Marketing Research Analysis - Dubai Taxi Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Analysis - Dubai Taxi - Research Paper Example During the early 21st century, the competition prevailed between transportation companies has certainly become more intensive in terms of quality of services, which is gaining the attention of the tourists more than ever before. In this regard, it is perceived that the demand of Taxi in Dubai has revolutionized its public transportation facilities (Hussain, Nasser and Hussain 1-9). 1.2 Aim and Objectives. The prime aim of this research is to conduct a comprehensive marketing research analysis of Dubai Taxi. In relation to this aim, the objectives of the study mainly include determining the expectations of the customers and analyzing the complaints of the customers regarding the services quality of Taxi in local markets of Dubai. 1.3 Research Methodology. In relation to the above context, a qualitative approach of research methodology has been taken into concern with gathering primary as well as secondary data. For gathering primary data, a survey has been conducted amid 100 respondents with the aim of identifying the market of transportation industry (Taxi) of Dubai. In this regard, a questionnaire survey has been prepared for gathering primary data. On the other hand, academic literatures have been reviewed with the aim of gathering reliable information regarding the stated subject matter. 2.1 Research Objectives and Questions. It has been earlier mentioned that the major aim of this particular research study is to determine the services quality of Dubai Taxi services. Simultaneously, this particular research intends to determine the expectations of the customers for developing such services. Based on this particular research aims along with objectives, specific research questions have been framed, which will deliver appropriate understanding regarding the subject matter of the study. The specific research questions

Analyze the given scenario Essay Example for Free

Analyze the given scenario Essay Analyze the given scenario and perform a K.T problem analysis to identify the cause of the problem. Sparkling mineral water is the primary product of Bubbles, Inc. This firm, which is based in France, serves three major markets— Europe, North America, and Australia. It collects water from a natural spring; the water is then filtered through a parallel array of three filter units, each containing two charcoal filters. The filtration process removes trace amounts of naturally occurring contaminants. The filtered water is stored in separate tank farms, one for each market, until it is transported by tanker truck to one of the three bottling plants that serve the companys markets. When the water arrives at the bottling plant, it is temporarily placed in 3500 m3 storage tanks until it can be carbonated to provide the effervescence that is the trademark of the producer. Some of the water is also flavored with lemon, cherry, and raspberry additives. Next, the sparkling water is packaged in a variety of bottle sizes and materials, ranging from 0-ounce glass bottles to 1-liter plastic bottles. The European market receives its shipments directly by truck, usually within three days. Products bound for North America or Australia are shipped first by truck to the waterfront and then by freighters to their overseas destinations. Business has been good for the last several months, with the North American and European markets demanding as much sparkling water as can be produced. This situation has required that Bubbles contract with additional plastic bottle suppliers to keep up with the increased demand. It has also forced regularly scheduled maintenance for the Australian and North American tank farms to be delayed and rescheduled because of the high demand for the product. There is also, of course, a larger demand placed on the spring that supplies the mineral water for the process.Unfortunately, the news is not all good for Bubbles. The bottling plant for the Australian market is currently several weeks behind schedule owing to a shipment that was lost at sea. This catastrophe has required that water from the companys reserve springs, which are located many miles from the bottling plant, be used to augment the water supplied by the regular spring so that the bottling plant can operate at an even higher level of production. The availability of water from the reserve springs is hindered by their remote locations, but  the water from these springs does not require filtration. In addition, contract negotiations are going badly and it appears there will be a strike at all of the bottling plants. Recent weather forecasts indicate that relief from the ongoing drought, which has already lasted three months, is n ot likely. Worst of all, customers in the North American and Australian markets are complaining that all shipments of the sparkling water in the last six weeks have contained benzene in unacceptably high concentrations. You know that benzene is often used as an industrial solvent but is also found naturally. A quick survey of the bottling plant managers shows that the North American- bound products that are currently packaged and awaiting shipment have benzene concentrations in excess of acceptable concentrations. However, the managers of the bottling plants that service the Australian and European markets report that no significant level of benzene was detected in the bottles that are currently stored. Authorities in the North American and Australian markets have already begun recalling the product, with authorities in the European market pressuring Bubbles for a quick solution and threatening to recall products as a precautionary measure. Information adapted from the following journal:American Chemical Society. (1992). When the bubble burst: The company’s response proved as the original contamination.

PMCN Case Study Essay -- PMCN Analysis

The theory of economics does not furnish a body of settled conclusions immediately applicable to policy. It is a method rather than a doctrine, an apparatus of the mind, a technique for thinking, which helps the possessor to draw correct conclusions. The ideas of economists and politicians, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist." (John Maynard Keynes, the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money p 383) Critically assess the extent to which â€Å"the ideas of economists† might improve the performance of an organisation of your choice. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Context 4 Literature Review 5 1. Microeconomic Concepts and the PMCN 5 1.1 Transactions Cost Theory 5 1.2 Profit Maximization 7 2. Macroeconomic Concepts and the PMCN 9 2.1 Fiscal Policy and the Budget. 9 2.2 Monetary Policy – Rules Based Framework/Taylor Rule. 11 3.Synthesis and Conclusion 13 References 14 Bibliography 18 Introduction This paper provides a critical assessment of the performance of organizations which could be linked to economic theories and concepts. Through a review of various literature, research and conclusions of economists such as Friedman (1970), Coase (1937), Williamson (1981, 1998, 1975), Sloman et al. (2013), Powell (1990), Taylor (2011, 2012) and so on, the researcher presents a critical assessment of the microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts which were found to affect performance of a typical organizations. The concepts were also linked to other aspects of economics ... ...ft/wp/2013/wp1365.pdf. [Accessed on 21st of April 2014]. Grossman, S.J and Hart, O.D (1983). An Analysis of the Principal-Agent Problem. Econometrica Vol. 51, No. 1 January 1983. Available on: http://classes.maxwell.syr.edu/ecn611/GrossmanHart83.pdf. [Accessed on 20th of April 2014]. Jensen, M.C and Meckling, W.H (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics, October, 1976, V. 3, No. 4, pp. 305-360. Available on: http://www.sfu.ca/~wainwrig/Econ400/jensen-meckling.pdf. [Accessed on 20th April 2014]. Tadelis, S and Williamson, O (2010). Transactions Cost Economics. University of California Bekerley The IMF (2014). Fiscal Policy and Income Inequality. International Monetary Fund Policy Paper. Available on: http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2014/012314.pdf. [Accessed on 21st of April 2014].

Psychology of nature and nurture debate Essay

The nature and nurture debate investigates the importance of individual natural characteristics and personal experience in explaining the causes in difference in physical behavior. Then the question is; is nature more influential than nurture or vice versa. The debate explains that some behavioral traits are acquired naturally while others are acquired from experience. Physical characteristics are known to be hereditary while individual’s behavior and personality is genetic. The debate has never created boundaries yet on what within us is described by the DNA and what part is through life experience, though it’s obvious that both play great roles in molding us. The nature theory of human development states that the way people behave and think is due to genetic hereditary while the nurture theory according to scientist, the way people think and behave is as result of education; they were are trained to do. Both the theories are correct in explaining the development of human beings; â€Å"nature provides us with inborn traits and abilities and nurture takes the genetic tendencies and molds them as people learn and mature†(Fausto, 1992 p, 269). This is not the end of debate but scientists are ever trying to determine what percentage of we is molded by genes and how much by environment. Biological explanations associate human behavior with â€Å"brain structure hormones or genes†. Development of brain structure is influenced by hormones which are instructed by genes, hence our behavior are genetically molded. In some senses the exact opposite of biological essentialism is the notion that the individual is a vessel waiting for culture and environment to fill it† (Dyer, 1977 p, 330). Socialist believes that human conduct is social in origin, that is individuals learn everything from environment as they mature. Gender difference is due to training and social forces with only sex difference being inborn. Gender difference is the biological and physiological aspects of males and female that makes each group distinct from the other in all species. The gender difference in human beings could be as result of nature or environmental influence (nurture). Every time a baby is born, everybody would ask whether, a boy or a girl. This is to say that gender difference is evidenced from birth. The biological difference is associated with nature while the physiological difference in male and female is attributed to nurture. Psychologists believe that gender is influenced by environment; the way our parent, friends and relative treats us. â€Å"Our gender is consequences of the nurture we receive as children† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Some human attributes are nature created (physical body), others are due to nurture (naming people) while others are either natural or environmentally caused. Many theories explain differently on the causes of the difference between women and men. Evolutionary theory of sex suggests that the gender difference has long way ranging from generation inheritance and environmental variability. The gender theory advocates that boys and girls grown in different families and cultures thus they learn much on behaviors and attitude from their families and society, hence gender difference are outcome of socialization. Therefore we can conclude that gender difference is partially due to nature and to some extend environmentally instigated. From biblical readings, we learn that gender difference is God’s creation since he created a man and a woman in his likeness. Some feminist believe that gender difference is as result of discrimination of society against the female gender. Over time women have been oppressed, discriminated and harassed in many cultures. Men and women differ from each other in skills behavior and attitudes. Most cultures have molded men and women in different forms with some cultures viewing men being great than women although this views are changing with socialization. Gender difference, is evidenced as people mature and grow under various environments. Various studies show that there in greater difference between men and women in places of work, abilities and adaptations to situations. You will find that in schools boys are better than girls in certain subjects such mathematics. Researchers believe this is due to ability of student but not gender issues as it is thought to be. According to sociologist men are more aggressive, physically strong and are more likely to take risks than women. As result of men risk taking tendency you will find that their jobs are more risky than those of women. â€Å"Men are more aggression than women† (Secherpr& Constantine, 1993) and men are likely to show their aggression physically than women. Some researches show that women are also aggressive but tend to show their aggression in less physical ways. In most case you find that more men are convicted in crimes especially crime with violence than women. In communication men tend to talk less in public than women. Men are shy when it comes to talking g while facing each other; that is, men to men and women to women perspective. It has been generalized that women are; emotionally expressive and responsive, more sensible to others feelings and pay a lot of attention on their bodies. Women also express more love, fear and sadness, laugh and smile more and â€Å"anticipate negative consequences for expressing hunger† (Kreeger, 2000 p, 25). On other hand men have been generalized to; express more anger, control their feelings and try to content with their feelings. Many studies have been carried out on gender difference when expressing emotions in different cultures. The difference according to many is attributed to different â€Å"social roles that women and men play in their society† (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974), status and power each group hold in their cultures. â€Å"Popular stereotype has it that women are more emotional than men† (Lippa, 2005 p, 24). Emotions people express is usually due to their relationship and interactions. Men and women tend to express varying degrees of emotions when under certain situation. Male players’ displays more masculine emotions while female players express feminine emotions† (Shields, 2000 p, 4). Women are more likely to identify others emotions fast than men. Researchers suggest that, this woman ability is more innate than caused by socialization. â€Å"Women are more accurate than men in judging emotions meaning from nonverbal cues than men† (Lippa, 2005). Nonverbal expressions include looking on eyes, lips and eyebrows. Some scientists believe this difference is due to biological explanations while others suggest it as result of organizations of roles in the society. In fact, many researches finds have found very small differences† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Our bodies display many biological differences in mind both in metabolism and genetic expressions. Again it’s true that there is great difference between men and women in modern society, therefore these differences should not be basis for isolation of certain group. Even though, there exist gender difference in our societies every woman is expected to behave like woman and men as men.

African American Culture 5 Essay

Question# 4: African cultures, by and large, bring a similar world view to the relationship between man and the spiritual realm, one that is marked by an extremely personal interaction. In the broader African spiritual world human beings are seen to be under the constant influence of other people, their ancestors, minor deities, the Creator, and various forces of nature. As a result the African spiritual world can be described as interactive since all things are endowed with life-force. How is this idea expressed in ritual approaches to morality, wrongdoing, and spiritual empowerment? African American religion has always been heavily involved and influenced by the notion of morality, wrong doing and spiritual empowerment since the slave days if not earlier, African Americans came to embrace Protestant Christianity and adapted their own version of it which is consistent with evidence in the 19th century and a little bit of the 18th, at the time Christianity had little effect on slave society through the efforts of Anglicans, but it was not because African Americans rejected the gospel but because whites seized Christian brotherhood from blacks. As blacks in the South and in the British Caribbean struggled to develop individual and collective identities from the ideas and ways of African culture and their new conditions of life, the series of efforts by evangelicals to convert slaves eventually gave rise to a distinct African-American form of Christian theology, worship style, and religious community. The importance of religion and having their own take on it is among African Americans, as among all people, rests on fulfilling the human need for an understanding of one’s place in both the spiritual and temporal world. Although it was difficult, African Americans discovered in evangelical conversion requirements an opportunity to reassert personal authority based on their ability to communicate directly with God and to bring others to recognize the need for personal repentance and acceptance of Jesus. A perfect example that supports the connection between religious involvement and a sense of personal identity, is found in a slave woman who, back then it was not common for them to tell missionaries that her people have come from across the sea and lost their father and mother, and therefore want to know the Father. The displacement of Africans, for whom locality was critical to interactions with the spiritual world, did not strip them of their religious identity, but required them to learn the spiritual landscape of their new home and reshape their practices accordingly. â€Å"Come Shouting to Zion† details the many religious rituals that Africans preserved in the new world, especially those surrounding fundamental life events such as the birth and naming of children, marriage, burial ceremonies, and ritual dancing and singing to communicate with ancestors and deities. The influence of Africans with many diverse but fundamentally similar cultures in a strange new land encouraged slaves to form new pan-African cultures, which grew increasingly popular as later generations of slaves were born into bondage in America, establishing a distinct African-American culture. The pidgin African-English is a prime example of Africans in American creating a system of communication that was not traceable to a particular African ethnic origin, nor was it a perfect imitation of American English, but was instead shared by blacks in America. As slaves first encountered a foreign language that whites wished them to learn well enough to be more productive but not well enough to pose a threat to the race-based socioeconomic hierarchy, so they became acquainted with Christianity at the will of whites, but when given the opportunity, appropriated it for their own purposes. In the early encounters between slaves and Christianity it is without question that African, and particularly American-born slaves, sought a spirituality that would explain or show their temporal condition. Some salves looked to a theology of liberation and equality among Christians, which they could glean from 18th century evangelicals, mostly Anglicans, who tried to downplay these aspects of biblical teaching. The early period of evangelism was restricted by the fears of slave-owners that slaves who converted to Christianity would feel empowered to revolt against their bondage. Several conspired rebellions and many smaller incidents of black assertion were linked to blacks who had heard enough preaching to identify themselves with the enslaved nation of Israel. This fed the fears of whites, and Anglicans continued to complain that the planters who prohibited them from educating slaves on religious matters were the largest hindrance to saving African American souls. While racism was strengthened and slaves were unable to improve their social status by conforming to white European-American values, very few blacks found the Christian message Anglicans shared with them appealing . Anglican churches maintained strict separation of rich and poor, white and black, during services and sacraments. The high-church emphasized that learned men alone were authorized to teach and that blacks would listen without questioning and to accept the extension of their temporal message and isolation from whites into the religious sphere. Under these terms, it is I am not surprised that Christianity failed to take root as a meaningful religion, a spiritual world that Africans wanted to live in. But it is essential to recognize the role of whites in shaping the message that Africans were allowed to hear, and the role specifically of slaveholders in excluding blacks from access to Christianity. That blacks expressed their agency in rejecting this early version of Christianity offered to them. . At the same time Anglicans were confused over their lack of success in the Southern mainland, Moravians made a significant impact on blacks in the Caribbean by bringing a different vision of a Christian community. Moravians, Methodists, Separate Baptists, and a few other missionaries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who sought out African Americans stressed spiritual, if not always worldly, equality. Africans identified with and embraced images of a savior who had suffered like they did, and joined these Christian images with African musical modes of expression to create spirituals that reminded: â€Å"Jesus been down to de mire/ You must bow low to de mire† (Stuckey, 139). However, you must finally accept Christianity as an affirmation of their lowly place in society and a divine exhortation to obedience and docility, as many white slaveholders had hoped they would. Rather, blacks found opportunities at biracial revival meetings which were meetings held at locations most often church, in which slaves and blacks were black would interpret what they heard and to share their divinely inspired interpretations of Christian faith, even from pulpits. During this critical period when a significant portion of blacks in the Caribbean and American South were first offered Christianity, they clearly adopted it and transformed it into something that was their own. After the period of revivals that first sparked wide-scale conversions in the South, many African-Americans focused on building a community in which they could support one another and worship in their own African-influenced style. Local black congregations extended their religious community, most notably with the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in1816. As an institution spanning several states, the A. M. E. Church allowed blacks to take part at different levels in a collective, hierarchical social system as had never before been possible under American slavery. blacks continued to participate as minorities in biracial congregations (still with segregated seating) in most parts of the south and the expanding frontier, but found fewer opportunities to become ordained preachers or lay leaders in mixed parishes, where they were likely only to be allowed to â€Å"exercise the gift, provided they teach sound Doctrine sic† under the approval of whites (Frey & Wood, 166). In the creation of their own religious communities in which no whites were present to criticize â€Å"overemotional† black forms of religious expression and persisting practices, such as polygamy and dancing, African-Americans actively designed a spirituality that fulfilled their needs in the slave societies of the Americas. African-American religiosity was then, as it is now, â€Å"centered on extended and expanding families and households, the importance of self-determination and personal dignity, mutual aid, and shared responsibility for the progress of the race† (Hortons, xi). In my opinion, African agency is most clearly supported by evidence of Africans defining their faith, modes of worship, and religious ties as part of a larger emerging African-American culture. Change was a relentless fact of life for Africans in 18th and 19th century America, most tragically present in enslavement and removal from Africa and domestic trade within the Americas that broke up families as masters bought and sold property. Outside the personal struggles of individual slaves, the changes in ideology and society wrought by the era of the American Revolution exposed Africans and their descendents to evolving external ideas about their place within American society, their rights as humans, and their needs as spiritual beings. Religion was one of the few arenas in which African-Americans could control the changes in their individual lives and their culture as a whole. Evolving religious traditions provided individuals over generations with a source of spiritual renewal and a supportive community and prepared an institution that could serve future generations. The long and turbulent transition from African forms of religiosity to African-influenced forms of Protestantism shows that black Americans created, out of all religious ideas and structures available to them, a faith that was their own. Question#3 The musical selections in this section come from Africa and the Americas. Some are examples of the preservation of traditional musical styles; others are examples of the adaptation of traditional modes of expression to modern styles. Prevalent in each performance is the use of either percussion instruments such as drums or singing in groups or by soloists. How do these musical selections exemplify a common African musical aesthetic, i. e. rhythmic syncopation, call-and-response, melodic constructions, vocal colors, in both traditional and contemporary expressions? African dance has contributed many characteristics to dance in America. We see evidence of this in many aspects of dance today. Being such a diverse nation, America has the blessing of combining original dances from different cultures to create an amazing dance repertoire. American dance as we know would be completely different, if it weren’t for the Africans. African dance began with the different rhythms of the tribes. Its roots in America began with the slave trade. The American slave trade began in 1619, (However, Africans were imported as slaves to the West Indies staring almost a century before that) with the arrival of Dutch trading ships carrying a cargo of Africans to Virginia. They were first brought over by boat to places such as Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. Eventually different countries end up taking over those nations and slaves fall under their rule. In Brazil, the Portuguese take over, in Cuba the Spanish take over, and in Haiti, the French take over. The retaining of African culture by those in slavery was stronger in the other nations than in America, as the Spanish and French rulers adhered to the more lenient view of dancing taken by the Catholic Church. In America, the Protestant church strongly disapproved of dance. Therefore, dances that occurred in the West Indies, Brazil, Haiti and Cuba retained more of the African dance structure, than those in America did. Those dances can be classified as recreational or sacred. An example of a recreational dance is the Juba, which was a competitive dance where opponents would outdo each other in feats of skill, sometimes while balancing something on their head. Sacred dances were based on the worship of religious gods. The goal of the dance was for the dancer to become â€Å"possessed† by the god so that it would speak through the dancer. Two examples are voodoo and Shango dances. Traces of the African religious practice of possession, or disengaging from reality through the combined effects of music and dance, can be detected in the appeal of some forms of jazz dance. In America, the dance movement of Africa was restrained mainly by two factors: the attitude of the church towards dancing as being immoral and the restricted use of the primary African instrument (the drum). Drumming was banned in 1739 following a slave insurrection. White plantation owners responded by banning all drums and that forced slaves to search for other percussion options. They substituted with banjos, clapping hands, stomping feet, and the fiddle. Dances that occurred on the Plantations were for recreation and religious reasons also. Because of the European influence in America, the movement gave a distinct American appearance, rather than a strictly African one. Many dances imitated animals. There were also circle dances and dances for celebrations. Another category that emerged was competitive dances. The most well known one was the cakewalk. The slaves had witnessed their owners’ dancing festivities and imitated their stiff upper bodies while contrasting it with loose leg movements. The owners enjoyed watching this and gave a cake to the best dancer. The observation of African dancing by the whites led to them stereotyping the dancing slave. They began to blacken their faces and imitate them using such indigenous movements as the ‘shuffle’. The imitation dances by whites started an era of American entertainment based on the stereotype on the dancing ‘Negro’. Before the Civil War, professional dancers were mostly white, with the exception of William Henry Lane. He was also known as â€Å"Master Juba† and was a freeborn slave thought to be the best dancer in the World. He had lived in Manhattan where the Irish immigrants also lived. His dancing was a combination of Irish jig dancing and African rhythm, just like the slaves who were forced to compete with the Irish migrant workers aboard the ships. Both his movements and the Nigerian slaves are said to be the start of tap dance. Minstrelsy was also a popular form of entertainment in America from 1845 –1900. The Minstrel show was a group of male performers that portrayed the Negro as either slow and shuffling or sharply dressed and quick moving. The minstrel show proved prominent in spreading vernacular dances like the cakewalk and jig dancing on a wide scale. The next major change after minstrelsy came with the birth of ragtime music and ballroom dancing after 1910. A bunch of animal dances were seen in white ballrooms. Examples were the Turkey Trot, and Chicken Scratch. The invasion of ballrooms with native inspired dances set the stage for the same process to occur on Broadway. Zeigfield borrowed some of these dances for his Follies. Social dance became introduced on the theatrical stage. The big aspect being borrowed wasn’t the actual dances, but their swinging qualities. In 1921, Shuffle Along featured a jazz inspired dance called the Charleston. It left the audience with a lot of energy and a new respect towards black dancing. Tap was now also brought to white audiences and the musical comedies took on a new, more rhythmic life. In the late 1920s, jazz inspired songs replaced the popular white standards and America accepted Jazz music as its own. Louis Armstrong was a big part of the creation of swing music. It was a style of jazz music that emphasized African influenced rhythm and was played by big bands. Faster and sharper footwork came about and the Lindy was the new dance craze. It incorporated the shuffle and glide and buck and wing movements from early African dances. The Lindy was significant for starting jazz dance styles used in later musicals. It also gave the opportunity for white choreographers to experience African swing. Jazz music and dancing slowed down in popularity after WWII. Technology and music were evolving. The beat became more complex and musicians like Charlie Parker and Dizie Gillespie explored more with improve. The overall result was, jazz music became something more to listen to rather than to dance socially. The advent of Television in the 1950s also kept people at home instead of on the dance floors. African American dance became more of an artistic expression than a social means. Professional companies and dancers restored early African rhythms and the beauty and emotion of their traditional songs, including Catherine Dunham’s â€Å"Shango†, Alvin Ailey’s â€Å"Revelations† and Bill T. Jones’ â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin†. In the past 50 years, African American dance has been rich in innovations as well as connections with the past. The definition of professional dance has broadened beyond ballet, modern, and jazz. Popular and social dances, including the urban black dance forms of break dancing and hip-hop have been recognized for their artistry and expressiveness. Dance created and performed by African Americans has become a permanent part of American dance. Every dancer and almost every person in America, in one way or another has danced steps that resemble early African polyrhythmic movements. Personally, I think the dance World in America could no have flourished as well as it did without it’s African influences. since the slave trade the drum has been used all over the world as a means of communication and self expression. Its broad variety of users includes the early African tribes, using them for ceremonial purposes. The Africans brought drums with them to the Americas and helped to develop their popularity among American musicians. In the mid 1900’s drum sets were brought about. These revolutionary collaborations of percussive pieces started off with a pair of hi-hats, a bass and snare drum, and a couple of tom toms. Later as the music progressed, so did the drum kits, completely eliminating the need for an entire drum section. With the coming of the rock and roll movement the drum kits were changing, they needed to accommodate the new music styles. They became sonically diverse and even electronic drums were brought about; making them infinitely adjustable both ergonomically and musically. With every major drum manufacturer competing to have the best product on the market drums will always be evolving. African American musicians and early slaves choose to use drums as a common form of expression because of the deep bass that was used to duplicate heart beat and thunder. The sound waves for open ended and string instruments is fairly straight forward. However, for a closed end instrument, such as a drum, the sound waves are different. A lot of the energy is dissipated through the shell of the drum, which is the reason for the variance in drum construction these days. Many different kinds of wood are used to generate different sounds, or a different amount of energy absorption. For a warmer, deeper sound maple construction is used while birch is used to get a high, resonant tone full of vibration. The heaviest wood that dissipates the most amount of energy is oak, creating a lower, flat sound. Question#1 I believe that Egypt’s economic progress over the last decade is a great example of showing how They have come a long way and are still vastly improving. Egypt is the third-largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region (after Saudi Arabia and Israel), as well as one of the strongest, with significant potential for future economic growth and diversification. With a real commitment to economic reform, which favors a large privatization program and the encouragement of private investment and growth. The improvement in Ghana is evident in how their country has such a diverse economy. The Gold Coast was renamed Ghana upon independence in 1957 because of indications that present-day inhabitants descended from migrants who moved south from the ancient kingdom of Ghana. By West African standards, Ghana has a relatively diverse and rich natural resource base Minerals–principally gold, diamonds, manganese ore, and bauxite–are produced and exported. Exploration for oil and gas resources is ongoing. Timber and marine resources are important but declining resources. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-third of GDP and about 55% of formal employment. Cash crops consist primarily of cocoa and cocoa products, which typically provide about one-third of export revenue, timber products, coconuts and other palm products, shear nuts , and coffee. Ghana also has established a successful program of nontraditional agricultural products for export including pineapples, cashews, and peppers. Cassava, yams, plantains, corn, rice, peanuts, millet, and sorghum are the basic foodstuffs. Fish, poultry, and meat also are important dietary staples. Ghana’s industrial base is relatively advanced compared to many other African countries. Industries include textiles, apparel, steel (using scrap), tires, oil refining, flour milling, beverages, tobacco, simple consumer goods, and car, truck, and bus assembly. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity, accounts for about 25% of GDP. I strongly believe that since Ghana and Egypt have improved so vastly it is helping African Americans improve in general, the saying â€Å"We come from a long line of kings and queens is such a truthful statement if you look back on history. We have a lot of ancestry that lies within Ghana and Egypt. With the knowledge of the past it will help us to continue realize our past and bring us to terms with the future. We can reverse the process by not letting people hold us back and to not blame others. I also believe that strong knowledge of Ghana and Egypt and Mali, will also further our culture by being educated and not told how our past was. There are a lot of invention by many great African Americans that most people do not know that black inventors were behind the idea, not that is matters that a black or a white person constructed or came up with an idea for a patent, it is essential that we are have contributed just as many things if not more than any other culture. There have been so many contributions to society to western civilization and I feel it is so important that we surround our selves with knowledge of our ancestors because they worked hard to get us to the point today where we are able to vote and the possibility of a black president. The saying that we come from a long line kings and queens is so powerful because it shows you that black really is beautiful and if you retrace our ancestors you will find out that our people were just as important as kings and queens. Lewis Temple was the inventor of a whaling harpoon called the â€Å"Temple’s Toggle† and the â€Å"Temple’s Iron. † He was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1800 and arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1829. He worked as a blacksmith and had lots of friends that were whaler’s who bought harpoons and had lots of conversations with them. Granville T. Wood was known as the black Edison. Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio on April 23,1856. He never finished elementary school and he worked in a machine shop at a very young age. He moved to Missouri in 1872 at the age of sixteen. By 1881 he opened a factory in Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactured telephone, telegraph and electrical equipment. He filed for his first application for a patent in 1884 for an improved steam-boiler furnace. Woods patented the† telographony ,† a combination of the telegraph and the telephone. He produced one of his most important inventions in 1887, it was called the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph. It enabled messages to be sent from moving trains and railways stations. In 1890 he set out to improve the lighting system by creating an efficient safe economical dimmer. It was safer and and resulted in 40% energy savings. Woods also created an overhead conducting system for electrical railways and the electrified third rail. By the time of his death in 1910 he had 150 patents awarded to him all together. Lewis H. L was a pioneer in the development of the electric light bulb. He was also the only black member of the Edison Pioneers, a group of inventors and scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1848 and was raised in Boston. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a cabin boy on the U. S. S Massaoitta the age of sixteen. Latimer was given the assignment to draw plans for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent . In 1879 Latimer went to work as a draftsman for Hiram Maxim, who invented the machine gun and headed the electric lighting company. Latimer worked on improving the quality of the carbon filament used in the light bulb. In 1882 he received a patent for an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments. Gerrett is best remembered for his invention of the gas mask and the three way traffic signal. Mogan was born on March 4,1875 in Paris, Kentucky. He left school after fifth grade at the age of fourteen. He left Kentucky and headed for Cincinnati, Ohio and got a job as a handy man in a sewing shop. Morgan directed his attention to the frequent instances of firemen being overcome by fumes and thick smoke when they went into burning buildings. He perfected breathing device which he patented in 1914. In 1923morgan patented an automatic traffic signal which he sold to the General Electric Company for four thousand dollars. In 1963 Garrett A. Morgan died at ht age of 88 in Cleveland, Ohio after he was ill for two years. Just to name a few ,those were a couple of major contributors to the African American culture and western civilization.

Nobody Makes Bad Progress

Nobody Makes Bad Progress Nobody Makes â€Å"Bad Progress† Nobody Makes â€Å"Bad Progress† By Maeve Maddox Three times during a radio interview, a White House spokesman stated that something was â€Å"making good progress.† It occurred to me how often I hear the expression â€Å"good progress† uttered by politicians and administrators of various stripes. We are making good progress towards introducing a bill that will advance that goal.- A US senator. U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan acknowledged that [our state] is making good progress on our Race to the Top plans.- A state governor. We have been making good progress in three important areas.- A school principal. FTA is making good progress on developing more detailed guidance on which we will seek comment in the near future.- An FTA spokesman. The word progress, both noun and verb, derives from the Latin verb progredi: â€Å"to go forward, proceed, advance.† The English noun progress is defined as â€Å"the process of a series of actions through time.† As a verb, progress means, â€Å"to proceed, advance,† â€Å"to follow an expected course or pattern.† â€Å"Good progress† is bureaucratic-speak. It sounds good without meaning anything. It’s enough to say, â€Å"The FTA is making progress on developing more detailed guidance.† Progress may be rapid, slow, encouraging, delayed, or uncertain, but to say it is good is to pad language. â€Å"Good progress† is often accompanied by other meaningless phrases like â€Å"in the near future,† and â€Å"grounds for optimism.† Ordinary speakers may be forgiven for using the occasional clichà ©, but politicians and others who wish to advance themselves by swaying public opinion should be aware that coming from them, â€Å"good progress† signals a desire to avoid specifics. Note: The pronunciation of progress differs, according to whether it is used as a noun or as a verb. progress (noun): PRAH-gres (American); PRO-gres (British) progress (verb): pruh-GRES Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Homogeneous vs. HeterogeneousPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Tit-for-Tat

Tit-for-Tat Tit-for-Tat Tit-for-Tat By Maeve Maddox An ESL reader has a question about the expression â€Å"tit for tat†: If Tit is something we all commonly understand then is Tat the male counterpart of Tit? What does Tit and Tat mean in this idiom? The impulse to attach a gendered meaning to the words in this idiom illustrates how folk etymologies are invented. In fact, â€Å"tit for tat† is an altered spelling of the expression â€Å"tip for tap.† In the context of the original idiom, both tip and tap refer to a slight blow. Tip retains this meaning in the context of baseball. A pitch at which the batter swings and makes slight contact is called a tip. A â€Å"foul tip†- a tipped ball caught by the catcher- counts as a strike. Tap, in the context of lightly striking something, is in general use as both noun and verb: Stopped at the traffic lights, he heard a tap on the window. (noun) If a person has had multiple untreated concussions, could a simple tap to the head be harmful? (noun) She paused, leaned over, and tapped him on the chin. (verb) Woman in Court Fakes Hurt After Being Tapped on Head (verb) â€Å"To give one tip for tap† was â€Å"to return blow for blow.† The figurative meaning was â€Å"to retaliate.† When the pronunciation and spelling changed, the original meaning remained attached to the altered form. Here are examples of recent usage of â€Å"tit for tat†: For the rest of the game, each  team  matched the other  tit for tat. Three men  have  been arrested after a series of violent  tit-for-tat  attacks  Ã‚   [G]iven the way Netanyahu has treated Rivlin, one cannot help wondering if there will be tit for tat following the March elections.   In the world of education, and most likely everywhere else, there is the pervasive presence of tit-for-tat. If I walked a mile to school in the snow, so can you. If I had to work hours and shed blood, sweat and tears, so can you. â€Å"To give tit for tat† is not always used with the meaning â€Å"to return an injury with an injury.† Some speakers use it to convey the idea of cooperation or reciprocation: Gifts should not be  tit for tat, period.   When we hear the following expressions, we know the Law of Reciprocity is at work: â€Å"Quid pro quo†; â€Å"Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours†; â€Å"Tit-for-tat†; and â€Å"Give and take.† In Cockney rhyming slang, â€Å"tit for tat† translates as â€Å"hat.† Note: Rhyming slang uses a phrase to stand for a word that rhymes with the last word in the phrase. The phrases are then shortened to the beginning word or words. For example, the sentence â€Å"Me trouble bought ‘erself a new tit-fa† translates as â€Å"My wife bought herself a new hat.† (â€Å"trouble and strife†=wife). Here are some more words and expressions that convey the sense of â€Å"to give tit for tat†: fight back hit back respond react reciprocate counterattack return like for like get back at someone get even get one’s own back pay someone back give someone a taste of their own medicine take revenge be revenged avenge oneself Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"Anyone vs. EveryoneThe 7 Types of Possessive Case

Overview of The Education of Women by Daniel Defoe

Overview of 'The Education of Women' by Daniel Defoe Best known as the author of Robinson Crusoe  (1719), Daniel Defoe was an extremely versatile and prolific author. A journalist as well as a novelist, he produced more than 500 books, pamphlets, and journals. The following essay first appeared in 1719, the same year in which Defoe published the first volume of Robinson Crusoe. Observe how he directs his appeals to a male audience as he develops his argument that women should be allowed full and ready access to education. The Education of Women by Daniel Defoe I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women. We reproach the sex every day with folly and impertinence; while I am confident, had they the advantages of education equal to us, they would be guilty of less than ourselves. One would wonder, indeed, how it should happen that women are conversible at all; since they are only beholden to natural parts, for all their knowledge. Their youth is spent to teach them to stitch and sew or make baubles. They are taught to read, indeed, and perhaps to write their names, or so; and that is the height of a woman’s education. And I would but ask any who slight the sex for their understanding, what is a man (a gentleman, I mean) good for, that is taught no more? I need not give instances, or examine the character of a gentleman, with a good estate, or a good family, and with tolerable parts; and examine what figure he makes for want of education. The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond; and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear. And ’tis manifest, that as the rational soul distinguishes us from brutes; so education carries on the distinction, and makes some less brutish than others. This is too evident to need any demonstration. But why then should women be denied the benefit of instruction? If knowledge and understanding had been useless additions to the sex, GOD Almighty would never have given them capacities; for he made nothing needless. Besides, I would ask such, What they can see in ignorance, that they should think it a necessary ornament to a woman? or how much worse is a wise woman than a fool? or what has the woman done to forfeit the privilege of being taught? Does she plague us with her pride and impertinence? Why did we not let her learn, that she might have had more wit? Shall we upbraid women with folly, when ’tis only the error of this inhuman custom, that hindered t hem from being made wiser? The capacities of women are supposed to be greater, and their senses quicker than those of the men; and what they might be capable of being bred to, is plain from some instances of female wit, which this age is not without. Which upbraids us with Injustice, and looks as if we denied women the advantages of education, for fear they should vie with the men in their improvements. [They] should be taught all sorts of breeding suitable both to their genius and quality. And in particular, Music and Dancing; which it would be cruelty to bar the sex of, because they are their darlings. But besides this, they should be taught languages, as particularly French and Italian: and I would venture the injury of giving a woman more tongues than one. They should, as a particular study, be taught all the graces of speech, and all the necessary air of conversation; which our common education is so defective in, that I need not expose it. They should be brought to read books, and especially history; and so to read as to make them understand the world, and be able to know and judge of things when they hear of them. To such whose genius would lead them to it, I would deny no sort of learning; but the chief thing, in general, is to cultivate the understandings of the sex, that they may be capable of all sorts of conversation; that their parts and judgments being improved, they may be as profitable in their conversation as they are pleasant. Women, in my observation, have little or no difference in them, but as they are or are not distinguished by education. Tempers, indeed, may in some degree influence them, but the main distinguishing part is their Breeding. The whole sex are generally quick and sharp. I believe, I may be allowed to say, generally so: for you rarely see them lumpish and heavy, when they are children; as boys will often be. If a woman be well bred, and taught the proper management of her natural wit, she proves generally very sensible and retentive. And, without partiality, a woman of sense and manners is the finest and most delicate part of Gods Creation, the glory of Her Maker, and the great instance of His singular regard to man, His darling creature: to whom He gave the best gift either God could bestow or man receive. And ’tis the sordidest piece of folly and ingratitude in the world, to withhold from the sex the due luster which the advantages of education gives to the natural beauty of their minds. A woman well bred and well taught, furnished with the additional accomplishments of knowledge and behavior, is a creature without comparison. Her society is the emblem of sublimer enjoyments, her person is angelic, and her conversation heavenly. She is all softness and sweetness, peace, love, wit, and delight. She is every way suitable to the sublimest wish, and the man that has such a one to his portion, has nothing to do but to rejoice in her, and be thankful. On the other hand, Suppose her to be the very same woman, and rob her of the benefit of education, and it follows- - If her temper be good, want of education makes her soft and easy. Her wit, for want of teaching, makes her impertinent and talkative. Her knowledge, for want of judgment and experience, makes her fanciful and whimsical. If her temper be bad, want of breeding makes her worse; and she grows haughty, insolent, and loud. If she be passionate, want of manners makes her a termagant and a scold, which is much at one with Lunatic. If she be proud, want of discretion (which still is breeding) makes her conceited, fantastic, and ridiculous. And from these she degenerates to be turbulent, clamorous, noisy, nasty, the devil! The great distinguishing difference, which is seen in the world between men and women, is in their education; and this is manifested by comparing it with the difference between one man or woman, and another. And herein it is that I take upon me to make such a bold assertion, That all the world are mistaken in their practice about women. For I cannot think that God Almighty ever made them so delicate, so glorious creatures; and furnished them with such charms, so agreeable and so delightful to mankind; with souls capable of the same accomplishments with men: and all, to be only Stewards of our Houses, Cooks, and Slaves. Not that I am for exalting the female government in the least: but, in short, I would have men take women for companions, and educate them to be fit for it. A woman of sense and breeding will scorn as much to encroach upon the prerogative of man, as a man of sense will scorn to oppress the weakness of the woman. But if the women’s souls were refined and improved by teaching, that word would be lost. To say, the weakness of the sex, as to judgment, would be nonsense; for ignorance and folly would be no more to be found among women than men. I remember a passage, which I heard from a very fine woman. She had wit and capacity enough, an extraordinary shape and face, and a great fortune: but had been cloistered up all her time; and for fear of being stolen, had not had the liberty of being taught the common necessary knowledge of women’s affairs. And when she came to converse in the world, her natural wit made her so sensible of the want of education, that she gave this short reflection on herself: I am ashamed to talk with my very maids, says she, for I don’t know when they do right or wrong. I had more need go to school, than be married. I need not enlarge on the loss the defect of education is to the sex; nor argue the benefit of the contrary practice. ’Tis a thing will be more easily granted than remedied. This chapter is but an Essay at the thing: and I refer the Practice to those Happy Days (if ever they shall be) when men shall be wise enough to mend it.

Maintaining the pH in Its Normal Levels Prevents the Growth of Research Paper

Maintaining the pH in Its Normal Levels Prevents the Growth of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - Research Paper Example Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), just like other S. aureus strains avoids such immune response through catalase, which efficiently breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This activity of the catalase in the escape of the host’s immune reaction has been shown in a murine animal model (Das and Bishayi, 2009). What was not mentioned in the primary reference is that what is so distinct about MRSA is the fact that the bacteria cannot be killed by the most common antibiotics, penicillin and cephalosporin groups, characterized by their beta-lactam ring. Briefly, these antibiotics prevent the production of the bacteria’s peptidoglycan-rich cell wall by inhibiting transpeptidation. MRSA contains beta-lactamases that bind to beta-lactams, and render these bactericides inactive (Agrawal, n. d.). Effectiveness of alkaline solution against MRSA infection It has been proposed by Shannon Brown (2010), in his article, â€Å"End of MRSA-How?†, prevention of M RSA infection simply involves avoiding acidic food products and stress, which increases the acid in the digestive tract. According to Brown, the acidic environment allows the normal flora of the gut to die and the acidophilic MRSA to thrive. The solution to a potential MRSA infection is said to lie on increasing the pH of the environment to which it is exposed to. Despite the seemingly simple solution to the problem of MRSA infection, prevention still poses a great challenge as the current food products available in the market are cultivated using acidic fertilizers and pesticides. Many people also enjoy drinking coffee, tea, wine and alcohol, all of which make the gut more acidic. As such, the article suggests that alkaline solutions can prevent uncontrolled MRSA growth in the body. Specifically, taking in pHenomenal, an alkaline water concentrate, as food supplement is said to potentially increase the pH of the digestive tract, and to subsequently prevent MRSA infection. Such acti vity has been shown through an in vitro pH neutralization test, whereby lactic acid was neutralized by pHenomenal at approximately 1:22 acid-to-pHenomenal ratio. Another alkaline product suggested to prevent MRSA infection is B-pHree, which can be applied on the skin, where MRSA normally resides. In an antibacterial efficacy assay done on this substance, it was found that it effectively inhibited the growth (100% growth reduction) of Staphylococcus aureus inoculated in Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) incubated for 24 hours. Despite the promise of MRSA prevention and the availability of prophylactic measures, there are potential problems regarding the claims of preventing bacterial infection by increasing the pH in the gut. Literature review Normally, the stomach is highly acidic, with pH of approximately 2. This acidity is a strategy to control the activity of pepsin, which catalyzes the breakdown of proteins into organic compounds that can be used by the body in its various physiologic proc esses. In addition, the highly acidic environment of the stomach prevents the growth of most pathogens that cannot thrive in such extreme conditions. In fact, it has been shown by Suzuki (1994) that the low pH of gastric pH is directly related to decreased amounts of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus and MRSA in the gut. In addition, it was found that cancer patients before and after operation, who have high levels of gastric pH are more likely to have Staphylococcus and MRSA in the gut. Although the in vitro experiments have both supported

Scenario medication management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scenario medication management - Essay Example We will be touching a few topics that come under this heading. We are first going to talk about â€Å"Mental Capacity†. There is actually an act on mental capacity which is called â€Å"The Mental Capacity Act 2005† which basically states that a framework is there to protect and empower people who are incapable for not making their own decisions. This act makes it clear that the person who can make decisions for that incapable person would be held responsible in the future. The individual who is looking after the invalid should have the best interest for the person. The individual must also consider that whether it is likely that the invalid person in time or in future will be able to make their own decisions. As it is said by British Geriatrics Society that â€Å"Mental capacity is a legal concept and any decision as to whether a person does or does not have mental capacity is ultimately a decision for a court of law†. For example: that is a nurse gives a medication or a drug with a food item or liquid other than water it might cause a reaction and the person who solely be responsible for this conduct would be the nurse that gave the patient the medication, where the patient was in no condition to make his or her own decision. Now lets move on to the second topic which is called â€Å"Role of Pharmacist &MDT†. As we have always recognized that the medical consultants work within a clinical team and they have the sole responsibility for the clinical management of the patients assigned to them but with in that team the pharmacist has a specific and the most important responsibility and that responsibility is to provide safe and appropriate use of medication or drugs. When we look at the role of a pharmacist in a hospital setting it should basically include medication storage, packaging and compounding, support personnel, see drug expenditure and quality improvement and

Unique style and technique of Sandro Botticelli Research Paper

Unique style and technique of Sandro Botticelli - Research Paper Example All the aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance reached its highest stage of development by the end of the 15th century in the works of the eminent Florentine school artists - Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Their works masterly show the two sides of our existence - spirituality and humanity; subtle excellence of works of the High Renaissance places emphasis on the interrelationship of personal world and objective reality. Botticelli worked mostly with the subjects drawn from the Bible, frequently from the New Testament and classical antique mythology.It seems, at first glance, that he was concerned with purely religious or mythological subjects – the subjects artists used to turn to centuries ago. But it’s just enough to look at his Renaissance Madonnas to realize that there is nothing in common between them and the Virgin and Child on icons. The sacred theme appears just as a secular portrait of a young woman whose name is even known. W hat is this? Broadness? Sacrilege? The life journey of Sandro Botticelli, his unique style and technique, will be examined through the example of his timeless works of art in this paper. Giorgio Vasari, an Italian painter of the 16th century, an outstanding biographer of many Italian artists, begins the biography of Sandro Botticelli saying that at the time of Lorenzo de Medici the Magnificent, which truly was the golden age for every gifted man, reached his peak the creative work of Alessandro, named between us as Sandro, nicknamed Botticelli. Botticelli was one of the most prominent figures of the blessed era associated with the name of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Like most of the titans of the Renaissance he was of humble origin. His success was in his energy, will, intelligence and talent. All this plus rare charm and tact helped the son of a tanner to enter the very select circle of cultural and artistic elite of Europe. He was born in Florence in 1445. His real name was Alessandr o Filipepi. He was the youngest of four sons of Mariano Filipepi and his wife Esmeralda. The first mention of Alessandro, as well as of the other Florentine artists, we find in the â€Å"portate al Catasto†- a kind of register of incomes for taxation which was kept in accordance with the decree of the Republic. So, in 1458, Mariano Filipepi stated that he had four sons - Giovanni, Antonio, Simon and thirteen years old Sandro and added that Sandro was learning to read and the boy was sickly. Jewelry became the turning point in the development of the young Botticelli. Alessandro was sent by his father, tired of his extravagant restless mind, to learn the skill of jewelry. According to Vasari, there was a close relationship between jewelers and painters at that time. To work in a workshop of the first meant to get direct access to the craft of the latter. Sandro became skilled in drawing, which was necessary for accurate and confident black finish. Soon he became interested in p ainting and decided to devote his life to it. He never forgets the valuable lessons of jewelry - precision in drawing of contour lines and skillful use of gold (he often uses it as an additive for paint or for the background, in pure form). In 1464 Sandro joined the school of the excellent painter, Fra Filippo Lippi, the Carmelite, from the Monastery of Santa Maria del Carmine. Lippi’s workshop was then in Prato, where the artist worked until 1466 on the frescoes of the Cathedral. In 1465 Filippo painted his Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels. It became the indisputable pattern of composition and style for many early works by Botticelli, like Madonna and Child with an Angel and Madonna della Loggia. Even the earliest works by Sandro are distinguished by a special, almost imperceptible, atmosphere of spirituality and poetry of images - for  Botticelli  painting tended towards the poetic not simply because of its lyrical

A Capstone Experience(Market Position Analysis)2 sony corrporation Assignment

A Capstone Experience(Market Position Analysis)2 sony corrporation - Assignment Example Stakeholders across various segments of the market have overtime ascertained that the products and services of Sony Corporation are of high quality. Because of the high quality of goods and services that they produce, the prices of the products are rather expensive. For this reason, therefore, various stakeholders have normally argued that the target audience for Sony Corporation is the high-income earners (Luh, 2003). This is majorly because both the low and middle-income earners normally tend to focus on satisfying their basic needs after which they are left with fewer funds that do not meet the purchasing price of most of the products of Sony Corporation. Similarly, the organization has focused its sales on those living in the urban regions. Even though some of their customers originate from rural regions, they normally feel left out. Due to the event that Sony Corporation is always interested in ensuring that it reaches its customers as fast as possible, the organization has overtime adopted appropriate strategies that have helped them in delivering their products and services to their customers within the designated period. The first strategy that the organization has always adopted is advertisements and promotions. These have often fostered efficient communication between the customers and the Corporation. Similarly, such moves have normally provided answers to the customers regarding the features of the different types of products that the organization offers to its larger customer base. Despite most of the products of Sony Corporation being available in Supermarkets and Various retail stores, the organization has always used different distributors in various towns. In regions where they enjoy a large share of the market like Mumbai and New Delhi, the Corporation has four different distributors. These are Son y World and Sony Centre, who just as illustrated above play an integral role in ensuring that the connection between the customers

The Corporate Strategy of Metro in the Canadian Market Research Paper

The Corporate Strategy of Metro in the Canadian Market - Research Paper Example The corporate level strategy is the overall or board strategies that the company has adopted. However, the business level strategy is the specific strategy that the company has implemented in order to achieve competitive advantage. Metro has applied a cost leadership strategy and the company is highly focused on reducing its overall costs so that they can offer goods to the customers at lower prices. Strategic models have been used to analyze the internal and external environment of the company. SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five forces model have been used to analyze the market conditions. SWOT analysis highlights the company has several strengths and there are opportunities in the market that Metro can capitalize. However, it is important for Metro to work on its weaknesses and take steps to reduce the impact of the threats that the company faces to further improve its position in the country. Porter five forces define the bargaining power of customers, bargaining power of supp liers, intensity of competition, threats from new entrants and threats from substitute products that Metro faces. At the end of the report gives a brief conclusion about the strategies of Metro and how the company can expand its operations and improve its profitability in the years to come. The strategy is defined as the plan of actions that the firm has set in order to achieve its targets or objectives or vision or mission (Johnson, & Scholes, 2001). Every organization operates with a target or with a mission and it is important for the management to formulate strategies that would lead to the accomplishment of these targets or mission (Bartlett, and Ghoshal, 1991). Mission and vision of the company are the tools that are used to motivate the employees and management and motivation to work would only arise if there is a mission to be achieved (Porter, 1980). However, it is important to have strategies that would make sure the efforts are put in the right direction. If a company doe s not have a proper strategy, then despite hard work and efforts from the employees, the company might not be able to reach its destination (Lee, and Carter, 2010). Managing a business has become complex today. With the increasing complexities of the external environment and organizations now need to be more focused and analyze their external environment carefully as well as regularly (Schroiff, and Arnold, 2004). By analyzing the external environment, an organization is able to identify factors that could influence their operations and profitability (Doole, and Lowe, 2008). Organizations can only plan and formulate their strategies if these factors are identified. Proper planning and careful formulation of strategies would allow firms to improve their earnings and achieve growth. This report will analyze one of the leading grocery stores in Canada, Metro. Metro is the food retailer operating in two major provinces of Canada; Quebec and Ontario. The company has its headquarters in M ontreal, Canada. The company has been growing despite increasing competition in the market.

A Capstone Experience(Market Position Analysis)2 sony corrporation Assignment

A Capstone Experience(Market Position Analysis)2 sony corrporation - Assignment Example Stakeholders across various segments of the market have overtime ascertained that the products and services of Sony Corporation are of high quality. Because of the high quality of goods and services that they produce, the prices of the products are rather expensive. For this reason, therefore, various stakeholders have normally argued that the target audience for Sony Corporation is the high-income earners (Luh, 2003). This is majorly because both the low and middle-income earners normally tend to focus on satisfying their basic needs after which they are left with fewer funds that do not meet the purchasing price of most of the products of Sony Corporation. Similarly, the organization has focused its sales on those living in the urban regions. Even though some of their customers originate from rural regions, they normally feel left out. Due to the event that Sony Corporation is always interested in ensuring that it reaches its customers as fast as possible, the organization has overtime adopted appropriate strategies that have helped them in delivering their products and services to their customers within the designated period. The first strategy that the organization has always adopted is advertisements and promotions. These have often fostered efficient communication between the customers and the Corporation. Similarly, such moves have normally provided answers to the customers regarding the features of the different types of products that the organization offers to its larger customer base. Despite most of the products of Sony Corporation being available in Supermarkets and Various retail stores, the organization has always used different distributors in various towns. In regions where they enjoy a large share of the market like Mumbai and New Delhi, the Corporation has four different distributors. These are Son y World and Sony Centre, who just as illustrated above play an integral role in ensuring that the connection between the customers

Information Technology Application in Marketing Essay

Information Technology Application in Marketing - Essay Example Facebook, unlike other social networking websites, has a clearly defined target market that starts from students who are enrolled in high schools, college and university. The differentiating factor for Facebook is that it is all focused towards students only through creating study groups, keeping in touch with distant friends and getting information. Students use it to make their social life prominent through using various features of Facebook such as uploading, sharing and commenting on photos. Facebook earns its profit mainly through advertising. It gets involved in three different ways of advertising. One is banner ads, sponsored groups and text announcements. The visitors’ traffic and the time spent on the site also serve as a major indicator for Facebook success (Mitchell, n.d.). GOOGLE Another social media website selected is Google. Google is the most visited website that provides solutions and answers for almost all the questions through its search optimization system. Google is primarily a search engine and serves almost everyone in thirst of some knowledge or information regarding anything. Google generates its profits through online advertising (Channel 4, 2012). Google has involved in an activity called targeted advertising through which organizations use Google Adwords and Adsense to get their names or articles to get displayed on the top (Splatf, 2011). WIKIPEDIA Wikipedia is another social media network that helps individual to gain information on related topics. The business model that Wikipedia has implemented is that people who love to write and want to make their contribution can write an article and then hence upload it. Wikipedia provides a feature to make amendments to article or edit it. And even if any conflict is observed in the provided information it is then resolved by Wikipedia resolution party. The writers or authors here are voluntary writers. They do not do it for any monetary rewards but for internal satisfaction and inte rest. Wikipedia has some donors as well who provide funds to the site, and they are called wiki donors. Wikipedia does not display advertisements as other sites do and also does not charge any subscription fees. It still earns through the web traffic it has, and the number of time spent on the site by each visitor. It does not employ more than 35 employees in its organization and has managed to reduce its administration and operation costs to the least. Sustainability of the models All these three sites are sustaining because of the differentiated service and user interface experience they provide. The value that they are providing to their users is of immense importance. Their business models are different from others and quite uniquely profitable in nature. Facebook earns through its online advertising whereas Google earns through its online search optimization and its own advertising techniques and Wikipedia earns profits through minimizing its overhead cost. Future of Social Med ia Sites The future of these sites would be a more co-operative and user friendly one. These sites would progress now more towards working on virtual reality and making some efforts towards surprising users through adding features more inclined towards 3D virtual reality. How Social media sites are adapting to cell phones and PCs As technology is advancing, access to these websites is to be made from multiple devices that are

Interpersonal Relationship Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal Relationship Essay Chapter 9 – Interpersonal Relationships I. Advantages and disadvantages of interpersonal relationships A. Advantages 1. Lesson loneliness 2. Provide stimulation 3. Enhance self worth and self esteem 4. Maximize pleasure and minimize pain B. Disadvantages 1. Pressure to be vulnerable 2. Encroach on privacy 3. Increase obligations 4. Limit other relationships 5. Emotionally difficult to dissolve 6. Break your heart II. Relationship stages A. Created and constructed by the individuals B. People see their relationships differently C. Interdependence is primary quality of an interpersonal relationship D. Six stage model (applies to all types of relationships) 1. Contact a. perceptual contact – physical appearance b. interactional contact (superficial and impersonal) *Flirting – verbal and nonverbal signals of romantic interest *Dark side of flirting – becomes harassment or stalking 2. Involvement – mutuality, connection, try to learn more about the other a. tests – find out how your partner feels about the relationship (start here but go throughout relationship) b. intensifying tokens of affection; increase contact; sexual intimacy; jealousy 3. Intimacy – further commitment; share social networks; quantity and quality of exchanges increase, talk more about the relationship Two phases of intimacy: a. interpersonal commitment – private commitments to each other b. social bonding – public commitment; you become an identifiable pair 4. Deterioration – weakening of bonds a. intRApersonal dissatisfaction b. IntERpersonal deterioration – withdraw, distance, conflict 5. Repair – change behaviors or expectations; not always pursued A. IntRAapersonal – analyze and try to solve yourself; consider changing your behaviors B. IntERpersonal repair – negotiate changes w/other *Recognize the problem *Engage in productive communication and conflict resolution *Pose possible solutions *Affirm each other – disclose, talk positively, compliments, nonverbals that say I care cherishing behaviors – small gestures you enjoy receiving from your partner (a wink, a smile, a kiss) *Integrate solutions into normal behavior vs. followed for a very short time and going back to previous behavior. *Risk – risk giving without certainty of receiving, risk rejection by making the first move, be willing to change, adapt.

The role of parents in young childrens development

The role of parents in young childrens development Introduction The following essay proposes to look into the changing role of parents within the context of childrens development and learning, focusing in particular upon the way in which government policy has impacted upon this change at both an ideological level and a grass roots level. We propose to concentrate upon the change in language and focus inherent within contemporary curriculum documents, analysing the shift in policy discernible within the Early Years Foundation Stage as a means of accenting the changing role of parents with regards to childrens development and learning. This, therefore, clearly represents an especially complex topic to attempt to tackle with the vast array of reforms to educational standards witnessed over the course of the past two decades constituting a watershed moment in the history of social welfare provision in the contemporary era (Ball, 2008:1-11). We cannot, in the final analysis, divorce the education reforms of the 1990s and the first decade of the twenty first century from the broader changes to the welfare state that have come about as a result of a combination of economic, social and cultural forces in the post-modern epoch. Education today should therefore be seen within the context of the broader ideal of market forces, which shape the socio-political pattern of life in every post-industrial democratic capitalist state. Concepts relating to increased competition, social inclusion and the fostering of a decidedly a market mentality consequently dominate the contemporary policy making agenda with regards to the provisi on of education (Jones, 2002:143-170; Tomlinson, 2005:48-71). Thus, where, prior to the advent of the privatising policies of the Thatcher era and the neoliberal assault that characterised the first two terms of the Blair governments education was conceived of as a matter for the state and central government, after the widespread reforms to the public sector administered over the course of the past two decades, education has increasingly become the concern not only of the government but also of private sector institutions as well. As a result, local businesses and families have been increasingly integrated into the concept of educational provision in the contemporary era with this new policy initiative resting upon the twin pillars of partnership and accountability (Chitty, 2004:114-119). Partnership therefore represents the key concept underpinning all education and social reforms at the dawn of the twenty first century, constituting evidence of a shift in emphasis at government, local and settings level away from a top-down approach towards a bottoms-up approach. (Gasper, 2009:1) As a consequence, it is important for us to note from the outset the way in which the role of parents and of the family and the home should no longer be seen as being separate from the role of the state as the primary educational provider. Rather, we should make a point of underscoring the way in which the vast array of education and social policy reforms witnessed over the course of the past two decades represents a protracted process best understood in terms of the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private spheres set to the backdrop of a devolved vision of welfare provision in the contemporary age (Alcock, Daly and Griggs, 2008:108-130). In this way, policy makers have intended to establish a clear and concise framework for education provision that would eventually positively impact upon paradigms relating to inclusion, equality, selectivity and most importantly standards (Alcock, 2008:48-50). It is within this radically altered landscape of welfare provision, education policy and social policy reform that the new educational framework for twenty first century Britain has been constructed with parents invited to play an increasingly prominent role in the development and learning of their children, particularly young children in a pre-school context (Clark and Waller, 2007:1-19). As a consequence, it is prudent to begin our examination by analysing the Early Years policy initiatives of the New Labour government and their broader impact upon parents and the family in order to establish an ideological and conceptual framework in which the remainder of the discussion can effectively take place. The Early Years policy initiatives and the family The election victory of New Labour in May 1997 telegraphed a major turning point in the way in which early years education provision would be meted out in contemporary Britain. Indeed, compared to the relative inertia of the previous Conservative government, the New Labour regime can be seen to have radically altered the very concept of Early Years social policy with much greater attention being paid to the way that young children are looked after and taught during the preschool years (Palaiologu, 2009:3-10). This fits neatly into the broader policy objective of raising standards and imposing a discernible market mentality into education, which we briefly outlined during the introduction. Improving the way in which early years education is provided will, in theory, have a positive impact upon the way in which primary and secondary education is provided with a new generation of economically independent young adults emerging from the reforms enacted during the last decade of the twenti eth century and the opening decade of the twenty first century. Viewed from this perspective, Early Years education policy in the contemporary era can be characterised in terms of a social construct; part of a much broader vision of a reinvigorated twenty first century British society built upon ideals relating to equality and cohesion as opposed to difference and segregation (Baldock, Fitzgerald and Kay, 2009:39-43). When, for instance, we pause to consider the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2008), we can see that the New Labour government has taken significant policy making steps towards reconstructing the provision of education for young children around the new paradigms of accountability and partnership. Furthermore, by analysing this document we can see the foundations upon which this new early years educational has been built with the role of the parents underlined at a fundamental level, especially with regards to fostering a working relationship with the education professionals charged with bringing about reform to the youngest elements of contemporary British society (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, 2008:6). As a consequence, we should acknowledge the important change to the partnership approach where, rather than teachers working with parents under the auspices of the old Childrens Act of 1989 where professionals were conceived of as an aid to parents in need of advice and help concerning bringing their children up, under the auspices of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, professionals and parents are supposed to work together during the key, formative years of a young childs educational, social and cognitive development. In this way, the role of the contemporary education professional at the early years foundation stage is integrated around childrens lives and childrens learning (Tarr, 2009:92-111). As a result of the fresh, partnership-centric ideological impetus fuelling the policy initiatives of the New Labour government, we can begin to see a new working partnership between the state, education professionals and parents emerge that is increasingly reminiscent of the relationship between the producer and the consumer in the private sector with educational change being underpinned by greater scope with regards to educational choice (Coffey, 2001:22-37). In integrating parents and the family into the policy making landscape of the Early Years Foundation Stage the state can be understood to have facilitated an increase in choice with both parents and professionals working out the best way to move forward with regards to implementing government policy (as opposed to simply following legislative guidelines as was previously the case). When, for example, we consider the advent of the Sure Start Centres in the UK and the way in which these state-funded nurseries and day care institutions look to adopt a decidedly holistic interpretation of early years education, incorporating educating parents as well as children, we can see the extent to which the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private spheres has served to incorporate a wholesale re-configuration of the role of the parent within the context of the development of their children (Weinberger, 2005:31-43). Indeed, according to Valerie Wigfall, Janet Boddy and Susan McQuail, parental involvement is a vital component in the ongoing development of childrens services in the contemporary era, especially in state run institutions such as Day Care centres which have been built upon the premise of partnership as the key concept upon which childrens learning and growth can be further consolidated (Wigfall, Boddy and McQuail, 2007:89-101). As a direct result of this fundamental shift in both policy and practice, the concept of partnership need no longer be thought of solely in terms of government rhetoric and political hyperbole. Unlike, for instance, the concept of partnership as it relates to the community and the police which, on account of the special authoritative powers placed upon the police force, is a partnership more in name than in practical purposes, understood within a discussion pertaining to education, the ideal of partnership is a contemporary, relevant manifestation of policy and practice at both a central governmental level as well as a local grass roots level. Without the active input of parents, New Labours Early Years initiatives would differ little from previous governments attempts at overhauling and modernising the British educational system. By including parents within the policy making framework of young children, the state has therefore championed a radical new approach to rights and responsi bility in contemporary society whereby the government plays only one part within the broader tapestry of public service provision. This is especially true with regards to education where the New Labour government has made a clear and identifiable effort to tackle deep-seated inequalities in all aspects of the British educational system (McKnight, Glennester and Lupton, 2005:69-93). We should, at this point, though acknowledge the essential paradox that resides at the epicentre of the discussion whereby, on the one hand, the state has advocated a de-centralised approach to government, reducing the impact of policy upon practice in the process, while, on the other hand, the state can be seen to have presided over a period of policy overkill where, as far as education and indeed all social policy reform is concerned, there has been dramatic rise in the visibility of the government as both the arbitrator and instigator of education policy and educational standards (David, 1999:111-132). This paradox is a reflection of the uneasy relationship between the public sector and the private sector as well as the conflicting demands of instilling a policy making landscape built upon the harmony of the home and the family while at the same time championing education policies aimed at getting parents back to work as quickly as possible. Understood in these terms, New Labours educational reforms enacted since 1997 can be understood in broad terms relating to industrial policy with pupils and parents alike both being conceived of as economic actors working within the framework of a more efficient early twenty first century state (Stedward, 2003:139-152). This paradoxical relationship between economic and social policy, and between the public and the private spheres, is likewise mirrored in the often uneasy relationship between professionals and parents within the context of Early Years welfare provision. To understand more about this paradox and the way in which it impacts upon the governments vision of a more egalitarian society constructed upon premises pertaining to choice, competition and inclusion we need to turn our attention towards attempting to understand the home-school setting as the bedrock of the partnership approach to education and social policy that defines New Labours approach to governance. Home-school setting partnership The changing role of the home-school partnership reflects the constantly shifting landscape of policy and practice with regards to childrens development, especially children operating within the context of the early years. Where, previously, education was interpreted as a matter for the state with teachers constituting the primary means of educating young children about both themselves and the world in which they live, today there is an increasing emphasis upon the home as the new locus for learning with a radically new vision of educational culture being founded upon a partnership between the school place and the home (Beauchamp, 2009:167-178). As Miller succinctly observes, education is not something that happens to children; is something that they do. (Miller, 2002:373). Thus, we should observe the fundamental difference between a passive early years education and an active early years education with the latter representing the front line of contemporary approaches to young childrens education and preschool development. It is therefore the stated aim of contemporary policy makers to instigate a partnership approach towards an active Early Years education with professionals, parents and day care workers all expected to move away from the passive approach to young childrens development which many educational researchers and experts believe represent an outmoded method of educating preschoolers. When, for instance, we pause to consider the way in which the curriculum for the Early Years Foundation Stage has evolved over the course of the past decade, we can better understand the extent to which the home-school partnership represents the ideological backbone of the new active approach to young childrens learning and development. Unlike the national curriculum in the primary and secondary stages of the educational system, which is conceived of as a rigid framework where teachers and students must adhere to certain rules and regulations, the curriculum at the Foundation Stage is a much more amorphous concept where teachers and education practitioners have more leeway with regards to discerning the best way of improving learning and instigating development. Thus, the curriculum for the Foundation Stage is not defined by dictatorial rules; rather the curriculum for the Foundation Stage is underpinned by guiding principles which, in this instance, are understood as: a unique child , positive relationships, enabling environments, and learning and development. Each of these guiding principles is further augmented by four commitments that explain how these principles can be put into practice. (Department for Children, Schools and Families Website; first accessed 02.04.10) Examining the guiding principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework serves to bring to light some important points on both the perspective of parents and young childrens learning that are crucial to our understanding of the subject matter at hand. Firstly, it is clear that, in keeping with the shift towards a discernibly more active educational environment, young children are expected to learn and develop through doing, not merely through being told about themselves and the world in which they live by adults. Thus, we should, once again, underscore the significance of an active Early Years curriculum which focuses upon development, social interaction and play as much as language and cognitive development. This, in turn, has impacted upon the role of the adult within the learning and development of young children with a much greater emphasis placed upon adults as educational enablers charged with creating a learning culture in both the home and the school or day care enviro nment which, in conjunction with one other, can help to significantly and positively impact upon learning and development. By this we mean to state that, rather than passively transferring information to young children as a means of educating and developing them, adults working within the Early Years setting are expected to adopt a more involved, participatory role in the learning and development of young children. For instance, according to the Northern Ireland Curriculum Guidance notes, young children require adults who will treat them as individuals and sensitively participate in their play. (Miller, Cable and Devereux, 2005:96) In this way, therefore, the revised role of the adults as the key enablers within the broader context of young childrens learning and development represents the convergence of the four guiding principles for the Early Years Foundation Stage with the principles of a unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments, and learning and development all being underpinned by a new role ascribed to adults as facilitators within the new educational environment offering a decidedly more active approach to the Early Years curriculum underpinned by ideals relating to playing, moving and learning as a way of young children becoming better acquainted with the world and the society in which they live (Parker-Rees, 2007:13-24). It is under the auspices of these guiding principles for the Early Years Foundation Stage that the new home-school partnership has been championed with the key part to be played by parents being underscored time and again, as the following excerpt from the Departmen t for Education and Skills attests: Partnership with parents should be a key aspect of provision. Parents should be recognised as childrens first and enduring educators, and should be seen as key partners in supporting childrens learning and development. (Draper and Duffy, 2006:151) Understood in this way, the home and the epicentre of the private sphere that this represents is no longer seen as constituting a separate realm from the educational environment of the school and day care centres. Rather, understood in these terms, the home and the school appear to have been fused into one realm where children learn and develop through play and interaction with adults in both the school environment and the home. Parents, therefore, are interpreted as educators in the same sense as educational professionals which, has created fresh dilemmas for both parents and teachers seeking to construct a common ground upon which these new Early Years guiding principles can flourish (Nurse, 2007:9-19). As a result, it is prudent to turn our attention towards highlighting the true nature of the key problems and dilemmas of the partnership approach to learning and development within the Early Years context in order to understand how partnership in preschool education can be made mor e effective. In this way, we will be better able to comprehend the nature of the paradox that characterises the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private spheres. Making partnership effective: Obstacles to effective partnership Perhaps the greatest obstacle to championing an effective partnership approach to Early Years provision concerns the views of both the parents and educational professionals who are the key actors charged with responding to the vast, fundamental changes to education policy and social policy witnessed over the course of the past two decades. Put simply, it is clear that not all families and parents wish to be involved in partnership. Some families and parents will expect education professionals to perform the task of educating their children, keeping within the guidelines of the Early Years framework as is the case with children operating in the primary and secondary spheres. There are a number of reasons why this, quite logically, is the case. Firstly, we have to acknowledge the pressures upon working parents in the contemporary era where, with many mothers and fathers having full time jobs, parents do not feel as if they are able to make the time to take such an active role in the le arning and development of their children. Understood in this way, when parents drop their children off at day care centres, nurseries and other preschool institutions, they expect the education professionals working within these buildings to take care of all the important aspects of learning and development so that parents can get on with their own work commitments while at the same time getting on with the basics of parenting once they finish their jobs in the evening. The idea that the task of learning and development should be undertaken on a partnership basis with parents having to take on the role of educational enablers in addition to working appears as something of an anathema to many parents and families. Ultimately, this is a problem arising from the generational aspect of the vast array of education and social policy reforms enacted in the contemporary era whereby many parents assume that the conditions in which they were brought up remain the same at the present time. As a result, we have to underline the nature of the obstacle posited by a lack of perspective afforded to parents attempting to understand the new educational parameters dictating the pattern of Early Years provision at the dawn of the twenty first century. As Norman Gabriel observes, adults concepts of childhood are rooted and rigid; as such we have to be aware of the major obstacle to partnership manifest in the way in which parents think of the early years and preschool provision where conceptions of childhood harboured by adults are inherently difficult to change (Gabriel, 2007:59-69). We must, therefore, observe the dichotomy between traditional interpretations of early years learning and modern notions of early years learning and the way in which this threatens to undermine the partnership approach to Foundation Stage education in the contemporary era (Waller and Swann, 2009:32-40). The paradox of the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private spheres can therefore be seen to have been meted out in a practical level within the context of the partnership approach. Although, in theory, there exists fertile grounds upon which parents and education professionals can work together in order to improve the learning and development of young children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in practice there remain many obstacles to achieving a consensus between the public and the private spheres as they relate to the partnership between parents and education professionals. Overcoming the considerable divide between theory and practice remains one of the gr eat obstacles to achieving a harmonious, effective partnership during the Early Years Foundation Stage. We also have to take note of the other ways in which parents might be put off working with teachers and professionals within the context of the contemporary partnership approach to education and welfare provision. We should, for instance, bear in mind that many parents will naturally shy away from any involvement with any form of state and welfare services because of a previous history of neglect or incompetency. Some families and parents that have been involved in child protections proceedings, for example, are afraid of engaging in any kind of partnership approach to early years education because of the inherent possibility that their children could be taken away from them. A lack of trust on the part of some parents is therefore another major obstacle to attaining an effective relationship between the public and the private spheres. Furthermore, we must take due note of important social and cultural differences in contemporary multicultural society whereby diversity can negatively impact upon attempts at fostering an effective and harmonious partnership approach to education provision in the early years. Certain ethnic, racial and religious groups will not, for instance, be versed in the modern approach to child care provision championed in the vast majority of western post-industrial capitalist states and, as such, will not be prepared for the joint venture of learning and development that characterises the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. There are also a number of related issues to consider involving single mothers whereby much of the language and rhetoric surrounding the education and welfare reforms of the past two decades have been shrouded in problems pertaining to gender inequalities and socio-economic differences. As a result of all of these inter-related factors, we have to acknowledge the impl ications of diversity and difference upon Early Years Professionals (EYP) who will be faced with a variety of social, economic, cultural and political obstacles to partnership at a practical level (Tedam, 2009:111-122). Although policy makers might assume that, in theory, professionals and parents ought to understand the need to work together in order to raise educational standards, in practice there remains a considerable divide between the school place and the home which is mirrored in the vast differences in society at large. Overcoming these obstacles cannot be achieved solely via recourse to policy and principles; rather, education professionals and parents need to be able to find a common ground so as to put into practice some of the ethics and ideals talked about at a settings and policy making level. Thus, improved communication between parents and professionals represents the greatest opportunity of the new partnership approach to education provision and it is towards such a scenario that we ought to now turn our attention before necessarily attempting to formulate a conclusion as to what this means for parents within the context of young childrens learning and development. Fostering Good Communication We have already noted the chasm that exists between theory and practice when it comes to implementing the reforms to Early Years policy enacted over the course of the past two decades with parents and professionals having to work together, bringing together two very separate spheres of the private and the public sectors. The crux of the problem consequently relates to a lack of communication between the two spheres with parents in particular being wholly unsure as to the new guidelines and principles which form the backbone of contemporary Early Years policy. It is, therefore, up to the Early Years Professionals to better equip parents with the requisite knowledge they need to assist their understanding of the deep-seated changes that have occurred to education and indeed the whole concept of welfare provision at the dawn of the twenty first century. This increasing emphasis upon good communication as a means of bridging the divide between Early Years Professionals and parents has been addressed in a number of recent policy documents published by the New Labour governments departments. For instance, one of the key documents for the training and professional development of teachers and Early Years Professionals is the Common Core Skills and Knowledge for the Childrens Workforce (Department for Education and Skills, 2005), which observes at the point of introduction the significance of effective communication and engagement with children, young people, their families and carers. (Tarr, 2009:102). As a consequence, it is clear that fostering good communication between teachers and parents serves to narrow the divide between the private and the public spheres (Beckley, Elvidge and Hendry, 2009:53-63). This has been proven in a number of independent studies and surveys undertaken in recent years. A developmental project undertaken at the Pen Green Centre in Corby, England, for example, found that increased dialogue between professionals and parents from the outset directly and positively impacts upon the learning and development of children in the Early Years. Positive communication related to childrens achievements and learning served to erode some of the barriers that exist between families, carers and education professionals. The results suggest that rich and challenging dialogue can develop when early years practitioners work collaboratively with children and families and when, given the opportunity, parents demonstrated a deeper and more extended interest about their children and became more equal and active partners. (Einarsdottir and Gardarsdottir, 2009:200) Thus, it is evident that, as we outlined in the above chapter, effective partnership between the home and the school place can occur where parents are willing to engage in such a collaborative developmental scenario. Furthermore, it is evident that parents will be more likely to engage in the partnership approach to Early Years education when the teachers and professionals make parents and families feel as if they are equal, active partners as opposed to pupils being taught how to bring their children up (Beckley, Elvidge and Hendry, 2009:53-63). Thus, it is also clear that good communication and effective dialogue between education professionals and teachers is the key to achieving this more effective, harmonious partnership where parents feel as if they are playing an active role in their childrens learning and development. It is, therefore, crucial that Early Years Professionals instigate a dialogue with parents and families from the very beginning of the relationship. In this way , the partnership approach to development and learning can become normalised and routine. More importantly, parents, carers and families will not feel as if teachers and Early Years education practitioners are encroaching upon their own sphere of influence. Thus, the key to creating a more effective partnership approach to Early Years education rests not in perpetually merging the private and the public spheres; rather, success within the context of partnership rests upon adopting a fresh perspective where teachers retain influence in the classroom, parents retain influence at the home and where both parties can meet in an open manner in the territory that exists between the two. With this in mind, we must now turn our attention towards reaching a conclusion as to the changing role of parents within the context of young childrens learning and development. Conclusion We have seen how a fresh approach to welfare provision in the contemporary era has telegraphed a completely new ideology of education based upon a partnership approach with a bottoms-up policy of integration and accountability being championed at both a policy making and local level. This, in turn, has had a clear and identifiable impact upon the role of the parents as educational enablers with the previously private sphere of the home being opened up to the same curriculum and policy making objectives that serve to shape the school place. In this way, the role of the parent has become merged with the role of the Early Years Professional with both parties being charged with improving standards by working together to positively influence the learning and development of preschoolers. There are, however, obvious obstacles to achieving a harmonious partnership between parents and Early Years education practitioners with the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private spheres resulting in a discernible sense of paradox with regards to rights and responsibilities concerning the learning and development of young children. Parents and families still expect professionals to take care of the education of their young children while, conversely, teachers and practitioners are swamped within an avalanche of policy overkill that makes the day to day job of teaching increasingly difficult. Finding a lasting, durable common ground between these disparate spheres represents the greatest