Second Treatise Of Government Essays - Rights, Libertarian Theory

Second Treatise Of Government Locke's The Second Treatise of Civil Government: The Significance of Reason The significance of reason is discussed both in John Locke's, The Second Treatise of Civil Government, and in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's, Emile. However, the definitions that both authors give to the word ?reason? vary significantly. I will now attempt to compare the different meanings that each man considered to be the accurate definition of reason. John Locke believed that the state ?all men are naturally in ... is a state of perfect freedom? (122), a state in which they live ?without ... depending upon the will of any other man? (122). It is called the ?the state of nature,? and it is something that is within us at birth. The state of nature is a law made by God, called the Law of Reason. This law gives humankind liberty, freedom, and equality and stresses that no man ?ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions? (123). According to Locke, the law of reason is the basis of man as well as society. It restrains men from infringing on the rights of others. In this state, there is no need for a central authority figure to govern the actions of people, for it is the people, themselves, who impose the ?peace and preservation of mankind? (124). One can have perfect freedom as long as one does not disturb others in their state of nature; in this ?state of perfect equality ... there is no superiority or jurisdiction of one over another? (124). Men, thereby, have the power to ?preserve the innocent and restrain offenders? (124) and punish those who transgress against them and disturb their ?state of nature.? Thus, all men are their own ?executioner[s] in the law of nature,? or the Law of Reason. While all men are in charge of their own will according to the Law of Reason in which they are born, some men do, in fact, break or reject this law, which causes them to enter into a state of war with the others. People reject the law of nature for many reasons, especially when their ideas and opinions differ. When people reject the law, two things can happen; the first is that one could enter into a state of war with someone else, and the other is that one could choose to enter into a state of society. It is reason that ultimately leads a person into the state of society through a social contract. In these societies, it is reason, the law of nature, which governs mankind. Reason is not flexible because it is God's law and it is set in stone. This reason gives you the social contract, leading to life, liberty, and happiness. To Locke, it is crucial for men to enter into the social contract as soon as possible. Since we are born into the state of nature in which the law of reason governs us, it is easy for us to enter into society when we are young. This is because that very society is based on reason, not upon feelings or intuition. When men leave their state of nature and conform to society and the government, they give up their right to punish others, as they see fit. Instead, the social contract exists to protect people from those who transgress by inflicting due punishment to offenders through the force of the government. Since every person mutually agrees to live amongst the rules of the contract, it protects the good of the majority. The government thus works to benefit the good of the people. The best kinds of government, Locke believed, are absolute monarchies, because they don't take their citizens out of the state of nature. Societies, in fact, are in a form of the state of nature, themselves, so people don't have to give up their ?rights? to reason by entering into the social contract. Reason still exists where conformity flourishes. It doesn't diminish but is actually enhanced by the merging of natural law (fundamental law) and positive law (the law of the majority of others). John Locke believed that conformity is what enhances society. His ideal was for everyone to be fully integrated into the social contract.

Propaganda in Foreign Policy essays

Propaganda in Foreign Policy essays Propaganda is a major political tool used by the United States, especially in its foreign policy. Politics on a global scale can be defined as the competition, which occurs among nations, due to the scarcity of the worlds resources. The political agenda of a nations foreign policy governs which resources for which it will compete through various political means. Propaganda, as a tool to advance ones political agenda, is the filtering and manipulation of information to guide a populaces decision making ability towards the propogandizers proposed end. The people are not exposed to all the information and therefore are not choosing one or the other but between one and one. If a political tool is any means used to gain leverage in a competition, then propaganda as a political tool would create an arena in which a person could only be in support of the propogandizers agenda because they are unaware of the political agenda of the competitor. Immediately after WWII ended, Germany became a potential global resource politically and economically for the allied forces of Germanys occupation, especially the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). For the United States, Germany presented as a potential political ally in Europe as well as a now desperate market for a variety of products, but victory would mean little if political and economic conditions which had spawned the totalitarian of the 1930s remained in existence (Gaddis 2). The U.S. occupation of Germany and foreign policy towards Germany during this time was motivated by both creating a democratic ally in Europe and opening up a new market for its products. US foreign policy also leads to the first Cold-War confrontation between US and the USSR over the resource of Germany (Hartenian). In addition, the US occupation put the US in the perfect position to utilize propaganda as its main political tool to ...

Mediation process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mediation process - Essay Example Mediation, however, has evolved from its North American origins as an organizational development instrument to international use as an alternative dispute resolution method as it offers a less-costly alternative to court proceedings. The increasing complexity of the mediation process is compounded by the fact that parties involved even the mediator can come from different cultures. Avruch and Black (1993) notes that most cases of mediation processes has the mediator failing in considering cultural differences as they are inclined to adhere to the supposed notion that there are universally acceptable models of mediation. The pervading view among mediator scholars is that there is a tendency to adapt a superficial view of culture as behavioral stereotype wherein different ethnic groups can be managed with proper etiquette and tolerance. Nonetheless, there is an increasing literature that shows that multiculturalist perspectives have great impact on the mediation process. This paper aims at looking into the incorporation of multiculturalism in the mediation process. I will be looking at how culture can affect the conflict resolution process and identify how multiculturalism can be used in the mediation process.

Controls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Controls - Essay Example There are certain risks, threats and challenges that a company may be faced with and becomes very difficult to evade or run away from( Wilsonart, 2008). This company not being exceptional, there are certain risks or threats that they few may arise if the weight of the boxes are not analyzed and proper results given or tabled. The key threat of this company, which is pegged on the weight of the boxes and a report, is therefore given below. The Weight of the boxes cannot be controlled, as reduction would lead to the production or poor quality products. The set weight of the cereal boxes cannot be controlled even by through packaging as the weight lies within the main commodities and not the boxes. The only reductions can be made is in the weight of the boxes but not the commodity (Munteanu, 2010). This clearly shows that no solution to the company’s threat as the solution lies with them. Actually, it is the duty of the company to increase its sales performance. This will help in bridging the gap that brought about by the weight of the boxes. As it can be seen from the chart or graph, is becomes very difficult to control the weight of the boxes as they run in a set range of units that cannot be altered with and if altered, then the company can experience poor quality goods hence leading to the drastic fall in the company’s performance. The only ways deal with this is to increase the rate of profitability and supplies. With high rate accumulation of profits, the company can fix the problem as a certain amount of profits received will go

Revenue Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Revenue Recognition - Essay Example The proposed standard will definitely be an effective approach for the companies in the post-modern era. The standards would eradicate discrepancies and drawbacks of the current practices of revenue recognition. Revenue is the essential aspect of companies and if the standards are not appropriate and acceptable, then smooth operations of the accounting departments of the companies might get hampered. Through the proposed standard for revenue recognition, a stronger framework aimed at tackling the process of revenue recognition will be developed. The strong framework would assist the companies in effectively handling the various issues related to revenue which will add value towards the accounting measures of the companies in turn. Another advantage that the proposed standard would provide is concerned with the improvement of the factor of comparability of the various practices of revenue recognition throughout the existing several numbers of industries, entities, capital markets and jurisdictions. Finally, the proposed standard will be of extreme help towards the simplification of organizing the financial statements of the companies as this would decrease the enormous amount of requirements like that of the present (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2010). The anticipated reaction from the companies in the United States (US) as against the proposed changes in the standards for revenue recognition will be wide and varied. This is because, on one hand, the ease of the US companies dealing with international trading business would increase, while on the other hand, the companies would have to alter their existing methods of accounting operations involving a huge amount of costs.  Ã‚  

Strategic Analysis Of Ryanair Competitive Advantage Management Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Ryanair Competitive Advantage Management Essay Since its inception in 1985, Ryanair has grown to become the market leading European low-cost airline. This paper is an analysis of the Ryanair case study (OHiggins, 2007) and seeks to evaluate the sustainability of the strategy employed by Ryanair. It also seeks to identify areas for improvement and make recommendations given the available information. It will do this by first discussing the current strategy and performance. An analysis of the environment will then be carried out through a PESTEL analysis to identify the salient influences likely to impact on future strategy and a contextualisation of the aviation industry through the application of Porters five forces. This will be applied to the Ryanair case to see how this might have informed their current business and competitive strategy and their position in the market given the opportunities and threats revealed. The paper will then proceed with an evaluation of stakeholder management as a start point to the evaluation of the sustainability of the current strategy and recommendations on the direction and future strategy the airline might adopt. The conclusion summarises the whole piece. Ryanairs Strategic Posture From the case, it can be seen that Ryanairs corporate strategy is one of growth and expansion and its business strategy through which it seeks to gain competitive advantage is cost leadership. This is reflected in its consideration of the markets it chooses to operate in and its service offering. From the case, it is evident that the targeted market segment consists of European price sensitive customers and Ryanair positioned itself as the cheapest short haul airline. To achieve this, the airline adopted a low-price strategy which is contingent upon maintaining a low cost operation whilst achieving operating efficiency in order to satisfy customers. Ever decreasing costs was Ryanairs mantra (Johnson et al, 2008:699) showing that much focus was given to keeping costs and thus prices low and not necessarily on achieving operational efficiency, a fact confirmed by the results of the poll by TripAdvisor. It is for this reason that Ryanair constantly examined every area of its operations seeking areas to implement cost reductions or eliminations. These initiatives include: the rationalising of its fleet to minimise staff training, aircraft maintenance and fuel costs introducing a web-based self service for passengers for ticketing, check-in and priority boarding purposes to reduce the need for client facing staff and printing costs charging passengers for checked in luggage to encourage travel with fewer bags and improve on speed sticking to point to point (P2P) routes so as to eliminate passenger transfer costs servicing only short-haul routes to reduce the need for value added services to passengers. utilising secondary and regional airports to reduce airport charges. The CEO Michael O Leary also quite frequently vocalised his criticism of airport authorities and other systems especially in areas that would have a negative impact on costs. The airline was also particularly focused on generating ancillary revenues hence its constant seeking of areas to charge its passengers for any value added service like baggage, onboard meals and even for the use of a wheelchair. The policies adopted in this regard are those which had the most impact on their customer service. The underlying premise being that they positioned themselves as offering transportation and customers must bear the cost of any other service they require. The airlines strategic direction includes a mix of market penetration through which it seeks to increase its market share in its existing markets using its low fare offerings and market development by moving into other viable European markets sticking to its policy on P2P routes. Current Performance The evidence of the success of this strategy in its basic form can be seen in the financial results and in the fact that the airline has the highest market share of European low-cost carriers in terms of passenger numbers. (exhibit 2 of the case study) and in their reputation of having the best fares (OHiggins, 2007). Financially, the strategy is clearly working for them. Not only have they increased their revenue, they have also succeeded in reducing their costs thus giving them a higher profit margin year on year. Table 1 in the appendix shows that there was a 28% increase in total operating revenues from Apr 2005 to Mar 2006, however by September 2006 (half of the next fiscal year) the airline had already generated 74% of the full year revenue of the previous year. Table 3 (in the appendix) also shows that their expenses in comparison to total operating revenues also reduced thus resulting in a higher operating profit margin. This is a confirmation that not only were they carrying more passengers, their cost reducing policies were also working for them to improve their profit margin. Exhibit 1c in the case shows that some of these areas include marketing costs/scheduled revenue down by 15%, airport costs for passengers down by 7% and average staff costs down by 5% and from 2005 to 2006. In the same period, passenger numbers had increased by 26%. Ancillary revenues account for approximately 15 to 17% of revenue generated. The profitability ratios for Ryanair (table 2 in the appendix) shows a gradual increase in net operating margin. However, return on total assets and return on shareholders equity (ROE) remained constant. MACRO ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES PESTEL ANALYSIS The following PESTEL analysis identifies the key drivers for change in the macro environmental (external to the industry) factors identified in the case. Each of these macro environmental factors can influence Ryanairs strategy by being either an opportunity (O), a Threat (T) or both (B) and thus the level of success they attain. Political Government support for national carriers (T) Increasing need for security (T) Government policies and regulations e.g. The EU regulation on compensation of inconvenienced customers (T) Economic Market growth especially with expansion of the EU by addition of more countries (O) The volatility of fuel prices and currency exchange rates (B) Socio-Cultural Changes in passenger expectations and attitudes e.g. rising passenger expectations of some form of value added service even with the lowest prices (T) Long security checks and luggage restriction due security concerns leading customers to choose alternate travel methods like trains (T) Technological Technological advancements e.g. more fuel efficient engines with reduced carbon emissions.(B) Environmental Pollution issues e.g. concerns on greenhouse gases and carbon emissions and their impact on the environment (B) Energy consumption concerns (B) Legal Labour laws in differing countries affecting things like uniformity of employee contracts (T) Specific country legislations e.g. preferential airport rights for some carriers like Air France and the French airports.(T) Stringent health and safety regulations (T) MICRO ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES (INDUSTRY ANALYSIS) PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS This analysis will look at the overall competitiveness of the industry citing examples from the case for clarity. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Fuel: There are quite a number of aviation fuel suppliers however given the volatility in fuel prices, strong relationships need to be built in order to maximise the value of hedging contracts thus making supplier power high. Ryanairs fuel cost was 37% of its operating costs in 2006, 8% more than in 2005 (OHiggins, 2007). The airline will have to hedge their fuel costs. This requires experience and knowledge (OHiggins, 2007). Aircraft: Power is also high here due to high switching costs there being only 2 dominant players Boeing and Airbus. The capital requirements are also high in aircraft acquisition. Ryanairs fleet commonality policy to use only Boeing 737 planes might give them a cost advantage but it gives Boeing high power over Ryanair. Since pilots and cabin crew are all trained based on Boeing aircraft, switching costs for Ryanair to use Airbus or any other aircraft manufacturer are very high as staff would have to be trained again. Bargaining Power of Buyers This is relatively high due to low switching costs as price is the major driver and customers can easily switch to another low-fare airline. Threat of New Entrants Large initial capital investment in aircrafts is the main barrier in this industry. Unit costs for new entrants will be higher than for established airlines because of experience curve effects (Johnson et al, 2008), not only in terms of investment in non-current assets, but also the services provided by aircrafts suppliers. Other threats to new entrants include plans to tax aviation fuel within the EU by 2010, the proposed emissions trading scheme and legislation on customer compensation with a delay or cancellation of a flight. Experience curve effects give Ryanair cost advantage over any new entrants due to established relationships and existing contracts e.g. Ryanair and Boeing. Threat of Substitute Products Trains are an alternative means of transportation. This is especially critical to the short-haul and low fare airlines because evolutionary train technology is continually making train travel faster and more comfortable, and its price/performance ratio (Johnson et al, 2008) are perceived to be higher. Competitive Rivalry The case posits that the budget or low- cost airline segment is attractive based on the large number of entrants and rivals. However, of note is that as many as 50 went bankrupt indicating that getting in is easier than staying in. This indicates that competitive rivalry is extremely high and survival and profitability is based on establishing competitive advantage over rivals (MBA SAB Course Outline). The strategic groups map below illustrates Ryanairs positioning in the market based on competitive strategy. Low cost/No frills Mid Market/ Hybrid Full Service Within the strategic group, airlines which do low-cost and no frills are competing with each other. Mobility for airlines to move between groups is low. Therefore, competitive rivalry should be considered within this context. Large number of new entrants and rivals in this industry, with Ryanair and EasyJet having 55.8% market share. Competition among the other low-fare airlines could be intense due to similar size (OHiggins, 2007), but there is difficulty challenging these big two. Lack of significant differentiation between low-fare airlines, and business mode can be learnt and copied easily resulting in high pressure on price competition, which in turn constrains profitability (Johnson et al, 2008). Negotiations to maximise the benefits of the fuel price hedging will require lots of experience. The airline which is better able to hedge its fuel price will gain competitive advantage over the others in this regard. STAKEHOLDER EXPERIENCE WITH RYANAIR Consumers The results of the 2004 poll by Trip Advisor showed Ryanair was voted the worlds least favourite airline by customers. The lowest votes were in service quality specifically,, complains against Ryanair ranys in flight time and poor leg roomlegrom, Johnson et al, 2008. Otherm consumers about the airlude:wcurity, poor luggageowever scored well onRyanair was scored as the best fares. airline. Shareholders Generally, Ryanair has a lower price to earnings ratio than its peers like Easyjet. This can be seen in the fact that ROE remained fairly constant. There is however no information in the case on if Ryanair kept to its promise to remedy the situation of failing to distribute a huge cash pile to investors.own Employees They had several unsettled industrial disputes with their employees. Their employees were not allowed to have unions to represent their interest. There were complaints of staff been bullied to sign contracts against their will and there were legal actions against Ryanair for employee contract misconducts. There were complaints of poor pay and working conditions from employees. All this despite the airlines claim that their average pay was higher than any other major European airline. Media The press criticized the airline for excessive insurance charges, poor treatment of customers whose flights were cancelled, obsessive focus on price and profit with disregard to customer service. Chief of these was on, itstreatment of physically challenged passengers and charges instituted for facilities (wheelchairs) taken on board by them.for p Governments and Regulatory Bodies Ryanair had ongoing verbal battles and pending litigations with regulatory authorities. The Norwegian Consumer Protection authority had fined Ryanair sixty four thousand Euros for charging customers excessive administration fees for handling ticket cancellations. The CEO Michael OLeary had certainly put himself in the bad books of several EU commissioners who thought him arrogant, abrasive and irritating. EVALUATION: THE SUSTAINABILITY OF RYANAIRS STRATEGY team we think that the stra the short and long term and long term areis quite re will always be that segment of customers that will seek the lowest priced offerings. However, there is nd it also has a much scopeforof flexibility and agility to rious areas of the macrond micro environmentmicroenvironment especially in light of the cnstantly cons of customers. The implication of the current strategyies is quite evident in the case study, which reflect that even though thacro factors were least favourable for the company, it still however company performed performed beyond the expectations of the sharer profits. One of the key strengths of the company was in the appointment of CEO Michael OLeary as CEO., whplayed a vital role not only in understanding the dynamics of of the lines industrybut also ensured implementation of the strategy and ensuing ed key stra the company efectively. However, even though there was an indication that he was prepared to leave in 2008, there is no evidence in the case to suggest the grooming o an equally capable successor to take Ryanair to the next level.Indis should be an area of serious consideration. The sustainability of the strategy in terms of low prices is quite obvious. However, innovation and agility is very important for the rom fe as other firms may try to capture the market by adopting the same low price strategy but adding with some degree of dentiation to improve on customer satisfaction. It can be seen in the case study that the Ryanair approach is not customer centric., This is a potential thret in the future given that customers are becoming more demanding in their expectations from service providers.which can be considered as the public image of the company. Due to this over period company may lose the image in public. RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations are based on the key opportunities and threats identified in the macro environment and the issues identified with its stakeholder management and the suggestions on enhancing the sustainability of its strategy. Ryanair should continue with its growth and expansion strategy due to the market growth. The 30 aircrafts to be delivered from September 2006 is a great start to this. It should also continue with its market expansion as EU member states increase and stick to its point-to-point strategy. If fuel prices continue to rise, Ryanair should adopt charging a reasonable surcharge in order to offset some of the expense especially is all the other airlines are doing this. Fuel surcharges are becoming widely accepted by customers who are aware of the volatility of its prices and how it affects airlines. The term reasonable is used as they need to do this whilst still offering the lowest prices available for passengers. They could also carry out Public enlightenment campaigns to inform stakeholders of their challenges with airport, fuel and other charges to gain sympathy. Continue with the acquisition of new fuel efficient and environmental friendly aircrafts which will in the long run reduce their liability on the soon to be proposed emissions bill. It will also improve on their public image with regards to CSR issues. Continue to challenge unreasonable taxes levied by Governments but in a more consultative manner. Reduce its focus on generating ancillary revenue but instead focus on costless or low cost initiatives to improve customer perceptions and thus satisfaction. In this regard the airline should also segment the identified opportunities to generate ancillary revenues and assess the long term impact on the company e.g. not charging wheelchair passengers for the use of their wheelchairs could have been used to improve the image of the company in terms of customer care Improve their relationship with employees and employment conditions (pay, benefits and cut down restrictions) to reduce staff turnover which will further reduce staff costs in the long run. Assign resources to improve their public and brand image, this can be outsourced to professionals. Engage in cheap advertisement like providing promotional tickets for Journalists and regulatory bodies to see the improvement in their operations. This will improve both their brand and public image. Perhaps the biggest recommendation is in the grooming of and eventual appointment of a new CEO with a more charismatic personality than Michael OLeary whose first priority would be the settlement of outstanding litigation and improving the airlines relationship with stakeholders. One whose outlook is that outright confrontation is not the only way to manage expected or required change. Conclusion According to Grant (2010), on performance diagnosis: if profit performance is unsatisfactory then there is a need to identify the sources of poor performance in order to take corrective action. However, with the Ryanair case, it is obvious that there is satisfactory profit performance and this may lead to a form of inertia with regards to addressing other issues which in the long run could lead to losses. Ryanair will have to look into the future identifying factors that would threaten its performance or could even create opportunities for increased profit. According to Grant (2010:49), there is a need to look into the ultimate drivers of profitability and to ask pertinent questions: What will be happening in the industry in terms of competition and customer demand? Which companies will possess the capabilities needed to establish competitive advantage in tomorrows markets? Grant (2010:65) also posits that the prerequisite for profit is the creation of value for the customer. We have been limited in the case due to a lack of information on whether or not Ryanair uses a balanced scorecard to set and evaluate performance targets as the 4 elements of the balanced scorecard will ensure that they have a well rounded implementation of their strategy in every area of their business and would also establish targets and provide a mode of evaluation consistent with their strategy. This would tie in current policies and all recommendations made into one cohesive document for the company. Appendix Table : Revenue comparison for Ryanair 2005 to 2006 Currency is Euros Half-year to 30 Sept. 2006 Proportion of Half year to Full year Full year to 31 Mar 2006 Growth or Decline vly Full year to 31 Mar 2005 Operating revenues Scheduled revenues 1,092,102 76% 1,433,377 27% 1,128,116 Ancillary revenues 164,321 63% 259,153 36% 190,921 Total operating revenues 1,256,423 74% 1,692,530 28% 1,319,037 Source: Johnson et al, 2008 p. 696 Table : Profitability Ratios for Ryanair Column1 Half-year to 30 Sep. 2006 Full year to 31 Mar 2006 Full year to 31 Mar 2005 Profitability Ratios Net Operating Margin 26% 18% 21% Return on Total Assets 7% 7% 7% Return on Equity 14% 15% 16% Formulae Used: Proportion of half year to full year (%) = x 100 Growth or Decline vly = x 100 Net Operating Margin(%) = x 100 Return on Total Assets (%) = x 100 Return on Equity (%) = x 100 Table : Common-size statement analysis for Ryanair expenses 2005 2006 Currency is Euros Half-year to 30 Sep. 06 Expense as % of Revenue Full year to 31 Mar.06 Expense as % of Revenue Full year to 31 Mar.05 Expense as % of Revenue Total operating revenues 1,256,423 1,692,530 1,319,037 Operating expenses Staff costs 113,844 9% 171,412 10% 141,673 11% Depreciation 71,622 6% 124,405 7% 110,357 8% Fuel and oil 337,042 27% 462,466 27% 265,276 20% Maintenance, materials and repairs 21,313 2% 37,417 2% 26,280 2% Marketing and distribution costs 11,608 1% 13,912 1% 19,622 1% Aircraft rentals 25,394 2% 47,376 3% 21,546 2% Route charges 98,384 8% 164,577 10% 135,672 10% Airport and handling charges 139,097 11% 216,301 13% 178,384 14% Other 52,312 4% 79,618 5% 79,489 6% Total operating expenses 870,616 69% 1,317,484 78% 978,299 74% Operating profit -continuing operations 385,807 31% 375,046 22% 340,738 26% Source: Johnson et al, 2008 p.696

The Infinity Mirror :: The Infinity Mirror

The Infinity Mirror    "Tularecito" is a myth about truth. Tularicito, just a character of that myth, is the focus for this glossed over fable. Steinbeck draws on this form of genre to present the idea that we are all a part of what happens to others, based upon our nature.    The image presented of Tularecito is that of a demon, an idiot savant, a boy with a gift from God, and that gift's cost. He is a freak, a dangerous misfit, an innocent who does not need the constraints of reality. Tularecito is a test. The test is one of moral caliber. It is a test of the souls of the characters who overshadaow Tularecito.    Pancho is a man that is both holy and sinful. His purfunctory act of church going becomes true belief as alcohol demons induce him to halucinate a deformed boy into an outcast from hell. He looks into his mirror and sees himself, becomes shaken, reforms.    From Pancho's employer, Franklin Gomez, we get a cold hard look into society. We see a mother, knowing her son is to be hated and feared, and perhaps possibly killed, cannot face killing her son with her bare hands. She leaves the killing to exposure to the elements, enying herself a look into Tularecito.    Franklin adopts Pancho's demon, and Tularecito transforms into a disadvantaged who has been gifted with talent. Tularecito becomes a man at the age of six, "The boy grew rapidly, but after the fifth year his brain did not grow any more," To Franklin, Tularecito is grace, and graceless. He is talented in all things of any physical strength, and well proficient in the creation of beauty, and an artist in the care for life of nature. The touch of Tularecito brings beauty, and life, and love to the world, until he becomes enraged, (should anyone endanger what came from the touch of his hand). Franklin looked into   Tularecito's mirror and saw what Tularecito was.

Unfair Public School Funding

Eryka English 102 Research Paper Public School Funding: Closing the Education Gap In America we have spent billions of dollars on public school funding in hopes of educating the youth that will one day run the country. Without a solid foundation for the next generation to succeed, America will not be able to continue to improve and move forward. But if the education of our children is such an importance; why are we not giving every public school the right amount of funding to succeed? Just as there is an unequal opportunity in the work force; it also happens in the public school system.Schools that perform better are given more funding than schools that are not. Public school funding in America should not be determined by the academic achievement of a school, but should all receive the same amount of funding. Although many Americans would agree that the education of their children is a top priority, not many of them would know how funding is distributed throughout the country. It is the general idea that students do better in a well-funded school and that the public schools should all provide the same opportunity for every student to succeed.But if the belief is all public schools are the same then why are there private schools? And why do many parents decided to move and live in an area that as a great school system. There is no secret that some schools are better than others; it’s the point in which how the schools are able to become â€Å"better† than other public schools that’s the problem. Nearly half of the funding for public schools is provided from local taxes in the community the school is located in. Which means that funding for public schools varies across the country between the wealthy and poorer communities in America.At both the state and federal level there have been efforts to change the deficit the schools lack compared to others, but the idea has been taken negatively by the wealthy and powerful to choose how their school community functions. Others would argue that more money given to the schools will not improve the education of students; that individual success depends on the student and not the resources that are available to them. Such as Eric Hanushek, an academic reviewer wrote: â€Å"Detailed research spanning two decades and performance in many different educational settings provides strong onsistent evidence that expenditures are not systematically related to student achievement† (Hanushek 49) This claim has been a factor to the driving force that money can only go so far in a student’s educational life. But it has also been contradicted by academic researchers of public school funding by Rob Greenwald, Larry Hedges, and Richard Laine wrote: â€Å"school resources are systematically related to student achievement and that those relations are large [and] educationally important. (Greenwald et al. 384) With such a controversial topic, which one should we believe?How can we pos sible know for sure more money given to schools is the best option to improve the education our students receive from the government? And why should we change the way wealthy community schools are run when they are already successful in their academic achievements? How large is the difference in the amount of funding that each public school receives? Public school funding comes from federal state, and local sources, which nearly half of those funds are from local property taxes(National Center for Education Statistics).Because of the local property taxes from the community this is where the uneven funding for public schools start that makes a difference from the wealthy and impoverished communities. For example in 1998, New Jersey had an annual funding rate per student of $8,801, while Utah had a yearly rate of $3,804 per student(National Center for Education Statistics). Just from these numbers it shows that students from New Jersey where given twice the level of education than tho se students in Utah. While America funds its schools by the local wealth of the communities, we are the only country that does that.This type of funding system makes a huge difference in the quality of school building, faculty, equipment, class sizes, and technology resources for a student’s education. In other countries public schools are funded through state taxes and the communities. But what makes other countries educational system different than our own is each school gets the same amount of funding needed to run the school. As Robert Slavin a psychologist focusing on community and education said: â€Å"the U. S. is the only nation to fund elementary and secondary education based on local wealth.Other developed countries either equalize funding or provide extra funding for individuals or groups felt to need it. In the Netherlands, for example, national funding is provided to all schools based on the number of pupils enrolled, but for every guilder allocated to a middle- class Dutch child, 1. 25 guilders are allocated for a lower-class child and 1. 9 guilders for a minority child, exactly the opposite of the situation in the U. S. where lower-class and minority children typically receive less than middle-class white children. Slavin 520)† Poorer and minority students face more difficulties in their life as they are more prone to experience more difficulties in the family. But also these students are also forced to go to school at poorly funded schools. There is often commonly a language boundary that keeps many of the children from having a proper education in a school system. Teachers that are starting out in their educational career are sent to schools that are having a hard time developing their students into academic achievers.Schools in poorer communities are in need of more experienced teachers, but there is not enough money to recruit a quality teacher that has not already been recruited to teach at a higher paying and more academically achieving job and environment. Teachers are a learning tool that helps the students get to where they can be successful in life. The quality of materials that students have available to them impact the way they learn and also the pace they learn. With little funding students are left to work without dated technology and second hand books.The effect of outdated technology can be an intimidation for a student to not continue onto college. Many students feel as though schools did not prepare them for an institution that has technology far beyond than what they know how to use. On the other side of the argument, students are given their own choice to either achieve or fail in their education. In other words, success and failure results from individual effort and not a group interaction of the student by the community the student lives in. Even if less funded schools are given more money; more than half of adults say that poverty is a personal problem (Smith).The community that the scho ol was built into has already set the standard of the school. Depending on the community influences the child is more likely to follow into the footsteps of their parents. If the parents are mechanics and the child follows in their footsteps, does that make them a failure if the student does not go on to be a doctor or an over achiever? The effects of the community on a child can change the way education is viewed in the family and home. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, politician and sociologist, argues that minorities are disadvantaged because of the â€Å"social traditions† of the minority communities().Which means that students have the ability to learn but the social culture in their communities hinder them to take their education seriously unless their family does. This belief that students come from impoverished homes lack the support system to benefit from a quality education drives the idea that there is no need for more funding. Even though there are outrageous numbers that can be easily equaled out for all students. America has focused on the idea to invest in the students that have a more promising future in the long run. Why would we waste money that will become a gamble, and we will not know if the outcome will be positive or not.The wealthy communities have been able to produce those students that have continued to succeed. The states believe that if they reward those schools that are producing results then it will give the other schools incentive to achieve to retrieve more money for the state. But how can a school be able to climb its way to the top if it’s stuck in the bottom, working with the resources that it already has. The biggest survey done on the relationship of the amount of funding and the impact of students’ education was called The Coleman Report.The report was a study that randomly selected thousands of students from all over the nation and tried to connect the issue of money and education. From the report it was lin ked that students’ home background and peer groups were a major part of achievement, but the quality of the school had little to no impact on their education. Which researchers wrote: â€Å"Schools bring little influence to near on a child’s achievement that is independent of his background and general social context† (Cain 325). Schools that are also well funded are able to get familiarized with the current technology that is popular in today’s life.From the advantage of having the practice with technology has already put themselves ahead of others who have not gotten the chance to learn that kind of technology. Students who are not able to access technology are behind to those who have and will lack in their technology skills in college. Being updated with the latest technology helps students want to continue in into college to learn more new things. The quality of materials that students have available to them impact the way they learn and also the pac e they learn. With little funding students are left to work without dated technology and second hand books.The effect of outdated technology can be an intimidation for a student to not continue onto college. Many students feel as though schools did not prepare them for an institution that has technology far beyond than what they know how to use. Without confidence in the education that they have received, students are hesitant to ask for help and get the help that they need to succeed into a higher education level. If the materials the schools are using are outdated and not taken care of, then the students will also return the same respect to the books in the condition that they are in.Schools no longer become a place for opportunity, but a place where students are required to attend with old material, that will not get any better as the years go on. The quality of the materials the students are given the more respect and effort they will give to the course material. If American is able to provide the entire students with the equal opportunity to succeed then there would be more achievements in the nation, but also a higher achievement in the country. There needs to be more awareness of the effect that funding in public schools has on the students.Statistics in the nation vary from state to state, but with the same amount of material for each student. Most Americans say they support equal funding for public schools, but they are not willing to take the necessary steps to improve and provide equal funding for all the schools across the country. Some reasons why wealthy people and communities do not to anything about unequal funding is because of: not even admitting that there is a funding difference, to keep personal taxes low, and the thought that poverty is brought onto the person instead of trying to better themselves through their education.It is better to keep the money going to the schools that continue to have academic success with their students. Studie s indicate that the level of student advantage within the home or community matters a lot to the outcome of the student’s education. But also that funding will help the student be more educated and motivated to go onto college. Greater one on one time with a teacher will help the student learn more material. Two main aspects that have been tied to higher levels of student achievement: stronger teacher qualifications, and smaller class sizes in the early grades.Getting the bases of an early education but also a quality education helps the student in the long run to adapt to the education system in a positive environment. The achievements of disadvantaged students in poorer communities are more likely to suffer America’s public school system because of two main reasons: those students are more likely to attend poorly funded schools, and they are more likely to be hurt by lack of academic resources when there is not enough funding that the school needs.Legal and political efforts to improve funding have not been very successful at the federal level, but a lot of activity has been present in the state courts and there is a realization to increase school funding. The future effects have increased in state funds for poorly-funded districts while leaving funding for rich, suburban districts up to the communities to continue with their educational support. We have concluded that well-funded schools are able to obtain higher educated teachers that continue to increase the school progression.In addition to better funded schools, schools are able to reduce the class sizes which will improve the students learning to be more focused and engaged in the classroom. Which is a huge advantage because a main problem in low funded schools, is that there is so many students in one room that a single teacher is not able to guarantee that that material is being understood from every student. Resources Cain, G. G. & Watts, H. W. (1970). Problems in making policy inferen ces from the Coleman Report. American Sociological Review, 35(2), 228-242.Hanushek, E. A. (1989). The impact of differential expenditures on school performance. Educational Researcher, 18(4), 45-65. Kluegel, J. R. & Smith, E. R. (1986). Beliefs about inequality: Americans' view of what is and what ought to be. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Greenwald, R. , Hedges, L. V. , ; Laine, R. D. (1996). The effect of school resources on school achievement. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 361-396. Moynihan, D. P. (Ed. ). (1969). On understanding poverty: Perspectives from the social sciences.New York: Basic Books. National Center for Education Statistics (2000a). Common core of data for school years 1993/94 through 1997/98 (a compact disk). Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics (2000b). The condition of education 2000. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U. S. Dep artment of Education. Slavin, R. E. (1999). How can funding equity ensure enhanced achievement? Journal of Education

Human factors in the Space industry Essay

Abstract The world is in transition from Information Age to Space Age. This can be assumed by observing trends particularly those initiated by developed countries such as the US, Russia, China, Japan and the members of the European Union. The robots are programmed to be more precise in its actions compared to humans but with the humans’ capability to judge and make decisions according to unexpected circumstances, the latter are still considered a better option for space explorations. This necessitates the study for Human Factors. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the Human Factors that are associated with the Space Industry. such knowledge would give the reader an idea on the Human limitations that must be considered and which could be very critical in space explorations. Without proper consideration, space explorations would be unsuccessful and the transition to Space Age would never ascend from the state of being imaginary, to reality. Consideration of Human Factors Towards the Space Age Humanity is now in the so-called Information age when time is fast-paced and access to information can be as fast, easy and unlimited as the trend for telecommunication and global integration continue to show prospects of expansion. The prospects of expansion, however, is not limited to the â€Å"global†. Current research shows that the trend is gradually opening its way to the rudiments of transition from the Information age to the Space age. Developed countries such as the US, Russia, Japan, China, India, the members of the EU and its industries are starting to involve themselves with the space and satellite industry, spending significant amounts of their budgets to further research, interest and opportunities for the said industry (Partners in Space, 2005). According to the Sacknoff in the 2005 Report on the State of the Space Industry by the International Space Business Council, there had been a total of $103 billion turnover from commercial and government services and programs in 2004. This turnover is expected to increase to at least $158 billion in 2010. Meanwhile, the US Defense has increased its spending for Space-related investments from $15 billion in 2000 to $22 billion in 2005. It is expected to further increase to at least $28 billion in 2010. There has also been a continuous increase in the market for satellite service particularly that of GPS positioning and tracking which could lead to the development of space tourism. According to NASDAQ, the space industry is currently one of the most innovative growth sectors in the world today (Sacknoff, 2005). At present, the US President, George W. Bush has made a proclamation about his â€Å"New Space† vision that could be a challenging turning point for the space industry. The aim of this vision is to be able to return to the moon by the end of the decade and to be able to fly to Mars immediately in the following decade (President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program, 2004). Robots vs. Humans However, in order to become successful in such endeavors, the departments in charge of the development must recognize and consider certain factors that are critical to the future of the industry. There is a huge debate on whether there is a need to send humans in space, when there would always be robots to take their place. Those for robots argue that it would limit the risks of â€Å"needless human sacrifices† in case unexpected circumstances arise. However, the NASA argues that while in fact, robots are very useful in space explorations and gathering research data, the needed knowledge about space would never be near complete without human’s ingenuity and physical experience (The Human Advantage, 2003). Applied to the current objective of the â€Å"New Space† vision as well as the objectives of the previous explorations, there are still a lot of things that even robots, and only humans, with their minds, can do. Robots, for example cannot deal with unexpected things while humans can think of creative ways to solve unexpected problems such as equipment breakdown (The Human Advantage, 2003). Installations, upgrades and detailed work in space can only be done with the finesse of human operators. While it can be tested by robots, prospects such as possible life in other planets can only be guaranteed by human exploration.

A trip through panama. A travel description.

A trip through panama. A travel description. Day 1:We arrived at Omar Torrijos airport via American Airlines early in the afternoon. We purchased our required tourist cards (3 balboas, as US dollars are called in Panama) at the airport, then caught a taxi for the 18 mile ride to our downtown hotel. The ride in the battered, un-airconditioned car was rather expensive (30 balboas), but the driver spoke English and was very friendly. We arrived at the hotel and checked in. While my dad was checking in I bought a guidebook in the hotel lobby and read up on the history of Panama City. The original city was founded in 1519 by Pedro Arias Davila, known as Pedrarias the Cruel, because of his eradication of all but three of the local Indian tribes during his tenure in Panama. Davila used the city as a place to store Incan gold before it was shipped to Spain.Omar Torrijos Mausoleum in Amador, Panama City, in...The original city was sacked and burned in 1671 by a group of buccaneers led by Henry Morgan. The city was rebuilt within a year, this time on a peninsula 18 miles away and surrounded by a strong wall. This old Spanish city is now the in the middle downtown Panama City.Panama City is an international melting pot and its eating choices range from American fast food to excellent internationall cuisine. Eager to begin our sightseeing, we grabbed lunch at a nearby McDonald's after checking in then caught a bus. The buses in Panama are a tourist attraction in themselves. They are brightly painted, hung with fringe, and have constantly blaring Salsa and Caracas music playing. They are cheap (50 cents a ride). but are very crowded. After asking several drivers "Donde va este autobus?" we finally found one going to the Plaza Independencia. This plaza is the...

English assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assessment - Essay Example cording to Garrison and Ehringhaus, relying on one of the two procedures more may lead to students’ needs becoming unclear since one form of assessment cannot provide a full picture of the situation. Summative assessment is used to evaluate certain students’ needs, and usually has a form of tests, semester exams, end of unit or end of chapter tests, etc. (Gao, 2002). Bloom, Hastings and Madhaus (1971) define summative assessment as evaluation conducted at the ends of certain periods of time in order to judge the sufficiency of students’ knowledge. Such an assessment is to define the final grade of the students, as well as help educators to make corrections and adjustment in the current curriculum, where needed, in order for the learning needs to be met in future. At the same time a summative assessment cannot reflect the efficiency of teaching in its process because assessment is carried out only after the instruction – so any curriculum or methodological improvements can be implemented in future practice only. Therefore, formative assessment is the one to evaluate the process of learning in its process, and, consequently, is a part of the teaching process. Incorporated into the educational process, it is to discover gaps and adjust both teaching and learning processes to the students’ needs immediately in the process of learning. Besides, such an approach enables educators to raise the learning standards (Black & Wiliam, 1998) right in the process of teaching: having evaluated the current needs of each individual student, including those with lower abilities, a teacher can address them immediately. The information provided by formative assessment is to be used for modifying the teaching and learning activities in the classroom in order to get the best possible learning results (Black & William, 1998). This idea is also supported by Fennell & Maccoll (1983), who point out that formative assessment is important and useful for getting feedback on

Educational infosystems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational infosystems - Research Paper Example However, my school district is not ready to meet its responsibilities to comply with the new data reporting demands from both the state and No Child Behind Legislation. It is essential for adult educators to examine the course developments of secondary or high education, in order to identify problems or qualities that are typical of young adults and people. The establishment of adult and youth education can do this by looking at possibilities like, situations, process, and experiences. The software publishers that supply educational systems in the district claim that their products are compliant with SIF (OR SIS), the district has already established that it is not ready to meet its responsibilities to abide by new data reporting demands from NO Child Left Behind legislation. The information student system that exists need replacement and therefore, there is need to evaluate the market software publishers who claims that their products comply with SIF (SIF stands for Schools Interoperability Framework). It is an industry that is concerned with developing an open specification in order to ensure that administrative and instructional applications sof tware works effectively and together. It is not a product but an industry that is supported by K-12 blueprint supported technical software which enables a diverse application to share and interact with data effortlessly, every day and in the future (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). Therefore, in order to determine if the software publishers that supplies educational systems are compliant with SIF, their softwares should be able to define and determine common data formats, as well as high-level rules of architecture and interaction, and not linked with a particular platform or operating system. According to Infed (2007), when educational systems are compliant with SIF, then the information will be transferred, stored, accessed, and updated, thus reducing