Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s The Sun Essay

raisin in the sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, who was one of the very first African American ever to have her play performed on Broadway, during the civil rights movement. The play takes place in an uncomfortable small two bedroom apartment which the Younger family stays in. Throughout the play the family faces money, as well as family problems, but when they receive a large check the oldest son lets it get the best of him. According to Frank Ardolino journal article of Hansberry’s a Raisin in the Sun the main theme of this play is personal growth, and economic opposition to the family. While I agree with Ardolino, although when reading the play something that caught my attention was one of the main character Walter who was focused mainly on money, but also the pride of being a man, and having pride for his family. The term being a man is something said and to be expected of young boys, and men on a regular basis especially in today’s society. In the play the youngest son Travis understands that he will soon become the man of the house when his father Walter is gone, in addition to becoming a man Mama the head of the house hold lets Travis listen in on what his father says and does in order to prepare him. Being for Nigeria the family has many different traditions and values from white families here in the United States. Being from a different country it is possible that the way they are choosing to raise Travis to become a man could be different form the wayShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s The Sun Essay2042 Words   |  9 PagesRaisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry was one of the most poetic voices in American theatre. She was a playwright and an activist who wrote the incredibly successful play, A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry was born on May 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout her short life she was deeply involved in civil rights. She was the first African American playwright and the youngest American to win the New York Critics’ Circle award. Raisin in the Sun was the first of many that she envisioned challengingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 914 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is an autobiographical play written in 1950 by Lorraine Hansberry, an African American writer. The main characters are the Younger family, Mama, his son Walter and her daughter Beneatha. The play dramatizes a conflict between the main characters’ dreams and their actual lives’ struggles in poverty and racism. The main characters’ lives as African-Americans contribute to their feeling of entrapment by poverty and racism. The play predicts the black society struggles in the yearsRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1343 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is play written by Lorraine Hansberry about a struggling African American family. Set in the nineteen-fifties, the play explores the dynamics of how the family operates in a time era Chicago that challenges the family with poor economic status and racial prejudice. Hansberry uses dreams as one of her main themes in this play. Three of the characters, Walter, Beneatha, and Mama, all have a similar goal in their respective dreams, to improve the life of the whole family, butRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin And The Sun Essay2363 Words   |  10 Pagesis always a great place to start a story, yet is there a lesson to be learned if the characters ends up right where they started? That is one of the several predicaments in th e story â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Afro American writer Lorraine Hansberry. The story takes place in Chicago during the late 1950’s the civil rights era, and the most prevalent question is what makes an African American different to any other person. The story dives deep into what that is through the use of money, as the familyRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1876 Words   |  8 PagesA Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959. This is a story about an African American family striving to reach the American Dream despite significant financial difficulties and a racially oppressive environment in the postwar era. The passage I chose was from Act 2, scene 3 of the play. This is when the chairmen of the neighborhood committee in Clybourne Park, Mr. Lindner comes to speak with the Younger family about their future presence in the neighborhood. This passageRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Su n 1854 Words   |  8 Pagesdrink from the same water fountain. Schools being desegregated has helped young American people grow together in an educational environment, where they can build friendships with students of other races. Throughout the play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, Lorraine Hansberry vividly portrays the racism and discrimination of white people towards African-Americans in the fifties, as well as similarities to her own childhood. Walter Lee Younger, husband of Ruth Younger, works as a chauffeur for a rich white familyRead MoreAnalysis Of Lorraine Hansberry s A Raisin Of The Sun 1797 Words   |  8 Pages Worthless money itself All money brings is nothing but dreams and evil. Where there is money there is also dishonesty or corruption.. In a play called â€Å"A Raisin In The Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, she focuses on the struggle that was faced by one African American family from late 1950s. As the play opens, the family are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. This money comes from the death of Mr.Younger’s insurance policy. Everyone was very excited and were waiting for the money to beRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Beneatha In A Raisin In The Sun1487 Words   |  6 PagesCharacter Analysis â€Å" A Raisin in the Sun† is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalitiesRead MoreThe American Dream By Lorraine Hansberry1570 Words   |  7 Pagesabout it their whole lives? Many families struggle to even get close to the American Dream. In Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, the Younger family struggled for money, despite having numerous jobs, and a descendant living space. Being African American in the 1950’s made it difficult for the family to move up in class to achieve the American Dream. In â€Å"A Rai sin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger’s cannot fully achieve the American Dream due to societal obstacles they experienceRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Archetypal Analysis1452 Words   |  6 Pagesarchetypal analysis that enables one to gain insight into the conventional and universal experiences within the society of which that form of literature is based upon. These repeating and shared experiences are especially prevalent in the literature of the 1950s, as it is a period of time characterized by social injustice and prejudice targeting not just individuals but entire groups such as blacks, women and other disenfranchised communities within American society. Accordingly, Lorraine Hansberry’s

Essay on Love Conquers All in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path

Love Conquers All in A Worn Path Love is a strong force. Love can make a person do strange and sometimes heroic things. Eudora Welty introduces us to Phoenix Jackson in A Worn Path, a story about the love that a woman feels for her grandson. Through the actions of Phoenix Jackson, the reader learns that love can conquer anything. This theme is demonstrated through Phoenixs determination, her ability to overcome obstacles, and her reaction to the employees at the clinic. Phoenix Jackson is an old woman. The politically correct term elderly does not accurately describe just how old she is. She does not see well anymore, she walks with a cane to assist her unsteady gait, and she occasionally imagines objects that†¦show more content†¦She is determined to get to town in order to get medicine for her grandson, who will surely die without it. The trip is a long one, even for a young person, and treacherous for one so old as Phoenix. Even when the hunter she meets on the way tells her she should go home, she does not give up, responding to him that she is bound to go on [her] way (366). Phoenix overcomes many obstacles on her way to town. She quickly gets her dress caught on a thorny bush, but manages to work it free from the thorns without tearing it. She crosses a creek by walking across a log with her eyes shut, feeling her way with her cane. When she comes to a barbed-wire fence, she must climb through it, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps (364). At one point during her excursion Phoenix meets up with a dog, which startles her and causes her to lose her balance and fall. Luckily, a hunter finds her and helps her back onto her feet. The hunter, however, being young and cocky, tries to scare her with a gun. Phoenix does not so much as flinch, telling the hunter that she has seen plenty go off closer by (366). Despite all the obstacles, Phoenix continues on her way, resolving to make it to town for her grandson. When Phoenix finally gets to town and enters the clinic, she is not received well by the attendant, who refers to Phoenix as a charity case (367). The attendant is short-tempered withShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of A Worn Path1221 Words   |  5 PagesOvercoming Obstacles: A Literary Analysis of â€Å"A Worn Path† Thesis: â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty is one of the best short stories to incorporate different symbolic representations of determination and the will to live. I. Introduction II. Phoenix A. Definition B. Characteristics III. Natural symbolism A. Steep hill B. Thorns of bush IV. Perceived Racism A. Imagined cake B. White hunter V. Arrival in Natchez A. Nurses’ comments BRead MoreCan Love Conquer All? A Worn Path by Eudora Welty Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesCan Love Conquer All? A Worn Path by Eudora Welty There are many authors in this world. Every author has a unique way of expressing their writing. Eudora Welty is the author of â€Å"A Worn Path.† She has written many short stories and novels. She was born April 13, 1909 and died July 23, 2001. Eudora Welty wrote â€Å"A Worn Path† in 1941.Eudora Welty passed away, but left us with some of the most admired pieces of writing. One of the most popular short stories was â€Å"A Worn Path.† â€Å"A Worn Path† is a shortRead More Overcoming the Odds in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path Essay1913 Words   |  8 Pages In the short story, A Worn Path Eudora Weltys plot is not all that clear in the beginning, but progresses as her character carries on against the overwhelming forces against her. In this short story a black elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson, must overcome the odds against her as she valiantly travels through many obstacles in order to contribute to the wellness of her grandson, for whom she is making this trip down a worn path. It is at this point that all of Weltys readers hearts open up toRead MoreA Worn Path By Eudora Welty Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesA Worn Path (1940) On an everyday basis people are encountering challenges that stand in their way of them achieving their set goals. However, with determination the vast majority will accomplish the mission they have set out to conquer. In the short story â€Å"A Worn Path† written by Eudora Welty in 1940, Phoenix Jackson, the main character has a mission in which she is trying to complete when she is faced with many challenges. This short story is centered on the challenges that are faced by an elderlyRead MoreAnalysis of A Worn Path Essay648 Words   |  3 Pageslived a lifetime of hardship. Her role in society is an old black woman in a white world, though she is not ashamed of her inferior position. She has walked a path periodically to get medicine for her chronically ill grandson who drank lye. On a cold December day, she shares one of her journeys to the hospital in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path. This specific journey is examined closely of an old woman full of dedication, dignity and high morale. Before the journey even begins, we come to an understanding

Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse Free Essays

Eric Sandler Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse Construction on the 40-story Hyat Regency Crown Center began in 1978, and the hotel opened on July 1, 1980, after construction delays including an incident on October 14, 1979, when 2,700 square feet of the atrium roof collapsed because one of the roof connections on the north end of the atrium failed. The collapse was the second major structural failure in Kansas City in a little more than two years. On June 4, 1979, the roof of the then-empty Kempar Arena in Kansas City had collapsed without loss of life. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse or any similar topic only for you Order Now The architects and engineering firms at the two collapses were different. One of the defining features of the hotel was its lobby, which featured a multistory atrium crossed by suspended concrete walkways on the second, third and fourth levels, with the fourth level walkway directly above the second level walkway. On July 17, 1981, approximately 2,000 people had gathered in the atrium to participate in and watch a dance contest. Dozens stood on the walkways. At 7:05 PM, the walkways on the second, third and fourth floor were packed with visitors as they watched over the active lobby, which was also full of people. The fourth floor bridge was suspended directly over the second floor bridge, with the third floor walkway set off to the side several meters away from the other two. Construction difficulties led to a flawed design change that doubled the load on the connection between the fourth floor walkway support beams and the tie rods carrying the weight of both walkways. This new design could barely handle the dead load weight of the structure itself, much less the weight of the spectators standing on it. The connection failed and both walkways crashed one on top of the other and then into the lobby below, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others. The rescue operation lasted well into the next morning and was carried out by an army of emergency personnel, including 34 fire trucks, and paramedics and doctors from five area hospitals. Dr. Joseph Waeckerle directed the rescue effort setting up a makeshift morgue in the ruined lobby and turning the hotel’s taxi ring into a triage center, helping to organize the wounded by highest need for medical care. Those who could walk were instructed to leave the hotel to simplify the rescue effort, the fatally injured were told they were going to die and given morphine. Workmen from a local construction company were also hired by the city fire department, bringing with them cranes, bulldozers, jackhammers and concrete-cutting power saws. The biggest challenge to the rescue operation came when falling debris severed the hotel’s water pipes, flooding the lobby and putting trapped survivors at great risk of drowning. As the pipes were connected to water tanks, as opposed to a public source, the flow could not be shut off. Eventually, Kansas City’s fire chief realized that the hotel’s front doors were trapping the water in the lobby. On his orders, a bulldozer was sent in to rip out the doors, which allowed the water to pour out of the lobby and thus eliminated the danger to survivors. In all twelve lives were rescued from the rubble. The two walkways were suspended from a set of steel tie rods, with the second floor walkway hanging directly underneath the fourth floor walkway. The walkway platform was supported on 3 cross-beams suspended by steel rods retained by nuts. The cross-beams were box beams made from C-channels welded toe-to-toe. The original design by Jack D. Gillum and Associates called for three pairs of rods running from the second floor all the way to the ceiling. Investigators eventually determined that the new design supported only 60 percent of the minimum load required by Kansas City building codes. Havens Steel Company, the contractor responsible for manufacturing the rods, objected to the original plan of Jack D. Gillum and Associates, since it required the whole of the rod below the fourth floor to be threaded in order to screw on the nuts to hold the fourth floor walkway in place. These threads would probably have been damaged beyond use as the structure for the fourth floor was hoisted into position. Havens therefore proposed an alternate plan in which two separate sets of tie rods would be used. One connecting the fourth floor walkway to the ceiling, and the other connecting the second floor walkway to the fourth floor walkway. This design change would prove fatal. In the original design, the beams of the fourth floor walkway had to support only the weight of the fourth floor walkway itself, with the weight of the second floor walkway supported completely by the rods. In the revised design, however, the fourth floor beams were required to support both the fourth floor walkway and the second floor walkway hanging from it. With the load on the fourth-floor beams doubled, Havens’ proposed design could bear only 30 percent of the mandated minimum load (60 percent in the original design). The serious flaws of the revised design were further compounded by the fact that both designs placed the bolts directly in a welded joint between two facing C-channels, the weakest structural point in the box beams. Photographs of the wreckage show excessive deformations of the cross-section. In the failure the box beams split at the weld and the nut supporting them slipped through. Since the construction process includes the work and ideas of many different people, the process can become unclear, especially when meeting deadlines and budget requirements. Such a fast-paced environment stems from the concept that â€Å"time is money. † This concept constantly drives the construction industry to seek quicker methods to transfer ideas from paper to structures of concrete and steel. It has become common practice in the construction industry to begin the actual construction of a building prior to the design work being completed. The Hyatt Regency Hotel was built on this fast-track type of schedule. The main reason for the walkway collapse was not a failure of materials. It was a communication failure. In the case of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the structural engineer sent a sketch of the proposed walkway connections to the steel fabricator. The structural engineer had assumed that the fabricator understood that he was to design the connections himself. Since the structural drawings did not state that the walkway connections were only a preliminary sketch, the steel fabricator assumed that the sketch was a finalized drawing. The fabricator simply copied the engineer’s preliminary sketch of the walkway connection to serve as the shop drawings. The development of the design was then completed. The materials selected for the fabrication were standard strength, size, and grade of material, rather than what should have been used to compensate for the added stress of the altered design. Such neglections can have grave results. The most glaring mistake in this entire chain of events was that the structural engineer did not review the final design. This is an example of deontological ethics because the engineer failed to perform his job to his full potential. As can be seen from the evidence, the real failure that caused the collapse of the Hyatt Regency walkways was actually a failure of communication in the design phase of the project. As a result of the disaster, the two engineers from G. C. E. International lost their professional engineering licenses in the state of Missouri. These engineers were Jack D. Gillum, the engineer of record, and Daniel M. Duncan, the project engineer. The engineer is ultimately responsible for checking the safety of final designs as depicted in shop drawings. When we take the implicit social contract between engineers and society, the issue of public risk and informed consent, and codes of ethics of professional societies into account, it seems clear that the engineer must assume this responsibility when any change in design involving public safety carries a licensed engineer’s seal. Yet, if it is assumed that the engineer in the Hyatt case received the fabricator’s telephone call requesting a verbal approval of the design change for simplifying assembly, some possible reasons that would make him approve such change are saving money and time, following his immediate supervisor’s orders, looking good professionally by simplifying the design, misunderstanding the consequences of his actions, or any combination of the reasons. These reasons do not, however, fall within acceptable standards of engineering professional conduct. Instead, they pave the way for legitimate charges of negligence, incompetence, misconduct and unprofessional conduct in the practice of engineering. When the engineer’s actions are compared to professional responsibilities cited in the engineering codes of ethics, an abrogation of professional responsibilities by the engineer in charge is clearly demonstrated. The Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, and Land Surveyors convicted the engineers employed by Jack D. Gillum and Associates who had signed off on the final drawings of gross negligence, misconduct and unprofessional conduct in the practice of engineering. They all lost their engineering licenses in the states of Missouri and Texas and their membership to ASCE. While Jack D. Gillum and Associates itself was cleared of criminal negligence, it was stripped of its license to be an engineering firm. At least $140 million was awarded to victims and their families in both judgments and settlements in civil lawsuits. A large amount of this money came from Crown Center Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards which was the owner of the actual hotel franchise. Life and health insurance companies probably absorbed even larger uncompensated losses in policy payouts. A lot was learned from this disaster. As a result of the fatal miscommunication, the American Society of Civil Engineers has now set the precedent that responsibility lies with the engineer’s seal. That is, that whoever places their seal of approval upon a set of plans carries the responsibility for the building and the outcome. It is now also required that all load bearing calculations must be checked by a city appointed engineer and that checks be formal. As an industry, it is important for all responsible parties such as the architects, engineers, fabricators, and whoever else is involved, to understand the challenge learned as a result of this fatality. Design presents the industry with a challenge to anticipate any failed detail and to correct it within the design process. How to cite Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse, Essay examples

Question 1 What are the elements of a good Essay Example For Students

Question 1: What are the elements of a good Essay abc online retailing (e-tailing) website? Give examples, including the web address of a firms website that you feel uses these elements successfully The online stores are nothing but an extension of retailing. In net terminology it is known as E-tailing. If you go by definition, it is E-tailing refers to retailing over the internet. Thus an e-tailor is a B2C business that executes a transaction with the final consumer. E-tailors can be pure play businesses like Amazon.com or businesses that have evolved from a legacy business, Tesco.com. E-tailing is a subset of e-commerce It is crucial in any e-tailing business to keep the shopping process simple, fast, and consistent. The average time to shop keeps getting faster at just over four minutes with less than five clicks in the process from product selection through checkout. I personally look for the sites, which are fast to load, got a lot of information about the displayed products, good prices of course should be there and which give s the price comparison with other big players. Apart from this, I look for the customer related services. This includes no value added service Also if the site has got any;#61514; section which is updated quite often for latest articles, latest trends on the online shopping and about the product details / description. The normal practice which I follow is to rely on the search engines for the desired product. Thanks to Google that it gives impartial results and very precise ones. Though it does not work on semantics, but most of the time it gives desired results. Many comparison websites are there to find out competitive rates, I like bizrate.com as you can get many vendors for the same products. The normal process which I follow is to look for at least 5 websites, evaluating them on different parameters like pricing, ease of shopping, security of transaction, guarantee of the product, return policy, after sales service, general services to customers etc. Pricing: Pricing plays a ve ry important role. A Lot of distribution costs are gone if you purchase online directly from the supplier or any distributor. You can get amazing prices if you invest some time for looking out different websites for the same products. Lot of price comparison websites are available to assist you out in this. I rely on bizrate.com Ease of shopping: Ease of shopping is also important for any customer. The website should be very much user friendly. A customer should not feel lost while surfing and searching for the products. Amazon.com is quite a good website. The process of shopping is more or less same at every website. But few people provide very good interfaces and very good support at every stage so that the customer feels very good about it. Bluenile.com is a very good website selling diamonds. Though the diamonds are expensive as compared to other websites, but the way of presentation and the support services put them apart from others. Security of transaction: Security of transa ction plays a very important role. A customer should be taken in confidence that whatever information he is going to disclose for the shopping, will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed. Any leak in this information may result in huge financial loss to the customer. I look for various security certificates, their validity, certifying authority, pad lock etc before committing any transaction. Verisign security certificate comforts me. Guarantee of the product: Guarantee of the product and quality of product are other important issues. You should know the product which you are going to purchase should be worth of the price you are paying, should meet the prevailing quality standards and should carry a valid guarantee or warranty. It is advisable to check and ask for the guarantee and warranty of the product before placing the order from the vendor who is selling it online. Return policy: Return policy is very important if the product is costly, say jewelry or some computer a ccessory of electronic good. I like the websites with precisely defined return policies. This makes customer feel that they will not be at loss if the product does not meet their expectation. Customer Care services: Customer services are back bone to any e commerce business. They are the mouth piece of any online web store. This is the front which can decide which website is better in todays scenario. Almost all the website have security, all have good quality of products , but the point where one scores over other is the class of customer service. I like the website with chat support and very less turn around time for the query posted. http://www.ite.poly.edu/people/brao/EMe-Tailing.pdfE-retailing is defined as the sale of products and services to the consumer market over the Internet. The objective of e-retailers is to complete product purchase transactions; however, the unique benefits that e-retail transactions provide to consumers are in the performance of the service end of the e-retailing experience rather than in the qualities of the purchased good itself, which can be obtained through alternative commercial channels. E-service is currently offered in a wide range of service industries. Despite benefits proposed by the web-based commercial environment, few e-retailers have succeeded in encouraging consumers to modify their current shopping habits, in favor of Internet shopping. Convincing surfers to advance from monitor shopping to actual purchasing and especially creating repeat-consumers has proven to be a challenge (Helander Khalid, 2000; Jarvenpaa Tractinsky, 1999; Kolesar Galbrait, 2000). Selected Re ferencesHelander, M. G. Khalid, H. M. (2000). Modeling the customer in electronic commerce. Applied Ergonomics, 31, 609-619. Hommel, B. Pratt, J., Colzato, L. Godijn, R. (2001). Symbolic control of visual attention. Psychological Science, 12, 360-365. Jarvenpaa, S. L. Tractinsky, N. (1999). Consumer trust in an Internet store: A cross-cultural validation. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 5(2). Kiesler, S. Siegel, J. McGuire, T. (1984). Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication. American Psychologist, 39, 1123-1134. Kolesar, M. B. Galbrait, R. W. (2000). A service marketing perspective on e-retailing: implications for e-retailers and directions for further research. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 10, 424-438. Larocho, M., Bergeron, J. Goutaland, C. (2001). A three dimension scale of intangibility. Journal of Service Research, 4, 26-38. Nass, C. Kim, E. Lee, E. (1998). When my face is the interface: An experimental comparison of interacting with ones own face or someone elses face. Human Computer Interaction, 18, 148-153. Papadopoulou, P., Andrew, A., Kanellis, P. Martakos, D. (2001). Trust and relationship building in electronic commerce. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 11, 322-332. Price, L. L. Arnould, E. J. (1999). Commercial friendship: Service provider-client relationships in context. Journal of Marketing, 63, 38-56. Rafaeli, A. Vilnai-Yavetz, I. (2002). Instrumentality, aesthetics and symbolism of physical artifacts as triggers of emotion. In Press, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science (TIES). Riegelsberger, J. Sasse, M. A. (2000). Trust me, Im a .Com: The problem of reassuring shoppers in electronic retail environments. Intermedia, 28. Roland, T. R. Kannan, P. K. (2002). E-service: New directions in theory and practice. New-York: M. E. Sharpe. Sirdeshmukh, D. Singh, J. Sabol, B. (2002). Consumer trust, value and loyalty in relational exchange. Journal of Marketing, 66, 15-37. Wang, F. Head, M. M. (2001). A model for web-based information systems in e-retailing. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 11, 310-321. Essay Question 2: What, in your opinion, is the future of e-commerce? Be sure to support your answer with references. The Emerging Digital Economy In order to understand the future of electronic commerce it is necessary to understand its emergence in a historical perspective. The rapid expansion of electronic commerce is just one component of a historical transition from an industrial economy to a digital economy. Whereas traditional industrial economies are based on the production of industrial goods (steel, oil, and automobiles) and physical transformation (railroads, highways), the digital economy is based on the rapid processing of information and telecommunications. In 1998 the Department of Commerces issued a report on the Emerging Digital Economy. This was followed in 1999 by the Emerging Digital Economy II. The readings at the beginning of this module are from those reports and provide a context to the material we will cover latter in the course. A major finding of the original 1998 report was the speed at which the internet was adopted by the general population. It took fifty years from the time the first commercial power plant was built in the 1890s until 80% of the homes in America were wired for electricity. It was another 41 years (1973) before the last community (Campwood TX) in the United States was added to the nations electric grid. Radio was in existence 38 years before 50 million homes had radio receivers. TV took 13 years to reach that milestone. The Internet took only 4 years. The internet is clearly spreading faster than any other major innovation. And the pace hasnt slowed down. Currently traffic on the Internet is doubling every 100 days. In the four years from 1993 to 1997 the number of Internet hosts has increased from 1.8 million to 19.5 million. The revolution in communication created by the Internet and other global computer networks is going to change the basic structure of the economy, but not in the way many of the dot.com pioneers believed. Since the Internet allows fast exchange of information between consumers and producers, it allows supply to quickly adjust to changes in demand. Information technology is therefore becoming a major share of the nations economy. According to the report it grew from 4.9 percent of the economy in 1985 to 8.2% in 1997, and its continuing to grow at a rate of 15% per year. This is even more remarkable in that IT prices have been falling as capacity increases. It is estimated that the inflation rate was reduced by as much as 1% because of the fall in IT prices. The improved communication between consumers and producers resulting from the Internet allows markets operate more efficiently resulting in increases in productivity. But this doesnt replace the traditional marketing function as many Internet gurus, including Bill Gates believe, but instead requires it to be more integral to the valuation creation process by allowing the constant flow of information it provides producers also allows them to develop products that better match the needs of consumers. The Internet also serves to rapidly communicate news and information on new technical innovations. All these factors result in a faster rate of technical progress and innovation. Both issues will be discussed in this course. Although E-commerce may be a new field, the study of marketing is nearly a hundred years old and a large component of that knowledge bases is transferable to e-commerce marketing. The key in transferring this knowledge is not to be so awed by e-commerce that you forget the basics of good marketing. The way you apply the basic marketing techniques to e-commerce marketing may vary, but the basics of good marketing still remain the same for e-commerce marketing as it does for traditional marketing. There are varying opinions regarding the future of e-commerce. Despite the fact that online sales are growing exponentially, some analysts believe that e-commerce is heading for a fall. Laurie Windham justifies her belief that as time goes on, sales will decrease instead of increasing. Windham believes tha t net consumers are very different than mall shoppers and catalog shoppers. Furthermore, she says that dot-coms are responsible for ruining their own chances to sell because they have spoiled customers to the point that consumers expect cheap prices and freebies and if they dont get them, they just move on to another site. E-commerce, Windham says, is a fickle world with little, if any, customer loyalty (Fortune, 2000). Windham found some interesting differences between online shoppers and traditional shoppers. For instance, 34 percent of online shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers but only 8 percent of traditional shoppers describe themselves as comparison shoppers. Another comparison is that only 1 percent of Web shoppers say they hate stores but 10 percent of traditional shoppers say they hate stores (Fortune, 2000). Web shoppers are by and large comparison, price-sensitive consumers. Future 3 Windham, who spent two years studying the consumers who purchase online, said that as nonusers begin to use the Web for purchasing, they will be less adventuresome than people already making purchases online. They will also be slightly older than the norm and they will be more fearful and cautious about privacy and security. In other words, as nonusers begin using the Web to shop, they will be a more conservative group than current users. It is probable they will also be less fickle and more loyal to brands/stores (Fortune, 2000). Windham pointed out that there were numerous problems with people receiving exactly what they ordered online during last holiday season. Based on that, she suggested sales may be lower this year (Fortune, 2000). Surveys conducted after the last holiday season suggested online shoppers would continue shopping online. One survey, for instance, indicated that more than 90 percent of consumers reported that shopping online met or exceeded their expectations. Eighty percent said they would increase their online shopping in 2000 (Ru tledge, 2000). Studies found that consumer confidence in using the Internet for shopping reached very high levels, which were due to a number of factors. Positive comments from family and friends were one of the factors that swayed more people to utilize this option. Better selections from online stores also made the experience more satisfying. Finally, Future 4 secure credit card transactions played a major role in increasing sales (Rutledge, 2000). Consumers were enticed to try shopping on the Internet by the massive marketing campaign last year for both dot-com stores and retail stores online. More than 70 percent of Net shoppers said they bought from e-commerce sites that offered free shipping. Another 54 percent said they were enticed by the discounts offered for their first online purchase. Forty percent used online coupons and 25 percent responded to the offer of free gifts for their online purchase (Rutledge, 2000). The Direct Marketing Association projected that sales gener ated from catalogs and the Internet would double in the next four years, reaching $3.33 billion (Entrepreneur, 2000). A study by Jupiter Communications agreed saying that sales would increase this holiday season. This study reported that holiday shoppers would spend almost $12 billion in online purchases between November 1 and December 31 this year, which represents a 66 percent increase over the same time period last year. The increase between the 1998 and 1999 holiday seasons was 126 percent. There is a slowdown in the degree of growth but it is still a substantial increase (Kontzner, 2000) The Gartner Group predicted a much larger growth this year. They projected sales of $19.5 billion. This group also believed that dot-com stores and retail stores online Future 5 would not spend as much money on advertising this year. Instead, they will spend resources on retaining customers (Kontzner, 2000). As a number of dot-coms collapsed during this past year, many retailers felt a wave of relief but it was short-lived. The Webs bite into retail store sales is about to become noticeable and hurtful. Business Week (2000) reported that there is a rule of thumb that says a 10 to 15 percent loss in sales vaporizes a stores profits. In 2000, online sales of books alone will top 11 percent of all books sold. That is up from 8.5 percent in 1999. CDs and videos will more than double their sales from 1999 and that will bring them to 10 percent of the entire market. Computer hardware and software already totals more than 18 percent of the market (Business Week, 2000). In order to combat this trend, some retailers are trying to lure consumers to their own online sites. They are also trying to use their Web sites to bring people into their stores. Since 94 percent of online buying is nothing but a shift from stores to a more convenient way of shopping, some of these strategies could work. Still, physical site retailers have begun to feel the effect of Net shopping. And, the fact is that sales on the Web are at least doubling every year (Business Week, 2000). The overhead is far less for dot-coms. They sell from a central warehouse and do not have to support thousands of stores Future 6 around the country. This fact is so clear that AMB Property Corp., a real estate investment trust in San Francisco, sold $560 million worth of local shopping centers and invested the proceeds in warehouses close to urban centers. The expectation is that the demand will be greater for warehouse property than for mall property (Business Week, 2000). Zona Research Corporations forecast is that Internet sales will soar in the next two years. The survey of Internet product buyers showed that the number of companies that use Internet-based selling will likely quadruple in the next two years, going from 44 percent from its current 10 percent. The reason for the dramatic increase is related to universal standards that will unite millions of businesses with billions of consumers (Mene fee, 1998). Zona looks that the electronic economy in terms of a series of three technology waves. The first wave was able to save companies money by publishing on the Internet and the second wave opened up online sales profit centers. It was the second wave that made e-commerce a component in commerce as a whole (Menefee, 1998). The third wave will re-intermediate buyers and sellers through the creation of places on the Internet where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods and services and complete transactions completely on the Internet and to complete them securely. The third wave has a significant influence on how business Future 7 is normally conducted. At some point, the third wave will be similar to a fax machine, or at least, the importance of a fax machine was a number of years ago. If you dont have one, you wont be able to conduct business (Menefee, 1998). As the technological advances affect the way business is run it can be assumed that some unforseen circumstances wi ll have a substantial impact on the way electronic commerce develops. As it has been in the past business to business commerce will grow the quickest with business to consumer also growing but at a slower rate. The distinctions between voice and data communication will break down and they will be combined more often to make a more efficient form of communication. In the post-modern era the emergence of the internet in other mediums apart from computers is growing and shall continue growing in the future, this will allow e-commerce to be conducted from any location even if there is no computer present, for example, through mobile phones and televisions. Companies will utilize the expansion of e-commerce and will most likely charge vendors wanting to access their users and most likely charge extra for exclusive access. Since it is inevitable that the web will only increase in its complexity the opportunities for companies to make money from intermediary services will increase. As elec tronic commerce becomes more widely used the government should maximise the efficiency and become a model user. As several countries engage in a race to become the most efficient in electronic commerce, they must keep in mind that over regulating the growth of the industry will inhibit the growth and depreciate the trust levels between both businesses and consumers. Electronic commerce is changing the way to do business. Nowadays a lot of transactions are made through the Internet. Another important issue that will be discussed is the way mobile Internet can change the way we communicate and do business. Each countrys law control the transactions made through the Internet, besides there are international treaties policies that not allow some products to be commercialize. For instance, in Mexico, politicians are making a new Electronic Commerce law, because there was not regulations about it. The article also says that the culture will be diversified depending on nationality, ethnici ty and religion. There are heaps of WebPages in Mexico that diversify the market. Some examples are: Travel Agencies Auctions Talking about PCs and internet access US is the most advance country, therefore B-C has become popular because more peoples has computers and they have access to different sites, besides there are more internet education because it was the first country to have a rapid expansion. There are many obstacles in order to materialize e-Commerce. Confucianism Essay(2004) Future of E commerce Online: http://www.backe.com/toyota/future.html Accessed 28 October 2004 Driver, M (2003) Assess the future of E commerce Online: http://www.ftponline.com/wss/2003%5F03/magazine/columns/trends/ Accessed 28 October 2004 Writer, S (2003) Ecommerce News: Global: FTC Comissioner on the future of E commerce Online: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/31732.html Accessed 28 October 2004 Bibliography Works Cited. Cringely, Robert X. A History of the Computer: Network. At: http://www.pbs.org/nerds/timeline/network.html Kalakota, Ravi., and Andrew B. Whinston. Electronic Commerce, A Managers Guide. Addison-Wesley, 1997 Kling, Arnold. The Economic Consequences of WWW At: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/IT94/Proceedings/ComEc/kling/compare.html ZDNet E-Commerce At: http://www.zdnet.com/enterprise/e-business/ReferencesBaxton,J. Electronic Commerce online. Available: http://www.people.virginia.edu/jwb7w/icomm/home.html. (April 15, 1999)Buskin,J. Tales from the Front V Firsthand look at buying online, Wall Street Journal online. Available: http://interactive.wsj.com/public/current/articles/SB912721174926656000.htm#top (December 7, 1998)CommerceNet. Questions and Answers about Electronic Commerce Basics online. Available: http://www.commerce.net/resources/efaq.html. (1999)Dataquest Technologies. E-commerce An Overview online. Available:http://www.dqindia.com/nov3099/ (1999)DeCourey, G. The ABCs of E-Commerce online. Available: http://www.virtualpromote.com/guest5.html. (April 5, 1999)Edwards,P. Making Money in Cyberspace. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. (1998)France, M. A New Voice for the Webs Worldwide Business Community online. Available: http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/perspect/index.htm. (December 19, 1999)Hof,R. The Click Here Economy online Available: http://www.businessweek.com/1998/25/itspec98.htm. (January 22, 1998)NUA Internet Surveys. Index of Graphs Charts Comparisons/Predictions online. Available: http://www.nua.ie/i ndex.html. (April 15, 1999)Unknown Author. E-Commerce online. Available: http://members.tripod.com/Satta_Krit/engr923/ecommerc.htm (1999)Veverka, M. Plugged In: Wal-Mart gets serious about the Web, Amazon shrugs, but maybe it should watch its back, Barrons, Volume 80, issue 2, pg. 37 (January 10, 2000)Wareham, E. E-commerce makes the grade, Computing Canada, Volume 26, issue 1, pg. 35 (January 7, 2000)Weiss, J. 10 Questions About E-commerce online. Available: http://builder.cnet.com/Business/Ecommerce20/. (August 31, 1999)Bibliography References Baxton,J. Electronic Commerce online. Available: http://www.people.virginia.edu/jwb7w/icomm/home.html. (April 15, 1999) Buskin, J. Tales from the Front V Firsthand look at Buying online, Wall Street Journal online. Available: http://interactive.wsj.com/public/current/articles/SB912721174926656000.htm#top (December 7, 1998) CommerceNet. Questions and Answers about Electronic Commerce Basics online. Available: http://www.commerce.net/resources /efaq.html. (1999) Dataquest Technologies. E-commerce An Overview online. Available: http://www.dqindia.com/nov3099/ (1999) DeCourey, G. The ABCs of E-Commerce online. Available: http://www.virtualpromote.com/guest5.html. (April 5, 1999) Edwards,P. Making Money in Cyberspace. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. (1998) France, M. A New Voice for the Webs Worldwide Business Community online. Available: http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/perspect/index.htm. (December 19, 1999) Hof, R. The Click Here Economy online Available: http://www.businessweek.com/1998/25/itspec98.htm. (January 22, 1998) NUA Internet Surveys. Index of Graphs Charts Comparisons/Predictions online. Available: http://www.nua.ie/index.html. (April 15, 1999) Unknown Author. E-Commerce online. Available: http://members.tripod.com/Satta_Krit/engr923/ecommerc.htm (1999) Veverka, M. Plugged In: Wal-Mart gets serious about the Web, Amazon shrugs, but maybe it should watch its back, Barrons, Volume 80, issue 2, pg. 37 (January10, 2000) Wareham, E. E-commerce makes the grade, Computing Canada, Volume 26, issue 1, Pg. 35 (January 7, 2000) Weiss, J. 10 Questions About E-commerce online. Available: http://builder.cnet.com/Business/Ecommerce20/. (August 31, 1999)http://essay.studyarea.com/cgi-bin/newsearch.cgi?q=%22future+of+e-commerce%22cs=gr=offhttp://search.yahoo.com/search?p=future+of+e-commerceei=UTF-8fl=0pstart=1fr=FP-tab-web-t-249b=71http://www.google.com/search?q=%22future+of+ecommerce%22hl=enlr=rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-08,GGLD:enstart=110sa=NSome of the largest corporations in the United States first began using theInternet in late 1998. Many of the chief executive officers (CEOs) were slowto understand how the Internet would benefit their bottom line. Some companiesmay have moved parts of their business online later than others, but this wasstill one of the smartest moves they could have made. The shift to B2B on theInternet is expected to lead to lower prices, higher worker productivity, andreduced labor cos ts. Some estimates state that up to 91 percent of all U.S. companieswill make purchases over the Internet in 2001. This figure was zero fiveyears ago. Companies are using the Internet to redesign the way they do business. In addition to becoming involved in e-commerce, smart businesses will stayon top of trends. As customers go online through wireless access and beginusing faster connection speeds, video will become increasingly important. Simple photographs of a product on a web page will become ineffectivebecause they will seem boring. Additionally, businesses will not be able toassume that customers are using their web services while sitting at a computer. Customers will be doing business anywhere and at anytime. STANDARDIZATION_Suppliers will have to examine all aspects of their businesses closely to makesure they are meeting quality standards at the lowest possible costs. Supplierswill be pressured by online auctions to produce more for less money. Businesses will be looking globally for growth potential and will be competingonline with companies worldwide. SERVICE TO GO_Small and large businesses will need to be aware of changes taking place in ecommerce. Worldwide, more people can afford cellular phone service than canbuy a personal computer. In 2000, the average cell phone user upgraded to anew cell phone about every nine months. In early 2000, a Hong Kong-basedcellular phone company introduced a hands-free headset with a large screen. By2010, cell phones may be lightweight and worn on your ear. Cell phones of thefuture may have small screens connected to the Internet through wireless access. The screens will be rolled up and stored in a tube when the phone is not in use. These screens will be used for reading or processing data. You will not need akeyboard to connect to the Internet because your phone will recognize yourvoice and connect you automatically. You can also forget about keys, locks, and passwords. Personal digital assistants(PDAs) will identify you through your thumbprint, allowing you to do businesson the Internet and to access doors, cars, and offices. Your thumbprint will allowyou to access your computer and will guarantee the privacy of your personalrecords. The office of the future may be a completely open space that is alive withinformation technology. Your desk may become somewhat like a movie screen,programmed to complete tasks such as writing letters. Video conferencing willallow you to interact with customers from around the world without leaving yourspace. Technology does not stand still. It will continue to change for many yearsto come and will become more efficient as more uses are found. http://www.btinternet.com/ian.pearson/future/ecommerce.htmhttp://home.utm.utoronto.ca/arlene_a/e-commerce/future.html858-722-4583

Hopi Education Theories and Practices

Pedagogical Theories Identified in Hopi Life The early education of Hopi culture was to encourage a worldview integrity without which knowledge could indeed become dangerous and dreadful. The educational theories which can be identified in Hopi life include behavioral learning, cognitive learning, and social learning theories. Each theory enabled the youth to learn more about the world and concepts typical of their own culture and related issues. Experience was an integral apet of the Hopi culture as young people learnt different concepts as soon as they encountered those.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hopi Education Theories and Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Theories: Behavioral Learning Theory This theory has its focus on stimuli and responses that can be readily observed. This process was used by older individuals within the surroundings of children, so that as soon as Hopi children reached matu rity kinship reactions were embedded in their thinking, feeling and everyday life and were part of him just as sleeping and eating. The Hopi were not merely informed that rules of behavior were wise but rather they lived with them as they grew up and became a part of their environment which is very different from the American separation of teaching at home at school and during Sunday school. â€Å"But I am still a child. A lost child. I cannot find my way. Where is the pathway of peace? Where can I find the harmony of the true Hopi?† (Qoyawayma 3). Theories: Cognitive Learning Theory The process of acquisition is combined with remembering facts and related information, and application of this information in practice is usually referred to as a cognitive learning theory. What is learned and internalized in infancy and early childhood can resist any contact situations. The Young Hopi children are taught cultural values through the use of stories. One of the first stories which were told to Hopi youth by their elders was that of the blue corn or sakwapqa’à ¶. The most important aspect to consider in the traditional education system of the Hopi people is the emotional commitment involved in this particular type of process which enabled them to resist cultural change (Eggan 1956: 347). This theory was used for teaching young people of the Hopi society to cognate the world. From birth, the young of the household were attended to and disciplined mildly for the first several years by their relatives in addition to their mother and visitors whom were in the home (Egan 1956: 349). Theories: Social Learning Theory Social context presupposes acquisition and application of knowledge. The Hopi people received education from their families where adult members had the responsibility of educating young. Stories which were told in Hopi culture pointed to improper behavior as the source of crop failure or sickness.Advertising Looking for essay on education? L et's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This effects were clearly seen and understood by all the children of the village. It was the belief of Hopi people that each person in the group is responsible for what happens to all. If one child disobeys and does something bad, every child of the clan may receive a punishment (Eggan 356) Cultural Values or Ideas Being Supported Clan Identity In addition to extended families, Hopi people belonged to one tribe in which they were born. A Hopi was a child of his father’s clan and this group took a lively interest in him (Eggan 354). Identity is an important part of Hopi culture, especially with regard to clan membership. The relationships similar to the ones between family members are binding forces for the members of the clan which is also the center of the tribe. The clans hold the Hopi villages together and provides a singular Hopi identity (Ancestral.com). Women are treated differently than in western countries because children become the members of a wife’s rather than a husband’s clan. Children are named by the women who belong to the father’s clan (Apache tracker.com) â€Å"A baby never depended on only his physical mother. â€Å"Many arms gave him comfort† (Eggan 353) Wisdom Hopi wisdom encourages a hopi to speak truth and warns them against looking outside themselves for a leader as they all have leadership qualities within them. The Hopi people are encouraged to be courageous. As reported by Eloise, Hopi elders consider the counsciousness of an individual as something that is not posessesd by this person until he/she comprehends and acknowledges spiritual responsibility. Corn Relationships and Human Being Corn has a great significance among the Hopi people because it sustains them both physically and spiritually given that they lived in an area where food was often scarce. Corn was a great source of nutrition with all important minera ls and elements and was available when other products were scarce. Members of the Hopi society learned to make other products like piki and cake-like food using corn. People of hopi tribes believed that corn was given to them by deity of flora and spirits of different natural phenomena (Ancestral.com). Corn plays a major role in the everyday life of the Hopi as well as in ceremonial life. According to the tradition related to corn, a nice-shaped ear of corn was placed into a medicinal bowl located on the alter for ceremonial purposes; preceding this, this ear was decorated with jewels and feathers. The ritual included purification of people who took part in the ceremony by sprinkling them and ceremony-related objects with meals made of corn. Additionally, to prevent enemies and undesirable guests from enetering the territory of the tribe, corn could be placed across the road (Ancestral.com). The Hopi people believed that corn was an indication that life is a planting, a growing, and harvesting and that prayers are physical things when appropriately conceived capable of coming to plentiful fulfillment and seedtime (Qoyawayma 8).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hopi Education Theories and Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Child Naming Names are important among the Hopi people as they help in identification of the members of this tribe. During the birth of a Hopi baby, the Hopi culture provides that the infant and the mother should be isolated inside a dark house for a period of 20 days. The mother is required to place two ears of corn next to the cradle and remain close to the infant until the day of the naming ceremony takes. The paternal grandmother was required by the Hopi culture to give a blessing to the child before the other family members on the morning of the child naming ceremony. The blessing was given using sacred ears. The child was given a hand made quilt by the grandm other before the other members are allowed to offer the baby their quilts. In case of a large family, the baby could end up with several names and quilts. The parents of the new born child then make a selection of the name to be used from among the suggested names. After becoming a member of another religious society such as the Kachina society, the Hopi people made provisions to change the names of newly-initiated people (Ancestral.com). Responsibilities in Hopi Clan Men and women had in Hopi society were assigned different responsibilities. Hopi men were expected to hunt deers in order to obtain meat as well as hides and bones for clothing and tools. Women in this society baked cornbread and gathered fruit and herbs. Most of the agricultural field work with the exception of corn planting which is a community event in which both men and women participate was carried out by men. In contrast to other societies, the arts of weaving and leatherwork were not only done by women, but men as well. Religion: Kachina Dolls Education of children was performed by parents who used Kachina dolls to explain diffent concepts of life. The Kachina dolls enabled the children in Hopi society to understand the importance of Kachinas in tribal ceremonies (SR Publications 2008: n.p.). Good Heartedness The Hopi believe that the dark-hearted people will be eliminated and the good hearted ones walking with the One will continue this world. The religion teaches that all distress from crop failure to illnesses is as a result of bad hearts. A good heart is a positive thing which should never go out of a Hopi’s mind (Eggan 1956: 360) only those people who have good hearts are effective in prayer resulting in constant probing of the heart. Oh, for a heart as pure as pollen on corn blossom, and for life as sweet as honey gathered from the flowers† (Qoyawayma 5)Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Art as a Medium of Instruction The Hopi have expressed their artistic skills in form of jewelry, pottery, painting, textiles, and basket making. The Hopi people were able to communicate their dreams, visions, and beliefs through their artistic skills. The artistic skills on pots told a stories which taught the young members of the society (Faulstich 2008: n.p.). Works Cited Ancestral.com. Information on Hopi Culture. Web. Apache Tracker. Hopi Culture. February 23, 2011. Accessed http://apachetracker.blogspot.com/ Eggan, Dorothy. Instruction and affect in Hopi cultural continuity. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 12 (4)(1956): 347-370. Eloise, Hart. Wisdom teachings of the Hopi. Sunrise Magazine, October/November 1990. Faulstich, Paul. Ethnocology. Environmental Studies,148, 2008. Web. Hopi-Songs of the Forth World [Film]. 58 min. Dir. Ferrero Pat. Distributed by New Day Films. Qoyawayma, Polingaysi. No turning back: A Hopi woman’s struggle to live in two worlds Squidoo.co m. Quilting and the Hopi. February 23, 2011. Accessed https://hubpages.com/art/Hopi-Quilting SR Publications. Hopi: Songs of the Forthworld. 2008. Web. This essay on Hopi Education Theories and Practices was written and submitted by user Hugh Kennedy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Support for carers of people with schizophrenia The WritePass Journal

Support for carers of people with schizophrenia Introduction: Support for carers of people with schizophrenia Introduction:Definition of carers:  Brief understanding of schizophrenia:Summary  CONCLUSIONRelated Introduction: This literature review will be based on finding evidence for the support received by carers of people with schizophrenia, the focus of this document will be specific to 24 year old male diagnosed with schizophrenia and living at home with parents. For confidentiality purposes, patient will tae on assumed name of Alex. Alex is 24 years of age and was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 19 whilst in university. He had admitted to use of illicit drugs (crack cocaine and cannabis) he ha also stated that he at times was able to consume a bottle of voda in one night. On admission, Alex was presenting with delusional thoughts of persecution, paranoia and thought disorders. Alex is being discharged from hospital and is going back home to stay with parents who will be his main carers. Corcerns raised were, what support they will receive in the community from health practitioners with regards to coping psychologically, physically, socially and economically Definition of carers: Carers can be defined as family members, partners or friends who provide unpaid support to people who experience illness, disability or frailty(Hancock and Jarvis 1994).Although Stalker (2003) makes a distinction between informal helpers and those who take on major responsibilities, Rethink (2006) proposes that all people providing substantive care should be defined as carers. In the UK, half a million people care for people with severe mental illnesses (Princess Royal Trust for Carers 2002) with 40 per cent living with those for whom they care (Rethink 2006). Carers UK (2008) estimates that carers save the economy  £87 billion a year. Of people with schizophrenia, 60 per cent live with significant others (Hughes et al 1996) and the same proportion return home to their families after their first admissions (MacMillan et al 1986).Many carers describe their role as a burden. Caring can disrupt their lives, restrict the activities in which they can take part, bring financial hardship, and reduce their time and energy to take part in paid work (Ferriter and Huband 2003, Oyebode 2003).Meanwhile, by focusing on the mental illnesses of the people they care for, carers can neglect their own social support networks, leaving them isolated (Rose et al 2002).   Brief understanding of schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects about one in a hundred people at some point in life. The first acute episode where symptoms of schizophrenia are experienced can be a devastating experience, particularly as both the person experiencing the illness and their family and friends will be unprepared. The highest incidence of first experience of an episode is in the late teens and early 20s, which is a time of change anyway, making it difficult to understand what is happening to a relative or friend who is developing schizophrenia.(Rethink 2011) Research The search for research articles were focused on carers, schizophrenia, carers support and nurses support for carers and patients. National and international research surrounding this topic were sought, the search was narrowed down to between 1999 and 2011. Electronic databases and interenet sources such as google academia were searched as well as websites of ey organnisations such as Mind, Rethink, NHS choices, Sainsburys Centre for Mental Health. Other searches were carried out at the university library and its digital library such as CINHAL, psychINFO and British nursing index. Researh article on this topic were a total of 1435 hits, this was narrowd down to   specific search and this generated 213 hits. 10 researh article were chosen read, evaluated and out of that six research article were determined and selected to be relevant and signnficant contribution for this literature review. Research articles used in this essay are qualitative and quantitative. 4 are qualitative and 2 quantitative. In all six article nurses were chosen at random to help in the support of carers. In all research articles, in depth interviews were conducted to collect data, these were recorded on audio tapes and in field notes. Interviews were focussed on the views of carers concerning nurses, and nurses concerning carers. Summary The research   article reviews the findings of a study of the views of 13 carers of people self-identified as having schizophrenia on the nature and extent of their role, and its effect on their lives and identities. According to these findings,carers experience stress and illness, and thinkthat the support they receive from professionals is inadequate. As a result, they think that help and psychotherapeutic interventions, such as family therapy, should be more accessible. The purpose of the research articles were to identify the support needed by carers of people with schizophrenia. On reading the research articles, it was noted that Mental Health nurses and carers were used as samples in the reseach work. RESEARCH 1 Registered Mental Health Nurses aged between22 years and 51 years with clinical experience ranging from1 to 14 years. The sample consists 10 nurses, nine being female and one male. Three were charge nurses and six staff nurses. One nurse moved on to a managerial post leaving nine nurses in the research. They were assigned a client each with the carer   of that particular client. Nine carers received support. Community based psychiatric nurse in Taiwan gathered data on the coping experiences of carers living with and taking care of someone who has a family member with schizophrenia were compiled. The   carers selected needed to be the major caregivers and the patient must have had clinically diagnosed schizophrenia for at least one year and carers had to have been living with the patient for at least one year since the onset of the illness. The sample size comprised 10 carers (five men and five women). All of the carers were contacted by their community home care nurses first to gain consent to participate in this study. The other four remaining research articles used a sample of nurses and carers which comprised in the range of 10- 30. Findings; In the research articles two types of burdens were broadly discussed, these being objective and subjective burdens. Many carers describe their role as a burden.Of people with schizophrenia, 60 percent live with their significant others (hughes et al 1996) and the same proportion return hometo their families after their first admissions(MacMillan et al 1986). Van Wijngaarden et al (2000) state that ,these burdens are described as ‘objective’ burdens because their effects can be measured by others. However, many carers experience ‘subjective’ burdens, which can be measured only by the carers themselves. These subjective burdens can include depression, feelings of anxiety, and a sense of loss, particularly in those for whom family life has become chaotic and disorderly (Karp and Tanarugsachock 2000). Those who have become isolated often feel vulnerable (Rose et al 2002) and, in 625,000 carers in the UK, the stress of caring has even led to mental or physical illnesses (Carers UK 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Carers’ main objective burden concerns lack of employment and finance (Magliano et al 2005, Sreeja et al 2009) and the main form of practical help carers need is more responsive and user-friendly support services. Carers’ subjective burdens include feelings of chronic stress, isolation, despair, fear and exhaustion(Ward-Griffin and McKeever 2000), and healthcare professionals can respond to these by offering carers more psychotherapeutic interventions, including family therapy, to help them cope and to reduce disruption in the home. Carers have an enormous amount of responsibilit for the welfare and managementof people with a mental illnessin Britain (Cuijpers, 1999). This is recognized in recent Government policies that stipulate the support required to enable carers to continue caring (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), 1998; Department of Health (DOH,2000). Further findings were the perception of health professional about carers and vice versa were varied in the research artilcle . These are in bullet points below. Their view of carers and health and social care professional were at odds with each. Below in bullet points were some of the thoughts expressed: Carers are of the view that Health care professionals must engage with carers rather than criticise them for notconforming to professional assumptions. The study also shows that the burden of care is rarely taken up fairly. Most major responsibilitiesare usually taken on by one person, and the chancesthat this person is male or female are fairly even. However, the burden of care can be greater forwomen, who are often assumed to be the maincarers for all of their family members, not only for the people with schizophrenia. Healthcare professionals, more specifically mental health nurses, need to   understand that their views and perceptions of mental illness, the appropriate care for people with mental health problems, and those of the carers, differ. They should also understand that, to support carers appropriately, they must provide practical help: for example, more support for carers of mental health patients. In the literature, moreover, health and socialcare professionals characterise the role ofcarers as ‘overprotective’ (Croydon-Smith 1982,Haddock et al 2003). With half a million people in the UK caring for peoplewith severe mental illnesses, (Princess Royal Trustfor Carers 2002) this article research article also identified the findings of a study of the views of 13 carers of peple clinically diagnosed as having schizophrenia on the nature and extent of their role, and its effect on their lives and identities. These views are in bullet points below According to these findings,carers experience stress and illness, and thinkthat the support they receive from professionals isinadequate. As a result, they think that help and psychotherapeutic interventions, such as family therapy, should be more accessible. Participants also thought that their perceptionsof schizophrenia and of those who have thecondition differ from those of health and social care professionals, and that this difference addedto their burdens.   For instance, one participant said of what he and the healthcare professionals he encountered thought was best for his son: ‘As far as I was concerned, he needed to be in hospital, but they would not agree.’ Another participant made a related point about the care given to her daughter: ‘Sometimes,the hospital staff would give advice. They said,â€Å"involve her in your decisions†, but we thought thiswas a terrible idea. She could not think properly.She was unable to.’ One carer was angry at healthcare professionalsbecause they appeared to override his concernsabout his wife, saying: ‘The psychiatrist said to mywife, â€Å"Do you want to come in to the hospital?† and she said â€Å"No†. I was amazed because the doctor agreed with her. I told them about her behaviourin the house but it was not my decision. It was her decision.’ Some participants’ relationships with healthcareprofessionals were unsatisfactory for practical reasons. For example, one said of his wife: ‘It was unfair to leave her to me. These nurses start their shifts, do eight hours and then go home. I had it 24 hours a day.’ Another said, also of his wife: ‘I tried so hard to care for her, but the community psychiatric nurse did nothing to help.’ Other staff also came in for criticism, with oneparticipant commenting on healthcare professionals’ lack of understanding and availability in caring for her son: ‘He would go berserk and, I called the doctor and the social worker. But they came and said he did not need sectioning.’ Those who have become isolated often feelvulnerable (Rose et al 2002) and, in 625,000 carersin the UK, the stress of caring has even led to mental or physical illnesses (Carers UK 2008). Findings:Who becomes the carer? Typically, one person in each family had become the main carer,which means that the burdens of caring were not shared equally. Nearly half of the participants inthe study were male carers, although some of thesereported that extra burdens of caring had been placed on their daughters.One male carer said of his daughter, who had taken on some of the routine caring role: ‘I felt bad enough that my oldest girl was doing all the work around the house. There was time for all this when she was a married woman.’ Another male carer said of his eldest daughter:‘She looked after the youngest when her motherwas sick. She seemed to know her mother was mentally ill. She had to grow up quick to do thingsround the house.’ The objective burden Generally, carers tended toidentify the burden of caring in practical terms,citing the need to undertake tasks such as cooking,cleaning, housework and shopping, and of ensuring that the people they cared for were not left alone. gets one a day. For some participants, providing practical carewas a major challenge. ‘He has become extremely difficult to control. More than difficult. It is worse now.Over a period of time, he has got worse. He actuallyattacked his dad. There was a widely held belief among participantsthat the people they care for are unable to cope withtheir illnesses, and have become irrational. One said,for example: ‘I was worried about leaving her alone in case she got it all wrong and did something stupid.Some days she cannot take care of herself.’ Another reported: ‘I had to take care of her andprotect her. She could not cope. I could not leave heralone, she was too sick.’There was a perception among participants thatthe people they care for are in a position analogousto that of children. my wife and I could not leave her. It was like she wasa child again.’ A participant whose family had become carerssaid: ‘We could not leave her alone because she mightdo something. She is ill. We cared about her.’ And a carer said of her son: ‘I think I must takecare of him. It is like the umbilical cord is still there.’ The subjective burden Participants also mentionedthe subjective burden of caring. All of them saidthat they had experienced anxiety, some saidthey felt depressed and others that they feltconstantly sad. Most of them also felt angry,although a few had become resignedtotheir situations. Most paticipants also reported physicalproblems such as headaches, stomach pains orconstant tiredness, often caused by insomnia. One participant’s comment that she felt ‘tired,drained and worn out’ was typical. Some participants said that the people they caredfor had changed so much because of their illnessthat they had become unrecognisable, and that thesechanges added to the burden of caring.One participant said of her son: ‘He is not my sonany more. He is just some creature, some monster. I told the social worker, â€Å"I am tired, I cannot have my son living with me much longer†. I have forgottenwhat it means to have a normal life. I have taken tolocking my bedroom door when my husband is away. I am afraid of my son.’The realisation among participants that the hopes they had once invested in the people they care forwould not now be fulfilled was a further cause ofdistress. Views of health and social care professionals. Over the last 20 years, a number of initiativesaimed at supporting carers of people with mental illness have been developed,many of them involving nurses (Leff andVaughn, 1985; Hatfield, 1990; Falloon et al, 1993; Atkinson and Coia, 1995).   The number of sessions delivered by the nurses ranged between 1 and 12 and the duration varied between 45 minutesand 2 hours. Eight carers requested homevisits, and one nurse met the carer in a private room withinthe hospital. The number of sessions varied in response to carers’ needs. Some had few support needs but still found it helpful to talk about carer related issues. Carers reportingmore complex needs required more intensive support.   CONCLUSION Training nurses to support carers of peoplediagnosed with schizophrenia appears to have been overlooked in some psychosocial intervention programmes. The research articles outline how a training programmefor nurses, based on the work of Nolan et al (1999), and building on training developed by Atkinson and Coia (1995), was developed. This has helped formulate a needs-led support service for carers whose relatives arc diagnosed with schizophrenia.The key components of the support arc thoroughneeds assessment and meetingneeds through agreement and careful planningwith carers.Nurses should work in partnership withcarers in order to achieve these aims, and this is dependent on mutual respect of eachothers status and expertise. The present study will allow evaluation onhow far the training programme enables nursesto meet carers needs, and how confident the nurses are in offering support to carers.Carers views are important concerning theappropriateness of the support programmein meeting their needs. Following this study,training and intervention will be refined. As such, it represents the first phase of aresearch programme investigating rhe trainingneeds of nurses and the usefulness of support for carers. Current United Kingdom (UK) health and social care policiesplace the needs of carers to the fore on the service provision agenda (Hancock Jarvis 1994, Department of Health[DoH] 1999a, 1999b). Commitment towards care in thecommunity explicitly relies and builds on the family system toprovide unpaid support to clients (James 1992, Nolan et al. 1999, Hirst Arksey 2000, Nolan 2001). Evidence,however, consistently indicates that carers’ needs for support remain largely ignored by health professionals (James 1992,Twigg Atkin 1994, Atkinson Coia 1995, Henwood1998, Rose 1998, Warner Wexler 1998, Hatfield 2000, Nolan 2001). Further, the most effective ways of meetingcarers’ needs remain unclear (Nolan et al. 1995, Rose 1998,Clinical Standards Board for Scotland [CSBS] 2001). If professional support offered to carers is to improve then health service professionals, including nurses, need to develop their understanding of carers’ needs and develop interventions to meet these needs (Atkinson Coia 1995, Casey1995, Nolan et al. 1995, Kellett Mannion 1999, Hatfield 2000, Magorrian 2001). Background The research studies focus on the primary carer: i.e. a family ornonfamily member who provides care or support to someonediagnosed with schizophrenia and is living in the community. Evidence indicates that caring for a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia can be stressful and may result in increasedburden (Cuijpers 1999). The UK National Strategy for Carersrecognizes this and introduced measures to support carers(DoH 1999b). The National Framework for Mental HealthEngland (DoH 1999a) places high priority on carers. Arisingfrom this, clinical standards were set for the professionalsupport of carers of people diagnosed with schizophrenia within Scotland (CSBS 2001).There is a lack of robust evidence on the most effectivemeans of providing support to these carers (DoH 1999a, CSBS 2001, CSBS 2002). As a result, the clinical standardsfail to indicate how carer support should be achieved. Keyfindings from a national review of clinical standards forschizophrenia (Scotland) (CSBS 2002), found that while someinnovative practices existed a comprehensive range of serviceswas lacking. A review of support interventions for carers of people diagnosed with schizophrenia indicates that mostprofessional support has an educational focus (Mari Streiner 1994). However, carers also want emotional andpractical support (CSBS 2002). Not surprisingly, many carersreport that their needs are ignored or given low priority(Nolan et al. 1994, Twigg Atkin 1994, Wray 1994, Atkinson Coia 1995, Chambers et al. 2001). Spaniol(1987) and Milleken (2001) suggest that professionals are often unaware of carer needs and level of service dissatisfaction.Nolan and Grant (1989) highlight that this may lead toirrelevant support and Walker and Dewer (2001) indicatethat this may result in misunderstandings that can increase carer stress and dissatisfaction and inhibit them from seeking further help Complex needs arose from the carers mental health or family problems, social isolation, the client’s mental health problems or admission to hospital. Carers experienced no difficulties arranging sessions with a nurse. Nurses accounts of practice working collaboratively with carers Prior to training, nurses described their contact with carers as largely occurring during crisis or when carers required specificinformation about the client. Nurses described the nature of this contact as informal, ad hoc and unstructured, with no guarantee that carers received the input that they needed. None of the nurses had prior training in carer support and reported that their basic training had not preparedthem to work with carers. A key practice outcome was that nurses work collaboratively with carers. To achieve this nurses had to: listen to andacknowledge the carers’ perspective; remove barriers preventing carers from openly communicating with them; acknowledge the expertise of the carer and adopt an expert to expert approach in their interactions with the carer. Following training, most nurses found working collaboratively with carers to be one of the easiest aspects of their practice. Before I used to think I was the expert. I was there to give information. Now I am more prepared to listen to what carers have to say. I learned a lot from (carer). I really did, about the illness. It is not that I didn’t know about it but I learned what it is like, I suppose, for somebody caring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The purpose of the study was to understand the coping experiences of carers living with a family member with schizophrenia by describing their experiences through a qualitative phenomenological approach. Our research may be a valuable reference for mental health professionals seeking to improve the quality of care for people with schizophrenia and their carers.

Public School Education and Globalization Annotated Bibliography

Public School Education and Globalization - Annotated Bibliography Example ASI. (2003). Democracy and Education. Washington D.C: Albert Shanker Instutute. According to the author, a majority of schools leaders have in recent past shown concern that in the communities, many educators, those in business leadership and a number of parents of students are getting concerned that many high school graduates are increasingly falling below the par as far as responding to the needs of employers in the job market is concerned. Moreover, governmental schooling reforms are today largely fashioned towards gratifying the needs of the marketplace. Dewey, J. (2009). Democracy and Education. Berlin: GRIN Verlag. Many graduates are not so clearly succeeding between the classroom lessons and the careers they need to pursue as an interest area in their careers. In this regard many schools across the United States are now training teachers and principals to be more concerned in counseling and teaching students to a more career oriented approach.. This entails dedicating themselves to introducing avenues and opportunities that respond to contextual learning and seeking to ensure that appropriate ways that ensure that things change are adopted. Dicken, P. (2007). Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy. London: Sage Publications. According to P. Dickens, education meets two basic levels: equality and then the social issues and skills demanded by employers. Accordingly, the concept of democratic level-headedness suggests the call for a system of education that facilitates socio-economic progress and the appreciation of a culture of economic relevance, who can then meaningfully take part in communities and groups aligned on democratic ideals in an impartially and objectively informed approach. Arguably is the fact that National Governments across the world continue to hub on equality in the accessibility to education and other social institutions that promote sustainable development. Noteworthy also is the fact that the central goal and purpose accruing from the foregoing discussion would be accordingly, the creation of fruitful citizens/ graduates, and not necessarily resourceful personnel. Indeed, the aim is for the citizens to be able to maximize personal accomplishment, that is to say governments are now mo re focused in development of education curriculum that is more focused on promoting ‘socially and economically cohesive democratic communities’ that respond to the globally defined economic demands. Fazal et al (2005). Globalization and Recent Shifts in Educational Policy in the Asia Pacific. New Delhi: UNESCO. Fazal et al note that, educational policies have been affected. The authors imagine that various governments and their agencies, under the conditions of globalization, have been changing a number of things. This include, not only the rationale for education but also getting actively involved in reconstructing the syllabi and approaches of teaching by also being cognizant of factors such as technology having been laid by use of the internet and other technological advancement associated with the world today. Largely, all this take into account the ever-changing aspects of international trade. Hudis, P (2001). Making Education Career Focused. Berkeley. US Departmen t of Education. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NJPGGdzftcwJ:www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/makingschools.pdf+Should+public+school+education+be+overhauled+to+teach+trade+skills+to+most+students+based+on+aptitude+tests+and+life+interests+as+opposed+to+preparing+every+student+for+college?&hl=en&gl=ke. This article talks about career oriented approach in education. It is common knowledge that many leaders in the education in the United States and elsewhere in the world are of the opinion that it is important to review school curriculum with a view to prepare students for further education and successful careers, Even more importantly is

Business Writing Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Writing Portfolio - Essay Example The above is, owing mostly to rising gas prices. The Gas prices are unlikely to go down in the near future. Instead, a further rise is expected in the next few months. In order to address the above problem, we feel a need for you to make certain adjustments in your day to day operations. The adjustments are expected to be such that the employees working in the various shifts are allowed to exercise the choice to work lesser hours a day or per week. You may explore the possibilities for the same keeping into account the number of duty roaster change requests you have received in the past few months. We are gladly willing to extend any kind of support and guidance in the matter. Although you are well aware, it is important to point out at this juncture that no new stores are being opened and no stores are being closed down. Thus, the level of competition is expected to remain same. Further, we invite your suggestions on how to address the problem better. You may mail your suggestions a s soon as possible through email or phone on any of the workdays, between 10am through 5pm. Thank you. Warmest regards, XYZ.. Manager Public relations, ABC retail group Message2: Store Employees: A business memo MEMO   To: (Employee Name)   From: (Your name)   Date: (current date)   Subject: Changes in work schedule This is to bring to your notice a change in work schedule that is being planned in next few days. The purpose of this memo is to inform you about the reasons and ways to do so. As you must be aware, owing to rising gas prices, we are experiencing a fall in profits. Besides, you as an employee also must be feeling the strain on your finances due to the same. We have decided to make it less so by allowing you to modify your work schedule and suggest the same to those responsible in your respective sections/departments for planning your duties. The objective is to allow you easy sanction of leaves and also flexible working hours, so that occasional overstaffing can be effectively managed. Full time employees will be allowed to exchange their working hours with any willing full time or part time employees, such that it does not violate the stipulated total number of working hours. This will help consolidate working hours and will require less time and cost in transportation to and from your home to work. To start with you shall work on †¦.(days) for †¦..hours with flexibility to exchange these hours with willing partners with written permission from your section head. The store shall open on Sundays and you are required to work at least four hours this Sunday. You may compensate this with a leave on any other weekday. Message 3: Retail customers: An email message Dear Customer, We are thankful to you for your continued support and loyalty to our retail brand. As part of our constant endeavor to bring the best to our customers, we have planned certain new initiatives that we shall unfold in the coming weeks. Our stores shall be open mo re hours now, so that you may get more time to experience your favorite brand and buy your favorite products at the ongoing deals you always loved. We have introduced more self help counters at the stores, so that you may get relevant product information promptly and require minimal help from our very courteous

IFRS for Small & Medium Entities Literature review

IFRS for Small & Medium Entities - Literature review Example Primarily the objectives of IFRS for SMEs have been to support its accounting and financial reporting system as well as dramatically meet the basic financial requirements of these entities which does not have any public accountability and liability to publish financial statement for its external users (Laptes & Popa, 2009). Contextually, this paper critically evaluates the need of IFRS for SMEs and the challenges in adopting IFRS for SMEs. Aims Behind Applying IFRS For SMEs The primary aim of the IFRS for SMEs is to provide a standard for entities in nations that have no national GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). IFRS for SMEs shall not facilitate in providing accounting framework in certain specific countries for entities that do not have necessary the resources to adopt full IFRS. Another important aim of the application of IFRS is to provide those nations which have already set-up their own national GAAP with IFRS standards, a framework that shall recognise and understand the needs of accounting framework across the territories. In general, the application of IFRS in SMEs aims at providing financial statements and other financial reporting of profit-oriented entities. Accordingly, it is aimed that with the application of IFRS in SMEs shall be directed towards satisfying the common information requirements of an array of users such as shareholders, employees, creditors, and the public at large as well as facilitating single financial st andard for the preparation of financial reporting across the territories (The International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation, 2009; Madawaki, 2012). In addition to above stated aims, there are certain specific aims that are often being considered while applying IFRS in SMEs. These supplementary aims include reduction of cost for SMEs for preparing financial statements, eliminating complexity and harmonizing financial reporting by SMEs particularly private entities operating across the globe (Aristidou, 2012). Thus, it can be argued that the aims and objectives behind the IFRS implementation in SMEs are indeed wholesome and appreciable both from economic as well as accounting perspectives. Benefits of IFRS for SMEs It has been argued that IFRS for SMEs are the self-contained set of principles that comprises the accounting standards based on the Full IFRS. Additionally, it has been admitted that SMEs applying IFRS will have the significant opportunity to prepare their financi al reporting statements using a set of reliable standards which is truly based on the global financial reporting language. This will further enable SMEs to expand themselves into a new global financial dimension (Samujh, 2007). Additionally, it will also pave the way for SMEs to expand globally and increase their capability to generate greater revenue. Precisely stating IFRS for SMEs are likely to provide following benefits: Understanding the Global Financial Reporting Language: SMEs in jurisdictions where IFRS were not being historically used by those SMEs who wish to apply IFRS will became familiar with the requirement of IFRS. Moreover, the application of IFRS by SMEs will facilitate in

The Present Environmental Ecological Crisis Theology Religion Essay

The Present Environmental Ecological Crisis Theology Religion Essay There is the worldwide recognition of the present environmental/ecological crisis and there is a central belief amongst the religions that nature was created by God and should be protected. As environmental degradation has occurred, we begin to ask ourselves about the relationship between human beings and nature. The focus on religion and the environment has grown in recent years. Researchers have looked specifically at the role of religion and ecology. Taylor defines the field of religion and ecology as one that focuses on: Identifying the obstacles that the worlds mainstream religions may pose to environmental sustainability, and secondly the resources such religions may have available for promoting environmentally beneficent behaviors, (992). There is the recognition that the Earth is in danger from human activity and use and changes need to be made in order to sustain life on the Earth (Taylor 998). Why is it important to use religion as a means for environmental action? Berry states that it is human carelessness and greed that caused the environmental problems that we are faced with today (30). With this in mind, we look to religion as this is what some individuals believe holds a large degree of responsibility for the start of our environmental problems. Lynn Whites 1967 essay, The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis suggested a link between religion and the environment. White singled out Christian attitudes as a reason for the environmental crisis. He proposed that the attitudes of individuals who do not regard nature as a central importance need to be changed. The earth needs to be respected and used in a manner that will help to preserve it for future generations, rather than exploit it for the present. White suggested that it was when the Industrial Revolution began that the human concern for the environment was lost to a greater degree than had been seen in the past. White interpreted the Bible as presenting human dominance over nature, leading individuals to care about themselves and industrial progress rather than about environmental matters and the ultimate effects of their actions on the earth. Besides Whites interpretation, there are many other suggested explanations for how humans viewed the world, and their resulting actions. From the philosophy of Rene Descartes, the universe was seen as a machine. It was from this time that economic progress was a priority and the long-term effects from the development and use of nature was not regarded as an issue (Sevier, 41). This is a view similar to that held by White, in that human progress and development has led to the environmental effects. However, this view does not specifically mention the role of religion. Carters interpretation of this issue suggests that the ecological crisis is not a result of Judeo-Christian traditions, but rather stems from the interpretation of the Bible and giving human beings dominance over other life forms (animals, plants) (358). This led to the exploitation of natural resources and ultimately to where we are today with the issue. Regardless of how it initially happened, we have to face reality and realize that as a society we have caused considerable damage to our planet. The role of religion Anthropologists suggest that religion persists because it has value to us, and such value can be either intrinsic, instrumental, or a combination thereof, (Strada 59). Sevier writes that, Traditionally, religion used to play an integral role in linking people to the natural world, imbuing people with the knowledge and values that make caring for it a priority, (38). Six major religions Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam Judaism Indigenous Religious Buddhism There is a universality of suffering. Being aware of suffering and produces compassion. Though traditional Buddhism regarded human life over that of animals, there is presently the recognition that all life forms should be respected equally. As humans we got ourselves into this ecological/environmental crisis and we are the ones that need to get ourselves out. Source: Swearer Christianity There is often seen to be a failure on the part of Christians in how they had interpreted the Bible and used the resources that God made available to them. Lynn Whites 1967 essay is an example of this. However, this is not the belief of all individuals. There recently has been an increased awareness of the environment in the United States as churches are initiating responsibility towards environmental protection. Hinduism Hindu images relate to the powerful natural world. Ecological sensitivity is based on the relationship between humans and how they respect the gods and goddesses related to the earth. In South Asia, the effects of pollution, both in the air and water, have been felt, particularly in recent years. With the values that Hinduism has towards the environment, reflection is starting to occur on how individuals can best approach the ecological challenges that are occurring. Islam An environmental ethic is in the Quran, but leaves an opening for Muslims to incorporate creative and innovative solutions in the contemporary context. A green jihad has recently begun. This is a common term for the green movement that promotes environmental protection. Source: Denny Judaism Ecological issues were never a central focus of Judaism, but rather were dealt with as they came about. An environmental perspective suggests that a belief of Judaism is that we are only tenants on this earth. The earth must then be cared for as there are other inhabitants, both presently as well as in the future, that will be living here. Source: Fink Indigenous Religions For individuals following indigenous religions, there is an understanding of their place in the local environment. Native Americans have believed that there are spirits in nature and the environment needs to be taken care of. Grim writes that in indigenous beliefs, to analyze religion as a separate system of beliefs and ritual practices apart from subsistence, kinship, language, governance, and landscape is to misunderstand indigenous religion. The respect for nature and the environment is still present amongst the Indigenous peoples. What is evident, however, is wherever indigenous peoples have endured, they have maintained a loving experience of place and an understanding that spiritual forces capable of leading humans into both utilitarian and self-understandings abide in all of these places, (Grim). Source: Grim How do we create a solution? An environmental crisis is here. It is recognized throughout the world, and its presence is agreed upon by the major religions. But what is the next step? How do we go about creating a solution? Can there be a common ground for science and religion in that both work together towards a solution? Bouma-Prediger quotes Edward O. Wilson in saying that religion and science are the two most powerful forces in the world todayif religion and science could be united on the common ground of biological conservation, the problem [of biological catastrophe] would soon be solved (1392). Can religion and science work together? Hossein Nasr writes, The environmental crisis now encompasses the entire Earth, (3). He suggests that there is a crisis of values and that as humans, we have participated in creating the destruction of the environment. A need exists to develop a path across religious frontiers without destroying the significance of religion itself and to carry out a comparative study of the Earths of various religions as has been carried out for their Heavens, if these terms are understood in their traditional metaphysical and cosmological sense, (Hossein Nasr 3). We need to regain the loss of a moral and social awareness as ecology becomes more individualistic and systems based. Many researchers recognize that a global stance needs to be taken by religions, with them working together to create a more comprehensive worldview and ethics to assist in reversing this trend, (Tucker and Grim). This is along similar lines with what Hossein Nasr writes, that dialogue on the environment must take place between religions on a global scale. Tucker and Grim continue by writing that, This is critical because the attitudes and values that shape peoples concepts of nature come primarily from religious worldviews and ethical practices. The moral imperative and value systems of religions are indispensable in mobilizing the sensibilities of people toward preserving the environment for future generations. Religious factors and environmental behaviors and attitudes Sherkat and Ellison analyzed data from a 1993 General Social Survey to look at religious factors and environmental behaviors and attitudes. Their study revealed that contradictory findings on the connection between religion and environmental concern and activism are the result of varied influences of religious schemata and resource interactions on different indicators of environmental concern and activism, (83). Sherkat and Ellison were not able to conclude specific religious influences on the environment, but suggested that Whites 1967 essay had the possibility of being a primary influence for religious leaders to take a pro-environment stance and actions (83). Religion and the environment are intertwined in that they have had a history and will continue to have a role together in the future. This may be one area where science and religion can find a common ground both have the environment in their best interest and can work together to find a solution to the current environmental crisis. As religious traditions and beliefs have shaped human values and behaviors towards the environment in the past, this is one possibility for working toward positive environmental attitudes for the future.