Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Politics and human rights policy have changed significantly throughout the second half of the twentieth century, notably in relation to attitudes about race, gender, and sexuality, and although they have nurtured a particular vision of social justice. Unfortunately, not all the problems of equal opportunities at the workplace have been solved. For female employees, glass ceiling proposes great opportunities to be equally treated and protected (to some extent).During half a century, â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies have proved their effectiveness, but cannot â€Å"abolish† gender and racial inequalities. For this reason, training and promotion activities as a part of â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies are vital for successful organizational performance. The significance of â€Å"breaking glass ceiling† policies is that it gives women opportunities to be promoted and highly paid, occupy high administrative posts according to their skills and profes sionalism.Findings were provided by Federal Glass Ceiling Commission and revealed that â€Å"95 percent of senior level managers are men and of that 95 percent, 97 percent are white. And of the five percent of these managers who are women, only 5 percent are minority women† (Redwood, 1996). In spite of the fact that equal opportunities policies have implemented for decades and women occupy â€Å"44 percent of the total persons employed in executive†¦ this category is extremely broad, and women are grossly underrepresented at the top executive positions of Fortune 500 corporations† (Jackson, 2001, p.30). To over come these possible threats organizations should conduct programming of specific human resources activities, based on personal development and human capital policies. The problem is that many women are deprived their right to occupy high administrative position. The necessity of breaking glass ceiling is caused by dominance by white males in American workfo rce. At the beginning of the XXI century they occupy the majority of managerial positions and many of the more important blue-collar jobs. The role of women is to occupy lower-paying positions.On the other hand, women racial minorities found considerable barriers to entering the labor market at the higher paying levels. Following Chaffins et al (1995) glass ceiling is â€Å"the form of discrimination has been depicted as a â€Å"barrier so subtle that it is transparent, yet so strong that it prevents women and minorities from moving up in the management hierarchy (Morrison & Glinow, 1990 cited Chaffins et al 1995, p. 380). The glass ceiling has been evident in both position and pay within organizations (Frieze et al. , 1990 cited Chaffins et al 1995, p. 380).In general, glass ceiling means the invisible barrier for women and minority groups that prevent them to be appointed to high administrative and managerial positions. Glass ceiling is a symptom of a big problem of equal opport unities and discrimination at work, and a part of diversity management. Equal opportunities policies play a major and continuing role in the lives of people, especially with the growth of large-scale business organisations and the divorce of own ¬ership from management. Organisations of one form or another are a necessary part of a society and serve many impor ¬tant needs.The decisions and actions of management in organisations have an increasing impact on individuals, other organisations and the community. It is important, therefore, to understand the role of equal opportunity policies and the perva ¬sive influences which it exercises over the behaviour of people. Heated discussions concern the role of glass ceiling in organizational development and its impact on HR management. Discrimination on the grounds of sex or national status is unlawful, and has to be overcome in the work place (Morrison, 1994, 72).The necessity of breaking glass ceiling policies is an issue of the da y, because women and minoroties are discriminated in many aspects of our life and work. The selec ¬tion process in particular directly discriminates between people in order to offer the reward of a job to one but not the others. Certain forms of discrimination are acceptable but others are not, and have been made unlawful. Topical Area Legislation, voluntary codes of practice and equality initiatives have resulted in some progress towards equality of treatment for women, but there remains inescapable evi ¬dence of continuing discrimination.More recent approaches of the business case for breaking the glass ceiling, the economics of equal opportunities, the valuing and managing of diversity in organisations, and the mainstreaming of equal opportu ¬nities are a response to the insufficient progress made so. The main problem is that women do not have a chance to rich high management and administrative positions in some organizations that deprived them from challenges to achieving recognition, promotion and resulted in discriminating policies. The article by Thomas R. Miller and Mary A.Lemons â€Å"Breaking the glass ceiling: lessons from a management pioneer† describes a personal example of Lillian Gilbreth (1878-1972), and difficulties based by this woman based on gender discrimination. This article shows that there is a necessity of breaking the glass ceiling strategies because there are always certain groups in any society that are discriminated against unfavourably due to the prejudices and preconceptions of the people with whom they have to deal. Lillian Gilbreth was one of the woman faced by â€Å"glass ceiling†: at the beginning of her career.The authors explain that preconceptions were sometimes verbalised, and the male managers and executives holding these preconceptions were unaware of the way that they saw and judged things and people, especially women employees. Lillian Gilbreth had to prove that she was worthy high managerial posit ion working hard for years and had to complete more work than male employees had to do. The authors portray that this glass ceiling policies within organizations went deep, and in relation to women concerned challenging a system of institutional discrimination and anti-female conditioning in the prevailing culture.The another article â€Å"Designing Women: A Qualitative Study of the Glass Ceiling for Women in Technology† written by Mary A. Lemons , Monica J. Parzinge represent an interesting problem concerning the role of women in engineering and technology management, and dominant role of men in this sphere. The statistical results from IT industry suggest that: â€Å"In 1971, the female portion of computer systems analysts and other specialists was only 9%. By 1990, this proportion had jumped to 35%. In 1996, the Department of Commerce noted a decline in the proportion of females to 30% (Foster, 2000, cited Lemons, Parzinge, 2001, p.4). The authors explain that males cultu re is important in two ways in glass ceiling – first, in respect of the whole range of approaches to cultural diversity, organisational culture is a determinant of the way that organ ¬isations treat women. Breaking glass ceiling tended to concentrate on behaviour and, to a small extent, attitudes, whereas management recognise a need to go beneath this. Glass ceilings for women in IT results in lack of understanding between male and female employees and prejudices towards the role of women in information technology field.However, these preconceived ideas influence the actions of the people who hold them, and the way they deal with others. The effects of this can be seen in the employment arena, as this is inextricably linked with discrim ¬ination in the rest of society. These offer some useful perspectives and practices, although the underlying concepts also raise some issues and concerns. In the article, â€Å"The glass ceiling: are women where they should be† Step hanie Chaffins et al raise a question concerning biased perception towards women and stereotypes that influence decision making of executives.In essence, women are working in occupations which reflect their perceived role in society, and are generally found servicing and caring for oth ¬ers. It is recognized that many organisations are adopting breaking glass ceiling policies and are seriously examining whether they are fulfilling the potential of all their staff. The interrupted pattern of women's employment therefore decreases the incentives for both women and employers to engage in their training. Although this may explain the position for some it does not explain the posi ¬tion of women who do invest their time in education and training.Neither does it explain the disparities in earnings which exist between men and women where neither have committed themselves to education and training The article â€Å"Breaking the glass ceiling: African-American women in management positi ons† by A. Mitra the author unveils another important issues of double glass ceiling policies: gender and racial discrimination. This article reveals disturbing results and shows that â€Å"among supervisors with a high school and college education, black women earn lower wages than black men even after controlling for detailed background, personal, and human capital characteristics.The lower earnings of black female supervisors can partly be attributed to the fact that they are segregated in predominantly female jobs† (Mitra, 2003, p. 67). These facts help to understand the causes and reasons why women cannot achieve high managerial position at the same as men employees and factors that prevent them. From the managerial point of view, disadvantaged groups, who have already been iden ¬tified, are women, people from other racial backgrounds, disabled people and older people, and in the USA there is legislation protecting the employment rights of the first three of thes e four groups.Causes Taking into account the information mentioned above, it is evident that glass ceiling has deep roots and requires special programs and policies in order to provide equal opportunities for women and racial minorities at work. The main caused of glass ceiling is prejudices against â€Å"female wit†, lack of recognition and discrimination. The fact that prejudices has been taken seriously by organizations despite initial ridicule, especially in the popular press, suggests that feminist concerns have become more publicly acceptable.There are other signs of responsiveness to feminist criticism – for example â€Å"female wit†. Though there is disturbing evidence that only a small minority of women feel able to report discrimination at work based on low recognition and appraisal. It should, however, be framed so that it is easy to derive from it policies on these and other aspects of conduct at work. It should also provide a basis on which to build training on such problem themes in a way which is convincing even to people who might otherwise consider them to be matters only for campaigning special interest groups.Cultural values and traditions supported by years of discrimination policy towards women is other cause of glass ceiling. There has been a significant shift in attitudes towards greater acceptance of equality, despite abundant evidence of continu ¬ing prejudice, inertia and discrimination; and there are indications of a greater willingness to respond sympathetically to women suffering sexual harassment or physical violence from men. But the role of groups and individuals committed to achieving equal rights and fair treatment is clearly still essential.â€Å"It translates into a syndrome that people who do the hiring feel most comfortable â€Å"hiring people who look like them. † (Redwood, 1996). The other important facts represent by Rene Redwood who suggests that: â€Å"the underlying cause for the exist ence of the glass ceiling is the perception of many white males that they as a group are losing – losing competitive advantage, losing control, and losing opportunity as a direct consequence of inclusion of women and minorities† (Redwood, 1996). The image of women as a weak member of society and housewife creates a negative image of an employee able to manage effectively.In addition, economic position of many women has deteriorated, some being forced to accept lower wages and many losing protection of their rights at work. High unemployment, changing job patterns policies have meant that the position of working-class women has tended to worsen. This cause Rene Redwood calls â€Å"societal barriers, which include a supply barrier related to educational opportunities and the level of job attainment† (Redwood, 1996). Lack of training and promotion is also a cause of glass ceiling. Performance deficiencies can result from lack of women training which is closely conne cted with lack of skills.Many companies do not propose equal training facilities for female and male supposing that women are more likely to leave job for looking after the children than men, so they see investments in female employees unnecessary and ineffective. Solutions If organizations do not take actions and do not implement appropriate policies aiming to break glass ceiling they can face with strong feminists movement and equal right movement. Also, female employees can organize antidiscrimination campaigns in order to protect their rights and equal opportunities.Also, glass ceiling deprives organizations from highly skilled work force and high qualified professionals. Women can leave an organization if they do not promote for a long time and face with discrimination policies. Today, the debate concerns the action that should be taken to alleviate the disadvantages of women. One company supports legislative action, while the other argues that this will not be effective and th at the only way to change fundamentally is to alter the attitudes and preconceptions that are held about women. However, there have been some efforts to change attitudes directly in addition to this.The major reason for breaking glass ceiling can be explained by the fact that discrimination against various groups in an organization has been made unlawful and legislation designed to avoid discrimination have been introduced, but they cannot solve all the problems arisen at the work place, and glass ceiling exploited by managers is the only possible way to manage diversity. Also, it was found that â€Å"Female ways of managing life are much better suited to tomorrow's business than is traditional male behavior. † (Lemons, Parzinger, 2001, p. 4). The concept of the learning curve is important in breaking glass ceiling policies.It ascends quickly, showing increasing proficiency. There are various levels in the curve, where a woman is consoli ¬dating and developing her knowledge . Where a group of persons is trained, the group may set ‘norms' which may stop individuals from moving ahead, and therefore it is important to ensure that the group norms are the same as the objectives of the trainer, so that individuals can progress. For managers, it is important to propose equal opportunities for males and female at the workforce avoiding violation of human rights and dignity.A policy for promotion is needed and its contents may be: all promotions to be made, as far as possible, within the firm; the main basis of promotion to be merit and ability. Seniority (often the number of years' service) to be considered but not to form the sole reason for promotion; opportunities given to all employees to reach the highest grades; vacancies be advertised and be kept open to all employees; accurate personnel records must be kept and these must include grading and merit ratings and other relevant details.These occur from one department or job to another or both and may solve a number of problems. Clear records are essential to obtain knowledge of the new job's requirements and the qualities needed for it. The employee, or department head, may have requested the transfer. Care and tact are needed in these situations. After identifying the development needs of the individual the choice of course must be made. Some firms have noted the waste of money on affirmative action. Nevertheless, this policy deprives individuals to be given an opportunity to use the knowl ¬edge gained.â€Å"The evolution of today's organizations â€Å"requires a different emphasis on attributes in developing future managers. These attributes include team working, high interpersonal skills, negotiating, consensus management, and the ability to handle several issues or projects at one time† (Lemons, Parzinger, 2001, p. 4). Breaking glass ceiling policy cannot be considered in isolation from the remuneration policy. Wages may account for up to 80 per cent of total cost s in some industries.The objects of a policy of remuneration are: to attract and retain sufficient staff of the required calibre to meet the orga ¬nization's objectives; to provide staff with incentives for better work; to have a policy which is logical and consistent, easily understandable and flexible. After objectives, policies and priorities have been determined, the methods of remuneration to be used to achieve them should be considered, i. e. job evalu ¬ation, merit rating, incentive schemes and fringe benefits. ReflectionWomen with a high achievement motivation may perceive that successful performance is caused by their own internal forces, and their ability and effort, rather than by the nature of the task or by luck. An employee (and woman as well) may expect promotion as an outcome of a high level of contribution in helping to achieve an important organisational objective. They determine the perceived equity of their own position. Feelings about the equity of the excha nge is affected by the treatment they receive when compared with what happens to other people.Today, breaking glass ceiling covers a range of approaches and emphases, some closer to equal opportunities, some very different. In reality, there remains the question of the extent to which approaches have really changed in organisations. Equal opportunities in may just be a way of making it more palatable in today's climate, may be used to revitalize the equal opportunities agenda. In professional activity and personal leadership these strategy will help to overcome possible difficulties and help to sustain strong position within the company.For academic purpose breaking glass ceiling can be seen as reflective as it deals with people already in the organisation, rather than getting people into the organisation -managing rather than expanding diversity. Many organizations prefer not to invest in women, because they are not sure that it will be repaid with interests. Nevertheless, knowledg e of these facts will help to find appropriate solutions and consensus in training and promotion activities. For leadership policies, breaking glass ceiling should play a major and continuing role on the organization-employee relations.The decisions and actions have an increasing impact on individuals, other organisations and the community. For HR manager breaking glass ceiling policies will help to have a clear understanding of the following concepts of indi ¬vidualism and membership in a group, impor ¬tant of a personality in the group, important to held meetings privately and in public. For a manager and a leader, breaking glass ceiling should involves set ¬ting policies, formulating plans, and trying to make the best deci ¬sions possible.All this is done in a context of how the organisation as a whole, and the HR manager in particular, see the role of glass ceiling, the environment of the business, and the situation in which it operates. The importance of breaking glass ceiling can be explained by the fact that these policies create an environment which encourages the creativity of all, and enables everyone to work without feelings of insecurity, and with ¬out insult. Equal treatment of all employees and absence of glass ceiling is vital in every organization.For future manager nn important priority is to create an environment of trust and shared commitment, and to involve staff in decisions and actions which affect them. References 1. Chaffins, S. , Cangemi, J. P. , Forbes, M. , Fuqua Jr. , H. E. (1995). The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Where They Should Be, Education, Vol. 115, p. 380. 2. Jackson, J. C. (2001). Women middle managers’ perception of the glass ceiling. Women in Management Review. Vol. 16, Iss. 1, pp. 30 – 41. 3. Lemons, M. A. , Miller, T. R. (1998). Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Lessons from a Management Pioneer. SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 63, pp. 4-5.4. Lemons, M. A, Parzinger, M. (2001). Designing Women: A Qua litative Study of the Glass Ceiling for Women in Technology, SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 66, p. 4 5. Mitra, A. Breaking the glass ceiling: African-American women in management positions, Equal Opportunities International. Vol. 22, Num. 2, Feb. 2003, pp. 67-79. 6. Morrison, A. M. , White, R. P. , Velson, E. V. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of Americas Largest Corporations? Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1994. 7. Redwood, Rene. The Findings and Recommendations of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. Retrieved from http://www

Maintaining Ethical Standards

The ethical issues that I am faced with are, although am a trousseaux counselor, I still sympathize with what the couple is going through especially since a child is involved. Helping the couple will take a lot of work. First I would sit both of them down and listen to everything that they are going through. I would give them the pros of staying together in the state, then I would give them the con, because the state we are in does not recognize same-sex marriage, they would lose their benefits; such as tax benefits, health and social security benefits.In the case of discrimination, the state will not offer any kind of recourse because the state law itself won't accept the marriage. Would then discuss with the couple, the custody battle with Emily s parents. First would recommend that if it was k with Lois, Emily should have a one and one conversation with her parents. Another suggestion would for the couple to sit down with the grandparents and without throwing their sexuality in th eir faces, simply explain to them, that even though they are gay, they are capable of being good parents. It would be best to not be pushy and listen to the concerns of the grandparents.If that didn't work then I would talk with the parents, sometimes a person outside of he equation can shed a little light on the issue. Rebecca Farrell (personal communication, March 20, 2009) points out that this case also involves custody issues that are challenging when counseling a same-sex couple. If all that fails and the grandparents decide to pursue the custody, I would suggest for them to seek legal advice. For their safety from the neighbors and others that are interfering with them, I would suggest that they go to the area police station and make a statement, so the police can know their lives might be in danger.

The Theory of Plato’s Ideas

Does Plato Believe There can ever be a Just Society In answering this question I first need to describe what a just society would consist of. A perfect state can only be lead under perfect conditions. Civil Society would be a better name for this state. A just state would be made up of three parts. First, a state is a structure with parts that work together like an organism. If the parts do not work well together then the whole thing breaks down. It must have virtues, voices, it can be wise and brave. The state must have everyone performing there jobs to their best ability. For a state to be just the people within the state must also be just. A man is just when he has a well ordered soul because then you will do the right thing by performing good and just actions. A soul must be allowed to perform its proper function. In a state you cannot define justice by a man because a man can decay into ugliness. Instead you must define justice based on forms. Plato says that the forms are eternal and ever lasting. What constitutes an unjust society is a lack of knowledge. So ignored to create a just society we must educate people. The society must be well rounded in their education for if they are not they will have problems in society. A society must be fit, participation in athletics, they need to be sensitive to prose poetry, and have knowledge of mathematics and science. Education can not be on specialties, but everything mind, spirit, and body. Having a well rounded education will help people to communicate in all areas. The more you know in many different areas the better over all communication a society has. One of the reason there are inequalities in a society is due to lack of knowledge. Everyone in the society must to some extent be a philosopher because they seek education and knowledge. A just society must also have a just ruler. A just ruler would need to be a philosopher, he would have to offer honest leadership which reflects the will and knowledge of society. A perfect society must have temperance, knowledge, and wisdom. In justices occur because of a lack of knowledge resulting in greed. In order to get rid of injustice everyone in the society must be educated starting at birth. Women and men need to be equally educated in a well rounded fashion in order to promote a just society. In asking if this society could ever work the answer is no. The only way it could work is if all of society is willing to accept knowledge and work hard for education. Even though there is no such thing as a truly unjust society a totally just society will never happen until people are willing to work for it. Another reason there can never be a perfectly just society is because everyone†s perception of just is different. We know that the idea of justice is there, but to explain it to where everyone agrees to the idea would be hard to achieve. However, in trying to find true justice the society becomes stronger and more just. Expressing individuality that benefits or hurts a society however, reflects assertiveness, incentive, thought, and creativity, which strengthens the society. If a society ever got to the point of being just, the society would no longer have greed, drive for a better life, it would not have poverty or wealth. The society would just stop. There would be no more invention, growth, or change. The only change from Plato†s time to ours is technology. We are still searching for the perfect government, the question of who is better than who is still asked, and education is still a major principle to whether or not you are successful.

Nonverbal Impression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nonverbal Impression - Essay Example Depicting a positive face would include a respectful talk to my fellow colleagues and bosses including giving everyone complete attention in case they address issues I’m concerned with or tasks I should undertake. I would as well deploy nodding of the head to affirm that I’m not only listening but also concurring with what is being addressed. I would as well wear a smiling face to show enthusiasm, optimism and warmth cooperation. In this context, I would avoid a negative awful face since this would negatively paint me as a low self-esteemed employee. I would also avoid rude and disrespectful conversational phrases and high pitched speaking tones which would portray an authoritative, disrespectful and rude individual. I would also evade ignoring peoples’ comments and paying attention to distractions which can be evidenced by staring away from the speaker or receiving calls on mobile when a colleague is addressing an issue (DeVito, 2005). Second, in a scenario where I’m addressing an audience, and I would like the personal experiences that I’m addressing to be believed, I would deploy a consistency impression. For instance, to be believed by the audience, both the theme of the speech, actions and words of the speaker must not only portray credibility strategies such as charisma, competence, and impressive character but also a touch of modesty and honesty.

Insolvency Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Insolvency Law - Essay Example Contextually, in order to improve their image in front of the investors companies at times tend to adopt approaches which though considered negative in business but still they ensure better business performances. This aspect along with various other reasons like conflicts amid the management, a lack of proper communication in business, crisis in the business sector as well as improper controlling of the business activities further result in impacting the ability of business units to pay back the debt of their creditors and shareholders thereby affecting the performance and existence of the business up to a considerable extent2. This aspect in legal terms is considered as insolvency. In this particular context, the insolvency law regulates the companies who are not been able to pay their debt to the shareholders or creditors. It is directly implied to companies which are being formed under the Companies Act of 2006 in the UK. However, with the passage of time, the issue of insolvency has become more and more severe which further calls for the need of stern laws and principles3. Contextually, the Cork report will be vital to consider which has recommended certain principles to be implemented in the operations of companies that would be helpful in dealing with the issue of insolvency. This particular report will mainly highlight one of the recommended aims in paragraph 198 of the Cork report and depict its importance and need through critical analysis. As described above, the Cork report was formed with the intention to recommend certain principles that could be implemented in the operations of business units to assure a more profitable business operation further reducing the probability of insolvency of the business. The report came up with certain aims for improvement in the modern day insolvency law which in turn led to the formation of the Insolvency Act of 19864. In the report formed by Kenneth Cork, there were certain

New York City Subway System as a Potential Target for the Terrorists Assignment - 1

New York City Subway System as a Potential Target for the Terrorists - Assignment Example The city cannot operate without the rapid transport system. This makes the subway an integral part of everyday life in New York. The importance of the New York City subway system makes it a potential target by the terrorists. The objective of terrorists is to instill fear in the minds of dwellers of a particular region by disrupting their activities and economy. The terrorists target the infrastructure that a city or state cannot do without. They disrupt operations and crumble economies. This makes the subway a preferred target. The attack involves a gas that will be spread across the subway to render the commuters there inactive. Since the terrorist expects maximum casualty, this will be their best approach. Thereafter, a bomb will be detonated to destroy the underground transit system. Such an act will affect a number of systems. The first will be the electricity transmission lines. The system of the underground transport system depends entirely on electricity for lighting and controlling the temperatures, the bomb is expected to destroy the wire lines that will have an impact on the city-wide transmission lines. A number of blocks adjacent to the building will go without electricity after the attack. The gas will pollute the air around New York City and might affect the Hudson River water. When such an attack is launched in a system as expansive as the New York City subway system, a number of activities need to be realized to assist in containing the situation. A first, every station will need to have their own communication base where all communication to the commuters and workers will be initiated. The security heads at every base will need radios and protective gear. Two at each station will be enough to ensure seamless communication. This will require 936 radios. The personnel will also need protective gear to protect them from the dangerous gases.

Global economic environment &marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global economic environment &marketing - Essay Example Secondly, the fact that there was emphasis on the achievement of fairness rather than focusing of liberalization of trade also resulted in disagreement among member states. The fact that certain nations had bargaining power over others and this power was being shifted to other member countries caused a rift between members. Some of these issues reflect on the case study. For instance, one of the guidelines of the organisation was fairness. However, countries usually want to maintain the bargaining power over others irrespective of the fact that globalization has resulted in change and new markets where countries which were not major players in the past are currently significant players in the market. 4.2 In the international market, free trade cannot be fair. This is as a result of the fact that each country wants to protect its indigenous business establishment thus governments end up providing an added advantage over other business organisations in the international market (Salvato re, 2012. For instance, countries such as the United States of America are known to offer subsidies to farmers in order to give them an upper hand in the import and export sector. Question Five 5.1 Various a factors contributed to the economic crisis in Thailand to spread to other south East Asia countries making it a contagion. One of the major factors that contributed to this is that most of the respective governments in the region did not deal with the increasing balance of benefits in turkey, overheating pressures the stock market and property bubbles early enough. The fact that pegged / fixed exchange rates went on for too long was also a major contributor since it resulted in a false sense of stability that encouraged firms in the region to lend huge sums of money to those in Thailand. Finally, the fact that financial markets in the region were not regulated and supervised at the time was also major contributor 5.2 Countries in the region would have been able to prevent such a crisis if they implemented certain policies. Firstly, more supervision and regulation would have helped in ensuring that balance deficits that were present would not have risen to that level (Jackson, 1999). Secondly, countries in the region should have come up with measures that would ensure that stock market and property bubbles could be withstood since they would have been forecasted. Finally, the region would have adopted exchange rates that were not fixed. They would allow the exchange rate of currencies in the region to be determined by the forces of demand and supply. This would have helped greatly since a fall in the Thai baht would indicate something was wrong. Report Introduction There are various indicators that are used to determine the economic position in which a country or a region is in. Such indicators are instrumental in policy and decision making especially for business establishments that operate internationally. Such companies are able to determine if their bus iness ventures will be successful by evaluating indicators such as GDP. This part of the paper will focus on how different indicators have affected particular regions and how they are interpreted by an organisation Gross domestic product (GDP) is an indicator in macroeconomics that is used to measure the economic state of a country. It is the value of all goods and services recognised officially produced within a specific country in a stipulated period. In general, it is used to determine

Kurdistan workers party Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kurdistan workers party - Research Paper Example It is significant to note that the focal operation of the Kurdistan Worker Party is in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Turkey. Further, the PKK has strong financial support and huge propaganda operations in some European countries, and it mostly relies on violent and bloody crime for financing. The group started out in the beginning of the 1970’s in Ankara comprising mainly of students. By 19978, the PKK had begun establishing a strong base since it targeted people from the Kurdish group. Days later, the group was named the Kurdistan Workers Party. It believed in a Marxist-Leninism ideology and it frequently engaged in violent and bloody conflicts as a part of its political operation in Turkey. The PKK holds that it is its role and responsibility in changing the lives of the Kurdish race in Southern Turkey. Therefore, its focus is to represent their ambitions and thoughts. The Marxist-Leninism propels the group to launch irresponsible struggle against people it calls the bourge ois (Anil, 2010). The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) has been linked to numerous attacks and bombings. For instance, PPK was accused of attacking and bombing of the Turkish embassy in Strasbourg. They collaborated with the ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), an Armenian radical group to launch the attack. In 1984, the organization took another structural formation. They changed into a paramilitary group. They used France as their base setting up training camps in different parts of France. All through to the late 1980’s, the organization became very dangerous as it continued to launch numerous terrorist activities. For instance, the extremist group attacked state institutions, military bases, and government agencies. Some of these were linked to the Anatolia project that was taking place in the Southern part of Turkey (Marcus, 2009). The organization further expanded their activities in multiple countries in the Middle East and Europe, especially France a nd Germany. This expansion made them to become less and less centralized and past containment. The radical grouped continued to inflict pain and suffering to the civilian through its attacks and bombings. For instance, the group is known to be responsible for the frequent attacks and bombings on civilian and military targets in countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Belgium, and France. In the mid 1990’s, Syria started from the radical group. This was because of a transformation of tactics in the PKK’s operations in that it had began using suicide attacks on innocent civilians. As an inevitable eventuality, it started losing the edge in its operations. Further, the group used women to launch these attacks something that Syria was not happy with. The groups’ founder Abdullah Ocalan, was captured in 1999 and was sentenced to death. However, this sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. Without its leader, the group somewhat lost direction and posed less security threat s to the people. This gave Turkish government initiative to bring down the group (Marcus, 2009). In 2004, the European Union named the group as a terrorist organization. The hit against the organization heightened later that year when the United States treasury froze resources of branches of the group claiming that it was propagating terrorism activities. The group retreated to the Iraqi mountains and formed base there, with

Commercial Law Dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Commercial Law Dissertation - Essay Example ea of regulation that administers different types of possession (ownership) in real property and in personal possessions surrounded by the common law structure. In the civil regulation scheme, there is a separation among variable (movable) and immovable goods. Movable goods approximately correspond to personal goods, at the same time as immovable goods are real estate or real property, and the connected rights and duties thereon. Commercial law is the body of rule that oversees trade and operations. It is often considered to be a branch of civil law and deals both with issues of private law and public law. Commercial law regulates corporate contracts, hiring practices, and the manufacture and sale of consumer goods. There is also a vast difference between in the rights of ownership and possession in English commercial law. The law and regulation, associated to rights of ownership, will not provide any preference to any exact type of property rights. Right of possession is the authori ty to work out power or authority above the real possessions. A right to ownership can be formed by a variety of legal deals for example: deed, rent, life, estate, will etc. It is necessary to examine the differentiation among Property and Ownership, where goods are most precisely explained as the thing or object to be possessed, and possession is the act of owning, or association that the proprietor has with his belongings. There is also dissimilarity among "ownership", and "possession". Ownership is the condition of exclusive rights and power above the possessions which may be anything, soil or intellectual property. At the same time, right of possession means that somebody presently holds or possesses something. â€Å"There are various legal aspects to the ownership of a property in English law. We will try and cover them all in this section of the website. They include The research aim and methodology of the study is to help us understand the difference between the rights of

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Narration Critiques - Assignment Example In fact, I did not understand why the two officers visited the author. The most interesting part of the story is when a crowd started to gather during the fight. I think this was that part that the author should have made more emphasis because the crowd’s reaction would have made the story quite interesting. There was one interesting point that the author had talked about regarding the gender roles. The author argued that she did not understand why she was expelled just because she had punched a girl, while boys would fight in school and not get expelled. I agreed with the author because I believe that every case in college ought to be treated equally regardless of the gender. In conclusion, I would like to say that this was a average story that did not capture much of my attention. I think the author was merely trying to narrate a story about how and why she was expelled from school. Therefore, the author should have chosen a different

Analysis of Why i Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty Essay

Analysis of Why i Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Why I live at the P.O. is a book written by Eudora Welty, who was born in Jackson Mississippi. She was a multitalented artist, who succeeded as a writer and a photographer. She was inspired to write this story by a lady ironing in a small rural post office, whom she saw while working as a public photographer. Although Welty writes in varied moods and styles, Why I Live at the P.O. is a representation of her masterful use of vital characteristic of southern speech. It is, therefore, one of her beloved stories.   The story takes a form of a dramatic monologue. It is taught from the first person narrator, sister. Sister tells her side of story, explaining to the readers why she moved away from a home she had grown into adulthood, to a local post office. Her story is an appeal to the reader to take her side of the story as she resentfully recounts her Sister’s unfair maneuvers in turning every member of the family against her. How ever, her exaggeration and self pity turn her situation unintentionally humorous. The events of Why I Live in P.O. sets in motion when the narrator’s Sister, Stella Rondo returns to the family in China Grove. Sister states that before the arrival of her sister, she was getting along well with her mother, Papa-Daddy, and Uncle Rondo. The arrival of her sister, therefore, interrupts her uneventful life. Stella Rondo had just left her husband, Mr. Whitaker, a man Sister had briefly dated before becoming engaged to Stella. Stella Rondo arrives home with a girl, Shirley T, she claims to have adopted. Everybody in the family believes that the girl is actually adopted except for sister, who believes that Shirley is Stella’s biological daughter. Sister asks Stella bout Shirley’s parentage, and Stella gets furious with her. She decides to turn Papa-Daddy against Sister and tells him that Sister suggested that he should cut short his beard. Papa-Daddy believes this and ge ts angry with Sister, reminding her that it was through him that she got the job at the Post Office. Later, Sister prepares green-tomato pickles, an act that is disapproved by Mama since Uncle Rondo and Shirley T would not agree with the food. In an argument between Mama and Sister, Mama does not agree with Sister’s believe that Shirley-T is not adopted. Sister goes further to suggest that Shirley could have a developmental problem since she had never uttered a word. Stella is angered by the accusation, and has Shirley sing a song. Mama insists that Sister should apologize, but she refuses. In her attempt to have Uncle Rondo turn against sister, Stella claims that Sister sneers at his ludicrous appearance. Uncle is angered and throws lit firecrackers in Sister’s bedroom. It is at this point that Sister decides to move. She makes her reasons known and collects her belongings from the house. The story is taught from the first person point of view, therefore, a subject to the distorting interpretations. She skillfully directly addresses her audience in an attempt to call for attention to specific egregious offenses. At the end of the story, she believes that a change in venue shall be a solution to her problems, but it is arguable that her departure is a sign of cowardice (McHaney 39). Welty skillfully uses diction throughout the story. This is evident in the manner in which she records distinctive speech models of the characters. This is meant to humanize the characters and firmly place them in a local setting. In addition to this, she fills the stripes of dialogue with idiomatic expressions extracted from speech among the southerners. For instance, instead of must have, she writes must of, a transcription, grammatically unacceptable, but standard to the characters exceptional self expression ((McHaney 76)). Welty also uses appearance of words as an attempt of adding uni que rhythms and tones to the speaker. For instance, when Papa-Daddy is angered, she writes l-a-y-s (McHaney 76). This spacing is intended

Policy Suggestions for Reopening Dual Language Essay Example for Free

Policy Suggestions for Reopening Dual Language Essay This empirical research will be presented to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan for the purpose of studying the possibility of reopening Chinese and English dual language kindergarten schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2004, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan had forbidden the operation and establishment of bilingual and English kindergarten schools. English could only be integrated in songs, plays, and activities but it could not be taught in the Chinese and English bilingual format and use as a medium of instruction. Kindergarten schools are not also allowed to hire any foreign teachers. All kindergarten teachers must be a natural born Taiwanese citizen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same year, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education cited three reasons for implementing this educational policy. First, they feel that at the preschool stage children should master their primary language. Second, they are so concern with the quality of teaching as they found out that most foreign teachers who worked as English teachers in kindergarten schools do not have sufficient knowledge on early childhood education. These teachers are only hired because they are native English speakers. Third, although Taiwanese students officially begin learning English on the third grade, they do not lag behind their counterpart in other Asian countries. However, there is not enough research to prove the positive effect of banning the dual language kindergarten. The research cited by the Ministry of Education to support their policy is discussed in the review of literature. Review of Related Literature Research Supporting the Policy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The research used by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan as a basis in supporting its policy was conducted in 2001 by Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dr. Chaing Jen Ru. These professionals were invited to conduct a study on the possibility of integrating English in the kindergarten curriculum and hiring foreign teachers to teach in the kindergarten level. In this research, Dr. Chuang Shiang Chuan pointed out that language learning for children requires the use of both the expressive and thinking abilities. If the medium of instruction is strictly in English alone, the content of communication between the teacher and the students would be very limited. She also indicated that preschool children fail to accurately pronounce and comprehend a foreign language in comparison to the adult learners. Furthermore, she also stated that learning a foreign language could interfere in the learning of the mother tongue. In terms of hiring foreign teachers, Cheung (2001) felt that foreigners who are working as kindergarten English teachers do not have the required skills and knowledge on early childhood education. Their knowledge is only limited to the teaching of the English language. In addition, hiring of foreign teachers would result in the decrease of job opportunities for students who have completed their education degrees from the teacher preparation institutions. However, the findings of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Cheung may not be objective and conflict of interest is evident as a result of her employment in one of the early childhood teacher preparation institutions. Besides, in the policy statement published by the Ministry of Education to the public on October 10, 2004, it was stated that the research was based on the neuroscience, linguistics and English education findings which indicated that learning English at an early age does not guarantee that children will learn better. The Ministry of Education also argued that teenagers learn a foreign language more efficiently than preschool children due to their more mature cognitive development. It is also stated that imposing the â€Å"No Chinese† kindergarten education would result in communication difficulty, emotional disturbance, conflict of values and problems in culture identity which could affect the development of Chinese language learning. Furthermore, the language barrier would limit the breath and dept of children’s learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lu Chen (2003) who are researchers in Taiwan also supported the previous findings and argued that it is inappropriate for preschool children to learn a foreign language and culture at an early age. They believed that China would be the strongest country in terms of economic stability and the Chinese language would be the next universal language. Hence, parents should not be anxious to have their children learn English at a young age. They further stated that there is no critical period in learning a second language so it is not necessary to start learning at preschool age. The researchers also believed that having a good command of the native language is the foundation for learning a second language. The absence of an American or British accent is not an important matter to consider in learning the English language. Therefore, it is unnecessary to study English at an early age to avoid speaking with a foreign accent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides the two researchers and one government statement above, the book â€Å"My Child Can’t Speak Chinese† (Cheung, 2004) is also frequently cited by people who are against using English as the only medium of instruction in the kindergarten education. In this book, Cheung depicted her daughter who tends to combine the English and Chinese syntaxes when speaking Chinese after attending an English only kindergarten school. In the book, the arguments to ban the English only teaching in kindergarten school is understandable considering that children in Taiwan speak Chinese at home and kindergarten is the first education that they have experienced outside their homes. The use of English as the only medium of instruction in their first school may give the children the wrong impression that English is the formal school language. They may also think that their Chinese language is less important. These thoughts could possibly lead to the confusion of culture identity and negatively affect the learning of the Chinese language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As an international student who had studied in various classes with native English instructors and have worked as the sole foreign teacher in an American school, I understand the anxiety that a child may feel in an English only environment based on my personal experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Armed with a first hand experience in obtaining an education in an English only school under instructors who are native speakers of the English language and with an experience of being a foreign teacher in an international school, I can strongly understand and clearly see the point in the policy made in not allowing the operation of the English only kindergarten schools. However, in as much as I could empathized with the policy makers, I also felt the inadequacy of the study that was conducted before arriving at a recommendation to close and prohibit the existence of dual language kindergarten schools. There are many dual language kindergartens in the United States and I have taught in an English-Chinese dual lingual public school in New York, P.S. 184M, Shuang Wen School. This is the first dual lingual and bicultural public elementary school in the east coast. Children at Shuang Wen have regular English classes as other public school students and start learning Chinese from the kindergarten level and continue studying until the sixth grade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Shuang Wen’s website, there is a report cited that almost 100% of their students exceeded the required grade level standards of the New York State examination for Math and English. With Shuang Wen’s success, one could only ponder as to why American students are allowed to enroll in an English and Chinese bilingual program since kindergarten while the Taiwanese students in Taiwan have to be deprived of this opportunity. I went through literature reviews by searching and reviewing dual language related literatures on databases of ERIC, ProQuest, Education Full Text, Digital Dissertations taken from the Teachers College as well as the TC Catalog (EDUCAT). The summary of my findings are written below. Research on Dual Lingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dual lingual education literature reviewed is presented here in the following sections: bilingual education has no harm, the benefits of bilingual education, the best bilingual education-dual language program, and the current situation of dual language programs. Bilingual Education Has No Harm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrary to the findings of the researchers in Taiwan, Norbert (2005), Schambach (2006), Garcia (2006), and Pearson (2007) claimed that bilingual education has no harm to children at all. All the misconceptions were bias. For instance, Cheung’s (2003) worry concerning her daughter’s combined usage of English and Chinese is actually unnecessary. The combined usage of language was part of a learning process that children want to experiment in order to determine which of these two languages the listener’s â€Å"strongest language† is. This method would also enable the children to communicate effectively with their listener (Garcia, 2007). Moreover, the capability of switching between two languages could increase children’s cognitive flexibility (Steward, 2004). In terms of the concerns about the lost of identity and delay in the development of the children’s first language, it was discovered that bilingual children do not have any identity issues because in the bilingual education, children’s culture are respected and recognized (Farmer, 1998 Schambach, 2006). Some children may develop two identities since they are educated in using two languages and two cultures but this helps children to be more adaptable to the global world and prepare them better to be global citizens. Moreover, Schambach pointed out an example of an identity issue whereby an immigrant child, who emigrated from one country to another, felt totally lost when not being accepted in the new country and treated as a foreigner upon return to the country of origin for a short visit. This situation can happen to Taiwanese children if the government is not open to the education that the parents expect for their children in Taiwan. About 77% of parents in Taiwan hope that the government would allow the integration of English in the kindergarten curriculum (Wu Cheng, 2002). The main reason for the immigration to the United States of Taiwanese families is to provide better education for their children. If Taiwanese government fails to meet parents’ expectations, there is a strong possibility that Taiwanese family immigration would lead to a problem on the identity issue for the next generation. The Benefits of Bilingual Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After clarifying that bilingual education creates no harm to children, many researchers pointed out that bilingual education can enhance the development of children’s cognitive and social skills (Chan, 2003; Garcia, 2007; Norbert, 2005; Steward, 2004; Thomas, 2003). Chan (2003) compared 31 bilingual preschoolers and 29 monolingual preschoolers’ performance on 3 cognitive tasks and 4 theory-of-mind tasks. The results showed that the advantage of the bilingual learners in the theory-of-mind development hinges mostly in their cognitive development e.g., inhibitory control, reasoning and metalinguistic awareness. Garcia (2007) quoted the research of Peal and Lambert’s work with French and English bilinguals and English monolinguals and suggested that the intellectual experience of acquiring two languages contributed advantageously to mental flexibility, superior concept formation and a generally diversified set of mental abilities. She also cited Padilla’s reasoning that bilinguals are cognitively advanced because they are able to process information provided in one language and produce allied information in another language. Padilla used Keats and Keats’ report of a study as an example which German-English bilinguals, who did not demonstrate the ability to conserve weight in a Piagetian task, were trained to conserve in one of the two languages. Results from English and German post tests indicated that the concept was acquired in both languages. This suggests the possible increased in the flexibility of bilinguals during conceptual acquisition. Steward (2004) cited the finding of Willig who pointed out that students in the bilingual programs scored either the same or higher on the achievement tests in both languages in comparison with children in monolingual education. Steward also agreed with Cummings, Hakuta and Gold’s opinion that the bilingual program has increased children’s cognitive flexibility. Thomas (2003) further stated that the cognitive stimulus from the bilingual program led to enhanced creativity and analytical thinking. He also presented the result taken from Houston in 2002 that native English speakers, who had been in the two way dual-language programs for four years, scored between 63rd and 70th percentiles in total reading scores in the Stanford 9 whereas the scores of students in the monolingual English program hovered around the 50th percentile. This is a remarkable finding that could be used to infer that if Taiwanese children, who are native Chinese speakers, are educated in a bilingual program since preschool their intellectual capability might surpass students in a Chinese only program after four years. After reading all the benefits that bilingual education can bring to students, I continued to research for the definition of bilingual education and its best practice. The Best Bilingual Education Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barrera (2004) defines bilingual education as using two languages to learn. Schambach (2006) said a bilingual person means he can use two languages freely in any given situation. In terms of the best practice for bilingual education, Garcia (2007) pointed out that in teaching two languages, it would be best to separate them instead of combining them together. For example, at home each parent should speak a different language to the child and at school, different teachers should speak different languages. Children tend to learn the language in order to communicate. Norbert (2005) further strengthened the importance of separating two languages when teaching. Scofield (2007) specifically talked about the importance of a relaxed environment that is enriched with comprehensible language as well as the usage of gestures, mime, and real objects to illustrate speech and to provide input. He also suggested singing songs and rhymes and having group activities to create a conducive environment for the learners. In terms of time allocation for teaching each language, Steward (2004) cited Willig’s research result which showed that students in the alternate immersion program, wherein the day is divided into two halves each entirely in one language, have the best performance in the tests of both languages. This kind of program is also called dual language program. Current Situation of Dual Language Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Barrera (2004), there are more than 270 dual language programs in the U.S. and the interest in these programs keeps growing as fast as the waiting lists. In Barrera’s research, she concluded that the most successful dual language program resulted when students learn one language in the morning and another one in the afternoon. There must also be a continuing non-repetitive lesson in the morning. In the succeeding morning, students must proceed to the next lesson in the other language. The important characteristics of a good dual language program as suggested by Barrera includes: a minimum of six years instruction; a focus on the core academic curriculum; high quality language arts instruction in both languages; integration of the languages into the instructional thematic units; separations of the two languages for instruction with no translation and no repeated lessons in the other language; use of each language in 50 percent of the instructional time; an addictive e.g. adding a new language at no cost to students’ first language; bilingual environment that has the full support of school administrators, teachers and parents; and an active parent-school partnerships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, regardless of all the benefits of dual lingual education as shown in the research, some politicians in California still think that English should be the one and only dominated language in United States. Hence, they brought up Proposition 227 to replace the bilingual and dual lingual education to total immersion method to help immigrant children learn English as fast as possible. Nevertheless, many researchers discovered that bilingual education has helped children learn English faster than the total immersion method (Krashen, 2005; Manyak, 2006; Monzo, 2005; Olson, 2007). Bilingual education has likewise helped students build more positive self identity by providing a sheltered learning environment (Monzo). Recommendation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After learning from the studies conducted by some researchers, the Taiwanese government must reexamine their educational policy that resulted in the total ban of bilingual kindergarten education in Taiwan. I recommend that the Taiwanese government conduct an empirical study on the possible effects of dual language kindergarten education in Taiwan and recruit volunteer participants to determine if the Chinese and English bilingual kindergarten education should be reopened as an educational option for Taiwanese children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would also like to suggest a research design which includes the preparation of the curriculum, teachers’ preparation, students’ selections and students’ evaluation. Curriculum   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to conducting a research, the Education Ministry of Taiwan must initially design a Chinese and English dual lingual curriculum for kindergarten pupils. The easiest and most efficient way is to translate the current kindergarten curriculum into English. In this method, the traditional Taiwanese values are neither changed nor altered and the English language was only used as a medium of instruction. This consistent and continuing curriculum, which is part of the current dual language program, has been proven to be the most beneficial way for students’ learning. Teacher Preparation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, the government must prepare all the teachers who will be involved in teaching the dual language program. The selection of teachers who would teach the Chinese curriculum is not as difficult as selecting teachers who could teach the English curriculum. For the Chinese curriculum, experienced teachers can be selected among a roster of kindergarten teachers. Since the current law forbids the hiring of non-Taiwanese citizens, it would not be easy to immediately hire English instructors. There may be few Taiwanese people who could teach using the English fluently, have a solid background in early childhood education and fully understand the Taiwanese culture. Since learning the language while keeping the Taiwanese cultural background are two major purposes of the dual language program, I would suggest to the Ministry of Education in Taiwan to hire Taiwanese Americans or Taiwanese people who have studied abroad for a long enough period of time and have attained a good level of English fluency. The qualification to become a kindergarten teacher in Taiwan should not be based on the nationality but on the teacher’s English capability and understanding of Taiwanese culture. With regards to having a solid knowledge on the background of kindergarten education, I believe that teachers can be prepared within few months of extensive workshops as I became a primary teacher at an award winning independent primary school in Connecticut after a week of intensive training and continuing professional development throughout the school year. In my job, I performed well as a foreign teacher. Through experience, I personally felt that it is possible to prepare any teacher for the background knowledge. Further research on this issue could be conducted to be assured that only the most qualified teachers are selected for the program. Students’ Selection and Follow-Up Plan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participating pupils should be voluntary and the opportunity to be a participant should be well broadcasted to all the parents who have children who are about to be enrolled in kindergarten schools. Students should be chosen from families of a mixed social economic status to represent the common student population in public kindergarten schools. Plans must be undertaken for students who are currently attending kindergarten so a continuing dual lingual elementary education can be achieved until the fifth grade as suggested by Garcia. Garcia discovered that the positive effects of dual language education will be manifested after 6 years of continuous education. The greatest challenge here is that all dual lingual elementary schools in Taiwan are private schools and therefore the tuition fees are not affordable by every family. For this problem, the government could either give vouchers or subsidize the tuition fees of the children who have attended the dual lingual kindergarten so they could study in private dual lingual elementary schools. In addition, the government can also put an effort to open a public dual language elementary school in each grade level to accommodate the education needs of these students. Data Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students’ cognitive development and academic performance will be assessed through standardized testing and observation from teachers and parents. Data analysis will focus on the findings to determine if advance cognitive development and better academic performance were achieved by students who were given the dual language program in comparison with the dual language students’ performance in the United States and Canada as studied by Barrera (2004) and Chan (2004). To avoid overstressing students, the test will be carefully designed and will be taken semi-annually. Likewise, students’ progress will be recorded for six years. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education is the best investment for the future of a country. With the influx of globalization and stiff economic and business competition, it is time for people of Taiwan to be armed with an education that could be comparable not only to their neighboring Asian countries but also to the western countries as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The progress of the country highly depends on its young citizens and the best way for the young citizens to be competitive is by providing them with an educational tool that will enable them to communicate with other people across the globe. English has been considered as the universal language in many parts of the world. There are no negative effects in learning a foreign language as shown in many research studies. Hence, it is time for the government of Taiwan, specifically the Ministry of Education, to study their policies and reconsider the option of reopening bilingual kindergarten schools in Taiwan. If the government intends to be the educational leader in Asia, it is time to open their doors to accept the teaching of English in preschool level. References Barrera, R., et. al. (2004). Profiles in culture. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 19(3), 46-48. Chan, K. T. (2004). Chinese English bilingual’s theory-of-mind development. University of Toronto, Toronto. Cheung, S. C. C., Jen Ru (2002). The possibility of having english education and hiring foreign teachers in kindergartens in Taiwan. Ministry of Education, Taiwan. (T. Ministry of Education o. Document Number) Chuan, C. S. (2003). My child can’t speak Chinese. Taipei: New Parents. Farmer, M. (1998). Creating Montessori bilingual programs. Montessori Life, 10(2), 22-25. Garcia, E. E. (2007). Bilingual development and the education of bilingual children during early childhood. American Journal of Education, 95(1), 96-121. Krashen, S. (2005). Skyrocketing scores: An urban legend. Educational Leadership, 62(4), 37-39. Lu, H.-J. C., Tai-an. (2003). An evaluation on early childhood english education in taiwan-from the perspective of language policy. Transworld Institute of Technology, Taiwan. Manyak, P. C. (2006). Fostering biliteracy in a monolingual milieu: Reflections on two counter-hegemonic English immersion classes. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 6(3), 241-266. Ministry of Education, Taiwan (2004). Educational policy of preschool English education. Monzo, L. D. (2005). Latino parents `choice` for bilingual education in an urban California school: language politics in the aftermath of proposition 227. Bilingual Research Journal, 29(2), 365-386. Norbert, F. (2005). Research findings on early first language attrition: implication for the discussion on critical periods in language acquisition. Language Learning, 55(3), 491-531. Pajares, F. (2007). Elements of a proposal. Available from the author. Pearson, B. Z. (2007). Social factors in childhood bilingualism in the United States. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(3). Schambach, J. (2006). Childhood bilingualism: problems and possibilities. Kansas. Schofield, A. (2007). An investigation into the practices of a class of field-based student educators working in linguistically diverse early childhood centres. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 32(2), 23-27. Stewart, M. R. (2004). Phonological awareness and bilingual preschoolers: should we teach it and, if so, how? Early Childhood Education Journal 32(1), 31-37. Thomas, W. P. C., V. P. (2003). The multiple benefits of dual language: dual-language programs educate both English learners and native English speakers without incurring extra costs. Educational Leadership, 61(2), 61-64. Torrez, N. M. (2001). Incoherent English immersion and California proposition 227. The Urban Review, 33(3), 207-20. Wu, S. F. C., Jen Ru. (2002). Examine preschool English education from the perspective of critical study period. Human Education Journal, 158.

The tourism system model

The tourism system model The Tourism System In early tourism research, it was argued that by analysing disaggregated components of tourism, it is possible that an understanding of tourism as a whole could be achieved (Pearce, 1989). However, these reductionist claims often result in a failure to explain the different complex relationships, interactions, interdependencies and impacts within the tourism system (Carlsen, 1999). For example, traditional tourism models such as Leiper (1979) tourism system model assumes that tourism players function in a coordinated manner, suggesting that tourism could be controlled in a top-down approach (McKercher, 1999). However, tourism displays all the characteristics of complexity. Failing to acknowledge the elements of uncertainty, chaos, dynamics and non-linearity in tourist systems, these simplistic traditional approaches to tourism seems to become irrelevant and invalid. Tourism is an activity in which people freely engage in, for personal satisfaction or pleasure, where their behaviour is voluntary and discretionary proceeding from ones own free choice (de Freitas, 2002). Thus, tourists participation is expected to decrease as discomfort and dissatisfaction increase. â€Å"Should climate change, so will be the tourism demand† (De Freitas, 2005, 35). Over the years, more sophisticated models have been developed in attempting to explain what tourism is, its composition and the relationships and interactions that exist within it. From the tourist personality type models (Plog 1974; Pearce 1990), Maslows hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1954), expectancy theory based on Vrooms theory of work motivation by Witt and Wright (1992) to the Mieczkowski Tourism Climate Index (1985) and the push-pull tourism framework (Dann, 1977; Crompton 1979; Iso-Ahola, 1982, 1989; Klenosky, 2002), these approaches provide different but valuable insights for examining the motivations underlying tourist and visitation behaviour. These models have also been useful for the study of the importance of climate to tourism as well as the research on climate change and tourism, providing an understanding and agreement of the varieties and kinds of activities and stakeholders involved. Climate, a Tourism Resource Climate exists outside of any tourism project. However, it becomes a resource when incorporated within a good or service. This is illustrated by the high demand of North Europeans travelling to the Mediterranean resorts, seeing it as a land of paradise. In addition, climate is often said to delimit optimal zones for tourism at a global and regional scale, as illustrated by the warm tropical zone, considered optimum for sun and beach tourism (Burton 1991). In this way, climate, a natural resource becomes part of the tourism product. All of respondents of the survey agreed that climate is important to tourism with 89% ranking it as â€Å"very important†. With the aim of accessing how climate fares in relation to other important considerations in tourism demand, Table 2.1 illustrates the ranks respondents give to each of the factors relevant to their visit to a country for tourism. Attractions in the destination were viewed as the most important factor followed closely by climate. Of considerable importance to this study which may have been omitted in many studies focusing on the temperate regions, 95% of respondents believed that escaping from their countrys winter cold is at least of some importance in their decision for travel. This shows how weather and climate are intrinsic components of the vacation experience and can act as a central motivator in an individuals selection of holiday destination, the timing of holiday travel as well as a salient factor in tourism spending and holiday satisfaction. This study measures up to many other researches such as that done by Hu and Ritchie (1993). Measuring the importance of destination characteristics, they reviewed several destination image studies from the 1970s and found that â€Å"natural beauty and climate† were of universal importance in defining destinations attractiveness. Using a representative survey, Hamilton and Lau (2005) confirmed that climate is at least the third most popular attribute in tourists decision making. Climate can directly affect tourism. There seems to be a clear connection between weather, climate, and human sensitivity. Atmospheric weather conditions may impact tourist demand, participation, experiences and satisfaction (de Freitas, 2003; Yu et al, 2009). People usually dislike very cold or hot climates and possibly very humid ones probably for good reasons founded in evolutionary biology (Heal and Kristrom, 2002). Survey result of this study proves similar conclusion where 74% of respondents indicate that they were more likely to travel during their countrys winter and 19% during summer. None of the respondents chose autumn and spring as the season they would want to travel out of their country. A warm climate seems to be a huge attraction for many of the mid-latitude tourists with 100% citing a â€Å"hot and sunny† weather condition as the preferred choice in the country they visit, even for those who want to escape the summer heat in their country. This proves Maddison and Bigano (2000) findings that the ideal temperature at the most popular tourist destinations are those offering warmer temperatures of around 31oC. In Context: Sentosa Climate has been argued to be one important component which shapes a destinations image and in some regions of the world, constitutes the resource on which the tourism sector is predicated (Lohmann and Kaim 1999). For example, marketed as â€Å"The Island for All Seasons†, the Mediterranean climate which Cyprus, Greece has been blessed with, has identified as the fundamental attribute attracting tourists to the destination. Mather et al contends that â€Å"the climate is a dominant factor in much of the travel that takes place from northern Europe to the Mediterranean () Not only is the purpose of this mass movement of people primarily leisure-based, visiting a sunny beach destination is the intrinsic reason for travel† (2005, 70). Being a tropical country, Singapore and in particular Sentosa has the perfect conditions for the creation of the ideal tourist coast all-year sunshine, warm water, white sandy carbonate beaches and coral reefs -popularised in the three â€Å"Ss†: sun, sea and sand (Wong, 2003). Sentosa is Singapores premier island resort getaway and Asias leading leisure destination. It receives over 6 million visitors yearly, making it the most visited paid-access attraction in Singapore. According to partial break-down of visitor arrivals to all the paid attractions in Singapore as seen in Figure 2a, it show consistency with Sentosa being the most visited paid-access attraction among all groups of tourists. Thus, it makes a good case study for studying climate as a resource for beach tourism in Singapore. Findings in this study shows that although the warm tropical climate of Singapore appeals to the mid-latitude tourists, inducing them to visit the Island of Sentosa as well as their beaches, weather did not prove to be the ultimate choice affecting tourists decision to Sentosa. In fact, although weather ranks second after attraction/activities, given only a choice, only about one quarter, specifically, 27% of the tourists chose weather to be the most important. One reason for this may be because climate invokes the concept of weather which is what tourists anticipate experiencing at a specific destination and is a key factor of consideration for tourists, consciously or implicitly during travel planning (de Freitas, 2002; Gomez Martin, 2005). Thus, having already considered Singapores hot and humid climate before the trip, factoring in possible weather conditions that might be experienced, attractions and activities that can be found in Singapore is determined to be more important at the expense of weather. This result corresponds to the activities that respondents carry out in Sentosa illustrated in Table 2.2, with â€Å"visiting attractions† being the most carried activities by all tourists during their day in Sentosa. The preference of tourists for certain climatic and weather conditions highlights the relationship between tourism and climate. Naturally, different tourism types and activities require different climatic conditions. Thus, climate is one important variable that influences among other factors, what and when particular kind of tourism activities can be done carried out. For example, climate has been identified as the fundamental attribute attracting tourists to the Mediterranean area (Mather et al, 2005; Amelung and Moreno, 2009). Seeking and enjoying the sun is one of the main reasons why many tourists go away on holiday, evident in 70%-80% of UK holidaymakers citing better climate abroad as the primary reason for their trip (Perry, 1993). Similarly, winter sports depend directly on climatic resources. Without snow or low temperatures for the artificial production of snow, the development of ski resorts would not have been possible (Gomez Martin, 2005). In this study on Sentosa, the activities that can be carried out by tourists (Table 2.2) could be sub-divided into two categories: weather dependent and weather independent. Swimming/sun tanning, picnicking and water sports/playing volleyball is to a large extent dependent on weather, especially to the presence of sunshine and rainfall. Although a large percentage of 59% tourists came to Sentosa specifically for sun tanning and swimming, respondents seems to participate largely also in non weather specific activities such as visiting attractions, shopping and dining in an indoor eatery. This result points to an important fact that although Sentosa depends largely on its beaches as well as some outdoor attractions, they provide a diversified range of activities which tourists are also attracted in but do not solely tap on the appeal of the weather. Climate versus Weather Climate invokes the concept of weather in that it is defined as the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time whereas, weather is the condition of the atmosphere at any particular time and place (de Freitas, 2002). In a study of this nature, McEvoy (2008: 103) reminds that it is important to differentiate between visitor responses to climate versus weather conditions. Decision-making relating to tourism such as the destination and period of travel has been found to be based largely on climate information. On the other hand, the vacation period is much more weather-dependent and reliant on short term forecasts where actual weather information is more important than climate information (Matzarakis, 2007). The nature of the relationship between the atmospheric environment and the enjoyable pursuit of outdoor recreational activity may be seen to be a function of facets of on-site atmospheric conditions, the weather. Pleasant weather increases tourist satisfaction, whereas severe weather conditions such as rain and strong winds disrupt outdoor activities. In southern Alaska, for example, tour operators noted a marked difference between the sunny, dry summer of 2004 and wet summer of 2006. Although this study fully acknowledges the importance of climate to tourism, with weather being an important factor, survey results show the possibility that destinations may also be chosen in spite of the likely bad weather. Figure 1 illustrates the findings. The result suggests that even if it rains on the day that tourist decides to go to Sentosa, 49% of the respondents would not alter their original plan to visit the island. The reasons cited were more or less similar in that they would â€Å"choose to visit other attractions within Sentosa† and â€Å"stay in indoor venues†. All of the 28% tourists who states that there will be changes to their plans to Sentosa were at Sentosa beach specifically for the purpose of outdoor beach activities such as swimming, sun tanning and picnicking. Therefore, with some tourist activities more sensitive to weather than others, metrological conditions may affect or disrupt the construction of the planned days event. On the other hand, Sentosa Island with many indoor attractions, allows for contingency plans to be made which enables tourists to be independent of weather conditions. With â€Å"visiting attractions† being the most carried out activity for respondents (Table 2.2), as well as â€Å"attraction/activities† cited as the most important factor affecting their decision to visit Sentosa, it suggests why majority of tourists may not change their plans to visit Sentosa even under unforeseen weather events. Therefore, although climate and weather is one of the many factors that may influence tourist decisions, good weather may not be the primary reason for selecting destinations. Weather Forecast Mark Twains famous quote of â€Å"Everybody talks about the weather but no one does anything about it† is often held up as a truism but Twain himself have said this â€Å"aint necessarily so†. Along the same line of argument, Dewar (2005) contends that humans may not be able to alter the day-to-day weather but they do alter their behaviours to either avoid or take advantage of these weather conditions. To some extent as discussed previously, a majority of respondents seems to have predicted that they would alter their behaviours, by visiting indoor attractions to avoid unfavourable rainfall events. Weather forecasting is a useful way to alter ones behaviour or plan activities to suit prevailing weather conditions on the day of event. Favourable climate and weather conditions are essential advantages which influences the degree of satisfaction, allowing tourists to enjoy their holiday activities safely and comfortably, helping them fulfil the desires that originally brought them to the destination (de Freitas 1990, 2003; Blazejczyk, 2001; Gomez-Martin, 2005). However, it is surprising that although 59% of respondents engaged in a pre-planned weather dependent activity of sun tanning and swimming as well as 10% for picnicking, only a small percentage of 13% admitted to have checked the weather forecast before coming to Sentosa.

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries Growth literature The significant increase in FDI flows across countries is a clear indication of globalization of the world economies over the past 2 decades. Neoclassical model of growth as well as endogenous growth models provides the basis for most of the empirical work on the FDI-GROWH relationship. According to the neoclassical growth theory, economic growth generally comes from two sources: factors accumulation and total factor productivity growth (Felipe, 1997). Growth is easier to quantity and analyse while difficulties abound in the measurement of the Total Factor Production growth due to the lack of appropriate economic modeling techniques as well as lack of appropriate data. Neoclassical growth projected that based on aggregate production function that relates the total output of an economy to the aggregate amount of the labour, human capital, physical capital and level of technology, poor countries will grow faster than rich countries. Neoclassical growth theory implies that return on cap ital stock should be higher in poor countries than in rich countries. This implies that the impact of FDI is limited to its output growth effect in the short run, with no change in the long run growth rate. On the other hand, the Endogenous growth literature state that FDI can not only contribute to the economic growth through capital formation and technology transfers (Blomstrom et al.1996) but also do so through the augmentation of the level of knowledge through labour training and skill acquisition ( De Mello, 1999). Endogenous growth models emphasize on other channels including human capital accumulation and externalities or spillover effect through which FDI can promote growth in the long run. (Romer 1986, Loungani and Razin,2001). The three channels identify through which FDI affects growth; First, FDI increases capital accumulation in the host country by introducing new inputs and technologies (Dunning, 1993; Blomstrom et al. 1996). Second, FDI may stimulate knowledge transfers, both in terms of labour training and skill acquisition and by introducing alternative management practices and better organizational arrangements (De Mello, 1997).Third, FDI increases competition in the h ost country by overcoming entry barriers and reducing the market power of existing firms. Channels of Growth When a country’s foreign investment increase international production also increase rapidly, and thus investment only contribute towards the expansion of national markets but also larger scale regional and global markets( UNCTAD,1990). It is obvious that FDI will convey many benefits to the host country; one of them is economic growth. Hermes and Lensink(2000) has summarized different channels through which positive externalities related with FDI can arise namely: i)competition channel where increased competition is likely to result in increased productivity, investment in human and physical capital and efficiency. Increased competition may lead to changes in the industrial structure towards more competitiveness and more export oriented activities. ii) Training channel through increased training of labour and administration. FDI can also increase the quality of domestic human capital and improve the knowhow and managerial skills of local firms. (learning by watching effect) ii i) Linkages channel whereby foreign investment is often accompanied by technology transfer. FDI can encourage the adoption of new technology in the production process through capital spillovers. According to De Mello (1997) and OECD (2002), FDI affect growth is likely to depend on the economic and technological conditions in the host country. Therefore, technological spillover is possible only when there is certain minimum or threshold level of human capital available in the host country (Borensztein, et al. 1998) iv) domestic firms imitate the move advance technologies used by foreign firms commonly termed as the ‘demonstration channel’. By adapting new technologies and ideas (i.e. technological diffusion) they may catch up to the levels of technology in developed countries. The use of new technologies may be important in contributing to higher productivity of capital and labour in the host country. Local firms have an opportunity to improve their efficiency by learnin g and interacting with foreign firms. Benefits of FDI The economic rationale for offering special incentive to attract FDI frequently derives from the belief that foreign investment produces externalities in the form of technology transfers and spillovers. Spillover effects may take place when the entry or presence of foreign firms leads to productivity and efficiency benefits in the host country’s local firms (Blomstrà ¶m and Kokko 1998). There are two forms of spillover effects that foreign firms bring to the local industries which are Inter- and intra- industry spillover effects. Horizontal spillover also called intra-industry spillovers correspond to technological externalities associated with specific knowledge, such as management strategy and know-how and superior production techniques. Kokko (1996) argue that domestic firms benefits from the entry of foreign firms competition, imitation and workers’ productivity. Local firms will allocate more resources to product development and quality assurance in order to remain competitive. Gorg and Greenaway (2004) state that there are 4 channels through which horizontal spillover might occur Imitation which involves simulation of exclusive technology, management and marketing skills of foreign firms such that it will improve the productivity of local firms( Halpenn and Murakozy,2007) Human capital and labour turnover; Gory and Greenaway (2004) identify two mechanisms through which there is productivity spillover. First a direct spillover to complementary worker, as skilled labour working alongside labour tends to raise productivity of the latter. Second, workers that move carry knowledge with them new technology, new management techniques and consequently can become direct agents of technology transfer. Competition- as competition increase due to foreign firms, domestic firms have to introduce new technology in order to increase their efficiency(Glass and Saggi,2002) Export- local firms can learn penetration tactics which are viewed as essential for the export market. Hence they may experience cost reduction with exportation Recent studies based on micro-level panel data call into question the evidence of positive spillover and find either insignificant or negative intra industry spillovers. Haddad and Harrison (1993) find no significant relationship between the level of FDI and domestic firm’s productivity growth in the same sector for Morocco in late 80s. Aitken and Harrison (1999) find a negative relationship between the two variables for Venezuela manufacturing industries for the period 1970 to 1980. Vertical spillover also known as inter-industry spillovers consists of externalities occurring due to FDI through backward and forward linkages to input market. Usually when MNE make transaction with local suppliers and customers it may lead to the transfer of technology and know-how which subsequently will improve the intermediate product. MNE can increase the demand for the local input as a backward link to intermediate good suppliers hence increasing the productivity of domestic firms. Productivity can also be increase through forward linkages when domestic producers purchase more sophisticated intermediate goods from MNEs. Moran (2001) states that there are case studies which show that knowledge is transferred from downstream foreign affiliates to upstream, training and assistance as well as supervision in implementation of new technologies

Roosevelt Teddy :: Essays Papers

Roosevelt Teddy He first tried the law profession by enrolling in Columbia University. He did not enjoy it and soon left school. He published his first book in 1882 it was entitled â€Å"The Naval War of 1812†. He had begun work on it while still at Harvard. Then Teddy decided that he would try a career in politics. His first position was on the state assembly in the state of New York. He ran as a republican and won the position easily. At this position he did two major things: first he exposed a corrupt judge and secondly he learned to work with men from both parties. Instead of going for a second term of legislature he decided that he would go to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He went as the chairman for the New York delegation. While Roosevelt’s professional life was flourishing his personal life was not in very good shape. In 1884 both his wife and mother died. His wife died while giving birth to their daughter, Alice. Roosevelt would take a break from politics and form the Elkhorn ranch on the Little Missouri River in the Dakota Territory. On his ranch he led the life of a cowboy. He would round up cattle and ride horses all day. It was a good break for Roosevelt. One story tells of Roosevelt capturing three thieves and holding them at gun point for 6 days until they reached the proper authorities. Also during this time Roosevelt wrote 2 more books (Hunting Trips of a Ranch Man and Thomas Hart Benton) and fell in love with Edith Kermit Carow. On December 2, 1886 Roosevelt and Carow went to London to be married. When they returned to the United States Roosevelt set his mind back on politics. He was very active in the presidential campaign of 1888 when Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. Roosevelt believed in hiring government workers on their skills not based on their party affiliation. At the time the winner of the race would hire every one that had helped them win the race even if they were not qualified for the position. Harrison would award his efforts by appointing him the U.S. Civil Services Commissioner. As commissioner he would continue to challenge â€Å"patronage†. He did such a good job that when Cleveland beat Harrison for reelection he kept him as Civil Services Commissioner. In 1895 Roosevelt would return to New York City to

Teaching Race Explicitly in the Classroom Essay -- Education

Teaching Race Explicitly in the Classroom Many literacy experts point out the fact that at the college level, black students who attend all-black schools tend to be more successful than those attending predominantly white schools. Even though these schools often lack resources and financial stability, they nonetheless produce more high achieving black students than predominantly white schools. For instance, according to Fleming, black students attending Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBUC) have higher graduation rates than those attending predominately white institutions. Also, students who graduate from a HBUC and go on to attend predominantly white graduate schools do just as well as students who have graduated from predominantly white colleges (Fleming 1). What is it that black schools and black teachers have that produces academically successful black students? What approaches to learning can white teachers adopt from black teachers in order to maximize the learning of these students? Bell Hooks, author of Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, grew up in the South. As a young child, she attended a segregated school, but then made the transition into a desegregated school later in her youth. Hooks believes that the education she received at the all-black school was far better than the education at the desegregated school. Hooks explains: Almost all of our teachers at Booker T. Washington were black women. They were committed to nurturing our intellect so that we could become scholars, thinkers, and cultural workers—black folks who used our "minds"†¦Within these segregated schools, black children who were deemed exceptional, gifted were given special care†¦When we entered rac... ..., Jacqueline Jordan and James W. Fraser. "Warm Demanders." Education Week 17 (1998): n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 May 1998. Available FTP: http//:www.edweek.org/ew/vol-17/35irvine.h17 Jones, LeAlan and Newman, Lloyd. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago. New York: Washington Square Press Publication, 1997. Ladson-Billings, Gloria. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1994. Smitherman, Geneva. "The Blacker the Berry, The Sweeter the Juice." 1994. Tatum, Beverly. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? New York: Basic Books, 1997. Villegas, A. "School Failure and Cultural Mismatch: Another View." The Urban Review, 20.4 (1988): 253-265. Wellman, David. Portraits of White Racism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.