Communcation Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communcation - Movie Review Example They ignored each other while the destination of the two was the same. They were the graduate students of the University of Chicago. As it is said, â€Å"First impression is the last impression.† The clarity has appeared on the scene that they did not like each other and they did not even verbally communicated with each other (Gupta). 2. They had realized in the early stages that they could not be friends because the attitude of the Harry was that men and women could not be friends as the sex unavoidably gets in the way. The attitude and behavior of Sally were positive, and she was of the opinion that gender discrimination is not required for friendship. Harry and Sally did not change their attitude for many years. The scene is shown in the film that they had a bad experience in the past when they met after ten years in a plane. At that time, Harry was alone because he had given divorce to his wife. Sally was alone because she had ended relationship with her boyfriend. The experiences faced by the two were bad, and the climax of the movie came forward when the expressions of both were communicating that they had fallen in a friendship. The theory of completeness of the communication â€Å"The idea should be concise and complete† could be observed in that scene (Gupta). 3. Harry and Sally met each other several times in the period of 12 years. They periodically met each other but did not try to communicate each other the perception that they had been agreed upon the same thing that they are likely to be friends with each other. They were not communicating with each other that the feeling of friendship had been raised among them. The impression on each other was changing during the period. The scenes in the film were showing the implied intention of friendship between them. It was clarified in the scene that they were feeling some relationship between them (Gupta). 4. The strategies adopted by the characters were slightly more than the comedy and

Climate Change and The Rise in Sea Level Essay -- Environment Environ

"On a recent afternoon, Scott McKenzie watched torrential rains and a murky tide swallow the street outside his dog-grooming salon. Within minutes, much of this stretch of chic South Beach was flooded ankle-deep in a fetid mix of rain and sea. â€Å"Welcome to the new Venice,† McKenzie joked as salt water surged from the sewers." ----- Michael J. Mishak, Associated Press June 7, 2014 at 4:24 PM EDT According to the World Bank Development Report 2013 there has been an increase in global surface temperature of 0.4 to 0.9 Celsius (C) in the past 100 years. This change in temperature largely caused, according to the IPCC, by the release of GHGs through human activities. There are several effects associated to the change in global temperature, mainly affecting ecosystems and populations worldwide. Among these effects or consequences are sea-level rise, drought, floods, loss of mangroves, and the intensification of storms and climate processes such as El Nino and La Nina. Recent studies have focused on sea-level rise and the global effects. Over the past 100 years, sea levels have increased by 10 to 20 centimeters (World Bank, 2003). Moreover, arctic sea-ice has continued to shrink up to 10 percent or more of its total mass and by 40 percent of its thickness. Glaciers and small ice caps are rapidly melting, causing several changes in the flows of rivers and ecosystems, as well as adding to the increase of sea levels. Sea level rise will most likely severely affect unprepared, developing countries and their populations. Concomitantly, developed industrial countries with higher levels of GDP are likely to cope more efficiently with the effects of sea level rise. This paper will focus on the prognosticated socio-economic costs of s... ... Policymakers Wembley, United Kingdom, 24-29 September 2001.    World Development Report 2013. Sustainable Development in a Dynamic World. Trnasforming institutions, growth, and quality of life. A copublication of the World Bank and Oxford University Press. New York, NY 2013.    Entering the 21st. Century – World Development Report 1999/2000. World Bank 2000. Oxford University Press. New York, NY 2000.    1998-1999 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment. Environmental Change and Human Health. A Joint Publication by the World Resources Institute, the World Bank, the United Nations Environmental Programme, and the United Nations Development Programme. Oxford University Press, New York, NY 1998. IPCC Report 2003 – Overview of Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability to Climate Change. 1 page 365 – IPCC report 2003 1[1] page 365 – IPCC report 2003

Simon And Ralph Comparison At Chapter 3 :: essays research papers

Golding portrays the different characters and those ideologies that accompany them with a strong contrast in writing style. To further understand this we must compare characters from his Nobel Prize winning novel, The Lord of the Flies. A good example of this is Jack who represents evil, described at the beginning of chapter three, and Simon who represents good and spirituality, described at the end of chapter three.Golding writes the story with the knowledge that characters who strongly dominate the plot at any given time of the book will become associated with the mood and imagery of their surroundings. When he writes about Jack he creates dark images, to represent evil. One of the ways that he does this is by placing Jack in a dark and unpleasant jungle. The jungle that Golding describes is also humid, and makes the reader feel uncomfortable. He also describes Jack as being similar to animals; "†¦Then dog-like on all fours†¦", "†¦flared nostrils", as to create an image of a character who is governed by instinct and savagery. The mention of dark sunburn and freckles splashes the image of red colour on Jack's character signifying rage and lack of control. Every move that Jack makes is described as quick and deceiving, and this prevents the reader from trusting or admiring Jack.When Golding writes about Simon's sunburn, he describes it as a deep tan, which does not have the same connotation as Jack's red sunburn. Every move that Simon makes is slow and delicate; "†¦He picked his way up the scar†¦", "†¦He walked with an accustomed tread†¦". Simon is found in a beautiful scene with fruit trees, flowers, and honey bees. Butterflies dance, expressing the good spirit always accompanying Simon. Golding has the little ones who are the helpless and weak members of society seek Simon for aide in reaching fruit that they themselves cannot reach. This is done intentionally to show Simon's compassion, and Golding would not place Jack in a similar scenario.

Financial Reporting Problem Part 1 Essay

The company’s annual report is important because it gives the shareholders a clear picture and understanding about how the company is doing financially. The annual reports provide thorough information on very significant section of the accounts, such as the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. The information presented in the annual report would also be essential to potential investor, employee, and any other people that may have interest in financial aspect of the business. The company’s total assets at the end of December 2013 were $77,478,000 (PepsiCo, n.d.). Although, for the reporting period at the end of December 2012, the total was $74,638,000. This information is important because it demonstrate what the company owns and how the company has grown over the years. It gives an understanding of the financial condition of the company, and how well they are doing, or have not done over the time frame. The current assets are the first thing on the balance. These are listed by the company so they have a tangible list of what it may convert into cash in a short period of time if the situation calls for that. This can usually be done in less than a year. Because these assets can easily be turned to cash by the company, they are referred to as â€Å"liquid† assets. Cash and cash equivalents are the most liquid assets found on the company’s balance sheet. PepsiCo’s cash and cash equivalents for the year end of December 28, 2013 were $9,375,000 and in December 2012 the company had $6,297,000 in cash and cash equivalents (PepsiCo, n.d.). This includes short-term investments, accounts and notes receivable, inventories and prepaid expenses, and other current assets. This represents the company’s liquidity. The more of the above that the company has access to what gives them a high risk of success because management can use the money to carry through tough periods. All accounts  payable are the debts owed by the company to various vendors for products and services purchased on credit. Upon review of the current financial statement for PepsiCo they have a total amount of $12,533,000 owed to vendors (Yahoo Finance, 2014). This is one of the largest current liabilities because of the fact the companies are constantly ordering new products or paying vendors for services or merchandise. As shown on PepsiCo’s balance sheet, the company recorded $12,274,000 in their accounts payable for their previous annual reporting period, 2012 (Yahoo Finance, 2014). This says that PepsiCo purchased supplies, products, and services on credit. They were liable to pay this amount to their vendors and suppliers at the time they were due. Net incomes are proceeds from a sale of an asset, minus the commissions, taxes, and other expenses related to the sale. For example, a case of Pepsi was sold in a store. The net incomes made from that sale, what money is left after the expenses, commissions, and taxes are paid. Another example of net income would be the profit made from the sale of a truck, land, or building that PepsiCo owned. PepsiCo reported $6,740,000 in net income for 2013 (Yahoo Finance, 2014). This is an increase from the reported net income in 2012. In 2012 PepsiCo reported $6,178,000 in net income (Yahoo Finance, 2014). As shown, there was a bigger increase in net income between 2012 and 2013. Net income is one of the most important signs of a business’ financial stability. The net income is generally the amount remaining after the expenses have been met or deducted. This is known as the bottom line because it is found on the last line of the income statement. PepsiCo reported their total current assets at the end of their most recent annual reporting period, 2013, at $22,203,000 (Yahoo Finance, 2014). This figure includes their current assets such as cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, net receivables, and inventory. Cash includes currency on hand as well as deposits in their financial institution. Cash equivalents are investments with maturities of three months or less. Net receivables are the amount due from customers or clients within one year on the balance sheet date. The inventory will include the raw materials, work in process, and finished goods. They value these at the lower to cost or market. In 2012, PepsiCo reported $18,720,000 in their total current assets  (Yahoo Finance, 2014). It is evident that between the years of 2012 and 2013 their total current assets increased. The annual report contains the information above and is very important to the business, and can be used for many different reasons. The owner s can use the information to decide whether or not they should continue to operate. The information on the total assets and the amount of the accounts payable can benefit potential investors because it shows them strong the company is financially, by stating what the company owns and how much it owes. The finance department can use the information above to make reasonable â€Å"decision about debt and equity financing and how to distribute in dividends† (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, 2011, p. 41). Last, but not least: the human resources department can use the information to see how much cash the company has and its total income in order to figure out how much money is available in order to give incentives, raises, bonuses, benefits, rewards, or other types of gifts etc. to the employees. According to our text, it also states that â€Å"if employees can read and use financial reports all employees will be better informed about the basis on which they are evaluated, which will increase employee morale† (Kimmel, Weygandt, & Kieso, 2011, p. 41). References Kimmel, P. D., Weygandt, J. J., & Kieso, D. E. (2011). Financial accounting: Tools for business decision making (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. PepsiCo. (n.d.). Investors. Retrieved from http://www.pepsico.com/Investors/Annual-Reports.html Yahoo Finance. (2014, April). http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=PEP+Historical+Prices

The Top 10 Secrets Nurses Never Tell Their Patients

The Top 10 Secrets Nurses Never Tell Their Patients Nursing is a tough job and doesn’t get enough credit. Nurses go through a lot and that doesn’t come without developing their own fair share of secrets. Here are 10 secrets nurses never tell their patients:

Quotes About Long Distance Relationships

Quotes About Long Distance Relationships It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder- this is probably why lovers who are apart spend most of their time thinking about each other. If you are living away from your beloved, then there might be a long distance love quote below that will provide you with some comfort. Making Long Distance Work Many people who have been in long distance relationships have confessed that it is tough to stay committed when your partner lives across time zones and continents. Practical considerations such as the difference in time zone, cultures, lifestyle, and attitude draw couples apart. Lack of physical contact  also contributes to the gnawing chasm between two lovers. So are long distance relationships practical? Should couples who live apart reconsider their career or lifestyle choices so that they can accommodate the relationship? Rationale dictates that to keep a relationship alive and energetic, lovers need to be together as often as possible. So you can schedule a recess in your work or study routine to factor in a romance holiday. Make sure to keep aside all other work obligations when you are with your sweetheart. Long distance love can work if both partners are willing to accept the difference in lifestyle. Here are some long distance love quotes that can help stoke the flame of passion. Quotes on Long-Distance Romance George Eliot: What greater thing is there for two human souls that to feel that they are joined... to strengthen each other... to be at one with each other in silent unspeakable memories.Anonymous: Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart, and the joy in a heart.Thomas Fuller: Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.Robert Dodsley:One kind kiss before we part,Drop a tear and bid adieu;Though we sever, my fond heartTill we meet shall pant for you.Francois de la Rouchefoucauld: Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.Roger de Bussy-Rabutin: Absence is to love as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great.Richard Bach: Can miles truly separate you from friends? If you want to be with someone you love, arent you already there?Anonymous: Absence makes thy heart grow fonder.Anonymous: I hate the stars because I look at the same ones as you do, without you.Anonymous:A part of you h as grown in me.And so you see, its you and meTogether forever and never apart,Maybe in distance, but never in heart. Khalil Gibran: And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.Jon Oliva:If I go awayWhat would still remain of me?The ghost within your eyes?The whisper in your sighs?You see... BelieveAnd Im always there.Kay Knudsen: Love is missing someone whenever youre apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because youre close in heart.Hans Nouwens: In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged.George Eliot: That farewell kiss which resembles greeting, that last glance of love which becomes the sharpest pang of sorrow.Anonymous: If the only place where I could see you was in my dreams, Id sleep forever.Pam Brown: Odd how much it hurts when a friend moves away- and leaves behind only silence.Edward Thomas: The simple lack of her is more to me than others presence.

The Free Market System essays

The Free Market System essays The free market system has been praised by many as the answer to the world's economic problems. It is the economic equivalent of democracy; every merchant is free to sell goods or services at a price determined by him- or herself. According to this system, the ideal is for an individual to pursue his or her own self-interest, which then culminates in a result that is also of benefit to society as a whole. The above view is fairly idealistic, and of course in reality circumstances often deviate from the ideal. Among the factors contributing to free market failure then include inapt government intervention, external factors, and a lack of relevant information. There has been considerable disagreement regarding the extent of government information that is proper for the free market system. This appears to be linked to political philosophy. Free market economists for example feel that government intervention should be minimized, while socialist economists feel that more state intervention is necessary. When government intervention is not optimized, the market outcome itself is less than optimal, and failure occurs, especially in terms of environmental exploitation. A potential solution could be government intervention by means of taxes, as well as education. Externalities include the cost to parties outside of the direct producer or consumer of goods. When these costs become too high, the market fails. Here proper monitoring practices can be implemented to ensure that the minimum impact occurs when a good is produced. It is also important to educated the public regarding the possible impact of production or consumption. When there is a lack of information regarding impact, the market may fail due to the consequent lack of resources. The solution in this case is appropriate education. With the correct strategies, is thus possible to optimize the free ...

Book report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book report - Essay Example He is, therefore, involved in trading of players betting the rise in transfer value. Mendes target for his trading of players is seeking to attract Euro. 85m (pounds. 67m) from investors beyond boundaries companies to buy stakes in Spain and Portugal (Conn, para1). From an economical perspective, Mendes is a critical entrepreneur. This is because he seeks and signs excellent players; producing excellent results as per a given football team. This, therefore, means that he is responsible for the production of a demand curve. The way Mendes does this is by convincing the players to sign up with him is incredible. This triggers the question, ‘Is Jorge Mendes the most powerful man in football?’ This paper seeks to review on leadership and economics in the football world in relation to effective football management. Mendes and his company name became famous over deals done involving Portugal’s top three clubs of which he managed to earn some multi-millions of pounds to England and Spain. The guardian sport reports that Mendes work as excellent achieved this summer following biggest moves of talent and money covering the whole European football transfer market (Conn, para3). From this report, it is evident that Mendes not only critically studies the activities of marker intermediaries but also accounts for the plurality of market mediation devices. By doing so, he manages to convince players to sign up with his company. While Mendes earning from the deals is not mentioned, there is a fact is he earned a lot of billions pound this summer. The main aim of Mendes is trade these players were to attract  £Euro 85 (pound67) targeting investors to buy stakes in Spain and Portugal. Transferring the players also benefits the team which sold him and the team player joins by making it famous (Conn , para2). Having been a nightclub owner and a friend of footballers to player’s broker, he mentioned his excellent remarks dominated from deals done by Portugal’s top three

Market Foods Corporation in Ecuador Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Market Foods Corporation in Ecuador - Essay Example Eating habits and approach to food will be different in Singapore and Ecuador and hence the Market Food Corporation must account for those things while formulating management strategies for Ecuador. Even the same service needs different management styles and marketing strategies in different countries in order to succeed because of the difference in the culture. Only those entrepreneurs who study these differences will succeed in their overseas projects. Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion (4P’s of business/marketing) must be taken into consideration by Market Foods in their proposed hawker stall operations in Ecuador. Right product, at the right time, in the right place, with right promotional activities will always be successful in the market and Market Foods Corporation must formulate a well thought out strategy for Ecuador based on the above assumption. Management structure is also important for the success of international business. Locals must be given priority in all the international activities because of their immense knowledge about h the local market and culture. Promotional activities and advertisements for hawker stalls in Ecuador also must focus on the Ecuadorian culture rather than the global culture. â€Å"As the world shrinks, so marketing opportunities expand. Radical advances in communication and transportation bring markets closer-the skill lies in identifying the areas of greatest potential profit, and developing global strategies that still function effectively in meeting local needs† (International marketing review) We are living in a world of Globalization and Liberalization which tries to visualize the whole world as one and to bring the whole people/countries under the roof of one umbrella. Globalization has opened the doors widely open for business community as they can market their

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) formula 1 PowerPoint Presentation

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) formula 1 - PowerPoint Presentation Example To begin with, cell Phones have got many different features and purposes that have helped the society in various ways. The primary features of Cell Phones especially Smartphone include Internet application services and money transfer services (Vats Web). Most current account customers can instantly send or receive cash using their smart phones. An individual with a smart phone can accept credit card payments quickly, securely from anywhere. This feature, which is easy to set up, allows a user to key transactions and adds a credit card swiper to take advantage of low rates. Smartphone allows use of master account by linking many accounts to create an enterprise level solution. These features make it easier to do business from any corner of the world. Customers with Smartphone can now scan in their checks deposit from anywhere. The issue of mailing checks or making queues at the ATM is long overdue to Smartphone users using the Mobile PC deposit app. In addition, cell Phones have numerous internet application features that have to a great extent benefited their users. Smartphone uses web browsers of very high quality that can be used to browse internet with ease compared to other standard phones (Vats Web). The Smartphone can be connected to the laptops to access the internet and some Smartphones have expandable memories and powerful processors that help in storing large media data and can be used to connect to stream media from internet media providers. Smartphone, by using app such as Open Garden allows users to share mobile web access by forming a mesh network by connecting it to laptops. Interestingly, a Smartphone user can participate in teleconferencing by using noise cancelling handset to reduce noise and using the Smartphone timer to manage the teleconferencing duration. Moreover, the big memory in the Smartphone and powerful processors allow users to download songs games and videos anytime (Vats Web). Some Cell Phones enable live streaming

Introduction to Web and Multimedia Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to Web and Multimedia Quiz - Essay Example Choose one answer. D a. HTML b. CSS c. DOM d. NET e. JAVA 10 Marks: 1 In AJAX terms, what is the DOM Choose one answer. A a. Document Object Model b. Distributed Object Model c. Documented Object Method d. Disseminated Objects Method e. Delineated Object Methodology 11 Marks: 1 The Internet started as: Choose one answer. A a. An American military research project b. A commercial venture by Microsoft and IBM c. A student project d. A way to make use of personal computers e. A joint project by television companies 12 Marks: 1 POP3 is an Internet protocol for Choose one answer. B a. Composing songs b. Collecting E-Mail from servers c. Sending E-Mail to servers d. Uploading web pages e. Gaining remote access to computers 13 Marks: 1 The location of a resource, such as a web page, is given by a URL. URL stands for: Choose one answer. C a. Universal Road Language b. Unidentified Record Label c. Uniform Resource Locator d. Understandable Route List e. Unreasonable Response Link 14 Marks: 1 The use of tags is DEPRECATED by style sheets. In this context DEPRECATED means Choose one answer. D a. added to b. totally replaced by c. usually replaced with the current standard d. made redundant e. interpreted 15 Marks: 1 The following tag and attribute are usually used to: Choose one answer. C a. Produce a blank background in a table b. produce a phantom table c. remove the outer border of a table d. set the border colour to black e. position the text in the table 16 Marks: 1 By default, when a web browser comes across unknown tags, Choose...The salesmen were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of data nets danced in their heads. And I with my datascope tracings and dumps prepared for some pretty bad bruises and lumps. When out in the hall there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter." What service of the Internet translates domain names (computer hostnames) to IP addresses. and also lists mail exchange servers accepting e-mail for each domain. In other words it provides a worldwide keyword-based redirection service

International Conflict Resolution Research Paper

International Conflict Resolution - Research Paper Example Ethnic conflict threatened the territorial integrity of countries throughout the world including Somalia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia in Africa; Bosnia and Kosovo in Eastern Europe; state-sponsored ethnic cleansing in East Timor in Asia and extreme violence on the North American island nation of Haiti. Although ethnic conflict and humanitarian crises have existed since the dawn of time, for the first time ever images of extreme bloodshed, violence, and even genocide were broadcast into the homes of everyday Americans through international television stations like the Cable News Network (CNN), Fox and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Despite shocking violence perpetrated by a variety of militia forces in the Western African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the international community, by and large, stood still while extreme violence and crimes against humanity were carried out with seeming impunity. While it is evident that conflict has been endemic in the modern post-Cold War world, how has conflict been resolved in recent times? There are a variety of theories to international conflict resolution including peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. This essay will discuss each theoretical paradigm and will persuasively show that peacebuilding and peacekeeping go hand in hand and that they are the most viable means through which global conflict can be managed and averted. We will explore the case of Sierra Leone and argue that it emphatically demonstrates that international actors must work to maintain the peace in societies which have experienced incredible violence and social collapse and that both peacekeeping and peacebuilding must take place in order to heal old wounds and ensure that conflict does not reemerge. Alternative Dispute Resolution is a third-party resolution process whereby mediation is undertaken by an external party to help resolve the c onflict.  

Introduction to Web and Multimedia Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to Web and Multimedia Quiz - Essay Example Choose one answer. D a. HTML b. CSS c. DOM d. NET e. JAVA 10 Marks: 1 In AJAX terms, what is the DOM Choose one answer. A a. Document Object Model b. Distributed Object Model c. Documented Object Method d. Disseminated Objects Method e. Delineated Object Methodology 11 Marks: 1 The Internet started as: Choose one answer. A a. An American military research project b. A commercial venture by Microsoft and IBM c. A student project d. A way to make use of personal computers e. A joint project by television companies 12 Marks: 1 POP3 is an Internet protocol for Choose one answer. B a. Composing songs b. Collecting E-Mail from servers c. Sending E-Mail to servers d. Uploading web pages e. Gaining remote access to computers 13 Marks: 1 The location of a resource, such as a web page, is given by a URL. URL stands for: Choose one answer. C a. Universal Road Language b. Unidentified Record Label c. Uniform Resource Locator d. Understandable Route List e. Unreasonable Response Link 14 Marks: 1 The use of tags is DEPRECATED by style sheets. In this context DEPRECATED means Choose one answer. D a. added to b. totally replaced by c. usually replaced with the current standard d. made redundant e. interpreted 15 Marks: 1 The following tag and attribute are usually used to: Choose one answer. C a. Produce a blank background in a table b. produce a phantom table c. remove the outer border of a table d. set the border colour to black e. position the text in the table 16 Marks: 1 By default, when a web browser comes across unknown tags, Choose...The salesmen were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of data nets danced in their heads. And I with my datascope tracings and dumps prepared for some pretty bad bruises and lumps. When out in the hall there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter." What service of the Internet translates domain names (computer hostnames) to IP addresses. and also lists mail exchange servers accepting e-mail for each domain. In other words it provides a worldwide keyword-based redirection service

Assess the Changing Politics of Environmentalism in Chinese Civil Essay - 1

Assess the Changing Politics of Environmentalism in Chinese Civil Society - Essay Example Thus, in the hopes of assessing the changing politics of environmentalism in the Chinese civic culture, this essay briefly narrates the history of environmentalism in the country and how it changed overtime. In addition, the essay presents examples of online environmental initiatives, their hard line activities, and the corresponding impact of these internet-facilitated activities on civil society. The Chinese people have once more proven to the world their innovative prowess with the onslaught of online green social movements. Rapid development in technology has assisted the wake of environmentalism among the Chinese. â€Å"Environmental activism in China critically diverges from the popular image of social movements as ‘masses of people taking to the streets and erecting barricades’ (Peter ho and Edmonds 216). The country has wakened up to the alarming needs to protect its environment as a measure to prevent possible calamities and widespread communicable diseases with a view to minimize the operation costs in the administration of the country. In the past, Mao introduced a revolutionary industrialization program in which he insisted falling trees and leveling the surface of the land in order to support the growth of industry in China. The depletion of environmental balance in the country was constituted mainly by Mao’s policies as per the references of many a historian in the world. For instance, the agricultural policies like ‘close plating of seedlings, deep planting, the double- blade plow, peculiar fertilization techniques’ were of negative impacts on the environment (Shapiro 76). In addition, Mao’s political line was rather utopian as he considered nature his most prolific enemy to be conquered. He associated a ‘mass culture’ in China with which he formulated his policies and executed the destruction of forests. It has to be observed that

Mathematics Educational Theories Essay Example for Free

Mathematics Educational Theories Essay My investigation has led me to think about lots of ideas that can be used with children in Early Years classroom as well as with KS1. Numbers displayed on telephone sets and remote controls are probably the first form of numbers in an order that young children come across with. Primarily, number lines 0 10 0 20, as a part of the 100 square can be used where children familiarise themselves with numbers and recognise the correct order of numbers. Number lines are very versatile. They can be of any size, for individual or whole- class use. They can start on any number. Blank number lines are infinitely adaptable; they can be used for counting calculations using all four number operations. They are a good way to practice and overlearn the number bonds to 20 that children need to be able to remember fluently. Visual counting pattern on number lines can help children to understand relative numbers and number sequences. Moving a step forward from the correct order of numbers, the children can identify and colour all the odd and even numbers and establish rules for recognition. When children are confident with bigger numbers, a large 100 square is ideal to work with the whole class to learn timetables, addition subtraction of larger numbers by counting numbers above it or below it. Children can also identify multiples of 2,3, 5, 10 and others by highlighting numbers in different colours and demonstrate sequential patterns. They can reverse the two digit numbers, read them and make new numbers. Problem solving activities such as pick a number between 0-10 or 0-20, double it and add 1, is very exciting as children manipulate with numbers at their own pace. Lots of different games can be introduced. Snakes Ladders, number dominions, dice games, dot to dot, finding the difference between two dices; place value cards are few examples. By playing and replaying a selection of games, children can practice to grapple ideas, number facts and concepts in a way that they can enjoy and strengthen skills at the same time. Active involvement aids their learning and enhances their attitude towards the subject. But it is important to focus on the particular learning target that the game is reinforcing. Hundred squares can be cut into several parts to form a jigsaw and children can be challenged to put the pieces together again. (See some activity ideas in the appendix)

What Location Influences Foreign Direct Investment?

What Location Influences Foreign Direct Investment? Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter offers an introduction to the research, with paragraph 1.2 detailing the problem it focuses on, leading to the research question in paragraph 1.3. Paragraph 1.4 discusses the relevance of the research. The chapter ends with an outline of the thesis. The next paragraphs contain the various purposes and the general research design, and finish with the disposition of the study. 1.1 Background Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an important source of capital and economic growth in recent business. It provides a package of new technologies, management techniques, finance and market access for the production of goods and services. However, attracting FDI is a major challenge for most host countries as they face the challenge of identifying the major factors that motivate and affect the FDI location decision. Nowadays, regions try to attract Foreign Direct Investments to stimulate their economic development (OECD, 2002a). Certain regions consider the ecological issues as well and promote sustainable FDI. Recently, while working at AgentschapNL, an agency of the Dutch secretary of Economic Affairs, the awareness for sustainable investment rose. AgentschapNL promotes sustainable development and innovation, both in the Netherlands and abroad. One region that is engaged in an initiative to attract FDI is the Swedish province Jà ¤mtland. This initiative is called Midscand and it involves stimulating business investments and cooperation (joint ventures, business development, acquisitions, strategic alliances, outsourcing and new start-ups). One of their target countries is the Netherlands. The activities that are discussed are the sectors: cleantech, tourism, mechanical industry, forestry and call centres. The scope of this research is limited to the cleantech sector. This sector deals with sustainable innovations and investments in Jà ¤mtland, with special focus on wind and bio energy. The main goal of this project is to attract new investments from the Netherlands to Swedish regions. 1.2 Problem Indication The literature dealing with FDI can be classified in two main streams, as pointed out by Agiomirgianakis, Asteriou and Papathoma (2003): the first explains the effect of FDI on the process of economic growth, while the second one goes in depth into the study of the determinants of FDI. This thesis focuses on the second part of literature. Among all the factors influencing the location decisions of FDI, the location-specific determinants need particular exploration, since they can help the host governments to attract and increase FDI inflows using several instruments (Chakrabarti, 2001). Location-specific factors will always influence the decision to enter or exit a location for investment purposes (Audretsch and Fritsch, 2002). FDI is a key element of the international economic relations as it is an engine of employment, technology transfer and improvement of productivity, which ultimately leads to economic growth. The need to attract FDI forces governments to provide a favourable climate for business activities (Nordstrom, 1991). The foreign firms can be influenced by the political and economic institutional framework of the host country, which could affect the choice of where to invest their capital (Makino and Chan, 2004). The challenge of this research is to explore which location determinants make a region attractive for FDI. The definition of the problem is: What should Swedish regions do to positively influence FDI? By presenting a thorough overview of FDI and the determinants that could influence the location choice for a company, this research aims to provide a framework, tested in interviews for the applicability of investments. 1.3 Research questions To solve the problem the following research questions are answered: What is FDI? Based on a literature review that provides theoretical information on this phenomenon. What are the location factors? Galan and Gonzales (2007) are used as basis for the location factors. Several other papers on location factors are evaluated and criticized. What does Sweden have to offer? This final question deals with the application of the theoretical framework to Swedish region as case study and the relationship between the factors they possess and the factors they need to stimulate to influence FDI. 1.4 Purpose and Objective The purpose of this thesis is to examine which regional factors influence foreign direct investments. Theories regarding FDI and location-specific characteristics will be reviewed and analysed in the theoretical framework. A thorough overview of the location factors will be part of the framework that can be used by regions, willing to attract sustainable investments. But first of all, the objective as described in the definition of the problem is to give recommendations to Swedish regions regarding the factors they should highlight to attract or influence direct foreign investment. 1.5 Research Design The literature framework is based on relevant papers. According to Ghauri (2005), theoretical data will be used to understand and interpret the research question, and it will help to â€Å"broaden the base from which scientific conclusion can be drawn†. The relevance of the papers will be based on quality. To reach the goal of collection qualitative data for the research question, a phased selection is made. The emphasis of the courses Corporate Level Strategy and Research Methods of Strategy within the master Strategic Management is on testing all data on quality. By examining the relevance, publication form and impact factor of the information, the quality of the paper will be showed. The research is divided into two parts: (1) the literature research and (2) a case study. The first part of the research is explorative, because it is intended to gain more information on the situation and to get familiar with the research area. Qualitative studies -observations and interviews- are used to gain more knowledge of the research topic (Sekaran, 2003). The research mainly relies on secondary data; books and articles by various authors are considered. Literature is compared and new insights are gained. Interviews are conducted for the verification of the interests, which are characterized as primary data. In this research, qualitative data is the main source. The time dimension of this research is cross-sectional, which implies that the research is conducted at one particular moment in time. For useful literature, the data will be collected on acknowledged databases (e.g. ABI/Inform, JCR, Web of Science). The keywords that will be used during the search period are â€Å"FDI†, â€Å"entry modes†, â€Å"choice of country†, â€Å"region†, and â€Å"location determinants†. All literature sources can be found in the list of references. The theory will be examined by a qualitative case study. Case studies are used to understand a specific case under particular circumstances (Patton, 2002). 1.6 Disposition In chapter 2 the contemporary theory that has been evaluated and reviewed is presented. An introduction will be followed by a presentation of FDI and the factors that influence the location choice, followed by the location factors that are important for wind and bio-energy. In chapter 3 the methodology is elaborated and provides a description of the way this thesis was written and the choices that are made. In the second paragraph the data and sample size are explained. Theoretical and empirical frameworks are discussed, as well as the reliability and validity of this study. In chapter 4 the participating respondents are interviewed, which leads to an analysis and concludes the empirical results. Chapter 5 includes the results of the findings and the discussion that compares the theoretical statements that were researched and found necessary for this research presented in chapter 2. The mode of procedure is explained and the model of the empirical results is presented in this part. Chapter 6 includes the answers of this research by modifying the analysis model. The conclusion is based on the discussion in chapter 5. The answers serve as a proposal for further research in a broader context and give an opportunity of generalization. Chapter 2 Theoretical framework The literature review provides the foundation for this research, through discussions of previous studies on FDI and international business. Section 2.2 offers a review of studies regarding FDI. Next, it is essential to identify the location factors that influence that move, as it contains the answer to the second research question: What are location factors? The third paragraph contains a detailed overview of the location factors. An overview of the selected factors can be found in table 1. The list contains determinants to measure the impact on the location factors and their impact on FDI. The last paragraph contains a summary of the findings and a conclusion. 2.1 What is FDI? Modern day literature increasingly concentrates on subjects covering the globalization of markets and the internationalization of companies. Governments contribute to this situation by opening their regulations with the intention to profit from a more open economy (Dunning and Nurala, 2002). The growing number of liberal policies is a driving force for companies to go abroad and make FDI (Galà ¡n and Gonzà ¡lez-Benito, 2001). There are several definitions of a foreign direct investment presented by a number of researchers. A central theme of the definitions available on FDI, with the one illustrated by Moosa (2002) as a typical example, is that the companies undertaking such a venture aspire to gain a controlling stake in the asset or entity purchased. An FDI is not to be confused with an international or portfolio investment, where the aim merely is to diversify the holdings of the firm and make a financially sound investment (Buckley, 1998). FDI is defined as a firm based in one country (the home country) owning ten per cent (10%) or more of the stock of a company located in a foreign country (the host country). This amount of stock is generally enough to give the home country firm significant control over the host country firm. Most FDI is in wholly owned or nearly wholly owned subsidiaries. Other non-equity forms of FDI include: subcontracting, management contracts, franchising, and licensing and product sharing .In view of the above, FDI can be either inward or outward. FDI is measured either as a flow (amount of investment made in one year) or a stock (the total investment accumulation at the end of the year). Outward FDI can take various forms, home country residents can: purchase existing assets in a foreign country; make new investment in property, plant equipment in a foreign country; participate in a joint venture with a local partner in a foreign country (Dunning, 1976). 2.2 Location factors 2.2.1 Introduction There is considerable literature on the determinants of location factors for multinational Corporations (MNCs) when they choose their foreign market location, but very little on the relative importance of the location factors for FDI in a specific country and industry. It is widely believed that the trend towards globalized production and marketing has major implications for the attraction of developing countries to FDI inflows. The relative importance of FDI location determinants have changed. Even though traditional determinants and the types of FDI associated with them have not disappeared as a result of globalization, their importance is said to be on the decline. More specifically, one of the most important traditional FDI determinants, the size of national markets, has decreased in importance. At the same time, cost differences between locations, the quality of infrastructure, the ease of doing business and the availability of skills have become more important (UNCTAD 1996). Li kewise, Dunning (1999) argues that the motives for and the determinants of FDI have changed. Buckley and Ghauri (2004) point to the limited attention researchers have given to the FDI location factors in the literature. They suggest that international business strategy is distinct from main stream or single country business strategy only because of differences of location. Hence, location specifics are essential to the possibility of international strategy having a distinctive content. They, too, suggest that a focus on location, and possibly the question of why locations differ, could be a response to the issue of what forms the next big question in international business research. Dunning (2008) suggests that the more recent lack of attention to location by IB scholars could have arisen from an assumption that the location decision principles are the same for both international and domestic locations. Thus, scholars were either satisfied with existing explanations or as Dunning (1998) points out maybe theywere just not interested. In attempting to determine the relevant set of location factors, Michael Porters (1990) work cited in Hodgetts (1993) offers a valuable starting point. Porter notes that success for a given industry in international competition depends on the relative strength of that industry with regards to a set of business-related features or drivers of competitiveness, namely factor conditions; demand conditions; related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure, and rivalry. Government and chance are seen to influence competitiveness through their impact on the above four basic drivers. This framework the drivers of competitiveness has been used in a number of studies of industries and individual economies. Porters competitiveness framework has been the subject of major criticisms. Paul Krugman (1994) specifically criticized the idea that nations, or locations, compete in the same way as firms do, and his wide-ranging critique attacks this concept. Also, the empirical evidence for national competitiveness and the policies that follow are what Krugman (1994) describes as a dangerous obsession. Another criticism is that Porter places government involvement in international business outside of the core determinants. Many authors have claimed that Porters framework pays insufficient attention to relevant specific location factors such as globalization (Dunning, 1993), multinational companies (Dunning, 1993; RugmanVerbeke, 1993), technology (Narula, 1993. Several authors have questioned the validity of the model, and the conclusions drawn from the model, for countries such as Austria (Bellak Weiss, 1993), Canada (Rugman dCruz, 1993), Hong Kong (Redding, 1994) and Mexico (Hodgetts, 1993). A lot of research interested in providing the determining factors for FDI loca tion decisions is seen to be done by managers. Some of the major studies are the following (Dunning, 2000): theories of risk diversification (Rugman, 1979); agglomeration theories (Krugman, 1993; Porter, 1994, 1996); theories related to government-induced incentives (Loree and Guisinger, 1995); and theories of location (Dunning, 1997). All these new theories are certainly insightful, but they are all context-specific, and interested solely in stressing the relevance of certain factors to the detriment of others that may be equally significant. None of them has yet provided a satisfactory explanation of the relative importance of specific factors that lead managers to locate their investments via FDI in a specific country and industry (Dunning, 2008). Dunning (2008) believes that â€Å"it is not possible to formulate a single operationally testable theory that can explain all forms of foreign-owned production any more than it is possible to construct a generalized theory to explain all forms of trade or the behaviour of all kinds of firms.† Cohen (2007) believes that location factors for a specific location and industry that affect the location decision are based on the perceptions of a small group of senior managers, not a scientific formula. Furthermore, Buckly et al(2007) argue that studying a single firm or group of firms in the same industry is the best way to identify the most important factors, because firms in the same industry usually follow a systematic process for location choices, and seek to prioritize certain location factors as they become more internationally mature. Cohen (2007) argues, â€Å"No standard set of attributes, each with an assigned relative weight of importance, exists in the many lists of what matters in location published by business groups, international organizations, and scholars. Determining where to invest is a case-by-case decision†. Cohen (2007) also suggests that no single formula exists because specific strengths and weaknesses of a country or region might receive high priority by one team of corporate evaluators and can be ignored by another, depending on what kind of investment is contemplated, which in turn will determine a subsidiarys objectives and operational needs. Furthermore, individual corporate cultures will assign a different relative importance to what attributes they require in a country, what they would like to see, what negatives they can work around, and what is unequivocally unacceptable. Calculating trade-offs between positive and negative location characteristics is an art, not a science. Galan et al (2007) conducted an empirical research into location factors that has been researched by several theorists. This list provides a detailed overview of the main location factors and sub factors considered by several empirical studies that have examined their positive or negative influence on the location decisions of MNE managers in both DCs and LDCs. All these factors are usually included in the analyses made via the eclectic paradigm (Galan et al, 2007). They recognise that MNE managers motivation to eventually choose either or both groups of host countries will depend on the specific location factors available in them. These location factors are classified in the following categories: Cost factors Market factors Infrastructure and technological factors Political and legal factors Social Cultural factors The order of this list is random. According to Noorbakhshs, Paloni and Youssef (2001), foreign investors are attracted to regions that offer a combination of the location factors. The location factors are discussed separately in the next paragraph. 2.2.1 Cost factors This paragraph contains theoretical information about the cost factor as one of the location factors. The determinants that are criticized are labour costs and cost of materials. 2.2.1.1 Labour Cost The costs linked with the profitability of investment are one of the major determinants of investment (Asidu, 2002) . The rate of return on investment in a host economy influences the FDI decision. Asiedu (2002) noted that the lower the GDP per capita, the higher the rate of return and, therefore, the FDI inflow. Charkrabarti (2001) claims that wage as an indicator of labour cost has been the most arguable of all the potential determinants of FDI. There is no unanimity even among the comparatively small number of studies that have explored the role of wage in affecting FDI: results range from higher host country wages discouraging inbound FDI, to having no significant effect or even a positive association ( Dunning, 1989). Goldsbrough (1979) and Shamsuddin (1994) demonstrate that higher wages discourage FDI. Tsai (1994) obtains strong support for the cheap-labour hypothesis over the period 1983 to 1986, but weak support from 1975 to 1978. Charkrabarti (2001) stated that empirical res earch has found relative labour costs to be statistically significant, particularly for foreign investment in labour-intensive industries and for export-oriented subsidiaries. However, when the cost of labour is relatively irrelevant (when wage rates vary little from country to country), the skills of the labour force are expected to have an impact on decisions concerning FDI location. This is not the case for the investments in this case study, which is more knowledge based than labour intensive. Cheap labour is another important determinant of FDI flow to developing countries. A high wage-adjusted productivity of labour attracts efficiency-seeking FDI both aiming to produce for the host economy and for export from host countries. Studies by Wheeler and Mody (1992), Schneider and Frey (1985), and Loree and Guisinger (1995) show a positive impact of labour cost on FDI inflow. Countries with a large supply of skilled human capital attract more FDI, particularly in sectors that are relatively intensive in the use of skilled labour. 2.2.1.2 Cost of Materials The analysis above leads to two variables that can be measured to determine the importance of the cost factor that is labour cost (wages). The availability of raw material and cheap labour can be of crucial importance in the choice of location. The return on investments is not important for this study, because this is not region-constrained, so it is not an important factor for a location choice. FDI uses low labour costs and available raw materials for export promotion, leading to overall output growth. 2.2.2 Market Factors This paragraph contains theoretical information about the market factor as one of the location factors. The determinants that are criticized are market size, openness of the market, labour market and economic growth. 2.3.2.1 Market size The size of the host country market is a relevant determinant to the extent that the FDI is destined to serve the host market and not merely to set up an export platform. Larger markets should attract FDI because firms face economies of scale as FDI entails sunk costs (for example, in terms of adapting management to local conditions or getting familiar with host country legislation). Market growth should work in the same direction. Nunnenkamp (2002), Chakrabarti (2001) Campos and Kinoshita (2003), Braga Nonnenberg and Cardoso de Mendonca (2004), Addison and Heshmati (2003), Kolstad and Villanger, (2004) all find market size and/or growth to be relevant determinants of FDI. An economy with a large market size (along with other factors) should, therefore, attract more FDI. Market size is important for FDI as it provides potential for local sales, greater profitability of local sales to export sales and relatively diverse resources, which make local sourcing more feasible (Pfefferman and Madarassy 1992). A large market size provides more opportunities for sales and profit to foreign firms, and in doing so attracts FDI (Wang and Swain, 1995: Moore, 1993; Schneider and Frey, 1985; Frey, 1984). FDI inflow in any period is a function of market size (Wang and Swain, 1995). However, studies by Edwards (1990) and Asidu (2002) show that there is no significant impact of growth or market size on FDI inflows. Further, Loree and Guisinger (1995) and Wei (2000) find that market size and growth impact differ under different conditions. Artige and Nicolini (2005) state that market size, as measured by GDP or GDP per capita, seems to be the most robust FDI determinant in econometric studies. This is the main determinant for horizontal FDI. Jordaan (2004) mentions that FDI will move to countries with larger and expanding markets and greater purchasing power, where firms can potentially receive a higher return on their capital and by implication receive higher profit on their investments. Charkrabarti (2001) states that the market-size hypothesis supports an idea that a large market is required for efficient utilization of resources and exploitation of economies of scale: as the market-size grows to some critical value, FDI will start to increase with its further expansion. This is a questionable conclusion, because there are firms who are looking for niche markets for their products and a large expanding market is a disadvantage to them. Concluding the size of the market and the GDP of a region are not important determinants for the location choice. 2.2.2.2 Openness of the Market There is mixed evidence concerning the significance of openness, which is measured mostly by the ratio of exports plus imports to GDP, in determining FDI as well (Charkrabarti 2001). Jordaan (2004) claims that the impact of openness on FDI depends on the type of investment. If the investments are market-seeking oriented, trade restrictions (and therefore less openness) could have an impact on FDI. The reason stems from the â€Å"tariff jumping† hypothesis, which argues that foreign firms that seek to serve local markets may decide to set up subsidiaries in the host country if it is difficult to import their products into the country. In distinction, multinational firms involved in export-oriented investments may choose to invest in a more liberal economy since increased imperfections that accompany trade protection generally imply higher transaction costs associated with exporting. Wheeler and Mody (1992) observe a strong positive support for this theory in the manufacturing s ector, but a weak negative link in the electronic sector. Kravis and Lipsey (1982), Culem (1988), Edwards (1990) find a strong positive effect of openness on FDI and Schmitz and Bieri (1972) obtain a weak positive link. Trade openness generally has a positive influence on the export-oriented FDI inflow into an economy (Edwards (1990), Gastanaga et al. (1998), Housmann and Fernandez-arias (2000), Asidu (2001)). In general, the empirical literature reveals that one of the important factors for attracting FDI is trade policy reform in the host country. Theoretical literature has explored the trade openness or the restrictiveness of trade policies (Bhagwati, 1973; 1994; Brecher and Diaz-Alejandro, 1977; Brecher and Findley; 1983). Investors in general prefer big markets to invest in and they like countries that have regional trade integration, as well as countries with greater investment provisions in their trade agreements. Theory does not give any clear-cut answer to the question how trade barriers affect the level of FDI flows. â€Å"Horizontal† FDI tends to replace exports if the costs of market access through exports are higher than the net costs of setting up a local plant and doing business in a foreign environment. Traditionally, governments have used trade barriers to induce â€Å"tariff-jumping FDI†, i.e. horizontal FDI that takes place to circumvent trade barriers. On the other hand, â€Å"vertical† FDI relies on a constant flow of intermediate products in and out of the host country and therefore benefits from a liberal trade environment. In that case, trade barriers should encourage â€Å"horizontal FDI† and discourage â€Å"vertical FDI† and its effect on the aggregate level of FDI depends on which type of FDI dominates. Empirical studies, however, support a positive effect of openness on FDI. Chakrabarti (2001) finds the sum of imports and exports as a share of GDP to be the variable most likely to be positively co rrelated with FDI besides market size in an extreme bounds analysis. Braga Nonnenberg and Cardoso de Mendonca (2004) and Addison and Heshemati (2003) also find this variable to be positively correlated with FDI. The problem with using trade as a share of GDP as a measure of trade policies is that it reveals a trade policy outcome, rather than trade guidelines. The openness of a market is clearly linked with the policy regulations of the potential market. Pà ¤rletun (2008) finds that trade openness is positive but statistically significant from zero. Moosa (2002) states that while access to specific markets is important, domestic market factors are predictably much less relevant in export-oriented foreign firms. A range of surveys suggests a widespread perception that â€Å"open† economies encourage more foreign investment (Moosa, 2002).Therefore, the openness of a market is relevant to the appeal of a region. Restrictions will decrease the appeal of the region. 2.2.2.3 Labour market Labour is also a determinant for market factors according to Majocchi and Presutti (2009), they investigated whether entrepreneurial culture plays a role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Multinationals are a network of distributed assets that contain entrepreneurial potential and are highly innovative to increase competitiveness (Rugman and Verbeke, 2001). Firms and entrepreneurs are valuable in gaining access to local knowledge. However, entrepreneurial culture may also rely on resources in the local environment, which is not mentioned in particular by Majocchi et al. (2009). In this respect, natural resources are taken for granted. The availability of a cheap workforce (particularly an educated one), personnel policy, female participation and ageing influences investment decisions and in doing so are a determinant that influences the FDI inflow. A negative effect of these determinants will lead to an increase in wages and a decline in the return of investments in the future. Due to the static framework of this thesis, these determinants are not investigated. 2.2.2.4 Economic Growth If the host countrys market has a high-growth rate, it attracts more investors on a long-term basis (Chen, 2007). Economic environment growth in a country serves underlying factors when company decide which country to enter (Erramilli 1991).The role of growth in attracting FDI has also been the subject of controversy. Charkrabarti (2001) states that the growth hypothesis developed by Lim (1983) maintains that a rapidly growing economy provides relatively better opportunities for making profits than the ones growing slowly or not growing at all. Lunn (1980), Schneider and Frey (1985) and Culem (1988) find a significantly positive effect of growth on FDI, while Tsai (1994) obtains a strong support for the hypothesis over the period 1983 to 1986, but only a weak link from 1975 to 1978. On the other hand, Nigh (1985) reports a weak positive correlation for the less developed economies and a weak negative correlation for the developed countries. Gastanagaet et al. (1998) and Schneider and Frey (1985) found positive significant effects of growth on FDI FDI has the ability stimulate economic growth only in the short run while the economy is shifting from one short-lived equilibrium to another. The only source of long-term economic growth is technological progress, which is considered to be independent of investment activities. This factor is discussed in the next paragraph. However, in endogenous growth theory, the diminishing returns on investment can be avoided if there are positive externalities associated with investments (Oxelheim, 1996). If investment brings enough new knowledge and technologies, it can lead to long-term economic growth. As, typically, FDI brings new technologies and knowledge, in accordance with endogenous growth theory it can be viewed as a catalyst of long-term economic growth in a host economy. Economic growth will improve the ability to compete with other regions and this will increase the quality and ability of other location factors. The relevance of economic growth for FDI is not very clear: it depends on the distribution of the new capital. The analysis above leads to four validated variables that determine the relevance of market factors: (a) market size, (b) openness of the market, labour market and (c) economic growth. Market size is the only variable that is less important. The openness of a market and the economic growth are very important, these variables are positively linked with political, infrastructural and technological factors. An open market as well as a positive economic growth will lead to more FDI in a region. 2.2.3 Infrastructure Technologic

The American Economy Essay -- Economics Governmental Automobiles Essay

The American Economy The American economy is a vibrant, free-market system that is constantly developing out of the choices and decisions made by millions of citizens who play multiple, often overlapping roles as consumers, producers, investors and voters. The changes in the organization and performances of the manufacturing industry over the last century have helped shape the American economy. The Automotive industry perhaps made the biggest changes to their manufacturing processes. I will be reviewing the role of the industrialist Henry Ford and his innovative methods that changed the organization and performance of the American manufacturing industry forever. He produced an affordable car, paid high wages and helped create a middle class, which in turn fueled the America Industrial revolution into overdrive mode. I will also review the impact of these performance and organizational changes on the service sector and the agricultural industry. But first we look at the automotive industry. The requirements for mass production of a particular commodity must include the existence of mass consumption of the commodity, sufficient to justify large investment. Most early automobile companies were small shops, hundreds of which each produced a few handmade cars, predominately sold to the rich. In America almost all of the producers were assemblers who put together components and parts that were manufactured by separate firms. The assembly technique also lent itself to an advantageous method of financing. It was possible to begin building motor vehicles with minimal investment of capital by buying parts on credit and selling the finished cars for cash; the cash sale from manufacturer to dealer has been integral in the marketing of motor vehicles in the United States ever since. The outstanding contribution of the automotive industry to technological advance was the introduction of full-scale mass production, a process combining precision, consistency, interchangeability, organization, and continuity. America, with its large population, high standard of living, and long distances, was the natural birthplace of the technique, which had been partly explored by agricultural methods, in the 19th century. The U.S. role was emphasized in the popular description of standardization and interchangeability as "the American system of manufacture." The fundamental te... ... But during times of hardship, economy downturns or even long-term recession, a basic instinct of survival takes over. As a rule, consumers look for the best values for what they spend, while producers seek the best price and profit for what they have to sell. Government, at the federal, state and local levels, seeks to promote the public safety, assure reasonable competition. The U.S. economy has changed in other ways as well. The population and the labor force have moved dramatically from farms to cities, from fields to factories and, above all, to service industries. In today's economy, the providers of personal and public services far outnumber producers of agricultural and manufacture goods. The consumer will exert a measure of influence over the market economy. Naturally, most consumers look for good values when they buy, as well as product reliability and safety. If one automobile manufacturer, domestic or foreign, produces a better car at a lower price, the market will b egin to shift as that car attracts more sales than its competitors. In theory, this phenomenon rewards efficient producers who maintain high quality at low prices, and drives out those who cannot compete.

The Odyssey as a Hero Journey Essays -- Odyssey Hero Heroes Essays

"All of us have similar experiences. We share in the life journey of growth, development, and transformation. We live the same storiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the trappings might be different, the twists and turns that create suspense might be different from culture to culture, the particular characters may take different forms, but underneath it all, it's the same story, drawn from the same experiences"(Linda Seger, Creating Myth, 1). All people face trials and tribulations throughout their life. Thus, what defines one from one's fellow human beings is not the trials themselves, but how one overcomes the challenges along the journey, as well as the psychological and physical lessons one learns from the actions engaged. Heroes, as depicted in literature, often face the same trials the common man must face, and learn the same lessons, but their actions, reactions, and events are magnified to mythic proportions. Thus, the common man and the mythic hero both follow what Joseph Campbell calls "The Hero's Journey," which is used as a tool to describe the framework for many of the most famous myths of all time. While the story of the Journey first manifested itself in the ancient myths and legends, it is still relevant to contemporary society, the basis for almost all of the books and plays we read. For example, J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit, an epic fantasy adventure in which Bilbo Baggins, the connection for the reader to the fantastical world the book takes place in, is called to action and set in motion on his Hero Journey by Gandalf, a wizard. Another example of a famous myth following this archetypal framework is The Odyssey. Homer's epic story, The Odyssey, of the hero Odysseus and his son Telemakhos follows closely the cycle of Joseph Campbell's Hero Journey, as summarized by Linda Seger, both as a physical and psychological undertaking. The hero journey begins with a catalyst entering the hero's life, that calls him to adventure. The hero must be summoned on his journey by some force, either external (the will of another person) or internal, (the need for self-growth). The call is followed by the hero's refusal to leave a safe place, such as his home. He must be convinced that the undertaking is worthwhile, and must then, and only then, after he has agreed to take the journey, embark on it. Odysseus' journey begins twenty years prior to... ...hysical prowess, but learns the psychological lessons of survival. Using these lessons he can climb above the rest, a more mature and capable man, able to use all of his abilities together to lift himself and those around him closer to greatness. Thus is Odysseus truly a hero, as are all those who would strive for greatness in themselves and peace and justice for their homeland and family. "The cosmogonic cycle is now to be carried forward not by the gods, who have become invisible, but by the heroes, more or less human in character, through whom the world destiny is realized. The archetypal heroes become less and less fabulous, until at last, in the final stages of the various local traditions, legend opens into the common daylight of recorded time"(Joseph Campbell). Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 2nd ed. Princeton: Bollingen, 1968. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles; Intro. Bernard Knox. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Seger, Linda. "Creating the Myth." Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. 316-325. The Odyssey as a Hero Journey Essays -- Odyssey Hero Heroes Essays "All of us have similar experiences. We share in the life journey of growth, development, and transformation. We live the same storiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the trappings might be different, the twists and turns that create suspense might be different from culture to culture, the particular characters may take different forms, but underneath it all, it's the same story, drawn from the same experiences"(Linda Seger, Creating Myth, 1). All people face trials and tribulations throughout their life. Thus, what defines one from one's fellow human beings is not the trials themselves, but how one overcomes the challenges along the journey, as well as the psychological and physical lessons one learns from the actions engaged. Heroes, as depicted in literature, often face the same trials the common man must face, and learn the same lessons, but their actions, reactions, and events are magnified to mythic proportions. Thus, the common man and the mythic hero both follow what Joseph Campbell calls "The Hero's Journey," which is used as a tool to describe the framework for many of the most famous myths of all time. While the story of the Journey first manifested itself in the ancient myths and legends, it is still relevant to contemporary society, the basis for almost all of the books and plays we read. For example, J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit, an epic fantasy adventure in which Bilbo Baggins, the connection for the reader to the fantastical world the book takes place in, is called to action and set in motion on his Hero Journey by Gandalf, a wizard. Another example of a famous myth following this archetypal framework is The Odyssey. Homer's epic story, The Odyssey, of the hero Odysseus and his son Telemakhos follows closely the cycle of Joseph Campbell's Hero Journey, as summarized by Linda Seger, both as a physical and psychological undertaking. The hero journey begins with a catalyst entering the hero's life, that calls him to adventure. The hero must be summoned on his journey by some force, either external (the will of another person) or internal, (the need for self-growth). The call is followed by the hero's refusal to leave a safe place, such as his home. He must be convinced that the undertaking is worthwhile, and must then, and only then, after he has agreed to take the journey, embark on it. Odysseus' journey begins twenty years prior to... ...hysical prowess, but learns the psychological lessons of survival. Using these lessons he can climb above the rest, a more mature and capable man, able to use all of his abilities together to lift himself and those around him closer to greatness. Thus is Odysseus truly a hero, as are all those who would strive for greatness in themselves and peace and justice for their homeland and family. "The cosmogonic cycle is now to be carried forward not by the gods, who have become invisible, but by the heroes, more or less human in character, through whom the world destiny is realized. The archetypal heroes become less and less fabulous, until at last, in the final stages of the various local traditions, legend opens into the common daylight of recorded time"(Joseph Campbell). Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 2nd ed. Princeton: Bollingen, 1968. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles; Intro. Bernard Knox. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Seger, Linda. "Creating the Myth." Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 4th ed. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. 316-325.

Referring in detail to at least two poems: What Makes Wilfred Owen a Great War Poet?

Commencing the First World War in 1914, conscription had not yet been established, but the government were leaning heavily on the media to endeavour and recruit volunteers into the army. This was done by propaganda. Poetry and posters were the two most prominent in persuading men to fight for their country. But it was poetry which encouraged the â€Å"war fever†; poetry in which war was described as valiant and noble, and how it was an honourable thing to be able to fight for your country. An example was Jessie Pope who wrote Who's for the Game: a writer whom Owen was predominantly against. His poems he wrote partially in retaliation against propaganda, and with the intention of exposing â€Å"the old lie†. By this, he recapitulated his own experiences in the war, which were ghastly and did not show men in war as gallant and heroic. His poems also seemed therapeutic; a way of release, but the main intention it seems was to expose the truth about war. Owen illustrates his poetry with such vivid descriptions and realism, particularly in Dulce et Decorum est, so as to paint a realistic image of World War I in the reader's mind, especially in the fourth and final verse, where Owen vividly describes the horrific image of a soldier dead from gas, and he brings the reader right up close to the face of the dead soldier. By doing this, he makes it very personal for the reader. The face of a human is what shows their emotions, and what shows identity. In the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Tennyson, which describes the charge of British cavalry against Russian soldiers, the whole six hundred British were slaughtered, yet not once does Tennyson pick out one soldier, or individualises this. This is what Owen does in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum est†: he individualises the soldier who has died. Another feature of this last verse is that it shows people that the war they thought would be glorious and noble is not at all that. At the end, it seems as if he is trying to make the reader feel guilty (especially after reading about the gassed soldier) by ever believing that war is an honourable thing: My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori With this, Owen asks that after knowing what war is really like (as opposed to glorious and noble), would you still tell your children if they asked that war is a wonderful and honourable thing? He therefore intends to make the reader feel guilty for this. In a war, when many people die, their deaths are recorded mostly as a statistic. Here in the last verse of Dulce et Decorum est, Owen picks out one dead individual to the reader. The dead one's face is described so vividly, so as to stand out most to the reader. One's face is what gives one identity, what shows emotion and other human characteristics. Owen purposely focuses in particularly on the face, as to give maximum emotional impact; especially a face so mutilated by the gas which would be a huge shock to one's morals. With â€Å"Obscene as cancer†, Owen is comparing this image, something he knows, to something readers at home know of well. By doing this, Owen also shows how horrifically real the war was, by comparing it to something equally horrifically real, and much closer to home. At the beginning of the second line in Dulce et Decorum est, Owen uses an interesting phrase: â€Å"knock-kneed†. In this phrase can be extracted quite a few different meanings, mostly centred on Owen's excellent use of language which brings such strong realism into his poems. It could possibly be a simple phrase in soldiers' slang, which ties in with the realism. Poetically speaking, he uses alliteration and onomatopoeia to give the idea of knees buckling and knocking together. Knocking together with what? It could have merely been the weather, as the soldiers were cold, muddy and wet, but it also gives the impression that they were shaking with fear, which ties in with the idea that soldiers were ideally viewed as strong, heroic and fearless, yet here they are scared, and defeated by this fear and the effects of the weather. This phrase also gives one the idea of violence, which is certainly and undoubtedly expected in a war. â€Å"Haunting flares† in the next line automatically gives the reader the idea of a horror story. Owen writes Dulce et Decorum est certainly in such a way which could relate it to a horror story, particularly in the last verse where he describes the soldier who died from the gas attack, for here one reads about something which is so horrific, alien and obscene that it could not possibly be real, just as the ghost or other such supernatural beings in a horror story. This ties in with when in the last verse Owen relates it to the Devil, and the Devil is not something most people would like to believe in, just as the nasty image Owen puts into the reader's head of the dead soldier is not something one would like to believe. However, unlike horror stories and the Devil, Owen's description and vivid realism make this something one must accept as real. Tied within the idea of a horror story, â€Å"Haunting flares† also has a rather psychological meaning to it. The use of the word â€Å"haunting† shows that this has been on the soldiers' minds constantly. But as a horror story, in which the purpose is to be scary, but not real, and it seems that the soldiers are treating it as such. The way Owen writes it makes it seem as if it is something that they have been constantly worrying about constantly which has made them paranoid, and so they dismiss it merely as though they are seeing things. This could be a cause of their delayed reactions when they are hit by the gas attack, for they dismissed the flares as though they were not there. In the next verse where Owen describes the gas attack, he uses language which links and relates to the idea of water. â€Å"Floundering† shows this first, as for example one who cannot swim will flounder in the water. Another possible meaning is that a flounder is a fish; a fish out of water will flap and struggle and will not survive because it cannot breathe oxygen. It seems Owen is using this to compare with the soldier who could not get his mask on in time, and he is as the fish out of water, struggling and fighting for the oxygen he cannot breathe, and in the end he will not survive. â€Å"As under a green sea, I saw him drowning† also relates quite clearly to water; the green sea being the gas, and the soldier is dying – drowning – in this green sea. In the next small verse, Owen briefly changes from the past to the present tense with, In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, chocking, drowning. This shows the traumatic and psychological effects this one event had on him. This could be because Owen saw this so close and it was so shocking to him. However, although there is no hint to it in the poem save for â€Å"An ecstasy of fumbling†, there could be a chance that the gas mask Owen ‘won' might have been fought over by Owen and the dying soldier. The sight of watching the soldier die so horrifically could leave a sharp imprint of guilt upon Owen, such as that he would relive the moment when he sleeps, in his dreams. It also shows that Owen had been forced to buy such a nasty moment to be able to function, to do his job, during the day. However, when something has such an effect on someone, it cannot be buried, and it will come back to haunt the person, as it did with Owen when he slept. However, in order for one to be able to get over such an event, it must be remembered, and part of the reason Owen wrote this poem was as a method of self-therapy, to help him recover from the moment. Owen also uses an interesting order of words in these two lines, leaving the point where he speaks about the soldier actually dying, the most important bit, till last. Because of the such traumatic effect it has on him, such a thing to say would be very hard for Owen. In Exposure, Owen focuses in particular on describing most vividly the weather and psychological effects on them during this particular time. It shows also his experience in the war, as weather was a strong enemy to both sides and both sides were badly affected. In the second verse of Exposure, Owen uses poetic technique tied in with realism to describe the weather as an army to be fought. †¦melancholy army attacks once More in ranks on shivering Ranks of grey†¦ Throughout Exposure, Owen uses vivid description to relate to the reader the weather. Here, Owen uses personification as he describes the weather as at the time a more challenging enemy to be fought than the Germans – the main enemy at the time. Also, with â€Å"a dull rumour of some other war†, he is showing that during that time the soldiers were far more concerned about surviving from the extreme weather conditions than they were about the war they were in France originally to fight. It also shows that they were not alert completely, perhaps effected by the weather and fatigue, and they are not entirely aware of how vulnerable they are to the Nazis. Exposure focuses particularly on not only the weather, but also on the psychological effects. Owen describes how the soldiers were so wrecked by fatigue and by the effects of the weather that they forgot about fighting the Nazis and merely withdrew into themselves. Within this, they seem to wonder about what they had been told about war. This is shown particularly when the phrase â€Å"Forgotten dreams†. This may be dreams of the glory after the war, things they had wished to do, dreams and plans after the war, which they have given up on, because they have realised that war is not a glorious thing at all. In this also there appears to be a loss of morale, and of hope, as if they have realised there is no hope in this war at all, be it against the Germans or the weather. There is also a religious element, in which they seem to question their faith and belief in God, and a sense of homesickness. â€Å"Glimpsing the sunk fires† shows this particularly. A fire that is not tended to dies down, and the soldiers had not been home in so long. The fire could also refer to their sunken spirits, and a drastic diminishing of hope and faith, or the diminishing of life as more soldiers die. â€Å"Shutters and doors all closed†: this could mean a few things, such as they believed they would never make it home, they will not survive this horrific war – a drastic loss of morale. Alternatively, perhaps, if they were to return home in the end things would never be the same. There is even the sense (particularly with the next line: â€Å"We turn back to our dying†) that they cannot go back until their job is done, so they â€Å"turn back to [our] dying†. They retreat from their minds and wake up to reality once more. The theme of religion is brought in with â€Å"For God's invincible spring our love is made afraid†. This could mean many things. One of the Ten Commandments is to love your neighbour as yourself. They may be afraid to love their neighbour – the Germans in this case. Or it may be that, after all that has happened to them in the war, they are afraid to any longer love; to believe in; to have faith in God. As this is what t heir belief has brought them too. However, Owen says â€Å"invincible spring†. This could mean something completely different; a sudden replenishing of morale, or of faith in God. It is as if they know they are going to die, and there is nothing they can do about it, but they realise suddenly that this is God's plan for them, and they will not die in vain. They were in the war for a reason: to protect their country and they will die doing their job. â€Å"Therefore, not loath†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – this also shows acceptance of the job God has given them. By â€Å"not loath†, it shows that they will not half-heartedly do their job, and they will do it fully and wilfully. It is clearly difficult however, for them to come to terms with what seems their destiny. Despite Owen's anger about the false propaganda, there does seem to be a sense that heroism has returned to the idea of war. â€Å"Therefore were born†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ could this mean sacrifice, or resurrection perhaps as with Jesus? With the line â€Å"For love of God seems dying†, it seems it could rather mean â€Å"For love of God it seems worth dying†. This shows that they would willingly die for the love of God. The last verse of Exposure is a verse that seems to predict their fate, which is ultimately a whole acceptance of this fate. Again, Owen's choice of language defines the strong sense of realism and the psychological theme, as with throughout the poem. There are two lines which are most prominent, the first being â€Å"This mud and us†; this line refers to clearly the dead bodies in the earth, but there is also a seemingly religious element in it also. A line from the Bible reads â€Å"Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust†. This refers to the dead bodies in the earth returning to dust, so they are at one with the Earth, peaceful and as part of nature. It seems Owen has come to realise it is simply this which is the fate that awaits them, and he has accepted fully this fate. The last line seems slightly strange then in compliance with this, for it states â€Å"But nothing happens†. Is this a sudden uncertainty of what is to happen after death, or merely a sudden thought that perhaps there is simply nothing? This contradicts their religious views, as the thought of nothing happening would mean regardless of whether they were good men or not, there would be no eternal paradise nor suffering. These two poems are relatively similar in that the main purpose for being written was to expose the horrific truth about war, which is that the ideals created by propaganda of the time that it is glorious to fight for your country, that to be a soldier is to be heroic and fearless and honourable, is opposite to the actual reality of a war. The truth of events in a war, for example the soldier who died from the gas attack in Dulce et Decorum est, is very different from this ideal image, for to die in such a way is certainly not glorious to anyone. As Owen vaguely questions throughout his poems, if you are to die in such a horrific and grotesque way, is it truly worth dying for your country? For as Owen's retreatment into his mind in Exposure, where the soldiers suffer from severe homesickness, would one not prefer to make certain they shall return to their families to care for them, to ensure their safety, rather than die so nastily and leave their family to suffer under the effects of such a death? From each of Owen's poems, it is evident that his determination and passion to expose â€Å"the old lie† to the public drove him to write his poems to perfection, using poetic devices and languages to fill these poems with layers of meaning, some which only Owen will know of, as a method of self-therapy to help him recover from the psychological effects and traumatic stress of the war. It is very sad, therefore, that he should die at such a young age, just before the ending of the war where he should have (as many soldiers who did not should have) been able to experience peace once more and also the effects his incredible poetry had on people.

Assessment for Teacher Essay

The primary purpose of assessment is for the learner to provide evidence of learning by demonstrating the understanding of content and achievement of learning outcomes. This gives an insight of their strengths and areas of development. Whereas for teacher, it provides a moment to review their assessment strategies in terms of effectiveness and facilitate progression by giving constructive feedback. It also informs the curriculum board, managers, and relevant staff to evaluate learning programmes for any improvements. Learners are assessed through various stages of learning journey by using variety of methods and strategies. They are usually assessed formatively before or during the course and summatively near or the end of it. Formative assessment provides a continuous source of information about students’ progress, improvement and problems encountered in the learning process. It could be an â€Å"Initial Assessment† to determine prior knowledge or â€Å"Diagnostic Assessment† to find areas of development and strengths. Feedback is an integral part of it. (NCFOT, 1999) said it â€Å"occurs when teachers feed information back to the students in ways that enable the student to learn better, or when students can engage in a similar, self-reflective process†(Principle 4). It has also been supported by several educationists such as Scales (2008 p. 179), Black and William (1998: 17) and Reece and Walker (2007 p. 325). Formative assessments are not graded which allows flexibility to modify and adjust the teaching practices and reflect the needs and progress of learners as well as motivating them. However, formative assessment in its purist form is seldom used (Brookhart, 1999). I feel that teachers should be given training to as â€Å"how† and â€Å"when† to employ it successfully. There are variety of methods by which students are assessed formatively such as Accreditation of prior learning (APL), Observation, Oral Questioning, Discussion, Role play, Case study, Essays, Projects, Assignments, MCQs etc. which when used in combination has proven effective in measuring a variety of complex learning outcomes (Reece and Walker, 2007, p. 326) It is useful for development of â€Å"Cognitive†, â€Å"Psychomotor† and â€Å"Affective Domains† of learning as explained in Bloom’s Taxonomy and could assess higher order skills of these domains. Some teachers are predominantly concerned with cognitive learning with some use of psychomotor skills but affective learning can be a useful tool in changing attitudes i. e. gender, culture etc. even if it’s not a requirement of a course. Summative Assessment happens at the end of the course, unit etc. and is for grading and decision purpose. It is used for informing employers, institutions etc. about learner’s overall performance. It does not however, give information about detailed abilities of learner and there is no feedback so it is debated for its complete reliability and validity. (Scales, 2008 and Rust, 2002). Learners are assessed summatively mostly by Examination, Assignments, Portfolios, and Essays. They develop the skill levels of ‘cognitive and psychomotor domains’ depending on how effectively they are set out and the type of course. ‘MCQs’ and ‘Viva’ for instance can provide better coverage of syllabus as well as assessment of deeper knowledge whereas essays does not serve the same purpose but assess higher levels of cognitive domain i. e. synthesis and evaluation. Feedback is an important element of assessment and is directly related to motivation. In order to accelerate learning process it has to be timely, positive and constructive. â€Å"Maslow’s hierarchy makes us think about the total experience†¦.. From physiological factors†¦. to relationships (do we give positive regard and development feedback? ) to self-esteem needs (‘I’m no good †¦ ’), his hierarchy provides a useful device to help us understand learning and motivation(Scales, 2008 p. 72). We need to keep records to track and monitor the progress of our learners. They are many different types of internal, external and formal and informal records. Internal records include mark books, matrix, learner progress sheets/ reviews and results of mock tests. In ESOL, we keep records of Initial interview, Initial assessment, spiky profile, ILPs, Diagnostic assessment, Formative assessment, observation reports, feedback reports, peer/self assessments and Summative assessments to assess the progress of learners and efficacy of programme and teaching. The external records include all the evidence in form of written work or internal verification to sent to external bodies i. e. exam board, auditing bodies, other educational organisations, support staff, etc.

The John F. Kennedy years were often described as Camelot Term Paper

The John F. Kennedy years were often described as Camelot - Term Paper Example It is difficult to define President Kennedy. He was a man with a hidden past, and one who kept his life in strict compartments. He had spent much of his youth seriously ill, and even throughout his Presidency hid the constant pain he felt, so that even those who were closest to him were unaware of it1. As a man he w as easily bored, loved excitement and was charming to all those he dealt with. Whatever decisions he made he was able to back up through rhetoric and charm regardless of whether the choice that had been taken had been the correct one2. There were many events throughout Kennedy’s short presidency including riots over the admission of Negros into University, the Cuban Missile Crisis, civil rights movements, the Vietnam War, as well as countless other incidents3. The manner in which Kennedy handled these incidents and the depiction of him in later literature and film have led to the years of John F. Kennedy’s presidency have often been called the Camelot years, referring to an idealized time, analogous to the years of King Arthur. Under this analogy, Kennedy is thought of as a hero, promising peace to the United State including the complete withdrawal from the Vietnam War. This never happened because of the assassination of Kennedy in 1953. How realistic is this view of Kennedy? Was he a hero, giving the United States a few golden years, or does this view ignore many of the facts of Kennedy’s presidency? This essay examines some of the key aspects of Kennedy’s presidency, including his opinions and decisions concerning the Vietnam War, the way he was as a leader, how he appeared in public compared to his own staff and his personality. It is proposed that the concept of the ‘Camelot years’ of Kennedy’s presidency was brought about by opinions and theories following his assassination, and perhaps by the fact that he was assassinated, but that this description of his term bears little resemblance either to t he man himself, or the events that occurred throughout his time as President. The Vietnam War Kennedy is often seen as a peace bringer and a hero because of his strong desire to bring about the end of the Vietnam War. This image was first advanced by the film JFK produced by Oliver Stone4. Stone forwarded the idea that Kennedy had the intention of ending the Vietnam War, but that this plan was prevented by his assignation in 1963. The image that Kennedy puts forward is one of a lone hero, and has grown in popular opinion since the film’s release5. Yet, considering him a hero in this respect is not entirely accurate. While it is true that in 1963 he strongly desired to end the war, the actions in the first two years of his presidency were not to this end. When he first took office, the war had been occurring for some time, and the position of the United States was poor and on the verge of collapse. Under his leadership, the war was escalated in 1961 and 1962 with the level of violence being increased6.He was responsible for substantially raising the level of aggression with such acts as ordering a squadron from the United States Air Force to become involved directly in combat operations7. As a consequence, he moved the focus from being warfare that was backed by the United State to direct armed attack8. Indeed, although Kennedy’s military advisors put forward predictions that the increases in violence would eventually lead to a military victory within Vietnam, and allow the United States to withdraw their forces, Kennedy himself never fully supported the idea of withdrawal9. The opinion that Kennedy planned to end the Vietnam War was not the only thesis that has been proposed by supporters of Kennedy. Some have proposed that he planned not only the complete with