McBride Financial Marketing Plan Essay

McBride Financial is a fast growing organization with plans to open a total eight offices located in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South and North Dakota. Services will specialize in providing financial mortgage assistance to first time buyers, retirees, professionals, families and individuals with credit problems. McBride Financial provides customers with informative information without any hidden cost. Breakdown of services and rates are thoroughly explained with every home purchase. Applications are processed within one business day. Marketing Plan The development of McBride Financials marketing plan will require various forms of market research. The three major groups McBride will focus on will be first time buyers, buyers with credit problems, and retires purchasing primary or secondary homes. Market research will be conducted through the collection of surveys, contact methods, marketing intelligence and internal data. Advertising will consist of promotional television, radio, newspaper, and internet ads that appeal to specific marketing groups. Local realtors will be used for advertising purchases as well. Marketing strategies will be developed that establish McBride Financial as the leader in low cost mortgage services. Online Research Most consumers have access to the internet; as a result McBride Financial will conduct online surveys to reach a broad focus group. â€Å"Online research accounts for 8% of all spending on quantitative marketing research, and most industry insiders predict healthy growth† (Armstoring & Kotler, 2005). Cost associated with online research is minimal and will help McBride Financial meet budget demands. The use of online surveys will be implemented to gain a better perspective of consumer needs. Surveys will consist of 25 questions related to home purchasing and financial planning. Surveys will be forward to the marketing department for further analysis and plan development. Media Advertising McBride Financial currently has plans to air a radio ad which informs consumers of the company low cost special financing offers. McBride Financial has included a promotional pamphlet that will be available at airports, store newsstands and realty offices. In addition, an ad has been printed in newspapers nationwide. The development of McBride Financials television ad is currently in the works and will began broadcasting later this month. McBride Financial has joint-ventured with Realtor.com in order to reach our expanding consumer based. â€Å"Realtor.com is the largest real estate database of homes for sale and the official site of the National Association of Realtors; real estate listings, realtors, mortgage rates, home buying help and much more can be accessed through the website†. Financial calculators, investing tips, lender comparison, and many other services can be access through relator.com. Links to McBride Financial can be found under the mortgage lenders link. Internet Marketing Part of the McBride Financials advertising plan will focus on internet advertising through the company’s website. In order to expand marketing efforts, McBride Financial will develop and maintain an interactive website that provides consumers with information regarding the latest rate changes and tax breaks. Internet advertising makes use of banner ads, search engines, email adverting, and paid search terms. â€Å"Internet advertising involves bringing users to a web site or generating traffic; the web site itself may consist primarily of a simple presentation of information about a company, its products and services† (Magee, N.D.) Target Market McBride Financial will focus their lending services toward three major groups. All consumers are encouraged to use McBride Financial as a qualified mortgage lender. First Time Buyers Purchasing a new home can be overwhelming for many first time buyers. McBride Financial service will work closely with first time buyers to ensure customers receive the best available rates and the largest tax breaks. McBride Financial offers services to fit all first time buyer needs: Credit reports, appraisals, home inspections and easy approval can be complete by filling a simple application. Credit Problems McBride Financial offers specialized services for clients with credit problems. McBride Financial offers services for a fixed rate of $1500 dollars. Our rate is significantly lower than our competitors and accommodates consumers with less than perfect credit; preapproval is quick and easy. Retirees Purchasing the perfect vacation home can be made easy due to McBride Financials state of the art property search. Home buyers can quickly lock-in prime rates and feel assured their rates will not change. Advanced information systems ensures the security and privacy of all customers are highly maintained. Conclusion Providing consumers with competitive mortgage lending requires effective advertising and a strategic marketing plan. McBride will meet the demands of consumers by providing the lowest rates available for qualified borrowers. Retirees, first time buyers and clients with credit problems will benefit from McBride Financial services. Marketing strategies will be employed to allow consumers to apply line of credit. McBride will be the leader in lost cost mortgage services.

Outline Worksheet for Persuasive Speech

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the advantages of the online courses. Thesis Statement: Now, the online courses become more and more popular. However, why increasable students chose online courses, there are lots of homework, the limit time and the higher quality of the class. With the improvement of the online courses, the students can get same knowledge, but spend less time in the online courses. Introduction I. Attention-getter: At the beginning of my speech, I have several questions. Did you always spend a lot time between the school and home? Did you usually worry that you couldn’t catch up with the teacher? Did you ever think about the solutions for those? II. Establishment of ethos: In fact, I usually don’t get up until the class will begin in the morning, so I ever think that the classroom could move into my room someday. Now it becomes true. The online courses will bring more sleep time for me. III. Preview:Even though many students still prefer face-to-face lecture classes, I think online courses are more beneficial because the content is the same as classroom courses, the time is flexible and there is no peer pressure in online courses. With such great benefits, students should sign up for online courses considering the hectic lifestyle everyone has today. (Transition: Now, I will talk about the advantages about the online courses. ) Body I. First, the content of online courses is the same as the courses in a classroom. A. Professors can record their lectures into videos and teach live online, and professors can also assign homework for their students easily. The only difference for students is that they have to hand in their homework through the internet. However, this has nothing to do with the quality of the class. B. I found an article named â€Å"Students Can Take Class Online at Home,† which was published in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, said that â€Å"students log on to a designated Web site where lecture notes and slide shows are posted. † Therefore, online courses already became a helpful way to teach students. II. Second, the schedule is very flexible for students. A. For some online courses, professors will just put the materials on their own website and let students take courses at their own pace. For example, a math teacher can allow students to run through a lesson on the computer or use the computer to help illustrate what is being taught personally. The online courses can also be used to give extra help to students about to fail a class. B. In addition, if it is a class that requires a lot of time, they can take breaks whenever and then continue later on. It is also an effective way to take a class, because after a break, students can concentrate on the class better and remember more things at the same time. III. Third, some students think that if they take a classroom class, they will feel peer pressure, because if another student finishes faster than he or she does, then he or she will get nervous and can’t finish the rest well. A. The problem will be solved if they take an online course because it is just the students themselves at home so they can study the questions at their own pace without the pressure of feeling nervous. They may help the students get a high grade in the exam or an assignment. B. For example, in my Chinese university, there will often be a lot of students taking an exam in the classroom at the same time. I remember that one of my classmates in my English class took the mid-term exam with me and that he took a long time during the reading part. As time progressed, more and more students finished before he did and after the time was up, I asked him how he did and he told me he couldn’t concentrate on the test because of text anxiety and the constant distraction of students leaving before he did, so he got a low grade on this exam. Conclusion I. Summarize and Review: In conclusion, students can greatly benefit from online courses. The content in lecture classes is the same as online classes. Also, the peer pressure is gone when it comes to online courses. Most importantly, students who take online courses have more flexible study time. II. Tie to the introduction: Therefore, taking online courses, we will waste no time between school and home, but get the same knowledge. III. Creative concluding thought: I think online courses will become more available to all students in the future then students can probably learn more effectively from the online courses. References: Sophia Lezin Jones, Aug 7, 2000, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Gwinnett students can take class online at home Carter, Rochelle, Aug 1, 2002, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, BACK TO SCHOOL: Online courses expand Clayton's Class.com gaining popularity http://oedb.org/library/distance-vs-local/10-advantages-to-taking-online-classes/ http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-The-Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-OnlineCourses?;id=317526 http://www.ehow.com/facts_4797506_online-training-advantages-disadvantages.html http://seacstudentweb.org/top-benefits-of-online-education.php

Human resource management Essay

To establish the role of Performance Management in controlling and developing employees it is imperative to understand the definition of Performance Management and its evolution. Evolution Performance Management is relatively a new concept, which has developed tremendously since the last two decades. As per CIPD (2009) Performance Management has been around in the language of HR and people management since the 1980’s. The above point is also mentioned by Williams R, (1998) stating that Performance Management came into prominence in the late 1980s/ early  1990s. â€Å"The term performance management was first used in the 1970’s but it did not become a recognised process until the latter half of 1980s† (Armstrong, 2009). Thorpe, (2004) states that ‘Performance management as an identifiable subject for academic study and research arguably began in the mid-1990’s’ Performance Management has evolved over the years from performance appraisal systems into a more holistic approach. As per Bach, (2005) â€Å"With the increased recognition of the problems that permeate many company appraisal schemes, there has been a shift of emphasis from performance appraisal to performance management† (p290). â€Å"The reality of contemporary performance management practice is probably best seen as ‘a logical progression in the history of the development of appraisal systems’† (Lundy and Cowling, 1996, p307). Definitions ‘The essence of Performance management is establishing a framework in which performance by human resources can be directed, monitored, motivated and refined; and the links in the cycle can be audited’ (Clark, 2005) As per Armstrong and Barron, (2009) Performance management is ‘A process which contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organisational performance’ (cited in CIPD 2012). ‘Performance management encompasses activities such as joint goal-setting, continuous progress review and frequent communication, feedback and coaching for improved performance, implementation of employee-development programs and rewarding achievements. It can be regarded as a systematic process by which the overall performance of an organisation can be improved by improving the performance of individuals within a team framework’ (Drum, 2005) ‘Performance management is the process of creating a work environment in which people can perform to the best of their abilities. It is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed and expectations are clearly communicated to the employee’ (Den Hartlog et al. , 2004) The role of Performance Management in both controlling and developing employees: Beamon, 1999, argues that, ‘Despite the increasing focus on collaboration between enterprises from one side, existing studies in the area of performance management still narrowly look at the single enterprise and its â€Å"within-enterprise† process and people ‘(cited in Busi and Bititci, 2006). The literature review brings up some interesting common themes and issues that run through the existing literature, research and definitions of performance management. These common themes will focus on features of performance management and its application in an organisation. Performance Management versus Performance Appraisal Although Performance Management evolved from performance appraisals few decades ago, most literature still intensely focuses on performance appraisals when addressing performance management. CIPD (2012) ‘While performance appraisal is an important part of performance management, in itself it is not performance management: rather, it is one of the range of tools that can be used to manage performance. However, it is a common mistake to assume that if organizations implement performance appraisals, they have performance management. Performance management is a holistic process bringing together many activities that collectively contribute to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high levels of organizational performance. The process is strategic, in that it is about broader issues and long-term goals, and integrated in that it links various aspects of the business, people management, individuals and teams. Performance appraisal on the other hand is operational, short- to medium-term and concerned only with individual employees and their performance and development. While it is one of the tools of performance management, and the data produced can feed into other elements of performance management, appraisal by itself does not constitute performance management’. Bach (2009) also states the difference between performance management and performance appraisal, ‘Advocates of performance management claim that its value resides in the cycle of integrated activities, which ensure that a systematic link is established between the contribution of each employee and the overall performance of the organisation. This strategic approach contrasts with the free standing nature of performance appraisals, in which the outcomes of each individual appraisal are rarely linked to overall corporate objectives’ (p291). However, CIPD (2005) Survey report demonstrates that, the practice of performance management still largely revolves around objective setting and appraisal. The confusion and overlapping in organizations between performance appraisals and performance management is evident form the above literature and surveys, however it still acts as a good tool for managers to control and develop employees. Performance management is a cycle, an on-going process Performance management is a cycle and for it to deliver desired results, it needs to be an on-going process. Conventionally, Performance management is portrayed as a three-stage cycle involving performance planning, monitoring and review (Armstrong and baron, 2005) The Performance management cycle CIPD (2012) also states ‘Performance management is a process, not an event, it operates as a continuous cycle’. Clark (2005) in his definition of Performance management also refers performance management as a cycle ‘The essence of Performance management is establishing a framework in which performance by human resources can be directed, monitored, motivated and refined; and the links in the cycle can be audited’. CIPD Discussion paper (2009) mentions that using a survey and a number of practice-based case studies, this work concluded that performance management was most likely to be viewed as a continuous process rather than an annual activity. Porter et al (2012) states that, ‘Performance management is not an independent activity; it is in fact a series of processes supporting different elements of effective people management. Performance therefore needs to be placed very firmly in a management context’ (p 140).

Finger print as a crime fighting technology Essay

Finger print as a crime fighting technology - Essay Example (Cowger, p56) Fingerprinting has turned out an important and useful biotechnological application as there are several benefits of DNA fingerprinting. It helps the medical scientists in the identification of the organisms causing different diseases. With the help of DNA fingerprinting the paternity of a person could be established so the babies could be identified even if their parents were switched at birth time. Along with that DNA fingerprinting also helps in criminal investigations (Grew, p566). The investigators can take any skin tissue, blood drop or semen from the crime place and then use to decide weather any particular person was present at that place or not. Moreover DNA fingerprinting also helps in the identification of a body when it is decomposed or now available complete due to any incident (Beavan, p98). The use of fingerprinting is getting popular for different purposes due to variety of advantages offered by this technology however there are some negative aspects of t his application as well. There are some technical difficulties associated with DNA fingerprinting for example there is possibility that any error can occurred in the hybridization and probing process. In this way the investigation of a crime or paternity identification could be misguided however there are little chances for errors in this test. The probability determination and population genetics are the other problems related with DNA fingerprinting (Belkum, p122). An important application of the latest technology of fingerprint is its efficient use for fighting against the crime. It has been evolved as an important crime fighting technique as it helps the investigators in finding out the potential suspect of the crime by telling about the people present at the crime scene. There are several developments in the field of fingerprint that have allowed the investigators and crime fighters to refine their efforts in the field of crime fighting and investigation. For instance, the poli ce now commonly use the automated license place recognition camera for finding the stolen vehicles (Scheibert, et al, p1503). There are certain techniques within the fingerprinting technology that allow reaching the suspects in different ways. For instance, the brain fingerprinting technique is also used for meaning the suspect electrical brainwaves. In this method, the police make the suspect wear a headband embedded with electric sensor and the different images are shown to him on the computer screen. It is based upon the belief that the brain reacts in specific manner towards specific type of information and the brain activity and response towards certain pictures of the crime scene could help finding out his involvement in the crime (Cowger, p56). Due to the increased use of fingerprint for the crime prevention it has become a common practice in most of the countries of the world that the people are required to give their fingerprints at several locations like shopping mall, air ports and other public places. It allows maintaining the record of the fingerprints of the people visited at particular place during that time and later these fingerprints could be used to match with the fingerprints found at any crime scenes. These fingerprints also allow sorting out the people involved in any crime committed earlier. In this way, the fingerprinting technology allows fast recognition of the crime suspects. The most important use of fingerprinting te

4. Explain the theoretical and historical construction of sexual Essay

4. Explain the theoretical and historical construction of sexual identity. Illustrate your answer with reference to the role of race in the construction of sexual identity and sexual roles - Essay Example The essentialist view looks into the biological differences inherent within each individual (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). The construction of sexual identity is dependent on the genetic program of each individual, whether one is male or female. And consequently, the sexual roles of each are dependent on these biological differences. On the other hand, the social constructionist perspective sees sexual identity as the result of the social processes that are dependent on social interactions and social institutions (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). Sexual roles, then, are dependent on the sanctioned norms that define the differences between male and female behavior. Sexual identity can, therefore, be seen as a result of social expectations because that is who an individual is supposed to be, whether male or female. With this perspective, the biology and inherent sexual being is being matched to the sexual role. We are expected to behave as a male or as a female according to the biological roles that each one plays. The roles are learned through culture, however, it is expected to match the inherent biological sexual orientation that each one has. Sexual identity can also be a result of learned behavior. In this perspective, culture is a significant process in acquiring one’s sexual identity and role. An individual learns to behave in such a way that their social experiences dictate. One can behave like a male or a female, depending on how one is socially influenced. From these primary perspectives, other theories and perspectives come into play. With the movement and changes of the social world, the theories also move from defining primarily how one is expected to behave, to differences in power, social roles and expectations according to gender sensitivity and similar social constructs that affects the society’s course of thinking regarding sexual identity. The major sociological perspectives interpret sexual identity differently. Functionalist perspective

Behaviour and Mental Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Behaviour and Mental Illness - Essay Example Because of these, many people fail to seek out help in fear of being labeled as crazy and perceived as not to be trusted, dangerous or capable of violence. Fear of being society's outsider is one of the most common reasons why people with mental illness go undiagnosed or untreated and in most cases diagnosed when it is too late to manage or treat the illness. The fact is, the majority of mentally impaired persons are neither criminals and are never violent. Those few who are violent get publicized in various ways in the television and movies; resulting to a negative perception of all mentally ill people. These also often become a basis for determining legal proceedings for mental health issues. The sad part though is that although some of the portrayals are accurate or realistic, some are more likely sensationalized. This results to the majority of the people being ignorant on the true nature of mental illnesses. Mental illnesses generates a lot of issues for the inflicted and his family; issues pertaining to legal, social, ethical and clinical aspects of the mental disorder. With this fact, government systems have infused in their health care systems laws for people having mental illnesses. The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 19... sory assessments can be made when a medical practitioner considers that there are reasonable grounds that the proposed patient is or may be mentally disordered. Another is if the Court believes that the proposed patient is mentally disordered (ADHD.org.nz). Under this Act, the accepted patient is required to take either community or inpatient treatment arranged by suitable professionals defined in the Act. A patient who is subjected to a compulsory treatment order is required to accept such treatment for mental disorder as directed by a responsible clinician for the first month treatment at the current time of the compulsory treatment order and afterwards, if a psychiatrist appointed by a Review Tribunal considers that the treatment is in the patient's best interests. In all other cases, the patient's informed and written consent must be obtained, and may be withdrawn at any time (Guidelines to the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, 2000). The Act further defines the rights of such persons subjected to the compulsory treatment order and provides better protection for their rights with the gradual reforms and consolidation with the laws pertaining to the assessment and treatment of persons suffering from mental disorder. In this paper, the situation of a probable candidate for the compulsory treatment order will be discussed from a Mental Health Support worker's point of view. Mental Health Support workers have the responsibility to work with people who have severe and enduring mental health problems who live in the community. Their focus is on the whole person, including their social circumstances and they establish their support by maintaining a close relationship with the person. History and Present Circumstances of the Probable

Do Violent Video games encourage violent behavior Essay

Do Violent Video games encourage violent behavior - Essay Example However, what matters most is the thought that this can have significant impact on the child’s perspective about the reality. This has important impact on how the child will significantly understand the right from wrong set by the society. As stated earlier, those children exposed to violent games have the tendency to acquire violent behavior. This makes sense because in the first place, the bottom line impact of online violent games is said to be highly associated with children’s violent behavior. In order to understand this further, it is important to understand children’s behavior and his environment in detail. Children’s behavior and environmental influence Children’s behavior is susceptible to various influences in the environment. For instance, adult behaviors can be adapted by them. In fact, part of a children’s development of their behavior is highly influenced by the environment. In a family, parents are important persons in the live s of children because they tend to influence them. This is a clear illustration how an individual is being influenced by his immediate environment. However, children are not only influenced by their direct environment such as their family, they also acquire them from what they observed from their day to day interaction with other people, friends and media. This clearly emphasizes that there should be a significant impact on playing and watching violent video games among children. On the other hand, this belief was challenged at first due to methodological research issue concerning on the investigation of the association of children’s behavior and violent video games (Griffiths 203). This methodology includes observation of children’s free play. Eventually, the research method has significant limitations... Children’s behavior is susceptible to various influences in the environment. For instance, adult behaviors can be adapted by them. In fact, part of a children’s development of their behavior is highly influenced by the environment. In a family, parents are important persons in the lives of children because they tend to influence them. This is a clear illustration how an individual is being influenced by his immediate environment. However, children are not only influenced by their direct environment such as their family, they also acquire them from what they observed from their day to day interaction with other people, friends and media. This clearly emphasizes that there should be a significant impact on playing and watching violent video games among children. Â  On the other hand, this belief was challenged at first due to methodological research issue concerning on the investigation of the association of children’s behavior and violent video games (Griffiths 2 03). This methodology includes observation of children’s free play. Eventually, the research method has significant limitations or drawbacks that will eventually lead to a questionable result of the study. However, as research on the association of children’s behavior and violent video games increase over time, significant methodologies emerged to justify more reliable results (Konijn, Bijvank & Bushman 1038; Funk 387; Anderson et al. 151). These studies clearly emphasize a strong association of children’s environment and their behavior.

PhD research proposal (Risk of investment of sovereign wealth and

PhD (Risk of investment of sovereign wealth and strategies that can be used mitigate against the risks - Research Proposal Example Reports published by OECD reveal that government-driven mergers and acquisitions reached the peak (almost 20 percent of the total international value) level immediately before the financial crisis struck the Euro zone in 2009. In the subsequent year, this value declined sharply to half. The bulk of this international investment originated in few countries, China, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and few other Asian economies. Recently, SWFs have gained serious attention from the governments of countries around the world on the issue of risk associated with the holding of such wealth and its investment. In this paper, the impact of such risk on the economy is studied and the ways to mitigate risks have been discussed. Background Sovereign wealth funds are funds that are controlled by the government of a country. The government of a nation used this fund to make investments in other economies. Governments make investments in other countries by acquiring the assets located in those countries (Keefe, Fournier and Torys, 2003). The developing nations have also been affected hard by the crisis. However, research shows that due to the fact that these countries are developing, growth rate of these countries are higher than the growth rate of the developed nations (Manganelli and Engle, 2001; Mehta et al., 2012). A gradual but steady shift in power is visible from the West to the Eastern countries. The West is traditionally the centre of economic and financial power and the developed countries of the United States of America and European countries, until now enjoy the maximum economic power and therefore hold the highest political position in the global economy. The ongoing shift in traditional position and power from the western developed countries to the emerging economies in the east, such as China, is associated with higher levels of investment of SWF (Waki, 2010; Saunders and Cornett, 2011). These investments are mostly made in the emerging market eco nomies. Different levels of risks are associated with the SWFs depending on the pattern of investment made with these funds. Economists and policymakers have made different recommendations and suggested divert ways to mitigate such risks (Seagal, 2013). After the Euro zone crisis took place in late 2009, the issue of risks associated with sovereign wealth has been receiving greater importance (Jost, 2009; Saunders, 2013). Through further research it has been identified that the emerging economies are at lower levels of growth but showing higher growth potential than the developed countries (Smith, 2003). Hence investment of SWF is migrating fast towards the emerging economies. Research objective The objective of this research paper is to analyse the risk of investment of sovereign wealth and strategies that can be used mitigate these risks. The researcher aims to check whether risks of investing sovereign wealth adversely affect the economic variables in a country,

Fire Fighters Campaign Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Fire Fighters Campaign Plan - Essay Example Text messages will be sent to all Caymanians through their mobile providers, providing them with information and asking them to log on to the fire service website to get information including how they can join CIFSD.. Recommended Budget The budget recommended for the campaign is CI $100,000. A competition will also be initiated where individuals will answer questions by texting the answers to the number provided. Each text message will cost CI$2. Funds received from this venture will be used to finance the campaign. Prizes for the competition will be sought from various sponsors. Evaluation Plans Evaluations will be carried out as the campaign progresses to determine if any changes should be made to the campaign strategy. A final evaluation will be carried out at the end to determine whether the goals of the campaign were achieved. 1.0 Situation Analysis The Cayman Islands is a very small group of Islands consisting of 51,384 persons. Approximately 71% of the population lie in the 15 -64 years age group. Of this group, there are approximately 1,000 more females than the 17,600 males in this age group. The country has a 98% literacy rate and an unemployment rate of 4%. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2011) the country has a standard of living which is equal to that of Switzerland – one of the countries with the highest standard of living in the world. The relative proportions of different ethnic groups are 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, and 20% expatriates of various ethnic groups. The Cayman fire service provides fire prevention and emergency services, domestic and aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services for the people of the... This essay examines Cayman Island Fire Services Department. The Cayman Islands is a very small group of Islands consisting of 51,384 persons. Approximately 71% of the population lie in the 15-64 years age group. Of this group, there are approximately 1,000 more females than the 17,600 males in this age group. The country has a 98% literacy rate and an unemployment rate of 4%. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2011) the country has a standard of living which is equal to that of Switzerland – one of the countries with the highest standard of living in the world. The relative proportions of different ethnic groups are 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, and 20% expatriates of various ethnic groups. The Cayman fire service provides fire prevention and emergency services, domestic and aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services for the people of the Cayman Islands. Like all other departments it is faced with both a tight budget as well as the inability to attract employees because of the relatively low salaries that are currently being offered, the perceived difficulties of the job and the attributes required for the job. Despite those facts the government has allocated approximately CI$10.5mn towards its operations. There are currently six female officers working in the Cayman Islands – four in Grand Cayman and two in Cayman Brac. Currently the morale of the fire service staff is low because of the recent negative publicity in the news in relation to the harassment of female staff and the inability of the relevant authorities to deal with the situation.

Of mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Studying stage Drama enables us to see into a world that is very different from our own and to feel compassion for those who are unable to take control of their own lives Of mice and men By John Steinbeck is a very interesting and compelling text, and positions us as the reader to accept Lennie as the victim even though he killed someone, we as the reader are given many insights that some of the other characters do not get to experience, and therefore can get this message as the dominant reading. The earliest accounts of the life of Lennie and George tells us a tale about Lennie and his accidents involving mice, Lennie who gets presents of mice from his aunt, crushes there heads, because he doesnt know his own strength, he loves the mice, and cared for them, but because of his love for the mice they bite him and he crushes the mouses heads, Lennie is definitely mentally retarded, and as such he does things that regular people would not do it would seem that Lennies mentality was not designed for his body, if he was a thin weedy man then he would have no problems, he could pet animals AND make them stay alive, but things arent always as we like them Because the playwright is trying to establish Lennie as the good guy we are also positioned at the scene of their last job, Lennie feels a ladies dress, the woman screams, he holds on, she starts yelling to the police, he holds, and as a result, poor George has to spend a night in a ditch and what was the reason? I only did it to feel how soft it was says Lennie, even though this is still fairly strange, you as the reader can relate to him and say well, it really isnt his fault. Now I know you are wondering, Why did Lennie hold on even through the screams and the yelling police, why didnt he just let go? consider this story, a young child between the ages of 1 and 3 is found near his dead mother, holding on for dear life, and mentally Lennie was much the same way whenever he gets scared or frightened, he will hold on to it, you cannot blame the woman for her reaction, a big tall man grabbing onto her dress, she has every right to feel threatened, and as a result, Lennie gets George into trouble, and they have to spend the night in the ditch. On the farm, curly is picking fights; not only is he picking fights but he is picking fights that he cant win, apart from his height, what exactly did Lennie do? He laughed, oh no, dear God, how will he survive? George was going to teach him a lesson, but he wanted Lennie, this time he went too far, Lennie didnt want to fight curly, but he gave him no choice, he was scared and frightened, and once again, the mentality issue shines brightly, he grabs Curlys hand and he doesnt let go, he crushes every single bone in his hand, and again Lennie is portrayed as the good guy, what else could he do? The final matter is the matter of Curlys wifes death, this even if he is retarded, still classifies as murder, no matter how much they try to sugar coat it, it is still murder, and he pays for it with his own death, he gave George, his best friend, no other choice other than to kill him for his own good, his strength, has been the cause of all these problems right from the beginning, and although you can feel sorry for him, he should have had more common sense, he was retarded, and there is nothing you can do about that, but he should have learnt what was right and appropriate, and killing innocent people, even if it was manslaughter, is still bad. And so we are given an insight into the life of Lennie, we feel compassion for him and George, we have been positioned to draw this conclusion, well, youd be hard pressed to try and prove he wasnt wouldnt you? It seams there is two cases of murder (not counting the various animal deaths) George isnt the bad guy because he did what was best for Lennie, and Lennie wasnt the bad guy because he is retarded.

Rehabilitation The Key In Changing Offender Behaviour Criminology Essay

Rehabilitation The Key In Changing Offender Behaviour Criminology Essay Behaviour can be explained through biological, learning or cognitive theories. This essay briefly analyses each of them in order to come to an agreement whether prison-based rehabilitation programmes should be abolished in times of financial cutbacks. Research evidence indicates that although much of our behaviour has biological roots as suggested by twin and adoption studies, it does not necessarily mean behaviour cannot be changed. Applications of cognitive and learning theories have proven that behaviour can be changed for the better. Although only certain types of rehab programs are effective in changing criminal behaviour, it nevertheless implies that behaviour is more nurture than nature. Rehabilitation: The Key in Changing Offender Behaviour In recent decades, incarceration rates (ABS) have displayed an upward trend across Australia. This, along with an increasing rate of recidivism(ABS) has contributed to a growing amount of criticism on the effectiveness of prison based rehabilitation programmes. According to Vennard, Sugg and Hedderman (1997) prison based programmes designed to rehabilitate offenders have been criticised on two main grounds. Firstly, that they over simplify the roots of offending behaviour by not considering other determinants of crime and secondly, that they are ineffective at changing criminal behaviour. This nothing works (Martinson, 1974) attitude has changed in recent years to a cautious optimism, supported by growing research that some types of intervention can be effective at reducing re-offending. It is therefore paramount that some, if not most rehabilitation programs continue to operate despite financial cutbacks. The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs depends on how criminal behaviour is acquired. Is it the result of an individuals genetic makeup that makes them a criminal or is it the environment in which they are raised that governs their behaviour? From the biological theories of behaviour to the behaviourist perspective on learning, there is one general theme of how genetic and environmental variables interact (Burton, 2009). Biological accounts of behaviour Family studies (Joseph, 2001; Raine, 2003; Schmitz, 2003) concluded that genetics can cause a tendency for criminal behaviour but they also found that an individuals personality could be, and often is, modified by the environment. Twin studies done by comparing identical twins or fraternal twins, is a type of genetic study that confirms this. Tuvblad, Eley and Lichtenstein (2005) examined 1226 pairs of twins for signs of heritability in anti-social behaviour (ASB) and found that although ASB in females were explained by genetic influences, males showed no significant mediation between aggressive behaviour and heritability. Furthermore, they found significant shared environmental effects in males. This suggests that the presence of ASB, a major factor in criminal behaviour (Joesph, 2001;Morley Hall, 2003) can be altered through environmental influences and therefore changeable through rehabilitation programs. On the other hand, adoption studies suggest that behaviour is more nature than nurture. In a review of adoption studies, Joseph (2001) found that most adoption studies concluded that adopted-away children who were born to parents with a criminal background were more likely to engage in criminal activity than adopted children whose parents had no criminal background. However Joseph (2001) also established that the majority of adoption studies found no significant role of genetics in violent crime. This suggests that there are some environmental influences on behaviour Besides heritability, certain biological chemicals are also known to influence behaviour. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme that has been shown to be related to ASB.A study by Elliot (2000) found that low MAO activity results in a lack of control which can lead to impulsivity and aggression, and by further association, ASB. Aggressiveness and impulsivity can also be increased by the neuro-chemical serotonin. As Lowenstein (2003) states, studies point to serotonin as one of the most important central neuro-transmitters underlying the modulation of impulsive aggression. Since chemical levels can be changed through diet, by incorporating a special diet in a rehabilitation program, it can improve the chances of successfully rehabilitating an offender. Although there is a lack of recent research evidence into this possibility, several past studies (Schauss 1981;) Schoenthaler, 1983 ) suggest that it is possible to manipulate behaviour through diet. Behaviour through learning The notion that criminal behaviour is a learned behaviour has been around for a long time. Sutherland (1947) put forth the theory of differential association which postulates that criminal behaviour is learned in association with those who have criminal attitudes and values. An individual learns favourable or unfavorable definitions of the legal code and he or she learns criminal behaviour if they accumulate an excess of definitions favourable to violation of law over definitions unfavourable to violations of law (Sutherland 1947). This theory suggests that behaviour can be changed. According to the theory, individuals become criminals principally because they have been isolated from groups whose behaviour are law-abiding or because of some circumstances have made them associate themselves with criminals frequently. Therefore, if criminals are to be changed, they must become members of anti-criminal groups or their present pro-criminal group relations must be changed (Cressy, 1955). Cressey (1963) did a follow-up experiment on drug addicts by applying his principles formulated in his 1955 article on the differential association theory on a drug rehabilitation program. Sixty-six percent of the drug addicts who stayed on the program for at least three months and 86% of those who remained on the program for at least seven months did not revert back to drug use. The differential association theory is not perfect however. Burgess and Akers (1969) criticised Sutherlands theory due to its lack of attention on individualism and failure to take into account of personality traits. Using Skinners principles of operant conditioning, they further developed Sutherlands differential association theory to address these issues. They called their revision, the differential association-reinforcement theory. Burgess and Akers(1969) argue that criminal behaviour can be explained as a function of the reinforcement or punishment a person receives from the environment. In other words, behaviour that produces a reward will tend to be performed more frequently in the future, while behaviour that is followed by punishment will tend to decrease in frequency. Differential reinforcement occurs when under certain environmental conditions, one behaviour leads to greater or more frequent rewards than does another alternative behaviour. The behaviour that receives greate r reinforcement- e.g criminal behaviour-becomes dominant over the alternative behaviour, such as law-abiding behaviour. Consequently, through this process of differential reinforcement, certain environmental conditions can increase the probability of criminal acts by individuals. A study on the effects of imprisonment(punishment) and probation (reinforcement) on juvenile offenders demonstrated the effectiveness of applying the differential reinforcement theory in rehabilitation. Tsytsarev , Manger and Lodrini (2000) found that the incarcerated group had a higher likelihood of re-offending whilst the probation group had a lower likelihood of re-offending. Cognitive approach Among the range of offender programmes designed to reintegrate offenders into society, those which are increasingly favoured are those that seek to address an offenders way of thinking, reasoning and associated behaviour, otherwise known as cognitive-behavioural techniques (Vennard et al, 1997). Cognitive-behavioural techniques assume that offenders are shaped by their environment and have failed to learn certain ways of behaving (McGuire, 1995;Vannard et al, 1997). This does not mean criminal behaviour is solely attributed to individual factors. McGuire (1995) explains that it also takes into account the social conditions which affect individual development and is not in conflict with other explanations of criminal behaviour, such as the theory of differential association. Rehabilitation programmes based on this approach tend to teach offenders to confront their crime, understand why it happened and develop ways of controlling their behaviour. The success rates of these rehabilitation programs have been well documented. Feindler and Ecton (1986) (as cited in Vennard et al, 1997) developed a programme for young offenders which successfully taught them how to control anger.(example) while McDougall et al. (1987) reported significant anger reductions among inmates in young offenders institutions who had undergone an anger management programme combining cognitive procedures, specifically self-instruction and self- statements to use in situations of anger. More recently, Lipsey (2009) examined the effectiveness of various intervention programs, including rehabilitation. Of the 548 interventions analysed, he concluded that punishment or deterrence-based interventions such as boot camps actually increased recidivism. In contrast, programmes that were multi-model and had a more behavioural or skills-oriented had the most impact in reducing recidivism. In a different research review, Landenberger and Lipsey(2005) showed that progra ms based on cognitive behavioural techniques are effective with juvenile and adult criminal offenders in various criminal justice settings, including prison, residential, and parole. They found that it was even effective with high-risk behaviour such as rape. Conclusion With the current focus on punishing criminals through longer prison terms and harsher fines, rehabilitation must not be neglected as the vast amount of research literature indicates that behaviour can be changed. The financial gains from turning a criminal into a law-abiding, productive citizen far outweigh the temporary savings from abolishing rehabilitation programs. Equally important is that we continue to provide more resources to rehabilitation programs in order to better understand, and change something that is constantly evolving human behaviour. Kelvin Mui

William Christopher Handy :: essays research papers

William Christopher Handy Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows; one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's songs brought the blues to international attention. Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers of music by black composers. William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural & Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn. Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own orchestra from 1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a fall from a subway platform in 1943. Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs,

A Deadly Realization Essay -- essays research papers

A Deadly Realization I walked into school around 8:25, rolling out of bed only a half hour before. I wiped the rain from my face, I hate when it rains. As usual, I strolled in with a casual walk, like I was the coolest, because I could come in late every morning since I had no first period class. The first person I saw as I walked through the cafeteria toward the staircase was Louise. Usually an outgoing and crazy person, she strikes many as being on crack. She calmly and quietly said "hey", with her face to the floor, not even looking at me. On my way up the staircase to my locker, I passed my good friend Mike. He looked me in the face and said, "Did you hear?" I replied with intense wonder of what the latest gossip at Shoreham-Wading River High School could be. "No", I replied, "what happened?" "You'll find out at the assembly." I had a few minutes before second period began, so I walked to the library, and pulled up a seat across from my friend Ke vin. "What's up, I heard we have an assembly this morning." "Yeah, I think two juniors got in an accident last night, but I heard they're all ok." I jokingly responded, "Well, at least periods are shorter." He gave me a tiny smirk, silently telling me we shouldn't be laughing over such a horrible thing. The bell rang, and first period ended. Dr. Hayward the principal came over the loudspeaker, "All students please report to the auditorium." Kevin and I got up, and joined the crowd slowly squeezing into the auditorium through the two open doors. I looked around and saw a group of my best friends sitting together. Katie had her head on Louise's shoulder, and Mike and Kyle sat there with a blank stare on their faces. I made my way into a seat, and looked at everyone, "Hey guys." No one responded, not even a look. By this point, I was scared at what news I might hear. I didn't know what to be thinking. For everyone to be so upset, it must be really serious. I looked around. Everyone had a look of wonder on their face, or they were crying, or just didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to think. I had never seen my friends like this before. Never have I seen Mike so serious, he would laugh if I got run over by a car. But this time was different for sur... ...ast person I knew that would take their own life. He always seemed happy, never missed a good laugh, and always walked around with a smile on his face. On the last day of school, the senior class planted a tree in his honor. It was strange, only about twenty kids showed up. Those that felt really close to Wes. I think to those few, Wes will never really die, and he'll always be there. Often times, when I'm upset about something, I remember what happened to Wes, and realize, things can be much, much worse. That night, I drove down Wes's street with a bunch of my friends. We each began to talk of our fondest memories of Wes, of all our memories of Wes. His smile was unforgettable, and his personality the kindest. I'll never forget that last thing Wes told me. "I'll see you on Monday." I never saw Wes that Monday, and I'll never forgive myself for not making more of that night with him. I think one really important thing that I learned from Wes, is to treat everyday of your life as if it may be your last. I've heard that line so many times before, I never really thought about it, but now, I hope to never forget it.

Bus Transport Essay -- Economics

Bus Transport A) The nature of the competition in the bus transport market is very specific. The article suggests competition is used to keep out new entrants to the market thus maintaining market share for the larger firms, "active competition takes place between small operators or between a large and a small operator." Further evidence suggests the competition was not of substantial benefit to the consumer and only used to get one over on the firms rivals, "more services run on routes which where already reasonably well serviced." However some methods of competition showed reasonable benefits to consumers, "charged lower fares than the incumbent." Yet in the long run predatory pricing is not a good thing, as it will eventually push out competition, creating a monopoly where the price will soon go back up again. Non-price competition is lacking in the market, " difficult for suppliers to differentiate their products." As long as the price is reasonable consumers will act on which service requires them to wait for the shortest amount of time, i.e. the first bus to arrive or the most reliable service, "not prepared to wait for a later bus which maybe more comfortable." Cumulatively this type of competition in a market has negative effects, "can lead to congestion, pollution, and instability of services." Large companies that actively compete are likely to loose out in the long run due to the nature of the Kinhed demand curve theory suffering, as...

African Americans in American Society 1920s Essay

Throughout US history, there is an abundance of racism, segregation and discrimination towards the African American people. In 1619, the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown to produce tobacco, tea, cotton, coffee and other precious commodities. In this time period, 12 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas, where they worked as slaves until 1865, where the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Although suppressed by whites and organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan, African Americans in the 1920s began to work towards social, economic and political independence as well as freedom from segregation and discrimination. From this decade, groups in favour of ending prejudice towards African Americans were formed, such as the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) led by W. E. B. DuBois and the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) led by Marcus Garvey, who, in their own rights, continued the legacy of Booker T. Washington who had worked towards Black rights in the 1890s. * â€Å"We must canonize our own saints, create our own martyrs, and elevate to positions of fame and honor black men and women who have made distinct contributions to our racial history† – Marcus Garvey World War I was a perfect opportunity for African Americans to prove themselves to their white neighbours, and fulfil the policies of Booker T. Washington, that in order to achieve acceptance, equality and freedom, they must first prove that they are worthy of their rights, which was done through service in the armed forces. However, instead of being accepted by white society, African Americans found that racial tensions only grew during the 1920s. Starting from the 1910s, a phenomenon had been occurring known as the Great Migration – the movement of African Americans from Southern cities to Northern ones as a result of extreme racism, the threat of lynching and the general aggression from whites. The African American population grew from 44 000 in 1920 to 234 000 in 1930 in Chicago, and Black Chicagoans gained access to city jobs, expanded their professional class and even won elective office in local and state government. However, in places such as Harlem, New York City, many African Americans were forced into small ghettos due to the unavailability of housing to them. Despite this, migration to the North meant that African Americans had become a powerful voting group, one that many white politicians took interest in (such as the Communist Party of America) and also pushed for civil rights of African Americans as they realised that racism was not just a Southern problem. Another side effect of the Great Migration, and ghettos was the flourishing of African American culture in the Black, or Harlem Renaissance. This movement was characterised by the idea of the ‘New Negro’ whose intellect through music, art and literature would challenge racism and stereotypes to promote progressive politics and social integration. One such example of the New Negro is Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican-born founder of the UNIA, who acted the part of a Negro king, established the African Orthodox Church and promoted a policy of separatism and a move of all African Americans back to Africa. The Harlem Renaissance saw a new culture develop in Harlem, the ghetto backstreets of New York City, where African Americans would reach back to their rich cultural heritage and produce creative works to express their feelings in the 1920s, such as Jazz music, which employed the minds of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington and many more. Other famous figures include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen, who inspired African Americans to remain strong despite the threat of racial violence. As a result of the Harlem Renaissance and the culture produced there, African Americans through taking pride in their heritage found empowerment, which lead to the beginnings of groups such as the Civil Rights Movement, and also, due to the significant effect they had on white culture (such as the development of modern music) it was impossible for white Americans to ignore the achievements occurring in Harlem and other black communities, and allow segregation to continue at such a large scale. Despite the cultural developments in Harlem and the formation of the African American identity, white culture found it extremely difficult to accept their black neighbours, leading to racial tensions, and often as a result, lynchings. One such example of racial tension leading to horrific consequences was the Tulsa Race Riots. In 1921, Tulsa Oklahoma was experiencing an economic boom thanks to the discovery of oil. Due to this African Americans also prospered, although confined to the Greenwood section of the city, also referred to as the Black Wall Street, due to a number of wealthy black entrepreneurs residing there. At this time, membership in the Ku Klux Klan was rising and there was an active chapter in Tulsa. On Memorial Day, a riot was triggered by a report in several white newspapers that a white, female elevator operator had been allegedly raped by black youths. In response to this, rumours circulated around the city that a mob was going to attempt to lynch the youths, then a group of armed African Americans bolted to the local police station in order to stop the lynching mob, that did not exist. A confrontation followed where shots were fired and several whites killed. As news of the events spread through Tulsa, thousands of whites caused uproar through Greenwood as they ran through the Black Wall Street, killing African Americans and vandalising, burning and looting homes and businesses. However, when the National Guard was called in, only blacks were arrested (around four or five thousand), and as a result of the day’s violence, around 35 blocks of Greenwood were destroyed, $1. 5 million worth of damage caused, and reports of up to 300 African Americans killed, and only 20 whites. Today, white citizens of Oklahoma have only recently accepted the blame for the hundreds of deaths as a result of the Tulsa Race Riots. * â€Å"I was frequently whipped and also put into an electric chair and shocked and strangling drugs would be put in my nose to make me tell that others had killed or shot at white people and force me to testify against them† – Alf Banks. One of the many goals of the NAACP was to make Black Americans aware of their political rights, including their right to vote. They also wished to see an end to the lynching of African Americans throughout the US, and with the help of the Tuskegee Institute compiled information that revealed that from 1890 to 1921, there had been more lynchings than executions, and that of the 4096 known lynchings, 810 of those had been for rape or attempted rape. In 1922, the law known as the Dyer Anti-Lynching Law was passed through the House of Representatives with more than two-thirds in favour of the bill, but failed to make it through the Senate, due to the lack of political will in the 1920s to see an end to lynching, and also because of the influence of the Southern Democrats. However, due to the research undertaken by the NAACP and the Tuskegee Institute being released in the press, and thus, to the general public, the outcry leads to a decrease in lynchings. In 1923, the NAACP gained an impressive legal victory against the courts of Arkansas in what is known as the Moore versus Dempsey case. In the Elaine, Arkansas riot of 1919, 5 whites were killed, allegedly by African Americans. As a result of this, over 700 African Americans were arrested, 67 sent to prison and 12 sentenced to death, after being tried by an all white jury. Walter White, a member of the NAACP, took interest in the case and after travelling to Arkansas posing as a newspaper reporter, and into Phillips County where the ‘massacre’ took place, he published what he had found. The NAACP then hired black and white lawyers, who argued that due to the mob that had circled the courthouse on the day of the trial, the 12 men had not received a fair trial. On the 19th of February 1923, the Supreme Court decided in the favour of the NAACP, the case was handed down to the lower courts and all 12 men were freed. * â€Å"Until your produce what the white man has produced, you will not be his equal† – Marcus Garvey Marcus Garvey, the founder of the UNIA believed that the only way to establish African Americans as an independent group was through capitalism. On January 30 1920, the Negro Factories Corporation was created in Delaware, whose purpose was to help African Americans rely on their own efforts. By May the same year, the corporation had taken over the management of the steam laundry in Harlem, and was also opening millinery. Soon afterwards in June, the organisation had commenced the production of UNIA uniforms and insignia at the Universal Tailoring and Dress Making Department. Throughout America, UNIA branches were encouraged to buy into their own buildings and open their own businesses, such as the Panama branch, which ran a bakery. The shares however, of these establishments were open to only to members of the UNIA. In 1921, the Negro Factories Corporation fell victim to organisational mismanagement, and ceased operations. Although the company never reached the height of Garvey’s vision, it gave hundreds of African Americans hope by providing people with employment in Harlem, as well as assistance through aid societies, small loans and death benefits. Another organisation set up to help stimulate the African American economy was the National Urban League, although established in 1910, helped African Americans migrate from rural to urban areas during the 1920s, its purpose being â€Å"to promote, encourage, assist and engage in any and all kinds of work for improving the industrial, economic, social and spiritual conditions among Negroes†. In 1921, the Department of Research was created by the League for the purpose of surveying Black populations in northern cities, resulting in the discovery African Americans faced regarding employment, sanitation and hygiene, and education. By addressing these problems, the League quickly grew, and is still in action today. One of the main problems facing African Americans when seeking employment was that union membership was discouraged throughout the 1920s, by the American Federation of Labor (AFL). This, along with the increased job competition brought about by migrants, lead to a weakened labour movement in the US. All African American unionists were banned from condemning the activities of the Ku Klux Klan, and the anti-labour behaviour of capitalists (who believed African Americans were associated with the increased industrialist power) lead not only to increased racial tension, but also further economic competition between lower classes. The Communist Party of America had hoped through their own establishment, the American Negro Labor Congress that all African American unionists would be brought together, in order to assist their own political fortunes. This movement however had little support, with less than 200 African American members in 1928. Due to the difficulties African Americans had with finding work should they be part of a union, as well as the increased racial tensions brought about with taking up their rights to be part of a union, memberships declined from 5 million to 3. 5 million by the end of the 1920s. Despite the difficulties African Americans had finding work, when actually in employment, the pay differences between white and black workers, especially in factories, were small. Unfortunately, the jobs open to African Americans were generally limited and concentrated around unskilled labour, which was often unpleasant, and dangerous, such as working in blast furnaces in steel plants, or in the killing and cutting departments of meat packing plants. Also, because of the reluctance of blacks to join unions (many employers banned union membership) they were more likely to be hired at times of strikes. The Ford Motor Company hired large amounts of African American factory workers, starting with only 50 in 1916, and increasing to over 10 000 in 1926. Unlike motor companies in Detroit who refused to hire African American workers, Ford treated their black employees with the same policy as their white employees, including the amount of working hours paid, with only a 40 hour, 5 day week for workers, unlike companies in the steel industry which supported a 12 hour day. The lack of education in African Americans, with the average standard of highest education being the 5th grade (the average for whites being 8th grade), lead many to seek work at the Ford Motor Company, and by the end of the 1920s, accounting for 7% of the total workforce. * As a result of all that occurred in the 1920s African American USA, many examples of what were achieved, and what happened can be seen today, in modern America. For example, the Harlem Renaissance which saw the flourishing of Jazz Music in New York, helped lead to the music we hear today. The NAACP which gained legal victories, such as the Moore versus Dempsey case, and helped win Blacks civil rights, is still operating today, as America’s oldest and largest civil rights group for ethnic minorities. The Great Migration, and willingness for black workers to prove themselves, established African American populations in all major cities in America, making them a huge driving force in politics, and incorporated them into what we now see a slightly less racist, more accepting society. America, as we know it, would never have occurred unless African Americans had been there to influence the growth of one of the largest capitalist societies in the world. Bibliography †¢ Harlan, L. R. (1974 – source). History Matters. [on-line]. Available from: http://historymatters. gmu. edu/d/39 [accessed 16 Aug. 2010] †¢ South Dakota Alliance for Distance Education. (2002). The 1920s. [on-line]. Available from: http://doe. sd. gov/octa/ddn4learning/themeunits/1920s/americans. htm [accessed 18 Aug. 1010] †¢ Manning, C. (2005). African Americans. [on-line]. Available from: http://encyclopedia. chicagohistory. org/pages/27. html [accessed 18 Aug. 2010] †¢ Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2002). [on-line]. Available from: http://www. pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/ [accessed 18 Aug. 2010] †¢ Ogunyemi, B. (2009). Tulsa Oklahoma’s Greenwood District. [on-line]. Available from: http://traditionofexcellence. wordpress. com/2008/02/08/tulsa-oklahomas-greenwood-district-black-wall-street/ [Accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Schultz, S. (1999). Civil Rights in an Uncivil Society. [on-line] Available from: http://us. history. wisc. edu/hist102/lectures/lecture26. html [accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Ellsworth, S. (2010). The Tulsa Race Riot. [on-line]. Available from: http://www.tulsareparations. org/TulsaRiot. htm [accessed 24 August 2010] †¢ Van Leeuwen, D. (2000). Marcus Garvey and the UNIA. [on-line]. Available from: http://nationalhumanitiescenter. org/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/garvey. htm [accessed 19 August 2010] †¢ Maloney T. M. (2010). African Americans in the 20th Century. [on-line]. Available from: http://en. net/encyclopedia/article/maloney. african. american [accessed 19 August 2010] †¢ Library of Congress. (2009). African Americans and Consumerism. [on-line]. Available from:

Learning Styles and Strategies Essay

* Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something active with it–discussing or applying it or explaining it to others. Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first. * â€Å"Let’s try it out and see how it works† is an active learner’s phrase; â€Å"Let’s think it through first† is the reflective learner’s response. * Active learners tend to like group work more than reflective learners, who prefer working alone. * Sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but take notes is hard for both learning types, but particularly hard for active learners. Everybody is active sometimes and reflective sometimes. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild. A balance of the two is desirable. If you always act before reflecting you can jump into things prematurely and get into trouble, while if you spend too much time reflecting you may never get anything done. How can active learners help themselves? If you are an active learner in a class that allows little or no class time for discussion or problem-solving activities, you should try to compensate for these lacks when you study. Study in a group in which the members take turns explaining different topics to each other. Work with others to guess what you will be asked on the next test and figure out how you will answer. You will always retain information better if you find ways to do something with it. How can reflective learners help themselves? If you are a reflective learner in a class that allows little or no class time for thinking about new information, you should try to compensate for this lack when you study. Don’t simply read or memorize the material; stop periodically to review what you have read and to think of possible questions or applications. You might find it helpful to write short summaries of readings or class notes in your own words. Doing so may take extra time but will enable you to retain the material more effectively. SENSING AND INTUITIVE LEARNERS * Sensing learners tend to like learning facts; intuitive learners often prefer discovering possibilities and relationships. * Sensors often like solving problems by well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises; intuitors like innovation and dislike repetition. Sensors are more likely than intuitors to resent being tested on material that has not been explicitly covered in class. * Sensors tend to be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on (laboratory) work; intuitors may be better at grasping new concepts and are often more comfortable than sensors with abstractions and mathematical formulations. * Sensors tend to be more practical and careful than intuitors; intuitors tend to work faster and to be more innovative than sensors. * Sensors don’t like courses that have no apparent connection to the real world; intuitors don’t like â€Å"plug-and-chug† courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculations. Everybody is sensing sometimes and intuitive sometimes. Your preference for one or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild. To be effective as a learner and problem solver, you need to be able to function both ways. If you overemphasize intuition, you may miss important details or make careless mistakes in calculations or hands-on work; if you overemphasize sensing, you may rely too much on memorization and familiar methods and not concentrate enough on understanding and innovative thinking. How can sensing learners help themselves? Sensors remember and understand information best if they can see how it connects to the real world. If you are in a class where most of the material is abstract and theoretical, you may have difficulty. Ask your instructor for specific examples of concepts and procedures, and find out how the concepts apply in practice. If the teacher does not provide enough specifics, try to find some in your course text or other references or by brainstorming with friends or classmates. How can intuitive learners help themselves? Many college lecture classes are aimed at intuitors. However, if you are an intuitor and you happen to be in a class that deals primarily with memorization and rote substitution in formulas, you may have trouble with boredom. Ask your instructor for interpretations or theories that link the facts, or try to find the connections yourself. You may also be prone to careless mistakes on test because you are impatient with details and don’t like repetition (as in checking your completed solutions). Take time to read the entire question before you start answering and be sure to check your results VISUAL AND VERBAL LEARNERS Visual learners remember best what they see–pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and demonstrations. Verbal learners get more out of words–written and spoken explanations. Everyone learns more when information is presented both visually and verbally. In most college classes very little visual information is presented: students mainly listen to lectures and read material written on chalkboards and in textbooks and handouts. Unfortunately, most people are visual learners; this means that most students do not get nearly as much as they would if more visual presentation were used in class. Good learners are capable of processing information presented either visually or verbally. How can visual learners help themselves? If you are a visual learner, try to find diagrams, sketches, schematics, photographs, flow charts, or any other visual representation of course material that is predominantly verbal. Ask your instructor, consult reference books, and see if any videotapes or CD-ROM displays of the course material are available. Prepare a concept map by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or circles, and drawing lines with arrows between concepts to show connections. Color-code your notes with a highlighter so that everything relating to one topic is the same color. How can verbal learners help themselves? Write summaries or outlines of course material in your own words. Working in groups can be particularly effective: you gain understanding of material by hearing classmates’ explanations and you learn even more when you do the explaining. SEQUENTIAL AND GLOBAL LEARNERS * Sequential learners tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with each step following logically from the previous one. Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly â€Å"getting it.† * Sequential learners tend to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions; global learners may be able to solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture, but they may have difficulty explaining how they did it. Many people who read this description may conclude incorrectly that they are global, since everyone has experienced bewilderment followed by a sudden flash of understanding. What makes you global or not is what happens before the light bulb goes on. Sequential learners may not fully understand the material but they can nevertheless do something with it (like solve the homework problems or pass the test) since the pieces they have absorbed are logically connected. Strongly global learners who lack good sequential thinking abilities, on the other hand, may have serious difficulties until they have the big picture. Even after they have it, they may be fuzzy about the details of the subject, while sequential learners may know a lot about specific aspects of a subject but may have trouble relating them to different aspects of the same subject or to different subjects. How can sequential learners help themselves? Most college courses are taught in a sequential manner. However, if you are a sequential learner and you have an instructor who jumps around from topic to topic or skips steps, you may have difficulty following and remembering. Ask the instructor to fill in the skipped steps, or fill them in yourself by consulting references. When you are studying, take the time to outline the lecture material for yourself in logical order. In the long run doing so will save you time. You might also try to strengthen your global thinking skills by relating each new topic you study to things you already know. The more you can do so, the deeper your understanding of the topic is likely to be. How can global learners help themselves? If you are a global learner, it can be helpful for you to realize that you need the big picture of a subject before you can master details. If your instructor plunges directly into new topics without bothering to explain how they relate to what you already know, it can cause problems for you. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that may help you get the big picture more rapidly. Before you begin to study the first section of a chapter in a text, skim through the entire chapter to get an overview. Doing so may be time-consuming initially but it may save you from going over and over individual parts later. Instead of spending a short time on every subject every night, you might find it more productive to immerse yourself in individual subjects for large blocks. Try to relate the subject to things you already know, either by asking the instructor to help you see connections or by consulting references. Above all, don’t lose faith in yourself; you will eventually understand the new material, and once you do your understanding of how it connects to other topics and disciplines may enable you to apply it in ways that most sequential thinkers would never dream of.

About Myself: Alone Together Essay

1)Specifically, which primary points do you both understand and agree or disagree with? In â€Å"Alone Together† Sherry Turkle explains the connection between people and technology. She talks about the excitement of talking to someone through a computer; you can become anyone you want, and it also gives you the courage to say anything you want. When you’re behind a computer, it’s easy to tell someone what you think. The same goes for texting. It’s so much easier when you are mad at someone about something to text it to them instead of calling them. You can still express your emotions, by using smiley face or other faces. You’re basically showing emotions through text messaging. It might be convenient to send a quick message to someone instead of having to call them. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay I am one of the people that have given in so much to technology. I notice too that when my girlfriend and I will argue about something; we will just text each other back and forth and solve the problem that way. I think in that way texting is a good thing, because instead of shouting or saying things you do not mean, you are texting them so you have time to think about your words before you send the message. Most new phones allow someone to have their email and Facebook or other site, they use frequently linked to it. Every message would be sent to your computer now goes to your phone. So while that may be convenient in some ways, it can also be rude when you’re with someone. Children do not spend their free time playing a sport. They spend hours playing video games, surfing the Internet or using cell phones. She said, â€Å"kids are out, but they are on their phones†(Turkle 155). Facebook, Skype, and texts have all become our mainstream of communication, and that is this generation’s source of communication. She also explains how a lot of people now can’t imagine going without their devices, but few years ago, people were just fine. If technology advanced that much in the last couple of years, imagine how things will be in the future. I see some convenience in it all, but I also see constant technology use as a bad thing. So many people now interact through these devices instead of talking to someone. And as convenient as that might be to send a message, I don’t think it is a good thing. 2) Specifically, which major or minor points would you like to ask the author to clarify? I want to know more about how people would prefer a robot over a human relationship. Robots do not have feelings and how does having a robot change how people feel. Why people cannot resist using their phones? How does technology play a big part in our lives? What can talking to someone face to face that a text message cannot do? If technology is changing us, what are we becoming? Does Sherry Turkle spend countless hours on her cell-phone? 3) Generally, what potential essay topics or points of interest worthy of further discussion do you see in the reading? Potential essay topics I see in the readings are how technology plays a big part in our lives? Where would we be if technology did not exist? Without technology, how would education turn out to be? Why do people rely so much on technology?

Our War On Drugs Essay

A drug can be described as a chemical substance that influences how an individual’s body and mind works (Rees 2005 p. 5). It is uncommon today to hear the word drugs on televisions and read them in magazines. Drugs are virtually everywhere and there is continual development of these drugs. They are used by people for various reasons ranging from medicinal to recreational purposes. Drugs that are taken as medicines include antibiotics and penicillin among others. However some drugs are illegal. They include: cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, cannabis, heroin, crack, methamphetamines, LSD (acid), alcohol and magic mushrooms. These illegal drugs are also known as recreational drugs and many are gotten from plants growth in various parts of the world. Amphetamines are drugs that can be inhaled, or eaten in form of tables. Heroin is smoked or taken as an injection. Marijuana on the other hand consists of a brown resin. It is mostly smoked in cigarettes and it can also be eaten (Rees 2005 p. 30). Abuse of drug use is known as drug addiction. When a person constantly takes these illegal drugs for recreational purposes this addiction develops as a process and not instantly. Addiction to drugs affects individuals of multicultural, geographically diverse, across gender and racial classes. The initial steps are very moderate but their increased use results to a state of life threatening situation. Withdrawals are hardly achieved as the issue becomes of medical concern. Those who abuse drugs have their various reasons. They argue that drugs help them alleviate stress, boosts their morale and confidence, makes them feel good about themselves among many other things. Drug abuse has various adverse effects. Some of the effects include rises in blood pressure, vomiting, impairs memory and judgment capability of an individual. Other effects are poor decision making, accidents, impaired health and poor relationships. The consequences of these are physical, psychological and emotional instability on the drug abuser. The individual hence suffers from depression (Rick 2005 p30) A large number of people who abuse drugs decide to quit at some point but this is often difficult since once a person is addicted to drugs, it is almost impossible to avoid taking them as they mostly experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are for instance body aches, sweating, and flu in the case of heroin. Nicotine on the other hand results to fatigue and premature aging affecting the skin, body shape and body weight. On the other hand, fast withdrawals could result to dangerous impacts. For instance tranquilizers could be dangerous resulting in high blood pressure, vomiting, temperature and stomach cramps (Rees 2005 p. 42) Our War on Drugs The war on drugs is a move undertaken by the United States including help from other participating countries whose priority is to eliminate trade in illegal drugs. It traces its origin way back in 1880 where there was a memorandum of understanding between United States and China to prohibit trade in opium between the two countries (http://www. nh-dwi. com/caip-213. htm). Today in America, mostly the youth experiment with these illegal drugs and they do it for various reasons. Some do it for recreational purposes whereas others are simply addicts as they cannot do without them. The United States government and the general public have become concerned about drug abuse and addiction. The government became more concerned about the issue in the 1960s when the youth mostly college students protested against the Vietnam war and in the 1960s and 1970s they began using licit and illicit drugs on a large scale for the first time (Fleckenstein Hanson & Venturelli 2005 p. 125). As a starting point the United States government introduced new strategies for tackling this issue of drug use and abuse. These strategies include demand reduction, inoculation, supply reduction, interdiction and drug courts. The use of drug courts has become a common strategy. The supply reduction is a strategy aimed at reducing and controlling supply of illegal drugs. Demand reduction aims at reducing the individuals’ tendencies to abuse drugs especially the youth. It places emphasis on reforming behaviors. Inoculation on the other hand attempts to protect drug users by informing them on their responsibilities. Drug courts on the other hand integrate incentives, sanctions, treatment and ensure that nonviolent drug addicts are placed in rehabilitation programs. Lastly interdiction is a policy aimed at stopping the supply of these illicit drugs (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 25). In the United States of America, there are quite a number of law enforcements Acts on drugs that have been established to control drug abuse. They include: Harrison Acts that looks into the production, sale, importation and distribution of opium. The other Act is the Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act aimed at alleviating use of narcotics but it is exceptional for medicinal and other legitimate use. Heroin Act of 1924 prohibited the manufacturing of drugs. The Marijuana Tax Act also controlled the production, sale and distribution of marijuana. The Opium Pappy Control Act restricted the cultivation of opium poppies in the United States except if one is licensed to do so. Narcotics control act on the other hand intended to establish suffer penalties to individuals who broke the marijuana or narcotics laws. Drug Abuse Control Amendments (DACA) was established to adopt stuff controls over barbiturates, amphetamines, LSD among others moreover; the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act (NARA) was established to rehabilitate drug addicts in the three programs that is voluntary, sentencing to death addicts who are convicted and the pretrial civil commitment. In 1988, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act introduced the office of National Drug Control to oversee policies on research controlling drug abuse. Lastly the 2000 Drug Addiction Treatment Act gave a go ahead to physicians to prescribe narcotics for the treatment of oploid addiction (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 135). The white House National Drug Control Strategy in 2006 declared it stand and wish to balance the reduction in supply and demand of illegal drugs in the United States of America. It also outlined programs intended to curb abuse of drugs. In the same year, the National Drug Control Strategy pointed out its aim of supporting random student testing, intervention, screening, prevention, treatment and support for drug courts examining methamphetamines and making the United States southwest border secure (uninfo. state. gov/xarchives/display. gtm/? p. ). Another regulatory law enforcement body concerning drug abuse in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Its mission is to control drugs and provide laws and regulations regarding drug abuse. The National Drug control Strategy established a ten year plan to reduce drug abuse. It also aims at reducing America’s demand for drugs by offering treatment and supply through law enactments (http://www. usembassy-mexico. gov/bbfbfdossier-combDrogas. htm). The above drug laws indiscriminate use of drugs and it is through the legislation that licit and illicit drugs are determined. The government of the United States tries to meet public needs and control pressure through these rules and regulations. Due to the advancement in technology in today’s society, trained experts and government agencies provide information and protection on drug abuse. Are we winning the war on drugs? In my opinion, I do not believe that we are winning the war on drugs. I have based my judgment according to various reasons. Since the prohibition of drug abuse in 1937 in the United States of America; marijuana once considered for Mexican immigrants has been actively used by 20-37% of the youth in the United States. The same applies to the use of cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines (World Drug Report, 2000). The continual trade in drugs is also another factor that has severely affected efforts by the government to prevent drug abuse and addiction. The United States of America is largely affected more so because of its population and largest budget that focuses on enforcement. President George W. Bush in February 2002 established a National Drug Control Strategy based on the Principles of stopping the usage of drugs, disrupting the market and curing America’s drug addicts (Policy and Program Development, 2002). Evidence also shows that the criminal law in the United States has had only small success in preventing drug abuse. It is approximated that in 2004, 39% of students in the 12th grade used an illicit-drug, 34% was marijuana, cocaine 5% and LSD 2%. Also, those aged 12 and above who use illegal drugs as estimated by National Survey is 19. 5 million in the United States (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 140). In the United States, family structures have changed considerably having half of all women working outside home and the divorce rate is quite high. This has affected the nurturing of children by all these single parents. Family and friends have also contributed to the increasing drug abuses since they are ready to bail out and offer excuses for those who have been convicted (Fleckenstein, Hanson & Venturelli, 2005 p. 40). To conclude, it is therefore evident that the war on drugs is still far from being over. It is therefore essential that the society works hard to stop abuse of drugs which is causing deaths on a massive scale. It is essential for individuals to know that the effects of drugs on the social life, economic life, emotional and spiritual life are adverse. The extreme case of addiction to these drugs is the exposure of the individual person to death.

Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Seale Research Paper

Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Seale - Research Paper Example The difference was the way each man promoted equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr. thought peaceful resistance was the way. He led boycotts to fight Jim Crow laws. He believed in integration. Malcolm X preached hate and segregation from the ‘white devils’. He wanted equal rights without integration. Bobby Seale believed in action. He protected his neighborhood through violence. The Black Panthers incited riots, most notably at the Democratic Convention. Another major difference that impacted each man’s views was religion. King was Christian. Malcolm X was a Muslim. Bobby Seale did not really have a religion. The Black Panthers followed a more Marxist path. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were both assassinated. Bobby Seale is still alive. King and Seale came from the South, but Malcolm X came from the North. King and Seale had fathers that worked and homemaker mothers. Malcolm X was from a broken home and even ended up in foster care. Seale served in the military, but the other two did not. The SCLC helped the Civil Rights Movement most in terms of gathering positive attention to the cause. The Nation of Islam inspired a fear in both black and white Americans. The Black Panthers incited violence that led to the gangs of

Individual theories of delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual theories of delinquency - Essay Example The choice theories have their basis on criminology classical school. The main emphasize here is on one’s potential to come up with certain choices. According to these theories, delinquency and various antisocial behaviour results from different traits and processes that are biological such as the dysfunction of the brain and several others. The psychological theories just like the choice theories mainly traces the delinquency causes on different factors in an individual. However, the key focus is mainly on the individual’s intelligence, temperament and juvenile personality. According to Siegel and Welsh (2010), the first explanation of crime was that individuals make various choices with regard to their behaviour. The assumption was that every individual has the free will in choosing behaviour and that those who opt to violate the law were driven mainly by their own greed, survival, vengeance or even morals. Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham who were utilitarian philosophers argued that in most cases individuals consider their action’s consequences before making any move on behaviour course. The scholars’writings formed the ancient classical criminology basis. Currently it is known as the rational choice theory. Choice theory assumption is that individual’s behaviour is a consequence that is directly linked to one’s conscious decisions either to be involved or not in a specific behaviour. According to the criminology classical school, the juveniles are people who are rational and intelligent with great potential to come up with different choices. Hence, this theory insists that before any action, young individuals calculate their behaviours costs and benefits. This theory further adds that crime is the outcome of supposing that greater gains will result from disobeying the law rather than following it. In most