The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners

Identifying the Problem Area Importance of effective writing skills is enormous with regard to the existing academic and professional standards. During the peer-tutoring sessions, students are often challenged by the professors’ instructions and, therefore, they need additional assistance to cope with writing assignments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers: The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is of particular concern to ESL students who often face a dilemma of proofreading because of lack of qualified proofreading services on campus. However, the point is that most of students are not fully aware of the necessity to check their papers for grammar and spelling before submitting them to their professors. What is more frustrating is that the current writing centers for second langua ge learners fail to provide sufficient services for them, except for the expensive ones. Judging from the above-presented assumptions, two major problems come to the forth: What are the main reasons for students’ unawareness of the need to proofread their papers before submissions? What does the University fail to provide high quality proofreading services for ESL students? With this in mind, it is necessary to explore the main causes and origins of the problem, as well as define who these urgent issues can be addressed through an action research plan. Significance of the Problem The problem of disservice writing policies, as well as students’ reluctance to address professional assistance has recently become much more serious. Many ESL learners fail to meet with their supervisors merely because they are not able to communicate effectively, as well as understand what actually a professor want them to do. Therefore, students studying the English language as their secon d one often come to the writing center for not just writing assistance, but for the purpose of improving their communicational skills (Pistone, 2010). However, lack of sufficient communication skills might become a serious problem because it also influences the frequency of students’ attendance to the proofreading centers. Aside from the communication difficulties, ESL students can face significant writing problems that need especial intervention. The point is that writing skills cannot be underestimated because they demonstrate students’ learning abilities (Tan, n. d.). Therefore, students having poor writing level have greater changes to fail their academic exams. The problem area is of especially significance because it provides significant barriers for the ESL students and contributes negatively to the problem of international learning. The problem is also closely associated with cultural diversity issues which are often ignored by professors. Thus, students studyi ng the second language do not consider proofreading service as a viable solution to the problem because independent learning is highly appreciated in some countries.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rationale for the Research Regarding the problem of second language learning and the consequences of disservice writing centers, it is imperative to provide a deeper analysis of reasons for students’ reluctance and unawareness of attending writing centers, as well as underpinnings for re-evaluating the existing functions and use of proofreading services. Looking the problem through the prism of innovative approaches to proofreading, as well as existing writing centers ensuring effective support and assistance to students, the research action plan should be introduced to take the corresponding measures to improve the current situation. Theoretical Implications for the Action Research Lack of highly qualified proofreading services, as well as students’ reluctance to address such services, provides a solid ground for researching the standards and main strategies applied by leading writing centers. It will help to define how ESL students can improve their writing skills. There is also a necessity to explore the reasons for students’ ignorance of the importance of addressing tutors at the writing centers to compare the findings with the results obtained from questionnaire. Finally, it is also purposeful to focus on the existing strategies and approaches to assisting foreign learners in advancing their writing skills. According to the studies performed by Tan (n. d.), few universities in Asian countries can provide sufficient writing services for ESL students. What is more problematic is that these services are often provided under the support of broader services, such as learning or self-access centers. As a result, lack of writing and support centers does not contribute to recognizing the fact that many students have serious problems with the written assignments. Despite the identified shortage, some universities still manage to introduce innovation in the sphere of proofreading. For instance, the Baptist College in Hong Kong has created the Writing Enhancement Service because teacher became more aware of their students having problems with writing (Tan, n. d.). In this respect, they developed an effective system addressing various aspects of writing, as well as assisting students in exploring drawbacks in their writing. In the studies provided by Gupta Woldemarian (n. d.), it is also possible to track the interdependency of writing skills and degree of motivation to improve them. Because students are often triggered by the necessity to meet the academic writing standards, such aspects as attitude and motivation are always under the question. In this respect, these factors enable to differentiate because students with low and h igh achievement.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers: The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because motivation and attitude are emotional composites of emotional cognition, they identify students’ reluctance or aspiration either to attend or to skip proofreading services. Similar to Gupta Woldemarian (n. d.), Ma (2011) refers to the role of perception and attitude in achieving high academic results. Specifically, the scholar points out that sometimes, students and teachers’ perceptions of academic objectives differ significantly, which leads to misconception and bias. As a result, students are often discouraged to present properly written assignments and understand the actual purpose of advancing their writing skills. Because students do not fully realize the importance of the w riting skills, it is logical that they do not realize the importance of attending writing centers. The dependency between teachers’ strategies and learners’ attention has also been studied by Torki (n. d.) who has managed to explore compatibility between these two aspects. Investigating those aspects within a context of vocabulary class, the research relies on the two variables, â€Å"frequency and order of occurrence of lexical items in classroom discourse† (Torki, n. d. p. 336). The findings have revealed that some of the teachers’ assumptions concerning the learning strategies have been false, including frequency of occurrence. Overall, the given theoretical implications creates a sufficient ground for conducting a survey that seeks to define the actual reasons and percentage of students attending writing centers and the ones considering it a mere waste of time. Moreover, the given action research should define the new strategies for existing writing c enters and proofreading services. Methodology Data Collection In order to answer the research questions and solve the research problems, a survey was conducted among 100 students on campus. The survey questions aim to define students’ attitude to writing services, as well as their awareness of the importance of attending proofreading services before submission. The sample population was chosen out of 3000 students. The participants composed of different nationalities, religions, and beliefs. Gender characteristic have not been considered because it provides no importance for answering the research question. While collecting data about the participants, I encountered several challenges. First, some students rejected to participate because they did not actually understand the purpose of research, though the scope was sufficiently explained. Second, the participants had difficulties while answering specific questions that related to their personal attitudes and beliefs. The data collection was composed of two stages. The first one involved e-mailing all students on campus about the survey and the second one was the survey itself. The invitation letter contained a brief characteristic of the research problem and a detailed analysis of an action research project. Out of 3000, about 230 reacted to the letter. However, the survey was completed by 100 participants because not all students were able to answer the questions.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The questionnaire prepared for the survey was composed with regard to such topics as frequency of attending writing centers, reasons for using services, students’ attitude of importance of using proofreading services, awareness and perception of teachers’ obligations and practical approaches. All the thematic nodes sought to find out the reasons of disservice of proofreading polices, as well as students’ perception of their contribution to the learning process. In addition, students have been chosen from different classes and departments and, therefore, these facts will not be included as a variable for the given action research project. Data Analysis While analyzing the answers, several topic areas were covered in the questionnaire (See Appendix 1). Among the respondents, 52% participants attended the writing centers and most of them (36 %) visited the center only once. The rest of the respondents did not use the proofreading services because the majority of th em (60 %) did not have enough time. Despite low frequency of attendance, approximately 50 % of the respondents believe that the writing centers providing a wide range of services (writing tutorials, writing practice materials, proofreading assistance, and creative writing practice) are indispensible for a successful academic progress. Hence, a controversy emerges concerning students’ frequency of attendance and their actual needs. Regarding these controversies, the focus should be made on re-evaluation of the existing services provided by the writing centers. First, the responses indicate that tutors fail to consider students’ needs and objectives because they do not fully recognize the problem with writing. Second, though the existing on campus agency provide sufficient writing and proofreading services, teacher fail to ensure students with the corresponding support and assistance. What is more important is that these agencies fail to invite students and persuade thos e that proofreading process is as important as the writing one. The second part of a survey was focused on the analysis of teachers’ role in assisting and counseling students. Thus, almost two third of respondents (62 %) confirmed that they are not in need of a person that would check their paper before submission. The remaining third (38 %) of students recognized the necessity of introducing intermediate for checking their writing. However, among these 38 % of students refer to mostly either to family members or friend for checking a paper. Out of those people, only 24 % rely on teacher’s authority. As per 62 %, these groups of students explain their reluctance to involve a third person by unavailability of professionals (47 %), insignificance of the checking (30 %), and time shortage (21 %), 2 % of the respondents do not even consider that checking is really important. These results were supported by students’ opinion about the importance and usefulness of the proofreading services. Finally, the results of the survey provided information about the expensiveness of the proofreading services because only 17 % of respondents afforded to pay for them. Overall, the given survey results have proved the idea that the writing centers on campus do not provide enough support. They also fail to attract students to address such agencies because the majority of students have not applied to them yet. Finally, students’ perception of tutors help is insignificant because they do not recognize the role of counseling in advancing their writing skills. At the same time, they believe that writing tutorials and creative approaches should still be used. A Plan of Action To explore the reasons and define the solutions that should be introduced, it is necessary to introduce changes to the current situation. The solutions will be focused on improving the quality of tutors’ assistance, as well as making students being more aware of the importance of addressing the writing centers. With regard to the above, the plan will focus on introducing the following changes: Introducing new tutor strategies for creating new writing centers on campus will be possible through a care-centered approach (Piston, 2010); Reconsidering professor’s instructions to the written assignments through instructional interventions (Enos, 2010); Recognizing the difficulties that students experience while performing a written assignment (Tan, n. d.); Introducing a person-oriented approach to assessing ESL student writing skills; Creating separate classes of ESL students having difficulties with proofreading (Ernest, Johnson, Kelly-Riley, 2011); Introducing new steps to understanding written assignment. Regarding the first solution, it is purposeful to introduce a care giving approach for a student. Under these circumstances, the personnel of the writing centers should undergo special training to meet the concepts and requirement of a new learning technique. To be more precise, â€Å"†¦the caring tutoring approach when the tutor does not mindlessly berate the tutee about every sentence in the tutee’s paper and a caring tutor employs constructive criticism† (Piston, 2010, p. 10). Thus, a caring approach will fear a deep comprehension of a tutor, as well as an in-depth analysis of the tutee. Hence, the concept of caring should an ethical obligation for students because tutors should assist students from moral and professional perspectives. In this respect, Piston (2010) talks about mothering roles and increased importance of women in applying this approach. A relation between a tutor and tutee, therefore, should be interpreted as a psychological consultation, which is necessary for recognizing the difficulties and overcoming those in smaller class groups. Aside from innovative approaches introduced in the plan, significant shifts should be presented to the actual academic schedule. In this respect, Enos (2011 ) insists on the idea of instructional interventions to fill in the gaps between students’ writing skills and teachers’ expectations. In this respect, the importance of instructional interventions lies in promoting the level of students’ writing skills, as well as improving the learning outcomes. Judging from these theoretical implications, the practical intervention will be based on the shift in communication, lesson structure, and home assignments allocation. More importantly, the professors will have to introduce cohesive and strict instructions to the home assignment where the proofreading part will be inserted as an obligatory component of academic home assignments. A person-oriented approach is also an integral component of advanced and high-quality proofreading centers, as far as people with culturally diverse backgrounds are concerned. According to Crossman and Kite (2007), there is an evident connection between learning practices and the phenomenon of c ultural diversity. Hence, introducing native speakers to ESL classes will be beneficial for both group because there is a great opportunities for sharing experience and exchanging cultural information. Students from different cultures integrates into proofreading activities can significantly improve their communicational and interpersonal skills. Moreover, a collaborative approach presented at the writing centers can open a wide variety of perspectives for all students. Finally, understanding the scope of written assignments can be widened through creating online writing lab. Existing writing agencies on campus, therefore, should post basic concepts and purposes of writing, among the proofreading process should take one of the most important means of successful and high quality writing. Moreover, integration of online services to Asian university should become possible through interventions made from the North American higher educational establishments (Tan, n. d., p. 390). Embracin g all the above-presented solutions will help re-establish and improve the existing situation with the shortage of proofreading services, as well as disservice of the writing policies. Evaluating Results Regarding the proposed interventions, the improvement should occur in terms of students’ increased awareness of the role of proofreading services in an academic process, as well as advanced quality of writing services provided to students. In this respect, introducing a care giving approach to each student should contribute greatly to changing perceptions and attitudes to word the editing and proofreading process being inherent parts of successful writing. Teaching patterns will also undergo tangible shifts both at the writing centers on campus and in the classrooms. In particular, they should encourage students to engage into different social communities and attract them to address writing agencies for the purpose of improving their communication skills and proofreading skil ls. Moreover, significant attention will be given to difficulties and challenges that students should overcome. In such a manner, the intervention plan will increase the number of ESL students that want to apply to editing and proofreading services before submitting a written assignment to their instructions. The given approach to problem solving provides significant results because total evaluation of an academic curriculum is closely associated with disservice of proofreading services, as well as students’ unawareness of the writing difficulties. However, the intervention plan can be significantly facilitated if the University authorities decide to create community learning services guiding students and helping them cope with writing difficulties. In addition, a combination of survey results (quantitative data) with interviews (qualitative data) would also be beneficial for the given action research project because it could help consider ethical issues (Harwood, Austin, Ma caulay, 2010; Arney Jones, 2006). Specifically, interviews would provide a deeper insight into the students’ perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes concerning the role of proofreading and tutors’ assistance in writing skills acquisition. Conclusion and Recommendations The action research projects have highlighted the importance of introducing tutors’ assistance, as well as specific training materials for ESL students so as to advance the level of their writing skills. In fact, paying greater attention to the concept of writing and proofreading service can increase the quality of students’ achievement, as well as contribute to students’ understanding of using editing and proofreading services being at the core of successful writing. The data analysis has justified the rationale for introducing action plan to the given problem because the majority of ESL students on campus are not fully aware of the value of tutors’ assistance and support. In th is respect, the implementation of a care giving approach and a person-oriented learning can provide significant shifts to the overall educational system. The quantitative data received from survey results constitute sufficient evidence for continuing the research on the problem of proofreading services provided by the writing centers on campus. Implications for future works will be specifically connected with the study of cultural diversity as one of the key indicators that influence ESL learners’ writing skills. Specifically, creating service learning communities and online writing labs that can motivate students to address counselors. With regard to the above-presented conclusions, it is recommended to introduce qualitative data to supply the given research with additional information on the reasons for ignoring professional assistance of peer tutors checking papers before submissions. Financial issues should also be considered while tackling the problem of students’ perception of the writing agencies at the University. References Arney, J., Jones, I. (2006). Uniting Community and University Through Service Learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 69(2), 195-198. Crossman, J. M., Kite, S. L. (2007). Their Perspectives: Esl Students’ Reflections On Collaborative Community Service Learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 70(2), 147-165. Enos, M. F. (2010). Instructional Interventions For Improving Proofreading And Editing Skills Of College Students. Business Communication Quarterly, 73(3), 265-281. Ernest, A., Johnson, P., Kelly-Riley, D. (2011). Assessing Rhetorically: Evidence of Student Progress in Small-Group Writing Tutorials. Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), 16(2), 23-40. Gupta, D., Woldemarian, G. S. (n. d.). The Influence of Motivation and Attitude on Writing Strategy Use of Undergraduate EFL Students: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 34-89. Harwood N., Austin, L., Macaulay, R. (2010 ). Ethics and integrity in proofreading: Findings from an interview-based study. English For Specific Purposes, 2954-67. Ma, A. (2011). Do teachers reap what they sow? — A study of young ESL learners’ perception of what is learned in an English lesson. Asian EFL Journal, 13(3), 184-204. Piston, R. A. (2010). Writing Center Tutors Have the Luxury to Focus on Individual Student Care Giving as Opposed to Formal Classroom Settings that Are Less Care Centered. English Language Teaching. 3(2), 10-12. Tan, B.-H. (n. d.) Innovating Writing Centers and Online Writing Labs outside North America. Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 391-418. Torki, S. (n. d.) What Teachers Want Them to Attend to in EFL Vocabulary Class? Asian EFL Journal. 13(2), 336-361. Appendix 1 ESP Writing Skills Survey – Results Instructions Please circle the correct answer and provide information according to your answer, if requested. Have you ever been to the writing center on campus? YES (48%) or NO (52%) I f YES, on average how many times per semester? Once (36%) Two or three times (42%) Four or five times (24%) More than five times (2%) If NO, why not? No one was available to help the last time I went (7%) It is not necessary (30%) I never have enough time (60%) Other (Please explain _Didnt know about it____ ) (3%) What do you think is the main purpose of a writing center? To provide writing tutorials (27%) To provide writing practice materials (34%) To provide proof-reading assistance (15%) To encourage creative writing (24%) Please rank the importance of the writing services below according to your own personal need. Service Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Writing tutorials 7% 15% 28% 50% Writing practice materials 5% 9% 34% 52% Proof reading assistance 6% 44% 20% 30% Creative writing practice 4% 14% 29% 53% Do you have someone check your work before you submit it to your teacher? YES (38%) or NO (62%) If YES, who c hecks your work? A family member (34%) A friend (43%) A teacher (23%) Other (Please explain ___________________ ) (0%) If NO, why not? No one is available to help (47%) It is not necessary (30%) I never have enough time (21%) Other (Please explain __Never thought of it____ ) (2%) In your opinion, how much would a proof reading service help you to improve your writing skills? Not at all (4%) Slightly (16%) Moderately (56%) Dramatically (24%) Have you ever paid for a proof reading service online? YES (17%) or NO (83%) This essay on The Uses, Functions, and Shortcomings of University Writing Centers: The Disservice or No Proofreading Policies for ES/FL Learners was written and submitted by user Carlos Munoz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour The WritePass Journal

An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour Abstract An Investigation Of Nigerian Consumer’s Online Shopping Behaviour Abstract1. Introduction1.1. E-commerce development in Nigeria1.2. Problem statementResearch objectives1.3. Research structure2.   Literature review3.Methodology3.1.Research approach and strategy3.2.Data collection3.3.Data analysis3.4.  Ã‚  Ethical issues3.5.Research limitations4.ConclusionReferencesAppendix 1Related Abstract This research proposal deals with an investigation of the online shopping behaviour among Nigerians living abroad. It has been established from research that a few Nigerians embrace technology in doing business. The research paper starts with an introduction about the problem statement to be addressed in the research. The objective is to find out the factors that contribute to the unique online shopping behaviour among the Nigerians. The proposal highlights trends to be investigated that are online shopping in Nigeria. Data to be used in the research will be gathered through the use of a questionnaire given at random to 100 respondents. The obtained data will be analyzed based on the scaled factors given for each response by the participants. The representative sample gives the best results because it uses respondents of diverse fields who are in a position to use online shopping systems. The results can be used by any developing country because the online shopping trends for developing countries are the same. 1. Introduction The nature of how individuals do business has changed from time to time due to individual needs and the emerging business technologies. Electronic commerce is one of the recent forms of online shopping that has been adopted by many business individuals in the world. According to Ghosh (1997, p. 1),   â€Å"E-commerce provides consumers the ability to bank, invest, purchase, distribute, communicate, explore, and research from virtually anywhere an Internet connection can be obtained.† Therefore, electronic commerce can be defined as doing business through the internet. This trend of doing business has gained momentum in the global business world because of the increased web advertising (Jackson et al. 2003). This research proposal aims at determining the effect of web advertising on the Nigerian consumer’s online shopping behaviour. 1.1. E-commerce development in Nigeria The basis of electronic commerce depends on the level of technology in a country. Nigeria is a developing country that has experienced improvements in its technological aspect in the recent past with a total population of about 16 % embracing the use of the internet (Internet World Stats, 2009). However, most of the Nigerians have not exploited the full potential of using the internet fully. In addition, the recent advancement of technology has enabled many Nigerians to see the need to embrace technology in doing business. As such, internet usage has started gaining familiarity among the Nigerians. A research by Folorunso et al. (2006, p. 2226) shows that only 32% of Nigerians who had heard about electronic commerce had embraced the technology. This low number of Nigerians using the internet to do business may contribute to the Nigerian online shopping behaviour. 1.2. Problem statement The use of the internet in doing business in Nigeria is slower than other countries in the world. This is contrary to the vital importance provided by the use of the internet in advertising the product. Most of the Nigerians are ignorant about online shopping, but those who embrace the internet do not prefer to do online shopping because they assume products advertised in the internet are either expensive or strange to their traditional culture. This consumer behaviour has reduced efforts of globalization into the Nigerian markets. The question, then, is what should be done about this online consumer behaviour to promote globalization? Research objectives This research is carried out to find out the online shopping behaviour among the Nigerians. The objectives of the study will be: To Investigate the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians Determine whether web advertising has an influence to the online shopping behaviour among Nigerians. To investigate the risks associated with online shopping. 1.3. Research structure This research will start by introducing the problem statement why it is an important study among the Nigerians. This will be followed by outlining the objectives of the study. The existing literature review sets to give the research the basis on which the factors being studied will be based. The methodology section will propose a how the factors can be investigated and why the chosen methods for study are preferred. Lastly the research will highlight the limitations that are likely to affect the results of the study and how they can be reduced to make the results more validated. The main chapters will be as follows; Introduction Literature Review Methodology Data Analysis and Findings Conclusions and Recommendations 2.   Literature review Folorunso et al. (2006, p.2224) suggested that the factors that affect online shopping behaviour are: â€Å"establishing cost, accessibility, privacy and confidentiality, data security, network reliability, credit card threat, authenticity, citizens’ income and education.† The shopping behaviour of Nigerians living abroad is unique as it can be identified as unique among the rest. Among the factors suggested by Folorunso income levels and data security was established as the major factors contributing to the unique behaviour of the Nigerians.   In another research by Ayo (2006, p.2), he argued that cyber-crime as the major factor behind the low rate of adopting the electronic commerce technology. Further, other important factors have been established as contributing to this unique behaviour among the Nigerians. These factors are inferior online payment methods, lack of trust in web retailers, poor technological infrastructures, and fear of insufficient security in onl ine environments (Adeshina Ayo, 2010). In contrast to the slow rate at which online shopping has been embraced by the Nigerians, they have increased use of electronic banking and payment systems as they regard these technology issues as more secure. The major use of electronic banking is to pay bills, money transfer activities and obtaining banking statements at any time they wish to have the statements for their daily activities. The major factors identified on the previous research do not point to the exact situation because even through the electronic banking services provided by this technology, users are also likely to be exposed cyber crimes (Egwali, 2009). Advertising is used as a marketing strategy to familiarise the consumers to the products in the market. In a global market, advertising through the internet gives the consumers an avenue to consider a varied field of products that will satisfy their specific demand. Although internet advertising comes with a lot of advantages to both the consumer and the advertising agency, it has not been fully embraced in the Nigerian market. This indicates that the consumers in the Nigerian market have varied perceptions about web advertising. According to Wohn and Korgaonkar (2003), â€Å"males exhibit more positive beliefs about web advertising and more positive attitudes toward web adverting than females. Additionally, male are more likely than females to purchase from the web and surf the web for functional and entertainment reasons, whereas females are more likely to surf the web for shopping reasons.† From these findings, it can be deduced that there are specific online shopping behav iour among Nigerians. The research will carry out a detailed review of the existing literature on the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians.   The researcher will critically analyse the literature both that are in support of the research and those that are not. 3.Methodology This research will use qualitative approach to establish an in-depth description of the problem of the study. This method will be the most appropriate because it does not apply any mathematical judgment of the results (Higgs Cherry, 2009).   According to Miles and Huberman (1994), qualitative approach is the best because it is concerned with meaningful characteristics, stories, visual renders, observations and words. This study will be based on the individual behaviour on online shopping. Consequently, the research sample will be identified among them Nigerian Diaspora students, professionals and business people. The research sample will be conducted to 100 Nigerians. The research sample gives a good study population because of the sample size. In addition, the use of this type of respondents will give basis to the research because these are people who have the know-how of technological matters. Additionally, since online shopping is based on the use of technology this type of respondents is the best research population because they are quite aware of the online shopping activities using the internet. Thus, the results of the findings will give a true reflection of the real behaviour of the Nigerians online shopping. 3.1.Research approach and strategy The research will be conducted for 100 Nigerian. The respondents will be selected at random both that live in UK and those that are in Nigeria. The respondents will be supplied with questionnaires to investigate their online shopping behaviour. The data that will be used in this study will be sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data will be collected by sending questionnaires to the respondents. The researcher will conceal the identity of all respondents for confidentiality purposes. All respondents will be given unique ID numbers like P1, P2, and P3 that will represent participant one, two and three respectively. Secondary data will be collected from existing literature that is in the public domain. This means that there will be no permission sought to access the materials or cost incurred to collect data. 3.2.Data collection The data for this research will be collected through the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires will be subdivided into three sub-groups as follows: online shopping, electronic commerce and internet usage. Each of the sub-categories will be aiming to investigate the behaviour of online shopping among Nigerians. (See appendix 1) 3.3.Data analysis Qualitative study does not involve numerical values, and thus, an analysis tool will be used that will give correct interpretation and description while at the same time avoiding biases (Sewell, 2008). Therefore, the data will be analysed using case descriptions of the phenomenon. A detailed report will then be developed based on the analysis of the data collected through questionnaires. After, conclusions will be drawn from the analysis of the study, and more so the researcher will give recommendations that for future studies. 3.4.  Ã‚  Ethical issues The ethical issue in this research study will be to keep the anonymity of the respondents. Each of the involved respondent’s information will be treated with great privacy based on individual data protection policy. 3.5.Research limitations The sample used to represent the Nigerians is comparably small.   A bigger representative sample should be used to determine the real factors. The random sampling method is good, but is faced with the challenge of some respondents failing to cooperate. The best approach would be to administer the questionnaire directly to the respondents to ensure that there is 100% response from the targeted representative sample. 4.Conclusion This research is an important finding that can be used to implement developmental changes in developing countries. Nigeria is one of the developing countries and the trends shown by its abroad citizens can be used as a model for other developing countries. Also, since technology implementation in the business environment is inevitable then it is important to identify these factors in order to make the required adjustments to make the developing countries able to embrace technology. The representative sample will give accurate results of the research study because it will use a study population that can embrace technology. References Adeshina, A Ayo, C .2010. An Empirical Investigation of the Level of Users.   Acceptance of E-Banking in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 15 (1), 1-13. Egwali, A. 2009. Customers Perception of Security Indicators in Online Banking Sites in Nigeria. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 14 (1), 1-15. Folorunso, O et al. 2006. Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-commerce: A Study in Nigeria. Journal of Applied Sciences, 6 (10), 2224-2230. Ghosh, A .1997. Securing E-Commerce: A Systematic Approach. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 1-4. Internet World Stats, 2009. Nigeria Internet Usage and Telecommunications Reports. Retrieved from http:// www.internetworldstats.com/af/ng.htm. Jackson, P. et al. 2003. e-Business Fundamentals. London: Dorset House Publishing Company. Miles, M.B. Huberman, A.M. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2ndedn, Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Sewell, M., 2008. The Use of Qualitative Interviews in Evaluation, Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona. Sewell, M., 2008. The Use of Qualitative Interviews in Evaluation, Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona. Wohn, L Korgaonkar, P 2003, Web advertising: gender differences, gender differences in belief, attitude and behavior. Florida: MCB UP. Appendix 1 The questionnaire Online shopping Have you been using online shopping in Nigeria? Do you use online shopping in the UK? If yes how many times did you shop online while in Nigeria per week? How many sites do you visit per week while in the UK or Nigeria? What products do you shop for with this service in Nigeria or the UK? What are the risks associated with online shopping? 2.0 Electronic commerce Have you been using electronic commerce while in Nigeria? Do you still use electronic shopping in the UK? If not, what are the reasons? What functions do you use the service for in Nigeria or the UK? 3.0 Internet usage Do you use internet regularly? What do you use the internet for? Do you think there are risks associated with internet usage? How often do you use the internet for online shopping?

Week 2 discussion 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Week 2 discussion 2 - Assignment Example The data above is based on the NASDAQ composite index which represents the overall performance of the stock market in the period of ten years from year 2004 to the end of year 2013. From the data, the changes in the composite index in the 12 months trading have been summarized yearly from the different securities traded. The difference between the opening trading composite index and the closing composite index gives the gain or loss during the trading financial year. From this the percentage amount of gain or loss is derived. Stock market index is very important in many ways as it is used to gauge the economic conditions of a give economy. A worse composite index could mean that the economy is going through recession while a pleasing composite index shows that the economy is doing well. This is because the index comprises of all listed companies and their returns in the securities exchange mainly shows the potential investments from both local and foreign investors in the country. From the data, year 2009 was the best performing year in the ten year period with a percentage return of 43.89%, followed by year 2013 with a percentage return of 38.32%. The great investment returns in the stock market could have resulted from better economic conditions in America’s economy and wide interest from both external and internal investors in the NASDAQ securities exchange. More incentives offered in investing in the stock exchenge like elimination of capital gains tax and investors getting double digits in the stock market could also be a driver in having more returns in the stock market. The worst performing year from the data was in year 2008 with a negative loss in the NASDAQ stock exchange of -40.54%. Worse economic conditions in the United States followed by the general elections in the year can be a big explanation to the stock market performance. This

Sociological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sociological Theory - Essay Example In arriving at his conclusions, Durkheim identified few factors relating to the issue and applied theories one at a time to the data until they fitted. He concluded that â€Å"suicide rate varied from group to group† (Gelles and Levine, 1999, p.25). It means to say that there is no exact causal pattern for suicide and the tendency that people may or may not commit suicide depends upon the attributes of the group he belongs. For example, Japanese soldiers were most likely to take their lives than other members of armed forces; â€Å"unmarried people had much higher rates than married people did† (Schaefer, 2001, p. 11). Though Durkheim offered a more scientific explanation of the causes of suicides compared to other findings, his conclusions were still weak. A theory is not a final explanation of events, like human behavior. That is why sociologists continue to determine other factors that will explain why people commit suicide (summarized based from Shaefer, 2001, p.11; website reference containing closely similar facts at http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/CURRIC/soc/durkheim/durkw2.htm)There are three major sociological perspectives that are useful in explaining the presence of a society. These are the functionalist, conflict, and, symbolic perspectives. Under the functionalist perspective, a society is looked up as an integral part that plays a vital role without which a world can not exist. In the conflict theory, a society is looked up as the causes of struggle, competition, and other conflicts.

Think of an organization you have worked for or one with which you are Assignment

Think of an organization you have worked for or one with which you are very familiar. Diagnose the need for change and present a plan to transform the organization, utilizing Kotters 8-Step Approach - Assignment Example It is currently one of the leading luxury safari companies in the East Africa region. It is known for providing luxury tours specializing in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. The company is family owned by the Dharamshi Bhimani family. They began the company in 1969 and boast over 40 years experience in the field of luxury tours (Simba Safaris). It has its head offices located in Arusha, Tanzania. It also has offices in Nairobi, Kenya and Zanzibar. The company has a staff of over 70 people working dedicatedly in the three offices which are staffed 365 days a year, day and night. Most of these employees have 12 years experience in the field and are efficient. The Simba Safaris are popular mainly for their luxury safaris but also the trekking trips on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya. A newly added product is the tailored beach holiday plan mostly on the Zanzibari Island. Simba Safaris has its own customized 4 x 4 Land Cruiser vehicles and the policy is to ensure that every customer gets a window seat. This is in keeping with the luxury theme of comfort and utility. Every customer is also given a pair of binoculars and other complimentary treats from the Simba Safaris office. The company is licensed in both Kenya and tanzia and operates under the East Africa laws. Simba Safaris over the years has been subject to various factors that have affected the performance of the company. A big factor that has hit the Simba Safaris are the growth in terror attacks along the east African shoreline. The rise of Al-Shabaab, which has links to Al-Qaeda, has proven a big threat to the tourism industry in coastal East Africa. There have been attacks on tourists who visited the coast, mainly along the Kenyan coastline (Davids, 2014). This has served to hurt the current set-up and Simba Safaris has also suffered. This affects revenue and unless changes in structure are implemented, it is an area in which

Levels Of Pollution In The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay

Levels Of Pollution In The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay River Brisbane is the longest river in the southeast Queensland of Australia. It originated from the foothills of the great dividing and flows through Brisbane city before releasing its water into Moreton bay. The river was named after Thomas Brisbane, New South Wales Governor, by John Oxley in 1823. The river provided and still provides a main form of transport between the city of Brisbane and Sydney. Before the European settlement Brisbane River was very clean and unpolluted. It was then used as a source of food and also for recreational purposes. For quite a long time the growth and settlement of people around river Brisbane has adversely affected the quality of its water as well as the life that it supports (Straughan 1972 p.93). As the town of Brisbane grew the river became very unclear and polluted and by 1928 the water quality had deteriorated to the extent that it was not safe even for bath. However the government of Australia decided to protect the river from pollution and by adopting antipollution acts as well as educating the public on the importance of protecting the environment. The river was used the source for agricultural water and also provided sand used in the construction around the growing city. The river faced so many risks of pollution from the growing industries and from the waster vessels that transported petroleum products and other substances. Nitrogen from sewage treatment and phosphorous from industrial discharge as well as other metals, were and still are among the main pollutants (MacKey, Hodgkinson Nardella 1992). However the data taken on the nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the river shows that the efforts of protecting the river have bared some fruits. In 2000 the average nitrogen levels were about 2.2mg/l while in 2009 the average level had dropped to 0.5mg/l. A graph plotted for both nitrogen and phosphorous show a decrease in their concentr ation in the river. Introduction For more than 400 million years now, the Brisbane River has been flowing. Its catchments have endured a number of floods and droughts seasons while its origins have continuously shifted as the surrounding land kept changing from time to time. In 1823 when John Oxley entered River Brisbane for the first time, the river was very clean and unpolluted. After a while Oxley realized that the river could be used as a new site for new settlement and through his suggestion, the city of Brisbane was developed alongside the River in 1825. The Brisbane River, whose origin is at the base of Great Dividing Range, has a catchment area of about 30,000km square and it releases its water into the bay of Moreton (National Library of Australia 1988). The once pure water of Brisbane was mostly used for drinking and for recreational purposes like swimming and the like. However as the city of Brisbane developed, industries started growing in it. At that time industries took the river as an efficient and cheap point for waste disposal. The Brisbane River was the only means of transport between Brisbane town and Sydney until when the road links were established. This river has for long been the most important asset for of Brisbane city as its still used for transportation, recreational and relaxation purposes. For the better part of the twentieth century, this river has been polluted and overused as its basin provided grazing grounds as well as fertile lands for agriculture (Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1986). According to AsiaRooms.com, the river basin also provided suitable catchment areas which could be used for damming purposes. The river presented several advantages which for the town and its people but the people exploited these advantages so carelessly such that self reparation appeared unfeasible. Today the Brisbane River has undergone considerable modifications to meet the requirements of the citys population which is increasing. Through diverse public awareness on the need to protect the environment, the river has gained significant political support in form of anti-pollution acts and policies that were adopted by the government (Doyle Kellow 1995 p.180). Currently the duty of checking pollution levels and water quality of river Brisbane is currently on the Queensland parliament. The parliament has so far made a lot of progress in its efforts of maintaining the quality of the river by establishing two anti-pollution acts. These acts comprise the 1971; Clean Waters Act and the Pollution of Waters by Oil of 1973. Due to the current public awareness on environmental protection and by the help of these acts, the quality of River Brisbane has significantly improved although its not yet at the safe levels. According to Doyle Kellow (1995), the River is currently supporting a population of 2 million people while transport and industries and still dependent on the river, which then helps to understand why its pollution level is still above the safe levels (p.180). The aim of this essay is to give a report on the levels of pollution of Brisbane River from the year 2001 to 2010. For the 150 years that the Europeans have occupation the region, River Brisbane has seen a number of modifications. The river has survived waves of exploration including agriculture, grazing, urbanization and settlement, etc. the urbanization and settlement required flood mitigation strategies and water storage for drinking purposes (Straughan 1972 p.94). Shipping channels and flood prevention measures also needed to be taken as the river was the main means of transport between the city and Sydney. Sand dredging along the river has been the main activity as sand was highly needed for construction in the city. Between the year 1900 and 1970 approximately 12 million cubic meters of sand were extracted from the banks of River Brisbane. Extraction reached its peak latter in mid 70s when about 1.45 million cubic meters of sand were being extracted annually. The extraction later dropped to 1 million per year and eventually ceased in 1996/7. The riches of the river between mt Crosby and Wivehoe are most pleasing aesthetically because of their cool atmosphere. Between Jindalee and mt. Crosby the river widens and then flows through rural and residential areas. In this area pollution by human beings is very evident and likely. Currently the Brisbane port is accountable for extraction of sand in the lower reaches of the river so as to maintain deep channels for water vessels. This long time dredging has considerably deepened the river hence making its banks quite unstable (Olafson 1978). Strong urban development has been evident throughout the city and on the south bank reach. As this river proceeds towards the Pinkenba, commercial and industrial areas dominate while further down from Murarie to the mouth, the river passes through mangrove lined region which is dominated by commercial shipping activity (MacKey, Hodgkinson Nardella 1992 p 418-420). The speed of water in this region is often determined by season. In this region the river reaches its highest flow speed during summer when there is high rainfall while the minimum flow is in winter when rainfall is minimal. Due to the slow flow of water in this region, there is likelihood of pollutants accumulation and overall deterioration of water quality. However this accumulation of pollutants can be cleaned by the release of water from storage dams situated in the river upstream. Wivenhoe and Somerset dams release certain amounts of water that are satisfactory to the water needs of the people of Brisbane. These two dams enable a more even water flow throughout the year thus maintaining and improving the qu ality of water in the river. The dams are also used as a means for flood prevention by reducing water flow from the range. Analysis of the past and current pollutants of river Brisbane According to Connell Shaw (1980), the major sources of pollutants of the river comprise the many large scale discharge points where wastes from industries and treatment plants discharge into the river (p.356-358). Currently the discharge from sewage is treated to a safer secondary standard with only a small portion of it being left in the primary standard. The small portion of primary standard sewage discharged into river Brisbane does not only contribute considerably to the toxicant load in the river but also to the nutrient load and increased demand for oxygen. This pollution leads to the contamination of fish and other aquatic life by such substances. Sewage discharge around the city of Brisbane is usually chlorinated hence causing a negative impact to the river. The most common discharges to river Brisbane resulted from the highly industrialized section of the river. The city of Brisbane has two main treatment plants for waste water as well as Gibson Island on the Southside and a luggage point on the North side both of which are found at the industrialized section of the river. Moreover River Brisbane faces other risks of pollution from the BP and Caltex oil refineries which discharge into the river discharge streams from potentially contaminated areas. Other discharges into the river such as runoff from the urban and industrial parts, and from upstream parts of the catchment, discharge substantial toxic pollutants into the river (Wong Tam 2005). Sometimes accidents occur resulting to spills of petroleum and insecticides among other substances. This often results to contamination of the river leading to fish death and other water lives. For instance in April 1998, a tanker known as Barrington was docked at White Island in Brisbane collided with a local boat named Austral Salvor. This accident resulted to a spill of 8 tonnes of heavy fuel into the river. Conclusion In order to recommend any possible measures that can help improve the quality of River Brisbane one must understand the past and the current pollutions characteristics of the river. In this paper, the pollution analysis of river Brisbane is based on the data provided by Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. Nitrogen and phosphorous which are the main pollutants of the river have been measured and their levels in the river minimized. Nitrogen is found in fertilizers and it usually reaches the river when rain water passes through agricultural fields where fertilizer has been applied. Its also produced during sewage treatment processes. Phosphorous is produced in the waste treatment plants in Brisbane and from confined livestock operations. According to Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (1997), both nitrogen and phosphorous are can be harmful and toxic to aquatic life since their enhance growth of aquatic plants which then depletes the water of oxygen hence posing d anger to fish and other organisms (p.35). The graph below shows the levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in River Brisbane from the year 2000 to 2009. The concentration of these pollutants was measured in milligrams per litre of water. Fig.1 graph of nitrogen and phosphorous concentration against years From the graph we see that in 2000 the level of nitrogen in river Brisbane was quite high with more than 2mg of nitrogen in every litre of water. However due to the extensive public awareness and the anti-pollution measures taken by the government these levels reduced drastically between 2000/1 to below 1.5 mg/l. the downward trend in decrease of nitrogen continued until 2008 when the average level was about 0.5 mg/l. in 2009 the levels appeared to be rising again which shows that the government as well as the general public of Brisbane may have relaxed in its efforts to maintaining the quality of the river. On the other hand phosphorous levels have been low all through with level of below 0.4mg/l in 2000. The phosphorous levels have also shown a general downward trend and show a likely hood of reaching zero levels within the next few years if the same trend is maintained. The analysis of the past and the present pollution situations of river Brisbane indicate the government as well as the local authorities have done tremendous work in controlling the water quality of the river. If the efforts are maintained, the river will reach its old clean levels within a few years.

Anne Of Green Gables †Essay Essay

Anne Of Green Gables is a work of children’s literature written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and was first published in 1908. The social and cultural understanding of children depicted during the period in which this novel is set differs greatly from the understandings and expectations of children in today’s society. In the novel Anne Of Green Gables, children are depicted as more of a possession to be moulded by their families, children were expected to act ‘respectably’ and ‘sensibly’ even from an early age and to listen to and show respect to their elders, which differs from today’s society where children are allowed to play and any inappropriate behaviour can be chalked up to ‘kids being kids’. There are still some similarities to today’s cultural understanding of children and those displayed in the book. For example, in Anne Of Green Gables the importance of schooling and education is one of the key elements and this is also recognised in today’s society as being a vital aspect of a child’s upbringing. Another difference in cultural understanding is the aspect of a child’s part in the family, particularly orphans. In the time the novel is set, orphans are down cast and regarded virtually as ‘slaves’. However, not only orphans played different roles in the family, all children were expected to do more housework and contribute more constructively to the running of a household than what is expected in today’s society. Anne Of Green Gables also shows the slightly sexist stereotypes of male and female roles in the family and the behaviour expected of both of them. This essay explores all of the above points, and provides commentary from both a literary and historical point of view. Within the work of children’s literature Anne Of Green Gables the importance of a child’s schooling is clearly evident. This is first seen when Marilla Cuthbert, not even having ‘officially’ adopted Anne Shirley yet merely placing her on ‘trial’ decides to send her to school. Even though Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert have not yet adopted Anne, she still sees fit to give her even some education. Renaissance humanist, Desiderius Erasmus â€Å"placed considerable emphasis on an early education, directly attacking those who ‘out of a false spirit of tenderness and compassion allow children to be pampered by their dear mothers and spoiled by their nurses†(Cunningham, 43). This train of thought is carried throughout to today’s society but in a slightly different fashion. Emphasis is still placed on a good early education through pre-school and other such programs in order to give children the earliest possible learning possibilities. The importance of a child attending school can also be seen on a social level. Anne, after having arrived on Prince Edward Island, has little or no friends and is socially unaware of what is acceptable and what is not. This could be due mainly to her tragic upbringing after the death of her parents. However, after attending school she is exposed to a new level of social etiquette she has not been exposed to in her past. This leads to her creating a â€Å"bosom friend† in Diana Barry. The novel also endeavours to show us the importance of doing well in schooling and that â€Å"although school and the outside world differ from each other, they belong together†(Quigly, 45). Anne is tied for the top of her class and as a result gains acceptance with a once sceptical and at times harsh community, especially in regards to Miss Rachel Lynde who was outraged when Marilla told her of her decision to adopt an orphan. We also see the pride Marilla has for Anne, although this can not be contributed entirely to her schooling endeavours. We can see that this plays a large part especially when she passes the entrance exam to Queen’s College. The way children were treated and expectations placed upon them in Anne Of Green Gables also differ from today’s society, children were seen as more of a possession to â€Å"be moulded like wax whilst its soft†(Cunningham, 43). From an early age children were expected to act respectfully and sensibly and it was expected that they would contribute constructively to the up keeping of the household showing the treatment of â€Å"children to be autocratic†(Hendrick, 1). The novel also shows us the difference between orphan children and non-orphan children, we are shown the down-cast class status orphans have within the community and Ms Lynde portrays this perfectly telling Marilla stories of orphans murdering their adoptive parents showing the naivety and willingness to believe that a child brought up with no parents had not been ‘moulded’, and therefore was dangerous. This coupled with the influence Miss Lynde has on Marilla causes Marilla to come to the decision to put Anne on trial but â€Å"when Anne is first made aware that she came to Green Gables by mistake, she knows that she is, in a sense, on trial and may not remain there. She decides not to go outdoors because that will only increase her love for the place and cause her to miss it all the more if she must leave.† (Sullivan). This shows how quickly people will judge especially when influenced by others. This influence is made more apparent as Anne is just a child and the consideration of what is best for her is not really considered. We see Anne as a dreamer when we are first introduced to her she escapes into her own fantasy’s through books and escapes the torment of her past and what she believes her terrible future by making friend with her reflection in the glass, â€Å"the image in which Anne may find refuge from the wounds of fragmentation, and postpone her inevitable confrontation with her alienated representation† (Slater). However, it is not until she is introduced to other children that we see the true extent her isolation has had on her social behaviour. She has little understanding of social behaviour and etiquette and how to handle challenging social situations. For example, loosing her temper when Gilbert Blythe is rude to her or when Miss Lynde insults her and Anne explodes at her. These examples show that Anne’s lack of social exposure has lead her to be unable to handle tough social circumstances and can not control her temper. Seeing Anne transform from childhood to adulthood is a perfect example of how children can be moulded by their families. Through Marilla’s actions and influence Anne is moulded into the lady she becomes. Throughout the novel we can see aspects of Marilla’s personality and behaviours mirrored in Anne. Anne goes from being naive and short tempered to becoming a strong minded, learned girl much like Marilla, in addition to this Anne chooses her friends much like Marilla who has a close group of female friend â€Å"Anne chooses kinship in a similar arbitrary and heterogeneous fashion†(Marcuse,164) showing that even small parts of a child’s surrounding can have both profound and subtle effects on the child’s personality. We can see through how Anne is moulded by Marilla that â€Å"the way childhood was spent was crucial in determining the kind of adult that the child would become† (Cunningham, 41) and this is proven by the end of the novel when Anne decides to stay in Avonlea with Marilla and teach rather than go to college. Anne Of Green Gables also shows the rather sexist beliefs of the time. This can be seen constantly by Marilla and Anne staying home cooking, cleaning, sewing, scrubbing the floors and Marilla telling Anne on numerous occasions to ‘make sure Matthew’s dinner is ready and served on time’. This shows the contrast between the roles expected of women and men, it was the men’s task to work the fields and perform any manual labour needed and the task of the women to ensure a clean house and dinner for the man. However, we can also see some contrast to this idea in the fact that femineity and masculinity have a very fine line in this book, in the case of Anne and Marilla at any rate, we can see that Anne and Marilla show many traits of Masculinity that are displayed in the novel they are both extremely strong willed and whilst Marilla seems submissive at times ignoring her feelings in order to maintain her friends Anne will speak her mind and thinks before acting, she is very strong willed. We can see this contrasted with the Barry’s beliefs, Diana Barry is not allowed to attend special after classes for students wishing to attend Queen’s. We can assume that this would be due to the typical belief that women should care for their husbands and Diana would be trained as a housewife instead, this shows that â€Å"major differences thus exist between children according to were they live their social class gender and ethnicity† (Gittins, 36). The Barry’s decision is in direct contrast to that of Marilla’s. Marilla encourages Anne to attend special classes and wants the best life and education for her. Marilla is not married, and believes that a girl should know how to fend for herself. Such beliefs wouldn’t be common during those times. Anne Of Green Gables shows us the contrast between modern beliefs and beliefs during the period the novel is set in. We see particularly strong differences in the way female and male roles are portrayed, and in addition to this the roles depicted in the novel have a sexist connotation about them that would not be seen in today’s culture. We also see the difference in class culture and the expectation of orphans and the stereotype they are labelled with. Anne Of Green Gables highlights this fact and reminds us that no matter what a child’s background, it is their eventual upbringing and early education that will determine their future, the surrounding and environment a child is exposed to will determine the eventual outcome of a child’s personality and decisions no matter how obvious or subtle these influences may be, a major part of this surrounding is the exposure to education and schooling and it is because of this point the book manages to effectively highlight the importance of schooling not just on an educational level but also on a social one and the effects it can have on a child’s personality and beliefs. The belief that schooling is a vital part of a child’s upbringing are still held in today’s society and although Anne Of Green Gables was written over a century ago, the messages contained within still hold value in today’s society.

Hunting snake Judith Wright Essay

The main subject of the poem is the sudden appearance of the snake and the surprised reactions of the poet and her companion. The snake does no harm to the walkers and they in turn do not harm the snake. As an environmentalist, Wright sought to preserve the natural surroundings in Australia. She cared intensely for the Aboriginal people who lived in close intimacy with nature which the settlers did not. The poem, on the surface, is about the sudden appearance of the snake but it could also be about the various creatures that lived in Australia and the animal friendly way of life of the aboriginal people. The initial emotion that overtakes the poet and her companion is shock or surprise. They are walking along a grassy patch (not a jungle) when they see the snake â€Å"reeling by†. Soon this surprise is overtaken by admiration for the perfection of its body, the symmetry of the scales on its surface and the single minded (â€Å"fierce intent†) pursuit of its prey. Structure The poem has a tightly controlled structure that does not permit much innovation. The beginning of the poem describes a peaceful scene when nature is full of the mellow sunshine of autumn, then comes the surprise of finding a snake in their midst. But there is no sudden movement or strong emotion expressed so there is no change in the structure either. The poem has four quatrains with a traditional rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef in the first three stanzas but the fourth stanza is ghhg. The change in the last stanza is like the letting out of breath (â€Å"We took a deeper breath of day,†) after having unconsciously held it while the snake was around. Thereby emphasising the relief that the observers felt. If you extend beyond the surface level meaning, you could explore the symbolism here: is Wright challenging the attitude that we have towards the indigenous Aboriginals, by highlighting the judgement that the observers have made (that the snake is dangerous) when in actual fact, it is just going about it ´s daily life? Are we too quick to make a judgement on a people group that has different values  to us? You might like to link this to A Different History, as the Brits coined the category, â€Å"Aboriginal Australians† after they begin colonising Australia in 1788. Notice how language is used to form stereotypes. Language The language used is very simple but the imagery is strong making it a visceral poem. The choice of sibilants (â€Å"we scarcely thought; still as we stood†) mimics the movements of the snake to highlight the immediate fear that the observers feel towards it. Again, are we afraid of what we don ´t fully understand and therefore, make unnecessary judgements? Imagery The use of strong imagery marks the poem. The opening images are of a balmy day in autumn when there is a â€Å"mellow fruitfulness† everywhere. The calm is broken by the sudden arrival of the snake. The picture of the snake in single minded pursuit of its prey, tongue darting as it feels the ground, the grass parting as it moves through are pen pictures which allow us to â€Å"see† the event. The poem focuses on the event rather than the narrator allowing us to share in the emotions. Symbolically, is Wright encouraging us not to impulsively respond to our immediate reactions when faced with something unknown, or something that we don ´t fully understand, so that we reflect upon our preconceived notions about a person/situation? Thus, is she challenging the stereotypes surrounding the Aboriginies? Movement / Rhythm The rhyme scheme is a simple abab, cdcd, efef and ghhg. The rigidity of the scheme allows the poet to focus on the event rather than on the emotions or the feelings of the poet. The movement of the snake is copied in the movement of the lines and the sibilants evoke a slithering sensation. Sounds Alliterative and sibilant sounds as in â€Å"sun glazed his curves of diamond scale†, â€Å"we scarcely thought; still as we stood† convey the impression of a slithering movement of the snake as it moved fast over the grass. These  devices continue to relate to the relationship that humanity has with nature: we should respect nature, the natural world and the people who live in it. Figures of Speech Through an extended metaphor, the poet tells us of the symbiotic relationship between the snake and man. There is no maudlin talk about the prey or the cruelty of the snake as a hunter but merely an acknowledgement of the sense of purpose behind the movement of the snake. Mainly, Wright depicts this symbiotic relationship so that man reflects upon his treatment of a) the natural world around him and b) the indigenous people group found in a country.

Social Contexts Essays - Art History, Realism, Food Security

Social Contexts Essays - Art History, Realism, Food Security Social Contexts Art in Canada FFAR 250 Social Contexts presented to Mark Mullin on December 3, 1999 written by Marguerite Gravelle 4320662 1. When analysing an artwork what is to be gained from considering the social context in which it was created? Are there possible drawbacks to this methodology? Provide clear examples to substantiate your argument. When analysing artwork, in any form, there are often times social contexts in which can be interpreted. Not always does the history behind the painting need to be revealed to fully understand the concept of the artwork, yet it is helpful in determining if the artwork is truthful in its representation. Although in analysing artwork it is likely that there are drawbacks to considering the social context. To illustrate this point, I'm going to use the visual arts as my medium of choice. Understanding the social context can be an important tool. An advantage of knowing the history of the painting or sculpture can really enrich our knowledge, being in the 20th (soon to be 21st) century, about some of the social periods from previous times. It can demonstrate how traditions were carried out, how they had an impact on the different social classes. It's a visual teaching aid of a sort. Even in the time period of which the artwork was created can be used as a tool to show how the life was in different parts of the world. It was also used as a hammer in the realist movement to show the upper classes that life for the poor was horrible. The visual arts is the only medium in which the pictorial image creates a universal language in which anyone, regardless of nationality or social class can interpret. The text which is created by this language often creates a context which is left open to interpretation. Contexts are created by the artist, critics, judges, the public, essentially, any one who views the work and forms an opinion relating to it. The contexts stem from subject or content of an artwork, and are usually facts regarding the content. Yet, the contexts almost always have backgrounds themselves, therefore making the original contexts, texts. This will be more clearly illustrated later. The chain is seeming to be a never ending process. There are always more conditions to the previous ones. All context, therefore, is in itself, textual. This concept of all context in itself textual is a post-structuralist strategy. A man named Derrida is a man who has developed this idea that the post-structuralist concept of every statement made, can be interpreted in infinite ways, with each interpretation triggering a range of subjective associations. Every statement has an association, therefore it's a sort of domino effect. He also says that no matter how precise a work strives to be, the absolute meaning can never be found due to this never ending sequence. To better illustrate this concept, I have chosen a painting from the mid-nineteenth century. It was painted by a french artist in 1854 named Jules Breton. It is called The Gleaners(figure 1). The gleaners were impoverished women who picked the left-over wheat from the farmers' fields after they had been ploughed to bake bread for their families. In this painting there are numerous women who's arms are brimming with wheat. The women are beautiful, healthy looking. The children even seem happy running around playing next to their mothers. There are many contexts which can be extracted from The Gleaners. A major influence would be the revolution in France in 1848. Perhaps the gleaning laws enforced in 1851, even the physical health of the gleaners. For arguments sake, let's take the physical health of the gleaners to show how a statement can trigger other associations. The physical health of the gleaners in the 1850's could be researched in the reports from the army conscripts. The conscripts were usually poor men who wanted a secure and stable job. These reports showed that most of the men were of poor health and diseased. These reports can be associated with who was writing the reports, officers? The associations never cease. We can never fully determine what the health was of the gleaners because every context we take will lead to another context. The key point in this image

Romero Essays - English-language Films, Films, Romero, Scar Romero

Romero Essays - English-language Films, Films, Romero, Scar Romero Romero Reflection of Romero When the movie starts off, you are introduced to only a portion of the injustice that the El Salvadorians faced. The new president was supposed to be one that was elected into office. It was unimaginable to me that citizens who were on their way to vote were stopped. They were only allowed to proceed by foot. There is no way that any such think could occur here, in the United States. Its hard for me to accept that things like that actually happened, and still happen. It was time to appoint a new archbishop. The other priests elected Romero thinking that he wouldnt make any waves. This shocked me. People would actually use as criteria for archbishop whether or not they would make waves. I would think that they would want the person in that position to be strong in their beliefs. It later turned out that Romero would unpleasantly surprise them. This movie also showed a very vivid line between the rich and the poor. It was hard to believe that they all lived in the same country. The wea lthy barely even treat the poor like people. They are merely pests that they avoid at all costs. I know that in America the gap between the very rich and the very poor is wide, but there is at least some form of middle class, and the poor have the same rights as everyone else. When the guerillas started to attack the people, in the square when the people were receiving communion for instance, Romero finally stood up. It is not really the place of the Church to take a political stand, but no one else in such a powerful position was standing up for the rights of the people being oppressed. Romero went to lengths beyond what anyone expected or hoped he would go to. Unfortunately, his heroism was not greeted very well, except by the people he was defending. It just amazed me how strong he was in what he believed. It takes such courage and wit to follow through with the things that he did. I cant even fathom how hard it was to walk into that prison and walk out with a prisoner. If he had been anyone but the Archbishop, he would have been killed. I think the part that made me realize his faith the most was when he walked into the church that had been taken by the army. He just walked right in past the big man holding the gun. He started to pick up the communion even while shots were being fired. And after he left, he came back and gave communion to the crowd. It was just so touching. The people believed in him as much as he believed in what he was doing. Ive never been faced with anything near as big as the struggle that the El Salvadorians were facing. To have to live in those conditions, and to have no one be able to protect you or fight for what you believe in. It is so unimaginable to me that they had virtually no rights. It made me so sad that at the end, Romero was assassinated. It was really no surprise. Anyone that stood up for what they believed in that was opposite of what the people in power were preaching was killed. Romero was the only person in power t o stand up. He was protected for a while because of his status, but it could not protect him forever. I know that struggles like this occur in America, but on a much smaller level that no one notices. I guess that makes it hard for me to conceive of something like this actually ever happening. It makes me so sad to realize that it really did.

Summative assessment - Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Summative assessment - Part 2 - Essay Example Thus, it is socially responsible and supports the entire market in order to ensure that the best products are available in the market. The company uses the most recent technology to run all its operations; every section or rather department of Anisa International has gone digital, starting from the marketing, management, communication and distribution of its products (Yahoo Finance, 2004). To start with, Anisa International, Inc. has gone digital in marketing of its products. There are a number of social websites that have allowed platforms for advertisements and other marketing procedures for various companies. Sites such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube and Google have made it easy and cheaper for business organizations across the globe to effective market their products. For instance, Anisa International has a Facebook page whereby all the news about the new products, changes in the existing products, prices of particular products and general company operations are posted. This style of marketing is somehow effective as it is easily accessible by any individual irrespective of age, gender, race or social class. With the current level of technology, there are hundreds of millions internet traffic daily; people access or rather visit various sites with diverse aims. Thus, for fashion lovers, Facebook pages for famous companies and other fashion websites are their destin ations. Information in Anisa’s Facebook pages is accessed or rather read by thousands of individuals daily. Therefore, the company easily spreads the news about its products via this medium. In addition, management of firm’s operations in todays’ world has gone digital. Many organizations have transformed from paper work or rather manual way of transacting and recording information to the digital way of handling all the operations of the companies. For instance, Anisa International, Inc. has all the information about the company’s operations stored and handled

What may be the 'Best Practices' so far as Action Planning is Assignment

What may be the 'Best Practices' so far as Action Planning is concerned - Assignment Example Non-discriminatory policies increase the rate of work commitment (Australian Human Rights Commission 2014). Delivering real value to customers helps them realize that they are valued by the provider of services which increase customer loyalty. The more customer loyalty there is, the higher competitive edge is achieved by an organization over rival companies. This is why making wise investments in this area is highly valuable making it one of the best practices of an action plan (Bradt, Check & Pedraza 2011). Employers and employees should continually strive to enhance their organization’s image. This helps the people realize that focus is not only concentrated on maximizing profit. Rather, the organization is conscientious enough to protect its reputation also (Nagy & Fawcett 2013). Customers have more confidence in those companies which have a very healthy image compared to those which have cracks in their images. Australian Human Rights Commission 2014, Developing an effective Action Plan, viewed, 07 June 2014, Nagy, J & Fawcett, SB 2013, Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements, viewed, 07 June 2014,