Geoffrey Chaucer s The Merchant s Tale - 1434 Words

Geoffrey Chaucer’s the Merchant’s Tale tells the tale of a husband, a wife, and sexual deceit. A narrative nearly identical to that in Chaucer’s work can be found in the Bible. In the Tale, the Merchant depicts the sexual interactions of men and women, whether between husband and wife (i.e. Januarie and May) or adulterers (i.e. May and Damyan). Similarly, Genesis 2 and 3 of the Bible focus on sexual interactions between husband and wife (i.e.. Adam and Eve) and adulterers (i.e. Eve and the Serpent/tree of knowledge). These similarities are identified through the plot itself; the characters’ names and actions; and various key words along with their respective connotations and etymological backgrounds. These similarities are present†¦show more content†¦The origin of Eve’s name simply comes from â€Å"living one† but corresponds to the connotation of May’s name. Like the month of May, May represents youthfulness and fertil ity – providing a stark contrast to her husband. Chaucer’s choice for Damyan’s name also holds a place in the parallelism between the Merchant’s Tale and Genesis. â€Å"Damyan† has held connotations in the English language relating it to â€Å"evil† or â€Å"demonic,† lending it to comparison to the Serpent’s symbolism for the Devil. The overarching parallels between Januarie/Adam, May/Eve, and Damyan/the Serpent are clearest in lines 2346 through 2367, in which May actually commits adultery with Damyan. This same scene is reflected in Genesis, with the presentation of the tree and the forbidden fruit (Genesis 2:16-17) and the Serpent’s beguiling of Eve (Genesis 3:1-6). More specifically, throughout the entire Tale but playing the most important role within lines 2346-2367, Chaucer uses key words to parallel the Bible as evident in his description of the garden. The biblical allegation of the garden is derived from Genesis in which the Garden of Eden, an earthly paradise, is presented as a haven for Adam and Eve where the original sin, a sexual sin, is committed. The concept of the garden in the Merchant’s Tale representing paradise can be traced back to the Merchant’s original description of marriage (and ultimately sex) as â€Å"a paradys† (Merchant’s Tale, 1265).

Interpretation and judgement in news reporting. Free Essays

INTRODUCTION In this chapter I will undertake a review of theories relevant to the theme of this work. Various scholarly positions on the theory of media representation, media and social responsibility and pattern of crisis reporting will be thoroughly examined. I will equally review scholarly works on the origin and nature of the Nigerian press. We will write a custom essay sample on Interpretation and judgement in news reporting. or any similar topic only for you Order Now MEDIA REPRESENTATION The media in any society serve as the window through which the wider world is viewed. They give and account of reality but not the reality in the real sense. Positions of various scholars in the field of media studies reveal that what we read, hear or watch on the media is representation of reality and as such, the media have the ability to and actually do construct the reality through their coverage and reportage of events. The knowledge and perception of people about events, issues and objects within and beyond their geographical settings are usually formed and shaped by media representation of such events, issues and objects. The idea that the media utilize language, semiotic and visual images to construct realities has been extensively written and researched in various works and among various scholars in the field of media and communication studies. While some scholars have espoused cultural views of media representation (Hall, 1997) others have adopted the notion of race (O†™Shaughnessy 1997, Ferguson 2002, Acosta-Alzure 2003) language, and identity (Rayner 2001). To Hall (1997, p. 17) â€Å"Representation is the production of the meaning of the concepts in our mind through language and it is the link between concepts that enables us to refer to either the real world of objects, people or events†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The concept of representation according to Hall (ibid) entails â€Å"using language to say something meaningful about or to represent the world meaningfully to other people†¦it is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture†. Hall describes representation as a phenomenon that involves the use of language, signs and images to symbolise and represent objects. The use of language in cultural studies can be reflective when it reflects the existing meaning of an object, intentional when it reflects the personally intended meaning and constructionist when meaning is constructed through the use of language (Hall, 1997). Hall (1997, p.15) examines the concepts of representation in terms of the â€Å"circuit of culture† which implies that representation, as a concept in cultural studies â€Å"connects meaning and language to culture† The media utilize a great deal of images, signs and language to describe and report events or objects to their audiences and their use of such elements serve as the basis upon which the knowledge and perception of audiences about the objects and events being reported rest. Representation therefore dwells on how the media create meaning and form knowledge through the use of language and visual images. In their view, Acosta Alzuru and Roushanzamir (2003, p.47) assert that â€Å"Representation constructs meaning by connecting the world language and live experiences. By performing these connections representation does not reflect the frame of the world but that it constitutes the world†. In their view, Rayner et al (2001, p.63) describe representation as â€Å"the process by which the media present to us the real world†. They further assert that â€Å"there is a wide philosophical debate about what constitutes ‘reality’ and whether, in fact, reality ultimately exists. If however, we assume, for the convenience of looking at representation, that there is an external reality, then, one key function of the media is to represent that reality to us, the audience†. One issue central to various postulations of scholars on media representation is the inability of the media to reproduce the exact real word. News generally is an account of reality, not reality itself, thus most media organizations and journalists often fall prey of adding their interpretations and judgment to certain news stories with a view to creating meaning. INTERPRETATION AND JUDGEMENT IN NEWS REPORTING In reporting and presenting issues, media often add their own judgment and interpretations thereby defining the public knowledge of certain events. On the other hand, audiences also subject media messages to some interpretations which explain why they are of the view that media bias is possible in their reporting of events. According to Hawk (1992, p.1) â€Å"there are no such things as facts without interpretation†. This assertion is supported by Said (1981, p.154) as he succinctly observes that: â€Å"All knowledge that is about human society and not about natural world is historical knowledge and therefore rests upon judgment and interpretation. This is not to say that facts and data are non-existent but that facts get their importance from what is made upon interpretation†. In their coverage and reportage of events media therefore give their meaning and identify for readers those events that are considered important. Relating these assertions to the Nigerian press representation of Niger-Delta Crisis, it is evident that media tend to give meaning and interpretation to the activities of the Niger-Delta militants vis-a-vis government reactions and perception of the general public. Based on the argument and counter argument between African and non-African analysts on the western media coverage of Africa, especially in the area of media subjecting their reports to judgement and interpretations, scholars have emphasized the need for news analysis. In his work â€Å"Islam and the West in the Mass Media, Hafez (2000) points out that international news coverage can be analysed by focusing on the textual patterns, linguistic feature, as well as the arrangement of facts, arguments and frames in foreign reporting to understand whether or not such report is based on objectivity or sensationalism (p.27). Empirical evidences based on existing views of various scholars reveal that in understanding the causes and effects of media coverage, it is important to examine the individual perception of the journalists and the orientation of the mass media in relation to the object being reported. As argued by Falola (2000, p.30), â€Å"most foreign media use certain stereotypes and images to represent African states as epitome of vampirical authoritarian governance, parasitical political elites, fierce religious and tribal animosities and endemic sickness and misery†. Having examined the theory of media representation vis-a-vis the discourse of media interpretation and judgements in news reporting, I proceed to discuss the media representation of Africa within the context of the theory media representation. THE MEDIA AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The social responsibility theory is based on the notion that the media must perform its role bearing in mind â€Å"public interest†. McQuails (2005:164) rightly observes that the concept of public interest is simple yet fraught with many disconnected views about what it entails or should entail. In Nigeria, for instance, the issue of resources control has been a subject for many debates and cause for protracted conflict. What would constitute â€Å"public interest?† Should the press promote the position of the proponents of resource control, or should it support those who say every State should share in equal measure from the nation’s oil wealthMcQuail, however quickly clears the fog by stating that the mass media must operate by the same principles that govern other units of society; principles which are justice, fairness, democracy, and prevailing notions of desirable social and cultural values. Any practice in society that undermines these principles singly or collectively constitutes sabotage of â€Å"public interest† and may correctly suffer report from the media. Further, McQuail identifies the factor that may affect the promotion of public interest which he defines in terms of cultural, political, professional and commercial interests. On culture-induced effects, there is the institutional entrenchment of a culture of apathy and distrust for the people of other tribes or ethnic groups. The Nigerian society’s penchant for religious and ethnic conflicts is an unfortunate testimony to this fact. And since the News must carry the stories, including that of casualties, there is the tendency for reporting to cause an escalation of the crisis. Liebes and Kampf (2004:79) captured it this way: â€Å"†¦.whereas politicians and representatives of the elite are free to address the media of any time (crossing the threshold through the â€Å"front door†), the only chance of radical groups to invade the screen is via the â€Å"back door†, that is, by the use of violence†¦the more violence they created, the greater the chance of crossing into the screen and being viewed by the public. The chance, however, is also greater for the coverage to be more negative, and therefore acts as a boomerang†. The political inhibition to â€Å"public interest† reporting may play out in the bias of the practicing journalist who might have a stake in the issues for which the group is agitating. How does a journalist from Niger Delta maintain neutrality on the issue of resource distribution and control when it has such profound effects on his life and that of his familyOr how does a journalist from Katsina State maintain neutrality when the ceding of resource control to the generating states means that his state’s allocation may be highly reduced. Beard (2000, p18) is of the position that â€Å"to expect that a political journalist or politician can tell the truth is problematic, because such an expectation fails to take account of the fact that both the creator and the receiver of the text bring ideological values to it†. He explains further that reporting capitalizes on certain language forms such as metaphors, metonymies, analogies and transitive, to show subtle or blatant sympathy for or apathy to various ideological positions extant in society (Beard, 2000:25) However, Keeble (2005:269) advocates for journalism practice that is found on universal principles of honesty, fairness, respect for the privacy, the avoidance of discrimination and conflict of interest. But he also correctly observes that â€Å"cultures and political systems around the globe throw up very different ethical challenges for journalists.† It is difficult to maintain neutrality in the face of threats, especially when such threats reach the point of fatality (Hartley 1982, p84; Tumber, 2004, p199), but the universal ideas require a reach toward neutrality and objectivity. Another factor that affects the responsibility of the media to the society is low level of professionalism.Professionalism may be seen as a commitment to the highest standard of excellence in the practice of journalism. It is a combination of the finest skills with the highest ethical conduct. This ideal contrasts sharply with the prevailing shallow approach to coverage and analysis of issues of public interest as seen in sections of the Nigerian media. The rate of unemployment and the abysmal state of corruption and nepotism have created an opportunity for unqualified individuals to practice journalism. The result, as Gujbawu (2002, p71) rightly observes, is the press’ increasing penchant for being a mouth piece for the ruling elite, and at the expense of society; a tendency for writing media content that misinforms, misleads, confuses and destroys society. In view of this, a classic work on theories of mass media has shown what many media problems are attributable to the edu cation of reporters and editors and poor preparation before undertaking assignments. Observable errors of fact may lead to questioning the authenticity of an entire report, which further brings to question the credibility of the media as dependable custodians of public conscience (Severin Tankard, 2001, p314-5). Another factor identified by McQuail (2005, p164) as the bane of â€Å"public interest† journalism is commercialism. Scholars agree that there is an increasing tendency toward monopolizing the media into the hands of a few rich business and media moguls (Dominick 1994, p109; Aufdeheide, 2004, p333 Stevenson, 2005 p40; Harrison, 2006, p164). These investors are engaged in stiff competition for market share with attendant repercussion. As noted by Folarin (1999, p27), the commercialists press â€Å"worships at the altar of profit and consumerism which often vitiate the ideals of social responsibility.† The profit motif makes the media vulnerable to the ideologies of big advertisers while consumerism lowers values since the media must give the public what it wants. Under this circumstance, commercial interests precedence over public good. Albeit, the social responsibility theory holds that the while the press must be free, it must also be adequate or responsible. The basic tenets of the socially responsible press, following the recommendations of the Robert Hutchins Commission of 1947, are thus outlined in (Severin and Tankard, 2001 p314; McQuails, 2005:171): A socially responsible press should provide a full, truthful, comprehensive and intelligent account of the day’s events in a context which gives them meaning. It should serve as a forum for the exchange of comments and criticism as a common carrier of the public expression, raising conflict to the plane of public discourse. A socially responsible press should give a representative picture of constituent groups in the society while presenting the goals and values of society, issues that have relevance to the well-being of the local community. A press with this kind of orientation is what is needed in a crisis –prone, or crisis –ridden society. Coverage of crisis in Nigeria requires that the media be truthful, comprehensive and balanced, representing the views and interests of the constituent groups in the federal state that it is. PATTERNS OF CRISIS REPORTING Pattern of reporting is a description of the differences in the reportage of news stories resulting from the different perspectives from which people view events. The patterns could be intrinsic or extrinsic, rather than being opposites, they are simply two sides of the same coin. Intrinsic patterns are the latent patterns that reflect the peculiarity of a paper, those features that differentiate one paper from others. These features are manifested in the language and the point of view that a paper expresses. It is seen in the way a paper challenges or reinforces certain stereotypes; the overt political position a paper adopts or discards (McNair, 2005:35). As Curran (2002:34) would suggest, the location of a news story within the frame of reference of a political position, by attribution, is a subtle way by which journalism advances one political opinion against another. On the other hand is the extrinsic pattern which is the obvious physical characteristics of a news report as it appears in the paper. This is marked by such features as the choice of a front-page story. The choice of a front-page story reveals the level of importance a newspaper ascribes to a story as against other stories. It is also manifest in the amount of space given to a story. A story that is considered as important will have depth of discussion, attributions, background information; a detailed description of the events and persons in the story. Also, an important story in the news is marked by extensive non-news editorial commentaries in the form of features, letters to the editor, opinion articles, and brazen editorials by the paper. This is where societal views are extracted and harnessed to set further agenda for public discourse to provide ideas for policy makers. Meanwhile, there are certain features that characterize crisis stories. One is that a crisis naturally commands prominence. In any crisis the suffering of the victim usually engages sympathy. This human interest factor makes the story popular, thus giving it prominence. The other factor is drama. Simply put, drama is action, deed or performance that interest people presented on a stage or theater. In this case, the stage for the drama in a social crisis is the public sphere (Abcaran Klotz, 2002:19). Drama in the news describes the day to day actions that occur in human societies, actions that are considered worthy of mediation. The crisis story is typically drama-laden. Crisis reporting captures the intrigues, blackmails, betrayal, protests, etc., that happen in man’s experience. Furthermore, the crisis story has conflict – the inability of players in the social sphere to reach consensus on issues of ideology, personal or group interest, and opinion. This may degenerat e into violence, often of fatal dimension (Veer, 2004:9). The interest is heightened by the impact of the conflict on human life and property. CRISIS COVERAGE AS CRISIS MANAGEMENT So far I have used the terms ‘crisis and ‘conflict’ interchangeably. The Chambers English Dictionary has defined crisis as â€Å"a crucial or decisive moment †¦.a time of difficulty and distress†, while conflict is described as â€Å"an unfortunate coincidence or opposition; violent collision†, some synonyms provided are â€Å"to fight; to contend; to be in opposition†. Conflict may be an overflow of crises. As it occurs in the Niger Delta, we may see a crisis from ethnic, political or economic dimensions, occurring hardly mutually exclusively, and manifesting in the form of protests, walkouts, strikes and often such violent expressions as killing, maiming, shooting, and kidnapping on which the study is focused. Simply put, conflict, as manifested at the community level in the Niger Delta, is the expression of disaffection and outburst of tension built up over time, due to denied or subverted expectations. Conflicts may be violent or non-violent. Reporting crisis takes different forms depending on the nature of the society in terms of its social structures and ethnic composition i.e. homogenous, plural, or multi-cultural societies. Owens-Ibie (2002, p33) citing Corbett, (1992) shows that â€Å"media in homogenous societies, characterized by an inclination toward consensus, tend to air conflict less than those in plural societies. Owen –Ibie goes on to state that Nigeria as a heterogeneous society tends to play out this trend. The media in the country is a terrain for airing conflict, and such coverage is a reflection of the socio-cultural and other diversities that the country typifies†. This statement cannot be untrue if weighed against the historical background of the Nigerian state, which comprise different ethnic nationalities fused against their wishes by the colonial explorers, a contrivance in mischief (Isoumonach and Gaskia, 2001, p55). This history has therefore been characterized by the constant strive for relevance and self-determination by each component of the amalgamation, especially the so – called minority groups. Expectedly, the media assumes a center state in these agitations, a hegemonic stance at that. Hartley (2002:99) explains that: â€Å"The crucial aspect of the notion of hegemony is not that it operates by forcing people against their will or better judgment to concede power to the already powerful, but that it works by winning consent to ways of making sense of the world that do in fact make sense†¦..the concept is used to show how everyday meanings, representations and activities are organized and made sense of in such a way as to render the interests of a dominant ‘bloc’ into an apparently natural and unarguable general interest, with a claim of everyone†. Two basic approaches for assuming hegemonic control quickly come to the fore. One is the media approach; the other is the people approach. With particular reference to the Niger Delta, what Curran (2002:150) refers to as ‘dominant discourse’ finds a fitting application in the agitations of the Niger Delta people. There has been a determined resolve to keep the media (and every occasion that promises media attention) awash with messages on resource control, fiscal federalism and equal rights to national political leadership. The expected outcome is to allow national and global attention, to the plight of Niger Delta people in the Nigerian state. The people approach is exploited when non-elite groups constitute themselves into â€Å"organizations† which are used as sources of news and comment by the media. While non-elite group, have in general restricted access to the media, this can be modified through improvements in organization (Curran, 2002 p152-153). Although this modification has come to be in the negative sense, the organization of various pressure groups and even militia forces has brought much media attention to the course of the Niger Delta in an unprecedented state. It is true that media coverage tends to favor the elite, official position. As this work shows, the news is most times written from the official stand point. By its very nature, the official is furnished with paraphernalia of office that guarantees that he makes a statement on a particular issue either in person or by proxy. The Nigerian President, for instance, has a Special Assistance for Media and Publicity, Special Adviser for Media and Pub licity and host of other officials; not counting that the services of the entire Ministry of Information and National Orientation and its quasi-organizations which include the Radio and TV networks, are at his disposal. It is therefore an onerous task for the other parties in the Niger Delta to beat this communicative advantage. Should the media then give a voice only to the elite party to the exclusion of the otherThis model shows that crisis management should be in three phases. The first phase or pre-crisis phase is the time when a crisis is anticipated. Having established that in a plural, multi-cultural state like Nigeria is conflict prone, the press should always anticipate crisis by observing the signals that portend disturbance in social equation. Then the media must provide such coverage as will help to nip the crisis in the bud. The media should identify, expose, educate and enlighten citizen on those things, persons, or policies that constitute a threat to national securi ty (Odunlanmi, 1999, p132; Galadima 2002:P62). The next phase will be the in-crisis stage, when a nation is facing a condition of distress. Galadima (2002, p60-62) presents the atmosphere that may characterize conflict reporting. First is that reporting advertently or inadvertently gives publicity to the crisis. Reporting tends to win appreciation or engender resentment by the different parties involved. This is because certain interests are either being protected or subverted if reporting is seen as biased, it could precipitate very unwelcomed reactions. The Nigerian experience shows that the parties that are not favored by a report may descend into unleashing terror on the reporter or the organization he/she represents, and even unworthy members of the society. Thirdly, reported violence in a conflict, especially casualty figures could lead to more violence. Nigeria is also a typical illustration of this. Whenever killing is reported, it usually precipitates reprisal attacks elsewhere. Fourthly, it should be noted that each party in the dispute wants to have a voice through the media from where they can air their subjective opinions on the issue. The media must not become or be seen as a horn speaker for either of the parties, as that would not be without grave consequences. Then we have the Post-Crisis stage. The media must determine, suggest and promote through editorial and commentaries, what â€Å"strategies and policies can be developed [and deployed] to prevent similar or related crisis† (Ajala 2001:180). There should be a continual emphasis on those issue that guarantee peace, justice, equity and mutual coexistence, while denouncing those that cause disaffection, frustration and distress in the system. If these steps are observed, the media would be a veritable tool for, not just crisis reporting; but crisis management through reporting. The Origin and Nature of the Nigerian Press Nigerian Media historians generally agree that the Nigerian Press has a Christian missionary origin. Goaded by the motive â€Å"to excite the intelligence of the people†¦and get them to read†, Henry Townsend established the Iwe Iroyin in 1859 (Duyile 1987 cited by Mohamed 2003:19). Shortly, after the establishment of this mission –oriented press, the nationality press came on stream. The primary objective of this era was to attack, decimate and summarily expel the British imperialists. It was hostile to the British colonial administration. The press in this era championed the liberation struggle, agitating for sovereignty and self-governance. It had a nationalist (not a nationality) focus. This era technically ended on September 30, 1960 (Ajuluchukwu 2000:14). Subsequently, the press had the task of engineering a new state and guiding its evolution into a viable venture. Ajuluchukwu (2000:42) speaks of the journalism of this post-independence era in this wise: â€Å"For our professional journalists, the transition experience (from colonial to civil rule) proved sickeningly tortuous, mainly because they apparently failed to be reconciled with the fact that the emergent democratic government of independent Nigeria was not an extension of the preceding imperialist despotism. In that lingering frame of mind, the press remained hostile to the government of indigenous Nigerians as they were to the expelled British Regime. It was as though the media in the First Republic regarded our independent federal administration as a government neither of the people nor by the people and not for the people. The independent print media of the period demonstrated a clear unwillingness to give a blanket support to the government† It is important to note the emphasis on independent media. Contrary to the independent editorial stance of private-owned media, the earlier established organsiations of the leading politicians of the three major regions – Eastern, Western, and Northern – were heavily partisan promoting the interest of the regions that had founded them. Mohammed (2003 p33-34) provides insight into the implications of this on the place and role of the press in this era: â€Å"In the Northern Region, such media establishments as the Hausa language publication Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo established in 1948, and remained New Nigeria in 1966; and Radio Television Kaduna, established in 1962†¦the Western Nigerian Television founded in 1959; the tribune group of newspapers, founded in 1951 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo; Sketch Newspapers established in 1964; Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s West African Pilot founded in 1937 and its chain of publications, in addition to the Eastern Nigerian Television established in 1960†¦The attainment of independence in 1960 and the devolution of power of the petty bourgeois politicians through the three major political parties (National People’s Congress, based in and serving the North, National Council for Nigerian and Cameroon in the east and Action Group in the west)†¦were to impact on the of the mass media in post – colonial Nigeria. Although they were once united in ‘fighting’ the colonial impostors, they became divided, serving partisan, ethnic and sectional interests. This may be regarded as the beginning of the nationality press in Nigeria. Currently, there exist in the Niger Delta streams of community-based newspapers that seek to foster the Niger Delta agenda. Most of them, based in Port Harcourt, a city which, for some strategic political and socio –economic reasons may be regarded as the defacto headquarters of the Niger Delta. Some of these papers include Argus, Hard Truth, and The Beacon, among others. Appearing in the tabloid form, most of them circulate on weekly basis. Most also have their circulation scope limited to Port Harcourt, but are no less effective in shaping the opinion of the people and presenting their position on issues plaguing the oil-rich area. It is important to state that the press in the Niger Delta will make an elaborate subject for another research. THE NIGERIAN MEDIA AND NATIONAL SECURITY There are two positions on what constitutes national security-the militarist perspective and the developmental perspective. The militarist perspective locates national security on the ability of a nation to deter attack or defeat it (Lippman cited in Odunlanmi, 1999 p.128). Here national security is seen as the protection of the territorial integrity of a nation by military might. Therefore, a nation should develop the necessary weaponry to curtail and prevent the invasion of her territory by enemy forces and ensure that her citizens enjoy physical freedom, political independence and that their minimum core values are protected (Odunlanmi, 1999:128). On the other hand, the developmental perspective sees national security beyond territorial security of a nation or physical safety of her citizens. As observed by Nweke (1988) : â€Å"There is no doubt that national security embodies the sovereignty of the state, the inviolability of its national boundaries, and the right to individual and collective self-defense against internal threat. But the state is secure only when the aggregate of people organized under it has the consciousness of belongings to a common sovereign political community; enjoy equal political freedom, human rights, economic opportunities, and when the state itself is able to ensure independence in its development and foreign policy† cited in Odunlanmi (1999 p129). Alli (2001 p201) agrees with this thought by advancing that security should be all-embracing and may include: ‘personal security and freedom from danger and crime’; ‘freedom from fear and anxiety’; ‘freedom from disease’ and ‘a general feeling of well-being’. Thus the people in a state must not just be said to have access or means of economic self-reliance, political participation, respect for basic human rights and dignity; they must be seen to enjoy these benefits. They must be seen to be sufficiently empowered to access and enjoy good food, good shelter, equal rights to political participations, right to freedom of expression and civil decent and other basic rights. Conclusion One of the basic causes of conflict in any society is the lack of free flow of communication. Each segment of society needs an outlet to vent the feelings and opinion on issues of the day. Sewant (2000 p20) speaks of civil institutions in society which are â€Å"uncommitted to any political party or ideology†. These institutions may be educational, religious, literary and cultural, sport, financial and economic, or social welfare. â€Å"These institutions†, he says, â€Å"occupy spaces in the social life not covered by the political institutions. There is a competition and even rivalry between the political and the civil institutions need a voice through the media.† Clearly, the media must provide a platform for civil discourse and dialogue in which people must air their views on matters that concern them. When opinions are suppressed, emotions repressed, and views ignored, the result may be a state of anarchy, whose perpetrators may want to excuse on the unavailability of â€Å"option[s] other than when opinions anxious to voice their own idealistic, even altruistic, goals† (Whittaker, 2004:3). Alli (2001:201) explains that â€Å"in a heterogeneous society like Nigeria, suppressed opinion is unhealthy to the foundation of state, it [breads] discontent and violent expression†. In his work on ‘the capacity of the media for social mobilizations’, Folarin (2000, p104) observes that â€Å"media’s potential to counter threats to stability, minimize panic and anxiety and maintain cultural and political consensus†. By simply giving people the opportunity to talk, a lot of problems may be avoided, curtailed or solved. The media must provide this opportunity. â€Å"When the media represents and speaks on behalf of all sections of the society, particularly the voiceless, it gives meaning to democracy as a truly representative regime† (Sewant, 2000:25). Secondly, the media have capacity to champion polices that encourage better living condition by promoting accountability, responsible leadership and good governance on the part of leaders. At the same time, should be on the vanguard of campaigns against any policies or actions that undermine national security. The media provides a platform for debates on public policies, so that both the rulers and the ruled have the opportunity to make inputs, the effect of which are far-reaching in strengthening democratic structures and guaranteeing national security. This is the correction role of the media. Further, programming in the media should also address the need for citizenship and cultural education, so that in a plural society, like Nigeria, one segment of the polity is able to understand, appreciate and respect the other cultures extant in the society. This will cause less tension. For this to happen, it is crucial to have a media that is plural, to the extent of being representative of the different interest in the state. Oyovbaire (2000, p103) advocates for pluralism of the press in terms of an operational base that is diffused and a programming philosophy that is liberal and accommodating of interest other than that of the proprietors. Unfortunately, as Oyovbaire argues, the media has not only been concentrated in the south-west of Nigeria, particularly Lagos State, it is often seen to hold and highlight sectional opinions. In promoting national security, the media must educate and enlighten the citizens on the factors that unite them, while avoiding and dislodging divisive tendencies and sentiments (Odunlanmi, 1999:132). How to cite Interpretation and judgement in news reporting., Essay examples

Sensory Stimulation Theory Essay Sample free essay sample

A figure of definitions exist for the term â€Å"learning† and these definitions differ in the manner they are put frontward in different theories. However. the fundamental is the same. Learning refers to the procedure of increasing 1s cognition through the procedure of reading and the usage of senses. There are several learning theories but one in peculiar that we will be traveling over is centripetal stimulation theory. Introduction Tamez and Surles ( 2004 ) described larning as an active procedure that starts with the scholar. ‘It consists of a relationship between the scholar and the environment. their present and past experience. a natural or unconditioned wonder to cognize and the societal interaction between each of us. They besides speak of how these things besides play a function in how people learn best. Which sense do people prefer when they are larning? Depending on the environment that a individual is in. does the sense in which they learn alteration? LITERATURE REVIEW In the sixtiess and 1970s. We will write a custom essay sample on Sensory Stimulation Theory Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page acquisition was normally referred as a alteration in behaviour. that is larning is discussed as the terminal merchandise of some procedure. Therefore acquisition was closely associated with alteration. However this attack to acquisition has been subjected to some argument and most interestingly from Merriam and Caffarella who raised the undermentioned critical inquiries. Does a individual need to execute in order for larning to hold happened? Are at that place other factors that may do behaviour to alter? Can the alteration involved include the possible for alteration? These questions have triggered a figure of reactions among theoreticians and some have looked to placing comparatively lasting alterations in behaviour. or instead the potency for alteration. as a consequence of experiences. But a figure of other theoreticians have been less concerned with behavior but instead with alterations in the ways in which people understand. or experience. or gestate the universe around them. They argued that non all alterations in behaviour ensuing from experience involve acquisition. The focal point for them. is deriving cognition or ability through the usage of experience. An interesting research by Saljo on what grownup pupils understood by larning yield the undermentioned responses which shed some more visible radiations from an empirical sense on the above. 1. Learning as a quantitative addition in cognition. Learning is geting information or ‘knowing a lot’ . 2. Learning as memorizing. Learning is hive awaying information that can be reproduced. 3. Learning as geting facts. accomplishments. and methods that can be retained and used as necessary. 4. Learning as doing sense or abstracting significance. Learning involves associating parts of the capable affair to each other and to the existent universe. 5. Learning as interpretation and understanding world in a different manner. Learning involves groking the universe by re-explaining cognition. The positions are clearly different and the writer argued that constructs 1 to 3 imply a less complex pos ition of larning. Learning is something external to the scholar whereby people go out and purchase cognition. Concepts 4 and 5 expression to the ‘internal’ or personal facet of acquisition and larning appears something that one does in order to understand the existent universe. Learning as a procedure The above besides leads us to see larning looking as a procedure every bit good as there is a concern with what happens when the acquisition takes topographic point. Maples and Webster 1980 ( quoted in Merriam and Caffarella 1991: 124 ) posited that acquisition is ‘a procedure by which behavior alterations as a consequence of experience’ . Cardinal to this has been has been the issue of the extent to which people are witting of what is traveling on. that is if they are awared that they are engaged in larning. One of import part is that of Rogers ( 2003 ) who set out two contrasting attacks viz. the task-conscious or acquisition acquisition and learning-conscious or formalized acquisition. The writer described acquisition acquisition as traveling on all the clip. It is ‘concrete. immediate and confined to a specific activity ; it is non concerned with general principles’ ( Rogers 2003 ) . Formalized larning on the other manus arises from the procedure of easi ng larning. It is ‘educative learning’ instead than the accretion of experience. As Rogers ( 2003:27 ) puts it ‘Learning itself is the undertaking. What formalized acquisition does is to do larning more witting in order to heighten it’ . In fact what is more likely is a mix of acquisition and formalistic acquisition as organizing a continuum. This is supported by cardinal theoreticians such as Kurt Lewin. Chris Argyris and Micheal Polayni. Learning as a procedure – larning theory The above treatment on the procedure later leads to the door of larning theories. There are many different theories of how people learn. Meyers A ; Freitas ( 2006 ) group larning theories into different wide positions which are discussed below. Before that let us see Tamez and Surles ( 2004 ) treatment on the theories of acquisition. Tamez and Surles ( 2004 ) argued that all theories are grounded in one or a combination of rationalism. empiricist philosophy or constructivism. Rationalism means that the person is non influenced by 3rd parties in the determination devising procedure. The person has his ain beliefs and believing procedure. That person would ever hold a set of rules based on his acquired cognition from exposure to the universe. Empiricism is a province whereby the higher the degree of experience. the more the single becomes knowing and the better is his ability to do experient determination. All the determinations taken by the invidual have a high degree of coherency. Constructivism stipulates that the person is exposed to the universe and to his inner beliefs and he uses both these cognition to organize his ain rules. The single concepts intending from the information of experience. † Tamez and Surles ( 2004 ) argued that none of these three theories dominate in existent life. these are all ex tremes and in the existent universe. single uses a combination of these three theories. The terminal consequence is one of acquisition. The different wide positions are now discussed below and this is believed to give a more complete analysis of larning theories. Centripetal stimulation theoryTraditional centripetal stimulation theory postulates that effectual acquisition occurs when the senses are stimulated. For case Laird ( 1985 ) reported that the huge bulk of cognition held by grownups ( 75 % ) was learned through visual perception and that hearing was the following most effectual ( about 13 % ) and the other senses ( touch. odor and gustatory sensation ) accounted for 12 % of what we know. Thus larning would be enhanced by exciting the senses. particularly the ocular sense. Furthermore the theory claims that if multi-senses are stimulated. greater larning takes topographic point. Reinforcement theory Forming portion of the behavioristic school of psychological science ( see Skinner. Laird 1985. Burns 1995 ) . it is believed that behavior is a map of its effects. That is if positive ‘reinforcement’ follows a behavior. the scholar will reiterate the coveted behavior. On the other manus. it is besides argued that negative support may besides beef up a behavior and refers to a state of affairs when a negative status is stopped or avoided as a effect of the behavior. However Laird ( 1985 ) argued that penalty weakens a behavior because a negative status is introduced or experienced as a effect of the behavior and teaches the single non to reiterate the behavior which was negatively reinforced. Though it is a fact that penalty is widely used in mundane life. Burns notes that it merely works for a short clip and frequently merely when the punishing bureau is present. The unfavorable judgment of this attack is that it is stiff and mechanical. Cognitive-Gestalt attacks This attack emphasises on the importance of experience. significance. problem-solving and the development of penetrations ( Burns 1995. P 112 ) . Burns notes that this theory has developed the construct that persons have different demands and concerns at different times. and that they have subjective readings in different contexts. Holistic acquisition theory The basic premiss of this theory rests on that for larning to be effectual require activation of ‘individual personality which consists of many elements†¦ specifically †¦ the mind. emotions. the organic structure impulse ( or desire ) . intuition and imagination’ ( Laird. 1985. p 121 ) . Facilitation theory ( the humanist attack )Laird ( 1985 ) discussed this theory and ascertained that larning will happen by the pedagogue moving as a facilitator. that is by set uping an ambiance in which scholars feel comfy to see new thoughts and are non threatened by external factors. He farther characterised this theory by reasoning that I ) human existences have a natural avidity to larn two ) there is some opposition to. and unpleasant effects of. giving up what is presently held to be true and that the most important learning involves altering one’s construct of oneself. Experiential acquisition Kolb ( in McGill A ; Beaty. 1995 ) proposed an experiential acquisition theoretical account which is a four-stage acquisition procedure. In fact. the procedure can get down at any of the phases and is uninterrupted in that there is no bound to the figure of rhythms you can do in a learning state of affairs. This theory posits that without contemplation one would merely go on to reiterate our errors. Kolb’s research found that people learn in four ways with the likeliness of developing one manner of larning more than another. As shown in the ‘experiential acquisition cycle’ theoretical account above. acquisition is one ) through concrete experience two ) through observation and contemplation three ) through abstract conceptualisation four ) through active experimentation. It is deserving discoursing Kolb’s work farther As already discussed. the thought that people learn in different ways has been explored over the last few decennaries by educational research workers. Kolb. one of the most influential of these. found that persons begin with their preferable manner in the experiential acquisition rhythm. Honey and Mumford ( 1986 cited in McGill A ; Beaty 1995 P 177 ) . edifice on Kolb’s work. identified four larning manners i ) Activist ( enjoys the experience itself ) . two ) Reflector ( spends a great trade of clip and attempt reflecting three ) Theorist ( good at doing connexions and abstracting thoughts from experience ) four ) Pragmatist ( enjoys the planning phase ) . There are strengths and failings in each of these manners. Honey and Mumford argue that acquisition is enhanced when we think about our learning manner so that we can construct on strengths and work towards minimising failings to better the quality of larning. Action larning The ‘father’ of action acquisition. Revans. has said that there can be no larning without action and no action without larning. McGill A ; Beaty ( 1995 ) described this attack as one that links the universe of larning with the universe of action through a brooding procedure within little concerted acquisition groups known as ‘action larning sets’ . The ‘sets’ meet on a regular basis to work on single members’ real-life issues with the purpose of larning with and from each other. CONCLUSIONS This short paper has summarized a scope of larning theories that can be applied in educational contexts. Teaching and learning activities can be designed and implemented to take rules of larning into history. Besides. it is interesting to believe about single differences among scholars and to work towards including activities that have assortment and involvement for all the scholars in educational plans. Mentions Brooks. J. ( 1995 ) . Training and Development Competence: a practical usher. London: Kogan Page. Burns. R. ( 1995 ) . The grownup scholar at work. Sydney: Business and Professional Publishing. Burns. S. ( 1995 ) . ‘Rapid alterations require sweetening of grownup learning’ HRMonthly June. pp 16-17. Honey. P. and Mumford A. ( 1986 ) . A Manual of Learning Styles. Peter Honey. Maidenhead hypertext transfer protocol: //www. engsc. Ac. uk/er/theory/learningstyles. asp Knowles. M. S. ( 1978 ) . The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 2nd edition. Houston: Gulf Publishing Company. Book Division. Knowles. M. S. ( 1990 ) . The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 4th edition. Houston: Gulf Publishing Company. Book Division Laird. D. ( 1985 ) . Approaches to preparation and development. Reading. Mass: Addison-Wesley. Lewin. K. ( 1951 ) Field theory in societal scientific discipline ; selected theoretical documents. D. Cartwright ( ed. ) . New York: Harper A ; Row. Maples. M. F. . W ebster. J. M. ( 1980 ) . â€Å"Thorndike’s connectionism† . in Gazda. G. M. . Corseni. R. J. ( Eds ) . Theories of Learning. Peacock. Itasca. McGill. I. A ; Beaty. L. ( 1995 ) Action Learning. 2nd edition: a usher for professional. direction and educational development London: Kogan Page. Merriam. S. and Caffarella ( 1991. 1998 ) Learning in Adulthood. A comprehensive usher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. infed. org/biblio/learning-social. htm Pogson. P. A ; Tennant. M. ( 1995 ) ‘Understanding Adults’ in Foley. G. erectile dysfunction. Understanding big instruction and preparation. St Elmore leonards: Allen A ; Unwin. pp. 20-30. Ramsden. P. ( 1992 ) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London: Routledge. Rogers. A. ( 2003 ) What is the difference? a new review of grownup acquisition and instruction. Leicester: NIACE. Saljo. R. ( 1979 ) Learning about larning. Higher Education. 8: 443-451. T. Meyers and S. De Freitas. R eview of e-learning theories. models and theoretical accounts. in JISC e-learning focal point. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. elearning. Ac. uk/elearningandpedagogy/peddesign/emodels/emodels Tamez and Surles ( 2004 ) Learning Environments: Metacognitive Schemes That Facilitate The Learning Process. swiki. Cs. Colorado. edu/dlc-2004/uploads/dlcfnl. physician

TEACHERS ARE OVER

TEACHERS ARE OVER-PAID AND UNDER-WORKED Essay Pro: The role of education in a society is of crucial importance in order to have a civil and organised society; citizens need knowledge and the ability to think critically. They also need basic literacy and numeracy, and some knowledge of the world around them. This is not disputed, however, the need for teachers who receive high salaries and for 20 percent of the year are on holidays is rather questionable. One needs look no further than to the forum section of the Sydney Morning Herald to find the truth that teachers are overpaid and under worked. 1 Teachers enjoy an excellent remuneration package. One needs to search hard to find a career that, in the first year after graduation, can be paid up to 45 thousand dollars.2 Compared to the starting salaries in other careers, teachers can be seen as rather generously compensated. According to figures quoted in the Good Education guide, the average starting salary, a graduate entry teacher is paid, on average, $35 5743 and have some of the lowest course costs. This is compared to such courses as law and architecture, which have nearly double the course costs, an extra year of study and can only expect an extra two thousand dollars per annum. In the case of architecture, the average graduate can only expect a starting salary of $29000.4 With all this in mind, teachers can barely claim to be poorly paid at all. We will write a custom essay on TEACHERS ARE OVER-PAID AND UNDER-WORKED specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Teachers also claim to be overworked. However, this is a fallacy for two reasons. Firstly, teachers enjoy 12 weeks of holiday time a year. This is in direct contrast with the average employee, who receives a minimum of four weeks a year. Coupled with this is the fact that teachers enjoy all the public holidays away from the classroom. Their working hours are, essentially, between the hours of 8am to 3:30pm weekdays. This is different to the normal worker who has 8-hour days, and can work every day of the week. Teachers do have a fantastic deal! 5 A teachers job is not overly arduous, nor is it particularly dangerous. To highlight this fact, one needs only look to those career choices, which are more dangerous, but much lower paid. According to Work Cover Western Australia, the teaching profession for males only lost 9.1 hours per million working hours due to illness or injury. This figure is only bettered by the insurance sector. For comparison, the manufacturing industry, the worst industry as far as lost time for injury and disease is concerned, lost 24.3 hours per million. In the case of women, the educating profession only lost 6.3 hours due to injury or illness.6 As illustrated previously, teachers, compared to the rest of society, are overpaid and under worked. They are paid extremely well once they have graduated and receive much better holidays. They also have a safe and secure workplace compared to other lesser-paid workers. This safety shows that their career is not overly dangerous and can show teachers are overpaid, or on the contrary, that other workers need to be paid more danger money. Teachers are overpaid and under worked. 1 http://smh.com.au/yoursay/2003/09/17/ accessed 01/05/2004 2 http://education. qld.gov.au/hr/recruitment/administrative/docs/classroom_tea chers accessed 01/05/2004 3 http://www.thegoodguides.com.au/fostable. cfm?coursetype=undergraduate accessed 01/05/2004 4 http://www.thegoodguides.com.au/fostable.cfm?coursetype=undergraduate accessed 01/05/2004 5 /http://education.qld. gov.au/hr/recruitment/administrative/docs/classroom_te achers accessed 01/05/2004 and Suncorp Certified Agreement, page 9 6 All figures from WorkCover WA Injury Statistics (2002) http://www.safetyline.wa.gov.au/pagebin/injrstat0311. pdf accessed 01/05/2004 . TEACHERS ARE OVER TEACHERS ARE OVER-PAID AND UNDER-WORKED Essay Pro: The role of education in a society is of crucial importance in order to have a civil and organised society; citizens need knowledge and the ability to think critically. They also need basic literacy and numeracy, and some knowledge of the world around them. This is not disputed, however, the need for teachers who receive high salaries and for 20 percent of the year are on holidays is rather questionable. One needs look no further than to the forum section of the Sydney Morning Herald to find the truth that teachers are overpaid and under worked. 1 We will write a custom essay on TEACHERS ARE OVER-PAID AND UNDER-WORKED specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Teachers enjoy an excellent remuneration package. One needs to search hard to find a career that, in the first year after graduation, can be paid up to 45 thousand dollars.2 Compared to the starting salaries in other careers, teachers can be seen as rather generously compensated. According to figures quoted in the Good Education guide, the average starting salary, a graduate entry teacher is paid, on average, $35 5743 and have some of the lowest course costs. This is compared to such courses as law and architecture, which have nearly double the course costs, an extra year of study and can only expect an extra two thousand dollars per annum. In the case of architecture, the average graduate can only expect a starting salary of $29000.4 With all this in mind, teachers can barely claim to be poorly paid at all. Teachers also claim to be overworked. However, this is a fallacy for two reasons. Firstly, teachers enjoy 12 weeks of holiday time a year. This is in direct contrast with the average employee, who receives a minimum of four weeks a year. Coupled with this is the fact that teachers enjoy all the public holidays away from the classroom. Their working hours are, essentially, between the hours of 8am to 3:30pm weekdays. This is different to the normal worker who has 8-hour days, and can work every day of the week. Teachers do have a fantastic deal! 5 A teachers job is not overly arduous, nor is it particularly dangerous. To highlight this fact, one needs only look to those career choices, which are more dangerous, but much lower paid. According to Work Cover Western Australia, the teaching profession for males only lost 9.1 hours per million working hours due to illness or injury. This figure is only bettered by the insurance sector. For comparison, the manufacturing industry, the worst industry as far as lost time for injury and disease is concerned, lost 24.3 hours per million. In the case of women, the educating profession only lost 6.3 hours due to injury or illness.6 As illustrated previously, teachers, compared to the rest of society, are overpaid and under worked. They are paid extremely well once they have graduated and receive much better holidays. They also have a safe and secure workplace compared to other lesser-paid workers. This safety shows that their career is not overly dangerous and can show teachers are overpaid, or on the contrary, that other workers need to be paid more danger money. Teachers are overpaid and under worked. 1 http://smh.com.au/yoursay/2003/09/17/ accessed 01/05/2004 2 http://education. qld.gov.au/hr/recruitment/administrative/docs/classroom_teachers accessed 01/05/2004 3 http://www.thegoodguides.com.au/fostable. cfm?coursetype=undergraduate accessed 01/05/2004 4 http://www.thegoodguides.com.au/fostable.cfm?coursetype=undergraduate accessed 01/05/2004 5 /http://education.qld. gov.au/hr/recruitment/administrative/docs/classroom_teachers accessed 01/05/2004 and Suncorp Certified Agreement, page 9 6 All figures from WorkCover WA Injury Statistics (2002) http://www.safetyline.wa.gov.au/pagebin/injrstat0311. pdf accessed 01/05/2004 .

The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essays

The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essays The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essay The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essay The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Introduction Since humans have come into existence they have always been a cause of change of whatever natural areas they inhabit along with the living organisms of those natural areas. The different types of organisms such as plants, animals, and microorganisms that inhabit these areas are known as biological diversity or biodiversity. (USEPA 2010 ) Biological diversity can be affected by many different things, climate change, and area being two specific things. Humans fit into a strange niche of biological diversity. While we have a part of biodiversity and in ecosystems, the human race has spread much farther than any other breed or type of organism except for bacteria. (Diaz 2006) Humans have spread into so many other ecosystems that are not meant to be inhabited by humans and through technology, industrialization, and evolutionary changes have changed these natural ecosystems. As the population size of the human race increases the biological diversity of natural ecosystems seems to decrease. Humans have made an effect on several types of different systems aquatic, forest, and landscape conservations, changing permanently the biodiversity of these natural ecosystems in some form or fashion. White 2 Deforestation Deforestation is one major issue that has been caused by human population growth. Deforestation is the loss of forest due to the act of trees being overcut. This becomes such a big issue due to a problem known as soil erosion that occurs when deforestation happens. Soil erosion is the loss of the protective top layers of soil which take away from the ability of the soil to soak up and hold water. Stock and Rochen 2000) Beyond hurting the air quality that humans need soil erosion and deforestation becomes an issue that affects humans especially when it comes to agriculture. To have successful agricultural profit soil that has water holding properties is necessary. To yield a useful crop the top layers of soil are necessary which when deforestation is used to clear farm land are lost which keeps farmers from producing a good crop. Deforestation also causes many homes for different organisms to be lost endangerment and in extreme cases because the organisms natural habitat and food sources have been lost, extinction. Extinction becomes more likely when the majority of deforestation occurs in tropical regions for agriculture, paper from the trees, or industrialization these regions have numerous undiscovered organisms plant, animal, and microorganisms. Biological diversity and human welfare becomes compromised due to the ever extending reach and spread of the human population. Erosion Erosion by definition is the wearing down of something by grinding away, such as the wear on the Earth due to wind and water. Erosion is a naturally occurring process but yet still dangerous and aided by humans and the spreading population of humans, wearing away at the Earth, there is lost biological diversity of different plants and animals, because, the natural White 3 ecosystem and habitat has been eroded away. When erosion happens plants are lost and a lot the times made to be extinct. Which slowly but surely causes there to be a less diverse population of different plant species. And when plants disappear the animals will to in search of food causing a geographic migration of different animal populations and species. Rivers have been channelized to facilitate boat traffic, prevent flooding, and allow farming along their banks† (Audesirk 2008). As humans take from the environment we remove key nutrients and sediments from rivers and land, helping along the erosion process. Aquatic Systems As humans water is a necessary part of our diet in order to live. While we spread throughout the globe not on ly do we tamper with the balance of biodiversity of land ecosystems we also tamper with the biodiversity of aquatic systems too. As the populations of humans grow industrialization grows too, and is it known many companies do not dispose of the byproducts and waste of their companies properly; so waste, such as chemicals and other trash and debris are tossed into rivers. Eventually all rivers lead and empty out into oceans which means said chemicals are dumped into the ocean. These chemicals, waste, and debris float freely into the human population water supply and into the animals of aquatic systems water supply and habitats. These animals are exposed to the companies’ byproducts and they affect the life span, and habitat quality of the animals. Yet again human population growth can cause extinction of species, populations, communities, etc. due to the lack of regard or concern of how the biodiversity of natural ecosystems affects all species in the long run. White 4 Landscape Conservation Though humans have made a huge impact on the biodiversity of many and most ecosystems; it is recognized that for as much damage has been caused there should be some type of effort to improve and try to restore the biodiversity in some ecosystems. So was created the National Landscape Conservation System in 1969 ( CSA 2009). The mission of this system is to â€Å"conserve, protect, and restore these nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations†. (CSA 2009 ) However this system of land conservation is solely interested can only benefit Western/American land. The goal is to protect the USA’s most prized beautiful lands from being lost to the human populations’ impact on biological diversity of ecosystems. Though this system makes a good effort on protecting Western lands, there is still the matter of all the lands and waters around the world that could use protecting and preserving from humans in order for future generations to receive the full benefits that can be offered from the different ecosystems. Discussion A well educated member of society should have an understanding of this issue in order to understand the affect humans are having on our planets. As biological diversity decreases throughout the worlds natural ecosystems resources that could help the human population are continuously lost on a daily basis. Biological diversity can be related to agriculture that is highly affected when biodiversity is lost. And what the government does with land and regulations put White 5 on certain lands and waters. Biodiversity and the lack there of are major social issues that can relate back to all humans. Because as we decrease biodiversity with the spread of our population we affect our living standards as well, and those of many animals and other organisms. Science an provide all of the background information, statistics, and experimentation in the world but science cannot fix the decreasing of biodiversity when the problem is the spread of the human population into other ecosystems. Science cannot â€Å"cure† or fix population growth. While science can make one more aware it cannot fix the actual situation. Conclusion Humans hav e a major impact on the biological diversity of natural ecosystems and as time has gone on, the issue has become more apparent and prominent. Biological diversity is important in regards to humans because without it valuable information, beneficial plants and animals are lost. When erosion and deforestation occur animals and plants lose their natural habitats and are forced to migrate and some species become extinct. Erosion and deforestation also make land useless for agriculture meaning that the land after being cleared yields no purpose or goods for the human population. The aquatic systems suffer when humans show no regard to the fact that other creatures most coincide with the human population. Though companies have gotten better with what is done with their waste more is still able to be done to prevent a further decrease of biological diversity. Humans recognize now as the Earth loses more and more biological diverse ecosystems that something must be done to at least attempt to preserve the different plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in different biologically diverse natural White 6 ecosystems. Thus the National Landscape Conservation System and several other organizations were created in hopes of bringing awareness to the growing issue of the loss of biodiversity throughout the planet. Human population has a major impact on biological diversity in natural resources. Though the population tries to prevent any more damage from being done the fact is that humans have had a major negative impact on the biodiversity of natural ecosystems through the spread of the population, industrialization and negligence for the surrounding area shared by humans with other ecosystems. White 7 United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ecosystems and Biodiversity . Washington, DC: United States Government, 2010. Web. 10 Nov 2010. epa. gov/climatechange/effects/eco. html Stock, Jocelyn, and Andy Rochen. The Choice: Dooms Day or Arbor Day. Deforestation. University of Michigan, 01/21/2000. Web. 10 Nov 2010. umich. edu/~gs265/society/deforestation. htm Audesirk, Teresa, Audesirk, Gerald, and Byers, Bruce E. Biology Life on Earth. Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River. Prentice Hall. 2008. Print. Diaz, Sandra. Why is Biodiversity Essential for Human Life?. Sep. 2006: n. pag. Web. 10 Nov 2010. http://news. softpedia. com/news/Why-Is-Biodiversity-Essential-for-Human-Life-34980. shtml The National Landscape Conservation System. The Conservation System Alliance. N. p. , January 29 2009. Web. 10 Nov 2010. conservationsystem. org/conservationsystem

Arguments in Akbar’s the Great

Arguments in Akbar’s the Great Akbar was living in the mid 1500’s and the early 1600’s. Akbar lived in india. Akbar was only 14 years of age when he took over the throne and surpassed his father. 1564 was the year that akbar was almost assassinated and killed buy a bullet. The bullet did not kill him it only struck his shoulder and Akbar lived. Shortly after this Akbar the Great took the reigns of the mughal empire and he took over the empire. A anti mughal coalistin that was maniley a bunch of afghanis tried to pull of something out of the ordinary, They tried to recapture the throne, it didn’t turn out that well because they loses the battle against the Mughals, The mughals are akbar’s empire.Akbar was an ambitos and noble commander. Akbar built one of the biggest armies known to the mughal empire. One barrier that akbar happen to come across was the afghanis in india. The afghanis where one of the most dangerous to the mughal empire.Akbar declared his intentions to reclaim the rights to the throne at the delhi. The huge mughal empire moved to panipat to conquer and the Mughals faced hemu’s. One of the biggest problem here is that hemu’s army was giant. Even bigger than the Mughals. Even 3x larger than it. It was almost impossible for the mughals to defeat hemu’s army. So Akbar’s hope for the throne is almost gone at this point. But the Mughals army was smarter than hemu’s because the mughals struck the leader of the hemu’s. When a empire or an army doesn’t have a leader they don’t know what they do so they surrendered and akbar took over the throne again. Thesis Akbar was an Agent of change because he was so powerful he extended his empire at 14 years of age, he revised the tax system and he was religiously open minded . Argument 1 Evidence 1 Akbar ruled through cooperation and tolerance. Akbar did not make any of the hindu population/ people convert to islam if they didn’t want to. Akbar also was able to translate hindi literature he was very welcoming of other religions as he was a very curious person. Argument 1 Evidence 2 Akbar the great was a fabulous general and he extended on his military development throughout his reign when akbar died his empire continued Argument 1 Evidence 3 In creation of his empire akbar had a lot of success because of that he created his empire and as a result of that he was able to earn trust and loyalty from the people who conquered him and then Akbar conquered them. Argument 2 Evidence 1 He inherited small fiefs but he was able to achieve stability, and over time he won control of northern india and the afghanis. By the time he dies he ruled from afghanistan to sindu. He was able to do that because he was a great and smart ruler who a lot of people respected. By his strategies to conquer and expand Argument 2 Evidence 2 Akbar the Great revised the tax system in 1574. When Akbar did this he separated the revenue collection from the military administration. Who was in charge of this stuff, you might ask? Well each subban or governor was to maintain order in his region. While all of this was going on a separate tax collector collected these property taxes and sent them to the capital. Argument 2 Evidence 3 The Stuff in evidence 2 supports this. That created checks and balances. In regions they didn’t have much money so the people otherwise known as the individuals, they had no troops. But the troops had no money, the troops and the individuals were dependent on the main source†¦ The central government. What the central government did was they doled out fixed salaries to both the military and civilian personnel according to rank. Argument 3 Evidence 1 Akbar was a really religious guy. He went to a lot of religious festivals even when it wasn’t even his own religion. Akbar built a temple in this certain temple he hosted scholars, they came from different religions. Those religions included hindus, zoroastrians, christians, yogis, and muslims of other sects. He allowed the jesuits to confront a church at agra. Argument 3 evidence 2 Not everybody really thought that the Temple was a good idea. They thought that multiculturalism wasn’t a good idea. Akbar was called a â€Å"heretic†. Mid way 1579 a mazer or declaration was issued that granted Akbar The Great the authority to interpret religious law, superseding the authority of the mullahs. This became known as the infallibility decree, and it furthered akbar’s ability to create an interreligious and multi cultural state. Argument 3 evidence 3 In 1582 Akbar had established a new cult, a cult is (a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.) But this wasn’t really a small group it was relatively large. The Din-i-ilahi, or otherwise known as ‘Divine faith†, that combined a bunch of elements of a bunch of different religions, that also included islam, hinduism and the zoroastrianism. What this faith did was it centered around Akbar The Great as a prophet or a spiritual leader. This faith Died when Akbar died.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 10

Assignment - Essay Example Historical research design, on the hand, entails trailing the development of a given idea and making conclusions out of such data. In causal designs, a relationship is hypothesized between two variables. In such a circumstance, there must be a one dependent variable and one or more independent variables (Turksen 2006, p. 143). The nature of such a relationship is essential for making given conclusions. For instance, a researcher may ask if one wants to explore the perceptions about a given social phenomenon and how such perceptions link to other outlooks. Besides, the researcher may ask if one wants to use a distinct field method for studying a given group and use another method for studying another subset of a population. Brannen defines research design as a context of inquiry. In this sense, she means a research design determines the process and structure of investigation. It is essential to highlight the logic of the study that drives the inquiry process. In this sense, the researcher should clearly define whether one wants an inductive system or a deductive system (Tolk 2013, p. 113). However, it is essential to note that mixed methods may still involve both of the logics. For instance, survey research may involve both deductive and inductive logics. In qualitative designs, the research tests ideas and generate new ones. She also argues that this phase involves framing researchable questions. These are not actual research questions but questions that will guide the kind of investigation a researcher chooses (Siraj-Blatchford 2010, p. 467). In a project, researchers may ask different types of questions. In the end, the hybrid nature of the questions influences the choice of a method or the choice o f a set of methods. Ercikan and Roth emphasize on the dichotomy of qualitative and quantitative research designs. They argue that this is a primordial basis for constructing any given research. Polarization usually occurs by terming quantitative research as

Technology Plan & Email Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology Plan & Email Skills - Essay Example It may occur any time and is unpredictable. If the existing system fails due to any reason, student cannot continue his online learning. So to avoid such a circumstance, one has to keep one or two alternative computers. At any situation if the working computer fails then other computer can be used. Try to use all the computers. Otherwise there is a chance for failure in the unused computers also. So check the functionality of the alternative computers occasionally. Keep details of the help desk: - Problems like unable to access the computer or network may occur in any system. It may also affect the online learning. For this type of learning, student always needs successfully operating computer and availability of network. So keep the details like phone number and E-mail ID of the computer servicing centers or persons and make sure of their availability as fast as possible. Student must take care that these persons or centers provide good service and they are efficient in the computer hardware and operating system. Keep the contact details of the classmates and customer service team: - There may be situations when cannot have access to his computer or Internet. In such situation they cannot know about details like assignments and other works give in that session. It will affect his study. To avoid this, keep the contact details of one or more classmates. They can give the updated information about the assignments. So keep a good relationship with classmates. Try to keep details of customer service team. It will help to face difficult situation. Keep the back up regularly: - Student should know the basic operations of the computer. Data kept in the computer may lose due to various reasons like, human error, hark disk failure, virus attack, and large file transfer etc. (Pacchiano, 2006). To avoid the data loss from the computer, student must take care for saving the data in the internal drives. Take the back

The Forgotten Group Member Essay Example for Free

The Forgotten Group Member Essay The case study of The Forgotten Group Member demonstrations in what manner teams separate due to an absence of communication. The case verifies that knowing how to lead a team is just as significant as being a part of the team. It is imperative to understand that not only does a leader have the responsibility to lead the team but the members have a responsibility to partake in order for the team effectively complete an assignment. Part I: Group Development Teams pass through numerous stages for example the forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning stages. This particular case places the team within the storming stage. When group participants get to know each other better, the storming stage begins. This stage is considered as a bid for power. Each group member is wondering whether or not he or she will be respected and this may play out in competition, tension and maybe disagreement. Relationships become strained and differences become uncomfortable. Christine is challenged for control by Mike. The hostility Mike feels developed when he came upon his teammates during an unofficial group meeting. Left unaddressed, as in this case, I can only assume that Mike become angry, hostile, and now unproductive. As the leader, Christine’s main task at this stage is to coach group members, in particular Mike, to get them on board. She needs to emphasis that teams come together because they share a common interest, and that members are treated equally. Once Christine re-evaluates the work and re-introduces the forming stages she can help re-integrate Mike back into the group. The forming stage occurs when the leader directs the team and establishes objectives clearly. Once Mike is reintroduced to the team goals and realizes his role on the team hopefully he would have made positive contributions in an effort to produce a high-quality group output. Part II: Problem Identification The hostile attitude Christina and her teammates experienced by Mike occurred during an unexpected team gathering; however Mike should reevaluate his overall performance in a group setting thus far. Based off his action, not attending team meetings and providing brief notes, Mike has become the social loafer of the team. Social loafers can be described as team members who work less and put less effort into the team assignment, than he or she would do if he or she had to complete the assignment alone. The key issues’ facing Christine is not only Mike’s social loafing but the lack of communication on her behalf to inform Mike of his lack of participation. By understanding the stages of group development, Christine should have redefined her team roles so that social loafers are more visible and peer pressures are more likely. This in turn will lead to yet another theory concept known as Social facilitation. Social facilitation occurs when the behavior of team participants are influenced positively by the presence of others in a team. According to our text, Social facilitation theory suggests that working in the presence of others creates an emotional arousal or excitement that stimulates behavior and therefore affects performance. When Christine recognized Mike as the â€Å"clown† of the group she should have relied on his strengths to embrace the audience. Perhaps assigning him the task of presenting the power point slides for their team presentation. Part III: Retrospective Evaluation Since this a difficult situation to solve and each solution has pros and cons I can only reiterate solutions mention in the previous sections. The ideal solution would have been for the group leader, Christine, to re-evaluate her understanding of group development. Once she had a full understanding of the stages and process that it takes to have an efficient team she would have known how to properly handle the situation. When I mention properly handle the situation, I refer to the fact that she should have addressed the issue with Mike in a non-threatening environment. After communicating with Mike, Christina would have been aware of any essential skills that he is lacking or uncomfortable situations that are preventing quality work. At this point in time Christine could have re-evaluated the work and reintroduced the forming stages. Mike will once again be re-introduced to the team goals and realize his role on the team. A different solution, not mentioned previously, would be Distributed Leadership. As per the course text, distributed leadership is the sharing of responsibility for meeting group task and maintenance needs. This involves having the leader, Christine, initiate discussions, clarifying issues, and sharing information while involving other team players. As outlined in the case, many team members were functioning fine, Mike was having trouble being able to meet deadlines and rarely let everyone know. This signals once again a communication problem. By having Christine reach out to Mike and his fellow team members, any issues that were apparent would be brought up and handled. In this case, Mike would have told Christine about his demanding job and relationship woes and thus the team could have adjusted according. The only demise of this method is that the discussions and information sharing will not always be as effective as actually addressing the issues head on. Part IV: Reflection Looking back at this case and the events that have transpired up till this point, it is obvious that Christine was not an effective group leader. Although the majority of the team did work efficiently there was just one negative aspect. That negative aspect was Mike. Being able to deal with conflict comes from experience but in this situation Christine was voted by her team members to be the group leader which should have inspired confidence in her. This confidence should have helped her address Mike in the beginning. If Christine have had the knowledge and the skills of group development she would have been able to effectively provide leadership.

American Women and the World War II Factory Experience Essay -- Americ

American Women and the World War II Factory Experience After much consideration, I decided to write about American women on the home front during World War II. The work done by these brave women was astounding. In order to narrow the scope of my historical survey, I chose to focus particularly on the factory experience of these women, because the female factory worker challenged the existing societal belief of separate sex roles. In this sense, the female factory worker became a pioneer for the later expansion of women into careers that were largely considered â€Å"man’s work.† My main interest has always been American history. I have been particularly interested in what has happened socially during periods of war. Former research projects, have included studies of Southern women during the Civil War, along with student demonstrations against the Vietnam War. I am enthralled with social history and the activities of those who are left at home during periods of national conflict. The behavior of American citizens on the home front often reflects changing cultural values-an evolution of society- for better or worse. I am also vastly interested in those individuals that are not typically included in general historical surveys. A successful student of American history knows about Pearl Harbor and Normandy but very little about what their own grandmother did for the war effort. In my work I hope to offer a new and interesting perspective as to what women did to help win the war. Historians specializing in the American home front, realize the prominence that women played in an American victory. Without these women, the labor force would have been severely weakened. Women war workers were quickly recruited, trai... ...ender, and Propaganda During World War II. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1984. Keegan, John. The Second World War. Middlesex: Viking Penguin, 1989. Leff, Mark H. â€Å"The Politics of Sacrifice on the American Home Front in World War II,† Journal of American History 77, no. 4 (1991): 1296-1318. Milkman, Ruth. Gender at Work: the Dynamics of Job Segregation by Sex during World War II. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1987. ed. Women, Work and Protest: a Century of US Women’s Labor History, 2d ed. New York: Routledge, 1987. Polenberg, Richard, ed. America at War: the Home Front, 1941-1945. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. War and Society: the United States 1941-1945. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1972. Vatter, Harold G. The U.S. Economy in World War II. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985.

Principles of Business Administration Essay

Both employees and employers need to make sure that they are fully aware of their surroundings and to make sure that they are not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol while at work. Alongside personal conduct employees and employers need to make sure they take on personal action, they need to be able to action when needed and not wait for someone else to take control of a situation. As an employer one way they can make sure that the environment is secure and safe if by finding out the information i. . who is in charge of first aid where are the main health and safety concerns within the building and most importantly knowing who to contact when need to if there is a major issue. Santander is an example of a company who made sure that security is top of the game, the reason for this is this company deals with thousands of customers account details may it be for credit cards or store cards, each member of staff are put through training which explains all about data protection and what to do and not to do. The ways in which staffs are told to deal with the accounts are as follows:- When contacting customer may it be from an outbound call or an inbound call all staff need to make sure that they advice the customers that calls may be recorded for future reference, then they must ask the customers security questions to make sure that they are speaking to the correct person (this can be hard as sometimes it is difficult to fully know if the person you are talking to is the correct person). Once this has been confirmed the employee can go on and explain to customer that they are in arrears and take payment to and note customers account, there are occasions when the payment system will not respond and the employees would have to write down the customers details on these occasions the customers would be aware and if they were happy information would be taken and imputed later on the information would then be placed in a specific bin which is collected one every week where all personal or private information is destroyed. Other things employees are told is when leaving the computer they need to make sure that they lock their screen this way no one is able to get a copy of any of the customers details, if the employee has any paper work laying around they also need to make sure that this is locked away if the information has any customers details on. Due to the amount if accounts that fall into arrears there are staff who mainly deal with the store cards and credit cards, these staff are aware not to talk about account holders details, when calling the customer they need to amek sure they complete security questions

Developing Yourself as an Effective Hr Practitioner

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resource Practitioner The CIPD Human Resources Profession Map The CIPD is the professional body for those working within a HR related role, to â€Å"manage the employer-employee relationship and align an organisation’s culture with its people† (CIPD). Researched through collaboration with business leaders the CIPD has developed a map of the activities, knowledge and behaviours required by the different HR roles to meet current business needs (diagram 1).The map consists of ten Professional areas, four Bands and eight Behaviours. Each area has an extended definition to clarify the key requirements of people who work in that area. Diagram 1 Diagram 1 At the core of the map lie ‘Insights, Strategy and Solutions’ and ‘Leading HR’. These two core elements are considered key areas as they extend across all the elements of the HR profession. Also read: HR Profession Map EssayInsights, Strategy and Solutions relates to the need for a successful HR professional to present and develop strategies and solutions based on a firm understanding of the business, it’s internal environment (vision, values, culture, structure and strategy) and its external challenges (competition, world economy, work/life balance, changing demographics of its workforce, changing legislation etc. ) It demonstrates the profession as a recognised business discipline with people and the organisation at its heart.Leading HR is defined as providing ‘active, insight-led leadership: owning, shaping and driving themselves, others and activity in the organisation’ (CIPD). Great leaders can be found across three main areas of leadership – personal leadership, leading others and leading issues. The ten Professional areas relate to the different roles within HR profession e. g. the requirement of someone operating within an Employee Eng agement role is defined as being responsible for ensuring â€Å" †¦ ll aspects of the employment experience – the emotional connection that all employees have with their work, colleagues and to their organisation (in particular line manager relationship) is positive and understood, and that it delivers greater discretionary effort in their work and the way they relate to their organisation†. The four bands of professional competence define the different levels of work activities and the corresponding responsibilities within each professional area, ranging from administrator to board level.Within the HR Map there is also a useful section on the knowledge and . activities required to transition from one band to the next. Finally the eight behaviours describe how the work activities should be carried out within each professional area. The Agency The Agency, despite being less than two years old, has grown from a team of five to 21 employees – 15 Consultants an d six Compliance Officers. The office is very fast paced and competitive, with Consultants urged to secure new posts for high calibre candidates as quickly as possible.Prospective candidates are invited to come into the branch for a registration interview, where they meet the Consultants who will try and place them within schools. Vivien is an experienced Compliance Officer, supporting three Consultants on her pod. Her role is to meet and greet new candidates when they come in for the registration interview, and check they have supplied the necessary paperwork to meet strict safeguarding guidelines before handing them over their consultant for interview. She works alongside Hans, the lead consultant in her pod.They have a very poor relationship, arguing frequently and demonstrate very little respect for each other’s point of view The Candidate proves to be outstanding and Hans manages to place the candidate in a school within two days. Hans is overjoyed and celebrating loudly in the office, at which point Vivien points out to him that she has Vivien has not completed all the necessary vetting procedures so the candidate does not yet meet the safeguarding requirements to begin work. Hans must now contact the school and delay the candidate’s start date, which inconveniences the school and reflects poorly on the agency.HR CUSTOMERS Consultants Need to meet targets to place high fully vetted high calibre teaching staff in school Consultants Need to meet targets to place high fully vetted high calibre teaching staff in school Managing Director Needs to ensure the company’s strategic objectives are met Managing Director Needs to ensure the company’s strategic objectives are met EMPLOYEE RELATIONS OFFICER EMPLOYEE RELATIONS OFFICER Compliance Officer Need to process high volume of new candidates quickly and accurately Compliance Officer Need to process high volume of new candidates quickly and accurately Diagram 2) (Diagram 2) HOW TO PRIOR ITISE NEEDS ‘Customers do want an HR function with strategic business impact, but this is about solving problems that are strategically important for the business, not about separate HR strategies’ (Hirsh et al) As a result of this lapse in correct protocols the school has threatened to end their contract with the agency, which would have a big impact in the revenue brought in by the pod. Hans is a very successful consultant, and part of his success he will interview a high volume of candidates, averaging 6 interviews per day.Hans has accused Vivien of not processing files quickly enough, letting them pile up on her desk. Vivien responds by telling them she can’t process files when she’s interviewing candidates consistently throughout her day for all three consultants. Vivien has asked in the past to change pods as hers is the most successful so she feels overworked whilst the other Compliance Officers are far less busy. The issues identified in this scena rio are a breakdown in communication, imbalance of workload, and damage limitation to one of the agency’s clients.They order in which they are prioritised – their significance, importance and urgency – must be taken in view of the company’s organisational needs and requirements. When faced with such competing priorities, Stephen Covey’s Grid is a useful tool. In this scenario addressing the school’s needs will fall into Quadrant 1, whilst addressing the poor relationship between Hans and Vivien may fall into Quadrant 2. Good communication is the lifeblood of any successful organisation, the results of which can be detrimental (as in the above scenario).There are many ways of communicating within an organisation, and the method and significance of the message can often determine the best method. TYPE OF COMMUNICATION| ADVANTAGE| DISADAVANTAGE| ELECTRONIC| Provides a record for referral follow-up| Can be impersonal and open to interpretation. | WRITTEN/ POSTER| Easily accessed and visible| The Sender does not know if the communication is received unless a reply is required| VERBAL – FACE TO FACE| Allows immediate feedback | Poor communication ability can interfere with how the message os received. Key elements in providing an effective HR Service. Having an understanding and awareness of the strategic purpose of the company will enable the HR professional to operate in an advisory or educational role, assist in decision making, be proactive by applying an overseeing (or policing) role. Senior managers particularly look to the HR function to have an independent, and challenging, view The key elements of effective HR as identified as: Effective service deliveryChallenges the way in which things are done, to find solutions that are better, cheaper or faster as well as an administrative role in implementing relevant processes and practices. Handling and resolving complaints, informal methods, formal methods, appeals a nd escalation (if required) Effective HR services for employees are seen as supporting, not diluting, the responsibility of the line for people management, and the ability of HR to coach line managers, especially around managing performance, is highly valued.Reinforces the compliance role of the HR/personnel function (both legally and ethically) when it is necessary Building and maintaining good relationships A HR professional needs to have its finger on the pulse of what employees are feeling and how well they are working, balancing the interests of employees with the needs of the business. Delivering service on time with any budget implications Affective time management skills, keeping interested parties ‘in the loop’ Dealing with difficult customers Continuous Improvement Keeps in touch with their ‘customers' through networking in order to understand the business better, reacts to feedback and proactively develops (or contributes to the development of service i nnovations which yield ‘customer' advantage in order to provide continuous measured improvement (Kaizen concept).References: CIPD – The Truth about HR http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Methods-of-Communication. topicArticleId-8944,articleId-8919. html Employee communication – Richard Croucher, Human Resource Management , A case study approach Michael Muller-Carmen, Richard Croucher and Susan Leigh. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey ï » ¿Developing Yourself As An Effective HR Practitioner I am doing this HR course to further my career at work. I am supervisor.I am involved in HR in my job, as we do not have an HR department. I work with my Manager at present to help conduct annual appraisals, disciplinary procedures and inductions. I have also been involved with redundancies.We are a medium sized company, which has expanded since I joined in 2000 but as we are growing we feel the need to have 1 person to take on the HR role so that all staff have someone official that they can go to with any problems that they may have.HRPM: this is an easy to use table containing behaviours, professional areas and bands of competence. It allows users to assess their capability in the HR role they have chosen – whether it is general or specialist.The two core professional areas are insights, strategies & solutions and leading HR.As an example of insights in my role at work there are quite a few members of staff who are nearing retirement age and will retire within around two ye ars of each other so we will be losing all the experience and knowledge that they bring to their roles within the business whether that be manufacturing cables or within our quality assurance department, So I have suggested that we employ younger people who we can train working closely with these people so that their knowledge can be passed on. This has been proven to work as we have two members of staff who joined us around 6 years ago straight from school and are some of our best operators as we have trained them in the way we work.The core of the map is about developing an understanding of the organisation that the user is working in, clerk of the works, contracts manager, and architect.Performance and reward – this allows individuals within a work place to use their own skills, behaviours and experience by using a reward scheme such as bonuses.Learning and Development: Build individual and organisational capability and knowledge to meet current requirements – in ma ny industries it is necessary to train an re-train employees as companies become more diverse to keep up with competitors for example, at my place of work we are starting to build completely different types of cable harnesses to what we would have been building one year ago so there is a lot of re-training required for all shop floor staff.Band 1 of the HRPM is most essential in the company I work for, as it is customer orientated.When I am doing the HR role full time my main customers will be shop floor staff although I will be working for others such as Engineers, Our Receptionist and the Managing Director.There are 8 behaviours on the HRPM.Curious: This person is open minded and focused on the future of the business they are in, inquisitive and is always thinking of ways to add to their organisation, focused on the future of the business they are in and is always thinking of ways to add value to their organisation.Decisive Thinker: This person takes in data and information and is a fast learner. They use the information they receive in a structured way to identify options and make recommendations.Skilled Influencer: This person can influence stakeholders to gain commitment and support within the company/industry they work within.Personally Credible: This person uses professionalism to bring value to the whole company they work in including stakeholders and peers.Collaborative: This person works very well with other people within and outside of work.Driven To Deliver: This person is determined and resourceful and uses these skills to deliver the best results for their company.Courage To Challenge: This person will speak up for what they believe in even if confontated with resistance and unfamiliar circumstances.Role Model: This person always leads by example, has integrity and independence and balances personal organisational and legal matters very well.Activity 2In my HR role, I have 4 main customers. These are shop floor staff which includes inductions for new members off staff, Engineers and Our Receptionist. Shop floor staff: I sit in on (and will conduct) appraisals. We have a written assessment, which the shop floor staff must fill out before attending the appraisal. This includes questions about personal development. In the appraisal we discuss the types of work they would like to do in the future, any pay/skills upgrades they may be getting and when they can expect to get them by. We also discuss any problems they may be having although we always encourage them to come to us (our manager, the other shop floor supervisor or myself) with any problems as they come up rather than waiting for the appraisal.The shop floor manager currently  conducts the appraisals and I sit in on them and take notes then type up all the outcomes of the appraisal with a copy to be given to the employee. I conduct Return To Work interviews for employees who have had any unauthorised absence(s). This is conducted using a form with set questions asked and recorded by my-self about the nature of the absence. The Employee and myself then sign it and it is then scanned into their personnel file. I have sat in on and taken the minutes for redundancy meetings. I have had a limited role in these. As well as taking minutes, I am there for moral support, as I know all of our employees personally due to My job as a supervisor and the number of years I have worked there.Engineers:When I am a full time HR practitioner, I will be able to support the engineers with any problems they may have with other members of staff such as conflicts about the way the engineers plan jobs and the way they are actually built on the shop floor. This can be an issue for both the engineers and shop floor staff as the engineers quote the times for each job but they are not always accurate so this means that the shop floor staff may appear to not build cables in the allocated time.New Employees:I will be conducting all inductions for new Employees – This i ncludes a walk around the factory introducing them to key members of staff such as our other supervisor, first aid, fire marshals and the other members of staff who they will be working closest with. I will also show them the fire exits, evacuation points and show them the fireboard with everybody’s names on. I will tell them when the fire alarm is tested and register them on out hand scanner, which clocks everyone in and out of the building and is also used for payroll. I will show them where the toilets are and what times their breaks and lunch breaks are. New Employees have to read our health and safety handbook thoroughly.Conflicting Needs:I prioritise these by consulting with my manager and shop floor staff so that I am able to decide what to deal with first. For example, I would deal with a conflict between two or more employees by speaking to them separately away from their normal work environment and if appropriate, I would get them together to talk about the problem. This would take priority over an appraisal or other day-to-day activity.Communication:I use email to communicate at work. The advantage of this is that everything that is said between Myself and the person I am communicating with is in writing and can be referred back to if necessary. The disadvantage of this is that if it is something urgent, the person I am communicating with may not see the email straight away, as many members of staff are not desk bound. Verbal communication: this has the advantage of getting the message across immediately and being able to get an instant reaction both verbally and assessing through their body language. The disadvantage of this is that you would not be able to accurately refer back to the conversation at a later date, as verbal conversations are not always accurately remembered.Printed memo:I use these to communicate anything I need to tell the whole shop floor as they do not have access to email in their workplace. The advantage of this is tha t I can carefully think about and word the memo exactly how I want it to be put across. It is also good because it is in writing and can be referred back to at a later date. The disadvantage is that I cant always get an instant reaction to it as everyone gets it at the same time so will not necessarily inform me of any feedback unless I ask them.An example of all the above methods of communication is that when we unfortunately had to make redundancies some time ago, there was a memo given to every member of staff from their manager to let them know that everyone was at risk of being made redundant. My Manager and I then had to liase with our legal specialists via telephone and by e-mail. We then sat with each individual and let him or  her know if they were being made redundant or not. We felt that sitting down with everyone individually, they would be able to speak about any concerns they had whether they were being made redundant or not.