Human Trafficking And Human Smuggling Essay - 1679 Words

How would you feel to know that you just paid money for you to be human smuggled and or trafficked? Thinking that you are coming to the United States to start a land of opportunity. Say you are in another country answering a job ad for the United States and to find out when you get here, it’s a sick joke. Unfortunately, the issue of human smuggling and trafficking is a sick game that ruins the lives of many innocent women and it’s going to take a strong investigation to put a stop to those men that are capturing these young women from all over the country. Human Smuggling is defined as the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a persons across an international border, in violation of one or more country’s laws, either clandestinely smuggling refers to illegal immigration in which an agent is involved for payment to help a person cross a boarder clandestinely and using them for prostitution. Unfortually, this is the negative side of human smuggling. Human smuggling is secured to obtain financial debt or other benefits to the smuggler. When in the country that they’ve paid to enter into, they are not in contact with the handler anymore. Furthermore, there are other benefits to human smuggling being positive like reuniting families together and or putting victims in protected custody. Frank Schmalleger quoted: that The State Department notes that the vast majority of people who are assisted in illegally entering the United States annuallyShow MoreRelatedHuman Trafficking And Human Smuggl ing1328 Words   |  6 Pagesconvince my readers that human trafficking and human smuggling are not the same. It is important to identify these two key terms in an effort to better understand them. By doing this my readers will have a better understanding of why it is important to distinction them. Human trafficking and human smuggling are huge markets worldwide and as a result can provide many of those involved with an income. The amount of income that is produced annually due to human trafficking is not known. According toRead MoreHuman Smuggling And Human Trafficking1525 Words   |  7 PagesHuman smuggling is defined as the act of facilitating, transporting or aiding the illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, deliberately evading the country s immigration laws. Human trafficking is similar, but not quite the same since the person being trafficked has not given consent, while smuggling is under an agreement between smuggler and customer. A victim of trafficking is also usually treated as possession to be controlled and exploited (Human Trafficking Gale)Read MoreHuman Trafficking And Smuggling Of Migrants Essay2452 Words   |  10 PagesIs there distinction between human trafficking and smuggling of migrants? The confusion around human trafficking and the smuggling of immigrants’ leads to production of incorrect interpretation of the two cases within the professional circles (Batsyukova 2012: 39). Recently, the smuggling of migrants across international borders has hurriedly developed from a small scale cross border activity affecting many countries into a global multi-million dollar enterprise (Forced Migration Review- Bhaba Read MoreOrganised Crime-Maritime Piracy, Smuggling and Human Trafficking693 Words   |  3 PagesOrganised Crime-Maritime Piracy, Smuggling and Human Trafficking: Organised crime groups will utilise the Indian Ocean space to conduct their illicit operations (Hastings, 2012). Major crimes include piracy, smuggling and human trafficking. Piracy is a major security challenge in the IOR as it threatens peace and regional stability, trade and commerce as well as international energy movement (Herbert-Burns, 2012). It has encountered a lot of attention within the media as a successful means of financialRead MoreHuman Trafficking And The United Nations Office On Drugs And Crime1278 Words   |  6 PagesHuman trafficking and smuggling has been in existence across the world for thousands of years. While both of these issues deserve equal public awareness, they are very different from one another. The United Nations office reveals consent, exploitation and transnationality are the most important differences (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Web). From ancient Greek to medieval times, up until today, both physical and sexual slavery is commo nly used. Humans all over the world are trappedRead MoreHuman Trafficking And The Trafficking901 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Smuggling and trafficking continues to be a worldwide plague that has been, thus far been largely ignored by the international community. The paramount reason human trafficking and smuggling has festered and grown roots and spread globally. It started as a grassroots effort on the local level where women and girls (it affects boys as well) would be used and sold for sex. Eventually, greed and corruption tagged along for the ride and at that point the crimes became an organized enterprise. AtRead MoreHuman Trafficking And Trafficking : A Modern Day Form Of Slavery Essay1068 Words   |  5 PagesHuman smuggling and trafficking: Did you know that women make up 66% of the worldwide trafficking victims? The victim is usually aged 8-18, and some are as young as 4 or 5. Human trafficking and smuggling is becoming the world’s largest crime in the world. People that are caught up in these horrible crimes either end up in jail if caught, or dead. Trafficking is a compared to a modern-day form of slavery as it involves the exploitation of unwilling people through force. Karla Jacinto was one ofRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1283 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it comes to the topic human trafficking, mostly everyone knows that it has a lot of history to its name. According to ben skinner, â€Å" there are more slaves in the world today then ever before†(E. Benjamin pg. xi). There have been many incidents and cases with human trafficking such as, sex trade, smuggling, violence, etc. Today, one can show how real is Human Trafficking. This paper details the big enigma exist todays date, that Human Trafficking is real. Trafficking can happen in almost everyRead MoreHuman Trafficking : A Serious Crime And A Direct Violation Of Human Rights1138 Words   |  5 PagesIntelligence Question: How human trafficking is currently impacted by increased law enforcement coverage at the southwest border aimed at reducing illegal alien smuggling into the country? Summary: Human trafficking is a serious crime and a direct violation of human rights. It can be defined as an illegal trade of human beings in which they are treated as possessions to be controlled for labor intensive work like slavery, or exploited by being forced into prostitution. Every year, millions of peopleRead MoreHuman Trafficking : A Global Perspective1402 Words   |  6 PagesIn Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective, Louise Shelley examines why and how human occurs. Dr. Shelley, founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center and Professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University is a lead expert on transnational crime and terrorism. She has written numerous works on all sides of transnational crime and corruption. The main focus of her work is on the former Soviet Union. Shelley does an excellent job on giving the reader

Importance Of Cell Phones In School - 721 Words

Are cells phones an improvement of learning to students? Phones and/or other electronic device are things that people are overly devoted to. Students are the main ones who are reliable on their phone for information and trending topics. The reliability on phones for students is tremendous and creates ways for students to learn topics that are far from being leaned by teaching. Learning on a phone is an easy access although for some it is not when students do not have the possession of one. These devices are the main problem in school that provoke whether students should or shouldnt be allowed to use them in class. People strongly believe that phones should not be allowed in school while others presume that phones should be used. Phones†¦show more content†¦Students may be to shy to speak with each other so instead of talking they can text each other. With a phone more than two students can collaborate on projects. Projects are accomplished and students can easily communicate . Through this way students collaborate easily. Communication with a teacher can be easier and happen more often. A phone opens new ways of communication with a teacher and creates an easy access. Students around teachers tend to get quiet and shy which leads them into not wanting to talk or ask questions. Asking questions is a normal thing for students to do. If the students are not asking questions there might be some complication with the subject being discussed in class. Texting a teacher helps a student boost their confidence and lets them know that it is all Alright to ask questions and make suggestions. The quietest of students in class can be quiet but the loudest at texting. The teacher can help the student comprehend a subject much easier when it is typed rather than being spoken. When students receive homework that they do not understand, they tend to guess and make random suggestions rather than working the problem out. If the students have a device they can communicate with, they can text or call the teacher f or help on the assignment. This way students can get help by communicating with their teacher. The learning of students can improve advantageously by students being allowed to use their phones in class.Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Cell Phones In School1024 Words   |  5 PagesCell phones. Mobile devices that allow millions across the world to communicate and reach out. They can be used for business, to call your great-grandma Ethel, or for some people, more sinister and malicious reasons. Almost all of the American teenage population own a smartphone or some sort of cellular or mobile device, but what is their place in the classroom? I believe that they have no place in schools. I think that they are a huge distraction to students, lead to bullying and gossip, and areRead MoreImportance Of Cell Phones In School809 Words   |  4 Pagesin class with a cell phone going off? Nothing is worse than a phone interrupting you during class. Some schools try to prevent this. For example, at George Washington Middle School, students have to have their phones turned off and in their lockers. Although many people believe phones should be in schools for resources, phones shouldn’t be allowed because theyre distracting. they can hurt your education, and they can cause cyberbullying. Phones should not be allowed in school because they areRead MoreCell Phones in School: Nuisance or Learning Tool Essay673 Words   |  3 PagesCell phones over the past few years have become essential to teens. Attributable to this increase in cellphones teens bring them everywhere including school. Consequently though, students who bring them into school often use them without the teacher’s consent and get distracted. On the other hand, if teachers allowed the use of these devices, they could work as an aid. Although some believe that phones distract students in class, implementing them in the classroom could help learning, and may helpRead MoreThe Misuse Of Cell Phones In School?1312 Words   |  6 PagesCell Phones In School Do cell phones belong in school? Many think they can be a learning revolution while others think it is a learning deficit. In November 2017, the students of Deer Path Middle School were in the middle of LA class when suddenly a student’s phone blared disrupting the whole class. He was trying to play a mobile game in class. Many could not overcome the shock but the teacher took swift action and punished the student according to his crime. Misuse of Phones Phones. They are somethingRead MoreCell Phones And Their Possession At School Essay1593 Words   |  7 PagesCell phones in schools Researchers show in today’s society that there is a higher rate of students having cell phones at school than in prior years. There are many pros and cons to children having cell phones in their possession at school. According to Maya Cohen, a 2010 Pew Research Center found that 65 percent of cell owning teens bring their phones to school despite any bans that may be in place. It is up to the child to know the rules and regulations when carrying a phone at school, and it isRead MoreShould Mobile Phones Improve Our Lives?1141 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"CANADIANS†, IN THE NEW PHONES TECHNOLOGY AGE. INTRODUCTION: Canadians of all of ages wake up to the new Advantages of the technology, it is impossible Close the eyes to the continue progress of science. Mobile phones are really very important in our Lives that we cannot think our life without them. It is long-range, portable electronic they are equipped with The high-end features and specifications that it really makes us feel great in having them in our hands. They have completely intruded inRead MoreRestricted Cell Phone Areas896 Words   |  4 PagesIn the article From Stone Age To Phone Age , author Barbara Ehrereich argues that all cell phones serve as a status symbol, thus presenting mankind s selfish attempt to showboat their level of importance. By publicly engaging in meaningless conversations individuals are able to obtain admirer s jealously; thus portraying that the on-lookers are lonely because of their absence of a cellular phone or lack of received calls. In fact since primal times it has been a tendency of humans to competeRead MoreCyberbullying: The New Form Of Bullying. When Sending Our1661 Words   |  7 PagesCyberbullying: The New Form of Bullying When sending our children to school we expect them to be able to learn without distractions, but bullying makes that impossible. Bullying has been recognized as a problem for school children globally. In fact, school bullying has proven to be a risk factor for suicide, which has been identified as one of the top causes of death among teens (Erick Messias, 2014). Now that bullying and its importance has been acknowledged as a critical concern, several preventionRead MoreCell Phone Addiction in Ncba College Student1123 Words   |  5 PagesCELL PHONE ADDICTION IN NCBA COLLEGE STUDENT A Research Paper Presented to Prof. Zenaida T. Miranda National College of Business and Arts Fairview, Quezon City In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for English 2 ( 9:30-10:30 MWF ) 2nd Semester 2007-2008 By: ________________________ Linn Dantlhee E. Estopace B.S.Accountancy March 7, 2008 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Cell phones in the country have not only broadened communications and introduced new and faster lifestylesRead MoreEssay On Importance Of Mobile Phone1270 Words   |  6 Pagesyour mobile phone in your school and personal life? Cell Phones could be a really reliable tool to use when it comes to your school work and etc . It allows students to obtain answer to questions very quickly and easily but students,adults and even parents intend to get addicted on cell phones easily and it’s broadly proven. For past the century cell phones have been there for us helps us to our daily living there is no doubt that we use cellphones in our daily lives . â€Å" Cell phones have enabled

Wolfgang Mozart free essay sample

He was writing his own music when he was five. He wrote over six hundred compositions. This essay will briefly outline the background of composer Wolfgang Mozart and then discuss an influence on him and a contribution he made to music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in January 27, 1756 in Salisbury, Austria. His father Leopold Mozart, a violinist and composer married Anna Maria and they had seven children but five of their children died in childhood. The seventh child, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the fourth child, Marl Anna Wilbur Igniting survived. Wolfgang Mozart was playing the same piece of music as his sister when he as four and he wrote his own music when he was five. He wrote an opera and it was very successful when he was just fourteen. In 1782, Wolfgang Mozart married Constance Weber and they had six children. As family members increased, his debts did too. His income was not balanced with expenses. We will write a custom essay sample on Wolfgang Mozart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Wolfgang Mozart died in Vienna, December 5, 1791 at the age of thirty five because of Illness. He was buried the day after he died, during a storm so no one went to his funeral. After Wolfgang Mozart died, no one could find his grave because his grave had been unmarked and his body was unidentified. He was very poor when he died, his family had a lot of bets so his wife had no money to use for his funeral Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart did not have a lot of influences but a huge influence was his father. When Mozart was young he used to attend the piano lessons that his father gave to his sister so he always wanted his father to teach him too.His father began to teach Mozart when he was four and after a short period of time, he started to see his sons talent because Mozart was able to learn and play very complex pieces of music very quickly so his father decided to train him. He had a very unusual childhood, he could composed when he was just five years old. He had an extraordinary talent and probably better than his sister. Leopold was very proud of his son so when Wolfgang Mozart was 7, Leopold took him and his sister on a Journey all the way through France, Germ any, Switzerland, England and other countries to perform for three and a half years. They also held concerts In public and many people admired young Mozart because he played piano like a professional. Some people thought that because he could play completed pieces of music in his head, he was a genius. Just like breathing, music obvious came naturally to him. He could play piano, organ and violin. Mozart lived ND traveled everywhere with his father. Mozart never went to school because he learnt everything from his father. His father was a friend, teacher and Impresario to him. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart greatest contribution Is to western music. He was considered the greatest of all opera composers.He wrote an opera in each style: Comic opera and Opera series (serious opera). He wrote Demimonde which was considered as the greatest opera series that ever written. He also produced some of his greatest work in 1791, including the Magic Flute, the Clarinet Concerto and the Requiem. Opera was never be the same after 1791, the year that he died. He had a huge Influence on the work of Ludwig van be a model for his composition too. Wolfgang Mozart composed over six hundred Norms, including opera, wind ensembles, marches, ballet music and much more. Rough his music, Mozart has made a huge impact in this world.His music was perfect so it was very hard to understand. Scientists have found some evidences that Nee children under the age of three listen to Mozart music, it can help to improve childs brain development. They also compared people who listened to Mozart music with people who did not. The result was people who were listened to Mozart USIA were likely to become smarter; this was called the Mozart effect. However, Knolling Amadeus Mozart was still one of the most powerful, talented and genius musical composers of his time, our time and our childrens time.

Modern Times Essay Example For Students

Modern Times Essay Boredom breeds blood and poison. In today’s society, it fails to surprise us that children continue to cling to the messages within music, television, and magazines. Such media portrayals tend to then set a model for how we develop our behavioral patterns. However, once a trend grows old or out of style, a strong sense of apathy results, if only for even a split second. In the long run, when such children feel out of place and their emotions run them rather than their minds, chaos results. We have seen several examples of this natural desire to rebel against authority in today’s world; take a look at Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris of Littleton, Colorado. The media definitely exists as our voice of reason when taking into account incidents such as this — for our entire lives, it is all we have known. The mindset of the nineteenth century Romanticists seems unbelievably similar to that of the youths in America. Both time periods ultimately ended up indirectly encouraging one’s naturally hidden desire to revolt against the rules and conventions of society. Romanticism placed a major emphasis on reason through the arts. Literature, for instance, created the classic hero — a mysterious, melancholy figure who felt out of step with the world, thus yearning for freedom. Such writing — the media — determined and verified this approach and definition of life. In the nineteenth century, Lord Byron, Victor Huge, and Sir Walter Scott, among others, proved to be responsible for the promotion of such instincts toward rebellion. The arts during this time period certainly conveyed incredibly violent energy and emotion as well, thus calling for the defense of the rights of man. Since hypocrisy seemed to engulf humanity, a strong emphasis was placed on one’s imagination. Was the test then the same as now? Certainly! Both time periods utilized the power of the hero to survive death and despair; the creative spirit always seemed to prevail. Overall, everything then and now revolves around emotion and our natural ability to distinguish right from wrong. It only seems sane to allow one to make his or her own judgements based on his or her mistakes. Through talent, energy, and ambition, both the Romanticists and today’s American teenagers have risen from a lowly station to carve out their own destiny. The French Realist, Gustave Courbet, said, â€Å"I cannot paint an angel because I have never seen one. † Quite the pessimist, this man opposed the Romantic Movement, ultimately showing no sentiment, and in turn, no levels of dignity or tolerance for humanity. One must possess the opportunity to flourish, though! Gustave Courbet may have not desired such freedom, but today, just let us have our angels.

Robert Frost - Nature In His Poetry Essays - Robert Frost

Robert Frost - Nature in His Poetry Robert frost has many themes in his poetry. One of the main themes that is always repeated, is nature. He always discusses how beautiful nature is or how distructive it can be. Frost always discusses nature in his poems. First, in the poem ?Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening? there is a lot of nature expresses. Frost's very first sentence already talks about the woods. ?whose woods these are I think I know?. Also, in the poem he states that the narrator likes to sit and watch the snow. He is also a nature lover. In the second stanza Frost refers back to the woods. He must also like ice, because he brings ice and cold up a lot in his poems. Once again Frost brings ice up when he mentions flake and cold wind. Then in the last stanza Frost mentions woods again. Even though the narrator has a long way to go he always has enough time to stop and watch the small thing in nature in detail. Second, in the poem ?Once by the Pacific? there is a lot of nature expressed. Frost changes his natures view from woods to water. In this poem he now talks about water. The reader can see how powerful the water is when it eats away at the cliff. The shore was lucky by being backed by the cliff. Once again Frost is discussing water which goes back to stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by stating the water because there is water in this poem with snow Frost keeps bringing up water and snow. Water is a sign of being powerful, Frost must love having power by showing it with water. He also shows how powerful water is by tearing away at the cliff. Third, in the poem "The Most of it" there is also a lot of nature being expressed. You can see in this poem Frost refers back to the cliff which is in the fifth sentence of the poem, ?Some morning from the boulder broken beach?. He also talks about the water again and how mighty it is. Frost loves to write about water and how powerful it is in this poem and in many others of his. Frost always expresses nature in his poems. The reader can tell that Frost does love water. He also likes the power of it and expressing ot through nature. He also brings up other points of nature, but it always has water. The water is always breaking down cliffs, beaches and boulders. Frost's poems are similar but are also very different, but they all have nature in them.

The Articles of Confederation Investigation essays

The Articles of Confederation Investigation essays Throughout the history of civilizations, many constitutions have been used. In America, the present day constitution is law and is used to govern the United States of America yet this was not the first constitution of the United States. That would be the Articles of Confederation. This constitution was in effect from 1781-1789, and it had its ups and downs. Overall the "Articles of Confederation" were good in many cases and bad in economic problems. The Articles of Confederation were a group of documents written by John Dickinson in the late 1700s. It was in favor of the small government and big state power. People were the first part of their states and then part of the country. As seen in Document B, from the years of 1770-1775 the market value of United States exports to Great Britain was greatly increased over the years. Then theirs a break in the chart, this is most likely the time of the American Revolution and the countries overall post-war recollection. Then in 1784, the chart begins again, and the number of market value exports with England has dropped down by about 20 percent. This number then begins to waver up and down as the years go by. Although it is safe to assume that the loss of trade is due to anger between the British and United States yet it is also safe to assume that since the Articles of Confederation does not give the national government the ability to impose taxes, and tariffs, on products, thus subst antially lowering its profit value. People in other countries, especially Great Britain knew that the U.S.' government could not impose taxes and tariffs and a state wouldn't impose a tax on its people because they can just move to another state and rebel on the state. So according to Document B, the Market value of the United States good had substantially lowered during the use of the Articles of Confederation. Admittedly, under the "Articles of Confederation," many good things did happen. The Treaty of Pa...

Article Critiques on Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Critiques on Finance - Essay Example Developing countries led by Brazil, Russia, China and India hold most of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, and their share of exports has risen from 20% in 1970 to 435 in 2006. However, as the economic balance of power changes, the balance of political power continues to remain in the West, a situation that cannot continue indefinitely. That changes are imminent can be gauged by the fact that the IMF is already considering some changes in its power structure. Similarly, a UN Security Council that excludes 1/5th of humanity (China, India) or a G7 that excludes China, which holds the worlds largest foreign exchange reserves, cannot stand the test of time. There is bound to be some friction on account of these changes, but overall it will benefit mankind as a whole. In earlier centuries, economic rivalries brought in its wake widespread hostilities, as nations tried to wrest power and widen their spheres of influence as part of the ‘Great Game’. However, that might not be the case in the 21st century, as the US remains the world’s sole military superpower. Dialogue and reliance on international organizations to settle disputes is the preferred approach, though the slow progress of the Doha talks is a cause for concern. Nonetheless, the chances of armed conflict remain negligible, now that geo-economics has overtaken geo-politics as the driver of a country’s foreign policy. As the battle between Boeing’s 787 and Airbus’ A380 heats up, there are indications that the later is in danger of losing the race. Production delays due to inefficient practices, which are politically motivated, are likely to result in at least a two-year delay. This delay could mean the difference between making profits and bankruptcy. It is estimated that the delay, â€Å"will knock a further E 4.8 billion off profits and E 6.3 billion off revenues between 2006 and 2010. The losses could even be higher if airlines that have placed orders for the A380

Drug Development and Toxicology (High-performance liquid Essay

Drug Development and Toxicology (High-performance liquid chromatography) - Essay Example is also vital in actiation of various carcinogens and detoxification of toxic epoxides (Bauer, Faiola, Abernethy, Marchan, Pluta, Wong, Gonzalez, Butterworth, Borghoff, Everitt and Recio, 2003). The deficiency of epoxide hydrolase does not show any abnormal phenotype. This suggests that it is not important for physiological homeostasis and reproduction. However, deficiency in epoxide hydrolase results in the organism been unable to bioactivate DMBA to the carcinogenic metabolite. This results in the organism been highly resistant to DMBA induced carcinogenesis. Its deficiency causes a decrease in reaction to toxicity that is as a result of benzene as there is a reduction in the quantity of metabolites that are toxic (Bauer, Faiola, Abernethy, Marchan, Pluta, Wong, Gonzalez, Butterworth, Borghoff, Everitt and Recio, 2003). As shown in the test results, the concentration of 4, 5 – dihydrodiol reduces day after day. This means that the catalysis of epoxide hydrolase leads to its reduction. This means that the toxicity of 4, 5 – dihydrodiol is relatively reduced. For 7, 8 – dihydrodiol, the catalysis of epoxide hydrolase leads to its complete reduction. Hence, it is rendered non-toxic. The concentration of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide continually rises after each day. This means that the inhibition of the catalysis of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide by epoxide hydrolase leads to a rise in the concentration of this metabolite which results in an increase in its toxicity. Mr. X is likely to develop a cancer as a result of this accident. From the graph, it can be inferred on that the concentration of 7, 8 – diol – 9, 10 – epoxide gradually increases. This metabolite is not inactivated but is resistant to epoxide hydrolase and increased in quantity. This increase in concentration increases the likelihood of Mr. X developing cancer. The reason for this is, due to its resistanse to catalysis by epoxide hydrolase, this metabolite causes mutation in

RESEARCH AND THEORY METHODS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

RESEARCH AND THEORY METHODS - Essay Example In addition, the literature argues that the nature of gender bias changes as women and men mature from elementary school children through adolescence, to college undergraduate and graduate students (Kelley & Parsons, 2000) Given that men and women participate in gender bias behaviours, research provides limited qualitative insight to explain why men and women accept such behaviours in a classroom environment (Fritschner, 2000). This paper compares the perceptions of male and female graduate students regarding the influence of gender in the classroom. Once gender influences are better understood, women and men may also have the opportunity to improve their understanding of each other. Literature Review The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 outlawed discrimination based on several characteristics, including gender. However, long ­standing attitudes, traditions, and practices continued to subtly subjugate minority groups based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. As note d by Haslett and Lipman (1997), "As overt, visible discrimination was challenged in the 1960s and 1970s, it became replaced by subtle and covert discrimination" (p. 36). Beginning in the early 1980s, popular research by Sadker and Sadker (1985), Hall and Sandler (1982), and others explored subtle mechanisms that marginalised women in the classroom. As defined by Mary Rowe (1977), gender bias produces "micro inequities" reflecting "everyday interactions in which individuals are often treated differently because of their gender" (Sandler, Silverberg, and Hall, 1996, p.1 0). Haslett and Lipman (1997) observed: Micro inequities are particularly ubiquitous because in each instance the harm seems too small to bother with. In the aggregate, however, they constitute a serious barrier to productivity, advancement, and inclusion. Micro inequities are particularly difficult to respond to because of the face issues involved as well as the seeming "smallness" of each single instance. (p. 38) As summarised by Fassinger (1995), research efforts produce conflicting opinions. For example, Hall and Sandler's widely referenced 1982 report provided anecdotal documentation of gender bias in academia, concluding that gender bias created a "chilly climate" for women in colleges and universities. However, Howard and Henney (1998) dispute the existence of a chilly climate. While Young (2001) explores biases that have an adverse impact on boys, most gender bias research examines the marginalising behaviours committed by men against women. However, gender bias includes more than men marginalising women's efforts. Haslett and Lipman (1997) observed that "women may discriminate against other women through their reluctance to support other women. And women may discriminate against themselves through limiting their own aspirations or an unwillingness to take risks" (pp. 35-36). King (1998) found that women unconsciously favor academic papers based on the assumption that the paper was writte n by a man. Research on gender bias provides a rich assortment of quantitative and anecdotal investigations into the nature and impact of gender bias in academia. As examples, Karp and Yoels (1976) quantified classroom participation among undergraduate and graduate students. Hall and Sandler's chilly classroom reports (Hall & Sandler, 1982) were based primarily on anecdotal research. Jamison (1999) evaluated interviews with more than 340

Effectiveness Of Communication In Project Management

Effectiveness Of Communication In Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result (PMI, 2008, pg. 5). A project is a sequence of unique, complex and connected activities having one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time, within budget, and according to specification (Wysocki and McGary, 2003, p. 3). A project comprises of number of activities that must be completed in some specific order or sequence according to their technical requirements. Activities in a project are unique, complex and connected in a sense that no two activities can occur under the same conditions which make them unique; the activities are not simple, and the output of one activity becomes the input to another which makes them connected (Wysocki and McGary, 2003). The most important difference between the management control of on-going operations and the management control of projects is that the on-going operations continue indefinitely, whereas a project starts, moves forward from one milestone to the next, and then stops (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2005, p. 790). Projects are temporary, unique and require progressive elaboration (Gardiner, 2005, p. 2). The first characteristic is that projects have a definite life span and they exist for a limited time varying from few days to several years although its end products may sustain indefinitely. This temporary nature of project indicates a definite beginning and an end. The end is reached when the objectives of the project are achieved; the need for project no longer exists or the objectives of the project cannot be met due to lack of resources and the project is terminated. The second characteristic is that each and every project will be different from other projects in their own way. The last characteristic is that as the project progresses, work required is slowly defined with information being added over time (Gardiner, 2005). A project usually has a single objective and the time horizon is the end of the project. The objective of a project is to produce a satisfactory product, within a specified time period, and at an optimum cost (Burke, 2007). Projects often involve trade-offs between scope, schedule, and cost (Gardiner, 2005). Less scope might mean less costs or a shortened schedule leads to overtime and thus increasing costs. Plans for projects can be changed frequently and drastically. A project begins when management has reviewed the nature of what is to be done in the project and approved it. The project ends when its objective has been accomplished, or when it has been cancelled. Projects can be of various durations. Some project may last for a few days, a few weeks, or several years. Its content can be similar to work done before, or unlike anything ever done before (Burke, 2007). Most projects start small, build up to a peak activity and then taper off as completion near (Anthony and Govindaraja n, 2005). An international project is a project that involves multiple locations, entities, organizations and business units (Lientz and Rea, 2003). International projects typically are simultaneously multicultural projects relating to diverse cultures be it national, organizational, or functional cultures (KÃ ¶ster, 2010, p.3). In international projects, stakeholders and organizations who have different cultural and educational background work together. International projects are different from national projects because of language and dialect variations; religious practices; legal, regulatory and reporting requirements; technology level differences in different areas (Lientz and Rea, 2003). The difference between standard projects and international projects are shown in the table below: Attribute Standard projects International Projects Organizations Single Multiple organizations and departments System and technology Homogeneous Multiple systems Culture Single and common culture Multiple, varied cultures Organization Can be focussed on the project Many other competing demands for resources Self-interest More easily understood More complex to understand Table 1 Comparison of standard and international projects (Lientz and Rea, 2003) In short, a project can be considered as a series of activities and tasks that have A specific objective Defined start and end dates Consume human and nonhuman resources Are multifunctional 2.2. Project Life Cycle A project can be considered to have a life-cycle that is divided into four phases. Those phases are: Initiation and definition, Planning and development, Execution and control and finally Closure (Gardiner, 2005; Burke, 2007; Keeling, 2000). A clear understanding of these phases permits the project manager to control resources effectively to achieve the project objectives. D:DocumentsMscDissertationRequiredPlc.JPG Figure 2 Project Life Cycle (Gardiner, 2005) 2.2.1 Initiation and definition This phase represents the start of the project. This is a conceptual phase which includes the preliminary evaluation of an idea (Kerzner, 2006). This phase sets the scope of the project (Gardiner, 2005; Keeling, 2000). It forms the basis for deciding if a particular function or feature is within the scope of the project. This is the phase where new ideas and options are considered and tested to ensure the project objectives can be achieved making use of resources effectively (Burke, 2007). The project ideas are usually derived from the identification of a demand, an available resource or a need (Potts, 2002). The initiation and definition phase is mainly about formulating goals and strategies (Keeling, 2000). 2.2.2 Planning and development During the planning phase, the time plan is set into detail and the planning of the project is conducted with great accuracy. In the project planning phase, a project planning team specifies the rough estimates that were made when it was decided to implement the project. The project planning phase is often the most challenging phase for a project manager as he/she needs to make an educated guess of the stakeholders to be involved, resources and equipment needed to complete the project (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). The project manager needs to plan communications and procurement activities and create a comprehensive suite of project plans which set out a clear project roadmap ahead (Gardiner, 2005). Planning helps in reducing uncertainty, increases understanding of the goals and objectives to be achieved and improves resource efficiency (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). Thus detailed specifications for the product, time schedules, and cost budget are prepared and a management control system, a task control system and an organization chart developed. Furthermore a responsible manager is identified for each work package. Even on projects with little complexity a plan for planning exists and the planning process itself can be seen as a subproject (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2005). 2.2.3 Execution and control This is the phase in which the plans are put into operation (Keeling, 2000). The rate of expenditure is at its peak in this phase (Gardiner, 2005; Burke, 2007). Executing the plan involves four steps (Wysocki and McGray, 2003) Identify the specific resources that will be required to accomplish the work defined in the plan. Assign workers to activities. Schedule activities with specific start and end dates. Launch the plan. No matter how attentive the team is when creating the plan, the project work may not go according to plan. There may always be some schedule slips (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). To minimize this, the progress of the project should be regularly monitored. This is usually done in the controlling phase. Completed work is measure against the plan to monitor the progress of the project and avoid potential problems which may occur in the future. 2.2.4 Closing Closing a project means that the project has been completed and the results of the project can be submitted to the client. The closing phase evaluates what occurred during the project and provides historical information for use in planning and executing later projects (Keeling, 2000; Kerzner, 2006). 2.3. Role of Project Manager The role of project manager is to attain the project objectives (Gardiner, 2005). The project manager must be experienced, capable, and competent in getting the project work done on time, within budget and according to specification (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). The project manager must simultaneously see to the needs of the sponsor and other stakeholders, manage the project life cycle and the performance of the project team, including his or her performance (Gardiner, 2005). It is a role that involves a mix of abilities, combining management with leadership and political awareness (Pinto, 2000). The project manager is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across multiple, functional lines. The integration activities performed by the project manager include activities which are necessary to develop a project plan; execute a plan and to make changes to the plan (Kerzner, 2006). A project manager must be able to understand the project detail but manage from the overall perspective (PMI, 2008). As an architect of the project plan, the project manager must provide complete task definitions; resource requirement definitions; major time table milestones; definition of end item quality and reliability requirements and the basis for performance measurement (Kerzner, 2006). Project managers influence people to take action (Gardiner, 2005). This requires an ability to communicate in a style appropriate for the individual concerned. If communication in the project is of low quality, the project will be more likely to fail (Armstrong, 1992). People working within a project always communicate but the quality of the communication must be high. The purpose and direction of the project lie on the ability of the project manager to communicate well with the partners within the project (Briner et al., 1996). One important role of the project leader is to create active communication among the project members by staying in touch with individuals and passing information between different members and between them and the funding organization (Briner et al., 1996). The project manager must be able to convert the inputs (i.e. resources such as capital, materials, equipments, facilities, information, personnel etc.) into output of products, services and ultimately profi ts (Kerzner, 2006). In order to do this, the project manager needs strong communicative and interpersonal skills, must become familiar with the operations of each line organization and must have knowledge of the technology used (Kerzner, 2006). Project leader should have high level of communication skills to be able to successfully manage with the project. The project managers role is like a spider weaving the web and should be the centre of communication and events (Briner et al., 1996). One of the major responsibilities of the project manager is planning. If project planning is performed correctly, then it is conceivable that the project manager will work himself out of the job because the project can run itself (Kerzner, 2006).The chief executive role of the project manager involves more than that of being accountable for the activities of the project (Cusworth and Franks, 1993). It implies that the manager is expected to make things happen by active involvement. The manager role as co-ordinator is vital in co-ordinating the efforts of the project team and the stakeholders. The project manager should define the ethics, norms and values of their project team, establishing the atmosphere of the organization and the way that the various project tasks are approached. The project managers role as a diplomat requires high level of sensitivity and good negotiating skills (Cusworth and Franks, 1993). He/she must be able to negotiate the relationship between the project and its environment and must be able to ensure the political support. The project manager along with his/her team should brainstorm to decide who the various stakeholders in the project might be. The project manager should go out and talk to all of those stakeholders and develop the necessary interviewing and probing skills which enable him/her to draw out of them what their expectations are. Often, the stakeholders are uncertain about what they want (Potts, 2002; PMI, 2008). The project manager should engage in a dialogue with them to help them to think through their expectations (Jandt, 2007). The project managers initial consideration of stakeholder expectations will help him/her to begin to understand the kinds of resources the project might require and will ensure positive outcome (PMI, 2008). Talking about resources does not mean only talking about tangible resources of money, time and materials, but also about those intangible resources of technical skills, non-technical managerial and communication skills, and the vital intangible of commitment and support from particular people within the project organisation and outside it (Jandt, 2007). The project manager should need to map the risk that may occur in a project by going through a structured process (PMI, 2008). Such process might include: brainstorm possible risks; considering what was wrong in similar projects previously; clustering into related topics; weighting-seriousness and probability; focusing on the very serious and highly probable; defining the project type, and review typical risks; planning how to run the project with the risks in mind. Highlight where in the project the risks will be most crucial; deciding how to reduce the risks so that the chances and consequences of failure are minimised. The project can be considered as temporary organization because it has limited time frame, limited budget, specific goals and activities (Maylor, 1999). Some of such temporary organizations might be inter-organizational projects that involve many organizations having different specialties or expertise (Maylor, 1999). In such projects, it is very important for the project manager to ensure the flow of information from the different organizations involved within the project. The flow of information is vital for the success of such project or organization (Burke, 2007). Since these innovation projects are of interdisciplinary and innovative, the share of experiences, knowledge, and the cooperation in different stages of the project development become absolute necessary for its success. Managing international projects that are of multi organizational type is not an easy task, especially when these organizations are from different technical, cultural, political backgrounds and have different management style in their approach for handling a task (Lientz and Rea, 2003; Koster, 2010). A careful and detailed preparation of projects, especially for inter organizational ones due to their complexity, in their planning phase is vital for their success. The manager should have high experience in planning such projects. To summarize things up, the project manager should have the following attributes Ability to select and develop an operational team. Leadership skills and management ability. Ability to anticipate problems, solve problems and make decision. Ability to integrate the project stakeholders. Operational flexibility. Ability to plan, expedite and get things done. Ability to negotiate, persuade and make deals. Understand the environment within which the project is being managed. Ability to review monitor and apply control. Ability to keep the stakeholders and client happy. COMMUNICATION: ITS ROLE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Definition of Communication Communication is a process in which information is transmitted from a source to a receiver through various channels (JPIM, 2000). Communication means act of transferring information, exchange of information, message which is either written or verbal, and an idea for conveying thoughts effectively (Kerzner, 2001). A good definition of project communication is Project communication management includes the process required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval and ultimate disposition of project information (PMI, 2008, p. 243). In a project environment, communication refers to the exchange or sharing of messages and information to convey meaning and knowledge between project manager, internal and the external stakeholders (Verma, 1996). Communication is a process involving the exchange of message and the creation of meaning. No two individuals ever attach the same meaning to a message or symbol. Effectiveness of communication depends on the degree to which the individuals attach similar meanings to the messages exchanged. Stated differently, communication is effective when individuals are able to minimize misunderstandings. To say that meaning in communication is never totally same for all communicators is not to say that communication is impossible or even difficult only that is imperfect (Fisher, 1978, p. 257). When individuals communicate, they attach meaning to messages they construct and transmit to others. They also attach meaning to messages they receive from others. There are different types of communication such as verbal, written and non-verbal (Verma, 1996; Mehta, 2008). Verbal communication gives a lot of flexibility to the speaker. It is mainly used in face to face meetings, group meetings and over the telephone. While communicating verbally, the speaker can communicate with voice as well as body language. Written communication on the other hand is usually more precise (Mehta, 2008). Written communication can be in the form of letters, memos, notices, emails, reports, proposals memoranda etc. Another type of communication is the non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication refers to a speakers actions and attributes that are not purely verbal. It can be reflected in the way people dress, their tone and stance while talking, their gestures, facial expressions and their body language (Verma, 1996). 3.2 Importance of Communication Communication is an important skill for project managers to accomplish effective project management (Analoui, 1993). This skill is vital because part of management is motivating people to perform their assigned duties to the best of their ability (Perret, 1982; Scott, 1989). Effective communication is the key to success for the individual as well as for the project (Verma, 1996, p.23). By using communication skills, the project manager help to plan, direct, control and coordinate their operations throughout the project life cycle (Verma, 1996). Most of the communication activities of project managers involve interpersonal communication and project communications, sharing information with the project team members and other stakeholders. Communication is the nerve system of leadership, teamwork, cooperation and control. It determines the quality of relationships, levels of satisfaction, the extent of projects success or failure. Cleland and King (1988) in a study of fifty project managers found that managers named communication as one of the vital ingredients for successful project implementation. Moreover, Morris and Hough (1986) also argues that clear communication is necessary for project success and that effective communication is the key to high staff morale which is vital for project success. According to Ruuska (1996, p.67) More than half of the management problems in projects are more or less caused by poorly looked-after communication. Communication acts as a resource as well as tool in project management. As a resource, communication can be compared to other project resources such as time, money, people and equipment. It should be taken into consideration when planning along with the resources. On the other hand, communication is a tool which can be used for effective utilization of other project resources. Communication helps in developing relationships in the organization (Ruuska, 1996). A projec t manager uses communication more than any other element in the project management process to ensure that the team members are working cohesively on project problems and opportunities (Verma, 1996). Communication plays an important role in connecting different parts of an organization together and its external environment (Taylor and Watling, 1979). In an organization, communication is needed to inform the members about the on-going status of the project. For an effective management, it is necessary to have a two way communication channel, to and fro in and across a project organization. A good communication channel can also allow progress to be monitored; difficulties to be reported back to the executive management and expert specialist can advise on technical or commercial problems to be sought by any participant (Keeling, 2003). Communication plays an important role in influencing the whole organization that may be affected and not only those immediately involved in the change. However, the importance of communication is often neglected in many projects (Toney and Power, 1997). Furthermore, lack of communication also results in many failures in change projects (Orr and McKenzie, 1992). Failure to maintain adequate information flows, conflict among project staff or between project administrators and professional staff, as being among some of the causes for inadequate execution, operation and supervision in projects (Rondinelli, 1977). These problems which are in essence communication problems are likely contributors to project failure. Hammond (1990) states that if the intrinsic difficulties such as limitation of funds are taken away, the reason some projects fail is because of problems with people, problems that effective communication could go a long way in solving. Lack of effective communication may lead to misunderstanding. Frustration can be seen in employers due to ineffective or poor communication and may result in conflicts. Communication breakdown is a prime cause of discord or conflict (Keeling, 2003). 3.3 Model of Communication A basic model of communication is shown below: Description: C:Documents and SettingsmnmbaramDesktopcommunication model.JPG Source: Project Management Institute, 2008. This model shows how communication is transferred between the sender and the receiver. The model includes the following components: Encode. The process of putting an idea or a thought into a symbol. Message. The encoded thought or idea. Medium. Means by which the encoded message is transmitted. Noise. Anything that distorts the message. Decode. To translate the message back into thoughts and ideas. The components in the communication model should be taken into account when discussing project communication. The sender determines what information he or she intends to share, encodes this information in the form of a message, and then transmits the message as a signal to the receiver. The destination decodes the transmitted message to determine its meaning and then responds accordingly. If the message decoded is the same as the sender intended, communication is successful (Jandt, 2007). Whenever information is sent from the sender to the receiver, the sender is responsible for making the information clear to the receiver so that the receiver understands it clearly. The receiver is responsible for making sure that the information is received is in its original form and understood correctly. In order to make sure that the message is sent and understood properly, feedback is required (Verma, 1996). 3.4 Channels of Communication Three basic channels of communication in a project environment exist (Verma, 1996). They are upward communication, downward communication and lateral communication. 3.4.1. Upward communication This type of communication is called subordinate/manager communication (Fielding, 2006). It involves communication from the lowest positions in the company to the highest positions. It contains information that higher management needs to evaluate the overall performance of the project for which they are responsible (Verma, 1996). This communication is in the form of reports, memoranda or messages about individual problems and performance; company policies and practices and specific staff problems. 3.4.2 Downward Communication This communication involves managers communicating down the line to subordinates. It provides direction and control for project team members and other employees. It may include information such as missions and goals of the organisation, feedback to subordinates on their performance; procedures to be followed etc (Fielding, 2006). 3.4.3 Lateral communication This communication takes place between departments in a company or project manager and his/her peers (Verma, 1996). This communication is in the form of reports on the activities of departments to keep each other informed and information to managers on company policies and progress so that they are able to make informed decisions (Fielding, 2006). 3.5 Effectiveness of Communication Effective communication involves minimizing misunderstandings. To be effective in communicating with people, everyone must be mindful. Communicating effectively and appropriately are important aspects of being perceived as a skilled communicator (Gudykunst and Kim, 1992). Communication is only effective if the following two conditions are met (Rogers, 1976 cited in JPIM, p. 364). Firstly, the source must be willing to share the information. However, such willingness may be absent at times because the source may not be able to transmit the information, is reluctant to transmit the information or thinks that the information is irrelevant. Secondly, the information transmitted is only effective if it has an effect on the receiver. The effect maybe either change in knowledge, change in attitude or a change in behavior. Ineffective communication can occur for a variety of reasons when individuals communicate. They may not encode the message in a way that it can be understood by others, people may misinterpret what they say or both can occur simultaneously. Effective communicators are those who are motivated; knowledgeable and possess certain communication skills (Samovar and Porter, 2004, pg. 303). Project managers should be motivated; should have a positive attitude towards communication event and they should put every effort to bring about constructive results. They should have the knowledge of what topics, words or meanings are required in a situation. They should know how to assemble, plan and perform content knowledge in a particular situation. Their communication skills should be high enough to accomplish their goals (Samovar and Porter, 2004, pg. 303). For effective communication in project management, it is essential that communication should be focused. If used effectively, can reduce non-productive effort, avoid duplication and help eliminate mistakes (Clarke, 1998). Communicating effectively helps in identification of problems, helps in generating ideas leading to better solutions and helps in dealing with uncertainty. Moreover, it encourages team-work, motivates the team and ensures that every member of the team is involved (Gannon, 1994). Not only effective communication is essential for project implementation and control, it is a powerful weapon against stakeholders conflict. Communication usually fails for the following reasons; not having a clear goal in mind; not establishing relationship; being impatient; not hearing what others have to say; overabundance of ego; assuming that others have the same information on the subject that you have; mistaking interpretations for facts; failure to analyse and handle resistance (Ritz , 1990). 3.6 Communication in stages of Project Life Cycle Communication is important during various phases of the project life cycle. During the initiation/planning phase, communication planning involves determining the information and communication needs of the stakeholders: who wants what information, when will they need it, and how will it be given to them (PMI, 2008). Some other things to be given consideration are the methods of communication to be utilized during the project. These are the technologies or methods used to transfer information back and forth among project entities. Different forms of communication will need to be utilized for communicating with different types of stakeholders and different occasions. Different assumptions and constraints that will affect the project also need to be carefully thought out. Once these factors are kept in mind, develop and document a communication plan that can be shared with the entire set of stakeholders, including team members, management customers and vendors. This type of methodical pl anning can lead to a carefully constructed project communication plan (Mehta, 2008). The plan should detail out what type of communication will take place during the project, who will receive what type of information, where the information will be stored, the schedule of communication such as status reports and project team meetings. Communication with stakeholders from start to the finish of a project is essential to all project management (Verma, 1996). Once the initial communication guidelines and expectations of the project have been established, the communication plan can be executed. During the execution phase of the project, the three main communication functions are information distribution, performance reporting and project control. Information distribution involves making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner. It includes implementing communication management plan and responding to unexpected requests for information (PMI, 1998, p. 106). Some of the essential tools and technologies for information distribution are communication skills and information distribution system. Many of the project deliverables and records result from this function such as meeting minutes and decision documents. Various tools and techniques can be used for performance reporting such as performance reviews, variance analysis, traffic light reports, earned value analysis and trend analysis (Scott and billing, 1998). The output that results from performance reporting are performance reports and project change requests that is generated due to corrective action that needs to be taken to address a variance from the original plans or additional customer needs. All of these functions are useful for project control. Keeping the project on track according to the project plan, budget and estimates that have been laid out is of prime importance. If the project needs to vary from any of these established plans, the project information distribution system should be utilized. The project stakeholders need to be informed and new expectations need to be set. Following a set of established project management processes can be helpful in identifying events that are not planned for. When unexpected events occur , assessing the impact and quickly communicating them to the affected people according to your established communication plan can be efficiently addressed them. Some simple things that a project manager needs to keep i

Economic Factors have been of dominant concern in Australian Foreign Po

‘ECONOMIC FACTORS HAVE BEEN THE DOMINANT CONCERN IN AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN POLICY OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS.’ During the past 25 years, Australian Foreign Policy has consisted of a balance between economic and security priorities. No government can afford to focus on one to the detriment of the other. During the Hawke and Keating era (1983-1996), economic factors were of significant importance as we were in a region that was growing rapidly, faster than any other region in the world. Although having said this, it can be argued that there were exceptions whereby security initiatives were of equal concern to the government. In the current day (Howard era), it is possible to view that there is a higher emphasis on security initiatives than ever before due to being situated in a heavily volatile region (Arc of Instability). Having said this, there once again has been emphasis on the economic growth and prosperity of our nation at the same time, via the use of Trade Agreements and other forms of economic policy. This indicates that although there have been concern on economic factors in the past 25 years in relation to Australian Foreign Policy (AFP) decisions, there has also been a balanced emphasis on security factors during this period. There is no doubt that during the Hawke/Keating era (83-96) economic priorities received significant emphasis in Australian Foreign Policy decisions. To promote the economic growth and increase of trade in the Asia Pacific Region, the Hawke government embarked on a period of ‘enmeshment’ within the region. Keating proposed this enmeshment with neighboring â€Å"Tiger Economies† by co-founding the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Corporation), in 1989. Focused on facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region, it was seen as being crucial to maintain healthy international diplomatic relations within the Asia - Pacific region. This was largely due to the strengthening trading blocks such as the EU (European Union) and NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement). These trading blocks exclusively stipulated that major trading was being transacted via these member economies and was ruling Australia out of many valuable markets. This reinforced that Australia must turn towards its own region for the concentration of developing itself as a strong economy and therefore founded the APEC organization under it... ...ing economic growth in the Asia Pacific Region, whilst also maintaining a fair market for the trade of agricultural goods. On the other hand particular focus was also placed on the national security interests on Australia with the participation in the 1991 Gulf War, in an attempt to strengthen our military ties with the USA and also strengthen ties via the ANZUS Treaty. However it can also be seen during the Howard era that Foreign Policy focus was primarily on a balance between security and economic objectives via the implementation of the â€Å"Helpem Fren† initiative in the Solomon Islands and Enhanced Cooperation Program in Papua New Guinea, there were also factors that determined a focus on security initiatives along with this economic focus. This was through Australia’s participation in the Gulf War to improve our military relationship and ‘insurance policy’ with the USA. Economic factors that were also in the Australian government interests for t he nation, was the bilateral free trade agreement with the USA. After evaluating both of these national parties and eras it can concluded that no government can afford to focus on one area of foreign policy to the detriment of the other.

Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Essay

Does entrepreneurial self-efficacy distinguish entrepreneurs from managers? Self-efficacy is an individual’s cognitive estimate of his or her â€Å"capabilities to mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources and courses of action needed to exercise control over events in their lives† (Wood & Bandura 1989). One important effect of self-efficacy is on the chice of behavior settings, where individuals tend to choose situations in which they anticipate high personal control but avoid situations in which they anticipate low control. Starting one’s own business is often described as purposive and intentional career choice. Although there can be a wide variety of contextual as well as individual factors that influence the entrepreneurial choice, the role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy has been emphasized as a key antecedent . Bandura (1977b. 1986) distinguished his social learning theory from many traditional psychological theories by emphasizing reciprocal causation among cognition, behavior and environment, where we found that the notion of reciprocal causation is important in understanding self-efficacy and its determinants and effects. One of the researches conducted on the effects of self-efficacy found that self-efficacy is the most effective predictor of performance. This study had shown that people with high self-efficacy have more intrinsic interest in the tasks, are more willing to expend their effort and show more persistence in the face of obstacles. As a result, they perform more effectively. Performance and performance accomplishments are also considered to be determinants of self-efficacy. And the self-efficacy affects performance through interest, motivation and perseverance, whereas performance provides feedback information on the basis of which self-efficacy is further evaluated and modified. Concerning the Expectancy theory and self-efficacy we find that self-efficacy is about the execution of action, not its outcome. It is about all the internal factors that bear influence on the execution of actions, where a low self-efficacy may mean a belief that one cannot execute the behavior because one does n ot have the required cognitive and emotional abilities to mobilize effort. Whereas self-efficacy is a broader concept than effort-performance expectancy, it is considered more specific than locus of control, belief-based personality variable. Self-efficacy can be affected by two important distinctions: First: locus of control measures not only behavioral but also outcome control, while sel-efficacy concerns only behavioral control. Secondly: internal versus external locus of control is generalized construct covering a variety of situations, while self-efficacy is task specific, examining the individual’s conviction that he or she can perform a specific task at a specific level of expertise. Bandaru (1982) maintained that although self-efficacy is task specific, it can also be generative, that is self-efficacy with respect to one task may be generalized to another task. Regardless of the specificity of the task domain, assessment of efficacy has to be at the specific task level to maintain its predictive power. According to Gist (1987 p.481), he reflected that â€Å"it would be more promising to generalize self-efficacy perceptions by aggregating across a number of related but domain specific measures than by attempting to devise a broad omnibus test†. One of the most important ways of measuring self-efficacy of a broader domain is to develop a conceptual framework of task requirements on the basis of which self-efficacy of a domain is aggregated from self-efficacy of various constituent sub domains. The self-efficacy perspective is highly appropriate for the study of the entrepreneur. Where the entrepreneur self-efficacy (ESE) refers to the strength of an individual’s beliefs that he or she is capable of successfully performing the roles and tasks of an entrepreneur. For its effect on behavior choice and performance, self-efficacy is widely claimed to have greater predictive power than constructs that lack task-specificity. This implies that ESE should distinguish entrepreneurs better than do global personality traits. According to several authors and researchers, there are six entrepreneurial roles were identified, which are: innovator, risk taker and bearer, executive manager, relation builder, risk reducer and goal achiever.

Jack Johnson essays

Jack Johnson essays Arthur John (Jack) Johnson (1878 -1946) was the first black, and first Texan, to win the heavyweight boxing championship of the world. Johnson was born in Galveston on March 31, 1878. He was the second of six children of Henry and Tiny Johnson. Henry was a former slave and his family was poor. After leaving school in the fifth grade, Johnson worked odd jobs around South Texas. He started boxing as a sparring partner and fought in the "battles royal," matches in which young blacks entertained white spectators who threw money to the winner. I think that Johnson never realized that these men just wanted the young Negroes to fight so they could have fun. To my point of view, the white men knew that some day one African American was going to make it big and they just wanted to belittled them as much as possible so they would feel left out and no where to go. White men put barriers in front of great African Americans and the ones who overcame them were champions and great men to the African American history and people. Johnson turned professional in 1897 following a period with private clubs in Galveston. His family's home was destroyed by the great hurricane of 1900. A year later he was arrested and jailed because boxing was a criminal profession in Texas. He soon left Galveston for good. I think that he wanted to get away from the white people who had harmed him and didnt want him to be a profesional like he became. Johnson was a glamour tall black man and white females followed him around because they knew that he was way out of their league. Johnson believed that he could do anything thing he wanted just because he was Jack Johnson. He fought Bob Fitzsimmons, the ex-heavyweight champion in 1906 and knocked him out. But the boxers who succeeded Fitzsimmons refused to fight Johnson because of his color. Instead, another white boxer, Tommy Burns, fought Marvin Hart and ...

Evolution essays

Evolution essays People have always wondered how life originated and how so many different kinds of plants and animals arose. Myths and Theories of a supernatural creation of life developed among many peoples. The Bible, for example, tells of God's creation of humans and other higher animals over several days. Many people also believed that insects, worms, and other lower creatures spontaneously generated from mud and decay. Long after these stories became rooted in tradition, scientists began to question them. In my report, I will discuss these different theories The definition of evolution is included below, directly from Websters Dictionary. evolutionPronunciation: "e-va-'l-shunFunction: nounEtymology: Latin evolution-, evolutio unrolling, from evolvereDate: 16221 : one of a set of prescribed movements2 a : a process of change in a certain direction. b : the action or an instance of forming and giving something off. c (1) : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state : growth 2) : a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance d : something evolved3 : the process of working out or developing4 a : the historical development of a biological group (as a race or species) : phylogeny b : a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations5 : the extraction of a mathematical root6 : a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena As you can see, I have underlined and bolded what I believe the different definitions of evolution may be, as discussed in this report. There are many theories and myths about evolution. For example, here is a quote from Chief Weneinock of Yakima God created the Indian country and it was as if he spread ou...

Rare Earth Minerals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rare Earth Minerals - Essay Example According to the IUPAC, these elements include Yttrium, Scandium and the fifteen Lanthanoids of the periodic table. Yttrium and Scandium exhibit similar physical and chemical properties. They usually exist in their compound forms in the same ore deposits and that is the reason why they are termed as rare (Saunders, p23). With the exception of the radio active promethium, the rest of the rare earth minerals are relatively plentiful and they are distributed all over the earth’s crust inform of ores or minerals. Centum is one of the rare earth’s element, however, it is the 25th most abundant element with a concentration of 68 part per million (Saunders, p24). Due to their geochemical properties, these elements are greatly dispersed all over the earth’s crust and are only found in traceable amounts which can be economically mined in the forms referred to us rare earth minerals. The question that we should asks ourselves, is why the united States hire and pay China to ship in these minerals to manufacture products such as missiles even though they are equally distributed across the globe? It should be noted, that most countries have little interest to mine and exploit these elements since they have several negative effects on the surrounding. One of the most dangerous wastes resulting from the exploitation of these minerals is the radioactive waste byproducts which many countries still can not handle (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency p37). This is the reason why the U.S. shut down its largest rare mineral mine at the Mountain Pass California. Currently, China is the leading producer of cheap electronic gadgets made from these rare earth minerals mined at high environmental costs. What is their worth? The prices of the rare earth minerals increased significantly between January and August 2010 by an average of 300 per cent. For example, the Samarium, a rare mineral that aids navigation in M1A2 Abrahams tanks has increased from $4.5 per kilogram to $34 per kilogram (Geological survey(US), p61). This is attributed to the artificial intervention by the Chinese government. Most of the industries all over the world including the U.S. industries have been relocated to China because the Chinese manufacturing firms that utilize the rare earth minerals enjoy monopoly powers. Some of the industries that have relocated to China due to Tax break and Quotas include Diaodo Electronics (Japan), Rhodia Group (France), General Electric (USA) and New Material Technology (Canada) (Geological survey(US), p62). Foreign international firms have collaborated with the Chinese local enterprises since the Quotas system only relate to raw materials but not the finished or partially finished rare earth minerals’ products. A Chinese investor, Rogers, told Indian business television, that â€Å"The future of the rare earth is great. What is happening is the prices are going through the roof because the Chinese do control the supply. But it is a pure s imple capitalistic economics now† (Geological survey (US), p64). Production of the rare earth mineral across the world The current survey that was conducted established that the total amount of rare earth minerals in the entire world is approximately 99 million tones. The United States and China are the key producers of these reserves. China controls about 36 million tones, which is 30 per cent of the total

Strategic Management in a Global Environment ( Emirates park resort ) Case Study

Strategic Management in a Global Environment ( Emirates park resort ) - Case Study Example Their most common competitors are resorts and facilities that tend to attract tourists such as; hotels, parks, ski areas, clubs and bars that readily offer leisure activities, game parks, and zoos. As more people continue to know and get enlightened on why to invest in the Middle East and Abu Dhabi to be more precise, new, stronger, aggressive and swifter competitors come into the picture (Saxena, p48). Hence, it is a fact that the external environment of Emirates Resort Park is ever in a dynamic change. There are different definitions of corporate governance, and none of the numerous definitions seem to be sufficient and conclusive enough to define the term corporate governance. But to be sufficiently general at these matter, the term corporate governance can be thought to mean the structure, system and way of administration of an organization that determine the direction and magnitude of development of the institution and how it can achieve its future prospects. It can be thought to mean what is done by the institution’s administration in order to realize its goals. The Emirate Resort Park has a remarkable corporate governance that has helped it to grow from the small Resort it was back in the year 2004 to what it is eleven years later. Its corporate governance is ever introducing new projects and engaging them to completion. These new projects are aimed at giving its visitors or tourists a much better customer experience and also to ensure that it is ever growing to a better place for tourists and also for its workers. One of the projects was its expansion. This is done in order to have more animals in the park and increase the size of the area for the people to interact with the animals. Since it was realized that the parking area is tremendously big. The administration has considered reducing the size of the parking as they give the space to areas that demand more space. Another is the introduction of

Volkswagen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Volkswagen - Essay Example Furthermore, Porter’s Five Forces analysis and SWOT analysis is also conducted with regards to the internal environment of the company. In conclusion, the report proposes two specific recommendations to the Board of Directors after critically and comprehensively analyzing the strategic position of the business. It is suggested that Volkswagen take immediate measures to further enhance its position in the US which has delivered optimistic performance so far but indicates that further efforts are needed. It is also recommended that Volkswagen continue to explore emerging markets across the globe such as India while maintaining its position in China and Brazil. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 1.Introduction 3 2.Analysis of Strategic Position 4 2.1Internal Audit 4 2.1.1Strategic Capabilities 5 2.1.2VRIN ANALYSIS 6 2.1.3Value Chain 8 2.2External Audit 9 2.2.1PESTEL Analysis 10 2.2.2The Five Forces Analysis 12 2.3SWOT Analysis 15 2.3.1TOWS Matrix 16 3.Conclusion and Recommenda tion 17 1. Introduction Volkswagen is a manufacturer of automobiles originating from Germany; its global presence as an automaker extends to various parts of the world henceforth, contributing towards its ranking as the 14th largest company in the world (Forbes 2013). Volkswagen Group’s mission is to act as a responsible business and maximize the benefits that it wishes to offer to its customers. By promoting the concepts of sustainability and social responsibility the company aims to be the leader in the automotive industry by the year 2018. In order to achieve its objective the company has designed a group strategy to enhance its positioning within the market. This strategy extends to all realms of Volkswagen Group’s operations, such as sales and human resources. The company aims to augment its sales per unit to an impressive 10 million automobiles per annum and also boost its pre-tax profit margin to 8% (Volkswagen 2011). An analysis of the company’s external and internal environment and factors is imperative to assisting goal achievement. Therefore, for the purposes of this report these factors are discussed at length in the context of Volkswagen Group. 2. Analysis of Strategic Position 2.1 Internal Audit Volkswagen believes in implementing a responsible and accountable risk management framework, in order to ensure that its future activities and business operations are not adversely impacted by unforeseeable changes in the company’s external environment (Volkswagen 2007). For the purposes of tackling with the unpredictable situation of the industry, the Group Internal Audit holds the responsibility of reviewing and evaluating the risk management measures of the organization. This process of revision is governed by auditors who conduct comprehensive interviews with the management to assess the satisfactoriness of the conclusions with regards to risk management (Volkswagen 2007). The overall internal audit of the company conforms to the KonTraG, while, specific audits are conducted by German financial regulatory agency, BaFin to evaluate the financial department of Volkswagen (Volkswagen 2007). According to the Volkswagen Annual Report (2007), with regards to the governance of procedures related to the controlling function of management all rules, regulations and procedures presiding over the activities within the company are updated online; the Group Interna

Economics IA Commentary Coversheet Essay Example for Free

Economics IA Commentary Coversheet Essay November 11 2009 The unemployment rate stands at 7.8% up 0.1% over the quarter and 2.0% on last year. Nearly 29 million people were in work in the period July to September according to the labour force survey (LFS). The number of people employed was up by 6,000 this quarter but down by 490,000 on the last year. The working age employment rate is 72.5% down 0.1% on the last quarter and down 1.9% on the last year. ILO-defined unemployment in July to September was 2.46 million (7.9%) up by 30,000 unemployed on April-June and 629,000 from this time last year. The claimant count for key out-of-work benefits was 1.6395 million in October up by 22,900 on last month, and up 632,700 on last year. Earnings growth over the year to August (including bonuses) was 1.6%, down 0.2% from the previous month. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper said: The figures show more people in work and a lot more young people taking up our offer of full time education and training, which is welcome news. The fact that unemployment is significantly lower than everyone forecast at the beginning of the year shows the support for the economy is making a real difference. But we know things are still tough for a lot of families, and unemployment is expected to increase further next year. Thats why were determined to do more with an extra 35,000 youth jobs, more apprenticeships and education places so we can guarantee no young person gets stuck in long term unemployment. The figures out today also reinforce the fact that the UK labour market is performing better than most major economies. They show UK unemployment at 7.8%, compared to an EU average of 9.2% and lower than 14 other EU countries including France (10.0%), Ireland (13.0%) and Spain (19.3%), as well as the US (10.2%) and Canada (8.6%). Commenting on the latest statistics, John Philpott, Chief Economist and Director of Public Policy at the CIPD, said: UK unemployment is continuing to rise but at a much slower pace than earlier in the year. While this is not unexpected the fact that the unemployment total remained below 2.5 million in the quarter ending in September is encouraging. However, the relative improvement should not be interpreted as evidence that the labour market is returning to health, with male unemployment and long-term unemployment continuing to rise and youth unemployment now at a record rate despite a surge in the number of young people staying on in education to avoid the dole. Unemployment remained below 2.5 million in the three months to September primarily because there was a rise in part-time employment, temporary employment and contract working, the latter boosting self-employment. This more than offset a continued marked deterioration in full-time jobs for employees. Such a pattern is common in a labour market where overall demand for staff is weak and as the Bank of England reiterated today in its latest quarterly Inflation Report the economic outlook uncertain, with the road to recovery likely to be slow. At such times employers who need to recruit remain wary of hiring full-time staff and it is significant that today’s ONS figures do not show an improvement in the level of job vacancies. This pattern is also normally accompanied by a high rate of involuntary part-time working there are now almost 1 million people working part-time because they can’t find a full-time job. Women continue to be the main beneficiaries of a labour market where opportunities for part-time employment are increasing, while men lose out as full-time jobs are being lost. As a result the CIPD expects the rate of male unemployment to rise well above 10% in 2010, with the proportion of men in work set to fall to a record low. The current pattern of demand for labour is also doing nothing to ease the plight of young people. The latest quarter saw a further large fall in the number of under-25s in work, with the unemployment rate for 18-24 year olds now at a record high. There is little consolation in the fact that the number of unemployed young people remained below 1 million. This is explained by a quarterly surge in the number of young people classed as ‘economically inactive’, which the ONS figures indicate is mainly due to more young people staying on at school or college, almost certainly as an alternative to the dole. This article deals with unemployment in the UK. A person can be considered unemployed when he is involuntarily out of work, however is willing to work at current wage rates. One of the government’s main goals is to achieve full employment, where all people who are able and willing, are working. This is extremely beneficial for the economy because it can be considered working at maximum efficiency, which causes growth and development. A good way to illustrate a countries economy taking into account unemployment would be to use a PPF. The production possibility frontier is the orange line where the economy is working at full efficiency (full employment), using all of its resources. Point X is when the economy is not using all of its resources, and has people unemployed. http://i.investopedia.com/inv/dictionary/terms/ppf.gif Structural unemployment is a possible reason for the large decrease of workers. This specific type of unemployment focuses mainly on the loss of jobs under the condition that the demand for a certain product falls, or there is a shift of production abroad. In the category of disequilibrium unemployment, Demand deficient (Cyclical) Unemployment is most likely the number one cause for the UKs labour force being downsized. Due to the global recession, consumers can afford less goods and services, therefore the aggregate demand decreases significantly (hence the name – demand deficient). If the demand for production has substantially fallen, then naturally the demand for labour will also fall. Demand deficient unemployment can be illustrated using a diagram. Due to the fall in the D of goods and services, demand for labour shifts inwards from D1 to D2. With this, disequilibrium unemployment occurs with the number of workers shifting from Q1 to Q2. When demand for labour is strong, companies don’t hesitate to rise wages, although when demand for labour falls, and wages need to be cut, workers will resist wage cuts, therefore it is very hard for the company to cut wages for a large amount of workers without causing some kind disturbance or complications within the firm. If the company does chose to do this, the labour force will become angry and will want to retaliate somehow, perhaps going on strike. Due to a situation like this, parts of the company will not be producing/working, resulting in inefficiency. Aside from that, it will be very hectic, attracting negative attention from consumers and media, which is of course the company’s last need. In conclusion, the company will not be in control, when this is in fact their main priority, to sustain the stability and optimal working functionality. That is why the company prefers to downsize workers, and keep themselves running as best and as efficiently as possible. In order to deal with demand deficient unemployment the government should impose fiscalor monetary policies to raise aggregate demand and thus raise the demand for jobs. In the short run, when the AD shifts to the right (from AD1 to AD2) this causes and increase in real GDP (shift from Q1 to Q2 and P1 to P2). If AD would continue to grow in the short run, the country would reach a maximum supply. This constant struggle for the country to meet AD by increasing output would cause inflation instead of growth. However if the pressure is relatively small in the SR (short run) then it would be much easier to deal with AD in the LR. Supply side policies are government policies designed to increase output, and should also be imposed in order to cope with unemployment. Using a LRAS (long run aggregate supply) diagram is a good way to show the effects of supply side policies. If the Government were to impose supply side policies, the LRAS curve would shift right from LRAS1 – LRAS2. The price would then fall from P1 to P2 and the quantity (output + jobs) would increase from Q1 to Q2. Conclusivley the Government should investigate the best strategy to decrease unemployment. By imposing appropriate regulations and policies.

The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Gatsby Essay  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Discuss Nick Carraway’s character. How reliable is he as a narrator? What aspects of his character make him an effective narrator? Nick Carraway is not only a character in the novel The Great Gatsby, he is also the narrator. This is very important because it makes him a central figure, like Gatsby. He is so involved in the plot that he becomes quite important and significant in the story. The whole novel is told by Nick and in a way he discovers his own development throughout the events of the book. As Nick says of himself, he is â€Å"both within and without.† This is related to the fact that he is both a character and a narrator in the story. It gives a great success as to how Gatsby’s story is told. Nick is a young man from Minnesota who moves to New York in the spring of 1922 to learn about the â€Å"bond business.† The bond business refers to Nick’s choice of career as an investment broker. He rents a house in West Egg, which is in Long Island; a wealthy area inhabited by the rich people. Nick lives next door to a man named Jay Gatsby, which throws magnificent parties every Saturday night. Nick is different to the other residents of West Egg. He went to Yale and has social connections in East Egg (His cousin Daisy and Tom Buchanan), another area of Long Island home to the well-known upper class. The first paragraphs show Nick’s qualities. His father always told him to not criticize anyone because...

Child’s Healthy Development in School Essay

When people think of dramatic changes in children over time, they typically think about the first two or three years of life. Although these years are marked by striking changes, the developmental and social changes that occur between ages 6 and 14 are dramatic, as well. Imagine a six-year-old girl starting first grade—maybe she has braids in her hair and is wearing a cute dress; she looks like a little girl and she is likely to be quite excited about going off to school. Her parents still exercise great control over her comings and goings; their biggest worries are likely to be about her safety when crossing streets and about her adjustment to elementary school. Now imagine that same girl as a 14-year-old starting the ninth grade: She now looks like a full-grown woman, leading her parents to worry about the negative influences of peers, and the risk that she may come to physical harm during the many hours that she is away from home. Equally dramatic changes occur in the social contexts where youngsters spend time. A six-year-old boy is likely to be enrolled in a local neighborhood elementary school—perhaps within walking distance from home. By age 14, he will have changed schools at least once, moving into a junior high school or middle school. He may be looking forward to his classes, or he may have already psychologically turned his back on formal schooling. He may have sampled out-of-school activities from Scouts to basketball to handling a paper route. Because the experiences both boys and girls have in school and other activities will shape their development through this pivotal age period. Each period is marked by basic biological and cognitive changes, as well as changes in the social surroundings where children’s daily lives unfold. Exercising their growing autonomy in school and organized programs, children learn about the world outside the family, match themselves against the expectations of others, compare their performance with that of their peers, and develop customary ways of responding to challenges and learning opportunities. Through these years, they forge a personal identity, a self-concept, and an orientation toward achievement that will play a significant role in shaping their success in school, work, and life. Although researchers and policymakers have focused on the school as the critical arena in which development occurs and children’s futures are sculpted, out-of-school programs offer alternative environments in which children can learn about themselves and their worlds, and can discover opportunities for carving their own versions of success. Middle Childhood (6-8 years of age) Developmental Milestones Middle childhood brings many changes in a child’s life. By this time, children can dress themselves, catch a ball more easily using only their hands, and tie their shoes. Having independence from family becomes more important now. Events such as starting school bring children this age into regular contact with the larger world. Friendships become more and more important. Physical, social, and mental skills develop quickly at this time. This is a critical time for children to develop confidence in all areas of life, such as through friends, schoolwork, and sports. Here is some information on how children develop during middle childhood: Emotional/Social Changes Children in this age group might: * Show more independence from parents and family. * Start to think about the future. * Understand more about his or her place in the world. * Pay more attention to friendships and teamwork. * Want to be liked and accepted by friends. Thinking and Learning (Mental Changes) Children in this age group might: * Show rapid development of mental skills. * Learn better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings. * Have less focus on one’s self and more concern for others. Middle Childhood (9-11 years of age) Developmental Milestones Your child’s growing independence from the family and interest in friends might be obvious by now. Healthy friendships are very important to your child’s development, but peer pressure can become strong during this time. Children who feel good about themselves are more able to resist negative peer pressure and make better choices for themselves. This is an important time for children to gain a sense of responsibility along with their growing independence. Also, physical changes of puberty might be showing by now, especially for girls. Another big change children need to prepare for during this time is starting middle or junior high school. Here is some information on how children develop during middle childhood: Emotional/Social Changes Children in this age group might: * Start to form stronger, more complex friendships and peer relationships. It becomes more emotionally important to have friends, especially of the same sex. * Experience more peer pressure. * Become more aware of his or her body as puberty approaches. Body image and eating problems sometimes start around this age. Thinking and Learning (Mental Changes) Children in this age group might: * Face more academic challenges at school. * Become more independent from the family. * Begin to see the point of view of others more clearly. * Have an increased attention span. Young Teens (12-14 years of age). Developmental Milestones This is a time of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Hormones change as puberty begins. Most boys grow facial and pubic hair and their voices deepen. Most girls grow pubic hair and breasts, and start their period. They might be worried about these changes and how they are looked at by others. This also will be a time when your teen might face peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs. Other challenges can be eating disorders, depression, and family problems. At this age, teens make more of their own choices about friends, sports, studying, and school. They become more independent, with their own personality and interests, although parents are still very important. Here is some information on how young teens develop: Emotional/Social Changes Children in this age group might: * Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes. * Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence. * Experience more moodiness. * Show more interest in and influence by peer group. * Express less affection toward parents; sometimes might seem rude or short-tempered. * Feel stress from more challenging school work. * Develop eating problems. Thinking and Learning ( Mental Changes ) Children in this age group might: * Have more ability for complex thought. * Be better able to express feelings through talking. * Develop a stronger sense of right and wrong. Changes in Social Surroundings The cognitive changes just described give children an expanded view of their social world and of themselves, providing the foundation for important social and emotional changes that also begin in these years. Along with their broadened exposure to adults and peers outside the family, children of these ages are typically given more freedom, more responsibilities, and more rights. This period is therefore marked by tensions between the new autonomy and the increasing expectations children encounter, which can either support or hamper the development of self-confidence. Broadening Social Worlds In the middle-childhood years, children spend less time under the supervision of their parents and come increasingly under the influence of teachers and activity Leaders such as Sunday school teachers, coaches of Little League sports, instructors of dance or ballet, music teachers, camp counselors, scout leaders. In contrast with the intimacy and familiarity that characterize family relationships, participation in school and formal programs exposes children to different Religious and ethnic groups, as well as diverse personal styles. They see adults acting in various social roles, and they see different adults acting in the same role—as teacher or camp counselor, for example. These experiences give children a chance to compare adults with one another and to observe how authority figures judge the behaviors and personalities of their peers. Increasingly, children spend time with their peers outside the orbit of parental control. Members of peer groups are responsible for managing their own relationships by controlling group dynamics, providing nurturance to each other, and sometimes establishing hierarchies within the group. As children get older, they also seek to contribute to their best friends’ happiness, and they become sensitive to what matters to other people. There is a beginning of a â€Å"we† feeling that goes beyond cooperation; children begin to adjust to the needs of others in pursuit of mutual interests. At the same time, of course, children are concerned with winning acceptance from their peers, and they must manage conflicts between the behavior expected of them by adults and the social goals of the peer group. Entering formal organizations such as schools and after-school programs represents a shift for children: In the preschool years, their social roles were defined for them at birth (as a daughter or a brother). In middle childhood, their roles in school, programs, and friendship groups reflect their personal qualities and achievements. 1. Developmental Variations: Behaviors within the Range of Expected Behaviors for That Age Group A) Developmental Variation : (Social Interaction Variation) Because of constitutional and/or psychological factors, children and adolescents will vary in their ability and desire to interact with other people. Less socially Adept or desirous children do not have a problem as long as it does not interfere with their normal development and activities. B) Common Developmental Presentations : Middle Childhood The child may not make friends easily and be less socially adept. The child may prefer solitary play at times. (Shyness) Adolescence The adolescent has limited concern regarding popular dress, interests, and activities. The adolescent finds it difficult to make friends at times. 2. PROBLEM: SHYNESS Middle Childhood The child is very shy, reticent, shows an increased concern about order and rules, is socially isolated, rarely initiates peer interactions, and prefers solitary activities to peer group activities. Adolescence The adolescent shows difficulty in social situations, has limited friendships, is socially isolated, may be a †loner,† prefers solitary activities to peer group activities, is reticent, has eccentric hobbies and interests, and has limited concern regarding popular styles of dress, behavior, or role models. Background Most people have felt shy at some time or in some situation. As many as 25% of high school and college students report having been shy most of their lives (Schwartz & Johnson, 1985). Excessive shyness, however, reduces both the amount and quality of social interactions a child has with others and results in lowered peer acceptance and fewer opportunities to acquire social skills. It is not clear why some children are bashful and withdrawing whereas others tend to be more outgoing. Several factors may be involved, including genetics, temperament, anxiety, and lack of social skills. Development Some degree of shyness in children is to be expected and is part of the child’s normal development (Berk, 1989). A fairly high percentage of preschoolers are described as bashful and avoiding contact with others (Schwartz & Johnson, 1985). Between 30% and 50% of school-age children report feeling shy (Peterson, 1987). When shyness is experienced by the child in many or most situations over an extended period of time, interventions to help the child interact more appropriately are called for. Chronic and severe shyness can have a negative impact on social, emotional, and academic development. Shy children often have poor self-concept, feelings of failure, and make negative self-statements. The anxiety that accompanies shyness impairs memory and concentration and may keep children from asking for needed help in school. What Can I Do as a Parent? It will be important for your child to learn ways to reduce his or her anxiety in social situations. If the child does not possess the social skills needed to interact with others, it may be necessary to teach social skills directly. The child also needs to learn to feel better about himself or herself as a person. There are many ways to accomplish these goals. Make sure your child knows that they are loved and valued regardless of their behavior or performance. Talk with your child. about their experiences and help them to evaluate those experiences in nonjudgmental ways that allow them to feel good about themselves. Many times children judge themselves much more harshly than we realize and blame themselves for situations and events they cannot control. As a parent, you can give your child more independence and opportunities to demonstrate responsibility. Successful handling of independence and responsibility will help to foster an improved self-image. A child’s image of himself or herself is built on a foundation of many small experiences. The more of those that demonstrate to the child that they possess the capability to succeed, the better the resulting self-image will be. Parents can seek out and provide activities that will allow the child to experience success in social environments. Structured group activities or small groups of one or two other children may facilitate success for the shy child. Parents can discuss, rehearse, and role-play activities with children such as introducing oneself, asking a peer to play, or joining a group of children who are playing a game. If the child is involved in a social-skills training program, parents can reinforce targeted social skills and provide opportunities for rehearsal of skills. If your child is severely shy and inhibited in most situations, the best course of action may include seeking professional help, either through the school, local mental health agency, or your family physician. Severe shyness affects many aspects of the child’s life and should not be left unaddressed. What Can I Do as a Teacher? Shy children may be easily overlooked in a busy classroom because they do not present classroom management problems and usually comply with instructions. Teachers need to be sensitive to the needs of shy children and facilitate their interaction with others and their participation in the class. Because shy children are often characterized by anxiety, it is best to avoid drawing attention to them or putting them in situations that will require that they be the center of attention. Structured interactions and small group activities may best facilitate participation by shy students. When children are to work on projects in small groups, the teacher should form the groups rather than allowing students to group themselves. Teachers can take this opportunity to pair shy youngsters with socially competent students who will serve as models for them. Teachers need to avoid reinforcing shy behavior, to be sensitive to the needs of shy children but to refrain from giving the shy child special attention or privileges. When shy children interact appropriately that is the behavior that should be reinforced. There is a natural tendency to either ignore or be overly protective of shy children, but neither of these responses benefits the child. Shy children should be encouraged to interact, provided with opportunities to interact in small, structured settings, and reinforced for interacting. Direct social-skills training and contingency management procedures have been found to produce positive results and may be beneficial for the entire class.