The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Two

Elena was surrounded the instant she stepped into the high school parking lot. Everyone was there, the whole crowd she hadn't seen since late June, plus four or five hangers-on who hoped to gain popularity by association. One by one she accepted the welcoming hugs of her own group. Caroline had grown at least an inch and was slinkier and more like aVogue model than ever. She greeted Elena coolly and stepped back again with her green eyes narrowed like a cat's. Bonnie hadn't grown at all, and her curly red head barely came up to Elena's chin as she flung her arms around Elena. Wait a minute-curls? thought Elena. She pushed the smaller girl back. â€Å"Bonnie! What did you do to your hair?† â€Å"Do you like it? I think it makes me look taller.† Bonnie fluffed up the already fluffy bangs and smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement, her little heart-shaped face alight. Elena moved on. â€Å"Meredith. You haven't changed at all.† This hug was equally warm on both sides. She had missed Meredith more than anyone, Elena thought, looking at the tall girl. Meredith never wore any makeup; but then, with perfect olive skin and heavy black lashes, she didn't need any. Right now she had one elegant eyebrow raised as she studied Elena. â€Å"Well, your hair is two shades lighter from the sun†¦ But where's your tan? I thought you were living it up on the French Riviera.† â€Å"You know I never tan.† Elena held up her hands for her own inspection. The skin was flawless, like porcelain, but almost as fair and translucent as Bonnie's. â€Å"Just a minute; that reminds me,† Bonnie interjected, snatching one of Elena's hands. â€Å"Guess what I learned from my cousin this summer?† Before anyone could speak, she informed them triumphantly: â€Å"Palm reading!† There were groans, and some laughter. â€Å"Laugh while you can,† said Bonnie, not at all disturbed. â€Å"My cousin told me I'm psychic. Now, let me see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She peered into Elena's palm. â€Å"Hurry up or we're going to be late,† said Elena a bit impatiently. â€Å"All right, all right. Now, this is your life line-or is it your heart line?† In the crowd, someone snickered. â€Å"Quiet; I'm reaching into the void. I see†¦ I see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All at once, Bonnie's face went blank, as if she were startled. Her brown eyes widened, but she no longer seemed to be staring at Elena's hand. It was as if she were lookingthrough it-at something frightening. â€Å"You will meet a tall, dark stranger,† Meredith murmured from behind her. There was a flurry of giggles. â€Å"Dark, yes, and a stranger†¦ but not tall.† Bonnie's voice was hushed and faraway. â€Å"Although,† she continued after a moment, looking puzzled, â€Å"he was tall, once.† Her wide brown eyes lifted to Elena's in bewilderment. â€Å"But that's impossible†¦ isn't it?† She dropped Elena's hand, almost flinging it away. â€Å"I don't want to see any more.† â€Å"Okay, show's over. Let's go,† Elena told the others, vaguely irritated. She'd always felt psychic tricks were just that-tricks. So why was she annoyed? Just because that morning she'd almost freaked out herself†¦ The girls started toward the school building, but the roar of a finely tuned motor stopped them all in their tracks. â€Å"Well, now,† Caroline said, staring. â€Å"Quite a car.† â€Å"Quite a Porsche,† Meredith corrected dryly. The sleek black 911 Turbo purred through the parking lot, searching for a space, moving as lazily as a panther stalking prey. When the car came to a stop, the door opened, and they glimpsed the driver. â€Å"Oh, my God,† Caroline whispered. â€Å"You can say that again,† breathed Bonnie. From where she stood, Elena could see he had a lean, flat-muscled body. Faded jeans he probably had to peel off at night, tight T-shirt, and a leather jacket of unusual cut. His hair was wavy-and dark. He wasn't tall, though. Just average height. Elena let out her breath. â€Å"Whois that masked man?† said Meredith. And the remark was apt-dark sunglasses completely covered the boy's eyes, shielding his face like a mask. â€Å"That maskedstranger ,† someone else said, and a babble of voices rose up. â€Å"Do you see that jacket? That's Italian, as in Roma.† â€Å"How would you know? You've never been farther than Rome, New York, in your life!† â€Å"Uh-oh. Elena's got that look again. The hunting look.† â€Å"Short-Dark-and-Handsome had better be careful.† â€Å"He isn't short; he's perfect!† Through the chatter, Caroline's voice suddenly rang out. â€Å"Oh, come on, Elena. You've already got Matt. What more do you want? What can you do with two that you can't do with one?† â€Å"The same thing-only longer,† drawled Meredith, and the group dissolved into laughter. The boy had locked his car and was walking toward school. Casually, Elena started after him, the other girls right behind her in a close-knit pack. For an instant, annoyance bubbled up inside her. Couldn't she goanywhere without a parade on her heels? But Meredith caught her eye, and she smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"Noblesse oblige,† Meredith said softly. â€Å"What?† â€Å"If you're going to be queen of the school, you have to put up with the consequences.† Elena frowned at this as they entered the building. A long corridor stretched before them, and a figure in jeans and leather jacket was disappearing through the office doorway up ahead. Elena slowed her pace as she walked up to the office, finally stopping to glance thoughtfully at the messages on the cork bulletin board by the door. There was a large window here, through which the entire office was visible. The other girls were openly gazing through the window, and giggling. â€Å"Nice rear view.† â€Å"That isdefinitely an Armani jacket.† â€Å"You think he's from out of state?† Elena was straining her ears for the boy's name. There seemed to be some kind of trouble in there: Mrs. Clarke, the admissions secretary, was looking at a list and shaking her head. The boy said something, and Mrs. Clarke lifted her hands in a â€Å"What can I say?† gesture. She ran a finger down the list and shook her head again, conclusively. The boy started to turn away, then turned back. And when Mrs. Clarke looked up at him, her expression changed. The boy's sunglasses were now in his hand. Mrs. Clarke seemed startled by something; Elena could see her blink several times. Her lips opened and closed as if she were trying to speak. Elena wished she could see more than the back of the boy's head. Mrs. Clarke was fumbling through piles of paper now, looking dazed. At last she found a form of some kind and wrote on it, then turned it around and pushed it toward the boy. The boy wrote briefly on the form-signing it, probably-and returned it. Mrs. Clarke stared at it a second, then fumbled through a new pile of papers, finally handing what looked like a class schedule to him. Her eyes never left the boy as he took it, inclined his head in thanks, and turned to the door. Elena was wild with curiosity by now. What had just happened in there? And what did this stranger's face look like? But as he emerged from the office, he was settling his sunglasses in place again. Disappointment coursed through her. Still, she could see the rest of his face as he paused in the doorway. The dark curly hair framed features so fine that they might have been taken from an old Roman coin or medallion. High cheekbones, classical straight nose†¦ and a mouth to keep you awake at night, Elena thought. The upper lip was beautifully sculpted, a little sensitive, a whole lot sensual. The chatter of the girls in the hallway had stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. Most of them were turning away from the boy now, looking anywhere but at him. Elena held her place by the window and gave a little toss to her head, pulling the ribbon out of her hair so that it fell loose around her shoulders. Without looking to either side, the boy moved on down the hallway. A chorus of sighs and whispers flared up the moment he was out of earshot. Elena didn't hear any of it. He'd walked right by her, she thought, dazed. Right by without a glance. Dimly, she realized the bell was ringing. Meredith was tugging her arm. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I said here's your schedule. We've got trig on the second floor right now. Come on!† Elena allowed Meredith to propel her down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and into a classroom. She slid into an empty seat automatically and fixed her eyes on the teacher at the front without really seeing her. The shock still hadn't worn off. He'd walked right by. Without a glance. She couldn't remember how long it had been since a boy had done that. They all looked, at least. Some whistled. Some stopped to talk. Some just stared. And that had always been fine with Elena. After all, what was more important than boys? They were the mark of how popular you were, of how beautiful you were. And they could be useful for all sorts of things. Sometimes they were exciting, but usually that didn't last long. Sometimes they were creeps from the beginning. Most boys, Elena reflected, were like puppies. Adorable in their place, but expendable. A very few could be more than that, could become real friends. Like Matt. Oh, Matt. Last year she'd hoped that he was the one she was looking for, the boy who could make her feel†¦ well, something more. More than the rush of triumph at making a conquest, the pride in showing your new acquisition off to the other girls. And shehad come to feel a strong affection for Matt. But over the summer, when she'd had time to think, she'd realized it was the affection of a cousin or sister. Ms. Halpern was passing out trigonometry books. Elena took hers mechanically and wrote her name inside, still wrapped in thought. She liked Matt more than any other boy she'd known. And that was why she was going to have to tell him it was over. She hadn't known how to tell him in a letter. She didn't know how to tell him now. It wasn't that she was afraid he'd kick up a fuss; he just wouldn't understand. She didn't really understand herself. It was as if she were always reaching for†¦ something. Only, when she thought she'd got it, it wasn't there. Not with Matt, not with any of the boys she'd had. And then she had to start all over again. Fortunately, there was always fresh material. No boy had ever resisted her successfully, and no boy had ever ignored her. Until now. Until now. Remembering that moment in the hall, Elena found that her fingers were clenched on the pen she held. She still couldn't believe he'd brushed by her that way. The bell rang and everyone flooded out of the classroom, but Elena paused in the doorway. She bit her lip, scanning the river of students flowing through the hall. Then she spotted one of the hangers-on from the parking lot. â€Å"Frances! Come here.† Frances came eagerly, her plain face brightening. â€Å"Listen, Frances, you remember that boy this morning?† â€Å"With the Porsche and the-er-assets? How could I forget?† â€Å"Well, I want his class schedule. Get it from the office if you can, or copy it from him if you have to. But do it!† Frances looked surprised for a moment, then grinned and nodded. â€Å"Okay, Elena. I'll try. I'll meet you at lunch if I can get it.† â€Å"Thanks.† Elena watched the girl go. â€Å"You know, you really are crazy,† Meredith's voice said in her ear. â€Å"What's the use of being queen of the school if you can't pull a little rank sometimes?† returned Elena calmly. â€Å"Where do I go now?† â€Å"General Business. Here, take it yourself.† Meredith thrust a schedule at her. â€Å"I've got to run for chemistry. Later!† General Business and the rest of the morning passed in a blur. Elena had hoped to catch another glimpse of the new student, but he was in none of her classes. Mattwas in one, and she felt a pang as his blue eyes met hers with a smile. At the lunch bell, she nodded greetings right and left as she walked to the cafeteria. Caroline was outside, posed casually against a wall with chin up, shoulders back, hips forward. The two boys she was talking to fell silent and nudged each other as Elena approached. â€Å"Hi,† Elena said briefly to the boys; and to Caroline: â€Å"Ready to go in and eat?† Caroline's green eyes barely flickered toward Elena, and she pushed glossy auburn hair out of her face. â€Å"What, at theroyal table ?† she said. Elena was taken aback. She and Caroline had been friends since kindergarten, and they had always competed with each other good-naturedly. But lately something had happened to Caroline. She'd begun to take the rivalry more and more seriously. And now Elena was surprised at the bitterness in the other girl's voice. â€Å"Well, it's hardly as if you were a commoner,† she said lightly. â€Å"Oh, you're so right about that,† said Caroline, turning to face Elena fully. Those green cat-eyes were slitted and smoky, and Elena was shocked by the hostility she saw there. The two boys smiled uneasily and edged away. Caroline didn't seem to notice. â€Å"A lot of things changed while you were gone this summer, Elena,† she continued. â€Å"And just maybe your time on the throne is running out.† Elena had flushed; she could feel it. She struggled to keep her voice steady. â€Å"Maybe,† she said. â€Å"But I wouldn't buy a scepter just yet if I were you, Caroline.† She turned and went into the lunchroom. It was a relief to see Meredith and Bonnie, and Frances beside them. Elena felt her cheeks cool as she selected her lunch and went to join them. She wouldn't let Caroline upset her; she wouldn't think of Caroline at all. â€Å"I got it,† said Frances, waving a piece of paper as Elena sat down. â€Å"And I have some good stuff,† said Bonnie importantly. â€Å"Elena, listen to this. He's in my biology class, and I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan, Stefan Salvatore, and he's from Italy, and he's boarding with old Mrs. Flowers on the edge of town.† She sighed. â€Å"He isso romantic. Caroline dropped her books, and he picked them up for her.† Elena made a wry face. â€Å"How clumsy of Caroline. What else happened?† â€Å"Well, that's all. He didn't really talk to her. He's ver-r-ry mysterious, you see. Mrs. Endicott, my biology teacher, tried to get him to take off his glasses, but he wouldn't. He has a medical condition.† â€Å"What kind of medical condition?† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe it's terminal and his days are numbered. Wouldn't that be romantic?† â€Å"Oh, very,† said Meredith. Elena was looking over Frances's sheet of paper, biting her lip. â€Å"He's in my seventh period, History of Europe. â€Å"Anybody else have that class?† â€Å"I do,† said Bonnie. â€Å"And I think Caroline does, too. Oh, and maybe Matt; he said something yesterday about how it was just his luck, getting Mr. Tanner.† Marvelous, Elena thought, picking up a fork and stabbing at her mashed potatoes. It looked as if seventh period was going to beextremely interesting. Stefan was glad the school day was almost over. He wanted to get out of these crowded rooms and corridors, just for a few minutes. So many minds. The pressure of so many thought patterns, so many mental voices surrounding him, was making him dizzy. It had been years since he had been in a swarm of people like this. One mind in particular stood out from the others. She had been among those watching him in the main corridor of the school building. He didn't know what she looked like, but her personality was powerful. He felt sure he'd recognize it again. So far, at least, he'd survived the first day of the masquerade. He'd used the Powers only twice, and then sparingly. But he was tired, and, he admitted ruefully, hungry. The rabbit hadn't been enough. Worry about that later. He found his last classroom and sat down. And immediately he felt the presence of that mind again. It glowed at the edge of his consciousness, a golden light, soft and yet vibrant. And, for the first time, he could locate the girl it was coming from. She was seated right in front of him. Even as he thought it, she turned around and he saw her face. It was all he could do not to gasp in shock. Katherine! But of course it couldn't be. Katherine was dead; no one knew that better than he did. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. That pale golden hair, so fair it almost seemed to shimmer. That creamy skin, which had always made him think of swans, or alabaster, flushing faintly pink over the cheekbones. And the eyes†¦ Katherine's eyes had been a color he had never seen before; darker than sky blue, as rich as the lapis lazuli in her jeweled headband. This girl had those same eyes. And they were fixed directly on his as she smiled. He looked down from the smile quickly. Of all things, he did not want to think about Katherine. He didn't want to look at this girl who reminded him of her, and he didn't want to feel her presence any longer. He kept his eyes on the desk, blocking his mind as strongly as he knew how. And at last, slowly, she turned around again. She was hurt. Even through the blocks, he could feel that. He didn't care. In fact, he was glad of it, and he hoped it would keep her away from him. Other than that, he had no feelings about her at all. He kept telling himself this as he sat, the droning voice of the teacher pouring over him unheard. But he could smell a subtle hint of some perfume-violets, he thought. And her slender white neck was bowed over her book, the fair hair falling on either side of it. In anger and frustration he recognized the seductive feeling in his teeth-more a tickling or a tingling than an ache. It was hunger, a specific hunger. And not one he was about to indulge. The teacher was pacing about the room like a ferret, asking questions, and Stefan deliberately fixed his attention on the man. At first he was puzzled, for although none of the students knew the answers, the questions kept coming. Then he realized that that was the man's purpose. To shame the students with what they didn't know. Just now he'd found another victim, a small girl with clusters of red curls and a heart-shaped face. Stefan watched in distaste as the teacher badgered her with questions. She looked wretched as he turned away from her to address the entire class. â€Å"You see what I mean? You think you're pretty hot stuff; you're seniors now, ready to graduate. Well, let me tell you, some of you aren't ready to graduate kindergarten. Like this!† He gestured toward the red-haired girl. â€Å"No idea about the French Revolution. Thinks Marie Antoinette was a silent film star.† Students all around Stefan were shifting uncomfortably. He could feel the resentment in their minds, and the humiliation. And the fear. They were all afraid of this thin little man with eyes like a weasel, even the husky boys who were taller than he was. â€Å"All right, let's try another era.† The teacher swung back to the same girl he'd been questioning. â€Å"During the Renaissance-† He broke off. â€Å"Youdo know what the Renaissance is, don't you? The period between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, in which Europe rediscovered the great ideas of ancient Greece and Rome? The period that produced so many of Europe's greatest artists and thinkers?† When the girl nodded confusedly, he continued. â€Å"During the Renaissance, what would students your age be doing at school? Well? Any idea at all? Any guesses?† The girl swallowed hard. With a weak smile she said, â€Å"Playing football?† At the ensuing laughter, the teacher's face darkened. â€Å"Hardly!† he snapped, and the classroom quieted. â€Å"You think this is a joke? Well, in those days, students your age would already be proficient in several languages. They would also have mastered logic, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and grammar. They would be ready to go on to a university, in which every course was taught in Latin. Football would be absolutely the last thing on-† â€Å"Excuse me.† The quiet voice stopped the teacher in midharangue. Everyone turned to stare at Stefan. â€Å"What? What did you say?† â€Å"I said, excuse me,† Stefan repeated, removing his glasses and standing up. â€Å"But you're wrong. Students in the Renaissance were encouraged to participate in games. They were taught that a healthy body goes with a healthy mind. And they certainly played team sports, like cricket, tennis-and even football.† He turned to the red-haired girl and smiled, and she smiled back gratefully. To the teacher, he added, â€Å"But the most important things they learned were good manners and courtesy. I'm sure your book will tell you that.† Students were grinning. The teacher's face was red with blood, and he was sputtering. But Stefan continued to hold his eyes, and after another minute it was the teacher who looked away. The bell rang. Stefan put his glasses on quickly and gathered his books. He'd already drawn more attention to himself than he should, and he didn't want to have to look at the blond girl again. Besides, he needed to get out of here quickly; there was a familiar burning sensation in his veins. As he reached the door, someone shouted, â€Å"Hey! Did they really play football back then?† He couldn't help throwing a grin over his shoulder. â€Å"Oh, yes. Sometimes with the severed heads of prisoners of war.† Elena watched him as he went. He'd deliberately turned away from her. He'd snubbed her on purpose, and in front of Caroline, who'd been watching like a hawk. Tears burned in her eyes, but at that moment only one thought burned in her mind. She'd have him, even if it killed her. If it killed both of them, she'd have him.

Doing Business in Argentina

Doing Business in Argentina Argentina has a stable political structure and the government is working on developing economy. I would choose to produce and sell solar panels in Argentina through Joint Venture with an Argentina company, which is one of the Investment Entry Mode. And I would send 1 in sales, 2 engineers, 1 accountant, 1 in shipping, 3 technicians, and 2 managers. Market reasons: Firstly, Argentina has enriched solar resource. â€Å"Argentina’s eastern plains and north western regions are ideal  for solar PV development.However, only 10 MW of solar has  been installed in Argentina to date, making it a huge untapped  resource† (Grotz, Decundo and Ernst and Young). It indicates that the potential market for solar panels is huge. In addition, the efficient of solar energy is the most concern factor of solar panels, â€Å"solar energy installations began as simple contraptions in Latin America but are increasingly led by technologically advanced providers deploying sophisticated equipment and expertise that makes foreign participation almost indispensable† (Solar Daily).And my company has the best electronics package on the market; it is a great opportunity for my product to take a major part of market share in Argentina. Secondly, solar energy is one of the major renewable energy that Argentine government trying to develop. Argentina is the third-largest economy in Latin America, and one of the emerging markets around the world. However, the shortage in electricity is the major obstacle of the development. â€Å"Electricity demand continues to grow steadily in the country  and forecasts suggest an ongoing annual increase of 6%.Estimates indicate that an additional 1 GW of new generation  capacity per annum will be necessary to satisfy this growing  demand† (Grotz, Decundo and Ernst and Young). To solve the problem, Argentine government not only passed a law to ensure that â€Å"8% of  electricity demand should be generated by renewable sources  by 2016†, but also developed the GENREN program to â€Å"contract at least 1GW of renewable energy capacity† (Grotz, Decundo and Ernst and Young). And 20 Mw of electricity are supposed to be converted by solar energy.With the encouraging and supporting of Argentine government, it is the best timing to introduce my product into the renewable energy industry. Why Joint Venture? The very first concern is from the company’s interest. Since $5,000,000 has been spent in developing the electronics package and assembly machine, I need to reduce the costs of entering the new foreign market as much as possible. Through Joint Venture, I can access to existing resources that the local company has in Argentina; it takes less time for my company to get familiar with the market and actual start my business.Time is money. Also, the advantages I have are the core technology of the business, human resource to train workers and jobs; all I need is the local facility and less required workforce. I will send 3 technicians to Argentina to train limited workers before hand and license my patents to the local company for a limited time. On one hand the business is able to operate smoothly once it started. On the other hand, given the fact that, Argentina is a country with high uncertainty avoidance, it shows my willingness of cooperating with the local company.Also, it’s necessary to sign a very detailed contract with the local company. What’s more, Argentina has a high Human Development Index and ranked 45th among 187 countries (UNDP). Therefore, it will not take much time in training workers. Secondly, it helps my company to form a local image. Argentina is an achievement oriented country, with a local company entering the market; it reduces the effect of unfamiliarity. In the mean time, since Argentina is a multi-culture country, when dealing with culture issue, a local company can provide support and reduce r isks that due to unfamiliar of the culture.The most important is that, a local image represents local interests. The argument among nationalizing YPF S. A. , the oil and gas company owned by the Spanish energy giant Repsol (Romero), is the hottest issue recently. One reason for Argentine government to take over YPF S. A. is that â€Å"YPF, hasn't produced enough to keep up with Argentina's rapidly growing economy†¦the company's proven reserves of oil and gas have also fallen substantially over the past few years† (Weisbrot). From Argentine government’s point of view, it means YPF S. A. somehow did not represent the country’s interests. When corporate interests are not aligned with national interests, when companies are concerned only with profits, that's when economies fail, which is what happened globally in 2008 and what happened to Argentina in 2001† (Bronstein). In this case, it is crucial to form a local image in Argentina and being less foreign. Thirdly, it reduces the political risks in Argentina. IMF claims that there is no nationalization trend in South America despite the moves in Argentina, â€Å"it's a very diverse region and we would not call what we are seeing a trend† (Palmer).However, always being aware of potential political risks in Argentina is good to prepare ahead and reduce the loss as much as possible. Through Joint Venture, if a wide range of nationalization happens, it would reduce my loss of investing in establishing facility and share the risks with the local company. In addition, it allows me to be able to get involved into the relationship between the local company and local government. Fourthly, my company needs to get into the industry as soon as possible.Since Argentina is a FDI favorable country and renewable energy industry is hot, it is a highly competitive industry currently. â€Å"Argentina attracted US$743m (â‚ ¬546m) in clean  energy investment in 2010, ranking it 16th among G 20  members. Its five-year growth rate for clean energy investment  is 115% which places it second among the G 20† (Grotz, Decundo and Ernst and Young). As for solar energy, there are already some big companies involve in, like Sequel Power and Onyx Service and Solutions, Inc. , they admitted that â€Å"South America is a tremendous growth region for utility-scale solar energy projects† (Solar Daily).Not to mention when the EU begins to focus on the industry, â€Å"the EU is the biggest foreign investor in Argentina, accounting for about half of the FDI in Argentina with EU's investment stocks worth â‚ ¬ 44. 1 billion in 2008 and   important investments in areas such as telecoms, automotive or energy† (European Commission), the competition would be drastic. At that time, the key point to win the battle would focus on technology. Through Joint Venture, not only my company would provide the latest technology in the U. S. , but also the local company is abl e to distribute the competitive product to local market in time.Fifthly, through Joint Venture, it would be easier to send money back to the U. S. The financial issue would be the biggest problem to do business in Argentina. Due to the crisis in 2001, â€Å"Argentina defaulted on its bonds and has since had  difficulty accessing the international credit market†; therefore, even though Argentine government is trying to develop renewable energy, â€Å"A lack of  support for project development from financial institutions  continues to be a barrier to renewable energy development in  the country† (Grotz, Decundo and Ernst and Young).Without subsidiary from government, it is harder to develop a new company in a new industry. Therefore, the financial plan should be made in detail and carefully. The restriction on money transaction is tightened in Argentina; huge amount of money need to go through the Central Bank to transfer to outside of Argentina. It would be easi er for Argentina residents to do so. Argentina has placed trade barriers, like limits on payment of import services, to protect local industry and its trade surplus.And â€Å"the critics described the policy as ‘unbefitting any WTO member’ and ‘particularly troubling’ because they limit the growth-enhancing prospects for trade† (Miles). Also, the labor cost is much cheaper in Argentina than the U. S. , thus, I decided not to import products from the U. S. to Argentina, but to produce it locally. Last but not least, through Joint Venture, I am able to know the cost of living in Argentina, and provide my employees a reasonable salary while working in there.And the local company can assist my employees to get used to the life in Argentina; it will allow them to feel less culture shock. I will keep their positions in the U. S. , and ask the first group of employees that go to Argentina to share their experiences in the help of next group of people to mak e full preparation. As the company in Argentina should be long-term, and I would like everyone in my company has the chance to work there, if I could. In this case, the coordination among the U.S. company and Argentine company will be better. One group of 10 employees in Argentina is fixed. And technicians are the most important, it needs 3 employees; 2 engineers are able to develop our products suitable for Argentine circumstance; 1 in sales, 1 accountant, 1 in shipping, and 2 managers would be enough to cooperate with the local company. All in all, considering the market factor and the business environment in Argentina, I would like to sell and produce my electronic package.I already have competitive advantage in my product, through Joint Venture; it enables my business to develop smoothly and steadily in such a foreign market. Works Cited Bronstein, Hugh. Hugh Bronstein. 4 May 2012. 4 May 2012 . European Commission. Argentina. 18 April 2012. 3 May 2012

Innovation in Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Innovation in Organization - Essay Example Moreover, several studies have also highlighted that innovative organizations perform better than the organizations which are non-innovative. However, innovation cannot be an external phenomenon; rather it is purely internal. For a company to get success depending on innovation, it is not sufficient to bring new ideas or products that change the entire market landscape, but the organization must have the ability to absorb the innovation (Agarwal, Erramilli and Dev, 2003; Betz, 2003). The ability of an organization to absorb innovation is critical towards the success of a company. According to Van de Ven, Polley and Venkataraman (1999) â€Å"organizational creation are fundamental to the process of innovation†. The extent to which an organization innovates is the pre-state for the efficient utilization of the new technologies and resources. The introduction of new technology often tenders complex challenges and opportunities for the organizations that in turn lead to changes in the management practices and the emergence of new organizational forms. As a result of that technological and organizational innovation are often stated as intertwined. Schumpeter (1950) also emphasized that innovation in the form of a new product or new process often brings organizational changes and can even be the cause of creative destruction for organizations (Lam, 2004). This study examines the extent of innovation in a chosen organization. In this context, the study will put emphasis on the particular innovation aimed by the organization to deliver to its users, the other possible solutions were considered, the main obstacles and resistance that were met in developing the innovation, networks that were used by actors within and outside the organisation in order to generate, support, and implement the innovation, the procedures that were in place in the organisation to facilitate the selection and development of innovations and the reasons for the success or failure of the in novation. Brief Synopsis of the Company The company chosen for this project is a corporate gift design and manufacturing company. The company currently caters to the domain of innovation of process optimization. Understanding the situation of the market, the company decided to bring some kind of innovation in their system as they consider innovation as one of the major business drivers and is a source of competitive advantage for the firms. Evaluation of product innovation and process innovation, the company identified that the first task is to bring process innovation and simultaneously focus on innovative and creative services. In the recent past, the company has identified certain loopholes in their system of operation and considers those loopholes to be the reason for their low market share. The company also identified that there are several steps involved in closing a call and that is affecting the company in the form of increased lead time and declining market share. The subse quent steps will identify the different factors of the company that are mentioned above.  

Strategic planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic planning - Research Paper Example Benchmarking b. Knowledge management c. Utilization of general quality management skills VIII. Conclusion a. General Statements about Wal-Mart. b. Strategic Planning Abstract This is an 8 and half pages of in depth evaluation and analysis of Wal-Mart. The paper focuses on a resource based analysis and SWOT analysis of Wal-Mart’s strategic planning. There is also a look at control development and evaluation followed by a discussion of quality management at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart: A Master of Strategic Planning Name: (fill in) Strategic Planning Ashford University Wal-Mart: A Master of Strategic Planning Since its beginnings Wal-Mart has implemented strategic plans and innovative concepts to move to the place of the number one retailer in the world. What has made Wal-Mart a world leader in the retail industry? The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how Wal-Mart’s corporate management has succeeded through innovative strategic planning and implementation of the plans to grow Wal-Mart into a multibillion dollar operation. First section of this paper will contain a brief corporate background, an evaluation of culture and environment, and a resource-view analysis of the corporation will make up the first section of this paper. In section two, a deeper analysis of strategic planning and implementation, leading to the conclusion. Humble Beginnings Wal-Mart was the brainchild of Sam Walton. Sam Walton began Wal-Mart in the 1960’s after he had researched the changes in retail environments across the country. He drafted a plan for deep discounted operation that not only sold a variety of merchandise, but would include a pharmacy. His plan also would expand to include four types of retail stores; discount stores, supercenters, Sam’s clubs and neighborhood markets. Sam Walton opened his first discount store in the Rogers, Arkansas in July 1962. Walton incorporated his stores in 1969 with corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. In 1970 his corporation went public. (Gamble and Thompson 2011) By this time his company had grown from the one store in the beginning to 38 stores. A short nine years later, in 1979, the company was at 276 stores in 11 states. Culture and Environment The culture that Sam Walton promoted and developed with his company was part of the strategies that lead to his company’s success. Walton’s four core principles for managing are treat employees as partners, build for the future, recognize the road to success includes failing, and involve employees at all levels in the total decision making process. The three basic beliefs that underlie the culture at Wal-Mart are respect for the individual, service for the customers, and strive for excellence. Walton was a hand on manager and has passed this philosophy on to the current CEO of the company. Walton’s legacy is still very present in the way the company handles employees, customers, and expansion. Resource-based Analysis This anal ysis will look at the resources that are unique to Wal-Mart and produce and maintain a competitive edge for the company. Wal-Mart’s most unique resource was the founder Sam Walton and his business philosophy. His willingness in pioneering discount stores in no traditional settings, pioneering just-in-time inventory, online processes with suppliers, maintained corporate offices in a low cost environment, and set an example for others that few have been willing to repeat. (Price 1996) The analysis done shows that as a corporation Wal-Mart demonstrates; a great

Paraphrasing 850 words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paraphrasing 850 words - Essay Example This research method belongs to the category of qualitative research and lacks proper methodology and the methods involved in carrying out a case study research does not make the outcome of the research obvious to the researcher (Wilkinson, 2003). Researchers argue that the case study based research involves other research methods that are qualitative in nature and are used for performing research regarding a phenomenon or sociological imperative. In the field of business, researches are based on both the qualitative as well as the quantitative methods in order to develop an in-depth analysis of organizations (Yin, 2003). In case study research the methodology used includes those techniques that have already been used in performing investigations on phenomenon that are related to the field of social sciences. This research method helps researchers in collecting as well as analyzing and reporting of information and data in a systematic manner (Wilkinson, 2003). By conducting a case study based research the researcher is able to identify why a particular event took place and this will be helpful in conducting further research (Creswell, 2007). Researchers even believe that in this form of research the method used for the purpose of analysis is of utmost importance because in this method the focus is not only on human beings as well as teams, the focus is even on the procedure through which actions are conducted. When case study method is used it is essential to focus on a couple of issues while understanding the system that is being scrutinized (Creswell & Plano, 2007). While conducting the study the questions that were used for interviewing were tested for content as well as face validity. This was essential to identify whether the questions were effective in directing the process of the study. These questions were tested for content validity to obtain a sample of the various behaviors that were represented by

How Alternative Medicine Has An Impact On Mainstream Medicine Essay

How Alternative Medicine Has An Impact On Mainstream Medicine - Essay Example The mainstream treatment processes in these diseases do not cure fully and produce numerous side effects, which no patient would like to live with. It will not be out of place to examine the things in above perspectives. â€Å"Alt Medicine† speaks about the numerous alternative medicines that have its origins in many ancient treatment systems such as Ayurved from India or Herbal Treatment System originated from the China. Over the years, several other treatment processes came into existence and went on influencing the masses depending upon the complexities about the illness. At times, the cost and personal belief system also plays a crucial role in moving the patient toward alternative medicine. (Alt Medicine) Mainstream medicines have side effects. To cure arthritis and gout, physicians prescribe the drugs, which are mostly NSAIDs that usually provide relief from pain. Although, they are highly effective yet they have severe side effects too. â€Å"NSAIDs Side Effects† distinctly mentions that NSAIDs instill stomach cramps, drowsiness, diarrhea, heartburn, edema (swelling of the feet), nausea and much of the discomfort. NSAIDs carry a risk of causing heart attacks, stroke, clotting, which could be fatal. The risk is proportionate to the dosages. (NSAIDs Side Effects) Thus, it is well established fact that mainstream medicines have numerous side effects. It will be most appropriate to examine some of the alternative medicines in above context In the â€Å"Alternative Treatment for Arthritis?† mangosteen is described as an alternative medicine to cure arthritis. Mangosteen is a tropical fruit naturally grown in East Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, and Sri Lanka. Its extraordinary ability to cure lies in a compound called xanthones, which is abundantly available in the rind of this fruit. Alternative medicines derived from the mangosteen are largely used by patients suffering from Arthritis. (Alternative Treatment for Arthrit is) â€Å"Properties of Xanthones† argues that xanthones are the most powerful antioxidants provided by nature in mangosteen. Being a natural product, it has no side effects even the patient continues to take it for a long period of time. Xanthones are known to have antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial effect and thus found to be curing numerous diseases. It is not surprising that people turn to such alternative form of medicines to cure their chronic ailments which are troubling them for a long time. Xanthones are known to destroy bacterias such as salmonella typhi (causing typhoid fever) and tuberculosis bacteria. (Properties of Xanthones) Benefit of xanthones or for that matter mangosteen concentrates is scientifically an established fact. Furthering the argument, another alternative medicine is worth exploring. â€Å"Pure Acai Berry Capsules† categorically describes about the similar medicinal properties of Acai Berry, a kind of fruit found in South and Central Ame rica. Acai Berry is being used in preparation of many alternative medicines to cure various illnesses. Acai Concentrate in form of powder and liquid is available as an alternative medicine to cure various diseases. (Pure Acai Berry Ca

Appropriate Justification for Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Appropriate Justification for Punishment - Essay Example Therefore, punishment is a response to unusual behavior or crimes in societies and usually takes the form of either formal or informal ways of administration. Formally, the authority figures utilize systematized laws such as civil law suits while informally, the society uses social groups such as peer groups to correct an individual (Bonta & Andrews, 2010, p.58). Conversely, at the informal level, social systems are employed and this touches on families, friends or peers. Punishments vary in the severity, depending on the extent of their consequences in the society, and may include reprimands, ostracism, sanctions, incarcerations, fines, death penalties, or deprivation of privileges (Michael, 2001, p.99). Incapacitation, deterrence, education, rehabilitation, and retribution are the principal punishment justifications (Lippman, 2009, p.82). Deterrence, also referred to as prevention is a disciplinary procedure used to avoid offenses. Through deterrence, those who commit offenses are deterred from reoffending while those contemplating the offense are deterred from trying to commit these offenses (David, 2002, p. 11). The goal of this punishment is to scare people from committing crimes or they face the punishment. Authority figures on the other hand, use rehabilitation for reform purposes. This form of punishment rehabilitates the wrong doer and prevents them from committing the crimes again. In this case, the punishment changes the wrong doer’s attitude and makes them realize that what they do is wrong, and helps them stop it. For the sake of protecting the society, law makers use incapacitation as a form of punishment. In this case, the society engages in several methods to remove the ability of the offender to engage in future offenses (David, 2002, p.13), which includes imprisonments, amputations or death penalties. In most criminal activities, the offender usually gains while the victim of the offense looses. For the sake of retributive justice, retr ibution is necessary; to create a balance between the offender and the victim and ensure the offender suffers (David, 2002, p.15). Another reason for punishment is restoration, where the offender makes right whatever they have committed. Penalties for restoration are minor, and may include compensation or community services. In addition to these, there are other reasons for punishments such as education, which instills discipline to the society’s norms and values. Punishment has received much attention from scholars of various fields, specifically, philosophy and psychology. In Psychology, operant conditioning is most associated with punishment. Operant conditioning introduces the aspect of response-stimuli conditioning and learning through reinforcement (Nevid, 2011, p.183). In this context, punishment refers to the act of reducing behavior by applying an adverse stimulus or removing a pleasant stimulus. This concept is useful in understanding the justifications for punishme nts because they basic goal is to reduce or remove unpleasant behavior from the organism (Blackman, 1974, p.77). Over the years, civilization has changed the methods and perception of punishment. The rationale behind every punishment method is that its degree should fit the crime. The consequence of a crime to the society is used to assess and formulate the most suitable punishment (Hugo, 2010, p. 87). Every type of punishment has its purpose and this mainly includes: rehabilitating

History of Photography - Eugene Richards Term Paper

History of Photography - Eugene Richards - Term Paper Example In retrospect, it became a whole different world that I came to treasure. White taught me to look at light and to slow down and see things in a more meditative fashion, to become more involved.† (Cited from Rosalind Smith, shutterbug.net) In 1968, Eugene resisted a military draft and instead of being sentenced, he was offered a position with VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) which is a federal program of the â€Å"war on poverty†. About a year and a half later after working with VISTA in Arkansas Eugene became a co-founder for a social service organization and community newspaper known as â€Å"Many Voices† which reported on black political action as well as the Ku Klux Klan. Today Eugene stands as one of the most talked about photographs in the field of Photojournalism, well exhibited and the proud recipient of many awards in his field. Not known for doing happy photographs, but they are most times relatable. This Photographer can shoot photographs that te ll stories to fill the pages of many. Gettyimages.com reported that Eugene’s photographs have been extensively collected and exhibited in more than 40 solo shows in the United States and abroad. Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie in Arles, the International Center of Photography in New York, Centre National de la Photographie and the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris and VISA pour l’Image in Perpignan are but a few of the many institutions that have hosted his exhibitions. In June 2007, Eugene was honored with a large-scale retrospective, Thirteen Books, at the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, Virginia. Eugene Richards’ Career Once he returned to Dorchester, Richards decided to photograph his racially developed neighborhood-after which he published a book â€Å"Dorchester Days†. Eugene then worked as a freelance magazine photographer, undertaking diverse assignments such as; the American family, drug addiction, river blindness, Pediatric AIDS etc. Richards has published a lot of books another being â€Å"Exploring Life† which was inspired by his first wife’s battle with breast cancer. There are instances when Richards reverted to some old-fashioned or yet sometimes hardcore brutal reporting which was depicted in a series he shot in Mexico while working with a Human Rights group. He shot a men’s psychiatric ward, the emptiness and the barely clad inmates alongside a pool of urine cascading through the center of his frame. Undoubtedly one of the greatest photographers of our era, Richards and his work are one. He is always deeply involved. He photographed a young Sicilian woman moments after she has given birth, holding the infant to her as tears of joy slide down her cheeks. Her husband bends to kiss her, still draped in his surgical gown. The photograph, part of the â€Å"American Family† series, was done for Life magazine. (Cited from Rosalind Smith, shutterbug.net) Emotions ran high as Richards documented the joint parenting of two gay couples. The series titled â€Å"Here’s to Love† borders on the edge and the magazine assignment became history when Richards photographed the innocent picture of the baby in a bathtub with one of the men. â€Å"The editor said the baby was learning sexuality from the father,† Richards tells us, â€Å"and I tried to make a point to this editor asking, ‘Well, what have you learnt about sexuality from your parents? Probably about as much as I did—

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Research Proposal - Essay Example In the event masculinity is threatened with the men’s conveyed feelings of shame, hostility and guilty: hence men tend to overcompensate to defend masculinity. This paper will talk about masculinity in men; what role masculinity plays in dealing with grief, violence and morality in the society. It is important to understand why men treasure masculinity so much. This paper will review four journals in a bid to understand masculinity in men and how the society takes it. Masculinity can be portrayed in a number of ways, the first dealing with grief, the second – with morality, the third - with violence and last but not least one - acting or role playing. Lee (2002) states that culture and its gadgets all work hand in hand to sustain and set out various rules that men are expected to perform. Ideas of masculinity are socially constructed set of rules that oversee male manners or behavior so that male emotions are not authorized to approve male sex roles. This masculinity that men apply has been sanctioned by the culture and males are required to perform them. Men have been accustomed to thinking that some activities are masculine or not thus objectionable. According to Lee (2002), â€Å"men could have emotions as long as they were they are socially useful.† (p.4) An example of masculinity in the nineteenth century is the public man – a money maker, who desired to or focused on achieving success and had to give his all even his sexuality. Lee (2002) suggested that â€Å"draining one’s bodily fluid via masturbation or self-abuse threatened masculinity.† (p.4) Manhood was understood from these beliefs and, th e author goes on to say that man was or is to direct his sexual passion to his marriage, art and work. 2. Alilunas, P. (2009). Male masculinity as the celebration of failure: The frat pack, women and the trauma of victimization in the â€Å"dude flick†.Retrieved: 3 Nov. 2012. From:

Disc8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disc8 - Essay Example Einsten (1940), notes that God, who rewards and rebukes, is improbable for the modest aims that internal and external need dictates man’s actions. It is because, in the eyes of God, he would not be held accountable. He concludes his notion of cosmic religious view by stating that human ethics should be built on compassion, societal ties and education. This ground should be formed without any religious foundation. He claimed that God can be perceived through the world’s lucidity or rationality that lies behind all work of science of a higher order. Einstein always believed in a form of religion that is sovereign of any church or system of belief. According to Einstein, humans do not have to pick between believing in God’s actuality and not trusting in God at all. The utmost human perception level is the cosmic feeling of religion. Einstein believes that the cosmic feeling moves past the purely human hypotheses of morality and fear. The celestial feeling attempts to conceive the universe as an effortlessly integrated whole. He viewed the cosmic religious feeling as sporadic and enigmatic but real (Einsten, 1940). Yes, Einstein had a view of religion. Despite his great admiration for the principles of ethics found in the Bible, he did not accept the view that suggested a personal God in the Judeo-Christian tradition. He continued to embrace Gods view that God is an imaginative mind that displays itself in nature wonders. Einstein did not change his view on religion even as he advanced his end years on earth. Therefore, he asked science to join forces with religion since they required each other.In his text, he states that science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind (Einsten,

United States Labor Movement Essay Example for Free

United States Labor Movement Essay The Labor Movement in the United States of America started in the formative years of our nation. Its purpose being to organize workers to strive for better working conditions, reasonable pay and better treatment in the workplace. From it’s beginnings in the early to mid nineteenth century during the Industrial Revolution to the modern era of today, the labor movement has fought hard forming labor parties and labor laws to give the American worker the rights they deserve. One of the earliest and more influential of labor organizations came to be in 1860; The Knights of Labor. The Knights of Labor mission was to â€Å"inform, and support working families, and to organize them to better represent their rights† (The Knights of Labor, 2011,  ¶1) By the end of the 1800s the Knights had become a national fixture and included all workers into the group such as lawyers, doctors, gamblers and bankers. The main focus of the Knights of Labor were to push for an eight-hour work day; to rid child labor from existence, to do away with convict contract labor as they opposed the source of cheap labor taking jobs away from workers who needed a job; and equal pay for all their workers. In the early goings, they were opposed to the use of strikes however that trend changed and work stoppages had become a very good tool to use. The Knights of Labor had reached its apex in 1886 with over 700,000 members however their organizational structure was not up to the task and the movement was all but abandoned. They remained a fixture in the labor movement until 1949 when t he remaining members dropped their affiliation (The Knights of Labor, 2011). The Labor Movement in the late 1800s experienced a number of incidents that escalated into violence. In 1877; railroad workers in West Virginia protested a ten percent wage cut leveled by Baltimore Ohio Railroad. The strike occurred during a time of economic depression and spread westward across the country. Attempts to control unruly crowds just made the worker protest stronger and ignited violence. To add to the walkouts and protests by the rail workers, sympathetic actions by other wage workers brought Chicago close to a state of general strike. As the tensions continued and the violence started to escalate between the workers and police, the mayor relied on the assistance of six companies from the U.S. Army infantry to quell the protests. Quiet was restored but only after eighteen people had died from the protest violence. (Foner, 1977) The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892 resulted in violence as well. This particular strike came about during a time of conflict between labor and m anagement throughout the entire country. Workers belonging to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers went on strike to protest a wage cut implemented by Andrew Carnegie’s Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Henry Frick, the plants General Manager, was given unwavering support by Carnegie to do what he deemed fit, which was to cut wages and try to break the Amalgamated Association union. Of the 3,800 workers at the plant, only 750 belonged to the union; but 3,000 employees voted together for a workers strike. Henry Frick got word of the vote and built a fence around the steelworks plant with holes in the fence to fit rifles through and topped it with barbed wire and Frick had hired 300 Pinkerton detectives for protection of the plant. When workers got word of the newly hired police force, they mobilized and a fire fight between the two groups erupted. 3 detectives and 9 workers were laid to rest from the fighting. After the fighting stopped, the Governor ordered a state militia into Homestead. Four months after the strike started, the workers resources were severely depleted and they all returned to work. When the dust settled, the strike leaders were charged with murder while hundreds of others were charged with lesser crimes. Sympathetic jurors didn’t convict any of the men; however this incident allowed Carnegie to sweep unions out of Homestead dealing a major blow to the labor movement and weakened unionism in the steel industry up until the 1930’s. (The Homestead Strike, 1999) The last significant labor movement incident in the 1800s occurred in 1894 with the first national strike in the United States. The Pullman Strike wreaked havoc on the nation’s railway system as an entire labor force walked from their jobs with the notion that workers were to receive several pay cuts and the increase rent of company owned homes in Pullman. President Grover Cleveland sent in federal troops to fire on and kill United States citizens against the wishes of the states. The federal courts outlawed striking by passing the Omnibus indictment which was a massive blow to unionized labor. During the strike, national guardsmen fired into a crowd of protesters; killing four and wounding twenty. The strike showed the power of unified national unions but also showed the willingness of the government to intervene and support the capitalists against unified labor. The results of the strike were disastrous as the union workers never did get their rents lowered (The Pullman Strike, 1998) As the 20th Century came about, the labor movement sought to gain strength with new unions and tactics. The International Workers of the World was formed in an attempt to overthrow capitalism and replace it with the socialist system. The United States government helped out the movement with the implementation of the Department of Labor, which protected the rights of workers. The Clayton Antitrust Act legalized nonviolent strikes and boycotts. One of the more important Acts to come about in the early 1900s was that of the Wagner Act. The Wagner Act, also called National Labor Relations Act, of 1935 was created to protect workers’ right to unionization. The Act guarantees un-supervised employees the right to self-organize, choose their own representatives, and bargain collectively (National Labor Relations Act, n.d.). The NLRA and the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) are still going strong today in 2012 as my employment, the IUE-CWA GE Aerospace Conference Board, have asked for their assistance when organizing a new Local union shop on numerous occasions. In 1938 an act was passed that benefited the labor movement in monumental ways. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was enacted in 1938 and thus protected the rights of workers and supported economic fair play between management and labor. The Act also proposed a national minimum wage. An amendment to the FLSA in 1948 outlawed child labor in the United States. As the nation moved from industrial production to information management, many aspects of the FLSA became ineffective and outdated (Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) History, 2006). The Fair Labor Standards Act is still relevant in today’s world, just not in the scope it was when it was created. The establishment of the minimum wage rate and the outlawing of child labor was a huge success for the labor movement and its affects can be felt in today’s modern age. In 1955 the largest United States labor organization, the AFL (American Federation of Labor) merged with the CIO (Committee for Industrial Organization). The AFL was a federation that organized only unions of skilled workers while the CIO carried on the effort for industrial unionism, which are unions that organize an entire industry regardless of their sill set. With the merger of the AFL and the CIO, it brought about eliminating jurisdictional disputes between unions which would now help the labor movement like never before. They placed a new priority on organizing workers in areas, industries and plants where there was no system of labor representation. (The Labor Union Movement in America, 2012) The AFL-CIO saw many decades of prosperity for unions and workers but was tested in 2005 when the Service Employees (SEIU), Teamsters (IBT), and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) departed ways from the AFL-CIO. Chris Kutalik states that the split has generated a great deal of focus, attention, and talk about the depth of the crisis of U.S. unions ( ¶3) and asks important questions regarding the split in the AFL-CIO such as if the union leaders will be open to local members’ efforts to democratize and revitalize their unions? Will new programs build enough power and leverage to fight concessions and how serious are leaders about pushing the pace and scale of change? ( ¶10). It’s no surprise to anyone working within a union, such as myself, the challenges we face to stay relevant, to expand, to win the hearts and minds of the American people when so many see the unions as a problem rather than a solution. More and more businesses are trying to keep it a union-free workplace, and while it’s promising to see President Obama working towards getting more manufacturing plants back in the states, these plants are mostly set up as a right-to-work plant and will stop at nothing to keep outside forces from organizing the workers at these plants. When I started working for the IUE-CWA ten years ago, we represented over 90 locals from General Electric, Lockheed Martin, British Aerospace Engineering, Momentive Performances, and Bechtel. Ten years later we are down to around 50 locals due to plant shutdowns and outsourcing of the plants. The labor movement must stay strong and work harder than ever just to keep its head above the water, but from the experiences I’ve had in the decade of being employed within a union, I feel this is a battle that may not be won in the end. REFERENCES: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) History, (2006) Retrieved from: http://www.resource4flsalaw.com/historyoffairlaborstandardsact.html Foner, Phillip S. (1977) The Great Labor Uprising of 1877. New York, New York: Pathfinder Books The Homestead Strike (1999) Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/peopleevents/pande04.html The Knights of Labor (2011) Retrieved from: http://www.knightsoflabor.com Kutalik, Chris (2005) What Does the AFL-CIO Split Mean? Retrieved from: http://labornotes.org/node/776 The Labor Union Movement in America (2012) Retrieved from: http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/eco_unionization.htm The National Labor Relations Act (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.nlrb.gov/national-labor-relations-act The Pullman Strike: Chicago, 1894 (1998) Retrieved from: http://www.kansasheritage.org/pullman/index.html

The Potential Positive And Negative Socio Cultural Impacts Tourism Essay

The Potential Positive And Negative Socio Cultural Impacts Tourism Essay Tourism is a product that is produced and consumed at the same time. Tourism affects the economy and lives of communities and has proven to be a lifesaver for many destinations. Impacts occur when tourism changes the value systems/ behavior, threatening native identity and that changes occur in community structure, family relationships, ceremonies, collective traditional styles and morality. Tourism can also cause positive impacts as it can serve as a helpful force for peace, help avoid urban relocation by creating local jobs and foster pride in cultural traditions. The type of tourist will have a differing effect on the host community. The mass tourist is less likely to adapt to the local cultures and will seek amenities and standards found in his home community. On the other hand the independent tourist will adapt more readily. The process of tourism development is very important because the speed and nature of development can be a major influence on the magnitude and direction of socio-cultural changes. The term socio-cultural impacts refer to changes to residents everyday experiences, as well as to their values, way of life, and intellectual and artistic products. The positive and negative impacts of tourism on the Cyprus socio-cultural structure has been an issue for a long time. Social impacts can be considered as changes in the lives of people who live in destination communities, which are connected with tourist actions in regard to moral conduct, creative expressions. Cultural impacts can be the changes in the arts, traditional ceremonies, customs and rituals and architecture of people that result from tourism activity. Witt (1991) claims that, the greater the difference between the host community and the tourists the greater will be the affect of tourism on society. This presents a challenge to decision makers in regard to the type of tourism that a destination is trying to attract. Thus, for example, at the national level a specific development might be justified on the grounds that it is positive for the society as a whole even if on average it is not positive for the host community. All travelers seek tourism experience, yet very diffe rent goals and objectives are required through different roles and behaviors. This occurs because in Cyprus are many different types of tourists. Each type of tourist can be expected to behave differently while visiting a destination. Certain groups can be seen as more exploitive and less sensitive to social and cultural values. Explorers blend into the Cyprus life as local people do and stay longer but they have contact with fewer people than members of a charter tour that moves through Cyprus for shopping or sightseeing. In the case of Cyprus, the tourist policy of the Cyprus Tourism Organization aims to attract middle and high-income class tourists in order to minimize possible resentment between locals and tourists. According to statistics by Eurostat, Cypriots enjoy a higher standard of living than other regions and the type of tourist that visits the island is not the typical high and middle class income tourist but mostly youngsters who tend to reach their limits once they are abroad. The effects of tourists behavior and activities on young people in the area are very noticeable. The increase in drug trafficking and crime are the two major effects of tourism on the local community. Young people tend to spend a lot of their free time away from their families and from community activities since they spend more time in the tourist areas going out clubbing or at bars. As a result, we have an increase in the number of school dropouts and in the number of people smoking at early stages of their age. C yprus is considered to be one of the few destinations that have controlled tourism well, and it is now repaying the benefits. Cyprus is still an up market destination offering a friendly atmosphere and high quality service. Cyprus has always marketed itself as a prestige resort. Surveys show that many residents see the tourists as a breath of fresh air into the society, economy and life of the locals. The Cyprus Tourism Organization is aiming to keep its high quality and consequently its up market clientele by offering excellent facilities and different types of tourism activities such as Agro Tourism, Bird Watching and Cycling. To achieve this selective advertising and promotion are adopted in order to attract this type of customer. The development of the Tourist Industry led to an improvement in the standard of living for the local people in several areas as tourism expenditure increases the income and improve the standard of living and the quality of life for the locals. Tourism also contributes to the development of infrastructure with the building of airports, new roads, restaurants and hospitals, attraction to enable greatest number of citizens to benefit from the cultural, recreational and leisure activities of the tourism sector. Tourism has also aided in arising the interest for art festivals and crafts, for example weaving, embroidery, wood crafting, pottery etc that have been practiced in small villages for hundreds of years. The impact of tourism on the conservation of old buildings is also both positive and negative. Cyprus residents claim that tourists look for and appreciate local architecture and authentic traditional style, so a lot of buildings are being renovated or conserved as mainly tourist attractions, which would have been destroyed by eager owner. On the other hand, old buildings do not have enough capacity to provide accommodation for the growing number of tourists, so they are destroyed to give room to new and large guest houses with appropriate capacity and tourist facilities. The media have described Paralimni and Agia Napa as a round-the clock neon-lit cosmopolitan mini-metropolis and topless sex capital of Cyprus. The majority state that tourists have a negative effect on the Cypriot way of life and that tourism changes the traditional culture, also it decreases the lifestyle quality of Cypriots who live in tourist areas. The extreme concentration of tourists resulted in the modification of social attitudes among young people, particularly towards sexual behavior. The European way of living has altered the Cypriot society as younger generations are seeking different values than their families, and thus resulting in weaker family bonds. A number of researchers examined the link between the perception that tourism contributes to increase in crime and the support for its development. The crime is related to resident perceptions of tourism development. There is also an increase in prostitution and rise in criminal activity and possible anger between local a nd tourists. Rural population, long term residents, farmers, and younger segments perceive tourism as contributing to an increase in crime especially in the area of Agia Napa. Agia Napa is advertised as a place of great consumption of alcohol, sex, drugs and crime and a great damage caused by thousands of topless beach goers. Moreover the massive arrival of youngsters changed the image of the area from a fun relaxing atmosphere to more of a nightlife entertainment with many nightclubs and discos. As a result, there is an increase in drug trafficking and crime as well as the young generation in Cyprus has started to adopt different set of values on morality and style of dressing which is not acceptable by the older generations. Tourists have altered the Cypriot values and beliefs especially among the young generation and as mentioned before the dress code has changed and nudity is much more acceptable now. In spite of all negative and positive impacts of tourism on the socio-cultural structure of Cyprus it is not yet clear whether the benefits outweigh the costs. In general, the residents of Cyprus have a positive attitude toward tourism. Since the success of tourism depends very much on the human attitudes and behavior of the residents of a destination towards tourists, this seems to be an encouraging result for the future of tourism development. Residents recognize a range of potential positive and negative impacts of tourism however, current attitudes are generally quite positive and there is support for future modest increase in tourism. The tourism development strategy should aim to protect local culture, respect local traditions and promote local ownership and management of programs and projects so as to foster community stewardship of the natural resource base. As integrated processes take time, tourism umbrella organizations should start with voluntary self-restraint, until loc ally adapted objectives have been reached.

Walter Gropius and Mie van der Rohe | Comparison

Walter Gropius and Mie van der Rohe | Comparison As it known about two famous German architects, Walter Gropius and Mies Van de Rohe, who had been worked together and made a great contribution to the world architectures. Although both of them focus on the Modern building technology, they still have their own unique features and design philosophies. Walters main themes of architecture is standardized house, prefabrication and developed house for low-income workers whereas Mies Van de Rohes Less is more and God is in the details are his famous sayings. This essay talks about the two famous architects from Germany and the similarities and difference between their unique architectural buildings. In this essay, some of the greatest masterpieces before WW2 such as the Tà ¶rten Estate, skyscraper, IIT campus buildings are mentioned below. Walter Gropius, a German architect and educator, who established the Bauhaus school of design, which has become a predominant force in architecture in 20th century. Gropius was famous for the Bauhaus style and the prestige of the architecture had established when he grouped with Adolph Meyer. Walter Gropius went against the Nazi regime and escaped Germany secretly in 1934. He taught architecture at Harvard University in Britain after a few years. Then, the Bauhaus concepts and design principles were generated and introduced by him. During the 1938 to 1941, he worked on some houses with Marcel Breuer and all of them established the Architects Collaborative in 1945 (Jackie Craven n.d). Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, another prestigious German architect, who had worked with Walter Gropius and highly regarded as one of the pioneering masters of Modern architecture. Although he had never received any formal education in school, it would not stop the pursuit of establishing a new architectural style. Less is more and God is in the details are his aphorisms. He continued to seek a rational method that could navigate the innovative process of architectural design and strived to a concept of minimal framework of structural order fight against the freedom implication of free-flowing open space-skin and bones building style. Mies van der Rohe became well known for the glass and steel, this style clarified that the Barcelona Pavilion expressed as well as the planar inner walls that are an outgrowth of the belief that space must be made universal and flexible (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe: architect biography 2011). Mies s design for the housing was stemmed from his early study of the Kari Friedrich Schinkel. This project was famous from drawing and photographs. In 1912, Mie established his practice as an unique architect in Berlin. At that time, there was a competition that had been held for a skyscraper design on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. Although Miess scheme was successful and forward-looking, the project could not be accepted due to the poor conditions would not match with the solution (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe: architect biography 2011). Walter Gropius- design philosophy The architectural design of Walter Gropius was on the basis of the new architecture, which was not just about shelter any longer, but a kind of expression. The whole world has changed the idea from the gigantic structures to the stability and protection of the architectural buildings. In the modern age, we can concentrate on the architecture itself and the pursuit of our humans expressed feelings. Walter Gropiuss ideology of designing buildings is far more advanced and preferable to the modern time than turn people in the past. He has more focused on the central expression and utilitarianism of every buildings rather than beautiful structure and extravagant materials (Design Philosophy 2011). Walter Gropiuss New Architecture included the new materials and modern technologies of the World. He said that excellent design should be available to all and truly believed that it was not impossible by using standardization and prefabricated homes. The use of walls was just the most distinguishing angle of the buildings he designed. The simple form that provided by him was the best way to express life (Design Philosophy 2011). Bauhaus/International style of architecture has a number of unique features: namely, functionality Vs ornamentation, asymmetry and regularity Vs symmetry, and space Vs mass. Walter Gropius gave up the old concept and style of the architectural building, while he mainly put these three ideas in the front line- functionality, asymmetry and space. Bauhaus buildings are normally cubic with right angles; they have smooth facades and an open floor plan (Yael Zisling 2000). Bauhaus architecture primarily relates to the social aspects of design and workers departments. Tel Aviv, a newly evolved city, which embraced the style. This style of architecture was popular at a time due to the new engineering advancements that allowed to be built around steel or iron frames, that was, the walls did not support the structure any longer, but only enveloped from the outside. The International Style was the kind of architecture that never depended on the past style of the buildings; conversely, it made an attempt to set up a new and modern style. In Tel Aviv, Bauhaus architecture benefited a foothold because there was no real entrenched architectural style. However, the style of the architecture could be discovered in many places in Tel Aviv (Yael Zisling 2000). Ludwig Mies Van de Rohe design philosophy Miess glass skyscraper proposal actually had not been accepted by those clients because there was a thirty-story tower designed for an usual site situated near the crossing of the broad avenues, and this free-form scheme without any effective solutions for the structure. In 1923, the proposal was known from the photos of a model and several drawings. It can be shown from this project that Mies Van Der Rohe moves to a real modern style, it has become of great interest. He took over a number of studies of these architectures, which includes block building at that time (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe: architect biography 2011). In 1924, the plan for a brick building has a close resemblance to the de Stiji paintings of Van Doesburg. Mies Van der rohe regarded the brick as an old material and utilized it in the design for this planed country house. The Walls were free standing, sliding out from beneath the roof into the landscape. The walls linked with glass enclosures produced an entirely new effect, with radical implications for living style. Mies van der Rohe used these concepts to good effect in the Barcelona Pavilion of 1929 (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe: architect biography 2011). Walter Gropius -technology Due to the Industrial Revolution, the world had evolved dramatically, while art schools ignored new technology and ideas. Gropius supported students to exploit new industrial materials and processes. Walter Gropius believed that art should serve the proletariat and those of completed buildings. The main themes of Gropius architecture is standardized house, prefabrication and developed house. These ideas were applied into his private missions. In 1926, Gropius designed a 60-dwelling low-income community in Dessau, Germany- the Tà ¶rten Estate. He often helped the urban workers who live under the poverty lines. In order to help those poor workers, Gropius planed to design economical buildings with small but comfortable rooms by using cheap materials like cement and prefabricated elements. He tried to improve the sunlight and air circulation in the room by placing the windows (Walter Gropius and the Legacy of Modernism / Maddie  Wardley 2011). At present, most of the modern buildings adapt the Bauhaus style. There is a typical case of Truro House design. This house makes full use of the energy-saving techniques like solar power and it is divided into the wings. One is used for family visits and could be closed to reduce the energy. Just as Gropius, the buildings prefer to white color, big windows and a flat roof. The structural elements have been exposed under the sunlight. Perhaps Gropius fancies about the transparency in these buildings so that visitors can see through the construction and inner workings. Therefore, the Truro House can demonstrate a theme of technology, comfort, conservation and functionality by this famous designer. Up into now, the architecture is still largely affected by Bauhaus Modernism (Walter Gropius and the Legacy of Modernism / Maddie  Wardley 2011). Mie van der Rohe Technology Mie van der Rohe designed Czechoslovakia in 1930, the largest luxurious Tugendhat House in Brno. On a sloping site, this building is with a compact two-story plan and entered from the street at the higher level. The living rooms and dining rooms give more space and quality. Its use of exterior terraces on both levels is omparable to Le Corbusiers Villa Stein in Garches, France, 1927. The house is the same in function as large, late nineteenth-century country houses. Individual spaces could be shut off using draperies on ceiling tracks. The curved wall denning the dining room is Macassar wood, with an onyx freestanding wall denning space between living area and study. The Brno chairs designed for this house have been generated. The house suffered damage and is now owned by the city of Bmo (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe: architect biography 2011). Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was counted among the founders of modern architecture and design. One of the most emulated architects of the 20th century, he taught architecture for almost 30 years. Mies came to Illinois Institute of Technology to head the universitys Department of Architecture soon after the closing of Bauhaus, the renowned design school that flourished in Germany from 1919 until the rise of Nazism in 1933. During his 20 years as chairman of the department, he built up a curriculum based on the Bauhaus philosophy of synthesizing aesthetics and technology. He strongly emphasized on the grounding in the fundamentals of architecture and on a disciplined method of problem solving is reflected in IITs curriculum. According to his career, Mie had affected a great many architects and they made his theories into a movement (See Architecture 2011). His own designs, ranging from the Barcelona Pavilion in Spain to the Seagram Building in New York to IITs S. R. Crown Hall changed the skylines of cities all over the globe. Mies established Crown hall, which depicted on the banquet stamp, in 1955, was considered to be one of his greatest architectural masterpiece. In order to provide for a flexible, columnless interior, Mies stopped the roof from four steel girders maintained in the midway through eight external columns. Crown Hall has been regarded as an immortal contribution to the architecture of Chicago and the world. In 1941, Mies also designed the masterpiece of IIT campus, which was the most remarkable projects he believed and the only person to come close to attaining the whole realization. There are 20 architectural buildings around the old campus, which are the greatest Mies-designed buildings in the world. Hence, IIT campus has become a landmark of Chicago(See Architecture 2011). Similarity Difference Not surprisingly, it is evident from the details provided that there are some similarities and differences between Walter Gropius and Mies attitudes toward the technology and stylish building to the specific group of people. Walter Gropius focuses on low-income workers and he tries to build up the affordable and comfortable homes for people. Moreover, he considers the cost consumption of materials, the architectures practice, space, sunlight and air circulation. Further, he believes that architecture should express a kind of feelings or theme rather than its extravagant materials consumption and too distinguished surface. It has been discovered that the buildings that Walter Gropius designs are almost the peoples living place and the structures are modernized and fully transparent. The Bauhaus/ International style of architecture hold its ideology: functionality, asymmetry and space with lower cost consumptions. This would be fine match with the modern peoples perceptions and demands. However, although Mie van der Rohes architectural style still toward the Modernism, it seems that Mie vans buildings are far more preferable to the metropolitan building such as skyscraper. This is the striking difference between the Mie and Walter Gropius. The Mie van der Rohe has strongly emphasized the details, qualities and aesthetics. For example, the living rooms and dining rooms give more space and quality. Its use of exterior terraces on both levels is omparable to Le Corbusiers Villa Stein in Garches, France, 1927..Also his architectural buildings normally located on the Campus or the city centres, IITs S. R. Crown Hall is the one case to prove it. Mies architectural theories can build up a big city for one country whereas Walter Gropiuss can establish a comfortable home for people. Maybe this is where the difference is. Still, there remain some similarities between them. First, they both apply modern technology to the building establishment; second, no matter Walters the three main themes or Miess God is in the details, they all made the greatest contribution to the human race, to the country, to the modernization. Meanwhile, they hold the common attitude to the modern technology and impart their way of thinking to the next generation. Conclusion All together, this paper discusses the main architectural styles and design philosophies from Walter Gropius and Mie van der Rohe before the second world war. Walter Gropius prefers to the functionality of the building, while Mies is more likely to design it in an aesthetic way. They both have the typical masterpieces which located in different places. There are also a lot of research findings about their architectures, designs and attitudes toward the modern technology. Based on these series of comparison and contrast, it has been noted clearly that the situation of architectural development and technology goes to the certain extent that has already reached the contemporary design model-skyscrapers or the Tà ¶rten Estate, unfortunately, the conditions of architecture could not meet the requirements of solutions at that time. Nevertheless, their ideas have surpassed all the unavailable conditions and exerted the strong power to push the historical movement. How do children learn? How do children learn? How do children learn? Describe and evaluate behaviourist and cognitivist theories of learning, with reference to influential researchers and writers in each field. Child development that occurs from birth to adulthood was mostly ignored throughout much of history. Children were often viewed as small versions of adults rather than individuals and little attention was paid to the many advances in cognitive abilities, language usage, and physical growth. It wasnt until early in the 20th-century that interest was taken in the field of child development. This then tended to focus on abnormal behaviour. The following are some of the theorists that specialized at looking at cognitive development; these include Piaget, Bruner and Vygotsky. Jean Piaget (1896 1980) was a constructivist whose work has been a major influence both on child development and on learning and education. Piagets view was that from birth to adulthood children pass through a number of different stages of cognitive and mental development. As well as this he highlighted that the individual child played a big role in their own development and learning. He also recognized that the social environment plays a part alongside this. Although recognizing this he did not emphasize it, therefore his work focuses on the individual child impacting his or her own development. Piaget broke his cognitive development in to four different stages; Sensori-motor (birth to around two years), pre-operational (two to around seven years), concrete-operational (seven to around twelve years) and finally formal-operational (twelve years and onwards). As I said above although these stages have ages against them all individuals learn and development at their own rate and so may not hit these stages at the same time as all their peers do. This is something you see in schools and why work needs to be differentiated for the different abilities as they are all learning at their own rate. Piaget also believed that children learn through processes of adaptation which is known as assimilation, accommodation and equilibration. An example of assimilation can be that child A establishes the concept of cats as black. Child A then progresses to accommodation where the toddler ‘accommodates new information that cats can be different colours. Equilibration is where child A then needs to have this reinforced by further experiences before accommodating this in to their understanding. Schemas are one thing that came out form Piagets work. These are early ideas and concepts based on linked patterns of behaviour and are part of the childrens way of understanding their experiences. Schemas often occur in clusters and dominate a childs play at any one time. For example the idea of transporting, children will take time to investigate the different ways in which to move objects, such as using bags, trucks and trolleys. Jerome Bruner (1915) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) built on Piagets theory. They stressed the role of play, talking with adults and interacting with the social world. Piagets view of the child being a solitary learner is here replaced by that of the child as a social being. Children use their learning skills and knowledge of their own culture, received from adults to develop their ideas and learning that they could not do as a solitary learner. Vygotsky saw children as active organisers of their own lives which agreed with Piaget however he extended this to believing that social relationships and interaction with other people where needed to develop intellectually and that â€Å"knowledge develops through interaction with others† (Mistry, M 2009) So where Piaget emphasized the individual learner, Vygotsky is now emphasizing the role of the adults in helping children learn. From this he identified the ‘zone of proximal development, which is where children show signs about being ready to move on in their own development and learning. Adults then need to intervene and â€Å"help children to move into the zone of actual development and the cycle goes on.† (Smith, M 2006, p117). There are other areas in which theorists have specialized in, one of them being behaviour. Some of these theorists are Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura and Watson. These theories are part of the transmission model which builds on the thinking of the philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). Transmission theories are less to do with what goes on inside the mind and more to do with what goes on with the external outputs and influences of learning. There are two main components of transmission theory: learning theory and social learning theory. This is where those theorists come in so will look at them in more detail. The learning theory is where children learn through experience, this is shown through classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Ivan Pavlovs (1849-1936) work on the behaviour of dogs is an influential example of how the learning theory has developed through the twentieth century. Pavlovs research consisted of conditioning dogs by feeding them when a bell rang or a light shone. This progressed and went on for some time until finally when the bell rang or the light was flashed the dog would automatically salivate. The dogs had been conditioned to this way of thinking. This is something that is reflected in schools today for example when the bell rings at the end of the lesson the children then know that it is then a break time. This is repeated everyday during school and so the children become conditioned in to this way of thinking. These behaviours are continued through life even by teenagers and adults. For example at secondary school when the bell went at the end of a lesson myself and peers would automatically make the move to pack up our things and move to our next lesson or on to break time. Other things that we condition children to do is sit on the carpet with their arms and legs crossed. Also to hang their coats up and put their bags away, this becomes and automatic routine for children when they come in to school in the morning. Further development from Classical conditioning is Operant conditioning which psychologist B. F Skinner worked on. This operant conditioning is more to do with shaping and modifying behaviour rather than creating certain behaviour patterns. Skinner again worked with animals during his research, he gave the dogs food as a reward. The food was used as positive enforcement, if the dog was not to do what Skinner wanted he would ‘punish them by giving them electric shocks for example. Doing this repeatedly meant that the bad behaviour the dog presented with soon became eliminated. This works the same way for children, good behaviour is rewarded with stickers or golden time for example and the bad behaviour would be treated with detentions or telling off, singling out. This then works in the classroom as well, the children learn what behaviour is expected of them and what they will get in return for what they do. Smith, M (2006 p112) says that â€Å"By selectively reinforcing behaviour that is wanted adults can change the way children behave. This is called behaviour modification.† The social learning theory is where children learn through example. This leads on from the Learning theory but also emphasizes that children learn behaviours by observing and imitating adults, especially those that are important to the child. Some of these may include family members and the class teacher or other professionals that the child may work with. It has also been shown that children imitate each other. Albert Bandura (1925-) did an experiment using Bobo dolls. He showed three groups of children a doll being kicked and hit by other children which was then followed by showing a different consequence to the different groups. One of them being told off showing the behaviour was unacceptable, one being praised for what they had done and the last was not shown any consequence. After this they were then put in a room to see how they would react. This then showed Bandura that children would repeat what they had seen. This is seen in schools as well, both positively and negatively. Having mixed ages in classes or on the playground together means that younger children can look up to the older children and imitate their behaviour. The older children have been in the school longer therefore know how to behave more for example lining up in the playground at the end of lunch, the smaller children can then see this as an example and know what is then expected of them. John Watson (1878-1958) is another theorist that looked at conditioning behaviour. His research consisted of conditioning children to have a fear of a small white rat. He would present the rat alongside with a loud noise or bang which would scare the child. Although this then proved the theory of conditioning children the ethics of the experiment are often criticized today, especially because the childs fear was never deconditioned. Today in schools both the cognitivist and behaviourist theories are used. Without even knowing it, the teacher and whole school will have conditioned their children in to their overall daily routine as well as routines they take part I throughout their day. It is also shown in day to day lesson the differentiation that the teacher puts in to them in order for the children to be able to work at their own rate but still be pushed and progress through the work they are doing. Through the school planning and class planning these theories are used in everyday circumstances. 1550 words Part 2: 1500 words To what extent should theories of how children learn influence the way a class teacher plans and teaches lessons? Justify your answer with specific examples from your own experience and your reading. Our education system would not be the same today without the influence of many different theorists. Theorists such as Vygotsky, Pavlov, Piaget, Skinner and many more have influenced our day to day working with young children and people. I believe that theses theories are important and hold vital reasoning behind the way children act and learn throughout school and play. I myself without knowing will have used some of the techniques used by these theorists in their research for helping the children in my care progress. I think it is important to have knowledge about the theorists and to implement them to a certain degree in everyday teaching. For example Vygotskys theory Zone of proximal development, the teachers need to be aware of the levels of cognitive development in the group in order to know the right amount of scaffholding to give to the children. Teachers also need to work out strategies and provide tools for the children to realise and scaffhold themselves to move on to the next level. This development can be shown with differentiation in the classroom. In a school I have recently worked in they used this technique of allowing the children to recognize what level they are at and where they need to be working. Although the children were differentiated in to ability groups the children were given the opportunity to choose at what level they worked at for some of the activities. The Zone of proximal development kicked in when the child then felt ready to move on. The teacher would have extension work for all groups, lower groups were given the next levels work and the higher ability group would be given further extension work to better themselves. This is a reflection of Vygotskys theory allowing the children to have a choice and encouraged to challenge themselves, which they would often do willingly. Scaffholding which I have mentioned above is a term used by Bruner. Using this in the classroom may consist of providing clear and realistic goals, providing examples for the children to see on the board, making the task in to manageable chunks and also aiding the children with any parts that may cause frustration. â€Å"An example of this might be when a parent helps an infant clap or roll his hands to the Pat-a-Cake rhyme, until he can clap and roll his hands himself.† (webpage 2 bibliography) This I have also seen in a school before where the teacher would demonstrate the lesson before hand on the board. A clear ‘I can statement was also put on the board for all the children to see the objective for the lesson, this was then copied down as the title for that days work which meant they could easily see if they had met their target or not. If at any time the majority of children or a large group of children were finding a specific task difficult the class teacher would stop the whole class or ask those finding it too challenging to come to the front and work through it together before going back to tackle it individually again. In one school I have worked in they grouped all their foundation subjects and science into one, calling it Topic. This covered all the subjects well and although the whole class did this together without differentiated tasks the children would be learning and building on their knowledge at different rates. For example if the topic was space there may be children that are coming in to the work with a lot more background knowledge than those of others. In this case they are able to help those that need it and guide them to gaining more knowledge themselves. This shows and highlights that all children learn at their own rate as they can take in and hold different amounts of information. This reflecting the theory of Piaget where he states that children learn differently and at their own pace. I feel the most used theory is the reward system within the classroom and whole school. This is something that I have seen used in every school I have been in to and is a development from Skinners theory. His theory was to reward dogs for good behaviour and punish them for behaviour that he did not want. This is used in every school to a certain degree. For good behaviour in school you could give the children stickers, golden time or person of the week. As well as this for bad behaviour certain sanctions could be put in place for example extra work, missing of break times, informing parents, loss of privileges and even exclusion if it comes to that. The school I have recently worked in had a sticker reward system where the children gained them for good behaviour, good work and excelling in extra duties or work. This sticker was then ticked off in their work and put up on a class sticker board of one hundred. When they have filled this up they get a reward of an extra fifteen minute break time, they then start another hundred square and after that get another class reward. Therefore instead of individuals getting the rewards they are working as a group to progress and get them. They have certain sanctions for punishment put in to place as well. (Appendix 1) Although reward systems are widely used in schools â€Å"There is a debate about the appropriateness of rewarding good behaviour with stickers or small treats since it could be assumed that good behaviour is the norm.† (Jacques, K 2007 p127) Pavlovs original Classical conditioning of getting the dog to salivate awaiting food when the bell rang or the light flashed is still seen in schools today. Examples of this would be that when the bell rang at intervals during the school day the children recognize that it represents the end of a lesson ready for break time or that it is even home time. When this happens the children begin moving about anticipating the teacher saying you may go out. Another example of this is when you ask the children to come and sit on the carpet they will go and sit with their arms folded and their legs crossed. This is because at a young age when in nursery or reception this is the expectation therefore the children have been conditioned in such a way to continue showing this behaviour. This was something I have done myself even up to the ages of 14 or 15 at secondary school when we had assemblies where we had to sit on the floor, we would all sit still with our legs crossed. I think this benefits a lot of children having a routine that they do most days and having expectations of behaviour given to them by the class teacher and school. However some of these are not always beneficial for when they get to an older age for example during school many children will be asked to be quiet and work quietly and then when they are asked unexpectantly to share with people and feedback to a group they do not have the confidence or the ability to do so well as this is something they are not used to doing. I think this is even shown at our age in University seminars that I take part in now as you can see the students that have the better ability at speaking in front of others. Having said this at schools now I feel that they are taking advantage of the use of talking partners and group discussions to help involve all students in speaking in public and in front of their peers. In conclusion I feel that there are advantages and disadvantages of taking on board the different theories and using them in everyday practice. I have seen in many schools implications of the theories being used. Although all these are very beneficial and aid in how the school day runs and the flow of the day there are a few disadvantages to think about. One being the fact that children are conditioned for certain things that may not help them in later life, as I have stated above that we condition children in being quiet a lot of the time while working, this can influence their ability in older life to not feeling confident enough to talk in front of others. This is something that I can speak of from experience. However after taking all this in to consideration I feel that the theories do help to improve the working environment in different settings. I think the theories are very practical with working in todays school environment.