Cutting the budget to the education system will do more harm than good Essay

Cutting the budget to the education system will do more harm than good - Essay Example The recent case of the state of California grants insight into the immediate impact of budget cuts on education systems. As of 2009 the California government had enacted budget cuts of about 12 billion, with an additional 1.2 billion proposed (O’Connell). This has led to â€Å"class-size increases in Pasadena† and â€Å"the expected laying off of 2250 teachers,† both linked to lower graduation rates (O’Connell). The consequences, however, reach farther than immediate effects on classroom quality and graduation. Lower education rates seem to lead to lower economic performance. According to Business Weekly, even at current rates decreases in educational performance could lead to a cut of as much as 2% of GDP due to changes in demographics and expected graduation rates (Symonds). With the growth of global markets and the precedence placed on economic performance in the burgeoning economic powerhouses of India and China, for instance, the United States must wo rk harder to compete. Symonds warns of the possibility of â€Å"more US white collar jobs [moving] offshore† as high school graduation rates in the US’ competitors increase. We cannot neglect the other side of the budget cuts.

SLP 2 - HRM 401 SELECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP 2 - HRM 401 SELECTION - Essay Example This is evident in a person’s ability to fit in the position that they are applying for based on their personal attributes and career objectives (Clarke, 1996). The tradeoff between the time taken on the selection process and the cost is the overstretching of the existing workers who must work extra hours to ensure that all the work is done before new employees are recruited to take up those jobs. The company may have to make extra payment to the employees so as to compensate them for the extra work load. There are a number of considerations that the company has to consider in the application process. The candidates are expected to create an online account with the organization through which the can keep track of their applications and other important notifications. Once the application has been received by the organization’s human resource department, the candidates are notified through an automated online acknowledgement system so as to inform them that their applications were well received. The human-resource staff as well as the hiring managers usually narrows down on the list of applicants based on their skills and job histories that are closely consistent with the requirements of the jobs applied for. In cases where they are not sure of the information presented by the applicants in their resume, they can reach them through phone calls or via email. The list of the shortlisted candidates that the team finally emerges with is composed of those whom there are certain bear all the required details of the job. Selection criteria are mainly based on screening of resumes, job applications and biographical information. It is further based on interpersonal skills or team leadership attributes of the candidates and their ability to represent the company’s brand well to the stakeholders. Multinationals such as Coca-Cola that operates in different countries considers

History of American Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of American Economics - Essay Example The US economy has overthrown all other economies since then and is ever-growing with the passage of time. A brief chart is given below for further understanding. Table 1: RAILROAD MILEAGE INCREASE BY GROUPS OF STATES 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 New England 2,507 3,660 4,494 5,982 6,831 Middle States 3,202 6,705 10,964 15,872 21,536 Southern States 2,036 8,838 11,192 14,778 29,209 Western States and Territories 1,276 11,400 24,587 52,589 62,394 Pacific States and Territories 23 1,677 4,080 9,804 TOTAL USA 9,021 30,626 52,914 93,301 129,774 SOURCE: Chauncey M. Depew (ed.), One Hundred Years of American Commerce 1795-1895 p 111 (Source Wikipedia) The independent yeoman farmer continued to exist, particularly in New England and the middle colonies, but most settled land in North America by 1750 was devoted to the cultivation of a cash crop. New England turned its land over to the raising of meat products for export. The middle colonies were the principal producers of grains. By 1700 Philadelphia exported more than 350,000 bushels of wheat and more than 18,000 tons of flour annually. The Southern colonies were, of course, even more closely tied to the cash crop system. South Carolina, aided by British incentives, turned to the production of rice and indigo. North Carolina, although less oriented toward the market economy than South Carolina, was nevertheless one of the principal suppliers of naval stores. Virginia and Maryland steadily increased their economic dependence on tobacco and on the London merchants who purchased that tobacco; and for the most part they ignored those who recommended that they diversify their economie s by turning part of their land over to the cultivation of wheat. Their near-total dependence upon the world tobacco price would ultimately prove disastrous, but for most of the 18th century Virginia and Maryland soil remained productive enough to make a single-crop system reasonably useful. As America evolved from subsistence to commercial agriculture, an influential commercial class increased its power in nearly every colony. Boston was the centre of the merchant elite of New England, who not only dominated economic life but also wielded social and political power as well.. And it is clear that the commercial importance of the colonies was increasing. During the years 1700-10, approximately 265,000 sterling was exported annually to Great Britain from the colonies, with roughly the same amount being imported by the Americans from Great Britain. By the decade 1760-70, that figure had risen to more than 1,000,000 sterling of goods exported annually to Great Britain and 1,760,000 annually imported from Great Britain. (Source Britannica encyclopedia) Situation now days The United States of America holds the honor of world's greatest economic power in terms of gross national product (GNP) and is among the greatest powers in terms of GNP per capita. The nation's wealth is partly a reflection of its rich natural resources. With only 5 percent of the world's population, the United States produces nearly one-fifth of the world's output of coal, copper, and crude petroleum. The agricultural sector produces nearly one-half of the world's corn (maize); nearly one-fifth of its beef, pork, mutton, and lamb; and more than one-tenth of its wheat.

Job search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Job search - Essay Example Further, it is not known when a situation may arise that might bring about the need for extended services beyond the normal routine scheduling, thus requiring that an individual seeking to work as a ground hostess should be flexible and have the ability to work for long hours (Wadhwaney, 2004 p55). Nevertheless, there are several fundamental competencies and attributes are necessary qualifications for the position of a ground hostess. Necessary competencies for a Ground Hostess Pleasing and confident personality Pleasing and confident personality is a fundamental requirement for an individual seeking to work as a ground hostess, considering that it is a position that entails dealing with diverse people directly, and thus there is a need to be able to handle them appropriately, and make them feel comfortable, even when the situation does not speak to the same (Morgan, 2005 p156). Considering that occasional occurrences that may disrupt the travel plans and comfort of the airline trave lers are not inevitable, the pleasant attitude and personality is essential, to give the affected people a reassurance, while also making it possible for those with issues to approach and enquire from the person, since a pleasant personality translates into a welcoming attitude (IGIA, 2013 n.p.). Strong communication skills and command of key languages Communication has always formed the basis of establishing a relationship between individuals, and thus excellent communication skill, coupled with a good command of key languages used in the region is essential, to ensure that there is effective interaction between the ground hostess and the visitors to the airline (Kent, 2002 p27). While the ground hostess is in a position to communicate well with the travelers, then, the person becomes helpful to them, since they will be able to enquire regarding various aspects of their travel, and get helpful information (Canwell & Sutherland, 2003 p53). Further, the ability to communicate efficie ntly with the travelers, and in the language they understand well, forms the basis of visitors achieving a rewarding experience, which may act as the basis of future engagement with the airline (IGIA, 2013 n.p.). Patience While the other attributes are considered essential for the position of a ground hostess, nothing would be more necessary that patience, which is the attribute that allows an individual to keep calm and resilient when handling crisis, without the possibility of escalating the situation (Air hostess, 2012 n.p.). Therefore, patience allows the person working as a ground hostess to address the issues raised by the visitors to the airline amicably, without resulting to unnecessary conflicts with the visitors, even when such visitors could be harsh, rude and condescending (Great Britain, 2012 p41). It is through patience that a person working as a ground hostess will be able to assist, offer guidance and direction to visitors, especially who are first time travelers or those who are new to the airline, and may not understand the necessary procedures. Patience allows the ground hostess

Terrorism and Human Rights in Kenya Dissertation

Terrorism and Human Rights in Kenya - Dissertation Example This not withstanding, terrorism is gradually emerging to be one major setback to the protection of human rights in Kenya. This situation has created a situation that is best described by Karanja (2003) who states that â€Å"The word terrorism sends a cold chill down the spine of every Kenyan.† Indeed as far as terrorism is concerned, one attack is not small enough to be neglected. This is because acts of terrorism come with so much emotional and psychological traumas; not to talk of physical pain and agony, loss of property and most unfortunately death of human beings. Even as these negative effects of terrorism affect humanity and more specifically residents of Kenya, one other area of concern that has gained so much prominence and come to the table of discussion is the issue of human rights of people in Kenya who suffer in the various events of terrorists attacks. In 1956, 1998 and 2002, Kenya suffered various degrees of terrorist bombings of which Kenya suffered catastroph ic effects. Not quite unusual, Kenya responded to these bombings with counter-terrorism. These counter terrorisms however worsened Kenya’s plight: especially that of ordinary citizens as their human right protection and general security came under threat. It is against this background that this research has been set off to investigate the relationship between terrorism and human rights issues in Kenya. It is against this background that this research has been set off to investigate the relationship between terrorism and human rights issues in Kenya. The research proposal shall critically analyze the evolution of human rights in Kenya, history of terrorism in Kenya,

Manila Metropolitan Theater Essay Example for Free

Manila Metropolitan Theater Essay â€Å"Something that possesses true beauty such as The Met will never lose its allure and splendor regardless of age and time.† Anyone who passes by Lawton, Manila in one way or another may have seen the Manila Metropolitan Theater, The Met, or the â€Å"great dame† of theaters as others would call it. It is a structure still noticeable for its grandeur and opulence despite being built in the year 1931. On March 3, 2013, we made our way to Padre Burgos Avenue, Manila, to witness the true magnificence of The Met. The aged Art Deco style building that was designed by Filipino Arch. Juan Arellano came into view and noticeable right away were its pinkish faded walls adorned with cloud engravings, spires, and bronze sculptured deities by the Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo. Capiz and colorful tiles in an ethnic Malayan design are used for lights. And at the center of it entrance sits the stained glass made by Kraut Art Glass, a German company. Inside the lobby, noticeable are the woodcarvings of mangoes, bamboos, bananas and native plants on the walls and ceiling. By the staircase are sculptures of Malakas Maganda and the paintings of Fernando Amorsolo. The proscenium arch is seen by the theater stage in perfect view of the 1670 seats. But what could be the most impressive part is the Grand Ballroom—a striking room that has regal chandeliers, parquet wood flooring and a balcony leading to an open area. Our visit made us realize that during its celebrated days, The Met is home to theatrical performances, operas, musicals and zarzuelas but today, sadly it is left dusty, abandoned with falling debris, rooms filled with flood water or having dilapidated floors, cobwebs and litter. But despite this, its magnificence craves to be revived. It is a treasure waiting to relive its glory and be a testament to the true beauty of Manila.

Adolescence as a stage of life course

Adolescence as a stage of life course This essay will discuss about adolescence as a stage of life course. It will first of all give the definition of adolescent. Utilising the lenses of Psychological, biological and sociological l theories, the essay will examine adolescent in its different facets and the impact on the adolescent. The essay will also demonstrate why adolescence is socially constructed. It will then explore how identities are formed in the process. The essay will look at the confusion in role that adolescents are facing in society. The essay will also discuss about the dynamic of the adolescents relationship with their family members, with their peers and with society as a whole. The essay will underline the importance of having the knowledge and insight of adolescence and the implication for social work practice. Adolescence or in Latin adolescere means to grow into maturity. The Evidences that marque this period are a considerable physiological as well as psychological changes. It is also defined as a time of significant changes; biologically, psychologically and social. These changes have consequently a massive impact on the adolescent`s social insertion. Considering adolescence as a process of growing up, it covers a life span between puberty and maturity. These two adjectives are what determinate the legal age of majority. According to universal definition, the beginning of adolescence is clearly defined by the appearance of the signs of puberty. These signs are triggered by hormones stimulation in the brain. These signs are internal as well as external. This transitional stage is the bridge that connects childhood and adulthood. Therefore teenagers are neither children nor adults. These changes have an impact on their relationships with both parents and peers. It also influences adolescents roles in society. The difficulties that are experienced by adolescents are also the confusion of identity.by definition, identity is a sense of self that develops as the child differentiates from parents and family and takes a place in society. This refers to the sense that adolescents have of who they are and also of what is most important about them. According to Erickson (1963) psychosocial theory, the adolescence life stage covers the period to 13 to 19 years old. He described this stage as fidelity where about the adolescent is experiencing psychosocial crisis. He described the crisis that characterise adolescence as identity versus role confusion. The psychosocial crisis is ` being the identity crisis versus the role confusion. The adolescent will raise concern about his appearance, his position and his role within society. During The transition from childhood to adulthood, the adolescent will also evaluate the role he will be playing in the grown-ups world. The combination of identity and roles for the adolescent is considered according to Hall (1904), as a time of storm and stress. The signs that forecast the storm and stress are mental disorder and challenging behaviour such as delinquency, mood swinging, withdrawalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These changes within the adolescent`s life can also be voice breaking, experience sex arousal, gender-role identity increasing autonomy and responsibilities. Erickson (1963) was in favour that it is natural for human being to pass through a genetically determined sequence of psychosocial stages. Surely the adolescent will experience role confusion, confused ideas and feelings regarding specific ways in which he will fit into society. This experience will be underpinned by a spectrum of behaviour associated with certain activities such as getting closer to particular individual or enjoying doing specific things. The adolescent is hungry for more freedom; consequently parents have to reconsider their attitudes regarding their relationship with the adolescent. Erickson (1963) insisted that only when the adolescent is secured and confident in his own identity, he then can take risks involved in genuine social and sexual intimacy of a lasting kind. He stressed that during the adolescence life stage, the individual will eventually achieve a sense of identity regarding whom he is and where his life is heading to. A successful negotiation of the adolescence passage could prepare the adolescent for adult life by providing him with a sense of identity or in other words the adolescent will gain a sense of ego identity. Also the other facet of adolescent`s life is in later stages of adolescence the individual develops a sense of sexual identity. Erickson stressed that during adolescence, the blending of rapid growth, hormonal changes and a increasing awareness of adult tasks ahead pauses the question of the sameness and continuity. However, the problem in adolescence is the difficulty to establish a meaningful sense of personal identity. Evidence showed that emotional arousals are very intense and volatile during adolescence. The only possible escape route from this trap is risk-taking behaviour. Consequently the adolescent will be confronted by life-determined important question? Who am I and who will I be? The emergence of adult personality, is linked to the ability to choose and being faithful to commitments in role playing within society. He went on by stressing that the adolescent who fails to link identity and role will experience hardship and confusion in his lifespan. He insisted that life stages are punctuated by hardship and crisis. Life will always press demands upon individual, but the adolescent must be able to solve problem in order to successfully make transition between life stages. Hendry and Kloep (1999) were in favour to Erickson`s Psychosocial theory as they stressed that young people, as they grow up, find themselves in the trap of having to respond more and more to society`s demand in a responsible and adult way while being treated as immature and not capable of holding clear opinions on a wide range of social matters. This view demonstrates the difficulty for adolescent to behave like one. He is wanted to respond like an adult, but in the adult`s world he is considered as a child, therefore he is not able to get involve into serious discussions about society`s matters. But it is important to stress that adolescence is determined by an interconnection between physical and psychological development. During this period, new cognitive skills occur. The adolescent is able to reflect upon hypothetical event such as the concept of self and others. This would reshape the relationship between the adolescent and his family member and also with his peers. It important to stress that the quest for identity and the changing nature of relationship are considered as the specific traits of this period. James Marcia (1993), a writer who worked on Erickson`s life stage found four distinct kinds of identity status within adolescence. First of all he mentioned the identity diffusion which is characterised by the lack of commitment and indecision about serious life matters. The second identity status is the identity foreclosure. This one is the status of preliminary commitment and value commitment. It is characterised by the acceptance of other values. In other words, the adolescent is does not question or rebel against adults authorities. The third element that James Marcia (1993) found is the moratorium. He argued that the moratorium is a state of intense identity crisis. This crisis is defined by active interest to great decisions and exploration of opportunities for the future, but not yet concludes in a hard engagement. He went on by concluding that the moratorium status is and uncomfortable situation, because the adolescent may be tempted to avoid by going for the foreclosure. The last observation he made was the discovery of the identity achievement. The individual have overcome the crisis that he was experiencing and has finally decided engage in a concrete commitment. As Erickson would claim, this individual has successfully negotiated the challenge of this stage of life. Piaget`s (1952) work helps understanding the quantitative changes in how the adolescents think about their world. He claimed that adolescence is when children reach the stage of formal operation. He argued that at this stage, children are capable of solving problem as adults. According to his theory; Adolescence is the period when young people gain considerable new changes in their thinking abilities. We all agree that greater maturity emerges in capacities of reasoning and problem-solving. In the case of adolescence, it seems to be a qualitative move in thinking toward the ability to maintain different views simultaneously, considering knowledge and values as more linked than during childhood, and exploring more options and possibilities in their decision-making. On the other hand, these capacities of seeing situation from different perspective enable the adolescent to reflect upon the quality of his relationship with others and how he is treated. However, the probability of the good use of these new capacities depends on the experience, expertise and environmental demands. For Freud psychosexual theory, adolescence is regarded as the final stage of psychosexual development. Adolescence is directly linked to a considerable change in a sexual attitude. The adolescent seems to be directed toward the opposite sex in order to find a partner. Bowlby regarded adolescence as a stage which attachments to parents-figures are loosened. The adolescent will form new adult attachement. Bandura`s social learning stressed that most of human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling: from observing others, one forms an ideas of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. This theory demonstrates that human behaviour is a continuous reciprocal intervention between cognitive, behavioural and environmental influence. In respect of the adolescent`s identity and role, the social learning theory explains that adolescent copies his behaviour from what he has been taught. Also the quality of this relationship with others will depend on the codes received from them and from the environment. Maslow (1970) Humanistic approach in terms of the adolescence stage tends toward the self-actualisation aspect. As the adolescent is preparing to get into adult world, it is important to understand certain prerequisites attached to his status. Self-actualisation is the fact that one make full use of one`s talent and capacities. But in order to understand the full meaning of what constitutes full use, one must have a conception of the goal of growth and development. But yet like Rogers, Maslow believed that healthy people would start to show certain traits of self-actualisation characteristics. Aristotle (4th century B.C/1941 translation) comes in support of the social learning approach. He regarded that human being is an organic whole. His biological development has an impact on his psychological development. He stresses that young people that experience adolescence are emotionally unstable. Furthermore, Plato and Aristotle argued that those adolescents are impulsive. They are predisposed to excess. This attitude can be explained by the biological and psychological changes that they are going through. But, they marked that the end of this seismic period is punctuates by the development of a sense of self-control. Aristotle recognised that the most important trait of adolescence was the ability to choose. But this ability to choose is conditioned by various humanistic stages. Baker (1990) insists that although adolescence is a time of major change, many adolescents will experience it without major difficulty. Giving that adolescence spreads over a number of years, it involves important aspects such as social, emotional, cognitive and physical changes. In order to develop better understanding of this life stage, adolescence is divided into three sub-stages. The early adolescence (12-14) is the year where most of the physical changes appear. These changes are also followed by changes in relationships with peers and parents. The middle adolescence (14-16): at this stage, again variations occur. The most noticeable change is the increasing hunger for independence. But also some the adolescent are preparing for adult occupation and/or going into further education. Again, some of them experience late physical changes such as the appearance of spurts, voice breakingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Some of them exceptionally enter adult roles directly from middle adolescence. Late adolescence (17-19) is the time of progressive preparation for adulthood. As one would notice that the key features for adolescent are most of the time seen to be establishing a secure sense of who they are as they prepare for adult roles. It`s also about weaving more interdependent relationships with families. It is reaching physical adult maturity. And finally, it is constructing relationships with peers. Berger (1966) society not only controls our movements, but shapes our identity, our thought and our emotions. The structures of society become the structures of our own consciousness. Society does not stop at the surface of our skins. Society penetrates us as much as it envelops us. Human being is a sociable individual. His development and his identity are shaped by his ability of building up a relationship with others and with his environment. Talcott (1954), a functionalist argued that age differences are the forces that drive the overall functioning of the social system. He insisted that differences in social roles are associated with age groups in order to ensure the smooth running of the society itself. According to Talcott Parsons (1954) a functionalist, differences in the roles associated with age groups were very important for the good functioning of society. Talcott (1954) stressed that adolescence is a time when children start to express independence from their parents. Concerning the adolescence, Talcott (1954) believed that it the time when children start to develop independence from their parents. In the industrial society it is important that adolescents detached themselves from their parents in order to allow party, parents and adolescents to freely move to where work can be found. This independence from their parents shifts the loyalty that adolescents have for their parents to their peers and / or partners. Talcott (1954) went on by stressing that adolescents in their quest for independence are most of the time involve in a sort of rebellion. Also adolescents in their quest of who they are, put lot of accents on their image and on their independence. Though, it understood that the transition towards adult roles may not always be a smooth one, it helps the emergence of independent individuals within families units who well adapt to respond to the needs of industrial societies. Other authors would support that adolescence is by definition partly biology but also psychological transition, which is differently seen in different societies, at a different epoch. As far as they were concerned, in non-industrial countries where children were involved in the same activity as their parents, adolescence was a brief transition from childhood to adulthood. This brief transition was however marked by a cultural ceremony. For example, The Bar Mitzvah in the Jewish culture celebrates the transition for boys. However one understood that in western society, there is not a precise date to mark adolescence but it does mention a relatively prolong period in which young people are biologically adult but legally children. Nevertheless it is clear that the biological change is chares by every society. The explanation of the rebellious attitude of adolescents toward their parents could be due to the fact that the individual would like to resemble to the parents. They want to have the same authority and freedom as their parents. On the other hand, conformity in rule biding in Order, deviance and control are some of the basic realities in society. Order in society is the fact that individual can act and interact without major interruption. The definition of social order is the conformity to social norms and rules. Deviance occurs generally when rules are broken. Adolescents anti-social behaviour can be seen as a form of deviance. The main formal way to control adolescents deviance includes the police, the court, the prison, probation system and also the social worker. Durkheim ( ) a functionalist, insisted that order is important for the simple reason that it maintains the social equilibrium .Surely order is important for social life. However no-one have said that it is morally good of bad. It is how order is given which constitutes the major issues. Most authors recognised that adolescence is a transition stage which involves establishing a new identity. However, as individual experience things differently, one can stress that adolescence is not necessary a time of stress and bad behaviour. Other people have experienced a smooth transition from childhood to adolescence. Merton Marxist conclusion Ref: jann gumbiner (2003),Adolescent assessment Ref : Kate Wilson, Gillian Ruch ,Mark Lymbery, Andrew Cooper (2008), Social work (an introduction to contemporary practice), Pearson Education Limited. Ref : Richard Gross (2009) psychology the science of mind and behaviour, Hodder Arnold, 5th edition Ref: William E. Glassman(1995), approaches to psychology, open university press, 2nd edition. Ref : Haralambros and Holborn (2008), Sociology, Themes and Perspectives, Collins, seven edition Ref : Chris Beckett (2002), Human Growth and Development, Sage Publication Ltd, first edition. Mike O`Donnell (1997), Introduction to sociology, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, Fourth edition