The Way In Which Numeracy Is Taught Education Essay

The survey sets out to look into the manner in which numeracy is taught and learned at a Further Education College in Staffordshire. Secondary research has been carried out by the writer into the undermentioned countries ; numeracy, criterions and course of study, appraisal, instruction and larning numeracy, formative appraisal and feedback, staff and staff preparation and good pattern in numeracy.Numeracyâ€Å" Numeracy is the cognition and accomplishments required to efficaciously pull off and react to the mathematical demands of diverse state of affairss. Numerate behavior is observed when people manage a state of affairs or work out a job in a existent context ; it involves reacting to information about mathematical thoughts that may be represented in a scope of ways ; it requires the activation of a scope of enabling cognition, factors, and procedures † ( Gal et al. , 2003, p4, online ) . Masters and Forster ( 2000, online ) agree that numeracy ability depends on the grownup scholar ‘s ability to use mathematical cognition and accomplishments in a assortment of personal and societal contexts. A utile sum-up of the different contexts of numeracy usage can be seen in Appendix a. Appendix B besides shows the contexts in which effectual numerate behavior is necessary. Numeracy accomplishments for mundane life can be found in undertakings such as managing money, comparing monetary values when shopping, clip direction, doing travel and vacation programs, playing games of opportunity, understanding athleticss tonss, reading maps and utilizing measurings when cookery or making DIY, harmonizing to Gal et Al. ( 2003, online ) . The contents of Appendix a and Appendix b support this claim. Unfortunately, both numeracy and mathematics are widely disliked ; some people may even be numerophobic and have an irrational and unlogical fright of Numberss. Pert ( 2009, online ) suggests many people will really squeal to detesting figure work and make what they can to restrict their battle in this country. The undermentioned subdivisions detail information about some elements of the grownup numeracy larning substructure ( Figure 1.1 ) in the order of the learning rhythm depicted in Figure 2.1, as a consequence of secondary research carried out by the writer. Figure 2.1: The acquisition rhythm ( TUC, 2004, p76 ) g. Progression to other instruction, preparation or employmenta. Need identifiedB. AppraisalScreening Initial and diagnostic appraisals Interviewf. AchievementSummational assessment/qualifications Information, advice and counselc. ILPNegotiated, realistic, relevant marks Curriculum referencedd. LearningMeaningful and relevant to reflect ILP Monitored, recorded advancement with feedbackd. LearningMeaningful and relevant to reflect ILP Monitored, recorded advancement with feedbacke. ReviewFormative appraisal Revisit ILP -Standards and Curriculum ( elements 1 and 2 of Figure 1.1 ) The Adult Numeracy Core Curriculum has been based on the National Standards ( DfES and BSA, 2001 ) . The course of study specifies the numeracy accomplishments, cognition and apprehension that are required to run into the nationally agreed benchmarks at each of the five degrees ( Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2, Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2 ) . -Assessment ( elements 3, 4, 6 and 8 of Figure 1.1 and subdivisions a, B, vitamin E and degree Fahrenheit of Figure 2.1 ) Assorted grounds suggests that good appraisal procedures are of import for effectual instruction and accomplishment of scholars, including that of Black and Wiliam ( 2003 ) and Clarke, Timperley and Hattie ( 2003 ) . In add-on to this, The Department for Education and Skills ( DfES ) ( 2002a ) acknowledge that different appraisal procedures are needed at the different phases of the larning journey. Beevers & A ; Paterson ( 2002 ) study that the intent of appraisal includes informing pupils of their strengths and failings in order to enable them to better and go more confident. DfES ( 2002b ) agree that assisting scholars to understand their acquisition strengths and failings gives them assurance in their ability to better their accomplishments. DfES ( 2002c ) summarised the procedure of numeracy appraisal as shown in Figure 2.2. Figure 2.2: Summary of Numeracy Assessment ( DfES, 2002c ) Screening For possible demand Initial Assessment For degree of accomplishments Diagnostic Assessment For elaborate scholar profile to inform ILP Formative For regular reappraisal of advancement to inform acquisition programme Summative For National Test or making, completion of ILP Figure 2.2 shows that, typically, numeracy scholars will hold a showing, initial appraisal and diagnostic appraisal to place their strengths and countries for development, therefore enabling instructors to put them on a class at the appropriate degree. This process is besides recommended by Sewell ( 2004, online ) , McIntosh ( 2005, online ) and CERI ( 2008, online ) . DfEE ( 2001, online ) and Stott and Lillis ( 2007, online ) identify that deficiency of these appraisals is a major factor in lending to the failure of grownups to take part and come on, hence consolidating the demand. DfEE ( 2001, online ) recommends that a senior member of staff should be defined as holding overall duty for the initial and diagnostic appraisals and for the production of the Individual Learning Plan ( ILP ) . Pert ( 2009, online ) substantiates this saying that organizational good pattern includes holding a nucleus squad with duty for naming numeracy concerns, a robust system of showing, initial appraisal and diagnostic appraisal to find scholars ‘ accomplishments degrees in numeracy and a named coach who is responsible for reexamining and supervising a scholar ‘s advancement. – Teaching and Learning Numeracy ( elements 5 and 7 of Figure 1.1 and subdivision vitamin D of Figure 2.1 ) Pratt ( 1998 ) identified five chief positions on instruction, summarised in Table 2.1. Table2.1: The Five Main Positions on Teaching ( Pratt, 1998 )PositionFeatures of instructorsTransmission Focus on content and find what scholars should larn and how they should larn it. Feedback is directed at scholar errors Developmental Value scholars ‘ anterior cognition and direct acquisition to the development of concluding and problem-solving accomplishments Apprenticeship Provide scholars with reliable undertakings in real-life scenes Fostering Focus on the interpersonal elements of acquisition and hearing and respond to scholars ‘ emotional and rational demands Social reform Relate thoughts explicitly to the lives of the scholars Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) found that the bulk of instructors include merely one or possibly two of the five positions during a teaching session but will integrate all of them in their instruction over a period of clip. In contrast, Derrick and Ecclestone ( 2006, online ) suggest it is normally ( although wrongly ) thought that mathematics is about â€Å" truths † and can merely be taught through a â€Å" transmittal † attack where scholars are treated as â€Å" inactive † receivers of information. Masters and Forster ( 2000, p3, online ) confirm the position that â€Å" pupils are more likely to go successful, independent scholars when they are encouraged to appreciate acquisition as a womb-to-tomb procedure of single growing through the development of new accomplishments, deeper apprehensions, and more positive attitudes and values. † Ciancone ( 1988, p8, online ) states that â€Å" The numeracy coach must set up an unfastened relationship with the scholar in order to be cognizant of the person ‘s demands and at the same clip must be familiar with the acquisition of mathematical constructs and the construction of the hierarchy of accomplishments in order to find an appropriate docket of direction. † new wave Groenestun ( 2003, p233, online ) agrees that â€Å" The art of instruction is to make and ease acquisition environments in which acquisition is possible and to steer scholars in their acquisition activities. † Admiting this, Ginsburg, Manly and Schmitt ( 2006, online ) province that numeracy coachs need to be familiar with the mathematics needed to pull off the demands of household, workplace, community and farther instruction. Skemp ( 1971 ) distinguished between two different attacks to learning and larning mathematics known as instrumental apprehension and relational apprehension. The former involves memorizing and routinely using processs and the latter involves assisting the scholar to develop their ain apprehension by learning for intending. Van Groenestun ( 2003, online ) besides believes that it is non plenty to simply see which numeracy accomplishments need to be taught but that it is vitally of import to take into history the manner in which they are taught and the manner in which they are learned by grownups. If a peculiar degree of numeracy is non wholly understood, the acquisition of any other constructs could be hindered. Ciancone ( 1988, online ) refers to a survey carried out by Skemp which compared schematic ( conceptual construction ) and rote acquisition. In footings of per centum callback, more than double the figure of campaigners who were taught by conventional methods remembered what they had learned than those taught by rote. In add-on, after four hebdomads merely 15 % of those taught by a conventional attack had forgotten their new cognition compared with 75 % of those taught by rote. It can hence be seen that the manner numeracy is delivered affects the manner a accomplishment is remembered which in bend affects the acquisition of other constructs based on that accomplishment. Several research workers cited in Coben et Al. ( 2005, online ) province that the capableness to make mathematics is localised within the encephalon and that many of the troubles that grownups face when larning really stem from the archpriest encephalon architecture. Other grounds besides suggests that additions in numeracy may be by and large more dependent on features of scholars and categories instead than on those of instructors and learning manners used ( Coben et al. , 2006, online ) . Van Groenestun ( 2003, online ) suggests the manner grownups learn in out-of-school state of affairss differs from the manner kids learn in school, irrespective of the instructors. Adults tend to treat new information by â€Å" acquisition by making † and therefore necessitate to be able to read, watch or listen to information, place cardinal points, communicate and discuss with others and reflect on possible deductions of their new cognition. From this it can be seen that the literacy accomplishments of an grownup can impact their acquisition of numeracy accomplishments. It is believed that scholars who have a good consciousness of how they learn are more effectual at puting their ain ends, developing a assortment of larning schemes and measuring their ain advancement ( Centre for Educational Research and Innovation ( CERI ) , 2008, online ) . Kirby and Sellers ( 2006, online ) recommend that coachs should prosecute scholars in â€Å" metacognitive consciousness † so that they can look into how they learn best as an person. The development of numeracy ability involves the acquisition of cognition and accomplishments every bit good as their application in existent state of affairss ( Dingwall, 2000, online ) . Therefore, the more independent the scholar, the more likely they are to be able to use their cognition and show numerate behavior. Brookes et Al. ( 2001 ) concluded that grounds about the impact of general grownup numeracy tuition was thin and undependable. Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) besides found that there are really few empirical surveies of existent numeracy pattern. Interestingly, Benseman, Sutton and Lander ( 2005, online ) were unable to place any research during their reappraisal that discussed factors associated with advancement in numeracy or appraisal and its consequence on larning results. . Harmonizing to research carried out by Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) most instructors tend to learn the manner that they themselves were taught because they were successful in those formal acquisition environments and because they do non hold adequate cognition of grownup larning theory and alternate theoretical accounts of bringing. They besides found that numeracy nosologies had taken topographic point and numeracy instruction was clearly linked to the diagnostic consequences and that numeracy teachers often concentrate their instruction on specific mistakes being made by scholars. Ironically, in the same twelvemonth, Bhattarai and Newman found that grownup numeracy programmes which really respond to scholars at their bing degree of mathematics were highly rare which links with the findings of DfEE ( 2001 ) , four old ages antecedently, that merely 15 % of suppliers carry out an initial appraisal to find numeracy demands, demoing that small advancement has been made in this country. Coben et Al. ( 2006, online ) discovered that the most common methods of category administration were whole category instruction or persons working on their ain. Very small group work was found. Very few instructors used concrete objects, games, computing machines or reckoners. Worksheets were used extensively but really few instructors used text books. The bulk of instructors used a scope of activities although alarmingly, merely about 50 % differentiated work and made connexions to other countries of maths. Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) , found that instructors talked for up to 60 % of the ascertained session and there were few chances for scholars to discourse their new accomplishments. Many inquiries were asked by the instructors but these tended to be â€Å" closed † and were non used as scaffolds for farther acquisition. Most instructors used a comparatively little scope of learning methods. In contrast to Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) , Coben et Al. ( 2006, online ) , discovered that numeracy learning activities most normally used by coachs include utilizing mundane stuffs, problem-solving, worksheets, gauging activities, utilizing concrete stuffs, co-operative job resolution, utilizing reckoners, presentations, critical numeracy activities, computing machines, little group work, mystifiers and games and vocabulary edifice activities. -Formative Assessment and Feedback ( element 5 and 7 of Figure 1.1 and subdivision vitamin E of Figure 2.1 ) Black and Wiliam ( 1998 ) define appraisal by and large as activities which are undertaken by both instructors and scholars in order to measure themselves and supply information which can so be used to modify instruction and acquisition. They suggest that appraisal merely becomes â€Å" formative † when the information gathered is really used to alter the instruction in order to run into the demands of the scholar and take their acquisition frontward. Pert ( 2009, online ) points out that even when groups have been set up harmonizing to their numeracy degree, scholars will still hold a scope of single demands. It is hence good pattern to include little, regular appraisals to guarantee scholars have understood a taught subject before come oning onto the following subject. If necessary, alteration of larning ends documented on the ILP can so take topographic point. Defined by CERI ( 2008, online ) , formative appraisal really refers to patronize, synergistic appraisals of pupil advancement and apprehension which are used to find future larning demands and differentiated instruction. Formative appraisal is â€Å" assessment for larning † and is a cardinal constituent in good instruction and acquisition pattern. Information gained from formative appraisal should be used to accommodate instruction and acquisition activities and can be used to put marks for future larning. Many research workers agree that formative appraisal should underscore advancement and accomplishment and addition scholars ‘ motive ( Ciancone, 1988, online, ALI, 2002, Beevers and Peterson, 2002 and Stott and Lillis, 2007, online ) . DfES ( 2002b ) confirm that appraisal should inform the development and reappraisal of ILP ‘s and that measuring is an indispensable portion of the planning procedure. Black and Wiliam ( 1998 ) and Her Majesty ‘s Stationery Office ( HMSO ) ( 2005 ) suggest that formative appraisal is an indispensable portion of and indivisible from effectual instruction and direction at all degrees. Similarly, learning which includes formative appraisal helps pupils to get â€Å" larning to larn † accomplishments which should help them with future larning throughout their lives, besides helps to raise degrees of pupil accomplishment and helps instructors to run into the diverse demands of scholars ( CERI, 2008, online ) . It emphasises the procedure of instruction and acquisition and involves scholars in that procedure. Derrick and Ecclestone ( 2006, online ) province that formative appraisal should supervise learner public presentation against set marks, give feedback on the following stairss necessary for betterment, step scholar advancement, enable scholars to take charge of their ain acquisition, promote independency and advance self-reflection. Bimrose et Al. ( 2007, online ) suggest it should be carried out at the beginning of or during a learning programme in order to better the quality of acquisition and the consequences used to reexamine and modify a programme of acquisition. Harmonizing to Black ( 1999 ) and Briggs and Ellis ( 2008 ) , formative appraisal is the analysis of pupils ‘ acquisition to detect what they know, understand and can make and the appropriate response during instruction and acquisition to guarantee it informs future planning and learning. They besides all province that formative appraisal is the analysis of pupils ‘ acquisition and the appropriate response after the instruction. In comparing, Beevers and Paterson ( 2002 ) position formative appraisal as an appraisal which is merely undertaken during a class or faculty and non after the instruction has taken topographic point. There is no uncertainty, nevertheless, that formative appraisal helps the scholar and instructor to reexamine advancement and that it is cardinal to the acquisition procedure ( HMSO, 2005, Briggs and Ellis, 2008 and CERI, 2008, online ) . Key characteristics of formative appraisal include set uping a schoolroom civilization which encourages interaction, supervising pupil advancement towards single acquisition ends, usage of a assortment of learning and larning methods in order to run into the diverse demands of scholars, constructive and regular feedback on scholars ‘ public presentation and the active engagement of pupils in the full acquisition procedure ( CERI, 2008, online ) . Furthermore, Black and Wiliam ( 1998, p19 ) claim that â€Å" aˆÂ ¦there is a steadfast organic structure of grounds that formative appraisal is an indispensable characteristic of schoolroom work and that development of it can raise criterions. † Unfortunately, in a survey of 15 Skills for Life coachs, Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) , found really few of them used schemes or activities associated with high quality formative appraisal. Questions used were closed instead than open and merely required callback instead than higher thought accomplishments. Extensive research carried out by Black and Wiliam ( 1998 ) showed that if formative appraisal was improved, important additions and betterments in larning were besides achieved. They argue that the overall quality of instruction and acquisition can be improved by heightening instructors ‘ ability to utilize formative appraisal efficaciously. It is interesting to observe that much of the research besides showed that bettering formative appraisal helps lower attainers more than the higher attaining scholars. This implies that effectual formative appraisal of numeracy should hold a greater impact on the success of Skills for Life scholars who tend to be lower attainers. The most common signifiers of appraisal used by numeracy instructors are formative and include teacher observation, portfolios and self-assessment ( Benseman, Lander and Sutton, 2005, online ) . CERI ( 2008, online ) said feedback can be used to detect the extent of scholar apprehension and aid instructors to flip their instruction at the right degree so that scholars can go on to better their accomplishments. By supplying feedback, instructors are able to concentrate on what scholars do and make non understand and are therefore better able to set their instruction schemes to run into single demands. Adapting the instruction and larning procedure from the consequences of formative appraisal draws upon a instructor ‘s pedagogical and capable cognition and besides requires a great trade of flexibleness and creativeness on their portion. Feedback should concentrate on the issue, be specific and constructive and offer thoughts of how the scholars could better. It should non be excessively drawn-out and should ne'er stop negatively, harmonizing to Derrick and Ecclestone ( 2006, online ) . It is indispensable that feedback includes suggestions about ways to better hereafter larning public presentation ( CERI, 2008, online ) .Staff and Staff TrainingDingwall ( 2000, online ) and Schmitt ( 2003, online ) rise concerns about the maths accomplishments and apprehension of instructors presenting numeracy, allow alone their numeracy learning accomplishments. A coach ‘s experience of learning numeracy has been found to positively affect scholars ‘ advancement in and attitude towards numeracy ( Cara and de Coulon, 2008, online ) . Therefore, the Government began developing compulsory instruction makings for new instructors from 2002 ( Cara and de Coulon, 2008, online and Simpson, 2008 ) . The Further Education Nation al Training Organisation ( FENTO ) developed a new scope ( Level 2 to Level 4 ) of learning makings for numeracy coachs. Newly qualified instructors are expected to hold a generic instruction making ; for illustration, a Certificate in Education ( CertEd ) or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education ( PGCE ) , every bit good as a capable specializer making ( Level 4 ) . Those already learning Skills for Life have been encouraged to derive these makings every bit good so that by 2010, all post-16 instructors will be to the full qualified ( McIntosh, 2005, online ) . In 2004, the TUC recommended that merely to the full trained staff should be employed and it is pointed out by Benseman, Sutton and Lander ( 2005, online ) that those staff should set about regular Continuous Professional Development ( CPD ) to update their accomplishments. Interestingly, in 2005/2006, merely 29 % of numeracy instructors were to the full qualified and 18 % of them did non hold any teaching makings at all ( Cara and de Coulon, 2008, online ) . In footings of experience, nevertheless, Coben et Al. ( 2006, online ) found that in a survey of 34 instructors, they had, on norm, been learning maths or numeracy for 13 old ages and learning grownups for 8 old ages. In comparing with Cara and de Coulon ( 2008, online ) , Coben et Al. ( 2006, online ) identified that 79 % had a making in maths and 88 % had a teaching making but that merely 18 % had gained the new degree 4 making in grownup numeracy instruction. There is much grounds to propose that extremely qualified instructors lead to higher accomplishment of scholars but there is besides grounds to counter this from research that suggested that over-qualified instructors are sometimes less effectual at presenting numeracy to grownups ( Cara and de Coulon, 2008, online and Cara et al. , 2008, online ) . It is interesting to observe that numeracy specific CPD requested by respondents at a treatment group about the province of numeracy learning included practical, hands-on workshops focussed on effectual diagnostic appraisal ( Wedgbury, 2005 ) . Mackay et Al. ( 2006, online ) found that other precedence countries for professional development included covering with the demands of scholars with several disadvantages, developing accomplishments in the usage of computing machines when presenting numeracy and understanding the backgrounds and demands of peculiar groups of scholars. These research workers besides found numeracy staff requested that professional development be provided by experts and appealed for the chance to portion good instruction pattern with equals, experiencing that this would be an effectual manner to turn to any spreads in accomplishments and cognition. Presently there is an over-reliance on voluntary or parttime instructors and this presents a barrier to the development of effectual pattern ( CERI, 2008, online ) . However, holding voluntaries who have been selected carefully and good trained does enable larning to be farther tailored to individual ‘s demands ( McIntosh, 2005, online and CERI, 2008, online ) . McIntosh ( 2005, online ) recommends that larning is delivered by full-time staff and confirming research suggests that learning is less effectual overall when delivered by largely parttime staff because this can take to miss of consistence in learning attacks and less engagement in CPD ( McIntosh, 2005, online and Benseman, Sutton and Lander, 2005, online ) .So what is â€Å" Good Practice † in Numeracy?â€Å" Most scholars on grownup numeracy classs have studied the topic of numeracy or mathematics in primary and secondary school. Many have besides attended cardinal accomplishments and a Return to Study class, and helped their ain kids. They have had several different instructors and experienced assorted teaching/learning attacks. So why have n't any of these done the fast one? † ( Kirby and Sellers, 2006 p4, online ) . Appendix c provides a sum-up of best pattern in learning and larning numeracy compiled after extended research by the writer. Possibly the importance of each pattern is emphasised by the figure of research workers citing it as best pattern. Many of the patterns mentioned in Appendix degree Celsiuss are discussed in the undermentioned text. Adult numeracy programmes are thought to be effectual if they are designed and delivered in conformity with the â€Å" best patterns † of big instruction, including associating larning to ends, constructing on old cognition and experience, doing the acquisition relevant, concentrating on scholars and their state of affairss and maximizing flexibleness ( Dingwall, 2000, online ) . The TUC ( 2004 ) expand on this, summarizing good instruction as shown in Appendix vitamin D. In footings of length of survey, research suggests that a lower limit of 100 hours per twelvemonth are necessary in order for scholars to demo some accomplishments ( Benseman, Sutton & A ; Lander, 2005, online ) . McIntosh ( 2005, online ) found intensive classs over a long period of clip have proved most successful for pupils up to Entry Level or Level 1. McIntosh ( 2005, online ) and Benseman, Sutton and Lander ( 2005, online ) agree that scholars below Entry Level should hold entree to 330-450 hours of larning. Those already at Entry Level necessitate 210-329 hours and those at Level 1 need 120-209 hours. Ginsburg and Gal ( 1996, p16, online ) , back up the theoretical account shown in Figure 2.3, saying that coachs should supply chances for grownup scholars to â€Å" †¦ grok a state of affairs, make up one's mind what to make, and take the right tool ( s ) from their â€Å" mathematical tool thorax † that will enable them to make a sensible solution † because this is what they will necessitate to be able to make in their lives. Ginsburg and Gal ( 1996, online ) besides steadfastly believe that a important proportion of Sessionss should be focussed on situational inquiries so that scholars have the chance to analyze state of affairss and determine which numeracy accomplishments are required. â€Å" Ultimately, direction should take to be more evidently utile ( maintaining pupils involved and coming ) and more cognitively meaningful ( so that pupils will be more likely to go forth the schoolroom with accomplishments that will be retained and applied ) † ( Ginsburg and Gal, 1996, p17, online ) .Figure 2.3: Model for Numeracy Tuition ( Ciancone, 1988, p11, online )existent universe abstract concrete account motive pattern application High quality resources should be used to back up all numeracy work. Harmonizing to Pert ( 2009, online ) the chief modification factors to this are the institutional budget allocated to buying published resources and the clip instructors have available to make advanced and inspiring stuffs. It is critical that numeracy instructors recognise scholars ‘ personal attacks to work outing peculiar jobs. Teachers should do attempts to understand what the scholar is really making, how their method really works, why they have chosen this peculiar method and the success rate of their chosen method. â€Å" Merely if the scholar ‘s method is unsuccessful, arduous and has limited usage should you see enforcing an alternate algorithm † ( Pert, 2009, p19, online ) . Ginsburg and Gal ( 1996, online ) besides recommend that coachs should inquire scholars why they did what they did and what alternative method they could hold used. If the method is successful, a instructor would hold to be highly confident that a more traditional method of computation would keep important benefits for the scholars before swapping, harmonizing to Pert ( 2009, online ) . Derrick and Ecclestone ( 2006, online ) found that â€Å" student-centred acquisition † featured on a regular basis in big instruction research but it was unfastened to diverse reading by instructors. Apparently, numeracy instructors interpret this by believing that illustrations should be every bit ocular as possible, learning AIDSs should be used, illustrations should be related to the â€Å" existent universe † and accomplishments should be consolidated through alteration ( Benseman, Lander and Sutton, 2005, online ) . Using kinesthetic stuffs can increase learner motive, increase interaction and treatment and better formative appraisal due to instructors being able to detect where acquisition is taking topographic point or name any troubles ( Kirby and Sellers, 2006, online ) . They conclude that increased activity in numeracy Sessionss seems to better scholars ‘ apprehension and makes Sessionss more merriment and synergistic, but province that utilizing kinesthetic and haptic attacks requires more clip to be spent preparing resources. However, instructors have said that, irrespective of the clip spent preparing resources, they felt motivated to utilize kinesthetic attacks because of the benefits to the scholars. Kirby and Sellers ( 2006, online ) found that increased activity in numeracy Sessionss seemed to better scholars ‘ apprehension and made Sessionss more merriment and synergistic. Teachers should be encouraged to develop a repertory of oppugning techniques and portion their tho ughts with co-workers. Double, taking, rhetorical and closed inquiries are non thought to be peculiarly utile when learning numeracy because they discourage scholars from reflecting on the job or acknowledging that they do non understand the construct ( Derrick and Ecclestone, 2006, online ) . Black et Al. ( 2006 ) found a direct nexus between the types of oppugning used by instructors to look into acquisition and apprehension and improved motive of scholars. Traditionally, numeracy is taught to the whole category and so scholars work through worksheets separately but this attack allows small collaborative larning with equals in order to portion experiences. It is better pattern to advance group larning so that scholars can larn from each other and assist each other to develop solutions to the numerical jobs set ( Pert, 2009, online ) . Foster and Beddie, 2005, p6, online agree that â€Å" Human interaction is indispensable for effectual instruction and acquisition. † Ciancone ( 1988, p11-12, online ) makes the undermentioned recommendations to numeracy coachs when learning grownups which concur with the positions of writers already mentioned: Each little measure in learning a accomplishment should be consolidated before traveling on to the following measure It is better to reenforce a scholar ‘s method than to present a new method Lessons and larning stuffs should be independent and self-contained due to the irregular attending of some grownup scholars Be cognizant of the scholar ‘s reading ability and cultural background Informal larning utilizing games and mystifiers should be introduced sensitively if the scholar ‘s past acquisition experience was really academic Peer-group coaction should be encouraged since the best manner to clear up apprehension of a construct is to explicate it to person else Use single and group work, depending on the accomplishment to be learned In drumhead, harmonizing to Benseman, Lander and Sutton ( 2005, online ) , effectual numeracy instructors plan exhaustively, utilize a scope of larning activities and stuffs, inquiry scholars skillfully and give constructive feedback to scholars. Ineffective numeracy instructors ask merely general inquiries and do non put specific undertakings for scholars to show their new accomplishments. To reason, â€Å" Teaching is a professional, skilled activity. Expert instructors do non come into the schoolroom programmed with a set of regulations drawn from a manual of good instruction pattern†¦ Excellent instruction is founded on penetration, creativeness and opinion † ( Heggary, 2003, p30 cited in McNamara, 2004 ) . This literature reappraisal has investigated several countries of instruction and larning numeracy and the information gained has been used to inform the writer ‘s research tools when analyzing the larning experience of numeracy scholars at a Further Education College in Staffordshire.

Differences in Business Practices in Islamic Countries Compared to the United States Essay

The purpose of this paper is to give professionals working in Islamic countries a better understanding of the business system in those countries. The Islamic world may be complex as its 1.3 billion people, but there is one rule is straightforward for all Westerners and should never be broken if you want to do business in this area. â€Å"One thing you do not bring up is the Palestinian-Israeli situation.† Advised Samuel L. Hayes III, an expert on Islamic finance and an emeritus professor of investment banking at Harvard Business School. (Lagace, 2002) Business people, particularly Westerners who work in this region of the world or do business with an Islamic business person, need to understand the extent to which religion and Islamic law are intertwined at all levels of society, including commerce, to greater and lesser degrees depending on the country. â€Å"This law is seen as deriving from direct, divine command.† Said Vogel. â€Å"This is important to grasp.† (Lagace, 2002) Keywords: Koran, Islamic Law, Islamic World When doing business within an Islamic country you must understand the basic tenets of the Islamic religion as it relates to commerce. Knowing this you will have an easier time abroad. Contracts should be fair to all parties. A partnership is preferred over hierarchical claims. (Lagace, 2002) Any type of speculation is prohibited. There is no gambling. â€Å"For instance, if you invested in an Islamic mutual fund, among those industries which would be barred from representation as funds would be the gambling industry. But gambling also relates to futures to currency hedging; so it’s a major situation that you have to be aware of† (Lagace, 2002) this is also found in the Qur’an. â€Å"O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, sacrificing to stones, and divination by arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Eschew such abomination, that you may prosper† (Qur’an 5:90). Interest is prohibited. â€Å"Those who devour usury will not stand†¦.Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury†¦. Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Qur’an 2:275-6). â€Å"O you who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied. But fear Allah, that you may really prosper† (Qur’an 3:130) this isn’t always practiced, but it is the theory. Compassion is required when a business is in trouble. â€Å"Those who devour usury cannot stand†¦. That is because they say, trade is only like usury; yet Allah has allowed trade and forbidden usury†¦. Allah does not bless usury, and He causes charitable deeds to prosper, and Allah does not love any ungrateful sinner. Oh you who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah and relinquish what remains due from usury, if you are believers. If the debtor is in difficulty, grant him time until it is easy for him to repay. But if you remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if you only knew.† Qur’an 2:275-280 In conclusion, there are basic rules when dealing in an Islamic country that must be followed. Never mention the Palestinian-Israeli situation. Speak English when making deals; this is a status for them to speak English. Send a woman to do a man’s job. Appreciate the intertwining of religion and Islamic law. Show compassion for a business in trouble. (Coady, 2013) These basic principles that the Islamic countries follow are not the bias principles that we here in the States follow. We are taught to make a profit and anything much less is a failure in the business world. We must understand to do business with other countries, especially Islamic countries where religion and business go hand and hand we sometimes have to forget our ways and be flexible. When in Rome, do as the Romans.

Impact of Sociology and Psychology Factors on Leisure/Tourism Activity Essay

Dyer, Gursoy, Sharma & Carter (2007, p. 409) argued that tourism is prominent in Australia’s economic restructuring, particularly in regional and coastal areas. There are many aspects such as history, attitudes and culture to contemplate when defining the meaning of leisure, though it is essential the participation of recreational activities free from any other obligations or responsibilities (Lynch & Veal 2006, p. 25). The issues statement provided for discussion through this essay is: â€Å"Australian governments, industry bodies and organizations work to promote leisure participation through a range of event, sport, tourism or hospitality experiences. All individuals have the opportunity to participate in these leisure experiences and can benefit from them if they make the effort†. This essay embodies psychological and sociological concepts to evaluate tourism experience. Following the essay, it will analyse two areas separately. It is divided into three parts in sociological aspect which are time, socio-economic and gender. In psychology aspect, it will emphasise on motivation and satisfaction. Through the conveyance of our study and research, the perspective held throughout this essay will agree with the statement that â€Å"All individuals have the opportunity to participate in these leisure experiences and can benefit from them if they make the effort†. Sociology Sociology is the study of the social lives of humans, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of social interactions (Osborne & Van Loon 1998, p. 3). That means all social activity is not only just individuals’, but also connects with members of groups and institution. For tourism, tourists are usually stratified by geography, age, sex and socio-economic status (Dann 1977, p. 185). While this essay will discuss the aspect of time, socio-economic and gender. Time is one of the key elements in a tourist’s decision-making and people must adapt themselves to the amount of time the tourist has available at destination (Martinez-Garcia & Josep 2008, p. 1064). Leisure time is an important factor affecting tourism activities and a tourist will consider how much leisure time to save for the future, because leisure time has its price (Gu 1995, p.239). Gu (1995, p. 239) argued that â€Å"leisure time given up today can be transformed into additional discretionary income and saved for tomorrow, because non-regular working opportunities such as overtime work, second job and summer teaching always exist, and individual has the flexibility of allocating his or her leisure time between today and tomorrow†. Stockhausen (1998, p. 1676) argued that people may be deprived of leisure as there are no time left after work and family obligations. If people have too much work or housework then they will not go to participate in tourism. Martinez-Garcia & Josep (2008, p. 1067) argued the amount of time available is limited and must be distributed, among other things, between the time dedicated to travel and the time spent for work. That means how much time people can spend for tourism depend how much time they left after work. The socio-economic also impact of tourism on destinations (Martinez-Garcia & Josep 2008, p. 1064). Tourism consumption not only requires amount of time but also requires a significant amount of money (Gu 1995, p. 242). There are some negative socio-economic impact tourism, such as high spending tourists are likely to negatively affect people’s way of living; it is likely to change our precious traditional culture; it is likely to result in unpleasantly overcrowded beaches, hiking trails, parks and other outdoor places in people’s community; it is likely to put more pressure on local services such as police and fire protection, utilities and roads; the price of goods and services are likely to increase because of tourism and construction of hotels and other tourist facilities are likely to destroy the natural environment (Dyer, Gursoy, Sharma & Carter 2006, p. 414). The role of gender, and the inequalities correlated with this ideology, is most apparent in how a particular culture perceives the role of tourism as a leisure activity (Dunning 1999, p. 222). The women’s recreation is constrained by patriarchy-the pervasive power of men in society. It is so easy to force women have no time to engage in recreation. Women always consider a range of social or environmental factors before participate in the leisure activities such as safety, their behaviour and level of control (Lynch & Veal 2006, p. 377). Tourism is one of recreation activities, so before join in it, they will consider where they will go, who they go with, there is safe for them and so on. Also, women always play the role as wife and mother, and then they should do the housework and look after children even if they got a job. In general, women lack of access to appropriate space for leisure, they usually have less leisure time than men, especially for those in paid employment, and then women have less chance to participate in tourism activities. On the other hand, men have more time and more chance to go to travel than women. Overall, gender influences individuals to participate in tourism activity. Psychology This section discusses psychological factors of tourism activities. In terms of psychology, tourism is indication of tourists’ ideas and opinions about going on trips, about where to go and what to do, and about how to relate to other tourists, locals, service personnel. (Leiper, cited in Richardson & Fluker 2008, p. 6). Nowadays, there are various choices of tourism experience which people can choose and enjoy, fulfilling their satisfaction. To explain the facts related to psychological perspective such as why people look for tour and why tourists revisit the same destination, this section discusses tourists’ motivation and needs, and cognition next. Tourists’ motivations play an important role in understanding their behaviour. According to Iso-Ahola (cited in Ryan 2003, p. 84), motivation happens when people want to satisfy their needs and achieve psychological rewards with travel. As tourists’ needs are assorted, they can meet their satisfaction in different experiences. So, their preferences of tourism choices are also different. In general, People need to escape and seek, for instance, they want to escape from routine such as home or work environment and want to experience new place (McCabe 2000). In addition, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be applied to tourists’ needs for tourism; physical needs at base (rest, relaxation and exercise), safety/security needs (friendship groups and youth subcultures), love/affiliation needs (family leisure activities related to sexual partnering and team sports), social and self-esteem needs (exercise of skills in sport and cultural activities) and self-actualisation at the highest level (engaged in for their own sake) (Lynch & Veal 2006). For example, some individuals travel to relax and rest in order to escape their daily life; however, others travel to gain enjoyment from tourism experiences. In short, travellers can have different goals to achieve if they tour same place. There are two factors that influence tourists’ motivations; push and pull factors (Richardson & Fluker 2008). While push factors refer to socio-psychological motives, pull factors are not from tourists themselves but the destination itself (safety, attraction, climate etc. ) (Goossens 2000). McGehee et al. (cited in Meng & Uysal 2008, p. 448) stated that male and female tourists are influenced by push and pull factors in different degrees. In Australia, women tend to be affected by society, status and opportunities for family bonding, while men regard sports and adventure as more significant when they choose their trip. According to Burnett-Wolle and Godbey (2007), there are differences and similarities of tourism motivation between young and old people; older adults are not likely to be affected by acquiring career related experience and understanding others. However, both young and old people tend to be motivated by enhancing self-esteem, reducing negative affect, exercising values, and making friends. All individuals have their own characteristics so they feel differently when they visit same destination based on their tastes. There is a satisfaction process which can be affected by expectation and disconfirmation. According to Bosque and Martin (2008, p.553), satisfaction is defined as ‘an individual’s cognitive-affective state derived from a tourist experience’. Previous destination image, past experience and fellow tourists can affect tourists’ expectation. According to Maddux (cited in Larsen 2007, p. 9), an expectation can be defined as ‘the individual’s ability to anticipate, to form beliefs about and to predict future events and states’. In pre-purchase stage, people develop their expectation based on not only the image of destination (made by previous experience) but also fellow tourists’ opinions (Neal & Gursoy 2008). A positive image of the place will have an optimistic effect on the individual’s beliefs of a future experience. Tourists are likely to rely on their beliefs or expectations. As tours are intangible, evaluations are too difficult. In post-purchase stage, travellers tend to compare the actual performance with their expectation. If the actual performance exceeds tourists’ expectation, it is possible for them to have positive disconfirmation. Conversely, they are likely to have negative disconfirmation when their actual performance does not meet their expectation (Neal & Gursoy 2008). The satisfaction is affected by disconfirmation, emotion and comparing costs with rewards. Positive disconfirmation makes tourist satisfied with their travel. And emotion can affect their satisfaction independently. The emotional states will determine tourists’ response in satisfaction process because individuals’ enjoyment is based on their own experiences (Bosque & Martin 2008). Furthermore, Oliver and Swan (cited in Neal & Gursoy 2008, p. 54) argued that tourist’ satisfaction is formed by comparing costs (price, time and efforts) with rewards (benefits from tour). If they feel their benefits exceed costs they spend, they are likely to evaluate their experiences positively. Consequently, the higher level of tourist satisfaction causes the stronger loyalty to the destination. They are willing to revisit that places and recommend to other tourists by word-of-mouth (Bosque & Martin 2008; Chi & Qu 2008). In conclusion, our society has been aware of leisure importance recently. Especially, governments and organisations are trying to help all individuals to participate in tourism activities. A number of people enjoy their tourism because they are affected by psychology and sociology factors. When people travel, they need to spend amount of time and money. People should manage their time between work and leisure, and they can afford to go on a tour as well. In addition, gender inequality of opportunities in tourism exists even though the awareness has been improved. Because women are likely to consider social factors and perform domestic responsibility. While tourists can be motivated by external factors, internal factors also affect decision-making of tourism activities. Tourists meet their needs through tourism experiences. And all individuals have different needs and motivation, so the types of tourism they pursue are diverse. Generally, tourists are satisfied with their tourism experiences based on their cognition processes, which are affected by their previous experiences and expectation. Governments and organisations need to not only motivate tourists to take part in tourism but also support all individuals to enjoy their tourism activities in society when they are willing to participate in tourism. Word count: 1818 words Reference Bosque, IR & Martin, HS 2008, ‘Tourist satisfaction a cognitive-affect model’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 551-573, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Burnett-Wolle, S & Godbey, G 2007, ‘Refining research on older adults’ leisure: implications of selection, optimization, and compensation and socioemotional selectivity theories’, Journal of Leisure Research, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 498-513, Business Source Premier, viewed 1 October 2008, . Chi, CG & Qu, H 2008, ‘Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: an integrated approach’, Tourism Management, vol. 29, pp. 624-636, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Dann, G 1977, ‘Anomie, ego-enhancement and tourism’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 184-194, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Dunning, E 1999, Sport Matters: Sociological Studies of Sport, Violence and Civilisation, Taylor & Francis, London. Dyer, P, Gursoy, D, Sharma, B & Carter, J 2007, ‘Structural modelling of resident perceptions of tourism and associated development on the Sunshine Coast, Australia’, Tourism Management, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 409-422, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Goossens, G 2000, ‘Tourism information and pleasure motivation’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 301-321, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Gu, Z 1995, ‘The relationship between interest rate and tourism activities’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 14, pp. 239-243, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Klenosky, DB 2002, ‘The pull of tourism destinations: a means-end investigation’, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 40, pp. 385-395, SAGE Publications, viewed 2 October 2008, . Larsen, S 2007, ‘Aspects of a psychology of the tourist experience’, Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 7-18, Business Source Premier, viewed 1 October 2008, . Lynch, R & Veal, AJ 2006, Australian leisure, 3rd edn, Pearson, NSW. Martinez-Garcia, E & Raya, JM 2008, ‘Length of stay for low-cost tourism’, Tourism Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 1064-1075, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . McCabe, AS 2000, ‘Tourism motivation process’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 1049-1052, Science Direct, viewed 2 October 2008, . Meng, F & Uysal, M 2008, ‘Effects on gender differences on perceptions of destination attributes, motivations, and travel values: an examination of a nature-based resort destination’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 445-466, Business Source Premier, viewed 2 October 2008, . Neal, JD & Gursoy, D 2008, ‘A multifaceted analysis of tourism satisfaction’, Journal of Travel Research, vol, 47, no. 1, pp. 53-62, SAGE Publications, viewed 3 October 2008, . Osborne, R & Van Loon, B 1998, Introducing Sociology, Icon Books, London. Richardson, J & Fluker, M 2008, Understanding and managing tourism, Pearson, NSW. Ryan, C 2003, Recreational tourism: demand and impacts, Channel View Publications, NSW.

Eliminations Of Entrepreneurial Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Eliminations Of Entrepreneurial Risk - Essay Example Enterprises and entrepreneurs minimize the risk of their operation by managing diverse portfolios of investments and assets. However, risk mitigation may, in turn, decrease the chances of a bigger reward. The risk is what separates a salaried job from a business venture. Businesses flourish in short periods of time because they undertake risk and uncertainty that turns out in their favor. The risk is not the same as gambling. It infects much more complex. Risk calculation involves global assessment of economic and financial indicators. These indicators are run through financial models to predict the possibility of a favorable outcome. The will to take risk is dependent upon certain psychological factors. The prospect theory presented in 1979 by Kahneman explains what kind of individuals or entrepreneurs would show risk-seeking behavior and on what grounds. The theory talks about a reference point which is essentially a mark that defines the cases under which an entrepreneur would fee l like winning and losing (The Open University 2012). This behavior defines whether an individual will show risk-averse or risk-seeking behavior. How an entrepreneur defines lose and profit defines his/her behavior. In the graphical representation of the theory, the portion of the curve above the reference point shows risk-averse behavior while the portion below the curve shows risk-seeking behavior. This essentially means that entrepreneurs show risk-seeking behavior in the domain of loss that is when they expect more. More expectation leads to a higher reference point. Entrepreneurs generally set higher reference points than other people. A higher reference point over a particular distribution of outcomes suggests more potential outcomes of loss and according to the prospect theory, people under the domain of loss tend to show risk-seeking behavior.

Contracting and Procurement in Project Management- Phase 2 part 2DB Essay

Contracting and Procurement in Project Management- Phase 2 part 2DB - Essay Example It simply relates to fixed-price contracts that proffer for development payments. Although it utilizes a formula procedure, it is not planned to be a precise result of the cost of working capital. Its intention is to present general detection to the contractor’s cost of working capital below unstable contract conditions, financing strategies and the financial situation. The contracting officer should analysis the extent to which expenses has been acquired previous to the finalization of the contract operation. The evaluation should be comprised some condensed contractor risk on together the contract previous to finalization and the enduring piece of the contract. When charges have been acquired previous to the finalization, usually scrutinize the contract category risk to be in the small termination of the designated selection. If an extensive part of the costs has been acquired previous to finalization, the contracting officer can distribute a worth as low as 0 %, in spite of contract type.1 Now I will discuses how contract types allocate risk in state of above normal conditions. The contracting officer might allocate an advanced than normal value when there is significant contract type risk. These risks can: FMS sales where the contractor would be able to divulge that there are considerable risks above those typically presented in DoD contracts for comparable items; or A violent performance based imbursement agenda that adds to risk. Now I will elaborate how contract types allocate risk in state of below normal conditions. The contracting officer may allocate an inferior than usual value when the contract category risk is small. Indicators of this are: Why this contract? I have selected this type of contract because the software development company will be given enough time to develop the software. Because there is no incentive for them in developing this software early and the price of software development is fixed, so they can not

Law of Tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law of Tort - Essay Example 1. In the case of PC Black and Mrs. de Vere it is advisable that they can sue Mr Brown for making the allegations that they are involved in an adulterous relationship as well as the publishers of the Priestwich Echo for publishing this particular story. They can sue for defamation given that their reputation has been tarnished as a result of these allegations. Basically, Defamation is a group of torts which seeks to protect a person’s reputation from unwarranted attack and at first glance, these may appear to thereby protect privacy (Sweet & Maxwell, 1998). Defamation is divided into two categories namely slander (oral) and libel (published). Individuals can sue for libel as long as the permanent statement is damaging to their reputation, is false and is communicated to more than one person. It is advisable that they approach Mr Brown so that he can retract his statement if they are very sure that that it is a false allegation. If he refuses to offer an apology and retract tha t statement, they can proceed to file a suit for defamation against him as the allegations have negatively impacted on their reputation. After the publication of this story, the village is awash with this rumour and as a direct consequence of the allegations made by Mr. Brown, Mrs. de Vere was asked by the members of the Women’s Institute to resign from her position as chairwoman of the Institute for bringing the organisation ‘into disrepute.’ It is also advisable that they approach the publishers of the Priestwich Echo to retract the story and offer an apology given that they can prove the story to be wrong. However, it is also advised to Mrs de Vere and PC Black that for libel, the defences available include: justification/truth if the defendant can show that his statement was substantially true, fair comment merely expressing a truly held opinion that is a matter of public interest. Unintentional defamation and this can be retracted and innocent dissemination. The plaintiffs must prove that the statement is defamatory, it has been published and there are special damages for slander. For instance, in the case of (Duncan and Neill para 14.07, Hebditch v MacIlwaine [1894] 2 QB 54 at 58, [1891-4] All ER Rep 444 at 445 per Lord Esher MR and Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 at 318, [1916-17] All ER Rep 157 at 160 per Lord Finlay LC), the jury held the judgement in favour of the defendants given that the issue published was a matter of public interest. It is therefore important that they can prove to the court that a case of defamation has been committed and it has directly impacted on their reputation otherwise they may lose their money for nothing filing for a losing lawsuit. It is advisable to Stuart Farqhuar, the MP to sue the publishers of the Priestwich Echo for publishing a story that is damaging to his reputation as a public figure and he can also sue Mr. Brown for making the allegations. The reporter, Joe Johnson makes reference to unsubstant iated rumours

Abortion Rights American Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abortion Rights American Legal System - Essay Example The affect of the decisions attributed, often vary in many aspects. Some decisions adjudged by the court affect only the party concerned, while there are certain prominent decisions that potentially affect the rights, benefits, and legal principles of virtually all the Native Americans. There are in stances when Americans welcome a certain ruling, while there are also cases that receive that disapproval and protests of the American citizens. However, the notable fact is that all American citizens accept the legitimacy of these decisions, and also of the courts role as the final interpreter of the law. It is certain that the citizens of America place their faith in the rule of law, and also cast their vote of confidence on the legal system of United States of America (State, 2001, p.6). Abortion rights in the American legal system The United States of America portrays an emerging trend where the freedom of choice is used to presage the freedom from responsibility. However responsibili ty is required from the fruitful exercise of any freedom. The abortion rights and the decisions rendered by the American legal system on the abortion rights of the Native Americans had a significant and widespread impact on the lives of the citizens across the United States of America. The rulings in abortion rights cases have given birth to more intense emotions in the American citizens.... It is essentially noted that the outset that this â€Å"freedom of choice† is exercised not only by the women of the country, but also by the men’s in the state. It is an often scenario that men, influence their wives and several other to undergo abortion so that they can be free from accepting the con sequences of their action. It is obvious that when a woman conceives, the action is a result of the process that involves willingness of both the man and the woman (apart from the instances of rape) (Bullock, 1994, p.1). The case of Roe vs. Wade Jane Roe was a fictitious name attributed to Norma McCorvey. She was an unmarried pregnant woman, an inhabitant of Dallas, Texas. Joe wanted to opt for abortion, and filed a suit in the year 1970, to prevent the Dallas county prosecutor Henry wade from imposing the antiabortion laws in her case. Although by the time the case was brought during the year of 1971, rose had already delivered her baby and put it up for adoption. Althou gh roe was no longer pregnant, the United States court rejected the claims that the case was debatable, arguing that Joe might get pregnant again, and other women similarly situated would become pregnant. Justice Blackmun acknowledged the fact that, â€Å"pregnancy litigation seldom will survive much beyond the trial stage, and appellate review will be effectively denied† if a case became moot as soon as the pregnancy ended (Jburroughs, 2003). Blackmun declared that it would be unfair towards the women if the law in the states would be so rigid. He found that pregnancy serves a good reason for an end of non-mootness. The court focused on the merits of roe’s claim. Justice Blackmun considered the antiabortion legislation, as well as other various ethical, philosophical, and religious writings on the

Cold Mountain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cold Mountain - Essay Example It is worth noting that this two individuals only knew each other for a brief moment but Inman deserted the war troops in a bid to see Ada again. In summation the whole book is filled with flashbacks which give a detailed account of the history of this two separated souls. However, in the subsequent sections of this narrative we are going to discuss three important quotes and there relevance in the novel. First and foremost, â€Å"what have you achieved today? Was always nothing†. On the same point, the author uses this particular phrase to signify that Inman had nothing else going on apart from the fact that he wanted to be reunited with Ada. This is evident from the fact that he embarks on a fatal journey in his bid to reunite with Ada despite his war injuries that have not yet healed properly. Secondly, â€Å"But I had no idea on how to prepare a meal†. Apparently, the author uses this phrase to signify that Ada was helpless before her encounter with Ruby, a young woman who taught her survival techniques before the reunion with her husband Inman while she was hunting wild turkey. Lastly, â€Å"Then red her letter† â€Å"she could speak French and Latin†. It is worth noting that Ada was the ministers daughter thus she was well educated. In actual fact, the author uses this particular statement to support this argument since individuals who spoke both French and Latin at the time were mostly the literate individuals in the society. To this end, the cold mountain is an interesting fictional story thus can be read for leisure

Knowledge Management College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Knowledge Management College - Essay Example Wikipedia (2006) defines knowledge management as "the ways organizations gather, manage, and use the knowledge that they acquirean approach to improving organizational outcomes and organizational learning by introducing into an organization a range of specific processes and practices for identifying and capturing knowledge, know-how, expertise and other intellectual capital, and for making such knowledge assets available for transfer and reuse across the organization." Both companies also wanted their staff to be able to access information quickly with ease in order to train properly, learn about clients, to locate the right person who had the necessary information, share and gather information locally and globally, etc. Both companies had information and resources that were scattered sporadically and neither could access, retrieve, share, and organize the information. Each had information and knowledge yet no systematic order in which to manage it.

Market Segmentation and Product Positioning Article

Market Segmentation and Product Positioning - Article Example Market segmentation by Epson the tech company manufacturing these glasses has been clearly been highlighted by the article because it touches on the glasses offering more comfort to a workplace or office setting as opposed to just entertainment as mentioned by the author of the article that one cannot walk in them comfortably down the street. The market segment being targeted here appears to be the average career individual with PowerPoint presentations, visual reports summations and whatnot. The glasses appear to be made to appeal to the group made of career enthusiasts who want to look more professional by using the smart glass mover BT-200 achieve that desired effect while in the working environment. The Working class consists of the middle class and high class envisioning the target market segment. â€Å"Samsung readies phone for your wrist† is an article by Min-Jeong Lee and Yun-Hee Kim captured on Wall Street Journal that talks about the tech giant Samsung planning to unveil a smartwatch that does not need to be tethered to a phone referred to as the wrist communicator which has developed as an innovation of the initial smartwatch concept (Lee & Kim). The article elaborates the product positioning concept because of the fact that Samsung is introducing the concept and benefit of their smart wrist watch that is yet to be launched into the world market. The company boasts of already having the leading role in smartwatch presence already in the market as opposed to its competitors like Apple Inc. that are yet to make a debut in the same tech sector. The article builds on the fact that the watch will give a different experience to the intended market because it has new exciting features than its predecessors like Galaxy Gear. The mere fact that the watch will be able to ha ve a SIM card is enough to juggle the public minds to want to associate with the product before it is launched into the market and if possible make pre-orders.  Ã‚  

John Keats when i have fears 2 Essay Example for Free

John Keats when i have fears 2 Essay John Keats’ poem â€Å"When I have Fears that I may cease to be† is about the poet’s contemplation of his own mortality. When Keats woke one day with blood on his pillow, the doctor in him knew that stain to be the mark of his own undoing by consumption. This poem is one way of dealing with that knowledge by asserting that the things that seem the most important at the moment—poetic fame and love—are really nothing compared to the great wide world. The poet has finally come to accept his place in the grand scheme of things, so the tone shifts from questioning hesitancy to peaceful acquiescence. Lines 1-2 discuss how the poet’s brain is filled with possibility—ideas not yet written down by his pen in mounds of important books—and his fear that he may die before he is able to reach his poetic potential. This idea is compounded by the use of both imagery and alliteration in the first quatrain of the poem. The description of the â€Å"full-ripen’d grain† in line 4 compares his poetic imagination to a grainery; that is, a place chock full of ripe food that will nourish the body the way his poetry will fulfill the mind. His use of repeated sounds in â€Å"glean’d,† â€Å"grave’d,† â€Å"garner,† â€Å"garner,† and â€Å"grain† show just how fertile his imagination can be and raise the question of how tragic it may be if he dies before he has reached his peak. Lines 5-8 continue this contemplation of his poetry by considering the raw materials of his work—â€Å"night’s starr’d face† and â€Å"high romance† in the â€Å"huge cloudy symbols†Ã¢â‚¬â€in other words, Keats is seeing everything that he would render into meaningful poetry given the time, but without that chance, he can only mourn the loss of the possible poem that exists in his mind. He also gives a glimpse as to his view of composing poetry when he claims that â€Å"the magic hand of chance† could aid him in rendering mystical nature into a poem. Keats is using the mystery of nature as a symbol for the mystery of his future poetry, poems that will be lost if he ceases to be before committing them to paper. Lines 9-12 move beyond his poetic potential to consider the possibility of love lost in the event of his untimely death. These lines are halting, a nod to the â€Å"faery power of unreflecting love†; it is almost as though Keats worries more over the loss of his future poetry moreso than any chance at love. Love itself is a sham here, an attempt at happiness that, when compared to the power of harnessing nature, loses any real chance at success. This section is only three and a half lines long, not even a full quatrain, a rhythm that gives the reader a sense of rushing; this is the same quality felt by Keats, and it reinforces the essence of the poem—time is running out. The repetition of the word â€Å"when† also conveys the sense of time passing; with each moment, death approaches. Yet for all of these considerations, Keats realizes in the last two and half lines that the things he seeks the most, Fame and Love, are really nothing when compared to the grand scheme of things. The image of the shore is crucial here; when compared to the ocean, Keats’ personal struggles are meaningless, but beyond that, the shoreline represents a boundary line. Just as Keats fears crossing the lines between life and death, he can come to terms with mortality when he finds himself in another in-between zone. Overall, â€Å"When I have Fears that I may cease to be† is a poem about accepting the limitations placed on one by life and time. Though material gains like fame or spiritual experiences like love may seem like all-encompassing purposes for a life, Keats shows that, upon reflection, these things pale in comparison to the larger issues in the world. Through the clever use of specific words and rhyme schemes, Keats conveys his message using poetic techniques.

Rates of Reaction Essay Example for Free

Rates of Reaction Essay An enzyme is a protein molecule that helps other organic molecules start chemical reactions with one another; however, the enzyme itself is not affected by the reaction. A substrate is the substance acted upon by the enzyme. In this lab, catalase is the enzyme and hydrogen peroxide is the substrate. Catalase is found in both plant and animal tissues, and is abundant in plant storage organs. In this experiment, catalase is used from potatoes. Catalase is important to living things because it prevents the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the cell. Hydrogen peroxide is produced naturally as a byproduct of metabolism. It tends to disrupt the cells’ chemistry, too much can kill a cell. Therefore, the presence of catalase is needed to survive. Catalase breaks down the toxic hydrogen peroxide into harmless water and oxygen. If the concentration of the substrate hydrogen peroxide is related to the reaction rate of the enzyme catalase, then an increase in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide will increase the reaction rate of catalase. Catalase: Methods and Materials In order to experiment and determine the affects concentration has on reaction rate, you will need several materials. Such as, potato extract, crushed ice and water in a large beaker to keep the catalase cool, since catalase is sensitive to temperature. Hydrogen peroxide solution is needed at six different concentrations (10%, 25%, 40%, 60%, 75%, and 100%). Also, 0% hydrogen peroxide is needed, which is just simply water. In addition, you will need a 10 ml graduated cylinder, a 50 ml beaker, forceps, paper dots (Whatman #1 filter paper, 1 cm diameter), a paper towel, a stopwatch, and graph paper. During this lab, be careful of the hydrogen peroxide because it can damage skin and clothes. Be sure to immediately rinse and spills with water. Throughout the lab, always keep the potato extract in the ice-water bath; catalase is very sensitive to warm temperatures. For starters, 0% hydrogen peroxide was tested as the control group; 10 ml of hydrogen peroxide was measured of using a graduated cylinder. This sample is then poured into a 50 ml beaker. After swirling the potato extract, using forceps a paper dot is picked up and immersed into the potato juice for five seconds. Then the dot is drained on a paper towel for 10 seconds. Using the forceps the dot is picked up and placed in the bottom of the beaker containing the hydrogen peroxide solution. Soon the dot was expected to rise to the surface because the potato juice’s catalase would break down the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The oxygen gas gets trapped in the pores of the paper and caused to float. A stopwatch was used to measure the time in seconds from when the dot touched the solution until it reached the surface. The data was then recorded. The class was split into groups and each group was assigned a different percentile of hydrogen peroxide solution.

Pet Tracking Solution in India

Pet Tracking Solution in India GPS enabled chip in the collar called Pet Tracker, which is designed specifically to track, Identify your pet if it gets lost.[1] Customer Analysis Pets fulfill a larger role than just being a companion they are part of the family, and in some cases, considered as your children. For such owners loss of a pet becomes a traumatic experience as it is difficult to locate and recover a lost pet and the whole exercise becomes a nightmare. Another problem being faced by a large number of pet owners is that, while on vacation, or in their absence at work, there is no way to keep a track on their pets since most of the time the pets are either kept in a local shelter or with their neighbors. Pet industry in India is a multimillion dollar industry and has grown to approx. $900 million with a steady double-digit growth every year (Euro Monitor, 2011).[2] According to an estimate, in 2011, there were around 10 million pets in India and the number is growing by approximately 600000 per year in the Indian pet market. Some of the reasons for this growth can be attributed to the increase in pet adoption, rising incomes coupled with the increased trend for companionship, interest in owning pedigree and growing awareness amongst the owners to take proper care of their pets. Target Pet Owners will be our target market. We also understand that not all pet owners will be buying our product as such; we will target the segment that consciously needs the safety and security of their pets and who are looking for a solution to get a peace of mind in this regard. There is, however, no set age group that we can target, as owners of all ages would need this facility: the following groups of pet owners will be our primary target: Ardent pet lovers like Child-less and working Couples Owners of Pedigree dogs and high-end expensive pets People who already have pet Collar but do not have real time tracking facility Pet Groomers and Premium pet food buyers We will initially target customers in the middle and high-income group living in the four major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Calcutta in India. The estimated market size for premium pet care product is around 144 Million USD [3] which includes products like daily hygiene, premium pet food, pet sitting, pet parties, spas and other Premium services. We are confident that our product will attract most pet lovers in this segment; however, Even if we get around 1% of the targeted customers, we should be able to make a sizeable entry into the market in the first year and as the customer base grows we will try to increase our market share in the future. We do underhand our product may not succeed or Store owners may not keep our product and we have create a strong brand via delivering quality and amazing customer service.[4](Threats). The main pains or frustrations I see for this segments are; Unable to track their lost Pet. Dont have an easy and accessible one-stop solution to secure all safety and security requirements for the pet. The major gains that customer would be looking for are; Have one solution for identification and tracking of their pets and be able to use the information in user-friendly way. Get a peace of mind while on vacation, or busy at work or having a Pedigree Pet. Value Proposition / Positioning Product: The proposal is for Pet Tracker smart phone App that works with a micro chip which will be sold with a plain collar or can be installed on any existing collar. This chip will be installed in a way that it is not easily identifiable. If required it can also be implanted on to the pet, however, this method may not be acceptable to most pet lovers. The app will store all the information about the owner and the pet. Each pet will be allotted a unique identification number for updating all information in a user-friendly way, and tracking the location of the pet. We hope to please all pet lovers who are looking for a way to keep their pets safe and secure. See Appendix 2 [5] Collaboration: Our App will be based on GPS tracking system; we will collaborate with GPS service providers like Google maps for real- time tracking. Competition: Our product will have a comparative advantage over the others in the market as it will allow users to additionally track their pets. The existing collars in the market do not provide this facility. Real time tracking of pets will be the Unique selling Proposition for our product. [6] Price: Two pricing solutions will be offered; Identification For customers who only want to use the app and the Collar and do not need tracking, the app/Collar will be sold through Apple and Google play stores at a onetime nominal charge of $100. Tracking For customers who want both identification and tracking the app and the collar would be free but the customer would sign a contract for a monthly subscription of $7 or yearly subscription of $50 will be charged for tracking purposes.[7] Distribution We will offer our app and chip through the following channels; Pet supplies stores Pet grooming boutiques Vets and animal shelters Online through our website Media Based sales,, e.g. Facebook, twitter (for wide coverage) We will use various methods to determine demand through a survey of buyers intentions, past sales analysis and market-test method. Promotion Since we are providing a new product in this market we will aggressively promote our product through, print and other media, physical display at vantage points, and live demonstrations at pet stores etc. Appendix -1 Customer Motivation (Jobs Pains and Gains) Job to be done 1: Provide safety and security for Pets 2: Provides Tracking Facility and identification 3: Storage of all information about the pet and owner. Pains Have to spend lot of time and money to look for lost pet Difficult to prove the identity when pet is recovered at Kennel Cant keep a track of my pet when left with a pet sitter. Gains Gives pet owners a peace of mind that their pet is safe and secure Helps one focus on other things rather the pet during vacations or when at work Easy to track and identify the pet when it found at the local kennel or animal shelter. Proposal We plan to introduce a GPS enabled collar called Pet Tracker which is designed specifically to track and protect a pet from getting lost. Pet Tracker is an innovative creation keeping the specific requirements of the pet owners in India and will be very useful for this class of pet owners. Pet Tracker will cater to all breeds of pets and will be available in multiple collar sizes and designs. Appendix -2 Customer Behavior Motivation Safety and security of the Pet and an assurance that the pet can be tracked real time, is the main motivation for a pet owner to go in for this product. The pet owners can concentrate on other important issues without worrying about the safety of their pets. Consideration -Threats In India there are Apps that provide a collar for the identification part of our product, but do not provide for the Tracking. If our Tracking Maps are not precise and efficient, we may not be able to get customers to sign up for longer periods. We will also have to constantly up grade and fine tune our product to compete with the new entrants in the market. New and innovative schemes will be implemented to keep our loyal customer base. Our product will have to have an edge always over the other similar products in the market. The market threats will have to be timely identified and intelligently overcome. Our main focus would be on delivering quality and customer service so that we are able to make a brand image in the market. We have to convince the Pet Store owners via the word of mouth effect where customers start demanding our product and then the pet stores will be eager to put our Collar in their Shelves. Evaluation As there are no products currently in the market which provide tracking of pets, the challenge therefore, will be to position our product ably on the attributes which show how it can provide value addition over the existing products. The key Attribute and emphasis will be on the tracking information. Appendix -3 Actions Controls Action The decision to purchase our product would be entirely based on the individual pet owners. Not all pet owners would be interested in our product. Some may just by the Collar and the Chip for identification purposes and others may buy a collar with tracking facility. Controls We will measure marketing performance to increase efficiency of our resource allocations. As marketing costs account for a large portion of the total operating budget, setting up methods to evaluate and measure these marketing efforts will be a proper use of the businesss budget. The outcome of these measures will benefit us in the long run by becoming more profitable with increased sales and decrease in expenses and costs. The goal will be to sell enough units by projecting sales targets (monthly, quarterly and annually) to achieve a break-even point during the first year. A large portion of the budget for advertising will be allocated during the first year of business, to ensure product survival and prepare for the possible increased competition in the following years. Continued product improvement and RD will be another important factor kept in mind. Appendix 4 Break Even: analysis Manufacturing Cost The cost of producing a pet tracker collar (includes the chip) is anticipated to be $35 ($1= INR70) taking into account all expenses on material, research, administrative costs. Variable Costs (VC) $15 (Promotion, Distribution etc.) Cost of production (FC) 5000* 35 = $175, 0000 Overhead (staff, server, rent) = $40,000 a year Sales Price for the Collar and Chip (P) = $100 Estimated breakeven= FC / (P-VC) = $215000/ ($100-$15) = 2550 Customers approx. This shows that we will break even if we have at least 2550 customers against the estimated 5000. Revenue GPS Tracking = 1000*$50 = $50000 a year The revenue is based on our ability to get 1000 customer to sign up for tracking service in the first year. This number will grow in the following years. Appendix -5 Penetration = Market size 1: Its going to a small market = around 1% of the total customer base. 2: There is no age group that we can specifically target. Pet owners of multiple age groups would use our product. 3: There are some Apps already available in the market, however, these are only for identification and none of them offers a solution for tracking. 4: We will continue to update our product and bring in new features to achieve and retain a number one position in the market. [1] Please See Appendix 1 for Proposal [2]http://www.euromonitor.com/pet-care-in-india/report [3] http://www.iiptf.com/aboutus.php?page=About_Fair http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/3180-indian-pet-care-market-to-reach-us-144-8-million-by-2015 [4] Please see threats to our product in appendix 2 [5] Please see Appendix 2 for Customer MotivationÂÂ   and Threats to our Product [6] Please see Appendix 3 for Controls [7] Please see Break Even analysis

Upton Sinclairs The Jungle - Socialism :: Upton Sinclair The Jungle

The Jungle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socialism      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the late 1800's and early 1900's hundreds of thousands of European immigrants migrated to the United States of America. They had aspirations of success, prosperity and their own conception of the American Dream.   The majority of the immigrants believed that their lives would completely change for the better and the new world would bring nothing but happiness.   Advertisements that appeared in Europe offered a bright future and economic stability to these naive and hopeful people.   Jobs with excellent wages and working conditions, prime safety, and other benefits seemed like a chance in a lifetime to these struggling foreigners.   Little did these people know that what they would confront would be the complete antithesis of what they dreamed of.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The enormous rush of European immigrants encountered a lack of jobs. Those who were lucky enough to find employment wound up in factories, steel mills, or in the meat packing industry.   Jurgis Rudkus was one of these disappointed immigrants. A sweeper in slaughter house, he experienced the horrendous conditions which laborers encountered. Along with these nightmarish working conditions, they worked for nominal wages, inflexible and long hours, in an atmosphere where worker safety had no persuasion.   Early on, there was no one for these immigrants to turn to, so many suffered immensely.   Jurgis would later learn of worker unions and other groups to support the labor force, but the early years of his Americanized life were filled, with sliced fingers, unemployment and overall a depressing and painful   "new start."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sinclair, has shown in a dramatic style the hardships and obstacles which Jurgis and fellow workers had to endure.   He made the workers sound so helpless and the conditions so gruesome, that the reader almost wants a way out for Jurgis.   Sinclair's The Jungle is a "subliminal" form of propaganda for   Socialism.   At a time in our nations history where the rich were very wealthy, and the poor were penniless, Sinclair's portrayal of socialism in regards to the laborer is very appealing to a jobless, hungry, indigent man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sinclair's vision of socialism, wasn't as flawless and beneficial as it seemed.

Essay --

WEDDING TRADITIONS Ethnic diversity lies at the core of cultural or social anthropology. Anthropology, derived from Greek, literally means ‘study of human’. The discipline examines, from a holistic, scientific and cross-cultural viewpoint, how humans lived in the past and how they live today, what activities they performed or perform in this day and age and their manners of interacting with members of vast social groups. Being aware of distinctive cultures enables us to see the world from a broader perspective as we become familiar how various traditions stem from distinct populations. Among miscellaneous topics such as archaeology, linguistics, politics and evolution, anthropology also studies matrimony as well as the customs exemplifying it. Marriage is termed as a legitimate commitment or social establishment which unites two people mutually as husband and wife. The agreement ascertains privileges and responsibilities amid spouses, spouses and children and spouses and in-laws. Marriage is deemed to be a momentous union in every society. It is significant in terms of providing security, emotional support and fulfilling economic, social, cultural and physical needs. These needs are the natural cravings of young adults that drive them towards matrimony. It is a foundation that is based on personal responsibilities which form the backbone of civilizations. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast between various wedding customs that are prevalent in different continents of the world. The essay sheds light on culturally diverse traditions that originate in different parts of the world. It is the wide variety or cultural conventions that give each nation or tribe a unique identity. Every culture has ... ...hat is considered appropriate in one part of the world may not be acceptable in other parts of the world. This indigenous multiplicity of cultures across the globe is probably what makes Anthropology an enriching subject. (Flesche, 1912) References (1997). Wedding Traditions & Superstitions: 50 Wedding Facts & Trivia. Investor Relations. Group Inc. . Belloni, A. (n.d.). TARANTELLA: SPIDER DANCE. Downey, A. (n.d.). Wedding Traditions Explained. (n.d.). Filipino Wedding Traditions and Spanish Influence . Flesche, F. L. (1912, March). Osage Marriage Customs. (A. A. Association, Ed.) American Anthropologist, 14, 127 - 130. Oracle: Think Quest. (n.d.). Wedding Superstitions. Education Foundation. Story, F. (n.d.). Tarantella: An Italian Folk Dance. Canada's Digital Collections. (n.d.). Strange Wedding Traditions. Vietri. (n.d.). An Italian wedding.

Busy Bubbles Laundromat and Car Cleaning Essay -- Observation Essays, D

Busy Bubbles Laundromat and Car Cleaning Free drying is for wash customers only May not be the most welcoming of banners, and yet if you are a wash customer you are one of the privileged and included. This wonderful space of washing, drying, tanning and car cleaning has to be the one and only Busy Bubbles. A small building just north of NDSU, this is an extraordinarily busy little corner of the world we call Fargo- Moorhead. Not only, can you wash your car and tan; this is a 24-hour laundromat that features: free drying! Doesn’t sound like much in the large scheme of things, and yet the numbers of people that visit this business in a week is staggering. And while the NDSU campus is very close, and the word â€Å"FREE† is connected to this establishment, it is not only college students that frequent this place of business. For an avid people watcher this place is a gold mine! Everyone needs clean clothes, and people of all kinds find their way to Busy Bubbles to complete this chore. Busy Bubbles is a smallish building considering all of the activity that goes on inside. The first thing you notice as you approach the building, are the standard car wash stalls. The functional appearance of the inside isn’t really surprising until you start to look around. The ordered green and white design on the wall seems a little at odds with the funky mismatched furniture, and the hodgepodge message board. Any one need a used truck or a new kitten? Maybe you would like to work out of your home? Or apply to be a foster care family? This board will cover any of your needs. The room appears a bit sterile, but there are little areas where you can’t miss the touch of humanity. Don’t forget to check the lost and found basket before you leave. .. ...le have entered. Two couples, one with a small child. I find it curious how both of these husbands disappear as soon as the laundry is in the wash. I can see them out starting to wash their cars. Do they know how to run the washers? Or are they intimidated by a group of women together chatting? Even my new friends husband has found other things to do in the midst of this chatter. Women always have something to chat about with complete strangers. Well in the middle of all this simple chatting I’ve finished my chore. I say goodbye to the friendly couple, knowing it’s likely I’ll never see then again. That’s how it is at the laundromat I guess. You meet people, pass the time, and then you all go your separate ways. I wonder out loud, as I go, if the pyjama lady will remember to come back for her clothes. I guess I’ll have to check out the lost and found next time.

Brief Summary of Islam Essay

Islam began in the 6th century on the belief that Muhammad, a highly respected businessman in Mecca, had received revelations from God in both Mecca and Medina. This religion began to grow when one of the first disciples, a twenty-two year old named Zayd, collected and edited Muhammad’s writings of his revelations and published them in one book, known as the Qur’an. The central beliefs of Islam, and the central acts of Muslim worship, can be summarized in the Five Pillars of Islam: shahada (bearing witness), which usually manifests itself in reciting â€Å"there is no god but God, and Muhammad is God’s messenger; salah (praying five times a day facing Mecca); zakah (giving to the needy); sawm (fasting during the month of Ramadan); hajj (a pilgrimage to Mecca at some point in one’s life). These Five Pillars provide a very helpful framework for understanding Muslim worship practices, and I will begin to expound on Muslim history and culture by examining aspects of these five beliefs. However, these Pillars are not enough (by far) to encompass all that is being a Muslim. This is especially true in the modern world. The affirmation in the shahada that â€Å"there is no god but God†, or that God is one, was radical for his place and time. Mecca was already a major religious center in Muhammad’s time, but for the polytheistic religions of Arabia rather than any monotheistic religion. This threatened the entire religious system of Mecca. This assertion of God’s unity and oneness is overwhelmingly important to Islam, and that is the â€Å"witness† that Muslims are meant to bear. The shahada is also crucial because of the element of recitation that it brings. Recitation is also very important to Muslims. In fact, the first word in God’s first revelation to Muhammad (seen in Sura 96) is iqraa (recite), from which the word â€Å"Qur’an† originates. The Qur’an was intended for memorization and recitation, and Muslims even now find religious fulfillment in reciting the Qur’an aloud. This religious virtue of recitation is seen even in the Qur’an itself when God holds a contest to see what being can name all of the things the that he had created. The human Adam was the only being, including all the angels, that could recite the names of everything, and this showed God that human beings could be trusted with much responsibility. Not all aspects of Muslim life, however, are encompassed by the Five Pillars. One important aspect, for example, is family and community life. This aspect of Muslim life is partially touched on by the Pillar of zakah (giving to the needy), but its weight is not expressed fully in such a command. When Muhammad left Mecca, he began a fully Muslim community at the oasis of Yathrib, which became known as the City of the Prophet or Medina. For those who made an affirmation of faith and joined the community, loyalty to the community was considered more important than loyalty to anything else, including family. This community set the standard for Muslim communities, as Islam today could still be considered a way of life more than a religion that is separate from other aspects of life. Many communities and states who adopted Islam made it a way of life rather than just a religion, and this practice even continues today in Muslim nations. Community is extremely important to Islam, but family is crucial as well. All life comes from God, so each child is also considered a precious gift from God. The family can express their gratitude for this gift of life by giving their child a name with religious meaning. This is why the most common name in the world is â€Å"Muhammad†. Since family values have such a high place in the teachings of Islam, most men will get married. However, polygamy is not as common as many Westerners think, even in countries that allow polygamy. Most Muslim men tend to think one wife is enough. However, of those men who choose to have more than one wife, most choose to have four wives, the maximum number allowed by the Qur’an. It is this focus on the polygamy and the seemingly absent women’s rights in Muslim countries that provide some of the deepest differences between Muslims and Western civilization today, but there are also deep divisions within Islam itself. The fundamentalist Shi’i Muslims, want to bring their Sunni brothers away from their Western ties and get back to the basics of Islam, which surprisingly may include more women’s rights. This fundamentalist movement and dislike of Western culture is seemingly a pushback against the secular culture of the West that governments, such as Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, have embraced. This embrace of a secular community rather than a religious community runs counter to what the Shi’i Muslims believe are the foundations of Islam. Works Cited Kellogg, F. http://www.ehcweb.ehc.edu/faculty/fkellogg/211u4.htm Voll, J. O. (1998). From Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion, ed. Robert Wuthnow. 2 vols. (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1998), 383-393. http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_islam.html