`` The Virgin Suicides `` The Failure Of Suburbia Life...

The American Dream is a dream many people within the United States wish to fulfill someday. The American Dream is known to be accomplished throughout the suburb areas where there is a low crime rate. Many families move to the suburbs in order to be able to give their families better lives and their children a better environment with a positive influence. Although, the outcome varies, people still believe the suburbs is where the American Dream has a high chance of being accomplished and choose to relocate there. The novel, The Virgin Suicides shows the failure of suburbia life by using characterization seen through the characters of the Lisbon girls and the group of boys, and the use of symbolism through the decadence of the†¦show more content†¦The boys think the Lisbon girls will be quiet and the car ride will be awkward. The boys are in shock by the girls’ personalities when they are out of their home, Eugenides reveals the talkative girls by stating, â€Å"Some how, too, they’d kept up on dating etiquette, through television or observation at school, so that they knew how to keep the conversation flowing or fill awkward silences† (120). During the car ride the Lisbon girls end up being very social and not what they expect. The boys seem amused by how up to date the girls are with society. The suburbia life fails the Lisbon girls by giving them a life with double standards that they cannot live by. Likewise, the suburbia life also affects the group of boys as they are growing up when they realize that the ways they spend their days is not appropriate for them. Ever since the boys’ teen years they all spend their days chasing dreams and memories of them with the Lisbon girls. Sometimes they imagine being with the girls and smelling their scent close to them. Eugenides reveals an odd secret all of the boys share by stating, â€Å"... despite discrepancies of time and space, it was Lux’s lips we tasted, not Clabaul t’s† (146). Woody Clabault’s sister has the same lipstick as Lux, so one day the boys decide it is a good idea for Woody to put the lipstick on and go around the group and kiss each one in order for them to feel like Lux has lay a kiss upon their lips. After the kiss the boys state that they did

The Effects Of Homelessness On The United States - 1218 Words

In Stanislaus county the homeless population has grown from 1,156 in 2005 to 1,800 today and still growing. Modesto had the highest count of homelessness with 983 documented homeless individuals according to a 2015 Modesto Bee study and sadly, the amount increases as surrounding areas begin to enforce strict laws. These laws criminalize and relocate homeless folk to our county. There are no exceptions to the cold reality of homelessness: men, women, children, military veterans, individuals, and families are included in the rising numbers of homelessness in Stanislaus County. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, the leading cause of homelessness in the United States is the lack of affordable housing. Exposing the problems and cause will allow us to figure out how we can work towards a solution. The answer to diminishing homelessness is to invest in permanent housing. By working together as a community and devising a plan, we could reduce and possibly end homelessness in Stanislaus County. Individuals and families are being kicked from their homes due to the rising costs of living. Some people can not afford these costs with their annual income and now have forced to the streets or into homeless shelters. Many people might say that homelessness can never be avoided nor stopped but there is hope. By creating a monumental moment in effort to end homelessness, New York city was capable of providing productive results of reducing homelessness inShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Homelessness On The United States Political Economy Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesDefining homelessness has been controversial, but most researchers collectively accept that it is a situation in which an individual lacks a permanent place of residence. According to First, Rife, and Toomey (1994), if a person lacks shelter, even on a temporary basis, such an individual becomes homeless. Therefore, most homeless people live on the streets or find temporary accommodation in managed public and private s helters. Most researchers state that a close analysis of the issue of homelessnessRead MoreThe McKinney-Vento as amended by S. 896 the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to1500 Words   |  6 PagesMcKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, signed into law in 1987, covers many aspects of homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless states that the â€Å"McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was the first—and remains the only—major federal legislative response to homelessness† (NCH). Originally, this act contained fifteen different programs that were included to aid the homeless population (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD], 2007). The goal of this act is helpRead MoreCauses And Effects Of Homelessness Essay1267 Words   |  6 Pages Causes and effects of homelessness in industrialized countries Student Name Institution â€Æ' Introduction Homelessness is the lack of a place to leave or sleep especially during the night. Homeless people do not have proper housing, security and most of them sleep in different places depending on various conditions. Homelessness definition can vary in countries or in various regions in the same country. According to Evans, L., Strathdee in the book â€Å"A roof is not enough†, he explainsRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Rights Law1361 Words   |  6 Pagesassistance in dealing with homelessness. However, it will discuss its deficiencies in dealing with homelessness. It will focus on how the human Rights law influences decision making policies in protecting and preventing new range of homelessness, this will be discussed from the United Nations perspectives. It will also emphasize on the provisions and the influence of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on the domestic law in relation to the issue of homelessness, likewise the emergence ofRead MoreEconomic Inequality Of The United States1696 Words   |  7 PagesEconomic Inequality Paper Homelessness is one of the main problems plaguing the United States today, with low income earners at a higher risk of becoming homeless than previous years. There have been countless laws and ordinances put in place throughout the country in hopes of solving this growing problem but many of them have failed to address one of the main things causing this issue, economic inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth in the United States. Although there are many non-profitRead MoreThe State of Homelessness in the United States Essay586 Words   |  3 PagesHomelessness became a huge problem in everywhere especially in the USA. Most people heard homeless people, and they saw homeless people in the streets, markets, or bridges. Most people never try to understand why there is much homelessness. Most people do not know any facts about them seem the truth of homelessness, the state of homelessness in the United States, and the effect on people from homelessness. Many causes become the answers to homeless people. The most easy understanding of homelessnessRead MoreHelping The Homeless - Original Writing1672 Words   |  7 Pagespeople who don’t have a home (â€Å"Why Homeless?†). While there are ways to combat homelessness, a program called Housing First should be implemented in the Fairfax County area to address this issue and get homeless people into stable living conditions. Solving homelessness across America is an overwhelming task, but providing aid to the homeless in one specific area is something that can be done. This problem of homelessness may not disappear completely, but the number of homeless people can be reducedRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Homelessness Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ The Epidemic Of Homelessness And The Impact It Has On The United States Jeff Damitz One of the sociologic problems that have always faced society is the presence of homelessness population in a percentage of societies’ citizens. The National Health Care of the Homeless Council (2014) describes the official definition of homeless at â€Å"an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned buildingRead MoreNegative Effects Of Homelessness1446 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves the question, â€Å"Does homelessness affect me at all?† Typically, if homelessness isn’t affecting a certain individual or anyone that they’re close to, they tend to not want to help. From previous research done by Pergantis, Tolliver, Bishop, 2016, it is a known fact that about 578,242 people in America are considered to be homeless. People who were homeless back then done by were considered as disconnected from the world and they have also encountered psychological effects. Other writers likeRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1460 Words   |  6 Pagesstigma. The stigma and barriers related to military PTSD have made it difficult for individuals to seek help. Not looking for PTSD treatment can cause long-term effects such as, substance abuse, anger management issues, loneliness, severe depression. Today we will be focusing on homelessness in the veteran community and how the long-term effects of not getting treated affects an individual. What is PTSD? According to Goldenson, he defines Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as â€Å"an anxiety disorder produced

Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth Free Essays

string(30) " well as types of characters\." Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sleuth as a slang word for sleuthhound or detective who follows a trail to uncover a mystery, crime or unknown variable. In literature mystery is defined as a distinct subgenre of detective fiction in which an unknown event, often a disappearance or murder, causes the stories protagonist, or main character in the story, to solve the crime or mystery. Mysteries do not require crimes or the assistance of law enforcement as the common detective fiction or whodunit but they do depend on an unknown variable that the protagonist must determine, (NationMaster, 2003). We will write a custom essay sample on Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mystery fiction is not a new genre of story telling. Throughout time man has been interested in solving the riddles of life. So much so that there is significant evidence to indicate that civilization has enjoyed a good mystery as far back as Ancient Egypt and Greece. However, it was Edgar Allan Poe and his first published story The Murders in the Rue Morgue published in the mid-nineteenth century that made mystery fiction the popular brand of novel it is today. The Murder in the Rue Morgue first appeared in Graham’s Magazine, (Mystery Network, n. d. ). After Poe there have been a number of influential mystery writers including Wilkie Collins, also known as the father of the mystery, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Scottish author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Sherlock Holmes is not only one of the most widely known mystery series but is also considered to be the most famous literary figures in history, (Mystery Network). Holmes was first introduced to readers in The Strand Magazine when they published the story â€Å"A Study in Scarlet. † Edward Stratemeyer, the author of both the Hardy Boy’s and Nancy Drew series of juvenile mysteries, Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie. Amanda Cross is a twentieth century mystery writer who contributed much to the genre. Her semi-feminist voice transformed the common sleuth from a run-of-mill private detective into a strong willed female literature professor. Cross, who was struggling with gender equality issues at the University of New York, was tired of the tried and true mystery novels that were being produced a-dime-a-dozen. She set out to produce mysteries are intelligent and contain a role model worthy protagonist. Cross is the pen name of Carolyn Heilbrun. Her first novel, In the Last Analysis, features Kate Fansler, the female sleuth featured in a 14 book series. Fansler is a witty and highly educated literature professor at the prestigious New York University and the majority of her adventures are set against an academic background. Fansler, as opposed to traditional detectives, solves the crime through interviews and conversations with those involved. Most of the mysteries involve the death of either a student or professor and it is up to Fansler to solve the crime. In The Last Analysis, Fansler recommends Janet Harrison see psychoanalyst Dr. Emmanuel Bauer. Bauer is a friend and former lover of Fansler’s. However, shortly after starting sessions with Bauer, Harrison is found shot to death on his couch. Fansler is on the case to prove that her friend is innocent. However, Harrison has led an elusive life in which she has very few friends or acquaintances, making it hard for Fansler to track down a possible killer. However, Fansler’s knowledge of Freudian concepts and her personal integrity helps her to catch the killer. Although Heilbrun strays from the norm her first novel is typical of an amateur-detective mystery. Fansler knows a crime has been committed. She seeks information pertinent to the case by following leads and seeking information from those involved. Fansler then comes up with a theory about what happens, which proves to be correct. Also typical is the fact that the protagonist is a strong female character. Throughout Heilbrun’s novels Fansler is portrayed as strong independent woman, much like Heilbrun. She enjoys eating and drinking and marries later in life. Fansler differs from a majority of female protagonists in mystery fictions because she solves the mystery through Freudian analysis and personal interviews. This is a mystery of the mind in which Fansler does not have physical clues that lead her to find the real killer. Other mystery writers have used female protagonists as well. Contemporary author Nevada Barr features the female protagonist Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger who leads the reader through various adventures in the backcountry solving mysterious deaths. Pigeon is similar to Fansler in the sense that they are both independent modern women. They are both professionals who solve mysteries within the backdrop of their chosen profession. Pigeon and Fansler both represent strong female characters. Yet, Pigeon represents a more traditional character in modern mystery fiction since she follows a trail of clues left behind by the murders as opposed to using literary and psychoanalytical clues to solve the mystery. Similarly well known mystery writer Sue Grafton began her alphabetical mystery series with A is for Alibi. In her mystery fiction protagonist Kinsey Malone represents a courageous and sassy female private eye. Grafton too takes a more traditional approach by utilizing a private investigator as the main character. Others authors such as Sandra de Helen utilize logic and facts to solve mysteries as opposed to following physical clues. De Helen’s novel The Hounding features two female detectives Shirley Combs and Mrs. Mary Watson. De Helen has a series planned surrounding the two who is in some way related to Sherlock Holms and his assistant Watkins and they solve crimes similarly. These characters all follow typical mystery genre traditions. But not all mystery writers follow tradition. Sue Grafton, a well known mystery writer, started an alphabetical mystery series in which murders are solved by a female feline and a small dog. Grafton strays away far from tradition with characters but stays within the realm with the practices that her characters use to unravel the crimes. Different writers use different methods of crime solving as well as types of characters. You read "Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth" in category "Papers" However, there is a pattern of female mystery writers creating professional and strong female protagonists. Most of the main characters in modern mystery writers today have had to overcome obstacles in a male-dominated world. They often face gender discrimination or stereotypical peers that create obstacles that must be overcome. For example, Ellen Godfrey’s protagonist Jane Tregar is tough and feisty. Tregar, a professional working in a search firm, has had to battle her way up the corporate ladder to a senior position in an executive firm. She utilizes technical know-how to uncover information and corporate savvy to survive her male peers and their scrutiny as well as solve mysteries and be successful in the male-dominated business world. Another modern author Sara Paretsky, currently extremely popular with mystery readers, has created the protagonist V. I. Warshawski. Warshawski broke ground as the first female in an all male dominated world of the dangerous back streets of Chicago. Warshawski proves that women can be tough and sensitive and that physical difference between men and women do not mean that women are not capable of performing well in dangerous situations. In the Last Analysis, Fansler fully understands the plight of women within the world of academia. â€Å"Kate was startled by Professor Anderson, who was an eighteenth-century man with a strong distaste for all female writers since Jane Austen (Cross, 2001, p. 3). † This is a common war in the literary department. Literature has been male dominated for a number of years. This is caused in large by the fact that women were not taught to read or write for centuries. However, as women have begun to take their seat at the head of English departments across the nation male peers may scoff. There is a large portion of male literary enthusiast who tries to minimize the female impact on literature today. Heilbrun later retired early from her post at the University of New York to avoid dealing with this same type of professional peer. But gender discrimination and differences are not the only ones that haunt Heilbrun. Age also seems to be a factor. Heilbrun laments that her students are young and full of life and the longing for their own futures. However, as a professor years goes by and nothing changes. â€Å"Spring on an American campus, even an Urban a campus as this one, inevitably drove the faculty into a mood of lassitude, irritation and fastidiousness. Perhaps it is because we are getting old, while the students, like the Caesar’s crowds on Appian Way, are always the same age. Gazing at the students who sprawled or made love on every patch of available grass, Kate longed, as she did every spring for a statelier, less untidy era, (Cross, 2001, p. 3). † Heilbrun used Fansler to express her own apprehensions about aging as well as the endless cycle of youth that professors endure each college enrollment period. Heilbrun did not reveal her herself as the author of the Amanda Heilbrun mysteries until she was offered tenure at the University due to her fear of criticism from her peers and having her literary work interfere with her academic work. However, age criticism may have also been a concern. The idea of age is transcendent in Heilbrun’s mysteries. Fansler is already in her forties at the start of In the Last Analysis and has never been married nor does she have children. Although latter in the series she does marry she has no concerns about being a â€Å"homemaker† or playing into any other typical stereotypes of women. In fact Fansler, although discreet, has a number of lovers. The idea of the woman as a non-maternal figure breaks social traditions. But the primary social concern of In the Last Analysis surrounds professional ethics and human integrity. Throughout Heilbrun’s series there are two main characters, Fansler and her friend and future husband Reed Amhearst. Fansler is old-fashion yet she has a penchant for martinis and she comes from a background of wealthy parents to supplement her teacher’s salary. This is convenient since she does not seem to work much as she uncovers her friend’s innocence. As she tries to prove her friends innocence she solicits the help of Amhearst, an attorney, who goes out of his way to help Fansler and repay her a favor. Amhearst is portrayed as Fansler’s love interest and a protect figure. Throughout the book, In the Last Analysis, Amhearst tries to caution the headstrong Fansler who gets involved despite his warnings. Fansler even goes so far as to put her reputation and career on the line to prove that Bauer, her friend, is innocent. Her old-fashion sensibilities coupled with a reckless and courageous manner makes Fansler a great candidate to become an amateur sleuth and enforce the idea of human integrity. There are several other examples of human integrity in the book as characters assist Fansler in solving the case. Heilbrun’s novels have been successful overall. However, she was criticized. Especially for her first book, In the Last Analysis, in which it is obvious that Heilbrun has yet to fine tune her technique. Although professional news agencies such as The New York Times had positive reviews a number of readers felt Heilbrun tried to hard to present Fansler as smart and independent. Thus she came across as being pretentious. However, after her first novel the series gained in popularity in part due to the fact that her subsequent novels take place within the world of academia and Fansler’s character can put her intellect to better use. In conclusion, Heilbrun has made a significant contribution to the mystery fiction genre. She is the first mystery writer to create a mystery in which the crime must be solved using conversations and analytical skills as opposed to physical clues and traditional evidence. Heilbrun also sets the stage for female authors who create strong and independent protagonists that break the mold of female stereotypes. In keeping with many other female authors Heilbrun’s female protagonists are working in a professional field despite gender inequalities. Throughout In the Last Analysis and other Heilbrun novels there are overtones of age related issues as well as gender differences within the world of academics. Both may reflect challenges that Heilbrun has faced as a Professor at the University of New York. Heilbrun utilizes a common amateur-detective mystery technique yet she strays from the norm by implementing psychoanalytical methods of solving the crime as opposed to relying entirely on physical clues. In addition to concerns about professional ethics, specifically within the medical field in which patient-client relationships come into question, there is a predominant theme of personal integrity. Integrity is often displayed throughout the novel in the form of personal favors and character’s taking risks for each other. Fansler is able to solve the crime using intelligence, Freudian analysis and a little help from her friends. Variations from the common mystery novel include the use of wit and analytical strategies to solve the case as well as the protagonist being an older woman without cause to seek out marriage or family life. Heilbrun and many of her peers have chosen to expand the image of â€Å"detective† to include smart and professional women who are employed outside of the law enforcement or private investigation fields. Although Heilbrun’s protagonist is similar to the main characters in other mysteries by her peers, Heilbrun deviates by choosing to make Fansler an example of a non-traditional woman. She is neither interested in marriage or children and has taken a number of lovers to prove her modern values despite an old-fashion background. Heilbrun paved the way for female mystery writers as well as the female protagonist. Through her popular series and the popularity of Kate Fansler a whole new genre of mystery books has evolved. These new series feature witty story lines and fast paced plots while featuring strong protagonists and often feminist views. After Heilbrun’s success there have been a number of other mystery writers following similar strategies including Nevada Barr, Rita Mae Brown and Sue Grafton. References Cross, A. (2001). In the Last Analysis. : Fawcett. Mystery Network (n. d. ). Evolution of the mystery genre. Retrieved Dec. 27, 2008, from www. mysterynet. com NationMaster (2003). : Rapid Intelligence. How to cite Amanda Cross and the Female Sleuth, Papers

Operating in Australia the Great Barrier Reef †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Operating in Australia the Great Barrier Reef. Answer: Running for a stretch of a staggering 2300 kilometers, ornamenting the north eastern coastal region of Australia the Great Barrier Reef, is a natural wonder that fascinates anyone who is a travel enthusiast. It is situated in the state of Queensland near the Equator. True to the name this marine ecosystem is comprised of almost 2900 individual reefs along with approximately 900 individual islands. It serves as a habitat for innumerable flora and fauna which attract thousands of tourists to the reef on a daily basis. The reef has been deemed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1981 (Great Barrier Reef 2017). It has been found that over the years due to the rise in tourism there is a depletion of the ecosystem. This north east region of Australia is a tourist hub, which attract national and international tourists every year. A large part of the government income is incurred the hospitality and tourism industry. With the encouragement and increase of tourism this natural beauty has been subjected to a lot of change and degradation, hence the Australian Commonwealth Government wanted to protect and conserve the ecosystem and has in turn set up The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in 1975 (gbrmpa.gov.au, 2017). The sectors of income in the reef region can be generated from Commercial fishing and aquaculture, Tourism industry, hospitality and recreation along with research and development. In the tourism department there are various types of business that has popped up which is adding to the economy of the area and is helping the local population to grow and develop. Some of the popular business in tourism is hotel business, restaurant business, boating etc. But one of the most profitable and advantageous businesses that are possible in the barrier reef owing to its geographical location and technologies now available is snorkelling (Day and Dobbs 2013). All adventure fanatic tourists who are looking for an adrenaline rush opts for snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef region when they are visiting the island country. This is also the best and the closest option one can choose to fully imbibe the beauty of this natural ecosystem. Snorkelling allows an individual to closely see and feel the marine life. Anyone who can swim and has minimum physical fitness is eligible for swimming. There are various options to choose from, depending on the location where one is staying; there are options where a person can dive out of a boat. In this case the boat owner, the boat driver, the instructors are all involved in the business and are earning from what an individual is spending on that trip (Wilson and Verlis 2017). Most of the time people who come for the snorkeling or diving experience do not have any knowledge about the sport. Hence there are instructors who are appointed to give people diving lessons and teach them how to use the gear and signal under water, anticipation of problem under water and how to avoid them etc. there are luxury and ordinary options to choose from. The divers who assist the people in the ride are all certified and are experienced in the sport. The companies who arrange fro the diving and snorkeling have boats and cruises which take tourists on rides and mostly all of these activities come in a package (Lamb et al. 2014). This industry is fully dependent on the marine ecosystem and human resource. A tourist would always want to only go for such a nerve racking experience with someone who is certified to carry out such tasks and hence skilled trained human resource is a very important factor. There are also several safety measures that are to be taken. Another important aspect of this industry is the gears that are used during snorkeling or scuba diving. This includes a whole industry in itself and several numbers of people are involved in manufacturing and retailing these gears (Amelung and Nicholls 2014). The snorkeling and scuba diving industry in the island country of Australia is one of the most relevant and booming business industries with a lot of prospect with the growing technical development and popularity of the adventure sport among the tourists. To help tourist gather the most from their vacation to Australia the government has also come up with many laws which each of these companies have to abide by and follow strictly. With the advancement of technology this industry has also grown exponentially creating several job opportunities for the localities in and around The Great Barrier Reef. One of the most important drawbacks of this business is that most people are not up for such adventure sport hence people usually opt for a much more relaxing option to spend their stay in the reef islands. It is an adventure sport and is for the people who are looking for the thrill and rush. References: Amelung, B. and Nicholls, S., 2014. Implications of climate change for tourism in Australia.Tourism Management,41, pp.228-244. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bas_Amelung/publication/259121976_Implications_of_climate_change_for_tourism_in_Australia/links/0f31753622730786d3000000.pdf Day, J.C. and Dobbs, K., 2013. Effective governance of a large and complex cross-jurisdictional marine protected area: Australia's Great Barrier Reef.Marine Policy,41, pp.14-24. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jon_Day/publication/257163233_Effective_governance_of_a_large_and_complex_cross-jurisdictional_marine_protected_area_Australia's_Great_Barrier_Reef/links/56e0dbf408aec4b3333d18c3.pdf gbrmpa.gov.au. 2017.Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef. [online] Available at: https://www./managing-the-reef/how-the-reefs-managed/tourism-on-the-great-barrier-reef [Accessed 8 Aug. 2017]. Great Barrier Reef. 2017.Australia.Com. https://www.australia.com/en-in/places/great-barrier-reef.html Lamb, J.B., True, J.D., Piromvaragorn, S. and Willis, B.L., 2014. Scuba diving damage and intensity of tourist activities increases coral disease prevalence.Biological Conservation,178, pp.88-96. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joleah_Lamb/publication/264557713_Scuba_diving_damage_and_intensity_of_tourist_activities_increases_coral_disease_prevalence/links/540d0fce0cf2f2b29a3825d9.pdf Wilson, S.P. and Verlis, K.M., 2017. The ugly face of tourism: Marine debris pollution linked to visitation in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia.Marine Pollution Bulletin,117(1), pp.239-246. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Scott_Wilson8/publication/313417928_The_ugly_face_of_tourism_Marine_debris_pollution_linked_to_visitation_in_the_southern_Great_Barrier_Reef_Australia/links/58f96b044585152edecb1e7d/The-ugly-face-of-tourism-Marine-debris-pollution-linked-to-visitation-in-the-southern-Great-Barrier-Reef-Australia.pdf

Neocolonialism and Global South

The term neocolonialism was coined by Kwame Nkrumah, a former President of Ghana to explain the political, social and economic control which can be propagated culturally, linguistically and economically.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neocolonialism and Global South specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The overall objective of the control is to enhance and promote the culture of the neocolonialist state(s) among the citizens of the targeted countries so as to get access to markets, labor and raw materials for corporations based in the neocolonialist state(s). The key pillars of neocolonialism therefore include globalization, capitalism and imperialism. Neocolonialism is contrasted with colonialism, which implies direct military and political control of one state by another in a ruler-ruled relationship (Bauer and Holowinska 72). Neocolonialism goes hand in hand with the concept of global divide which divide s the world into global north and global south. The powerful nations popularly known as the first world make up the global north. Such countries include the United States (US) and its allies who control the United Nations (UN) and are also members of the G8. The global north accounts for a quarter of world’s population but controls three quarters of world’s income. The citizens of such countries have access to education, health and shelter (Sartre 18). The global south on the other hand comprises the developing or undeveloped countries majorly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These countries account for three quarters of world’s population but they only control a quarter of the world’s income. In the global south, the access to health, education and shelter is usually a privilege of the few. However, the global divide is not mainly influenced by geographical location of a country. If a country in Africa is able to compete economically with other western powers, it is put under the category of global north. Similarly, if a country in Europe is poor, it is put under the category of global south. In other words, the defining criteria is the economic stability of a country, not its geographical location.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theoretical models for explaining neocolonialism Idealism theory In international relations and foreign policy, idealism is a political philosophy which entails the advancement of a particular ideology (political, social or economic) both at home and abroad, with the aim of promoting and safeguarding the interests of citizens of a country and those of citizens in other countries. Examples include the fight against poverty, HIV/AIDS and advocacy for democracy instead of dictatorship or authoritarianism as well as safeguarding of human rights. Realism theory This is a state centered i nternational relations theory which looks at states as the key actors in international politics. The theory is based on the works of historical writers such as Rousseau, Machiavelli and Thucydides (Edkins and Vaughan-Williams 43). The main argument of realism is that international relations are characterized by anarchy, in which nations interact for their selfish interests. Realism therefore negates the mutual understanding of nations in their relations and puts more emphasis on the struggle of nations to amass as much resources as possible in order to advance their own interests. With realism, economic success is the leading interest in international relations. The US and its allies are known to promote democracy in many parts of Africa. However, a critical look at the issue shows that in most cases, the US is only interested in having democratic leaders who can help it gain access to markets and raw materials. Leaders who are not ready to cooperate are labeled as criminals, terror ists and unfit to hold office. Such leaders and their countries are eventually slapped with economic sanctions and are also isolated by the international community. A good example is Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe whose country has been isolated by the international community. Globalization and neocolonialism Globalization can be defined as the minimization of the differences between people of the world and the maximization of their similarities through interactions, cooperation and communication.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Neocolonialism and Global South specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Before the world wars, the world was characterized by minimal interaction, communication, cross-border movements and language homogeneity. However, after the world wars, this situation changed. The changes were mainly triggered by the desire of nations of the world to unite in various spheres of development, mainly the economy, education, employment, environment and governance. The main driving forces of globalization were however the advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), improved transport systems, liberalized trade as well as liberalized immigration policies. Globalization has made it possible for any person to work, study, marry and stay in any part of the world irrespective of his or her culture. After the world wars, a new form of globalization emerged. This was triggered by the new desire to unite the world through the three main development pillars, namely social, political and economic pillars. Many states thought that the world wars were mainly caused by poor interaction between the nations, arguing that many countries did not care harming others as a result of the old economic philosophy which pegged development on elimination of rivals rather than the cooperation between stakeholders. The contemporary form of globalization is characterized by the liberalization of trade, the emergence of multinational corporations as well as emergence of global institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other UN affiliated institutions. The advancement in ICT has transformed the world into a global village. Through ICT and improved means of transport, people are more than ever able to do business with each other without any form of barriers. The developed countries have been in the forefront in propagating the idea of globalization. These countries led by the US usually view the developing countries as their imperial territories. They always ensure that there are in place rules and regulations governing the economic, social and political endeavors of the developing countries (Gills and Thompson 175).Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They know that with a global culture in place, they are able to remain ahead by using resources from the developing and the undeveloped countries for their economic, social and political progress (Baylis, Smith and Owens 90). The developing countries are known as the markets of the western culture. Culture in this context is taken to mean business, educational, political and governance ideas. Many developing countries in Africa are known to have embraced what is referred to as export based agriculture at the expense of subsistence agriculture. This has led to recurrent food shortages in many developing countries (Buckman 42). The trend began in early 1980s through what were referred to as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPS), which required countries in Africa and Asia to embrace economic development at the expense of social and political development (Kelsey 95). This led to the ever rising levels of poverty and population growth rates in the developing world, forcing them to compl y with the policies of the new world order for the fear of economic and political sanctions from the developed countries (Konadu-Agyemang 219). The undeveloped countries are those which have high poverty levels and illiteracy. Most of these countries are found in Africa and are described as living in the wrong civilization or being uncivilized. These countries are the best dumping sites for western culture. Most of the undeveloped countries are characterized by poor governance, ethnic strife and lack of basic social amenities. Many analysts have however argued that the poverty and lack of infrastructure in the undeveloped countries can be attributed to the imperial nature of their relationships with their developed counterparts. Forms of Neocolonialism Colonialism was very popular during the 19th century when the British, the US and other western powers scrambled for resources for their industries in the developing and undeveloped countries. They used the ideas of religion and educa tion to penetrate and gain control over the countries especially in Africa where there were no formal governments and institutions. Some western powers even went ahead to use the Africans as slaves due to ignorance of the African people. With time, colonization was slowly brought to an end following the end of world wars. However, what the Africans and the developing countries did not know was that only flags of their countries changed. Some political analysts have described the independence of many African and Asian countries as â€Å"independence of the flag†, meaning that even though the countries are independent, they can only exercise that independence to the extent of self governance alone. What this means is that the countries are literally colonized but through ideas. It can therefore be argued that even though many developing countries were granted permission to govern themselves, their former colonies still maintained high economic, social and political dominance in their former colonies. One of the ways in which neocolonialism has been propagated is through what is referred to as the odious debt. This is a debt which is incurred when a loan is given to a poor country but fails to benefit the citizens due to corruption by the leaders. Such countries also lack a clear economic policy to regulate investment, taxation and foreign debt. The developed countries benefit from the debts because they charge high interest rates on the loans, which are not used for the economic progress of the poor countries but are misappropriated by the corrupt leaders. These dictators in return become loyal to the countries which give them the loans and thus the developed countries get an opportunity to exploit the markets, labor and raw materials of the developing countries. There are also double standards even on genuine loans when it comes to repayment. When a country like the US gives a loan to another country like Germany or France, the loan is repaid with very l ittle interest or even interest free. However, when the same loan is given to a developing country, it is repaid with interest which is three to five times higher than what France or Germany would pay. The aim is to ensure that the developing countries do not become economically independent. Neocolonialism is also propagated using international institutions like the IMF. This institution was formed with an aim of liberalizing the world’s economy to enable the developing countries get loans for their development (Kegley 46). However, the problem with the IMF is that it gives loans to the developing countries with strings attached. One example to illustrate this is Jamaica, which was given a loan by IMF in 1977 to reconstruct the economy which had disintegrated in 1970. However, the condition of the loan was that Jamaica was supposed to eliminate all labor laws and especially the law on minimum wage. This paved way for exploitation of the citizens by multinational corporations which underpaid the citizens of Jamaica. The idea of International Law and neocolonialism International law refers to the set of laws or principles which govern the relationships between sovereign states (Fichtelberg 76). It was initially formed to govern the manner in which nations related to each other with a view of improving their relationships in regard to specific issues. International law initially took the form of treaties and agreements between states, which were either bilateral or multilateral. The protection of human rights moved the international law to create the international criminal court to try the perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Since its formation, the court has investigated several perpetrators of crimes against humanity like Charles Taylor of Liberia, Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and has issued a warrant of arrest against Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir for the chaos and atrocities in the Darfur region of the Sudan. However, the court has attract ed criticism from political analysts who have accused it of double standards in that it only targets the developing countries. The super powers of the world like the US, which refused to be a signatory to the Rome statute which formed the court, have never been subjected to the court’s jurisdictions despite the fact that they have committed crimes of aggression against other states like the Iraq invasion in 2003. My prescription on how the international community should deal with the issue of neocolonialism is for international institutions such as the UN and its affiliated institutions to ensure that the international law is followed to the letter. The UN in particular should seek to empower the developing and undeveloped countries with social, political and economic resources for them to resist any attempts of neocolonialism by the US and its allies. Works Cited Bauer, Franziska, and Magdalena Holowinska. Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism. München GRIN: Verlag GmbH, 2009. Print. Baylis, John, Steve Smith, ‎ and Patricia Owens‎. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Buckman, Greg. Globalization: Tame it or Scrap it? : Mapping the Alternatives of the Anti-Globalization Movement. London: Zed Books, 2004. Print. Edkins, Jenny, and Nick Vaughan-Williams. Critical Theorists in International Relations. London: Routledge, 2009. Print. Fichtelberg, Aaron. Law at the Vanishing Point: A Philosophical Analysis of International Law. Farnham GU9 7PT: Ashgate Publishing, 2005. Print. Gills, Barry, and William Thompson ‎. Globalization and Global History; Rethinking Globalizations. London: Routledge, 2006. Print. Kegley, Charles. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Kelsey, Jane. International economic regulation. Sheffield: Ashgate Publishers, 2002. Print. Konadu-Agyemang, Kwado. IMF and World Bank Sponsored Str uctural Adjustment Programs in Africa: Ghana’s Experience, 1983-1999.Voices in Development Management. Sheffield: Ashgate Publishers, 2001. Print. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Colonialism and Neocolonialism. New York: Routledge, 2001. Print. This research paper on Neocolonialism and Global South was written and submitted by user Julissa C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

John Pitner as an Extremist essays

John Pitner as an Extremist essays Political and religious extremism has been present for probably the same amount of time as religion and politics themselves and has recently become the focus of a lot of studies, research, and more of the extremists themselves than the phenomena, investigation. Just as appealing, it would seem, is a racist ideology that is so often an affiliate in the meaning system that extremists so deeply believe in. John Pitner, the focus of Lone Patriot by Jane Kramer, was an extremist who, along with his followers and the people whom he followed after, would have been proud to die in a resistance of the New World Order, who truly believed in his cause. From a cultural perspective, John was not abnormal, nor was his meaning system so far-fetched that it would immediately alarm you. He was not big on discrimination, as defined in 1998 in a compilation by sociologist Ken Wilson as the non-equal treatment of a person/s based solely on their membership in a social category, but he somehow maintained a rather ethnocentric view of the world. He didnt object to homosexuals, blacks, Jews, Indians or women. G. Myrdal, who wrote The American Dilemma in 1944, pointed out a typically formatted theory on the treatment of Americans. The first of two components is labeled preachment vs. practice, a concept in which everyone is treated equally and fairly, demonstrated by John Pitner saying in one of his pitches that the Washington State Militia welcomed all races, religions, sexes, and things of that nature. This is where the second part of Myrdals theory engages: ideals vs. reality. This is the part that recognizes that in reality people do not practice equal and fair treatment of each other; this is the part where John Pitner later describes a black man who showed up at a militia meeting to Kramer as an attempt to infiltrate by a black individual. The ideals spoken of as essential and unquestionable, which seem so bas...

Is there anything we can do to save the environment Essay

Is there anything we can do to save the environment - Essay Example Various aspects of going green can be used in such an initiative. To begin with, the world should start by the initiative of planting trees. Over the last decade, the world has experienced massive deforestation, where many trees are used as a source of energy, raw materials, and other uses. This has had a dire effect on the climate change, especially when looking at the ratio of gases in the air. With massive deforestation, the numbers of trees that purify the air are reduced. As such, there will be excessive carbon in the air. This will pose a danger to environmental conservation, as the initiatives will not be optimized. To rectify such a situation, there is a need to reflect on the positivity of planting trees on large scale (Cook 140). For example, the late Professor Wangari Maathai initiated the Greenbelt movement. This was an initiative to help in conserving the environment from the forecasted climate change. Through the initiative, she was awarded a Nobel Prize. This shows tha t the world is appreciating such initiatives in ensuring the world is conserved to the highest limits. Secondly, there is a need to stop deforestation. Many countries across the globe have initiated strict penalties on deforestation, as it is a threat to the world’s ecosystems. Therefore, this initiative should be enhanced in the whole world, as it will be a prudent approach in conserving the environment. According to research, the population of trees in the world has been drastically reducing.

Relational Data Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Strucural adjustment and ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strucural adjustment and ideology - Essay Example the IMF affect small countries needing assistance, and the addition of the Structural Adjustments furthers the affect that certain policies have on them. The Structural Adjustments will be closely looked at by viewing a country that has needed to secure funds from the IMF. When the IMF and the World Bank began to implement Structural Adjustments, the goal was simple. The goal is to decrease the fiscal imbalance while also decreasing the countries overall poverty rate. What the IMF does to decrease imbalance in the shortest possible time frame is to implement a free market system. This free market system is believed to have a positive effect on the countries financial outlook. The IMF however does not take account the negative aspects that surround a free market system.(Danaher, 65) While there have been some changes, the major tenants are the same. Afghanistan, a country that is embroiled in war is also a country that the IMF has assisted as of December 2011. The policy is that if certain criteria are followed, Afghanistan will be out from all external debt in six years. Not only do the initial requirements to gain funding difficult to achieve, the entire program has fundamental changed how Afghanistan views money, most of it now negatively. When Afghanistan first requested to be in the program, their debt to export ratio had to exceed 200% and/or their debt to government revenues had to exceed 280%. These figures arguably are arbitrary and therefore restrictive for the requesting nation. In addition on of the major tenants of the IMF is that a free market, without much governmental oversight be created. This upset the people of Afghanistan, as previously all of their industry was controlled by internal forces, versus external corporations and other countries. Another requirement of the IMF is that most state owned resources, utilities and industries become privatized. In Afghanistan this caused many issues as there is a tradition of state owned

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Acquisition

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Acquisition Meredith Sigmon Based on my understanding of negotiation strategy and planning, I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation has prepared quite well for the acquisition negotiation. In my understanding of the reading, Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had covered a broad range of information in order to enter negotiations. They had information about the parent companies, how they came to be, the stockholders, profiles of the stockholders, and several other tidbits. If they did overlook or left anything out, I wouldnt be aware as I have no idea how any of this works. I think Corporate Transfer Services will huddle and come back with amendments to the offer. I think they want to sell but dont want to seem to anxious to settle and will try and get a little more out of Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation. Corporate Transfer Services responded by saying they wanted five million, not an estimated $420,000. Their response was not as I expected. I thought they would go closer to one million asking price but they went well above that. I, personally, think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should not laugh and then start to present how they got to the numbers they got to. They did their share of research and know that five million absurd. I am sure Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had prepared for a little wiggle room to make a second offer but not to accommodate what Corporate Transfer Services is asking for. Corporate Transfer Services based their selling price off what another employee relocation company had sold for. They did not take into consideration their own personal business and just based their selling price off what another company had sold for not looking into if they had any similarities to the other company. I dont think Corporate Transfer Services went into this with nearly anywhere close to the amount of information and studying that Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had. Corporate Transfer Services took the easy way out hoping they would just put a number on the table and it would work. They didnt look at their actually numbers and what they were worth to make an educated counter offer. I think Randall and Dolan should lay out exact what they found and how they came to the offering number they did. I think by showing Corporate Transfer Services how they came to the number they did, it would show Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation how they dont really have the power to ask for the outrageous amount that they did. I think Corporate Transfer Services will get scared. They see their only opportunity to sell walking out the door because they were not prepared. I think they will get the fourth owner back in and have an emergency meeting to come up with a solution. It is clear Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation isnt going to waste their time arguing with someone who has no idea about their own company and I think that will scare Corporate Transfer Services into actually looking at what they have to offer. I think this could go in Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation favor drastically now because Corporate Transfer Services was just schooled on their own MetroNet. That would make me double think what I actually knew about my company and maybe how badly I needed to take this offer because they might not get another offer of this magnitude, if ever getting one again. I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should sit back and wait. I feel like they put a little scare into Corporate Transfer Services and they now have the advantage in the bargaining field. They had the information they needed and did their homework so when Corporate Transfer Services tried to make an uneducated statement Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation schooled them on their own company. If Corporate Transfer Services doesnt come back with a solution within the next 12 hours, or when Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation leaves then trash the deal. If Corporate Transfer Services really wants to sell they will have to cater to Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation now. I like Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporations negotiating strategy. I think they are doing what they need to do at this point. It was clear Corporate Transfer Services didnt think this threw and Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation isnt having it. They know that the advantage is now theirs. I dont think it will backfire because Corporate Transfer Services wants to sell, desperately. Each of the members had a reason to want to sell and it was a collective decision. I dont think they have another offer to even consider and if they dont sell now they may not ever. I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should take the new offer back to Philadelphia and wait. They should counter offer with a little lower than their ceiling of $600,000 to still leave a little wiggle room.   I would go back with $500,000 over and make it the final offer. I feel like the most important aspect of Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporations negotiating strategy was the research and knowledge that they prepared themselves with. They didnt leave any stone unturned in their research and went into negotiations with as much knowledge that could handle. I think this is what, eventually, lead to them getting exactly what they wanted and still staying within their range of bargaining they originally set.

The ICU as an Effective Learning Environment Essay -- Nursing Reflecti

Learning is the lifelong process of transforming information and experience into knowledge, skills, behaviors and attitudes. It may occur as part of education, personal development or training. According to Hinchliff (1999), there are many factors that can give and affect the quality of learning such as students, teachers and the environment. Meanwhile, learning environment itself is the physical or virtual setting in which learning takes place. Hannafin, Land & Oliver (1999) described learning environment as a typically constructivist in nature, engaging learners in â€Å"sense-making† or reasoning about extensive resource set, including four components which are enabling context, resources, a set of tools and scaffolds. This paper is going to discuss the significance of my clinical area as a context for learning and how myself as practitioner can give to an effective learning environment. I have been a critical care nurse working in intensive care unit for almost seven years. I am graduated from local nursing school in 2002. At first, I worked on a regular hospital floor. One year later, I came to intensive care unit and obtained my intensive care post basic certificate in 2006. I was attracted to critical care nursing because of the challengers and the environment. Here in the intensive care unit my nursing skills and role continues to evolve. The intensive care unit is at a very strategic location and in the second floor where immediate transportation of patient is available from all departments and wards. The unit is staffed and equipped to a high standard to give quality care to the patient. The unit is divided into two adjacent clinical areas. Open plan area with ten bedded spaces and isolation room with two bedded spa... ... into people’s actions and feelings and can be a resource for helping people to improve their lives. The continuing in the students experiences at practice area are important in creating a welcoming learning environment. This can be achieved through a regular daily schedule and group support by involving staffs, unit sisters, doctors and specialists that have different level of knowledge and experiences. Finally, promoting a sense of community within the hospital and the practice area is an essential element to a welcome and supportive social climate. To end, this paper has identified my clinical area as context for learning in which it offers great learning opportunities although there are some limitations. A few recommendations have been highlighted to improve the quality of learning in the future.

Initial Public Offering Paper Essay

The focus of this paper is to examine and research the financing issues that an organization must face when going public. The team has selected Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. as the organization which has had an initial public offering in the last three years. The learning team will address registration, disclosure, and compliance issues and cost of issuance. In addition, the team will examine the impact on ownership control and return as well as the source and application of funds. Financing Issues that an Organization Faces When Going PublicAn Initial Public Offering (IPO), is extremely expensive for organizations. It is common for a small business to pay between $50,000 and $250,000 to organize and publicize an offering. According to Paul G. Joubert, author of The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting, IPO claims between 15 and 20 percent of the proceeds of the sale of stock (IPO Forum, 2008). Some other costs associated with going public include lead underwriter’s commission, expenses for legal and accounting services, printing costs and filing costs with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Organizations may have ongoing expenses for legal, accounting and filing services (IPO Forum, 2008). Issues Impacting Dividend Policies and Constraints on Dividend Payments A firm must examine all financing and investment issues before determining the proper payout of dividends for their organization. Some organizations’ opt to pay out smaller cash dividends to reserve earnings for future expansion. It is ideal for an organization to start with smaller payouts, and continue with conservative dividends per share. This payout decision is a result of the organization’s capital budgeting decision. Another option for payout of dividends is to finance a large portion of their capital expenditures. This will free up cash that the organization can pay out to shareholders. This payout decision is a result of the decision to borrow for the organization’s growth (Brealey, Myers, and Marcus, 2007). Chipotle Chipotle Mexican Grill, INC. is a â€Å"fast-casual† restaurant. It offers customers the quality food they would receive in a restaurant with â€Å"fast-food† style quickness. The first opening was in 1993 by the founder  and CEO Steve Ells. They serve very few things but claim to provide thousands of options. Their base choices are burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads. Chipotle’s culture is â€Å"Food With Integrity† which involves using â€Å"unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed,.naturally made, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal†, in the words of Chipotle.com. Chipotle claims there products to better, all the way from dairy to meat. They only purchase from farms in which the animals are treated humanely and naturally raised. This philosophy has allowed Chipotle to grow from one location in 1993 to 670 in 2007 as well as compete in the fastest growing industry in restaurants (Chipotle, 2008). Registration, Disclosure and Compliance Issues Chipotle filed a form S-1/A with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 2003. Two securities were registered under the filing as follows: Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, offered by the registrant and Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, offered by the selling shareholder. ( Form S-1/A ,2005) Common stock offered by the registrant is at a Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price of $1 million dollars and a registration fee of $11,770. The Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price of the common stock offered by the selling shareholder is $49.5 million (over allotment selling to the underwriters, if any, factored in to total) with a registration fee of $5,296.50. A total of 78,78,788 shares is included in the IPO and broken down by 60,60,606 from Chipotle Mexican Grill, INC and 18,18,182 from McDonalds Ventures, LLC as the selling shareholder. Chipotle intends to list their common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol â€Å"CMG† and selling price is between $15.50 and $17.50 per share. (Form S-1/A ,2005)Disclosure is the release of relevant information. (Disclosure ,2008) In Chipotle’s SEC filing they disclosed the prospectus statement, financial data, and future plans. Through there prospectus statement Chipotle makes it c lear that they are set apart from other chains by serving â€Å"Food with Integrity†. However, there are risks involved in investing, they are as follows: the number of new stores rapidly being established, lack of independent operating history, ability to continue to grow and profit, and  health and safety concerns regarding the ingredients used among others. Although the risk factors are in place, Chipotle’s financial data provides more assurance of returned profit on investment. In their â€Å"Rapidly Improving Financial Performance† section of the SEC filing they state a 130% increase in revenue in 2004 of 470.7 million up from 2002 and 49% up from 2003. And, average sales in new restaurants after 90 trading days increased 24.9% a total of $303,390. From 2002-2004 Chipotle opened a total of 237 stores. Their increased financial growth is attributed to â€Å"word-of-mouth† sales and quicker implementation of Chipotle culture in the area of the new restaurant. Also, more people are aware of Chipotle, thus increasing average opening sales.( Form S-1/A ,2005) The future plans of Chipotle is to expand operations and sales by opening new stores. They forecast opening a total of 75 stores in 2005 of which 58 were already opened at the time of the SEC filing. In order to expand sales they plan to implement an online method of ordering and increasing fax lines to accommodate heavier traffic without causing service to suffer. And, create new food options with existing ingredients. Through filing the SEC Chipotle is in compliance with the securities act of 1933 through rule 457 by following registration fee rules. (Compliance, 2008) Cost of Issuance A company filing an IPO must select underwriters in order to issue their stock. The underwriters purchase the stock and sell it at a slightly higher price than what they bought it for. They are responsible for all shares allotted, not including over allotment, and are not reimbursed for shares not sold at initial offer price. Chipotle’s underwriters areMorgan Stanley & Co. IncorporatedSG Cowen & Co., LLCBanc of America Securities LLCCitigroup Global Markets Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & SmithIncorporatedA.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. RBC Capital Markets CorporationSunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC(Form S-1/A ,2005)Chipotle Mexican Grill, INC. did not disclose the cost of issuance in the SEC filing. Impact on Ownership Control and ReturnChipotle had filed their IPO October 25th, 2005. Seeking $121.4 Million, Morgan Stanley and SG Cowen & Co., LLC they auctioned their shares. Clarifying some of the details behind its highly anticipated stock offering, Chipotle estimated its market value to be as high as $121. 4 Million, Chipotle will remain majority owned by McDonald’s Corp. (Chipotle.com, 2008). On its first day as a public company, Chipotle stock rose exactly 100%, closing at $44.00 per share. On September 8, 2006 McDonald’s Corp. announced it had started an offer for its shareholders to exchange McDonald’s stock for shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill. The exchange allowed McDonald’s shareholders to acquire Chipotle shares at a 10 percent discount. The offer is capped at a level of 0.9157 Chipotle shares for each McDonald’s share exchanged owned by McDonalds Corporation. On October 13, 2006, McDonald’s Corp. completed a tax-free swap of class B common stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG), for its own common stock. McDonald’s Corp. has now fully divested its investment in Chipotle. Source and Application of FundsWhen it comes to an IPO, the initial funds come from an investment banking firm referred to as an underwriter. The underwriter provides the financial advice to the company, buys the stock from the company, and then resells it to the public. Depending on the size of the IPO and number of stocks being offered, the company may have one underwriter or multiple underwriters. Before the stocks can be sold, they must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The primary responsibilities of the SEC are to enforce federal securities laws and to regulate stocks and the stock market. The company must also decide whether to trade the stocks on either the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. This would be the secondary and future source of funds. When Chipotle decided to go public, they had two underwriting companies as their primary underwriters: Morgan Stanley and SG Cowen & Co. LLC. Chipotle originally planned to sell 6.3 million shares at $15.50 to $17.50 per share but ended up changing at the last minute to 6.3 million shares at $22 per share. In the end the offering raised approximately $133M in primary capital to fund new store growth. In conclusion, organization’s must take into consideration many financial issues and decisions when going public. Many of these financial issues will be ongoing, and have to be taken into consideration when determining dividend payout to shareholders. Reference(s) Brealey, R., Myers, S., and Marcus, A. (2007). Fundamentals of corporate finance. (5th ed.). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text] New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved February 9, 2008 from University of Phoenix, rEsource, FIN325-Financial Analysis for Managers II Web site. Chipotle (2008) Chipotle.com Investor Relations. Retrieved on February 10, 2007 from,http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=194775&p=irol-homeProfile&t=&id=&Compliance (2008) Compliance Definitions. Retrieved on February 10, 2008 from, http://www.investorwords.com/5468/compliance.htmlDisclosure (2008) Disclosure definition. Retrieved on February 11, 2008 from,http://www.investorwords.com/1469/disclosure.htmlForm S-1/A (2005) Chipotle Mexican Grill. INC SEC Filing. Retrieved on February 10,2007 from, http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=194775&p=irol-sec&secCat01.1_rs=241&secCat01.1_rc=10#Initial Public Offering Forum. (n.d.). Initial public offering. Retrieved February 11, 2008 from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Inc-Mail/Initial-Public-Offerings.html

Does an Item’s History and Origin Make It Inevitably American? Essay

I would say yes and no, as far as fast food I would say yes; during my time in the military I came across a lot of fast food chains. Mainly McDonalds, but what really surprised me was when I went to Singapore; they had Burger King, Subway, and KFC. When I saw KFC, I had to try it just to see if it was like America, and it was. I mean they didn’t have these restaurants near the pier where the ships pull in, they were out in town. Hard Rock Cafà © and Planet Hollywood are other places are other examples of why I say yes. When it comes to music, other countries watch MTV and Hip Hop is really big. I was watching a Hip Hop award show and noticed that they had rappers from other countries rapping in their language, I was amazed. As far as TV shows and movies I would say no; we as Americans are running out of ideas, meaning we are now copying shows from other countries. American Idol and XFactor are two examples of why I say no, both shows were knock offs from Britain shows. When it comes to films I never knew how many movies we (meaning Americans) have taking foreign movies and put a twist on them until I was working at Blockbuster videos. I can name two movies that were copied; â€Å"Let Me In† came out in 2010 is a American romantic horror film which is based on the 2008 Swedish film â€Å"Let the Right One In†. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2009 Swedish drama thriller film based on a Swedish novel; in 2011, an American version was in the theaters. I hope my examples justify why I say yes and no.

Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest- Not In Our Schools

suggests the fact that the novel was intended to be read but an older more mature audience. There are numerous examples of inappropriate language being used by almost every character in the novel. An interesting fact to point out is that the man that we cheer for, McMurphy, the protagonist of the book is the one who uses this language most often. He is the one person that we learn to love because he stands up to the authority figure, Miss Ratchet. All the people in the ward want to be like him and we are made to feel this way as well. McMurphy’s behavior promotes rebellion against authority which if acted upon can put our society in a state of utter chaos, as seen in the ward. Violence and disturbing behavior are also in abundance in this novel. There are a number of accounts of disturbing behavior, this consists of the nurse trying to intimidate and embarrass the patients to keep them under control. It shows that a single person can control many through manipulation and carefully thought out actions. It is amazing that she can keep these patients in the ward even though the want to leave and can leave freely at any time. She has such a strangle hold on them, making them rely on the ward to survive. It’s through her manipulation and tr... Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest- Not In Our Schools Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest- Not In Our Schools One flew over the cuckoo’s nest is a well written and provocative novel, that has no place in our schools. The novel should not be permitted in our schools because the language is offensive, there is an abundance of violence and disturbing behavior, and it shows no positive side aspect of not only life in a ward but also of society. The language in one flew over the cuckoo’s nest is atrocious and vulgar. The language that the author uses to convey the feelings of the patients and members of the ward is degrading and unnecessary. There are numerous opportunities for the author to portray his mind-set and the mind-set of the characters with the use less offensive words. The use of these words suggests the fact that the novel was intended to be read but an older more mature audience. There are numerous examples of inappropriate language being used by almost every character in the novel. An interesting fact to point out is that the man that we cheer for, McMurphy, the protagonist of the book is the one who uses this language most often. He is the one person that we learn to love because he stands up to the authority figure, Miss Ratchet. All the people in the ward want to be like him and we are made to feel this way as well. McMurphy’s behavior promotes rebellion against authority which if acted upon c an put our society in a state of utter chaos, as seen in the ward. Violence and disturbing behavior are also in abundance in this novel. There are a number of accounts of disturbing behavior, this consists of the nurse trying to intimidate and embarrass the patients to keep them under control. It shows that a single person can control many through manipulation and carefully thought out actions. It is amazing that she can keep these patients in the ward even though the want to leave and can leave freely at any time. She has such a strangle hold on them, making them rely on the ward to survive. It’s through her manipulation and tr...

Attitude, Legislation, and Litigation on Special Education Essay

Attitude, Legislation, and Litigation on Special Education - Essay Example The thrust of the special education movement has been to give students with disabilities access to a general education, remove the stigma of being labeled, and create methods to monitor and measure the success of these programs. The 1975 act was originally known as the Education for the Handicapped Act (EHA) and was designed to give students with disabilities a free education in the least restrictive environment possible (Special education laws, 2005). Subsequent amendments have been aimed at broadening the definition of disabled to include visual impairment and making provisions for including these students in regular classes when possible. Physical and mental challenges have historically been stigmatized and labeling has often been used as a detrimental tool to exclude students from normal activities. The 1975 Act was passed to reduce these social consequences and provide a system that was more fair in its treatment of the disabled. Prior to any legislation regarding special education, disabilities were generally viewed as a negative and the students were often shunted to areas outside the mainstream school system. One of the issues that have framed the special education debate in the last 30 years is the move towards inclusion. ... "outright denial of disability in some cases, illustrated by the contention that disability exists only in attitudes" (Kauffman, McGee, & Brigham, 2004, p.615). This has had the counter-productive effect of making a disability seem as something that does not matter. While this has had the positive effect of making regular classrooms more accessible to students, it has also minimized the challenge that faces these students. In many cases the past 30 years have seen attitudes change from discriminatory to indifference. The long-term outlook for special education in its current form could produce results that are the opposite of what it hopes to accomplish. Pratts (2000) states that " race and social class are being related to levels of academic achievement". This is only logical as we see poverty and family history placing many students at a disadvantage. This impacts the makeup of special education classes because "academic achievement is a strong predictor of referral and eventual placement in special education" (Hosp & Reschly, 2004, p.187). This has the potential to place a disproportionate number of students into special education based on socio-economic class. If the current movement of inclusion creates an environment of indifference, these students may become isolated and neglected. Public awareness of the realities of being disabled needs to be continually addressed. Without creating a proper public attitude towards special education, we may create a system that is less restrictive and mor e fair, but we also may cultivate an atmosphere of injustice. Feelings of awkwardness have often been a part of my own personal reaction to students with disabilities. In the past I was uncomfortable confronting their disabilities due to my confusion about whether or not they

How does the promotion strategy effect the customer purchase Literature review

How does the promotion strategy effect the customer purchase - Literature review Example Mela, Gupta and Lehmann (1997) discussed the long-term impact of promotions on brand performance. Even though, this article takes dependent variable as brand performance instead of customer purchase, it has been chosen because brand performance is, after all, a determinant of customer purchase. Mela, Gupta and Lehmann (1997) investigated the long-term impact of advertising and promotion on customer’s brand choice behavior. Customer’s brand choice behavior depended upon two decisive factors. i. Is there any response of customers on the variables of marketing mix such as product, price, place and promotion? ii. If so, are these changes related to the promotional policies of retailers and manufacturers? The results of the study revealed that in long run, price promotion makes both types of customers; loyal and non-loyal. In addition to that, Mela, Gupta and Lehmann (1997) concluded that advertising has good affect on consumers’ brand choice behavior whereas promotions have bad affect on the brand choice behavior of consumers (Mela, Gupta and Lehmann, 1997). Personalization, also known as customization, is the popular concept of marketing. It has become a necessity for many organizations. Savadkoohi (2012) conducted a study to investigate advantages and disadvantages of customization for companies as well as customers. The paper emphasized upon the personalized online promotions and its impact on consumers’ buying behavior. Savadkoohi (2012) concluded that the successful online personalization strategies can increase the buying behavior of the customers and thereby, can affect the companies’ profitability. Nowadays, online marketing, selling and promotion have become very common. Companies utilize the platform of internet in order to attract more customers. Ye, Haohong and Fei (2010) conducted a study to investigate the impact of sales promotion on C2C online shopping behavior of consumer. In order to examine the relationship between these variables, Ye, Haohong and Fei (2010) used an empirical method. The results of the st udy revealed that online promotion has direct influence on the attitude of customers but the intention of purchase is not significant. However, it might help in building a brand perception in minds of customers. Therefore, online promotion can be effective in increasing the brand awareness (Ye, Haohong and Fei, 2010). Modi and Jhulka (2012) conducted a study in order to measure the impact of promotional schemes on the buying behavior of consumers. Modi and Jhulka (2012) examined five types of promotional schemes, which included Festival Season Offers, Special Gift, Exchange Offer, Product Warranties and Contest Prizes. A questionnaire was constructed in order to perform the research and gather the relevant data. Chi square test was performed to test the null hypotheses. The results of the study revealed that promotional schemes can be proved as effective tool to organizations for selling their products. The authors further stated that promotional schemes can be very useful especiall y in the car purchasing decision of consumers (Modi and Jhulka, 2012). Costa, Epperson, Huang and McKissick (2002) conducted a study to determine the impact of advertising and promotion on the scanned purchases of Vidalia onion. Another aim of the study was to examine the expected return on expenditure of promotion. In order to gather the data of Vidalia onion, scanned copies from the supermarket were collected. Vidalia Onion Marketing Order generates the promotion expenditure. In order to carry out the research, Costa, Epperson, Huang and McKissick (2002) utilized error component model for 10 different markets for the period of 1996 to 2001. Results of the study revealed that advertising and promotion expenditures influenced the demand of Vidalia onion substantially over the research period. Keeping in mind the seasonality of Vidalia onion, more promotional activities can be done in order to increase the

Organic foods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organic foods - Research Paper Example rest in the product and consumption of organic foods presently and it is largely because of better awareness about food produced organically in addition to the customers’ interest in food produced without any incorporation of chemicals or insecticides. The popular trend today does not concentrate on the use of chemical pesticides. c. Future (expert opinion): Organic food industry is bound to grow in the US by staggering proportions in the future given the expanding number of retailers who are willing to sell a large variety of foods. The overwhelmingly giant leaps seen in retail sales of organic foods from â€Å"$3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008† (USDA) are evident of obvious future expansion. i. Premium safety: Premium safety and nutrition value are the biggest advantages of organic foods which are known by everyone from well-educated agricultural professionals to common people with no knowledge about agriculture or food trends. This is the kind of advantage which cannot be denied by anyone. Compared with conventionally produced food, organic food penetrates barriers in context of nutrition. ii. Genetic modification: General idea promoted by activists of organic food products is that food produced by these methods is not genetically modified and 100% natural. Such food is totally how it is meant to be in accordance with nature and how it has been consumed since the very beginning when no chemicals or insecticides were known by the world and natural methods were preferred contributing to improved health and less diseases. iii. Natural growth: Because food produced organically does not depend on abundant amounts of artificial fertilizers like the nonorganic food, all fruits and vegetables get to complete their natural life cycle which is significantly important and has many repercussions. When meat is not injected with growth hormones and chemicals or fertilizers are not sprayed on fruits and vegetables, a higher content of nutrients can be

Personal Statement of Interest for Graduate Admission at the University of Baltimore Essay Example for Free

Personal Statement of Interest for Graduate Admission at the University of Baltimore Essay Life always takes me to a new and exciting experience each day. I believe everything that happened to me made me a person better than I am yesterday. It is a roller coasters experience since I meet every ups and down in life I always look forward in the future with much anticipation. I have a heart full of hope and a determined mind to succeed in everything I do. This is why I decided to apply on Baltimore’s graduate program on the field of Public Administration. I have the right mindset and I possess the necessary skills needed for the said program. I am looking forward to a future full of hope. I believe I can make all my dreams a reality come true. My name is (insert your name here) and I am currently studying at the University of Baltimore where I am taking up Bachelors Degree in Business Administration specializing in Human Resource Management. I will be graduating on January 11, 2009. I really cherish this educational institution because it honed me to be the best student that I can be in this field. I believe that the educational experience I had is still not enough that is why I continue to quest for knowledge and pursue another degree this coming Spring Semester of 2009. I wish to pursue another degree which majors in Public Administration specializing in Public Policy and Administration. I consider education as the most important factor geared towards success; and in order to achieve such, hard work and dedication should be exemplified in school. I am determined to succeed in life and continue the said degree until the end. I gained my degree in Applied Science in Business Administration last June 12, 2006 from Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY. I made it on the President and Dean’s List each semester and gained a 3. 5 GPA upon graduation. I treasure every achievement that I receive and impart it to my family and the institution where I am studying. I believe that it is always right to bring back the glory to the ones who assisted you towards success. Gaining recognitions is my way of paying tribute to my mentors and friends. Currently, I am part of the Helen P. Denit Honors Program where I am proud to say that I possess a GPA of 3. 4. I am also an active member of the Caribbean Students Association and Human Resources Society. I am happy being part of the aforementioned affiliations because it adds up meaningful experiences and lessons to my being. I also meet diverse people from different walks of life that made me more prepared for my future profession. Being one of the Dean’s Lister of the University of Baltimore boosted my pride and ego even more. Having a master’s degree in Public Administration will make me a more complete professional. I will be more aware of the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life. It will be an additional spice to the previous education that I had. The University of Baltimore is equipped of the professors and educational resources that will make me an expert in this field. Studying on the same university where I graduated is like a home away from home. I already feel the warmth and friendliness of future professors and colleagues. Another reason for attending University of Baltimore is the reputation that it possesses when it comes to catering transfer students. When I transferred there from Monroe College, I experience its strong reputation and I felt a smooth transition because of its accessible course schedules. It offers a wide array of information and facilities that helps in cultivating the knowledge to promising students like me. I believe that it is important to stay in this university as a sign of loyalty and integrity. In addition I have learned so much from my professors and classmates especially when it comes to confidence and moral boost. It opened up gates of opportunity for me to stand up and be known for what I am knowledgeable. The educational experiences at University of Baltimore were all priceless. After completing my master’s degree, I am planning to go back to the United States Virgin Islands. I wanted to receive a master’s degree in Public Administration because of my willingness to relocate back home. I believe that it is one of the best things that I can carry with me because it will contribute to my society. Back in the Virgin Islands a degree in Public Administration goes a long way because everything there is centralized around the government. I believe that I will be given the chance to move up easily in an organization because it is a small island working in a private industry where a person’s ability is very limited. I would be able to move around and cross-train in the different fields and departments because I have a degree in Public Administration. Success has been attributed to the lessons learned in the years ahead. These are the little things that help us become prepared for the difficulties that life has to offer Through my hard work and patient, I believe that I will be able to gain a great deal of experience on how to make it big in this field of interest. Furthermore, I realized that rendering my services I Public Administration would bridge gaps between people. In this light, I had to improve and level up my skills in this degree for me to practice the profession. Being an Employee Development Specialist is one of my foremost ambitions. Being on the said career will make way for me to be a pride in the government of the United States Virgin Islands. I know that this is very suitable for my persona because it involves both my undergraduate degree in Human Resource and future degree in Public Administration. Aside from this, I also intend to work out an overall career goal and that is to work and move up in the different careers in the Human Resource Field. There are skills and virtues needed for one to be successful in life. These are not simply found inside our house or outside the classroom. It needs to be gained earned the hard way. Sharing an insight by using my experience to one of my favorite sports will give you a clearer meaning of this. Playing (insert name of favorite sport here) is indeed my cup of tea. But at first I was really hesitant to play because I’m afraid I don’t have any knowledge at all or the right skills to play it good. But as time goes by I was able to grasp all the necessary requirements to meet the goal. Achieving it was never easy. Rather, it involves the presence of mind and the ability to cooperate with everyone in the team. For this I have learned the importance of coordination and team work. I believe that those are the most difficult tasks to achieve. We solely rely on ourselves for everything, and in so doing, there are certain things in life that need to be shared. Heroic acts may seem simple, but these are the things that cause much confusion on the side of people. I believe that just like playing my favorite sport, the filed of Public Administration is a big challenge. It is a long and winding road to take but I will never loose courage to meet the goal. I wish to work on future public policies and administering it all the best that I can. Tantamount learning will compensate the things that I gained from school and this will make me stand out among the rest. As a token of appreciation from my Alma matter, the recognitions I will receive in the future for this field will be dedicated to Baltimore. Education may seem difficult to achieve, but it is the best solution to a better life. There will be tough times but I believe that I can surpass it all. I will learn that through time, I can hone myself and be successful in my chosen path. Regardless of how others try to pull me down, there is no way for them to steal the knowledge that I have acquired over the years. Although it may seem like a dream, I want to be known as someone who has contributed much to my society. Although this may sound off, I believe that anyone can be successful, as long as he puts his heart and soul into it. Hard work and dedication are needed in order to become the striking individual that I want to be. Public Administration covers many areas that gave me challenges and opportunities. Becoming a professional in this field is a life long dream for me that will meet both of my philosophy and career goals. I am more than ready to take courage and travel the journey towards my ambition of being a successful professional of Public Administration in the future and help people the best that I can. All my personal qualities and experiences made me a clearer understanding of this profession as it made me realize the importance of choosing this career. I am a very passionate individual and I use this as one of the driving key to strive hard and be excellent in Public administration. I want to give service to the people and give dedicate to them the best of my capacity and at the same time build a personal relationship with them. Personal experiences gave me learning and responsibilities that molded me to be what I am now. My endeavors in life that I wished to happen at the right time come with great purpose. I believe that I have the capabilities and I am highly motivated to succeed in this career that I choose to take. I want to illustrate the qualities that I have that will help me succeed in pursuing my degree in Public Administration. I see my personal and academic experiences as stages of growth that have helped me to understand my own potential and the road that I wish to take in life. While vast opportunities are before me, I feel that my true calling lies in the fascinating and challenging world of Public Administration. I take one step at a time to manage my skills in a way that will lead to further enhancement and development. Life is a roller coaster and there are certain events where my abilities are put into test which later on taught me how strong I should be. I firmly believe that this is a course that would help me shine as an individual. I thought about my future and what I really wanted to do with my life. I plan to further enhance my craft through this degree and eventually be successful in this field. Highly motivated I believe that having Public Administration as a degree will surely ease the path towards reaching my goals. I look forward to my future with great anticipation. I know that the time has finally come for me to realize my dreams and make them come true. From everything that has been said, I believe that the education and training that University of Baltimore would provide me with, would be of great help in my quest for further studies. My goals and aspirations in life would become one step closer at a time. I would be regarded as the man who lives for tomorrow.

Possible Factors In Underachievement Of Males Within Education Education Essay

Possible Factors In Underachievement Of Males Within Education Education Essay Sociological studies with regard the underachievement of males, throughout the British education system, appear to be dominated by the analysis of three central phenomena; the idea of bias and inequality which flaws the educational system, the prevalence of a modern day, laddish anti-learning culture (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) and lastly, the psychology of the male mind. Each of these three interlinked themes will be reviewed within this document, which will focus solely upon the reasons which may held accountable for the identified underachievement of young men, most notably, at a General Certificate of Secondary Education Level (G.C.S.E) throughout the British education system, and internationally, around the world. The use of the term underachievement is widespread throughout educational discourse, and is predominately used in explaining a perceived failure to reach a given potential. Scott .J. Marshall .G. (2005:3). Sociologists, whose area of expertise lies within this particular field, tend to view low academic attainment in terms of factors such as prior attainment or socio-economic disadvantage, however in doing so, they acknowledge the danger of pathologising the underachiever, when in fact, responsibility may lie within the educational system itself. The term underachievement although widely used, appears to be problematic; masking ideological assumptions that concern socially constructed, subjective and relative matters, which concern the group understudy. The underachievement of young men within the education system is undoubtedly an immensely complex and contested field. Irrespective of these issues, the British education system has continued to make use of the term with a combinatio n of ubiquity and confidence. Gillies, D. (2010). Educational potential underachievement and cultural pluralism. Available: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/eitn/display.php?article_id=39. Last accessed 16th Feb 2011. Historical Background The underachievement of young men within the education system has appeared as a continual problem throughout the last decade. Dramatic illustrations from the media and speeches gave by the relevant government bodies have created in a sense a moral panic which has came to characterise many of the debates that surround the complex issue. Evidence from newspaper articles would suggest the underachievement of boys began in 1995. During this time the main professional newspaper, The Times Educational Supplement carried headlines declaring school work was Not for wimps Haigh, G. 1995, Not for wimps,_ The Times Educational Supplement_, 6th October 1995 and later asked Where did we go wrong? Bleach, K. 1997, Where did we go wrong?,_ The Times Educational Supplement_, 14th February 1997. Education correspondents for broadsheet newspapers similarly headlined articles which discussed The Failing Sex and called for schools to provide a Classroom rescue for Britains lost boys. Foster et al. (2001 ) What about the boys? An overview of the debates, in Martino .W. Meyenn .B. What About The Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. Acknowledgement of the underachievement of boys within the education system can also be seen in Stephen Byers 1998 speech. The School Standards Minister, said: We should not simply accept with a shrug of our shoulders that boys will be boys. Speaking at the 11th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement in Manchester, Mr Byers warned: Failure to raise the educational achievement of boys will mean that thousands of young men will face a bleak future in which a lack of qualifications and basic skills will mean unemployment and little hope of finding work. He disclosed new statistics on the standards of education at the time that had been reached by boys and girls. For example, in addition to girls far outperforming boys at a General Certificate Secondary Education level (G.C.S.E), National Curriculum assessments at seven, eleven and fourteen years of age also highlighted boys underperforming, within English Language in particular. Byers then went on to make an att ack on what he described as the prevailing laddish anti-learning culture. (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) In response to Stephen Byers identification of male underachievement, Ted Wragg also published an article in the Times Educational Supplement, The Times Educational Supplement Editorial. 1997, Keeping Balance on the Gender Agenda, _ the Times Educational Supplement_, 23rd May 1997. Within this article Professor Ted Wragg warned unless the achievement of boys was improved significantly society would witness immense problems that would continue throughout the 21st century. The then Chief Inspector for Schools, Chris Woodhead too believed the failure of boys, in particular working class boys to be one of the most disturbing problems faced within the entire education system. As a result of such media hype education ministers called for all academic institutions to challenge the laddish anti-learning culture, (Byers, S. 1998, Never mind theories, under-achieving boys need practical help, _The Independent_, 5th January 1998.) which had been allowed to develop. Taking such media build up and government vocalizations into consideration, it would appear something significant entered public consciousness during this time. Despite media and government claims of boys underachievement being a recent phenomenon, problems concerning boys and academic schooling has, in fact, been a longstanding priority with regard to educational studies. In particular the English philosopher John Locke, among others expressed great concern with regard the problems boys faced in language and literacy, in the 17th century. Similarly literature on schooling throughout the 1960s and 1970s cautioned teachers against grouping boys according to their academic ability as it resulted in less academic boys developing negative attitudes towards education and schools. Foster et al. (2001) What about the boys? An overview of the debates, in Martino .W. Meyenn .B. What About The Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. The introduction of the National Curriculum alongside the induction of complex assessment and reporting procedures, many believe, was what initially highlighted the problem of male underachievement in todays society. From 1991 onwards students have been made to complete Standard Assessment Tasks (S.A.T.s) at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen. Responsibility lies with the educational institutions at this time to ensure pupils achieve the expected standards. Additionally schools undergo rigorous inspection; such inspections appear to be central to the Educational Schools Act 1992, which introduced the implementation of National League Tables. These tables rank schools according to their pupils performance in the Standard Assessment Tasks (S.A.T.s). Many believe such a procedure was what set the scene for the emergence of the boys underachievement debate. In order for schools to survive they had to attract clients in the form of parents, and they could only attract parents if they were able to demonstrate they provided and delivered a high standard of education. Schools were judged to be efficient by the national league tables according to their success in getting pupils to reach the required standards at the ages of seven, eleven and fourteen. In 1996 the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Office for Standards in Education produced a joint report on performance differences between boys and girls in school. Their findings included girls being more successful than boys or broadly as successful in almost all major subjects. They reported girls tended to be more reflective than boys and also better at planning and organising their work. Reactions to these findings that boys are doing less well in school and are also suffering in other respects, such as the disproportionate degree of unemployment, as mentioned previously have varied. Some have identified what they see to be a crucial social problem of the 21st century. Others see it as solely a symptom of a male backlash, creating a sense of moral panic, aimed at clawing back the gains made by women in recent years. In light of such diverse view points, when researching this area for myself it would appear necessary to mantain a sense of balance before finishing upon any su ch conclusion. Official statistics on the academic performance of pupils in Northern Ireland, England and Wales indicate girls have been performing increasingly well compared to boys in terms of their attainment at General Certificate of Secondary Education (G.C.S.E) level examinations in most subjects. As mentioned previously, this development has been the focus of considerable debate in both the popular media and the academic press, with regular pronouncements from politicians and government policy makers. The obvious heated debate over boys underachievement throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century is not solely connected to Britain, figures suggest male underachievement is a problematic issue in Australia, Canada, The United States of America, parts of Western Europe and Japan. Epstein. D. Et al. (1998) Educating Boys, Learning Gender. Open University Press. Focusing upon the underachievement of boys within the context of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland in particular, I plan to focus upon Symbolic Interactionism as the basis of my own theoretical research. I plan to consider Symbolic Interactionist debates over Britains Lost Boys and the undoubtable underachievement of boys compared to girls in certain subjects, predominately at General Certificate of Secondary Education level (G.C.S.E). Symbolic Interactionists, unlike functionalists and conflict theorists, tend to limit their analysis of education to what they directly observe happening within the classroom. Their main focus is on teacher, pupil relationships and the interaction processes that occur within the classroom. Symbolic Interactionists see the education system as playing a vital role in shaping the way students see reality and themselves. Interactionists such as Howard Becker see school settings as creating serious difficulties for students who are labelled as less academically able than their peers. He believed such students may never be able to see themselves as good students and move beyond such labels. Teacher expectations play a huge role in student achievement from an interactionists point of view and this is a point I would be interested in investigating further with regard to my own research. Labelling theory, was developed predominately by Howard Becker who in Outsiders 1963 argued underachievement to be created by society, in the sense social groups create underachievement by making the rules whose infraction constitutes low attainment and by applying those rules to particular persons and labelling them as such Scott .J. Marshall .G. (2005:341) Becker and Lermert initially developed Labelling Theory, Hargreaves et al showed how it could apply within school settings and Rosenthal and Jacobson suggested that it could create a Self Fulfilling Prophecy in school, such that children defined as bright would in fact live up to such expectations. In education, despite the Rosenthal and Jacobson study, labelling-based self-fulfilling prophecies usually operate to the disadvantage of students. Specific categories of students, based on gender, ethnicity or indeed social background, may be written off as incapable of achieving, setting up a frame of reference in which their failings are noticed and their achievements discounted. Individual students may also be labelled by being told they will never amount to anything, or for example they are no good at a particular subject. Internalised, these labels are carried into new situations, including further and higher education, as a result many believe the failure of the student to be inevitable. Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted a land mark study for this approach in 1968. Firstly, they examined a group of students in accordance with standard IQ tests. The researchers then identified a number of students who they said would likely show a sharp increase in abilities over the coming year. They informed the teachers of these results, and asked them to watch and see if this increase did occur. When the researchers repeated the IQ tests at the end of the year, the students identified by the researchers did indeed show higher IQ scores. The significance of this study lies in the fact that the researchers had randomly selected a number of average students. The researchers found that when the teachers expected a particular performance or growth, it occurred. This phenomenon, where a false assumption actually occurs because someone predicted it, reinforces the notion of a self-fulfilling prophesy. Rosenthal .R. Jacobson .L. (1992) Pygmalion in the Classroom, Teachers Ex pectations and Pupils Intellectual Development. Crown House: Publishing Limited. Ray Rist conducted research similar to the Rosenthal and Jacobson study in 1970. In a kindergarten classroom where both students and teacher were of African American origin, the teacher assigned students to tables based on ability; the so called better students sat at a table closer to her, the average students sat at the next table, and the weakest students sat at the farthest table. Rist discovered that the teacher assigned the students to a table based on the teachers perception of the students skill levels on the eighth day of class, without any form of testing to verify such a placement. Rist also found that the students the teacher perceived as better learners came from higher social classes, while the weak students were from lower social classes. Monitoring the students through the year, Rist found that the students closer to the teacher received the most attention and performed better. The farther from the teacher a student sat, the weaker that student performed. Rist continu ed the study through the next several years and found that the labels assigned to the students on the eighth day of kindergarten followed them throughout their academic journey. Rist, Ray (1970). Student Social Class and Teacher Expectations: The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Ghetto Education. Harvard Educational Review 40, 3, 411-451. While Symbolic Interactionists have undoubtedly analysed this self fulfilling process, they have yet to find the exact way in which teachers form such expectations of students. Irrespective of such an issue I feel the Self Fulfilling Prophecy may be a crucial determining factor with regard to answering my own research question. The real importance of Rosenthal and Jacobsons findings at Oak School relates to the potential long-lasting effects of teachers expectations on the scholastic performance of students. It is of interest to explore some later research that examined the ways in which teachers unconsciously communicate their higher expectations to the students whom they believe possess greater potential. A study conducted by Chaiken, Sigler, and Derlega (1974) involved videotaping teacher-student interactions in a classroom situation in which the teachers had been informed that certain children were extremely bright (these bright students had been chosen at random from all the students in the class). Careful examination of the videos indicated that teachers favoured the identified brighter students in many subtle ways. They smiled at these students more often, made more eye contact, and had more favourable reactions to these students comments in class. These researchers go on to report that students for whom these high expectations exist are more likely to enjoy school receive more constructive comments from teachers on their mistakes, and work harder to try to improve. What this and other studies indicate are those teacher expectancies, while their influence is not the only determinant of a childs performance in school, can affect more than just IQ scores. Due in large part to Rosenthal and Jacobsons research, the power of teachers expectations on students performance has become an integral part of our understanding of the educational process. Furthermore, Rosenthals theory of interpersonal expectancies has exerted its influence in numerous areas other than education. In 2002, Rosenthal himself reviewed the literature on expectancy effects using meta-analysis techniques. He demonstrated how the expectations of psychological researchers, classroom teachers, judges in the courtroom, business executives, and health care providers can unintentionally affect the responses of their research participants, pupils, jurors, employees, and patients (Rosenthal, 2002, p. 839). Martino .W. Meyenn .B. (2001) What about the Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools. Open University Press. What about the Boys, Issues of Masculinity in Schools is a book which attempts to develop further understandings about masculinity. Such a piece of literature is timely given the continued moral panic that persists about boys disadvantaged status in comparison to girls. Throughout this book the view boys are victims and are attributed with a disadvantaged status remains throughout. Research undertaken with boys spanning Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States is brought together in this collection. The focus for each of the contributors is addressing issues of what about the boys in relation to their own research and informed perspectives on boys and schooling. Many focus on what boys (and girls) themselves say about their experiences of schooling and sexuality and use their voices as a basis for drawing out what the implications might be for those working in schools. In this regard the chapters are written with a broader audience in mind particularly teachers and administrators in schools with the view to using research to illuminate the effects of masculinity in the lives of boys and girls at school. All of the contributors are concerned to highlight the impact and effect of certain forms of masculinity on the lives of boys at school, but locate their research and/or discussion within the context of the boys education debates outlined by Foster, Kimmell and Skelton in the introductory chapter. Many have also indicated what the implications of their research are for daily practice in schools and classrooms. In this sense, the research documented here has major implications for the professional development of teachers in schools and for st udent teachers in tertiary institutions. Sociologists like Bob Connell (1987, 1995) have been particularly influential in drawing attention to how social, cultural and historical factors have influenced the various ways in which masculinity comes to be defined and embodied by boys and men. We see the contributors of this book building on this work. They highlight that there are many forms of masculinity that are played out in the context of a complex set of power relations in which certain types of masculinity are valued over others. Many also draw attention to the role of a dominant form of masculinity, which comes to be defined in opposition to femininity, and highlight that association with the feminine for boys can often lead to other boys questioning their sexuality (see also Frank,1987, 1993). Other factors such as race, class, ethnicity and geographical location are also taken up to develop an understanding of the various ways in which boys learn to relate and behave in certain social situations and within particular educational institutions. In this sense feminist educators and theories also inform the perspectives on boys and schooling elaborated in this book. Such perspectives have contributed significantly to producing valuable insights into the links between gender and power (Davies 1993; Steinberg et al. 1997), specifically in terms of illuminating boys social practices and ways of relating at school. All contributors recognize that schools are important arenas of power where masculinities and femininities are acted out on a daily basis through the dynamic processes of negotiation, refusal and struggle (Giroux and McLaren 1994). In other words, these papers illustrate that there are indeed social constraints and power imbalances in educational sites, but that gender regimes are more shifting and contradictory than theorists supposed in the seventies and eighties (Jackson and Salisbury 1996; Kenway et al. 1997). In this sense, each chapter included in this collection builds on studies into boys at school which have been undertaken by Kessler et al. (1985), Walker (1988), Mac an Ghaill (1994) and Epstein (1994). The contributors also suggest ways forward and beyond the popular and simplistic views which stress the need for boys to reclaim lost territory. There is a powerful discourse of neglect informing many of the popularist debates about the boys which continue to assert that provision for the educational needs of girls has been at the expense of boys (Yates 1997). Moreover, the idea or assumption that boys are somehow victims or losers now competing with girls who have suddenly become the winners is also refuted strongly by the various positions that are taken up in this book. Compounding such a position is the view that biology needs to be given equal consideration in developing an understanding of boys behaviours and learning orientations. This argument continues to be promulgated within the context of these debates about the boys (see submissions to Australian inquiry into boys education at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/eewr/Epfb/sublist.htm) as if appeals to biological sex differences and essentialism are somehow outside the effects of certain power relations (see Fausto-Sterling 2000). As Peterson (2000) has illuminated, appeals to biological determinism have been used historically to enforce a binary categorization of gendered behaviours always within the context of and in response to the perceived power gained by women. Moreover, as Lingard and Douglas (1999) have lucidly illustrated, the debates about the boys in the nineties have been characterized by a strong backlash against feminism and this continues to be the case as we enter the new millennium. If we are indeed to encourage diversity and citizenship in multicultural societies it is crucial that issues of opportunity, access and distributed success before grounded in debates about gendered educational outcomes. Collins et al. (2000) have addressed this in a recent governmental report on the factors influencing the educational performance of males and females in school and their post-school labour destinations. In line with the positions taken up in that report, we believe that policy formulation and curriculum development in schools must avoid the popularist tendency to assert a binary oppositional and competing victims perspective on the factors impacting on the social and educational experiences of boys and girls. This will only lead to homogenizing and normalizing boys and girls on the basis of biological sex differences and, hence, reinforce the very versions of masculinity which the research shows have detrimental consequences for both the former and the latter. This book, therefore, is offered as an attempt to provide a more informed perspective on the social practices of masculinity impacting on boys lives at school. We hope that it will have the effect of moving the debates beyond the feminist backlash rhetoric which persists in casting boys as the new victims. If anything, as the contributors of this book argue, the issue that needs to be addressed is the investment that many boys, men and schools have in promoting a particular version of masculinity which is to their detriment in the sense that it limits them from developing a wider repertoire of behaviours and ways of relating. Until a commitment is made, particularly by men and boys themselves, to addressing the role that sexuality, homophobia and misogyny continue to play in how many of them define and negotiate their Masculinities, we believe that very little will change. Connolly .P. (2004) Boys and Schooling in the Early Years. Routledge Falmer Press. Boys underachievement in education has now become a international concern, prioritised highly b government bodies around the world. Boys and Schooling in the early years represents the first study of its kind to focus solely upon young men and their achievement within the education system. Throughout this book this is a powerful argument for the need to begin tackling the problem of boss lower educational performance in the early years. This proved entirely beneficial as it includes one of the most detailed analyses of national statistics regarding gender differences in educational achievement from the early years right through until compulsory schooling. Together with original and in depth case studies which vividly capture the differing experiences and perspectives of 5-6 year old boys, this book sets out the nature of the problems facing young boys in education and highlights a number of practical ways in which they can begin to be addressed. This is entirely relevant as i am conc erned about boys lower levels of achievement. This book follows the sandwich model: for the filling, juicy case studies of two contrasting schools in Northern Ireland; and, around the outside, nourishing chapters of theorizing, a critical review of the rhetoric and reality of the problem, and a detailed discussion of the strategies needed to sort everything out. Of these, probably the most useful is the chapter that sets the factual record straight, dismissing some current explanations of boys under-achievement: its not their brains, neurons or testosterone that are to blame; it isnt a question of girls holding boys back, or the feminization of schools, or an epidemic of laddish behavior. Rather, Connolly argues, the key factor in boys poor educational performance relative to girls is masculinity itself or, rather, masculinities. This is the rationale for the case studies that follow: one school in an affluent, peaceful, middle-class area, and another in a seriously disadvantaged working-class area, riven by sectarian violence. It is also the starting point for the authors research questions: what are the dominant forms of masculinity in the early years, and how do they influence boys attitudes towards schooling? Between October 2001 and June 2002, Connolly spent a day a week in each of the two primary schools, observing five and six-year-old boys, and interviewing boys, teachers and parents. In the middle-class school, dinosaurs are cool but reading is rubbish, while, on the other side of the tracks, resistance to school reaches dizzy heights. Boys in this school are not without enthusiasms, but these appear to be football, fighting, wrestling, pulling down girls trousers and marching with the local loyalist flute band. The chapter on home-school relations in this school is even more depressing, as parents describe how the teachers discourage their children from even entering for the 11-plus. Bad news all round then, including the research process itself: in particular, there are some dodgy interview questions that virtually invite the boys, across the class divide, to assert their innate superiority: If you had a choice, would you want to be girls or boys?; Would either of you like to be a girl? The boys answers fall smoothly into the stereotyped trap prepared for them. Nevertheless, this book asks some serious questions, not least of which is: why do we worry so much about gender differences when social class has a much greater impact on achievement? Furthermore, why are so many teachers apparently so willing to accept their pupils low levels of achievement on entry as a sure and certain guide to the future? And, lastly, when are we going to learn what Bronwen Davies tried to teach us long ago (in Frogs and Snails and Feminist Tales) about the need to go beyond male-female dualism, so that we can position ourselves, and our pupils, as neither male, nor female, but human. Im yet to be convinced that studies such as Connollys are going to help us take this tremendous step forward. Head .J. (1999) Understanding the Boys, Issues of Behavior and Achievement. Falmer Press. Attention is given to general aspects of learning and assessment before examining the response of boys to specific subjects within the curriculum. Personal, social and health education concerns are addressed. http://www.dropshippers.co.za/ This text aims to increase understanding of the potential causes of underachievement, violence and even suicide amongst teenage boys. Suicide has dramatically increased among young males and academic underachievement is common. The author argues that it is therefore important to understand the young male psyche. The text addresses questions such as: has male behavior in school worsened, or has media hype inflated the proportions of a good story; what is at the root of male violence; and are biological or social explanations telling the whole story? The author shows that it is only by engaging boys in arenas of thought and feeling that we can understand and help overcome the difficulties faced by boys today. The issue of boys work and behavior in school has created considerable public interest and has undoubtedly polarized opinion, with some claiming it is the greatest social problem of our time, while other asserts it is merely an expression of male backlash intended to divert attention and resources from the need of girls and women. The first of the two sections within this book contains a review discussion of the various explanatory models biological, social and psychological. Emerging message is schools and teachers matter in academic performance can be made and we need not see the failing or difficult boys as inevitably trapped in their current position. Head believed the key to successful intervention was in understanding the boys and attempting to see things from their perspective. Martino .W. et al. (2003) so whats a boy, addressing the issues of masculinity and schooling. Open University Press. So whats a bay? is a timely volume. It comes at a critical point in the expanding debate regarding boys and schools. Juxtaposed against an increasingly strident and often times stark mass media, this book offers a sober and contemporary view of boys and their place in that confused environment called school. However, not content to simply cite data and/or repeat refrains found elsewhere, the authors have avoided the boy crisis trap and raised the debate by taking an appealing, narrative approach. One can hear and appreciate the voices of boys (all kinds of different boys) through this volume! More Articles of Interest MALE TEACHERS AND THE BOY PROBLEM: AN ISSUE OF RECUPERATIVE EDUCATING BOYS: TEMPERING RHETORIC WITH RESEARCH EDITORIAL WHATS TO FEAR: CALLING HOMOPHOBIA INTO QUESTION Real Men or Real Teachers: Contradictions in the lives of men elementary http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif The book is divided into three, roughly equal sections. Part 1, Normalization and Schooling, sets the general scene and brings the reader into the lives of boys with discussions regarding body image, emerging masculinities, bullying/harassment, and friendships. The second part, Diverse Masculinities, delves into the central issue of how boys see themselves, their developing sexuality, cultural/home conditions, how they are seen by others, and how