Principles and Practice of Web Design – Home Page Evaluation

08. 04. 2013 INT1022 Principles and Practice of Web Design [THE EVALUATION OF WWW. EXPERILAND. COM/] URL: http://www. experiland. com/ Introduction: The website experiland. com is published by and part of the JB Concepts design & media group and was founded in 2010. The urge to create the site developed because the JB Concepts design & media group felt that there was a need for a science website for students, teachers and interested young people which helps them understand science and encourages them to experience science through own, by the website guided, projects and experiments.Furthermore the website gives the opportunity to increase the knowledge provided online through the availability of e-books. The creators see themselves responsible for educating and improving the learning experience for students while providing the necessary information concerning safety and emphasizing the sense of responsibility by the young scientists. The science projects are divided into different ta rget groups ranging from the first to the eighth grade. Description & Evaluation: The home-page of the website is divided into four main parts. It also introduces the texture of the website and reflects the general design for every sub-page.The texture is divided into two parts which are differentiated through different colors. The head part is metallic neon green and gives an association to the topic science as it is usually considered nature based while green reflects this nature aspect. The other texture is a rough to smooth going dark grey metallic look which reflects the human involvement in the topic science. It makes sense that green is the head as it is the ground for the researches and the metallic artificial looking part is the content part of the website because it reflects what human found out so far.Thus it is a great choice of general design for the website. Furthermore the subtitles in the content part have a special pattern which gives the user the impression to see through a microscope on the subtitles. It thus keeps the topic science consistently over the complete page and uses patterns effectively to suggest the theme. Furthermore the head of the website provides a character and the logo design of the website which includes the other colors that will be used on the website. The colors are identification colors for the five different main themes of science the website provides.These topics are chemistry in blue, which resembles liquid, earth science and astronomy in violet, which is commonly associated with science of the universe, electricity and magnetism in yellow, which resembles the light of a light bulb, life science as biology in green, as green is commonly associated with the nature and finally physics in red, which differs strongly from the other colors It thus slowly introduces the user into the color way of the website and helps the user to rediscover the already known colors later in the content parts.The great and harmonious mix of colors also entices the user to spend more time on the website and thus provides the positive effect that a wisely chosen color way should have (Shenkman & Jonsson, 2000; Nielsen, 2002; Tractinsky et al, 2004; Tractinsky et al, 2006; Valdez & Mehrabian, 1994). The website uses the typeface -Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif- consistently on every page and just differs in the color for titles and subtitles, content and links. The Titles and subtitles are in bold, white and in the size of 1. 8em to be easily identifiable as titles. The content is regular, black and in the size of 1. em while the links have the same structure they are in light green. The website uses the em size of font because it is easily scalable and mobile-device friendly. The font choice of the website is efficient and logical. The titles and subtitles have a slightly bigger size without being too place containing, while the content is held simple and easily readable. Titles in the running text are emphas ized by using bold font and 1. 6em as the size. However the choice of the color for links is not suitable even though they are easy to differ from the rest of the text, they are sometimes hard to see because of the green color way and theme design.It seems more fitting to the design than the commonly used blue but however is harder to distinguish from the text. The texting of the website is held easily understandable for students of any age. Moreover the website provides an online glossary that can be used to understand specific scientific terms. It thus delivers exactly what is needed to the target group of young students. The pictures used on the website are generally held simple but are however efficient and easily recognizable and understandable. The simple use of the pictures lets the website work fast and without long loading periods.It is thus easy to browse through and find a topic of interest. The first part is the head of the website which provides the user with links to t he five main parts of the websites which are the Home-page, the Books-page where the user can purchase e-books, an about us-page on which the company provides further information for the drive to create the website, the most important page Projects and the possibility to get in contact with the creators for questions and inquiries. Additionally the website provides the possibility to search for topics on the website by implementing a Google-Search-Tool in the head.More over frequent users of the website can sign in with their account and a shopping cart tool is implemented. The Head of the page thus serves exactly what is needed from a head. It gives the user the opportunity to easily navigate in between the main pages of the website and search for specific topics more easily. It effectively uses the space to promote the logo and introduces the user to the website. The only negative thing about the head is the choice of colors for the not chosen main pages, as they are depicted in a slightly lighter green than the background which can make them hard to read.Other than that all information are clearly readable and identifiable. The second part is the sidebar. The sidebar provides a lot of information and options for the user. Once understood it can be used to easily navigate through the website. The sidebar stays right to the content part through project and website based contents and only disappears in the books part of the website. It consists of different parts which differ from each other by the use of color and small graphics. Additionally the first part differs itself further by not being in the same design.This makes sense because this part is about the charitable function of the website, which donates 5% of their profit to charity and wants the user to vote for which charity it should be. The next part depicts the shopping cart of the users since it is possible to purchase e-books on the website. It thus helps to keep an overview if books are being purc hased. The next five parts are designed to help the user understand the website and to browse through the website and find suitable information.It thus provides browsing by school grade, by occupation and purpose, and the nature of interest of the user. These bars are thus implemented to introduce first time users and help them navigate through the system. It’s very effective because the first time users don’t have to look for the detailed content immediately but can be guided by the navigation the website provides. Additionally the small graphics help the users, and especially young users, to identify the use of the bar quickly and recognize them later again.Experienced users can make use of the sidebar as well, as it allows them to find their current project or their topic of interest effectively because it implemented the same color scheme and graphics design for the main topics of science as used on the content pages of those topics. That means that the colors are recurring and coherently used through the website and paint a complete picture. The sidebar allows the user a horizontal navigation through the different topics. Only specific projects must be found by navigating to the field of interest and finding the project from there. The third part is the content part of the website.It is separated in different colons which provide further information about before mentioned topics and themes. In the main page the content part basically gives more information to the points that are mentioned and depicted in the other parts. It allows the user to click on the topics and receive an even more detailed description of the topics. The content part always changes and contains the source of information and the reason for the users to use the website. It helps the user to find topics of interest and gives to every detailed subtopic a quantity of available projects in that topic.After deciding for a topic the user will be led to a different content page which is designed in the topics lead color and contains the different available projects. The different projects are then differentiated in different categories depending on the advised grade of the student, the difficulty, the time consumption and whether or not adult supervision is advised. The side then provides further information about the topic and explains how the project works. It is very effectively design because it shows briefly what materials are needed and then shows graphics and explanations on how to perform the project.It makes it easily understandable for students. It also draws a conclusion why the project works and gives the possibility to receive further information about the topic by purchasing an e-book. It is an effective way to present and explain the project, however the website is pressuring the user into buying the e-books because they only provide further information with these e-books. The last part of the website is the bottom part. It summarizes the ma in parts of the website in general main topics and provides a legitimacy check by showing awards the website won. Moreover it provides a free sample of one of the e-books.It is held in the same rough metallic grey design that is used as the texture of the site. Moreover this part also never changes and is provided on every content page. Bibliography Nielsen, J. , Tahir,M. Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed, New Riders Publishing, Indianapolis, IN, 2002. Olsson, T. (2007, 1 10). The Definitive Guide to Web Character Encoding. Retrieved 1 14, 2013, from SitePoint: http://www. sitepoint. com/guide-web-character-encoding/ Schenkman, B. N. , Jonsson,F. U.. Aesthetics and preferences of web pages, Behavior and Information Technology 19 (2000) 367–377. Stemler, L. K. (1997).Educational Characteristics of Multimedia: A Literature Review. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia , 6 (3), pp. 339-359. Tractinsky, N. , Cokhavi,A. , Kirschenbaum,M.. Evaluating the cons istency of immediate aesthetic perception of web pages, International Journal of Human– Computer Studies 64 (2006) 1071–1083. Tractinsky, N. , Cokhavi,A. , Kirschenbaum,M.. Using ratings and response latencies to evaluate the consistency of immediate aesthetic perceptions of web pages, in: Proceedings of the Third Annual Workshop on HCI Research in MIS, Whashington, DC, 2004, pp. 1–5. Valdez, P. , Mehrabian, A. , Effects of color on emotion,Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 123 (1994) 394–409. WhatIs. com. (2005). What is font? Retrieved 1 12, 2012, from Definition from WhatIs. com: http://whatis. techtarget. com/definition/0,,sid9_gci212137,00. html WhatIs. com. (2005). What is text? Retrieved 1 12, 2012, from Definition from WhatIs. com: http://whatis. techtarget. com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213125,00. html Wikipedia. (2012). Typography. Retrieved 1 12, 2012, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Typography Wikipe dia. (2012). Unicode. Retrieved 1 13, 2012, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Unicode

Thesis Belonging

Thesis Statements for Belonging RBelonging can be created, supported or broken by RELATIONSHIPS UOnly through UNDERSTANDING can an individual, group or community find a connection. GJUDGEMENTS or choices that individuals make may create or destroy a sense of belonging. An individual may choose whether to/or not to belong. BIndividuals (or a group) may encounter BARRIERS to belonging IAn individual’s (or collective) IDENTITY and self-perception may develop through the process of belonging.Only the individual can determine whether or not he/she belongs and this will in turn shape a sense of self. PBelonging is a PERCEPTION. Perceptions shape the way that an author, character or responder may feel in relation to belonging. It is important to remember that context shapes perception. An individual or group may feel that they belong to a PLACE or landscape. AATTITUDES about belonging may evolve and change over time IINDIVIDUALITY. Each unique individual has the potential to enrich t he community and foster a greater sense of belonging.An individual may belong to an IDEA or IDEOLOGY including religious, political or cultural ideologies. NBelonging may be understood as an instinctive NEEDof humanity Examples Our individual identity is greatly constructed by how others perceive us. As members of society we all actively desire the respect, and friendship of our peers. An individual’s fear of alienation can lead them to think or act in ways that are not true to their ideology. Belonging to a social group builds character and identity.Contrastingly, alienation forces one to ask why they are alone and thus the strength of identity is challenged. To truly belong to a group one must surrender all conflicting thoughts and ideologies. As social group, along with your family, dictates the morals you come to respect. These greatly impact who you are. Alienation does not make us stronger, all it achieves is a disconcerting feeling of being unwanted and rejected. Throu ghout childhood and adolescence, we observe our parents and peers morals and ideologies, and use this to construct identity.The community surrounding you impacts your opinion of selfhood, consequently moulding your identity. Being educated on your family’s past wrong doings, can lead to you developing a strong sense of identity that purposefully avoids repeating such errors. An individual who is a member of a social group has a greater chance of maintaining their individuality. This is in contrast to an alienated and disconnected person. When in a similar social group, an individual’s identity is perceived as stronger.A strong sense of identity is dependant on family and social standing in the community. A sense of identity depends on social interaction within family and community members. John’s sense of identity is dependant on his perception of the group to which he belongs; the police force. When people don’t belong to a group, they have difficulty in establishing a sense of self. Belonging to a family strengthens the belief you have in who you are and what you stand for. Identity is made up of the people surrounding you. In order to have an identity, one must first belong to a group.

Haier Performance management Essay

1.What are the specific practices of Haier’s performance management system? What are the guiding principles behind those practices? Haier, being the world’s sixth largest maker of large kitchen appliances, had 4% global market share and strong positions in the production of washing machine and refrigerators. The key success behind was Zhang, the CEO who brought the company fortunes. Several innovative human resource management practices were introduced. First, there was a set of colored footprints on factory floor. Any employee who has not performed well has to stand up on the yellow footprint and tell the employee why they have not performed well and how they will improve their performance. The employee who has performed best has to stand up on the red foot and explain why he had done a good job. One more tool used by the company to measure the performance of the employees on daily basis was to discuss with their supervisor and set clear goals of the employees before beginning of their shift. At the end of the day, they met again for assessment. Then, the employee would receive a colored face in a board s howing an informal grade for the day. For managers, their performances were reviewed weekly and the results were openly displayed at the cafeteria. Another tool used by Haier was the performance appraisal system the top 10% were promoted and bottom 10% were sent back to the training at the expense of the company. After this training if they again come under the bottom 10% then they were again given leave and this time they went to training but on their own expense. In the third review if they again come in to the bottom 10% then they were fired. Moreover, all the employees were treated as separate company and they have their different accounts and profit and loss statement. If the employees exceeded their goals then they increase savings in their accounts and when they did not reach their goals then they have debt on their account. This system was mainly designed to increase employee motivation to perform better than the standards defined. Talent pool was generated for any new opening in the company so that the best employee gets the new position. Job rotation was prevalent in the company and any employee was tested at different positions before assigning a final job. Evaluation was done by points system and any employee could be transferred out of the talent on not getting the points for minimum standards. The guiding principles behind those practices were  OEC (Overall, Every, Control and Clearance), 80:20 principle and Racetrack Model. Tha t’s mean, all performance dimensions of everyone everyday had to be considered and there were self-assessments and meetings with supervisors.  Also, Haier have their own 80:20 principle in which the 20% of the employees who were managers are responsible for the other 80% of the employees. If the employees did not perform according to the standards then their supervisors were liable for the results. Last but not least, under racetrack, the excellent employees had to keep racing and improving, creating a sense of competition. 2.Why does Haier’s performance management system work? What are the potential pitfalls of Haier’s system? Haier’s management was work and has been well received by workers as this could be reflected by the company’s success in the past 2 decades. With the new HR practices, the workers were given opportunities to display their motivation, innovative and competitive attitudes and capabilities of such kinds under Haier’s management. Also, all practices were carried put under great transparency, fairness and justice. Importance of â€Å"face† was a characteristic of Chinese cultural tradition. With the daily assessment and ranking, the sense of competition instantly increases. The results of the evaluation of workers were shown with individual names. It seemed that workers or managers of poor results would lose their faces. So the workers were motivated to do better.  The performance appraisal system the top 10% were promoted and bottom 10% were sent back to the training provided chances for the employee to improve and offer training before really fire them. Thi s was considerate and lenient. Also, the meeting with supervisors made the expectations and standards of works crystal clear. They set up, achieve and were accountable for the targets. Their performances were closely monitored, evaluated and rewarded and that’s why they were motivated. Moreover, under the 80:20 principle, the mangers had to have the courage and conscientiousness to assume responsibility at Haier. Thus, they had to be more dedicated and care more, leading to great effort and productivity for both the managers and workers. However, Haier’s management is in contrast to the old management of socialism. So there are maybe some potential pitfalls. â€Å"Face† and human relation are the two deep-rooted traditional Chinese concepts. If the Chinese employee cannot accept or adapt to the new practices, it arouse resentment among the employees. In long run, working under keen competition  may impose heavy burden to the employees, leading to stress and mental problems. A disadvantage in the footprint method is that it did not give any ranking to the employees so it would be diffi cult for decisions related to appraisals and salary increments. Sometimes, it might embarrass the employee as well. Haier ranked top 10% and bottom 10% of the employees. This could be morale.  The greatest challenge of this method is to differentiate between other 80% of the employees and this method may be biased by the recent performance of the employees. 3.If Haier expands into the U.S., will its performance management system be effective in the U.S.? Why or why not? If there is any change you would like to make, what would it be? It may not be that effective in the U.S. The U.S. culture is different from Chinese. They have low power distance and privacy is an important issue. The U.S. employees may feel being insulted if their performances are publicized, i.e. the colored footprint may not work. Also, there is higher level of performance orientation in U.S., emphasis is not put on daily performance but final result. They also enjoyed individualism and freedom so they may not like being instructed or guided too much by the supervisor every day so grievances will appear. To be more effective and acceptable, company can adopt different methods. One of them can be Graphic Rating Scale method which is the simplest and most popular method for the performance appraisal. In this method the employees are ranked on different scales such as communication, team work and skills related to their job profile. To eliminate the bias in the appraisal different ty pes of methods should be used and employees should be rated by different individuals. Rating can be done by their supervisor, peers and subordinates. Self-rating method can also be used.

Environmental Studies Of The States Climate Essay

Environmental Studies Of The States Climate - Essay Example The monthly temperature ranges from 91.5Â °F to 30.0Â °F. Snow fall is a rare phenomenon and the highest record is only 13 inches on March 12-13, 1993 at Birmingham. Tornados and hurricanes are very common around Birmingham and Mobile due to turbulent wind patterns. Hurricanes of wind speeds 145mph caused the worst tornado disaster the Dixie Tornado outbreak in April 27, 2011 in which 50 tornados claimed more than 238 lives. Alaska The state Alaska is known for its high snow falls but is also hot in the summer. The highest mean annual temperature is 51.4Â °F recorded at Annette, AP and the lowest average annual temperature is 0.9Â °F recorded at Umiat. The mean annual rainfall is the highest at Whitter at 185.2 inches and the most snowfall occurs in the month of January at Valdez WSO as much as 65.1 inches with a snow depth of 31 inches. The extreme northern part of Alaska is Arctic with long and very cold winters and there is snow almost year around here. The wind speeds at the costal parts of the Gulf of Alaska are as high as 40 to 45 kmph and major natural disasters in Alaska are due to storms. Arizona The climatic conditions in this state are dry with little rainfall. The highest temperature recorded was 128Â °F at Lake Havasu City, 1994 and the lowest temperature recorded was -40Â °F at Hawley Lake, 1971. The average annual maximum temperature is 76.3Â °F recorded at Lake Havasu City and the lowest is 38.3Â °F at Sunrise Mountain. The highest average annual precipitation is at Hawley Lake 38.2 inches, and the lowest is 2.67 inches. The highest average annual snowfall is at Sunrise Mountain recorded as 243 inches. The state is more prone to storms and there are large temperature swings between the day and the night temperatures due to the dry climatic conditions relevant in the state. Arkansas Due to the location close to the Gulf of Mexico, Arkansas has a humid subtropical climate. The lowest temperature was recorded at Pond in 1905 as –29Â °F and a record high of 120Â °F was recorded on 1936 at Ozark. Average yearly precipitation is approximately 45 inches in the mountainous areas and greater in the lowlands; for example Little Rock received an annual average of 50.9 inches. Snowfall in the capital averages 5.2 inches a year and the northern part of the state gets more snowfall during the winter. The state is prone to natural disasters like thunderstorms, hails, snow storms and ice storms. A tornado with wind speeds as high as 180 to 200 mph damaged Atkins where 12 people were killed. California Most of the areas in the state of California have a Mediterranean climate, while some have a subarctic climate that is colder winters and hotter summers. The maximum average yearly temperature was recorded as 91Â °F at Death Valley. The lowest average annual temperature was recorded at Squaw Valley Lodge as 27.3Â °F. The mean rainfall was recorded the highest at 104.2 inches at Honey Dew and the lowest was recorded at 2.7 inches at Brawley. Snowfall is nil at most areas and the highest snowfall of 287.7 inches was recorded at Big Ben Ranger Station. The wind speeds range from 4.5 mph to 13.3 mph. Flood due to heavy rain, tornados, thunder storms and firestorms are common in this state.

Article summary and response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Article summary and response - Essay Example that he is against sweatshop exploitation and that it should be a collective moral duty to bring the system to an end or to improve it for the benefit of the workers. Meyers begins the article by detailing the arguments against the exploitation of sweatshop workers. The first argument is quite simple, which is that people believe that exploitation practices such as these are morally wrong and should not be implemented in any workplace. Another argument comes from the philosophy of Kant that states that people should not be used â€Å"as a means but always as an end in itself (Meyers, 2007).† This means that it is immoral for employers to take advantage of workers who are desperate and in need of even the slightest bit of money. Meyers then goes into the idea of a basic golden rule, stating that if an individual would not want to be exploited in such a way, then it should not be right for another person to be similarly exploited. The final point that Meyers brings up in regard to those opposing sweatshop exploitation surrounds the fact that the CEOs of these companies are bringing in millions of dollars per year, while their underpaid employees are only bringing in a couple of dollars each day. As such, it should be the moral responsibility of the CEOs to realize that they are making more than they need to survive, and what is left over should be given to the underprivileged employees. Meyers makes it known that CEOs might find this to be unfair, but Meyers stands by the thought that unfair and doing the right thing will often go hand-in-hand. On the side that favors sweatshop labor and exploitation, the greatest argument about whether or not the system is moral or immoral is that the majority of these workers are not being forced into these jobs. They are not being forced to stay in these positions or to accept the meager pay. Due to this, there is no violation whatsoever of human rights. It is their right to decide if they want to work in a sweatshop or not,

Iraq Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Iraq - Assignment Example However, the situation has changed for the better thus indicating that the international community is committed to helping nations protect themselves against external attacks. However, the PM did not state the exact time the offensive might be launched. He said the timing depends on â€Å"our own preparation† and â€Å"the situation on the ground†. With the help of US-led coalition air strikes, soldiers as well as allied Shia militiamen have the coordination needed to retake territory north of Baghdad. Analysis: Mr. Abadi’s actions indicate that he wants to run Iraq unemotionally and rationally as he managed hi engineering firm while in exile in the UK. He wants to be non-discriminative as his predecessor who only pushed for the sectarian interests of the Shia population and ignored Sunni population. He is committed to ending sectarianism and governing in the best interests of the entire Iraq. He is likely to win the battle because Islamic state no longer inspires the terror it once did. The close coordination between Iraqi security forces, civilian volunteer fighters, the US army and the Peshmerga is likely to make the operation a success. Mr. Abadi is certain that Iraq will be able to liberate Mosul without any problems or friction in that

Virtual Team Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual Team Management - Research Paper Example Research and Development Ââ€" virtual teams offer an environment for enhancing innovations in R&D and also bring in knowledge spillovers in the organizations bridging place and time. Therefore, involving the R&D functional area in a virtual team is not a choice but rather a requirement. The R&D representative conducts the research on the best way to improve the product, organization, and the entire project team.This department operates with a sense of urgency can create and conceptualize quickly. The sales representative will benefit the team and organization by ensuring that the product reaches its intended consumers in the most efficient manner while maximizing profits.Management Ââ€" studies show that virtual teams perform well when executives support the development of the social relationship across the team and thereby enhancing trust among members. The executive management makes sure the team performs optimally and that it returns the expected outcomes.Collaborating with seve ral functional areas in the virtual team have posted some challenges that may slow or inhibit the team's performance. One of these problems is the differences in the cultural background such differing technical skills, and different styles of work. For example, a member from the production area may not have similar technology skill like those with a member from the IT department. This difference brings a challenge in adapting to new communication tools, systems, and applications, as well as learning how to use them.

Movie Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie - Research Paper Example He used to fax letters for the warden as well as the other staff. Before coming to prison, he was an honest man. After coming to prison, he gave financial ideas to staff and warden that were not legal, but would make them rich. He also made different plans to make the warden a millionaire in just few years. After more than a decade in prison, a new young boy ‘Tommy’ came to Shawshank. Andy started teaching him. One day Tommy found out the reason for Andy’s imprisonment, and told him that he had met the real murderer of Andy’s wife and lover. Andy tried to convince the Warden that Tommy could help him out of the prison. To this warden got afraid that he would get caught for ill practices if Andy was released, so he got Tommy killed. RED: Red was a popular and old inmate in Shawshank. He used to smuggle cigarettes, wines bottles, or anything for anyone into the prison. He was a sales man for the prison. He was a good friend of Andy. He was the one who made Andy get hold of a rock hammer, which helped him in creating a tunnel in the wall. Red lived in Shawshank for 40 years. After every decade, he tried to explain the lawyers that he is a changed man, but to no avail, until 40 years has passed in prison. He was hopeless. But one day, finally he was released. 3) When Andy told Warden, Tommy’s evidence in his favor, and staff ill treated him and kept him in solitary confinement. International standards do not allow the staff to send any prisoner to dark

Sentences in BTN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sentences in BTN - Essay Example A Chinese firm is used for analysis to determine if the exchange rates affect trade flows in a systematic manner. It is beyond the analysis of this paper to compare the responses of the foreign country policies to the domestic policies that existed initially China maintained a fixed exchange rate from 1994 to 2005 and during this period the USA experienced continued and increasing deficits in trade against China. Domestic Chinese firms obtained raw materials from the foreign trading partner freely without making payments. The firm would then sell the product to the same foreign trading partner and charges the trading partner only the assemblage fee. Ordinary exports and imports formed the main basis of the analysis as they accounted for the majority of the exports and the imports. The share of each of the processing firm is used as a determinant of the level of processing trade engagement of the given firm during the analysis The effects of the firm level dynamics on the aggregate ch ina-us trade balance is examined using beard formula of decomposing the annual changes in exports and imports between the two countries. Percentage changes in the GDP of China and USA are used to control the effects on the demands on firm exports and imports. Firm fixed effects are used in the control of any unique feature that may affect the exports or imports at the firm level hence errors are standardized at the firm level

Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Questions - Essay Example Conflict on both sides started when Jews started interfering in the Arabs religion as in the beginning the Israeli’s were few in population as compared with Arabs. Jews started breaking the promises with Arabs and problems overcame the situation. And now the issue has become an International Issue. Arab side is quite strong in their perspective and makes it clear to the Israeli’s what they want of them. But Israeli side is not going to back up. Another issue is related to the Golan heights, Arabs want Israeli to compromise on the side but Israeli’s are not ready to leave the side as they want to make the borders strong for the Israel. Talking about the particular situation it is becoming critical day by day as all the Arabian countries are on one side supporting the Arab community living in Palestine. If we focus on the solution then Israeli’s should give an ear to the Arab community and fulfill their promises. 2. Articulate the origins and main motives for United States involvement in the region. Specifically, what are American interests in the region? Was the United States correct for getting involved? Have we made any specific mistakes?   United States is continuously supporting the Jews in the Arab-Israeli issue as in 1948; Jews were known to have a modern nation US are supporting them after the modern Jews community came into being. Throughout the history of Israeli and Arab war depicts the friendly behavior of US towards Jews. US is basically trying to have a region stability in the particular region. Middle-east is like a golden bird which everyone tries to catch and hold. Israeli’s are continuously expanding their territories in the desert regions and Arab sides, so US is supporting modern Jews and helping them to continue with it as they gain with their political concerns. If we recall the history of all the wars Israel has fought it has resulted in their procurement of more land as a result and so they have grown year after

“How we discourage creativity” The creative spirit Essay Example for Free

â€Å"How we discourage creativity† The creative spirit Essay Evaluation is the polarization of the learner’s work by a particular set of criteria introduced by the teacher (Goleman, 1992). This can be as simple as commenting on what type of art work is good and what type is ugly to an early learner. While the learner’s work would have to be evaluated sooner or later, doing so too soon might constrict the learner’s ideas of what is â€Å"good† and â€Å"acceptable† as well as what is â€Å"bad† and â€Å"ugly† on as narrow a perception as that provided by the teacher. While this does train the learner to â€Å"do as told†, and conform to generally acceptable measures, it is insensitive to the idea of diversity and freedom of action. When kids are made to worry too much about whether they’re doing things right or not, they become too afraid to try new things that â€Å"might not be right† in their teacher’s eyes. Rewards are positive motivations given to learners in either tangible or intangible means (Goleman, 1992). These can be tangible rewards such as candies or toys or intangible ones such as praises. Giving rewards motivates the learner to continue doing whatever tasks in the same manner as in order to continue getting rewards. The problem is that excessive use of rewards would take away the simple joy of the activity from the child. The child will not wish to experiment with the activity and be more creative since the objective becomes doing exactly as the teacher says in order to receive the rewards. Furthermore, if the learner simply looks forward to the rewards, no attention will be paid on the value of the activity itself which supposed to inculcate lessons that should remain even after the rewards are gone. Competition is placing two or more learners in a situation where some of them could â€Å"win† while others would â€Å"lose† (Goleman, 1992). This makes children step up to the challenge by motivating them with the prospect of outdoing one another. This could train students to answer the teacher’s questions faster if only the first person to answer could win a prize. However, holding competitions as part of learning activities is insensitive to the fact that children learn differently and should be allowed to learn at their own pace. Instead of forcing every learner into a competition where they would have to play by the teacher’s rules, the teacher should find out how each of the learners learn best and provide a proper atmosphere for each to develop creatively in their own time. Restricting choices is limiting the possible activities that a learner could do in order to explore a particular subject matter (Golema, 1992). This could be as simple as disallowing a student from using certain colors when drawing a picture. It is the learner’s curiosity that leads him or her to enjoying activities and learning from them. Limiting the choices that a learner can make limits the places where curiosity could go, thereby limiting creative learning in general. While it is true that this gives focus to the learner, it takes away the possibility of exploring avenues that could also be enriching experiences. Reference Goleman, K. (1992). â€Å"How we discourage creativity† The creative spirit. Vol. 3 No. 2 pp. 61-62.

Francisco Pizarro Essay Example for Free

Francisco Pizarro Essay Francisco Pizarro was born in 1474 in Trujillo, Spain. In 1502 he arrived in the Spanish colony of Hispaniola where he later joined the expedition to settle Panama in 1519. I can say that Pizarro’s victory over the Incas is considered to be the most shocking and the most incredible military accomplishments in history. Pizarro wanted to be famous, so he thought it would be great to conquer the great Inca Empire. His own personal goals were to become wealth and to be known as great. This time, he intended to conquer the Incas just as Hernando Cortez had crushed Mexicos Aztecsand he couldnt have picked a better time. In 1525, Pizarro and two ships set sail for Peru. He returned to Panama, where he lived, with gold, llamas, and Indians. In 1528, Francisco Pizarro returned to Spain to get permission from Charles V, king of Spain, to conquer Peru for Spain. Charles supplied him with funds for the expedition. Pizarro returned to Panama and organized the expedition. He had a tiny army of 100 foot soldiers and some 60 cavalry. In 1530 he reached Peru and went to inland in Andes, to in town where the Inca ruler, Atahualpa, was staying. However, Atahualpa was in a civil conflict with his half-brother, Huascar and he had just recently won the war against his brother when Pizarro arrived, and the empire was still unstable. Pizarro ambushed the ruler, forced him to collect an enormous payment, and then executed him. Although the Incas mounted significant resistance to Pizarro, they were soon broken. Soon, by November 1533 the conquistadores were in control of Cuzco, the Inca capital.

Contract of a Mortgage

Contract of a Mortgage Introduction A mortgage is a contract between two parties whereby the mortgagor uses his land as security for a loan from the mortgagee. In return for the creation of a proprietary interest in the land for the mortgagee, the mortgagor receives a loan and based on the terms of the mortgage has to pay the full sum owed. In the event that the mortgagor defaults on payment, the mortgagee is entitled to take possession of the mortgaged property and recover the full sum owed by the mortgagor usually through the sale of the property and by suing on the covenant to pay the full sum due. Jack and Margaret entered into a mortgage contract with Reading Bank whereby their matrimonial home was used as security for the loan. As Jack has fallen into arrears with regard to the mortgage payments, Reading Bank is now seeking to recover the full sum due under the mortgage. Mortgagees Rights The mortgagor essentially has the cumulative rights[1] to sue the mortgagor on the covenant to repay based on the mortgage contract[2], to take possession of the mortgaged property, to initiate and complete sale of the mortgaged property, to exercise foreclosure and to appoint a receiver. In this task we are only concerned with the mortgagors right to possession as Margaret and Jack are resisting possession. By virtue of the way in which legal mortgages are created, the mortgagee is regarded as having an estate in land and this along with the authority of Four Maids v. Dudley Marshall[3] and Ropaigelach v Barclays Bank[4] gives Reading Bank the immediate right to possession the moment the ink is dry on the mortgage.[5] The right to take possession is subject only to self limitation as expressed in contract and statutory restrictions. Mortgage documents generally contain a covenant that would restrict the mortgagee from taking possession unless the mortgagor is in arrears, it appears that an argument for self limitation covenants would fail. With regard to statutory restrictions on the right of possession a mortgagor, protection for the mortgagor is afforded by section 36 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 (AJA) as amended by Section 8 of the AJA 1973. By virtue of section 36 of the AJA the court is granted a discretionary power to suspend, adjourn or postpone an application for possession of a dwelling house by the mortgagee if it appears that the mortgagor would be likely in a reasonable period of time to pay any sums due under the mortgage. Whether or not Margaret and Jack can resist possession by virtue of section 36 would depend on whether or not they satisfy the limitations of the effect of the statute. There is no dispute as to whether the mortgaged house in question is a dwelling house however the facts of the case seem to indicate that as Reading bank did not apply for a court order[6] and instead sought self help[7] as the bank merely wrote to J ack and Margaret. It should be noted that when seeking self help possession Reading Bank runs the risk of committing criminal offences if there should be any person lawfully residing on the premises at the time as they are subject to Section 6 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 (if violence was used or had been threatened to be used). However the facts are silent, if Reading Bank did in fact apply for a court order Margaret and Jack will be able to rely on section 36 of the AJA and they would have to prove on the balance of probabilities that it is likely that the arrears will be cleared within a reasonable period[8] in order to satisfy the court. Application of section 36 is not necessarily a negative outcome as mortgagees do not want possession or the expense of a sale. A possession order under section 36 gives the mortgagee all it could ask for: an order for possession, albeit suspended and an order requiring the borrower to repay the arrears and to stick to a schedule for future p ayments.[9] The discretion as to whether to apply for a court order or not is left to Reading Bank. Undue Influence As a mortgage is essentially a contract and the presence of any vitiating factors such as undue influence or misrepresentation may make the entire agreement void and thus unenforceable. The court of appeal in Bank of Credit and Commerce International S.A. v. Aboody[10] set out the categorization of cases undue influence into either class 1 of actual undue influence whereby one party to the transaction can prove on the facts that the other party to the transaction exerted undue influence through an act openly carried out amounting to improper pressure. And class 2 of presumed undue influence[11] which arises when the complainant is able to establish the existence of a relationship of trust and confidence between her and the wrongdoer of such a nature that it is fair to presume that the wrongdoer abused the relationship in procuring her agreement to enter into the impugned transaction[12] In order to resist possession Margaret would most likely attempt to argue that undue influence had in fact been exercised. The burden of proof for undue influence lies on the claimant throughout[13]. Margaret would have to prove undue influence, either actually or with the benefit of an evidential inference (a presumption), which remains un-rebutted. As class 1 cannot succeed the burden of proof would be on Margaret to rely on class 2 in that of the presumption of undue influence. Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge (No.2)[14] indicates that in order to discharge the burden of proof, the victim has to show that there was a relationship of trust and confidence with the alleged wrongdoer and that there exists a transaction that calls for an explanation.[15] Applying the requirements of Etridge (no.2) for class 2 presumed undue influence to the facts of the case, it would be necessary for Margaret to prove that there existed a close relationship of habitual trust and confidence between and Jack (the alleged wrongdoer) and herself. On the facts it appears that Margaret reposed trust an d confidence'[16] in Jack, the fact that for a great many years Margaret was a housewife raising five children seems to indicate that Jack would be left alone to manage the financial decisions of the household as well as the company. On the assumption that Jack was in fact in control of the financial decisions it would appear that he would have a sufficient position of power to abuse his influence over Margaret as is evidenced by his actions of persistently pressuring[17] her into signing the mortgage despite her obvious reluctance to re-mortgage the house which clearly indicates a betrayal of trust by seeking to fulfil his own interests.[18] When considering the transaction that calls for explanation it is submitted that it would be left to the discretion of the courts, the judgment could go either way. On one hand it can be argued the transaction is plainly disadvantageous to Margaret as she undertakes a serious financial obligation, and in return she personally receives nothing. On the other hand it can be argued that Jacks business is the primary source of the family income and Margaret would mutually benefit from having a lively interest in doing what she can to support the business. However the facts point out that Margaret was reluctant to agree to the transaction and only did so at a point where she was physically exhausted and sick of quarrelling. Jack had also misrepresented Margaret with regard to the actual sum that was to be borrowed, the amount was represented as  £300,000 where else it was in fact for  £500,000. It is submitted that in light of this it the courts would most likely infer that there was undue influence as the transaction will only be explicable on the basis that it has been procured by the exercise of undue influence by Jack. If the courts infer that Margarets consent has in fact been procured by undue influence or misrepresentation, the bank may not rely on her apparent consent unless it has good reason to believe that she un derstands the nature and effect of the transaction. The burden of proof will be on the bank to rebut the presumption of undue influence. The Bank can rebut the presumption by producing an explanation for the impugned transaction[19]. Lord Nicholls in Etridge (no.2)[20] indicates that this can be done if Reading Bank can show that Margaret obtained independent advice from a solicitor or outside advisor[21]. In this case, the facts are silent as to whether or not Margaret obtained any independent advice. In the event that the Margaret has obtained independent advice it would be in the courts discretion as to whether or not the presumption can be rebutted. However if Margaret did not obtain independent advice it is submitted that the courts will most likely infer that undue influence had been exerted on Margaret by Jack tainting her consent with regard to the impugned transaction. If the courts in their discretion infer that undue influence had in fact been exerted then the onus of dis charging the burden will be placed on Reading Bank. The judgment of Lord Browne-Wilkinson in Barclays Bank v OBrien[22] appears to indicate that the wife would only be able to set aside the transaction on the grounds of undue influence if the third party had actual notice of the facts giving rise to her equity. The decision in Etridge (No.2)[23] indicates that the courts will only deem the mortgagee to have notice of undue influence in every transaction where the surety and debtor are in a non-commercial relationship and the loan made was not for the mutual benefit of both parties but instead for the sole purpose of one. Applying the principles to the facts of the case at hand, Margaret and Jack are in a domestic relationship and Margaret is also listed as a director of the company. As aforementioned the courts will only be able to set aside the mortgage on the grounds of undue influence if the Bank had actual notice of the facts giving rise to Margarets equity. The case of CIBC mor tgages v Pitt illustrates a situation whereby the bank was misled by the mortgagor to believe that the loan was to purchase a holiday home, as it was for the mutual benefit of the couple the Bank was not put on inquiry. Jack sought the mortgage in order to expand his business and as aforementioned an argument for manifest disadvantage could go either way. Reading bank may argue that as Margaret was a listed director of the company they could apply CIBC v Pitt whereby the mortgagee was not put on notice as it was for their mutual benefit. However on the other side of the coin Lord Nicholls in Etridge (No.2) stated: In my view the bank is put on inquiry in such cases, even when the wife is a director or secretary of the company.[24] This suggests that the fact that Margaret is a listed director on her husbands company should not thwart Reading Bank from being put on inquiry. The argument for manifest disadvantage could go either way as Margaret has never played an active part in her h usbands business and instead was busy raising her five kids and subsequently working as a nurse. There seems to be no way by which the bank can avoid being put on notice to discharge their obligations to prevent the transaction from becoming impugned. In order to avoid rendering the mortgage void due to undue influence Reading Bank is advised to meet with the vulnerable party privately where by the extent and risks involved in the mortgage should be explained after which the vulnerable party should be instructed to seek independent legal advice in order to obtain a confirmation letter. A confirmation letter from Margarets solicitors acts as proof that Reading Bank has fulfilled their obligations and responsibilities in ensuring that the vulnerable party has obtain independent advise. Proceeding with the mortgage after a solicitors confirmation letter has been obtained will make the mortgage virtually unaffected by any future pleas for undue influence. The facts of the case are silen t as to whether or not Reading Bank has carried out its responsibilities in that of meeting Margaret privately and instructing her to seek independent legal advice to obtain a confirmation letter. In the event that a confirmation letter had been sought any plea for undue influence would be ignored and the Reading Banks rights would be unhindered. However if Reading Bank had failed to discharge their responsibilities and the courts inferred that undue influence had been procured onto Margaret then Reading Bank would not be entitled to possession as the mortgage would only be exercisable upon Jack. This would result in Reading Bank having to seek other remedies to realize the loan such as suing on the covenant to pay. Conclusion It appears that a plea for undue influence would most likely succeed as Reading Bank has failed to discharge its duties and obligations such as ordering a private meeting and advising Margaret to seek independent legal advice. However the facts are silent, If Reading Bank failed to discharge their duties, the mortgage agreement would be deemed unenforceable[25] on Margaret however Reading Bank would still be able to sue Jack on the covenant to repay based on the mortgage contract[26]. If Reading Bank did in fact discharge their duties and obligations they would be able to set aside the presumption of undue influence. This would allow Reading Bank to exercise its rights under the mortgage such as right to possession, right to sale, right to appoint a receiver, right to foreclosure and right to sue on the covenant to repay. With regard to right to possession Reading Bank would have the discretion as to whether to use apply for a court order or not as aforementioned the invocation of se ction 36 of the AJA is not necessarily a negative outcome, it all depends on what Reading bank really wants.

Essay --

Zach Dulac Professor Ady Media Analysis 2 December 2013 Legal Monopolies’: Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Pass Go, and Give me back my 200$ The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a secretive bill instituted by the U.S. Government in order to allow transnational corporations the control over not only our wallets, but also our health. The TPP’s intent is a proposed trade agreement, which would create the largest regional free trade agreement established in the world today. The twelve countries currently included are the U.S., Japan, Australia, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, and Brunei Darussalam. Together they are estimated to account for about 40% of the world’s GDP. Free trade is a system in which removes restrictive barriers such as tariffs in order to create open markets between the countries involved. The concept of free trade is appealing to most American’s considering the state of our economy over the past five years. However, the United States has been quite secretive in releasing the contents of this agreement. Shortly before a negotiation in Salt Lake City , WikiLeaks released the contents of the agreement over its website⎠¯ revealing the reason behind the secrecy. Out of twenty-nine chapters, trade is only discussed in five of them. The TPP is an agreement, in which is intended to allow transnational corporations the ability to globally control our food, our medicine, and the Internet in order to increase their companies profit maximization. International trade has always been a pivotal part of the prosperity of the United States economy over the last fifty years. Free trade is simply international trade without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions. It builds onto the platform of our... ...at copied and sent to the patent â€Å"enforcers†. If caught doing this three times, ones Internet access would simply be cut off. The TPP is an agreement, in which is intended to allow transnational corporations the ability to globally control our food, our medicine, and the Internet in order to increase their companies profit maximization. The U.S. government is pushing to increase patents not only in the U.S., but also around the globe. These patents vastly negatively impact our food industry, our health industry, and our Internet freedom. The outrageous mislabeling of Trans-Pacific Partnership is not about trades; it’s about stacking the wallets of the wealthy for years to come, at the expense of our global society. They should have added a subtitle underneath⎠¯ The Trans-Pacific Partnership: where your human necessities are moneymaking recipes for CEO executivE’s.

Is It the Author, or His Content? Essay examples -- Orson Scott Cards

Orson Scott Card’s novel, Ender’s Game, has been the most popular science fiction novel since its release is 1985. While the book is essentially a fantasy, it contains a lot of scientific and philosophical information that are both manifest and latent. The issue that critics argue over may not necessarily refer to the plot of the book, but rather to its moral dynamics. In this literary analysis, we will analyze Ender and his sibling’s relationship by referencing the Personality Development theory, and the history of many historic biblical saints. But first, the author himself will be analyzed in order to understand what influenced him to write such a popular book. As an author, professor, columnist, and political activist, Orson Scott Card possesses a well-rounded and immense amount of talent. He has been awarded the Hugo and Nebula awards for his outstanding work in Ender’s Game and its sequel, Speaker for the Dead ("About†). But as one may know, his literary legacy did not conform overnight. As a child, Card showed many different interests that ranged from reading books about the French revolution to playing the French horn in his schools marching band. While in school, he often soaked in in new information that was presented to him. During junior high, Card had his first acquaintance with mock political bates and Greek literature from authors such as â€Å"Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Plutarch, and many other writers of the ancient world† (â€Å"About†). Today, much of Card’s interests as a child still coincide with his interests as an adult, and typically can be found in most of his literary work. Card once w rote that â€Å"there is always moral instructions whether the writer inserts it deliberately or not†¦ but when [he] write[s] without deli... ...aks for itself. Works Cited "About Orson Scott Card." About Orson Scott Card. Hatrack River Enterprises Inc., n.d. Web. 09 May 2014. Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. New York: Tor, 1991. Print. Kessel, John. â€Å"Creating the Innocent Killer: Ender’s Game, Intention, and Morality.† Foundastion, the International Review of Science Fiction. 90th ed. Vol. 33. N.p.: n.p., 2004. N. pag. Myers, David G., Richard O. Straub, and Thomas Ludwig. "Personality." Psychology. 8th ed. New York: Worth, 2007. 598. Print. O'Connor, Daniel William. "The Man and His Position among the Disciples." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. Reiter, Geoffrey. â€Å"’Ender’s Game,’ Genocide, and Moral Culpability.† patheos.com. Patheos, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2014 "St. Valentine Beheaded." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay -- Jane Austen Pride Prejudic

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen In this coursework I will be writing about the different marriage proposal that Elizabeth is offered by two completely different people. From the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The three main people I will be looking at are Mr Collins, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth gets a proposal from both Mr Collins and Mr Darcy but the response she will be giving is not quite either men were expecting. I will also have further explanations on how Jane Austen’s use of language is in the proposals. Mr Collins first set eyes on Jane the daughter of Mr and Mrs Bennet to be his lawful wedded wife, but he soon finds out that she is going to be engaged to Mr Bingley. Mr. Collin's attention then changed from Jane to Elizabeth. He found her equal in, 'birth and beauty.' Mr. Collins wanted to settle the argument between his father and Mr. Bennet; he hoped to do this by marrying one of Mrs. Bennet's daughters. Lady Catherine de Bourgh had influenced Mr. Collins into marriage. She told him, 'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly, choose a gentlewomen for my sake; and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way.' Mr. Collins thought Lizzy fitted Lady Catherine de Boughs advice, and he thought a marriage would add very greatly to his happiness. Mr. Collins proposed to Lizzy, he was calm and collected. He spoke arrogantly, and what he said seemed well planned and rehearsed. He informed her of all the reasons for marrying her, but not one of them included or implied that he wished to marry her for love. This reason was the most important to Lizzy and ... ...ch other by looks Lydia goes for Wickham because he’s in a soldiers suite, and Wickham for Lydia because she’s a young lady. They ran away and done something which is not expected from people of such high class. It did happen at the time but mainly by working class people, it was not often for it to be seen by people like Lydia and Wickham. This brought shame upon the Bennet family and now Lydia and Wickham has to get married, Lydia being a young and impractical girl does not know what is going on, but Mr. Wickham now regrets getting married to Lydia seeing as how dim-witted she is, likewise Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Bennet is now stuck with her and spends most his time in the library away from Mrs. Bennet and her annoying yelling and screaming. Also Elizabeth and Jane getting a marriage proposal from people like Bingley and Darcy was very unlikely.

Study Skills Assignment

Table of Contents Task 11 1. Introduction:2 2. Research strategy:2 3. Data collection methods:3 3. 1Primary data collection method:3 3. 2Secondary data collection method:3 4. Resources/Data Access:4 5. How and Why:4 Task 25 1. Project Plan:5 Work break down structure (WBS)6 2. Understanding the instructions:6 3. Managing Time Effectively As a Post Graduate Learner:7 4. Gant chart:7 5. Collection of information:8 6. Write a more detailed plan:9 7. Getting Started, Editing the work, proofreading the draft and the final edit9 Task 310 Critical Reflection Report:10References:13 PLANNING & REFLECTING AT POSTGRADUATE LEVEL Task 1 Develop a research strategy explaining EXACTLY how you will find relevant academic material to help you with THIS SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT, i. e. specific search ‘strategies’ & ‘search terms’, which databases & journals you will query, how & why, etc. 1. Introduction: An assignment is a task that is given to testify a student’s knowledg e regarding a particular subject or topic which he/she is asked to produce as a part of his/her academic course and this assignment is usually assessed.However, there are different kinds of assignments given during the course such as theoretical assignments, practical assignments containing theory and some practical approach by conducting primary research for example, development of business plan (Bell, 2002). The student/researcher when given an assignment should first develop an understanding of the contents of the assignment and then should develop a research strategy according to which he/she can start and complete the given assignment.Apart from developing a research strategy for the assignment another important which needs to be considered is the mode of data collection and the sources from where the data for the particular assignment could be gathered. Further the writer needs to keep in mind the length/word count of the assignment, the kind of report required whether an essa y is asked to write or a report that might be containing headings, diagrams, charts and graphs (Bell and Chan, 2005). 2. Research strategy: A research strategy is a plan of action that gives direction to your efforts, enabling you to conduct research systematically rather than haphazardly† (Bain, 2000). The following research strategy will be employed to conduct the current assignment: * Thorough study of the topic and related subjects prior to starting the assignment. * Understanding the requirements of the assignment * Thinking of such ideas that can make the assignment different from others. * Inquiring yourself as what do I want to do in the assignment? * Collecting data through browsing different sources. Locating a specific piece of information * Retrieving all the related material on the given subject Further, for the current assignment the research strategy adopted by the writer would be based on the requirements of the assignment. As the assignment requires the develo pment of such a strategy which will help the writer to find the academic material for the current assignment. However the following ways will be utilized to collect data. 3. Data collection methods: The most widely used data collection methods are: * Primary data collection method * Secondary data collection method 4. Primary data collection method: Primary data is usually present in raw form or in the original form which the researcher collects by employing different methods such as questionnaire, observations, and focus groups, personal and telephonic interviews. This kind of data is not used previously in any research or by anyone. However for the current study this kind of data collection method would not be required as the current assignment does not require any such data that requires the development of questionnaire, conducting interviews or observations (Kumar and Ranjit, 2005). 4. 2 Secondary data collection method:This kind of data already exists in published and non publi shed form, however secondary data is mainly comprised of compiled statistical reports, financial reports, news, articles and journals which could be accessed through different research engines such as Google and through various sources such EMARLD, Mintel, EBSCO, Jstor, Lexis, Key Note, Willey Interscience and Nexis and also through books and web pages. However for completing the current assignment secondary data collection method will be employed and data will be collected through different resources (Dawson, 2002). 4. Resources/Data Access:The information gathered for the current assignment were from different resources such as Journal of Educational Administration, International Studies in Educational Administration, further few books were also employed to gather information such as Developing and applying study skills. London: Chartered Institute of personnel and development, Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, edition. 9th Canada: Jo hn Wiley & Sons, The 7 habits of highly effective people. United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster UK ltd and Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed.England: Pearson Education Limited (Saunders et al. , 2003). 5. How and Why: The journal of educational administration was found by using EMARLD, which is an authenticated academic resource and students have access to it through the respective university/college library. Further the international studies in educational administration were also found through EMARLD. The different articles and journal were found by entering the key words of the subject in the search bar and the search engine will find relevant articles. However the different books were accessed through Wiley Interscience such as Developing and applying study skills.London: Chartered Institute of personnel and development, Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, edition. 9th Canada: John Wiley & Sons, however few web pages were also accessed through Google Scholar (http://scholar. google. com). These resources were employed due their academic authenticity as well as they are properly published resources bearing proper author name and the year they were published (Saunders et al. , 2003). Task 2 1. Project Plan: The project plan for the current assignment is simple and is presented as follows: * Understanding the instructions What is the question actually asking for? * Have a quick plan before starting * Collection of information * Use of other authors’ work * Write a more detailed plan * Getting started * Editing the work * Proofreading the draft * The final edit The project plan for starting and completing this assignment is also given in the following form (work break down structure). Work break down structure (WBS) 2. Understanding the instructions: The first and foremost step after getting any kind of assignment is to read it carefully and understand its instructions and for instance if there is ny ambiguity it could be cleared at the beginning so that the assignment could be completed with clear instructions. In case of the current assignment the writer read the instructions and discussed it with the tutor to have a more understanding of the requirements. Moreover, the question/query being asked was fully understood and a quick plan as how to start the assignment was made which included work break down structure and Gantt chart. This further enabled the writer to estimate the time required for the current assignment (Kerzner, 2006) 3. Managing Time Effectively As a Post Graduate Learner: Time management refers to the development of processes and tools that increase efficiency and productivity† (Ward, 2012). Further it allows a person to mange time effectively and allocates right time to right activity. Managing time effectively allows the individual to prioritize activities according to their importance and allot specific time slot to that activity. Like wise in order t o mange time effectively and after having a complete understanding of the instructions the writer was capable of allotting the time required for the current assignment.As time management is critical and important factor in completion of the assignment (Mancini, 2003). 4. Gant chart: The Gantt charts are rigorously used as a project planning tool that could be utilized in order to present the timings of activities that are required to be done in a project. However, Gantt charts are very simple and easy to make and they are widely used by project managers for all type of projects (Durfee, 2008). The following Gantt chart is base on the work break down structure given above. The following graph shows the work load distribution over the week days.It is evident from the graph that more time was given to the assignment on the weekends that is 25 percent on Saturday and 28 percent on Sunday; however the distribution of work is done as per the following percentages on each day. 5. Collectio n of information: This is the most important activity in making an assignment as the assignment is produced using information gathered from different sources. However, for the current assignment different sources were utilized in order to get good quality academic article, journals, books and web pages.These sources include Journal of Educational Administration; International Studies in Educational Administration, further few books were also employed to gather information such as Developing and applying study skills. London: Chartered Institute of personnel and development, Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, edition. 9th Canada: John Wiley & Sons, The 7 habits of highly effective people. United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster UK ltd and Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed. England: Pearson Education Limited.An important point while gathering information was to consult the core books and such sources that have been recommended by the tutor, apart from these additional information was also gathered. In case if the writer can not get good articles, the best way is to look at the reference list of any one article and the writer can search for the articles and books used by the author of that article. Another important point to be considered is that while collecting information the writer must be sure the material being collected is relevant to the topic he is searching for, otherwise this can distract the writer from the main topic (Covey, 2004). . Write a more detailed plan: In this stage, after collecting the information the writer needs to select the information which is to be included in the assignment and also the order in which it will come. At this stage the writer has to plan how to organize the information and his thoughts for this he may have to write a list, draw flow diagram, and make charts and tables in order to arrange the information in a symmetrical and presentable form. This practice helps the wr iter to save time and the assignment will have a flow rather than jumping between different topics.Thus making a detailed plan/structure of the assignment will helps the writer to have a more balanced assignment. 7. Getting Started, Editing the work, proofreading the draft and the final edit After making the structure and flow of the assignment, it is easier for the writer to start the assignment; however, the assignment is usually started with an introduction which is a brief explanation of the topic and this portion gives an insight of the assignment; what is it all about.An important thing which must be remembered that every time the writer makes some notes from a source he/she should keep the reference of the source and it will prevent the assignment from plagiarism and will save time at the end as well. Similarly the writer should make necessary edition in the assignment where necessary, moreover after completing the assignments the writer should proof read the whole draft and make necessary corrections where required and also should check for the grammatical mistakes if any.The writer should follow proper reference style as prescribed by the tutor. Following the above mentioned plan can help the writer make a quality assignment (Currie, 2005). Task 3 Write a 1000 word REFLECTIVE piece (with relevant academic references) that critically analyses the following FOR THIS SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT: Critical Reflection Report: To begin with, the module study skills for postgraduate learning has been helpful in so many ways as it helped me develop my skills for the post graduate study level.During the course I learnt many things which enabled me to improve my study performance and enhance my skills both at studies and inter personal skills. Further devising a project plan strategy has helped me a lot in enhancing my skills as how a research is done, what are the necessary steps that should be considered, what the different ways through which data could be are collect ed and how data could be collected. However there were certain problems which were encountered during the research report such as data collection.It was not easy to gather a comprehensive and to the point data from the various resources, therefore the writer has to be very precise and accurate about selection of data as wrong data could lead to ambiguous statements and can distract the writer from main topic. Therefore from the current module I have learnt how to search for a particular topic and how to extract the relevant material from it. However, this practice will remain helpful through my academic career as I will need to search for other subjects as well in order to prepare the assignments (Kolb, 1999).Another aspect which has helped me during this module is the time management. Time management is an effective tool through which one can mange different activities on time and can give proper time for completing the task as well. During the current assignment, in order to compl ete and submit the assignment on time, I made a proper work break down structure through which I divided each task in small chunks and allotted time as per its priority and this helped me in managing the task in time. Moreover, the division of work according to an allotted time helped me expedite my activities and complete them on time.This particular aspect of time management will be greatly helpful for me in my future life as this practice will allow me to do the tasks in future in the same way. This will further help me to complete my tasks on time also making a break down structure and allotting time will reduce my work burden and I will be able to do the same the work in a more professional and proper manner rather than haphazardly (Allwood, 1980). The process of searching has enabled me to skim through the documents and take the relevant ones out rather studying each and every document and wasting my time.This is an important quality the researcher must posses as in case of sh ort time and where quick action is required, this quality enables the reader to quickly skim through the important notes and respond accordingly (Lillian, 2005) During the course of this assignment as many articles and journals were gathered in order to retrieve useful information for the assignment, by going through this practice, my reading habit has enhanced a lot and reading more has also enhanced my knowledge about particular topic and in future same practice will increase my knowledge about different topics.Another important learning through this assignment is that the more I read different articles and books it enhances my vocabulary. Prior to getting into the reading habit, my vocabulary was week but now if I find I am not aware about any topic or I lack in any information then I search for the particular topic and learn about that topic. The reading habit has made books my friend and through this I enhance my knowledge about different subjects and topics.This habit can help me in future as well as whatever is learnt in present or past does help the individual in future as well and this can save the time of the individual in future from relearning (Martin and Harrell, 2004). Talking specifically of the SSPL assignment, it was a great learning over all. As the assignment itself was focusing primarily on the ways students gathers information in order to make an assignment. For a student it’s a great learning throughout his education career as this enables the student to learn the proper way of making the assignment.This in turn helps the student score good grades. From the current assignment, I came to know that the first thing after getting any assignment or project is to understand its instructions well before starting and after understanding the instructions, an initial plan or structure should be drafted that comprises of the writers ideas, and then information should be gathered accordingly. This drafted structure helped me to have symmetry i n my work.However, during the collection of information I came up with better ideas and the information collected gave me new ideas to think in different perspectives about the same topic. Through this assignment I came to learn about making connection of the previous paragraph to the link, rather than jumping from one topic to another (Kim, 2001). Another important learning through this assignment which will benefit me in the future as well is the proper referencing of the information I took from other sources.This prevents me from plagiarism. As plagiarism is copying someone else work or ideas without giving any credit or reference (Burney, 2012). I learnt through this assignment that copy pasting any authors work is unethical, however, if one reproduce any idea in his/her own words by properly referencing it, then it is not plagiarism. However, through this practice I came to know about different styles of referencing such as APA style Harvard style of referencing.To put it in a nutshell, it was a great learning experience through this assignment and it will help me in future to draft quality assignments and score good grades. And it is accurately said by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. that: â€Å"To be master of any branch of knowledge, you must master those which lie next to it; and thus to know anything you must know all†. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. References: Allwood, J. (1976), Linguistic Communication as Action and Cooperation, Monographs in Linguistics 2, Dept of Linguistics, Goteborg University. Allwood, J. 1980), â€Å"Power and Communication† in Allwood, J & Ljung, M (red): Alvar – A festshrift to Alvar Ellegard, SPELL 1, Dept of English, Stockholm University. Bain, A. (2000), â€Å"The school design model: strategy for design of 21st century schools†, in Dimmock, C. and Walker, A. (Eds), Future School Administration: Western and Asian Perspectives, Chinese University Press, Hong Kong, pp. 131-66. Bell, L. (2002), â€Å" Strategic planning and school management: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing? † Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 0 No. 5, pp. 407-24. Bell, L. and Chan, D. W. K. (2005), â€Å"Principals’ leadership and strategic planning in primary schools in Hong Kong and England: a comparison†, International Studies in Educational Administration, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 2-21. Burney, A. (2012), Plagiarism, [online], available at: http://www. uok. edu. pk/news/docs/PlagPres. pdf, accessed on 06/05/2012. Lillian. C, (2005), Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Currie D. , (2005) Developing and applying study skills.London: Chartered Institute of personnel and development. Covey S. R. , (2004) The 7 habits of highly effective people. United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster UK ltd Dawson, C. (2002), Practical Research Methods, New Delhi, UBS Publishers’Distributors. Durfee, W. (2008), Project Planning and Gantt Charts, [O nline], available at: http://www. me. umn. edu/courses/me2011/handouts/proj_planning. pdf, accessed on 05/05/2012. Kumar and Ranjit, 2005, Research Methodology-A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners,(2nd. ed. ),Singapore, Pearson Education. Kim, Y. Y. 2001), Becoming intercultural: An integrative theory of communication and cross-cultural adaptation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Kolb D. (1999). The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, Version 3. Boston: Hay Group. Martin, J. N. , & Harrell, T. (2004), Intercultural re-entry of students and professionals: Theory and practice. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett, & M. J. Bennett (Eds. ), Handbook of intercultural training, 3rd ed. 309–336. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Saunders M. , Lewis P. and Thornhill A. , (2003) Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed. England: Pearson Education Limited.

Media’s Influence on Civil Rights Movement Essay

â€Å"The brutality with which official would have quelled the black individual became impotent when it could not be pursued with stealth and remain unobserved. It was caught—as a fugitive from a penitentiary is often caught—in gigantic circling spotlights. It was imprisoned in a luminous glare revealing the naked truth to the whole world† – Martin Luther King (8, Kasher) The media controls the way the public views a controversial event. It can create the illusion that everything is perfect by leaving out important information, or can reveal the deplorable truth as the media did during the Civil Rights Movement. It was not always that way though, during the Colonial Era the media glossed over the brutality African Americans faced. It was not until the photography and recorders were invented that the media could really no longer deny the awful reality of the African Americans’ lives. With the Civil Rights Movement as an example, the media has evolved into a more reliable source. As history goes on, African Americans are being reported on more truthfully; the media has evolved into a more objective source containing more factual information. During 1700s, blacks were dehumanized and treated as animals; they cooked, gathered and did anything their master ordered. When they finally took a stance and decided to revolt they were lynched. Yet, in the eyes of the media whites were the heroes. Instead of reporting on the revolts with objectivity, the reporters commonly asserted their opinions into the articles, â€Å"In the past white news media ignored positive images of African American life† (10, Kasher). No matter what the incident was the â€Å"white man† always was superior. Through the media’s perspective, the whites were harmless and superior to the blacks. In an article from the Colonial Era when the slave revolts occurred the slaves were portrayed to be villains. The article stated, â€Å"They conspired to murder all the Christians here and by that means thinking to obtain their Freedom†¦ [They] put their bloody design in Execution and setting fire to a House, they stood prepared with Arms to kill everybody that approach’d to put it out and accordingly barbarously murdered the following persons that were running to the fire†¦This has put us into no small Consternation the whole Town being under Arms† (Boston News Letter, April 14, 1712). Besides objectivity, the article failed to inform the public of the brutalities the slaves faced everyday. Never did the article state what happened to the slaves after the incident either. However, when slavery was abolished the black man was not always viewed as the villain. Nonetheless they were definitely not treated equally compared to whites, which fueled their fight for equal rights. Without the media, the Civil Rights Movement would have never been successful. The pictures and videos of the violence the blacks tolerated from white supremacists helped their cause because the photos and videos were undeniable. No longer were the black people viewed as villains. â€Å"Scenes unthinkable to Americans as American were shown to America and all the world. Public Sympathy and financial support, as well as political backing, flowed to movement organizations† (8 Kasher). The Emmett Till Case was an amazing example of this, the Jet and Chicago Defender (both leading periodicals), reported on the story. The papers both included a picture of his swollen face as the aftermath of his horrific death. His case would transform the minds of many during that decade. From the attention the pictures of Emmett Till caused, the media recognized that shocking pictures made people want to read the articles. Also, the newspapers could not produce fake pictures, which forced them to be more truthful in their stories (Kasher 8). Currently, racism is still an issue in the United States but the press has helped bring awareness to the issue. For example, there are multiple blogs on how the world is still segregated even though there are no laws to support it. With the rise Internet, anyone is able to blog about their opinion on something or bring attention to a problem that is not being covered in the media. According to the book Blog! by David Kline and Dan Burstein, the average writer is over forty, which means there is not a lot of new and fresh ideas brought to the table for newspapers and magazines (373 Kline and Burstein). However, with the new and upcoming trend of blogging there are a variety of opinions and ideas. Also, social networking has enabled people to communicate faster and it’s harder for the government or press to hide certain information from the public in order for our countries reputation to be protected. In respect to racism and how the media reports on it, our country still has a long way to go but has come far. There are still the inevitable reports about African Americans being in gangs and shootings; however there are also stories of African Americans doing amazing things like becoming president. As the press learned during the Civil Rights Movement, people react more to shocking news so that’s probably why there is so many negative events that are broadcasted over the television and newspapers. The Internet has enabled the press to have more accurate and timely stories. The media has evolved into a more reliable source especially compared to Colonial Era. Also with all activity on the Internet the press is no longer the only source of information that the public can receive. That forces the media to be more truthful and value their reader’s trust.

Personal Statement Essay

I write this statement to support my application to Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care vourse at your university. Due to previous experiences of working with a range of people in the care sector I believe that throughout my time on various work placements with individuals with different disabilities and requirements in care along with the experiences gained throughout my studies, my wish to pursue a career in the care profession has grown. To further my interest in working with and around people I completed my first degree as a health visitor in Hungary. Prior of that I took a gap year in Germany with a church’s volunteer service called Freiwilliges Sociales Jahr (Voluntary Sociales Year). I worked as a health care assistant in a nursing home with 144 beds. While this year was very challenging I also found it an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. To further my knowledge and passion for working with those individuals who are in need of care I studied at Semmelweis University, Medical College Faculty and graduated as a health visitor. To put my academic knowledge into practice I worked as a school nurse in 3 different schools. It was an enjoyable experince but only to realize that I was more interested to do something with elderly people and move away from children. I decided to move to England and started to work as a home care worker first, but rapidly I was promoted to a field care supervisor and aft er that to a care coordinator. Working for different care companies in different cities was a valuable and great experience where I learnt how to improve my leadership and management’s skills and also to put my academic knowledge in practice. I always was looking to improve the company and bring innovative ideas to my role and complete my work to a high standard. I currently work as a care coordinator, which incolves human resource management, arranging and coordinating training, dealing with social workers and other health care professionals on a daily basis. I manage around 60 home care workers in terms of their compliancy and adequate training. I completed National Vocational Qualification in Health and Social Care Level 3 only to realize that I would like to study more and broaden my leadership skills in this area. Working in a senior team gives me a great satisfaction , where I can show my effective communication and organisation skills ad good working relationships. During my spare time I mainly like to read books, travel to other countries to explore different cultures. I also go to the gym to keep myself fit. I also attended a various events related to self development and self-management. This helps to increase my confidence and also gives me great oppurtunities to meet like-minded people. I feel that university is definitely the right path for me. I always work extremely hard to achieve my best, a feat which I intend to carry on throughout my university years. I believe I have the necessary skills needed to enjoy university to the full and also be successful in future years. In addition I would also like to go to university to develop my management and leadership skills even further so I can gain a valuable and rewarding, higher position in health and social care sector and lead that senior team to an absolute success.

Embarrassing Moment Essay

Advantages At first when I took first aid training from a local hospital, I had no idea how much helpful is this training in providing help to others. It gives you a sense of self-satisfaction when you help someone in acute emergency. But at the time of training, I didn’t realize about the importance and advantages of first aid box but after some time when I got a first aid box to keep at my home and equipped the same with all necessary items, I have a piece of mind to cope any type of emergency in my home or even if it happens with anyone in neighbor hood. If you are a person who also likes to help others, even if not others, just to provide treatment to your loved ones, you must maintain a first aid box at your home. But before you maintain a first aid box at your home, consider taking part in a first aid training course because it will train you in using various surgical instruments and medical devices properly. Usually, after you get first aid training from any hospital or organization such as Red Cross, your trainer also provides you a check-list for your first aid box. The check-list usually includes following items: * Antiseptic Wash * Gauze squares & Gauze rolls * Cotton balls & Cotton swabs * Neospirin or other triple antibiotic ointment or cream * Medical tape, hot/cold pack, small scissors * Bee sting kit, thermometer * Selection of bandages There are many other extra items which you may keep in your first aid box such as sterile water, self-adhesive tape, nail clippers, trauma shears, surgical suture, surgical suture needle, vicryl mesh, Ethicon sutures, steroid cream and sunburn treatment (aloe products) etc. Some of these items need more specific training to use them properly such trauma shears are used to cut leather jackets, seat belts and denim etc. Like wise to use surgical instruments such as surgical suture and surgical suture needle, you also need specific training to take care of large wounds or cuts. You can also make two first aid kits, one for your home and other for your. Take a small kit with you when you travel or you can name your travel kit as a mini kit. To get all these necessary items for your first aid box, you can search over the internet to find many reliable resources where you may get discounts if you order for all medical supplies at one place. The contents and equipment of the first-aid kits are not otherwise specified. Therefore, the following items are to be included in each first-aid kit and be available at every pool or spa: 1. 1 – First Aid Book 2. 1 – Box Plastic Adhesive Bandages – 1†³ x 3†³ 16/Box 3. 1 – Tweezers 4. 1 – Scissors 5. 1 – Spool Tape – 1/2†³ x 5 yards 6. 2 – Compress Bandage – 3†³ x 3†³ 7. 1 – Triangular Bandage – 40†³ 8. 1 – Small Ice Pack 9. 1 – Box Fingertip Bandage – 10/Box 10. 1 – Box Cloth Knuckle Bandage 11. 1 – Eye Dressing 12. 1 – Box Telfa Pads – 1 1/2†³ x 2†³ 12/Box 13. 1 – Roller Gauze 14. 3 – Packages Clean Wipes 15. 1 – Compact CPR Shield 16. 1 – Latex Gloves, Pair 17. 2 – Emergency Blankets Moral As well as the moral duty of employers to protect employees and members of the public,General Health and Safety Legislation covers all employers and workplaces. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 These regulations place an obligation on employers to assess risks and where necessary, take action to eliminate or control the risks. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 These regulations state that, in order to provide First Aid to their employees who become injured or ill at work, employers must have adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel. Regulations apply to all workplaces, including those with less than five employees. Self-employed workers need to ensure they have adequate facilities to provide First Aid to themselves. If the self-employed person works with others on mixed premises, then joint arrangements should be made with other occupiers. It could be that one employer will take responsibility for the provision of First Aid cover for all workers on the premises. back to top Further information on First Aid at Work * Email your query now * Call our Adviceline on 0800 019 2211 First Aid at Work (external site) This site from the Health and Safety Executive provides information on all aspects of first aid at work for employers and employees across all industry sectors. Free resources from Healthy Working Lives Links below are to publications pages giving options to download these resources: * Risk Assessment Form * Risk Assessment Form – Worked Example Free First Aid guidance from the Health and Safety Executive Note – all links are to external pages on the HSE website giving options to download or order these resources: * First Aid at Work – Your questions answered INDG214 (external site) Priced First Aid guidance from the Health and Safety Executive Note – all links are to external pages on the HSE website giving options to order these resources: * Basic Advice on First Aid at Work (external site) * Electric Shock: First Aid Procedures (external site) * First Aid at Work: The Health and safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L74 (external site) back to top

Causes of Poverty in Mauritius

Causes of Poverty in Mauritius Over the past two decades, Mauritius has continuously experienced considerable improvements in both social and economic levels. Mauritius is ranked as an upper middle income country since 2003, with a GDP per capita of $4000. Substantial improvement in life expectancy and literacy, Mauritius has shifted from medium to a high human development country during same period. This is evidenced by the latest UN Human Development Indices: Mauritius is ranked 81 (182 countries) in 2007, with an HDI value of 0.804. Challenge Despite these considerable improvements, poverty does exist in Mauritius. Rapid modernization and industrialization has lead to income inequality in the population, leading to an increase in number of pockets of poverty. This is a common phenomenon experienced by most developing countries. Governments or organizations have to reconsider their policies to decrease the level of income inequality in order to eradicate the problem of poverty. Meeting the challenge In Mauritiu s, government has implemented several social welfare programmes to bridge the gap between poor and non-poor. This include the distribution of social aid to needy people, subsidies on basic food item, ZEP programme in schools to enhance level of education, micro-financing to small and medium enterprises, female empowerment in labor market . In the 2008/09 National Budget, the Government provided Rs 395 million for the setting up of the of the Eradication of Absolute Poverty (EAP) Programme, an integrated development project which targets the households in the 229 pockets of poverty. In 2009, the Government has set up the National Empowerment Fund as an institutional framework to strengthen the role of various policy programmes such as the Empowerment Programme, EAP, Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP), etc. Despite the government policies, reforms and actions, poverty is still persistent in Mauritius. Poverty perceptions Poverty is a complex issue and multifaceted. This has alw ays been of concern for everybody. Many studies and policy programmes have been put forward to assess poverty situation in the country and also to target the poor. It is worth noting that the proportion of people living below $1.25 per day, international poverty line, is almost negligible in the country. In contrast, past studies have shown that there are people living in severe poverty. The Relative Development Index for administrative regions, Municipal Wards and Village Council Areas (Central Statistics Office, 2000) identified the least developed regions in the country. The Trust Fund of Social Integration for Vulnerable Groups (set up in 2001) identified 229 pockets of poverty. The qualitative study conducted by DCP pointed out that there were people struggling for basic food. As a matter concern poverty has even been linked to a particular ethnic group that is, poverty perceived as ‘malaise creole’. These perceptions of poverty are evidence that people show their concern and this concern has accentuated the need for good measurement. Objective of study The complexity and sensitivity of poverty has accentuated the interest of people in targeting the poor and assessing poverty. Debates, focus group discussions and studies regarding poverty alleviation are still going on. Researchers are looking for new measurement and approaches to assess poverty in the country. Policy makers are looking for high quality inputs to formulate targeted strategies and programmes.