Ford Motor

Ford Motor Company [pic] Morten Anders Rosenkrands LUC 2004 Table of contents 1. Introduction2 2. What is the history of the Ford Motor Company till today? 3 3. Why is the Ford losing market shares in Denmark? 4 4. What can ford do to counter act this? 5 5. What are the Ford Motor Companies plans for the future? 5 6. Conclusion6 7. Literature list7 1. Introduction In the last 100 years The Ford Motor Company has been a leading contributor to the motor industry because of its dedication to create and design cars for the future.Today Ford is losing out on some of the markets in Europe and I would like to find out why? In the following text I would like to analyze what is the history of the Ford motor Company today? Because I think it is important to look back in time to good understand how it all came to be. I would also like to analyze why is Ford losing market shares in Denmark? And further more what can Ford do to counteract this? To end it all of I am going to write about what are the Ford Motor Companies plans for the future?This should cover the question why the Ford motor Company is losing out on some of the Markets in Europe. In the text in have limited down to why is Ford losing market shares in Denmark? Because if I had taken the Ford Motor Company it would have included other motor companies like Volvo, Mazda, Lincon, Mercury, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin, and that would have been to extensive. 2. What is the history of the Ford Motor Company till today? It all started in a tiny wagon shop in Detroit staffed with about 10 people.This was the place where the second largest motor company in the world had it’s beginning. The first car the company ever made was sold to a Detroit physician. He purchased a model A Ford just one month after the company had begun. But due to failure of the model A the company was in trouble and something had to be done so the company lunched the model T which immediately became one of Ford biggest success. After 20 years of production the model T was taken off the production line. At the time Ford had sold more than a million model T’s.In 1919 Henry Ford and the companies stockholders got in a fight and they demanded that Henry Ford was taken of the post as president of the company. Henry Ford had no choice and then had to leave his company but the blood stayed in the company because Henry Ford’s son Edsel Ford took over the company. Henry Ford was not company president any more but still played a vital role in Ford because he was now head chairman. People at the time where looking for something more stylish and the model T was not it.So after the production had stooped the company went back and began production of the first model A again because it was a more stylish car but before production started it had under gone a vast improvement. In the next 4 years 4,5 million model A’s rolled of the assembly line. Ford buys Lincon. In the 1930s people began to demand more fro m their cars. They wanted luxury and power and that was exactly what Ford gave them with the Mercury, which was a whole new concept for Ford. Ford had now succeeded in becoming a company that made cars for the middle class.Before that Ford was more for the lower classes of society because of the price. Ford had in the previous years been so cheap that standards had fallen. 1945 Henrys son Edsel Ford, Fords president at the time, dies because of a car accident and Henry Ford now has to go back in the seat as Ford Motor Company’s president but at that time Henry is old and worn out so after 2 years as president Henry’s grand son Henry Ford II becomes president of the company. 2 years later Henry Ford dies as and old man at the age of 83.Edsel Ford remained president until 1960 where he stepped back and became executive officer until 1980. Edsel Ford dies in 1997. 1979 Ford buys Mazda 1987 Ford buys Aston Martin 1990 Ford buys Jaguar 1999 Ford buys Volvo Today another For d is at the steering wheel of Ford. William Clay Ford junior is the present president and CEO of the company. 3. Why is the Ford losing market shares in Denmark? In the last couple of years there has been a tendency that people more often want cars which are more gas economic and are cheaper.Ford is today neither. Ford sold in 2002 Jan-Sept 7045 cars to the Danish market. The year after it only sold Jan-Sept 5227[1] cars. One of Ford main problems today is that is does not have a very good image. People see Ford as a middle class car with low class components and not very good mileage to the liter. One of Fords other problems is that Ford has never gotten very good grades in ncap[2] tests. This also adds to Fords not so good image. 4. What can ford do to counter act this? Strengths |Weaknesses | |Good production facilities, strong leadership, good image in USA, good |Image, quality of their cars, expensive for what you get in terms of | |sales in USA, owns several other car compani es in the world, well known |quality, | |brand, | | |Opportunities |Threats | |WAT in Denmark falls, other car manufactures drop the Danish market, |Prize of oil rises, WAT rises in Denmark, more car manufactures come in | | |to the Danish market, a serious fault is found on Fords cars, | From the SWAT analysis it is easy to see what Ford needs to do if they want to change their image and sell some more cars. In the future Ford should also try to make their cars a bit cheaper so that the quality of the car and the prize are match up. If Ford wants to change their image they should try to have a better-aimed marketing strategy because today Fords marketing strategy is aimed at a very large group of people. This is not the most effective way to sell cars they should instead try to focus on more specific groups of people.The problem for the Danish market is just that people in Denmark are very affected by the gas prizes this is why a lot of fuel economic cars are bought today. So if Ford would like to sell more cars they should try to make their cars more gas economic. This I think combined with good marketing scheme could be a very effective way to sell more cars in Denmark. On the other hand Ford could make their cars more luxuries but that would not be plausible on the Danish market. 5. What are the Ford Motor Companies plans for the future? Ford Motor Company has in the latest years intensified their research in renewable fuels. What they have come up with is that cars in the future could be driving on hydrogen. The good thing about hydrogen engine is that the only exhaust it makes is water.So there would be no problems with the toxic foams cars make today. The down side about the hydrogen engine is that the speed of it is still limited. Ford does not at this time have a plan for when they are going to start producing the hydrogen car but they expect it to be on the streets within 10 years. At the time Ford is desperately trying to change their slumping ima ge by re-lunching several of their old classic cars. In the last to years Ford has re-lunched 3 of their old classics the Ford Mustang, the Ford Thunderbird and the Ford GT40. By re-lunching these models Ford is trying to relive some of the golden years they had in the 1950s and 1960s.On the American market the cars have been a limited success. Although the thunderbird was named car of the year in 2003 the market is at this time getting a little tired of the car and sales have almost stopped completely. [pic] The problem for Ford in Denmark is just that none of these new re-lunched cars are ever going to be sold on the Danish market. The reason why Ford is not going to sell these cars in Denmark is because the Danish market would never buy that kind of fuel guzzling cars. This is what I think today is one of Ford biggest problems because Ford in reality has to design to different cars one for the American market and one for the rest of the world.Almost no other car manufacturer does this they only lunch one model for the entire world. By only lunching one model they can save some money on marketing because some adds can be used on the European markets as well as on the American markets. 6. Conclusion From the text it is easy to see that Ford is a great company with a lot of history and traditions. But today history and traditions do not sell cars people have in the latest years seen an increase in oil prizes that have changed the way they look at cars today. From thinking more about quality and strength people have a tendency to want cars that are cheaper and drive longer on the fuel.This has made it difficult for Ford to compete with the some of the Chinese car manufactures witch have a long line of tradition in making cheap and fuel economic cars. One of the things Ford then could do is to make more fuel economic cars or change their strategy and make cheaper cars so that their current prize and the cars quality match. This is why Ford in the future has plan s for hydrogen cars. Ford is also at the moment trying to change their image by re-lunching so of the companies most popular cars from the 1950s and 1960s. 7. Literature list Homepages: www. ford. com www. motormagasinet. dk ———————– [1] Sales numbers from www. transportmagasinet. dk/statestikcenter/bilsalgstal-sept-2003. pdf [2] ncap is a European car test agency where they test cars in crash tests.

The Monguls

What did the ancient Mongols do? The ancient Mongol empire controlled more land than any other empire and included a very wide range of cultures, peoples, and religions. Everyone knows the name of Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) and his reputation as a fierce warrior and brutal conqueror. What you may not know is that he was a very savvy politician. His political skill not only created this tremendous empire, but also saved his people from destruction. He established the system that preserved their lives and their way of life.He and his successors took the system he set up and used it to spread their influence far and wide. So, the Mongols owe Chinggis Khan a debt of gratitude for preserving their lives and culture. We modern Westerners also owe him and his people respect for connecting the inhabitants of Western Europe with Asia and all the many benefits of trade and interaction that brought to the world. The Mongols preserved order in the areas they conquered which made it possible fo r traders to travel safely. This was called Pax Mongolica and was very significant in fostering contact between Europe, China, and all the lands in between.The disintegration of the Pax or Peace is part of the reason that Europeans were motivated to seek out sea routes to China, since it was no longer safe to travel overland. So, in a sense, you can say that the Mongolians are responsible for Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the Americas! Another thing you may not know about Chinggis Khan: he was not as brutal as he has been depicted. He would usually send emissaries ahead to invite a group of people to ally with him or to give him whatever he was seeking. If they agreed, they were typically required to give a certain number of warriors and some goods to the Mongols.If they refused, his warriors would attack mercilessly. However, they typically left women and skilled artisans to continue productive work, rather than totally destroying an area. This is different from some la ter conquerors who would completely annihilate opponents and their territory. Why did the Mongols pursue such extensive conquests? This geography is an important part of the answer to the question: Why did the Mongolians invade their neighbours? To answer this question, we have to know something about how Mongolians lived in the 1200s.Because of their geography, Mongols were usually herders and nomads. Define nomad. Why would herding require nomadism? Mongolians had to be able to move frequently in order to find pasture for their animals, primarily sheep, so they needed mobile housing. They made (and still make) felt from wool and use this felt to make the tent-like rounded houses called ger, or yurts by the Russians. Ger can be set up and taken down quickly and packed to be moved. [4-minute video of contemporary Mongolian felt-making and setting up a ger: http://ragcha. om/mujaan/shorts. html Click on â€Å"Making felt†] Note the horse pulling the felt in order to compact an d flatten it. Facts about gers: http://www. chaingang. org/yurtquest/FAQ. html Many more pictures of gers: http://www. chaingang. org/yurtquest/pics. html You can see that nomadic life isn’t easy. For one thing, it requires cooperation which binds people together, since they depend on each other to help them sustain life. At the same time, this kind of climate and terrain will not provide enough food in any one area to support a large population.This encourages the development of small tribal groups, people who can depend on each other but who do not have too large a footprint on the environment, since they will survive best when they are not all together. If a herd gets too large, it will destroy the grassland and not be able to graze in one place. Also, this climate makes it difficult to accumulate a large enough surplus that you could afford to pay someone else for services. For one thing, you would need to move everything you owned. It was not possible to stockpile any su rplus, even if it were possible to accumulate some in a particularly good year.In the conditions of this harsh nomadic life, it was not possible to create a social class of artisans who would manufacture goods. People were needed for herding and moving. And although there was some very limited agriculture, it was not possible for Mongolians to rely on farming for foodstuffs either. What do you think are typical Mongolian foods? [Animal products predominate – meat, milk products. Berries and vegetation that grows wild or with very little cultivation play less of a role in the traditional diet. ] This video clip shows men working on the felt and the ger.Of course, it is set in contemporary time, not in ancient Mongolia. In ancient Mongolia raiding other tribes or settlements in neighboring areas was an important part of the economy. Of course, raiding isn’t part of Mongolian culture now, but it was back then. If military might, necessary both to raid and to protect your own tribe, were such an essential part of your society, how would it affect the culture? One thing that contributed to Mongolian military success was the fact that the men were always ready and available for war.In order for that to be true, women had to take on many of the jobs that men do in other societies. Along with greater responsibility, the woman also had more rights and privileges than was common in other East Asian societies at that time. For example, they had the right to own property and to divorce. They also were sometimes trained for and participated in the military. We can find many references to women of the Mongol elite in 13th century chronicles from different cultures, including Mongol, Chinese and European. Later on we will discuss some prominent Mongolian women leaders who were very important in China.Raiding wasn’t the only contact they had with settled agricultural society; they also had to trade in order to get many of the goods they needed. Two things happened in the early 1200s to make both nomadism and trading more difficult. One was that the temperature of the steppe declined a little, not enough to threaten human life directly, but enough to affect the fragile balance of the environment and reduce the length of time during the year that grass grew. With less grass, herders had to move. [Refer back to map, climate. ]The other singular development in Mongolia in the early 13th century was the rise of a man called Temujin. He introduced the momentous political innovation of uniting all the Mongolian tribes under his leadership. Previously they had been scattered into separate tribes, a logical political system since the ecosystem would not sustain a large group gathered together, and they had frequent warfare among themselves. But in 1206, after years of preparation, Temujin was named the Great Khan, or ruler over all the tribes at a meeting of tribal elders called a quriltay (koor-ill-tie) or a council.He claimed to have bless ed ancestry and took the name of Chinggis Khan or Ruler of the Universe. His line was established as supreme and having the inherent right to rule. This political development influenced societies in many different areas for hundreds of years. Chinggis Khan took control in a period of economic and political crisis for the Mongolians. Not only was climate change pushing them to move away from their usual areas in search of better pasture. In addition, the northern Chinese ruling dynasty had cut trade with the Mongols.The Chinese did not need Mongolian products – but the Mongols needed to obtain things from the Chinese. In this unequal relationship the Mongolians were vulnerable. Forced by climate to search for better pastures, cut off by their usual trade partners, Mongolians faced severe challenges to their lifestyles and even their lives. These were the conditions when Chinggis Khan took control over a mobile, dedicated and militarily adept population. The stage was set for t he Mongolians to sweep south, east and west throughout Asia and into Europe, conquering as they went.What were the effects of Mongolian control? Intermixing of many different tribes of people and their geographical displacement. When the Mongols conquered a settlement or tribe, particularly of the Turkish nomads who inhabited the steppe to their south and west, they set them up in a military command structure. Conquered men were turned into warriors. Families accompanied warriors, serving as support so that the men were always available for military service and were not required to stay home and work to care for their families’ basic needs.They also intermixed peoples from different areas in each command unit. That way there was less possibility of conquered peoples uniting to revolt. They were turned into mobile military units which would sometimes be left to settle a different conquered area. This had the effect of intermixing ethnic and tribal affiliations so that most of these peoples no longer retained their own distinct culture, but resulted in them adopting their designation as specific units of the Mongols, or hordes. This legacy is still seen in Kazakhstan today, where the Kazakh population is divided into Greater and Lesser Hordes.

Accounting Theory Question

What is positive accounting theory? how does it differ from normative accounting theory? what was/were the major dissatisfaction(s) with normative accounting theory which led to the development of a positive theory accounting? 2. Explain the meaning of an efficient market. what is meant by the following terms: weak-form efficiency, semistrong-form efficiency, strong-form efficiency? which form is the most important to accounting research? why? Explain the important of examining the impact the profit on share prices for financial analysis. can this analysis be used to make abnormal returns from the share markets? 4. Does study of the information content of profits announcements explain why firms use particular accounting practice? does it help to predict which firms will use particular accounting practices? 5. Give reasons that non-linear model relating unexpected returns to share prices would provide a more precise estimate of the earnings response coefficient (ERC). . Why would share prices have a greater reaction to the profit announcement released by small firm compared with those released by large firms? do you think this research has any implications for measurement issues in accounting or for formulation of accounting standards? 7. outline the research that has been undertaken on the impact of permanent and temporary increases in profits. why is this research important? 8. how will risk and uncertainty affect the valuation of a firm and, through this valuation model, the ERC? . The impact of profits for valuation has diminished over the years. what is the impact? how was the research adjusted to reflect this fact? 10. Outline a research project which explain how share prices are determined. would this project include factors other than accounting data? Briefly explain the outline the research of mechanistic hypothesis. what are the implications of the research? 12. Why would financial analysis be fooled by accounting numbers and provide optimistic and biased estimates of profits? an you offer a positive economic reason for their actions? 13. outline the different procedures that can be used to determine whether accounts have quality accruals or whether they create more noise. 14. what are the two main explanations for the association between the choice of high-quality auditor and a lower cost of debt or equity capital? 15. why do we have to be carefull drawing conclusions about causality based on studies using archival data?

Just-In Time Production Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Just-In Time Production - Research Paper Example The second way through which labor costs can be reduced is the introduction of more efficient production machinery which will take over some of the work done by workers and this will ensure that only the most essential workers are kept at the work place, hence a reduction of labor costs. Cutting production cycle time is very essential in a just-in time production system because the manufacturing company (HMC) is able to increase its overall production efficiency (Gupta, 1997). This not only ensures that the production time of automotive parts is reduced but it also ensures that there is a reduction of the cost of production. Shorter and more efficient production cycles should be adopted not only to speed up the production process but to also keep up with the consumer demand for the automotive parts. A good way of cutting production time is by ensuring that a production system is developed where a specific product is produced at a single work station instead of being pushed forward to another work station when only partially completed, like the outsourcing system which HMC had previously adopted. This will reduce the pilling up of unfinished work which need immediate attention and will instead cut the production cycle, therefore increasing the overall production efficiency of the HMC manufacturing plant. ... It is best to only order raw materials when a customer makes an order for a product, ensure that the raw materials arrive in time for it to go into production and most important of all, to ensure that the product is finished on time and it is shipped to the consumer using the fastest means available to establish a reputation for efficiency. A swift and efficient system of production ensures that there is a minimal amount of inventory and these results in a reduction of inventory costs (Schniederjans and Cao, 2001). The reduction of expediting costs is very important for HMC due to the large amounts of money it is able to save in the process. Many manufacturing companies spend a lot of money annually in a scramble to ship their products on time and this is mainly due to the fact that the planning and scheduling requirements of many of them are not homogenous. It is therefore necessary for HMC to keep its planning and scheduling requirements homogenous in order to increase efficiency a s well as to reduce their expediting costs. It is important to produce the right automotive parts at the right time in order to reduce the cost of obsolescence. Producing too many of such automotive parts at the same time leads to a congestion of the production cycle and this makes it difficult to ship products on time. Thus it is necessary to ensure that all the orders made by customers are dealt with quickly and are finished and shipped on time so that no additional costs are incurred by the manufacturing company (Stuart et al., 2005). Space utilization in HMC’s manufacturing plant is necessary for the purpose of efficient production. The company should change its manufacturing system from a batch production system to

Third Reich- Nazi Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Third Reich- Nazi Germany - Essay Example In this way, many scholars have concluded that the regimes of Stalin and Hitler were not themselves totalitarian as much as they were merely representations of what some have termed â€Å"organized chaos†. However, such a view, although it has some merit, flies in the very face of prior and existing definitions of the term as well as the key signs that these regimes demonstrated prior to the Second World War. As such, this brief essay will attempt to chronicle some of the ways in which both of these regimes epitomized totalitarianism in every aspect of the word. For purposes of clarity, this essay will utilize one of the prominent Soviet historians Robert Conquest’s definitions of totalitarianism. Conquest says the following, â€Å"Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system where the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever necessary (Conquest 74). As such, the all encompassing n ature of the state and the level to which the state is controlling nearly every aspect of the life of the society is the predominant factor. Naturally, when one considers the level of totalitarianism that existed within both the Soviet and National Socialist systems, it will be necessary to consider the following freedoms: economic, political, social, press, and art. As this analysis will make manifestly clear, both regimes sought outright control of nearly every aspect of these freedoms that have been enumerated upon. With respect to Nazi Germany, upon coming to power, Hitler began to seek immediate consolidation of all power that was within his grasp. The changes were incremental as directorates were set up to oversee the administration of the press, the oversight of opposing political parties, a rigid oversight of the German economy, and even directorates that oversaw the representation of various art, architecture, and music that was to be created during the years that the Third Reich had control over the German population (Stone 50). Each of these apparatus was specifically designed to give the National Socialist party, under the leadership of Adolph Hitler, a complete and total control of the ways in which the different functions of government and society would be able to both oversee and direct the state towards ideals that would better serve the purpose of the leadership. In this way, the reader begins to gain a better grasp of how totalitarianism was well rooted within the National Socialist Party long before the outbreak of war in 1939. As a further evidence of this, one need only look at the way that the educational system was fundamentally re-oriented to provide a means of uplifting the state, nationalism, patriotism, sacrifice, and racial pride. Moreover, the prevalence of the Hitler youth as early as 1933 presented a new face to the means by which the state not only wanted to control every aspect of politics, education, the media, property, cultu re, but also the minds of the youth as a function of reshaping the state into the ideal that the leadership had set before them. Likewise, if one considers the case of the Soviet Union during this same time period, a similar story is told; however, with far bloodier undertones and consequences. Upon the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924 and a brief power struggle, Joseph Stalin assumed leadership of the Soviet Union up until well after the conclusion of WWII. As such, Stalin was perhaps the living embodiment of totalitarianism. To attempt to relate

A Project Over Constructing A Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Project Over Constructing A Bridge - Essay Example Concrete and steel were the most popular choice on constructing a bridge. Other materials to use include iron, stones, wood, and plastics. The stones are useful in handling the compression forces. Wood, iron, and plastics were only to be used to support the bridge when the construction took over. Steel is more like an iron but has high strength in both tension and compression. Steel is a ductile material where it can be shaped or bent into different forms, unlike an iron that is brittle, meaning it can break suddenly. Steel also deflects or yields before failure. That was why they preferred using steel rather iron, though it is expensive.Concrete was the second relevant material that was to be used. Cement is made of limestone and clay. Cement is a component required in making the concrete. Cement was mixed with water, and the aggregate comprising coarse and fine aggregates and hardened to a mass called concrete. The concrete is a versatile material and was easily shaped into differe nt forms of the bridge setup. The concrete was not made very strong in compression because it would very weak in tension; instead, the steel was embedded into the concrete to handle the tensile forces. The mixture of concrete with embedded steel was referred to as the reinforced concrete. Typical material properties that were usedThe structural engineers used material properties when they were designing bridge members. They considered the stress, strain, Young’s modulus and compressive strength of the material.

Communication and leadership styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and leadership styles - Essay Example ristics that focus on his charisma, innate theoretical background as a law major on human rights, and virtues such as integrity, courage, faith, perseverance and service to his people. As revealed, the most famous protest led by him was the Salt March that proved his leadership skills in enjoining the participation of followers for an identified purpose and vision. Through his character (ethos), Gandhi was able to move and transform people by touching on their emotions (pathos) and by rationalizing through logical reasoning (logos). The Salt March enabled Gandhi to achieve his objective and paved the way for the British government to negotiate with him and eventually freed India from their bondage (Leadership With You, 2011). The only advice one could give Gandhi was to congratulate and commend him for an endeavor well done. His leadership inspired future leaders and was instrumental in contributing towards the independence of their nation. After listening to the speech of Steve Jobs at Stanford University (Jobs, 2005), his lessons included connecting the dots (or seeing meaning in failures and trials); loving and losing; embracing death as a transition in life and staying hungry and foolish. As to Dalton Sherman’s keynote speech at Dallas Independent School District (YouTube, 2008), his message focused on believing in oneself and in colleagues as enhancing one’s ability to succeed. There is another speech made by J.K. Rowling at the 2008 Harvard Commencement event that focused on The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and The Importance of Imagination† (Rowling, 2008). She provided a relevant lesson that â€Å"Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone’s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes† (Rowling, 2008, p. 1). The three speeches were effective in eliciting emotional appeal on the audience using rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos and logos; as well as provoking encouragement to go beyond

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) Essay

Engineering Economics (Ethical, Civics, and Stewardship) - Essay Example An engineer should avoid deceptive tactics when delivering services since this tarnishes the reputation of engineering in the community. In addition to that an engineer should ensure that health and safety of the entire public is not compromised. An engineer just like any citizen he has an obligation to play as a citizen of United States. First he should use his profession to enhance the quality of life of other Americans. Above all, an engineer should ensure that his due taxes are paid in time. Maintaining peace and defending America when performing his services adds up to good citizenship of the United States. Stewardship can be defined as leading by example accepting responsibility for the activities carried. Engineers are involved in developing and managing complex projects and as human being errors do occur. A professional engineer should admit responsibility on his part rather engaging in blame a game that would lead nowhere. However, this does not mean that engineers should be reckless in their duties, but try to minimize such scenarios. Stewardship also encompasses admitting responsibility for excellence in service delivery, though most people only focus on the

The impacts in Canada of the collapse of the financial markets Essay

The impacts in Canada of the collapse of the financial markets - Essay Example Bank analysts forecasted that the federal government may encounter a budget deficit of $40 billion for 2009 (Annis, 2009). Among the first institutions to fall is Nortel Networks, a century-old telecommunications company. However, Nortel’s problems are not caused by the crisis alone; since 2001 the firm had become prone to market weakness when it bought two companies for $ 15 billion just before the Internet crash in the US market. The company’s recovery after that was cut short, this time by an accounting scandal for which then CEO Frank Dunn was fired and seven corporate officers charged with massive accounting fraud (Duffy & Greene, 2009; Brieger, 2007). As a result of the collapse of Nortel, it filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors in January 2009; unfortunately, it also stopped paying severance, transition allowances, deferred wages and pensions to its former employees and retirees. This has brought untold suffering to many of these who have no other source of income. Despite its problems, I believe the Canadian government did not bail out Nortel because of the financial recklessness of the company officials in embarking on a massive acquisition program in the high-tech boom for which it incurred a high amount of debt. But more than this, it is likely due to the accounting fraud that company officials committed in 2004, to the disadvantage of corporate operations. A timeline diagram shows the facts about Nortel: Many causes have contributed to the US financial crisis, all traceable to the failure of regulatory procedures applied to banks and financial institutions. Firstly, the Basel II Accord provisions ensuring the financial safety of banks were circumvented by cosmetic financial reporting (Jones, 2000), although regulators would have been able to detect these violations had they been more vigilant.

Western Dominations as a Menace to Islamic Supremacy Essay

Western Dominations as a Menace to Islamic Supremacy - Essay Example Thus, the Muslim fundamentalist movements advocate an unreserved rejection for the West for "causing" all these social ills to transpire due to Western influences and modernization. This rejection is expressed in their denunciation of and violence on Western countries, their interests and peoples as well as 'impious' Muslim people who have 'embraced' the Western modernization and education. Establishment of states and societies based on Islamic law and traditional mores are the end goals of the Muslim fundamentalists. This is so because Muslim fundamentalists view the world as one to be dominated by Islam, and the Western countries and peoples will waste away to give way to this domination. Thus, in this paper, the key explanatory factors that lead the Muslims towards anti-American and anti-Western sentiments are economic and political domination as well as the imperialistic culture that the United States and the West exhibit, hampering the quest of Islam religion and Muslim governme nt towards world domination. The struggle between Western and anti-Western influences are said to have been traced since the seventh century in the expansion of Islam in the Middle East from 622 A.D. to the present. Lewis emphasized that during Muhammad's lifetime, the Muslims were both a political and a religious community, with the Prophet as head of state who ruled the government and the people, dispensed justice, collected taxes, waged war and made peace.1 This description gives an initial knowledge that the Muslim religion is not at all a plain religion like the Christian religion now, but is also a political embodiment, a way of life, and a set of mores and traditions, which a Muslim must follow at all costs.   As already mentioned, the factors that led towards anti-Western and anti-American sentiments are social, economic, and political ones. The social factors are the staggering global poverty blamed on imperialist influences by the Western countries and the United States, which Lewis covertly mentioned in his book. Extreme economic inequality and problems related to this are also viewed by Islam as being caused by Western domination. Lewis' thesis is that Islam's obsession with the United States is an old occurrence and constitutes the Middle East's escalating hatred for the West.2   The anti-Western and anti-American Muslim sentiments are traced done to the antiquated dominance of Islam, which extended from Morocco to Indonesia, from Kazakhstan to Senegal. It goes back to the mission of the prophet Muhammad in Saudi Arabia during the seventh century and the creation of Islamic community and state.3   

European History Essay Example for Free

European History Essay How did Bismarck’s system of alliances help maintain peace? Bismarck’s system of alliances was the goal of keeping France isolated and not to have any military allies. Also, he wanted to keep Russia and Austria-Hungary from going to war. France was still bitter over the losing Alsace-Lorraine from the Franco-Prussian War. Both Russia and Austria-Hungary desired territory from the weakening Ottoman Empire, which was the Balkans. The Three Emperors League was an alliance with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia. This was against radical movements. With the Congress of Berlin, Austria got Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Balkan states ended up becoming independent. The Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy was a defensive alliance protection against Russia. The Reinsurance Treaty was between Germany and Russia. If one of them were to be attacked, they promised neutrality. Germany was concerned about war between Austria and Russia. Plus France and Russia being allies. William II ended this treaty and dismissed Bismarck. 2) What were the reasons for Britain and Germany’s love-hate relationship? Between the 1700 and 1800’s, Germany and Britain had a common enemy, which was France. Their racials ties of Anglo-Saxon and Germanic people as well. The rivalry was of course power. Germany was on the rise to power. Economic wise was the colonie and the world market. For the military component, Germany expanded their navy with battleships. Great Britain is known for its naval supremacy and it was threatened by Germany. It ended up being a naval race between the two nations. For the political factors, Great Britain wanted alliances with France, Russia, and the United States. At the Algeciras Conference, Germany attempted to break the friendship between Great Britain and France. They failed and brought them closer. 3) Why was the Moroccan crisis of 1905 a turning point in European diplomacy? France and Great Britain agreed over North Africa. Britain got full control over Egypt and France got full control over Morocco. The Anglo-French Entente was closer relations between France and England. Germany as always wanted to try and break the treaty between France and England. Germany didnt act diplomatically though. They were now viewed as an international bully. Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States saw Germany as a common threat. These four nations became closer. Austria became Germany’s main ally as well. 4) What impact did the Congress of Berlin (1878) have on the Balkan area? What were the origins and causes of the â€Å"Third Balkan War†? With the Congress of Berlin, Austria-Hungary had power over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Romania and Serbia won independence. Bulgaria won a somewhat say in their government. Austria-Hungary and Russia wanted to control the Balkans. With nationalism, Serbia wanted to expand by gaining Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria-Hungary ended up annexing both of their wanted territories. Serbians were furious. The First and Second Balkan Wars consisted of fight within Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire about territorial gains. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was on a visit to Sarajevo and ended up getting assassinated by Serbians. It was the Black Hand which was a Serbian terrorist group. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia which was the start of the Third Balkan War. Austria-Hungary wanted to stop nationalism that threatened their empire. 5) Which of the major powers do you believe were most responsible and least responsible for the war? Explain. Austria-Hungary had imperialism in the Balkans and declared war on Serbia. They were also Germany’s main ally. Russia had total support of Serbia. They allied with Serbia and France. All three of them mobilized against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany wrote a â€Å"blank check† to Austria-Hungary. William II’s poor control of international diplomacy lead to the Moroccan crisis and naval build up. In addition, Germany invaded France through Belgium. France became permanently mad at Germany and seeked for revenge. They ended up allying with Russia. This meant the support from Russia meant also from Serbia. Great Britain had a naval build up and entered an alliance with France. This disrupted the balance of power and made it point toward France now. 6) What impact did the war have on the economy and the people at home? How cooperative was the population? The economy changed from a free market system to a state run economy. The government organized price and wage controls, quotas, production and what to be produced. The food and resources vital for war had to be rationed. Due to nationalism, the population was supportive of the â€Å"total war† efforts of their governments, in the beginning of the war. 7) Did the war have any effect on the power of organized labor? On women in society? The labor unions cooperated with governments on production and wages. The government gave back by allowing labor leaders in policy making councils. The unions were accepted in the European countries as legitimate organizations. Women were now in demand for labor because men were off at war. Women became a more visible part in society and this gave a boost for the modern women’s rights movement. 8) What evidence is there that the strain of the war was beginning to take its toll on the home front in Russia, Austria, France, and Germany by 1916? Russia had a lot of war casualties. The population was vital of the czar’s leadership. Nicholas II went to the front to lead the troops. While he was away, Alexandra and Rasputin were in charge. Austria’s chief minister was assassinated. Frances Joseph died as well. The Czechs and Yugoslavs called for autonomous democracies. France and their troops refused to fight. There were labor strikes during the war. Clemenceau ruled practically as a dictator. Germany had Karl Liebknecht, who was a radical social leader, spoke out against war. This had the radicals to protest. There was an expanding anti-war legislation in the Reichstag and massive break strikes in Berlin. 9) What were the reasons for the Russian Revolution in March 1917? Who were the Soviets? The war demoralized troops which led to mass desertions. Many peasant soldiers returned home and angry with weapons. Also the war produced massive food shortages and there were bread riots in St. Petersburg. These riots spread like wildfire. Nicholas II ended up stepping down and leaving Russia. The Soviet and the provisional government ended up trying to rule Russia. The social classes were going for political liberty. The upper middle class were expecting better results from the war. Workers demanded better wages and good. Peasants asked for land reform. The Soviets was a political organization in St. They were against the czar’s government and operated separately from the Kerenskys provisional government. For example, Army Order #1. 10) What were the reasons for the Bolshevik victory in the civil war? The democracy ended up turning into an anarchy. Not one individual group or person had clear dominance to take power. Lenin and Trotsky were talented leaders who competed for power. Trotsky created an organized and centralized army that was able to outperform the whites. While Lenin was able to appeal to the urban workers and soldiers who were for socialism, successfully. The Bolsheviks ruled the center of Russia while the white were scattered out over thousands of miles. There was a secret police and the use of terror. The â€Å"White Armies† were decentralized and didn’t organize movements. They didn’t have a clear political objective that rallied the enemies of the Bolsheviks into an united front. Foreign military aid was too late and little and rallied nationalistic Russian against the whites. 11) What happened to the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish empires after 1918? Austria-Hungary became Austria. They lost land to Italy which was Tyrol. They became independent states which were Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. Austria ended up becoming a small, militarily insignificant European nation. The Ottoman Empire ended up becoming Turkey. France got Lebanon and Syria. While Britain received Iraq and Palestine. The empire was diminished and Turkey’s borders were the Anatolian peninsula and the Bosporus. Both of these nations were once dominant in power and now were put down to secondary status, which is ironic. 12) What were the goals of Wilson, Lloyd George, and Clemenceau at the Versailles Peace Conference? President Wilson of the United States created the Fourteen Points. He wanted national self determinations, rights of small countries, and League of Nations. David Lloyd George was focused on restoring Germany to a reasonable economic strength. He perceived that Germany could be a balance to the communist Russia. Georges Clemenceau seeked revenge against Germany for the two invasions in the last forty years. He wanted to create a buffer state between France and Germany. He wanted protection against future attacks and permanent demilitarization of Germany. Germany had to pay large war reparations and it weakened them, yet gave France a chance to rebuild.

The Concept Of Starbucks Marketing Essay

The Concept Of Starbucks Marketing Essay Starbucks places the customer and the service delivered to the customer above everything else. Even though Starbucks is a retail coffee store, the value proposition is not about the coffee exclusively but about the coffee culture and the experience of drinking coffee. With its value proposition, Starbucks moves away from the tangible benefits that the coffee offers, such as taste, stimulation, alertness and concentrates on the quality of its coffee and the intangible benefits of the experience of drinking Starbucks coffee. Starbucks value proposition is not about coffee, it is about the experience of drinking coffee in a Starbucks store integrating the product with the emotional benefits. All these factors were strong enough to maintain Starbucks success after a slowdown when consumers seemed to draw inward after September 11; Starbucks is rocketing ahead once again. Sales in stores open at least 13 months grew by 6% in the 43 weeks through July 28, and the company predicts monthly same-store sales gains as high as 7% through the end of this fiscal year. That is below the 9% growth rate in 2000, but investors seem encouraged. Were going to see a lot more growth, says Jerome A. Castellini, president of Chicago-based CastleArk Management, which controls about 300,000 Starbucks shares. The stock is on a run.Moreover, the Starbucks name and image connect with millions of consumers around the world. Starbucks now commands so much disk space in consumers heads that its extremely difficult to compete against them, said Nancy Koehn, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ It built its brand through its storefronts, and that is a very powerful word of mouth. It was one of the fastest-growing brands in a BusinessWeek survey of the top 100 global brands published Aug. 5, 2002. At a time when one corporate star after another has crashed to earth, brought down by revelations of earnings misstatements, executive greed, or worse, Starbucks has not faltered. The company confidently predicts up to 25% annual sales and earnings growth this year. On Wall Street, Starbucks is the last great growth story. Its stock, including four splits, has soared more than 2,200% over the past decade, surpassing Wal-Mart (WMT ), General Electric (GE ), PepsiCo (PEP ), Coca-Cola (KO ), Microsoft (MSFT ), and IBM (IBM ) in total return. Now at $21, it is hovering near its all-time high of $23 in July, before the overall market drop. From commodity to indulgent necessity Starbucks blasted open a new market by turning a basic commodity into an indulgent necessity for the 20-million customers it serves each week, creating an espresso bar culture nonexistent in this country only two decades ago. In 1992, right when the company became public, Starbucks had 140 stores located in the Northwest and Chicago. Ten years later, in 2002, Starbucks had over 4500 stores scattered throughout the U.S and internationally. During those ten years, Starbucks established itself as the à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"number oneà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  coffee store in the U.S by following an expansion strategy. Starbucks had locations in 42 of the 50 states and was continuing this expansion strategy in order to capture new markets and cluster existing markets. Starbucks retail expansion strategy consisted of the company selecting locations based on whether the demographics of an area matched the profile of a typical Starbucks drinker, the level of coffee consumption and the nature and intensity of competition. An important component of this strategy was that Starbucks did not mind cannibalizing the sales of its stores as long as the incremental sales resulting from the opening of a new store were higher than before. Clustering stores increases total revenue and market share, Schultz argues, even when individual stores poach on each others sales. The strategy works, he says, because of Starbucks size. It is large enough to absorb losses at existing stores as new ones open up, and soon overall sales grow beyond what they would have with just one store. Meanwhile, it is cheaper to deliver to and manage stores located close together. In addition, by clustering, Starbucks can quickly dominate a local market. The lesson learned by both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts is that a retailer can create demand where demand is latent, said Jim McKenna, president of McKenna Associates Corp., a retail real estate training company in Milton, Mass. They can increase the siz e of the pie. Progress or Regress The retail expansion has led the Starbucks customers to view it as more corporate and caring about making money. Indeed, the crowding of so many stores so close together has become a national joke, eliciting quips such as this headline in The Onion, a satirical publication: A New Starbucks Opens in Rest-room of Existing Starbucks. And even the company admits that while its practice of blanketing an area with stores helps achieve market dominance, it can cut sales at existing outlets. We probably self-cannibalize our stores at a rate of 30% a year, Schultz says. Adds Lehman Brothers Inc. analyst Mitchell Speiser: Starbucks is at a defining point in its growth. Its reaching a level that makes it harder and harder to grow, just due to the law of large numbers.

Questions and Answers on Employee Motivation

Questions and Answers on Employee Motivation Question.01. How can expectancy theory be used to explain the differences in motivation between Alex and Katrien? What specifics from the case apply to expectancy theory? Answer: Expectancy theory[1] states that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. They are both college students so the expected result would be that they would have similar opportunities and pay. Katrien is given many elements in the job characteristics model such as task identity and autonomy since she is able to create a product at the culinary center and see it to completion while Alex is placed in one area without any other tasks that could be considered motivational. Alex doesnt believe that performing at a certain level will attain a desired outcome like additional pay. The rewards are not consistent with his needs. For example, stocking more produce may only result in a sticker which has no value or little value for Alex while Katrien has the opportunity to make an additional $75.00 for attempting to sell 10 expensiv e bottles of truffle oil that is not only challenging but also adds value by helping her pay the bills.(high expectancy). Question.02. Alex states that he is underpaid for the work he does. What motivational theory does this apply to, and how would it explain Alexs behavior? Answer: Alex is underpaid and thus equity theory[3] could help explain his behavior. Also, the job characteristics theory could be applied since he is stuck in the produce department devoid of the other components of the model like skill variety or task significance. Denise has a shorter term in the market and gets paid more which adds to the inequitable situation. The environment, the repetitive work and the unfair treatment are all disincentives for Alex so his behavior is consistently negative. Question.03. Using concepts from organizational justice, explain why Alex knocks his bosss lunch to the floor. What should Alexs boss do to improve the fairness of his treatment? Answer: Both distributive and procedural justice[5] are components because of his pay and the fact that Jacque is treating Denise more favorably. Distributive justice is the perceived fairness of the outcome and this case he does not believe that he is being rewarded fairly. Alex has an issue with procedural justice in that Jacque has a bias for Denise and therefore Alex believes that the process is unfair. He knocks his lunch to the floor when he perceives a problem with interactional justice when Jacque interrupts his lunch with Katrien and he feels that he is not respected. Although he has 45 minutes for lunch, Jacque always wants him to return within 30 minutes, which is once again unfair treatment as compared to other employees. Question.04. Using concepts from the emotions and moods chapter, explain why Alex retaliates toward his supervisor. Was his behavior driven purely by emotion, or did cognition also play a role? How so? Answer: Alexs emotions are negative. He is exhibiting a negative effect, which is a mood state that is displaying his stress level, anxiety and irritability toward his boss and the climate in which he is employed. His retaliation is an emotional reaction to the poor treatment that he has endured from his boss and the favorable treatment toward Denise. Cognition plays a role since Alex is aware of his environment and has been trying to make sense of the injustices. His ultimate emotional response with Jacques sandwich was a result of an accumulation of perceived inequities. Question.05. Compare and contrast Alex and Katrien in terms of each persons level of work stress. How might stress affect their attitudes and behaviors within their work environment? Answer: Katrien consistently has a smile on her face and her level of job satisfaction is high. She has been given a variety of tasks and her job is fulfilling, therefore her level of work stress is low. In contrast, Alexs stress level is high with many perceived injustices and boring work. His attitude and behavior are poor and negative respectively since their managers have different styles of Theory X for Alex and Theory Y for Katrien. Alex will quit as soon as he finds another job while Katrien is content with her position and present challenges. Question.06. Discuss Alex and Katrien in terms of each persons job attitudes (for example, job satisfaction and organizational commitment). What factors might be responsible for any differences? Answer: Again, the attitudes including job satisfaction and organizational commitment are positive for Katrien and negative for Alex. As mentioned, Alex is looking to leave the organization while Katrien is given more responsibilities and challenges. Her job satisfaction is high while his is low. Many factors mentioned earlier have contributed to this situation from the differences in managers and their respective styles to the biases and injustices including unfair treatment and inequitable pay that all contribute to a poor working environment and a lack of motivation on Alexs part. Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Pages 231237 Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Pages 233-234 Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Pages 234236 Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Pages 229236 Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Page 229 Robbins/Judge, Organizational Behavior,13th Edition, Pearson Education,2009, Pages 285-293

the origins of language Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowing a language means one can speak, be understood and understand others who know the language. Although I have taken three years of Spanish, I would not say that I definitively know Spanish. I would not feel comfortable going to Spain alone and trying to survive merely with the three years training that I received. I would inevitably make mistakes, conjugating verbs improperly or stringing nonsensical sentences together. Knowing a language means knowing the things that you aren?t taught. I could spend five more years in a Spanish class, learning all the rules and vocabulary, but I still would not feel I knew the language. Knowing the language means understanding the unspoken rules behind that language. It is in understanding what is possible and, conversely, what is impossible in a language that one can truly know that language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Logically it follows then to ask; if this unspoken knowledge is not taught, how is it learned? Prior to the lecture on language competence I would have said, purely from an observational standpoint, that those rules of language are learned chiefly through imitation. A child hears what his or her parents say and mimics them. Through correction and over time, these rules are then conditioned into that child. When asked, however, how do you explain the fact that children do not make random mistakes, but rather predictable ones, this theory begins to break down. Allotting sole propriety to ... the origins of language Essays -- essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowing a language means one can speak, be understood and understand others who know the language. Although I have taken three years of Spanish, I would not say that I definitively know Spanish. I would not feel comfortable going to Spain alone and trying to survive merely with the three years training that I received. I would inevitably make mistakes, conjugating verbs improperly or stringing nonsensical sentences together. Knowing a language means knowing the things that you aren?t taught. I could spend five more years in a Spanish class, learning all the rules and vocabulary, but I still would not feel I knew the language. Knowing the language means understanding the unspoken rules behind that language. It is in understanding what is possible and, conversely, what is impossible in a language that one can truly know that language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Logically it follows then to ask; if this unspoken knowledge is not taught, how is it learned? Prior to the lecture on language competence I would have said, purely from an observational standpoint, that those rules of language are learned chiefly through imitation. A child hears what his or her parents say and mimics them. Through correction and over time, these rules are then conditioned into that child. When asked, however, how do you explain the fact that children do not make random mistakes, but rather predictable ones, this theory begins to break down. Allotting sole propriety to ...

The Ku Klux Klan: The First Era :: Racism Racist Essays

The Ku Klux Klan: The First Era With the ending of the Civil War in 1865, the period of American history known as the Reconstruction began. It was during this era that the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, spunoff from the freemasons, first came to power. The Freemasons usually tended to attract people in the upper-middle class, while the KKK and Knights of Labor, another racist group, attracted the working class. The KKK was formed mostly to restore the â€Å"peculiar institution† of slavery to America and to reinstate the Caucasian race as the most superior race in the world. A former Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford Forrest, founded the Klan in 1866 because Negroes were being allowed to enter the brotherhood of freemasonry. He served as the Klan’s first Imperial Wizard, and Albert Pike, another freemason, held the office of the Chief Justice of the KKK. He held this office while he was simultaneously Sovereign Grand Commander of Scottish Rite, Freemasons, Southern Jurisdiction. His racism was well known, and in justifying his actions, he stated â€Å"I took my obligation to white men, not to Negroes. When I have to accept Negroes as brothers or leave Masonry, I shall leave it.† (1) The bare facts about the birth of the Ku Klux Klan and its revival a half century later are baffling to most people today. Little more than a year after it was founded, the secret society thundered across the war-torn south, sabotaged Reconstruction governments, and imposed a reign of terror and violence that lasted three or four years. And then, as rapidly as it had spread, the Klan faded into the History books. After World War I, a new version of the Klan sputtered to life and brought many parts of the nation under its paralyzing grip of racism and bloodshed. Then, having grown to be a major force for the second time, the Klan again receded into the background. This time it never quite disappeared, but it never again commanded such widespread support. The origin of the Ku Klux Klan was a carefully guarded secret for years, although there were many theories to explain its beginnings. One popular notion held that the Ku Klux Klan was originally a secret order of Chinese opium smugglers. Another claimed it was begun by Confederate prisoners during the war. The most ridiculous theory attributed the name to some ancient Jewish document referring to the Hebrews enslaved by Egyptian pharaohs.

Discipleship :: Papers

Discipleship In this essay I am going to find out about Jesus' disciples, how he choose them, who they were, what sacrifices and what a disciples job is, in addition to this whether it is possible to be a disciple in the modern day. According to the Oxford Dictionary a disciple is a "follower of a leader/teacher. The first four disciples that Jesus choose were: Simon, Andrew, James and John. The story of Jesus picking them is in Mk 1: 14-20. " Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God "The time has come" he said, "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news" "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, as they were fishermen. "Come follow me," Jesus said "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. " When he had gone a little farther, he saw James and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." Another story that shows an example of Jesus appointing his disciples is shown in Mk 3 13:19. "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve and designated them as apostles, that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have the authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed; Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, meaning the Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James Son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." In both these stories not one man even hesitated about giving everything they had

How do composers use distinctively visual techniques Essay

How do composers use distinctively visual techniques to shape our interpretations of the world? Composers use distinctively visual techniques to shape the audiences interpretations of the world. John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe-horn Sonata and the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ uses distinctively visual techniques such as dialogue, photographic images, and music to effectively shape the audiences interpretations of the world. Firstly Misto uses dialogue as a distinctively visual technique in his play ‘The Shoe Horn Sonata to shape the audiences interpretations of the world. Misto uses juxtaposition as the dialogue consists of both private and public conversations which create powerful links between the two characters. The first scene shows Bridie re-enacting the kowtow, a tribute to the emperor of Japan. This kowtow was done when a Japanese guard would cry out ‘Keirei’. Stage directions allow the readers to visualise exactly how the composer wants i t to be performed. The audience is able relate in some way and feels engaged with Bridie at this point. Misto then uses photographic images, projected on a screen behind Bridie to support the dialogue. These images consist of several 1940 posters for the womens army, as well as photographs of the Australian army nurses disembarking in Singapore. Not even halfway through scene 1 the use of dialogue and photographic images have raised a concern to the audience of the pain and suffering that many women endured at the hands of the Japanese, yet their stories were not widely known. This has shaped their interpretations of war vastly, as there is much more horror, truth and death involved then just men on the front line. In the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ the use of no dialogue is so the importance of photographic images is essential for conveying the point of view of the advertisement, which is ‘slow down’. The photographic images show the last message left by each young person and the rush they are in. The images are shown in a slow motion effect which gives the audience time think of the situations and then evokes an emotional response. The images show the surroundings of where how the message was left, this shows that these people come from all different family backgrounds and have a relationship with members of their family. Therefore we realize that these rushing deaths can happen to anyone, regardless of who you are. This shapes the viewer’s interpretation of the world showing that rushing is not worth the consequences of speeding and therefore reinforces the importance of slowing  down. Lastly in ‘Shoe Horn Sonata’ Misto uses music from the period to go with images projected. The use of music adds emotion to the play and It places the audience in the historical context and in some parts it suggests the irony of the situations the women went through. An example is when Bridie criticises the British, the song ‘Rule Britannia’ is played. This song is very patriotic and helps us understand the irony of the situation. The use of music creates emotion within the audience helps shape their interpretation of war, as there is much more horror, truth and death involved then just men on the front line. In the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ the slow solemn music is used to arouse emotion within the audience. This shapes the audiences interpretations of the world because the slow musical beat actually relaxes the audience therefore causing them to slow down and think about the consequences of speeding and the importance of not rushing. John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe-horn Sonata and the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ uses distinctively visual techniques to effectively shape the audiences interpretations of the world. This is done brilliantly by an impressive use of dialogue, photographic images, and musi c.

Gender in South Asia Essay

These two contradictory comments are about women – the first one is the rigid dictum which is still going on in our society and it had always been a consequence from the time of Mahabharat to the present day that women do not have the power to be an independent human being. And in the second comment a woman wants to lead her life to her own accord by refuting the patriarchal domination. She wants to caste a rebellion against the `Patriarchal hegemony` which creates a boundary over female freedom. It seems as if she wants to repudiate the above-mentioned patriarchal dictum. These are two themes which I want to focus in my term paper which exists till now in our society of South-Asia in general and Bangladesh in particular. I want to show how South- Asian women face patriarchal oppression and how they have started to lead her life to their own accord. I want to establish these facts through Selina Hossain’s two short stories – Motijan’s Daughters and The world of Love and Labour. I choose Bangladesh among so many South- Asian countries because the stories from Bangladesh also contributed to our experience of remembering the scattered and disjointed body of Bengali women’s writing, we are ashamed to acknowledge this but the fact remains that we had been largely ignorant of the extremely powerful body of women’s writing from our neighboring country despite our shared inheritance of language and culture. The distinct features of the above-mentioned texts, both in terms of content and treatment, bring out the political, religious nd culture specifities that inform women’s writing from Bangladesh. In these two stories the setting is rural and the women, who have the power to destabilize the status quo of the sexse, function within village community. The purpose behind this rural setting, according to me, is lied in the fact that urbanization is a fairly recent phenomenon there. And the writers are possessing intimate links with their native villages. And I choose – Selina Hossain because she is one of the most important women writers of Bangladesh. Her deep preceptions of nature and human psyche have made her writings unique and absorbing. She in her writings depict the role of a woman in the social and cultural movement of her country. She points to the challenges faced by women, to the decisions taken by women in social and political cries. Now I want to show how two above-mentioned themes function through Selina Hossain’s two stories. In Selina Hossain’s Motijan’s Daughters, the central character Motijan under goes a lugubrious marital life because of the malevolence and maltreatment of her mother-in-law Gulnur and husband Abul. She is physically and mentally tortured and she looses her identity both as a `female` and `feminine`. (1) She looses the very `She` in her. She is blamed as `Sterile` woman. All her desire of becoming mother is shattered by her husband Abul as he has an illegal relationship with Rasui. So he does not care for Motijan. She is continually tortured by her mother-in-law as her father is unable to pay the promised `dowry`. This `dowry` system is a poignant phenomenon in our society for which many women have to face tremendous torture before and after their marriage. Rabindranath Tagore has shown us how Nirupama, in his story Dena Paona had to face a fatal death as her father was unable to give the promised `dowry`. But here, Selina Hossain deviates from Tagore. Her character Motijan has transformed herself from a helpless creature incapable of even the slightest protest to a woman who can choose the man she desires and not simply put up with her husband who abuses and ignores her. She proves her fertility by making an extra-marital relationship with Lokman and like an `Angry young woman` chooses her own life to her own accord. She wants to tell what Benares in Vijay Tendulkar’s Silence ! The Court Is In Sessoon, wanted to tell –â€Å" My life is my own †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I will do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦what I like â€Å" or she wants to do what the duchess of Malfi had done in webster’s The Duchess of Malfi. Motijan has fulfilled her desire by crossing ` Strategic Essecentialism `(2). Kunti in Mahabharat was not able to make public about her illicit relationship and about her son Karna but Motijan is able to do that. Motijan boldly makes public about her extramarital affair by taking two daughters in her hand. Accordingly to Lacan – every desire is a misrecognition. In the case of Motijan, her desire is `non feminine` because she negates her `feminine` identity of `wife` or` Sati` to become a mother. She chooses Lokman not because she loves her, she makes a relation with him only to come out from the blame of infertility given by her mother-in-law Gulnur. Thus, Motijan’s desire for Lokman is ultimately misrecognised. She takes her desire for Lokman as a `weapon of rebellion` by which she negates her `feminine` identity of wife and builds her – female’ identity by giving birth of two female children. Jahanara Imam’s The Weapon depicts not merely the trauma of a woman who is raped brutally but the specifies of her suffering acquire a new political significance as chhabiran resists the violent take-over of the territory of her body and land by Pakistani forces. As chhabiran uses her desire as a `weapon` like wise Motijan also takes her desire as a `weapon` to rebel against her mother-in-law. Another important theme in this story is the exploitation of women by women. Gulnur is like the traditional mother-in-law of our society who maintains her tradition by torturing her daughter-in-law. Inspite of being a women she continually maltreats Motijan. As the mother-in-laws are also tortured by their mother-in-laws, so they carry on this torture as if it is a `legacy` to them. But they actually gain exploitation not any advantage. But when they use it, it becomes `negative legacy`. Gulnur is doing the same. Gulnur has not judged her self as a `woman`. She has been influenced by the conventional tradition of our society and has judged herself as a tool of `oppression`. Another important theme is about the birth of female child. In Aitereya Brahaman, 6/3/7/13 [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] it is stated that the birth of a daughter was considered a curse. Therefore it is imperative that a pregnant woman should perform so that her child may be a male. This is the concept of Vedic age and it is still now very dominant and static code in our society. And in this story same thing happens with Motijan after giving birth of two female children. Gulnur, her mother-in-law wants to drive out her from the house by claiming that family line will not be saved by female children. But Motijan, like a `new woman` retaliates over Gulnur by rearing the children with utmost care and pride. Her pride is equal to the heroine Hester Pryne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter who feels proud of her daughter Pearl. And her anger is equal to Jimmy Porter of Osborne’s Look Back in Anger. In Brihadaranyak Upanishad [ from Taslima Nasree’s Selected Coloumns ] it is declared that wife must walk behind her husband and The Satpath Brahamana directs women to follow the husband but Motijan’s husband Abul who is not worthy of a husband even not worthy of a human being, so there is no question to follow her. Besides, his torture and his smoking of `bidi` keep Motijan in a Claustrophobic situation. Abul does not do the least duty of a husband. That is why she does not consider him even as a member against which she can set a rebellion. Besides, why always women should follow Men? This is totally a power play patriarchy. And according to me, every Motijan should disobey every Abul like husband as they are not worthy of being a husband. One of the synonyms of woman is `bharjya`; one who is borne. These is a similarity in origin between the words `bharjya` – `bhirtya` – a wife and a servant. Motijan is treated like `bhirtya – slave ` in her family not as a true wife. The ending of the story is significant because although the story ends, the struggle of Motijan does not end. It is just the beginning of her struggle where she will have to face more complexity from Patriarchal society. She has brought two new `Motijan` whom she will have to make ready to struggle against later Abuls and Gulnur’s. Through the ending of the story Selina Hossain wants to tell that the revolt which Motijan has started is not the revolt of Motijan only but the revolt of every women of our South- Asian society in general and Bangladesh in particular. It is the revolt of those women who are the victims of such Patriarchal and matriarchal oppressions. And the struggle which Motijan has started is unending, there is much left to gain her proper right and freedom. Likewise, women of South-Asia will have to struggle more to acquire their right and true freedom. Selina Hossain’s another story The world of Love and Labour shows that Amzad Mia, Fulbanu’s father wants to give marriage of Fulbanu to Kasem Khan who has already two wives, for the greed of land. In spite of being a father he considers her daughter as an element of `exchangeable commodity`. This is not the present concept of our society. In Mahabharat we see that Arjun told Kunti, after bringing Draupadi by marrying her that he has brought a ` thing ` which he wants to give her mother. So, since the days of Mahabharat women are treated as an `object` not as a human being. Taslima Nasreen in her Selected Columns writes â€Å"Milk,curdles,eggs and coconuts rot, so does a woman†. Thus, we see that society applies the term to a woman as if she is an object. Taslima Nasreen in her Selected Columns again shows that Samartha Sabdokosh which is a wonderful addition to the Bengali language and literature, uses synonyms for a `Man` – `Purushmanush` , `Manab`, `Manush` etc while for women synonyms are `Stri`,`Meye`,`Ramani` etc. The numerous synonyms for woman however do not mention `Manush` which simply means `Human`. But Fulbanu stops her father’s Conspiracy in order to teach him a lesson that she is also a human being and her desire should also be valued. She marries Kasem Khan secretly without giving any information to her father and her family so that her father cannot get the property offered by Kasem Khan. On the other hand she wants to teach a lesson to Kasem Khan also. Kasem is a representative of neo-colonialism. (3) [ In Neo-Colonialist concept one person thinks himself to be superior without thinking what others think about him ] as he marries many women only to fulfil his lust without caring any body. He gives wrong notion of his practicing Polygamy that as he has no children so to save the family line he wants to marry Fulbanu. We find that it is not a recent phenomenon. In Aitereya Brahmana [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] it is stated that a woman cannot marry more than once. Even if a man has many wives, one husband is enough for a woman. Actually there is a medical reason behind this polygamy and to prove this matter I want to refer Taslima Nasreen’s view, who in her Selected Columns tells that between the age of fifty and seventy many men suffer from an enlargement of Prostate Gland. This enlargement of the gland leads to an increase in sexual desire, though the end is likely to be permanent impotence. These old men, because of an enlarged gland, are suddenly fired with excessive sexual urge and long to get them selves wives. Many try to saying these men need a companion in their old age. They prefer to marry adolescent girl rather than old woman. The case of Kasem Khan is also the same. Kasem Khan also reminds the example of Prophet Mohammed. But Fulbanu Shatters his dream of enjoying her and also proves that the two wives do not suffer from infertility. The true fact is that Kasem Khan Is impotent and for that he has no children. The Aitereya Brahmana gives [ from Taslima Nasreen’s Selected Columns ] unreserved praise to a woman who never Contradicts their husband. The two wives before Fulbanu blindly accept this concept. They neither refutes Kasem Khan nor try to discover the actual truth behind their infertility. But Fulbanu, like a `new woman` deviates from that cheap accepted norm of blindly receiving patriarchal hegemony. She gains her freedom by refuting that hegemony and hierarchy created by her father and Kasem Khan. I hope, she creates an example of freedom which will become an agenda to the girls who are the victims of such oppression. At the end of the story without caring anybody and without receiving any `Talaq` or `Divorce` she just starts a new journey to an unknown path. She does not know what fate will awaiting her. But she frees her self from the bondage of patriarchal hegemony and now she chooses a life of free bird. She wants to find her own place to live in Virginia woolf’s famous room of one’s own ‘ where any bondage is prohibited. She wants to become the mistress of her own desire. Thus the two heroines of Selina Hossain’s through their tragic end ( as they both do not leade a normal happy lives ) prove the dictum â€Å" Every tragedy is a story of survival â€Å". They both negate the traditional gender roles which cast men as rational, strong, protective etc, while women are emotional, weak, submissive. They prove that gender is a cultural construction, not a biological one. Men think themselves superior that is why they are superior [ Benedict Anderson’s view ](4). Actually they want to prove that no one is superior from the first days. Women also know how to build equality by breaking superiority . And through these stories Selina Hossain proves herself as a feminist writer. Her characters are the representatives of the contemporary fates of South-Asian women. Her private purpose has thus become a public feminine issue. She prefers to cast her rebellion against the Patriarchal oppression not by `Sword` but by `Pen` and I hope, she is very much successful in this fact. Virgin Woolf in her story of Judith lamented â€Å" For who shall measure the heat and violence of a poet’s heart when caught and tangled in a woman’s body ? †. But I hope Selina Hossain has no reason to lament because she has created writings which is totally free from male influence. And her writing may be treated under Gynocentricism (5) [ Elaine Showalter;s Concept ] as she in three phases ( feminine, feminist and female ) proves that she remains a fair gentle woman through her writings. Thus, through my term paper I want to tell that the women of South-Asia partly achieved their success of independence. But if there is to be a true female independence too, much remains to be done. But the struggle which has started by Motijan, Fulbanu and Selina Hossain herself is a great achievement. Their struggle is like a `torch` whose light will show path for the true right and freedom for women.

A Report That Examines The Role Of Expert And Lay Knowledge In Understanding And Managing Risk

This report is going to examine how risks we face in our daily lives rely on different forms of knowledge to create an understanding of them and their consequences. This report will examine how people use expert and lay knowledge about risks in order to live with them. A brief description of risk is provided. The discussion focuses on how we live with risk and interpret expert and lay knowledge regarding risk and risk avoidance. It is also suggested that people make their own choice as to what and how they use information and to what degree of risk they consider acceptable in their lives. This is influenced by the knowledge they have and how they interpret that. Clearly an expert will be in a stronger position to accurately assess risk compared to a lay person. 1. Expert Knowledge – someone that has knowledge, skill and is qualified in a particular subject. 2. Lay Knowledge – someone who does not have specialized knowledge or training in a subject. This report will examine three examples of risk and will detail not only expert information but it will review lay opinion as well. 1. Firstly the cycling and the benefits of wearing helmet will be assessed. 2. Then a case study that detailed an allotment and the hazardous substances found in the soil. 3. The last risk to be observed will be sun exposure, sun tanning and risks and how consumerism can play apart in forming our choices. 1. Our Risky Lives 1. Risk – a state in which there is a possibility of known danger or harm, which if avoided may lead to benefits (Carter and Jordan, 2009). Almost everything we do in life comes with some degree of risk. It is how we interpret the risk that determines how we live. Some risk is taken without thinking, some risk is unavoidable, and in other cases we can reduce the risk or avoid the risk all together. 1. Cycling and the benefits of wearing a helmet Cycling will introduce the idea of risks and risk management in our material lives. Cyclists manage their risk with lights, occasional hand signals and helmets. Cyclists have to negotiate the use of the helmet, whether or not to wear one but not doing so means any injury sustained may be the cyclist’s own fault. One study shown 85 per cent reduction in the risk of head injury among cyclists who wore helmets (Thompson et al., cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009). Other research found that, when car overtakes a cyclist, the car comes significantly closer to a cyclist who wears a helmet (Walker, cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009). Taking both studies into account seems to suggest that if you wear a helmet then you are more likely to have an accident but if you have an accident then you are less likely to have head injuries. 1. Hazardous substances found in the soil Soil on an allotment will show how knowledge of an invisible risk is produced by experts but can be contested and how the allotment users used knowledge to manage the risks. The benefits of a social activity such as gardening were suddenly brought into question by publication of a scientific test on the soil. The material environment changed from being good into something that was dangerous. The soil was safe then became poisonous and then become safe again, all without the soil itself being changed. The existence of two soil tests confirms that even within science there are debates over how best to assess risk. In the case study, the same soil shifted from being safe to dangerous and back again solely as a result of different measurement practices (Carter and Jordan, 2009). This shows how the expert knowledge may or may not influence the decisions people make about managing risk. Gardener did not listen to expert knowledge about safe soil, because two contrasting results of the tests did not feel quite trustworthy. 1. Sun Exposure and expert knowledge of sun risk The last risk to be assessed will be sun exposure and sun tanning and risks. Increasingly over the last number of years dangers of sun exposure and tanning have come to the fore. Even though advice and evidence which has been produced people still continue to expose themselves to the harmful UVA rays. In this section we can look at a second case study of risk and risk management concerning holidaymakers and their attitudes to a tan. To understand the apparently risky practices connected with sun exposure we have to take seriously the ways in which people make sense of expert advice, and measure it against their own knowledge and experiences of the material world in which they live (Carter and   Jordan, 2009). The research conducted by Simon Carter used a mixture of interviews and focus groups with tourist aged 20 and 35 years of age who regularly travelled abroad for holidays. The first thing that this search found was that people could recall health education advice by seeking shade, using a sunscreen or covering the body. People knew what the expert advice said about the dangers of sun. However, people did not fully follow this advice because they had their own ways of understanding and making sense of the healthy and risky elements of their material lives. The knowledge produced by experts was different from that produced by holidaymakers. This distinction between expert and lay knowledge meant that expert knowledge was interpreted rather than followed to the letter by the public (Carter and Jordan, 2009). The expert knowledge does not straightforwardly determine public opinion. 1. Lay knowledge of symbolic risk The effects that the sun has on the body are both a source of material risk, from cancers, and of symbolic risk, such as being peely-wally (Carter and Jordan, 2009). Suntan became a material sign or symbol that is for the visual consumption of other tourists. 1. Beck’s thesis . The examples of sun exposure and of poisoned soil demonstrate how we may have entered into a particular kind of relationship to risk in society today. German sociologist Ulrich Beck examined the move from the Industrial Society in which political deliberations where concerns with the distribution of wealth to a Risk Society that focuses on the distribution of harm (cited in Carter and Jordan, 2009 p. 80). Beck also argues that we have become dependent on external information usually expert knowledge to assess the risks we face, instead of using personal experience or common sense. For example, the allotment holders could not determine the risks contained in their soil, they were told about potential danger by scientific experts. Similarly, the possible risk from sun exposure has to be made clear to people by expert evidence. One of Beck’s main concerns is the role of expert knowledge in defining the risks, whether that risk is nuclear radiation, arsenic in the soil or the sun. 1. Conclusion In modern society much more effort is being put into measuring risk. Experts aim to examine potential hazards and produce evidence that will allow us to make informed decisions. Assessing risk often relies on science and expertise. These are practices which involve choices and assumptions that can create debate. A risk society is one in which calculations of risk become increasingly prominent. Many modern risks are invisible and need experts to make them visible to the public.

Essay on Non-Statutory National Framework for Re Essay

It was in October 2004 that the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), jointly published the Non-Statutory National Framework for R.E., which only applies to R.E. provision in England. The document was produced on the understanding that it would be used mainly by Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) and agreed syllabus Conferences (ASCs) within each Local Education Authority (LEA). The document has the remit of providing national guidelines for the teaching of R.E. It was meant to be used by local agreed syllabus conferences for the development of agreed syllabuses for R.E., and by faith communities for the creation of R.E. programmes. Furthermore, the Framework was intended to help schools to make appropriate links between R.E. and other subjects, such as for instance on key concepts like diversity. In this sense the government appeared to be building on their previous efforts to set up a common Framewo rk of curricular aims owing to the fact that the 2000 National Curriculum also contained many aims for education; White (2004). It was hoped that the Framework document would help agreed syllabus conferences and schools to plan more effectively in the provision of R.E. and towards agreed national standards. In the foreword of the Non-Statutory National Framework by the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills; Charles Clarke, the intention of the Framework was made explicit. In the first paragraph of the national Framework Charles Clarke declared ‘This non-statutory national Framework has been produced to support those with responsibility for the provision and quality of religious education in maintained schools. It lies at the heart of our policies to raise standards in the learning and teaching of religious education. It sets attainment targets for learning. The Framework therefore gives local education authorities, Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education, relevant authorities with responsibility for schools with a religious character, teachers, pupils, parents, employers and their wider communities a clear and shared understanding of the knowledge and skills that young people will gain at school. It allows schools to meet the individual learning needs of pupils and develop a distinctive character and ethos, rooted in their local communities. It also provides a Framework within which all partners in education can support young people on the road to further learning’. This statement reflects the commitment of the architects of the Framework to empowering organisations involved in providing R.E. The core agenda is to improve both the pupils learning experience of R.E. and the ability of R.E. teachers to become more adept in their profession. The Framework it is maintained will give clear guidance to pupils and various educational advisory bodies alike on the remit of R.E. in the education of a child. The latter part of the paragraph also implies that the Framework will have the flexibility to give schools the freedom to meet individualised pupil needs and facilitates discretion for schools that want to put together schemes of work that reflect the social characteristics of their locality. The opening declaration of the Non– Statutory National Framework for R.E. does widely define the boundaries and limitations of the publication. At face value one would expect that the national Framework will work as a rough guide for educational authorities rather than as a strict code of practice to be abided by under all circumstances. The agenda of the Framework is clear but how it will actually succeed in compelling educational providers to improve standards in R.E. is vague. Bearing these factors in mind the  expectation is that at Key Stage three the Framework will provide a blueprint for teaching R.E., but whether this blueprint will cover the full scope of R.E. is an issue that needs to be closely scrutinised in this investigation. A critical analysis of the Non- Statutory National Framework is given by (Watson and Thompson, 2004) in which they contend that the Framework puts the importance rather than the purpose of R.E. at the heart of their activity. Their criticism follows that the Framework has when mapping out the aims of R.E. the plan of revealing how R.E. ties in with the wider aims of the curriculum as a whole – as opposed to suggesting any aims for R.E. as a subject by itself. This is a problem as the aims of R.E. should be able to identify what is to be taught to pupils and why this teaching is essential in the curriculum rather than a slightly useful part of a child’s education. This identification of difficulties within the Framework does place doubt on the ability of this publication to be a resource in which R.E. professionals can use as a blueprint to teach R.E. in its entirety. Certainly if the Framework was to provide the full foundations for teaching R.E. at any level it would n eed to help the tutor of R.E in presenting their justification for the presence of the subject by itself in the curriculum. Without an argument that defends a separate place for R.E in a child’s education then educational commentators may ask the question why R.E. is not either combined with other subjects such as Sociology, Citizenship, PHSE or indeed dropped from the curriculum altogether. As R.E. is under pressure from individuals and institutions with a secularist agenda, it is imperative that the R.E. fraternity has a resource from central government that acts as a defence against individuals and organisations, who are unsympathetic for the need for pupils to have an education in World religions. Such critics may want to follow the example of the United States, where R.E. has been abolished from public sector education. From this perspective, therefore, the Non –Statutory National Framework does not provide an adequate blueprint for teaching R.E. An obvious weakness of the Framework is the fact that as its title describes it is a ‘non –statutory Framework’. Inevitably then the legal obligations  for the provision of R.E. is unchanged by this Framework. This factor is a serious drawback. If the Framework does not have the remit to impose a legally binding code of practice on the organisations involved in the development of R.E; namely SACREs, ASCs, the board of governors within faith schools, current policies on funding and R.E. inspections then it is inevitable that the Framework will not reach it’s aim to raise standards in R.E. The Framework potentially will be neglected by R.E. professionals who don’t agree with its terms and the Framework will be an absolute failure. In order to reach its ambitious goal the Framework should have been an obligatory blueprint not a voluntary one. This factor seems to indicate that the architects of the Framework lacked the determination to enforce changes in R.E. provision. Surely a determined approach to a set of aims would entail producing a legal document to be followed by R.E. professionals rather than assuming the cooperation of R.E. providers. Another problem that was associated with the introduction of the Framework was identified by Weston (2005) the Chair of the Professional Council for R.E, in the R.E. Today Magazine. Weston noted that the Framework will potentially fail to meet its aims because of the recruitment crisis in R.E. teaching. Indeed the Framework has no proposals on how to address the shortage of R.E. teachers and significantly the professional associations such as SACREs and ASCs will need guidance from R.E. teachers in the implementation of the Framework. On this issue Weston stated ‘Many of our SACREs and their Agreed Syllabus Conferences will need support and training if they are to make full use of the Framework when developing their new syllabuses. Once an Agreed Syllabus is introduced, training must be provided for teachers to ensure that the important dissemination from syllabus to scheme of work to teaching and learning will meet the needs of all pupils in our religiously diverse society.’ (Weston; 2005) In this statement Weston highlights the fear that the absence of suitably qualified R.E. teachers, will result in a failure to properly educate SACREs and ASCs on the how to effectively produce the new syllabuses, which will be  in line with or influenced by the new Framework. A related concern is once the SACRE and the ASCs have actually put together their new syllabuses there will not be enough teachers to be trained in the syllabuses resulting in the fault that schemes of work in schools and the outcomes of teaching and learning will not meet the varying educational needs in R.E. of all children in the education system. These likely problems prove that the Non- Statutory National Framework was designed without considering many basic issues. The Framework, therefore, with this evidence of a severe shortcoming in its planning of outcomes, will fail to provide adequate standards for R.E. professionals to follow when teaching at all Key Stages in the Curriculum. Further academic criticism of the Framework document was given by Felderhof (2004) in the Journal of Beliefs and Values in which the author complained that the Framework was too obsessed with the study of ‘other people’s religious traditions’. The Framework does indeed place a lot of emphasis on the religious traditions of different communities, which is not a negative feature to most R.E. professionals. However if the Framework is perceived to be biased against Christianity then there is potential for the Framework to be resented and possibly neglected by R.E. professionals who have an agenda to place Christianity at the heart of R.E. provision. In focussing on the impact that the Framework will have on developing a blueprint for teaching R.E. at KS3 specifically and arguing from the perspective of a Beginning Teacher it is clear that the Non- Statutory National Framework for R.E. at KS3 has many strengths. On analysing the statement within the Framework booklet on KS3 R.E. it does have the advantage of being very concise in expressing the expectations of R.E. at this level. The document has three subheadings. These are: Learning about religion, Learning from religion and Breadth of study. The three headings are each accompanied by between 5 to 18 points covering the things that pupils should be taught under each of the subheadings. This level of detail from personal experience does make the Framework at KS3 very comprehensive and easy to understand for the teacher of R.E. This factor is an actual strength of the Framework and it does illustrate how much thought and planning has been dedicated into the production of the Fram ework. From this  perspective the Framework at KS3 does provide adequate guidance for teaching the full content of R.E. at KS3. Furthermore to the Beginning Teacher a genuine strength of the Framework for teaching R.E. at KS3 is the fact that in the Framework handbook on pages 28-29 it does illustrate in the margin how some features of the learning objectives can be connected to another subject in the curriculum. The subjects noted for cross curriculum opportunities are ICT, Art and Design, Geography, History, Science, English and Citizenship. As mentioned earlier has been much debate on how R.E. is relevant to the wider curriculum and to the general education of a child. The Framework handbook does identify how R.E. is part of the wider network of subjects in the curriculum. In this way the Framework at KS3 is helpful to the teacher of R.E. in making links between R.E. and the rest of the curriculum. The fact that this was included in the Framework document does illustrate the fact that a lot of thought and planning has been put into these guidelines so that they would meet the needs of R.E. teachers. The impact of the Non–Statutory National Framework has also provided a blueprint for teaching R.E. through its influence in R.E. textbooks. An example of this influence can be found in the Think R.E. series of textbooks published by Harcourt Education in 2005. On page 4 of the Think R.E.: pupil book 1 the guidance of the Framework on the editing of the text book is clear. Indeed, the textbook states that the Framework has informed the planning for this series of text books; that the four attitudes, which are noted as essential for good learning in R.E. on page 13 of the Framework document (these are 1. self awareness 2. respect for all 3. open-mindedness 4. appreciation and wonder) are all supported by the methods of learning in the text book. In addition the text book points out that the new Framework places much emphasis on allowing pupils to explore secular ideas such as Humanism and Atheism. Furthermore on page 5 the text book maps out its commitment to the twelve principles of the KS3 Framework strategy from providing a focus on setting clear learning objectives to the use of ICT in R.E., with separate statements for each of the twelve principles, which details how the text book will meet these principles in providing lesson  plans for teachers. It is of much credit to the Framework that this code of practice has been recognised by mainstream providers of educational resources. To the teacher of R.E. the success of the Framework in being adopted by external organisations associated with the teaching of R.E. is one of its strengths, as this will mean that even an R.E. professional who has not read the Framework document, will still feel its influence due to the presence of the Framework doctrines in various R.E. publications used in the classroom. On this evidence it is feasible to say that the blueprint for teaching the full scope of R.E. at KS3 is adequate because it does encourage wider perspectives to be studied to the extent that Humanism and secularism are included in schemes of work. The Framework even assists the teacher of R.E. in planning lessons at KS3 in terms of considering the learning objectives, expectations, making concepts explicit, structured learning, promoting higher order questioning, thinking skills, assessment, target setting, differentiation, links with Citizenship education, inclusion and opportunities to use ICT resources. Therefore any teacher of R.E. at KS3 should be perceived as ill-informed if they had not considered referring to the Non- Statutory National Framework for guidance for the effective teaching of R.E. at KS3. In conclusion and after evaluating all of the evidence that has focused on the strengths and the drawbacks of the Non –Statutory Framework for R.E. at KS3, it does appear that the drawbacks of the Framework have been potential shortcomings and the strengths of the Framework are in practice actual strengths. It is logical to imply that many of the criticisms of the Framework have been theoretical rather than ones, which are based on instances of the actual usage of the Framework in promoting effective R.E. teaching. For example in a paper given by Marilyn Mason who is an Educational Officer for the British Humanist Association (BHA), to an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) seminar on Religious Education and the New National Framework, on 20th January 2004 several doubts were cast on the workability of the new Framework. The document stated ‘My fear is that the National Framework could simply become the 152nd syllabus, yet another one to be adapted or plundered or, worse, ignored. And  I doubt that a National Framework, however good, could justify RE’s peculiar and anomalous place in the school curriculum: Why should it be compulsory right up to the end of school, though not in colleges? Is there enough interesting and relevant content to justify this? Is it really so much more important than literacy, numeracy, or critical thinking? It would be good to see a really dynamic and exciting RE competing on equal terms with the other humanities subjects for students after KS3, though that is beyond the scope of a mere Framework’. Mason M (2004) ‘Religious Education – could do better’? This quotation offers a critical analysis of the Framework, which is not based on how the Framework has worked when it has been implemented. It only discusses a potential drawback. It was assumed that the Framework would be changed or not adopted at all by R.E. professionals from experience and by observing the impact of the Framework on R.E. resources we can safely say that this has not been the case. The statement by the BHA does continue to attack R.E. as a subject in itself and even insinuates that it is given ‘much more importance than literacy, numeracy and critical thinking’. This unfounded outburst of contempt for R.E. in the school curriculum only reinforces the perception of the BHA as an institution, which is on an anti –R.E. crusade. The criticism of the Framework in the passage should therefore be taken with caution as the BHA does not seem interested in how the provision of R.E. in schools can be improved -but rather how the profile of R.E. as a subj ect can be lowered in the curriculum. On the other hand an example of how the Framework has expressed an actual strength is displayed in the 2007 locally agreed Syllabus for R.E in Havering. Not only does this document state in the introduction on Page 5 that the new syllabus was produced with attention being paid to the terms of the Non- Statutory Framework, but in the KS3 section on Pages 27-29 the bread of study at KS3 should entail learning knowledge understanding and skills during the study of a whole World view, which includes lesser known religions and secular ideas, which will take account of the schools religious/ non-religious profile. This framework ties in with the breadth of study declared on page 29 (3 c,d,) of the Non- Statutory National Framework document in which it is stated that during KS3 pupils should be taught the  knowledge, skills and understanding of R.E. by looking at a religious community with a significant presence in the locality and concentrating on the secular view of the World where poss ible. This correlation in the agenda of a locally agreed syllabus and the Framework is irrefutable evidence of the impact that this set of objectives for the improvement of R.E. had on R.E. professionals. The ability of the Framework to be adopted by SACRE’s and ASC’s –all in spite of the guidelines not being compulsory is a real strength of the Framework. Given these actual strengths of the Non-Statutory National Framework in suggesting the scope of study at KS3, it is feasible to say in spite of its critics who may have been dubious about the feasibility of Framework before its introduction that the Framework is an adequate resource for teaching R.E. Bibliography Agreed syllabus for Havering (2007) Pathways London Borough of Havering Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Draycott P (et al ed) (2005) Think R.E. London: Harcourt Education. Felderhof M.C. (2004) Journal of Beliefs and Values, Volume 25, Number 2, August 2004 , pp. 241-248(8) London: Routledge Mason, Marilyn, 2004. Religious Education –could do better? Available at: (accessed 6th December 2007). QCA, ed, 2004. The Non- Statutory Framework for R.E., London: QCA Available at: (accessed 5th December 2007). Watson B and Thompson P (2007) The effective teaching of Religious Education London: Longman Weston, Deborah, 2004. News from R.E. Today Magazine: PCfRE comment on the launch of the Non-Statutory Framework for RE. Available at: (accessed 7th December 2007). White J. (2004) Rethinking the school curriculum values, aims and purposes Great Britain: Routledge. ———————– PASS / FAIL