North Indian American Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

North Indian American - Research Paper Example Democratically these nations like the recognized nations of the world are also declared to possess their own constitutional rights (Minahan, 2002, pp.20-23). History of the North Indian Americans The number of North American Indians in the region of North America is found to be declining in rapid manner from the past periods. With the formation of the first European colonies in Jamestown and Plymouth the number of American Indians residing in the region ranged for about two millions. With the arrival of the colonial people from European countries the American Indians were forced to intrude further into further interior regions of the country. The North American Indians were a bunch of great hunters who used to hunt on wild buffaloes and wolves. Hunting activities of the North American tribes were mainly done on horsebacks to render due efficiency (Joint Economic Committee, 230-245). These Indians used to dig holes in the ground to put their valuables and objects of hunt or interest a nd covered them fully in order to conceal such from others. Further the skin of the hunted buffaloes was used as clothing materials for women and men. Among the most popular tribes of the North American Indians the Seneca tribe holds a significant position. ... Verbal context spoken among North American Indians contained of specific sounds, which were closely observed by the European colonialists who fist developed contacts with these people. The European people started recording the sounds and alphabets spoken to form a new branch of linguistics to be researched upon. In the middle part of the nineteenth century the study of North Indian American languages was catered to a great extent to be both comprehended and written which helped to earn due clarity. (Sturtevant, 17-18; Murthy and Kamath, 26). The North American Indians also communicated amongst themselves on the basis of sign languages. These people used several gestures and body languages to communicate amongst themselves. Thus the North American tribes can also be held to be the significant contributors of modern sign languages. The practice of sign languages among the North American people earned such significance that it was observed more as a ‘lingua franca’ amongst them. However due to lack of patronage of such and recognition of it in purely primitive note they were relegated in back quarters (Davis, 17). Religion of the North American Indians The religious practices of the North American Indians are featured by simplicity carrying only some doctrines and some specific ceremonial events. North American Indians regard the ‘Great Spirit’ as their highest deity. The tribal people render their every success and failure at the feet of this supreme deity and regard their deity as the infinite power. Further these people also have created an inferior deity to which they regard all the misfortunes of their lives. The North

Viruses-smallpox Essay Example for Free

Viruses-smallpox Essay FBI data reveals over 10000 bombings resulting in 355 deaths and over 3ooo injuries between 1990 and 1995. Based on FBI data calculations, approximately 70% of domestic terrorist incidents involve some type of explosives; Analysts need to be aware that explosive devices can be comprised of Ð ° wide variety of materials. The number of chemical, biological, and nuclear attack incidents are not as startling as those of conventional explosives mentioned above. The Center for Non-Proliferation Studies, in Ð ° 2ooo CSIS report, showed that in 1999 there were 175 reports of chemical, biological, and nuclear terrorism, 1o4 of which occurred in the U. S. This was Ð ° dramatic increase over the database findings in February, 2000 of Ð ° total of 687 incidents since 1900. Definitive numbers are difficult to attain. The Center uses the media as its source of information, and it was noted that apparent increases might be attributed to hoaxes and different reporting methods. Regardless of the true numbers, there definitely appears to be an increase in the use or the perceived use of these agents. There are numerous biological agents that can be employed by terrorists. (Rick 2004 96). The U. S.Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases lists the following diseases and biological toxins as potentially suitable for introduction into the population by deliberate dispersal: 1. Bacterial infections-anthrax, cholera, plague, tularemia, and â€Å"Q† fever 2. Viruses-smallpox, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, and viral hemorrhagic fevers 3. Biological toxins-botulinum, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, ricin, and T-2 Mycotoxins Chemical agents have been used in warfare for years, even by law enforcement in the form: 1. Nerve agents-Sarin (GB) 2. Vesicants-Mustard gas (HD, H), Lewisite (L) 3. Lung-damaging agents-Phosgene. 4. Cyanide 5. Riot-control agents-CS and CN Methods of exposure to the biological and chemical agents mentioned above include the following: 1. Absorption (through the skin) 2. Ingestion (swallowing or eating) 3. Inhalation (breathing) 4. Injection (usually through Ð ° hypodermic syringe) The above chemical and biological concerns are critical components for analyzing materials and data, but Ð ° greater concern exists for the first responder. It is one thing to analyze information about WMD, but it is the first responders of the world who will encounter, usually unsuspectingly, chemical and biological agents. Therefore it is essential that information be made immediately available to them as it is discovered, and that they be properly trained in all aspects of this extremely dangerous situation. Many how-to documents are available, some covering chemical and biological agents. In the previously mentioned terrorism training manual document seized in Manchester, England, â€Å"Military Studies in the Jihad against the Tyrants† several poisons were described in detail. Included in this compendium was information on extracts or derivatives of herbal and plant products that can be used to make substances such as ricin. â€Å"During JTF NA, the USAFE/LG staff was organized into control cells to manage the combat support infrastructure, including the distribution system. (Rick 2004 93) With no policy to guide them, these control cells developed new reporting procedures to meet the needs of their customers. Innovative reporting and control processes were critical to the decision-making required to execute combat support as operations escalated. 6 These control cells resemble aspects of the CSC2 TO-BE operational architecture now being implemented. (Robert et al 2004 29)

The Character Vasia in Boris Pasternacks Doctor Zhivago :: Doctor Zhivago Essays

The Character Vasia in Boris Pasternack's Doctor Zhivago The character Vasia Brykin, in the novel Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternack, is created and developed as a symbol of the rampant and chaotic times during the turbulent Russian Revolution. His significance in relation to the overall plot is minor because of his only two sub-chapter appearances, but thematically he works to show the breakdown of the Russian economic and social infrastructure in the country, and the lasting effects it has on the generation of lives that were swept up in its political turmoil. Vasia is introduced in chapter seven, on the train to the Urals, where Yurii Andreievich Zhivago learns of his depressing story. Vasia Brykin's father was killed in the war, and his mother had sent him to be apprenticed to his uncle at age sixteen. One day his uncle was called in by the local soviet authorities to answer some questions, and accidentally walked into the Bolshevik's labor recruitment office, where he was conscripted into forced labor and herded off to a train. Vasia and his aunt went to say farewell the next day, and his uncle pleaded with the guard, Voroniuk, to let him out of the car to see his wife for one last minute. Voroniuk, fearing for his own position, allowed him to leave only if Vasia stayed in his place for insurance. Vasia's uncle never returned, and he cried and pleaded with Voroniuk, but it was to no avail. Physically, Vasia appeared "an attractive boy with regular features who looked like a royal page or an angel of God in a picture" (223). He has red hair, and an unspoiled innocent look to him. On the external, he is a very enthusiastic person, full of compassion and emotion, especially when he speaks of his family and life back in his home village of Veretenniki: That's what I say-Buisky-Buisky village. Of course I know it, that's where you get off the main road, you turn right and right again. That's to get to us, to Veretenniki. And your way must be left, away from the river, isn't it? You know the river Pelga? Well, of course! That's our river. You keep following the river, on and on, and away up on the cliff...(224-225)

Indian Schools

Native American Assimilation into Western Culture Throughout the 1800s and the early 1900s, the American government attempted to assimilate Native American children into the Western culture, with all the best intentions (Marr Intro). Through primary and secondary sources, we learn how this was done and the mistakes they made in doing it. Primary sources, which are documents or other sources of information created at or near the time an event occurred, are an essential part in understanding history.There are many primary sources in the essay â€Å"Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest† by Carolyn J. Marr including: photographs, transcripts, journal entries, and government documents. The use of photographs has many advantages and disadvantages. Photographs are fairly accurate in describing an event. It gives the reader plenty of evidence and a feel for how the subjects were feeling during the event by showing emotions or facial expressi ons that could not be expressed through written word.On the other hand, they could be very biased as to show the harshest or best conditions possible. A photo is just a brief snapshot of a moment in time, and does not illustrate a whole event that a diary or journal might tell. Also, a photographer may be biased towards their own personal views, age, religion, social, economic, or political background; all of which may influence what he or she will or won’t photograph. Lastly, it is also not always clear where a photo was taken, why, and by whom. Secondary sources prove to serve a very important role in interpreting history.They include documents, books, or articles, through interpretations by historians. Some books and documents used in Marr’s essay are: Carey C. Collins’ â€Å"Oregon's Carlisle: Teaching ‘America? at Chemawa Indian School†, Carey C. Collins’ â€Å"Through the Lens of Assimilation: Edwin L. Chalcraft and Chemawa Indian Scho ol†, and Michael C. Coleman’s American Indian Children at School. These sources explain the government’s efforts to assimilate (the act of becoming part of something) Indians, particularly children, into the melting pot of American society. This took place from the 1800s through the 1920s (Marr Intro).I believe it was necessary for the government to attempt to introduce Indians into the American culture, but I do not believe they did it correctly. Greatening education, broadening religious and cultural views, and creating strong bonds between other students were some of the advantages of this movement. Kids also received running water, electricity, decent food and clean clothes. Unfortunately, the evil done greatly outweighed the good. They stole children away from their parents and it was done so rapidly, it didn’t allow Indians to try and move themselves and their children into western culture.Taking away their free will, tearing them away from their par ents, offering poor diets, overcrowding schools, poor medical attention, and excessive forced labor by the students proved to be some of the mistakes made by the government’s push into the â€Å"American† culture (Marr Part V). The institutions stressed work-related training to benefit the institution rather than the children, similar to slavery. It allowed the institutions to spend less by forcing free labor onto the children in fields such as: farming, cooking, cleaning, blacksmithing, carpentry, etc. Marr Part IV). This reduced the hired work required to run the large institutions. This type program allowed the students to learn trade one needs to survive, but for those who had ambitions to become something more, the institution would not allow it (Marr Part IV). In closing, Native American culture was attacked by our government in an attempt to better their lives. Unfortunately, they provided an atmosphere of slavery and oppression in the most literal interpretatio n of the words. Works Cited Collins, Carey C. â€Å"Oregon's Carlisle: Teaching ‘America? t Chemawa Indian School,† Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History, Tacoma: Washington State Historical Society, Summer 1998. Collins, Carey C. â€Å"Through the Lens of Assimilation: Edwin L. Chalcraft and Chemawa Indian School,† Oregon Historical Quarterly v. 98, no. 14 (Winter 1997-98): 390-425. Coleman, Michael C. American Indian Children at School, 1950-1930. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1993. Marr, Carolyn J. â€Å"Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest. † UW Libraries Digital Collections. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. .

Consequences of Successful Business Essay

Consequences of successful business vs unsuccessful business: Linking business success to management The success of a business is based on the quality, the education and the experience of management. Experience is necessary in order to make the right decisions and education leads to higher quality of performance. Quality decisions and performances contribute to the achievement of the business objectives and goals. All these success factors enhance the strengths of the business, which makes it more competitive in the marketplace. Let’s have a look at two similar businesses, a successful one, KFC, and an unsuccessful one, Mochachos’ Chicken Villages and we can see how applying quality relates to some business functions. 1. Business Image or Public Relations Function The main objective of the PR function is to present a good impression of the business because customers associate the business image with the product. So the KFC chicken with the secret recipe is what the customers see as the company. If they are happy with the chicken they are happy with the company, KFC as a whole. KFC is a large business with lots of money to spend on the appearance of the stores, advertising, presentation of meals like the boxes etc and even dressing their staff is nice eye catching uniforms. Another good PR method is direct contact where staff members come into contact with orphanages, hospitals and schools. KFC makes sure that the media are informed so that they receive publicity about their good deeds. Mochachos’ Chicken Villages on the other hand didn’t have a lot of money at their disposal for image which put them at a disadvantage. Because Mochachos Chicken Villages didn’t have the look of a well established company with large corporate offices, big expensive advertising, and the customers associated that with their ability to provide good food. They did nothing in the community and got bad publicity when things started to go wrong at the stores. 2. Product Quality and Operations Function Improvement in quality is achieved with the advancing in manufacturing technology. The company has to keep up with the times and do constant reassess of future production requirements KFC are always bringing out new kinds of chicken for us to eat. There are strips, pops, burgers and even boneless chicken. They are improving their technology all the time. An example is the grilled KFC chicken you get today. They have realized that customers are also trying to eat a little healthier and they have developed new technology to grill the chicken instead of frying it but always keeping the quality high. Mochachos’ Chicken Villages have stuck to one or a few products. Not bringing in anything new or keeping up with the latest on the market. And this could lead to a lack of interest from the public and eventually bad quality of the food. 3. Quality Human Resources Function Appoint employees that have the abilities and experience to obtain results. KFC have the resources to spend time and money on training the staff as well as training the managers. They have the money to pay the employees what they are worth. Happy workers equal more productive workers. They hire the correct people for the job and outsource certain required services such as IT specialists to keep their till systems working properly. Organisation and leadership are also a successful part of the KFC staff. Mochachos’ Chicken Villages have perhaps cut costs and employed inexperienced staff that don’t have the abilities to provide a good service to the customers therefore making it more difficult to get the results they wanted. The management haven’t been trained properly and that reflects on the company as a whole. 4. Quality Administration Function Administration is spread throughout the entire company and this need s to be  of the highest quality for all systems to work and eventually for the management to make the correct decisions. KFC have the correct systems in place from their production lines to the delivery of good to the systems in the stores. All documentation is done correctly and all systems are in place and check. Policies and procedures are followed to the last detail such as the cleaners noting down the time they have cleaned. Stock control is an ongoing process. All the information collected is used for research and development, planning, projecting and budgeting ahead and also steps are taken to make sure the right decisions are made for the goals of KFC to be achieved. Mochachos’ Chicken Villages didn’t have all the policies and procedures in place. They made incorrect decisions regarding renting new space to operate in. They didn’t analyse their customer’s needs, they didn’t project future sales or work out the financial position of the business. The most important thing is that Mochachos’ Chicken Villages didn’t remain sustainable in today’s competitive business world. 5. Quality and Healthy Financial Function This function is concern with raising enough capital to finance the business’s assets, resources and services to operate properly. The financial manager must make sure that the business can make enough money to cover the cost of raising the capital. KFC have done budgeting which is the most important mechanism for financial control. KFC have many stores and many investors, properties and equipment which all forms part of making the business financially stable. Mochachos’ Chicken Villages didn’t have enough investors buying into the franchising concept and then the expenses eventually became more than the income, this showing a lack of financial planning, budgeting and control. They had no investors and that meant no security that the business would remain sustainable or too much of the owners capital was required. In conclusion: Good managers will ensure successful business results because it will ensure that customer needs are satisfied. As the saying goes â€Å"Good managers are trained, not born.† Hardly anyone is born a good manager. Almost all of them have learnt it. And the good thing is that it can be learnt. Plenty have done it. And so can you. Learning to be an excellent manager requires education, training and experience. You can’t skimp on any one of them†¦..it takes all three.

The Short Run vs. the Long Run in Microeconomics

The Short Run vs. the Long Run in Microeconomics Many an economics student has pondered the difference between the long run and the short run in economics. They wonder, Just how long is the long run and how short is the short run? Not only is this a great question, but its an important one. Heres a look at the difference between the long run and the short run in microeconomics. Short Run vs. Long Run In the study of economics, the long run and the short run dont refer to a specific period of time, such as five years versus three months. Rather, they are conceptual time periods, the primary difference being the flexibility and options decision-makers have in a given scenario. In the second edition of Essential Foundations of Economics, American economists Michael Parkin and Robin Bade  give an excellent explanation of the distinction between the two within the branch of microeconomics: The short run  is a period of time in which the quantity of at least one input is fixed and the quantities of the other inputs can be varied. The long run is a period of time in which the quantities of all inputs can be varied. There is no fixed time that can be marked on the calendar to separate the short run from the long run. The short run and long run distinction varies from one industry to another. In short, the long run and the short run in microeconomics are entirely dependent on the number of variable and/or fixed inputs that affect the production output. Example of Short Run vs. Long Run Consider the example of a hockey stick manufacturer. A company in that industry will need the following to manufacture its sticks: Raw materials such as lumberLaborMachineryA factory Variable Inputs and Fixed Inputs Suppose the demand for hockey sticks has greatly increased, prompting the company to produce more sticks. It should be able to order more raw materials with little delay, so consider raw materials to be a variable input. Additional labor will be needed, but that could come from an extra shift and overtime, so this is also a variable input. Equipment, on the other hand, might not be a variable input. It might be time-consuming to add equipment. Whether new equipment will be considered a variable input will  depend  on how long it would take to buy and install the equipment and to train workers to use it. Adding an extra factory, on the other hand, is certainly not something that could be done in a short period of time, so this would be the fixed input. Using the definitions at the beginning of the article, the short run is the period in which a company can increase production by adding more raw materials and more labor but not another factory. Conversely, the long run is the period in which all inputs are variable, including factory space, meaning that there are no fixed factors or constraints preventing an increase in production output. Implications of Short Run vs. Long Run In the hockey stick company example, the increase in demand for hockey sticks will have different implications in the short run and the long run at the industry level. In the short run, each firm in the industry will increase its labor supply and raw materials to meet the added demand for hockey sticks. At first, only existing firms will be likely to capitalize on the increased demand, as they will be the only  businesses that have access to the four inputs needed to make the sticks. In the long run, however, the factory input is variable, which means that existing firms are not constrained and can change the size and number of factories they own while new firms can build or buy factories to produce hockey sticks. In the long run, new firms will likely enter the hockey stick market to meet the increased demand. Short Run vs. Long Run in Macroeconomics One of the reasons the concepts of the short run and the long run in economics are so important is that their meanings vary depending on the context in which they are used. which also is true in macroeconomics.

Yucca mountain essays

Yucca mountain essays After reading the article, I do not know if the author is qualified to write on the subject of nuclear waste disposal. He seems to know what he is talking about but he failed to put the information in any particular order so that his readers will understand what he is trying to say. He proposes a way of disposing nuclear waste but then proceeds to skip around and not connect his thoughts. He needs to think before he writes. Maybe a rough draft or two would help. The author is trying to propose a method of disposing nuclear waste. He suggests that radioactive waste be incased in lead and then be incased in glass. He says that glass, when properly annealed, would be as hard as steal and virtually indestructible. He also states that the Yucca Mountain Project is not a good choice by telling the reader that on June 14, 2002, a 4.4 earthquake on the Richter scale was experienced. He questioned how safe the site is. The author has very good points but fails to back them with facts. He makes very good points such as the current method of nuclear waste disposal is not safe to the environment at all. Currently, the rods are wraped in lead then they incase them in concrete. After that, we store them at the site or dump them in the ocean or the North Dakota Badlands. He also states that in Norway, a hole is dug and the rods are simply dropped into it. The problem with these methods are that their lifespan is roughly about 200 years and then waste begins to leak. The tone of the article is persuasive. He is trying to convince everyone that his proposal will work. By having a persuasive tone, he than can affect the readers in one strong point. The author tends to use broad generalizations rather then a well thought out analysis. Haddow, like many others, is clearly bias. He believes strongly that he is correct. Writing a biased paper in not wrong but it does not give the other side of the argument which can be a little frustrating if...

Nature Study Themes for Spring

Nature Study Themes for Spring When spring fever hits and youre ready to get outside because youve been suffering from cabin fever for months, do it! Let nature guide your homeschool with these awesome nature study themes for spring. Birds Spring is a fascinating time to take up bird-watching and it doesn’t take much to attract birds to your yard. If you provide them with what they’re searching for, they will find you. Make sure your yard offers: FoodWaterShelter An optional bonus is to provide nest-making material. Food can be offered in store-bought bird feeders or you can make a simple homemade bird feeder out of an orange, a bagel, a plastic bottle, or a pine cone. A bird bath provides water for drinking and preening. We used a shallow dish and a pedestal intended for a potted plant to create a simple, economical homemade bird bath. Give your feathered visitors a sense of safety by placing feeders and bird baths near bushes and trees to provide a quick getaway in the event that a predator shows up. Once you attract birds to your yard, you’re ready to observe them. Get a simple field guide to help you identify the birds that visit. Keep a nature journal of your visitors and learn more about each. What do they like to eat? What is the appearance of both the male and female? Where do they lay their eggs and how many do they lay? You may get lucky and have a pair of birds lay their eggs where you can observe them, too. Butterflies Butterflies are one of my favorite springtime nature study themes. If you plan ahead, you can try raising them from the larval stage in order to observe the life cycle of butterflies. Otherwise, take steps to attract butterflies to your yard and start your observations there or take a field trip to a butterfly house. If you’re excited to observe both birds and butterflies in your yard, consider setting up separate areas for attracting and observing each. If you don’t, things might not end well for the caterpillars and butterflies that you’re hoping to enjoy. As with birds, a field guide and nature journal come in handy. Consider the following suggestions in order to make the most of your butterfly study: Discuss with your children the differences between butterflies and moths.Check out books about butterflies. One of our family’s favorites for young children is Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries.Do a butterfly life cycle craft. Bees Bees are another springtime favorite for me. With plants  in bloom and pollen high, spring is an ideal time to watch bees going about their work. Help your children understand the vital role that honey bees play in the pollination process. Learn the role of each bee in the colony. As you see bees going about their work, try to take a peek at them. Are they covered in pollen? Can you see their pollen sacks? Try to arrange a trip to see a beehive in action and speak to the beekeeper about what he does. It’s fascinating to watch the bees go about their work in their hive if you have an opportunity to observe one. Learn how bees make honey and sample some. Once you’re home, try some bee-themed worksheets or bee crafts, just for fun. Flowers and Trees The new life on all the trees and plants makes spring an ideal time to begin a nature study of those in your area. We have several evergreen trees in our yard and even they are sporting new growth that novice observers like my own family can easily spot. Try the following activities this spring: Learn the difference between a conifer and deciduous, annual and perennial. Find examples of each and sketch them in your nature journal.Learn the parts of a flower. Add sketches of the examples you find in your nature journal.Choose a particular tree or flower to observe throughout the season. Sketch it each time you observe it and note the changes you see.Check out books from your library to learn more about trees. We really like Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing the Trees by Jim Arnosky  for younger kids. (He has a title about birds, too.) If the trees and plants in your backyard are limited, try a park or nature center. Pond Life Ponds are teeming with life in the spring and make a wonderful spot to study nature. If you have easy access to a pond, you can: Look for frog eggs and/or tadpoles. You may also be able to purchase them from a fish store to observe at home in a fish tank until they’re ready for release. Just be sure you know how to care for them and provide a rock for the young frogs to climb on as they begin to transition from tadpole to frog.Discuss the differences between frogs and toads with your kids. (And read some Frog and Toad books. Theyre family favorites!)Observe baby ducks and geese.Observe and identify the plant life around the pond.Look for signs of life in the mud surrounding the pond. Do you see any animal tracks? Pull our your field guide and try to identify them or take photos so you can try to identify the tracks once you’re back home.Observe the insect life. After a winter of being cooped up inside, you’re probably as anxious to get outside as your kids are. Take advantage of the moderate temperatures and budding life of spring to get out and immerse yourself in nature study!

Cowboy Proxemics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cowboy Proxemics - Essay Example Hickey and William E. Thompson further studied the role of proxemics in American cowboy population and how it differed from the usual American standards. Hickey and Thompson argued that a lot of proliferation has taken from cowboy culture to the mainstream American culture. Today, some aspects of cowboy culture are clearly known. For instance, media has popularized the garb worn by cowboys, that it is frequently copied by members of other cultures and occupations. Hence, for a cowboy one of the ways he found to preserve his identity was by preserving his notions of personal space. Hall proposed that for Americans there are four kinds of proxemically relevant personal spaces. They are: intimate zone ranging from zero to eighteen inches for loved ones, personal zone ranging from one and one half to four inches, social zone ranging from four to twelve feet while public space was anything over twelve feet. Among cowboys, on the other hand, those who do no know each other well, the usual speaking distance is six to eight feet. The ways people use space differs from culture to culture and subculture to subculture. This is so because proxemic research is based on the concept of territoriality or the behavior by which an organism typically lays claim to an area and defends it against members of its own and other species. This is basis of study of animal behavior. Non-verbal communication or process of transmitting messages also plays role in the study of proxemics (Ottenheimer Harriet, 157). It comprises of body language, gestures, facial expressions and even gaze. While Americans believe in maintaining an eye-contact during the course of a conversation, the cowboys neither stares not scan the eye of the partner in a regular manner. Since proxemics is in a way study of culture anthropologists have argued that intercultural communication, occupation, cultivation, preservation and utilization of space is also taken into consideration and this could be the reason for differences between subcultures of the same culture. Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer in her book, the Anthropology of Language: An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology states that as cowboys were frequently seated in horses there developed differences in their need for personal spaces. Thus, for them personal space ranges from six to eight feet roughly this is the space they need if two horses were standing nose-to-nose. However, their side-by-side personal space ranges from zero to eighteen inches, suggesting that if their horses are side by side their feet might touch. Famous adage goes-old habits die hard. Anthropologists argue that as cowboys spent most of their time on their horses, they carried the same proxemics system in non-mounted situations as well. So cowboys at social gatherings like a campfire tend to place themselves facing each other across the room and make sure they are six to eight feet apart also while placing themselves side by side close together on one side of the room. In Kansas, pickup trucks pulled off the road are parked side by side while their drivers can have a chat while seated on the trucks. As we are living in global village, cowboy proxemics will go through a change due to influences from other cultures and subcultures. As proxemics is part of culture and is guided by culture transmission, anthropologists h

Financial Performance of Morrison Plc Assignment

Financial Performance of Morrison Plc - Assignment Example Return on equity (ROE) provides information regarding how much profit the company has been able to generate in regards to its equity. A high ROE is desirable. Return on assets (ROA) tells an investor how effective a company has been at producing profits from its assets. A high metric is the desired output. The debt to equity ratio measures how much debt a company has with regards to its total equity. A low ratio is a good sign. The current ratio compares the current debt a company has in regards to its current liabilities. The formula is current assets divided by current liabilities. A high ratio is a warning because it’s a sign that the firm is having liquidity problems. Working capital is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. A positive working capital is the desired output. The quick acid ratio is calculated with the same formula as the current ratio except that in the numerator you must subtract prepaid expenses and inventory. The sales to asse t ratio represent how much revenue a company is generating in regards to its total assets. It is important to understand that in order to perform a complete analysis of the company’s performance utilizing ratio analysis the financial analyst must perform research to obtain information about the industry standard ratio performance. The results of the financial ratio analysis reflect that the performance of the company has declined between 2008 and 2009. The net margin, return on equity and return on assets metrics decreased in 2009. The current ratio went up by 4%. The company has liquidity problems evidence by its negative working capital for both 2008 and 2009. Based on the ratio analysis performed on Morrison Plc for the years 2008 and 2009 the researcher would not invest in the company. Prior to making giving this recommendation, the author would need to compare the 2009 ratio results with the industry standard.

'Provision of care in the NHS is integrated, seamless and effective' Essay

'Provision of care in the NHS is integrated, seamless and effective' - Essay Example Although much progress has been made, NHS clinical governance systems do not yet formally recognize the need to work in collaboration with local authorities when adult safeguarding concerns arise during healthcare delivery. There was also a clear request from NHS respondents for guidance to clarify the relationship between adverse incident reporting, complaints, and safeguarding in order to encourage reporting in a way that supports the investigation and empowers staff in the process. The aim of this guidance is to encourage organizations to develop local robust arrangements to ensure that adult safeguarding becomes fully integrated into NHS systems. This will result in greater openness and transparency about clinical incidents, learning from safeguarding concerns that occur within the NHS, clarity on reporting and more improved positive partnership working (Department of Health, 2008). NHS Lack of Communication The lack of communication with NHS has caused problems for patient care (Borrill, 2002). In The NHS Plan2 shows the need to break down barriers between staff. This was emphasized so as to tackle the inefficiencies in working practices identified: ‘Old-fashioned demarcations between staff mean some patients see a procession of health professionals... Information is not shared and investigations are repeated ... Unnecessary boundaries exist between the professions which hold back staff from achieving their true potential.’(Borrill, p.27) ‘Throughout the NHS, the old hierarchical ways of working are giving way to more flexible team working between different clinical professionals’( p82). The importance of teamwork in health care has been emphasized in numerous reports and policy documents on the National Health Service. One particularly emphasized the importance of teamwork if health and social care for people are to be of the highest quality and efficiency: ‘The best and most cost-effective outcomes for patients and clients are achieved when professionals work together, learn together, engage in clinical audit of outcomes together, and generate innovation to ensure progress in practice and service.’ Over the last thirty years this has proved very difficult because of the barriers between Professional groupings - such as doctors and nurses (Borrill, 2002). Influence and Future Practice The response of the government has been to promise a huge increase in spending on the NHS. A key challenge is how this better funded delivery of healthcare can be managed to achieve good, fair and cost effective services for the whole population. A primary prescription that policy makers and practitioners have offered for meeting such a challenge facing the NHS is the development of multidisciplinary teamwork. This report details the findings of a major national study of teamwork in the NHS on the factors associated with effective team working, and the effects on quality of care and well-being of staff (Borrill, 2 002). Planning, implementing and managing change in a fast-changing environment is increasingly the situation in which most organizations now work (Chapman, 2007). However the many complaints against NHS mannerism show their influence and practices needs improvement. Dr Janet McCray presents a grounded theory model of how inter-professional workings can be facilitated. Arising from a learning

Crime 200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Crime 200 - Essay Example In fact statistics reveal widespread use of marijuana in the US and across the world. Given that the government has made little success in its efforts to eliminate its use for over 40 years now, pundits predict that the future might compel governments to legalize it. With this prospect in mind, it is prudent to understand the impact such a move would have to the society so as to lay sufficient ground beforehand. In this respect, this paper examines the impact of marijuana with focus on Colorado – which together with Washington have been viewed as experimental labs. Marijuana is a soft drug made from dried leaves, flowers, stem and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Its key component is a psychoactive chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is used for recreational, medical, religious and spiritual purposes (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This drug is known to have both positive and negative effects to its users and the society at large. To a user, weed, as marijuana is christened, causes memory impairment, distortion of sight, loss of motor coordination and with long term use individuals may develop, testicular cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory complications. On the positive effects, it has been found to be therapeutic helping reduce pain and anxiety (Drugs.com). However, this article does not pursue the health and psychological effects of marijuana use, rather it focuses broadly on the implications that legalization of marijuana has on the society. The fight towards legalization of marijuana in the US began with the 1970 presidential commission that â€Å"called for federal decriminalization and eventual legalization, regulation, and control of marijuana† and recommended that marijuana be decriminalized (McVay, 1991). This move came about consequent of the relaxed attitudes toward marijuana, the apprehension of a significant

Testing Web Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Testing Web Services - Essay Example Over the half decade, web services have become widely used in the deployment of web-based applications as they provide the advantage of compatibility with various software platforms. However, due to the platform-independent nature of a client-server network architecture, testing web services can prove to be more difficult and requires approaches that are different from those employed in traditional software testing. World Wide Web (WWW) services typically involve three components: a web server, a web page, and a web browser. These components work together in delivering information to the end-user. Web pages are written using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) for delivering formatted static content. Dynamic web pages can be constructed with the use of additional scripting using programming languages such as PHP, ASP, C#, or Java. These scripts are typically located in the web server. The last component, the web browser, displays text and multimedia content of web pages to the end-user. Currently, there are a number of web browsers available in the market, the most popular of which are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Google Chrome. The main purpose of creating web-based applications is to facilitate data transfer to the server and between servers. Web services work with various internet protocols and web standards. ... Online services rely on such standards to properly exchange messages with each other. Some protocols may also be derivates of web standards. For instance, Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) are both based on the XML standard. For a better understanding of the standards, protocols, and techniques used in the development of web services, these technologies shall be described further in the succeeding sections of this paper. The Limitations of Conventional Application Testing Software testing does not exist for the sole purpose of improving the quality of the application. It also guarantees reliability and aids in building the user's trust in the system. Due to the platform-independent structure of client-server applications, the testing methods often used in ordinary software development cannot cover all possible issues that may arise in web service development. The developers of a web service are not capable of predicting the software platform or programming language of other applications utilizing the said service. Likewise, they are cannot determine beforehand the platform being used on the client's side. Testing procedures for ordinary software usually focuses on a particular platform. As a result, these tests will like be unable to keep up with the open platform nature of web services. The need for interaction between web services makes it even more difficult to use conventional testing methods for these applications. (Huang, J.Z., Qub, Y., H. W. & Xie, J. 2004) For web service testing to be effective, it is not enough for just the service provider or requestor to take full responsibility. All parties must be integrated into a unified testing framework.

Retail Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Retail Marketing - Essay Example Notably, retailing sometimes retailing engulfs subordinating services including delivery of services (Pradhan and Pradhan, 2009; pg. 37). In other cases, the term retail is often used to refer to a situation where the service provider often quench the needs of a magnitude of individuals including in areas of public utility such in the supply of electric power. Therefore, it is vital for the targeted organization to understand the nature of the retailing it is about to franchise before such actions are taken. The type of the cloth products chain to be distributed will influence the location and other business environment required to run the intended retail shop. The retailing shops are sometimes located on residential streets, places with few or without houses, or along shopping mails. The retail shops along streets may be targeting mainly pedestrians (Zarrella, 2010). On the other hand, the current technological enhancement has led to electronic or online commerce that is often used for business to customer (B2C) transactions including the mail order that are non shop retailing services. These internet services can be used to market the newly franchised cloth retail business depending size of the mother business and the target customers (Pradhan and Pradhan, 2009; 79). ... w-shopping that involves just looking at goods but not buying, and other shopping practices that do not involve actual purchasing of goods or services. Therefore, the organization can embark on one or two of these practices to reach their customers. There are numerous retail outlets that are defined by activities and nature of stocking of good or products in relation to services provided under the same. The marketplace retail site is a location where the cloth products can exchanged. In most cases, it is often defined as the market share where traders often erect stalls where buyers browse merchandise. Marketplaces are the oldest existing retail points in the world (Zarrella, 2010). Despite the existence of markets for over centuries, in the recent past, they have been increasingly taken over by retail chains. The retail services or shopping is often classified considering the type of the products that a given retail shops and most retails often venture distinctively on food products , durable goods, hard goods, and soft or consumable goods (Michman and mazze, 2000; pg. 68). Other than recognizing the retail shops with types of goods and services they sell, cloth retail shop should recognize these shops with the marketing strategies that would make the business viable. These strategies have led to different recognized retail outlets that the cloth retail shop can adopt and some of them include: Departmental stores; are large stores selling huge assortment of goods. They usually bear intense resemblance to the specialty stores. Retailers under these ventures often carry variety of categories that includes broad assortments at average prices. In addition, other than selling cloths they can also offer considerable services to customers. The cloth retail shops may also be

Testing Web Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Testing Web Services - Essay Example Over the half decade, web services have become widely used in the deployment of web-based applications as they provide the advantage of compatibility with various software platforms. However, due to the platform-independent nature of a client-server network architecture, testing web services can prove to be more difficult and requires approaches that are different from those employed in traditional software testing. World Wide Web (WWW) services typically involve three components: a web server, a web page, and a web browser. These components work together in delivering information to the end-user. Web pages are written using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) for delivering formatted static content. Dynamic web pages can be constructed with the use of additional scripting using programming languages such as PHP, ASP, C#, or Java. These scripts are typically located in the web server. The last component, the web browser, displays text and multimedia content of web pages to the end-user. Currently, there are a number of web browsers available in the market, the most popular of which are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Google Chrome. The main purpose of creating web-based applications is to facilitate data transfer to the server and between servers. Web services work with various internet protocols and web standards. ... Online services rely on such standards to properly exchange messages with each other. Some protocols may also be derivates of web standards. For instance, Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) are both based on the XML standard. For a better understanding of the standards, protocols, and techniques used in the development of web services, these technologies shall be described further in the succeeding sections of this paper. The Limitations of Conventional Application Testing Software testing does not exist for the sole purpose of improving the quality of the application. It also guarantees reliability and aids in building the user's trust in the system. Due to the platform-independent structure of client-server applications, the testing methods often used in ordinary software development cannot cover all possible issues that may arise in web service development. The developers of a web service are not capable of predicting the software platform or programming language of other applications utilizing the said service. Likewise, they are cannot determine beforehand the platform being used on the client's side. Testing procedures for ordinary software usually focuses on a particular platform. As a result, these tests will like be unable to keep up with the open platform nature of web services. The need for interaction between web services makes it even more difficult to use conventional testing methods for these applications. (Huang, J.Z., Qub, Y., H. W. & Xie, J. 2004) For web service testing to be effective, it is not enough for just the service provider or requestor to take full responsibility. All parties must be integrated into a unified testing framework.

Biotech Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biotech - Case Study Example At the beginning of my lessons, I learnt that biotechnology involves the utilization of bioprocesses and living organisms in medicine, technology and engineering. This knowledge shook my lay knowledge of what the term means. I realized that the chief objective of biotech was the modification of the organism in order to fulfill human needs and purposes (Jefferis 47). The application of technical and scientific advances in the development of products is the entire business of biotech. It is imperative to note that biotech does not only draw its entire knowledge from pure biological sciences, but also from information technology, chemical engineering and bio-robotics. I was amazed to realize the numerous fields that biotech finds useful applicability, and this paper will shift its focus to provide a brief overview and highlight these uses. The initial applicability of biotech is in the field of medicine. Although I had a faint clue that biotech was useful in medicine, I was not sure how the two fields were connected. Therefore, I took a keen interest in lessons; the lessons revealed that biotech was the pillar of pharmacogenomics and the synthesis of pharmaceutical products, which can be regarded as essential in medicine (Jefferis 50). Further, biotech solves issues that arise from genetics testing, and it is used to settle cases that involve identity and parenting disagreements. Furthermore, biotech holds the lifeline for gene therapy and cloning; the latter is widely applied to create clones that donate organs to people, prolonging their life. The world faces the danger of food crisis as a result of rapid growth of the population; the rate of population growth beats the capacity of the planet to produce subsistence. Further, pest and crop diseases result to crop failure, not forgetting erratic, unfavorable weather conditions. Biotech stepped in to address the issues that face agriculture. In agriculture, Biotechnology is applied to improve crop yields in a remar kable way; this ensures plenty of yields from a small area of land. I was able to understand how biotech has facilitated the development of drought resistant and pest resistant crops (Jefferis 56). These crops were well advanced that they could withstand environmental stresses, and give yields that have advanced nutritional qualities. Further, biotech has enabled scientists to minimize pesticide and fertilizer dependency. As such, the crops that grow under this technology can be altered to produce plenty of substances that tend to be novel. Livestock breeding and cross breeding has strong associations with biotechnology; it facilitates the production of high producing animals, which are also resistance to diseases and parasites. Furthermore, I learnt how bioremediation facilitates a safe way of reclaiming an environment that has been contaminated through developing organisms that clean up the mess. These organisms do not have negative impacts on the environment. Further, biodegradat ion is extremely significant in decomposing wastes to allow release of humus (Jefferis 62). This process is essential in enhancing the flow of the energy cycle. This technology allows the development of strains of bacteria, which attack wastes and allow for more disposals. The above knowledge was extremely helpful to me because it opened my eyes and my brain to plenty of knowledge, which I had taken for granted for a long

Presidential Contenders 2008 Essay Example for Free

Presidential Contenders 2008 Essay Pre-election convention of the Democratic Party will pass on August 28 in Denver. The tensest conflict of the elections is between the candidates of the Democratic Party B. Obama and H. Klinton. The representative of Democratic Party will get the victory at the basic elections as Republicans have lost considerable support among the population because of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides, there is the crisis of crediting of a category subprime, which led to unemployment’s growth and to substantial damages of the companies. That’s why the results of the primaries are significant. Barack Obama won Wisconsins and Hawaii’s primaries on Tuesday, which extends his winning tendency and makes him hard to surpass in the remaining sixteen races. Clinton hasnt won a contest since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. On Wednesday Obama picked up the support of the 1. 4 million-member Teamsters, his fourth labor endorsement in a week. Union support is expected to be key in the upcoming Ohio and Pennsylvania races. Clinton is behind in delegates, and the gap has been growing. She has to win fifty seven percent of the remaining primary and caucus delegates to erase Obamas lead, a daunting task requiring landslide-sized victories. According to some information, up to primary elections in Wisconsin Obama had on the account 1281 voices of party delegates at main congress whereas Clinton was the second (1218 voices). In Wisconsin 74 voices were played. In total the candidate from democrats have to get support of 2025 party delegates for promotion. Therefore the basic struggle still ahead. Obama also won â€Å"the Democrats Abroad global primary† on Thursday, giving him eleven straight wins. â€Å"More than 20,000 U. S. citizens living abroad voted in the primary, which ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12. Obama won about 65 percent of the vote, according to the results released Thursday. † (The Daily Tribune Newspaper, Feb 21) Hillary Clinton is not paying much attention to foreign policy. Clinton is going to establish a deadline for the American troops in Iraq. She will begin dialogues with Iran and she will try to limit Chinese imports to the American market probably to avoid recession. The race for democratic nominee isnt over yet the future situation can not be predicted exactly. Bearing in mind the trend of Obama’s winning the primaries will continue to show the desire of the American people.

Homosexual Marriage Must be Legal Essay -- essays research papers

Homosexual Marriage Must be Legal "Men and women full of age, without any limitation due to race, nationality, or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family."( Article 16-1). Most people would interpret this article as only a man and a woman have the right to be married. But many people need to reconsider the article as in each man and woman are independent, and should be able to marry whomever he or she desires. The majority of people are straight and in heterosexual relationships, but should not mean that the minority of people are any less human because they live their life in a homosexual relationship. Would you chose to live your life as a homosexual knowing all the struggles you would have to face? Everyone has the choice of who they fall in love with, but nobody can decide that they will fall in love with a specific gender. Most people think the natural way of things is that men are attracted to women and taht women are attracted to men. People who are homosexual are naturally born to be attracted to the same sex. As well as people who are born straight are naturally born to be attracted to people of the opposite sex. Many people do not agree with homosexual marriage because they argue it is not the natural way of things. Reason is because homosexuals connot produce children, where a man and a woman have that capability. People tho who are in homosexual relationships could always adopt. But many people say that that would be an injustice to the child. ... Homosexual Marriage Must be Legal Essay -- essays research papers Homosexual Marriage Must be Legal "Men and women full of age, without any limitation due to race, nationality, or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family."( Article 16-1). Most people would interpret this article as only a man and a woman have the right to be married. But many people need to reconsider the article as in each man and woman are independent, and should be able to marry whomever he or she desires. The majority of people are straight and in heterosexual relationships, but should not mean that the minority of people are any less human because they live their life in a homosexual relationship. Would you chose to live your life as a homosexual knowing all the struggles you would have to face? Everyone has the choice of who they fall in love with, but nobody can decide that they will fall in love with a specific gender. Most people think the natural way of things is that men are attracted to women and taht women are attracted to men. People who are homosexual are naturally born to be attracted to the same sex. As well as people who are born straight are naturally born to be attracted to people of the opposite sex. Many people do not agree with homosexual marriage because they argue it is not the natural way of things. Reason is because homosexuals connot produce children, where a man and a woman have that capability. People tho who are in homosexual relationships could always adopt. But many people say that that would be an injustice to the child. ...

Malnutrition of African Students :: Poverty Starvation Africa Essays

Malnutrition of African Students In this paper, I shall discuss the effects of malnutrition of children in Africa and the effect it has on their school performance. I will also examine what has been done to improve the problem of starvation and the long road ahead to solve this issue. I believe this problem is very serious and should not be over looked by other countries. So many children wake up hungry and go to bed famished in Africa. Their days are hard to get through and the idea of going to school and having to concentrate is almost an impossible task. Many children have no energy and lose the ambition to get an education. An example I found while researching was of a young girl named Kede Fatuma, who is a starving child living in Ethiopia who once took pride in her education and her great ability as a runner. â€Å"These days, however, food is scarce in Dere Kiltu. Kede, 10, has neither the time nor the strength to keep up with her running. In fact, she no longer goes to school at all. Instead, she uses her limited energy to help her family collect water, an effort that involves a two-hour walk to the nearest stream (www.washingtonpost.com).† This is an example that is sadly true of many children living in Africa. In recent studies, they have shown that those children who eat a healthy breakfast to start off their day are proven to have higher test scores, stay alert through out the school day, are able to concentrate, and are more likely to attend school. So as a result of having a balanced diet, children are able to retain more information and learn more in the end. In the subjects of math and science which involve a lot of concentration, Africa was shown to have very low scores as compared to other countries that are not stricken by hunger and poverty. In a study done on one school in Zimbabwe, they found that many of the students in the class were continuously falling asleep. The reason they found for this was exhaustion caused by lack of food. The majority of the children only receive one meal a day. Other poorer children beg their neighbors for food and often receive only a small portion of cornmeal. Hunger affects many parts of Africa and it is a growing problem that is the cause of many deaths each year. Malnutrition of African Students :: Poverty Starvation Africa Essays Malnutrition of African Students In this paper, I shall discuss the effects of malnutrition of children in Africa and the effect it has on their school performance. I will also examine what has been done to improve the problem of starvation and the long road ahead to solve this issue. I believe this problem is very serious and should not be over looked by other countries. So many children wake up hungry and go to bed famished in Africa. Their days are hard to get through and the idea of going to school and having to concentrate is almost an impossible task. Many children have no energy and lose the ambition to get an education. An example I found while researching was of a young girl named Kede Fatuma, who is a starving child living in Ethiopia who once took pride in her education and her great ability as a runner. â€Å"These days, however, food is scarce in Dere Kiltu. Kede, 10, has neither the time nor the strength to keep up with her running. In fact, she no longer goes to school at all. Instead, she uses her limited energy to help her family collect water, an effort that involves a two-hour walk to the nearest stream (www.washingtonpost.com).† This is an example that is sadly true of many children living in Africa. In recent studies, they have shown that those children who eat a healthy breakfast to start off their day are proven to have higher test scores, stay alert through out the school day, are able to concentrate, and are more likely to attend school. So as a result of having a balanced diet, children are able to retain more information and learn more in the end. In the subjects of math and science which involve a lot of concentration, Africa was shown to have very low scores as compared to other countries that are not stricken by hunger and poverty. In a study done on one school in Zimbabwe, they found that many of the students in the class were continuously falling asleep. The reason they found for this was exhaustion caused by lack of food. The majority of the children only receive one meal a day. Other poorer children beg their neighbors for food and often receive only a small portion of cornmeal. Hunger affects many parts of Africa and it is a growing problem that is the cause of many deaths each year.

Landscape in the Classic Western

The article â€Å"Landscape in the Western Classic text: Landscape in the Classic Hollywood Western† by Stanley Solomon focuses around the central claim that landscape is definitive to the film genre of Western, defining both plot and characterization. First, the severity of the barren landscape against which the plot of Western movies revolves suggests that the characters in the movie either have to be rugged or likely to fall prey to more rugged ones. Scarcely populated rural places allow for the clear-cut distinction between an honest group of citizens with local sheriff as their leader and a gang of immoral criminals. Since the landscape is clear-cut and straightforward, so are the characters and their moral traits. The same is true for sharply delineated codes of behavior that have to be grasped by both criminals and good guys. The severe natural and human environments, in which the characters of the Western have to act, develop skills crucial to survival, including â€Å"competence in the face of danger, courage, determination, and endurance† (Solomon 1976). The threat in most cases comes not from nature that, for all its mercilessness, is fair and predictable in its threats, but from human villains. The struggle between moral and immoral characters is the cornerstone of the plot. A peculiar environment often tells a lot about the women’s role. Most of female characters, exactly like men, should possess strength of character and survival skills that are looked up to by men. At the same time, women bring a humanizing effect to movies, supporting the value of human life. Western movies often call for insights into the past of the character, in contrast to urban movies where the emphasis is on the throbbing present of the city life. A Western character arrives at the scene a mature man, shaped by his past experiences, that often involve some indelible tragedy. Understanding a character’s past is essential, although information of it is often presented as a mere hint. â€Å"The interrelationships of landscape, characterization, and the past† form the central focus of the Western genre (Solomon 1976). Bibliography Solomon, Stanley. Beyond Formula: American Film Genres. 1976.      

Failure In Small Business Essay

It is actually a fact that only about 53% of small businesses are not able to keep on trading after three years after their preliminary set up. Some of the businesses fail within their first year of operation. There are so many reasons why this tends to happen. However, business failure does not only happen with the new businesses but it also happen to those businesses which have been in operation for quite some time regardless of how successful they tend to be. Even if business failure happens to all sizes of businesses, the small businesses are very much affected by larger threats for the reason that they do not have the support of additional money as well as resources that the big companies have. Business failure does not only come about through the problems experienced in your own company, they can as well be achieved as a subsidiary effect from dealings made by other businesses, clients and suppliers. It is very necessary for one to identify the premature signs of business failure in order to solve the problem before it is too late (Dwight, 1993). Finally, the business failure comes about when the business has gone beyond a point where it can not continue operating in business any long without encountering supplementary troubles. These troubles might not offer any feasible solutions and for one to go ahead in trading, he or she has to put him or her self in even deeper problems. When the business has reached this point, it is very important for one to acknowledge the business failure early or else he or she will face increased financial as well as legal troubles when trying to save his or her business or he can even go further and put his business to rest. There so many causes of business failure. So many businesses fail because several managers do not incorporate accounting as well as accounting practices to a practical level in their business. Despite the fact that they don’t posses all the accounting knowledge, they really suffer from the lack of financial control together with the problems concerning the cash flow which leads to business failure. If one has a weak accountancy expertise, he is likely to employ a very knowledgeable bookkeeper to manage the financial records on a regular basis. It is very important for one to have somebody who can comprehend the monetary accounts plus the management accounts. Before starting up the business one is supposed to find some time to learn the financial management skills (Claire, 1998). Lack of funds is also another cause of business failure. If one finds out that he does not have enough capital to start up the business, he is supposed to wait until the time when he has saved enough money he needs before starting up a business. If one risks and starts up a business without enough capital then the fellow is destined for business failure. Lack of funds usually leads to too much borrowing and as a result, the business becomes insolvent for the reason that the liabilities becomes too high than the assets. Bankruptcy is a very common result as in it has a cycle of poor management. Lack of funds can also come through competition. As much as the business is offering competitive prices, the business will end up making little profit margin hence it will be too difficult to fund other areas within the business. High costs of finance is another cause of business failure because it can be so disastrous as soaring interest rates as well as unfavorable compensation schedules are so much ignored due to the difficulty of financing the business (John, 1994). As a matter of fact, it is very necessary for one to manage his or her finance with a very keen concern towards interest as well as repayment schedules in order to avoid the business becoming insolvent in the early moments. The collection of data is rather a frustrating process. One needs to persuade the potential data providers to take part. One has to convince them about the value of the information to the business. I provided the incentives for sources to participate such as the clean copy of the eventual database of the relative data to the rest of the database. Eventually I drew a data table in the business notebook to help during the collection of data. A data table ensured that the business is consistent in recording data and it makes it easier to analyze the results of the business. The techniques which were used during the collection of data are data mining techniques. I sorted from large amounts of data and picked out the information because it is the analytic process which is desired to discover data (Claire, 1998). It is expected that all the business persons must have a clear understanding of the failure points in future. Another outcome is that all the business persons must stay in business successfully by not selling cheap products or service. He is not intending to impress the customers but all business persons are supposed to make people feel that they are not getting ripped off. In future all business persons must learn to begin businesses with enough capital. The business person must always learn to hire more staff when there is too much work to be done. They are not supposed to get behind on the work or else the clients will not feel happy. The business is intending to get sufficient operating funds. The business will require the costs of starting and the costs of staying the business in operation. Enough funds are needed in order to cover all the costs until sales can finally pay for these costs. However, all the funds will be borrowed from the bank which will be repayable after the business picks up. References Claire, W. (1998). Risky Business: The Personal and Financial Costs of Small Business Failure. California: Policy Studies Institute. Dwight, R. (1993). Failure and Progress. New Mexico: Cato Institute. John, L. (1984). Success and Failure in Small Business. New York: Gower Publishing Company. John, H. (1991). Measurement of Success and Failure in Small Business. Washington: Curtin University of Technology. John, E. (1963). Small Business Instability and Failure. Alabama: Bureau of Business Research.

Vacation Spots

Vacation Spots Vacation in paradise is the most important event in one’s life and every place in the world, people find a glorious space where a family can bond and enjoy the time that they have being together. A family is given two vacation spots to choose, Destin, Florida which is local and the other is Palma Resort which is in Surigao, Philippines. Both vacation spots have similarities, the family will face a lot of challenges vacationing outside the United States rather than vacationing locally.One important difference in vacationing between Destin, Florida and Palma Resort is the venue or location. Vacationing in Destin, Florida requires on a family to drive and a choice to fly to reach their destination while going to Palma Resort, Surigao, Philippines, and a family can go there by flying and no other way is available. The family also will be safe to venture around the city while vacationing locally while in Palma Resort the family is only safe if they stay within the bo undaries of the resort otherwise safety is at your own risk.Another difference between vacationing locally in Destin, Florida and Palma Resort is the cost that will come up. Vacationing in Destin, Florida, the cost would be minimal and affordable among middle class family. The family can also use their own car to travel to reach their Kwong 2 destination and this would save a lot on a budgeted vacation. Travel tax is not imposed while vacationing locally. On the other hand vacationing outside the United States in Palma Resort, Surigao, Philippines will incur a higher cost in airfare.It will cost a family of five at least $10,000 just to purchase airfare to the Philippines and this does include the fare to go the resort which is estimated between $1,500 to $2,000 per family of five (5), travel tax is imposed by the airport authorities since the family is just visiting a foreign country. The family has to rent a car or a van to venture out of the resort because there is no public tran sportation available around those areas which is another cost to account for.Vacationing in Palma Resort, Surigao, Philippines can be very expensive and will have to face the hustle of transferring from one airport to another to reach their vacation spot. The time alone to travel will take its toll on the family which is 19 hours of flight time from the United States to the Philippine and another 2 hours of flight time to reach the island while vacationing locally the family would normally spend 14 hours of drive time or 3 hours of flight time one or the other. Also the expectation of what kind of food or dishes being served can also be a factor, dining or having lunch outside the U.S. can be an experience the family would never forget. Destin, Florida and Palma Resort, Surigao, Philippines is two of the best vacation spots a family would possibly go. It is up to the family and their budgets where they want to go, if they prefer to save, then they should choose Destin, Florida and i f they could afford to spend extravagantly then it is recommended that they choose Palma Resort, Surigao, Philippines because they would enjoy the fun and adventure the place would provide and the experience of having authentic dishes being served and the hospitality of local people would show to them.Kwong 3 Vacation Spots Thesis: Both vacation spots are amazing, but staying within the borders of the United States is better than dealing with international complications I. Venue A. Destin 1. Can be driven to 2. Within United States border 3. Safe to venture B. Surigao, Philippines 1. Have to fly 2. Outside the United States-SW Asia 3. Safe within the boundaries of the resort but not outside. II. Cost A. Destin 1. Affordable for family vacation 2. Usage of family car 3.Travel tax not imposed B. Surigao, Philippines 1. High Cost 2. Rental Car or Van 3. Travel Tax imposed Kwong 4 III. Travel Time/Food A. Destin 1. It takes 14 hours drive time 2. Dishes are familiar/American Food 3. Fam iliar Hospitality B. Surigao, Philippines 1. It takes 19 hours fly time to reach the Philippines and another 2 hours fly time to reach Island and additional 2 hours drive time to destination. 2. Native Dishes/Filipino dishes 3. Unfamiliar hospitality or customs.

Backpackers in Thailand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Backpackers in Thailand - Essay Example the number of its inbound tourists (16% in the first half of 2009) is now limited to a decline of 5% in August 2009, which then shifted to a dramatic change of 10% increase in September and October 2009. Statistical calculations show that Thai tourism industry is expected to develop more favorable backpacker trends in 2010 by promoting budget youth travel. This further involves a brief observation on the principal and emerging markets in Thai backpacking tourism. For instance, beach tourism is Thailand is getting extremely popular among young backpackers from across the world. Keeping in focus the growing leisure market in Thailand, the government is expected to invest substantially on the beach vacation options while promoting a wide variety of beach activities and events for backpackers. Observing the backpackers arrivals to Thailand by nationalities, it is remarkable that the topmost backpackers are from the Asian countries while beach visitors from the UK, the US and other European countries are also increasing in number in the last 7 years (Berger, 2007). Some of the relevant statistical reports on backpackers to Thailand below will provide a clear picture (source: Tourism Authority of Thailand). In assistance of the beach tourism, new opportunities are evident in the health market emerging in Thailand. There are promotional efforts being carried out to provide improved quality services in the spa tourism of Thailand. The flourishing Thai spa industry plays an important role in the Thai economy. This is further associated closely with the medical tourism in Thailand - a relatively new market in the country. As Cohen (2008) explains the close bonding between the medical and spa industries of Thailand, â€Å"The hospitals seek to increase their share in the phenomenal growth of spa and wellness services, either by linkages to existing spas, or by establishing their own wellness centers.† (p. 254) Another significant market accompanying backpacker tourism is

Business Law- Law of Negligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Law- Law of Negligence - Essay Example Helen’s claim for her injuries and lost earnings against Metro plc. The issues in this case is whether Metro Plc owes Helen a duty of care for failing to secure the wood that passersby were supposed to use to cross over the holes they had dug. Furthermore, the other issue found in this case is to ascertain whether it was Metro Plc negligence, which led her to lose her earnings. The law applicable in this case is law of negligence; negligence is defined as the lack of use of reasonable care resulting into causing harm to the other person or property. Negligence occurs either when an individual does something that a reasonable person would not do or failing to do something that a reasonable man would. There are various precedents have been set over the years concerning the law of negligence. One of those precedents is good neighborship that was set in the case of Donoghue vs. Stevenson and another recent precedent, which is relevant to this case, is Caparo vs. Dickman (1990). Me tro Plc is liable for Helens’ injury since they could not have foreseen the accident. This is because they had already taken action into ensuring that the passersby would not suffer injury; however, their action did not prevent Helen from suffering personal injury. In Caparo vs. Dickman (1990), it was held that the principle of neighbourhood involved more than just a person who was in a contract with the defendant. In addition, there are three principles used to determine whether there is duty of care. The first principle is foreseeability of claimant being harmed, it is clear that the defendants had foreseen possible harm and had not taken enough action to ensure that passersby like Helen would not be at risk of harm. The other principle is the proximity between the defendant and the claimant. In this case, there is an aspect of neighbourhood between Helen and Metro plc since the defendants knew claimant and other passersby used the place. In Donoghue vs. Donoghue (1932), ju dge Atkin stated that a neighbour is not a person with whom one has physical closeness but one that is likely to be affected by the other person’s actions. The third principle of Caparo case states that a person can only be held to owe a duty of care if doing so is reasonable, fair and just. In the case of Helen vs. Metro plc, it was reasonable fair and just that the defendant ensured that the claimant and other passersby were not at risk. On the other claim of losing her earnings, Helen cannot blame Metro Plc this is because she spent more time in hospital because she was not served on arrival. Metro Plc could not have foreseen that she could have lost her earnings as a result, of their actions; therefore, they do not owe them a duty of care. In Spartan steel and Alloys Ltd V Martin & Co. Ltd (1873) it was held that economic loss can only be recoverable only if it results from physical damage that was caused by the defendant’s negligence (Harpwood, 2000). Helenâ€℠¢s claim against Hubble & Co. In this case, Helen is the claimant from Hubble & Co for negligence this is because she relied on the report that Hubble & Co prepared to buy more shares, and this led her into losing money since Bubble &Co’s report was wrong. The issues that arise from this case include whether Bubble &Co are liable since they were merely employees of Metro Plc the company that Helen owned shares. The law applicable in this case is pure economic loss negligence (Matthews, 2012).

Herzberg Theory of Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Herzberg Theory of Motivation - Essay Example The term 'Job Satisfaction' refers to one of the extent to which an individual likes his or her job. As defined by Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, "Job satisfaction is the degree to which individuals feel positively or negatively about their jobs. It is an attitude or emotional response to one's tasks as well as to the physical and social conditions of the workplace." (Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, 2002) Feedback is the objective information about individual and collective performance. Subjective information like 'you are doing well' does not qualify the criteria of the objectivity and thus can not be called an ideal feedback. (Miner, 1988) .Feedback serves two functions; that is instructional and motivational. Besides providing the instructions for further improvement, feedback should also be aimed to motivate the employees rather than condemn them. (Tosi, Rizzo and Mero, 2000) Being so important for the organizational culture, organizational behavior researchers have laid a great stress in determining the factors which influence the employee satisfaction. As a result, a number of theories regarding the issue have been evolved. Herzberg theory of motivation is one of them. ... As a result, a number of theories regarding the issue have been evolved. Herzberg theory of motivation is one of them. (Szilagyi and Wallace, 1983) The Herzberg theory of motivation is based on the fact that the satisfaction level of an employee is deeply affected by two broad categories; hygiene factor and the motivation factor. Herzberg asked the employees to report the times they felt very satisfied with their jobs and the times they felt discontented. He noted all the factors which led to increase the job satisfaction of the employees and same for the dissatisfaction. On the basis of this study he gave this theory, which is also known as motivator-hygiene theory, which identifies different factors as foremost causes of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. (Philip and Duncan, 1982) According to this theory, hygiene factors are those factors which cause job dissatisfaction. He noticed that these tasks are more related to the work environment, rather than the nature of work itself. Some of the common hygiene factors are as follows: Organizational policies Quality of supervision Working conditions Base wage or salary Relationships with peers Relationships with subordinates Security (Luthans, 2006) Herzberg asserts that these factors are though responsible for job dissatisfaction, yet their presence does not guarantee the job satisfaction. Lets take the example of salary, if the employees are under paid, their satisfaction towards their work will be lesser. However, if they are appropriately paid, even then this will not bring the job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is achieved through a number of other factors like: Achievement Recognition Responsibility Advancement Growth (Luthans, 2006) The factors which

Strategic Plan of my current employer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Plan of my current employer - Essay Example Internal environmental factors affecting an organization’s performance include strengths and weaknesses. Externally, opportunities and threats influence an organizations’ performance among industry competitors. Inefficiency in the planning process is dangerous to the survival of an organization. Mistakes by the management while lying down the strategic plan management consequentially lead to failure and loss of business to competitors. In the extreme, an organization faces liquidation (Bo?hm, 2009). To achieve is purpose of â€Å"to develop a self-actualized scholar, who possesses a knowledgeable and discerning mind, thrives in service to others, and is prepared for college,† Paulo Freire Charter School must effectively manage its internal and external environments effectively and efficiently. Internal factors adequately affect the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. The management of any organization needs to plan for the purpose of hedging against any form of internal problems. Resources and human capital are essential elements in the internal factors management. Availability of raw materials, financial capital for investment and labour to work in the various departments are the internal factors affecting the performance of an organization. To achieve organizational goals, adequacy of resources is essential. Internal factors make both the organizational strengths and weaknesses. ... Long-term finances are essential in financing long-term operations of the school. Inadequate finances for an organization are its weakness, while adequate finances are its strength. Purchase of machinery, hiring of workers, and expansion of a classes and addition of courses offered by the school are the major uses of long-term funds in the school. Strategic budgeting process by an organization ensures proper allocation of resources according to the requirements of the organization. Poor budgeting of organizational funds potentially leads to financial problems to the school. Prioritizing needs with reference to the organizational needs and requirements will help the organization from getting into financial problems. Bo?hm (2009) points out that as strength, adequate finances greases the various wheels used by the management to achieve the school’s purpose. However, this could also form part of its weaknesses. Inadequate funds, misappropriation of the school’s income and poor liquidity position are a weakness that can lead to poor results, and thus the school losses business to its competitors. Human capital is responsible for the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Bruce, 2006). To achieve its goal the school needs human resources, and these need care and profession in their handling. Investing in human resources of the organization increases the organization quality of services. At the same time, the organization achieves its goals, reaches its vision and lives up to its mission statement. Proper motivational strategies to the teachers increase their output. According to Frey (2002), there is more to motivation than offering good salaries to the employees. Although

Business Financial Metrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Financial Metrics - Essay Example Company managers, investors and government regulators utilize various metrics and ratios to analyze company financial statements such as income statements and balance sheets so as to determine the fiscal viability of the organization in the short and long term. This paper will examine some of the ratios and metrics utilized by various stakeholders to appraise different financial statements, examining how various stakeholders can successfully employ the metrics and ratios in their decision making. The examination of balance sheets entails the use of financial ratios as the primary metrics. These ratios include the quick ratio, leverage or debt-to-worth ration and current ratio. The current ratio, which is also referred to as the liquidity ratio, measures the liquidity or solvency of an entity (Higgins, 2009). This metric offers investors a measure of the business’ capacity to pay its current liabilities using its current assets. Investors typically use this information to decid e whether or not to invest in a business. A high current ratio means the company has vast capabilities to pay its short-term debts using short-term cash. Investors and company managers seek a current ratio that is above 1.0 since this indicates a company’s competence to repay all its current liabilities. Secondly, quick ratio is also a measure of liquidity, which eliminates certain minimally liquid assets from the current ratio equation. Company managers, government regulators and investors utilize quick ratio to analyze a company’s financial strength (Shapiro & Balbirer, 2000). Company managers, investors and business managers use this information to determine a company’s overall capacity to repay its current liabilities, which influences its long term viability. On the other hand, the leverage ratio or debt-to-equity or debt-to-worth ratio provides investors a viable signal of a business’ leverage. When this ratio is high, it means a company’s as sets exceed its stock equity, which indicates that the company has more debt than equity. Leverage ratios of 2:1 or lower mean that liabilities are double the amount of shareholder’s equity. Ratios above 2:1 indicate that a business may be unable to pay its creditors or acquire supplementary long-term funding (Higgins, 2009). Government regulators use leverage ratios to determine whether or not companies can legally file for bankruptcy. Investors use the ratios for control purposes such as deciding either to invest or pull out their investments in a company (Harrington, 2003). The ratios allow current and prospective investors to examine how managers acquire and make use of company resources in their control, thereby influencing investment decisions with a view to deterring the incidence of financial loss. Through the ratios, company managers gain knowledge of the successfulness of the business’ past and present strategies and how to enhance their future viability. Rat ios also enable managers to highlight and exact deviations from optimal performance levels thus allowing organizations to steer their decision making and processes towards the attainment of such optimal performance. Various stakeholders use different ratios and metrics to analyze income statements. For instance, earnings per share ratios tell government analysts and investors the amount of money available to shareholders

Bilingual Education Essay Example for Free

Bilingual Education Essay A deeper sense of xenophobia has descended on America recently. The sleepy rural town of Pahrump, NV, reflected this animosity when it passed an ordinance that made English the official language and made it illegal to display foreign flags without an accompanying American flag (Curtis, 2006). In an act of civil disobedience, two Pahrump residents placed a Polish flag and an Italian flag (in reference to their own ancestry) on their front porch (Curtis, 2006). Vandals drenched the Italian flag with eggs overnight (the Italian flag looks similar to the Mexican flag). A majority of the voting citizens of Pahrump would eventually overturn the polarizing ordinance. This incident reflects a salient truth: many monolingual Americans feel uncomfortable with the influx of Spanish-speaking peoples because of the perceived lack of assimilation by Hispanics. This xenophobic atmosphere has trickled onto the realm of education: a movement for the elimination of bilingual education in public schools has gained more attention recently. Proponents argue that using native languages in the classroom impedes national unity (Brisk, 1998). Others feel that bilingual education impedes learning. This research paper examines a possible cause of the anti-bilingual movement. It also examines some arguments and counter arguments of bilingual education. Although by definition bilingual education may include English and any foreign language, this paper focuses on the Spanish-speaking population because of the perception many have about the Hispanic community: that it resists conforming to American culture. Such sentiments have contributed to the anti-bilingual education movement that has descended in many parts of America. This is unfortunate because bilingual education programs actually promote assimilation into mainstream American society. Bilingual Education 3 The bilingual education debate, as mentioned in the introductory paragraph, has garnished more dialogue lately because of another hot button issue; immigration. Newscasts often flash images of â€Å"illegal aliens† crossing our borders. Many talk shows often feature lively debates concerning effects of the undocumented workforce. The immigration debate finally sparked a massive protest in 20006 with the â€Å"Day Without an Immigrant† boycott that would affect American schools and businesses (Lendon, 2006). The topic of bilingual education has inevitably entered the debate. Editorial writers often slip in their stances on bilingual education when discussing immigration issues. Pugnacious talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh often host acidic debates on bilingualism in the United States. This issue will certainly not evaporate any time soon. What many opponents of bilingual education fail to mention is that there is an elephant in the room: xenophobia. Many monolingual citizens fear that American culture as they know it is morphing into something foreign. Considering America’s rich, colorful immigrant history, this fear baffles the mind. Why would the descendants of Poles, Germans, Czechs, Italians, and other European immigrants express such concerns? Critics of America’s evolving culture should focus on the similarities between the immigrants of their ancestors and the plight of today’s average immigrant. Many of America’s ancestors landed on our shores at the turn of the 20th century (Calderon, Slavin, 2001). Their European ancestors, like today’s immigrants, had the same dreams that many of today’s immigrants have: to escape the abyss of poverty or war. Although many immigrants faced linguistic and cultural obstacles, many witnessed their children succeed in school and acquire economic security. According to Calderon and Slaven Bilingual Education 4 (2001), â€Å"School is the ladder by which children of immigrants climb out of poverty and into mainstream society† (p. 8). The goal of the immigrants of yesteryear was clearly to assimilate by means of a quality education. If education is a major ingredient for assimilation of immigrants into mainstream society, then society should embrace bilingual education. A starting point is literacy, since reading cuts across all academic subjects. An effective strategy involves using a child’s native language in literacy instruction. We generally acquire reading skills by reading (Smith, 1994). By providing a child with reading material in his/her primary language, we provide the student with a healthier, stronger academic base from which to build on. Once a child acquires these basic skills such as identifying phonic blends in his/her mother tongue, the student digests the given topic easier. Equipped with reading and content knowledge skills, the transition into literacy in a second language then becomes smoother for the English language learner. Truly, a child’s native language is the best initial medium of instruction (Brisk,1998). I did not realize how important using a child’s native language was until I experienced an obstacle with a native Spanish speaker several years ago. Using only English, I was trying to teach a student fresh from Mexico the concept of active and linking verbs. I soon realized that she had never learned these basics about her own native language, let alone grammar of the English language. I soon resorted to teaching her grammar in Spanish. After she mastered the subject, I transitioned what she learned into the initial English lesson that I had tried teaching her earlier. This experience lends credence to the point that scholars make: children still have a lot to learn about their Bilingual Education 5 native tongue upon entering American schools (Brisk, 1998). Despite the fact that research supports using native languages as a tool for literacy, many continue their resistance to bilingual education; they argue for an all-English atmosphere in schools. An indirect but serious consequence of this approach is the psychological effect it may have on many Latinos. Many agree that language is a key component of every culture (Blanc, 2000). By discouraging Spanish from the classroom, the limited English proficient (LEP) student may feel that his or her native language or culture has less value than the mainstream culture. This may produce a sense of inferiority in the mind of many Hispanics and may cause strife among different ethnicities. Ironically, this moves many Latinos away from the assimilation ideal, which opponents of bilingual education do not want. In addition to affecting the morale of the LEP community, eliminating bilingual education programs may increase the already sky-high Hispanic high school drop-out rate. Lack of academic success is one reason Hispanic youths quit school (Lockwood, 1996). By removing their limited access to research-based programs such as bilingual education, they may suffer even less academic success. Eventually, this may produce a Hispanic community full of low-skilled, poorly educated people. In other words, it may produce a subclass. Again, this moves Hispanics away from the assimilation goal cherished by many Americans. Regardless of the benefits of bilingual education, anti-bilingual sentiments continue percolating. Some resort to using other Latinos as a means for obtaining their anti-bilingual agenda. Some cite Richard Rodriguez’s In Hunger of Memory: the Bilingual Education 6 Education of Richard Rodriguez as a case against bilingual education (Krashen, 2007). Rodriguez, a Mexican immigrant, enjoyed great academic success and assimilated into American society despite the lack of bilingual education. Some average Hispanics parallel Rodriquez’s anti-bilingual education stances. Forty-three-year-old waitress Ana Julia Duncan, daughter of Mexican nationals, received minimal bilingual services in the third grade (personal communication). Despite this fact, academically she performed moderately well (personal communication). Because of her success in school, Duncan feels that bilingualism has little value: â€Å"I didn’t speak English when I started school. I did OK. Why can’t anybody else do OK? † Unfortunately, her way of thinking strikes a familiar chord with other Latinos in her same situation. The Rodriquez and Duncan stories seem to act as support for the elimination of bilingual education. However, neither person represent the average, modern English language learner. In Rodriquez’s case, he grew up in a predominately white neighborhood (Kreshen, 2007). As a result, he was exposed to the English language a lot more than the average Spanish speaker. Since a child’s socio-cultural environment plays a major role in his or her intellectual development (Gregory, 2004), Rodriguez’s success should not surprise many. His peers, in essence, acted as quasi-tutors. Duncan’s situation parallels Rodriguez’s upbringing: she too grew up in a mainly white neighborhood (personal communication). Therefore she too received informal training or input from her peers. A majority of Hispanic LEP students, by contrast, live in predominately Spanish-speaking neighborhoods and lack the advantages Rodriguez and Duncan had as children (Kreshen, 2007). Bilingual Education 7 Despite the flaws in using Rodriguez and Duncan as microcosms in the bilingual education debate, some nevertheless insist in a total immersion approach in our schools. Although total immersion has no credible supporting evidence (Crawford, 2007), from a personal point of view, it does have a tinge of value. I had virtually no English-speaking skills as a very young child. My parents were Mexican nationals; my father worked at the post office while my mother stayed at home with the children. Thus, I had virtually no exposure to English. Upon entering my predominantly white kindergarten class in 1970, I realized that I was basically on my own since there were no other Latino children in that particular class. However, this sink or swim situation had a benefit. Within a year, I spoke conversational English. By the first grade, I became fairly fluent in English and would earn average grades. In my opinion, total immersion did play a role in my acquiring salient English skills. Unfortunately, by the time I reached the second grade, I felt as if I lost a part of my identity: I lost a good deal of my native language. I forgot some major Spanish vocabulary words, I started having trouble pronouncing many polysyllabic words, and I had developed a slight gringo accent. Mexican children noticed this and would often make fun of my awkward Spanish. To make things worse, my English skills still needed improvement. The presence of bilingual education may have prevented some of my linguistic obstacles by helping me maintain a healthy language base in both English and Spanish. Luckily, some of my teachers noticed my problem and placed me in a bilingual program along with three other students. One was in the same situation as myself; the Bilingual Education 8 other two were predominately proficient in Spanish who lacked major English skills. The bilingual teacher helped us maintain our strengths and helped correct our weaknesses by using our native language as a medium for instruction. By the end of the school year, I felt more confident. This research paper starts out with an anecdote that depicts a rural Nevada town struggling with xenophobia; it had voted in an English-only ordinance. Then, a connection between xenophobia in America and the anti-bilingual education movement is unveiled. Despite the fact that some school districts have pupils from as many as 130 different countries (Crawford, 2004), this paper focuses on the Spanish speaking English language learner because of a major criticism the Hispanic community endures; that it resists assimilation into the mainstream American culture. A â€Å"solution† for the this problem is the elimination of bilingual education programs in public schools. Proponents claim this would strengthen national unity. However, as this research paper demonstrates, purging such programs would actually gear the Hispanic English language learner away from assimilation, not towards it. If many opponents of bilingualism have their way, American schools will eventually have a monolithic, cookie-cutter approach to teaching its student population. In the United States, a country made from a rich tapestry of immigrants, this scenario would be very un-American. Bilingual Education 9 References Blanc, M. H. A. , Hamers, J. (2000). Bilinguality and Bilingualism. England : Cambridge University Press. Summary: This book is a very elevated, academic piece of work. It provides the reader with a guideline to language behavior, tools to measure levels of bilingualism, and addresses bilingual development. Other areas the book concentrates on include the cognitive development of the bilingual mind, and the cognitive consequences of the bilingual behavior. Brisk, M. E. (1998) Bilingual Education: From Compensatory to Quality Education. Mahway, New Jersey: Cambridge University Press. Summary: This book examines the traditional debates about bilingual education. It also examines influences, both internal and external, on the bilingual student’s education. The author presents strategies for implementing quality bilingual services. Calderon, M. , Slavin, R. (2001). Effective Programs for Latino Students. Mahway, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Summary: This book highlights programs that have worked well for the Hispanic population. It also addresses the unacceptable high drop-out rate of Latino high school students. The book goes a step further by unveiling the needs of higher-education for Hispanics, an area that has received relatively little attention. The authors also explain why many Latinos are at risk in America. Curtis, Lynette. (2006, Nov. 15). Pahrump Targets Illegal Immigrants. The Las Vegas Review Journal. Curtis, Lynette. (2006, Nov. 23). Backlash: Pahrump flag ban won’t fly. The Las Vegas Review Journal. Lockwood, A. T. Caring, Community, and Personalization: Strategies to Combat the Hispanic Dropout Problem. (1996). Advances in Hispanic Education, 1. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Education. Summary: This book focuses on the dangerously real issue of the Latino dropout issue. T Gregory, E. , Long, S. , Volk. (2004). Many Pathways to Literacy: Young Children Learning with Siblings, Grandparents, Peers, and Communities. New York: Routledge Falmer. Summary: This book looks at literacy, including bilingual literacy, using a sociocultural approach. It taps into the family structure in various ethnic groups. The book addresses bilingual education in the home and highlights the benefits of this strategy. The authors unveil the importance of using cultural norms as a means to teach literacy (such as story-telling). Another aspect of this piece is its assessment of children’s everyday life experience and how that impacts learning. On a personal note, this book didn’t really catch my eye at first because it didn’t focus on Hispanics specifically. I am happy that I finally opened it up because I was able to see some parallels between the Hispanic experiences and other ethnic groups. Krashen, Stephen. ( 1997). Why Bilingual Education? Eric Digest. Retrieved April 4, 2006 from http://www. ericdigests. org/1997-3/bilingual. html. Lendon, Brad. (2006, May 1). US prepares for ‘A Day Without an Immigrant. ’ Retrieved on April 4, 2007, from http://www. cnn. com/2006/US/04/28/boycott/ Smith, F. (1994). Understanding reading: A psycholinguistic analysis of reading and learning to read (5th ed. ). Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum. .