The Digital Divide

Education and the workplace have been revolutionized by information technology. The jobs of tomorrow will depend heavily on people's literacy with computers and the Internet. Forecasts are that by the year 2010, 25% of all of the new jobs created in the private and public sectors will be â€Å"technologically oriented† (American Association of University Women Educational Foundation Commission on Technology, Gender and Teacher Education, 2000). In both economic upturns and downturns, access to jobs will require training and competency in technology (McClelland, 2001).Yet, access to training in IT is not equitable and some people have greater access than others with the likelihood depending on the income, racial, and gender categories of which people are members. White Americans are more likely to have access to computers and the Internet than African Americans. Males have more access than females, and wealthier Americans have more access regardless of race and gender. The digi tal divide is a term that has been used to refer to the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not; between those who have the expertise and training to utilize technology and those who do not.According to Chistopher Latimer in a report to the New York State Forum for Information Resources, social gaps in society cause the digital divide, but the digital divide, in turn, may intensify existing social gaps and create new ones. Because members of minority groups and people from lower socioeconomic groups have less access to technology, they are likely to be even further disadvantaged from attaining some of the higher positions in tomorrow's economy, widening the economic divisions that already exist. The trend is already occurring.According to a report of the National Science Foundation (Papadakis, 2000), 46. 6% of White families in the United States own a home computer, whereas only 23. 2% of African American families own one. Although computer purchase and use rose for both Whites and Blacks over the last several years, the gap between racial groups has widened. During the 4–year period of 1994–1998, Papadakis reported that computer ownership increased 18% nationally, but the gap between Blacks and Whites widened by an additional 7%. The gap seems to persist at the college level.For instance, the Office of Institutional Research at a community college in northern Virginia polled the commuter–oriented student population and, even among this group, computer ownership was higher among White students than it was among Black students. Socioeconomic status also plays a large role. Of Americans with incomes of under $15,000, 12. 7% have computers in their homes. The percentages climb steadily with income such that families who earn more than $75,000 annually have a 77. 7% likelihood of owning a computer.The racial variable is often confounded with income, because Blacks and Hispanics make up a larger proportion of the lo wer income groups than do Whites. Nonetheless, some racial differences continue to exist, even when income is statistically removed from the phenomenon. For example, the lowest likelihood of computer ownership is for Black households whose income is below $15,000 (7. 7%). For all families earning less than $35,000, the percentage of White households owning computers is three times greater than the percentage of Black families and four times greater than the percentage of Hispanic families.It is not only crucial that everyone has the access and knowledge to use computers and the Internet for the jobs for which they will compete upon finishing school, but it is also critical for school performance itself. Survey data from a large number of eighth–grade students in the United States. They specifically noted the relationship between children’s having access to a computer at home and their scores on standardized tests. They found that reading and math scores were related to home ownership of computers.Not surprisingly, they also found that White students were more advantaged than Black students; wealthier students were more advantaged than poorer students. More surprisingly, the data showed that, controlling for the number of households who had computers, wealthy students obtained more of an advantage from their computer ownership than did poorer students, and White students obtained more of an advantage than Black students. Policymakers have good reason to worry about the digital divide. Wealth and socioeconomic status have frequently made education and employment opportunities more accessible to some than to others.Unequal distribution of wealth, even in the public sector, has created schools that are unequal in facilities, staff, and, in the end, academic performance of its students. The unbalanced relationship between race and socioeconomic status bears prime responsibility for the lower academic performance of traditionally underrepresented minor ities. The cycle perpetuates itself as underrepresented minorities are in a disadvantaged position to compete for the higher paying technology jobs of today's and tomorrow's workplace. The same precipitating factors are more difficult to glean in the case of gender.Nonetheless, compared with men, women are underrepresented in their use and ownership of computers. Women take fewer technology classes in high school and college, are far less likely to graduate college with degrees in IT fields, are less likely to enroll in postgraduate technology fields, and are underrepresented in the higher end of technology jobs. A recent study by the American Association of University Women (AAUW, 2000), for example, highlights how the vast majority of girls and women are being left out of the technology revolution.The AAUW report shows that women and men are using computers as a â€Å"tool†Ã¢â‚¬â€œfor accessing the Internet, using e–mail, and using word processing programs–at equal rates. However, there is a striking disparity in the number of women and men who are participating in the technological revolution at a more sophisticated level, the level that will allow them to be equal and active participants in the computer revolution that is taking classrooms and workplaces across the world by storm. Much of the debate about the digital divide has centered on the question of who has access to computers and the Internet.A series of studies by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002) revealed that those in low-income, low-education, minority-racial, and rural location groups have unequal access to the new technologies. The most recent NTIA (2002) report indicated that the gaps in access are narrowing. However, this chapter argues that a number of fundamental aspects of the digital divide persist, above and beyond access issues. It examines continuing gaps that underlie the digital divide from a case study of Austin, Texas.A highly wired city, Austin reveals the social and cultural barriers that remain in place when most conventional remedies, such as public access centers, Internet-connected schools and libraries, and computer training programs, become fairly widely available. So far this discussion of the digital divide has taken a structural point of view. Many analyses point to income as the key issue in access, which leads many to assume that when computers and Internet access become cheap enough for all income levels can afford them, and then lower income consumers will, as a matter of course, adopt and use them.However, both the national NTIA research and the recent Texas study showed that, particularly within lower income populations, ethnicity is still related to less frequent use of the Internet. Economic structures related to class are crucial in limiting access to media, but culture, as indicated by ethnic differences, remains important. Bourdieu (1980, 1984, 1993a) intro duced the concepts of habitus, field, and capital to elaborate the continuity, regularity, and regulated transformation of social action that solely structural explanations fail to account for, such as technology use by individuals and groups.He described habitus as a set of dispositions that create â€Å"durable† and â€Å"transposable† practices and perceptions over a long process of social inculcation. The similarity of dispositions and practices experienced by members of the same social class constitutes class habitus for Bourdieu (Johnson, 1993). Such shared orientations help explain why groups acquire and hold dispositions against the use of certain technologies like networked computers, even when those technologies become accessible and receive favorable publicity in the media.During the past decade, the Department of Commerce has conducted research on the extent of Internet access throughout the United States. Their initial studies warned of a growing digital d ivide, particularly when the data factored in demographic variables such as race and income. Inspired by studies such as these, local, state, and national organizations emerged to close the gap, to ensure that most (if not all) Americans enjoy access to the Internet in the same manner as they do basic services such as water and electricity.What progress has been made since those earlier warnings? To answer that question the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), conducted a survey of about 57,000 households in September 2001, releasing their findings in 2002. Their results inspired many observers to conclude that efforts to close the digital divide have largely succeeded but that important work remains. Internet access has become an essential component to public life for most Americans.Indeed, the Commerce Department found that in September 2001, 174 million Americans (two thirds of the population) were online. Moreover, during the t ime of their study, they found that roughly 2 million more Americans go online every month. Many of these new Internet users are children, the fastest growing group in the study. Already, three fourths of all teenagers use the Internet for study, socializing, and entertainment. Just think, a mere decade ago, Internet usage was a rarity, a research tool for scientists or a plaything for the wealthy.Now the Net has wired itself into the fabric of our lives through stand-alone computers, personal data assistants, mobile phones, mall kiosks, and a growing number of other means that allow virtually anyone to go online from virtually anywhere. The Internet and ICTs are at present accessible to only a very limited proportion of the world s population. The diffusion of the communication networks is not uniform between countries or even within societies.Indeed, it is estimated that not even half of the people on the planet have ever made a telephone call. This uneven access to the new media is believed to be giving rise to a digital divide between the information-rich and the information-poor. For some privileged groups life-chance opportunities may be significantly enhanced by access to the Internet through greater bandwidth and high-speed connectivity. For the majority of less well off, access may be non-existent or at best limited to slow telecommunications links.As the rate of development of ICTs becomes faster and the competitive advantage to the information-rich increases, it is possible that the digital divide will act to reinforce and even extend existing social and material inequalities between people. Community informatics (CI) is the application of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to enable community processes and the achievement of community objectives including overcoming digital divides both within and among communities. But CI also goes beyond discussions of the digital divide.It goes on to examine how and under what conditions ICT acce ss can be made usable and useful to the range of excluded populations and communities and particularly to support local economic development, social justice, and political empowerment using the Internet. Thus a framework is emerging for systematically approaching information systems from a community perspective that parallels MIS in the development of strategies and techniques for managing community use and application of information systems closely linking with the variety of community networking research and applications.This is based on the assumption that geographically based communities (also known as physical or geo-local communities) have characteristics, requirements, and opportunities that require different strategies for ICT intervention and development from the widely accepted implied models of individual or in-home computer/Internet access and use. Because of cost factors, much of the world is unlikely to have in-home Internet access in the near future.Thus CI represents an area of interest both to ICT practitioners and academic researchers and to all those with an interest in community-based information technologies addressing the connections between the academic theory and research, and the policy and pragmatic issues arising from community networks, community technology centers, telecenters, community communications centers, and telecottages currently in place globally. The types of communities we are concerned with are those suffering economic and social disadvantage relative to other groups and neighborhoods within the city, town, or region.These are the communities in which the level of earning potential and capacity for income generation is poor. Unemployment figures are high and educational attainment is low. Poverty and discrimination are visible. People's confidence in and aspirations for the future are low. Most of the people living in these communities find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide for reasons not so much of ac cess (although this can certainly be a factor) but of social and economic exclusion.Within these communities too there are often large numbers of hard-to-reach groups. These are the people who are beyond the net of social inclusion initiatives and whom in terms of turning around and transforming neighborhoods and regions it is perhaps most crucial to reach. ICTs can be used as a tool for reconnecting individuals and groups. With appropriate interventions and support, the influence of ICTs on the local economy can be more positive than negative. Poor and disadvantaged communities do not have to be left behind in the digital economy.They can be information society â€Å"shapers† rather than â€Å"trailers† (Shearman 1999a). ICTs open the door to the future. Having a share in the future is not just a question of â€Å"catching up. † It means having access to the new opportunities at the same time as everybody else. It is about having the chance to be at the forefro nt, to shape the direction of local economic, social, and community development. This means going beyond the basics of Internet access and training provision. Providing access and resources is just the first step.Leaving it at that condemns these communities to a perpetual second-class existence—always lagging behind. With a bit of imagination and thought, community-based ICT projects can offer a way out of this. One way of working toward this is to promote the use of state-of-the-art technologies in community contexts. Community-based ICT projects are not normally perceived as being at the technical cutting edge of their field or pioneers in applications development. But local ICT projects can be both state-of-the-art and community based.Community enterprises like Artimedia in Huddersfield and Batley and Mediac in Sheffield develop projects that encourage people to experiment with state-of-the-art technologies. Many of the cultural projects they are engaged in require people to acquire sophisticated ICT skills such as image compression, converting sound into streamed media and output from digital format to video. It goes without saying that a medium that is increasingly adopted into society is approaching average parts of the population.However, in my view, digital divides are about relative differences between categories of people. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of these divides concerning possession of computers and Internet connections increased, as was convincingly demonstrated by the American and Dutch official statistics supplied earlier. One is free to predict that these divides will close rapidly, an argument to be dealt with later, but their existence in the present and recent past cannot be denied. The argument about cheaper hardware is correct, but only partly so. It neglects many facts like:(a) The new media add to the older mass media that do not disappear: One still needs a TV, radio, VCR, telephone, and perhaps a newspaper; low income hous eholds continually have to weigh every new purchase (with the newspaper beginning to lose); (b) Computers are outdated much faster than any of the medium and continually new peripheral equipment and software has to be purchased; and (c) â€Å"Free† Internet access or computer hardware is not really free, of course. There are nominal monthly fees, long-term service agreements, privacy selling, and low-quality service, for instance.However, the most important problem of this interpretation, and the next one, is their hardware orientation. Perhaps the most common social and political opinion is that the problem of the digital divide is solved as soon as every citizen or inhabitant has the ability to obtain a personal computer and an Internet connection. In contrast, my analysis suggests that the biggest problems of information and communication inequality just start with the general diffusion of computers and network connections.

Plato learning analyzing speeches Essay

Teacher-Graded Activities Write a response for each of the following activities. Check the Evaluation section at the end of this document to make sure you have met the expected criteria for the assignment. When you have finished, submit your work to your teacher. 1. Comparing Speeches a. Read President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. What emotions do you feel while reading these speeches? What elements of the speeches evoke these emotions? Type your response here: The Gettysburg address strikes emotion in everyone, due to the person who wrote it and due to the subject matter. The Gettysburg address evokes happiness, sadness, and pride in our country, In the speech Lincoln makes many references to the was that had happened, and he also makes many reference to how great America, which makes people think that everything will be alright and that the country is strong enough to endure this civil war. As for Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech it invokes completely different emotions such as shame in our country and sadness, the elements that invoke these emotions are King’s way of speaking, the way he references Lincoln, and the fact that he remains hopeful even though hope seems to be lost. b. Do you notice any similarities between President Lincoln’s speech and Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech? What are the similarities? Why do you think King drew parallels between his speech and Lincoln’s? Type your response here: King gave his speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, as if to honor Lincoln for the strong and brave way that he tried to abolish slavery, and his accomplishment of it, and yet King still feels as if he is enslaved due to strong oppression of black people. Both Lincoln and King invoke strong emotions of hope, and patriotism. I believe that king drew parallels between his speech and Lincolns to A: Grab the attention of everyone who hears him, and B: to commemorate Lincoln, and to make it known that he is proud of Lincoln and thankful to him for all of his hard work. c. Think about the audience that President Lincoln was addressing with the Gettysburg Address and about the audience that Martin Luther King Jr. was addressing with his I Have a Dream speech. Describe each audience, and explain how the speeches reflected, and were appropriate for, their audiences. Type your response here: Lincoln was addressing the families of soldiers, the citizens of the untied states, and maybe even foreign countries. I believe Lincoln chose these audiences to show that he still supports everyone even though the battle going on was so brutal, I also believe that he chose families of soldiers to assure them that the deaths, and lives of soldiers are not taken for granted and to assure them that it was all worth it in the end. As for King, His audience was mostly towards as he called them â€Å"Negros,† I believe strongly that King chose this Audience to tell them that there is still hope for equality between white and black people, because there truly was, and still is thanks to King. Kings Audience is very appropriate because he himself was black and was fighting for the rights of everyone he was speaking to. 2. Rhetorical Devices a. Revisit the Gettysburg Address and I Have a Dream. As you read, list the rhetorical devices that you notice: state the device, define it, provide an example of it from the speech, and explain its emotional impact. Type your response here: The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Device Definition Example Emotional Impact Epithet A descriptive adjective attached to a noun to evoke an idea or emotion. â€Å"Now we are engaged in a great civil war.† It invokes the fear of the war, and the fact that the civil war was bigger than expected. Asyndeton A list that omits conjunctions between items. â€Å"we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground† it adds to the flow of the speech and holds my attention Antanagoge Placement of a negative point next to a positive on in a way that downplays the negative â€Å"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it†¦but it can never forget what they did here.† It makes one feel like the men who died will never be forgotten and gives hope to the families. I Have a Dream Rhetorical Device Definition Example Emotional Impact Sententia A famous quotation, maxim, or wise saying Five score years ago. It draws the attention of the audience and makes them think about what the topic is. Anadiplosis Repetition of the last word of a sentence or phrase near thebeginning of the next sentence or phrase Repitition of â€Å"I have a Dream† at the end. It keeps the attention of audience, and it also invokes a feeling of hope in the audience, through King’s dream. Epithet A descriptive adjective attached to a noun to evoke an idea or emotion tragic fact that the Negro is still not free Adding the word tragic to fact envokes a feeling of hopelessness and the feeling of needing to fix the tragedy. Asyndeton A list that omits conjunctions between items. guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Asydeton makes it so people are hanging onto everyword, and keeps the attention. Personification Human attributes given to non-human objects and ideas. America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color It makes America seem more relatable by everyone. b. Listen to one (or more) of the readings of the Gettysburg Address. Did you notice any rhetorical devices when listening to the speech that you did not notice when you read the speech, and vice versa? Do the rhetorical devices have a different effect when they are spoken as opposed to read? Explain your response. Type your response here: I did not hear anymore rhetorical devices in other readings of the Gettysburg address. However the rhetorical devices seem to stand out more when they are read because they have the full emotion of the voice to display them, thus making it more emotional and understandable. c. Listen to Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. What differences did you notice between the way the Gettysburg Address and I Have a Dream were delivered? Which rhetorical devices were more effective in each speech? Type your response here: I have a dream was delivered with more emotion than the Gettysburg address, I suppose it is because of the subject matter, Human rights seem to be more important than war and hate, and yet both speeches used wonderful rhetorical devices, In the Gettysburg address the use of the antanagoge is very prominit because it helps to ensure that they will never be forgotten. In I have a dream uses the rhetorical device of anadiplosis was strongly effective as King repeated ‘I have a dream’ at the very end of the speech. d. Were you able to recognize the rhetorical devices in I Have a Dream when listening to it? Was it easier for you to recognize them as you heard them or as you read them? Why? Type your response here: I was unable to identify any more rhetorical devices in the I Have a Dream speech, however it was easier to identify the rhetorical devices due to the emotion that I referenced earlier. 3. Analyzing Speeches a. Review the Gettysburg Address and I Have a Dream. What organizational pattern does each speech utilize? Do you see evidence of more than one type of pattern present in either speech? Give examples of the patterns in the speeches, and explain why the organizational pattern used is or is not the most effective. Type your response here: â€Å"I have a dream† has a spatial order This worked because Martin Luther king Jr. was basically going through a timeline about the rights of black people. The Gettysburg address is in Topical order, and this worked because Lincoln was speaking in segments about the war. b. Describe which elements of the introductions of the speeches, if any, are notably attention grabbing. Type your response here: Both speeches begin notably, for Lincoln’s it begins with â€Å"four score and  seven years ago.† and similarly king’s speech begins with â€Å"five score.† both are extremely memorable. c. Do the speeches answer the questions Why should I care? and How does this topic relate to me? Support your response with examples. Type your response here: Both speeches answer these questions in their own way. Lincoln used an appeal to the countries citizens an example of this was â€Å"We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live† As for Martin Luther King Jr. he answered those questions by saying â€Å"This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.† as he was speaking to his audience who are fighting for their freedom just as he was. d. Do the speakers provide their objectives for their speeches within their introductions? Provide examples with your answer. Type your response here: â€Å"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.† this is the very very first line In I have a dream, it shows that he is expecting this speech to go into history for being the best example of freedom. In the Gettysburg address there was not a clear objective other than trying to honor those who have died in the war. e. Do the speakers use any supportive devices, such as humor or repetition, in their speeches? Give examples of any such devices. Type your response here: Martin Luther King Jr. relied on repetition strongly during the end of his speech saying â€Å"i have a dream† repeatedly to prove his point f. How would you describe the conclusions of the speeches? Do they summarize their objectives and end with impact? Explain. Type your response here: The end of both of these speeches summarize the point of their speeches and they definitely end with an impact. Lincolns speech ends by validating that the country will not die simply because of the war it was in at the time, and King’s speech ends with king saying what he dreams will happen, meaning he ends talking about equality between blacks and whites. g. List some of the transitions and signposts used in each speech. Type your response here: Lincoln: â€Å"Now we are engaged in a great civil war† â€Å"But, in a larger sense,† â€Å"It is rather for us, the living† King: â€Å"And if America† â€Å"And as we walk,† â€Å"But there is something that I must say† 4. Speech Writing a. Write a speech on any subject from this list of speech ideas. Remember that your speech will need to be two to four minutes long. Type your response here: Many people today talk about the sanctity of marriage. This belief is part of the reason why many people believe that gay marriage should not be legalized in America. To these people I pose the question, is marriage really all that sacred in this country and would letting anyone who wants to enter into same sex marriage make it not so? In my opinion, people like Britney Spears and anyone else who will jump into a Los Vegas 3-day wedding, are the people who are destroying the sanctity of marriage. In addition to the negative ideas  about gay marriage, there are other problems concerning same-sex couples such as adoption between same sex couples, In 2012, 110,000 children live with gay parents, that may seem like a large number but in all actuality that is about 1% of the child population that live in U.S households. I understand that there is quite an opposition to same sex parents raising children because people say that children need a mother and father figure to grow up properly, an yet there are approximately 13.7 million single parents in the United States today, and those parents are responsible for raising 22 million children, and no one truly comments on that causing any problems with the way the children grow up. In this speech i outlined a few problems that i believe we need to fix about same-sex couples, Because people should be able to marry whoever they wish and take care of children like normal families that i honestly believe they already are. B. Describe your speech writing and presentation experience. Type your response here: writing this speech was quite easy for me considering gay rights is a topic that i am very passionate about because my sister and my best friend are both gay. In addition to the passion, i had experience analyzing speeches thanks to this lesson, and it was quite fun to write especially in since i know what the structure of a good speech is. as for presenting it, i presented it to QCAD on the day of silence, and it was very well received. Evaluation Your teacher will use these rubrics to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the clarity of thinking you exhibit. Activity 1: Comparing Speeches Concepts Distinguished (4 points) Accurately points out the connection between emotions invoked and the elements of the two speeches Accurately and exhaustively points out similarities between the two speeches Supports answers convincingly by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Accurately describes the target audiences Proficient (3 points) Adequately points out the connection between emotions invoked and the elements of in the two speeches Accurately points out several similarities between the two speeches Supports answers well by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Somewhat accurately describes the target audiences Developing (2 points) Points out the connection between emotions invoked and the elements of the two speeches with a few errors Points out similarities between the two speeches with a few errors Supports answers by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Loosely describes the target audiences Beginning (1 point) Fails to point out the connection between emotions invoked and the elements of the two speeches Fails to point out many notable similarities between the two speeches Does not support answers with adequate examples or reasoning Vaguely or incorrectly describes the target audiences Activity 2: Rhetorical Devices Concepts Distinguished (4 points) Lists multiple examples of rhetorical devices in both speeches Thoroughly explains the emotional impact of each rhetorical device in the speeches Thoroughly interprets the different effects of rhetorical devices in the written and oral forms of the speeches Accurately evaluates the  effectiveness of the rhetorical devices in both speeches Supports answers convincingly by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Proficient (3 points) Lists adequate examples of rhetorical devices in both speeches Adequately explains the emotional impact of each rhetorical device in the speeches Reasonably interprets the different effects of rhetorical devices in the written and oral forms of the speeches Reasonably evaluates the effectiveness of the rhetorical devices in both speeches Supports answers well by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Developing (2 points) Lists very few examples of rhetorical devices in both speeches Explains the emotional impact of each rhetorical device in the speeches with a few errors Interprets the different effects of rhetorical devices in the written and oral forms of the speeches with a few errors Evaluates the effectiveness of the rhetorical devices in both speeches with a few errors Supports answers by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Beginning (1 point) Lists incorrect examples of rhetorical devices in both speeches Fails to explain the emotional impact of each rhetorical device in the speeches Fails to correctly interpret the different effects of rhetorical devices in the written and oral forms of the speeches Fails to correctly evaluate the effectiveness of the rhetorical devices in both speeches Does not support answers with adequate examples or reasoning Activity 3: Analyzing Speeches Concepts Distinguished (4 points) Accurately and exhaustively identifies examples of organizational patterns used in each speech Accurately and exhaustively identifies examples of attention-grabbing elements in each speech Accurately and exhaustively identifies examples of supporting devices used by the speakers in each speech Thoroughly describes the conclusion of each speech Accurately and exhaustively identifies examples of transitions and signposts used in each speech Provides thorough and accurate reasoning by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Proficient (3 points) Accurately identifies multiple examples of organizational patterns used in each speech Accurately identifies multiple examples of attention-grabbing elements in each speech Accurately identifies multiple examples of supporting devices used by the speakers in each speech Adequately describes the conclusion of each speech Accurately identifies multiple examples of transitions and signposts used in each speech Provides accurate reasoning by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Developing (2 points) Correctly identifies examples of organizational patterns used in each speech Correctly identifies examples of attention-grabbing elements in each speech Correctly identifies examples of supporting devices used by the speakers in each speech Roughly describes the conclusion of each speech Correctly identifies examples of transitions and signposts used in each speech Provides somewhat accurate reasoning by stating facts, giving logical reasons, and using examples Beginning (1 point) Does not identify examples of organizational patterns used in each speech Does not identify examples of attention-grabbing elements in each speech Does not identify examples of supporting devices used by the speakers in each speech Vaguely or incorrectly correctly describes the conclusion of each speech Does not identify examples of transitions and signposts used in each speech Fails to provide accurate reasoning to support answers Activity 4: Speech Writing Concepts Distinguished (4 points) Uses language that is most suitable for the intended audience Keeps the speech clear and maintains a slow pace throughout Uses appropriate devices to grab the audience’s attention Uses effective reasoning to connect the audience’s interests to the topic Effectively maintains focus on the main points throughout the speech Effectively uses supporting devices such as facts, statistics, examples, and testimony Effectively uses transitions between topics to keep the audience connected Uses an effective and relevant concluding sentence Includes thoughtful reflections on the speech-writing experience Proficient (3 points) Uses language that is appropriate for the intended audience Keeps the speech somewhat clear and maintains a slow pace throughout Uses largely appropriate devices to grab the audience’s attention Uses somewhat effective reasoning to connect the audience’s interests to the topic Maintains focus on the main points through the speech Uses supporting devices such as facts, statistics, examples, and testimony Effectively uses a few transitions between topics to keep the audience connected Uses a somewhat effective and relevant concluding sentence Includes moderately thoughtful reflections on the speech-writing experience Developing (2 points) Uses language that is somewhat appropriate for the intended audience Is barely able to keep the speech clear and does not maintain a steady pace Uses somewhat appropriate devices to grab the audience’s attention Uses reasoning to connect the audience’s interests to the topic Barely maintains focus on the main points through the speech Uses supporting devices such as facts, statistics, examples, and testimony with a few errors Uses somewhat  effective transitions between topics to keep the audience connected Uses a relevant concluding sentence Includes some reflections on the speech-writing experience Beginning (1 point) Uses language that is inappropriate for the intended audience Fails to keep the speech clear or maintain a slow pace Does not use any devices to get the audience’s attention Fails to connect the audience’s interests to the topic Loses focus on the main points Does not uses supporting devices such as facts, statistics, examples, and testimony Fails to use transitions between topics to keep the audience connected Uses a concluding sentence that is neither effective nor relevant Includes minimal reflections on the speech-writing experience

Business Research For Business

In order to draw the attention of tourists, the tourist market of Australia has been associated this arrangement of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast which is a fruitful opportunity. Quantitative data would be increased in light of investigation of reports considering the recorded number of accommodation properties in Gold Coast furthermore on required improvements and developments of inn properties in the district (Wetcher-Hendricks, 2014). At the end of the day, the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in Australia effect and impulse tourists to appreciate a particular service in an induced period. To execute this examination objectives, inquiries and exploration methodology will be talked about in this business research. All things considered, the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in Australia sway bargains especially at the period of festivities. In addition, Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and its accommodation properties redesign an opportunity to endeavour another service of a checked tourist market of Australia through prohibitive arrangements accommodation properties(Fink, 2012). In this research proposal, the criticalness of Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and accommodation properties on the tour market of Australia will be examined. Consequently, the relationship between the need of visitor and service of tour industry of Australia will be portrayed in this research proposal. The qualitative data would be for the most part increased in light of interviewing the managers of Hilton Surfers Paradise. Furthermore, each and every part related to the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in Australia and tour requirement in Australia will be analysed in this research proposal. In order to examine strategy, Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel management have been utilized for meeting the exploration objectives would comprise of both gathering interviews furthermore the investigation of secondary data connected with the assessment of reports(Norris, 2016). In this article essentially the unfavorable impact of the climatic change has been highlighted on Queensland and additionally on Gold Coast. However, the journal demonstrates the central difficulties that Gold Coast aspects and the proposals for enhancing the viability of the business in Gold Coast. Besides that, it has likewise been highlighted that the ascent in the ocean level has undermined the ways of life and properties of Queensland. At present, it has been found that the Gold Coast has a larger number of houses than some other part in Queensland. In other words, the specific article centers that the tourism business of Queensland is at danger because of climatic change. Along these lines, more than 3,500 private structures in the Gold Coast are at danger. Nevertheless, it has been noticed that a large portion of the houses in the Gold Coast exists in 100 meter of erodible coastline (Masny, D, 2016). These integrates the records of the management of Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and its arrangements and strategy that are identified with the monetary advancement, group arranging, urban outline and real framework ventures. Though, this specific research work has been done on the premise of the narrative research of the secondary materials. In other sense, this includes going by the field to the minor and real wellbeing and/or information hubs with regards to rural and urban. Moreover, the narrative research is supplemented by the spatial analysis. In this article, the specific researcher has settled on one and only essential research procedure and that is analysis of the proper writing audit. In addition, research system accumulates data through specific data collection methods. In order to conduct a powerful research, a researcher may assemble basis data and can examine the gathered data and data to achieve a specific conclusion.    Thus, in this research work, qualitative analysis has been achieved with a specific end goal to analysis the assembled data. In other words, to conduct specific research, the researcher has gathered data from the secondary assets. Moreover, this incorporates the contextual investigation on Gold Coast, books identified with the research subject, sites, past documents and articles. Accordingly, this research study and its discoveries will equally help the researcher in the proposed research work, as the discoveries will accumulate data with respect to the open doors for Gold Coast that will broaden the appearance of the visitors in a productive way. In other words, the specific research work will contemplate alternate urban areas that are principally in view of travel and tourism reliance. Apart from that the discoveries of this research paper will help in viable application for the gathering of Gold Coast City by giving basic audit with respect to the reinforcing of ebb and flow projects and strategies of the Council on learning regions (Australia, 2006). This research study has been performed in view of the survey of the universal visitors who visit Australia. Besides that, this particular journal quarterly concludes the universal guest survey for the month of June 2013. Moreover, this Journal primarily demonstrates the reasons furthermore prescribes a couple ventures by actualizing which the entry of the global visitors in Australia has expanded. In other sense, this will similarly help the researcher to anticipate the pattern of tourism industry or quantities of visitors who will visit Gold Coast in future. In this manner, this specific article comprehends the explanations behind expanded quantities of visitors in Australia (Grand, S. and Jonas, W. 2012). According to the specific article, it has been found that the International Visitor Survey (IVS) speaks to the most comprehensive wellspring of data with respect to the global visitors to the nation Australia. In addition, The IVS tests of 35,000 withdraw transient global voyagers who are matured 18 years and increasingly and who have been going by Australia. On the other hand, these incorporate the Melbourne, Darwin, Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Adelaide, Sydney and Gold Coast and includes the survey of global visitors and for this an altered example size has been chosen. The survey of the predefined research work has been performed by Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing in the flight sprawls of eight noteworthy global air terminals. On the premise of the survey, quantitative analysis of the gathered data to conduct a successful research. In this article, the specific researcher has settled on one and only research procedure and that is the survey analysis (Mann, T. 2005). Besides that, a research is considered as the viable method just if the technique contains research points and goals, research inquiries and data collection assets. Moreover, this survey methodology additionally helps the researcher to accumulate general perspectives of individuals. In addition, in a compelling research technique, a researcher may accumulate foundation data. In other words, the survey analysis procedure helps the researcher of the research study to accumulate quantitative data. Although, in this specific article, research inquiries are given and can analysis the gathered data to achieve a specific conclusion (Pei, J. 2013). The survey was comprised of 100 inquiries that were bolstered by 'show postcards' so as to guide the members of the survey to react to the answer in some particular zones. On the other hand, the researcher of the specific research work has led a survey. In addition, this survey the researcher has gathered different data and data with respect to the research point and these particular ranges incorporate rehash appearance, common spot of home, gathering visits, demographics, exercises, use, travel gathering, transportation and convenience, motivations behind visit. In terms of hotspots for accomplishing data in regards to Australia can be said that the data and data were gathered by directing a survey and these data were broke down by the researcher quantitatively. Accordingly, this research study and its discoveries will help the researcher in the proposed research work, as the discoveries will assemble data in regards to the main difficulties that Gold Coast faces. It will also suggest the progressions for enhancing the adequacy of the business in Gold Coast (Phillips, P. and Stawarski, C. 2008). According to the article, with the quick development of Gold Coast into a vacationer utilization city of a large portion of a million people and to enhance the way of life, economy and way of the city. In addition, the journal principally demonstrates the open doors for Gold Coast that will broaden the appearance of the visitors in a proficient way. In terms of approaches that emerge from the vision of Gold Coast City Council with respect to a sound city that advantages from learning based urban improvement. In addition, open doors in the advancement of the developing cosmopolitan city as a solid and information city. Although, this additionally analyzes the potential for the advancement of a system comprising of littler hubs with dynamic transport. Besides that, this research work for the most part highlights on bigger wellbeing and learning hubs alongside principle expressways. In this way, it can likewise be said that this research work gives a more coordinated (Svarcas, A. and Ca ss, B. 2008). These integrates the archives of the management preparations and approach that is identified with the economic improvement, group positioning, and constructed location, farming and human wellbeing. Moreover, this specific research work has been done on the premise of the narrative research of the secondary materials. Although this, the narrative research is supplemented by the longitudinal analysis. In this article, the specific researcher has settled on two vital research methodologies analysis of the writing audit and contextual analysis. In addition, research technique is considered as the powerful method just if the methodology contains research points and goals, research inquiries and data collection assets. Afterward, it can be said that research methodology is a general arrangement that helps the researcher to answer the research questions in a precise and orderly way. In addition, it can also be said that in a compelling research system, a researcher may accumulate foundation data and can examine the gathered data and data to achieve a specific conclusion (Gionis, A. 2013). This incorporates books identified with the research theme, sites, past diaries and articles. In this way, in this research work, qualitative analysis has been performed so as to dissect the assembled data. In the specific research concentrate on, the researcher has gathered data from the secondary data. This will also help the researcher to foresee the pattern of tourism industry or quantities of visitors who will visit Gold Coast in future. Thusly, this research study and its discoveries will likewise help the researcher in the proposed research work, as the discoveries will assemble data with respect to the foundations for expanded quantities of visitors in Australia. In addition, the specific article will comprehend the statistical data points and on the premise of these the proposed research should be possible effectively. The significance of executing different research methodologies in view of various angles can likewise be considered as an accommodating component for the researcher to finish the proposed research study. Moreover, the methodology for directing survey furthermore to collect data and data through secondary assets can likewise be better comprehended from the above articles. Additionally, the different methods of data collection will likewise give the researcher distinctive suppositions with a specific end goal to direct the specific proposed research concentrate effectively. However, it can be presumed that each of the three articles gives different data, data, raw numbers will help the researcher to play out the proposed research work. Commonwealth Games, 2016. Gold Coast 2018 I 4 - 15 April 2018. [Online] Available at: https://www.commonwealthgames.com.au/page/39/2018-gold-coast-games [Accessed 27 July 2016]. Fink, A., 2012. How to Conduct Surveys: A Step-by-Step Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide. United Kingdom: SAGE. Norris, G., 2016. Commonwealth Games set to boost tourist strip. [Online] Available at: https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/commonwealth-games-set-to-boost-tourist-strip/news-story/b3c8d65d69bdd34065b16323532f2072 [Accessed 27 July 2016]. Silverman, D., 2015. Interpreting Qualitative Data. United Kingdom : SAGE. Wetcher-Hendricks, D., 2014. Analyzing Quantitative Data: An Introduction for Social Researchers. United Kingdom : John Wiley and Sons. Alshenqeeti, H. (2014). Interviewing as a Data Collection Method: A Critical Review.  ELR, 3(1). Gionis, A. (2013). Data Analysis.  Data Science Journal, 12(0), pp.GRDI13-GRDI18. Masny, D. (2016). Problematizing Qualitative Research: Reading a Data Assemblage With Rhizoanalysis.  Qualitative Inquiry. Australia. (2006). Madrid: World Tourism Organization. Brasch, N. (2005).  The Commonwealth. Port Melbourne, Vic: Heinemann Library. Grand, S. and Jonas, W. (2012).  Mapping design research. Basel: BirkhaÃÅ'ˆuser. Mann, T. (2005).  The Oxford guide to library research. New York: Oxford University Press. Pei, J. (2013).  Advances in Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining. Berlin: Springer. Peile, E. (2010). Multi-method research; Multi-source feedback: pauci-impact data.  Education for Primary Care, 21(3), pp.139-140. Phillips, P. and Stawarski, C. (2008).  Data collection. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. Svarcas, A. and Cass, B. (2008).  Tourism Australia. Canberra, A.C.T.: Australian National Audit Office.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 132

Summary - Essay Example With the diversification of learner enrolment, it is evident that the teaching processes also needed to change. The combination of the traditional learning and online teaching-blended learning- has proven useful for the century’s teaching (Poon, 2013). Despite the challenges that come with the blended learning especially when it comes to online learning, this form of learning has been termed cost effective as lots of materials are placed online, and can be utilized over years depending on their suitability. Learners’ satisfaction has also been a major benefit of this form of learning. Poon (2013) says that lots of learners showed perseverance and dedication in the learning process. Other displayed critical thinking skills as opposed to the ones who were simply exposed to face-to-face learning. Conclusively, it is justified to argue that online learning has been greatly beneficial to the learning process as it has greatly boosted the â€Å"traditional† learning. Online learning has presented opportunities to embrace technology in the learning

2010 health care reform law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

2010 health care reform law - Essay Example Without being included in the exception, an individual that must be under coverage and remains without health insurance, faces the fine of $95 per adult and $47.50 per child (up to $285 per family) or 1.0% of the family income, whichever is greater† for this year and the fine increases annually (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014). This reiterates that information must be further disseminated and the need to encourage individual participation. The cooperation of employers is also an important aspect in the success of the program. They must be re-oriented of the policies contained in the law to aid them in choosing the best health insurance policy to implement. The dilemma of small employers and of those self-employed in higher income brackets who often wish to ignore it due to the financial burden it inflicts must be addressed. The tax credit system and the exchanges, federal or not, provide for choices that should keep them on track (Klein, 2012). Kaiser Family Foundation. (2014). The requirement to buy coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from http://kff.org/infographic/the-requirement-to-buy-coverage-under-the-affordable-care-act/ Klein, K.E. (2012, Oct. 4). What Obamacare means for small employers in 2013. Businessweek. Retrieved from

What I have learned from the study of Metaphysics Dissertation

What I have learned from the study of Metaphysics - Dissertation Example Before embarking on my journey of discovery in the study of metaphysics I was not very sure what to expect. I knew that it would give me an opportunity to explore new avenues, and I hoped that I would grow in maturity and understand more about life,but beyond that my expectations were quite vague. My first impression of the course was shock. I was surprised at the daunting list of books and articles that I was expected to read and understand. Somehow I had thought that there would be more thinking for myself and less reading of the work of other people. With practice, however, I have come to appreciate that a lot of time can be saved by learning what other people have thought about in the many centuries before it was my time to be on this planet. The best human minds of the past have taken the trouble to leave their insights for future generations, and this is a great gift. It took quite a long time, however, for me to learn how to make best use of this gift, so that it would have re al meaning in my life, and not just be a collection of titles on a shelf. One discovery which has been very important for me has been the realization that thought lies at the heart of our lives. When I was reading As a Man Thinketh by James Allen it was as if a curtain opened, and some things which I had sensed from a distance, suddenly became sharp and clear. I had already been quite familiar with the destructive effect that negative thoughts had been having on my life, and it has been a struggle sometimes to overcome fear and even panic. This text taught me that what goes on inside my head can also have good and positive effects, so long as I learn to channel the positive things in the world and have courage to take responsibility and control for my own actions, while leaving the things I cannot change to exist as they are. Most of the things that people are afraid of are due to bad experiences in the past, or stress in the present, and it was a valuable lesson for me to discover that mental attitude can have a big influence on shaping the way that the future unfolds. Reading a book such as The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling was an interesting experience for me, because it raised all sorts of questions about the sources that underpin most of the modern denominations of Christianity, and the different branches of Judaism, Islam and other world religions. I was intrigued, but not was entirely convinced by the authenticity of this material, but it caused me to wonder about how the scriptures that modern Christians use came to be in the form that they are. It was clear to me that large sections of the life of Jesus were not recorded there, and this means that the record has gaps. The missing teenage years are possibly very relevant to today’s world, but the traditional texts do not include them. I reflected on the combination of written texts, religious practices and personal experience of God that makes up modern Christianity, and this gave me a deeper understanding of how and why differences arise in the way that particular groups choose to live out their faith. Emphasis on one or other aspect can change the whole style of a religious group, and even cause major difference in items of doctrine. In the past I have been perplexed by this, but now I can see that it is very human for variations to creep in, and for multiple paths to be formed, leading in the same general direction. I am less worried about minor differences now, and can see that there is something to be gained in an appreciation of different perspectives. I do not think that any one group, or even any one religion, has the complete and absolute truth, and now I can see value in the differences. One thing that I will always be grateful for is the discovery that opening the mind can be a wonderful thing. Instead of looking down on some types of metaphysical belief and activity, like for example some of the more unusual features of â€Å"

Computer Sciences and Information Technology Essay - 3

Computer Sciences and Information Technology - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that the growth in the use of the Internet has resulted in the use of more multimedia components, which require greater network bandwidth and consequently new network considerations. Audio and video as multimedia components require large bandwidth for transmission, and therefore pose a very real threat to overloading the connections and hampering other transmissions in the process. The quagmire has led to the development of a technique to prevent the risk of network collapse through overload. TCP is presently the most popular end-to-end congestion control mechanism in use. From TCP transmission properties emerged TCP friendly transmission, a connection standard that ensures the integrity and reliability of the network amidst heavy usage for multimedia streaming transmissions. TCP is the most common congestion control mechanism over the Internet.As the essay highlights  most of the Internet traffic is TCP based, consequently, the need for congestion c ontrol protocols to be TCP friendly is indisputable. Therefore, the rate at which non-TCP flows send data should be as close as possible to the TCP rates, otherwise called TCP friendly. In summary, TCP friendly flow of streaming media is one that makes similar utilization of the network resources as a standard non-conforming TCP under similar circumstances. Real-time multimedia applications streaming over the internet usually require special network circumstances to avoid congestion, as they may consume large amounts of bandwidth and cause packet drops. (Wang, Long, Cheng and Zhang, 2000). TCP friendly flows offer a means of congestion control, allowing applications to make better use of the network, and prevent the uneventful network malfunction that results in the crippling congestive collapse in computer networks. Usually, UDP traffic, mainly for the transmission of stored streaming audio over the Internet, consumes higher than normal bandwidth, which poses a risk to other networ k connections (Wang et al, 2000). As such, UDP connections result in congestion in the networks, and unfairly interference with initially responsive TCP connections due to the greater load on the network resources. Consequently, UDP, a non-TCP protocol needs to adaptation to bandwidth control mechanisms to make it TCP-friendly, and therefore make similar use of network resources as the more regular TCP connections. There exist a number of congestive friendly mechanisms. For instance, end-to-end TCP friendly congestion control mechanism reduces the load on the network when packet drops occur (Wang et al, 2000). The end-to-end congestion control is useful for both responsive and unresponsive network flows. However, end-to-end TCP friendly congestion control can only detect congestion through delays and loss in data packets, which means that their reaction is usually too late. Alternatives that are more efficient include hop-by-hop congestion control, which are better at avoiding conge stion before it occurs (Wang et al, 200

Interpersonal Management Skills Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interpersonal Management Skills - Coursework Example Leaders are expected to understand personalities of the people they lead. Interpersonal intelligence helps a person to deal with their emotions. It enables people to appreciate what they feel. Once a person is able to understand what s/he is going through, s/he is able to make wise decisions. Such a person will in turn appreciate others who are living around him or her. With interpersonal intelligence, one can understand other people and properly respond to their feelings. Responding to others needs is achieved when one fully understands their emotions (Fabian, Not dated). Self management skills enable a person to be positive about other people. In such a case, a leader will take time to address concerns of other people. A good leader will take time to inspire workers through encouragement. This promotes confidence of other people and boosts their morale. People with a proper interpersonal intelligence will relate with others showing a lot of understanding and concern. Management ski lls like these are important because managers encounter many people who have different expectations. Interpersonal intelligence helps a person to get along with others well during interaction. ... This ensures that people are able to live without commotion while they are living together in an organization. Attributes of a person are shaped by intelligence of people if they are able to deal with each other and to control their emotions. Behaviours of people are modulated by their better understanding of their inner feelings. Personal intelligence is manifested in the implementation of thoughts a person has about a situation or a condition. Managers should learn intrapersonal and interpersonal management skills so that they can choose the words they can speak to specified people. These skills are effective because they determine the choice of thoughts to release as actions or words (Fabian, Not dated). Statements from emotional intelligence intrapersonal intelligence that can reflect my strengths are: first, I have emotional resilience; this means that I withstand pressure and stress if they befall me, I regain my strength and continue with life. I am in full control of my feeli ngs. Second, I have personal power, and I am personally effective in control of my behaviour. Through this ability, I can choose what to do and when to do it. My behaviour is manageable because I have ability to avoid what I do not think worthwhile. The third statement of emotional intelligence intrapersonal intelligence I can say about myself is that I am flexible. This helps me to adapt to changes in the environment in which I live in. Sometimes these changes in the environment may not be predicted. This statement is a manifestation that I can respond to changes without struggling to make consultation. For example, at one time I am expected to perform roles as a mother of my children and at some other times I am supposed to behave as a wife to someone. These roles I manage because

Family life education - stepfamily Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family life education - stepfamily - Assignment Example During the workshop, fliers come into play as handouts present a summary of the information to participants. In addition, visual aids employed assist the teaching process. Exercises and demonstrations allow the participants of the program to rehearse some techniques taught in the program on how members of the stepfamily ought to treat each other. The workshop’s lesson plan involves an introduction to the step family structure. Following the introduction, the program outlines challenges facing the system of blended families and offers various solutions. In addition, the workshop highlights various ways of enhancing peace and growth of a blended family. The inspiration of this program is the various problems facing stepfamilies and the need to assist such families within the community. The program’s conclusion comes after a day of analyzing the various problems facing stepfamilies. The program hopes to see such family members interact and get a platform to share their views openly. In addition, it targets to equip them with skill to co-exist together and most importantly adapt to the new family setting. With patience, respect and love, members of stepfamilies ought not to live in trouble. Instead, the family experiences love, peace and all members grow equally close. This only happens if each member gets to voice his or her issues without facing judgment. A family is a social unit that aggregates people related to each other through blood, marriage and or adoption. Family systems are diverse due to the different compositions of family units in today’s society. Among these systems exists the stepfamily setting. A stepfamily is a unit of related people whereby either one or both the adults in the new marriage or relationship brings into the family their children from a former relationship. (Gina, Jeanne & Lawrence, 2013) A simple stepfamily only involves one member of the couple having pre-existing children. However, according to Papernow,

Problem of Obesity Essay Example for Free

Problem of Obesity Essay Think about your classmates or schoolmates and try to describe them! Do it! Now count how many of them you described as FAT. You can always name one, cant you? At least I can. Obesity can cause a lot of disease like diabetes and high blood pressure, which may cause the overloading of Hong Kongs healthcare system. Thats what makes obesity not just a problem of patients but also a problem of the public. So, what causes obesity? Sure youve heard ‘being fat is cute and healthy and brings good luck from different TV programmers or even your parents or grannies. Thats one of the reasons why 13. 4% of boys and 10. 5% of girls between the ages of 6 and 18 are overweight. Adults, especially the old ones, love rewarding kids with snacks, usually the unhealthy one like chocolates, chips, etc. Not just obesity it caused, but also diabetes. These snacks contain a large amount of energy, sodium, and fat, which they get 35 – 45% calories from. Remember Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Yes, hes the fat boy who loves chocolate and ends up being sucked out of the chocolate river. Do you want yourself or your children look like Augustus? Sure nobody wants to look like Giant be? r, so stop rewarding them with snacks, but whole grains, vegetables, and fruit instead. Now, count the total time of your exercise in a week. I got about 120 minutes, what ? bout you? Less than 30 minutes? Youre just like most young people in Hong Kong. This is also the main cause of obesity. According to a survey make by HKU, 69% of local secondary school students dont do enough exercise to achieve health benefits from it and almost 20% got NO exercise at all and somehow they think they can maintain good health with little or no physical activity. Ridiculous isnt it? Or you have the same thought? Dr. Jack Hodgins from the Chinese university said that a large percentage of children have no exercise. He said that children were spending too much time on activities such as playing computer games and watching TV. Dr. Hodgins said young people ought to include more physical activity in their daily routines. Exercise was particularly important for young people because it helped to build and maintain strong bones and muscles. With too little exercise their bones and muscles would not develop properly. How many sit-ups can you do in 5 minutes? 10 years ago, children in Hong Kong can do 100, now they can only do 50. Children are becoming less and less fit. When youre not fit, your heart gets weaker and needs to work harder to keep your body going and if it has to work too hard for a long period of time, you can develop serious problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Dont let this happen to you! Keep fit! Stay healthy! We got lots of homework and exams; we got no time at all, students said. Well, no time is never a reason since WALKING IS ALSO A KIND OF EXERCISE. Walking home is quite a good way to do exercise if youre not living too far away from school Do you eat your breakfast every morning? Do you know that skipping breakfast is also a cause of getting fat? People who skipped breakfast usually become so hungry by mid-morning that they need to fill up on high-fat or high-sugar snacks and beverages. As a result, they consume too many calorie and gain weight. So dont forget to have a healthy breakfast every day. In conclusion, we should always have a healthy breakfast every morning, have a b? lanced diet, and, most importantly, do enough exercise so we can stay? way from obesity and diabetes.

Role of Clothing in Communication

Role of Clothing in Communication Clothing is a language, a nonverbal system of communication that through its symbols conveys much about the wearer to the viewer. Before people speak to one another, their clothing makes a statement that expresses their sex, age, class, occupation, origin and personality, as well as what they are or what they want to be at a particular moment. A businessperson is recognized in a well tailored suit. Fashion can suggest or signal status in a social group. Groups with high cultural status like to keep in fashion to display their position; people who do not keep in fashion within a so-called style tribe can risk shunning. Because keeping in fashion often requires considerable amounts of money, fashion can be used to show off wealth (compare conspicuous consumption). Adherence to fashion trends can thus form an index of social affluence and an indicator of social mobility. Humans often wear articles ofÂÂ  clothingÂÂ  (also known asÂÂ  Apparel,ÂÂ  dress,ÂÂ  garmentsÂÂ  orÂÂ  attire) on the body . In its broadest sense, clothing includes coverings for the trunk and limbs as well as coverings for hands (gloves), feet (shoes,ÂÂ  sandals,ÂÂ  boots), and head (hats,caps). Articles carried rather than worn (likeÂÂ  pursesÂÂ  and umbrellas) normally count as accessories rather than as clothing. Humans also decorate their bodies with makeup or cosmetics, perfume,ÂÂ  jewelryÂÂ  and other ornament; cut, dye, and arrange their head and body hair (hairstyle), and sometimes their skin (tattoo, scarifications, piercing). All these decorations contribute to the overall effect and message of clothing, but do not constitute clothing per se. People wear clothing for functional and/or social reasons. Clothing protects the body; it also delivers social messages to other humans. Function includes protection of the body against strong sunlight, extreme heat or cold, and precipitation; protection against insects, noxious chemicals, weapons, contact with abrasive substances in sum, against anything that might injure an unprotected human body. Humans have shown extreme inventiveness in devising clothing solutions to practical problems. See: armor,ÂÂ  diving suit, bee-keepers costume, motorcycle leathers,ÂÂ  high-visibility clothing. Social messages sent by clothing, accessories, and decorations can involve social status, occupation, ethnic and religious affiliation, marital status and sexual availability, etc. Humans must know the code in order to recognize the message transmitted. If different groups read the same item of clothing or decoration with different meanings, the wearer may provoke unanticipated responses. Social status: in many societies, people of high rank reserve special items of clothing or decoration for themselves. Only Roman emperors could wear garments dyeed with Tyrian purple; only high-ranking Hawaiian chiefs could wear feather cloaks and palaoa or carved whale teeth. In other societies, no laws prohibit lower-status people wearing high statusÂÂ  garments, but the high cost of status garments effectively limits purchase and display. In current Western society, only the rich can affordÂÂ  haute couture. The threat of social ostracism may also limit garment choice. Occupation: military, police, firefighters usually wearÂÂ  uniforms, as do workers in many industries. School-children often wearÂÂ  school uniforms, college and university students wear academic dress. Members of religious orders may wear uniforms known as habits. Sometimes a single item of clothing or a single accessory can declare ones occupation and/or status for example, the highÂÂ  toqueÂÂ  or chefs hat worn by a chief cook. Ethnic, political, and religious affiliation: In many regions of the world, styles in clothing and ornament declare membership in a certain village, caste, religion, etc. A Scotsman declares his clan with hisÂÂ  tartan; an Orthodox Jew his religion with his (non-clothing) sidelocks; a French peasant woman her village with her cap orÂÂ  coif. Clothes can also proclaim dissent from cultural norms and mainstream beliefs, as well as personal independence. In 19th century Europe, artists and writers livedÂÂ  la vie de Bohe meÂÂ  and dressed to shock: George Sand in mens clothing, female emancipationists in bloomers, male artists in velvet waistcoats and gaudy neckcloths. Bohemians, beatniks, hippies, Goths, and punks continued the ( counter-cultural) tradition in the 20th century West. Now thatÂÂ  haute coutureÂÂ  plagiarises street fashion within a year or so, street fashion may have lost some of its power to shock, but it still motivates millions trying to look hip and cool. People such as inventor Dean Kamen or film director Peter Jackson wear simple functional clothing to distance themselves from the establishment (and possibly to attract additional attention). Marital status: Hindu women, once married, wearÂÂ  sindoor, a red powder, in the parting of their hair; if widowed, they abandonÂÂ  sindoorÂÂ  and jewelry and wear simple white clothing. Men and women of the Western world may wear wedding rings to indicate their marital status. Sexual availability: Some clothing indicates the modesty of the wearer. For example, many Muslim women wear a head or body covering (hijab, bourqa orÂÂ  burka,ÂÂ  chador,ÂÂ  abaya) that proclaims their status as respectable women. Other clothing may indicate flirtatious intent. For example, a Western woman might wear extreme stiletto heels, close-fitting and body-revealing black or red clothing, exaggerated make-up, flashy jewelry and perfume to show sexual availability. What constitutes modesty and allurement varies radically from culture to culture, within different contexts in the same culture, and over time as differentÂÂ  fashionsÂÂ  rise and fall. Moreover, a person may choose to display a mixed message.ÂÂ  For example, a Saudi Arabian woman may wear anÂÂ  abayaÂÂ  to proclaim her respectability, but choose an abaya of luxurious material cut close to the body and then accessorize withÂÂ  high heelsÂÂ  and a fashionable purse. Al l the details proclaim sexual desirability, despite the ostensible message of respectability. Similarly, a Japanese schoolgirl may wear the required school uniform in a way (skirts waistband rolled to shorten the skirt, long sleeves rolled up) that says sexy schoolgirl rather than good girl.

Poverty and Charity in Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays

Poverty and Charity in Jane Eyre When Jane Eyre resided at Gateshead Hall, under the care of her aunt, Mrs. Reed, she yearned for a change. The treatment that she received at Gateshead Hall was cruel, unjust, and most importantly, lacked nurture. Jane wanted to escape Gateshead Hall and enter into a school. The school that was imposed upon Jane was Lowood Institution. Through her eight year stay at Lowood, Jane learned how to control her frustrations and how to submit to authority. After leaving Lowood Institution and taking the occupation as governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane realized that her experiences at Gateshead Hall and Lowood Institution had deeply rooted themselves into her personality. After departing Thornfield Hall, Jane wandered about as a vagabond. Arriving at Whitcross, Jane was starving, cold, and in need of help. It is St. John Rivers who aids in helping Jane back to health. Through her experiences at Gateshead Hall, Lowood Institution, and Whitcross, Jane Eyre becomes the recipient of the positive and negative aspects of the New Poor Law depicted by Charlotte Bronte in nineteenth-century England. Under the care of Mrs. Reed, Jane's aunt, Jane is treated as though she is a "wicked and abandoned child" (60; ch. 4). Her "father had been a poor clergyman" (58; ch. 3) and both her parents died from typhus fever. She was given to her motherà ­'s sister-in-law in "promise of Mrs. Reed that she would rear and maintain her as one of her own children" (48; ch. 2). Jane is treated just the opposite. She entered into Gateshead Hall, the residence of the Reeds, in hopes of being brought up a civil and well-nurtured child. Instead, Jane is treated as a subservient child who is abused not only by Mrs. Reed, but also by h... ...cation at Lowood, she still "desired liberty" (117; ch. 10). After searching for a job, Jane realized she was once "an outcast, a beggar, and a vagrant" (387; ch. 31). She becomes grateful for the charity and job as a teacher that Mr. St. John Rivers bestowed upon her. The charity that Mr. Rivers showed towards Jane exemplified the kind of philanthropy that Charlotte Bronte depicted as being genuine; on the other hand, the kinds of treatment that Jane received at Gateshead Hall and Lowood Institution were the types of charity that were governed by the New Poor Law administrators. In Charlotte Bronte's novel, Jane Eyre, she clearly illustrated how she viewed charity and philanthropy under the ruling of the New Poor Law. Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Penguin Books Ltd.: 1996. (Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Mason).

Restricting the Production, Distribution, and Sale of Pornography in Ca

Many women have been mistreated at one point or another in their lives.   This form of abuse assumes many forms and is not always visible to the naked eye.   One of these such hardships that women of the 20th century have had to face is the struggle for equality.   In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms affords women full equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of the law.1   But yet, this society openly contributions to the production, sale, and distribution of pornography which implies that women are second class citizens.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Destroying these stereotypes which portray women as slaves, objects, toys, and mindless, sex-driven beings must be accomplished in order for women to attain true equality.   The censorship of pornography is not in violation of the Freedom of Expression guaranteed in section 2 (b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms since pornography drastically compromises a woman's right to equal treatment as was pro ven by the R v. Butler ruling of 1992, it makes those portrayed in pornography subject to acts of violence, and it corrupts the moral fiber of society. During the 1960's and 70's, North America saw the rise of a counterculture movement which instigated societal change.   During this time period, the Women's Liberation movement was able to establish females as being equal to males in virtually every aspect.   It is this movement that educated society about the role of women in society being equal to the role of man.   Many people however, now consider that women's liberation has been achieved;   but this is far from the case.   Despite being officially recognised as contributing members of society (achieved in 1982 with the final draft of the Constitution Act), as section 28 of... ... 11 Ibid.   Pg. 793 12 Ibid.   Pg. 793 13 Ibid.   Pg.   793 14 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum.   Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace.   Pg. 51 15 Ibid.   Pg. 52 16 Ibid.   Pg. 52 17 Kaihla, Paul.   Sex and the Law.   MacLean's.   Pg. 31 18 Statistics obtained from Angus Reid Website.   See Works Cited List 19 Ibid. 20 Orr, Lisa.   Censorship:   Opposing Viewpoints   Pg. 186 21 Ibid.   Pg. 191 22 Ellen Harris, Lesley.   Highlights of Bill C-128 - Child Pornography 23 Kaihla, Paul.   Sex and the Law.   MacLean's.   Pg. 32 24 Ibid.   Pg. 32 25 Ibid.   Pg. 33 26 Ibid.   Pg. 33 27 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum.   Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace   Pg. 52 28 Ibid.   Pg. 52 29 Canadian Government Report.   Report of the Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution. 30 Ibid.    Restricting the Production, Distribution, and Sale of Pornography in Ca Many women have been mistreated at one point or another in their lives.   This form of abuse assumes many forms and is not always visible to the naked eye.   One of these such hardships that women of the 20th century have had to face is the struggle for equality.   In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms affords women full equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of the law.1   But yet, this society openly contributions to the production, sale, and distribution of pornography which implies that women are second class citizens.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Destroying these stereotypes which portray women as slaves, objects, toys, and mindless, sex-driven beings must be accomplished in order for women to attain true equality.   The censorship of pornography is not in violation of the Freedom of Expression guaranteed in section 2 (b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms since pornography drastically compromises a woman's right to equal treatment as was pro ven by the R v. Butler ruling of 1992, it makes those portrayed in pornography subject to acts of violence, and it corrupts the moral fiber of society. During the 1960's and 70's, North America saw the rise of a counterculture movement which instigated societal change.   During this time period, the Women's Liberation movement was able to establish females as being equal to males in virtually every aspect.   It is this movement that educated society about the role of women in society being equal to the role of man.   Many people however, now consider that women's liberation has been achieved;   but this is far from the case.   Despite being officially recognised as contributing members of society (achieved in 1982 with the final draft of the Constitution Act), as section 28 of... ... 11 Ibid.   Pg. 793 12 Ibid.   Pg. 793 13 Ibid.   Pg.   793 14 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum.   Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace.   Pg. 51 15 Ibid.   Pg. 52 16 Ibid.   Pg. 52 17 Kaihla, Paul.   Sex and the Law.   MacLean's.   Pg. 31 18 Statistics obtained from Angus Reid Website.   See Works Cited List 19 Ibid. 20 Orr, Lisa.   Censorship:   Opposing Viewpoints   Pg. 186 21 Ibid.   Pg. 191 22 Ellen Harris, Lesley.   Highlights of Bill C-128 - Child Pornography 23 Kaihla, Paul.   Sex and the Law.   MacLean's.   Pg. 32 24 Ibid.   Pg. 32 25 Ibid.   Pg. 33 26 Ibid.   Pg. 33 27 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum.   Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace   Pg. 52 28 Ibid.   Pg. 52 29 Canadian Government Report.   Report of the Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution. 30 Ibid.   

Regional Band Competition :: Example Personal Narratives

Regional Band Competition The situation was insane. Not only did I have to make time in the busy schedule of my junior year to take a few days off from school to attend the District One East High School Band Festival, but I actually had to audition to get a decent seat. Don't get me wrong; I was thrilled about attending. I just wasn't looking forward to having to make up two day's worth of schoolwork. For once, I would be attending a festival where the seating arrangement wasn't based on how fast you could sprint to the stage from your seat in the auditorium, but on how talented of a musician you were. And the music for the audition? Amazingly difficult. I knew many of the other students from other competitions and festivals, so I was familiar with their talent and ability. Based on that knowledge, I decided that I had no chance of placing higher in the rankings than, say, a jar of mayonnaise. After diligently practicing - or cramming - the night before the audition, I felt I was as prepared as I'd ever be. Out of all the pieces we were given for the audition, my friends and I had narrowed it down to a few choices that the judges would most likely pick for the try-outs. From the three or four that we picked, we determined that the hardest song was Gustav Holst's "Second Suite in F." Fortunately, this song was one that I was familiar with already from concert band. I felt somewhat confident about the audition, but managed to convince myself that I'd be ecstatic if I placed any higher than last chair. I didn't even dream of placing high enough to be selected for Regional Band. The students with the highest scores at the District festivals were chosen to advance to the Regional competition. The first night of the District Band Festival, held at Yough Senior High School, took place on the evening of January 19, 2000. Cramming seven Hempfield students and one tuba into a mini-yellow bus, which we dubbed "The Sped Sled," we trekked through the blustery winter weather to the school. Surprisingly enough, we were early, giving us all a little more time to relax, warm-up, or practice music.

My Experience in Jaffna

My experience in Jaffna. – Sandarangi Perera. For three long decades Sri Lanka was torn apart by a malicious war between the country’s majority and minority. This war made the northern part of the country inaccessible to most of us; its citizens. I myself thought that the people, culture and beauty of Jaffna and its surrounding areas would forever remain a mystery to me. However once the war ended the north opened its doors for the rest of the island to come witness all it has to offer.Even with this great opportunity at my grasp, yet I was not capable of visiting northern Sri Lanka as I simply never had the chance to. Luckily this chance was given to my fellow college mates and me by our college, the chance to see and experience the post war north. After much planning, excitement and enthusiasm we set off to Jaffna hoping to gain new experiences, to learn new lessons and to make memories as young individuals aspiring to be future journalists. Our purpose of going to Ja ffna was to collect information that was needed to write the stories that each of us were assigned.The general topic assigned to the particular group that I belonged to was â€Å"agriculture†, and we were given the full freedom to choose a story we preferred under that wide topic. The task was to choose a story which has a news value. I instantly decided on writing my story about the grape cultivation in Jaffna, considering my love for the fruit and my curiosity about the process of its cultivation. On my first day in Jaffna I arranged an interview with a few government officers at the Ministry of Agriculture Northern Province. The interview was rather successful and proved to be both knowledgeable and interesting.I learned much about the history of grape cultivation in Jaffna, its plight during the war, its status after the war, the different typed of grape fruit grown in Jaffna, the problems and threats faced by the farmers and last but not least the future plans and goals set for the growth of the grape farming industry in Jaffna. Day two and three were spent visiting grape farms and interviewing the farmers to gain a much more practical knowledge about the cultivation of grapes. I must say that the grape farms we visited were by far one of the most beautiful things that I have ever witnessed.Entering each grape farm felt like walking into a land that simply was far away from Jaffna. Greenery was rare in the North. The long stretched roads often had nothing but brown, open and empty lands on either side that often felt quite dead. These farms were the absolute opposite. Every inch of the mesh above our heads was covered with light green grape vines that blocked away the scorching sun that we could not flee from the rest of the time. What looked lovelier than the grape vines themselves were the grape fruit hanging from them.Standing under those vines I couldn’t help but feel happy and refreshed. One grape farmer that I spoke to expressed to me how growing grapes was very much similar to bringing up a child. He spoke of the dedication, caring and nurturing it took to maintaining a grape farm. There were many traditions and rules entwined with this trade, there was a specific way in which every move was to be made and this made it seem to me that grape cultivation was more of an art than a business and the farmers also went on to say that sadly it is an art that is slowly dying.Our third day in Jaffna was spent visiting onion farms and Palmyra plantations and other industries related to the Palmyra plant such as handicrafts and food and drink items made out of it. Out of the places visited on that day one place in particular that I found to be interesting was a small-scale workshop where Palmyra handicrafts were made. There were about five to six women there who were weaving pretty and colourful baskets and bags and on display were the most delicate little ornaments made from various parts of the Palmyra tree.These women ma de weaving look rather easy as they sat there, smoothly and artistically moving their fingers creating beautiful patterns. Being a crafter myself I wanted to sit with them and try weaving, and so I did. An elderly woman offered to show me how it was done and I tried to grasp as much as I could by watching her fast moving fingers and yet when I tried to weave I failed miserably. I discovered that it wasn’t nearly as easy as they made it seem to be, yet it was quite the enjoyable experience to try anyway.Along with our busy schedules, tweeting, blogging and all the other work assigned to us we still found time to experience the beauty of Jaffna while at work. Many of the places we visited, such as the Jaffna library and religious sites had a certain calmness and beauty about them that I had not experienced prior to that. I found this experience to be one that educated me much about the practical aspects of being a journalist; making contacts, setting appointments and interviews , researching into stories and their details, checking and crosschecking, finding reliable sources, team work and so on.These lessons could not have been taught to any of us in a better way, therefore I believe I speak for all of my college mates when I say our field trip to Jaffna was a priceless experience in more ways than one. The open blue skies, the beaches, the breeze, the late nights and early mornings, the joyous moments shared with friends, the delicious food, the traditions and culture of the north and more than anything the kind people of the north have been etched into my memory never to be forgotten; and this was my experience in Jaffna.

Provides the following

A Study Guide, which provides the following: a. An orientation of each chapter, along with an outline of the important topics being addressed. B. Sample problems for the student to complete, with the worked-out solutions. C. Self-test questions (true/false and multiple choice) with answers. D. A tutorial on understanding the internal rate of return. E. An In-depth self-teaching supplement on capital-budgeting techniques. 2. Companion Website online study gulled for the student Includes true/false, multiple hooch, and short answer quizzes for each chapter.From my. Prenatal. Com/shown students can also access the Internet exercises, current events articles with questions, and Excel spreadsheets for the end-of-chapter problems. For the teacher: 1. A Test Item File provides more than 1600 multiple-choice, true/false, and short- answer questions with complete and detailed answers. It is designed for use with the Prentice Hall Custom Test, a computerized package that allows users to custom design, save, and generate classroom exams. 2. Companion Website provides academic support for faculty adopting this text.From the www. Prenatal. Com/shown text website, you can download supplements and lecture aids such as instructor's manuals, lecture notes, Powering presentations, problems and case solutions, and chapter outlines. Register online or call your Prentice Hall sales representative to get the necessary surname and password to access these detail supplements or contact Prentice Hall Sales directly at 3. Powering lecture notes. These Powering graphics provide individual lecture outlines to accompany Foundations of Finance.These lectures are class tested and can be used as is or easily modified to reflect your specific presentation needs. 4. Color transparencies for the primary chapters of the text, including a brief overview of the chapter, some of the exhibits in the text, and example problems that are useful in lectures. 5 Excel spreadsheet solutions to end-of-chapte r problems downloaded from www. Prenatal. Com/shown. For any teacher wanting information about the supplements, please contact the Prentice-Hall field representative for your area. Also, feel free to call any of the authors with any questions you may have.By calceolaria e. An in-depth self-teaching supplement on capital-budgeting techniques. 2. Companion Website online study guide for the student includes true/false, multiple choice, and short answer quizzes for each chapter. From www. Prenatal. Com/shown students can also access the internet exercises, current events articles with the necessary surname and password to access these digital supplements or contact Prentice Hall Sales directly at [email  protected] Com. 3. Powering as is or easily modified to reflect your specific presentation needs.

Red Lake High School Shooting Essay

Jeffrey James â€Å"Jeff† Weise was an Ojibwe Native American adolescent, and a student at Red Lake Senior High School in Red Lake, Minnesota. He killed nine people and wounded five others in a shooting spree on March 21, 2005, when he was just 16 years old. Weise first murdered his grandfather and grandfather’s girlfriend at his trailer home in Red Lake. He then shot and killed an unarmed security guard, a teacher and five students at Red Lake Senior High School. The shooting ended when Weise committed suicide. Research shows that Jeff was a strange young man, interested in Gothic things black clothing and Nazism, but a look a little further into his past led to a few interesting revelations. Jeff’s parents were never married, because his mother was only 17 when she gave birth. She was forced to give Jeff to his father when he was three months old. Then when he was two his mother took him back. She was reportedly an abusive alcoholic with a tendency to both physically and emotionally abuse her first born son. In 1997 Jeff’s father committed suicide after a two day standoff with police. Then in 1999 his mother suffered brain damage after a car accident in which she had been drinking and driving. Jeff was then placed in the care of his grandmother at the Red Lake Reservation. Jeff did not have the right start in life. His parents should have been older and more ready for a child when he was born. They also should have been married. Jeff also should have had a more stable home life as an infant. It is doubtful that he had a firm attachment with his mother or father considering that he was passed between them at 3 months old and 2 years old. He also should not have been physically or emotionally abused. His mother failed him in that aspect and the fact that she was an alcoholic makes it even worse. It is also doubtful that Jeff dealt with his father’s suicide in a healthy way. He did not have the support that he should have had from his mother. By the time he got to his grandmother’s care he had already led a very difficult life. This ties in to every chapter that we have discussed so far. It refers to attachment, abuse, adolescence and everything. It all goes back to the first thing we talked about that said when parents fail to give their child a good start in life everybody suffers, as is the case with the families of Jeff’s victims.

Fiscal and Monetary Policy- the Response of Global Economic Crisis Especially in Eu Essay

Fiscal and Monetary policy- The response of global economic crisis especially in EU Introduction Monetary and fiscal authorities across the globe have responded quickly and decisively to these extraordinary developments. In particular, against the background of rapidly receding inflationary pressures and risks, the Euro system has taken monetary policy and liquidity management measures that were unprecedented in nature, scope and timing. Since October last year they reduced the interest rate on the main refinancing operations. They also provided unlimited liquidity support to the banking system in the euro area to maintain the flow of credit. Governments in the euro area have reacted swiftly to stabilize the financial system and to counteract the adverse impact of the financial crisis on the real economy. Both monetary and fiscal authorities will need to remain credible and effective, and to fulfill their respective responsibilities. In so doing, they will lay solid foundations for future economic recovery and long-term economic growth and job creation. The crisis has shown how important it is to have an independent central bank firmly committed to the objective of price stability. At the same time, governments must make a strong and credible commitment to a path of fiscal consolidation and thus comply with the Stability and Growth Pact. But they must also resist the temptation to further increase the size of the stimulus measures, as this could erode trust in the sustainability of public finances and undermine the effectiveness of the measures already adopted. Global economic situation The financial markets, which was triggered by a systematic under-pricing of risk, particularly in the US sub-prime mortgage market, has now developed into a fully-fledged financial and economic crisis at global level. While the world economy continues to face a severe and synchronized downturn, recent international business confidence indicators suggest that the pace of the decline in economic activity is slowing down somewhat. Most forecasters expect that the global economy is likely to recover in 2010. The economic prospects remain fraught with uncertainty. Compared with a few months ago, overall risks to global economic growth have become more balanced. A stronger positive confidence effect than expected triggered by the monetary and fiscal policy measures could lead to a more sustained recovery in global demand and in global trade, and a quicker normalization of financial market and credit conditions. If global policy actions fail to strike an appropriate balance between economic stimulus and longer-term sustainability, financial market conditions could turn unfavorable again. Global inflation rates have continued to diminish rapidly. This is mainly due to lower commodity prices, weaker labour market conditions and greater global economic slack. Risks to global inflation seem to be broadly balanced in the short to medium term. Inflation risks depend on how efficiently the authorities withdraw the policy stimulus. Euro activity In global developments, economic activity in the euro area has also contracted sharply since the second half of 2008. The euro area economy has shrunk by about 4% over the past two quarters, the worst decline since the start of Economic and Monetary Union. For the current quarter, there is evidence that the economy has shrunk further, though at a slower pace. The economy is no longer in free fall; we are seeing the first signs of stabilization. Indicators of consumer confidence and business sentiment have continued to improve somewhat. We are also seeing some encouraging signs of normalization in financial markets. The euro area economy is likely to be very weak for the remainder of past year. The real GDP growth are broadly in line with the most recent forecasts from the IMF and the European Commission. Both institutions expect the euro area economy to contract by 4% or more in 2009, followed by a gradual recovery in 2010. The projected gradual recovery reflects the significant macroeconomic stimulus under way and the measures taken to make the financial system function normally both inside and outside the euro area. Euro price development Inflation in the euro area has declined rapidly since it reached its highest level, 4%, last summer. In May, The decline over this period is primarily  due to the marked fall in global commodity prices, and particularly oil prices. Inflation rates are likely to enter negative territory during the summer, but we expect them to turn positive by the end of 2009. This can largely be explained by base effects from energy prices. These effects are of no concern to the ECB, which aims to maintain price stability in the medium term. In other words, its monetary policy strategy aims to ensure that short-term volatility in inflation rates does not lead to volatility in long-term inflation expectations. It is reinforced by the anticipation that prices will decline further in the future. As a consequence, inflation expectations become disanchored and negative, and firms and households may decide to postpone investments and major purchases. Medium-term inflation expectations remain well anchored at levels consistent with price stability, low or negative inflation rates for a short period of time may help to sustain real income and may therefore stimulate spending. But even if inflation rates to turn positive again by the end of this year, the weak economic outlook for the euro area is expected to keep domestic price pressures contained for some time. Monetary and financing conditions Financing conditions in the euro area, external financing costs have been declining since October last year, and particularly sharply since the start of this year. Following policy interest rate cuts, bank lending rates have fallen significantly. This indicates that the pass-through mechanism from policy rates to the real economy has continued to function in recent months, even though there is evidence that banks’ margins have widened. With credit spreads across all rating classes decreasing from their record highs and with stock prices rising, the overall cost of financing for euro area non-financial corporation’s is diminishing. In general, the recent positive signs from financial markets point to a gradual improvement in confidence among investors. Monetary policy The ECB has acted in a timely, decisive and appropriate manner since the start of the financial market. When the escalating financial crisis led to a rapid decline of inflationary pressures. The interest rate on the main refinancing operations now stands at 1.0%, its lowest level since the launch  of the euro. This level is appropriate taking into account all information and analyses. Money market rates have fallen even further to record lows, and the loan interest rates charged by banks have declined. Substantive monetary policy easing is already being felt in the real economy. In addition to lowering the policy interest rate quickly and sharply, we have resorted to highly non-standard liquidity operations in order to provide the financial system with the liquidity that was so urgently needed. Last October, They adopted a ‘fixed-rate full allotment’ procedure in all their open market operations. This gives banks as much central bank liquidity as they want at our key policy interest rate, against an expanded list of eligible collateral. Coupled with the fact that essentially all financially sound euro area credit institutions can participate in the Euro system’s refinancing operations, these measures have significantly eased the banks’ balance sheet constraints, thereby avoiding a sudden stop in the supply of credit and the emergence of a systemic crisis. Policy measures Both monetary and fiscal policy-makers have reacted in a forceful and timely manner, aiming to restore confidence. And indeed, as regards the Euro system’s monetary policy and liquidity management measures. Confidence has returned to financial markets, and business surveys are picking up. Global and domestic demand to increasingly benefit from the significant economic stimulus and the measures taken so far to bring the financial system back to normal functioning. Fiscal policy measures Fiscal authorities in the euro area have demonstrated their willingness and capacity to act rapidly and in a coordinated manner in exceptional circumstances. It is important to distinguish between measures intended to support the banking sector and fiscal policy measures aimed at stimulating demand. Support for the banking sector Government support for the banking sector was necessary; it has safeguarded the stability of the financial system. The price of this success, however, is that governments have incurred substantial fiscal costs and credit risks that are ultimately borne by taxpayers. Following the adoption of a  concerted European action plan on 12 October 2008, euro area governments announced national measures to support the banking sector. These measures consist of government guarantees for interbank lending, recapitalization of financial institutions in difficulty, increase the coverage of retail deposit insurance and asset relief schemes. Overall, euro area governments committed about 23% of euro area GDP to financial sector support measures. For the euro area, the various support measures adopted so far are expected to have only a small direct impact on government deficits, whereas the impact on debt is expected to be about 3% of GDP. Finally, contingent liabilities related to the financial rescue measures are expected to be about 8% of GDP, excluding government guarantees on retail deposits. These figures, however, do not reflect the very different developments taking place across euro area countries. Rising long-term government bond yields may only have a gradual impact on government borrowing costs, as changes in interest rates only affect the cost of newly issued debt and debt at variable interest rates. However, they may signal both a reduced willingness on the part of investors to provide long-term funding as well as difficulty in accessing capital market funds. So far, most euro area countries have enjoyed relatively low interest rates on new government debt issuance, despite facing considerably more difficult market conditions. Looking ahead, as the economy recovers and competition for financing increases, governments may face higher bond yields again. Use of fiscal policy In addition to providing financial support to the banking sector, euro area governments reacted forcefully to counter the negative impact of the financial turmoil on the real economy. Besides the operation of automatic stabilizers, which provide a significant cushion to the euro area economy by way of lower tax revenues and higher spending on unemployment benefits, the discretionary use of fiscal policy helped to mitigate the effects of the global economic downturn. However, fiscal stimulus measures need to remain temporary and be combined with measures that ensure fiscal sustainability over the medium run. This will preserve trust in the sustainability of public finances and support both the recovery and long-term economic growth. While the recent coordinated fiscal loosening has been broadly accepted as a legitimate and necessary step in the short run, given the exceptional economic circumstances, it also entails a significant fiscal burden. The latest available economic point to dramatic developments in euro area public finances. In addition to a rapidly deteriorating general government deficit, which is expected to be above 6% of euro area GDP in 2010, the euro area debt ratio will increase by about 15 percentage points to above 80% of GDP by 2010. These figures are very high, though they compare favorably with other major economic regions that have also provided a substantial fiscal impulse to their economy. The budget deficit in both the United Kingdom and the United States is projected to be about 14% of GDP in 2010. Against this backdrop, euro area countries must reject calls for additional fiscal loosening. In the current environment, any further fiscal stimulus is likely to be counterproductive as it could hamper the economic recovery in two ways. First of all, even higher fiscal deficits could fuel market concerns about a country’s ability to meet its future debt obligations, thus putting upward pressure on interest rates. Second, increasing budget deficits would also raise concerns about a higher tax burden in the future, thus inducing consumers to save rather than spend any additional income. The financial sector support measures, combined with the Euro system’s enhanced credit support measures, were successful in safeguarding the stability of the financial system. Together, these initiatives have the potential to tackle the crisis of confidence at its root also by taking into account the fundamental role of the banking sector in the functioning of the economy. The restructuring of the banking sector is the top policy priority, and progress in this domain is the key to economic recovery. Given the challenges which lie ahead, banks should take appropriate measures to strengthen their capital base and, where necessary, take full advantage of government support and in particular recapitalization measures. Fiscal policy can contribute to macroeconomic stability also through discretionary actions. When assessing the merits of the different measures  taken, we should differentiate between measures such as (1) expenditure increases and (2) tax cuts, and (3) measures like guarantees and loan subsidies to specific sectors of the economy. Moreover, this type of support would be difficult to reverse and might act as a brake on long-term growth. Turning to the effectiveness of fiscal measures to stimulate demand (spending increases and tax cuts), it crucially depends on the behavior of economic agents, and that in turn also affects the size of the fiscal multipliers (the GDP effect of fiscal stimulus measures). The expectation that higher government spending today may lead to higher taxation in the future would induce both households and firms to save rather spend any additional income, thus reducing the size of the fiscal multiplier. Therefore, the public perception of overall fiscal sustainability plays an important role in the impact of the respective national fiscal stimuli. The effectiveness of fiscal stimulus measures also depends on the extent to which private investors respond positively to tax policy, with their investments likely to be more responsive in the case of ‘temporary’ tax breaks, as they provide an incentive to bring forward future investment plans. At the same time, there is a risk that fisc al stimulus measures may crowd out private investment by putting upward pressure on interest rates. Fiscal stimulus measures should be ‘timely, temporary and targeted’. ‘Timely’ means that the measures take effect when they are needed; any delays in assessing the cyclical situation, in taking decisions and implementing the measures may fail to prevent a drop in output. ‘Temporary’ implies that the fiscal impulse should only last as long as the recession in question. ‘Targeted’ relates to the expected size of the multiplier effect. In addition to these ‘TTT’ criteria, the measures should be consistent with other policy objectives such as fiscal sustainability, long-term economic growth and the functioning of the market mechanism. Implications of policy measures The current crisis has increased the role of the government in the economy. Some bank rescue operations have involved outright nationalizations, so governments now have significant exposure to the financial sector. Similarly, the large fiscal stimuli packages adopted by many countries have led to a large increase in the size of the public sector in the economy. At the same time, the turmoil is being interpreted by some as a crisis of the market economy. It has encouraged critics of the market economy to speak out and demand a much larger role in the economy for governments.The financial system clearly needs a fundamental overhaul. Financial institutions have to take a different approach and adopt appropriate incentives. We need to strengthen the regulation of the financial system, and in particular, we must improve the international cooperation between national supervisors of the financial sector. But the policy-makers must not get carried away by recent events; they should act in a measured way, and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. While governments have had no alternative but to support systemically relevant financial institutions, they should, as a rule, keep their assistance to specific sectors or firms to a minimum. And when they do intervene, they should prepare clear and credible exit strategies. No matter how serious the current crisis is, the market economy remains the best way to organize our economic affairs. An exit strategy is a comprehensive programmed to withdraw and neutralize measures taken during the financial crisis, without causing any harm to the economy. If they have no well-defined exit strategy, governments may get bogged down and the positive impact of the measures taken may be undermined. A well thought-out exit strategy is needed to reassure economic agents that a timely restoration of the level playing field in the different sectors of the economy is the ultimate objective. As such, an exit strategy needs to contain clear criteria about the timing of the withdrawal of the financial support and the reversal of the fiscal stimuli. Euro area governments did not lay out clear exit strategies when they announced the stimuli. Some of their measures do not expire automatically or are not explicitly designed to be temporary. The possible difficulties of reversing the fiscal stimulus packages may hinder the return to sound fiscal positions in the short run. Under these circumstances, the peer pressure mechanism, on which the EU fiscal framework is based, may be weakened thus  making more difficult a return to sound fiscal policies. As a matter of fact, countries with high fiscal deficits may be tempted not to put political pressure on their peers. Protracted excessive deficits may undermine the credibility of the EU fiscal framework, thus casting doubts on fiscal sustainability and jeopardizing the Stability and Growth Pact. The current crisis has taught us an important lesson about the importance of preserving the public’s trust in the soundness of public finances. At the current juncture, euro area governments must make credible commitments to return to sound fiscal policies. Doing so in full compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact is the most credible exit strategy. This requires, first, a full reversal of the fiscal stimulus measures taken so far. This is necessary to ensure an efficient allocation of resources by minimizing distortions in the incentives of economic agents and by avoiding a permanent increase in the size of the public sector. Second, governments must live up to their commitment to maintain fiscal discipline. This means that credible fiscal consolidation plans have to be implemented as early as possible, including a consolidation effort of at least 1% of GDP per annum where necessary. Understanding the monetary policy from the crisis The current crisis demonstrates, once again, how important it is for central banks to remain independent of political influence. Even if we are experiencing the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, long-term inflation expectations in the euro area remain solidly anchored in line with the ECB’s definition of price stability. Although central banks may be charged with additional tasks in the aftermath of the crisis, their primary objective must remain the maintenance of price stability. We cannot allow any conflicts of interest to arise. The high-level expert group headed by Jacques de Larosià ¨re, former Governor of the Bank of France and Managing Director of the IMF, has identified a number of weaknesses in the supervisory framework both inside and outside Europe that contributed to the build-up of the current crisis. The important role played by monetary analysis – and in particular the role of asset prices – when assessing the risks to price stability over the  medium term. Price stability is our primary objective, but this does not imply that we only focus on short to medium-term movements in inflation. Any build-up of financial imbalances which could pose risks to price stability in the longer term could be overlooked under a restrictive short-term approach. The ECB’s assessment of risks to price stability is well equipped to detect these types of risk as it is based on a comprehensive economic and monetary analysis – its well-known two-pillar strategy. The first pillar, the economic analysis, is common to most central banks. This analysis basically consists of identifying risks to price stability in the short to medium term by analyzing the interplay between aggregate supply and aggregate demand in the economy. The second pillar, the monetary analysis, plays a more prominent role at the ECB than at other central banks. The ECB pays special attention to monetary developments in recognition of the fact that monetary growth and inflation are closely related in the medium to long term. Analyzing developments in credit, and in particular loans to the private sector, is helpful in extracting the relevant signals from the monetary developments. This analysis also implies a regular monitoring of asset price developments and their implications. This analysis will become even more prominent in the future. Conclusion The fiscal and monetary authorities have responded forcefully and their efforts are slowly starting to bear fruit. The pace of the economic contraction appears to be slowing down, and confidence indicators have improved somewhat. The crisis has highlighted the importance of sound public finances. Governments need to consolidate during good economic times in order to have room for man oeuvre during not-so-good times. With respect to monetary policy, the crisis has demonstrated the importance of having an independent central bank credibly committed to price stability. The fiscal and monetary authorities have an important role in sustaining the economic recovery. Governments must devise and enact credible strategies to exit from the banking sector and to ensure that the discretionary policy measures adopted during the crisis will be reversed. Their full compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact is the best tool to solidly anchor market expectations. Most importantly, we will continue to deliver on what we are expected to deliver, which is to maintain price stability, and to provide an anchor of confidence in difficult times. The current crisis has shown how important it is for countries to consolidate during good economic times and to build a ‘fiscal reservoir’ from which they can draw in periods of ‘drought’. Many euro area countries failed to do so. They suddenly found themselves in this turbulent environment burdened by high fiscal deficits and debt ratios. As regards monetary policy, it is equally important to draw up a strategy for withdrawing in due course the extraordinary measures that have been implemented or announced. The ECB obviously cannot maintain the current degree of support indefinitely. We are providing substantial short-term support to the financial system and the real economy, and thereby ultimately maintaining price stability. In fact, we are prepared to take appropriate actions once the macroeconomic environment improves. We will ensure that the measures taken can be quickly unwound and the liquidity provided absorbed. This includes, for instance, unwinding the increase in the average maturity of our refinancing operations. Being prepared to exit from our non-standard measures – as soon as the macroeconomic conditions justify such a move – helps to maintain price stability over the medium term and to ensure a firm anchoring of longer-term inflation expectations. References Alan Auerbach and Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2012a, â€Å"Measuring the Output Responses to Fiscal Policy,†American Economic Journal: Economic Policy,  Alan Auerbach and Yuriy Gorodnichenko, 2012b, â€Å"Fiscal Multipliers in Recession and Expansion,† NBER Chapters, in Fiscal Policy after the Financial Crisis, edited by Alberto Alesina and Francesco Giavazzi (University of Chicago Press). Rà ¼diger Bachmann and Eric Sims, 2012, Confidence and the transmission of government spending shocks,† Journal of Monetary Economics Blanchard, O. and R. 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