Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Pride and Prejudice: Letter to Mrs Elizabeth Bennet Essay

Several days ago, I deemed to explain to you the idea of an ‘accomplished’ woman, conversely due to the lack of explanation the description conveyed was rather uninformative and tedious. Consequently, I write in another attempt to clarify my points, as I am not one who is virtuous at expressing myself verbally. Women are to be perfect with a decent family background, impeccable manners and perfect etiquette. Though an ‘accomplished’ woman must also have talents in music, drawing, dancing and a modern language to deserve the word. Such expected features apply to the women of your class. Miss Bennet, on that day at Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s estate, I listened vigilantly to the pianoforte being played by you and observed that it requires practice. Such perfection is highly required to those who play the pianoforte, as this justifies you to be an ‘accomplished’ woman. Miss Bennet, as you may know, women of this century must marry and obey men, as we hold all the resources. You and others of your kind have no independent means of subsistence. However, if the woman disapproves on marrying a man, then she will be critically discriminated from both the family and the public. Moreover, very little choice is offered to the women since their possessions, inheritances and earnings become treasures to us men at marriage. Essentially you do not gain anything beside a husband. Conversely, this is not part of the role of becoming an ‘accomplished’ woman but rather what you have to offer to pleasure men. In terms of career, the possibility for you to have a profession is rather low. With strict legislation towards education for women, many courses are barred from allowing the female sex in university. Though, if you truly desire to partake a profession, then a pathway to being a teacher would hold you in the most respectable position in our society. Nonetheless, these offers are only available to the brightest student of age 13 or upward. Nevertheless, women of the upper class, yourself included, would find it more preferable to remain at home and practice perfecting each of the obligations to fulfill the role of an ‘accomplished’ woman. Miss Bennet, this is my idea of an ‘accomplished’ woman. If you are able to fulfill such requests and obligations, then you will become the perfect woman in this society, consequently all men will select you as their wife.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Education and Skills Bill Essay

The Education and Skills Bill introduces a new duty on young people in England to participate in education or training until the age of 18. The Bill follows the green paper Raising Expectations: staying in education and training, which described the perceived benefits to individuals, the economy and society of young people staying in education or training for longer. Responsibility for support services currently carried out by the Connexions service will be transferred to local education authorities (LEAs). The Bill makes changes relating to adult skills. The Bill also provides for the transfer of the regulatory regime for independent schools in England from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to the Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (the new Ofsted) There are miscellaneous provisions in relation to pupil behaviour, external qualifications, inspection of teacher training, and Schools Forums. Also a framework power is provided for the National Assembly for Wales to legislate in relation to the inspection of pre-16 education and training. The territorial extent of the Bill varies according to the scope of the different provisions. The Bill contains provisions that trigger the Sewel Convention. Christine Gillie Social Policy Section Contributions: Ed Beale, Paul Bolton, Grahame Danby, Susan Hubble, Vincent Keter House of Commons Library. Recent Library Research Papers include: 07/72 07/73 The ‘Governance of Britain’ Green Paper Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill Committee Stage Report 07/74 07/75 07/76 07/77 07/78 07/79 07/80 Economic Indicators, November 2007 Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Bill Unemployment by Constituency, October 2007 The European Communities (Finance) Bill [Bill 2 of 2007-08] Sale of Student Loans Bill Housing and Regeneration Bill [Bill 8 of 2007-08] The EU Reform. Treaty: amendments to the ‘Treaty on European Union’ 07/81 07/82 07/83 07/84 07/85 07/86 Health and Social Care Bill House of Lords – developments since January 2004 Economic Indicators, December 2007 Planning Bill [Bill 11 of 2007-08] Crossrail Bill: Committee Stage Report The Treaty of Lisbon: amendments to the Treaty establishing the European Community 22. 11. 07 03. 12. 07 04. 12. 07 06. 12. 07 06. 12. 07 06. 12. 07 06. 11. 07 09. 11. 07 14. 11. 07 15. 11. 07 15. 11. 07 22. 11. 07 22. 11. 07 26. 10. 07 02. 11. 07 Research Papers are available as PDF files: †¢ to members of the general public on the Parliamentary web site, URL: http://www. parliament. uk †¢ within Parliament to users of the Parliamentary Intranet, URL: http://hcl1. hclibrary. parliament. uk Library Research Papers are compiled for the benefit of Members of Parliament and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public. We welcome comments on our papers; these should be sent to the Research Publications Officer, Room 407, 1 Derby Gate, London, SW1A 2DG or e-mailed to PAPERS@parliament. uk ISSN 1368-8456 Summary The Education and Skills Bill was presented in the House of Commons on 28 November 2007. At the same time Explanatory Notes, an Impact Assessment and a Memorandum of Delegated Powers were also published. The Bill, as presented, is in five parts. Some of the provisions are linked to the Government’s policies for reforming 14 to 19 education and improving the learning and skills of young people and adults. Other parts of the Bill are on separate matters particularly relating to the regulation and inspection of independent schools and colleges. Part 1 introduces a new duty on young people in England to participate in education or training until the age of 18, and creates a statutory framework to support and enforce it with new duties on local education authorities (LEAs ), educational providers and employers. The raising of the participation age will be introduced in two stages: to 17 by 2013 and to 18 by 2015. Provision is made for LEAs to enforce the participation duty, if necessary. They may issue attendance notices to young people who refuse to participate. New attendance panels will be created to hear appeals and to monitor the enforcement process. LEAs may also issue parenting contracts or parenting orders to parents of young people who are failing to fulfil the duty to participate. The proposals follow the green paper Raising Expectations: staying in education and training (March 2007), which described the perceived benefits to individuals and society of young people staying in education and training for longer. While there has been wide acceptance of the principle that young people will benefit from participating until they are 18, concern has been expressed about making it compulsory. Part 2 makes provision for the transfer to LEAs of the information, advice and support services for young people currently provided by the Connexions service. This follows proposals in the Youth Matters green paper (July 2005). The funding for the Connexions service will be transferred to LEAs in April 2008. It is intended that LEAs will continue to maintain the Connexions database so as to help them provide the right support services to young people and promote the new duty on young people to participate in education or training. Part 2 also places a duty on LEAs to arrange for the assessment of the education and training needs of a person with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) during their last year of schooling. This takes account of the change in the Bill to raise the participation age. Other provisions in Part 2 include: a requirement for secondary schools to present careers information in an impartial way and to provide careers advice that is in the best interests of the child; an explicit duty on the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide proper facilities for apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds, and to make reasonable provision for apprenticeships for those aged 19 and over; a requirement for LEAs to have regard to journey times in preparing their transport policies for students of sixth-form age attending educational establishments; and a requirement for LEAs to co-operate with partners who are responsible for 14 to 19 education and training. Part 3 contains provisions in relation to adult skills. The issue of maintaining a sufficiently skilled workforce to meet the economy’s needs in the face of growing global competition has become increasing prominent, particularly since the publication of the Leitch Review of Skills in 2006. In its response to the review, the Government set out a range of goals relating to workforce skills for 2020 and outlined how it intended to achieve them. This Bill places duties on the LSC to provide a free entitlement to training for all adults in England aged over 19 up to their first full Level 2 qualification, with a similar entitlement up to Level 3 for those aged 19-25. Provision is also made to enable the sharing of data between relevant departments and the devolved administrations in order to assist in the effective assessment and provision of education and training for those aged 19 and over. Part 4 creates a wider definition of an independent educational institution in England, which includes certain part-time educational provision, to which the regulatory regime for independent schools in England will apply. That regime, currently contained in the Education Act 2002, is restated in Chapter 1 of Part 4. The regulatory framework for ‘independent educational institutions’ is changed so that the Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (the new Ofsted) and not the Secretary of State is the registration authority. The function of approving non-maintained special schools is also transferred from the Secretary of State to the Chief Inspector. Sixth-form pupils in nonmaintained special schools are given a right to opt out of religious worship. (Pupils in mainstream maintained schools already have this right under the Education and Inspections Act 2006. ) The Bill also seeks to amend section 347 of the Education Act 1996 to remove in England the category of approved independent school for the placement of a child with a statement of SEN, and to remove the requirement for LEAs in England to seek consent to place pupils with statements of SEN in non-approved independent schools. Other changes in Part 4 include the introduction of a new management standard for independent educational institutions, and changes relating to fees for registration and inspection. Part 5 includes miscellaneous provisions in relation to pupil behaviour, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the approval of external qualifications, the inspection of teacher training, and the constitution of Schools Forums. Also Part 5 creates a framework power for the National A ssembly for Wales to legislate in relation to the inspection of pre-16 education and training. The Bill extends to England and Wales. Many of the provisions apply to England only. A number of new or expanded powers are conferred on Welsh Ministers. (These are set out in table 1 of the Explanatory Notes to the Bill. ) Five clauses that relate to sharing information extend to Scotland and trigger the Sewel Convention. Two clauses relating to the remit of the QCA extend to Northern Ireland. This research paper outlines the key provisions of the Bill, and provides background on them. It is not intended to be a comprehensive account of the clauses. A detailed clause by clause account is given in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill. Library contacts: Christine Gillie : raising the participation age, Connexions service, special educational needs, post-16 transport, regulation and inspection of independent schools, pupil behaviour and attendance and Schools Forums Paul Bolton: statistics on the above Ed Beale : apprenticeships, training and adult skills Grahame Danby: data processing Susan Hubble: financial support for students and external qualifications Vincent Keter: employers and business CONTENTS I Part 1 of the Bill: duty to participate in education or training (England). A. B. Introduction Background 1. History 2. Participation of 16 and 17 year olds in education, employment and training 3. The green paper and the case for change 4. Responses to the green paper C. D. Overview of the proposed system for raising participation 7 7 8 8 8 12 15 20 Suitable provision and enabling young people to participate: the ‘four building blocks’ 23 The Bill 1. Key provisions 2. Comment 31 31 35 38 38 38 40 41 42 43 43 E. II Part 2 of the Bill: Support for participation in education or training: young adults with learning difficulties and young people in England A. Provision of support services (Connexions Service) 1. Background 2. The Bill B. C. D. E. F. Assessments relating to learning difficulties Careers education Apprenticeships Provision of transport for persons of sixth form age: journey times Co-operation as regards provision of 14 to 19 education and training 44 45 45 47 49 III Part 3 of the Bill: Adult Skills A. Background 1. The Leitch Review of Skills 2. Current measures to address adult skills 3. House of Commons Education and Skills Committee report: Post-16 Skills 51 B. The Bill 1. Reaction IV Part 4 of the Bill: regulation and inspection of independent educational provision in England A. Current arrangements for regulation and inspection of independent schools Consultation proposals Response The Bill 53 54 55 55 57 61 63 64 64 65 66 68 69 69 70 B. C. D. V Part 5 of the Bill: miscellaneous provisions A. B. C. D. E. F. Pre-16 education and training: Wales Maintained schools in England: behaviour and attendance External qualifications Inspections of teacher training in England Schools Forums General provisions VI VII Data processing Appendix I: Reaction from specific organisations to the green paper, Raising expectations: staying in education and training 73 Appendix II: relevant documents 85 VIII. RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 I A. Part 1 of the Bill: duty to participate in education or training (England) Introduction In March 2007 the Government’s green paper Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, proposed that the minimum age at w hich young people should leave education or training should be raised to 18. 1 The participation age would be increased in two stages: to age 17 from September 2013, and to 18 from September 2015. The green paper set out a detailed package of measures for consultation. Alongside the green paper the Government published an Initial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the estimated cost of the proposals. 2 (These projections have been reviewed and revised and are now published in the Impact Assessment that accom panies the Education and Skills Bill – see below). In July 2007 the Government published a report of the consultation on the green paper’s proposals. While it noted that there had been wide acceptance of the principle that young people would benefit from continuing to develop their skills formally until they were 18, it also noted that there was concern about making participation compulsory. 3 Also in July 2007, the Government published World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England. 4 This set out the Government’s plans to improve the skills of young people and adults. The Government’s Draft Legislative Programme, published on 11 July 2007, announced that a bill would be introduced to ensure that young people stay in education or training until age 18, and to provide new rights to skills training for adults. 5 In his Fabian Society lecture on 5 November 2007, Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, described the Government’s proposals, and published a further document – From policy to legislation. This explained how the Government intended to proceed, and what aspects of the policy required legislation. 6 Also on 5 November 2007, the Government published its strategy for reducing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training. 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, Cm 7065, March 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/6965-DfESRaising%20Expectations%20Green%20Paper. pdf Initial Regulatory Impact Assessment for Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post16, DfES, March 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/RIA%20[FINAL]%20word%20version. pdf Raising Expectations: Consultation Report, DCSF, July 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/Raising%20Expectations%20Consultation%20R eport. pdf http://www. dfes. gov. uk/skillsstrategy/uploads/documents/World%20Class%20Skills%20FINAL. pdf http://www. cabinetoffice. gov.uk/reports/governance. aspx Raising Expectations: Staying in education and training post 16: From policy to legislation, DCSF, November 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/14-19/documents/Raising%20Expectations. pdf Reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) by 2013, DCSF, 5 November 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/14-19/documents/NEET%20%20Strategy. pdf 7 RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 The Education and Skills Bill was presented in the House of Commons on 28 November 2007. 8 Explanatory Notes9, an Impact Assessment10, a Memorandum of Delegated Powers11 and a Short Guide 12 were also published. B. 1. Background History The Education Act 1918 raised the compulsory school leaving age from 12 to 14. It also made provision for all young people to participate in at least part-time education until they were 18 but this provision was not implemented. The end of the First World War was followed by a period of austerity; public expenditure cuts dubbed the ‘Geddes axe’ 13 meant that the aspiration of increasing participation was not achieved. The Education Act 1944 made provision to raise the school leaving age to 16 but this was not implemented until 1972. 14 The 1944 Act also re-enacted the 1918 provision to extend participation at least part-time until the age of 18 but again this was not implemented. The school leaving age has remained at 16 since 1972, although the leaving date was amended in 1997. 15 2. Participation of 16 and 17 year olds in education, employment and training At the end of 2006 around six out of every seven 16 and 17 year olds were provisionally estimated to be in some form of education or training. The large majority were in fulltime education, others were in Government supported Work Based Learning (WBL)16, Employer Funded Training 17 or other types of education and training including part-time courses. The latest data are summarised below: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Education and Skills Bill, Bill 12, Session 2007-08: http://www.publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/012/08012. i-v. html Education and Skills Bill Explanatory Notes: http://www. publications. parliament. uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/012/en/index_012. htm Impact Assessment of the Education and Skills Bill, DCSF, 29 November 2009: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/publications/educationandskills/docs/impact_assessment. pdf Memorandum of Delegated Powers, DCSF, 28 November 2007 (an electronic copy was not available at time of writing but a hardcopy was available from the Vote Office) DCSF, Short Guide to the Education and Skills Bill: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/publications/educationandskills/docs/BillNarrative. doc after Sir Eric Geddes who chaired a committee set up to suggest economies SI 1972 No 444 The 1997 change introduced a single school leaving date – the last Friday in June in the school year in which a young person reaches age 16: DfES Circular 11/97, School Leaving Date for 16 Year Olds, September 1997 http://www. teachernet. gov. uk/management/atoz/S/schoolleavingdate/index. cfm? code=furt Includes Advanced Apprenticeships, Apprenticeships, Entry to Employment and NVQ Learning. Young people who received training in the previous four weeks, includes non-WBL apprenticeships. 8 RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 Education, employment and training status of 16 and 17 year olds in England, 2006 16 year olds  number % of population 17 year olds number % of population 16 and 17 year olds number % of population Full-time education Work Based Learning Of which also in full-time education Employer Funded Training Other education and training Total education and training Not in any education or training Of which also not in employment Source: 516,900 37,700 1,300 15,000 25,600 593,800 68,400 42,800 78. 1% 5. 7% 0. 2% 2. 3% 3. 9% 89. 7% 10. 4% 6. 5% 428,600 51,600 1,200 26,700 32,000 537,600 122,000 62,700 65. 0% 7. 8% 0. 2% 4. 0% 4. 9% 81. 5% 18. 5% 9. 5% 945,500 89,300 2,500 41,600 57,600 1,131,400 190,400 105,500 71. 5% 6. 8% 0. 2% 3. 1% 4. 4% 85. 6% 14. 4% 8. 0%. Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England: 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in each Local Area in England: 2004 and 2005, DCSF Overall participation rates were higher for 16/17 year old females at 88% compared to 83% for males. The gap was nearly 10 percentage points for full-time education participation, but young men were more likely to be in one of the training categories. These figures are based on the academic year age of young people, i. e. their age at the start of the academic year. Therefore 16 year olds are in their first year after the end of compulsory education. The data are estimated as at the end of the calendar year, hence some of these young people will have had their 17th/18th birthdays. Among the one million 16 and 17 year olds in full or part time education in 2006, 426,000 were in further education/specialist colleges, 366,000 were in maintained schools, 130,000 in sixth form colleges and 82,000 in independent schools. The overall number in full-time education has increased by 14% over the last decade; the largest proportionate increases were at sixth form colleges (22%) and at maintained schools (19%). There was relatively little difference in the type of education attended by 16 and 17 year olds. A slightly higher proportion of 17 year olds attended further education colleges at the expense of maintained schools. 18 Trends in participation by broad status are summarised in the table at the end of this section. In the early 1950s (when the school leaving age was 15) fewer than one in five 16 year olds and fewer than one in ten 17 year olds were in full time education in England and Wales. Immediately before the leaving age was increased to 16 (1972) these figures had increased to around one in three 16 year olds and one in six 17 year olds. The 16 year olds’ participation rate reached 50% in the mid 1970s; the 17 year olds’ rate reached this level in the early 1990s. 19 At the end of 2006 78% of 16 year olds and 65% of 17 year olds were in full time education in England. 20 Both were record highs. 18 19 20. DCSF SFR 22/2007, Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England: 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in each Local Area in England: 2004 and 2005 Statistics of Education 1962 part one, Ministry of Education; Education and training statistics for the United Kingdom 2006 and earlier, DfES DCSF SFR 22/2007F 9 RESEARCH PAPER 07/87. a. 16 and 17 year olds not in education or training The earlier table showed that there were an estimated 190,000 16 and 17 year olds not in any education or training (NET), 106,000 of whom were not in work and hence not in any education, employment or training (NEET). The NEET rate among 16 and 17 year old males was 9. 5% compared to 6. 4% for females. 16 year olds had a lower NEET rate than 17 year olds (6. 5% v 9. 5%). Around 60% of those in the NEET category were classed as unemployed21, the rest were economically inactive. 22 While there is a particular focus of attention on young people who are not in education, employment or training (the ‘NEETs’), the Bill proposes a duty on those in employment to participate in some training or education – hence it is also relevant for the ‘NETs’. The latest similar sub-national data collected is for the end of 2005. This only looked at education and Work Based Learning (WBL) and showed that the total proportion of 16 and 17 year olds not in either category was lowest in London (16%), the South East (18%) and the South West (18%) and highest in Yorkshire and the Humber (23%) and the East Midlands (21%). 23 More recent data from Connexions, which is not directly comparable, gives NEET rates at the end of 2006 which vary from 5. 6% in the South East and 6. 0% in the South West to 10. 5% in the North East and 9. 2% in Yorkshire and the Humber. 24 b. Trends The table at the end this section summarises trends in NET and NEET rates. These are also illustrated in the charts below. 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1985 NET NEET 16 year olds 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1985 17 year olds NET NEET 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 There was a break in the series in 1994 and there have been some recent more minor inconsistencies. However, some trends are clear. The NEET rate among 16 year olds fell in the early 1990s and increased steadily for much of the last decade to a high of 8. 1% in 2005. The provisional fall to 6. 5% in 2006 takes it to its lowest level for almost a decade. The NET rate for 16 year olds fell by a larger amount in the late 1980s and 21 22 23 24 ILO definition of unemployment DCSF SFR 22/2007 ibid. NEET Statistics – Quarterly Brief, DCSF 10 RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 early 1990s as there was a general shift from employment and WBL to full-time education. This rate increased from 9. 2% in 1994 to 14. 3% in 2001, but has since fallen to 10. 3% in 2006. The NEET rate among 17 year olds fell by around half between 1984 and 1994 to 7. 7%. This rate has increased more recently to 10. 9% in 2005 before dropping back to 9. 5% in 2006. The NET rate fell from 44% in 1984 to below 20% in 1993 as there was a major shift from employment to full-time education. The scale of this was even greater than that seen among 16 year olds. The level of this rate increased from the late 1990s onwards to almost 22% before falling back to below 18% in 2006. Trends in education, employment and training status of 16 and 17 year olds in England Percentages (a)(b) 1985 Full-time education Work Based Learning Employer Funded Training (c) Other Education and Training Total Education and training Total Not in any education or training Of which also not in employment Notes: 1990 51. 1 19. 1 7. 5 3. 5 79. 7 20. 3 8. 0 1995 65. 6 11. 6 4. 0 4. 3 84. 7 15. 3 6. 7 2000 65. 6 9. 5 3. 7 4. 9 83. 5 16. 5 7. 1 2001 64. 8 8. 4 3. 9 5. 2 82. 1 17. 9 8. 4 2002 65. 4 7. 9 4. 0 5. 2 82. 4 17. 6 8. 2 2003 66. 0 8. 1 4. 1 5. 2 83. 2 16. 8 7. 7 2004 67. 2 7. 9 3. 8 4. 9 83. 6 16. 4 8. 3 2005 2006p 69. 2 7. 4 3. 5 4. 5 84. 5 15. 5 9. 5 71. 5 6. 8 3. 1 4. 4 85. 6 14. 4 8. 0 39. 7 16. 1 9. 2 4. 5 68. 2 31. 8 11. 0 There was a break in the series in 1994 due to changes in the source of further and higher education data. (a) Participation estimates may be slightly underestimated for 16 year olds between 1999 and 2000 and 17 year olds between 2000 and 2001. (b) There is a discontinuity from 2002 onwards whereby participation in additional institutions are included for the first time. This increases the full-time education rate by around 0. 1 points and the any education or training rate by around 0. 4 points (c) Includes other part-time education not included elsewhere and full- or part-time education in independent further or higher education institutions. Source: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England: 2005 and 2006 and Participation in Education and Training by 16 and 17 Year Olds in each Local Area in England: 2004 and 2005, DCSF c. International comparison of enrolment in education 16 year old enrolment rate in secondary education, 2005  100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% FRA GRE AUS SWE NOR KOR OST LUX IRE BEL ICE SWI 0% US POL SLO JAP UK ITA POR OECD MEX ESP CZ FIN NED DEN NZ TUR OECD data on enrolment by age look at the actual age of pupils/students, the rates calculated are different from those given earlier. In 2005 94% of 16 year olds and 80% of 17 year olds were in ‘secondary’ 25 education in the UK. The 16 year olds’ rate was three percentage points above the OECD average, the 17 year olds’ rate three points below. The UK’s relative position is shown opposite. Source: Education at a Glance 2007, OECD. Table C2. 3 25 This is based on the assessed academic level using international classification which at their highest level split education into primary, secondary and tertiary. It does not mean these pupils are in secondary schools. 11 GER HUN RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 Although the UK’s participation rate for 16 year olds was above the OECD average it was still below that of most other countries as the average was skewed downwards by much lower levels in Turkey and Mexico. The UK ranked 18th out of 29 states included in the 16 year olds measure and 20th on the 17 year olds rate. 17 year old enrolment rate in secondary education, 2005 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% SLO 0% KOR HUN NOR CZ GER SWE BEL POL FIN JAP OST OECD POR GRE MEX DEN NED TUR AUS ICE SWI ESP FRA LUX IRE NZ US UK Some of the countries ranked Source: Education at a Glance 2007, OECD. Table C2. 3 below the UK have relatively high enrolment rates in non-secondary education, 26 but direct comparisons cannot be made due to a lack of comparable data on enrolment on these types of education in the UK. 27 3. The green paper and the case for change The green paper, Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, described the perceived benefits to individuals and society of young people staying in education and training for longer. 28 It proposed a detailed package of measures for consultation. These were summarised in the DfES press notice launching the green paper: †¢ From 2013, young people should remain in education or training after 16 – this means the first pupils to be affected would be those entering secondary school in September next year. Young people would be required to work towards accredited qualifications at school, in a college, or in â€Å"on the job† training or day release; Apprenticeships will be significantly expanded so that they are available to any qualified young person who wants one; Participation should be full time for young people not in employment for a significant part of the week and part time for those working more than 20 hours a week; Better advice and guidance for young people to enable them to access the provision that’s right for them; A high quality, accurate registration system to keep track of the education options a young person has chosen and to make sure they don’t drop out; Building on the Education Maintenance Allowance we will consider new financial support measures to ensure young people from low income †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 26 27 28 Tertiary and post-secondary non-tertiary Education at a Glance 2007, OECD. Table C2. 3 Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16, Cm 7065, March 2007: http://www. dfes. gov. uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/6965-DfESRaising%20Expectations%20Green%20Paper. pdf 12 ITA RESEARCH PAPER 07/87 backgrounds get the support they need to overcome any barriers to participation. To make sure the right provision is in place the new requirement would not be implemented until 2013 by which time the new Diplomas will be a National Entitlement. This will give young people a choice of A levels, GCSEs, the International Baccalaureate, the new Diplomas, Apprenticeships, and accredited in work training. Young people would be supported to re-engage if they drop out through integrated Youth Support Services. Any enforcement process would be used only as a last resort if a young person refused to re-engage. 29 Chapter 2 of the green paper set out the evidential basis for raising the education and training participation age. This referred to research showing that young people who stay on in education and training after 16 are more likely to gain further qualifications by 18 than those who go into employment without training or drop out altogether. Individuals with qualifications earn more than those without. In addition to higher wages, betterqualified individuals have improved employment prospects and an increased likelihood of receiving workplace training. There are also wider benefits associated with higher qualification levels, such as improved health and better social skills. The green paper noted evidence on the relationship between higher levels of skills and qualifications and economic performance and productivity. It highlighted evidence suggesting that up to one fifth of the UK’s output per hour productivity gap with Germany and an eighth of the gap with France results from the UK’s relatively poor skills. The green paper also noted the wider benefits to society from increased participation. It stated that those who participate are less likely to experience teenage pregnancy, be involved in crime or behave anti-socially. The green paper refers to a study that looked at Offender Index data between 1984 and 2001 which showed that an additional year of compulsory schooling decreases conviction rates for property crime, and that it has also been estimated that compulsory schooling lowers the likelihood of committing crime or going to prison. 30 The green paper went on to outline t e combination of measures taken so far to h encourage increased participation. These include changes to the 14 to 19 curriculum and the introduction of new specialist diplomas with an emphasis on applied and practical learning; changes to the curriculum for 11 to 14 year olds to allow greater flexibility and personalisation of learning; an expansion of work-based learning; from September 2007 a ‘September Guarantee’ of an offer of an appropriate learning place for every young person leaving school at 16; improvements in information, advice and guidance for young people to help them make choices; and financial support through educational maintenance allowances.   

Monday, July 29, 2019

Deming & Quality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deming & Quality - Term Paper Example Gitlow &Gitlow (1987), points out that in determining customers’ needs, it is important that the future be brought into the equation, because such needs can change, and companies should be well prepared for it. The need for the prototypes to fit certain specifications, are also worth considering, especially with regards to the suppliers of the raw materials (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). According to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), the extent to which a firm and its suppliers are able to surpass the design specifications and meet the customers need, is really what quality conformance is all about. However the quality of performance can only be determined through research and sales, and service call analysis to determine how well the firm’s goods and services are doing in the market place (Gitlow & Gitlow 1987). Feedback from the quality of performance surveys, may lead to changes in design and in redesigning, thereby facilitate the continuity of the quality cycle. The 14 point method of Deming incorporates the use of statistical tools, and significant changes in the corporate culture of organizations intent on achieving a quality program, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987); it provides a framework for action as well as giving management bases from which they can formulate plans for which they may even lack the necessary experience. Organization leaders who embrace the 14 point system of quality have to back up that strategy with a commitment to change in their thinking and behavior patterns. The 14 Points entails, according to Gitlow & Gitlow (1987), A motivated worker is one that is doing his or her job willingly and well. However, for this to happen, managers must provide both intrinsic and extrinsic forms to their workers. Most of our behaviors according to Jung, are evaluated or judged on some criterion of quality and excellence of performance, and some of the incentive for the dedicated pursuit of achievement comes from social

Sunday, July 28, 2019

BHE 314 Mod 5 SLP Environmental Health and Safety Essay

BHE 314 Mod 5 SLP Environmental Health and Safety - Essay Example In this regard, this paper will describe and discuss some of the health effects associated with exposure of ultraviolet radiation. It is indicated by physicians that humans can have beneficial effects from small amounts of ultraviolet radiation, such as production of vitamin D in skin pores. However, frequent and serious short-term, as well as, long term effects are caused by overexposure to such ultraviolet radiation. In severe cases, individuals confront skin peeling and swelling after reddening of skin that occurs after the sunburn caused by ultraviolet radiation. (Hanslmeier, 2006) Physicians have indicated that UV-B is one of the most destructive ultraviolet bands that cause the abovementioned sunburn in humans. Moreover, they have indicated that more sensitivity is expressed by people that have skin of lighter tone, and thus, they confront more health issues. Some of the health related organizations have specified that cornea and conjunctiva confront aching irritation due to UV radiation, which is referred as Welders’ flash. (Hessen, 2002) In Welders’ flash, eye does not confront any permanent damages; however, protective pigment and outer layer of human eye is adversely affected on temporary basis. Some other researches have noted that people gone through any eye related operations are found to be more sensitive with ultraviolet radiation, and thus, confront greater risks of having a retinal injury. In this regard, a number of companies offer eyeglasses and lens implants that can absorb ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, crystalline in normal eye plays the role of filtering ultraviolet radiation; however, prolong radiation may result in adverse effect on normal eye as well. A number of clinical studies have associated risks of skin cancer with overexposure of ultraviolet radiation for a prolonged period. Some of the

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Controversial Artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Controversial Artwork - Essay Example Chris Ofili’s Holy Virgin Mary caught national attention in 1999 when it was exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art because it portrayed a queer image of a woman incorporating sexually explicit cutouts covered with elephant dung (http://www.your3dsource.com). The title and the artwork itself, enraged the roman Catholic church and political figures who have high regard of the virgin Mary so that the exhibit was put to a halt and petitions were made between the officials and museum, with the latter winning its rights for its opening as well as its funding. With the images included in the picture of a woman who cannot be acceptable as the Virgin Mary, it is considered defamation in the eyes of the religious people. The word ‘holy’ refers to one who is pure and clean, yet the painting mockingly portrayed its subject who was claimed as holy in its title, by surrounding it with things that symbolized filth like the elephant dung and images of buttocks. Art is indeed an expression of one’s self and expressing one’s self is a right to respect however, those who claim this right should also consider the rights of those whom they hurt because of their

Friday, July 26, 2019

Business english and communication Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business english and communication - Assignment Example They also manufacture televisions, storage devices, mobile phones, office equipment--like computers, notebook PCS, monitors, printers, and LCD displays--photography equipment, surveillance equipment, and household appliances. Much of this is usually produced in Korea, and it is shipped to other countries to be sold. Communication is done between staff in the department via memos, messages, meetings, conferences, and phone calls. The HR department communicates primarily through email and phone correspondence, as well as in person. The general manager communicates with them via the same means. The marketing department communicates through the use of memos, emails, phone correspondence, and personal meetings with other staff to determine their next steps to take as far as getting products out to the public. The marketing department also uses press releases to give news to the public about new product releases. Once the marketing department and other company staff meet to determine what their next product lines will be, the production staff is then notified, and they work on producing what will appeal to the public. Samsung corresponds with other companies located in different countries, such as between Korea and the US, to distribute their products as affiliates. The affiliates keep in communication with the main company through email and phone. The function and communication structures of Samsung are very solid, cut, and dry. Staff within the headquarters can communicate with one another quickly and efficiently, as they can meet within offices and hold conferences should the need arise. Disputes within the company can be resolved quickly, and sudden changes can be communicated without much delay. The only weakness that can be seen is that their manufacturers are in Korea, which can present some issues with language barriers. Other than that, Samsung seems to be very well run. Then, there is Microsoft. Microsoft is a

Chinas Historical Dynasties Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinas Historical Dynasties - Assignment Example During the Sui Dynasty, a lot of progress was made in China. For instance, the dynasty led to the unification of the whole nation making the society more stable and peaceful for economic and political development. Apart from agricultural acreage increasing significantly, the skills industry made advances. The economic activities, as well as agricultural practices during this dynasty, contributed to the development of Grand Canal. The end of this dynasty was followed by the emergence of many other dynasties including the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) under the leadership of Zhu Yuanzhang. This dynasty, however, started to collapse under Emperor Yang, who led a luxurious as well as a corrupt life. His engagement in occasional wars made the country fall into misery. The Wagang Army together with the rebellion peasants groups made Sui’s regime unstable. In addition to this, the strangling of Emperor Yang led to the complete collapse of the dynasty.During the Sui Dynasty, a lot of progr ess was made in China. For instance, the dynasty led to the unification of the whole nation making the society more stable and peaceful for economic and political development. Apart from agricultural acreage increasing significantly, the skills industry made advances. The economic activities, as well as agricultural practices during this dynasty, contributed to the development of Grand Canal. The end of this dynasty was followed by the emergence of many other dynasties including the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) under the leadership of Zhu Yuanzhang. This dynasty, however, started to collapse under Emperor Yang, who led a luxurious as well as a corrupt life. His engagement in occasional wars made the country fall into misery. The Wagang Army together with the rebellion peasants groups made Sui’s regime unstable. In addition to this, the strangling of Emperor Yang led to the complete collapse of the dynasty. The Ming Dynasty is claimed to the peak of wall building in China. The Min g court built walls in the north that measured more than 4,600 miles. In addition to adding more miles, the emperors in this dynasty ordered for the enlargement of previous dynasties’ walls into multiple-line walls. This dynasty is also associated with the construction of the greatest fleet in the 15th century; the dynasty was marked by the extensive expansion of the Chinese commerce to other markets in the world.Spiritual traditions description of Chinese history

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Tell us something special about yourself, including any leadership Scholarship Essay

Tell us something special about yourself, including any leadership opportunities - Scholarship Essay Example Though I would not say that I have achieved my purpose of standing out, I take pride in the fact that I have been able to excel in my studies and the testimonials from my teachers attest to this fact. Thus, I was able to ensure that I get a decent start in my chosen field. I have great admiration for our current president, Barack Obama and he is my idol in many ways. Like him, I want to be successful and demonstrate my leadership abilities. Towards this end, I have taken part in sports, particularly in the track events and football. I can claim that I have been able to achieve some success in this area. Further, as I have mentioned about Barack Obama, I want to be a good husband and father who takes pride in his family and is not intimidated by successful women. Finally, I have always striven to make life better for people around me and I have touched their lives and made them feel special. I am a relationship oriented person and I have several friends and well-wishers who take pride in my success and provide encouragement to me. I make it a point to reciprocate their affection and wishes for me. In conclusion, I would say that given a chance, I would like to put my abilities to use and be a leader in all respects of the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Target career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Target career - Essay Example In my view no matter how well executed and implemented the strategies of the company are; it is actually money which guarantees a company’s success. With the ever increasing impact of advertising, one cannot deny the importance of numbers because at the end of the day a company has to make profits for the shareholders and survive. Further reasons of choosing accounting fields are: An accountant is very important in every company or bank or government departments. Every project and every initiative taken by the company requires money. An accountant deals with the whole money handling procedures of a firm. My target career is to work with the government to manage the countrys money inside and outside the country such us students scholarships and getting treatment abroad and employees truing courses. Working with government will give me more exposure to practical world. The responsibility of an accountant is very high because it is all about money which makes it not an easy job, but it seems interesting and fun with a high social position. The salary for the accountant in Qatar is about $10,000 to $15,000 a month, but if you have a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) your salary could be about $20,000 to $30,000 a month. In my view, this is a handsome salary package which I would want to pursue. Since I am joining it also because of my personal strengths, I find it interesting to play with numbers and I really hope that it will be an interesting as well as a fruitful and learning experience for me and I am grateful to you for the guidance which you give

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Inquiry of The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood Essay

Inquiry of The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood - Essay Example Enric Miralles, the Catalan architect and designer of the building died while the project was in progress. The former Lord Advocate Peter Fraser in his Holyrood Inquiry in 2003 has identified the Construction Management method of procurement as one of the major factors affecting the final cost of the project (White and Sidhu 2005). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to outline the alternative methods of construction procurement that may have been considered for the Scottish Parliament building. One of the methods will be selected as the most suitable, and the reasons for the choice will be explained. The Scottish Parliament building has won numerous awards including the 2005 Stirling Prize for its architecture. The design of the construction was conceived as a poetic fusion of the â€Å"Scottish landscape, its people, its culture and the city of Edinburgh† (Satellite Sites 2008). However, the unrealistic cost estimates at the conception stage, the lack of true comprehension of the architects’ evolving design, requirement for changes and increases approved by the client: the Secretary of State and later the Parliament, and the consequent rise in costs resulted in financial difficulties during the construction. Most significantly, there was inadequate understanding of the Construction Management route of procurement, with no information given to the ministers regarding the risks involved in this method. Moreover, due to the complexity of the project, high maintenance costs are being incurred in an ongoing manner (White and Sidhu 2005). The procurement system is the project organisational structure adopted by the client. It is defined as the â€Å"collective action required to acquire the design, management and installation of inputs† (Ngowi 2000, p.362). According to Morledge (2006), over the last twenty-five years, there have not been any significant changes in the United Kingdom strategies for the procurement of new

Monday, July 22, 2019

Wrinkle in Time Essay Example for Free

Wrinkle in Time Essay In A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1962), 14-year-old Margaret (Meg) Murry finds herself in trouble and miserable. Her beloved father has disappeared, her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, is the object of ridicule, and she’s having enormous problems at school. Then, one dark and stormy night, she meets a â€Å"woman† with the odd name of Mrs. Whatsit, who seems to know more than she lets on and who leads Meg, Charles Wallace, and a popular boy from Meg’s school, Calvin, 14, on a quest to find Meg’s father. This quest takes them to other planets and into great danger as they pass behind an evil presence called the Black Thing. The children and their extraterrestrial helpers, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, manage to rescue Mr. Murry from a prison planet, but leave Charles Wallace behind during the attempt. Mr. Murry uses a technique called a â€Å"tesseract† in order to jump from one planet to another to make their escape once the children free him from his prison cell. But because Mr. Murry is greatly inexperienced at tessering, which is how he ended up on a prison planet in the first place, Meg is almost killed. Once she recovers, she understands that only she can return to the prison planet by herself to rescue Charles Wallace because the two of them are very close. In the end, Meg is successful and the family is reunited back on Earth. I decided to select this book for my fictional character review because I remember no other book from my childhood enchanting me the way A Wrinkle in Time (L’Engle, 1962) did when my sixth grade teacher read it aloud to us. The opportunity to look at Meg from a different point of view intrigued me. Is she gifted? Does she have some kind of disorder? Perhaps she has dysthymic disorder, a kind of low-grade, long-term depression? Does she meet the criteria to be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)? Looking at the story from this point of view opens up a whole new way of seeing this character, and the task of analyzing what Meg is experiencing and what her mother and teachers could have done differently to support her is what I hope to accomplish. One thing that the staff at Meg’s school and even Meg’s mother have failed to deal with is Meg’s grief over the loss of her father. Mr. Murry was a physicist who disappeared while doing top secret experiments for the government. He’s been gone for a year, and the government will provide no information about where he is or when, or even if, he will ever return. Meg’s mother lives in a kind of denial, expecting him back at any time, and so Meg has nowhere to turn to express her grief. She tries to hide her feelings like her mother does, but they just back up on her as she turns them inward. Perhaps because of this, I feel that Meg fits the criteria for a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder. For a child or a teen, two or three criteria must be met for a period of at least a year in order to qualify (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000, p. 311). I believe that Meg meets five of these criteria. Meg certainly suffers from low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. She calls herself a monster and a delinquent. She thinks that her 10-year-old twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, are the only normal ones in the family. She feels her plainness acutely, with her mousy hair, her thick glasses, and her braces, and she compares herself unfavorably to her mother, who is a great beauty. Her teachers also compare her unfavorably to her brilliant parents right to her face. Meg feels that she is â€Å"doing everything wrong. † (L’Engle, 1962, p. 7) Another criterion of dysthymia is feelings of pessimism and despair and a kind of hopelessness. Meg has been dropped to the lowest section in her class, and her teachers chastise her frequently for not trying and not being smart enough. She is grieving the loss of her father and his loving support. She is also subjected to nasty town gossip, such as once overhearing a townsperson say, â€Å"I’ve heard that clever people often have subnormal children,† and that the â€Å"unattractive girl† was not â€Å"all there† (L’Engle, 1962, p. 13). All of these things have culminated in despair and hopelessness for Meg. She also suffers from â€Å"subjective feelings of irritability or excessive anger† (DSM, 2000, p 775). She talks back to and even shouts at her teachers and her principal, Mr. Jenkins, when they criticize her or bring up her father’s absence. In addition, when a boy a year older and 25 lbs. heavier than she is called Charles Wallace her â€Å"dumb baby brother,† she beat him up so badly that his mother called to complain (L’Engle, 1962, p. 8). Another symptom of dysthymic disorder is Meg’s inability to concentrate on her school work. She faithfully does her homework every night, but when she gets to class, she can no longer remember what she read. I also feel that Meg meets the criteria established for Oppositional Defiant Disorder, although it is very hard to know exactly how much of an impact her dysthymic disorder has had on her ODD behavior since there is often some relationship between the two diagnoses and there are some areas that overlap. With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, there is a pattern of negative, hostile, defiant or disobedient behavior towards adults and/or authority figures that lasts for six months or longer (DSM, 2000, p. 100). I feel that Meg’s ODD manifests in six different ways. The first three criteria suggest that she suffers from ODD because she frequently loses her temper, is quite touchy or easily annoyed, and she argues with adults who are in authority. At school, as I mentioned before, she talks back to her teachers and to the principal, she gets angry and shouts at them, and there was also the incident on the way home from school in which she beat up an older boy. She also has a pattern of actively refusing to comply with the rules of adults. In this case, Meg’s mother believes that Meg has set up a mental block about math. For most of her life, Meg’s parents tested her IQ and played a lot of math games with her. They know that she is gifted, and they taught her a lot of short cuts in math, so that Meg can actually do math that is two grades above her. However, in 9th grade, the grade that Meg is in, the math teacher wants Meg to show her work; she wants Meg to do the math the long way so that the teacher can see that Meg knows how she arrived at the result. This annoys Meg to no end as she thinks it is a total waste of her time, so Meg refuses to do it. Another criterion of ODD that Meg meets is doing things on purpose to aggravate other people. For example, when Meg is called into the principal’s office, Mr. Jenkins starts asking her questions about her missing father. Meg starts shouting at him and when he asks her to keep her voice down, she refuses and just shouts all the louder. Lastly, Meg blames others for her misbehavior. It’s the teacher’s fault, or the principal’s fault, or the fault of the boy who taunted her. She does not take responsibility for her own actions. It’s unfortunate that Meg has not received the mental health treatment that she needs. But it’s important to remember that the setting is 1962, and that the guidelines for these mental health disorders had not yet been established. School officials and teachers were often working in the dark and had no idea how to handle â€Å"problem children† like Meg. Her teachers berate her for not trying and the principal tells her that she must face facts about her father’s absence. Meg’s mother is doing her best to hold her family together in the face of humiliating rumors and the loss of the man she loves. Because of her own grief, it no doubt never occurred to her that Meg could use some professional help. In conclusion, one would hope that these days, Meg’s grief, her dysthymia, and her ODD would be identified by her teachers or her mother, and addressed by the school social worker. She should definitely be receiving help from a mental health professional. If the topic of the loss of her father is too sensitive for Meg to discuss with anyone at school, such as a school psychologist, then she should be offered the chance to talk to someone from another town. As it is, her main confidant and her emotional rock is her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, and although he is smart and mature for his age, he can’t bear that burden for her. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistics manual of mental disorders (4th ed. , Text revision). Washington, D. C. : American Psychiatric Association. L’Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Public Policy Essay Example for Free

Public Policy Essay Public Administration always needs funding for various aspects throughout many realms.   From grants to sidewalk repair to going green in residential homes to starting up a business and educational grants.   There are also, as we are currently seeing,   monies coming from the federal government for stimulus payments to US citizens and as proposed by our new President Elect Obama there are policies in the making for a permanent stimulus or tax rebate due to excessive oil prices and changes in healthcare.    The one thing with the majority of the monies being spoken of is that so much comes from the federal government.   This precludes any monies the states may have or have already spent, as in the end they also receive monies from federal agencies. So here we see a vicious circle of all these people needing money for one reason or another, they spend what they have, apply for grants from the federal government, the federal government says hey ok but in the end, what do we do when the federal government runs out of money?   What do states do when there is no money left to be tapped?   Do they droll at another department because that department may have the monies to continue further? Let us start with the liquor tax.   Currently the taxation goes like this; the federal government gets approximately 10% of each gallon depending on the proof or volume manufactured (each state seems to vary) of the alcohol.   The higher the proof, the more the taxes they receive.   The state on the other hand receives a much higher revenue from the tax (State Liquor Tax Rates-2008).   Each state has different programs in which the taxes collected helps finance.   The federal government should take only a specified amount, a flat tax from each state for both alcohol and tobacco and keep tally on which states they obtain these taxes from and how  much.   When these individual states run out of their own taxed revenue then when they apply for a grant, the grant acceptance and money distribution is then taken from the coffers of the federal government based upon the taxes already received into the hands of the federal government.   This keeps those federal tax dollars fo cused in one area instead of spread all over the board.   If states run out of money from the federal government through this specified mean then the balloting of measures asking for the public in general to vote on a new tax for this reason, should be implemented. Some states have public lottery games or gambling which is allowed in public places, of course with age allowances in place.   The federal government has their hands in this pie as well.   I believe that the federal government should step away and not collect taxes on this except maybe through an individual tax return, and allow the states to keep and maintain this taxation as sole entities with a fiscal report as to where these tax dollars are spent.   In addition, taxes collected on gambling should be distributed to the same entities each yr without prevail or each year change their entities of who these taxes go to, to help finance.   This would be akin to alternating weekends of work in the general public forum. Let us go a bit more local.   Each county has their county has their own form of taxation and ways to obtain revenue.   These counties should work together more as a team than what they currently do.   Instead of them allocating their funds to only the departments within (i.e. city tax on water only for water line improvement) they should all pool their monies together.   There  should be a strict fiscal plan in place that determines how much money goes where and for what.   Each department of the county should be made each year to make an honest analysis of what they will need to further any improvements that are necessary and not frivolous and based upon that information, this will determine what departments get what.   Maybe the courthouse has an upcoming need to repair a bathroom where as the dump wants a wall around their facility to improve aesthic purposes.   Which is more important?   This should be obvious.   What if the county sheriff’s department needs to have additional law enforcement but has a lack of cars?   Instead of being allowed to buy the new cars each year, cut the rate of cars bought in half and put two people to each car.   This may only mean the savings from not buying 2 or 3 cars but each dollar helps. In the end, the county has a complete record of where all the money goes to and they have all worked together as a team and not against each other due to politics and there may also be more money left over at the end of each year which will definitely lessen the amount of money asked for from the federal government. Healthcare is a big issue.   Public policy should simply enforce specific financial capping rules as to what the healthcare industry can charge for their costs, this is to include doctors and providers of insurance alike.  Ã‚   If these two entities can work together as a team regarding services, payments and insurance under more strict federal guidelines of what can be charged for these instances, then this would make these two entities work more closely together. All in all, each department of each state, county and city that implements a tax, part of each department should also allocate a small percentage of the tax revenue to a general fund for emergencies or unseen departments that may suddenly need additional fund.   This General fund should also be exhausted before applying for federal grants. Some may consider this a socialistic view regarding public administration and maybe it is, but if so then take a look into Canada’s or Europes socialization and compare these two to the country of America.   Which one is better off in the long run.   If you can determine that (and it isn’t the USA) then you can determine that they are doing something more correct.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

UK Housing Shortage Strategies

UK Housing Shortage Strategies What Can the Government Do to Solve the Housing Shortage in the UK? Abstract The price of homes in the United Kingdom has doubled over the past ten years and house building is at the lowest level since 1924. It has been estimated that Britain is likely to be heading for a shortage of about a million homes by the year 2022. In a nation in which as many as 70 % of adult citizens have been accustomed to owning their own home, with amongst the highest rates of home ownership in Europe, the shortage of affordable homes is causing bitterness and frustration as wages and salary earners grapple with the dilemma of reconciling their earnings with their capacity for taking out a mortgage for a home. The record values that have been set in the property market have also had an influence on those who are renting or are otherwise disadvantaged. Although it has been predicted that the property market is likely to bust in a few years, the government has been blamed for having a cumbersome planning permission process, not releasing sufficient land for new housing and for doin g precious little to intervene in the market for affordable homes. Although attitudes have changed in Europe and the state is now considered to be the enabler rather then a provider, perhaps it is possible for the government, which must also protect the broader national interest, to do more to assist during such hard times. This dissertation presents a discussion about what the government in the United Kingdom can do to solve the housing shortage in the country. Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1 – Introduction Chapter 2 – Literature Review Chapter 3 – Methodology Chapter 4 – Results, Analysis and Discussion Chapter 5 – Conclusion and Recommendations Bibliography/References Chapter 1 – Introduction Although Britain has experienced housing shortages before, e.g. at the end of the Second Great War, the reasons for such shortages were rather obvious and easy to understand as compared to the reasons for the housing shortage today which is causing serious inconvenience to citizens (Bond, 1996, Pp. 49), (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2003, Pp. 1) and (The Sunday Times, 2003, â€Å"Why arent our builders building?†). In a nation in which citizens are accustomed to owning their own homes, with home ownership rates of about 70 %, working people are baffled and frustrated with the hefty mortgages that make it impossible for them to even make a deposit for a modest flat (Stephens, 2006, Pp. 4) and (The Sunday Times, 2003, â€Å"Why arent our builders building?†). The government has been accused of slow planning and the prices of abodes have been soaring by as much as 68 % in one year alone. The housing shortage is not only making life very difficult for the disadvantaged in the community, but it is also becoming a problem for employers who cannot recruit key personnel because those who are found to be suitable find it difficult to relocate, as a result of the widening gaps between house prices and disposable incomes (Local Government Association, 2006, Pp. 1 – 5). Not only is the housing situation causing alarm today, but forecasts for the future indicate that the situation is unlikely to improve, with Britain heading for a shortage of a million homes by 2022 (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Shortage of homes over next 20 years threatens deepening housing crisis†). Even rural areas are facing a housing crisis (Best, 2006, Pp. 6 – 27). Figure 1, which is presented below illustrates the problem. Surveys indicate that citizens believe that affordability is the major problem and not the shortage of housing (Platt, 2004, Chapter 5). Although land has been considered to be a scarce and valuable resource which needs to be judiciously allocated for a variety of uses, it appears that the government has preferred to take a path that permits private investors, real estate agents and property developers to play with the market and create shortages, while making huge profits (The Sunday Times, 2003, â€Å"Why arent our builders building?†). It is possible that a zeal for the dismantling of the welfare state and let the market decide attitude may have permitted developers and investors to place themselves in a position to control the market. The role of the state in the housing markets of Europe has changed from one of being a provider to that of being an enabler and all governments in Western Europe now have a distinctly more â€Å"support the market† attitude with surren der of housing to the market (Doherty, 2005, Pp. 6). However, the real estate market of today is one in which information is readily and rapidly available to developers and real estate agents through the internet, making it possible for them to present a united front on home prices and buyers are being asked for huge amounts no matter where they look. Although it is not possible for a government to dictate to anyone what they should ask for a property that they own, it is possible that a desire to deregulate everything may have resulted in the government loosing control and disadvantaging the ordinary people, while those who are associated with the property and housing market enjoy record profits (Dixon, 1998, Pp. 1 – 10), (Dixon, 2005, Section 3) and (Bond, 1996, Chapter 2). The property market and the selling of real estate or homes is certainly not what it used to be and property websites now display property prices for the global market. Investment in the UK property orig inating from outside UK has certainly been greater then similar investment in any other European country as is evidenced from the statistics presented in figure 2 below and overseas investors do enjoy some preferential treatment over local investors (Callender, 2004, Pp. 75 – 83). However, it has been stated that investment from overseas is not the main threat facing the UK property market and problems lie within the domestic property market (Dixon, 2000, Pp. 119). The previous assertion obviously implies that the foreign investment that is made in the UK property market is also something which is needed for the benefit of the UK and its citizens. It is, therefore, likely to be easy for property developers as well as real estate agents to develop loose cartels to seek profits from the domestic buyer and to present a united front in regard to prices for homes. Keeping these prices high will certainly benefit property agents and developers, while playing havoc with the common m an. In view of the fact that the housing shortage is having a profound impact on the manner in which ordinary people live out their lives in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, it is worth investigating what, if anything, can the government do to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in the United Kingdom. This dissertation presents a discussion about what the government in the United Kingdom can do to help resolve the housing crisis in the country. The next chapter presents a literature review for the topic of discussion. Chapter 2 – Literature Review Although it is possible for a government to encourage home buyers by trying to provide financial instruments that will provide special assistance with savings that are to be used for the purchase of a home, the rates at which home prices have increased will tend to indicate that it is important to release more land for housing and to do this in a manner that will make it impossible for property developers or estate agents not to exploit the situation for generating huge profits by market manipulation (Song, 2005, Pp. 2 – 18) and (Friends of the Earth, 2004, Pp. 4). A certain level of evidence exists about property developers and estate agents having tried to profit from housing markets in the United Kingdom as should be obvious from figure 2, which is presented below (Callender, 2004, Pp. 75 – 83). Although offering those who are saving to build a home special savings schemes that are tax free and which offer high interest rates or government contributions along with di fferent types of mortgage, home equity or rental insurance programs can assist, all these schemes are likely to be useless if market manipulation continues to increase home prices rapidly. However, the task of controlling real – estate markets in a country that accepts free markets and the right to trade in order to gain is not an easy one. Coupled with the release of more land for housing, it is important that better and cheaper designs based on rapid – build technologies or high rise construction should be developed and a coherent national housing policy be implemented (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2003, Pp. 1 4). However, this will mean that the government has to be willing to intervene in the name of social welfare in an era when the Barker Report has been urging deregulation (Friends of the Earth, 2004, Pp. 1 10). Even if land is released to developers and the public at relatively low prices, it is entirely possible that the price of this newl y released land will increase dramatically as a result of market forces which are being manipulated by developers and investors, unless special care is taken to ensure that the land and the homes on the land are released to those who are in genuine need of an abode. In addition to asking the government to release more land, it has also been proposed that government be lobbied for additional funds for social housing, improved delivery through quick decision making and planning as well as for working closely with the construction sector (Tempany, 2004, Pp. 1 – 5). Quick decisions on planning permissions with government private partnership in developments, better licensing requirements for those associated with the real – estate markets and a more through scrutiny of those who are to be granted permission to develop land are measures that can have an impact (Mayor of London, 2006, Pp. 15 – 34). However, it has to be understood that the land which is released by the government for housing is a natural asset of the United Kingdom which may also be useful for feeding the nation, maintaining its environment and for many other useful purposes. Thus, it is also important that decisions about the release of more land for housing be ca refully considered. Researchers have suggested that the British Town and Country Planning System excludes every price signal or economic indicator in land – use planning and decision making (Cheshire, 2003, Pp. 1 – 5). It has been proposed that premium on land prices at zone borders should be taken into consideration when granting development permissions and if the land prices exceeded a certain threshold, then investors should be sure that planning permission will be granted. However, this approach alone will not prevent any market manipulation aimed at profiteering or increasing land prices and additional regulation is likely to be needed to encourage individuals or families to own homes for personal or family use only with an aim towards discouraging the use of residential property for speculation aimed at generating profits. Although the management pundits are calling for deregulation, it is likely to be appropriate for the government to take a more direct approach towards housing, as it did for employment, by having government owned real – estate dealers and property developers who compete with licensed private sector operators to try an maintain some standards and ethics in the property market. Encouraging high – rise developments and limiting the housing land area which can be owned by a single owner with details of land and owner statistics being maintained in a database will ensure that more judicious allocation of land and housing is possible (Kristensen, 2004, Pp. 5 – 10). Tax interventions can be designed to make the ownership of a large number of residential properties by a single legal entity unattractive and it is desirable to ensure that a market is created in which home ownership is recognised as a human need, but profiteering is discouraged. Although, the previously mentioned assertions go against the British character and appear to be more communist in nature, they serve to illustrate the difficulties associated with land marke ts and land – market regulation. It is desirable that the government encourage further research on the regulation of land and property markets in the United Kingdom (Cheshire, 2004, Pp. 2 – 22). Land for housing is a national resource which should be used for the benefit of a maximum number of citizens, with the government being responsible for its judicious distribution and utilisation. However, this will mean that a change in thinking may well be required. Analysts are already predicting that housing prices in the UK will fall in the next few years and the real – estate as well as the housing markets have exhibited a cyclical behaviour in response to economic activity (Money Week, 2007, â€Å"Are UK house prices about to fall?†) and (Baum, 1999, Pp. 1 – 11). Thus, it is possible for the government to adjust monitory policy in order to influence the housing market, but the problem with such adjustments is that the impact tends to be broader then that on housing. It has been said that a fall in the UK interest rates of 1.5 % has the capacity to turn the booming property market into a bust (Leach, 2000, Pp. 25). However, it has to be realised that the high prices that are being asked for property and housing in prime locations, such as those in the city of London will not be influenced much by what the government does, because it is not possible to construct more homes on real estate that is owned by the wealthy class es who reside in prime locations. The only way to expand in such prime locations is to go vertically upwards and this is what is being done in London and other cities (Baxter, 2005, Pp. 3 – 9). Everyone wants to live in a prime location, but those who are the new rich only end up making those who own property in prime locations to pay more for owning such property by increasing property values which are then taxed at higher rates. Thus, it is unlikely that the housing shortage in the UK will be solved by just releasing more land, because most people will still like to own an abode in a decent or preferably prime location. The decision to own a home at a place is not just influenced by the fact that a shelter is needed, but the amenities, facilities and the economic activity in the neighbourhood are also important considerations that influence the decision. Thus, it is important that government try to influence development in areas that have been neglected so that they become attractive and efforts should be made to provide for economic activity in such areas so that individuals will want to move into these areas. Hence, the development of new housing estates is something that cannot be considered in isolation and a complete development package is often required. Local authorities and government are willing to make more efforts to try and rejuvenate city areas that have been neglected and which offer some potential for housing development, but a lot of funds are often required. This means that innovative arrangements for financing such developments will have to be made (Tuffrey, 2004, Pp. 11 – 17). A discussion about market – oriented land – use planning has been presented in (Lind, 2002, Pp. 2 – 11). It has been found that the social dimensions associated with land – use planning is now increasingly being enforced by the global market. However, it is possible for the government to encourage increased financial innovation in the property markets and to empower the local governments. Britain has been lagging behind North America in financial innovation associated with property and the traditional model is still preferred (Lizieri, 2002, Pp. 1 – 10). It is possible that some relaxation in the rules which have been imposed by the United Kingdom Treasury can have an impact on the ability of the local governments to arrive at better arrangements with the developers. The nature of the planning permission process in the United Kingdom is encouraging the relatively large developers, with a better ability to manipulate the market, to remain in the mark et, while driving out the smaller operators (Coiacetto, 2006, Pp. 20). The larger developers are more able to control the supply of housing and thus home prices. Some problems also appear to present themselves with the methods that are being used for property valuation and brokers as well as borrowers do try to influence property valuation (Crosby, 2000, Pp. 5) and (McAllister, 2006, Pp. 5 – 6). Unfortunately, buyers, sellers and lenders as well as borrowers try to influence valuations, but the price of property is influenced by supply and demand along with the ability of a buyer to pay and the ability of a seller to hold on to the property. However, more thought needs to be given about how government can assist in the development of a truly efficient market and reduce the ability of cartels to squeeze supply and to manipulate the market. Thus better regulation and standards associated with the buying and selling of housing can be attempted to be developed along with more eff icient markets. It has been recognised that the current UK system of controlling development does give rise to some problems and the government has been deliberating and consulting in order to try and improve the processes (Allmendinger, 2006, Pp. 5 – 8). Table 1, which has been presented below provides a summary of the status quo about the current UK system. However, although the issue of rapidly improving the supply of land for new housing development is an important one, other approaches to improve the housing market and for the control of greed are also worthy of consideration when thinking about solutions to a complex situation. Thus, a multifaceted approach will have to be taken, with the forces in the market interacting in order to find a balance. A discussion about the evolution of land administration systems in Common Law countries has been presented in (Ting, 1999, Pp. 1 – 14). This paper suggests that the relationship between humankind and land has always been a dynamic one and the direction of such dynamism is dependant on the priorities that are established by a society. It has been asserted in the previously mentioned paper that the state has a duty to promote efficient land markets and the environmentally sustainable use of land through the development of legal framework that balances the need for construction with the needs for the environment, while minimizing risk and diversifying land use. It is also stated that state cannot abandon regulation and that regulation should be designed to fit the shifting demands of the economy as well as a nation’s institutional capacity. It is the parliament in the United Kingdom and the Sovereign who are more responsible then anyone else for â€Å"establishing the pri orities of a society†. While Britons are accustomed to living in relatively palatial homes, the Japanese or the Singaporeans have to make do with living in compact high rise flats because of a shortage of land. Plenty of land is available in the United Kingdom, but this does not mean that the government can continue to release land for housing without any regard for future generations, environment and the utility of land as well as the dangers of market manipulation once land has been released into the hands of self interested business people. Perhaps one of the reasons why the government is acting rather slowly is to give free markets a chance to work along with the property cycles so that optimal solutions do present themselves. After all, if excessively high prices are being asked for, then individuals will not be able to pay and market adjustments will be forced to occur. Alternatively, perhaps individuals can start to live in compact high rise buildings or other novel des igns. Decisions that are ultimately made by the parliament will determine the nature of land market in the UK, the type of housing that UK citizens will live in and type of property portfolio that can be afforded. However, when markets are in transition as a result of greed, it takes time for a balance to be achieved and it is necessary to consider a complex set of regulatory measures to maintain harmony. Thus, it is likely that the government will act in the most appropriate manner when those who are in a position to establish societal priorities have decided that the nation, as distinct from the profiteers, is likely to gain the most. The next chapter of this dissertation presents a discussion about the methodology of research for this dissertation. Chapter 3 – Methodology When researching a new topic or tackling a research problem, it is always necessary to benefit from the experiences of other scholars, researchers or investigators who may have pondered on similar issues, as their experience can certainly benefit the investigator in reaching appropriate conclusions and in gaining insights into the problem. The basic technique for the research that was undertaken for this dissertation involved finding suitable published literature through library database searches and internet searches to access journal articles, research papers, published books, research reports and project reports that were related to the subject of the dissertation. This literature was then reviewed in order to extract relevant themes which could possibly assist in the investigation that was being conducted for the dissertation. Research as a whole is a complex and sophisticated field which contributes to knowledge as a whole. The research process results in the generation of a theory, the testing of a hypothesis or theory or both. Currently, there are two traditions of research which have developed along with their terminology, methods and techniques and these traditions have been referred to by different researchers with different names such as qualitative or quantitative traditions in research, humanistic and scie ntific traditions or the positivist and phenomenological traditions of research. The differing names refer to the same distinctions in the processes of conducting research. On the one hand, the qualitative tradition consists of case study methods, ethnography and historical as well as action research and on the other hand we have the quantitative tradition that consists of methodologies such as survey research, experimental and quasi-experimental research as well as research after the occurrence of a factual event (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). It is possible to express facts as objective reality which can be expressed as quantities. This forms the basis of the positivist tradition of research which is quantitative research and relies on numbers, measurements and experiments to derive numerical relationships under conditions of controlled behaviour that can be manipulated. The phenomenological tradition attempts to describe and understand reality which is set in perceptions with narratives and observations being used to focus on understanding and meaning to yield knowledge and understanding (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). Generalization of situations and settings, understanding of events and why they occur as well as predictions are some of the results of the research process. There is a difference between explanation and understanding that develops as a result of seeing things happen, after reasons have been fitted into patterns and deductions can be made from other known truths. There is a requirement for elements being investigated to be related to other elements and the overall picture forms into a unified model with the unification forming the explanation. Thus, there is an explanation for something when it can be understood. Understanding requires the use of rich descriptions and formation of relationships between different parts. This fitting together of things is what is known as the pattern model and the understanding of patterns is the result of research of a qualitative tradition. This form of research is aided by review of literature. In the quantitative method of research, the more basic facts or laws are used to determine what is to be explained and a deductive model is constructed (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). There is a distinction between prediction and generalization. It is possible to deduce an unknown part of a pattern from a known part and, therefore, the symmetry of prediction and deduction uses the deductive model. In some areas, generalizations tend to be complex with there being a great deal of conflict and scrutiny (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). Qualitative research is, therefore, more appropriate for the development of complex interrelationships in the more natural or real life situations with a possibility of using this methodology of research to test theories which have already been developed. The qualitative and quantitative methods of research often work together and quantitative research can be used to further test theories which have been developed using qualitative research and qualitative research can be used to further explain the results of quantitative investigations. Qualitative methods are, therefore, useful for rich descriptions of issues being studied with hopes of achieving better understandings with predictions not being the main aim and generalisations taking the form of natural generalisation (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). A case study may be described as an investigation of a singular nature emphasizing on the individual, group, event or culture. Case studies may involve both quantitative as well as qualitative elements but the studies result in a characteristic wholeness without any loose collection of facts and traits. Case studies build upon concepts, structures and promote understanding with the researchers looking for systematic connections, observable behaviours, causes and speculations. The case study deals with a full body of evidence and this methodology has been found to be of use when questions are being asked about situations or events over which the researchers do not have any control. Case studies are also guided by underlying theories, hypothesis and assumptions but construction of conceptual framework, theory building and conceptual structure are important aims of conducting case studies. Studies of specific issues in a number of settings are referred to as multi-site case studies and such studies can strengthen the ability to generalize while remaining on the more qualitative side and maintaining in-depth description and consideration (Collins, 1999, Chapters 1 – 3) and (Marshall, 1999, Chapters 1 – 4). In this dissertation, the challenges associated with the housing market in the United Kingdom in an era of free trade and globalisation are explored mostly through a process of literature review because this is the most appropriate approach for the subject matter that is being examined. Getting a feel for a market usually involves collecting data from the market, which can be very large, looking at statistics, government regulations, consumer opinion and also seeking the opinion of those who have already dealt with the market. However, because the market is so very large, it is difficult for a single researcher to try and attempt to gather raw data that can be processed to provide market information and thus, the task is likely to benefit from the i nformation gathering efforts of large institutions or corporate research offices that do publish reports about markets and market related information. It was felt that the qualitative research methodology is in fact the appropriate one for investigating the topic of dissertation because a reasonable amount of published research material is available on the topic of discussion. The qualitative research methodology consists of the literature review which has attempted to capture important themes from published literature related to the shortage of affordable housing in the United Kingdom. A quantitative approach involving collecting of new data about the housing situation in the UK is likely to be difficult because statistics related to housing, housing policy, land utilisation and allocation policy etc is likely to be difficult to collect for a single researcher. However, data and statistics that are available in published form can be of use in the research. Thus, the research methods that were used for this dissertation consisted of basically finding suitable literature related to the topic of research and then examining this liter ature through a process of literature review in order to present the salient points about the challenges involved with providing those who live in the UK with affordable housing. Suitable literature was selected through a process of library database search, internet search engine search and an examination of the articles as well as research papers which had been presented in journals related to housing, public policy and real estate management etc. Published material that was available from reputed universities and research institutes was also considered in an attempt to gather new ideas and insights related to the topic of discussion. A literature review for the topic of discussion has already been presented along with all the important themes that are to be found and the next two chapters of the dissertation present a discussion about what could be gathered about the topic of discussion and the conclusions that were able to be reached. Chapter 4 – Results, Analysis and Discussion From what has been previously presented, it is obvious that the supply of new homes in the United Kingdom is stagnant and prices are at an all time high. Although the supply of new land and the quick processing of planning permissions are likely to be important in alleviating the situation, the housing market is complex, with large developers and investors being able to take advantage of the situation to manipulate prices by presenting a united front on home prices. In some prime property locations it is no longer possible to provide more land for construction of new homes and in such places the only way to go when constructing is vertically upwards. Because of the fact that better facilities and employment or business opportunities are available at prime locations and owning property at such locations is considered to be prestigious, those who own property that is located in prime locations do not want to let go and the newly rich only make it more expensive for them to live there b y contributing to price increases, taxes and property values. Such price increases also encourage home price escalations at other locations. Thus, the government will not only be required to increase the supply of land for new homes, but also to have a bal

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Marketing :: essays research papers

1. A. An economic system is a nations system for allocating its resources among its citizens. Economic systems differ in terms of who owns or controls the four basic factors of production: labor, capital, entrepreneurs, and natural resources. In planned economies, the government all or most factors. In market economies, which are based on the principles of capitalism, individuals control the factors of production. Most countries today have mixed market economies that are dominated by one of these systems but include elements of the other. The process of privatization is an important means by which many of the world’s planned economies are moving toward mixed market systems. 2. A. The most common forms of business ownership are the sole proprietorship, the partnership, the cooperative, and the regular corporation. Each form has several advantages and disadvantages. The form under which a business chooses to organize is crucial because it affects both long-term strategy and day-to-day decision making. In addition to advantages and disadvantages, entrepreneurs must consider their preferences and long-range requirements 3. B. The difference forms of competition advantage are critical to international business. With an absolute advantage, a country engages in international trade because it can produce a product more efficiently than any other nation. But more often, countries trade because they enjoy comparative advantages: They can produce some items more efficiently than they produce other items. The import-export balance including the balance of trade and the balance of payments, and exchange rate differences in national currencies affect the international economic environment and are important element of international business. 4. A. Social responsibility refers to an organization’s response to social needs. Until the second half of the nineteenth century, because business often paid little attention to these needs. Since then however both public pressure and government regulation especially as a result of the great depression of the 1930s and the social activism of the 1960s and the 1970s have forced business to consider the public welfare at least to some degree. A trend toward increased social consciousness, including a heightened sense of environment activism has recently emerged. 5. A Management is the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an organization’s financial, physical, human and information resources to achieve the organization’s goal. Planning means determining what the company needs to do and how best to get to get it done. Organizing means determining how best to arrange a business’s resources and the necessary jobs into an overall structure.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Pain: Understanding the Subjective, Objectively Essay -- Biology Essay

Pain: Understanding the Subjective, Objectively Pain is a universal element of the human experience. Everyone, at some point in their lives, experiences pain in one form or another. Pain has numerous causes, effects, and is itself a highly complex biological phenomenon. It also carries with it important emotional and social concerns. Pain cannot be entirely understood within the context of any one field of scientific inquiry. Indeed, it must be examined across a range of disciplines, and furthermore considered in relation to important non-scientific influences, such as emotional responses and social determinants. I conducted my explorations regarding pain with the following question in mind: to what degree is pain subjective? I found several avenues of inquiry to be useful in my explorations: they are (1) the expanding specialty in the medical profession of pain management; (2) pain in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and (3) pain experiences of children. Examining these issues led to the conclusion that pain is in fac t a highly subjective phenomenon. "The philosophy that you have to learn to live with pain is one that I will never understand or advocate," says Dr. W. David Leak, Chairman & CEO of Pain Net, Inc. (1). Indeed, the notion that pain is an essential element of life, and that one must endure pain to achieve something positive (as conveyed in the omnipresent athletic mantra "no pain, no gain") has informed our sense as a society of how pain is to be dealt with. Only recently, with increasing awareness in the health care community that managing a patient's pain is a complex, yet crucial aspect of their care, has society's view of pain and its management begun to change. "Pain Management" is itself a ne... ...duality as there are other factors that must be taken into consideration. An examination of the emergence of the field of pain management, pain in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), and the dynamic of the childhood experience with pain provides evidence that the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of pain require that it be considered a subjective phenomenon. Refences This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments