A Beautiful Home

They say a house is not a home until it is filled with the laughter and noise of the family living in it. The house I grew up in was just a simple wooden house. It had all the basics that made it a house such as the rooms and furniture. I remember that my favorite room in the house was the kitchen.The kitchen for me is what made my family house a beautiful home. I remember how the kitchen always smelled of a mixture of brewed coffee and bacon first thing in the morning. I did not need an alarm clock during those summer months out of school.The freshly cooked bacon and smell of hot bread coming out of the oven always got everyone out of bed early. I would always be the first of my siblings in the kitchen, ready and willing to set the breakfast table. As the family sat gathered around to eat, we would tell stories about how we planned to spend the day.After the meal, our father would line us up by the door before he left and give us our candy money for the day. He was a kind man my fat her. He always smelled like soap and coffee even hours after the meal.My house is a beautiful home. It has everything that is expected. I have a loving father, a responsible mother, and siblings who I continue to grow with to adulthood. What more can I ask for?Questions and Answers:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was your dominant impression?The dominant impression I wanted to capture in this paper is the early memory of my childhood and those simple times when my family shared everything we did together. I also wanted to give the reader a vivid description of how my family was and the simple joys we shared like having an early morning breakfast.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weakness in my assignment?I wish I had a higher allowable word count so that I could be more descriptive and further enhance the use of the 5 senses of my reader as my narration progresses. I also think that I have a problem in the subject verb agreement in a portion of the essay.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strengths in my assi gnment I am proud of?I am proud of the way I was able to relate a simple childhood experience and enhance it into a wonderful memory of the home I grew up in for whoever might read my essay.   

Gcse Isa Chemistry Calorimetry

Hypothesis: I believe that alcoholic compounds with bigger relative formula mass will release more energy in combustion reaction than the less alcoholic hydrocarbons compounds. Equipment: Different types of alcohols in spirit burner (CH4, C2H6, C3H8, C4H10, C5H12), Thermometer, water, beaker, scale, measuring cylinder, tripods, clamp, gauze, heat mat, lighter or matches. Hazard: Most of alcohol we using are flammable, irritant, toxic and harmful. 1 provide spirit burners which have removable glass caps, this makes it easier and safer to extinguish the flames.   Make sure the wick fits tightly in the wick holder and that the wick holder fits tightly in the burner. 3 Fill and label spirit burners or dropper bottles with alcohols in advance of the experiment. Read this Practice Test Chem 105 Ensure any excess alcohol is wiped off the side of the burners. 5 careful considerations must be given on igniting the alcohols. The spirit burners must be kept upright when lighting. Do not tip onto the side. 6 make sure the alcohols are kept away from any source of heat. don't burn your self by touching any flames or hot water Method: 1- Fit the beaker inside the tripod, fill the beaker with 100ml of water after measuring it by the cylinder,  and take the initial temperature of water by using thermometer, 2- Measure the mass of the  first burner spirit (Methanol)  and record it, Put the spirit burner on the heat-mat under the beaker and ignite it 3- Keep stirring the water, when the temperature reach 50? C  turn off the flame. 4- Reweigh the burner and workout the difference. – Repeat the same steps 3 times and take the average of the alcohol used in burning. 6- Apply the same steps above with the all-different types of alcohol remaining to test (Ethanol, Propanol, B utanol, Pentanol) 7- Finally you need to work out the  energy released from each alcohol by applying this calculation    q = (specific heat capacity of water 4. 2) x mass of water(g) x ? t change in temperature(? C) Then divide the answer by the used alcohol to find out the released energy kJ/g Table: Energy transferred for alcoholAlcohol name| Test 1 (g)| Test 2 (g)| Test 3 (g)| Average (g) | Transferred energy (kJ/g)| Methane| | | | | | Ethane| | | | | | Propane| | | | | | Butane| | | | | | Pentane| | | | | | Make it fair test? The answer is the same as the control variables * Volume of water (100ml). * Temperature rise to 50? C. * Same starting temperature of the water. * Always weigh the alcohol burner without the lid. Independent variables: the type of alcohol Dependent variables: transferred energy from the combustion.

Poem Analysis of John Clare’s First Love Essay

The poem First Love by John Clare is written about the poet’s feelings of unrequited love for a wealthy farmer’s daughter, Mary Joyce. The poet uses various unusual effects in the poem to convey this sense of loss, providing deep insights into his mind in a seemingly simple and brief piece. Combined with words which reflect the mood in each verse, these make it a very powerful poem. An unusual form of contrast is used in First Love to create a powerful effect. The use of limited vocabulary is part of this, evident throughout the poem. The repetition of â€Å"sweet† suggests that the poet has not, or cannot, think of another adjective. This is further shown in the way that he starts the second stanza with â€Å"and then†, a very informal and unusual opening in a poem. Combined with this, an informal tone is developed with the use of phrases such as â€Å"blood rushed to my face† and â€Å"I never saw so sweet a face†. Despite this informal tone, the message of the poem is very insightful, as it shows a view into the poet’s mind. Rhythm in the poem is key to this, creating six sections in the poem, with the rhyme scheme for each being A, B, A, B, or for example â€Å"hour†, â€Å"sweet†, â€Å"flower†, â€Å"complete†. These sections of four lines each can be seen as individual thoughts of Clare, as they each deal with a slightly separate topic. Rhetorical questions such as â€Å"Is love’s bed always snow† also contribute to this effect, as they are almost addressed back to the poet, providing an insight into his mind. Creating a thoughtful, musing atmosphere, these make First Love a powerful poem by contrasting the deep insights into the poet’s mind and the effects this love has had on him with the simple tone and vocabulary. Divided into three stanzas, the poems examines the consequences of John Clare’s unrequited love for Mary Joyce. Stanza one deals with his initial effects she has on him, such as the total awe and shock at her beauty. In the first line, â€Å"struck† and â€Å"hour† create a metaphor of a clock, implying that this is the start of a new hour, or era in his life. The way that she has completely taken over Clare’s life is evident in the use of â€Å"stole my heart away†, and his helplessness in her hands is exemplified by his legs refus[ing] to walk away† and the question, â€Å"what could I ail? â€Å". These words combine to show that the sight of Mary Joyce for the first time has left the poet helpless and overcome by her, creating a powerful effect. Clare’s affected perception of reality is shown in the second stanza. The metaphor of his love taking his â€Å"eyesight quite away† so that the â€Å"trees and bushes† â€Å"seemed midnight at noonday† shows the reversal of Clare’s worldviews as a result of this love. The way that â€Å"words from [his] eyes did start†, which â€Å"spoke as chords do from the string† conveys the scope of this, that he begins to talk in a different way, one that is universally recognised like music – the language of love. These two metaphors make the poem powerful by conveying the effect love has had on the poet. The final stanza changes the tone of the poem, lamenting the fact that Clare’s love is unrequited. Introduced by two questions which compare Mary Joyce to â€Å"winter† and â€Å"snow†, it shows that she is cold and hard. It then concludes by linking Joyce’s â€Å"sweet†¦ ace† back to the â€Å"sweet flower† mentioned in the first stanza, but shows that she has trapped him, so that his â€Å"heart† â€Å"can return no more† to where it once was. The choice of cold, unforgiving words such as â€Å"winter†, â€Å"snow† and â€Å"silent† creates an atmosphere of lament and sorrow, and the final line links back to the first, which implies the start of a new age for Clare, as he â€Å"can return no more†. This stanza makes the poem powerful by effectively concluding the poem, and by introducing the sorrow which is the final effect love has had on the poet. The power and effectiveness of First Love is not in the cliched message of unrequited love itself, but the way that it portrayed. Clothed in a simple vocabulary and soft meter, a deep message is hidden which evokes great sympathy in the reader. By opening a window into the poet’s mind, the reader is able to see the complete hold the love has on Clare’s life and thoughts. Accomplished through contrast and effective word choice, this is the reason John Clare’s First Love is such a powerful poem.

Okonkwo as a tragic hero Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Okonkwo as a tragic hero - Research Paper Example Although Livingstone and Stanley's explorations contributed very little to deepen the Western understanding of the people or the land, they did encourage plenty of speculation and conjecture. It was these made-up ideas that became the foundation of several of the misunderstandings the West has held about Africa since then. Because of the one-sided discussion, Africa emerged as a land of possibility for Western enrichment through the unfettered exploitation of its resources. The West thinks of African people as mostly child-like, capable only of primitive understandings, and only slightly more than bestial in their natural environment. It took several years before native writers, such as Chinua Achebe were able to align Africa’s story with the West in the presentation of Okonkwo as a tragic hero in his story Things Fall Apart (1959). The tragic hero is a frequent character in numerous plays and dramas of the ancient Greeks into the modern day. The character type was present eve n before Aristotle's time, but it was Aristotle who codified the major elements that must be present for a character to be considered a tragic hero although these rules have changed some in the millennia since they were first described. In Aristotle's time, the tragic hero status could only be applied to characters with real potential for tremendous greatness. This meant people who were destined to be kings and princes or others who had some kind of noble claim. According to Zarro, â€Å"the tragic effect will be stronger if the hero is ‘better than we are’, in that he is of higher than ordinary moral worth. Such a man is shown as suffering a change in fortune from happiness to misery because of a mistaken act, to which he is led by his hamartia (his ‘effort of judgment’) or, as it is often literally translated, his tragic flaw.† In spite of this nobility, the tragic hero is destined to fail as a result of some tragic flaw inherent in their nature. T his tragic flaw is often associated in some way with their greatest strength and is therefore an aspect of their character that the individual becomes inordinately proud to exercise (Aristotle). As society has progressed, though, and new structures emerged in which wealthy businessmen took the place of kings and princes, the focus of the tragic hero has been less concerned with his noble status than it is with his progression through a three-fold process. According to Vest, heroism today, even tragic heroism, refers more to the actions of the character who embodies many of our ideals regarding what is good and noble in human nature than it is concerned with the birth or earned social status of the character himself. Although Okonkwo is not born a tribal chief, he earns his status as a tribal elder and this modern change in tragic hero definitions allows even the West to recognize his status. Before proving Okonkwo's actions qualify him as a tragic hero, it is necessary to understand what constitutes the progression of a tragic hero. The process of the tragic hero begins when the character commits some act in the excess of their pride that inevitably leads to their downfall (Aristotle). This is the first stage of the tragic cycle. The second stage

English reaserch paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

English reaserch paper - Essay Example et of rules, norms or processes by which individuals live since childhood and tolerating or understanding those having differing views of it is a challenging task. B. The advent of technology and the simultaneous evolution of globalization have blurred national and international boundaries thereby further stressing on the significance and need for encouraging cultural acceptance. As nations of the world, join hands for commercial exchange of goods and services, understanding cultural diversity has gained supreme significance. C. On the basis of the above arguments it can be established that there exists widespread cultural diversity across the globe and in the wake of globalization and rapidly blurring geographical boundaries, there is an urgent need to eliminate and reduce the cultural differences. This can only be done through encouraging cultural acceptance as it has great potential in eliminating the racial conflicts that tends to tarnish human development and create obstacles in the fight against environmental degradation. For instance, the fight against terrorism – a popular political agenda of the U.S. government which seeks to defend the nation from prospective terrorist attacks, is a glaring example of both – apparent cultural differences which has given rise to such animosity between faiths, and the investment of huge resources and manpower in arms and ammunition rather than investing the same in more culturally relevant issues such as global warming. D. Cultural acceptance may lead to better socio-economic relations among nations, protection of environment, development of a culturally diverse yet united world, establishment of world peace, greater racial tolerance, healthier trade relations, cultural globalization etc among others. â€Å"In these troubled times with the world in search of its bearings and way ward minds using the terms â€Å"culture† and â€Å"civilization† in an attempt to turn human beings against one another, there is an urgent

Why people bet online or prefer betting in stores Research Proposal

Why people bet online or prefer betting in stores - Research Proposal Example This is according to Luntz (2006). For starters, an individual can gamble within several sites. It is imperative to note that those sites offer massive rewards and bonuses. The bonuses come when the betting sites agree to reward new customers who have just registered to their sites. At the same time, the betting sites may agree to reward their old and loyal customers (Luntz 2006, 467). By this, they will be making the customers committed to what they do. Betting rewards also come in the form of clients being allowed to offer free bets on some occasions. In addition, the customers may be offered general bonuses. According to Petry (2004), we should not ignore the fact that people practice online sports betting because they find it somewhat safe. This fact may be debatable especially because there are a number of sites that claim to provide opportunities for betting, while their main intention is to fraud the public at large. Nevertheless, most of the betting sites in the UK are under the management of well-known companies with an irrefutable reputation like William Hill, Gala Coral, Bet365, Sky Betting and Gaming and 32Red among others (Petry 2004, 661). This makes online sports betting to be safe. Another reason as to why people indulge in online sports betting is the fact that it is comfortable.This is according to Kelly (2011). The ease is because for one to participate in online sports betting, then they need to be computer literate and have data access. The two requirements will enable any interested party to register on any online sports’ betting site and take part in betting. The ease is also demonstrated by the fact that the customers can... Considering how rapidly the betting industry has been growing, then I may be forgiven if I said that betting might just be as old as the society. The UK opened its doors to betting back in 1961 and since then the industry has never looked back. The betting shops have been rising in the number and so does the number of those who practice betting. Originally, people used to bet by visiting the betting shops. Supplementary to that, some people employed the services of a telephone credit betting. Due to the advancement in technology, however, some people started opting for online betting. And indeed online betting has not disappointed. The organizztion of the literature review is such that it first deals with why people carry out online sports betting followed by the reasons why people bet in stores. It is beyond doubt that betting is slowly spreading its wings into our society. It does not consider age given that children as little as 12 years old have attested to be involved in betting at one point. Similarly, even the older population takes part in betting because statistics reveal that those aged above sixty also take part in betting. In like manner, betting knows no gender because both males and females take part in it (Abott 2009, 412). We may not be able to predict the rate at which betting is advancing in the society. One fact for sure is that, whichever form of betting one involves in, be it online sports betting or visiting the betting stores, betting is gaining ground. In addition, we ought to appreciate the findings and works of the various authours reviewed above. This is because they have managed to bring us upto speed with an area of our life we almost forgot.

Hallenges and potential advantages in adopting the International Research Paper

Hallenges and potential advantages in adopting the International Financial Reporting Standard for - Research Paper Example Besides that, the users of the financial statement of the SMEs are also benefitted from this, since the information provided can be compared with the international standards as the SMEs are also seen to deal with the venture capital firms, credit rating agencies, customers, suppliers, financial institutions and investors who are operating outside the home countries of the SMEs. However, the extant IFRSs cannot be used to meet the need of SME financial statement comparable to the international standard as they are designed especially to meet the financial reporting needs of the large businesses, that are operating in the globalised financial market and very little in regards to the economic compliance burden on the smaller businesses (Devi, 2003; IASB, 2009; Thompson, Sian & Roberts, 2006). Moreover, the SMEs cannot be considered as the smaller version of large businesses, which suggests the way that users will utilize the financial statement and accounting expertise along with their ability to bear the cost of financial reporting, which also differs from those of the large publicly traded companies (IASB, 2009). There are enough literatures that provide evidences regarding the appropriateness of IFRS for the SMEs (Chand, Patel & Cummings, 2006; Eierle, Haller & Beiersdorf, 2007; MAZARS, 2008; Sian & Roberts, 2008; Fu? lbier & Gassen, 2010; Neag, Masca & Pa?scan, 2009; Van Wyk & Rossouw, 2009) but there is need of additional research, since most of the researches were restricted only to some specific context. Therefore, this research focuses on the advantages and challenges that the SMEs of UAE will face on adopting the IFRS. Research Question The research question that this study will try to answer is the benefits that the small and medium sized enterprises, along with the suppliers of fund, will enjoy due to closure of the information gap. This information gap is produced as most of the SMEs are following non-standardized financial reporting techniques in UAE, which makes the evaluation of the performance of the enterprises more difficult. Literature Review Factors that lead the SMEs to adapt to the IFRS While developing the IFRS for the SMEs, the IASB has taken into consideration the important firm-level aspects. IASB has argued that there is a requirement for the global SMEs to prepare their financial reporting as per the international standards because of the users of their financial statement and the international structure and activities, in which the SMEs are engaged (IASB, 2009). In this context, the board has argued that the extant IFRS fails to meet the need of the financial reporting of the SMEs compared to the international standards, since they are complex in nature and poses significant amount of economic burden and compliance on the SMEs. Therefore, the following sections look at the prior literatures and highlight the characteristics of the firm, which will attempt to find the necessity of IFRS for the SMEs and its appropr iateness for financial report

Social Media Impact on How We Interact Research Paper

Social Media Impact on How We Interact - Research Paper Example For example, improved technology in information systems nowadays contributes to increased terrorism activities globally as it also helps in curbing the activity. However, apart form global issues, there are legal, social, and ethical issues resulting from the use of information technology in daily activities. The work that follows shows how security as a global issue relates to consumption of digital media or how the world incorporates digital media to present information. Most undertakings in the current world have adopted and started using the rising technology in information. Technology has even spread in areas that are desperately poor. There are many issues associated with global security which affect the world given that insecurity is now an issue of concern in the world. The rising insecurity in the world is a major concern that needs all countries’ preparation to curb its rise. ... Rise in global insecurity has led to introduction of education to fight terrorism and other related practices for example, studies on criminology is as a result of increased rates of insecurity. Information technology acts as a medium and opportunity for learners and educators to access information on various curriculums on fight against insecurity or crimes. This is because literacy in information technology offers scholars information on doing more compared to doing things that they did by hand for example, data processing, retrieving or passing information from one person to another (Menten, 2013). Digital media nowadays allows scholars to participate in the most sophisticated global experiences in education. How does Digital Media help students in Education? 1. Global Media Literacy Proper utilization of Information technology, if well utilized can help students studying criminology and other security related curriculum. Development of media literacy globally helps students to ac cess media from different countries around the world which contain news from international angles. This helps them evaluate how different countries fight insecurity, information which other countries can apply to their fight against insecurity because mass media brings out various’ countries perception on various issues. 2. Opinions on Global issues Exposure about other countries’ opinions helps students to evaluate how the countries argue regarding fight against insecurity. It is only through improved information technology such as social media that students have access to these arguments (Menten, 2013). Menten gives an example where Muslim students design digital audio slideshows of the

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) - Essay Example In each step of transition, each stakeholder is considered to ensure that each need is addressed at optimum levels. These stakeholders primarily consist of the health care providers and recipient-patients. The medical industry is just one of those industries who capitalize in human resource and invest on meeting human needs. Thus, it is not surprising to find this industry integrating well with its technological advances the human factors -- providers and patients. A particular technological advancement that is taking its slow yet comprehensive steps in the health care industry is the Electronic Medical Record or EMR. Basically, this type of information-capture is the digitized copy of the tangible and printed medical reports traditionally used by the healthcare providers. Pressing needs in the industry’s record-keeping component and the desire for higher operational efficiencies, as well as the great potential of addressing these through the EMR had led to the scrutinizing an d inevitable debate of this technology’s advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages A primary disadvantage of most technological advancement, and where EMR is not an exception, is its reliance to energy (i.e., electricity). Next in line of these primary drawbacks is the slow system run, as well as hardware issues (Wager, Lee, White, Ward, & Ornstein, 2000). The disadvantages of EMR lie on the delays and possible discrepancies (occurring during delay or information transfer from paper to a computer) that providers have to face on instances of energy disruption, software, or hardware malfunction. Indeed, a physician assistant once remarked, "everything comes to a screeching halt when the system is down. You have to, all of a sudden, remember how to handwrite prescriptions† (Wager et al., 2000, Results section, para. 9). The assistant’s statement presented another learning deficiency that once providers get to rely too much on the EMR, they became less adept to the simple, fundamentals of the manual record keeping. The impact of these disadvantages to the providers maybe a bit similar to the patients. If these disadvantages occur temporarily, then its impact to patients is limited. However, in the long run and in total count, these disadvantages may transform into huge losses in the supposedly saved costs of utilizing EMRs. Advantages The advantages of the EMR evidently lie on the justification of its invention in the first place. Its existence was meant to aid the health care industry in advancing its record-keeping component. Moreover, EMR was envisioned to mobilize a lot of other medical service transactions through the unified integration of transitory information and multiple department access (which have to be granted to make this integration possible). Mitchell and Haroun (2011) enumerated EMR’s advantages: 1) its systems-inclusion capability, which does the ‘coordinating’ function for the different departmental ser vices; and 2) its cautionary and informativity feature, which promote the utilization of a uniform, patient-and-provider reference to medication and treatment protocol. Both of these advantages serve to address the flexible and real-time integration needed to speed the flow of the healthcare service transactions and synchronize with it the organized and useful output of patient data. Consequently, these concerns that used

Formative Assessment Essay Example for Free

Formative Assessment Essay Chapter IV A Fundamental Duties ARTICLE 51A Fundamental Duties It shall be the duty of every citizen of India(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; (b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; (c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; (d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so; (e) To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women; (f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; (g) To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wild life and to have compassion for living creatures; (h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform; (i) (j) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence; to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement. CONTENTS Page No. Acknowledgments Preface Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation School Based Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation Continuous Comprehensive Assessment and Evaluation in e-Typewriting- English/Hindi Assessment Rubrics e-Typewriting Syllabus and Scheme of Examination for Class IX TERM-I Unit 1: Introduction to e-Typewriting Unit 2: Keyboard Layout (QWERTY INSCRIPT) Unit 3: Touch Typewriting 10 16 21 XL XLI 1 (I) (II) (IX) TERM-II Unit 4: Introduction to Word Processing 29 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ADVISORY BODY †¢ Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman CBSE. †¢ Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Head Innovations Research, CBSE. EDITING COMMITTEE †¢ Prof. Om Vikas, Retd. Prof. from DIT, Government of India. MATERIAL PRODUCTION GROUP †¢ Mr. Yogesh Kumar HOD, Computer Science. Meera Model School, Delhi. †¢ Dr. D. P. Bhatia, Mata Sundri College,University of Delhi. †¢ Ms. Gayatri Subramanian, Consultant, Ministry of Corporate Affairs , Govt of India. †¢ Mrs. Sunita Chug, Senior Lecturer, Mira Bai Polytechnic, Maharani Bagh, New Delhi. †¢ Mrs. Nancy Sehgal, Mata Jai Kaur School, Delhi. CO-ORDINATION †¢ Mrs. Sugandh Sharma, Education Officer (Commerce) CBSE. PREFACE Typewriters were developed to prepare documents with uniform letter prints, to overcome illegibility of hand written material and produce documents faster. Initially typewriters were mechanical, then electric and electronic typewriters came into being. Over a period, QWERTY keyboard layout was in use and it became the defacto standard for Roman Typewriting. Computers also use keyboard as an input device. Keyboard layout has specific letter on key allocation on the basis of frequency and count of letters over a fairly large sample of documents. High frequency letters are on middle/home row, distributed on both sides. For Indic scripts, Standard keyboard Layout is INSCRIPT. Mechanical typewriters are now becoming fast extinct. Computer empowers the user to input information with accuracy, speed and additional features of Word processing. The syllabus of Typewriting is hereby revised as e-Typewriting with an additional unit on Word processing in view of the growing use of computers for typewriting documents. Self assessment and keeping record of progress in Assignment files are encouraged so as to keep students motivated towards excellence. Profuse thanks are due to Prof. Om Vikas for steering the experts members Mr. Yogesh Kumar, Ms. Nancy Sehgal, Ms. Sunita Chugh, Dr. D. P. Bhatia and Ms. Gayatri Subramaniam for contributing towards development of the syllabus on -e-Typewriting and also the Formative Assessment Manual for Teachers. I also thank Ms. Sugandh Sharma, Education Officer for coordinating the meetings and bringing out the manual in this shape. It is expected that the students will enjoy this course even as an additional subject in view of the benefits of touch-typing skills in future career. We would welcome suggestions to improve upon content assessment methodology in tune with the objectives of CCE. (Vineet Joshi) Chairman, CBSE I Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation Education aims at making children capable of becoming responsible, productive and useful members of a society. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are built through learning experiences and opportunities created for learners in school. It is in the classroom that learners can analyse and evaluate their experiences, learn to doubt, to question, to investigate and to think independently. The aim of education simultaneously reflects the current needs and aspirations of a society as well as its lasting values and human ideals. At any given time and place they can be called the contemporary and contextual articulations of broad and lasting human aspirations and values. An understanding of learners, educational aims, the nature of knowledge, and the nature of the school as a social space can help us arrive at principles to guide classroom practices. Conceptual development is thus a continuous process of deepening and enriching connections and acquiring new layers of meaning. Alongside is the development of theories that children have about the natural and social worlds, including themselves in relation to others, which provide them with explanations for why things are the way they are and the relationship between cause and effect. Attitudes, emotions and values are thus an integral part of cognitive development, and are linked to the development of language, mental representations, concepts and reasoning. As childrens metacognitive capabilities develop, they become more aware of their own beliefs and capable of regulating their own learning. Characteristics of learning All lchildren are naturally motivated to learn and are capable of learning. Understanding l Children l and developing the capacity for abstract thinking, reflection and work are the most important aspects of learning. learn in a variety of ways-through experience, making and doing things, experimentation, reading, discussion, asking, listening, thinking and reflecting, and expressing themselves in speech or writing-both individually and with others. They require opportunities of all these kinds in the course of their development. something before the child is cognitively ready takes away real learning. Children may remember many facts but they may not understand them or be able to relate them to the world around them. takes place both within school and outside school. Learning is enriched if the two arenas interact with each other. Art and work provide opportunities for holistic learning that is rich in tacit and aesthetic components. Such experiences are essentially to be learnt through direct experience and integrated into life. Teaching l Learning l II Learning l must be paced so that it allows learners to engage with concepts and deepen understanding rather than remembering only to forget after examinations. At the same time learning must provide variety and challenge, and be interesting and engaging. Boredom is a sign that the task may have become mechanically repetitive for the child and of little cognitive value. can take place with or without mediation. In the case of the latter, the social context and interactions, especially with those who are capable, provide avenues for learners to work at cognitive levels above their own. Learning l Place of Evaluation in the Curriculum A curriculum is what constitutes a total teaching-learning program composed of overall aims, syllabus, materials, methods and assessment. In short it provides a framework of knowledge and capabilities, seen as appropriate to a particular level. Evaluation not only measures the progress and achievement of the learners but also the effectiveness of the teaching materials and methods used for transaction. Hence evaluation should be viewed as a component of curriculum with the twin purpose of effective delivery and further improvement in the teaching learning process. If properly understood, evaluation or assessment will not be perceived as something administered by the teachers and taken by the learners on the conclusion of a period of learning. When evaluation is seen as an end of the learning exercise, both the teachers and the learners will tend to keep it outside the teaching-learning process, rendering assessment broadly irrelevant and alien to the curriculum. Further such a perception associates anxiety and stress with evaluation for learners. On the contrary, if evaluation is seen as an integral part built into the teaching learning process; it will become continuous like both teaching and learning. When evaluation is subsumed into teaching-learning, learners will not perceive tests and examinations with fear. It will lead to diagnosis, remediation and enhancement of learning. The scope of evaluation in schools extends to almost all the areas of learners personality development. It should include both scholastic and co-scholastic areas, i. e. it should be comprehensive in nature. This is in line with the goals of education. Evaluation is continuous and reveals the strengths and weaknesses of learners more frequently, so that the learners have better opportunity to understand and improve themselves. It also provides feedback to the teachers for modifying their teaching strategies. In view of getting a complete picture of the childs learning, assessment should focus on the learners ability to – learn and l acquire a l acquire desired skills related to different subject areas. level of achievement in different subject areas in the requisite measure develop childs individual skills, interests, attitudes and motivation l understand and lead a healthy and a productive life. l monitor the changes taking place in a childs learning, behaviour and progress over time. l III l respond to different situations and opportunities both in and out of school.  apply what is learned in a variety of l work l independently, collaboratively analyze and evaluate. l environments, circumstances and situations and harmoniously. be laware of social and environmental issues participate in social and environmental projects and causes. l retain what is learned over a period of time. l Thus assessment is a useful, desirable and an enabling process. To realize this one needs to keep the following parameters in mind The need to: assess the learner. l use l a variety of ways to collect information about the learners learning and progress in subjects and cross curricular boundaries. collect information continuously and record the same. l give l importance to each learners way of responding and learning and the time it takes to do so. report on an ongoing continuous basis and be sensitive to every learners responses. l provide feedback that will lead to positive action and help the learner to do better l In the assessment process, one should be careful NOT to: l label learners as slow, poor, intelligent etc. make comparisons between them. l make negative statements. l Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) refers to a system of school-based evaluation of students that covers all aspects of a students development. It is a developmental process of a child which emphasizes on two fold objectives. These objectives are continuity in evaluation on one hand and assessment of broad based learning and behaviourial outcomes on the other. The term `continuous is meant to emphasise that evaluation of identified aspects of students `growth and development is a continuous process rather than an event, built into the total IV teaching-learning process and spread over the entire span of academic session. It means regularity of assessment, diagnosis of learning gaps, use of corrective measures and feedback of evidence to teachers and students for their self evaluation. The second term `comprehensive means that the scheme attempts to cover both the scholastic and the co-scholastic aspects of students growth and development. Since abilities, attitudes and aptitudes can manifest themselves in forms other than the written word, the term refers to application of a variety of tools and techniques (both testing and non-testing) and aims at assessing a learners development in areas of learning like : Knowledge l Understanding/Comprehension l Application l Analysis l l Evaluation l Creativity Objectives of CCE are: l To help develop cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills. l To lay emphasis on thought process and de-emphasise memorization l To make evaluation an integral part of teaching-learning process l use To evaluation for improvement of students achievement and teaching – learning strategies on the basis of regular diagnosis followed by remedial instruction l. To use evaluation as a quality control device to maintain desired standard of performance l determine To  social utility, desirability or effectiveness of a programme and take appropriate decisions about the learner, the process of learning and the learning environment l To make the process of teaching and learning a learner-centered activity. Features of CCE are: l The continuous aspect of CCE takes care of continual and periodicity aspect of evaluation. Means assessment of students in the beginning of instruction (placement evaluation) and assessment during the instructional process (formative evaluation) done informally using multiple techniques of evaluation. means assessment of performance done frequently at the end of unit/term (summative) l Continual l Periodicity V l The  comprehensive component of CCE takes care of assessment of all round development of the childs personality. It includes assessment in Scholastic as well as Co-Scholastic aspects of the pupils growth. aspects include curricular areas or subject specific areas, whereas co-scholastic aspects include Life Skills, Co-Curricular Activities, Attitudes, and Values. in scholastic areas is done informally and formally using multiple techniques of evaluation continually and periodically. The diagnostic evaluation takes place at the end of a unit/term test. The causes of poor performance in some units are diagnosed using diagnostic tests. These are followed up with appropriate interventions followed by retesting. in Co-Scholastic areas is done using multiple techniques on the basis of identified criteria, while assessment in Life Skills is done on the basis of Indicators of Assessment and checklists. Source Examination Reforms, NCERT Scholastic l Assessment l Assessment l The functions of CCE are: l It helps the teacher to organize effective teaching strategies. Continuous l evaluation helps in regular assessment to the extent and degree of learners progress (ability and achievement with reference to specific scholastic and co-scholastic areas). evaluation serves to diagnose weaknesses and permits the teacher to ascertain an individual learners strengths and weaknesses and her needs. It provides immediate feedback to the teacher, who can then  decide whether a particular unit or concept needs re-teaching in the whole class or whether a few individuals are in need of remedial instruction. evaluation, children can know their strengths and weaknesses. It provides the child a realistic self assessment of how he/she studies. It can motivate children to develop good study habits, to correct errors, and to direct their activities towards the achievement of desired goals. It helps a learner to determine the areas of instruction in which more emphasis is required. and comprehensive evaluation identifies areas of aptitude and interest. It helps in identifying changes in attitudes, and value systems. in making decisions for the future, regarding choice of subjects, courses and careers. Continuous l By lcontinuous  Continuous l It helps l It provides l information/reports on the progress of students in scholastic and co-scholastic areas and thus helps in predicting the future successes of the learner. VI Continuous evaluation helps in bringing awareness of the achievement to the child, teachers and parents from time to time. They can look into the probable cause of the fall in achievement if any, and may take remedial measures of instruction in which more emphasis is required. Many times, because of some personal reasons, family problems or adjustment problems, the children start neglecting their studies, resulting in a sudden drop in their achievement. If the teacher, child and parents do not come to know about this sudden drop in the achievement and the neglect in studies by the child continues for a longer period then it will result in poor achievement and a permanent deficiency in learning for the child. The major emphasis of CCE is on the continuous growth of students ensuring their intellectual, emotional, physical, cultural and social development and therefore will not be merely limited to assessment of learners scholastic attainments. It uses assessment as a means of motivating learners in further programmes to provide information for arranging feedback and follow up work to improve upon the learning in the classroom and to present a comprehensive picture of a learners profile. It is this that has led to the emergence of the concept of School Based Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation. Source : Ncert VII Scholastic and Co-scholastic Assessment In order to have Continuous and Comprehensive evaluation, both scholastic and co-scholastic aspects need to be given due recognition. Such a holistic assessment requires maintaining an ongoing, changing and comprehensive profile for each learner that is honest, encouraging and discreet. While teachers daily reflect, plan and implement remedial strategies, the childs ability to retain and articulate what has been learned over a period of time also requires periodic assessment. These assessments can take many forms but all of them should be as comprehensive and discreet as possible. Weekly, fortnightly, or quarterly reviews (depending on the learning area), that do not openly compare one learner with another and are positive and constructive experiences are generally recommended to promote and enhance not just learning and retention among children but their soft skills as well. VIII School Based Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation There has been a consistent move towards reducing the load on the student by making public or board examination stress free. Over the decade there has been a high pitched race towards more marks and thus more competitiveness among students and schools. The move of the CBSE to replace marks with grades is a step in the right direction. The paradigm shift is to empower schools by creating a workable school based continuous and comprehensive scheme. School Based Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system should be established to: reduce stress on children l make evaluation comprehensive and regular l provide space for the teacher for creative teaching l provide a tool of diagnosis and remediation l produce learners with greater skills l Position Paper on Aims of Education NCF 2005. NCERT Aims of School Based CCE l Elimination of chance element and subjectivity (as far as possible), de-emphasis of memorization, encouraging Comprehensive evaluation incorporating both scholastic and co-scholastic aspects of learners development.  evaluation spread over the total span of the instructional time as an integral built-in aspect of the total teaching-learning process. And meaningful declaration of results for effective use by teachers, students, parents and the society. uses of test results for purposes not merely of the assessment of levels of pupils achievements and proficiencies, but mainly for its improvement, through diagnosis and remedial/enrichment programmes. in the mechanics of conducting examinations for realizing a number of other allied purposes Continuous l Functional l Wider l Improvement l Introduction of concomitant changes in instructional materials and methodology. l Introduction of the semester system from the secondary stage onwards. l The l use of grades in place of marks in determining and declaring the level of pupil performance and proficiency. The above goals are relevant for both external examination and evaluation in schools IX Characteristics of School Based Evaluation : l Broader, more comprehensive and continuous than traditional system. l primarily to help learners for systematic learning and development. Aims l Takes care of the needs of the learner as responsible citizens of the future. l Is more transparent, futuristic and provides more scope for association among learners , teachers and parents. School based evaluation provides opportunities to teachers to know the following about their learners: What they learn l How l they learn l What type of difficulties / limitations they face in realising learning objectives together l What the children think l What the children feel l What their interests and dispositions are. The focus has shifted to developing a deep learning environment. There is a paradigm shift in the pedagogy and competencies of ‘controlling’ to ‘enriching’ to ‘empowering’ schools. Traditional Schooling l Teacher centred l Subjects and classes l Sorting and ranking Enriching Schooling Student centred l l Directed Self l Continuous assessment Empowering Schooling Experience centred l l Virtual authenticity l Multi literacies individuals Competency: l Memory l Competitive Competency: l Critical thinking l Collaborative l Creative Competency: l taking Risk l Ethical l Interactive There are four Assessment Paradigms Assessment of Learning Most commonly, assessment is defined as a process whereby someone attempts to describe and quantify the knowledge, attitudes or skills possessed by another. Teacher directedness is paramount and the student has little involvement in the design or implement of the assessment process in these circumstances – X Summative l Teacher designs learning l l Teacher collects evidence l Teacher judges what has been learnt (and what has not) Assessment for Learning The assessment for learning involves increased levels of student autonomy, but not without teacher guidance and collaboration. The assessment for learning is sometimes seen as being akin to ‘formative assessment’ and can be seen as informing teaching. There is more emphasis towards giving of useful advice to the student and less emphasis on the giving of marks and the grading function – Teacher designs learning l Teacher designs assessment with feedback to student l Teacher assesses what has been learnt (student develops insight into what has not) l Assessment as Learning ‘Assessment as learning’ is perhaps more connected with diagnostic assessment and can be constructed with more of an emphasis on informing learning. Assessment as learning generates opportunities for self assessment and for peer assessment. Students take on increased responsibility to generate quality information about their learning and that of others – Teacher and student co-construct learning l Teacher and student co-construct assessment l Teacher and student co-construct learning progress map l Assessment for learning and assessment as learning activities should be deeply embedded in teaching and learning and be the source of iterative feedback, allowing students to adjust, rethink and re-learn. Assessment in Learning The assessment in learning places the question at the centre of teaching and learning. It deflects the teaching from its focus on a ‘correct answer’ to focus on ‘a fertile question’. Through the inquiry, students engage in processes that generate feedback about their learning, which come from multiple sources, and activities. It contributes to the construction of other learning activities, lines of enquiry and the generation of other questions Student at the centre of learning l Student monitors, assesses and reflects on learning l Student initiates demonstration of learning (to self and others) l Teacher as coach and mentor l XI Teachers and students need to understand the purpose of each assessment strategy so that the overall assessment ‘package’ being used by learners and teachers accurately captures, generates and uses meaningful learning information to generate deep learning and understanding. Purpose of Assessment To lascertain what learning, change and progress takes place in the child over a period of time in different subjects of study and other aspects of the childs personality. To find out the needs and learning style of every learner. l To ldevise styles. To improve the teaching-learning materials by adding value. l To help l every learner find out their interests, aptitudes, strengths and weaknesses so that the learner can evolve effective learning strategies. a teaching-learning plan that is responsive to the individual needs and learning To measure the extent to which curricular objectives have been realized. l To enhance the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process. l To l record the progress of every learner and communicate it to parents and other stakeholders. a dialogue between the teacher and the student and also the parents as a collaborative endeavor for overall improvement of the system. To lmaintain To involve the learners in the process through peer and self assessment. l Different stages in Assessment Examination is not assessment; it is only one of the tools of assessment. As we have seen above, assessment is an integral part of the teaching-learning process and hence cannot be seen as the final stage in isolation. The overall aim of assessment is to gather information to improve the teaching-learning process. So it has certain distinct stages. Stage 1: Gathering information about and evidence of the extent of effectiveness of teaching and learning We gather information in a variety of ways, using a number of tools. Observation, conversation and discussion, assignments, projects, different types of tests etc are some of the methods and tools we use for collecting information. Stage 2: Recording of Information The information gathered has to be systematically recorded because it constitutes not only rich inputs that have to be used for improving teaching and learning but also evidence to support the conclusion we come to about the progress made by the students. In order to make the recording effective, we must use different recording devices such as learner profile, XII ancecdotal records, case studies, report books etc. It is essential that the information is recorded in both quantitative and qualitative terms along with well thought out and objective observations by the teacher. It is also necessary to keep samples of students work as evidence to support the report of the teacher. The most important aspect of good recording and reporting is that it shows the progress of the learner in different domains over a period of time. Stage 3: Analysing and Reporting the Information Collected The recorded information constitutes valuable feedback that the teacher, the student and the parents should use to enhance the learning process. To do this, the gathered information has to be analysed periodically so that the teacher can draw conclusions about how a child is learning and progressing. Such analysis and the grading that is done is actually a mapping of the progress of students in a learning environment. Analysis and review also leads to unambiguous statements about the strengths of every child and the aspects requiring further improvement. The report has to be communicated to the learners and their parents so that they are able to collaborate with the teacher to take the necessary steps for improving learning. It is essential that the child is encouraged to compete with self rather than with others. One of the key components of engaging students in the assessment of their own learning is providing them with descriptive feedback as they learn. Research shows descriptive feedback to be the most effective instructional strategy to move students forward in their learning. Descriptive feedback provides students with an understanding of what they are doing well, links to classroom learning and specific input on how to reach the next step. Stage 4: Using the Information for Improvement Assessment should result in improvement. Though the student, the teacher and the parents are all stakeholders in this paradigm, it is the teacher who has to take the initiative to use the analysis of information on each learner to enhance learning. This calls for reflective practices. Some questions that the teacher could ask himself/ herself are: 1. Are all the learners involved in the activities of the class? 2. Are there learners who face problems in coping with the pace and flow of the teaching learning process? 3. What are their problems and how should I help them? 4. Is there something in my teaching strategy that has to be modified to make the class learn better? How should I go about it? 5. Are there some learners who are not challenged by the materials and methods and hence lose motivation quickly? How should I respond to their special needs? 6. Are there some lessons/ chapters/ units that pose difficulties to many learners? How should I add value to these portions of the syllabus? 7. Have I identified certain common errors, mistakes and instances of lack of conceptual clarity from the information collected and analysed? How should I go about an effective programme of remediation? XIII 8. Is my classroom time management effective? What are the changes that I could introduce to make it more learner and learning oriented? 9. Am I getting adequate support from the school management, my colleagues, the parents and the community? How can I involve all the stakeholders more actively in what I am doing for the benefit of my learners? 10. What are my own needs of professional development? How can I fulfil them in a continuous manner? Such reflective questions will help the teacher modify and refine the programme of teaching to achieve the learning objectives as well as to enhance his/ her professional competence continuously. By now it is well established that learning is a continuous process and it involves informal, formal and non-formal modes. It is also widely acknowledged that children learn by constructing their knowledge and it makes learning a process that takes place within the children rather than without. In this paradigm of constructivism, the teacher ought to recognize the importance of different stages of learning i. e. , the initial stage where the existing knowledge of the learner is seen as the entry level, the second stage where new knowledge is understood and accommodated with the existing knowledge and the third stage where the constructed knowledge as a whole is tested by the learner by applying it to real life situations for making sense of the world and the self and for drawing conclusions, problem solving, decision making etc. What constitutes knowledge at the third stage automatically becomes the learners existing knowledge for further learning and thus it is a cyclical process. The main purpose of assessment is to enhance the effectiveness of the learning process and hence it has to be integrated appropriately with every stage of learning. Since learning is continuous, assessment also must be continuous. Otherwise the learner will not be able to know whether she/ he is proceeding along the right lines, what is the stage at which he experiences difficulties, what are the new inputs and strategies that are required to successfully continue the process of construction of knowledge and what is the help that is expected from the teacher. Similarly the teacher also has to know at what stage of learning each learner is at a particular point of time, what are the changes that are to be made to the teaching strategies to make every child learn effectively and what further help can be provided. For instance, when a child in class I comes to school, it is probable that the child has not had any formal schooling earlier. It does not mean that the child has no prior knowledge because learning, as has been pointed out earlier, can be through informal and non formal modes too. So the teachers duty is to identify the prior knowledge of the child while dealing with a particular concept or skill.

Sony Music Entertainment SWOT Analysis

Sony Music Entertainment SWOT Analysis Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment, also known as Sony Music is controlled by Sony Corporation of America. Sony Music is one of the biggest four record companies, ranked as the second biggest global record music companies. Sony has managed to reach at the level of being one the biggest music companies in the world and remain at this stage. Sony Music has collaborated with numerous of artists and others more to come. Sony Music Entertainment contains the music labels: Columbia, Columbia Nashville, Epic, Jive, RCA, Legacy Recordings, Victor Records, Masterworks, Arista, Arista Nashville, Bluebird Jazz, BNA Records Label, Burgundy Records, J Records, LaFace Records, Provident Label Group, U.S Latin, Verity Records and Windham Hill. Porters five forces Porters five forces are the rivalry among competitors, the threat of potential entry, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining powers of buyers and the threat of substitutes. The most competitive force between Porters five forces is the rivalry between producers and sellers in the music industry. The music record industry constitutes 4 significant segments: * Major recording studios: Major companies are firms that have large numbers of artists under contracts with different types of music, such as hip-hop, rock, jazz, country, etc. Major companies may be EMI, Sony Music, Columbia and work internationally. * Independent labels: Independent labels are companies that have fewer artists under contracts, recording one or two music styles and mostly work regionally. * Micro labels: Micro labels have an amount of about 10 artists and focus on a particular music style. * Vanity labels: Vanity labels are companies that focus on independent artists. It is the last segment of the music industry that struggles to become one of the other segments. Rivalry among competitors Sony Music has 3 biggest competitors: EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. The competition of these four companies depends on the popularity of the artist and their songs. On this case, if the artist is very popular and promises reassured sales, then the price doesnt play a significant role. On the other hand, if the artists are not known enough then the price is at the same stage of importance as the competition. Furthermore, the rivalry between the competitors is affected by the advertisement and promotion of the songs. There are a large number of competitors that are similar in size, consumer offerings, market and growth. Threat of potential entry The threat of is the weakest force. Even if a new music recording company enters the market, its very difficult to reach the levels of the existing company. In the music industry there are millions of music record firms globally but still the top four remain unbeatable. Bargaining power of suppliers The power of suppliers depends on the popularity of artists. Sony specializes on already famous artists, therefore is difficult to compete, except the other three big organizations. Bargaining power of Buyers * In August 2005 Sony Music was accounted as 32.8% out of 71.7% of retail music sales. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_industry) * Due to economic crisis, people have difficulties on buying CDs Threat of substitutes People prefer listening songs through Internet (YouTube), on radio, on TV channels and other rather than buying the CD. Internet has become a substitute of CD records, through piracy and downloads. This is very an important matter in music record industry, even if they try to fight it, there will always be this competition. SWOT Strengths The second biggest major music company Globally known and recognized A portfolio of successful artists An organized and clear website Channels of distribution: radio, TV, Internet, music record shops Weaknesses Global music piracy (its the biggest issue that worries all music record companies) Opportunities Future successful CD releases with existing artists Releasing MP3 songs Threats The music pirates will drive music record companies to a decrease of their sales Nowadays, music is fashion-obsessed. A wrong selection of an album release may result badly to the company Physical sales are decreasing due to digital music. People are more attracted to download a song rather than buy the whole album. The music record industry has lost  £180m last year in UK. The 95% of music on the Internet is downloaded illegally. (IFPI) Conclusion According to statistics, Sony Music Entertainment is one of the most successful companies in the music record industry. Despite the music piracy that arises in the present time, Sony Music strives to handle this matter legally and commercially by persuading the people especially young to stop and avoid piracy. This is a big threat to the music record industry and it has to be dealt with strategic manner. Companies such as iTunes (Apple) have reduced music piracy, since in order to download a song it has to be bought first. In order to stop this crime, so that the music record companies can function properly and get back on their feet with their sales increasing, some services (Kazaa, Limewire, Bearshare) has to be shut down. The 45% of users of such services has dropped after all US and international legal actions have taken place. References 1. Music Industry [online]. Wikipedia. Last accessed on 10 December 2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_industry 2. EMI SWOT, Music Piracy [online]. Bridgewell. Last accessed on 12 December 2009 at: http://miranda.hemscott.com/ir/sgp/pdf/INI_Music_downloading_September_6th_2004.pdf 3. Sony Music Entertainment [online]. Wikipedia. Last accessed on 12 December 2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Music_Entertainment 4. Facts and Figures [online]. Sony Music. Last accessed on 13 December 2009 at: http://www.sonymusic.com/ 5. CCM Music Recording Company [online]. Last accessed on 11 December 2009 at: http://www.personal-writer.com/sample/marketing-essay/ccm-music-recording-company-step-analysis-swot-analysis-five-forces 6. ITunes claims to be stopping teen music piracy [online]. Gadgetell. Last accessed on 12 December 2009 at: http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/itunes-claims-to-be-stopping-teen-music-piracy/ 7. Internet Piracy: The facts [online]. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Last accessed on 12 December 2009 at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20050412c.html 8. Online Piracy [online] Guardian. Last accessed on 11 December 2009 at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/17/music-piracy

Child Labour in India

Child Labour in India The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 218 child labourers in the world (ILO, 2006). In 1991, there were approximately 11.3 million child labourers in India, with 2 million of those children working in highly dangerous situations (2004). However, as of late 2000 the ILO states that there are now 10.4 million child labourers in India. It important to stress that these children are working because they do not have a choice, Mummun Jha argues more specifically that, they come not from the well-off households but from marginalized sections that are already the hardest hit, such as the children of the poor, the lower castes, and the female (2009, p. 217). In India, there are a variety of complex social and economic factors for why children are working. These reasons can include: a lack of access to education and unemployed parents (Venkatanarayana, 2004). Commonly, poverty is said to be the cause of child labour, yet it can also be a result of child labour as well. Zubair Kabir argues that a cycle of poverty can exist within child labour and India is no exception (2003). Thus, this keeps children in India in a disadvantaged state because they are denied access to education and as a result, will not learn any new skills for a higher paying job (Kabir, 2003). In addition to the lack of education, child labour can pose serious health risks to children. They are often exposed to unsanitary and dangerous situations because employers will not provide basic health measures due to the low-income employment child labourers commonly do and the lack of governmental regulations that exist (2003). Due to children working in the low-income sector of the workplace, this decreases the value of work for adults and thus, adult unemployment rises. With poorly paid, unskilled children working in unsafe conditions, these children will become the future generation in India; and therefore, child labour continues the cycle of poverty (2003). Another important social factor that causes child labour in India is the deeply ingrained cultural values that have existed for decades (Kabir, 2003). Often girls are left out of statistics regarding child labour because sometimes they do not work in the formal sectors of child labour such as factories; rather they participate in domestic labour (Das Mishra, 2005). Mummun Jha states that there is an abundance of poverty in India and thus the, Situation is worsened by the fact that for the poor families in India, alternative sources of income are non-existent. There are no social welfare systems as those in the West. There are fewer sources of bank loans, government loans, or other credit sources. What is available is usually for the relatively better off (2009, p. 211). India has passed some legislation regarding the well being of children. India did sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 (Jha, 2009). However, the Indian government has not signed off on Convention 138 on Minimum Age (1973) and Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999) which to the ILO is considered very progressive in regard to the law against child labour (2009). The Indian government maintains due to their decentralized style of government, only the individual states in India have the constitutional power to change the law regarding the minimum age (2009). As a result, millions of Indian children are working illegally (2009). I feel passionate about eliminating child labour in my lifetime and I feel educating individuals, especially youth about the effects of child labour is crucial in achieving this goal. In this paper, I will argue that child labour is a detriment to the development of less economically developed countries because it prevents access to education, especially to young girls, it risks the health of young children, and decreases the value of adult work; thus weakening the economic growth of a country by perpetuating poverty. Theoretical Backing: W.W. Rostows theory on the stages of economic growth provides a justification for why child labour exists today. Rostow presented a model of economic growth in the 1960s and it provides a theory on why some countries developed economically while others did not, in his book called The Stages of Economic Growth (1960). Rostow would make the argument that child labour is necessary for some countries to industrialize as there were some forms of child labour during the Industrial Revolution in Europe (Venkatanarayana, 2004). Further applying Rostows theory of economic development to child labour, another possible explanation for why it still exists today is because LECDs are employing child labourers in order to compete with multi-national corporations and other more economically developed countries. Most countries employing young children are stuck in Rostows second stage known as pre-conditions for take-off, which can be characterized by a need to develop a surplus of wealth in order to increase investment in transportation, communication and natural source exploitation (1960). Whereas, many other industrialized countries are in Rostows final stage of economic development known as mass consumption, which can be characterized by a growing demand for consumer goods and services, incomes being greater than necessary for buying essentials and an increase in investment by society in health, education and social programs (1960). As a result, Rostow would make the argument that child labour is necessary for economic development in LEDCs, and in order to move through the stages of development, from pre-conditions for take-off to mass consumption (Rostow, 1960). Research and Analysis: Child labour is detrimental to the development of less economically developed countries because it presents a barrier to the education system for children in India. Many scholars and activists now see a direct relationship between education and child labour (Jha, 2009, 210). Traditionally, education was only accessible to the upper caste levels (2009). Furthermore, old, cultural values still exist in India today; for example, education is not thought of for people in the lower castes, in particular females (2009). Kumar Das and Sarojini Mishra (2005) focus specifically on the economic effects of child labour on girls in India. Das and Mishra state that child labour for young girls is related to the deeply ingrained cultural factors such as, caste, religion, family type and size. Thus, girls belonging to the lower caste acquire little to no education and as a result are forced into child labour to help her family financially. Das and Mishra also highlight that much of the research done on child labourers in India focuses on children forced to work in factories; whereas many young girls are experiencing child labour in the informal work sector, such as working at home, but are still exploited (2005). Das and Mishra conclude that better understanding of the causes, consequences of child labour, the labour market and emphasis on the importance of primary school for girls in India is crucial for eliminating child labour (2005). Similar to Das and Mishra, studies conducted by Rubiana Chamarbagwala (2008), provides evidence that the overall increase of availability of primary education in India will not only increase the number of children attending school, but it will also decrease the chances of girls and boys working in factories. It is important to point out that a simple increase in the availability of education in India would not solve the number of young girls who watch their brothers go to school while they work in the unpaid labour force, and are still being exploited. Unlike other literature focused on child labour in India, Chamarbagwala states that governmental policies should be implemented that will increase the economic benefits of education, and thus provide an incentive for families to send their children to school rather than to work. Mitesh Badiwala argues for a solution for the lack of access to education due to child labour. He states that even if the schools in India are good, the economic benefits out weight the educational benefits for Indian parents and as a result poverty raises the dropout rates (1998). Therefore, India should implement compulsory schooling for children. It is also important to point out that with children in school, the availability of jobs for adults will increase. The idea of mandatory school requires policies to be enacted and these policies can help provide funds for the primary school system (1998). In addition, Badiwala points out that this idea of compulsory education worked for the Indian state of Kerala, which spends a lot of money on education and has the highest literacy rate in the country (1998). Recent research conducted by the International Labour Organization (2009), has stated the most recent global economic crisis that occurred in 2008 could increase the number of girls in child labour. The ILO reports approximately 100 million girls worldwide are involved in some of the worst forms of child labour today. In addition, the report says this is especially evident in families that place higher importance on educating the boys of the family, which can be attributed to the traditional values embedded in India (ILO, 2003). As the global crisis affects LEDCs, families will start to prioritize what children go to work and to school. In addition, the ILO states that the financial crisis would decrease the national education budget and thus, affect the importance of education to already financially disadvantaged families. Child labour can have various devastating effects on the health of child labourers. A study carried out by Occupational Medicine (2006) studied different groups of child labourers in various LEDCs. Yet, only conclusive evidence was found amongst child labourers in India. The goal of the study was to determine whether child labour had any effect on the final height of child labourers. While child labour is known to have other negative health effects such as exposure to harsh chemicals, unsanitary conditions, and the potential for serious injuries; whether growth is affected by child labour is still considered controversial. Occupational Medicine focuses on the idea that child labour can directly or indirectly affect the health of children. For example, It has been assumed that the chronic physical strain of work on growing bones and joints could lead to stunting, spinal injury and lifelong deformations, (2006, 1). However, growth could be indirectly affected by the strain on already w eak bones and joints due to malnourishment. Malnourishment in child labourers is caused by long hours working and unsanitary conditions, essentially child labourers do not get all of the required nutrients for healthy development while working in factories. The study concluded that among the children studied in India, there was evidence that child labour did affect the final height of the child labourers. This is an example of negative long term health effects for child labourers and it is problematic because these children represent the future of India. Child labour is detrimental to the development of India economically because child labour devalues the work done by adults. Basu and Van support this by suggesting that child labour is competing with adult labour in India and the relationship is unhealthy economically (1999). Basus studies show that when adult wages rise or unemployment falls, the incidence of child labour tends to fall. Hence, if we are seriously concerned about child labour, we will have to improve the economic condition of the adult worker, (1999, N.P.). In comparison, Augendra Bhukuth and Jerome Ballet (2006) focus on whether child labour is complementary to adult labour, in particular the brick kiln industry in India. The report states that parents are aiding child labour in the brick kiln industry because children are often found working alongside their parents. Unlike almost all other literature on child labour, this study focuses on how child labour is used to increase the price of labour, because an employer is getting an entire familys labour. This helps to increase household productivity because the whole family works together to earn a living. While it is importance to decrease the debt owed by families in LECDs, the study fails to acknowledge the psychological damages a child will face due to the intensive labour they experienced during childhood. Sebastian Braun (2006) examines the relationship between child labour and foreign direct investment (FDI). One would think that FDI would be attracted to countries with child labour due to the increases in profits made as a result of the low wages earned by workers compared to developed countries. However, strong evidence points to less FDI flowing to countries that have child labourers, due to young children making up the labour force. To foreign investors child labour reflects poorly on an economy, because the labour force is in fact young children. Therefore, to improve the chances of receiving FDI and thus improving the economy, countries such as India, should eliminate all forms of child labour and employ adults only. If FDI is deterred based on child labour, then LEDCs employing children are continuing the cycle of poverty and decreasing chances of economic growth because they will not receive foreign investment. Conclusion: In conclusion, the economic development of less economically developed countries is only negatively impacted by child labour. In regards to school, child labour is preventing access to education. In India young girls attend school less than boys, due to traditional values still prevalent in the country today (Das and Mishra, 2005). Chamarbagwala argues that governmental policies should be implemented that specifically enhance the economic benefits of sending children to school; thus giving families an incentive to send their children to school in India (2008). Badiwala claims there is potential for compulsory education to help eradicate child labour in India; pointing to the Indian state of Kerala as an example (1998). In regards to the health of child labourers, there is evidence that states that child labour affects the final height of an Indian child, among various other serious short and long term effects (Occupational Medicine, 2006). Sadly, there are few studies that state the health effects of child labour on young girls working in the domestic or unpaid labour force. Lastly, one of the most detrimental effects child labour has on the economic development of a country is the fact that child labour devalues the work done by adults (Basu and Van, 1999). Basu and Van argue that only when the economic situation is improved, will child labourers cease to exist (1999). Furthermore, an interesting study conducted by Bhukuth and Ballet states that sometimes parents continue the problem of child labour by having their children work alongside them in the brick kiln industry (2006). Moreover, it has been proven that child labour can be harmful economically because it decreases the countrys chance at attracting foreign direct investment (Braun, 2006). As a result, child labour is damaging to the economic development of a less economically developed country because it presents a barrier to the education of children, it risks the health of child labourers short and long term and continues the cycle of poverty by devaluing the work done by adults.

How Do You Define Patriotism? Essay -- Definition of patriotism

Patriotism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patriotism is defined as a love for or a devotion to one’s country. With the events that happened in America on September 11th, patriotism has been in everyone’s mind and heart. Young men and women have been enlisting in the armed forces to support America. Americans are flying flags on their cars and homes to show their patriotism. Millions of Americans are donating money and blood in support of the victims of the attacks. I would define patriotism as a loyalty and commitment to America and the people in our country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way to define patriotism is to look at an example of my enlistment in the Army and the training that I received in Basic. I decided to join the Army in 1996 after an unsuccessful attempt at college. I decided I wanted to serve my country by defending our freedom in the event that a war should happen and help other countries abroad defend their freedom also. It was in Basic Training that I was taught hand-to-hand combat, how to accurately fire a M16 machine gun, ground tactics and camouflage. The training I received prepared me to be ready to defend America. I was committed to serve and protect the country where I lived. I was displaying my patriotism for America by defending the freedoms that I and other Americans have in this country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another way to define patriotism is to look at the effect the attack on September 11th had on how Americans show their patriotism. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon aff...

Christmas - An Extraordinary Holiday Essays -- Personal Narrative Writ

Christmas - An Extraordinary Holiday As I grow older, Christmas is the greatest holiday for my family and me. The powerful feeling of family is never any stronger than on Christmas Day. The stress of the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve all seeps away as our children come running into our bedroom to see if we are awake yet. Even though our children are teenagers, the tradition doesn't change; Santa is real if you believe in him. I've seen our children wake up as early as 5:00 a.m. As our children awake us, my husband tries to draw out the anticipation by telling them he needs to take a shower first. After much begging and grumbling, they agree and the three of us make our way into the kitchen to bake cinnamon rolls. While my husband is showering, we are in the kitchen preparing the cinnamon rolls. By the time he is done, the smell of the gooey sweet cinnamon rolls is drifting through the house. As I pull the rolls out of the oven, my daughters are tearing into the stockings Santa filled while visiting the night before. Santa always remembers Mom and Dad, too. W...

Comparing Organic And Non Organic Food Environmental Sciences Essay

Is organic nutrient better than conventional nutrient? ‘ This is the issue that has been a hot subject since the late 2000 ‘s. ( Michelle, 2007 ) . Organic nutrient defined by the nutrient must be produced, procedures and packaged without the presence of man-made pesticides, weedkillers, insect powders, antifungals, etc.However, conventional agriculture uses chemical weedkillers to pull off weed or uses pesticides to cut down plague and disease. ( Robin, 2008 ) The carnal Federal organic nutrient and the animate being that non given unreal endocrines, like antibiotics, growing endocrines are considered as the animate beings can be organically raised. ( All4NaturalHealth, 2007 ) Why is organic nutrient going so popular? Harmonizing to the research of Food Marketing Institute, there is about half of Americans buy organic nutrient one time a month. During 1990s, organic agriculture was the fastest turning agribusiness in U.S and organic nutrient production had has increased its growing rates around 25 % a twelvemonth. ( Lee, 2009 ) In this study, I will be chiefly researching the biological significance of organic nutrient and conventional nutrient, the pros and cons of taking organic nutrient. 2.0 Biological significance Based on the briefly debut of organic nutrient and conventional nutrient, it is grounds that there are two distinguishable types of nutrient. Organic agriculture is designed to bring forth the nutrient without utilizing conventional methods to fertilise, command weeds and cut down plague. Organic husbandmans may use sophisticated harvest rotary motions or mechanical cultivated land to command the weed growing instead than utilizing man-made weed-killers. Unlike conventional husbandmans, the meat, dairy merchandises and eggs that organic husbandmans produced are from animate beings that are fed organic provender and allowed entree to grazing land. In extra, the farm animal diseases are controlled fundamentally by organic husbandmans through balanced diet, healthful lodging, rotational graze etc. Figure 1: The sum-up of differences between conventional agriculture and organic agriculture: Conventional husbandmans Organic husbandmans Apply chemical fertilisers to advance works growing. Apply natural fertilisers, such as manure or compost, to feed dirt and workss. Spray insecticides to cut down plagues and disease. Use good insects and birds, copulating break or traps to cut down plagues and disease. Use chemical weedkillers to pull off weeds. Rotate harvests, boulder clay, manus weed or mulch to pull off weeds. Give animate beings antibiotics, growing endocrines and medicines to forestall disease and spur growing. Give animate beings organic provender and let them entree to the out-of-doorss. Use preventative steps – such as rotational graze, a balanced diet and clean lodging – to assist minimise disease. Beginning: MFMER, 2008 3.0 Advantages of organic nutrient ( compared to conventional nutrient ) 3.1 Having nutrition Organic nutrient is more alimentary than conventional nutrient. Organic nutrient is grown in dirt that ‘s healthier, since it is toxic-free substances from the man-made chemical substances which helps transport out the greatest possible good health. ( Kirstie, 2010 ) . There is less wellness harming chemicals on the nutrient that people may devour. ( Louise, 2009 ) Organic nutrient contains 50 % more foods, minerals and vitamins than conventional nutrient. Peoples have to eat more vegetable and fruit to Organically adult nutrients are alimentary although they may non look as colorful and good nowadayss as conventional nutrient. Peoples have to eat more veggies fruits presents to build the lack. However unluckily, the nutrient that contains hurt, more unfavourable affects on. ( Voice Marketing, 2008 ) . The incidence of new malignant neoplastic disease instances per twelvemonth between 1972 and 2004 Beginning: Julie, 2004 The graph shows that the incident of new malignant neoplastic disease has risen over 50 % merely between 32 old ages. ( Julie, 2004 ) 3.2 Health of environment Turning nutrients organically can protect the surface soil from eroding. Besides, organic nutrients do non impact the environment like conventional nutrients do, because there are no mills, pesticides, or preservatives that are added to the nutrient, so there is no waste to force onto the environment ( Loius, 2009 ) . Organic agriculture is less damaging to the environment and can protect the surface soil from eroding, because balance and biodiversity are encouraged. There is no fouling chemicals emitted as agrochemicals and unreal fertilisers like weedkillers and pesticides are absent in turning organic nutrient. Harmonizing to Government findings, organic agriculture has a lower C footmark than conventional agribusiness, in general utilizing 27 % less energy ( Caroline,2009 ) . 3.3 Tastes better and maintain longer Organic poulets live longer than battery poulets and the gustatory sensation is uncomparable. Organic poulets besides live longer than most free-range birds although there is arguably small or no difference in spirit and quality. Caroline,2009 The organically grown nutrient gustatory sensations better than that conventionally grown. The pleasingness of fruit and veggies is straight related to its sugar content, which in bend is a map of the quality of nutrition that the works itself has enjoyed. Food Keeps Longer Organically adult workss are nourished of course, rendering the structural and metabolic unity of their cellular construction superior to those conventionally adult. As a consequence, organically grown nutrients can be stored longer and make non demo the latter ‘s susceptibleness to rapid cast and decomposition. ( Julie ) 4.0 Disadvantages of organic nutrient ( compared to conventional nutrient ) With every positive comes a small negative, and organic nutrient is no exclusion. Time Indeed, organic agriculture requires greater interaction between a husbandman and his harvest for observation, timely intercession and weed control for case. It is inherently more labour intensive than chemical/mechanical agribusiness so that, of course a individual husbandman can bring forth more harvest utilizing industrial methods than he or she could by entirely organic methods. Skill advantages and disadvantages organic farming It requires well more skill to farm organically. However, because professional agriculture of any kind of course imparts a stopping point and observant relationship to populating things, the best organic husbandmans are converted agrichemical husbandmans. Organic husbandmans do non hold some convenient chemical hole on the shelf for every job they encounter. They have to prosecute careful observation and greater apprehension in order to cognize how to tweak their agriculture system to rectify the cause of the job instead than merely seting a plaster over its consequence. This is a bigger issue during the transition period from conventional to entirely organic when both the acquisition curve and passage related jobs are top outing ( it takes clip to construct a healthy farm ecosystem that copes good without man-made crutches ) . Organic husbandmans I have interviewed study that their most valuable redresss and advice come from other organic husbandmans. CostAt the minute organic nutrients are excessively expensive when compared to other nutrient merchandises that use pesticides and familial technology, because of harvest failures since husbandmans can non utilize any chemicals like pesticides. Since larger companies have bought into the Organic it is overselling and being treated more like a trade name so what it should be a manner of life, because corporations are merely traveling to utilize it for their greedy desires and inflate monetary values up to 50 % when compared to non organic merchandises. ( Kenyon,2008 )One more disadvantages organic nutrient production has is its cost. Less nutrient is produced per acre, and the nutrient does n't maintain every bit good, so it is more dearly-won to turn and bring forth organic nutrient. Those added costs are passed on to the consumer. For that ground, it is a disadvantage of organic nutrient that hapless people can non afford it.

Google’s Country Experience Case Study Essay

The well-known online search engine Google still being used in mainland of China, even they shut down the â€Å"Google China† service. Chinese sometime prefer to use â€Å"Google Hong Kong† instead. The reason of that is Google provides results of search more reliable and efficiency. However, Google still quitted the market of China. The work progress of search engine is more complicate than just search the key-words. The key-words could be link to every websites that used the word, sometime it just have nothing to do with the main point. According to Curt Franklin, the search engine’s works basically performs three tasks: (http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/search-engine.htm) ï‚ §Search the Internet, or select pieces of the internet based on important words. ï‚ §Keep an index of the words they found, and where they found them. ï‚ §Allow user to look for words or combinations of words found in that index. In that index, they don’t only sort the websites by key words, but also by contents. So each time we search something by words, in order to get what exactly we need, the system would find out more results that link to these words in the index. That’s how that’s how sometime we got results helpful but have no same key words with what we typed in. Search engines always provide free search experience for users; they make money from other websites. For websites, of no one check on at all, that won’t be necessary to exist. Search engines are just a good way to bring those websites in front of people’s eyes. According to Grant Crowell, there are a lot ways to make money for a search engine website. They can all sort into 3 aspects: (http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2066421/How-Search-Engines-Make-Money) ï‚ §Provide unique search technologies, a search engine has to consider what differentiates its search product from others. And they can sell the technologies to others. ï‚ §Commercial search results, which means those websites they can pay to the search engine for raise their websites’ shown on the result list. ï‚ §Advertising, provide advertise link which about what users search out of the search results. One step further, search engines could build some partnerships with a diversity of vendors, partners,products, and sales channels. However, as the internet getting bigger, Google grew bigger. Today’s Google is not just a search engines. We could find news, music, movies channels on it. Google system on cellphone is still in competition with Apple’s IOS IPhone system. Lately, with internet going everywhere in our life, Google’s own laptop system has become more popular. Which has no hard drive, everything saves on Google cloud. Obviously, the ways Google make money are more than we can imagine. The search engines have high exportability in every country as long as they use internet there. It like a transportation industry, no matter what people do, they need transportation to move their goods. Search engines are just â€Å"transportations† which bring the websites with information that user need to them. It’s good to bring the technology into a new area; it may improve internet users’ experience. The business model for Google or others search engines basically is selling advertises on search results. But these advertises are going to be useful based on what users searched. There are users looking for information, and also organizations which trying to giving information. The search engines give user search result and there advertisings about what they need to them, and get paid from these organization who post those advertising.

Diversity Case Study Essay

Is a term used to differentiate groups and people from one another. It means respect for and appreciation of differences in ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion. What is diversity? Everyone is a unique person. Even though people have things in common with each other they are also different in all sorts of ways. Differences include visible and non-visible factors, for example, personal characteristics such as background, culture, personality, and work-style, size, accent, language and so on. A number of personal characteristics are covered by discrimination law to give people protection against being treated unfairly. The ‘protected characteristics’ are race, disability, gender reassignment, sex, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age. Equality and diversity is becoming more important in all aspects of our lives and work for a number of reasons: * We live in an increasingly diverse society and need to be able to respond appropriately and sensitively to this diversity. Learners in the healthcare setting will reflect this diversity around gender, race and ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, class and age. * Your organisation believes that successful implementation of equality and diversity in all aspects of work ensures that colleagues, staff and students are valued, motivated and treated fairly. * We have an equality and human rights legal framework covering employment practices and service delivery and qe need to ensure we work within this and avoid discrimination. What is equality? Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are treated fairly and equally and no less favourably, specific to their needs, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all of the aformentioned areas. Bullying, harassment or victimization are also considered as equality and diversity issues. Equality is about ‘creating a fairer society, where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential’ Inclusion Inclusion is a state of being valued, respected and supported. It’s about focusing on the needs of every individual and ensuring the right conditions are in place for each person to achieve his or her full potential. Inclusion should be reflected in an organization’s culture, practices and relationships that are in place to support a diverse workforce. Inclusion is about all learners and about taking action to remove barriers to participation and learning. Inclusion also involves eliminating discrimination and promoting equality. It is described by some as the practice of ensuring that people feel they belong, are engaged, and connected. It is a universal human right whose aim is to embrace all people, irrespective of race, gender, disability or other attribute which can be perceived as different. a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued for who you are; feeling a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so that you can do your best.† It is about valuing all individuals, giving equal access and opportunity to all and removing discrimination and other barriers to involvement. 1. The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or sex. 2. Recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another.