Studies in Professionalism in Education & Training

I am currently employed in the post 16 training sector as a tutor on the ‘entry to employment’ programme (e2e). The e2e programme is designed to be flexible and individual, with the aim of equipping young people with the necessary skills to become independent; self-motivated; informed and empowered to take control of their own lives. Learners work towards realistic but challenging targets that lead to progression onto suitable training or employment opportunities. There are 3 basic strands to the e2e programme; basic and key skills (literacy, numeracy, communication etc†¦); personal and social development and vocational development.The programme is tailored to suit the individual needs of a variety of young people who are engaged on it. All learners are aged between 16 and 18 years and are not participating in any form of post 16 learning, or in any form of employment. The programme itself is not qualification driven. However, opportunities for the achievement of ce rtificates are available throughout the course. There is no set time limit for the e2e programme ensuring that learners can work at a pace suited to their skills, needs and circumstances – learners can spend as little or as long (within reason) on the programme in order to successfully achieve their goals.The strand I teach is vocational development. This incorporates training sessions such as CV building; interview techniques; job searching and sustaining employment. Learning is individualised, thus meeting the needs across a range of age and ability. Professionalism to me is exceeding the standards as set by various government offices and ensuring that the service young people access at my organisation is a quality one. Further education has received its share of criticism over the last century and this has been reflected in the salaries of the tutors in this sector as opposed to those in the compulsory education sector.To me being a professional is about attitude, behaviou r, self presentation and having a commitment to improvement. How we conduct ourselves in our roles is paramount to earning the respect and appreciation of our fellow workers, managers and indeed the people accessing the services we offer. The learners that access our service are usually low level (below entry 1) and many lack motivation to learn. As the National Foundation for Educational Research conducted research on participants taking part in e2e, â€Å"Around one-third of young people interviewed reported negative school experiences.These related to problems with other students, negative relationships with teachers, lack of achievement and the perceived irrelevance of what they were taught. Many had been expelled from school or had excluded themselves. † (http://www. nfer. ac. uk/research-areas/pims-data/summaries/eet-entry-to-employment. cfm This gives some indication of the difficulties facing tutors in this sector and it is my belief that conducting a programme that r eflects school will only serve to discourage learners from accessing this course.Therefore, although we must be professional, we must also offer something different to the curriculum offered in compulsory education. Thus it is important to consider Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs. The main points being; physical comfort, safety and shelter, love and belonging, self-esteem leading to self-actualisation. Further education in the UK has seen many changes during the last 10 years. Concerns were raised by the government that Further Education was not producing a skilled enough workforce in line with international standards, impacting upon Britain’s economical viability.Other EU countries were seen to be producing a much higher skilled and trained workforce. The belief was that a cause of this was a lack of suitably qualified teaching staff in FE. This propelled the notion that all teaching and training staff working in the FE sector should be qualified to th e standard set by mainstream schools. It was thought that by doing this, standards of the UK workforce would be raised. In 1999 FENTO (Further Education National Training Organisation) was launched. They were responsible for identifying needs within the FE sector.In 2000 FENTO proposed a set of standards, which addressed wider issues of professional development and considered a new teaching qualifications network. These standards consisted of three main elements: Professional knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes and key areas of teaching. In 2005 Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) was formed to manage the reform of teacher training. All FE teachers now have to register with the Institute for Learning (IfL) which is part of LLUK, and monitors training and records sector training needs.Since initial reforms, teaching standards in FE have further developed and progressed. In March 2006 the White Paper ‘Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances' highlighted further needs to develop a much more highly skilled workforce. It states, â€Å"This is a huge challenge, because there are some deep-seated and long-standing weaknesses in our national skills. We have put in place major reform programmes for 14-19 year olds and adult skills, backed by substantial investment.Those reforms are bringing about real progress. But there is a long way to go to raise skills and qualification levels for young people and adults to world standards† (White Paper ‘Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances', 2006). It also goes on to say that FE establishments are central to achieving world standards in the UK workforce, but are currently not realising their full potential in being the driving force behind skills.The paper paints a grim picture in terms of skills levels of the UK in comparison to other developed countries, and with the Leitch report highlighting the skills need for 2020, it is clear that reform is necessary for the U K to compete in the global economic market. The economic mission is at the core of the proposals, with the focus of the FE sector to be equipping young people and adults with the skills and competences that meet the needs of employers. The proposals laid out in this white paper were implemented in the Further Education and Training Act 2007.Reforms such as the above have a resounding impact on organisations such as mine. We have to ensure that the government’s vision and targets for the future are embraced and taken forward in the most effective possible way, thus demanding that we, as FE employees, are professional in all aspects of our work. So how do we as an organisation ensure the commitment and quality of service that is expected by our government? Firstly it is imperative that we have systems in place that effectively transmit information to staff.Accurate and relevant information and communication are vital in order to transmit and effectively implement plans that wil l uphold the government’s wishes in regards proposals for FE. My organisation has a quality improvement department which continually monitors the performance of the company against standards set out by agencies such as the Office for Standards in Education (ofsted), Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and many more.FE establishments are now subject to inspection by ofsted of which their aim is toâ€Å"inspect and regulate to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages† (www. ofsted. gov. uk). This department is crucial for the continuation of improvements within educational settings. Although misinterpreted by many as ‘harrowing’ and ‘stressful’, the inspection process that this agency conducts is the platform for which FE providers need to build their provision.Ofsted inspections are designed to aid improvement in services, raise aspirations and assist in the achievement of higher standards within educational settings. The quality improvement team in my organisation follow the Common Inspection Framework as dictated by ofsted. This ensures we are providing the services and meeting the standards set by the government. In order to ascertain that teaching staff are in line with this framework, regular lesson observations take place by competent staff. By carrying out these observations, staff are able to use the feedback to continually improve their practice.It is also expected of teaching staff to self evaluate and reflect upon every lesson they teach. This is a key part of professionalism within teaching. I will discuss in more detail later in this essay the values and importance of reflection. The quality improvement team are also responsible for official documentation used by all staff. These are regularly reviewed and updated and communicated to all staff. This ensures that all staff are using the same doc uments and helps create seamless processes that are followed by all.As well as ofsted there are many other agencies that regulate the delivery of FE in the UK. One of these is the QCA. As a provider that delivers qualifications in a variety of subjects the QCA is an important source of information. The QCA maintain and develop the National Curriculum and accredit qualifications to appropriate levels in order to meet the needs of learners, employers and the economy. As we deliver accredited qualifications it is crucial that we follow the guidelines set out by the QCA to ensure we are teaching the correct knowledge and skills that learners need to achieve the standards set.We also have to adhere to awarding bodies such as Edexcel and City & Guilds who provide the qualifications which we deliver. As well as organisational procedures and external influences, it is crucially important that we, as teachers strive to continually improve our practice by self reflection. â€Å"Reflective Pr actice is a process of reviewing an experience from practice in order to describe, analyse and evaluate and so informs learning from practice† (Reece and Walker, 2006 p421). This involves using a selection of the models identified during the course of this programme.Donald Schon (1983) identified 2 sub categories of reflection, reflection on action and reflection in action. Reflection in action is often described as ‘thinking on ones feet’; this is done during the course of action and is one that I have had to use many times during the course of my career. Reflection on action occurs after the actual action and gives professionals the opportunity to develop theories and create knowledge. â€Å"Individuals, supported by others, constantly frame and reframe a problem, test it and reach solutions† (Schon, 1983).Another model of reflective practice is one proposed by David Boud. In the introduction to Understanding Learning from Experience, David Boud et al (19 93), present five propositions of experiential learning, the first of which is; experience is the foundation of and the stimulus for learning. â€Å"Learning always relates in one way or another, to what has gone before. There is never a clean slate on which to begin; unless new ideas and new experience link to previous experience, they exist as abstractions, isolated and without meaning† (Boud et al, 1993, p8).Building on previous learning and relating new learning concepts and topics to past experience has been essential in my teaching practice. Linking new experiences to past ones to create new meanings and insights in extremely constructive in reflective practice. â€Å"We attach our own meanings to events. While others may attempt to impose their meanings on us, we ultimately define our own experience. † (Boud et al, 1993, p10) Another important model of reflective practice is Jack Mezirow’s. His emphasis is on disorientating dilemmas, which he believed can be a slow transition rather than a sudden insight.Mezirow believes that, â€Å"learning is different when we learn to perform than when we understand what is being communicated to us. † (Mezirow, 1990) The belief is that questioning and reflective nature results in an altered and more beneficial learning process. â€Å"In reflective practice, practitioners engage in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners† (Brookfield, 1995) The diagram below illustrates Brookfields perspective of reflective practice.Reflecting upon my practice is something I need to be doing continuously to constantly develop in my role. This reflective process is an essential part of teaching, as Kolb’s Four Stage Model of Learning, demonstrates. Reid (1993) states â€Å"Reflective Practice is a process of reviewing an experience from practice in order to describe, analyse and evaluate and so informs learning from practice† (Reece and Walker, 2006 p421). Reflective practice is a vital part of teaching. Effective practice is a beneficial aspect of continuous professional development and without it progression in teaching would be extremely limited.By gaining a better understanding of their own individual teaching styles through reflective practice, teachers can improve their effectiveness in the classroom and strive to achieve the vision as set out by the government, as previously mentioned, for Further Education. Reflection of Learning – CertEd: During the 2 years I have undertaken learning on the CertEd course, I have learnt many underpinning theories that were previously unknown to me. Although I have worked in the industry for 8 years and learnt from experience and reflection, I have been unaware of the background as to why we do what we do and the reasons for it.It began with the first module which was preparation for teaching. In this mo dule we covered learning theories, learning styles, planning effective lessons, presentation of lessons and factors influencing learning. Before I began the module, I believed I had a sound understanding of the teaching process; however I discovered many more vital and useful tools that I now apply when delivering training sessions. Kolb’s theory was something that I was unaware of before this module. Learning theories was also a topic that I had very little knowledge on. This proved to be one of the most useful sections of this module.I did practice the different approaches beforehand but was unaware of the theories behind them. Now I am aware I believe I use them much more effectively in my day to day role and my planning of sessions. The next module was ‘Developing Personal Skills’, and I found this extremely useful. It enabled me to concentrate my efforts upon areas of my career that were not as strong as some of the others. By doing this I was able to improv e my performance at work a great deal. It was good to have agreed learning contract beforehand as this gave me a schedule to work towards.It was more beneficial negotiating with the tutor, what I wanted to develop, instead of being told what to work towards. In â€Å"Learner managed learning† Graves (1993) states the role of the learning contract in higher education takes on board the concept of our individual learning styles. It gives students the freedom to learn in a way they feel comfortable with. It has long been established that adult learners learn in different ways, and that they are self directing and defined in their experience, with the onus and effectiveness of this learning process primarily, on the learner.Upon reflection, I learnt much from this module, both my IT and networking skills have been improved, and this has had a positive impact on my job role. I feel much more comfortable using IT in teaching now than I did before, especially power point presentatio ns which I have used in a few sessions since my online tutorial. However I still have far more to learn, especially in IT as it is a fast changing concept that is constantly introducing new equipment and technologies into society and indeed teaching.The module on assessment was also beneficial as before this assessment was something that I did without really thinking of the underpinning theories to it. This module made me change my practice by ensuring assessment was valid, reliable and relevant and also prompted me to give more feedback to my learners and document this. The module of learning on curriculum studies was again one that developed my understanding of the subject. Designing a curriculum was a valuable learning experience for me and although a successful one, I have seen many opportunities for improvement along the way.In summary, teaching and learning is an ever changing industry and constant evaluation is necessary for the process to be continually successful and for on going improvement to take place. I found that the autonomy I was given helped tremendously as I was able to decide for myself what course of study the students would follow. Obviously I had to account for external influences such as the criteria of the awarding body and contractual requirements from the LSC, but nevertheless my organisation were prepared to allow me to choose the path students would follow to meet these.Kolb’s theory is foremost in my reflective practice as shown in the diagram below: By designing a curriculum and studying theories of curriculum, I gained a better understanding of the concept. I understand that influences such as organisational policies, government policies, awarding bodies and learning styles of learners, all have a bearing on how a curriculum is developed. I also learned much about the models of curriculum and in what context they are used. Many courses of study are designed to accommodate the product model; i. e.they are focused on achievi ng an end result, such as a recognized qualification; however I feel the process model can still be incorporated with better results, such as additional learning taking place and a more enjoyable learning experience for the student. The course I designed was a success. This was reflected in the achievement and retention figures that were collated at the conclusion of the course. I also believe that I added value to the curriculum by incorporating literacy and numeracy support throughout and designing learning to suit all students regardless of learning styles and abilities.I did have to change the course of study slightly of this curriculum, and so in future I hope to be able to build upon my experiences and design an even more effective course which incorporates the learning I have undertaken during this module. The final module on creativity was the one I felt most beneficial of the entire course. I realised during this module that I had always ‘played safe’ during my teaching and that fear of failure had prevented me from implementing ideas that could enhance my teaching and my student’s learning.During this module I researched creativity within an educational environment. I realised that being creative is sometimes about taking risks, and this was something I had previously been reluctant to do. Although I felt I was innovative in my lesson delivery, I now accept that a fear of ‘failure’ prevented me from fully committing myself to creativity. On the whole the CertEd course has been a valuable and worthwhile experience for me and I believe I have progressed professionally due to the modules I have undertaken.Following the course of study I believe I have made excellent progress professionally and feel much more knowledgeable in the sector than I did previously. I still have to continually improve as a professional and I am fortunate to work for a company that recognises this and encourages staff to undertake CPD. Continuous training and development for all staff is now an everyday part of the profession, not a training course that is ‘thrown in’ every few months with no clear structure.CPD must be strategically planned and embedded within the overall objectives of the organisation to ensure that staff are well prepared for any new developments that arise. At my organisation, staff are encouraged my management to take control of their development and inline with the Business Plan and the Self Assessment Report, are supported to undertake relevant, necessary CPD. I try and improve my practice in many ways. As well as the regular training courses I attend I also take responsibility and ensure that I continually strive to learn and become a more effective practitioner.Learning from other teachers is an important way for professional development. One of the most powerful ways to better your practice is to observe other teachers, ones that are experienced and confident in their roles. During th is course of study I have had a mentor and I have observed her on many occasions, as well as seeking advice and guidance on matters I am not confident in. I believe discussion with colleagues can be an important part of development. They can offer different views on situations and propose alternative methods of practice which might have previously not been considered.As well as using colleagues and mentors, learners are also a crucial part of continuing development. By gathering their thoughts and feedback on lessons I teach them, I am able to implement new strategies and adapt teaching methods to enhance the learning experience for my students. A written evaluation at the end of sessions is another useful way to reflect and enable improvements. â€Å"It is important to produce a written evaluation of the lesson which helps to reflect constructively upon practice.By reflecting on what went well and badly and evaluating what we would do differently we are developing professional pra ctice and evolving new ways to meet our learners’ needs (Wallace, 2001, p178). My organisation also conducts 6 monthly appraisals with all staff. During this process a development plan is also agreed and produced and this involves recording any learning that needs to be achieved, any courses that have to be undertaken and any other developmental requirements that staff feel they have. The appraisal process helps the employees to understand the company’s objectives.It helps them to set their goals and precisely know what role they play in their work to serve the organisation. This avoids frustration and gives job satisfaction to the employees. Performance appraisal benefits all parties and can serve to motivate and inspire employees to continuously develop and improve. My own development plan was agreed in February and runs until August. During this time my targets for achievement are Level 2 ICT qualification, Cert Ed qualification and to maintain my CPD file with all relevant learning.Beyond this time I am looking to achieve a business/management qualification during the next 2 years, and to develop my leadership skills due to a recent change in my job role. I will continue throughout my professional life to strive for improvement and new methods of working, which will enhance the experience of learners accessing our services. Professionalism is an ongoing process. It is commitment to self-improvement, competency in work, motivated in attitude and having respect for both colleagues and learners.

Balanced Scoreboard

Firstly, financial element is an organizational element which aims at examining whether implementation and execution of company’s organizational strategy are equally contributing to company’s improvement. It is characterized by measures which assess whether the company is able to manage its costs and operations. For Accounting Firm financial element is very important for enhancing performance because it helps to manage revenue growth, profit margins, net operation income and cash flows.Secondly, customer element aims at defining the value proposition to satisfy customers and to generate more sales. This element is used to measure the delivered value, costs and outcomes – for example, market share or customer satisfaction. In Accounting firm customer element will enhance operational performance, product leadership, customer satisfaction and intimacy. Thirdly, internal process element or perspective aims at creating and delivering the value proposition of customers .The task is to concentrate on key activities and processes to provide value expected by the customers the most effectively and productively. Short-term and long-term objectives are incorporated. In Accounting Firm this element is of great help for developing innovative processes and stimulating further company’s improvement. Internal process assists in improving asset utilization, establishing good relations with external shareholders, etc.Finally, element of learning and growth aims at founding any effective strategy which will concentrate on intangible assets, internal skills and capabilities necessary for value-creating internal process. Human capital, information capital and organizational capital are involved. This element plays important role for Accounting firm as it stimulates improvement in learning, decreases short-term financial loses and contributes to long-term development. References Cobbold, I. & Lawrie, G. (2002). The Development of the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management Tool. USA: Performance Measurement Association.

Policing Rough Neighborhoods

The united States should be to police a rough neighborhood because there trying to stop another incident like 9/1 1 from happening. The U. S. Has to start policing a rough neighborhood because it will help The role the United States should take In the middle east and in the united States is that we need to police rough neighborhoods because the Taliban and AAA Qaeda are very effective in the middle east. Stop terrorist attack before they happen.A quote from an article named â€Å"options In brief† first entente, â€Å"The attack of September 1 lath and the aggressive dictatorship of the middle east prove that the world Is a dangerous place. † This quote shows the worlds a dangerous place and this Is why we need to police rough neighborhoods. Another example Is â€Å"The U. S. Cannot allow Afghanistan to become another Taliban run sanctuary for AAA Qaeda which could cause another 9/1 1 This quote Is saying the U. S. Doesn't want Afghanistan to become a place run by the Taliban because It could lead to another 9/11. Cause Its talking about how we need to make sure that we don't eve September 1 lath to happen again. The united States needs to start protecting the U. S. More because of terrorist. The united States role in the Middle East should be to police rough neighborhoods, we need to protect other countries because people shouldn't die for no reason. Like it says in the quote said by president john in the article â€Å"why we fight† â€Å"We seek neither territory nor bases. We fight for the principle of self determination. † I think this quote is saying that we don't want your land we want to help.The United States is the greatest force for good in the world and we have an obligation not to start and fight wars but to spread democracy and freedom through the world. † This quote is saying that America Is a good country and there trying to help not fight. These because it's showing that we're not trying to invade were trying t o help innocent people. U. S. Needs to help stop innocent people from dying in the Middle East. The United States role in the Middle East should be to police a rough neighborhood. I believe the u. s. Would take his into this is a big effect on both the United States Middle East and we need our neighborhoods policed. Innocent people are dying and we can not have another 9/1 1 happen again. We must be protected and not killed. Policing Rough Neighborhoods By governmental The United States should be to police a rough neighborhood because there trying to neighborhood because it will help The role the United States should take in the middle east and in the United States is that we need to police rough neighborhoods attack before they happen.A quote from an article named â€Å"options in brief† first middle east prove that the world is a dangerous place. † This quote shows the worlds a dangerous place and this is why we need to police rough neighborhoods. Another example is à ¢â‚¬Å"The U. S. Cannot allow Afghanistan to become another Taliban run sanctuary for AAA Qaeda which could cause another 9/1 1 . † This quote is saying the U. S. Doesn't want Afghanistan to become a place run by the Taliban because it could lead to another 9/11. Because its talking about how we need to make sure that we don't eve September 1 lath to happen again.The United States needs to start protecting The United States role in the Middle East president John in the article â€Å"why we fight† â€Å"We seek neither territory nor bases. We fight for the principle of self determination. † I think this quote is saying that we don't the world and we have an obligation not to start and fight wars but to spread democracy and freedom through the world. † This quote is saying that America is a good country and there trying to help not fight.

Explain the relevance of marketing concept to the 21st century Essay - 2

Explain the relevance of marketing concept to the 21st century business of Boots - Essay Example Marketing develops an important link between the material requirements of a society and economic models of response. Marketing generally satisfies the wants and needs through significant long term relationship and exchange process. Leading organizations are implementing several effective marketing tools in order to increase their core competencies and market share (Masterson and Pickton, 2010, p.499). The organization achieves financial success based on their core marketing ability. Effective marketing strategy creates demand for the product. Marketing concept is the key ingredient of marketing. The essay will explain the significance of marketing concept to the boots’ business in this 21st century. Marketing Concept It is important for the organizations to understand the facts and significance of marketing concepts before implementing any marketing strategy. Effective understanding of marketing concept helps the organizations to develop effective marketing strategy based on t he current market demand and customer preferences. Marketing concept is an important management philosophy that helps an organization to achieve organizational goals and objectives through the stated customer recognition and satisfaction and intangible needs and wants of customers (Drummond and Ensor, 2005, p.51). Marketing concept can be classified into two different approaches, such as earlier approaches and contemporary approaches. The marketing orientation developed from traditional marketing orientations like product orientation, production orientation, selling orientation. On the other hand, contemporary marketing concept approaches majorly focuses on relationship management or relationship marketing that includes industrial marketing, customer approaches and business marketing (Shanker, 2002, p.268). The leading organizations in this 21st century are trying to implement social marketing strategy in order to focus on the society benefits. Earlier the marketers used to follow t raditional marketing concepts namely product marketing, production marketing and selling marketing. In 20th century the organizations implemented traditional marketing strategy due to low competitive market and lack of diverse market demand. After the Second World War several organizations tried to expand their business operations in various global market places due to globalization. On the other hand, the market demand and customer’s preference significantly increased due to diversified business practices of several organizations (Wheelen and Hunger, 2011, p.121). Now-a-days, various organizations are competing with each other for their products of a similar segment to secure effective market share. Therefore, people are consuming products of different brands based on the quality and prices of products and services. In 21st century, the organizations are trying to implement several unique marketing strategies based on the market demand and customer preference to attract the customers towards their products and services. In this modern era, the organizations are trying to implement holistic marketing concept in order to achieve significant competitive advantages (Pride and Ferrell, 2004, p.78). This marketing concept is based on design, development and implementation of several marketing programmes, activities

Syphilis-treponema pallidum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Syphilis-treponema pallidum - Essay Example Chancre stage is followed by systemic secondary phase with fever and rash on palms and soles. The secondary stage is followed by the tertiary stage or the latent period which is for indefinite time, however, tertiary stage may/ may not occur. The article also states about the last stage of syphilis infection- neurosyphilis where the causal organisms attacks the central nervous system and demolishes fiber tract. This results in progression of dementia, blindness and partial motor paralysis. The article mentioned the pyrotherapy treatment introduced by Warner-Jauregg. To cure syphilis the individuals were treated with the blood sample of malaria patient which contains parasite Plasmodium. Plasmodium is known to increase the body temperature, the spirochete Treponema pallidum cannot survive the temperature above 41 degree Celsius as a result the causal organism of syphilis gets destroyed and individuals return to their normal lives. However, the success ratio for such treatment is very less. The article highlights the auspicious discovery made by Alexander Fleming of penicillin during World War II as the medication for various bacterial diseases. The discovery of antibiotic penicillin revolutionized the world of diseases caused by bacterial strains. Antibiotics have given a new paradigm drift in the field of medicine. The article did not mention anything about the vaccine for syphilis. However, it discussed about the pyrotherapy to overcome the condition of syphilis. Later, the article discusses about the discovery of antibiotic which acts as a key to combat disease causing bacterial strains. The article did not specify the age to witness the condition of syphilis. The causal organisms of syphilis, Treponema pallidum is sexually transmitted, the sexually active individuals are likely to witness the causal organism. One reason that the article specified for 50 percent of the patients returned to normalcy and continued with their normal life is

Impact of Supply Chain on Business to Business Marketing Essay

Impact of Supply Chain on Business to Business Marketing - Essay Example "A Supply Chain consists of all stages involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. This includes manufacturers, suppliers, transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customers." (Chopra and Meindle, 2005) The systematic and strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across business within the supply chain, for purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. Basically the process of supply chain management can be divided into three distinct flows; the product flow, the information flow and the finances flow. The product flow includes the movement of goods from a supplier to a customer. The flow of information related to the status of product delivery is referred to as the information flow while the finances flow involves payment schedules, credit terms and title ownership arrangements. A supply chain is a set of network facilities and distribution options that perform functions like procurement of raw material and their transformation into finished products. The management of interconnected business activities that are involved in the provision of product and service packages is referred to as supply chain management. ... It is defined as the management and coordination of a product's supply chain in order to increase efficiency and portability. It consists of all the stages involved in fulfilling customer requests. According to an American professional association, supply chain management comprises the planning and management of all the activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion and logistics. Competing in a Global business through Alliances Reaching the Global Market Focusing on Core Expertise/Business (Lee and Billington, 1992). Major Goals of Supply Chain: Efficiency Responsiveness (Lee and Billington. 1992) (Teigen, 1997) This figure shows an example of a supply chain. Materials flow downstream, from raw material sources through a manufacturing level transforming the raw materials to intermediate products (also referred to as components or parts). These are assembled on the next level to form products. The products are shipped to distribution centres and from there on to retailers and customers (Teigen, 1997). Critical Success Factor of a Supply Chain: In the success of supply chains following factors are very crucial. Alignment of Business Strategy Understand the Market your company serves Define core competencies of your company Develop needed supply chain capability Supply Chain Management: Supply chain management is a set of approaches used to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and customers so that merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time in order to minimize system wide costs while satisfying service-level requirements. The strategic activities that are a part of the supply chain management involves

Alcatraz Prison System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alcatraz Prison System - Research Paper Example Because the function of the introduction is obvious, the subheading is not needed. The purpose of the introduction is to inform the reader of the specific problem under study, the research strategy used, and how the problem is related to prior work. Introduction to the Prison The prison location is the first thing that has to be explained for better understanding. The prison is located on an island, which is floating 2.4 Km away from the city of San Francisco, California, USA. The headings are bolded and centered. The island is spread over an area of 22 acres. The prison also known as the â€Å"rock† has a very vast history. This island history predates the one of the prison. The island was first used by the US military as a guard of the San Francisco Bay area, barricading it with all the modern arsenal of the time. The island held buildings and barracks which were later used by the military for imprisonment of military prisoners in 1908, when the prisons of U.S got overcrowde d. Civil Prison: The Early Years The barracks were taken over by the U.S federal judiciary system in 1932. Complete take over from the military was due to the raising expenses of keeping the facility running. In 1934 extensive overhauling of the cells and other areas of the island started. The soft bars of the cells were replaced by state-of-the-art, foolproof grade steel. Basic utilities were provided in each and every cell, like electricity and water. The cells were small but sufficiently created to fulfill all the needs of a prisoner. The dimension of the cell was 9 x 5 feet. The figure shows a schematic diagram of the cell at the Alcatraz. Figure extracted from: http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/interiorpage.html Certain efforts were made to ensure that prisoners did not hide in the tunnels that were used to route the utilities into the cell. Other protective methods were also applied. Some of them include barricaded windows with iron bars, making a path for the guards to walk the halls with guns, without being in touching distance with the prisoners. A central key area was made, which also operated as a central watch point for the guards. The blocks were made in such a way that even if a prisoner escaped his cell, he would end up trapped up in his own cell block. Guard towers were placed in a military precision manner, as to monitor each and every movement in the day as well as in the night. Modern metal detectors were places in the dining hall so that prisoners cannot sneak out anything, which can be used as a tool or weapon. By the end on 1934, the prison was ready to hold its first batch of prisoners. Track Record Any prison or holding facility’s success for prisoners can be judged by some factors. First and foremost being the number of successful escape attempts and secondly the discipline that prevails in this kind of prison. Especially when most of the inmates are professional criminals; who will take up any opportunity to break the law, even fr om inside the walls of a prison. Firstly, a little brief about the system of the prison. The prisoner were awaken at 630 am, marched to the dining hall, after which they went on to their daily jobs. The routine was lethal and unforgiving in any circumstance. The guard to prisoner ratio was 1 guard to 3 prisoners. Strict rules were applied to make sure a strict time table was followed; any deviation was punished for (Madigen, 2008). This was one big positive as compared to the 12:1 all over the country, another factor which led to the extreme

Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Cross-Cultural Communication - Essay Example Some say relations come before work regardless of the situation, whereas other cultures may not agree with this point.   Individuals should profoundly understand the differences between cultures before starting work in any multicultural organization at the global level, which is constantly becoming more common business practice today (LeBaron). This article enhances that time and space should be the powerful and effective tool in cross-cultural communication. Time perceptions is about punctuality and willingness to wait, in addition the time impact on, people is also refer as the speediness of verbal communication that how long people are keen to listen. Time and space as referred in the article can make a great difference in terms of the future aspiration and productivity. Being a student, I have come across many people from different cultural backgrounds (LeBaron). I have noticed that students from the Far East are much more conscious about time, and they are always quick in terms of assignments submission, project activities and time management since they strongly believe â€Å"time is money†. While, students from Asia are known for procrastination in their work, Western students are relatively more punctual and follow deadlines because they consider time as money. The issues that are caused by such cultural differences with respect to time and space should be co-ordinated in group meetings (LeBaron). I suggest that in order to get away with the issues of multiculturalism in a group project as mentioned above, it is necessary to conduct a briefing session for all the members of the group. This will help in understanding the goal and dimension of the group work. In this way, members of the group will be able to refine their abilities and decide which task to work on. It is also recommended that members of the group are

Recommendations to the Cyber Czar Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Recommendations to the Cyber Czar - Assignment Example Countries work with special strategies to facilitate cyberspace security. This is aimed at protecting a national territory from cyber space malicious attacks. Implementing the security system is a joint comparison of Homeland Security and the National Strategy. The policies are set to engage the global population to engage in implementing security levels in the cyberspace. This comes as an initiative of every country to implement security details in the cyberspace they own, operate and control. Securing the cyberspace involves difficult strategic challenges which require focus and coordination from the entire society. This comes as a combined force from the local and state governments and the private sector (Arias, 2010). Objectives set to meet the recommendations The strategy to secure the cyberspace comes with a combination of prioritizing and organizing efforts. This offers departmental heads in government with directions in curbing malicious attacks on the cyberspace. The strateg y aims at identifying the local and state governments, private organization and individuals who can take place in improving cyber security. The highlight of the strategy is in the merging of private and public engagement. Improving cyber security comes with everyone working as one to secure the cyberspace. ... Consistence within the National Strategy by the Homeland Security works with set objectives to ensure that the set strategy in securing cybercrime works with the set recommendations (Briggs & Burke, 2009). The main objectives are to: 1. Provide the citizens with security from cyber-attacks on critical infrastructures 2. Reduce the possibility of individuals to get cyber attacks 3. Implement a damage control and recovery plan from the cyber attacks The threat and vulnerability portrayed by the cyberspace The economy and the security system depend on information technology. Major applications that run at the core depend on the internet. The internet was originally built to facilitate research among scientists. Abusing the internet network was not part of the plan. Today the internet connects people through computer networks exposing ISP’s, Software Manufacturers, End Users and Operating System producers to malicious attacks. Computer networks connect different objects such as st ock markets, electrical transformers and trains. A malicious attack that compromises the functioning of such objects puts the end user at a disadvantage. Cyber Czar can spread a spectrum of malicious attacks against critical information. The main concern is organized attacks that cause disruption of the National critical infrastructure, national security and the economy. Attackers require sophistication to carry out such attacks but this does not mean that countries can relax on setting security measures. Nations face situations where hackers have identified loopholes where they can maximize on in doing their fraudulent activities (Purdy, 2011). Proper analysis of the cyber threats needs a long term analysis of the

The Ideal Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Ideal Society - Essay Example Thus, in this regard, it can be affirmed that the roles of criminal justice system are also getting extended with the increase in the aforesaid factors (Hargraves, 2006; Davis, 1983). The different factors that are related to an ideal society, which comprise equality, justice and liberty are found to be interrelated with each other. This can be justified with reference to the fact that in order to maintain the balance of equality amid the people in a society, justice plays an indispensable role. In this regard, justice not only tends to punish a culprit but also provides the right judgment to the right one and maintains discipline in a society. Apart from these factors, the role play by the police, respective governments and military also contribute in forming an ideal society. The government, judicial, police and military are regarded as the legal representatives that possess certain constitutional rights (Hargraves, 2006; Davis, 1983). With this concern, the essay intends to discuss about various important aspects that contribute in establishing an ideal society and also a comparison will be made amid these factors to acquire a brief understanding about the current criminal justice system prevailing in a society. While discussing about the characteristics of law as well as order in an ideal society, it will be vital to mention that the prime intent of law is to keep a particular society running with following certain effective legal guidelines. Specially mentioning, to maintain harmony in a society, both law and order needs to be maintained at the optimum level. To make an ideal society, a society needs to be crime free. Thus, to attain this objective, the notion of criminal law and criminal justice system plays an imperative role. In this modern day context, the main feature of criminal justice system is observed to be prohibiting the conduct of illegal

Bussines environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bussines environment - Assignment Example I will try to provide the information as per my knowledge and understanding. LO 1.1 Generally, business organisations can be broadly segregated as public sector organisations and private sector organisations. The organisations that are owned and run by the government are termed as public sector organisation (Adams & Periton, 2006, p.86). The organisations where the ownership lies with private owners are called the private sector organisations. These private sectors organisations can run the business either with the motto of earning profit or they can be non-profit making organisations that do not conduct the business for monetary gains (Beamish & Ashford, 2006, p.256). Before discussing different type of profit making organisations, I would like to explain the main purpose of non-profit making organisations. Generally, these organisations intend to provide services. While organisations like clubs and societies provide facilities and entertainment services to its members, charities of fer services to a particular group of people in the society who need help and assistance. These charities may also be involved with environment related issues (Lunt, 2010, p.9). The private organisations can be segregated into four broad categories. These are: sole proprietorship, partnership, private limited company and public limited company. The organisations and their purposes are explained as followed: Sole proprietorship: Such a business is owned by a single person, so he/she is the ‘Boss’. The owner of the business is solely responsible for raising capital and combining all the resources required for production. Thus, the owner enjoys the profit earned by the business. This business is not a legal entity, so the owner has unlimited liabilities. Due to limitation in availability of capital, these businesses are comparatively smaller in size. The main purpose of sole proprietorship is to earn profit and thus it has limited role in social development (Minars, 2003, p.6). Partnership: As per the definition provided by Uniform Partnership Act, â€Å"the association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit, forms a partnership, whether or not the persons intend to form a partnership† (Spadaccini, 2007, p.5). Such business organisation enjoys immense freedom and simplicity in terms of starting and operating the business. The partners may agree to start a partnership firm even with an oral agreement but this often results in misunderstanding and dispute. Therefore, it is advisable to maintain a formal written agreement that specifies all the terms and conditions. This type of business firm diversifies the business risk and the partners enjoy certain tax benefits. As the business does not result in formation of a separate entity, therefore the partners have unlimited liability. Such businesses do not contribute much to the society because the main purpose is earning profit (Spadaccini, 2007, p.5-6). Private lim ited: A private limited company is a legal entity which has limitation on the number of owners. Restriction is also on transfer of shares. The company cannot raise fund by public subscription (equity shares and debentures). The firm has to specify its area of activity in the article of association. However, it enjoys certain degree of liberty as it does not have to disclose all the financial information publicly (Morse, 2007, p.58). The main purpose

The subject matter of the programme Essay Example for Free

The subject matter of the programme Essay The United States has the highest gun related deaths in the world. Moore links this to the lack of gun control and the president. From childhood games to bomb threats, from shootings to terrorism. One of the main issues the documentary explored was the shootings at Columbine High School in the United States, gun control and how easily accessible guns are in the United States. the very high gun related deaths, violence, mentality, behavior, issues within schools, peer pressure the effect of societies were looked at. Also in questioning was violent video games music. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame, but the president was also name to blame. Bowling for Columbine starts with black and white footage of the gun association, this introduces the historical background. Moore uses a number of conventions typical to a documentary. He uses voice over commentary throughout. April 20th 1999 (a typical day in America) footage is used to accompany the narrative. Moores ridicule of the Bush Administration is shown in his voice over saying the President bombs another country whose name he cant pronounce The shot of the statue of Liberty is iconic of representing America. It can be seen as an establishing shot. Verite footage of North County Bank in Michigan, where there is use of point of view shots showing him looking through a brochure and completing a form, in return of a rifle. He uses the humor of sarcasm when asking about the questions on the form he has to fill in to retain the weapon and the fact of how it only matters if your criminally defected but not mentally defected. Moore states a rhetorical question Do you think its dangerous handing guns out at a bank? There is a long shot of Moore when he walks out of the bank, with the weapon held aloft. The viewer would probably be taken aback by this, if not American. Guns given out at banks just dont happen. The viewer would think bank robberies. How easy would it be for someone who has just taken out a weapon in false name (or not) to turn around and hold someone at gunpoint? The scene is accompanied by non-diegetic music, its upbeat and sets the viewers imagination into role. The opening credits are accompanied by black and white footage of youngsters bowling. This represents the effects on youths from a young age, the bowling to take place of the play of children from that of the effects of childhood games to shooting. The Columbine shootings. Later on in the documentary there is a link back to this, as one of the female students who went to Columbine High School said, one of the boys involved in the shootings use to bowl for Columbine. Which is where the title of the documentary may have come from. Throughout the whole of this documentary there is a continuous link to guns. There is a black and white television advertisement, from the 50/60s advertising real guns. These were fake toy guns that looked and sounded real. I think Moore shows this to show how much children are involved in the tradition of guns in America. Moore also uses home footage of himself and his history of gun use to present Americas gun culture and to present himself. He won the NRA marksman award. He then introduces the fact that he grew up in the same State as Charlton Heston where hunting is extremely common. Moore includes a scene of himself at the Hairdressers, where he purchases bullets. His message is just how easily accessible guns and ammunition really are. The viewer would be shocked, particularly with our own Laws and figures as the United Kingdom. In another scene Chris Rock, a comedian, is on stage presenting his views in his own comical way. He talks of gun control and speaks about bullets costing more then there may be less violence. He suggests $5,000 for a bullet and says I would blow your head off If I could afford it! I think Moore includes this because he has a point, it is entertaining and Moore thinks the idea needs to be made. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame by America, mainly by the media. But out of all the United States the President, Marilyn Manson was the only one to whom suggested listening. Said within an interview between him and Moore, as the answer to one thing he would say to the youths effected by the shootings at Columbine I wouldnt say anything, I would listen The scene was effective because Marilyn Manson is a well-known artist. Other countries such as Gothic Germany frequently listen to his music but have a significant lower percentage of gun related deaths. Other things to blame were such things as video games, horror films and a TV program COPS In America, presented in Moores way, the media seems to be racially prejudiced. That or the accusers. Big, tall, black man, in around his thirties In both documentaries there are no formal introductions to the subjects. At the beginning of the documentary particularly focuses on the NRA (National Rifle Association) that Moore is a member of, wherefore he introduces himself as an American. Weapons and shooting play a major part in the documentary as they do in America itself. Moore emphasizes on the gun accessibility and how easy it is to retain a weapon and more importantly ammunition for it. In the closing scene, the song What a wonderful world is played over visuals. This is ironic. It is non-diegetic to the whole of the documentary, but leaves the viewer to provoke the viewers thought. Fahrenheit 9/11 The temperature where freedom buns! The main issue in Fahrenheit 9/11 was Fahrenheit 9/11. The devastation and effects it had on the peoples of the United States. Terrorism. The Bush Administration. The presidents connections with the Saudis and Bin Ladens and the Iraqi War. Media footage of Fahrenheit 9/11 is shown. The scene is started by telephone calls of panicking residents with no visuals. Then footage of people looking up in the air. There is no formal introduction to Fahrenheit 9/11 but the viewer automatically interprets this. News footage is shown of the planes crashing into the twin towers, then to people crying and praying. This scene is very emotive; one might question whether it was moral of Moore to include it. I think he did because he knew the reaction he would receive and that it would get the attention he had hoped for. Moore to uses narration to take us through all his findings behind the media. From the 2000 elections to informing us of the relationship between the president and the Bin Laden family. The fact of how the FBI suspiciously decided to fly the whole of the Bin Laden family out of the States just two days after 9/11 without being held for questioning. Also the fact that the Saudis, Bin Ladens and Bush families are all invested in joint financial dealings. The president wouldnt want the American public to discover this. Perhaps Moore saw it his duty to inform the American public. Moore interviews a man who was questioned by the FBI for merely speaking of and questioning the presidents decisions. An over reaction of the FBI and president to prevent terrorism. But this man was not the only one to be questioned. This man says theyre meant to be a state where there is freedom and rights, Theyre denying me my rights as an American citizen There is footage of the U. S soldiers whilst in Iraq. The soldiers admit they did not know why the president had sent them to Iraq and that it was getting to a point when they were shooting anything that moved because they had not a clue of what they were doing. One of the soldiers spoke of how they listen to The roof is on fire by Bizzy Bone. A soldier starts saying the lyrics The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire We dont need know water let the motherfucker burn! Burn! Motherfucker. Burn! As he says this, the image on screen changes to footage of an Iraqi woman clasping onto her family with other women. The backing music plays over the scenes of destruction. This scene is very powerful and emotive. The viewer would not have expected it they would be shocked, at the language, the heartlessness of it and the following scenes of images of young children who had wounds deep as the bone, skin burns, dead people. During this there is emphasis in typography on many facts, figures and quotes with actual footage from real events that help to back Moore on his views. In another scene Royal Marines Officers were frantically recruiting young men, mainly school leavers to join up. This was because of the huge loss of American soldiers that had already been lost in the Iraqi War. An aerial shot of a huge cemetery where the U. S soldiers have been buried is shown, along with typography of the figures of thousands who died. In the second to last scene, an American citizen talks of how she persuades her children to sign up. The benefits and possibilities that the Army offers. To her deep regret, she reads out the last letter she received from her son, who lost his life in Iraq. In the letter, he writes of how negatively he felt towards the president in his decision of sending them to Iraq. The scene is highly emotive, drawing in the viewer as they sympathize with this familys loss. Creating Moores desired affect to persuade the viewer in joining him in his view, against the president. Michael Moore continuously takes advantage of his documentaries to make George Bush appear to have his priorities and concerns with matters other than the American public. He uses his documentaries to convey his own political views and opinions to his audience. His obvious dislike for the president is very apparent as he includes many edited scenes of him. An example of this is shown in the documentary, when the president is on vacation with his brother in Florida on the 10th September 2001, the day before Fahrenheit 9/11. With the aid of editing Moore sets up the cozy smug look of the presidents face after Fahrenheit 9/11, cutting to one of the victims grieving family members. Undoubtedly this brings over Moores view of the Bush Administration, therefore hopefully ensuing in the audiences view, along with the American public. One of Moores purposes for creating the documentaries. Michael Moores main purposes for creating this documentary are to inform his audience of the issues that the mainstream media has missed/not included. Moore wanted to uncover, in his opinion, the fact that the current president of the United States had sent his fellow citizens into war. For reasons only known to him and close partnerships; having little to do with the excuse of an attempt to stop terrorism, capture Osama Bin Laden or prevent Saddam Hussein from using his weapons of mass destruction. Moore uses a considerably large mount of editing; in fact editing creates most of his documentaries. Unfortunately, however fortunate for him, this creates a bias view, which is what the viewer sees. Moore continuously visually documents the weaknesses of the powerful. The main example is the president. Moore captures the presidents sensitive side. Also Charlton Heston, as he walks away from the camera unable to answer Moores request of After that happened you came to Flint to hold a big rally and, you know, I just, did you feel it was being at all insensitive to the fact that this community had just gone through more tragedy? Moore then continues, You think youd like to apologize to the people in Flint for coming and doing that at that time? Moore takes full advantage of the fact that he knows about Heston, having known of the shootings, and the fact that Heston had pretended he did not. In conclusion, Moore has presented two documentaries, from his own point of view, to present his views and some truths. Creating his desired effect, to inform and explain his view.

The impact of gender in research

The impact of gender in research Does the gender of the interviewer effect the response rate, interview and the results obtained? Many researchers have investigated the effect that interviewers gender has on research, this paper seeks to examine if there is an effect and how relevant that effect is. It will draw on academic papers, business examples and a case study. Hyman et al (1954) were one of the first to examine the effect gender-of-the interviewer has on the interview process; they found respondents replied differently to male and female researchers. Since then there has been an abundance of research in the field, much of the research is based on and argues that gender-of-interviewer effects are evident on, topics related specifically to feminism, politics and other sensitive issues. This paper will analyse the research and apply it to a case study. With the main aim to determine if the gender-of-interview affects all interview areas or whether it is topic specific. It is important to understand what is meant by interviewer effects; interviewer errors are expected to occur differently in every interview whereas interviewer effects refers to a specific interviewer characteristic i.e. gender (Dijkstra 1983). Interviewer effects look at how interviewer variance can bias the results of research. The case study being looked at took place in Oldham, it was a consultancy project investigating participation rates of food waste recycling, with the main objective to increase participation rates. The methodology used was semi-structured interviews and drop off questionnaires. The interviewers were made up of two women and three men. Researchers went out in pairs, for safety reasons, the researchers went out in four pairings, three pairs made up by a women and male interviewer and the final pairing was comprised of two male researchers. Due to time constraints and the nature of the work this case study was unable to talk to residents about their impression of interviewer-gender-effects. However all interviewers were interviewed extensively by the author of this paper, to grasp their view of the effect gender had. The main topics covered were response rates, lengths of interviews and results obtained. Does the gender-of-interviewer affect response rate? Gender can affect the response rate; Smith (1972) suggests that women are less likely to invite men interviewers into their home explaining that it is due to the perceived danger, this argues Smith can be an issue for male interviewers conducting research. When looking at the Oldham Case study this was evident, the response rate for the mixed paring had a higher response rate to the male only pairing. The mixed pairings had a response rate average of ? and the male only pairing had a response rate average of  ¼. This is backed up by Dommeyer (2008) whose study examined how using a photo in the cover letter of a drop off questionnaire effects responses. Female interviewers prove to obtain a higher response rate. His research found that rivalling the gender was only productive if they were female. Bean and Medewitz (1988) had similar results when sending out cover letters with a female signature; a higher response rate was produced than when a male signature was used 35% and 26% resp onse rate respectively. Moreover, Catonia et al (1996) experiments found that on a phone interview when respondents were given the opportunity to request a gender 82%, of women and 72% of male respondents did request with the majority selecting a female, suggesting that respondents prefer female interviewers. When interviewed, Keith from the Oldham case study expressed: Sandra seemed to get a higher response rate then I did, we quickly realised this and Sandra became the interviewer and I the scriber. Johnson and Delamater (1976) discuss, whilst looking at response rates in sex surveys, the effect gender has on respondents agreeing to be interviewed. They argue that the gender of the interviewer can have a substantial effect on response levels; attributing it to the type of survey suggesting that if they are embarrassed about the topic being discussed they may be less likely to opt to participate, especially with someone from the opposite gender. In the Oldham case study this can be compared to respondents who do not participate in recycling and are therefore are less likely to agree to be interviewed, however the gender of the interviewer is unlikely to make a difference there. Benny et al (1956) notes that male interviewers gain fewer responses to female interviewers and most of these are from female respondents. Rourke and Lakner (1989) discuss the gender bias that exists within the data collection.. How does gender affect the results obtained? Huddy et al (1997) looked at the effect that the gender-of-interviewer had in two surveys, where male and female interviewers were randomly assigned to interview male and female respondents. With the first survey; gender of interviewer had more of an effect on less educated and younger respondents. However these results were not replicated in the second survey. Yang and Yu (2008) argues that well educated people are not affected by gender as much because they are more use to inter-gender relations. Huddy et al (1997) also attribute it to the fact that people that are more educated are more confident in the company of the other gender. WHAT IS EDUCATION IN OLDHAM? Many researchers have suggested that the gender of the interviewer only has an effect on certain topics. Huddy et al (1997) suggests that the gender-of-interviewer is more predominant when; politics and views on feminism are discussed. Bellou and Del Boca (1980) found stronger gender-of-interviewer effects among women respondents on questions about the existence of gender inequality whereas men tend to be more affected when questions about women movements arose. Flores-Macias and Lawson (2006) claim that in the past research has shown effect on social and political issues when interviewed by different gender. Using a survey on households in Mexico the research tries to add to the field, they found gender effects were confined to sensitive questions, they concluded gender-interviewer effects are limited to gender topics. TOPIC OF RECYCLING In contrast Kane and Macauley (1983) note the opposite; Women were most effected by questions on womens movements for example collective action and women shared interest, while men were more effected by the interviewers gender when answering work-related gender equalities. Gender bias was highest with questions related to controversial politics and womens movements. Kane and Macaulay (1993) research looks at the effects of interviewer gender on responses in particular on gender-related survey questions. They look at if gender effects are present and how it differs from male and female. Huddy et al (1997) argue respondents are susceptible to gender-of-interviewer effects across a broad spectrum of gender-linked items. Groves and Fultz (1983) found that economic indicators receive more optimistic responses when interviewed by a male interviewer rather than a female interviewer. Landis et al (1973) reported that when women were interviewed by male interviewers they gave more feminist responses on womens roles. Kane and Macaulay (1993) summarise stating after analysing gender-attitude it is clear that interviewer-gender bias is present, it tends to include respondents giving a critical response to female interviewers than to male. On standard debate topics men are more likely to be effected by the gender of the interviewer and are less likely on less familiar topics. Womens responses vary dramatically in their responses to male and female interviewers on various issues. They did not see a vast difference in interviewer gender effects for example respondents to male respondents. It is therefore questionable on it social power effects conversational power in the interview process. Both male and female respondents are at times affected by interviewer gender. In contrast Herod (1993), who is a geographer, believes that the gender-of-interviewer can effect responses on any topic discussed. He argues that gender relations are an important aspect that can shape the interview process, gender can shape the type of data collected especially when carrying out interviews. Backing this up is McDowell (1992) who explains how interviews raise the issue of gender, Schaenberger (1992) agrees gender makes a difference (p.217). In the Oldham case study gender.. look at results! Herod (1993) gender can shape the use of interviews as a research tool (p.306). Even when all respondents are of the same gender, gender bias still shapes the interactions between interviewer and interviewee. Feminists support this statement gender is significant in society it is always going to effect gender relations in the research process (Keller 1985). Herods paper looks at work conducted across different disciplines on gender and its effect on interviewing. Turner and Martin (1984) in the classic work discuss how the gender-of-interviewer and the respondent has significant effect, the different options (male interviewer, female respondent/ male interviewer male respondent etc) have different effects in influencing opinions and feelings. Eagly and Carli (1981) showed a statistical relationship between the gender of the interviewer and outcome of the interviews showing both; respondents giving different answers to male and female researchers, but also researchers interpreting it differently. Thus this demonstrates that an interviewers gender can affect respondents answers. Looking at the Oldham case this can be demonstrated through interpretation of answers, when looking at how the answers were interpreted it is completely a subjective task, when a male was interrupting it, the results appeard whereas when a female was interrupting it is seemed. Even when it is the same gender there is an effect, Aries (1976) suggested that men tend to be more aggressive and macho to a male interviewer. Herod (1993) explains whereas a male interviewer may display one type of behaviour with female researcher he may show a different one to a male therefore obtaining different results. Oldham case study.. Piliavan and Martin (1978) found that in a group setting men and women acted differently, in the Oldham council case study, researchers went out in pairs often a man and women researcher, Aries (1976) explains that she observed women were less likely to interact than men in a mixed group. This could have affected female respondents answers when being interviewed by a male and female researcher in the Oldham case study. Moreover Herod (1993) notes the difference in the way male and female genders interpret information, on an interview he refers to the type of language used. Carli (1991) claims that women and men use language differently. Lakoff (1975) argues that women have to be socialised to use language that is less assertive then men and womens expressions are tentative. Herod (1993) puts forward that these stereotypes have implications when men and women interpret language. Sociolinguist, Deborah Tanen (1990) claims that men and women have different beliefs of how conversations are meant to work, as well as different views on the role of conversational interaction and building relationships (Wolfram Schilling-Estes, 1998). Herod (1993) explains that there is a danger in trying to generalise about gender relations in such broad categories. Arguing that they themselves did not look at race or class and how these shape gender. There is a need to look at how gender can mean different things in different context. Interviewing is about how interviewers generate meanings and understandings. Are men or women more affected by gender-of-interviewer? Whelcher (1987) and Ballou and Del Boca (1980) both argue that male respondents show more effect from gender-of-interviewer. Whelcher (1987) documents that men give more democratic responses to male interviewers as they try to give the response that they feel the male interviewer wants to hear. Ballou and Del Boca (1980) states how men give more democratic responses to female interviewers. Landis et al (1973) explain that it is expected that during an interview relationships are formed between respondent and interviewer and thus the behaviour of the respondent is influenced by their perception of the circumstances. Warren (1988) argues that women are better at building a rapport when interviewing. Landis et al (1973) found from their results that the women interviewed gave a more feminist response to the male interviewer, noting that the statistics were significant. They summarise that the gender of the interviewer does have a marked effect on response to women. Hyman et al (1954) found that gender of interviewer effected female respondents results when a male asked the question; 61% agreed with the statement, but when they were interviewed by women only 49% agreed. Hyman concluded women felt more obliged to give conventional opinions to a male interviewer. Benny et al (1956) note that both men and women act differently in the company of the other gender; acting more formally and expressing less. Benny et al (1956) and Hyman (1954) both argue that women in the presence of men talk more traditionally are more formal and tend to give the expected answer. Oldham Case study then this >It could be argued that as both these papers are dated, the findings may be less relevant. Macaulay (1993) claim the more egalitarian answers are more persuasive among male respondents when interviewed by a women. Flores-Macias and Lawson (2006) found that men are more likely to be effected rather than women. Furthermore that the social context has an effect, culture for example in Mexico City men were more susceptible to gender bias backing this up. Approximately 30% of men interviewed by men felt women rights were urgent however 40% interviewed by women felt it an issue. They also found women were more progressive when interviewed by men. Holbrook et al (2003) argue that effect from respondents believe they try to answer what interviewers want. Oldham Case study Davis et al (2010) argue that interviewer effects can impact the data obtained. They looked at measuring and controlling interviewer effects. Effects can occur from interviewer related issues such as the way questions are read, probes are used, instructions to survey etc (OLDHAM CASE study difference between male and female). Davis et al (2010) discuss how gender is the most noticeable characteristic of an interview and therefore is most susceptible to having an effect. In the past women were considered better interviewers because they are seen as less threatening and therefore there has not been as much research on this topic. But since telephone interviews gender has become more of an issue as no longer can the respondent see socioeconomic status, physical attractiveness, personal demeanour (Huddy et al 1997, p.197). Huddy et al (1997) note that there is growing evidence that respondents are more likely to give a feminist view to a female interviewer as the respondent seeks to give the answer they think the interviewer wants to hear. OLDHAM CASE Huddy et al (1997) had two goals from their study to test for the existence of gender-of-interviewer effects across a range of gender related questions. And to explore the characteristics of respondents most liable to gender-of-interviewer. Huddy et al (1997) wanted to test to see if the existence of gender-of-interviewer effected a range of topics or just gender related questions to achieve this they used two surveys both containing questions that dealt with womens issues and womens movements. Their results showed respondents were more likely to give a feminist view to a female interviewer on 11/13 gender related topics. However the difference obtained by male and female interviewers was small and consistent and was only significant for a minority of questions. The topics that showed gender-of-interviewer effects differed from the two surveys in the first, carried out in 1991 the largest gender-of-interview effects occurred on questions relating to feminist identity whereas in the second, obtained in 1993 they were on topics on abortion and anti-sexual harassment legislation. In both surveys a female interviewer collected more feminist views then a man. They did find, however that gender bias occurred most on both surv eys when topics on controversial politics were broached. With Huddy et al (1997) second goal they discovered significant interaction between interviewer gender and education less-well educated respondents were more influenced then well educated by the interviewers gender. Despite this the same results were not emulated in the second survey but they argue this could be because the gender bias was not as affluent either. To reinforce this Huddy et al (1997) assessed the statics of education and effect of gender on respondents with 12 and 17 years of education. They found that gender-of-interviewer effects were more prevalent with less educated respondents. Overall respondents with less formal education were more likely to be effected by the gender-of-interviewer and on gender related questions. Huddy et al (1997) note that gender bias decreases with age and income was the only demographic characteristic that did not increase. But how important is it, does it have a large enough effect to matter? Huddy et al (1997) found that small differences in their study. They conclude that it depends on the survey being administered. If it will effect then it is crucial that an equal number of men and women are randomly assigned to respondents. Finally Huddy et al (1997) believe that from their results it can be seen that gender could effect any type of survey and use the beginning of their first survey to demonstrate this point; where gender bias is present and the topic of the survey has not been disclosed. Huddy et al (1997) argue the view gender-of-interview effects questions is premature because; rarely have researcher controlled the individualism of interviews when examining gender-of-interviewer effects, few studies have measured the size of effects across a broad spectrum of questions to see if the effect is on feminist questions or all topics. Bellou and Del Boca (1980) did look into this in their 1980 study. Huddy et al (1997) continue explaining that effects are not standard even for questions on the same topic and few studies have tested the statistical significance across several variables with the same respondent. Huddy et al (1997) suggest that not enough research on which gender is most prone to gender-interviewer-bias as there is a contrast in theories. Lueptow, Moser and Pendleton (1990) argue women are more likely to give feminist views to a female interviewer, which they proved through telephone interviews. In contrast Ballou and Del Boca (1980) contrasted stating male respondents are more vulnerable to female interviews and appear more feminine. McDowell (1988) disagrees arguing that there is no gender split in research methods but rather a stereotyping in gender characteristics. Little work has been done on the effect of the interviewers gender; as traditionally interviewing was a female occupation Williams (1964) in his classic paper hypothesised that the greater the amount of social difference between interviewer and respondent the more likely of gender bias. Demonstrates the importance of the gender of interviewer and that the subject can have an effect.

Studying The Poetry Of Plath And Hughes

Studying The Poetry Of Plath And Hughes Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 February 11, 1963) and Ted Hughes (17 August 1930 28 October 1998) are known as some of the best poets of all time. They wrote with passion and flare and their poetry brought fire to the souls of their readers. I have always found that Hughes last poetry book, Birthday Letters, was, in short, a reply to the feelings between him and Sylvia, those judging him for her death, and, in some small form, Sylvias poetry. In this essay, I will be discovering the core significances and connections found between their poetry. I will take two poems from each poet and analyze each one, find the links between one and the other or, in some cases, their life. I will begin with Sylvia Plaths The Courage of Shutting Up, which was written in 1962, during the same week in which she wrote The Detective, The Courage of Shutting Up and a series of poems collectively called Bees The Bee Meeting, The Arrival of the Bee Box, Stings, The Swarm, and Wintering. The courage of the shut mouth, in spite of artillery! unlocks the beginning of Sylvia Plaths The Courage of Shutting-Up, a poem written about the cruel circularity of fury, the way it makes the disks of the brain revolve, like the muzzles of cannon, a needle journeying in its groove. One of the many poems Plath wrote in her illustrious eruption of passionate rage in the autumn of 1962 after becoming aware of Ted Hughess unfaithfulness, this poem was part of the monstrous bombings of literature that Plath let soar throughout the course of the twentieth centurys most well-known poetic outburst. When Hughes betrayed Plath, she grinded her pen into a knife and went used in the only way she knew how. Intimacy became her nuclear warhead: living beneath someones skin always makes it easier to condemn them. Many times she tells herself in her journals I think the worst thing is to exteriorize those jitterings so I try and shut up and not blither to Ted. His sympathy is a constant temptation. She argues with herself throughout her life about things she should and shouldnt say to Ted Should I tell the boy, before its too late warn him to set his sights on other prey more domesticated prey, at that. Or should I just shut up and plunge maybe making us both unhappy. This poem seems to be the release of every pent up emotion, thought, secret, that she ever held inside, that she ever kept from him, that she ever kept her mouth shut about. The title The Courage of Shutting up, previously known as The Courage of Quietness, gives an excellent summary of the poem, although, without reading it, there could be many assumptions about it. For example: A suffering child, a mute, a mime, and many more examples spring to the minds of those with true imagination. As in many of Plaths poetry, there is no rhyming scheme, which could be her way of portraying her anger, how she is so outraged by all the secrets she has kept, that she does not care for rhymes anymore. Another example is that she lets some of her lines flow over into the next. In the first stanza she makes it clear that she is holding back some deep dark secrets inside her by the simple mention of the shut mouth, in spite of artillery!, signifying that she has a great many secrets to tell, shamefully though, she has not told them. The line pink and quiet, a worm gives the image of the tongue sitting peacefully in its confinement, the mouth, the head, the mind, but the word basking gives us the impression that it is just waiting, for its time, for its moment, for the mind to finally give in to the temptation of letting go all of the secrets balled up inside of it. Her disks of outrage emphasise this idea, as black disks seem to be referring to a pair of black old records, filled with secrets that are meant to be played. Her outrage at the knowledge of her husbands infidelity could have been one of the inspirations for this idea. The outrage of the sky leaves us under the impression that her anger is so greats that it fills the sky itself and the last line leans strongly towards the thought that the disks in her mind, which could also be referred to as her mind, her memories, ask to be played, or in the minds case, relived or told but without their needle, their tongue, that lay basking quietly, untiring, their story can never be told. The second stanza is also filled with rages, as she explains that her disks are filled with memories of bastardies, bastardies, usages, desertions and doubleness which could be interpreted as a rough translation of all the awful sufferings her husband put her through. Her needle, or, in medical terms, tongue, plays around inside her mouth, or its groove. Her tongue is her most prized weapon. Her inner beast could be considered her dagger, her whip, it is her secret weapon, per say. During the final part of the second stanza and most of the third, describes a surgeon turned into a tattooist. This could be construed as her take on her transformation from a great poet laureate, to a housewife and a mother. Obviously she loves her children, but if you take this description how most do, she is clearly describing how she felt during her writers block. Shes tattooing over the same blue grievances, in other words, shes describing how she wrote, what she apparently considered to be, the same awful poems, over and over. The mention of The snakes and the babies gives a huge reminder of Edge, leaving us under the impression that one could have something to do with the other and that The Courage of Shutting Up could have influenced, or at least slightly inspired Edge. The fact that she says he is quiet and that he has seen to much death, his hands are full of it gives the idea that she thought she had written too many failed poetry attempts to try and go back and try again. So the disks of the brain revolve like the muzzles of cannon, could be describing how her memories replay themselves over and over in her head, grinding at her mind to speak the bastardies that she knows so deeply of. When she mentions the antique billhook, the tongue she is describing once again how dangerous her words would be if they were released. The billhook is a traditional cutting tool used mainly in forestry for cutting smaller woody materials such as shrubs and branches. If her words were only set free they would destroy her enemy with indefatigable power, meaning that she is extremely persistent and untiring. It must be cut out because it has nine tails like a cat o nine tails whip. There are three ways to lash with this type op whip. Soft lashings leave marks but they will heal, severe lashings leave scars that will not heal and savage lashings can kill. Clearly Plath was set to kill, which is why her whip must be cut out. It even flays from the air, once it gets going, w hich gives it even more power and even more reason for it to be cut off. However, in the fifth stanza we see that the antique billhook, the tongue has been put by, cut out, silenced, maybe even tongue-tied up with the fox heads, the otter heads, the heads of dead rabbits, which could be interpreted as a strange representation of all the women that Plaths husband had been with so it may be her description of how he was trying to put her up there with them. Clearly he failed. However, when we consider this from a different perspective, there is the possibility of the heads being her past poetry, a vast collection of different animals, some more dangerous than others but none so dangerous as the tongue itself that put all of those heads up there. Plath describes it as marvellous, so it is clear that it is one of her most prized possessions. It has pierced many things in its time; meaning that her spike of a tongue has pierced many a person or, some people might think it has silenced them when in a verbal discussion. When she mentions the eyes, the repetition of the eyes enhances their significance; perhaps she is referring to the well known phrase If looks could kill. She continues to write that mirrors can kill and if she is comparing mirrors to her eyes like some would think, one could assume she is speaking of how eyes mirror emotions, feelings, etc as they are Terrible rooms in which a torture goes on one can only watch showing that there is pain and suffering in the eyes but one can only sit and watch it play out in the eyes as if in shock, entrancement, or from paralysation. However, she mentions after to not worry about the eyes probably insinuating that they cannot actually kill anything or anyone. They are white and shy signifying purity, innocence. Perhaps she seeks to show that she does not use her eyes to kill, but her words. Also, in the last stanza, Plath describes how her eyes are not stool pigeons, meaning a criminals look out or a decoy, so they are not purposely looking for anything. She says that they are folded like flags and it is well known that in some countries when a soldier is killed the flag is folded in a certain way and given to the soldiers family. Their death rays folded like flags Of a country no longer heard of, An obstinate independency Insolvent among the mountains. Moving onto the selected poems by Ted Hughes, Freedom of Speech was published in 1998 along with all the others found in Ted Hughes Birthday Letters, about his relationship with the American poet Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide in 1963, the book was described as Book of poems breaks Hughes long silence on Plaths life and death. The title Freedom of Speech doesnt really give an exceptional overview of the narrative poem, it seems to hint towards the idea that everyone in the poem with the exception of the author himself, who is mentioned in the poem, and the person he is addressing are speaking, smiling, laughing, etc. There doesnt seem to be any kind of rhyme scheme, but there a few random lines in which a half rhyme can be found, could this be a possible indication of how scattered everything described in the poem is, the fact that everyone is laughing but him and her, the main characters, the birthday girl, could make everything rather disrupted. He does not end each line with a comma or a full stop, like is usually done in an a b a b rhyming scheme, which tends to be the most frequent, he lets a few of the lines spill over into the next, enhancing the idea of a scattered, desperate stream of consciousness throughout the poem. The theme is clearly fictional, as it is impossible for the person he is addres sing to actually be there on her sixtieth birthday because she had ended her life thirty years before. He describes Sylvia as a quiet bystander, sitting in silence, feeding her last book, her last love, grapes from her lips pursed like a kiss. The word kiss refers to her love for the book Ariel which was a gathering of the last poems she wrote before she committed suicide after a life of depression which ended in loneliness in 1963. The word kiss also gives the impression that Sylvia is caressing the book, and the ss also makes it sound so. The fact that the author describes the two as Ariel sits on your knuckle in the cakes glow stands to reason that she and the book are in darkness, lighted only by the cakes glow, as it would not have been that bright had the lights been on. This bring up the question: Does this mean the whole room was in darkness or just that plain solid area in which the tortured poetess and her last poetry book could be found? If it be that Hughes is trying to demonstrate that the whole room is in darkness, then the party was clearly a false and it is quite possible that he was lying to her about everyone laughing so that she would start the laughter and happiness. The trouble is that since the person referred to is clearly void of such emotions and, to be frank, isnt even there, he could be talking to himself, willing himself to start the laughter. If however the whole room is bright minus that one area in which the cake sits, in which Sylvia and her last love sits, then this has turned into a com pletely different poem. If the second option is true, then it seems that the person being referred to is a sort of ghost, sitting in the darkness, remaining solemn and unemotional, haunting him on this memorable day, her sixtieth birthday, a full thirty years after her suicide in 1963. It has always been discussed that Hughes never stopped loving or thinking about Miss Sylvia Plath and the fact that Ted Hughes even wrote the book of poems which includes Freedom of Speech supports that theory because clearly he must have thought about her often to write such a long and elaborate poetry book. In the second stanza the narrator describes the others as laughing, as if grateful. This could be trying to tell her that they are grateful to be invited, to be in the presence of such esteemed poets. There is a huge group of people the whole reunion, old friends and new friends, some famous authors, your court of brilliant minds, and publishers and doctors and professors. The entire third and fourth stanza gives the effect of a metaphor, as it has given human qualities to dead relatives, inanimate objects and the flowers around them. The description of Sylvia herself could be construed as a metaphor as it is impossible for her to actually be there as she died thirty years ago. His sense of wording in the last three stanzas are noticeable as he mentions that the children are hers, not theirs, and yet simply calls Ariel by its name, giving the illusion that Ariel is a single-minded being that Sylvia did not create, and if she did it was not alone as it was Hughes who discovered the poems and put them together, so he obviously does not say it is hers because he was also a part of its creation as he put the poems together and corrected all her mistakes that he found in the poems. The one last mentionable point is that he uses capital letters in the last line when he says Only You and I do not smile. Normally when someone uses the word you there is no capital letter but he has used one and has obviously done it for a reason. This could be to illustrate her importance in his life, to make her seem more important because at the time she is there with him, on her sixtieth birthday, sitting solemnly in the darkness with her last love, Ariel, and because of that Hug hes cannot join in on the fun everyone else is experiencing because he feels attached to her, haunted by her spirit being there. In conclusion, an analysis of Freedom of Speech shows that this poem is an author-oriented, first-person, single-angle (only the viewpoint of Hughes is shown) narrative poem which contains a mixture of modes (prose and verse). The courage of shutting up The courage of the shut mouth, in spite of artillery! The line pink and quiet, a worm, basking. There are black disks behind it, the disks of outrage, And the outrage of the sky, the lined brain of it. The disks revolve, they ask to be heard- Loaded, as they are, with accounts of bastardies. Bastardies, usages, desertions and doubleness, The needle journeying in its groove, Silver beast between two dark canyons, A great surgeon, now a tattooist, Tattooing over and over the same blue grievances, The snakes, the babies, the tits On mermaids and two-legged dream girls. The surgeon is quiet, he does not speak He has seen too much death, his hands are full of it So the disks of the brain revolve, like the muzzles of cannon. Then there is that antique billhook, the tongue, Indefatigable, purple. Must it be cut out? It has nine tails, it is dangerous And those it flays from the air, once it gets going! No, the tongue, too, has been put by, Hung up in the library with the engravings of Rangoon And the fox heads, the otter heads, the heads of dead rabbits. It is a marvellous object- The things it has pierced in its time. But how about the eyes, the eyes, the eyes? Mirrors can kill and talk, they are terrible rooms In which a torture goes on one can only watch The face that lived in this mirror is the face of a dead man. Do not worry about the eyes- They may be white and shy, they are no stool pigeons, Their death rays folded like flags Of a country no longer heard of, An obstinate independency Insolvent among the mountains. Freedom of Speech At your sixtieth birthday, in the cakes glow, Ariel sits on your knuckle. You feed it grapes, a black one, then a green one, From between your lips pursed like a kiss. Why are you so solemn? Everybody laughs As if grateful, the whole reunion Old friends and new friends, Some famous authors, your court of brilliant minds, And publishers and doctors and professors, Their eyes creased in delighted laugher even The late poppies laugh, one loses a petal. The candles tremble their tips Trying to contain their joy. And your Mummy Is laughing in her nursing home. Your children Are laughing from opposite sides of the globe. Your Daddy Laughs deep in his coffin. And the stars, Surely the stars, too, shake with laughter. And Ariel What about Ariel? Ariel is happy to be here. Only you and I do not smile.