Monday, September 30, 2019

Psychological Effect Essay

Most traffickers recruit their victims between the ages of 6 to 24, because a young victim will easily succumb to force and give in. They are forced into heavy physical labor in hazardous environments. Many are also taught the use of weapons and are recruited as ‘soldiers’ in armed conflicts. According to statistics by the U. S. Department of State, globally, 2 million children are trafficked into the sex trade each year. The children suffer from lack of self-esteem, emotional disturbance, disorientation, and depression and are scarred for life. They develop deep psychological disorders that they struggle with for the rest of their lives even if they have been rescued. Psychological vulnerability hinders them from having a healthy state of mind in the future. The children are likely to become withdrawn and tend to be suicidal. Any children born to the victims of prostitution are taken away at the time of birth causing further mental agony to the mothers. In fact, the longer the victims have been enslaved, greater will be their traumatic experience. Health Effects Human Trafficking, Human Misery’, a book written by Alexis Aronowitz, states that an estimated 80% victims of trafficking are sexually exploited, abused or forced into prostitution as most victims are young women and children. Such a victim probably might have to cater to anywhere between 8 to 15 clients in a day. The use of sexual protection is negligible in this industry, leaving the exploited at a high risk of contracting various sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS that they further pass on to the men and their partners. In some cases, victims are also subjected to substance abuse by being forced to take drugs. Such individuals also have to constantly battle with drug addiction. Improper supply of meals and the lack of nutritious food causes malnourishment in these entrapped victims. Poor living conditions also contribute to the development of various diseases that these victims suffer from in later years. The victims are not given any medical aid to cure these ailments. Those recruited in chemical factories are treated like modern-day slaves and when they succumb to occupational diseases, are quickly replaced by another batch of victims. Societal Effects  The victims may be used as bonded labor in their own country or transported to another country whereupon arrival, their passports and migration documents are taken away from them, leaving them helpless and immobile. Sadly, they are often charged as collaborators of the crimes rather than being seen as victims. They are kept in very poor conditions with sub-standard clothing and food, unhygienic living conditions and no provision for healthcare. They are also often physically and sexually abused by their employers and ‘clients’ for non-compliance with demands. This is a very gruesome picture of the face of our society, hiding behind a wall. Another point to be noted here is that the victims are deprived of education and all human rights. The victims always struggle to gain acceptance in society from the stigma after being rescued. This illegal trafficking often intermingles with other crimes such as smuggling of drugs and ammunition. Corruption is so widespread in our world that the greed for wealth only further encourages trafficking of humans to flourish, with no barriers. In such a scenario, the development of a stable and robust society seems like a distant dream. Economic Effects  According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), human trafficking generates $31. 6 billion estimated illicit profit worldwide! As calculated by the CIA, a trafficker earns up to $250,000 per victim of the sex trade in a year. Of this sum, the victim is paid a trivial amount or nothing at all on the pretext of clearing up debts and paying for expenses such as food, clothing and lodging. The victims of slavery are also paid very meager wages for strenuous physical labor which prevents them from fleeing. Availability of such cheap labor hinders employment opportunities and subsequently, reduces per capita income of the nation. The financial repercussions cannot be overlooked. In fact, the network of traffickers has gained immense financial strength which allows such illegal activities to thrive without the fear of law. Illegal immigration is also a threat to national security and a cause of concern for governments worldwide. It gives rise to other ills such as terrorism, poverty, poor standard of living, unemployment, expanding population, wastage of resources, high crime rates, and lack of enforcement of law and order in the country. These factors slow down the economic growth of the nation. Often, the victims are subjugated by the burden of debts and pressured into forced labor. Debt bondage is a criminal offense in the United States and yet everyday people are being enslaved for it. The wealth gains from trafficking are redirected to legal activities by investing in businesses or funding public affairs in order to launder that money. Along with forced cheap labor, this creates unnecessary competition for genuine businesses. But, above all, the loss of valuable human resources is the most regrettable. It is an undue waste of productivity and development. In fact, it is a disgrace to humanity.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Heat Death of the Universe

The hypothesis about heat death of the universe Our knowledge of the universe is still negligible, and we can not confidently assert that the universe is not under the influence of external forces, or may be considered as a thermodynamic system. However, it is the concept of heat death was the first step to realize the possible finiteness of the Universe, although we do not know when and on what scenario will happen of its destruction. At the present stage of existence (13. 72 billion years), the universe radiates as a black body with a temperature of 2,725 K. Its maximum to the frequency 160. GHz (microwave radiation), which corresponds to a wavelength of 1. 9 mm. It is isotropic up to 0,001% – the standard deviation of temperature is approximately 18 IWC. The heat death is a possible final thermodynamic state of the universe, in which it has â€Å"run down† to a state of no thermodynamic free energy to sustain motion or life. In physical terms, it has reached maximum entropy. The hypothesis of a universal heat death stems from the 1850s ideas of William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin who extrapolated the theory of heat views of mechanical energy loss in nature, as embodied in the first two laws of thermodynamics, to universal operation.The idea of heat death of the universe derives from discussion of the application of the first two laws of thermodynamics to universal processes. Specifically, in 1851 William Thomson outlined the view, as based on recent experiments on the dynamical theory of heat, that â€Å"heat is not a substance, but a dynamical form of mechanical effect, we perceive that there must be an equivalence between mechanical work and heat, as between cause and effect. [1] In 1852, Thomson published his â€Å"On a Universal Tendency in Nature to the Dissipation of Mechanical Energy† in which he outlined the rudiments of the second law of thermodynamics summarized by the view that mechanical motion and the energy used to create th at motion will tend to dissipate or run down, naturally. [2] The ideas in this paper, in relation to their application to the age of the sun and the dynamics of the universal operation, attracted the likes of William Rankine and Hermann von Helmholtz.The three of them were said to have exchanged ideas on this subject. [3] In 1862, Thomson published â€Å"On the age of the sun’s heat†, an article in which he reiterated his fundamental beliefs in the indestructibility of energy (the first law) and the universal dissipation of energy (the second law), leading to diffusion of heat, cessation of motion, and exhaustion of potential energy through the material universe while clarifying his view of the consequences for the universe as a whole.In a key paragraph, Thomson wrote: The result would inevitably be a state of universal rest and death, if the universe were finite and left to obey existing laws. But it is impossible to conceive a limit to the extent of matter in the uni verse; and therefore science points rather to an endless progress, through an endless space, of action involving the transformation of potential energy into palpable motion and hence into heat, than to a single finite mechanism, running down like a clock, and stopping forever. 4] Boltzmann, open the connection of entropy S and the statistical weight of P, considered that the current state of the universe is homogeneous grand fluctuation *, although its appearance has a negligible probability. [5] In a â€Å"heat death†, the temperature of the entire universe would be very close to absolute zero. Heat death is, however, not quite the same as â€Å"cold death†, or the â€Å"Big Freeze†, in which the universe simply becomes too cold to sustain life due to continued expansion; though, from the point of view of anything that might be alive, the result is quite similar. 6]. Inflationary cosmology suggests that in the early universe, before cosmic expansion, energy was uniformly distributed,[7] and thus the universe was in a state superficially similar to heat death. However, the two states are in fact very different: in the early universe, gravity was a very important force, and in a gravitational system, if energy is uniformly distributed, entropy is quite low, compared to a state in which most matter has collapsed into black holes.Thus, such a state is not in thermal equilibrium, and in fact there is no thermal equilibrium for such a system, as it is thermodynamically unstable. [8][9] However, in the heat death scenario, the energy density is so low that the system can be thought of as non-gravitational, such that a state in which energy is uniformly distributed is a thermal equilibrium state, i. e. , the state of maximal entropy. The final state of the universe depends on the assumptions made about its ultimate fate, and these assumptions have varied considerably over the late 20th century and early 21st century.In a â€Å"closed† univ erse that undergoes recollapse, a heat death is expected to occur, with the universe approaching arbitrarily high temperature and maximal entropy as the end of the collapse approaches. [citation needed] In an â€Å"open† or â€Å"flat† universe that continues expanding indefinitely, a heat death is also expected to occur[citation needed], with the universe cooling to approach absolute zero temperature and approaching a state of maximal entropy over a very long time period.There is dispute over whether or not an expanding universe can approach maximal entropy; it has been proposed that in an expanding universe, the value of maximum entropy increases faster than the universe gains entropy, causing the universe to move progressively further away from heat death. However, current analysis of entropy suggests that the visible universe has more entropy than previously thought. This is because the research concludes that supermassive black holes are the largest contributor. 1 0] From the Big Bang through the present day and well into the future, matter and dark matter in the universe is concentrated in stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters. Therefore, the universe is not in thermodynamic equilibrium and objects can do physical work. [11]. The decay time of a roughly galaxy-mass (1011 solar masses) supermassive black hole due to Hawking radiation is on the order of 10100 years,[12], so entropy can be produced until at least that time. After that time, the universe enters the so-called dark era, and is expected to consist chiefly of a dilute gas of photons and leptons. [11].With only very diffuse matter remaining, activity in the universe will have tailed off dramatically, with very low energy levels and very large time scales. Speculatively, it is possible that the Universe may enter a second inflationary epoch, or, assuming that the current vacuum state is a false vacuum, the vacuum may decay into a lower-energy state. [11]. It is also possible that entro py production will cease and the universe will achieve heat death. [11].

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis of the Possible Effects of the Caste System

In this modern day and age, many countries are moving towards globalization. With the current changes and improvement in technology, people easily share and exchange goods, products and services for economic and social development. A lot of opportunities are given to many people so they can take part in globalization and uplift their living. However, there are still countries that seem to lag behind because of their internal problems in regards to inequalities. India with regards to its present global profile is seen to be one of the rising economic powers in the world.In spite of its vast supply of labor especially the skilled workers, this country still remain a low-income one and poverty is still a big issue. This said problem is considered a result of its caste system. The Caste system divides people of India into four groups. This system decides for Indian people what they should do for living for their entire life. The Caste system did help the Indian society to be structured a nd organized. However, the system in the modern days was only an obstacle for India. It is considered as one of the most dehumanizing systems the world.The caste system is making a big gap between the rich and the poor. The extent of and trends in inequalities and poverty in India affects global trends because of its large population size and majority of its population fall under the poverty line. Due to globalization with the mass improvement of transportation and communication, nations are competing against other nations of the entire world. In a modern society, where time and resource are truly valued, the Caste system has held back India by wasting some incredibly talented individuals of lower caste.This system has made the poor suffer most. They were stripped of an opportunity to learn and be employed on bigger companies. This said situation has further led to the marginalization of the already marginalized people. With the growth of India’s gross national product, still the labor force in agriculture remains too high while those in the manufacturing sector are low. There is no doubt that a striking feature of India’s growth performance in the past years has been the growth of the services sector like IT, software and BPO industries.There is no doubt that India has employed millions of people for this industry but as impressive as the figure seems, it is too small if they are seen against the overall size of the country’s labor force. Employment is the service sector still lags behind. Additionally, employment is only concentrated in a few large cities and very few people from the rural and poor area find jobs in this sector because they lack the required skills. In other countries, the service sector tends to gain a larger share of employment.The rising of globalization has made people move from one place to another easily. Also education has also helped people disregard gender and social inequalities. If India would remain strict on recognizing the caste system, it will pose a threat for them in the future. The world is one, and how a nation deals with its immigrants is really important for the future of the nation. Many people now are intolerant to inequalities and discrimination. Therefore, India may be losing investors or possible capitalists just because of the system.The Caste system cannot make India a stable country anymore, since there is no spot in the system for immigrants to India. India should not lose what it was built for and based on. However, they should be really careful. The caste system may give birth to possible social unrest that may dismay or discourage other people to go to their country. This social blindness can be cured only when there is the realization that all people are created equal and have equal intrinsic value and worth.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Art history ( Latin American Photography) (NO RESEARCH PAPER) Essay

Art history ( Latin American Photography) (NO RESEARCH PAPER) - Essay Example Thus combining the subject of an eye hoisted above pedestrian invokes mystery and multitude of meanings. Reversal of negative such as in Alvarez Bravo’s  La Optica Moderna  has been used for a long time. Print makers and typesetters are very familiar with this process albeit its use has not always been for art. Painters used this method by using lenses to cast reverse image of object. In this case, a flipped image caused by a reversed negative to cast a positive image on a paper to produce a reversed text. This is also the case of the eye except that it is not obvious that it is also a reversal because it cannot be read but rather a subject whose orientation does not change with the reversal of the negative. Rendering the artwork in reversed negative and then printing it in black and white or monochrome on a photography paper made Alvarez Bravo’s  La Optica Moderna  modern. It however strikes a paradox because the subject depicts ancient meanings such as deity and mystery especially with the inverted text but rendered through a modern medium of photography. Aesthetically, the image also became more appropriate of where it is hoisted which is in an optical shop except that the symbolism that the artwork suggests that there is â€Å"more than what meets the eye† or that it is not just a commercial signage. Especially when it is rendered in monochrome that marks a serious air about the image. It invites its viewer not just to visit the optic shop for a commercial or medical purpose but to examine closely what does the image means. The reversal of the image may intrigue the viewer of how it was rendered but rather than being curious of how a reversed negative was printed on a photography paper, the viewer will be move more by the eerie feeling of seeing an eye looking over them with a reversed text. It is interesting to note that the artwork was rendered in a photograph and not in

Thursday, September 26, 2019

2 Page assignment - Answer questions - training and development paper Essay

2 Page assignment - Answer questions - training and development paper - Essay Example 2-The author states that ACE has never been targeted to achieve equity, and the user-pay system merely worsens the problem. Wealthier, urban areas are able to provide the classes through ACE which people want to take because there are more people who are able to pay. Poorer, rural regions are not able to provide this primarily because there are far fewer people in rural areas in general and because a small portion of the population would actually be able to afford to pay. This creates a lack of equity. 4-â€Å"these clients are concentrated in areas of high socio-economic status† (pg 4), â€Å"there are pronounced differences between city and country in income levels, reflecting the higher costs of rural providers and a reduced capacity to raise income† (pg 3), â€Å"under user-pays, ACE users seek to maximise their incomes by targeting clienteles with the greatest needs for education and training† (pg 4). 5-â€Å"The stronger arguments turn on the role of community-based organisations in achieving equity objectives by meeting the needs of less-advantaged clienteles† (pg 5), â€Å"The cruel irony is that equity is the first casualty in ‘user-pays’ in ACE† (pg 5), â€Å"It is time for public funds supporting equity programs to be made available to community providers on the ‘level playing field’† (pg 5). 6-The pictures of the counties need to be identical in order to more easily compare them. As it is, it is difficult to look at one side of the diagram and compare it to the other side of the diagram. Furthermore, the information on the diagrams would have been easier to discern if they had all been combined into one single graph. Transportation in urban areas can be easy than in rural, which often forces people to drive longer distances between locations. The increased difficulty in transportation might be one factor in lower ACE participation. With more people in urban areas, there would be more varieties of classes to take, so people in rural

Macro Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro Economics Paper - Essay Example The Governor additionally states that other economies around the globe will most likely have a reduction in their GDP’s as well. He also observes that the Chinese economic growth has also been moderated with the monetary conditions within the Asian continent becoming softer. Mr. Stevens also asserts that that the prices for various commodities within the globe have reduced in the recent past despite the fact that most are currently on the rise once more reaching record high values (Stevens, 2012). Therefore, in accordance to the Governor’s sentiments, this paper tries to evaluate whether the monetary decisions made by the Reserve Bank’s Board concerning the weakening economic state in the globe are appropriate to the country and within its mandate. Economic Concepts/ Theories To Be Applied Under the law on the Reserve Bank that was enacted in the year 1959, they are charged with the duty of formulating the country’s monetary policies (Graziani, 2003). This actually involves the act of taking actions so that the interest rates which affects the economic activities in the country. It can be done through ensuring that money is available in the country’s overnight cash markets because they affect other variables like the country’s GDP along with the levels of prices (Arnold, 2008). The law of 1959 additionally stipulates that the country’s goals in their monetary policies will be aimed at employment their whole labor force, ensuring the country’s currency remains stable, the prosperity in the welfare of the citizens financially (Bell, 2004). However, in order to ensure that the country’s currency remains stable their central bank has implemented policies that are aimed at controlling the rates of inflation in the country (Mankiw, 2011). The Australian central bank uses a monetary policy that is referred to as inflation targeting which involves their maintenance of stable but low rates of inflation. This policy has widely been utilized within the country with the belief that it will assist in creating a sounder basis for greater economic growth during the long run periods (Bell, 2004). The country’s Reserve Bank should adopt several policies that range from concepts monitoring their economic growths, business cycles, inflation along with monetary policies and their financial policy regulation. They should also keenly observe the trends within the international economy since they help in showing the direction that capital is currently flowing in (Knoop, 2009). In ensuring that the country’s economy grows, the Reserve Bank should utilize increases in their per capita’s to ensure that they grow in the long run periods. It is for this reason that some countries around the globe are termed as being more successful than others while others grow at similar rates (King, 2011). In evaluating the growth the country is experiencing, the board of the Reserve Bank should ex amine their investment rates, their population’s growth along with technological changes being experienced (Australia, CCH, 2011). The figures to be utilized can be found through the use of models like the neoclassical along with endogenous models for growth. In monitoring the business cycle within Australia to ensure their economic gr

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

VISUAL ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

VISUAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example Therefore, we can say that the target market of this classy advertisement, are mostly consumers belonging to the upper class. From the warm expression on the man’s face, and the child’s similar manner, it can be deduced that they are father and son. The presence of wedding band further strengthens this observation by showing the marital status of the man. All the minor detailing of the father’s clothing, such as his accessories, proves that he belongs from the privileged class, and the child’s clothing also speaks of wealth. From their body languages, there seems to be a presence of a relationship based on trust, respect, and fondness, between them. It seems that the father is trying to set an impressive example, and the son is looking up to him as a role model. On the whole, the advertisement with its creative text and the refined setting, is giving the message that a Patek Philippe watch increases the value of the person wearing it, and lasts generations. It is also shown that this watch can reinforce the warm and solid relationship between a father and a son. A father will buy this watch, thinking that one day he will pass it on to his son, and the son will always keep it, and cherish it, as a revered memorabilia. From the old times, watches have held special importance in the man’s heart. They are always associated with a person’s social status, personal taste, and economic prosperity. Whether it is a graduation present, gifted from a proud father to his young son, or a wedding present, given as a welcoming sign to son-in-law, watches always forge and solidify a significant bond between the giver and the receiver. When it comes to the upper class, high-end watches are associated with the social power and financial prestige. The advertisements of Rolex, TAG Heuer, Cartier, Movado etc., always either feature wealthy successful men, or shows settings that depicts a luxurious and prosperous life,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Developments in UK energy distribution systems Research Paper

Developments in UK energy distribution systems - Research Paper Example The main purpose of this report is to set out important components that make up a modern energy network-heat, gas, and electricity. For each section, the report evaluates the development made, the challenges mooted ahead and what the government is currently doing to mitigate for that. Strengthening the electrical network in the UK has been a critical objective for the government to meet the ever-increasing energy demands in the country. Though historically the electrical system of the UK has been rated as among the best, the fact remains that much of the structure was initiated in the 60s and it was meant to meet the needs of that time Department of Energy & Climate Change 2014). With the ever-increasing generation of renewable technologies as well as nuclear energy stations, the electrical system in the country has been rendered obsolete. The investment into upgrading the electrical system in the UK is already underway. Since 2010-2011-fiscal year, over  £16 billion has already been spent on improving offshore and onshore electrical networks. According to Ofgem estimates, the total investments in these networks have since increased to more than 20%. Adoption of new government policies and regulatory frameworks is creating the best condition for the betterment of electrical networks. Because of the installation of more reliable regulatory regimes, there is a larger, reliable, and stronger electrical network in the U.K. To be at par the pace at which the electrical demands are moving, the government is working closely with the Ofgem to create systems that are resilient to current and future challenges (Department of Energy & Climate Change 2014). The interventions and frameworks being installed are meant to ensure that the system of sustainable not only to the demands of customers but also to meeting the global standards. Improving the structures of the energy electrical systems has become a chief objective of the UK government. With these

Monday, September 23, 2019

Prediction of OECD Regarding Budget Deficit in the USA Economy Research Paper

Prediction of OECD Regarding Budget Deficit in the USA Economy - Research Paper Example It is estimated that the standard principal deficit in the USA will be 2% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 and will increase to 7.7% of total GDP by 2035. The baseline debt of the USA was 65% of total GDP in 2010, which is estimated to become 213% by 2035 (Gagnon & Hinterschweiger, 2011). A budget deficit occurs when the government expands excess amount compared to what it gains through taxation. The opposite terminal of the budget deficit is budget surplus when the outgoings are less than the receiving amount (Investopedia ULC, 2011). Even a few years back, the US had a budget surplus but due to the impact of the crisis in present days, the US economy is running with a budget deficit of 10% on GDP. It is expected that the budget deficit will decrease to 7% of GDP and by 2017 the government will seek to reduce the budget deficit to 3% of GDP (Paletta & Boles, 2011). Deficit reduction plan is helpful for advanced economies to deal with the economic recession. Several nations have implemented the debt reduction strategy to maintain a justifiable fiscal budget and to reduce the debt. Deficit reduction strategy can result in a change of major economic and monetary players. It can help to achieve prospects of creditors which can ultimately reduce the financing budgets. It can be achieved by minimizing risk premium through ‘higher long-term interest’ (OECD, 2010). Deficit Reduction in Greek Government The Greek government had followed the deficit reduction plan in order to reduce their huge amount of deficits. In the year 2009, the deficit of Greece was 15.4% of GDP. The government of Greece had estimated a deficit of 9.4% in 2010. In order to reduce the deficit, Greece had adjusted its economic settings. The objective of deficit plan of Greece is to reduce government budget by decreasing expenses on public pays, annuities on the public as well as private segments, and raise the revenue by increasing the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT), an d taxes on gasoline, alcohol, and tobacco products. Greece’s deficit plan was to receive financial support from the EU nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Through this financial support, it is estimated that Greece can improve economic growth and reduce the debt crisis. But, the deficit plan can have certain negative impacts on the economy. Reducing the monetary expenses can lead to falling on the value of the currency and stock market. Increasing taxes can also harm the lifestyle of people and can impact on the demand of products which may increase the problem of crisis. However, those who support the deficit plan say that delay in consolidating debt can worsen the economic condition even further (McCully & Webb, 2010). Deficit Reduction by Irish Government The debt crisis of Ireland is not similar as Greece, as it did not occur due to excess expenditures; rather it had occurred due to the promising housing bubble in certain Irish banks.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Why Are Stereotypes Dangerous and What Can Be Done to Reduce Them Essay Example for Free

Why Are Stereotypes Dangerous and What Can Be Done to Reduce Them Essay Very often, in our everyday life, we tend to make certain generalizations about things and people around us. This is because we are constantly exposed to heaps of information, and in order to cope with the complexity of the world around us, we need to generalize and categorize. [1] Sometimes we do this on purpose, with some intention. However, very often we do this subconsciously, unaware of what we are doing. Many people generalize on others according to their clothes, profession, origin, way of speaking, and many other, outer markers. This sort of thinking could be very dangerous, and it can lead us to creating stereotypes. Stereotype is a term which most people â€Å"avoid† in our time, and many of us usually deny using them at all. However, we have to admit that stereotypes are present in every segment of our lives, on television, in newspapers, books, and even in cartoons. It is obvious that stereotypes are something we cannot escape from. They can sometimes even help us, if used as a first step towards learning more about other people and cultures, as long as we are aware of their existence. [2] However, if taken to be completely true, stereotypes can be very dangerous, and can lead to prejudice, discrimination, persecution and even genocide. 3] This is the point when, apparently â€Å"hurtles† remarks and conclusions about other people, based on their appearance, way of speaking, job or nationality, become very serious. This is when people, led by some preconceived, over-generalized, and exaggerated images, start having certain expectations and assumptions about the others (prejudice), start acting and treating them in a cruel way (discrimination), or, in the worst cases, grow into something so dangerous as violation and killing of the stereotyped groups (persecution, genocide). In order for this not to happen, stereotypes should be reduced as much as possible. One of the possible ways of doing this is making people aware of the seriousness of using stereotypes, by propagating this idea through the media, introducing it in the education system, and by making people aware that every â€Å"group† is a group of different people, a group of individuals. Prejudice One of the possible dangers of using stereotypes is the fact that they can serve as bases for prejudice. Prejudice can be defined as an unfavorable opinion formed against a person or group, based on stereotypes. 4] This is dangerous because it leads us to having certain expectations about people in advance. We make our own conclusions, our own visions of those people. This can prevent us from â€Å"going further,† from exploring and getting to know more about the people we are stereotyping. One of the most common distributors of prejudice are national stereotypes. National stereotypes are usually created among groups of people who are â€Å"not so fond† of each other, and obviously, they are in most cases negative. For example, in our country, it is a common belief that all Americans are evil. This is because we have had many unpleasant situations, related to war and recent political clashes, where the Americans were â€Å"to blame. † However, this does not mean that all Americans are evil, and that all of them are war-mongers. However, many of us would not do anything to prove this to be true. There are many examples of national stereotypes found in films, and they can be a very powerful distributor of prejudice and ill-formed images of other nations. They are dangerous because they can influence viewers behavior and attitudes towards the stereotyped nations, since most people take everything broadcast on television for granted. For example, in many American Western movies, Native American people are stereotyped as savages. At first, they were noble savages, but when they became an obstacle for the Whites, they started to be stereotyped as wild, primitive, uncivilized, dangerous people who sadistically kill the Whites. These stereotypical portrayals of the Natives gave way to thinking that all Natives were cruel savages and villains. However, people who ever had any interest in American history know that the situation was quite the opposite. In a similar way, African American people sometimes happen to be the thugs- drug dealers, or even the murderers in the American films. In a recent American film Lakeview Terrace, a couple of young Americans move to a new town, where they are tortured by their next door neighbor, who is accidentally or not- Black. Although this is said not to be done on purpose, people who watch this sort of movies can subconsciously form negative attitudes towards African American people. Led by this wrong image propagated on television, people can subconsciously create negative opinion about them. For example, a person walking through a park at night, on encountering a group of Blacks, will probably not feel the same as if, for example, they came across a group of Whites. [5] Another example of national stereotypes that is a common basis for prejudice is the world-wide known English stereotype, a reserved, cold, stiff-upper-lips. [6] These typical English characteristics became so widely present in the media, that most people apply them as real English characteristics. This, of course, is not true, simply because all people are different, and we cannot apply one characteristic to a group, without considering it as a group of individuals. However, people usually believe in everything they hear or see on TV, and consequently form some kind of expectations and prejudice against the people they do not actually know. To prove this to be true, some of my colleagues and me had some people from our environment interviewed on this topic. It is interesting that most of them had similar answers, and almost everyone said the English were reserved, snobbish, and even evil. Americans were fat and stupid, self-centered. Although none of them would admit to be stereotyping, they all somehow knew this was true. Many of them, when asked if they would ever live in these countries responded negativelly, because the people were bad. Thus they had some prejudices formed against these people, and did not want to do anything to help them understand and appreciate the other culture. Discrimination When the stereotypes we have formed last for too long in our minds, they can grow and develop into something more serious than prejudice. This is when we start acting and treating other people in a different, often bad and inhumane way. [7] This is another possible danger of using stereotypes, which is called discrimination. There are many different types of discrimination, based on appearance, age, nationality, sex, etc. One of the most common forms of discrimination is based on a well known stereotype found in many movies, magazines, and even in cartoons. It is the stereotype of a dumb blonde. [8] It is an image of a girl who is physically attractive, but lacks brains. This stereotype is so powerful, that very often all blonde girls are considered to be stupid, and are not taken seriously, which in some cases can affect their lives, especially when it comes to their intellectual abilities. In one of the famous Hollywood movies starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde, the main character suffers the consequences of being blonde. Namely, the girl in the film enrolls in Harvard, but is immediatelly looked down on by h er colleagues, and considered to be stupid and superficial just because of her looks. However, at the end of the movie, she manages to graduate from Harvard, and proves the stereotype to be false. Although this fim is often considered to be teen-oriented and not very serious, it tells a story that can happen in real life, and it sends a message to people that stereotypes can lead to discrimination and affect peoples lives. Additionally to this, some national stereotypes can serve as a starting point for discrimination, too. In our country, Gypsies are often looked down on, and are stereotyped as dirty, uneducated, loud, and very often as thieves. Although many of us would decisively deny to be stereotyping Gypsies as such, reality is very cruel for them, and they are often victims of discrimination and even persecution. Beside this racial discrimination, in some cultures discrimination is based on the stereotypical portrayal of women as the ‘weaker sex,’ incapable of doing any kind of normal work but everyday chores. In cultures like these, (Indian, Egyptian, etc. ) women are discriminated against and their basic human rights are violated. In a recent documentary on ‘National Geographic,’[9] an American was obliged to leave his country, and go to Saudi Arabia to work. There he faced many differences between his and the Arabian culture. He was amazed by the fact that his girlfriend, who applied for a job of a photographer, was turned down with no obvious reason. However, later in the documentary, it was revealed by an Arabic woman that in their country, this was ‘not a job for a woman. ’ In their country, women are not supposed to be seen out very often, especially without their husbands, and they are supposed to take care of their home and children. This, of course, was a shock for the American, and he said he could not believe that things like this happened in 21st century. However, this proves again that stereotypes are dangerous and that they can lead to discrimination, in this case of women as a weaker sex, incapable of doing any proper job. Additionally, discrimination that results from stereotyping can even be more dangerous, if we do not take into consideration people’s feelings. Very often, especially in the age of adolescence, young people tend to stereotype their overweight friends as if they belonged to some different group of people. Although the young ones do not think about the effect of their stereotyping, it can be very painful and can cause harmful effects on the stereotyped group. Moreover, discrimination of the overweight can even be done by the teachers, the adults. For example, when I was in high school, at one of our physical education classes, we were supposed to compete in high jump. Just before the competition, the teacher told one of my friends that he did not have to take part in this, because he was aware he could not jump (he was a bit overweight). The fact that this was said in front of the whole class made him feel even more miserable. This is an example of discriminating overweight people, by stereotyping them as unable to perform things as well as the others. Situations like these can be very dangerous, and can have horrible effects on an individual, such as emotional stress and low self-esteem. [10] One of the most widely present forms of discrimination based on stereotypes is sexual discrimination. Even though we live in modern times, the issue of homosexuality is still considered to be something unacceptable, and people belonging to this ‘group’ are considered to be weird and are often stereotyped negatively. This varies from country to country, but they are generally stereotyped as effeminate, incapable of doing any serious jobs (except for fashion related ones), and many people feel some kind of inexplicable scorn towards them. This especially is the case in our country, where homosexuality is still a taboo, and where homosexuals are considered less than humans. Except for the emotional pain, these people are often turned down at a job interview, or are fired if their sexual orientation is revealed. A famous Hollywood actress, Ellen DeGeneres, in one of the shows that has been on TV recently, said that when she openly admitted she was gay, her TV show, which was at its peak at the moment, was suddenly cancelled. ‘The network executives blamed low ratings, but the reason was quite obvious,’ said the actress, alluding to her public reveal of being homosexual. This discrimination of homosexuals is an issue that has been discussed many times in the media. In a recent episode of ‘Oprah Winfrey Show,’ the topic of the day was the discrimination of homosexuals. People from all over the world were telling their sad stories, and there was even a girl from Brazil who talked about her terrible experience, when a group of angry youths attacked her, and raped her, causing her both physical and emotional injuries, just because she admitted she was homosexual. This leads us to the final and most terrible effects of stereotyping- persecution and genocide.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Child Abuse And Child Protection Criminology Essay

Child Abuse And Child Protection Criminology Essay The objective of this paper is to deliberate the role the Internet has on the sexual exploitation of children today. The central premise is the crime of online child sexual exploitation with the specific attention on sexual predators online grooming behaviours for procurement of children for sexual abuse. The paper begins with a brief overview of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, followed by a short background of computers and the Internet. The paper shall examine and discuss sexual predators, online grooming, accessibility, anonymity, content, and victimisation and highlight an opposing view. During the course of the paper, the term children implies the ages 12 to 17 years, and the expression sexual predators applied to define adults who habitually seek out sexual situations that are deemed exploitative while the use of the word Internet encompasses the terms World Wide Web and cyberspace. Throughout the course of this paper, I intend to demonstrate that, compared to previous generations, technology and the Internet has exposed children of the digital and virtual generation to the immeasurable vulnerability of becoming a victim of child sexual exploitation. Child abuse is universal; it is an extensive social phenomena on a global level that occurs through four methods; neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse or sexual abuse (Rivett Kelly, 2006 and Lancaster Lumb, 1999). Child sexual abuse occurs when an adult uses their power or authority to involve a child in sexual activity (Child Rights International Network (CRIN), 2012). Child sexual abuse is a multi-layered problem; astonishingly complex in its characteristics, dynamics, causes and consequences with no universal definition (Hobday Ollier, 2004; Price-Robertson, Bromfield, Vassallo, 2010 and Browne Lynch, 1995). Therefore, child sexual abuse can be understood to encompass physical, verbal or emotional abuse (Barber, 2012 and Friedman, 1990) and can involve exposing a sexual body part to a child, and talking in a sexually explicit way (Finkelhor Hotaling, 1984). With the introduction of the Internet, online child sexual abuse has subsequently entered the perplexing realm of child abuse. Child sexual abuse now encompasses; sending obscene text messages or emails, or showing pornographic photographs to a child, solicitation, and online grooming to facilitate procurement of a child for sexual contact (Davidson Gottschalk, 2011; Stanley, 2003). Choo indicated that a study showed that 85 to 95% of child sexual abuse cases, the child knew the perpetrator as an acquaintance or family member in real life but had used the Internet and other technology to further their grooming activities (2009, p. xiii). Therefore, it could be suggested that technology has enhanced opportunities of child sexual abuse for offenders. The first personal computer became available in 1975 (Peter, 2004), and a new phenomenon entered the global landscape in 1969, but it was not until 1993 that it became a commercial product the Internet (Jones Quayle, 2005 and Peter, 2004). The Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2012), revealed Internet access exploded from 286,000 Internet households in 1996 to an incredible 13.1 million in 2010/2011. In almost two decades, the Internet has moved from an ambiguous communications vehicle to a vast virtual world and a ubiquitous fixture in homes, schools and workplaces; an indispensable component of millions of peoples lives (Davidson Gottschalk, 2011 and Quayle, Vaughan, Taylor, 2006). The universality of this technology revolution has changed lives in dramatic ways by shortening the geographical distances and facilitating ways to share information (Stanley, 2001). Computers and the Internet are valuable tools for childrens learning, but like all revolutions, the Internet has simul taneously brought about a darker side (Won, Ok-Ran, Chulyun, Jungmin, 2011; Jones Quayle, 2005 and Stanley, 2001) including the establishment of online child sexual exploitation from sexual predators. Child sexual exploitation is an umbrella term for a spectrum of negative sexual experiences including exposure to unwanted sexually implicit material and uninvited requests for sexual conversations (Burgess, Mahoney, Visk Morgenbesser, 2008 and Jones Quayle, 2005). The Internet created a portal for sexual predators to further facilitate child sexual exploitation. The Internet has become is a double edged sword (Won et al, 2011), although it is an indispensable element of life with the average Australian child spending between 11 to 21hrs per week online (Irvine, 2009), it also delivers new prospects for sexual predators to sexually exploit young Internet users. Sexual predators have been part of society throughout history (Choo, 2009), and now the Internet provides an opportunity for sexual predators to employ grooming behaviours online for solicitation, harassment, exploitation, production of abuse images and participate in abusive acts (Dombrowski, LeMansey, Ahia, Dickson, 2004 and Quayle, Vaughan, Taylor, 2006). Feather (1999) acknowledges that the internet has been shown to act as a new medium through which some commonly recognised forms of child maltreatment, sexual and emotional abuse may be pursued. Australia, in 2006, had 130 completed prosecutions for online child sexual exploitation offenses, in the same year the United Kingdom ha d 322 cases while the United States case reports grew from 4,560 in 1998 to an astonishing 76,584 by the end of 2006 (Choo, 2009, pp. xi -xii). The Internet has provided an accessible gateway for sexual predators to enter the homes of children previously unattainable as prior to the Internet the act of grooming by sexual predators would have required the predator to physically stalk their victims or to know them through legitimate reasons (Armagh, 1998). Child grooming typically begins through a non-sexual, manipulative approach to assist the enticement of a child through active engagement, and by utilising their skills of power and control to lower a childs inhibitions, to desensitise them and to gain their trust before luring them into interaction (Australian Institute of Criminology Online child grooming laws, 2008; Choo, 2009; Davidson Gottschalk, 2011; Beech, Elliott, Birgden Findlater, 2008 and Gallagher, 2007). Child grooming is not a new phenomenon; it dates back to when child sexual abuse was first identified and define (Martellezzo, cited in Davidson Gottschalk, 2011, p. 104). The traditional process of child grooming entailed close physical proximity to a child and many sexual predatory selected jobs as child-serving professionals or volunteers, this enabled them to have positions of authority and to gain childrens trust more easily (Berson, 2003, p. 10). The conventional methods placed the sexual predator at significa nt personal risk as they were exposed to suspicion of any special attention or affection directed towards a child (Armagh, 1998 Gallagher, 2007). The Internet aids sexual predators to shorten the trust building period and to simultaneously have access to multiple victims across the globe (Berson, 2003 and Davidson Gottschalk, 2011). Sexual predators utilise the Internet to groom a child for either immediate sexual gratification or to persistently groom a child online to lay the foundations for sexual abuse in the physical world (Davidson Gottschalk, 2011 and Quayle, Vaughan Taylor, 2006). Choo (2009, p. xii) stated that in the United States in 2006, there were 6,384 reports made regarding online enticement. The advent of the Internet facilitates sexual predators a formidable utopia of opportunity for sexual abuse through easier, simpler and faster instant access to potential child victims worldwide. The central differences for sexual predators in the physical world and the online world are accessibility and anonymity. The Internet changed the way people interact, and online communication has become an integral part of society. Instant messaging and chat rooms are readily accessed by sexual predators to discover and target potential victims (Berson, 2003; Choo, 2009; Davidson Gottschalk, 2011 and Stanley, 2001). Choo (2009) indicates that studies have shown 55% of sexual predators utilise social networking sites to enable quick, effective and ostensibly with confidentiality. Sexual predators employ their skills by exploiting search engines to locate publically available information on children and their activities, and acquiring personal information from participating in chat rooms which, then permits them to attract, manipulate and build long term virtual relationships with potential victims (Berson, 2003; Choo, 2009; Davidson Gottschalk, 2011 and Stanley, 2001). According to Choo (2009) a study in the United States in 2006 indicated that 71% of children have established an online profile on soc ial networking sites with 47% of them allowing their profiles to be public- viewable by anyone. 40% of sexual predators will read online profiles of children in an attempt to identify potential victims according to a study conducted by Malesky (2007). Social networking sites, chat rooms, and instant messaging support sexual predators access to children through real time open access to specific subject forums, searchable profiles, display of personal information, message boards and instant contact (Aiken, Moran Berry, 2011; Calder, 2004; Davidson Gottschalk, 2011; Dombrowski et al, 2004 and Marcum, 2007). Before the Internet, this type of information and access would have been almost impossible for a predator to acquire. The Internet provides a previously unattainable degree of anonymity and this allows a sexual predator to hide behind their masquerade personas to entice interaction with children (Choo, 2009). One of the main attractions of the Internet for sexual predators is the anonymity. A child does not always know who they are interrelating with, and they may think they know, but unless it is a school friend or a relative, they genuinely cannot be sure. Utilising concealment of identity, many sexual predators are more inclined to behave deviant; uninhibited through anonymity and the depersonalised isolation of the virtual world with little risk of detection (Aiken et al, 2011 Burgess et al, 2008). Feather (1999, p. 7) specified that many child sexual predators lurk in chat rooms they remain in the background intensively reading chat room posts without actually commenting themselves, they monitor the rooms looking for potential victims or they use a pseudonym to facilitate interaction. In 2006 , there were 850,000 cases of children receiving unwanted sexual approaches in chat rooms online in the United Kingdom, many anonymously or posing as a child (Choo, 2009). The main aim of concealing their identities is to gain the trust of a child to facilitate the eventual physical contact. A study by Malesky (2007) revealed 80% of participants frequented chat rooms geared towards minors and used pseudonyms to improve their chances of making contact with a child and to eventually generate an offline meeting. Technical advances have introduced sexual predators to protocols and programs that enable them to conceal their identities which makes it difficult to trace and locate them (Choo, 2009). The proliferation and ease of accessibility has allowed for child sexual predators to electronically creep into the bedrooms of children where they engage in sexually explicit chat, cyber voyeurism and exhibitionism over the expanding Internet. Since the Internet is largely uncensored and only partially regulated (Stanley, 2003) it has enabled sexual predators to expose children to negative content such as pornography and sexually explicit material. The unprecedented ease of access to the Internet introduced a vehicle for the flow of digital and electronic data of sexually exploitative material including sexual imagery. The Cyber Tipline in the United States advocates that in 2002, 51 million images and videos of pornography were on the Internet depicting children and indicated that between 1998 and 2012, there were 1.3 million reports regarding sexual inappropriate conduct and material these included child pornography and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child (National Center for Missing Exploited Children, 2012). Sexual predators use pornography and sexually explicit materials to desensitise children to deviant sexual stimuli to encourage them to participate in sexual activities. 1 in 25 children have been asked t o send sexual pictures of themselves to someone on the Internet (Mitchell, Finkelhor Wolak, 2007). Children are the targets for most sexual predators as their social skills are generally incomplete and they are less likely to pick up on the relevant clues of grooming such as inappropriate remarks (Choo, 2009). Children in the higher age brackets are more likely targets for sexual predators due in part to their greater mobility, sexual curiosity and autonomy (Choo, 2009 and Davidson Gottschalk, 2011). These children have an intense interest in expanding social networks, taking risks and forming emotional bonds with others. They share more personal information, interact with strangers via chat rooms, email or post pictures online, visit adult content websites and chat rooms and agree to meet with someone in person when they met online. Examination of literature for this paper indicated that the Internet poses real dangers to children and they can be vulnerable to sexual predators (for example see, Bersen, 2008; Choo, 2009 Davidson Gottschalk, 2011; Jones Quayle, 2005; Malesky, 2005 and Stanley, 2001). Even though Byron cited in Moran et al indicated that sexual predators may be increasingly moving online, given the increasingly restrictive real world access to children, it is impossible to determine the full extent of the numbers of children who have experienced online child sexual exploitation due to most cases not being reported but an Australian study estimated 28% of girls and 9% of boys have in some form been sexually exploited online (Choo, 2009). Wolak, Finkelhor, Mitchell and Ybarra (2008) argue that the Internet has only provided a new avenue for an old crime and suggest that through their research Internet initiated sexual abuse numbers are largely inaccurate. They suggest that the majority of the physical offline encounters is between adult men and underage adolescents who used online communities and were aware they were conversing with adults who rarely deceived them about their sexual interests and that the estimated 500 arrests in the United States for statutory rape occurring from internet contact 95% are non-forcible the adolescent was a willing participant. Richards (2011) suggests that situational and environmental factors play a key role in sexual offending and research has shown that most sexual predators are known to their victims; they are not targeted by strangers. Tomison (2001) specifies that in Australia it was not until the late 1900s did welfare groups begin to recognise that most perpetrators of child s exual abuse were from within the family; known as intrafamilial sexual abuse (Smallbone Wortley, 2001). In the 1920s child sexual abuse became characterised as abuse committed by strangers; known as extrafamilial sexual abuse (Smallbone Wortley, 2001). Today it appears to be seen as a mixture of both. In conclusion, child sexual abuse is a multifaceted problem, and the Internet has now contributed to the complexities of this. Child sexual predators are those who take unfair advantage of some imbalance of power between themselves and a child in order to sexually use them either online or in the physical world. Sexual predators predominately utilise the art of grooming to entice the trust of a child and while has been a part of the physical world of sexual predators in previous generations, the Internet has facilitated the use of grooming to a whole new level on the next generation. The Internet is a continuous, evolving entity that has become part of mainstream life. It has evolved from humble beings in the late 1960s to an immeasurable phenomenon way into the future, millions of families have instant, fast access the Internet daily and this too shall continue to grow with the introduction in Australia of a national broadband network. This paper demonstrated that most sexual predators, who commit sexual abuse on a child in the physical world, initially become acquainted with the child by communication over the Internet and employed more advanced grooming techniques to gain a childs trust. The paper established that the Internet has had a dramatic impact on the evolution of child exploitation by providing an avenue for sexual predators to seek out potential victims and to communicate with them. The rapid development and explosive use of the Internet have allowed for increased opportunities for recruiting children for sexually purposes through social networking sites and chat rooms and the paper identified the Internet as an ideal setting for child sexual exploitation through anonymity and the ease with which one can masquerade. Finally, this paper has identified and ultimately demonstrated that through the revolution of the Internet it provided new tools for sexual predators to sexually exploit children in the digi tal and virtual generation.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Body as Teacher: From Source of Knowledge to Object of Knowledge :: Philosophy

The Body as Teacher: From Source of Knowledge to Object of Knowledge ABSTRACT: I look at two ways of seeing the body during the Renaissance: the first, illustrated in the Essais of Montaigne, focuses on the body as a source of knowledge about the self; the second, illustrated in the developing science of anatomy, focuses on the body as an object of knowledge that is increasingly available only to specialists. In looking at the science of anatomy as it developed in the Renaissance, I show that the transformation of the body from a source of knowledge of both body and soul to an object of a mechanical science did not happen easily and reflects contradictory approaches to the self that continue to this day. In his book The Mirage of Health, Renà © Dubos refers to the never-ending oscillation between two different points of view in medicine: those who believe that health results from living in harmony with nature (and thus take it upon themselves to know themselves and live in harmony with their environment) and those who believe that health is the responsibility of a medical expert who brings specialized knowledge and the surgeon's knife to conquer disease). He points out that in ancient Greece, doctors worked under the patronage of Asklepios, the god of medicine while healers served Asklepios's daughter Hygeia, goddess of health: For the worshippers of Hygeia, health is the natural order of things, a positive attribute to which men are entitled if they govern their lives wisely. According to them, the most important function of medicine is to discover and teach the natural laws which will ensure a man a healthy mind in a healthy body. More skeptical, or wiser in the ways of the world, the followers of Asklepios believe that the chief role of the physician is to treat disease, to restore health by correcting any imperfections caused by accidents of birth or life. (1) The modern debate between the followers of Hygeia and the followers of Asklepios is more than a debate about the relative merits of medical science; it reflects a more fundamental debate about the nature of the self and about the ways in which one can have knowledge of the self. It is a debate about the nature of the body and how we learn about it or from it. It is about the body as teacher. This paper focusses on one

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Birthing Cermonies Of Other Cultures Essay -- essays research papers

Birthing Cermonies of Other Cultures The birthing ceremonies of the Indian culture has a lot of different aspects then the American culture does. I guess that is why they are different cultures. All cultures have different views on different things such as religion, but they also share the same as well for example every culture has some form of the family. This is what helps most cultures understand other cultures. In the Indian culture their view of bringing a child into the world is much different then the American culture's view. In the Indian culture there are a lot of preparations that go into getting the parents and the community ready for the new member. Their culture does more work with the child before they are even born. First of all plans are made for them so they know who is going to be there to witness the child being born into their society. They are usually the grandparents, the representatives, and the Godparents that were selected by the parents and the representatives. The mother is to keep on working as she did before the baby is born. They say that this shows the child the importance of work in their culture. During the pregnancy, around the seventh month, the mother introduces the baby to the natural world. She does this by taking walks in the fields and over the hills. They believe that the baby is consciously taking all of this in to prepare him/her for life within that culture. When the baby is born none of the mothers children should be around. The only people there are the ones that were chosen by the representatives and the parents. If someone can not make it then someone will have to fill in for them. The only people besides children who are not allowed to see are the single women. The only way that they can attend is if there is no one else to go. There has to be three couples at the birth of the child, the child doesn't just belong to the parents but to the community as well. It is considered to be a scandal if an Indian women goes to a hospital to have a baby. For the mothers other children there are not to know where or how the baby is born. Only the three couples know where the child is born. The children are told that a baby has arrived and they can not see their mother for eight days. After the baby is born the placenta has to be burned at a certain time. If the baby was born at night then it is burned at eight in the mo... ... sleep with more men then someone else did. In our society I believe we want to treat everyone the same but to me it doesn't seem like we are doing a very good job of it. My next story is about another initiation but this is into a tribe of headhunters. The test began when they had him lay down in a pit of carnivorous ants. He had to lay there until they gave him a signal to get up because it was over. The test doesn't stop there next was he had to go into the woods without any weapons or food and survive for three days and nights while three headhunters are hunting you down. If you fail this part of the test then they do a ritual using your head, but if you pass you are finally allowed to join them as headhunters. They apply gender roles kind of like we did. The male has to be strong and not a coward whereas the female is dependent on the male. In our society we have a lot of initiations that go on like for clubs, sorority, fraternity, but none of them are usually this much based on courage most of them are based on embarrassing you. I think that these four stories show you how your society is not the only one and also it is not the best but just different from all of the others.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ethics in Criminal Justice Professions Essay -- Criminal Justice Ethic

Criminal Justice professionals make decisions everyday and they have to be able to recognize when an issue involves ethical considerations. Therefore, in order to recognize these issues and make appropriate and correct decisions, it is important that the criminal justice professional study ethics. In order to make a good ethical decision the professional will have to have the ability to apply knowledge of ethics, know the ethical terminology and the concepts needed in making a good ethical decision. Criminal Justice professionals are in positions of power and exercise power and authority over others. Therefore, it is important for them to study ethics because they must be aware of the ethical standards needed in making critical decisions involving discretion, force, and due process. It is also a fact that criminal justice professionals who exercise power and authority over others can be tempted to abuse their powers. Police decisions can affect life, liberty, and property, and as guardians of the interests of the public, police must maintain high standards of integrity. Police discretion concerning how to act in a given situation can often lead to ethical misconduct (Banks 29). It is also important for criminal justice professionals to study ethics, as ethics is important in criminal justice policy making. These professionals are in a position to make choices and analyze options in order to make decisions that affects the lives of many people. Professionals who formulate policies should act ethically and they have to realize the ethical responsibility in making policies especially when it comes to punishment. These professionals need to know how unethical and ethical policy-making decisions differ in how it affects those ... ...f nothing and therefore ethics â€Å"cannot be taught,† but since 99.9 percent of business and criminal justice professionals have a conscience, it is possible to teach and learn ethics (Perry). Works Cited Banks, Cyndi. Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2009. Print. Felkenes, George. "Ethics in the Graduate Criminal Justice Curriculum." Teaching Philosophy 10. (1987): 23-26. eBook. Mills, Karen. "Can Ethics be Taught?" Oct. 2010. Arizona Department of Transportation. 02 Dec. 2010 . Perry, David L. "Can Business Ethics Be Taught?" Mar. 1994. Teaching Business Ethics. 03 Dec. 2010. . Pollock, Joycelyn M. Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A poem in which the poet creates a picture Essay

Task-Choose a poem in which the poet creates a picture of a heroic or corrupt figure. Discuss the means by which the personality is clearly depicted. A poem in which the poet creates a picture of a corrupt figure is Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning. The poem written in 1837 is in the form of a dramatic monologue which helps to show the true nature of the corrupt sociopath. Throughout the poem Browning uses a series of literacy devices to help convey this idea. The form of the poem, dramatic monologue, is significant as the reader only ever experiences the speaker’s feelings and recollections of events. This forces the reader to doubt the narrator at various points throughout the poem. This form also leaves the reader believing that the situation is less straightforward than that being described. It is clear from the outset of the poem that the speaker in the poem is troubled. Through Browning’s use of pathetic fallacy in the first four lines of the poem he does not only illustrate the extreme weather conditions but also the speaker’s mind set: â€Å"It tore the elm-tops down for spite† This effectively highlights the speakers’s bitterness due to Porphyria’s failure to appear for their arranged meeting. Browning deliberately compares the speaker’s emotional condition to the weather as these are all negative emotions. The words sullen, spite and vex are the first early clues that the reader sees about the speaker’s true nature; being that of violence and aggression. The fact that the narrator is so distraught at the idea of not seeing Porphyria is the first slight indication towards his obsession with her. Also, the fact that the speaker is waiting for Porphyria immediately suggests that she in is control of their relationship; something that would have been extremely unusual and possibly slightly shocking to the Victorian audiences that the poem was written for. This idea is also suggested by the title of the poem. The title Porphyria’s Lover suggests that the speaker is dissatisfied; he wants to be more than just her Lover and feel less emasculated by her strong character. Browning also drops a hint of the speaker’s corrupt nature through the rhythm and rhyme scheme in the poem. The rhythm of the poem is iambic tetrameter which in this poem serves to create a regular pattern. The point in using this rhythm is to make the speaker seem rational, calm and normal while effectively disguising his true nature. However the Rhyme in the poem follows the scheme of ABABB. Unlike the regular, naturalistic rhythm of the poem the rhyme scheme is asymmetrical and adds intensity to the speaker’s words. This is possibly a hint to the speaker’s unstable nature and the madness within his head. The speaker’s obsession with Porphyria is developed when she eventually enters the cottage. He describes her as having â€Å"glided† in which shows she moved elegantly and gracefully. This word choice captures the speaker’s passion for Porphyria. The reader learns from the poem that she is from a higher social class than the narrator, which in turn makes the reader suspect that their relationship is a forbidden affair. However, this is left ambiguous and for the reader to decide. â€Å"straight/She shut the cold out and the storm† The poet’s use of enjambment here emphasises the power of Porphyria’s arrival and this also helps to continue the idea that she holds the dominant role in their relationship. The poet uses transferred epithet to stress the immediacy of the change in atmosphere after Porphyria’s arrival. Her practical actions represent the change in the speaker’s mind set. This example of transferred epithet effectively represents the immediate effect that Porphyria’s entrance had on the speaker. At the beginning of the story his heart was cold and his mind was stormy whereas following her entrance he feels content and calmed by her presence as she has metaphorically shut the storm out of his mind. Another aspect of the poem which would have been somewhat shocking to a Victorian audience is the unusually sexual manner in which Porphyria next behaves. She removes her outdoor clothing, lets her hair hang lose, puts her arm around the narrator, positions his head on her bare shoulder then proceeds to declare her love for him. However the narrator’s reaction to this takes the reader by surprise. A dash is used to introduce a change in tone as the speaker begins to describe Porphyria in a negative light: â€Å"Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavour† Here, Browning writes in an almost contemptuous tone. The narrator is disapproving as he believes that- although Porphyria wants nothing more than to be with him- she is unable to leave behind other ties in her life which are preventing her from being with the speaker forever. The narrator’s resentment towards these complications out-with his control is portrayed as resentment towards Porphyria and this sudden change in mood offers the first slight indication that the narrator is not mentally stable. At this point in the poem the reader does not know whether to trust all that the speaker is saying. We are shocked by the speaker’s lack of interest and lack of love towards Porphyria. However, the speaker then experiences the sudden realisation later in the poem that Porphyria worshiped him. This is a very strong emotional word which goes past simple passion and suggests he believes that he is the only thing Porphyria really cares about. It also shows that the speaker thinks of himself as almost god-like in her eyes. He is vain and narcissistic. Any sane person would be content with the declaration of love however not the speaker. The reader being sane finds his next actions even more shocking. He is not sane, he is troubled and his corrupt nature is beginning to show. The poem reaches the shocking and disturbing turning point when becomes clear that the speaker is going to strangle Porphyria: â€Å"I found A thing to do†.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Business Proposal for a Tutoring Agency Essay

Executive Summary The proposal is for a tutoring company based in the East London area in the UK. This is going to be a partnership that will be forged among 3 partners: Shirin Akhter, Meer Hossain and Faisal Ifitkhar. The business will be financed by the partners themselves, with the profits distributed proportionately after costs are considered. The Private tutoring industry in the UK is now experiencing a steady growth, with people paying a considerable amount of money per hour to secure the services of an academically qualified tutor. However, this company is focused more on creating a market for people that cannot afford to pay  £70 to  £100 for a private tutor. All 3 of the partners had some experience in being both students to private tutors and private tutors themselves, and therefore have collaborated to utilise the combined skills to enter the market of Private Tutoring. The first step of this venture is to come up with a business plan. The plan will act a document that will assist in the development of the partnership. As there is very minimal cost consideration involved in this project, the partners are not seeking any financing from any other investors. The Market Based on various news reports, personal research conducted on parents residing in the East London area and considering the experience and capability of the partners (who will be the tutors as well), the company has found out the ideal target market. The target market has 3 separate segments: Students preparing for the Entrance Exam, 13+ and GCSE students. The initial base of students will comprise of children of various parents the tutors have a personal connection with. The cultural similarity (the tutors and potential parents are of Bangladeshi ethnicity) is therefore the pivotal factor in this regard. However, the company wishes to become one of the largest tutoring agencies in East London. Therefore it plans to tutor children from other cultural backgrounds gradually. The Services The services provided to the target will comprise of one to one tutoring, group tutoring, GCSE exam preparation and online services (social media). The company would ideally promote groups sessions as it is cost effective for both tutors and the students. Although private sessions can be deemed as being focused and intensive, group session make room for healthy debate and discussion, thus enhancing the learning procedure. The process of teaching would be based on personal skills coupled with feedback from other partners and feedback from the students. The focus of the services is not of immediate satisfaction of queries, but of better understanding of the concepts related to tutoring. The subjects in which the company offers private tutoring include Business Studies, Accounting, Physics, Chemistry, Science and Mathematics, and verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. Promotion and advertising The initial base of students that have been proposed here are not at par with the rich families, therefore the USP of the proposed company is that it will provide tutoring service to students for a reasonable price. It has been noticed that the average price range for tutors in East London is  £15 to  £20 per hour, therefore the company will provide the sessions 1 and half hour long for the same money. It can therefore establish itself as a company that is affordable. The partnership wishes to use the most effective advertising for the minimal cost as well. Therefore it would use Word of Mouth as its main promotional tool. Satisfied students and their parents are therefore the most important component in their promotional mix. The company will also make use of Social Media for promoting the company, as well as to use the online platform for feedback from the students and to assist the students online when needed. The company would also have some sales promotion in the form of introductory price offer, such as getting 5 sessions for the price of 4. However, the details of such sessions are yet to be discussed. Management The management of the company would comprise of all 3 partners, however, as per the legal requirement of UK, Meer Hossain will act as the nominated / general partner for the company. However the need for the partners to act as managers will only arise after it has grown considerably. The managers are therefore the employees of the company. All 3 partners are Graduate and professionals who also had experience as private tutors. The partners also have experience in working as supervisors / managers in their own professional area. They have become more and more culturally tolerant and astute, as they have been working in a multicultural country for more than a few years. The management will act as trainers when the company is going to start employing other tutors for the company. Future plans The company plans to extend it services to include Undergraduate students as their customers. The company also has plans to set up a website, as well as start the option of video conferencing in the future. 1. Description of the Business 1.1. Mission The company would approach teaching in an innovative and unique way with the idea of helping creating a bridge between students and the subject they need to have a good grasp on. The customised and focused process of teaching would equip the students with the necessary tools needed for improving their understanding and thus achieving success in their studies. The company is valued by the mental satisfaction and the observable outcomes of the students. The success of the company rests on the success of the students. 1.2. The key factors 1. Creating effective and innovative methods of approaching individual subjects and the sections within them for the easiest possible understanding of the challenging subject matters. 2. Increasing market presence via word of mouth promotion achieved through the excellence in service and knowledge distribution. 3. Creating a constant feedback process whereby the needs of the individuals are assessed and the processes tailored as a result. 1.3. Goals 1. To be the market leader in tutoring service in East London, specifically in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets by the end of year 4. 2. To double the revenue of the company by the end of Year 2. 3. To extend the tutoring service to Undergraduate students by the end of Year 2. 4. To establish a strong online presence via interactive web learning process by the end of year 2. 1.4. Scope of the business According to Smith (2012), a micro-business is defined by the involvement of 1 to 4 people, and a small business has 5 to 20 people in the enterprise [Smith, H. (2012): Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days, Wiley, Milton, QLD, AUS, p 2]. The proposed Tuition agency can be therefore defined as a micro-business as the number of people in the core business would be 3, at least at the outset. As far as the goals and objectives are concerned, the business aims to be slightly bigger that a small business as far as the aforementioned definition is concerned. 1.5. The company The proposed company would provide tutoring services in few selected subjects for students ranging from 11+ to the GCSE qualification, focusing mainly in the East End of London, UK. The courses the company aims to provide tutoring support includes Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Business Studies and Accounting. The company would also provide tutoring supports for students interested in other subjects, but would act as a contact point would primarily outsource such tasks, acting as an intermediary in the process. The tutoring sessions would focus on assisting students grasping seemingly difficult concepts in the aforementioned areas of study. The process taught would help them perform better in their respective schools and / or educational institutes. It would also help them create a strategy for any forthcoming exams. The service would also assist them in understanding the effective method of writing various essays relating to the subject(s). The company aspires to prepare student in a manner where they would empowered to solve various problems on their own, rather than approaching individual tasks on a short term basis. 1.6. The owners The proposed company would be owned by 3 people: Shirin Akhter, Meer Hossain and Faisal Iftikhar. The company would therefore be a partnership. The ownership is expected to remain unchanged, but extenuating circumstances might bring change to the ownership structure. 1.7. Legal and regulatory frame of the company Based on the classification as stipulated by UK, the owners will form a limited partnership [Limited Partnership – GPO2, http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gpo2.shtml, accessed 10 August 2013]. Therefore the owners or partners of this company will be liable for all debts and obligations, however, the scope of such debts and obligations will not be more than the individual investments towards the company. As mentioned in the proposal, the company would be registered as a partnership. According to the present definitions set out by the Department of Work and Pensions, the owners (partners) of the company would therefore be classified as self-employed. The company would not itself pay any taxes; rather taxes would only apply on the individual revenues of the partners in the business [Set up a business partnership, https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business-partnership, accessed 10 August 2013]. Some of the terms of the agreement will include the following: 1. The profit of the business will be proportionate to the initial capital invested by the individuals entering into the agreement. 2. Meer Hossain has agreed to be the nominated partner as per the requirement of the the UK government for a partnership at the outset. Therefore the company will treat Meer Hossain as the only limited partner / general partner at the outset. Any amendments would be discussed upon and the changes would be done accordingly. 3. The partners will also act as the employees of the company, and they would receive salary as employees of the company according to the service they provide, based on the rates fixed. 1.7.1. DBS Checks The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has recently replaced the CRB checks in the UK. Although this is not a requirement for private tutors in terms of their business [Fagg, H. (January 19th, 2013): New Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): What it means for private tutors, http://www.thetutorblog.com/tag/crb/, accessed 10 August 2013], because the target market for this business involves working with children, the partners, as employees, would apply for a DBS check on themselves with Disclosure Scotland, a branch of DBS that allows for self employed tutors residing in England, Scotland and Wales to be checked. It is considered to be an essential part of the company [Guide: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks), https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check, accessed 10 August 2013]. 2. Business opportunities An investigation into a possible business always begins by analysis various opportunities. Therefore all the sources relating to an opportunity should be studied and analysed, and the process should also be done on a systematic and regular basis [Murthy, C.S.V. (2010): Small Scale Industries and Entrepreneurial Development, Global Media, (Mumbai, IND), p 43]. The tutoring service is not something novel in idea; however, the aim of the company is to provide the service at a reasonable cost. According to Lesonsky (2001), it is not necessary (for most start-up companies) to come up with a new and unique idea. A new business can venture into an existing industry, planning on how it can improve on the existing practices and how it can differ from its competition [Lesonsky, R. (2001): Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 24]. The partners in this regard have agreed on an opportunity that they feel they can make the most use of by becoming the affordable solution to tutoring needs. 2.1. The driving forces 2.1.1. Experience As Amar Bhide looked into the private ventures in America, he discovered that new ventures in the country were usually problems that the founders of such companies faced themselves and were looking at solving those problems. 71% of these â€Å"domain experts† were actually people who approached an existing problem differently in their area of business, whilst 20% used their serendipitous ideas in their new business ventures [Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 73]. The 3 tutors have all come from Bangladesh, where they already had experience of being taught by a private tutor and being a tutor themselves. They have all felt that for some of the ‘trickier’ subjects, such as higher mathematics (Binominal Equations, Matrices, Calculus, Statics and Dynamics etc.), Physics and Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry and various other subjects required that the students have a special understanding outside the realms of a classroom environment. However it was not really a business plan until recently, when they realised that there is a growing demand for such personal tutoring in the UK as well. As mentioned by Pinson and Jinnett (2006), an entrepreneur can look into his or her interests and volunteer experience for an idea of a business. They also added that capability is important in regards of a new business, and any specialised skills that can complement [Pinson, L. and Jinnett, J. (2006): Steps to Small Business Start-Up: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Idea Into a Successful Business, Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company, Chicago, IL, USA, p 2-3]. The partners realised that their experience in being both students and private tutors can come in handy for the new business setup. Therefore they agreed to come up with this new business venture. 2.1.2. A rising market The market of private tutoring is now experiencing a surprising growth in the UK. According to a recent news report by the BBC [Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013], A pilot study found out that many parents in the UK nowadays rely on the service of private tutors to increase the chance of their children of securing a place in a grammar school. As the poll suggests, around 72% of the 212 first year grammar school students surveyed had undergone private tutoring for entrance exams during their final years in primary schools. Of this 72%, 5% received private tutoring as part of a small group, whilst 67% of the grammar school students subscribed to a one-to-one form of private tutoring. Around 78% of these students believed that private tutoring was helpful for them in the enhancement of their performance in the entrance exam. Prof Judy Ireson mentioned that some of the parents perceive that this process of private tutoring is rational as it can help their children to â€Å"perform well in the entrance exams for schools of their choice† [Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013]. In a news report in 2009, Guardian stated that 45% of students based in London has had a private tutor. The percentage is now increasing, and according to TES, around 25% of all students between 11-18 years of age have all received some form of private tutoring, specifically in mathematics [Dyer, A. (24 July 2013): Private Tuition Is on the Rise, Should the Industry Be Regulated? HUFFPOST STUDENTS United Kingdom, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-dyer/private-tuition-regulation_b_3643876.html, accessed 8th August 2013]. 2.1.3. Better return on investment possibility Private tutoring is pretty common in more affluent households. There are few London based tutoring firms that hire graduates from Oxford and Cambridge, who sometimes charge a hefty amount of  £70 –  £100 for a one hour session, just for the preparation of entrance exams. There are also reports that suggest that parents on average incomes are also subscribing to the service of private tutors, as mentioned by the private tutoring chain Explore Learning [Aug 17th 2013: Private tuition Premium economy, The Economist (British Edition), http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21583707-private-education-becoming-more-egalitarian-premium-economy, accessed 20th of August, 2013]. 2.2. Potential Customer The tutors for the company are all qualified as graduates. However, given the scenario as depicted in the news reports above, the tutors have decided not to teach, as of now, any higher than GCSE level. The target market in this regard can be broadly classified into 3 segments: Pre-Entrance students: Students who want to prepare for entrance for a grammar school of their choice fall into this category. The subjects that would be taught in this regard include Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning. English has been excluded due to the non-native status of the tutors. 13+ students: Students in this target student can receive tutoring in Science, Mathematics and Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. GCSE students: for the GCSE students, the subjects that will be covered will include Business Studies and Accounting, Science, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. 2.3. Competition Tutors are generally people who have specific expertise and little extra time. A significant amount of competitors are mainly one-to-one private tutors that advertise on various online websites, such as Gumtree [http://www.gumtree.com/other-tuition-lesson-services/london/private+tutor, accessed 09 August, 2013]. With the growing number of tutoring agencies with a physical establishment and a strong online presence, the competition in the private tutoring market is varied and intense. According to a directory website of East London, the average rate per hour as charged ranges from  £15 to  £20 per hour [http://www.hometutorsdirectory.co.uk/EastLondonTutors.html, accessed 09 August, 2013]. 3. Marketing plan and Strategy The difference between a rapidly growing company and a slowly growing or declining company operating in the same target market is in the effective marketing of the former. As an example, companies such as Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and Gillette have all succeeded in their respective market because of the fact that they were able to market better than their competitors. Therefore to grow a business, it is essential to become an effective marketer, promoter and advertiser as well [Henricks, M. (2001): Grow Your Business, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 152]. The marketing plan in this regard includes the construction of a successful strategy for the target. Burk and Lehman (2004) define strategy as a plan of action that has been designed purposely towards a goal or a set of goals. The components of a good strategy should include an assessment of the state of the business at the time of formulating the strategy, identification of the goals to be achieved, and the processes adopted to reach the goal and to consider the problems in the process [Burk, J. and Lehman, R. (2004): Financing Your Small Business, Sphinx Publishing, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, IL, USA, p 21]. 3.1. Initial essentials This is a start-up business; therefore an analysis of present performance of the business cannot be done. There are however a few essentials that has been agreed upon before the business can be started. These essentials include: 3.1.1. DBS checks The DBS checks of the 3 person involved will be done via Disclosure Scotland, and will cost  £25 for each person involved [Disclosure Scotland: Apply online for Basic Disclosure: Cost, http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply-online/#cost, accessed 10 August 2013]. 3.1.2. Registration and licensing The Company name would be registered and would aim for a certified certificate by filling up an IN01 form and that would cost  £20 [http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/registerNewComp.shtml, Accessed 19 August, 2013]. The company would also apply for a limited partnership by filling up an LP5 form [LP5 form, LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ACT 1907: Application for Registration of a Limited Partnership (In accordance with section 8 of the Limited Partnerships Act 1907), http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/forms/generalForms/LP5_Application_for_Registration_of_a_Limited_Partnership_and_Statement_of_particulars_and_of_the.pdf], and the cost in this regard is also  £20. 3.1.3. Company Address For the time being, the company will be registered against the residential address of Meer Hossain as the nominated / general partner of the firm. 3.2. Objectives of the Business The goals of the business have already been discussed in the short description of the business. However, in this section, the goals would be further broken down in what is known as SMART objectives. SMART is an acronym that is commonly used for determining objectives of a business. SMART objectives are objectives that are â€Å"Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound,† or SMART [Martin, V. (2006): Managing Projects in Human Resources, Training and Development, Kogan Page Ltd., London, GBR, p 11]. Based on the goals of the organisation, the objectives set for the company therefore are as follows: 1. To have an overall average revenue of  £5,000 per month at the end of 1st year. 2. To increase the revenue to  £10,000 at the end of year 2. 3. To employ at least 2 local (UK academic qualification) graduate students before the end of year 2. 4. To create an interactive website at the end of year 2 for potential and existing customers. The objectives here specified are mostly related to the expected future performance of the business. 3.3. The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) It is important for a company to come up with a USP for its products or services to stand out from the competition. USP has been defined by Rosse Reeves (1961) as a proposition that communicates to the customers about a unique benefit that can be acquired from a product or service and the benefit needs to have enough power to account for considerable revenue [Reeves, R. (1961): Reality in Advertising, Knopf, New York, NY, USA]. USP was considered to be advertising imperative for any brand building exercise. This company will promote tutoring at a reasonable cost. The USP of this company is therefore affordable education for aspiring students. It is evident that although the target customers are students, the USP will be aimed at parents who would pay for the service and therefore would see the benefit in this process 3.4. Pricing After looking at various figures in the market, the pricing that has been set for various students are as follows: For Entrance Exam preparation:  £15 per session of 1 and half hour. For 13+ tutoring:  £15 per session of 1 and half hour. For GCSE preparation:  £20 per session of 1 and half hour. The pricing has been agreed upon based on the market in East London, and the quoted price above offers more for the money as spent in the existing market of Private tutoring. 3.5. Promotion and Advertising The company would be promoted via 2 major media: The internet and word of mouth. The former can also be termed as Social Media Marketing, and will rely mainly on a Facebook page. There would also be Sales promotion, therefore inserting a bit of incentive for the beginners and encouraging bulk purchase for the company. 3.5.1. Word of Mouth As it has been mentioned before, the partners of the company has each conducted (unstructured) data collection in areas in the Tower Hamlets Borough in an attempt to assess the need of a tutoring service. These surveys were conducted among people that they personally knew. This is where the word of mouth process comes in. Word of mouth is considered to be the most effective method in making the process of decision easier and also in accelerating the decision process of potential customers [Silverman, G. (2001): Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Trigger Exponential Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth, AMACOM Books, New York, NY, USA, p 21]. Word of mouth advertising is done by satisfied customers, friends and normally close relatives, but satisfied customers are the most desired in the mix. Each of the partners started private tutoring in the process of helping out a friend or a family member, and that would also be the starting point for this company. The partners would start by tutoring children of the parents they have conducted a survey on, and that would ensure that the process of word of mouth gets started. They would ask these parents to refer them to others, as well as refer any struggling student to them. 3.5.2. Sales Promotion Sales promotion will also be adopted by the company, whereby the target customers would be given an incentive outside the scope of advertising [Hundekar, S.G., Appannaiah, H.R. and Reddy, P.N. (2010): Principles of Marketing, Global Media, Mumbai, IND, p 103]. In this case, the potential customers will be offered to take advantage of bulk purchases, therefore they can buy 5 sessions for the price of 4. The sales promotion would also inspire customers to create a small group of students at their homes for studying, thus reducing the cost per head in the process.. 3.5.3. Social media marketing In this day and age of Facebook, Twitter, Buzzfeed, LinkedIn and various other social media networks, it has become easier to setup a platform that is virtually free and tremendously interactive. The act of posting and creating various contents online creates a ‘circle’ of like minded individuals that interact with each other [Agresta, S., Bough, B. B. and Miletsky, J. I. (2010): Perspectives on Social Media Marketing, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA, p 2, p 36]. Social media have now become an important sector on its own right is considered vital for influencing behaviour of consumers [Assenov, I. (2012): Social Media Marketing and the Hospitality Industry: Evidence from Thailand. 6-7 Sept]. The participants in social media interaction becomes part of the cycle of social feedback, as demonstrated in the figure below. The Cycle also illustrates how social media can influence a market [Evans, D (2010): Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement, Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA]. [pic] Figure 1: Social Feedback Cycle (Source: Evans. D, 2010) Amongst the existing set of Social Media Network, Facebook is considered to have the highest reach. As of 2011, Facebook had more than 500 million users worldwide [Weintraub, M. (2011): Killer Facebook Ads: Master Cutting-Edge Facebook Advertising Techniques (2nd Edition), Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA, p 2]. The number of Facebook users is ever increasing. Facebook also has the capability to be personal and professional. It can be used to promote a venture as well as to connect with close ones and friends [Adler, L. and Sillars, R. (2010): Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA]. The partners have decided to open up a Facebook page under the name of the company. The page would act not only as a promotional tool, but it would also act as a platform for feedback from existing students, as they will be able to post various of their queries on a session they have already undergone. The page would also include useful links, videos and study materials relating to the sessions. 4. Operations and Processes 4.1. Background of the owners / employees 1. Shirin Akhter: She is currently doing her MBA with a reputed institute in the UK. He is from a Bangladeshi descent, and has been an experienced private tutor for some time in Bangladesh. Her areas of expertise include Business Studies, Mathematics and Chemistry. 2. Meer Hossain: An ex-engineer in the marine industry, Mr. Meer Hossain has in depth academic knowledge of Applied Physics and Electronics. Like his partner, He also was a house tutor in Bangladesh for a considerable period of time before he moved out to Russia, eventually coming to the UK. He works as a trainer in a retail setting, and therefore is also adept in communicating in the most culturally relevant manner. His are of expertise include Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry. 3. Faisal Iftikhar: Alumni of one of the top business schools in Asia, Faisal Ifitkhar is currently working in the retail industry as a trainer and a customer service assistant. He is adept in creative writing, and recent interests into Physics have increased his understanding of the subject. He has the experience of teaching in a classroom environment as well as a one to one private tutor. His Area of Expertise include Mathematics, Business Studies and Accounting. All of these individuals have one thing in common: they are all good at assessing the needs of the individual and customise their process of teaching accordingly. The partners have also decided to hold weekly meetings that would discuss the problem areas of their own students and work out the best solutions, so that the individual is catered for in a more effective process. 4.2. Personnel plan The company plan to improve their capability and try to reach the undergraduate market by the end of Year 2. It also plans to employ more tutors at the beginning of Year 2. However, the requirement of extra tutors depends on the capacity and the willingness of the existing teachers. There would be a training plan devised for any prospective teacher who is being hired. The training plan would involve the following few processes: 1. Training on the Job: The trainer that has been recruited will be asked to accompany the existing tutors and learn how tutoring is done. This would give them a practical sense of what is involved in the process of teaching. 2. Personal assessment on the skills: Although a tutor will be hired based on a respectable academic record, they would still need to be assessed by the company, and trained if necessary on areas where there is room for improvement. 3. Feedback and group communication: The new tutor will be included in the weekly meetings that discuss specific problems relating to specific students. The discussion would not only assist in learning various ‘tricks of the trade’, but the employee will be able to put in his or her feedback and thus add value to the company. 4.3. Dealing with the start up Martin and Crisp (1992) have described that the initial few months of a business are usually the most expensive ones, and a successful business must have enough to keep it going for several months [Martin, C. L. And Crisp, M. G. (Editor) (1992): Starting Your New Business: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Menlo Park, CA, USA, p 12]. This has been considered by the partners. They have all decided that would continue to work in their present workplace, but with reduced hours, and therefore any additional cost relating to the company would be reimbursed by the partners of the company. The input in this regard would count as investment, and therefore the profit would be shared accordingly, at the end of they 1st year, in proportionate to individual investment. 4.4. The process of value creation More and more companies are now becoming socially responsible. It is not enough that a company is profitable, but it is important that a company adds value to the society. Social Entrepreneurs are therefore considered to be the new wave of entrepreneurs. In terms of creating value, the distinction can be made between those who are social entrepreneurs and those who are commercial entrepreneurs. According to Volkmann, Tokarski and Ernst (2012), Commercial entrepreneurs are more focused on value appropriation, whilst the social entrepreneurs are focused on value creation [Volkmann, C. K., Tokarski, K. O. and Ernst, K. (2012): Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business: An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies, Springer Gabler, p 106]. The company in this regard can be termed as a mixture of both. The obvious value is that of a commercial nature, the business is going to be involved in a profit oriented service industry. However, due to the nature of the service provided, it can be said that the company will also add value as it becomes part of the educational system in the country. 4.5. Diversity management The company aims at tutoring students who are based in the East London Area. East London has a lot of Bangladeshi people, which is therefore culturally and linguistically easier for the owners to relate to. Keeping that in mind, the company is to consider that fact that to be the top of all tutoring agencies, it would need to be able to deal with a diverse group of students coming from a diverse group of ethnicity. Therefore a certain level of Cultural Intelligence or CQ is expected from the tutors. According to Ang & Dyne (2008), CQ or cultural intelligence is the capability of a person to function in various cultural settings [Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L. (Editor) (2008): Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., Armonk, NY, USA]. The partners, working and living in UK for a considerable period of time, has exhibited CQ towards their co-workers, managers and employees. That learning will be incorporated as the company starts to serve in different cultural settings. The hiring process as explained would also consider in these facts, and preference would be given to someone from a different cultural background than that of the owners. 4.6. Services offered The target market has been identified and classified in preceding sections of this proposal. In this section the services are classified and explained in terms of what kind of tutoring services can be provided among the target consumers. 4.6.1. One to one tuition One to one tuition would obviously be the most common one in this regard. The teacher will travel to the student’s residence and teach him or her on an individual basis. 4.6.2. Group session Not only is group session more cost effective, it is also more effective in terms of learning. A group session enables the students to interact and communicate with each other and thus creates a better understanding of the subject matter. Group sessions would therefore be especially encouraged for the students. 4.6.3. GCSE revision courses As the GCSE exams approach the students, this service would enable the students to get help with the following: †¢ Preparing for the exam †¢ Learning various exam techniques †¢ Guidance for coursework This would also include appraisal services for dissertation and for coursework. 4.6.4. Online services Based mainly on social media feedback, this service would actually use the online platform for feedback and queries from the students and deal with the queries promptly. 4.7. Future operations These services will be part of the start up business, and the company has plans to add more services as the company improves. By the end of year2, the company plans to serve Undergraduate students, and has plans to include distance learning, whereby the internet will be used for group session via video conferencing. 5. Technological consideration There is no denying the impact internet has on the present business scenario. It is considered as one of the â€Å"greatest disruptive technology to hit the world since electricity.† GE chairman Jack F. Welch (1999) said that the internet â€Å"was the single most important event in the U.S. economy since the Industrial Revolution† [Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 45]. The technological consideration in this regard is mainly the maximum usage of the internet, especially via Facebook. A Facebook Page will be created for the students and the parents. The Facebook page will include the following: 1. Discussion (Generated by the App ‘Forums’): It is important that students discuss various problems they face with specific subject areas. 2. Videos: various useful hints and tips would be uploaded from the tutors, discussing very specific methods and processes of overcoming various problems regarding subjects. 3. Photos: Photos will include the success of various students who have subscribed to the service of the company, as well as various other related photos, and, true to the internet generation, various ‘Meme’s will also be uploaded to maintain a lighter side of studying. 4. Docs: this is more appropriate for a group rather than a page. The docs section will include various useful hints and tips, shortcuts, and various other methods and processes that are categorised in a coherent order for existing sets of students. However, a Page on Facebook is more public, whereas the privacy of a group can be controlled. Therefore most of the materials will become part of a Facebook group, enabling fee paying students to get the most out of social media. 5.1 Future online plans 5.1.1. Website Many renowned Tutor services, as well as companies, have their own websites. Although there is a cost consideration in a website, the flexibility that can be offered on a website would outweigh the comparatively minimal cost. The website would mainly have the option to pay / register online, therefore making it easier on future customers. 5.1.2. Distance learning via video conferencing There are numerous softwares, apps and programmes that allow for video conferencing for virtually no cost. The only cost consideration in this regard therefore is the initial setup, which would buying a business internet connection for the company, a physical facility to set the computers, and of course, computers that will be used for video conferencing. Video conferencing would thus increase the reach and decrease the cost of travelling. 5.2 Communication To ensure cost minimisation, the partners will make use of their existing mobile phones for various forms of communication. However, there are plans to subscribe pay-as-you-go phone services to deal with future communication, if frequency of calls increase, and also if the cost becomes more than the number of calls the partners can afford. The company expects to include pay-as-you-go phones in the 2nd half of the year. 6. Financial Consideration There is little start-up cost involved in the business. Investment would come mainly from the partners themselves. However, there are future cost and investment considerations in this business that have been mentioned, however, the estimation is based on the projection of increase in business. 6.1. Estimated initial / fixed costs The total cost for the start-up is  £115 in total. There are also costs of travelling, which comes at  £96.80 per month for each tutor (based on a zone 2-4 rate in a travel card). The travelling cost might increase if the target audience lives in zone 1 (which includes Aldgate and Liverpool Street) or is outside zone 4 in East London. These costs will be accounted and paid for from the revenue of the individual tutors. The tutors in this regard might come up with a travel allowance to adjust for the salary of the employee. Adjusting the total cost of travelling to 3,500 for the year (rounded from  £3484.80 annually for the company based on zone 2-4 travelling only), the total cost comes as follows: [pic] Figure 2: Estimated (fixed) Cost for Year 1 |Total Cost for Year 1 | |Travel cost |3,500 | |Start up cost |115 | |Total Cost |3,615 | 6.2. Other Costs There are other costs that might occur, which can be termed as variable costs, though not in its strictest terms of production cost per unit. As far as the plans are concerned, if the company needs to buy pay-as-you-go connections, internet connection, a facility and a video conference setup, additional costs will occur. As an example, if the company is able to rent a space in East London for the aforementioned purposes, the cost would be as follows: Rent / month:  £1,000 –  £2,000 (depending on the facility and the area) Internet payment / month:  £16 (BT Business Broadband) [Latest Bt Business Deals: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/providers/bt_business/?bb=1&gclid=CJ2ZrMW3m7kCFZPItAodcAIAPQ#content, accessed 19 August 2013] 3 pay-as-you-go phones:  £20 x 3 =  £60 per month (O2 pay and go-go-go service) [O2 Pay and Go Go Go: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/, accessed 19 August 2013] 3 laptops (with webcams and microphones): Average market price  £320*3 =  £960 [http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html, accessed 19 August 2013]. 6.3. Expected Revenue In terms of the projection of the revenue expected in the future, the company has gone for a conservative approach. The demand for tutors only from private contacts is deemed enough to reach a monthly target of  £5,000. Therefore it does not account for any new students that will be make use of the service in the future. However, the 2nd year projection can be termed as optimistic, as the assumption is that the business will actually grow and will be able to generate double the revenue. The revenues, as expected from the operations, are as follows: [pic] Figure: Expected Revenue for Years 1 and 2 | |Average income / month | | |Year 1 |Year 2 | |Entrance students |2500 |3,500 | |13+ |1500 |3,500 | |GCSE |1000 |3,000 | References 1. Smith, H. (2012): Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days, Wiley, Milton, QLD, AUS, p 2 2. Murthy, C.S.V. (2010): Small Scale Industries and Entrepreneurial Development, Global Media, (Mumbai, IND), p 43 3. Lesonsky, R. (2001): Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 24 4. Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 73. 5. Pinson, L. and Jinnett, J. (2006): Steps to Small Business Start-Up: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Idea Into a Successful Business, Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company, Chicago, IL, USA, p 2-3. 6. Henricks, M. (2001): Grow Your Business, Entrepreneur Press, Irvine, CA, USA, p 152. 7. Burk, J. and Lehman, R. (2004): Financing Your Small Business, Sphinx Publishing, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., Naperville, IL, USA, p 21. 8. Martin, V. (2006): Managing Projects in Human Resources, Training and Development, Kogan Page Ltd., London, GBR, p 11. 9. Reeves, R. (1961): Reality in Advertising, Knopf, New York, NY, USA 10. Silverman, G. (2001): Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Trigger Exponential Sales Through Runaway Word of Mouth, AMACOM Books, New York, NY, USA, p 21. 11. Hundekar, S.G., Appannaiah, H.R. and Reddy, P.N. (2010): Principles of Marketing, Global Media, Mumbai, IND, p 103 12. Agresta, S., Bough, B. B. and Miletsky, J. I. (2010): Perspectives on Social Media Marketing, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA, p 2, p 36. 13. Assenov, I. (2012): Social Media Marketing and the Hospitality Industry: Evidence from Thailand. 6-7 Sept 14. Evans, D (2010): Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement, Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA 15. Weintraub, M. (2011): Killer Facebook Ads: Master Cutting-Edge Facebook Advertising Techniques (2nd Edition), Sybex, Hoboken, NJ, USA, p 2. 16. Adler, L. and Sillars, R. (2010): Linked Photographers’ Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA 17. Martin, C. L. And Crisp, M. G. (Editor) (1992): Starting Your New Business: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Course Technology / Cengage Learning, Menlo Park, CA, USA, p 12. 18. Volkmann, C. K., Tokarski, K. O. and Ernst, K. (2012): Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business: An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies, Springer Gabler, p 106 19. Ang, S. and Van Dyne, L. (Editor) (2008): Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., Armonk, NY, USA 20. Price, R. W. (2004): Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, AMACOM Books, Saranac Lake, NY, USA, p 45. 21. Limited Partnership – GPO2, http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/gbhtml/gpo2.shtml, accessed 10 August 2013 22. Set up a business partnership, https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business-partnership, accessed 10 August 2013 23. Fagg, H. (January 19th, 2013): New Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): What it means for private tutors, http://www.thetutorblog.com/tag/crb/, accessed 10 August 2013 24. Guide: Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks), https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check, accessed 10 August 2013 25. Burns, J. (2 August 2013): Private tutors boost grammar chances, suggests survey, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-23547666, accessed 7th of August, 2013 26. Dyer, A. (24 July 2013): Private Tuition Is on the Rise, Should the Industry Be Regulated? HUFFPOST STUDENTS United Kingdom, http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-dyer/private-tuition-regulation_b_3643876.html, accessed 8th August 2013 27. Aug 17th 2013: Private tuition Premium economy, The Economist (British Edition), http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21583707-private-education-becoming-more-egalitarian-premium-economy, accessed 20th of August, 2013 28. http://www.gumtree.com/other-tuition-lesson-services/london/private+tutor, accessed 09 August, 2013 29. http://www.hometutorsdirectory.co.uk/EastLondonTutors.html, accessed 09 August, 2013. 30. Disclosure Scotland: Apply online for Basic Disclosure: Cost, http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply-online/#cost, accessed 10 August 2013 31. http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/registerNewComp.shtml, Accessed 19 August, 2013 32. LP5 form, LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS ACT 1907: Application for Registration of a Limited Partnership (In accordance with section 8 of the Limited Partnerships Act 1907), http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/forms/generalForms/LP5_Application_for_Registration_of_a_Limited_Partnership_and_Statement_of_particulars_and_of_the.pdf, accessed 19 August 2013 33. Latest Bt Business Deals: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/providers/bt_business/?bb=1&gclid=CJ2ZrMW3m7kCFZPItAodcAIAPQ#content, accessed 19 August 2013 34. O2 Pay and Go Go Go: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/, accessed 19 August 2013 35. http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops-315-c.html, accessed 19 August 2013 Appendix Table 1: Expected Revenue, Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec | |Entrance Exam | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £6,500 | £4,500 |0 |0 |0 | |13+ | £1,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 | £1,500 |0 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £1,000 | |GCSE | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £1,500 |0 |0 |0 | £500 | £500 | |Total Revenue | £3,500 | £3,500 | £4,500 | £5,500 | £7,000 | £10,000 | £9,000 | £6,500 | £5,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £1,500 | | Table 2: Teachers’ Payment, Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec | |Shirin | £800 | £800 | £1200 | £1200 | £2000 | £2400 | £2400 | £1600 | £1440 | £400 | £480 | £400 | |Meer | £1200 | £1200 | £1200 | £1600 | £2000 | £2800 | £2400 | £1600 | £1520 | £400 | £560 | £400 | |Faisal | £800 | £800 | £1200 | £1600 | £1600 | £2800 | £2400 | £2000 | £1440 | £400 | £560 | £400 | |Total Payroll | £2,800 | £2,800 | £3,600 | £4,400 | £5,600 | £8,000 | £7,200 | £5,200 | £4,400 | £1,200 | £1,600 | £1,200 | | Table 3: Profit and Loss (Before Taxes), Year 1 |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Aug |Sep |Oct |Nov |Dec |Total | |Revenue | £3,500 | £3,500 | £4,500 | £5,500 | £7,000 | £10,000 | £9,000 | £6,500 | £5,500 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £1,500 | £60,000 | |Fixed Cost | £3615 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 | £3,615 | |Variable Costs | £35 | £35 | £45 | £55 | £70 | £100 | £90 | £65 | £55 | £15 | £20 | £15 | £600 | |Teacher’s payment | £2,800 | £2,800 | £3,600 | £4,400 | £5,600 | £8,000 | £7,200 | £5,200 | £4,400 | £1,200 | £1,600 | £1,200 | £48,000 | |Total Cost | £6,450 |2835 | £3,645 |4455 | £5,670 |8100 | £7,290 |5265 | £4,455 |1215 | £1,620 |1215 | £52,215 | |Total Profit |- £2,950 |665 | £855 |1045 | £1,330 |1900 | £1,710 |1235 | £1,045 |285 | £380 |285 | £7,785 | |Note: Variable costs are determined as 1% of the expected revenue; assumption includes additional cost of travelling (Zone 1).