7-Eleven Company Essay

The Opportunities: Like many others companies, 7-Eleven also has lot of opportunities. The opportunity in this company is fresh food provided. Every morning, fresh meal will be available at 7-Eleven store for people to take away and get a quick breakfast. (Paradise, 2014) Next, the appearance of freebies and discounts is also opportunity in this company. Discounts are gives depends on what its business partners offer. Sometimes when it comes to certain seasons, 7-Eleven will has it own attraction as it is giving out freebies to customer when they purchase certain amount. It is because the new trend is increasing among the customers that they like freebies and discounts. Even it is not what they need it or whether they want to use these freebies after, they still want to have it. (Paradise, 2014) Besides, the opportunity in this company is not many convenient stores open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Therefore, 7-Eleven is one of the store that people can stop by in the middle of the night only to g et whatever they need. (Paradise, 2014) COMPETITOR ANALYSIS: 99 Speedmart 7-Eleven KK Mart Number of outlets nationwide450 Outlets nationwide1,497 Outlets nationwide62 Outlets nationwide Operating hours10 a.m. – 10 p.m.24 Hours 24 Hours   Products availableGroceries & freshmartGroceries, fresh foods, ATM and photocopying services.Groceries, fresh foods, ATM and photocopying services. Benefits to customerTrolley providedPoints by business partnersNone Freebies and DiscountNoneFreebies based on seasons & Discount depends on business partnersNone 99 Speedmart is a rapid growing convenient store chain which was founded in 1987 by Mr. Lee Thiam Wah who is the director of the company itself. More than 450 outlets nationwide, 99 Speedmart keep expanding the business and  also struggling to be top in the market. 99 Speedmart also provides same product like 7-Eleven only without services like ATM machine and also bills payment. 99 Speedmart provides trolley services for its customers. (99 Speedmart, 2014) While another competitor is KK Mart which is under KK Group founded in year 2001, comes with the desire of becoming a household name throughout Malaysia and beyond the shores. Founded by Dato’ Dr Chai Kee Kan also known as KK Chai, KK Mart has over 62 outlets nationwide and keeps expanding. KK Mart also operates 24 hours everyday which make it a good competitor to 7-Eleven. (KK Group, 2014) From the table above, we can compare how good is each of the convenient store. 7-Eleven is considered as the best and stronger convenient store company in the market. 7-Eleven has the most outlets nationwide which makes it is the easiest to find by customers anywhere they are. Besides 7-Eleven operates 24 hours which in case of emergency it can be very useful to customers. Futhermore, 7-Eleven sells products and even services which make it has lot of variety to customers. Even when customers purchase products at 7-Eleven, they can get points when they are the member of 7-Eleven’s business partners. Lastly, 7-Eleven do provides discounts and freebies based on offerings and seasons. MARKETING MIX: †¢Marketing mix means focus on the product, pricing, placement, promotion, people, process and physical evidence. †¢Marketing strategies consist customer orientation, input, and accessibility in the struggle to the be the leader of the market. †¢After the business manage to find the key factor, analyzed the market, target segment and understanding the demands, every business or every company needs to come up with formula to accelerate the growth and progress of the company. †¢For which 7-Eleven uses 7P’s of marketing mix such as: – Product – Price – Place – Promotion – People – Process – Physical Evidence Product Strategies: Every day, products available only at 7-Eleven ® bring millions of loyal customers through franchisees’ doors. A leader in bringing fresh items into the convenience space, 7-Eleven delivers fresh sandwiches, salads, fruits and pastries daily. 7-Eleven also has a full line of 7-Select ® private label products, which offer customers food items they love at low everyday prices. And of course, no one can forget about 7-Eleven’s legendary, iconic products, like the Slurpee ® drink, Big Gulp ® drink and famous coffee. When buying products, 7-Eleven aims to be the first to have great new items, get the best products in the category, be the only retailer to carry certain products 7-Eleven has new item introductions weekly, and continuously reinvests in product development. Vast Buying Power, Great Margins 7-Eleven buys for more than 6,700 stores in the U.S. alone. This buying power helps 7-Eleven negotiate favorable pricing and terms that let franchisees offer products to customers at great prices while retaining maximum profit margins. ( franchise.7-eleven.com,2014) Pricing Strategies: Convenient stores compete with each other in coffee price, fountain drinks price, and other private-owned products price. Prices for items that the stores buy from vendors are not significantly different. Due to it is the top company, 7-eleven prices its private label products relatively high compare to other convenient stores. In addition, the company has the potential to set high price for the items that other convenient stores do not carry. (klse.i3investor.2014) Placement Strategies: 7-Eleven pioneered the convenience store in 1927 at Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In 1954, the company opened a store outside of the state of Texas. 7-Eleven then expanded internationally when it opened stores in Mexico in 1971. In the same year, the company targeted England and Scotland as its first entry in European market. Three years later, 7-Eleven opened the first store in Japan. Then after years of growing its stores internationally, 7-Eleven international open its 25,000th store in 2006. In 2009, 7-Eleven has more than 35,000 stores in at least 18 countries worldwide, with its largest market in Japan, the United States, Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand (businesstoday, 2014) Promotion Strategy: Recently, 7-Eleven started to add a bonus for everyone entering the 7-Eleven Day instant win game on the Slurpee website. After entering the instant win game, they will receive a code and website link to urchase $7.11 lawn tickets for concerts at select Live Nation venues across the country. In addition, 7-Eleven made collectible slurpee cups and slurpee straws featuring Domo & quot the fuzzy brown creature with a trademark enigmatic open-mouth expression that is taking 7-Eleven store by storm this fall & quot. 7-elevent also Domo-nized its food and beverages, such as the Big Bite and hot dog. Energy drink. CEO Rich Collins of Big Tent Entertainment, the marketing and licensing company for Domo, cmmented & quot because Domo has such a hugely devoted, cult-like following among kids, teens and young adults, we believe he’s a perfect match for 7-Eleven and its iconic Slurpee brand & quot (afrbiz.2014). People Strategy: People are an essential ingredient in service provision; recruiting and training the right staff is required to create a competitive advantage. Customers make judgments about service provision and delivery based on the people representing your organisation. This is because people are one of the few elements of the service that customers can see and interact with. The praise received by the volunteers (games makers) for the London 2012  Olympics and Paralympics demonstrates the powerful effect people can create during service delivery. Staff require appropriate interpersonal skills, aptititude, and service knowledge in order to deliver a quality service. In the UK many organisations apply for the â€Å"Investors in People† Accreditation to demonstrate that they train their staff to prescribed standards and best practices. http://www.learnmarketing.net/servicemarketingmix.htm Process Strategy: Because of the 7-Eleven franchise cost, many small business owners need to look for help with funding. Many companies don’t offer financing. Instead, they may recommend a company already familiar with its business practices to help you gain the financing you need to initiate your franchise application. This company does offer new franchise owners financing up to 65 percent. This financing covers only the initial franchise fee. As you complete your independent research, you’ll be able to determine if the 7-Eleven franchise cost is worth the risk. Meet with your personal financial adviser to see if you’re financially able to make this large of an investment. Once you start the application process, it doesn’t take long before your store will be up and running. In fact, the company says it can take less than 120 days to move through the nine-step application process. (business.answer.2014) Physical Evidence Strategy: Physical evidence is about where the service is being delivered from. It is particularly relevant to retailers operating out of shops. This element of the marketing mix will distinguish a company from its competitors. Physical evidence can be used to charge a premium price for a service and establish a positive experience. For example all hotels provide a bed to sleep on but one of the things affecting the price charged, is the condition of the room (physical evidence) holding the bed. Customers will make judgments about the organisation based on the physical evidence. For example if you walk into a restaurant you expect a clean and friendly environment, if the restaurant is smelly or dirty, customers are likely to walk out. This is before they have even received the service. http://www.learnmarketing.net/servicemarketingmix.htm CONCLUSION: Marketing strategies applied by 7-Eleven clearly gives the all the information that is necessary for the growth and development of a business The strategies that are implemented by 7-Eleven consist many basic essentials features like innovative ideas, market research, customers views, forecasting consumers demand, organizing and planning. In this modern world, the demand for goods such as groceries are increasing at an alarming rate because it is a daily needs products that customers will always buy and buy everyday. Most of the companies carry different types of marketing strategies in order to serve their customers in a more efficient and better ways than their competitors as they want their business to be stable in the market and can survive for such a long term. Reference Available at: http://www.7eleven.com.my/html/default.aspx?ID=2&PID=12 [Accessed 17 September2014]. Available at: http://www.99speedmart.com.my/history.htm [Accessed 17 September 2014]. Available at: http://kkgroup.my/KKGroup/ [Accessed 18 September 2014]. Available at: http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/principles-management-p-o-m/208076-swot-analysis-7-eleven.html [Accessed 20 September 2014]. Available at: http://franchise.7-eleven.com/franchise/product-strategy [Accessed 21September 2014] Available at: http://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/ipo/52090.jsp [Accessed 22 September 2014] Available at: http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/london-business-school-case-study-on-7-eleven/1/194769.html [Accessed 22 September 2014] Available at: http://www.afrbiz.com.au/case-studies/7-eleven-revitalising-the-slurpee-brand/Page-6.html [Accessed 22 September 2014] Available at: http://business.answers.com/franchise/exploring-the-7-eleven-franchise-process [Accessed 22 September 2014]

Contemporary Status of Women in the Us Essay

Women have come a long way from the early 1900’s when they gained their equal right to vote, to now where it seems women have equal rights to do just about anything. Women have been increasingly joining the economic work force since the last 100 years or so. Although, women in the work force have been increasing in numbers are they given an equal and fair chance compared to that of men? A quick glance on the subject would suggest that women are given equal and fair chances in the work force; however, upon closer inspection it seems women in fact are not given the same fair and equal opportunities as men. Women are subjected to occupation gender segregation and unfair pay gaps in comparison to men. Nevertheless, women are working diligently and successfully to break down these unjust barriers that are keeping them from having equal opportunities. According to Margaret L. Andersen and Dana Hysock Witham, in Thinking about Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender, gender segregation is â€Å"the pattern whereby women and men are situated in different jobs thought the labor force† (128). This can be made an example of in obvious occupations such as: kindergarten and preschool teachers, nurses, librarians, and house cleaners, versus college professors, doctors, lawyers, and construction works. The former, when typically imagined, the first image that comes to mind is a woman, whereas the latter is associated with a man. These occupations are associated with certain genders because generally speaking those jobs are and have traditionally been a certain gender dominated. Philip N. Cohen, and Matt L. Huffman, in Occupational Segregation and the Devaluation of Women’s Work Across U. S. Labor Markets, hypothesis that gender segregation in the workforce exists because of the â€Å"discrimination both in the allocation of workers across the job categories and in how female-dominated jobs are rewarded relative to male-dominated jobs† (882). Women are â€Å"blocked access† to typical male dominated jobs because of social ideas and cultural norms that say that women cannot effectively do the work of men, which requires intellect, leadership, hard labor, and other skills traditionally associated with men. Rather, women are kept in low paying jobs that often do not lead to promotions and involve skills that they have traditionally been known for, such as cooking, cleaning, taking care of children, obeying men’s orders, and things of that nature. Because women and men are kept in jobs that relate to their traditional gender based skills, it creates a segregation of the labor force instead of creating a heterogeneous labor force were men and women are equally interested in and are hired in certain occupations. Women’s work is also often undervalued in society, especially in comparison to the work of men. Because of this undervaluing of women’s work women are additionally rewarded far less than men are. A wage gap is the difference between the earnings of men and women in the workforce. Today â€Å"women earn only 77 percent of what men earn, at least on average† (DeNavas-Walt qtd. in Andersen and Hysock Witham 137). The wage gap between women and men can be attributed to occupational segregation and wage discrimination. Occupational segregation places women in lower skilled jobs that underutilize and devalues women’s skills and potential to work and be successful in the labor force (Karamessini and Ioakimoglou 34). Employers usually pay their employee’s wages that they see fit in relation to, how much they deem an employee and his or her skills are worth in the company, and how they contribute to the company. Because women’s work and skills are undervalued by a majority of society they are in turn paid less compared to men. Additionally, women usually seek out or are put into jobs that are women dominated. Again since women’s work is undervalued, once an occupation becomes a woman dominated occupation, the job itself becomes less valuable and people in that job eventually are paid less in that occupation compared to if it had been a male dominated occupation. The wage gap is also impacted by wage discrimination. The unequal pay of women based on gender rather than qualifications and skills is wage discrimination. In Joel T. Nadler and Margaret S. Stockdale’s article, Workplace Gender Bias: Not Just Between Strangers they quote Kolesnikova ;amp; liu , â€Å"Although the gender wage gap has been decreasing over the last thirty years there is still a difference in salary between men and women in similar careers with similar experience† (282). Women are still being paid less than men despite having equal or better fit skills and or qualifications than men. Women are making progress in making the wage gap between men and women non-existent, however, progress has been slowing. Women are slowly but surely making significant progress in leveling the playing field in the labor market for both men and women. Progress can be seen in closing the wage gap between genders and in the desegregating of gender based jobs. â€Å"The earnings gap between men and women has shrunk to a record low†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dennis 01a). Dennis attributes it to the prosperity of women in the 21century economy and the fact that the recession has negatively affected men’s pay. He additionally continues to discuss how not only has white women’s wages increased, black women’s wages have also seen an increase in the past nine years. Women’s wages have been slowly increasing and becoming even with that of men. This increase can be attributed to women breaking down barriers of gender segregation in the work force. â€Å"Women have been moving into high-paying professional jobs such as accountants, lawyers and physician† (Dennis 01a). These occupations are typically male dominated. However, it seems in recent years the occupations’ genders have been less homogenous and more of an even or close to even mixture of both genders. As women are taking over more male dominated jobs, such as perhaps managerial jobs, it seems that there are sacrifices that women have to make where as men usually do not. â€Å"Studies indicate career oriented women are more likely to delay relationships or children in order to advance their careers† (Hoffnung qtd. Nadler and Stockdale 282). Because women are taking on traditionally male dominated occupations they are under extra scrutiny and watch, therefore, women feel the pressure to perform well and make sacrifices in the name of their job. Women can feel that in order to be successful they are required to choose work over family life. The pressures over performing well in a women’s career life and also balancing their social or family life can create anxiety and unhealthy stress for women. Although, women have been successful in further closing the wage gap and breaking down gender segregation within the workforce, their progress it seems has also come at the price of choosing a career or a family. Although women have come a long way since the early 1900’s it seems that they are still subjected to unequal treatment compared to men. Women face gender segregation in the workforce which makes it difficult to attain prestigious and high paying jobs. Women are also subjected to being paid less than men regardless of having equal or superior skills. Nevertheless, women are facing these obstacles head on. Women are now more than CEO’s, they are leveling the playing field between genders in the labor force and re demanding, and showing that they deserve equal pay.

Feild note Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Feild note - Essay Example There was also the topic of female perception, which looked into the kind of ideas that adolescent girls develop after listening to and reading various kinds of advertisements. Then there was the topic of purchasing behavior, which centered on the trend of purchases made by adolescent girls in relation to what they hear from advertisements. Finally, there was focus on the effect of the decisions that girls take after acting to various forms of food and nutrition advertisements. Level of accuracy of transcription and transcription conventions: (Here you should note how accurate the transcription is and what factors affected this level. You should also note your own conventions used such as using all caps for emphasis, line breaks for pauses, etc.) The transcription can be said to be highly accurate given the strategies put in place to influence the level of accuracy with the practice. In the first place, as much as the researcher made on-the field transcription, the interview was also tape recorded with permission. This ensured that where there were lapses with the on-the field transcription, this was made up after the researcher went home. Whiles undertaking the transcription, there were clues that were personally developed to make interpretation easier. For instance CAPS were used to depict emphasis ___________________________________________________________________________ (Transcript begins below) Time Transcript (Start of Interview) Interview 1 Interviewer: Have you ever had the chance of buying the food and nutritional products that you consume on a day-to-day basis? Interviewee: Umm, I do have a chance to buy food and nutrition products that I use on daily basis. Umm†¦ I yah I do†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I go to the store and when I see them there I sometimes purchase them and sometimes I do not †¦.yeah. Interviewer: What role do your parents play in the purchasing decisions that you make? Interviewee (student A): My parents play a very important role in th e purchasing decisions that I make, especially my mom. Umm†¦. She tries to get me to be healthier. This is different to my dad, who will†¦ umm†¦ actually get me junk food to eat. Interviewer: Through which channels do you often hear about the kinds of food and nutritional products and services that you patronize? Interviewee (student A): I hear about them on TV mostly. Umm†¦ I see advertisements for healthy fruits that would be good, not just you know non healthy stuff, which is what mostly attracts me. Interviewer: When you listen to food and nutritional advertisements, what are the specific things you hear about particular products that make you choose to purchase some? Interviewee (student A): The specific things I hear about the foods that I would buy like that would make me want to choose to buy it is how healthy it can be for me and if it tastes good or not. Interviewer: Does the frequency at which you hear about a particular food or nutritional produc

Contemporary Issue Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Issue Analysis - Assignment Example ecific stages of education, and what they should be capable of doing, irrespective of socio-economic status, and other factors that contribute to inequality. It ensures equality and quality in education. Considering this description and the purpose of standardization to achieve appropriate outcomes, standardization of the curriculum is good. Standardization of the curriculum can happen at different levels, that is, at national, state, district and school levels. There is however standardization of the curriculum to fit all, which is not appropriate considering the current U.S education system. Standardization of the curriculum to fit all in this case refers to the current proposed national standards that are getting renewed as a way to reform the education system. This discussion provides reasons why the K-12 curriculum should not be standardized at the national levels. It explains the importance of standardization of the curriculum which supports standardization at state, district, and school levels, but argues against standardization to fit all. Standardization of the curriculum is good because it is a working framework for the teachers. There are different layers of standardization of the curriculum, for example, there are curriculum standards at the state level which specify the skills and content that the children are supposed to acquire at specific grades. There are standardized curricula at the local levels which are more specific, for example, that students in grade six should be taught about a specific disease’ management because of its prevalence in the district (Kendall, 2011). Standardization is important because it provides an effective way of learning; there are goals which guide the teachers, the students and the students in nurturing the society into what they want it to be. It is also beneficial to different populations; as described above, there are standardizations at different levels. It can, therefore, benefit the state, the districts, the

The american Scene no country for old men Essay

The american Scene no country for old men - Essay Example The beginning of the movie is witnessed with Sherriff and Tom Bell conversing with another character. The two characters are talking about the past of the Sheriff’s in Texas in different areas. From the camera one is able to see the vistas that are gorgeous from western Texas. The images are crisp and beautiful and the transitions look seamless. As an example, there is the depiction that there are no individuals (witnesses) when Moss spots a dog that is hobbling when he is hunting antelopes and it is at a distance. The only things that can be viewed at a distance are five to four pickup trucks with open doors. There are no witnesses or individuals to account on what has actually taken place for the trucks to look abandoned. The bareness of the land is made clear when he begins to head towards the trucks and all that can viewed are dead bodies in the tall grass with no individuals to explain the real causes of their death. The absence of witnesses is even stressed when there ar e battles in the streets with the hit men and gangs of Mexican all in the pursuit of the money in Moss possession. At the end of the movie, most of the characters that could have provided the real account of what actually took place are dead. These include the individuals Moss found dead from the drug deal, Moss himself, Clara Jean who was the wife to Moss, and store and hotel clerks that Chigurh killed (Coen & Coen). Most of the area in the movie is expansive and desolate with no homes. This, in the movie, is evidenced by an expansive desert. In addition, when moss as hunting, the land was mainly occupied by tall grass. Some of the homes that are shown in the movie are the trailer home belonging to Llewelyn Moss the Vietnam-veteran where he lived with his wife Clara Jean. From the footage there are fewer houses around their home hence the evidence that there was lack of homes. The other one is that belonging to Carla

To what extent are a company's annual report and accounts useful in Essay - 1

To what extent are a company's annual report and accounts useful in understanding and analysing its market, productive and fi - Essay Example Other than the owners, there are other internal and external parties who need to study final reports and accounts of a business like the management body, investors, creditors, government agencies, labour unions and tax authorities. This paper discusses the usefulness of annual reports in understanding a company’s market, production and financial performances. Rules of accounts The final reports and accounts of a business enterprise are prepared by the directors whose primary responsibility is to provide a â€Å"true and fair view of the state of the company’s financial position and results†2 at the end of a financial year. In every country there is the Companies Act that provides directions, rules and regulations regarding the format and content of the final accounts that need to be strictly followed. The final reports and accounts are comprised of profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement, statement of total recognised profit and loss, note on historical cost profit and losses, activities done with funds of the shareholders, notes to the accounts.3 Together these form the financial statements of a business enterprise and they reflect the strength of market relationship, productivity and financial position of the business, and whether it has the ability to sustain and develop in the competitive market in the long run. The profit and loss account which is also known as the income statement provides a summary of the activities of a business and the financial achievements in a particular financial year. It provides information about the â€Å"sales or turnover, operating expenses, exceptional items, interest payments, taxation charges and dividends paid and proposed.†4 Although the profit and loss is prepared in a prescribed format, it is designed in a manner that meets the information needs of the management.5 An example of a published profit and loss account of Pickers PLC is shown in Fig.1. Fig.1: Profit and loss ac count for the year ended 31 March 2003 ?000s ?000s Turnover 20,300 Cost of sales (13,850) Gross profit (or loss) 6,450 Distribution costs (2,314) Administration expenses (1,424) (3,738) Operating profit 2,712 Income from other fixed asset assessment investments 125 2,837 Interest payable and similar charges (813) Profit (or loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 2,024 Users of accounts The main purpose of financial statements is to â€Å"reveal the results and financial position of the business.† For this purpose in every business organization final accounts are prepared at the end of every financial year.6 In a business enterprise, it is not only the owners, shareholders or the management body who need to study the final reports and accounts but there are other internal and external parties who have equal rights to know about the financial condition and stability of the company for variable reasons. These parties are investors, employees, lenders, suppliers and other c reditors, customers, government and their agencies, and the public. Investors are those people or organizations that take risks by investing their monies to buy shares of a company. In

Agitation in long term care setting Research Paper

Agitation in long term care setting - Research Paper Example Agitation is one of the most critical issues in the long term care nursing homes across the world. Residents of such homes, due to a number of reasons, experience changes in their behavioral patterns involving agitation, distress and aggressiveness The second reason revolves around the resident nurse; dealing with agitated patients involves surviving verbal and sometimes physical abuse from the patients, which impacts negatively on nurse motivation and productivity (Zeller et al. 2009). According to the Nursing Times (2011), majority of nurses are not well prepared/trained to handle agitation. The overall impact is a threat to the quality of healthcare, hence underpinning the importance of the issue of agitation in the resident care setting. Background According to Zwicker and Fletcher (2009), agitated behavior in conditions such as dementia represents feelings and needs that are difficult to adequately verbalize. In frequent occasions, agitation is a result of an inability to commun icate needs by the long term care patient in an unpleasant environment or due to physical discomfort (Rabinowitz et al., 2005). Statistics indicate that agitation is a serious problem, with above 50% of patients in a community dwelling and above 70% of residents in nursing homes experiencing the condition. The most common manifestations of agitated behavior include physical agitation such as pacing, nervousness and repetitive movements, and verbal agitation such as complaining, using abusive language and screaming (Zwicker and Fletcher, 2009). ... Whereas this may cause discomfort in healthy individuals, the situation is worse among residents in nursing homes due to their underlying conditions, making it difficult for them to communicate. Hunger is another leading cause of agitation, with Erockson and Grove (2008) observing that Alzheimer’s patients may experience weight loss even with proper nutrition. Such patients may have abnormally high activity levels. Another important cause of agitation is the fear and disorientation among the residents in the long term care settings. For instance, dementia patients are often afraid while Alzheimer’s patients cannot recall the staff, facility, other patients and even themselves (DETP, 2001; Zieber et al., 2005). Medical causes of agitation also exist as most mental health patients may experience abrupt onset of delirium. Such cases may be due to infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and colcystitis among others (Gerdner, Buckwalter and Hall, 2005). The ex ternal environment also plays a crucial part in triggering agitation in the long term care setting. Here, the nurse takes a central position in influencing triggers of agitation either positively or negatively. Changes in medication, creating an impersonal environment and certain aspects of care cause the patients to be agitated. Failure to adequately deal with the internal determinants of agitation also contributes to the condition (Erickson and Grove, 2008). Effects on Nurses Nurses in the long term care settings not only have to manage the causes and impacts of agitation on the patients, but also impacts on themselves. First, such patients can fall under the

Oral Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oral Presentation - Essay Example Employers and other important officials are now giving priority to oral presentations and communication while recruiting fresh graduates. Although, a certain weight age is given to the written examination as well, more is judged from the person's speaking skills and the way of presenting him/herself. This has happened due to the growing number of researches that have told the gentlemen the successful formula of a successful individual. The biggest example of the employer's importance to verbal communication is the interview that is conducted twice of thrice along with the group discussion sessions that take place in many organizations in order to gauge the capabilities of these individuals while communicating with others. Therefore, as students, it becomes really important to get ready for these assessments of the future endeavors. In this enigmatic and ever-changing world, the qualities that one looks for in a person change rapidly. Over the past years, fluent communication has become more important, the pace has increased and so has the communication style. In the olden times, while the bureaucratic organizations still flourished, most of the communication was barred with formal written communication styles with much less importance given to individuality and self-expression. As times are changing, organizations are becoming more creative, so are the communication styles changing. Communication has become more creative and individualistic. In today's era, one of the most important qualities that is sought from the individuals is the ability to express oneself in their own special way. Is a person is not able to express themselves and their ideas to the concerned personnel; they lose their chance of success. The employers are giving more attention to a person's speaking abilities because it has been noticed that during a normal week of work, an employee would write less and speak more, present his or her ideas to the management, make contracts with other companies, conducting employee evaluations sessions and other sessions pertaining to office work; in short, a lot of talking. They also have to become part of formal and informal groups inside and outside the organizations where they have to prove their credibility in front of an audience without a pen or paper; a lot of communication with the help of speaking. Therefore, it is important that a person develops these habits at the right stage in time in order to excel in the later stages of life. It is also becoming more evident that as one moves up the organization, their speaking skills are given higher priority than their written skills. The reason for this is quite easy; as you move up the organization you assume the role of handling a larger number of employees under you. As the number of employees increase, more communication takes place verbally and one assumes the role of a leader of a large group of people. In such a situation, speaking rather than writing is more important as it communicates to the heart with the right kind of emotion which cannot be portrayed in the right sense through a piece of writing only (Leo, 2001). This brings us to the importance of fostering the culture of oral presentation to the university level

Process Essay How to Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process How to - Essay Example Next, once you have understood what kind of job you would be working in, researching on the different operation you will have to perform as a part of the job would be helpful, since the interview questions could bear direct or indirect relevance to the job profile. It would of great significance, to conduct a research no the company or organisation you would be working for, since you need to ensure and convince the interviewer that the mission statement fo the company coincides with your personal aim; and that a combination of the two can be of great use, mutually. Once you have done the background research, it's time you get into the groove, and reserahc on some FAQs at interviews. Numerous websites and books these days offer questions that are most often asked. Consecutive rounds in an interview could be different. For instance you could have a simulation round or a telephonic conversation round. This requires you to be spontaneous, simple and creative. It is the safest bet to be completely thorough with one's resume and be prepared for questions based on your job experiences or qualifications. Putting forth false claims no t he resume is a complete no-no, since questions on them could bowl you over! Good command over your communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is a must. Besides this, a grasp on the current affairs could be very useful as well. All said and done, we all know that exams can either be a nightmarish experience or a cakewalk, depending upon the official who sets the question paper! The same formula applies to an interview setup; the progress in your interview depends on your interviewer. Like some stereotypes that we come across in our daily lives, a close assessment on the different kinds of interviewers can leave you surprised! You simply need to prepare your interaction, on the basis of these stereotypic interviewers and lo, your job is done! Here are a few typical interviewers whom you are likely to come across in a number of interviews. The lets-talk-Business type This is the kind of interviewer, who is typically serious and jumps direct to the point. You can spot him weighing options and thinking pensively regarding his decision-making. He questions you about your past work experiences, the role you have played at your previous job, your skill-sets and the like. He does not start of by conversing or small-talk, and rather tackles all that he wants to, right away! In order to tackle this serious interviewer, take care to answer to-the-point and keep your answers informative and substantially rounded and clear. Do stress on the fact that you would be an asset for the organisation and show enough proof, to support that statement! The Simulating Brainy type He is the interviewer who conjures situations and trying circumstances and rather

Aims and objectives Essay Example for Free

Aims and objectives Essay Based on these characteristics of project management, it can be gathered that an event is also a project. What distinguishes an event from other projects is that it has a very strong marketing element because it involves many actors, from the provider of the product or service and the prospective clients. Events assembles people therefore there is a collective sense of objective. Because of this attendance, events therefore have a strong promotional element (Soares). When it comes to bars and clubs, it is important that these establishments market themselves effectively in order to maintain their businesses. These establishments rely on customer count as a source of profits especially as they sell products like food and drinks, and services such as dancing and other entertainment-based gatherings. It is therefore important that these bars and clubs ensure they have a strong patronage and customer flow in order to assure that their businesses remain competitive. In observing the bar and club scene, there is much competition especially in a city like London. In looking at resources for these events such as TimeOut, there is always a list of bars and clubs with their respective events. These events may include a theme night, a special guest DJ or performer, a concert, and other gimmicks. It can be also observed that these events are strongly driven by sponsorships such as partnerships with relevant products and services like alcoholic drinks, fashion labels, and other lifestyle related products and brands. In this regard, when it comes to the application of events management concept in bars and clubs, it is evident that these have had some successes. This therefore elicits close inspection as to how these concepts are applied and which concepts are successful. It should be noted that due to the strong marketing element in these initiatives, these bars and clubs are also subject to what is known a product life cycle a cycle in which a product or service may start to plateau and decline. Hence, this reflects as to why bars and clubs may have their time; some bars and clubs that were famous a few years ago may have already shut down or are losing customers because new concepts get introduced in the market. It can be also observed that certain event themes also went through their peak and lost their lusters; examples are the raves, the cream parties, and the bubble parties, among others. Hence, this shows that although generally, events management concepts work in the context of bars and clubs, they dont work all the time and are not necessarily sustainable. This thereby shows the strong association between a project and an event something that is unique that has beginning and an end. This research therefore aims to explore the events management concept at greater depths by means of looking at the actual applications and the industry practices. As certain events tend to become old, the turnover of new events concepts need to be examined, especially in a market with changing preferences and values. In addition to the aspect of events concepts, the management aspect is also examined by this paper. This is especially important as the market is volatile, and the entertainment and leisure sectors tend to get easily affected by economic and market challenges. This paper examines how events actually take place and how certain strategies may need to be formulated in order to respond to challenges in resources. This therefore bring up the issues on cost management and how bars and clubs intend to profit from their events. This may then bring up certain events management concepts and applications from other event genres as applied in affairs that take place in bars and clubs. The events management industry in the UK is a million-pound industry considering the number of events held in the country, from conferences to major concerts. The industry also involves many sectors including those from the hospitality, entertainment and leisure services. This research therefore localises an exploration of events management in a specific context, and identifies the important factors that can affect the relevant businesses and establishments in this sector. In order to have a substantial insight on events management concepts in the context of bars and clubs establishments, this research therefore aims to achieve and implement the following: To develop a framework of evaluation on the applicability of events management concepts as integral elements to the marketing success of bars and clubs. To establish how events management applications are integral to the success of the bars and clubs sectors. To create a workable research framework as based on the assessment of actual movements and developments in the dynamics of bar and club business in the city, especially as to how the application of events management concepts make a difference to the business of the bars and clubs. This includes both primary and secondary research. To identify the factors leading to entertainment establishment success in the context of the marketing mix, with an emphasis on the promotional dimension. Based on the sourced literature, it appears that there are a few studies with regards to events management, especially as to how these affects bars and clubs. Because of the close nature of events with projects, and due to the function of events as marketing tools especially in this specific context of the study, much of the reviewed literature touches on the marketing aspect, the project and event management resources, and some literature touching on bars, clubs, nightlife and other entertainment establishments.

The definition of children with PMLD

The definition of children with PMLD Children with profound multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) experience barriers to communication and interaction which prevent them having the full opportunity to an appropriate education. It is essential to remember that as they share the same general aims as other children in school'(Ref), that is, they need to progress to the best of their ability. In Saudi Arabia there are very few centers that provide a successful curriculum for children with PMLD (Rectory Paddock School, 1981)Be careful this looks as if Rectory Paddock school is expressing a view about education in Saudi Arabia and it didnt.). Moreover, all/some/many teachers are inexperienced and lack the ability to develop the full potential of children with PMLD. This confirms that I need to establish a greater knowledge of services in the UK and identify the positive aspects. In the past, PMLD in the UK received only rehabilitation programs that included providing basic necessities such as medical treatment and food. Rece ntly, this practice has changed to providing a successful curriculum that focuses on the needs and abilities of the individuals (Lacey Ouvry, 1998). This essay will therefore provide suggestions on how to achieve a successful curriculum for children with PMLD, helping to understand the wider concepts involved and how these children can eventually reach sufficient independence by identifying their individual needs. This essay will present the definition of children with PMLD, followed by the childrens primary needs including their physical, sensory and communication needs. It will then go on to look at the way of organize the classroom and then it is going to explain some of the teaching approach. The definition of children with PMLD Complicated terminology is used to refer to children who have the greatest difficulties with learning e.g. PMLD, severe learning disabilities (SLD), profound learning disabilities (PLD) and severe disabilities. To understand how to educate the children, it is necessary to address more than one of the associated issues which are related with ill defined terms, variables and unstable definitions. The official terms used for dealing with PMLD may be different in various countries. In America the term severe is used for individuals with an IQ of 20/25 to 35/40 and moderate for those with IQ 35/40 to 50/55. In contrast, United Kingdom refers to children with IQ below 50 as having SLD (Porter, 2009). In Saudi Arabia multiple disabilities is a common term used to refer to presence of more than one disability in a child which leads to severe educational problems which includes multiple intellectual disorder, multi-sensory disabilities, multiplicity of disability associated with severe behavioral disorders and severe disabilities (General Directorate of Special education , 2001) ). The term learning disabilities used in the UK should not be confused with terms used in other countries where they have the same meaning as mental retardation or intellectual disabilities. UK calls problems such as dyslexia specific learning difficulties or specific learning disabilities (Rennie, 2007). Another problem which arises is that many believe that SLD and PMLD are synonymous terms. There is a lack of differentiation between profound learning disabilities and multiple disabilities as the two terms have similar needs and come under the same heading of Severe Learning Disabilities (Evans and Ware 1987). Some writers, such as (Aird, 2001) continue dealing with these two terms as synonymous. On the other hand, Swift(2005) defines the two terms differently. He says that SLD refers to children who have emotional needs, some students may use signs and symbols to support their communication and/or sensory impairments in addition general cognitive difficulties and mobility difficulty. On the other hand, PMLD regards to children who present physical disabilities, sensory impairment or severe medical condition. Although there are similarities in the definitions, it is preferred to use PMLD as it is widely accepted in Britain (Ware, 2009). Furthermore, some children with profound learn ing disabilities are described as PMLD whereas there are few people with profound learning disabilities who have no other severe impairments (Ware Healey,1994). To become more aware of this group of children, it is necessary to identify their characteristics. Children with PMLD have profound intellectual impairment and other multiple disabilities including sensory, physical or autism (Lacy Ouvry 1998. To illustrate that, I will use the example of Rett Autism Syndrome displaying an inability to performer motor functional actions including eye gaze and speech and slowed brain function (Pierangelo Giuliani, 2008). However, they are described as not a homogenous group (SCAA, 1996). In my professional practice, I have dealt with children who had severe physical or visual disabilities but did not necessarily have profound learning disabilities and some who had profound learning disabilities with good motor ability, learning, motor and sensory skills and thus needs differed from child to child. Another approach to a definition suggests that children with PMLD are in the first four stages of Piagets Sensory motor development (What is this_ (Clark, 1991). However, from my experience the pre-process stage, which says that the child in this stage can combining attributes samples of common objects and classifying them. Children with PMLD may have the ability to recognize visual word (MAKTON) system and classify the thing that he/she wants to do as an activity. In relation to PMLD symptoms children may have behavior disorders which are challenging for teachers (SCAA, 1996). The association between behavior and physical disability may or may not be a casual one. For example, disability may lead to depression which further increases the level of disability (Marten, 1980). From my experience, behavior is not only influenced by genetic and neurological factors but is due to the negative interaction and relationships between the child and the society. Another approach to categories concentrates on the IQ in classified the person with PMLD whose has IQ level below 20. Recently the World Health Organization adapted a more social model of disability which classify on the individual strength and the social barriers that may compound a disability. Internationally three criteria are regarded as requiring to be met before learning disabilities can be identified: intellectual impairment, social dysfunction and early onset (The World Health Organization WHO, 2001(. On the other hand people with PMLD function equal to or less than one fifth of their chronological age (Sebba, 1988). This is a rather old referenceSome prefer to down play IQ on terms of the students curricular needs; they call someone with severe learning difficulties if he/she attends an SLD or school. It can also consider what happens to children when they leave school, or we may distinguish pupils with moderate and severe learning difficulties by reflecting on the age at wh ich their problems were first identified (Farrell, 1997). (Quite a lot of this section uses some dated material is this because you can see similarities between those debates and the ones now happening in your country.) Criteria for placing pupils into categories have changed over the time. Children who may have had PMLD in the past may be now regarded as having multiple disabilities but not PLD (Ouvry Saunders, 2001). This last consideration is of enormous importance when considering learning with PMLD: children with PMLD are now classified to be more intellectually able. The current percentage of children with PMLD has increased as a result of high level of health care provided (Lacey Ouvry, 1998) where the number of adults with PMLD will raise from 78 in 2009 to 105 in 2026, as in average 3 in 2009 to 5 in 2026 (centre for Disabilities Research CeDR, 2009). The definition has changed over time linked with the changing of the education system from segregation to inclusion. I will illustrate this by references to curriculum access. Around 1971, children with the most profound disabilities in the UK were excluded from education, cared for in wards as they were considered unable to follow the standard curriculum (Clark, 1991; Lacy Ouvry, 1998). However, after this point, some children who attended schools for pupils with LD also had severe physical disabilities require specialized facilities but which would possible to provide in Educational Sub Normal ESN(S) classes (Rectory Paddock School, 1981)., Historically some writers assume that Special Care Units (SCUs) remain the only setting specifically able to provided for children with PLD and additional disabilities in schools catering for severe learning disabilities (Evans Ware, 1987) In contrast, terms special care is not acceptable as the provision provide for PMLD are varied (Sebba, 19 88). In the UK, the curriculum needs have given more attention to other educational aspects (Cline Frederickson, 2009). Children with PMLD may work with P1-P4 in the national curriculum where P scales provide small, achievable steps to monitor progress (Swift, 2005). Some children may even work at P levels 1-3 for the majority or all of their school life (Ware, 2009). It is hard to reach a clear definition which would be used to describe a group of children who share common characteristics with other categories. However, in my view, supported by this evidence, a child with PMLD has multi-disabilities: learning disability and other disabilities. The most important aspect in planning education is to focus on the childrens requirements and needs no matter how this group of learners is defined.. Children with PMLD primary needs which affect their ability to learn Children with multiple disabilities face many problems which challenge adults who work with them. A careful analysis to their needs is required to understand exactly what is preventing progress (Stone, 1995). There is a wide spectrum of special educational needs that are frequently inter-related. They may fall into at least one of four areas: communication and interaction, cognition and learning, behavior, emotional and social development and sensory and/or physical (The Code of Practice, 2001). Physical needs: There is some physical impairment that can be diagnosed from birth: cerebral palsy, spin bifida, congenital abnormalities of the skeleton and other rare neuromuscular diseases (Hogg Sebba, 1986a). PMLD has a lack of independent, muscle spasm, abnormal reflex activity, inability to control bladder or bowels and congenital abnormalities of skeleton which make people feel uncomfortable and cause other problems (Clark, 1991; Hogg Sebba 1986). Physical impairment affects other parts of the childs life: being unable to move well may be at risk of developing distortions of body shape over a period of time (Rennie, 2007; Fulford Brown, 1976). The teacher needs to understand these problems and focus on basic physical therapy in a curriculum plan (Clark, 1991), with a holistic approach (Rennie, 2007) and lifelong commitment which influences the majority of the individuals time at school and home rather than an ineffective ritual (Lacy Ouvry, 1998). Yet this as I believe does not necessarily mean therapy used in traditional ways. Many creative methods a physiotherapist can use in cooperation with the teacher in the classroom in childrens mobility curriculum and teaching methods. Traditional ways should not be taught in the same order (Stone, 1995)What do you mean?. I would suggest using things from everyday environment would be more suitable for physical therapy, merging skills training for recognizing colour and rolling to tr ain muscles by placing the child on a mat between a green and a red ball and asking them to move in the direction of either ball. This way the child learns colour recognition, exercises and s the game. Children learn more quickly if they enjoy themselves. As a child with PMLD spends most of his time at home, therapy can be successful when the parents have major roles in planning and implementing (Lacy Ouvry, 1998). The best way is to raise parents awareness and to make fully participate in the therapy which lead to greater improvement in the child. Sensory needs Children with PMLD often experience sensory problems. There are a number of different needs arising from sensory impairment, one arising directly from the impairment such as visual or auditory impairment (Lacey Ouvey, 1998) which have adverse effects on linguistic development, behaviour, and emotional adjustment, socially isolated and the general quality of a persons life (Clark, 1991; Ellis, 1992). Other problems are often environmental. Parents and teachers can lose interest in interacting meaningfully with their child who does not provide cues or rewards in the form of a smile. From my experience, children with PMLD are often ignored by their peers and teachers who interact with children who communicate more. Hearing impairment and learning disabilities are not clearly separated (Kropka Williams, 1986) and cannot be underestimated as the hearing impairment is not as obvious to an observer as some other impairments (Sebba,1988). In this matter it is primary aim of managing sensory impairments is to try to allow children to have access to the same quality of life and experiences by using whatever hearing and sight they have to the best of their ability or by helping them to make use of their other senses such as touch and smell (Sebba, 1988). Communication needs When I was in the early phases of my training, I remember there was a teacher who sang to a child with PMLD. I wondered why this teacher was choosing to do so when the child could not hear. The child smiled and laughed at the teacher and reacted positively in her presence. It became clear to me that the child needed to have interaction and could communicate in a specific way as he could interpret some sensory information. If communication fails, then other social activities go away as well. Children with profound learning disabilities show massive delays in communication, which makes it hard to communicate, convey ideas and experiences with other people. (Hogg Sebba, 1986) Despite that in fact every child is a unique case, speech is not the only means of communication (Hogg Sebba 1986). Some children who are described as not having the ability to traditionally communicate are able to show preferences when they are given a choice (Glenn? OBrien 1994). This is confirmed by my experience which shows that these children have a lot of stored energy which just needs continuous attention and time to be displayed or disabilities are likely to deteriorate. The code of practice mentions that most children with special educational needs have strengths and difficulties in one, some, or all of the areas of communication. Children will need to continue developing their linguistic competences (Code of Practice, 2 001). With the knowledge that there is no cure(This takes us right into the medical model is that your intention> for these needs, there are many ways to help these children get the best possible outcome for growth and development, to perform any tasks that are necessary in their daily lives to remaining integration in society. Thus we need to build an appropriate program for children with PMLD on an individual basis to meet individual needs, where in the last ten years there has been a big change in the ways of dealing with children with PMLD and schools are now receiving children who have several needs (Lacy Ouvry, 1998). Teaching and learning is complex. Within this discussion, little attention will be given to curriculum content for two reasons. First, the lack of compatibility between the curriculum in Saudi Arabia and England. Second, because for this group of learners focus on effectiveteaching and learning including accede to several different teaching methods is of prome concern. Even if there are good teaching practices put in place, they will not work if the environment is not suitable for learning (Sebba, 1988). Therefore it will focus on how to organize the learning environment where children should be more familiar with the classroom, and anticipate the activities (Ouvry Saunders, 2001). You have introduced t/l first and then the envornment. Is it logical to write the sections in the same order or to re-order these comments? How to organize the learning environment Children will need to overcome classroom obstacles before they are able to start to learn, this can be handled by the establishment of an appropriate learning environment .There are numerous necessary measures to build and maintain an appropriate environment for children with PMLD it is vital that this environment is well organized to suit their needs. Regardless of whether children with PMLD are educated in a specialist environment or in mainstream school, (Ware, 1994) suggests three core principles in the organization of a classroom: the organization of time, people and material in an environment which can all overlap. The physical environment organization The physical environment plays a role in raising childrens motivation to work. Teachers should define each area of classroom and ensure that the environment is not distracting to help the child to learn easily (Byers, 1998) for example, the work area should not include visual distraction which can confuse and have a negative effect on the learning process (Porter, 2002). In addition the size of the room must be considered, if the room is too large or open this can distraction the child (Nind et al, 2001). From my experience I remember that also the small room encourages unsuitable behaviour, teachers was putting the pupils standers behind the door because the room was very smallwhich can make movement in and out of the room difficult; this subsequently upsets the children and made him react in an unsuitable manner. Another matter is organizing the classroom based on the childs needs. For example, it is often a good idea to place children with the most profound physical needs in easily accessible points in the classroom so they can move more freely (Algozzine Ysseldyke, 2006). For children with visual impairments, strip lighting is unsuitable as it does not provide good distinction between different objects, and so spot lighting, colored bulbs or dark areas should be used to show different areas as well as different textures. Furthermore, I have found that it is beneficial for children with PMLD to have a designated seat in the classroom as this promotes confidence and a sense of familiarity (Nind et, al 2001). But which position are the best for seating. A study found that children who functioned at a lower level worked well in a prone position (Park et al, 2005). Other study suggests that position is not simply a matter of optimizing attention, but the impact on other functions, such as hand use and spinal extension (McEwen, 2002). The position of the teacher and the other staff is significant. They should be able to assess the child and their emotions, so that they can help the child sufficiently. If they are behind the child or to the side, they may not be able to see the Children may need help with their medication if they have to take it through the school day (Algozzine Ysseldyke, 2006). The social environment organization Knowledge of the child is very important in the social environment organization, knowing what they like, dislike, how they interact and communicate; education should happen co-actively (Cartwright Wind-cowie, 2005). Teacher also should not become dominant in the relationship; rather, they should help the child learn in their specific way. There are three main models for the teacher/pupil relationship: the teacher dominating, the pupil dominating or a two way dialogue. The third is the hardest, but if successful, the best (Lacy Ouvry, 1998). The final model requires very strict planning and organization in order that it works well. Rewards are also positive in order to build a good social environment. The teacher should understand that some children with PMLD will find standard encouragement techniques, such as cheering, very discouraging and distracting. Therefore, the teacher should observe signals from the child to discern what they like and do not like (Sebba, 1988). Another matter which is very important in the social aspect is that teachers should understand how the child would react to failure, in this way they can prepare for it. (Corker, 1992) suggests that children should be encouraged to see failure not as a result of inability but because of lack of effort or dedication. In this way, they are empowered to change it and succeed in the future. The time organization The most difficult balance to maintain is how to organize time inside the classroom with regards to the curriculum and the ways of teaching. There should be an appropriate division of time between national curriculum, non-national curriculum based activities and therapy (Ware, 1994). I remember from my experience that children have their own schedule divided between the child needs. Expand Another matter, which is widely discussed, is the way of teaching children. Which way of teaching a child with PMLD is more beneficial? Children with PMLD would benefit from being taught in a group. If the children with PMLD are placed together they may become more perceptive and have a greater interest in what they are doing (Hogg Sebba, 1986). Although group work can be effective, in reality can be deceptive. A child who appears to be working in a group may in fact actually be working alone (Bennet Cass, 1988). Some specialists infer that in teaching children with PMLD, there should be group work involved and also individual work this is seen as the most beneficial practice (Ware, 1994). From my experiences whilst the teacher worked with the class as a whole, the teaching assistant would remove a child from the group in order to provide individual focus to that child. This enables effective and beneficial learning for the children as it advantageous for the childs learning to hav e individual attention. The grouping learning a raises the question of how much time should the teacher spend with an individual child compared to how much time spent with the entire class. I think group work is imperative and therefore time should be devoted to this, particularly because children should be encouraged to develop awareness of their peers, this is realized through group work (Cartwright Wind-Cowie, 2005). However, I realize from my experience the specific method influences the way of teaching; whether individually or in a group. (Ware, 1994) mention some examples for effective grouping are suggested, Scripted or Jigsawing which are used with heterogeneous group without losing the benefits of individual work. In addition, there are also issues about whether the same activities should take place at the same time each day or not. There should be a clear routine established and a consistent timetable, especially at the beginning of the day with registration; so that the child knows what is happening and so therefore is not anxious (Corker, 1992 ; Ware, 1994). However, this can sometimes be problematic because it must be accepted that some activities will take longer for children with PMLD to carry out, in these cases certain allowances must be made. (Orelove et al, 2001). There are other issues related to the timetable of the childrens learning, there is no evidence that children will learn best in the morning. There is evidence that children with PMLD may be best taught if they have therapy in the morning so that they are calm for the other activities. Moreover, there is the issue of medicinal side effects and how this can cause problems with learning (Ware, 1994). All this must be taken into account when time planning to keep the attention focused and to help the child to learn. Teaching approaches The special education literature now focuses more on the teaching methods than the curriculum content. I will mention some of the teaching methods which are used. Task analysis in which a task is broken down into manageable pieces with clear objectives, making it easier for the child to learn (Sebba, 1988). Errorless learning, an exercise in which examples are given to the children yet only require only one possible solution, thus increasing the opportunity of reward for the child. Do you agree with errorless learningRecording, where all the practices are planned and recalled so they are then assessed (Hogg Sebba, 1986). Next is the use of ICT to help with communication and with social interaction. Also to aid choice making as it will help with life skills and requires a lot of concentration (Ware, 2009). Using pictures to communicate choice and show correlation between different pictures and objects has often been effective with the use of commands (Porter Ashdown, 2002). There ar e also three main types of holistic approach: conductive education, patterning and coactive intervention (Hogg Sebba, 1986). Acoustic bells can be used to create an intense sound environment to encourage learning and concentration (Mednick, 2007). It is now necessary to evaluate two teaching approaches, intensive interaction and multisensory approach. Because these two methods focus on the children with PMLD which I mention them previously. I will be used as illustrative examples to examine the techniques that can be employed to optimize the learning experience for the child with PMLD. Intensive interaction Teaching children with PMLD is often focused on communication (Ware, 2009) which is fundamental and makes child learn about themselves and others (Hewett Nind, 1998). However, sometimes children with PMLD are taught a way of communication which they cannot understand or which may be limited and therefore unsatisfactory. In my experience, teaching that solely focuses on the core curriculum was only effective for a number of children, leaving others unresponsive to the teacher. During the activity the teacher would help the child physically whilst using different way of communicating, for instance by photo cards, however this may not be beneficial every time. From my reading I have established that these children were entitled to communicate in their own way; they should not have to be taught a standardized way of communication, at least in the initial stages. By using our body language and gaining feedback by watching others reactions (Caldwell, 2008) this makes communication easier as the child will understand that the teacher can understand their emotions. The standard ways of Intensive interaction refers to when the adult working one to one to with the child to mimics any communication behaviour of the learner of by using the childs own method (Watson, 1994) to makes teaching and learning easier (Hewett Nind, 1998), and to develop sociability, communication, cognitive abilities, emotional well-being, constructive interaction with immediate environment and self awareness (Nind Hewett ,1994). I think this is practical and reality, if we see how the mother contact and communicate with her child, we dont compare between children with PMLD with the infant, What I want to highlight, is how the baby feel happy with his/her mother imitations and his reaction and how he continue in communication. The Strategies: There are two studies which say that intensive interaction is a very good way of developing communication and social skills. It must be employed systematically and used efficiently in order for it to be effective (Watson Fisher, 1997; Kellett, 2003). The focus must be on the quality of the interaction sociability and communication and not the outcome (Hewett Nind, 1998). Records must be kept of all interaction so that any changes, even if minute, can be remembered. It is often difficult to do this without records as the changes can be very small (Irvine, 1998). There must be a limiting of numbers of staff and volunteers so that there is routine and the people can all be fully trained to their abilities (Ware, 1996). Intensity, sensitivity and reflection are key in implementing this method. The method encourages awareness of those around the learner, and ignores ideas about tasks and correct or incorrect ideas, and so puts the precedence on the learning process. (Hewett Nind, 1998). Intensive interaction should be used within a group environment to make it more standard and to ensure that abuse allegations do not occur (Nind Hewett, 1994). The process of intensive interaction is included in this. An advantage to adopting this approach is its simplicity; it does not require materials and therefore can be used in the home. What makes this approach more significant is that it can be used easily at home (Irvine, 1998). There are some problems encountered in this methods, the abilities to make a response is sometimes weak. The adult may be tired or the child may anxious (Kellett Nind, 2008) the child may want to continue to interact when no one is available (Irvine, 1998) so it is necessary for the adults to learn to tolerate a delay (Maggs Samuel 1998). Another problematic issue is that Intensive interaction works for some people but not all. So although there are some overriding principles for using intensive interaction, the approach must be changeable and flexible so that the child can achieve the most possible. (Kellett Nind, 2008). However, for those it does work for, it is still very difficult to prove that intensive interaction is the only cause for improvement (Irvine, 1998). The multisensory approach Some children, who have sensory ability such as sight, may not understand how to use it or how to interpret what they see. Thus teachers should help children to use all the senses to enable good learning. One of the ways of the using multisensory approach is the sensory room. This can be described as a reactive environment (Mednick, 2007). There are two ways to define the sensory room or snoezelen () : the actual space and the impact on the child. The space can be characterized by the physical attributes, size and complexity, size of the room is very important so the child does not feel overwhelmed by the space or out of control. The same is for ideas about complexity; there should not be a sensory overload. There is no set list of things which are including in a sensory space, which can include simple materials or complex interactive electronic equipment (Stephenson, 2002). Other physical aspect are the different type of sensory room, there are six primary kinds of rooms: white room, dark room, sound room, interactive room, water room, soft play rooms finally there are outdoor spaces in the gardens each room have aims and goals (Pagliano, 1999). Although the only limitations on these spaces is imagination, the childs likes and dislikes are the primary influence as some might not like a white room but may love a water experience. If the child can exert control over their environment, they will develop control and autonomy and greater self confidence (Stephenson, 2002). The other aspect of the definition is the impact on the childs ability, which includes good communication, movement, cognitive ability, emotions, behavioral changes, life skills and good expressive arts (Longhorn, 1988). This makes it one of the most effective methods to teach a child with PMLD because it makes learning easier (Fowler, 2008) and fun for

Communitarianism vs. Cosmopolitanism Essay -- Politics Political

Normative Theories of Politics - Contrasting Cosmopolitan and Communitarian Approaches When looking at normative theories of politics, the main distinction is between cosmopolitanism and communitarianism. In this essay the term community shall refer to political communities, or more specifically, states. It is important to note that these political communities have been defined territorially, and not necessarily by culture, although this is taken for granted to an extent by communitarianism. Communitarians say that each community is different, and therefore should act accordingly with each other. In other words, state autonomy should be absolute and law and moral standards should be self-determined by the community itself alone. Furthermore, communities should have no obligations to other political communities or any sort of international law. Contrastingly, Cosmopolitans say that there should be an overriding universal moral standard to which all states (or communities) should adhere. If a state is infringing on the rights of the individual or humanity, then intervent ion is appropriate and just. (Steve Smith, The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations p. 173A) Communitarianism says that communities themselves define what rightful conduct is, and therefore should not be obliged to follow any universal moral code. Morality arises from the culture that makes up the community, and therefore determines what is right for that community, whether it is or not for anyone else. Communitarians say that there cannot be a universal moral standard because where would these standards come from? Who would decide what is right and wrong? However, the argument communitarianism can be turned against it if these communities are nation-states. It is only the predominant culture that will determine what the moral standards of the community are. Cosmopolitans argue that there should be a universal moral standard to which every community must abide. They allow for state autonomy, but only to an extent. States must not be able to be completely self-determined and free from moral obligations to the rest of the international community. But this raises significant qu estions. Can a universal moral standard exist? And how can it apply to all states? While cosmopolitanism allows for some state autonomy, the moral standard would mean that some ... ...t state autonomy cannot be restricted by anything but the community (state) itself. As one might assume, it follows from these differing standpoints that the way each theory view intervention, etc., will be in opposition. (Steve Smith, The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations p. 173A) (Chris Brown, The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations p. 480A) (Steve Smith, The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations p. 173A) Cosmopolitanism and communitarianism differ vastly in the way they, as intellectual concepts, deal with international relations. Cosmopolitanism holds the view that the rights of humanity and the individual should override those of the state (or political community), whereas communitarianism is the opposite. It states that the rights of the community are more important than those of the state. It is because of these fundamental differences that they deal with international relations in significantly different ways. However, both theories have their flaws and it seems that we can have neither a fully cosmopolitan or communitarian world political system.

Love and Marriage an Affliction or an Alliance: Deceit and Betrayal in

During the Middle Ages and Renaissance period marriage and love were idealized, divine and celebrated. Weddings were large events that included the entire families of both the groom and the bride. Reality was different; women were viewed as being fickle, inferior to men and a possession of men. Women had very little, if any, choice in who they would marry. Marriages were arranged so that both families would benefit in gaining wealth or power. Even though the ruler of England for over 4 decades was female, women were still not respected. Women were kept at home and not allowed to take place in public events. In Shakespeare’s Richard III, male and female relationships are displayed as deeply cynical and are based on lies, lust and political gain. First, the relationship between Lady Anne and Richard is not the only, but one example, of a relationship that is based on lies. As Lady Anne mourns over the murder of her father-in-law Henry VI, Richard comes and greets her with â€Å"sweet saint† (1.2.49) and â€Å"bolsters this greeting with a string of compliments, to which she responds with curses† (Miner, 47). Richard says that the reason he murdered Henry VI and Edward is because of her beauty. â€Å"Your beauty was the cause of that effect/ Your beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep/ To undertake the death of all the world (1.2.126-128)†. In saying this, Richard â€Å"directs culpability from himself and onto the female figure† (Miner, 47). Richard thought that â€Å"her beauty served as incentive for murder† (Miner, 48). But he lied; he killed both to get closer to the throne, and wooed Anne for the same reason. Second, the relationship between Princess Elizabeth and Richard serves as an example of one that is based on lust. Since Elizabeth â€Å"remains t... ...chard are used as political gain and the new King Richmond is crowned. The basis’s of these relationships are weak and did not, or in some cases, will not last. Richard realizes that Anne is no longer any use to him, and makes a plan to kill her. â€Å"Rumour it abroad / The Anne my wife is very grievous sick / I will take order for her keeping close (4.2.51-53)†. Queen Elizabeth saves her daughter from Richard and sends a proposal to Richmond. Richmond may try to form a closer bond with Elizabeth, or abuse his new power as king. Therefore, the examples in the play give us the message that, relationships that are not based on love, personality and happiness will end unsuccessfully. â€Å"Ay me, for aught that I could ever read / Could ever hear by tale or history / The course of true love never did run smooth (Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 1.1.132-134)†.

Current Trends in Educational Technology Essay -- Education Technologi

Current Trends in Educational Technology Abstract Current trends in Educational Technology offer quite an array of subject matter to study. I have selected a few articles demonstrating trends I found most interesting. These include trends in research, holistic technology education, pedagogic balance in technology education and using open source software in the school. Hopefully these trends will be an eye opener for the reader. This paper is based on these journal articles: Research in Technology Education: Back to the Future (Reed, 2002); Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education (Seemann, 2003); Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case for Pedagogic Balance In Technology Education (Walmsely, 2003) and Making the Switch to Open Source Software (Surran, 2003). Researching the Future of Educational Technology Literacy Clear lines of inquiry are needed to further technology education’s place within the context of general education (Reed, 2002). The International Technology Education Association (ITEA), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Research Council and Technology for All Americans Project (TFAA) provide significant amounts of research available on educational technology. These organizations are always looking at what research would help achieve the goal of technological literacy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) makes federal funding available to educational technology researchers (Custer, Loepp, and Martin, 2000). TEGRD A new Council on Technology Teacher Education tool, the Technology Education Graduate Research Database (TEGRD) offers new lines of research geared towards education (Reed, 2002). The TEGRD was designed to highlight the history... ...chives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Seemann, K. (2003). Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 15, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Walmsley, B. (2003) Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case For Pedagogic Balance in Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 16, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Surran, M. (2003). Making the Switch to Open Source Software. T.H.E. Journal Online. Retrieved September 16, 2003 from T.H.E. Journal Online website: http://www.thejournal.com/ Current Trends in Educational Technology Essay -- Education Technologi Current Trends in Educational Technology Abstract Current trends in Educational Technology offer quite an array of subject matter to study. I have selected a few articles demonstrating trends I found most interesting. These include trends in research, holistic technology education, pedagogic balance in technology education and using open source software in the school. Hopefully these trends will be an eye opener for the reader. This paper is based on these journal articles: Research in Technology Education: Back to the Future (Reed, 2002); Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education (Seemann, 2003); Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case for Pedagogic Balance In Technology Education (Walmsely, 2003) and Making the Switch to Open Source Software (Surran, 2003). Researching the Future of Educational Technology Literacy Clear lines of inquiry are needed to further technology education’s place within the context of general education (Reed, 2002). The International Technology Education Association (ITEA), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Research Council and Technology for All Americans Project (TFAA) provide significant amounts of research available on educational technology. These organizations are always looking at what research would help achieve the goal of technological literacy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) makes federal funding available to educational technology researchers (Custer, Loepp, and Martin, 2000). TEGRD A new Council on Technology Teacher Education tool, the Technology Education Graduate Research Database (TEGRD) offers new lines of research geared towards education (Reed, 2002). The TEGRD was designed to highlight the history... ...chives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Seemann, K. (2003). Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 15, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Walmsley, B. (2003) Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case For Pedagogic Balance in Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 16, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Surran, M. (2003). Making the Switch to Open Source Software. T.H.E. Journal Online. Retrieved September 16, 2003 from T.H.E. Journal Online website: http://www.thejournal.com/

Compare and Contrast 1984-Brave New World Essay

â€Å" Do you see, then, what kind of world we are creating? † (Orwell, 1950 p. 267)George Orwell, author of 1984 released in 1950, present the idea of a society that proves to be a dystopia as it is completely based on fear and rarely does one see happiness while in the other hand, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World presents the idea of a functional utopia were feelings are destroyed and no one is unhappy because they don’t know happiness but all this could change by the hands of one outcast. These two societies ruled in different ways-one through fear and the other through psychological and physical manipulation- present successful ways to maintain order and power, although they differ greatly and outcasts have different aims and uses. In a society where fear is predominant, physical and mental capacities reach a stagnant state as the will to survive and loyalty become predominant. In a different society where men are created to the liking of their rulers and are controlled with drugs instead of fear, the meaning of a utopia can disappear but yet subjects will think everything is perfect. Finally a sense of false equality, manipulation, and fear allow total and utter control. In societies like the ones depicted in these two books, nothing is perfect and nothing is true. Members of these communities cannot know what is true because this will make them become dangerous to their leaders. The use of fear in 1984 and the idea of Big Brother facilite control as the idea of constant surveillance and Thought Police puts everything a member of this society does to the test and when they make a false move, they know they are done for. The scene where Winston talks about two plus two not being for or if Gravity is a force that works really depicts the kind of fear installed by the party. â€Å"The heresy of heresies was common sense. And what was terrifying was not only that they would kill you for thinking otherwise, but that they might be right. For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? † (Orwell, 1950 p. 80). As explained by the quote, doubting whatever the party said could end up in negative ramifications. It is incredible how people can adjust to these changes. Things that seem so simple be questioned and believed, which is even worse. The mutability of the party’s adherents is astonishing as they change whenever the part needs them to follow the most ridiculous ideas as if they were normal and all of this is achieved through fear. Winston also mentions the fact that your mind can fail you. â€Å"The most deadly danger of all was talking in your sleep. There was no way of guarding against that, so far as he could see. † (Orwell, 1950 p. 64). Even thinking erroneously about the parties flaws and going against their ideas can be lethal as sleep talking cannot be controlled and can always be heard. The third example of fear and its installment in Winston’s mind is when he receives the letter from Julia. â€Å"One, much the more likely, was that the girl was an agent of the Thought Police (†¦) the thing that was written on the paper might be a threat, a summon, an order to commit suicide, a trap of some description. (Orwell, 1950 p. 106). This displays how fear can make something normal seem completely hazardous and how reliance on others can be purged as you do not know what to expect from anyone. Even though people may be unhappy, this demonstrates to be successful as no one goes against the status quo. In contrast to 1984, Brave New World doesn’t need fear since if they want change, they create new beings to change or just bring out soma but still, control is maintained. Physical and psychological manipulation gives a sense of order even though it is non-existent, and drug use maintains a false control that seems alright to everyone inside that sphere however, when someone notices this false control, he will become a problem. In Huxley’s Brave New World, which is supposed to be a Utopia, equality is not present and this is what a utopia is supposed to be about. Within the social classes, the top ones still think of the lower ones as useless and basically inferior. Lenina demonstrates this through the following quote. â€Å"What a hideous colour khaki is,† remarked Lenina, voicing the hypnopaedic prejudices of her caste. † (Huxley, 1946, p. 42). This quote demonstrates that even messages coming from the government promote separatist ideas and at the same time they promote equality. Drug use and psychological manipulation allows this to maintain epsilons happy with how they are, also maintaining absolute control over society. Hypnopaedia as seen before, doesn’t always promote the values of a Utopia as it should. Another hypnopaedic message demonstrating this is â€Å"Every one works for everyone else. We can’t do without any one. Even Epsilons are useful. We couldn’t do without Epsilons. Every one works for everyone else. We can’t do without anyone. † (Huxley, 1946, p. 50). The use of Soma is a very important factor as it is a way of escaping the reality of a supposed utopia that in reality is everything but a utopia. â€Å"Why you don’t take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of yours. You’d forget all about them. And instead of feeling miserable, you’d be jolly. So jolly,† she repeated and smiled (†¦)† (Huxley, 1946, p. 62). It is very important to realize how this method of control still proves to be successful and allows organization for the government to preserve. Whether it’s installing fear, secret organizations, and complete surveillance or actually creating subjects, it is evident that both methods are thriving as they sustain order and undemanding management of society. Winston, who was the soul and heart of change in 1984 , ended up failing and the idea, person, or whatever Big Brother is, who he hated the most actually ended up taking over him and it is mentioned in the novel. He won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother. † (Orwell, 1950 p. 268) The only man who was capable of causing change and denouncing the artificiality his government was based on. Fear has now proved to be a functioning method of control. In comparison to Brave New World, the outsider and only man capable of making others realize the lie they lived in ended up killing himself. â€Å"Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south- west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east.. † (Huxley, 1946 p. 176) This also verifies the effectiveness of this method and according to this, both men failed to change the status quo. By the end of both novels, no change was made and both fear and manipulation proved to be effective ways of maintaining control. As the predominance of both fear and manipulation grow, methods of changing society and its governance method become scarce and even those who go to extremes find themselves with unfeasible situations where physical and mental capacity will be pushed to new limits but yet, not enough to revolutionize their societies. This is mainly due to most of those who have been subjected and accepted the reality in which they live in, which is what both Winston and John go through but their ways to accept it, were vastly different. Even though there are some with strong minds and others who have not been toyed with, it will never be enough to fight fear nor manipulation of the human being.

Blended Families in Today’s Society Essay

Blended families, according to William P. Fuller the author of Preparing for Blended Families, are those comprising of at least one spouse who has a child or children from a prior relationship. These types of families â€Å"are becoming increasingly common and present a unique challenge when creating an estate plan† (Fuller 1). Similarly, according to Pauline Erera, â€Å"although traditionalists have held blood ties of consanguinity to be a defining characteristic of the family, others argue that we should define families according to the attachments and intimacy that individuals have toward significant people in their lives†, meaning even though they are a blended family, they should be considered a family none the less (Erera 352). A nuclear family, or the more commonly known traditional family, consists of a marriage by holy union and the promise to keep that marriage holy by staying with that one person â€Å"until death do us part. This includes the raising of any children within the family and the promise to provide them with food, shelter, clothing, water, and nourishment as well. Yet, there is still a need for a law which protects the marriage itself. This law states that it recognizes husbands of inseminated women as the real fathers and denies parental rights to donors or step-parents. Although, we still leave room in this law for things known as adoption, foster parenting, or informal care by other relatives. This is where blended families begin to show. Blended families seem to be considered the result of a previous divorce. Therefore, causing the need for the terms step-brother, step-sister, step-father, etc. Blended families then seem to become less of a family simply because of the creation of these terms, and their specific meanings. For example, it seems to be less meaningful to be step-brothers rather than actual biological, blood related, brothers. In the article, Toward Revels or a Requiem for Family Diversity? , Judith Stacey states that â€Å"the social scientists seem to have presumed that well into the twenty-first century dad and mom would remain singular and unproblematic concepts† (Stacey 390). Unfortunately, they were wrong. Although they predicted that the traditional family would remain unchanged, they seemed to have overlooked the fact that in time, marriage would not be as final as it used to be. There was no such thing as a proper divorce, once you were married, that was it. But in today’s world, â€Å"until death do us part† is not seen as often as divorce. Another overlooked remark of the social scientists is the fact that the family tree did not remain so â€Å"firmly rooted. On the contrary, the family tree has been split, blended, mixed, crossed, and spread throughout several generations of families. The word Family, in today’s American society, has so many different meanings that it is hard to distinguish one from another. Being able to categorize every single definition of the word is a task that no one has yet completed. Although, each and every meaning has one little difference, it all comes down to the same thing. A family is a family.

Why the Legal Drinking Age Should Stay at Twenty-one

Alcohol is a depressant that affects your vision, coordination, reaction time, multitasking ability, judgment, and decision-making (Short and Long Term). Seventy-five percent of adults in America drink alcohol (Health). Because of the large impact that alcohol consumption has had on America, it has become a hot topic of debate. Specifically, on whether lowering the age at which a person can legally drink would decrease the amount of alcohol abuse by minors. To properly address the issue of underaged drinking in America, the legal drinking age should stay at twenty-one.If lowered, the amount of alcohol being consumed by persons under twenty-one would increase, causing a rise in alcohol related accidents and death. Origins of Alcohol Ethanol, the alcohol we consume, is made by fermenting and distilling fruits and grains. Alcohol fermentation is a natural process which occurs when yeast converts carbohydrates, such as starch or sugar, into alcohol. An example would be wheat used to crea te beer, or grapes to produce wine. Most plant matter can be used to produce alcohol.When an alcoholic beverage is consumed, 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and 80 percent in the small intestine (Freudenrich). The speed of absorption depends upon the concentration of alcohol in the beverage, gender, weight, and whether your stomach is full or empty; food slows down the absorption of alcohol. Men generally have more muscle mass and less fat then women, so one drink will not affect a man as it would a woman.A person doesn’t start feeling the effects of alcohol until it is carried through the bloodstream, to the  body’s tissues. This process takes about twenty minutes, depending on the amount originally consumed. Once absorbed by the bloodstream, five percent of the alcohol is expelled through the kidneys as urine, five percent through exhalation of the lungs, and the rest is broken down into acetic acid by the liver (Freudenrich). A person becomes â€Å"drunk† when an excess of alcohol is consumed and cannot be absorbed by the liver. Throughout history, alcohol has provided a large variety of uses for the human race.No one knows exactly when alcohol was first used, but intentionally fermented drinks existed as early as 10,000 B. C. (Patrick, 12-13). In ancient Egypt, brewing dates back to the beginning of civilization, where alcohol played an important roll in worship of the gods (Cherrington, vol. 1, 404). Alcoholic beverages were used for pleasure, nutrition, medicine and ritual. In China, alcohol was considered a spiritual food, playing an important role in religious life (Hucker, 28).â€Å"In ancient times people always drank when holding a memorial ceremony, offering sacrifices to gods or their ancestors, pledging resolution before going into battle, celebrating victory, before feuding and official executions, for taking an oath of allegiance, while attending the ceremonies of birth, marriage, reunions, departure s, death, and festival banquets† (Fei-Peng, 13). Greeks were the most restrained when it came to alcohol consumption in ancient history. This had to do with their rules stressing moderate drinking, diluting wine with water, and avoiding excess (Austin, 11).However, intoxication at gatherings and festivals was not uncommon. By 1,700 B. C. , wine making was commonplace, and during the next thousand years wine drinking assumed the same function so commonly found around the world: It was incorporated into religious rituals, it became important in hospitality, it was used for medicinal purposes and it became an integral part of daily meals (Babor, 1986, pp. 2-3). Greek philosopher, Plato, thought wine, in moderation, was beneficial to one’s health and happiness.With all of these ancient countries prospering, and consuming alcohol for the better, it is difficult to believe that alcohol consumption laws are being abused every day by underaged drinkers. Temperance Movement In t he early days of America, alcohol was viewed positively, with the idea that it was to be received with thankfulness. Even toddlers drank alcohol; it was seen as healthful for everyone.Ironically enough, for over thirty years, those who abstained from alcohol had to pay life insurance rates that  were ten percent higher than that for drinkers. Those who held back from alcohol were seen as â€Å"thin and watery, and as mentally cranked, in that he repudiated the good creatures of God as found in alcoholic drinks† (Kobler, 26). There was an expectation that abusing alcohol was not acceptable. â€Å"Drunkenness was condemned and punished, but only as an abuse of a God-given gift. Drink itself was not looked upon as culpable, any more than food deserved blame for the sin of gluttony. Excess was a personal indiscretion† (Aaron and Musto, 132).Violations did occur, but for the most part, alcohol abuse was not a major problem, until urbanization. With an increase in poverty and crime in colonial America, came an increase in alcohol abuse. â€Å"A sizeable number of Americans for the first time began to drink to excess by themselves. The solo binge was a new pattern of drinking in which periods of abstinence were interspersed every week, month, or season with one to three-day periods of solitary inebriation† (Rorabaugh, 144). This is when people began to search for solutions to drinking problems.One suggestion came from one of the most influential physicians of the period, Dr. Benjamin Rush. In 1784, Dr. Rush argued that the excessive use of alcohol was injurious to a person’s physical and psychological health (Katcher, 275). Many thought that the only way to prevent drunkenness was to abstain from drinking alcohol completely. With the influence of Rush’s belief, the first temperance association was formed in Connecticut in 1789, and within the next few decades other temperance organizations were formed in eight states (Ashbury, 28- 31).The future of this movement to moderate alcohol seemed bright, but many of it’s leaders overestimated their strength; they expanded their activities and took positions on other moral issues. This just turned into political bickering, and by the early 1820s their movement was stalled. To get out of this standstill, most temperance organizations argued that the only way to prevent drunkenness was to eliminate alcohol consumption completely. While the Temperance Movement began by advocating the temperate, or moderate, use of alcohol, it now said that no one should be permitted to drink any amounts of alcohol (Royce, 40).They became much more extreme, devoted advocates of their cause. They became prohibitionists. â€Å"For decades the American public was flooded with temperance pamphlets, temperance novels, temperance newspapers, temperance sermons, and temperance lectures-the longest sustained and perhaps the largest organized effort at mass communication about a social iss ue that the country has ever seen† (Room, 22). Interestingly enough, root beer, the carbonated soft drink, was developed by prohibitionists in the hopes that it would replace beer in popularity; that effort was obviously unsuccessful.Many prohibitionists saw it as their religious duty to encourage temperance, even through politics. Children were even used in the movement to march, sing and exert pressure at polling places. One of the leading organizations for National Prohibition, the Anti-Saloon League, stressed it’s religious character, and anything it did was seen as moral or justified because it was working for God. Decades later, their strong organization and political tactics paid off in the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, establishing national prohibition.A leader of the Anti-Saloon League stated that before it’s passage in Congress, 13,000 business people who supported prohibition were given crucial instructions: We blocked the telegraph wires in Congress for three days. One of our friends sent seventy-five telegrams, each signed differently with the name of one his subordinates. The campaign was successful. Congress surrendered. The first to bear the white flag was Senator Warren Harding of Ohio. He told us frankly he was opposed to the amendment, but since it was apparent from the telegrams that the business world was demanding it he would submerge his own opinion and vote for submission.  (Pollard, 107)For decades prohibition had been advocated as the magical solution to the nation’s poverty, crime, and other indiscretions (Aaron and Musto, 157). However, almost immediately after the Eighteenth Amendment was imposed, alcohol was being made and consumed illegally. Grape juice began to sell as â€Å"bricks or blocks of Rhine Wine† along with a warning: â€Å"After dissolving the brick in a gallon of water, do not place the liquid in a jug away in the cupboard for twenty days, because then it would turn into wine† (Aaron and Musto, 159). Ironically, American alcohol production and consumption grew during the period of prohibition.It encouraged high amounts of alcohol consumption in secretive, unregulated ways. â€Å"People did not take the trouble to go to a speakeasy, present the password, and pay high prices for very poor quality alcohol simply to have a beer. When people went to speakeasies, they went to get drunk. † (Zinberg and Fraser, 468). â€Å"Removing the alcohol from the norms of everyday society increased drinking problems. Without well-known prescriptions for use and commonly held sanctions against abuse, prohibition drinkers were left almost as defenseless as were the South American Indians in the face of Spanish rum and brandy. † (Zinberg and Fraser, 470).Violence and corruption of public officials caused by prohibition only added to the list of problems. It became difficult to convict prohibition violators because public suppor t for the law and its enforcement dramatically weakened. For example, of 7,000 arrests in New York between 1921 and 1923, only twenty-seven resulted in convictions (Lender and Martin, 154). Political views on the law began to shift as it’s ineffectiveness became evident. Even John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , a lifelong abstainer, announced his support for repeal of the eighteenth amendment, because of the widespread problems it caused (Prendergast, 44).The popular vote for repeal of the eighteenth amendment was three to one, the American people rejected prohibition (Childs, 260-261). It is obvious that alcohol abuse was, and still is, an infinite problem faced by American adults and adolescents. Clearly permanently abstaining from alcohol is a mess as well. The solution, to find a healthy medium, is clear: allow Americans the consumption of alcohol, but restricting the age at which it can be consumed to twenty-one will support alcohol in moderation and promote lawfulness when consu ming alcohol.Underage Alcohol Abuse Alcohol use among teenagers is not uncommon. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine says, by the end of high school, about 75% of adolescents have tried alcohol, and more than half report having been drunk at least once in their life. â€Å"Alcohol is involved in more than one-third of the adolescent deaths associated with unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide† (Further and Fredrick). If the drinking age is lowered to 18, youth in this country will start drinking at younger and younger ages.It will be much easier for 15 to 17 year olds to obtain alcohol via their 18 year old peers in high school (Fell). The abundance of alcohol will cause distractions to students studies as well as create dangers after hours. More accidents are bound to occur, and teens will be less likely to report medical need if they are under the influence, whether it be for fear of getting in trouble or just so drunk that they’re unaware of any sor t of problem. A higher drinking age has proven to be beneficial to the health and safety of underaged women.Adolescent drinking plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, including unwanted, unintended, and unprotected sexual activity, and sex with multiple partners (Cooper and Orcutt). Such behavior increases the risk for unplanned pregnancy and for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (Cooper et al. , 1994). If the drinking age is lowered below twenty-one, adolescents will feel more comfortable drinking more, inadvertently increasing the risk of physical and sexual assault among women (Staley, 1998).Having alcohol in the body while you’re driving changes your distance and speed perception by making you see things farther or closer than they really are, or makes you feel like you’re driving the speed limit when you’re really speeding (Short and Long Term). Every day in America, anothe r 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes (An Examination). Sixty percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol related, and, in a single year, 522 children under the age of 14 were arrested for driving while intoxicated (Teenage Drunk Driving).â€Å"During the 1980s, the nation saw a reduction in alcohol-related fatal crashes, directly attributable to raising the legal minimum age for the sale and public possession of alcohol to age 21† (Statement) It is estimated that minimum drinking age laws have prevented nearly 25,000 fatalities since 1975: Fig. 1. Cumulative Estimated Number of Young Lives Saved by Minimum Drinking Age Laws, 1975-2007 (Traffic Safety Facts, Young Drivers, 2006). However, underaged drinking is still a problem.High school teens drive after drinking about 2.4 million times a month (Teen Drinking and Driving). These numbers will only increase if the drinking age is lowered, because alcohol will be more readily available to adolescents, and misuse will be deadly. Blood alcohol content is the percentage of alcohol in the blood. All 50 states require that the legal blood alcohol content remain at . 08% or less when driving a motor vehicle. This means that . 08% of a person’s blood, by volume, is alcohol (The Code).Teenage boys with a Blood Alcohol level of . 05%-.10% are 18 times more likely to suffer a single vehicle crash than a teenager with no alcohol in the bloodstream (Teenage Drunk Driving). That’s two beers in the course of one hour. Do you really want alcohol consumption to be legal for eighteen year olds? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Report of 1995 showed that raising the drinking age to twenty-one reduced teen traffic accidents significantly, and brought a thirteen percent decrease in fatal traffic accidents for all ages. Alcohol abuse has been a rising problem for the past three decades.With continued exposure, the human body must adapt to increase the tolerance of alc ohol. This involves an increase in the amount of the liver’s enzymes that are used to break down alcohol, and an increase in brain activity and nervous-system neurons (Freudenrich). These adaptations negatively change a person’s behavior. With long-term alcohol exposure, the body does become more efficient at eliminating alcohol in the blood, but this also means that the person must drink more alcohol to experience the same effects as before, which leads to more drinking and contributes to addiction.Alcohol addiction, or alcoholism, is a chronic disease in which a person becomes physically dependent on alcohol (Watson). Not everyone who drinks alcohol heavily is considered an alcoholic. Those who drink enough to affect their family or job responsibilities, or drive while intoxicated, abuse alcohol, but they do not necessarily have a dependence on it. Alcoholics feel the need to drink, similarly to the way that most people feel the need to eat. There are many social fac tors that can cause one to develop alcoholism. Some include: peer pressure, advertising, and the environment.Young people are extremely susceptible to peer pressure. Too many teenagers think it is acceptable to drink â€Å"because their friends are doing it. † Adolescents who drink alcohol experience problems with brain development and learning. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that people who begin drinking before age fifteen are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives compared to those who have their first drink at age twenty or older. Lowering the drinking age would only create more alcohol addiction among adolescents.Alcohol, in the long-term, disrupts normal brain development; causes permanent liver damage; kills brain cells, destroys organs; and causes heart problems such as heart attack, disease and stroke (Short and Long Term). The higher the legal drinking age is, the less likely alcohol will be a fa ctor in a young adults death, and the more longevity of the average persons life. Reaffirming the Legal Drinking Age Believe it or not, there are exceptions to the law that makes it illegal for anyone under the age of twenty-one to consume alcohol.In twenty-nine states, it’s legal for a minor to drink alcohol on private, non alcohol-selling premises, with parental consent, and eleven states allow for minors to have alcohol on alcohol-selling premises, with parental approval (ProCon. org). These exceptions to the law are extremely flawed. Alcohol affects minors in a way that is different to adults consuming alcohol. It’s legal for a minor to drink alcohol on private property with parental consent. What does that say if the parents are drunk themselves?Parents under the influence would not give proper supervision to the minors drinking alcohol, and, therefore, greatly increase the risk of an accident. This exception needs to be abolished, because adolescents consuming al cohol has proven negative short-term and long-term consequences. Underage drinking is a leading contributor to death from injuries, which are the main cause of death for people under age twenty-one. â€Å"Annually, about 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking† (The Surgeon, 10).About 1,600 deaths result from homicides and 300 from suicides (Teen Drinking and Driving). If adolescents are given permission by parents to drink alcohol, then they will assume that they can get away with alcohol consumption in their homes when their parents are not around. This can lead to dangerous parties with underaged alcohol consumption. Many rights have different ages of initiation. A person can obtain a hunting license at age twelve, driver's license at age sixteen, vote and serve in the military at eighteen, serve in the U. S.House of Representatives at age twenty-five and in the U. S. Senate at age thirty and run for President at age thirty-f ive (Wagenaar and Toomey). â€Å"The minimum age of initiation is based on the specific behavior involved and must take into account the dangers and benefits of that behavior at a given age† (Wagenaar and Toomey). The policy for alcohol consumption at age twenty-one takes into account the fact that underage drinking is related to numerous serious problems, including injuries and deaths resulting from car crashes, suicide, homicide, assault, drowning and recreational injuries.One argument for lowering the legal drinking age is that nineteen and twenty year-olds are drinking anyway, so why not legalize it so they will drink in controlled settings? Research shows that about half of drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) or killed as drinking drivers in traffic crashes, did their drinking at licensed establishments (An Examination). Most other foreign countries have a lower drinking age than America. It is argued that alcohol is a bigger part of the European family than it is part of the American family.Many have argued that a high drinking age forces young people to drink without adult supervision, on the contrary making it legal for eighteen to twenty year-olds to drink alcohol causes worse problems because of the abundance of drinking that takes place. For example, in New Zealand, the drinking age was lowered from twenty to eighteen in 1999. After the drinking age was lowered to eighteen, there was a significant increase in traffic crashes among youth affected by the law change (Kypri et al., 126-131).About half of the European countries have intoxication rates among young people that are higher than the intoxication rates in the United States (Comparison). This evidence proves that younger drinking ages are hazardous to the health of adolescents, which, is why the American minimum legal drinking age should stay at twenty-one. Research has proven that keeping the age at which one can legally consume alcohol at twenty-one is best for America n’s and their well being.In ancient times, alcohol in moderation was seen as a way of life, but modern day has consistently shown the need for regulation of alcoholic drinking. The problem with identifying the optimum minimum drinking age, to reduce alcohol abuse, involves many issues of freedom, responsibility, religion, politics and many other realms of life (Alcohol). America’s past has shown that making the consumption of alcohol illegal to everyone is a disaster. Keeping the legal drinking age at twenty-one is the best solution, because it promotes healthier drinking habits for everyone, especially the future’s adults.Keeping the legal age at twenty-one reduces the amount of death and injury; sexually transmitted diseases and abuse; and addiction. The public should be informed on the risks and negative effects to one’s health when drinking too much alcohol. Keep in mind the harmful short- and long-term affects alcohol has on the body. The next time y ou decide to sit down and have a drink, or two, or three, remember the lasting harmful effects that will ensue, especially if your still growing and developing.