Monday, September 30, 2019

Ethical or Unethical Essay

Calling in sick when you really are not is unethical because on such short notice a replacement will be difficult, if at all, to find. Someone needs to do the job that you are hired to do with or without you. Everybody at one point or another gets ill and that is understandable but every day that job is not done or done incorrectly costs the company money. If the company feels that you are costing them more than if they trained someone else with a better attendance record for your position they will let you go. Taking office supplies home for personal use is unethical and illegal because they are property of the company. Theft is something we are taught at a young age to be wrong so in essence this also goes against morals. The company loses money and they need to cover this loss by either cutting hours, laying off employees, postponing raises or giving them to some employees. You could be one of those employees without a raise indirectly affected or arrested for stealing if caught. Cheating on a work appraisal is risky if not unethical. This directly relates to money and affects many different parties directly as well as indirectly in a negative way. Profits are the difference between success and the demise of a business but cheating is a quick route to demise. A business will not support an employee whose actions put their company at such risk. Turning in a coworker for stealing is ethical in the sense of the word but may go against the morals you know growing up. Stealing is wrong but a â€Å"snitch† is not what any of us wants to be. It is a double-edged sword, the company will be grateful in knowing who is stealing from them and will eradicate that problem but then you will be a known â€Å"snitch† who can’t be trusted. Overcharging on your company expense report is seemingly harmless, but in the end who really pays? For the meantime, while you are a productive member of the staff it is acceptable but eventually may not equate to your overall production. The issue at hand is if this were ethical behavior, the answer would have to be no. You have to keep in mind this is not your money and if it were, would you be so generous. Surfing the net on company time unethical is extreme especially if it is pertaining to company business. The questionable part is whether this falls into the category of ethical or unethical. If you are surfing, the net for personable reasons that is not something the company should pay for. It is intolerable behavior and when it takes time away from your duties that is unethical and that is means for termination. If you are surfing the net after your work is completed and you still have time on the clock before your work day is done that is just taking advantage of the situation and would be worthy of a warning not to do again or else. Lying (exaggerating) about yourself (education or experience) on a resume or during a job interview is immoral which in definition is unethical but then again it has to do with your upbringing. If you do something you know is wrong then you just should not do it. If in reality it does not hurt anyone then it can be justifiable but not excused. If you know you can do the job that the description calls for but you do not possess the experience that is required, I think is something one has to decide if it is ethical. Despite the simplicity of the definition, application is more complex. (McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

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While elaborating the ideas provided in the chapter, the students may need to be familiarizes with a few fundamental concepts such as Gross Domestic Product, Employment etc. Since the students may find this difficult to understand, it is necessary to explain to them through examples. Several activities and exercises are suggested in the chapter to help the students understand how a person's activity could be placed -? whether in the primary, secondary or tertiary, organized or unrealized, and public or private sector.You may encourage the students to talk to various working people around them (such as hop owners, casual workers, vegetable vendors, workshop mechanics, domestic workers etc. ) to know more about how they live and work. Based on such information, the students can be encouraged to develop their own classification of economic activities. Another important issue to be highlighted is about the problems caused by the changes in the roles of sectors. The chapter has taken the example of unemployment and what the government can do to solve it.The declining importance 18 of agriculture and growing importance of industry and services should be related to the experience of the children by taking ore examples that they may observe in their day-to-day life. Information derived from the media could be used for this purpose. You may encourage the students to bring important cuttings and stories from newspapers, which could be prominently displayed in storyboards, and encourage the class to discuss these issues. While discussing the unrealized sector, the key issue of protecting the workers engaged in the sector should be highlighted.You may also encourage the students to visit persons and enterprises in the unrealized sector and get a first hand experience from real life situation. Sources for Information The GAP data used in this chapter pertaining to Gross Domestic Product at Factor Cost by Industry of Origin at 1993-94 prices is taken from Economic Survey. It is a valuable source of GAP and other information relating to the Indian economy. For evaluation purposes, particularly to develop the analytical ability of learners, teachers can refer to Economic Survey to get data for different years.You will find that people are engaged in various economic activities. Some of these are activities producing goods. Some others are producing services. These activities are happening around us every minute even as we speak. How do we understand these activities? One way of doing this is to group them (classify them) using some important criterion. These groups are also called sectors. There could be several ways of classification depending on the purpose and what one thinks is an important criterion. At different We begin by looking ties. Mind of economic active Primary (Agriculture) Sector produces natural goods Secondary (Industrial) manufactured 20 There are many activities that are undertaken by directly using natural resources. Take, for exampl e, the cultivation of cotton. It takes place within a crop season. For the growth of the cotton plant, we depend mainly, but not entirely, n natural factors like rainfall, sunshine and climate. The product of this activity, cotton, is a natural product. Similarly, in the case of an activity like dairy, we are dependent on the biological process of the animals and availability Tertiary (Service) of fodder etc.The product here, milk, also is a natural product. Similarly, minerals and ores are also natural products. When we produce a good by exploiting natural resources, it is an activity of the primary sector. Why primary? This is because it forms the base for all other products that we subsequently make. Since most of the natural helps develop products we get are from there sectors agriculture, dairy, fishing, forestry, this sector is also called agriculture and related sector. The secondary sector covers activities in which natural products are changed into other forms through ways of manufacturing that we associate with industrial activity.It is the next step after primary. The product is not produced by nature but has to be made and therefore some process of manufacturing is essential. This could be in a factory, a workshop or at home. For example, using cotton fiber from the plant, we spin yarn and weave cloth. Using sugarcane as a raw material, we make sugar or guru. We convert earth into bricks and use bricks to make houses and buildings. Since this sector gradually became associated with the different kinds of industries that came up, it is also called as industrial sector.After primary and secondary, there is a third category of activities that falls under tertiary sector and is different from the above two. These are activities that help in the development of the primary and secondary sectors. These activities, by themselves, do not produce a good but they are an aid or a support for the production process. For example, goods that are produced in the p rimary or secondary sector would need to be transported by trucks or trains and then sold in wholesale and retail shops.At times, it may be necessary to store these in godsons. We also may need to talk to others over telephone or send letters (communication) or borrow money from banks (banking) to help production and trade. Transport, storage, communication, banking, trade are some examples of tertiary activities. Since these activities generate services rather than goods, the tertiary sector is also called the service sector. Service sector also includes some essential services that may not directly help in the production of goods.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Critical overview of the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Dissertation

Critical overview of the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in saudi - Dissertation Example It will also discuss the procedures involved in enforcement and how these can pose a challenge to the foreign arbitrators. In clear terms, non-conformity with the Islamic Law will lead to rejection of the application for a foreign arbitral award by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here the paper will attempt to answer the question â€Å"What policies should the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consider taking up in order to address the limitations and difficulties faced in enforcement of foreign arbitral awards?† The proposal here shall outline the rationale or background of the problem specified by the question and after explaining this, it will outline the research method to be taken in order to reach our desired inference. This will be followed by targeted literature review and a provisional chapter outline for the contents. Elaboration of the proposal The proposal outlines the path that will be adopted by the dissertation which will focus on the Saudi Arbitration Law 1983 and the Rules for its Implementation (IR) in 1985 in order to understand and analyze the legal dimensions of the arbitration procedures under the Saudi government. It will take up a study of scholarly books and articles to provide an account of the role of Islamic schools in the Saudi legal framework and the specific articles of the law which pose a challenge to foreign arbitrators. The Code of Commercial Court of 1350H in 1950 made provisions for the conflicting sides to reach a solution to mutual disputes or disagreements. Other authentic articles available online have helped in throwing light on the legal framework and the reason behind the initiation of the need for the presence of a neutral entity or an independent arbitral forum. The renowned dispute between the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) and the government of Saudi initiated the foreign arbitrators to consider the necessity of reconsidering the Shari’ah as the sufficient framework of law to govern the energy disputes ari sing form complex issues and therefore the law could not serve as a governing one2. However a delve into the way the religion of Islam influences all decisions of the Saudi government can enable one to understand that the country is sceptical to some extent in enforcing foreign arbitral awards especially when they concern non-Saudi law of governance. Some new policies such as Article 3 of Arbitration Law in 1983 were passed owing to the economic boom of 1970 which brought about foreign companies’ investments in the nation. The Article 3 brought a shift in the position of the government towards international arbitration. Attempts have been taken to regulate the national arbitration law regarding settlement of commercial disputes3. Keeping such proceedings in the backdrop, the proposal attempts to determine the key setbacks and limitations posed during the implementation of foreign arbitral awards in the nation. This will set the ground of justification for addressing the resea rch question framed in the previous section. The process of close scrutiny of the issue present in the doctrines of the law might determine certain sensitive concerns which might deteriorate the effectiveness of commercial arbitration system in the nation. Research Methodology The research will undertake a combination of three specific approaches or methods. The first is the â€Å"

Friday, September 27, 2019

Responsibility Of Patient Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Responsibility Of Patient Safety - Essay Example Most hazardous technologies have barriers as well as safeguards. The question to ask whenever a mistake occurs should not be who did what but instead why and how the system failed. When the medical practitioners get proper payment, and their shifts made shorter, service delivery can be better. The supply of medical equipment and medications should also be available and at the disposal of the patients as well those who administer. A manual guide of how medication dosages work in several age sets accompanied by the particular disease they treat is valuable as well. Cases of wrong medication for the bad disease of even wrong dosage will not be subject to discussion at all (Cohn and Brower, 2012). Hospital and health institutions should have resilient systems for them to be able to bounce back to its initial ability. Machines that are of great importance to patient health survival should go through careful checking before and after a patient is put on it daily. Medical practitioners will ensure that the patients only use machines that are of good standard and condition as well. The steps to reduce risk concentration, as well as the reoccurrence of problems, can be directed towards the patient (JonWang, 2008). The patients should be taught to associate risks with incidences that precede their occurrences. Detecting these factors can act as warning signs that should trigger immediate actions from the personnel who are on standby every hour of the day to serve and reduce or even do away with the risk.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Health Policy Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Policy Brief - Essay Example a. In the absence of cure, â€Å"raising awareness of the risk factors for Ebola infection and the protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death† and this includes raising awareness among healthcare workers to avoid the spread of the virus. b. All patients who display the symptoms of Ebola virus must be treated as a confirmed case and therefore necessary precaution will be automatically exercised. These symptoms include â€Å"passing fever to malaria, cholera and meningitis. Between two and 21 days, infected people might have red eyes and a rash, or  suddenly experience  "onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and sore throat", "followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding" (Yuhas). f. If an outbreak is suspected in the workplace, area of treatment and other places of outbreak, such place should be quarantined to avoid the spread of the virus. â€Å"Culling of infected animals, with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses, may be necessary to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease† (WHO, 2014). g. Nearby communities where there is a suspected outbreak of the virus must be informed about the virulent nature of Ebola virus and how to contain it. These measures include avoid contact with animals, minimize physical contact, enhanced sanitary measures and prompt burial of the dead (including the avoidance of physical contact). Protecting health care workers from the outbreak of Ebola virus will help contain the spread of the virus since it is known that healthcare workers are the most likely group of people who could contract the virus from

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Ethical issues surrounding single women using sperm banks to become Research Paper

Ethical issues surrounding single women using sperm banks to become pregnant - Research Paper Example Approximately around eighty thousand such procedures are carried out annually and result in the birth of nearly thirty thousand babies. Moreover, by the 1990s, artificial insemination grew to become a $164 million industry and constituted 11,000 private physicians, 400 sperm banks and about 250 fertility centers (Gaines 1990). Sperm bank collects and stores up sperms from the sperm donors. Sperm donors are first examined for their medical health and then they can donate by way of masturbation. Sperms are then injected into the women’s uterus under the supervision of a qualified doctor or are used to produce an embryo using IVF or other reproductive techniques. (Balen, 2002) Many laws say that if the child is born using the sperms of the woman’s husband then he/she is the legal child of the husband. But laws regarding the child born through the sperms from a third party donor are not clear. Some believe that the child is supposed to be a lawful child of the mother and he r husband but few also presume the child to be illegitimate. Ethical issues associated with this process are looked upon and highlighted by many medical institutions and also nongovernmental organizations and lawmaking departments. This process raises many legal, medical and social concerns. However there are many positive features associated to using this technique as well. Both sides of the situation should be addressed in order to understand the concept better. Artificial insemination is wrongly assumed to be just targeted for infertile pairs. Whereas, it also serves as a platform for individual women who wish to enjoy the blessings of being a parent. This means that this procedure has become relatively popular among lesbian couples who wish to start a family for themselves. However they haven’t gathered support by diverse ethnicities and this further improvisation in their relationships tends to raise a new question and obstacle in their lives which in turn points many fi ngers on single parenthood.   The women interested in becoming a single parent see bright new horizons as the success rate of conceiving artificially is relatively higher than the failure rates. There are two types of artificial insemination, which includes intra-cervical insemination and intra-uterine insemination. These methods are ought to be less incursive as compared to other procedures on artificial fertilization. But since these methods of artificial insemination are largely unstructured or less regulated, they raise a significant amount of health and moral issues. (Araoye, 2003) This process raises moral issues related to the rights of individuals regarding the conditions of their birth. The identity of the donors and recipients are kept confidential. Parents also tend to hide from children about their identity. People who accidently get to know that they were conceived through artificial insemination often undergo agony and distress. That is way it is immoral to hide a pe rson’s birthright from him. Many doctors even do not keep records of the donors’ identity and their medical history because of which they are unable to trace information. Severe health issues also revolve around this artificial method of conception. Diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis risk the lives of the women and also the child that is supposes to be born with this method. Although it is important to have a complete medical checkup

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

International JournalismThe Representation of China in British Essay

International JournalismThe Representation of China in British National Newspaper - Essay Example Recently there was coverage of mobile killer squads in China, which horrified Western readers. It is important to research on how the human day-today activities of the country are represented in British media. British Newspaper covering China had been very inadequate. Whatever is presented is done from the blind point, where one cannot see beyond a certain spot. Sometimes noticeable amount of repetition mars the reporting, perhaps due to non-availability of fresh news. Uncritical elements without considerable evidence, hesitancy in reporting due to lack of complete knowledge of events occur. Kind of highly Western-Centric articles too are seen. Inevitability of acceptance (after all it is China, cannot get more than this) plagues; in-depth analysis is missing, also uncritical discussion because of lack of resources and evidences and proofs persists. British media represents not only the vulnerability of international journalism in China, but also its helplessness. A breathless narration as though on the brink of a disaster, where the journalist might be thrown out or snuffed out kind of hurried, considerably less critical coverage has always been the coverage character. Today, it is the era of online global voices from every remote corner of the world, other than those few countries where autocratic rule still prevails. China's image in the West had been very negative in the 19th century, and even in 20th it did not improve much. It did improve for some time when China had Sun-Yat-Sen, but plummeted down immediately during the Communist take over. British as well as other Western media, had effectively shut their eyes to Mao's China, and China was playing truant, like a powerful bully and only such matters were reported in Britain. It was almost impossible for the British or any other media to have a peep into the forbidden country and this suited Communists, because their internal persecutions and ruthless handling of Tibetan revolts have gone unnoticed by the world. During Cold War, Western media had the preoccupation of Soviet Russia and hardly spared a glance towards China, the weaker link in Communist chain. China thrived in isolation and world ignorance. Slowly some visual documentaries were prepared on the peripheral issues of China, that could be aired in other countries, like success of com munism, million flowers blooming under Mao, flourishing red revolution. Also some information about cultural glorification oozed out into the western newspapers. "Buddhism, Christianity and Marxism, Western literature and philosophy did not come to China, and Daoism, Confucianism and Chinese literature did not come to the West by means of cultural diplomacy, but they do form an essential part of cultural relations," http://journals.cambridge.org/download.phpfile=%2FCQY%2FCQY169%2FS0009443902000116a.pdf&code=0ce4594f66b5930708c095f29250a990 Still we are unaware about modernisation and modernity is taking place in China, as all mouthpieces are totally gagged. Total internet is not allowed, even though according to some researchers whatever is allowed

Monday, September 23, 2019

Human resource management challenges in knowledge-intensive sectors Essay

Human resource management challenges in knowledge-intensive sectors and solutions - Essay Example Based on this research human resource management (HRM) is of crucial importance for the optimum functioning of the organisation, irrespective of whatever sector they operate in. As the organisations in all the sectors including knowledge-intensive sectors will have humans or employees, human resource management is inevitable. With the organisations in the knowledge intensive sectors maximally dependent on the employees and their intellectual assets than other sectors like manufacturing, service, etc., (which could have use of infrastructures and machineries), HRM has to play a major role to solve all the HRM centric challenges. In any organisation, Human Resource Department (HRD) in association with other departments will play a variety of roles. HRD as part of HRM will select of the right people for the right jobs or designations through aptly conducted recruitment drives. Then, they have to provide a healthy and effective work environment for them to exhibit high productivity. Effe ctive work environment in the sense, the employees can be made to work as part of teamwork, can be involved more in the decision making processes and importantly could be given timely incentives so that their efficacy levels are always at the peak. All these key aspects have to be taken by the organisation or the management with good inputs from the HRD in line with optimum HRM. Workers are the integral part of any successful organisation and that includes Knowledge-Intensive Firms (KIP). This paper will discuss the HRM centric challenges and problems that will normally arise among the employees in KIPs, and importantly discuss how it can be solved, thus making the employees provide optimum productivity and thereby keep the operations of those firms, running in a smooth, well lubricated manner. Knowledge-intensive sector or Knowledge-Intensive Firms (KIPs) The concept of KIFs is apparently distinct from other organisational categories or organisations in other sectors. This is becau se in other traditional organisational categories, the emphasis will be more on the raw materials, capital, machineries, etc., with employees and their intellectual assets playing a complementary role. However, in the case of firms in the Knowledge intensive sectors, their entire operations will depend on humans and their knowledge. â€Å"KIFs are generally considered to be diametrically opposite to traditional manufacturing firms in that the knowledge rather than physical or financial capital is central to the companies’ existence† (Jorgensen, Becker and Matthews 2009, pg. 451). Thus, the firms operating in the Knowledge Intensive sector carry out their operations based on the professional knowledge exhibited by their employees. That is, using the knowledge of the employees, they mainly provide knowledge based support, service and even products for other business processes. As stated by Rylander and Peppard (2005, pg.4), â€Å"KIFs are characterized as organisations where well-educated and qualified employees form a major part of the work force and engage in mainly â€Å"intellectual work†. Certain organisations, which do and provide these types of works or services comes under this knowledge intensive sector. For example, consulting organisations, financial companies, law firms, private banks, architecture companies, etc., comes under this sector because these companies will use their employees’ knowledge and data analysis skills to provide service to the other businesses or clients. Because of this main focus on the employees and their knowledge, more than their physical skills, their mental abilities will be focused. Thus, these firms will have a different employment structure than the traditional firms. For example, â€Å"their employment structures are heavily weighted towards scientists, engineers, auditors and other experts in specific fields.† (Metcalfe and Miles 1997, pg. 8). Thus, it is clear that the organisation al and employment struct

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Illegal Immigration's Destructive Impact on the Economy of the United Research Paper

Illegal Immigration's Destructive Impact on the Economy of the United States of America - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that much debate has raged over immigration policies in the United States. In the past, the United States had reached out with open arms to immigrants coming from distant shores who want to make this country their home. As a result of this, we have seen America become a melting pot of cultures, offering its embrace to the poor and downtrodden. In many instances, however, the picture was far from pretty. The famous book â€Å"The Jungle†, written by Upton Sinclair, was seen by many as a shocking expose into the sordid world of the meatpacking industry and the abysmal working conditions of the meatpackers, who were composed mainly of immigrants desperate for livelihood opportunities in what for them was a completely new frontier. Few saw it for what it was meant to be: a compelling saga of the poverty hopelessness, and crime that attended the lives of the working class immigrants of America from the period spanning the end of the Civil War to the beginning o f the First World War. Unfortunately, that story takes place even today, as illegal immigrants find themselves caught in a life of poverty, dependence and crime. There are plenty of illegal immigrants in the United States, many of whom are from nearby Hispanic countries, most notably Mexico. It has been found that when the purchasing power of the dollar increases in Mexico, illegal immigration increases, suggesting that illegal immigration is brought on by economic reasons.... We refer to those who engage in drug trafficking, in human trafficking, in illegal possession of firearms, in petty crimes. The big debate therefore is what to do with these illegal immigrants. Do we send them to our jails and thus spend taxpayer’s money for their care and upkeep, or do we institute deportation proceedings and send them back to their home countries? This paper will argue that illegal immigrants who have been arrested, charged criminally and found guilty by our criminal justice system should be subjected to deportation proceedings rather than be imprisoned in domestic jails. I will argue first on the resources aspect, and will discuss how keeping them in our jails drains this country of much-needed resources especially during a time of recession. Second, I will argue on the social-economic aspect, and look into how keeping them in domestic jails can possibly worsen the crime problem, because it will still allow them to operate criminal cells here in the country . In turn, this is a problem for the economy because it encourages the black market and the criminal enterprises and syndicates that render markets imperfect. Then, I will also argue how the immigration problem is unduly clogging the dockets of the courts, making it difficult for judges and prosecutors to focus on crimes such as robbery and murder, and thus leaving communities unsafe and vulnerable and affecting local economic activity. Finally, I will argue that on the political- economic aspect, it is only deportation that can send a strong, zero-tolerance message against illegal immigration – of particular importance at a time when illegal immigration is siphoning off much-needed jobs from the local population, and is draining the nation’s coffers by using up

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Protocol on Assessing and Treating Autism Essay Example for Free

Protocol on Assessing and Treating Autism Essay Introduction Autism has been the focal point of extensive study and contentious debate. Issues pertaining to its etiology, classification, treatment, and education prolong to maneuver those who come into contact with this exigent disorder.   In a contemporary perspective, clinical practitioners used the term to describe a withdrawal into fantasy in schizophrenia.   Characteristics of autism, such as avoiding the gaze of others and showing no detection of a parents absence, continue to be viewed as archetypal symptoms—writers later described this communal dearth as withdrawal. Thus, despite all these, there has been overpowering sighting on autistic individuals; scholars resolute that children with autism had good cognitive potentialities. This then gave a spark of hope to parents and later scoured for means to at least try preventing the child from becoming autistic during his or her adulthood (Sicile-Kira, 2004). Autism: In a Broad Perspective   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Autism is described as multifaceted neurobehavioral disarray which is distinguished by mutilation in shared societal relations, communication impairment, and the existence of monotonous and typical prototypes of action, wellbeing, and activities. Basically, symptoms occur in the age bracket of three years and below, thus the severity of the medical impairment varies dependent on the diagnoses and on to what doctors would define as its â€Å"spectrum.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children with autism may be initially hard to distinguish since that the cases of autism are similar to that of the actions pf a normal infant (Ami Klin, Schultz, Volkmar, 2003).   Thus, it ranges on the verity of social interaction and the ability to express emotions that the distinction is then patterned.   As a matter of fact, language and communication deficits are also considered as stereotypical factors, hence not undermining the possibility of being a â€Å"late bloomer.† However, unlike the previous centuries where autism has been treated as a genetically acquired and inevitable to cure impairment, studies and researches have shown that there are far more better means and   a series of protocols to help treat autism in the verge of its early years to not only help the child   but also give light to its families as well (Treatment, 2008). Behavioral Approach Behavioral and didactic interferences have turn out to be the principal approach for treating individuals with autism. It includes operant conditioning, respondent (Pavlovian) conditioning, and cognitive approaches.   Basically, it involves a reinforcer and a punisher.   In this sense, the key players in the treatment process and similar to that of Ivan Pavlov’s theory, the student shall learn the essence of following the reinforcer so as not to be punished. Cognitive Developmental Approach   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the behavioral factors that have been brought upon by scholars and medical practitioners, the neurodevelopmental differences were also observed to be an underpinning to the whirlwinds of autism.   These are considered because of the following reasons: firstly, autism is a varied turmoil and is prone to have manifold potential etiologies; secondly, structural neuro studies have specified an array of dispersed anatomical dissimilarities, thus weighty to that of an untimely developmental transformation in the expansion or pruning of neural tissue.   Further, relatively than contained abrasions; similarly, neurochemical researches advise early, neuromodulatory incongruities better than sickening or localized idiosyncrasies.   And lastly, numerous boundaries on studies of neurologically involved activities that to date disqualify definitive answers to questions of how the brain functions and responds differently in autism. Medical Approach   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Detecting autism earlier using new approach—this is the proposed strategy posted in me Medical News Today compliant to that of a press release of psychologists and psychiatrists in the University of New South Wales.   By this means, it is said that it is an up-to-date way of understanding the autistic inclined disorder through the collaboration of psychological and biological factors which are most likely to lead to conditions that are medically curable. Enactive Mind Protocol: Actions to Cognition Level of evidence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the increasing demand of resolving the magnitude of discrepancy upon understanding the pathophysiology of autism as transcribed in newer techniques, researches have been made to document and decipher the answer to the social discrepancy of these individuals.  Ã‚   The EM protocol instigated from the work on ‘embodied cognitive science’—a neuroscience scaffold that drafts cognition as physical occurrences ensued as a product of an organism’s adaptive behaviour upon significant facets of the contiguous atmosphere. Perceivably, such offers a developmental premise of autism in which the progression of gaining of personified societal cognition is overturned prematurely, as an effect of condensed salience of social spur and parallel passing of generally extraneous aspects of the setting (Ami Klin et al., 2003). Ease of use   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perceivably, two of the most intriguing puzzles posed by autistic individuals are their social reasoning discrepancy and their failure to do naturalistic actions on normal situations.   Such distinction in character pounds them to the cognitive deficit of being different thus with the help of EM will then teach them better reasoning skills, which will have an impact on their real-life and communicative competence.   Further, the fact that these individuals have several cognitive, linguistic, knowledge-based and potentially useful vocational assets—but consequently in the contrary finding social situations challenging—would serve as their strength which will help them compensate their autism, and EM will help make it easier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For individuals with autism, however, the topology of salience, defined as the foveal elicitation of socially relevant stimuli—exemplified in eye-tracking tests and in studies of preferential attention to social versus non-social entities. If corroborated in larger studies, this finding would point to a major disruption in a highly conserved skill that is thought to be a core ability underlying social engagement and, subsequently, the capacity to attribute intentionality to others. The EM approach early social predispositions are thought to create the basis and the impetus for the subsequent emergence of mental representations that, because of their inseparability from social action, retain their adaptive value (Ami Klin et al., 2003). Barriers to implementation In contrary though, when an effectual interference protocol is executed at as juvenile an age as possible, it is most likely to create a vast distinction in the childs upshot and height of functioning later on in his or her adulthood.   The kit is to be in an array of books, medicine and other materials which have been compiled by distinguished medical practitioners who have been focusing on looking for means to treat autism. The risk points out however, that the â€Å"social interaction tests† in this protocol may not hold hard evidence on determining a child from being autistic or the otherwise. But then again, even though the protocol is risky, giving the task to parents or guardians, it may help the general public save time and save money for that matter. Rationale I chose this protocol for the reason that several studies have been documented similar to such and therefore, its level of evidence and feasibility in assessing and treating autism is valuable.   We have learned that these characteristics—counting, tapping, flicking, or repetitively reiterating words—and habitual behaviors including as an inflexible observance to usual and an obvious struggle to change—are the most explicit signs of autism in a child.   In essence, medical teams and concerned parents of these children are collaborating together to find the most efficient and effective protocol in treating autism before it becomes worse in the later life of any autistic child’s life (Simmons, 2007).   Most importantly, these new protocols are characterized to be â€Å"out-of-the-box† since that it does not only focus on the potency of â€Å"psychological† instances but it has dwelled more on tangible factors which are then easier to dist inguish. The provisions of information and supplements to assist parents of young children who have been lately found to be within the autism gamut hastily put into practice an intercession course which is believed to bridge a treatment for autism (Ami Klin et al., 2003).   Such protocol has profited a considerable proportion of brood within the vortex of the issue.   Further, it is a sarcasm to articulate that it is overpowering to obtain a distressing judgment of autism and then to try to speedily establish a course of action to facilitate the medical challenge. Conclusions and further remarks Efficiency of the protocol, evaluation on the possible gaps, barriers to implementation—these are perceivably the astounding thoughts that may sprout in the midst of these shared and introduced protocols.   Thus, the sheer actuality that science is always open to new ordeals is an assurance that there is always hope in anything.   Even though these questions continue to be clouded by polemics, the results from systematic groups, as well as from classrooms all the way through the country point toward those constructive efforts to instruct students with autism can and do work (Sicile-Kira, 2004).   In a like manner, the field of autism and developmental disabilities is beginning to recognize that the questions asked in the past may need to be changed. There is an increasing identification of values such as enclosure, preference, and self-determination from mischief, and these are now being integrated into programs that concern the issue on assessing and treating autism.   Protocols serve as proof that the challenge is well taken. References Ami Klin, W. J., Schultz, R., Volkmar, F. (2003). The Enactive Mind, or from Actions to Cognition: Lessons from Autism. Journal, 358(1430). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3558147 Mehl-Madrona, L. (2008). Imaging Children with ADHD: MRI Technology Reveals Differences in Neuro-signaling. Journal. Retrieved from http://www.healing-arts.org/children/ Sicile-Kira, C. (2004). Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Other ASDs. New York, NY: Perigee Trade. Simmons, K. (2007). Autism Treatments. Journal. Retrieved from http://www.autismtoday.com/alternative_options.htm The Association for Science in Autism Treatment   (2008). About Autism. Journal. Retrieved from www.asatonline.org

Friday, September 20, 2019

Causes of Rwandas Involvement in the DRC

Causes of Rwandas Involvement in the DRC To what extent has Rwandas involvement  in the DRC been of economically  rather than militarily motivated? Abstract Conflict! That word represents the history of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in terms of their internal struggles as to who will control the destinies of these countries. The saga has encompassed over forty years, and as neighbours, has affected and impacted both countries negatively. Africa is known for its high degree of internal power struggles that have left its masses in poverty as a result of its leaders seeking political control at almost any cost. This condition has not escaped either Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This study shall seek to understand the dynamics of the national connection between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in terms of the extent that Rwanda’s involvement has been economically or militarily oriented. The preceding represents the opportunity to examine the relationship of these two neighbouring countries to uncover the extent as well as nature of the dynamics that have and are shaping their interaction. Introduction The purpose of this examination has broad and far-reaching implications, in that it seeks to look ate the very core of the relationship of these two African nation states. As such, the objectives will entail: The formulation of an understanding of the historical nuances and overt interaction between these two countries. Taking a look at the military as well as economic involvement. Delving into the political and regional circumstances that have had and or are having a bearing on the foregoing. Equating the extent that military or economic involvement has been and or is an issue The nature of this inquiry requires an examination of two dissimilar areas, economics and military activities, as well as how these might and or have dovetailed into each other, as the lines of separation are not always clear. Background Key to understanding the nature of the question that asks the extent that Rwanda’s involvement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been economically rather than militarily motivated, a brief understanding of the histories of these two countries will provide a foundational underpinning to uncover the direction of their relationship and national connections. Rwanda is located in the east-central region of Africa, bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an area that measures 26,338 square kilometres[1]. Figure 1 – Map of Rwanda[2] Orginally inhabited by a Pygmy tribe called the Twa, the agriculuturally founded Hutus suplanted them some six centuries ago[3]. In order to plant crops the Hutus cleared forests and established permanent settlements[4]. The Twa still remian in Rwanda, although their population is estimated to number approximately 1 percent of the overall total[5]. As was the case with Africa in that period, other tribes migrated to the region, whose greenery and grasslands drew the cattle owning Tutsi[6]. Aslo known as Watutsi, they came to the region of Rwanda around the 1600s and were consisted as more elite than the Hutus even though the two groups speak the same language[7]. Part of the reason as to why the Tutsi (Watutsi) were considered elite is that they are extremely tall, averaging 2.1 metres in height, and of thin build[8]. The aristocratic leanings of the Tutsi, they held the peasant Hutu in fuedal subjugation[9]. The opinions on the differences between the cultures of the Hutu and Tutis is marginal, consisting primarly of the agricultural versus cattle tendencies of the aforementioned. Considerable intermarriage between the two groups further watered down differences, with the couple assuming the race of the fathers, and the difference in terms of tribe constructed along the lines of a caste system whereby the Tutsi are considered the higher class[10]. Prior to the arrival of the Germans, the administration system that existed in Rwanda was highly organised and presided over by what is termed as a Umwami (king) that was usually of the Nyiginya clan of a Tutsi sub-group[11]. In the administrative pecking order the Umwami had almost absolute power, and was assisted bt three chiefs[12]: A military chief that oversaw the army and saw to the maintenance of integrity of the territory and expansion. A cattle chief that supervised all matters representing cattle, grazing as well as the settlement of disputes, and A land chief that oversaw agriculture, produce and allied concerns. The preceding is in keeping with the cultural make up of the territory that was comprised of cattle and agricultural tribes, along with their protection and securing additional lands. Within the aforementioned pecking order the Umwami and the military and cattle chiefs were Tutsi, with the agricultural chief generally being Hutu[13]. The Rwandan society represents a system that is termed as ubuhake, that is a type of caste system of the landed gentry, the less landed, and the ordinary citizens[14]. There are those who argue that in reality that the economic system of Ubuhake enables a symbitic relationship between the wealthy and priveged calsses with the less priviliged[15]. The preceding system and class relationsips enjoyed a 400 year history of peacefulness. The German’s colonised Rwanda in 1899, ruling the country indirectly through the Mwami and the three chieftans via a protecorate arrangement as a result of the effectiveness of the Rwandan Ubuhabe system[16]. During the first World War the country became known as Ruanda-Urundi, which represented a combination of Rwanda and Burundi under a Belgian League of Nations mandate[17]. The preceding established a trust territory under the United Nations that lasted until 1946[18]. During that period the Belgium administration at first maintained Tutsi dominance in the Ubuhabe governmental system overseen by the Mwani and the three chieftans[19]. The preceding was slowly changed to a power sharing arrangement between the Tutsi and Hutu after ethnic tensions escalated into a civil war that forced a large number of Tutsi to leave the country[20]. The 1st of July 1962 saw the mandated country of Ruanda-Urundi seperated back into Rwanda and Burundi, with the more numberous Hutu’s rul ing the country. With a majority of the population represented by Hutu (85%), to just 15% for the Tutsi, the change in political structure in 1962 was inevitable[21]. It is important to note that the conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi began as early as the 1950s when Tutsi forces attacked the Hutu politician Dominique Mbonyumutwa, setting off what is called â€Å"†¦ the wind of destruction †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as the Hutu attacked the Tutsi population[22]. In 1959 the Hutus overthrew the Tutsi king, which also contributed to the preceding[23]. Some 150,000 Tutsi that flew the country as a result of Hutu control setting up guerrila goups in neighboring countries, noteably Uganda[24]. Over the ensuing years, the children of the exiles formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front, that started a civil war in 1990[25]. The preceding historical background is important in understanding the chain of events that transpired in Rwanda, bringing it to present day. That history, present day stemming from the 1990s, contains the fore runner as well as aftermath of events that represent the purpose of this study, that will be investigated in a review of literature to delve into background facets. As Rwanda represents the central country in this study, the Democratic Republic of the Congo shall be explored later. The focus of this examination is to look into the extent that the involvement of Rwanda with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been movitivated more by economics than military reasons. Methodology The investigation as proposed by this study is a question that entails looking deeply into the status and ramifications of the relations of these two countries on a number of levels. As it is probable that there is no literature or other research information available that equates this question directly, the approach to this study will have to take on varied directions and research approaches to uncover information germane to the examination. The preceding being the general overall case, the research methodology will of course include a wide breathe of secondary research sources to secure historical as well as contemporary information. Given that this study entails two sovereign countries, the history between these two nations represents the logical starting point, as the timeline of convergence with respect to the Rwanda and the Congo thus represents the starting point in examining the nature of their relations. The preceding represents a key to this study as the answer to the question as posed by this examination exists somewhere within the foregoing. Secondary research provides the opportunity to review the largest and broadest amount of information possible as it entails books, journals, magazine articles, newspapers and Internet sources[26]. The foregoing affords the opportunity to look at many differing facets, as the scope of economic and military interaction can take on many forms, especially in the context of the unstructured region of Africa that has a long history of intra nation conflicts and other disputes. Secondary research represents a technique that is used extensively as it provides a broad realm of informational possibilities and inputs as well as opinions that might contain and or provide insight and or information that aids in the examination. The shortcoming of the process of utilising secondary research is that the possibility exists that one might be subject to the possible bias of the author whose work was conducted to delve into, prove, understand or make a point. However, secondary research also provides a means to minimise that potential through using and or searching for facts that reveal themselves in more than one source. The preceding duality of data provides some assurance that the information and or information direction has some validity. Powell[27] asserts that the foregoing represents a sane course of research in that secondary sources: are generally plentiful, that in using secondary sources, one needs to exercise care in looking for as well as drawing out pertinent information, that a benefit of secondary research is that large volumes of data can be correlated in a time frame that is reasonable, the expense of obtaining secondary research is extremely beneficial, the broad range of possibilities as offered by the exposure to a wide breathe of information makes secondary research more valuable in that it is easy to verify most information. As is always the case with an upside in any endeavour that are the negative connotations as well. Powell[28] brings forth these areas by advising: In terms of word usage and meaning, the seeming direction of statements can take on a different connotation and or meaning in a specific context or series of contexts than one might be prepared to understand or acknowledge. The aforementioned bias in terms of the source can skew information as indicated. The recommended method to minimise such an occurrence is by comparative information from other sources. The dating and or ageing of information can potentially change the validity of researched data if new developments have changed the outcomes, or data is uncovered later that invalidates conceptions that existed before. Seeking historical and contemporary research to look for consistency with regard to the foregoing aids in minimising dated or information that has lost its relevance. In keeping with the preceding need to ensure that recent information, discoveries and or findings did not or had not changed the conditions of the study, the Internet was utilised to look for potential modifications in approaches, as well as to compare source reliability. The research used quantitative research to a small degree as it helped in the understanding of question components from an historical perspective. Daymon and Holloway[29] advise that quantitative measures tend to have a large-scale approach that focuses on specific factors that are thus looked at in relationship to other data. Given the need to uncover information in a quest for the answer, which at the time of beginning the research was unknown, quantitative research was the only viable course of action. Literature Review In conducting the examination of the historical Background of Rwanda in Section 2.0, a look into the developmental aspects of the country brought forth the progression of events that helped to shape the country up to the 1990s. In order to bring into focus the purpose of this study as represented by to what extent has Rwanda’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) been of economically movitated as opposed to military reasons, a brief look into the developmental path of the country from the 1990s is in order. 4.1 Rwanda As brought forth in Section 2.0 Background, the country’s history was shaped by the administrative skills of the Tutsi who took control of the country nearly 400 years ago. That rule lasted until 1 July 1962 that saw the mandated country of Ruanda-Urundi seperated back into Rwanda and Burundi, with the more numberous Hutu’s ruling the country[30]. The civil war that gripped the country in the 1990s was, has has been the history of Africa, and the world, a struggle for power and wealth[31]. Though vastly outnumbered in terms of population, the Hutu were not as organised or bloodthrusty as the Tutsi. A large number of the exiled Tutsi served in the Uganda rebel forces and learned guerilla tactics, thus providing them with needed experience[32]. The preceding provided the foundation for the Rwandan Patriotic Front under Paul Kagame to gain recruits and thus their planned invasion of Rwanda[33]. The fierce fighting for the three year period between 1990 and 1993 prompted a cease fire that became known s the Arusha accord, which was devised to organised a power sharing government to end the civil conflict that had caused the displacement of over 1.5 million Hutus that had been massacred by the Rwandan Patriotic Front[34]. The preceding Arusha accord crumbled as a result of an assassination of the Hutu Burundi president Melchior Ndadaye by Burundian Tutsi in their army[35]. That event spurred a new era of Hutu / Tutsi hatred that caused the accord to crumble. Ensuing events saw the Rwandan Patriotic Front bomb the Rwanda capital of Kigali, as well as assassinate the Hutu president of Rwanda as well as the Hutu president of Burundi by shooting down their jet as it attempted a landing in Kigali[36]. The preceding evnts caused an intensification in the conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates[37]. The Tutsi led forces continued their military campaign, capturing the capital and eventually caused over 2 million Hutus to flee the country [38]. The Tutsi dominantion again asserted itself in Rwanda as it took control of the government in 1994 at the end of the civil war and have held power since, The Rwandan Patriotic Front re-wrote the history of its genocide and placed its version of how events transpired into the consitution[39]. 4.2 The Democratic Republic of the Congo The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was inhabited approximately 10,000 years ago, and was settled by the Bantu people from what is now known as Nigeria between the 7th and 8th centuries[40]. The â€Å"†¦ Portuguguese navigator Diego Cao †¦Ã¢â‚¬  discovered the Congo in 1482, and it is well known as the locale that was â€Å"†¦ explored by English journalist Henry Morton Stanley †¦Ã¢â‚¬ [41]. Figure 2 – Democratic Republic of the Congo[42] The Congo was originally given the name Zaire as a result of Diego Cao misspelling the Kilongo term for river[43]. At that time, the Kongo kingdom as it was spelled then[44]: â€Å"†¦stretched from northern Angola to the north bank of the Congo River, in the area now known as Bas Zaire. The kingdom, with its capital at Mbanza Kongo, had a well-established centralized system of government; it was divided into six provinces, each administered by a local governor appointed by the king. Within each province Kongo district chiefs governed in their respective areas, and at the village level headmen were accountable to the district chiefs. The king was elected from the male descendants of the individual who had conquered the area. Although he was a member of the aristocracy and appeared to have absolute power, the king was in fact subject to the control of a council of elders who could depose him.† Soon after Diego Cao’s discovery the Portuguese government established diplomatic relations with the kingdom that fostered socioeconomic exchanges[45]. The influence of that union brought Catholicism to Zaire (The Democratic Republic of the Congo), along with Portuguese customs[46]. The preceding[47].: â€Å"†¦ greatly facilitated development of the slave trade in the region. Slaves purchased from the Kongo provided cheap labour for plantations on nearby Portuguese islands and, subsequently, the Americas† The slave trade escalated into an issue as it depopulated vast areas and also resulted inborder raids thus causing warefare with neighboring tribes[48]. The economics of the slave trade cause fighting within Zaire itself as rival groups fought for dominance[49]. Internal infighting over â€Å"†¦the slave trade undermined political authority and created social stratification in the kingdom† [50]. The history of the Congo was not as politically charged as Rwanda, yet as has been the case in all Afgrican countries, the paths to independence and after have been faught with issues. In addition to the slave trade, there was also the ivory trade that brought Arabs into the Congo fostered the slave trade as well as in ivory[51]. In the late 1950s the subject of decolonialisation was brought up by President Charles de Gaulle for the French colonies in Africa fueling the desire for the same status in the Congo[52]. The Belgians â€Å"†¦were given some indication of the extent of Congolese nationalist feeling when riots broke out in the capital† in 1959[53]. The change in the overall political approach to Africa fostered the offering of free elections in 1960 and resulted in installing â€Å"†¦Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president of the renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo† [54]. Lumumba’s victory was by a narrow margin, with his party gaining just 24% of the 137 seats in the Assembly, thus â€Å"†¦underscoring the fragmentation that existed in party affiliations† [55]. As a result of the foregoing independence did not achieve the expectations that the country dreamed of. Within two weeks of the elections the country plunged into a maj or crisis â€Å"†¦following the mutiny of the former colonial army and the secession of Katanga, its richest province†[56]. The new Democratic Republic of the Congo was suffering its first crisis that lasted for four years and resulted in the deployment of U.N. peacekeeping forces[57]. Patrice Lumumba was assassinated on order from then U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower as a result of his strong communist affiliations during the Cold War period[58]. That situation enabled the United States to install their hand picked selection â€Å"†¦ Joseph Desire Mobutu, who later changed his forename to Sese Seko†, who had been a sergeant in the army The preceding was accomplished by a coup d’etat in 1965[59]. Mobutu established a dictatorship that was backed up by his military cronies, as well as the United States, Belgium and France in order to ensure that communist party forces could not regain control of what was now called Zaire[60]. The foregoing alliance was needed as Mobutu faced rebellion â€Å"†¦from armed insurgents seeking to overthrow him† [61]. The arrangement failed in 1997 when the rebels forced Mobutu to flee the country[62]. Nzongola[63] helps us to understand the linkage between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) as he advises[64]: â€Å"The insurgency that brought about Mobutus demise is directly related to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the defining moment of the current political situation in the Great Lakes region. Like the ethnic cleansing in the Katanga and Kivu provinces of Mobutus Zaire, the Rwandan genocide was partly a result of the violent backlash of authoritarian regimes against the democracy movement. In the Rwanda case, the late President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, had been in power since 1973. During 20 years of personal rule, he steadfastly refused to allow Tutsi victims of the 1959 pogrom and subsequent violence, who were in exile in neighbouring countries, to return home. Under the leadership of the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF), the Tutsi diaspora in Uganda launched a military campaign to overthrow the Habyarimana regime in October 1990. France, Belgium and Mobutus Zaire came to the dictators rescue and prevented an RPF victory.† The background history on Rwanda, in terms of the Arusha Peace Agreement that was signed on 4 August 1993, brings these two countries developmental path into closer proximity [65]. The Congo shares part of its border with Rwanda, thus affording the Tutsi a location as a rallying point for raids and attacks. Nzongola tells us[66]: â€Å"In this situation, the disintegration of the Mobutu regime provided Rwanda with an opportunity to make incursions into the Kivu provinces in order to destroy the bases of the ex-FAR and the Interahamwe, beginning in August 1996. When it appeared that the Mobutu regime was militarily incapable of challenging these incursions, Rwanda and Uganda assembled a coalition of states in Eastern and Southern Africa including Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe with the objective of getting rid of Mobutu altogether.† 4.3 Common Histories Between the Two Countries The preceding historical summaries of the violent regimes in Rwanda and the Congo have a commonality, control of these respective countries. The series of conflicts in Rwanda has resulted in large refugee populations in its neighbouring countries, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo receiving the largest number of them since the genocide of 1994[67]. The displaced persons formed the foundation for the long series of conflicts in Rwanda that â€Å"†¦has had a destabilizing effect on the entire Great Lakes region, including Rwanda[68]. As set forth in Chapter 2.0 Background, the Hutus comprise approximately 85% of the Rwandan population as farmers. One of the economic problems that has and does face the country is the scarcity of land for agriculture, along with access to resources[69]. The problem has caused cultivation to encroach on wetlands as well as reserve and national park areas in order to met the demands of the poor, with the large numbers of displaced Rwandans pl acing stress on areas such as forests and other ecologically sensitive areas[70]. Given the 85% agriculturally based Hutu population in Rwanda, land scarcity represents an issue that has plagued the country since the 1980s, which has been further exacerbated by the Tutsi / Hutu conflicts. As one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, Rwanda’s land shortage problem has been an historical facet[71]. An example of the dwindling land space in Rwanda is evidenced by the fact that the average land held by household in the country has decreased from 2 ha in 1960, down to 1.2 ha in 1984, dropping to 0.7 ha in the beginning of the 1990s, and as of 2001 just under 60% of all Rwandan household held less than 0.5 ha [72]. The country has an overall area of 26,338 square km, and a population of approximately 8 million that translates into a population density of approximately 300 people per kilometre[73]. Of the foregoing overall land total 1.3 million hectares is estimated as arable, with 165,000 hectares of marshlands, of which an estimated 50% is suitable for agriculture. Agriculture is the cornerstone of the Rwandan economy, and occupies over 90% of the country’s rural area [74]. The preceding foundation, agriculture and the economy, is fraught with issues as represented by[75]: The country has a high density of population that puts extreme pressures on land area and usage. The average cultivation plot per household is around 0.6 ha, which is below the 0.9 ha as recommended by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. The preceding conditions have led to the over utilisation of the land, made more problematic by the lack of proper crop rotation techniques and nutrient use thus leading to continued degradation. The lack of the foregoing as well as conservation methods and proper equipment has further exacerbated the problem. The genocide of 1994 is still impacting land use and agriculture in that plots left to orphans and widows by family members who are deceased has not been managed properly. The land system in Rwanda is controlled under customary law that is skewed towards the partitioning of land via a father to son inheritance system. The preceding, inheritance system, makes the land system unfavorable to women as well as female children. The poverty level of the country means that agricultural are backward, lacking proper equipment, use of nutrients and crop rotation techniques. The preceding are known problems, which the Rwandan government has addressed through the following reform measures[76]: Institutions such as the Ministry of Lands, along with the Human Settlement as well as environmental Protection policies have been established since 1999. The country has moved to develop a National land Policy as well as Land Law that are dedicated to promote the use of good land management. The main innovations under the later are represented by a new legal framework that regulates the registration of land, along with the delivery of its title through a leasehold period of 99 years. It also includes a framework that regulates land planning. Under consideration is a proposal that utilises a centrally based and computerized National Land Information System to facilitate an accurate as well as complete land database through which effective land management can be put into place. The foregoing includes district centres to gather information through survey and documentation of titles, as well as closer liaison in terms of overseeing and delivering land management procedures and utilisation. Limited natural resources in Rwanda, as represented by columbite-tantalite, cassiterite, and wolframite are the most important minerals, followed by small deposits of gold and sapphires[77]. Agriculture represents 43% of the country’s economy, which primarily consists of coffee and tea exports that have yet to return to the pre 1996 genocide levels[78]. The country’s agricultural system is comprised primarily of small family farms that keep approximately 80% of their output for their own consumption, thus leaving little for export[79]. Typical family farm growth crops consists of bananas 62.5%, sweet potatoes – 17.9%, Cassava – 4.5%, Irish potatoes – 4.3%, beans and peas – 3.9%, sorghum – 2.9%, maize – 1.4% along with wheat, soya and groundnuts[80]. In total, the planted areas still represent 87% of the 1994 levels[81]. Economically the country achieved a growth rate of 6.6% in the

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Cheese report :: essays research papers

String Cheese Place of Origin: Although snack-size sticks of mozzarella are now sold under this name, true string cheese originated in Syria, and often comes in a braided rope. The flavor is similar to mozzarella, but saltier. Ingredients: String cheese is usually made from Mozzarella cheese. The ingredients used to make Mozzarella cheese consists of: pasteurized part-skimmed cow's milk with starter cultures, enzymes, and salt. It can also come in smoked and unsmoked versions, often with garlic and onion added. Methods of Making: String cheese is mainly made from mozzarella cheese. The only difference is it’s molded rather than extruded, but otherwise the cheeses are very similar. Mozzarella is made with pasteurized part-skimmed cow's milk with starter cultures, enzymes, and salt. Ripening of Curing Time: String cheeses are domestic products, which are sold as fresh cheese without aging. String cheese belongs in the Italian category of ‘pasta filata’, for which the typical procedure involves a heat treatment of a cheddared curd at temperatures between 65-70 °C. Such cheese is often made from un-pasteurized milk with high acidity; the heat treatment of the curd assures that the cheese is safe to eat and generally has a shelf life of several weeks if kept in proper cold storage. Smoked String cheese has prolonged shelf life due to the preservative effect of smoking. Description of Cheese: Sting cheese has is pale yellow/white with a smooth texture. It is roughly cylindrical, about 6 inches long and less than 1 inch in diameter. It has a sweetly mild flavor with almost no odor or aftertaste. Uses: It is nearly always mozzarella but can be another semi-soft cheese instead. String cheese is eaten by pulling "strings" of cheese from the cylinder along its length and eating these strings. It is considered a â€Å"snack food.† It is also known to be added to salads and pizzas. Proper Storage: Soft cheeses spoil quickly and must be refrigerated until used. To prevent drying out, cheese should be carefully covered with a moist cloth, waxed paper or foil. Whenever possible, the original wrapper or cover should be left on the cheese. This cheese may also be frozen, but this may cause the cheese to become dry and crumbly. The cheese should be packaged in small pieces weighing a pound or less and used as soon after thawing as possible. Interesting Information: Cheddar may come in first, but Mozzarella is runner-up when it comes to per capita consumption in the U.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero Essay -- Red Badge Courage

The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane explores the theme of courage and heroism in depth. He develops these themes through the main character, Henry Fleming. Henry is a naà ¯ve young man faced with the harsh realities of war, in this book, some argue that Henry is transformed into a heroic "quiet manhood" while others see Henry as the same young man who ran from battle in the beginning of the book. I think Henry doesn't change, his heroic status acquired at the end of the book isn't truly him, instead he merely is motivated by fear of dying and being rejected by his fellow soldiers.    At the beginning of the novel Henry is disappointed of war; he had far greater expectations of war. He wants one thing out of this experience, Glory, and he would go to any extreme to fulfill it. In battle Henry acts impulsively and is easily manipulated, he flees from battle at the sight of others running. When he realizes his cowardice he rationalizes without end to why he ran. He justifies that nature also flees at the sight of fear when he scares a squirrel to runoff. Henry acts shallow and vain when he manipulates his friend, Wilson; he uses the letters Wilson gave him as leverage if Wilson finds out Henry's "crimes". His pride is restored when he finds out that he doesn't get caught. He is constantly comparing himself to others, and doesn't judge himself by the same standards as he does others. I think Henry is envious of his friends. The only thing the tattered man wanted is warm pea soup and a warm bed, but he wants to survive to be there for his children. I think Henry admires the tattered man's selflessness and courage, he never really complained abo... ...ck at his General for calling them mule drivers by dying in battle. In reality Henry was an insignificant soldier and the General would never care whether he died in battle or not. To me, a hero doesn't try to hide behind his insecurities, like Henry did, he faces them.    In conclusion, I think Henry was not a hero in this novel, in fact I thought he acted more like a coward. Though during brief periods of time Henry physically acted heroically, his moral character was weak, trying to cover up his psychological wounds with self-justification and delusion. I think towards the end of the novel Henry abandons the notion of becoming a hero, mostly because it is unrealistic. Instead, he settles with a more humble title of being a man.    Work Cited: Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage.   Logan, IA:   Perfection Learning Corporation, 1979.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Pros and Cons of High Fructose Corn Syrup Essay -- Artificial Sweetene

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Abstract: High-fructose corn syrup is a commonly used artificial sweetener in foods. High-fructose corn syrup is a hydrolyzed version of ordinary corn syrup, which is produced via a steeping process. It is so widely used because it is both economically favorable and it helps to preserve food for extended periods of time. However, the drawbacks of high-fructose corn syrup include issues like potential obesity, diabetes, loss of liver function, malnutrition, and cancer. The fact that the producers of high-fructose corn syrup can deceive people that HFCS is harmless makes matters worse. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener commonly used in the United States. As its name implies, this sweetener is derived from agricultural corn. All high fructose corn syrups are corn syrups whose fructose content has been increased via enzymatic processes and then mixed with pure corn syrup. There are several different formulations of high-fructose corn syrup. The product sold in the United States (HFCS #2) has the following composition: moisture, 29%; dry substance, 71% D.S.; dextrose, 50% D.S.; ash, 0.03 D.S.; and nitrogen, 0.002% D.S. The amounts of dextrose, fructose, and other saccharides may vary slightly in HFCS #3, but the analysis is fairly consistent. HFCS #1 hasn’t been commercially sold specifically for consumer consumption in the U.S. for many years. Instead, it is used by food producers in their products. 2 The process by which high fructose corn syrup is made is complicated. To start, ordinary corn syrup must be obtained. Then, enzymatic processes increase its original sweetness. To produce the basic un-enhanced corn syrup, wet milling is a commonly used technique. Wet-milling includ... ...Jones. 2006. 24 July 2008. . Forristal, Linda. â€Å"The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup.† Westonaprice.org. Ed. Linda Forristal. 2003. 24 July 2008. . Inglett, George E. Symposium: Sweeteners. Westport, Connecticut: The Avi Publishing Company, Inc., 1974. HFCSFacts.com. 2008. The Corn Refiners Association. 25 July 2008. Steindom, Joel. â€Å"My Food Manifesto, Part One: The Bad News.† Steidom.com. Ed. Joel Steindom, Heather Steindom. 2007. 24 July 2008. . National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Sweeteners: Issues and Uncertainties. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1975. Lachmann, Alfred. Starches and Corn Syrups. New Jersey: Noyes Data Corporation., 1970.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Airbus V Boeing

Airbus v. Boeing Unit 8 Case Study MT330-01 International Marketing Kaplan University Christina Olson November 14, 2011 Airline manufacturers must compete with one another to be successful, and have the most birds in the sky. Boeing and Airbus are the two largest manufacturers for commercial aircraft, especially those used for long flights. Iberia Airlines wanted to purchase up to 12 brand new jumbo jets from one of these manufacturers. Enrique Dupuy, Iberia’s CFO, set a price that he wanted the company to pay for the aircraft and then started a bidding war between the two super jumbo jet manufacturers. Negotiation between two major companies like Airbus and Boeing can make a marketing strategy very strong or the complete opposite, it can cause a strategy to crumble to pieces in an instant. Airbus and Boeing both have dedicated sales representatives, Bight of Boeing and Leahy to their jobs very serious and developed a marketing plan like none other. These two gentlemen understood one important thing when it comes to marketing, plans must be able to adapt to change at any given moment. Prior to the beginning of the negotiation Airbus had an advantage of Boeing. Iberia Airline were currently using the manufacturers largest plane (Michaels, 2003). Airbus had already established a solid reputation with the airline company. Dupuy was familiar with Airbus’s resale guarantee, which was hard to beat by any other company (Michaels, 2003). Although Airbus had previous history with the airline company, Dupuy wanted to look at other manufacturers to get the best competitive price. Bright was personally contacted by Iberia Airlines to begin a negotiation process in hopes that he would be able to meet the predetermined price set by Dupuy (Michaels, 2003). Bright’s marketing strategy was geared to the fact that these planes could save more money in the long run while earning more revenue. He not only explained to Dupuy Boeing 777 could hold 24 more seats than Airbus which generated more revenue per flight (Michael, 2003). These aircrafts also used less fuel, allowing for expense to be dispersed to areas other than fuel (Michaels, 2003). Leahy did not let the extra seats and lower fuel usage discourage him during negotiations. During the meeting with Dupuy, Leahy reminded Dupuy that Airbus guarantees resale value of all aircraft plus the lower initial cost of purchasing the aircraft (Michaels, 2003). He provided numbers of how much the company would save by keeping Airbus, the price of extra parts and pilot training (Michaels, 2003). All of these costs were expense that would save the airline company millions of dollars upfront. Despite the good marketing and negotiation strategies by both manufacturing companies, Dupuy was not happy. Dupuy set a price that he wanted the two corporations to meet, or he would look into purchasing used aircraft (Michaels, 2003). This made both men return to their home company and refigure the marketing strategies. Each company offered perks such as financing, maintenance discounts, and sufficient amount of parts. Negotiation between the aircraft manufacturer and the airline company was not an easy task. Each time Bright or Dupuy offered a new contract; Dupuy rejected it asking for more discounts in price. He would also contact the other manufacturer, causing uproar to try to beat the prior suggested contract. The negotiation between Iberia Airlines and the manufacturing companies went on for over a year. Bright and Leahy were constantly adjusting their marketing strategy to fit the need of the airline company. These two men had to not only negotiate with the airline company but with the finance company and the company that makes the parts and engines (Michaels, 2003). It was a never ending task until Dupuy finally decided on which company enter into contract with. During the end of the negotiations, Dupuy stood firm in his set price; he refused to settle. Boeing and Airbus had very strong marketing strategies that had to change constantly in order to not only meet the expectations of the buyer but to overcome the bid of the competitor. Even though Boeing had strong factors, such as the decreased fuel expense and increased income from more passengers, Airbus won the negotiation. Leahy was able to meet all of the expectations set by Dupuy, better financing, decreased price but most of all the guarantee return on sale of the aircraft for 20 years (Michaels, 2003). During the negotiation process both aircraft manufacturers were focused mainly on numbers. Another aspect of a marketing strategy should have been safety and consumer choice. Airbus was noted to have a system that not all pilots trust â€Å"Fly-by-the-wire,† causing planes to malfunction and plunge 100s of feet in seconds (Bland, 2009). Both of these factors can play a major role in how many passengers choose to fly with one airline company over another because of the aircraft used. Had either of the manufacturers used these two simple areas in their marketing strategy the negotiation outcome could have been different. Reference Bland, A. (July 1, 2009). The Big Question: Why was another Airbus crashed, and is flying Becoming more risky?. The Independent, Retrieved from http://www. independent. co. uk/news/world/africa/ the-big-question-why-has-another -airbus-crashed-and-is-flying-becoming-more-risky-1726056. html Michaels, D. (March 10, 2003). Boeing and Airbus in the Dogfight to Meet Stringent Terms of Iberia’s Executives. The Wall Street Journal Europe, Dow Jones & Co. –

Competency Goal Six Essay

To maintain a commitment to professionalism I will introduce daily opportunities for the children within the classroom to explore their surrounding world through play, examination, art and science activities and much more. The children will be encouraged to explore each center within the classroom; these centers will be set up based upon the theme of the week. There will be an art, library, block area, home living, manipulative and science/sensory center within the classroom. At times some of these centers may be changed according to the theme plan for the week. A lesson plan will be posted for the parents to view each week. At the end of the day there is a daily event note posted on the door to let each parent view what we had done for the day. Along with a â€Å"toddler gram/infant gram† note that will go home with each child stating the art activity, the science/sensory activity, the gross motor activity (outside play), as well as diaper change/potty time, what we had for snack and lunch and any reminders for the following day. Also we have incorporated a monthly calendar. Each parent may take this home to give them an idea of the theme that we will be doing each week, any important dates that are coming up and any reminders that may be needed. Twice per year there are conference times set up for the parents to meet with teachers in regards to the progress of their child and what we will be working on for the remainder of the year. The parents are encouraged to attend one or both of these. If the parents have questions or concerns they are encouraged to ask at anytime, whether it is daily or at the time of the conferences. Also if a parent would like to have a consultation before or after the arranged times they are also encourage to seek this opportunity at any time. For personal growth I will attend any workshop that will encourage and help me implement various activities within the classroom.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Response to Beauty and the Beast

In every culture and throughout every generation the presence of fairytales and folklore has been evident, because just as each culture has its own morals and manners, so does every culture need its own fairytales to represent what is important to those people at that time in that place.While there are many fairytales told to children around the world every year, there are none so famous as Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont, a story in which a young maiden who is kind-hearted and loving to her father learns to love and appreciate a Beast, looking beyond his appearance to his soul.This fairytale represents a great deal of the important morals and values that are important to every generation, especially during the time it was written. The basic belief in goodness, faithfulness to one’s family, and the ability to love someone for who there are and not what they are becomes the themes of this fairytale, and the interpretation of its meaning becomes apparen t through analyzation of the characters and their actions. Fairytales can tell us a great deal about the time and place in which it was developed.Beauty and the Beast was written in 1756 by a French writer living in England and was based upon a folktale that was well-known at the time. The author wrote it to be included in a book for use by governesses when teaching their young female scholars â€Å"of quality†, and therefore by analyzing it the audience can learn about the types of lessons that would have been taught to young girls. All of the major characteristics expected of young women are embodied by the character of Beauty: selflessness, studiousness, a love of reading, hard-working, and devoted to her father and family.Young girls would have been able to look up to a character like Beauty, and society would have encouraged girls to be like her. The main character, after all, is faithful to God, obedient to her father, and compassionate to her family despite the fact he r sister’s are selfish and jealous. She works hard even when her father loses their fortune and she is forced to run a household without luxury. The story also stresses the importance of keeping one’s promises.In the one instance where Beauty does not keep her promise to return to the Beast in one week she is overcome with guilt and runs back to him, to find that he is nearly dead because of loneliness for her. When she does the right thing and keeps her word, she is rewarded with the Beast becoming a prince who gives her his kingdom. During a time and in a place where a girl’s formal education was more geared towards rearing them to be good daughters, wives, and mothers than scholars, these traits would have resonated with the girls who were looking for heroes to mirror themselves after.Like any good fairytale, Beauty and the Beast involves romance. Each generation loves romance and loves the thought of falling in love and of a young woman meeting her prince. I n this particular fairy tale, that is slightly different because the love interest isn’t a handsome prince at first, but a Beast. At first the Beast appears to be kind: caring for he father when he ends up stranded at the castle, leaving him food, and providing a place for his horse to stay. Yet, when the father picks a rose for his daughter Beauty we see the angry, frightening side of the Beast.With Beauty, however, we only see the caring side during their long conversation every night at 9 o’clock, when he would join her for a meal. Beauty describes him as being â€Å"kind and good, and that is sufficient†. Every night he would ask her to marry him, having fallen completely in love with her for her beauty and her kindness of heart. When Beauty decides to marry him for his goodness and is able to overlook his appearance and his lack of sense, Beast turns into a handsome prince and Beauty is given a kingdom to rule next to him.This romantic aspect of the story h as drawn in many fans, but it also conveys an important message to those who read it and use it as a moral allegory. The story is meant to show that it is not what is on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside. This theme is one of the oldest and most cliched, but it is a lesson that was thought to be important to young people hundreds of years ago, as well as today. Literature from this period and of this type is known for its symbolism and this demands interpretation to understand how it all fits together.The first object that requires a deeper look is the rose, which becomes the thing that creates the entire storyline. When Beauty’s father leaves and he asks his daughter what she wants him to bring back, she asks simply for a rose. When her father takes the rose from the Beast’s garden he is confronted by the Beast, who says that he loves his roses more dearly than anything, and that in payment he demands either the father’s life or one of his daug hters.Of course, Beauty submits herself to whatever fate she will have at the Beast’s hands, but what is interesting about the rose is that she becomes, in a way, the Beast’s most prized possession, much like the rose itself. At the end of the fairytale the two greedy sisters are turned into statues by the fairy, who says they will remain that way until they repent of their wrongs and so they can always see Beauty’s joy.The morals of the time would have taught young women to not be selfish, and that being that way would turn them into bitter old women, just as the sisters are turned into statues. The fairytale of Beauty and the Beast is one that is widely known and loved. Movies, books, and cartoons have all been made based on it, and in terms of literature, it holds up as a story that is beautiful and that would have been used to teach morals and values to generations of young women.While times change and the definition of womanhood changes with it, the values taught within Beauty and the Beast are not all to be disregarded. The idea that we can fall in love with someone for who they are and not how they look is one that still resonates, and the ability to be the best we can be and do what is right is also a value that everyone should embody. This story was meant as a moral allegory to young women and children, and today it still stands up as a fairytale to be told through the ages.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

University Study Skills

Students need to make a number of adjustments when starting university. Critically discuss some of these adjustments in terms of skills brought with them, and new skills that must be developed. Draw on relevant SSK12 material in your essay. ————————————————- In this essay it will be argued that even though students may bring with them such skills as competence in writing secondary school essays and reports, good comprehension and grammar and motivation to succeed with them to university, there are other skills they will need to develop as well as refine those they already possess.The main skills which any new student will need to develop in order to succeed at university are critical thinking, which also includes critical reading, reflective thinking, learning independently and adjusting to the concept of the university culture which has its own languages and behaviours. Ne w students are likely to experience a cultural clash as university possesses its own culture, and sub-cultures. Adjustments will have to be made with students needing to develop bicultural habits. As Kolb asserts, students entering higher education will have to engage in ‘learning how to learn’ (Kolb 1981).The lead-up to the first study period, as well as the first study period itself, of a student’s beginning in university can be a massive culture shock. Some students may develop the feeling of uncertainty as to whether they have made the right choice about pursuing higher education and whether they are even likely to succeed. This can be observed by reading some of the student comments on the SSK12 Facebook page during the first weeks of the first study period. In other cases we may see students that take on a particular discipline and after a period of time find that they no longer have a desire to pursue that discipline.There may be few opportunities for stud ents in these positions to change disciplines. This is primarily due to the fact each discipline has its own sub-culture within the greater university culture. As Kolb has discussed, there are many faculties within the university, each have their own conventions that are unique to themselves such as language, values, ideas and norms (Kolb 1981). This impending transition may be too much for a student who has already had to become acculturated and has potentially experienced a culture shock.The average individual can be affected by several cultures, for example and not necessarily restricted to, culture of family, culture of the workplace and culture of religion. The culture of university is but one of the cultures that can make a big impact on the individual. Students are faced with a new workload that may come with a pace of instruction that is probably faster and more intense than what they may be used to. There is a potential to feel overwhelmed at first and ways to overcome this may be to develop habits of early preparation, prioritising and time management.There is an expectation that students need to be self-motivated and independent. There will be some guidance available but the general expectation is that the individual should know their own deadlines and the amount of study that is required. This may take some adjustment for individuals as they may be reeling from the cultural demands that university has already begun to place upon them. If they are studying more than one subject in their first study period they will have already potentially experienced the distinction in sub-cultures.For example, Ballard and Clanchy have noted that each sub-culture will have its own language and values and the new student will have to navigate themselves through an unsteady transition between cultures (Ballard and Clanchy 1988). Individuals also need to develop critical thinking as it is a cornerstone of university studies. Warren contends that critical thinking is n ecessary to university studies as an individual cannot â€Å"process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, or articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking† (Warren 1995, 4).I can support this through my own experience as critical thinking has been an important component of my university studies to date. One may see, however, that some individuals may have difficulties bringing themselves around to this mode of thinking as critical thinking involves developing an impersonal approach and attempting to put aside any biases that the individual may possess about particular subjects. Critical thinking may also involve critical reading and this may also be a foreign concept to the new student.One needs to get into the habit of identifying theses in readings rather than just ‘reading’ – ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’, as it were. Once the thesis has been identified the argument then needs to be ana lysed and criticised. Any evidence within the reading needs to be assessed. Any conclusions reached need to be examined as well as whether they are supported by evidence. Any other alternatives also need to be considered. In short, the individual will need to read more widely than what they may be used to and in a more analytical fashion. Reflective thinking is another skill that students must develop as it is a valuable tool.Reflection is integral to learning and assists in critical thinking as it starts with being self-critical in order to learn and improve. As Marshall and Rowland assert, ‘thinking about your own thinking, or metacognition, will give you insights into how you go about your learning, and is important if you want to change or adapt study behaviours’ (Marshall and Rowland 2006 9). Warren further asserts that ‘critical thinking is necessary to learning. One cannot process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, o r articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking.As such, the critical self is integral to learning itself’ (Warren 1995). Reflective thinking makes the individual ask themselves what may be working, what is not working and what may require improvement. Some students may already bring a form of this skill with them to university. I can support this through my personal experience in this area. I served in the police force for thirty years and the procedure in the police force was to conduct ‘debriefs’ of incidents that we were involved in. The police debrief was always framed in the format of discussing what went well and what could be done better.Every individual involved in that particular incident was expected to contribute. The expectation was that this process would lead to constant improvement in performance. It is a very similar process to reflection within university learning. One method of reflective thinking that students may learn a great deal from is through the keeping of a reflective journal, also known as a learning log. Pavlovich asserts that reflective journals are an invaluable aid in the development of self-awareness and inner leadership (Pavlovich 2007).The use of a reflective journal aids in developing the individual as a critical thinker as the very nature of its use forces the user to be critical of themselves and lead to change and improvement. Students will also need to develop the skill of speaking and writing in academic English. This is part of the acculturation to the university culture of which language is a major part. Students will have to learn very quickly to become bicultural. In their written work they will have to learn to avoid contractions and develop the passive voice over the active voice.Academic English is specific whereas informal English, that the student may be used, to is rather vague. Academic English is also often structured in a cautious manner whereas informal English is often stru ctured in a more definite manner. Using my own personal experience to add support to this, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of formal English having come from the police force where, for example, great care goes into compilation of files for the prosecutors to proceed with, but I have also had to make adjustments and become bicultural through working on my own understanding and application of academic English.The new student may bring skills with them to university but they will be confronted with the need to refine these skills and indeed develop new skills in order to survive at university. Skills that will need to be developed will include the need for critical and reflective thinking, critical reading and adjustment to independent learning. Students will also have to become acculturated to university which possesses its own culture and sub-cultures which are separate to what they may be used to. REFERENCES Avruch, Kevin. 2002. Culture and Conflict Resolution.Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press. Ballard, Brigid, and John Clanchy. 1988. Literacy in the university: An ‘anthropological’ approach. In Literacy by Degrees, ed G. Taylor, et al. , 7-23. Milton Keynes: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. Beasley, Colin. 2012. Communicating at University. Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Bizzell, Patricia. 1986. What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College? College Composition and Communication. 37(3). Grant, Barbara. 1997.Disciplining Students: the construction of student subjectivities. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18(1): 101-114. Hobson, Julia. 1996. â€Å"Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self†. SSK12 lecture transcript. Ed. Lorraine Marshall. Perth: Murdoch University. Kolb, David A. 1981. â€Å"Learning styles and disciplinary differences. † In The Modern American College. Ed. A. W. Chickerine & Associates, 232-235 and 251-252. S an Francisco: Jossey Bass. Marshall, Lorraine, and Frances Rowland. 2006. A guide to learning independently. th ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Pavlovich, Kathryn. 2007. The development of reflective practice through student journals. Higher Education Research and Development 26 (3): 281-295. Samovar, Larry A. , and Richard E. Porter. 2004. Communication Between Cultures. 5th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Vivekananda, Kitty, and Penny Shores. 1996. Uni is Easier When You Know How: Success Stories, Study Secrets, Strategies. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger. Warren, Karen. 1995. ‘The critical self’. Perth: Murdoch University.