Education Systems of France and America Essay

There are present many differences in the way of life between France and the United States of America; from the social structure to the job market, from the political atmosphere to the legislative structure; from the language to fashion and so on. The focus of my research paper is a comparative study of the system of education of the two nations; highlighting the individual traits of each and discussing the similarities and the differences between the two. I will focus on the following: †¢ How the educational systems of France and the USA are alike and how they differ; – Similarities and differences between the French and American primary education; – Similarities and differences between French secondary and American high schools; †¢ Approaches to educational reform undertaken by France and the U. S. An examination of these areas intends to offer a clearer insight to the French and American educational systems. Basic Differences between the French and American Systems From the origin of the two systems of education, to the policies governing teachers, the federal budget allocation for education; the dissimilarities are many. I will highlight the major differences between the two distinct systems. According to â€Å"Education in France,† 2006, in 2006, the French federal budget for education was $83 billion (or 64. 6 billion Euros) whereas the American budget was $69. 4 billion (â€Å"Education in America,† 2006). The Ministry of National Education is France’s largest employer, employing educators at every level – from elementary to professors, whereas in America, teachers are employed by district and professors directly by their respective College or University. There is no unified body, unlike the Ministry of National Education in France, which manages educator employment. French schools are comprised of four components: 1. Kindergarten or Maternelle, 2. Primary school or Ecole elementaire, 3. Junior High or College, and 4. High school or Lycee, American schools are generally divided into three or four parts, according to Cozic (1992): 1. Preschool and kindergarten 2. Junior high 3. High school France’s philosophy of education is essentially unlike that of the United States, as highlighted below, quoting Fraser (1963): â€Å"In 1957 the Ministry of National Education gave the following account of school organization in France: ‘The hierarchy of the three great branches, Primary, Secondary, and Higher, as conceived by the Constituent Assembly and built by Napoleon – to which was later added Technical Education – remains the basis of our school organization. ‘† French education is divided into three parts; basic American education is in effect branched into only two, primary and secondary, with the third component, higher education, is fast becoming a privilege, not enjoyed by too many students in the current era. The high school graduation rates also differ between the two nations. In 2001, it was estimated that 70% of American public high school students graduated (Greene & Forster, 2006). France was aiming to achieve 80% high school graduation rate. This seemingly small difference has significant consequences on the literacy levels of the nations, which then become evident in other areas, such as the employment rate, a nations technological or scientific level of advancement, higher education levels of a country (percentage of the population who has attended College or University). Differences in the Primary Educational Systems of France and USA Education at the primary level is highly stressed upon in both the countries. The principals and philosophy of education between both the nations is most similar at this stage in a child’s academic career than any other stage. Kindergarten and elementary school, or maternelle and ecole elementaire is viewed as a critical juncture in the life of a child. Attendance in kindergarten and maternelle is compulsory in both the countries; however parents chose to send their children at as young an age as possible – 3 or 4 being the average age of attendance. In France, preschool or maternelle is divided into three one-year periods. These are: 1. Petite section (age 3), 2. Moyenne section (age 4), and 3. Grande section (age 5). There exist also pre-maternelle institutions (or daycare centers), which parents often decide to send their children to (Lee& Sivell, 2000). Primary School Children of both France and the U. S. are required to attend primary schools. In France, a national mandate has been set which dictates the compulsory school attendance of all six year old children ( Education in France,† 2006). This isn’t the case in America, where the policies differ between the states. A child can start at 5, or 6 depending on the educational laws in the state of residence. It is generally agreed however that children in both America and France should attend school as early as possible, which proves to be beneficial in the cognitive and learning development of a child; helps to develop their social skills and instills disciplinary values. Elementary School Elementary school attendance in both the nations is compulsory too. In America, this usually entails the duration between 6 years to 11 or 12, depending on the state’s (of residence) policy on education. The elementary schooling system runs from 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade and so on in the American system. The sixth grade is included in the Elementary system in some state, while not in others. In France, however, due to the national guidelines on education, children begin ecole elementaire from the age of 6 to 10, in the duration of which they pass through five grades, cours preparatoire, cours elementaire premiere annee, cours elementaire deuxieme annee, cours moyen premiere annee and cours moyen deuxieme annee. In the early stages of elementary system (or ecole elementaire) of both the countries, one or two teachers are assigned to teach all the subjects, which too are very similar, including: †¢ language, †¢ history, †¢ geography, †¢ social studies, †¢ math, †¢ science, †¢ art or music and †¢ physical education Religious education is avoided at this level in France and in America only a very few Elementary schools provide religious courses. High School (or Lycee) methodology While the teaching philosophy and methods between both the countries are unique, they fundamentally serve similar purpose: equipping students with a solid educational base to prepare them for their futures. The differences between the French secondary schooling system (college, and lycee) and the American junior high and high school are many. There exist similarities too – both systems require attendance (although in France no attendance is required after the age 16). In both systems, school selection is based on the area of residence and in both nations parents can pay a little more and educate their children privately. In the American secondary system, middle or junior high is the gap of 2 or 3 years between elementary and high school. In France, however, middle school or college normally begins in grade 6, denoted as 6e, at 11 years of age. This lasts four years, going down to grade 3e when the students are about 14. Grade 2e follows, and begins the high school (lycee), a three year period, ending with their last year or terminale. In the American system, students commence junior high either at the 6th Grade (age 12) or the 7th Grade (age 13), staying at this stage for 2-3 years and then moving on to Grade 9 (or High School) around the age of 15 (Urdan, 2001, p. 112). This phase extends to four years, ending at the completion of the 12th Grade. Another major dissimilarity between the two systems is that U. S. students are usually required to take standardized tests as soon as the Grade 6, including the SATs or ACTs occasionally during middle and high school. In France, students can take the standardized tests, or the baccalaureat after the completion of their schooling, to help determine what route they’ll take after lycee. The French baccalaureat is the equivalent of the U. S. high school diploma, only difference being that French students have to clear specific tests to acquire their bac (as it is called. Also, students may decide not to take the bac, since it is â€Å"in law more an exam for entrance into university than a lycee completion exam† (â€Å"Baccalaureat† 2006). A notable aspect of the French lycee is that students are provided the opportunity to specialize in particular courses the last few years of high school. Both the U. S. and French secondary systems require student attendance, but students in France are obliged to attend only till the age of 16. After that certain exams are to be undertaken which decide what courses the student will take for the rest of his/her schooling. Students who do well on these examination are given a chance to attend a lycee to study for the baccalaureat till they are 18 years old. Vocational Courses offer those students a shortened study period of two years who don’t score well on the entrance tests. That is considered one of the strengths of the French system. Instead of isolating the vocational branch, they amalgamate it within the secondary schooling system, which is encouraging for students to not only learn about other areas within their current educational system, but to remain with their peers too. Regarding the courses, French students are permitted only a restricted number of options for the path they choose to take. They are restricted to a few courses and the number of electives they can take are very few. American students, on the other hand, aren’t restricted as such. Most schools permit their students to take electives, provided they fulfill certain pre-requisites and the extra courses will eventually help them lead up to a diploma. French students who don’t do well on the in 2nde grade exams can prepare for for Brevet d’Enseignement Professionel (BEP – a certification in teaching), or Certificat d’Aptitude Professionelle (CAP – a certificate of professional aptitude). Both these are easily adaptable to earn the student a â€Å"baccalaureat professionel,† which, although not as esteemed as a baccalaureat in other areas, like as math or science, but would still be a huge advantage to students pursuing other areas (Guichard, 2000, p. 62). French students who decide to take the bac are given a choice between three â€Å"streams†, all of which entail exclusive specializations and carry different ‘weights’. They are: 1. Scientifique (natural sciences), 2. Economique et sociale (a blend of sciences and literature with some economics and social studies), and 3. Litteraire (French language, geography, history, foreign languages and literature) (â€Å"Baccalaureat,† 2006). Educational Reform In the recent years, the topic of educational reform has been gaining momentum. The Bush administration set forth a â€Å"Leave No Child Behind† educational reform policy (McGuinn, 2006), with the aim of providing education to every child in the United States. Similarly, in France, educational reform often turns into political issue for the leaders, who bicker over sections of the core curriculum in regards to what is best for the nation. There is a significant disparity between reform in France and America. As stated earlier, France has a standardized curriculum for its public schools, whereas in the United States, the curriculum has to be set by the states and school districts. This is one of the reasons French educational reform is less extensive than the reform bills and acts passed in the U. S. to modify the educational system. Conclusion Taking into view all the ways in which education differs between France and the United States, it is debatable which country has the superior system. Each of the two countries have pros and cons. The question of which system is superior is irrelevant in this context. There is no one correct or incorrect way to educate a child; what works well for one student might fail for another. Selecting one structure over the other would be meaningless since both have their own set of accolades and setbacks.

Research on Baroda dairy product Essay

Executive Summary This project has been undertaken in order to understand the Customer Perception and liking towards Baroda Dairy Products. The task is to know and measure its effectiveness in terms of Price , Quality , Quantity , Packaging , Product availability, Product delivery, Product maintenance (storage), merits and demerits of the existing distribution chain, areas and scope of improvement and finding ways to make the Product more user friendly and Available. There are various ways to carry out this project and reach desired objectives for e. g. , Expert Opinion, In-depth interview with Customers, primary data collection and analysis etc. but out of all these options available for data collection, the method chosen was primary data collection and analysis i. e. questionnaire based data collection and analysis. The reasons for choosing this technique for project are as under: This method gives the opportunity to directly interact with the Customers and helps in knowing what they actually think of the Baroda Dairy Products. The most reliable source of information from all the other mentioned above. Gives a better insight of Customer perception as compared to other technique. This technique will yield an Unbiased, To the Point and Reliable result. It is best to know from the Customers as to what they think about the Existing Product and Satisfaction Level. From this project I came to know about co-operative sector, dairy industry, distribution and handling of highly perishable product like milk. I also came to know what Customers think of current Products and Services of Baroda Dairy. Customer loyalty to Baroda Dairy and its products. I got to know various merits of the existing distribution channel. I also discovered some areas of distribution channel which if worked upon can yield more profitable gains and can also increase the availability of Products. I critically analyzed the answers that were provided by Customers. In order to get quality information, I used questionnaire as a tool which helped me in this project. After collection of the desired data, the data has been critically analyzed to draw conclusion out of mathematical data. The collected data has been categorized and presented in to the meaningful diagrammatic presentations following its proper classification. All these analytical information is subjected to the conclusions following justified interpretation of the results drawn from the statistical tools. Introduction Dairy industry is one of the growing sectors in the Indian Food Processing Industry. This sector Grew at CAGR of 3. 7 % in the last decade. An everyday useful industry which was into rags during 1940s is now one of the most performing industry in the country, courtesy – White Revolution. But still the market is dominated by unorganized sector which contributes about 80% of the total milk marketing in the country. Thus lies a very large scope for the organized sector to enter in this industry. Dairy contributes to 16% of consumer spend on food – 18% in Urban areas of the country and 15% in rural areas. It is one of the most important and exceptionally well performing industries. Each and every state has its own Federation that governs various co-operatives in each state which are into processing of milk and other milk products and the Governing body for these state federations is National Dairy Development Board. One of the main reasons for the progress of dairy industry in India was the white revolution and the Co-operative movement. Also what has added to its development is the linkage it has created between producers and consumers which has eliminated the middle man. Also strengthening of production, procurement, infrastructure and technology has made dairy farming India’s largest self-sustainable rural employment generator. Also it is notable that dairy sector has gained prominence over the years as it delivers one of the most important food product i. e. Milk and its by-products without which it is really very difficult to live. Thus looking at the current scenario, following things can be analyzed: On the production side: Slow growth in productivity likely to increase demand- supply gap There is a need to promote interventions that would increase production efficiencies. Need to secure availability of fodder and high quality breeds. Promoting entrepreneurship in large herd dairy farming – through PPP. There is increasing interest in Intensive dairy farming – increasing demand & farm gate price. On the demand side: Indian dairy market offers diverse opportunities to tap into. Unique nature of the market requires entrepreneurs to study it carefully before entry. India has the credit of being the largest producer as well as the biggest consumer of milk in the world. It also has the world’s largest dairy herd (comprised of cows and buffalos). In 2010-11, livestock generated output worth INR 2,075 billion (at 2004-05 prices) which comprised 4% of the GDP and 26% of the agricultural GDP. India’s milk production accounts for 16% of total global output. The dairy industry is expected to grow 4-5% per annum. A budgetary outlay of INR 31, 560 Crores is recommended by the working group for 12th Five Year Plan of Planning commission of India for animal husbandry and dairy sector to achieve growth rate of 6%. In the past 20 years, milk production in India has doubled and has reached the 116. 2 million tonnes a year thus becoming India’s No. 1 farm commodity. The current market size of the dairy industry is INR 2. 6 trillion and is estimated to grow up to INR 3. 7 trillion by 2015. The matters relating to livestock production, preservation, protection and improvement of livestock & dairy development comes under Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, GoI. Value-added products like Whole milk powder, Skimmed milk powder, Condensed milk, Ice cream, Butter and Ghee have immense potential for export. As per the latest statistics of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the dairy cooperative network in the country includes 177 milk unions covering 346 districts and over 1, 33,000 village-level societies with a total membership of nearly 14 million farmers. All the statistics given above are indicators of a flourishing dairy sector in India providing suitable opportunities to the industries engaged in the dairy business. India: Milk’s New Horizon A growing population and increased incomes from an economic boom are the driving forces behind a surge in dairy product demand in India. One key to the success of recent consumption trends has been an American standby: the refrigerator. Dairy Demand in an Emerging Economy A new study reports that the demand for milk in India will rise by a compound annual growth rate of about 4% over the next few years (RNCOS, 2012). Research shows that as incomes increase consumption of animal products, specifically milk and dairy products, intensifies (Wenge Fu et al. , 2012). In fact, India’s upturn in demand for dairy products far outweighs the growth in demand for animal products such as meat and eggs. India owes this large demand for milk to its largely vegetarian population. Dairy product demand in India has increased dramatically in both rural and urban sectors. However, as a larger population is emigrating from rural areas to cities an even greater demand may be placed on dairy products. Between 1980 and 2010, India’s level of urbanization increased from 23 to 30 percent of the population. The second largest country in the world, India is projected to grow from 1. 2 billion people in 2010 to just under 1. 7 billion by 2050 with 55% of that population being urban. This increase in buying power allows consumers to purchase durable goods such as refrigerators that enable larger consumption of dairy products than ever before. Moreover, a more urban population also offers the increased opportunity for cultural exchange, leading to increased consumption of meat and dairy products not only in India but across Asia. All of these factors coupled together lead to growing international market opportunities for milk and dairy products in India previously unnoticed in the global dairy industry. India is the world’s largest producer of milk. However, the majority of that milk is buffalo, followed by cow and goat milk as shown in Table 1 (FAOSTAT, 2013). Since 2005, 53% of the fluid milk produced in India has come from buffalo, 43% from cows and 4% from goats. In 2011, India produced 34% more milk than the U. S. up from 19% more in 2005 (Table 2). For dairy cow production, the United States produced 70% more milk in 2011 than India. One study by the OECD-FAO in 2011 suggests that India will have sufficient production to meet demand for milk and its products (excluding butter) through 2020. Nevertheless, as Wenge Fu et al. note, the rapid increase in population and changes in consumption patterns make such estimations difficult. Fluid milk demand is projected to grow at 10. 2% per year, while production is projected to grow by 3. 7% based on 1994 to 2004 growth rates. Competition for land to produce grains and feed products for animal production may limit agricultural growth in all sectors. This pressure on natural resources and its effect on production could lead to a greater reliance on imported dairy products. In the short run, India’s dairy sector is well positioned to accommodate the rapid growth in dairy product consumption. An increasingly urbanized population with a greater disposable income will drive demand leading to opportunities from the global milk market to supply this new generation of Indian consumers. Table 1. India’s Milk Production by Species from 2005 to 2011 in Tonnes (FAOSTAT, 2013) Year Item 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Avg Buffalo Milk (whole, fresh) Production in Tonnes 52,070,000 54,382,000 56,630,000 57,132,000 59,201,000 62,350,000 62,350,000 % of total production 54% 55% 54% 53% 53% 53% 52% 53% Cow Milk (whole, fresh) Production in Tonnes 39,759,000 41,148,000 44,601,000 47,006,000 47,825,000 49,960,000 52,500,000 % of total production 42% 41% 42% 43% 43% 43% 44% 43% Goat Milk (whole, fresh) Production in Tonnes 3,790,000 3,818,000 4,481,000 4,478,000 4,467,000 4,594,000 4,594,000 % of total production 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% Total Production in Tonnes 95,619,000 99,348,000 105,712,000 108,616,000 111,493,000 116,904,000 119,444,000 Table 2. Milk Production in India and the United States from 2005 to 2011 (FAOSTAT, 2013) Year Country 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 All Milk Production in Tonnes India 95,619,000 99,348,000 105,712,000 108,616,000 111,493,000 116,904,000 119,444,000 USA 80,254,500 82,463,000 84,189,100 86,177,400 85,880,500 87,474,400 89,015,200 % Difference between India and U. S. 19% 20% 26% 26% 30% 34% 34% Cow Milk Production in Tonnes India 39,759,000 41,148,000 44,601,000 47,006,000 47,825,000 49,960,000 52,500,000 USA 80,254,500 82,463,000 84,189,100 86,177,400 85,880,500 87,474,400 89,015,200 % Difference between U. S. and India 102% 100% 89% 83% 80% 75% 70% As we have already seen how the production of milk and its consumption have increased over the past decade thus the problem of it distribution and availability also arises. This brings the problem of Effective distribution channel into light. For the same purpose the study has been undertaken in order to Measure the Effectiveness of the Distribution System of Baroda Dairy. Introduction to Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. The GCMMF is the largest food products marketing organisation of India. It is the apex organisation of the Dairy Cooperatives of Gujarat. Over the last five and a half decades, Dairy Cooperatives in Gujarat have created an economic network that links more than 3. 1 million village milk producers with millions of consumers in India. The cooperatives collect on an average 9. 4 million litres of milk per day from their producer members, more than 70% of whom are small, marginal farmers and landless labourers and include a sizeable population of tribal folk and people belonging to the scheduled castes. The turnover of GCMMF (AMUL) during 2010–11 was 97. 74 billion (US$1. 7 billion). It markets the products, produced by the district milk unions in 30 dairy plants. The farmers of Gujarat own the largest state of the art dairy plant in Asia – Mother Dairy, Gandhinagar, Gujarat – which can handle 3. 0 million litres of milk per day and process 160 MTs of milk powder daily. GCMMF is a unique organization which is created by farmers, managed by competent professionals serving a very competitive and challenging consumer market. It is a true testimony of synergistic national development through the practice of modern management methods. GCMMF Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), is India’s largest food product marketing organisation with annual turnover (2012-13) US$ 2. 54 billion. Its daily milk procurement is approx 13 million lit per day from 16914 village milk cooperative societies, 17 member unions covering 24 districts, and 3. 18 million milk producer members. It is the Apex organisation of the Dairy Cooperatives of Gujarat, popularly known as ‘AMUL’, which aims to provide remunerative returns to the farmers and also serve the interest of consumers by providing quality products which are good value for money. Its success has not only been emulated in India but serves as a model for rest of the World. It is exclusive marketing organisation of ‘Amul’ and ‘Sagar’ branded products. It operates through 48 Sales Offices and has a dealer network of 5000 dealers and 10 lakh retailers, one of the largest such networks in India. Its product range comprises milk, milk powder, health beverages, ghee, butter, cheese, Pizza cheese, Ice-cream, Paneer, chocolates, and traditional Indian sweets, etc. GCMMF is India’s largest exporter of Dairy Products. It has been accorded a â€Å"Trading House† status. Many of our products are available in USA, Gulf Countries, Singapore, The Philippines, Japan, China and Australia. GCMMF has received the APEDA Award from Government of India for Excellence in Dairy Product Exports for the last 13 years. For the year 2009-10, GCMMF has been awarded â€Å"Golden Trophy† for its outstanding export performance and contribution in dairy products sector by APEDA. For its consistent adherence to quality, customer focus and dependability, GCMMF has received numerous awards and accolades over the years. It received the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award in1999 in Best of All Category. In 2002 GCMMF bagged India’s Most Respected Company Award instituted by Business World. In 2003, it was awarded the The IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award – 2003 for adopting noteworthy quality management practices for logistics and procurement. GCMMF is the first and only Indian organisation to win topmost International Dairy Federation Marketing Award for probiotic ice cream launch in 2007. The Amul brand is not only a product, but also a movement. It is in one way, the representation of the economic freedom of farmers. It has given farmers the courage to dream. To hope. To live. GCMMF – An Overview

Analysis of Windows Operating System and Microsoft

Analysis of Windows Operating System and Microsoft What is Windows? Windows is a personal computer operating system from Microsoft that, together with some commonly used business applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel, has become a de facto â€Å"standard† for individual users in most corporations as well as in most homes. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI), virtual memory management, multitasking, and support for many peripheral devices. According to OneStat.com, as of August, 2006, Windows as a whole dominates the personal computer world, running on about 97% of the operating system market share, with XP accounting for about 87% of that. In comparison Mac OS has about 2% and Linux (with all distributions) about .36% The reason why this is so is mainly because Windows is much more user friendly and everything comes pre-packaged so user just have to run the application and follow instructions for it to install. There are many versions of Windows Operating System available namely: Windows 286 W indows 386 Windows 3.0 and 3.11 Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows NT Windows 2000 Windows CE for use in small mobile computers Windows Me Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Among all those versions, Windows XP is the most popular one and it is used by 61.9 percent of Internet users, according to data from Net Applications, followed by Windows 7 which has 14.46 percent of users and Vista -14.34 percent. A Brief Story On Windows Windows mainly concentrated on providing an operating system which was user-friendly, stable and less prone to crashes when they were implementing earlier versions. Now, even though XP is generally referred to being stable and efficient compared to other copies of Windows, it is still critised for being overly susceptible to security risks. Therefore the successor of XP- Vista, released in January of 2007 was designed in such a way so as it provides more security. The transition time between Vista and XP is the longest one between versions of windows. Vulnerabilities Of Windows What is vulnerability? – â€Å"It is a weakness that makes a threat possible. â€Å" These vulnerabilities are used by attackers who exploits them to convey multiple attack, including enticing the users to open harmful and malicious media or to visit website which has a lot of viruses. These can have a lot of consequences. In the worst case, a hacker or attacker can get full access to the computer. Fortunately, windows provide a lot of solution to these vulnerabilities. The user just has to install the appropriate Microsoft patches or they are sometimes installed automatically with the help of Windows Update. Window Update Vulnerabilities can be compared to holes. They are like holes in the system. Windows periodically releases security patches mostly as Window Updates to fix those defects. There exists different level of security known as the â€Å"security level system† in Windows which describes the different levels of security holes: A critical security hole is â€Å"a vulnerability whose exploitation could allow the propagation of an Internet worm without user action.† An important hole is â€Å" A vulnerability whoses exploitation could result in compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of user’s data, or of the integrity or availability of processing recources.†

President Nelson Mandela was seen by people from various political, Research Paper

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The Problem With Akeem In Education. Causes And Decision - Case Study Example Kirkley further elaborates, solving a problem in some cases requires the problem solver to dynamically restructure and run their mental models of the systems to effect a particular action on a system. Developing a mental model is more practical and requires more than the declarative teaching than students such as Akeem received from their classroom. The solution would thus be aimed at making the studies a bit practical to make such students to express mental models practically rather than theoretically. Cooper & Henschkle (2001) describe andragogy as a form of learning for adults where practice in the field is supplemented with theoretical work form the class. Such an approach would help in helping children such as Akeem. The children exhibiting such behavior should be offered with an environment that stimulates practical activities. Once the area of concern is established, the students would then be encouraged to participate more in this specific area, and later when enough interest is accumulated, the student might be introduced to the theoretical aspect of the idea. The plan has to work effectively in that the plan isolates the areas of interests as portrayed by the student, and then develops these areas. In short, it is a student controlled learning instead of a teacher controlled learning. As Cooper & Henschkle (2001) elaborate, the interest and practical aspect gained would be the motivation towards learning the theoretical concept. Cooper, M.K. & Henschke, J.A., (2001). Andragogy: its research value for practice. A presentation to the Midwest Research to Practice conference, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois, Sept. 26-28, 2001.

Justify public administrators' Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Justify public administrators' - Research Paper Example The personal points of view are necessary when formulating, assessing and looking for concrete plans of action for an administrative situation. However, it is better to question how an individual relays solutions through public service given bureaucracy follows certain levels of hierarchy. Weber asserted that there is a â€Å"logically consistent† function in his ideal type (Kim, 2007) In terms of public administration, how can this be achieved? This consistency, ultimately, faces difficulties before it can be achieved. Now, before fully deliberating the ideal type of Max Weber, there should be a thorough knowledge of what public administration is. Public administration is a field of study that deals with the function of government as an institution and the general public it serves and how it handles the matters that involves society through centralized governance (Raadschelders, 2008). At the same time, public administration involves â€Å"organizational theory, management s cience and concept of public interest† (Henry, 1975). ... Paradoxically, the ideal type, no matter how good it is can have its flaws not just on the manner of administration but also on the level of organization. According to Weber, the problem that rises with the ideal type is oligarchy, dehumanization, and irrationality (Kim, 2007). How do these factors really affect the manner of how public administration is implemented within the organized structure of a system and the ideal type? The government really has a role as to how they will exercise governance effectively. Most of the time, the elite of a society take part on the administration government and has the capacity to determine the manner of governance they want to uphold (Raadschelders, 2008). Now here lies the problem. How are people really guaranteed that efficient governance is achieved since the elite has a very strong capacity to maintain their hold on to power to further their personal interests rather than the interest of the general public. Corruption, abuse and exploitation together with irrational thinking distort the logical consistency that the ideal type imposes. Democracy, in its context, is good yet the manner of administration becomes undemocratic especially if the consistency of labour is not administered properly. Public administration also calls for objective criticism (Henry, 1975). As seen in the local and global contemporary politics, criticisms have been rampant to fully expose the flaws of the bureaucratic status quo. In its greatest sense, bureaucracy is good yet the manner of addressing criticisms, especially in the case of the leader, is not really adequate. They may recognize their flaws in terms of leadership that destroys the logical consistency asserted by Weber’s ideal type yet concrete plans of

Property Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Property Market - Essay Example Lack of infrastructure and basic facilities would lead to downfall in prices of the land and investors will lose faith and retract the investment. This would be huge disaster for any businessman. Therefore before putting a land to sale check the basic amenities and infrastructure and the price of the land accordingly. Apart from state owned properties commercial and residential properties are in boom these days. Resident localities are fast growing and becoming some of the costliest living areas. Commercial properties that fetch income are of many kinds. Commercial show rooms and establishment of corporate offices are touching the heights of the real estate business. Commercial show room owners are ready to pay any amount of money to get a place in the most commercially viable areas. The reasons for the properties producing high income is leasing it out or renting the property for a specified period of time. The value of the commercial and office property keeps growing with the development of the city. With increasing number of tourists visiting the revenue increases. Tourism also plays an important in increasing the price of the land. As population of the country increases the cities start expanding and drag the outskirts into city limits.

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 20000 words

Thesis On E-Government In Jordan - Dissertation Example E-government is the short form of electronic government, also known as the â€Å"e-gov† and has a number of other names in digital government, the online government, and even transformational government. E-government discusses the manner in which government makes use of the exchange of information and services that are pertinent with regards to the citizens, individual businesses, and other governmental agencies to name a few. E-government thus takes care of information and communications technology, which in this paper we will call as ICT. All these processes are carried out to ensure that there is improvement within the processes, efficiency is achieved, public services are better managed and delivered and there are plenty of tasks that are done in the right manner as far as processes of democratic governance are concerned. Thus to add to the same discussion, we see that the E-governments encompass a number of different models including the Government to Citizen, also known as the Government to Customer, Government to Business and lastly Government to Government. However, to coin the most significant of these activities that E-government does in the related scheme of things, we see that E-government increases efficiency between the tasks ensure there is convenience all around and there is a better accessibility factor related to the provision of basic public services. Hence the interaction between the private sector and that of the public sector is also improved as a result of the very same.

Components of atmosphere Essay Example for Free

Components of atmosphere Essay The main components of atmosphere are almost invariant. However, the content of water vapor is an exception that it varies with the changing of location, season and time. Oxygen and water vapor plays a significant role on the processes of atmospheric corrosion. Therefore, atmospheric corrosion can be classified in the following three categories: Dry corrosion Damp corrosion Wet corrosion Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Component Percent/% Atmosphere 100 H2O. Components of atmosphere (Impurity excluded, 10? ) 2. 1 Dry corrosion In the absence of significant water vapor, many common metals develop films of oxide. In the presence of traces of gaseous pollutants, copper, silver and other non-ferrous metals undergo film formation which is known as tarnishing. The tarnishing of silver in air is well-known. Tarnishing by hydrogen sulfide may be retarded by moisture if present in very small amounts. 2. 2 Damp Corrosion Damp corrosion would occur only when the relative humidity reaches 70% which is considered generally as the critical value for the onset of corrosion. The precise level of critical humidity varies with the type of contaminants, such as dust and salt particles, and the composition of metals. For instance, in the presence of marine salts corrosion is stimulated at lower values of relative humidity. The difference between the damp and wet environment is very narrow and it is more representative of a climatic condition rather than the magnitude of corrosion. Damp environments promote the corrosion of most metals. Water saturated with dissolved gases, such as CO2, H2S and SO2, cause severe corrosion of iron and steels, copper, nickel, silver and other non-metallic materials and alloys. For example, silver loses its luster and develops a tarnished film of sulfide on coming in contact with H2S, and copper develops tints and becomes black. In agricultural areas abundance of ammonia, particularly during the rainy seasons, subjects copper fittings to seasonal cracking and causes serious damage to water distribution systems. 2. 3 Wet Corrosion This is the most frequently observed form of atmospheric corrosion, where the water layers or pockets are formed on the metal surface, and the metal surface remains constantly in contact with water. The rate of corrosion would depend on the solubility of the corrosion product. Higher solubility means a higher rate of corrosion, because the dissolved ions increase the electrolytic conductivity. In case of alternate dry and wet conditions, the dry corrosion product film may absorb moisture from the air which increases the rate of corrosion of the metal by bringing the moisture in contact with the metal surface. Patina formation on copper, such as brochantite, and corrosion of iron and steel structures are common examples of corrosion caused by wet atmosphere.

Fundamental Principles of Hci Essay Example for Free

Fundamental Principles of Hci Essay M2 part Considering your work for Task 2 e or f, indicate how some of the fundamental principles of HCI have been applied and how the specific need has been met. In this part of the assignment I will be reflecting on the specialist input (e) design I have designed. I have designed a keyboard which has Braille keys, for the purpose of the people who are blind, as this keyboard will be an advantage for the blind which means that they will not be isolated just because they are blind, but in fact using this keyboard the blind can continue their daily lives like others going to work and schools etc. One of the Fundamental principles of HCI is that the user has ease of use, and I have applied this principle in my design allows people to type on the keyboard with ease. I have also covered the perception principle which covers, colour, pattern and the layout of objects. I have applied this principle in my design as I have layed out the keys spaciously which allows the user to hit the key which they wish to easily. And by making the design in this pattern and layout the user can easily recognise the Braille keys. P5 Briefly describe how each of the input and output HCI that you have created meet the specifications provided. Input using interactive mouse I have designed a news tablet reader which has the special feature of touch screen, which allows the user to scroll through the page. The specification requires an input that has to be through a mouse/keyboard/monitor. I have met this specification by designing a news tablet which usually has a mouse connected to the tablet, but the one I have created served this purpose by just scrolling on the screen of the tablet. Output to a printer I have designed a printer which has a touch pad button on the printer, and this can be used if the user decides to make a certain number of copies. The specification is met as I have designed an output which serves the purpose of processing documents out, and also has the feature of a touchpad which allows the user to manually alter the number of copies they wish to make. There are also hard buttons which can be used in case the touch pad stops working. Input using a different input device from a mouse I have designed a gaming steering wheel which can be used to install into a gaming console such as play station 3, and be used as an input. The specification has been met as I have designed a steering wheel which has an additional feature of a biometric scan of every user. Which means that every time a user which to save their game progress they just need to place the thumb print on the scanner and the game will automatically save the data of the person whose thumb scan it is, and every user will need to insert the details before playing on the steering wheel so that the steering wheel can save to that persons file. Output to something other than a printer or monitor I have designed an interactive white board which has a solar power pad connected to it, which means that it uses solar power in order to run. The specification has been met as I have designed an output which is an interactive whiteboard with an additional feature that has a solar pad connected to it, which saves electricity cost for the user. Input for a specialist need I have designed a keyboard with an additional feature that allows the blind people to type using this keyboard. I have met the specifications for this design as I have designed an input which serves a specialist need for the blind people with a brail keyboard, it also has a MIC fitted with the keyboard which allows the user to speak into the MIC and the computer then interprets the words and types up into the document. Output for a specialist need I have designed a TV and speaker which is voice activated and used for disabled people. I have met the specifications of the design as I have designed a TV and speaker which allows the disabled to remotely command the TV, for example ON would mean the TV to turn on etc. This would allow the dibbled user to sit where they are and command the TV without having to move. M3 Describe how effectiveness of HCI may be measured Usually the effectiveness of HCI can be measured when you carry out tests such as ? Speed of interaction ?Number of errors from actions ?Ease of understanding by the user The effectiveness of HCI can be measured by doing tests that looks at the speed of interaction between the user and the HCI, it measures the how long the response is after the user makes a move on the HCI, and if the speed of interaction is very high then that piece of HCI will be known as very effective, this is because the HCI will allow you to move around the computer easily and quickly without much trouble. The effectiveness of HCI can also be measured by doing tests on that HCI to see how much errors it has, and after doing tests if the results show that it has a lot of errors then that HCI will not be a very effective. This is because a lot of errors on a HCI can make the user slow down when interacting with the HCI, but if there are not that much errors then it can be known as an effective HCI, because the user can use it effectively without having to troubleshoot. The effectiveness of HCI can be measured by the understanding of the user and to what extent the user has the knowledge and understanding of the HCI. If it seems as though that the user does not have the understanding of the HCI then the conclusion would be that the HCI is not very effective. But if the user is understanding the HCI and can easily interact with the HCI then the HCI is effective as the user can use the HCI without any issues D2 Compare the HCI you have developed with those commercially produced for similar products, indicating the good and less good features of each and any improvements which could be made. I have designed six HCI’s to suit the purpose of those users who interact with computers, and now I will compare my HCI’s with real HCI’ which are produced commercially and determine the advantages of my HCI and disadvantages of each and every HCI. My first design is a news tablet reader, where the user is able to read all the newspaper digitally. Those news tablet that are produced commercially are the standard designs which have very less features, those commercially produced are updated daily with the news from all the newspapers. The advantages of my HCI: ?Speakers that allow the user to listen to the news if they want, although the news can be heard via the speakers. ?Compared to the commercially produced news tablets my HCI has a keyboard which can be accessed from the tablet, this allows the user to visit other news sites that are not listed on the tablet as default sites. ?It allows the user to interact with the HCI using a mouse which is connected to the keyboard in case the touch screen does not work. The disadvantages of my HCI: The keyboard is not safe to use as this could damage the keyboard, because the news tablet is designed to be used whilst on the move but having all these extra features of using the keyboard at the bottom could break or snap. ?Instead of having a built mouse to move around the tablet, it would be better if there was a slot to let the user insert a mouse externally. The second design is a printer that a touchpad which allows the user to manually type in the number of copies of a document the user would like. So for instance if the user sent a document to the printer and then realised that the user needs more than one copy then simply just add more copies. The advantages of my HCI: ?The design of the touchpad is such that any age any user can easily use the touchpad, as the touchpad is labelled with easy text. ?If under any circumstances the touchpad does not work then the user can access the printer with alternative buttons. The disadvantages of my HCI: My HCI does not have many features that other Printers may have. ?I could have designed a printer with a built in photocopier or scanner. The third design is a gaming steering wheel, which compared to the commercially produced ones is a lot better as my HCI gives more features to interact with the user. The advantages of my HCI: Built in bio metric scanner saves game data to the user’s profile. These are done by the users creating their own profile and assign their finger print on their profile. ?In case the steering wheel malfunctions then there are buttons that can be used to manually play the game. There are built in speakers that let the user listen to the game play.

Engineering Essays Implications For Engineers

Engineering Essays Implications For Engineers The balance of employment in civil engineering has moved from the public sector to the private sector. Discuss the implications for engineers in particular and society in general. Introduction Civil Engineering is that field of engineering that is involved in the design and construction of roads, bridges, dams, buildings and other public works (civil_engineering.bluerider.com). At some point in time, public facilities were the responsibility of the authority. The authority could have been the kingdom or a government. That is why civil engineers have traditionally been employed principally by the public sector. Everything was run by the government. So everything must be provided and constructed by the same government. Civil Engineering However, the field of engineering grew wider and wider over the years. The requirements of the public grew with the population and standard of living. This put increasing pressure on the government. At some point, it was difficult for the government to keep pace with the growing needs and aspirations of the nation. To meet those needs, more buildings and facilities had to be constructed and faster. That was only possible if an increasing number of civil engineers are employed. Managing that growing number of engineers would become taxing on a central government if it did not have a means of sharing that responsibility with the industrial world. At the same time, as the standard of living increased and industrialisation took place, a growing number of facilities were required by individual group of people such as factory owners. These factory owners were willing to pay an individual or a private company to build its factory provided it could build it to his requirements and in time. T hat is how civil engineers and other related workers started being employed by the private-run companies for private needs. Today, with an economy of this size, the government can only trace the general strategy of development. It cannot go into the details of what should be built for each individual. Construction sector therefore has become a primarily private trade where the buyers and the sellers are private. The government needs to employ just enough to regulate and control the standards. Status The repercussions of this drift from the public to the private sector are numerous for the engineer. The first and most important of all is the status and image of the engineer. Despite the fact that the job of the engineer has become increasingly difficult, the image and recognition of the engineer for the rest of the society has declined over the years. Teachers, doctors and lawyers are looked upon as noble professions because they are seen to serve the public interest directly. Engineers are no longer seen that way because they serve a client base that is private. So the modern engineer does not benefit the same respect of the public as his ancient counterpart. Societys View From the societys point of view, the engineer is a less trust-worthy person today because he is not directly controlled by the government. He is perceived as somebody who is working for money, and not somebody who is working in public service. Consequently, the pubic works are likely to be less reliable. The public eventually has to accept what is offered to him because he does not have a choice. There is no alternative on offer. Salary The engineer today has the possibility of getting a higher salary than before. Because he is paid according to the service he dispenses, the more he works or the better quality of work he delivers, the more he is likely to be paid. That is compared to the fact that as a government worker, the engineer would have received the same pay whether he builds one building or ten. However, this also means that the salary will be set by the market. One of the complaints of engineers today is that their salary does not reflect the level of work they perform. At a company level, it is easier to assign a share of the profit to a salesman because he has contributed to a certain amount of turnover. A manager can be associated with the amount of money his department or branch has made. But it is much more difficult to quantify the economic worth of an engineer because his output cannot be measured directly in monetary terms. That is why that despite the fact that the change from public to private se ctor gives the possibility for a better pay, that possibility is not materialised in reality for the majority of engineers today. Politics Governments are run by politicians and politicians have to take account of the perception of the public before taking harsh decisions. That is why traditionally, employment in the public sector is more secure than that in private sector. The government itself cannot be seen to create unemployment. So, one of the incidence of the shift form public to private sector for the engineer is that today, his job is less secure than before. Specialisation With the development of technology and the pursuit of knowledge, the field of civil engineering has become so vast now that a civil engineer cannot possibly know everything about the field. This has led to specialisation of trade. Today, a civil engineer can be either a structural engineer or a highway engineer or a geotechnical engineer or any one of the various facets of civil engineering. Efficiency Civil engineers and civil engineering companies can be said to be more efficient today than the days when civil works were done by public sector. Privatisation of construction work has led to faster construction work because now companies have to operate in a competitive market. Competition in construction has benefited mostly to the society because now, more facilities is constructed faster, at cheaper costs, and the end product is more attractive. So, one of the repercussions on the society at large is that it has benefited from a more efficient civil engineering industry. Conclusion The implications of the shift in the balance of employment in civil engineering from the public sector to the private sector to the engineer can be summarised in terms of change in salary structure, change in image, in type of job, job security among others. For the society, it is mainly a more efficient industry but with more doubtful reliability. References 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://civil_engineering.bluerider.com/wordsearch/civil_engineering Bibliography .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, American Society of Civil Engineer, 1991 .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tarsh, Jason, Graduate Shortages in Science and Engineering, Department of Employment, 1985

Bradstreets An Author to Her Book :: essays papers

Bradstreets An Author to Her Book It is hard to sympathize with someone when you have no idea where they are coming from or what they are going through. It is similar experiences that allow us to extend our sincere appreciation and understanding for another human being’s situations and trials of life. Anne Bradstreet’s â€Å"The Author to Her Book† expresses the emotions that Bradstreet felt when her most intimate thoughts were published to the world without her consent. The average person would not see the cause for distress that Bradstreet feels in this situation. She had written a collection of near perfect poetry, which expressed her feelings in a way that the majority of women during that time did not have the talent or training to do. Many would wonder why she would be disturbed about these works being printed when they had brought many people pleasurable reading and had brought Bradstreet herself much personal fame. Therefore, Bradstreet can not just write a straightforward poem to t ell how she feels about her stolen thoughts. Unless her reader happens to be a writer, he or she would not be able to sympathize with Bradstreet in this matter. Instead, she had to use a situation in which her readers could comprehend the many emotions she experienced. No doubt, many women read her poetry, and the majority of women during that time were, or would one day be mothers. This similarity opened a door for understanding. By comparing her writing to a child, Bradstreet is able to win the compassion of her readers and help them understand the feelings that she experiences. Bradstreet sees herself s the â€Å"mother† (line 23) of this work, which she calls an â€Å"ill-formed offspring† (line 1) and she gives the work many human characteristics to enhance the effect of the conceit. She says that the â€Å"child† had been by her side until â€Å"snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true† (line 3). Bradstreet’s works would probably never have been published had it not been for her brother-in-law. A person she thought she could trust saw fit to take her works back to England and have them published without her consent. He took her most intimate thoughts and placed the future of them in his own hands and she was never consulted. She shares an intimacy with her work like that of a mother and child and that intimacy was infringed upon when her work was â€Å"exposed to public view† (line 4).

Essay --

State Building in Turkey vs. Afghanistan Introduction: In the twentieth century the governments of Turkey and Afghanistan made attempts to build states in their countries. However, each country’s geopolitical and socio-economic structure directly impacted the state building process. State building in Turkey was unique, inevitable and had a sustained development process while for Afghanistan it was crucial, chaotic and had bad repercussions that caused the Afghan state to collapse. Both Kemal Attaturk and Amanullah Khan pioneered the concept of state building in their countries but the existing forces, constraints and challenges resulted into different achievements for them. During the era of Kemal Ataturk, the period of state building was very successful because Turkey was close to the center of modernization and possessed strong institutions, topography and easier social interaction of state with people. In Afghanistan, due to mountainous terrain, and a landlocked topography, with the majority of people being illiterate, impleme nting the state building strategies were far more difficult. In addition, the institutions in Afghanistan were fragile and the state-building process was largely dependent on foreign subsidies as well as there was less interaction between the state and the people. Thesis : At the beginning of the twentieth century, both Turkey and Afghanistan launched a state-building effort. However, due to the inherent geo-political and socio-economic conditions in place in both societies, the state building endeavors diverged into two different directions. Brief background about how the Turkish and Afghan states were established: Under the leadership of Ataturk, and following the War of Independence in September 19... ...d communitarian society. It was for the first time that rulers in Afghanistan had experimented with state building. Democracy, national assembly, building a professional army and political party were new practices for statesmen in Afghanistan. While the Turkish had centuries of state building experience, particularly during the rule of Ottomans, Afghans used to revolt, resist and take revenge from the state through intervention. Afghans have never adopted state building successfully in the past. Turkish state building compared to Afghanistan, therefore, was victorious. Turkey was able to rise on human resources, economy and society structure, modern culture and secular political institutions, while Afghanistan due to inherent socio-political and geo-political conditions embedded in its society was unable to implement similar state-building strategies successfully. â€Æ'

Breaking Free in The Matrix Essays -- Movie Film Essays

Breaking Free in The Matrix      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eighteenth-century Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau begins his infamous discourse The Social Contract by stating, "Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains. One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they." Both Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" from The Republic and the Wachowski Brothers' hit film The Matrix discuss man's efforts on his journey towards illumination to break free of his chains and then liberate others imprisoned. While definite connections exist between the allegory and The Matrix, Plato and the Wachowski Brothers present different paths that one may take to achieve that end. The Matrix utilizes the symbolic figure of a hero, Nietzsche's ÃÅ"bermensch, who through fate acquires the responsibility of enlightening all, while Plato presents an individual journey in which others may act as guides but one attains enlightenment through one's desire for knowledge.    Throughout The Matrix, the Wachowski Brothers insert obvious hints of unusual skills that separate Neo from the other rebels. The film tells the story of the search for "the One" who will free the human race from its enslavement by the machines. "The One" possesses unique abilities and can manipulate the Matrix in ways that no other human has been able. Despite Neo's claim that "I'm nobody," he exhibits more "superhuman" qualities as the film progresses. Tank indicates, "He's a machine," able to spend hours learning kung fu, and Mouse notices while Neo fights Morpheus that "his neural kinetics are way above normal." Ironically at the beginning of the movie Neo's boss reprimands him for tardiness, saying, "You think you are special, th... ... Plato and the Wachowski Brothers' interpretations of the course to enlightenment differ greatly in their perspectives. As the ÃÅ"bermensch, Neo must challenge the ingrained values of society, wake the sleeping human race, and free it from the grasp of the Matrix. Plato dismisses Nietzsche's idea and instead describes a path similar to that of Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, who realizes that an enlightened one cannot enlighten others but merely lead the way. While sporadically man still follows the ÃÅ"bermensch, Plato's process has entered society's mainstream, serving as the most frequently traveled path to enlightenment.    Sources Cited    Plato. The Republic. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. Mineola: Dover Publications, 2000. The Matrix. Dir. The Wachowski Brothers. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. Videocassette. Warner Home Video, 1999.   

Culturally Proficient Leadership

EDLA 626 – Culture, Diversity & Human Rights Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within Summary: Part 1: Leadership as an Informed Personal Perspective Chapter 1: The Leadership Journey Begins Within Getting Centered – reality – many people in society still live segregated lives based on race / ethnicity, class – It is important that we look inward to ourselves in order to understand our reactions to people culturally different than us. – Such understanding allows us to effectively teach â€Å"other peoples’ children† Taking a Look at My School and What I See (and Don’t See) Schools and districts are influenced by social, political and economic forces not readily apparent. – Underlying the visible elements of our school communities are unapparent forces that make even more impact on our students, schools and us. – These invisible historical forces contribute to the sense of privilege or de privation experienced in our schools that impacts our students, parents and us. – These forces are termed as equity issues and serve as the metaphorical elephant in the room that many pretend not to see. Are there â€Å"Equity Issues† in Your School? – Reaction to equity issues is dependent on one’s own experiences as a student. Different experience produced for students of different cultural groups (past & present). – Regardless of personal experiences, a school leader and his/her vision benefits from knowledge of historical context of access and equity issues. – Two expressed values not fully realized are universal public education through High School and equitable educational opportunities (ex. Only 27 states have compulsory education requirements to age 16). – Progress toward universal education is linked with advancement in equitable treatment and equal outcomes for students based on gender, race, ethnicity and ableness is also e volving. Prominent researchers have pressed the issue for equity in schools for 2 generations. Confronting the â€Å"Gaps† as a Leadership Issue – Leaders faced with challenge of leading schools in ways that provide equitable opportunities irrespective of a student’s culture – The mere composition of any school poses naturally challenges due to differences (culture, race, gender, socio-economic, achievement, etc. ). – Leaders need to address systemic access disparities of quality educational programs, experienced funding and equitable school funding otherwise the status quo of gaps will continue. More equitable funding alone does not even things out . . . must be accompanied by a change in the way many students are educated. – Important question for leaders: How do we meet the academic and social needs of students who come to school with a different set of values, beliefs, socioeconomic experiences, behaviors, language and ability? NCLB as a Leadership Tool – NCLB can serve as a tool to support access and equity efforts. – NCLB has made public aware of differential educational opportunity and achievement patterns that exist in our schools and communities. NCLB used as pretext to point out and address achievement gap issues. Such a gap is a multifaceted outcome measure of gaps in access to education. – Achievement gaps differentiated by race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc. are being highlighted by the media. Definitions of Key Terms – Culture: The set of practices and beliefs shared by members of a particular group that distinguish that group from other groups. – Cultural Informancy: Reflects our experience of having cross cultural relationships that are authentic and trusting which allow for mutual learning and feedback leading to personal growth. Demographic Groups: Often used in schools in pace of subgroup. – Dominant Culture: A culture readily visible in a classroom and scho ol which often benefits from treatment, attention and success while others may be hidden and not apparent and not receive equitable treatment or attain equal levels of success.. – Equity: Access to material and human resources in proportion to needs. – Ethnicity: Ancestral heritage and geography, common history and to some degree physical appearance. – National Origin: A designation related to a person’s country of birth and prior citizenship. Nativism: The practice of valuing the rights of citizens born in this country over those of immigrants (marginalization effort & attempt of immigrants). – Race: A concept developed by social scientists and misinterpreted and used by groups to characterize people by their physical features and to use those differences to justify suppression of some while promotion of others. – Reflection: careful consideration of one’s behaviors, plans, values and assumptions in an effort to improve interpersonal and professional practice. – Sexual Orientation: An enduring, emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person.It exists along a continuum and differs from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Chapter 2: The Cultural Proficiency Leadership Lens – Provides an overview of the tools of cultural proficiency. Such will provide one with an important lens and knowledge for action. Getting Centered – Educational gaps are our issue with at least 3 arguments being important prerequisites: 1. We must acknowledge that educational gaps are historical and persistent. Although we inherited them, they cannot be ignored.The issue of academic underperformance of children of poverty and some visible minorities is not new information. 2. If gaps are to be closed, we must move forward to examine our values, behaviors, policies and practices of our schools. 3. We can make a difference when we pay attention to who students say they ar e and their needs before the needs of our own and that of the school system. – Cultural proficiency is: †¢ A process that begins with us, not with our students or their communities †¢ A shift in thinking that moves us from viewing culture as problematic to embracing and esteeming culture. A lens through which we view our role as educators †¢ A concept comprised of a set of four interrelated tools to guide our practice. Cultural Proficiency Is an Inside-Out Process – Cultural proficiency is an inside-out process of personal and organizational change. It is who we are more than what we do. – We are students of our assumptions about self, others and the context in which we work with others – Fundamental to addressing educational gap issues is one’s willingness and ability to examine yourself and your organization. Cultural proficiency provides leaders with a comprehensive, systemic structure to identify, examine and discuss educational issues in our schools. Cultural Proficiency Represents a Leadership Paradigm – Cultural proficiency . . . a mindset for how we interact with all people regardless of background . . . a worldview that carries explicit values, language and standards for effective personal interactions and professional practices . . . is a 24/7 approach to both our personal and professional lives . . . is not a set of independent strategies one learns to use with others. Educators who commit to culturally proficient practices represent a paradigmatic shift away from the status quo dominant group view. The paradigmatic shift moves from tolerating diversity to transformational commitment to equity. Cultural Proficiency as an Educational Leadership Lens – The following four tools of cultural proficiency can be used as a template for a leader’s personal and professional development: 1. Guiding principles on which you can build an ethical and professional frame for effective cross-cultu ral communication and problem solving. 2.A continuum of behaviors that enables you to diagnose your values and behavior in such a way that you can better influence policies and practices of our profession. 3. Essential elements expressed in terms of standards of personal and professional conduct that serve as a framework for responding to academic and social needs of the cultural groups in your school & community. 4. Barriers to this work framed in such a way that you are intentional in the use of the guiding principles and essential elements. – Effective educational leaders are clear about themselves relative to working with and leading culturally diverse communities.The Cultural Proficiency Toolkit – Cultural proficiency is comprised of an interrelated set of 4 tools which provide the means for a leader to guide his personal and professional development in a cultural proficient manner. †¢ The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency – Guiding principles provide one with a moral philosophical framework to examine & under-stand beliefs about the education of students from cultural groups different from them. – Guiding principles provide a framework of how the cultural diversity of students should inform professional practice when responding to student learning needs. A good place to see if school values align with predominant behaviors in the school is the mission / vision statement. †¢ The Cultural Proficiency Continuum – Consists of 6 points. The first 3 (cultural destructiveness, cultural incapacity, cultural blindness) points focus on them as being problematic. The next 3 (cultural precompetence, cultural competence, cultural proficiency) focus on your practice as transformational leadership. 1. cultural destructiveness – see the difference and eliminate it 2. cultural incapacity – see the difference and make it appear wrong 3. ultural blindness – see the difference and act like you donâ⠂¬â„¢t see it 4. cultural precompetence – see the difference and act but inconsistently in appropriateness 5. cultural competence – see the difference and be inclusive 6. cultural proficiency – see the difference and respond positively, engage, adapt and commit to social justice / equity †¢ The Five Essential Elements of Cultural Competence – These elements are standards for culturally competent values, behaviors, policies and practices I. Assessing Cultural Knowledge II. Valuing Diversity III. Managing the Dynamic of DifferenceIV. Adapting to Diversity V. Institutionalizing Cultural Knowledge †¢ Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency – There are barriers to achieving culturally proficient actions. They exist together in combination not as isolated events. I. Resistance to Change II. Systems of Oppression III. A Sense of Privilege and Entitlement †¢Cultural Proficiency is . . . – An approach for surfacing educatorsâ€℠¢ assumptions and values that undermine the success of some student groups – A lens for examining how we include and honour the cultures and learning needs of all students in the educational process.

Patronage During the Italian Renaissance

Introduction: Imagine being an artist in Florence during the 1400-1500’s. The city would be a lively place bursting with numerous aspiring artists. Of the young men learning their trade as best as possible, most will not achieve centuries of notoriety. The ones that do earn the honor of being remembered today all had a common theme; wealthy patrons, including wealthy individuals, guilds and the church. Throughout the Italian Renaissance, the artists who achieved the most success were the artists who acquired the most notable patrons.Probably the most famous of these patrons were the Medici’s and, like other patrons, they were rich and powerful. The power did not always come directly from running the government, but because they had enough financial influence over the people in the Florentine government they indirectly influenced how the area was run. This influence means they had connections with the most important people of their day, important people who would also cr eate commissions for the artists. Powerful families were not only financially secure, but had excess money to spend on expensive items such as bronze sculptures.For the patrons it was all about showing off what they could afford to other wealthy families. Wealthy families influenced the arts because they wanted to show off, it was politically wise, and they actually appreciated the arts. These reasons lead to a profound impact upon the patron-artist relationship and the art produced during the Italian Renaissance period. Patronage To Flaunt The Medici’s were a highly affluent family and they desired to show off their excess wealth. Basically, they wanted to flaunt their wealth.Once the more expensive things in life, such fancy clothes are bought and a fancy party provided for all the friends, what else is there to do with such an excess of money? Becoming a patron of the arts was not always in association with a love of art, but because the people who could afford it wanted t o show off their wealth and prestige. One of the very best ways to do this was to purchase extravagant and expensive artwork, because it is long lasting and highly visual. One example of prestige is the tabernacle for the Church of the Annunziara in Florence.It was commissioned by Piero d’Medici and the inscription states that the marble alone costs 4000 florins. (Burke, p 98) Another proof this reason for patronage was so common is the statement, â€Å"the majority of the types of commission just referred to were determined by the taste and outlook of the upper middle class. † (Antal, p134) Many other sources assert the same exact thing. Most commissions were done according to the taste of the upper middle class because they were the people competing with one another to have the most extraordinary art.It is easy to invite people over and show the art to them or conveniently place artworks in public places to feature to clients and coworkers. This is a social practice widely used today and was in no way different during the Italian Renaissance. Political Scheming A wealthy person might support the arts based on politic scheming. If the wealth holder is a patron of the arts, then it shows he respects the talents of other men and is willing to support those other men. To quote Machiavelli, â€Å"A prince ought to show himself a lover of ability, giving employment to able men and honoring those who excel in a particular field. (Burke, p99) For someone with political aspirations, living this type of life would prove to political supporters how aware he or she is of other people’s abilities. And when someone supports those abilities as just a regular member of society, that support will likely increase as the person rises in power and wealth. The Medici’s exemplified this by the amount of art they increasingly commissioned as they increased in wealth and climbed their way to control over Florence. An example of political scheming is Bot ticelli’s Adoration of the Magi.It was commissioned by Guasparre di Zanobi del Lama, to be an alter piece for a chapel in the Santa Maria Novella. Traditionally, paintings of the magi are painted to pay religious homage to Christ, and the Magi who travelled to see him. In this particular version, Botticelli paints likenesses of the Medici into the people including depicting Cosimo de’Medici as the Magi kneeling before Jesus. It is believed that the he painted such a powerful family into the painting because of his patron’s desires. Guasparre del Lama wanted the Medici painted as the prominent characters to show his respect for the powerful family.People rarely show such a public display of adoration for a politically powerful family without having personal, underlying political motives. Ultimately, this man used his influence on the arts as a method of getting attention from the Medici family. (â€Å"Analysis: Botticelli’s â€Å"Adoration of the Magiâ⠂¬ Ã¢â‚¬  2010) Positive Patron-Artist Relationships When the artists developed a positive relationship with the patron, it proved highly beneficial for the individual artists. These benefits were primarily financial, including the potential for more work from the same patron.This can be seen many times over, including the example of Raphael with Pope Julius II. If the artist’s work pleased the patron, they would be likely to higher the same artist for more art, which would in turn lead to a stable income for the artist. In order to please the patron, the artist had to follow their specifications. Raphael completed many masterpieces for the Pope, including 3 frescoes in the Vatican. These pieces are proof that in order to please the Pope, Raphael had to incorporate him into the art.One source explained the School of Athens and the Disputa as the earthly and celestial wisdom of Julius II, while the Parnussus shows the beauty of creativity. The Expulsion of Heliodorus from th e Temple symbolizes the expulsion of the French and the subjugation of all the church’s enemies, with Julius II depicted witnessing the scene from his portable throne. In the Uffizi gallery in Florence there is a fresco completed by Raphael, showing the Pope as a resigned, pensive old man instead of a victorious Moses springing to his feet, as Michelangelo portrayed him.What the artist wanted in his paintings was irrelevant compared with the need to please the patron and continue acquiring commissions. (Barnett 2007) Not all artist-patron relationships were entirely business oriented. For proof of this more positive impact, it requires a look at Michelangelo and Lorenzo de’Medici. Unlike Raphael and Pope Julius II, Michelangelo’s relationship with Lorenzo Medici was much deeper. They were as close, if not closer than many fathers and sons.Michelangelo lived with the Medici’s for two years as a teenager because Lorenzo saw his talent and invited him to liv e at the Medici palace and study art while he was there. Lorenzo greatly appreciated his talents and was a constant source of encouragement to the young Michelangelo. There was a tradition in the Medici household, that the most prominent people were allowed to sit down first, and Michelangelo was allowed to sit before Lorenzo’s own son. Michelangelo returned the favor by carving the impressive marble relief, The Battle of the Centaurs for Lorenzo.Because of the bond the two shared, it did not come as a surprise to anyone that he went into a temporary depression upon Lorenzo’s death. Artists developing positive relationships with their patrons that heavily impacted their personal lives as well as their careers were rare for the time, but did occur on occasion and had an extended influence on their entire lives. Networking through Patronage Another major benefit that occurred from pleasing the patron was the networking. When the patron liked an artist, and another wealth y friend wanted to commission a piece of art, they would recommend the artist they liked most.Most often, when the need for an artist was announced, the artists interested would begin pestering the patron. A letter would achieve the pestering if the artist was not currently in the same city. This constant bothering involved the artists convincing their wealthy connections to encourage the patron to select them or reminding the patron of the positives concerning their working relationship. In these cases, the patron would pick the artist based upon their own personal working relationship with the artist.In 1474, news spread in Milan that the Duke wanted a chapel in Pavia to be painted. The duke’s agent is recorded as complaining that all the painters, â€Å"good and bad† were bothering him about becoming the artist for the chapel. (Burke, 101-102) Trouble often arose concerning the contract between the patron and artist over what had to be done, how it was to be done, w hen it would be done and how much it would cost. One well-known example requires looking at Michelangelo’s experiences with Pope Julius II.The strain between the two was constant and caused many complications. In order to get Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel, Julius II had to first convince him to return to Rome. Something Michelangelo did with the assumption that pleasing the Pope would allow him to start working on the tomb again. How they agreed on what exactly was depicted in the Chapel does not have any specific source in the contracts, but most art historians would agree that it was a source of contention initially between the two obstinate men.And as the work progressed, Pope Julius II would show up and create new tension by telling Michelangelo to work faster. Despite the constant struggles, the Sistine Chapel was completed, which is not true for every patron-artist relationship gone south. The relationship between the patron and artist could easily become str ained resulting in frustration, unfinished works and a bad experience. But like the Pope, other wealthy families usually still commissioned paintings and sculptures because they enjoyed owning them. Even if working with an artist could be stressful.Artists would in turn continue to complete works commissioned from frustrating patrons because they provided a continuous livelihood. (King, 2003) Other Patronage Topics Another question brought to mind by the Sistine Chapel is whether great art would exist if the patron was not there to fund the art and to push the artist. Not all patrons were quite as pushy as Pope Julius II, but all patrons had some kind of say in how the paintings and sculptures were created. Proof of this is found in the surviving contracts from this time period.Without these contractual agreements and without the constant bothering from the patrons, many artworks would probably never have been completed. Due to the artist getting distracted by other work or simply n ot being interested in that particular piece anymore. A type of art that has not yet been discussed yet is architecture. Patrons who commissioned buildings were typically guilds or major groups in society, instead of individuals. But these types of patrons also had major influences on the architects. Brunelleschi’s Dome focuses on a major example of how the architects were influential.These guild patrons often helped competitions to decide who got the work instead of just going and picking someone. In the book, Brunelleschi was the main focus, but other people were brought up, such as the people he worked with and competed against. Prestige is the main factor behind competition, and competing against people who are already well known would have been difficult, so for Brunelleschi to compete anyway must have required a high amount of confidence. Especially after the rivalry between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti sparked by the gates of paradise ompetition lead Brunelleschi to focus on architecture instead of goldsmith artwork. Meaning the challenge of capping Santa Maria del Fiore must have appealed to him so greatly; that he did not care whom else he competed against. Its very pleasing that he gets the ultimate victory of the Dome, because that is the main architectural aspect of Florence and the baptistery doors exist in the shadows of his masterpiece. This method of earning a commission fueled rivalries and competition, which added to the competitive nature of art during the Italian Renaissance.This competitive nature in turn created the best work possible from each artist. When recognized for winning a competition, the artist would achieve high levels of fame that could make a career noteworthy. (King, 2000) Conclusion: Those with wealth affect everything because they are the ones with power. Art did not manage to escape that, especially throughout the Italian Renaissance. The motivation for each patron varied from political reasons, to the purpose of per sonal enjoyment, to the desire of flaunting to others.Sometimes their impacts limited the artists, other times they helped the artist become better skilled and more notable. Either way, the relationship between the patrons and the artists heavily influenced the final artistic product. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Burke, Peter. The Italian Renaissance: culture and society in Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. [ 3 ]. Pluribus One Consulting, LLC, â€Å"Analysis: Botticelli’s â€Å"Adoration of the Magi†. † Last modified 2010. Accessed November 16, 2012. ttp://pluribusone. wordpress. com/2010/09 [ 4 ]. Barnett, Peter. iartid, â€Å"Art in History. † Last modified 2007. Accessed November 16, 2012. http://artid. com/members/art_in_history/blog/post/164-famous-patrons-and-their-influence-pope-julius-ii. [ 5 ]. Burke, Peter. The Italian Renaissance : culture and society in Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. [ 6 ]. King, Ross. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling. New York: Walker Publishing Company, Inc. , 2003 [ 7 ]. King, Ross. Brunelleschi's Dome. New York: Penguin Books, 2000.

Influence of “family” in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” Essay

Family in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrates a myriad of roles, influencing Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Victor’s childhood establishes a connection between the reader and Victor, building his character. The monster is influenced by the various episodes with the family of cottagers The recounting of Victor’s childhood coalesce the reader to Victor, conveying his affection for his family. â€Å"No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself†¦it was the secrets if heaven and earth that I desired to learn†(23). This close rapport rationalizes his intense abhorrence for the monster. There is a reciprocated need for support and care between Victor and his family. At the most abject times, nothing â€Å"could have given [him] greater pleasure than the arrival of [his] father†(165), indicating his need for support from his father. Victor’s care for his family has an ever-lasting role in the novel. This is what drives him towards destroying his creation. Finally, upon hearing of the death of William, and subsequent framing of Justine, â€Å"[he] was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried [him] away to a hell of intense tortures such as no language can describe†(74). It was this care for his fami ly, which led him to realize the need for his acknowledgement of the presence of his creation, and bring an end to its being. Analogous to the Frankenstein family’s influence on Victor, the family of cottagers influence the monster. Firstly, the monster aspires to become like them, even though the cottagers live in dismal and appalling conditions, emphasizing on the monsters wretched situation. According to the monster, â€Å"they possessed a delightful house (for such it was in my eyes) and every  luxury†¦and still more, they enjoyed one another’s company and speech†(95,96). This founds a sense of sympathy with the monster, portraying him as callow and innocent. This sympathy is augmented when the monster does not retaliate to Felix’s attacks. â€Å"I could have torn him limb from limb†¦but my heart sank within me†(120). The experiences with the cottagers project the monsters benevolence by conveying his care for them. â€Å"I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained†(96). â€Å"I often took his tools†¦and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days†(96). The incidents with the family sharply comment on mans shallowness. While earlier, others spurned and censured the monster; Delacey, unable to see the monster, accepts him. On hearing part of the monsters situation, he responds by saying that, â€Å"To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate†(118). This emphasises on the point that others did not accept the monster only because of his menacing appearance, and were unwilling to hear him out. While the Frankenstein family establishes a connection between the reader and Victor, fostering feelings of compassion for his conditions, the family of cottagers do the same for the monster. The issues delved into by the families are multitudinous. While the Frankenstein family personifies the weight of keeping acquaintances with loved ones, the family of cottagers expose the shallowness of man, through the incident with Delacey and the monster. This adds a new angle to the novel by inducing sympathy in the reader for the monster. Therefore, family in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein display a large part, both in proliferation of plot as well as theme. Work cited – Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York:Pathfinder, 1973.