Adapt Scaffolding to Early Childhood - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 543 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/03/13 Category Sociology Essay Level High school Tags: Childhood Essay Did you like this example? The article I read was Adapt Scaffolding to Early Childhood. I chose to read this article because my field of study is Early Childhood Education and I like learning as much as I can about the field. This article discusses scaffolding which is an instructional technique that helps guide students to a stronger understanding of an educational topic and being more independent in the learning process. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Adapt Scaffolding to Early Childhood" essay for you Create order The article discusses modeling the expectations and letting the student practice meeting those expectations before letting them venture out on their own in the learning process. It is helpful for both the student, and the educator if the educator documents lessons in the form of photos, this will help the child see their learning progress and it will also help the educator see where the student is at in the learning process. In the scaffolding process, the educator must learn the strengths of each of his/her students. This will help build on the learning process and the educator can build lessons based on the strengths of each child which will build on their skills. In the early childhood classroom this can be done with hands on learning, and the educator asking the students questions which begins the process of the children thinking on their own about the hands on lessons. Once you know what your students strengths are and where they are in their learning process, you can begin pushing them to learn more and question the what and why of the lesson being taught. Scaffolding helps children learn in different ways, it helps push them to want to know more and to be more independent in the learning process. Reaction/Point of View While reading this article I would have to agree with everything that was said. This is such a great way to get children not only to learn but to start taking more of an independent role in their learning. I believe as an educator we should learn what our students strengths and interests are whether we are using the scaffolding technique or not. Knowing the students strengths and interests can be helpful in knowing which lessons may interest them more, if one lesson isnt the most interesting to them then finding a way to make it more interesting. I think documenting the learning process in photographs is a great idea, young children love looking at photos and to see themselves learning gets them excited to learn. How to Use Information I would use this information is setting up lesson plans and activities for the early childhood classroom. I would use this information to find ways to get the students to start asking themselves questions while they are learning such as why am I learning this and what comes next. I could use this information while setting up the classroom as well, putting up some posters with photos that help them learn what things to be looking for while learning in any lesson and what questions to ask in any lesson. The information in this article helps me as a future educator learn the steps/process of scaffolding and how to model this technique. Documenting the learning process for children is so important, using photos for young kids is something I would do.

William Blake s Innocence And Experience Analysis Essay

Isha Fidai Amber Drown English 2323 14 September 2016 William Blake s Innocence and Experience Analysis The Romantic Era was a movement in literature that began in the late seventeenth century throughout the eighteenth century that was mainly influenced by the natural world and idealism. Romanticism was predominantly focused on emotion and freedom emphasizing individualism. Formed as an uprising against neoclassicism, romanticism was more abstract, focusing on feelings and imaginations, instead of relying on logic and rules. The romanticism writers wanted freedom and were in complete awe of the nature around them. Poets such as William Blake adopted themes such as nature, often writing poetry about freedom and hope. Growing up, William Blake did not attend school, but instead was educated by his mother. William Blake s interest in engraving copies of drawings lead to the gothic styles of poetry he used to sketch tombs at Westminster, Abbey. At the age of 10, Blake was enrolled in Henry Pars’s drawing school where he began to admire the works on many artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Looking at the the artists works, at the age of 12, Blake started to explore his own artistic style with poetry. William Blake s wife supported his style of writing and helped him become a better poet. Their relationship was mutualistic because Blake had taught his wife how to read and write. In addition, Blake believed in universal conformity, which is a belief of everyoneShow MoreRelatedEssay on the Chimney Sweeper958 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 102-B12 LUO Spring 2014 Joseph P Garland Jr L23810423 MLA A literary analysis of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper.† Social Injustice was rampant among chimney sweeps in 18th and 19th Century England... In the poem â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† from â€Å"Songs of Innocence† This paper will evaluate and show the story and writing style dealing with social injustice. 1. Introduction a. The Chimney Sweeper 2. The Location and Era a. 18th and 19th Century England 3. Point of View a. TomRead MoreThe Tyger By William Blake Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tyger is a six-stanza poem written by an American poet, William Blake. This poem has many interpretation, in a way you could say it is a biblical as well as a symbolic poem, as ‘The Tyger’ is actually the contrast to one of Blake s other poem, The Lamb, both poems are from the book of â€Å"Songs of Innocence and Experience†. If you are familiar with the Christian Bible, it states â€Å"Jesus is the Lamb of God.† The Tyger is comprised of unanswered questions as to who could have created a terrifyingRead MoreAN ANALYSIS OF WILLIAM BLAKES SONGS2960 Words   |  12 PagesAN ANALYSIS OF WILLIAM BLAKE’S SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE AS A RESPONSE TO THE COLLAPSE OF VALUES TIMOTHY VINESâˆâ€" Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience are a much studied part of the English canon, and for good reason. Blake’s work depicts a quandary that continues to haunt humanity today: the struggle of high-order humanity against the ‘real’ rationality and morals of institutionalised society. This essay seeks to explore both Blake’s literary reaction to the Enlightenment and theRead MoreWilliam Blake And The Divine Image Essay2209 Words   |  9 PagesWilliam Blake, a transitional figure in British literature, was the first romantic poet to focus on content instead of form. Blake is one of the great mystics of the world, like Henry More and Wordsworth; he lived in a world of glory, of spirit and of vision, which, for him, was the only real world. His devotion to God expresses through his lyrical poetry collection Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. This collection contains 51 poems where the poems of Innocence are counter part of the poemsRead MoreThe Unification Of Innocence And Experience1933 Words   |  8 PagesThe Unification of Innocence and Experience Many peer-reviewed sources believe it is â€Å"essential† to understand the historical contexts of William Blake’s lifetime in order to accurately interpret Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Blake 23). I present opposing questions to this theory: (1) why is it necessary to try and adopt a perceptional adaptation of Blake’s historical perspective in order to comprehend and interpret his work; (3) is Songs of Innocence and of Experience a timeless work ofRead MoreWild Geese By Mary Oliver1581 Words   |  7 Pagesstronger person, more in tune with themselves and with nature. The message I get from this poem is one of encouragement. I myself, having been through dark and difficult times it is easy for me to relate to this poem on a deeper level. Knowing from experience, it is difficult to not let the darkness consume you during times of suffering and depression, and it is almost impossible to not feel alone. While this poem recognizes those feelings, it also br ings hope to the reader. No, suffering does not haveRead MoreEvil Embers Essay1953 Words   |  8 Pagesdefine them. In the poem â€Å"The Tyger† by William Blake, he makes an attempt to illustrate his feelings on evil and all that it represents. There is no definite answer given, yet a picture is painted to show us his thoughts and ponderings. His foresight and enlightened point of view only serve to further strengthen the knowledge of the reader on the mystical forces we have simply dubbed good and evil. It is extremely important to understand our author William Blake (1757-1827), to form a base or foundationRead MoreWilliam Blake s Illuminated Manuscripts1913 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Blake’s illuminated manuscripts were published in multiple editions; all of the editions were etched differently than its predecessor. In these illustrations, one finds meaning and value; an inextricable link between these artistic expressions and the text that Blake wrote exists. These works should not be viewed separately, but rather viewed together, as one single entity. While the text, at times, proves itself to be unstable and potentially confusing for readers, the etchings serve asRead MoreCritical Analysis of William Blakes Poem The Tiger1378 Words   |  6 PagesÐ ¨Ã £ÃÅ"ЕÐ Ã ¡ÃÅ¡ÃËœ Ð £Ã ÃËœÃâ€™Ãâ€¢Ã  Ã ¡ÃËœÃ ¢Ãâ€¢Ã ¢ â€Å"ЕПИÐ ¡ÃÅ¡ÃÅ¾ÃÅ¸ КОÐ Ã ¡Ã ¢Ã Ã Ã ¢ÃËœÃ  ПÐ  Ãâ€¢Ã ¡Ãâ€ºÃ Ãâ€™Ã ¡ÃÅ¡ÃËœÃ¢â‚¬  Ð ¤Ã °Ã ºÃ'Æ'Ð »Ã'‚Ð µÃ'‚ Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ã'…Ã'Æ'Ð ¼Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã'‚Ð °Ã'€Ð ½Ã ¸ Ð ½Ã °Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ ¸ Project title: Write a critical analysis of William Blakes poem The Tiger paying special attention to the stance of the poetic speaker Name: ИÐ ²Ã µÃ »Ã ¸Ã ½ ИÐ ²Ã °Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ² ÐÅ"Ð ¸Ã ½Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ² Faculty number: 1063 Read MoreCritical Analysis of William Blakes Poem The Tiger1393 Words   |  6 PagesÐ ¨Ã £ÃÅ"ЕÐ Ã ¡ÃÅ¡ÃËœ Ð £Ã ÃËœÃâ€™Ãâ€¢Ã  Ã ¡ÃËœÃ ¢Ãâ€¢Ã ¢ â€Å"ЕПИÐ ¡ÃÅ¡ÃÅ¾ÃÅ¸ КОÐ Ã ¡Ã ¢Ã Ã Ã ¢ÃËœÃ  ПÐ  Ãâ€¢Ã ¡Ãâ€ºÃ Ãâ€™Ã ¡ÃÅ¡ÃËœÃ¢â‚¬  Ð ¤Ã °Ã ºÃ'Æ'Ð »Ã'‚Ð µÃ'‚ Ð ¿Ã ¾ Ã'…Ã'Æ'Ð ¼Ã °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã'‚Ð °Ã'€Ð ½Ã ¸ Ð ½Ã °Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ ¸ Project title: Write a critical analysis of William Blakes poem The Tiger paying special attention to the stance of the poetic speaker Name: ИÐ ²Ã µÃ »Ã ¸Ã ½ ИÐ ²Ã °Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ² ÐÅ"Ð ¸Ã ½Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ² Faculty number: 1063

Social Work Gender Class Free Essays

string(51) " move towards eradicating racism within education\." In what ways are social class, ‘race’/ethnicity, and gender problematic identity constructionsAnd how can they affect achievement in education? Abstract An examination of the problematic identity constructions associated with social class, race / ethnicity and gender. Theories of essentialism and social constructism are used to understand these notions, and to assess the extent to which they can affect achievement in education. 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Work Gender Class or any similar topic only for you Order Now Introduction The following will take a theoretical approach using contrasting ideas about the nature of social reality to look at problems of race / ethnicity, social class and gender / sexual identity, and the impact each has on equality in education. Social constructivism is the idea that there is no one objective reality shared by everyone. The meaning of physical reality is created by individuals and groups through beliefs based on their past experience and predispositions (Walsh 2010). Social constructivism has been widely influential in the social sciences and humanities, and was shaped by a number of theorists including Vygotsky (1925) whose studies of how children learn emphasizes the role of a social framework for education, and also by Berger and Luckmann (1966), who popularized the notion in English speaking countries (Van Dusek 2006). Social constructivist approaches to race, class and gender suggest that the way we perceive each is a function of history and culture, rather than a given objective fact.Our views of women and men, and the roles appropriate to each, for example, is rooted in the political climate, and relates to social power structures (Hirschmann 2003) By contrast, essentialism is the view that the characteristics ascribed to members of different races or sexual identities are fixed and objective. It suggests that the way things are perceived reflects the essential nature of that thing. The essence is a causal mechanism for the properties things display (Mahalingam 2003). When applied to sexuality, for example, an essentialist view suggests that orientation is based upon an inner state which causes a person’s sexual feelings and actions. The view also holds that the essence is either biologically caused or acquired in the first few years of development (Clarke et al 2010). While race, gender and class can be viewed alone, more recently an ‘intersectional’ approach has emerged, pointing out that these three constructs overlap, and can create layer upon layer of disadvantage and multiple oppression. Suggested by Crenshaw (1991), intersectionality shows that social identity is created in a more complex way than we might have thought (Berger 2006). 1.1 Race / Ethnicity It is certainly the case that different races and ethnicities are characterised by differing physical appearances, including colour of skin and facial features. However, an essentialist view of race and ethnicity would suggest that each race also has a number of behavioural, mental and intellectual characteristics which distinguish them from other races. For example, there is an assumption that native Hawaiians are lazy, of low intelligence, promiscuous, hospitable and easy-going (Ponterollo et al 2009). Essentialism may also suggest that the characteristic traits are genetic, and that some races / ethnicities are superior to others. Essentialism in approaches to race and ethnicity seem to be rooted in a late 19th century scientific viewpoint which assumed biological explanations for a range of human characteristics (Rubin 2005), and which naturalised traits such as racial difference. It has been suggested that essentialism still exists in educational, with the belief that each race had a distinct and fixed character, and that different racial groups should be taught with this in mind (Giroux and Shannon 1997). There are a number of clear problems with essentialist theories of race and ethnicity. For example, attempts to put humans into racial groups seem to use arbitrary selection of traits with no clear explanation of why these traits are important. In addition, essentialist views, fail to account for the richness of human life, culture and experience. Finally, essentialist theories seem to lack significance. What use can they be put to(Corlett, 2003). Further, it has been pointed out that the genetic basis for ethnic essentialism is flawed, as races exhibit greater genetic differences within themselves than between one race and another (Hill and Cole 2001). Essentialism is often associated with racism: the idea that â€Å"people are seen as causing negative consequences for other groups, or as possessing certain negatively evaluated characteristics because of their biology† (Hill and Cole 2001, p. 162). In education, it might lead, for example, to an assumption that children of a certain race are less intellectually able than others, and hence to a reduced attempt to engage with them; or to the assumption that black people excel at sports (Hill and Cole 2001). In contrast, a social constructivist approach to race and ethnicity seems a more useful one for equality in education. This position allows for greater flexibility as race and ethnicity are seen as dynamic forces, subject to change and shaped by power relationships and cultural forms that dominate the institutions in which they are found (Giroux and Shannon 1997). The social constructivist sees race as a construct â€Å"a concept that signifies and symbolises socio-political conflicts and interests in reference to different types of human body† (Winant 2001, p. 317; cited Dillon 2009). Race is not a biologically determined set of fixed characteristics, but rather a complex mix of projections regarding inequality, hierarchical relationships and conflict which have been used to differentiate, regulate and shape reactions between people. The set of presuppositions about racial characteristics become objectified into social institutions and cultures. They are a consequence of soci al attitudes and decisions made about other people by individuals and groups (Dillon 2009). Because racial differences are encapsulated in social institutions, and as education is an institutionally based phenomenon, racial prejudice and distinctions made between ethnicities need to be accounted for in education, and it seems important to reject an essentialist view in favour of a constructivist one, with the insight that perceived differences in learning ability, for example, are a consequence of historical political and social vested interests, and do not reflect an underlying reality.Within the UK, there has been a move towards eradicating racism within education. You read "Social Work Gender Class" in category "Essay examples" An unthinking mono-cultural approach which promoted British colonial history has given way to a multi-cultural one. Nowadays, an awareness of legislation and regulations regarding race are built into teacher training, for example it is stated that student teachers need to be familiar with the 1976 Race Relations Act, which outlawed discrimination between racial groups. A number of other laws and regulations since have framed education, including codes of practice issued by the Commission for Racial Equality, and more recent directives introduced by the European Court of Human Rights (Hill and Cole 2001). Despite the existence of such legislation, there is still a question regarding whether racism is still part of the education system. If we accept the social constructivist view, while racist attitudes are open to change, they are deeply embedded in the culture. Schools and other educational bodies may be subject to ‘institutional racism’, â€Å"the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin† (MacPherson et al 1999). Institutional racism is enshrined in the culture of an organisation, and individuals who make up the organisation may not even be aware of it. If an institution is predominantly white, it is likely that it has practices which exclude non-white people. The Stephen Lawrence enquiry in the UK in 1999 brought the issue to public attention, and a number of changes to the national curriculum, reporting procedures and monitioring levels were made. 1.2 Social Class The UK is still heavily stratified in terms of class, with resulting inequalities, poverty and social exclusion. The division between rich and poor has increased over the last 20 years, with the rich becoming even better off, and the less well off even poorer.There are various views of what the class system means. Class can be characterised on the basis of occupation and education, with manual (skilled, unskilled or semi skilled) trades equated with the working class, white collar workers with the middle classes, and professionals with the upper classes (Hill and Cole 1999). Marxism has offered a long-lasting analysis of class, suggesting that it is a vehicle whereby the interests of a few are allowed to override the interests of the many.Marx saw society as a history of class struggle, and class as closely tied up with the interests of capitalism, under which the means of economic production are placed in the hands of a small number, with most people having to sell their labour to survive. Marxists also suggest that the education system was class-ridden, existing primarily to tend to the interests of the elite by a process of ‘economic reproduction’, training people to take up a place in the work force, and by ‘cultural reproduction’’, by which children are educated to believe that the upper classes tastes are the norm, and working class ones should be rejected (Hill and Cole 1999). It has been claimed that Marxism challenges essentialism, for example by opposing the notion that the division between the working and upper classes is ‘natural’ and ‘fair’. However, many suggest that Marxism is in fact inherently essentialist rather than allowing fluidity in the class structure. For example, Marx believed in the fixed nature of the key concepts he used, ‘the individual’, ‘class’ and ‘the state’. He further assumes that people are members of a particular class for life, rather than able to move from one class to another. He also suggests that there is a unity to the concept of the ‘working class’, for example, over and above the shared conceptions of all the people who make up the class (Wolfreys 2006). Littlejohn (1978) suggests that for Marx, social class expresses an ‘essence’, with political movement reduced to expressions of interests determined elsewhere. In addition, L ittlejohn suggests, Marx saw society as having a fixed, stratified structure in which economics underpinned political, legislative and cultural layers (Littlejohn 1978). Post-modernism has suggested that the Marxist notion of class is no longer relevant, and argues that we are now in a post-capitalist era, in which the old social distinctions play no part (Hill and Cole 1999). Post-modernism is consistent with social constructivism, as it suggests that there is no reason to believe in an objective, fixed society, and that we rather need to study discourses and texts to understand what social constructs mean for the people who interpret them. For the post-modernist, personal identity has become fragmented and decentralised, and the notion of class has lost power as it has become subsumed by other measures of identity including gender and race. As identity is fragmented, so individuals can define themselves as classless, or move from class to class (Lareau and Conely 2008). In short, â€Å"social class has†¦ ceased to be of central empirical significance to our culture† (Milner, 1999). However, this view is widely disputed, for example by Hill, who suggests that post-modernists are simply unable – or unwilling – to recognize the divisive power of class in today’s society (Hill, 2002). The growth in the gap between rich and poor does suggest that class issues are still relevant. In terms of education and equality, it seems that class does play a role. Bordieu, for example, carried out empirical studies in French educational establishments, and showed that family background, social class and school are linked, with schools still representing the social and economic inequalities found in wider society. His suggestions have been confirmed by work in the US, suggesting that social differences are reinforced by the education system there, for example the policy of elite colleges such as Harvard to favour children of ex-students. Dillon also points out that access to education is not enough to increase social mobility, as working class students are likely to lack the abilities to make the most of their education that their middle class peers take for granted, for example skills in networking (Dillon 2009). It is also possible that more recent changes to education framewo rks in the UK including raised fees for higher education and more freedom for schools to select pupils will create a climate which introduces further divisions between classes in an ‘increasingly segregated system’ (Taylor 2006). 1.3. Gender / Sexual Identity Similarly, gender and sexual identity are notions with inherent problems. If we adhere to an essentialist view, it would be assumed that certain characteristics are attached to people of each gender, for example men are more intelligent, better with machinery, and better at sports, with women more suited to home making and issues to do with emotions. Similarly, an essentialist perspective might suggest that gay men are uniformly ‘camp’, dress flamboyantly and have a high-pitched voice, with lesbians likely to look like men and have a rough manner. By assuming that men and women have certain characteristics which define them, stereotyping is more likely to arise. Stereotypes can be acquired through family and wider society, and often develop at a young age, although are complex in nature and the precise nature of the stereotyped characteristics can vary considerably. Stereotypes are not innate: children first learn to differentiate between men and women before later ascribing sets of characteristics to them (Schneider 2004). Stereotypes both influence, and are influenced by, the role men and women play in society. They are problematic in that they not only describe differences between men and women, but also dictate what roles they should play. This can lead to oppression and the suppression of an individual’s freedom. Stereotypes cover a wide range of areas including cognitive abilities, physical appearance, behaviour and emotion. While stereotypes about both gender and sexual orientation are less oppressive now than t hey have been in the past, prejudice based on such labelling is still in existence, perhaps in a more subtle way (Worrell 2001), for example concerning whether women are expected to do as well in education as men. Stereotyping on the basis of gender or orientation can lead to oppression and inequality as it reinforces prejudices about difference, and can help maintain inequality and perpetuate injustices. Stereotypical views about men and women may be used to justify unfair treatment, for example paying women less on the assumption that work is less important to them (Andersen and Taylor, 2007). Awareness of the ways in which women are oppressed by men has increased since the advent of feminism, which uncovered the ways in which there is an unfair balance of social and economic power between men and women, and the extent to which men have a vested interest in controlling women to maintain this balance in their favour. Oppression of women, it has been argued, is carried out not just by individuals but is built into social and institutional structure so pervasively that it is not always obvious (Choudhuri 2008). Similarly, oppression and inequality can damage those of non-mainstream sexual ori entations, particularly gay men and lesbians. While awareness, understanding and tolerance of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender people (GLBT) has increased over the last hundred years, negative treatment has not been removed. â€Å"Prejudice, discrimination and oppression on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity permeate our sociocultural context, affecting everyone in deleterious ways† (Messinger 2006, p. 44).Oppression on the basis of sexual orientation can take various forms including exploitation (not offering gay workers the same rights for spouses as given to different sex couples), powerlessness (disrespectful treatment, discrimination in the work place), systematic violence (verbal or physical abuse directed at an individual solely because he or she is gay) and cultural imperialism (the assumption that the worldview of the prevailing, ‘straight’ culture is the correct one) (Messinger 2006). Within education, therefore, there is a clear need to work against discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, although such discrimination may well be institutionalised and hence less visible. Equality can be worked towards through a variety of methods including understanding the complexity of sexuality and gender, being aware of an challenging heterosexual assumptions and practices, understanding the role education can play in overturning prejudice, challenging homophobia, understanding how gender and orientation issues can intersect with race and class, and learning about LGBT histories (Banks and Banks 2009). Even in these seemingly more enlightened times, research evidence from the USA suggests that LGBT pupils are at higher risk of harassment within their educational instutites: many reported feeling unsafe while in school (64% compared with 10% of pupils who felt unsafe because of their gender), while many lesbian pupils reported physical and verbal harassme nt and victimisation (Klein 2007). Within the UK, legislation does exist to ensure equality for LGBT teachers, and a national initiative to reduce homophobic bullying was launched with incidents logged and a teaching programme suggested (Sears 2005). 2. Conclusion If a teacher subscribed to an essentialist view of gender, race and class, he or she might believe that one or other gender, race or social group is inherently better than others at academic subjects. This might lead to situations where the academic performance of the pupil was affected negatively or positively. For example, a belief that boys are better capable of mathematics or science might lead to the teacher spending more time with the boys, praising their good work more enthusiastically or not helping girls. A belief that Afro-Carribean boys are noisy and don’t care about their education might lead to the teacher being more harsh with boys of this race, assuming that they are more likely to be disruptive in class. A similar belief might cause the teacher to assume they are unlikely to be interested in certain subjects.Similarly, the teacher might assume that working class pupils were inherently less intelligent, and might as a result spend less time with them, and not w ork to encourage any goals of further education. On the other hand, by taking a constructivist view, there is more scope for children to be seen as individuals, and not typecast by their class, sex and ethnic background. A constructivist might also be aware of the extent to which an educational institution is sexist, racist or classist as part of its very structure, and take more steps to counteract this. References Andersen, M L And Taylor, H F (2007) Sociology: understanding a diverse society (4th edn), Cengage Learning, Belmont CA Banks, J A and Banks, C A M (2009) Multicultural Education: Issues and Perspectives, John Wiley and Sons, USA. Berger, P L and Luckmann, T (1966), The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge, Anchor Books, NY. Berger, M T (2006) Workable Sisterhood: The Political Journey of Stigmatized Women with HIV/AIDS, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Choudhuri, L (2008) Community Planning for Intervention for Victims of Domestic Violence, Kassel university press, Kassel. Clarke, V, Ellis, S J, Peel, E, Riggs, D W (2010) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Psychology: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, Cambs. Corlett, J A (2003) Race, racism, and reparations, Cornell University Press, USA Crenshaw, K W, (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43:6, 1241-1299. Dillon, M (2009) Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century, John Wiley and Sons, USA Dusek, V (2006) Philosophy of technology: an introduction, Wiley-Blackwell, Malden MA / Oxon. Giroux, H A and Shannon, P (1997) Education and cultural studies: toward a performative practice, Routlege, UK Hill, D (2002) Marxism against postmodernism in educational theory, Lexington Books, Oxon Hill, D and Cole, M (1999) Promoting equality in secondary schools, Continuum International Publishing Group, London, New York Hill, D and Cole, M (2001) Schooling and equality: fact, concept and policy, Routledge, UK Hirschmann, N J (2003) The subject of liberty: toward a feminist theory of freedom, Princeton University Press, Princetown NJ. Klein, S S (2007) Handbook for achieving gender equity through education (2nd edn.), Routledge / Lawrence Erlbaum , Mahwah, NJ. Lareau, A and Conley, D (2008) Social class: how does it work?, Russell Sage Foundation, New York. Lawson, H and Scott, D (2002) Citizenship education and the curriculum, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport CT Littlejohn, G (1978) Power and the state, Taylor Francis, London Mahalingam, R (2003) ‘Essentialism, Culture, and Power: Representations of Social Class’, Journal of Social Issues, 59:4, 733-749. McPherson, W, Cook, T, Sentamu, J and Stone, R (1999) The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, HMSO, London Milner, A (1999) Class, SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA. Morrow, D F and Messinger, L (2006) Sexual orientation and gender expression in social work practice: working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, Columbia University Press, New York Ponterotto, J G, Suzuki, L A, Casas, J M and Alexander, C M (2009) Handbook of Multicultural Counseling (3rd edn.), SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA. Rubin, E H (2005) Adult psychiatry (2nd edn.), Wiley-Blackwell, Malden MA / Oxon. Schneider, D J (2004) The psychology of stereotyping, Guilford Press, NY. Sears, J T (2005) Youth, Education, and Sexualities: A-J, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA. Taylor, M (2006) ‘It’s official: class matters’, The Guardian, Tuesday 28 February 2006. Vygotsky, L S (1925/1978), Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA. Walsh, J (2010) Theories for direct social work practice (2nd edn.), Cengage Learning, OH Winat, H (2002) The world is a ghetto: race and democracy since World War II, Basic Books. Wolfreys, J (2006) Modern British and Irish criticism and theory: a critical guide, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Worell, J (2001) Encyclopedia of women and gender: sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender, Elsevier, USA How to cite Social Work Gender Class, Essay examples

Threat of substitute free essay sample

Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes means that a product identical or similar with other product which same characteristics product we found easily. The industry is less attractive when the threat of substitutes is high. In this case, we need to produce different product compared to the other firm to attract consumer to buy from us. Our firm threat of substitutes is medium as we are producing the plus sizes of clothing for men and women. In this industry, although there are several brand such as HM and Mango having large size or plus sizes of clothing. There is the difference between us because we only focus on the large size clothing while they are also having other product line like accessories and bag. Another brand like camel active, blue tom and etc is producing large sizes clothing too but their sizes is limited and normally their sizes are only available until XL or XXL. We will write a custom essay sample on Threat of substitute or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Compared to our brand, it is not the same because we are providing unlimited large sizes cloth. Normally, obese group will search for tailor on customize their clothing and the budget is high, some of them may be cannot afford it. On the other hand, the price of HM and Mango is usually high and searching for tailor service is very expensive. In conclusion, our clothes are suitable to all level of income as it is very affordable and reasonable, not only for higher level income’s group. Threat of new entrant The competitor can enter to the industry easily if they are selling identical or similar product. Which means that the treat of industry is high, not so profitable and the industry are not attractive. The barriers to entry to our industry is moderate because our business location is in Bukit Bintang are which is in the Sungei Wang Plaza which held nearby the same industry competitor such as HM at Lot 10 shopping mall and Mango in Pavilion shopping mall. In this case, we are providing different clothing business with others because we targeted and focused on obese people and only selling the large size clothing. We are using good quality raw material and selling at suitable, reasonable, and affordable price for customer. Customer may found what they find and wanted as we are selling latest design and fashion clothing with our fashion master advises and we make sure that they will get what they pay for. Bargaining power of buyer Nowadays, there are plenty of obese people who having problem in searching for clothes but not much firm is providing what they want, the plus sizes clothing. Therefore, the bargaining power of buyer in our business is low because the customer less choice and has few switching cost. In addition, our plus size clothes are suitable for all level income; all people can afford to buy it. Therefore, the obese people can wear more beautiful cloth and we also can give some consultant to them how to matching cloth. These services do not have in other firm. So, customer can wear beautiful and more confident and also shopping happily and no need worry does not have beautiful cloth wear. Rivalry among exiting firm There are fewer competitors in our business, so this industry is more profitable and attractive. But the all competitor are more famous than us, they have loyalty customer. So we need innovation, different with other. We do this just specially for obese people and we also provide fashion master service for customer. Our business is consider as slow growth industry, the fashion of cloth always change so we need fight with other to win the market share. So sometimes need do promotion to attract new customer and hold the old customer.

An Overview of the Book Democracy in America

An Overview of the Book Democracy in America Democracy in America, written by Alexis de Tocqueville between 1835 and 1840, is considered one of the most comprehensive and insightful books ever written about the U.S. Having seen the failed attempts at a democratic government in his native France, Tocqueville set out to study a stable and prosperous democracy in order to gain insight into how it worked. Democracy in America is the result of his studies. The book was and still remains, so popular because it deals with issues such as religion, the press, money, class structure, racism, the role of government, and the judicial system – issues that are just as relevant today as they were then. ​Many colleges in the U.S. continue to use Democracy in America in political science and history courses. There are two volumes to Democracy in America. Volume one was published in 1835 and is more optimistic of the two. It focuses mainly on the structure of government and the institutions that help maintain freedom in the United States. Volume two, published in 1840, focuses more on individuals and the effects that the democratic mentality has on the norms and thoughts that exist in society. Tocqueville’s main purpose in writing Democracy in America was to analyze the functioning of political society and the various forms of political associations, although he also had some reflections on civil society as well as the relations between political and civil society. He ultimately seeks to understand the true nature of American political life and why it was so different from Europe. Topics Covered Democracy in America covers a vast array of topics. In Volume I, Tocqueville discusses things such as: the social condition of Anglo-Americans; judicial power in the United States and its influence on political society; the United States Constitution; freedom of press; political associations; the advantages of a democratic government; the consequences of democracy; and the future of the races in the United States. In Volume II of the book, Tocqueville covers topics such as: How religion in the United States avails itself to democratic tendencies; Roman Catholicism in the United States; pantheism; equality and the perfectibility of man; science; literature; art; how democracy has modified the English language; spiritual fanaticism; education; and equality of the sexes. Features of American Democracy Tocqueville’s studies of democracy in the United States led him to the conclusion that American society is characterized by five key features: 1. Love of equality: Americans love equality even more than we love individual liberty or freedom (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapter 1). 2. Absence of tradition: Americans inhabit a landscape largely without inherited institutions and traditions (family, class, religion) that define their relations to one another (Volume 2, Part 1, Chapter 1). 3. Individualism: Because no person is intrinsically better than another, Americans begin to seek all reasons in themselves, looking not to tradition nor to the wisdom of singular individuals, but to their own opinion for guidance (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapter 2). 4. Tyranny of the majority: At the same time, Americans give great weight to, and feel great pressure from, the opinion of the majority. Precisely because they are all equal, they feel insignificant and weak in contrast to the greater number (Volume 1, Part 2, Chapter 7). 5. Importance of free association: Americans have a happy impulse to work together to improve their common life, most obviously by forming voluntary associations. This uniquely American art of association tempers their tendencies towards individualism and gives them a habit and taste for serving others (Volume 2, Part 2, Chapters 4 and 5). Predictions for America Tocqueville is often acclaimed for making a number of correct predictions in Democracy in America. First, he anticipated that the debate over the abolition of slavery could potentially tear apart the United States, which it did during the American Civil War. Second, he predicted that the United States and Russia would rise as rival superpowers, and they did after World War II. Some scholars also argue that Tocqueville, in his discussion of the rise of the industrial sector in the American economy, correctly predicted that an industrial aristocracy would rise from the ownership of labor. In the book, he warned that â€Å"friends of democracy must keep an anxious eye peeled in this direction at all times† and went on to say that a new found wealthy class may potentially dominate society. According to Tocqueville, democracy would also have some unfavorable consequences, including the tyranny of the majority over thought, a preoccupation with material goods, and isolating individuals from each other and society. Source: Tocqueville, Democracy in America (Harvey Mansfield and Delba Winthrop, trans., ed.; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000)

Frankenstein Essays - Frankenstein, English-language Films

Frankenstein Essays - Frankenstein, English-language Films Frankenstein In the story Frankenstein, written by the author Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein decided that wanted to create a being out of people that were already dead. He believed that he could bring people back from the grave. Playing with nature in such a way would make him play the role of God. With Victor Frankenstein feeling that he had no true friends, the only relief he had of expressing his feeling was through letters to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was not Victors true sister but he loved her very dearly, making sure to always write her when ever he had the chance. Yet, when Victor left something strange came over him. Already being interested in subjects such as natural philosophy and chemistry, he fall upon the question of how to bring someone back to life. He became very involved in this project and worked on it for days on end. The project had to do with defying the laws of nature. Victor believe wholeheartedly that he could bring the dead back to life. He felt that the dead were not ready to die and they were just resting. Victor became so self absorbed into his project that he seem to forget all that was important to him. He even disengaged himself from all the people he loved in his life. People like his father, Elizabeth, and other loved ones. Victor began to write less and less. Yet, it was not until Elizabeth got a discouraged letter from Victor, did his love ones start to wary about him. Though, the letter was full of words, it gave no relief to Elizabeth, because the words meant nothing to her. However, they meant a lot to Victor, because he felt the project in which he was working on was so important to him, in his own delirious world. He felt that with bring people back to life he would not only better man kind, but also establish a name for himself. With this type of attitude, he did not even take into consideration that he might make the world a worse place. This part in the story shows the irony. The irony being that Victor Frankenstein feels he is doing something good for the world, but we later find out just how bad this creation could be. Though Elizabeth wanted to pull Victor away from his project, he was unwilling to leave until it is complete. After Victor found how to bring his creation to life, he also found out just how evil his invention could be. His creation was strong and evil. With the escape of the monster, Victor Frankenstein had to come to realization of what his creation might do and the consequences that Frankenstein, himself would have to deal with. With the murder of his brother weighing the guilt on his shoulders, Frankenstein know he had to do something. So he went looking for the monster. Upon their meeting each other, the monster confessed that when he found out that William as Victors brother he killed him. He then proceeded to tell him that he killed his brother due to the fact that he was trying to get back at his creator for bringing him to life and allowing him to be an out cast in society. This killing prove to Victor that the monster did not know right from wrong or how to cope with his anger. This aggression made Frankenstein's creation violent. While talking with the monster, the monster demanded from Frankenstein to create a partner that he could be able to live with away for society. At first, agreeing to the demand, but later realized that if his first creation came out to be a killer so could the second one. With this in mind Frankenstein revoked his agreement and decided against creating another monster. Though, knowing that this decision could be dangerous to him and his loved ones. Yet, he had to think of what was truly best for man kind. Bringing the dead to life or saving the lives of the living. Another peace of irony in this story is, just like Victor Frankenstein who had no friends and was different from the rest of society so was the monster. Also, when Frankenstein decided to play God and bring the dead to life, his creation took on the same role when he decided to take away some ones life. All in all, both

Nursing curricullum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Nursing curricullum - Essay Example the clinical setting entails role modelling, influencing others, improving care and considering situational leadership particularly when in communication with different parties in all situations1. Practice based learning, on the other hand, helps in providing experience and serves a pivotal role in development of skills among students in interacting with their families and patients2. The students assist in interpersonal, technical, psychomotor and communication skills. Practice based learning gives students an opportunity to link practice and theory while promoting professional identity development. By ensuring that specific standards are dully met alongside the assessment in practice, practice based learning, effectively ensures students are well informed for practice before registration. Because of the vocation nature of the nurses’ jobs, practice based learning serves a crucial role in the professionalism of nursing and it helps in safeguarding the public, as well as in ass essment of the clinical competency of the nurses. This study analyses the factors that impact on how students integrate into the practice setting, as well as the assessment and accountability processes in the learning practice. There are five factors that impact on how students integrate into the practice settings. These are orienting the learner to the practice setting, encouraging the patient acceptance of the learner and the role of the practice as a teaching facility, adapting the patient schedule while working with the learner, keeping the flow going, and finding some time to teach the students3. The efficient and effective orientation includes the establishment of a system that can orient learners to help assure the teacher that he or she will be able to cover all the relevant points with each learner. Some preceptors tend to use checklist in reminding the learners of the topics that are to be covered while clarifying his or her expectation4. If learners are made to be available

Whether Online-Only Degrees Would Be as Effective as Campus-Based Research Paper

Whether Online-Only Degrees Would Be as Effective as Campus-Based University Education - Research Paper Example Online enrolment has grown over the years by almost one million students as compared to previous years. Surveys made in about 2500 colleges have revealed that approximately 5.6 million students were enrolled in online courses in the year 2009 and by 2010 the number went on to 6.1million students. However there might exit some clouds but the sluggish economy continues to drive the growth of enrolment (The Sloan Consortium, 2012). While the growth of online enrolment is substantial but since 2006 the increase in an online course has increased only by 9.7% as compared to 21.1% in 2009. The report by Sloan Survey of Online learning acknowledges that the dip in the growth rate speculates that the increase in online education may lead to ultimate slowing. However, the growth of online enrolment exceeds the growth of overall higher education. Certain disciplines in online education system experienced gains and losses between 2010 and 2011. A major proportion of psychology and education prog rams saw a major decline in enrolment whereas engineering which had the highest proportion of declining enrolment in the year 2010 experienced improvement in the previous year. Online education has become an integral part of most of the education system, colleges, and universities (Lytle, 2011). However, it is true that online programs are flexible and also provides various kinds of benefits but all courses in the education system cannot be enrolled for online courses. Thus the online system education has both benefits as well as drawbacks for the students and the education system as a whole. Power/Knowledge Campus-based education has always had an edge over online education system because of the power it had and the knowledge that it aimed to provide its students. As stated above, everything cannot get online; there still exists subjects which require training and knowledge from the professors and practical training made available by campus-based learning. Although with the rise of internet campus-based education system has not been completely transformed but it is definitely going to have an immense impact in the near future (Scagnoli, 2005).  

Decision Making Process Model in Real Life Marketing Essay

Decision Making Process Model in Real Life Marketing - Essay Example The process involves a number of factors that influence the decision making of an individual and includes the various stages that a shopper goes through while purchasing a product thus outlining the flow of activities (both physical and psychological) from the beginning to the end. The interview conducted in this certain scenario was that of an individual who had decided to buy a new pull-out sofa to add to the furniture in their house. The individual needed the sofa for visiting individuals who wanted to spend the night and thus the subject was very particular about getting this particular type of sofa. By studying the decision making process that took place one is able to identify the various variables that were taken into consideration as well as other influences that a played a part in the formation of the final decision. The stages that the consumer went through during this process included: This was the first stage and the consumer identified the problem that they were faced with (the need that they had) and what was required in order to solve the issue once it has been pointed out (Blythe, 2008). In this case the main need of this particular consumer was the provision of a place to sleep for overnight guests that would not take up too much space due to the size of the individual’s living quarters. This could effectively rule out the need for a bed as another one would not be able to fit in the apartment and thus a pull-out sofa arose as the best alternative option on offer. The main issue was ensuring that the needs of the consumer will be satisfactorily met by the purchase of the product that they had in mind (Cheng, Luckett & Schulz, 2003).

Business operational plan of Apple Inc

Business operational plan of Apple Inc Apple Inc. designs manufactures and markets the personal computers along with other mobile communication services, music and digital players. It also provides hardware, software and networks solutions and peripherals. Apple Inc. sells its products throughout the world on its retail stores, online stores, through the third party wholesalers and its direct sales force. It also deals with the variety of Macintosh i.e. iPhone iPod etc. It provides the services of the complete software solutions on its iTunes stores. Its consumers are those who purchase its products directly, enterprises, educator and governments. This company is California based and founded in 1977. It has capability to design and manufacture its own operating system. Business operational plan of Apple Inc. Strategic plan sets up the business plan of a company while business plan in turn establishes the business operation plan. Operational plan is the key to run the entire business of company. Operational business plan covers the all areas of company including the finance, manufacturing, internet, operations, RD, human resources and marketing. Apple Inc. was known because of its lenient business thinking. Apple Inc. has the design, marketing and manufacturing services. Company develops designs and markets the musical players with important accessories. The business of Apple Inc. is managed on geographic basis. There are five operating segments of Apple Inc. such as America, Europe, Japan, retail and others. In US, Canada, UK and Japan Apple owned stores are currently operating. Like other organizations Apple Inc. all the departments are formed by the placing the similar functions in the groups. As described before the main divisions of Apple Inc. human resource, finance, marketing and productions are adopted by the functional approach. In each division the functional subsystem and departments create hierarchies. Operational management is linked with the production divisions activities. The people in Apple Inc. are grouped together on the basis of their expertise and resources. It enabled the Apple Inc. to learn from its functions. The present structure in Apple Inc. has focused upon those activities which reduce the costs and increase the flexibility in its operations. The managers in Apple Inc. have a greater control of the organizational activities and avoiding the tall and other several hierarchies. A relative flat structure of the Apple Inc. has decentralized the authorities and responsibilities of its management. The managers and employees at lower levels are encouraged to take part in fostering the companys strengths. The advantages of decentralization are numerous i.e. enhancing the planning, decision making and control processes. Apple Inc. has focused on its marketing operations on the major business areas like iPod and iTunes. The marketing department shows a great responsiveness to the outside world. The finance treasury division of Apple Inc. provides the financial policy to company. This department is responsible to handle the international capital transactions of company, liquidity guaranteeing and risk management. In Apple Inc. the role of the financial manager is crucial for the strategic management. The capital required for the RD is raised by the Finance division which maintains the innovation position of the Apple Inc. Internal problems of Apple Inc. were in the form of the sale force accessing directly to corporations. Apple Inc. relied on the 300 manufactures while IBM had 6000 to 7000 direct salesman. However the Apple Inc. has focused to establish more sales staff. Many issues concerning to these sales person were noted regarding the prices of products. Apple Inc. has also marketing problem as it failed to communicate the Macintoshs business image in market. The fact that marketing strategy was not according to requirements and did not make it more famous in market; i t also did not focus upon the technology. Products are manufactured on the basis of customers needs. Apple Inc. needed the fundamental importance of getting close to market. Apple Inc. possessed the organizational structure which too had the management problems. The production and shipment problems exist in Apple Inc. as the IBM its supplier experienced the manufacturing problems and delayed the shipment of various products. In a market the speedy delivery of products is critical. Due to the Apples key dependency on other companies put it at the competitive disadvantage. Human Resource in Apple Inc. has administrative tasks such as meetings, conferences, special projects and seeks the solution for the fast paced store environment. Discuss both the internal and external factors that impinge on the business operations plan. Apple Inc. has faced the serious challenges during the last 30 years but recovered from those serious situations with advent of innovation. Apple Inc. faces the threat of competition because of free services in market. A good business achieves the market share by creating better legal services to customers. It can be compared with the bottle water which is better in quality as compared to tape water which is in approach of every person. However there is legal competition ahead in market. No company was successful to attach the market the before the Apple Inc. did so. Better service is directly related with the new and better technology. Roxio was the first company which followed the Apple Inc. to produce the products on the concept iTunes Music Store. Sony and Microsoft are other big players of market to download the services. On the other hand Dell Computers are partnering with MusicMatch. Traditional retailers like Amazon and Wal-Mart have presented their own plans. Apple Inc. is f acing the competition from these competitors and profiting the leading position in market. Copy rights issues are also concerned with Apple Inc. Apple Inc. faces the issues of jobs as a part of their system. Sales force for the direct access to corporation is required for the success of business operation plan. IBM has the direct salespeople more than 6000 while Apple Inc. relied only on the 300 manufacturers representatives. The reason behind the small number of sales force may be the selling Macintoshes at lower prices as compared to dealers (Brady, 1989). Economic Conditions Apple Inc. Economic conditions of world impact directly on the performance and financial results of Apple Inc. investor must not consider the historical trends for the future performance of Apple Inc. there are several reason behind this which pose the risks on business of Apple Inc. Uncertainty about the current global economic conditions are also posing threats because business could not continue due to tight credits, negative news about finance, decline in asset values. Apple Inc. sets the prices of its products to consolidate the Dollars value. Macroeconomic factors along with other factors affect Apples business operation plan. The demand can be influenced by the increase in prices of fuel and energy, condition of mortage real states markets, consumers confidence and health labour costs. These economic factors adversely affect the demand for companys product. It also affects the operating results and financial conditions of Apple Inc. Impacts of environmental and technological changes on the business plan of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. has made efforts to satisfy its stakeholders in various ways. It included all the environmental issues for its corporate governance. It has satisfied the employees, local communities and general public by minimizing the environmental impacts on its entire business operations; integrated the sound environmental, safety management and health practices. The environmental mission statement of Apple Inc. has integrated all above mentioned practices into all business operations to ensure that it offers technologically innovative products. Apple Inc. aims to communicate on the policy which provides the benefits of environmental consciousness, safety maximization, energy efficiency and health protection to its various stakeholders. In the HRM objectives Apple Inc. has adopted the strategies because of the consumers preferences as the external environmental force. The HRM of Apple Inc. has established the partnership agreements to keep the trust and fairness. The recruitment policy of the HRM is modified in the ways to adapt the external changes in environment. Therefore the higher number of skilled staff is recruited in the area of web development; web is considered a preferred medium for the technology professionals for applications. A positive work environment has proved that Apple Inc. is outstanding for the visionary products. The organizational competency of Apple Inc. is increased by the HRM. Apple the Inc. is in an exclusive position. It has produced both software and hardware; it cannot be analyzed only the PC manufacturing company. It is also providing the software solutions, server producer and online contents. Technology Advancement The changes in technology has affected the barriers of entry and impacted the business operations of Apple Inc. The changes in digital music industry are working now on common format to make them available for the music players. The reason behind the limiting the download contents is to determine the users acceptance of Apples product. Bundle of solutions are provided by the Apple Inc. with refined and good products. By providing high quality products to end users the technology sector is making changes rapidly. These are the diversified efforts which Apple Inc. keeps its design and innovation more focused with the use of best performance and prices according to the external and internal environmental changes. Due to its distinctive competencies like product design, innovation, educational skills and digital entertainment; company has acted as a leader in the digital lifestyle. Apple Inc. has used its strengths for the purposes of creativity, technological development and innovation. It has gained competitive advantage over other companies in the industry because it offers multiple products with lower values. Organizational structure and control system of Apple Inc. improved the information and knowledge availability. For the Apple Inc; innovation and technology are the key driving forces of its mission and strategy (Morden, 1993). For the effective operation management system IT is a driving factor and management information system is the basic requirement for the strategic development. Efficiency of operation management is improved by the use of IT as it increases the quality and availability of information and leads to cost saving (Ibid, 1993). Apple Inc. is using the SAP and ERPs systems to speed up the customers orders. Apple Inc. has implemented the i2 technologies (www.industryweek.com/currentarticles). Importance of good business operations planning to the overall success of the business at Apple Inc. Apple Inc. has many successful factors that determine its success in key areas of the operations. An important factor that is apparent is about the vision of the organization. It is true that creative energy always begins with vision. These organizations impact significantly on the world (Collins Porras, 2004). Apple has a very clear and purposeful vision which can be seen through the innovative products for the last many years (Senge, 2006). The main purpose of the Apple Inc. was to develop the computers for the world and making contribution to the world by its advance technology products. Beside this vision Apple Inc. takes further steps of actions which are practiced throughout the organization. In the Apple Inc. employees were able to lay the foundations to achieve the long term goals. They were able to start the business at small scale and contributed at a higher level. The company acted upon the Kotters model and understood the potential uses. The success of the Apple Inc. is attributed to the capability of the company making refinements and building the more powerful products. The company has changed the core nature of the business. The Apple Inc. innovated the (GUI), file folder and desktop metaphor. Kotters 7th step manifests by using the credibility to make changes in system, policies and structures (Kotter, 2007). Apple uses the core competencies which the employees have acquired through redefining the market segmentation. Apple has met many successes and overcome the challenges. Apple Inc. has made changes and implemented new policies because of changing trends of computer markets. Apple Inc. is a computer technology which is best known due to its innovative structure. It is focusing upon the production of personal computers. In the advent of evolving technology it has shifted into the electronic market. Apple Inc. operates its business in more than 170 retail stores in US, Japan, UK and Canada. It has produced more friendly computers for the consumers. All of the achievements at Apple Inc. are attained through the people who design and develop the products and staff at the retail stores. Why is the business operation plan important at Apple Inc? This business operation plan is important because it generates the steady increasing revenues and sending its products in the big markets of the world. Due to its good leadership the Apple Inc. achieved the high profile. Three manufacturing facilities are shaping the foreign operation in countries like Ireland and Singapore. Due to its internal strengths and successful business operation Apple Inc. has become a competi tive company. It has footed in the computer market with an innovative style in the computer market. It production system is well handled as the operating system is free of all tangles of the Microsoft operating systems. In the physical appearance, usability and specifications; it has given a large degree of control to company. Apple Inc. encourages the RD environment and constantly releasing the products as seen in the latest Mac mini and iPod. It has made the Apple Inc. a big innovative company and brings the creative and new ideas in the computer market. Capital Structure: Corporate policy has yielded good results. Apple has paid all the debts which suggested that desired operations of company and growth of company by equity and not by the debt. Managerial qualities and resources necessary for effective business operation planning The issues in quality of products attracted the attention of business. The management concept is rendered by the wave of successful entrepreneurship. Top managers are committed to make decisions before communicating fully with all those who are involved in it. When subordinates ask for the decision the top managers think about the organizational response towards the decision for strategic plan. Ways of decision making enhance the business operations and credibility throughout the organization Apple Inc. People love to purchase the products of Apple Inc. because of power, easier way to use and reliability. The business managers at Apple Inc. ensure the delivery of the products to companies according to their requirements. Business customer contacts the business managers and long term relationships are established between them (http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/retail.html#business). Apple Inc. management has the ability to sell its products having no supply chain system. It earn the revenu e by the selling the iPod devices and Mac computers. Its iTunes virtual stores are generating the revenue more than $ 1 billion every year (David, 2010, p: 72). The managers at Apple Inc. face the incentives of using the strategies to control the earnings in many traded companies. The managers are allowed to purchase the stocks. In this way the staff at Apple Inc. is encouraged (www.sec.gov). The management system of Apple Inc. has policies and procedures, responsibilities and roles of its managers. For example a best health management system is maintained by the concerned managers to ensure the safety and health of its employees. If any inadequacy is seen in this system then top managers adopt the corrective actions including the verification through audit processes. Apple procurement managers are responsible to manage the business relationship with suppliers and coordinate the Apples supplier responsibility auditor. Apple Inc. has five divisions to manage the products and marketing departments of the company. These five divisions are responsible to evaluation and manufacturing of the devices, software and hardware of computer system. The four support divisions also work to handle the marketing and post sale products. A new position of Chief Operation Officer was created by Scully to centralize the operations and involving the senior management in the daily business decisions (Annual Report, 1988). Human Resource (HR) is responsible for the safeguarding the most valuable assets of the Apple Inc. It handles the many programs of the company to achieve the companys goals. Human resource at Apple Inc. is also responsible to reach at the needed resources. The Apple Inc. has six important valued creation functions including the marketing, RD, finance, Human resource management, information systems and operations and logistics. The chain of activities required to transform the inputs into outputs are pr imarily concerned with actual design, manufacturing, delivery, marketing of products and customer support activities. The ultimate task of the RD resource at Apple Inc. includes the new innovation and use of technology which meet the customers requirements (Hill Jones, 2004). Information system at Apple Inc. is an important asset which provides the business assisting facility. For the success of the business operation plan the information system is a core to keep the business run online without any obstacles. Other valuable resources which have potential powers for the customers as well as the management at Apple Inc. include the servers which distribute the information about Apples products and create new internet resources for the mailing list, online feedback and further open the communication lines. From the above discussion it can be concluded that Apple Inc. is a well known development and business company of the world. Its success lies in its business operation plan which indeed depends upon the various necessary actions taken from the design of the product to sale of the product.

How the Catholic Church Held Up During the Middle Ages Essay -- Histor

The Middle Ages was a long period of time. It started in about the 500 A.D. and ended in about 1500 A.D. Not many things can last for this long period of time, but at least one thing did, and that was the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church consists of Popes, Bishops, Clergy, and Monks, and Nuns were also part of the Church. Also during the Middle Ages, it also produced many great philosophers (Funk & Wagnall’s, 275). From the Middle Ages to the 13th century, the church played important role as authority, influence. The Catholic Church held up due to the power of the Pope, Pope Gregory’s policies, and the Church was a part of the citizen’s daily lives. In the Middle Ages houses of the poor and wealthy were often alike, except for the wealthy because they could occupy all their floors of the house. Their business would be on the first floor, living quarters on the second, and servant’s quarters on the third. If they family were poor they might have several families living under one roof, which makes the house very crowded (Gies, 243). Among the village, the only stone building was the church. The entire village was mostly made out of sticks, mud and such objects. The churches were built and paid for by the people (thinkquest). It was a nice centerpiece of a town. Inside the Church, you will not find any sort of warmth. Many people came with hand-warmers, because the church was often cool year round. Churches also did not have pews for people to sit on; they had to bring their own chairs. The church was a public building in which the town’s business life is often occurring around a town’s church (Gies, 291). The Church provided services to the poor, care of the sick, helpless, and travelers (Frem... ... new heights. Christendom to take up arms to re-conquer Jerusalem, it was urged on by soldiers, monks, popes, and others. â€Å"The Church encouraged uniformity during the Crusades and efforts to recapture territories lost to aroused and militant Islamic powers† (Funk & Wagnall’s). The Roman Catholic Church went through some tough times during the Middle Ages, but they did hold up. Each member played an important part in the Church. Each part of the hierarchy had an important role to play. They had to be a firm believer in the Church. Pope Gregory created policies, and strengthened many parts of the Church. Each Pope had the power to influence the kings that were in power. If it had not been for the people, and the hierarchy of the Church, the Church might have died. The Catholic Church did hold up during the Middle Ages due to the people and events that took place.