Research Topic Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Topic Identification - Essay Example For example, when I studied the article written by Dufwenderg (2011) on game theory to explain the human psychology, I found the cognitive understanding of the psychology as an essential part of the psychology to have grip to answer most of the question of human psychology. We consider Chess games as the toughest games and there is a requirement of minds that can decide rationally but Ewerhart (2000) argues that Chess-like games are solvable in at most two steps. This is the power of cognitive powers that a human mind can use to solve the complex problems. Another important aspect of cognitive psychology is that it starts observing the human psychology right from beginning. This is the basic way to explore and drive new dimensions in the field of Psychology. This is illustrated by Eacott and Crawley (1999) by analyzing on the childhood amnesia. Childhood amnesia refers to the inability of children and adults to recall events that took place during their infancy and early childhood (H ayne & Jack, 2011). This is very augmenting for me to choose the cognitive psychology in order to learn on ways that can reflect the human psychology. Dufwenberg, M. (2001). Game theory. Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Sciences. Vol. 2 (2). p. 167. Ewerhart, C.

To what extent is the documentary film 'sisters in law' a reliable Essay

To what extent is the documentary film 'sisters in law' a reliable source to account for the situation of women's rights in Came - Essay Example Issues in Cameroon In this section, the issues faced by women in Cameroon have been listed down and discussed as shown in the documentary. The reliability of the documentary is also analysed with the help of some independent sources. Child Marriage The documentary shows that women are usually married off at a very young age in the country (Ayisi & Longinotto, 2005). Due to early marriage, they are unable to complete their education. An early marriage also gives rise to early pregnancies which is risky both for the mother as well as the child. This problem is corroborated by the statistics presented by UNICEF. According to UNICEF 36% of women were married before the age of 18 in 2010. Thus, the problem of Child marriage is really a big issue in Cameroon and has been captured well by the documentary (UNICEF, 2010). Selling off Daughters In the beginning of the documentary we have seen a case in which the women were ‘sold’ of as wife by the father in return for dowry. This is a very big problem in many Islamic societies. Women are considered as merchandise by the family which can be sold for the right amount (Ayisi & Longinotto, 2005). Although the documentary has failed to take into account the issue that majority of Cameroon residents are not Muslims but the issue is still worth discussing as it affects one-third of Cameroon’s population. The documentary presents this issue in a good way but fails to tell us about the extent to which this issue plagues the society. Custody of Children The Islamic law says that if there is divorcee or if the wife runs away, the custody of the children stays with the father. This is in sharp contrast with the modern law which regards the mother as the most natural custodian of the child. Although Cameroon has modern system of law in place but the society still follows age old tradition and a woman has to fight in order to get custody of her children (Ayisi & Longinotto, 2005).Once again the documentary focused on the Islamic population of Cameroon and fails to give an insight into the practices followed by other people of Cameroon. Physical abuse Physical Abuse is another big problem which is faced by women in Cameroon. This abuse is not only inflicted on older women but even children are not spared from it. It is common for the husband to regularly beat up his wife over small things. Children are beaten up mercilessly by their guardians over small faults (Ayisi & Longinotto, 2005).Report of UNICEF in 2010 also supports the issue shown in the documentary. It shows that 56% of population of Cameroon justifies wife beating and a very high 93% has justified the beating of children (UNICEF, 2010).Thus the issue shown in the documentary also finds resonance with UNICEF and shows that the issue has been shown reliably and correctly. Social Boycott Cameroon is a traditional society where matters of the house are not taken outside. The elders of the house or of the village gather together in orde r to solve the issue .It is taboo for women to drag her husband to the court even if she has been suffering a lot. Once a woman decides to break free of

McDonalds Review B-TEC Essay Example for Free

McDonalds Review B-TEC Essay McDonalds is an international franchise which welcomes 58 million customers in over 31,000 different locations worldwide and over 1.5 million employees. The company serves an average 47 million customers each day throughout the 119 countries you can find McDonalds in. The franchises main purpose is to deliver products like food and drink putting it in a secondary sector. Founded in 1940 in Illinois, USA by Dick and Mac McDonald the company has since become the largest fast food retailer in the world. Although McDonalds has received a lot of criticism from people that campaign for healthy eating, the company have since introduced a healthy eating range including salad vegetables and have cut down on advertising of the more unhealthy range of foods it supplies. Along with the eat healthily phenomenon McDonalds have adopted, inspired by the new worldwide need for encouragement of keeping fit, the company have introduced R Gym which is equipped with childrens gym equipment and video games. The company has a Market Capital of around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½42 billion and (2006) profits of $3.544 billion, which was nearly a 300% rise from 2002 ($893 million). McDonalds is becoming increasingly popular in Asia (which is currently the fastest growing business region in the world) and the franchise is set to open 100 new drive-thru locations in China. McDonalds has a range of restaurants in many countries. The most popular being the counter service and drive-thru service located in many well-populated towns cities. The other types include the McDrive, simply only a drive-thru service found near highways. You will also find a walk-thru service in some downtown-areas although these are quite rare. Also, to keep up with the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ market, McDonalds decided to introduce a Starbucks-type named The McCafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which was started in Melbourne in 1993, being a concept of McDonalds Australia and are usually located in most McDonalds restaurants throughout the country. Sales have risen 60% in some stores with the new McCafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ look and feel and they are found at 600 different regions in 2006. McDonalds are also located at truck stops, shopping malls and in Wal-Mart/Asda stores. McDonalds products include; hamburgers, French fries, chicken sandwiches, soft drinks, breakfast meals, desserts, McFlurrys, muffins, milkshake as well as salads and vegetarian options.  McDonalds currently uses various ways of advertising, including on T.V, the radio, in magazines, newspapers through door-to-door leaflets. Throughout the U.K, they are offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer on Big Macs and happy meals which should increase sales for the short term and gain more popularity. They also advertise a healthier option to appeal to new customers looking for a healthier choice. The corporation also advertises its competitions such as the Best Win Monopoly in which customers can win prizes and McDonalds have also supplied free toys and games with the childrens happy meal. This has been known to bring in a large amount of custom. McDonalds isnt always owned by franchisees 15% of McDonalds stores is owned by the corporation itself. However, in the U.K, less than 30% of stores are owned by franchisees. The corporation earns revenue by operating restaurants, franchising restaurants, and being an investor in properties. 85% of McDonalds restaurants are run from a variety of franchise agreements joint ventures. McDonalds use a slightly different form of modelling their business; they collect franchise fees and marketing fees as well as rent which can be determined by sales. The corporation is currently sponsoring London Olympics 2012 the

Globalization Has Increased Poverty In A Developing Nation Economics Essay

Globalization Has Increased Poverty In A Developing Nation Economics Essay Nowadays, the term globalization is the main focus of attention. It is often described as a process of internationalization easy communication regardless of geographical boundaries due to advance technologies, easy and fast financial capital flow across the globe and countries become more interdependent particularly in economy. It is believed that globalization provides consumers with variety of choices with affordable price. So, is the globalization reducing or increasing poverty? This study will attempt to briefly answer this question. Though both the United Nations and India have celebrated fifty years, they have been criticized for failing to translate the stated mandate for the disadvantaged millions. Half a century after Independence, as of now, we have the largest population of poor people in the world, one third of our rural population is below the poverty line and despite the UN agencies massive aid projects, the development assistance of the World Bank, bilateral aid, the Center and State governments intervention, the gap between the rich and the poor has doubled in the last three decades fifteen years ago the lowest 20 per cent of global population received 2.5 per cent of global wealth whereas at present, the share has been reduced to less than 1.3 per cent. For example, the 1999 UNDP Human Development Report records that the gap between the rich and the poor among nations as well as within nations has widened. Even the World Bank in its Report for 1999 concedes that raising the GNP is not enough to impr ove human development, other social measures are needed. The trickle-down theory of economic development cannot bring out the desired results. It has also pointed out that India is a country of stark contrasts and disparities. Among the widening contradictions some seem to be glaring. Undoubtedly food grain production has increased fourfold but 653 per cent of children under four remain undernourished; literacy has doubled, yet half the population is illiterate, life expectancy has improved but only 927 females survive for every 1000 males. As we have entered into the twenty-first century, it is imperative on our part to look at the scenario with bare facts and figures. The problem statement Does Globalization increase or reduce poverty. Objective and scope Poverty in India is widespread with the nation estimated to have a third of the worlds poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 42% of Indias falls below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day (PPP, in nominal terms Rs. 21.6 a day in urban areas and Rs 14.3 in rural areas); having reduced from 60% in 1980. According to the criterion used by the Planning Commission of India 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004-2005, down from 51.3% in 1977-1978, and 36% in 1993-1994 Among the causes ascribed for the high level poverty in India are its history under British rule, large population, and low literacy. Also important is Indias social structure, including the caste system in India, and the role of women in Indian society. Economic growth has in the past been dampened by a dependence upon agriculture, and the economic policies adopted after its independence. Since the 1950s, the Indian government and non-governmental organizations have initiated several programs to alleviate poverty, including subsidizing food and other necessities, increased access to loans, improving agricultural techniques and price supports, and promoting education and family planning. These measures have helped eliminate famines, cut absolute poverty levels by more than half, and reduced illiteracy and malnutrition. (I) Defining globalization and poverty (II) Does Globalization reduce poverty, (III) Does Globalization increase poverty, (IV) What are the other reasons contributing to poverty, (V) What role The World Bank, IMF and WTO play in developing countries, (VI) Who benefit the most from globalization. Defining Globalization and Poverty Globalization has been defined in various dimensions. Among many established definitions, these are some of them. Globalization as internationalization in which is viewed as simply another adjective to describe cross-border relations between countries; Globalization as liberalization which refers to a process of removing government-imposed restrictions on movements between countries in order to create an open, borderless world economy. Defining poverty is controversial. Definition of poverty in developed countries may not be applicable to the one in developing countries. However, United Nations and World Bank define poverty line as living on less than a $1 and $2 a day for low income countries. Sociologists define poverty a lack of essential items such as food, clothing, water, and shelter needed for proper living . Since Globalization and Poverty is a huge and very broad topic, this short paper is to attempt looking at one of the heated debate questions on whether globalization reduces or increase poverty. Numerous studies on this issue have been carried out. However, the findings are conflicting. (II) Globalization Reduces Poverty Neoliberal economists widely believe that globalized trade benefits not only the affluent but also the poor through trade integration. Neoliberal economic theorymore open economies are more prosperous, economies that liberalize more experience a faster rate of progress Wade (2004, p-567). The belief is that as countries open up their economy such as by slashing down the trade barriers for instance tariff, custom duty and quotas, price of imported goods will be affordable for the poor; foreign direct investments come in and create jobs in local economy. Consequently, this increases export growth and GDP. Millions of poor peoples living standard improves because of jobs created. China, India and Vietnam are often cited as good examples for success of globalized economy. (III) Globalization Increases Poverty On the contrary, many economists are unconvinced by the neoliberal economists view that globalization reduces poverty. Pilger (2001) in his TV report on Indonesia presents that despite investments from multinational corporations (eg. Nike, Levis, Reebok Classic, Calvin Klein Jeans, Adidas, Gap Inc.), poverty remains unchanged in Indonesia. On average, Indonesian workers are paid only slightly over Rupiah 9,000 (US$1) per day which is just over half of a living wage. Harrison (2006) finds similar situation in Mexico. Mexico is a member of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed in 1993 with Canada, Mexico and USA. If trade integration is to reduce poverty and benefit the poor as neoliberal economists suggest, poverty in Mexico should be declined. But, Harrison (2006, p-7) concludes that poverty rates in Mexico in the year 2000 were higher than they had been ten years earlier. This reinforces that neoliberal economists view on decline of poverty is unconvinced. (IV) Other reasons contribute to poverty Wade (2004, p-571) states that more than 1.2 billion people are still living on less than US$1 a day. The followings are some of the most recognized reasons contribute to poverty: lack of natural resources, natural disaster long period of draught, corruption and sanctions imposed against specific country. For example, according to United Nations, Cape Verde is one of the most stable democratic countries in Africa and the government is relatively mild in corruption. It ranks 49 out of 179 in Transparency Internationals 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index . But due to cycles of long-term drought, lack of natural resources, shortage of water supply and lack of foreign investments, the state is still among the poorest nations on earth despite its good governance. Countries with rich endowment of nature resources also remain in poverty due to wide spread corruption, bad governance, political instability and economic sanctions imposed by powerful countries. For example, my country, Myanmar (Burma) is still among the worlds poorest countries despite rich endowment of natural resources from oil to various gem stones. It is due to political instability, severe corruption, lack of reliable judiciary system, basic infrastructures and economic sanction imposed by The US. Consequently, unemployment rate is remarkably high and chance of economic success for big majority of population is slim unless economic and political reform take place. (V) Role of World Bank, IMF and WTO on development in poor countries The World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization are widely known as driving forces of trade liberalization. Pilger (2001) interviews several former executive officials of The World Bank and IMF in his TV report on Indonesia. Those officials explain that the roles The World Bank and IMF have played in Indonesias economy and various criteria a country to comply with order to get loan from them. World Bank and IMF are supposedly to help poor countries. In reality, powerful countries use the two institutions as tools to suck up resources from developing countries via multinational corporations, according to the TV report. To get loans from the institutions, a country has to reform its economy which mainly means to open up markets and allow multinational corporations to access to countrys resources and privatize industries. Thus, complying with the criteria implies serving the best interests of multinational corporations. In addition to opening up markets for multinational corporations, the loans also come with so called technical experts or consultants. So, significant sum of the loans go back to developed countries as salaries of those experts. To get loan from the institutions, a country also has to have a good relationship with the US because it controls 16.77% of total votes in IMF and 16.39% of The World Banks total vote. For instance, N-Korea and Cuba cannot get loans from the institutions because of sour relationship with The US. World Trade Organization (WTO) is another driver of trade liberalization. It forces member countries to open up their markets and eliminate trade barriers. New members are also required to fulfill these criteria. Members are required to comply with intellectual property laws which were mainly written by the big corporations. WTO is widely criticized for being ineffective to protect the interests of developing nations. When trade disputes occur, chance of getting success in legal battle for poor country is very slim even if it has a good ground because the mechanism is so expensive and complicated. Besides, it cannot force developed countries to stop subsidizing agricultural industry because farmers from poor countries are unable to compete with those heavily subsidized farmers in developed countries. Thus, poor countries always have less advantage in global trading system. (VI) Who benefits the most from globalization? There is no doubt that globalized trades/economy benefits all the parties concerned. However, various studies show that advanced countries are benefiting from the trades more than poor countries. Yotpoulos and Romano (2007, P-21) state that free markets and free trade work best if there are supported by extensive institutional structure such as business infrastructures, reliable legal system and political stability. Thus, globalization is more likely to favour the countries which are wealthy and institution rich, at the expense of those that are poor. On the other hand, developing countries with strong infrastructure base, political stability, dependable legal system and abundant labor forces also benefit from globalization. China, India and Vietnam are often cited as ideal examples. Furthermore, United Nation (2007, P-23) asserts that countries with bargaining strength are more likely to benefit more from bilateral trade agreements and impose more onerous terms on the weaker parties. We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the worlds people share the benefits of globalization. Kofi Annan . (VII) Conclusion In short, it is hard to find convincing data to support either globalization reduces or increases poverty. However, it is clear that globalization is more beneficial to developed countries than to developing countries mainly because of wide spread corruption, bad governance, lack of necessary business infrastructures. Unless world leaders share Kofi Annans concern We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the worlds people share the benefits of globalization., the following remarks are unfortunately likely to continue to be true. George Monbiot (Environmentalist) summarizes, Globalization is used to suggest a coming together of people of all races, all countries. It will relieve poverty and distribute wealth. What is actually happening is precisely the opposite. The Poor become markedly poorer and wealthy become staggeringly wealthier. United States Space Command (1997, p-6) remarks The globalization of the world economy will also continue, with a widening between haves and have-nots. References: Ann Harrison, GLOBALIZATION AND POVERTY NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, Working Paper 12347, Cambridge, 2006. www.nber.org/papers/w12347 John Pilger, Globalization: New Rulers of the World, Carlton Production, 2001. (TV report) Pan A. Yotpoulos and Donato Romano (editors), The Asymmetries of Globalization, Routledge, USA Canada, 2007. ROBERT HUNTER WADE, Is Globalization Reducing Poverty and Inequality? London School of Economics and Political Science, World Development Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 567-589, UK, 2004. United Nations, The Employment Imperative: Report on the World Social Situation 2007 New York, 2007. Significance of the study India opened up the economy in the early nineties following a major crisis that led by a FOREX crunch that dragged the economy close to defaulting on loans. The response was a slew of Domestic and external sector policy measures partly prompted by the immediate needs and partly by the demand of the multilateral organisations. The new policy regime radically pushed forward in favour of a more open and market oriented economy. Major measures initiated as a part of the liberalisation and globalisation strategy in the early nineties included scrapping of the industrial licensing regime, reduction in the number of areas reserved for the public sector, amendment of the monopolies and the restrictive trade practices act, start of the privatisation programme, reduction in tariff rates and change over to market determined exchange rates. Over the years there has been a steady liberalisation of the current account transactions, more and more sectors opened up for foreign direct investments and portfolio investments facilitating entry of foreign investors in telecom, roads, ports, airports, insurance and other major sectors. The Indian tariff rates reduced sharply over the decade from a weighted average of 72.5% in 1991-92 to 24.6 in 1996-97.Though tariff rates went up slowly in the late nineties it touched 35.1% in 2001-02. India is committed to reduced tariff rates. Peak tariff rates are to be reduced to the minimum with a peak rate of 20%, in another 2 years most non-tariff barriers have been dismantled by March 2002, including almost all quantitative restrictions. Globalization has increased poverty, although there is a school of thought that it has reduced poverty. India is Global: The liberalisation of the domestic economy and the increasing integration of India with the global economy have helped step up GDP growth rates, which picked up from 5.6% in 1990-91 to a peak level of 77.8% in 1996-97. Growth rates have slowed down since the country has still bee able to achieve 5-6% growth rate in three of the last six years. Though growth rates has slumped to the lowest level 4.3% in 2002-03 mainly because of the worst droughts in two decades the growth rates are expected to go up close to 70% in 2003-04. A Global comparison shows that India is now the fastest growing just after China. This is major improvement given that India is growth rate in the 1970s was very low at 3% and GDP growth in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, and Mexico was more than twice that of India. Though Indias average annual growth rate almost doubled in the eighties to 5.9% it was still lower than the growth rate in China, Korea and Indonesia. The pick up in GDP growth has helped improve Indias global position. Consequently Indias position in the global economy has improved from the 8th position in 1991 to 4th place in 2001. When GDP is calculated on a purchasing power parity basis. Globalisation and Poverty: Globalisation in the form of increased integration though trade and investment is an important reason why much progress has been made in reducing poverty and global inequality over recent decades. But it is not the only reason for this often unrecognised progress, good national polices , sound institutions and domestic political stability also matter. Despite this progress, poverty remains one of the most serious international challenges we face up to 1.2 billion of the developing world 4.8 billion people still live in extreme poverty. But the proportion of the world population living in poverty has been steadily declining and since 1980 the absolute number of poor people has stopped rising and appears to have fallen in recent years despite strong population growth in poor countries. If the proportion living in poverty had not fallen since 1987 alone a further 215million people would be living in extreme poverty today. India has to concentrate on five important areas or things to follow to achieve this goal. The areas like technological entrepreneurship, new business openings for small and medium enterprises, importance of quality management, new prospects in rural areas and privatisation of financial institutions. The manufacturing of technology and management of technology are two different significant areas in the country. There will be new prospects in rural India. The growth of Indian economy very much depends upon rural participation in the global race. After implementing the new economic policy the role of villages got its own significance because of its unique outlook and branding methods. For example food processing and packaging are the one of the area where new entrepreneurs can enter into a big way. It may be organised in a collective way with the help of co-operatives to meet the global demand. Understanding the current status of globalisation is necessary for setting course for future. For all nations to reap the full benefits of globalisation it is essential to create a level playing field. President Bushs recent proposal to eliminate all tariffs on all manufactured goods by 2015 will do it. In fact it may exacerbate the prevalent inequalities. According to this proposal, tariffs of 5% or less on all manufactured goods will be eliminated by 2005 and higher than 5% will be lowered to 8%. Starting 2010 the 8% tariffs will be lowered each year until they are eliminated by 2015. GDP Growth rate: The Indian economy is passing through a difficult phase caused by several unfavourable domestic and external developments; Domestic output and Demand conditions were adversely affected by poor performance in agriculture in the past two years. The global economy experienced an overall deceleration and recorded an output growth of 2.4% during the past year growth in real GDP in 2001-02 was 5.4% as per the Economic Survey in 2000-01. The performance in the first quarter of the financial year is5.8% and second quarter is 6.1%. Export and Import: Indias Export and Import in the year 2001-02 was to the extent of 32,572 and 38,362 million respectively. Many Indian companies have started becoming respectable players in the International scene. Agriculture exports account for about 13 to 18% of total annual of annual export of the country. In 2000-01 Agricultural products valued at more than US $ 6million were exported from the country 23% of which was contributed by the marine products alone. Marine products in recent years have emerged as the single largest contributor to the total agricultural export from the country accounting for over one fifth of the total agricultural exports. Cereals (mostly basmati rice and non-basmati rice), oil seeds, tea and coffee are the other prominent products each of which accounts fro nearly 5 to 10% of the countries total agricultural exports. Where does Indian stand in terms of Global Integration? India clearly lags in globalisation. Number of countries have a clear lead among them China, large part of east and far east Asia and eastern Europe. Lets look at a few indicators how much we lag. Over the past decade FDI flows into India have averaged around 0.5% of GDP against 5% for China 5.5% for Brazil. Whereas FDI inflows into China now exceeds US $ 50 billion annually. It is only US $ 4billion in the case of India Consider global trade Indias share of world merchandise exports increased from .05% to .07% over the pat 20 years. Over the same period Chinas share has tripled to almost 4%. Indias share of global trade is similar to that of the Philippines an economy 6 times smaller according to IMF estimates. India under trades by 70-80% given its size, proximity to markets and labour cost advantages. It is interesting to note the remark made last year by Mr. Bimal Jalan, Governor of RBI. Despite all the talk, we are now where ever close being globalised in terms of any commonly used indicator of globalisation. In fact we are one of the least globalised among the major countries however we look at it. As Amartya Sen and many other have pointed out that India, as a geographical, politico-cultural entity has been interacting with the outside world throughout history and still continues to do so. It has to adapt, assimilate and contribute. This goes without saying even as we move into what is called a globalised world which is distinguished from previous eras from by faster travel and communication, greater trade linkages, denting of political and economic sovereignty and greater acceptance of democracy as a way of life. Consequences: The implications of globalisation for a national economy are many. Globalisation has intensified interdependence and competition between economies in the world market. This is reflected in Interdependence in regard to trading in goods and services and in movement of capital. As a result domestic economic developments are not determined entirely by domestic policies and market conditions. Rather, they are influenced by both domestic and international policies and economic conditions. It is thus clear that a globalising economy, while formulating and evaluating its domestic policy cannot afford to ignore the possible actions and reactions of policies and developments in the rest of the world. This constrained the policy option available to the government which implies loss of policy autonomy to some extent, in decision-making at the national level. ~

Study Abroad :: essays research papers

Going on this fourteen day Caribbean Cruise was the best time of my life! It was so much fun socially and it was extremely educational. This trip gave me the opportunity to experience things I never would have imagined. Touring the hotels and resorts made me want to pursue this major even more than I previously had. Now that I have had the behind-the-scenes and up close look at the career I am positive I made the right career decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether it be swimming with Sting Rays, snorkeling with exotic fish, or even just staring off into the endless ocean, each and every one thing I received the opportunity to do on this trip I am thankful for. All are things I have not really previously experienced and really did not even expect to. Not only were these experiences incredible but witnessing first hand $125,000 dollar a night hotel rooms and touring the most luxurious resorts in the world are all experiences that not many people get to do. Those that do get to do these amazing things are very lucky. Only seeing and learning half of what we did on this study abroad would have made me content. I honestly do not think I could have asked for a more educational yet extremely great and fun experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The one day that specifically sticks out in my head was the day in Atlantis when we toured several hotels and resorts. I enjoyed this because it was such a learning experience. Comparing all of the different resorts really helped me to pinpoint what it is exactly I want to do in the industry. This tour consisted of four tours through some of the most popular hotels and resorts in the Bahamas. Actually, some of the most respected hotel resorts in the world. The hotel resorts that we explored were the, Radisson Cable Beach and Golf Resort, The Nassau Beach Hotel, The Wyndham Nassau Resort and Sandals Resort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Nassau Beach Hotel seemed to be geared more toward teens and college students. There were a lot of younger people there and there were even some other college groups there. Also the hotel had brochures and signs about Spring Break and group packages for students. Wyndham Nassau Resort I feel directed a lot of attention toward their convention area and their conference areas, so that makes me think they target some company and group markets.

The Importance of Diversity in Education Essay -- Diversity in Educati

I worked within an Independent School System for 10 years. As I contemplated the idea of working towards my Master’s in Education I brought with me the idea of diversity in education and why facilitating different school systems is vital to a healthy society. â€Å"Not every youngster gets along well in the public school system.† (Cunningham, 171) said Pat McGeer of the Ministry of Education publication Education Today. This very statement was a cry from thousands of families throughout the province of British Columbia in the 1960s. (Sullivan, 1988) My argument for this paper is that for governments to be ethical and moral agents they must hear the voices of their constituents, even if they are a few; and then respond equitably and with fairness. This equity and fairness includes policies ensuring their legitimacy and funding to facilitate their diversity. This idea then led me to the whole debate of whether parents should have the choice between public and inde pendent education. This debate primarily came into existence with â€Å"The Independent Schools Support Act in 1977† (Sullivan, 1988); although historically the idea of funding two systems can be â€Å"traced as far back as the colonial era of British Columbia†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Sullivan, 1988). For the purpose of this essay, I want to explore how government’s equitable treatment of constituents lends itself to â€Å"good† government. From my perspective, the growth of the Independent School system has come out of the willingness by government to recognize and provide funding, thus giving parents the choice. â€Å"Accessibility and choice† (Sullivan, 1988) in education are interconnected and without either one, schools struggle to remain a viable option. It wasn’t until the Royal Commission in 1987 th... ...rt K. (1977). Servant Leadership. In Larry C. Spears & Robert K. Greenleaf (Eds.) (25th Anniversary Ed.) Servant Leadership: A Journey Into The Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness (87-95). New York: Paulist Press. Maxwell, John C. (1993). Developing The Leader Within You. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. Saul, John Ralston. (2008). A Fair Country: Telling Truths About Canada. New York: Penguin Group. Sullivan, Barty M. (1988). Royal Commission – Extract on Independent Schools. Federation of Independent School Associations. 8.C.2. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Yukl, Gary. (2010). Leadership in Organizations (7th Ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall. (2001, January). A Luxury the People of BC Cannot Afford: A CUPE BC Backgrounder on Independent Schools. (2007, September 17) Ontario Votes 2007. Faith-based schools.

Accredited Preschools VS Non-Accredited Preschools Essay

While both accredited and non-accredited preschools have similar ideas on structure and environments, only an accredited preschool prepares the child for school-like program. What is an accredited preschool? To be accredited, a daycare or preschool must prove that it actually offers programs known to benefit children rather than simply baby sit them. An accredited preschool is offered by National Association for the Education of Young Children also known as, NAEYC. Both daycares and preschools are required to be accredited and licensed by the government. This means that teachers must meet minimum standards and that the daycare meets health and safety codes. The building itself must pass health codes too. A non-accredited preschool has cheaper prices, is less structured and uses enriching activities such as using art through play. The curriculum is based off of learning through play, which lets the child use techniques throughout the day, during what is called â€Å"free play†. Schedules created by teachers must meet the standards created by the government and must meet the requirements suggested. Specific licensing standards vary by state and there are minimum standards by the government. Children spend all day at the facility whereas children who attend an accredited preschool only spend half of their day at the preschool. Most daycares accept younger children such as infants and toddlers. They provide childcare for school age children after school hours up to the age of twelve. Child ratios to teachers are higher for example in the Arizona. In the state of Arizona, we can have up to twenty- six children with two teachers, although, in an accredited preschool they can have up to twelve with two teachers. See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay Title: Accredited Preschools VS Non-Accredited Preschools Most teachers and caregivers at a non-accredited preschool have lower  expectations for their performance. They are required to have first aid, CPR, food handler’s card, must be eighteen years of age or older, a high school diploma or equivalency, and a background check with a fingerprint clearance card. They are also required a minimum of eighteen training or workshop hours completed by the end of the year. A quality environment is well planned and invites children to learn and grow. Centers and family day care homes that had a â€Å"neat, clean, orderly physical setting, organized into activity areas and oriented to the child’s activity† were found to have good child development (Clarke-Stewart, 1987) This quote is meaningful and it sends a good message to people who want to learn more about child care centers or a non-accredited preschool. Teachers believe that children learn and grow in a facility where a teacher shows interest in the children. The effectiveness of a teacher at a non-accredited preschool depends on the amount of experience working with children and how many training workshops she has been to. Having much experience working with children helps the teacher maintain health and safety codes suggested by the government. An accredited preschool has higher prices, half days for children and is more organized and structured. It is a part of NAEYC. The curriculum is based off of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development. A curriculum also helps ensure that the teacher is planning a daily schedule that maximizes children’s learning through effective use of time, materials used for play, self-initiated learning, and creative expression as well as offers opportunities for children to learn individually and in groups according to their developmental needs and interests.(NAEYC,2008) Having these goals met for the children also allows an assessment for the teacher to improve o n her strategies whereas; a child care center does not use assessments to improve her quality and effectiveness. Children generally spend half of their day at this preschool and usually leave to go to a non-accredited preschool for afternoon daycare. Most accredited preschools end their day around 11:30 am to ensure that the child can experience school like tendencies. Families can then prepare their child for kindergarten. A teacher working at an accredited preschool must obtain a college degree in early childhood education. This means that the teacher must have an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education. If preschool teachers work at a day care center or  private preschool, they do not need a college degree. A high school diploma is required. However, if the preschool is part of a public school system, the teacher will be required to have at least an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education as well as a state license. Some states recognize the requirements to earn the Child Care Program include a high school diploma, experience in the field, and continuing education courses. Some of the other states require preschool teachers to have some work experience in a childcare setting. Most preschools and daycares ask for a minimum of six months prior of early child care experience. Maintaining a college degree or some college courses helps the teacher’s quality of effectiveness. Teachers who go to college and earn a degree are more likely appropriate for the job whereas, a teacher with only a high school diploma just wants to pay the bills. Teachers who become accredited want to be working with children and see the growth and development in the well-being of a child. Between an accredited preschool and a non-accredited preschool we can clearly see the differences noted. An accredited preschool has better options for children such as an organized curriculum based off of the child’s needs, a structured environment, and high quality teachers. A non-accredited preschool has better options for children who are not ready for school, a curriculum to meet the child’s minimum needs, and a less-structured environment. Personally, the preschool that would the best choice for a parent is the accredited preschool because then the parent will not have to worry about their child falling behind in school. Their child will be ready for all challenges headed their way for school. The quality of the teachers and staff at an accredited preschool will be more effective than a non-accredited preschool teacher. They are trained to do their best at all times and always put the children first. This is why parents should choose an accredited preschool. Title: Accredited Preschools VS Non-Accredited Preschools References: http://www.naeyc.org/academy/ Visited on 11/2/12 Clarke-Stewart, K. In Phillips, D (Ed.). (1987). Quality in child care: What does research tell us? Washington, DC: NAEYC