Monday, September 30, 2019

Islam Essay

Field Study Research Karen Edmonds-Leach Professor Jonathan Pedrone REL212: World Religions-Summer September 4, 2011 Islam: Field Study Research After interviewing a member of the Islamic faith, I came to the realization that there are very many misconceptions about the religion of Islam and that these misconceptions are very hurtful, disrespectful, and inhumane. In this paper, I will first discuss several misconceptions that I had about the Islamic faith. I will then analyze how my prior understanding about the religion was altered through interviewing a member of the Islamic faith. Next, I will discuss my beliefs on misconceptions about other people’s religion being common or not. Lastly, I will recommend steps that can be taken to minimize misconceptions people have about religions that are not their own. I had many misconceptions about Islam before speaking with a member of the religion. The first was that Islam oppresses women. When I thought about women in Islam, I thought of the image of a woman wearing a veil, and other heavy, dark clothing, where no skin would be visible, even in the hot summer months. I thought about how women were forced to stay home, and were not allowed to drive vehicles. I also believed that the Muslim’s God, Allah, was not the same as the God in Christianity, and was a false god. I believed that Muslims worshipped Muhammad, and that Muhammad and Allah were the same thing. I did not think that Muslims believed in Jesus Christ. I also thought that Muslim men all married multiple wives. I thought that polygamy was something that was widely practiced in Islam, and was somewhat of a requirement. For those men who married one wife, I believed that they were merely â€Å"Americanized†. Another misconception I had was that all Muslims were Arabs. Not only did I think they were all Arabs, but I thought that being a Muslim and an Arab was the same thing. Lastly, just as the cross is something like a symbol of Christianity, I believed that the crescent and the star was the symbol of Islam. I had all of these misconceptions about Islam, as many other people who practice religions outside of Islam do, but speaking with a Muslim quickly changed my mind about these harsh misconceptions. Each one of my misconceptions about Islam count toward my overall understanding of the religion. My prior understanding was completely altered through my encounter with the Muslim woman I interviewed. I believed it would be a great idea to talk to a woman about how women are suppressed in Islam. I interviewed a friend of mine, named Kiran Masood. She was born and raised in the Islam religion, and continues to practice it today. She informed me that this is not necessarily the case. She stated that some Muslim countries do have laws that oppress women, but this practice does not come from Islam itself. Masood stated, â€Å"countries that have laws against women created these laws themselves. They may say that their basis is from the Qu’ran, but the Qu’ran does not suggest any oppression women† (Masood). Though this is true, there are some social constructions in Islam, where women and men are given different roles and equity. This is something that all religions accept, and is not a surprise to me in Islam. In addition, another common misconception is that a woman can be forced to marry against her will, and this is not the case at all. Masood informed me that â€Å"no one can force a Muslim girl to marry someone she does not want to marry; her parents may suggest she marry a suitable man, but by no means is this girl forced to marry someone that she may not want to marry† (Masood). I was also informed that divorce is not common, and it is used as a last resort. Masood also quickly refuted my second misconception, that Allah is a different God. â€Å"Allah is not a different God; Allah is simply the Arabic word for God† (Masood) which is something that I was not aware of. Allah is the same God worshipped by Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The one difference in Islam and Christianity is that Muslims believe the God is the one and only. The religion does not accept Jesus as God’s son, and believes that He has no human-like attributions. In Christianity, Jesus is accepted as God’s son and was basically God in flesh when He was on earth. Also, Muslims do not worship Muhammad, as I was lead to believe. Muhammad was chosen to deliver messages, but is not the founder of Islam, and Muslims do not worship him, though they do honor him and respect him, as they do Jesus, Moses, Adam, and Noah (the other prophets of the Word). My third misconception, that all Muslim men marry multiple women, also came to be false. Masood informed me that polygamy, marrying multiple spouses, is not encouraged in Islam, and is not mandatory. She stated, â€Å"In the religion of Islam, marrying multiple women is permissible, but is not something that the religion requires† (Masood). If a man decides to marry multiple women, these women cannot be forced into it, meaning if they do not want to marry a man with other wives, then she does not have to. My fourth misconception was that Muslims and Arabs are the same thing. Masood simply told me that the two are different, but I decided to do more research on the subject. There are about 1. 2 billion Muslims in the world. Muslims reside in a variety of places, including Nigeria, the Philippines, and of course, the United States. Muslims also represent many races, cultures, and nationalities. About 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world, primarily in Indonesia (Isseroff). This is far from 100% of Muslims. Lastly, I believed that the crescent and star was the symbol of Islam, which is not the case. In the days of the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims did not have a symbol; instead, they used solid-colored flags. The Turks in fact introduced the crescent as a symbol. It was adopted due to the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of Constantinople. In turn, all of my beliefs about Islam turned out to be false. In fact, some of them turned out to be the complete opposite. I believe that misconceptions about other people’s religion are extremely common. No matter what religion someone practices, they always have certain beliefs about other people’s religions. This is not to say that people disrespect other people’s religions, but they simply have their own beliefs towards them. Most times, we do not know anything about other people’s religions. We are so set in our own mindset that the religion we practice is the only correct religion; that we fail to learn anything about other religions in the world. Because we lack knowledge of other religions, we use stereotypes and misconceptions to justify why we do not agree with the other religions’ practices. Even those who do not practice any religion, I believe they use stereotypes and misconceptions about all religions, because those people are so fixed in their own belief that no religion is true, and that they all are false. It is important for people of all religions to have an understanding of others’ religions, because sometimes, people have a lot more in common than they think they do. For example, I thought that my own religion, Christianity, was completely different from Islam, but in reality, the two religions share many similarities. I was surprised at the information I learned from Kiran Masood, and it was a shock that Islam has a lot of parallels to Christianity. Every religion has certain misconceptions. In this paper, I analyzed the misconceptions of Islam, but Christianity and other religions have misconceptions as well. We always are so quick to judge others that are different from us, but instead we should be interested in learning new things about other religions. The purpose of this is not to persuade someone to convert to a different religion, but to just be enlightened and educated about the different religions that exist in our society. One step that could be taken to minimize misconceptions people have about religions not their own is for people to let their guards down and to be more accepting to people’s differences. Not everyone will have the same beliefs, but instead of stereotyping and discriminating against other religions, we can learn from each other. Just having knowledge of new things is prideful, and is an asset that we all should have. If we take the time to learn about other people’s beliefs, these misconceptions would not exist. We should educate ourselves, instead of jumping to conclusions. One way I like to think about this is that I do not like when people of different religions criticize and stereotype against my own religion, Christianity. I wish that people would not be so quick to speak negatively about Christianity, because most times, they do not know what they are truly talking about. They jump to conclusions, and did not take the time to learn the truth behind Christianity. Because I have such strong feelings about this, I should in turn not treat other religions this way, since I know how it feels. I should take the time to educate myself about different religions. Though it will not cause me to convert from Christianity, just having basic knowledge about other religions can help me make a better judgment on certain topics. No one can make judgments or participate in a debate if they have not done research on the subject. Interviewing my friend Kiran Masood gave me a lot of enlightenment. I learned so much about the religion of Islam that I did not previously know. Though we have known each other for a while, I never thought to learn more about the religion she practices. I found it to be a rewarding experience, and learning about different religions is something that I will continue to practice. It is important for us to understand that we all have differences, whether it is race, culture, ethnic background, economic status, or religion. Amongst all these differences are many similarities between us. Instead of always focusing on the differences that separate us, we should look at the similarities that bring us together. Our differences make us special, and our similarities give us things in common. Learning about people’s differences is important because it is what makes that person unique. Though we all have a variety of differences, one thing we have in common is we all are human beings with feelings and beliefs. We should all value our beliefs, and be open to learning about others’ beliefs as well. References Isseroff, A. (n. d. ). A Concise History of Islam and the Arabs. Middle East: MidEastWeb. Retrieved September 1, 2011, from http://www. mideastweb. org/islamhistory. htm. Fisher, M. P. , & Adler, J. A. (2011). Living Religions (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Books vs Ebooks Essay

Now days with the rise of digital technology many physical items such as pen and paper are slowly being replaced by computers and smart phones. But is this really a good thing? I read books and of course so do many other people in this class and around the globe. But since the creation of ‘e-readers’ more and more people have been converting to the technology based side of reading. Although technology is slowly becoming more predominant in this era we should not rely on it to always entertain and keep us occupied. I think ‘real, physical’ books are better than e-books because you can truly own a book. As Mortimer J. Adler, a popular author, says, ‘Full ownership comes only when you have made [the book] a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it. ’ When owning an e-book it is more like owning ‘insurance’ than owning a camera. In one case ownership of books is physical and irrevocable but e-books are not and can be taken away easily as Kindle users discovered when one day their copies of 1984 suddenly disappeared. You will know a book that is truly owned because it will be ‘dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back,’ says Adler. It also lets you know how old and how well enjoyed a book was. E-readers are beginning to allow some interactivity, but it is of a very different order. Taking a note in an e-book or making a highlight in it is independent of the book; all of that information is stored apart from the book in a file or a database. Send the book to another person and you’ll find that all of the notes and highlights are gone. They belong to you or your device, not to your book. One of the most disappointing aspects of e-books is that they cannot be loaned out. Most have some kind of digital rights management which ties a book to a particular owner. When you buy a Kindle book, you might have a copy of that book on up to 5 of your devices, but they must be devices tied to your Amazon account. You cannot loan your book to your friend; you cannot even loan it to your mum if she has a Kindle of her own. Of course that’s not strictly true—you can loan your book by loaning your reading device, but that’s like giving someone access to one of your books by loaning them an entire library, book cases and all. And books are a tactile experience, meaning they are supposed to be experienced through touch and smell (especially for the old books). A book is meant to be an experience that can have depressions and elevations on the cover and text, feeling the weight of the pages as you turn them and all of these elements when combined make a book what it is, but when you read an e-book you are exposed to digitized text and a screen. And it’s been proven that when people are exposed to screens of TVs or computers they are less likely to have a good night sleep. On a web poll about e-books vs. books one person commented, ‘I’ve tried reading a few e-books but I’ve always given up. I just don’t like looking at digitized text when I’m reading a novel. I like the feel, the weight and even the smell of books,’ many of the following comments made by others agreed with this persons thoughts. A book is a single-task item that is written to distract the reader from everything else happening around them, they are technology designed for the best possible reading experience. An e-reader, however, tends to be a multi-tasking item with the ability to play music and videos as well as hold books. The iPad has a reading function but the focus is usually on the masses of games and the ability to search the internet. They beep, they buzz, and they disengage in a thousand ways. I don’t ever anticipate searching quiet side streets in old towns hoping to find used e-book stores. That’s because there is no such thing as a used e-book. E-books are never used, even when they have been read. They are still just files, as unblemished after ten years as they were the day they were duplicated. They will never suddenly appear as hidden treasures, dug out of a box in an old, rundown book store. They can never be loaned out and they can never be resold. They are forever new, forever fresh, forever unused and unstained. There will be no rare first editions, no beautiful special editions to be searched for decades from now. But whether used or new physical books can have sentimental value, you can get given a book for you birthday from your aunt but she can’t buy you an e-book, although she can give you the money for one, there won’t be a sweet message in its cover and you probably won’t remember if you bought the e-book or not. Books have sentimental value to them and are special reminders of times in you life because you can see them age and they will always be a physical reminder where they came from. We may be replacing things for easy technology even though some of it keeps us occupied. We still use old fashion books and letters because it connects us to what is happening, the letter you got from your grandma is special because its physical and you can keep it without it somehow disappearing. You can mark a book to show others its yours and to show them how you felt about it, you can lend them to a friend so they can enjoy it too and you can really get into a book that you can feel and smell and hide away from the world to find somewhere you can be or do whatever you want.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Design Methods of Family-Centered Communication Coursework

Design Methods of Family-Centered Communication - Coursework Example From this paper it is clear that a daily log is a diary highlighting a summary of a child’s daily events. Its major purpose is to record vital information in respect to the child’s welfare. Additionally, the log provides parents and caregivers with some information about the day’s activities. This paper will analyze if Caregivers and families find a Daily Log helpful while at the same time enhancing communication between the center and the family. Subsequently, the paper will reflect on the significance of information between schools, caregivers and families in addition to appraising the benefits of various types of communication for families. This paper declares that healthy communication can often be created by different influences coupled with skills, personal goals, cultural orientations, thoughtfulness of people’s opinions and circumstantial factors. Communication skills in an early childhood setting include communicating with families and linking the m in the decision-making process and dealing with children. Diversity in childcare setting has become a major concern since the introduction of the affirmative action on 1960. Diversity in the childcare center has forced many schools to adapt to the ever changing environment. As childcare providers, it is necessary and imperative that they (caregivers) become aware of the ever changing environment and, therefore, equip themselves with the skills needed by the current child care system.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical Analysis Paper - Essay Example So many Pidgin pessimists," gives a lot of promise. And he's not stopping, now or in the foreseeable future. "Can you come up wit one more positive way of looking at dis piece o'wot Try tink. Right on. Ho, you get 'em. Das how. We get ONE Pidgin optimist in da house" is as convincing as the essay itself those who will oppose the guy will have a difficult time. "In da real world get planny Pidgin prejudice, ah. Dey, da ubiquitous dey, dey is everywea brah; dey say dat da perception is dat da standard english talker is going automatically be perceive fo' be mo' intelligent than da Pidgin talker regardless wot dey talking, jus from HOW dey talking," he complains as he spars biases. And one imagines a Huck, with slumped shoulders and head cast downward trying to avoid people at daylight, processing his thoughts in his own world dominated only by an African American slave Jim, and at times, by the more acceptable and lovable Tom Sawyer. It's kine lonely, if one sees through it, so much like the cause Pidgin Guerilla Tonouchi is fighting for. Biases ran amuck in a global culture of majority rules as Tonouchi might strongly be shaking his head as he asserts that, "but I no need really look da studies, cuz I can see dis happening insai my classrooms" "Oh Frazier, you're so smart. ... He recalled the experience of his Oriental parents in the 50s to 60s, "If dey talked Pidgin in school den da teachah would slap 'em wit da ruler. Ka-pow. Ow, ow, ow" up to his generation, "You gotta enunciate and tell, "May I please use the restroom" And if you no tell 'em li'dat, den you gotta hold your shishi, brah." He is standing up. "If I knew den wot I know now, HO, I would've SUED da DOE for da kine cruel and unusual punishment. Million dollah settlement right dea," and he depreciates in kine funny, if not yet hilarious manner. He's shaking his head, "wuz equating talking Pidgin to smoking cigarettes cuz he gotta "cut back." If he talk too much Pidgin, den he going get Pidgin cancer and he going DIE, brah. Pua ting. Sad yeah, da tinking" but he's not giving up, nor going away and turn from his cause. In fact, he is facing the challenge head on as he asked his class, "Try tell me all da tings dat people told you ova da years dat you CANNOT do wit Pidgin." And dis wot dey came up wit: Dey Say if You Talk Pidgin You No Can . . . be smart be important be successful be professional be taken seriously be one teacher be one doctor be one lawyer be a government worker be big businessman be da Pope be the president be the wife of the president Dey say if you talk Pidgin you no can . . . communicate eat at fine dining restaurants enter a beauty pageant (and win)" and the list is endless, but he is not stopping. And he is proving the Pidgin detractors wrong. "but I tink so people jus find 'em funny cuz dey know lot of da tings on da list is not true. Bogus li'dat. Why Cuz dey know Pidgin people who eat at fancy restaurants, cuz dey know Pidgin

Thursday, September 26, 2019

National Museum of the American Indian (The Smithsonian Institution, Term Paper

National Museum of the American Indian (The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.) - Term Paper Example as the past were key aspects of the design concept: â€Å"it needed to be a living museum, neither formal nor quiet, located in close proximity to nature.† The location which was chosen for the museum contained a stream, and this natural feature, along with the directions of the street outside and the natural north, south, east and west directions were taken into account. This is because native Indian culture places high value on harmony between all aspects of human life and the natural world and even more radically: â€Å"the grounds surrounding the building are considered an extension of the building and a vital part of the museum as a whole.†2 The Seattle born architect, Johnpaul Jones, who is of Choctaw, Cherokee and Welsh heritage, consulted with a widely drawn group of native elders and they decided very early that the building and surrounding area would be different from the neoclassical or modernist museum styles: â€Å"The museum doesn’t have a straight line in it, and is meant to look as though wind and water carved its curves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 3 These curved external walls are the first feature to strike the visitor who arrives on foot: â€Å"Theres a monumental new presence rising above the elm trees on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., - and its not like anything else youll see there. Its as if a vision from an ancient cliff city of the desert Southwest - five stories worth of honey-colored limestone, rough hewn as if by the wind yet flowing like a river of curving cantilevered walls - had been plopped down at the back door of the U.S. Capitol.†4 The site was examined by the native elders, who identified a central point and buried a secret object there. This spot now lies at the centre of the domed Potomac atrium which lies to the east of the entrance area. The entrance was not located to face the Mall, but instead it looks east towards the rising sun and, incidentally, towards the U.S. Capitol. The stream was honoured with the creation of a fountain and a

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Student debt management and student budgeting Research Paper

Student debt management and student budgeting - Research Paper Example Rising inflationary pressure and skyrocketing tuition fees are expected to make the situation worse. There is an overwhelming need to allow students to deal with debt management and budgeting in order to make the most out of an educational career. This memo delineates various online sources to help students with their debt and budget management. Online sources analyzed for this task have been assessed under three different suitability criteria – ease of understanding, ease of navigation and relevance to fiscal management. Ease of understanding is included the primary criteria since all students may not be able to comprehend fiscal language well. Ease of navigation is the secondary criteria since finding the right resource at the right time to deal with a fiscal management problem is essential to student debt and budget management. Relevance to fiscal management is the tertiary criteria since myriad material is available online but only some websites offer true fiscal management techniques. CanLearn covers all aspects of educational financing including secondary and post-secondary education. The information presented on CanLearn is specific to the Canadian educational scenario. Information included covers various methods of educational financing including financial aid, scholarships and student loans. CanLearn covers various aspects of student loan financing and repayment in detail though the language is a little advanced. In contrast, Debt 101 presents a simple interface coupled with direct and to the point articles. The information covered on Debt 101 uses simplified language that covers basic as well as advanced student fiscal management topics. This ensures that the information presented on Debt 101 appeals to simple as well as advanced student debt managers. In addition to student loans, Debt 101 offers budgeting tips and techniques that are arranged in a simple interface. This adds to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Market Model Patterns of Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Market Model Patterns of Change - Research Paper Example The introduction of Pepsi and other competitors into a market changed Coca cola’s business operations. Among these was the adoption of increased advertisement to popularize the brand. In addition, it introduced new incentives to the market like sports sponsorship and holiday campaigns. The company has also introduced new products like bottled water. The company entered new markets and increased the number of outlets in the globe (Petretti, 2008). In the short run a business seeks to maximize on the profits by increasing production, decreasing production and continue producing. Coke started operating aggressively in France in 1999. Its primary concentration was customer satisfaction. This is evident through incentives offered to retailers and middlemen. This has made coke available to the customer. It has also acquired shelf spaces in areas that the customer can easily access the product. Coca cola aims to reduce it cost of production in the long run. This could be achieved thr ough the change in capacity levels in order to reach low cost, which is evident through its plan to increase production in china. It would be achieved through introduction of new production line. ... Needless to say, the company was sued by its distributors as it sought to expand its market of powdered sport drinks. This created a bad reputation to the Coca Cola Company. It however created a problem within its distribution channel. Coca cola has faced tough economic conditions. According to Gill (2008), these conditions have led to low consumption of the beverages. It has encountered high ingredients cost and a decline in sales. In countries such as India the company has received criticism from activists. It has been accused of depleting underground water where the bottling plants are located. The company has to improve on its corporate social responsibilities in order to remain competitive in the industry. Competitors are forging partnerships that are aimed at increasing their market share in certain markets (Gill, 2008). Pepsi and Tingyi holding corporation established an alliance that aims to exploit the China market. Coca cola moved in to increase its production in the market by building new production lines. On the other hand, Pepsi has been able to improve its market share to almost 20 percent as compared to coca colas’ 17 percent. Coca cola has experienced a decline in profit levels. In Europe it registered a 4 percent decline in sales. This is due to the economic crises facing the continent (Gill, 2008). Pepsi produces soft drinks as well as snacks. Coca cola has been able to improve on its products as well as come up with bottled water. This indicates that the competition is stiff. Petretti (2008) denotes that these companies are innovating new ideas to remain relevant in the market. Pepsi has been reported to have spent around 3.5 billion dollars in marketing its products. Pepsi has recently realized

Monday, September 23, 2019

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 15

Research paper - Essay Example Over the years, the region has become the centre for conflicts as the United States has been keen on safeguarding its interest and those of Israel in the region. This vast region is generally very hot and dry while its soil type is sandy soil, which does not support plant cover. Ideally, the Middle East mainly comprises of the Arab culture but it also accommodates other minute descents of the Turks, Iranians, and Israelis. Therefore, the most common religion in here is the Islamic religion. Over the years, this Iraq is a rich oil-producing region across the world, but poor administration has influenced its stunted economic growth. With most of the world nations being oil and petroleum reliant, economic growth was inevitable due to heavy supply of these products. With this, this essay will delve into the environmental issues and problems in the Middle East region, especially Iraq and the impacts of the same. Further, the focus will also be on the ways of influencing positive relationship between the USA and the people of the Middle East within my personal view. The attacks on American soil of the 9/11 terrorist bother by the Al Qaeda in 2001 was the turning point as this made the country to scale up its efforts towards curbing insurgency on its soil and in foreign lands. The result of this was a pledge by President George Bush to wage war on terror to the point that this would no longer be a threat to the progress of this super power (Fontenot, Degen and Tohn 16). This led to the funding of military activities in Iraq in an attempt to destroy the threat that Iraq posed to other nations such as Israel through its leader Saddam Hussein because of their alleged possession of nuclear very destructive weapons. The American administration at the time pledged that the military activity in Iraq was a way of protecting Israel because it was prone to such attacks. In essence, the stalemate between Iraq and Israel began in the 1980s when the latter

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Book review of Ethics on the Job by R. Pfeiffer and R. Forsberg Essay

Book review of Ethics on the Job by R. Pfeiffer and R. Forsberg - Essay Example This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of the book as a reference for business and management students. Based on the book review, this book is best for undergraduate business, management, marketing, and other business-related courses, because it provides a brief overview of business ethics and provides pragmatic solutions to different business cases. Main Arguments The main argument of Pfeiffer and Forsberg (2005) is that when surmounting ethical challenges, employees and the management should use critical thinking in determining all conflicting rights and values, before choosing which ones have to be upheld. The decision for the resolution must consider different oppositions and diverse alternatives. Furthermore, Pfeiffer and Forsberg (2005) wants stakeholders to collaborate together in making long-term solutions. They are teaching business and management students to not have a myopic view of ethical dilemmas. ... They recommended the use of ethical principles, rights, and values in making the right business decisions, so that managers and employees can have the tools for making ethical decisions for different levels (i.e. management or individual levels). Strengths Content The first strength of the book is that it is a book on applied ethics. It does not focus on explaining diverse theoretical and philosophical approaches to ethical decision-making, but instead, it devotes itself to different cases that tackle diverse ethical scenarios. It provides numerous cases that will expose students to different kinds of individual, team, and organization-level ethical dilemmas. This way, Pfeiffer and Forsberg (2005) are training students on how to view and analyze different ethical challenges that they may face in real life. Through different cases, students will also become updated with emerging ethical issues, such as environmental, technological, and multicultural ethical concerns. They will underst and that global, regional, and national events and conditions also impact local business ethical problems. The second strength of the book is that it offers a workable decision-making framework for students. The RESOLVEDD strategy defines stakeholders and their conflicting principles, rights, and values, which is essential in understanding the problem at hand. A complete understanding of the problem can lead to a more comprehensive analysis of the ethical dilemma and will help determine more potential alternative solutions. Win-win solutions can be better viewed, when all conditions and stakeholders are considered. Ferrell and Ferrell (2009) highlighted the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life, etc†¦; a particular set of ideas about knowledge, truth, and meaning of life; and a set of ideas about how to do something or how to live† (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). Philosophy plays a huge role in all of our lives. Studding of philosophy influences our lives in many ways and has many purposes. Philosophy has five major branches metaphysis, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. Each of these branches plays a role with culture to develop thoughts in human beings by wondering, a dynamic  process, the truth, and wisdom. â€Å"Philosophy is an attempt to reason clearly and critically about all areas of experience: science, religion, art, politics, and mortality† (What is Philosophy, Para, 1). The purpose of philosophy is to try to understand and evaluate our most basics, beliefs, values, and to integrate them into a coherent view of each of us and the world around us (What is Philosophy, 2014). Studying philosophy is important because it continues to play an important role in shaping the future of all human existence, Philosophy enhances personal growth,  professional opportunities, improves reading skill, critical thinking, communication, and helps in arguments by showing your philosophical knowledge (What is Philosophy, 2014). There are five major basic branches of philosophy. The branches are the metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. The metaphysics branch is the study of existence. For example, a few questions one might ask them self would be PHILOSOPHY 3 what else is out there, why I am here, and what is my purpose in life (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Epistemology branch is the study of knowledge. Individuals like to know as much as possible to help their selves understand what is going in life and around then. For example, a question one might ask their selves would be how I know about certain things. In philosophy, knowledge is looked at as factual senses, and not just guesses. People that are epistemology rather use statements and questions in factual form, such as, dogs are mammals (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Ethic branch is the study of actions. This is the branch of philosophy that helps the decision making in what is right and what is wrong; beliefs and values. An example of ethics is your conscious. On one side there is the devil telling you to do the wrong thing, and the angel on the other side telling to do the right thing. Many ethical people try to avoid judgment, but have high moral beliefs in specific things. Ethics also plays a role in religion and faith (Important of Philosophy, 2014). The Aesthetics branch (also known as politics) is the study of action. This is the branch that shoes what actions are permissible. An example, would be how politics work in the world. What laws should be made, and how they should come to be. Politics are the ethics that are applied to people based off what they are told to do or believe (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Finally, the last branch of philosophy is logic or esthetics. This is the study of art. The main question is what can life be like? This is the branch that allows mankind to see the world in an abstract way. According to Importance of Philosophy (2014) PHILOSOPHY 4 Esthetics is important because it delves into the reason why art has always existed, the burning need of mankind through the ages to see the world in a different, clear way it  further evaluates art by the standards of human life, and whether it accomplishes the job of satisfying man’s intellectual needs, or whether it tends to hurt or make worse those needs (Para. 3). Esthetics is bringing the emotion and idea together to make a decision (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Within all the branches there are arguments, these arguments helps in philosophy to create creative thinking and growth. We all have questions, and beliefs to the meaning of life, and we will continue to argue trough ethnic, logic, politics, and beliefs. Each of the five basic philosophy groups have to face basic arguments, These  arguments are structure of arguments, evaluating arguments, types of arguments, and informal fallacies (Chaffee, 2013). The structure of arguments includes: reason, reason, and conclusion. Evaluating arguments include truth of reason, validity of structure, and soundness of argument. There are two types of arguments deductive: conclusion follows necessarily from premises (reasons), and inductive: conclusion supported by premises to some degree. Finally, there are informal fallacies, these are unsound arguments that appeal to emotion and prejudice (Chaffee, 2013). Philosophy and culture interact to develop thought because there are so many different beliefs in the word. Philosophy is love and wisdom, while in culture there is so much hate. The more we talk about our beliefs, and talk out the way we each feel it creates creative thinking, and more open minds. For example, scientist see things one PHILOSOPHY 5 way, but when we are more philosophical it shows us that there are more than one answer to each question. Science believes in evolution, religions believe in god, while the rest of us are still trying to find the meaning of life. When it comes to me, I think ethics represents me the most. I believe in right and wrong, and I have faith. I believe that taking actions against wrong in the world is very important. In our culture, there is so much hate, and I am a very big advocate for equality. I fight for equality for all humans, and I also fight for the rights of animals. Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature, and meaning of life (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). There are five major basic groups, and there will always be questions to create creative thinking, and open minds. Philosophy has  been around from the beginning of time, and will be around until the end of time. We will always want to know the meaning of life and why we exist. PHILOSOPHY 6 References: Chaffee, J. (2013). The philosopher’s way: Thinking Critically about Profound Ideas (1st Ed,). Pearson Education, INC. Importance of Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. importanceofphilosophy. com/FiveBranchesMain. html Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/philosophy What is Philosophy? (2014). Retrieved from http://www. etsu. edu/cas/philosophy/whatis. aspx.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Technical And Vocational Education

Technical And Vocational Education The development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training has clearly been seen as a key to national poverty reduction and socio-economic development in Cambodia, as defined in the Rectangle Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the five-year National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-2010. These show a commitment to skills development. The National TVET Development Plan, 2006-2011, also identifies the TVET sector as an important element in alleviating poverty, promoting peace, conserving the environment, improving the quality of life for all, and helping achieve sustainable development in Cambodia. However, Cambodias current TVET system is facing several critical issues such as: lack of access to formal training on a national basis, weak links with industry, lack of entrepreneurial focus, poor quality control, inadequate institutional financing, low rates of information and communication technology (ICT) usage and low capacity of TVET teachers, which h ave limited the quantity and quality of system outputs for years (e.g., Asian Development Bank [ADB], 2009; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2004b; International Project on Technical and Vocational Education [UNEVOC], 1997). With the critical importance of the TVET sector, the TVET curriculum must be well prepared for the success of students at the workplace. It can mean the difference between success and failure for TVET students in terms of theoretical knowledge and technical skills as well as being abreast with new technologies in the workplace (African Union, 2007). Similarly, Ben-Peretz (2009) specified the school curriculum as one of three critical domains of education, which should prepare students for their future success. As reported by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2011) one of the most vital aspects of education is to produce a workforce which is skillful and able to gain returns on their education and for the overall economy when they are in their careers. Therefore, the education system must be able to understand the needs and necessities of the economy and prepare learners for their economic lives (UNDP, 2011). However, TVET curricula have not focused their relevance to the requirements of the labor market in many countries; and in other nations, for various reasons, employers or managers may prefer to hire unskilled workers or academic graduates and provide on-the-job training programs (Maclean Lai, 2011). There do not seem to be strong gains and work advancement in Cambodia (UNDP, 2011). Additionally, the balance between theory and practice has shifted in recent years. There seems to be a case about the (under)graduates perceptions of the relevance of TVET curriculum to their existing jobs. However, this anecdotal information was only heard second-hand from employers. That is, many employers in Cambodia have complained about the curriculum mismatch that most graduates from universities and technical schools are not well equipped with knowledge and skills needed at workplace, especially soft skills (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Actually, the importance of survey of (under)graduates perceptions of their study programs helps to improve the quality of TVET curriculum, and could be important for TVET curriculum reform as conducted in many countries (e.g., Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). Indeed, the value of surveying the perceptions of students on the relevance of the study program is something that the school committee should consider as being of practical importance to our own educational institution. The lack of feedback from students may probably have been problematic to the school curricular that were intended to offer knowledge and skills for the world of work. Since there is little information about students perceptions on the curricular in Cambodian TVET especially at my workplace, my study on this topic will serve as a helpful source for TVET curriculum development and improvement and brings the school to success in filling gaps between the curriculum mismatch and the needs of the industr ies. The study of student interests will focus on graduates of a TVET institution, which is located in Phnom Penh and offers educational and training services from certificate levels to bachelor degrees in business and engineering studies. The study will be conducted in Phnom Penh, and a group of graduates of civil engineering field between the academic years 2011-12 will be contacted for questionnaires and individual interview. Those graduates work in different job positions and in different companies. The survey research will help to inform the leaders of the institution to look at the importance of student survey on the relevance of TVET curricular and the result will best serve for the school curriculum reform. Statement of Problem The mismatch between education and employment is critically concerning to many related stakeholders. They are also concerned that most universities and TVET institutions have provided knowledge and skills, which are not relevant to industries (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Therefore, as in many countries, Cambodian graduates find it difficult to deal with the jobs available in labor market when their knowledge and skills are far different from what they have experienced in schools (e.g., Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). The perceptions from students are often neglected by many universities and TVET schools in Cambodia; that is why study programs are often found out of date in the current world of work where graduates find it hard to enter. The student voice is often silenced, but it can be regarded as a key mirror to reflect the good match of school curriculum and the industry needs. Moreover, the irrelevance of school curricula is the critical issue faced by many educational institutions in Cambodia (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Therefore, the knowledge and skills needed by employers cannot be matched when employers hire graduates to perform the jobs. Thus, there are some frustrations for employers to employ graduates who have the knowledge and skills which are irrelevant to their needs. Many employers have complained about the knowledge and skills provided at schools while graduates have expressed their discontentment about what they have learned from schools. Research Question Given this background to the study, the research study will propose the following research question, in order to explore and examine undergraduates perceptions of the relevance of TVET study programs toward their current jobs: What perceptions do graduates in a civil engineering degree (the academic year 2011-12) at one Cambodian Institution hold in terms of the relevance of their studies to their current jobs? Significance of the Research Study The focal findings of this research study will contribute to the quality of school curriculum development, and to the determination of the relevance of the study programs in terms of providing students with skills and knowledge required in the world of work in the field of civil engineering. Specifically, the study will be a helpful reference for the development of TVET quality improvements. Furthermore, the result will provide important information to relevant stakeholders in the TVET sector in order to help create the TVET stream as a main tool for equipping people with high knowledge, skills and competence for their employment and employability in the competitive world. Data in the study will hopefully be utilized for the improvement of curriculum and will also be used to determine areas of weaknesses. The findings can be used as a tool to provide instructors to better master their teaching practices and to aid TVET institutions to create a database on students perceptions of thei r study programs. In order to make effective changes in offering any study programs, it is vital to receive feedback from students who are involved in the specific programs. Hopefully, this survey study will be a valuable asset, and its findings will also serve as a supportive document for researchers from different fields of study to use and build their foundation knowledge of TVET students perceptions of the quality and relevance of study programs to job industries in the TVET system. Chapter Two Literature Review By using the search engine Google Scholar and the James Cook University Library search engine with key terms including: the perceptions of TVET students, the purpose of higher education and further education, the use of student feedback and survey, the quality of higher education and further education, the role of higher education (HE) and TVET, the relevance of study programs to industries, and TVET, I have found and downloaded many useful materials for my literature review of my topic. Although some materials seem to be out of date, they are still useful for the research study, because they can give an overview on the topic, and they can work as a foundation of knowledge to support the literature review. The Role of Higher Education in Preparing Undergraduates for Workforce The international context. An article by Haveman and Smeeding (2006) stated that most Americans expect the nations colleges and universities to promote the aim of social mobilization to make it possible for a student with capability to succeed. According to Mortese (2003), higher education can serve as a model of sustainability by fully integrating all aspects of campus life that students have experienced for their future lives. Furthermore, higher education has become a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy when the world has faced many matters (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2010). To improve employment skills calls for quality teaching and holistic approaches within universities (OECD, 2010; Ben-Peretz, 2009). National and transnational discussions like the Bologna Process, regarding state regulations and incentives, as well as competition among private and state-run institutions all urge universities and educational and te chnical providers to put quality teaching on their agenda (OECD, 2010). In addition, national quality assurance agencies push for reflection on the subject, even if their influence is controversial. Since higher education systems are increasingly diversifying, society is increasingly concerned about the quality of study programs offered to their consumers. This is not only the case in the academic stream, but is the case in the TVET stream. As many relevant stakeholders have recognized the importance of the study program in preparing students for jobs, Lauglo (2006) explained that TVET curricular refer to deliberate interventions to bring about learning which would make people more productive (or simply adequately productive) in designated areas of economic activity (e.g., economic sectors, occupations, specific work tasks) (p. 11). This is because TVET has its great potential to enhance human capabilities and enlarge peoples choices (Ayuba and Pascal, n.d.). Therefore, the education system must be able to understand the needs and necessities of the economy and prepare learners for their economic lives (UNDP, 2011). Additionally, Klimek (2010) noticed that a skill refers to an ability to perform a particular mental or physical activity that may be developed through vocational training or practice. Klimek (2010) also noted that vocational education and training provides people with occupational or work-related knowledge and skills. TVET also includes programs which provide the basis for subsequent vocational programs (p. xxviii). Therefore, TVET curricular are designed and developed as an education alternative to prepare students for the world of work (Klimek, 2010; Ayuba Pascal, n.d.). The changing demands of the workforce in the 21st century have created great challenging problems for TVET providers to respond quickly and efficiently to the continually changing skills requirements of the industries (Rafik, Treadwell, Triki, Gupta, Najah, n.d.). This is important if developed countries are to stay competitive and challenging but it is even more important for developing countries to catch up and fill the gap with the industrialized world (Rafik et al., n.d.). These challenges have resulted in growing debates and demanding solutions on developing better and more effective TVET systems that satisfy the national needs (Rafik et al., n.d.). The Cambodian context. The state of the higher education system in Cambodia, consisting of both university education and vocational and technical training, is largely formed by three factors: very disparate organization mechanisms, poor quality output, and low enrolment (UNDP, 2011). These three factors are greatly slowing down the advancement of higher education and more capable human resources in the whole country, and there should be a major concentrated point when undertaking reforms in education. A total number of eleven ministries and agencies which provide higher education service thus have access to the public education budgets of Cambodia (UNDP, 2011). The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) are the two most important ministries regarding higher education in Cambodia, and while the Cambodian Education Law states that MoEYS is responsible for general, higher and vocational education, it does not provide any explanation for the r ole of MoLVT, which has resulted in a high level of challenges, and hardship in developing strong cooperation links between these Ministries in providing educational and training services to learners (UNDP, 2011). Understandably, this makes coordination of the higher education system very difficult for the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to take actions on this issue. There are 38 public TVET institutions spread over 24 provinces of Cambodia under the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training; and many NGOs, large-and-small enterprises, local centers, and other relevant stakeholders also operate TVET practice on a very small and localized scale with few exceptional cases (National TVET Development Plan, 2008). However, NGOs move in and out of skills training, depending on donor funds availability and/or donor interest. At present, there are approximately 12 national NGOs that run institution-based skills training courses (National TVET Development Plan, 2008). The public TVET provision does not fully meet the need for basic and mid-level skills in the formal and informal economies, of NGOs and other local private centers, like Don Bosco schools, TAYAMA Business school, and EDC Training Center help to fill gaps. Lack of access to formal training on a national basis, weak links with industry, lack of entrepreneurial focus, poor quality control, and inadequate institutional financing continue to limit the quantity and quality of system outputs. Pich (2010) indicated a number of students are smaller in the TVET system than that in the academic stream while the employers need technical knowledge and skills for their business practices. This is the mismatch between higher education and the needs of industries, concerned by many stakeholders if the availability of solutions is not at hand (UNDP, 2011). In summary, we can say that the quality in TVET in Cambodia is low. There should be coordination amongst these ministries to link the educational services to match the requirements of the industries while the relevance of curricular seems to be low when graduates tend to work (UNDP, 2011; ADB, 2009). The Use of Student Feedback for Curriculum Development in Higher Education The international context. Authorities in higher and TVET education often use student feedback as a mechanism to improve course content and delivery. In the TVET sector internationally, survey questionnaires have been used to explore stakeholder perceptions of the quality of TVET education and of the match between the skills of graduates and the needs of industry. For Munro (2008), it is ideal that feedback results are used to assert the strengths and find out areas of improvements in organization. As the practice of survey research is important, Lubasha and Tripathi (2012) surveyed stakeholders perceptions in VET programs in Tanzania, which are relevant to the quality all stakeholders may think, while Singh and Singh (2008) mainly focused on employability skills in Malaysia. Both studies have aimed at the improvement of study programs offered at educational and training institutions in order to perceive the quality of education and training as the key for graduates to be employable after they graduate from schools (Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). In the study, Lubasha and Tripathi (2012) found that the determinants of quality in the VET programs such as the quality of VET programs, the relevance of VET programs to employment trends and entrepreneurship, and the perception of delivering the quality VET programs, which are critical for improving the quality of education provided by VET programs in Tanzania. The survey result of Singh Singh (2008) indicated that si gnificantly employers tend to hire local graduates from public universities to non-public graduates. This is because they believe that public graduates have the knowledge and skills they need for their business. Another survey study of 434 TVET graduates in Ghana which was done by Dasmani (2011) indicated that limited teaching and learning facilities for instructors and learners, large class sizes, and weak linkages with employers can lead to poor training and education of students. Dasmani (2011) added that this lack of preparation for the job entries put more pressure and working place difficulties to those graduates. This means that the survey finding is not only important for universities, but it also helps to inform TVET institutions about the perceptions of employers and students whether the TVET programs are at best quality to fill the gaps. It can also serve as an informant in offering better quality TVET programs. Therefore, many countries (e.g., Australia, England, Wales, and so forth) have created specialized research centers for VET and HE (Chalmers, 2007) and many international conferences are organized each year to disseminate and share the results of research in this area, in order to help the TVET sector to be flexible in the world of work (Rafik et al., n.d.). Rafik et al. (n.d.) also added that the main aims of this survey research are: (a) to investigate the current skills gaps in the Libyan manufacturing sector; (b) to make recommendations to the national TVET providers to enhance the skills they provide; and (c) to make recommendations to establish systems that improves the responsiveness of the TVET providers to the emergent needs of the industry (p. 1). Like the above points by Rafik et al. (n.d.), Chalmers (2007) claimed that experience, satisfaction and engagement of each student can be reached through using survey practice. Additionally, Chalmers (2007) recognized that using national student surveys are intended to demonstrate trustfulness and worthwhileness of study programs, and to explicitly articulate a particular view on what constitutes the quality of teaching and learning through student perceptions. Therefore, how the survey results can be used for the evidence-based curriculum development and improvement (Chalmers, 2007; Rafik et al, n.d.). The Cambodian context. As discussed in the global context, the survey of student feedback or perceptions is a useful tool in order to make school curricular change in according to the needs of industries. However, at this Cambodian TVET institutions, the survey of students perceptions and feedback is not yet conducted although survey research can give the school a great deal of information from labor market and industries. Because no surveys have been done or published on student perceptions in Cambodia, it is difficult to find the literature review to support the research study. As seen recently at the Cambodian TVET institution, the school management team has used the telephone survey on graduates whether those graduates hold job positions. The result of the telephone survey has been kept secretly. Furthermore, student surveys on teacher teaching have been done, but no survey on student perceptions on the relevance of the study program. Although information from student feedback can help the school make reform the school curriculum in order to keep abreast with the needs of industries, this case is absent from the school. The action of keeping old curricular is the weak point that should be urgently considered if the school is in the competitive world of providing technical services to students. Chapter Three Methodology As the topic of this study suggests, the study is a type of a survey research. Survey research is sometimes used by schools or other stakeholders of the related fields in order to get feedback from graduates, and which can be excellent vehicles for measuring opinions and orientations in a large population (Rubin Babbie, 2011). In order to get a deep understanding of perceptions of TVET graduates through survey research, this study will use the qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to get both primary and secondary data. The use of mixed methods is to build the synergy and strength that exists between quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand a phenomenon more fully that is possible using either quantitative or qualitative alone (Gay, Mills Airsian, 2009, p. 462). Creswell (2009) also highlighted that most researchers use a mixed methods design because they want to enlarge understanding by integrating both qualitative and quantitative research, or th ey want to better understand, explain or build the results from this approach. In this research, the following sampling methods, data collection methods, limitations of methods, data analysis, ethical issues, and other cases will be raised and discussed in detail in order to capture the practice of the whole research methodology of the study. Sampling Methods Berg (2009) indicated that the rationale of using of subjects is to make inference about some larger population from a smaller one-the sample (p. 48). That is, it is important in quantitative research that researchers keenly consider the probability sampling method (Berg, 2009). However, for qualitative research, sampling is the process of selecting a small number of individuals for a study in such a way that the individuals chosen will be good key informants (e.g., collaborators, co-researchers) who will contribute to the researchers understanding of a given phenomenon (Gay et al., 2009, p. 135). Since a deep understanding of participants perspectives creates the very core of a qualitative research study, the researcher will use a purposive sampling method (one of nonprobability sampling techniques); that is, the researcher relies on his or her expert judgment to select a typical sample of the population (Gay et al., 2009; Singleton Straits, 2005). This is also because each participant is believed to be thoughtful, informative, articulate, and experienced with the area of research topic (Gay et al., 2009, p. 135). Therefore, the researcher will use homogenous sampling which is selecting participants who are very similar in experience, perspective, or outlook; this produces a narrow, homogeneous sample and makes data collection and analysis simple (Gay et al., 2009, p. 137). As indicated above, the participants are ex-students who graduated with a civil engineering degree in the academic years 2011-2012, and they are currently employees holding various positions at different companies. Thus, the researcher can purposefully access the participants in order to get the deep understanding of their opinions about the quality and relevance of their study program of civil engineering and the needs of knowledge and skills from the employers. As the purpose and importance are clearly explained by the researcher, the participants will be asked to volunteer in the research study. With this regard, they are believed to have a deep understanding of the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. With the purposive selection of a group of graduates with a civil engineering degree in years 2011-2012, the participants with their current jobs are strongly believed to be best for the research topic. The researcher hopes that the participants will be able to give the truths about their study program relevance to the needs of employers. However, the limitation of this selection method will not be able to make a wide generalization of the whole population of the school because a number of participants will be small and limited to the field of engineering (Gay et al., 2009; Berg, 2009). Data Collection Methods The survey research method is sometimes used by many schools in order to get feedback from graduates, and it can be an excellent tool for measuring opinions and orientations in large populations (Rubin Babbie, 2011). With the purpose of getting the views of undergraduates about the relevance of their study program to the needs of employers, the following research methods will be used in order to gather important data from the field. Questionnaires. A questionnaire method is widely useful to many researchers in both the private and public sectors because questionnaires can conveniently be given or sent to relevant individuals to answer or complete a number of questions, and respondents are asked to return questionnaires (Kothari, 2004; Singleton et al., 2005). They are convenient because questionnaires can easily be offered to the respondents, and the respondents can answer the questions on their own when they have enough time to complete the whole questionnaires. Many researchers have also used the questionnaire method because questionnaires are low-cost, accessible to larger participants, extensively geographic, and free from bias from researchers (Kothari, 2004; Creswell, 2009). Kothari (2004) and Gay et al. (2009) showed that a survey is a vehicle for collecting data describing one or more characteristics of a specific population by asking members a series of questions using questionnaire forms. In spite of the wide use of questionnaires, Kothari (2004) pointed out the main limitations of using questionnaires as follows: (a) low rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires and bias due to no-response is often indeterminate; (b) it can be used only when respondents are educated and cooperating; (c) the control over questionnaire may be lost once it is sent; (d) there is inbuilt inflexibility because of the difficulty of amending the approach once questionnaires have been dispatched; (e) there is also the possibility of ambiguous replies or omission of replies altogether to certain questions; interpretation of omissions is difficult; (f) it is difficult to know whether willing respondents are truly representative; and (g) this method is likely to be the slowest of all (p. 101). In light of the above reasons, the researcher will carefully prepare the general form, the question sequence, and question formulation and words in the structured questionnaires as the researcher is not experienced with the use the survey questionnaires (Kothari, 2004). In the questionnaires, the researcher will focus on the following points: demographic data, the quality of study programs, the relevance of the study programs to the jobs, and the participants perceptions of their jobs in terms of study programs. These points will help the researcher to answer the research questions about understanding the perceptions of undergraduates about the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. With help of a lecturer from Civil Engineering Department and a list of graduates of civil engineering degree in years 2011-2012, the researcher will contact graduates through phone calls and emails in order for volunteering for answering and completing the questionnaires. According to Gay et al. (2009), the sample size for survey research is common between 10% and 20% of the whole population because the population of this research is about 250. However, the researcher will ask 120 graduates who have jobs, and they will be given questionnaires to voluntarily answer and complete the questionnaires with their honesty and kindness in case that some of respondents will not return questionnaires. The participants themselves will administer the questionnaires. Nonetheless, an explanation of some questions will help the participants answer with clarity and accuracy. The questionnaires will be written in Khmer language that all the participants can fully understand and answer those questions clearly. Individual interviews. After the researcher uses the questionnaire method, the researcher will employ the interview method that is another alternative to collect data survey. The interview method involves presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and reply in terms of oral-verbal responses (Kothari, 2004; Rubin Babbie, 2011). Furthermore, it is a tool that allows the researcher to flexibly move beyond the line of question, and it is helpful if the participants can be observed directly, and allows the participants to give more information (Creswell, 2009). With the analysis of the questionnaire results to find out the main themes of responses, the researcher can identify who the participants are for personal interviews in the second step of the research. Thus eight participants will be carefully selected through the results of questionnaires. They are representatives for civil engineering graduates because they are believed to answer the questionnaire questions accurately and have a deep understanding of the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. Time for each participant to be interviewed will be during time break in order to avoid work interruptions. The interview method can be structured, unstructured, or semi-structured, as to allow the flexibility of questions and answers in order to fully understand graduates perceptions on the curriculum relevance to their current jobs (Williman, 2011). However, the researcher will choose to conduct the personal interview with a small number of graduates with a structured interview model. This is because the research has less experience in the research field. On the other hand, the researcher will gain a clear understanding of information from respondents when respondents understand the purpose of the interview (Kothari, 2004). Despite the advantages of using the method to go beyond simple responses from the participants, there are the limitations of this method (e.g., indirect information filtered by the views of participants, information is gathered in an arranged site rather than in a natural setting, the presence of the researcher which can bias responses, and not all the participants having equal thoughts, feelings and understanding of the same questions and topics) (Creswell, 2009). Similarly, Okojie, Okojie-Boulder and Boulder (n.d.) also added that a limitation of this method is that it can be time consuming and the truth of participant responses will be limited. Therefore, the role and art of the researcher is vital in using the method when the in-depth interviews are the key to get a full understanding of the research topic (Berg, 2009; Creswell, 2009). Ethical Considerations There will be ethical problems in research when the research deals with humans. As Williman (2001) stated that there are two aspects of ethical issues in

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Most Despicable Character in Glengarry Glen Ross, by David Mamet :: Glengarry Glen Ross

The definition of a despicable character is someone who is so worthless or obnoxious as to rouse moral indignation. This definitely fits the description of some of the characters in the play Glengarry Glen Ross, by David Mamet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glengarry Glen Ross is a play about real estate salesmen who are basically conmen that always just work toward getting the deal closed, whether or not the customer is happy with the deal. They fit the stereotype of car salesmen, always trying to get the deal closed with the customer walking away feeling that they paid way too much. Dave Moss is one such salesman, except that he is the most despicable among the entire group. In a scene of the play this guy actually has the guts to try to blackmail one of his fellow salesmen; a fellow friend. The conversation starts out as would any among friends, bsing about work or not getting paid enough. Then Dave slowly introduces the topic that their bosses are greedy and selfish, to plant the seed of distrust. They talk about this for a bit but then get around to what â€Å"somebody should do.† Dave says that â€Å"someone† should pay them back, and this leads into robbing the office. He talks about the logistic s of this, that they would get a dollar fifty for each lead and such, but disarms the tense situation, saying that we were just â€Å"talking† about it. But he slowly leads into that he is actually planning on it, and wants Aaronow in on it. He then says that if he does it and Aaronow isn’t in then he would call him as an accomplice, trying to manipulate him into helping; a fellow friend. The best part of this blackmail is that not only is he going to rob his workplace, he’s going to sell out to another team of salesmen.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

James Fenimore Cooper :: Essays Papers

James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey on September 15, 1789 to William and Elizabeth Cooper. He was born the eleventh of twelve children. When James was one year old the family moved to the frontier of Lake Otsego, New York, and his father established the settlement of Cooperstown at the head of the Susquehanna River. Cooper attended a private prep school in Albany, New York, and was then admitted to Yale in 1803. He was expelled during his junior year because of a prank. His family allowed him to join the navy, but he soon found that more discipline was present in the Navy than at Yale. In 1810 Cooper took a furlough, and never returned to active duty. James Fenimore Cooper married Susan De Lancy in 1811, and for the next ten years he lived as a country gentleman. However, after the death of all five of his elder brothers he became responsible for supporting their widows and paying their debts. He then found out that his father's estate had not been worth as much as originally thought. In 1820 Cooper published his first fiction, Precaution, on a challenge from his wife. This novel was largely unsuccessful. In 1821 he published his second book, The Spy, which was modeled after Sir Walter Scott's "Waverly" novels, except it was set during the American Revolution. The Spy brought Cooper international fame and a certain amount of wealth. Cooper's third book, The Pioneers, was the first of five novels that made up the Leatherstocking Tales. These were immensely popular frontier novels featuring a frontiersman by the name of Natty Bumpo, or Hawkeye. The Pioneers is generally considered to be the first truly American novel. The five novels of the series were not written in their narrative order, and were produced over a period of eighteen years. Cooper and his wife had five children, and they lived in Europe from 1826 until 1833 for the education of their children. When Cooper returned to America in 1833 he found he was rather unpopular due to his works Notions of the Americans and Letter to General Lafayette, which he had written while living in Europe.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Post wAR DEFINING moMENTS ESSAY mEDICARE :: essays research papers fc

Post War Defining Moments Essay -Medicare At the beginning of the 20th century healthcare was a necessity in Canada, but it was not easy to afford. When Medicare was introduced, Canadians were thrilled to know that their tax dollars were going to benefit them in the future. The introduction of Medicare made it easier for Canadians to afford healthcare. Medicare helped define Canada as an equal country, with equal rights, services and respect for every Canadian citizen. Medicare helped less wealthy Canadians afford proper healthcare. Canadian citizens who had suffered from illness because they could not afford healthcare, were able to get proper treatment. The hospitals of Canada were no longer compared by their patients’ wealth, but by their amount of service and commitment. Many doctors tried to stop the Medicare act, but the government and citizens outvoted them and the act was passed. The doctors were then forced to treat patients in order of illness and not by the amount of money they had. Medicare’s powerf ul impact on Canadian society was recognized globally and put into effect in other nations all around the world. Equality then became a definition which every Canadian citizen understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Second World War, illness was amongst many Canadians, and many of them did not have any chances of recovering because they could not afford healthcare. Medicare made it possible for those who did not have much money, to receive treatment for their illnesses. Tuberculosis was the most crucial disease which was spreading after the war. This bacterial infection was sometimes called the â€Å"white plague† and many Canadians were haunted by it. Residents of Saskatchewan formed together the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis Commission to try and stop the spread of it, and make plans for controlling it in the future. When Tommy Douglas, a Baptist Minister who turned into a politician, was elected to the leadership of the recently formed national Democratic Party of Saskatchewan, many other governments had began to see the brilliance in his ideas and they began to embrace them. He began to uncover many different health plans which had boundaries to the amou nt of healthcare patients were going to receive. â€Å"Most of these plans, in order to stay solvent have to eliminate great many groups of people. Because of age, because of chronic conditions, because of genital illness, past medical history and so on. And these precisely are the people who need some kind of protection.

Monday, September 16, 2019

How to Get Your Drivers License.

Getting your driver’s license is probably at the top of any sixteen year olds list, because everyone knows how important it is to them to be independent and it can be seen as the first real step in making that step from childhood to adulthood. However, getting your driver’s license isn't just a real simple thing. It involves getting your permit first, taking a driver’s education class, and then of course the actual driving part. Knowing this information can ensure you that you are one step closer to driving on your own. To start off, you have to get the learner’s permit.There usually is a fee and you must bring your birth certificate, social security card, attendance and grades from school, and insurance, if you already have a car. You would have to pass the vision screening, the written test over the rules and regulations, and be at least 16 years old. Be aware that if you fail the written test, you cannot take it again until the next day. After you get t he permit, you must remember that unfortunately you can only drive with a family member who is at least twenty one and one other person in the car with you.Also, you have to have had the learner’s permit for at least six months before you can take the class. Secondly, take a driver’s education class. With this, you must have seven hours in a car, twenty hours behind the wheel, thirty two classroom hours and pass the final driving/written test with a seventy or higher. The class usually consists of a bunch of people around sixteen or seventeen years old, some maybe older. How much it will cost depends on the school you choose. Furthermore, in this class you will watch videos and learn what to do and what not to do. You even watch the accident videos that make you want to cry.There will also be little quizzes and assignments given by the instructor to make sure you are learning properly. Finally, the last and most important thing is the actual driving. This is where your skills and knowledge are really put to the test. They assign everyone a driving partner, and both take turns driving for fourty five minutes to an hour. However, Before you can pass and get that driver’s license, you must be able to parallel park, merge on and off highways, highway drive in general, answer any questions the instructor has, change lanes, back up, and do a three point turn.They also test you on knowing where everything is like the turn signals, buttons for windshield wipers and breaks, etc. Once you are done with the test and you have passed with a seventy or higher, you will receive your certificate stating that you are now a licensed driver and then all you need to do is go take a picture and get the driver’s license from the DPS (Department of Public Safety) office. Congratulations you made it! You started off from getting your permit, taking the driver’s education class, passing the final driving test and finally wound up with your driverâ₠¬â„¢s license. Here are your keys – now get driving!

Frameworks Childcare Unit 10

The different frameworks for children up until the age of 16 years the follow the national curriculum and the early years foundation years is the age between, from birth-5 year old and the national curriculum is ages between 5-11 years. It is mandatory for all the schools and early years settings in ofsed registered settings to follow the early year’s foundation stage. The national curriculum is broken down into four different key stages at the end stage there are SATS which are statutory assessment.The early year’s foundation stage The early year foundation stage the aim is to provide learning through play for example it is important for ever child to be equal and to be a unique child it is also important to have a relationship with the parents and for the children welfare is paramount. Review your environment to ensure that it is interesting, attractive and accessible to every child so they can learn independently.The national Curriculum The national curriculum is man datory for all schools between 5-11 years old, the compulsory national curriculum subjects are for key stages 1 and 2 which are English, maths, science, design and technology, ICT, history, geography, art and design, music and physical education these are measured for children’s progress compared to all pupils across the country.How the EYFS are used by practitioners to support learning The job of the practitioners is to develop the six areas of learning by using observations on the children. To observe them to show how much progress they have made and what learning groups they can go into for the best of there ability. It is important that the practitioners use ratios because they can keep to the routine better and provide emotional security.It is also important that practitioners use planning to meet individual needs and to view the child holistic view of the Childs development. It is important that you plan activities for the children and have a range of toys for all ages and to cover the six areas of learning stages. How the National Curriculum is used by teachers to support learning The role of the teacher is to enforce the national curriculum and ensure that all children have all the same opportunities to work to there best ability.It is important to have enough supervision and it is also important for all the children to have a key worker which would be the teacher of the class which will be there to teach the children all types of activities for example, maths, writing, physical activities, and creative activities. Also it is important that the teacher does planning, for example plan the activities that you are going to teach the children for the week which is called a short term plan and also plan for the month or the year which is called long term planning.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Swot Analysis College

SWOT Analysis Lauren Fischer October 29, 2012. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Location Low student to teacher ratio Weaknesses: Crime College Mission/Vision Lack of Diversity Threats: Economy Peer Insitutions Opportunities: Economy External fundraising efforts Strengths: Location Low student to teacher ratio Weaknesses: Crime College Mission/Vision Lack of Diversity Threats: Economy Peer Insitutions Opportunities: Economy External fundraising efforts Strengths: Location The college may bene? t most from it’s location.The location may have little to do with the inner workings of the college, but it is one of the most attractive features about the college. The campus aesthetics, historical surroundings and proximity to the beach makes it an attractive location for prospective college students and helps increase enrollment. The quality of life here is rated highly which not only draws students to enroll, but leads to high retention rates amongst the student body. Student to Teacher Rat io The student faculty ratio stands at 16:9:1 which allows an intimate learning environment for the students.The The faculty is bright and genuinely care about the students. Students get to experience an availability to their professors and a personalized learning experience. This bene? ts the students and allows them to excel academically throughout their time at the college of charleston and establishes a mutual respect and good relationship between the students and faculty. Students come here seeking that level of attention and leave the school receiving more than they expected. Weaknesses Crime The College lies in the heart of downtown Charleston, which neighbors North Charleston.North Charleston is regarded as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation. Crime draws bad publicity and damages student morale. While many students who are expecting an urban environment and have an understanding that there are dangers with living in a city, the crime level may hinder perspective students from enrolling. Theft is an issue on campus for many of the students. College Mission/Vision According to Charleston’s strategic plan for the year of 2012, the college has failed to assert itself in the community. Internal and external constituents are often computed about the College’s missions, questioning whether it is the state’s liberal art’s college or a comprehensive university, private or public, a teaching or a research institution. † (Strategic Plan, p. 2) Two- thirds of the students at the College of Charleston are earning degrees in the liberal arts and sciences and most of the faculty and students regard the school as a liberal arts college. The state of South Carolina considers College of Charleston to be one of the ten comprehensive institutions.Lack of Diversity The College of Charleston has increased it’s academic quality and quality of life signi? cantly over the years. â€Å" It’s student body remains overw helmingly white, female, middle class. The college’s current strategic plan says that percentage of students from diverse ethnic groups at the College of Charleston is the lowest of any of the state’s four-year colleges and universities. The lack of diversity may hinder enrollments, especially those students looking for a unique urban experience. The school should try to develop strategies or programs that might attract more students from diverse backgrounds.Opportunities Economy While for many reasons the economy can be seen as a threat, and in today’s world it is a threat for many colleges across the nation, it is an opportunity in disguise. Because of the economic downfall, many adults have been let go from there jobs. Many people who have become unemployed over the last few years have made the decision to return to school. Enrollments are up, and people are ? nishing their degrees and receiving new ones. In result, the college is receiving more money from ne w enrollments and helping adults continue their future.External Fundraising Efforts The college has a strong presence and history in the city of charleston. The school needs to utilize that presence and seek out external fundraising efforts and support. According to College of Charleston’s strategic plan, the college’s external resources have been historically weak and remain signi? cantly behind the level of of success in peer institutions. There seems to be an issue of underfunding throughout the college, but increased relations with external resources can enhance endowment resources and continue on with future growth of the college.Threats Economy While the current economy could lead to possible opportunities for the college, it stands as an obvious threat the the college and its operations. State appropriation combined with other operating revenues make up only 20 percent of the budget, making the College Substantially dependent on tuition revenues. The college can not depend on state sources alone to fund future growth. In our current economy, people are pinching their pockets and saving money in any way that they can.In result, many are opting out of college or going to community colleges instead. There is a higher demand for loans and scholarships than ever before. The College is currently unable to offer all deserving students competitive scholarships and ? nancial aid. People are hurting everywhere, usual donors and alumni are cutting their costs and providing less donations to the college or none at all. This causes in shortages for technology, facilities, and athletics. Peer Institutions Peer institutions have always and will always be a threat to the College of Charleston.People are going to less urban schools where the cost of living is cheaper. The College is not well known for their sports and does not have a football team, so many schools with strong athletics draw in more students who desire the camaraderie big athletics brings to a university. Salaries and bene? ts for faculty and staff has not kept pace with our competitors. This could cause lowered retention and recruitment among the staff and faculty at the college and College Of Charleston could risk losing their strong reputation.All of these weaknesses in the college’s internal and external workings stand as a bene? t for other institutions and pose as a threat to the success of the College of Charleston. Sources: The College of Charleston http://www. cofc. edu/strategicplan/ The Princeton Review http://www. princetonreview. com/schools/college/CollegeAcademics. aspx? iid=1022 883 College Prowler http://collegeprowler. com/college-of-charleston/ Post & Courier http://www. postandcourier. com/article/20121016/PC05/121019443/1010/conde-nast-charleston-top-tourist-cityin-the-world

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Families within great expectations Essay

The Gargerys can be described as a dysfunctional, sometimes brutal, family although there is some love as well. The violence at the heart of the family derives from Mrs Joe. She is resentful that she has had to take on the burden of her sister’s orphaned son, Pip.  Mrs Joe is the dominant member of the family – unusually for Victorian times. She isn’t afraid of asserting her dominance by beating Pip, and, indeed, Joe either – all the more surprising since he is the local blacksmith. (This adds some humour to the book.) The discipline is fearsome, abusive, random and excessive. She may enjoy punishing Pip and ‘gets the Tickler’ at every opportunity. Pip’s relationship with Mrs. Joe clearly isn’t ideal. Pip depends greatly on his however. Pip is an orphan, and would quite probably be homeless if it wasn’t for her. Pip knows this and that’s why he has put up with his mistreatment/victimisation, timidly†¦ Pip tries to make the best of their relationship, but Mrs. Joe Gargery is too domineering, a fact respected by Pumblechook. She constantly says that she bought Pip by hand, degrading Pip in the process. There is, however, love in the family too – though it passes strictly between Joe and Pip. Joe comforts Pip, warns him when ‘Tickler’ is about, slips him food when Mrs Joe has forbidden it. There is shelter and a sense of correction can be gained as well. However, like every other ‘family’, there are uses of discipline evident.  Pip’s relationship with Joe is a complete contrast. Joe respects Pip and vice versa. He is proud of Pip for he declares Pip is a scholar after Pip successfully wrote and read a letter. During the beginning of the novel Pip idolises Joe however once Pip has achieved Gentleman-hood he becomes ashamed of Joe. This shown by his apprehension when Joe comes to visit him in London. He also deceives him as to his reasons for failing to call on Joe and Biddy on his visits to Satis house. (We feel that Pip is unfair here, however his love for Magwitch makes up for it.) In contrast Joe stays faithful to Pip, and helps Pip recover after he has fallen ill. This touches Pip. It helps him become less snobbish and more mature. Joe’s simplicity and honesty makes him the real gentleman in our and later in Pip’s eyes. The other relationship in this grouping is that of Joe and Mrs. Joe. Mrs. Joe depends of Joe financially, however Joe’s need or even love of Mrs. Joe isn’t shown. Yet he mourns her passing. Joe’s simplicity and honesty are weaknesses in their relationship. In this relationship however, Mrs. Joe doesn’t brutally punish Joe, perhaps because she’s subtly afraid of him fighting back. A normal couple wouldn’t be in this type of predicament. It also helps our sympathy being lost towards Joe instead of Pip.  The narrator (the older Pip) is very unemotional about the whole ordeal. He seems to understate the actions of the group and is somewhat detached. This implies that he is trying to hide the misery he had in his earlier years. Dickens also uses humour to try and deny the pain he suffered. â€Å"I often served her as a connubial missile† – Mrs. Joe enters the room and throws Pip across the room at Joe. It also understates the pain in a sense.  Halfway through Chapter 2 Dickens uses some more understatement.  Mrs. Havisham and Estella are a mysterious pair of characters. During the beginning of the novel they are portrayed as evil. They raise Pip’s expectations to an unrealistic level. Knowing that he should fail and have more misery.  Miss. Havisham can perhaps be described as cold, ruthless, manipulative and masochistic. She wants take revenge on all men for the wrongs that was done to her by one man. She sits in the clothes she should had worn for her wedding and is surrounded by decaying things a darkened solemn room. She uses Estella cruelly as a porn to exact her revenge. She fails to forget the past and seems to constantly remind herself of the pain she apparently endured.  Early on in the play she delights in the way Estella torments Pip and likes to keep her relatives guessing as to whom she will leave her money once she dies. She continues with her plan to use Estella as an instrument of revenge on the entire male sex until later in the novel she comes to realise she has created a monster. She accuses Estella of being hard and ungrateful but Estella says she cannot give love as she wasn’t given any herself. She tries to undo some of harm she has done by helping Pip with his plan for Herbert and she leaves her cousin Matthew a legacy of Pip’s recommendation. She dies distraught with guilt for what she has done for Pip and Estella. Estella can be best described as beautiful but heartless.  In the first stage of the novel, she is a beautiful young girl. She has been brought up as a young lady, but uses her education to talk down to Pip and make him feel inferior. Estella is cruel to Pip yet loyal to Miss Havisham. She is bitter and twisted due to the strange upbringing she has received by Miss. Havisham. Estella does not fully realise that she is being used by the old woman and that she is, herself, little more than an agent for Miss Havisham revenge. Estella has been educated as an accomplished and sophisticated young lady. She warns Pip time and time again that she has no heart and can never love anyone. She tells Pip that he is only one to be so warned and that she fools of the other men. She seems to become tired of this way of life and is almost self-destructive in her determination to marry such a brutal and ill-mannered man as Bently Drummle. Even Mrs. Havisham tries to persuade her. At the end of the Novell, she is a widow and has little property left. Her hard experiences seemed to have softened her, and she implies that she regrets having rejected Pip’s love for her. She is contrite and humble as she confesses that she realises what she threw away when she rejected Pip’s love. She feels that the best she can hope for is that they can be friends. She is too humble to expect more.   As a whole the two are merely colleagues at the beginning to novel. The young Estella is manipulated and mesmerised, yet she is too young to realise, and continues with her life as is was before. However the end of the novel the older Estella shows her real feelings about Miss. Havisham in an emotional scene. The one who Miss. Havisham has brought up to destroy men’s hearts has now destroyed the remains of hers. Miss. Havisham unsuccessfully uses Estella as her proxy and then becomes guilty. This leads to her painful (as if revenge was enacted on her) demise.  The location of this grouping in inside ‘Satis House’. ‘Satis’ meaning ‘enough’ in Latin. This is ironic as Miss. Havisham clearly doesn’t have enough, she isn’t satisfied. There is something missing in Miss. Havisham’s life, marriage. It was shameful for a woman to not be married the Victorian era. This explains Miss. Havisham’s unwillingness to venture out of the house.  If Satis House was to equate to Miss. Havisham, then it can be described as a prison. It stunts Estella’s growth. Estella is trapped inside of Miss. Havisham. She becomes Miss. Havisham.

Friday, September 13, 2019

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

Marketing plan - Essay Example Observing competitors’ plans, market segments, customers attitude to them and their strengths can help a business to understand how to structure their markets (Bangs, 2002, p. 61). Major competitors of Pizza Restaurant are other few Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts in nearby cities. Out of them, Eat-Fresh is a large scale restaurant, providing greater facilities like dancing and entertainment for customers, that has a customer base of around 2000 people per day. It has adopted various promotional strategies. Hotel Zigzag also attracts more than 1500 visitors a day and serves multicultural food to people who reach there from various parts of the world, and has been successful with its customer-focus strategy. Al-Raid and Hill-View are two other competitors, attracting 500 to 100 visitor a day, who provide variety of amenities to facilitate entertainment, with their customer-loyalty strategies. Answer to Question- 2 Pizza Restaurant is located in a large city in Riyadh, Saudi Ara bia, where large industries and oil refineries contribute greater money flow to the economy and therefore people in Riyadh are more rich than in other parts of the country. More than 60% of the people are from Rich hippies and they are very likely to spend their times in restaurants, not only for their hunger but also meet their entertainment purposes.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

This case study is an introduction to issues of financial management Research Paper

This case study is an introduction to issues of financial management and Human Resource Planning and Budgeting - Research Paper Example The report highlights the payback period, employee turnover projection after the implementation of the machinery, the total cost of the an individual in relation to the human resource function and lastly an evaluation of the firms benefits after the implementation...... I also agree that an electronic copy of this project may be stored and used for the purposes of plagiarism prevention and detection. Copyright Acknowledgement I acknowledge that the copyright of this project and report belongs to Emirates Aviation College. Signed: Date: Acknowledgement This project is a success because of the support received from people who are special to me. I would like to acknowledge the support of my family including my brother and sister, my colleagues from this department and my project supervisor Introduction The company board of directors recently discussed of that the company dealings should be taken on by the medium sized Co- share company. Co-share is to take charge of all their fruit and vegetable packing and supply. Co-share is a small to medium sized supermarket with approximately 165 stores in Midlands and other areas (Mondy, Robert, and Mary, 2003, 140). Unlike LJC white Co-share is more established with strong business ethics and reasonable trade pr actices. The terms of trade that LJC demand indicate that Co-share Company should utilize all their reasonable trade products and the human resource should utilize their best practices in running the company, for example, the use of staff development and the policies that include the none discrimination laws and regulations. The Co-share company has a policy of auditing their suppliers to ensure that all the required practices are adhered to, and they participate in the lucrative activities including the investors in people (Mathis and John, 2003, 200). Background of report The move to engage in business with Co-share would require LCJ the family business to add more assets in order to facilitate the expansion. It