Harvard Case : BMW of North America: Dream it. Build it. Drive it. Essay

Brief Description: Set in 2011, this case describes how BMW, the leading luxury car manufacturer in the U.S., successfully implemented a new marketing initiative based on its online video services and increased sales of customized vehicles. The case addresses the challenges of catering to the North American consumer, where most car buyers want or have become conditioned towards immediate gratification with their purchases. Main Learning Objectives: To underscore the importance of consumer behavior in strategic planning To illustrate the complexity of strategically managing the supply chain for a modern manufacturing company and the implications effects of ‘mass customization’ on supply (value) chain Preparation & Analysis For Wednesday’s class (10/9/13): 1. Go online, research and take down a few notes on a strategic marketing concept called â€Å"mass customization† for in-class discussion. The process of delivering wide-market goods and services that are modified to satisfy a specific customer need. Is a marketing and manufacturing technique that combines the flexibility and personalization of custom-made with the low unit cost associated with mass production Sometimes called made-to-order or built to order.  Enabling a customer to decide the exact specification of a product or service, and have that product or service supplied to them at a price close to that for an ordinary mass produced alternative. 2. Read the case study. 3. Review the following videos which directly pertain to the case Martha Stewart customizes a BMW X3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ddq6O_QAz0 Understanding Robots – Mass Customization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzzPXeDdX8 BMW X3 Ad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpLutmBkyZ4 BMW X3 Build Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH1gtBYNPOA Individual Assignment: After spending time researching the concept of mass customization,viewing the above videos, and reading the case answerand provide your rationale for each of the following questions in an overall1-2 page brief essay format. 1. Assuming that most modern cars share very similar characteristics, what do customers really buy – a product or an experience? In your opinion, what drives car-buying decisions?  Years after years, the customer’s perceptions towards cars has been changing. People value more on their needs these days than their wants. People started looking for products/vehicles that give more value to them; they want cars for real use not for showing off. I think customers buys products with experience from which they can get value out of it. The car buying decision is not an easy task and would drive various aspects before buying. In my opinion the most important factor is gender. In most cases gender plays a vital role in buying a car. Price can be another important factor that might drive the buying decision. Fuel efficiency, affordable, reliable, effective and efficient are various factors for car buying decisions. 2. Do you think customers really need â€Å"millions of combinations† for their car? Can they be happy with available standard options? What are the upsides and downsides of mass customization from both the consumer and manufacturer’s perspective? It depends on the customer needs that if they really need â€Å"millions of combinations† for their car or not. Most of the customers are happy with the standard options but if we dig little deeper, not all the features available  in the standard versions are important or useful for a particular customer and what they want may not be in the specific model. In my opinion, that is the main reason mass customization is being used by various car companies to carter the specific needs of their customers. Mass customization is the process of delivering products that are modified to satisfy a specific customer needs. This enables a customer to decide the exact specification of a product or services. Mass customization allowed manufacturers to customize products at lower costs, reduced overheads, and produced higher margins. For customers, they get benefited of finding exactly what they wanted without paying a premium price. The downside of mass customization from manufacturer’s perspectives are the major operational challenges faced in supply chain to manage the supply, maintain lead time and maintain various parts and products within a very little timeframe. The downside of mass customization from the customer’s perspectives is they won’t be able to compare and contrast the product with the competitors and sometime the price might be high with certain customizations. With various choices and lack of expertise some customers might chose unwanted and unnecessary par ts for the product. 3. Put yourself in Josef Weirda’s shoes. What would your decision be regarding using video streaming technology for other models such as the X5 or X1? In effect, would you apply a similar â€Å"Dream It. Build It. Drive It.† program for the launch of the X4 in 2014? What is the basis for your decision? â€Å"Dream It. Build It. Drive It.† was a success for X3 models. My decision for streaming technology for other models will be yes. This is because of the success factors the X3 models received, and almost 50% of the customers enrolled in it, accessed and shared the video. I think it is a better value for customers to see how their customized vehicle has been manufactured and be more in touch with it before it actually gets delivered. Based on the success result and the stats available from X3, I will apply a similar â€Å"Dream It. Build It. Drive It.† program for the launch of the X4 and  do aggressive marketing like it was done for X3. But will not only stick with this mass customization, I will also encourage for the standard models at the dealers. Customization can be one of the features for those customers who want to customize their cars. I think with the success of the X3, the customer will try to see some kind of similar features in the new launch and also this will give more value to the vehicle. Based on the numbers and records from the case, for now the mass customization concept should be based on US market only.

Oil and Global Warming in Saudi Arabia Essay

Oil has been identified as a very important resource; it provides a lot of significant benefits to mankind. It is used for numerous purposes such as transportation, heating, electricity production, and industrial applications. It has a high energy density which makes it an efficient fuel source plus the fact that it is fairly easy to transport and store. Its versatility is of great importance, and this is proven by being by most valuable commodity in world trade (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003,). According to Doyle, it is estimated that two billion dollars switch hands in petroleum transactions, making it the world’s first trillion dollar industry (cited in O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003). Oil is very profitable for corporations as well as for governments since oil taxes generate a lot of income. Oil is important for the national economic viability of Saudi Arabia as it accounts for more than 80 percent of total national exports. Other countries that are dependent on the oil business are Libya, Kuwait, Iran, and Venezuela (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003). Environmental Effects of Oil Oil transport, refining, exploration, drilling, and extraction have had negative effects on the environment, but much attention has recently been focused on the negative environmental impacts of the use of oil. It is widely believed that burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming since carbon dioxide, an abundant greenhouse gas, is produced as oil is burned. Findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate that around three quarters of total carbon dioxide emissions come from fossil fuel use (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003). To be able to fully understand the how oil use affects global warming, it is necessary to get a clear understanding of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon. Imagine a greenhouse and that is just how the greenhouse effect works. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and ozone trap heat thereby slowing its escape from the atmosphere. The dramatic increase in the release of greenhouse gases has brought about an abnormal increase in the average world temperature already estimated at around 1 percent at the turn of the century. However, without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be too cold to sustain the currently thriving ecosystems (West, 2008b). Due to the fact that oil is a widely used resource and that oil produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide as it â€Å"generates roughly 30 percent more carbon dioxide from every unit of energy produced,† it can be inferred that dependence on oil has extensively contributed to global warming (Barry & Frankland, 2001, p. 362). Importance of Oil to Saudi Arabia In all parts of the world, oil is considered as an important resource especially in modern life. â€Å"Any measures to reduce oil consumption were hampered by powerful opposition of certain governments and inter-governmental organizations† (Barry & Frankland, 2001, p. 362). Oil is particularly of great importance especially to members of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since it constitutes a great part of the income of member countries. Saudi Arabia is a member of the OPEC including Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Saudi Arabia may be considered as the most important oil producer since it produces large amounts of oil as it accounts for 13 percent of the world’s total oil output. It makes up 35 percent of the OPEC’s total oil production in 1991. Saudi Arabia has also been identified as the â€Å"swing producer† of oil since it has the capacity to affect the level of supply and demand as well as affect international oil prices. Oil is important to Saudi Arabian economy as figures in 1991 pointed out that oil accounted for 73 percent of the country’s revenues. 90 percent of total oil exports in 1991 come from Saudi Aramco (Country Studies). However, data from Beyond Petroleum Statistical Review of World Energy shows that despite the knowledge of the implication of oil in global warming, the consumption still increased—the 3163. 5 million tonnes consumed in 1992 jumped to 3462. 4 in 1999 (Beyond Petroleum, 2008). Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change Despite the great number of proponents pointing to global warming as a real environmental threat, Idso and Idso (2008) indicate that it is â€Å"highly unlikely† that increases in carbon dioxide emissions will lead to global warming. They cited numerous arguments that would disestablish the link between the global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. They primarily indicated that there is a â€Å"weak short-term correlation† between carbon dioxide and temperature increase. Thus, the emissions may not be the likely cause of any warming that is being experienced or will be experienced. Even as both temperature and carbon dioxide emissions have increased, this does not necessarily mean that the two are interrelated. To identify a clear causal relationship, the presumed cause must precede the presumed effect. Several cycles of increase and decrease must also be present in order to make a concrete judgment that the two factors indeed affect each other. They also indicated that â€Å"a strong negative climatic feedback† will prevent any catastrophic warming from manifesting. These play a major role in the planet’s climate system but are totally ignored by scientists lobbying for the existence of global warming. They cited numerous other factors that would disprove the existence of global warming. II. Saudi Arabia The Oil Industry The Saudi Arabia landscape is characterized by the presence of several multi-million dollars worth of infrastructure created to support the oil production capability of the country. These infrastructures are costly investments made by different companies. The effort to contain the emission of carbon dioxide from oil manufacturing and processing sources has different impacts, particularly in economics. Another â€Å"important issue concerns taxes and duties on oil products consumed in oil-importing countries as well as environmental taxes and duties on emissions of carbon dioxide, aimed at curbing oil demand and potentially harming oil exporters’ revenues† (Noreng, 2006, p. 16). Oil production felt a decline. In 2002, daily oil production in Saudi Arabia was 8,928 thousand barrels, and this steadily climbed to 11,114 thousand barrels in 2005. However, this dropped to 10,853 and 10,413 thousand barrels in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Last year, Saudi Arabia’s total oil output dropped by 440,000 barrels per day and is the largest decline in the world last year. In addition, the whole of the Middle East produced 25,176 thousand barrels daily in 2007. The Middle East is also the world’s largest oil producer and holds the highest share in the world’s remaining oil reserves at 21. 3 percent with 264. 2 thousand million barrels. In measuring oil consumption, Saudi Arabia does not consume as much with 2,154 thousand barrels daily. The United States is the largest oil consumer with a consumption rate 20,698 thousand barrels per day (Beyond Petroleum [BP], 2008). Saudi Aramco and the Environment Saudi Aramco or Arabian-American Oil Company, which is based in Saudi Arabia, is the world largest oil company. It produces the most quantity of oil and also leads the count with its oil reserves. It has 102 oil and gas fields within its grasp as of the middle part of 2007. Its oil reserves amount to 259. 9 billion barrels and it produces 8. 9 million barrels per day. Its oil exports for the year 2006 amount to 2,541,692,569 barrels (Country Studies, 2008). Saudi Aramco has unveiled that it would help fight global warming through cutting carbon dioxide emission in the oil and gas business. Experts indicated that persuading Saudi Aramco to fight against global warming is a big step forward since it is the world’s largest oil producer. Saudi Aramco president and Chief Executive Officer Abdallah Jum’ah told a panel from 163 nations in a meeting in Germany about expanding the Kyoto Protocol that â€Å"the petroleum industry should actively engage in policy debate on climate change as well as play an active role in developing and implementing carbon management technologies† (Hammond, 2006, n. p. ). He clearly indicated that national oil players such as Saudi Aramco can make great contributions in forwarding anti-climate change efforts. During the meeting, Robert Socolow from Princeton University also indicated that 40 percent of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions comes from the oil industry. He also indicated that the oil industry is the major cause of global warming. Aramco officials also stated that research and development effort have already leaned towards removing or reducing carbon dioxide omissions coming from oil (Hammond, 2006). Saudi Aramco has expressed that it cares for the environment such that it has an Environment Protection Department that provides leadership on environmental issues and its operations are always environmentally responsible. Saudi Aramco considers the environment as a basic responsibility and a company commitment. The company has developed a variety of operational requirement that give consideration to environmental impacts such as â€Å"sanitary codes, project environmental assessments, air and water quality standards, occupational health regulations, hazardous material communication guidelines, waste management procedures, and vital oil spill contingency plans† (Saudi Aramco, 2008). The Environmental Impacts of Oil Oil has always been an environmental issue. From searching for oil, refining it and until its usage, it is always regarded as an environmental threat. Oil exploration and drilling are the first phases in the oil life cycle. It is also referred to as the â€Å"upstream phase† (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003, p. 593). Drilling and extracting oil affect the natural ecosystems, human health, as well as local cultures. It does not matter if the drilling is on-shore or off-shore; the effects are just the same. The physical modifications in the environment caused by oil exploration, drilling, and extraction are so devastating that they could be more harmful than a large oil spill. The more devastating effects of these are â€Å"deforestation, ecosystem destruction, chemical contamination of land and water, long-term harm to animal populations (particularly to migratory birds and marine mammals), human health, safety risks for neighboring communities and oil industry workers, and displacement of indigenous communities† (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003, p. 593-594). Oil exploration requires heavy equipment, and moving these equipment results in deforestation and erosion. Mobile rigs used for temporary drillings can reach weights of over two million pounds. On the other hand, drillings make use of large amounts of water and also contaminate it in the process. It is released afterwards which leads to the contamination of land. Exploration and extraction have also been known to produce large volumes of drilling wastes and associated wastes. In addition, oil processes make use of a waste pit where chemicals and other wastes from the oil process are being dumped. Exposure of these oil pits is a threat to aquifers as well as to animals and birds. They can mistake the pits for water holes, therefore engorging themselves in chemical waste. Exploration, drilling, and extraction also lead to a variety of health risks for humans. These risks may arise from radioactive materials that have surfaced from drilling as well as the bioaccumulation of oil, mercury, and other hazardous elements in animals that are consumed by humans (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003). Oil Spill Threat In order for oil to be delivered to different parts of the world, oil transport is necessary, and the main mode of oil transport is through oil tankers. However, moving oil using pipelines is becoming vastly popular. Oil currently accounts for half of all sea cargo and oil pipelines now spread more compared to railroads. Oil transport has also led to an environmental threat known as oil spills. Large oil spills receive much attention particularly because of media coverage; however, small cumulative spills go undocumented and measuring the amount of oil spillage from these proves to be significant. Accidents have been known to occur at all segments of transport as well as at each point of transfer. Also, since the 1960s, at least one large-scale oil spill has been documented every year (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003). Ocean transport of crude oil and petroleum products accounted for 3,000 gallons spilled per billion ton-miles in 1983 and nearly 8,000 gallons per billion ton-miles in 1984. Pipeline spills contributed less than 100 gallons per billion ton-miles for both years. (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003, p. 599) Oil spills have also been known to occur during extractions. A 2002 estimate by the National Academy of Sciences indicated that 38,000 tons of petroleum hydrocarbons from oil and gas operations were released into the world’s oceans (O’Rourke & Connolly, 2003, p. 595). Saudi Aramco Oil Spill Contingency Plan Saudi Aramco has always been responsible in handling oil spills such that it has developed a contingency plan against to help counter oil spills. Saudi Aramco’s first focus on handling oil spills is being self-sufficient. It â€Å"built specialized oil spill recovery and containment vessels, and purchased equipment and materials to combat spills† (Zaindin, 1996, p. 2). In 1989, it even designated a committee to review and assess the anti-oil spill capabilities of the company. The task force made recommendations which were called the Global Oil Spill Contingency Plan which (1) â€Å"establish[ed] an oil spill policy for [the company’s] worldwide operations,† (2) â€Å"direct[ed] Saudi Aramco and its affiliates to join major cooperatives and assign[ed] regional responsibility for oil spills† and (3) â€Å"require[d] the development, implementation, and maintenance of regional and owned tanker oil spill plans† (Zaindin, 1996, p. 2-3). Saudi Aramco has also established an Oil Spill Committee in 1990 and this committee instituted a policy for the prevention and cleanup of oil spills resulting from the company’s operations. The Global Oil Spill Coordination Group was created to put into action and coordinate company activities that address the oil spills. If an oil spill takes place, a Regional Oil Spill Coordinator cleans the oil spill with the aid of an Oil Spill Response Team. The director takes care of the spill and is responsible for safe and efficient control, cleanup operations, disposal, restoration, as well as documentation processes. The response team is always ready as they receive special regular trainings (Zaindin, 1996, p. 3-4). Equipment that could effectively handle small to medium-sized oil spills have been stationed at the vicinity of the Red Sea and in case of any large oil spills, additional resources will be brought to immediately address the threat. Saudi Aramco has also inked ties with organizations that provide cooperative assistance in case of oil spill, namely, the Oil Spill Response (OSR) Ltd. based in England, Clean Caribbean Cooperative (CCC), Marine Preservation Association (MPA), Marine Industry Repsonse Group (MIRG), and the Gulf Area Oil Companies Mutual Aid Organization (GAOCMAO) (Zaindin, 1996, p. 4). III. Involvement Saudi Arabia and Japan Saudi Arabia has been involved in a lot of international treaties. One of these treaties was signed with Japan when both countries, among other things, acknowledged the importance of the stability of the world oil market as well as the importance of adopting security measures against global warming (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2007). Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the stability of the world oil market. The Japanese side expressed its appreciation and understanding for the Saudi Arabia’s balanced oil policy, which is a secure and reliable source for providing oil supplies to the international markets in general, and to the Japanese market in particular†¦while stressing the significance to further promote bilateral cooperation in energy, based upon mutually complementary relationship between Saudi Arabia, with its largest hydrocarbon resource in the world, and Japan, with its advanced energy-related technologies. The Saudi side expressed its intention to continue to assure stable oil supply to Japan, and the Japanese side expressed its appreciation for this (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2007). Both sides [also] decided that the international community should adopt appropriate measures against a possible global warming, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities as stated in the international agreements on climate change. In this regard, the Japanese side expressed its willingness to develop its cooperation in both levels of government and private sectors to promote the clean development mechanism (CDM) that contributes to combating the possible global warming as well as achieving sustainable developments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the roles of the private sectors in both countries for promoting CDM projects (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2007). Saudi Arabia should use the power of the law, as well as submit to the rule of international law, in order for efforts versus global warming to be successful. â€Å"Law plays an important role in environmental protection at both the international and the national levels† (Chopra, Leemans, & Kumar, 2005, p. 41). However, a drawback to this concept is the fact that Saudi Arabia itself shows signs of not being fully amenable to the stipulations of several international agreements and international laws on global warming. â€Å"Some OPEC countries (e. g. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) also opposed the FCCC (Framework Convention on Climate Change) for fear of its potential impact on the price of crude oil† (Alexander & Fairbridge, 1999, p. 637). The Clean Air Act and Addressing Global Warming The Clean Air Act is a law that has been passed by some countries in a hope to control air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Numerous developed countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have adopted such laws and even some third world countries have done so. Saudi Arabia has yet to adopt such a law. In the United States, the Clean Air Act is a federal law which means that its coverage spans the whole country and it has been an effective tool in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) plays a crucial role in regulating processes regarding the law such as setting limits on certain air pollutants. The Clean Air Act which resulted in reduced air pollution has improved human health as well as the status of the environment. Since 1970, the six common air pollutants have been reduced to 50 percent while air toxics from large industries including oil refineries have been reduced by 70 percent. Additionally, new cars are 90 percent cleaner and are expected to be a lot cleaner in the future. Ozone depleting chemicals such as CFC’s have also ceased production. This all happened while the economy prospered and energy and vehicle use increased (EPA, 2008). The same benefits could possibly be reaped if Saudi Arabia would adopt the same policies. The 2007 Climate Change Performance Index indicated that Saudi Arabia is at the bottom of the list when it comes to addressing global warming followed by the United States, China and Malaysia. Sweden, Britain and Denmark were identified as the countries that have been doing the most to prevent further global warming. Nevertheless, the report indicated that what Sweden, Britain and Denmark are doing are not enough to prevent further climate change. IV. Organizations Different organizations and alliances take part in addressing global warming, like the Kyoto Protocol and the WTO. While Saudi Arabia is an active international player, it is not always in agreement with the rest of the group. Referring to the act of non compliance to the Protocol’s instituted policies, Grosse (2005) stated that â€Å"Saudi Arabia has been among the non-Annex I countries that have been particular to the Protocol† (p. 155). â€Å"The issue of subsidies favoring the coal, nuclear renewables sector has been raised by Saudi Arabia in the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment,† according to Yamin and Depledge (2004, p. 256), in reaction to the WTO policies. The Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is one doctrine that binds nations that have ratified it to help fight against global warming by reducing their emissions of six greenhouse gases, namely, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFC’s and PFC’s. It was instituted in Kyoto, Japan on December 1997 and was opened for ratification on March 16 of the succeeding year. The main goal of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5. 2 percent below the 1990 greenhouse gas emission levels from 2008 to 2012. Countries that have bound themselves to the protocol must adopt certain policies and strategies in order to meet the specified emission targets. However, the protocol has been subject to a lot of debate because it exempts developing countries, such as China and India as well as Saudi Arabia, from having emissions cuts. The United States refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol because of the exemption of the developing countries. US President George W. Bush also stated that they will not sign the protocol because it does not bind developing countries and that it would be harmful to the US economy (West, 2008a). Late in 2004, the government of Saudi Arabia has approved of the Kyoto Protocol, but being a developing country, Saudi Arabia is not bound to adopt any cuts on greenhouse emissions although it is expected that the Saudi Arabian government will suffer huge financial losses as the developed countries approve the protocol. According to Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, the government will have accumulated losses amounting to $19 billion by 2010 because of the policies that the developed nations will adopt in order to reduce their emissions to meet the specified targets (Planet Ark, 2004). Carbon Capture and Storage Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one approach that scientists are looking at which could probably help mitigate global warming. It has been regarded that CCS will reduce the costs associated with mitigating climate change as well as provide flexibility in attaining greenhouse gas reduction goals. CCS makes use of new technology. It collects and concentrates the carbon dioxide produced in industrial and energy related sources and transports it to a storage location where it will be kept away from the atmosphere. This would allow the use of fossil fuels such as oil with a minimum level of greenhouse emissions (Metz, Davidson, de Coninck, Loos, & Meyer, 2005). Geological storage is one form of CCS. It is done by injecting carbon dioxide in dense form into rock formations underground. Porous rock formations have great potential in storing carbon dioxide. Such rock formations may include those that previously hold oil and natural gas. This kind of carbon storage is already being used in three industrial sites, namely, the Sleipnir Project in the North Sea, the Weyburn Project in Canada and the In Salah Project based in Nigeria. Moreover, 30 megatons of carbon dioxide per year is injected for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). This is mostly in Texas and the United States. This system of carbon capture and storage makes use of almost the same technology used for the exploration and production of gas (Metz, et al. , 2005). Geological storage may however be associated with some risks. Leakage from stored carbon dioxide may provide certain risks which are classified as either global risks or local risks. Global risk is identified as the release of carbon dioxide which will have significant effects on global warming. On the other hand, carbon dioxide leakage may also expose humans, ecosystems and groundwater to certain risks. These are the local risks (Metz, et al. , 2005). Annex 1 shows an overview of geological storage. Annex 1: Overview of Geological Storage Another type of carbon storage is ocean storage. It is done by injecting captured carbon dioxide at depths of greater than 1,000 m. under the ocean. This would isolate the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for centuries. Consequently, the stored carbon dioxide will become part of the global carbon cycle. However, just like geological storage, ocean storage also has certain risks such that it can cause a great deal of harm. Studies have indicated that animals have been found with reduced rates of calcification, reproduction, growth, circulatory oxygen supply and mobility, and even an increased mortality rate. Annex 2 shows detailed information on Ocean Storage (Metz, et al. , 2005). Annex 2: Overview of Ocean Storage Mineral carbonation and industrial use is yet another form of carbon capture and storage. Mineral carbonation makes use of converting carbon dioxide into solid inorganic carbonates through some form of chemical reaction. Mineral carbonation is actually a natural earthly process called â€Å"weathering† but human intervention needs to hasten this process since it is too slow to become a viable carbon storage system. Industrial use involves using carbon dioxide â€Å"directly or as a feedstock for production of various carbon-containing chemicals† (IPCC, __, p. 39). Industrial use makes use of chemical and biological processes wherein carbon dioxide is utilized as a reactant. The industrial use of carbon dioxide can help keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by instead diverting it into a â€Å"carbon chemical pool†, but this measure will only be of great benefit to preventing climate change if there is a significant amount of carbon dioxide taken away from the atmosphere. Refer to Annex 3 for more detailed information (Metz, et al. , 2005). Annex 3: Mineral Carbonation and Industrial Use Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have expressed support with the development of this technology. Norway also demonstrated great interest with Carbon Capture and Storage technology. Norwegian Oil and Energy Minister Aaslaug Haga has requested the support of the Saudi Arabian government in the development of CCS to which Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi responded eagerly. Dagens Naeringsliv quoted al Naimi saying that â€Å"both Saudi Arabia and Norway are concerned about the environment and want to reduce emissions with all possible means. CO2 capture and storage is an excellent way to reduce emissions† (Acher, 2008, n. p. ). These countries want carbon capture technology included in the Clean Development Mechanism so that industrialized countries can cooperate to help advance this technology (Acher, 2008). According to the European Technology Platform on Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants, it is the lack of funding which impales research on carbon capture which then limits its potential (Kanter, 2008). The King of Saudi Arabia announced that the Saudi Arabian government will shell out 300 million USD for research on climate change, and this includes Carbon Capture and Storage technology. Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates also made an assurance that each of them will be giving $150 million each tom support the Saudi Arabian endeavor (OPEC, 2007). Saudi Arabia shelling out that huge an amount of money for climate change research would indicate that the kingdom is now giving attention to climate change. The World Trade Organization Saudi Arabia is now also a part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has recently signed a bilateral trade agreement with the United States. The trade agreement came at a good time since Saudi Arabian imports have experienced a decline. The WTO has become a sign of respect and acceptance for Saudi Arabia particularly because it is the only GCC country and the largest oil producer (Zahid, 2005). Saudi Arabia initially did not join GATT, the WTO’s predecessor global trade agreement because oil, its sole export at the time, was not part of GATT (still not part of WTO). Later, as the Kingdom developed its downstream oil and petrochemical capacity, joining WTO became a key imperative in order to protect its exports from inordinate tariffs by mature, high-cost producer countries. (Zahid, 2005) For new aspirants at the WTO, rules may be harsh such that they will need to sign bilateral agreements with any member country that requests it, and the terms will have to be extended to other member countries. Afterwards, a multilateral agreement should be inked with all member countries before being admitted into the WTO (Zahid, 2005). According to Zahid, the WTO had some negative impacts on Saudi Arabia but the WTO may be likened to a medicine. â€Å"It is painful to swallow but it eventually makes you better† (Zahid, 2005, n. p. ). In the short term, the WTO will hurt Saudi Arabia, but in the long run, the Saudi Arabian economy will prosper because of the WTO such that there will be increased transparency, protection of copyrights, rule of law, and foreign investment. Saudi Arabia’s exports will also have access to WTO member countries (Zahid, 2005). The full impact of WTO will be a long and unfolding story for the country. We still need to know the details of the final agreement. WTO has given other countries long implementation periods and many exceptions. Also, we have to see what the final Saudi offer is in terms of tariffs, sectors, binding rates, etc. With this report, we start a series on what the WTO means for Saudi Arabia. (Zahid, 2005) On one point of view, it is regarded that the WTO can enforce better greenhouse gas reductions compared to the Kyoto Protocol. Peter Franklin of the Guardian proposes the: Negotiat[ion of] a successor to Kyoto and then let the WTO enforce it. Nations that failed to meet their carbon targets would have a proportionate tariff slapped on their imports. Such a system could even be used to deal with countries that refused to sign up to the new agreement. The WTO would unilaterally impose a target on each non-signatory nation, with their excess carbon emissions and consequent penalties being assessed in absentia. The export-led economies of China, India and other key Kyoto absentees would be particularly susceptible to such pressure (Franklin, 2006). The Kyoto Protocol has no fangs and this could be filled in by the WTO as those who do not approve of reducing greenhouse targets will have to suffer some consequences from the WTO. This could however be treated as a disrespect to a country’s sovereignty. In the long run, since the WTO would attract more foreign investment, foreign investments will also be encouraged in developing alternative, renewable energy solutions in Saudi Arabia. Consequently, CCS can thrive from a commercial point of view as the awareness of climate change would trigger interest in forwarding this technology for economic gains. The WTO system encourages a good government, which in turn will help in framing policies for increased participation in anti-climate change efforts. V. Problems and Solutions The planet’s worsening climate condition is partly the doing of the industrial cities in Saudi Arabia, from where carbon dioxide emissions from oil manufacturing and processing come from. The investment of Saudi Arabia in finding solutions for the problems posed by global warming is research and resources. Countries like Saudi Arabia allocate funds for studies. It focuses its studies on oil-related aspects of global warming management. It is important for countries to sponsor studies so that they can get first hand information about global warming and its implications. â€Å"Nations should foster the continued development of these epistemic communities not only to stimulate new avenues of research, but also to help create greater opportunities for consensus building and coordinated action† (Lee, 1995, p. 14). In reducing carbon dioxide emissions coming from oil, there are a variety of methods that could be adopted. One is eliminating subsidies to prevent increase in consumption levels. Simply saving up on energy use can help alleviate greenhouse emissions. Resorting to renewable energy sources provides great potential in dealing with this environmental threat since these renewable energy sources produce no amount of emissions whatsoever. For countries like Saud

How safe is your school?

Can schools really be 100% safe for students? I have heard a lot about violent activities that have been happening in schools not only colleges, but elementary schools as well. People are shooting and killing innocent people. â€Å"The National Safety Center believes that schools have the choice to create and maintain safe schools or return to their institutions to safe, secure and effective places of learning†. So, why are we letting this happen? We need to make some changes to make our schools a safer place for students.There is no reason students should be endangered while in school. I honestly believe that you cannot make every school 100% safe for its students because, schools don't have enough security and precautions, people are not aware, and students don't have enough support, or people to talk to one on one. Schools cannot be 100% safe for their students without enough security and precautions. Almost all schools have security such as, locked doors, cameras, and alar ms, but that didn't stop all of the violence that has happened.For example, â€Å"A shooting rampage in this small Connecticut town left 28 people dead, including 20 children killed inside their elementary school, authorities said† known as Sandy Hook. Now obviously, schools were not taking precautions at all. This person went in an Elementary School and killed all those innocent children. I think that if there was security that would of never happened. Maybe if they try new safety tricks, things like this would not happen. What if you had to swipe a student card to get in the premises?Another thought, metal detector would come in handy so that people could not get away with bringing weapons through the doors. There should be no reason why people are being able to get away with killing innocent people in schools without any warning. Yeah, it may cost a little more money to put more security in schools, but its well worth our safety. These people are getting away with killing those innocent students and I think it's sad to think this person was in that school and no one even noticed him. Another reason why schools cannot be 100% safe is because people aren't aware as they should be.Half the time people don't pay that much attention to all the people they see. They wouldn't know if they go to the school or not. At a lot of schools, the doors are always open. The schools are pretty much welcoming anyone to come in. Especially in colleges, students are allowed to come and go as they please so, how would anyone know who's coming in or who's gone all the time. Schools need to have a check and go system or something of the sort. You should always be aware of your surroundings. Also, people talk a lot and we never know if there being serious or not.When someone were to talk about shooting up the school or bombing, most people would probably laugh and think it's a Joke because, most teenagers especially are caught up more in themselves then other people. People fail to realize the seriousness of violence. We think it would never happen to our school, but we wonder why it is happening to so many. This trend seems to be continuous. I believe schools are targeted a lot because, there is a large amount of people in one place. It is easy for the person committing the crime to take out a bunch of people at once when all in the same area.I think the criminals commit these violent acts in schools because, of personal interest. I believe that they are driven to act out on innocent people by violent video games or following violent acts such as, Hitler. Some people don't know how to separate what is real and aka in the world. So when playing violent video games all the time could trigger violence in their head, making them want to act out. As for the Hitler act, some people look up to him as an idol and want to follow his footsteps. They feel by harming others, they are honoring him.Or, maybe some people do these violent acts to make an impact. What if they want to be remembered for something and hurting people is the only thing they know in their head what to do that will make them noticed. It's a cry out for attention. (CNN) â€Å"Twenty-three year old Sung-Huh Choc killed 32 people on he Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus in Blackburn, Virginia, before taking his own life†. It makes me wonder why not only did this boy kill all those people, but he killed himself after.What was he thinking? This brings me to another point in which schools need more people available to talk to one on one with students? Now, I know every school has counselors for students to talk to but, some of the counselors don't have experience that these students need. It's easier to talk with someone when you can relate to that person. I feel that if students could feel unforgettable talking with a counselor, they could most definitely let out a lot of thoughts in their head, and get more things off their shoulders.I feel t hat most people don't feel comfortable talking to a counselor, so maybe if they tried to understand and relate, these students would be more open. Most people act out because, they have know where for these emotions to go, so they Just let them all out in the wrong way related to violence. People think that letting aggression out on others will solve their problems but, it doesn't. Counselors could really be helping dents with all this to make it a safer place for everyone. I personally think that schools cannot be 100% safe when students are crying out for help and don't know what direction to go.Everyone needs some type of support in their lives. When you have no one to talk to, you bottle everything up and eventually it's all going to come out. I really believe that being able to set your mind free of worry or negative thoughts, can and will make a better and safer person. All of these things are ways we can make schools a safer place for students, but it will never be a 100% saf e place until these things start to happen. Until we get all this new security and take more precautions were Just opening the doors for more unwelcome visitors.

Business IT case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business IT - Case Study Example To successfully deliver their assigned task, UTS Student Services are expected to possess certain qualities and knowledge, together of which shall be classified as the requirements for them. First, there are supposed to have full knowledge of the functionality and operational processes that guides the use of search engines and search engine editing. By this, the service should have both the software and hardware necessary to turn an existing search account into an effective one that would reach peaks for any search entries that are made (Guo and Sanchez, 2005). What is more, it is required of the service to undertake a cleanup service that involves identifying all data and information about students that may not be considered wholesome and presentable and polishing these up or possibly replacing them with more suiting and presentation information that borders on the academic and career prospects of students. On the part of students, there are a number of requirements that they are al so expected to meet. First and foremost, students are expected to have basic understanding of the functionality of the system that is being proposed. By understanding the functionality of the system, students will be in a better position to respond to system managers in a manner that will make the work of the system managers even more effective and efficient. For instance students will be required to avoid posting images and data that are not considered to be presentable. Stakeholders as used in this report refers to all people who have a role to play in the successful planning, implementation, usage and monitoring of the system (Locker, 2000). By this, three major lines of stakeholders will be identified with a brief description of the role that each is expected to play. The first stakeholder is the university authority who is expected to be the initial financiers of the project. The university

Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration - Essay Example In the British context there have been waves of immigrants everywhere from the ancient Romans trying to colonize the island right through to modern waves of people from various countries coming to the nation. Immigration has fundamentally changed in the modern era. According to a Gallup poll (2009) typically people get pushed or pulled for a variety of different reasons into countries other than their home nation. Moreover it is the case that currently most migrants move from one developed nation to another developed nation yet it is also the case that many people in developing nations would like to move to developed nations, and only a limited percentage of people in developed countries would like to move to developing countries. From this perspective one could argue that the desire to migrate is not always reflected in reality. Immigration as it stands today is massive. According to the Gallup Poll (2009) there are roughly 700 million adults who would like to relocate to a differen t country. Building on this point it is the case that 165 million of these people list the United States as their top destination with an additional 45 million listing Canada as their most desired region of relocation. Other major destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Western Europe, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Although it is the case that many people immigrate legally either through normal channels or through asylum seeking, however a large number of people immigrate through illegal channels. This later form of immigration is accomplished through finding alternative entry channels (To avoid customs controllers), through human trafficking, forged documents and a host of other means. As immigration is a ‘Hot’ hot issue there are a number of arguments that stand against immigration based on several government institutions. In the American context it could be argued that being a citizen carries responsibilities but also guarantees some rewards. It is the case that an y person that enters into a nation illegally may under some circumstances take advantage of government institutions that are paid for by law abiding & tax paying American citizens. Illegal immigrants could theoretically be living ‘off the grid’ insofar as they would typically not be contributing to the tax base, and may earn a living in the black market. It is upon this foundation that Preston (2009) voiced a major concern for voters which is the fact that many people worry those health care charges for illegal immigrants will be paid for by tax payers and as such diminish the amount of healthcare available for citizens. Building on this previous point, it has been argued by Porter (2006) that the influx of illegal immigrants from Latin American countries has flooded the market with unskilled labor ultimately brought down the wages of high-school dropouts by approximately 15% from 1980-2004. Another major concern is the impact of illegal immigration on public schools. T he children of illegal immigrants (Who may themselves be in the country illegally) have a number of unique needs. For example, young people from developing countries may not come from a home life that encourages learning, or may have a weak educational foundation when entering the American school system. Moreover many illegal immigrants may not have a command of the English language. From this perspective one could argue that

Observation report project on early childhood facility Research Paper

Observation report project on early childhood facility - Research Paper Example This child development center has about nineteen classrooms and is located on Main Base in building 10 across Sollars Elementary School and is open from 6:00 am to 6:30 am. For people who want to apply for child care, they have to fill a form called: DD Form 2606, the Department of Defense Child Development Program Request for Care Record The child development centre has certain goals like enhancing the social skills of the child, encouraging the child to think, reason, question and experiment, building physical and developmental skills etc. The child development center offers full hourly and day care for the children. The center based on the availability of program also provides special care to children who face physical or developmental challenges meeting the needs of the child with guidance from a therapist, physician, or other appropriate health professionals. Those who have children facing development, physical or other type of challenges need to bring a copy of their child†™s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP). The accommodations provided to the physically or developmentally challenged child would be based on the child’s IEP or IFSP. The Child development center is open for all who arrive to Misawa air base on orders which includes military as well as DoD civilians. Child care’s fee is only totally based on family’s annual income. There are different categories and different price range for different children. There is a wait list also for child care which is dependent on child’s age; the longest waiting period is for the infants and toddlers child care, due to the ratio, and space allocated. In such cases, it is advisable to get onto the inbound wait list before arriving to Misawa in order to reduce the waiting period. The programs offered by the childhood center support the development of the child in all areas of child development as they are interrelated and very important. In th is center, each child’s unique experiences and interests as well as abilities and needs are given great respect. There are three types of child care services provided at the child development centre in Misawa: 1 Full day/week care: Those parents who are working and are busy and cannot look after their child for 5 to 10 hours a day apply for this type of care. 2 Hourly or drop-in care: This type of care service is based only if there is space availability and to avail this service the person must call in the morning to reserve a spot. 3 Part day enrichment: Parents of children from 3-5 ages who do not need a full-day service but have the desire to let their child participate in an early childhood program apply for this type of care. SUMMARY: This child development center provides quality care to the children enrolled at the centre. The caregivers at the center mingle well with all the children as they are warm, friendly and gentle. People with whom all children are comfortable due to their appropriate, nurturing manner towards the children. They understand what the child needs and helps them out in all possible ways and at the same time making sure that children don’t become too dependent on others. They even practice in front of children what they preach, for instance, the

MK 491 Seminar in Marketing-Report Research Paper

MK 491 Seminar in Marketing-Report - Research Paper Example Since then it has literally transformed to a giant firm employing over 10,000 people. Google Inc. is a household name for their search engine service. Google has become so big now that it has almost become a new word in English language. Research Question The Research question posed here is discussion of the product, pricing, promotion and distribution strategies adopted by Google Inc. Literature Review Google Inc. is one of the top technology companies in the world. It offers a range of products and services which caters to the needs of the users. This company is present across different domain in the Internet and most of the consumers use their products and services in everyday life. Google hence uses different strategies to market their diverse products and services. Since they offer such diverse set of products and services, they use different market segmentation strategy to reach out to their consumer base. Their positioning strategy has to be prefect so that they live up to con sumers demands. Similarly their pricing and distribution strategy has to be developed to make them be on profit terms with other competitors. Analysis and Findings Overall business and marketing strategy of Google For Google their biggest success factor is the search engine which they have created. Google alone earns millions of rupees through advertisements. For Google information gathering is the key to their success. It makes all the products and services in such a way that it caters to all the segments in the market. This makes non-profit and private use by users absolutely free of cost. The founders of Google have a strong liking to education and libraries. The atmosphere of the company is like a university where continuous research and analysis of their product and services are done. They strive continuously for better search methods so that more useful information is available to the consumers through as many means as possible. Hence all the employees are encouraged to create something new and are rewarded for their effort through means like freedom with work hours, free meals, competitive pay etc. It organizes Annual Code Jam international competition which aims at solving the mind racing problems, and the winner is given large amounts of money. This helps them to find bright new employees. Hence Google primary business strategy is the innovation which the innovation in their products and services which they brings in front of the consumers. They have been largely successful at their overall business strategy. Segmentation strategy The segmentation strategy of Google is very diverse. Google has a diverse product line and hence it is present everywhere to cater to a number of users worldwide. For instance Google Search and other products are available to users at over 110 languages and it is still expanding (Anderson, Lazarus, Loftsgaarden and Weiss, 2003). According to a survey conducted in United States it was seen that their Search Engine was popular among users less than 34 years of age. Among them 55% of the users are male. Their users are predominantly technologically adept. Most of the users are business professionals. Again the products like Google plus, Google hangout, Picasa indicate that they are targeting the young peoples who are in their colleges and like to engage in social networking. One of the best Google products is the YouTube

Parents, Children and Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Parents, Children and Family - Essay Example In the story, Jin-mei interpreted her mother’s wishes as the following, â€Å"My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. America was where all my mother’s hopes lay. She had come to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China: her mother and father, her family home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls.† (Tan 1208). Jing-mei only wanted to be herself. The mother and daughter’s conflict revolved around each of their perceptions of one another. Even though Suyuan Woo loves Jing-mei, sometimes that isn’t enough to make a happy family. Even though Suyuan Woo has high expectations for her child, there is no malice in her actions. â€Å"At the core of a happy family are parents and children, connected to one another in a way that is mutually satisfying, pleasing and enduring.† (Lezin, Rollen, Bean and Taylor). Though this family has endured, both parties, Suyuan Woo and Jing-mei, are not pleased or satisfied with each other. Sometimes being a family, does not always mean being a happy family. I Stand Here Ironing relates a tale of a daughter, Emily, and her mother. Emily’s mother is standing at an ironing board ironing, while speaking to the audience. As she irons, the mother muses about her failures as mother, even though she was a single parent. She felt Emily did not receive enough attention because of her work, trying to support Emily and her four siblings. The book relates that Emily’s father left before she was a year old with only explanation â€Å"he could no longer endure.† (Olsen). Emily’s mother had no choice but to raise her daughter to the best of her abilities, even though she felt that Emily needed more. The relationship between Emily and her mother is more common today than it was when this story was set. â€Å"More than half of all children will spend some of their lives in a single-parent family. Currently, 90% of these families are headed by women.† (Hare and

Describe the particular business and its operations, as well as Essay

Describe the particular business and its operations, as well as industry challenges and opportunities it faces - Essay Example It is one of the largest luxury hotel chain headquartered in Maryland. Hospitality industry is one of the emerging industries around the globe. The hospitality & tourism sector is one of the major global economic growth drivers (Papatheodorou 2006). Company’s product, services and facilities Marriott International has nearly 3,800 properties around the globe. The organization has employed almost 144,000 employees globally. Marriott International is considered as one of the most ethical companies. The organization is recognized as a US based MNC. The organization manages and franchises an extensive portfolio of hotels, resorts and lodging facilities. The organization operates its business practices in more than 74 countries around the globe. Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Gaylord Hotels are the successful and popular properties of Marriott International. All the properties and extended brands provide simple, elegance and inviting atmosphere to its guests. As these are luxurious hotels they provide several premium services to its guests including fine dining, signature service amenities, twice-daily housekeeping, 24-hour room service, business & fitness centers, concierge services and deluxe & suit level of comfort-personal services. JW Marriott is one of the leading and popular brands of Marriott International. The properties of Marriott International are considered as one of the largest accommodator in global luxurious hotel chain industry. Discussion It is clear from the above discussion that the luxury hotel chain has a significant client base. The organization is popular for providing luxurious and premium hospitality services to its customers. Target Market Luxury, comfort and premium customer service are the major business mantras of Marriott International. People of upper income level are the major target customers of Marriott International. They mainly target business executives as their potential c ustomers. In addition to these Marriott International tries to influence several people of middle class income level through select services. Fairfield Inn and Suits is the example of select service lodging group that influence the people of middle class income group to experience the facilities and services of Marriott International (Tranter 74). However, it can be stated that effective product and service differentiation and effective customer satisfaction help Marriott International to achieve a potential competitive edge within hospitality and tourism industry. Effective marketing mix strategy helped Marriott International to reach its chosen target market. Marketing Mix Marketing Mix is one of the important strategic tools that help an organization to develop

Human Nervous System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Nervous System - Essay Example The central nervous system (CNS) of the body is basically responsible for all the unintentional and reflex nerve action. It basically means that the central nervous system takes care of all the nerve action meaning that any type of nerve reaction is the sole responsibility of the CNS (Standley, 2013). The central nervous system (CNS) has the responsibility for almost all thing that a human being does. From the simple act of breathing to the complex mental abilities that help solve complicated mathematic problems are all the direct responsibility of the Central Nervous System (CNS) (Buzzle.com, 2013). Perhaps the simplest example of what the Central Nervous system does is in the fact that as soon as someone’s hand touches a hot object, the body reacts within milliseconds and the bodies reflex is to draw back the hand immediately. Behind this simple activity are sensory tasks performed by the Central Nervous System whereby the hot sensation registered by the hand is transmitted to the brain, is decoded by the brain and the brain instructs the specific part to perform the action of drawing back the hand. All this activity is undertaken in less than a whole second and the Central Nervous System (CNS) is responsible for it. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) (Dorland's Medical Dictionary, n.d.) is also known as the visceral nervous system or also the involuntary nervous system. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is a part of the body’s peripheral nervous system(PNS) and acts as a control system.

Poured Fire Analysis Essay Example for Free

Poured Fire Analysis Essay In the novel They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak; Benson communicates a strong will to survive by using the device description. In the middle of the chapter â€Å"The Skulls Tree†, Benson describes the difficult experience he faced in the desert of Ajakageer. On his journey to Ethiopia, traveling through the desert of Ajakageer was the most dangerous part of his journey. Many of the thousands traveling to the camp in Ethiopia were ill and needed help. There was nothing they could, the only option they had was keep moving forward. Benson states, â€Å"At night, I was desperate for to have a good sleep and gain strength for the walking but I couldn’t because it was cold in the desert.† (78) This helps the reader understand the pain and misery of a Sudanese child that experienced this crucial journey. In the beginning of the chapter â€Å"The Gilo†, Benson describes what they had to do when the EPLA took over the camp. In the summer of 1991 the Ethiopian government was overthrown by some guerrilla fighters. The war once again reached them. They had to face the same problems they had. To survive, they must leave. Benson states, â€Å"The Sudan war had grown worse and spread farther. I longed to go home, but not like this-not running again, not back into battles. My beautiful homeland wasn’t a home in wartime. But to avoid conflict we agreed to leave their land and our lovely crops behind us.† This demonstrates that they were in serious danger. No matter where they went more problems caught up to them. They were lucky to get help. In order for them to survive they had to get rid and abandon there hope.

The procedures and practices used to implement the curriculum for children’s learning Essay Example for Free

The procedures and practices used to implement the curriculum for children’s learning Essay The curriculum is personalized to the specific needs of the pupils at Heronsbridge and is not a legal requirement after the age of 16. As it is a special educational needs school, most pupils are bellow foundation level. Some may reach key stage 2/3 levels. Accreditation in leavers subjects range from pre-entry to Level2, pupils are between ages 16-19. When the pupils enter this stage of school they are responsible for entering a ‘code of conduct’ charter to ensure they are fully aware of what is and isn’t expected of them. This charter is created by the pupils for the pupils. The pupils are expected to adhere to the rules that they formed around their specific needs, ability, and age. As the pupils form their own rules, it gives them ownership of expectations. All pupils, parents and teaching staff sign the charter. Leavers also have their own council representatives for making decisions about the school, how its run and even who they employ! Leavers partake in a weekly Enterprise activity which allows them to become young entrepreneurs and show off their skills as young business people, inventors, and retailers. This has a massive impact on their confidence and communication levels. It also benefits pupils regarding levels of ability. Some pupils work out the money, some work on the creation of a product and some advertise the merchandise. Enterprise is a registered business and all pupils benefit from sales. The name of the business and the logo is created by the pupils themselves. The director, selected by the pupils, delegate and divide up the responsibilities fairly and suitably. After products are decided and costings are worked out, a prototype is made, and sales are confirmed before mass production and sale. Duke of Edinburgh is another opportunity offered to the young leavers. They learn many types of skills including, community work, developing a skill, physical activities and ended with an expedition. Each pupil has the decision on whether to take this option. Many activities are available as part of this course, including, learning what is essential whilst hiking, how to pack a hiking bag, how to cook a hot meal on a Trangia during expedition plus many other aspects of safe traveling. Visits to local police stations, ambulance services, and fire stations take place as well as learning how to put up a tent! A lot of teams building exercises take place and a great opportunity is given for the pupils to discover their selves and their peers outside a school setting. Punctuality and attendance play a big part in developing student-led learning. As leavers are not compulsory the pupils learn to want to be in education and show independence in wanting to learn. Pupils work towards recognized certificates in many aspects of growing into an adult. This includes cooking, travel training, health and fitness, health and wellbeing, personal hygiene and many other training experiences needed to enable them to grow into successful and independent adults. Heronsbridge have their own coffee shop which is run by the pupils and food preparation is part of their training. Pupils have gym memberships and access the local gym as part of their learning, which helps with social interaction and confidence. Interview techniques are also practiced, and the Education Business Partnership attend the school to help pupils to get the best start. Careers Wales representative Sarah is always available in the department to help and give guidance to all leavers pupils. Help with forms is also available from Sarah. Elite is a company that offers work placements to students and helps them gain accreditation in health and safety and work awareness and workshops take place enabling the development of self-esteem and confidence. As the curriculum is not compulsory after the age of 16, the pupils are still allowed to access an extensive range of literacy and numeracy, IT skills, living and independence skills, Duke of Edinburgh, Enterprise, the world, careers and sports and leisure. Vocational pathways are also offered. This entails a wide range of options that are available to pupils to learn off-site that suit their specific needs. Bridgend college is the most popular off-site establishment offering performing arts, painting and decorating, childcare learning, music, catering and horse riding. Other options include ICT, sport and leisure, and horticulture. The emphasis put on core skills and are accredited accordingly by ASDAN, Agored Cymru, NOCN, City and Guilds and Diploma level. Literacy and numeracy are offered to Heronsbridge leavers even after it is no longer compulsory, it is offered in many formats. Numeracy is obtainable through, using data skills, measuring skills, number skills and developing numerical reasoning which is combined into all lessons. Literacy is also integrated into many subjects through oracy, reading, and writing. Routes for learning offer support for pupils with complex additional learning needs or profound multiple learning difficulty pupils and help integrate learning in a specialized way. It is a statutory requirement as part of the national curriculum that all pupils must be assessed during key stage transition using the literacy and numeracy framework.

The Independence Of Malaysia History Essay

The Independence Of Malaysia History Essay Malaysia was declared a new nation on 16 September 1963.This occurred six years after independence. Nobody expected Malaya to become Malaysian in such a short time. This is an idea of unification had been voice by David Marshall who suggested that Singapore unite with Malaya(1955).The idea was also sounded by Ghazali Shafie(1954) and Tan Cheng Lock(1955). Tunku Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan Yew agreed that Singapore and Malaya should join together. Tunku Abdul Rahman was developed an idea when he stated his readiness to accept not just Singapore but also Sarawak, Brunei British North Borneo after they had obtained their independence and they should join voluntarily. In 1961, federation of Malaysia is created by Britain and the Malayan Prime Minister. The creation of Malaysia is to merging the British colonies including Borneo and Singapore with already independent Malaya. The president of Indonesia, Sukarno denounced that the plan of create a federation of Malaysia is a neo-colonialist plot, because it maintain the British presence in the region and also claimed that it denied the Borneans their legitimate right to national self determination. So under his leadership, Indonesia embarked on a policy of Confrontation, exerting diplomatic economic and military pressure against British and Malaya. BACKGROUND 27th May 1961, Tunku Abdul Rahman having a speech in Singapore. The speech is about the foreign Correspondents Association of South-East Asia, to put forward a public feeler for a plan. This plan is for closer the political and also economic co-operation between the Borneo protectorate of Brunei and the Borneo colonies of Sarawak and North Borneo. This speech is seen as marking at least to the public for beginning of the Malaysia project. In July 1961, the leaders of all the territories which might form Malaysia had an opportunity to confer on the subject in a regional meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In this meeting, Malaysian Solidarity Consultative Committee was set up with representative from each of the five territories (Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak), the aim of this committee included the collection of views and opinions between this five country. In November 1961 the two Prime Ministers signed a Heads of Agreement document for a mer ger between the Federation of Malaya and Singapore. In the same month, Tunku Abdul Rahman visited London and reached agreement in principle with the British government on the idea of Malaysia. The British and Malayan governments that they convinced the plan of the Federation of Malaysia included the five country was a desirable aim. The merger agreement was noted with satisfaction and additional note was taken of defence arrangements. Failing to influence Malaya, President Sukarno launched a confrontation policy against Malaya on 20 Jan 1963. Sukarnos grounds for opposing the information of Malaysia because leader of Malaysia ignore Indonesia in Malayas plan to set up a new country while Indonesia was neighbour and friend to Malaysia. Sukarno claim Malaysia to be a new kind of political structure that would ignore Indonesias interest and weaken spirit of the Malay Archipelago. President Sukarno argued that Malaysia was a puppet of the British, and that the consolidation of Malaysia would increase British control over the region, threatening the independence of Indonesia. At that time, Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation between Indonesia-Malaysia was an undeclared intermittent war over the future of the island of Borneo, between British-backed Malaysia and Indonesia during 1962-1966, called Konfrontasi. 3) The REASONS that led the confrontation a) Personality Problem Hostility of Indonesia to the formation Malaysia comes from several reasons and have shown below. On 20 January 1963, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Dr Subandrio, who was a leftist, announced a policy of confrontation towards Malaya. It was a complete reversal of Indonesian policy to oppose the existence of Malaysia. Sukarno who was strongly engaged in communism subsequently declared a Confrontation policy on Malaysia from January 1963 to August 1966. As a result, the actual and undeclared war between Malaysia and Indonesia began in early 1963. Indonesia put a halt to all diplomatic relations with Malaysia during this period. Besides that, Indonesian troops began launched a series of cross-border raids, sabotage and attempted subversion into Malaysian territory to reach a political understanding. In May 1963, Tunku Abdul Rahman and President Sukarno held talks and agreed held a plebiscite before the Federation was formed. Sukarno stated that Indonesia would not stand in the way if the people of North Borneo supported the suggestion of Federation. However, on 9 July 1963, Tunku Abdul Rahman signed the London Agreement and settled down the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on 31 August 1963. On 27 July 1963, President Sukarno announced a ganyang Malaysia or Crush Malaysia campaign for a response. On 23 September 1963, Sukarno proclaimed himself as President-for-Life and declared that Indonesia must gobble Malaysia raw. Military units of Indonesia infiltrated Malaysian territories but were intercepted before they could establish contact with local dissidents. The intermittent war waged by Indonesia was marked by armed incursion, acts of subversion, bomb attacks and destabilisation. State Entry Exit Population Combat Forces Losses Malaysia 1963 1966 13000000 80000 25000 Indonesia 1963 1966 153000000 200000 20000 The confrontation came to an eventual end when Sukarno was replaced by Suharto as the president of Indonesia. Consequently, a peace treaty was signed between both countries in Jun 1966. b) Economic There were several reasons that caused the Malaya to reconsider this merger after it had experienced steady economic development and improved the standard living of its community. So Tunku Abdul Rahman was keen on a merger with Singapore was for economic purposes. Singapore had a large population and a large number of industrial firms, Complements the important trading ports in the region, one position. The Borneo territories, and fertile agricultural grounds that produced rubber pepper and much more , and on the other hand, boasted of richness in natural resources such as timber, oil and natural gas. Tunku Abdul Rahman believes that the merger of these colonies is much value to the Malayan. Tunku Abdul Rahman was also seeking to liberate these colonies from colonization. 4 years ago, Malaya had already achieved its independence. While Singapore practiced to a large extent, a self-governing policy, British control Sarawak and Sabah were still very much. The other factor is the stronghold of communism in Singapore. Over time, they did not stop their activities. But the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore is in the mid-50s strike frustrated, if anyone with the dispute continued. They hope to find favour, and to soften their blow. But the Communist Party they continue their activities. Eventually formed his own political party, they were forced to resign the government, because they are known as the Socialist Front, after the firm. He afraid to face the risk of Malaya, the Chinese Communists decided to support both sides of their allies in Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Singapore believe that the merger will allow the easy handling the Communist Party. Apart from Singapore, Communism was also thriving in Sarawak, they formed an underground Communist association which moved through worker associations, student and farmers. c) Communist In 1955, Singapores main population consists of Chinese, Malayan about the effects on the structure of other ethnic groups, especially the Malays. Also worried about the activities of the Communist Party of any natural rampant, Malaya and the impact may hinder the struggle to eliminate the threat of communism. Singapore was afraid to face the risk of Communist. Tunku Abdul Rahman and Singapore believe that the merger will allow the easy handling the Communist Party when the plan of the Malaysia was success. d) Natural Resources The other why the confrontation occurs in between Malaysia and Indonesia is about the natural resources in some countries like Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore. As we know natural resources is quite important to make a profit for a country. Malaysia and Indonesia need these countries due to the richer natural resources. Sabah is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak. It contains the richest natural freshwater fisheries in Malaysia. This variety of habitats is rich in wildlife including orang utan, proboscis monkey, hornbill and marine turtle, as well as plant life such as the Rafflesia, pitcher plant and a unique array of wild orchid. Besides that, there are a number of wonderful natural resources such as beaches, green hill, tall mountains and rainforest. Therefore, the eco tourism is one of the main attractions for the tourism. Sarawak is known to international visitors primarily because of the extraord inary natural wonders of its national park, including Gunung Mulu, the Niah Caves, and Bako. Sarawaks cultural treasures are also fascinating, reflecting the influence not only of the states many ethnic peoples, but also the odd western influence of Sarawaks White Rajahs. Sarawak also rich in petroleum and natural gas. Sarawak is one of the worlds largest exporters of tropical hardwood timber. Sarawak is also well endowed with both metallic and non-metallic mineral resources. Resources such as silica sand, kaolinitic clay and coal provide vast potential for value-added processing. Good quality kaolinitic and ball clay deposits suitable for manufacture of paper and ceramic products. There are huge investment opportunities are waiting for investors in agro based industries. The processing of agricultural commodities such as oil palm, pepper, rubber and sago, thus increasing value added. Sarawaks vast reserves of natural resources, largely untapped, are a source of promising opportunit ies in the field of biotechnology. With its bountiful and well-managed natural resources is capable more resources-based industries and great opportunities for growth. That why Indonesia wants Sabah and Sarawak to form its country. Brunei is the third largest oil producer in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and Malaysia. So its natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, timber. Petroleum is useful for transportation and mechanical fields, while natural gas is for coalgas and timber have many uses such as paper, logging industries and so on. With this condition sure Malaysia and Indonesia will loot for it and the misunderstandings is come to pass. Singapore is a city-state with not much land area and it is not particularly rich in natural resources. Natural resources in Singapore can be categorized into non renewable resources, renewable resources and water resources. Non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas is limited for Singapore and their economy is dependent o n oil and natural gas imports. Renewable resources like bio mass, an utilization energy stored in organic matter mostly depend by Singapore. Examples of biomass include wood, leaves, animal waste, crops, bones, and scales. Biomass is stored solar energy that can be converted to electricity or fuel.  But it has to find out a solution to the problem of lack of land. With quite a number richest of natural resources in these countries for sure it may be the hot for be in charge of by others. Due to this reason Malaysia and Indonesia are included in vie to these richest land and cause a lot of confront between them. Conclusion The fighting lasted nearly four years, however General Suhartos replacement of Sukarno, Indonesia interest in pursuing the war with Malaysia declined and combat eased. A useful favor in the containment of the Indonesian forces was the use of intelligence. Britain had broken the Indonesian military and diplomatic ciphers and was able to intercept and decrypt communication from a Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) listening station in Singapore. The war had been a strictly limited war and a cheapo one for Britain and Malaysia for which it achieved much. Indeed it clearly and decisively resulted in preventing Indonesia interfering with the creation of Malaysia. Arguably it had not been in the interests that the British or the Indonesians to extend hostiles outside Borneo. An alleged communist led coup in September 1965, which saw the deaths of sic leading generals, led to the successful counter coup by General Suharto (6.1921). The ensuing military assumption of power removed Sukarno and effectively ended confronts, though this was not officially announced until 1966. At the height of confronts an estimated 15000 to 30000 Indonesian soldiers and irregulars tried to infiltrate the Malaysia border while 80000 British personnel were stationed in the south-east Asian. British troops in Borneo assisted by Malaysia forces were spread thinly along the border to limit incursions. Not only just British and Malaysian troops but also Australians and New Zealanders help Malaya to protect their country from the attacking by Indonesia. British In this strategy, all about deterrence and military operations was very successful include the insurgency to a low level of conflict. But this confrontation required an important deployment of Britains limited resources and manpower. In early 1965, Britain had send the army to protect Malaya. Starting in December 1963, the British repeated requests for New Zealand and Australia to send combat forces to the Borneo to assist the insurgency. The Foreign Office advised the Cabinet in 1964 that As long as our conflict with Indonesia keeps unofficial and bilateral, we keep hold of the initiative. Britains choice to set up Malaysia was guided by defence needs, in particular the need to defend the massive military base in Singapore and at the same time create economies in defence expenses New Zealand On the other hand, Willington was eager to avoid New Zealand becoming involved in a major war with Indonesia. Because of the policy, New Zealands relations with its closest Asian neighbour could be poisoned for generations to come. Finally, the government initially refused to send troops into Borneo, because the British and Malaysian forces already enough to deal with the problem. America When the period from 1963 to 1966, the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia. American relations as it represents the first direct involvement of the United States into the politic affairs of Malaysia. In fact, in August 1961 when the British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia, Lord Selkirk, visited Djakarta for the purpose of conculting with the Indonesians about the formation of Malaysia,the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Subandrio, indicated that his country was agreeable to the plan. Subandrion reiterated Indonesian approval in a letter to the New York Times on 13 November 1961 and in a speechto the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November when he said that Indonesia had no objectionsto the proposed merger based on the will of the peoples concerned. At the last, the New Guinea problem had been settled. Australia Australia made it clear that if Malaysia were subjected to armed invasion or subversive activity supported from outside, then Australian military assistance would be added to that of the Malaysian and British. RAN warships in the Strategic Reserve were available for patrol and escort ops. The Philippines President Macapagal claimed Sabah was originally a part of Philippines territory. The formation of Malaysia thus complicated his efforts to claim Sabah. As an indication of his objection to the information of Malaysia, Macapagal broke of diplomatic between Philippines and Malaysia. Communists On the night of the 30th September 1965 a coup attempt, in which Indonesian communists became involved, occurred in Indonesia. Six senior Generals were killed. The coup failed and was followed by widespread violence and bloodshed. It proved a turning point for confrontation, which declined thereafter and on 13th August 1966 a formal agreement concluded between Indonesia and Malaysia bringing the conflict to an end.

Money and Staff Retention :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Essays

Doward (Guardian 2001) states â€Å"Sotheby’s having registered $178m of losses this year are spending $40m in a bid to retain key Heads of staff†. It might pay Sotheby’s to understand McGregor’s Theories X, Y and Schein`s Social theory as essential when looking for ways to motivate and retain staff. Theory X used financial rewards and punishments for untrustworthy employees involving company policy. Theory Y sees staff needing â€Å"care, independence, self-development and creative work, for company success.†(Cooper`1998). Schein`s social interaction helped staff â€Å"to obtain a sense of identity and belonging, wanting to be seen as meeting work expectations not merely receiving financial rewards†. Theory X relates more to Taylorism, whilst Theory Y/Social ideas follow Maslow`s idea of Self-Actualisation. Holden(1997)states â€Å" HR Manager’s must be able to forecast, plan, organise, monitor, motivate and control effectively †. Jane Wibberley (Senior Personnel Manager Marks & Spencer Southampton) believed in a mixture of Reward Management, Work Appraisal, Management Development and Security. Today’s Human Resource Manager will need to obtain commitment and recognition whilst offering reward and re-enforcement using recognised Employment regulations. Kizer`s (1987) Executive Stress Alleviators (e.g. Wellness Programmes)must be observed for commitment purposes. As to how managers retain key staff, local interviews from Marks&Spencer, Paris, Smith&Randall and Southampton Institute will reinforce that Hard HRM financial reward Practices are not the only way to keep key staff. Taylor`s rational-economic needs initiated the debate as to financial rewards being the sole motivator for staff along with Fordism. Contrary to this Maslow looked to Human requirement of interesting work being at the top of Hierarchical Needs Pyramid (i.e. Self Actualisation) with pay at the lowest. Bennett (1981) looked at motivation and commitment â€Å"as a mixture of Economic rewards, intrinsic satisfaction and social needs†, which Rollinson(1998) stressed â€Å"should be ongoing practices†. Makin(1996) looked beyond financial payments whilst Rose and Edmund Cadbury believed payment incentive schemes â€Å"eliminated judgement and initiative†(Statt`1994) now so vital to HRM. Mullins(1999) states, â€Å"Managers must provide challenging, creative work, unblocking workers growth needs, allowing sufficient opportunity for key workers to have more opportunities to satisfy existence and relatedness needs†, (e.g. promotion). Alderfer supported this, whilst Locke/Hertzberg looked at job enrichment. Adams(1995) believed Managers should ensure â€Å"equitable fairness amongst staff in payment and treatment as underpaid, undervalued staff have less commitment†. The majority of these studies (e.g. Hawthorne Plants 1920/30`s) involved manual staff so there relevance in retaining Executive staff is questionable.

Bored - Father :: essays research papers fc

There is a phrase that people here time and time again, but don’t truly understand the meaning of it until the phrase can be applied to their own lives. â€Å"You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.† Atwood’s poem is a direct reflection of this quote. Her poem â€Å"Bored† talks about how she hated the repetitiveness of her daily events with her father. But it was only until he had passed on was it that she truly did realize how much she missed those daily events. Sometimes people don’t understand how important others mean to them until it is too late. I found the poem â€Å"Bored† to be very well written and very touching. Atwood did a good job of describing how easy it is to overlook some of the better things in life. This poem revolved around repetition. And it was the repetition that makes the reader aware of the love that Margaret has for her father. Her poem starts with â€Å"All those times I was bored out of my mind. Holding the log while he sawed it. Holding the string while he measured, boards, distances between things, or pounded stakes into the ground for rows and rows of lettuces and beets, which I then (bored) weeded†(588). Atwood is obviously conveying to the reader that the time she spent with her father wasn’t what she considered of much importance and actually disliked it. This is because she only saw it as work and as a constant hardship of recurrence on herself. She never comprehended that these days with her father were the better days of her life, and she only wishes she could have them ba ck. â€Å"Why do I remember it as sunnier all the time then, although it more often rained, and more birdsong†(589)? Another aspect that can be derived from this poem is Atwood’s father’s obvious intentions to give her an awareness of the many adversities life can obtain. He has made sure she leads a life that doesn’t result from a spoiled childhood. He made her attentive of a hard days work, which is probably one of the best things a father can teach his child. It is absolutely essential that parents in general teach their children the many hardships life may behold. This gives the child a better direction in means of future obligations. Atwood describes her father’s ambition to show her some of the finer things in life and the beauty of nature and nature’s way of life.

Golden Ratio :: essays research papers

What is the Golden Ratio The golden ration can occur anywhere. The golden proportion is the ratio of the shorter length to the longer length which equals the ratio of the longer length to the sum of both lengths. The golden ratio is a term used to describe proportioning in a piece. In a work of art or architecture, if one maintained a ratio of small elements to larger elements that was the same as the ratio of larger elements to the whole, the end result was pleasing to the eye. The ratio for length to width of rectangles is 1.61803398874989484820. The numeric value is called â€Å"phi†. The Golden Ratio is also known as the golden rectangle. The Golden Rectangle has the property that when a square is removed a smaller rectangle of the same shape remains, a smaller square can be removed and so on, resulting in a spiral pattern. The Golden Rectangle is a unique and important shape in mathematics. The Golden Rectangle appears in nature, music, and is often used in art and architecture. Some thing special about the golden rectangle is that the length to the width equals approximately 1.618†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Golden Ration = Length = 1.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Width The golden rectangle has been discovered and used since ancient times. Our human eye perceives the golden rectangle as a beautiful geometric form. The symbol for the Golden Ratio is the Greek letter Phi. The Fibonacci Series was discovered around 1200 A.D. Leonardo Fibonacci discovered the unusual properties of the numeric series, that’s how it was named. It is not proven that Fibonacci even noticed the connection between the Golden Ratio meaning and Phi. The Renaissance used the Golden Mean and Phi in their sculptures and paintings to achieve vast amounts balance and beauty. The Golden Ratio in Architecture and Art Throughout the centuries, artists have used the golden ratio in their own creations. An example is â€Å"post† by Picasso. When using a golden mean gauge you can see that the lines are spaced to the Golden Proportion. The Golden Ratio also appears in the Parthenon in Athens. It was built about 440 B.C.; it forms a perfect Golden Rectangle. The exterior dimensions form Golden Rectangle. The Golden Ratio also appears in the front face, which is found to be Phi times as wide as it is tall, so therefore it is a Golden Rectangle. The height of the roof is Phi times the space between the tops of the columns and the bottom of the roof.

Educating Indian Peasants Essay

India is one country that is endowed with a rich culture that not only influences individuals but also social groupings and structures. Religion is one cultural aspect that is very influential and this paper seeks to shed light on its role in education as well as the forms of educational systems in India. The two basics forms of education are traditional education and elementary education. Traditional education can be defined as the passing of knowledge from a guru or spiritual leader to a student. The transmission of knowledge here is oral such that writing materials are not present. The venue in which this is done is known as a gurukul, which was usually the residential place of the leader or sage, and among the subjects taught were religion, Philosophy and mathematics. (Pomelil). This form of education was only accessible to certain castes that were higher that others. These castes were religious in nature where there also existed the untouchables who were mostly poor and oppressed by those of the higher castes. Traditional education was usually free but it is said that rich families gave tokens of appreciation to the gurus on completion of the studies. Discrimination and segregation are some of the characteristics that can be pegged on this education system. Religion comes in where it consoles those in the lower castes that after their death thy will re-incarnate to one of the high castes. Krishna, an Indian god is said to have reincarnated and gone through traditional education in his childhood. Robert,2003). Elementary education on the other is all inclusive and is carried out in schools. Castes do not have any importance because every one is given an equal opportunity to learn. In India those in lower castes were known as dalits and they were the main source of labor to those in higher castes. Elementary education was introduced so as to promote equal accessibility as well as universality to for everyone. Without elementary education the Indian peasants will only be revolving around the vicious cycle of poverty because of lack of empowerment that would enable them improve the standards of their own living. According to Robert, 2003, dalits were viewed and made to believe that they were not better than those in the higher castes but studies show that when dalits got into a competition with higher caste members, dalits only performed badly when their status was made obvious before the competition, while they even did better or scored same points when their social affiliation was not mentioned. Schools are available to all because they are not usually very far apart. Elementary education is the only way to empowering Indian peasants or Dalits because the World is rapidly changing and individuals are now rewarded by merit. Ascribed status is losing its popularity to a status that has been worked for or earned.

The Biography of Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas is a Supreme Court Justice, who has been under criticism since the day that he was appointed. Thomas has been chastised for his views on Affirmative Action and his views on African-American†s evolution into the mainstream of our society. Chief Justice Thomas, since his appointment has been marked as a far right conservative. In the beginning of his tenure he was labeled as Chief Justice Scalia†s, â€Å"second vote. † Since then Thomas has removed himself from this shadow to show insight on his own conservative ideas. Clarence Thomas was born on June 23, 1948 in Pin Point, Georgia. Thomas is a child of Mr. M. C. Thomas and Leola Anderson. He grew up in a single-mother household. Thomas†s father abandoned him and his mother, Leola, when he was two. Times were hard for his family, and his mother later sent him and his brother to live with his grandfather, Myers Anderson in Savannah, Georgia. His grandfather instilled in Clarence that education would be his key to unlocking the door to a successful life. He wanted him to overcome the color boundaries that were present during this time in America†s history. Clarence Thomas has an extensive educational background. Thomas attended an all black high school in Savannah before dropping out and enrolling at St. John Vianney Minor Seminary. Thomas withdrew at his grandfathers urging to become a minister. After his graduation form St. John Vianney Minor Seminary he was accepted to Immaculate Conception Seminary. However, he once again withdrew, this time because of the racial events that had occurred while attending. At this time Holy Cross University began recruiting black students and he was accepted. Thomas worked hard to not only succeed and graduate, but to excel in his classes. He graduated ninth in his class at Holy Cross, in 1971. While at Holy Cross, Thomas met Ms. Kate Ambush and they later married. Thomas† only child (Jamal) was as a result of this marriage (Clarence and Kate later divorced in 1984. He has since married to Virgina Lamp, in 1987). Clarence Thomas decided that he wanted to advance his education and applied to Yale Law School. Again, Thomas applied to a university were a minority program was implemented just a few years earlier, and he was accepted. After graduating from Yale Law School Thomas†s future looked bright. While at Yale his emphasis dealt with tax and anti-trust law. Upon Thomas† graduation from Yale he went to work for John Danforth, the attorney general of Missouri. While working for the attorney general Thomas worked in the tax division. In 1977, Danforth was elected to the Senate and Thomas went to work for Monsanto Company as a corporate lawyer in the pesticide and agriculture division. After a couple of years of work for Monsanto, Thomas became a legislative assistant on energy and environmental projects for Senator Danforth. During this time Thomas attracted much attention from the Reagan administration, which landed him a job as assistant secretary for civil rights in the Education Department. President Reagan then promoted Thomas to head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While at the EEOC, Thomas put the agency in position to enforce law. He also changed administration, policies, and implemented new procedures to improve the agency. Thomas† success as head of the EEOC led to a President Bush appointment to the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington D. C. as a Judge in 1990. He only served 17 months before being nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bush after the retirement of Thurgood Marshall. An appointment to the United States Supreme Court is for a life term. Therefore, it makes since that the process used to appoint the justices is complete and thorough. The appointment of a Supreme Court justice is made by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There can be many reasons why a person is to be chosen as a justice to the highest court in the land. Presidents have appointed certain people because of their political ideologies, judicial philosophies, gender, religion, or race. The latter reason played a big role in the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall, appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as the first black-American to serve on the court, retired in 1991. (Infoplease. com encyclopedia) Then President George Bush, felt pressure to replace this well known minority figure with another African-American. Marshall had served the court from 1967 to 1991, and many minority and political groups, including the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus felt that another minority should take his place. Clarence Thomas was the obvious choice for President Bush, but the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus, who tend to be more liberal, did not necessarily want Thomas to be nominated because of his conservative views. President Bush nominated Thomas for his legal qualifications, and backed his campaign on promising to only appoint individuals who will interpret the law, rather than create it. After the President made this decision, all that was needed was the Senate approval. However, it was not that easy. Perhaps no other recent appointment to the Supreme Court was more controversial than that of Clarence Thomas. The Senate was ready to confirm Thomas† appointment when the Senate Judiciary Committee reopened the hearings to investigate charges of sexual harassment blamed on Thomas. A co-worker named Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment while they worked in two different federal agencies, the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). MSN Encarta. com encyclopedia) Suddenly, many problems surrounded Thomas† bid for the Supreme Court. The timing of the accusations could not have been worse. Although the timing cast a question upon Anita Hill herself. If the supposed harassment took place in the 80's, why was she just now coming forward? Ms. Hill†s answer was that she could not get herself to talk about the topic until she felt obligated to do so. In the Senate hearings Ms. Hill, a law professor, had this to say: I thought that by saying â€Å"no† and explaining my easons, my employer would abandon his social suggestions. However, to my regret, in the following few weeks he continued to ask me out on several occasions. He pressed me to justify my reasons for saying â€Å"no† to him. These incidents took place in his office or mine. They were in the form of private conversations which would not have been overheard by anyone else. (Hill Testimony Transcripts) This statement makes the accusations his word versus hers. Thomas denied any wrong doing and called the televising of the Senate hearings a † ‘high-tech lynching. â€Å"†(MSN Encarta. om Encyclopedia) Finally, the debates ended and Thomas† nomination was confirmed on October 15,1991. Thomas would win because the Senate did verify his appointment to the United States Supreme Court by the â€Å"narrowest affirmation vote for a Supreme Court Justice in this Century. â€Å"(O†Connor & Sabato, 238) The vote was fifty-two in favor and forty-eight against. The Thomas-Hill scandal immediately made Thomas a well known and a closely watched justice. At first, people and the press watched his actions for other reasons than his race or judicial philosophy. More recently, however, people have come to notice his judicial decisions and philosophy more than his actions. Although Thomas† appointment was amidst controversy, he is now stepping out on his own on his ideas. Thomas† has come a long way from his childhood that started in Pin Point and Savannah, Georgia. He is now a Justice on the highest court in the United States. Thomas† term has been brief compared to the tenure of his collogues, but in his mind he has unlocked the door to success, and is walking through it.