Monday, September 30, 2019

Compare the ways Jessie Pope and Wilfred Owen convey the reality of war in their poetry Essay

The stories of the two poems are very contrasting, they oppose one another quite obviously. One about the horrors of war, one about how much ‘fun’ it is. Both poems serve a purpose and perform to it very well, using all kinds of techniques to encourage or discourage young men to join the army. The storyline of ‘Who’s for the game’ is telling of how great the war is and how you simply can’t miss out. This is meant to attract young soilders to join the army and fight in the first world war. She makes the war seem like a big fun game by using lines like â€Å"Who’s for the game, the biggest thats played, the red crashing game of a fight?† This entices the young men as they think that the war will be fun and a laugh but also honourable and noble to take part in. It makes it seem like a sort of game and men are persuaded to join in. In contrast ‘Dulce et decorum est’ has a very different theme and story. The poem tells of an experience of a soldier during an attack in World War One. The mood of the poem is sadness. Sadness could be too weak a word to describe the poem but is still the main emotion that comes to heart. The horrors of WW1 and trench warfare are involved in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†. The fact that Owen experienced the war himself really makes you think how horribly the war was. The story is also supposed to make everyone realise the loss and pain that the war creates and to discourage men to recrute as it would be a waste of life. It is very effective because if someone read the words â€Å"all went lame, all blind.† they would not want that to happen to them and would probably less inclined to join the war. In Dulce when Owen talks about how if ‘you’ could see what he had seen then you wouldnt tell the old lie: â€Å"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori†(it is sweet and honourable to die for your country) he adresses the reader asâ€Å"My Friend..† he does this to make the reader feel personally responsible for the deaths of so many men. This makes you feel guilty and more sad about the topic of the poem. Although this is very effective for the purpose of the poem, he is actually adressing his old ‘friend’ Jessie Pope who obviously wrote ‘Who’s for the Game’ aiming to attract young men in and of course was very successful. Owen believed that she was solely to blame for the death of the soldiers. He thought that she had no right to tell of this great fun game when she had never experienced the horrible conditions of the war and would never have to, so shouldnt be encouraging people to go when she would never be able to go herself. The language in who’s for the game is very different to in Dulce. Pope writes in a conversational manner which makes the poem more memorable and persuasive. She compares the war to a ‘game’, implying that there is little danger on the battlefield and nearly no chance of dying. She also refers to the war as a sport where a player would return with a minor injury such as a crutch. She persuades the men to join the army by making them feel ashamed and cowardly if they weren’t going to fight for their country. She also has a friendly manner in her poem as she refers to the men as ‘lads’. On the other hand Dulce uses very formal yet morbid language for his poem to create a serious mood. He uses lots of ‘ugly’ language to put the reader off and make them horrified and disgusted but also sad. An example of ugly language is when he is describing the man dying in his dreams: â€Å"he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.† That sequence of those three words; guttering, choking, drowning sounds a lot like coughing something up. It sounds as if Owen is the man choking to death in the gas, practically coughing up his own lungs. Or as if the memory that Owen experiences if hard to say, that he chokes it up because of the sadness of it. This creates very strong imagry for the viewer to think about. It makes the poem seem more alive and realistic and easier to imagine. The rhythm of popes poem is very jaunty and lively, creating the mood of a game. It could convey the soldiers marching, or popes idea of a fun and enjoyable war. She uses this upbeat rhythm to abide with the them of the poem and it works very well. It makes the reading of it sound more happy and alive. Dulce’s rhythm also ties in with its theme. It is quite stodgy and sort of plodding, which mimics the way the soldiers are walking after being on the front line. It means that the poem has more depth than just the words that he is saying. It is also about how you read it and making the rhythm slow moving makes you read it in more of a serious tone. Both poems use lots of different poetic devices to create vivid imagry. Dulce uses a lot more similies compared to Who’s for the Game. It does this because the poem is more specific and supposed to be realistic and truthful. One very effective device is when Owen says â€Å"his hanging face, like a devils sick of sin.† He is describing what the dead soldier looked like after the gas attack. He uses the similie of it being worse than a devils face. The devil is the worst thing a lot of people can think of and especially back then would have been a horrifying thought and for it to be ‘sick’ of sin would be even worse. He is suggesting that his face looked like the worst thing imaginable and no one should ever have to see that. However although Whos for the Game does not use many similies it does use a lot of metaphors to create a lovely image of this great fun war. It means that she is not exactly telling the truth or she is just creating a better version of her perception of the war. All in all I think that both poems stick to their purpose very well and are both effective in persuasion. They both use plenty of poetic devices to serve a purpose and create a certain mood or atmosphere. Although having completely different themes they are very similar in how they convey their personal reality of war. They both have their own opinions on war and are trying to get others see it their way. They use different techniques to effect the reader in a different way. Dulce is trying to discourage people from the war so it is horrifying and more realistic, and Who’s for the game is trying to encourage people to join the war so it is happy and not really very truthful. However I think they both convey the reality of war very well because everyones reality is different. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Analysis of Barclays Bank Essay

Introduction The process of restructuring the telecommunication sector truly got under way in Cameroon in June 1995, when the authorities decided thoroughly to reform network industry sectors such as water, electricity and telecommunications with a view to creating a favourable environment in which to develop their infrastructure and services and thus to satisfy increasingly exigent demand. The process took the form of liberalization, State withdrawal from the sectors concerned and the establishment of a  market structure enabling Cameroon to remain in step with the especially rapid global developments in the telecommunication sector; indeed, in spite of the investments made, the coverage rate and quality of service offered had remained largely inadequate. The process was carried out not only by defining the conditions and mechanisms liable to guarantee the sector’s opening to private initiative, but also by enacting regulations and taking measures intended to enable the sector to play t he decisive role incumbent on it in Cameroon’s economic development. Telecommunication sector reform in Cameroon is not limited to the establishment of new regulations and legislation, to the revision of the institutional framework and the establishment of an interconnection regime or to the introduction of competition. It should also comprise bringing behaviour in line with the times. One of our chief concerns is therefore also effective application of the regulations with a view to fulfilling the universal service obligation, ensuring consumer protection and providing for effective and appropriate regulation of true competition. The acquisition of the required know-how is the biggest challenge we face. The institutional players on Cameroon’s telecommunications scene are, as in many other African countries, of the opinion that any society that delays in jumping on the NTIC train will remain mired in a state of underdevelopment. Observations Background Before 1990, as in most African countries, telecommunication services were managed by a national publicly-owned monopoly. The administration in charge of telecommunications set the rules, ensured they were applied and was itself an operator. The results did not always live up to expectations. In June 1990, the President of the Republic signed the order on the programme to privatize public and semi-public enterprises. The telecommunication sector was added to the programme in June 1995. In July 1998, law 98/014 governing telecommunications in Cameroon (the Telecommunications Act) was promulgated. It established the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency and attributed sector responsibilities to a variety of players: the operation of  telecommunication networks to operators, regulatory matters, i.e. application of the rules and supervision of operators, to a regulatory body, the definition of sector policy and the enactment of market regulations to the telecommunication administration. In September of the same year, two public enterprises, CAMTEL for the fixed telephone service and CAMTEL MOBILE for the mobile telephone service, were set up to take over the telecommunication activities of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and of the public enterprise INTELCAM, which was in charge of operating and developing international telecommunication installations. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency was set up at the  same time. Immediately after, the sale of a mobile telephone licence and the process of privatizing CAMTEL and CAMTEL MOBILE got under way. In June 1999, a mobile telephone licence was granted to a private enterprise. The privatization of CAMTEL MOBILE was completed in February 2000. The privatization of CAMTEL is not yet complete. A third mobile telephone licence is to be issued. In less than two years, the sector has undergone sweeping change. Suffice it to mention one indicator: in January 2000 there was one mobile telephone operator with about 5 000 subscribers; on 31 March 2001 there were two operators with over 140 000 subscribers. This rapid and in-depth transformation is taking place within a constantly improving legal framework. II A liberal legal framework The development of new technologies and liberalization have permitted access to new telecommunication services which, depending on their specific natures, require appropriate regulation. The Telecommunications Act sets forth a new regulatory framework, opening the telecommunication sector to competition. The framework, which distinguishes between public and private networks, provides for three legal arrangements: concessions, authorizations  and declarations. 1 Concessions The State can grant one or several public or private corporate bodies all or part of its rights to establish and/or operate telecommunication networks. The concession is subject to strict compliance with the requirements set forth in a list of terms and conditions. This arrangement allows the State not only to keep a watchful eye on the harmonious development of modern telecommunication infrastructure, but also and above all to heighten its control over the development and supply of the basic services and facilities us ually demanded by the majority of users. 2 Authorizations The arrangement of prior authorization applies to the establishment and/or operation of telecommunication networks by physical persons or corporate bodies with a view to providing the public with a basic telecommunication service, a value-added service, a bearer service or any other service by using one or several radio frequencies. A list of terms and conditions containing the requirements to be met is attached to the licence issued to the bearer of a prior authorization. The authorization is issued for a fixed period and can be withdrawn under certain circumstances. 3 Declarations Declarations apply to the establishment of private internal networks, low-range and low-capacity private independent networks (that are not radio networks), low-range and low-capacity radio installations (to be determined  by the Administration), and the provision to the public of telecommunication services other than those subject to the arrangements of concession and authorization. Telecommunication terminal equipment is either freely provided or subject to type-approval. Certain provisions of the Telecommunications Act are detailed in decrees and implementing legislation. We shall not examine all of them here; indeed, some of them are still being drafted. The reform in Cameroon established the separation between the regulatory and operating functions. It works in favour of operators being entities controlled by private capital. The general framework for competition is governed by legislation on competition. The legal framework is supplemented by institutions. III 1 A revised institutional framework The telecommunication administration Spectrum management and the legislation and regulations relating to telecommunications are the exclusive domain of the State. The telecommunication administration has been invested, on behalf of the government, with general jurisdiction over the sector. It sets the general regulatory framework. It therefore establishes and implements telecommunication sector policy, whose aim must be to safeguard the missions of public service, to promote harmonious network development throughout the national territory and effective private sector participation in the sector’s wealth and employment-generating activities, and to ensure compliance by all operators with the applicable treaties, laws and regulations. In addition, the administration supervises the telecommunication sector, oversees public telecommunication enterprises, represents the State at international telecommunication-related organizations and events, and manages the radio spectrum on behalf of the State. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, which technically answers to the telecommunication administration, is the specialized body in charge of  facilitating actual application of the regulations issued. 2 The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency The organization of the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency established by the Telecommunications Act is set forth in decree No. 98/197 of 8 September 1998. The Agency has three main duties: – to ensure the regulations are implemented; – to guarantee respect for the regulations and the exercise of competition; – to settle certain disputes between operators. The Agency’s regulatory authority is subject to performance of the following activities: – definition of the principles governing tariffs for services; – examination of requests for authorization and declaration and of type-approval files for terminal equipment to be connected to public networks; – establishment of principles for calculating interconnection costs; – establishment and management of numbering plans; – management of the frequencies attributed to telecommunications; – submission to the government of proposals aimed at developing and modernizing the sector; – opinions on draft legislative and regulatory texts concerning telecommunications; – control and penalties for infractions. The Agency is specifically competent to settle disputes concerning interconnection, access to a public network, numbering, cases of harmful interference, and sharing of infrastructure. The Telecommunications Act provides the Agency with a quasi-judicial body and an arbitration procedure can be set in motion should one or the other of the parties be opposed. The parties remain free to bring their case before the competent court. IV Human resources Human resources are the key to management and progress, for they have knowledge, that rarest of economic commodities in the 21st century. The current transition from a monopoly environment to that of controlled competition has given rise to new demands in terms of basic knowledge and know- how in telecommunication regulation. Telecommunication leaders and staff in Cameroon were still dealing with the transition from analogue to digital when circuit switching was suddenly replaced by packet switching. This recent change has reshaped the concept and definition of telecommunication networks and services. Everything must therefore be done to make sure the human resources acquire the skills they need for their own development and that of companies, which create wealth for the well-being of peoples. The Ecole Nationale Supà ©rieure des Postes et Tà ©là ©communications, an independent facility run by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, provides basic instruction in telecommunications and ICT to technicians (technical and operating staff), supervising technicians (operating technicians and supervisors) and senior technical managers (works engineers and operating inspectors). It plans to organize standing professional certification for the staff of public and private enterprises and of the public administrations in charge of telecommunications and ICT. V International cooperation Cameroon has always been present and active in regional and international telecommunication organizations. It is a member of the Administrative Councils of both the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It has had very few bilateral exchanges of experience and information with other African countries. The ineffectiveness of regional (ATU) and subregional organizations (CAPTAC) has precluded the launch at subregional level of cooperation activities aimed at developing telecommunications in Cameroon. At the international level, ITU  has not been closely involved in telecommunication sector reform. In the past eight years, it has provided some technical assistance but otherwise almost no support for telecommunication development projects in Cameroon, possibly because the Area Office in Yaoundà © is not functioning. The capacities of the Area Office in Yaoundà © should be reinforced. Its main duties should be: – To disseminate ITU documents and information in the area. For this, it should have the means required to provide the documentation centres of the main players in each of the area’s countries with the documents and books needed to acquire knowledge in telecommunications and ICT, for most of the sector’s African managers will have to teach themselves. In this respect, hard as opposed to electronic copies remain invaluable in Africa.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Narrative Exploring. Being an African American Essay

Narrative Exploring. Being an African American - Essay Example I belong to the African American group. As far as my status within the American society is concerned, I belong to the middle class as I am neither poor nor rich. In terms of my religious identity, I am a Christian who has firm belief in God and Jesus. In relation to my existence in the society, I want to be a good citizen as well as a good human being and all the values attached with a good human being are taught to me by my parents and my African American identity. I am fully aware that I live in a society that is multicultural and multilingual in which, people from different lands are accommodated. Being a part of such a society is a privilege in its own self. I am proud to be a part of such a society where I can enjoy equal rights and equal opportunities towards success. In my group, I find quite loving people who try to take care of each other. I am an African American and I am proud of it. Being an African American in my point of view is a blessing as I belong to a land that is regarded Holy by Orthodox Christians because of its being a Custodian of the Holy Ark of the covenant. My origin’s city Lalibela, which is located in Ethiopia, has a wide number of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.... All those who have adopted this land as their own after leaving Africa are known as African Americans. I have an origin in Ethiopia, which is also called the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is one of those lands that are not colonized historically. It is land of palm trees, high mountains and lots of sunshine. We have our own traditional dishes, music and gestures to please people such as we prepare a great recipe called injera, which is a sauce made of either meat, ground grains, beans or vegetables with plenty of spices. Similarly, our traditional music is wide in range such as Amharic and Tigrigna music, R and B, pop, mezmur (Gospel), and Hip Hop. We have our own festivals and events to celebrate in which, we feel pleasure to participate. Â   We as a group believe in family life and continue being in families as through this custom of living together, we can share each other’s happiness and worries and we can help our fellow group members as we understand them better than any oth er person belonging to any other group. We love each other and give respect to our fellow group members and all other people around us and we also try to accommodate other people interested to share our experiences and customs. I as a Christian teach my children to be a good Christian by following all the duties of religion and by obeying the commands of the religion. My parents also taught me to be a good human being first and then be a good Christian. I follow my parents’ teaching and have transferred my acquired knowledge to my children. African American origin has enriched my being as a person who is related to people who are caring and loving and who try to help people with their good manners and care. They are usually good Christians and try to follow what is advised

Friday, September 27, 2019

Cuts the Word Peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cuts the Word Peace - Essay Example This essay gives various definitions about terrorism and traces back its origin. Further, it seeks to explain different types and forms of terrorism and its effects to the society, environment, and government. Terrorism bears itself the words destruction and violence. To some, it means death and hell. Probably, all over the world, this word has gone every corner of the society. Indeed, terrorism can be found anywhere, as long as there is life. Different walks of life especially the children, probably if asked, as to what they understand about it would answer, â€Å"terrorism is what the ‘Justice League’ (super hero characters) combating against.† Or, other school children might say, â€Å"Oh! It’s something I play with in the computer; don’t you play counter strike and plants versus zombies?† The dangerous influence brought about by terrorism has entered even into the young little hearts. It seems like everyone knows it, even a five year old c hild. Since the beginning of the recorded history, terrorism has been evolving with its meaning and image. As technology grows, there are many kinds of terrorism emerging in like a root of plant that enormously increases in length. Perhaps, it would continue to grow more until it reaches the depth of limits. The term terrorism comes from the root word ‘terror,’ which means overmastering fear (â€Å"Terror†). But if somebody would ask who created fear? ... Thus, terrorism was used to resist occupation. All countries upon the face of the earth have witnessed and even some had participated in the act of terrorism like invasion and war. The September 11, 2001 attack in the US World Trade Center is one work of terrorism. The terrorists behind this terrible thing intimidated the government and the society. Political leaders, analysts, and even the students of Political Science discipline know that this is a game played by a single or group of persons aiming to overturn the government and destroy its very foundation--the common people. Hence, here terrorism is defined as â€Å"the destroyer.† A boy playing counter-strike enjoys the thrill that the game creates. He might say, â€Å"This is good, I like the feeling of becoming a terrorist.† In addition, terrorism brings ‘horror’ in the minds of the ones who are fond of playing unusual games. It is like â€Å"putting the horror in the minds of the audience, and not n ecessarily on the screen† (Garrison 12). In addition, fear, horror, and terror are somewhat synonymous to the term terrorism. In an author’s point of view, where they usually define terrorism with concise examples, illustrations and provide the reader’s with a scene ‘like horror’. They used to claim that this term is a political act. Some described this word â€Å"as both tactic and strategy, a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination† (â€Å"What Is Terrorism†). In addition, the FBI used to view the term as the unlawful use of force to further political or social objectives through violence. However, nowadays, terrorism has been into many forms--either small or great. In fact, it has reached the surface of cyberspace. The

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Choose any title from below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose any title from below - Essay Example Since 2001 heightened national security concerns followed by the current economic woes have led to immigration becoming an important area of concern in the United Kingdom (GMF, 2008). Net immigration into the United Kingdom has been increasing with time leading to an increase in the migrant population. As per figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2007, the net immigration into the country was 237,000, while in 2006 it was 191,000. These figures show that there was a growth of 25% in the net immigration into the United Kingdom in the last year (Boycott, 2008). This large influx of immigrants has raised concern over their possible economic contribution to the nation, security issues and the capability of the public services to cope with the unexpected rise in population of the country (Select Committee on Economic Affairs, 2008) Immigrants into the United Kingdom tend to group together and not meld within the local communities. The large influx of immigrants is posing a threat to the peace and stability of the local communities. For example in Peterborough, Burnley and Barking and Dagenham, which are three areas of high immigrant populations there is the lowest cohesion in the community, when compared top other areas. This has heightened public anxiety on the rapid increase in rate of immigration (BBC NEWS, 2008). In addition to this factor, there is the issue of increasing influx of illegal immigrants into the United Kingdom from countries like India. After entering the country, they are prepared to work for low wages causing problems to the local workers (Bannerji, 2008). Finally the largesse of the United Kingdom in granting asylum to individuals facing persecution in their native lands has been misused to increase the number of migrants into the country. The political perspective of this is reflected by the claims of the Immigration Minister Phil Woolas that â€Å"most asylum seekers were not fleeing

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Mental Health and Mental Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mental Health and Mental Disorders - Essay Example He worked out Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. This author stated that emotions derive from "an interaction between events in the environment and beliefs and expectations which we have". (qtd in Clark, p. 130) Sometimes these beliefs are so powerful that they affect person's emotional conditional. The purpose of emotive behaviour therapy is to make these emotions less powerful and not badly influence person's emotional condition. (Clark). According to the concepts of cognitive theory, specialists counseling in mental disorders, should focus on mental condition of the client and investigate his identity, rather than treat his physical body with the help of medicines that may have side effects. Another famous author who worked in the field of cognitive therapy was Aaron Beck. He worked out a special methodology and strategies to treat depression and anxiety that were based upon the conceptions of cognitive theory. Clients are to perform a dialogue within his inner world to define the patterns that are to be changed to improve client's condition. Treatment strategies worked by Beck help a client to find out depressive beliefs and change his way of thinking. The commentators describe the essence of Beck's approach as following: "According to Beck and Emery, the way we process information is governed by structures called schemata. These schemata are made up of rules for explaining incoming information, and for retrieving what we have already learned. They are capable of exerting powerful effects on how we experience and relate to the world. For example, the schemata of a person with a social phobia cause them to become anxious and avoidant by explaining incoming information a nd memories in terms of social threat. Treatment consists of correcting faulty or illogical thinking by repeatedly confronting cognitive schemata with discrepant information from role-playing and homework assignments." (Abela, p.117) Modern medicine includes treating depression and anxiety with psychotherapy or medications, or combining both these treatments. The experiments and researches show that a combination of these two methods is mostly effective, especially because antidepressants rarely result in dependence. Companies that produce medicine encourage doctors to prefer medical treatment to psychotherapy, but there are cases in which referring to a specialist in psychotherapy is necessary. In case the person takes antidepressants and this brings no results, a visit to professional in mental health may be more effective. (Clark) Cognitive theory and therapy based upon it provide for a theoretical basis allowing specialists better understand the reasons for anxiety and depression to appear, to treat them effectively. This theory is regarded as effective even in comparison with other popular theories. To better understand the impact of cognitive theory into modern psychotherapy it is necessary to observe its perspective on mental illnesses and anxiety in particular. According to the cognitive theory, the reasons for depression, anxiety and worries appear due to several reasons: Sometimes it is enough just to see a model of behavior to take it over, when a person expresses intense fears or nervous condition. Sensitive people often answer such behaviour the same way. Sometimes a person inadequately estimates the situation and interactions with people

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

A study of War and Military History, 1867 to the Present Essay

A study of War and Military History, 1867 to the Present - Essay Example With its large expanse of land mass covering North America, right above the United States, proved to be of strategic importance for the British. Trade between Canada and the main British isle was usually undeterred by the vast Atlantic Ocean, and such supply routes were usually left undisturbed for the most part. On the social and political situation, the Canadians were mostly North American colonists who remained loyal to British imperial rule and also composed of colonists from the United States who maintained their allegiance with the British rule. This group of Canadians formed the majority of Canada’s society and usually held a strong voice with regards to the colonial affairs. On the other hand, there were also the French speaking Canadians who were mostly from the domain of Quebec and Montreal. The French Canadians were formerly French Empire colonists during the 16th and 17th century who were conquered by the British by the end of the French-Indian War. The fact that F rench Canadians were usually not treated with much respect as that of the English Canadians, French Canadians most of the time took the polar opposite with regards to political opinion. When the outbreak of the First World War happened in Europe, it was first thought that the British Empire would not be involved in the war which at first was thought to be merely involved between the Austria-Hungary against Serbia. But when Germany entered the war, in the side of Austria-Hungary, Great Britain decided to enter the war against what would later be known as the Central Powers, namely the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to prevent the German Empire from expanding its imperial influence. Canada was involved in this armed struggle across its borders since it had its obligations as a colony of the British Empire. Prior to all this, Canada had a large standing militia force, yet a small regular army and an even smaller navy. Sam Hughes, the Minister of Militia and Defense during that time, was tasked to raise enough soldiers for the war in Europe to complement the British forces around the Western Front. For this to be done, volunteers of men were needed to be implemented to enlist enough manpower to be of potential support for the war efforts. Many joined in the hundreds of thousands, becoming known as the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Canadians were known to serve well and with distinction. They were notable in their involvement in major battles such as the Battles of Ypres, Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele and the Hundred Days offensive. Canadian Corps were considered as fine soldiers, being highly motivated and dogged. But as the war dragged on and losses were mounting high on the British and its Commonwealth forces, it came to the point that conscription would be needed. After the Battle of Somme, in which casualties on both sides of the belligerents where high, there was a great demand to reinforce the forces in the Western Front. Because of the terrible amount of casualties as the battles raged on the trenches in the Western front with no clear or decisive victory in sight, the number of volunteers of Canadians drastically dropped . This eventually caused conscription to be seen as a necessary measure for the Canadian government to pass the act of conscription. By this period, the government Canada decided to pass the act of conscription. Opinions about conscription in Canada during the First World War were divided distinctly between the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Homework questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework questions - Essay Example Scenario planning refers to an analytic model employed by a corporate organization for future predictions regarding corporate strategy (Schoemaker, 2005). Therefore, the process may be employed both locally and globally as a strategic management tool with regard to future trends. For instance, insurance companies may employ scenario planning so as to ascertain the occurrence of certain risks. Cultural values play a crucial role in the management process (Berrell and Wright, 2009). For instance, some leadership aspects may be as a result of the passing of cultural values from one generation to another generation. Other styles may be as a result of westernization processes. Thus, cultural values act as a link between various values such as education, technology and corporate culture. This, in turn, shapes the desired management style, thus, underlining the importance of cultural values in management processes. Through virtual team membership, in completing an Organizational Change Development Project, simulation analysis of the Blue Horizon Cruises allowed us to effectively analyze various cultures that often result in conflict (Berrell and Wright, 2009). This was in reference to the reaction towards capitalistic culture around the world. Thus, different cultural orientations towards this practice were analyzed and appreciated. Through coverage of course, the relationship between social science research methods and practical Organizational Change Development issues was emphasized. This was owed to the relationship between various cultural practices and Organizational Change Development issues (Berrell and Wright, 2009). Thus, we were able to employ various social science research methodological practices in relation to outlining Organizational Change Development issues while also paying attention to various ethical issues. Embracing of the ‘genius of and’ is crucial to the existence of any organization. However, western companies be hindered by

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Our position in Education is Cut Away Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Our position in Education is Cut Away - Essay Example 2.5 trillion budget eliminating dozens of politically sensitive domestic programs, including funding for education, to help meet his goal of shaving the budget deficit in half by 2009 (Allen & Baker, 2005). â€Å"The budget calls for 48 education program cuts totaling $4.3 billion, including $2.2 billion for high school programs, mostly state grants for vocational education. The budget would cut $440 million in Safe and Drug-Free School grants, $500 million in education technology state grants and $225 million for the Even Start literacy program according to the documents† (Allen & Baker, 2005). House Budget Committee Democrats said their analysis shows that the deficit will hit $495 billion in 2004, and will never go below $300 billion in the 2004-2013 period, reaching a total over the decade of $3.7 trillion. Rising federal deficits have triggered the need for the elimination of some monies for education (Federal Deficit, 2003). Vice President Dick Cheney defended the cuts a s measured. "I think youll find, once people sit down and have a chance to look at the budget, that it is a fair, reasonable, responsible, serious piece of effort,† he told Fox News Sunday. â€Å"The Administrations claim that it will cut the deficit in half by 2009 lacks credibility,† said a report released last week by House Budget Committee Democrats. â€Å"When the omitted items are included, along with the impact of making Bushs first-term tax cuts permanent, the report estimated that the government would rack up $6.1 trillion in deficit spending over the next decade† (Allen & Baker, 2005). Therefore, these numerous cuts in education spending in such key areas as vocational education, after school programs, family literacy programs and college support are being made ostensibly to reduce the federal deficit but are, in reality, having little effect on the deficit and a huge detrimental effect on the country’s population. In presenting his fiscal 2006 budget request to Congress,

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Transformation of Jeff Henderson Essay Example for Free

The Transformation of Jeff Henderson Essay The Transformation of Jeff Henderson In life, a â€Å"Fall† means that someone loses his position or becomes unsuccessful depending on economy, family discord, or crime. You cannot rise if you do not fall first. In the autobiography Cooked, Jeff Henderson undergoes his own â€Å"Fall† into the abyss of insanity and a redemption born from necessity. The rising/falling motif of the life lessons can be explained by narcissism, solipsism, denial and rationalization. Cooked by Jeff Henderson is a memoir of crime, redemption and a desire to make it big. Jeff Henderson’s narcissism had grown little by little and the position of solipsism on his mind was higher and higher while he got money, even when he was a child. As a child, he could not satisfy his desire for food, buying fine clothes, and have enough money because of his economic circumstance. Through spending time with his brothers on the street, he began losing his moral compass. For example, he usually pinched twenty dollars from his mother when he had the opportunity. Jeff Henderson thought, â€Å"I’m going to get mine. After that, he thought he is better and smarter than he is. His narcissism was increasing. So he did not pick up his amazing cooking skill at this point. Besides that, he had a moral denial when one of Jeff Henderson’s associates was trying to kidnap and kill him. As Professor McMahon stated, â€Å"Henderson rationalizes that he is a drug dealer but he does as, strictly as a businessman. † (Break Through. Web) He justified that he had never used drugs and had never done any violence although he was caught by the Feds. He believed that he is different from others who dealt with drugs as well. Then, He learned his cooking skills in prison, where he served time for cooking up a very different kind of substance—selling cocaine. After he got released his attitude to work hard brought him a transformation to be successful. Now, he is an executive chef in Bellagio. His jail period made him flourish and be successful. Works Cited Herculodge. Lesson #4: In the Crossfire: Welcome to the Third Eye. Break Through Writer. October 05, 2011 lt; http://herculodge. typepad. com/breakthrough_writer/2011/10/lesson-4-in-the-crossfire. htmlgt;

Friday, September 20, 2019

Strategies for Depository Companies in Financial Crisis

Strategies for Depository Companies in Financial Crisis Introduction The development of capital markets is highly dependent on the activities of related securities market infrastructure institutes that include, inter alia, depository companies engaged in provision of the services for record-keeping of entitlements under securities (registration and transfer of rights to securities), collection of coupon and dividends (payable income) arising from the portfolios, facilitation of corporate actions processing (such as tender offer, proxy voting, buy-backs), and other services. This study focuses on the issues and relevant remediation steps applicable to depository companies being integral part of the stock market infrastructure. Recent volatility in the stock markets provided a positive impetus to change the business model of depository companies. Securities market participants seek to use the services of depository companies as an additional measure of protection for a significant amount of assets and portfolios. Moreover, the market is shrinking and brokerage houses are going bankrupt that also boosts customers desire to move their assets to specialized players in depository business by establishing direct relations. Nevertheless, the global turmoil has affected the research market segment resulting in rapidly decreasing value of assets under custody, reduction of on-exchange and OTC trading volumes, and redistribution of portfolios of assets by risk-averse investors seeking alternative strategies in times of crisis. Keywords: capital market, strategic alternatives, competitive strategy, depository services. The objective of the research paper is to identify the key strategic options that would increase economic profit of the depositories’ organizations amid ongoing financial crisis. Effectively, we would like to develop and propose different approaches towards the companies’ strategic options aimed at defining current condition, future growth factors and drivers for relatives companies of the market segment. The findings section of the research paper describes most topical problems that depository companies are currently facing in Russia. The economic value drivers are identified and can be used to translate them into the economic profit model of depository companies. Furthermore, the main strategic options are identified to highlight client portfolio rebalancing opportunities in the market segment. Methodology The methodological base of the research paper is based on the analysis of data and information available in public sources, and made through desk study, along with the opinion expressed by the market experts. The following sources of information were used for different sections of the report: Legal framework: federal laws on securities and custody operations, information on securities market volumes and other statistics was retrieved from the Russian National Association of Securities Market Participants (NAUFOR) and the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) official web-sites, the official publications and documents of the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), and the Ministry of Economic Development; The problems were identified through interviews conducted with securities market specialists in Russia; Securities services sector development: the data was retrieved from annual NAUFOR Russian Stock Market. Facts and Events survey of 2014. The research paper is represented by six chapters that include introduction, methodology, the main part – hypothesis, findings, conclusion, footnotes and bibliography. Hypotheses We suggests the following hypotheses to be tested in the course of empirical research: Hypothesis 1: The growth strategic alternative (merger / acquisition, and integration / alliance) is winning in terms of achieving the objectives set by the company during crisis. Criteria: Cost-saving through synergies with other small providers; introduction of new product offering. Hypothesis 2. Companies that apply product expansion strategy instead of infrastructure needs can be more effective during crisis times, create competitive advantage and fulfill the objectives of the company. Criteria: The presence / absence of the relation between the degree of product diversification of the company (interoperability with the Central Depository, Central Counterparties, communication standards) with product standardization. Hypothesis 3. Depositories companies prone to invest in quality assurance (service organization), rather than implement cost reduction strategies. Criteria: The presence / absence of large market players, including investment funds and wealthy individuals. Characteristics of the research object Object depository companies that provide services to broker / dealers, investment funds, private individuals and other depositories. Characteristics and features of the market segment: Approximately 570 companies. From 15 to 80 employees. Revenue from 0.1 to 5 million dollars a year. Clients local and foreign residents. Entry barriers – licensing requirements, IT technology, staff competencies. Large number of small companies with a small scope of operations and market share. Trend towards consolidation of businesses. The market segment of the securities market industry has a number of distinctive features that influences application of discussed strategic alternatives in the crisis. Findings The current global financial crisis requires depository companies to respond quickly to all macro-environment changes and stay competitive player with large amounts of assets deposited. The securities services are fairly stable line of business, where the client portfolio (equities and fixed income instruments) size is crucial and steady income for the maintenance would facilitate the development of the company. However, the depositary companies are affected by unstable situation, which is observed in the stock market in recent years. Therefore, we would like to see new threats and opportunities that have emerged recently. We analyze the strategies of corporate governance of companies affected by the financial crisis on this basis, the following assumptions that were designated for the research paper: We assume that all actions are undertaken in the interests of the stakeholders of the company or business. Set of strategic alternatives designated for the management in order to adjust the companys goals, drivers and incentives. It should be aimed at achieving long-term stability and development of the companys competitive advantages. We offer three strategic alternatives focused on the development of depository companies. Strategic integration opportunity is aimed at further increasing the scale of production for the purpose of reducing the share of the unit cost. The implementation of the strategic alternative is expected to be done either by improving production processes or acquiring other depositary companies of market segment for the purpose of achieving the economy of scale. The strategy also suggests the possibility of further acquisitions and development of the most profitable depositary companies of the group. The strategy of product expansion in companies offering depository services promote the interests of customers and investors in attracting new portfolios. This strategy, however, requires a systematic approach and professional competence to be successful. The Russian capital market has grown rapidly over the last 15 years, but the securities market infrastructure could not keep up the pace. Effectively, depository companies that had specialized in improving the securities market infrastructure of the stock market, promoting new electronic document interchange, new product offering and interconnection services, can achieve success in the crisis. Given the opportunity to work with local authorities on the development of the securities market infrastructure in the long term they can lead to key roles in the value chain. These depositories companies has a fundamental knowledge and significant resources to identify and resolve discrepancies in connection with the accelerated development o f the stock market. The strategic alternative of the service organization if they can meet service level claimed by sophisticated investment funds, private individuals and global custodians forced by the credit crunch to hold their assets through depository companies using them as extra protection during the financial crisis. For depository companies, there are many opportunities to retain these customers and grow the business, if they can agree and guarantee services that their customers demand. Nevertheless, many questions arise when thinking about the possibility of service in the framework of this strategy, there is no innovation component. It may be difficult to implement such a strategy for large depository companies whose business models are based on cost reduction and unification of services provided. However, the innovative component cannot be a panacea for all the ills in the short term. The decisive role is played by the demand and requirements of the customers and investors, and also monitor ing and control regulatory bodies. Business model of depository companies are highly dependent on the cost of fees for safekeeping as a percentage of total assets in custody, as well as fees for each transaction in securities. Probably the situation could become worse, given the negative reaction from politicians and regulators in light of the financial crisis. One of the key areas which will have an impact on the financial services sector is information transparency. Stagnation of business activity in the stock market has provided many opportunities for depository companies, and put some pressure on the volume of investment and resources management companies. Business and operational models were tested under the conditions subject to increased demands of customers in the pursuit of improving the quality of service and flexibility of services provided. The rapid reduction in the value of client assets under custody put pressure on revenues and spending in order to remain profitable. Conclusion The practical conclusions of the study can be summarized as follows: The specific strategic alternatives have been formulated for depository companies acting in a financial crisis. Each option describes opportunities and focus group, and is presented as optimal one for the company with certain level of expertise and specific client types. Each of the strategic alternatives is aimed at selected market participants and shall provide opportunities to survive, improve operational activities, and also to strengthen their position in the market segment. In conclusion, we notes that at the present time, when the whole world is deepening the financial crisis, more and more companies risk losing their ability to pay. Accordingly, it is necessary to pay more attention to the anti-crisis strategy of corporate governance. Bibliography Rubcov B.B. Modern Financial Markets M.: Alpina Business Books, 2007. – 926 p. Clearnet. Rules conditions for clearing house membership. Paris, 2000.-p. 114 Group 30. Report of Committee on Interbank Netting Schemes of the Central Banks of 2005 www.cbr.ru/sbrfr CBR legal framework, financial market participants, market statistics www.naufor.ru NAUFOR Russian Stock Market Fact Book 2014 www.gks.ru – Federal State Statistics Service. www.ved.gov.ru – The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. 1

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Invisible Man Essay: Searching for Black Identity in a White World

Invisible Man: Searching for Black Identity in a White World      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man was published at a time when America was racially divided.   The novel presents the theme of the lack of black identity – a theme supported by the fact that the protagonist, Invisible Man, has no name.   The reader knows the names of Dr. Bledsoe, Ras-the-Exhorter, Brother Jack and others - but the reader does not know the name of the main character.   Ellison's leaves it to the reader to decide who he is and, on a larger scale, how white America perceives black America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ellison's use of color is interesting.   He uses color to contrast the differences between black and white America.   Ellison describes the Tuskegee campus as a "world of whiteness", Dr Bledsoe's wife as having a "creamy-complexion", and the main character's lover's arm as "one ivory arm flung above her jet-black hair".   This contrast is used throughout the book and reminds the reader that race is an important issue in America.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Chapter 2 the main character is a junior in college and feels good about his life.   Dr Bledsoe, the dean of Tuskegee Institute, assigns him to drive for an old white trustee named Mr. Norton and to make sure he gets to his meetings on time.   On one particular day Mr. Norton asks the boy to show him around.   Mr. Norton knows little of the surrounding area.   This foreshadows trouble for the young man.   What the boy failed to understand is that Dr. Bledsoe doesn't want Mr. Norton or any other white trustee to see the community surrounding the campus.   Unaware of this the boy takes the first road he encounters and immediately they see a poor black farmer named Trueblood.   At a time when most blacks are living in poverty, Tru... ... the status quo, challenging the reader to see beyond skin color.   Only through realizing the truth about race, gender, and class warfare can we, as a nation, free ourselves from the shackles of prejudice.   Works Cited and Consulted: Bishop, Jack. Ralph Ellison. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Bellow, Saul. "Man Underground" Review of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Commentary. June 1952. 1st December 2001 Available: http://www.english.upeen.edu/~afilreis /50s/bellow-on-ellison.html Ellison, Ralph.   Invisible Man.   Vintage International.   New York: Random House, Inc., 1947. Fabre, Michel. "In Ralph Ellison's Precious Words." Unpublished Manuscript. 1996. 30 November. <http://www.igc.org/dissent/archive/ Ellison/early.html O'Meally, Robert, ed. New Essays on Invisible Man. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Theme of Self Esteem in Othello Essay -- Essays Papers

The Theme of Self Esteem in Othello For the theater-going people of the Elizabethan age, there were many hardships. Many of them experienced poor living conditions and treatment. All of them faced the dangers of a comparatively underdeveloped medical knowledge which often left the young and elderly to die of common diseases. The magic of Shakespeare is not only that historians can learn of otherwise undocumented details of the 1500's, but also that all readers can discover the many similarities between Shakespeare's day and now. These similarities reside heavily not only in speech, but also the human condition. When compared with the people we know today, Shakespeare's characters exhibit only skin-deep differences. Some identical language expressions may owe their modern existance to Shakespeare's presence in literary education, but identical emotional reactions surely cannot stem solely from the lecture hall. The English inhabitants of the 16th century, as seen through William Shakespeare's eyes, experienced the same love, hate, and jealousy that we do today. Just as our modern films and music often include implied moral lessons, so too does Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice. All its primary characters and themes of unstable love and exploitation culminate into one simple message about the key importance of loving oneself. Iago, the villian of the tale, is responsible for initiating most of the turbulence found in the plot. Essentially, Iago chooses two insecure individuals on which to work his exploitation: Roderigo and Othello. Othello, arguably the main character of the play, is Iago's primary pawn. Roderigo becomes a secondary card in Iago's deck, as well as his source of money. Blinded by his lo... ...ny sort of hardships such as financial difficulties or emotional manipulation just like that exercised against Othello and Desdemona. Even today, similar messages about self empowerment are widely seen in popular novels, films, and television programs. Contemporary examples include Harry Potter, "28 Days", "Sesame Street", and many others. One can almost imagine an unwealthy villager emerging from lengthy stay in a packed theatre making a firm resolve to finally regain the strength to sever ties to an untrustworthy and treacherous acquaintance. Works Cited Myers, David G. Psychology, 6th Edition. Holland, Michigan: Worth Publishers, 2001. Dolezal, Timothy William. Moor Impotency: Othello's Powerlessness in Sexual and Social Relationships. 14 Dec. 1998. University of Notre Dame. 23 June 2003 <http://www.nd.edu/~frswrite/mcpartlin/1999/Dolezal.shtml>. The Theme of Self Esteem in Othello Essay -- Essays Papers The Theme of Self Esteem in Othello For the theater-going people of the Elizabethan age, there were many hardships. Many of them experienced poor living conditions and treatment. All of them faced the dangers of a comparatively underdeveloped medical knowledge which often left the young and elderly to die of common diseases. The magic of Shakespeare is not only that historians can learn of otherwise undocumented details of the 1500's, but also that all readers can discover the many similarities between Shakespeare's day and now. These similarities reside heavily not only in speech, but also the human condition. When compared with the people we know today, Shakespeare's characters exhibit only skin-deep differences. Some identical language expressions may owe their modern existance to Shakespeare's presence in literary education, but identical emotional reactions surely cannot stem solely from the lecture hall. The English inhabitants of the 16th century, as seen through William Shakespeare's eyes, experienced the same love, hate, and jealousy that we do today. Just as our modern films and music often include implied moral lessons, so too does Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice. All its primary characters and themes of unstable love and exploitation culminate into one simple message about the key importance of loving oneself. Iago, the villian of the tale, is responsible for initiating most of the turbulence found in the plot. Essentially, Iago chooses two insecure individuals on which to work his exploitation: Roderigo and Othello. Othello, arguably the main character of the play, is Iago's primary pawn. Roderigo becomes a secondary card in Iago's deck, as well as his source of money. Blinded by his lo... ...ny sort of hardships such as financial difficulties or emotional manipulation just like that exercised against Othello and Desdemona. Even today, similar messages about self empowerment are widely seen in popular novels, films, and television programs. Contemporary examples include Harry Potter, "28 Days", "Sesame Street", and many others. One can almost imagine an unwealthy villager emerging from lengthy stay in a packed theatre making a firm resolve to finally regain the strength to sever ties to an untrustworthy and treacherous acquaintance. Works Cited Myers, David G. Psychology, 6th Edition. Holland, Michigan: Worth Publishers, 2001. Dolezal, Timothy William. Moor Impotency: Othello's Powerlessness in Sexual and Social Relationships. 14 Dec. 1998. University of Notre Dame. 23 June 2003 <http://www.nd.edu/~frswrite/mcpartlin/1999/Dolezal.shtml>.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Internet in Schools :: essays research papers

Internet in Schools Everything revolves around the internet these days. Every business, big or small has a internet website for you to visit. Let’s face it, the internet is not going away, we as a people must learn to use this tool and not think of it as a negative thing. The internet must be used positively to benefit us. We can find anything we want through the internet. The internet can be abused but we must educate our children so they can use it effectively to their advantage. We definitely need to make most schools have the internet in classrooms, there is no doubt about it. Internet needs to be in the classrooms of schools in the new millennium. If you can’t get on and surf the internet by yourself then you are looked down upon. The internet is the new big thing, it’s technology at it’s best. That’s why we must keep our students in schools educated and updated with it, the internet has endless possibilities. Students would never run out of information for their reports in school, they can either go to the library and look for the information they need and hope that the book they need is not checked out, which could take up to a couple of hours. While on the internet you can find the information in the matter of minutes. Many books are outdated and you would be lucky to check one out if everybody in the class is doing the same report! The internet keeps up with current information coming in every day of the week. I don’t think students abusing their time on the internet is a problem, I think we need teachers or someone to monitor where they are going on the internet. There are programs advisors can download that can block out any material not suitable for students at schools. The world is at your fingertips with the internet, you can do anything imaginable. It is the schools duty to have the internet, forget the library, I’m sure students would agree with me that using the internet would be much easier to find the information you are looking for than the library. If you don’t know how to use the internet then you are missing out, anything you want is on there. The internet alone could be a career, there are online businesses that make just as much money as jobs outside your home.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Jwellery Industry in India

THE JEWEL INDUSTRY OF INDIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO GITANJALI INTRODUCTION INDIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY India is a leading player in the global gems and jewellery market. The gems and jewellery industry occupies an important position in the Indian economy. It is a leading foreign exchange earner, as well as one of the fastest growing industries in the country. The two major segments of the sector in India are gold jewellery and diamonds. Gold jewellery forms around 80 per cent of the Indian jewellery market, with the balance comprising fabricated studded jewellery that includes diamond studded as well as gemstone studded jewellery. The Indian gems and jewellery industry is competitive in the world market due to its low cost of production and the availability of skilled labour. In addition, the industry has set up a worldwide distribution network, of more than 3,000offices for the promotion and marketing of Indian diamonds. The sector is expected to register a compound annual growth of (CAGR) of 13% during 2011-13, according to a report â€Å"Indian Gems and Jwellery Market Forecast 2013†. (By research firm RNCOS). MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCE MODEL FOR JEWELLERY INDUSTRY INTER- FIRM RIVALRY- HIGH There are two types of rivalry. 1) Inside India & (2) Outside India. †¢Large presence of unorganized sector. 0. 2 Million Gold jewellers and over 8,000 Diamond jewellers †¢International rivals Such as, China †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. & Russia. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS – MEDIUM In jewellery industry the suppliers are S. A. , UAE, Australia, US, Congo, Botswana, Russia , DTC. †¢Few Alternatives of cutting & polishing. †¢Skilled labour †¢Bargaining power of India is enhanced because India is largest consumer of gold jewellery. BARGAING POWER OF BUYERS- LOW Divided in two types 1. Domestic buyers & . Foreign buyers †¢As investment (Demand increase) †¢Bargaining power of Indian exporter is high because Majority of the world's rough diamond production is cut and polished in India THREAT OF SUBSITUTES- LOW Substitutes are Real assets, Stock market, ; Bank deposits ; Mutual fund investment and other types of jewellery like imitation Jewellery, bagasra jewellery, stone jewellery etc. †¢Second preferred investment behind bank deposits †¢Status and standard of living increase so demand is increasing at High rate BARRIERS TO ENTRY- LOW TO MEDIUM * Low capital requirement Government subsidy * EXIM policy ; government’s rules ; regulations are high * Skilled manpower is essential * Advanced technology required. GITANJ ALI | | | | | Vision To emerge as a jeweller of choice, in terms of quality, style and surpass all levels of customer satisfaction. Mission To assimilate the expertise of trained personnel and state-of the art machinery, so as to nothing, but the best. Values Are Integrity, Solidarity, Credibility and Perfection. The Gitanjali Group which was established in 1966, and is one of the earliest diamond houses in India. By 1968, it was accorded a ‘Sight† by the Diamond Trading Company Ltd. London and Gitanjali became one of the first Sight holders in India. It has received over 50 National and Council awards from the Ministry of Commerce for outstanding exports. It is one of the leading diamond exporting companies in India. Presently, Gitanjali Group has highly modernized diamond cutting and polishing facilities in India. The group strengthens its core business of loose diamonds with international association. Internationally, business patterns of the diamond industry. The Group has positioned itself to manufacture and promote diamonds as well as studded jewellery right up to the retail level. Gitanjali Group one of the leading integrated diamond ; Jewellery manufactures ; Retailers in India with turnover of Rs 3467 Cores. The Company has strong brands such as: * ASMI Asmi was launched in 2002 by the Diamond Trading Corporation. All the years the brand has been endorsed by various actresses such as Kajol, Parizad Zorabian ; Mandira Bedi. All these women epitomize the different strengths that an Asmi woman is identified with fire – spirited, goal oriented ; with an inner fire. NAKSHATRA Nakshatra is one of India’s most reputed diamond jewellery brands, achieving an iconic status within three years of its launch in 2000. Today, it is a leading diamond jewellery brand, patronized by women of fashion in almost all segments of society. * SANGINI Sangini is a high profile brand launched by the Diamond Trading Company, and Spectrum Jewellery , a joint venture between the Gitanjali Group and Sanghavi Exports, promotes the brand in India. * DIYA DIYA is the distilled essence of the Gitanjali Group’s four-decade long engagement with jewellery. It is the first B2B diamond jewellery brand for manufacturers and the trade. It offers exquisite designs, selected after a rigorous India-wide survey of 6,300 women – some of which are already acknowledged classics. * BEZEL Bezel is a watch store from the stable of the Gitanjali group products includes watches and writing instruments. Brand mix will include GLL brands ; brands from outside. * WORLD OF SILVER It has been conceptualized for offering silver gifts in various product categories like Home decor, Office Utility, Bar Sets, Table ware, Devotional Collections and Artefacts. It range of International Brands , Greggio from Italy and Frazer ; Haws from UK, offering best of the brand value and perceived value   while making gifting a lifestyle statement. It caters to the high end, up market ; value conscious niche cliental. * GILI Gili’s brand identity is to ‘Embrace the Gili way of easy elegance’. The Brand characteristics are Stylish, Contemporary, Extrovert, Enthusiastic and Self-made. And its Design concept is easy to wear, highly contemporary and trendy designs * D’DAMAS D'damas India Jewellery is a joint venture between Gitanjali Group and Dubai-based Damas based in  Mumbai. It has a presence in 159 towns and cities across  India. It main area of business is manufacturing and marketing of gold, diamond, silver, platinum branded jewellery's in  India. It has six sub brands – Lamhe, Glitterati, Vivaaha, DER, Solitaire and Saumya. It is also only international brand in  India. D'Damas India also used as manufacturing base and will export jewelleries to markets like Saudi Arabia, Japan, US and Europe markets. * MAYA GOLD MAYA is the brand from the Gitanjali Gold Collection specifically aimed at the Indian wedding market and similar festivities and traditional occasions for gift-giving, especially from parents to daughters. Lucera, Calgaro, Rivaaz, Kashvi, Stefan Hafner, Ezee Diamonds, Aakanksha, Rosato, Shuddhi, Parineeta, Sagaee and Menz are some other brands which sell its products in India through its vast network of 1,250 outlets including outlets in host stores. In fact, five of the top six brands in the Indian market are owned or managed by Gitanjali. These brands manifest the significance of the group in the Indian Jewellery retailing market. Additionally, the Company operates 143 retail Jewellery stores located across the United States through the acquisitions of Samuel Jewellers and Roger Jewellers. Activities undertaken by Gitanjali:- * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished & Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local & International Markets) * Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery OBJECTIVES * The main objective of this term paper is to understand the value chain and its strategic distribution presence of GITANJALI in India. * To conduct a market survey in order to know the 1) Consumer perception about jewellery. 2) Brand awareness of various brands in jewellery market. 3) Parameters which the consumer considers while buying jewellery. * To critically examine the company and the environment by conducting the SWOT and PORTER’S 5 FORCE ANALYSIS. * To analyze and evaluate the financial performance of GITANJALI over the years. To highlight the CSR initiatives and the CORPORATE GOVERNANCE taken up by GITANJALI to uplift the society. * To study about the aggressive retail strategy and its growing focus on International and Domestic Reatail. SWOT ANALYSIS OF GITANJALI STRENGHTS †¢Large integrated diamond & jewellery player and having an international presence. †¢Pioneers of branded jewellery in India. †¢Strong marketing & distribution network. S trong retail presence in India and in U. S. 112 distributors and 1246 outlets in India and 143 outlets in U. S. Strong brand equity and broad product range Such as, Gili, Asmi, Nakshatra, Sangini, D’damas, Vivaaha, Maya, Giantti, Desire, Samuels etc. †¢Visionary leadership (Acquiring Nakshatra, Samuels, Rogers etc. ) †¢Expanding manufacturing capabilities in Mumbai and at special economic zone in Surat to address increasing demand. †¢Net Worth is 3,460. 37 million Rs. So we can say that it is financially very strong company. †¢Sight holder status with DTC through a promoter group company. †¢Highly skilled, qualified and motivated employee. WEAKNESSES †¢There may be conflicts of interest between them and certain of their Promoter group companies. As the major raw material requirements need to be imported, companies normally stock huge quantities of inventory resulting high inventory carrying costs. †¢Technology is less improved compared to Ch ina and Thailand’s company. OPPORTUNITIES †¢New markets in Europe & Latin America. †¢Growing demand in South Asian & Far East countries. †¢Industry moving from a phase of consolidation. †¢Expansion possibilities in lifestyle and luxury products in India like watches, leather goods, Platinum jewellery because increasing disposable income of people. THREATS †¢International Competition:-China, Sri Lanka and Thailand’s entry in small diamond jewellery. †¢Increase in the price of Gold & Diamonds. †¢Other local competitors. According to the data 97% jewellery sales are by family jewellers. †¢Threat from producing nation like S. A. & Russia. VALUE CHAIN OF GITANJALI * Sourcing and Trading of Rough Diamonds * Diamond Manufacturing * Distribution and Trading of Polished & Cut Diamonds * Jewellery Manufacturing and Exports * Jewellery Sourcing (Local & International Markets) Manufacturing Branded Jewellery * Retailing Branded Jewellery DISTRIBUTION AND RETAIL STRATEGY OF GITANJALI GITANJALI RETAIL BUSINESS * Gitanjali has strong retail presence in the world’s largest markets for jewellery. Retail business is a major Contributor in Gitanjali’s revenue. Gitanjali has over 2000 plus retail outlet across India and in the process of expansion in tier II and III cities to cater to new segment of the cu stomer. * USA is a largest jewellery consuming country and 45% of worldwide diamond jewellery sales are made in the United States. In FY 2007-08, Gitanjali made a strategic acquisition in USA, including Samuels and Rogers, and now has about 137 stores in Centre and across USA, being expanded to 200 stores in the near future. * Samuels and Rogers of Gitanjali are the 8th largest branded jewellery retail chain in US. * Gitanjali’s integrated supply chain business model has given an advantage to survive and post profit despite of US recession. * Gitanjali retail business has spread through all channels and in all geographies, across all the market segments * Net Profit has gone up because of shift in market from wholesale to retail. | | * | RETAIL EXPANSION STRATEGY IN INDIA * The Changing Socio – economic factors in India created a clear opportunity in Lifestyle and Luxury markets in India. These changes in retail environment have created opportunity for establishment of modern retail formats. Keeping this in view Gitanjali has embarked on an aggressive domestic retail expansion plan. * Gitanjaliâ₠¬â„¢s strategy is to increase the market share of various brands and its positioning in the market. Strategy is to generate demand for branded diamond jewellery in the future. Flagship product brands of the company are able to convert themselves into retail brands. * The group has introduced many promising brands to its bouquet. The new collection includes World of Solitaire, World of Silver, ME Solitaire, Maya, Gitanjali Menz, Maya Bridal, Bezel and many more. | * Gitanjali notable innovation has been its dramatic breakthrough from the confines of traditional distribution of jewellery and launching of mass distribution through variety of channels. By passing the old world of neighborhoods proprietary jewellery stores, it brought its new world branded jewellery into the world of super stores and department stores, dedicated jewellery marts and chain stores supported by international certifications of scientifically tested purity and authenticity. * Gitanjali is even marketing its br anded jewellery directly by mail order catalogue Gitanjali placed its jewellery brands right into the context of the new consumer’s shopping environment of new and global branded personal goods and accessories. Gitanjali supported its brand with high-visibility positional branding in both mass and local up-market media. With this multi – tiered mobilization of formats, Gitanjali is well placed to advance and realize its vision of global leadership. GITANJALI FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE The Company is making conscientious efforts in addressing the large market opportunities that exist in the Diamond Segment both in India and abroad. India, China, Israel and Belgium are the leading players in the diamond cutting and polishing industry. India accounts for 60% of the global polished diamonds in value terms, 80% in caratage and 90% in pieces. TURNOVERS & PROFITS During the end of the financial year March 31, 2009 the sales and other income increased from 26,549. 08 Million to Rs. 26,940. 64 Million. The net profit before tax stood at Rs. 1,307. 20 million as against Rs. 1,486. 75 million in the previous year. The net profit after tax stood at Rs. 1,267. 69 million as against Rs. 1,381. 55 million in the previous year. FINANCIAL REVIEW Gitanjali Gems consolidated results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2009 include business and operations of the various subsidiaries/joint ventures. The company has achieved overall sales growth for the year ended March 31, 2009 of about 5% compared to last year. The gross revenue from diamond segment has decreased by 10% whereas the gross revenue from jewellery segment has substantially increased by 24% and thus the ratio of diamond and jewellery in the sales mix accordingly has improved more favourably towards jewellery from 55:45 last year to 47:53 for the year ended March 31, 2009. HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR 2010| * | * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by 60% to 1,098 cr. in FY10| * | * EBIDTA gone up by 44% to 102 cr. in FY10| * | * Operating Profit registered a growth of 51%, stood at 91 cr. | * | * PAT of FY10 stood at 41 cr. registering an increase of 39%| * | * Gems and Jewellery Sales volume grown to 1812 cr. reported a growth of 63%| NINE MONTHS FY10 vs. NINE MON THS  FY09 * Jewellery Sales turnover increased by  43%  to  Rs. 2703 cr. as compared to  Rs. 892 cr. in nine months period FY09 * EBIDTA gone up by  37%  to  Rs. 307 cr. from  Rs. 223 cr. in nine months period FY09 * PAT of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 139 cr. as compared to Rs 120 cr. in nine months period FY09 registering an increase of  16% * Operating Profit of nine months period FY10 stood at  Rs. 283 cr. as compared to  Rs 201 cr. in nine months period FY09, registering an increase of  41% GITANJALI CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY (CSR) INITIATIVES AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE HUMAN RESOURCES The Company believes investing in people through creating an environment where people are valued as individuals and are given equal opportunities for achieving professional and personal goals. The Company’s focus on development of Special Economic Zones includes huge employment opportunities and the Company already initiated through setting up training centre in SEZ Hyderabad which has a capacity to train more than 1,500 workers in diamond and jewellery manufacturing. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Company’s philosophy of Corporate Governance is based on preserving core values and ethical business conduct, commitment to maximize shareholder alue on a continuous basis while looking after the welfare of all the stakeholders which is primary responsibility of the Board of Directors, Management and employees. The Compliance of clause 49 of the listing agreement has undoubtedly raised the standard of Corporate Governance in India. However, regulatory directives and enforcement wil l not be sufficient to create a best in class transparent organisation. The corporate governance philosophy is based on the following principles: * Satisfy the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law. Be transparent and maintain a high degree of disclosure levels. * Continuously innovate and adapt the Corporate Governance * Practices so as to meet new demands and tap new opportunities. * Comply with the laws in all the countries in which we operate. * Management is the trustee of the shareholders’ capital and not the owner. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The CSR initiative under the name Sambhav brings together the different social programs that Gitanjali has been associated with over the years. These are programs in the fields of education, health, providing employment to PWDs. It focuses on integrating all of them and other different initiatives like Saksham, Saakshar, Sujyot and Sneh. The focus will be both on strengthening the existing programs as well as developing new ones too. It further aims to take this CSR initiative to new heights and is in the process of channelizing all their strengths and efforts to form a strong CSR team within the company to encourage and promote a wide range of social welfare activities internally or in partnering with other NGOs and government bodies. SOME ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY GITANJALI Rose day celebration for cancer patients | Gitanjali Gems Limited supported Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA)   in its celebration of  The rose day  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a  day to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. CPAA reaches out to cancer patients through medicines, counselling, research and rehabilitation. | | * Special rakhies by special children Gitanjali gems continues to support to ADAPT (spastic society) by orga nizing a sale booth of their products at Gitanjali gems Marol office  on 11th Aug 2011,  on the eve of Rakshabandhan. We repeated the achievements of last year by motivating and appreciating the efforts of these specially abled children by having sale of products close to  Rs 10000/-. The staff was extremely enthusiastic and extended their support through 100% participation. * Presentation on ‘Diabetes awareness and healthy life style’ Today Diabetes is one of the fastest growing lifestyle disease, with Indians   being the largest population affected by it. A presentation on diabetes awareness and healthy life style was organized on 25th July 2011 at  Transmission house ,Marol , for the benefit of the employees . It indicated the causes , symptoms ,prevention and cure for diabetes. A full house attendance showed the concern most of us have about this booming disease. | * Lecture on ‘The damaging effects of tobacco’ at Gemplus| | | As a part of SAMBHAV , CSR initiative ,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Damaging Effects of Tobacco† were highlighted at a presentation made under the Tobacco Intervention Initiative (TII) program of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) for the staff and workers of   Gem plus ,Gitanjali Gems, Mumbai   on 11th June 2011 by Miss. Tejal Rajgor. Tobacco leads to heart and blood vessel disease, heart attack, chest pain, sudden cardiac death, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (Gangrene of legs) plus it is also   responsible for cancer of various parts of the body like mouth, throat, lungs, stomach, kidney, bladder etc. Gitanjali Gem’s staff members felt that there was an urgent need for more prohibition of tobacco usage and this won’t happen until there is a public outcry, so meetings like these are designed to generate awareness in the hope of making the come community forward to request change.

Health Patterns: The Belanger Family Essay

Marjorie Gordon in 1987 recommended functional health patterns as a model for launching a comprehensive nursing data base. The eleven groupings make possible a methodical and systemized approach to data collection, and facilitate the nurse to establish the following characteristics of health and human function. A detailed assessment positions the groundwork to promote health and wellbeing within the family. Gordon’s eleven functional health designs include the following, values and beliefs, health perception and health management, nutrition and elimination, activity and exercise, cognition and perception, sleep and rest, self-perception and self-concept, roles and relationships, sexuality and reproduction, coping and stress tolerance, values and belief. This document will depict the health patterns of the Belanger family by means of the specific family-focused questions to each of the groupings above (Koshar, 2013). The Belanger family is comprised of Aaron the father is 28 years of age and Erin the mother is 27 years of age. The couple have two son’s Tanin, who is the eldest of 5 and Brent who is 2 months old. The mother is a stay at home mom and wife. The father is currently employed for the Hurst Fire Department as fire engineer and paramedic where he has served the Hurst community for 3 years. The couple has been married for 5 years. Summary For Each Functional Health Pattern 1. Health Perception-Health Management Pattern When the couple were asked of their overall health perception and health management they both agreed they were very healthy. The family could distinguish a primary health care physician and conveyed that each member has maintained annual physical exams. No one in the nuclear family admits to taking medications on a daily basis. Family history revealed lupus on the mother’s side, and diabetes, coronary artery disease on the father’s side. Aaron, the father has suffered from ulcerative colitis at the age of 15 years old and was treated surgically by way of a total colectomy. He currently exhibits no complications or problems with the reconstruction and lives a normal quality of life. Both mother and father report exercising and eating fresh fruits and vegetables to maintain their health. 2. Nutritional Metabolic Pattern Mom reports on a typical day consuming large amounts of protein such as eggs, tuna, turkey sandwiches and chicken with vegetables. The family reveals that times vary because of the father’s shift work and the new baby at home but typically they eat four times a day. Both Mother and father reveals they consume at least half their weight in ounces of water each day as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (Mack, 2013). 3. Elimination Pattern Evaluation of the elimination patterns did not disclose any changes in bowel movements or habits on the mother’s side but father revealed elimination at least three to four loose bowel movements every day due to the reconstruction of his colon. No urinary difficulties noted. The father revealed that he follows up with a colorectal specialist as needed for any further problems. 4. Activity-Exercise Pattern The couple engages in physical activity three to four times a week. The father has opportunities to increase his activity as a firefighter and participates in weight lifting and running with his coworkers. Mom is limited due to her 2 month old but expresses she performs yoga and walks daily with her children. Mom also performs housework as a part of her physical activity. 5. Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern There is no deficits in short or long term memory, vision is good and no one wears glasses or hearing aids. The couple finds decision making together easy and while the mother expresses she is an auditory learner the father discloses that he retains best visually. 6. Sleep Rest Pattern The eldest boy 5 goes to bed at the same time every night. The father and mother follow after the 5 year old goes to sleep. Currently both parents take turns when the 2 month old awakens during the night. The parents have broken patterns of sleep due to the baby and have both revealed that they are fatigued when they rise in the morning. Also the father is a firefighter and has broken patterns of sleep due to his shift work. 7. Role-Relationship Pattern The couple revealed the strong relationship bond with their parents family even though the mother’s extended is approximately 3 hours away. She has disclosed that she misses her extended family and drives at least once a month to visit. The couple does have close friends nearby but because of the limitations of having a baby at this time they are unable to go on getaways with their friends. They both stated they are not connected to any organized social groups at this time. 8. Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern This specific open-end question finished as a closed ended question due to the personal morals of the couple. I limited my discussion on this particular subject to respect their values and standards. Both the father and mother did convey that their sexuality was normal and healthy. From their perspective there were no changes or problems in their relations. 9. Pattern of Coping and Stress Tolerance Both father and mother expressed that money was a contributing factor to their large stressors in life. They both state that it is difficult for them to raise on family on one income. The father is particularly concerned and has recently written out a budget for necessary items that are needed in the household. The couple together has expressed that they reduce their stressors by communicating to one another and limiting their spending on only necessities. Communication is important to both of them as they rely on each other’s love and strength to progress through problems and issues that may arise. They both admit to drinking two alcoholic beverages every night before they go to bed. 10. Pattern of Values and Beliefs When asking the family what particular religion of culture, they expressed their practice of Christianity. They attend church on Sundays but do not participate in any other religious activities. Religion is important in their lives and the family takes comfort in prayer when difficulties arise. Finally, when asked what their future plans hold they articulated that raising their kids and living a peaceful life is what the family strives for. Nursing Diagnoses demonstrated by the Belanger family under the Health Perception- Health Management Wellness Diagnoses and Activity-Exercise Pattern included Health-Seeking Behaviors and Readiness for Enhanced Self-Care Activities. These two findings were revealed by the eating and exercise habits of the couple. The risk diagnoses that were revealed due to drinking 2 alcoholic beverages every night were disturbed sleep pattern and sleep deprivation. The current research published on Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, displays that while a bedcap may get you to doze off you’re more likely to awaken during the night and not feel rested the following morning( Azalavitz, 2013). In conclusion, Gordon’s guide offered a framework for assessment of the Belanger Family including all eleven patterns and a thorough assessment was completed along with two nursing diagnoses. Gordon’s influence was effective in providing a framework by which potential problems were identified in effort to promote health and wellbeing. References Azalavitz, M. (2013). Sleep it Off: How Alcohol Affects sleep Quality. Retrieved from http://healthland. time. com/2013/02/08/sleeping-it-off-how-alcohol-affects-sleep-quality/ Koshar, J. (2013). Women’s Health & Illness in the Expanded Family. Retrieved from http://www. sonoma. edu/users/k/koshar/n340/N345_Gordon_FHP. html Mack, G. W. (2013). Dehydration and Aging. Retrieved from http://www. acsm. org/docs/current-comments/dehydrationandaging. pdf

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Description of a Subculture: Gymnastics Competitive Team Essay

Culture is the ways of thinking, acting and the material objects that form a people’s way of life. Within each culture there are many subcultures, which are cultural groups within a larger culture with similar beliefs. Many times, the subculture a person belongs to provide him/her with a sense of identity and belonging. Subcultures are characterized by their origin and the characteristics that define it. While growing up I belonged to many different subcultures, but my main one was my gymnastics competitive team. This was definitely the most influential and time-consuming subculture I was a part of and is considered a special interest subculture. Along with its origin, subcultures also have a set of characteristics that are used systematically and provide one with information. Characteristics include boundary rigidity, language/jargon, values, identifying signs, the degree of attachment and initiation rituals. Boundary rigidity refers to the subcultures’ exclusivity and how one can become a part of it. My gymnastics team was considerably exclusive. The team I was on consisted of about seven or eight people, who all started at the young age of about three or four. As little kids we practiced in hopes of becoming good enough to be part of the competitive team, knowing that it required a certain level of skills and commitment. This fact alone shows the high degree of exclusivity because not just anyone could become a part of this subculture, one had to work hard for it. As a part of the team, I had to be fully committed to giving up the majority of my free time. Most days, if I wasn’t at school I was at the gym practicing. Due to the high degree of exclusivity, I would consider this subculture to be very structured. There was always a schedule to follow: when to be at the gym, what events to practice and for how long, etc. Being a part of the team is significantly exclusive, but leaving is not necessarily as difficult, it was just very rare. After all of the hard work and time that a gymnast invests in the team, they usually don’t give it up easily. Therefore, this subculture has strong boundary rigidity. Another characteristic of a subculture is the language/jargon used by its members. Language can refer to the way its members walk, talk, carry  themselves, the slang words used, etc. Within my gymnastics team there was a lot of language we used that set us apart from other subcultures. The technical terms used in the sport of gymnastics is one of the obvious language barriers because only those who are familiar with the sport understand the terms and their meanings. The way gymnasts carry themselves also sets them apart from others. An example of this is when I was on the track team, a coach pointed out that I ran like a gymnast. Although I was not with my teammates or talking about gymnastics, the way I ran was an indicator of the subculture I was associated with. Values are another characteristic of a subculture. These are the group’s ideas about what is right or wrong, what’s important, how they view other people and so forth. As a part of a competitive gymnastics team, I grew up learning the values my coaches instilled in me time and time again. Things like hard work, dedication and commitment. As a part of the team, we all valued our coaches opinions and demands for what we were expected to do. At a young age we learned to that if you want something, you have to work to get it. We also learned that practicing and being in the gym was what was important, while free time and friends were not. Additionally, identifying signs is another characteristic of a subculture. This can be interpreted as labels, what the members are wearing/listening to/using and inside jokes or nicknames. There are three types of signs: private, public and covert. Private signs are displayed only to the subculture, public signs are shown to everyone and everyone knows what they mean and covert signs are displayed publicly, but are only known by the subculture. Some signs associated with gymnastics is the â€Å"DG† label, which is a brand of gymnastics sports wear. Most people wearing this participate in gymnastics and only those familiar with the sport would know the labels association with gymnastics. Another sign is the â€Å"USA Gymnastics† bumper sticker. This is a public sign that clearly shows association with the subculture. Furthermore, as a team we tend to become very close, so there tends to be a lot of inside jokes and nicknames used. These are covert signs because we would shout the nicknames or talk about the inside jokes publicly, but only we would know their meaning. The degree of attachment is another characteristic of a subculture. This refers to the groups’ importance to its members. As a gymnast, my degree of attachment to my team was very high. Having been involved in the sport for the majority of my childhood, I considered the sport my life. I would eat, sleep and breathe gymnastics; when I wasn’t doing it, I was thinking about it. Being on a competitive team, I would spend a lot of time at the gym, so my team and coaches became like a second family. At this point, it wasn’t just the sport I was attached to, it was the friends I made and the experiences I continued to have. As I grew older, my degree of attachment to the sport heightened. The sport became more demanding and as a result, the degree of attachment continued to rise. Even to this day, although I am not an active member of this subculture, I still consider myself a part of it and I am still very much attached. Once a gymnast, always a gymnast. Initiation rituals are the characteristics of a subculture that lets one know when they are a part of the group. For gymnastics, there was no set initiation ritual. You knew you were a part of the team when you finally achieved the skills required and the head coach asked you to start practicing with the team. Throughout ones’ life, he/she is a part of many different subcultures. For me, the most influential subculture I was a part of was my competitive gymnastics team. This is a special interest subculture with many characteristics that set it apart from other subcultures. It gave me my sense of identity, as well as a sense of belonging. It is where I devoted most of my time and energy and will forever be a part of who I am.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

An analysis of the childrens aid society and its contributions to the community Essay

Evaluation of Children’s Aid Society Mission Statement The Children’s Aid Society is a 501Â ©3 children’s services agency that helps children in poverty to succeed and thrive. They do this by providing comprehensive support to children and their families living in high needs New York City neighborhoods (website). This organization has developed services that ensure children have access to programs that promote health and wellness as well as social-emotional development skills. They also strive to make sure that children attend college. The Form 990 on page 2 does not provide any further detailed information. With the available information from the mission statement on the website, as well as Form 990 part I and III, it is difficult to evaluate this nonprofit organization’s mission. The quality and the quantity of the available information from the website, and Form 990 is difficult to evaluate because the mission statement was not stated in the annual report. The Children’s Aid Society provides information about its programs on their website. The Form 990 and the annual report are very similar because it is almost the same information. They provide numbers about how many people they serve and the impact the programs have on the children and families. The website and the annual report 2013 both mention this information. Effectiveness From the information obtained, the website provides the effectiveness of the programs from the website, the annual report and the Form 990. The programmatic goals state how many children receive service from various programs. The website provides the number of children served by the organization. The Children’s Aid Society has three major programs that include Early Childhood (0-5), School Age (5-13), and Adolescence (14-18). Early Childhood- The program’s goals are preparing young children for school success through physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. The core services they provide are Early Head Start for children ages 0-3, and Head Start and Early Learn Day Care for ages 3-5. School Age- The program’s goal is to promote physical, social, and emotional well-being as key factors for high school graduation and college success. This program serves to engage children, families, schools, and communities through a focus on academics, services, support, and opportunities. The core services include out-of-school time programs in Children’s Aid Community Centers and schools, summer camps, athletics, and the national center for community schools that provide assistance to developing a community school model nationally and internationally. Adolescence-The goals of this program are to enhance young people’s physical, social, and emotional competencies as well as improving their academic performance and preparing them for successful careers and gaining financial independence. According to the Form 990, the core services that the organization provides are the Carrera adolescent pregnancy prevention program, which meets the top-tier evidence of effectiveness standards by the coalition for evidence-based policy. The EXCEL college support program assists young people to enter and complete college. The HOPE Leadership Academy provides wrap-around support and develops leadership through a peer education model. They also provide teen employment services such as AmeriCorps internships and the summer youth employment program. Efficiency From the information obtained from the three sources, it is very difficult to determine whether these programs have been efficient in the programs that they administer. After looking into the Form 990, there is no available information about the total costs per person in the programs provided. The three most expensive programs are school age, adolescence, and early childhood. School-age- The total cost of this program is $18,843,068. In Form 990 on page 2, the organization mentions that its goal is promoting physical, social and emotional well-being. However, they do not mention any specific programs. In the annual report, it states that they provide health services to about 4,000 children through school-based health clinics. They do not provide costs for each child served by the school-based health clinics. The annual report also states that the Office of Client Advocacy helped 345 clients avoid eviction. There is no information on the program information in Form 990, pg 2. Adolescence- The total cost of this program is $15,402, 365. In Form 990, page 2 mentions Carrera-Adolescent Prevention Program but does not provide any further information on the number of people served and the costs. The annual report also does not state how many adolescents were served and at what cost. However, the annual report states that the program reduced teen pregnancy by 50 percent. The EXCEL college support program does not provide information on the number of students served as well as how much it costs. The annual report states that more than 90 percent of EXCEL students graduate high school and go on to college. There is no information on how many students are in the program. The quality and the quantity of available information is not very satisfying because there should be detailed information on the exact costs of each major program within the program. Early Childhood- The total cost of this program is $11,612,396. According to the Form 990 page 2, the organization mentions the Early Head Start program. The program provides numbers on its website stating that each family receives a minimum of 32 home visits a year for 90 minutes each. However, it does not state the number of families served. The 2013 annual report does not contain any specific numbers about the program. The quality and quantity of available information are not satisfying because there are no exact costs of how much program costs. According to the nonprofit’s annual report, the management and general administration costs increased to $7,378 in 2012 compared to $6,546 in 2011. This organization increased its expenses, which means that they are spending money on ways to increase mission impact and evaluate programs that may or may not work. The costs of the programs from the Form 990 do not match the financial statement in the annual report. In Form 990, it states larger expanses and is not specific about where the money went. In the annual report, the expenses are more specific but the costs seem to be smaller in Form 990. This shows that the organization is not efficient in its programs. It also shows that they may not have provided other essential information. Governance The Form 990 claims that the Children’s Aid Society has a governing body where the organization documents all meetings. It also states that the committees have the authority to represent the organization on behalf of the governing body. This organization also has different policies. The two main policies that it has based on Form 990 are the whistleblower policy and the written document retention and destruction policy. The Form 990 states that the organization consists of 31 Board Members. These members also have the power to elect other members to the governing body. The Children’s Aid Society has executive centrality governance. Finances The organizations current total revenue is $117,154,454 and its current total expense is $121,692,560. This organization is running a deficit rather than a surplus. The organization is losing its revenue stream and its assets will not cover it for a long time. The organization is fiscally unsustainable. The organization has net unrestricted assets total of $258,063,545 and its restricted assets is a total of $13,848,823. According to the Form 990, the organization received a total of $31,966,571 in contributions and grants. However, it only spent $31,966,571 on fundraising expenses. After dividing the expenses by costs, a total cost of raising a dollar was .09, which is very low. The salary of the Chief Executive Officer is $408,431.00 and it is too much. The average salary according to www.payscale.com states that the average salary is $100,000 for a Chief Executive Officer of a nonprofit organization. After calculating the organization’s program expanse it came up to be .88 ratio from dividing its total program service expenses by its total functional expenses. After analyzing the Children’s Aid Society, I determined that this organization is not worthy of a significant contribution because it is not transparent in providing information to the public. Even though it has a high mission impact in helping children get out of poverty, financially it is starting to become unsustainable in its assets and revenues. This shows that the organization is mismanaging its finances spending. This organization does not earn the seal of approval because the potential donor wants to donate to an organization that is impact-oriented and achieves results cost-effectively, which this organization does not achieve.