Drunk Driving In 2012

Drunk Driving In 2012, 10,322 people were killed and approximately 345,000 were injured. Each crash, each death, each injury impacts not only the person in the crash, but family, friends, classmates, coworkers and more. Even those who have not been directly touched help pay the $132 billion yearly price tag of drunk driving. But together we can eliminate drunk driving. Americans take 233 billion trips in cars each year. Of those, about one out of every two thousand trips are taken by those who are driving under the influence of alcohol.Yet, almost one out of every three traffic deaths involve drunk driving. Texas leads the nation in drunk driving deaths with 1,213 people fatalities in 2011. In Texas 1,296 reWhen an intoxicated individual makes a decision to sit behind the wheel of an automobile and drive home, he endangers everyone on the road. This one decision, which may not seem important at the time, can have a crucial impact . When the choice whether or not to drive under the in fluence of alcohol faces a person, he often does not realize the consequences of his actions, and therefore makes an extremely uneducated decision.Many people believe that increasing fines for drunk driving offenders will play a significant part in the cutting down of driving under the influence. However, while stiffer DUI laws will look affective on paper, they will not make a substantial step in the fight against drunk driving. The only benefit of increased drunk driving fines goes to the law enforcement agency that collects the fines. Because the majority of DUI stops happen to individuals who do not believe that they have become drunk, a person who chooses to drive does not even consider the fine that he may receive, no matter the amount.If an intoxicated person believes that he has the ability to drive home safely, a new law passed by state representatives will not stop them. A state increasing its DUI fines, will not make the police notice a decline in the amount of drunken dr iving stops, nor a decreased amount of alcohol related accidents. The only change that would come from such an increase would come in a boost in state government funds pouring in from DUI offenders. While the fight against drunk driving seems to have no end, many other solutions exist besides the raising of fines.One such solution lies in education. If the general public becomes properly educated about the meaning of intoxication, they will have the ability to make a proper choice when it comes time to decide whether or not to drive home. An individual needs to know facts such as how many drinks it takes to push them above the legal blood alcohol limit to drive. The legal blood alcohol content in Kentucky stands at . 08. this means that if an officer stops a driver who’s blood alcohol content proves above .08, the officer recognizes this person as impaired, and can proceed with giving them a DUI.The public also needs to know consequences far more great than a simple fine, suc h as the risk you take of killing yourself or others when driving while impaired. Simply knowing certain facts about driving under the influence can become the difference between a person driving drunk and taking a cab home. The difference between life and death lies in this choice, so it should lie in the hands of an educated person, not someone who does not know the facts about drunk driving.Another factor that can affect a person’s decision to drive drunk comes with his friends. A person needs to possess enough common sense to not let someone who is obviously intoxicated sit behind the wheel. While a possible fine will not stop someone from driving drunk, a close friend telling them not to drive will prevent them from doing so. In order to stop an intent person who has decided that he wants to drive drunk, a friend must also prove intent in stopping them. The saying, â€Å"Friends don’t let friends drive drunk,† could not have any more accuracy.Many times, a person will use every excuse in the world to convince someone to let them drive. A true friend should never let someone drive drunk, no matter the circumstances. The fact remains true, that no matter what anyone does, whether increasing the punishment, or educating the public, we cannot completely solve the problem of drunk driving. â€Å"Preaching to me about the evils of drinking didn’t stop me though. † This quotation from â€Å"An Indian Story†, by Roger Jack, demonstrates the average person’s attitude towards alcohol.People posses their own determination and will do what they want to do, and this willpower becomes even stronger when alcohol enters the picture. Judgment becomes impaired, and a person’s decision making goes downhill. This fact alone contributes greatly to the fact that people will always drive drunk, no matter what anyone does. Although nothing can totally prevent drunk driving, certain steps such as the education of not only th e potential driver, but his friends as well, can play a significant role.The increase in fines, however, would prove completely ineffective and have no impact whatsoever on the amount of drunk driving that takes place. People simply do not consider the legal punishment when making the decision to drive while intoxicated. Knowing that consequences can go so much further that an easy fine and even be as serious as death, however, may sway someone’s choice. The prevention of drunk driving does not lie in legislation, but in education.Educated people make educated decisions, and educated people will not make the decision to drive drunk. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on Drunk Driving topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost presen ting 38% of all total traffic deaths, a 7% increase from last year. ï » ¿Drunk Driving In 2012 10,322 people were killed and approximately 345,000 were injured. Each crash, each death, each injury impacts not only the person in the crash, but family, friends, classmates, coworkers and more. Even those who have not been directly touched help pay the $132 billion yearly price tag of drunk driving. But together we can eliminate drunk driving. Americans take 233 billion trips in cars each year. Of those, about one out of every two thousand trips are taken by those who are driving under the influence of alcohol.Yet, almost one out of every three traffic deaths involve drunk driving. Texas leads the nation in drunk driving deaths with 1,213 people fatalities in 2011. In Texas 1,296 reWhen an intoxicated individual makes a decision to sit behind the wheel of an automobile and drive home, he endangers everyone on the road. This one decision, which may not seem important at the time, can have a crucial impact.When the choice whether or not to drive under the influence of alcohol faces a person, he often does not realize the consequences of his actions, and therefore makes an extremely uneducated decision. Many people believe that increasing fines for drunk driving offenders will play a significant part in the cutting down of driving under the influence. However, while stiffer DUI laws will look affective on paper, they will not make a substantial step in the fight against drunk driving.The only benefit of increased drunk driving fines goes to the law enforcement agency that collects the fines. Because the majority of DUI stops happen to individuals who do not believe that they have become drunk, a person who chooses to drive does not even consider the fine that he may receive, no matter the amount. If an intoxicated person believes that he has the ability to drive home safely, a new law passed by state representatives will not stop them.A state increasing its DUI fines, will not make the police notice a decline in the amount of drunken driving stops, nor a decrea sed amount of alcohol related accidents. The only change that would come from such an increase would come in a boost in state government funds pouring in from DUI offenders.While the fight against drunk driving seems to have no end, many other solutions exist besides the raising of fines. One such solution lies in  education. If the general public becomes properly educated about the meaning of intoxication, they will have the ability to make a proper choice when it comes time to decide whether or not to drive home. An individual needs to know facts such as how many drinks it takes to push them above the legal blood alcohol limit to drive. The legal blood alcohol content in Kentucky stands at .08. this means that if an officer stops a driver who’s blood alcohol content proves above .08, the officer recognizes this person as impaired, and can proceed with giving them a DUI.The public also needs to know consequences far more great than a simple fine, such as the risk you take of killing yourself or others when driving while impaired. Simply knowing certain facts about driving under the influence can become the difference between a person driving drunk and taking a cab home. The difference between life and death lies in this choice, so it should lie in the hands of an educated person, not someone who does not know the facts about drunk driving.Another factor that can affect a person’s decision to drive drunk comes with his friends. A person needs to possess enough common sense to not let someone who is obviously intoxicated sit behind the wheel. While a possible fine will not stop someone from driving drunk, a close friend telling them not to drive will prevent them from doing so. In order to stop an intent person who has decided that he wants to drive drunk, a friend must also prove intent in stopping them. The saying, â€Å"Friends don’t let friends drive drunk,† could not have any more accuracy. Many times, a person will use every excuse in the world to convince someone to let them drive. A true friend should never let someone drive drunk, no matter the circumstances.The fact remains true, that no matter what anyone does, whether increasing the punishment, or educating the public, we cannot completely solve the problem of drunk driving. â€Å"Preaching to me about the evils of drinking didn’t stop me though.† This quotation from â€Å"An Indian Story†, by Roger Jack, demonstrates the average person’s attitude towards alcohol. People posses their own determination and will do what they want to do, and this willpower becomes even stronger when alcohol enters the picture. Judgment becomes impaired, and a person’s decision making goes downhill. This fact  alone contributes greatly to the fact that people will always drive drunk, no matter what anyone does.Although nothing can totally prevent drunk driving, certain steps such as the education of not only the potential driver, b ut his friends as well, can play a significant role. The increase in fines, however, would prove completely ineffective and have no impact whatsoever on the amount of drunk driving that takes place. People simply do not consider the legal punishment when making the decision to drive while intoxicated. Knowing that consequences can go so much further that an easy fine and even be as serious as death, however, may sway someone’s choice. The prevention of drunk driving does not lie in legislation, but in education. Educated people make educated decisions, and educated people will not make the decision to drive drunk.You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on Drunk Driving topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost presenting 38% of all tota l traffic deaths, a 7% increase from last year.1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 413 277 342 515 457 431 501 408 281 351 404 350DUI Arrests GradeC47 people per 10,000 are arrested for DUI in Victoria County, TX County annuallyIn Texas 59 out of 10,000 are arrested for DUI each year

Animal Welfare

Nicole Stengel ENG 122-009 Lawless, Caprice 04/ 11/12 Thesis Confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) are more commonly known as factory farms in the United States and are this country’s primary source of animal food products. Mass production of meat in The U. S. has continued to increase industrialization of itself for over the course of a century. As technology within factory farms advances, efficiency increases; profit is the primary goal in mind for these industrial owners.In the 19th century, industrialization of CAFO’s thrived in efficiency and profits with new procedures that divide labor duties, cut expenses and decreased interaction between workers and livestock (Purcell, 61). The most primary difference between CAFO’s and local farming is that CAFO’s are corporately owned, confining hundreds of thousands of animals in small spaces at one time, reducing labor expenses and necessity for land ownership (An Encyclopedia of Issues). Local fa rms are more traditional having an appropriate ratio of livestock to workers.These livestock are less likely to suffer from neglect, abuse or unethical slaughter procedures. The tactics of meat production within CAFO’s such as the forklift and assembly lines, as well as controlled growth rates are least concerned with animal welfare and most concerned with profit as well as production efficiency. The establishers of this industry have been able to increase profits substantially by technological advancements as such devices and the use of growth hormones in livestock to obtain a fortune of income for themselves.Unfortunately, the fortune the establishers continue to earn is handed to them at a detrimental cost to three areas of importance: a) Animal Suffering b) Consumer Health c) Environmental Hazards Animal Suffering Slaughter processes are very brutal within CAFO’s and are usually long lasting in terms of suffering. CAFO livestock are exposed to neglect, abuse, physi cal mutilation and psychological trauma. Most livestock agriculture within CAFO’s are so closely compacted next to each other in tiny cages, they catch diseases from living in each other’s bodily wastes(In-text note).They live in sickly environmental conditions, they do not leave their cages and never see the light of day-except, perhaps when being transported to slaughter. One procedure that occurs prior to slaughter common in CAFO’s is known as, â€Å"stunning† where cows are shot by a metal bolt to the head. Hogs are stricken with an electrical jolt. This, in all is to shock the livestock subject unconscious. However, terrified cows and hogs who attempt inhibition of this process are often left partially, or even completely conscious.Nevertheless, meat production does not slow down at the sake of one subject. The subject will be preceded to slaughter regardless of whether it is conscious or not (Freeman, 66). Chickens, however, were exempted from the H umane Slaughter Act from the stunning process. Instead, they are paralyzed by the dragging of their heads along underwater pools with electrical charges. After they are paralyzed (and fully conscious), they are continued through the slaughter process on machinery that boils them alive and/or chops their heads off consecutively on a fast paced line (Freeman, 78).Calves are kept confined in small crates tied up by their limbs and necks to keep them from moving in order to keep their muscles premature and their meat tender. Meanwhile, their diets are maintained deficient in iron to keep the color of their skin pale. The harsh conditions exposed to calves are willfully condemned upon them by farm operators as a mechanism to obtain a specific taste in the meat. It is not surprising that when compared to all diseases that spread among livestock in CAFO’s, calves are the most susceptible to fatality. Calve deaths range from 15-20% in most â€Å"successful† factory farm operat ions.Other than iron deficiency and confinement, this fatality for calves is also caused by their stress of separation from their mothers (Mason 25). `CAFO’s also process animals are through â€Å"skinning machinery† at fast paces. (Purcell, 71). Regardless as to whether the animal is conscious or not, the fast paces of machinery such as this leaves no time between subjects for any concern for animal welfare. Costs to Public Health On a secondary note, mass production of meat is linked to the spread of salmonellosis and mad cow disease to consumers (Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics).It also contributes to a lack of resistance to antibiotic bacterial infections in consumers because factory farmed animals are fed high doses of antibiotics. Heart disease and stroke are also associated with diets high in meat intake (Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics), especially that of poor quality. Controlled growth rates by the use of hormones such as estrogen and testostero ne in livestock also play a role in public health hazards, in addition to mechanisms for profit and industrialization. The average U. S. citizen consumes 607 pounds of animal products yearly.Many nutritionists believe USDA Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee to be excessive in protein anyway (Mason, 113). Animal sources of protein are rich in cholesterol and polyunsaturated fat. Consider this, The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world. Our food guide pyramid is much different from other parts of the world with nutrition habits clinically proven to be more beneficial, such as the Mediterranean Diet. According to Andrea Cespedes in a comparison between the two pyramids, protein portions are much larger for a daily value recommendation on the USDA chart when compared to that of the Mediterranean’s. Nuts and seeds, as well as beans, are grouped with meats, poultry and fish. Nuts and seeds are not foundation foods for the USDA pyramid† (Cespedes). Fi sh are rich in polyunsaturated fat, an essential fatty acid to the body. It is not surprising that the USDA Food Pyramid puts a stronger emphasis on animal proteins than the Mediterranean Pyramid, requiring some of them to be served in school lunch programs-many USDA Reps are financially tied to the meat industry! In 1998, the USDA elected six representatives out of eleven onto the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Freeman, 98).These fattening meats infused with growth hormones (testosterone or estrogen) that are recommended for children may be a reasonable explanation for peculiar bra sizes and premature sweating in some young girls. Technological upgrades and new mechanisms of industrialization also play a large role in the CAFO costs to consumer health. Upgrades are used to cut expenses and to increase product quantities in order to increase profits for the industries. Purcell demonstrates a strong example of this concept. †¦Mechanization of slaughterhouse facilities, wh ich made killing a rapid, iecemeal, impersonal process. The knocker alone would confront live animals and quickly send them down the line as immobile carouses. Divided labor meant a series of discrete and relatively simple tasks for the largely unskilled and poorly paid immigrant workers (Purcell, 62). Procedures as such, indeed are the mechanisms that make the mass production of meat a multi-billion dollar industry accounting for unjust and dangerous working conditions for slaughterhouse workers and hazards to the health for consumers of these products. Costs to the EnvironmentOn a third note, CAFO’s inflict a variety of hazards to the environment. Animal waste is absorbed into the ground and distributes pollution to water. The consumption of electricity in CAFO’s is extremely demanding. Greenhouse gases that emit into the air from these establishments warm the earth deteriorating the atmosphere. According to the Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics, over 8 billion animals are slaughtered in CAFO’s every year. This generates 1. 4 billion tons of manure-which is 130 times more than humans produce in an equal time period.Excessive animal waste seeps into waters polluting living environments for fish and the water sources the public drinks from. Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide and is most commonly produced by farm animals (Brickman). Excessive emissions from gases as such heat the earth, destroying ecosystems and lead us in the direction of global warming. Fossil fuel is another leading cause of Global Warming (Campbell, 1239) and is released in excess from high energy usage of CAFO’s. Although J.Patrick Boyle, President and CEO of the American Meat Institute (AMI) assured Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (AHSUS), â€Å"The AMI is an ethically appropriate organization as the entire establishment is committed to the welfare of animals,† evidence provided by Pacelle supported that CAFO livestock are beaten and tortured to death (qtd in Clemmit. ) According to Pacelle, from his testimony before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture in 2008, a staff member of the AHSUS had been andomly selected to investigate the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. in Southern California under-cover as a factory worker. Pacelle had not been surprised by the report he had received back from the investigator. He filmed workers ramming cows with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them in the eyes, applying painful electric shocks to sensitive areas, dragging them with chains pulled by heavy machinery and torturing them with a high pressure water hose to stimulate drowning, all in attempts to force crippled animals to walk to slaughter. Shortly after this investigation, AHSUS discovered, â€Å"Hallmark/Westland had been previously cited for mishandling animals. Incidents as such, accounting for animal abuse and suffering are common among CAFO†™s across the United States and it is clear the USDA and the AMI could strive for a higher quality conditions of life for livestock. The AMI is not concerned with life quality-only industrialization efficiency. The USDA does not hold regulatory requirements firm enough to regulate adequate life quality for livestock in CAFO’s. J.Patrick Boyle of the AMI claims, â€Å"The AMI seek not only to meet the regulatory requirements but to exceed them† (Qtd. in Clemmitt)). Unfortunately, USDA does not regulate frequently enough to ensure such a deal. Most commonly, the USDA is aware of animal suffering and inadequate living conditions provided for them. The AHSUS investigator reported that, during his undercover investigation, an agent from the USDA visited the establishment. He claimed, â€Å"the agent was present twice daily in the living area-which he merely noted animals who could not stand yet approved the rest for slaughter. It may have been appropriate for the USDA re presentative to investigate these animals in greater depth after the sighting of sick and injured livestock. It is clear that the responsibility for animal welfare should not be left in hands of the AMI or the USDA-their standards for animal welfare are not adequate enough. The AMI has far too many animals to care-take each one individually and the USDA is not present frequently enough to regulate already low standards.After all, the primary responsibility of the USDA is food, not animal welfare. Livestock agriculture is in dire need of regulatory welfare requirements that will protect their well being adequately instead of minimally. In addition, it also needs inspectors who will enforce these regulations firmly as the AMI is solely in the business for the sake of profit; not animal welfare. As of now, regulatory inspections of CAFO’s are not performed with the carefulness necessary to ensure a quality way of life for livestock. J.Patrick Boyle of the AMI stands that the mea t industry provides adequate living for livestock and there is no need for additional welfare standards within CAFO’s. Proven numerous times, requirements are often not met and regulators are dis-concerned with the matter. Something more must be done to increase animal welfare requirements for livestock agriculture. Conclusion Establishers of CAFO’s are only concerned with industrialization and profit; their livestock is abused, neglected and they suffer slow, painful deaths.Livestock growth control is another method of industrialization, deigned for profit at the cost of health for animals and consumers. CAFO’s exhibit severe environmental hazards such as global warming from greenhouse gases and pollution from animal use in addition to excess animal waste. Low quality meat-a product of mass production spreads diseases. It is the responsibility of USDA affiliates to regulate these conditions. However, this responsibility should be taken far more seriously by inc rease of welfare requirements and inspections that are performed more frequently as well as efficiently.

Comparing Linear Graphs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparing Linear Graphs - Essay Example However, in case of linear inequality graph, there will be more than one (infinite) value of y for one value of x. A linear equation graph can be easily plotted if some points (x, y) are known. Similarly, a linear inequality graph can be plotted if the points for linear equation of the linear inequality are known. The above two examples of linear equation and linear inequality have same expression (only difference is = and ≠¤ or ≠¥) and therefore can be plotted (graphed) similarly. If there are several linear equations than they can be plotted by choosing different colors, line types and size. Similarly, if there is more than one linear inequality (various supply and demand graphs) than for each linear inequality different types of color and shades can be used for differencing them. In addition, intersection (combined shaded area) of all the linear inequality will be solution area (for supply and demand graphs) and the points of intersection of linear inequality will be the break-even

Project and Programme Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Why are big projects often complete late and out of budget Essay

Why are big projects often complete late and out of budget - Essay Example uth Wales Labor Government ran an international competition for a design for a complex including 2 main halls, a restaurant and meeting rooms with 234 architects from 9 countries submitting designs. An extraordinarily ambitious design by Jorn Utzon was initially rejected by an assessment committee, however, respected Finnish architect Eero Saarinon convinced them to change their minds and Utzon was awarded the prize. Before The Opera House, Utzon had won 7 of eight competitions he had entered but not one of his designs was ever built. It was estimated that construction would take 5 years and would cost A$7 million. The â€Å"Opera House Lottery† was born in 1958 as an extra source of funding before construction had begun. The original completion date was set down for 26th January, 1963 (Australia Day) and it didnt reach completion until 1973, 10 years late and the costs had blown out to A$103 million, 14 times over budget. Because of the complexities of his design, Utzon, was aware that technical problems would arise and as advanced technology that was not yet available would be needed to address these problems. He pleaded that he had not yet fully completed the design for the structure and asked for more time to tackle these problems, however his request was denied with the government fearing that funding and public opinion would turn against them and construction began in 1959, two years ahead of Utzons schedule. The lack of preparation had immediate consequences and many structural issues remained unsolved. With unexpected difficulties such as bad weather and the inability to have a suitable avenue for rain water to be diverted along with the fact that appropriate construction drawings had not been drafted, work was already running 47 weeks behind schedule. The roof of the Opera House was to be formed with a series of precast concrete shells and covered with Swedish made white glazed tiles. It was discovered, after the monumental Grand Podium, with its

Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case analysis - Essay Example In St Amos Hospital, culture and ethics were closely related with the provision of extensive initiatives to employees. It is for this reason that absenteeism has never been a problem for the company despite the difficulties and the tension that characterize the specific sector. However, the problem of the missing linen proved to be the beginning for the decrease of the firm’s performance due to the measures introduced for its investigation. More specifically, because of the increase of shortages in linen, the hospital administrator, Paul Seay sent two memos to the night nursing director Jean McDuff. The first of these memos was rather general proposing just a few changes to the existed work framework (proposals included the observation of handling of linen and the report of any irregularity). However, the second memo was too difficult to be followed and as a result many of the employees working in the night shift were either resigned or asked to be removed to the morning shift . On the other hand, absenteeism that had never been a problem became frequent. In general, the performance of the hospital was radically decreased for the period followed the application of the second memo. It could be stated that the strategies proposed by the firm’s manager, specifically the hospital administrator, where not appropriate in accordance with the extension and the nature of the particular problem. This assumption can be supported by the fact that the application of the measures suggested by Paul Seay led gradually to the decrease of the employees’ performance specifically regarding the night shift in the above hospital. For this reason, the turbulences occurred in the organizational culture and the ethics applied throughout the specific organization could be regarded as a normal consequence of the measures proposed in order to face the problem of the shortage of linen. The firm’s

Leadership Capabilities Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Capabilities Assignment - Essay Example To succeed in today’s workplace and achieve a successful career goal, leadership skill is essential. This exercise has enabled me to understand my capability as a leader and see which areas I need to work on more to become a better, more effective leader. The first step of this exercise was to take a number of tests (questionnaires) that revealed my true leadership skill. Based on these skills, I created a leadership profile for myself, recognizing the styles I am most likely to use when in a leading position. Finally, I have identified key strengths and weak areas, based on which I have created a doable recommendations plan for myself. Results of Leadership Questionnaires 1. Leadership Traits Questionnaire The first questionnaire tested my leadership traits: fourteen important leadership traits have been indentified in this test and I was required to ask others (mostly friends and acquaintances) to rate me on those traits, followed by a self rating. The results compared my se lf-rating with the average rating that others gave me. Trait Raters    Self Rating 1 2 3 4 5 Average Articulate 2 3 5 4 3 3.4 5 Perceptive 4 3 5 3 4 3.8 2 Self confident 3 3 5 4 3 3.6 5 Self assured 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 Persistent 5 3 5 4 5 4.4 4 Determined 5 3 5 4 4 4.2 4 Trustworthy 5 4 4 5 3 4.2 4 Dependable 4 5 5 4 4 4.4 5 Friendly 3 5 5 5 5 4.6 5 Outgoing 4 5 5 4 5 4.6 5 Conscientious 5 5 4 5 5 4.8 5 Diligent 4 5 5 4 5 4.6 5 Sensitive 4 4 5 5 4 4.4 5 Emphatic 4 5 5 5 3 4.4 5 My self-rating and the average rating by others had a margin of  ±0.6 points on eleven of the traits, including outgoing, emphatic, sensitive and dependable. The ratings perfectly matched only once for self-assured. However, there were marked differences in three traits: for articulate and self-confident, my self-rating was 5 (highest possible), whereas the average scores given by others were 3.4 and 3.6, which fall in the average category. On the other hand, my self-rating for perceptive was 2, whereas others gave me an average score of 3.8 on this specific trait, markedly higher than my self-perception. Based on the results, I realize that most of my perceptions about my leadership traits are similar to what others think of me. 2. Skills Inventory The second test was for Skills inventory which measures three important leadership skills in a person, namely technical, human and conceptual skills. Based on my answers, my scores were: Skill Score Technical 19 Human 12 Conceptual 21 My scores for conceptual and technical skills are significantly higher than the score on my human skills. It is important to mention that in lower management, technical and human skills are most important. In middle level management all three are of equal importance. In upper level management, technical skills aren’t as important as human and conceptual skills. Based on the test results and this interpretation, I have a weakness in human skill. Human skill is one key skill that is required at every phase in one’s career as well as personal relationships. This area represents a key weakness that I need to proactively work on. 3. Style Questionnaire The style questionnaire tested which leadership style I predominantly use between task and relationship styles. Style Score Range Task 42 High Relationship 43 High My scores for both styles ranked ‘high’, displaying my tendency to use a combination of the styles with emphasis on both tasks and relationships. I prefer to

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

Sherlok - Essay Example Jams Watson, I feel taken a back into the 19th century, which I believe had the most intelligent human beings. Holmes’ intelligence is intertwined in his epic stoicism, sharp humour and encyclopaedic memory. I would like to focus on the plot because; the development of this story is boring. It is until one reads a number of the adventures that, the flow is realized. Holmes’s character and purpose in the adventures is realized when connecting the themes of all the Adventures and this is the sole reason of focusing on the plot of this piece of literary work. The part, when a helpless client enters to explain his mind on the determination of his case by the police. The presence of both the narrator and Holmes in the house and the subsequent events, that saw the narrator express his feeling of elucidating the most singular case, is a critical section in describing the narrator. It indicates his thinking ability, royalty and sincerity. I will like to talk about the time or periods, when the two primary characters carry out investigation of a case and take pleasure after work well done. For the case of investigation, I enjoy following Holmes apt investigative skills and the skilful ultimate interpretation (Arthur, 19). The second experience, the two characters enjoy by drinking and smoking. This indicates the other side of the two characters during leisure time. They do all sorts of things in a bid to enjoy themselves. The first experience benefits me, particularly when trying to imagine Holmes’ natural skills of investigation and solving cases (Arthur, 25). On the other hand, the second experience did not benefit me because of the reckless drinking and smoking, which indicates the bad side of the two

Populaur Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Populaur Culture - Essay Example According to Carroll and Buchholtz (8), pluralism refers to the â€Å"diffusion of power among society’s many groups and organizations.† Typically, it is characterized by â€Å"decentralization and diversity of power concentration† (ibid.). In the political scenario, the rise of the political parties implies the acceptance of pluralism. Likewise, in the education system, the abolition of racial segregation in schools has opened the system to diversity and multicultural education (Connolly 23). Similarly, the face of entertainment includes artists coming from different cultural backgrounds such as Jacky Chan, Jennifer Lopez, Psy, Charice Pempengco, and many others. Pluralism has given a voice to the minority, abolished racial discrimination, and opened better economic possibilities for the U.S. Given its advantages, pluralism should be cultivated further. Schools, being the most legitimate source of knowledge and values, should act as the main agent to promote plu ralism but is it doing its part to address problems of diversity at all levels? Looking at curriculum content, values and resources will definitely provide a view whether the school is doing its part in promoting pluralism. The absence of non-discriminatory content does not mean the teaching of pluralism. ... This direction illustrates the effort of developing awareness of other cultures. However, limiting the discussion to only two countries in Asia is not be enough to achieve pluralism. Readings and first-hand experiences with different cultures from different continents should be done to achieve awareness and acceptance of diversity. In the meantime, Florida’s Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies uphold diversity by leading students to understand different perspectives and cultures. Lesson objectives express this requirement; however, the reading selections mostly include American and British works. Indeed, there is a need to review the recommended readings and include works by authors from other continents in order to satisfy the requirement for diversity. In terms of values, schools that practice diversity should include an expression of means to accommodate diversity in their Core Values. Looking at different School Values cou ld give light to the issue. For instance, in the website of St. Joseph’s College, a school located in Rensselaer Indiana, the Mission/Vision expresses that â€Å"the College serves a diverse student body composed of men and women of all races, creeds, and socio-economic backgrounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This statement recognizes the diversity of students but is not enough to imply the effort of the school to promote pluralism. Further review of the core values illustrates the intent to hone attitudes towards Christian formation, particularly that which stems from â€Å"Judeo-Christian and Graeco-Roman traditions and from Vatican II inspiration.† In this regard, the Mission/Vision of the school implies the acceptance of students from diverse cultures but along

Spectrophotometry Essay Example for Free

Spectrophotometry Essay Potassium permanganate (KMnO_4) is commonly used as an oxidizing agent and in this experiment, it is used as both the titrant and indicator. A standard of potassium permanganate solution was prepared and computed to be 0. 02235 M and was used to titrate a sulfuric acid solution wherein the sample salt was dissolved. The solution was heated to 90Â °C then titrated until a light pink colored solution was obtained. The experiment focused on determining the percentage of Sodium oxalate (Na2C2O4) in the sample and at the end of the experiment it was found to contain 49. 45%. Experiment 9 focuses on determining the different concentrations of potassium permanganate solutions by finding its absorbance through the use of spectrophotometer. Four known concentrations were prepared; 2. 5 x ? 10? ^(-3) M, 6. 25 x ? 10? ^(-4) M, 1. 25 x ? 10? ^(-4) M, 6. 25 x ? 10? ^(-4) M. The solutions were placed on the spectrophotometer to determine absorbance together with the unknown. Distilled water was placed before each trial to ensure the accuracy of results. Determining the concentration of the unknown sample was done by drawing a graph of the concentration against the absorbance and was found to be Introduction Spectrophotometry is a method to measure how much a chemical substance absorbs light by measuring the intensity of light as a beam of light passes through sample solution. The basic principle is that each compound absorbs or transmits light over a certain range of wavelength. This measurement can also be used to measure the amount of a known chemical substance. Spectrophotometry is one of the most useful methods of quantitative analysis in various fields such as chemistry, physics, biochemistry, material and chemical engineering and clinical applications. A spectrophotometer is an instrument that measures the amount of photons (the intensity of light) absorbed after it passes through sample solution. With the spectrophotometer, the amount of a known chemical substance (concentrations) can also be determined by measuring the intensity of light detected.

Consistency In Nicomachean Ethics Philosophy Essay

Consistency In Nicomachean Ethics Philosophy Essay There is a seeming lack of consistency in Nicomachean Ethics on what is required for human happiness. In the beginning of the book, Aristotle stated that, happiness requires both complete virtue and a complete life (Book I, 1100a), suggesting that happiness require all virtuous activities and all external goods that people pursue. However, further, in Book X of Nicomachean Ethics, he stated that contemplation is the only essence of human happiness as his argument develops. These two interpretations then are called the inclusivist and the intellectual interpretations respectively. There is much contradiction on Aristotles account, more specifically, Aristotle thinks that all kinds of virtue and external goods are what is required for happiness while in the same book, he claims that excellence in intellectual activity, namely contemplation is the only way to true happiness (the flourishing eudaimonic life). This disagreement makes his comments on happiness in Book I and Book X seem disconnected in a parallel fashion. In this essay, I would like to conclude that the way to make sense of Aristotles account (if not to reconcile the contradiction) on what is required for human happiness is to emphasis the human nature of happiness and to exclude the possibility for human to achieve the contemplating happiness and embrace the inclusivist interpretation to an extent. What is required for happiness will only be clear if we understand what happiness is, therefore, we shall discuss the meaning of Happiness Aristotle refers to. Firstly, we put aside this inclusivist/ intellectualist debate for a while, and investigate what Aristotle claims to be necessary for happiness. The word happiness Aristotle used in Greek is ÃŽÂ µÃƒ ¡Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ´ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± (eudaimonia), which may differ from peoples understanding of the English word happiness nowadays. On Aristotles account, happiness is not a state as contemporary common people would think, most people from a modern western background are most likely to answer what is happiness by telling what they regard as important and fulfilling in lives, or what makes them feel happy, e.g. having wealth, health, family etc., or simply the sensation of gratification as an enjoyable subjective state of mind. However Aristotle characterised it in terms of an activity, which can be interpreted as a way of living, a lifestyle. This is found at the beginning of Book X (1176a34): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Happiness is not a state. For it were, someone might have it and yet be asleep for his whole life, living the life of a plant, or suffer the greatest misfortunes. If we do not approve of this, we count happiness as an activity rather than a state. For him, it is the ultimate goal of human lives. He develops his case as followed: Since every sort of knowledge and decision pursues some goodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ What is the highest of all the goods pursued in action? (1095a15) He answered that happiness is this highest of all goods pursued by people, even though that different people may have different ideas about happiness and in action and have different approaches to acquire it. He gives examples to illustrate this, the common people pursue the life of gratification, the politically cultivated pursue honour, etc. but they all do it in order to pursue happiness eventually. Then, Aristotle claims that humans telos, i.e. final goal and aim is to pursue happiness. It is a universal telos which all human actions aim at because all human actions are aimed implicitly and explicitly at it. It is a self-sufficient good that all who pursue it will have no further need and lack nothing. Happiness more than anything else seems unconditionally complete, since we always choose it because of itself, never because of something elseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Honour, pleasure, understanding and every virtue we certainly we certainly choose because of themselves, since we also choose them for the sake of happiness, supposing that through them we shall be happy. Happiness, by contrast, no one ever choose for their sake or for the sake of anything else at all. (1097b) He then progresses, stating that happiness requires living according to virtues, in Book I , Now we take the human function to be certain kind of life, and take this life to be the souls activity and actions that express reason .The function of man is to live a certain kind of life, and this activity implies a rational principle, and the function of a good man is the good and noble performance of these, and if any action is well performed it is performed in accord with the appropriate excellence: if this is the case, then happiness turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. (1098a13) Aristotle then speaks of function of a human being, and he suggested that humans have a special function that other organisms do not share, that is having the gift of reason. The human function is the souls activity that expresses reason. (1098a )Therefore, the good humans aim at should be the excellence in reason, which is what is required for happiness. As happiness is a way of living, the most ideal, best and ultimate way of living that people pursue will be happiness. In order to achieve human happiness, i.e. having the most ideal life, Aristotle then concluded: And if there are more virtues than one, the good will express the best and most complete virtue. Since he earlier mentioned understanding is the best virtue, this seems to lend support for the intellectualist view. However, then, rather abruptly, later in Book I, he added: Nonetheless, happiness evidently also needs external goods to be added , as we said, since we cannot, or cannot easily do fine action if we lack the resources.(1099a) Many take what Aristotle mentioned in Book I into account (and parts in Book X seem to lend support to the inclusivist view too). However in my opinion, Aristotles suggestion that the whole range of virtue is required does not fully make logical sense in the whole Nicomachean Ethics, rather, it appears to be an added comment to make his argument more relevant to real-life. On the other hand, there is the intellectualist view that interprets the happiness, the human telos, consists of one single virtuous intellectual activity: contemplation. Most support can be found in Book X. If happiness, then, is activity expressing virtue, it is reasonable for it to express the supreme virtue, which will be the virtue of the best thing. The best is understandingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and to understand what is fine and divine, by being itself either divine or the most divine element in us. Hence complete happiness will be its activity expressing its proper virtue; and we have said that this activity is the activity of study.(1177a11) Interestingly, J.M. Cooper originally in his book Reason And Human Good in Aristotle (1975) supported this theory however he later changed his opinion. Heinaman criticised his deflection, suggesting that he made an unsuccessful defence. Cooper changed to the intellectualist view, he suggests an interpretation to avoid inconsistency between the contradictions found in Books I and X, his attempt does not treat Aristotles view in Book X as agreeing that intellect person with vicious morality can be happy. Since happiness without moral virtues can still be achieved if intellectual activity is the only necessity. Cooper tried to reconcile this contradiction in his interpretation, since Book I suggests that all kinds of virtuous activities are required, while Book X denies that all kinds of virtuous behaviour but especially intellectual activity are required for happiness. Heinaman criticised that by making activity with a kinship to divine activity sufficient for happiness in Book X, he ( J.M. Cooper) commits Aristotle to happiness for the morally vicious thinker, since human intellectual activity on its own has a greater kinship to divine activity than morally virtuous action on its own Also, Thomas Nagel noticed this indecision on Aristotles account and concludes that Aristotle is tempted by the intellectualist account. Inevitably, a conflict arises as evidence for both sides is found in Aristotles text. However, if the function argument he has made stands, there should not be other things rather than doing what the most excellent human being should be doing, i.e. contemplating. Therefore it may seem like a contradiction within Aristotles argument, that whether contemplation is the only thing required. A reconciliation can be hard to achieve in my opinion, we infer that Aristotle on the one hand recognise a life of contemplation as the most ideal happy life, while he also realises without external goods a life cannot be sustained.(1178b34) On the other hand, he suggest only contemplation is required. However, if we take the affinity to divinity into account, we may suggest that human happiness, (not divine) require external goods as well as the intellectual activities. If we draw a distinct line between human happiness and general happiness (in the more theoretical and divine sense), the question can be answered better. Aristotle asserted that the function of something must be what is should be good at, so humans function should be reasoning since the ideal human should engage in intellectual activity (contemplation), this reasoning of his is drawn by the comparison to carpenters and architects, that their function would be crafting and building, however, he neglected the fact that both carpenters and architects are human, and human would share the actions of plants and animals ( the action of living, pleasure-seeking etc.). Also, divinity is shared by humans when it comes to reasoning and thinking, however humans are not completely divine, having all the earthly desires and need s. Therefore, following this line of argument, I would conclude that human happiness would include living according to all virtues that human are able to take part in. Since the contemplating happiness is the form of eudaimonia that bears more reminiscence of the realm of divinity, it is not possible that human can achieve it completely, especially without external goods. Therefore, taking account of human nature, the kind of happiness is the only possibility for us. Hence, in my view, as the result of the discussion, it would be more appropriate to agree with the inclusivist view that human happiness on Aristotles account requires a life with accordance to the full range of virtues and their supporting external goods.

The Fundamental Caring Skill of Blood Pressure recording Using an Appro

The fundamental caring skill that was chosen to demonstrate knowledge and understanding within a reflective framework was recording blood pressure. Blood pressure was chosen because it is a critical physiological function and a fundamental indicator of well being (Fullbrook 1993). It is an important and vital observation, in that it allows early therapeutic intervention should a patient’s status change (Fullbrook 1993). This essay will also demonstrate an understanding of best practice for the theory of blood pressure measurement of the patient. The factors which can influence different results in the measuring of blood pressure. In a model of reflection to aid the reflective process Gibbs (1998) was chosen. Before placement started we were given books for Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC 2004) code of professional conduct, and the NMC (2004) guide for students of nursing and midwifery. This gave me the guidelines and knowledge for my accountability and confidentiality. Marieb (1998) suggests that Blood Pressure may be defined as the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries in which it is contained. Differences in blood pressure between different areas of the circulation provide the driving force that keeps the blood moving through the body. Blood pressure is measured for one of two reasons, firstly to determine the patients blood pressure as a baseline prior to admission and secondly to monitor fluctuations within the blood pressure. Blood flow is defined as a volume of blood flowing from the heart through a vessel at any given time. Blood flow is equivalent to cardiac output. Resistance to the cardiac output is the opposit... ...the procedure for taking blood pressure helps to understand the theory behind the practice. To conclude my essay the skill of recording blood pressure is a vital one for the nurse, as we can not always rely on having electronic equipment to hand. I also gained that if different circumstances can have an effect on the pressure reading. I feel I have gained a learning skill I was quite worried about this skill but practice makes easier. The more blood pressure recordings I took me soon realised that no two patients were the same. I also learned that different factors can affect blood pressure, from the patient rushing in late for his appointment which can lead to elevated blood pressure. It has also given me a lot of confidence in myself and confidence with the patients I care for.

Rain Man Journal :: essays research papers

Part One (Plot Summary) "Rain Man" directed by Barry Levinson was released in 1988.The story of this movie takes place in the United States (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1988. Similar to John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men, the story of this movie is about friendship between two unequal men(one mentally challenged and the other, normal) that are on a journey and their friendship, but opposite to the story of the novel, the film has a happy ending. One day, Charley, who is a successful business man, receives word that his father, a man with whom he had not spoken in years, had died back in Cincinnati, Ohio. He returns to his childhood home to take care of his father's property, only to find out that virtually all of his dad's three million dollars estate was left to an unnamed person in a 'trust'. Charlie learns that the trust was for a person who lived in a home for the mentally disabled near his childhood house. While exploring this institution with his girlfriend, Susanna, Charlie discovers that the person to whom the trust was given is an autistic man named Raymond, who is Charlie's older brother. Charley had never known he had a brother, since his parents had never told him. In his confusion, anger and greed, Charlie decides to take Raymond back with him. Raymond is probably not prepared to leave the institution he has lived in his entire life, but Charlie is determined to get what he thinks is his "fair share" of his father's estate. He decides to fight for legal possession of his new brother, as a way of being able to get to the three million dollars that his father had left for Raymond. In their journey back to Los Angeles, Raymond nearly drives Charlie crazy with his autistic attitudes, but eventually, Raymond has a profound influence on Charlie, and thus Charlie eventually grows to love and accept his brother exactly as he is. Part Two (Characterization) Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) In my opinion, Charley is the main character of this movie, and the movie is about Charley, not about Raymond, because Charley is who changes. At the beginning of the movie, Charley is hard, bitter, selfish, immature and shallow. He worships money and without paying attention to Raymond's condition, he attempts to get his brothers wealth. He kidnaps Raymond to take his wealth from him, but ironically, instead of money, he gains something more valuable.

Are Books Better than Films? Essays -- new images, overlook of material

According to the article, â€Å" Are Books Better than Films?†, â€Å"Films can bring whole worlds to life before our eyes, make characters into living, breathing fleshing blood, but books let you live everything† (â€Å"Are Books Better than Films?†). Very often book lovers are unsatisfied with the movie adaption of their favorite book. No doubt there have been great book based movies but that does not take the place of reading the actual novel. Reading books is better than watching the movie. This is better because often the movie tends to misinterpret information, which changes the plot, and lack sufficient character development. One of the many famous movie adaptions is from the teen novel series The Twilight Saga. Written by Stephanie Meyer, it has been extremely successful. The series is about a male vampire (Edward Cullen) and human female (Isabella Swan) who fall in love and struggle to keep their relationship. Teens ran out and got the books hot off the press and staked out movie theaters the first weekend it came out. The first weekend the movie came out in theatres it made over $69,637,740. It also ranked the number one movie in 3,419 across America ("Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo."). In movie versions, the director seems to overlook material that the reader finds vital to the plot. In the first Twilight book, when Edward and Bella get out of the car he does not touch her because he does not want to risk losing control (Meyer). In the movie, Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, he swings his arm around Bella shoulders and states he was going to hell anyways (Hardwicke). When the director did this he changed the plot because in the book none of the other characters knew Edward and Bella talked. Then all of a sudden Edward and Bella w... ...the chance to increase vocabulary and knowledge. Movies do not equate to books because they lack the following criteria. They do not have full character analysis as the book does nor do they stick to the story line of the book. Directors tend to take their creative liberties too far and begin to alter the plot and create new images of the story. Readers would love to see a great novel come to life but keep it the way the book has written it. "Are Books Better than Films?" Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. "Are Movies Better than Books?" The Premier Online Debate Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. London: Atom, 2007. Print. "Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo." Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke. Paramount Pictures,2008. Film.

How Cultural & Economic Factors Affect International Business

Assignment on communication in GrameenPhoneLTD. Assignment ON Communication in GrameenPhoneLTd. Prepared for: Ishtiaque Arif Assistant professor School of business Studies Southeast University Prepared by: Name Burhan Uddin Rabbani ID- 2011110001065 MBA(regular), Batch -28th Institution Name: Southeast University Submision Date: LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL July28, 2012 Ishtiaque Arif Assistant professor School of Business Southeast University. Subject: Submission of Assignment reportDear Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the guidance and support you have provided me during the course of this report. Without your help, this report would have been impossible to complete. With deep gratitude, I also acknowledge the help provided by Mr. Shariful Huq, Customer Development Manager Grameen phone Ltd. To prepare the report I collected what I believe to be most relevant information to make my report as analytical and reliable as possible. I have concentrated my best effort to achieve the objectives of the report and hope that my endeavor will serve the purpose.The practical knowledge and experience gathered during report preparation will immeasurably help in my future professional life. I request you to excuse me for any mistake that may occur in the report despite of our best effort. I would really appreciate it you enlighten me with your thoughts and views regarding the report. Also, if you wish to enquire about an aspect of my report, I would gladly answer your queries. Thank you again for your support and patience. Yours Sincerely, Burhan uddin Rabbani Program: MBA (Regular) ID: 2011110001065, Batch: 28th (B) Southeast University AcknowledgementAll praise to Allah, the almighty, and the merciful. Without his blessing and endorsement this report would not have been accomplished. The successful completion of this report might never be possible in time without the help some person whose inspiration and suggestion made it happen. First of all I want to thank my honorable teacher Ishtiaque Arif for helping me completing my report on â€Å"Assessment of Communication† in the context of Grameen phone. I would also like to thank Mr. Shariful Huq, customer development manager at Grameen Phone, and my friend who helped me by providing informative instructions.Without them this project would have been very difficult. And finally I also express my sincere gratitude to all those who participated to prepare the report. They were busy employee of Grameen Phone. Executive Summary Grameen Phone is the number 1 mobile operator with 44% market share (September, 2010). Number of subscribers stands at 2865 mn (Sep'10). – For 2010 up to end 03, total revenues were SOT 55. 1 ho versus R0T48. 6 hr for same comparable period in 2009, whereas 525 for 2010 up to end 0. 3 was SOT 523 against BDT 537 for the same period in 2009. This project was designed to assess the Communication process in grameen Phone . t is generally recognized that , although Grameen phone is leading the market of mobile telecommunication industry, they have some communication error. Grameen Phone Communicate with the agents, dealers, employees in the following way: # Mobile Phone # Online # Face to face communication. Basically these are the communication process GP used in operate their organization. GrameenPhone divides its communication process into three sectors These are explained below: Communication with the customer Communication with the organization Communication with the dealers or agentsThe Communication process of Grameen Phone helps the organization to enlarge its business. So there is no doubt that â€Å"Business communication skill is important for a business to achieve its organizational goal†. Table of contents | Contents| Page no. | Chapter 1| Introduction| 1| 1. 2| Objectives of the study| 2| 1. 3| Methodology | 2| 1. 4| Significance of the study| 3| 1. 5| Limitation of the study| 3| Chapter 2| Findings and analysis | 3| 2. 1| Communication method with customer| 3-6| 2. 2| Communication methods in the organization| 7-8| 2. 3| Communication Flow in GP | 9| 2. 4| Communication system in GP| 10| 2. | Communication with the agents| 11| Chapter 3| Conclusion| 12| 3. 1| Reference| 12| 1. Introduction: Company profile Grameen Phone is the number 1 mobile operator with 44% market share (September, 2010). Number of subscribers stands at 2865 mn (Sep'10). – For 2010 up to end 03, total revenues were SOT 55. 1 ho versus R0T48. 6 hr for same comparable period in 2009, whereas 525 for 2010 up to end 0. 3 was SOT 523 against BDT 537 for the same period in 2009. – Initial capex cycle of geographical coverage build Out complete. – Subscriber churn levels at 1% per month in 2010; amongst the lowest in emerging Asian markets. One of the largest ISPs in Bangladesh with approximately 4. 5mn active subscribers. – Its network covers over 99. 14% of the population in all 64 districts of Ba ngladesh and 88. 84% of the total land area, and the network infrastructure included around 114,000 TRXs in more than 7,200 base stations. – Grameenphone operates on both OSM 900 & 1800 bands with a bandwidth of 22MHz. The recent allocation of 7,4M1-lz to OP in addition to the 14. 6MHz it already has will help to decrease the pressure on GPs network. OP has 11300 base stations in over 6500 locations across Bangladesh.Overview Grameen Phone (GP) started operations in 1997. In 2009, GP offered 69,439,400 ordinary shares at BDT 10 (US$. 014) each, in addition to a BDT 60 (US$ 0. 871 premium, totaling BDT 4. 86 bn (US$ 70. lSmn) & got Listed on OSE & CSE. – Quickly after its inception in 1997, GP established itself as the leading mobile operator in the country by providing superior coverage and better network quality perception than its competitors. – In the last 4 years, market dominance of GP has slowly eroded through intense competition, falling from 63% in 2005 to about 44% (September 2010). GP's AR? U has teen constantly declining, as mobile voice tariffs continue to fall and as greater numbers of subscribers come from lower income groups. From USD 5. 4 in Q1'07, the ARPU has come down to USD 3. 03 in 03'10 (02 2010 USD 3. 47). – GP was the first mobile operator to introduce prepaid mobile connections in Bangladesh in 1999. Apart from internet services through EDGE, Crameenphone is also the only medium through which Cell Bazaar operates a service where people can buy and sell products through a mobile.It also operates a telemedicine service called Health line, It provides a host of other VAS services including ringtones, welcome tunes, SMS-MMS, instant messaging, sports-news updates, stock market updates, electronic ticketing service etc. . However, to turn its business GrameenPhone divides its communication process into three sectors These are explained below: Communication with the customer Communication with the organization Com munication with the dealers or agents 1. 2 objectives of the study The primary purpose of the report is the fulfillment of the course requirement.The main objectives of the report are as follows: * To fulfill the partial requirement of the â€Å"Business Communication† course offered in MBA program. * To explore advantages provides by the skill of Business Communication and contribution to the profitably of the organizations as well as economy of Bangladesh. * It will also enable me to improve my skill on report writing. As corporate executive put great value on report writing as an important element in management success, this part of the course will repare me to face the future challenges of corporate world. * To analyze the benefit of applying the skill of communication in organizations. * To analyze how GP build up their Communication System. 1. 3 Methodology Source of data: I would like to make sure that I have all the necessary data required to come up with effective re sult. Therefore, I have combined both primary and secondary data collection method. All data related to this study is attached with the appendix. A. Primary source of data: * Interview of customer manager working at GP B. Secondary source of data: * Internet * Newspaper archive * Annual Report of GP 2010 . 4 significance of the study The reason behind choosing this topic, there are basically 3 reasons behind choosing this topic. 1. It is one of the most important matter for us how a large multinational Company operates their Communication process. 2. What is the main communication strength of maintaining large scale of customs? 3. How GP keep up Communication process? 1. 5 Limitation of the study In doing this study we have to face some limitations, those are Employers were not interested to talk. Employees reluctant to share internal matter.For understandability we had to use very simple statistical tools. We were not able to collect enough information from government research agen cy. 2. Findings and Analysis 2. 1 Communication method with customers: After fourteen years of operation, Grameen Phone has about 30 million subscribers as of may 2008. To retain the current subscriber and to increase the number of them, Grameen Phone has to communicate its customer continuously. As a result it comes to know about customers problems, expectations and demand from the company. To do so, Grameen Phone gets linked to its subscriber 24 hours throughout the year by providing information.Moreover, the company fascinates the customer by giving every type of facilities such as SIM replacement, change of address as so on in their customer care centre. To provide these services. The company communicates with its customers through direct or indirect method. These methods are described below. Products and service Direct Method Through this direct process, the effective communication of Grameen phone with its customer occurs in a two way, face to face situation where both verbal and non verbal symbols and languages are apparent to both parties, which can be called level 1 communication.Moreover the company deals with its subscribers by level 2 communication where a two ways, but now face verbal situation occurs. Both in these two types of communication, instant feedback are available. As a result, the company can gradually learn about what subscriber wants from the company and can fill its subscribers demands, expectations and solve problems as per as its ability. However, after learning about the expectation, demand and problem of subscriber, Grameen phone divide these things into three segments and these are Request # Complains # Queries After doing so, then Grameen phone inform their management by doing email in he internet. Actually, in the whole process of corresponding, Grameen phone prefers too email subscribers and management. There are some kinds of examples on direct method are shown below through which Grameen phone be connected with customers. $ *111*# all time get to any information $ 121 hot online service: $ Message service ; Email contacts $ Customer Management centre 121 HOTLINE SERVICE GrameenPhone Ltd. Launched â€Å"GP Service Month† from March 1 , to further improve the delivery of after-sales services Enjoy prioritized customer service by simply dialing121.Dedicated customers care managers are available round the clock, 24 hours A day and 7 days a week only to serve you better. Business Solutions postpaid subscriber can call 121 absolutely free of cost. Customer Management Center In an effort to provide after sales services closer to where the customers live, more than 8000 GP Service Desks have been opened around the country, located in all upazila in the 61 districts where the Grameen Phone network has coverage. These GP Service Desks are equipped to provide most of the after sales services and are open from 10am – 6pm on all weekdays.In addition, all the 600 GP customer Centers located in the div isional cities now remain open from 8am – 8pm everyday including all holidays. Email And Message Service On the other side, if any subscriber wants to inform about their problems, they can do it through email contact or message service also. As a result, they can be linked with GP very closely. Indirect Method On the other side, Grameen phone communicate with its subscribers through indirect method by level 3 communications where a two way, face verbal communication does not occur. Only written or printed documents or photo mages are circulated on bill board and advertisements are telecast on television and so on. As a result, instant feedback is not available in this process. Thus the company their facilities of SIM card to subscribers. Some kinds of indirect method are also given below: # Advertisement on television # Advertisement on bill board # Advertisement on newspaper. # Advertisement on internet. 2. 2 Communication Methods In The Organization: To achieve its operatin g goals, Grameen phone’s needs to direct and coordinate its interdependence of units and individuals toward a desired point.As a result, a formal organization structure results from efforts to achieve coordination. On the other side, coordination results from effective communication and well organized programs or systems. There is a formalized hierarchy of Grameen phone has been shown below. Here, organization chart defines the scope of the organization. The people generally occupy roles and perform functions in all those spaces in the organization chart, he pictured structure could seldom be considered a final answer. However, to conduct function, the officials of GP have o contact with each other.Generally, GP believes in informal communication when they usually talk to each other. But, to submit a proposal, report to their management, they prefer to email communication better. They do not submit these things by direct handing over. On the other side, their communication in mobile by colleague is free as they have their own company mobile SIM. 2. 3 Communication Flow In The GP The flows of communication within the organization may be upward, downward, or horizontally directed. Grameen Phone Limited has downward and upward communication flows which are following: Downward Communication:Downward Communication is that from superior to subscriber-from boss to employee, and from policy maker to operating personnel. Five elements of downward communication are following: Job instruction: Teaching new or current employees how to do a particular task. Rationale: The justification for the organization and its goals; how a particular function fits into the total organization. Information: Orientation to the company – its rules, practices, procedures, and history. Feedback about job performance: Supervisors evaluation or appraisal of employee performance.Ideology: The effort to convey to and install in employees a degree of enthusiasm, loyalty, or support for the organization. This flows, of course, related to the hierarchical structure of the organization. Upward communication: When management requests information from lower organizational levels, the resulting information becomes feedback to the request. This is called upward communication. This communication keeps management informed about the feelings of subordinates, helps management identity both difficult and potentially promotable employees, and paves the way for even more effective downward communication.Basically these two types of communication flow are used by the Grameen Phone. 2. 4 Communication System in GP Every organization has two types of communication system. Grameen Phone is not except from them. It has also two types of communication system which are following: External System: This system is typified by the formal organization chart. This system is used to control individual and group behavior and to achieve organizational goals. Some elements of external syste m are following: #Business letter #Report writing #Business proposal Memorandum report etc.Internal System: The internal system develops as people interact within the formal, external system and certain behavior patterns emerge, patterns which accommodate social and psychological needs. In internal system, both formal and informal elements of communication are used which are following: #Grapevine #Face to face communication #PABX #Mobile #Letter etc 2. 5 Communication With The Agents The products and services of Grameen Phone are sold through the following channels: Grameen Phone at present has 450 Point of sales all over Bangladesh in order to sell their mobile phones.These Point of Sales include # 11 Dealers and their franchises. # 78 Outlet Agents. # 52 Individual agents. Among the 11 Dealers, at present –Flora, Grameen Telecom, Brothers and Butterfly, are the leading ones, with the maximum number of franchises. Besides their products, Grameen Phone also sell service. Serv ices are sold through info Centers and Hotline. Info center provides spot solutions. Here subscribers can get subscription. Trained and friendly officers are serving at Info Center from 8am-6pm.There is also 01 Sales ;Logistics officer who is responsible for providing SIM(Subscribers Identification Module) cards and handsets to the subscribers and distribution of marketing items. At present there are 6 Info centers, two in Dhaka and rest four in the other four regional heads, namely, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. Not only has that Grameen Phone interacted with the agents in the following way: # Mobile Phone # Online # Face to face communication. Basically these are the communication process GP used in operate their organization. 3. Conclusion:By conducting survey I am able to reach this point that the communication skill of Grameen Phone is really overwhelming. Not only that its effectiveness in communication helps it in a large way to achieve its organizational goal. The Communication process of Grameen Phone helps the organization to enlarge its business. So there is no doubt that â€Å"Business communication skill is important for a business to achieve its organizational goal†. 3. 1 Reference #Grameen Phone Annual Report 2010 # Communication for Business by Shirley Taylor # â€Å"Business communication and English† by Lecica. http://www. grameenphone. com/

How slaves were affected Essay

When the African Americans were introduced to slavery, they didn’t accept what was happening to them and how they were being treated, but as time passed working for their masters, not only physical, but mental abuse took its toll and soon they began to believe the way they were living was normal and alright. Punishment played a giant role in slave life. It showed the consequences of not doing what was asked or disobeying their master thus instilling fear in every single slave the owner possessed. Charity Anderson recalls, â€Å"But honey chile, all white folks warn ‘t good to dere slaves, cause I’se seen poe niggas almos’ to’e up by dogs, and whipped unmercifully, when dey did’nt do lack de white folks say.† Mary Reynolds remembers, â€Å"I seed them put the men and women in the stock with they hands screwed down through holes in the board and they feets tied together and they naked behinds to the world. Solomon the [sic] overseer beat them with a big whip and massa look on. The niggers better not stop in the fields when they hear them yellin’. They cut the flesh most to the bones and some they was when they taken them out of stock and put them on the beds, they never got up again.† These two accounts show just what these poor slaves had to deal with. They were constantly watched, and felt that if they just as much as gave a superior a wrong look, they would be beaten, or even worse, killed. Of course slaves saw this as inhuman but had no choice to obey as their masters said. There is much evidence that shows how quick they learned to do as they were told and after a period of time, many slaves accepted the idea of being just that†¦a slave. This transformation started with the servants becoming fearful. Surviving was a game of smarts, hard work, and willpower. In order to live, slaves would allow their masters to beat and punish them without questioning so as not to risk a painful and senseless death. Snitching on other slaves who planned to escape was a good way to show their masters how loyal they were. Many slaves went as far as calling their masters â€Å"nice† and sometimes even boasting about their masters to other servants on different plantations. These small acts helped many stay alive but living oppressed lives affecting their minds and emotions forced themselves to cope with their sadness. Singing was common among slaves to express themselves and their hardships. Frederick Douglass recollects, â€Å"They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish.† The servants shared their feelings with each other through these hymns and so it made them strong enough to have the willpower to keep living by obeying and doing as they were told. Dogs lived a better life than many slaves, â€Å"We had very bad eatin’. Bread, meat, water. And they fed it to us in a trough, jes’ like the hogs. And ah went in may [sic] shirt till I was 16, nevah had no clothes. And the flo’ in ouah cabin was dirt, and at night we’d jes’ take a blanket and lay down on the flo’. The dog was supe’ior to us; they would take him in the house.† -Richard Toler. The serfs accepted that they lived worse than dogs and at this point, it becomes evident that slaves began accepting the life of slavery. They knew escaping was a bad idea because they would have no shelter, food, or clothes. If they were caught, they would be in the worst kind of trouble so they were forced to keep living the oppressed life. Being beaten and abused had them physically and mentally feeling that they were a lower race. Being intimidated all of the time had a harmful affect and they started to see slavery as acceptable. Their owners didn’t allow them to read or write so living with a roof over their head made them feel privileged. Mr. William McNeill says, â€Å"The escaped slaves were always trailed down by hounds; they never got away, there were always some good slaves to tell on others. I was glad when the slaves gained their freedom, even though we had a large number and lost plenty of money. They made many people rich and got nothing but punishment as a reward. They tell that some of the masters were good but I never did see a good one.† This man is one that didn’t buy into slavery and kept his mind from being brainwashed like many other slaves. He knew deep down that slavery was wrong and kept the truth in his reality. Even after the slaves were â€Å"freed,† life for them wasn’t as great as they hoped it would be and they soon realized that being freed was near as bad as being slaves. Being freed toyed with their minds; just like they became slaves and felt out of place in the beginning, they were put into another  tough position to have to readjust once again. â€Å"An’ after, soon after when we found out that we was free, why then we was, uh, bound out to different people. An’all such people as that. An’ we would run away, an’ wouldn’ stay with them. Why then we’d jus’ go an’ stay anywhere we could. Lay out a night in underwear. We had no home, you know. We was jus’ turned out like a lot of cattle. You know how they turn cattle out in a pasture? Well after freedom, you know, colored people didn’ have nothing. Colored people didn’have no beds when they was slaves. We always slep’ on the floor, pallet here, and a pallet there. Jus’ like, uh, lot of, uh, wild people, we didn’, we didn’ know nothing. Didn’ allow you to look at no book. An’ there was some free-born colored people, why they had a little education, but there was very few of them, where we was. An’ they all had uh, what you call, I might call it now, uh, jail centers, was jus’ the same as we was in jail.† -Fountain Hughes. This man described how, after being freed, he and his family lived the life that nomads lived. They traveled around aimlessly, trying to find any place they could possibly stay. He described themselves like cattle which was an understatement because cattle could at least count on being fed. They could eat the grass of the land but the newly freed slaves would be lucky if they could find a piece of fruit. The freed slaves had no money, no beds like Fountain said, no education, basically they had nothing to call their own. Living free was as if they were living in jail Hughes thought, and many others agreed. â€Å"An’ my father was dead, an’ my mother was living, but she had three, four other little children, an’ she had to put them all to work for to help take care of the others. So we had what you call, worse than dogs has got it now. Dogs has got it now better than we had it when we come along.† -Richard Toler. Families were torn apart when all members had to work in order for the family to be able to buy the essential necessities they needed to live. Toler said dogs have better lives now than the lives of black families after being freed which shows just how much of a mess the south was in. Many white people did not accept this idea of freeing the slaves so this had many colored people feeling insecure and out of place. Some white people would go out of their way to try and hurt the colored people like the KKK did.  Frederick Douglass talks about the idea of trust in â€Å"Getting Help from Others† He said he met an Irishman who felt it was a pity for Douglass to be a slave. He then told Douglass to run away to the north where he would find friends there to help him. â€Å"I pretended not to be interested in what they said and treated them as if I did not understand them; for I feared they might be treacherous. White men have been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the reward, catch them and return them to their masters.† Douglass had this distrust when he was a slave but these feelings were carried on even after people like Douglass were freed. They felt they could not trust anyone but their own people. This idea is seen in the Tar Baby story as well. The main purpose of this tale was to show black people that they shouldn’t go out of their way to talk to others. It was better to keep their mouths shut and thoughts to themselves because opening up to white folks could only get them into trouble. Since the colored people did not fit in, they kept to themselves which didn’t seem like true freedom. Douglass also said in â€Å"Thoughts of Escape† that he and the slaves â€Å"rather bear those ills we had, than fly to others, that we knew not of.† Once he and every other slave was freed, this is essentially what happened. They had to move and re-adapt to new ‘ills’ and complications which challenged them as slavery had challenged them once before. The whole time being slaves, black people finally started believing that slavery was what they were meant to do and it was alright for them to be treated at a lower level. Setting them free in an unaccepting world with no help or direction forced them once again, to cope with new problems and start a new theory about what it was they were really supposed to be doing or could be doing if it wasn’t working and slaving for the white man.

Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner

PA is attending an adult numeracy class because he was sent by his employer. His employer completed his Level 2 National Test last year and is now insisting that all his employees follow suit. Non-completion will result in no promotion and no annual pay rise Initial assessment The key implications here are that PA is currently working at Entry Level 3 in most numeric areas. He should be able to increase his ability level and undertake Level 1 without too many problems. However he needs to achieve Level 2 in order to gain his pay rise and promotion so this will put him under a lot of preasure and additional stress. According to Tennant (1988), PA, as a 36 year old, is in his midlife transitional period and will be â€Å"Adopting a changing time perspective and revising career plans†; this can be substantiated as PA is attending a numeracy course because of changes that are taking place at work. His employer has stated that the course must be completed and the Level 2 National Test must be passed or PA will not receive a promotion or his annual pay rise. This is an unusual situation, as according to Charnley & Jones (1987), â€Å"Getting a pay rise as a direct result of tuition is extremely rare†. Patterns of adult learning reflect class divisions in society and the different expectations and perceptions resulting from those divisions. Factors such as social class, gender and race impact on decisions to learn, as each is associated with particular cultural pressures and norms. According to Maslow (1973) once physiological needs have been met safety or security becomes predominant. In other words, there is a need for self-preservation and a common concern for the future e. g. , will we be able to maintain our property and our job in order to provide shelter and food tomorrow and the next day? It is likely that this is the stage PA is at particularly as he knows that if he does not pass the relevant exams he will not get a pay rise or promotion. Peer and reference group influences can also be extremely strong (Evans, 2000). People who are habitual learners tend to belong to groups where education is seen as a normal activity. They also tend to be involved in other forms of social participation. Non-learners belong to groups for whom engaging in learning is not part of normal behaviour – this is certainly true of PA who would not have engaged initially in numeracy earning through his own choice, and who, until recently would not engage in any social activity e. g. attending a school fund raising evening. Among male manual workers, for example, there is a strong culture of group conformity and solidarity. To engage in education that is not immediately job-related is seen as what women or children do and is, therefore, not a masculine activity (McGivney, 1996). Social class continues to be the key discriminator in understanding participation in learning. Over half of all upper and middle class (AB) respondents are current or recent learners, compared with one-third of the skilled working class (C2) and one quarter of unskilled working class people and people on limited incomes (Gallup Survey 1996). However, what and how much is learned can be influenced by the learner's motivation (NIACE, 1997) and, from my own experiences within the post-compulsory education sector, I would have to agree with this. However, motivation to learn could be, in turn, influenced by an individual's emotional states, beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking. PA's current, positive, beliefs about himself as a learner and the nature of learning appear to have had a marked influence on his motivation. It could be said that the rich internal world of thoughts, beliefs, goals, and expectations for success or failure may enhance or interfere with the learner's quality of thinking and information processing. Motivational and emotional factors may also influence both the quality of his thinking and information processing as well as his individual motivation to learn. Positive emotions, such as curiosity, generally enhance motivation and facilitate learning and performance. Mild anxiety can also enhance learning and performance by focusing the learner's attention on a particular task. However, intense negative emotions (e. g. , anxiety, panic, rage, insecurity) and related thoughts (e. g. , worrying about competence, ruminating about failure, fearing punishment, ridicule, or stigmatising labels) generally detract from motivation, interfere with learning, and contribute to low performance (Evans, 2000). This could be seen during PA's recent Numeracy Level 1 National Test when he experienced mild anxiety, but was extremely motivated and positive about the experience and his ability – and he passed first time! Motivation is, therefore, not a simple issue, since individual motives and action are strongly affected by where people are located (socially, culturally and spatially) and the constraints or incentives that operate on their choices (NIACE). PA blames his current lack of knowledge and qualifications in numeracy on his underachievement at school. If we look more closely it becomes apparent that, because of his age, PA would have been attending school during the 1970's and 1980's. It was during this time that the early underachievement of boys first became evident, as large scale studies of children's achievements at Primary school pointed to the fact that girls consistently out-performed boys (Myers, 2000). Therefore there was a shift away from public concern about girls' achievement to boys' achievement, or underachievement, at school in exams. The concern about ‘boys' underachievement' has been characterised in educational policy initiatives at national, local and school levels, most significantly in the imposition of the national literacy and numeracy strategy (Barrs and Pidgeon 1998). However, overall improvements in achievement are often ignored and gender differences are ascribed to the detrimental effects of ‘the feminisation of teaching' (Epstein et al, 1998). The concern for boys' underachievement was highlighted by Murphy and Elwood (1998) who argued that improvement in female achievement is not shared by girls from low socio-economic backgrounds and may not be apparent in some subjects. Similarly, Epstein et al (1998) questioned the global application of the category of boys' underachievement' by asking, ‘†¦ hich boys? At what stages of education? †¦ according to what criteria? ‘ We could say that by definition, gender roles are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behaviour (Tobias, 1997), and are part of the socialisation process of human beings. These roles are also influenced by each individual's cultural and economic background (Tobias, 1997). It could be said that gender roles influence women and men in virtually every area of life, including family and occupation. This is certainly true for PA, who feels that it is his duty to provide for his family and to have the greater earning capacity regardless of his lack of formal qualifications. Everyone recognises that there are significant differences between male and female, even if they are only physical. However, others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences. In addition there is belief that, by the age of sixteen, females have matured more than boys by up to as much as two years (Skelton, 2001). This could mean that girls have an advantage by viewing exams in a far more responsible way and recognising the seriousness and importance of the academic and career choices in the future. PA agrees with this as he did not take his schooling seriously and, quite possibly due to the fact that PA knew he was underachieving and he was unmotivated, he left school at 16 with no formal qualifications. He has only recently started to regret his actions. The figures from the 1996 Gallup survey could also be used to illustrate this as more adult men (25%) are currently learning compare to adult women (21%). Now that he is within the adult education sector, PA appears to see learning numeracy as a process of liberation. This may be because PA now feels that the educational process is not static and that his learning is a cultural action for freedom. It no longer involves one person teaching another, but rather people working with each other to ensure each individual reaches their potential. This was also the understanding of Bruner (1973), who suggested that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas based upon their current / past knowledge. Adult learners also appear to be more receptive to learning if there is a context to the learning. Teaching adults numerical skills which ‘transfer' means exposing â€Å"students to different contexts which have the same mathematical content† (Rees and Barr, 1984) e. g. electrical work, decorating, shopping or linked to employment. This is certainly true for PA who works better, and appears to have a deeper understanding, when he can see there is a relevance and context to what he is learning. According to Bruner (1973), the teacher and student should engage in active dialogue and the task of the teacher is to translate information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learners' current state of understanding. During numeracy there are so many ways of doing and explaining one thing, one example would be the various descriptions used for the actions of ‘add' and ‘subtract', another example would be the various methods of teaching long multiplication. In addition, Bruner (1973) stated that the curriculum should be organised in a spiral manner, so that the student continually builds upon what they have already learned, â€Å"The concept of prime numbers appears to be more readily grasped when the learner, through construction, discovers certain handfuls of beans cannot be laid out in completed rows and columns† (Bruner, 1973). When working with PA, as for all my learners, I ensure that I question his current method and understanding of each numeric topic before I go into the topic in depth. This way I am constantly building on his current knowledge and understanding. A high percentage of the learners at Rochford Adult Community College are White British and PA falls into this group, ‘Rochford has one of the lowest ethnic minority populations, well below half of the national average' (Rochford District Council, 2005). However, according to the Home Office's Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, the United Kingdom is a changing society and these socio-economic changes are reflected in our growing cultural and ethnic diversity. These changes bring many gains, but sometimes there are tensions and divisions that may lead to fracturing within, and across, local areas and communities. However, whatever the nature of community divisions, the basis of the solution is often the same; community cohesion. The Home Office's Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, suggests that community cohesion may be achieved by raising awareness and understanding and developing shared values with mutual trust and respect. The Home Office describes a cohesive community as one where there is common vision, a sense of belonging, where diversity is valued and where there are similar life opportunities with â€Å"†¦ strong and positive relationships being developed between people from different backgrounds†¦ in colleges and in schools†¦ † (www. homeoffice. gov. uk, 2003). This is also the ethos of Essex County Council and consequently Castle Point and Rochford Adult Community College (www. essexcc. gov. uk, 2005).