. (2005). Freeing Ourselves from Neocolonial Domination in Research: A Kaupapa Maori Approach to Creating Knowledge. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 109-164). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Connelly, F. M., & Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry. Educational Researcher, 19(5), 2-14. Cubey, P. (1992). Responses to the Treaty of Waitangi in Early Childhood Care and Education. Unpublished M. Ed. Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington. Cummins, J. (Ed. ). (2001). Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Durie, A. (1997). Te Aka Matua. Keeping a Maori Identity. In P. Te Whaiti, M. McCarthy & A. Durie (Eds. ), Mai i Rangiatea. Maori Wellbeing and Development (pp. 142-162). Auckland: Auckland University Press with Bridget Williams Books. Durie, M. (2001). A Framework for Considering Maori Educational Advancement. Paper presented at the Hui Taumata Matauranga, Turangi/Taupo. Else, A. (1997). Maori Participation & Performance in Education. A Literature Review and Research Programme. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Harkess, C. (2004). Ethnicity in the Early Childhood Education Teacher-led Workforce. Demographic and Statistical Analysis Unit: Ministry of Education. 8 Martin, K. (2007). Making Tracks and Reconceptualising Aboriginal Early Childhood Education: An Aboriginal Australian Perspective. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 15-20. Martin, K. (2008). Please knock before you enter. Aboriginal regulation of Outsiders and the implications for researchers. Teneriffe: Post Pressed. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki. He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2007). Nga Haeata Matauranga. Education 2006/2007. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Annual Report on Maori Ministry of Social Development. (2007). The Social Report. Retrieved 30 July, 2008 from http://www. socialreport. msd. govt. nz/documents/sr07-cultural-identity. pdf Rhedding-Jones, J. (2001). Shifting Ethnicities: ‘Native informants’ and other theories from/for early childhood education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2(2), 135156. Ritchie, J. (1994). Literature Review on Pedagogy of Second Language Acquisition in Immersion Early Childhood Care and Education Settings Report to Te Puni Kokiri. Hamilton: University of Waikato. Ritchie, J. (1999). The Use of Te Reo Maori in Early Childhood Centres. Early Education, 20(Winter), 13-21. Ritchie, J. (2002). â€Å"It’s Becoming Part of Their Knowing†: A Study of Bicultural Development in an Early Childhood Teacher Education Setting in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Ritchie, J. , & Rau, C. (2006). Whakawhanaungatanga. Partnerships in bicultural development in early childhood education. Final Report from the Teaching & Learning Research Initiative Project. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. tlri. org. nz/pdfs/9207_finalreport. pdf Robertson, J. , Gunn, T. R. , Lanumata, T. , & Pryor, J. (2007). Parental decision making in relation to the use of Early Childhood Services. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington: Roy McKenzie Centre for the Study of Families & Ministry of Education. Schulz, R. , Schroeder, D. , & Brody, C. M. (1997). Collaborative narrative inquiry: fidelity and the ethics of caring in teacher research. Qualitative Studies in Education, 10(4), 473-485. Skerrett, M. (2007). Kia Tu Heipu: Languages frame, focus and colour our worlds. Childrenz Issues, 11(1), 6-14. 9 Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies. Research and Indigenous Peoples. London and Dunedin: Zed Books Ltd and University of Otago Press. Smith, L. T. (2005). On Tricky Ground: Researching the Native in the Age of Uncertainty. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds. ), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed. , pp. 85-107). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. (1998). Making Education Work for Maori. Report on Consultation. Wellington: Te Puni Kokiri/Ministry of Maori Development. United Nations. (1989). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from: http://www. cyf. govt. nz/432_442. htm.

Paper 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper 4 - Essay Example Regarded as one of the best rock climbers in the world, as of 2007 Chris Sharma had devoted the last nine years of his life to seeking the most challenging rock climb ever. Chris Sharma hails from Santacruz, California but spends less than a month there every year. You would most likely see this unassuming character poring over maps finding out about exotic locations in the most beautiful or remote parts of the world, where an almost impossible and near vertical rock surface awaits his assault. He is especially enthralled by rock formations overlooking the sea or even emerging out of them. Life is an unending journey of spontaneity where Chris feels at home in any part of the world, and the only thing that he lives for is the next best climb. Chris looks like he practices yoga and other eastern beliefs like transcendental meditation-because climbing begins from the inside, from the belief that you can do it. It takes a lot of training, practice and dedication. It is winning the battle from within and refusing to give up. As Chris Sharma says, sometimes a really challenging surface can take years to conquer. It took Chris the better part of four years t o develop and hone his skills and techniques before he realized that he could climb most surfaces with skill. Chris loves both bouldering- which is defined as climbing a short but difficult rock surface without ropes, and deep water soloing-which is defined as climbing a longer surface between 60 and 100 feet that has no safety net but water to cushion the fall. Chris maintains that climbing is an artistic pursuit that demands a lot of training and perfection. It helps you to be one with nature. Sport climbing on the other hand can be done in the safety of an indoor studio, with all the protection you need. Chris labels his challenges as projects. He looks carefully at the kind of surface he plans to climb, from the nature of the rock to the formation,

Critical and strategic understanding of Information Technology in UK's Essay

Critical and strategic understanding of Information Technology in UK's universities and improvement to this given service - Essay Example All these in turn results competitive services offered by the business or organization in comparison to the competitor (Gronroos, 2000). Effective service design requires developing the critical and strategic level understanding of the services required by the customers of the organization (Hollins & Hollins, 1991). Therefore, the aim of this report is to develop the comprehensive understanding of the service requirement of the customers of the universities of UK from its information technology based attendance monitoring system. The paper in specific reference to the literature review in the context of the service design will determine the service requirement from IT based student attendance monitoring system in the universities of UK. The paper has found that service design appears to have significant involvement in the universities’ attendance systems. It is despite fact that service organizations are less involved in integrating service design. Finally, the improvement rec ommendations are made for the university attendance system. LITERATURE REVIEW AND RELEVANCE TO THE IT IN UK UNIVERSITIES The service design, simply stating, is aimed at transforming the service that is provided to the customer more useful. The services that are delivered to the customer result in more effective, efficient, usable as well as desirable by the customer once are provided in accordance to the critically developed design (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry, 1988). Hence, the process and system that uses the strategic level considerations in devising the path through which the product or service are provided to the customer result in winning customer preference (Moritz, 2005). This win-win situation distinguishes the company’s product among large number of homogeneous products and services (DC, 2013). Herrmann, Huber, & Braunstein, (2000) have defined that service design is the domain that enable the organization to explore the potential strategic possibilities within their business model. Service designing uniquely offers the organization to present the new services by redesigning the pattern of the old service (Goldstein et al., 2002). Moritz (2005) and Salter and Tether (2006) state that as the difference between the product and service is quite evident; therefore, the system of designing and implementing service also requires considering different aspects. These features include considering the uniqueness of the customer requirement, expertise from all related and involved field and most important aspect that needs consideration is the on-going and constantly changing nature of services. Therefore, difference service design categories are determined by Moritz (2005) as depicted as follows: (Kytola and Pakkila, 2012) It is important to understand that companies are able to achieve the distinction only on the basis of the good service design. Therefore, good service design shall ensure that process is successful in deliberately designing the e xperience that customer of the company perceives more valuable. Also the factor that distinguishes a good service design from others is the similar level of valuable experience generated for the service

Crash character analysis of Graham quote as relates to Los Angeles Movie Review

Crash character analysis of Graham quote as relates to Los Angeles landscape(life) - Movie Review Example Because of his indifferent attitude towards life and eccentric nature, other characters such as his partner Ria and Flanagan cannot figure him out at first. Graham is a poor communicator because throughout the movie he often fails to communicate or does not attempt to do so at all; he hides his feelings, particularly because he is reserved and instead opts to remain silent than to share with people through communication. Graham strikes as a submissive character because he does not care to change things or to respond to situations in his life, but rather accepts them resignedly; for instance, he accepts his brother’s death and his mother disowns him almost as if they were expected ("Crash"). Graham has a strong personal drive for success through hard work, and he goes out of his way to take care of his mother and brother, even though they seem to be dragging him back. Graham is a very misunderstood character because most of the times, he chooses to keep his thoughts to himself and this is particularly because of his leaned helplessness; his selfless nature comes out clearly, when he chooses to let his mother think his brother put the groceries in the fridge. Graham’s most notable quote has effectively captures the real LA landscape because it is a place that deprives individuals the sense of touch, particularly because in any real city, people you walk, brush past each other, and even bump into each other sometimes unlike in LA where nobody touches you. According to Graham, LA inhibits human contact because people are always behind metal and glass, and they miss that touch so much, that they crash into each other, just so they can feel something ("Crash"). Graham’s quote is a true depiction of LA landmark that strongly impedes human contact, and the lack of human contact leads to confusion and misunderstandings between individuals, thereby leading to wrong conclusions being made concerning other people. Graham, for instance, is very distant from the people around him and worse still, he does not attempt to communicate his genuine feelings towards them because he chooses to reserve his thoughts to himself. It is the desperate need to feel something that causes individuals to often crash into each other because by doing so, they discover things they hardly knew about each other; at the end of the movie, most characters emerge as better people because they learn new things about themselves after crashing into each other. In conclusion, it is clear that Graham is not only an odd character, but also a thoroughly misunderstood character, particularly because of his inability to communicate his true feelings towards the people around him, and his self-reserved nature. Lack of human contact in LA City, unlike in normal cities where people come into contact on the streets, creates a high desire for touch, which impels individuals to crash into each other so they can feel something. Work Cited ‘

Personal Income Tax and Revenue Forecasting Assignment - 1

Personal Income Tax and Revenue Forecasting - Assignment Example The lower tax rates are expected to stimulate economic activity and to encourage business to move from the shadow to the official (taxpaying) economy, so some of the revenue loss will ultimately be recovered. The Ministry of Finance forecasts collections of 7,789,000 markka (MK) for 2001. Data on tax collections are reported on the following page. Based on the information provided, the ministry definitely needs to revise its 2001 forecast. This is because the pace of tax revenue being collected is not coinciding with its revenue forecasting, which is 7.8 million markka. Basically, at its best point, the tax revenue averaged about 1.2 million markka, at the end of 1999 and 2000. However, the data in 2001 shows a significant drop compared with the past three previous years when tax revenues were compared. This means that it will probably take about 20 more years or so until tax revenue reaches 7.8 million markka, because if it took 3 years to get to 1.2 million in revenue—one multiples 3 by 7 and one gets the number of approximately 21 years to create that amount of revenue. Of course, revenue could increase exponentially in years to come, thus making the target goal of 21 years achieved in a faster time period. However, the important point to remember is that there are several factors that go into how such data is arrived at in the first place. So, supposing that Vardar’s markka strengthens as time goes on and that more people are able to pay taxes due to the economy being stimulated and people being freed up to make more money—it is entirely possible that the economy will grow significantly before the 21-year window of economic growth is due. It depends on if people can get the jobs to provide for their families and support the economy. What factors might influence the patterns seen in the data include a variety of things. In former Soviet

Fall of late Qing dynasty- challenges from the West Essay

Fall of late Qing dynasty- challenges from the West - Essay Example These activities drew European countries that were exceedingly eager to connect with the wealthy China that ruled the continent and the seas. However, several factors arose in the 1800s that made the dynasty lose its global economic leadership. The country was hit by social turmoil, economic fracturing, and European imperialism. In this paper, I will outline the factors that made the Qing Empire collapse. Supremacy of the Qing Dynasty Qing dynasty was one of the greatest empires during the early-modern period. It existed at the same period with other empires such as Mugal Empire, ottoman, Austria-Hungary, and Russian empire (Ma, 30). The Qing Empire was the first to fall among the superior empires at the time. The empire was beset by a struggle between westerners and traditionalists during the nineteenth century. The modernizing party introduced nationalism in china as it did in Russia and Turkey. The party argued that imperialism was obsolete and obstructed the national sensibility of the majorities. The concept of nationalism had been drawn from the historical output, legal structure, and the educational system. Han Chinese, Mongols, Manchus, and Tibetans drew upon the imperial legacy to establish clear ideas of their language, religions, and aristocratic traditions (Ma, 31). This strengthened the nationalist idealism that championed for equal representation of the majority in the dynasty. This opened the avenue for encroachment by western countries. Imperial encroachment and nationalistic movements were significant in weakening the unity of the empire even before the Chinese revolt broke out in October 1911 (Ma, 35). The Qing Empire had suffered a dramatic loss of some of its territory to imperial powers. One of the losses was the Qing northern pacific coast that ceded to Russia through a treaty in 1860. The region is currently known as the Russian maritime province. Russia ceased another part of the Qing Empire in 1871 when it took over East Turkestan. Tibe t followed suit when it was invaded by Britain in 1904. Britain and Tibet signed a short lived treaty and Qing paid indemnity to Britain in 1906. This brought an international consensus that forbade Britain and Tibet from signing treaties directly. However, Britain continues with their support for Tibet nationalists, which led to the 1906 Tibet independence. Mongolia followed suit and became independent in 1921 putting an end to the Outer Mongolia region of the Qing Empire. China’s civil war in the nineteenth century is not sufficiently treated as modern warfare compared to the American civil war or the Indian rebellion of 1857 (Ma, 40). The Taiping war of 1850-1864 was the bloodiest conflict during the revolution and remains to be the bloodiest conflict in history. The war caused fatalities of between 25 to 40 million people and the majorities were civilians. There were months of siege war and starvation was used as a weapon on both sides. The Taiping created a base and a bu reaucratic government at Nanjing, an area that experienced the longest siege. Europe and America were attracted to the conflict due to the proclaimed Christianity by Taiping. However, the Qing Empire was economically stable, and western powers opted to support them against Taiping by providing military support. Contribution of foreign Nations Western powers sent troops and mercenaries to Qing Empire to suppress the Taiping. By 1860, several British

Female Entrepreneurs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Female Entrepreneurs - Essay Example The importance of women entrepreneurs has been greatly felt across the globe in the last decade. Interestingly, in developed countries, women own 25% of total businesses and are starting up new ones at a faster rate than men (Woldie and Adersua, 2004). In fact, besides making a contribution to the economy, women through their different management styles have been adding innovation, diversity, and choices to the business organizations they own. While studies done in the past have improved the understanding about female entrepreneurs, the issues which have not been addressed in-depth are – What are the management styles adopted by women and how do they affect or have an impact on various aspects of organizational performance.This paper, will, therefore, focus on the growing number of women entrepreneurs in the last decade, their management styles, the impact of their management strategies on the success of the organization and whether their style is different from their male cou nterparts or not.The purpose of this report is to provide information on this research topic which will be used as a basis for my third-year project for the BA Honours for a Business degree with a management minor at Croydon College. As a woman in business, I have spent over twelve years conversing and engaging in business activities with many other women and it has intrigued and inspired me to investigate, explore and examine a few of the variables that make a woman into a successful entrepreneur.... 1. Introduction The importance of women entrepreneurs has been greatly felt across the globe in the last decade. Interestingly, in developed countries, women own 25% of total businesses and are starting up new ones at a faster rate than men (Woldie and Adersua, 2004). Infact, besides making a contribution to the economy, women through their different management styles have been adding innovation, diversity and choices to the business organizations they own. While studies done in the past have improved the understanding about female entrepreneurs, the issues which have not been addressed in-depth are - What are the management styles adopted by women and how do they affect or have an impact on various aspects of organizational performance. This paper, will, therefore, focus on the growing number of women entrepreneurs in the last decade, their management styles, the impact of their management strategies on the success of the organization and whether their style is different from their male counterparts or not. The purpose of this report is to provide information on this research topic which will be used as a basis for my third year project for the BA Honours for Business degree with a management minor at Croydon College. As a woman in business I have spent over twelve years conversing and engaging in business activities with many other women and it has intrigued and inspired me to investigate, explore and examine a few of the variables that make a woman into a successful entrepreneur. As part of the research, I also want to investigate management styles to understand if there are any particular types of management styles which assist the women in becoming successful and how do they differ from management styles adopted by their male counterparts. I have personally

Traditional Strategic Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Traditional Strategic Planning - Essay Example This school was administered and spread by professional managers, people with MBA's staff experts (especially in finance and management) consultants & government controllers. Their intended message was to formalize. The message received by their intended listeners was to make a program and administer one. They belonged to the Prescriptive school category. Their theory states that a stitch in time saves time. Their failure was caused by their not supporting real time strategy making nor encourages creative accidents. c) Positioning school - This was founded by Sun Tzu in his literary work The Art of War. This school concentrated on economics or the industrial organization and the military history. This school was championed by consulting boutiques type of business and United States writers. They espouse the theory of analyzing things. The message that was received by their listeners was that they should calculate their every move and not concentrate on creating or committing. This the ory belonged also to the Prescriptive management school of thought. Their theory was to consider only the facts of in management decision making. Their shortfall was due to their strategy being reduced to generic positions that were selected thru formalized analysis of industry. d) The Entrepreneurial school was established by J A Schump and A H Cole with collaboration from other economics faculty. Their writings were based on economics. Their intended message was to envision the future but the listeners interpreted their teachings as to centralize and hope for the best. They belonged to the second type of school called the descriptive. Their theory was to take themselves to the leader. Their failure was due to the unclear vision and they depended too much on the leader to for decision making purpose. e) The Cognitive school was established by H A Simon and J March. Their base discipline was Psychology (cognitive). This school was preached by pessimists who are psychologically bent. Their intended message was to cope with any situation or create a solution. The message that got thru to the listeners was that worry was evident in all their actions. This school was described as Descriptive. Its saying goes I will see if when I believe it. Their failure was due to the too subjective approach to strategy formulation. f) The learning school was established by LIndbio, Cyert, March, Weick, Quinn, Prahlad & Hamel. There seems to be no base discipline in this school. Chaos theory in mathematics had started here. The movers of this school were people who loved to experiment, ambiguous and adaptable to many situations like in Japan and Scandinavia They are espousing that the prefer learning but the message that reaches the listeners seems to be the movers just want a play atmosphere to abound. Their school falls under Descriptive type. Their very famous line goes if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Their failure seems to be that their strategic management process seems to be chaotic or in trouble. Their teachings seem chaotic.g) The power school was established by Alison, Pfeffer, Salancik & Astley. Their base discipline is political science. They are moved by people who love power, politics and conspiracy. Their intended m

According To Criminal Justice Today Essay Example for Free

According To Criminal Justice Today Essay â€Å"Modern sentencing practices are influenced by five goals, which weave their way through widely disseminated professional and legal models, continuing public calls for sentencing reform.† The five goals of contemporary sentencing are Retribution, Incapacitation, Deterrence, Rehabilitation and Restoration. We are going to discuss what each goal means for sentencing criminals. Retribution a demand for punishment based on a need for vengeance. This is the earliest known rationale for punishment. Early cultures would punish almost every offender almost immediately and without a hearing. Severe penalties like death and exile where common forms of punishment even for minor offenses in early societies. The term just deserts means the offenders sentencing holds that the offenders deserve the punishment they receive at the hands of the law and the punishment should be appropriate with the type of crime. Incapacitation is the second goal of criminal sentencing and seeks to protect the innocent members of society from offenders who might harm them. Unlike retribution, incapacitation requires only restraint and not punishment like sending the offender to a correctional institution without imprisonment. The third example is deterrence. When you think of deterrence, it uses the example or threat of punishment that will convince people that committing crimes is not worth the penalty. Rehabilitation is the fourth example and brings about fundamental changes in offenders and their overall behavior. The ultimate goal of rehabilitation is to reduce the overall number of criminal offenses. Rehabilitation means to return a person to their previous condition. The final example is restoration. Restoration is a sentencing goal that seeks to address what damage was called by the offender that will make those who suffered whole again. This can range from victim’s assistance and/or supporting the victims with some form of compensations.

Black Identity In Bamboozled

Black Identity In Bamboozled African Americans have for a long time been represented in American cinema in discourses of white realism. With the emergence of black directors, there has been a struggle to detach the black community from the traditional, negative stereotypes attached to them. Bamboozled (Spike Lee, 2000) is a dark satire on race representation and assimilation and the ways in which the dominant hegemonic power structure is able to divide and rule those it subjugates. This paper will first explore the history of cinematic representation of African Americans, which will be discussed in line with the issue of misrepresentation in Bamboozled (2000). This paper will also explore African-American identity dilemma as presented in Bamboozled (2000). Introduction I want people to think about the power of images, not just in terms of race, but how imagery is used and what sort of social impact it has- how it influences how we talk, how we think, how we view one another. In particular, I want them to see how film and television have historically, from the birth of both mediums, produced and perpetuated distorted images. Film and television started out that way, and here we are, at the dawn of a new century, and a lot of that madness is still with us today. Spike Lee. The debates over race and representation of African Americans in films have been highly contentious for over a century. Blacks have generally been perceived and stigmatized, throughout history, as trouble makers, incapables, intellectually limited, inferior, lazy and irrational, amongst the many other demeaning labels attached to them. These labels are connected not only to the history of colonization but also, importantly, to the exploitation, perpetuation, and careful maintenance of stereotypes through cinematic clichà ©s which have imposed themselves easily and significantly on the popular imagination. As rightly stated by Wijdan Ali, the projection of harmful and negative stereotypes onto marginal or ineffectual groups within a society has always been an easy and useful method for making scapegoats.Effectively, films form the ideal space to circularize and preserve the labels which the mainstream audience desires to attach to the black community. Five decades of the Civil Rights Movement have gone by, and the degree of change in the black community, though undeniably real and noticeable, remains perplexingly complex and inadequate. Although the fact that we now live in a time in history where Americans have voted in a black President, where blacks now occupy positions of power and are ostensibly less subject to institutional discrimination than in the past, the black community nevertheless remains inadequately poor, unemployed, undereducated and negatively labeled. Adding to these, portrayals of African Americans in cinema are still, to a great extent, marked by buffoonery. Therefore, adopting a writing-back style in Bamboozled (2000), Spike Lee satirically attacks the way in which African Americans have historically been misused and misrepresented on screen. Through Bamboozled (2000), the director attempts both to entertain and to educate his audience about the history of African American representation within popular culture, with the word bamboozled itself indicating the state of having been cheated or conned. Bamboozled (2000) presents American mass entertainments history of racial discrimination through abasing minstrel stereotypes, which first started to be performed in musical theatres and which were later brought to cinema with films such as The Wooing and Wedding of a Coon (1905), The Sambo Series (1909- 1911) and D.W Griffiths controversial The Birth of a Nation( 1915). Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore African American evolution in the American film industry and to analyze the effects of stereotypes and misrepresentation o n African American identity using Cornel Wests theory of Alienation (1993) and Du Boiss theory of double consciousness (1903). These will hopefully in turn help to understand why the integration of African Americans is considered as a problematic issue even in a sophisticated era where racism seems to be a thing of the past, and where people are supposedly no longer judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. But before getting to what Bamboozled (2000) actually brings to the table of African-American films, it is important to look at the history and evolution of black representation in Hollywood cinema, which the following paragraphs are going to deal with. II. African Americans in American Films: A Brief Retrospective African Americans first started to be represented in minstrel shows in the late 1820s and later on television in the early 20th century. Through blackface minstrelsy, a performance style where white males parodied the songs, dances, clothing and speech patterns of Southern blacks using blackface makeup and exaggerated lips, Americas conceptions of blackness and whiteness were shaped by these mocking caricatures, for, as pointed out by bell hooks, there is power in looking. While whiteness was posited as the norm, every black face was a statement of social imperfection, inferiority, and mimicry that [was] placed in isolation with an absent whiteness as its ideal opposite. Consequently, for over a century, the notion that colored people were racially and socially inferior to whites was ingrained, internalized and accepted both by white and black minstrel performers and audiences. The caricatures took such a strong hold on the American imagination that audiences naturally came to expect any person with dark skin, irrespective of his/ her background, to fit in one or more of the following stereotypes; Jim Crow, a dull-witted and subservient plantation slave; Zip Coon, a lazy, gaudily-dressed man from the city representing the proud newly- freed slave; Mammy, the contended, happy, loyal and ever-smiling female slave (as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery,); Uncle Tom, the good Negro; submissive, hearty, faithful no matter what, stoic, selfless, and oh-so-very-kind, Buck, the proud and menacing Black man always fascinated by white women; Jezebel the temptress; the mixed race Mulatto, and Pickaninnies, who have bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips and wide mouths into which they stuff huge slices of watermelon. As time moved on, black appearance in mainstream films became more and more frequent, as well as the increase in the number of independent black directors, from Oscar Micheaux to Daniels Lee and Spike Lee. Since The Birth of a Nation, which marked a change in emphasis from the pretentious but harmless Jim Crow to the threatening savage Nigger, black filmmakers have responded by creating race movies and blaxploitation films which were tailored to black audiences . The 1970s witnessed a resurgence of the blaxploitation genre with films such as Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassss Song (1971), Shaft (1971), Black Caesar (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Since such films were themselves in turn accused of using the negative to hyperbolize issues pertaining to blacks, this genre saw its end in the late 1970s to give way to a new wave of black directors, such as S. Lee and John Singleton, who focused on black urban life. However, we cannot afford to simply celebrate the achievements of black filmmakers for the so-called ethnic arts. And as Stuart Hall remarks, we have come out of the age of innocence, which says that its good if its there. The mere fact that such films have had a considerable increase does not mean that the status of and opportunities for black people have dramatically improved although it may be true that the level of clear-cut racism has known an important decrease, or even a disappearance. This can be backed up by Appiahs statement that changes in the representation of blacks do not ipso facto lead to changes in their treatment. III. The Issue of Misrepresentation in Bamboozled (2000) In Bamboozled (2000), Spike Lee directly addresses this issue of African American representability as being a discourse of white essentialism. Through Bamboozled (2000) the director invites his audience to realize that although nobody goes around in blackface anymore,it does not entail that Hollywood has altogether abandoned/given up essentialist discourse. The director satirically uses very symbolic icons and elements throughout the film in order to highlight racism and misrepresentation. The beginning of Bamboozled (2000) itself generates the intended theme; Stevie Wonders Misrepresented People, a song which encapsulates the historical, political and social adversities faced by blacks, is carefully and cleverly set as the background music, which powerfully and heavily impacts upon the content of the film as well as upon the audience. Spike Lee makes it blatantly clear that Bamboozled (2000) sets out to illustrate White American ideology and discourse within contemporary public sphere. Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans), the protagonist of the film, is a network executive working in a company which is specialized in black matters. Ironically though, during the meeting in which Delacroix is reproached for his lateness and reminded of CP time, it can be noticed that the only Black person present is Pierre himself. His boss, Dunwitty, clearly does not want to see Negroes on television unless they are buffoons. He even cancelled one of Pierres brilliant shows because it starred blacks as dignified people and goes on to complain that the latters written materials are too clean, too white, too antiseptic, which according to him merely portray white people with blackfaces. He urges Delacroix to keep it real, that is, he reminds him of the humiliating position of blacks in cinema; blacks are only entertainers. The depiction of the struggle endemic to the African American experience of representation, which Lee throws to the audience in a very obvious yet complex way, can be seen in Extract 1. It can be observed in this scene that Delacroix has no other option than to portray blacks as entertainers if he is to respect his contract. This scene is also important because it does two things; first, it shows Delacroixs struggle to promote the black community by attempting to fight misrepresentation, and second, it shows a well-educated Delacroixs willingness to dissociate himself from other African Americans. The name of the blackface show in Bamboozled (2000) is in itself very symbolic; Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show. Here, Lee suggests that minstrelsy has not disappeared in the new millennium. In his-own words therefore, it has only gotten more sophisticated. Gangsta rap videos, a lot of the TV shows on UPN and WB- a lot of us are still acting as buffoons and coons. The issue of black-white relations resurfaces in Bamboozled (2000) and the role of the Other is made explicit through Lees intended message. Black stereotyping and Otherisation becomes the necessary evil in the construction of white identity and is needed to reassure white audiences of the stability of their identity. With this comes the implication that black films are successfully marketed only if they appeal to mainstream audiences. Clearly, Spike Lees aim in this provocative film is to show that even today, the American film industry is still concealing essentialist discourses within contemporary films. Consequ ently, as essentialism involves ongoing human and social interaction as well as limitation, identity regulation and enforcement takes place within this kind of racist discourse, whereby blacks have to undergo identity dilemma while trying to seek approval. As we have seen, cinema has an important role to play in the construction of identity. History, cinema and black identity are intricately intertwined. The association of these three in Bamboozled (2000) communicates to the audience how blacks are identified and how they in turn identify themselves. As a marginalized group, most of the black characters in Spike Lees film forsake their identity so as to gain approval, to be successful, or to get out of black poverty and the result is shown to be a disastrous one for the black soul and community. The next section is therefore going to be an exploration of identity dilemma in Bamboozled (2000). IV. Identity Dilemma in Bamboozled (2000) I have heard all my life that White people dont have to change who they are, how they talk, or how they behave. Therefore, I was left with the impression that it was everyone elses responsibility to attempt to adopt the cultural and social personalities of White people. Ronald, L Jackson. In order to tackle this issue of identity in Bamboozled (2000) Cornel Wests theory of alienation(1993) will be used in parallel to DuBois theory of double-consciousness (1903) .Wests theory of alienation (1993) explores the identity crisis faced by the black diasporan community in modern day America. Natal alienation, which has been created by the history of colonization, is an irretrievable damage to black identity. Since the Black is rendered into an inferior being through history and representation, and this inferiority further reinforced by both descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes in cinema, blacks as a result experience a severe identity dilemma, a double consciousness. Alienation in Wests theory exists on two intricately related levels: firstly as an ideological system of oppression and discrimination and secondly as a black existentialist struggle. In Bamboozled (2000), this powerful system of oppression forces the black characters to forsake their black soul and identities. Unlike Delacroix, Womack (Tommy Davidson) and Manray (Savion Glover), two homeless street performers, are forced by their unfavorable economic conditions to become de-rooted and senseless performing dolls. Both are stripped of their names and imposed with the abasing and stereotypically racist names of SleepnEat and Mantan respectively. Alienation here produces the modern black diasporan problematic of invisibility and namelessness, whereby Womack and Manray are forced to look at themselves through the eyes of others, of measuring [their] soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. Impelled by societal and survival pressures, both of them are forced to assimilate in order to be accepted by the white community as well as by the assimilated black people. It becomes clear that David Llorenss (1968) two types of blacks are present in Bamboozled (2000). Delacroix and Sloan represent the chosen ones while Manray and Womack represent the fellah. The former is familiar with the streets and the black vernacular, while the latter is culturally refined has assimilated into the white community. Alienation and white essentialist discourse creates such a situation where the chosen one feels embarrassed by the fellah and seeks at all times to show that they are two different kinds, and to please the Guardian, that is, the white man. Manray and Womack are, through the eyes of Sloan ( Jada Pinkett Smith) and Pierre, African Americans who share similar traits to the primitive African. Delacroix points this out by looking down on them and recommending that they be given deodorant s, toothbrushes, toothpastes and underwear. He also attempts without success to dissociate himself from the fellah black category by desperately explaining to Dunwitty that blacks are not a monolithic group, and that middle class black does exist. These words are representative of the African American communitys desire not to be identified only through blackness. For Dunwitty, Delacroix is only trying to wear a whiteface, which is not a mere fabrication or a mere racist comment. Dunwittys words carry an important truth. We see from the beginning of the film, that Delacroix eagerly and desperately seeks recognition and visibility from his white co-workers when he walks his way to his office. He also rejects the black vernacular for Standard English so as to make a clear cut difference between the educated and the uneducated black. This, to an important extent, reifies the superiority of whites and serves to alienate blacks in American society, as, according to West (1993), alienation is part of a whole system of language. Once a cultures language is alienated from the mainstream populations language, the cultures identity is similarly taken away and starts to dissipate. Delacroix himself unconsciously embodies several of the blackface stereotypes, although he tries to portray blacks in a positive light. He can be viewed as a Zip Coon, with his pretentiousness and his implicit disregard for the fellah blacks during the auditioning for the Alabama Porch Monkeys, and his dissociation from the black vernacular. Furthermore, he embodies the Uncle Tom stereotype several times in the film, especially in the scene where he acts as the loyal, faithful and subservient black while insisting on handing off an award to Mathhew Modine (playing himself.) Delacroix is therefore himself caught in this whirlwind of Europeanization. In his relentless effort to assimilate into white culture, he gets himself a Harvard education and a penthouse, dresses professionally, and speaks the right language. Even when he sets out on his mission to deconstruct stereotypes and raise public awareness on modern day racism, he is himself unable to resist the misrepresentation and cari cature of the terms set by uncontested nonblack norms and models. Delacroix therefore also contributes both consciously and unconsciously to the dominant discourse of alienation of blacks from the white community by setting up a Coon show which idealizes a simpler time, a time when men were men, women were women, and Negroes knew their place. Some black folks are consequently outraged by his racist show and accuse him of selling out his own community. But what has actually happened to Pierre Delacroix is that he has been experiencing the split-self- disease, what Du Bois calls a twoness an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body. Aware of the fact that the popular American view has consistently dehumanized African Americans through negative representation, Delacroix does not want to be among those blacks who are despised by the European American population. He does not want to be invisible and formless. Therefore h e aspires to be both Negro and American, two identities, which, according to Du Bois (1903) are often in conflict. Delacroixs wearing of the blackface by the end of the film iterates the inescapability of the imposed mask of blackness. Realizing that he is unable to appear as anything but black in the eyes of others, he compromises with his black self and resigns himself to the mask. What Lee is actually showing is that in modern day America, and even for sophisticated and well- off black Americans, the merging of the American and the African is one very difficult (if not impossible) thing to happen. The impact of stereotypes and alienation on black identity causes one to have a keen sense of awareness about his or her various selves and how they are perceived. Often, blacks in Bamboozled (2000) have to negotiate their identity. Through this act, they inevitably reach a self-realization of twoness. Womack for instance realizes that he will always be looked down upon as a second-class American citizen, no matter how famous and successful he has become. He becomes conscious of the fact the he had been bamboozled insofar as believing that he could be an equal citizen. His success lies only in the fact that he is able to entertain white America, to always keep em laughing, a quality which Delacroixs father Junebug (Paul Mooney) believes is essential for the black American to achieve success. As shown in Extract 2 therefore, when Womack experiences double consciousness, he decides to stop acting in the minstrel show. This scene is significant in that it highlights the self-realization which is made possible only through a double-consciousness. Womack at this particular moment realizes that outside of the character of Sleepn Eat, he is simply invisible, a nobody. Through the eyes of others there is no other possible identity for him. Mantans own identity grows in conflict with that of Womack following this conversation; clearly he is still unaware of the complexities of the disjointed nature of identity in this scene. A few scenes later however, he also becomes afflicted by the same double consciousness experienced by his friend. In Extract 3, after discovering that he has been hoodwinked and led astray, Manray refuses to be further associated to Mantan. He realizes that it is fundamentally wrong to negotiate his identity through the medium of blackface. Although Lee might be suggesting that Manrays realization occurs at too late a time, his message clearly goes in line with Du Boiss (1903) argument that double consciousness is the realization that identity is mu ltifaceted. According to him, at one point or the other, black Americans develop a conflict with the different identities that they need to embody in order to be accepted by the mainstream, a conflict which is inexistent among white Americans. On the other hand, Sloans brother, Julius, who forms part of the Mau Mau revolutionary underground gang and who does not go through double consciousness because of his refusal to be seen through white Americas eyes, is juxtaposed to the blacks who try to assimilate white culture, thereby denying their own roots, language, people, and culture. Julius constantly affirms his black identity, unlike the other blacks we encounter in the film. Extract 4 shows how he refuses to be a representative of de-rooted, disenfranchised blacks. In the perspective of revolutionary blacks such as the Mau Maus therefore, Manray needs to be executed because he is a nuisance to the black community; he is a Judas, an Uncle Tom, one who contributes to the demise of his own race. The murders of Manray and Delacroix show to what extent alienation and double-consciousness can be detrimental to African Americans. They create inter-ethnic conflict and a heavy malaise in the black community. Alienation as an ideol ogical racist discourse therefore divides and rules those who are marginalized in a society that looks on in amused contempt and pity. Through the Mau Mau gang, it can be seen that those who accept and affirm their black identities are ineffective in society. They are in no way in a better state of being than those who experience double-consciousness. Since they do not master the mainstream language and do not believe in the ideological discourses of the inferiority of their race, they are forced to retire to the underground world. The fact that the imposition of history and alienation results in double consciousness in many cases in Bamboozled (2000) is destructive to all. Accepting white essentialism as culturally representable not only creates a fatal division between assimilated and un- assimilated blacks; it also kills the spirit of the black man. V. Conclusion Although the situations and the characters in Lees Bamboozled (2000) are all fictitious, and although the director does not choose the medium of docudrama to convey his important messages, he manages to successfully reconstruct blackface minstrelsy. African Americans have been freed, but only physically. There has been neither a consistent attempt to make up for the mistakes of humanity of the past nor to reshape identities. His argument in Bamboozled (2000) is that the identity dilemmas faced by the characters in the film are no different from the identity issues faced by African Americans in post-racial America. Although blacks do not find themselves as being represented in blackface or as victims of blatant segregation anymore, they are nevertheless always reminded of their blackness, and of what it implies to be a black in America. Whether Lee is genuinely successful in renegotiating a stigmatized identity or in deconstructing stereotypes by dismantling the false normativity of w hite authority remains highly debatable. On the one side, his use of satire and his engagement with the history of racism and representation impact heavily on the audience. However, the frustrating ending of Bamboozled (2000), as well as the inter- ethnic conflict between the revolutionary and the assimilated blacks, display a contaminating and intense sense of helplessness and hopelessness in regards to humanitys chances to ever get rid of the veil which separates whites and blacks in America, as well as in any other parts of the world. Lees message, considering his role as an auteur, seems to reflect Du Boiss words that the black man must not bleach his soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that [his] blood has a message for the world.

Crusades :: Crusades Research Papers

Crusades The chapter on The Crusades gives the proper dates of the Holy War, yet does not discuss in detail the information it has. The text is watered down for the grade level and it is written from a Western European viewpoint. A viewpoint that never discusses the feelings and motives of those who were being attacked. The chapter emphasizes the Christian's motives for starting The Crusades as a way to defend their territories and to "free the Holy Land from the Muslim infidels" (Armento, 296). The text never discusses the underlying reasons such as "the ambition of princes' to carve a principality in the far East, [the] interest of Italian towns to acquire the products of the far East more directly and cheaply, and thousands [of people's] hope of acquiring [spiritual enlightenment]" (Barker, 11) by participating in The Crusades. Many of the leaders wanted to be known and many of the people were interested of the spices, silks and luxury items that could be found only in the Far East. The Holy Wars were meant to "reestablish the Roman Catholic Christianity in the Eastern Mediterranean basin, [but] The Crusades [were in reality] wars of European expansion" (Bentley, 474). Not only did believers feel that the Holy Land must be returned to them but in the process other territories would be conquered i n the name of the Roman Catholic Christianity. The text refers to the Crusades as "eight wars Europeans fought to free the Holy Land from the Muslims"(Armento, 296) and only communicates the Western European viewpoint. No other viewpoint is brought into the text to show both sides of the story. The text does not inform the reader about the Crusades as "eight wars the Muslims fought to defend Jerusalem." In Across the Centuries, Saladin is given power as ruler by the caliph. According to Elizabeth Hallam, "[Saladin] abolished the Fatimid caliphate and brought Egypt under the rule of the powerful sultan, [and when Nur ad-Din and his son died], Saladin made himself uncontested ruler of a unified Muslim Levant"(156). The information of how Saladin rose to power came incorrect from the lesson. There is not much said in the lesson about Saladin and none of his background is mentioned in the text. Once again the only the Western European viewpoint is portrayed to the readers. Not only is the text based only on the Western European viewpoint, but also omits information.

Human Cloning is Playing God :: Clone Clones

Human cloning is it ethical? I think that human cloning should be banned. The president's stand on human cloning is the same, he believes that all forms of cloning should be banned. Sure cloning has its benefits, but it is not our job to "play God." Human cloning is unethical there are also health risks, emotional risks, risks of abuse of the technology, and over population which leads to global warming. Human cloning is immoral, we know little about it which makes it dangerous with lots of risks. First of all there are health risks, which is the biggest disadvantage with human cloning. People who agree with human cloning agree with it because of the benefits that could do on people?s health, but they should consider the health risks. There are miscarriage deaths, deaths seen after birth, tissue rejection and abnormalities. 10 out of 12 cloned mice born apparently healthy at birth lived less than 800 days. Source: Scotsman ?To subject human beings to cloning is not taking an unknown risk, it's knowingly harming people,? Kilner said. Large percentage of cloning efforts end in failure, it took hundreds of attempts to clone Dolly. ?No human life should be exploded or extinguish for the benefit for another? President Bush. Due to large percentages of animal cloning ending in failure and the lack of understanding about human cloning, many scientists and physicians strongly believe that it would be unethical to attempt to clone humans. Emotional pressures on a teenager trying to establish his or her identity is also a concern. How will a child be able to distinguish between her mother, and her sister? For example baby Eve was born by caesarian section in Miami on Thursday, weighs 3.1kg and is the exact genetic duplicate of her 31-year-old US mother, according to Clonaid head Brigitte Boisselier. If a father sees his wife's clone grow up into the exact replica of the individual he fell in love with, would a sexual relationship with his wife's twin be wrong? How would they feel if they knew they were a replacement for another? Cloning denies an individual to their own identity. Cloning simply re-creates the genes of the person, not their memories or personality. It is not easy to lose one loved one, but the thought of losing several would be unethical. Third there are the risks of abuse of the technology. If cloning is not ban and becomes legal people are going to want to clone celebrities, inventors, and athletes from the past.

New Deal :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Franklin Roosevelt’s â€Å"optimism and activism that helped restore the badly shaken confidence of the nation† (pg. 467 Out of Many), was addressed in the New Deal, developed to bring about reform to the American standard of living and its low economy. It did not only make an impact during the Great Depression. Although, many of the problems addressed in the New Deal might have been solved, those with the long lasting effect provide enough evidence to illustrate how great a success the role of the New Deal played out in America’s history to make it what it is today. Although, the growth of business was booming and consumption was extremely high during the 1920’s employers failed to equally distribute the benefits to its industrial workers who got the short end of the stick and did not see any profit from productivity. Since there was no law at the time established on how many hours a person was to work and get paid, employers would overwork and underpay the laborers. This became a major problem because it brought about high unemployment rates, which for laborers, the shortage of jobs meant strong competition among each other for finding and keeping a job, and low wages, which brought down consumption. Several of the policies created to specifically help the jobless during that time were, Emergency Relief Appropriations Act (1935) run by the Public Works Administration (PWA), designed for the construction of public building, roads, dams and other projects. Federal Project No. 1, also run by PWA, gave jobs to writers, musicians, and artist. â€Å"The idea was to provide jobs and thus, stimulate the economy through increased consumer spending†. (pg 469 Out of Many)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most benefited policies created through the New Deal for employment, one, the Social Security Act (1935), provides â€Å"old-aged pensions and unemployment insurance. A payroll tax on workers and their employers were created a fund from which retirees received monthly pensions after age sixty-five.† (pg 470 Out of Many) Second, National Labor Relations Act (1935), also known as the Wagner Act, gave Americans the right to form a union and bargain with their employers for better pay and working conditions. Third, and the most important one of all Fair Labor Standard Act (1938), it established a minimum wage and maximum hours for an employee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roosevelt’s first order of business as President was to put a halt on the banking system. Congress passed the Emergency Bank Act, which gave him leeway to all banking transactions and foreign exchange.

Children and Domestic Violence Essay

Family or domestic violence can have tragic consequences on all those involved. However, children exposed to domestic violence are often the most negatively affected by domestic violence and they frequently show symptoms of psychological and emotional trauma. It is estimated that at least one in every three women have been or will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime (http://therapistfinder.net /Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Furthermore, physical violence is estimated to occur in four to six million intimate relationships every year in the United States (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). It is next to impossible to get totally accurate rates on domestic violence because many cases go unreported due to inconsistency in police reports, inconsistency in what is defined as domestic violence, and general lack of police intervention (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Dome stic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). It is estimated that women make up three-fourths of the victims of homicide by an intimate partner; in all actuality, 33% of all women who are murdered are murdered by a current or former boyfriend or husband (http://therapistfinder.net /Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). In addition, black women, women aged 16 to 24, and women of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be abused by a partner than all other races, ages, and social classes of women (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Since many of the women who are victims of abuse have children, the children often witness their mothers suffering terrible forms of abuse. In addition, it is estimated that between 53% and 70% of male batterers also frequently abuse their children, which increases the child’s involvement in the abusive situation and subsequent negative effects (Volpe, 1996). The consequences of this are staggering. The negative effects are infinite and often include academic problems, agitation and anxiety, behavioral problems, clinginess, depression, distractibility, emotional numbing, extreme fear, flashbacks, feelings of guilt and not belonging, insomnia, irritability, low levels of empathy, low self-esteem, nightmares, obsessive behaviors, phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety, bereavement, aggressiveness, revenge seeking, suicidal behavior, truancy, withdrawal, feelings of vulnerability and helplessness, and displaced violence (Volpe, 1996, Warner & Weist, 1996, and http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). These effects vary from one child to another based on the child’s intellectual development, interpersonal skills, self-esteem, self-efficacy, talents, religious affiliations, socioeconomic status, opportunities in school and employment, and social support (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violen ce-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Moreover, many children in these situations are forced to grow up faster than most children their age and become responsible for taking care of younger siblings and domestic responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning, which dramatically interferes with their chances of having an otherwise normal childhood (http://therapistfinder.net/ Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Also, since many women who are victims of domestic violence suffer from depression, preoccupation with the violence, emotional withdrawal, irritability, and other psychological stress, their children lack a positive, responsive role model and are often emotionally and physically neglected (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). These mothers are emotionally unavailable and chronically stressed, which makes them unable to fulfill their child’s needs (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/ Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Additionally, children often develop distrust for their fathers or other males who are abusing their mothers; especially because abusive males tend to be less affectionate, less available, and less rational when dealing with children, which increases overall levels of stress on children and often results in the child’s sense of heightened alert when around the male batterer (Volpe, 1996 and http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Children, as well as their mothers, are also more likely to be isolated from friends and family in an effort to conceal the abuse (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Many of the underlying causes of the symptoms children experience as a result of witnessing domestic violence are primary emotional responses. These responses include anger, rage, misery, terror, guilt, responsibility for the violence, fear of dying, and fear of abandonment or parental death (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). The expression of these emotions can take many forms. Often, children will exhibit psychosomatic problems, eating and sleeping disturbances, stifled emotional and social development, and severe emotional disturbances (Margolin & Gordis, 2000). In a 1999 study from Johns Hopkins, it was reported that abused women are at higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths, and are more likely to give birth to low weight babies (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). In addition, children of abused women were more likely to be malnourished and have recurring cases of untreated diarrhea and were less likely to have been immunized against childhood diseases (http://therapistfinder.net/Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is caused by an â€Å"exposure to events that are so extreme and life threatening, that they demand extraordinary coping efforts. Such events are often unpredictable and uncontrollable. They overwhelm a person’s sense of safety and security† (Volpe, 1996, p. 2). PTSD, which used to only be thought of as a disease that affects war veterans, has now been found to exist in many children that have been exposed to severe violence (Volpe, 1996). PTSD can be classified in two ways, Type I and Type II PTSD (Volpe, 1996). Type I is characterized by exposure to one single, short-term event such as rape, assault, etc.; Type II is characterized by prolonged or repeated exposure, such as chronic victimization through child abuse (mostly sexual and physical) or battering (experienced or witnessed) (Volpe, 1996). Type II PTSD is often more traumatic and has a greater impact on functioning (Volpe, 1996). PTSD involves patterns of avoidance and hyperarousal, interpersonal and academic/occupational problems, and persistent re-experiencing of the event(s) (Volpe, 1996). PTSD emotional responses include shock, terror, guilt, horror, irritability, anxiety, hostility, and depression; cognitive responses include concentration impairment, confusion, self-blame, intrusive thoughts, low self-efficacy, fear of losing control, and fear of reoccurrence of the trauma; biological responses include sleep disturbance, nightmares, exaggerated startle responses, and psychosomatic symptoms and; behavioral responses include avoidance, social withdrawal, interpersonal stress, decreased intimacy and trust, and substance abuse (Volpe, 1996). Over half of children in domestic violence shelters exhibit PTSD symptoms; if left untreated, these children are at risk for delinquency, substance abuse, dropping out of school, and relationship difficulties of their own (Volpe, 1996). The reaction to domestic violence varies from young childhood to adolescence. Young children typically think that the violence is their fault and may exhibit this feeling through withdrawal, becoming non-verbal or regressing verbally, regression in clinging, whining, toileting, and overall immaturity, eating and sleeping difficulty, concentration problems, generalized anxiety, and physical complaints (http://therapistfinder.net /Domestic-Violence/Domestic-Violence-Crisis-Hotlines.html). â€Å"Exposure to trauma, especially family violence, interferes with a child’s normal development of trust and later exploratory behaviors, which lead to the development of autonomy† (Volpe, 1996). Pre-adolescent and adolescent children typically respond differently than younger children. Children at these ages have a greater ability to verbalize their negative emotions; in addition to many of the symptoms younger children show, children within this age group often loose interest in social activities, withdraw or avoid peer relations because of embarrassment of their home lives, develop rebellious and defiant attitudes, fight and lash out, abuse pets, and attempt to gain attention through hitting, kicking, or choking peers or family members (Volpe, 1996).

Data of an employee from the Human Resources Department

A manager of a company can obtain the biographical data of an employee from the Human Resources Department of the company. The Human Resources Department is the one responsible of holding and filing all the related information about an employee of the company such that the file of the employee’s biographical data. The biographical data of an employee is all about his name and personal information about the employee. Age, sex, gender and race maybe included to the biographical data.Ethnic heritage, sexual preference and other related data can also be found on the employee’s biographical data. Weight, height, color of eyes, marital status and number of children are also part of the biographical data. Qualities, strengths and weaknesses of the employee is also being included in the biographical data in order for the employee to let the company hiring him to know his qualities that will match the specified job.In order for the manager to get a compatible ability-job fit, se veral steps could be undertaken. The first step that could be done by the manager in order to get an ability-job fit in is to perform the selection process. A simple analysis of the job will present information about the jobs being done in the company and the required abilities the applicants should possess in order to do the effectively.The manager could make an interview to the applicant, then the applicant may take an examination and the manager could be able to evaluate the applicants according to the abilities they possess for the job. After the selection and evaluation of the applicants who are fitted for the job specified, the next vital step is to make an analysis regarding promotion of the employees already in the company and accepting the applicants who are fitted with the job currently done by the employees.Assessing of the abilities of the new employees is essential in order to match the required abilities of the human resources of the company. Fit can be enhanced by job modifications such that the modifications will help the employees develop specific talents. To complete the ability-job fit in, the final option is to give trainings to the new employees (Robbins, 2007).

System Architecture

We suspect that the real reason is the lack of a comprehensive, hysteretic and unifying approach to architectural design that makes the patterns In some sense comparable. Acquirement specification into a working software and hardware system and, hence, could be seen as â€Å"programming-in-the-very-large†. Since it is an accepted doctrine that mistakes when caught in the early stages are much cheaper to correct than when discovered in the late stages, good architectural system design could be of enormous economical potential. The purpose of this paper is to take a first step in the direction of a methodology for architectural design. Or in other words, we submit that architectural design should allow a methodology and not intuition, I. E. Should be treated as a science and not as an art. In order not to become overly ambitious, and to stay within the confines of a conference paper, we will limit ourselves to information systems as the synthesis of data base and data communicat ion systems, with more emphasis on the former. 2 2. 1 Services Services and resources Since we claim that architectural design is the first step in a process that turns a requirements specification into a working software and hardware system, an essential ingredient of the design method is a uniform and rigorous requirements specification.Requirements is something imposed by an outside wow RL. For information systems the outside world are the business processes in some real-world organization such as industry, government, education, financial institutions, for which they provide the informational support. Figure 1 illustrates the basic idea. The counterpart of business processes in an information system are informational processes. Business processes proceed in a linear (as in Figure 1) or non-linear order of steps, and so do the informational processes.To meet its obligations, each step draws on a number of resources. Resources are infrastructural means that are not died to any par ticular process or business but support a broad spectrum of these and can be shared, perhaps concurrently, by a large number of processes. In an information system the resources are informational in nature. Because of their central role, resources must be managed properly to achieve the desired system goals of economy, scale, capacity and timeliness.Therefore, access to each resource is through a resource manager. In the remainder we use the term information systems in the narrower sense of a collection of informational resources and their managers. What qualifies as a resource depends on the scope of a process. For example, in decision processes the resources may be computational such as statistical packages, data warehouses or data mining algorithms. These may in turn draw on more generic resources such as database systems and data communication systems.Business Informational process 1 Process step 1 Resource manager 1 Process step 2 Process step 3 Resource manager 2 Process step 4 Resource manager 3 Process step 5 Resource manager 4 process 2 Figure 1 Business processes, informational processes and resources What is of interest from an outside perspective is the kind of support a resource may provide. Abstractly speaking, a resource may be characterized by its competence . Competence manifests itself as the range of tasks that the resource manager is capable of performing.The range of tasks is referred to as a service. In this view, a resource manager is referred to as a service provider (or server for short) and each subsystem that makes use of a resource manager as a service client (or client for short). 2. 2 Service characteristics The relationship between a client and a server is governed by a service level characteristics of the services it provides. From the viewpoint of the client the server as to meet certain obligations or responsibilities. The responsibilities can be broadly classified into two categories.The first category is service functionalit y and covers the collection of functions available to a client and given by their syntactical interfaces (signatures) and their semantic effects. The semantic effects often reflect the interrelationships between the functions due to a shared state. Functionality is what a client basically is interested in. The second category covers the qualities of service. These are non-functional properties that are nonetheless considered essential for the usefulness of a server to client. 2. Service qualities To make the discussion more targeted, we study what technical equal ties of service we come to expect from an information system. Ubiquity. In general, an information system includes a large – in the Internet even unbounded – number of service providers. Access to services should be unrestricted in time and space, that is, anytime between any places. Ubiquity of information services makes data communication an indispensable part of information systems. Durability. Information services have not only to do with deriving new information from older information but also act as a kind of business memory.Access to older information in the form of stored data must remain possible at any time into an unlimited future, unless and until the data is explicitly overwritten. Durability of information makes database management a second indispensable ingredient of information systems. Interpretability. In an information system, data is exchanged across both, space due to ubiquity and time due to durability. Data carries information, but it is not information by itself. To exchange information, the sender has to encode its information as data, and the receiver reconstructs the information by interpreting the data.Any exchange should ensure, to the extent possible, that the interpretations of sender and receiver agree, that is, that meaning is preserved in space and time. This requires some common conventions, e. G. , a formal framework for interpretation. Because informa tion systems and their environment usually are only loosely coupled, the formal framework can only reflect something like a best effort. Best-effort interpretability is often called (semantic) consistency. Robustness. The service must remain reliable, I. E. Guarantee its functionality and qualities to any client, under all circumstances, be they errors, disruptions, failures, incursions, interferences. Robustness must always be founded on a failure model. There may be different models for different causes. For example, a service function must reach a defined state in case of failure (failure resilience), service functions muss t only interact in predefined ways if they access the same resource (conflict resilience), and the effect of a function must not be lost once the function came to a Security.Services must remain trustworthy, that is, show no effects beyond the guaranteed functionality and qualities, and include only the predetermined clients, n the face of failures, errors or malicious attacks. Performance. Services must be rendered with adequate technical performance at given cost. From a client's perspective the performance manifests itself as the response time. From a whole community of clients the performance is measured as throughput. Scalability. Modern information systems are open systems in the number of both, clients and servers.Services must not deteriorate in functionality and qualities in the face of a continuous growth of service requests from clients or other servers. 3 Service hierarchies 3. 1 Divide-and-conquer Given a requirements specification in terms of service functionality and qualities on the one hand and a set of available basic, e. G. , physical resources from which to construct them on the other hand, architectural design is about solving the complex task of bridging the gap between the two.The time -proven method for doing so is divide-and conquer which recursively derives from a given task a set of more limited tasks that can be combined to realize the original task. However, this is little more than an abstract principle that still leaves open the strategy that governs the decomposition. Higher-level responsibility arrive functionality qualities composition: assemble higher-level responsibility decomposition: divide higher-level lower-level responsibilities Figure 2 Divide-and-conquer for services We look for a strategy that is well-suited to our service philosophy.Among the various strategies covered in [Est.] the one to fit the service philosophy best is the assignment of responsibilities. In decomposing a larger task new smaller tasks are defined, that circumscribe narrower responsibilities within the original responsibility (Figure 2). If we follow Section 2. 2, a responsibility no matter what its range is always fined in terms of a service functionality and a set of service qualities. Hence, the decomposition results in a hierarchy of responsibilities, I. E. Services, starting from the semantically richest though least detailed service at the root and progressing downwards to ever narrower but more detailed services. The inner nodes of the hierarchy can be interpreted as resource managers that act as both, service providers and service clients. 3. 2 Design hypothesis All we know at this point is that decomposition follows a strategy of dividing responsibilities for services. Services encompass functionality and a large number of laity-of-service (So) parameters. This opens up a large design space at each step.A design method deserves its name only if we impose a certain discipline that restricts the design space at each step. The challenge now is to find a discipline that both, explains common existing architectural patterns, and systematically constructs new patterns if novel requirements arise. We claim that the service perspective has remained largely unexplored so that any discipline based on it is as yet little more than a design hypothesis. Our method divides each step from one level to the next into three parts. Functional decomposition. This is the traditional approach.We consider service functionality a a primary s criterion for decomposition. Since the original service requirements reflect the needs of the business world, the natural inclination is to use a pure top-down or stepwise must decide whether, and if so how, the functionality should be further broken up into a set of less powerful obligations and corresponding service functionalities to which some tasks can be delegated, and how these are to be combined to obtain the original functionality. However, the closer we come to the basic resources the more hose will restrict our freedom of design.Consequently, at some point we may have to reverse the direction and use stepwise composition to construct a more powerful functionality from simpler functionalities. Propagation of service qualities. Consider two successive levels in the hierarchy and an assignment of So- parameters to the higher- level service, we now determine which service qualities should be taken care of by the services on the upper and lower levels. Three options exist for each quality. Under exclusive control the higher-level service takes sole responsibility, I. E. , does not propagate the quality any further.Under partial control it shares the responsibility with some lower-level service, I. E. , passes some So aspects along. Under complete delegation the higher-level service ignores the quality altogether and entirely passes it further down to a lower-level service. For partial control or complete delegation our hope is that the various qualities passed down are orthogonal and hence can be assigned to separate and largely independent resource managers. Priority of service qualities. Among the service qualities under exclusive or partial control, choose one as the primary quality and refine the decomposition.Our hope is that the remaining qualities exert no or only minor influences on this level, I. E. , are orthogonal to the primary quality and thus can be taken care of separately. Clearly, there are interdependencies between the three parts so that we should expect to iterate through them. 4 4. 1 Testing the design hypothesis Classical 5-layer architecture Even though it is difficult to discern from the complex architecture of today's relational DB'S, most of them started out with an architecture that took as its reference the well-published 5-layer architecture of System R [Sass, Chic].Up to hose days the architecture is still the backbone of academic courses in database system implementation (see, e. G. , [HERR]). As a first test we examine whether our design hypothesis could retroactively explain this (centralized) architecture. 4. 1. 1 Priority on performance We assume that the DB'S offers all the service qualities of Section 2. 3 safe ubiquity, the relational data model in its SQL appearance. As noted in Section 2. 3, durability is the raisin d' ©tree for DB'S. Durabil ity is first of all a quality that must be guaranteed on the level of physical resources, by non- volatile storage.Let's assume that durability is delegated all the way down to this level. Even after decades durability is still served almost exclusively by magnetic disk storage. If we use processor speed as the yardstick, the overwhelming bottleneck, by six orders of magnitude, is access latency, which is composed of the movement of the mechanical access mechanism for reaching a cylinder and the rotational delay until the desired data block appears under the read/write head. Consequently, performance dwarfs all other service qualities in importance on the lowest level.Considering the size of the bottleneck and the fact that performance is also an issue or the clients, it seems to make sense to work from the hypothesis that performance is the highest-priority quality across the entire hierarchy to be constructed. 4. 1 . 2 Playing off functionality versus performance Since we ignore f or the time being all service qualities except performance, our design hypothesis becomes somewhat simplified: There is a single top-priority quality, and because it pervades the entire hierarchy it is implemented by partial control.The challenge, then, is to find for each level a suitable benchmark against which to evaluate performance. Such a benchmark is given by an access profile, that is a sequence of operations that reflects, e. G. , average behavior or high-priority requests. We refer to such a benchmark as data staging. More expressive data model data staging data model Id wider usage context access profile resource manager I less expressive narrower Figure 3 Balancing functionality and performance on a level Consequently, our main objective on each level is determining a balance of functionality and data staging.As Figure 3 illustrates, the balancing takes account of a tandem of knowledge. On the way down we move from more to less expressive data models and at the same time from a wider context, I. E. More global knowledge of prospective data usage, to a narrower context with more localized knowledge of data usage. The higher we are in the hierarchy, the earlier can we predict the need for a data element. Design for performance, then, means to put the predictions to good use. Based on these abstractions we are indeed able to explain the classical architecture. We start with the root whose functionality is given by the relational model and SQL. The logical database structure in the form of relations is imposed by the clients. We also assume an access profile in terms of a history of operations on the logical database. We compress the access profile into an access density that expresses the probability of Joint use of data elements within a given time interval. The topmost resource manager can now use the access density to rearrange the data elements into sets of Jointly accessible elements.It then takes account of performance by translating queries aga inst the relational database to those against the rearranged, internal database. The data model on this internal level could very well still be relational. But since we have to move to a less expressive data model, we leave only he structure relational but employ duple operators rather than set operators. Consequently, the topmost resource manager also implements the relational operators by programs on sets of tepees.What is missing from the access density is the dynamics – which operations are applied to which data elements and in which order. Therefore, for the next lower level we compress the access profile into an access pattern that reflects the frequency and temporal distribution of the operations on data elements. There is a large number of so-called physical data structures tailored to different patterns – or combined associative and sequential access. The resource manager on this level accounts for performance by assigning suitable physical structures to the s ets of the internal data model.The data model on the next lower level provides a library of physical data structures together with the operators for accessing them. It is not all clear how to continue from here on downwards because we have extracted all we could from the access profile. Hence we elect to change direction and start from the bottom. Given the storage devices we use physical file management as provided by operating systems. We choose a block-oriented file organization because it makes the least assumptions about subsequent use of the data and offers a homogeneous view on all devices.We use parameter settings to influence performance. The parameters concern, among others, file size and dynamic growth, block size, block placement, block addressing (virtual or physical). To lay the foundation for data staging we would like to control physical proximity: adjacent block numbering should be equivalent to minimal latency on sequential, or (in case of RAID) parallel access. Th e data model is defined by classical file management functions. The next upper level recognizes the fact that on the higher levels data staging is in terms of sets of records.It introduces its own version of sets, namely segments. These are defined on pages with a size equal to block size. Performance is controlled by the strategy that places pages in blocks. Particularly critical to performance is the assumption that record size is much lower than page size so that a page contains a fairly large number of records. Hence, under the best of circumstances a page transfer into main memory results in the transfer of a large number of Jointly used cords. Buffer management gives shared records a much better chance to survive in main memory.The data model on this level is terms of sets of pages and operators on these. This leaves Just the gap to be closed between sets of records as they manifest themselves in the physical data structures, and sets of pages. Given a page, all records on the page can be accessed with main memory speed. Since each data structure reflects a particular pattern of record operations, we translate the pattern into a strategy for placing Jointly used records on the same page (record clustering). The physical data resource manager places or retrieves records on or from pages, respectively.