Compare Piaget and Vygotsky

Cognitive development is the term used to describe the construction of thought process, including remembering, problem solving and decision-making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. In this essay I will compare and contrast the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, both of which were enormously significant contributors to the cognitive development component to/in psychology. In addition to this I will also weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each theory and outline how they can be applied to an educational setting. At the centre of Piaget's theory is the principle that cognitive development occurs in a series of four distinct, universal stages, each characterized by increasingly sophisticated and abstract levels of thought. He believed that these stages always occur in the same order, each builds on what was learned in the previous stage and that the development resulted from two influences: maturation and interaction with environment. Although Vygotsky’s theory works along similar lines to Piaget – the belief that children were active in their learning. He focused more on the importance of social interaction and language and how they both play a fundamental influence on children’s development of understanding. Although both psychologists acknowledged that all children go through stages, they were distinguished by different styles of thinking, and approach to analysing the cognitive development process. The stages were the centre of Piaget’s theory while Vygotsky only acknowledged them in his theory. Piaget’s theory unlike Vygotsky, generalized children into age groups and ranked their abilities accordingly. For example: Piaget believed that all children that reach The concrete Operational stage (ages 7-11) have overcome centration and become decentred, they are capable of mastering the principles of classification, seriation and class inclusion. However, Vygotsky maintained the concept that if a child follows the adult's example he will gradually develop the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. He called the difference between what a child can do with help and what he or she can do without guidance the â€Å"zone of proximal development† (ZPD). As a result of this different approach to children, we can relate this to the reason why unlike Piaget, Vygotsky acknowledged the issue of Special Educational needs and how some children might be of the same age as their peers but find it difficult to complete the same tasks cause of other issues. Vygotsky believed that learning leads to development and that â€Å"Pushing† the child as such was to be encouraged in order to develop the potential the child can reach. On the other hand, Piaget’s theory was based on biological maturation, an understanding that intelligence is gained as a process that is developed over time. Both psychologists believed that interaction was the key to the development of the child. However, they both focused on a different interaction. Piaget acknowledged the importance of the child’s interaction with the environment whilst Vygotsky on the other hand stressed the importance of social interaction and of having someone who knows more than the child and who can help the child learn something that would be too difficult to do alone. Piaget saw the child as a scientist, he learnt things in solitary on his own, while Vygotsky saw the child as an apprentice because he learnt as a result of social collaboration. Consequently, the way that they viewed the role of the teacher in a child’s life differed. Piaget believed that the teacher was the facilitator, the one that provides the interaction in the environment. As opposed to Vygotsky’s belief that the teacher is the expert that provides the scaffolding support to children as they are learning new things. In addition to this Vygotsky believed that language was crucial for the cognitive development. He believed that the greatest advantage in development comes when we get to the stage of being able to internalise language. One of the biggest differences between these theories was that Vygotsky was able to put his theories into practice in a school setting. Unlike Piaget, who was of an academic background and didn’t apply his theories. Never the less, they both theories influenced education and empahsied the importance of assessment however Vygotsky wanted the observation of children and their abilities to be as valied as test scores. Most of the criticism of Piaget’s work is in regards to his research methods. A major source of his inspiration for the theory was based on his observations of his own children. And because of this small sample group, people believe that it is difficult and incorrect to generalise his findings to a larger population. Similarly, many psychologists believe that Piaget underestimated the age which children could accomplish certain tasks and that sometimes children understand a concept before they are able to demonstrate their understanding of it. For example, children in the Sensorimotor stage may not search for a hidden object because their motor skills are not developed, rather than because they lack object permanence. This has been supported by evidence from Bower & Wishart (1972). They found that the way that an object is made to disappear influences the child’s response. As well as this, Piaget’s theory has been said to overestimate that every child and adult reaches the formal operational stage of knowledge development. Dasen (1994) claims that only a third of adults ever reach this stage. The lack of empirical support in regards to Piaget’s suggestion that the cognitive development is built from the conflict that endures by placing the child in a state of disequilibrium was critisied by other psychologists. For example, Inhelder et al. 1974) showed that children learn better in situations of mild conflict. Also, Piaget focused on children’s mistakes and thus may have overlooked important mental abilities of the children by focusing on in what connection did they make their error during the task. Although Piaget’s theory has quite a lot of criticism, he will always be known as one of the most influential psychologists. His theory is known to have had a great contribution to education and has provided a starting point for other psychologist’s research which has helped us develop and understand the cognitive development. When compared with Piaget’s theory, a major weakness to Vygotsky’s theory is that there is little empirical research relation to it. This is probably due to his early death and because the theory focuses on the process of the cognitive development and not of the outcomes like Piaget’s. In addition to this, many psychologists believe that vygotsky might have over emphasised the influence that social interaction on children’s learning capabilities. However on the other hand, it is said that he underemphasized the biological and individual factors of the cognitive development. Vygotsky encouraged being aware of the children potential and how with the proper assistance or support from an adult or a peer with more knowledge the child is capable of learning more. Through this simple observation he gave it the term of â€Å"Zone of Proximal Development† . Hughs (1975) and Donaldson (1978) proved this by demonstrated that the same tasks that Piaget set for the children can be made understandable by making them more child friendly by providing a familiar social atmosphere. The practical application of the ideas presented by both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories in a classroom could help a classroom run more smoothly by providing the teacher with different teaching methods. A teacher following Piaget's theories would be likely to group children of similar levels of development together. The teacher would encourage abstract thought during discussions, and be certain to build on previous information that the students had been given. However, when testing the skills and knowledge of the students, the teacher would be more likely to use questions that evoked concrete answers such as true or false questions. The teacher would be more likely to go over past information add new information, assign individual assignments, and then test the students' knowledge on the subject. On the other hand, a teacher following Vygotsky's theories would be more likely to form groups of diverse students with different skill levels and different levels of knowledge, possibly even setting up tutors for slower students. The teacher would be more likely to assign group projects and give the students problems to solve, as opposed to asking questions that can be answered with a concrete answer. In addition to this, the teacher should attempt to create a lesson that would incorporate all three stages of learning by providing the information to the students, allowing diverse groups to work together and then assigning an individual task that tests the students' ability to think through the information and problem on their own. Which would help prove that with the help they received before they were apable of doing the next task by themselves. Although both theories can be applied to an educational setting, their implications on a classroom would arise in different manners. By only applying Piaget’s theory in a classroom, for example grouping children of similar levels of development would produce a group of smart children and a group of less capable children. In doing this, the classroom could beco me a place where the less capable children would be known as underachievers and taunted by the more academical children. Similarly, only applying Vygotsky’s theory in an educational, for example, by forming groups of diverse students with different skill levels an different levels of knowledge together, only applying Vygotsky’s theory in an educational, the able children will always be assisting the less able and it may hinder their abilities to learn. In conclusion, I think that both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories offer different insight into how children learn and that maybe by combining the different ideas from both of them would help in building a good teaching classroom.

Case Study Big Skinny Essay

Online Marketing at Big Skinny The case study is about a wallet company name Big Skinny. One day the Big Skinny CEO, Kiril Alexandrov bicycled his way to work and his phone rang constantly. His marketing director and wife, Catherine Alexandrov had called and said that they had sold 4,000 wallets. The problem was that the online store had glitches and most of these wallets were given away for free. A few weeks earlier the two were promoting their wallets at the Harvard street fair and were successfully selling wallets. The street fair sales had made Kiril think of what the next step in expanding his brand would be. He decided to create an online store to further increase his revenue and company. Kiril returned to his office to ponder what he and his wife should do. Catherine proposed that they cancel the orders, just as Amazon, Dell, and others have done in the past with the same experience. He realized that there was nothing else to do and agreed that it was the only option to cancel the orders because they would be losing wallets for free. With his confidence shook on the Big Skinny’s online store, Kiril pondered his priorities and wondered what really should be the next step for Big Skinny. He asked, â€Å"Should Big Skinny concentrate on drawing new consumers to its website through search engines, or should it focus on engaging existing customers through social and interactive media? Alternatively, should Big Skinny hand off more of its web marketing to retail portals like Amazon and Buy.com?† A Product That Sells Itself? Wallets are generally preferred with lightweight and that can easily carry stuff like credit cards, cash and receipts along with other stuff. Thin wallets are considered better because it will always keep you safe from back pain. Wallets are often in need of replacement and people buy them as impulse purchase or as gifts since it is not a costly item and also does not require much information processing. Big Skinny has just launched world’s thinnest wallet and got good response from the market during various trade fairs it participate in. Conclusion For an online marketing campaign to be successful, it is important that people resource all their options and make sure they are capable of fulfilling whatever objectives and needs they have to be successful. Big Skinny has to make sure consumers are buying high-quality wallets from them. Wallets are a kind of purchase that has a high element of look and feel. People who recognize the brand and have owned it in the past are more likely to make a purchase and be confident about brand. This means online purchases would have more returning customers. For now Big Skinny should look at online retail as complimenting to their physical distribution through various channels. Question 2 Algorithmic search means most accurate result to the users query. Ranking high in a search will allow a site to reach consumers, whose search was related to the site’s product. The output of the algorithmic search would entirely depend upon the keywords chosen to be enlisted to the search engines. It is a listing of Big Skinny links in organic search results based on the proprietary ranking algorithms of search engines which usually factors of keywords, pages linking to the item, location, and etc. In Sponsored search advertising, advertisers are allowed to key in search words in sections for sponsored search. The main difference for the algorithmic search and sponsored search is those sponsored searches is more focused and give better results. Generally algorithmic searches are free but needs technical skills whereas sponsored are paid and can be easily incorporate provided right keywords are chosen. Question 3 Price An example of price would be how the website sells Big Skinny wallets for $20. This is pricing strategy because it utilizes the cheap and affordable price for a wallet, while also promoting the main quality of the wallet being skinny and slim. Many different affordable prices are listed on the website and very easily seen. Sales Promotion The Big Skinny website offers many different sales promotions. One is spending $50 to get free shipping anywhere in the country. This is a great promotion that can increase sales and promote people to spend $50 on their website in order to gain free shipping. Place The website also offers pop up shops coupons from the website that can be  used at pop up shops at certain regions and stores. This can be used as a Place marketing strategy because it focuses on a certain area or store and promotes marketing to that specific store. This emphasizes on shopping at a certain place or store. Product and Target Product can be illustrated by the fact that the website sells many different types of wallets. The website has many different wallets for men, women, and children. Within these genders classed wallets there are also many sub categories that the consumer can choose to look and purchase under.

Homecoming Essay

â€Å"Homecoming Queen† redirects here. For the thoroughbred racehorse, see Homecoming Queen (horse). Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in the USA. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a parade through the streets of the city or town. Contents [hide] 1 United States 1.1 Origins 1.1.1 Baylor University 1.1.2 University of Illinois 1.1.3 University of Missouri 1.2 Traditions 1.2.1 Homecoming Court 1.2.2 Parade 1.2.3 Tailgate 1.2.4 Picnic 1.2.5 Dress-up days 1.2.6 Rallies 1.2.7 Homecoming dance 1.3 Competitions 1.4 Smaller school homecomings 1.5 Courtwarming 2 Canada 3 Other 4 See also 5 References United States[edit source | editbeta]Homecoming is an annual tradition of the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back alumni and  former residents. It is built around a central event, such as a banquet and, most often, a game of American football, or, on occasion, basketball, ice hockey or soccer. When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on a school’s home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school’s marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen (and at many schools, a Homecoming King). A dance commonly follows the game. When attached to a football game, Homecoming traditionally occurs on the team’s return from the longest road trip of the season. The game itself, whether it be football or another sport, will typically feature the home team playing a considerably weaker opponent. The game is supposed to be an â€Å"easy win† and thus weaker schools will sometimes play lower division schools. Origins[edit source | editbeta]The tradition of Homecoming has its origins in alumni football games held at colleges and universities since the mid-1800s. Many schools lay claim to having the first Homecoming,[1] but several seem to have the strongest claims. Baylor University[edit source | editbeta]Baylor University in Waco, Texas has a homecoming history that dates back to 1909 including what

Jewish Understanding of the Nature of Ultimate Reality Essay

Jewish Understanding of the Nature of Ultimate Reality - Essay Example Addressing the Job, the Lord offers him a long list of questions. He does it not to injure Job’s pride but to make him think over more deeply about that what is well known to him: about God who laid the Earth’s Foundation and the secret that is present in it. Moreover, The Lord showed the Job ten peculiarities of the natural world arrangement as for instance, dead secret or nine types of animals that illustrate the secret of creating life. The last verse gives an opportunity to see or to understand the atmosphere of judicial proceedings between the Lord and the Job, and this is actually what Job tried to achieve. After all, the purpose of this conversation, however, is not to establish somebody’s fault or innocence, but the statement of truth about life as the God’s creation. Why do people give up, and others continue to fight despite everything? The best way of looking at this question is to consider the life and work of one of the famous neurologist Fran kl who is also known as the person that survived in Auschwitz (this camp is closely related to Jews as there were a lot of them there). He made certain discoveries and became the person who founded logo-therapy. This person had to endure the horror of concentration camps. Being the ordinary prisoner, Frankl described in his writing the painful camp reality which had a reflection on people’s state of mind. It is undeniable that it was a cruel fight for survival, even between prisoners; a grim struggle for the slice of bread and self-preservation.

Licensed practical nurse resume (Just out of school) Essay

Licensed practical nurse resume (Just out of school) - Essay Example As a healthcare professional and strong patient advocate, I am committed to deliver quality and individualized patient care. As part of a team, I have developed through experience clinical, administrative and interpersonal skills that supports and enhances the team effort and overall efficiency. Moreover, I have proven ability to influence and collaborate with diverse people and teams through effective communication, negotiation and conflict management. As a worker, I easily grasp new concepts, take direction and apply appropriately to resolve problems effectively which is complemented by my strong medical office management skills; knowledge of a variety of computer programs and data entry I have been in the Army National Guard since 2003, as a communications operator. I am a Noncommissioned officer (supervisor) in the Army National Guard. I have worked as a temporary manager in various areas of the Guard, such as an On-the-Job Training Manager. My work experience as a supervisor has greatly developed my work ethics such as discipline, commitment, and responsibility which is highly-valued in the nursing profession. Being a former Communications officer, I am able to make decisions and immediately act on them given the limited time and information in critical and dangerous situations My experience as temporary manager in various areas of the Guard reflects my flexibility, strong work orientation, and ability to implement rules and supervise

How the World Crises Happened and What are the Causes Essay

How the World Crises Happened and What are the Causes - Essay Example The resultant was a steep fall in both personal and corporate credit. This multiplied with the fast recession that occurred in the housing and the construction markets. The financial institutions especially the investment banks have been lending to each other at lower rates. The reason is that the banks have been well aware of the solvency of other institution and don’t want to take the high risk rather they want to keep the cash reserve for themselves. As lending by the bank lowered due to the economic instability, the bank increased the borrowing cost to increase the operational revenue. This strategy was taken by the banks in order to maintain a sustainable business operation in the financial market. The company undertaken for discussion is Barclays PLC. The company is a multinational bank of Britain. It operates in the financial sector and is headquartered in London. The operations of the organization spread over 50 countries and territories. The company emerged as the fou rth largest in terms of total assets in the year 2010. The organization has got two business clusters namely retail and Business Banking as well as Corporate and Investment Banking. The company is listed in the London Stock Exchange. How the crises happened and what are the causes The collapse of the U.S. housing market regarded as the housing bubble is characterized as one of the prime reason for the situation to occur. The collapse resulted in a surge of default of mortgage loans (World Health Organization, 2009). The collapse of the real estate market and the subprime mortgage market of the U.S. can be held responsible to spread the severe effects of the crisis. Uncertainties accrued in the financial system. The creditors became inclined to pull out their funds and cashed out the securities issued by the financial institutions. The situation thus caused led to shutting down of many institutions while others just managed to survive. The loan and credit facilities available from th e banks dried up. The investors began to dump their holdings and the obvious situation was a downturn in the share market. In order to create securitization, the banks started to borrow more money. The dependency of the banks on the savers can only be felt when the banks are not able to pull out by selling loans on the basis of securities. Some of the banks launched to buy securities which increased the exposure of the banks towards risk. When the problem got realized, the process of lending got slowed. Some of the banks were on the verge of the riskiest loans which was beyond the intention of the investors. The lenders fell upon to take back their loans. The investment banks fell drastically as they had no or little deposits. The problem got intensified and even the banks with large capital reserves began to feel the pressure. They turned to the government for support. The banks began to feel nervous to loan out the injected money and the shrinking banks sucked money out of the eco nomy. In spite of the fact that the global financial crisis has shown its effects a year ago, yet the prime banks of UK were able to accrue a profit in the second quarter of the financial year 2009 in the area of non-recurring items. The retail business of Barclay got affected along with the top three banks of UK. In the middle periods of the year 2009, Barclays reported that profit has  decreased far more than what it was in mid-2008.  

The Reglatory & Econ Envirnmnt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Reglatory & Econ Envirnmnt - Essay Example Gist includes supply chain services and management mainly in the UK (Lines of Business online). Being a capital-intensive business, BOC's profitability hinges on its sustained investment in technology to develop new products and services across all businesses and novel uses for existing products, as well as to design efficient methods for manufacturing industrial gases such that economies of scale could be achieved (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Group Profile, 16; Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Risk Factors, 39). For example, for its PGS business segment, better plant reliability has led to a 16 per cent improvement in total revenue and an 11 per cent increase in total adjusted operating profit for the first half of 2006 (BOC Interim Report 2006, 2). Other than plant reliability, investment in new production facilities will also affect the profitability of PGS as such investments are critical in securing long-term supply contracts (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Group Profile, 18). For the ISP business, BOC is planning the construction of a helium production plant in Au stralia. When completed, it will be only one of its kind in Australia (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Group Profile, 20). This monopoly of the Australia market should be beneficial to profits. Furthermore, state-of-the-art technology to efficiently use power has delivered tremendous savings (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Social, Environmental and Ethical Performance, 31). Technology can also be viewed from the perspective of its customers. Technological developments in industries where customers operate can increase the profitability of BOC. For example, success with major flat panel fabs in Korea has led to a soar in materials consumption and equipment demands, which brings about the strong vacuum equipment market share (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Research, Development and Information Technology, 36; Merrill Lynch Chemicals Conference, 12). On the economic front, energy costs are particularly influential on profits, especially for PGS (BOC Interim Report 2006, 2) and ISP (BOC Interim Report 2006, 2). Domestic revenue depends on the manufacturing economy and pension costs (BOC Interim Report 2006, 2), while revenue and profit in the US and Canada hinges on demand from the oil and gas sector in the western region (BOC Interim Report 2006, 2). Exchange rate movements are also particularly influential on profitability (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Operating Review, 40; BOC Interim Report 2006, 3) since BOC operates worldwide such as the UK, US, Europe, China, Asia, Australia, and Africa (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Group Profile, 18; BOC Interim Report 2006, 2-3). Lastly, BOC is affected by the semiconductor business cycle as manufacturers in the semiconductor industry form the bulk of BOC Edwards' customer base, and BOC Edwards' profitability is directly influenced by the demand of these manufacturers for vacuum e quipment, services and industrial gases (Annual Report and Accounts 2005: Risk Factors, 38) There are many factors in the legal environment that are particularly influential on BOC's profitability. These factors include compliance with accounting, safety, health and environmental regulations and laws. They are discussed in the

Terrorist Group ISIS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Terrorist Group ISIS - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to explain the origin of ISIS, now known as IS and its rise to prominence. Latwan Carpenter additionally explains the structure of the Islamic State and the sources of its financial strength. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) or Islamic State is a political and terrorist organization that embraces a radical understanding of Islam. ISIS operates as a military insurgency group that seeks to enforce its ideologies on Muslims and non-Muslims alike in the whole world. ISIS was barred from cooperating with Al-Qaeda terrorist group for being too extreme, and for using extreme measures in enforcing their ideologies (Hashim, 2014). ISIS changed its name to the Islamic State after gaining immense control of large parts of Syria and Iraq. Islamic State claims to be the rightful rulers for the entire Sunni Muslims in the whole world. Through their military and political operations, they have established what they observe in a state that contains huge regions of territory in Iraq and Syria. Islamic State operations are headquartered at Raqqa in Syria. Having changed their name from ISIS to IS (Islamic State), the group supports numerous theological ideologies to maintain its claims. Its supporters contend that they are just committed to what Islam teaches in totality, denouncing the individuals who do not agree with their ways. Their beliefs and ideologies are used to justify the killings of those who oppose their ways, usually by their trademark of slaughtering through cutting of heads. Initially started by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the Islamic State organization was formerly known as AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq). The group took part in the US invasion of Iraq against the US forces after the American government toppled the Saddam Hussein administration. In the year 2013, IS became part of the civil war in Syria, however, instead of

Early Music through the Baroque Period Assignment

Early Music through the Baroque Period - Assignment Example This book is accompanied by a CD narrated by Ben Kingsley. I found it enlightening because of its overview of orchestra, which it follows up with an array of instrument groups used in orchestras. The brief explanations of the instrument group’s history and distinctive sound qualities However, it would have been better if the instruments were named where they were shown alone, rather than in small group photos, which I found odd. Nevertheless, the highlighting of individual instrument parts with clear labelling of their parts is very helpful, even though the instruments are only named in the smaller photographs showing them in orchestra groups. I agree with the post that the strings in this piece gave the entire performance a whimsical feel, although it would have been better to refer to the marimba, rather than the percussion. In fact, it puts the marimba, an instrument that is rarely given much space, in the centre stage. This post rightly notes that this piece almost follows the rules of tap-dancing, in that it only repeats long enough for the listener to catch its flow, before changing its step. In my case, I would have added the fact about the central character in the piece, a young girl on Christmas Eve, who awakens to romantic love and the wider world. The post makes an important point about this piece being Dvorak’s ninth and last symphony, but I would also have linked this with the fact that nine seems to be a magical number for most composers, such as Mahler, Bruckner, Schubert, and Beethoven.

Music of Latin America # 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music of Latin America # 4 - Essay Example itional instruments used for all their shamanistic rituals are the violin (sekeseke) drums (ehuru) deer- bone flute (muhusemoi) and huge rattle called ‘hebu mataro’ which is considered to be the most important of them. The spiritual significance of these instruments especially the rattle is to restore health to a very sick person. Ceremonial songs considered to be magical are sung by religious leaders and elders signify protection and healing. The Warao lullabies are melodic rhythmic patterns which signify their cultural beliefs and way of life. These songs are very important to teach their children the Warao culture and tradition and make them more familiar to their environment. One of the traditional Shamanistic rituals in Warao is wailing of women when someone dies. During this ritual, the corpse is placed in a hammock and a mourner sits beside it. The other mourners radiate from this point around the body and start wailing in a semi – spoken and semi- musical voices. (Briggs, Charles L. 1993) They lament about fate wailing and singing alternately. Almost about 20 women wail simultaneously and this could go on for a period of about 30 to 40 minutes and the entire experience is a cacophony because it is not done together. (Briggs, 1992b) The musical culture of the Warao tribes living in the Orinoco Basin developed and took shape as they travelled through the rainforests for their work. The songs were made up on the spot and comprised mostly of important occurrences and incidents in their lives. Many of their songs were religious in nature as they invoked the blessings of the spirits. They had separate songs for every occasion. They had songs for births, lullabies, dances, cutting down trees, deaths, coming of age, marriage, healing and protection and also for the election of their political and religious leaders. Shamanism seems to be the centrifugal point around which the musical culture of the Warao’s revolves. Music finds its way into every aspect

Rethinking Court Decisions on Middle-Income Mothers and Its Effects on Research Paper

Rethinking Court Decisions on Middle-Income Mothers and Its Effects on Their Children - Research Paper Example As children grow old, the society gives them jobs classifying them into their respective gender, either male or female (Ruether 647). Over time, people have accepted that the role of the women in the home, apart from giving birth, encompasses taking care of the homestead their children and the husband (Philbrick and Margaret 618). Being responsible for giving birth, automatically, the women assume the role of caregiving and nursing of the baby. They breastfeed, cook for the child, wash and even train them basic things such as talking and walking (Laxmi 95). Traditionally, men hold the responsibility of providing for their families. This role thus keeps men away from their families and their children most of the time. They are mostly busy at work or doing business in order to provide for their families. Currently, the world changes in a dynamic way. Subsequently, there is an increase in the family needs. With the cost living rising constantly, men are obliged to stay away more from th an ever. They thus leave their homes with their wives, who have to be around for the sake of the kids (Laxmi 95). Only recently, thanks to the gender equalization and sensitization campaign in the society, changes occur in these roles. Women now hold bigger roles than before. Proponents of gender equalization argue that women and men should hold equal roles in the society. While this is possible literary, practically, it is impossible. Men still hold the role of paying the hefty bills in the home, such school fees. This burden grows even bigger for the middle-income families, most of who live in urban areas. Coupled with rent and other necessities in towns and cities, the burden grows bigger. Except in some unique cases, men... Rethinking Court Decisions on Middle-Income Mothers and Its Effects on Their Children In a family setting, mothers hold the biggest responsibility, especially in taking care of their homes. This role, naturally assigned to them from the very birth of the child, requires their presence, providing their children with attention at all times. Middle-income women have even a bigger responsibility, contributing to the family financial needs and taking care of their families. With all these responsibilities, women hold a very important role in the family. In court cases, judges and jury pass judgement according to the arguments presented by the advocates. Women involved in any case, whether rightfully or wrongfully convicted attract the suffering to the family. If a woman, holding the responsibility of taking care of the home, while at the same time contributing financially to the running of the home goes behind bars, children suffer and as such, there is the need to rethinking court decisions on middle-income mothers and its effects on their children. There is no point of causing suffering to a bigger group of people in order to punish a single person. This is like creating a bigger problem while struggling to solve a small problem. Reconsidering these judgements means seeking for alternative ways of punishing these women, rather than putting them behind bars. House jail could be an option as well as community service and hard labour. Where unavoidable, visiting the family on regular basis is important.

Youth Sports and Character Development Essay Example for Free

Youth Sports and Character Development Essay Character development is not something that can be gained or developed over night. Character development is the multiple life skills that an individual builds within themself throughout their lifespan. When a person develops good character in their early years of life, they will benefit in the long run because they used the life skills they gained and put them to use, becoming a successful individual in all aspects of life. There is one thing for certain in this world, everyone wants to accomplish something in life and we want to recognize our full potential. In order to do this we must have some skills, and in this case it’s life skills. Life skills are a range of characteristics we express such as communication, commitment, hard work, setting goals, etc. If an individual wants to excel at a job, a sport or any discipline, that person must learn and master particular skills. Retaining life skills that you have developed allows an individual to deal with life’s difficulties and struggles more effectively. People do not realize this, but when a person develops essential life skills and are able to acquire them for their own uses when they want, that individual has more control over their life and are therefore are happier and more productive in life. Participation in sports at a young age helps provide good character development within an individual. Sports are one of the most influential ways for a person to develop good character development because sports involve all aspects of character development. As a sports participant you will gain life skills, perseverance, and ethical decision-making skills. Perseverance is a characteristic that is important for any individual to gain and being active in a sport will help you develop the feeling of perseverance and understand its importance. Perseverance a personal character development where an individual learns the importance of working hard until they reach their goal, and the feeling of success that individual experiences displays through perseverance is the importance of hard work; knowing that success doesn’t come easy. â€Å"Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game†. This famous quote may seem simple to figure out and its significance for an individual but don’t let the simple context of its meaning throw you off; this quote has a strong motivational meaning that relates to perseverance and is useful for any individual to be successful in life. From my perspective, this quote reinforces the idea of not giving up on personal accomplishment. Whether your goal is as simple as making a base hit or something big as wanting to open up your own business; accomplishments in life aren’t handed to us. Some goals may come easier for others, they could try two times and obtain their goal or it may take up to 20 times; the important matter is how they handle their failures. In baseball/softball a player is allowed three strikes until they are called out. As a player, being called out at the plate is a tough call to mentally accept. It’s essential for a player to develop the importance of not giving up because mentally it can change a player’s perspective on the importance of perseverance. Don’t let three strikes keep you from hitting the ball next time your up to bat; shake it off and tell yourself, â€Å"I’ll get it next time†, develop the feeling off determination. This strategy is relatable for anyone who has goals they want to accomplish. You never know when you will reach your goals in life. Things may not work out the first time you go after it but, it doesn’t mean you have completely failed, you must keep playing the game. When an individual reaches their goal and becomes successful the feeling they will experience is unexplainable and different for everyone. It’s no wonder why this quote and the development of perseverance play such an important role in an individual’s life and when a person develops this part of character development at a young age, it helps them become successful at an earlier stage in their life. Ethical decision-making skills are important in our everyday lives because we are constantly making decisions on something, whether it’s deciding on what you will do on a day-to-day basis or if it’s dealing with a situation that must be resolved. Having the ability to affectively make the best decision possible for any situation by gaining ethical decision skills and putting them to use are essential for everyone. When a person is involved with sports, they are constantly learning and practicing ethical decision-making skills because there are always decisions that must be made. Whether the situation is between two teammates or dealing with calls in game situations, there are always decisions being made. Being a participant in sports, an individual obtains personal and social values and behaviors. This is where an individual builds close relationships through the experience of being apart of a team. Within the building of close relationships in sports, a person learns how to work effectively in-group settings. Individuals gain and learn the importance of handling different situations and viewing them in a strategic way when resolving a conflict. Other features of an individual having good character are honesty, integrity and ethical behavior. These characteristics are brought about through being a participant of a sport because when an athlete recognizes they are in the wrong during game play, they develop the importance of honesty. i. e. In baseball/softball: a runner makes contact with the ball, the player runs to first base but realizes they didn’t touch the bag when the ump calls the player safe. That player is honest with the ump and says they missed the bag, then goes back to the dugout. ) This action of honesty a player displays transitions into ethical behavior because they knew they were in the wrong when the call on the play was made so they displayed ethical behavior by walking back to the dug out. It says a lot about a player if they are willing to risk the team an out/point by being honest and acting in an ethical manner. Another ethical behavior that has developed is the notion of helping others. This is effective because a player learns to respect the opponent, and if an opponent is injured in the middle of a game they put those their ethical behavior by helping the opponent off the field or helping them back up from the ground. This action becomes important in an individuals life because it is one of the things that makes a person have good character. If they learn how to help their teammates or their opponents in a sports atmosphere, as they grow older they will use this characteristic in their everyday lives. Another characteristic that falls into honesty and ethical behavior is integrity. In sports it’s always about teamwork and playing by the rules, and by practicing these ethical behaviors an individual develops the meaning of integrity and the importance it plays in our day-to-day lives. Over time an athlete has the experience of always having to follow the rules, and this will continue into the future when dealing with society. Developing integrity is not only limited to following rules but also is related to an individual’s academic success. As a student athlete, in order for a player to participate in a sport, they are obligated to sign an academic integrity policy. This form requires an athlete must obtain, and keep, a certain grade point average that is set by the school or coach. This type of discipline is important because it demonstrates hard work, determination and maintaining to the responsibilities you agreed to. Academic integrity is a great tool for a person to obtain because it follows in with following the rules and if an individual wants to be successful in life they must follow the rules and maintain their obligations they agreed to. From experience, academic integrity has impacted my academic success throughout my school years. I never have had the chance to slack on a homework assignment or get away with not studying. It is a simple concept; if I wanted to participate on a team I must keep my grades up or I simply would not be able to be apart of a team. I have been asked how I am able to do it and how do I go to school, work, and play softball. My answer is simple, I just got used to it and having the responsibility of keeping my grades up is helpful and has been a great discipline strategy for me. A sports participant also is able to develop the concept of balancing different commitments such as school, work, and a sport. This is important because as we grow older we become busy with work and our family life. We must learn how to balance between our activities so we become responsible, successful individuals in all aspects of life. Integrity doesn’t stop there. It follows an individual for the rest of their lives. The impact of participation in sports and the influence it has on academics transitions into career outcomes. If a young athlete grows up practicing academic integrity, they use their motivation and are able to visualize how important success is and are more likely to further their education beyond a high school degree. When I interviewed my coach from West Virginia, he said, â€Å"academic success is important to me and as a coach. I want my girls to be successful college athletes on and off the field. My hopes are that when each one leaves and moves on with their life that they use all the life skills they developed here to be successful wherever they go. Softball is important for me but what’s more important is that my girls are staying on top of their schoolwork and getting good grades. Even though my girls are here on scholarship, they are also here for a college degree and I think it’s important the girls and myself don’t loose sight of what’s more important. I stick to my academic policy; each girl must have a grade point average of 3. 0 or higher. If anyone is struggling I make sure they regularly meet with a tutor even if it means they miss practice or a game. If they fall under my expectations I must follow up with my word and as hard as it is I have to suspend the player until they improve their grades†. My coaches aspect on academics is what has helped me develop good academic skills and will be useful for me as I move towards graduating from college and start working in a field of my degree. I found it informative when my coach was knowledgeable on character values and how they are broken up into two parts. As participantion in sports an individual develops two types of character values: social and moral. When an athlete gains social values, they are developing loyalty, dedication, sacrifice, teamwork and good citizenship, while moral values include the development of honesty, fairness, fair play, justice and responsibility. I wanted to research the two types of character values and understand them in a more in-depth understanding. There was an online article my coach referred me to that said, â€Å"Social values, which are highly esteemed in our society, are about the real world and how society views the importance of social character. Moral values are first principles, meaning that they stand by themselves; if we violate any one of these, we violate people directly. Social values are positive assets but must be tempered by moral values. A person who has strong social character may have little or no moral character. An individual can be highly dedicated and loyal to an immoral cause. Because sport may foster social values, character development through sport should help athletes learn to weigh a social value against a moral value and then act on that moral value† (Beller, December). All of these characteristics play an important aspect in a player’s character development, which become successful tools throughout life. Referring back to the development of perseverance, participating in a sport teaches you to reach for something higher that you have never imagined; helping you set life goals. This character development alone gives an individual the opportunity to be successful in life. When a person reaches their lifetime goal, they then use the other tools they developed in order to keep their lifetime goal successful. (i. e. n individual applies for a job and is hired. This person uses their social and moral development skills along with other good character skills they developed to be a successful worker who makes a difference for the company. Having a well-rounded development of good character is what makes an individual stand out from others, especially in a work setting. ) As an athlete you learn the importance of â€Å"The six W’s: Work Will Win When Wishing Wont†. It takes hard work when achieving anything in life, nothing comes easy and it especially does not come by wishing for it. As a participant in sports I learned the meaning of the six W’s through my experience of coaching and playing sports my entire life. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the involvement in athletics and the impact it has played throughout my life All of the different character development aspects I just discussed have contributed to the development of my individual character, academic success and achieving my personal goal. As a young girl, since the day I could walk, I have been committed in the involvement of sports. Dance and pee wee baseball were the first two activities I became involved with. Throughout my middle and high school years I participated in dance, softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and cheerleading. As I progressed into my junior and senior year of high school, I decided it was time to start focusing more on my lifetime dream. I was in third grade when I went from playing peewee baseball to playing slow pitch softball, later advancing into fast pitch softball. This when I decided I wanted to be the pitcher on any softball team I will play for. My goal didn’t stop there though; I wanted to take my dream farther, my goal was that one-day I would get paid to play softball. Third grade was when I decided that one day I was going to be the pitcher for a division one or division two college or university. For 15 years I dedicated myself to pitching, and what people do not realize is the fact that most pitchers, such as me, spend an hour at least four to five times a week outside of team practice working on our pitching skills. All year I practiced pitching whether it was my dad catching me or the brick wall, outside in the blazing sun or the pouring rain, inside a gym or on concrete, there was always a way to do drills and pitch; no excuses! It was my freshman year when I got moved up to the varsity softball team, and it was my junior and senior year when I outstandingly succeeded. I’ll never forget beating Fort Hill High School, ending their undefeated record, all the no-hitters and one-hitters I threw, and all the recognition I got for throwing such excellent games. I was able to recognize the importance of teamwork, knowing I would not have been able to throw such excellent games if it were not for their excellent defense. Just like the saying, â€Å"There’s No I In Team†. Throughout those years I developed all the essential life skills, knowing I wouldn’t have been able to develop these skills if it was not for my involvement in sports. My character development through sports did not stop with my senior year of high school. It was my senior year of high school when colleges were scouting me and I realized how much my hard work had paid off. A few division three universities in Pennsylvania wanted me to sign with them and be apart of their team. Although that amazing opportunity was there, I wasn’t satisfied because my dream was to get paid and I was determined to reach that goal. I ended up visiting a few division two colleges where the coach’s final decision was not to recruit me. It became mentally difficult for me to accept without becoming discouraged and not wanting to give up on softball altogether. My pitching coach Staci and Wes who is the head coach of Frostburg State University, was one of the biggest impacts on my mental development when it came to perseverance. They taught me the importance of hard work and the role of a pitcher on a team, which was a big part of my character development. It allowed me to not to let the denial of a few colleges stop me, so I decided to advance my goal a little farther and took into consideration the thought of playing out of state. It was May of 2008 when I signed my letter of intent to play division two softball for Potomac State College of West Virginia University. A DII softball team chose to recruit me and pay me to play softball for them. Even though it was an unexplainable feeling, I want to focus on the development aspect of the experience itself. Within my two year contract with Potomac State we were the East and West Pennsylvania state champs both years, undefeated in our conference one year, had high winning records both years, and placed in the tournament we played in down south. These were all great achievements each player will remember for the rest of our lives, but it is the character development we learned that makes each and every one of us successful now and in our future. After those two years I decided to move down to a division three college or university where I could focus more on my degree. After contemplating between a few, in fall 2010 I took the opportunity to play for Coach Caldwell at Penn State Altoona, where I would finish my last two years of softball. Unfortunately last spring in 2011, I was pitching a game when I got line drive straight back to my pitching hand, right on the bone. Luckily nothing was fractured but the doctors said there is a chance of permanent tightness or tendonitis that could develop. Of course with my developed life skills of perseverance, hard work and determination, I was not going to let the injury keep me from playing softball. It was this past fall, 2011, when I started into my fourth year of college softball. I was determined to be able to pitch the same way I did back in high school; I felt fresh and ready to go. A few weeks went by before the end of the season when my mind was telling me one thing and by body another. It was a combination of overusing my arm, the wrist injury and school, which helped me realize that maybe it was time to end my softball career. It was a tough decision but I think it was time to face the facts; if I keep pushing myself then eventually I will tear myself apart to the point I can not even coach. I do not plan on advancing to the pros and plus I had to view the biggest picture of it all; my goal was to get paid to play softball and I accomplished that part of my life. I figured it was okay to move on, advancing my life experience by putting my develop life skills and character development to use so I can live a successful and rewarding life. The coming spring of 2013 will be the first time in 15 years that I won’t be participating in softball. I’m not sure what to expect, but I know it is going to be difficult for me but I think as long as I stay focused on the importance of my future and the positive impact sports has had on my life, I will be satisfied with my decision. It was not just the feeling of accomplishment that has helped me develop a positive character development, but all the experiences within each year that helped me gain a well-rounded development of good character and essential life skills. All the developments I gained has made me successful in my work and school settings. My transition from involvement in sports at a young age to the college level gave me the skills and character development that lead to coaching young girls. Coaching is something I never imagined doing but when the opportunity came my way in 2009 I was speechless. For me, coaching is a personal reward because I am able to give back to what has been a positive part of my life. It is not something anyone can do, a coach must have the essential skills mentally and physically in order to be an effective coach. When I got recognized I was specifically asked if I would be interested in giving personal pitching lessons for 20 dollars and hour. Today, I am still coaching young girls back home in the area and one day I plan to be apart of a high school or middle school softball team as their pitching coach. It is obvious to see the influence sports have on an individual’s character development. If a child starts participating at a young age and stays committed throughout high school, they are more likely to become successful in their future. Altogether with the experience of my participation and having the opportunity to coach, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it was not for the essential life skills, ethical decision-making skills and character development I gained through being a sports participant. I will use my essential tools when dealing with a future situation that may deal with friends, family, a work setting or just my day-today activities. My communication, leadership and team building skills will allow me to work with others in any atmosphere. The determination and hard work ethics will help me become successful one day when use my college degree to apply for a job. I will be able to successfully balance my life activities on a daily basis staying committed. My honesty and integrity development has made me an individual who is reliable and trustworthy. I have gained all aspects of character development, and I owe it all to the involvement of sports and the coaches who influenced these essential life skills that produced my good character development. In conclusion, through my involvement in sports, my different observations through coaching, an interview with my coach and the surveys, youth sports have a positive impact on the development of good character. Sport programs have the influence to promote the development of sports-man-like behaviors, ethical decision-making skills, and an overall curriculum for moral character development. The experience of being apart of a team also provides an individual with a social environment to acquire personal and social values and behaviors contributing to good character and good citizenship that is used throughout an individual’s life.

Unemployment Rates in Australia

Unemployment Rates in Australia The key driver of poverty in Australia is unemployment. Unemployment rate is one of the economic indicators of the level to which Australian economy is operating to its full capacity. It defines the unemployment level divided by the labour force. Australia uses the standard definition of employment. The unemployment rate of Australia started increasing since World War I and II. Australia has taken great efforts to lower the unemployment rates all the time. The worst of the global recession was avoided by Australia but there was a steady increase in the unemployment since 2008. The strong effect of the fiscal stimulus package of Australia, tax cuts and public expenditure has cushioned the increase of unemployment created because of the global economic downturn. The working hours adjustments prevented large job losses, but this led to the growth of the discontentment in the workers. There was a quick rise in the youth unemployment rate. The bar chart shown above gives the present unemployment rates of the major economies in the world. When compared with unemployment rates of other major economies, we see the Australia has considerably lesser rate of about 5.3%. But this rise in the employment rate was less than the expected. This is one the lowest unemployment rates the country has had since the global economic recession hit Australia. The availability of the countrys resources and the global demand for them are believed to be the main reasons for the lowering of the unemployment rate from about 5.5 % (December). And this rate is less than the expected rate (5.6 %). The government reports shows that about 196,000 jobs were added by the Australian employers and about 16,000 full-time employees and additional 36,900 part-time workers are believed to have been hired to ease the unemployment rate. The trend estimates showing the recent monthly rates and figures of March 2010 related to the unemployment is given below:- There is an increase in the employment to 10,991,900 (ABS, March 2010) There is a decrease in unemployment to 611,000 (ABS, March 2010) The rate of unemployment is 5.3% (ABS, March 2010) The constant labour participation rate is maintained at 65.2%(ABS, March 2010) There is an increase in the aggregate monthly hours worked increased to 1,540.5 million hours(ABS, March 2010) The male employment rate is 5.4% and female unemployment rate is 5.3%.(ABS, March 2010) On a state breakdown, we see that there is a decrease in the unemployment rate eased in New South Wales from 6.8 % in March to 6 % in April. Victoria remained constant at 5.6 %, increase in Queenslands rate by 0.1 % to 4.9 %; fall in South Australias rate from 5.9 % to 5.5 %, and a drop in Western Australias rate from 4.9 % to 4.5 %. The small decrease in the unemployment rate has help to increase the growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Australia. This increases the output of the companies. The increase in the GDP has led to the increase in the price of the goods and services and this has led to the increase in the inflation rate. But, the Australian economy has a tendency to continue in an ongoing cycle of this and will continue in the future. It has been seen that staff retention issues or problems have occurred due to the low unemployment rate of Australia with important effects of business. A latest survey conducted by Drake Edwards, Strategic Manager of Drake international commenting (March 2010), has identified several areas of staff retention. The findings are:- About 80% of employees give much importance in having a challenging and a very satisfying work in order to continue their work; and 75 % gives importance to better work life balance, career development opportunity and better management and leadership; and comparatively less percentage of employees gives importance to increased salary in Australia. (Article: Unemployment rate unchanged at 5.3 %, by David Olsen on Thursday, 8 April 2010) The lowering of the unemployment rate has led to economic growth and wage growth and increase in the aggregate demand. That is, the deficient aggregate demand and the real wage growth predominantly produce changes in the unemployment. MEASURES TAKEN BY AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT The main strengths of the macroeconomic frameworks and the Australian governments commitment to well-functioning markets are its high labour force participation, low unemployment, and the solid productivity growth. The constant sustainable economic growth can only be achieved with stable and low unemployment and inflation. These outcomes can only be supported by a sound macroeconomic policy frame work for fiscal and monetary policy. The fiscal policy has great impact on the economic activity and employment. The political factors in the allocation of funds indirectly do affect the unemployment rate. For example, programs such as Roads to Recovery program during the period of Australian election in 2001-04 has improved the local economic activity and has reduced unemployment to an extent. This led to a decrease in the local area unemployment rates (Leigh, 2008). The introduction of such programmes is being utilized to reduce the unemployment rate in Australia. Government always maintain budget balance over the course of economic cycle, takes into account the fiscal risks, national saving adequacy, the financial effect of policy decisions in future generations and the integrity and stability of the tax system in order to attain sustainable economic growth which will reduce the unemployment. The government has placed emphasis on the policies that raise the labour force participation. Some of the policies are the introduction of the welfare to work package that has measures to reduce reliance on the welfare and increase incentives to enter the workforce. Personal income tax cuts with the marginal tax rates cuts and increased thresholds, the Family tax benefit changes have also increased the returns to work. Some measures are the recent superannuation reforms; labour market reforms to improve the labour market flexibility to reduce structural employment, introduction of labour market programmes and training programmes and the introduction of the mature age worker tax offset have improved the work incentives for the old people. Some policies are microeconomic reforms that improve resource allocation among industries and firms for output maximisation that improve efficiency and productivity of producer. They are introduction of industry reforms that provide innovation that i ncrease productivity and growth by improving efficiency growth and job creation; and taxation reforms. The Council of Australian Governments had announced the National Reform Agenda (NRA) for the productivity growth and labour force participation and to bring human capital improvements. Several models are introduced to develop different policy options to reduce the unemployment in Australia. REFERENCES: http://www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1239/HTML/docshell.asp?URL=02_Part_1.htm http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Unemployment-rate.aspx?Symbol=AUD http://www.bukisa.com/articles/101336_economic-policies-to-reduce-unemployment http://www.tradingeconomics.com/World-Economy/Unemployment-Rates.aspx http://www.ibtimes.com.au/articles/20100211/global-economic-recession-unemployment-rate.htm http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/mf/6202.0 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[emailprotected]/mf/6202.0?opendocument#from-banner=LN

The link between capital market and economic growth in Rwanda

The link between capital market and economic growth in Rwanda 1.1 Background Today most economies around the world are judged by the performance of their capital markets. The potential role of financial markets in economic growth has been well documented. Most African countries including those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have recently under gone financial sector reforms such as restructuring and privatizing of state owned banks and establishment of capital markets. In the literature there are different views on the link between capital markets and economic growth of a nation. North (1996) shows that, differences in economic institutions are the major sources of cross-country differences in economic growth and prosperity. High quality institutions have a positive influence on the depth and development of the financial sector of nations. This proposed research will mainly consult with the literature about the link between capital market and economic growth and the role that institutions play in capital markets and try to pinpoint and relate these to the Rwandan context. In developed capital markets households are the major participants as investors. Saunders and Cornett (2004) claimed that in the United States, households are the single largest holders of corporate stock. However, the capital markets of least developed countries are very shallow in terms of capitalization because of a limited number of listed companies and limited participation of households (savers) either due to lack of capacity or lack of awareness as to the capital markets. Therefore this study will also examine the impact of the households (savers) in the capital markets in least developed countries in Africa including Rwanda. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Despite a surge of global investor interest in the 1980s and 1990s, Africa has been bypassed by the massive international capital flowing to developing economies. Aggregate capital flows to developing countries have been rapidly exceeding official development assistance flows since 1980s. However, Africa remains the only developing region in which development assistance flows exceeds private capital flows (Senbet and Otchere, 2006). This was mainly attributed to the lack or absence of a well developed financial sector (capital markets, banks, finance companies, life insurance companies, and insurance companies) and the poor economic policies and institutions in African countries. Capital markets are a vital part of an economy making it possible for industry, trade and commerce to flourish without any obstacle in terms of resources. The financial markets serve a vital purpose in the growth and development of a company that wants to expand. For such companies with expansion plans and new projects in need of funding and investors looking for a better return, the financial market is the best platform. The private sector usually lacks access to credit facilities. Investment, growth and economic welfare are all too low in developing countries. This is more severe in Africa, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (Platt, 1998). Most African countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa, have recently undergone extensive financial sector reforms. The reform package includes restructuring and privatization of state owned banks, the introduction of private banking systems, along with bank supervisory and regulatory schemes, the introduction of a variety of measures to promote the development of financail markets; including money and stock markets (Senbet and Otchere, 2006). Rwandas economy primarily depends on agricultural productivity. The industry and service sectors are not entirely developed to push the economy towards higher growth. Rwandas long-term development plan, as articulated in Vision 2020, seeks to transform Rwanda into a middle-income country and an economic trade and communications hub by the year 2020. An effectively functioning financial sector is a fundamentally important and essential element for achieving this objective.   Rwanda seeks to develop a financial sector that is effective, in particular, by  expanding access to credit and financial services; enhancing savings mobilization, especially long term savings; and mobilizing long-term capital for investment. A key strategic goal of the Vision 2020 plan is to make Rwanda an economic trade and communications hub in the heart of Africa.   This will require significant investment in infrastructure in the form of roads, power, rail, airports and telecommunications.   These plans also call for the active participation and expansion of the private sector in Rwandas economy which will require long term investment in infrastructure and industry, which can only be provided through the mobilization of domestic savings through capital markets.   The Rwanda capital market now referred to as the Rwanda Over the Counter (OTC) market was established by the Capital Market Advisory Council in January 2008. It is from this perspective the researcher is undertaking this study to see the link between capital market and economic growth in Rwanda. How does Rwanda stand to benefit from this capital market? 1.3 Purpose of the study The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate and review the literature on the link between capital market and the economic growth and prosperity of a nation, particularly in Rwanda. This study will also examine the importance of institutions for the performance of capital markets and households (savers) contribution to the capital market so that companies can raise the required capital easily in a country where financing is limited to the banking sector and yet accessible only to a few big private companies and state owned enterprises. 1.4 Objectives of the study The objectives of this proposed study are mainly to find out: Whether capital market is an alternative towards the economic growth of least developed countries such as Ethiopia. The role of institutions toward the development of capital market. Whether households savings will make a real impact on the overall performance, liquidity, and market capitalization of the capital market in Rwanda. 1.5 Research questions This thesis is intended to answer the following questions: Is a capital market an alternative towards the economic growth of least developed countries in general and for Rwanda in particular? Will institutions be vital for the performance of capital market in Rwanda? Will domestic savings in Rwanda have a role to play in the capital market? 1.6 Scope of the study This study presents the different views as to the link between capital markets and economic growth, and the role that institutions play in the performance of capital markets. The focus being the capital market in Rwanda; it also investigates the impact of households savings on capital market in Rwanda. 1.7 Significance of the study The researcher intends to collect data in order to analyse the link between capital market and economic growth in Rwanda. This study will examine the role of institutions toward the development of capital market as well as the impact of the households (savers) in the capital market in Rwanda. Additionally, this research is to fulfill the requirement of the Masters degree in Business Administration. 1.8 Definitions of terms Financial sector: The Reserve Bank of Australia (www.rba.gov.au/Glossary/text_only.asp), defines financial sector as the sector of the economy that comprises financial institutions and financial markets. Financial institution: A company whose primary function is to intermediate between lenders and borrowers in the economy. (www.rba.gov.au/Glossary/text_only.asp). Institutions: in this proposed study institutions could be defined as follows: Definition 1 (Businessdictionary.com) Establishment, foundation, or organization created to pursue a particular type of endeavor, such as banking by a financial institution. Definition 2 (Businessdictionary.com) Consistent and organized pattern of behavior or activities (established by law or custom) that is self-regulating in accordance with generally accepted norms. For example, political institutions are involved with (and regulate) competition for power; and economic institutions (such as markets) encourage and regulate production and distribution of goods and services. Least Developed Countries (LCDs): In its latest triennial review of the list of Least Developed Countries in 2003, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations used the following three criteria for the identification of the LDCs, as proposed by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP): a low-income criterion, based on a three-year average estimate of the gross national income (GNI) per capita (under $750 for inclusion, above $900 for graduation); a human resource weakness criterion, involving a composite Human Assets Index (HAI) based on indicators of: (a) nutrition; (b) health; (c) education; and (d) adult literacy; and an economic vulnerability criterion, involving a composite Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI) based on indicators of: (a) the instability of agricultural production; (b) the instability of exports of goods and services; (c) the economic importance of non-traditional activities (share of manufacturing and modern services in GDP); (d) merchandise export concentration; and (e) the handicap of economic smallness (as measured through the population in logarithm); and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters. REFERENCES LIST Demirguc-Kunt, A., Maksimovic, V. (1996). Stock Market Development and Corporate Finance Decisions. Finance Development, 33(2), 47-50. North, D. C., Weingast, B. R. (1996). Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England. In L. J. Alston, T. Eggertosson D. C. North (Eds.), Empirical Studies in Institutional Change: Cambridge University Press. Nyong, Michael O. (1997): Capital Market Development and Long-run Economic Growth: Theory, Evidence and Analysis First Bank Review, December 1997: 13-38. Samuel, Cherian (1996): Stock Market and Investment: The Governance Role of the Market The World Bank Review Volume 10 Number 2. Saunders, A., Cornett, M. M. (2004). Financial Markets and Institutions (2 ed.). New York: Mc Graw-Hill/ Irwin. Senbet, L. W., Otchere, I. (2006). Financial Sector Reforms in Africa: Perspectives on issues and policies. In B. Francois B. Pleskovic (Eds.), Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics: Growth and Integration (Senegal Proceedings). Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. www.rba.gov.au/Glossary/text_only.asp Rwanda financial sector development program (2007). Retrieved January 12, 2011, from www.bnr.rw/ www.cmac.co.rw Businessdictionary.com http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/list.htm

Essay --

Hello Mr. Schneider and classmates. Are you aware that more than 443,000 people die annually in the United States from cigarettes including deaths from second hand smoke, so why is smoking still legal? Although there are specific restrictions such as where smoking is permitted and not permitted in certain states of the U.S. it should be banned completely throughout the United States of America. By banning cigarettes it would help people who smoke and people who don’t smoke. As I said before more than 443,000 people die from cigarettes but, 50,000 of those people do not even smoke. Most of the people who do not smoke die from second hand smoke because of lung or heart disease. Nearly 20 percent of women and men smoke in the United States. Their is another variation of the cigarette called smokeless tobacco, that is thought to be better than smoking regular cigarettes In June 2010 smokeless tobacco companies had to put these warnings on their products; Warning: This product can cause Mouth cancer, Warning: This product can cause gum disease and tooth loss, Warning: This product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes, and Warning: Smokeless tobacco is addictive.These warning signs would surely bring attention to my eyes if I were using the product nevertheless putting the product into my mouth. There are many advertisements that have smoking in them either promoting them or going against them. TobaccofreeCA is a company that is highly against tobacco in the state of California. You probably have seen some of their advertisements on television. They have a new couple of commercials when they show old family footage where the people are happy, but in those commercials the people are coughing and after it says â€Å"Lost Moments.† This... ...ers started because of their friends smoking and peer pressure. I believe smoking should be banned in the U.S. not only do the harmful fumes hurt you, they affect others. Why keep a harmful product that kills not only the people that smoke but ,also anyone around them. Many cigarette smokers claim it's their body their harming but  it affects everyone. Imagine how many people would still be living if they never started smoking. Many children live with parents who smoke, and imagine how many times they are made fun of because the way they smell. Cigarette smoke can't just disappear, or be covered up with products that use smelly fumes such as Lysol. Many people who try to stop give up because they think they can't give smoking up but, it is possible to stop. So do yourself a favor and  don't give your hard earned money and your life to those nasty cigarette companies.

Theseus vs. Oberon in A Midsummer Nights Dream :: A Midsummer Nights Dream

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the course of Shakespeare?s A Midsummer Night?s Dream, the rise of two leaders emerge. Theseus, the leader of Athens and of ?reality?, and Oberon, the leader of the fairies and of ?dreams?. Shakespeare makes it evident that these leaders are two of a completely different nature. As the play progresses it?s clear that Oberon is the better leader of the two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When dealt with the pressures of being a leader of people, the most essential aspect of this duty is communication. In the play, usually done by speeches, each leader targets a different are of human physiology. In the line, ?I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With sweet musk roses, and with eglantine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And there the snake throws her enameled skin,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And make her full of hateful fantasies,? (ActII, Sc2. 259-267) Oberon stresses the use of emotion to understand what he is saying. On the other hand, Theseus accentuates the use of logic, best portrayed in this line, ?I never may believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys...?(ActV, Sc1. 4-5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another necessary trait of a good leader is courage, in which Theseus has little of. Theseus possesses an ?if-then? complex. Oberon on the other hand reacts without consideration of consequence. This may seem like a weakness to most people, but in the heat of the moment there is no time for decision making but a good leader must act acutely.

Ethics in Human Resource Management

It Is mainly up to the individual, employee or the human social unit who benefits from ethics. Ethics Is Important for he following reasons: satisfying human basic needs, creating credibility, mulling people with leadership, Improving decision making, long term gains and securing society (Importance of Ethics, 2013, Para 2). Companies must put strategies in place in order to ensure all employees within the company are able to make ethical decisions. Using ethical business practices are a key for long term success. Current Situation Most large corporations within the United States now have a code of ethics, which encompasses written conduct standards, internal education, and formal agreements n industry standards (Monody, 2013, p. 24). Even with standards in place, business ethics scandals continue to make headlines today. Although ethics Involve more Issue than compensation, It seems as If the majority of unethical acts are motivated by financial reasons. Recently, a group of Atlanta teachers were indicted on a cheating scandal.Teachers would sit in a room for hours erasing wrong answers and marking the correct answers. The motivation behind this was for the, superintendent to receive high test scores because high test scores equal bonus money. Doctors are ailing insurance companies for work not completed; by doing this doctors are committing fraud in order to have financial gain. Investment firms are operating Opinion schemes, which involve selling ideas of large returns, whereas companies are taking funds from new Investors and paying dividends to old investors.There is no form of occupation that has not had its own ethnically Issues in the recent years. In order to avoid situations mentioned In the examples, human resource management alma to attract the right people with the right frame of mind to contribute to the company. They are looking for Individuals that are able to grow and with the company. As the company grows, employees also grow in knowledge and come automatically. It takes training and experience to make effective decisions. Decision making is a task HER is faced with every day.They have to decide on a daily basis on how issues should be handled ethically and with integrity. 3 Analysis of Issue Human resources play a major role in applying ethical principles. Human resource managers set examples for the rest of the company. Most large companies have a human resource department in which employees have someone to help them with efferent issues, which includes managing sick days, holiday pay, hiring, firing, and everyday issues employees have. Without a human resource department, disputes that arise between the company and employees or either two employees would take time to resolve.Human resources are put into place, to help rectify any situations that may arise. The success of most companies is based on the role played by human resource. Human resource will work to ensure that employees are happy, and when disputes need to be resolved there is a neutral party involved who can implement policies. Management decisions made honestly while taking all aspects into consideration. In human resource management, firing, hiring, and compensation must be treated fairly. For example, a male manager should not hire a woman that is less experience but is more attractive.This is a form of discrimination and holds no ethical morals. Making ethical business decisions consistently, is the key to a long term business success. Knowing how to make these decisions helps a company set standards throughout the organization (Ingram, 2011). One topic that most professionals do not want to discuss is ethical and integrity issues in a profession. Ethics and integrity are very important in all professions, but some positions such as human resources are expected to uphold a higher standard of ethical behavior.Human resources play an important role in an organization; they should be careful that all actions are handled fairly withi n the restrictions of the law. Human resource professionals should be objective and balance the needs of employees and management; naturally they need to do what is best for the 4 company. Honestly, it does not always work that way because human resource refashions are also humans which mean they too can have their own agenda that may complicate situations. If human resource professions are not prepared to do what is right, then the employee and the company lose.Integrity in HER begins with treating employees respectfully. When employees feel they are not treated with the respect, they no longer trust the HER professionals. Sardines-Cooley Act protects employees that report corporations and management on to civil and criminal penalties for retailing, harassing, or discriminating against employees who report suspected wrong doings (Monody, 2013, p. 8). Sardines Cooley Act protects employees that management cannot suspend, demote, harass, or discriminate against an employee. Ethics is required when choosing a profession in human resource management.Employees within a corporation should review, develop and ensure policies are being adhered throughout the organization. All employees should take the time to determine what is ethical and unethical to their training program geared towards ethics training, which explained the minimum requirements for an effective program that will prevent and discover violations. Ethics in general is a system of good and bad and fair and unfair. Ethics is affected by three primary forces: religion, culture and laws of the state.Religion is the oldest foundation; it draws a line between the good and the bad in society. This is based on different types of people. Culture defines the different behaviors and values from one generation to another. Some values are treasured as being ideal than others and are deemed as what determines right from wrong. Laws are the procedures that are put in place by the legal system. The problem with the la ws is hat expectations cannot be covered with the law when the environment is continually changing (management study guide, 2013). Conclusion When tasked with making ethical decisions, a few steps should be kept in mind throughout the decision making process such as integrity, consideration of impact, legalities, fidelity, fairness and input receiving (Screener, 2013). To make ethical decisions, the decision maker must feel independent. If he/she does not, then the decision maker will most likely make a decision that is unethical. In ethics, integrity is the honesty and accuracy of one's actions. Individuals that work in human resources have to remember that decisions made have an impact a person's lively hood and should be taken seriously.Sometimes human resources are the only ones that can view issues objectively if the responsibility is taken serious then everyone benefits. Human resource professionals are debated within work places daily. Some employees see HER as the neutral pa rty between employees and management in regards to handling issues fairly. Others see them as being the gatekeeper for executive management and do not hold any interest in employee concerns. Being a unman resource professional requires showing respect towards individual needs.Employees must feel they are being treated with respect no matter race, gender or disability. If the human resource department wishes to earn respect from employees, HER must be sure to work hard to value all individuals' unique talents, and respect their dignity. A corporation's strength depends on the unity and diversity of employees. Diversity offers different ideas to a company; therefore human resources must work hard in order to ensure everyone is working harmoniously for the benefit of the company.

Reaction Paper on Acculturation and Alcohol Treatment in Ethnic Minority Populations: Assessment Issues and Implications

In the article Acculturation and Alcohol Treatment in Ethnic Minority Populations: Assessment Issues and Implications, the authors research the impact of acculturation on the drinking behavior of minorities, specifically older Latino veterans versus older White veterans. In the article, acculturation is defined as â€Å" the exchange of cultural features from the continuous firsthand contact of one group to another. † The authors conducted a study that looked at the relationship between the level of acculturation and the level of alcohol use among older White and Latino male veterans. The subjects were 55yrs of age or older there were 18 White male veterans and 24 Latino male veterans. The authors hypothesized that the higher the levels of acculturation among Latino veterans would correlate to higher levels of drinking behavior. The hypothesis was backed up with the results; drinking behavior was correlated with acculturation levels. In Latino veterans higher past drinking behavior was associated with lower social affiliation with their own group. The concept of acculturation is something that is new to me. I can imagine though that it could have a profound impact on the lives of minority individuals. In reading the article, it was linked to higher levels of substance abuse in minorities as well as stress and psychological disorders; which in many minorities go undetected and/or untreated. This is a concept that I feel should be studied more. This article deals with older subjects, but I think the impact of acculturation needs to be studied in younger minorities, males and females. I hope to have the opportunity to look into the concept, theories, and potential impacts of acculturation more thoroughly as I continue my tenure here at USC. This article stresses, just as much of the material I have read in this class and my other classes, that as mental health workers and social workers we must mind our clients cultures and the impact of their culture on their behavior. With the idea of acculturation now added, as a social worker I need be mindful of the potential set backs minority clients may be experiencing by trying to fit in to the mainstream culture.

A Strange Case of Dr Jekyl And Mr Hyde Theme of Evil Essay

‘Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’- Examine how Robert Louis Stevenson presents the theme of evil’ ‘The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’, written by Robert Louis Stevenson is a novel that explores the good and evil inside men. This is shown all the way through the book, Jekyll attempting to separate his evil side and unleash him to the world was the first act of evil. The struggle between good and evil is present in the novel, the good being shown in the form of well-respected Doctor Henry Jekyll and the evil being in the form of Edward Hyde. In this novel, Stevenson was trying to show that good and evil are not separate within us but are a combined part of us so instead of trying to split them we should except the unity and only then will we be able to make our good side prevail in the struggle of good and evil. The historical context is very important in the novel. The whole ‘double existence’ was expected of men in Victorian England, though not quite in the literal sense. It was typical of middle class men in the 19th century to abandon there happy and more adventurous selves and put on a more sensible and repressed self. Jekyll had a desire to physically detach both parts; â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two† this reference goes against what Victorians believed at the time of â€Å"a strange case†¦Ã¢â‚¬  publication. During this era the Victorians strongly believed that it was god who created the world and all things that come along with it, they were powerfully religious and were in opposition to anything that suggested otherwise. When Stevenson was nine years old Charles Darwin’ â€Å"origin of species† was published and there was a lot of conflict about what people really believed, people saw it as an attack on religion because the book made it impossible to consider that God created the world in seven days. His parents and his Nanny, both equally influential during his childhood, were strictly religious. They read the bible to him every night and encouraged him to lead a religious lifestyle. Throughout his life, Stevenson suffered from weak lungs. He was told that it was a punishment from God and that he had evil within him. People often avoided or judged him because of it. Many believed that science had become dangerous and was interrupting people from accepting that this was God’ doing. This is what Jekyll does in the novel. Evil is the main theme in † a strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.† It is presented in different forms during the book. The mention of doors are significant in the novel, The doors used by Jekyll and Hyde are an example of symbolism. In chapter 1 – ‘The story of the door’, Stevenson describes the door used by Hyde. ‘The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained.’. This instantaneously gives the image of someone who doesn’t care about appearance or image. Mr Hyde using this door shows that he isn’t respectable and he needs to ‘hide’ away. Mr Hyde’s actions are also evil. The first time we hear about him is when we hear of a madman knocking down a small child and walking straight over her. ‘It sounds like nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn’t like a man, it was like some damned Juggernaut.’ Hyde wasn’t concerned about who or what he hurt; he didn’t have a morals to speak of. He never felt guilty of his actions and this allowed him to do anything he feels like without any emotional punishment. When he got mad he acted like an ape and quite insanely. ‘And next moment, with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot.† Stevenson portrays Hyde in highly animalistic terms – short, hairy, and like a troglodyte with gnarled hands and a horrific face. In contrast, Jekyll is described in the most chivalrous terms – tall, refined, polite and honourable, with long elegant fingers and a handsome appearance. Jekyll and Hyde are not the only examples of duality in the novel. The city of London is also portrayed in contrasting terms, as both a foggy, dreary, nightmarish place, and a well kept, bustling centre of commerce. Undeniably men have both positive and negative qualities, so does society. Stevenson places great stress on the dark, dank streets of London in wonderfully descriptive language. For instance, while Poole and Utterson prepare to break down the door of Jekyll’ study, Stevenson writes, â€Å"The scud had banked over the moon, and it was now quite dark. The wind, which only broke in puffs and draughts into that deep well of building, tossed the light of the candle to and fro about their steps†. These contrasting ideas are present throughout the novel. Jekyll’ experiments began in an attempt to separate the two sides of human nature and to destroy the evil one. Jekyll maintained an appearance of good behaviour at all times but no one suspected his true nature which was at times to an extreme contrast of the well known doctor everyone thought he was. He discovered during the last few chapters that the evil part of his nature was natural and in fact part of him; part of the whole. When Jekyll tries to control his evil side, it doesn’t work because when the evil is suppressed it comes back more ‘powerful’ than before. Jekyll starts to change into Hyde without taking the potion. Jekyll is the only person who does not react with horror at Hyde. ‘And yet when I looked upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This, too, was myself.’ He realises that the man staring back at him from the mirror was himself in a different, more evil form. Hyde is gradually taking over and Jekyll is becoming more evil. In chapter 7 we see this happening. Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield are standing below the window where Mr Jekyll is sitting. Suddenly they see something which shocks and scares them; ‘froze the blood of the two gentlemen below. They saw it but for a glimpse for the window was instantly thrust down, but that glimpse had been sufficient.’ This shows that Jekyll’s evil side is increasing with time and starting to control him. It also proves that Jekyll is becoming more dependant on the antidote to stop him turning into Hyde and to keep the evil in check rather than before when he was using it to isolate his evil side. To summarise these points, I believe that evil gradually increases in power and has greater sometimes gains control over some people. Evil is described as something ugly and outcast, something that should be hidden away but ultimately is something that should be treated with caution and is capable of becoming very powerful. If Jekyll hadn’t gone forward with his plans then all would be well, although he would not be completely happy, he would have remained civilised and his reputation would have still remained.