India ‘s regional disparities Essay

India’s economy hit a major turning point in 1990 when the government started the Economy Liberalization. Its effect is the significantly high economic growth when the GDP greatly rose from $316.9 (1990) to $1001 (2010), but along with that, it also brought about the increasing poverty and the widening income gap. After 1990, poverty, religious conflict, corruption, income inequality and regional disparity are the main problems facing India’s economy while Bollywood and IT sector and software service became the highlight of India’s economy. Speaking of India, we can relate to one country, China because of their similarity in population, their growth in GDP and several historical links. Despite having many things in common, they focused on different development paths. While China’s main focus is manufacture and infrastructure, or in short : hardware, India excels in Service and technology : software. So, because of those features, a tight partnership with s trong potential is called Chindia. In this report, I will expand my thought on the regional disparity in terms of literacy, economic distribution and healthcare sector and regional income convergence of India. Up to 2011, India has seen an improvement in Literacy rate when it rose from 65.38% (2001) to 74.04% in 2011. The government has taken several measures to improve the literacy rate in rural areas, so by 2011, the gap between urban and rural areas has slightly declined, but the gap still remains relatively large with Kerala being the state with the highest literacy rate (94%), followed by Lakshadweep (92.3%) and Mizoram (91.06%) and lastly Bihar with the lowest literacy rate (64%). In spite of the government’s providing free education programs to poor people living in rural areas, the amount of  schools and education centers are still not very considerable compared to urban areas and the people in poor villages, town could not get access to free education because they are not aware of that (media isolation). Also, about 42% of the population of India live on less than $1.25 a day, especially in rural areas, there are a large amount of people below the poverty line. Thatâ€⠄¢s why education becomes unreachable for them. The considerably high economic growth of India seems like it only benefits the rich in the high-income states. While convergence between countries is a crucial issue in the analysis of a country’s economy, regional income convergence – convergence between regions of a given country is also very important. Regional convergence are defined by observing that whether initially poor regions have a tendency of developing faster than initially rich regions. In the case of India, Manipur which in 1961 had real per capita income of below-averaged level (1,438) and grew relatively fast (3,893) in 1991 was catching up to Delhi, the highest income state in 1961 (6,236) which had the close growth rate until 1991 (10,177). Therefore, there is regional convergence in India. According to an article by Paul Cashin, the regional convergence between initially poor states and initially rich states is the rate of 1.5 % per year. Nevertheless, this speed of regional convergence is slower when compared to Japan, USA †¦ – the industrial countries earlier. India is famous for its healthcare system which fulfills the needs of metropolitan cities only if they are able to afford it. Based on a report by the United Nations, 75% of the health infrastructure in India is used to serve in urban areas where account for only 27% of India’s population. Whereas, the rural areas which account for 72% of the population (around 716 million people) lack the basic medical treatment. Manpower including doctors and medical specialists is one of the fundamental components of the healthcare system and rural areas are now lacking an estimated number of 12300 doctors (64%), which is six times lower than in urban areas. Moreover, the number of beds in hospitals is 15 times lower than in urban areas. Also, urban areas (specifically high-income states) have access to more amount of  hospitals, dispensaries, expenditure on medical and public health as well as vaccines and instrumental medicine. In short, healthcare resources distributed by the government are available to more people in urban areas than those in rural areas. This disparity has led to a series of difficulties and problems for rural areas. Life expectancy of people in rural areas are much lower than in urban areas. Crude death rate (8% compared to 6%) and still birth rate (9% compared to 8%) are both higher in rural areas. Infant morality rate is the most notable because rural areas account for 61%, more than 24% when compared to urban areas. The number of malnourished and underweight children in rural areas is also higher than in urban areas. The healthcare disparities has created more and more clusters of regions with poor infrastructure and this made rural areas much more vulnerable to diseases and contagion, which then creates greater burdens in treatment cost for the government. The healthcare disparity has a strong relation to the literacy disparity and economic disparity stated above. Because health is a crucial factor in school attendance, the healthcare disparity has prevented people and children in rural areas from having a decent, healthy education’s time. Lacking health care means that not many people in rural areas can have the ability to learn efficiently and effectively. Also, because investments in health and education can lead to a higher future income, these disparities in literacy and healthcare sector can harm the rural areas’ economy further more. Therefore, without implementing a proper and immediate policy, the widening gap between rural and urban areas may get bigger in the future. REFERENCE http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/india/overview http://www.census2011.co.in/literacy.php https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1996/03/pdf/cashin.pdf http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/media/2011InfoG/Interactive/Ind ia_20110620/India_Equiv.swf http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/GDP.pdf

Declining Morality Essay

Teen pregnancy is occurring everywhere. Profanity has greatly increased in the entertainment industry. Dances are becoming more vulgar and are teaching small children bad habits. Out-of-wedlock births now seem to be common and, therefore, less frowned upon than before. One of the most important challenges to humanity today is obviously our drastic decline in morality. Some may say our morals are even being completely redefined. At this rate, will our generation’s children grow up in an even worse environment than our current situation? One of the most influential causes for society’s decreasing morality is today’s music. Children as young as three years of age are learning such profane language from listening to lyrics without parental supervision and repeating them for their friends to hear. Drug and alcohol abuse, premarital sex, and violence are being especially promoted in current rap music. The dances associated with such songs also suggest these ideas. There should already be a limit to what youth are allowed to hear, and with lack of this supervision along with increasing vulgarity, kids are trying to grow up much too fast. This can connect to the increasing teen pregnancy rate. Marriage used to be morally required in order to reproduce and raise children. Out-of-wedlock births are becoming more popular. This can be linked to dysfunctional families and children being raised without both parents present. Therefore, the youth do not always receive the deserving attention and support needed to lead a successful life. Increasing divorce rates and custody battles also contribute to this issue. All in all, today’s youth are not thriving as they should be. Yet, this is not only effecting young people but also our society as a whole. Morality’s downfall has become an austere issue that must be addressed to the public. If failed to be brought to attention soon, the adolescents of today could possibly wreak havoc on later society.

The Ideas of Classical Theorists

The ideas of the classical theorists, particularly those of bureaucracy and scientific management, are generally considered as rather old fashioned and out of date, and of little relevance to work and organisation today. Is this really the case? Consider the above statement through a critical examination of practices which can be identified in work today. In your analysis, you should draw upon appropriate academic material, and also other sources which can help in identifying current practices.These can include your own experiences from work, those of family relatives and friends, weblogs, working life diaries, newspaper articles and other media reports. Jean-Luc Adamson 110105367 Word Count- 1879 It is a valid and reasonable claim that the ideas of the classical theorists are outdated. Many argue that ideas of Bureaucracy by Weber and Scientific Management by Taylor do not have any relevance in modern day working practices. However these ideas have evolved as the business world has developed, and it is clear that they form the basis of many new working practices that exist in modern day organisations.By looking at the reality of these modern practices, we can see that many businesses still favour a rational approach. This approach draws elements from the ideas of bureaucracy and scientific management, and shows there relevance in current working practices. The use of a Fordist approach, as well as the â€Å"McDonaldization† of companies further demonstrates the validity of the classical theories, as a basis for new approaches. It is also important to evaluate the claim that in more recent times there has been a shift to a Post-Fordist and Post-Bureaucratic society.This proposed shift demands that a different approach to management and organisation is required, yet we have to ask the question, will the removal of bureaucratic and scientific elements in business ever be beneficial? When examining organisations the reality is often very different to the rh etoric. The rhetoric takes a more theoretical approach and tries to explain what should happen. However, in order to evaluate the relevance of the classical approaches in modern day practices, we must look at what does happen. The orthodox rhetoric executes a modern approach, where employees are a major asset, and have been empowered.Management is more â€Å"hands off† and a flexible environment suits employees. While certain businesses may adopt this theory, and it is clear that in modern business, even the more rational approaches are influenced by it, the reality is different. Since the introduction of the Fordist model, production has been dominated by this rational idea. It was designed to increase efficiency in productivity by using assembly lines and the division of labour into smaller parts increased control (Pugh D S & Hickson D J, 1989), thus dehumanizing the production process.McDonaldization is a metaphor used to describe the integral part of rational processes; s imilar to those explained by Weber and Taylor, in modern day organisations. McDonaldization is described by John Ritzer as â€Å"the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world. † (‘The Case of McDonalds’ from Wilson F, 2004). It uses the example of the fast food restaurant to explain the reality of how businesses operate; in particular those concerned with mass production.The dimensions of Mcdonaldization encompass the efficiency, calculability and predictability that it produces. Close rules and regulations, dictated by a central command, look to improve efficiency and have very strong connotations with Weber’s theory of bureaucracy. The emphasis on quantative aspects of the product and the interest in quantity over quality again convey the de-humanisation of the workforce, which portrays the parallels with Taylor’s theory of Scientifi c management.The predictability is inevitable and what firms adopting Mcdonaldization metaphor strive for, which again demonstrates the similarities with the â€Å"production line† aspect of Taylor’s theory. It is clear that the classical theories still influence todays companies, however McDonaldization appears to use elements of the rhetoric ideals, which makes it different from Fordism. Subsequently in Ritzer’s critique of McDonaldization he explains how bored workers, bent the rules for amusement to make the dull routines more bearable. like catching a girl eye, as she walked in† (‘The Case of McDonalds’ from Wilson F, 2004). Burawoy notes how these games are beneficial as they give some control back to the workforce and are thus† tolerated by management, because they enhance the efficiency of work† (BURAWOY. M, 1985). This supports the assumption that the ideas of the classical theorists are evident but have evolved and encomp assed ideas from more modern works, that insist on the idea of employee empowerment being beneficial to an organisation.Despite the more modern theorists approach, the orthodox rhetoric is essentially an â€Å"ideal† and tends to ignore the true reality of modern organisations. I have experienced firsthand, working in a fast food restaurant where it has also seen the benefits of â€Å"McDonaldizing†. The restaurant served fried food of a reasonable quality. The job required little skill and we had to follow rules on how we served, cleaned and produced the food and drink. The managers were there to make sure we followed these rules, which were in place to provide efficiency and consistency, regarding the food and service.The management however deployed a slight autocratic approach, as the chefs were able to decide what the special for the day would be, as well as the employees deciding when to clean and arrange certain advertisements and displays. My experience is an ex ample that supports the view that the classical theories are still relevant. Yet the more modern influences on this particular organisation; by allowing the employees some control, explain that those classical theories are somewhat outdate, and that they have evolved as business has developed.Instrumental rationality is very important when looking at working practices. â€Å"It helps a person decide how to do things, such as efficiently perform technical tasks, resolve conflicts and solve problems by regarding the factors involved in a situation as variable to be controlled. † (BusinessDictionary. com 2012) Instrumental rationality looks at how to organize and not why. It often disregards morals and ethics, and firms that adopt the use of instrumental rationality in there organisation are often focused on gaining maximum profits. Weber saw bureaucracy as a paradigm for instrumental rationality.He believed that Bureaucracy as the most efficient structure; and the fact it disre garded morals and ethics made bureaucracy an instrumentally rational practice. Many modern working practices still use instrumental rationality in modern day working practices; such as businesses which follow a fordist approach or firms that have â€Å"McDonaldized† practices. Taylor devoted a lot of time to looking at how instrumental rationality could be used in industry. () His conclusion to his research showed that â€Å"the means of improving worker efficiency and roductivity take precedence over the end of respect for human dignity. † This rationality shares connotations with the idea of a Fordist approach, and thus demonstrates how instrumental rationality and Scientific Management go hand in hand. Subsequently we can see through the use of instrumental rationality, the classical theorist’s views are still relevant today. A working diary of a Customer Service worker demonstrates how instrumental rationality functions in the workplace. It also conveys elem ents of Bureaucracy and Scientific Management in modern day working practices.The writer of the diary explains various situations, which show the appearance of these ideas in current practices. The woman explains how they receive gold stars for increased sales. This is patronizing and highlights the simple and regulated work that these people are asked to do. The more sales they achieve the more they are recognised. This shows instrumental rationality in the way the management deals with its employees. They are trying to increase sales by offering incentives to the workers; in the form of gold stars. Yet they are doing this at the expense of the employee’s motivation.This links in with the McDonaldization example that explains the â€Å"Irrationality of Rationality†. This concept with reference to the Working Diary shows that the firm is being rational by trying to improve efficiency within the organisation yet they are neglecting substantive rationality by ignoring th e needs of its employees. Furthermore the extent to which this worker is monitored, shows how little control the workers have over their jobs, and it is managements job to make sure they are following the rules precisely. â€Å"okay. How about last Sunday? You clocked in 27 seconds late. This demonstrates how apparent instrumental rationality is in this organisation, as it is purely about how to organize their employees and disregarding the human side of management. Thus the reality of working situations show that elements of Bureaucracy and Scientific Management still exists, but subsequently suggests that these theories are somewhat outdated despite being a reality in modern working practices. (Workstiff Diaries, customer service. 2004) The shift to a Post-Bureaucratic state in working practices, suggests that Bureaucracy is dead.The alleged shift to a post industrial society implies that the classical theorists are outdated and that there is no relevance to them in modern day wo rking practices. However when looking at the reality of current day organisations, it is important to ask the question; has there been a shift to a Post-Bureaucratic state and if so to what extent? When comparing the Fordist approach, to more recent approaches used in Businesses today, I feel that to some extent there has been a shift. An example looks at Fordism and the metaphor of McDonaldization.McDonaldization is essentially Fordism, but it offers a more human, and autocratic approach. However when looking at example such as the Workers Diary this shows, that in reality the shift towards a post-bureaucratic state; where trust, empowerment and shared responsibility become a reality, has not happened, and the ideas of the classical theorists still have a basis in modern day working practices. It is possible to argue that the views of the classical theorists are outdated. We can see that from these approaches there lacks a human element in the way that organisations that adopt thes e theories act.Despite continuous evolution of these theories, it is clear that they do not encompass the needs of their employees in modern day working practices. However to answer the question we have to look at whether the ideas of Bureaucracy and Scientific management still have relevance in modern working practices. The answer to this is that the classical theories form the basis of many working practices throughout business. In reality, many firms still adopt the ideas of the classical theorists, in different measures. A very common cliche is that no organisation is the same.Despite the notion that every business requires its own way of operating; and that a contingency theory approach is often the way forward, the ideas of the classical theorists cannot be ignored. Modern working practices have developed since Weber and Taylors theories, and they will continue to do so. However it is hard to see a time where the classical theorist’s views will not be relevant. Word Cou nt- 1879 Bibliography * Anonomous. (2012) Customer Service, WorkingStiff Diaries, from the US in the late 1990s . Working Stiff Diaries, [blog] 12th Sept 2004, Available at: http://www. weblab. rg/workingstiff/ [Accessed: Wednesday 12th December 2012]. * BURAWOY, M. (1985). The politics of production: factory regimes under capitalism and socialism. London, Verso. * Businessdictionary. com (n. d. )  What is instrumental rationality? definition and meaning. [online] Available at: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/instrumental-rationality. html [Accessed: 14 Dec 2012]. * Pugh D S & Hickson D J (1989) Writers on Organizations, 4th Edition London; Penguin, pages 94-97 * ‘The Case of McDonalds’ from Wilson F (2004)  Organizational Behaviour and Work, pps 55-59

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Boddy (2008) defines Human Resource Management (HRM) as â€Å"the effective use of human resources in order to enhance organizational performance† (p.354). Human resource management is one of the core areas of organizational functions. Even though an organization has many resources such as manpower, materials, machines and money, manpower or human resource seems to the most important one. Context for HRM & key concepts and practices associated with HRM According to Torrington et al. (2011), â€Å"Human resource management (HRM) is the basis of all management activity†( p.4). In fact all the management activities in an organization start from HR. If HR fails to identify and post suitable talents, the organization may not develop properly. The right person at the right place at the right time will always bring benefits to the organization. Since human resource managers are responsible for recruitment, placements, training, development and retention of the employees; the performances of human resource department is vital for the success of an organization. It should be noted that most of the current organizations are operating internationally and diversity in the workforce is not a myth but a fact. Diverse workforce often brings different types of conflicts in the workplace. HR department is responsible for settling such disputes. Strategic HRM is gaining popularity at present because of the globalized nature of organizations a nd the workforce. Paauwe & Boselie (2005) mentioned that â€Å"HRM practices should focus particularly on employee development, the encouragement of learning and knowledge management†. Knowledge management is vital for organizations to stay competitive in the heavily globalized and competitive market. It is necessary to update the knowledge of the employees periodically to make them capable of dealing with the new challenges. Training and development are necessary for the employees to update their skills and knowledge. HR department is responsible for organising training for the employees. As mentioned earlier, majority of the organizations have diverse workforce at present. Diverse workforce often brings a variety of challenges to HRM. Work philosophy, attitudes, skill sets, ethics, values, language, communication means, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds of diverse workforces are extremely different. For example, many American companies are currently operating in China and these companies have many American employees along with Chinese employees. China and America are entirely different countries in terms of politics and culture. American employees may face lot of problems related to culture and politics while working in China. HR managers are responsible for providing necessary training to such employees before sending them to China. In short, HR management principles are changing as time goes on because of the huge changes happening in the global business world. The success of an organization depends on how well the HR department deals with such changes and makes corrections in its strategies. Along with employee recruitment, training and development, employee retention is another critical area handled by HR department. It should be noted that smart employees always get better opportunities. It is the duty of the HR managers to provide necessary motivation for work to the employees. Better remuneration and incentives alone may not motivate the employees to stick w ith an organization. Along with remuneration, current employees are particular about the work culture, organizational climate and work-life

Should Iran be allow to have it's own nuclear power Research Paper

Should Iran be allow to have it's own nuclear power - Research Paper Example America’s double standards in terms of foreign policies towards Israel and Muslim world are causing big concerns in the Islamic world. Many people believe that Israel already have nuclear arsenal and hence there is no point in criticising Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear power. Many others are of the view that allowing Iran to acquire nuclear power may intensify the problems in the Middle East. This paper analyses the arguments in favour and against allowing Iran to become a nuclear power. Opponents of Iran's nuclear program often argue that Iran should opt for the more economically efficient electricity from natural gas-fired power plants. Such arguments are also not valid. A recent study by two MIT professors indicated that the cost of producing electricity from gas (and oil) is comparable with what it costs to generate it using nuclear reactors — not to mention the adverse effects of carbon emissions or the need to preserve Iran's gas reserves to position Ira n in 20 or 30 years as one of the main suppliers of gas to Europe and Asia (Sahimi et al.). It is a fact that the available fossil fuels stocks in this world are sufficient enough for 30 or 40 more years. Industries are developing rapidly and the automobile uses are increasing every day. Under such circumstances, it is necessary for all the countries to look for alternate energy sources. Iran publicly says that they are trying to develop nuclear technology to meet their energy needs. It is a fact that energy crisis is a big problem in most of the countries. Since the fossil fuel is exhausting rapidly because of the increased exploitation, it is necessary find out alternate energy sources. Many countries turned their attention towards nuclear power to solve their energy crisis. For example, India is establishing a series of nuclear power stations across their territories to solve energy crisis. Under such circumstances, disallowing Iran from acquiring nuclear power cannot be justifie d. At the same time, many reports have shown that Iran is trying to develop nuclear arsenal rather than nuclear power stations in the name of energy crisis. In other words, Iran is trying to utilize nuclear power for destructive purposes rather than constructive purposes. Heated public rhetoric has filled the newspapers and radio broadcasts since Summer, 2003, warning that Iran is nearly ready to produce nuclear weapons and that, if she were ever to actually produce those weapons, she would be an unacceptable risk to her neighbours and to Israel through direct military confrontation. Further, Iran is said to be ready to supply global terrorists with nuclear weapons, thus posing a risk to the United States, to Great Britain, and to the European Union (Nuclear Armed Iran Vs. America – Whom Should The World Fear?). If Iran is trying to develop nuclear arsenal for destructive purposes, then they should be prevented from doing so. It should be noted that the destructive power of n uclear arsenal is unimaginable. Nagasaki and Hiroshima have shown us the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The damages caused by the nuclear weapons in Nagasaki and Hiroshima are negligible compared to the capabilities of modern nuclear weapons. Under such circumstances, UN like global agencies is trying to prevent countries from developing nuclear arsenal. A war between two nuclear powers may

Apple Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Corporation - Case Study Example This company analysis is carried out through two different perspectives: business and financial perspectives correspondingly. Business perspective is evaluated through SWOT analysis and for financial perspective; the past five years’ stock trend of the company is carried out. The success of the company is evaluated in this case solution. According to the key findings, the recommendation is developed for future strategic planning of the company for the next five years. Company background Apple Inc. was formerly named Apple Computer Inc. It is an American multinational corporation, which designs and sells high technology electronic goods, personal computers and computer software. The company became popular worldwide because of its innovative products. The company’s best-known products are the Macintosh line of computers, iPod, iPhone and lastly, the current iPad. The company was established on 1 April 1976 in California and incorporated on 3 January 1977. It removed the w ord ‘computer’ from its name in January 2007 and expanded towards producing consumer electronics apart from its then existing computer business. By market capitalization, Apple Inc. became the largest public limited company in the world beating ExxonMobil, Google and Microsoft in revenue and profit. Organization structure The success of Apple is the contribution of the collaborative work of the employees in the organization. The organization follows a collaborative organizational structure and work culture. There are no committees in the organization and everything is organized like the biggest start up in the world. In each department, all the team members meet every day to discuss the current scenario of their business and the company values, the employees participate in the decision making process. Apple has a reputation of influencing individuality and excellence that helps the company in its decision-making (Apple Inc, 2012). Innovation Apple was formed with the id ea of innovation and the company has been following this motive to get a better competitive advantage. The brand has become famous in the world and it has better brand recognition and brand value than other electronic goods companies because each product its own unique innovation, generated exclusively by the Apple only, and not copied from others. Effective use of technology by the company resulted in innovations like Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and the latest gadget – iPad (SRM University, 2008, p.13). Competitors Apple Inc operates its businesses in multiple industries. The main industry is personal computers. Apart from this, the company is involved in the software industry and consumer electronics. In the personal computer industry, the main competitors of Apple are IBM, Hewlett Packard, Dell Inc., etc. In consumer electronics industry, the main market competitor is Samsung, which has similar products in the market, and Apple has been facing competition from the same in the markets of the developing countries. The direct competitors of Apple are Google, Microsoft and RIMM (Research in Motion Limited). In all these industries Apple holds the leading position and no one can surpass this company in terms of revenue, profit, innovation and brand recognition. SWOT analysis Strength Brand position: Apple Inc. is one of the most desired and prestigious brands among its potential and non-potential customers in the world. The company successfully managed to create a positioning of strong brand value among its customers. The customers associate this brand with the concept of

The Central Park Five Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Central Park Five - Essay Example The Innocence Project reports â€Å"that about one quarter of people who have been exonerated by DNA evidence made false incriminating statements or gave false confessions that helped convict them† (â€Å"Worcester police use coercion to get confession†). The question is how this could happen and what can lead a person to do something as seemingly crazy as confessing to a crime they didn’t commit. The Central Park Five documentary is a sad real unjust story, which shows how corrupted and unethical the law system can be with no circumstantial evidence and use of coercion. Five young boys were sent to prison, and lost their childhood because the prosecutor and the detectives wanted to glorify their career by means of other people’s lives and took advantage of the situation without a doubt. It goes without saying that this crime has been tailored in racial stereotyping with emphasis on the timeline introspectively to fit the crimes to the particular decade. While watching this documentary, first thing that I paid attention to was the fact that original investigators denied to come into the light. Certainly if we try to find out this we would here such phrases as â€Å"no comments†, â€Å"it is unknown at this time† or â€Å"we can’t comment on the situation due to sensitivity of the case†. Ok that is fine and totally understandable, but in this particular case it is obvious that the interrogations were orchestrated with coercion. From the ethical stand point in my opinion there was no, and this applies especially to the prosecutor Elizabeth Lederer. As Burns shows, the DNA evidence showed that Matias Reyes, the "East Side Slasher" was an offender who committed crime. The facts showed that he was an offender. However, the police did not pay any attention to that and preferred to accuse the group of African American and Latino boys of the crime commitment. They did not even pay any attention to the undeniable DNA evidence. Personally I can’t believe that the

Cheyenne Native Americans Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cheyenne Native Americans - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the Cheyenne comprise of two tribes i.e. the Tsà ©tsà ªhà ©stà ¢hese and the Sà ³'taeo'o. Members of the Algonquian family had a common territory (present-day Saskatchewan province) and language.   However, in the mid 16th century, they began their southwestward migration in pursuit of buffaloes and game. However, prior to this, the Cheyenne resided alongside the Missouri River in Minnesota. There is evidence that they were ardent farmers who also made ceramics and artifacts. After losing a battle with the Hidatsa and Mandan tribes, they were driven off to the plains. This is when they took up buffalo hunting and occupied the area that comprises of modern-day Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. Consequently, their housing units changed from earthen lodges to ‘tipis’, temporary houses made of buffalo hide. This tribe was further subdivided into ten bands and four leaders were appointed from each band. In addition, there was a council of elders that comprised of forty-four elected men. The council convened on a regular basis to deliberate on tribal affairs. Authority was deeply centralized, and the Cheyenne people were united by ritual ceremonialism and the famous ‘Sun Dance’ was the main climax. ‘Sacred arrows’ was another ceremonial ritual and this was undertaken whenever the Cheyenne people waged tribal war. The Cheyenne have a rich cultural heritage which is characterized by religious beliefs, ceremonies, religious practitioners, traditional medicine and veneration of the dead. Aside from the sun dance and arrow dance, there are three other significant ceremonies. These include Mahut renewal, Isiwun and animal dance. Death and life are deemed a spiritual process. A good life automatically results in a good death. Conversely, an evil life leads to malevolent spirits who are bound to torment the living. Hence, the Cheyenne really advocate for a good life. Indian tribes includin g the Cheyenne welcomed the European settlers into America and even taught them survival tactics. Unfortunately, this cordiality was short-lived and the White settlers began to acquire their land. Initially, this was done via treaties but with time the Cheyenne were forcefully evicted from their territories. They were driven off to barren land that was unwanted by the European settlers. As stated above, treaties were the initial means of acquiring Native American territorial land. One famous treaty is the 1851 Laramie Treaty. The Cheyenne were represented in this treaty between US government representatives and Native American tribes. Several resolutions were made and they include the following. First, a truce was reached between warring rival tribes. Secondly, each tribe was to receive $50,000 per annum for 10 years as compensation for their land. Third, the US government gained the right to build infrastructure on native land. The white settlers were also assured of peace when the y traveled along the Overland Trail. Fourth, maps were demarcated to show areas where the tribes were allowed to hunt and fish. Subsequent treaties had well-established reservations for Indian tribes. The mid-seventeenth century was characterized by massive immigration of European settlers into America.

Judiciary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judiciary - Essay Example Judicial restraint is the antonym of judicial activism (Ringhand & Collins, 2010). The discussion between judiciary restraint and judicial activism started in the early days of the United States of America and has proceeded to the present. A number of renowned Supreme Court justices such as John Marshall have supported the judicial activism view, the belief that it’s the role of the judges to chart new constitutional grounds as well as make bold policy decisions. Supporters of legal activists are to judicial restraint that supports that the judiciary should leave the policy formulation and decisions making process to the executive and legislative branches (Ringhand & Collins, 2010). For decades, Republican Party leaders have decried judicial activism and championed for judicial restraint. Republican politicians have associated judicial restraint with a commitment to judicial deference, stating that judges who support judicial activism disrespect the will of many people. The debate has continued to warrant close inspection as a result of the deployment of judicial activism by Republic politicians during the Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as well as in the 2008 presidential elections. The senators were utterly aghast that Sonia’s experience and background might affect her decisions and that she may be an activist. The Sotomayors emphasized that justices make no laws and policies but merely apply those laws that are in existence (Davis, 2009). It is uncontroversial to indicate that only chief Justice Scalia and Justice Roberts Alito and Thomas belong to the number of judges who are in the political circles of Republican. Justice Alito a nd Roberts were nominated by Bush and were considered Republican favorites. The two were however not democrat’s favorites, and President Obama was not ready to vote

Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Material Management and Hazard Essay

Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Material Management and Hazard Communications - Essay Example Hydrochloric acid is a hazardous material that ought to be handled with care. The spill response entails confining the spill using absorbent barriers (such as rags), diluting the acid, and neutralizing the acid. The primary problem experienced during the clean-up process is attributable to the properties of hydrochloric acid. The acid will corrode everything that gets into contact with it. In addition, it can cause damage to body tissues. The acid spill leaves a trail of damage to both humans and materials even after it has been contained. The spill response for water-soluble solids entails confinement, neutralization, and disposal. Sodium azide is a hazardous solid that is soluble in water. The clean-up process with such solids mostly involves neutralizing with hydrochloric acid (Burke et al., 2012). If the process is not conducted as required, the clean-up process can turn into a larger spill due to hydrochloric acid. In addition, the clean-up process may involve vaporizing the water to extract the solid. Some of the chemical components of the solid may be released into the air causing health concerns for the people involved. Oil is the most common hazardous water-insoluble liquid that has significant environmental effects. The spill response process entails confinement. Oil floats on water; hence it forms a layer. The oil spreads fast over the water body making it difficult to confine it. In addition, the oil may vaporize and mix with air posing health problems to the people involved. Oil is highly flammable and may lead to explosions when exposed to

How Motivation Can Affect Employees' Commitment and Performance at Essay

How Motivation Can Affect Employees' Commitment and Performance at Work - Essay Example How Motivation Can Affect Employees' Commitment and Performance at Work? Motivation is required in every stages of life, and in everywhere, be it school, office or home. Motivation influences people to perform and it also helps to perform better. Motivation has certain ways to inspire people, certain theories to encourage people to work, to perform. These theories are known as motivational theories. The management of an organisation applies these theories to ensure the completion of the tasks and the achievement of the determined goals. There are several different approaches to motivate people in a workplace. The theories provided by the famous psychologists Fredrick Herzberg, Abraham Maslow, and Clayton P. Alderfer, relate to the need of the human, which helps to create a better work environment, enhanced performances, and a better living. The theories are known as Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory, Motivation-Hygiene Theory of Herzberg, and Existence, Relatedness and Growth (ERG) Theory of Alderfer. There are others theories given by David McClellandâ₠¬â„¢s Need Theory, Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, McGregor’s X and Y Theory and Goal Setting theory of Edwin Locke. These theories are very much helpful to recognise the reasons that affect towards motivating people at the workplace to enhance the performances given by the employees and to increase the commitment towards work and the workplace. (Hoffmann, 2007). The major objective of this study is to highlight all these relevant theories related to motivation and workplace performance and their features. The paper would include the importance of these theories in an organisation and their analysis to enhance the commitment and the performance of every individual. The paper would also include a conclusion of the overall discussion. Findings The Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory In the year 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a theory of motivation for the human, named as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This was one of the earliest human motivation theories. This theory was developed based on the various psychological needs of a human being where the framework of the theory consisted of five sets of human needs. This framework was separated into two different groups, i.e. ‘basic needs’ and ‘higher-order needs’. The basic needs of a human being are shelter, food, water and safety. These are the needs which ensure the existence of a human being. And esteem, self actualisation, or self improvement and the social activities, comes under the higher order needs. The human motivation to satisfy the needs of the human basically is originated from the external or internal factors. The internal motivation of people is due to the factors which result in delight and a sense of achievement. The people who get motivated externally are influenced by the different external factors, which are controlled by others, such as, money. The framework of Maslow represents a pyramid structure and the framework consists of basic needs at its bottom and the higher needs are at the top of the structure (Yahaya, n.d.). Source: (Yahaya, n.d.). The basic needs are the psychological needs such as, food, water, sleep and shelter. These are the ne

Music In My Life Presenation Essay Example for Free

Music In My Life Presenation Essay MUSIC Music is an influence in everyone’s life. The type of music you listen to can shape the person you become and how you act in different situations. The first instrument I learned how to play was the piano. I only played for about a year or so, then I moved on to the violin. I was a big fan of the violin and recall playing in several recitals with my instructor. I found the recitals to be both exciting and nerve racking at the same time, but in the end it was an unforgettable experience I could not live without. During my high school years I became a fan of the guitar. I started playing the acoustic guitar and I enjoyed it more than every other instrument I ever played growing up. Upon my high school graduation, I purchased my own electric guitar. From that day on I tried to play it as often as I could, but now I do not have the time for it like I used to which is a shame and depressing. MY DREAMS One of my fears in life is not having enough time to achieve all of my dreams. I would love to go on a cruise to the Caribbean. While growing up, vacations with my family were a big part of my life and continuing that lifestyle is of utmost importance to me. I am an adventurous type of person and would enjoy doing a few â€Å"extreme† activities in my life. These activities would consist of skydiving and bungee jumping. Another dream of mine is to visit every state in the United States, as well as travel around the world. Later on in life, I would like to complete my career goals by obtaining my PhD to further my career. One of my biggest dreams I hope to achieve someday would be to go to Germany and visit the town named after my family. In Germany, my family was considered Dukes and we eventually had a town named after us. This would be an ideal vacation and it is one the most amazing things I hope to do at some point in my life.

10 Day Placement Assignment Analysis From Snap Social Work Essay

10 Day Placement Assignment Analysis From Snap Social Work Essay SNAP is an organisation that was set up in June 2008. It is a collaboration of six organisations Orwell Housing Association, Anglia Care Trust, Epic Trust, Ipswich Housing Action Group, Family Action and Together- Working for Wellbeing. Each employee of Snap is affiliated to one of the main organisations and is an employee of only one of the partners. All six organisations tendered, and won the contract to provide CARA (Central Access Referral Agency) and non accommodation based housing support. The collaboration of the agencies ensures a diversity of skills, knowledge and experience. SNAP is responsible for support throughout Suffolk apart from those in the Waveney area. These referrals come through CARA but are then transferred to Flagship Housing to provide support. SNAPs primary aims are to prevent homelessness, to support people to develop skills that will facilitate independent living and to prevent or assist an individual from being admitted to institutionalised accommodation. The support SNAP provides may be accessed by anyone over the age of 16 as long as they are eligible to receive public funds and have needs that are housing related. SNAP supports people for a maximum of two years, up to three hours a week. The needs and progress of the service user are reviewed every 13 weeks. If the service user still requires support after two years or is deemed to have ongoing requirements then they are referred to other agencies that will provide this. Each organisation that is involved in SNAP, has their own policies and mission statements. The values that SNAP have taken as their own are those of respect, integrity, honesty and trust. There is no mission statement that applies overall, as each employee of SNAP is employed by one of the six agencies, and it is the mission statement of that agency that applies to the individual employee. SNAP has six support planning principles. The first of these is that the support provided is individualistic. This is a traditional social work value originally put forward by Biestek (1961). This value means that the worker should recognise and understand each service users unique qualities and situation and take these into account at all times. SNAP also advocates person centred therapy. This approach originated from Carl Rogers (Rogers, 1942) and is from the humanistic school of psychology. This theory involves the process of providing the service user with unconditional positive regard, empathy and openness as it is these that empower the service user and facilitate their ability to solve their own issues. SNAP works in an inter-professional manner. Referrals received by SNAP are from a multitude of agencies due to the diversity of service users and their needs. SNAP is only able to support those who have difficulties in maintaining a tenancy and anything that does not fall within this remit requires SNAP to signpost the service users to other agencies. Furthermore, the support provided may involve SNAP liaising with other agencies that may be relevant in the service users life. All SNAPs interventions are Task centred (Reid Shyne 1969). SNAPs support is classed as short term even though it can continue for up to two years. Task centred approach to intervention is usually done on a much shorter term basis, usually six weeks. SNAP and the service user both agree their roles and responsibilities during the support; this is in the form of a document that makes clear to the service user and the support worker, what each will do during the support. This is signed by both at the onset of support. This is in line with the task centred approach and makes clear what difficulties need to be addressed and eachs role in doing this. As all of SNAPs service users are experiencing problems with regard to housing, this problem solving approach is both practical and relevant. At each 13 week review, SNAP ensures that progress is being made and the service users needs are reassessed. Some of the referrals that are made to SNAP, involve service users in a crisis situation, pa rticularly if imminent eviction is likely. The task centred approach is similar to crisis intervention (Caplan Lindemann -Kanel, 2003, p.14) although crisis intervention has a more psycho-dynamic approach, promoting psychological growth as opposed to task centred theory, which is more based on the understanding that a crisis provides the motivation to act. Both crisis intervention and task centred approaches involve problem solving. SNAP treats its service user in a non judgemental manner. This is one of Biesteks (1961) traditional social work values requiring that the worker does not judge and neither approve or disapprove of the service user. During my shadowing this has been the case. Due to the nature of SNAPs intervention, being short term housing support, it is difficult to set up committees or long term client groups that have an input into the organisation and how it is run and the future development. However, SNAP do regularly send out questionnaires to service users in order to ascertain whether the service they have received has been useful and whether the service users situation has improved. It has also been suggested that a Mystery Shopper type exercise be undertaken in order to ensure that service users are receiving the best service possible at the point of contact. At each review, the client is asked whether they have been happy with the service they have received from SNAP. They are asked whether their situation has improved, not improved or worsened since support started. They are also asked if they have any suggestions as to whether SNAP could improve their service or whether there is anything that they feel they could do that they are not already doing. It has been decided that as part of my Observational placement task of undertaking an interview with a service user, I will use this part of the review as questions for my placement interview. On an operational level, SNAP is entirely user led, due to its task centred approach. As each client is reviewed on a regular basis, there are opportunities throughout the intervention for service users to be able to give feedback at varying points through SNAPs involvement. It is difficult to give service users a strategic role in the organisational development due to the short term nature of the intervention. Whilst shadowing with the support workers, I saw many examples of good practice. Each support worker that I shadowed with was empathetic and appeared to build good relationships with the service users they were assigned to. They appeared to be non judgemental (Biestek), dealing with sex offenders and expressing a level of sympathy for their inability to rebuild their lives following a conviction. There appears to be high levels of oppression towards the more vulnerable referrals. The benefits agency itself made many service users feel powerless and this was acknowledged by the support workers who then called the agency on behalf of the service users. This was anti- oppressive and illustrated this value to me very clearly. Another area that I will identify as good practice, were the recording of interventions, and contact made with both the service user and others who were connected to them. Each support worker that I shadowed appeared to make an entry on the computer system after every telephone call made and letter sent as well as after every visit. It would appear that this was done; ensuring information regarding each intervention was up to date and complete. This complies with Section 6.1 of the Codes of Ethics that states that: As a social care worker, you must be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills by maintaining clear and accurate records as required by procedures established for your work; Whilst shadowing LC, we found that a service user was going to make a possibly fraudulent Housing Benefit Claim. Once the service user told LH of their intention, LH advised that this would be fraudulent and told the service user that she should not be doing this. The service user stated that she was going to and so LH stated that they would be unable to support the service user if this was the course of action that they intended to take. The service user decided to follow LCs advice. This showed honesty and integrity on the part of LC, in accordance to Section 2 of the Social Work Codes of Practice as well as SNAPs own personal values of integrity and honesty. After being in the office with various support workers, it was apparent that at times there were not enough desks and computer terminals for all those in the office to be able to use. Although this did not happen all the time, it did happen regularly. It may be an idea to perhaps invest in some more. Furthermore, again, not all the time, but regularly, it was not possible to sign into the operating system due to the maximum amount of users being logged on to the computers. I have never seen this IT issue before and it struck me as being unusual. I was advised that more licenses have been purchased so the problem is not as great as it was in the past. Although addressing this issue would obviously alleviate any delays in using the IT, making Snap more efficient and effective, it may not be enough of an issue to warrant the economic investment that would be involved. It could be said that as SNAP is a relatively new company, and with the other established organisations bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, SNAP is well placed to cherry pick the best practice from each. SNAP appears to be an efficiently run organisation. The staff appear to be knowledgeable and have the best interests of the client in mind. There are clearly defined systems in place at each level of intervention, including the recording of information.

Challenges To Singapores Education

Challenges To Singapores Education At the Teachers Day Rally last September, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong outlined the challenges to our education system. A key imperative was National Education. Many Singaporeans, especially pupils and younger Singaporeans, knew little of our recent history. They did not know how we became an independent nation, how we triumphed against long odds, or how todays peaceful and prosperous Singapore came about. This ignorance will hinder our effort to develop a shared sense of nationhood. We will not acquire the right instincts to bond together as one nation, or maintain the will to survive and prosper in an uncertain world. For Singapore to thrive beyond the founder generation, we must systematically transmit these instincts and attitudes to succeeding cohorts. Through National Education, we must make these instincts and attitudes part of the cultural DNA which makes us Singaporeans. The Prime Minister set up a committee, chaired by Mr Lim Siong Guan, to study how to introduce National Education into our education system. The Committee has worked out a plan to do so. To take the next step forward, we need the full commitment of every teacher and principal. National Education is not just a book subject. It must appeal to both heart and mind. Unless you are personally convinced of its importance, committed to the cause and have the knowledge and passion to teach National Education competently and whole-heartedly, the plan will fail. Lessons from Other Countries Singaporeans are not unique in needing National Education. Other countries take National Education as a matter of course. Japan is a tightly-knit, cohesive and group-oriented society, with a long history and a strong sense of unique identity. Yet Japanese schools start early to teach pupils Japanese culture, values, history and geography, and even the politics and economics of Japan. As pupils get older, they also learn about the cultures and histories of other countries. In so doing, they understand even better what makes them uniquely Japanese. Japanese schools go to great lengths to instill group instincts and a sense that every student is an equal member of the group. They have strict regulations on school uniforms, school bags and shoes. Students are grouped into teams called hans. Members of each han play together and eat together. They take turns to perform specific responsibilities, whether it is the daily cleaning of school premises or serving lunch. Academically stronger students are expected to help their weaker friends. Those who do not are ostracised. Students organise the school sports day themselves. Competition is based mainly on team events; there are few or no individual events. All students participate, including those with disabilities. Japanese schools do all this not because they believe that all students are the same in every respect or have identical abilities. But they want every student to be equally valued as a member of the group, recognised for his strengths, and for what he can contribute to the group. And so it goes for Japanese society. In US schools, every child is taught the American heritage George Washington, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights movement. Students take part in community service. Learning to be a responsible citizen begins young. It is a deliberate inculcating of American political and social values and ideals, to ensure the next generation grows up with these ideas deeply ingrained. It is a process of indoctrination like any other, no less so because the children are brought up to cherish American values of individual liberty. And it is so successful that many Americans are completely convinced that American values are universal values of mankind. If countries like Japan and the US, with long histories and deep roots, have found it essential to pass on national instincts systematically from generation to generation, all the more Singapore, a young country barely one generation old, must make a concerted effort to imbue the right values and instincts in the psyche of our young. Objectives Of National Education National Education aims to develop national cohesion, the instinct for survival and confidence in our future. We cannot offer our next generation any fixed formula for success, or even any set goals in life. They will face new circumstances and problems. They will need to think through and work out their own solutions. But we must equip them with the basic attitudes, values and instincts which make them Singaporeans. This is the common culture that will give them a shared perception of life, and draw them closer together as one people when confronted with serious problems. This will give them a well-founded faith in the countrys future. This is the DNA to be passed from one generation to the next. There are four elements to achieving this objective. First, we must foster in our young a sense of identity, pride and self-respect as Singaporeans. This will strengthen their emotional attachment to the nation, and their sense of rootedness. We are proud of our country. We are proud of what we have achieved together our economic progress, our clean and green environment, our open and clean system of government, our way of life. We are proud that each of us, in his or her own way, contributes to Singapores success. But success must not lead to hubris. We must never be over-bearing or arrogant, or look down on people from other countries. We do not have all the answers for ourselves, much less for other countries. But neither have we any reason to be ashamed to say, I am a Singaporean. In fact, quite the contrary. Second, our young must know the Singapore Story how Singapore succeeded against the odds to become a nation. National Education is not an abstract sermon on general principles of nationhood. It is to do with a special story, our story. It is the story of Singapore, how we came to be one nation. We did not start off with this goal, or even as one people. Nobody imagined this would be the outcome. As a British colony, from 1942 to 1945 for 3Â ½ years of the Japanese Occupation we suffered a traumatic experience of cruelty, brutality, hunger, and deprivation. We lived through the post-war years of Communist-inspired unrest and upheaval. We then joined with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia. Despite pressure and intimidation we stood firm in Malaysia against the communalists. The issue was a fundamental one: equal basic rights and opportunities for all Malaysian citizens under the Malaysian Constitution, and no special rights for anyone in the State of Singapore on the basis of race, language and religion, as was agreed in the State Constitution of Singapore. As a result we suddenly found ourselves out on our own as an independent country, with few means to make a living or defend ourselves. Yet we developed our economy, built up the SAF, educated and housed our people, got them to work together, and gradually became one nation. Year by year we transformed Singapore int o what it is today. Knowing this history is part of being a Singaporean. It is the back-drop which makes sense of our present. It shows what external dangers to watch out for, and where our domestic fault lines lie. It explains what we stand for and believe in, and why we think and act the way we do. It gives us confidence that even when the odds look daunting, with determination and effort we will prevail. Thirdly, our young must understand Singapores unique challenges, constraints and vulnerabilities, which make us different from other countries. Singapore is not as other countries. We will always be small, we will always worry about our water supply, we will always have to work harder and do better than other countries. That is the hand which geography and history have dealt us. Overall it is not a bad hand, nor have we played it badly. We have compensated for these constraints by being more resolute and resourceful, more efficient and productive, and quicker and nimbler than other countries which are better endowed and have larger margins for error. And we have been so successful that sometimes we forget that the underlying realities endure, and have not gone away. Singaporeans need to understand these realities, to work together and support the policies that are necessary to deal with them. Knowing our constraints should make us more determined to overcome them. It is no cause for despair. We overcame more severe difficulties in our first years of nationhood, with far fewer resources, and in more dire circumstances. We are much better placed to tackle them now. Finally, we must instill in our young the core values of our way of life, and the will to prevail, that ensure our continued success and well being. Our core values include the system of meritocracy which guarantees fair and full opportunities for all, multi-racial and multi-religious harmony, and honest and competent government working for the long-term interests of all Singaporeans. We often take these for granted, because things have been this way in Singapore for a long time. But not new citizens, who often come with fresh direct experience of very different societies. Pupils must learn to treasure and uphold these social and political values. If we ever lose them, Singapore will quickly become a very different place. Strategies We need to develop national instincts among pupils at all levels. National Education will begin in schools and continue in post-secondary and tertiary institutions. After ten to fifteen years of education, all students should know the facts about Singapore and feel attached to Singapore, their best home. Those likely to go on to play leadership roles later should at least have had some preliminary preparation for their responsibilities. We will achieve this through both the formal and informal curricula. Formal Curriculum We will introduce National Education content across the formal curriculum. We can do more of this in some subjects than others. The main subjects will be Social Studies and Civics and Moral Education (CME) at the primary level; History, Geography and CME at secondary level; and the General Paper and CME at the Junior Colleges. In addition, Literature and the languages can also be used. Subjects at Primary level In primary schools, we will start teaching Social Studies earlier -beginning from Primary 1 instead of Primary 4. Social Studies will complement Civics and Moral Education. CME will emphasise teaching of values and correct individual behaviour, while Social Studies will give pupils an understanding of Singapore society. Pupils must start early to learn about the society around them, to feel a sense of belonging to family, school and community, to befriend and accept pupils of all races, and to develop a simple, unabashed pride in Singapore. They recite the pledge, sing Majullah Singapura, and recognise our flag. Later they will learn the meaning of the crescent and five stars. But long before that, when they see the helicopter flying past with the state flag on National Day, they should sense that it is a very special occasion. Subjects at Secondary level At secondary level, students currently learn the history of our independence period only in Secondary 1. The O level History syllabus stops in 1963, which perversely omits the vital period leading to our independence. We will extend the O level History syllabus for Singapore to 1971. The period of Merger, Separation and the early years of independence will also be taught in Secondary 2 instead of Secondary 1, so that the students will be a little more mature, and appreciate better what was at stake. At the upper secondary level, we will develop a new Social Studies subject. It will cover issues central to Singapores survival and success our principles of governance, the strategies that have brought Singapore here, the role of key institutions like the SAF, HDB, CPF, EDB and NTUC, and our future challenges. It will use examples from other countries to explain what works and what fails, and derive lessons for Singapore. Subjects at the JC level In the junior colleges, students should start to learn what leadership involves, and to develop a commitment to serve society. Through the General Paper and Civics lessons, they must acquire the sense that they can shape their own future and, more important, that it is their responsibility to shape Singapores future. They must be able to think independently and rationally, and reach informed conclusions about national issues. MOE will take 3-4 years to implement the new syllabi. As the school curriculum is already heavy, we will make the changes without increasing the curriculum load. We want the new syllabi to give teachers more time, not less, to engage in creative ways to bring issues to life for their students. Informal Curriculum National Education is much more than learning facts. Knowing facts in itself will not develop the group spirit and emotional instincts of nation-hood among pupils. This will depend on the informal curriculum. Attitudes and values picked up through team ECAs and group activities, and the rituals of school life, will sink in deeper than anything learnt in the classroom. Each year, schools will also commemorate a few key events that mark defining moments of our history. These will include: Total Defence Day on the 15th of February, the anniversary of the surrender of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, as a reminder of every citizens responsibility to defend Singapore. Racial Harmony Day on the 21st of July, marking the day in 1964 when racial riots broke out, to remind pupils of the importance and fragility of racial harmony. International Friendship Day to stress the importance of good relations with our neighbours, and to remind pupils that such good relations cannot be taken for granted. The actual date will vary from year to year, to mark such occasions like the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, the day Singapore joined the United Nations, or the end of Confrontation and the establishment of diplomatic relations with Indonesia. And finally, National Day on the 9th of August. Schools will arrange regular visits to national institutions and economic facilities, such as Parliament, SAFTI, water treatment works, the port, or the stock exchange. These visits will help to build pride and confidence among our students, and show them how Singapore has overcome our constraints through sheer will and ingenuity. Community service will strengthen social cohesion and civic responsibility among our young. At the lower primary level, we will encourage pupils to do community service within their own school taking care of the school grounds, keeping common areas clean. For the upper primary and secondary levels, a school may adopt an orphanage or old folks home, or take on long-term community projects like keeping a park or a residents corner clean. The Challenge of Teaching National Education I do not underestimate the difficulty you will have teaching National Education in schools. This is not just another school subject for pupils, or another duty for overworked teachers. We seek from pupils not just intellectual comprehension or accumulation of facts, but a personal commitment to Singapore, and an emotional bonding and identification with their fellow Singaporeans. To achieve this, you must yourselves feel passionately for the country, and understand instinctively our collective interests and what we stand for. Only then can you teach with conviction, instill pride and confidence in your students, and help them to acquire the right instincts. The Singapore Story is based on historical facts. We are not talking about an idealised legendary account or a founding myth, but of an accurate understanding of what happened in the past, and what this history means for us today. It is objective history, seen from a Singaporean standpoint. Not all the history books have been written, because hitherto many documents have been locked away in archives. But now 30 years after our independence the archives are starting to be opened, and the documents for this period are becoming available to historians. Progressively, a more complete picture will emerge. But the Singapore Story is also a live story. It concerns not only events which are receding into the past, but developments which continue in the present. Both teachers and pupils must take an interest in current affairs. They should know what is happening in the world or in our region which can affect us; what economic, social and political developments are taking place in Singapore. They should know what the national debate is about, what is at issue. The most vivid lessons in National Education are to be found not in the books, but in what we live through and what we observe happening around us. I am not proposing that students should form mini-political parties in schools, or demonstrate on the streets, as Chinese school students manipulated by Communist agitators did in the 1950s and 1960s. But students and their teachers must be alive to events around them, so that when they later become adults and exercise their duty as citizens to decide the future of the country, they will decide wisely. From time to time, issues will arise which contain lessons for the future for example when Michael Fay had to be caned for vandalism, or Flor Contemplacion was hanged for murder. Whenever this happens, we must make a special effort to get Singaporeans to understand what is going on, why we did what we did, and what it all means for us. Each such episode will be another piece of the Singapore Story. This makes the Singapore Story harder to teach, but also more exciting and relevant. In teaching the Singapore Story, you will have to deal with delicate issues, especially race and religion, and sometimes relations with our neighbours. We must treat such issues sensitively, but we cannot gloss over them. Amnesia is not an option. We cannot pretend that incidents involving race and religion never happened. They are part of our history. This is not a unique problem for us. For example, in America descendants of Unionists and Confederates both study the American Civil War; descendants of slave owners and slaves both learn about slavery and the civil rights movement. America is the stronger country for acknowledging these divisions in its past and coming to terms with them. In Singapores case, different races, owing loyalties to different countries, lived in the same British colony. They were moulded into one Singaporean people by their experiences before and after independence. Two race riots took place in 1964, which had been deliberately instigated to intimidate Singapores Chinese population. Many Chinese and Malays were killed. Riots occurred again in 1969, after independence, a spillover from the May 13 riots in Malaysia. Race relations in Singapore took years to recover from the trauma of these events. Unless pupils know these facts, and learn what they mean, they will never understand why we emphasise racial harmony so strongly, and insist that the majority Chinese community should never make the minority communities feel oppressed. Such ignorance will pose a real risk of racial conflict happening again one day. All Singaporeans, whether Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian, can identify with the ideal of a multi-racial, multi-religious society which Singapores leaders fought for while in Malaysia, and which we have tried to realise as an independent country since 1965. It is because Singaporeans of all races, and especially their leaders, stayed united and refused to be intimidated that we separated from Malaysia. The issues which led to Separation were fundamental, and remain so today. By teaching the history of how we became one people, we will draw our races closer together. But our aim is not to expunge the differences between the ethnic groups. Each community contributes its own unique characteristics and strengths to our society. If Chinese Singaporeans lose their Chinese cultural heritage, or Malay Singaporeans discard their traditional customs and Islamic values, we become a much weaker society. We must create unity in diversity. Conclusion This National Education programme is a major undertaking. Its effects are long term. We will not know for many years how well we have inculcated values, attitudes, and habits that emotionally bond our people to one another, as proud co-owners of their best home, Singapore. As teachers and principals, you carry most of the responsibility for giving your pupils a total education, and for their National Education. The Ministry will back you up with the resources, guidance, and materials that you need. For example, MOE will produce a monthly series of videos for schools, to keep teachers updated on current affairs. The National Education Web Page we are launching will provide more information and be a channel for teachers to discuss ideas and share resources. The moulding of the next generation is in your hands. You must imbue them with a strong sense of national identity and social responsibility. If we fail, all that we have painstakingly built up over decades can unravel and fall apart within a few years. But put our best effort into this vital task, and we will succeed.

Federal Mandates :: essays research papers

Federal mandates can be very important to the well being of U.S. citizens. Mandate 13031 is for the protection of one of the natural rights of every U.S. citizen; life. The term "child abuse" means the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child. This mandate outlines the regulations of who is responsible for reporting possibilities of child abuse. This mandate is responsible for saving the lives of many abused children. Federal Mandate 13031 falls under U.S.C. Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 132 - Victims of Child Abuse, Subchapter IV - Reporting Requirements. It leaves the responsibility of reporting suspicions of child abuse with a great number of people. Any one in the medical profession including: physicians, dentists, medical residents or interns, hospital personnel and administrators, nurses, health care practitioners, chiropractors, osteopaths, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, undertakers, coroners, medical examiners, alcohol or drug treatment personnel, and persons performing a healing role or practicing the healing arts are required to report child abuse. Other professions included in the mandate are: psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed or unlicensed marriage, family, and individual counselors, teachers, teacher's aides or assistants, school counselors and guidance personnel, school officials, and school administrators, child care workers and administrators, law enforcement personnel, probation officers, criminal prosecutors, and juvenile rehabilitation or detention facility employees, commercial film and photo processors. Lastly, the parents and/or foster parents are responsible for reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Despite the large numbers of responsible persons in this mandate, it has only a small impact on the local & state budget priorities. For most of these professions it is normal practice to check for signs of child abuse. It takes very little time and very few resources to look a child over. However, if a child is found to be abused, the costs of investigation, prosecution, and further care of the child can be very expensive. Due to this, there is millions of dollars appropriated each year for the area of child abuse. Any mandate that deals with the safety of children should never be removed. However, this particular mandate could probably be done without. The mandate simply shows who is required to report suspicions of child abuse. Although it doesn't sound very important, the number of abused children would probably continue to rise. Federal Mandates :: essays research papers Federal mandates can be very important to the well being of U.S. citizens. Mandate 13031 is for the protection of one of the natural rights of every U.S. citizen; life. The term "child abuse" means the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child. This mandate outlines the regulations of who is responsible for reporting possibilities of child abuse. This mandate is responsible for saving the lives of many abused children. Federal Mandate 13031 falls under U.S.C. Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 132 - Victims of Child Abuse, Subchapter IV - Reporting Requirements. It leaves the responsibility of reporting suspicions of child abuse with a great number of people. Any one in the medical profession including: physicians, dentists, medical residents or interns, hospital personnel and administrators, nurses, health care practitioners, chiropractors, osteopaths, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, emergency medical technicians, ambulance drivers, undertakers, coroners, medical examiners, alcohol or drug treatment personnel, and persons performing a healing role or practicing the healing arts are required to report child abuse. Other professions included in the mandate are: psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed or unlicensed marriage, family, and individual counselors, teachers, teacher's aides or assistants, school counselors and guidance personnel, school officials, and school administrators, child care workers and administrators, law enforcement personnel, probation officers, criminal prosecutors, and juvenile rehabilitation or detention facility employees, commercial film and photo processors. Lastly, the parents and/or foster parents are responsible for reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Despite the large numbers of responsible persons in this mandate, it has only a small impact on the local & state budget priorities. For most of these professions it is normal practice to check for signs of child abuse. It takes very little time and very few resources to look a child over. However, if a child is found to be abused, the costs of investigation, prosecution, and further care of the child can be very expensive. Due to this, there is millions of dollars appropriated each year for the area of child abuse. Any mandate that deals with the safety of children should never be removed. However, this particular mandate could probably be done without. The mandate simply shows who is required to report suspicions of child abuse. Although it doesn't sound very important, the number of abused children would probably continue to rise.

The Healing Power of Poetry Essay -- Writing Essays

"The Healing Power of Poetry" The devastations and repercussions of war are inimitable, and can sometimes be left unhealed. However, men and women have had to find cures to lick their wounds and resettle the turbulence existing within their minds. In Pat Barker's emotionally powerful war novel Regeneration, we are introduced to a war journal, called the Hydra, on page 84, which served as healing tool for WWI soldiers. This journal contained articles, cartoons, poetry, letters, and all kinds of other different types of writing. Barker uses the Hydra in her novel to mark the healing power of writing in the lives of these men. Poetry therapy has a long history, being recognized as far back as the first songs chanted around the camp-fires of primitive people. To these people, the chant is what heals the heart and soul. In the English language, the word "therapy" comes from the Greek word "therapeia," which means to nurse or cure through expressive arts such as dance, song, poem and drama. The Greeks have also informed us that Asclepius, the god of healing, was the son of Apollo, the god of poetry, medicine and the historical arts (Longo). In addition, mythological beliefs say that Oceanus told Promethus that "words are the physician of the mind diseased." The use of poetry therapy has therefore been discovered by numerous cultures since the beginning of language (Longo). Once recognized for its healing power, this therapy quickly moved to the North American continent. Within the American colonies, the first American hospital to care for the mentally ill was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin, called the Pennsylvania Hospital. This hospital is known to have included reading, writing, and then also the actual publishing of... ...f writing to these men. Not only does it convey the effects of writing, it may also project the idea that reading poetry may also be just as therapeutic. Poetry therapy is not a theme that people would generally relate to the cure of barbaric men at war, which is indeed what makes this novel so brilliant. Soldiers too have a sensitive side, and Barker has proven to acknowledge and praise it. Works Cited Barker, Pat. Regeneration. New York: Plume, 1993. Lee, Stuart. "The Hydra." HTML JTAP Virtual Seminars Project. April 1998. 8 April 2004. <http://www.hcu.ox.ac.uk/jtap/hydra> Longo, Perie J. "Poetry as Therapy." Sanctuary House of Santa Barbara, Inc., 1996-2003. 13 April 2004. <http://www.spcsb.org/advoc/poetrytx.html> Rusche, Harry. "Lost Poets of the Great War." Emory University, 1997. 3 May 2004. <http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/LostPoets/>

School Bells

The elementary years of my life were the most stress free and enjoyable time of my life. I remember back when I was in elementary school, after school I would go to my backyard to catch frogs in the lake backyard. My best friend, Steven, and I would also go to the park and play in the playground. Life was too good during the earlier years. No conflicts, just scrapped knees. This was the time I also first learned how to ride my back. It was the most rewarding day I can remember. At first, I believed I could never learn to ride a bike. But with the assistance of my dad it was all possible. I remember the moment so clearly, my dad letting go of me. I pedaled feeling as if I was flying. The only problem was that I did not learn how to stop yet. What happened later is not as lovely. Ms. Fazio the best fifth grade teacher anyone can ask for. I also remember going to Islands of Adventure towards the end of my fifth grade year. Mrs. Fazio and I rode in the front of a roller coaster, I believe the ride was called Dueling Dragon. I just remember Ms.  Fazio screaming through the whole ride. The day overall was amazing. But sadly bygones are just bygones. Now I have to worry about college, homework, work, and my future. I miss having to worry about scraped knees and getting my agenda signed. Life was good during the elementary days. Come home watch television, eat cookies, and go out feeling as though nothing can go wrong. Running around during recess and playing tag. Times sadly have sadly changed. Now I am just left with these nostalgic feelings.

Developing Promotional Strategies for Horticultural Products Essay

INTRODUCTION. The horticulture sub-sector of agriculture in Kenya has grown in the last decade to become a major foreign exchange earner, employer and contributor to food needs in the country. Currently the horticulture industry is the fastest growing agricultural subsector in the country and is ranked third in terms of foreign exchange earnings from exports after tourism and tea. Fruits, vegetable and cut flower production are the main aspects of horticultural production in Kenya. In this write up, the horticultural products I will focus on are coriander, courgettes, cabbage, kales, spinach, indigenous vegetables like ‘terere’ and ‘managu’, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and onions. These products will be directly sourced from my farm in Kitengela. IDENTIFICATION OF THE INNATE ANS ACQUIRED NEEDS According to Boyd (2010) humans become motivated when a need is aroused that they have a desire to satisfy. These needs can be physiological also known as innate e.g need for food, water, sex and cloths or they could be acquired needs which are learnt in response to an individual’s culture or surroundings e.g need for affection, self esteem or prestige. The above mentioned horticultural products are food products that satisfy needs in the first level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs i.e the physiological needs. Moreover, through the right packaging and promotion of these products, the acquired needs will be satisfied. THE PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES BASED ON THESE NEEDS Organizations use promotion to communicate with customers about products they offer because promotion is one half of the communication process with customers. It works co-operatively with market research in an iterative feedback loop so that the constantly changing requirements of users are met by promotional activities that target or even anticipate these expressed needs. Promotion involves making sure that customers are aware of the products that the organization makes available to them. The objective of my promotional strategy is to provide information about my products, increase demand for these products and to differentiate the product. I will design different advertising messages to be placed in certain magazines like healthy eating magazines as well as Saturday Nation newspaper magazine and television advertisment. Moreover, through the social media i.e twitter and face book I will advertise my products. These adverts will focus on the benefits that clients will get on consump tion of my products. The advert will be designed in such a way that it brings out the different innate and acquired needs that will be met. People have to eat and eat good food that is well presented, I will therefore, do word of mouth advertising and attend networking forums for horticultural products e.g the annual horticultural exhibitions says Wu (2012). As I display my products, I will ensure they are well packaged in clean, labeled packages so that as my purchase my products they are satisfied with the packaging thus meeting both their innate and acquired needs. According to Stern and Adel (1988), word-of-mouth is one of the most credible forms of advertising because people who don’t stand to gain personally by promoting something put their reputations on the line every time they make a recommendation. In the utilization of word of mouth advertising, I will incorporate brand advocates in this word of mouth ad. I will use personal selling as well. This will be one to one communication with a potential buyer. In this case the potential buyers I will focus on for personal selling are the restaurants, schools, hospitals and hotels. I will therefore, employ the use of sales men and use experiential marketing in this case. I will hire a tele-marketing researcher who will make follow up calls to clients who purchase my products to get their feedback on areas that I need to improve on as the researcher identifies their unspoken needs as well as their spoken needs. REFERENCES Boyd, J.C (2010). Consumer Psychology. England:Open University Press. Stern .L. W. & Adel I. E.(1988) Marketing Channels. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall Inc. Wu, J. M ( 2012) Consumer Perception of quality for horticultural products and related agricultural practices. Ontario:Guelph.

Baroque Humanities

If ever there was a period of enlightened absolutism on European soil, it has to be the 150 year-long period from 1600 A. D. to 1750 A. D. , which witnessed the rebirth of grand styles in art, sculpture, painting and literature. The ideas of monarchism were rejuvenated during this era as the issues of social contract and individual liberty frequented the thinking minds. In fact the thinking renaissance had already been set in motion by eminent philosophers and rulers, including Joseph II and Maria Theresa of Austria, Louis XIV of France, Frederick II of Prussia and many others.Also known as the Baroque period, this phase is noted for its spectacular growth and development across all vertices, especially in artistic realms. What singles out the Baroque from other periods in European history was its dynamism of cultural expressions. The creation of art was unrestrained and raw in nature. From a political perspective, the British Commonwealth under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell thri ved in trade and commerce, and secularism emerged after the brutal bloodbath of the Middle Ages.The royal court of England was receptive to the refreshing counter-reformatory changes that occurred in the intellectual sphere of this period. Our current course of discussion goes beyond just the social, political or religious scenarios that characterized the Baroque era. Rather we attempt to seek the culminating point to have come out of the intellectual revolution of the time, expressing itself in threefold directive of literature, music and art.To achieve our objective, we have picked up three authoritative works distinctive of the Baroque era – Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi for music, The Flaming Heart by Richard Crashaw for literature and The Last Supper by Jacopo Tinteretto for artwork. The rest of this essay is going to elaborate on how the profound philosophies and witticism of the Baroque period were manifested in these three masterpieces. Music in the Baroque featured a d iscernible style and mode of expression unique to this era only.It was converged on a diverse breed of artistic expressions to form a continuum of aesthetic principles rooted in visual and literary arts. First performed in 1607, Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi is deemed as the signature musical composition of the Baroque. The grandeur of this Italian opera dissolved the geographical barriers and traversed far and wide to all corners of Europe. Composed on the themes of the Greek legend of Orpheus, Orfeo celebrates the freedom of spirit of the Baroque through its forceful dramatic appeal and impeccable orchestration.The compelling intellectual sensitivity of the Baroque literature is best manifested in The Flaming Heart, an English poem by Richard Crashaw. This poem captures the extravagance of poetic imagination both in content as well as in form. As argued by Summers and Pebworth (175), The Flaming Heart is comparable to The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini in its vividly descriptive e xpression of personal emotions. As the poem nears the end, it weaves a state of the mind for the reader, which is left unexplored by Bernini (Summers et al. 175): â€Å"By all of him we have in thee,Leave nothing of my self in me: Let me so read thy life that I Unto all life of mine may die. † (The Flaming Heart 2009) The Baroque elements in Crashaw, as argued by Healy (1), are reflected in his â€Å"tendency to adopt the fallacious view†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Indeed, the period in question was stripped off all sorts of polished sophistication and the style of expression was more inclined to counter reformatory impulses than to â€Å"judgments about taste† (Healy 2). The Last Supper by Jacopo Tinteretto concerns the Biblical allusion to the spiritual act of communion.As a groundbreaking work of manneristic painting, a genre that evolved in the Baroque traditions, this piece of artwork speaks volumes for the ingenuity of painters belonging to the Venetian school during the Ita lian Renaissance. The quintessential baroque features in The Last Supper are manifested through Tinteretto’s offbeat use of perspective and lighting effects. Similar to all other artistic genres of the baroque, the manneristic painting too was characterized by freedom of expression and intricacies of ornamentation.In case of The Last Supper, these aspects were brought to life by brisk brushstroke technique on canvas (The Last Supper by Jacopo Tinteretto 2002-2009). Etymologically the term ‘baroque’ implies abnormality and extravagance. Now it has been historically proved that any productive age is bound to be fueled by these traits rather than orderly and genteel ones. It is quite clear from the above discussion that the Baroque era was the golden period in the history of Europe in terms of authentic art movements.Literary compositions, musical experimentations and painting reflected the erratic but extremely creative spirit of the age. Works Cited Healy, Thomas F. Richard Crashaw. Leiden: Brill Archive, 1986. Summers, Claude J. , and Ted-Larry Pebworth. The wit of seventeenth-century poetry. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1995. â€Å"The Flaming Heart. † Poemhunter. com. 23 April 2009. 23 April 2009 . â€Å"The Last Supper by Jacopo Tinteretto. † DirectEssays. com. 2002-2009. 23 April 2009 .

Sop for Ms Finance

My interest in the field of finance traces back to my childhood. As I was growing up, the â€Å"Doi moi† (â€Å"Reformation†) Era brought about more freedom and openness to the stagnant system in Vietnam. People could start to have their own businesses and deal with foreign entrepreneurs. Naturally, I could, at the time, understand neither technical concepts, such as principal, interest and deposit, nor how a bank worked or even what it was; however, in my nascent perceptions, I could discern the importance of financial institutions as keepers of people’s wealth, and even of their hopes for the future.Accordingly, I grew more and more determined to place my future in the field of finance. Throughout middle and high school, I dedicated most of my time to natural sciences, such as Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. I could describe myself as an accurate and analytical-oriented person, for not only did I received rigorous training, but I also enjoyed being pertinen t and precise. In 2005, I entered the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, majoring in Finance and Banking, but later transferred to International Economics to enroll in an highly selective Honors Program.Before the time of the transferring decision, I hesitated for a brief period because I would have to postpone my pursuit of Finance. Nonetheless, I understood the importance of Economics and fully anticipated that an extensive knowledge of the field would eventually serve me well in a financial career. My concentration during the program, conveniently, focused heavily on Stock Market, International Finance, Economics of Finance and Banking and International Payment.The insightful study on matters such as commercial banks' functionalities, the central bank's instrument and responsibilities, and the significance of the balance of trades and exchange rates, has enabled me to grasp the fundamental ideas of the field, as well as triggered my utmost curiosity in understanding thoroughly the financial side of Economics. In my third year, when I was studying Stock Market, I entered a research project with Dr.Ha Tran, who was a fellow at the University of XXX. We then worked together on the topic: â€Å"Current Situation in the Loan Market for Investment on Real Estate†. Simultaneously, I was also eager to engage in another group research on the petroleum market, which later won me the second prize for student’s research from the Faculty of International Economics. At the end of this school year, I intend to write my graduation thesis in the field of International Finance, particularlyAdditionally, I possess first-hand experiences on the financial market as I started making a small investment in the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange during my third year. At the beginning, I consulted my teachers and my parents’ friends, who are experienced businessmen, to comprise a profiting portfolio, which, in turn, required me to watch for enterprises’ data m eticulously: their ROEs, P/Es, net profit and current news of their operations. My stocks paid off wonderfully for a short period, as the total value of my portfolio increased by 30% during the first few months.Like most dabbling investors, I was under the illusion that making money was not a difficult task. Unfortunately, the stock crash happening at the end of 2009 brought me back to the ground. The VN Index, the main indicator of the market, fell from 1200 to 400 in less than six months, reducing my fortune by one-third. However, while most other previously ardent investors withdrew from the market as quickly as they entered, I proposed a new strategy that kept me in the market for long-term investment.In the near future, I believe I will be able to balance my financial activities once again. In 2010 , I had a chance to go to Thailand on a trip to Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. It was my first long trip to a capital city of the neighboring country, which impressed me a lot with their metropolitan infrastructure and dynamic business environment. I was convinced that Vietnam needed decades to reach the current development level of Thailand.Back home, when I was reading â€Å"The Lexus and the Olive Tree† by Thomas Friedmann, the opening pages struck me with minute details of the Asian Crisis in1997, which ignited in Thailand. In merely few weeks, fifty six of fifty eight banks in Bangkok went bankrupt. Accordingly, I have realized that the nascent financial market of Vietnam still has a long way to go, and I myself also have much more to learn. My nation needs a lot more experts in the field to help regulate the emerging market and support people in making ise investments, so that their assets are kept in a safe place and growing. In conclusion, I want to restate my desire for a study in finance in University of XYZ. I firmly believe in my ability in the field due to my long-term commitment and determination. My study would help me best in my fut ure career as a financial expert which I have always dedicated myself to. The knowledge which I shall obtain is also what I aim to bring back to my country, contributing to the development of an advanced, well-structured financial market of Vietnam.