Assess the Claim That Class Differences in Educational

ASSESS THE CLAIM THAT CLASS DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT ARE PRIMARILY THE RESULT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS. In this essay external factors will be assessed. On average, children from middle-class families perform better than working class children. The gap between the grade percentages grow wider as children get older. It is proven that 77% of children from a higher professional background achieve five or more A*-C at GCSE. Whereas only 35% children from a routine background achieve five or more A*-C grades at GCSE. These statistics show that there is a persistent gap in the achievement levels of working class and middle class pupils.There are two factors related to home background that sociologists argue may lead to differences in a pupils educational achievement. The first is CULTURAL FACTORS. Some sociologists argue that most of us begin to acquire the basic values, attitudes and key skills that are needed for educational success through primary socialisation in the family. H owever, these sociologists also believe that many working class families fail to socialise their children in the right way. Therefore these children are ‘culturally deprived’.The three main areas of cultural deprivation are intellectual development, language, and attitudes and values. Intellectual development was discovered by a sociologist called Douglas. Douglas conducted a longitudinal study of 5362 children born in 1964. He followed them through primary and secondary school and found that children of the same measured ability at age 7 varied a great deal at age 11 depending on their social class. He basically found that working class did badly and middle class did well. Douglas also found that working class pupils were less likely to continue in further education after the age of 16.Douglas believed that middle class children receive more attention and stimulus from their parents in their early years. Douglas believed that working class parents took their children t o parks in the day time, put them in front of the television, and gave them not very educational toys. He also believed that middle class parents gave their children a ‘head start’ by taking them to museums, libraries and bought them educational toys, like jigsaw puzzles and talking toys. Linguistic deprivation is a theory argued by Basil Bernstein. Bernstein believed there are two types of language used.Restricted code: Typically used by working class people, they use limited vocabulary, and use short simple sentences. The speech is predictable and context bound (which means the speaker assumes the listener shares same views/experiences) Elaborated code: Typically used by middle-class people, the speaker has a wider vocabulary and speech is varied. Context free (which means the speaker does not assume the listener shares same views/experiences and uses language to explain meanings) Bernstein believed that the success of a pupil depends heavily on language.The ability t o read and understand books, to write clearly and to be able to explain yourself fully in both speech and writing are key language skills required for success in education. If these skills are not developed in the family, then a child will be at a disadvantage in education. Teachers in schools are more likely to use context free elaborated code, as it is more descriptive and explanatory. Also, the elaborated code is the typical way of speaking for the middle class, and not many working class people will become teachers.However, some pupils may not understand the elaborated code and may switch off preventing learning in the classroom. The elaborated code may benefit middle class students after school, for example in college, university and job interviews. Middle class students can express themselves better which then gives a better impression than maybe one of a working class background could not. Attitudes and values is the third area of cultural deprivation. Some sociologists argue that parents’ attitudes and values are a key factor affecting a pupils’ educational achievement.Douglas argued that working class parents’ attitudes prevent children from achieving in education. He believed that middle class parents were more interested in their children’s education. For example, visit the school more frequently, encourage their children to stay on in further education, and help their children with school work. He found that working class parents place less value on education, were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education, they visited their schools less often, and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers.As a result of this, the children had lower levels of motivation. There are many reasons why working class parents may place less value on education, maybe they haven’t experienced the benefits of college and universities so they do n’t value further education as much. Working class parents may be less ambitious because they have seen how their peers and family members have ‘turned out’ and think there is no point in focussing on education because none of their peers/family members achieved in education and they’re getting on with their lives.Working class parents may show less interest as they personally don’t enjoy their lives, there is no motivation to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone push for their child to do well in school. Sugarman (1970) believed lack of parental interest in their children’s education reflects the sub-cultural values of the working class. Large sections of the working class have different goals, beliefs, attitudes and values from the rest of society and this is why their children fail at school. Sugarman believes there are four key features: Fatalism- The attitude of ‘what will be will be‘ (working class).The attitude of ‘to change through efforts’ (middle class). Collectivism- Value being part of a group (working class) Immediate gratification Vs Deferred gratification- Want reward as soon as possible ,leave school and go straight into work to make money (working class). Present- time orientation- Seeing the present as more important (working class). Seeing planning for the future, more important (middle class). Cultural deprivation recognises the importance of social (not biological causes of class inequalities in educational attainment.Research has been conducted which supports these theories. However, it blames the individual for their failure, it ignores the influence of school and peer pressure by only focussing on the home. The theory is deterministic- it assumes that all working class will fail. It is very stereotypical and involves a judgement that the culture of one class is better than another. However, the cultural deprivation theory has been influential and did at one time influence the government to improve parenting skills by running a programme in the U.S called OPERATION HEAD START. This organisation helped working class families by health visitors and educational psychologists visiting their homes, and learning programmes for deprived children. In the U. K (2000) SURE START was launched. Sure start is a major element in the British governments policy to tackle poverty and social exclusion. The second factor related to home background is MATERIAL DEPRIVATION. According to the ‘Halifax building society’ (2006). A private education for a child between the ages of three to 18, will cost ? 26,000. This shows that middle-class parents take great care and money into providing a better education for their child. Some sociologists see material deprivation as the main cause of underachievement. This argument states that working class children are disadvantaged because they are more likely to lack material factors that are necessary to create a good educational environment. For example, good housing, clothes, healthy food, space to study, lack of educational books and educational equipment.Facts show that exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families. Nearly 90% of ‘failing’ schools are located in deprived areas. Jesson & Gray’s 1991 Nottinghamshire study revealed that half of the pupils receiving free school meals had low GCSE scores as opposed to one sixth of pupils. This fact proves that material deprivation is a massive reason for pupils under achieving in education. Children that do not have the books and writing equipment are less likely to succeed because they are getting further and further behind.There are many factors that impact on the educational attainment of working class children. Pupils may not have the time to do school work at home, due to maybe a sick parent or a busy household. Working class families are less likely to own their own home, rented accommodati on is less stable as they could be asked to leave. This means the child will fall behind, get in trouble with the teachers’ , creating a reputation for themselves. Pupils may not have the space at home to do homework, due to bigger working class families, smaller houses.The parents of working class pupils may not be able to raise money for educational trips, resulting in lack of understanding of a subject, looked lower by peers at school. They may not have access to educational materials like computers and software. There are so many important facts that as a sociologist you have to remember and take into consideration. However, both middle class and working class are affected by economic down turn recently (the recession). Family break- down in both classes can affect the child’s upbringing or emotional well being, regardless of class. To conclude

Macbeth- Appearance vs Reality Essay

‘How does Shakespeare use the idea of deception in his play, Macbeth? Discuss the topic by referring to character, supernatural elements, places and objects not being what they seem William Shakespeare was a very famous playwright and actor who lived over 100 years ago and wrote the many plays including Macbeth. The play Macbeth is a tragedy, which was written in the sixteenth century by Shakespeare. In this play the main character, called Macbeth is a very brave and courageous man whose growing ambition and misfortune takes over his life and leads him to become very evil and threatening. In Macbeth, Shakespeare has used the idea of deception to develop his style of play writing and to make it more interesting to the audience. There are several ways in which he has done this, and I will be focussing on these to explain how he has done this and what kind of an affect it has on people. Throughout the play there is a tense atmosphere that builds on as it goes along and makes the audience more attracted to it. Shakespeare uses the idea of deception to create a lot of strange and superstitious effects in order to enhance the quality of the play and to make it more dramatic. For example, the play starts off with three witches also the setting is very eerie so the audience’s attention is automatically grabbed and they want to carry on further to find out what will happen. Not only does he include witches, the play also consists of cauldrons, spells, ghosts and illusions. Even though it is unusual to see such things today it was very significant in that time period. Characters, acting, stagecraft and language are various ways that Shakespeare has used to exemplify the idea of deception in his play. There are different types of deception, such as, people who are not what they seem, supernatural deceptions and things/places not being what they seem. Macbeth is a play about tragedies and misfortune. There are many ideas or themes, which are portrayed in this drama but the main one that I will be focussing on is appearance and reality. This basically means the general idea of things not being what they seem. This play has a very strong moral, philosophical and social significance, which is displayed throughout the play and is revealed throughout the drama. Because this play was written before the 1914’s we can see that the language, stagecraft and settings used are from the time period the play was written in. It looks at the historical and social significance of the play, and deals with things that were morally and philosophically significant to the people at that time. For example, the people at that time were strong believers of strange and supernatural elements such as witches and ghosts. These are less believable these days because of all the latest science and technology, which Shakespeare may not have had at his time. This tragedy looks at the way people see things and are mislead into thinking their own way. Essentially we understand from the play that ambition is good but if you become way too ambitious and are blinded by it then that can lead to harm. This is what happened to the character of Macbeth. The significance, which is shown in the play, could be that dreams or illusions are not always what they seem, and can often lead you astray. The play is based on the fact that Macbeth changes from a highly valued and respected man to someone who is disliked by the people in his society. The reasons being that he was very fortunate but could not see it, therefore he went ahead and thought he could make his dreams come true. What happens in Shakespeare’s play is ironic and is related to the time period as well which also influences the genre of the play. The play also implicates the historical happenings at the time period it was written because during that time Shakespeare had written a lot of tragedy and bitter plays. Around the same time Shakespeare’s twins died therefore there may be a significant reason as to why he wrote these tragedies. Nevertheless he has used ideas of deception in such ways to deceive the audience and characters throughout. Macbeth is a very interesting character created by Shakespeare because he is very diverse throughout the play. In other words he was known as a very loyal and brave warrior at the beginning of the play, as the King gave him the title of the ‘Thane of Glamis’. We can immediately see that he is liked and respected by the King and the people, because of his position in the King’s army. However, during the play the character of Macbeth changes and he becomes very ambitious which leads him to become evil, which eventually leads to his death. This play battles with the concepts of evil and good, which are shown through acts of deceit and honesty. Mainly it is about deceit, of the audiences as well as the characters. There are also things that Macbeth encounters throughout this play, such as witches, apparitions and illusions that are not what they seem to Macbeth, but he does not know this and in the end he ruins his life and the lives of many others whilst trying to make his dreams come true. He does not understand the concept of reality, which means that you can’t judge by appearances, there is something behind the appearance that you have to look for rather than just looking at the surface of things. Shakespeare uses a variety of different ways to illustrate the deceptions in the play, some of which are, language (e.g. linguistic devices), stagecraft (e.g. settings and special effects), and characters (e.g. the role of Macbeth, or the three witches). In the time period in which this play was written, I expect that there wasn’t much technology because it was in the early sixteenth century when not all the new technology that we have today, had existed. However, there was some technology such as the trapdoors that were built into the stage. This allowed people to appear and disappear in the eyes of the audience. Nevertheless, instead of cinemas, there were theatres where dramas and plays such as Macbeth were performed. This was a major entertainment for people at that time as there weren’t things like computers, Television, games, etc. so people would go to the theatre to watch these plays and they would really enjoy it. People also went to places to see bear beating, this is an event where bears were tied up and beaten by loose packs of dogs. People at that time enjoyed these horrifying scenes and it was a means of entertainment. This shows what the people were like in pre-1914, which links to why Macbeth was written and to whom it was targeted. Shakespeare has written this play in order to entertain and amuse the people at that time therefore he has used ideas of deception to make it more appealing and interesting. Macbeth is also a horrifying play where terrifying scenes like murder takes place. The audience, I should imagine would have been very fascinated and horrified by this play, which would mean that more people would want to watch it. At that time period people were also very superstitious and believed in things like witches because there wasn’t much advanced technology to prove otherwise. Social class divided the people’s status in society, e.g. the lower class people could not wear the same colours as the rich as this was not accepted in society. The rich and poor wore different colours to represent which class they were from. Witchcraft was a major issue at the time and anyone who was suspected would be tortured and executed. Due to this hundreds and thousands of women were executed for being caught doing suspicious acts of witchcraft. This is one of the many ideas Shakespeare has used in his play to deceive the audience and characters. It provides an interesting twist in the beginning of the play when the three witches are doing spells and things. The first ever Macbeth play to be performed was in Hampton’s Court in 1605. There were many superstitions that people believed in such as, in the theatres audience were not allowed to say ‘Macbeth’ or something might happen to the characters on stage. I will now identify and explain the general theme of appearance and reality, which is portrayed throughout the play, Macbeth. There are many people who are not what they seem in reality and can trick the audience into thinking a different way. This deception is shown in the first Act where the former Thane of Cawdor becomes a treacherous man because he has betrayed King Duncan and the army of Scotland when he joins the Norwegian army in the battle. In this act Scots and Norwegians are enemies and there is a battle going on, where Macbeth is a triumph for killing the traitor and then he puts the head on his sword. This is significant because at that time it is seen as brave and courageous to place the head of the victim on the sword, in that way people would know you’ve won and will praise you. We can tell that Macbeth has just been honoured for doing this because in this scene the captain says †For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name – disdaining fortune with hiss brandish’d steel†¦till he unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chaps and fix’d his head upon our battlements.† In this passage the captain is explaining what happened at the battlefields to the King and he is glorifying what Macbeth did, which was to murder a traitor and put the head on the sword. The deception in this scene is that of when the character of the traitor deceives the other characters and betrays his army by fighting against them. The King is just one character who is deceived by this man from the battle. He was just one of the men in the battle was not what he seemed because he was a traitor all along and he betrayed King Duncan, thus was killed later on. This is an example of when deception is illustrated in the play. Macbeth does not realise that the former Thane of Cawdor has been killed, he then goes and has an encounter with the witches, who tell him that he is going to be Thane of Cawdor. This is mentioned in as one of the prophecies. (Scene 3; line 48). †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor†, this is said by one of the witches and is deceiving to the character Macbeth because he doesn’t know that the former Thane of Cawdor has died. The witches give him the following three prophecies in scene 3: †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis,† †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor,† †All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be king hereafter.† After that Macbeth is very shocked and confused because at this moment he or the audience are not aware that the Thane of Cawdor has been killed or the fact that he will kill the King in the future to become one. This is deceiving to the characters that are told this (Banquo and Macbeth) because they did not know that the Thane had died. The language shows that Macbeth does not know that he is now the Thane of Cawdor as he sounds very confused in scene 3, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦By finel’s death I know I am the Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives A prosperous gentleman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  the idea of the Thane being dead and Macbeth being the new Thane is something that is not what it seems because the audience do not know this and also because they are being told by strange women. This is a deceiving matter because strange women, also known as the three witches, are telling them these prophecies that have never been heard of before. However, when it does come true t hen it is like another thing that is not what it seemed because no one really expected the prophecies to come true. Macbeth is a character who is deceiving to the audience, because in the beginning of the play we see him as a brave, courageous and good-willed man. However, this changes throughout the play and we find out that Macbeth is not what he seems and is actually a very evil and wicked man. We know this as a fact because he kills King Duncan to fulfil his dreams and ambition. Nevertheless, he was not that keen at first until his wife, Lady Macbeth, encouraged him to do so. She says to him that she is an even better man than he is because he was cowering not to do the murder. She then makes him believe it is the right thing to do so Macbeth thinks that he has got no other chance and this can’t be as bad as long as he hides it well. He says at the end of act 1 scene 7, †I am settled and bend up†¦to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show, false face must hide what the false heart doth know† from this extract we can see that Macbeth has chosen to ‘mock’ the people which means to deceive them and the King by going ahead with this ‘terrible’ plan. It is easy to see how the character of Macbeth is transformed from trustworthy and good-willed to become disloyal and treacherous. We know he was a trustworthy and honourable man because he helped the King’s army in the battle; therefore it was very shocking to find out he committed a murder. Even though he prevails in making his dreams and ambitions come true, at the same time he is deceiving the people for a long while. Shakespeare makes it deceiving to the other characters as well as the audience when he makes out that everybody sees Macbeth as a godlike figure who is respected by many. Conversely Macbeth is not at all like that and we can see how cruel and evil he becomes throughout the play. Shakespeare uses soliloquies in the beginning of act 1 scene 7 to represent how Macbeth is feeling, which is uncomfortable with this plan. It is not like him to do such evil acts so he is very worried about what will happen. † If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly. If th’ assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success, that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all-here†¦but only vaulting ambition which o’erlaps itself and falls on th’ other-‘ from this long and interesting soliloquy we can tell that Macbeth is discussing how hard this task is and how his ambition is urging him to go on. It seems as though he has second thoughts which deceive the audience because we think that he will forget doing the murder from act 1 scene 7 where he mentions how respected and praised he is at the moment, †We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honour’d me of late, and have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which will be worn now in the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.† Macbeth wants to enjoy the praises he has earned (†bought†) as though they were new clothes. Shakespeare uses metaphors here to describe the praises given to Macbeth and to make an impact on what he is saying. We, as in the audiences are deceived by this because it makes us think that he will back out but in the end he does not due to his weakness and he continues with the murder. Lady Macbeth as a hostess at the castle is very misleading because she is not what she seems to be. In the beginning of Act 1 scene 6, when King Duncan is welcomed to Macbeth’s castle he meets with Lady Macbeth. In the eyes of Duncan, Lady Macbeth is seen as the ‘honour’d hostess’ because of her appearance and false talk. He does not know what Lady Macbeth is really like and instantly judges her according to her appearance and how she presents herself to him. †See, see our honour’d hostess – the love that follows us sometimes is our trouble, which still we think as love. Herein I teach you how you shall bid god yield us for your pains and thank us for your trouble.† Duncan is being deceived yet again because he thinks that Lady Macbeth is offering kindness, but in reality she is just putting on a show. He says how grateful he is even though it can sometimes be a nuisance to have people offering kindness to him. He also says that this is his way of teaching her to ask God to reward him for the trouble she has to take, and also to thank him for providing the occasion for that trouble. Basically King Duncan is trying to say how grateful he is to be here and is thankful to her, however, in reality he is saying this to the wrong person because she is hiding her true appearance with a false one. Therefore she is tricking him. King Duncan is quite a gullible man who trusts people very easily. He is glad to have come to Macbeth’s castle because he highly values him and has given him the titles, ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and the ‘Thane of Glamis’. As we can see from the Duncan’s speech, he is pleased to have come to this castle, but the one thing he does not realise is that he is actually being deceived by the appearance of the settings and the other characters, like Lady Macbeth. Duncan mentions how kind Lady Macbeth is as a hostess, but he is unaware of what she is really like in the inside, which is evil and cunning because she is plotting to murder him in the following scene. After the murder has taken place, every one is in shock. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth put on false faces and they are not suspected of anything. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donaldbain also hear of the news and are not really shocked. In this scene it seems as if Malcolm is pretending to be evil, but in reality he is only concerned about saving his life. Even though they do not react that much, they are still worried and they think that they too may be in danger. Therefore they decide that that it would be best to leave the country and go separate ways. We know this from the conversation between Malcolm and Donaldbain in Act 2 scene 3. Malcolm is asking Donaldbain what they should do in order to save their own lives, this is deceiving because we did not expect them to get over their father’s death so easily and also it is deceiving to the other characters. This is because Malcolm says, † what will you do? Let’s not consort with them. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office, which the false man does easy. I’ll to England.† This shows he has already made up his mind and is waiting for Donaldbain’s reply, who then says he will go to Ireland. Malcolm also suggests that they should secretly leave, without letting anyone else know. †And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, but shift away.† This shows that they feel no sorrow for their father and are willing to leave without trying to find out who the murderer is but only worried about they’re own lives. We, as audiences may know that they are not the killers but in the way Malcolm suggests leaving, as soon as he hears of the death seems as though he is evil and he is the murderer. It is deceiving to the other characters when he leaves because they see it as very suspicious that the King’s son’s have decided to secretly leave th e country. This may lead to people thinking that they are the murderers, but in reality this is not what it seems like. The play starts off with the witches appearing and disappearing and throughout the play they appear and disappear, which is a type of supernatural deception because it is not normal to have witches. This is a way of taking the attention of the audience, as they would find it fascinating to watch how the witches appear and disappear. In Shakespeare’s time, he did not have many special effects, so the supernatural deception effects would have had to be done on stage using the old fashioned way, the trapdoor. The trapdoor is one way in which people in Shakespeare’s days, used to perform special acts of appearing and disappearing and it was a good type of special effect used to deceive the audience at the time. The reason being that they did not have as much technology as we have today and were not as advanced so they would not have been able use advanced technology to do any special effects or lighting in order to make it really attractive. If he lived today he would have used things such as lighting and other technological equipment to make this play interesting for people of today so they would enjoy it. One of the special effects that could have been used on the character of Banquo’s ghost is a way of showing the idea of deception because Macbeth is the only one who can see the ghost and so the audience may also not be able to see anything. In the time of Shakespeare the ghost would have most probably been imagined or a pale face of someone with powder all over, who would have come and gone through the trapdoor. There was not as much technology as today and it wasn’t as advanced as today, so you wouldn’t have been able to do special affects like holograms and things on stage. These are ways in which people can see images and effects, which are not solidly there, they see it through computerised programmes. The apparitions are another set of tools of deception that Shakespeare uses to improve the quality of the play. This dramatic irony like the ghost only come and go so they may have not been acted out so the other characters would have used imagination to pretend they were there. Also not all the characters can see the ghost, only Macbeth does. This is shown from the passages in Act 3 Scene 4, when language is used to show that Macbeth can see something that other’s cannot. When Macbeth talks about Banquo’s ghost he is deceiving the other characters. We know this because they are confused therefore they think Macbeth is going mad. Ross is one of the men at the feast and he speaks up saying, â€Å"What sights, my lord?† from this phrase I know that the people there are very confused they do not know what is going on, this is when Lady Macbeth lies to them to cover up the truth. Therefore she is deceiving the other characters and making them think that Macbeth is really ill, â€Å"Good-night; and better health attend his majesty† they leave after Lady Macbeth tells them to do so. Duncan is invited to Macbeth’s castle, which he finds very nice and welcoming. He compliments on how they are all so nice and the castle I so welcoming when he does not even have a clue as to what his fate will bring in the future. In the beginning of Act 1 scene 6, Duncan says †this castle hath a pleasant seat; the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto our gentle senses.† Duncan is saying that the castle is very welcoming just by looking at it and smelling the air. This castle is deceiving to the king because it is not what it seems. It seems like it is a very ‘pleasant’ and wonderful place, however, in reality it is not at all a pleasant setting because this is the place where Duncan gets murdered. He does not know this; therefore he is being deceived by the place. In act 2 scenes 1 Macbeth is preparing to kill King Duncan. Shakespeare uses objects that are like illusion to let the audience know what is going on and to make it more interesting. For example, he uses the image of a dagger, we know this from what Macbeth says, †is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he uses this language to help the audience understand what is going on. This is not a real dagger, but only an ill-illusion telling him to carry on with this grim task. It may have been imaginary in Shakespeare’s stagecraft, because Macbeth only sees it as an imaginary object, which is deceiving him. Therefore it may not have been a real prop in the play when the people performed it. Macbeth also hears voices before and after the murder, which are deceiving because he only hears them in his mind. This shows us that he is getting paranoid and these voices are just in his head, we also know that there were sounds of animals that give a chill of horror. This adds to the horrifying scene of the murder and builds up tension because there are owls and crickets being heard in the background. This is significant to the time period of the play because at that time many people believed in superstitions and strange events. They also believed that the noise of owls and crickets were linked with a bad event such as death. When Macbeth becomes evil, after killing the King he decides it’s time to get rid of his friend, Banquo. In order to do this he has got to plan it first. He has told two murderers that Banquo is their enemy to make them want to kill Banquo in the first place. Shakespeare has included this part of the plot to show deception of the murderers; Macbeth is deceiving them to make them hate Banquo, in order to carry out this murder. It is also deceiving when Lady Macbeth sees things in her sleep and becomes ill. She imagines that her hands were still bloody; from the night the King was murdered. And last, but not least, there is another idea of deception in the play; it is when Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. This is deceiving in its own way because in reality the wood is not actually coming to Dunsinane, but the people are carrying the trees and making it seem like the wood is coming towards Macbeth, to fight him. This also relates to the prophecies told in the beginning of the play and it is significant to what happens in the end. This deceives Macbeth’s army as they think that the wood is coming towards them and tell Macbeth this news. As soon as Macbeth hears this, he is reminded of the prophecies, which deceive him yet again because it is not really the wood that is coming to fight him, instead his enemies. Finally I can conclude that Shakespeare has done a great job of representing the theme of deception, appearance vs reality and this is very important when included in the plays. Especially when the play is performed because the main things that needs to be thought about is how the special affects are going to be shown, for e.g. the witches, apparitions and the ghost. These are things that attract people to watch the drama in the first place. I can conclude that the play is all about the battle between good and evil, which also relates to the theme of deception. Deception plays a major part in this play, and I think that it is trying to give the audience a message about deceiving and how things/people are not always what they seem to be. As I have explained in my essay Shakespeare has used language, imagery and stagecraft to illustrate the theme of deception and to show the audience how Shakespeare has made things seem different to what they really are in order to mislead the audience and characters. The language such has as â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair† (1.1) is just an example of how Shakespeare uses language to trick people. How can fair be foul and foul be fair? It is not something that you would normally come across therefore the play is very well known and liked by many. The deceptions are just ways in which to get people thinking and to prove that everything is not what it looks like on the outside, there may be things hidden away in the inside. For example, the character of Macbeth was not what he seemed like in the beginning of the play because his character has changed dramatically in the audience’s eyes. He went from being a brave and courageous soldier to an evil and wicked ruler. I think his ambition has deceived him and he was overwhelmed at the thought of becoming king that he didn’t think of the consequences. Overall I think Shakespeare has used the idea of deception very cleverly in the play, Macbeth to get the audience attention and to make it very appealing to the audience. He has done this by using characters, supernatural elements, places and objects, which are not what they seem. It is very similar to the saying, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, because you don’t know what’s inside the story unless you read it. Similarly Shakespeare is giving the impression that characters, stagecraft, and many other things are not exactly what they seem.

As a consequence of the recent recession, firms will concentrate on Essay

As a consequence of the recent recession, firms will concentrate on reducing their costs. Therefore the emphasis put on Corporate Social Responsibility is doomed to end. Discuss - Essay Example Many imaginative business corporations went a step ahead. They integrated CSR initiatives as part of the total business strategies which produced sterling results, and created enormous goodwill for the products of the company. The range of loyal clientele gradually widened. Business leaders thus got an opportunity to learn how to align business goals with social and cultural goals. But suddenly the business world found itself engulfed in recession. It came like the avalanche and the organizations were not ready to face this serious eventuality. The wise saying goes, â€Å"When the Going gets Tough, the Tough get Going!(Ocean,1985) This is the testing time for the grit and heroism of the Corporate Sector. Toby Radcliffe comments upon the issue thus: â€Å"Global recession, embedded in the financial sector, is creating an environment of cost-cutting and streamlining. For leading international saving and wealth management groups, the current economy has produced a particularly challenging environment in which to operate. It has also produced a challenge for sustainability.† When a child is sick, one tends to take care of it more. Ethically speaking, corporate social responsibility is an important part of the business establishment, during recession. The case for CSR is the truest, even when the economy is passing through a period of crisis. To prioritize business in the face of recession, is a prudent function. That approach is just; no questions about it. To think of pruning the CSR budget while things are comfortable, is harmful from the long-term perspective of the growth of an organisation. Funds earmarked for CSR, in addition to direct donations to Non-Governmental and philanthropic organisations, are linked to HR and training programmes, experimental and innovation budgets, promotional and marketing budgets, research and other non-core activities. The management thinks of the cuts in these areas first. But it is again

Diet and Exercise Can Help Loose Weight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diet and Exercise Can Help Loose Weight - Essay Example Rather, the issue should be more on what benefits one can get when dieting or exercising or when practicing both. Studies show that exercise can help a person control his weight as well as dieting does. When exercise alone is practiced without watching one’s diet, prolonged physical activity is needed in order to burn the fat taken along with food consumption if weight management is desired. On the other hand, watching one’s diet without exercise can also help reduce or maintain weight depending on the person’s objective. It is a known fact that fruits and vegetables are a great help to one who wants to maintain his weight so that increased intake of such would be most beneficial especially in getting the fiber which is most needed in keeping one’s system clean. In addition, exercise and diet help reduce the risks of certain chronic diseases like cancer and heart attack. Regular exercise boosts high density lipoprotein otherwise known as good cholesterol a nd reduces triglycerides, allowing a smooth blood flow with the lowered build up of plaques in the arteries (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010).

Analyze the way that arts and crafts become a kind of war in the story Essay

Analyze the way that arts and crafts become a kind of war in the story of Arachne (The source for this paper is Book V ofOvid. I am attaching it below) - Essay Example My aim in this paper is to study the classical tale of the legendary weaver and derive lesson from the research. To fulfill this aim, I have divided the study in to six sections. I start this study by presenting an overview or background of this classical mythological tale, followed by describing the characteristics of Minerva and Arachne. I will then move forward to elaborate the conflict that took the shape of a contest whose result left Arachne embarrassed and broken. I will try to highlight the beauty of this tale and what moral lesson one can derive from this classical description. I have tried to include some of the best artist’s work who were inspired by this tale and produced various art forms depicting the contest between Athena and Arachne and finally the consequences of the battle. I will conclude this essay by my own observation and remarks. ‘Metamorphoses’, an epic poem by Ovid; dates back to around 8 AD. It narrates a story about a mortal lady whose name was Arachne, who was an excellent weaver and out of arrogance about her craft; she proclaimed that her weaving standard was far more superior to the crafts of the goddess of the art Minerva. Minerva, who is the daughter of the supreme god Zeus ;challenges Arachne to enter in a contest to prove her superiority and she held a condition that Arachne will never spin or weave again if she loses. When the contest ends, Arachne realizes her mistake and out of embarrassment hangs herself to death by committing suicide. Athena too realizes that she never meant to bring this rival that far and brings back Arachne to life but transform her in to a spider who weaves with her hands and legs. (Ovid 129-133). Minerva or Athena is a Greek goddess of Arts, wisdom, skill and war. It is believed that she came out of her fathers head, fully grown and there are yet many different version of her birth. Many artists in history have depicted this goddess and she is often pictured as a woman with full armor who

Thinking machine response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Thinking machine response - Essay Example According to Pinker, the mind works in a computational manner by processing representations in an algorithmic and rule controlled manner. Pinker notes that cognitive science has made it possible to study intelligence. It is difficult to define intelligence, but it is seeable. Intelligence is a measure of achieving goals under difficulties by undertaking sound decisions based on set rules. These set of rules provide a base for confirming or proving whether the decisions carried out are intelligent or not. Humans, according to Pinker, stand to learn a lot about the reasoning process and intelligence through computing machines. Intelligence gets derived from information and not from the spirit or a special substance. Pinker counters other definitions of intelligence forwarded by other thinkers such as those from the school of behaviorism who state that intelligence gets described in terms of desires and belief (Pinker 526). Pinker (536) uses the Turing machine to advance the computational theory of mind. He explains how a machine that can carry out rational thought can get built. The Turing machine processed symbols intelligently to provide data following set definitions, yet it was just an arrangement of gadgets. According to Pinker, the mind works in a similar way. The computational model of thinking states that the mind has representations, which it processes in a rule controlled and algorithmic way (Pinker 541). But it does not imply that the mind is similar to a machine. According to Pinker, unlike a single general purpose computer, the mind is a collection of computers which he refers to as ‘mental organs’. These ‘organs’ all carry out specialized subject matter, and each has its own learning mechanism. Pinker’s computational theory of mind offers selling points and others that can get argued as untrue. The first advantage is that it explains how a collection of matter such as the brain or computers can be intelligent. The

Online learning of Arabic language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Online learning of Arabic language - Essay Example A review of relevant literature related to the problem area to identify various tools and methods that were used follows. This equips the developer with various methodologies to choose from for use in the project. A methodologies section follows suit to explain how waterfall methodologies is instrumental to the realisation of the project goals. At the end of this report, useful recommendations from the whole research are made to ensure smooth creation of the project. ... This has amplified the demand for people to learn and know other languages that they never knew from the start. In the past years, there has been an increase in the number of individuals engrossed in the knowledge of Arabic language. This can be pointed towards the increased trade between the western world and the Middle East. Many English speaking populace would like to know Arabic and communicate with the people from the Middle East effectively (Gleick, 1992). This is a project report absorbed on the online language learning project that I would like to create. I would like to build an online language learning website that would provide various English users with the essential tools for learning Arabic. However to start this project, a lot of literature on the issue is necessary to ensure that there is a correct understanding of the subject area. To start the project, it is necessary to follow all the steps in the system development life cycle. First of all, it was necessary to fir st start with the requirements analysis. During the analysis stage, several online language learning websites were used to know the user requirements necessary for the completion of the project. Searching for related literature to the subject was done through the use of Google search engine. The search was a success and yielded many literature related to the subject. However, only 10 of the literature which comprised mainly of peer reviewed articles were used. The articles were chosen based on their relevance to the topic of discussion and how effective they were to the realisation of the final project. To know the best methodologies to use in the report, it was necessary to look at all the methodologies that were available for use and choose the most

20th history of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

20th history of art - Essay Example The passage has explanations on how an artist ought to arrange and use those several essentials in his artistic work. This is the chief concern of the excerpt as well as the formal analysis requirement. The passage indicates that an artist should figure out and describe and interpret those decisions and why the artist may have made them It requires one to go out in places like the museums and other related artistic places to find an artistic object to be analyzed and interpreted. Comprehensive description and notes on the object are to be taken by visualizing the object and then putting it into text. This is a fundamental part of an artistic work. I will discuss Diego Rivera: Murals for The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in this assignment. In the six weeks, Rivera and his staff proved helpful feverishly on this convenient artwork in a vacant collection of the museum that had been transformed into a short-term studio room. By starting day he had created five sections that presented New Yorkers to some of the brand new visuals from his Spanish painting periods. One presented a swashbuckling image of the agricultural innovator Emiliano Zapata; another outlined the grimacing jaguar cover up of an Aztec soldier crouching over his deceased challenger (Diego 4). The display, only the second single display by a residing specialist at MoMA (the first was Henri Matisse), was an immediate hit. And Rivera kept working, previous the deadline: he converted out three more moments of regional attention, glimpses of a frustrated but diligent New York are in accordance with the rapid development he experienced during his residing in Midtown. These were included to the display, illustrating more crowds of people. On his first journey to France, in 1920, Rivera analyzed the task of French Rebirth experts, spending particular attention to the techniques and components of fresco artwork. He later upgraded the method by

Purpose statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Purpose statement - Essay Example My dream is finally almost being achieved as well as my hard work being paid off with the entry in this program of paediatric dentistry. In preparation for this great career move, I have attained an undergraduate degree in Dentistry as well as diplomas in oral health and child psychology. The child psychology has enabled me gain in depth knowledge about children from the moment they are conceived to their adolescent years and how to handle them, gain their trust and teach them. The oral health education was a preparation to the field to test my readiness and resilience. It yielded positive results as it prepared me mentally on what was expected and how I should approach the mastery of the subject. In addition to theoretical work, I have had the privilege and pleasure to carry out field work in a few hospitals and health care centres where I have worked hand in hand with dentists and seen their work. One of the field experiences had been as an intern in a dentist clinic where I got exposure to the dentistry machines as well as handling patients. Working in a children’s hospital and home gave me time to practice my child psychology education and I found myself more and more attracted to the children, their curiosity, fear and attempted bravery and I found out I had a natural talent with the children. All these have given me enough proof that I can make it in this field of paediatric dentistry. The knowledge I attain from this course will not only be utilized in extracting or filing children’s teeth but I plan on having a series of programs in schools and children’s hospitals. The programs will target not only oral health as pertains to not eating sweets or brushing teeth but will be participative. Children are very brilliant from observation and given a chance, they can teach and ask various questions that bother them on oral health. The teaching and learning will spread also from the children to other children

Environmental economic--sustainable development Essay

Environmental economic--sustainable development - Essay Example It is in this context that this research is aimed at critically examining ANS within the empirical context of human survival that is anchored only on genuine sustainable development. Experts of development worldwide made a framework that seriously consider environment, as source of needed resources. WB focused on the relation of environment and sustainability as amongst the indicators of macro-economy (WB, 1997). Authorities perceived that ANS is a ‘green national account’ founded on the precept that generations of people are reliant on countrys asset base. This indicator covers natural resources, its utilization and the human resources. All these factors relate to a nation’s capacity to sustain growth over time (WB, 1997). Economist viewed ANS as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) (WB, 1997). The standard ANS is derivative of the standard national accounting measure of gross saving using four factors as adjustments (WB, 1997 & Bartelmus and Seifert, 2003). These are (a) consumption of fixed capital deducted to obtain net national saving; (b) current public expenditure on education as investment for human capital; (c) an accounting of the depleted natural resources deducted to reflect the utilization and maximization of asset in value due to extraction and depletion; (d) deductions due to pollutions and damages caused by carbon dioxide and emissions. This formula is showed, thus (WB, 1997 & Bartelmus and Seifert, 2003), Education cost means operating expenses in education, which include wages of teachers, expenses for enhancement of capacity but this does not include expenditures for infrastructures, facilities and materials necessary to education (WB, 1997& 2011). GS refer to are the differentiation between gross national income and public and private consumption with added net current transfers. Consumption of fixed capital symbolizes the alternate value of capital used up in the progression of production. Net savings means gross

Developing Supply Chain to Deliver WOW Essay Example for Free

Developing Supply Chain to Deliver WOW Essay Zappos.com is a privately held online retailer with an extensive product category mainly including apparel, footwear, handbags, and watches. Headquartered in Nevada, it primarily operates in the US with about 1,300 employees and revenues mounting to $635M in 2008. Thanks to its strength in offering an outstanding customer shopping experience and strong corporate cultures and values related to customer service, it was the largest online shoe retailer in 2008, with a positive growth outlook. However, in the face of possible economic downturn, its underlying insufficiencies in supply chain management and operations may pose a threat to the company’s long term profitability. Nevertheless, the opportunity of possible international expansion may well be exploited to improve sales and expand the business, but such decision still needs critical evaluation and feasibility assessment in whether Zappos can sustain its focus on outstanding customer service levels in such scenario. The online-retail industry in which Zappos operates is one in which the rivalry among existing competitors is high, as it is competing with both click-n-brick stores like Amazon, as well as traditional retail stores such as Footwear Inc which also have a strong focus on the shoe segment. However, the threat of new entrants is very low as a result of the high initial capitalization required for the start of business. There are a large number of buyers in the market. However, high price sensitivity and low switching cost strengthen the buyer`s position; continuing to attract such customers becomes one of the main challenges for Zappos during a likely scenario of economic downturn. Zappos will need to adopt strategies such as importing directly from foreign suppliers, committing to 5 day delivery through ground shipping as opposed to next-day air shipping, offering its own private label, and expanding its Powered by Zappos initiative. Company Value Chain: Problem Analysis External Analysis Porter’s 5 Forces The following is an evaluation of the external forces acting upon Zappos’ operations and their possible impact in the immediate and future performance of the company: Degree of Rivalry HIGH: While Zappos is a pioneer player in the online retail segment, in practice it is not only competing with other online retailers, but with brick-and-mortar stores in the traditional retail sector which have substantial experience in the market. Many other players offer similar products to those carried by Zappos’. Bargaining Power of Buyers MODERATE to HIGH: Given the many alternatives in the market, the switching cost for a customer to other retailers is very low. Consumers are becoming increasingly price-conscious, and with the small potential for differentiation in the non-fashion elite segment, the customer can easily find other similar product options, forcing retailers to offer lower pricing to remain competitive. Threat of New Entrants MODERATE TO LOW: The barriers to entry in the industry are extremely high, based on the large capital investment required. However the online retail business is still on its growth stages, which may attract new players and investors looking to capture potential markets. Bargaining Power of Suppliers LOW: Competition for both wholesaler / importer suppliers and direct manufacturers is intense and well established; therefore, the market itself drives the power of the many suppliers down. As discussed, there are many alternatives in the market such that no single supplier is dominant. Threat of Substitutes LOW: There are no substitute products available for most of the products which Zappos may offer to the public, so such threat is unlikely. SWOT Analysis Strengths Customer-Oriented Culture and Services Zappos has strong company culture and values, which have a large influence on all aspects of the business, including the supply chain. Zappos is always looking for new ways to WOW every customer and always treat every employee like family. The employees consider Zappos a fun place to work. In addition, Zappos` commitment to customer service satisfaction is clearly demonstrated by their value propositions and represents their core differentiation strategy. These are free shipping, guaranteed 5 day delivery (WOWing the customer, where 49% of customers will receive their product within 2 days), a 365 day return policy and 24/7 customer service. Unique Products and Innovation The core products that Zappos offers are designed to be distinctly different from the traditional shoes available in brick-and mortar stores. Zappos provides customizable product models and extensive product information to customers. For example, Zappos` site has a detailed d iscussion of gait that helps customers to determine which type of shoe is appropriate for them. Weaknesses Presence Limited to Online Market Although there are many online shoppers today and the number is still growing, Zappos is unable to reach the majority of retail shoppers by only having the online outlet channel. Relatively Low Profit Margin The revenue of Zappos in 2008 is $635 million, but the company policy on product returns makes up 35% of gross sales. This is definitely crippling Zappos profits. High Dependency on UPS Until 2008, Zappos has only one call center in Las Vegas and one distribution center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The distribution center is less than 30 minutes from the UPS hub in Louisville. This will make Zappos delivery highly dependent on UPS. Opportunities Rapid Growth of Online Shopping – Online purchasing has grown consistently year after year; the opportunity lies in capturing new online customers and retaining them. Technology Innovation In 2008, Zappos added more automation to its warehouse operations by installing a robotic system in which robots picked up shelves that contained the items to be picked, and brought the shelves to the workers. These new robots allow Zappos to ship a pair of shoes in as little as eight minutes. Technology advances will allow Zappos to increase the capacity and efficiency of its distribution centers, without having to build new centers. Build Strategic Alliances with Complementary Retailers Zappos could build synergies with similar-size online retailers which offer complementary products in an effort to broaden its customer base and target audience. Threats Economic Downturn Customers will become more price-conscious in difficult economic times, which will ultimately drive Zappos strategy in order to remain competitive in such scenario. Competitive Rivalry While Zappos is one of the pioneer players specialized in shoe-retailing, the trend is for established brick-and-mortar companies to start offering their products online, which may generate additional competitive pressures. Possible Security Breach for Online Retailer Zappos must address possible security breaches to its servers. Problem Statement Based upon the previous analysis, Zappos faces two major problems which may be detrimental to the company’s long-term success. Our aim here is to synthesize them in order to formulate a series of recommendations that the company could implement to solve the mentioned problems. Problem 1: Supply Chain Management The first problem that the company faces within its organization is related to supply chain management. We have identified three different sub-issues within this topic in which Zappos has room for improvement: Imports from wholesalers as an intermediary between Zappos and the manufacturers Due to the highly uncertain demand in the sector, having a wholesaler between Zappos and the brands that manufactures the product is a strategic problem for the company. When Zappos places an order, it is relying on the inventory that the wholesaler keeps in order to fulfill its need of supply. Furthermore, Zappos may find it difficult to secure its supply as the company grows, having no control over wholesaler import decisions. This is especially critical in a sector with unstable demand faced with global economic uncertainty. Zappos must devise supply chain-related strategies which provide the company with more flexibility in terms of profit margins in order to deal with more price-conscious customers in the future. Delivery to Zappos’ distribution centers from suppliers The company faces a problem in relation to inefficiency of partially loaded trucks arriving to unload to Zappos’ inventory facilities. As the case highlights, significant numbers of partially loaded trucks (LTL) arrive to unload products generating unnecessary traffic in the distribution center, subsequently slowing down the unloading process. There’s a need for Zappos to address this issue, ultimately affecting its whole operation’s efficiency. Inventory Management At this point, the company uses manual scanners to register incoming and outgoing stock from its distribution center. This may lead to inventory inaccuracies due to the high probability of human error to occur in the handling of the incoming and outgoing merchandise. It is of the utmost importance for Zappos to have accurate inventory information, not only in terms of its supply chain management, but also in maintaining customer service levels because of the potential of having inaccurate information on the website such that a customer may order a product which is actually out of stock. Problem 2: Growing the business Throughout the case it is been said that the company plans to expand. It is possible to grow the business in a national scale as well as internationally. The following issues need to be addressed by Zappos when evaluating company expansion: determining strategic locations for new facilities to store its inventory and achieve a good balance between supplier lead times and delivery times to the final customer. In addition, the company faces the decision of whether to continue having its distribution centralized in Kentucky. Moreover, Zappos needs to evaluate whether or not it is still feasible to use UPS ground shipping in the long-term. The company would also face a problem not only when trying to maintain its customer service levels and an efficient delivery, but also when trying to get new employees to share its corporate culture. Recommendations: Start Importing Directly from Foreign Manufacturers: Zappos should begin developing direct relationships with foreign manufacturers, especially with Chinese suppliers, starting by importing some products directly, instead of buying from North American wholesalers. This strategy has the following benefits: * Cost savings from purchasing the same products at lower prices, providing the company with more pricing flexibility at dealing with cost-conscious consumers in a difficult economy. * Distribution channel efficiency is increased by eliminating middlemen in the supply chain. In this sense, there is no need for products to be shipped from foreign suppliers to a wholesale distributor and from there to Zappos; Zappos can receive the product directly at their distribution center, reducing freight costs across the value chain as well as lead times. * A closer relationship with manufacturers might enable Zappos to obtain information regarding inventory levels, product availability, and or der status and timing. It is worth noting that even in cases where Zappos is still purchasing from a wholesaler (who in-turn imports from the manufacturer), the wholesaler can request the manufacturer to deliver directly to the Zappos distribution center, earning the lead time and cost benefits. Opt for Ground Shipping as Opposed to Next Day Air Shipping: Given the risk of failing to meet the next day delivery standards because of external factors, Zappos should only guarantee 5-day delivery. In this manner, the company will consistently overdeliver, with 99% of customers receiving their orders within 4 days. This strategy not only makes sense from a cost perspective, but it also goes hand-in-hand with Zappos’ culture of outstanding customer service. However, the option of next day air delivery should be made available to the customer for a premium rate. Sign a Contract with a Selected Trucking Company Specialized in Consolidation: In order to minimize LTL shipments to its distribution centers and mitigate the economic inefficiencies that LTL implies, Zappos should sign a contract with a major transportation and logistics company specialized in consolidation in order to handle Zappos order pick-ups from some of its remaining local suppliers, optimizing cargo capacity and delivering such products to the distribution center. This contract strategy would only be possible to implement in areas with high supplier concentration such as Southern California and Ontario. It is granted that such a strategy would require a long and difficult negotiation process between suppliers, the logistics company and Zappos; however, economies of scale benefits could be obtained from the large volumes to be handled and the cost savings distributed across the industry value chain. Search for Additional Partners and Expand â€Å"Powered by Zappos†: Powered by Zappos partners act as distributors of the products carried by Zappos. In this sense, finding new partners will generate additional revenues from both the fees of developing and running distributor websites and operations and from an expanded market base deriving from multiple websites offering Zappos products. Offer its own Zappos Private Label: Zappos could expand the business by offering its own private label; private labels offer the advantage of not purchasing from a third-party wholesaler which in itself is making a profit from the merchandise, allowing for more flexibility in terms of pricing and profit margins. Overall, by commercializing its own brand, Zappos can offer its private label merchandise at lower prices than the industry standards, while maintaining its profit margin. This strategy would be effective at dealing with price elastic customers in uncertain economic times. It must be noted that to achieve this, however, the company would need to develop internal design capabilities and source its private label through selected manufactures which meet their needs. In order to achieve the lowest supplier prices, supplier relationships would need to be developed through established contracts which may include exclusivity agreements. Based on the large volumes that Zappos handles through its established customer base, the strategy could also earn benefits from economies of scale and increased brand awareness. Do not Expand Internationally in the Short-Term: The huge capital investment required and the risk of affecting customer service levels makes international expansion undesirable in the short run. The company’s financial base must be strengthened further before pursuing such expansion, maintaining the focus on customer service that the company has been known for. Customer service is core to company values and culture and therefore cannot be compromised by any strategic decision. International expansion must be accompanied by the same training standards, staffing levels and passion for customer service at company call centers and order delivery must meet Zappos promise. This last factor could pose a special challenge, given that Zappos would be relying on couriers operating in different countries which may introduce a factor of uncertainty beyond Zappos control as to what levels of delivery performance can be met. Invest in an Automatic Scanning System for Inventory Control: In an environment where such accurate inventory information is required, the current manual scanning of goods entering and leaving the distribution center is inadequate. Errors in inventory control will inevitably have a negative effect on customer satisfaction in that the system may allow a customer to purchase a product that is in fact out of stock. A system which automatically scans incoming and exiting products (magnetic doorways or similar) guarantees inventory accuracy and goes hand-in hand with the core values of the company, making it a worthwhile and even necessary investment. Limitations * The capacity of the existing distribution center in Kentucky is unknown; therefore we are assuming that the current infrastructure will be enough to sustain the operations of the company to meet an increasing demand and market share in the short-term. * Suppliers which have their own fleet might be reluctant to agree to let Zappos do order pick-ups and deliver their products; however, our recommendation assumes that the suppliers are flexible in this sense. * A break-up of the company`s operational costs would be required in order to make better-informed strategy recommendations. The performed analysis is based on purely qualitative information. [ 1 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 276 [ 2 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 296 [ 3 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 273 [ 4 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 280 [ 5 ]. MGSC 602 Strategic Management of Operations Coursepack, Zappos.com: Developing a supply chain to deliver WOW, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case GS-65, 02/13/09, page 276

Barriers In Multicultural Communication

Barriers In Multicultural Communication It means the established beliefs, social norms, values, material traits, and behavior patterns transmitted from people to people that differentiate groups of people. Cultural backdrop affects how individuals communicate and how they deduce messages received from others. Multicultural Perspectives Being aware that miscommunication can arise due to ethnicity, age, gender, race and physical disability, and much other dissimilarity such as religious and lifestyle is the first step towards better multicultural communication. Larger cultural multiplicity in the organizations and workplaces increase the need for understanding how cultural background affects communication. Communication Barriers in Multicultural Communication Communication barriers most of the time hamper the quality of communication when you are interacting with people from cultures other than your own. These barriers include:- 1. Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism 2. Lack of Knowledge and Understanding of Cultures 3. Discriminatory and Harassment 4. Language Differences Now lets study these barriers in detail. Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism compares the norms and conducts of different cultures and usually means evaluating them against standards of whats wrong and whats right. This approach to other cultures becomes an obstacle when you presume that cultural norms, customs and conducts are not right if they differ from those of your culture. Ethnocentrism is the natural idea that your own cultural tradition and values are right and superior. People around the world are ethnocentric to an extent. Norms, customs, and conducts that are different from those of your culture may seem unusual, abnormal and sometimes even wrong. Lack of Knowledge and Understanding of Cultures Although a particular culture may usually demonstrate similar behaviors or attributes, this does not mean all individuals in that culture are similar. People establish stereotypes when they presume that certain norms, values or attributes typical of a particular culture define all members of that culture group. Stereotypes are an outcome due to limited knowledge of cultural diversity. An understanding of various cultures means to be fully aware that individuals within each culture may have some resemblance and some variations. It means responding to people as individuals while understanding that cultural backdrops and experiences impact behavior and communication. Discriminatory and Harassment Discrimination is demonstrating partiality toward or hurtful elimination or rejection of people because of cultural or any other differences. Business communication between the sexes demands a clear understanding of remarks and actions that could be interpreed as sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is undesirable behavior of a sexual nature or with sexual implications. It may occur for men as well as women. Language Differences Language can also be a barrier to communication. An increase in multicultural interactions presents language challenges. When organizations communicate with the large number of people who speak the languages other than English misunderstandings may occur. Non verbal language influences the receivers understanding and acceptance of a spoken message. In multicultural business communication, non verbal signs vary as much as spoken languages do. Nonverbal greetings can be anything from a bow to a handshake or from a hug to an upward flick of the eyebrows. Misunderstanding or misinterpretation of cultural differences in nonverbal messages causes communication problems. Communicating in High or Low Context Cultures Traditionally, high-context countries place high value on relationships and prefer indirect communication when carrying out business. Low context countries give more value to productivity; prefer the use of direct communication, and give minimal attention is paid to building relationships. High context cultures allocate more meaning to shared history, non- verbal signals, and the context of the messages than to what is said. Japan, China, and most other Asian countries generally are considered high context cultures. The United States and Canada, as well as northern Europe, are low context cultures. Given below are the basic differences between high and low context cultures. High Context Low Context Indirect communication. Direct and specific communication Fewer words, more nonverbal clues High value on words rather than nonverbal clues. Simple and ambiguous messages Structured messages with technical details. Very verbal people seen as unattractive; smiling associated with nervousness. Informal, frequent smiles, and frequent use of hand gestures and facial expressions Preference to long term relationships and underlying messages. Temporary personal relationships. Long term view of time. Short term view of time. Appointments are generally considered flexible. Emphasis on appointments on time, management of schedules, and punctuality are given high preference. Vague and non confrontational language is preferred. Focus on getting a job done, being specific, and goal attainment. Honor and respect more important than business; adjourn power and position Personal relationships not considered that much; ideas and people are assumed as equals. Private networks are used to obtain information. Information is made accessible readily, shared with others. Values family and group authority Individualism valued. Multicultural communication guidelines You can become an effective multicultural communicator if you follow a few simple guidelines. Understanding our own culture Communication with others can be improved by increasing awareness of your own culture and its influences on your beliefs, values, and behavior patterns. We have to understand that our cultural background and experiences shape what we think, what we value, and how we communicate. Keep an open mind and respect diversity Learn about other cultures, beliefs, and customs without judging them by our own cultural identity and unexamined biases. These is not to suggest that we change our beliefs or disrespect our own culture, but rather that we acknowledge that cultural norms affect values and conducts and that understanding how others interpret verbal and nonverbal language helps our communication receive the intended response. However, avoid accepting stereotypes that assume that characteristics that may apply to some people in a particular culture are characteristic of all individuals in that culture. Identify and adapt to language differences When we are communicating with persons from another culture, we should try to learn how that cultures verbal and nonverbal languages differ from your own. Examine and understand the meaning of nonverbal communication signal such as facial expressions, social distance for conversing, and hand gestures. Offensive non verbal gestures should always be avoided. Now that we have adequate knowledge about cross cultural communication, barriers in cross cultural communication and guidelines to be followed for better cross cultural communication, we can now discuss the aspects of the Japanese culture one would wish to observe and understand in order to avoid problems of cross-cultural communication. Japanese Non-Verbal Communication 1. The Japanese pull out all the stops for peace and are dependent on group; they use non verbal gestures such as facial expression, tone of voice and posture to tell interpret what someone feels. 2. The Japanese frequently trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word as a single word can mean various things. 3. Frowning when someone is speaking is taken as a sign of disagreement. 4. Most Japanese maintain an impassive expression when speaking. 5. Expressions to watch out for include inhaling through clenched teeth, tilting the head, scratching the back of the head, and scratching the eyebrow. 6. Non-verbal communication is so vital that there is a book for foreigners on how to interpret the signs. 7. It is considered disrespectful to stare into another persons eyes, particularly those of a person who is senior to you because of age or status. 8. In crowded situations the Japanese avoid eye contact to give themselves privacy. Relationships Communication 1. The Japanese prefer to do business on the basis of personal relationships. 2. In general, being introduced or recommended by someone who already has a good relationship with the company is extremely helpful as it allows the Japanese to know how to place you in a hierarchy relative to themselves. 3. Build and maintain relationships with greetings / seasonal cards. 4. It is important to be a good correspondent as the Japanese hold this in high esteem. Business Meeting Etiquette 1. Appointments are required and, whenever possible, should be made several weeks in advance. 2. It is best to telephone for an appointment rather than send a letter, fax or email. 3. Punctuality is important. Arrive on time for meetings and expect your Japanese colleagues will do the same. 4. Since this is a group society, even if you think you will be meeting one person, be prepared for a group meeting. 5. The most senior Japanese person will be seated furthest from the door, with the rest of the people in descending rank until the most junior person is seated closest to the door. 6. It may take several meetings for your Japanese counterparts to become comfortable with you and be able to conduct business with you. Business Negotiation 1. The Japanese are non-confrontational. 2. They have a difficult time saying no, so you must be vigilant at observing their non-verbal communication. 3. It is best to phrase questions so that they can answer yes. For example, do you disagree with this? Group decision-making and consensus are important. 4. Written contracts are required. 5. The Japanese often remain silent for long periods of time. Be patient and try to work out if your Japanese colleagues have understood what was said. 6. Japanese prefer broad agreements and mutual understanding so that when problems arise they can be handled flexibly. 7. Using a Japanese lawyer is seen as a gesture of goodwill. Note that Japanese lawyers are quite different from Western lawyers as they are much more functionary. 8. Never lose your temper or raise your voice during negotiations. 9. Some Japanese close their eyes when they want to listen intently. Dress Etiquette 1. Business attire is conservative. 2. Men should wear dark-colored, conservative business suits. 3. Women should dress conservatively.

Looking At The Child Protection System Social Work Essay

Looking At The Child Protection System Social Work Essay The literature looks previous and existing literature on how effective the local authorities are at promoting the needs of black African children and their families who are involved in the child protection system. In previous years there have been deaths of African children such Victoria Climbie and khyra Ishaq. There have also been deaths of other African children in Britain linked to witchcraft. A theme echoed by the majority of the literature is that if social work practice and policy is to prevent these tragedies there is need to understand and acknowledge different contexts of culture and diversity. The main theme is how to provide social work interventions and family support that are culturally sensitive and competent to both children and their families who are at risk of significant harm. There is need for social work professional to understand parenting practices in African families and protect children hence every child matters was implemented. The laming report (2009) set o ut challenges faced safeguarding children such as, training and workforce issues still need to be resolved and data systems need to be improved and there is still need improve knowledge and skills to understand children and their family circumstances. Also the laming report noted that despite the progress in inter-agency working there are still problems of day to day reality of working across organisational boundaries and culture, sharing information and lack of feedback when professionals raise concerns about a child. In this literature review I will be focusing on black African children and their families analysing their experiences of the child protection system that have come to live in united kingdom and how the children are protected in the child protection arena. I will be paying attention to key themes and debates in research, validity and generalisability of data, gaps in research and future implications to practice. I will be using the term black African throughout the review of literature; however I recognise that there are different races in Africa who share the same culture and beliefs. Literature search Material used for the literature reviewed varies; I included journals searched online, books from the library and articles from the internet and material published by the government. As I searched the online journals and books I discovered there was little material about my chosen topic and scarce research on the topic of the needs of black African children and child protection children. Most studies and literature focused on black and minority ethnics and mixed parentage children hence the proportion of black African children can be over-represented in these studies and the data cannot be generalised easily to the wider population. There is need for professionals to have knowledge about the identity and diversity of black African children and their families because Britain has seen an enormous growth of African people due globalisation and other environmental factors such as war, famine and work opportunities. However not all children from African families get involved in the child protection system. Review of the literature Research data and statistics on African black children are not constant and highlight mis-representations. According to the 2001 census the population of black African people was 0.8%. However, these statistics are from 2001 and the populations could have increased due to migration and the 2011 census will offer more up to date statistics. Also not everyone registers for the census especially black and minority people who are isolated and who do not have any immigration status might shy away from the census in fear of deportation. The department for education and skills (2006) estimated the number of African children in need to be 8000 in 2005. this accounted for 3% of the overall total- an over-representation compared with the 2001 census in which African children made up 1.4% of the population. Research highlights the over-representation of the African children and their families involved in the child protection system for example, data of African children is combined with afro-Car ibbean children and ethnic minority children- statistical data from British children represented 5% of the children on the child protection register in 2005, but census data 2001, black or black children made up 3% of the total population (national statistics, 2003). Research data continues to indicate that black communities are disproportionately represented across social welfare statistics (graham, 2006; barn et al 1997). Britain has experienced a massive increase in population due to people coming into Britain for better lifestyles, escaping war, famine, torture and looking for better job opportunities. Britain has experience a rise in the number of people claiming asylum and some of them are unaccompanied asylum seeking children. When looking at experiences of black African children and their families and how to offer them appropriate intervention it is important to acknowledge diversity in terms of religion, culture, language and beliefs (Bernard and gupta 2008; gibbs and huang 2003; robinson 2007). Research has shown that black families black African communities and ethnic communities are likely to live in poverty. There is well documented literature on social exclusion and poverty experienced by black African children which also is inclined to impact on the parenting abilities of parents. Also looking at histories and backgrounds of black African families is which add to poverty is also highlighted in research, (Bernard and gupta 2008; gibbs and huang 2003; robinson 2007). Research has shown some of the factors that affect African children and their families such as private fostering and asylum seeking, HIV/AIDS, poverty- highlighting grief, loss and separation, (Bernard and gupta 2008). Review of the research suggest that black African children are almost twice as likely to be looked after, however some of these children will be accommodated under section 20 of the children act 1989 due to being unaccompanied asylum seeking children (Bernard and gupta 2008; robinson 2007; barn 1993). Jones 2001, highlights the conflict between the children act 1989 and immigration legislation and policy and Jones argues that social work profession singularly failed to provide critical scrutiny on the status and relationship of immigration and child care law and the erosion of childrens rights. The number of refugee children arriving in uk is arising annually and the vulnerability of refugee children has legal, emotional and practical aspects (woodcock, 2003; chase, 2009). There is substantial evidence to indicate that many refugee children and young people from different cultures manifest symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems (Hodes, 2000 , 2002; Ehntholt and Yule, 2006; Dyregrov and Yule, 2006).Research on social work with unaccompanied children is limited (kohli and mather 2003). Research also states that there is risk of alienating black children in care by not meeting their emotional and psychological needs due to no contact with community with same culture, family and lack of black workers (bran et al 1997 pg 9). However, available research data paint a complex and contradictory picture and data is combined with other minority ethnic children Analysis of literature draws attention to that the way black African families parent their children and their daily lives had been neglected in many studies in child welfare literature and there is little empirical evidence especially about African parenting in Britain (Bernard, 2002 graham 2006). Research has looked at cultural values and how they influence parenting in African families involved with the child protection system (brophy et al 2003). Literature highlights that there is need to look at kin-ship and extended families. Family structures have been changed due to globalisation, war and other social factors. There is few research data on impact of culture, gender ideology, socio-economic status and religious belief influencing parenting and also notions of what constitutes harmful behaviour. The few data that exist states that; cultural practices appear to play some part in African children being involved in the child protection system, (mama 2004). Barn et al 2006 challeng e popular myth and stereotype that some cultural groups have more punitive punishment practices. They found no significant differences between ethnic groups with regard to physical punishment of children-thoburn et al 2005 pg 83 agree. Nobes and smith 1997s study of physical punishment by parents found physical punishment was universal in the 99 two parent families and Thompson et al 2002 found that 67 mothers in new forest are of England reported diverse behaviour management tactics and mothers who used physical punishment reported less behavioural problems in their children than mothers used reasoning. This supports the challenge the stereotypes that cultural groups have more punitive punishment practices because the majority of the above studies involved parenting by white culture in the United Kingdom. Studies on parenting by other black and ethnic cultures are scarce and there is need for research. A growing body of literature emphasises the importance of appreciating the socia l contexts of parenting and lived experiences of African children for making sense of child maltreatment (Holland 2004, Robinson 2007). Black perspective is based on the notion of common experiences that black people in Britain share and it is critical of oppressive research paradigm and theoretical formulations that have a potential oppressive effect on black people, (Robinson 2007). An understanding of black frame of reference will enable social work professionals to come up with more accurate and comprehensive assessments of African black children involved with the child protection system, (Robinson 2007). Ecological perspective is important in analysis of impacts of poverty, discrimination, immigration and social isolation on black and minority children (gibbons and huang 2003 pg 3). However there is the danger of over-generalisation and stereotyping because individual members of a culture may vary greatly from the pattern that is typical within that culture (Robinson 1998) Research argues that postmodern theories have gained a strong foothold in the profession of social work (pease and fook 1999; learnard 1997). However Their tenets have been strongly contested by those demanding a more complex understanding of identity, i.e., one that links the personal with the structural or collective elements of human existence alongside the individual ones (Dominelli 2002; graham 2002) and those drawing on the idea that what holds people together are what they share in common or their sameness (Badiou 2001). The lack of appropriate preventative suppoirt servives and lack of understanding of cultural of black families often result in social work operating against the interests of black children (barn 1993, graham 2002) Anti-discriminatory perspectives and incorporation of knowledge from service users Social workers contribute to the perpetuation of oppression through their practice by directly or indirectly engaging in structural oppression its institutional and cultural forms that are integral elements in the ways in which social relations in a globalising world have been organised, (dominelli 2007). Key to eliminating structural forms of racism is that of addressing the issue of binary dyads that reaffirm racist dynamics rather than challenging them. Nonetheless, resistance to its perpetuation is evident in many of the responses by service users and practitioners. Social work educators and practitioners have much more to contribute to the elimination of oppression. (dominelli 2007). Social work has operated within a problem oriented framework which is characterised by deficit and dysfunctional theories of black families (Robinson 2008). Dominelli (1992) argues that black children and families are over-represented in the controlling aspects of social work and under-represented in the welfare aspects of social work. Problems with communication and working in partnership have been highlighted in literature. Fifty-four young people participated in the research. Chase, 2009 study-The majority (80 per cent) of participants were identified through a single London local Authority, Young people often described complex relationships with social workers and other social care professionals and were also more mistrustful of the interplay between social care and immigration services: Hellen, from Ethiopia, said: Sometimes they dont understand you when you are sad. They keep asking you questions. It makes me angry, it makes me want to shout. It makes me remember all the bad things and they dont understand that. If they ask me (questions) I will suffer for months. The positioning of social workers within the asylum system is a difficult one to negotiate. They are expected to apply social care principles such as the best interests of the child, yet work within very clear organisational boundaries and regulatory codes-frequently dictated by resource and funding limitations. The Climbie inquiry (laming 2003) highlights the challenges faced by local authorities when developing information-sharing indexes for keeping insight of the children who are on the margins of society and whose lives are characterised by transitions. Literature highlights some of the challenges for social work assessing and making decisions about African children and families whose cultures differ from the majority white population (brophy et al 2003, laming 2003) The fear of being seen as a racist combined with cultural stereotypes can lead to a failure to make judgements and intervene appropriately regarding practices that are harmful (burman et al 2004 study) Whilst their views should form part of policy related discussions on current topics, respect for childrens rights may still be lacking. Meanwhile, such notions challenge us to take children seriously and to appreciate their contribution to social reproduction and change (Aubrey and Dahl 2006). Lots of research appear to focus on empowerment through cultural knowledge inviting new thinking about the challenges faced by black communities Relevance to policy and practice The complex social circumstance experiences by many African families pose challenges for parents, children and social work professionals working to safeguard and promote childrens welfare The framework for assessment of children in need and their families (DoH, 2000) based on the ecological approach places a requirement on workers to consider families histories and social circumstances and literature of anti-oppressive practice stresses the importance if consideration being paid to power relationships (dlrybple and burke 1995). There must be some understanding of the links between peoples personal experience of pressing and structural reality if inequality pg 123 In order to safeguard and promote welfare of African children acknowledgement of sources of discrimination and oppression, a commitment to human rights and social justice must be met. Through developing effective relationships with African children and families can professionals begin to understand their individual, emotional as well as practical needs. Global mobility and consequent changing nature of communities require local authorities to be proactive in gathering information and developing services including interpretation services that are responsive to the needs of African and minority ethnic families. Several authors have critically analysed the evidence on service provision for black families in general. A pathologising approach to black families may lead to unnecessary coercive intervention and on the other hand a cultural relativist approach may lead to a non-intervention when services are required (dominelli 1997, chand 2000). Either way appropriate intervention is not pr ovided for black and ethnic minority children. The quality of services in black communities is a focus for debate and raises important issues about the lack of policy initiatives based upon needs and aspirations of local communities (graham 2002) Subjecting cultural practices to scrutiny is a necessary party of the assessment process of professionals are to achieve better outcomes for children. A balance must be struck between sensitively challenging claims that certain types of behaviour are the norm in African families whilst at the same time not losing sight of childrens welfare needs. By drawing on strengths perspective professionals can illuminate how parents draw on cultures a s a resource to parents in circumstance of adversity whilst not excusing behaviour that is harmful to children. The issue of punishment is one of the most controversial areas relating to black families, child abuse and social work (chand 2000 pg 72) Conclusion This review has highlighted that multiple social, environmental and parental factors interact in complex ways to bring black African children into the child protection arena. Thus, making professional judgments regarding thresholds of concern for African children poses a major set of challenges and, ultimately, practitioners need the skills, knowledge and conceptual tools to distinguish between the styles of parenting that differ from those of the majority culture, but which are not necessarily harmful, and parents who seek to justify abusive and neglectful behaviour by drawing on cultural explanations to justify their actions.