Steinbeck Model of “Paradox and Dream: Personal Essay

Victims of Love One of the generalities most often noted about Victims of Love is that we are impatient, incomplete, and unsatisfied once we discover what love is and that is possible for anyone to have. We complain when we want it, yet take it for granted when it’s ours. We say we cannot stand to live with our lovers, yet we proclaim it is unbearable to live without them. We claim to be strong and fearless, but in the face of love we fall weak to our knees with open arms reaching for all it has to offer. Love is endless, limitless, and powerful beyond measure.It has the ability to give you the best feeling no one other thing can, yet it has the power to hurt you beyond compare to anything else. We claim love is blinding to those lucky enough to have it, but are we really blind? Can we really not see beyond love’s overwhelming nature, or do we choose to not see the bad because its potential to be such a wonderful thing outweighs its negative qualities and its faults? On ce we fall victim to love and all it’s worth, an untamed fire is lit beneath the deepest layer of our hearts, burning brightly until greeted by the only conquerer of love- death.As we as victims of love believe, when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. We, as greedy, impatient people chase after love when we want it, yet we fail to realize we don’t find love, love finds us. We can choose who we hate, but we cannot control who we love. We love those who hurt us, but hurt those who love us. Victims of Love want to grasp onto love once they find it and never let it go, yet we learn that if you love someone, you have to set them free. We long to always be with those we love yet we are blind to see that distance makes the heart grow fonder.Because of this, we are left asking ‘what? ’. What is so addicting about love? Do we love imperfection, love to feel wanted, love the vision of love that ends with a happily ever after? I t is often portrayed that you cannot love what you do not know, yet, according to Paul Valery, it would be impossible to love anything or anyone completely because love is directed towards what lies hidden in its presence. We, as living paradoxes, fear the unknown, yet we have a passion and curiosity to know what lies beyond our existing knowledge.We search for our perfect vision of love, and we are disappointed with our results. We fail to see that true love doesn’t come by finding a perfect person, but by finding an imperfect person and learning to love them perfectly. We question to why sometimes love fails, but we make no effort to see it was our fault because we have failed to love. We are slaves to pleasure and pain once we have it, and use love as a motivation to find it. We try to make sense of love and the feelings that overcome us and thus become incapable of feeling it.We foolishly live a life for love instead of a having a life with love. When we have love, we fee l we do not need anything else and when we do not have it, we feel nothing else we have really matters. To have love is to have faith; those with little faith have little love and those with a lot of faith have a lot of love. We search for love with our thoughts and eyes and forget that love lies beyond what we see and think; it exists where we feel, it exists in our hearts. Love is a strange thing; it requires no inquisition, just acceptance.Love is an inevitable force of nature. We can choose to avoid it or choose to surrender to it, either way, it strikes back like lightening, unpredictable and irrefutable. Love does not come in favor of our own stipulations and conditions, hut it comes independently of our desires and wishes as does the moon, stars, and darkness of night with no regards to the day. Just as we may obtain the ability to control the time of night and day, we risk damaging a balance of laws without fully knowing the consequences of our intentions.In the same way, we practice elements of love, such as marriage or intercourse, yet we are left dismayed and puzzled, angered and suffering, questioning as to if our reason behind our insensible actions was truly love after all. We dream of a love inexplicable beyond words-one that proves without it, we are merely individuals limited to our ability of what we can do, but with it the boundaries are limitless with possibility at its fingertips. Our dream lies beyond not only understanding what love is, but also learning the ecret to keep its burning flame lit with passion and all the qualities that make for a perfect, successful expression of all that love is. We say we wish for a love without any pain, but how can we measure the power and endurance of that love if it only endures the easy road of life? What we truly, honestly long for is a love that shows its strength, surpassing even the most difficult obstacles and the harshest pain and coming out victorious, proving to us that in the end, love does conquer all.

Discuss the effectiveness of the opening chapter of ‘Great Expectations’ Essay

Charles Dickens was a very famous writer who was born 7th February 1812. One of most famous books is ‘Great Expectations’ which was serialised in 1860. ‘Great Expectations’ is about a young infant boy called Pip (Philip Pirrip) whose mother, father and five little brothers are all departed. His sister Mrs Joe Gargery and her husband Mr Joe Gargery, a blacksmith, then looked after Pip. The novel ‘Great Expectations’ begins very swiftly and promptly, as the start of the novel sees Pip visiting his deceased family. I think this is very effective in a story like this because straight away Dickens wants to show Pip’s isolation and fear, as he stands alone before his families’ gravestones at the start of the novel and how he explains that his sister ‘brought him up by hand’, this means that his sister would beat him if he did something wrong. This was not uncommon at the time when this novel was written because in the 19th Century, orphans and convicted criminals, like Pip and Magwich, were very badly treated and physically abused; the treatment that these unfortunate people suffered was inhumane. Dickens knew that this was not right so one of the main reasons why Dickens wrote this novel was to inform and notify the audience about the mistreating of orphans and convicts. He tried to change society by writing other novels as well based on the same principal such as Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickelby. In the story I think Dickens describes the environmental scenery very effectively as he describes Magwich in the same way. Also the bleak environment works well together with the isolation and fear of Pip while alone in the graveyard. There is a good comparison between the description of the environment and with the description of Magwich as they are both described as bleak, grim and frightening. The environment is described as † Bleak, desolate place overgrown with nettles, and the dark, flat wilderness beyond the churchyard† and the convict is describes as † A fearful man, all in coarse grey†. I think Dickens has purposely done this to make the opening chapter more effective to the audience and more alarming to Pip. However even thought Magwich is describes as frightening and horrendous, the way Dickens describes him and the language that he uses, make us feel quite sympathetic towards Magwich, † torn by briars, stung by nettles, soaked in water, smothered in mud etc†, this quotation from the novel makes us feel sorry for the unfortunate convict. Dickens’s storyline and words also makes us feel sorry for young Pip as in the past he has lost his Mother, Father and five younger Brothers and the fright of being ‘held hostage’ by Magwich. In addition to Magwich’s fright Dickens also produces some humour from the things Magwich says. For example when Magwich requests that Pip go and fetch him a file and some wittles, however if Pip does not fulfil Magwich’s requests then a young man will cut out his heart and liver, this make the novel more enjoyable for the audience. † You fail and your heart and liver shall be torn out†. Dickens’s effective use of language and words presents us with an understanding of Pip’s fear and isolation throughout the novel. As stated before Dickens uses high-quality description of his characters, this makes them stand out from the rest and become more vivid. I think this is because as Dickens was growing up his father was always in debt and in and out of prison, so Dickens was sent to work at the young age of 12 and Dickens stated ‘They were the most terrible times of my life’. From this I have come to the conclusion that Dickens created Pip from his own experience in life and because Dickens actually lived like Pip, it makes him sound more realistic and believable for the audience. Dickens lived like Pip and experienced the brutal treatment for himself. The novel ‘Great Expectations’ is actually being told by Pip himself, but not as a child, as an adult looking back at when he was younger. This is very effective and is successful language by Dickens, as it gives us an adult opinion and perspective of a child’s life. We know that the narrator is a mature one, because he talks about his childish conclusions of his family by looking at the inscriptions on their gravestones and how his ‘infantile tongue’ could only make out the name Pip from his full name. â€Å"From the inscriptions, I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled and sickly†. In the 19th Century children were horrendously mistreated as they were sent to work in dirty, odious factories from the age of 10. At the time orphanages did not exist so orphans were hired by people for odd jobs, who paid them just enough to survive. Convicted criminals were also very neglected at this time. Dickens picked up on this and decided that society needed to change, so Dickens wrote this novel, not only to earn a living and entertain but also to inform and notify the audience about the mistreating of orphans and convicts. He also tried to change society by writing other novels based on the same principal such as Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickelby. Here we encounter a similarity between chapters one and eight, because in chapter eight Pip goes on regular visits to see Miss Havisham who is very rich and cultured. Nonetheless as Pip gets to know Miss Havisham he realises that she is not the person that he expected because when we get to know Miss Havisham we realise that she is quite sadistic and cruel, as she wants to avenge men for her past adversity. Miss Havisham is very rich and cultured so she should know better than to be sadistic and heartless towards Pip. This relates to the opening chapter because in it Pip encounters Magwich the old, ill-fated convict who seems fearsome at the time of the meeting. However as he gets to know Magwich, he realises that Magwich is quite kind and gentle. This is in contrasts with chapter eight because Miss Havisham seems nice but he realises she is cruel and in chapter one Magwich seems fearful but is really kind. Chapters one and eight relate to each other quite well because both Miss Havisham and Magwich are not what they seem to Pip and first glance, this is an example of the old saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. It is because of Dickens’s excellent choice of words and language that these two chapters relate so well together, and this is something that Dickens does throughout the novel. It is also because of Dickens’s choice of words why his main character is called Pip; because the word Pip means a seed from which things grow. This is true of the text because Pip does grow throughout the novel from a young orphan to a rich gentlemen, so the name Pip is a very interesting name for this novel. The social and historical setting in this novel is in similarity with the real life environment at the time as in the novel Magwich the convict has been very badly treated and is very adverse, this also happened in the environment at the time that this novel was wrote. Also the brutal abuse of Pip the orphan is similar to the exploitation of the orphans in the surrounding atmosphere. By reading this novel we can get a rough idea of the physical abuse that the orphans and convicts suffered at the time, I think this is very useful because it would have been a very good real-life novel. On a whole I think that chapter one of ‘Great Expectations’ is very effective by the choice of language and words used by the famous, experienced writer Charles Dickens. However if we look at chapter one in relation to chapter two I think that chapter one and chapter two go together to make a unit, Nevertheless chapter one is still very successful.

Please go on YouTube & watch a 10 minute speech & write a paragraph or Assignment

Please go on YouTube & watch a 10 minute speech & write a paragraph or two analyzing the speech - Assignment Example Instead of just referring to one American, President began a sentence with the word â€Å"we† 12 times. The purpose of this was to stress how important this was for the American people as a whole. After detailed why this mission was so important, President Obama gave a brief outline about how these events transpired. This was done to reassure the American people that this mission was carried out with transparency and with the full knowledge of the president. Another thing that President Obama does is acknowledge the contribution of his Pakistan counterpart. In the conclusion of his speech, President Obama focuses upon the virtues of justice and achievement. Finally, President Obama touches upon spirituality by referring to God three times in his last few sentences. This is intertwined with talk of American and is thus reconfirming that America is on the right

Discuss the invasions of the barbarians and the influence of St Essay

Discuss the invasions of the barbarians and the influence of St. Augustine and the Celts as well as the rise of monasticism and - Essay Example The paper explores the rise of monasticism and Islam, the invasions of the barbarians and the influence of St. Augustine and the Celts. Discussion Celtic Christianity represents features of Christianity that were prominent across Celtic world in the Early Middle Ages. A spotlight on monasticism centering on the sequestered life of monks and nun provides an example of Celtic Christian practice. True ecclesiastical power within the Celtic world lay in the hands of monasteries instead of bishops of dioceses, and the ideal of monasticism collectively esteemed within Celtic Christianity (Noble 192). St. Benedict established his Monastic Rule, which established a system of regulations for the basis and running of monasteries. Monasticism gained prominence throughout Europe and gave rise to numerous early center of learning. The way of addressing monastic varies between the diverse Christian traditions based on their rank and monastic tradition. As early as the 3rd century, the ascetical li fe had attained a noteworthy expansion within the church in North Africa witnessed by the presence of existence of number monasteries at Carthage by the year 400. The structure in which monasticism spread from North Africa to all of the Western Christianity emanates partly from St. Augustine influence. Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo was both a theologian and philosopher, and can be regarded as one of the most prominent figures within the development of Western Christianity (Noble 193). When the Roman Empire fell, and the faith of numerous Christians was at stake, Augustine established the concept of Church as a spiritual City of God separate from the material city of Man. The Roman’s utilized the term â€Å"barbarians† to refer to individuals who lived outside the boundaries of the Empire. The middle Ages period can be connected to the fall of the Western Roman Empire within the fifth century to the start of the Renaissance in the fifth century. The collapse of the R oman government accompanied a decline in trade, learning, infrastructure, and security. The Early Middle Ages witnessed the emergence of monasticism in the west. The form of European monasticism derived from the traditional ideas that emanated from within the deserts and Syria. The presence of Christianity within Africa started within the middle of 1st century in Egypt, and by the end of 2nd century within the region around Carthage. The later rise of Islam within North Africa reduced the size and numbers of Christian congregations sparing the Coptic Church in Egypt, the Nubian Church within Sudan, and Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The decline and total desertion of this flourishing Church can be regarded as a sad fact of history. The Arab Muslim incursion of North Africa that started around 643 was completed by the fall of Carthage (698) and Ceuta (709). The Muslim heralded the extinction of Christianity, minimizing the number of bishoprics by the time of Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085). The disappearance of the Church in North Africa can be explained by: the presence of Donatism within the Church in North Africa, which significantly minimized the Church’s interior strength; despite, the Catholic victory over the Donatists at a meeting held in 411 (Carthage), Donatism did not entirely disappear and was still evident in North Africa

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

Poems - Essay Example Essentially, Montresor aims to be the jury, a judge, and executioner. Montresor hates Fortunato because the latter had caused many injuries to the former. Due to jealousy, Montresor endeavors to attack Fortunato by skillfully employing a reverse psychology. Notably, Montresor constantly indicates that he has the capacity to ask Luchesi to observe Amontillado although Fortunate detests the obscene scene, and claims that Luchesi does not have the ability to tell Amontillado from Sherry (Poe 745). The audience knows that Montresor is jealous of Fortunato. In order to complete his revenge mission, Montresor tricks Fortunate into coming to his catacombs in order to taste some Amontillado, which is non-existent. Jealousy drives Montresor to endeavor to betray Fortunato by inviting him to taste Amontillado that did not exist. Montresor wishes that he had what Fortunato possessed. Notably, Montresor tells Fortunato that he has the wealth and many people respect, love, and admire him (Poe 744). In effect, Montresor wishes that he had what Fortunate owns. Due to such wishes, Montresor has developed a vengeful spirit catapulted by jealousy (Meyers 202). Montresor thinks that Fortunato is more significant than he is. The protagonist is in deep thought of revenging although he does not indicate the precise reason for executing the deed. The audience can notice that the protagonist intends to kill Fortunato due to mere jealousy and pride. Jealousy is too much in Montresor, and it does not allow him to give his intended action a second thought. Notably, the protagonist proves that he has the highest level of jealousy when he ridicules Fortunato’s attire. Montresor says, â€Å"The man wore mo tley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-stripped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells† (Poe 744). The description of the Fortunato’s attire hinges on a pure jealousy. Poe uses irony to underscore the theme of jealously. Notably, Poe’s choice of the

Negative Economic Factors on Hotel Glorious Case Study

Negative Economic Factors on Hotel Glorious - Case Study Example The effects of economic recession on businesses are in most cases negative. Consumers tend to reduce the level of expenditure. This directly impacts on the demand for the product or services of the firm. To counter this trend, the firm might decide to lower prices as a strategy to attract more customers. The result is the reduction of profit margins or sometimes the firm can record a loss. In a recession, most employees are forced to take pay cuts or sometimes lose their employment. The impact of this is that most people will find an alternative or additional work to bridge the deficit. In an attempt to do this more time is spent generating the income with less time to engage in leisure (Tribe 2007, pp 67). The only expenditures that will not be greatly affected are those that deal directly with the basic needs. Due to this fact, the leisure industry is likely to be negatively affected by the recession. The possibility of growth in the wake of a recession is very minimal. This is occ asioned by the sustained decline in demand. In the case of the Glorious hotel, economic recession would provide an oblique future in the development. The possible reaction of this hotel to a global recession would be minimal as compared to the large reputable hotels in the leisure business. First, the hotel is run by the family. This implies that the motivation of the labor force to achieve the objective of profitability will not be affected to a greater percentage. The hotel can see the significant reduction in productivity at lower employees but the general level of service remains constant due to family management.

How We Live and Die Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How We Live and Die - Assignment Example 1. Artificial haemoglobin is a critical innovation, because it will solve blood supply problems and help save lives in the future. Its production, however, remains on the works, which means that in the meantime, we have to still rely on blood donations as one of the ways of giving and receiving blood. 2. Knowledge of the role of the circulatory system is crucial in understanding exhalation, because it affects the human heart rate. A good heart can exhale the bad air out and exhaling properly should also be emphasises in breathing exercises. 3. The formula for blood pressure will be important in understanding how to have a healthy heart, because it defines the factors that affect it. Knowing these factors for each person will help them understand possible underlying circulatory problems. 1. I changed my mind that breathing is a simple matter, because it involves interdependent relationships among the respiratory, circulatory and nervous systems. If the brain is not working, the heart and lungs will not work properly too. At the same time, people with circulatory and respiratory problems can also affect how their brain works, especially when the brain needs 20% of total body oxygen consumption. 3. I now believe that second-hand smoke truly kills, since breathing involves numerous bodily systems, so if we breathe smoky air from others, this poisonous air pollutes too many important body organs and tissues. 2. I want to read on devices that can help people breathe better, when they have lung, brain, or circulatory issues, because I want to know how far technology has come to replicate or support human

Policy Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Policy Choices - Essay Example Coming to an individual, what are the factors that influence actions of self interest Basically, individuals are goal oriented, and as such, they depend on their skills and resource to achieve their goals. Also, in order to achieve his goals, an individual may look for information, evaluate alternatives, and choose the ideal option. In the absence of these, there is manipulation due to lack of information and ignorance. There are also other factors involved in the process of decision making. "The rational ideal not only overstates the purity of information, it also exaggerates the rationality of the people using information. That humans do not make decisions in purely rational fashion is a point that needs no belaboring." [1] This is what Charles Lindblom has called "the preceptoral system," whereby "a system of social control is exercised by a highly unilateral governmental persuasion addressed not to an elite or to a bureaucracy alone but to an entire population" [2] "While the individual in the rational ideal is autonomous, free to deliberate and choose on the basis of accurate information, in the preceptoral system the individual is a puppet whose mind has been invaded by others and who acts as though he or she chooses voluntarily but is in fact directed from without." [3] The practice of restriction or suppression of information is not only confined to totalitarian regimes, it is also practiced in the highly scientific corridors of medical research, mega business houses, the media, law agencies, political parties, and at the highest levels of the proponents of free society. [4] Nonetheless, public-interest is the result of experience and proper understanding of what the problem is and how the solution could be achieved with minimum confusion and confrontation. It involves public debate and perception, and allows for discussion and information based solutions, instead of leaving it to the discretion of a single individual. "The rational ideal, in sum, offers a vision of society where conflict is temporary and unnecessary, where force is replaced by discussion, and where individual actions are 1Policy Paradox, p314. 2Policy Paradox, Chapter 13, page 316. 3Policy Paradox, p308. 4Why Public Ideas Matter Chapter 2, page 31 brought into harmony through the persuasive power of logic and evidence. Government by persuasion brings out the highest human quality - the capacity to deliberate." [5] However, the decision making process often tend to be long and tedious on issues related to public interest. That is why sometimes it is felt that that there is the need for some element of totalitarianism in government. That is to say, it is not always necessary for government to be of the totalitarian type in order to use persuasion. "Let us for the moment, however, not make totalitarian government a necessary condition for indoctrination and so not limit indoctrination to totalitarian regimes by definition. Instead, let us regard it as a relationship in which dominant elites control people's beliefs and

Is Humor Persuasive Essay Example for Free

Is Humor Persuasive Essay Humor can be one of the most effective tools to use with persuasion, as it can provide many benefits with very little cost or drawback. Some of the benefits of using humor to communicate an argument include increased attention span, an overall more enjoyable reading experience, not to mention the comfortable environment comedy will give for the writer to communicate their ideas. Enter humor columnist Dave Barry and his essay, â€Å"Road Warrior,† which introduces the quality of road rage that is said affect the American public today, and he also sheds a humorous light on how easily people are angered. His use of various techniques in his writing makes his approach to the problem of road rage effective, because humor can make something that is tedious become interesting. The techniques he utilizes include the use of metaphors, rhetorical questions (a figure of speech in the form of a question without the expectation of a reply), capitalized words, sarcasm (a sharp, bitter, or cutting remark; or a bitter taunt), and labeling. Barry’s use of humor in his writing contributed greatly to the overall effectiveness of the essay. Through the use of humor, Barry not only contributes to the overall funny tone of the essay, but he sheds a humorous light on a rather tense subject. Road rage is a disease that has been affecting motorists since the time when horsepower compared the power of vehicles to that of the horse. People have been known to express anger towards various situations in many different ways, most commonly being â€Å"flipping the bird. † First, road rage can cause stress while someone travels, which would in turn create health problems. Secondly, road rage can be deadly whether a person is the victim or the offender, as some accidents are known to have been caused by chancy driving due to road rage. Essentially, road rage is an important quality to try to avoid in today’s society for those two very important reasons, and more. The first reason why Barry’s essay was effective is his use of metaphors. Barry uses metaphors throughout the essay to describe the various types of anger he experiences in daily life. For example, in paragraph four, Barry compares the size of Miami driver’s brains to cashews when he is introducing Miami as the Inappropriate Lane Driving Capital of the World,† due to â€Å"being tailgated and occasionally bumped from behind by testosterone driven youth. † Barry will also use a metaphor when he compares the speed that some motorists travel in the â€Å"fast lane† to that of diseased livestock when describing slower travelling Miami drivers who travel in the left hand lane or the â€Å"fast lane. † Another reason why Barry’s essay is effective is his use of rhetorical questions and capitalization of key words. During his description of â€Å"Parking Lot Rage,† he asks â€Å"What the hell are they doing in there? when describing the times that he would look for a parking spot, and wait for somebody to vacate theirs. He goes on to describe instances where â€Å"nobody ever  signals or yields, and people are constantly  cutting us off,† during his description of the problem of youth with aggressive driving habits he also asks â€Å"After a while we start to feel some rage, OK? You got a problem with that, mister news media opinion-maker? † These questions and capitalized words are Barryâ€℠¢s own way of putting emphasis on certain points, which contributes a unique touch to the essay. A third reason why Barry’s essay was effective is Barry’s use of sarcasm in his writing. His use of sarcasm gives a sense of playfulness, which skillfully keeps true to his underlying meaning. For example, in paragraph six, Barry refers to the left hand lane as a public recreational area when he is talking about drivers that will travel slowly in the left lane. Barry is also sarcastic while he is describing the driver training youth receive in Miami, stating â€Å"we are being tailgated and occasionally bumped from behind by testosterone driven youths who got their driver training from watching the space-fighter battle scenes in Star Wars. He is being sarcastic about the fact that youth in Miami get their driver training from watching space-fighter battle scenes in Star Wars. Lastly, another reason why Barry’s essay is effective is his coining of his own terms when labeling the various events that upset him in his daily life. Such as, in paragraph six, Barry labels Miami as the â€Å"Inappropriate Lane Driving Capital Of The World,† while speaking about the slower travelling motorists that stay in the left lane. Barry also comes up with a name for another upsetting occurrence he experiences, which he refers to as â€Å"way too many product choices rage† when describing the difficulty of having so many options to choose from when shopping for grocery items. In conclusion, Barry deftly uses various techniques to get his ideas across, including metaphors, rhetorical questions, capitalized words, sarcasm, labeling, and humor; which not only contributes to the overall funny tone of the essay, but he is able to shed a humorous light on a rather tense subject.

The novel Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

The novel Frankenstein Essay In chapter fifteen, just before the ceremony the commander reads several extracts from the bible. The Bible the Commander reads from is locked in a brass bound leather box; this is a practice that was widespread during the Dark Ages. The Commander reads selected sections of the Bible that could be used to support the Ceremony and the role of the Handmaids. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth Give me children, or else I dies Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her. The Commander reads numerous sections from the book of Genesis and also an extract from Zechariah. Much like the censored television broadcasts the Commander is limiting the truth. The sections chosen have been picked to support the idea of handmaids. The commander has decided to ignore such things as the Ten Commandments, in which one them is thou shalt not commit adultery but abuses the bible for his own cause. Offred discovers a cushion with the word FAITH on it, as reading is banned the cushion should not be allowed in Offreds room. In chapter nineteen Offred considers that her FAITH cushion would have been a set of three. There must have been three once. HOPE and CHARITY, where have they been stowed? This is a direct reference to I Corinthians 13:13 So faith, hope, love; abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. The cushion is a very significant symbol in the book as it represents the fact that Offred has been denied hope and love but is told that she must have faith. Hope and love are what Offred thrives for, however she has very little hope, apart from the faintest of belief that her husband and daughter are still alive. In chapter twenty-one a handmaid named Janine (or Ofwarren) gives birth, there are numerous religious implications leading up and during the birth. In chapter nineteen Offred describes to the reader how anaesthetics and caesareans are no longer a part of childbirth, but how in a society based on religion women are supposed to feel the pain of childbirth. Aunt Elizabeth said it was better for the baby, but also: I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children. Gilead has obviously dismissed medicine and science, probably because they can be used as arguments against the existence of God. Despite the technology being available Gilead dismisses it using Gods punishment on Eve as evidence to dismiss science rather than science dismissing religion. In chapter twenty-one when Janine gives birth she is required to deliver the child on a two-tiered birthing stool, so that she can fulfil the biblical practice of the maid giving birth on the knees of the wife. Two others lead Janine to the birthing stool, where she sits on the lower of two seats. The other seat is for the commanders wife who sits above Janine and acts as if she is the one giving birth. Gilead demonstrates a total lack of tolerance for other religions, not only do they battle with other branches of Christianity, but in chapter thirty-one we see how they react to other religions. Gilead justifies deporting Jews by claiming they are sons of Jacob and therefore special the reader learns about how Jews were given the choice to emigrate or to convert. The reader is also told how people who pretend to convert are treated raids at night, secret hoards of Jewish things dragged out from under beds and hung for their beliefs. Gilead is a completely totalitarian society that mirrors many of the fascist views held by the Nazis. It is odd that this society should choose to make an example of Jews though, considering their own religion is based on the Jewish faith and many of the extracts they use to govern come from the old testament. However, Jews dont take obscure references from the Old Testament as literally as the powers in Gilead, and it is likely that an alternative faith was deemed threatening. Atwood uses religion to its greatest possible literary power by exploiting it and demonstrating what the reader doesnt think would ever be possible. Religion is at the core of Gilead and appears to be all that is left of America. The wars between branches of Christianity mirror the problems in Northern Ireland and numerous references mirror Gilead society with the Nazi regime. Atwood portrays religion as something very powerful; it is so powerful that it is able to govern an entire country. However a country governed by the bibles teaching sounds like something of a utopia, Atwood chooses to display how religion can be abused, twisted and altered to suit individuals and suppress others. The Handmaids Tale doesnt seem too far fetched, the reader would be familiar with religion being abused, in fact the historical notes refer to one of Professor Pieixotos famous studies Iran and Gilead: Two Late-Twentieth-Century Monotheocracies, as Seen Through Diaries. Linking Gilead with Irans conservative Islamic revolution, something the reader may be familiar with. The conservative Islamic revolution involved de-modernization and severe restrictions on the freedoms of women, just like Gilead.

Polish Brewery Market Analysis

Polish Brewery Market Analysis MARKET AND COMPETITION ANALYSIS Shareholders, employees with their families and collaborators with their families benefit from the beer business. According to the industry estimates this branch and cooperating industries employs almost 200 000 workers in Europe, and 600 000 is the number of employees who would like work for the brewing industry in the future. Polish brewery market employs about 15 000 people, and sectors that cooperate with it have higher employment rate ( 56,2 thousand employees ). People are hired in HORECA and trade and almost 186,000 of them make a living by working for the breweries. This makes 740,000 families altogether that owe their financial stability to this industry. Investors After the fall of the communism in 1989 polish brewery market has been dominated by the multiple foreign investors. They knew that this market has a potential, and needs money, technology, and experience in order to be successful. At the beginning of the 90s consumption of the beer was not exceeding 30 litres per person per year. It was of a poor quality and the beer consumption culture did not equal the western reality. This investment needed big money, and therefore investors decided to start the brewery business on the polish market from the scratch. For example SABMiller has spent almost 2 billions zloty ( PLN ) on the development of its four brands, and thus one of them, Tychy, became the largest in Europe. Brewpole, an Australian company, was the first leading investor on the market. It created new production lines and introduced a new brand: EB. Then it gained almost 16% of the market shares. However, later on it had to merge with the Zywiec Group ( because of some of its advertisement failures ). Finally, production scale and good marketing were the most important issues that must have been considered. Big players were taking over smaller ones, and others were just closed down because were not profitable. Foreign investors have helped the polish brewery market by putting into it $ 1 billion and now it is the most modern in Europe. Almost 80% of the beer production is under their control. Therefore technology development in the brewery industry has been influenced by them, and this has led to increase of the beer production between 1990-1997. Today polish brewery industry belongs mainly to the global corporations. They knew Poles are patriots, and therefore decided to take advantage of this attitude. Tyskie, Okocim, Lech, Zywiec, Warka, Lomza and Strzelec sound polish, and thus are the most popular on this market in Poland. This shows that the foreign investors respect polish tradition and decided to combine it with their corporate global culture. External Customers Beer is one of the most popular global products. According to the data men are a vast majority when it comes to the beer consumption ( 65%). In case of women, 45% of them does drink beer. 76% of the beer drink consumers are in the age below 47, and whats interesting, 35% of people between 18-29 declare to be the loyal beer purchasers and its consumers. When it comes to frequency of the consumed beer, 47% of the consumers are between 30-65. Whats surprising, there is a huge difference in the education of the beer consumers. People with the Masters degree and over make up only 8% of the beer fans. Almost 26% of people with the basic education belong to this group, 34% with the vocational education does drink beer, and 37% with the secondary education are loyal beer consumers. 72% of the consumers usually drinks beer at home, 21% in pubs and the restaurants, and only 6% while enjoying the nature. They prefer light beer rather than dark. The reason for his choice lays not only In the taste, but also In its healthy properties. Light beer strengthens our bones, helps fight the osteoporosis, and bone tissue disease, which leads to the multiple fractures. For the last 10 years Poles have been drinking beer more than before. They treat beer as a substitute for wines and vodkas. According to the researches, 60% of the overall annual alcohol consumption goes to beer, 10% to vodka, and only 10% to wine. Poles are patriots and therefore almost 98% of them chooses polish beer. But when it comes to the quality of beer and its price, 45% definitely chooses German, Dutch or Czech products. . The price is usually too high In Poland, and thus the consumers are forced to buy the imported beers. However, the quality and taste of the beer are improved every year, and therefo re beer consumption increases by a few percent. Suppliers Brewery industry requires specific type of suppliers. This sector is supplied by the hop, and metal and glass packaging producers. Moreover, brewery industry focuses also the printing plant services. Brewery industry is supplied with the hop by the foreign importers and domestic suppliers. More than a half of the imported hop is used in the beer production, and suppliers are usually Hungary and Czech Republic, from the agri-food branch. Breweries sign with them the hop supply contracts in order to avoid the sudden price changes of the resource on the market. Domestic producers are the second group of the hop suppliers. They do not strongly influence the breweries, which then do not fell threatened by them. The reason for such situation is that there is a low duty and low prices that encourage the breweries to import rather than use the services offered by the domestic suppliers, which subsequently focus only the brewery with the best parameters. Next type of suppliers for the breweries are those who supply glass and/or metal packages. There is a strong competition, and each of them tries to make his offer more attractive for the customer than the others: low price, good quality, and possibly best parameters. Most of the producers have a very attractive offers, and thus the breweries feel free in the choice of the offers. Printing plant services are in the same situation as glass and metal packages suppliers. Because of the strong competition on this market, they try to make their offers attractive as it is possible, and thus make the customer to choose them. Large breweries use mainly the services offered by the bigger plants. PEST analysis PEST Analysis is a combination of parts of the environment, that are put together in order to be easily researched by the company. It considers influence of the politics on the market, economy, social aspects, and technological development. Brewery industry challenges increase every time when European countries start to join the European Union, for example Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic in 2004, and decide to co-operate with the non-European countries. There are many opportunities and limitations which breweries have to challenge. Governments policies which consider alcohol sales include price regulations, sales limitations ( such as age, unsober customers, time when alcohol can be sold, place of selling and consumption ), and license for sale. Governments try to influence the price rivalry by limiting the advertisements or licensing the alcohol sales. They also increase prices in order to increase states revenues, and prevent increase of the consumption ( and alcoholism problems of the society ), especially among young people. Government wants to minimise the negative effects of the alcohol consumption, such as car accidents or its overdose. Sales licensing helps control whether the alcohol companies adhere to the sales rules and pay taxes. State monopoly is the factor which does not apply to the brewery industry. Economic and social environments are the most favourable factors for the industrys development. There are different economic systems in the countries of operation, and therefore there needed different approaches. However, European Union rules are similar for all of its members: common trade policy and rules of the export trade policy. Exchange policy is another issue to consider. There are still some countries that havent changed their currency yet ( f.ex. Poland ). Effects of the global financial crisis in 2009 are still felt on the currency market, and therefore polish zloty varies every day. Labour costs are on the employers (demand) side of the labour market framework. The average hourly labour cost in 2006 in the European Union was 20,35 Euro. However, there was a 20% increase in 2008 in Czech Republic, Russia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania. Year 2009 was economically disadvantageous for every country, but the prognosis seem to be optimistic and look forward to improvem ents on the market. During the last years inflation has influenced GDP growth rate, and the following table shows how it was changing between years 2006-2010. As we can conclude from this table, GDP growth rate varies every year by 0,1%, however, it declines until the year of the financial crisis in 2009, where it drastically fell down by 1%-2% ( -2,5% was the lowest and the worst moment ). Luckily GDP started to catch up on losses quickly in 2010, and seems to follow the statistics from year 2006. Financial crisis had also influenced the employment rate almost 34 mln people have lost their jobs in Europe, and 212 mln all over the world. 13,4% of the young and 5,2% of the older people were among the unemployed. Social and cultural influences in business are different in all countries. The dominant religion in the world is Christianity 33% of respondents claim they do believe in God, Islam 21%, Atheists 16%, Hinduism 14%. The following picture presents all known religions and their followers in percentage ( out of the whole humanity ): Brewery industry will not find its potential consumers among Muslims, because their religion forbids them to drink any kind of alcohol. Older generation is usually very traditional and therefore sticks to the domestic products, that are proven and are mostly with the tradition. Young people perceive foreign products as unique and attractive, therefore they have positive attitude towards innovation and modernity of the foreign products and services. But in order to get their loyalty and trust brewery companies must consider the cultural and linguistic differences. Moreover, societys wealth influences the possible sale of the product. Western countries, such as France or Germany, unlike Poland, Lithuania or Estonia can afford expensive products, without violating much their budget ( for example German retirees going for a holidays abroad ). Modern technology plays also important role in the production. It helps make products cheaply and with a good quality. Foam of the beer is more stable, and the taste is more adapted to the consumers needs. Moreover, technology can be implemented in order to save the natural environment. Adnams, the British brewery, has invested in such a technology, without influencing negatively the nature and taste of its ecological product East Green. During the brewing process offset minimises CO2 emission to zero. Porters 5 forces This method helps analyse the sector by researching factors that make it attractive for the current and potential investors. There are four entry barriers in the brewery industry: scale of economy, no access to the distribution channel, lack of the capital, differentiation of products, and the state policy. Technology used by the brewery companies and their developed production allow them produce at the lowest unit costs. However, company which decides to enter the market cannot produce at a unit cost that is lower than the market price. Next problem company must challenge is lack of the distribution channels. Market belongs to the brewery corporations, and thus the new competitor has look for the other distributors. More over, it has also to invest in the beer producing technology, for the marketing and promotion, market research, and acquisition of the raw material. Whats more, government policy counters by the social insobriety ( anti alcohol legislation ), therefore alcohol sales are impeded. Last barrier is the product differentiation. Some brands, such as Heineken or Lomza have achieved high positions on the brewery market, and thus the new competition may have problems with gaining trust and loyalty of its target group. Bargaining power of suppliers in the beer market has been strongly influenced by the reduce of the aluminium costs control, and therefore this has led to the increase of the packaging materials costs. In order to avoid being dependent on these materials some breweries started to run recycling programmes. Brewery target group are the beer consumers. They choose whether they want to buy the product or not, and therefore influence sales of the company. Thus breweries care about the quality of their products, packaging, add some gadgets, and consider the way the product is served to the customer. He has a wide range of beers to choose and is given an information about each of them. Therefore he can choose the brand that mostly fits his taste. The functioning of the company depends largely on his beer choice. There are no substitutes for the beer, because there are no substitutes for hop. Brewery industry is very specific, because new products from this area are rarely launched to the market. However, they dont influence the beers consumption. Even non-alcohol beers havent increased its volume sales. Competition within the brewery industry is very active. Success of the brewery companies depend on the good advertisement, economies of scale benefits, costs minimisation and attractive packaging. Leaders on the global beer market are Heineken and Carlsberg. Smaller breweries try to reach their position and claim to have 40% increase in sales, and therefore bigger corporation try to save their position by comparing their successes to the weaker competition. Smaller players on the market increase their shares by selling the low quality products, and thus encourage potential investor to take over the brewery. Breweries try to reach their customers by selling them cheaper products. Customer looking at the low price resigns from the quality. Middle breweries dominate the segments with the low price products. Bigger corporations promote their brands by investing big capital in the marketing and promotion campaigns. Smaller companies cant afford such a big investment, and thus they just en courage and motivate their salesmen to be more effective. SWOT analysis Brewery industry is one of the most developing industries in the world. Its internal ( strengths, weaknesses ) and external ( opportunities, threats ) factors can be audited by using the strategic environment analysis called SWOT analysis. It is presented below: All these factors relate individually to each of the companies operating in the brewery industry. Strengths shown in the table are their resources and capabilities that are used in order to develop their competitive advantage on the market ( Garbarski et al, 2000 ). There will be always a high demand for beer, and developed technology will be the background for the products improvement and making it more attractive for the customers. This creates a relationship between both, product and its consumer. Strengths prevail over the weaknesses, however they strongly influence the market operations of the companies. High advertising costs are a main financial burden for the smaller and medium players. Moreover, because of the low budget they have to deal with the narrow product line, and thus the weak and slow distribution. However, If the industry considers its opportunities that appear during the analysis of the environment, it may observe some growth and generate more profits. Demographic increase and smaller range of age for drinking alcohol help reach a wider range of customers. However, tax increases, changing customers tastes, or anti-alcohol campaigns may threaten actions taken to improve the financial situation within the industry. INTERNET WEBSITES: http://www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/user-guidance/lm-guide/concepts/costs/index.html http://ecodzien.pl/2010/01/07/najbardziej-ekologiczne-piwo-swiata/ http://unia.realnet.pl/panstwa_czlonkowskie.php http://wyborcza.biz/biznes/1,101562,7526063,Przez_kryzys_34_mln_ludzi_stracilo_prace.html http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=EUR ). http://www.newsweek.pl/artykuly/sekcje/nauka/jasne-piwo-zdrowe-dla-kosci,53372,1 inwestor.msp.gov.pl/download.php?s=4id=4146 http://agro.e-bmp.pl/index.php?art=1742

Bolts a Man For All Seasons: Reasons For A Persons Actions :: essays research papers

Bolt's "A Man For All Seasons": Reasons for A Person's Actions Reading about individuals whose ways of life are dramatically different from our own provides readers with fresh insights into their own experiences and ideas. A reader of A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt, may not be accustomed to the actions of the play's characters. Though, it is important to figure out and understand why the character reacts or acts as he/she does. This enables the reader to have a new or modified outlook on his/her own actions. If one turns the kaleidoscope of his/her life just a little, the world becomes a different place. Sir Thomas More lived the type of life that is foreign to many readers. More's actions were all based upon two things, his conscience and God. When More is being pressured into signing the oath by Norfolk in the name of fellowship, he replies by saying, " And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me for fellowship?"(77). He adheres to his philosophy and conscience, knowing that he will inevitably be executed. One who is reading this may reply by thinking More's decision was asinine. The reader may believe that life is the greatest value to man, and to place anything above it would be asinine. More's behavior was bizarre even to his own time period. His daughter, Margaret, pleaded for him to sign the oath, "Then say the words of the oath and in your heart think otherwise"(81). Her father could not morally be satisfied by this. More believed that when an oath is taken, one is placing his pledging his self and soul. " When a man takes an oath, Meg, he's holding his own self in his own hands. And if he opens his fingers then- he needn't hope to find himself again"(81). On the other hand, Richard Rich's actions were not based upon conscience or morality. He would sacrifice his friend's life in order to receive a job offer. After Rich testifies, and More learns that Rich was appointed Attorney- General for Wales, he is full of disgust and disbelief when he says, " For Wales? Why, Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the world.....But for Wales!"(92). Rich can be portrayed as the lowest of life forms. More implies that Rich abandoned his conscience to have a title, which in the whole scheme of things is really insignificant. On that day of judgment,

Sports are Entertaining and Fun Essay -- Expository

Sports are Entertaining and Fun Sports in society today can be entertaining to watch and also fun to play for both men and women of all ages. I am a person that takes sports very seriously in my life. I enjoy playing sports as much as I enjoy watching them on television. I started playing baseball when I was seven years old, and played up until I graduated high school. I also played basketball from fifth grade to a junior in high school. I think that I am so involved in sports because my family takes sports very seriously, and they got me involved in them at an early age. My Dad, Mom, brothers and cousins have all been active members of sports throughout their lives. We all enjoy doing anything involved with sports. It could be actively playing a sport, watching an event on television, or going and watching a sporting event with a group of people. I think we live in an area that has a large history of sports and many traditions and customs that go along with it. By living close to Pittsburgh my entire lif e I have been able to experience and appreciate the history and legacy that our sport teams have offered for so many years. I have been a huge fan of all the Pittsburgh sports teams for my entire life. I have been to numerous Pirate and Steeler home games with family and friends. I think this is why sporting events can be so entertaining because you get to spend quality time with your family and friends and share in all of the memories to come. I want to find out if people have the same thoughts and opinions that I do about sports. I want to see if men take sports more seriously than women do, or is there a lot more women involved then we think. I want to find out what sports men and women like t... ...understanding of what sports men and women like to play and watch, and how they feel towards them. After conducting ten surveys, two interviews, and an observation I have found out that mostly everyone does like at least one sport in some way. Mostly everyone does agree that sports are entertaining and fun to participate in. I noticed that many people like to watch and play a variety of sports instead of just one. Football seems to be the most favorite to watch among both men and women. Men seem to choose more physical sports to play whereas women choose more sports with higher skill levels. Overall I thought that the research went well because I did not come across any problems. Everyone was very cooperative when I collected my data. I thought that this was a fun experiment because I had a chance to see how men and women compared when it came to sports.

Chapter 10 Banking and the Management of Financial Institutions Essay

Factors Causing Financial Crises 1) A major disruption in financial markets characterized by sharp declines in asset prices and firm failures is called a A) financial crisis. 2) A financial crisis occurs when an increase in asymmetric information from a disruption in the financial system A) causes severe adverse selection and moral hazard problems that make financial markets incapable of channeling funds efficiently. 3) A serious consequence of a financial crisis is A) a contraction in economic activity. 4) A sharp decline in the stock market means that the ________ of corporations has fallen making lenders ________ willing to lend. A) net worth; less 5) A sharp stock market decline increases moral hazard incentives A) since borrowing firms have less to lose if their investments fail. 6) An unanticipated decline in the price level increases the burden of debt on borrowing firms but does not raise the real value of borrowing firms’ assets. The result is A) that net worth in real terms declines. 7) If debt contracts are denominated in foreign currency, then an unanticipated decline in the value of the domestic currency results in A) a decline in a firm’s net worth. 8) Factors that lead to worsening conditions in financial markets include: C) the deterioration in banks’ balance sheets. 9) In a bank panic, the source of contagion is the D) asymmetric information problem. 10) A bank panic can lead to a severe contraction in economic activity due to D) a decline in lending for productive investment. 11) In addition to having a direct effect on increasing adverse selection problems, increases in interest rates also promote financial crises by ________ firms’ and households’ interest payments, thereby ________ their cash flow. B) increasing; decreasing 12) In emerging economies, government fiscal imbalances may cause fears of B) default on government debt. 9.2 Dynamics of Past U.S. Financial Crises 1) When financial institutions go on a lending spree and expand their lending at a rapid pace they are participating in a A) credit boom. 2) When the value of loans begins to drop, the net worth of financial institutions falls causing them to cut back on lending in a process called A) deleveraging. 3) When financial intermediaries deleverage, firms cannot fund investment opportunities resulting in A) a contraction of economic activity. 4) A credit boom can lead to a(n) ________ such as we saw in the tech stock market in the late 1990s. A) asset-price bubble 5) Many 19th century U.S. financial crises were started by A) spikes in interest rates. 6) Most U.S. financial crises have started during periods of ________ either after the start of a recession or a stock market crash. A) high uncertainty 7) If uncertainty about banks’ health causes depositors to begin to withdraw their funds from banks, the country experiences a(n) A) banking crisis. 8) Debt deflation occurs when A) an economic downturn causes the price level to fall and a deterioration in firms’ net worth because of the increased burden of indebtedness. 9) A substantial decrease in the aggregate price level that reduces firms’ net worth may stall a recovery from a recession. This process is called A) debt deflation. 10) A possible sequence for the three stages of a financial crisis in the U.S. might be ________ leads to ________ leads to ________. A) asset price declines; banking crises; unanticipated decline in price level 11) The economy recovers quickly from most recessions, but the increase in adverse selection and moral hazard problems in the credit markets caused by ________ led to the severe economic contraction known as The Great Depression. A) debt deflation 9.3 The Subprime Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 1) Financial innovations that emerged after 2000 in the mortgage markets included all of the following except A) adjustable-rate mortgages. 2) ________ is a process of bundling together smaller loans (like mortgages) into standard debt securities. A) Securitization 3) A ________ pays out cash flows from subprime mortgage-backed securities in different tranches, with the highest-rated tranch paying out first, while lower ones paid out less if there were losses on the mortgage-backed securities. A) Collateralized debt obligation (CDO) 4) The growth of the subprime mortgage market led to A) increased demand for houses and helped fuel the boom in housing prices. 5) The originate-to-distribute business model has a serious ________ problem since the mortgage broker has little incentive to make sure that the mortgagee is a good credit risk. A) principal-agent 6) Mortgage brokers often did not make a strong effort to evaluate whether the borrower could pay off the loan. This created a A) severe adverse selection problem. 7) Agency problems in the subprime mortgage market included all of the following except A) homeowners could refinance their houses with larger loans when their homes appreciated in value. 8) When housing prices began to decline after their peak in 2006, many subprime borrowers found that their mortgages were â€Å"underwater.† This meant that A) the value of the house fell below the amount of the mortgage. 9) Although the subprime mortgage market problem began in the United States, the first indication of the seriousness of the crisis began in A) Europe. 10) Like a CDO, a structured investment vehicle pays off cash flows from pools of assets, however, rather than long-term debt the structured investment vehicle backs A) commercial paper. 11) Which investment bank filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008 making it the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history? A) Lehman Brothers 12) The largest bank failure in U.S. history was ________ which went into receivership by the FDIC on September 25, 2008. A) Washington Mutual 13) Credit market problems of adverse selection and moral hazard increased as a result of all of the following except A) increase in housing market prices. 14) The Economic Recovery Act of 2008 had several provisions to promote recovery from the subprime financial crisis. These provisions included all of the following except A) guaranteed all the deposits of the commercial banks. 15) The government bailout of troubled financial institutions occurred in the U.S. and many other countries. Which country saw their banking system collapse requiring the government to take over its three largest banks? A) Iceland 9.4 Dynamics of Financial Crises in Emerging Market Economies 1) Financial crises generally develop along two basic paths: A) mismanagement of financial liberalization/globalization and severe fiscal imbalances. 2) In emerging market countries, the deterioration in bank’s balance sheets has more ________ effects on lending and economic activity than in advanced countries. A) negative 3) The mismanagement of financial liberalization in emerging market countries can be understood as a severe ________. A) principal/agent problem 4) Factors likely to cause a financial crisis in emerging market countries include A) fiscal imbalances. 5) The two key factors that trigger speculative attacks on emerging market currencies are A) deterioration in bank balance sheets and severe fiscal imbalances. 6) Severe fiscal imbalances can directly trigger a currency crisis since A) investors fear that the government may not be able to pay back the debt and so begin to sell domestic currency. 7) In emerging market countries, many firms have debt denominated in foreign currency like the dollar or yen. A depreciation of the domestic currency A) results in increases in the firm’s indebtedness in domestic currency terms, even though the value of their assets remains unchanged. 8) A sharp depreciation of the domestic currency after a currency crisis leads to A) higher inflation. 9) The key factor leading to the financial crises in Mexico and the East Asian countries was A) a deterioration in banks’ balance sheets because of increasing loan losses. 10) Factors that led to worsening conditions in Mexico’s 1994-1995 financial markets include C) increased uncertainty from political shocks. 11) Factors that led to worsening financial market conditions in East Asia in 1997-1998 include A) weak supervision by bank regulators. 12) Factors that led to worsening conditions in Mexico’s 1994-1995 financial markets, but did not lead to worsening financial market conditions in East Asia in 1997-1998 include A) rise in interest rates abroad. 13) Argentina’s financial crisis was due to C) fiscal imbalances. 14) A feature of debt markets in emerging-market countries is that debt contracts are typically ________. A) very short term 15) The economic hardship resulting from a financial crises is severe, however, there are also social consequences such as A) increased crime. 16) Before the South Korean financial crisis, sales by the top five chaebols (family-owned conglomerates) were A) nearly 50% of GDP. 17) The chaebols encouraged the Korean government to open up Korean financial markets to foreign capital. The Korean government responded by A) allowing unlimited short-term foreign borrowing but maintained quantity restrictions on long-term foreign borrowing by financial institutions. 18) At the time of the South Korean financial crisis, the government allowed many chaebol owned finance companies to convert to merchant banks. Finance companies ________ allowed to borrow abroad and merchant banks ________. A) were not; could borrow abroad 19) At the time of the South Korean financial crisis, the merchant banks were A) almost virtually unregulated.

Women Safety in Urban Public Spaces

Womans Safety in Urban Public SpacesAbstractions: â€Å" It feels really uncomfortable to walk past that route at that clip. † These are the words we frequently hear from many people, particularly adult females. Bing designers and urban contrivers do we hold any function to play in undertaking this issue? It is the right of every person to experience safe and entree every infinite. Women, most of the clip experience fright in public infinites and male dominated infinite. This paper aims to understand the cardinal grounds that contribute to do a infinite insecure and note peoples position of this job. Secluded or dead edifices, secluded infinites, heavy flora, hapless substructure and lighting and improper care most of the clip consequence in infinites which would be perceived as fearful. On the other manus, the societal construction is frequently extended into the infinites. A particular instance of Nagarjuna Nagar in Vijayawada has been studied to associate and take note of the perceptual experiences of people. The consequen ces from this study has been compared to many theories that have been developed over clip by celebrated geographers and urban contrivers and interior decorators and sociologists. Cardinal Wordss:Fear, safe infinites, adult females and spacial constellation, urban safety Introduction: â€Å" Sexual torment at public topographic points is unwelcome, unasked behavior of a sexual nature including staring, gesticulating, touching, go throughing remarks, draging. These may non look to be a large job, but they can be rather disconcerting. It makes adult females experience ashamed, humiliated or frightened. † ( Vijayawada Police ) What is an insecure infinite? In existent universe, it is a construct developed by people over clip. When a individual refers to a infinite as insecure, he arrived at the sentiment due to their expericence in such infinites or bad lucks encountered by other people in such infinites. Research in peculiar suggests three factors that mediate the impact of different beginnings of fright information: memorability, affectivity and informativeness( Tyler and Rasinski, 1984 ) . Fear beginnings which give a clear image of where the offense took topographic point, on whom, by whom etc.. create a graphic image of environments of fear.Information about onslaughts which relate to adult females ‘s ain life style ( geographically and socially ) have a stronger impact on their images of danger as they are easy able to conceive of the same thing go oning to themselves( Gill Valentine ; Images of Danger: Women ‘s Beginnings of Information about the Spatial Distribution of Male Violence ) . Safety or fright of offense in any infinite is non merely limited to adult females. The psycological impact that fright dramas in the mobility form of adult females should be considered as an facet in design. â€Å"Although feeling unsafe is non confined to adult females, the fright that adult females feel in urban countries is rather peculiar. It is to make with physical and psychological honor†¦ Although non all adult females have been raped or attacked, all have felt at some point that indefinable feeling of malaise which ranges from simply experiencing uncomfortable to paralysis† .( Samaoun, 2000: 29 ) The fright that adult females develop over infinites restrict them to entree a infinite. Women ‘s fright of danger in a public infinite in high compared to a private infinite while the statics show up an wholly contrastive image. Surveys show that adult females tend to fear offense more than work forces do but are less exposed to offense than work forces( Tiby, E. 1991 ). The chief beginning of adult females ‘s fright is the fright of an extra crime- a sexual onslaught besides robbery or burglary( Carina Listerborn ; Women ‘s Fear & A ; Spatial Configurations ) . AsDoreen Masseygenuinely argues inFor Spacethat our societal dealingss are being extended into the physical environment and therefore spacial dealingss are political. This in a manner adds to the full scene. It can be found that India being a patriarchal society, reflects this construction and beliefs in the reinforced environment. When a miss reaches 15 old ages, limitation would be laid on her communal form, where as a male child of same age is allowed to entree any infinite at any hr of the twenty-four hours. We need to understand how strong the physical environment is, in determining the lives of people. They are non given the benefit to lounge unlike work forces and alternatively forced to restrict herself to the domestic sphere alternatively of reshaping the public infinites to do her feel safe.( Shall We Go Out? Women ‘s Safety in Public Spaces in Delhi ; Kalpana Viswanath, Surabhi Tandon Mehrotra) . Womans are encouraged to transport out Piper nigrum sprays and larn self- defense mechanism fast ones instead than seeking to work out the corporate societal issue. People’s voices should be given extreme value and a advisory procedure should ensue into a solution. Merely so can adult females entree the full rights of being an urban citizen( Shall We Go Out: Women ‘s Safety in Public Spaces ) . Carina Listerborn in Women ‘s Fear & A ; Space Configurationsjustly inquiries â€Å" how democratic and justified is it to experience insecure in a infinite which is an of import facet of quality of societal life? † In this context, there is a demand to cognize about the significance of a public infinite in an urban context. Public infinites play a important function in judging the quality of an metropolis. As pointed out justlyby Kalpana Viswanath, Surabhi Tadon Mehrotra in Shall We Go Out: Women ‘s Safety in Public Spaces in Delhi, the quality of a metropolis has to be judged by what it offers to its residents- the right to populate, travel about and work with self-respect and safety. It outlines that the public infinite offers infinite and freedom to get away the holds and emphasis of a household or community. But, many it a clip its left unnoticed that the societal life a public infinite offers are frequently profoundly gendered both in handiness and right. As this job is really less bothered about, adult females have developed their ain manner to undertake this fright. The present twenty-four hours layout of metropoliss leave people in a convulsion, most frequently, instead to take a safer path or a shorter path. This indicates the significance to discourse the spacial constellations. The infinite sentence structure which builds a relation between societal dimension and the reinforced environment takes a cardinal function in judging the grade of safety in a infinite. This plays a principle function in bar of offense and undertaking fright while accessing a infinite. Carina Listerbornlineations three constructs earlier introduced byBill HillierinSpace is the Machineto analyze fright and infinite constellations dealingss. She voices that fright rises with a. ) Urban emptiness- which is related to the construct of practical community and urbanity and is measured by the average integrating value. â€Å" Crime includes a broad field, from burglary to street- force, and dressed ores on an object or state of affairs. In contrast, fright is related to how you experience and interpret the environment. Urban emptiness is an of import facet in both the instances. † ( Carina Listerborn ) B. ) The deficiency of intelligibility- subsidiary travel paths makes one feel insecure. c. ) Lack of visibility- Smaller ocular cone increases the fright of being attacked. Bill Hillier in Space is the Machine defines the practical community as the form of natural co-presence brought approximately through the influence of spacial design on motion and other related facets of infinite usage. He besides adds that a wrongly designed infinite does non accomplish the natural forms of societal co-presence ensuing in an empty infinite which kindles fright. Urbanity, he argues is about clip and infinite & A ; its grade could be measured by numbering the figure of people transposing through a distance of 100m per minute. If there is less than two people beside you within 100m it is the lower bound of urbanity and the lower degree of human creativeness are 8-10 work/100m distance of street. ( Gronlund, B. 1998 ) Fear is linked to the grade of emptiness and thereby likely to the grade of integrating which depends on the spacial construction. Research workers have shown different grade of integrating values by comparing the tree-system with grid system.( Klarqvist, B. 1997 ) An apprehensible system is one in which well-connected infinites besides tend to be well- incorporate infinites. An unintelligible system is one where good connected infinites are non good incorporate, so what we can see of their connexions misleads us about the position of that infinites in the system as a whole.( Hillier, B. 1996 ) Isovist in relation to intelligibility is important to understand the immediate environment through visibleness. It helps to cipher what is behind the corner or the shrubs in instance of fright but it is non reliable ever as its terminals are non clear. Physical and societal facets of a topographic point contribute to the experience of fright. Fear can be caused both by the presence and absence of people and people have developed assorted schemes to get by with it.( Carina Listerborn ) In the present twenty-four hours context of India, adult females are required to work out-of-doorss, travel long distances to make workplaces and now that population is dismaying, mass lodgings are shooting up. Harmonizing to thePopulation Census 2011, 53 metropoliss are identified as population over 10 Lakh, and referred to as Mega Cities. A sum of 36,622 instances of offenses against adult females were reported from these mega metropoliss in 2012 where as 33,789 instances were reported in 2011.The rate of offense was 47.8 times higher compared to the national rate of 41.7.Among 53 metropoliss, Delhi has accounted for 14.2 % followed by Bangalore ( 6.2 % ) , Kolkata ( 5.7 % ) , Hyderabad ( 5.2 % ) and Vijayawada ( 5.2 % ) .Vijayawada has reported 16.6 % incidences of abuse to the modestness of adult females. Though Indian Penal Code identifies the undermentioned as punishable offenses against adult females which are the root causes for adult females ‘s restricted mobility, the construct of fright and insecure infinites that adult females are stuck with dramas a important function. CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN:Kidnaping and abduction for specified intentsRapeHomicide for dowery, dowry deceases or their effortsTorture- both mental and physicalAssault on adult females with purpose to shock her modestnessAbuse to the modestness of adult femalesImporting of miss from foreign state ( upto 21yrs of age )EXISTING MODELS OF GENDER CONSCIOUS Planning: There are already bing theoretical accounts of gender witting planning to react to the women’s fright of force. They are: Broken Windows:This focuses on the zero- tolerance to offense, closed circuit telecastings and an exclusionary attack to making safer infinites. ( Mitchell, 2003 ) Safer Communities Model:It has a foresight to do public infinites safer through activities, land usage, societal mix and affecting users in planing schemes and enterprises for safer public infinites. SPACES WHERE WOMEN FEEL UNSAFE: The sorts of topographic points that are most feared include Parkss, green unfastened infinites, beaches, parking areas/garages, tunnels, metros, back-streets, stepss, isolated coach Michigans, industrial countries and dark empty parts of the metropolis like shopping countries or vicinities at dark.( Women ‘s Fear & A ; Spatial Configuration ; Carina Listerborn ) It is found from a study by an NGO – Jagori in New Delhi, that adult females feel uncomfortable in male dominated infinites such as coffin nail stores, dhabas, cab bases, certain street corners and certain Parkss. Womans were loath to utilize these infinites and frequently accompanied by work forces to dhabas and tea corners.( Shall We Go Out: Women ‘s Safety in Public Spaces )Parks were identified as the public infinites adult females enjoy the most during a twenty-four hours with childs or equals while see it extremely insecure after dark.The low boundaries, dark midst green infinites and absence of locking systems add to the fright in Parkss.Metros, which take a outstanding function in the context of Delhi are turning insecure due to miss of proper lighting, improperly defined entry and issue points, deficiency of signage, absence of guards which lead to the diminution in the users of these metros.The findings of the audits reflect that the presence of sellers add to the safety of a infinite and adult females feel it comfy and familiar.Street visible radiations are frequently placed in the center of the route and the coach Michigans and pavings are non decently lit with visible radiations of their ain, increasing the hazard of adult females utilizing it after dark.Public lavatories have besides been marked as danger for adult females where many instances were reported of offenses and torments.THE CASE OF VIJAYAWADA: Public and Semi public utilizations: These classs of land include all the Government offices, Municipal offices, offices of other local governments and other public establishments like temples, churches, mosques, and the similar. The metropolis provides public and semi public public-service corporations and installations all covering about 270 hour angle of land accounting for 7 % of the developed country. Large public public-service corporation constitutions are found in ward 15 ( 54 hour angle ) , ward 10 ( 49 hour angle ) , ward 24 ( 36 hour angle ) , ward 25 ( 26 hour angle ) and ward 8 ( 22 hour angle ) . In footings of proportions, ward 15 histories for one 4th of its country under public and semi public utilizations, following being ward 24 with 19 % followed by ward 10 % ( 16 % ) . Most of the country along Mahatma Gandhi route in wards 10, countries environing NTR Health University, and countries near Gunadala hill in ward 24 are put to public and semi public utilizations. RESEARCH Question: What are the grounds that public infinites are insecure for adult females to the extent that they control their mobility form? Methodology: To analyse the research objectives, an onsite site survey was conducted in Nagarjuna Nagar chief route in Vijayawada in the month of October 2014. Setting: Nagarjuna Nagar is an country in Vijayawada metropolis which is 2.4km from Benz Circle, a cardinal junction in the metropolis which is the point of convergence of NH-5 running from Chennai to Kolkata and NH-9 which leads to Machilipatnam, a circle that attracts heavy traffic and circle for Educational Institutes. The authorities infirmary junction is the nearest junction and this country and is 140m off. There is a NTR Health University and Government Hospital and Siddartha Medical College on the side antonym to the main road. Another route in the locality leads to Autonagar. Nagarjuna Nagar in peculiar grew up as a residential settlement from the clip of its initial development. Subsequently, the NH5 frontage is developing to run into the commercial demands of people and hence the activities and edifices uses in this country are effected. The survey stretch way has been observed to hold deficiency of sellers most of the clip. Design: To gain the independent factors that consequence the factor of safety of adult females, a stretch of route, from A to B has been picked up in this country and has been surveyed. This country has comparatively really low offense rates, but so the choice of this country was based on the experience of most of them who traverse this route. Two points A and B have been marked in the map, where A base near the NH5 frontage and B ends at a edifice which is presently being used as a girls inn. This stretch of route has been divided into zones to cognize the experiences in single infinites and the grounds behind that. The full stretch of route has a assorted usage of buildings- residential, commercial and park. Few packages of the land has been left as waste land with overgrown trees. The factors that people think do difference to the personal safety of adult females was measured by a questionnaire that contained the followers: In each of the zone, what do you believe are the grounds that consequence the safety factor?Poor LightingPeoples sing other edificesPeoples populating in the neighbouring edificesDense Tree PlantationsLack of People/Activity/VendorsWaste/Barren LandPoor Maintenance of the SpaceHeight of Buildings curtailing position to the other roadsNo neighbouring buildings/Secluded edificesParticipants AND Procedure: The field survey was carried out in the country in October 2014. The sample consisted of 70 members ( 12 male and 58 female ) , runing in age from 15 to 60, where most of them fall in the class of 15-30 old ages. They were briefed about the survey and its focal point. The interviewers had a map of the country of survey and the pronounced paths and the edifices adjacent to the survey way. The way is 400m long and were asked to reply the inquiries based on their experiences till day of the month. The start and terminal point was same for all the 70 participants, but positions from A study questionnaire has been prepared and 65 members have been asked to reply that based on their experience and some general inquiries have even been asked to understand the person ‘s thought procedure. The undermentioned figure depicts a map of the survey way with single zones of survey marked and each of the edifice typologies have besides been specified to assist the interviewers recollect the infinite and their experience. The 70 participants had to reply a standardised questionnaire at each of the pronounced zone to mensurate the sensed danger. This survey is focused to understand the impact of specific physical factors and personal factors. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Gill Valentine in his publications outlines that it is fear which people develop that restrict the motion form where as Doreen Massey argues that most frequently our societal dealingss are being extended into infinites and thereby regulates the mobility of people. Bill Hillier, on the other manus, negotiations about integrating of infinites as a cardinal factor that influences the safety aspects in a infinite. He adds that infinites may be good connected but non good integrated. Consequences of a study conducted by an NGO – Jagori in few parts of Delhi reflects that hapless substructure installations, hapless or no lighting, absence of people/low denseness infinites and infinites next to dense flora are perceived by adult females as insecure. The consequences besides showcase the fact that adult females preferred streets with batch of activity than a tract which is good built and maintained but doesnt have any activity go oning about. The same consequence was obtained for a study conducted by Shilpa Ranade, Shilpa Phadke and Sameera Khan. On the impudent side, Carina Listerborn states that urban emptiness, deficiency of intelligibility and deficiency of visibleness are the straight relative to that a individual experiences in a infinite. Mentions:Anke Blobaum & A ; Marcel Hunecke, July 2005 ; Perceived Danger in Urban Public Space: The Impacts of Physical Features and Personal Factors ; Environment and Behaviour, Vol 37 No. 4Gill Valentine ; Women ‘s Fear & A ; The Design of Public Space.Laura Hengehold ; 2011 ; When Safety Becomes a Duty: Gender, Loneliness and Citizenship for Urban Women ; WSQ: Women ‘s Studies Quarterly 39Rachel H Pain ; December 1995 ; Social Geographies of Women ‘s Fear of Crime ;Gill Valentine ; Department of Geography ; Images of Danger: Women ‘s Beginnings of Information about the Spatial Distribution of Male ViolenceJennifer K. Wesely and Emily Gaarder ; October 2004 ; The Gendered Nature of the Urban Outdoorss: Womans Negociating Fear of Violence ; Gender and Society, Vol 18 No 5Stephanle Condon, Marylene Lieber & A ; Florence Maillochon ; September 2007 ; Feeling Unsafe in Public Places: Understanding Women ‘s Fears ;Carina Listerborn ; 1999 ; Women ; s Fear a nd Space Configurations ; Space Syntax Second International Symposium ; Brasilia.

Assessment learning Essay

1. What are the functions, concepts and principles of assessment in learning and development? (1. 1, 1. 2) The function of assessment is a way to measure a learner’s competence against agreed standards and criteria. The awarding body of the particular qualification will have an assessment strategy what will state which criteria needs to be met to complete the mandatory and optional units and the best method for acquiring the evidence. A range of methods will be used to judge whether a candidate has demonstrated the skills, knowledge and understanding to be competent against the criteria. The assessor will need to ask themselves if the assessment process when put into practice will be: Fair – the given activities during assessment are relevant to the candidates needs and reasonable adjustments are made so not to disadvantage any person. Reliable – If the assessment was carried out by a different assessor, in a different place, the results would be consistent. Valid – the assessment is suitable to the qualification being assessed. Safe and manageable – the assessor must not put unnecessary demands on the candidate or their work colleagues in the place of occupation. Suitable for the candidates needs – before planning an assessment the assessor would need to take into account the candidates needs, their subject requirements and take into consideration any prior learning, additionally, plan suitable methods to be used. The assessment cycle to ensure the learner has met the performance and knowledge criteria required to achieve the qualification achieved all aspects of the qualification successfully. The cycle will begin with the initial assessment which will establish any prior learning or experience of the subject to be taken and will identify individual learner’s needs. Furthermore, diagnostic tests can recognize if a learner has for instance, dyslexia. The second part of the cycle will be the assessment planning, where the assessor and learner agree on the methods to be used for evidence, set target dates and who will be involved, such as, work colleagues. Thirdly, the assessment activity will establish which methods to judge whether a candidate has demonstrated the skills, knowledge and understanding to achieve the required standard. The penultimate part of the cycle will be where the assessor makes a decision as to whether the standard has been met and provide feedback to the learner. Lastly, progress will be reviewed and any changes to the assessment activities can be made. The assessor will use a range of Benchmarking will be used to ensure the learner’s performance is on target against the accepted standard of the subject area. This data will contribute to the quality assurance and development of best practice. 2. What is the role and responsibilities of the assessor? (1. 3) The role of the assessor is required to be competent and knowledgeable with the standards of the awarding body so they can explain the criteria to the candidate, thus the learner knows what they are working towards. Subsequent to the assessment planning an initial assessment needs to have been carried out to identify any individual needs, prior learning, skills and knowledge the learner may have. When planning the assessment the assessor should have the relevant information of where the learner works and what they do, this will ensure the correct units will be covered and correct methods are chosen. The assessor will use the assessment plan as a tool for assessing the learner’s competence and knowledge against the agreed criterion ensuring that it is fair, valid and reliable. The assessor must clearly record all assessment decisions and show which criteria was met. Each conducted assessment will record achievements accurately and any evidence provided by the learner must be checked by the assessor to ensure it is authentic. To ensure confidentiality the information will be available to share with those with a legitimate interest. After the assessment the assessor will provide constructive feedback to the learner concerning their achievements as soon as possible and identify any gaps in the learner’s knowledge and skills. At this stage the candidate will either plan to be reassessed or progress onto  the next assessment. The assessor will be responsible to the organisation, occupational standards and awarding organisation when planning, managing and delivering assessment and must maintain good practice and follow legislation throughout to maintain the integrity of the qualification. 3. Explain the regulations and requirements relevant to assessment in own area of practice(1. 4, 3. 4, 3. 5, 8. 1) The assessor will be required to follow a range of policies and practises set by the regulatory bodies of standards, for example, Ofqual, Sector skills council, Institute of learning. Other regulations such as, health and safety, equality and diversity, data protection, risk assessment, etc will be discussed below. It is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure that the above are carried out during the assessment process. For example, the assessor must abide by the health and safety rules of the candidates work place and report any unsafe practice or dangerous equipment. The need of wearing protective clothing and safety shoes may be required. The assessor or internal verifier must only intervene with an assessment is if the health and safety is placing someone in danger. Under the management of health and safety at work regulation 1999, the assessor must assess the risks to prevent any hazardous practices and locate information on who holds the first aid certificate and what the fire and emergency course of action is. The assessor is responsible to carry out a risk assessment to safeguard the learner during assessment and establish any risks which may occur during the assessment activities in the work place. While there is always a possibility of risk in any every day occurrence, the assessor has a duty of care to notify of the risk and advice of the possible outcome regarding safety. It is the assessor’s responsibility to ensure all documentary evidence is kept safe during external assessments and data kept secure. Any assessor who works with vulnerable adults or children will be required to have a criminal records bureau check before being allowed to work in that occupational area. The check will identify any unsuitable person and must be used to protect and safe guard adults and children at risk. The disability discrimination act legislated that no disabled person should be discriminated against because of a disability, whether it is a physical or mental impairment. In 2002 and 2005 the act was extended to include educational organisations. This meant that suitable provisions must be made for disabled persons to overcome any physical barriers and not be treated less favourably because of their disability. The initial assessment should clarify if the learner has any particular learning needs or disabilities to ensure equality and diversity needs are met. The assessor has a duty to ensure no learner is discriminated against; everyone has an equal opportunity for learning and development. Assessment activities should reflect the diversity of the learner, for example, culture, language and ethnicity and not be biased to the person who produced them. Every person is entitled to learn in a safe environment, whether it be the assessor or learner. It is illegal to inflict corporal punishment on anyone and if restraint is required then it must follow the organisations strict guidelines on discipline. The copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988) is one that the assessor should discuss with the learner at the start of the assessment process as it relates to the authenticity of their own work and products. It is unlawful to use someone else’s work as their own without referencing to the rightful owner, as this is plagiarism. The assessor must always ensure the learner signs and dates their own work, especially if it has been prepared on the computer for acknowledgement that they are the original owner. The assessor will have confidential information about their learners, such as, name, age, birth date on record and under the Data Protection Act all this information must be kept confidential and secure. If the information is kept on a computer, then it should be protected with a password that protects against other entering the system. If the information is paper based then it must be kept in a filing cabinet which is lockable. The learner can request to see any information held about them under The Freedom of Information Act 2002, so it is important to back up copies, if electronically stored in case of being deleted. The information should not be kept longer than necessary and the holder will need to register as a data user if the period is over 2 months. There may some occupational areas which require the candidate to wear a uniform, for example, a white tunic top if working in a restaurant or protective clothing, such as, reflective jacket, hard hat and safety boots if on a construction site. The assessor will need to dress in accordance with the health and safety regulations when doing an assessment in the work place with the learner. Once the assessor has qualified they must register with the Institute for Learning and keep up with their continuing professional development. It is crucial that the assessor abide by the code of professional practice to ensure they are working to the same standard and not under achieving. If the former should happen then it could have a dramatic effect on the assessment centre quality assurance when the external verifier carries out an inspection visit twice a year. To ensure standards are being met and claim for certification is valid the external verifier will need to see a mixture of the candidate’s files and interview a variety of assessors. If the standards have been met and the external verifier is satisfied that the correct procedures are being followed the centre will receive a grade of 1-2. Unfortunately if the centre receives a grade of 3-5 then there is a possibility that they could have the direct claim status and registration suspended until the matter is resolved. 4. Explain the strengths and limitations of at least 4 different assessment methods, making reference to how each method can meet the needs of individual learners. (2. 1) ASSESSMENT METHOD Observation Strengths. The observation method is an excellent opportunity for the assessor to take a holistic approach during assessment; benefits are the assessment is viewed by the assessor, thus the evidence is authentic, plus, cost and time effective. The holistic assessment can be time consuming so the assessor will need to plan the assessment so they can identify which learning outcomes from all units can be demonstrated at the same time. Knowledge based and performance based assessment can be linked with evidence which is natural occurring. The method meets a learners needs as they can carry on their normal work practice. If any prior learning evidence can be presented, such as a certificate or witness statement and/or a professional discussion at the end of the assessment. Limitations It is necessary the assessor and candidate agree for a suitable time and place for the observation to take place. If the assessment is to be cost effective then the evidence must be collected during a busy time when the most evidence can be collected. If a witness testimony is to be used the assessor must find a suitable person who has witnessed the learner do the task, this must be arranged beforehand. The assessor must ensure that the candidate is confident enough to demonstrate their competence or else it could discourage them and waste time. The assessor must remain open minded throughout the observation and not offer advice or interfere even if they feel the candidate is doing something wrong. Assignments Strengths Assignments are an excellent opportunity for the learner to demonstrate knowledge and use research skills. The assignment can be set out so several aspects of qualification can be assessed. The learner needs are met as they are able to work at their own pace and in their own time. Limitations The learner must be had been taught all aspects of the syllabus beforehand. The assignment could be time consuming to write and may not be suitable to learners who have literacy difficulties, work full time or have families to support. The assessor must assess each assignment individually and provide written feedback. Witness Testimony Strengths The witness can confirm competence or achievements of the learner as they will have observed them in their normal practice of work, someone who works with the candidate to confirm the learner’s competence in a certain area of criteria. The learner may feel more confident displaying skills in front of a colleague rather than being observed by the assessor. Witness statements are useful as they can fill in any gaps. The method would suit the needs of someone who is performing the task frequently. Limitations The assessor must ensure the suitability of the witness and that they are experienced in the occupational area, the assessor needs to confirm this by seeing evidence, such as a copy of their CV or certificates. The witness statement must be authentic and the assessor will need to check this. A witness cannot confirm the learner’s competence as they are not an assessor. Oral questions and answers Strengths The assessor could use questioning as a way to meet gaps in evidence; questions could be adapted to meet the criteria. A question could be used to increase the candidates thinking about a certain task rather than performing it. Furthermore, it gives the assessor an insight as to how much knowledge the candidate has in their occupational area. This method could be used during an observation or used later after the observation; it would meet the needs of a learner who has difficulty with written English. The assessor would need to know the candidate understands what is being asked in the question or else the learner may struggle to answer correctly. Limitations The assessor would need to be careful not to ask closed or leading questions as this could be viewed as being subjective as the assessor could be putting words into the learner’s mouth. The most beneficial questions would be open, probing and hypothetical to get the most from knowledge and understanding of the learner. 5. What key factors do you need to consider when planning assessment? (3. 1) WHAT. The assessor will need to discuss and be in agreement with what criteria is being met and how it is being assessed and others involved. The assessor will need to talk about what the learner’s job role entails and how this is relevant to the unit in question. This will enable the assessor to plan and agree with the learner the types of evidence most suitable for demonstrating competence and the best methods for assessment to be used. The assessor must make sure the evidence is appropriate to meet the specified performance criteria and where possible knowledge to be assessed through performance or professional discussion or questioning. The assessor must ensure the learner is ready to demonstrate their competence and understands the processes involved, for example targets. WHEN The assessor and learner will need to agree when the assessment will take place and arrange a suitable date, time and duration when the most evidence can be collected and if the holistic approach could be used to obtain evidence. It would be beneficial for the assessor if the assessment took place during a busy period of learner work activity. However, the assessor must ensure the learner is not taken away from their duties for an unnecessary length of time or cause disruption to the business operations. WHERE The assessor Assessment would ideally take place in the learner’s work place as this where the most evidence can be collected. As the assessor will be entering the learner’s work place it is important to involve the employer in the planning process. However, for non-performance evidence it could be more cost effective to assess via Skype, email or to arrange a meeting in a suitable place of convenience, not necessarily the learner’s work place. HOW The learner will want to know how the assessment will take place and what will be involved during the assessment. The assessor will need to discuss and agree with the learner the most suitable method of assessment to collect the most evidence. The assessor must ensure the assessment is fair, unbiased and cost effective by making the best use of time; if the learner is required to produce any prior evidence then this must be arranged in advance of the assessment. Holistic assessment in the learner’s work place would be beneficial for it is naturally occurring evidence. The assessor would use observation, witness testimony and professional discussion for performance evidence and multiple choice questions, verbal questioning and assignments for knowledge and understanding. The assessor will make a judgement on the evidence and decide whether the learner has demonstrated enough to meet the criteria or not. The assessor will need to arrange how and when feedback will be given to the learner to attend to any performance issues. 6. Explain the benefits of holistic assessment and how you would plan for holistic assessment (3. 2). The assessor is responsible for ensuring that methods used during holistic assessment covers several aspects of the performance and knowledge criteria from different units. This will ensure the assessment is cost effective make evidence collection and demonstration of competence more efficient. The assessor would need to plan the assessment before it took place to ensure that any particular requirements of the learner are taken into account and the assessment is adapted to meet their individual needs. For instance, holistic assessments will benefit learners who have dyslexia or literacy difficulties. Holistic observation can include oral questioning and minimize the amount of written work the learner has to do. Thus they are not excluded or disadvantaged by having learning difficulties. If the learner has a disability then the assessor should make sure the learner has extra time to complete the assessment tasks and is given any support needed. Moreover, any learner with difficulties are entitled to have reasonable adjustments made to ensure they have the equality of opportunity and support to enable them access assessment. Furthermore, if the learner has difficulties then the individual learning plan will agree short term targets for achievement, assessment strategies and review dates. The benefits of holistic assessment are that the assessor is able to observe the candidate at work in natural occurring situations. The candidate would be able to demonstrate several aspects of the qualification and cover more than one unit at the same time by taking a performance unit which incorporates parts of a knowledge unit. Holistic assessment should ideally take place in the learners work environment and the candidate’s job role should be discussed with to establish any prior learning they have, to identify which units could be covered at the same time. By doing this it would reduce the amount of visits needed to the candidate’s work place, make the best use of time and ensure the assessment is cost-effective. 7. Why is it important to involve the learner and others in the assessment process? (4. 1) A learner should be involved in the assessment process so they can understand why they are doing assessment activities and the purpose of providing evidence of competence. The candidate’s involvement will enable them to remain motivated as they will have the opportunity to add their own input, analyse their own experience and understanding. Without support the learner could become confused and lack enthusiasm, but if others, such as the assessor and employer helped them to achieve their aim, it will give the learner self motivation and encourage them to remain positive through the assessment process. At some stage of the assessment process it may be necessary for someone other than the assessor to provide evidence of the learner’s competence in the work place. The witness must be known by the learner and experienced in the candidate’s occupational area, possibly a line manager. 8. Give examples of the types of information that should be made available to learners and others involved in the assessment process (4. 2) At the initial assessment the learner will have taken a skills test which is an analysis of the learner’s skills so they are aware of current skills and areas for development. The learner should be provided with all documentation they need for the award, such as, assessment plans, individual learning plans, feedback sheets, information on the company carrying out the assessment and the assessors contact details, phone number and email address. Additionally, a copy of the complaint and appeal procedure, equality and diversity Policies, how to contact the assessor for cancelling visits and information on health and safety 9. What are the benefits of peer and self assessment? (4. 3). The benefits of peer and self assessment are the learner develops skills, such as listening, observing and questioning and has a greater involvement in their own learning process. The peer and learner can understand the role and the need for assessment better. It allows for greater understanding of the criteria for achievement and how it is judged, thus, encouraging the individual to take responsibility for their own learning. The learner will develop analytical skills and improve self awareness of strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, develop the ability not only to assess their own work but that of others, thus developing analytical skills and use reflective practice of their own performance. When a learner assesses their own progress and those of their peers, they will learn to take personal responsibility of how to make a decision and provide feedback as to why that decision was made. 10. How can assessment arrangements be adapted to meet the needs of individual learners? (4. 4). The learner is entitled to a fair assessment and the assessor needs to use the most relevant assessment methods for the learner to demonstrate their ability. The assessor must take into consideration that not all learners are the same and treat the candidate as an individual, taking into account any requirements they might have. For example, the assessor needs to consider a learner’s work pattern involved working shift patterns and agree a suitable time for assessment which does not disrupt working practice and make the most of the meeting. Furthermore, confidentiality issues must be taken into consideration and reflection of individual learning styles. If the learner has dyslexia, learning difficulties or English is the second language then the assessor must work with the learner to establish which method of assessment would be more beneficial to them. The assessor will need to vary the methods to keep the learner motivated and extra time given to learners who have difficulties and ensure the learner understands what is being said to them. Feedback should be given as soon as possible to ensure the learner remains interested and motivated. 11. Explain how you judge evidence and make assessment decisions, making reference to the criteria and assessment requirements (5. 1, 5. 2) The assessment plan will need to be agreed by the assessor and learner to which assessment methods will be used to cover the entire criteria standard. The assessor needs to ensure that the assessment is valid, authentic, efficient, fair and reliable. At least four different methods would be used during assessments; these could be observation, evidence of knowledge, witness statements and professional discussion. Any prior achievement and experience of the learner will be taken into account as long as it is relevant to assessment of their competence; it would not be cost effective to have a candidate repeat an activity they had already acquired in the past. However the assessor must have proof that evidence is authentic by either asking for a copy of certificate or a witness statement and the evidence is current and relevant to the occupational standards. The assessor will review the evidence and assess it against the required elements of the qualification, it will allow for a decision to whether the candidate is competent or not yet competent. Competence can be awarded if the evidence is: * Valid * Reliable * Sufficient * Authentic * Current * Safe The assessor must abide by the Equality Act 2010 to not discriminate or harass against protected characteristics where fairness might be compromised. 12. Explain the procedures for and importance of quality assurance and standardisation. (6. 1, 6. 2) Quality assurance is important as it ensures the national standards are being maintained. The internal verification procedures will monitor equal opportunities and access the decisions made by the assessor are fair, valid and reliable. The internal verifier will use a range of methods to confirm that the assessment is meeting the requirements of awarding bodies. Methods used could be through observation, questioning, and professional discussion or sample the portfolio. It is vital that the assessor is assessing according to regulations and guidelines from awarding bodies, qualification and credit framework and keeps accurate records from assessments to create an audit trail for internal and external verification. To ensure all assessment decisions are consistent and fair the assessor will be encouraged to attend meetings with colleagues involved with the same subject and their internal verifier, to ensure they all understand the units they are assessing and looking for similar evidence. To compare assessment decisions and share good practice with colleagues will help the assessor to develop skills, up date knowledge and personal development. However, it is not compulsory to attend the meeting, the assessor could standardise their practice by reviewing standards and documents online. 13. Explain the appeals and complaints procedure (6. 3) The assessor should provide the learner with a written copy of the complaints and appeal procedure which meets the requirements of the awarding body and discuss this with them in the assessment planning session. If at any time during the assessment process the learner has a complaint or feels a decision the assessor has made is unfair to them, then the learner will know who to go to with their issue and how it will be followed up. However, before this stage is reached the assessor should encourage an informal discussion with the learner to see if the issue can be resolved. If the learner is not confident about discussing it with the assessor then it may be necessary to involve the internal verifier. However if the complaint or appeal remains unresolved then this must be put in writing to the chief executive who will look into and respond within 5 working days. If the learner is still unsatisfied with the outcome then they can request the complaint or appeal is investigated by an independent panel, which will consist of an independent assessor and internal verifier. The panel will investigate the appeal or complaint and notify of their decision within 14 working days. If at this stage the complaint or appeal has still not been rectified then the learner should contact the awarding body – NCFE, whose details will be given once it has reached this stage. 14. Why is the management of information important? (7. 1) The assessor will need to ensure that any documentation acquired during the assessment process is following the national standards for assessment and verification and be aligned with the centre and awarding body policies. Each document must be accurate stating which assessment methods where used, whether, observation, oral or written. Furthermore, they must show that both candidate and assessor agreed to how the evidence will be obtained and the decision made as to whether it was achieved or not. It is essential that any document is signed, dated and stored correctly to ensure data protection and confidentiality. Other types of documentation could be completed log books, action plans, feedback comments, learner records or anything which records the candidate’s achievement. It is imperative that the information is managed professionally as the assessor could find themselves in breach of laws and regulations, such as, data protection Act if they fail to comply. Failure to manage information correctly could result in having complaints and appeals made against the assessor and have a dramatic effect on the assessment centre quality assurance when the external verifier carries out an inspection visit twice a year. To ensure standards are being met and claim for certification is valid the external verifier will need to see a mixture of the candidate’s files and interview a variety of assessors. If the standards have been met and the external verifier is satisfied that the correct procedures are being followed the centre will receive a grade of 1-2. Unfortunately if the centre receives a grade of 3-5 then there is a possibility that they could have sanctions placed upon them and lose their direct claim status and registration suspended until the matter is resolved. 15. Why should you give the learner feedback? (7. 2) Feedback is an important tool for learning and development and to improve performance and motivate the learner. The learner will have a better understanding of how they have progressed during assessments. After the assessor has carried out an assessment they would need to give feedback to the candidate as soon as possible by either verbal communication or written. If verbal is used via phone or face to face, then this must be backed up by a written copy. The assessor should include information about achievement in relation to the criteria and any comments should provide detailed advice on how to cover any gaps between current performance and the target aimed for. The candidate should be encouraged to ask questions regarding the feedback to help them understand how the assessor had reached their decision. This would also assist the assessor to reflect upon their role and evaluate if the assessment process was fair, valid and reliable and the assessment methods used was the most appropriate for the candidates needs. If the candidate did not meet the required standard then the assessor should give constructive feedback which would focus more on the activity or work produced rather than the candidate. Constructive feedback is part of a successful assessment as the learner will know what they have achieved or need to develop. Thus the learner will be encouraged to take more responsibility of their own learning development and deepen their understanding of the criteria. Feedback should be given on a 2. 1 scale, known as the sandwich approach. It should start with positive comments, then the areas which need to be improved; lastly, the assessor should end the feedback on a positive to encourage the candidate to keep interested, motivated and confident. 16. What are the key policies and procedures that relate to assessment? For example Bright delivery policy and NCFE policies and procedures etc. Give a brief explanation of what each one is. (8. 1) The assessor will need to follow policies and procedures additionally to those mentioned in question 3, for example: Bright’s delivery policy states the following points: Bright’s delivery policy sates the following points: †¢Once the candidates deposit has been cleared and relevant paperwork is complete the candidate will receive their registration pack within 48hrs †¢Following this the mentor will contact the candidate within 48 hours †¢Mentors can be contacted mon – fri 9am – 6pm sat 10-1 †¢Alternately leave a message and the mentor will contact the candidate within 4 hours †¢Once all theory and practical assessments are complete candidates will receive their certificate. Under Bright’s delivery policy the following procedures relate to assessment: †¢Quality audit of completed Individual Learning Plans †¢Quali.