Volkswagen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Volkswagen - Essay Example Additionally, the paper also discusses the company’s SBUs and growth strategies to assist the creation of a clearer stance on the development of Volkswagen’s strategic direction. Appraisal of strategic decisions is also conducted to provide direction for further considerations and research. Recommendations focus on the expansion of Volkswagen in developing markets by application of current strategies and the enhancement of its position in the markets of India, China and Brazil. 1. Introduction As one of the key players in its industry, German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen stands as the 14th largest company in the world according to Forbes (2013). Relying on the foundations of advancing corporate social responsibility and sustainability through its operations, Volkswagen’s mission extends to the provision of customer satisfaction, which is a practice that the company hopes would lead to its attainment of the first position in the global automotive industry by the year 2018. For the purposes of realizing its objectives, the company implements and follows what is known as a group strategy across its departments in order to fulfill its aim of recording 10 million sales of automobiles in a year and generating a pre-tax profit margin of 8% (Volkswagen 2011). This report comprehensively covers the aspects of Volkswagen’s strategic position and strategic direction in addition to a critical evaluation of Volkswagen Group’s strategy to highlight the company’s path in meeting its long term objectives effectively. 2. ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC POSITION 2.1 External Analysis In examining the external position of Volkswagen Group, this section of the report utilizes the evaluations of tools such as the PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces analysis and the industry life cycle. 2.1.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS POLITICAL The UNECE agreement introduced in 1958 was initiated by the EU to provide an incentive to automakers operating within th e political region by diminishing compliance costs. While, the UNECE agreement is critical to enhancing Volkswagen’s cost efficiency the Cars 2020 reform proposed by the EU will allow the company to expand its geographical reach (European Commission 2013). ECONOMIC Following the global economic downturn, analysts such as Pearson (2013) are predicting a gradual and steady recovery in Europe’s demand for automobiles which had diminished to a great extent. Both the consistency in demand for cars outside of the EU and a revival in demand within the EU is a positive sign for Volkswagen Group. SOCIAL The market positioning of Volkswagen’s brands has significantly assisted its aim of catering to the unpredictably of social transitions and changes in consumer preferences. By balancing cars that offer great value and automobiles such as the Phaeton that is designed for the high-end customer, Volkswagen Group is greatly equipped with facing any amendments with regards to social factors. TECHNOLOGICAL Volkswagen has increased its investments in R&D and constant innovation owing to the competitiveness of the automobile industry. The relentless efforts of the company’s R&D and innovations department have led to the development of technologies such as BlueMotion, Assistance systems and TDI. ENVIRONMENTAL

War News Censorship Essay Example for Free

War News Censorship Essay Censorship is a general term used to describe the manner at which control of information and its circulation is being employed within a society. Censorship is often administrated with the goal to implicate political suppression and to deliberately impose moral values on others. It can be implemented through government and private pressures, although government sponsored censorship is rendered unconstitutional (â€Å"What is Censorship† 1 ). In the global context, censorship is employed is various ways and behind different rationales. The earliest argument used to rationalized censorship is with respect to religious context, it inculcates values for conscience and moral entities that can make censorship acceptable to the public. Another, issues on national security and defense is also used to justify the censorship. â€Å"Censorship through intimidation† and â€Å"censorship though consensus† are also possible to be employed (â€Å"What is Censorship† 2) On the context of war news media, censorship is used as a tool for propaganda. In every war, there are two battles fought; one is in the battlefield, and the other is through the minds of the people made possible in the propaganda and news releases that are being circulated. The labeling used between the â€Å"good guys† and the â€Å"bad guys† are done in such a way that the media and the government can influence the minds of their readers and the majority of the people to support their cause, or to develop a sense of legitimacy on why they are really ought to be involved in a war. Misleading the people is possible through (1) only covering selected stories; (2) giving out only partial facts; (3) reinforcing reasons and motivations; (4) narrow sources of â€Å"experts† and other resource persons; (5) demonizing their opponents; and (6) narrow range of discourse (Shah, 2005). Moreover, war news media is being censored to restrict and to minimize occurrences for leakage of war photos which are deemed to be violent. Thus, this aspect of censorship is deemed to have implications on the moral values of the people. In a way, censorship is also employed to eliminate the possibility that people will become violent if continuously, they are exposed to violent images and occurrences behind the war (â€Å"What is Censorship† 1 ). Vietnam Era   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vietnam War was the first war that was given full access and full freedom to the journalists. During this era, the journalists were given the freedom to report the war as they have seen it, and they were able to publish images in order to enable to let the public view the war in the most accurate possible way. The earlier war occurrences were beneficial to the American community. The events before the Tet Offensive were proven to have gathered support for the American offensive. However, the spark of the American Embassy in Saigon, as it been publicly watched by the American people, signaled the defeat of the American troops and consequently they have become doubtful to the then present President Johnson’s credibility. Consequently though, this event has led the American support for the war to decrease and falter (Media’s Role in the Vietnam Era) These turn of events, the complete media access and the full freedom to journalistic reporting has proven to be detrimental to the flight of American troops. The outcome of the media coverage and the humiliating coverage of the American defeat in the war have caused the morale of the US soldiers to surge down; and in turn, have boosted the morale of the Vietnamese soldiers which was during this time, were perceived to be the enemy. Further, the media coverage has implicated that the war was more like a â€Å"Communist victory† rather than just plainly the failure of the Tet Offensive. Thus, the war’s ultimate failure to repress the growing Communist idealism in Vietnam was blamed on television and media – that the public has turned against their support against Vietnam War was due to the media’s accurate depiction of the horrors that were inculcated in the war (Humphreys). Contemporary War: Iraq War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The war in Iraq is currently viewed as media’s â€Å"crisis coverage†. This contemporary war occurrence has also proved the innate strong influence of media, as they still have contributed a delicate role in the anti-Iraq hysteria. The media has published sinister images of the Iraqi leaders that connoted the meaning that they are indeed enemies (Smith, 2001). More so, the media’s mainstream performance has caused the Iraq War to become a disaster. The subjective allegations of the Bush administration that were further accepted , published and proliferated by the media have served as direct blows that further hastened the development of the war. And though there were critical journalists who raised questions despite the growing support for the Iraq war, still the damage of unfair reporting and biased presentation of information has caused the war to further burn (Iraq and the Media).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, aside from the military conflicts and aggression, the Iraq War is more likely a â€Å"war of ideas†, in which the US government has instigated first. The obvious fact is that, the US has anchored their attack solely on the basis of allegations which up to now haven’t been proven to be accurate. And despite the oppositions to the war due to insufficient proofs of Iraq’s direct US threat, the US government has still pushed to the war (Regan 2006). And now, they are under the pressure of winning this â€Å"war of ideas† in order to keep US support from the majority of the world community, which is attainable through strategic dispensing of information and tactical censorship of ideas that are flowing in the global community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, the current war in Iraq has once again instituted the means for media censorship. In contrast to the Vietnam War wherein full coverage was given to access the entire war discourse, the current aggression in Iraq has proven to be rather selective and biased on which issues are to be leaked outside for the media to circulate. Moreover, the media along with the military have also covered up the truth behind the occurrences of war – they have been leaking false tallies of war casualties and other records that are relevant to assess the true status of the war. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   War news censorship indeed plays an integral role in any war occurrences. In Vietnam, less censorship has led to the tumbling down of war support from the US community, due to the adversaries that were shown by the media as they were entitled for full coverage of the war. On the other hand, the war on Iraq which is currently under minimal media coverage, in addition to the highly censored and filtered nature of news standards, the US government is able to gather the support from the global community. Further, war news censorship has also greatly influenced the morale of the people who are directly and indirectly involved in the war. Positive or negative feedbacks gathered from media coverage relatively affects the feelings, attachments and morale of the people involved. Works Cited Humphreys, Donald. War on Television. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. 4 December 2007 http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/warontelevi/warontelevi.htm Iraq and the Media. 19 March 2007. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. 4 December 2007 http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3062 Media’s Role in the Vietnam Era. Trinity College, Department of History. 4 December 2007 http://www.trincoll.edu/classes/hist300/media.htm Regan, Tom. Experts: US Must Win â€Å"War of Ideas†. 16 June 2006. CSMONITOR.COM. 4 December 2007 http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0616/dailyUpdate.html Shah, Anup. War, Propaganda and Media. 31 March 2005. Global Issues. 4 December 2007 http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media/Military.asp Smith, Sharon. â€Å"Targeting Iraq: US Hypocrisy and Media Lies.† International Socialist Review. November-December 2001. What is Censorship?(1) American Civil Liberties Union. 4   December 2007. http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/censorship/26611res20060830.html What is Censorship?(2) 4 December 2007 http://www.gilc.org/speech/osistudy/censorship/

Physics of Rainbows :: physics rainbow weather

Imagine a sky full of dark fluffy clouds. The air feels wet and sticky, and rain drops begin to fall. Soon the drops become a sheet of rain and this makes you sad because your outdoor fun is over. But, just as you turn your back to go inside, you feel the sun break through the clouds and warm your back. A smile fills your face because you realize that rain plus sun equals a rainbow. You turn around to see a glorious rainbow in the sky. As you gaze, questions begin to pop into your head. What are rainbows? Who are some scientists that studied them? What makes the colors? Why is there a double bow? So what are rainbows? It might be easier to start with what they aren't by clarifying some common myths about them. * "There is an end to the rainbow." -- This is not true. A rainbow is relative to the observers position. Because of this, as an observer moves, so does the rainbow. This means that the "end" moves as well, and can never be found. Also once the sun has disappeared or the observer turns to face the sun, the rainbow disappears. * "There is a pot of gold waiting for me at the end." -- For the resaons stated above, there is no end. Because there is no end, well...there is no gold. Sorry! * "Rainbows are real physical tangible things."-- Rainbows are optical illusions. They are something that a person can see, but are not something that a person can really touch. If Rainbows aren't real...and there is so end to them...and therefor no gold....so what is a rainbow if it's not a magical gold giving wonder? * According to Websters Dictionary "A rainbow is an arc containing the colors of the spectrum formed in the sky by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light in rain or fog." * Rainbows are an optical illusion. -- As stated before, they are an illusion and are dependent on the observers point of view. When it starts to rain and an observer has his back to the sun, refraction, reflection, and dispersion occurs and a rainbow is most likely to be seen.

Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Polquelin Moliere :: Papers

Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Polquelin Moliere In the neoclassical comedy Tartuffe, written by Jean-Baptiste Polquelin Moliere, Tartuffe is illustrated as a disreputable character who has posed as a religious ascetic. Orgon, the master of the house, is convinced Tartuffe is a humble and pious man despite the rest of his families claims. Yet, in Act IV, scene seven the impostor Tartuffe is finally exposed for the fraud he really is. ACT IV Scene 7 Tartuffe, Elmire, Orgon TARTUFFE [Not seeing ORGON] Madam, all things have worked out to perfection; I’ve given the neighboring rooms a full inspection; No one’s about: and now I may at last... ORGON [Intercepting him] Hold on, my passionate fellow, not so fast! I should advise a little more restraint. Well, so you thought you’d fool me, my dear saint! How soon you wearied of the saintly life- Wedding my daughter, and coveting my wife! I’ve long suspected you, and had a feeling That soon I’d catch you at your double dealing. Just now, you’ve given me evidence galore; It’s quite enough; I have no wish for more. ELMIRE [to TARTUFFE] I’m sorry to have treated you so slyly, but circumstances forced me to be wily. TARTUFFE Brother, you can’t think... ORGON No more talk from you; Just leave this household, without more ado. TARTUFFE What I intended... ORGON That seems fairly clear. Spare me your falsehoods and get out of here. TARTUFFE No, I’m the master, and you’re the one to go! This house belongs to me, I’ll have you know, And I shall show you that you can’t hurt me By this contemptible conspiracy, That those who cross me know not what they do, And that I’ve means to expose and punish you, Avenge offended Heaven, and make you grieve That ever you dared order me to leave. Scene seven of ACT IV represents the climax and drastic turn of events, where Tartuffe is unmasked then once again gains the upperhand as the new master of the house. In previous scenes, Tartuffe had been acquitted by Orgon of being anything short of a Saint. The family had grown tired of Orgon’s blindness and Elmire had prepared for the

Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines Essay

Kingfisher , Sony and Kodak have one thing in common . i.e. They are finding it difficult to reinvent themselves. They are trying hard to be a phoenix but will they truly rise from the ashes or simply fade away is the real question. Let us take the issue of Kingfisher here. One of India’s most high profile airlines few years back , now in shambles. It is really interesting to ponder that in same market scenario, one of the competitors of Kingfisher is flying high and high. Yes, Indigo Airlines is the most profitable airlines in India. The question is the difference between discipline or grandeur. What makes one company succeed, while another, in the same operating environment, falter? One of the reason is Mr. ( or Dr. in which degree?) Vijay Mallya flamboyant nature. Kingfisher was launched as an all-economy, single-class configuration aircraft with food and entertainment systems. After about a year of operations, the airline suddenly shifted its focus to luxury. When an airline keeps changing its model and takes to random expansion, there is no time for the airline to stabilize. After Kingfisher’s plunge into luxury came its next folly—a merger with Air Deccan, an airline formed by Captain G R Gopinath in 2003. I believe the fall of Kingfisher airlines started the very day when they bought Air Deccan. Capt. Gopinath , the owner of Air Deccan can be termed as shrewd but smart investor who knew when to part with his investment , just at the right time. The all-economy configuration of Air Deccan was rebranded and called Kingfisher Red, which continued to operate as its low-cost wing till recently. Kingfisher ended up spending Rs 550 crore on an airline that had losses of over Rs 550 crore. It is widely believed that Kingfisher merged itself with Air Deccan so that it could classify as an airline with five years of domestic flying in 2008, thus fulfilling requirements to fly international routes. The fact that Jet had meanwhile swallowed Air Sahara didn’t help, fuelling a competitive race to be the biggest airline around. Essentially, jet fuel prices began to sky-rocket and soon touched $150. Then came the 2008 recession that made fundamentals in the airline industry worse, which is when the airline launched its international operations. Some companies just fail to learn—either from the examples that its peers may have set for the industry, or from its own past mistakes. Now, Kingfisher has decided to change its model yet again—discontinuing its Kingfisher Red brand and completely converting its fleet to a dual class, full-service configuration. Kingfisher was gifted to Mr . Sidhartha Mallya by his father on his birthday i.e. a Near Zero experience in running a company and the later CEOs appointed by Mr . Mallya couldn’t bring any significant result too . His over indulgence in petty things like parties and Kingfisher Calendar also lead to inadequacies in his finances. .IPL is also one of the reason for Kingfisher downfall because it is known that many of the money was diverted to IPL from Kingfisher airlines, resulting which they defaulted in Loans and recently became a NPA (non performing asset) to its leading bankers like SBI . The lack of trust was shown recently when Mr Mallya asked the government of India to bail him out. The new minister Mr. Ajit Singh clearly told that the Government will not bail out private airline because Air India is itself in need to bail out. I personally feel that Mr Ajit singh made a good decision because When Kingfisher doesn’t give public anything in return of its profit , then why is it asking for Public hard earned money ( income tax money) to bail him out. The lack of management and top of it the soaring petrol prices, the airport charges added to Kingfishers humiliation. Frequent cancellation of flights , nonpayment to employees, rude staff laid the ground for Kingfishers grave. Kingfisher reputation took a beating when it was known that employees tax were not submitted to government on time since the last three years! Government of India also freezed 40 Kingfisher’s bank account. Latest news is that Kingfisher employees have been not paid three months salary. We all know how we feel when our salary is delayed by a day, imagine what happens to them when they are not getting salary for last three months. How do you expect the employees to keep a smiling face to its customers when they themselves are crying . A company which forgots its employees, is also soon forgotten. A classic example is Kingfisher airlines. Mr Mallya had to sell 49% of his ownership of Force India( F1 car) to Mr Subrato Roy to get kingfisher going ( owner of ailing airline Air Sahara , years back) , but it too failed to save the airlines from tatters. I still have hope from Mr Mallya that he will refrain from over indulgence and concentrate on his fragile business. It’s time he and his son become responsible and start this company from scratch instead of late night parties and IPL and took inspiration from Indigo airlines who proudly claimed themselves as Low cost airline and exceeding the customers delight in every way they can.

Jada Garrison - jgarris5@kent.edu Essays - Neuroscience, Biology

Jada Garrison - jgarris5@kent.edu Essays - Neuroscience, Biology Jada Garrison - [emailprotected] Manchester Hall KSU - Twin Towers Desk 575 Senhauser Drive Kent, Ohio 44234-1079 28 October 2017 Ohio Department of Education 25 South Front Street Columbus, Ohio 43215-4183 To Whom It May Concern, Schedule demands of society cause a great amount of sleep deprivation among adolescents. As a recent high school graduate and now college student, I can feel the difference in how I learn. Many factors could play a part in this but I am positive that the later start to my academic day makes for a huge difference. With my school day starting at nine o'clock in the morning compared to eight o'clock, it gives me time in the morning to better prepare myself for the upcoming day. I feel all high schools across the country should consider beginning the bell schedule later in the morning to benefit the health and performance of their students and faculty. Looking at high schools across the country, 93 percent of them start the school day too early according to the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The brain does the best thinking when it is in acquisition mode, usually between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. With most schools starting at the U.S average time of 8:03 a.m. this challenges the student to get a full night of rest. I know we may stay up a little late, but our bodies as a tween/teen is experiencing what is known as a "shift" in our natural sleep schedule. This makes it difficult for bodies to fall asleep before 10:30-11:00 at night. With our bodies resenting sleep we have to fight with ourselves to get motivated in the morning, even if it means we do not get a full eight hours of sleep. The delay wouldn't only boost the student's energy for the school day, it has also been proven to lead to higher scores on standardized tests. Early morning classes can be difficult for the student to be well prepared to obtain the information they are about to be presented. Sleep deprivation can take a toll on a teens decision making process. Studies have shown that the lack of sleep can influence the choices they make and even lead to anxiety, depression, and obesity. Studies have shown that illegal or risky behaviors carried out by older students happen between two and four in the afternoon, with a later start in the morning will result in a later end time in the evening. This may cut crime rates and questionable behavior of students. Even though teens may contribute to the problem buy consuming caffeine to try to wake themselves up or stay up too late on an electronic device, this still resorts back to the bodies build-up of melatonin preventing sleep. The secretion of melatonin is what makes one fall asleep, in teen this doesn't occur until later at night. Parents are affected by this crisis as well. There are some tips for the students and parents to best prepare them for the upcoming battle that they will have to face. One is for students to take brief 15-30 minute naps in the evening, but being cautious not to sleep too long effecting their nightly sleep schedule. Parents should make a great effort to try to create a stable sleep schedule for their children at a young age to help prepare the body for the upcoming struggle. A concerned student, Jada Garrison

Part 43 And Its Managerial Implications Essays - Free Essays

Part 43 And Its Managerial Implications Essays - Free Essays Part 43 And Its Managerial Implications Part 43 and It's Managerial Implications When we talk about aviation maintenance, we speak of repairs, alterations and the act of preserving an aircraft in its original airworthy condition. An airworthiness certificate is given to an aircraft after countless hours of design, research and testing. And in order to keep this certificate valid; an aircraft must be maintained in accordance with a certain specification. These specifications are brought to us by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Federal Aviation Regulation part that spells out these rules is found in part 43. These acts are performed to prevent harm to pilots, passengers, and even innocent bystander that may become involved in an incident due to improper maintenance. As maintenance managers, we must understand these implications that must be followed, so that we may ensure that our facility is performing to the standards set upon us by the FAA. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 allowed for the regulation of air commerce in such manner as to best promote its development and safety (Adamski and Doyle 4-8). This brought about a rulemaking process to insure that all aspects of aviation could be regulated in a way as to provide maximum safety to all. This was the initial birth of 14 CFR 43, or Part 43 of the FAR's which is ironically titled Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration (Federal Aviation Regulations [FAR], VII, 1997). This part has been primarily written for individuals or repair facilities that may be performing some sort of maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding and or alterations. It refers to a number of qualified individuals that include holders of mechanic, repairman, air carrier, or even a pilot's certificate, that may perform an array of the procedures listed in this part. So when it comes down to it, we as maintenance managers must know and live by FAR prt. 43 in order for our e mployees to work and perform in a legal and safe manor. As the title implies, this part of the Federal Aviation Regulations prescribes rules of governing the maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration of any aircraft having a U.S. airworthiness certificate; any foreign-registered aircraft used to carry mail under pt.121, 127 or 135; and airframe, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, and components of such aircraft. This is exclusive of aircraft holding an experimental airworthiness certificate, unless the aircraft was previously issued a different kind of certificate (FAR, 1998, p.11). So if we were working as a manager in the U.S., this part would definitely apply to our facility, which repairs and maintains aircraft found in this category. Part 43 also identifies persons that are authorized to perform and return an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or component parts for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration. The approval for return to service will be made in accordance with FAR 43.9(a)(5). A&P mechanics are authorized to conduct and approve for return to service aircraft inspected in accordance with the owner or operator's program under a number of options. It can be done under performance rules for inspection to which determines whether an aircraft meets all requirements for airworthiness. Or by an inspection program under FAR 43 App. D. All work must be done in accordance with airworthiness limitations (King 38). This means that a manager must know who is performing the prescribed work in his shop, and make sure that any work completed is done in a specific, approved fashion. A manager must know what types of inspections are being performed to aircraft in his/her shop. Individuals holding the appropriately rated certificate can only perform those inspections in which they are allowed to do. Managers must be fully aware of what part of the FAR's their shop is performing inspections under. Different parts of the regulation require adherence to specific rules found, but not specific to Part 43. If an aircraft comes in for an annual inspection, the manager must have an IA available to do the inspection, but if the inspection is a 100-hour, a certified mechanic is only needed in order to return the aircraft to service. A manager must realize that someone not certified cannot work under a certified mechanic when doing a

Local Gov essays

Federal Versus State/Local Gov essays Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, the federal and southern state/local government battled each other on many issues. When the federal government set mandates, often times the southern state/local government had much resistance with complying. The southern state/local government opposed the Civil Rights Movement by non-compliance to federal mandates, refusal to provide adequate protection to civil rights protesters and the abuse of civil rights protesters. There were many situations when the state/local government hindered the flow of the Civil Rights Movement. Instances where the local police force did not do their job occurred. The police force was a branch of the local government and the local polices duty was to protect and serve the community. This oath to serve and protect all did not apply to African Americans. During times of protest, either African Americans received much abuse from police officers or the police officers stood around and watched African Americans be beaten. During the freedom rides, the local government fought against the protests while the federal government protected not necessarily the cause but the citizens involved. Mobs of people attacked the Freedom Riders meanwhile the local government did nothing to protect the riders. They actually encouraged the mobs to beat the Freedom Riders by turning the other cheek when it came to stopping the mobs. Not a single police officer was in sight when the rid ers arrived in Montgomery, Alabama. As a result of this lackadaisical attitude to protect the riders, Robert Kennedy had federal marshals sent into Montgomery . Despite the protection in Montgomery, the Freedom Riders had a much different experience when they entered Mississippi. Local police officers arrested and jailed many of the Freedom Riders subsequently ending their freedom ride. This was an example of how local government hindered the Civil Rights Movement. The Freedo...

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth Essay - 1

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example Furthermore, examples in relation to a descriptive analysis of behavioral actions in tandem with the religious characteristics will be incorporated. Belief and Reverence in the Supernatural Beings The basic and fundamental aspect of religion foremost entails a belief and reverence in the Supernatural beings (Bowker, 1997). These include belief in gods, spirits, and God in humans express acknowledgment and reverence to the existence of supernatural beings within an ultimate reality world. Examples depicting belief in supernatural beings is evident among religious groups such as the Hindus that acknowledge the existence of 330 million gods under a single the sole Ultimate Reality of the Brahman, which supersedes all forms and names (Bowker, 1997). Among the Christians, there is the monotheist belief in one supreme and Supernatural God. However, it should be noted that the practice of theism should not be mistaken for religion as is normally the case. Evidently, theism can exist beyond the confines of religion and similarly some religions can be classified as atheistic. The existence of supernatural deity is non-existent with non-religious mandarins. Ritual Actions directed at Sacred Objects, Places and Times Religious persons normally exhibit ritualistic practices that involve reverence to the sacred entities (Haught, 1990). Evidently, such ritualistic practices contribute towards the uniting of members of the religious cohort with their descendants and also ancestors. The ritual acts a pertinent role in the social relations of religious groups. It is pertinent for the ritual acts to happen in sacred places, sacred times and accompanied by sacred objects. Examples of such ritualistic acts are evident through the celebrations or reenactment of sacred stories that are symbolized through ritual rites that occur annually. For example, the celebration of Christmas Day among Christians is sacred ritual undertaken every year while Idd ul Fitr is a ritual synonymous amon g the Muslims. Distinction between the Sacred and the Profane Places, Objects, Time It is a common aspect among religion to offer a distinction between the sacred and the ordinary or profane objects, places or time (Bowker, 1997). Evidently, this distinction enables believers to exercise devotion on the hidden supernatural and transcendental values of the world. A perfect example depicting this aspect is the distinction placed upon Mecca as the holiest place for the Muslims compared to other places of the world. This evident through the ritual prayers, five times a day, conducted by Muslims while facing the direction of the holy land of Mecca. Furthermore, this is evident through the annual pilgrimage known as Hajj conducted by Muslims annually to the holy place to offer devotion. Evidently, this takes place within the Muslim calendar in the month known as Dhu’l-Hijja. On the other hand, the Christians exhibit reverence and recognition of sacred days such as Easter and Christ mas within the Christian calendar. Evidently, the sacred places, objects and times provide recognition that there is more meaning to life than what is visually perceived in the physical world. The Recognition of Ethical Principles or Moral Code The practice of ethical principles or moral

(Marketing) Q) how did the rise of technology invation benifit Essay

(Marketing) Q) how did the rise of technology invation benifit marketing communication ( Use HSBC BANK AS THE MAIN EXAMPLE) - Essay Example 2003)state in their analysis of the impact of technology-mediated sales on the customer behaviour. According to them, the adoption of technology-mediated communication on channel partner relationships really influences the customer satisfaction since this technology is found to have significant, positive, direct effects on future intentions. In order to illustrate the above stated as well as the power on technological innovation applied to marketing, this paper will focus on the HSBC bank latest marketing and communication campaigns, offering a brief but comprehensive review on the achievements of this marketing initiative, as well as the coherence and accordance of their strategic marketing campaign, the use of new technologies and HSBC core values. Bearing in mind HSBCs motto "We are the world's local bank", it is easy to understand the banks effort to address and reach every one of their potential customers. Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, with an international network that comprises over 10,000 offices in 83 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With listings on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by around 200,000 shareholders in some 100 countries and territories. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary Receipts. Through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services: personal financial services; commercial banking; corporate, investment banking and markets; private banking; and other activities1. It appears to be logical that such an international and new technology-oriented company seek for the perfect marketing strategy within the newest communication tools. This corporate features have led the Hong Kong Bank to put in practice one of the most comprehensive and celebrated Marketing Communication Campaign in the past couple of years. It happened to be not only logical but also coherent and even expected that a company that always proudly offers the latest and trendiest way of financial services as commercial banking; corporate, investment banking and markets; or private banking, resort also to the most innovative manner to present them to the customer. In the last two years, HSBC Marketing and Communication responsible have turned to Mail-listing, Bluetooth, You Tube, Facebook or Google to advertise its services, in a wise attempt to touch their clients wherever they are, following their corporative slogan. 2. Technological Innovation, a Marketing approach Technology innovation has always been a hot issue as it is continuously attracting the attention of trend setters or new markets discoverers, boosted for a increasingly competitive market with limited customers. Even thought, many of the inventions we take for granted today lay unused and unappreciated for years before they finally made it to the marketplace. For example, it was just in the 1980's when Steve Jobs2 took a 1960's invention (the computer mouse) and

Giotto di Bondone (a piece of artwork) Research Paper

Giotto di Bondone (a piece of artwork) - Research Paper Example Giotto is generally considered as the first in a series of legendary artists who positively contributed to the renaissance in Italy. Religion played an important role in Italy during the renaissance. It was a period characterized by turmoil in the Christian faith especially the Roman Catholic. Renaissance had a profound impact on contemporary Christianity especially in the way people perceived the relationship between God and man. Some more secular aspects of humanism developed against a background of Christianity and art was used to portray Christianity as the true religion. Most of the new art of the time was in dedication to the church or was commissioned by the church. Self awareness that the masses developed during the renaissance also influenced art during the period. Architects, artists, writers and sculptors in Italy were using phrases like â€Å"alle romana et all antica† or â€Å"modi antichi† to show their awareness of the transformations that were taking place during the time. The awareness was not limited to classical antiquity but was also spread to the growing desire to imitate and study nature and portraying scenes from the bible to imitate classical forms. Renaissance art was distinguished because of its ability to develop high quality and realistic linear perspectives involving nature. Giotto di Bondone was a futuristic artist and the pioneer in applying perspective to develop a trend in arts that moved towards realism. Giovanni Villani, Giotto’s contemporary described him as the painting master who drew all his postures and figures according to nature. Giotto’s mastery of art is maybe best captured by Vasari Giorgio who described him as the artist who drew accurately from life. He was credited with applying a painting as a telescope into space though the art of perspective. Perspective only came to be formalized much later by Alberti Battista (1404-1472)

A deeper look on the reincarnation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A deeper look on the reincarnation - Essay Example Hinduism is known to be one of the largest religions in the world. It offers a system of beliefs that not only Indians have embraced but are also perceived to be true by some people from all walks of life and racesOne of the famous beliefs of Hinduism that this writer knows about through lessons in school and readings of books is reincarnation. Hindus believe that when a person dies, s/he will be reincarnated to some animal or another human being depending on how a person lived. If a person lives a good life, he will be rewarded in the form of a second life as a person of a higher status in the Caste System. However, when one is not good, he can be demoted to a lower level of person or an animal. For instance, a member of the royal family has been doing bad things in his life as a prince, princess, king or queen; s/he can become a slave in the next life. If a common man or a slave does not behave well, he will be punished and become an animal in his next life. But if that common man or slave does good things in his present life, his next life can be that of a rich person. Reincarnation is a common belief in Hinduism but it is known to have been found among many primitive people in Ancient Greece and Egypt as well (Jones, Whitney and Nault, 8118). According to Enroth, the belief had its origin in Northern India, around 1,000-800 B.C. (2012). Tracing the history of Hinduism, it is said to have emerged from several people of different generations that no one is acknowledged as the sole originator of the religion. There are three periods of the Hinduism wherein beliefs have been acquired and put together to become the modern Hindu religion. The pre-Vedic period, around 3,000-1500 B.C., reflects the animism while the Vedic period introduced polytheism and the caste system, a social scale that was to be incorporated in the belief in reincarnation. The third period in Hinduism is called the Upanishadic period where reincarnation was birthed (Mather and Nichols, 116-11 7). In the process, it is believed that reincarnation takes a lot of times until a person is purified. Only then could a person be able to return to the dwelling place of its god known by Buddhists as Nirvana and for the Brahmanic Hindus, the purified person will be reunited with Brahma or the Universal Power (Jones et al., 8118). According to the World Book Encyclopedia, superstition literally means â€Å"that which stands above, or survives† and further goes on to consider that the opposite of superstition is science, based on observations and reason (Jones et al., 7810). As a belief that cannot be scientifically proven, reincarnation is considered a superstitious belief. It is argued that no one can really prove that a person is a reincarnation of someone who lived in the past however Kevin Williams claims that he was able to prove the validity of reincarnation. In his research, he was able to have twenty children describe spontaneously their past lives by the time they we re able to talk. He even challenges skeptics to do the same experiments themselves. However, on the scientific point of view, this is not enough evidence to claim the fact of reincarnation. John Von Ward claims that, â€Å"A theoretical model or reincarnation based on behavioral evidence will be much more credible than one based on dreams, hypnotic information or extra-dimensional material. People will find the theory much more persuasive if it is based on tangible evidence like physical skills, creative talents, habits, postures, etc than on easily fabricated products of mind.† The belief on reincarnation can be detrimental. The idea of having another life after the present life can make an individual go to the extreme of acting badly with the thought that there will be another life where one could redeem him/herself anyway. People are given the tendency to rely on dreams, hypnotic regressions and other manners of acquiring information about a person’s life. This enco urages them to concentrate on the quest to

Performance and Reward Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Performance and Reward Management - Essay Example A good performance strategy entails a good competitive strategy, organizational structure, corporate structure and good human resources processes that include a reward management (Shields 2007). Reward strategy and management Reward strategy means achieving a balance between the human resource strategies, the environment that the organization operates in including the culture, technology and the external environment. It sets out to establish the purpose and intent of the organization on how its policies and processes on rewards meet the objectives of the business (Molander, et al 1994). Companies are increasingly trying to involve employees in the decision making processes and training them so as to attract and maintain them. Reward management involves managing all those rewards that are given to employees due to their contribution towards the growth and development of a company. It also involves identifying the strategies, systems, processes and policies that enable an organization to achieve its objectives by rewarding and attracting people they require by way of motivating them. It aims at meeting the individual, organizations and team performance as per the objectives set out. According to Williams and MacDerine, proper management of the rewards system usually leads to an enhanced employee behavior and well being, a well balanced relationship between life and work and eventually it increases the motivation and performance of the employees (Cornelius, 2001). A good reward system must be able to prioritize reward plans that are in line with the human resource and business strategies. A good reward strategy has four main guiding principles which include equity, constitency, transparency and fairness. The strategy must be fair... Reward strategy means achieving a balance between the human resource strategies, the environment that the organization operates in including the culture, technology and the external environment. It sets out to establish the purpose and intent of the organization on how its policies and processes on rewards meet the objectives of the business (Molander, et al 1994).Companies are increasingly trying to involve employees in the decision making processes and training them so as to attract and maintain them. Reward management involves managing all those rewards that are given to employees due to their contribution towards the growth and development of a company. It also involves identifying the strategies, systems, processes and policies that enable an organization to achieve its objectives by rewarding and attracting people they require by way of motivating them.   It aims at meeting the individual, organizations and team performance as per the objectives set out. According to Williams and MacDerine, proper management of the rewards system usually leads to an enhanced employee behavior and well being, a well balanced relationship between life and work and eventually it increases the motivation and performance of the employees (Cornelius, 2001).  A good reward system must be able to prioritize reward plans that are in line with the human resource and business strategies. People will always feel treated fairly according to how they are paid and depending on the value of their work to the company.

A deeper look on the reincarnation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A deeper look on the reincarnation - Essay Example Hinduism is known to be one of the largest religions in the world. It offers a system of beliefs that not only Indians have embraced but are also perceived to be true by some people from all walks of life and racesOne of the famous beliefs of Hinduism that this writer knows about through lessons in school and readings of books is reincarnation. Hindus believe that when a person dies, s/he will be reincarnated to some animal or another human being depending on how a person lived. If a person lives a good life, he will be rewarded in the form of a second life as a person of a higher status in the Caste System. However, when one is not good, he can be demoted to a lower level of person or an animal. For instance, a member of the royal family has been doing bad things in his life as a prince, princess, king or queen; s/he can become a slave in the next life. If a common man or a slave does not behave well, he will be punished and become an animal in his next life. But if that common man or slave does good things in his present life, his next life can be that of a rich person. Reincarnation is a common belief in Hinduism but it is known to have been found among many primitive people in Ancient Greece and Egypt as well (Jones, Whitney and Nault, 8118). According to Enroth, the belief had its origin in Northern India, around 1,000-800 B.C. (2012). Tracing the history of Hinduism, it is said to have emerged from several people of different generations that no one is acknowledged as the sole originator of the religion. There are three periods of the Hinduism wherein beliefs have been acquired and put together to become the modern Hindu religion. The pre-Vedic period, around 3,000-1500 B.C., reflects the animism while the Vedic period introduced polytheism and the caste system, a social scale that was to be incorporated in the belief in reincarnation. The third period in Hinduism is called the Upanishadic period where reincarnation was birthed (Mather and Nichols, 116-11 7). In the process, it is believed that reincarnation takes a lot of times until a person is purified. Only then could a person be able to return to the dwelling place of its god known by Buddhists as Nirvana and for the Brahmanic Hindus, the purified person will be reunited with Brahma or the Universal Power (Jones et al., 8118). According to the World Book Encyclopedia, superstition literally means â€Å"that which stands above, or survives† and further goes on to consider that the opposite of superstition is science, based on observations and reason (Jones et al., 7810). As a belief that cannot be scientifically proven, reincarnation is considered a superstitious belief. It is argued that no one can really prove that a person is a reincarnation of someone who lived in the past however Kevin Williams claims that he was able to prove the validity of reincarnation. In his research, he was able to have twenty children describe spontaneously their past lives by the time they we re able to talk. He even challenges skeptics to do the same experiments themselves. However, on the scientific point of view, this is not enough evidence to claim the fact of reincarnation. John Von Ward claims that, â€Å"A theoretical model or reincarnation based on behavioral evidence will be much more credible than one based on dreams, hypnotic information or extra-dimensional material. People will find the theory much more persuasive if it is based on tangible evidence like physical skills, creative talents, habits, postures, etc than on easily fabricated products of mind.† The belief on reincarnation can be detrimental. The idea of having another life after the present life can make an individual go to the extreme of acting badly with the thought that there will be another life where one could redeem him/herself anyway. People are given the tendency to rely on dreams, hypnotic regressions and other manners of acquiring information about a person’s life. This enco urages them to concentrate on the quest to

Impact of EU Enlargement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Impact of EU Enlargement - Essay Example Government expenditures needed to meet the cost of the EU regulations will also necessitate greater debt and higher taxes. As published by EU Observer, a daily newspaper in Brussels, the large expenses involved in accession, the new member states may have to ask private or public financial institutions for money and further the government may also have to adopt economic measures such as increasing taxes.(Marian L. Tupy, 2000:2) The fifth enlargement in 2004 was long awaited enlargement of EU which began in 1998 and culminated with the agreement of intergovernmental conference in Nice 2000, according to which Poland became signatory to the Nice Treaty in February 2001 and joined the EU in May 2004.(Poland and the issues surrounding EU Enlargement, 2004)2 Hanska (2008:3) in her paper work stated that Poland, from the geographical point of view is the sixth largest and one of the most populous countries within the EU and, because of this, considers itself as one of the more powerful member states at the same time.3 Polish society is one of the most pro European societies in the European societies in... sh people supported European Integration during 20034 referendum and polish membership in the EU because all the EU institutions were perceived by Polish people who were effective and less corrupted. The Polish supported the integration because they perceived the EU accession as strategic goal for Poland and majority of the society viewed it as inevitability. Even the polish farmers realized that EU integration is worth its promise and that it was real because of its subsidiaries. The EU integration opened labor markets which allowed getting legal works in countries like France, Netherlands and Italy. Prezmek Jaron (n.d.) analyzed that the accession has given international education opportunities for the Polish as other European member states, which was not permissible prior to the accession. And EU budget provides Poland with a chance to become the biggest beneficiary of EU financial support. The most important dimension of EU integration is possibility of traveling across Europe wi thout passport.5 Poland after EU accession possesses completely new political reality with their first ever election of Parliament and President in 2005 since 1989. (Prezmek Jaron, n.d) Poland is an important country with EU because of its size, geo-political position and its market. According to the data of Institute of Public Affairs, in the year 2006, 36 % of the respondents agreed that integration with EU brings personally more benefits than losses as compared to 27% in 2004 and 2005 respectively. While 28% (2006) agreed with as many losses as benefits compared to 32% (2005) and 29% (2004). And 16% (2006) gave consent to more losses than benefits against 23% (2005) and 23% (2005). While some of the remaining respondent's were not sure and others found it difficult. (Lena Kolarska Bobi

How Technology Affects Teenagers Essay Example for Free

How Technology Affects Teenagers Essay Technology has changed the way we as humans live; it changes our understanding of the way things work and changes the way we interact with one another. Technology was once opposed but is now somewhat welcomed into our homes. During the renaissance period, technology was opposed, as the church believed that technology would oppose the beliefs of god. Well they were right. Technology isn’t just computers or TV’s, its engineering science. And in Science, our goal is to progress and understand everything there is to understand about us, our planet and beyond. However, the way we understand and experience this concept the most is that its just to make our lives much more efficient. When you look around, what do you see? Just at an intersection in downtown New York or Los Angeles, you see people walking around with cell phones and carrying around laptop cases, other’s just listening to music. But then the companies that build these types of technology want to make them better and more efficient. So they keep releasing new devices that are smaller and faster and mostly more costly. Technology has changed the way we as humans live; it changes our understanding of the way things work and changes the way we interact with one another. Technology was once opposed but is now somewhat welcomed into our homes. During the renaissance period, technology was opposed, as the church believed that technology would oppose the beliefs of god. Well they were right. Technology isn’t just computers or TV’s, its engineering science. And in Science, our goal is to progress and understand everything there is to understand about us, our planet and beyond. However, the way we understand and experience this concept the most is that its just to make our lives much more efficient. When you look around, what do you see? Just at an intersection in downtown New York or Los Angeles, you see people walking around with cell phones and carrying around laptop cases, other’s just listening to music. But then the companies that build these types of technology want to make them better and more efficient. So they keep releasing new devices that are smaller and faster and mostly more costly. Technology has changed the way we as humans live; it changes our understanding of the way things work and changes the way we interact with one another. Technology was once opposed but is now somewhat welcomed into our homes. During the renaissance period, technology was opposed, as the church believed that technology would oppose the beliefs of god. Well they  were right. Technology isn’t just computers or TV’s, its engineering science. And in Science, our goal is to progress and understand everything there is to understand about us, our planet and beyond. However, the way we understand and experience this concept the most is that its just to make our lives much more efficient. When you look around, what do you see? Just at an intersection in downtown New York or Los Angeles, you see people walking around with cell phones and carrying around laptop cases, other’s just listening to music. But then the companies that build these types of technology want to make t hem better and more efficient. So they keep releasing new devices that are smaller and faster and mostly more costly.

Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects

Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects Introductory orientation Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Truant behavior is a problem for the individual, the family, the school and society in general. Free and compulsory education is recognized as a basic entitlement under international standards, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950). With the right to free education and the obligation corresponding to this right observed and enforced through a national emphasis on school attendance, The National Statistic Office (Malta) states that in the 2004/2005 scholastic year the figure for school absenteeism accounted for 7.7% of the total number of school days in the reference period or an overall absence rate of 9.2 absent days per pupil that for boys being 10.0 days per pupil and for girls 8.4 days per pupil. As a teacher this makes me fretful about students missing school as this can be associated with subsequent emotional and psychosocial problems in early adulthood and is a predictor of multiple problems (Fogelman and Hibbert, 1990). Truancy may have both short and long term effects on society. There is evidence that truancy is linked to delinquent behaviour and juvenile crime (Collins, 1998; Reid, 1999). According to Jones (1996), ‘Absenteeism is a sign of trouble that often leads to lower academic skills and grades, delinquency, and dropouts. Studies have shown that high school dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed and on welfare, and overall, tend to be facing a more difficult life than their graduating counterparts. Jones (1996; p.128), All members who form part of any educational institution cannot allow these students to give up on themselves. We as a modern, fast developing society, we cannot afford to let them surrender. It is clearly far less expensive to educate them than pay for a lifetime of welfare and all of the deprivations that welfare represents. These are ominous issues, which imply that the number of students who skip school is rising and that school absenteeism is a new generations behaviour that is today a dramatic social phenomenon. This proposal drafts the intent to investigate and explore realities of how truancy manifests with Maltese youth and also explore the psychosocial world of truants in Maltese schools. Problem Analysis The Pre-Scientific Problem awareness As a supply teacher for these past five years, I have witnessed incidences of truancy in the period 2006 to 2009. One of the common truancy reducation measures used was to lock the school gates during lessons and breaks and open them after school hours (my personal exsperience). Despite the limited impact on truancy reducation, the approach of locking gates is still common and evident in some secondary schools. I found locked gates while visiting some of the schools. Gangsters, to control late coming and to stop learners from dodging classes, locked gates to prevent trespassing, sepecially. Exploring the problem Incidence and nature of truancy Malta Since 1946 education has been compulsory for all children between six to fourteen years and extended to the age of 16 by the Education Act (Malta) of 1971. Maltese law imposes a duty on parents to ensure that their children of compulsory school age receive appropriate education, whether through attendance at a state or independent school. If they fail to do so, without any reasonable excuse and if found guilty, they are liable to a fine not exceeding in previous currency one Maltese Lira (equivalent to â‚ ¬2.33) for each day during which the offence continues, unless the parent fails to give a good and sufficient explanation within three days from the date he or she receives a notice from the Director of Education (Malta Education Act 1988). From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before the local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the time frame of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of students that systematically plan three days off from school each month, just for the sake that they use their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Surveys show that the overall absence rate between 25th September 2000 to 31st March 2001 stood at 10.5 days per pupil (NSO Malta, 2001). This figure reveals an increase of 5.2% over 1999/2000 scholastic year (NSO Malta, 2001). Thus it shows that during this period, 657,604 pupil days were lost to absenteeism and authorised absence due to sickness. Indeed, the Clark Report (2005) shows concern for the increase in unauthorised absenteeism with parental consent, particularly in state secondary schools which cater, in the main, for a student population coming from a working- class background. Family problems, psychological problems, illnesses, school phobia and bullying have, significantly, been indicated by the Clark focus group to be the topmost reasons contributing to school avoidance. Some Overseas Countries Most of the research conducted abroad seems to provide information regarding the nature and extent of truancy in secondary schools. Results of a study conducted at a school in London from 1985 to 1987 revealed that 70% of the sampled pupils admitted truanting during the three-year period (Stoll, 1990:22). In the study that involved nine secondary schools, 66% of the 765 fifth year pupils admitted truanting (ibid). Figures on truancy in 150 English secondary schools revealed that 31% of pupils in years 10 and 11 admitted that they played truant or skipped lessons (OKeefe Stoll, 1995:12). Gray and Jesson (1990:25) report about the major national survey results of truancy in English secondary schools. According to this study, 23% of all fifth year pupils were involved in truant behavior and they were less likely to stay on in full-time education. Furthermore, schools facing serious problems of truancy tend to be in the inner city rather than in other areas (ibid). on the other hand, Collins (1998:26) reports that absentee rates vary between schools in the London Education Authority. Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) found that out of a sample of 50 Scottish secondary schools, 18% of the pupils (11% in June and 7% in November) were classified as truants and were mostly form the senior years. These figures exclude truants within the school day, as â€Å"14 schools reported that they did not keep period attendance records† (ibid). Truancy has long been a subject for research in various parts of the USA. According to Nelson (1972:98), 64% of the 591 students surveyed identified themselves as class truants. Learners habitually play truant each day in Los Angeles, Pittsburg and Milwaukee (Black, 1996:33). Bos, Ruiters and Visscher (1992:393) found that the average rate of truancy in 36 schools in the four Dutch cities studied was 4.4% and that truancy increased with the level of the class in almost all schools. Some researchers further indicate that truancy does not necessarily mean missing the whole day of school but found that I could be in the form of missing a part of a day or particular lesson (Kilpartick, 1998:31; Reid, 1999:91). In a study conducted by Malan in South Africa (1972:144), 2,738 out of 69,908 pupils were identified by their teachers as truants. Masithela (Masithela, 1992:33) observed that learners tend to miss lessons during the first and second periods, as well as during the last give periods. The tendency of missing certain lessons towards the end of the school day shows that some form of â€Å"hidden truancy† is prevalent and that pupils can be marked present in the register but fail to attend all lessons (ibid:45). On the other hand, they may come late and be marked absent or be somewhere on the school premises not attending certain lessons or periods, but still be marked as being present on the class resisters. Factors associated with truancy Malta Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Tyerman (1968) defines the term truant as the child who is absent from school purely on his or her own initiative. Gabb (1994) includes in his definition of truant, that a child who is absent with leave given by his or her parents, or who are actually kept at home by the parents. Hersov (cited in Gabb, 1994) goes still further, dividing from truants, ‘school phobics and ‘school refusers. King (2001) furthermore defines school refusal/school phobics as a difficulty to attend school due to emotional distress, especially anxiety and depression. Fenech (1991) (in an unpublished research) defines ‘absenteeism as ‘being away from lessons for any period of time and for reasons not considered as legitimate, with or without the parents knowledge (p.3). She goes on to include ‘physical presence without any attention being given to a lesson in progress [as well as] masked or selective truancy (ibid., p.3). Fenech (ad. lib.) refers to the latter as ‘skiving off specific lessons or disappearance after registration (p.3) remarking that a number of sources consider absenteeism and truancy synonymous. Sultana (1997), like Fenech (1991), defines absenteeism as ‘staying away from school for reasons not justified by the law (p. 355). However, she goes on to include other ‘less overt ways (ibid., p 355) such as what Willis (1977) calls participating in ‘informal mobility (ibid., p. 355). This includes not entering the class for lesson, intentionally staying in another class, leaving the class without permission, or staying in class without bothering to follow the lesson. Studies conducted abroad When seen from a psychological viewpoint, truancy may be symptomatic of learns who are insecure and have low academic achievement levels and low self-esteem. Lewis (1995:37) states that attendance difficulties my broadly result from a combination of â€Å"pull† and â€Å"push† factors. Pull factors are personal and social aspects that â€Å"pull† a learner out of school. The pull factors may be related to the psychological indices mentioned by Reid (2002:11), such as maladjustment, a lower general level of self-esteem and academic self concept, anxiety and lower career aspirations. Factors that â€Å"push† learners away from school include academic and classroom aspects such as inapproachability of the teaching staff, incomprehensible teaching style and inappropriate classroom management. Other factors relating to the school and the classroom include bullying, the curriculum, boring lessons (Reid, 1999:91), teachers humiliating remarks (Porteus, Clacherty, Mdiya, Pelo, Matsai, Qwabe and Donald 2000:11), poor record-keeping and school organization (Bimler Kirkland, 2001:90; Coldman, 1995:29). According to Pappas (1996:1), truancy is often symptomatic of family dysfunction, since the parents of truants tend to be permissive, undisciplined and unavailable. Some authors believe that truancy is associated with a poor socio-economic background, including poverty, poor housing and unemployment (Bell, Rosen and Dynlacht, 1994:204; Tyerman, 1958:222). Some researchers state that there is a link between truancy and delinquent behavior (Collins, 1998:38; Brown, 1998:298-299; Reid, 1999:25). Truancy differentiated from school phobia There is a need to distinguish between truancy and school phobia. The concept â€Å"school phobia† describes a learner who is unwilling to attend school and stays at home with the knowledge of parents (Wicks and Nelson, 2000:123). A learners problem often stats with a vague complaint or reluctance to attend school and progresses to total refusal to go to school. Blagg (1992:121) asserts that school phobia may be induced by fear-arousing aspects of school, such as fear of failure caused by anxiety about meeting the standards. Fear may also be related to worries about the health and welfare of parents (Blagg, 1992:123). In the other hand, a learner who plays truant misses the whole school day or lessons without the knowledge of parents or caregivers. Furthermore, a truant tends to be involved in various forms of anti social behavior (Blagg, 1992:121). Milner and Blyth (1999:18) acknowledge the difficulties involved in studying the prevalence and pattern of truancy and in comparing current and past school attendance or absence. The difficulties are partly compounded by the variations in the definition of truancy itself (Boyd, 1999:22; Gabb, 1997:2) and the multifaceted nature of truancy (Edward and Malcolm, 2001:1; Reid, 1999:17). The problems associated with studies on truancy should, however, not prevent further research from being conducted. Solutions should be found, or the cause at least eliminated, because truancy is regarded as a serious problem with socio-economic implications. A preliminary review of the literature reveals that truancy is a major problem form schools and society and a most powerful predictor of juvenile delinquent behavior (Van Petegem, 1994:272; Wiehe, 2000). Reid (2002:2) maintains that the amount of money spent on truancy reduction initiatives proves the extent of truancy. Statement of the problem Data on the extent and nature of truancy in schools are often based on information obtained from class registers. This information may be inadequate or almost incomplete and limits the understanding of the phenomenon, thus making it difficult to develop appropriate intervention strategies. More insight on how truancy manifests is needed to provide a base on which to suggest, plan and develop effective intervention strategies. Therefore, further research is needed to enable education officials, schools, parents and other professionals to manage learners with attendance difficulties more efficiently. This study serves to bridge the information gap regarding the nature of truancy and to provide a picture of the life world of truants in Secondary Schools. Aims of the Research The General Aim The aim would be to describe truancy in general as stated in the literature and to conduct an empirical study in order to determine how truancy behaviour manifests in secondary schools and what the life world of truants looks likes. The findings can then be used to inform and guide future practice. The Specific aim The aim of the study would be to gather information that will be used to guide the school (college) community namely the SMT, form teachers, subject teachers, guidance teachers and school councillors, youth workers in school and other stakeholders to help in the interventional approaches and procedures that can be used for reducing truancy. In order to realise the above aims, the following questions are set to direct the research: What is the extent and degree of truancy in terms of the frequency and number of learns involved? What are the patterns, type or nature of truancy? Where do truants go when not at school or in class? What measures are used to monitor and manage truancy? Research Method The study will comprise two methods, namely, a literature study and an empirical investigation. A study of the literature will derive information on studies about poor school attendance and procedures employed to mange or reduce truancy from books, research articles, journals and other resources. A quantitative research design will be used in the empirical investigation. This investigation aims to gather data by means of a questionnaire that will be given to learns in Form 1 and Form 2 in eight randomly selected schools, , incorporating two Junior Lyceums, two Area Secondary and two Church schools. A qualitative research design will be used with guidance teachers, counselors, youth workers, form teachers, Assistant Head of Schools and Heads of School currently working in schools. A focus group and interviews with Heads will help me to investigate what the School community is doing to combat truancy. Such data will be advantageous in that they are ‘the most adequate [tool] to capture how a person thinks of a particular domain (Goldsmiths Collage, n.d.). More over since a face to face rapport with the interviewee, it is induced to continue questioning the subject in order to confirm the hypothesis about his or her beliefs, seeking appraise any underlying meaning in the process. Demarcation of research Due to time constraints, the preset research is confined to then 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Malta. A list of all secondary schools was compiled to allow for the random selection of 8 schools, which will form part of this study. This sample was mainl cohosen on the basis of cost implicaitons and accessibility. Explanation of concepts In this section a number of concepts that are relevant to this research are defined. Truancy Reids (1999:1) asserts that the term ‘truancy is often misused and can be applied both generically and with a local meaning. In the different parts of Great Britain, truancy is known as ‘dodging, ‘skipping off, ‘mitching, ‘skiving, ‘bunking off and ‘going missing, respectively. Whitney (1994:49) defines truancy as ‘absence that has not been authorized by the school and where leave has not been given or approved. Another definition provided by Collins (1998:2), who states that truancy is about pupils who have been registed with a school but identified as not attending school when the law says they should. This definition includes absences from a particular lesson or lessons, known as ‘post-registation truancy (Gabbs, 1994:5; Stoll, 1990:23). Clark Report (2005) identify as truancy when a student is voluntarily absent or not attending school without their parents permission and often, awareness (Anglicare, Werribee Family Services 2000). Truancy is defined as unjustifiable or unexplained absence from school with attempts by the student to conceal the absenteeism. Usually the child avoids home when not at school and the parents are often unaware of the childs absence (Rollings, King, Tonge, Luk, Heyne, Ramsdell, Burdett Martin, 1999). The concept blanket truancy refers to absence from the whole school day, which is usually reflected on the class register, while post-registration truancy occurs when the learner is marked present but fails to turn up at a lesson or lessons (Stoll, 1990:23). In this research, the term ‘truancy is broadly defined as unauthorized absence from school. The definition is adopted with the assumption that absence with the knowledge and permission of the school and parents or guardians does not constitute truancy. Since the study seeks to explore the type of truancy as manifested at secondary schools, both concepts of truancy (blanket and post-registration) are relevant and will be investigated. A Truant A truant is a ‘child aged 6 17 years old who absents himself or herself form school without a legitimate reason and without permission of his or her parents or the school official (Schaefer and Millman, 1981: 335). For the purpose of this research, a truant refers to a learner who, after being registered at a school, absents himself or herself from school or lessons without a legitimate reson or permission from parents or the school official. The traditional or typical truant: Traditional truants tend to be isolated that come from an unsupportive home background, possibly with a tendency to be shy. It is likely that they will have a low self-concept, be introverted and be the citim of their social circumstances. The psychological truant: could be the school phobic (school refusal) case but more othen than this psychological truant miss school for psychological related factors such as illness, opsychomatric complaints, laziness, a fear of attending scholl for any reason (such as dislike of a teacher, a lesson, an impending confrontation or fear of bullying.) The Institutional truant: Institutional truants are more likely to indulge in ‘on the spur of the moment absences from lessons and to be selective about days or lessons to miss. Secondary School A school that admits or registers and educates learners in Form 1 Form 5 is known as a secondary school. Life World In this research, the term ‘life world refers to the psychological context this is made up of elements such as interpersonal aspects, the family, school and the broader community. According to this definition, the life world involves the personal and external world of the learner. The personal word refers to intrinsic factors. The external word is made up of the broader educational systems, the home environment and the community where the child spends his time when not at school. Relevant intervention strategies would be easier to suggest if the contextual issues related to the phenomenon under investigations are understood. Research Program The research comprises give chapters, as follows: CHAPTER 1 In this chapter, the background information in the seriousness and implication of truancy are discussed. The chapter also includes an analysis of the problem, the problem statement, aims of the study, description of the research method and definition of the concepts. CHAPTER 2 Chapter 2 entails a review of the literature on types of truancy and the causes of truancy or contributing factors in different countries, including in Malta. Different approaches that the various countries and schools use to manage truancy will also be discussed. CHAPTER 3 This chapter deals with research designs and methods. A discussion of the research problem, the aim of the empirical investigation, the research tool used in the study and the selection of the sample will be included. Details of the compilation and administration of questionnaires as well as an analysis of data will be presented. CHAPTER 4 In this chapter, the results of questionnaires will be presented. The results will be analyzed to find answers to the research questions. CHAPTER 5 The chapter entails a summary of the research finding, conclusions and recommendations. A summary of the results from the literature study and the limitation of the study will be included. Conclusion This chapter focuses on the background and analysis of the problem, as well as the aims of the study. An attempt will be made to explain the research method used, relevant concepts and planned programmes of the research. The next chapter will contain the review of the literature on the types of truancy, factors contributing to truancy behavior, the rate and extent of truancy and the strategies used to manage truancy. CHAPTER 2 TYPES OF TRUANCY, CAUSAL FACTORS AND APPROACHES USED IN THE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION OF TRUANCY Introduction According to Tyerman (1958:217), truancy has been a problem to all concerned with education since 1870s. Approximately 750 children were charged for truancy in England and Wales in 1954 (ibid: 220). This figure could have been an underestimation as it was based on learners who were referred to courts, and therefore represented mainly incorrigible truants (ibid). Furthermore, the figure gives a general picture of truanting children in one country only and without an indication whether it was absence from certain lessons or whole school day absence. Truancy is currently a problem in communities. In Clarks report concern was expressed about truancy among school children. Data presented in this report indicates that non-attendance exists, and has become an issue of increasing concern for schools, educational and student welfare organizations. Non-attendances viewed as being among one of the key problems facing some schools. There is increasing concern for the seemingly large number of ch ildren and young people, who are, for a range of reasons, missing out on the benefits of education and possibly on a better future (Dr. L. Galea, The Times 9th February, 2005). Non-attendance can be the beginning of countless problems for students who regularly miss out on school (Heyne, King, Tonge, Rollings, Pritchard Young,1999). The extent and nature of truancy are best understood in terms of whether it implies absence for the whole day or during a particular lesson. This chapter deals with how blanket and post-registration truancy manifest, the causal factors and various measures of reducing truancy in secondary schools. Blanket Truancy Perspectives in various countries England and Wales Normab (2001:49) states that 50,000 children play truant on a normal school day in England. The number of truants increases steadily with age and most truants are found at secondary school (ibid). This confirms past research findings about the existence of truancy in secondary school in some parts of England. Gray and Jesson (1990:25) gathered information on the incidence of truancy from the youth cohort survey of England and Wales. The result of their survey shows that 6% of final-year secondary school learners reported to have played truant for several days or weeks at a time. Malcolm, Wilson, Davidson and Kirk (2003:50) state as follows: ‘In 1999, the Audit Commission noted that at least 40,000 of the 400,000 learners absent from school are truanting. Scotland In a study done at 50 Scottish secondary schools, it was found that 30% to 33% of learners had been playing truant at least once in the survey week (Munn and Johnston, 1992:38). These schools were requested to provide both the overall attendance rate and the numbers of learners (ibid). Australia Haddon (1996:110), citing a comprehensive study conducted in Victorian secondary schools in Australia, states that 40% to 60% of learners of compulsory school age reported that they engaged in truancy. Cohen and Ryan (1998:12) state that about 10,000 learners in Tasmania play truant at least one day a week. The Netherlands The research done at 36 schools in four Dutch cities indicates that the average level of truancy at all schools was 4.4% (Bos, Ruiters and Visscher, 1992:393). The average percentage of allowed absence was 4.7%, therefore suggesting that learners in most schools are just as often absent with a valid reason as without one. United States of America It appears that truancy is a problem in American schools, although at varying levels. According to Black (1996:33), approximately 2,500 and 4,000 learners play truant on a daily basis in Pittsburg and Mulwaukee, repectively, while 300,000 of the 1.6 million students in Los Angeles are habitual truants. This shows that some learners stay absent without permission every day and that a day never goes by with a recording of 100% attendance. Truancy is so much of a concern that the Department of Education has prepared a manual that gives schools some guidelines on how to reduce it (United States Department of Education, 1996). Malta From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the space of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of pupils that systematically take three days off from school each month just for the sake that they use up their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Survey results issued by the National Statistics Office Malta on December 16, 2002 showed that overall absence rate from schools between September 25, 2000 and March 31, 20001, stood at 10.5 days per pupil. That included both absenteeism and authorized absence (such as those due to sickness). During this period, 657,604 pupil days were list to absenteeism, accounting for 8.9 per cent of the total pupil days. This reveals an increase of 5. 2 per cent over the 1999/2000 scholastic year. Absences in government schools stood at 19.12 days per pupil whereas that of government dependent (church schools) and independent private schools was 5.76 days per pupil. The rate of truancy in terms of gender Some of the overseas researchers state that there is no difference in the levels of truancy reported for males and females (Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; Haddon, 1996: 110; Smith, M., 1996:226; Stoll, 1994:36; Whitney, 1994: 59). Recent research on truancy in the seven local education authorities reports that the numbers of learners in secondary school admitting truancy was almost equal for boys and girls (Malcolm et al., 2003:31). Coldman (1995:68) also states that the variation that exists in truancy levels of males and females is slight. It is, therefore, apparent that some research are in agreement with regard to the truancy levels of male and females learners. Earlier research that was conducted in South Africa suggests that more males than females tend to play truant Coldman (1995:68) warns against making assumptions and generalisations about the existence of gender differnce in truancy levels. He argues that observed findings might result from the fact that some schools have more males than females, particularly when one is dealing with a large sample. What the above studies suggest about truancy levels of males and females is that the difference might be slight, if it does exist. Furthermore, observed diffrenences may be incfluenced by other variables, such as the enrolled number of male and female learners in a sample. Truancy rate according to the geographical location of the school Serious truancy is said to be more prevalent in inner-city secondary schools in England (Gray and Jesson, 1990:36; Stoll, 1990:23). Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) also found that the Scottish school with the highest percentage of unauthorized absence was all in the inner city. Coldman (1995:69) asserts that claims that truancy is a problem mainly experienced in inner city schools are disputable, since another survey showed that the truancy level is high even in the suburban, rural and industrial areas of England. It may therefore be purely speculation, without much supporting evidence, to suggest that inner-city school experience higher levels of truancy. Hard evidence needs to be gathered, where possible, in order to verify the claim that inner-city experience higher rates of truancy. According to some researchers, truancy levels also appear to differ from school to school, since they may be more prevalent in schools than in others (Blackm 1996:33; Bos et al., 1992:385; Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; OKeefe and Stoll, 1995:12). It is therefore apparent that the levels of truancy seem to vary from country to country, and in some cases, also in terms of geographical locations within a city or town. The literature indicates that blanket truancy is common in many secondary school and that, in some cases, learners play truant on a daily basis. The levels of blanket truancy can also vary according to regional locations within the same country. In the next section, the evidence regarding the level of post-registration truancy drawn from the literature will be discussed. Post-registration Truancy Very little information is given in the literature about national trends of post-registration truancy in countries where research on truancy was conducted. Most of the studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United St Determinants of Health: Area of Residence Determinants of Health: Area of Residence Lisa Theaker The overall health of an individual and of communities can be defined and affected [LF1]by many factors. Circumstances and environment play a massive part in determining whether a Person or Persons can be categorised or labelled as being â€Å"Healthy†. Some of the more common of these determinants are issues such as area of residence- the affluence and prosperity of the general area, the income of the individual or family unit, the levels and standards of education available within the area, social relationships and at the most fundamental level, genetics also play a part. From a social perspective, factors such as access to good quality health services are considered to be a secondary factor and have less of an impact on the individuals’ health than the others. A person’s health is often determined by issues such as their social and economic environment, their physical environment and their general behaviours and lifestyle choices. An individual only really has control over one of these factors – the lifestyle as it is of their own choosing whether they have a healthy diet, if they smoke or drink alcohol. This too is determined to some extent by the level of social, physical and economic factors (WHO, date unknown) (Naidoo et al, 2000). Income and social status or class differences are displayed in statistics from different areas and often show direct correlation to the health of the individuals within them. A better income and â€Å"higher class† proves to be critical in better health. This is due to better quality of diet, access to education and better working environments. Studies have shown that where the greater difference in income between richer and poorer individuals exist, then this is reflected and evident in the statistics of health (Naidoo et al, 2000). Education levels at a lower standard are also linked with poor health. People with a low level of education often have low self-confidence and are found doing lesser paid yet more manual labour in health affecting environments such as factories. This also affects stress levels as well as income. The knock-on effect this produces brings inequalities such as poor housing and unsanitary living conditions in what are commonly labelled as â€Å"deprived areas†. All the factors affecting these communities have a profound effect on the health of not just the individual, but of their families also (BBC, 2008). The physical environment often impacts upon the health of families and individuals [LF2]alike, both in a domestic and workplace. Areas of residence with good quality road networks, decent acceptable housing, safe water and clean air [LF3]are statistically proven to show greater levels of better health of residents than areas with heavy industry, both now and historically. Air pollution is a major contributor to ill health, especially if the individual has an underlying or pre-existing health condition such as asthma. People who live and work in cleaner environments are often generally healthier, or display less health issues than people working within these area of heavy industry. Workers in heavier industries such as coal mining and steelworks have no control over they’re working environment, and although health protection equipment such as dust masks and ear protection are now issued as standard, this has not always been the case and generations of workers have suffered some times horrendous health issues from diseases and conditions associated with working in the dusty, noisy conditions for many years unprotected. Cases of emphysema, a lung condition where essentially the lungs are filled with dust which eventually hardens, have[LF4] affected many generations of coal miners (WHO, date unknown). Social support networks in communities are also proven to show links to improved health. Areas with community support outlets that offer help and advice with aspects covering stop smoking services, job-seeking and educational courses can encourage and offer the means to people within the community to improve themselves both mentally and physically and this has a profound effect on their health by improving their prospects and their self-esteem (WHO, date unknown). The genetic makeup of an individual can also be a major contributing factor to their health and can determine possible lifespan, overall healthiness and the possibility of developing certain illnesses. Personal behaviours of lifestyle can be influenced at an early age, where a parents input on the diet and lifestyle habits are often impressed upon children from a very early age. These attitudes are often carried into adulthood from children having witnessed the un-healthy practices of parents, and assume them to be acceptable and normal. Factors such as smoking and the consumption of alcohol are some of these. General coping skills can be witnessed by the nest [LF5]generation and can often lead to problems with their own coping mechanisms later in life (BBC News, 2008). Access to health services are a fundamental factor too. Good accessible health provision is essential for the maintenance of health within communities – whether the individual chooses to access these available services is down to their general attitudes to their own health (WHO, date unknown). Lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, promiscuity and a balance of healthy diet and exercise are in the hands of the individual. These choices are also determined by the levels of income and area of residence. Deprived areas, even within the same general locality and country statistically show that this is the case. For example – Calton, an area of Glasgow in Scotland, shows a distinctive rise in the mortality rates in males when compared to a more affluent area of Lenzie. A baby boy born in Calton will have an average life expectancy of 28 years less than a boy born and resident in Lenzie. This is explained by Calton simply being less affluent. The population of Calton are generally of a lower social class, and the mortality rate reflects this amongst males of comparable ages. This is not just in Scotland however, similar findings have been reported in areas of London. The life expectancy varies by 11 years from residents of affluent Hampstead to St Pancras, which is c onsidered to be less affluent (BBC News, 2008). [LF6] People from lower classes experience greater levels of sickness and ill health, whether this is from lifestyle choices or work environments (if they actually work). Work and employment levels are a very important factor to consider. The work environment determines income levels and can directly affect the health of the individual. Some work environments are considered to be â€Å"high-risk† because of accidents, hazardous materials or even stressful situations (WHO, date unknown). A very detailed and thorough discussion of determinants of health however this could be strengthened by creating greater links to the models of health. There are more factors to the determination of â€Å"Health† than reviewing and [LF7]considering the technical issues of income, employment, lifestyle and the areas where people live, although these are statistically proven to have a major impact. Many would consider that ill health of an individual comes about as a direct result of lifestyle choices and that by adequate and improves healthy lifestyle promotion campaigns, theses can make a difference and encourage the individual to make changes and be responsible for taking steps to improve their health and that of their family. This is not always the case however, when the truth maybe that the individual has little or no control over the choices to be made. This serves to strengthen the argument that ill health is not in the hands of the individual rather that its roots lie in the social and economic domain. If the means are not available to make the changes, then it is impossible to do so. It is true however that some people do make the effort to maintain their health and that of their families eve on sometimes limited income however the social environment of poor quality housing and the air around where the live prevents them from doing so. The air quality is beyond the control of anyone. These factors are major contributing issues. Regardless of the input of any health promotion campaigns and any amount of income, this cannot be changed – other than to provide the means to move their family to a less polluted environment. Ill health does not occur merely by bad luck. The imposing factors from birth and through the entirety of an individuals’ life, through to their demise are paramount to affecting how these years are spent, whether in good or bad health. Social factors such as class and ethnicity come into play when tied in with the universal factors of age and gender. The gender, ethnicity and age of the individual cannot be changed, however it is possible that the social class can be altered given the right circumstances. Environmental factors such as housing provision, and the quality and area of it are also major factors – the area of residence and the amenities that are offered there, such as leisure facilities and access to health services have an impact upon the health of the residents. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, nutrition, exercise and the psychosocial environment are also major factors. The amount of stress and worry experienced by the individual are paramount to the levels of the other factors. Smoking levels increase in stressful environments as does overeating (Naidoo et al, 2000).[LF8] References BBC News (28th August 2008) ‘Social factors key to ill health’ [online] Available at: http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/7584056.stm [Accessed 5th April 2014] Health Poverty Action (date unknown) ‘ factors that Determine Good or Poor Health’ [online] Available at: http://www.healthpovertyaction.org/policy-and-resources/the-determinants-of-health/ [Accessed – 5th April 2014] Naidoo, J Wills, J. (2000) ‘Health Promotion – Foundations for Practice’ (2nd edition) London, UK: Harcourt Publishers Ltd World Health Organisation (date unknown) ‘Health Impact Assessment – The determinants of health’ [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/ [Accessed – 5th April 2014] Bibliography Health Poverty Action (date unknown) ‘The Cycle of Poverty Poor Health’ [online] Available at: https://www.healthpovertyaction.org/policy-and-resources/the-cycle-of-poverty-and-poor-health/ [Accessed – 5th April 2014] The College of Occupational Therapists (COT) (2013) ‘Social Determinants of Health’ [online] Available at: https://www.cot.co.uk/social-determinants-health [Accessed 5th April 2014] Very good range of sources used. [LF1]Is this the ‘Introduction’ section? [LF2]Is this the ‘Discussion of Findings’ section? [LF3]You are right but need to clarify what is meant by these i.e., give the parameters [LF4]‘has’ [LF5]‘next’ [LF6]Excellent points and use of example/source [LF7]Is this the ‘Conclusion’ section? [LF8]An excellent conclusion – very well thought out! Well done! However this should have been in report format!