Investment Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Appraisal - Essay Example However, there are various risks that emanate from the uncertainty encompassing the projected variables. As a result, it is important to identify and understand the nature of uncertainty in the key project variables and have the tools and methodology to identify its risk implications on the projects return to be able to evaluate the project risks. Uncertainty in a project is evident especially in estimating future values of project variable as being certain; by calculating a â€Å"best estimate† based on the available data and use it as an input in the evaluation model: however, a range of other probable outcomes for each project variable is not included in the analysis. The outcome of the project is, therefore, also presented as a certainty with no possible variance or margin of error associated with it. Risk analysis is methodology whereby the uncertainty encompassing the main variables projected in a forecasting model is analyzed in order to estimate the impact of risk on a projected results. It is a technique based on the Monte Carlo simulation by which a mathematical model is subjected to a number of simulation runs, whereby successive scenarios are built up using various input values for the project's key uncertain variables that are selected from multi-value probability distributions. After simulation, the results are collected and analyzed statistically to arrive at a probability distribution of the potential outcomes of the project and to estimate various measures of project risk.

Luke’s gospel Essay Example for Free

Luke’s gospel Essay Each of the four evangelists had a particular slant to their writing:- One could say that Mark was a brief account of the preaching of Peter. Johns Gospel was written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). Matthew was written for Jews to show how Jesus teaching related to their laws and traditions. And Luke wrote for those who had become disciples and wanted to ground their faith in historical fact. Luke is described in the title of Jean-Francois Racine’s 20008 article as ‘Luke: Storyteller, Interpreter and Evangelist. ’ Despite his skills as both narrator and interpreter of events, he would have perhaps felt most comfortable with the last of these – Evangelist. In his gospel he makes many theological points – he was concerned for instance that his readers knew exactly who the person of Jesus was not as Alan Richardson says ‘a docetic apparition’ i. e the belief , later considered heretical, that Christ merely appeared to have a human body, an idea that Luke opposes with his birth narratives and the genealogy in chapter 3. Nor is he ‘a pagan theophany’ i. e. the mere visible, but not material appearance of God . This reality of God in history can be seen in the reading of this passage. Jesus is not just reading an old prophecy. He is laying claim to it. It is not to be interpreted as ’The Spirit of the Lord ‘ is upon some unknown person, some future long promised Saviour, but upon Jesus, the boy they had all seen grow up. It is perhaps no wonder the congregation found this difficult to accept. God in man, yet not someone who would perform miracles just to prove a point as is made clear in the description of the temptations in the wilderness, yet who is prepared to reveal signs that can be interpreted. The bringing of sight to the blind was in particular something associated with ‘the servant of the Lord’ according to Richardson and would be seen as a \Messianic sign. It is clear from the words of Isaiah that he chose that he saw the miracles he was able to perform as signs of the coming of the kingdom of God ‘the day of the Lord predicted by Isaiah. He makes this clear when he follows his reading by making the astounding claim ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’. After the prologue ( Luke 1 verse 1 to 4 ) Luke’s Gospel can be divided most obviously into 5 main sections in a frame work that more or less follows that set out by Mark, but which includes many events recorded solely by Luke:- †¢ Births of John and Jesus, Luke chapters 1 v 5 and 2, and unique to Luke †¢ Galilean Ministry, ( this section would also include his baptism and genealogy). The genealogy too is unique, for although Matthew includes such a list they vary. This section concludes at Chapter 9 v 20 with Peter’s confession when he acknowledges Jesus as ‘God’s Messiah’. †¢ The parable of the Good Samaritan in chapter 10 begins the next section wherein Jesus gradually moves towards Jerusalem. †¢ Luke 19 v 28 marks Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem and a re-joining of Luke’s narrative with that contained in Mark’s shorter gospel. Although there are accounts of earlier confrontations, in particular with the Pharisees this section marks a period of greater confrontation , as when he drove out the merchants in the temple in Luke 19 v 45-48 and of course later with the Sanhedrin and the Roman rulers. †¢ The passion narratives can be said to start from Chapter 22 with the feast of unleavened bread and the preparations for the last supper with the disciples. They conclude with the ascension, described again in Acts 1.. Jesus at the point described in 4 v 14 -30 has returned to his home town of Nazareth in Galilee. It is a passage that place Christ right at the centre of the story of salvation. According to Conzelmann and Buswell in the section of their 1992 book entitled ‘The centre of history’ Luke ‘deliberately takes the â€Å"today† which is expressed in this passage as belonging to the past, and builds up the picture of Jesus whole career on the basis of this historical interpretation. ’ â€Å"Today† might not actually be included in the passage in most translations, but is still implied as the passage is in the present tense and in the final line as in the Message paraphrase ‘This is God’s year to act. ’ In the Amplified Bible the passage reads :- The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound. Headings in the Good News Bible for this passage are ‘Jesus begins his work in Galilee’ and ‘Jesus is rejected at Nazareth’ The local people would have heard about the miracles don e in other places in the region. They must have been thinking ‘If he has done so much in other villages, how much more will he do here’ Instead he quotes to them a well known proverb :- Surely you will quote this proverb to me: Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum. I tell you the truth, he continued, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. He goes on to expound upon the way in which Gentiles could have faith, giving the examples of the widow of Zarephath who had been helped by Elijah, and also Naaman the Syrian, both of whose stories would have been familiar to the congregation. The passage has been proceeded by the birth narratives, the account of the early visit to Jerusalem, the sudden jump to the preaching of his forerunner John . His baptism is recorded briefly and then comes the genealogy which traces Jesus’ ancestry back to God The temptation in the wilderness is described as immediately preceding the events of 4 v 14 – 30. So we have Jesus, a unique being, ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Christ, the Lord. ’ And , according to the words of Simeon, not just a Saviour for the Jewish people, but also ‘Salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. ’ It had been traditionally expected that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah as is pointed out by Luke by his inclusion of the prophecy from Isaiah ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord†¦.. the crooked roads shall become straight , the rough ways smooth, and all mankind will see God’s salvation. ’ So once again the image provoked is of a universality to the message of salvation. John the Baptist is an Elijah type figure, especially if one reads Mark’s description of him , ‘John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ’ The baptism was a public event , but according to Luke the message from God to his son was a personal one, and it is not clear in this passage whether others heard the voice ‘You are my son whom I love; with you I am well pleased. ’ , a parallel passage to the one in Mark , but in John it is clear that John the Baptist at least was a witness, ‘John gave this testimony :† I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Matthew gives a slightly different version of events, which seems to imply that God was publically acknowledging Jesus as his son. ‘A voice from heaven said â€Å"This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ So all is ready – Jesus is established in history as being God on earth, the special, unique person , prophesied of old as the means of the world’s salvation – now he can begin. Which brings us to the Nazareth synagogue scene which marks , as far as Luke is concerned, the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. How far does passage set the agenda for the ministry of Jesus? According to Hans Conzelmann and Geoffrey Buswell in the 1982 book ‘TheTheology of St Luke’ ‘It is significant that according to Luke Jesus is not led by the Spirit, but himself acts in the Spirit. First of all there is the obvious contrast between ‘He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him’ which refers in a general way to the synagogues of various Galilean towns, and the reaction in his home town of Nazareth, presumably before a congregation of those who knew him well :-‘Isn’t this Jesus, Joseph’s son? ’ and then when he expounded on the passage, pointing out how Elijah had not been sent to a Jewish home in the time of famine, but to help the Gentile widow of Zarephath in Sidon, this provoked an extremely violent negative reaction ‘All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this’ so much so that they were apparently prepared to actually kill him according to verse 28 and 29. Why such a violent reaction? Israel had long been expecting her Messiah. He had been prophesied from Genesis through to Malachi, but in both negative and positive ways ‘ I will put enmity between you and the woman ,and between your offspring and hers’ and ‘Suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant; whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty. ’ However the people were expecting a warrior, a physical king, someone who would free them from the yoke of the Romans not a village boy, perhaps even an illegitimate one people have long memories. The passage Jesus was reading was from the scroll of Isaiah, chapter 61 . He bought the reading to an end in what, for the congregation, would be considered ‘the wrong place’. i. e half way through what is in modern Bibles , verse 2 of the chapter. He includes the phrase ‘to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ but omits the one after it ‘the day of vengeance of our God. ’ These people wanted a powerful saviour who would rid them of Roman oppression. Isaiah’s prophecy goes on to talk about a double portion for the Israelites who would feed on the wealth of nations. Preaching good news to the poor was fine, but it wouldn’t send the Romans back to Rome. Don Swager in his commentary says :- Jesus praise for outsiders caused them offence because they were blind-sighted to Gods mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. This sudden change of mood from the previous verses in which Luke records that he found acceptance where ever he went is a pivotal point in the gospel record. It exemplifies what will come and so can be said to set the agenda – for instance on Palm Sunday we are told that a large crowd ‘began to thank God and praise him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen. ’ Shouting â€Å"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! This is followed immediately by a plea from the Pharisees that Jesus call upon his followers to be quiet. Presumably they feared a negative reaction on the part of the authorities to someone being hailed as king. It isn’t just the words used. Spreading clothing along his way was known to be the way to greet a king. An example of this would be 2 Kings 9 v 13, a passage that would have been known when to many in the crowd , where, and had anointed him, after Elisha had told his that God wanted him to be king Jehu told his officers that Elisha had said :- Here is what he told me: This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel. ’They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, Jehu is king! But the words were from what are called the ‘songs of ascent’ i. e a normal part of the Passover celebrations and sang every year by pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem for the feast. So any Roman observers would have probably seen nothing unusual, and wouldn’t have been familiar with the passage from 2nd Kings. As with so many other passages this reaction of the Pharisees is unique to Luke. But these people were aware to some extent at least of the miracle that Jesus had performed in Galilee and the resurrection of Lazarus, recorded by John the evangelist, though not by Luke, had only just occurred, John places the event perhaps a week earlier, and it would certainly have been the latest news, so they at least were aware of the special person that Jesus was. These same people, described by Luke as disciples would have course still been in Jerusalem at the end of the week and some at least must have been in the crowd which Luke describes:- With one voice they cried out, Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us! †¦.. But they kept shouting, Crucify him! Crucify him! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. This constant split in opinion and changes in opinion , the general misunderstanding about what was Jesus’ true ministry as recorded first in Luke 4, continues throughout the passages between then and the trial narrative. In Luke 5 for instance there is the story of the call of Levi ( Matthew) after which there was a feast in Levi’s house. Again it is the Pharisees who complain ‘But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? He tries to explain :- â€Å"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. † The Good News Bible translate this verse as ‘I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts. ’ – which links back to the Isaiah passage read by Jesus in his home synagogue:- He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, That passage of course begins ‘the Spirit of the Lord is on me’ and of Jesus this was literally true if the account of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him at the time of his baptism is to be believed. It was acknowledge by Luke at the very beginning of the Galilean ministry :-â€Å" Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. † The passage, which comes from Isaiah 61 would not have originally have had the chapter and verse breaks with which we are so familiar. The section immediately before it is headed in the New International Version ‘The Glory of Zion’, and begins ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you’ . Oswald Chambers commenting upon his book ‘My Utmost for his Highest’ notes that ‘We have to make the first step’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢when getting in contact with God in order to find out what he wants’. This is a long positive passage which includes references to God appearing and nations ( i. e. the Gentiles ) coming to his light and which concludes with the words ‘I am the Lord ; in its time I will do this swiftly.. ’. Jesus , although he read only a few lines, would have been very aware of this wider context , and so would many of his readers. This ministry to the outsiders of society would continue and is more strongly evident in this gospel perhaps than in others as for instance in chapter 15, known for its parables of the lost which begins with tax collectors and others on the edges of society coming to Jesus an event that brings an immediate reaction from the religious leaders Right at the beginning of his story Luke had stressed the presence, power and working of the Holy Spirit, something that it was generally felt had departed from Israel. The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. This emphasis upon the Spirit continues. It is evidenced for instance in the raising from death to life of the widow’s son, only one of many healings which took place and which Luke summarizes. At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Even such miraculous events could be misinterpreted, such were the misunderstandings surrounding Jesus, who he was, and what his purpose was. In the gospel’s11th chapter, Jesus, now on his way towards Jerusalem, drives out a demon. :- Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons. This empowering by the Spirit was not restricted to Jesus alone, Anticipating opposition ahead he tells his followers they need not fear :- When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. Another aspect of the passage is ‘the binding up of the broken hearted’. This could be seen as referring to those who mourn for whatever reason as in Matthew 5 v 4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. ’ as Jesus describes life in the coming kingdom of God. The Message Bible has this as :- You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right . Then you can see God in the outside world. Luke is always concerned with mankind fully realizing who Christ is and his purpose and the message might be. The letter to Philippians in chapter 2 contains a quotation from an early Christian hymn which explains this – that Christ humbled himself by coming to earth in order eventually that man will be restored in his relationship with God – a relationship broken in the early chapters of Genesis when man disobeyed what he knew to be the will of God. Luke portrays the purpose of Christ as restoring this broken relationship. In 4 v 43 Jesus says :- I must preach the good news of the Kingdom to God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. Luke also shows the universality of the task in the call of the disciples as when he responds to Peter in 5 v 10, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men’ told . When the seventy two disciples, who had been sent out as recorded in chapter 10, they had been told ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them the kingdom of God is near you’ They returned full of joy because ‘Lord, even the devils submit to us in your name! ’ This idea that the spread of the gospel is the task and responsibility of the whole church, and they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry it out is of course continued in Luke’s second volume , the Book of Acts, for example in chapter 2 v 4 :- All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This idea of restoring relationships is shown repeatedly even in the healing miracles, where the emphasis is on the forgiveness of sins rather than on any physical healing that took place as with the healing of the paralytic man brought to his by friends in 5 v 17 -26. The man does receive healing, but even before that in verse 20 we read :- ‘Friend , your sins are forgiven’ something that the Jewish faith believed was only brought about by the offering of sacrifices. The result in this case was not only one man being forgiven, but a whole crowd of people seeing God in power and praising him for it. The theme continues even on the cross when the thief pleads with the dying Messiah :- ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’. Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise. When John records Jesus final words, ‘It is finished’ it is a sign that not only is his earthly life drawing to an end, but that of the task which he had taken upon himself. Peterson, in the Message Bible translates this as :-‘It’s done – complete’. A phrase that might be translated as ‘It is accomplished’ as indeed it was if one accepted that by his sacrificial death Jesus is able to restore the relationship between God and his salvation. Luke’s version of the gospel story cannot be seen in isolation, and should be read alongside complementary passages, i. e. the other gospels. It is stated in John 3 v 14 – 18 a:- The son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned. References Bible, Good News Version, Today’s English Version, Collins/Fontana London 1976 Bible, New International Version, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1988 Chambers, O. ,My Utmost for His Highest, Marshall, Morgan and Scott, reprinted 1975 Peterson,E. Bible , The Message, Navpress, Colorado Springs, 2002. Richardson,A. Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament, SCM Press, London 1958 Electronic Sources Amplified Bible, retrieved 6th April 2009 http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=Luke%204;version=45; Brow, R. , Lukes Gospel Commentary, Retrieved 6th April 2009 http://www. brow. on. ca/Books/Luke/Luke01. htm Conzelmann, H. and Buswell, G. ‘The Theology of St Luke’ Faber and Faber, London 1992 , Questia on Line Library, retrieved 7th April 2009 http://www. questia. com/read/87968381? title=The%20Theology%20of%20St. %20Luke Racine, J. Luke: Storyteller, Interpreter and Evangelist , Theological Studies, Volume 69, 2008, Questia Online Library, retrieved 7th April 2009 http://www. questia. com/read/5025752564? title=Luke%3a%20Storyteller%2c%20Interpreter%2c%20Evangelist Swager, D. The Gospel of Luke, A Commentary and Meditation retrieved 6th April 2009 http://www. rc. net/wcc/readings/luke146. htm

Undersatnding People Essay -- essays research papers

Different people see the world from different perspectives. In our society, there will always be misunderstandings between people and those people’s reactions will differ. Some choose to mope, groan, and even get angry about the way that themselves or others are treated while some decide to try and do something about it. Still, there are others who think to themselves that maybe the best way to deal with the issues among people is to try and comprehend what they mean and just live by them. As Benedict Spinoza put it, â€Å"I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.† Authors now try to understand actions that people make instead of ridiculing them. The following explains these authors and how they have been able to identify with others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Under the Influence† is an essay written by Scott Russell Sanders. In this writing he tells how he grew up with an alcoholic as a father. His life was not at all easy. He had to deal with issues that young children should not have to deal with. In this essay he makes the reader understand what an alcoholic is and how the actions of one person who has this disease can affect himself and so many other people. Sanders does this by explaining the horror that he and his family had to go through during the years of his father’s problem. The family was never sure whether they would be happy at the sight of the father or horrified by his presence. As a child, S...

Emily Dickinson Essay

A poem, sonnet, short story, and other kinds of literature all seem useless if no one has ever read it. The true value of words can only be best appreciated when their meaning reaches other people. Emily Dickinson, one of the authors renowned to have produced some the finest literary pieces, has touched the hearts of many people all around the world through her works. Even today, years after she passed away, her works and influence linger for generations to come. There is no better way to understand the present without knowing and tracing the remnants of the past. Emily Dickinson’s classics give people a better grasp of the kind of life that people lived during her time. Analyzing the writing style and the perspective of an author such as Dickinson will give the people a comparison of today and yesterday. Most authors write based on their experience or the surrounding environment, and studying these pieces of literature will provide a person with information about the author, his or her family, and daily living. Emily Dickinson’s father was a lawyer and her mother was a housewife. She was born to a wealthy family in Massachusetts and was blessed with good education. She was proved to be an introvert yet an intelligent student. She started writing shortly after she attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary (Famous Poets and Poems, 2009). Most of her works center on the issues of death, immortality, nature, and faith. She dedicated her poem entitled â€Å"Safe in their Alabaster Chambers† to her friend and fellow author Thomas Wentworth who participated in the Civil War (Famous Poets and Poems, 2009). â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† is also one of her famous and well-talked about poems. It obviously talks about death and the afterlife. Some of the controversial lines are the following: â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death, / He kindly stopped for me. / The carriage held but just ourselves / And immortality† (Dickinson, 2000a, n. p. ). In the poem, the author uses the point of view of someone who has experienced eternity to describe it. She illustrates her life’s journey through childhood, maturity, and old age. Contrary to most views, the author describes death as a gentleman who came to take her towards the afterlife. Death is one of the topics she chose probably because it was during her time when the Civil War erupted, and all her loved ones were dying, like her friend Wentworth. Experiencing the death of a loved one makes a person contemplate about it. Emily Dickinson also gave breath to the famous quote, â€Å"love is life† and â€Å"If I could stop one heart from breaking† (Dickinson, 2000b, n. p. ; Dickinson, 2000c, n. p. ). Love is the shortest most powerful word that ever existed. The author is correct when she said that â€Å"love is life† because its power transcends death (Dickinson, 2000c, n. p. ). During the 19th century, people fought hard for life and love. That is why most works coming from these times talk so passionately and deeply about it. â€Å"If I Could Stop One Heart from Breaking† is another classic that talks about what a person can do to help another being. She expounds further by saying that her life would not be in vain if she could help ease a person’s pain (Dickinson, 2000b). Life is too short to be wasted for selfish reasons, and as such, the life of an individual who takes the time to go an extra mile for others will not be in vain. Emily Dickinson’s works are priceless because they will never go out of style, and her words of wisdom can be applied all throughout the ages. She had a rough life, and she clearly made her point using her words. She is one of the most acknowledged and successful authors of all time not only because of her unique and classical perspective, but also because she succeeded in giving the people of today a peek of what it felt like to have lived and loved in the 19th century. References Dickinson, E. (2000a). Because I could not stop for death. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. New York: Bartleby. com.Retrieved June 22, 2009, from http://www. bartleby. com/113/4027. html. Dickinson, E. (2000b). If I could stop one heart from breaking. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. New York: Bartleby. com. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from http://www. bartleby. com/113/1006. html. Dickinson, E. (2000c). That I did always love. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. New York: Bartleby. com. Retrieved June 22, 2009, from http://www. bartleby. com/113/3008. html. Famous Poets and Poems. (2009). Emily Dickinson Biography. Retrieved June 24, 2009, from http://famouspoetsandpoems. com/poets/emily_dickinson/biography.

Claude Cahun: Boy & Girl Together

Claude Cahun: Boy & Girl Together For this discussion I found an interest in the gender bending â€Å"self-portraiture† of Claude Cahun. An added interest I later found about Cahun and her work came after googling her name; I found some articles about feminism in art that not only speak about Cahun and her feminist work, but also about Cindy Sherman’s art as well (Imagine that to my surprise).Cahun was one of first the 20th century (female) artists to dress herself up in an array of gender bending disguises and photographed herself in the name of art, from the time she was 16 with the collaborative assistance of her life partner (and step sister), Marcel Moore. Cahun had preferred to present herself as both object and subject for her own sexual fascinations, rather than a passive object (Claude Cahun, Self-Portrait, 1928, The Guerilla Girls’ Beside Companion to the History of Western Art, page 62) o be consumed by the â€Å"male gaze. † Claude’s wor k was scandalous to everyone including the homophobic, surrealist men she hung out with, as she paved her own path towards liberation; could Cahun and Moore have been the first two Guerilla Girls’ of the 20th century? Yes, I do feel that woman’s artwork is read in a gender-based way, while men’s is mainly looked at in terms of its content and statement. Claude Cahun’s artwork is looked at as scandalous and pornographic; the surrealists wrote her out of their history.On the contrary the surrealists could appreciate that of Rrose Selavy, the avant-garde alter ego of Marcel Duchamp; a male artist disguised as a woman for art’s sake. Claude Cahun’s gender most definitely comes into play when interpreting and studying her work, as well as her sexual identity. Cahun disrupts restrictive ideas about gender, social prescriptions and femininity. The fact that has surprised me throughout the study of art history is that only the art of white, European affiliated men held any merit. Meaning, the art itself was not looked at by what it was or how well it was created, but y who created it as to whether it was to be consider museum worthy or not. â€Å"What do women want? They want the human to be neither man nor woman. † – Jean-Francois Lyotard (The Guerilla Girls’ Beside Companion to the History of Western Art, page 59) I found this to be supportive of how artwork should be studied, interpreted and of its success of not. The art should be the topic and the content and message be heard over the fact of whether it is created by a man, a woman or someone in-between. References: * The Guerrilla Girls' bedside companion to the history of Western art. New York: Penguin Books, 1998. Print. page 62-63. * â€Å"Claude Cahun. Guerrillagirlsbroadband. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. http://ggbb. org/meet-the-broads/claude-cahun/. Claude Cahun – radical, Jewish, lesbian, writer, resistance fighter, political activ ist, Surrealist, photographer strangely prescient in their concern with sexual politics and gender identity. Her self-portraits represent such a diverse range of sexual selves Although Cahun did not become closely associated with Andre Breton’s Surrealists util the early 1930s, she later declared herself to have â€Å"always been a surrealiste†. The Surrealists organized in response to the rise of Hitler and the spread of fascism in France.Her political commitment extended throughout her life, and though she might best be described as a libertarian anarchist, her politics had an explicitly feminist subtext In examining issues of female self-identity and subjectivity, before they were really formulated as such, Cahun was moving toward her own liberation. Jersey was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and the two women mounted resistance activities such as writing and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. Cahun was nearly executed for this act, but was given a reprie ve at the last minute.German soldiers moved into Cahun and Moore’s home, destroying much of their art work, including original photographs, photo-plates and negatives. The two women were subsequently incarcerated. The ignorance about Cahun is such that there are source books on Surrealism that refer to her as a man. Cahun’s boyish image was, in fact, shocking in the context of mainstream French Surrealism. The male Surrealists not only advocated heterosexuality, but tended to be homophobic. Claude was a lesbian, A Jew, and a Marxist, three no-nos to the Nazis, who invaded France in 1940.

Hubris - Oedipus essays

Hubris - Oedipus essays Oedipus like some other well-known Greek heroes was guilty of equating temporal success with godliness. Thus despite the prophecy of Apollo, Oedipus pushed himself into the very fate that was pre-ordained for him, while he was deliberately ignoring the negative tidings. He did not heed the prophecy believing that no one and nothing could destroy him, yet he himself brought destruction upon himself by his ruthless means and his arrogance. This excessive pride and arrogance is known as hubris and this was the tragic flaw of Oedipus that led to his downfall. It is because of this that Oedipus becomes spiritual blind and later becomes the cause of his physical blindness as well. Physical blindness was an indication of the destruction that his hubris had wrought. Spiritual blindness was indicated by his consistent rejection of Apollos prophecy. When Choragos asks Oedipus, "What god was it drove you to rake black Night across your eyes?" He replies in extreme state of agitation and anguish : He brought my sick, sick fate upon me. When all my sight was horror everywhere? Hubris thus becomes the greatest obstacle to deliberation- to the ability to reflect, think, ponder and react in moderation. The corresponding virtue for this vice was moderation. However Oedipus was blinded by his own success and thus became extremely arrogant; thereby causing his own destruction and downfall. He becomes the cause of his fathers death, sleeps with his mother and has children with her. This had all been predicted by Apollo but Oedipus was so blinded by arrogance and over confidence that he could discern what was happening. He couldnt see that Apollos predictions were coming true and thus began the hunt for his fathers killer- cursing him all along while the readers knew that he was in fact cursing himself. ...

Human personality development

Human personality development A number of theories have been advanced to try and explain how an individual’s personality develops. Some of the prominent psychologists who have developed theories that have widely been accepted include; Eric Erikson, Sigmund Freud, and Kohler (Allen, 2003). Moreover, research findings reveal that a significant number of American population experience different types of psychiatric disorders. The essay will discuss Freud’s theory of personality development and then focus on the nature of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as one of the common disorders affecting up to 2% of America’s adult population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human personality development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Among the various theories put forward to explain personality development, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory can be considered as one of the most comprehensive in explaining the development of human p ersonality. Virtually all the dozen theories of personality development universally agree that personality starts at childhood and develops as the child grows to adulthood. This theory provides a clear and a stage by stage development of personality which I strongly agree with. Freud’s theory argues that personality is shaped by inner tensions and struggles that an individual experiences and must be met sooner or later. He identified three major mental processes that are in constant conflict with each other; the Id, Ego, and the superego (Allen, 2003). The Id involves the inherent biological instincts which are present at birth. It is irrational, impulsive, self-serving, and totally operates unconsciously. The Id is controlled by the pleasure principle but the urges are expressed uncontrollably. The ego, on the other hand, is in the middle and manages both the desires of the Id and those of the superego. The superego is like a censor for actions and thoughts of the ego. Freu d, in his theory, points out that an individual’s personality is formed before one is 6 years old by a series of psychosexual stages. He argues that infancy urges for erotic pleasure play a central role in personality development. Four erogenous zones were identified as having the potential of being the source of pleasure, frustration, and self-expression. Unresolved conflicts or emotional hang-ups would manifest themselves later in life as fixations (Allen, 2003). The first is the oral stage. This occurs during the first year of life and the infant derives pleasure from mouth stimulation. Oral traits may be created at this stage if they are overfed or suppressed. Such traits include, gum chewing, smoking, kissing, alcoholism, and nail biting in adulthood. Fixation of oral stage later creates oral-aggressive mature person who argues always. Anal stage occurs between ages 1 and 3. At this stage, the child attention moves to elimination process. When the child is trained on to ileting, he may react by approval or express aggression and rebellion. In turn, he â€Å"withholds† or â€Å"let go.† The type of such training may instill such responses into personality. Traits at adulthood due to this stage include; compulsive cleanliness, orderliness, or disorderliness, destructiveness, or cruelty, for the case of â€Å"let go.†Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When the child is aged 3 and 6, the phallic traits are develops. As a result of enhanced sexual interest, the child is physically attached to the parent of opposite sex albeit causing conflicts which must be dealt with. Phallic personality at adulthood is characterized by exhibitionism, sensitive pride, self-love, and egotism. After age 6, a period of latency ensues. This stage lasts until puberty. At puberty, the adolescent experiences changes in sexual energies which unravel all the unresolved conflicts of childhood. This may result in emotional swings and turmoil. It is resolved by a heterosexual relationship and later leads to adult sexuality. All these characteristics can be clearly seen in day to day life and this theory can provide some guidelines (Corey, 2008). Having discussed one of the theories of personality development, we shall now consider one of the major psychological disorders in the United States of America. Psychological disorders can really interfere with a person’s personality at any given age. Of the many psychological disorders listed, we shall focus on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by obsessions and compulsions of exaggerated magnitudes (NIMH, 2009). This disorder has very clear symptoms since they are not what can be expected of a normal person. The person reports having obsessions which include; persistent thoughts, impulses or images which come uncontrollably in to the sufferer’s mind. This results in extreme anxiety and distress. To counter these experiences, the sufferer resorts to compulsive or repetitive actions or thoughts like praying, counting, word repetition, or such behaviors as redoing actions, ordering, cleaning, checking, and or washing hands severally to avoid â€Å"contamination.† All these behaviors are such that they are not expected of a normal person. It consumes a lot of time and the sufferer knows that the obsessions and compulsions are senseless and inappropriate only that they find it too difficult to do without. Unfortunately, this disorder has no cure yet apart from some prescribed treatment approaches. The most effective, according to psychiatrists, is the use of the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through the use of Exposure Response Prevention (EPR) (NIMH, 2009). This is purely non-medical and it involves exposure/conditioning to sources of anxiety. The second treatment alternative is through r ecommended medication like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). The drugs used regulate the flow of Serotonin in the mind.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human personality development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay has discussed in brief Sigmund Freud’s personality development theory. It has described how personality develops from infancy to maturity. The paper has also discussed briefly the OCD and the available treatment approaches. References Allen, B. P. (2003). Theories of personality: development, growth, and diversity. Allyn and Bacon. Corey, G. (2008). Personality: theory and practice of counseling psychotherapy (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. National Institute of Mental Health-NIMH (2009). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Government of the United States of America.

22 Reasons Being a Nurse is Really Hard

22 Reasons Being a Nurse is Really Hard You’re a nurse. You want to be a nurse. You know someone who’s a nurse. No matter what your connection to nursing, we’re here to tell you just how hard it is for these folks who strive daily to keep us all alive and well. There’s no question about it, being a nurse is really hard. Here are 22 prime examples of just how hard nursing can be.Nurses Must Have Extreme Confidence at All Times1. They routinely have to make life-and-death decisions for multiple patients at a time, often with little notice or preparation, i.e. a five-minute shift report.2. They can get transferred to a wing or department for a day (that they know almost nothing about) and be expected to act as though they’ve been at it for 20 years.Nurses Have Encyclopedic Knowledge and Stellar Memory3. They’ll get berated by a doctor for the one thing they forgot, but never thanked for the 1001 things they manage to hold in their head throughout a shift.4. They have to know all there is to know about 18,000+ medications: etiology, classification, contraindications, dosage, allergies, etc.5. They need to be able to determine the significance of lab results and decide whether to bring in a doctor in the middle of the night if there are obscure abnormalities in your bloodwork or tests.6. They actually read the research findings taped to the back of the bathroom stall door by the higher-ups.7. No matter how old they are, they’re often asked to learn whole new software systems from scratch.8. They can take your pulse with nothing but their fingers and a watch in 15 seconds flat.Nurses are Caretakers of Everyone Around Them†¦9. They have to figure out what to feed themselves and their families while they’re cleaning out your catheters and bedpans.10. They have to manage care- PT, OT, radiology, diet, social services, medications, consultants, and wound care- for multiple patients at a time, but also remember where they put their car keys.11. They n eed a doctor’s permission to write you a prescription for extra strength ibuprofen, but are routinely trusted to float catheters through patients’ hearts and veins to monitor them on the regular.†¦At the Expense of Their Own Health12. If they want to eat, they probably have to have the names and phone numbers of all the local take-out places stored in their memory.13. They often arrive at work when it’s still dark out and go home after it’s dark again.14. They feel guilty leaving their patients for the 1o to 30  minutes they (maybe) get to take for lunch.15. They spend 12+ hours a day on their feet and still are told by their own doctors that they should get more exercise.16. They probably have two dozen sets of scrubs, but none without a stain from someone’s bodily fluid.17. More often than not, they won’t get a chair when they need one at the nurses’ station.The Have a Unique Set of Quirks and Everyday Problems18. They might have to choose a doctor for themselves based on whether that doctor is kind to nurses.19. They have to know their patients by diagnosis and room number before they can bother with a name.20. They probably feel naked without their stethoscope, pen, or other crucial implement.21. Their worst nightmares involve anything from losing patients to doctors calling them and they can’t find a patient’s chart.22. They have to learn to read doctors’ â€Å"handwriting.†Bottom line: it’s hard to be a nurse. If you are one, thank you for all you do. If you’re not, go thank a nurse!

Zara spanish clothing company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zara spanish clothing company - Essay Example The above operational characteristic of Zara is considered as one of its major competitive advantages towards its rivals. The firm has also managed to fully avoid outsourcing, a target that has not been achieved by other retailers. In this context, British retailers, like H&M and Benetton, and USA retailers, like Walmart and J.C. Penny, prefer outsourcing all parts of their supply chain, apart from the quality control phase (Ray 2010, p.324). On the other hand, the above retailers seem to have different competitive priorities from Zara. Indeed, these firms focus more on the development of high quantities of clothes, aiming to avoid sending new ranges to their stores on a daily basis, a common practice in Zara (Gourdin 2006). Rather, they set specific time points for sending new ranges to their stores; these ranges will be appropriately aligned with the market demands, in terms of quantity and quality. There are retailers that have tried to minimize the time spent between the producti on line and the store, like Mango, a Spanish retailer, (Leeman 2010); however, still, the time of response to the customers’ needs is more than in Zara. Keeping the standards of their brand name, meaning the characteristics of their products as of their design and quality, is the key competitive priority for retailers in the particular industry. For Zara, responding to the preferences of customers on a continuous basis is the key strategic priority, as reflected in the firm’s supply chain strategy. Currently, Zara is able to launch a new collection quite rapidly; in fact, the average time required for the firm’s new ranges to reach its stores is about 15 days (Rushton and Walker 2007). Moreover, the firm keeps certain of its facilities spare, meaning its trucks and warehouses, so that it is able to respond to emergent market needs without having to wait for completing a pending order (Mangan, Lalwani

Human resource strategies for change management Essay

Human resource strategies for change management - Essay Example More specifically, the behaviour of the environment is being examined in order to identify the reasons of failure that the change management faced in this occasion. Griffiths reforms should be analyzed and evaluated in accordance with the necessity and the extension of change management initiatives as well as the general environment (political, economic, social, technological and legal) in which they are intended to operate. The change when occurring in a professional environment has to face a lot of difficulties and oppositions. The existence of ‘recognized’ and ‘well-established’ right of decisions of certain ‘groups’ or people is usually the reason for the hostility towards the attempts for change at their first appearance. That’s why the element of change management that should be a priority when introducing new strategies in a work environment is the creation of conditions of acceptance (Walker, 1994). If the current situation is ‘blocked’ and there will be no effort to create a climate of trust and positively thinking towards the proposed changes, then their application could be unachievable. In this context, the detailed diagnosis of the problem in accordance with the identification of the areas of dissatisfaction with the existing situation could help the change to be more desirable from the participants involved. In order to achieve an objective and appropriate diagnosis we could use the following two techniques: a) the assessment of the efficiency of the organization and b) the diagnosis of the organizational weaknesses and strengths (Grit, Dolfsma, 2002). In this particular situation, it seems that the proposed reforms although containing detailed and – in general terms – effective rules regarding the organizational restructuring, the major problem is the lack of sufficient research regarding the existing managerial structures so that the

Econometrics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Econometrics - Assignment Example Frequently Box and Jenkin’s is an iterative method and there may be competing candidates to describe a series. To achieve stationarity or remove trend two techniques are usually applied. The first one involves fitting either a parametric model or a spline function. In this case the ARMA model is applied to the residuals. Alternatively, Box and Jenkins recommended taking suitable differences of the process to achieve stationarity. Here the assumption is that the original series is ARIMA and the difference gives rise to the ARMA series. To determine whether the series has been reduced to a stationary series, one may look at the autocorrelations. For a stationary series, the autocorrelation sequence would converge to 0 quickly as lag increases. The time plot given in Figure 2 is already a stationary series as there is no evidence of any trend. Both autocorrelation plot and partial autocorrelation plot need to be looked at simultaneously. The partial autocorrelation become 0 at lag p+1 or greater when the process is AR(p). Strictly speaking the largest PAC is at lag 2 and the second largest at lag 24. These are the only two significant partial autocorrelations. When consider the ACF at lag 24, no significance is noted. However at lag 16 ACF is significant, but no corresponding significance is noted in PACF. The two components of the observation vector y, the predicted part X ÃŽ ²-hat, and the residual y - X ÃŽ ²-hat are orthogonal. They are uncorrelated and since they follow multivariate normal distribution, they are also independent. Any function of the predicted random vector and any function of the residual vector will also be independently distributed. Using (9) and (12) given in Lecture 5 and using the result that ratio of two independent chi-square variables divided by their respective degrees of freedom, follows an F distribution with proper d.f. the F-statistic for testing parameter of linear regression

End of Life Choices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

End of Life Choices - Research Proposal Example In addition, the practice would lessen the urgency to develop new medicines designed to prolong life. Those who oppose the practice on religious grounds argue that it is ‘playing God’ therefore sinful. Health care professionals cite the Hippocratic Oath which forbids them from carrying out this procedure. This paper will examine the moral and ethical concerns surrounding euthanasia, clarify the meaning of the term, present arguments for the practice and conclude with a recommendation to resolve the issue. Euthanasia describes a situation in which a terminally ill patient is administered a lethal dose of medication, is removed from a life-support system or is simply allowed to die without active participation such as by resuscitation. A doctor’s involvement in the procedure could be to either prescribe a lethal dose of drugs with the express intent of ending a life or by intravenously inserting a needle into the terminal patient who then activates a switch that administers the fatal dose (Naji et al, 2005). Assisted suicide by physicians and non-physicians has been legal in Switzerland since WWII. In addition, three organizations within the country have been established to aid terminally ill patients. They provide patient counseling as well as the drugs for use in the procedure. Lethal injections, however, are not allowed. The unusual situation in Switzerland holds that assisted suicide is allowed as long as a physician is not a part of the process (Hurst & Mauron, 2003). Eutha nasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002. Each case must be reviewed by two physicians before the procedure is carried out by either ingestion or injection. In The Netherlands, euthanasia has been legal for four years but has been tolerated for two decades.

The Significance of Credible Evidence to the Administration of Justice Essay

The Significance of Credible Evidence to the Administration of Justice - Essay Example There are several arguments that support evidence law; such as the amelioration of insidious suspicion of juries; to promote legal or social issues associated with litigation; to enhance substantive policies disparate to the trial; to establish conditions to obtain the most credible facts in court; and to organize the extent and period of trials. This paper explores the different types and the significance of credible evidence for the administration of justice. Admissibility of evidence Evidence manifests in four main forms: demonstrated evidence; documented evidence; real evidence and testimonial evidence. Whereas some policies regulating evidence are applicable to all four categories, others pertain to less than three or less. It is notable that all of these categories of proof must be permissible, though, prior to being considered as investigative of a matter in a court case. Essentially, if proof is to be considered admissible in court, it has to be pertinent, material, and knowl edgeable. To be seen relevant, evidence must have a number of reasonable inclinations to assist prove, or refute some reality. It should not build certainty to the fact, but to some extent, it must be inclined toward the increment or lower the possibility of a number of facts. Once evidence meets the standard measures, the judge or jury, charged with the duty of establishing facts will decide the suitable weight to offer a given piece of proof. An appropriate piece of proof is considered credible if it is tabled to verify a reality that is being argued in a legal proceeding. Credible proof is that fact that accords with particular conventional notions of consistency. Courts are slowly reducing the competency policies guiding evidence by enabling to be looked upon depending on the burden of proof (Gazzaniga [2011] 304 SA 54). Significance of real evidence Real evidence is imperative. Its subsistence or features are believed to be pertinent and subject to a matter before the court. It is normally an issue that was expressly involved in an occurrence in the trial, such as an exhibit of murder, the individual property of an aggrieved party, or an item like a hat or bangle belonging to a criminal suspect. The relevance of the material must be observed in trial before it can be admissible, by a judge. The procedure, in which a lawyer establishes these fundamentals and any extra structures that may be useful, is referred to as laying a foundation for a case (Wang [2008] 5 US-China Law Review 50). Generally, the weight and content of real evidence must be guaranteed. An attorney sets up the evidence's credibility by demonstrating that it actually is what it should look like, failure to which it may be deemed by the court. Corroborating evidence is referred to as authentication. Demonstrative Evidence Although, evidence is believed to be demonstrative if it carries the testimony of a live witness, it is deemed permissible when it comparatively and precisely mirrors the witness's account and is otherwise admissible. Demonstrative evidence includes items such as maps, images of a scene where crime is committed, diagrams and graphs that show incriminating or exonerating particulars (Kennedy, & Wlnn, [2011] 16 DLR 209; Timothy [2008] 72 FB 87; Pardo [2006] 33 AJCL 301). Documentary Evidence Evidence captured in or recorded on retrievable mediums can be an aspect of real proof. For instance, an

End of Life Choices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

End of Life Choices - Research Proposal Example In addition, the practice would lessen the urgency to develop new medicines designed to prolong life. Those who oppose the practice on religious grounds argue that it is ‘playing God’ therefore sinful. Health care professionals cite the Hippocratic Oath which forbids them from carrying out this procedure. This paper will examine the moral and ethical concerns surrounding euthanasia, clarify the meaning of the term, present arguments for the practice and conclude with a recommendation to resolve the issue. Euthanasia describes a situation in which a terminally ill patient is administered a lethal dose of medication, is removed from a life-support system or is simply allowed to die without active participation such as by resuscitation. A doctor’s involvement in the procedure could be to either prescribe a lethal dose of drugs with the express intent of ending a life or by intravenously inserting a needle into the terminal patient who then activates a switch that administers the fatal dose (Naji et al, 2005). Assisted suicide by physicians and non-physicians has been legal in Switzerland since WWII. In addition, three organizations within the country have been established to aid terminally ill patients. They provide patient counseling as well as the drugs for use in the procedure. Lethal injections, however, are not allowed. The unusual situation in Switzerland holds that assisted suicide is allowed as long as a physician is not a part of the process (Hurst & Mauron, 2003). Eutha nasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002. Each case must be reviewed by two physicians before the procedure is carried out by either ingestion or injection. In The Netherlands, euthanasia has been legal for four years but has been tolerated for two decades.

Foundations in Evidence based Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foundations in Evidence based Practice - Essay Example Clinical expertise and patient preference are the overriding components of this model with clinical expertise coming to the forefront, when patients are too frail to provide adequate patient preferences Nursing professionals are taught the means of collecting clinical evidence through the evaluation of information from clinical research. However not always is pertinent and adequate information available on a timely basis. In addition clinical evidence may be at odds to patient preference and the clinical experience for the given clinical problem. Thus mere adherence to clinical evidence does not contribute to evidence based practice. (Steinberg & Luce, 2005). Patients are individuals with their individualistic desires in the treatment and management of their clinical problems. Quality of life and quantity of life are two perspectives in clinical problems. Clinical evidence may focus on one of these aspects, while patient preference may be for the other. Clinical evidence cannot be imposed through a paternalistic attitude ignoring the dignity and autonomy of the patient. Clinical experience provides the means in such situations to respect the preferences of the patient. It is this blending of clinical evidence with clinical experience and judgment that provides the means to respect patient autonomy and deliver evidence based practice. (Cody, 2003). Support and information, attentiveness and respect for the individual contribute to patient autonomy (Proot, Crebolder, Abu-Saad, Macor & ter Muelen, 2000). Care in the critical care units involves high costs due to the involvement of expensive life supporting devices like the mechanical ventilator. Clinical evidence suggests that three to six percent of patients in critical care units would require extended use of the mechanical ventilator and the prognosis is such cases is a high rate of mortality and poor quality of life in the rest. Thus clinical

Energy Summary Essay Example for Free

Energy Summary Essay University of Phoenix This summary of Energy will review three cases, The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yucca Mountain, and The Three Gorges Dam. It will identify each type of energy source, its relative abundance and environmental impact along with evaluating the economic and ethical issues of each energy source highlighted by these three cases. The summary will identify the interests of prominent stakeholders, and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source according to each stakeholder’s point of view and present possible strategies for solving the limited-resource issues raised in these case studies with explaining the role of conservation in these strategies. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Since 1980 there has been an on and off debate regarding opening the refuge to oil drilling. The refuge is close to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, one of the world’s largest pipeline systems that begins at Prudhoe Bay and continues south to Valdez. Prudhoe Bay has produced 14 billion barrels of crude oil. In the early 1990’s, it was the first time in history that the United States would import more than half the oil it used. The interest of opening the refuge to oil drilling started again after it subsided for five years following the Alaskan oil spill. The Department of the Interior admitted that the oil drilling will harm the area’s ecosystem and therefore both the Senate and House of Representatives agreed to allow it. The economic and ethical issues pertaining to developing this site to oil drilling such as domestic oil could help the balance of trade and the United States would be less dependent on oil from foreign countries (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). Conservationists believe drilling will disrupt the balance of nature for the Alaskan wilderness. Studies that were conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that support habitat damage, and decline in wolves and bears in the Prudhoe Bay area. Yucca Mountain The Yucca Mountain in Nevada was chosen by Congress in 1987 as the only area to be considered as a permanent underground storage site for high levels of nuclear wasted from power plants. The mountain site is 90 miles Northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Mountain can hold more than 42,000 tons of spent fuel produced in the United States and future production of spent fuel until the year 2025 (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). Once it reaches to full capacity, another storage site will be needed. A possible environmental impact to storing spent fuel in the mountain is the mountain is near a volcano and active earthquake fault lines. Although there hasn’t been an eruption in 20,000 years, the chance of an eruption is one in 10,000 during the next 10,000 years. In 1992, 12 miles from Yucca Mountain a magnitude 5.6 earthquake developed. Scientist examined the effects of this earthquake and found the water table to have changed to 1-meter caused by the earthquake. Most experts believe this is not a serious concern. The United States Department of Energy has conducted many studies on the mountain that cost billions of dollars. Their results reflected that the site is safe from these two possible mother-nature disasters. Nevadans disagree and do not want their state as a radioactive waste site. Congress in 2002 approved Yucca Mountain as the United States nuclear waste site with no regard to the Nevadans concerns. Still today it is unclear when the site will be licensed and opened (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). The Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam (TDG), located in China, is a hydroelectric dam. The dam is the world’s largest hydropower project and has created massive floods, deaths, and displaced many people living in the river basin. The dam was designed to produce 18 gig watts of electrical power (Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, 2010). China is known to have air quality issues, and they are reliant on imported energy. This dam is an advantage for China. It will permit ships to travel far upstream and provide recreation as well as create a living for commercial fisherman. As with advantages, there also comes disadvantages such as displacement of 1.5 million people who received very little or none at all government assisted funding to help these people find new places to live. The dam also puts the Yangze river dolphin along with several other species at risk for extinction. Possible strategies in solving these limited resource issues raised in these cases would be to invest in renewable energy sources and energy conservation for The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Yucca Mountain case would need to determine if storing the spent fuel in the mountain would be better for the environment than possibly in deep underground sites. As for the Three Gorges Dam indirect solar energy such as wave energy may be an option in the future. Each case, The National Arctic Wildlife Refuge, The Yucca Mountain, and The Three Gorges Dam have different types of energy sources, oil, nuclear, and hydropower. They have the same issue when it comes down to the environment, humanity, wildlife, and the economy. Government agencies want to generate revenue such as domestic oil drilling in Alaska and transportation up the reservoir in China, all at the expense of all living and non-living beings. It seems to be a never-ending debate as solutions to these issues are still not solved today. References Raven, P. H., Berg, L. R., Hassenzahl, D. M. (2010). Environment (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Strategic Review of LOreal External Environment

Strategic Review of LOreal External Environment This essay firstly introduce LOreal and their main operations in recent years, and then emphasize to analysis their external environment, such as P.E.S.T analysis, five forces analysis, sector level analysis and product life cycles analysis. And in the end analysis the opportunities and threats which the company faces over next 3-5 years 2. Company and Product Overview The LOREAL Group is the worlds largest cosmetics and beauty company and it headquartered in the Paris suburb of Clichy, France. LOREAL has developed activities in the field of cosmetics, concentrating on hair color, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfumes and hair care. LOREAL is active in the dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. LOREAL is also the top nanotechnology patent-holder in the United States. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%E2%80%99Orealà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° It operates in over 130 countries. It markets 18 brands through two divisions, cosmetics and dermatology. The cosmetics division of LOREAL has four segments: professional products, consumer products, luxury products and active cosmetics. The dermatology segment includes dermatological and pharmaceutical activities of the company. LOREAL got its start in the hair-color business, but the company soon branched out into other cleansing and beauty products. LOREAL now markets over 500 brands and many thousands of individual products in all sectors of the beauty business: hair color, permanents, styling aids, body and skin care, cleansers and fragrances. They are found in all distribution channels, from hair salons and perfumeries to hyper and supermarkets, health/beauty outlets, pharmacies and direct mail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Oreal) 3. External environmental analysis 3.1 P.E.S.T Analysis PEST analysis stands for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. 3.1.1 Political and Legal Forces The political challenge is that LOreal should conform to all the different government leadership styles in various countries it operates within. LOreal faced a decline in the dermatology branch led by its Galderma brand due to new legislations governing drugs (Euromonitor, 2005). The EU law affects LOreal. LOreal is restricted in their use of certain kinds of chemicals, such as Phthalates which is carcinogenic (The Rules Governing Cosmetic Products in the European Union). LOreal is obligated to produce safe products that do not contain any harmful substances. Also, legislation for advertising is also affecting LOreal. LOreal has to follow the rules set by Advertising Standards Authority. For example, advertisements cannot be misleading that over-exaggerating the functions of a product (The Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988). Recent policy developments in the European Union (EU), that is the safety of cosmetics is directed standards. Seventh Amendment cosmetics directive finally approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, It is expected an immediate ban on animal testing products and a total ban on animal testing of cosmetics raw materials, no later than six years to implement the directive. (Anonymous,http://www.jrc.ec.europa.eu/more_information/download/ecvam2.pdfà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° In addition, It needs an immediate ban on new cosmetics sales (of finished products and raw materials) and the experimental animal alternative methods have been tested in ecvam and accept the existence of the ban on the sale of cosmetics, on human health affected to a certain extent. It is thought that LOreal should fully understand these policies, and to avoid a violation of these policies and regulations, strictly control chemical products and related banned substances content 3.1.2 Economic Environment Analysis LOreal should adapt to all the different economic environments and problems in all countries it operates in. For example in 2004, LOreal was affected by the continued weakness of the dollar and other currencies. Economic crisis is a bad news for LOreal, The world GDP is fall sharply from 2007 to 2009, The economic downturn will be a great chanllege for the development of LOreal Although the growth last year is below that in 2008 due to the financial crisis, it is fortunate that it still met the target, said Paolo Gasparrini, president of LOreal China, at the 6th China Young Women in Science Fellowship Award Ceremony sponsored by LOreal in Beijing Tuesday. In the first three quarters of 2009, LOreals total gross sales increased 0.7 percent compared to last year, of which growth in Asia, where the Chinese market is a large contributor, totaled 21.2 percent, he said. (http://msn.huanqiu.com/bizchina/2010-01/700911.html) 3.1.3 Social Environment Analysis The culture of countries in which a business operates can be of particular importance. The culture of a country consists of the values, attitudes and beliefs of its people. (David Campbell, George Stonehouse and Bill Houston: 119). For example, with modern standard of living continues to improve and the level education get higher and higher, the social increasingly recognize the external image, and people are increasingly focusing on the image appearance, the demand of quality and effectiveness of cosmetic and related skin care products become higher and higher. 3.14 Technological Environment Analysis Changes in technology affect the products available to consumers and business, the quality of the products and their functionality. (David Campbell, George Stonehouse and Bill Houston. 124). Todays society is constantly changing, technology updates means that the product updates, cosmetic update speed, short product life cycles, a cosmetics market, we should immediately prepare for the next period. As the technology develops, people can be more channels to purchase products, business and customer contacts more and more ordinary. So technology is the enterprise competitive advantage. Along with the development of science and technologyà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ the latest scientific and technological achievements and advanced technologies rapidly apply in cosmetics industries, particularly biotechnology, nanometer technology, information technology, electronics technology, which provide a lot of opportunities for the development of cosmetics industry. LOreal has strong research and development (RD) capability, According to new technological development, the company registered 529 patents related to cosmetics and dermatology in 2005. (http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) 3.2 Five Forces Analysis According to Porters five forces which determine the nature of competition within an industry. The five forces are: The threat of new entrants to the industry; The threat of substitute products; The power of buyers or customers; The power of suppliers; (to business in the industry) Rivalry among businesses in the industry. Force 1: It is thought that because cosmetic industry needs products quality inspection for safety, and large investments which including technology and a great deal of capital, it is difficult to enter the cosmetic industry. However, at present, there is few entrants can threat LOREAL. Force 2: By reason of many personal cosmetics may contain a series of potentially toxic compounds, including artificial membrane. One research found cosmetics containing some spices and xylene which easily lead to the abortion of pregnant women. Many facial cream are also contain compounds which similar with the role of female hormones. So the threat of substitutes is using pure natural products. Force 3: According to a survey commissioned by New Woman magazine and published in April 2006, the average woman is estimated to spend a staggering  £182,528 on beauty products between the ages of 18 and 80. 5,000 women were questioned, (Anonymous, http://www.keynote.co.uk/kn2k1) eight in ten of whom said they wore make-up every day and almost half of whom admitted that they would not leave the house without it. So the power of buyers is very strong, which is very favorable to LOREAL. Force 4: LOREAL products were sold in many large department stores or supermarkets. The suppliers are all have strong bargaining power. So LOrà ©al should develop a close partnership with suppliers, in order to sell products better. Force 5: The global cosmetics business is intensely competitive, with a few big corporations and a large number of small companies vying for market share. The company competes against global companies such as Avon, Està ©e Lauder, Procter Gamble, Revlon, and a number of smaller companies as well. Of late, those bigger companies sharpened their focus on the market of beauty and personal care products. Increased competition may lead LOrà ©al to price reductions, reduced profit margins and loss of market share. 3.3 Strategic Space/Group Analysis A business can rarely confine its analysis to the level of the industry and markets in which it operates. It must also pay particular attention to its closest competitors who are known as its strategic group. PRICE BRANDING INTENSITY LOW HIGH LOW HIGH Està ©e Lauder Avon Revlon P G LOrà ©al From the strategy groups above, it is obviously that LOrà ©al has a high branding intensity and medium price, therefore compare with other competitor LOrà ©al has competitive advantage. 3.4 Life Cycles Analysis Generally speaking, cosmetic products are in the maturity period of the product life cycle. In this period users tend to saturation and users repeat purchase reliance. In competitive condition competitor fight to maintain market share, but it is difficulty in gaining market share. All competitors emphasis on low cost (efficiency). LOrà ©al should pay attention to the quality of products and improve the packing, in order to keep old customers and attract new customers. 4. Opportunity and threat analysis over next 3-5 years 4.1 Opportunities It is thought that LOrà ©al faces the following opportunities and threats, these main changes will influence the companys planning over the next 3-5years. First of all, it is thought that the opportunity of LOREAL is aging population. The most developed countries are already highly aging society, aged 60 or older in the proportion of the population is above 15%, and for example the percentage of the US population who are over 55 years is forecast to increase from 20% in 2007 to 33% in 2027. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) This is likely to increase demand for anti-aging products. LOREAL successfully launched many anti-aging products in 2007, including RevitaLift Double Lifting, Collagen Filler, and Lancomes Renergie Morpholift. As aging baby boomers attempt to preserve their looks through anti-aging products, LOREAL will not be short of opportunities. The second opportunity is proposed acquisition of Body Shop. As the rapidly growing of personal care products market, demand for the products is rising as consumers shift to products which are safer and more eco-friendly. The natural personal care products market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 12% a year, to reach an estimated $1 billion in 2010. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company) The proposed acquisition of the UK-based Body Shop International, a company founded by Anita Roddick that uses primarily organically-derived ingredients, would allow LOREAL to capitalize on the growing demand for natural personal care products. Thirdly, the growth of India and China. LOREAL could offset weak performance in Western Europe by expanding its presence in fast-growing markets such as India and China. The company already has a presence in these two countries, whose economies are forecasted to grow at a high rate in the coming years. In 2007, the companys sales in China grew by 27% while sales in India expanded by 46%. (Anonymous,http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company)Further expansion in China and India may help LOREAL overcome sluggish growth in Western Europe. 4.2 Threats Howeverà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’it is thought that there are three main threats which will influence LOREAL. Firstly, Economic crisis is a bad news for LOreal, The economic downturn will be a great chanllege for the development of LOreal The secondly, the competition is intense in the market. The global cosmetics business is intensely competitive, with a few big corporations and a large number of small companies vying for market share. The company competes against global companies such as Revlon, Estee Lauder and Procter Gamble, (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) in addition to a number of smaller companies. Recently, some big companies have sharpened their focus on beauty and personal care products market, as well as emerging markets. Increased competition could result in price reductions, reduced profit margins and loss of market share. The third one are new regulations. Several consumer protection groups are voicing concerns over the presence of harmful chemical ingredients in cosmetic products. A recent study showed that about one-third of cosmetic products contain known carcinogens. (http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) Due to increasing public pressure, in US the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to impose stringent quality norms on cosmetic products. (Anonymous, http://dbic.datamonitor.com/companies/company ) New regulations may delay the launch of new products and result in higher product development expenditure, not to mention the possible effects of the adverse publicity generated by the new regulations. The last one is counterfeiting. The counterfeiting of popular cosmetic products has increased in recent years. Increasing sales of counterfeit products negatively impact the companys sale. Low quality counterfeits also reduce consumer confidence in the products of a company. More important, the companys key differentiator, exclusivity, is damaged by counterfeiting operations. Widespread counterfeits reduce the exclusiveness of the companys brands. Counterfeit products not only deprive the company of revenues, but also dilute the reputation of the brand. 5. Conclusion According the discuss above, it is conclusion that among LOrà ©als external environment, it is thought that the competition of cosmetic and fragrance market become more and more drastic, especially faced with strong competitors, and it is thought that there are opportunities and threats to LOrà ©al, the company should take advantage of these opportunities and to etain its status as the leader of cosmetic and fragrance industry. Word :1779

A Comparison of King Arthur and Beowulf :: comparison compare contrast essays

A Comparison of King Arthur and Beowulf Sir Thomas Malory brings forth a courageous character , "King Arthur", utilizing weaponry and leadership, to enlighten the reader of the unique characteristics of a true hero, on the other hand, the unknown author of "Beowulf", depicts the Anglo-Saxan era to tell a story of one who fights to better society. The noble King moves as a unit with his men and pride to protect and serve the kinsmen of his realm. Beowulf wards off evil, unaccompanied, with nothing but his hands. As a distinct hero of the Medieval Period, King Arthur relied greatly upon his arms and retainers. "Take thou here Excalibur..." The King had a extraordinary sword which he brought forth and kept at his side at all times. He fought many battles and bore great trust into his prominent sword. "`Now give me my spear.' Then the King got his spear in his hands and ran towards Mordred." The mighty Arthur depended largely upon weapons as an alternative to hand-to-hand combat. "He behold that noble sword - That the pommel and the haft was all preious stones." The distinguished Excalibur was carried and shown with dignity. Immense care and respect was imposed into the weapons of the king. The noble King Arthur utilized the arms of his time, opposed to Beowulf's unarmed way of battle. Described as the strongest man in the world, Beowulf voyages across seas slaying evil demons with nothing but his bare hands. "...Knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands where harder." In the confrontation of Grendel and Beowulf, our hero brings forth a force greater than the unmerciful dragon. Weaponless, Beowulf slays the dragon with his divine tools of god. "And was instantly seized himself, claws bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm." Beowulf was seen as a hero who conquered the evils with his sheer strength. "Strongest of the Geats - Greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world." Beowulf was a hero for who he was, a physically superior being. Additionally, he was adored by the Geats for his personality and mentality, along with his accomplishments of bettering society.

Vaclav Havel: Into the Heart of a Passionate Writer

Writers are a  very passionate group of people. Their identities are shaped and formed through their written words. Their pens, combined with wit, conceive literary works that brighten the stage, screen, book or any other reading material, and influence a great audience. Inspiration is taken from different sources, and choices are varied. Sometimes, too, their tool is used to create literary bombs that are more explosive than physical weapons combined.Vaclav Havel, â€Å"a playwright, human rights activist and former Czech President†, is one influential example of this group. To his countrymen and admirers, he is a notable hero as he was able to shake his nation – former Czechoslovakia [and present Czech Republic] –  to rise up and take action against the evils of society.  He belonged to a wealthy family, who was forced to give up their belongings during Communist rule. This didn't stop him, however, in furthering his studies though he was deprived of his supposed privileges – even banned from pursuing formal university education. This turning point gave him the opportunity to discover the world of literature and enhance his artistry using his country's situation as theme in most of his works.Various adjectives may be used to describe him: radical, nonconformist, leftist. But more so, he can be regarded as a very passionate man in his field. As Matt Welch would describe him, â€Å"He's a fiction writer whose engagement with the world led him to master the nonfiction political essay.† This, he would later prove useful as when chaos threatened to ruin his country. The collection of his writings displays his unmatched creativity at targeting his country's enemies and defending the rights of his fellowmen.History, Arts & PoliticsFormer Czechoslovakia has a rich history to be told, like similar countries that experienced invasion, war and political crisis. That is why politics and the Arts are deeply rooted in the lives and history of Czechs.  During the transition periods from Communism to Social Reformation to Soviet Rule to Reformation, the Arts played a vital role in metaphorically criticizing the system when freedom of expression and direct address were restricted. Czech writers used their skill to relay their country's grievances to a gathered crowd and even to a few small, silent groups.Havel, having mastered the art of writing as a playwright, extended his talent to writing essays and delivering speeches to address the growing plight of his fellowmen during those times. Examples of his most famous works like â€Å"The Garden Party, Temptation, and The Increased Difficulty of Concentration were long banned in his homeland†. He spent years  in and out of prison because of his open criticisms against dictatorship and fighting for what he believed in. Even for battling personal wars and physical health conditions that nearly killed him, he never failed at implementing his cause.He would often emphasize through his writings and speeches the need to use common sense in governing, emphasizing his total dislike of the â€Å"totalitarian system† and â€Å"fake ideologies†. He wowed the silent and fearful crowd by his straightforwardness and determination in delivering the message across. The contemporary world became his refuge while deeply focusing on the growing need for change, and attacking the system and its allies.  His open letter to â€Å"Gustav Husak, former Czechoslovakia dictator† – denouncing his way of governance and the effect against the Czech people- is one admirable feat. It stirred the uprising that eventually freed his country, thereby eradicating the injustice that Communism brought and successfully owning their long-deprived freedoms at last.The â€Å"Velvet Revolution† started. When the rock group â€Å"The Plastic People of the Universe† were banned and arrested for doing underground performances, Havel co-founded â€Å"Charter 77†, a human rights organization defending those violated which was subsequently supported by the formation of other human rights organizations.Musicians, writers and filmmakers created a light mood out of the dreary situation by organizing theater performances. It resulted to the â€Å"Prague Spring†, which opened opportunities for artists to inform and involve the world of their situation to which the world responded accordingly. This, in turn, led to the stoppage of further performances and exile of those gifted individuals. But due to their boldness and the strong support of the Czech people, a series of groundbreaking events happened that eventually weakened the government.Havel's written and verbal denunciations were always noticed and observed – reason that he had to pay for by serving prison terms and torture. It still remains a wonder, though, why he wasn't executed when some of the other reformists were â€Å"purged† by the government. He is just lucky indeed to be alive and continue his mission.His entry to politics was also bittersweet. He had critics, mostly from those exiled during the â€Å"Stalinist-style† governance who were his former counterparts. He immediately shared his platforms, which focused on interaction and involvement, upon assuming the presidential seat. He coined the term â€Å"nonpolitical politics† to highlight his philosophy of leadership with heart and soul, rather than plain implementation of rules. His rule led to gradual and drastic reforms combined. These actions, though, led to some of his former friends calling him a traitor and masked social ally; but, he remained steadfast in his beliefs. Reflections of these events in his life were written in his â€Å"Summer Meditations†. It was his passage to discuss his own conflicts with the world, while helping build a better society.Much was said for and against him, but even for the many negative comment s, his positive actions outshone. His independent attitude led to a very colorful and exciting life that he was proud of – and which, also colored his country and fellow men's once hopeless lives.Modern Czech Theatre and Present Czech RepublicThe Czech Theatre as well as the Czech Republic will not be what it is now had it not been for the efforts of Havel and a few others. We can say that Czechs, who haven't experienced the bitter past of their country but have heard about it, can say nothing but praise to the people who led them to democracy.  Freedoms are not deprived anymore, thanks to the â€Å"dramatic political changes† that shaped their country. Now, Czechs can sit back and relax while listening to music or watching shows that depict a freer expression of the artists involved – without fear of prosecution or unjust torture.The Arts have graced the stage throughout their history, but the sweetest result is the present situation where everyone can join a nd express their thoughts without fear. Many talented individuals have sprung up following Havel and his counterparts' footsteps. The international scene is now one of their channels in showcasing their gifts. The remaining group of the past, that were once commanded to stop, is proud of the fruits of their labor.  Nobody can't help observe their situation and lifestyle today without involving politics and the arts, which formed their identity as a nation. Their nation and culture was built on firm foundation strengthened throughout the years that it was under colonial rule.Havel may just be one trigger that sparked the gradual evolution of literature and politics. He could have chosen to stay mum and be a puppet to the system, but his desire to have a free Czechoslovakia and to be a free man prevailed, despite fear of being prosecuted and sentenced.  For most, he may be legendary. To some, downright crazy. But overall, he is one big influence who helped give breathing space for his fellow Czechs while allowing some for himself. Today, he continues to inspire, through his life story and works,   a number of people who look up to him in awe, wondering how he was able to put his act together and do something quite impossible and fearful at first thought, but possible if one is really determined at achieving it.And as a passionate writer with compassion to his homeland, he was able to use his talent to give the greatest gift his country long deserved – freedom – which is made sweeter by the long journey it has undergone before actually owning it.Works Citedâ€Å"Czech Republic Today†. The World Book Encyclopedia of People and Places. 2000.â€Å"Havel, Vaclav†. Academic American Encyclopedia. 15th ed. 1994.Welch, Matt. â€Å"Velvet President: Why Vaclav Havel is Our George Orwell and More?† Mar 2003.Reason Online: Free Minds and Free Markets.12 January 2008. .

The impact of parental involvement

There is important research over the last 30 old ages affirms that parental engagement is a vehicle by which to raise academic accomplishment ( Hara, 1998 ) . Henderson and Berla ( 1994 ) reviewed 66 surveies of parental engagement and concluded, â€Å" Regardless of income, instruction degree or cultural background, all households can- and make lend to their kids ‘s success. † In the undermentioned extract from The Evidence Grows: Parent Involvement Improves Student Achievement, Anne Henderson ( 1987 ) summarises the decisions drawn from 52 surveies on the topic of parental engagement in secondary instruction: When parents show an involvement in their kids ‘s instruction and high outlooks for their public presentation, they are advancing attitudes that are keys to achievement, attitudes that can be formed independently of societal category or other external fortunes. It is at this point that the school enters the image. Schools can promote parents to work with their kids and supply helpful information and accomplishments, thereby reenforcing a positive rhythm of development for both parents and pupils. The surveies show clearly that such intercession, whether based at place or at school, and whether begun before or after a kid starts school, has important, durable effectsaˆÂ ¦ The opposite, of class, will besides be true. If schools treat parents as unimportant, or as negative educational influences on their kids, or if they discourage parents from going involved, they promote the development of attitudes in the household that inhibit accomplishment at school. There is a direct nexus between parental engagement and kids ‘s higher accomplishments in linguistic communication and mathematics, registration in more ambitious programmes, greater academic continuity, better behavior, better societal and version to school, better attending and lower drop-out rates ( Heymann, 2000, Henderson & A ; Mapp, 2002 ) . Cotton and Reed Wikelund ( 2001 ) identifies that all research surveies which focused on affectional steps found that parental engagement has a positive consequence on pupils attitudes and societal behavior. Parental engagement supports pupil acquisition, behavior and attitudes irrespective of factors such as parent ‘s income, educational degree and whether or non parents are employed. All parental engagement plants and works wellaˆÂ ¦ so disadvantaged kids have the most to derive from parent engagement programmes. In a study on the Educate Together Ethos and Parental Participation, Nugent and Mooney ( 2008 ) they province that when parents have the chance to take part in their kid ‘s instruction, there are benefits for both the kid ‘s cognitive development and their public presentation as scholars and their parents ‘ attitude to school. The benefits of parent engagement goes beyond instruction and includes societal and economic benefits ( OECD, 1997 ) . These include improved wellness benefits, a decrease in dependance on societal public assistance and degrees of offense ( Wolfe and Haveman, 2002 ) . The most interesting determination in the OECD 1997 Report highlights the comparatively untapped potency of parental instruction in helping parents from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to back up their kids ‘s larning more efficaciously. It was noted that parental engagement can cut down exclusion and better equality. â€Å" Education is a powerful tool in the integrating procedure † ( OECD, The economic and societal facets of migration 2003 study ) . Research within 2nd degree instruction would bespeak that parents go less involved in their kid ‘s instruction as the kid gets older, there are many grounds for this: a more hard course of study, bigger schools – larger staff, location of the school, the kid is more independent etc. Recent pupils indicate that American instructors and educational psychologist topographic point great importance on parental engagement to promote educational results, peculiarly among deprived pupils ( Eccles & A ; Harold, 1993 ; Jeynes, 2005a ; McBride & A ; Lin, 1996 ) . The benefits of parental engagement are so great, parental and community engagement is used as a cardinal scheme in school effectivity. ( Smit and Driessen 2007 ) . The inquiry, therefore emerges: can parental engagement through the execution of the Academic Intervention Model ( AIM ) truly better the educational results of deprived pupils within Fairhill Community College? More specifically, this inquiry can be farther defined into four separate inquiries that are applicable to the writers country of research: To what grade is parental engagement associated with higher degrees of school accomplishment among deprived pupils registered on the AIM Programme? What aspects of parental engagement aid disadvantaged pupils the most: Can the Home School Completion Programme/Home School Liaison Officer positively influence parental engagement of deprived pupils? Does the relationship between parental engagement and academic accomplishment clasp across racial groups?