Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

â€Å"Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost† Steph Johnson ENG 155 January 23rd, 2012 Professor Jan Ward Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost A long, white beard and curious eyes peering from underneath a largely pointed hat often leave an imprinted image in mind. A scholarly grin and archaic tobacco pipe complete the picture formed. The faint imagery of what a wizard is can only be complete when thinking of Gandalf the Grey. A magic staff and a knowledgeable mind are cause for the quest that Gandalf sets out on in the novel â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R. R. Tolkien. He can overcome adversity and aid his fellowship of 14 unlikely creatures in their attempt to regain their long-lost home. Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. Gandalf always seems to be in the right place at the right time with a sort of grace about him, as if always waiting for the perfect moment. His knowledge of Middle Earth is inexplicable; he rar ely misses a beat. Although he is not on a personal quest, he is quick to help those he sees fit.Several times over the fellowship found themselves in a sticky situation, and Gandalf appeared only just in time. Knowledge, a keen eye, the desire to do what is right, and also a grain of mystery are all characteristics residing in Gandalf the Grey. According to â€Å"Tolkien-Online† (2007), â€Å"Tolkien was likely heavily influenced by one of the tales found in the Elder Edda which tells of the Norse god Odin traveling the Earth in the guise of a bearded old man with a staff. Gandalf the Grey shares several similarities with the â€Å"Father God† known as Odin. For instance, he is seen as the overseer of the group. He unintentionally becomes a father figure within the fellowship. He is constantly keeping them out of the trouble they so easily find themselves in on their adventure. Gandalf finds himself in a difficult situation in â€Å"The Fellowship of the Rings† and essentially dies. However, he is simply reincarnated from â€Å"Gandalf the Grey† into a more powerful and poignant â€Å"Gandalf the White,† which is similar to Odin. Odin's ‘death' upon the tree is really more of a shamanic ritual descent to discover magic runes than an actual death† (Leeming, 1990, p. 162). Although there is physical death, it is not enough to keep these figures from life. Gandalf the Grey exemplifies a mythological hero in the sense that he defies the odds against him (which are a great deal) and overcomes the darkness attempting to pull him in. As a wizard, he is eccentric and hard-headed. He is a necessary character in the story of Middle Earth and without him, the chain of events written about by Tolkien would not have been possible.The purpose of Gandalf's quest in â€Å"The Hobbit† is to take back the Lonely Mountain from the devious dragon known as Smaug, and regain the home for Thorin and his kind once more. Gandalf knows what dismal troubles lie before them and feels a burglar is necessary to join the fellowship. With this information, he invites a hobbit with the name of Bilbo to join the quest, and ultimately shapes the stories that follow with one simple scene. Bilbo encounters a ring and hastily shoves it into his pocket.He thinks little of this and is eventually safely back within the fellowship. Gandalf is curious and aware of what Bilbo may have taken ownership of, but does not mention it for several years (and the following story). The fellowship is successful in defeating Smaug and the dwarves take their original place within the Lonely Mountain. Gandalf is a classic character with simple qualities; he is a strong-willed wizard with more knowledge, and cunning than meets the eye.His quest proves dangerous and he prevails by using several of the mythological characteristics he portrays. He attains striking similarities to the Norse god, Odin. â€Å"Tolkien himself acknowledged the sim ilarity in a 1946 letter, calling Gandalf an â€Å"Odinic wanderer† (Tolkien-Online, 2007). Gandalf is a venerable wizard and exemplifies a mythological hero throughout his entire written history. References Tolkien-Online. (2007). Retrieved from http://www. tolkien-online. com/gandalf. html Leeming, D. A. (1990). The world of myth. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.

Is College Worth It? Essay

I think we all can agree that getting an education is a vital process that is crucial for being successful in our society, but does getting a college education guarantee one’s success? I know, with the cost of a college degree rising 1,120% within the past 30 years, many of us do not want to wait and find out ourselves. Although getting a college education may not guarantee one’s success in the job market, one thing that comes with a college education is almost certain; thousands of dollars in debt. 2 out of every 5 loan borrowers are delinquent at some point within the first 5 years of repayment according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. This shows that almost 50% of people who take out loans are having some sort of trouble repaying it. With an accumulative amount of 1. 2 trillion dollars in debt that students get themselves into a year, I am not surprised. This brings up the question: Is College worth it? A College education is an investment all on its own, but will your investment pay off? â€Å"The question is whether or not you will get your return on the investment in actual financial capital or human capital or emotional capital or social capital†, according to Professor Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University (Coleman Korva). Getting a college education does not guarantee you any financial success by any means. In the 2011-12 academic year, the average net cost for a full-time student at an in-state public university was about $15,000 for tuition, fees, room, board, books and incidental expenses, according to the College Board (Clark Kim), and an out of state college is nearly three time that amount. At the same time, only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major right out of college (Plumer Brad). Even though only 27 percent of college grads got a job related to their major right out of college, 62 percent of U. S. college graduates had a job that required a college degree right out of college (Plumer Brad). That is a better number, but there is still 38 percent that either doesn’t have a job, or has a job that doesn’t require a degree. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to end up flipping burgers when I’m done with college. Part of making College a worthwhile investment is picking the right major. The right major can lead to a whole lot of available jobs. I know that we all have different dreams and want to pursue them, but we got to face the facts; some majors aren’t doing so hot right now in the job market. Based on high initial unemployment rates and low initial median earnings of full-time, full-year workers, artistic majors are horrible right now. Recent college graduates of from ages 22 to 26 can expect an unemployment rate of 10. 5 percent, well above the national average (Goudreau Jenna). Those who do manage to snag a job are met with only a median salary of just $28,000. Due to a high unemployment rate and low median salary, most art majors will not be getting much in return for attending college. That is just one of many majors that aren’t doing well too. Other majors that aren’t worth the investment include Sociology, Psychology and Nutrition. Engineering on the other hand is one hot ticket right now in the job market. The top major for achieving a high salary is engineering (Still Daniel). Out of all the engineering majors, petroleum engineering tops out with a salary of $90,000 right out of college. Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering are not too far behind either. Engineering in General seems to be the way to go if you want your investment to pay off. Other worthwhile majors include Computers, Mathematics, and Pharmaceutical sciences. These majors are what makes going to college a worthwhile investment. The current job market is looking for jobs relating to these majors. Even though a job isn’t guaranteed after college, it would still be a good investment. Now we all know that college is a good investment if you make it be, but is there really a difference between someone who has a college education and someone who has a high school education or lower? â€Å"It’s a tough job market for college graduates, but far worse for those without a college education,† says Anthony P. Carnevale co-author of the study conducted at Georgetown University’s Center of Education and the Work Force. During the Great Recession in 2007, Millions of jobs vanished from the job market, but students with bachelors degrees who had jobs did not decline (International Business, Times). At the same time, the 55 percent of high school graduates who did have jobs even before the recession, fell to 47 percent after it (Perez-Pena Richard). As if people without a college education didn’t have it hard enough already. Now the amount of jobs that require a college education is on the rise, while people without a college education are being left in the dust. On average, people with a college education make much more than someone with a high school diploma too. The average income of a high school graduate is around $28,700. Compared to the average income of someone with a bachelor’s degree being $53,800. In a lifetime, someone with a high school education, on average, would accumulate $940,000 dollars of income while someone with a bachelor’s degree makes almost twice that amount at $1. 8 million dollars. This is because employers generally think that people with a college education are smarter than one with a high school education. Making the ones with a college education more prone to learning new skills a job requires. This is why you see a lot of high school graduates and people who never went to any school working at fast food restaurants. The job market is a really important factor when considering if college is worth it, but one has to consider the amount of debt one will accumulate afterwards. With nearly 20 million Americans attending college each year, (Chronicle of Higher Education) two-thirds of them end up graduating with some sort of debt (Denhart Chris). How much debt you may ask? The amount of debt that college students have accumulated by the time they graduate exceeds the 1. 2 trillion dollar mark (Denhart Chris). This makes student loans the second highest form of consumer debt, behind mortgage loans. This can really discourage someone from going to college. It can especially discourage someone from going back to college after dropping out because, most likely, the individual would be in some sort of debt already. Also, one does not want to go to college just to be in debt afterwards with no steady source of income. Attending college is becoming more and more vital with each passing year. A lot more jobs are beginning to look for more people with a college education. The question one needs to ask themselves though would be, â€Å"Is College worth it? † Without a doubt college is expensive. The majority of college graduates end up going into some sort of debt when they graduate. It is up to the student that is attending college though to determine if it is worth it for them or not. They need to ask themselves, â€Å"Will I be making my money back. † It is up to them to choose a major that is doing really well in the current job market. I know we all have different interests and goals, but if one wants a higher chance of being successful they would choose a major that is doing well. They also need to consider the fact that it is getting harder and harder to get a good job that doesn’t require a college education. People with a college education generally make much more too. I’m sure nobody wants to be working at their local McDonalds after they spent so much money going to four years of college. So invest in college, pick a good major, and get a good education because soon a college education will be in high demand and you will be on the top of the list. Work Cited Clark, Kim. â€Å"How Much Does College Actually Cost? † CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Features, Forbes Special. â€Å"How The $1. 2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents And The Economy. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Goudreau, Jenna. â€Å"The 10 Worst College Majors. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. International Business, Times. â€Å"6 Charts On Why College Is Worth Its Cost. † International Business Times 17 Aug. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Kittle, Cameron. â€Å"Degrees of debt: UNH grad says college degree was worth it, but debt burden looms large. † Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH) 14 Aug. 2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. KORVA, COLEMAN. â€Å"Is A College Education Worth The Debt?. † Tell Me More (NPR) (n. d. ): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. PEREZ-PENA, RICHARD. â€Å"Benefits of College Degree in Recession Are Outlined. † NY Times. N. p. , 9 Jan. 2013. Web. Plumer, Brad. â€Å"Only 27 Percent of College Grads Have a Job Related to Their Major. † WonkBlog. N. p. , n. d. Web. Weissman, Jordan. â€Å"How Bad Is the Job Market For College Grads? Your Definitive Guide. † The Atlantic. N. p. , 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall Essay

Macbeth is completely and solely responsible for his own downfall. He lead himself to defeat by falling to his fatal flaws. Manipulation, ambition, and power got the better of him creating great inner turmoil, and bringing him to an abrupt end. From the beginning Macbeth was able to choose his own fate. The moment when he eagerly listened to the witches and said to them â€Å"Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more† shows that he believed that what they are saying was of great importance to him. The tempting words of the witches prophecies ignited a spark of greedy ambition in him that he had not realised was there. This lead him to make his decision to follow their persuasive words so although they tempted him, it was his own ambition that drove him to commit the crimes. Macbeth’s ambitious nature is shown many times throughout the play. Once the king had made him Thane of Cawdor and the first â€Å"and great† hurdle had been overcome, the possibility of him having crown becomes fixed in his mind.when he hears Malcolm has been pronounced as the king heir Macbeth admits to himself that he has â€Å"Black and Deep Desires†. He finds himself battling with his conscience but when he says  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleapes itself and falls on the other†Ã‚  it shows that he has no reasons to kill the king except to fulfill his own ambition. Macbeth’s overly ambitious quest for power motivates him to prematurely end the life of the current king. Not only does Macbeth quest for power end the life of King Duncan, but he continues to murder for no reason whatsoever apart from malice. the evil tyrant that Macbeth has become is proved when he plans alone to murder Lady Macduff and her children. At this stage of the play Macbeth has lost all human compassion and empathy so he thinks nothing of murdering innocents. Had he stopped at the first murder of king Duncan he may have got away with it but his manic behaviour turns everyone against him and can ultimately  only lead to his own demise. By the end of the play it is obvious that a valiant Macbeth no longer exists. He suffered greatly from his fatal flaws: being mainly manipulability, ambition and the sense of power. Macbeth’s life comes to an abrupt end, and no one grieves him. He died a tyrant and a murderer, all through his own fault.

Lives of Pre-Contact Indigenous Americans Research Proposal

Lives of Pre-Contact Indigenous Americans - Research Proposal Example First of all, Native Americans were not a single nation – there were more than 160 different tribes inhabiting territories from Alaska to Mexico, and they all had different languages, cultures, and lifestyles (UsHistory.org). Some were living by fishing, others – by hunting, gathering or growing food. They used to grow wheat, yams, rice, corn, potatoes, and pumpkins among other cultures in order to make their living. Everything surrounding the Natives was made of natural products: animal skins served for clothes and drums, mud, stones and wood – as a building material, bones and other animal parts – as means to make tools (University of Michigan). So, they greatly depended on nature: weather (if they were growing food) and presence of game in the territories (if they were hunting). With the highly developed technology of making spears and bows with arrows, along with developed by centuries art of hunting, Indians were very successful at hunting and fishing. However, they didn’t kill more game or catch more fish than they could consume: they had no need to "deplete the animal resources."1 The Natives practiced a "principle of least effort"2, and, consequently, were preserving the population of animals vital for their survival. Hunting for food only, they were taking care of preserving the natural resources by either "rotational use of the territories, or by an increased use of alternate resources"3 to replace animals in the ration. Understanding their dependence on natural forces, Indians had a great respect to the nature, and animals in particular. Animals, being a source of food, and, consequently, life, were revered as spirits: meat was never wasted. Totem poles were one more important part of the culture: the Natives believed each person was naturally given a spirit of a certain animal. For those

Historical Criticism of Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory Essay

Historical Criticism of Graham Greene's The Power and the Glory - Essay Example Vol I). Sherry also informs us that as a young boy of 14 he suffered at the boarding school. His acquaintances and his experiences were shaping a mind which paralleled the tumultuous time he lived in. He ran away from home. And was sent for psychoanalysis. In 1925, he met Vivien Dayrell-Browning. A Roman Catholic conver, Vivien molded him toward Roman Catholicism, to which he got converted at the age of 26. His religious belief followed a trajectory vividly depicted in his catholic tetralogy: "Brighton Rock" (1938), "The Power and the Glory" (1940), "The Heart of the Matter" (1948), and "The End of the Affair" (1951). In fact, Greene's life is a reflection of the saga of Roman Catholic Church at that time. As Mark Bosco says that Greene's writings represent different phases of his Catholic sensibility. He emerges mature with liberation theology after Vatican Council II (Bosco 115-117). The novel draws parallels with T.S. Elliot's poem "The Hollow Men". The hollow men wander in a barren landscape, trying to remember the line after "For Thine is the Kingdom" in the Lord's Prayer. The phrase happens to be "the Power and the Glory" (Ways of Escape 65-68). Not only the theme, but even the milieu and the settings set Greene's novels apart. "The Quiet American" is set in the Vietnam of the early 50s, "The Heart of the Matter" is set in West Africa, "Our Man in Havana" in Cuba, "The Honorary Consul in Paraguay/Argentina. Greene was a globe-trotter. From Africa to Asia to Latin America, he had his share of experiences everywhere. A man who wrote "England Made Me", Greene spent the last 25 years of his life in exile in France. This is not surprising then to find that all but a few of his post-war novels are set outside Britain. His authorized biographer Norman Sherry suffered tropical diabetes in Liberia, dysentery in Mexico and intestinal gangrene in Paraguay in the course of his research. Sherry links Greene's constant urge to be on the move to his escapist tendency and an escape from the responsibilities of life (Sherry 350-354 Vol. I). His penchant for travels also stems from his love for Joseph Conard. Mr. Greene suddenly becomes a character out of the Conrad stories he admired. He exposes himself to all sorts of pain and jeopardy. He explores hitherto unpenetrated jungles. He climbs mountains, crosses wild and unbridged rivers, endures the pain and vulnerability of tropical sicknesses. He looks everywhere, it seems, listens with respect to the most obscure of his fellow human beings and thereby not only learns about and from others, but finds the direction of his own life's compass (Coles). Like his shifting destinations during the course of frequent travels, Greene's faith too followed a shifting trajectory. Today Catholicism is once again the topic of discussion thanks to Dan Brown's murder mystery "The Da Vinci Code." Before Brown's best-seller, Catholicism as a theme of a novel was a strange idea for the readers. As Lawson makes us believe: Today, Catholicism, wanderlust and expatriation all lack the attraction they had for writers in Greene's time. The centre of gravity of

Logistics and Supply Chain Management Consultancy ( team project Essay

Logistics and Supply Chain Management Consultancy ( team project individual reflection) - Essay Example 4). Each of its parts; from description to the action plan is carefully designed to cover virtually every element of a project reflection. Each and every step of the Gibb’s cycle will be closely followed with respect to the details of the teamwork during the project. Per say this consultancy project was not only vital for my personal growth, but also for my programme; I learnt a plethora of lessons, and the experience was nothing short of exhilarating. The project concerned the Port of Dover, a logistics sector owned, maintained and operated by the Dover Harbour Board. This port ranks among the busiest ports in Europe and handles approximately five million excess of vehicles each year. In context, my team comprised of eight members with a single leader (Willeke). Our project, as in the title above, was logistics and supply chain management consultancy. Each day, the team converged in the University Library, or sometimes in the Information Technology Lab. Procedurally, we began by each member of the group tabling their individual report works mostly during the morning hours. Then, a discussion of the progress for each member of the team ensued. Here, each member would present their hardships and everything appertaining to their progress with resp ect to the task allocated. After the discussion, Willeke, the team leader, would give her opinions regarding the overall progress and give her suggestions as well. Concerning task division, the leader began by giving out questionnaires to every member of the team to complete. This step solely applied the Belbin theory of team roles, which in some way, was meant to harmonise the working of the group (Belbin, 2009 p. 3). After that, Microsoft Excel sheets were given to every one of us that would be used for the period of two and a half weeks. Notably yet, all the tasks that would be allocated to the team were based on the two provided files. As one of the members of the team, my primary task was to

Labour Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Labour Law - Essay Example This paves the way against further abuse by employers who wish to minimize the number of employees employed by demanding rendition of work beyond what a human being may ordinarily give. Three, it also provides no less than twenty-eight (28) paid holidays which gives an opportunity to implement work-life balance. The latter is the strategy recently being propagated in the international community that allows every employee or worker to perform his responsibilities as a family man and as a social person without sacrificing his work. Since work-life balance theory was only introduced and implemented lately, it can be considered that British Labour Law appropriately and timely provided for this right or opportunity to all workers under its jurisdiction. Four, the right to flexible working patterns provided under the Employment Rights Act of 1996, the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations of 1999, and the Additional Paternity Leave Regulations of 2010 provide for more broader opportunit ies for both men and women to perform their tasks as parents. The laws also recognize the need of the parents to take leaves from work in order to care for their children without fear of affecting their career advancement. These laws, obviously give equal rights for both mothers and fathers, unlike in other countries and/or in previous laws wherein only the rights of the mother is recognized due to physical giving of birth. Now, British Labour Laws recognize the fact that even the father of a child needs to be with his child, and has the obligation or responsibility to care for the child in lieu of or together with the mother. The Pensions Act of 2008 which requires the employers to automatically enroll every jobholder or worker in an occupational pension scheme, unless the latter refuse later on, is also commendable, considering that with the recent trend amongst young professionals, the biggest tendency is for them to spend their hard-earned monies to travels and buying unnecessar y gadgets, leaving nothing for the future. This law adequately addresses the long-term problem that might be encountered by the workers by mandating the periodic contribution to a pension plan that will ultimately benefit the workers themselves. Also, the Equality Act of 2010 which provides for a detailed process of investigation of discrimination and/or harassment cases, is considered adequate to address contemporary manner of abuses in the workplace. Unlike before wherein the prosecution and investigation of abuses are left with the individual concerned, now, the employer has the obligation to undertake its own investigation of any possible act of discrimination or harassment. Thus, the employers are now more involved in the protection of its employees against abuses, not only against the employers themselves but also against fellow employees. On the other hand, while the Employment Rights Act of 1996 provides for a consolidated set of rights for working persons, still, British La bour Laws fail to give an exact or concrete definition of an employee for purposes of determining who are the real beneficiaries of these rights. Some parts of the law mention of worker, other parts mention of employee, while others refer to job contractor, and others. It would have been better if this can be addressed to as soon as possible so that the persons to whom these

Major Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Major Project - Research Paper Example Wisconsin in February 2011 fell under a dispute of collective bargaining and budget deficit. The governor of the state, Scott Walker introduced a bill regarding the budget shortage of $3.6 billion over the subsequent two fiscal years and said that it would be overcome if certain measures were followed. The governor in order to balance the budget deficit of the state proposed to confiscate collective bargaining from the public sector employees. The negotiation would only be restricted to their wages but it would only be increased up to consumer price index. The employees need to contribute more for pension and medical benefits but there would be no bargaining power. The employees in their working period had made a few contributions for pension benefits and now it is not possible to remove such benefits. The unions were of the opinion that the issue was a political attack to weaken the substantial support of the government workers from the public employee union. However, the government said that they were just conducting their duty for the welfare of the state otherwise the state would suffer from budget pitfall. If such proposal is approved, then it would affect the government workers, teachers, nurses and various other professionals. However, the government had decided to prepare the ultimate proposal related to the collective bargaining and would not accept the proposal of union members. The governor was of the opinion that stripping the public employees of the rights of collective bargaining and restraining the subjects of basic wages would provide the state a flexibility regarding the finances to be attained in sequence and also spare the tax payers from misery (Williams, 2011). These types of issues can be solved by logical obligation of cost on each side. Such issue can arise in any situation in the state but it would need to be solved by negotiating, taking into concern the welfare of both sides. The eligible public employees are also required for the gov ernment sector. Thus, the favorable decisions from the part of government are important for heartening the employees. This type of union is organized in order to improve the public service related to their improvement of wages, general welfare, working conditions and collaboration between employees and employers (Public Employee Union Local 1, n.d.). The collective bargaining right was given to the employees by law. The governor of a state suddenly could not remove such right of bargaining power from the employees. The paper covers the historical context of public employee union by citing examples. In this paper, the entire dispute of Wisconsin and their results has been discussed. Finally, the summary of the paper is discussed with critical analysis of both negative and positive basis. 2.0 History of Public Employee Unions Labor unions have been termed as "private combinations of workingmen" that endeavors to raise wages and boost the working conditions of the union members. The jo bs of Government constituted the ‘healthy’ part of structured labor where outside competition provides little or no discipline against union incompetence, privilege and price. In 1960, the union members were 900,000 which became 4 million by 1970, 6 million by 1976 and in the

Coaching Leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coaching Leadership Development - Essay Example It may be an informal or a formal process, an informal being one in which a person with greater experience guides the one with lesser experience. Statistics in UK show that 90% companies use coaching and 51% of them consider it to be necessary and crucial for the leadership development process. These skills are often developed and adopted by managers who would influence the organization. (Wooden & Jamison, 2005) A new era brings about rapid changes in the market place and thus organizations and therefore leadership skills have acquired greater importance in the dynamic workplace. Those who employ coaching as a leadership have a greater understanding of themselves usually, since it not only allows them to grow in terms of leading the organization but also to understand their own personality and areas of strengths and weaknesses and work on themselves. (Smith, 1999) Executive coaching is one of the components of coaching that seems to be effective and a good investment of time and mone y. Competencies that are developed prove to be long term and effective and further inferences can easily be deduced as to what needs to be done to further enhance the competencies. (Dessler, 2012) Also organizations are engaging in downsizing and they have a flatter structure than before since the world is moving to a place where hierarchical structures are considered less effective and lesser manpower is required in organizations. Therefore even though it has its benefits, however, senior managers would be removed more easily and growth opportunities are better but if new managers cannot fill in the shoes of the previous managers and lack the leadership qualities then the entire organization will show a downward trend. Coaching can help build these abilities. (Warrenfeltz,... This paper approves that there are certain alternative approaches such as leadership action teams. This requires being put in situations with teams to perform in situations which are above their current capability and one person is the leader who will guide the team to success or failure and basically guide the team through the entire situation. This is a new method that has achieved a lot of success because the workplace is dynamic and situations keep changing and leaders always have to be ready. There may not necessarily be time to coach them to reaching their goals, and so learning by doing or action learning is useful in situations where the organization is pressed for time and money and the managers have a great deal of workload already. This essay makes a conclusion that a last leadership development tool that is important is the multi-rater feedback method or a 360 degree feedback method. Feedback is always an effective tool for improvement, since you are always guided and critiqued as to where you are going wrong and where you are going right, and you can go in that direction accordingly. However, feedback from different sources is even more effective as you get an overall perspective of your standing, not just from your mentor, or your coach, or your employees, but from all of the aforementioned. This helps to improve performance. However, this feedback needs to be continuous if it is to be effective. Also, one can never be sure if they encompass the entire organization’s perspective in their 360 degree appraisal and one which is free from bias because everyone has a different way of looking at things and not necessarily the correct one.

What Is A Shaman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What Is A Shaman - Essay Example According to the research "What Is A Shaman" findings shaman also foretells the future events and controls the spiritual forces because they have the power to predict the unknown and command the spirits to do as they wish. Shamans have visions and dreams that equip them with information and contexts of the supernatural worlds (Kallen 13). The shaman deals with only mysterious and dangerous events such as illnesses, malevolence, impotent, and death. Spirits impose shamanic power into people through intensive initiations and ordeals. Regardless of the difficulty process through which they acquire them, shamans may be exposed to lose their powers in battles with spirit foes or if they fail to perform the rituals appropriately (Wilson 22). Shamans differ with the practices of priests since their powers are personal and intermediate. The supernatural world is believed to be linked to occurrences in the natural world. Shamans allow their souls to venture into spirit worlds in order to find the causes of undesirable events. They launch immediate intercessions, fighting, or requests to the spirits to cure the affairs of human beings. In contrast, priests are concerned with the conduct of several events that enables them to bring the congregation into sacred forces (McNamara 19). Priests do not encounter supernatural worlds and their expectations are not immediate. It is critical to understand the contrast between shamans and priests as it enables people to distinguish their faiths from those they do not believe in and devote themselves to thorough the understanding of their option.

Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Criminal Law - Essay Example istorically, in some areas, property was owned by the monarch and it devolved through feudal land tenure or other feudal systems of loyalty and fealty. Though the Napoleonic code was among the first government acts of modern times to introduce the notion of absolute ownership into statute, protection of personal property rights was present in more feudalist forms in the common law courts of medieval and early modern England. Property – Definition Blacks Law Dictionary states that "in the strict legal sense, [property is] an aggregate of rights which are guaranteed and protected by the government" and that the term "includes not only ownership and possession but also the right of use and enjoyment for lawful purposes." On the contrary, Barrons Law Dictionary classifies property as "ones exclusive right to possess, use, and dispose of a thing" [ . . . ] "as well as the object, benefit, or prerogative which constitutes the subject matter of that right." Divisions Property law can be divided into personal and real property. Real property concerns itself with rights in rem, or relating to land. Personal property concerns itself with rights in personam, or relating to chattels. Using contemporary descriptions, property has been depicted as oscillating between competing models of property as a fact, property as a right, and property as a responsibility. Declared ownership in and of itself is insufficient to constitute property in a legal sense. Rather, the idea of property arises where one can have his/her right to land or chattels respected and enforced by a court of law. Therefore, to possess good title (and thus enforceable rights) on property one must acquire it legitimately, according to the laws of the jurisdiction in which one seeks enforcement. Real property does not just talk of the ownership of property and buildings — it also involves several legal relationships between owners of immovable property (real estate) that are basically conceptual

Early Years Essay Example for Free

Early Years Essay Activity are planned to extend children learning and development area as they learn new words and able to build on their communication and language by describing and explaining what they are doing and asking question. This also extends their vocabulary example the children enjoy playing with weighing scales so I plan activities using different resources such as lentils instead of sand or dry pasta to learn numbers, sizes, quantities etc. Again activities are planned around sand and water play as it stimulates creativity, where children are encouraged to explore a range of resources to make something with wet and dry sand using their imaginations and sharing ideas. This helps children come out with all sorts of ideas which is very impressive. They make sand castles, make shapes with moulds and patterns in the sand with fingers and objects like small plastic rakes. They also make learning fun by using their finger to trace letters and numbers in the sand. Sand and water play activities are things I do with children that combine fun, learning, creativity and time together. This makes the children confident as in the early year’s foundation stage learning area talks of expressive art and design as it shows how children explore play with a range of media and materials, page 5. Children often request and choose to play in the water and sand area and I encourage that by focusing on what they are doing and why they choose what they do. This helps the children to take led in activities and make decisions on their own. They are able to explore a range of resource which would broaden their knowledge as they keep trying and creating their own ideas with it. Water and sand play is also helpful in teaching the children about the environment. The use of technology is ever increasing in early childhood settings. Children at my setting have access to use computers for educational games and software for learning such as e-reading, which they find engaging, interesting and refreshing. I believe that technology can impact both positively and negatively on children and the key is increasing the positive elements whilst simultaneously eliminating the disadvantages. Technology can be stimulating, educative and entertaining, which are positives. On the  contrast they can make children lazy and inactive. The fact that technology is changing at a very fast pace means that we must constantly reflect on the kind of careers and professions that children in our care will be undertaking in future. As a childcare provider I therefore embrace the reality that children of today are in a  technological world and must understand how its benefits can serve their positive development in all spheres of their life. Also the use of technology must be viewed as one of the many tools that children will use in learning and not an end in itself. Indeed in many cases, it represents one of the best ways of learning. For example, children who are keen on a profession in the IT industry must be encouraged to learn and be comfortable with technology from a very early age. As a childminder and provider of education to the children in my care, I have a responsibility to collaborate and work with children to empower and support them to be great citizens of the technological world, which they are very much part of. Indeed many of the important subjects that children have to learn such as mathematics, science and English are increasingly being delivered in part through greater use of technology in the 21st century. Technology plays a very important role in the development of children. This is because young children learn greatly through exploring and experiencing their world, and technology serves as an alternative resource in their quest to do so. Children use technology to learn and play, which is very useful for their development. In terms of their education it can help them with their literacy and n umeracy needs as they grow. There are many ways that technology supports their literacy development at the childcare setting and home as well. Children can link words to pictures using technology. For example, children can link words and their picture equivalents in a similar way to picture books. There are currently software’s that offer spoken versions of these exercises. Children are similarly able to create simple stories with the help of an adult. This may involve drawing simple pictures and typing up basic stories that goes with them. Technology also represents an exciting means for kids  to learn and feel comfortable with ICT before they proceed to pre-school. For example, children can draw pictures using a computer and write stories or record their stories for parents, teachers or friends to listen to. Children are hugely exposed to technology at their homes through the playing of games and finding clever ways of extending this through learning and activities makes it possible for them to have fun, discover and explore the bigger world out there. For example, technology if well explored allows them to develop their emotional and social skills such as sharing and taking turns in listening through watching age appropriate movies. It can also shape their approaches to learning such as developing various skills at their own pace and developing their attention spans. It can further enhance their language development skills through listening to read-aloud- books, which promote literacy. This is similar to (Brice Heath, 1982; Wells, 1985) who support the view that listening to stories being read aloud is significantly related to children’s knowledge about literacy on entry to school and to their later reading achievement (ST14 p50). Technology has and continues to impact on young children and as childminder I have a responsibility to ensure their experiences with technology are age appropriate and empowering for them. In my setting children have access to technology and play with all kinds of technology games in each play area. Children are influenced with the technology as they tend to exhibit it in their day to day activities. With reference to my appendix one, water and play areas have a few technology resources they play with, an example is the duck that changes colour in water. The children enjoy playing with it as they tend to get to shout out the colours and play the guess game amongst themselves to see who can guess the next colour. This encourages the children to talk to themselves and motivates them to think to get it right as children want to be the first to get things right. Other forms of technology such as the use of play stations and Xbox Kinect provide exciting and wonderful opportunities for children to learn and play at the same time. The use of motion sensors can measure how active children are whilst  participating in a variety of sports such as long tennis, football, golf etc. The use of these monitors to measure the extent of children’s physical development can act as both an evaluating and motivating tool. These and other technological advancement impact positively on physical development if well incorporated and provide a more accurate determination of physical activity levels and children involvement. The children do talk about other technology toys they use at home for example the changing colours ducks are used by some of the children at home for bath times and that influenced some of the children to know their colours and looking at that I was motivated to add that to my resources for the other children to experiences that and it has really helped. Again technology has a great impact on children’s physical development as it has taken over children’s upbringing. Whereas once children just played football in the garden or played with dolls house, run around playing hide and seek, technology is now an important aspect of growing up and children prefer to either sit and play computer games and this has made children less active as they hardly play outdoors and socialise. Children who play computer games at an early age can influence their behaviour for example if a game is violent and they are exposed to it then it may encourage negative behaviour either now or later. Children tend to play fighting games due to a game they have played previously. Equally an educational game will encourage learning and can encourage positive behaviour. If children play too many computer games at home then they may lose concentration in the classroom as they often become tired. In my setting during role play activities and dressing up, children always come up with characters they have observed in a game and share with other children. I do encourage activities which will develop them in their learning development in knowledge and understanding of the world as it explained in EYFS under specific areas understanding of the world. Children are encouraged to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment page 5. Children also use the computer to create their own design and talk about them. I encourage them to use the printer to print out what they have designed in colour to make the picture stand out, as in Reader 1 chapter 17 page184; children were being encouraged to use the photocopy with the assistance of staff. This type of  technology makes children explore and learn different things. I do have polices and procedures for using some of the technological equipment in my setting as older children use mobile phones these days not only for making calls but for social networking, taking pictures and playing games. I do have a policy that restricts the usage of phones in my setting s as children takes photos and put them on social networking sites. I have a policy that limits the children to how long they can play computer games otherwise they soon become addictive. (EYFS section 3 talks about safeguarding and welfare of the children). In conclusion, children learn through many resources as in my water and sand audit, children were able to use measuring scales to learn their numbers and changing colour ducks to learn their colours. It can be said from the above discussions that there are enormous advantages and disadvantages of introducing technology to children from an early age. It is my view, however, that the positives far outweigh the disadvantages if well harnessed. Technology underpins a lot of activities in society right from schooling to employment and children deserve a head start to progress through other stages in their lives. Early introduction to technology makes children confident in their everyday use of ICT; enhancing children’s creativity and aiding their learning as they move on to other key stages in their development and growth. Technology helps children in the physical development, for example there are games that help children’s physical development like the tennis wii games which children physically use their hands and body to play. Again, in terms of numeracy there are a lot of uses to which technology could be put. For example, children can learn about patterns through using technology in activities such as building blocks; patterns in music and other activities that provide a sound basis for understanding mathematics and also encourage them to learn about their environment. Talking about the impact of technology on children was interesting example talking about both negatives and positives sides. The difficult part was trying to make references to back what I have written. I learnt how children explore and make things through different resources and materials and asking question to encourage them to think of ideas and solutions example talking to them about cold and warn water.

The three phase model of Crisis

The three phase model of Crisis Prevention is better than cure is a saying around the globe. This saying applies very well in a crisis which occurs to the organisation from nowhere. The organisational environment is often described as more hostile, uncertain, changeable and complex then it has been in the past (Borman, Ilgen, Klimoski, 2003). The complexity and the capriciousness of the current business environments are liable to stimulate numerous crisis events for organisations and their subunits (Choi Kim, 1999) (Lampel, Shamsie, Shapira, 2009) (Moynihan, 2009). Recently, crises have become a regular or even normal event for many organisations. (Ashby Diacon, 2000). Therefore it is very important and appropriate that managers should focus not only on whether a crisis will happen but also when and how it will occur. Crisis by their nature are unexpected and brief with few managers possessing either firsthand knowledge or practical experience (Guth, 1995). A basic definition as said by Clark (1995) is A crisis , is defined as any unplanned event that can cause death or significant injuries to employees, customers, or the public; shut down the business; disrupt operations; cause physical or environmental damage; or threaten the facilitys financial standing or public image. It is also important to know the types and causes of crisis and the damage which can be caused to cope with the crisis and effective crisis management in the organisation (Drach-Zahavy Freund, 2007) (Mitroff, Shrivastava, Udwadia, 1987). In todays world organisations operate in an environment which is characterised by high uncertainty, risk, and turbulence due to different events such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, and major product defects. These unforeseen crisis events, be they small or large scale, naturally occurred or humanly induced, have far-reaching and deep impact on organizations and individuals within (Mitroff, 1988)(Pearson Clair, 1998). To avoid or reduce such unanticipated impact requires effective crisis management practice. By that time, as the environment grows in complexity and uncertainty, it not only requires significant learning efforts on the part of organizations (Lagadec, 1997), but also makes the pace at which organisations learn a determining factor in its ability to survive or adapt (Schwandt Marquardt, 2000). With such difficult environment, constant and continuous learning has become a necessity for the survival of any organisation, adaptability, competitiveness and long term viability (Barnett Pratt, 2000). To cope with such environment and handle such events, crisis management is necessary for any organisation. Like crisis, crisis management is also defined differently by different people by their own perspective. One of the definition of crisis management as said by Darling et. al. (1996) Crisis management is defined as a series of functions or processes to identify, study and forecast crisis issues, and set forth specific ways tha t would enable an organization to prevent or cope with a crisis. The definition given above fills the purpose of this paper of describing crisis management. Many authors have developed different models or process to describe methods to deal with the crisis such as five phases model of crisis management (Mitroff I. I., 1993), some authors has taken different elements of the organisation to deal with to show crisis management such as Mitroff in (1989) used Hofstedes Onion diagram to show culture as a part of crisis management to show the different cultural profiles of organisations. Similarly Smith (1992) explained 7 Cs of crisis management which demonstrates the cultural web and other important elements of the organisation to be handle to prevent the crisis which is one of the crisis management model. Smith in (1990) also came up with another crisis model which is known as Three Phases of Crisis. This model describes about the different phases of the crisis event occurring in organis ation. This paper focuses on this model of Denis Smith describing the model in particular and focusing on which part of the model or which phase of the crisis is most challenging for an organisation to handle with the relevant examples from the organisation and other major events. The next section discusses about the three phase crisis model in brief particularly what does the model means. Followed by the discussion on most challenging phase of the model for an organisation to handle with relevant examples. Then summing up the whole model and describing the reason behind the challenging phase of the model to the organisation in conclusions. Three Phases of Crisis. Crisis management is relatively new field that has only received research attention in recent years (Pearson Mitroff, 1993). Denis smith in (1990) came after a proper research and study about the topic came up with a conclusion that in any crisis situation there are three distinct phases. He developed a model which is now known as three phases of crisis. Smith says that the crisis in any organisation is basically in three stages, the first stage is known as Crisis of Management, the second stage is Operational Crisis and the final stage of the model is Crisis of Legitimation. The Crisis of Management. This phase is the phase in which the situation appears to imperil the firms survival and places the firm under severe time pressure. (Ansoff, 1984). The first phase of this framework, the crisis of management represents that period in which the potential for a crisis becomes incubated. This phase addresses the strategic and system-level issues that can generate problems for organisations at the more functional and operational levels of activity. The first period is when the organisation fails to take account of imminent situation is about to occur which can be catastrophic for firms survival. The important elements here can be seen to be around communication, culture and decision-making processes and the ways in which these factors generate vulnerability. It is in this phase that the potential is developed that would allow an incident or an accident to escalate into a more serious event. This process has been termed tight coupling and interactive complexity by Perrow and reflects the speed of interaction between elements and the complex emergence of failure (Perrow, 1994). Perrow argues that such failures are designed into the system and often represents the normal way of working. Most of this potential for failure arises as a function of attempts at making the organisation more efficient or by the extended nature of its supply chains. In the same way, the failure of management to respond to incidents in an effective manner could allow an initial level to develop quickly into a crisis. This is the phase where decisions taken or not taken by the management or the shareholders or stakeholders in the organisation can proclaim the growth of the organisational culture. The processes through which this escalation can occur can occur are deal with at several points in this collection. The main issues for consideration within this initial phase of the process includes, role of management in the generation of errors lower down the organisation, weaknesses in the managem ent structure, constrained decision-making and communication, and the problems that arise as a result of the interaction between the organisation and its environment. In this culture and climate within which a relatively minor initiative event can intensify the whole system and can result in catastrophic failure. These issues will ultimately be reflected in the failure of contingency planning to address the scope and scale of the problems that face the organisation in the operational phase of crisis. The Operational Crisis. The Second Phase of the model is Operational Crisis it occurs when the event escalates to such a point that damage is caused or the reputation of the organisation becomes threatened. This phase comes when the organisation is in violent pangs of suffering from the operational crisis. David (1990) in Smiths research said This is the phase in which the human face of management is an important element in reducing the organizational impact of the event. In some larger organisations, this phase is often formally triggered when a senior manager determines that the event has the potential to damage the reputation of the group or the main parent company of the various business units (Smith D., 2004). This phase of a crisis is also unavoidably the most visible, due to the damage that it can cause. By the large, this damage requires that an additional level of resource is brought to bear in order to contain the demands of the events, and, eventually, to return them to normal. This phase is also defined by the role of external agencies usually acting in the role of rescuers who will often take short term control of the damaging event until such time as the demands return to a level that can be handled by more routine management processes. Nevertheless, where there is loss of life associated with the crisis then there will also be a requirement for the collection of evidence. This requirement may remain with external agencies for a considerable period of time after the operational phase. There is considerable potential for this process to escalate the crisis still further as media coverage of any investigation will have an impact upon reputation, share price and sometimes even to an extent of, legal status. Thus a crisis does not end at the point at which the minor problem is brought under control, but may escalate still further as the crisis moves to more of a reputational problem in the next phase which is legitimation phase. The Crisis of Legitimation. The final phase of this framework raises the issues of turnaround management, reputation recovery, and a range of processes aimed at securing the organisations legitimacy with its internal and external stakeholders. These are all issues that need to be considered by managers in the Crisis of Management phase rather than in the Operational and Legitimation phase. This final phase also includes the processes of organisational learning which is as generating many of the conditions necessary to deal with future problems of crisis incubation within the crisis of management (Elliott, Smith, McGuinness, 2000). In the ensuing post-crisis period there is often an attempt to search for scapegoat to blame on in an attempt to legitimise organisational operating procedures and different managerial styles. In this phase the organisation tries to restore external confidence in both its managerial structure and operating systems. Government normally tries to intervene in this phase of crisis as the y search for both to secure legitimacy and to take preventive measures. Many a times we see that the management responsible for the crisis is being transferred from one organisation to another or to dedicated crisis management unit or team. This usually occurs in the second phase of the model, as seen by the role of exigency services which comes into picture during the crisis situation in an attempt to resolve the crisis or reduce the damage which is being caused. We can also see such blame games or transfer in the third phase which is crisis of legitimation phase as in this phase attempts are made to apportion blame outside the organisation that played host to the crisis event. Normally, we see such transfers during transport accidents. Resulting in other organisations operating in same sector being affected may be due to close association with the crisis hit organisation or through more tight legislation coming into force during legitimation phase. We see here the impact of crisis being passed from one organisation to another which has to forcefully ch ange modify their pattern to meet the changes in regulation (Smith D. , Beyond contingency planning: towards a model of crisis management, 1990). From the model we can also see that there is a phase of Organisational Learning or what Smith said as Feedback Loop. Environmental factors such as a crisis can stimulate learning within an organisation (Dodgson, 1993) (Fiol Lyles, 1985). Learning has become an increasingly primary concern to many crisis management researchers (Elliott, Smith, McGuinness, 2000) (Stern, 1997). Smith in his model suggested that organisational learning is an integral part of the crisis. Organisations should learn the mistakes which they made during the crisis which let it occur, or the way they handled the crisis. Sundelis and Stern (2002) noted that members of organisation often use lesson from past crisis experiences as a guide for current action. In the same way, they may respond to positive or negative feedback on performances during a crisis experiences as a guide for current action (Sundelis Stern, 2002). The most challenging phase Looking at the whole model all the three phase of crisis are linked to each other. It is not easy to say which phase out of the model is most challenging phase for the organisation. But, if we compare all the three separately phase three which is Legitimation Phase can be the most challenging phase for the organisation. Many a times the post crisis phase runs along to the breeding of another crisis. A thought should be given to the structure and culture of the organisation in order to assure that learning occurs within the organisation. When putting this model in Smiths 7 C model we see that two major part of the organisation which is culture and configuration falls under this phase. Describing this by Smith and Sipika (1993) they showed five major points in this phase by saying to restructure for a responsive structure, the management style of the organisation to be reviewed to avoid such crisis again, sometimes even the personnel of the organisations is being changed or removed, pr oper marketing if the crisis is caused due to the product fault, sometimes it even results in the acquisition of the crisis struck organisation by other organisation. The impact of crisis after it has stricken is very lethal some organisations sometimes are not able to handle the blow of crisis depends upon the size and nature of organisation. The biggest example recently which can be given is the fall of Lehman Brothers Bank during financial crisis. In September 2008 one of the worlds biggest bank, Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy after hitting badly by the worst post world war financial crisis in 2008. Lehman Brothers which was once said as too big to fall was shut after the strong blow of sub-prime mortgage crisis (Baba Packer, 2009). Out here the working of the organisation in sub-prime mortgages pushed organisation to fall when the markets started to fall. This working was being incubated by the culture of the organisation. The fall of Lehman Brothers started one of the worst global financial crises. The effect here was passed to other organisations not only in the same sector but all over the world due to the size of the organisation. The involvement of government in this phase plays a very vital role as well, this can even save an organisation once the crisis is hit, structure or the working of an organisation can even change completely for example American International Group (AIG) was being rescued by the government of USA after hitting badly by recent financial crisis in2008. AIG was very much in the insurance of Credit Default Swaps(CDS) which turned to toxic assets later on during market crash. The nature of the organisation was very much in risk taking which caused a crisis for them as well. The government bailout given to the organisation helped them to stand back after the harsh blow of the financial crisis (Bernake, 2009). The first point discussed by Smith and Sipika proves the point out in the above given example which was restructuring for a responsive structure. Post Crisis phase or Legititmation Phase has always been proved challenging for the organisation in every way one more example of this phase was step down or change of CEO, Tony Hayward of the British Petroleum of USA branch due to worst oil spill in the history of USA (Bergin, 2010). The Chairman of BP Mr. Carl-Henric Svanberg said in one of the press release on 27th July 2010. The BP board is deeply saddened to lose a CEO whose success over some three years in driving the performance of the company was so widely and deservedly admired. The oil spill in Gulf of Mexico by BP was caused by deepwater horizon rig explosion, as of 9th August 2010 the cost to BP for the oil spill was $6.1bn (Â £3.8bn) which caused crisis to the organisation. Out here the fault was technical but the effect of the crisis (oil spill) not only changed the working of BP as in organisation, it affected in every way to the environment and also to the share prices of the company (Zangari, 2010) (BBC, 2010). The oil spill is almost shut now but the effect of the oil spill is still there to the environment and to the organisation, BP is being sued by the environmentalist and other people, along with BP even other companies involved in the oil spill are also being affected (Pael, 2010). Now-a-days due to globalisation there is always a chain effect of crisis from one organisation to another, as described by the Legitimation phase. Another recent due to faulty product was Cadbury Plc recall of its product made in China, Australia, Taiwan and India. The organisation has to recall its product after revealing tests which said may contain melamine-laced milk which killed four children in China and made many ill. Cadbury was under scrutiny after the revelation. It lost its major markets due to this event, the aftermath of this event caused Cadbury in major loses in the above mentioned region. The contamination was caused by leak of waste water. Around 1million bars of chocolate were recall which damaged the image of the organisation to the core and were almost unable to get back to their feet in one of the major markets around the globe (Hickley, 2008). It was after 2 years due their marketing practices they get back into the market of China and made profits. Similar was the case with Coca-Cola and Pepsi in Indian market which fell under a controversy of having pesticides in their product in 2006. It was then the CEO of PepsiCo. INC Indra Nooyi made a press release about the procedures followed in making of the product and safe to drink. This press release was also used as a marketing technique in Indian market to reduce the aftermath of the crisis. Many such crisis have spoiled the image of many organisations, the practices by organisation have also been changed. These examples show why Legitimation phase is one of the most challenging phase of the crisis model. The government intervention, impact of crisis, competition from the competitors, handling the image of the organisation, health safety and many such things makes the organisation difficult to comeback after the crisis has hit. Conclusion The paper has reviewed some of the issues relating to crisis management and detailed model which focuses on Smith (1990) the three main phases of Crisis and determining the effectiveness of management intervention in containing and preventing crisis escalation to see the various stages through which crises go. Most of the focus is shown on the post-crisis phase as organisations have attempted to manage the negative impact of the event. The phase also points out issues such as culture of the organisation that can increase or reduce the impact of the crisis. Paper also describes briefly about Legitimation phase, as the most challenging phase of the organisation in the crisis model with relevant live examples. Which focuses more on aftermath of crisis and Culture of the organisation, As culture is considered to be a soul of the organisation during the time of crises (Witoszek Tragardh, 2002).

The roles and objectives of AASB

The roles and objectives of AASB The AASB is hardly an independent standard setting body. Its policies and activities are subjected to the dictation and supervision by at least two big brothers the IASB and the FRC, not to mention the ASIC. A critical evaluation of this statement has been done in the light of the present accounting regulatory environment in Australia. This study had a detailed analysis within the concerned Government websites of Australia, annual reports, journal and documents. This paper will discuss the various roles and objectives of AASB as an accounting standard setting body and its relationship to FRC, IASB and ASIC in achieving its task. Finally helps to reach a conclusion whether agree or not to agree with the above statement. The Australian Accounting Standard Board (AASB) AASB is an independent Australian Government agency under the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. It has responsibility for the development of accounting standards for application by companies and by other entities in the private and public sectors, and for the development of Statements of Accounting Concepts. (Lundqvist k, 2003) AASB (2009, pp 23-24) in the Annual report 2009, describes the function, mission, vision and objectives of AASB Statutory functions of AASB: To develop a conceptual framework for the purpose of evaluating proposed standards; To make accounting standards under section 334 of the Corporations Act 2001; To formulate accounting standards for other purposes; To participate in and contribute to the development of a single set of accounting standards for worldwide use; To advance and promote the main objects of Part 12 of the ASIC Act, which include reducing the cost of capital, enabling Australian entities to compete effectively overseas and maintaining investor confidence in the Australian economy. Vision of AASB To be recognised as a global centre of excellence, delivering a truly distinctive contribution to the development of high-quality financial reporting standards. Mission of the AASB To develop and maintain high-quality financial reporting standards for all sectors of the Australian economy To contribute, through leadership and talent, to the development of global financial reporting standards and to be recognised as facilitating the inclusion of the Australian community in global standard setting. The major standard-setting objectives of the AASB, as set out in its 2006-07 annual report, are to: issue Australian versions of International Accounting Standards Board documents; produce standards that treat like transactions consistently; significantly influence the development of International Financial Reporting Standards; identify areas requiring fundamental review and introduce standards to cover those areas; and promote globally consistent application and interpretation of accounting standards. The Standard-Setting Process The following  diagram  is a simplified view of  the standard-setting process. Organisational Structure The following  diagram  shows the relationships between other bodies and the AASB. Source: Adapted from AASB (2009) As an independent standard setting body, AASB is responsible for the development of accounting standards for application by companies and by other entities in the private and public sectors, and for the development of Statements of Accounting Concepts. (Lundqvist k, 2003) The policies and activities of AASB are subject to the supervision of an advisory body, FRC. AASB implemented the broad strategic direction from FRC to adopt  International Accounting Standards Board  (IASB) standards for financial reporting Financial Reporting Council (FRC) FRC (2009) in its website makes a broad understanding on its responsibilities, functions and objectives. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is a statutory body under the Australian  as amended by the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Act 2004. FRC is responsible for providing broad oversight of the process for setting accounting and auditing standards as well as monitoring the effectiveness of auditor independence requirements in Australia and giving the Minister reports and advice on these matters. Responsibilities of FRC on accounting standard setting functions: appointing the members of the AASB (other than the Chairmen); approving and monitoring the AASBs priorities; business plans; budgets; and staffing arrangements (including level, structure and composition of staffing); determining the AASBs broad strategic directions; giving the AASB directions, advice or feedback on matters of general policy and on the AASBs procedures; monitoring the development of international standards that apply in major international financial centres; furthering the development of a single set of accounting standards for world-wide use with appropriate regard to international developments; promoting the continued adoption of international best practice accounting standards in the Australian accounting standard setting processes if doing so would be in the best interests of both the private and public sectors in the Australian economy; monitoring: the operation of accounting standards to assess their continued relevance and their effectiveness in achieving their objectives in respect of both the private and public sectors of the Australian economy; the effectiveness of the consultative arrangements used by the AASB seeking contributions towards the costs of the Australian accounting standard setting processes; monitoring and periodically reviewing the level of funding, and the funding arrangements, for the AASB Objectives of the FRC in relation to Accounting standards The FRC operates within a framework set out in the ASIC Act. Main objectives are: Accounting standards should require the provision of information that: allows users to make and evaluate decisions about allocating scarce resources; assists directors to discharge their obligations in relation to financial reporting; is relevant to assessing performance, financial position, financing and investment; is relevant and reliable; facilitates comparability; and is readily understandable. Accounting standards should facilitate the Australian economy by reducing the cost of capital and enabling Australian entities to compete effectively overseas. Accounting should facilitate the Australian economy by having accounting standards that are clearly stated and easy to understand. Accounting standards should maintain investor confidence in the Australian economy, including its capital markets. Functions and Objectives of FRC clarifies its limitations on standard setting. According to Leo et.al (2008, pp 16) FRC has the power to do all things necessary to perform its functions, including establishment of committees and advisory groups. In particular FRC has to ensure that standards set by AASB are in harmony with standards established in international level so that there is no competitive disadvantage overseas for Australian businesses. To ensure that AASB as an independent standard setter there is a provision under the ACT that expressly limits the FRCs ability to become involved in the technical deliberations of the AASB. It provides that the FRC does not have power to direct the AASB in relation to the development, or making, of a particular standard, or to veto a standard formulated or recommended by the AASB .(FRC,2009) Bowrey G (2007) in his article has a significant argument on the independence of AASB. In ASIC Act 2001 the role of the FRC could be summarised as providing broad oversight for setting accounting standards in Australia. Indeed section 225 of the ASIC Act 2001 outlines that the FRC does not have the ability to be become involved in the technical deliberations of the AASB, nor does it have power to direct the AASB in the development of a particular standard and nor does the FRC have the power to veto a standard made or recommended by the AASB. These limitations placed on the FRC are to ensure the independence of the standard setter. The notion of independence of the AASB is eroded by the fact of direct control on the appointment of the members. The notion of independence is even further eroded because the FRC sets the AASBs priorities, its business plans, budgeting and even it staffing arrangements. The government through department, Treasury, has financial and operational control of the FRC and in turn the AASB. In this article again question of independence arises where, the budgets of all government organisations go through a significantly in-depth evaluation process through the Senate Estimates. So even though the FRC sets the AASBs budget, before any money is provided the budget estimates need to go through the senate for approval. So how is it possible for the AASB to be independent? The fact that current and potential government (opposition) members have the power to decide for what and how much to fund the board certainly supports the argument about the lack of independence. There doesnt appear to be any independence on the contrary the AASB seems to be highly dependent on both FRC and the Parliament. The argument in this article ended without reaching a specific conclusion as there is specific legislation this government has enacted to ensure there is independence in the accounting standard setting process. Hockey J (1999) in his speech addressing to the Group of 100 Executive Dinner Meeting in Sydney suggested that the FRC might have too much power and too much control over the standard setter. He said that even though 225 of the ASIC Act 2001placed some limitation over FRC the new AASB, though independent, will be fully accountable to the FRC in much the same way that the UK Accounting Standards Board is to the UK Financial Reporting Council and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board is to the US Financial Accounting Foundation. Under a strategy adopted by the Financial Reporting Council [1] in July 2002, the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) is obliged to work towards the full implementation of the International Accounting Standards (IAS) (now known as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) [2]) in Australia.(Hay A, 2004). The primary objective of the new accounting standards is the expected efficiency of the capital markets that will arise from the existence of a set of globally acceptable accounting standards that result in high quality comparable and transparent financial reporting. In short, an objective of the harmonisation of international accounting standards is a worldwide effort to restore confidence in corporate reporting and create a free flow of capital worldwide. A second objective is the facilitation of cross border comparison of accounts by investors, leading to a reduced cost of capital for Australian companies and assisting them to raise capital or list overseas. From this it is clear that IASB is not directing to adopt any standard but it is for the efficiency of capital market and for a reduced cost of capital AASB does so. In an article, Brown AM et.al (2007) consider AASB, as one of the operating bodies of FRC which does the functions of FRC.In this article it is said that FRC oversees the activities of AASB and has no technical role on the standard setting . In adoption of international accounting standards when started from 2005 FRC said that the Australian Accounting Standards Board would decide the appropriate time at which future amendments to those standards would be made law in Australia. (Tom, R 2006).This also an indication of the AASBs independence in standard setting and the amendments of those standard set. The  International Accounting Standards Board  (IASB) The  International Accounting Standards Board  (IASB) is an independent, privately-funded accounting standard-setter based in  London, England. The IASB is committed to developing in the public interest, a single set of high quality ,understandable and enforceable global accounting standards that require transparent and comparable information in general purpose financial statement .In addition IASB cooperates with national accounting standard setters o achieve convergence in accounting standards around the world.( Leo et.al (2008, pp 21)) IASB as an independent, private-sector body develops and approves International Financial Reporting Standards. The IASB operates under the oversight of the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation. The IASB was formed in 2001 to replace the International Accounting Standards Committee. IAS Plus International Accounting Standards, explains the objectives of IASB To develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality, understandable and enforceable global accounting standards that require high quality, transparent and comparable information in financial statements and other financial reporting to help participants in the worlds capital markets and other users make economic decisions; To promote the use and rigorous application of those standards; To fulfil the above objectives and, to take account of, as appropriate, the special needs of small and medium-sized entities and emerging economies; and To bring about convergence of national accounting standards and International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards to high quality solutions. Adoption of IASB Standards by AASB Adoption of IASB Standards by AASB is explained by AASB(2009) in its website. AASB made Australian equivalents to International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) standards on 15 July 2004. The overall approach of AASB is to adopt the content and words of IASB standards, accommodating the Australian legislative environment with only the words being changed. Main focus of IASB is on for-profit entities whereas AASB is responsible for setting accounting standards for all types of reporting entities. Suitably identified additional text, is included in the AASB standards to deal with those limited cases where there is a need to have different or additional requirements for not-for-profit entities. These additions do not impact on the requirements in relation to for-profit entities There are circumstances in which a not-for-profit entity complying with the Australian equivalents to the IASB standards will not be able to simultaneously comply with the IASB standards because the additional requirements for not-for-profit entities are inconsistent with the IASB requirements. In some cases, existing AASB standards contain helpful commentary that is not included in the equivalent IASB standards. The AASB retains this commentary as guidance that is not part of the standards where it is considered to be of benefit to users of AASB standards and provided it does not contradict the content of Australian equivalents to IASB standards. Thus AASB is aiming for the highest quality financial reporting in adopting IASB standards. Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) According to ASIC(2009) ,ASIC is Australias corporate, markets and financial services regulator, which is an   independent Commonwealth Government body set up under and administer the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act (ASIC Act), and carry out most of work under the Corporations Act. ASIC ensures that Australias financial markets are fair and transparent, supported by confident and informed investors and consumers. ASIC regulate Australian companies, financial markets, financial services organisations and professionals who deal and advise in investments, superannuation, insurance, deposit taking and credit. ASICs Statutory Role and Responsibilities Cameron A (2000) discuss the role and responsibilities of ASIC ASICs role in the financial reporting system is not well understood Responsibilities and Obligations in regard to financial reporting imposed on ASIC by the Corporations Law are as follows Monitoring and enforcing compliance with financial reporting requirements of the Law, including the accounting standards. Powers to exempt companies from the requirements of Accounting Standards and other provisions of the Law, and to modify the application of the Law. Relationship Between ASIC and the AASB ASIC is in full support of the AASBs standard setting process. Both agencies share information and regulatory concerns. ASIC gives information of concerns of accounting practices that come to their attention under their activities and ensures that the Board is aware of the views on their proposals for new standards and revisions to existing ones, as market regulator. All contributions made by ASIC have to be considered by the Board on making a final decision on Standards. (Cameron A, 2000) ASICs role is to contribute to the development of high quality standards to promote market integrity generally, and to enforce the individual Standards made by the Board. Even though ASIC does not have authority to establish or veto accounting standards, ASIC does have the power to exempt or modify them. ASIC also develops policy on applying financial reporting requirements of the Law in new and problem areas. For example, development of transitional reporting requirements of building societies, credit unions and friendly societies. Functions under  Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001  (ASIC, 2009) Maintain, facilitate and improve the performance of the financial system and entities in it Promote confident and informed participation by investors and consumers in the financial system Administer the law effectively and with minimal procedural requirements Enforce and give effect to the law Receive, process and store, efficiently and quickly, information that is given to us Make information about companies and other bodies available to the public as soon as practicable. Conclusion To conclude the above statement can be agreed only to some extent .The statement specifies the activities of AASB are under the supervision of FRC, and it is the function of FRC to oversee the process of setting accounting standards, but the Act has placed limitations on FRC to ensure the independence of the standard setter.AASB aims for the high quality financial reporting in adopting IASB standards. The role of ASIC is to contribute towards the development of standards by AASB.In short, the combined effort of the bodies will help develop and maintain high-quality financial reporting standards for all sectors of the Australian economy

Troubled Bruno in The Hostage :: essays research papers

The Hostage A hostage inside himself, and troubled soul that has had very many bad influences in his life. Bruno, a boy, makes many mistakes and has had very many tragic instances like his father dieing, and nothing will, and can go right for him. As the reader will find out is he is very quiet and has a large stature that was feared by many, and has a lot of things that trouble him. Bruno goes though a tough time and bad situations that help influence his actions, feelings, and words, though his life, and holds him hostage within himself. Bruno was very built and had a very large physique, which people found threatening and scary. He looked much older than even one as if he was in junior high. His hair was sleeked back and was very dark and oily with a large neck and shoulders. Even though he had this big overpowering body he let it be known to every one with the cloths he wore. He showed he was tuff, and muscular though those cloths. Bruno also had a scare one his forehead that rumors say he got when a pot of boiling water in a pan hit him. They think he may have pulled it and it fell or his mom dropped it. Through this large stature one might see how he was probably made fun of and harassed.† He spoke English with a strong accent, musical, yet people mocked him and embarrassed him silently†(1201). Written by Joyce Carol Oates the write of the Hostage. This lowered his self a steam that he held in anger and used it to hold himself hostage with in. Other people in Bruno’s class were scared of him and though being scared they respected him. Because he had this kind of scared respect for him he was voted class president and was left alone. People stopped seeing him at school for a while and soon found out that his dad died. He was killed in the mafia, which affected him strongly. When he came back no one said anything and at this time he really need some one to talk too. But no one did because they were scare of him. The only person that came was the narrator was the only person who even came up to him and he did not even let her say it. But she could tell that he really enjoy her even coming up to him to attempt to talk to him.

Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers

Buddhism Buddhism is a religion founded by an ex-Prince Siddhartha Gaumata. Gaumata was a prince who was brought up in a perfect surrounding. When the prince left the palace he saw all the poverty. At the age of twenty nine, the prince left his wife and his infant son to meditate and practice Yoga to find peace and enlightenment. Gaumata was meditating for a long time when finally while he was sitting under a Bo tree he had attained the enlightenment he was looking for. It is for this reason he got the name Buddha, meaning the enlightened one. Buddha became a traveling teacher and taught everyone his discovery. Buddha did not write any of his lessons down. He taught about the Four Noble Truths, (1) life is suffering, (2) all suffering is caused by ignorance, (3) Ending ignorance will end suffering, and (4) The path to the destruction of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of (1) Knowledge of the truth, (2) the intention to resist evil, (3) not saying anything that will hurt someone else, (4) respecting life, (5) having a job that doesn't injure anyone, (6) striving free one's mind of evil, (7) controlling one's feelings, and (8) concentrating properly. Buddha preached that the life was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. The well-being of oneself was determined on your behavior in your previous life. Buddha said that by ridding oneself of worldly things he would be in nirvana, peace and happiness. After Buddha's death, his followers coll... Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers Buddhism Buddhism is a religion founded by an ex-Prince Siddhartha Gaumata. Gaumata was a prince who was brought up in a perfect surrounding. When the prince left the palace he saw all the poverty. At the age of twenty nine, the prince left his wife and his infant son to meditate and practice Yoga to find peace and enlightenment. Gaumata was meditating for a long time when finally while he was sitting under a Bo tree he had attained the enlightenment he was looking for. It is for this reason he got the name Buddha, meaning the enlightened one. Buddha became a traveling teacher and taught everyone his discovery. Buddha did not write any of his lessons down. He taught about the Four Noble Truths, (1) life is suffering, (2) all suffering is caused by ignorance, (3) Ending ignorance will end suffering, and (4) The path to the destruction of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of (1) Knowledge of the truth, (2) the intention to resist evil, (3) not saying anything that will hurt someone else, (4) respecting life, (5) having a job that doesn't injure anyone, (6) striving free one's mind of evil, (7) controlling one's feelings, and (8) concentrating properly. Buddha preached that the life was a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. The well-being of oneself was determined on your behavior in your previous life. Buddha said that by ridding oneself of worldly things he would be in nirvana, peace and happiness. After Buddha's death, his followers coll...

The Relationship Between Culture and Technology Essay -- Environment E

The Relationship Between Culture and Technology The relationship between technology and culture is cyclical. Logically, a culture will develop technologies based on the needs or desires of the people, because this is where the creative influences lie. As this technology spreads and is absorbed into the people’s lives, it affects their culture and way of life. This change in lifestyle can also occur when a technology developed outside a culture is introduced into the culture, providing an external influence. As Paul Ehrlich explains, there are technological evolutions and associated cultural evolutions, and they do not necessarily occur concurrently. Ehrlich [believes] that, in our modern era, technology is evolving faster than culture, and a major cultural evolution needs to occur to be able to deal with modern technology properly. (NPR, Ehrlich) Throughout history, though, there have also been cultural evolutions that lead to the creation and evolution of technology; hence, the cycle. History often makes it evident that when people desire something that another culture has, they show little hesitation in taking it. In many cases, trade has taken the place of blatant theft and warfare, but there are always exceptions. As technologies evolved and spread to different parts of the world, the interdependence between peoples increased. At this point there are few self-sustaining societies. (Even our interdependent societies are not permanently sustainable on our Earth). This limitation of resources leads to need, which in turn may lead to warfare. It is true that the civilized, even moral – if morality can be an argument in this politically correct world – approach involves trade and does not involve senseless killing. And... ... up world, and how could it be worth having' -Sting, All This Time    Sources Chant, Colin, "Chapter 2: Greece" in "Pre-industrial Cities and Technology," Routledge Press, 1999, pp. 48-80. Econ.: Introductory Economics, taught by Prof. Amanda Bayer at State College, Fall 2001. Ehrlich, Paul R., "Ch.11: Gods, Dive-Bombers, and Bureaucracy" in "Human Natures: Genes Cultures, and the Human Prospect" Island Press, 2000, pp. 253-279. Ehrlich takes the Pope Urban II quote from â€Å"Burns, 1963, p. 358† NPR interview with author Paul Ehrlich on his book "Human Natures, Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect" from October 27, 2000. Teresi, Dick, "Lost Discoveries: The ancient roots of modern science", Simon and Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0-684-83718-8, pp. 325-367. *****I can’t find this source†¦ Ehrlich pulls the Pope Urban II quote from â€Å"Burns, 1963, p. 358†

Brain Development Essay

At birth there are about 100 billion brain cells produced and they are beginning to connect with each other. At the first week of age, brain development starts with conception. It is important to reach the age of an infant and practice the ten principals. In the early years, young brains produce almost twice as many synapses as they will need. By age two, the number of synapses a toddler has is similar to that of an adult. By three the child has twice as many synapses as an adult. The infant brain develops through the interaction with the world around, especially the interaction with adults. At the first few months, an infant cannot response to praise or punishment. Emerging research on brain development indicates that the degree for responsive care giving that children receive as infants and toddlers positively affects the connections between neurons in the brain (Brain Cells), and the architecture of the brain itself. The first three years of life are the period of growth in all areas of a baby’s development. Consistent, responsive relationships enable infants and toddlers to develop secure attachments. Infants and Toddlers develop knowing and understanding by perceiving experiences directly with the senses. For infants to acquire the ability to comprehend this sensory information they must b able to distinguish between the familiar and the unknown; later they will begin to consider, to formulate, and to form mental images in this process of experiencing and clarifying the environment. Infants begin by exploring the world with their bodies. They internalize what they take in through their senses and display it in their physical movements. Infants gather vital information through such simple acts as mouthing, grasping, and reaching. The knowing process also involves language abilities. As young children use their senses to experience the world, they need labels to categorize and remember these experiences. By creating these labels, children increase their ability to communicate and begin to control their own behavior. These expanded abilities give young children additional opportunities to understand the world (Infant, Toddlers, and Caregiver Ninth Edition). Recent brain research supports the goal of building a total person instead of concentrating on cognitive development alone. Providing a rich environment with interesting things to do is desirable and stimulates cognitive development. But that does not work without working on physical, social, and emotional development at the same time. What make differences are the day-to-day living, the relationships, the experiences, the diapering, the feedings, the toilet training, and the free play and exploration that contribute to intellectual development. Early experiences matter, and shape brain architecture. Advances in brain research have provided great insight into how young children’s experiences have profound impact on genetic predispositions and thereby share the processes that determine whether their brains will have adaptations or maladaptations for later learning, memory, reasoning, executive functioning, expressing a full range of positive and negative emotions, socialization, behavior control and lifelong health. The thrust of this element is to close the gap between what we have learned and what we do with infants and toddlers. Experiences that prepare the developing brain to function optimally include having warm, nurturing, attentive social interactions and conscientiously buffering young children from the adverse impact of toxic stress. Lack of these kinds of experiences can have devastating, long-term effects on brain development including cognitive functioning and social-emotional competencies. For example, unpredictable or chaotic routines or lack of consistent caregivers may jeopardize children’s foundation for identity development or self regulation, or few language experiences, toys, and opportunities to explore impede the development of neural connections and pathways that facilitate learning (Essential elements of Quality-Infant-toddler Program). To deliver high quality care giving, adults need to understand and recognize key developmental processes that help them understand and support infants and toddlers. Since this essential element explicitly identifies knowledge about key developmental processes threats to them as a factor in quality infant-toddler program, three terms are defined as important pieces of a wider knowledge base about brain development that informs practice: serve and return, executive functioning and toxic stress. Serve and return is the interaction between young children and their parents and caregiver is a key to healthy brain development. It helps to create neural connections that build later cognitive and emotional skills. Executive functioning represents the cognitive skills that enable a child to focus on, hold, and think about information, filter distractions; and divert their attention to something new. The foundation for executive functioning is laid in infancy and is facilitated through early experiences. Acquiring the early building blocks of (executive functioning) skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years. Toxic stress is defined as strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support. Toxic stress disrupts brain development. While some experience with manageable stress is important for healthy development, prolonged, uninterrupted, overwhelming stress; toxic stress without the buffering relationships a child needs, can result in damaged, weakened systems and brain architecture that can have negative long-term effect (Essential Elements of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program). Environments make a difference in brain development. Environments that provide proper nutrition and regularly scheduled periods of sleep and physical activity consistently promote warm, nurturing, attentive social interaction; and conscientiously buffer young children from the adverse impacts of toxic stress. Lack of adequate nutrition, physical activity, appropriate sensory stimulation or social-emotional developmental experiences disrupt brain architecture and can have a decisively negative Impact on future development (Essential Elements of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program). Finding about the impact of early experiences on brain development highlight the importance of intervening early with highly stressed infants and toddlers and their families. Infants and children who are rarely spoken to, who are exposed to few toys, and who have little opportunity to explore and experiment with their environment may fail to fully develop the neural connections and path ways that facilitate later learning. Despite their normal genetic endowment, these children are at a significant intellectual disadvantage and are likely to require costly special education or other remedial services when they enter school. Fortunately, intervention programs that start working with children and their families at birth or even prenatally can help prevent this tragic loss of potential. While high-quality infant and toddler programs are not necessarily intervention programs. When caregiver and parenting practices are grounded in knowledge of early brain development, caregivers and parents are much more effective in providing experiences that facilitate optimal development including strong brain architecture (Essential element of Quality-Infant-Toddler Program).