The Fiscal Cliff and the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Fiscal Cliff and the United States - Essay Example The Fiscal Cliff and the United States: A Future Prospectus of What Actions will Precipitate what Reactions Although a firm understanding how these two relate would require a dissertation length piece on both social, governmental, and economic trends, this brief essay will attempt to summarize some of the key concerns related with these implications as well as seeking to understand and quantify the ways in which a given government can seek to maintain the optimal balance of freedom, equality and solidarity in order to proceed within such a difficult economic environment as the current nation is experiencing. With the situation regarding the United States’ â€Å"Fiscal Cliff† as it has been called, the situation is with regards to a host of tax cuts and new austerity measures that are due to go into affect the first of this coming year – if not legislative or executive actions are taken to ally them. The purpose of this piece is not to argue between either fiscally liberal or conservative policies as a panacea to the ills of our current financial travails. However, igno ring the present viewpoints that exist on the topic and attempting to analyze them to find a middle path is equally foolish. Accordingly, the author has chosen to devote some brief space to the political ideologies that the two party system of the United States has necessarily espoused. The primary obstacle towards a greater understanding between the two political parties with regards to austerity, spending, and the national debt is with regards to how the situation should be handled.... Such a sum for the time was an unimaginable one (Hinch, 2012). Aided by nearly a decade of conflict and two wars, the Republican Party lost any and all credence that they had formerly retained with reference to being the party of fiscal responsibility. However, with regards to the individual positions that the political spectrum retains, there can be said to be two. The Democratic Party believes that the best way to find a reasonable solution from such economic difficulties revolve around raising taxes (specifically on the upper middle class and wealthiest citizens). Such an approach has merits; however, speaking economically, it also serves to penalize those job-creators that most directly influence the level of growth and recovery that the nation would experience if such a deadweight loss were not experienced. Similarly, those that support the alternate view to the one listed above claim that any and all budget shortfalls must be remedied by relying on austerity and/or budget cuts to achieve the desired result. Naturally, neither one of these offerings is reasonable due to the fact that it is impossible for our current society to realize the correct levels of freedom, solidarity, and equality that would be necessary to achieve either of these positions. Therefore, it is the recommendation of this author that the ultimate approach would necessarily penalize (tax) all citizens equally; regardless of their economic stature within the economy (Etzioni, 1993). In this way, the government would be able to highly equitable distribute the tax burden among all of its citizens. Additionally, there would no longer be a disincentive for those that made less to attempt to make even more as all citizens would be equitably dealt with in terms of their overall level of

Retail Market Environment in the Republic of Ireland Assignment

Retail Market Environment in the Republic of Ireland - Assignment Example The political and economic stability provided by Irish government policies brought inflation and budget deficits under control after two years of overheating, resulting in increased labour force skills, employment, and foreign investments. Ireland's population of 4.1 million, growing at 1.2% yearly, is the youngest in the EU with more than 53% below the age of 35. Literacy is high, poverty is low, and government forecasts private consumption to grow at 5.6% and GDP ($222 bn in 2005) to grow steadily at 4.7% in 2006. The economic boom triggered substantial changes in the Irish retail landscape and transformed what was once a collection of small shops offering specialised services, small general stores offering various dry goods and fresh foods, and department stores selling clothes and household items. Rapid growth increased mobility, improving the access to information and altering the tastes and shopping habits of consumers, who are more discriminating in getting the highest possible quality at the lowest possible price. The retail sector is adapting to these changes through continuous entrepreneurial innovation and business consolidation. There are currently eleven categories of retail marketing channels in Ireland, ranging from small boutiques to large hypermarkets (Forfs, 2006). The average consumer in Ireland is young, affluent, well educated, employed, and with a high disposable income. The second part of the paper will be devoted to an analysis of Ireland's consumer profile. Environmental Assessment of Ireland's Retail Sector Probably the most important development in Ireland has been the lifting in January 2006, according to plan, of the Groceries Order, a 20-year old law designed to minimise cutthroat price competition among retailers by prohibiting below invoice selling (CSG, 2005). We made a LoNGPEST analysis to assess the political, economic, social, and technological effects of the recent lifting of the Groceries Order that may have widespread local, national, and global consequences. Overview of the Retail Market Sector Table 1 contains an overview of the top competitors in Ireland's retail market

Nationalism Multiculturalism Nation

Nationalism Multiculturalism Nation Introduction: Nationalism and Multiculturalism†¦.. Ethno cultural pluralism is an unavoidable fact of life. Almost every state is ethnically and/or culturally heterogeneous. Walker Connor famously suggested that there were only seven examples in the world of states that met the nationalist test of one state per nation, one nation per state. Herder was the one coining the word nationalism. He believed in the uniqueness of each culture and the impossibility of comparing different cultures on an absolute scale of value. Modern Nationalism has various traits and variants: civic, ethno-cultural and multicultural. We should understand nationalism, then, as a normative argument that confers moral value on national membership, and on the past and future existence of the nation, and identifies the nation with a particular homeland or part of the globe. Sweeney defines ‘three types of nationalism: state, civic and ethnic; ethnic nationalists who stress culture and descent, civic nationalists who stress culture and territory but not descent, state nationalism which asserts the dominance of a particular ethnicity. Civic nationalism†¦is more tolerant of diversity, and is marked by a recognition of different ethnicities. He implies that state nationalism, although a well-defined category, has been abandoned by modern European states, leaving only a contest between the remaining two nationalisms. At the same time he hints at the possibility of a new third nationalism that goes beyond the merely civic and tolerant, when he introduces the idea of a nationalism that is marked by multiculturalism. So, there may remain three types of nationalism: ethnic, civic, and multicultural. Since nationalism is well entrenched in the state-society structures, it is an undeniable factor in politics where it creates individual loyalty to an ethnic community, constructing the group identity and working on the mobilization for the benefits of the group interests. But, sometimes it affects the society negatively, this happens if the majoritarian nationalism was contested by a competing nationalism, the society may witness bloody aggressive confrontations, such as what used to happen in between the Scottish and the British in the United Kingdom. Thats why modern history witnesses a large-scale loss of life and property all over world in the name of promoting nationalism. On the other hand, so far in most of the literature, multiculturalism is considered as a policy framework rather than a form of nationalism. A way to manage the immigrants population, achieving integration while maintaining identity. Thus, multiculturalism can be viewed as both a policy adopted in diversely cultural societies and as the demographic cultural status in these societies. As a descriptive term it is used to describe societies which have many distinct cultural groups usually as a result of immigration. Multiculturalism as a public policy for managing cultural diversity in a multiethnic society officially stresses mutual respect and tolerance for cultural differences within a countrys borders, emphasizing the unique characteristics of different cultures especially as they interact with one another inside these societies. Immigrants should preserve their cultures with the different cultures, interacting peacefully within one nation. An important remark in this regard is the fact that while all societies today are culturally heterogeneous, not all of them are multicultural. I quote Bhikhu Parekh â€Å"Multiculturalism doesnt simply mean numerical plurality of different cultures, but rather a community which is creating, guaranteeing, encouraging spaces within which different communities are able to grow at their pace. At the same time it means creating a public space in which these communities are able to interact, enrich the existing culture and create a new consensual culture in which they recognize reflections of their own identity.† Ralph Grillodistinguishes between weak multiculturalism in which cultural diversity is recognized in the private sphere while a high degree of assimilation is expected of immigrants and ethnic minorities in the public sphere (law and government, the market, education and employment) and strong multiculturalism marked by institutional recognition of cultural differences in the public sphere including political representation and private one. The emerging trends in nationalism in some countries point to the fact that it is much more than just a set of political principles for nation-building. However, one wonders whether it is proper to label multiculturalism as a form of nationalism when many multicultural states are not able to avoid a backlash from the majority or completely satisfy the minority to the extent that the nationalist vision is truly adopted by the entire nation. That is why to know whether nationalism can be multicultural, it is highly important to study the states response and its policies regarding immigrants and minorities within multicultural societies. Generally, no state is entirely neutral in arbitrating these nationalist visions. Use of coercive means can be expected of any state while deciding to form its nationalist vision and this happens irrespective of the nature the political system. Taylor Strong insists that the nationalist sentiment remains an integral part of the political culture of a state. He perceived the identity as being unattached from the public domain and that is why the state can not be neutral because it is in control of the identity of the nation. For him, this establishes the limits of multiculturalism; once cultural identity is recognized then transformed into a state, the cultures that are internal to this community can not be entitled to benefit from the same right. But still he believes that each culture should preserve its authenticity since the recognition of the equal value of each culture will be permitting the public conversation between the diverse identities. Kernerman identifies that the main issue behind multicultural nationalism is how to achieve a balance between the need to sustain diversity and the necessity to achieve unity with the major question of how are the various manifestations of diversity to be recognized and understood in relation to one another and to the political community? But what is the position of minorities within multicultural societies? And how does the state deal with them? How can we balance between national sentiments and inclusion of immigrants peacefully in a plural society? The paradox of multicultural societies: nationalism Vs. multiculturalism?! Within multicultural societies, people usually disagree about how national unity is best achieved and what it should look like? Some demand equal treatment of all citizens, regardless of their cultural, ethnic, racial, religious or other characteristics since citizenship must be left undifferentiated and symmetrical. Citizenship should be difference blind. In contrast, others demand forms of differentiated citizenship where their differences are not only recognized, but also incorporated into the rules, procedures, and symbols of the political system. That is why many related issues gain attention of policy makers in these societies such as: the scope of minority rights, and the under representation of minorities in electoral politics, the absence of loyalty†¦. But the oppositions remain: equal versus differentiated citizenship, individual rights versus collective rights, impartial versus group-based representation, and so on. Within multicultural societies, nationalism is a site of polarization, driven by mutually exclusive understandings of which units of identity- groups and peoples- should dominate in the collective understanding of the political community. These communities/groups have some conception of the parts and the whole, and so they operate according to their specific logic of identity. This shows how the state has a major role in boosting the sense of loyalty and national identity among the different communities within the society. This role differs among states given different national histories, legal frameworks, and preferences for managing immigration. Contemporary States which adopts an integrative multicultural policy claim that their nationalism is civic rather than ethnic, emphasizing on their equal rights agenda. But inspite of that some signs suggest that minorities may still feel outsiders despite the equal rights and the civic welcome. Parekh points out: one might enjoy all the rights of citizenship and be a formally equal member of the community, and yet feel an outsider who does not belong. It depends upon the public as much as on the Parliament and on political symbols, images, ceremonies, collective self-understanding and views of national identity as much as on equal-rights legislation. No society can remain the same when it admits new members, rather every society constantly redefines and reconstitutes itself in response to the emergence of new generations who bring with them new ideas, forms of self-understanding and modes of behavior. Thats why immigrants are considered a challenge. To solve this, common belonging need to be developed by all states institutions. Common belonging is a two-way process; immigrants can not belong to the society in which they have chosen to settle unless it is prepared to welcome them, and conversely it can not accept them as full members unless they wish to belong, with all what this entails. Common belonging therefore can only be achieved if each party respects the terms of the relationship and discharges its obligations. That is why Inclusiveness is usually formulated in the metaphor of two-way integration. The first of the EU Common Basic Principles of Immigrant Integration Policy states: Integration is a dynamic, two-way process of mutual accommodation by all immigrants and residents of the Member States This means that not just immigrants but also the receiving society has to change, the latter being mandated to create opportunities for the immigrants full economic, social, cultural, and political participation. This is a process that requires each side to stick to its obligations so as to get its rights fully satisfies. On the immigrants side, they may legitimately ask for changes in the practices and institutions of the wider society if the demands are biased or can not be met. Their demands are likely to receive a favorable response only if they have made a commitment to society, valuing their membership of it. These minorities arrive willingly as immigrants to the host country, wishing to belong to this country of settlement and they are expected to be loyal, especially that a society is not a chance collection of people who happen to live together; rather it represents a way of life built up through struggle and sacrifice over several generations. Since their identities and histories are closely bound up with their society, they rightly feel protective about it. Native citizens want to be reassured that immigrants value their membership of it, and respect its way of life. Immigrants need to commit themselves to the host society and accept the expected responsibilities and obligations, but this does not mean that they should break their ties with their country of origin. Such a demand is unfair, impossible to meet, and unnecessary. What can be demanded of immigrants is that they should see their country of settlement as their home, whatever other homes they might also happen to have. It should mean something to them, have an intrinsic value for them, and they should give reasonable evidence of their commitment to it. Such a commitment establishes their good faith, gives them the rights of membership, and entitles them to make different claims on the rest of society as their process of settlement requires. Immigrants express their commitment to society in several ways: They should cherish its integrity and well-being, respect its authority and laws, and in general discharge their obligations as citizens. Immigrants also affirm their commitment to society by participating in its common life, discharging their share of collective responsibility, being productive workers, not abusing the available welfare provisions, and so on. But this does not include interfering in their personal life sphere which does not affect the shared collective life or else it will be unequal treatment. Immigrants need to acquire the cultural competence to help them get acquainted with their new countrys way of life. This involves learning its language, understanding and observing its rules of civility and norms of behavior, and familiarizing themselves with its traditions, history and moral sensibilities. That is why both the state and the society must help them integrate within the fabric of the society with all possible legal and social facilities. From the many types of cultural rights claimed by immigrants are: Exemptions from laws which penalize or burden cultural practices of members of a religious/cultural group whose practices are different from the societys known practices because of the very different meaning it has for the majority culture. Thus, the exemption is justified as recognition of that difference. Also, some related claims seek to have the general law recognize a culturally specific way of establishing certain rights which are established otherwise by the general law. A simple example is the authority granted to religious officials in some states to perform legally binding marriages. Assistance rights to do those things the majority can do unassisted, helping the minorities to overcome obstacles to engaging in common practices. Special provision is sought because of culturally specific disadvantages or because the desired common activity has been designed in such a way as to keep members of non-dominant groups out. Introducing new citizenship and English language requirements are two main policies in this regard. Representation of minorities in states decision-making bodies. Adequate representation of the immigrants should be ensured in the major political institutions to allocate them a fair share of public resources, to secure protection of their interests/rights and to prevent discrimination. The mechanisms for this vary; sometimes it takes the form of straightforward quotas. Symbolic claims to acknowledge the worth, status, and existence of various groups (name of polity, official name of ethnic groups, national holidays, teaching of history, official apologies). The above shows how both the society and the state are needed in the integration process of minorities to meet the needs of both the immigrants and the native citizens in a just fair way that seeks the benefits of the whole society. The states integration policies changed over time till it reached to the multicultural pluralistic form for several reasons including: (a) Demographics: In the past, many governments had the hope/expectation that ethnic minorities would simply disappear, through dying out or assimilation or intermarriage. It is now clear that this is not going to happen due to their high birth rates. The percentage of immigrants in the population is growing steadily in most Western countries, and most commentators agree that even more immigrants will be needed in the future to offset declining birth rates and an ageing population. (b) Rights-Consciousness: the human rights revolution that is premised on the idea of equality of human beings raised the awareness of groups which now have a powerful sense of entitlement to equality as a basic human right, not as a favor or charity. (c) Democracy: In many countries around the world, elites ban political movements of minority groups through different ways. The fear of this sort of repression often keeps minority groups from voicing. Keeping quiet is the safest option for minorities in many countries. However, in consolidated democracies, there is no option but to allow minority groups to mobilize politically and advance their claims in public. It is this loss of fear, combined with rights-consciousness that explains the active nature of ethnic politics in western democracies. The state must make a commitment to immigrants in appropriate ways dealing with the facts that they are new to the society and are liable to misunderstanding and negative stereotyping. Also, they need time to acquire the necessary cultural competence, and in the meantime they lack a clear coherent voice. Being outsiders, they are often resented and also likely to be discriminated against and may suffer from various kinds of disadvantage. This deepens the role of the state to ease their transition, helping them become full legitimate members. Since the nature of the attachments of the groups to the larger political community varies, certain mechanisms are needed to accommodate these variations. This requires some actions from the states side such as: First: Discrimination against immigrants in all areas of life, especially in areas such as employment and housing, should be declared unlawful and subjected to appropriate sanctions since it implies unequal treatment, building up frustration, and can over time generate a profound sense of alienation and marginality. When the state does nothing about it, it sends out the message that it regards them as an inferior class of citizens. Thus the state must address the socio-economic exclusion problems. Secondly: Immigrants suffer from several economic, social, cultural, political and other disadvantages which impede their settlement. This requires a comprehensive public policy covering areas such as: the immigrants need to learn the language in classes that suit their needs and working hours, dealing with residential concentration phenomenon when it transfers from being a comforting way of boosting the immigrants self confidence and safety into an impediment of integration by confining immigrants to their own community. Thirdly: Educational institutions play a crucial role in creating a common sense of belonging. They should prepare their students to live in a multicultural society, cultivating the necessary multicultural skills as tolerance, openness to other ways of life and thought and mutual respect. Citizenship is not entirely about rights, but is a matter of participation in the political community and begins early in life. It concerns the learning of a capacity for action and for responsibility but, essentially, it is about the learning of the self and of the relationship of self and other. It is a learning process. Consequently, it is vital to build up inter-ethnic bonds through associations which bring together different communities in the pursuit of common interests, and develop mutual understanding and trust, fostering a strong sense of civic identity that transcends ethnic differences and creating a larger sense of national identity. Also, Multiculturalism may take the form of revising the educational curriculum to include the history and culture of minority groups; creating advisory boards to consult with the members of minority groups; recognizing the holy days of minority religious groups; teaching police officers, social workers, and health care professionals to be sensitive to cultural differences in their work; developing regulations to ensure that minority groups are not ignored or stereotyped in the media; and so on. These policies may seem discriminatory but they are not because they are intended to remove obstacles to equal fair competition and tackle disadvantages, not to give arbitrary and unfair preference to minorities and immigrants. So when in some cases they receive greater attention, this is only because their disadvantages are greater than normal citizens and are compounded by discrimination. It is an affirmative-action/positive discrimination† program in light of citizens varying legal frameworks. Inspite of all these efforts, sometimes obligatory civic integration (civic integration courses and tests for newcomers†¦) is interpreted as an instance of repressive liberalism especially that non-compliance tends to be sanctioned in terms of financial penalties or denial of permanent legal residence permits. Some view that the novelty of civic integration policy is its obligatory character, which has notably increased over time, and this notional ‘integration policy has even transmitted into a tool of migration control, helping states to restrict especially the entry of unskilled and non-adaptable family immigrants.Some believe that what began as an immigrant integration policy has thus turned into its opposite, a no-immigration policy. But this is not totally true, since basic knowledge of the host societys language, history, and institutions is indispensable to integration. Thus, it is the right of the host country to ensure the success of its integration process through the means fitting its societal framework. But, still some countries tend to be so aggressive in its immigration policies out of its belief that immigrants pull the economy backwards. Such an issue differs among countries according to the ruling political system. But, still the public policies mentioned and the attitudes expected from the minorities are the least acceptable to ensure a peaceful multicultural society which both preserves its identity while respecting diversity. Conclusion: Multicultural governance may be the most feasible theory to achieve a multicultural national citizenship because it operates with the purpose of constructing normalized multicultural citizens within a balanced regime of identity and diversity. Multicultural governance does far more than protect the spaces within which diversity can flourish; it helps to create these spaces. It constructs the identity framework in which cultural freedoms can be asserted and deployed. A multicultural state will be providing the categories within which groups and citizens negotiate their behavior and interact together so that the citizen can belongs to an ethnic group and to the nation simultaneously. As Charles Taylor believes, personal identity is formed in a symbiotic relation with a collective identity and is nourished by the culture that the group shares. This emphasizes the importance of having a multicultural spirit within the society, believing that with the appropriate policies adopted by the states institutions to facilitate the integration of minorities and with a high degree of loyalty from the minorities side, an authentic multicultural nationalism can flourish where both the national identity and diversity are being respected and promoted. Such visions draw the best mechanism that can achieve a real multicultural national society, proving that a balance can happen between both nationalism and multiculturalism. Appendix: Generally, we can identify four types of minorities which are disadvantaged and need to be well integrated: Groups have their cultural roots within their country of citizenship, but have a key defining characteristic (e.g. gay/lesbians; disabled people). groups are autochthonous minorities (i.e. national minorities or aboriginal peoples) (e.g. the Quà ©bà ©cois; the Basques) groups have cultural or ethnic roots not only outside the territory of the state in which they have citizenship but also outside the Western world (e.g. Black-British; Chinese-Americans) groups are mainly religious minorities originating outside the Western world (e.g. French Muslims; British Sikhs) In this research I was focusing mainly upon the minorities of the last 2 kinds who usually arrives as immigrants to the host country. Bibliography: Birnbaum, Pierre and Strong, Tracy, from multiculturalism to nationalism, Political Theory, Vol. 24, No. 1, 1996. Bourne , jenny, In difference of multiculturalism, Institute of race relations IRR BRIEFING PAPER NO.2http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf/IRR_Briefing_No.2.pdf Chirot, Daniel Herders Multicultural Theory of Nationalism and Its Consequences, East European Politics and Societies, volume 10 ,1995. Delanty, Gerald, Two Conceptions of Cultural Citizenship: A Review of Recent Literature on Culture and Citizenship, The Global Review of Ethno-politics, Vol. 1, no. 3, March 2002. Economic and social research council ESRC, Program on devolution and constitutional change, Towards a multicultural nationalism? Anglophobia and Islamophobia in Scotland, Devolution Briefing No.24, March 2005. Gallis, Paul (ed.), Muslims in Europe: Integration Policies in Selected Countries, CRS congressional research service, November 18, 2005. available online at : http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33166.pdf Halstead, schooling and cultural maintenance for religious minorities in the liberal state in Kevin McDonough (Editor), Walter Feinberg, (Editor), citizenship and education in liberal societies: teaching for Cosmopolitan Values and Collective Identities, 2003, Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2005. Harris, John, a paradox of multicultural societies, Journal of Philosophy of Education, Vol. 16, No. 2, 1982. Hussain, Asifa and Miller, William, Multicultural Nationalism :Islamophobia, Anglophobia, and Devolution. Available online at: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/politicalscience/9780199280711/acprof-0199280711-chapter-1.html. Joppke, Christian Beyond national models: Civic integration policies for immigrants in Western Europe, West European Politics, Vol.30, No.1, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713395181 Keating, Michael (Editor), McGarry, John, Minority Nationalism and the Changing International Order, 2001, Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2003.AVAILBALE at: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/private/content/politicalscience/9780199242146/p013.html#acprof-0199242143 Kernerman, Gerald, Multicultural Nationalism: Civilizing Difference, Constituting Community, Law and society Series, (Toronto, UBC Press, 2005) Kymlicka, Will, Multiculturalism and Minority Rights: West and East, journal on ethno politics and minority issues in Europe, Issue 4, 2002, http://www.ecmi.de/jemie/download/Focus4-2002_Kymlicka.pdf Levy, Jacob T. The Multiculturalism of Fear. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Scholarship Online. Oxford University Press. 27 March 2008 Moore, Margaret ethics of nationalism, (oxford: oxford university press, 2001), Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2003. Available online at: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/private/content/politicalscience/9780198297468/p011.html#acprof-0198297467. Parekh, Bhikhu, â€Å"A commitment to cultural pluralism, available at: http://kvc.minbuza.nl/United Kingdom/archive/commentary/parekh_sum.html, Parekh, Bhikhu Unity and diversity in Multicultural societies, International Institute for Labor Studies, published paper, Geneva, 2005. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/1parekh.pdf, Vertovec, Steven â€Å"Trans national challenges to the New multiculturalism†, university of Oxford .paper presented to the ASA conference held at the university of Sussex, 30 march -2nd April 2001.

The Dictatorial Prospero of Shakespeares The Tempest Essay -- Tempest

The Dictatorial Prospero of The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation often propels people to achieve high goals. Sometimes, however, motivation is too strong a tool and can manifest into selfish desires. The exploitation of the weak invariably results from the strong abusing their power, especially in a political setting. In William Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’, Prospero is displayed as a tyrannical character who spawns a disastrous storm as part of a grand scheme to regain his title of Duke of Milan. His subsequent treatment of each character in the play, even his beloved daughter are purely based on his self-centered motives. Prospero can be seen as an overbearing racist, as well as a usurper to land that does not belong to him, but rather to Caliban. Being that Prospero's nature is dictatorial, every aspect of his life concerns achieving his narrow and self-centered goals of regaining political power through his former title of Duke of Milan.    Prospero treats his young daughter, Miranda, in a controlling way by sheltering her from the outside world and even devises a marriage for her to the son of his enemy, King Alonso to better his efforts of obtaining back the dukedom. Whilst Prospero is explaining how they once were royalty, he continually interjects "Dost thou attend me?" (1.2.77) and "Dost thou hear?" (1.2.106) to his acquies... ...ward. "Prospero: A Critical Study. " 336-82. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Corfield, Cosmo. "Why Does Prospero Abjure His 'Rough Magic,'" Shakespeare Quarterly. 36 (1985): 31-4 8. Curry, Walter C. "The Characters of Shakespeare's The Tempest," Early Early Modern Literary Studies. Vers. 5.1. May 1999. Levin, Harry. "Two Magian Comedies: 'The Tempest' and 'The Alchemist,'" Shakespeare Survey . 22 (1969): 47-58. Miko, Stephen J. "Tempest," ELH. 49 (1982): 1-17. Mowat, Barbara A. "Prospero, Agrippa, and Hocus Pocus," English Literary Renaissance. 11 (1981): 281-3 03. West, Robert. "The Mystery of 'The Tempest'. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 1968.    The Dictatorial Prospero of Shakespeare's The Tempest Essay -- Tempest The Dictatorial Prospero of The Tempest      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation often propels people to achieve high goals. Sometimes, however, motivation is too strong a tool and can manifest into selfish desires. The exploitation of the weak invariably results from the strong abusing their power, especially in a political setting. In William Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’, Prospero is displayed as a tyrannical character who spawns a disastrous storm as part of a grand scheme to regain his title of Duke of Milan. His subsequent treatment of each character in the play, even his beloved daughter are purely based on his self-centered motives. Prospero can be seen as an overbearing racist, as well as a usurper to land that does not belong to him, but rather to Caliban. Being that Prospero's nature is dictatorial, every aspect of his life concerns achieving his narrow and self-centered goals of regaining political power through his former title of Duke of Milan.    Prospero treats his young daughter, Miranda, in a controlling way by sheltering her from the outside world and even devises a marriage for her to the son of his enemy, King Alonso to better his efforts of obtaining back the dukedom. Whilst Prospero is explaining how they once were royalty, he continually interjects "Dost thou attend me?" (1.2.77) and "Dost thou hear?" (1.2.106) to his acquies... ...ward. "Prospero: A Critical Study. " 336-82. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. Corfield, Cosmo. "Why Does Prospero Abjure His 'Rough Magic,'" Shakespeare Quarterly. 36 (1985): 31-4 8. Curry, Walter C. "The Characters of Shakespeare's The Tempest," Early Early Modern Literary Studies. Vers. 5.1. May 1999. Levin, Harry. "Two Magian Comedies: 'The Tempest' and 'The Alchemist,'" Shakespeare Survey . 22 (1969): 47-58. Miko, Stephen J. "Tempest," ELH. 49 (1982): 1-17. Mowat, Barbara A. "Prospero, Agrippa, and Hocus Pocus," English Literary Renaissance. 11 (1981): 281-3 03. West, Robert. "The Mystery of 'The Tempest'. Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 1968.   

A Love Song for Bobby Long Analysis Essay

â€Å"A Love Song for Bobby Long† written by Grayson Capps and â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† written by TS Eliot remind the world of men who struggle with the demons of life. The little voices in your head saying â€Å"I don’t think you can do that.† These voices cause you to doubt yourself and your talents. They take the life out of you, and cause you to wonder if you even have a purpose here on earth. Now let’s take a deeper look into these poems and closely analyze their similarities and differences. Bobby Long, a handsome football prospect who possessed the talent of superior acting, was a man who was known for wasting his talents and making the wrong decisions. He chose a â€Å"road less traveled† : a path through life that many people tried to avoid. He was a drunken old man who looked back on life, not because he could change his decisions, but because the people around him wish he had made smarter ones. Years pass, and he finally realizes how his poor decisions led him to the black hole he is now stuck in. A hole dug so deep that he can’t see outside of it. It’s all dark around him and he feels all his problems will be solved when he is finally six feet under. Prufrock won’t build the courage to go up to someone he likes, but only because he lacks Charisma. He lacks the confidence needed to go and be the courageous man he once was. He can no longer find what he needs or wants and he feels it is the end of the world, with no hope left in him. He realizes he is reaching a point where he is coming to anempty closure. He wants the answers to his unknown questions but he second guesses his every move. Does she like me? Does she not? These questions linger in his mind but they will never get answered because he never builds the courage to tell the women he likes or admires. Instead, he just gets wrapped up in the scent of their perfume and the sound of their voices, behind their masked face. He realizes nonone is perfect and everyone makes mistakes However, he wants to know his own and wonders why he was possessed with unfortunate events. He just wants answers. Answers to questions he doesn’t even have the courage to ask†¦ In both poems, the main character, or speaker is referring to themselves as a low life failure. They don’t ever build the courage to face their inner demons. They never realize their true talent, instead just doubt themselves, even when people give them compliments that come from the heart. In their eyes, they will never be good enough. They will never be the ideal husband, but instead, just the weird man everyone points to and laughs at. In Bobby Long’s love song, he realizes he isn’t the ideal husband; however he still womanizes the women and doesn’t care, as long as he never gets sexually frustrated. However, Prufrock struggles with even approaching a woman. His nerves get the best of him and he cannot build the courage to approach her and aska her the tough question. Bobby Long struggles with the confusion of not being able to pick sides (between the devil and God.) He suffers from the struggle of being able to make the right decions, or which to follow. Prufrock struggles with his inner demons. He is his biggest enemy. He causes himself to suffer and keep wondering. Wondering why he could never be the leading role in his own life. He wonders why he could never be â€Å"Prince Hamlet.† Then later realizes maybe he just was never meant to have that role. In Bobby Long and Prufrock’s life, they doubt their ability to be great. They feel that they have reached the end of the world therefore why try? They are giving up on life just because of a few misfortunes and bad decisions. They will never be satisfied with themselves until they are gone forever, or dead. No matter how other people view them, they both believe they were never meant to be the star of their OWN life, but instead a role player who no one really pays attention to.

Referring to your Wider Reading Essay

By Comparing Extracts A, B and C and Referring to your Wider Reading, Examine how Typical in both Style and Treatment of Subject Matter these writings are of Literature from or about the First World War The experiences of men and women within the war differed drastically, due to the different roles played by each gender; women lacked knowledge of the trauma undergone by soldiers on the frontline, due to their lack of personal experience. However, there was not only contrast between men and women in their attitudes and view of the war: Depending on the nature of their involvement in the war, attitudes of women were many and varied, as were those of men. Written by Jessie Pope, a writer well-known for the propaganda portrayed by her poetry throughout the war, ‘Who’s for the Game?’ harbours an extremely motivational, patriotic tone. This is due to the fact that Pope was commissioned to write poems that would encourage young men to join up and fight for their country. As such, this poem illustrates Pope’s utilisation of certain literary techniques in order to rouse an arguably ill-founded passion inside young men to fight to defend their country. Pope’s use of rhetorical questions throughout this poem acts as a gripping device, and holds the attention of the reader; ‘Who’s for the game, the biggest that’s played, The red, crashing game of a fight?’ †¦Who’ll give his country a hand?’ As well as demonstrating Pope’s use of rhetorical questions and the patriotism within her poetry, this quote also illustrates her technique of comparing the brutal war to a sport’s ‘game’, which is further supported by her statement; ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ in which sport’s terminology is utilised, in order to enable her target audience, the young men of the time, to relate to what is being said: Sport’s games were popular amongst boys of the early Twentieth Century, and by comparing the war to a such a game, Pope appeals to these boys. The above quote also demonstrates Pope’s technique of challenging the masculinity of the young men, as she implies that those who don’t fight are cowards, again this is further developed by the statement; ‘Who would much rather come back on a crutch Than lie low and be out of the fun?’ As she was ignorant of the brutality of the reality of war, Pope’s idealisation of, and her naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, patriotic approach to the war enraged many of those who were actively involved in the fighting. World War One poet, Wilfred Owen, particularly despised Pope for her habit of romanticising the aspects of war that she was ignorant of. He was in fact so passionate about his dislike for her that he directly addresses her, in ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, when he states, ‘If you could hear†¦the blood Come gargling from the froth corrupted lungs†¦ My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori’. Expressing a similar attitude to that of Pope, Marian Allen glorifies the war in her poem, ‘The Wind on the Downs’, in which she speaks of her inability to accept the death of a loved one. In support of this subject matter, a disbelieving, longing tone is conveyed, with a sense of naivety also conveyed by Pope in ‘Who’s for the Game’. This naivety is present due to the lack of personal experience that these two writers have had of the brutal reality of the First World War. As Pope remained on the home front in order to write poetry for the newspapers, Allen was typical of many more women at the time of the war; she remained at home whilst her lover went to fight in the war, and consequently she had view of war that was such due to the propaganda portrayed by the media and writers such as Pope. Allen’s use of soft and endearing language develops this idea of Allen as a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve writer in terms of the War, as her failure to accept her lover’s death is symbolic of her genuine ignorance to the nature of his death, and in fact life, whilst serving. The repetition of this denial towards her loss reinforces this point; ‘You have not died, it is not true†¦ That you are round about me, I believe†¦ How should you leave me, having loved me so?†¦ It seemed impossible that you should die’. That we’re introduced to the concept of his death through her line, ‘Because they tell me, dear, that you are dead,’ carries with it an air of denial, due to her expression that she was told, and not that she actually believes it herself. The line would be much less effective had it said ‘Because you are dead’. Allen’s idealisation of her lover and his life in, and out of the war, may be due to the manner in which she received the news of his death, and how little of the truth she was told. This is a subject directly addressed by Siegfried Sassoon in ‘The Hero’, as he speaks of the ‘gallant lies’ an officer had delivered to the mother of a soldier who had actually died a horrific death. It is portrayed by Allen that her and her lover ‘thought of many things and spoke of few’ when he returned home on leave, thereby conveying that he found it difficult to speak of the truth to her. This seeming feeling of not being able to confide in anyone one the home front was common amongst soldiers in the First World War. R.C Sherriff demonstrates it in his play ‘Journey’s End’ through Stanhope’s reluctance to take leave, and Susan Hill illustrates it through Hilliard’s emotional isolation from his family in ‘Strange Meeting’, as he cannot even speak to his sister of the ‘nightmares’ he encounters whilst at home on leave. Had Allen known the honest nature of her lover’s death, and life at war, she may have expressed a different view through this poem. Vera Brittain did gain an insight into the reality of what life must have been like for the men at war, through receiving her dead fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s uniform via post. The refined view she adopted of the war was aided by the condition of the uniform; ‘damp and worn and simply caked with mud’, exhibiting the ‘hole’ made by the bullet that killed him. These quotes are taken from Extract C, an extract from ‘Letters from a Lost Generation’. In this particular letter, Brittain is writing to her brother about the terrible ordeal of examining the uniform, an experience that proved to be somewhat revelatory for Brittain, as it was this following the loss of her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ that spurred her to join up and become a V.A.D. Brittain composed this letter in 1916, which was a pivotal year within the war; a year in which many attitudes of those who previously supported the war were manipulated by its seeming newfound futility. Owen expresses in ‘Futility’, ‘Was it for this the clay grew tall?’ which strongly conveys his view that the war became superfluous, and that the Earth did not develop to be destroyed in such a brutal, futile way. Siegfried Sassoon also made a famous declaration stating his opposition to the continuation of the War in 1917, as a result of events in 1916, such as the infamous ‘Battle of the Somme’. This declaration, and therefore Sassoon’s change of view towards the war is a component of Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’. The form of a letter allows Brittain to utilise several literary techniques, such as varying sentence lengths and use of the five senses to create impact. Effective examples of blunt sentences used by Brittain are, ‘It was terrible’ And ‘No, they were not him’. These two statements demonstrate how Brittain made use of short sentences in order to reflect the blunt, direct nature in which her realisation of the reality of war hit her. In contrast to these short sentences, Brittain displays many complex sentences in order to convey a vivid image of the scene of the uniform before her; ‘The mud of France which covered them was not ordinary mud; it had not the usual clean, pure smell of earth, but it was as though it were saturated with dead bodies- dead that had been dead a long, long time.’ This sentence illustrates Brittain’s use of powerful adjectives, such as ‘saturated’, to strengthen her intended effect, and her application of the repletion of ‘long’, and ‘dead’, in order to emphasise certain factors of what she is conveying. Varying sentence lengths is not a facet of either Allen’s ‘The Wind on the Downs’ or Pope’s ‘Who’s for the Game’. This is due to these extracts taking the forms of poems, which makes it difficult for such a technique to be applied. However, Pope manages to exploit her chosen form of a poem in order to aid her purpose. She imposes a strong marching rhythm, which is supported by the typical ABAB rhyme scheme, thereby giving her poem a sense of soldiers marching to war, which can be perceived by the young men reading it. Similarly, Allen makes use of a regular rhyme scheme in order to give her poem fluidity and enhance the idealised depiction of death, which inevitably highlights Allen’s ignorance to the truth of conditions at war. Pope employs simple language and colloquialisms in her poem, due to its form and audience: As it appeared in a national newspaper, the audience was broad, and so the use of simple language meant the poem would appeal to everyone. The colloquialisms, such as ‘lie low’ ‘†¦give his country a hand’ illustrate Pope’s ability to relate to her intended audience, as boys of the time would find this language common and therefore easy to relate to. The patriotism conveyed by Pope is also illustrated through the latter of the two colloquialisms above. This patriotic attitude was shared by Rupert Brooke, as is conveyed through his poem, ‘The Soldier’ when he writes; ‘A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam’ Brooke died of dysentery before carrying out any active service in the war, and therefore, he too was ignorant of the true conditions of life in the trenches. Thus, his poetry often illustrated naivety and patriotism, similar to others, like Pope and Allen, who were ignorant of the brutal reality of war. Through comparing these three texts we can consequently deduce that although one would assume women to have adopted a romantic view towards the act of fighting for one’s country due to their lack of active involvement in the war, there were actually a range of views produced amongst women as a result of the first world war, expressed through their various pieces of literature.

Catch the Moon Essays

Catch the Moon Essays Catch the Moon Paper Catch the Moon Paper Both â€Å"Catch the Moon† by Judith Ortiz Cofer and â€Å"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant† by W. D. Wetherell are short stories with similar ideas and themes. Although the characters and plots differ slightly, the central themes are very similar. In â€Å"Catch the Moon†, the love of the main characters mother continues to strengthen him even after her death. In â€Å"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant†, the narrators love for fishing continues to give him strength after he loses the girl he thought he loved. In both short stories, love gives the main character strength. In Cofer’s â€Å"Catch the Moon†, a teenage boy, Luis, who had been running with the entirely wrong crowd is let out of a juvenile hall on the simulation that he will labor for his father at his junkyard for the remaining six months of his original sentence. Luis began making bad choices after his mother died three years before. Once his mother died he began to not get along with his father even though his father gave him a job at his junkyard. He does not appreciate his father’s junkyard business and considers him pathetic because he won’t let go of anything that pertains to his wife that passed away. Luis’s situation remains unchanged until he meets Naomi, a stunning young woman who needs Luis’s help finding the right hubcap for her Volkswagen. Unknown to Luis, Naomi’s family owns the funeral home where his mother’s funeral was held. This, along with Naomi’s wholesomeness, brings back Luis’s memories of his mother, because she always told him how proud she was of him, even when Luis did nothing. His mother’s words of kindness and encouragement cause Luis to have a revelation; he breaks down and begins to see things in an entirely different way. Luis drives to the junkyard late one night, climbs up on his mountain of hubcaps, and, â€Å"by lamppost light†, begins what he refers to as the â€Å"treasure hunt† for the â€Å"moon-shaped wheel cover† for Naomi’s car. He â€Å"sorted the wheel covers by make, size, and condition, stopping only to call his father and tell him where he was and what he was doing. † When finally Luis found the perfect match for Naomi’s VW, he washed and polished it, then on an oak branch outside her window, hung it, â€Å"the first good thing he had given to anyone in a long time† (239-240). During Luis’s late night search for Naomi’s perfect hubcap he became closer to his father. He realized that doing â€Å"something that had a beginning, middle, and an end† (239) has a overpowering effect on people. He realized the reason why his father had been keeping so busy the past three years was because of his mother. Luis made a promise to lend a hand to his father more often; he even promised himself he would construct a display wall for his father’s junkyard, the same business he used to hate. The love Luis’s mother had for both Luis and his father became their strength even after she was gone; it just took Luis a longer time to realize this. In Wetherell’s â€Å"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant,† the narrator also has an internal struggle in the beginning. Sheila Mant, the girl next door, becomes the narrator’s object of infatuation. He eventually gets the courage to ask her out to a local dance, and offers to take her there in his small fishing canoe. On the way, he discovers that Sheila is strongly against fishing; she considers it â€Å"definitely dumb. † Just then, his rod that he had cast habitually before picking her up, bends double: â€Å"The line, tightly coiled, [peels] off the spool with the shrill, tearing zip of a high-speed drill† (247). The narrator doesn’t want Sheila too think anything bad of him because he likes fishing. So, â€Å"through a superhuman effort of self-control,† the narrator cuts the line â€Å"with a sick, nauseous feeling in [his] stomach† and continue to the dance with Sheila (249). The dance is all a fog for the narrator; the only event he remembers clearly is Sheila approaching him afterwards to inform him that she would be leaving with Eric Caswell in his Corvette. Throughout his entire canoe ride, the narrator was faced with an internal dilemma. He loved to fish, but he thought he loved Sheila more. It would be great if he could reel in perhaps the biggest bass he had ever hooked, but then again, it would be great if Sheila Mant, the gorgeous girl next door who was three years older than him, came to love him. There were two paths the narrator could have taken, and he made his decision. What he didn’t know was that Sheila would end up leaving him anyway. He realizes that his love for Sheila was only temporary because â€Å"the spell she cast over [him] was gone before the month was over. † The narrator still regrets his decision; he states that â€Å"the memory of that lost bass haunted me all summer and haunts me still†. Even after losing what he thought was the love of his life, the narrator’s love for fishing gave him strength in the years to come. He â€Å"never made the same mistake again† (250). Love can do many things. It can be both harmful and beneficial. Love can scar, and love can inspire. Love can torment, and love can encourage. Love can irritate, and love can comfort. The unseen force of love can go even further than that, though. Love can strengthen. This is seen through both main characters in Cofer’s â€Å"Catch the Moon† and Wetherell’s â€Å"The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant†.

Free Essays on Business Management

This paper’s topic will be Business Management. Business Management is a broad topic in which this paper will cover a few smaller opportunities in this major. This paper will cover a Human Resource Manager, a Customer Service Manager, and a Management Analyst and Consultant. This paper will approach the topic from three separate areas. It will talk about the responsibilities of each of the three management positions. It will also talk about the requirements. Not only the educational requirements, but also the basic communication, physical, and mental requirements. This paper will cover the vast salary ranges. It will also try to pinpoint how much money will be covered along with promotions. I will give you some of my opinions on these jobs since I am researching them and plan on doing one in the future. The responsibilities vary depending on the job and the work environment. A Human Resource Manager’s duties or responsibilities are to manage, plan, direct, and coordinate others in the Human Resource Department (SCOIS). Another duty is to keep the organization staffed with the best and most qualified personal available. A HRM (Human Resource Manager) also does some record keeping, wage and salary classifications, promotions, and they keep track of what vacation and sick leave has been taken. Some of there specialty areas are personnel relations and labor relations. They are also sometimes required to work more than forty hours but sometimes forty-five to fifty hours a week. They are expected to work how ever many hours it takes to get the job done (Trayno). A Management Analyst and Consultant has many responsibilities also. They are in charge of gathering and organizing information on problems and procedures. They analyze statistics and submit written recommendations to clients. They also interview employs (Choices). A Customer Service Manager has a vast amount of responsibilities. They train personnel and write s... Free Essays on Business Management Free Essays on Business Management Stephen R. Covey was born on October 24, 1932 in Salt Lake City. He is the founder of the Covey Leadership Center in his hometown. Stephen works to help others gain proficiency in their lives, especially within the context of business and management. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey discusses several influential guidelines that will benefit anyone in the future. Covey wrote, â€Å"The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act.† Covey also illustrates how to establish quality social abilities and professional management skills. Out of the seven habits illustrated in the book, some I have used in the past and the others I will be sure to use in the future. Now, I will explain how the seven habits will benefit me in the future. Be proactive is the first habit, which means I must step out as a leader in certain situations. This habit involves being brave and willing to accept responsibility for my actions. This habit describes my personality accurately. Being proactive gives me the upper hand and creates new opportunities for me in life. Sitting back and letting someone else be the leader may result in being left out. For example, if the teacher asks for a participant in class and I raise my hand to be a volunteer I am being proactive. This shows the professor that I have initiative. Begin with the end in mine tells me that I should picture what the outcome is going to be before I start. If I plan the situation out in my head I will know exactly how I am going to act the situation out in real-life. This habit will allow me to observe my defaults and issues that I may need to improve about a particular situation. Therefore, I can approach the situation without shortcomings to get in my way. In life when I am trying to accomplish a mission I need to put first things first. This implies deciding what is most important in my life. The important goals must be accomplished first by any ... Free Essays on Business Management This paper’s topic will be Business Management. Business Management is a broad topic in which this paper will cover a few smaller opportunities in this major. This paper will cover a Human Resource Manager, a Customer Service Manager, and a Management Analyst and Consultant. This paper will approach the topic from three separate areas. It will talk about the responsibilities of each of the three management positions. It will also talk about the requirements. Not only the educational requirements, but also the basic communication, physical, and mental requirements. This paper will cover the vast salary ranges. It will also try to pinpoint how much money will be covered along with promotions. I will give you some of my opinions on these jobs since I am researching them and plan on doing one in the future. The responsibilities vary depending on the job and the work environment. A Human Resource Manager’s duties or responsibilities are to manage, plan, direct, and coordinate others in the Human Resource Department (SCOIS). Another duty is to keep the organization staffed with the best and most qualified personal available. A HRM (Human Resource Manager) also does some record keeping, wage and salary classifications, promotions, and they keep track of what vacation and sick leave has been taken. Some of there specialty areas are personnel relations and labor relations. They are also sometimes required to work more than forty hours but sometimes forty-five to fifty hours a week. They are expected to work how ever many hours it takes to get the job done (Trayno). A Management Analyst and Consultant has many responsibilities also. They are in charge of gathering and organizing information on problems and procedures. They analyze statistics and submit written recommendations to clients. They also interview employs (Choices). A Customer Service Manager has a vast amount of responsibilities. They train personnel and write s...

Last Minute Speaking Activities for ESL Teachers

Last Minute Speaking Activities for ESL Teachers Any teacher whos been in the business for more than a few months knows its important to have short speaking activities on hand to fill in those gaps that inevitably occur during class.   Student Interviews Introducing Students to Each Other / Expressing Opinions Choose a topic that will interest your students. Ask them to write five or more questions about this topic (students can also come up with the questions in small groups). Once they have finished the questions, they should interview at least two other students in the class and take notes on their answers. When the students have finished the activity, ask students to summarize what they have found out from the students they have interviewed. This exercise is very flexible. Beginning students can ask each other when they do their various daily tasks, advanced students can make up questions concerning politics or other hot topics. Conditional Chains Practicing conditional forms This activity specifically targets conditional forms. Choose either the real/unreal or past unreal (1, 2, 3 conditional) and give a few examples: If I had $1,000,000, Id buy a big house. / If I bought a big house, wed have to get new furniture. / If we got new furniture, wed have to throw away the old. etc.   Students will catch on quickly to this activity, but you might be surprised by how the story always seems to come back to the beginning.   New Vocabulary Challenge   Activating New Vocabulary Another common challenge in the classroom is getting students to use new vocabulary rather than the same old, same old. Ask students to brainstorm vocabulary. You can focus on a topic, a particular part of speech, or as a vocabulary review. Take two pens and (I like to use red and green) and write each word in one of two categories: A category for words that should not be used in conversation - these include words like go, live, etc., and a category that students should use in conversation - these include vocabulary items youd like to get students using. Pick a topic and challenge students to only use the target vocabulary.   Who Wants a...? Convincing Tell students that you are going to give them a present. However, only one student will receive the present. In order to receive this present, the student must convince you through his/her fluency and imagination that he or she deserves the present. Its best to use a wide range of imaginary presents as some students will obviously be more attracted to certain types of presents than others. A computerA gift certificate for $200 at a fashionable storeA bottle of expensive wineA new car Describing Your Best Friend Descriptive Adjective Use Write a list of descriptive adjectives on the board. Its best if you include both positive and negative characteristics. Ask students to choose the two positive and two negative adjectives that best describe their best friends and explain to the class while they chose those adjectives. Variation:Have students describe each other. Three Picture Story Descriptive Language/Reasoning Choose three pictures from a magazine. The first picture should be of people that are in some sort of relationship. The other two pictures should be of objects. Have students get into groups of three or four students to a group. Show the class the first picture and ask them to discuss the relationship of the people in the picture. Show them the second picture and tell them that the object is something that is important to the people in the first picture. Ask students to discuss why they think that object is important to the people. Show them the third picture and tell them that this object is something that the people in the first picture really dont like. Ask them to once again discuss the reasons why. After you have finished the activity, have the class compare the various stories that they came up within their groups.

Hacking the Accounting Information System Research Paper

Hacking the Accounting Information System - Research Paper Example One of the companies which got hacked in recent times is Microsoft .inc. According to ( Smith,2012)â€Å"In simple terms computer hacking and cracking reflects, the intentional, unauthorized access to an organization’s computer system†. So the companies need to be alert and take considerable responsibility to secure its Accounting Information System (Thesis).Accounting Information System is a process which needs high security as many crucial and essential data are handled in it. Any business concern needs to take the responsibility to secure the confidential data so as to protect the company from hackers and unidentified encroachment. The business organisations have the responsibility to invent and install upgraded security system to ensure confidentiality and risk free environment for the company and its customers. Microsoft being the most prominent company in the world had been hacked few times .Thus the accounting information system along with the management has undergone many challenges and losses. The company was hacked in 2012 by a group of Chinese hackers and in 2013 a java script was injected in the business system of the company. The Microsoft security response centre states the Microsoft Active Protection was a program that provide security for program that gives anti –hacking tool facility. However, the Microsoft did deny that hacking was not done by Chinese group but it was a â€Å"rookie mistake†. They said it was due to dodgy email attachment. So here we can see that hacking can be done even if the e- mails which are socially engineered to disrupt the business system. As per (Peter,2013 ) â€Å"As reported by Face book and Apple, Microsoft can confirm that we also recently experienced a similar security intrusion," wrote Matt Thomlinson, General Manager of Microsofts Trustworthy Computing Security. Unlike the New York Times and the Wall

Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Assignment

Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) - Assignment Example Methods by which to benchmark and enhance execution becomes the deliberate plan that grew in association with, and received by the business, at a level that makes it one of the main plans on the planet; and a driver for and implies by which to maintain solid, effective, and environment neighborly living up to expectations or living environment. Beam grasps a scope of good practices in arranging, outline, development, administration, operation, and upkeep of structures. It is adjusted to neighborhood regulations, measures and codes of practice. The beam models practices in arranging and outline. Model practices in administration, operation, and support. Practices in development and dispatching, praiseworthy best practices in meeting lawful necessities. A solid building needs to influence the soundness of its client or the earth. Pillar underlines indoor natural quality and comforts as key execution markers, with the legitimate thought of the neighborhood, provincial and worldwide ecological effects (Chung & Burnett, 1999). The BEAM plan is interesting in the way that it: Grasps an extensive variety of maintainability issues; Covers the entire life execution of structures; evaluates new structures just upon culmination, and guaranteeing real execution; Chooses BEAM Assessors arbitrarily for the venture confirmation; and Embraces administration, operation and support practices to guarantee an abnormal state of building execution (Chung & Burnett, 1999). The beam upgrades the nature of structures in Hong Kong that animate interest for structures that are more feasible. It gives an acknowledgment for enhanced execution and minimizing false claims; Give a far-reaching arrangement of execution benchmarks that can be sought after by designers and proprietors; Lessen the natural effect of structures for the entire time of the life cycle, and guarantee that ecological contemplations as incorporated for the comfortable outline and arranging stages.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 218

Essay Example In addition to this, the book offers the guidance that is helpful to the students involved in academic writing for the purposes of the summary of the ideas and facts in a book (Gerald, Birkenstein, and Russel, 117). An academic writer will in this instance be able to sharpen his or her ideas. Bright ideas will make him or her learn the ways that can enable him or her express him or herself before others by using the original ideas from his or her mind. As a result, the academic writer, in this case, will develop a paper that is free from plagiarism (Gerald, Birkenstein, and Russel, 128). Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein consider academic writing as a recent research that outlines the processes used in writing through use of short chapters and understandable languages. In this way, the authors argue that academic writing will publish quality materials through use of these elements (Gerald, Birkenstein, and Russel, 145) Since the implementation of the Manitoba’s education policies in the Canadian education system, performance of the science and math’s related subjects has the worst record that also still continues to deteriorate as time continues to elapse (Behiels, 69). The results take place despite Manitoba spending on each K-12 student than any province in the country apart from Alberta (Levin, 74). Even the average student today can’t handle these subjects as was before since the introduction of the policies in the curriculum of the Canadian education. In this instance, the education authorities in the country exercised the mediocrity of the highest order in implementing the Manitoba education policies (Behiels, 87). The reason for this explanation of their level of mediocrity is that they implemented the policies without evaluating their impacts on the children. In addition to this, the officials also seem that received some bribery to ensure the implementation of the wro ng education policies in the system of Canadian education. As a result, it

HR Scorecard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Scorecard - Assignment Example As noted by Becker, Huselid and Ulrich (2001), a company has competitive advantage if it has what it takes to make customers select its products and services over what other competitors offer. Meanwhile, through the use of the HR scorecard to determine the best working outcomes for employees, it is possible to be guaranteed that the employees will show an attitude towards work that is directly responsive to customer request, expectations and needs, making customers select them over other competitors. In the implementation of the HR scorecard however, there are some challenges that may be encountered. The first of this has to do with the assignment of assessment metrics to work outcomes that are considered more qualitative. Typical example of such work outcome is customer satisfaction. The second challenge has to do with cooperation from employees in the implementation of the outcomes with the HR scorecard (Lawler, Jamrog & Boudreau, 2011). The challenges can be minimized by having a communication system that fully involves employees and clearly explains the modalities of the HR scorecard to

Evaluation of intervention mapping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of intervention mapping - Essay Example This will be followed by choice, implementation, and evaluation of intervention methods that may pose to change the health-related behaviour. (Bartholomew et al., 1998, 545-563). If a health intervention is effective leading to change in related health practices, there would be demonstrable change in the determinants and antecedents of health behaviour. Health promotion strategies are closely related to the psychological theories of behavioural changes. These can be achieved in an organised manner through intervention mapping, which had been the result of works of L. Kay Bartholomew, Guy S. Parcel, Gerjo Kok, and Nell H. Gottlieb (Bartholomew et al., 2001), which was published as â€Å"Intervention Mapping: Developing theory and evidence-based health education programs† in the year 2001. This was designed to provide a framework for effective decision making in intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. It is known that health promotion is possible only through an effective health education. Drawing on this, health promotion is a synergy of educational and environmental supports for actions and conditions health-conducive living. Green & Kr euter (2005) have defined health promotion as "Any combination of education, political, regulatory and organizational supports for actions and conditions of living conducive to the health of individuals, groups or communities† (Green & Kreuter, 2005, p. G-4). If these change health behaviour, appropriate evaluation is necessary to ensure detection of these changes to assess whether these conform to evidence, so the health promoters can take a decision at every step of the process of planning and implementation of intervention (Kok et al., 2004, 85-98). Theory is the pillar of evidence-informed health promotion. Interventions that address the determinants of intervention or change must be evidence based and guided by need (Green, 2000, 125-129). Many authors have concluded that

Political science 2 question paper on civil right and civil liberties Essay

Political science 2 question paper on civil right and civil liberties - Essay Example een trampled upon by the USA Patriot Act of 2001 (a contrived acronym meaning Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism), established in the aftermath of September 11th to protect Americans from the threat of future terror on American soil. Controversial from the outset, the Patriot Act represented a serious departure from established legal norms and prior American jurisprudence with respect to civil liberty legislation (ACLU 2008). Following an analysis of the Patriot Act, this brief essay will explore the key motivations behind the U.S. Civil Rights Movement by exploring those who fought institutionalized racism and discrimination during the latter half of the twentieth century. We now turn to the most important challenge to civil rights and liberties in this country, the US Patriot Act and its effects on the right to privacy, freedom of assembly and due process in the 21st century. Created under the pretense of securing the United States against the threat of terror in the wake of 9/11, the Patriot Act of 2001 significantly strengthened the scope of powers afforded to law enforcement agencies while redefining the term terrorism to include domestic terror, i.e. homegrown terror perpetuated by American citizens. Accordingly, this Act significantly sought to redefine the rights of law enforcement vis-Ã  -vis the rights and liberties of the American public.This Act increased the powers of law enforcement agencies to gain access to previously protected forms of communication include telephone conversations, email, financial, medical, business and other private recorder. Additional powers relate to the surveillance and detention of immigrants and broad powers of detention are given to law enforcement agencies with respect to immigrants in the United States. Major criticisms of the USA Patriot act are leveled at the fact that this particular piece of legislation tra mples over civil liberties and

Evaluation of intervention mapping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of intervention mapping - Essay Example This will be followed by choice, implementation, and evaluation of intervention methods that may pose to change the health-related behaviour. (Bartholomew et al., 1998, 545-563). If a health intervention is effective leading to change in related health practices, there would be demonstrable change in the determinants and antecedents of health behaviour. Health promotion strategies are closely related to the psychological theories of behavioural changes. These can be achieved in an organised manner through intervention mapping, which had been the result of works of L. Kay Bartholomew, Guy S. Parcel, Gerjo Kok, and Nell H. Gottlieb (Bartholomew et al., 2001), which was published as â€Å"Intervention Mapping: Developing theory and evidence-based health education programs† in the year 2001. This was designed to provide a framework for effective decision making in intervention planning, implementation, and evaluation. It is known that health promotion is possible only through an effective health education. Drawing on this, health promotion is a synergy of educational and environmental supports for actions and conditions health-conducive living. Green & Kr euter (2005) have defined health promotion as "Any combination of education, political, regulatory and organizational supports for actions and conditions of living conducive to the health of individuals, groups or communities† (Green & Kreuter, 2005, p. G-4). If these change health behaviour, appropriate evaluation is necessary to ensure detection of these changes to assess whether these conform to evidence, so the health promoters can take a decision at every step of the process of planning and implementation of intervention (Kok et al., 2004, 85-98). Theory is the pillar of evidence-informed health promotion. Interventions that address the determinants of intervention or change must be evidence based and guided by need (Green, 2000, 125-129). Many authors have concluded that

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Essay Example for Free

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Essay The word revenge is defined in the dictionary as : get satisfaction by deliberately causing injury in return for a person or oneself suffering. Governments and countries often take revenge by fighting, like with after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor the U.S government gave an order to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki as revenge. Kings and dictators also take revenge by invading other countries, and even the ordinary people, like us, take revenge on smaller issues. But is it morally justified? The answer to this question is largely depends on whom you ask, and it may vary according to the concepts and values that he/her was raised on it differs among different peoples, cultures and traditions. In this essay I will try to answer this question from the point of the story The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. In order to discuss the revenge issue of this book let us begin by a brief summery of the story. Edmond Dantes, a young sailor, gets a reward to be a Captain of a ship, but unfortunately four men arranged that he will be imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The four men are Danglars, Villefort, Fernand Mondego, and Caderousse. Dantes has spent fourteen years in prison and then he escaped with a friend that taught him many things and gave him a map to a treasure. The friend (Abbe) died, and when Dantes finds the treasure he becomes rich and famous and is known as The Count Of Monte Cristo. During all of this period he didnt stop thinking about revenging his enemy. He just waited for the perfect time and now it came. His mission is to revenge the people who imprisoned him and help the people who helped him. The Count Of Monte Cristos opinion about revenge and death is that people who made other people suffer for a long long time should not die quick, in other words you dont just kill them, you torture them so that they will die slowly and painfully. Dantes wants them to be miserable and give them a hard time for a long period of time just like he suffered for a long time in jail. That is why he did not hire anyone to kill his enemies or kill them himself. This is proven in the following quote that The Count Of Monte Cristo said: If a man has tortured and killed your father, your mother, your sweetheart, one of those beings who leave an eternal emptiness and a perpetually bleeding wound when they are torn from your heartdo you think  society has given you sufficient reparation because the man who made you undergo long years of mental and emotional suffering has undergone a few seconds of physical pain? For slow, profound, infinite, and eternal suffering. Id try to avenge myself by inflicting similar suffering-an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. This last sentence in the quote, is a sentence from the bible and I think that by telling us this, the author wants to show us that even in old time, in a book that suppose to teach us about life, revenge was taken and was not immoral. This sentence also serves as well as a justification for him to carry out his revenge plans. Monte Cristo was very smart. He looked for the weak points of each person of whom he wanted to take revenge of, and there he hit. He learned a lot about his enemies after he escaped from prison. For example we know that Danglars loves money, so Monte Cristo arranged for him to have no money, he destroyed him financially. Another example is Fernand Mondegos case. After Fernand reaches a high position and became Count de Morcerf, Monte Cristo told the public that Morcerf is a traitor, and by this act he wrecked him socially. We also learned from the story, about Morcerfs love and devotion to his family. This was another target for Monte Cristo and he succeeded in separating him from his family. Fernand was so miserable that he committed suicide. Villffort, for my opinion is the most egoist person I have ever heard of (even though he is fictional). He would do anything and sacrifice anyone to his desire. One Quote in the book even stated so: I would sacrifice anything to my ambition, even my own father. Because of his political craving, Villfort was eager to have an innocent man imprisoned for a whole life time. I think that in this case revenge is very morally justified, because for a man such as Villefort, who was willing to put an innocent man in prison, then revenge is very morally justified. Danglars framed Dantes (wrote the letters), because he was envy and jealous at him because he gets the reward to be the captain of the Pharon (ship), and also at his spirit and self confidence Dantes had. I think that it is very obvious why Mondego framed Dantes. He was jealous of Dantes Fiancee, Mercedes. Gaspard Caderousse, was to greedy. Monte Cristo actually gave Caderousse a chance to  change and become honest, but Caderousee didnt. He was killed while trying to rob the Counts house. But Dantes was not revenging all the time he was a moral, good, and generous person. For example when the Abbe was dying, Dantes did not abandon him. Which shows us that Edmond Dantes is a good man. As we can see, Monte Cristo took his revenge in a way that didnt involve any act that was illegal. I think that revenge is morally justified in this particular story, because he did suffer a great deal, and there was a very good reason for his revenge. In every day life taking revenge is somewhat childish, but not taking it is surrendering. In my opinion revenge should be taken, and a person should be punished for a bad thing he did. The power of revenge is found in everyone of us, but we all have to know how to use it wisely.

Observation, Assessment and Planning Cycle in Childcare

Observation, Assessment and Planning Cycle in Childcare Gurcharan Pall Explain the observation, assessment and planning cycle. The process of effective planning observation and assessment is a vital factor in identifying children’s individual needs interests and abilities. In order to plan for their learning and development. This process has been recommended by Early Years (2013) and this involves the practitioners following a three step cycle which consists of planning, observation, and assessment. The practitioner will discuss each stage of the cycle and its practical application to the child’s individual needs. Every child whatever their background or circumstances has the right to support, which they need to enjoy and achieve and make a positive contribution. (Every Child Matters 2003.) With the use of planning observation and assessment the practitioner can support the learning and development requirements for each child in their care. The cycle follows three steps. STEP 1 PLANNING Planning every area of learning and development is important to ensure the child`s achievement The Practitioner should follow identified observation and assessment of the child through relevant play through a range of mixed adult –led and child initiated activities. Step 2 Observation The second stage is of observation which looks at the part of process that helps practitioners learn about the individual children .Observation may also identify the delayed areas of the child’s development which would signal that additional support may be required. A good point. There are two types of observations which are formal and spontaneous. More information can be collected from spontaneously observing the child, as without prior warning, the child will be playing naturally. Formal observation may find the child nervous and self-conscious and they may not play or interact, therefore no observation can then take place. Formal observation is more directed towards observing the child’s development of a particular task/skill or the child understands and knowledge. Step 3 ASSESSMENT Assessment plays an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress, understand their needs and to plan activities and support† (Early Years 2013) The two types of assessment use are; formative assessment and summative assessment. Firstly formative assessment is an on-going children’s assessment. (CHILD DEVELOPMENT) This is gone by the practitioner observing the child on a regular basis for example playtime on a weekly basis. The second assessment is the summative assessment and this is the evidence that is collected though the formative assessment over a period of time. These assessments are used to review the development progress of children against meowed development on milestones REF For example, the child is formatively assessed a weekly basis dewing play and building blocks. The summative assessment will be that the child’s development has improved, as the child can now not only connect the building blocks together but over a period of time the building blocks have progressed and the child can now build wall’s to make a building. There are showing their development. EFFECTIVE PLANNING (WRITE IN ESSAY FORM) > is based on regular, a curate assessment of children’s learning, Knowledge and skills > reflects supports and challenges children’s current interest, Enthusiasms and their learning and development > is a flexible, working document, which is responsive to spontaneous events > enables all practitioners to contribute, understand and articulate why experiences have been planned > enables children, parents and practitioners to have a voice in the planning process PLANNING IN PRACTICE- KEY ELEMENTS; Provide opportunities for individual children’s emerging needs, interests and stage of development based on previous observations and evaluations Identify appropriate links between experiences and EYFS development statements (learning intentions) Provide interesting and challenging experiences for all children within the seven areas of learning and development Outdoor activities are planned and taken on a daily basis Identifies differentiation for individual children or groups of children Provides a range of child initiated and adult-led experiences Identify high quality teaching strategies’ together with support and intervention that mach individual children’s needs (next steps) to ensure good progress Evaluate planned and unplanned learning Reflect on learning environment to adapt and enhance provision DESCRIBE HOW TO DEVELOP PLANNING FOR INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN Planning when being arranged should be flexible to take into account different age group children`s different background the weather and the unexpected. The child`s planning should be based upon your assessment and observation of the individual child so you can take the best steps for their further learning and development. The Development Matters guidance is and can be a very useful tool in planning successfully the child`s ability to move on to the next stage of development. There are 3 steps of planning. Long term. Providing you with themes and topics you may cover over the term. All links to learning and development areas, a balance of indoor, and outdoor activities. Periods of rest and being quite are also required. Medium term. A better detailed plan of topics and themes to be covered. Consideration of other routines such as mealtimes babies sleeping times. All main resources within your setting`s as play areas, equipment storage areas, book corner. A observation area for you to identify the child`s needs. Short term. A weekly plan of plans, observational findings and activities to be carried out. Making reference to the child`s interest .The particular piece of equipment or resource that may be needed the area or amount of room required, health and safety issues that may arise. Ensure you have made arrangements for all the different age groups, and children with disabilities and special educational needs. A good outline of the different types of planning. Long term planning will provide an overview of topics and themes practitioner will cover for children in their care however long term planning will not identify which interest children will have so any planning should be flexible to be able to adapt at last minute if required. Spontaneous activity is one of the most effective learning experiences. Weather is a very strong interesting subject for the children i.e. rain , snow, winds and sunshine many points of interest can be made from the weather many activities can be made use of, Rain, flooding control of water what rain stops you doing, Snow, melting snow building objects snowball fights to began. Wind, power of wind, moving objects leaves trees people movement, flags, sun, heat outdoor activities. The Main difference between formative and summative assessments methods is primarily the time scale involved in each of the assessment types. Formative Assessment is the process of obtaining factual information. Based on firsthand knowledge, gathered by the practitioner whilst spending time with the child, observing the habits and routines of the child. The Sources of information can range from photographs, videos or even conversations with the child’s parents as this can highlight things that otherwise could be missed as behaviour at home can be very different for some children. The process of assessing what young children know and can do poses particular challenges for young learners. Assessing children is often â€Å"unreliable,† as young children’s performance is not necessarily consistent over even short periods of time. Contextual influences and emotional states can affect how they perform on assessments. Moreover, young children develop at vastly different rates and their developmental and learning patterns can be episodic, uneven, and rapid. Understanding what children know is important for tea chers, since children’s new knowledge builds on prior knowledge. Given these factors, teachers’ use of formative assessment to inform instruction is an essential piece of effective pedagogy. Formative assessment is much more than repeated assessment measures over time. Formative assessment is a process, which includes a feedback loop to assist children in closing the gap between current status and desired outcomes, milestones, or goals. It informs and supports instruction while learning is taking place, by having children receive feedback from the instructor. It also includes multiple sources of evidence gathered over time. The formative assessment process is not a single event or measurement but rather an ongoing planned and intentional practice to evaluate learning with teaching. Formative assessments yield descriptive data—not necessarily judgments. It often takes the form of observational protocol using evidence collection as a means to examine children’s cognitive processes. Formative assessment may be defined in different ways in state regulations and interpretations. The definition best captures the essence of formative assessment for the purposes of this brief focused on young children. It is defined as, â€Å"a process used by carers for children during instruction periods that provide feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning, to improve children’s achievement of intended instructional outcomes.† Summative Assessment is almost a conclusion of your collective knowledge gained from doing your Formative assessment’s, this is obviously an assessment that is done over a longer period of time as all the prerequisite Formative assessments need to be completed. This knowledge gives the practitioner the ability to make an educated verdict on the achievements of the child. The EYFS Profile is the summative assessment used to review children’s progress along the early learning goals. Summative assessment also employs a variety of tools and methods for obtaining information about what has been learned. In this way, summative assessment provides information at the early year’s levels. Defining characteristics of effective summative assessment include a clear alignment between assessment and instruction, as well as the use of assessments that are both valid and reliable. When objectives are clearly specified and connected to instruction, summative assessment provides i nformation about a children’s achievement of specific learning objectives. Individual Learning Programmes can be formed from using these particular assessments, these assessments should also, supports and endeavour to comply with the ethos devised through â€Å"Every Child Matters†. Conclusion I can conclude that it’s a vital part of the process between carer/care organisation’s to stringently follow the observation assessment and planning cycle as this can effectively show any pitfalls in the learning and development process of the children. With formative and summative being the most useful and statutory assessments in situ, the only problem I find, is they can be restrictive or to slow in fully identifying issues and vital time can be lost to the carer/ organisation and the child. Flexibility by that carer/organisation is crucial to the learning development of the children and individual learning programmes can be a good guideline to promote the weaknesses and turn them into strengths through focused sessions which should be reviewed as frequently as possible to ensure the child’s learning does not become static and too focused on any one particular set of problems or issues, learning the child’s strengths through the formative and summative methods can genuinely help create Individual learning programmes tailored to the child allowing you to improve their weaknesses through their strength i.e. a young person learns through music quicker than reading so using song’s to remember the alphabet (using strength to overcome a weakness) this is the main focus of correctly using the above mentioned methods and adhering to the observation, assessment and planning cycle. Reference www.barniesdaynurseries.com, http://ceelo.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ceelo_policy_report_formative_assessment.pdf, Department of Education (2013): Improving the functionality and range of education and childcare from birth to 5 years, www.gov.uk/government/ Updated 1st Sep 2014 Accessed 27th Oct 2014 http://www.education.com/reference/article/formative-and-summative-assessment/ Every child matters 8th September 2003 (from HM Treasury – www.gov.uk/government/uploads (Presented to parliament by the chief secretary to the treasury by command of her majesty September 2003) Observation, Assessment and planning cycle Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage DFE 2014 Ref united nations (1989)convention on the rights of the child, united nations, network Childeminding and Ofsted effective practice: observation, planning