Writing Effective School Policy and Procedures

Writing policy and procedures for schools is a part of an administrators job. School policies and procedures are essentially the governing documents by which your school district and school buildings are operated. It is essential that your policies and procedures be current and up-to-date. These should be reviewed and revised as necessary, and new policies and procedures should be written as needed. The following guidelines are tips and suggestions to consider when you are evaluating old policy and procedures or writing new ones. Why Is the Evaluation of School Policies and Procedures Important? Every school has a student handbook, support staff handbook, and certified staff handbook which are loaded with policies and procedures. These are vital pieces of each school because they govern the day-to-day occurrences that happen in your buildings. They are valuable because they offer the guidelines for how the administration and school board believe their school should be run. These policies come into play every single day. They are a set of expectations that all constituents within the school are held accountable by. How Do You Write Targeted Policy? Policies and procedures typically are written with a specific target audience in mind, This includes students, teachers, administrators, support staff, and even parents. Policies and procedures should be written so that the target audience understands what is being asked or directed of them.  For example, a policy written for a middle school student handbook should be written at a middle school grade level and with terminology that the average middle school student will understand. What Makes a Policy Clear? A quality policy is both informative and direct meaning that the information is not ambiguous, and it is always straight to the point. It is also clear and concise. A well-written policy will not create confusion. A good policy is also up-to-date. For example, policies dealing with technology probably need frequently updated  due to the rapid evolution of the technology industry itself. A clear policy is easy to understand. The readers of the policy should not only understand the meaning of the policy but understand the tone and the underlying reason the policy was written. When Do You Add New Policies or Revise Old Ones? Policies should be written and/or revised as needed. Student handbooks and such should be reviewed on a yearly basis. Administrators should be encouraged to keep documentation of all policies and procedures that they feel need to be added or revised as the school year moves along. There are times to put a piece of new or revised policy in effect immediately within a school year, but the majority of the time, the new or revised policy should go into effect the following school year. What Are Good Procedures for Adding or Revising Policies? The majority of policy should go through several channels before it is included within your proper district’s policy book. The first thing that has to happen is that a rough draft of the policy has to be written. This is usually done by a principal or other school administrator. Once the administrator is happy with the policy, then it is an excellent idea to form a review committee made up of the administrator, teachers, students, and parents. During the review committee, the administrator explains the policy and its purpose, the committee discusses the policy, makes any recommendations for revision, and decides whether it should be submitted to the superintendent for review. The superintendent then reviews the policy and may seek legal counsel to make sure the policy is legally viable. The superintendent may kick the policy back down to the review committee to make changes, may kick out the policy completely, or may send it on to the school board for them to review. The school board can vote to reject the policy, accept the policy, or may ask that a part be revised within the policy before they accept it. Once it is approved by the school board, then it becomes official school policy and is added to the appropriate district handbook.

Review and Critique of Gender in Cross-Cultural...

Review and Critique of: Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective A book by Caroline Bretell Carolyn Sargent By Introduction In this book the focus is on how gender is constructed around the world. The book demonstrated many different areas in which women either ruled or ruled together with man. It leaves people with hope that the world is capable of an equalitarianism society. Many topics in the field of anthropology of gender are covered. The authors feature not only information from classic sources but also include recent literature from around the world. This book gives readers an awareness and understanding of the sociology of†¦show more content†¦The women are actually so scared to be alone with a man that this tradition is not questioned. This tradition is considered the most important event in a girls life, if there is blood on the cloth it will no longer matter what anyone may say about the girl. It is also important because the girls virginity is inseparable from her familys honor. This tradition also speaks to the honor of the mans family. If the man acts quickly and unafraid he will be praised. The author states Given this group investment in the brides virginity, the central rite of the wedding becomes a drama of suspense and relief that must powerfully shape peoples experiences of sexuality as something that belongs to the many, and especially to ones family. This article clearly shows how culture can shape sexuality which in turns shapes gender identity. It is evident that the mans virginity was not of any concern, demonstrating a double standard. Men are given more liberties in this community. However with such stake riding on their own virginity women are in a since forced to comply. It is clear by the above articles alone that the authors of the book have explored and included a wide range of information exploring gender studies from many perspectives including an anthropological one. Cross-Culturally Comparing Gender Issues Brittell and Sargent set out to explore

Evaluating the Causes of Uncertainty in Logistics Operations

Question: Discuss factors that will influence the decision on outsourcing or to keep it in house by using the performance objectives and Risks involved in the process of decision making and the recommendations that will help in mitigating the risks? Answer: Basis for optimal outsourcing solutions Tasks which are strategically unimportant but have important operational performance are to be outsourced. For e.g., an auto manufacturer may outsource the delivery services to a dealer. How delivery affects customer is not a matter of strategic importance but it smoothens operations hugely. It is to be checked whether the operational performance come to a standstill if its to be outsourced. Besides lower value services like back office and human resources, the oil companies also outsource higher value serves like the entire gamut of technology or the IT Vertical completely to gain efficiency and improvements in productivity and also cost cutting through operational excellence. Figure 1: Outsourcing Decision Matrix Source: (Dey, LaGuardia and Srinivasan, 2011) The doors are open for oil majors to take benefit of cost minimization like outsourcing of verticals like IT and back office operations are seen as proven sustainable policies. Globally according to Forbes Global 2000, about 36 % of oil firms have resorted to outsourcing policies (Dey, LaGuardia and Srinivasan, 2011). Sophisticated cost minimization policies, like application portfolio rationalization and applying cloud infrastructure, are to drive further more cost reduction. About 75% of times, higher value is generated from outsourcing of IT verticals in Forbes Global 2000 study. This particular figure helps in knowing the overall operational performance against the strategic importance which will help in the decision making process. Shell: A case study in Outsourcing As a part of the global IT Outsourcing wave, Royal Dutch Shell has entered a$ 4 billion multi supplier outsourcing deal with EDS and ATT that tends to catapult Shell to the next higher level in customer service. It is considered that the deal will cover 150000 users in over 100 nations that will cause EDS managing Shells computing services. EDS, that is over 45 years ago, will act as a custodian of IT services of all other Outsourcing companies. Emails and Internet phone services will witness a sea change in terms of achieving robustness and integration as Shell embodies rise in efficiency and improvements in productivity (Dowle et al., 2015). In the IT infrastructure team of Shell there is seen massive restructuring as 600 workers will stay in house and remaining 3000 jobs will be outsourced to the IT consulting majors. In order to thrive in the world of competition and volatile crude oil prices, Shell aims to increase its hydrocarbon reserves while keeping marketing and distributio n channels of products and services streamlined and efficient. Shells Endeavour to outsource from IT companies emphasizes the oil majors desire to innovate by leveraging on technology and turn out to be a winner by implementing end to end IT solutions from oil discovery to managing human capital(Stevenson, 2012). Thus IT services and products will traverse the entire spectrum of companys verticals crisis crossing the various functions successfully. This will result into streamlining of the processes and better productivity, lower costs and higher bottom lines. The companys IT Infrastructure Outsourcing deal was considered to the most complicated and most innovative program launched by the company ever. As a result, end to end services have been streamlined and standardized and innovations have lowered costs and made the company sharper and leaner in the highly competitive environment. Shell in 2012 has renewed its IT Outsourcing deal with Deutsche Telekoms T-Systemsannounced for another five years towards worldwide hosting and storage services.T-Systemswill provide Shell with data infrastructure and computer services across the world (Grant, 2012). Shell has implemented SAP and cloud computing successfully, boosting efficiency and lowering costs. Shell has signed a $ 300 million deal with Logica for 10 years that will take over Shells in-house IT delivery team across 35 countries in Europe and Asia. This is a move towards cost cutting and better efficiency. Factors that will influence the decision on outsourcing or to keep it in house by using the performance objectives The first factor that needs proper consideration is the political factor because government intervention can be noticed in regular intervals which may cause problem by imposing various legislation, rules, tax policy restrictions that will force the business to implement in the business activities. Political stability which is recognized in Malaysia as it practices high level of Parliamentary Democracy on the basis of monarch in constitution. Another political factor is the tariffs, policy on tax as well as trade control(Sanchez Rodrigues, 2010). It can be noticed that Malaysia has introduced innovative plan on investment strategy in the year 2010 which was established in order to promote natural gas as well as oil exploration. This policy was made by the Shell so that they only needed to pay lesser tax to the government which will definitely be helpful in reducing the overall cost of this company. The last factor which was recognized in the political term is the government policie s on this company. It was noticed that Malaysia was providing subsidies to most of the companies which was involved in the petroleum as well as energy industry. This wills the company to check on their operating cost which was necessary to sustain in the market. The next factor will be the economic factor which includes the rate of interest, inflation rate, unemployment, which will have a direct impact on the performance within an organization (Hill and Hill, 2012). One of the economical factors will be the growth rate of any country. This will help in increasing the investment pattern and spending habits of customers. Therefore, it was noticed that the revenue of Shell was noticed to have an increase in the growth rate. Inflation rate is another economical factor which states that if the inflation rate is kept low, then company can easily make long term plans as because they believe that the money engaged is not wasted rather it can be helpful in the purchasing every year. Social factor is another issue that needs proper attention which includes the cultural as well as demographic issues related to values and attitudes which changes with the change in trend and fashion. This factor will change as per the customer needs as well expectations which will be according to the size of the market potential. Another factor that can lead to change will be the technological factor which includes research and development activities, automation which will give rise to incentives on the basis of technological changes. It will be responsible for taking decisions on outsourcing whether there is any barrier to entry or not, and the level of efficiency in the production area. Last but not the least, there is the ecological factors which includes building relationship with human beings. It has been seen that Shell products can have an adverse effect as far as environment is concerned as because its business activities are to deal with oil and gas (Schonsleben, 2012). Petroleum is the major cause of acid rain, which is responsible to cause various environmental problems like, dead coral reefs, lakes in acidized condition and dead coral reefs. Another destruction issue will be if the petroleum will be burnt, then a large of carbon dioxide gas will come out which will cause heat in the atmosphere which will have effect on the greenhouse. Risks involved in the process of decision making and the recommendations that will help in mitigating the risks Risk should be mitigated as far as possible which will help identifying the various goals which was pre planned in the contingency model. It is advisable that the risk need to be reduced in way of forecasting by supply as well as demand which has to be connected directly with the supplier (Jones and Robinson, 2012). Risk has to be properly managed and it has been classified in three broad categories that have been explained with proper justification: The management should focus on the strategy in order to minimize the risk with the help of capacity as well as managing with the availability of concerned resources as far as possible. Another process in which risk can be reduced will be having proper security which can provide information, privacy in order to compliance in the most effective manner. Process which will involve in the risk management which will be helpful to have a continuous flow of information from the supplier to its customers which helps in building healthy relationship between them (Myerson, 2012).. It can be understood from the above points that outsourcing is all about maintain relationship by various risks, areas of concern, which further includes perfect knowledge of the business activities, in source relationship as well as control with the management as a whole which will lead to maintaining confidentiality which are even beneficial to maintain a healthy relationship with the offshore vendors (Sternberg, 2011). It has been noticed that the IT infrastructure has put more emphasis on the structure of the organization, joint process in fields as well as shouldering the responsibilities to indicate in the control level in the most efficient manner. Other recommendations which should be taken into consideration will be the maintaining the relationship with the outsourcer in order to co operates with them which will definitely helpful in mitigating risk in the framework of this particular company. Another vital issue that can be noticed will be the lack in innovation which may have an adverse effect; rather it should make effort in carrying certain responsibilities by which the insourcer can innovate which will be helpful in carrying out the business activities. If the products are outsourced in the most efficient manner, then a healthy relationship can be built between the company and the outsourcing company and the risk can therefore be mitigated to a large extent as the responsibilities will be divided which will help in the smooth functioning of the Shell Company in order to carry out the business activities. Conclusion Outsourcing embodies a multiplier effect in profits and productivity gains by reduction of risks. Mitigation of risks by adhering to privacy rules and continuous dissemination and uninterrupted flow of information assumes centre stage in a successful outsourcing deal. A leaner organization is in the making after cost cutting is undertaken and outsourcing of low strategic, high operating performance tasks has been dealt with. While marketing and distribution channels could also be outsourced just in the case of an auto manufacturer, higher value verticals like IT too may be outsourced to achieve significant ramp ups in productivity, cost cutting and efficiency. The case of Shell is a win-win deal with its outsourcers with huge improvement in profitability and ROCE. Technology outsourcing in Shell is hailed as an ecosystem. The holistic outsourcing deal of Shell with EDS and T Systems is a stride towards achieving bigger returns on equity. Social, economic and political factors are als o relevant and intertwined in measuring the success of an outsourcing deal. Imposition of taxes and tariffs as in Malaysia is also crucial step by the government and is seen as a political economic development. In crux, Shells outsourcing success story is a profound delving in organizational strategy in the backdrop of outsourcing policy. Reference List Decaro, N. and Buonavoglia, C. (2012). Canine parvovirusA review of epidemiological and diagnostic aspects, with emphasis on type 2c.Veterinary Microbiology, 155(1), pp.1-12. Dey, A., LaGuardia, P. and Srinivasan, M. (2011). Building sustainability in logistics operations: a research agenda.Management Research Review, 34(11), pp.1237-1259. Dowle, E., Morgan-Richards, M., Brescia, F. and Trewick, S. (2015). Correlation of shell phenotype and local environment suggests a role for natural selection in the evolution of Placostylus snails.Mol Ecol, p.n/a-n/a. Grant, D. (2012).Logistics management. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Hill, A. and Hill, T. (2012).Operations management. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, P. and Robinson, P. (2012).Operations management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jumonji domain containing 2C (JMJD2C; KDM4C). (2012).Science-Business eXchange, 5(45). Lin, C. (2011). Management Performance Evaluating in Distribution Center.Contemporary Logistics, pp.3-8. McLaughlin, D. and Olson, J. (n.d.).Healthcare operations management. Myerson, P. (2012).Lean supply chain and logistics management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pienaar, W. and Vogt, J. (2012).Business logistics management. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Sanchez Rodrigues, V. (2010). Evaluating the causes of uncertainty in logistics operations.The International Journal of Logistics Management, 21(1), pp.45-64. Schonsleben, P. (2012).Integral logistics management. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Sternberg, H. (2011). Effective trailer transport operations: using information sharing.International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 10(1), p.1. Stevenson, W. (2012).Operations management. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Xu, X. (2011). Quality Control and Management of Plum in Cold Chain Logistics.Contemporary Logistics, pp.28-31. Zuba, D., Sekua, K. and Buczek, A. (2012). Identification and characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro--phenethylamine (2C-N) A new member of 2C-series of designer drug.Forensic Science International, 222(1-3), pp.298-305.

Macbeth Essays (1340 words) - Characters In Macbeth, Macbeth

Macbeth MacBeth - This dead butcher and his fiend like queen, is the way in which Malcolm describes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Describe the way in which these two characters changed during the course of the play. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to the King but is corrupted from the witches prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeth's ambition. This is because of the weakness of Macbeth's character and the strong power of Lady Macbeth and how she is easily able to influence him. Her strength motivates him at the start but after he realises what he has done it is himself that continues in his murderous, bloody path. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth appears as a kind wife of Macbeth's but underneath lies a scheming and treacherous woman. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is a strong soldier who fights for the King without mercy but his strive for ambition and his curious nature leads him to the witches who give him a prophecy. Banquo realises that there must be a trick hidden in the witches prophecies somewhere but Macbeth refuses to accept that, and when Lady Macbeth finds out about the witches her strong desire for ambition and her cold nature leads Macbeth astray. Macbeth is a little ambitious at first, but Lady Macbeth's far exceeds his and so she is able to get Macbeth to agree with her to kill King Duncan. Macbeth still has a conscience at this stage because he is very hesitant about killing the King but his weak nature over comes him. He has a conscience throughout the entire play as this is seen by the hallucinations of the dagger and the ghost of Banquo and his vivid imagination and his constant worry also provokes him. This is also evident in his terrible dreams which gives the solid theme that he has indeed murdered sleep. Throughout the play we see the character of Macbeth change not from just the way he thinks and what we hear from the play, but from the actions he takes in the play, from killing Banquo, then having Lady Macduff and her children murdered, shows the insecurity that was present in Macbeth. After the murder of Duncan Macbeth becomes paranoid and his first step of killing the guards is one of many that Macbeth takes to secure himself. Macbeth is also very superstitious and this is shown when he believes the prophecy the witches told him that Banquo's offspring would become Kings. Towards the end of the play when Macbeth's wife has died and the battle is drawing closer Macbeth shows some good which may have been. He wishes for a normal life for which he would have lived to an honourable age but he recognises that he has denied himself of this. Even when Macbeth hears that the prophecy has become true of Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane, he rejects this idea and fights on until he realises that Macduff wasn't born in a natural birth but instead was Untimely ripped from his mother's womb. When Macbeth hears of this he realises what he has done and how he has been tricked by the witches but instead he realises that it is useless and so he fights on only to be slain. Macbeth can be summarised into a character although strong physically he is very weak mentally and it is this weakness which causes the downfall and change of Macbeth. Other factors do however also contribute to this change such as his wife whose ambition is very strong at first and is much more stronger mentally than Macbeth but it is also Macbeth's ambition and his trust in the witches which ultimately change him. Lady Macbeth seems to be almost opposite compared to that of Macbeth in physical and mental power. Lady Macbeth is the person who is able to persuade Macbeth into killing Duncan, assuring Macbeth that it will succeed, as Lady Macbeth's ambition is far greater than that of Macbeth. This change in the character of Lady Macbeth is apparent after she reads the letter from Macbeth as she goes and talks to the evil spirits to make

Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry Essay Example

Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry Essay Example Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry Paper Ethical Practices in the Fashion Industry Paper Executive Summary Ethical practices in the fashion Industry can be defined as the production of materials with morality. With social responsibility of the world fashion houses, and designers are now acknowledging the significance of ethical business. Trying to run a fashion business on goods that do not harm the environment and are cruelty free is easier said than done as I will bring to surface the ethical issues emerging in the fashion industry. Because fashion is so indicative of the political and social climate n which we live, what we wear will always be a symbol of our environment Ethical fashion is not Just a mere integration of the sustainable development dimensions within the field of conventional fashion, but an entirely new paradigm of fashion (Starts et Erm, 2009). Ethics in a business creates a sense of right and wrong in a business, For the fashion industry to become more ethical they need to be able to satisfy their customers needs and at the same time being morally driven and sequestrating ten planet Ana term ethical include; Fair trade Child/slave labor Carbon footprint Organic Food miles isosceles Tanat teeny affect. Elements Incorporated Animal welfare/testing Recyclable/bio-degradable Global warming Supplier relationships Fair trade laws The major social and environmental certification schemes in fashion are the organic and fair-trade certifications, like the food industry the fashion industry now wants to address issues in their supply chains which I will talk about late on in this report. The organic stamp focuses on farming techniques used to grow organic materials and fair-trade focuses on the business relationships between the supplier and their customers to promote and improve farmers, artisans and suppliers livelihoods and reels above poverty tongue Tall-trialing. I en Tall trace trend Is now growing wit high street retailers opting for more organic and fair-trade certified goods. However even though these certifications present good they dont solve all the ethical issues in the industry because some companies that use these certifications still find a loophole and violate labor right. Fair trade promise consist of: No children under the age of 16 make our products. We provide: equality for men and women in pay and opportunity within the workplace. We pay: a fair wage to all workers that is either at or above the national average. To ensure: safe working conditions, regular breaks and holidays for all workers. To pay: producers in advance so that they do not go into debt buying materials. To promote: traditional crafts in order to keep traditions alive and provide vital income for villages. To work: with smaller community trade projects that provide essential support to disadvantaged people in rural areas. We always: use chemical free and natural dyes which have the least impact on the environment. Increasing :our range of organic cotton to promote sustainable and environmental fashion as well as protecting the health and wellbeing of the growers. To recycle: materials into some of our garments and to use waste fabric to make beautiful bags. We will: continue our research in order to increase our range of organic cotton and biodegradable packaging. To increase: awareness for the need to shop responsibly and to push the multi-nationals into working towards Fair Trade on a global level. (source : HTTPS://www. Intimidating. Com/content/firetrap/our- actions ) Fashion Supply chains In recent years there has been a growing interest in the design and implementation of agile supply chain strategies (Christopher, 2000). One of the most valuable aspects of being ethical especially in the fashion industry is transparency. The problem with this industry is that is very difficult for consumers to find out every detail about how their fashion garments are made and where they came from. The ever-growing globalization, the market expansion and the volatile fashion intensify competition in the fashion chain. Most consumers blame fashion houses for ethical issues in the supply chains, in the fashion world supply chain chains must be highly responsive and be able to satisfy market needs. Fashion brands such as H;M, Primary and Ezra can reduce the whole process cycle from intangible design to a final product ready to sell product in the retail store within a few weeks. The main challenges facing the global fashion supply chain are the rising costs, sourcing markets, the increased competition in retail and also the pressure to incorporate supply chains and alteration towards faster fashion cycles. Figure 2 shows a typical apparel supply chain Within the Fashion industry there are models that reflect directly on the supply chain. Trends must be identified quickly, products designed, samples created and then sent quickly out to the target markets. Each fashion house involves many functional domains such as manufacturing, planning, marketing etc. As snow In ten TTL-2 Detective supply canal manages now AT mean and supply. Making a supply chain ethical isnt about Just fair wages and elimination child labor reducing waste is also as important . For the fashion industry to have ethical supply chains they must therefore not only consider the present issues, but think about how, in the future, it can deliver the same financial rewards while using far less resources. Brands like levis Jeans are now working on detoxifying its supply chain and committing to not using hazardous chemicals from its ENTIRE production process in all countries they manufacture by 2020. High street brands Monsoon and New Look where given top rating for their supply chain policies by the ethical consumers buyers guide by providing decent working conditions for overseas partners and workers. Whilst other elite fashion houses pay no regards to corporate ethics. Fashion and the environment In Todays world everything is now growing at a rapid pace, which means people are starting to consume more in general and material wise because more countries are becoming industrialized. The fashion industry has the power to encourage the consumers to throw away the old products that are still useable and buy the new and more stylish products, is now emphasizing to reserve and preserve in order to be the part of efforts for sustainable development. Householders 1990) the growth in the consumption of fashion has led o major environmental issues such as: water consumption, textiles and clothing waste and landfill. Clothing sent to landfill increases each year not forgetting that some of the materials being thrown away do not decompose and contributes to global warming. The fashion industry is one of the main contributors to the emission in the atmosphere and the loss of resources. Over 5000 chemicals are used in the process of clothes making and the huge growth in water consumption keeps rising. So by choosing more efficient materials that use less resources, less water and cause sees pollution everyone can then begin to design the textile products and more sustainable systems ( Fletcher 2008). Cultural enforceabilitys 2005 Ill Chin Eddie Mort (photo Bags found via Google images)Fashion no longer trickles down from couture to the mainstream; fashion directions come from everywhere various ethnic groups, youth looks from the street, etc. (Gold, 1991). Fashion helps express and shape popular culture, and the fashion industry is the most visible and overlooked of cultural sectors. There are different stimuli that influence the fashion ultra which are low culture, high culture and pop culture. High culture refers to visual arts and other forms of arts such as music. These can be of great inspiration to the fashion industry by observing art, designers get ideas for their designs and some luxury brands collaborate with artists to produce iconic fashion essentials. A great example of a designer that based her collection on high culture is Viviane Westwood her Red Label show was based on women who enjoy art and culture. Hotplate: Jonathan Brady/Geoff Caddied/EPA/APP/Getty Images pop culture is highly influenced by celebrities, in recent years the exposure and power of celebrities has ridiculously increased. Celebrities have become somewhat of role models and also studied by the public. This culture is seen as commercial culture and this can influence lifestyles and self-image of many individuals. Especially that now music and fashion industries are more linked than ever with music and fashion magazines e. G. Rolling Stone marketing fashion conscious artists. Lastly we have the low culture also Known as ten cultures, wanly Includes street craze Tattoos e. G. Skaters style, street/gangster style and harmful style. These are influenced by graffiti movements, sports subcultures are quickly absorbed by mass cultures, low cultures has become more and more fashionable making them easily adaptable to the fashion industry Seasons trends Fashion is a mirror of history, its always rotating, coming back and mixing pieces from a certain time with new century pieces. Trends looks at the communication of changes in the consumer lifestyle fashion in general and culture and are a framework for the appreciation of change and development. During 2012 and this years fashion trends are the unisex clothing and fancy futuristic footwear. They also mix historic pieces and awaken the clouds with metallic giving them a futuristic look to them. Alexander Unseens Futuristic Fall nanny order to understand fashion trends one has to be aware of their social cultural way of living which include different influences. There have been more sustainable and ethical brands being introduced by large retailers than ever before. The seasons trends are changing due to the awareness increase of fashion sustainability issues. Consumers are looking to live and represent more sustainable lifestyles According to a survey constructed on consumers more and more women want to see more green products and clothing in product lines (organic exchange 2007). With the consumers becoming more responsible they have shifted from want more to wanting more quality and authentic fashion. It not about the quantity anymore its about the quality. Kenya West wearing a Cline Silk Blouse from the SP/US 1 1 Collection Unisex looks from the RAID by Raid Hooraying Spring/Summer 2011 Runway Show I I Conclusion It is well defined that the world is slowly but surely embracing the concept of ethical practices in the fashion industry and it is still emerging in different countries. There is still a lot of work that is yet to be done in the realm of fair trade and ethical practices.

10 Facts About Africa

10 Facts About Africa Africa is an amazing continent. From its start as the heart of humanity, it is now home to more than a billion people. It has jungles and desert and even a glacier. It extends into all four hemispheres. It is a place of superlatives. Find out more from these 10 essential facts about the continent: 1) The East African Rift zone, which divides the Somalian and Nubian tectonic plates, is the location of several important discoveries of human ancestors by anthropologists. The active spreading rift valley is thought to be the heartland of humanity, where much human evolution likely took place millions of years ago. The discovery of the partial skeleton of Lucy in 1974 in Ethiopia sparked major research in the region. 2) If you divide the planet into seven continents, then Africa is the worlds second largest continent, covering about 11,677,239 square miles (30,244,049 square km). 3) Africa is located to the south of Europe and southwest of Asia. It is connected to Asia via the Sinai Peninsula in northeastern Egypt. The peninsula itself is usually considered part of Asia, with the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Suez as the dividing line between Asia and Africa. African countries are usually divided into two world regions. The countries of northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, are usually considered part of a region called North Africa and the Middle East, while countries south of the northernmost countries of Africa are usually considered part of the region called Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of western Africa lies the intersection of the equator and the Prime Meridian. As the Prime Meridian is an artificial line, this point has no true significance. 4) Africa is also the second most populous continent on Earth, with about 1.256 billion people (2017). Africas population is growing faster than Asias population (4.5 billion), but Africa will not catch up to Asias population in the foreseeable future. For an example of Africas growth, Nigeria, currently, the worlds seventh most populous country on Earth, is expected to become the third most populous country by 2050. Africa is expected to grow to 2.5 billion people by 2050. Nine of the 10 highest total fertility rates on Earth are African countries, with Niger topping the list (6.49 births per woman as of 2017). 5) In addition to its high population growth rate, Africa also has the worlds lowest life expectancies. The average life expectancy for citizens of Africa is 61 years for males and 64 years for females, though its a little lower in some regions of Africa and higher in northern Africa (closer to the global average). The continent is home to the worlds highest rates of HIV/AIDS; more than two-thirds of all people infected are in Africa. Better treatment for HIV/AIDS is directly related to average life expectancy rising back to 1990 levels in southern Africa by 2020. 6) With the possible exceptions of Ethiopia and Liberia, all of Africa was colonized by non-African countries. The United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal all claimed to rule parts of Africa without the consent of the local population. In 1884–1885 the Berlin Conference was held among these powers to divide up the continent among the non-African powers. Over the following decades, and especially after World War II, African countries gradually regained their independence with the borders as established by the colonial powers. These borders, established without regard to local cultures, have caused numerous problems in Africa. Today, only a few islands and a very small territory on the Moroccan coast (which belongs to Spain) remain as territories of non-African countries. 7) With 196 independent countries on Earth, Africa is home to more than a quarter of these countries. There are 54 fully independent countries on mainland Africa and its surrounding islands. All 54 countries are members of the United Nations. Every country is a member of the African Union, including Morocco, which rejoined in 2017. 8) Africa is fairly non-urbanized. Only 43 percent of Africas population lives in urban areas. Africa is home to only a few megacities with a population greater than 10 million: Cairo, Egypt; Lagos, Nigeria; and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Cairo and Lagos urban areas are around 20 million, and Kinshasa has about 13 million residents. 9) Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. Located in Tanzania near the Kenyan border, this dormant volcano rises to an elevation of 19,341 feet (5,895 meters). Mt. Kilimanjaro is the location of Africas only glacier, although scientists predict that the ice on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro will disappear by the 2030s due to global warming. 10) While the Sahara Desert is not the largest nor the driest desert on Earth, it is the most notable. The desert covers about 25 percent of the land of Africa.

Revising E-mails and Podcasts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revising E-mails and Podcasts - Essay Example There have been many famous authors on this podcast like Joe Abercrombie  and Kristian Nairn  . I have been a great fan of your podcast Sword and laser as it is the cardinal tool in my learning of science fiction and fantasy literature but there are some improvements which can elevate the performance of your podcast; I sincerely recommend the following with kind suggestions. The first thing which should be diminished from the podcast is the reading session that is provided to the audience in which they read and then the review is started in order to inculcate the audience on the board to have their interest but the situation is different than the perception. The audience should be shown a short video summarizing the theme of the book or the hosts themselves should summarize the theme of the book for the audience and it will be enough to give them a touch about the book that is going to be reviewed and the show time will be saved in this way. The interest of the audience will also be developed because many people are only interested in the salient details of the book, not the in depth study. The podcast will become more interesting and to the point by adapting this improvement and more time can be spent on the review and analysis of the book. The other improvement which is needed in the podcast is the active participation of audience. People cannot ask the questions to the authors and just listen to them whereas in order to sustain the interest and interaction of the podcast, it is really necessary that the audience can pose questions to the writrs. The podcast allows the questions to the authors only from the active members. The third improvement is the types of questions which the hosts ask. Many a times, they asked irrelevant questions and the author of the book seemed to be frustrated. The hosts should be instructed to focus the questions on the topic (52 Podcasts, 2013). I went back

Chapter 9 Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 9 Discussion - Essay Example Moral decisions are always required to cater to moral skepticism that haunts all of us in our modern life and moral ideals are virtues that can help us overcome the universal dilemma of right and wrong. However, the issues of right and wrong may not always hold true in different situations. Nevertheless, the moral ideals of honesty, justice and courage are the trinity that can help moral decision-making even when the end or means seem clouded with thoughts of right and wrong. Say for instance, whatever be the situation a person having courage to face the truth can be honest to himself or herself about the true thoughts that are there in his or her mind or he/she can face the truth about the situation honestly with the courage to face it all. Justice can objectively help the person to come to a fair decision where the sense of honesty will always help the person to take the side of truth and not give in to any temptations that are wrong or whatever stands to be wrong in a certain situ ation. The main aim is not to get blinded by passion or personal vengeance or subjective beliefs. Whatever be the situation an honest person will always know what is right or wrong – to support the right side requires the moral ideal of courage and to take a step towards the right decision making takes more than courage – it takes the sense of Justice and impartial and objective decision-making to see the truth and justify it. Without a sense of Justice, which helps to evaluate situation, its merits and demerits, one can fall prey to rash decision-making or one can take up arms against a situation through the sheer impulse of courage, once they know that they are right. However, honesty alone cannot help in objective decision-making that also requires prudence and steeling the will to face the truth, as it may not always be pleasant. Justice is the cornerstone of law and it always imbues in us a kind

Super Size Me critique Essay Example for Free

Super Size Me critique Essay â€Å"Everything’s bigger in America the biggest people, America has become the fattest nation in the world nearly 100 million Americans are overweight or obese.† Melvin Spurlock announces in his opening scene of the documentary Super Size Me. (youtube.com) Morgan Spurlock’s documentary focuses on the premise that Americans are addicted to fast food, and this is proven by the excess amount of fast food restaurants present in the US, especially by McDonalds in New York City. His goal was to eat fast food three times a day at McDonald’s for thirty days. And during these thirty days his only rule is that he only drinks and eats food from McDonald’s restaurant. He had to eat everything on the menu at least once. During that time, McDonald’s promoted â€Å"Supersize† your meal for a couple cents. Spurlock would only â€Å"Supersize† his meal if the cashier asked him. Spurlock was curious about what where the effects to the body if one ate McDonalds for thirty days and the recommended three meals a day. His rule was to try everything at least once, ranging from Big Mac’s to yogurt parfaits, salads, and fish filets. Spurlock uses extreme measures in order to make his argument. Eating at a restaurant should not be unhealthy; however, it has become an epidemic in our culture to eat food that is processed, injected with hormones, and cheap which is the main ingredient used at fast food restaurants. Before he took the challenge he was in very good shape, according to three doctors he visited, including a registered dietician. According to the Body Mass Index (BMI), the standard system used by doctors in the US to determine a person’s health, Spurlock ranked as â€Å"normal† and not obese and unhealthy. â€Å"Normal† of course depends on your body and height it is not always what BMI specifies, but nevertheless, it is the common standard. Before the challenge, Spurlock ate the recommended 2500 calories and more than the average (80 grams a day). According to his doctor, his saturated fat is supposed to be less than 25 grams a day. In addition to seeing his doctors he also saw a specialist, an exercise physiologist to be exact and assessed his cardiovascular health only to give him the good news that his heart was in good shape. At only 11% body fat, he is in above average fitness for his age group, but nothing to be alarmed about. More than 60% of Americans do not exercise regularly, only walking 2000 steps a day or an equivalent to a mile a day. However, this is not the average for certain cities, in New York the average New Yorker walks approximately four to five miles a day. As a New Yorker, Morgan walks that average and during his walks he passes three McDonald’s restaurants on his way to work on a regular basis. He resides in Manhattan, New York, in which 83 McDonald’s restaurants also reside. According to Morgan, there are more McDonald’s in that island than anywhere else in the world. Manhattan is an island which is 13 miles long, two miles wide, and 22.4 square miles, there are nearly four McDonald’s restaurants per square mile. (vivavegie.org) That number is extremely high and ranks as the most saturated with fast food in the world. During the documentary, his girlfriend, who is a vegan chef and eats organic and fresh vegetables daily, calls his food genetically modified. She compares McDonald’s food to hockey pucks. His first day began with an Egg McMuffin value meal which includes an egg muffin with ham, hash brown, and a choice of coffee or milk. Morgan discovers that McDonald’s restaurant also delivers for free, only solidifying his argument about fast food, the power of advertising, and convenience in the United States. He walked 1272 steps to the first restaurant from his apartment. In order to walk his average 2000 steps a day challenge he is forced to take a cab in order to stay under the national average. As a side note, this is not the average for other countries both the amount one walks and the type of food that is served in McDonald’s. Morgan talked to tourists from other countries, such as a woman from France to use as his comparison in the documentary on how people view fast food and demonstrate how McDonald’s operates in these countries. While he interviewed the woman from France, she said our small size soft drink is an equivalent to a large soft drink in France, and she added, that she cannot finish the small size soda. â€Å"McDonald’s in the U.S. accounts for 43% of the entire fast food market. They’re everywhere, even in hospitals.† Morgan interviewed a lawyer, Samuel Hersh, who represented two women who were suing McDonald’s, and says in terms of being the big guns McDonald’s is the worst corporation to sue. How can one go after the happy meals, the Playplace areas for parties and children, and the â€Å"family atmosphere.† Their main advertising targets children. They make them avid consumers of fast food. At the end of the thirty days, Spurlock gained 18 pounds, and during that time he suffered from depression. During his three visits to his doctor, he complained about constant headaches, and even mood swings, something he never experienced before in a frequent manner. In addition to these pains, he experienced acute chest palpitations. After the thirty days, Spurlock visited his doctor for the final diagnosis only to find out that he tested for liver failure. The doctor recommended him to stop his project or else he would die. He made the comparison to an alcoholic binge drinking for thirty days. Food should not be equivalent to a person suffering from alcoholism. Food should be considered to be wholesome and healthy, today it is filled with chemicals that hurt our bodies. Other companies that are known for these tactics are tobacco companies they use â€Å"brand implanting† from a young age to make believe that they are â€Å"healthy.† One of the most well-known â€Å"brand-implanting† tactics was to sell gum cigarettes to children from the ice cream man. The theory behind this â€Å"brand-implanting,† is not to realize you are bombarded with advertising that says and implants statements like â€Å"it is cool to smoke,† â€Å"it is sexy to smoke,† and â€Å"you are a man if you smoke†. The theory specifies that when you are a child you will not realize the tobacco companies are targeting you in a capitalist society. The child only sees the gum cigarette that when you inhale it simulates real cigarettes, it is cool and â€Å"adult like†. Of course the parents are burdened with having to pay the price both from a young and mature age. The parents only think it is a â€Å"toy†, but in reality they are being programmed to smoke when they are the legal age. The feelings the young adult will feel when smoking real cigarettes is that experience the warm feeling of getting the toy and being with mom and dad. McDonald’s aggressively advertises this way, and gets kids to buy their food as adults by â€Å"brand implanting† them with a clown (Ronald McDonald), giving them toys in Happy Meals, etc. The most disappointing statistic is that one out of three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime, and about one out of twenty people today have diabetes, according to Spurlock. (cdc.gov) This documentary demonstrated, in an extreme manner that eating fast food is unhealthy but it also looked at the effects of aggressive advertising. Supersize came out in 2004, and it still resonates in 2013. To the point that the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, has taken an approach to decrease diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity among young children in her â€Å"Get Up and Move† campaign. Unhealthy eating is a serious problem and Americans are leading in the polls. We have to recognize that fast food does not equate to healthy eating. We are so caught up in our way of life that we do not make time to eat healthy and exercise, and McDonald’s figured this out with their million dollar advertising accounts. Spurlock’s points were extreme, yet poignant about where we stand in our fight with food, and overall advertising. Works Cited Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 01 Aug. 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. . Spurlock, Morgan. Super Size Me. YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. . Fast Food Facts from the Super Size Me Web Site. Fast Food Facts from the Super Size Me Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2013. .

Images of Roots, Rock, Reggae… :: essays papers

Images of Roots, Rock, Reggae†¦ "This small space became my canvas and window to introduce reggae visually to the world." -Neville Garrick, a reggae album cover artist. In my opinion (and what I’ve learned from this class), is that art is a great means of self-expression. To me, art is a visual stimulator, an educator, and the source of a deeper meaning that the artist only truly knows. Artists such as Picasso, Monet, and Van Goh have provided us with masterpieces to interpret and enjoy, although, as I’ve also learned, you don’t have to be a renowned artist in order to make a statement. From the most minute of sketches, blossom pieces of artwork. Thus, as Charles Biederman states in his book, Art as the Evolution of Visual Knowledge: Many great artists and art cultures have been born, have lived and died, but art has been born only once and as yet has never died. Thus we consider it as a single organism many thousands of years old, and the result of efforts of untold millions of artists; an organism which has been developing in some arbitrary fashion, but in a definite and specific direction, as specific as the operation of the organisms that produced the art. It is necessary that we become coherently conscious of the particular stage of this development as it exists in our century, if progress in art is to be continued. (Biederman 20) Here, Mr. Biederman is relating to the efforts of artists to produce development and change, or consciousness there of. Many artists go "untold"; meaning, from the largest of cities to the smallest of islands, art lives. Therefore, as my main focus for this paper, I chose to rely on art (and Jah!) to be my guide and to provide me with an understanding as to what Jamaica, Rastafarianism, and Reggae are all about. In particular, I took a look at reggae album cover-art as a means of study. Reggae music defines a particular identity for the Rastas and/or Jamaicans. It is a means of communication, thus, reggae album cover art adds more to the music and together, both the art and the lyrics, and make a bold statement. Art, it should be understood, produced the first forms of recorded language, a language just as reliable for making investigations of human development as is that with which we are familiar in the remains of Egyptian cultures, etc.

Reaction to, “My name is Margaret”

This story reminds me of a sad time in our history when the people of this nation thought they could own another human being. I would like to say this time has passed, but we are barely able to hang on. We may have a bi=racial president, but there is still racism among the old south. Margaret was only a child and she was being groomed to be the help. It may have been on different scale verses working in a field, but all the same. She talks about her experience and recalls the events in such a way that you are taken back and can almost see what she is describing. I love the names in the essay, Miss Glory having been named Hallelujah. I felt horrible when Mrs. Cullinan changed her name to suit her friends. I do not even change the names of my animals. If they are named already it seems inhuman to call them by a different name. Mrs. Cullinan wanted to change Margaret to make it shorter, but oh my goodness is that ever degrading. The first time Mrs. Cullinan attempts to call her Mary, Miss Glory asks, â€Å"WHO? †¦ this is funny to me because she is trying to defend Margaret and express as much sympathetic dislike for the name change. Miss Glory even says she felt sorry for Margaret. I liked how Angelou described the old traditions that little ladies were trained in: learning to dance, sit and sip tea, and embroider. It reminds me of spending time to teach my daughters how to perform regular house hold chores and cook. We like to bake together, but soon my nine year old, Elyssa, will be in the kitchen helping with the cooking. I started my son out kind of the same way. He started with how to cook eggs and boil water for ice tea. In this story Margaret is learning how to work and support herself and family for a living. She will be working in the upper class homes for employment and will have to serve a Lady of the House. In this essay, Angelou also speaks of a Mr. Cullinan and his indiscretions, having not one but two children by a â€Å"colored woman. ’’ They are quick to sympathize with Mrs. Cullinan, but still did not excuse her for her mannerisms. She even writes a poem about this, â€Å"pain and loneness. † I would think there would be more understanding, but she is only a child in this story. In the end Mrs. Cullinan did finally agree her name was Margaret and Miss Glory who once felt sorry for Margaret now some what identified with Mrs. Cullinan. Miss Glory must have known before she even asked because she called her Mary. The best part was as Margaret walked out she left the front door open so all would hear the distressed Mrs. Cullinan who married beneath her status.

Raising children Essay

Raising children in this country is extremely harsh, many children are introduced to abuse, violence, neglect and exporiation. During the years of war, hundreds of children have been used as suicide bombers and are daily put in harms way. According to Swanson (Swanson & Swanson,2011) â€Å"Conflict and political violence force millions of children and their families to flee their homes and as a result displaced families spend years in situations of uncertaniity and insecurity.† Role of genders In this country, discrimination of women and girls is a daily occurrence. During their childhood years 70% of girls do not even attend school, according to Swanson (Swanson & Swanson, 2011) a staggering 94% of female births are not even registered at their births. Boys are considered to be soldiers and at a young age are taught to kill. Afghan men believe all boys even at a young age are already considered to have a promiscuous nature and are encouraged to act on it. Marriage Marriage in this country is a process, most men and women do not have an opportunity to meet each other, the wife is usually chosen for the man through family members. In the case that a man does choose a wife from an unknown family, the parents usually will perform background checks on her to try and gain knowledge of her beauty, morals and any other family affairs  that may be of importance. (Muzaffiray,2013) Aging The average life expectancy in this country its 59 years for men and only 61 years for women. This expectancy average comes from taking into consideration their way of life in regards to housing, their food, housing and medical attention. Due to this expectancy, the government does not even offer a pension plan for those not working for the government. Violence For years violence has been an ongoing issue in this country, A group calling themselves a â€Å"special envoy† believes in honor killings which gives men the human right to abuse women and is considered justified. This group has raised the percentage in deaths and injuries by 20%. Boys are taught to be soldiers at a very young age are expected to be a cause of violence against others. Drug use According to Ahmed (Ahmend, 2013) between the years of 2005-2008 the use of drugs according tho the United Nations Office on drugs and crime has raised more than 40%. Afgans are considered to have huge addiction problem on their hands, some even considere Afghanistan to have a growing army of drug addicts. Suicide As one may expect, suicide is a huge problem in this country. Many people are trainied to be sucide bombers. However, there are those that commit suicide for other reasons such as not being able to take their way of living anymore, some women take their own lives due to not being able to handle being married to abusive drug addicted husbands. Men take their own lives simply due to not wanting to go on anymore. Authority Afghanistan has been for years a country struggling with authority issues. These struggles date back to the 16th century of the Mughal Empire and continues with the Taliban today. These historic struggles are responsible of the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of our world. There have been many attempts from other groups to try and â€Å"conquer† the land but have to this day failed on all attempts. Beauty According to the Guardian, (the guardian.com) many people are only able to see the harsh, violent side of this country through news reports and other television shows, and do not have the chance to see its beauty. If one is able to visit this country, they could hopefully see past the negative and view the God’s beauty in country in landscapes and beautiful mountain tops.

Franz Boas, Father of American Anthropology

Franz Boas, Father of American Anthropology German-American anthropologist Franz Boas was one of the most influential social scientists of the early twentieth century, noted for his commitment to cultural relativism and as a staunch opponent of racist ideologies. Boas was arguably the most innovative, active, and prodigiously productive of the first generation of anthropologists in the U.S. He is best known for his curatorial work at the American Museum of National History in New York and for his nearly four-decade career teaching anthropology at Columbia University, where he built the first anthropology program in the country and trained the first generation of anthropologists in the U.S.  His graduate students went on to establish many of the first and most highly regarded anthropology programs in the country. Fast Facts: Franz Boas Born: July 9, 1858 in Minden, GermanyDied: December 22, 1942 in New York City, New YorkKnown For: Considered the Father of American AnthropologyEducation: University of Heidelberg, University of Bonn, University of KielParents: Meier Boas and Sophie MeyerSpouse: Marie Krackowizer Boas (m. 1861-1929)Notable Publications: The Mind of Primitive Man (1911), Handbook of American Indian Languages (1911), Anthropology and Modern Life (1928), Race, Language, and Culture (1940)Interesting Facts: Boas was an outspoken opponent of racism, and used anthropology to refute the scientific racism that was popular during his time. His theory of cultural relativism held that all cultures were equal, but simply had to be understood in their own contexts and by their own terms. Early Life Boas was born in 1858 in Minden, in the German province of Westphalia. His family was Jewish but identified with liberal ideologies and encouraged independent thinking. From a young age, Boas was taught to value books and became interested in the natural sciences and culture. He followed his interests in his college and graduate studies, focusing primarily on the natural sciences and geography while attending the University of Heidelberg, the University of Bonn, and the University of Kiel, where he graduated with a Ph.D. in physics. Research In 1883, after a year of service in the military, Boas began field research in Inuit communities in Baffin Island, off the northern coast of Canada. This was the beginning of his shift toward studying people and culture, rather than the external or natural worlds, and would alter the course of his career. Spirit of the Earthquake, Nootka Mask, Pacific Norwest Coast American Indian. Possibly American Museum of Natural History. Acquisition Year: 1901. Heritage Images / Getty Images In 1886, he began the first of many fieldwork trips to the Pacific Northwest. Contrary to dominant views during that era, Boas came to believe- in part through his fieldwork- that all societies were fundamentally equal. He disputed the claim that fundamental differences existed between societies that were deemed civilized versus savage or primitive, according to the language of the time. For Boas, all human groups were fundamentally equal. They simply needed to be understood within their own cultural contexts. Boas worked closely with the cultural exhibits of the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago Worlds Fair, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus arrival in the Americas. It was a huge undertaking and many of the materials gathered by his research teams went on to form the basis of the collection for the Chicago Field Museum, where Boas worked briefly following the Columbian Exposition. Eskimos At The Worlds Columbian Exposition, which Franz Boas helped create. Chicago History Museum / Getty Images Following his time in Chicago, Boas moved to New York, where he became assistant curator and later curator at the American Museum of Natural History. While there, Boas championed the practice of presenting cultural artifacts in their context, rather than attempting to arrange them according to imagined evolutionary progress. Boas was an early proponent of using dioramas, or replicas of scenes from daily life, in museum settings. He was a leading figure in the research, development, and launch of the Museums Northwest Coast Hall in 1890, which was one of the first museum exhibits on the life and culture of the indigenous people of North America. Boas continued to work at the Museum until 1905, when he turned his professional energies toward academia. Franz Boas was curator of the American Museum Of Natural History from 1896 to 1905. The New York Historical Society / Getty Images Work in Anthropology Boas became the first professor of anthropology at Columbia University in 1899, following three years as a lecturer in the field. He was instrumental in establishing the universitys anthropology department, which became the first Ph.D. program in the discipline in the U.S. Boas is often referred to as the Father of American Anthropology because, in his role at Columbia, he trained the first generation of U.S. scholars in the field. Famous anthropologists Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict were both his students, as was the writer Zora Neale Hurston. In addition, several of his graduate students went on to establish some of the first anthropology departments in universities across the country, including programs at the University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and beyond. The emergence of anthropology as an academic discipline in the U.S. connects closely to Boas work and, in particular, his lasting legacy through his former students. Boas was also a key figure in the founding and development of the American Anthropological Association, which remains the primary professional organization for anthropologists in the U.S. Chiefs Blanket with Bear Design, Totemism,Tlingit Tribe, Pacific Northwest Coast Indians. Totemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant. Heritage Images / Getty Images Main Theories and Ideas Boas is well known for his theory of cultural relativism, which held that all cultures were essentially equal but simply had to be understood in their own terms. Comparing two cultures was tantamount to comparing apples and oranges; they were fundamentally different and had to be approached as such. This marked a decisive break with the evolutionary thinking of the period, which attempted to organize cultures and cultural artifacts by an imagined level of progress. For Boas, no culture was more or less developed or advanced than any other. They were simply different. Along similar lines, Boas denounced the belief that different racial or ethnic groups were more advanced than others. He opposed scientific racism, a dominant school of thought at that time. Scientific racism held that race was a biological, rather than cultural, concept and that racial differences could thus be attributed to underlying biology. While such ideas have since been refuted, they were very popular in the early twentieth century. In terms of anthropology as a discipline, Boas supported what came to be known as the four-field approach. Anthropology, for him, constituted the holistic study of culture and experience, bringing together cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and physical anthropology. Franz Boas died of a stroke in 1942 at the Columbia University campus. A collection of his essays, articles, and lectures, which he had personally selected, was published posthumously under the title Race and Democratic Society. The book took aim at race discrimination, which Boas considered the most intolerable of all forms. Sources: Elwert, Georg. Boas, Franz (1858-1942). International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015. Pierpont, Claudia Roth. The Measure of America. The New Yorker, March 8, 2004.Who Was Franz Boas? PBS Think Tank, 2001.White, Leslie A. Book Review: Race and Democratic Society. American Journal of Sociology, 1947.

Greatest Quotes From Sex and the City

Greatest Quotes From 'Sex and the City' The hit TV show Sex and the City has beautifully captured the turmoil of modern women stuck in a fast paced city. When you read Sex and the City quotes, your first thought may be: Is this how life in NYC is like? Read and decide for yourself. Carrie: Everywhere I looked, people were standing in twos it was like Noahs Upper West Side rent-controlled Ark.Samantha: Oh sweetie, forget about him. You are gonna be on the side of a bus. 10 million men are gonna be drooling over you every morning on their way to work. Its the best personal ad Ive ever seen in my life.Carrie: Samantha has a particular knack for turning a desperate situation into a hopeless one.Carrie: Lets be honest. Sometimes there is nothing harder in life than being happy for somebody else. Like lottery winners. Or extremely successful people who are 27. And then theres that hell on earth that only your closest friends can inflict on you the baby shower.Carrie: When Charlotte really liked a guy, she said his whole name it helped her to imagine their future monogrammed towels.Miranda: Maybe its time I stopped being so angry.Carrie: Yah, but what would you do with all your free time?Samantha: Until he says I love you, youre a free agent.Carrie: What is this? The Rules According to Samantha?Samantha: See? Im more old-fashioned than you think.Samantha: Look at his robe. So Robin and his Merry Men.Carrie: Here. Swear. Swear on Chanel.: Oh my God were gonna have to ice skate home. Hell just froze over.Carrie: I thought I had come to terms with my looks the year I turned thirty, when I realized I no longer had the energy to be completely superficial.Samantha: Normal is the halfway point between what you want and what you can get.Samantha: Heres what I think. Round up all the divorced men and keep them in a pound. That way, you get their whole history before you take one home.Miranda: I love how they say until recently, the bride worked.Carrie: Yeah, meaning she quit her job as soon as she found her soul-mate-slash-investment-banker.Charlotte: Listen to this: sometime in the ten years before menopause, you may experience symptoms including all-month long PMS, fluid retention, insomnia, depression, hot flashes or irregular periods.Carrie: On t he plus side, people start to give up their seats for you on the bus. Carrie: Our affair, like our hotels, had gone from elegant with crystal to seedy with plastic cups.Miranda, : Why would that cheer her up? Does she look like a 22-year-old frat boy? Sex and the City Quotes Miranda: Men- wait, let me rephrase that- some men... Jerry Jerrod Sex and the City Quotes Sex and the City Quotes

Business Buying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Buying - Essay Example These goods are not aimed directly at consumers and include selling finished goods: e.g. office furniture, computer systems; selling raw materials or components: e.g. steel, coal, wood; selling services to businesses: e.g. security, financial consulting, and legal services In both types of markets there is a distinction between consumers and buyers. Whereas buyers actually make the purchase, it is consumers who use the product. For e.g. if a father buys a Kia Carnival for his daughter, he is the buyer while the actual consumer is the daughter who will drive it. In B2C marketing, marketers have to consider the needs of the consumer and for what purpose will the product be used. If a man buys a Toyota Land Cruiser for his son then it will be classified as a b2c sale. However if a man buys a pickup truck for his factory use it will be a b2b sale. Industrial organisations' buying differs from that of consumers because they have additional needs, for example, the making of profits and legal obligations to their customers. Generally consumer buying is a brief process where they can be affected by situational factors like point of purchase advertising, consumer moods, promotional offers etc. Their sources of information are limited often including commercial factors (car ads on TV, television, internet etc) or reference groups. Buying behavior is largely determined by cultural, social, personal and psychological factors. Consumers can make routine purchases, complex purchases (high involvement products) or simply indulge in impulse buying. Purchasing a car would typically be a high involvement purchase which will be made after much deliberation. Characteristics of B2B markets Business markets contain relatively few buying units as compared to consumer markets. B2b market is even more limited because most companies sell to only a small segment of the total market. Despite this, buying power in many business markets is highly concentrated in a relatively few firms. Not every business will have the buying power to purchase eighteen wheeler trucks. Purchasing power is usually estimated using an activity indicator of buying. There is also a substantial regional concentration in many major industries and among business users as a whole. Businesses start with the evaluation of market size attractiveness which takes into consideration some macro- and micro-economic variables along with some firm related variables; and the second stage is based on the evaluation of a market's structural attractiveness which takes into consideration some cost, structural compatibility, government policy variables etc. Buying behavior can be influenced by the economic environment, e nvironmental factors, organisational factors, interpersonal factors and characteristics of the individual. Buying is less frequent in industrial markets and includes three types of buying situations: New task buying: first time purchase of a major product (buying a heavy duty Volvo truck for the first time) Straight rebuy:

Parkinson disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parkinson disease - Essay Example The disease causes severe disability and is associated with high morbidity and mortality if untreated (Wirdefeldt, 2). Introduction of levodopa has decreased deaths and disability associated with the disease significantly. In this project, the clinical presentation, epidemiology, risk factors, treatment options and public education of Parkinson disease will be discussed with reference to recent literature. The exact etiology of the disease is yet unclear. It is likely that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of the disease. In about 10 percent of the cases, genetic factors account for the disease development (Bekris, 228). Environmental risk factors include rural environment, exposure to pesticides and herbicides, well water consumption and living in proximity to quarries and industrial plants. Biochemical mechanisms of disease development include 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) accumulation in mitochondria and free radical damage due to dopamines oxidative metabolism (Wirdefeldt, 3). Genetic factors are important in early onset Parkinsons disease rather than in late onset disease type (Bekris, 229). Parkinson disease is a disease of basal ganglia. The main neuropathological findings in this condition are presence of Lewy bodies and loss of dopaminergic neurons that are pigmented in the substantia nigra (Wirdefeldt, 3). The first clinical signs in Parkinson disease are motor signs. The signs are asymmetric. The first clinical symptom in most individuals is asymmetric resting tremor in the upper extremity. Eventually, the patients develop progressive bradykinesia, rigidity and difficulty in gait. Gradually, the axial posture flexes progressively and the strides progressively become shorter. Non-motor clinical symptoms include decrease in olfactory function, rapid eye movement behavior disorder, sleep disturbances, slowness in thinking,

Karl Marx's Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Karl Marx's Theory - Essay Example In this documentary Spurlock exposes the ugly truths of one of America's biggest fast food corporations and shows how it knowing endangers the lives of its customers in order to make a profit. Spurlock conducts an experiment, and plays the part, of what the corporation would consider to be its best customer. He allows the corporation's advertising and portion suggestions to make his decisions for him, and in doing so eats the fast food for every meal for thirty days. By the end of his experiment Spurlock finds that he has gained twenty five pounds and doctors warn him that his health is in ruin. The fast food corporation used in the experiment didn't purposely try and kill Spurlock, but it's advertising and unhealthy food was the direct cause in Spurlock's health deteriorating into a downward spiral. Marx says: "The development of Modern Industry, therefore, cuts from the under its feet the very foundation on which the bourgeoisie produces and appropriates products. What the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, are its own grave diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable." The grave diggers Marx refers to in terms of Spurlock's experiment would be the exact same things that made the fast food corporation such a success in the fir... Therefore the corporation is responsible for its own demise. The grounding force behind the corporation's success is money. Marx's General Formula for Capital exposes how greed and a demand for profit can eventually drive a corporation into the ground. Marx argues when a corporation becomes so successful that it begins to exchange money for money instead of money for commodities that it destroys itself. When a corporation begins to buy in order to sell, it takes its first step towards demise. This exchange of money for money is never ending because according to Marx they "have the same vocations, to approach, by quantitative increase, as near as possible to absolute in wealth". The end result is money which in turn is also the beginning. Marx believes that the possessor of this money becomes the capitalist. Since the fast food corporation in "Supersize Me" encourages poor nutrition for a profit, it in turn makes an increasingly bigger profit for increasingly lesser valuable foods. The documentary brought Marxist ideas into modern society by showing that contemporary capitalism is not simply that it gives consumers what they want, but that it makes them want what it has to give. By advertising and offering food at a cheap price the fast food corporation forced itself upon its customers, making them want their products. Spurlock sums up his thoughts saying, "The bottom line, they're a business, no matter what they say, healthy food is good for you, they make millions, and no company wants to stop doing that." At the end of the documentary Spurlock asks his audience a question: "Who do you want to see go first, you or them" This question sums up Marx's thoughts on capitalism perfectly, showing that either way the

Wal-Mart Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Case Analysis Essay Wal-Mart is the largest retail store in the United States today and it has remained that way for several decades now. In order to stay ahead of the competition Wal-Mart employs different kinds of strategies and campaigns. One of its strategies is to dominate the retail market through its philosophy â€Å"Everyday Low Prices. † The essence is this philosophy is to cut the price of an item to the minimum, lower the markup and earn profit on the increased volume of sales (Patrick Hayden, Seung Lee, and Kate McMahon Mike Pereira 4). Though this has generated a huge amount of profits for its shareholders, the company has to sacrifice two things: the quality of their products and the welfare of its employees (Scott Dalgleish 1) This company philosophy has been a success for Wal-Mart. According to Jim Hightower, the Waltons, owners of Wal-Mart are some of the richest people in the world. S. Robson Walton is ranked by London’s â€Å"Rich List 2001† as the wealthiest human on the planet having more than $65 billion surpassing Bill Gates. (1) This does not mean that things will continue the way they are. In the future, the public will eventually discover that sacrificing quality over cost is not worth the penny they save from buying at Wal-Mart. With all the bad publicity and reputation Wal-Mart has earned because of this company policy time will come that the public may no longer patronize Wal-Mart’s retail stores which may cause tremendous losses for its existing and future stockholders. According to Allen Long, Wal-Mart’s stocks has fallen by 11% over the last five years perhaps due to the bad publicity the company has been getting over the years. 2) If the company seeks to avoid this disaster, it must first give respect to its hundreds of thousands of employees who work for them. They must be given adequate wages, health-care benefits and must comply with existing labor laws. As the larges retail store in the United States, it is possible for the company to give proper wages and benefits to its employees while at the same time maintaining the price of its products low. Foreign Supplier Initially, Wal-Mart advertised its â€Å"Buy American† campaign. But over time it became clear that this was just an advertising gimmick rather than a company policy. As it is important for Wal-Mart to maintain its prices very low, they had to turn to foreign suppliers which can deliver to them goods at lower prices compared to their US-based suppliers. According to Jim Hightower, Wal-Mart is the largest importer of Chinese-made products in the world, buying $10 billion worth of merchandise from several thousand Chinese factories. (2) For the foreign suppliers, it became necessary to resort to different means in order to meet the price requirements of Wal-Mart. Some factories in Bangladesh had to employ child labor to keep its production costs down. Some companies have failed to comply with certain environmental laws while some companies in Hong Kong had to mislabel their products to make it appear that they are from Malaysia to avoid taxes. This has only resulted to further reduction of the quality of the products being sold by Wal-Mart in its retail stores (Thomas C. Hayes 2). The resort to foreign suppliers has seriously affected several companies in the United States. Jobs have been lost in the United States as a result of this company practice. For the foreign suppliers, the business may be good for one to two years but these foreign suppliers must realize that they too have been affected by the Wal-Mart Effect. They have violated their own country’s labor laws. They have deceived the US government. Eventually however, their labor laws violations in their own country will be discovered and their resort to mislabeling to avoid taxes here in the United States will be found out by the US Coast Guard. In fact, a number of these products by Sino Overseas, a Hong Kong based company, has been caught smuggled in the United States. This loss is disastrous for any business. If these foreign suppliers will calculate the risks involved in engaging in these operations just to meet Wal-Mart’s price requirements for its products, it is possible they will discover that its not worth the business risks they are taking. Local Retailing Stores  One of the strategies of Wal-Mart is to dominate the retail industry. In the past decades, it has succeeded in doing the same as it has been ranked as the world’s number one retail store and the number one company in the world in terms of sales on the Fortune 500 list. Also, Wal-Mart is currently ranked as the worlds number one retailer and the number one company in the world in terms of sales (over $200 billion) on the Fortune 500 list (Patrick Hayden, Seung Lee, Kate McMahon, and Mike Pereira 4). When a Wal-Mart retail store opens in a community, other retailers in the community suffocate because Wal-Mart is capable of reducing the price of its products down to the barest minimum (Abigail Goldman and Nancy Cleeland 2). This is confirmed in a study conducted by David Neumark. He said that â€Å"The employment results indicate that a Wal-Mart store opening reduces county-level retail employment by about 150 workers, implying that each Wal-Mart worker replaces approximately 1. 4 retail workers. This represents a 2. 7 percent reduction in average retail employment. (1) This race to the bottom strategy employed by Wal-Mart may have generated made it number one in the retail industry. It may have generated a lot of employment. It has, however, also created unemployment insofar as the employees of its competitors are concerned. When its competitors close their business other employees lose their jobs also. I believe this destructive force of Wal-Mart may someday come to an end as the public will eventually realize that sacrificing quality over a few pennies of saving is not worth it.

Nasa Mars Missions Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"The United States is justified in spending billions of dollars on NASA space missions to Mars.† Throughout the course of history, man has dreamed of stepping foot on another planet. The advances in technology in the 20th century have allowed man to do what at one time was considered unthinkable for millenniums before. With the advent of the modern space program in the early 1950’s, NASA has performed many inconceivable feats. They have sent and returned men to space. They’ve set up space stations orbiting the earth. They have allowed men to land on the moon, collect samples, and then return to the earth. They have sent spacecraft to explore comets and other planets. They have even sent space probes outside the known walls of this solar system. Recently, NASA has been spending billions of dollars in researching our second nearest planet, Mars. In understanding the scientific importance that such research can mean, the United States is justified in spending this money on NASA space missions to Mars. President John F. Kennedy said in 1961 that he believed that the United States could put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Unfortunately, he never lived to see this prophetic feat performed. But in July of 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon before live audiences around the world. As he stepped out on this extraterrestrial surface, he stated the now famous words, â€Å"That was one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.† But why was Kennedy so adamant about sending men to the moon? What significance could such a feat serve in our lives? Of course, we lived in a different time then. Many believed our effort to send a man to the moon was just an attempt to display the philosophical superiority of capitalism over communism during the height of the Cold War. If America could send a man to the moon before the Soviets, then perhaps, it was thought, that the world would come to understand that our capitalistic form of government allows scientific advancement much faster and better than a communist or socialist form of government. No doubt, the United States was involved with a â€Å"space-race† that was much more political in nature than technological. But perhaps President Kennedy saw something else. Perhaps he saw the benefits of such a feat in realms other than just political or philosophical. While signing the authorization bill of the N... ...worlds. Mars is just the second â€Å"giant leap† in our knowledge of the universe. Who knows what discoveries will be found on our research of other planets? To give up on space exploration due to financial restraints is like giving up on science in general. Just like the world is much bigger than our neighborhood, city, state and even country, so is science bigger than our planet. We must continue to reach out to other planets to find knowledge that may make our life on this planet more meaningful and better. The science fiction of yesterday always seems to become the science of today. Television shows like Star Trek and Star Wars have elements that are just now being developed within our lifetime. Technology begins with a dream – a concept – that is realized with greater technological advances. And these advances are developed through steps. It is impertinent that the United States continues to fund the exploration of Mars. We must not fall behind or lose this opportunity that we have to discover great new truths for the sake of economic or political reasoning. When all rationale are considered, it makes social, technological, and ecological sense to continue these great missions.

Culturally Proficient Leadership

EDLA 626 – Culture, Diversity & Human Rights Culturally Proficient Leadership: The Personal Journey Begins Within Summary: Part 1: Leadership as an Informed Personal Perspective Chapter 1: The Leadership Journey Begins Within Getting Centered – reality – many people in society still live segregated lives based on race / ethnicity, class – It is important that we look inward to ourselves in order to understand our reactions to people culturally different than us. – Such understanding allows us to effectively teach â€Å"other peoples’ children† Taking a Look at My School and What I See (and Don’t See) Schools and districts are influenced by social, political and economic forces not readily apparent. – Underlying the visible elements of our school communities are unapparent forces that make even more impact on our students, schools and us. – These invisible historical forces contribute to the sense of privilege or de privation experienced in our schools that impacts our students, parents and us. – These forces are termed as equity issues and serve as the metaphorical elephant in the room that many pretend not to see. Are there â€Å"Equity Issues† in Your School? – Reaction to equity issues is dependent on one’s own experiences as a student. Different experience produced for students of different cultural groups (past & present). – Regardless of personal experiences, a school leader and his/her vision benefits from knowledge of historical context of access and equity issues. – Two expressed values not fully realized are universal public education through High School and equitable educational opportunities (ex. Only 27 states have compulsory education requirements to age 16). – Progress toward universal education is linked with advancement in equitable treatment and equal outcomes for students based on gender, race, ethnicity and ableness is also e volving. Prominent researchers have pressed the issue for equity in schools for 2 generations. Confronting the â€Å"Gaps† as a Leadership Issue – Leaders faced with challenge of leading schools in ways that provide equitable opportunities irrespective of a student’s culture – The mere composition of any school poses naturally challenges due to differences (culture, race, gender, socio-economic, achievement, etc. ). – Leaders need to address systemic access disparities of quality educational programs, experienced funding and equitable school funding otherwise the status quo of gaps will continue. More equitable funding alone does not even things out . . . must be accompanied by a change in the way many students are educated. – Important question for leaders: How do we meet the academic and social needs of students who come to school with a different set of values, beliefs, socioeconomic experiences, behaviors, language and ability? NCLB as a Leadership Tool – NCLB can serve as a tool to support access and equity efforts. – NCLB has made public aware of differential educational opportunity and achievement patterns that exist in our schools and communities. NCLB used as pretext to point out and address achievement gap issues. Such a gap is a multifaceted outcome measure of gaps in access to education. – Achievement gaps differentiated by race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc. are being highlighted by the media. Definitions of Key Terms – Culture: The set of practices and beliefs shared by members of a particular group that distinguish that group from other groups. – Cultural Informancy: Reflects our experience of having cross cultural relationships that are authentic and trusting which allow for mutual learning and feedback leading to personal growth. Demographic Groups: Often used in schools in pace of subgroup. – Dominant Culture: A culture readily visible in a classroom and scho ol which often benefits from treatment, attention and success while others may be hidden and not apparent and not receive equitable treatment or attain equal levels of success.. – Equity: Access to material and human resources in proportion to needs. – Ethnicity: Ancestral heritage and geography, common history and to some degree physical appearance. – National Origin: A designation related to a person’s country of birth and prior citizenship. Nativism: The practice of valuing the rights of citizens born in this country over those of immigrants (marginalization effort & attempt of immigrants). – Race: A concept developed by social scientists and misinterpreted and used by groups to characterize people by their physical features and to use those differences to justify suppression of some while promotion of others. – Reflection: careful consideration of one’s behaviors, plans, values and assumptions in an effort to improve interpersonal and professional practice. – Sexual Orientation: An enduring, emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person.It exists along a continuum and differs from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Chapter 2: The Cultural Proficiency Leadership Lens – Provides an overview of the tools of cultural proficiency. Such will provide one with an important lens and knowledge for action. Getting Centered – Educational gaps are our issue with at least 3 arguments being important prerequisites: 1. We must acknowledge that educational gaps are historical and persistent. Although we inherited them, they cannot be ignored.The issue of academic underperformance of children of poverty and some visible minorities is not new information. 2. If gaps are to be closed, we must move forward to examine our values, behaviors, policies and practices of our schools. 3. We can make a difference when we pay attention to who students say they ar e and their needs before the needs of our own and that of the school system. – Cultural proficiency is: †¢ A process that begins with us, not with our students or their communities †¢ A shift in thinking that moves us from viewing culture as problematic to embracing and esteeming culture. A lens through which we view our role as educators †¢ A concept comprised of a set of four interrelated tools to guide our practice. Cultural Proficiency Is an Inside-Out Process – Cultural proficiency is an inside-out process of personal and organizational change. It is who we are more than what we do. – We are students of our assumptions about self, others and the context in which we work with others – Fundamental to addressing educational gap issues is one’s willingness and ability to examine yourself and your organization. Cultural proficiency provides leaders with a comprehensive, systemic structure to identify, examine and discuss educational issues in our schools. Cultural Proficiency Represents a Leadership Paradigm – Cultural proficiency . . . a mindset for how we interact with all people regardless of background . . . a worldview that carries explicit values, language and standards for effective personal interactions and professional practices . . . is a 24/7 approach to both our personal and professional lives . . . is not a set of independent strategies one learns to use with others. Educators who commit to culturally proficient practices represent a paradigmatic shift away from the status quo dominant group view. The paradigmatic shift moves from tolerating diversity to transformational commitment to equity. Cultural Proficiency as an Educational Leadership Lens – The following four tools of cultural proficiency can be used as a template for a leader’s personal and professional development: 1. Guiding principles on which you can build an ethical and professional frame for effective cross-cultu ral communication and problem solving. 2.A continuum of behaviors that enables you to diagnose your values and behavior in such a way that you can better influence policies and practices of our profession. 3. Essential elements expressed in terms of standards of personal and professional conduct that serve as a framework for responding to academic and social needs of the cultural groups in your school & community. 4. Barriers to this work framed in such a way that you are intentional in the use of the guiding principles and essential elements. – Effective educational leaders are clear about themselves relative to working with and leading culturally diverse communities.The Cultural Proficiency Toolkit – Cultural proficiency is comprised of an interrelated set of 4 tools which provide the means for a leader to guide his personal and professional development in a cultural proficient manner. †¢ The Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency – Guiding principles provide one with a moral philosophical framework to examine & under-stand beliefs about the education of students from cultural groups different from them. – Guiding principles provide a framework of how the cultural diversity of students should inform professional practice when responding to student learning needs. A good place to see if school values align with predominant behaviors in the school is the mission / vision statement. †¢ The Cultural Proficiency Continuum – Consists of 6 points. The first 3 (cultural destructiveness, cultural incapacity, cultural blindness) points focus on them as being problematic. The next 3 (cultural precompetence, cultural competence, cultural proficiency) focus on your practice as transformational leadership. 1. cultural destructiveness – see the difference and eliminate it 2. cultural incapacity – see the difference and make it appear wrong 3. ultural blindness – see the difference and act like you donâ⠂¬â„¢t see it 4. cultural precompetence – see the difference and act but inconsistently in appropriateness 5. cultural competence – see the difference and be inclusive 6. cultural proficiency – see the difference and respond positively, engage, adapt and commit to social justice / equity †¢ The Five Essential Elements of Cultural Competence – These elements are standards for culturally competent values, behaviors, policies and practices I. Assessing Cultural Knowledge II. Valuing Diversity III. Managing the Dynamic of DifferenceIV. Adapting to Diversity V. Institutionalizing Cultural Knowledge †¢ Overcoming Barriers to Cultural Proficiency – There are barriers to achieving culturally proficient actions. They exist together in combination not as isolated events. I. Resistance to Change II. Systems of Oppression III. A Sense of Privilege and Entitlement †¢Cultural Proficiency is . . . – An approach for surfacing educatorsâ€℠¢ assumptions and values that undermine the success of some student groups – A lens for examining how we include and honour the cultures and learning needs of all students in the educational process.