Thursday, October 31, 2019

Students are required to produce a report on information systems Assignment

Students are required to produce a report on information systems - Assignment Example There are various categories of information systems and each category contains particular kinds of information systems for instance management information systems and decision support systems. At the present, the success of an organization completely depends on the effectiveness of an information system. This report discusses the role of information systems in today’s ever-increasing competitive business environment. The basic purpose of this research is to show what role information systems play in the success of an organization and what the future of information systems is. Without a doubt, this era is considered as the era of information technology (IT), where only those business organizations get the success that make use of information technology more effectively than their competitors. Additionally, in order to survive in this ever-increasing competitive business world designing and implementing information systems those produce accurate data and information on the subject of marketplace understanding, customers and competitive capacity. The basic objectives that business organizations want to achieve through the development and implementation of these modern technology based information systems include the overall corporate performance and effective and efficient handling of business data (Turban et al., 2005; Laudon & Laudon, 2005). This report will discuss how information systems are playing a significant role in the successful execution of business operations. This report will also discuss some of the successful examples of information systemsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ success. In their book (Turban et al., 2005, p.18) define an information system as a system which collects, processes, stores, evaluates, and distributes information in order to carry out a specific task. Additionally, the nature of tasks varies from department to department. For

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Braswell v. United States, 487 U.S. 99 (1988) Essay

Braswell v. United States, 487 U.S. 99 (1988) - Essay Example The courts however use the doctrine to deviate from the limited liability concepts in corporate organization to hold people responsible for action that target selfish interests. The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil is a corollary to the alter ego doctrine and involves breaching of the separate legal entity of a corporation to hold shareholders liable for actions that identify abuse of responsibility. In pronouncing personal liability of a shareholder, a court is said to have pierced the veil (Weil, Lentz, & Hoffman, 2012). The alter ego doctrine and the doctrine of piercing corporate veil are therefore concepts for equitable remedy that seek to protect innocent victims from unethical practices by shareholders, employees, or directors of corporate organizations, for personal gain. The alter ego doctrine establishes deviation from the limited liability concept of corporate organizations and the doctrine of piercing corporate veil is an implementation of the alter

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Causes Of The Spanish Civil War History Essay

The Causes Of The Spanish Civil War History Essay The Spanish civil war is frequently remembered as a crucial and important moment in the history of Spanish people. To be possible to understand how thousands of persons were killed during this war, it must be ask why the Spanish civil war broke out in first place. In fact, there are five main reasons or causes (fig.1) which almost simultaneously led to the civil war in Spain in 1936. Before the Spanish civil war Spain was ruled by the king but due the great depression that drove the country into an economic collapse and massive unemployment in Spain and as a result the king was forced to abdicate on 14 April 1931 and Spain becomes a republic. The new republic emerges and immediately faced a number of major problems due the current circumstances: Two important regions in Spain wanted independence Catalonia and the Basque region. Had their requests been successful, it would have lead to the breakup of Spain. The Roman Catholic Church was hostile to the republic and the republic was hostile to the highly influential Roman Catholic Church. The government believed that the army had too much say in politics and determined to reduce its influence. Spain was primarily an agricultural nation and the 1930s depression had hit prices for crops. Prime exports such as olive oil and wine fell in value and previously used agricultural land fell into disuse. The little industry that Spain had was also hit by the Depression. Iron and steel were especially hit as no one had the money to pay for the products. Iron production fell by 33% and steel by 50%. Unemployment in both agriculture and industry rose and those in work had to put up with a cut in wages as the economy struggled to survive the Depression. The Republic faced losing the support of those whose support it desperately needed the working class. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/causes_spanish_civil_war.htm) There are several versions or way to tell about the Spanish civil war however this essay will focus only in the causes of the Spanish civil war and how theses causes had led to the Spanish civil war. Figure1: The main five causes of the Spanish civil war (http://www.scribd.com/doc/2530517/Causes-of-the-Spanish-Civil-War-Conclusion) The main causes for the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and why these causes had lead Spain into the Spanish civil war The Political Situation in Spain (1931 to 1936). Disparate most of the other countries of Western Europe at that time, the Spain have never completed its revolution. Significant economic and social sectors of the country remained under the control of the feudal classes. In other hand the weak and vacillating bourgeoisie was unsuccessful in take effective measures to insure social and economical progress while the economic and political privileges of the dominant classes were left intact. As a result of this the progress and development of some sectors were suppressed during the 19th century until the situation of 1931. On April 13 of 1931 unsolvable contradictions between the financial, landowning and the popular forces reached the point of rupture and the king was forced to abdicate giving place to the Second Republic. Throughout the year 1932 the working class was divided into social democracy and anarchist tendencies. The communist Party was not sufficiently strong to assert its leadership of the labour movement. (http://www.mltranslations.org/Spain/civilwar.htm) In 1933, in response to the actual situation, during two years, the government unleashed a severe campaign of repression and terror known as the Bienio Negro. Furthermore, in October 1934 the formation of the Popular Front was begun with an extensive popular uprising against the government, especially in Asturias, Madrid and Barcelona (see fig. 2). The formation of the Popular Front had strong Communist support and participation. On 15th January 1936, Manuel Azaà ±a helped to establish a coalition of parties on the political left to fight the national elections taking place on following month. This included the Socialist Party (PSOE), Communist Party (PCE) and the Republican Union Party. The Popular Front, as the coalition became known, advocated the restoration of Catalan autonomy, amnesty for political prisoners, agrarian reform, an end to political blacklists and the payment of damages for property owners who suffered during the revolt of 1934. The Anarchists refused to support the coalition and instead urged people not to vote. (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SPelections.htm) In the elections of 1936, the forces of reaction suffered a devastating defeat mainly because its management was weak and vacillating. However, its fatal mistake was to ignore the repeated warnings of the Communist Party in honour the election agreement, the reaction to defeat was not taken quietly. Therefore when Franco attacked on July 18 of 1936, the country was completely unprepared for the attack and the civil war begun. Regional situation (1936 -1939) The regional situation begun much before 1936 however the situation stars to intensify violently in 1921when an army was sent to Spanish Morocco to bring down a rebellion, critics said that was a massacre and that just emphasise how incompetent Spains government was. In the following years, Spain people experienced a new regime when King Alfonso agreed that General Primo de Rivera should take control of Spain. He ruled as a military dictator until 1930. Riveras approach to leadership was fully supported by Alfonso. However, Rivera did not display the classic features of a dictator. He introduced public works schemes building roads and irrigating the land. Industrial production increased by three times from 1923 to1930. Rivera also ended the rebellion in Morocco in 1925. (http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/article_asturian%20uprising.htm) Just after the morocco incident, in 1934the northern province of Asturias arose (Popular Front), not against progress, but for it and against the newly elected right wing government. The Asturias revolt was of enormous significance to the Spanish people. In the first place, it showed the capitalists and land holders that the people were not going to wait further but were going to divide the land and control their jobs. In the second place the Asturias revolt taught the people that to win they would have to expel the government and perform their own laws and traditions. In the third place combating the government make the workers and toilers understand the value of unity in action and the meaning of revolution also gave them great experiences in the art of civil war. The defeat of the workers forced the revolutionary identities to take to parliamentary activity in the next election. Anyway, Asturias was at the time a region with great potential for progress. In fact, Asturias was among the most industrialised areas of Spain in the 1930s just like Catalonia and Basque (see fig.2) which wanted their independence because of the diversity of employment in Asturias, the traditional competitive unions (CNT National Confederation of Labour and the UGT General Union of Employers), represented members in the industries, agriculture and service sectors. They were prepared when the crisis came. Hence, the present government could not allow the country to split out by giving them the independence, these provinces were actually essential for the country progress and development as a whole taking into consideration its industrialization and geographic location, see map below . http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/article_asturian%20uprising.htm In summary such regions were more advanced organizationally and industrially comparing with the rest of the country therefore they wanted the independence not just because of its socio-economic advantage but also to keep their traditions such as benefits (reform), language and habits. Later, the traditional language was prohibited in those acts involving the public administration or the mass media, being only tolerated at some folkloric or clerical activities but in other hand the most important reason was that the people in these regions wanted make themselves free of the oppression and incompetency of the present government and this in fact contributed considerably for the Spanish civil war broke out in 1936. Figure 2: The Spanish map showing the locations of Asturias, Catalonia, and Basque just before the war in 1936 (Frances Lannon, Page 10) Socio-economic situation Not hindering the fact that Spain were already in the middle of political and regional crisis when the World Wide Recession reached Spain the country was upside down, World Wide Recession had led to a dramatic cut in the demand for coal and to reduce costs the mine owners have reduced the wages and employees. Simultaneously, the National Federation of Farm Workers was cut in the agrarian reform and as result became involved in a bloody strike in June 1934. The Civil Guard had been called in to deal with strikes in industrial areas in May and September of the same year. On 1st September an attack on a Socialist Womens meeting by the Civil Guard saw 6 people killed. All this was boiling away and by October the region was ready for revolt. The election of a right wing government and their hostility in relation to reforms was the final straw. (http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/article_asturian%20uprising.htm) The liberal-left alliance which has ruled the first Republican government collapsed. This let in a right wing coalition which included ministers from the extreme CEDA (Confederatià ³n Espanola de Derechas Autà ³nomas) party. On the 3rd October, CEDAs assumption of the Agriculture, Labour and Justice Ministries seemed to point in Fascism by legal means, as elections had done in Germany and Austria. Across Spain attempts at a General Strike faltered and failed. http://www.lacolumna.org.uk/article_asturian%20uprising.htm The historic privileges of the Roman Catholic Church were reduced and Priests are now paid by the Roman Catholic Churchs chest. The government and the Roman Catholic Church were made two separate entities which should be like that since the beginning. Religious education in schools was stopped. Many army officers were made to retire early, the wages of those who worked in industry were increased but they were to be paid by the owners of those industries not by the government. Industries had to deal with the lack of energy resources and the weakness of the domestic Spanish market. They were helped out by protectionist policies, which reduced the competition from foreign products. As in so much of Europe, the popular classes were moulded into an industrial proletariat, living and working in inhuman conditions. (http://www.mltranslations.org/Spain/civilwar.htm) Due to all this circumstances the socio-economic situation could be highlighted as one of the main factors that contribute for beginning of the Spanish civil war, the lack of jobs, the poverty, the political regime and the governments abuse of power let the people more susceptive to create a revolt. Religious situation Accià ³n Nacional traced its ideological lineage to the social Catholic movements initiated in the late nineteenth century by Pope Leo XIII. Originally conceptualized in the Rerum Novarum of 1891, social Catholicism presented itself as an alternative to Socialism, arguing for the peaceful coexistence of capital and labour. It argued in favour of social reforms but rejected class struggle and collectivization in favour of social justice and the extension of property ownership, explaining that cooperation more effectively sustained workers rights. The Catholic political intervention make the social Catholicism became the basis for Catholic movements throughout Europe, most notably in France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy, (Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891). Azaà ±a believed that the Catholic Church was responsible for Spains backwardness. He defended the elimination of special privileges for the Church on the grounds that Spain had ceased to be Catholic. Azaà ±a was criticized by the Catholic Church for not doing more to stop the burning of religious buildings in May 1931. He controversially remarked that burning of all the convents in Spain was not worth the life of a single Republican. The establishment of the Second Republic 1931 several reforms suggested the loss of wealth and privilege for the wealthy, the church and the army. Example: Agrarian Law 1932 allowed the distribution of all unworked estates over 56 acres to the peasantry; The church and the State was separated, the Jesuit order was expelled (and its assets expropriated), divorce was legalized etc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦; In the Army 40% of the officer corps was retired, republican officers were appointed and soldiers were now liable to civil law (not as before only military law!). The progressive alliance of Republicans and Socialists were in power 1931 until 1933 when they were replaced by a more conservative government. CEDA (Confederatià ³n Espanola de Derechas Autonomas). CEDA had been established as a reaction to the Republican policies this was the united right. The governments between 1933 and February 1936 tried to slow down and erode the advances that been made the previous years Military situation The victory of fascism in Spain has for the present time blocked the march to socialism. In making this critique, however, we do not mean to demean its great accomplishments. For after all is said and done, the Communist Party of Spain was the soul of the war, the most heroic and self-sacrificing of all the political parties involved. Without its leadership and support the people of Spain would have been crushed in a few weeks and would not have been able to inflict such heavy losses on the fascists. Mao Tsetung has shown that the fact that objective conditions are right does not automatically insure victory. What is needed in addition is the conscious activity of man that is, how the war is directed and carried out. Our national war against fascism was by nature a just war. The Popular Front enjoyed the overwhelming support of the popular masses. Although the international situation was difficult, never has there been such a display of solidarity with any cause. And yet the war was not won. Hence, the logical conclusion is that the conscious activity of the Party was misdirected; that it did not know the proper way to carry on the war. The government tried to attack those it deemed as having too many privileges in society. But by doing this it angered all those sectors in society that had the potential to fight back the military, industrialists, land owners and the Roman Catholic Church. These four (potentially very powerful bodies) were unwilling to support the republican government in Madrid. They were also aware that there were countries in Europe that would be willing to give support to their plight as many nations in Europe were scared of communism and Stalins Russia. Fascist Italy under Mussolini would be an obvious ally as would Germany once Hitler had got power in January 1933. In January 1932, a number of army officers tried to overthrow the government lead by Manuel Azana, the prime minister. The attempt was unsuccessful as the army, for now, was loyal to the government after all, it had won the elections fairly and, therefore, had legitimacy. However, a new political party was formed called the Ceda. This was a right wing party dedicated to protecting the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and landlords. The government of Azana, having lost support from the right, also lost support from the left. Two powerful left wing political parties, the anarchists and syndicalists (powerful trade union groups), felt that Azanas government was too middle of the road. Both wanted a more communistic state and the overthrow of capitalism. Above all, Azana was despised for forming a political union with the middle ground in Spains political life. He was deemed to have betrayed the working class. The extreme left organised strikes and riots in an effort to destabilise the government of Azana. Matters came to a head when in January 1933, 25 people were killed by government troops who were attempting to catch some anarchists near Cadiz. This lost the government a great deal of support among the working class and the socialists withdrew their support from the government. Azana resigned as prime minister and elections were called for November 1933. In this election, the right wing won a majority of support and the largest party in the parliament (known as the Cortes), was the Ceda lead by Gil Robles. The new right wing government immediately over-turned all of the changes brought in by the Azana government. This angered many but especially the Catalans who had their privileges withdrawn. This was a serious error of judgement as the Catalans and Basques had supported the government in the elections. The way ahead for Robles became clear to many an attack on the left wing parties of Spain. It forced the many parties of the left to come together to form the Popular Front. They organised strikes, riots and took part in acts of violence such as derailing main line trains. In 1934 there was a general strike. Coal miners in the Asturias went on strike but were ruthlessly put down by the army lead by General Franco. Spain appeared to be heading for all out chaos. In a last minute attempt to avoid serious trouble, a general election was called for February 1936. In this election, the Popular Front won and Azana, once again became prime minister. However, the government of the Popular Front was a farce after the socialists withdrew their support from it; more and more public disturbances occurred and the government had clearly lost control of Spain. In July 1936, a leading right wing politician, Sotelo, was murdered and the right wing politicians and their supporters believed that they were now in serious danger. They wanted to put their faith in a military dictatorship. The military had, in fact, already made preparations for a takeover of Spain. General Franco assumed control of the military. He took control of Spanish Morocco after overthrowing the civilian government there. His next target was to invade mainland Spain, establish a military government there and rid the country of all those involved in left wing politics. The left would have to fight for survival. The civil war started in July 1936. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/causes_spanish_civil_war.htm The emergence and ideological characteristics of Basque and Catalan nationalism in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Spain are a dramatic expression of conflict between modernity and tradition in the ethnically heterogeneous Spanish state. Confirming Nairs theory of peripheral nationalism, uneven development in Spain during the nineteenth century overlapped with spatially delimited ethnic communities, Catalans and Basques, thus enhancing their ethnic identity and facilitating the expression of class conflict in nationalist terms. However, the social bases and the ideologies of peripheral nationalism in each region eventually came to reflect the different patterns of development that they experienced and the relative economic power of their capitalist à ©lites. These structural factors shaped the Basque and Catalan nationalist movements through their influence on class conflict and class alliances within the Basque Country and Catalonia, as well as conflict and alliances b etween these classes and the Spanish state. Of course, differences between Basque and Catalan nationalism cannot be explained in purely structural terms. The developmental factors I have outlined in this article helped to reproduce longer-term cultural and economic processes, which had progressively defined the cultural identity of the upper classes in Catalonia and the Basque Country. Describing and explaining this process, however, exceeds the objectives set for this article. This comparison of Basque and Catalan nationalism shows that overdevelopment does not necessarily lead to bourgeois or other pro industrialization nationalistic ideologies. In particular he Basque case illustrates that, as long as the leading classes of overdeveloped regions are able to influence state political and economic decisions, they will refrain from the formulation of nationalist programs. Moreover, the Basque case shows that in the analysis of peripheral nationalism, scholars should focus simultaneously on the relationships established between the different social classes in the peripheral community and the central state and on those established between classes within the peripheral community. In 1936, the main part of the Christian democrat PNV sided with the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War. The promise of autonomy was valued over the ideological differences, especially on the religious matter, and PNV decided to support the republican legal government, including member of the Popular Front. Autonomy was granted in October 1936. A republican autonomous Basque government was created, with Josà © Antonio Agirre (PNV) as Lehendakari (president) and ministers from the PNV and other republican parties (mainly leftist Spanish parties). conclusion The Spanish Civil War contributed to bringing about the Second World War most historians argue that the Spanish Civil War was the prelude to the Second World War. Though A.J.P. Taylor, a famous revisionist, has a different opinion (in his classic book The Origins of the Second World War) he argues that the Spanish Civil War was without significant effect in causing the Second World War. He also criticizes the Anglo-French appeasement policy British and French policy, or lack of it, not the policy of Hitler and Mussolini, decided the outcome of the Spanish civil war. The republic had greater recourses, greater popular backing. It could win if it received the correct treatment to which it was entitled by international law: foreign arms for the legitimate government, none for the rebels. It could even win if both sides received foreign aid, or if both were denied it.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Role of Visions and Hallucinations in Macbeth Essay examples -- Macbet

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s visions and hallucinations play a significant role and contribute to the development of his character. In the play Macbeth, a man is driven to murder his king and his companions after receiving a fairly ambiguous prophecy told by three witches. Although the witches triggered the series of events that later aid Macbeth’s descent into complete insanity, Macbeth is portrayed from the very beginning as a fierce and violent soldier. As the play goes on, several internal conflicts inside of Macbeth become clear. After he performs several bloody tasks, the madness inside of Macbeth is unmistakably visible to everyone around him. As a result of this insanity, he sees visions and hallucinations. Each time Macbeth hallucinates, he plunges further into insanity that is essentially caused by misguided ambition, dread and guilt. Macbeth has three key hallucinations that play a considerably important role in the development of his character: a dagger, the ghost of Banquo, and four apparitions while visiting the prophesying witches. Macbeth’s first hallucination and sign of madness comes directly before his wife and he murder King Duncan. After hearing from the witches that he will become the king and conversing with his wife about this, the two of them decide they must kill Duncan. From the beginning of the play, we see Macbeth is a loyal warrior, albeit a vicious one with no trouble killing. It is in the first scene that Macbeth’s brutality is illustrated. An army captain reported: â€Å"For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion, carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne’er sh... .... His insanity was a result of ambition taken much too far, ambition mutated and converted into evil by internal as well as social conflict; Macbeth’s wife did nothing to prevent Macbeth’s sickness and actually helped the problem develop. From his ambition came actions that filled his mind with conflict, dread, suspicion and guilt. It could be said that Macbeth was insane from the beginning, from the moment that the witches appeared to him in the third scene of the play or even from when he carved out his bloody passage in battle. Whether Macbeth was insane his whole life or just from the moment he first saw the imaginary dagger, it is indisputable that his visions and hallucinations only helped to supplement his lunacy. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Ocean Carriers Case Study Solution Essay

Executive Summary Given the current and expected market conditions, the financial department of the Ocean Carriers Group is to evaluate the potential revenues and expenses of commissioning a new capsize ship for cargo transportation in order to meet a received demand for lease. A recommended approach would consist in analyzing the expectations for the world economy, trends in world trade and potential contracts; however, an estimated time of service should be assigned in order to predict future cash flows. Summary of facts In January 2001, Mary Linn, vice president of Finance for Ocean Carriers, had to decide whether to accept an offered leasing contract for the duration of three years. In the event of acceptance of the above-mentioned contract, the profits of the company would depend on the agreed hire rates, operating costs, ship depreciation and inflation. After the closure of the contract, further income would be evaluated based on expected market daily hire rates. The conditions for the proposed lease are shown in exhibit 1. Statement of problem The duration of the leasing contract is quite short so the company has to analyze whether the investment as a whole will prove to be profitable even after the closure of the contract. In order to do so, they will have to take into account the fluctuations of the daily spot rates in the short and long terms, as well as existing differences in taxation policies within its offices in Hong Kong and in the United States. Last but not least, the company has to question the tenability of its 15-year policy. Analysis Spot hire rates Daily spot hire rates are predicted to fall in 2001 and 2002 due to an  increase in the fleet size (63 new vessels are scheduled for delivery) and expected stagnation in iron ore and coal shipments. Iron ore and coal imports are very important for the company because they are about 85% of the cargo it carries every year. Therefore, due to this future stagnation the company will face a weak market position, resulting in lower daily spot hire rates. Overall investment Despite negative market conditions in the upcoming 2 years, long-term prospects look much more promising. Iron ore vessel shipments are going to increase due to new players joining the iron ore industry: India and Australia. As a consequence, in this new global market, daily charter rates and spot daily charter rates will probably rise producing additional demand for shipments. Company’s 15-year policy The company used to scrap or sell ships just before their 15th year of navigation to avoid paying for maintenance expenses related to the 3rd special survey. According to our calculations presented in the Exhibit 2, scrapping the vessel before the 15th year is not recommended. Results show that the NPV of a ship after 15 years is higher than the scrap value of 5 million dollars. Thus, we advise the company to keep the ship longer than 15-year period, since operating the vessel over a longer period will earn additional profit and the ship can be scrapped some time later, granting the same million dollars. However, there are few factors that signal why company might be willing to get rid of the vessel. Firstly, if the company’s priority is to keep a young fleet of cargo ships, operating ships older than 15 years may not be the optimal choice. In fact, older ships are riskier and are less efficient. Secondly, due to low demand for older ships, leasing the same vessel in future might be an ineffective venture. Investment decision We computed two separate calculations for given two assumptions in Exhibit 2.  According to assumption A the company operates in United States, thus has to pay 35% of taxes, whilst according to assumption B, company operates in Hong Kong, and it’s exempt of taxes. Our calculations show that NPV in the first scenario is negative in both 2017 (-6,350,239) and 2027 (- 4,285,462) due to very high taxes, while in the second scenario the NPV is positive in both 2017 (1,719,018) and 2027 (4,025,600). It’s important to understand why we presented two columns for 2017. First column shows the numbers in the case of operating a vessel for 15 years, whilst second column shows the values in case ship was to be operated for a longer period. Another important fact to consider is that in the first scenario, when the company operates ship only for 15 years, we excluded the capital expenditure for 2017 related to the survey, Whilst, in the second scenario, while operating the ship for more than 15 years, we added the yearly capital expenditure back. We made an important assumption; we did not include capital expenditures linked to the last special survey, because we assumed that the company is scrapping the ship just before the special survey is conducted. Recommendations In conclusion, keeping in mind what we demonstrated before, the company should invest in the production of the new vessel only in Hong Kong and should not scrap it after 15 years, because its NPV will still be positive.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Balance Sheet and Following Account Balances

Retained earnings 109,oho 712,000 712. 000 b. Actual sales for December and budgeted sales for the next four months are as follow s: – December (actual) 2800 units It is expected that sales will increase by 40% in the month of January and by a further 50% in the next month. The following month sales would drop by 50% an d then will will ream remain in cons Tanta for for the next next 2 moon months this – The management will not alter the selling price, which is currently $100 – Management wants finished goods inventory to be 20% of the following month's sales – One units of finished goods require 2 kilos of raw materials. –The price of materials is currently $10 per kilo and is expected to increase by 50% in February hereafter it will remain constant for the next four months. – The management wants raw materials inventory to be 10% of the following month's p reduction needs – Each unit of product requires 2 hours of direct materials fo r completion. – The laborers are expected to work for a total of 4000 hours per month at a wage rat e Of $6 per hour. Any additional work requires an overtime payment of time and a half. – Manufacturing overhead: variable: $5 per labor hours worked; fixed $17000 per MO nth. – Sales are 20% for cash and 80% on credit.Half of the credit sales are collected in the month following sale while the remaining half is collected in second month after the sales. The accounts receivable at December 31 are a result of December credit sales. – Monthly expenses are budgeted as follows: salaries and wages, $10,000 per month: a advertising, $70,000 per month; shipping, 5% of sales; other expenses, 3% of sales. Depreciation, I including depreciation on new assets acquired during the quarter, will be $42,000 for the quart err. – One- half of a month's raw materials purchases is paid for in the month of purchase; the to her half is paid in the following month.Shipping expenses are paid in the month following the shipment. , while advertising I s paid in one month's advance. During February, the company will purchase a new copy machine for $1,700 cash. Du ring March, other equipment will be purchased for cash at a cost of $84,500. – During January, the company will declare and pay $45,000 in cash dividends. – Management wants to maintain a minimum cash balance of $30,000. The company h as an agreement with a local bank that allows the company to borrow in increments of $1,0 00 at the beginning of each month. The interest rate on these loans is 1% per month and for is

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Colonization and Greed in Heart of Darkness essays

Colonization and Greed in Heart of Darkness essays Colonization and Greed in Heart of Darkness The book Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad is a masterpiece in literature. Conrad obtained many of his perspectives for his work from `hands on experience' and also from his harsh background and childhood. When Conrad was still a child his father was exiled to Siberia because of suspicions on plotting against the Russian government. After his mother died, Conrad's father sent him to his mother's brother in Krakow for education purposes. This was the last time Conrad ever saw his father. After Conrad had turned seventeen, he traveled to Marseilles and spent the next twenty years on an English ship, (eight years later he became a British subject). Conrad began writing his first novel Almayer's Folly in 1889, and began to actively search for a way to fulfill his dream of traveling to the Congo. In 1890 Conrad took command of a steamship in the Belgian Congo. Conrad's experiences in the Congo paved the way and the outline for his brilliant novel Heart of Darkness. During his t ime in the Congo, Conrad's health took a devastating blow so he returned to England to recover. Returning to sea twice before finishing Almayer's Folly in 1894 Conrad wrote several other books including one about Marlow which was called Youth (a narrative before beginning Heart of Darkness in 1898). Conrad wrote most of his other major works Lord Jim (which features Marlow), Nostramo and The Secret Agent as well as several collaborations with Ford Madox during the following two decades. Conrad died in 1924 but will always have and hold a place in the hearts of many readers. In his book Heart of Darkness Conrad gives the reader an understanding of how the Africans were mistreated during colonization. The book also pinpoints many cases that show the greed and selfishness of imperialism. The evilness of how the Africans were treated is critiqued well in a quote "the men who work for the company describe what the...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Byte Products

Byte Product, Inc Executive Summary Byte Products, Inc is a company that produces electronic components that are used in personal computers. They are the leaders in their industry with 32% of the market share. Over the past several years their total sales are approximately $265 million. Now many new firms are coming into the market foreign and domestic. More companies in the industry means more demand, competition, and productivity. Byte Products, Inc is pleased that the market is growing. Unfortunate, Byte Product, Inc only has three manufacturing facilities running 24 hours 7 days a week. Now since there is a huge demand for their product they can not keep up with three manufacturing facilities. If they can not keep up with their demand then their customers will go else where. The only way Byte can keep up with their demand is to move or build another manufacturing facility. The long term solution is to build a state of the art manufacturing facility in the southwest of the United States. State of the art building is a great idea, but it will take three years to build and by then the company is out of the race and gone. The short term solution is to move into an old manufacturing facility that use to produce electronic components. The factory has been closed for eight years and it is in a small town called Plainville. Analysis Ten of the board members thought moving into the manufacturing facility in Plainville was a good idea. One of the board members that hardly ever speaks out said no about this short term solution. There were other solutions before the idea of moving into the Plainville facility. For example, licensing Byte’s product and process technology to other manufacturers in the short run to meet immediate demand was possible. The licensing world be short term or just until the new plant is done. The problem to this solution was no... Free Essays on Byte Products Free Essays on Byte Products Byte Product, Inc Executive Summary Byte Products, Inc is a company that produces electronic components that are used in personal computers. They are the leaders in their industry with 32% of the market share. Over the past several years their total sales are approximately $265 million. Now many new firms are coming into the market foreign and domestic. More companies in the industry means more demand, competition, and productivity. Byte Products, Inc is pleased that the market is growing. Unfortunate, Byte Product, Inc only has three manufacturing facilities running 24 hours 7 days a week. Now since there is a huge demand for their product they can not keep up with three manufacturing facilities. If they can not keep up with their demand then their customers will go else where. The only way Byte can keep up with their demand is to move or build another manufacturing facility. The long term solution is to build a state of the art manufacturing facility in the southwest of the United States. State of the art building is a great idea, but it will take three years to build and by then the company is out of the race and gone. The short term solution is to move into an old manufacturing facility that use to produce electronic components. The factory has been closed for eight years and it is in a small town called Plainville. Analysis Ten of the board members thought moving into the manufacturing facility in Plainville was a good idea. One of the board members that hardly ever speaks out said no about this short term solution. There were other solutions before the idea of moving into the Plainville facility. For example, licensing Byte’s product and process technology to other manufacturers in the short run to meet immediate demand was possible. The licensing world be short term or just until the new plant is done. The problem to this solution was no...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuse Essay Alcoholism is an overwhelming desire to drink alcohol, even though it is causing harm. Alcohol is a drug. In the United States alcoholism is the most widespread form of drug abuse, effecting at least 5 million people. About one third of high school students in the US are thought to be influenced drinkers. Many already may be alcoholics. A person who is dependent on alcohol is called an alcoholic. Drunk drivers account for one half of all fatal automobile accidents each year in the US. Alcoholism also creates many severe physical problems. More then three drinks a day, over a few weeks causes destructive danger in the liver. Changes in the brain and nervous system result in hostile behavior. A family or individual with an alcoholism problem is in serious trouble because the alcoholics main goal is to get something to drink. The drinking usually continues until the person is drunk. Family, friends and work are little concern compared to the need for alcohol. Drunkenness limits the alcoholics control of normal behavior and to perform the easiest functions. Many resources can help but two rules apply to recovery. One is that the alcoholic must accept the fact that there is a real problem and must decide to stop drinking. An alcoholic must also realize that any form of alcohol is literally poison. When in recovery an alcoholic could never take another drink. First of all you will notice that an alcoholic will often gulp their drinks, they can probably drink a lot before they get drunk, they may stay drunk for several days, they will also have a favorite drink, and may change their favorite drink to another. They may also hide their drinking. Alcoholism is an illness and is very common. It is very hard for an alcoholic to stop drinking because they know how they feel when they do not drink. Alcoholics usually try to stop drinking because they maybe have hurt someone they love or may also be on the verge of losing their job. People who stop drinking sometimes may have to go to the hospital for a period of time, this is called detoxification. This is the best way for treatment when it is hard for them to stop. The withdrawal symptoms are things such as shaking, sweating, fever, pains and nausea. These can be severe and dangerous to that persons health. After detoxification comes rehabilitation this is a period of time which the person starts to recover mentally and physically. Most alcoholics will go to AA meetings during this time. This is where they can go and meet other alcoholics just like them. Effects on the Body Alcohol also effects the kidneys, another major internal organ. When drinking alcohol urination increases due to changes in the hormone aldosterone. This is what regulates water in the body. So it is not uncommon to experience an increase in the urge to urinate while intoxicated. The liver, however, is effected the most. Liver damage may occur in three irreversible stages. The first stage is called Fatty Liver. This is where the liver cells are worked in with abnormal fatty tissue, enlarging the liver. Second there is Alcoholic Hepatitis. Liver cells swell, become inflamed, and die, causing blockage. Last, the more advanced alcoholic liver now has Cirrhosis: a fibrous scar tissue forms in place of healthy cells, obstructing the flow of blood through the liver. Various functions of the liver deteriorate with often fatal results. A diseased liver cannot convert stored glycogen into glucose, thus lowering blood sugars and producing hypoglycemia an important function in the liver related problems and 5,685 deaths indirectly due .

Friday, October 18, 2019

American History from 1607 to 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American History from 1607 to 1865 - Essay Example Together they slowly built a country together. Some of the principal industries at time were tobacco and shipbuilding. As the colonies grew more powerful, they chafed at the heavy hand that ruled them from London. A little known fact is that the American colonists who fought the British during the Revolutionary War were not always dramatically opposed against the British who ruled over them. Some admired the British. During the Revolutionary War, which was led by George Washington, there were opportunities to come to terms, although most of these opportunities occurred at the beginning of the war. Before the time when New York fell to the British, it might have been possible for the British and the American sides agree on a peace that would have kept the Americans under British Rule. However, after this seminal battle, the two opponents were too entrenched in their respective positions to reach an agreement. Both sides were too polarized and seen too much hardship. Throughout the con flict, the British failed to conceive that the colonists only wanted respect and more autonomy. By denying this reasonable request, the British forced the Americans to take drastic action against them. It didn’t have to be this way. ... Writing to a friend, John Adams once said: There must be a positive Passion for the public good, the public Interest, Honour, Power, and Glory, established in the Minds of the People, or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real Liberty. And this public Passion must be Superior to all private Passions. Men must be ready, they must pride themselves, and be happy to sacrifice their private Pleasures, Passions, and Interests, nay their private Friendships and dearest connections, when they Stand in Competition with the Rights of society. (Rahe, 23) The years that followed the founding were amazing. The country grew in population, power, and wealth. The size of the country grew and more states joined. Most people would find it hard to argue that the changes between 1790 and 1860 were not some of the most impressive in the history of the United States. One of the key elements of the growth that occurred as this time was rapid industrialization. Novel technologies like the cotton gin and the steam engine permitted work to be completed in any even faster fashion than before. All across the land, factories began to sprout up like mushrooms. The country began to shift away from a resource based economy that included farming and agriculture, and began to be characterized by a much more diverse economy that was sending goods all over the world. Throughout it all Americans debated what system of government they should have. They often looked back to the words of Thomas Jefferson: Two political Sects have arisen within the U. S. the one believing that the executive is the branch of our government which the most needs support; the other that like the analogous branch in the English Government, it is already too strong for the republican parts of the

Brand Society of Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Brand Society of Tesco - Essay Example While the proposed strategy of differentiation of the company products is in line with the company products and service delivery, it is still advisable that the management devises other ways to bust the delivery of the product. The company should also try to retain its current strengths like provision of products at customer doorsteps while trying to eliminate the weaknesses that have drugged the progress of the company. Intensive promotion and marketing strategies will also support the branding strategy in the penetration of the product into the consumers (Anholt, 2007). The strength of Tesco Corporation of quality delivery of its products has facilitated efficient operations of the company. Tesco apart from better business management practices also offers itself to dedicated corporate social responsibility as a way of keeping in touch with the local community. This has acted as a differentiation strategy that identifies it among its competitors like DHL and others. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Branding is an integrative aspect of an organizational identity that got its very long time ago, about 1200’s. ... Â  This has been propagated by the fact that at the time technology was at its lowest and people had to use much energy and effort to arrive at minimal results. Branding improved with industrial revolution and improvements in technology up to the moment that it is at its pick and as well used to define the success of any organization in terms of turnover and even performance. Many organizations have given branding an edge having even above advertisement since branding itself is an advertisement (Hatch, 1997). This has been arrived at after extensive research and finding that the resources that could be used in advertising could be used in making a brand and employing brand strategies to realize results which if not more than the same as those which would have been derived from advertisements. A brand is a name that distinctly defines one product from the rest of almost the same kinds to fuel and propagate the sales of such products or services. The brand has several elements, which would include logos, signs, colors, symbols, or even names. All these elements combined in various mixes results in various strong brands. Brands exist as both global versus local brands. Global brands are those that are designed to reflect the same features and characteristics of the organization worldwide, global brands move around the world like crossfire intertwining the relationship between the organization and its customers and even other customers. This is positive for the development of the product in terms of sales and liking.

Financial issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial issues - Assignment Example The global financial crisis is one that has affected many companies. This has led to many changes with regard to the various regulations that exist. There is development in financial planning and the management of wealth (Elizabeth 1156). The article critically discusses this and shows the manner through which the global financial crisis of 2008 has led to trading of financial instruments. There is also the existent issue in modern days with regard to financial instruments that brings up the question of disclosure in the relevant industries and a case in example is what happens in Brazil mostly (Malaquias 95). Many companies do not seem to appreciate the value of privacy in an organization. In modern days, privacy is so poor such that financial statements of various debtors are portrayed to other people that attend to the same bank. Financial reporting is also important as some people fail to offer the important information that is necessary for financial instruments and planning. This information is such as the actual assets that the company or individual bears (Mark 3). It is important for these people to offer exact information to assist in the actual planning of a person’s or the investment of the company. Malaquias, Fernandes. â€Å"Disclosure of financial instruments according to International Accounting Standards: empirical evidence from Brazilian companies.† Brazilian Business Review, 2013: 10, 3. Pgs 82 – 107. Elizabeth, Blankespoor. â€Å"Fair Value Accounting for Financial Instruments: Does It Improve the Association between Bank Leverage and Credit Risk?† Accounting Review, 2013, 88, 4. Pgs 1143 –

Thursday, October 17, 2019

World War II Propoganda Posters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

World War II Propoganda Posters - Essay Example Some also believe that it is basically the methodology employed in the persuasion that determines whether chanting of a slogan, jargon or an appeal is propaganda or not. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) History bears testimony to the fact that greatest of propagandas have been used during wartime. In such times the warring nations often resort to propaganda campaigns that instigate people to acts which are most conducive to victory. The psychological warfare during cold war period was also a kind of propaganda that was meant to enfeeble the enemy's might and the will to fight. Another strategy, which is commonly known as 'brainwashing' and frequently used against prisoners unite political propaganda with bitter treatment of the prisoners to minimize its confrontation. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) Several of the methods, which are employed in propaganda, are logical and common-sense techniques that include achieving the confidence of people, simplicity and repetition, and the use of symbols. (Taylor, S.n.p.n.d.) The propaganda may differ in nature from other educational forms which exist in literary societies, but in an autocratic educational set-up, it can involve educating the youth of a nation by practices that could be categorized as propaganda. The tutors in educated societies teach pupil 'how to think', but propagandists tell them 'what to think'. Many academicians may be inclined to change their opinions if and when new evidence emerges, but propagandists will always evade evidence that comes in their way. Thus the educators consider all aspects of a problem and are willing to advance a discussion but a propagandists on the contrary would never do that and enter into any kind of debate. The propagandists instead would always touch extremes and try to persuade and mold public opinion through strongest possible case which he builds so very desperately and ambitiously. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) What makes World War II propaganda posters forms of propaganda Although the Propaganda Posters used in World War11 (1939-1945) were simple and randomly created to suit the newly emerging situations, they proved very effective on the belligerents simply because they were repeated over and over again. Also the words used to write catchy jargons, sensational slogans, and even appeals on the propaganda posters were often very simple but the pattern and symmetry in which they were used carried the message far and wide. For instance Nazis of Germany had used the below words of Adolph Hitler in one of their propaganda posters during World War11, "The intelligence of the masses is small. Their forgetfulness is great. They

Foundations of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foundations of Terrorism - Essay Example The Red Brigades aimed at overthrowing the parliamentary and capitalist system and replacing it with a system ruled by a proletariat and had Potere Proletarion Armato, Prima Linea, and Nuclei Armati Proletari as organizations liaised to it. Red Brigates had 120 active members with operative members ranging from 50 to 75 at any given time. Operations are continuing for the Red Brigades but the last attack orchestrated by the group occurred in 2002 with their areas of operation being Italy with the specific operation areas as Milan, Genoa, Turin, Venice, Bologna, and Rome (Hoffman, 2006). Right-wing terrorism has a high reliance on restoring national greatness, expel cultural minorities, suppress opponents, and overthrowing democratic and capitalist systems for the establishment of a revolutionary order. Russian national Unity is an example of right-wing terrorism group and the main cause of the group was to ensure the creation of a racially pure Russian through the expulsion of the Turks, Jews, and Caucasians from Russia. The group consists of 6,000 active members and has operations running to the present in Ukraine, Russia, and Baltic States (Martin, 2003). Ethno-nationalist terrorism aims at gaining political self-determination and international recognition with their main motivation being ethnicity, religion, and nationalism. An example of an Ethno-nationalist terrorism group is Irish Republican Army (IRA) that has Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA, Provos) as an alternative name. The cause of the IRA is to form a unified Irish Republic with Sinn Fein as a directly liaised organization with the group that has been in operation since 1919 despite using the name PIRA in 1969. The group reached its peak in 1970 when in consisted of 1500 members and it was operative until 2005 when the decommissioning of weapons was

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Financial issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial issues - Assignment Example The global financial crisis is one that has affected many companies. This has led to many changes with regard to the various regulations that exist. There is development in financial planning and the management of wealth (Elizabeth 1156). The article critically discusses this and shows the manner through which the global financial crisis of 2008 has led to trading of financial instruments. There is also the existent issue in modern days with regard to financial instruments that brings up the question of disclosure in the relevant industries and a case in example is what happens in Brazil mostly (Malaquias 95). Many companies do not seem to appreciate the value of privacy in an organization. In modern days, privacy is so poor such that financial statements of various debtors are portrayed to other people that attend to the same bank. Financial reporting is also important as some people fail to offer the important information that is necessary for financial instruments and planning. This information is such as the actual assets that the company or individual bears (Mark 3). It is important for these people to offer exact information to assist in the actual planning of a person’s or the investment of the company. Malaquias, Fernandes. â€Å"Disclosure of financial instruments according to International Accounting Standards: empirical evidence from Brazilian companies.† Brazilian Business Review, 2013: 10, 3. Pgs 82 – 107. Elizabeth, Blankespoor. â€Å"Fair Value Accounting for Financial Instruments: Does It Improve the Association between Bank Leverage and Credit Risk?† Accounting Review, 2013, 88, 4. Pgs 1143 –

Foundations of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foundations of Terrorism - Essay Example The Red Brigades aimed at overthrowing the parliamentary and capitalist system and replacing it with a system ruled by a proletariat and had Potere Proletarion Armato, Prima Linea, and Nuclei Armati Proletari as organizations liaised to it. Red Brigates had 120 active members with operative members ranging from 50 to 75 at any given time. Operations are continuing for the Red Brigades but the last attack orchestrated by the group occurred in 2002 with their areas of operation being Italy with the specific operation areas as Milan, Genoa, Turin, Venice, Bologna, and Rome (Hoffman, 2006). Right-wing terrorism has a high reliance on restoring national greatness, expel cultural minorities, suppress opponents, and overthrowing democratic and capitalist systems for the establishment of a revolutionary order. Russian national Unity is an example of right-wing terrorism group and the main cause of the group was to ensure the creation of a racially pure Russian through the expulsion of the Turks, Jews, and Caucasians from Russia. The group consists of 6,000 active members and has operations running to the present in Ukraine, Russia, and Baltic States (Martin, 2003). Ethno-nationalist terrorism aims at gaining political self-determination and international recognition with their main motivation being ethnicity, religion, and nationalism. An example of an Ethno-nationalist terrorism group is Irish Republican Army (IRA) that has Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA, Provos) as an alternative name. The cause of the IRA is to form a unified Irish Republic with Sinn Fein as a directly liaised organization with the group that has been in operation since 1919 despite using the name PIRA in 1969. The group reached its peak in 1970 when in consisted of 1500 members and it was operative until 2005 when the decommissioning of weapons was

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Inquiries and serious case Essay Example for Free

Inquiries and serious case Essay Serious case reviews are summoned when a child or a vulnerable adult is seriously injured and there is a suspicion that abuse or neglect has played a role in the outcome. When an incident occurs, a number of investigations are triggered to establish what has happened and who is to blame. In these situations serious case review and inquiries are undertaken in addition to the other investigations. According to Williams (Sarah, 2012), the purpose of serious case reviews is as follows To identify what the lessons are and how they will be acted on to improve practise. Improve local interagency working Review procedures and make recommendations for improvements Of all the procedures and stages of appointment of staff the most crucial factor is safety. It might sound weird but an error in this aspect might have wild consequences. Safer recruitment practice should include those persons who may not have direct contact with children, but because of their presence and familiarity in certain settings will still be seen as safe and trustworthy. The principles of safer recruitment should be included in the terms of any contract drawn up between the organisation and contractors or agencies that provide services for children and young people for whom the organisation is responsible. The organisation should monitor compliance with the contract, which should also include a requirement that the provider will not sub-contract to any personnel who have not been part of a safer recruitment process. Staff has to be kept informed about child protection responsibilities and procedures through induction, briefings and awareness training. There may be other adults in the school who rarely work unsupervised, more usually working alongside members of the school staff. However the supervisor will ensure they are aware of the school’s policy and the identity of the Child Protection Officer. Any member of staff, volunteer or visitor to the school who receives a disclosure of abuse, an allegation or suspects that abuse may have occurred must report it immediately. In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates there is currently no infrastructure of Educational Safeguarding and/or Social Care Services. Following cases which caused concern in the Emirati community, Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai, supported the drafting of a Federal law on child protection â€Å"to ensure a secure and stable future for children in the  U.A.E.† In April 2012, it was reported that Dubai had  "embraced a new policy to protect children against all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect and offer support and care for those in need.† The policy â€Å"aims to provide protection to Emirati and expatriate children under the age 18 who live permanently or temporarily in Dubai. In November 2012, the UAE Cabinet approved â€Å"Wadeema’s Law† to â€Å"protect children in the UAE.The law includes creating special units that intervene when children are at risk and stresses that all children have rights regardless of religion and nationality.† In conclusion, serious case reviews make an important contribution to understanding what happens in circumstances of significant harm. Their effectiveness can be improved and there are examples of promising approaches using the findings of serious case reviews to bring about improvements in safeguarding practice. However, achieving such improvements requires Local Safeguarding Children Boards to develop a much stronger learning culture within which serious case reviews are but one important source of knowledge for improving safeguarding practice. References Dubaicollege. (2012). Child protection policy. Available: http://www.dubaicollege.org/media/policies/Child%20Protection%20Policy.pdf. Last accessed 03rd May 2014. Willams, rutter, gary (2012). Promoting Individual and Organisational Learning in Social Work. london: SAGE publications. p99-102.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Purpose Of Education In Singapore

Purpose Of Education In Singapore Education is said to be as old as humanity itself. (Gordon, 1966) All living things, regardless of animal or human origin, are born with a capacity and need to be educated. The genetic makeup of any animal causes it to recognize that educating their offspring plays a crucial role to ensuring their survivability in the wild. Prehistoric human beings realize this too but modern human beings also recognize that in todays complicated world, our purposes for educating our young are far more complex than simply knowing how to gather and hunt for food. Thus, in this essay, I will briefly explore both the selfish and the societal reasons for education in our modern society before delving specifically into the aims of education in Singapore as well as their implications. There is one fundamental limitation to be addressed the aims of education are ever changing. Survivability in todays modern society is defined differently from the past and also differently from the society of the future. Hence, there are no fixed aims of education because our purposes will change along with the current societal needs and mindsets. The question Why do we educate? can be answered from the selfish point of view. Firstly, as human beings, we evolved from animals and are instinctively concerned about our survival. Thus, the most evident reason and aim in pursuing education is for the sake of our livelihoods. This is also known as the bread and butter aim (Gordon, 1966) because we desire to be educated so we can graduate with better qualifications and hence land a better paying job. This utilitarian purpose of education enables people to provide the basic necessities, and possibly luxuries, for themselves. While this practical aim may be important, I believe that there are many other things Man has to live for other than simply money. The other selfish reason is nobler. It is to pursue education for the sake of education. Although it is still a selfish reason, it is in contrast to the livelihood aim because people who believe in this deem education as more than a vehicle for the mere acquisition of knowledge to gain wealth. These are people who have developed an intrinsic motivation for lifelong learning and see that education as a dynamic tool that allows one to think and adapt independently as compared to a static process of memorization. (Gordon, 1966) Other than selfish reasons for education, there are also societys objectives in having its people educated. The first societal purpose of education is to have socially contributive citizens. Ironically, this societal purpose ties in with the selfish purpose for livelihood. In achieving the knowledge, skills and understanding required of us to deal with a specialized and better paying job, we unintentionally play a part in the creation of societys workforce and hence contribute to economic development and growth of the country. (Biesta, 2009) This relates very closely to the educational theory of Essentialism. Essentialism, grounded in philosophies of Idealism and Realism, disregards interests and promote teaching useful knowledge instead for the learner to use in society. In addition, discipline is a key focus in Essentialism as it emphasizes on how the learner is expected to respect legitimate authority to function efficiently in society. (Ellis, 1981) Hence, Essentialism is crucial in creating people who participate effectively in society. Another social intention of education involves character and moral development as emphasized by Aristotle (Homiak, 2007) and by Herbart in the 19th century. Aristotle claims that there are 2 sides to every Man. The baser side involves primal animal instincts of brutality and passion while the humanitarian side involves morality and intellect. The aim of education, Aristotle insists, should be towards developing human character through the humanitarian aspect. (Gordon, 1966) In accordance to Aristotles claims, I personally believe that while we should develop the humanitarian portion, we should focus equally on both the intellectual and moral sections because they are of equal importance and not place greater emphasis on the intellect as our society currently does. The last societal aim of education is for society to create responsible citizens of a country through the development of every child the political agenda behind education. The 2 aspects to this societal aim are the positive and the negative. The positive aspect is what Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of America during her husbands presidency, describes as good citizenship. (Roosevelt, 2008) She illustrates how education is to help a child see and understand the various governmental processes through the government departments of law and legislation along with Americas relationship to the rest of the world. The child, being able to see such things, will see himself as a part of a greater being and understand where his own usefulness may lie. I agree with Roosevelt as National Education is a vital aspect of Singapores education system and this will be elaborated further. The negative aspect however, has roots in the USSR. Lenin, the Communist leader, once expressed: Without teaching, there is no learning. Without learning, there is no knowledge. Without knowledge, there is no Communism. Without Communism, society degenerates into capitalist decay. (Nicholas, 1983) The leadership of the Soviet Union then started to shape its national education programmes to promote Communist propaganda to the children in order to guarantee the security of the Communist ideology. (Nicholas, 1983) This is an example of how a country can use its education system with a political motive to legitimize a particular political doctrine. While the purposes of education are inexhaustible and constantly changing, Singapore has managed to define its own rational of educating her citizens for the 21st century society. As extracted from the Ministry Of Educations (MOE) Website, Singapore has 4 clear Desired Outcomes of Education (Ministry of Education, 2010). They are: Confident person, self directed learner, active contributor and concerned citizen. These 4 desired outcomes of education are adaptations of the purposes of education as discussed above and this essay will only focus on the latter 2. The first desired outcome of education that I am focusing on is the creation of an active contributor. An active contributor is one who cooperates well in a team, takes lead and responsible ventures and is original and competent in his actions. (Ministry of Education, 2010) The reason for this desired outcome of education is Singapore having no natural resources except for her population. Therefore, Singapore, having to rely on her people for economic growth and development, has no margin for mistakes and emphasizes on the need for her people to contribute. This need resulted in several educational policy changes, the most obvious trend being the inclination towards Essentialism. Singapore chooses to adopt a practical and utilitarian approach to education though the Bilingualism Policy in 1966. (Dixon) Learning English aided communication with the Western world and was considered an Industrialization language. In the year 2000, the Mandarin language was promoted in order to help foster economic relations with China. Singapore also privatized education through allowing autonomous and independent schools, created a public ranking of all schools in 1992 (Tan, C. Wong, B. Chua, J.S.M Kang, T, 2006) and started the Thinking Skills, Learning Nation (TSLN) policy in 1997 in recognition that literacy only is not enough to survive economically in the 21st century and highly innovative individuals were crucial too. (Teo, 1997) These 3 policies encourage competition between schools and students for better results and prestige as well as promoting the freedom of ingenuity. These result in Singapore being able to nature the full potential of her citizens, develop an abil ity driven economy and encourage Research and Development, both surmounting to greater economic contribution. These policy changes have significantly impacted Singaporean teachers and students alike. Both teachers and students had to be proficient in the English language in order to understand each other. More teachers were recruited to teach the various mother tongues of Malay, Tamil and Mandarin. Students had to work harder to compete and get into a prestigious and elite school. In addition, students had to pay higher fees for autonomous or independent schools. Teachers also had to rethink their teaching methods and engage students more to promote creativity and induce intrinsic motivation to learn instead of mere memorization. As our former Minister of Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, explained diverse paths were also provided for students with talents in different fields so as to train young people to embrace change and do well in life. (Lee, S.K. Goh, C.B. Fredriksen, B. Tan, J.P. 2008) In evaluation, while these policies appeared feasible in theory, practice proved it wrong. The Bilingual Policy was admitted to be a mistake. (Hoe, 2009) Minister Mentor (MM) Lee Kuan Yew said that his implementation of the Bilingual Policy caused students to be put off by the Chinese language instead of fostering a love for the language. However, MM Lee is not entirely wrong as students are able to fluently converse, read and write in their Mother Tongues. This echoes the education theory of Essentialism where societal gains are placed before personal interests. Another policy that was changed in 2004 involved the softening of the school ranking system. (Shanmugaratnam, 2004) While this policy may be effective in differentiating students of varying IQs, this has also objectified students as they are either classified condemned, normal or gifted. This is a result of our focus on meritocracy and ability. Streaming is not effective because students are not given equal chances to flourish in different aspects of their character but is solely based on how well he does in his studies in a particular examination. Lastly, the TSLN policy is cast in a more positive light as it shifts Singapore from an efficiency-driven education system to an ability-driven education system. (Lee, S.K. Goh, C.B. Fredriksen, B. Tan, J.P. 2008) This is a better policy as it offers students greater flexibility and choice in their education. Students are now able to choose from a range of educational institutes like the School of the Arts (SOTA), Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, the Singapore Sports School and the Singapore Institute of Technology to develop their talents and abilities. Nonetheless, while this can be seen as a deviation from Essentialism, the main objective of the TSLN policy is to remain economically competent in the 21st century. The other desired outcome is the creation of a concerned citizen through moral education. Moral education in Singapore was, and always will be, aimed at forging citizens together and promoting common values to prevent racial and cultural tension amongst the 4 racial groups. (Tan, J. Gopinathan, S. Ho, W.K., 1997) The reason for this desired outcome is due to the largely polarized cultural groups in Singapore directly after independence. Hence, there was a need to bring together the people of Singapore and thus, moral education is needed for nation building and cohesion. The introduction of moral education into the education system resulted in several policy changes. The more significant ones include the mandatory singing of the National Anthem and recitation of the National Pledge (1966) in all schools every morning (Tan, C. Wong, B. Chua, J.S.M Kang, T, 2006), the implementation of Education for Living as a subject (Tan, J. Gopinathan, S. Ho, W.K., 1997) and more recently, the National Education for all levels and Community Involvement Programme (CIP) in 1996 for lower level schools and Service Learning for upper levels. (Ministry of Education, 1998) These 3 policy changes work towards the cohesion of Singaporeans as a whole regardless of race or religion and promote social concern and civic responsibility amongst citizens. These policy changes have affected teachers and students in a more subtle manner. Students then had to learn the National Anthem and Pledge by heart. Teachers were required to undergo training to learn and teach the Education for Living syllabus, Good Citizen, as a subject in the various Mother Tongues. Furthermore, teachers also had to learn how to organize and manage students for CIP and incorporate National Education into everyday teaching. The compulsory singing of the National Anthem and recitation of the Pledge is effective because the Pledge embodies our goals as a country as shown by the words, One united people to signify cohesion in diversity, and to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our Nation and the recitation every morning reminds students that diversity is not an obstacle and that Singaporeans should always care for the country. Furthermore, although the CIP and Service Learning projects have noble intentions and are theoretically effective, they turn out to be less efficient in practice. For example, secondary school students carry out the bare minimum of 6 hours of community work in order to meet the criteria set by the Ministry of Education. This defeats the purpose of CIP as it does not properly inculcate students to sincerely help out the needy but only forces students to help because their schools said so. In conclusion, ultimately, Singapore is still a survival-driven society and economy. Having only people as resources has not made it any easier. Hence, regardless of what policy changes or desired outcomes of education, Singapores ultimate goal in education is to remain economically competent in the 21st society. 2191 words.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Margaret Atwood Handmai

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Love of God replaces love of humanity in Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred’s recollections of her past life, especially of her husband, are ones filled with passion and happiness as she remembers his tenderness towards her. Much more emphasis is put on the physical human form in her memories; she often remembers lying with her husband while she wears little or no clothing. Appreciation of the human form is an essential component of loving humanity. Offred remembers the love she felt for her friends with whom she enjoyed spending time and conversing. When her friend is taken away, Offred spends much time mourning the loss of this person from her life. She also longs, throughout the novel, to be reunited with her husband. While she has not seen him in years, his memory lives strong in her mind, and she can often imagine him arriving at the Commander’s house and rescuing her. Her memories almost all revolve around human interaction because that i s what she cherished most and that is what society held to be most important. But that was before the religious revolution. The new era of government ushers in a time where humanity is meaningless and the world revolves around God. One example of this is the sex ritual that Offred has to undergo with the Commander. Sex is the ultimate expression of humanity, but she is forced into doing it without any sort of emotion. Furthermore, Offred’s needs as an individual are petty and insignificant throughout Atwood’s work. Offred is expected to keep qualms and concerns to herself and to obey the strict lifestyle laid out for her. Additionally, the human form is not something to be celebrated in this new world, but it is rather something to be... ...she did not die in the novel, she gave up her body for the continuation of mankind. What better martyr, I thought, than Jesus Christ himself. After much thought, I decided upon Giotto’s rendition of Christ on the cross from the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy. I faced a major challenge in picking the paintings, apart from my utter lack of knowledge of art history. Each of these paintings was done with such precision and care that the artist likely loaded each one with symbolism and deeper meanings which would not be applicable to The Handmaid’s Tale. As an example of this, my friend who had studied Picasso’s â€Å"Guernica† launched into a lengthy description of what the painting meant, when I only used it for the image of war that it projects. Clearly many of these paintings carry baggage that is unwanted for my purposes, and this is a challenge that I face as the author. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Essay -- Margaret Atwood Handmai Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale Love of God replaces love of humanity in Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred’s recollections of her past life, especially of her husband, are ones filled with passion and happiness as she remembers his tenderness towards her. Much more emphasis is put on the physical human form in her memories; she often remembers lying with her husband while she wears little or no clothing. Appreciation of the human form is an essential component of loving humanity. Offred remembers the love she felt for her friends with whom she enjoyed spending time and conversing. When her friend is taken away, Offred spends much time mourning the loss of this person from her life. She also longs, throughout the novel, to be reunited with her husband. While she has not seen him in years, his memory lives strong in her mind, and she can often imagine him arriving at the Commander’s house and rescuing her. Her memories almost all revolve around human interaction because that i s what she cherished most and that is what society held to be most important. But that was before the religious revolution. The new era of government ushers in a time where humanity is meaningless and the world revolves around God. One example of this is the sex ritual that Offred has to undergo with the Commander. Sex is the ultimate expression of humanity, but she is forced into doing it without any sort of emotion. Furthermore, Offred’s needs as an individual are petty and insignificant throughout Atwood’s work. Offred is expected to keep qualms and concerns to herself and to obey the strict lifestyle laid out for her. Additionally, the human form is not something to be celebrated in this new world, but it is rather something to be... ...she did not die in the novel, she gave up her body for the continuation of mankind. What better martyr, I thought, than Jesus Christ himself. After much thought, I decided upon Giotto’s rendition of Christ on the cross from the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy. I faced a major challenge in picking the paintings, apart from my utter lack of knowledge of art history. Each of these paintings was done with such precision and care that the artist likely loaded each one with symbolism and deeper meanings which would not be applicable to The Handmaid’s Tale. As an example of this, my friend who had studied Picasso’s â€Å"Guernica† launched into a lengthy description of what the painting meant, when I only used it for the image of war that it projects. Clearly many of these paintings carry baggage that is unwanted for my purposes, and this is a challenge that I face as the author.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay On Origins Of World War -- essays research papers

The thesis in the article ‘The origins of the World War’, by Sidney B. Fay, can clearly be stated as the explanation for World War I. Fay states that no one country is responsible for the creation of the war. Furthermore, he goes on to explain that each of the European country’s leaders did, or failed to do ‘certain’ things to provoke the other countries into a war. Fay states, â€Å"One must abandon the dictum of the Versailles Treaty that Germany and her allies were solely responsible. It was a dictum exacted by victors from vanquished, under the influence of the blindness, ignorance, hatred, and the propagandist misconceptions to which war had given rise.† (Fay, The Origins of the World War). His main arguments are his explanations of how each country was responsible for the creation of the war. His first explanation is that of how Serbia was partly responsible. Fay explains that Serbia knew that by not co-operating with the Austrian governm ent over the implications of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassination they were indirectly preparing for a war they would fight but did not want. Fay says that Austria was more responsible for the war than any other power but not in military attack, but more in the form of self-defence. He makes it clear that Austria was justified in their battle and that they didn’t have to, â€Å"sit back and await the dismemberment at the hands of its neighbors.† (Fay, The origins of the World War). Fay believes that Berchtold wanted a local war with Serbia but knew and was content with the fact that the rest of Europe could very easily become involved with the war. Fay’s third country’s explanation was that of Germany. He believed that Germany did not want a war and tried to avert one completely. It is his belief that since Austria was Germany’s only dependable ally, they were dragged into the war. Furthermore, he explains that Germany’s geographical location, being in the middle of the conflict between France and Russia, they had little choice in the matter and had to defend their territory as well as Austria-Hungary’s. Fay’s fourth country and major power discussed, was Russia. He believed that Russia supported Serbia because of the frequent guidance and encouragement given at Belgrade, and if a war were to break out they would more than happy to fight along with the belief of France and Britain helping out. Furthermore, at the same ... ...to win this continental war, if it was to come to that. They also in turn had the belief that ‘France may panic, and advise peace’. This would have been a diplomatic win in the German’s books. This would have ‘split Russia from France and isolate both without war’. Although this second point was believed to be unlikely by the German’s it still was a happy, and reassuring possibility. Fischer then went on to say that Hollweg told Bulow that any war that was to occur would last at the most three to four months. Hollweg then went on to explain the possibilities of a ‘friendly relationship’ with England, and then through England, a similar friendship with France. He then stated that this would bring forth a triple alliance with England, France, and Germany all extinguishing the existence of Russia, which would easily threaten the civilization of Europe. Fischer then concludes his essay in Hollweg’s address to the Central Com mittee of the Reichstag at the beginning of October during the ever increasing debate on the unlimited submarine warfare. Fischer states that, â€Å" †¦ this outlines Germany’s real guilt, her constant over-estimation of her own powers, and her misjudgment of realities.†

Friday, October 11, 2019

Compare and Contrast: New England and the Mid Atlantic

Compare and Contrast: New England and the Mid Atlantic Colonists began arriving in the Americas in the early 1600’s. Some were seeking wealth and opportunity in the New World, others fleeing from persecution in their native country. Two distinct regions of the 13 British colonies were New England and the Mid Atlantic and though the two areas were governed by the British, in some ways they were quite different. Though they share similar backgrounds, the New England and Mid Atlantic regions differed in the structure of their economy, their tolerance of religions, and the structure of their self-government.The North American colonies were all rich with resources; as part of the mercantilist system, raw materials were what the colonists sold to England for profit. Each region had their own specific contribution to this system; colonists in the Mid Atlantic region grew crops such as wheat, rye and flax. The climate and soil of the Mid Atlantic region was well suited for the cultiva tion of grains, and the Mid Atlantic colonies became known as the â€Å"bread basket colonies†. By contrast, the New England region experienced long, cold winters and had rocky soil unsuitable for an economy based on farming.The New England region mainly traded furs, timber, and fish. Religion was a very important aspect of colonial life; many people came to America in search of religious freedom. The New England colonies were predominantly Puritan, and the Puritans wanted everyone to worship as they did. In order to ensure the Puritan way of worship was practiced, punishments were given to those who did not oblige. There was greater religious diversity in the Mid Atlantic region, including Quakers, Catholics, and Protestants.The Mid Atlantic colonies were the most diverse in America, and such an assortment made the dominance of one religion difficult. Finally, the colonial regions all had forms of self-government as they sought to assert local control. In the different regio ns, the priority of the colonies was very important in the formation of the governments. In the New England colonies, strict democratic law was practiced. Only men in good standing with the church were allowed to voice their opinions at the town hall meetings which decided laws.By contrast, in the Mid Atlantic colonies landowning men were represented, and political power was in the hands of the wealthy. The colonies of North America have similar origins and purposes, but are quite different in many ways. The New England and Mid Atlantic regions of colonial America were similar because of their role to England, the importance of religion and the fact that they were self-governing, but were different because of the resources found in each region, religious tolerance, and how one received the right to take part in politics.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Explore the theme of loneliness in of mice and men Essay

Whilst reading the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’ it becomes apparent that loneliness, is one of the main themes that is carried throughout the book. This theme is symbolised in almost every character, each expressing loneliness in their own way. From Crooks, the misunderstood black man who wasn’t always discriminated against; Curley’s Wife, the only woman on the ranch who had dreams of being something much bigger, to the leading characters George and Lennie. Whether they are mentally alone or whether they have a fear of being alone, they all express loneliness. We are first introduced to the theme of loneliness when George is talking to Lennie about life on a ranch and how men on a ranch live compared to how they live, saying â€Å"Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us† Lennie eagerly finishes George’s description of them saying â€Å"But not us! An’ why? Because†¦ I got you to look after me and you got me to look after me† From this conversation alone it is obvious to us that George and Lennie are on completely different wavelengths intellectually, Lennie being extremely childlike, thinking and speaking like a toddler would, and George being a father-like figure, getting frustrated when Lennie doesn’t understand him, or when he doesn’t remember something he’s been told, as Lennie pointed out, physically, they are not alone, physically, they do have each other and although Lennie isn’t intellectually able enough to understand, mentally, George is alone, travelling and holding conversations with a man who has the mental ability of a 3 year old would not be enough to take away the feeling of loneliness. Although Lennie isn’t alone, he has a subconscious fear of being alone, of being abandoned by George, and like most children, he has a constant urge to have a companion, a pet, so that even when he is ‘alone’ he has something with him, this is shown through his constant petting of animals, dead, or alive â€Å"Jus’ a dead mouse, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along† the fact that Lennie subconsciously fears being alone becomes very apparent when Crooks suggests that George may not come back, Lennie becomes very aggressive, very quickly â€Å"S’pose he gets killed or hurt so he can’t come back† Like an animal, his fear turns to anger and he moves to attack ‘He stood up and walked  dangerously towards Crooks. â€Å"Who hurt George?† he demanded’ his fear of being without George is his fear of being alone. While Lennie is with Crooks, Crooks is heard saying â€Å"S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that?† This connects to an earlier quote in the book, saying that in Crooks’ room, there were a pair of ‘large, gold-rimmed spectacles’ and Crooks’ mentions to Lennie that his father owned a ranch and â€Å"the white kids came to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them, and some of them was pretty nice† this shows us that Crooks’ wasn’t always discriminated against, he wasn’t always alone, in a lot of ways its worse for Crooks’ than a lot of other black men, because he isn’t so used to it, he knows what it’s like not to be alone, whereas most black men have never known anything else, Crooksà ¢â‚¬â„¢ also speaks out about his loneliness to Lennie saying â€Å"Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick† Crooks’ has a loneliness which is never-ending, he can’t change it. Curley’s wife is the only woman on the ranch and the only female woman in the book. Curley is possessive of her, he makes out that she belongs to him and that no one else can have her, that no one else can talk to her. Curley wants the other men on the ranch to know that they can’t communicate with her, he is threatening towards the men about his wife constantly being suspicious of them demanding they tell him where she is even if they don’t know, he worries about her being unfaithful, so gets very aggressive when he thinks she has given anyone ‘the eye’ and it can often lead to fights due to his hot-tempered personality, at one point, he thinks Lennie is laughing at the fact that he can’t find his wife and that is when a fight between them occurs, this makes the men wary of talking to her, or even, being near her. Curley doesn’t like her communicating with the other men, so she has no one to talk to. At one point when talking to Lennie she is heard saying â€Å"I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’. Because she is lonely, she always seeks attention, and the only way she knows how to get attention is through her looks. Her over-the top appearance only highlights her desperation to be noticed by someone, anyone. The only people she ever see’s refuse to talk to her because they think she’s a ‘tart’ and they see her as ‘jailbait’, they refuse to communicate  with her because they don’t want to start anything with Curley. Curleys wife’s obliviousness to what the men think of her only becomes obvious when she’s talking to Lennie, she questions him â€Å"What’s the matter with me? Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?† She is oblivious to that fact that, the more she tries to get noticed the more the men on the ranch will steer clear from her. Overall, I think the loneliest character in the novel would be George, because, not only does he end up physically alone, but, throughout the book he is always alone, whether there are people around or not, he is mentally alone and with Lennie to look after and look out for he must be mentally exhausted after just one conversation with Lennie, his patience and obvious love for Lennie, is in the end the reason he is completely alone, without Lennie, without anyone, from the beginning of the book. George had loneliness coming towards him, whether he knew it or not, he was bound to end up alone, the life he claimed he ‘wanted’ the life that he said would be so much ‘easier’ a life without Lennie, by the end of the book, George is one of those men that work on a ranch, by the end of the novel George is one of the ‘loneliest guys in the world’

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Do children’s shoe sizes get bigger as they get older? Essay

Title:- Do children’s shoe sizes get bigger as they get older? Introduction:- I will be doing an experiment to investigate whether it is true or not that a child’s shoes size increases as they get older. In order for me to prove this, I need to collect some data, I will ask some of my friends and family who has children and could help me with this experiment by completing the questionnaire. My objective is to find out at the end of this investigation whether my experiment on children’s shoe sizes is true or not true. Aim:- My aim is to investigate if children’s shoe sizes increases as they age. I will test my hypothesis by completing the experiment; once I get the results from my investigation I can examine them and see if my hypothesis was correct or incorrect. Hypothesis and Null Hypothesis:- Hypothesis – As children age their shoes size increases. Null Hypothesis – As children age their shoes size does not increase. Method:- I collected my data straight into a table chart. This was quick and easy and saved me recording the information found twice, as I was able to read it straight from this. I also found the data was easy to understand and I could see the slow increase of the shoe increase with age. Design:- I completed the investigation by asking my friends and family who had children if they would help me in this experiment. I found this to be more accurate rather than asking the child or just observing. I explained to the people who involved what they data I was gathering was for and gained their permission to use this. Participants:- I used 10 boys and 10 girls in investigation. The age range varied from two years old to 12 years old. I was prepared to use children’s data from one year old; however none of my friends and family had children of this age. I used this age group as this is generally before hormones start taking place and affecting the child in different ways. I asked the same number of girls to boys as see whether there was a difference in shoe size, to age, and gender. The gender of the participant did not seem to make a difference, as the majority of both genders shoe size got bigger as they got older. Materials:- The materials used were 15 friends and family as 5 of them had 2 children each. I recorded the information given with a pen and paper in a table form so I could understand the results, quick and easy. I made one table for boys, and one for girls. An example of the table is below:- Boys Age Boys Shoe Size Girls Age Girls Shoe Size I then went on to convert the shoe sizes to a European shoe size so this would be easier for producing graphs and using the data collected. I worked out the overall average shoe size for each age, also for both girls and boys. I also worked out the mean, mode and median, which I plotted on a line graph. Using the data I collected from the average of both boys and girls I did a graph so show if there was any difference or similarities. Procedure:- I contacted my friends and family and explained that† I am currently doing my Access to Midwifery and I am doing my Maths at the moment. I am doing an investigation in whether children’s shoe sizes get bigger as children get older, and I need to collect data. If they could be a help in providing what age their child is and what shoe size they are?† I informed them that I would put the data collecting into various graphs and tables to complete and support my conclusion, and gained Consent to this. After collecting the data from various friends and family I thanked them for helping me complete this investigation to the best of my ability. Results:- The flaws in the investigation are that there was a dip in the average shoe size data I gathered. At age 9 the shoe size was greater than a 10 year old. This may have been because of the size of child, the bigger/smaller the child the bigger/smaller size feet they will have. As I used European shoe sizes, this could have been another flaw. The overall results in terms of my hypothesis, is that children’s shoe sizes does increase with age. However the factor due to the individual child, if they are bigger or smaller than the average child, shoe sizes may vary. I feel like overall I gathered a good range of data. If I was to complete the investigation again, I would ask more people and to do this, so I would create a questionnaire that I could forward to various people with children gaining their consent and the relevant details which was needed for the experiment. I would send the questionnaire via social networking sites as I feel this would be more approachable and easier for people. I would ask 20 of each sex and then I would have a clearer view to prove that my hypothesis was correct. I would keep the age range the same as I feel the age range was varied enough. If I was going to complete the experiment again I would find another way to symbolise adult shoe sizes, as this may have been a flaw within my experiment. Conclusion:- The hypothesis is correct; children’s shoe sizes do increase as they get older. However they may be a slight dip in this result if the child is bigger or smaller than the average child. But for the normal average child there shoe size will increase as they get older. European Shoe Size converter UK SHOE SIZE EUROPEAN SHOE SIZE 4 20 4.5 21 5 21/22 6 23 7 24 7.5 25 8 25/26 9 27 10 28 11 29 11.5 30 12 31 13 32 13.5 32.5 1 33 2 34 3 35.5 4 36 4.5 37 5 38 A Graph to show the average shoe size compared to the age A chart to show the data collected for girls participated in the investigation, Age and Shoe Size.