Monday, September 30, 2019

Gender issues in America today Essay

Women of the whole world face problems on their way to have equal rights with men. These problems differ and depend on the laws of the country they live in. By the last 40 years in the US, thanks to the activity of women’s rights movement, women succeed in the struggle for equal rights, but till the complete equality with men in the aspects of professional practice, salary and policy, there are far more left to gain. American women who want to raise their children in the world with more equality try to change the situation and find some people who have the same position on the issue among representatives of different political parties and members of nongovernmental organizations. When in 1960 drugs which help to control the birthrate came into existence it became possible for women to choose their own life journey. Marriage, children and housekeeping stopped to be the only opportunity. Harmless and more trusting contraception provided women with possibility to appreciate the alternative to all their traditional roles in society. At the same time in the 60s the movement for civil rights, demanding to put an end to racial discrimination and the act about civil rights of the year 1964 undermined the gender discrimination too. This is why the verdure of women’s movement in 70s was not just a case of fortune. Representatives of women’s movement were demanding equal professional opportunities and law defense for all American women. As a result in 60s – 80s the Congress constituted several laws oriented to protect women’s rights. Among them injunction of the Supreme Court of 1965 which opened for women the access to professions earlier considered as men’s ones, the injunction of the Supreme Court of 1971 which forbid the employers to deny women with preschool children, and a law published in 1970 which prohibit gender discrimination in all educational programs financed by government. By the end of 70s among labor force were more women than ever before in peace history (during the Second World War a lot of women went to work, when their men were on battlefields but after 1945 they returned to household chores). But as women were making progress in the career their possibilities were gradually restricted. A term â€Å"glass ceiling† describe the invisible barrier which faces a lot of women on their carrier ladder whilst their men-colleagues with the same professional skills and experience avoid all these problems. In the 80s in the US were accepted several laws oriented to ease the affect of â€Å"glass ceiling† so, for example, in 1984 the injunction of the Supreme Court prohibited to oppose to women’s joining clubs. Earlier these clubs gave to men the capacity of intercommunication for the purpose of further career development. In the same year the Supreme Court resolved that legal services have no right to restrain the career development of their employees in virtue of gender. However the problem of â€Å"glass ceiling† is still exist in the US. In 2002 two members of the House of Representatives – a man and a woman – submitted a report on the problem. The report dwells upon the fact that still too few women occupy administrative positions almost in all spheres. In the report it was also mentioned that the wage gap now is 80 cent earned by woman for every dollar earned by man. â€Å"The wage gap is a statistical indicator often used as an index of the status of women’s earnings relative to men’s. It is also used to compare the earnings of other races and ethnicities to those of white males, a group generally not subject to race- or sex-based discrimination. The wage gap is expressed as a percentage (e. g. , in 2005, women earned 77% as much as men) and is calculated by dividing the median annual earnings for women by the median annual earnings for men. The Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. At the time of the EPA’s passage, women earned just 58 cents for every dollar earned by men. By 2005, that rate had only increased to 77 cents, an improvement of less than half a penny a year. Minority women fare the worst. African-American women earn just 69 cents to every dollar earned by white men, and for Hispanic women that figure drops to merely 59 cents per dollar. The wage gap between women and men cuts across a wide spectrum of occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2005 female physicians and surgeons earned 60. 9% of the median weekly wages of male physicians, and women in sales occupations earned just 63. 4% of men’s wages in equivalent positions. If working women earned the same as men (those who work the same number of hours; have the same education, age, and union status; and live in the same region of the country), their annual family incomes would rise by $4,000 and poverty rates would be cut in half. † It is also interesting to follow up how the wage gap was changing through years : â„â€" Year Percent â„â€" Year Percent â„â€" Year Percent 1 1951 63. 9 20 1970 59. 4 38 1988 66. 0 2 1952 63. 9 21 1971 59. 5 39 1989 68. 7 3 1953 63. 9 22 1972 57. 9 40 1990 71. 6 4 1954 63. 9 23 1973 56. 6 41 1991 69. 9 5 1955 63. 9 24 1974 58. 8 42 1992 70. 8 6 1956 63. 3 25 1975 58. 8 43 1993 71. 5 7 1957 63. 8 26 1976 60. 2 44 1994 72. 0 8 1958 63. 0 27 1977 58. 9 45 1995 71. 4% 9 1959 61. 3 28 1978 59. 4 46 1996 73. 8 10 1960 60. 7 29 1979 59. 7 47 1997 74. 2 11 1961 59. 2 30 1980 60. 2 48 1998 73. 2 12 1962 59. 3 31 1981 59. 2 49 1999 72. 2 13 1963 58. 9 32 1982 61. 7 50 2000 73. 3 14 1964 59. 1 33 1983 63. 6 51 2001 76. 3 15 1965 59. 9 34 1984 63. 7 52 2002 76. 6 16 1966 57. 6 35 1985 64. 6 53 2003 75. 5 17 1967 57. 8 36 1986 64. 3 54 2004 76. 6 18 1968 58. 2 37 1987 65. 2 55 2005 77. 0 19 1969 58. 9 Here we may see how year after year American women were fighting and wining cent by cent nowadays amount of their salary. There are also periods when they were losing positions but on the whole we see gradual percentage growing from 63. 9% in 1951 to 77 in 2005 and the struggle continues. What do women do now? First of all more and more women enter colleges and universities and work within the chosen profession. Women have the opportunity to act participating in operations of nongovernmental organizations as Fund of businesswomen and women-professionals, American association of businesswomen, American association of women with university education, National association of working women ect. Activity of women from nongovernmental organizations is diverse. Some of them collect money for promotion of more women in government. Others like members of American association of businesswomen offer to create unions for experience exchange and improving of professional skills for women who dream about successful career. Many of these organizations try to influence the US government in order to pass laws oriented to support the campaign against women’s discrimination. Some of them like National women’s organization conduct national protest actions drawing attention to the most vexed women’s problems. More and more men and women get involved in movement for gender equality, send e-mails to the members of Congress or contribute money to nongovernmental organizations, because they want their daughters to have more opportunities of choice. Women in national policy. Quantity of women represented in national policy grows but that is still not equality. In the year 2004, for example, women occupied 14 out of 100 seats in the US Senate, 59 out of 425 seats in the House of Representatives (the number of women in legislative body of the US is more than 22. 4%), 2 out of 9 seats in Supreme Court, 3 out of 15 seats in the Presidential Executive Office but there was no woman in the Cabinet. The example of nongovernmental organization working in order to increase the number of women in the US government is the Emily’s List, famous for having collect money for election to the US Senate of 6 women – which is still remains a record. Women also write letters to the elected representatives, expressing their opinion on topical issues, aggressively intervene in local centers of republican and democrat supporters all over the country, assist to many nongovernmental women’s organizations and take part in mass political actions. One of the mass action, oriented to gain gender equality is the program â€Å"Take Our Daughters to Work†. It was started about 10 years ago in order to show to the next generation of American women the importance of education, professional women’s abilities and to organize forum for girls. Companies permitted to the employees to bring their daughters to work at one day so that they could see the professional life of the parents. Now this day received a name â€Å"Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day†. Women’s rights movement which was so active in 60s and 70s provided millions of American women with the access to education, opportunity of career development, economical independence and strengthened their influence in political sphere. Nowadays US women are able to achieve much more and have more opportunities to choose than 40 years ago. Major part of American women feels their responsibility to create equal society for their children. To have equal rights for American women doesn’t mean to be less feminine or less caring for their children. This is something much deeper and more global, that means they should be treated as humans whose ideas are to be taken seriously, who have the opportunity to show their power and who are respected.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

ICT AND FILM INDUSTRY

Digital technology in the past decade has totally changed the movie industry. Focusing on the crucial procedures of movie making and the impact that technology had on each of the areas, this research would look at recent reforms in the pre-production part of film making, furthermore we will try to know the new instruments, equipment and storage facilities being used by modern film makers and producers. Film distribution and the adverse impacts that technology has had on the movie industry, majorly on the illegitimate sale and piracy of copyrighted material is scrutinized. Post-theatre film distribution and the revolutionary breakthrough technologies in the industry are explored to look at the continuous changes in education and exercise of professionals in the movie industry. Computer generated graphics and the growing impact ICT has made in the industry is covered and the future of the film industry is predicted. ICT played a lot of positive role in different aspect of the world today. It has touched the medical industries, educational sector, governmental sector and even the movie or film industries. This paper discourse on how ICT have positively impacted the movie/film industry today. If we all remember our young age, we probably think of the 1700s, 1800s, or 1900s when the movie we watch are all cassettes or analog, and probably not durable, with the help of ICT today we can see changes in the video technology in the present world. As revolution continues in the movie industries the impacts of ICT have made the following changes; Technological tools have changed the script writing procedures by making use of the internet, using digital editing tools. The internet is also been used by scriptwriters to forward their scripts to producers, directors and potential cast associates in other to be reviewed by each characters either by peer review in a way of online forums. There has been a crucial increase in the past decade in the use of digital video cameras for film with low budget planning along with high definition video which is set to compete and go beyond the standard 35mm film both in quality and flexibility (culkin & Randle 2003). The post production phase of movie making has possibly been the most important impacted by the new technological inclination. The introduction of non-linear technology has made the use of film edited manually inefficient and time consuming. This procedure involves fixing and putting together film in a virtual screen where the directors, producers, and editors view the output of the film on screen. (culkin & randle 2003. p. 8) The whole course of film making has been completely technology driven, everything from the distribution to the projection of movie to audiences (consumers). However, the absence of commercial agreements between distributors and exhibitors of the films has slowed down the conversion to digital technologies. For instance, only 170 cinemas around the globe have converted to what is recognized as high-end digital (culkin & Randle 2003). Profit margins for the studios are recognizably decreasing, now being out casted or outnumbered by the game industry. So satellite delivery have recently made its first implementation on film industry and reports has shown that upon full execution of film distribution, it can save the film industry of cost of $700 million per year. (markman). A major problem the movie industry has been facing for the past years since the introduction of technology in the industry is the piracy and copyright issue. For this reason copyrighted movies have been easily affordable more than the original film produced for distribution. For movie and music content, these lead to quite a few lawsuits against peer-to-peer networks and individuals as result for stealing and distribution of these movies and music materials. This will always be one of the major industries issues the industry would have to face since the public (consumers) has access to this low cost copyrighted material (peer-2-peer and DVD writers). Nevertheless, the movie industry has endeavored to decrease the risk of piracy of movies by creasing the (CSS) known as content scrambling system in which only authentic DVD or VCD products which contain a certain decryption algorithm can play the particular movie. The same technology also has the capability to rearrange the video and audio on the DVD/CD so that only a DVD with the same decryption algorithm can play the film perfectly. The CSS technology is also designed to prevent users from direct copying of data from DVDs. Though, not long after the CSS technology was introduced, Norwegian teenagers reverse engineered a DVD technology by breaking the code that contain the decryption algorithm and uploaded decryption software for users around the world to use. These means that the movie industry would need to keep updating and also find and option to this difficulties (markman). The post-theatre market accounts roughly for three quarters of movie’s income during its lifetime. The principal of these are ideo rental shops which accounts for nearly half of all profits (). The DVD has completely brought a new dimension to the industry, becoming the fastest growing customer electronics item of all time (culkin & Randle 2003). DVD’s have undeniably increased film studio’s income when it decided to provide movie content to the home consumers with unbelievable picture and sound quality which does not worn out like the old VHS cassettes (markman). A new and rapidly developing area in the dis tribution processes of film industries is â€Å"Movie on demand†. This is a scenario where consumers download their desire movie over the internet instead of going down to their local video store or cinema house. The advantage of this technology is that virtually reduction or no-fees are needed to access the movie and the inconvenience if any when travelling to the video rental store or cinema house (culkin & Randle 2003). Rapid changes in the movie industry in recent years have forced many professionals around the world in audio and graphic industries to acquire new and specialized skills. This is an ongoing development in most industries. An example is that the post-production industries are expected to have continuous upgrades of equipment and software which will lead to continual re-training of employees/crews which in turns increase production costs (culkin & Randle 2003). Future distributions might comprise allowing editors in different countries to editors in various countries to edit film by just gaining access to digitized media on a server without actually leaving the comfort of his or her house. Satellite distributions to cinemas are at the vanguard of future film circulations and distributions. George Lucas, the director of star wars is looking forward to using satellite technology to project the rest of the episode in cinemas. This process of digitally distribution of the film through data projectors is known as E-Cinema (& Randle 2003). It is not expensive and definitely flexible in terms of distribution power; nevertheless Cinemas who wish to implement this new technology would have to acquire substantial expenses when converting to digital projection. This technology is very much still in the development level and the impact is not really seen yet (& Randle 2003). Gregory Huang article titled â€Å"the new face of the movie industry† studies the development in computer animated graphics in past years. Recent blockbuster movies like Spiderman 3 are good examples of how far computer graphics have come in recent years. The movie industry have come to a stage in which every single event in film making process can be computer generated . In past years, the technology illustrations of faces have not looked real when seen a lot closer as it is easier to make non-human objects like dinosaurs real, moreover, improvements in rendering human body or skin, lighting or darkening digital scenes and examining human characters or actors are now allowing animation engineers to manage and take control of every sing movement of pixels in an animated format (skin). Huang (2004) reports that an average budget for a bestseller film cost approximately $150 million where it is exceptional to see more than 50% of funding allocated to just the computer generated effect which in turns raise revenue to about average of $700 million per year. At least we can say that there is no area within the movie industry that has not been impacted by technology over the past years. The major impacts for pre-production phase have been focused on the development of script-writing tools as well as the increase use of internet to distribute script to editors, directors and other important parties within the industry. Generally equipment costs have drastically increased drastically reduced at the same time quality and flexibility of products has increased. The confinement of non-linear technology has all but made hand edited or manually edited movies an extinct and fast-track the whole film editing process (culkin & Randle 2003). The major downside which has increased concerns around film industries around the world is that it has become extremely easy for consumers around the world to copy copyrighted movie material and this keep generating problems in the industries till date. Finally we can say that the advancement in technology would only continue to bring improvement in the movie industries around the world and it is definitely set to revolutionize the industries for years to come.REFERENCECulkin, Nigel & Randle, Keith 2003, Facing the Digital Future: The Implications of Digital Technology for the Film Industry, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire. Huang, Gregory 2004, The New Face of Hollywood, Technology Review, http://www. technologyreview. com/articles/04/09/huang0904. asp? p=0. Markman, David & Vega 2001, Mark, Digital Future: Movie Industry Tries to Keep One Step Ahead of Hackers, Daily Journal, Los Angeles. ICT AND FILM INDUSTRY Digital technology in the past decade has totally changed the movie industry. Focusing on the crucial procedures of movie making and the impact that technology had on each of the areas, this research would look at recent reforms in the pre-production part of film making, furthermore we will try to know the new instruments, equipment and storage facilities being used by modern film makers and producers. Film distribution and the adverse impacts that technology has had on the movie industry, majorly on the illegitimate sale and piracy of copyrighted material is scrutinized. Post-theatre film distribution and the revolutionary breakthrough technologies in the industry are explored to look at the continuous changes in education and exercise of professionals in the movie industry. Computer generated graphics and the growing impact ICT has made in the industry is covered and the future of the film industry is predicted. ICT played a lot of positive role in different aspect of the world today. It has touched the medical industries, educational sector, governmental sector and even the movie or film industries. This paper discourse on how ICT have positively impacted the movie/film industry today. If we all remember our young age, we probably think of the 1700s, 1800s, or 1900s when the movie we watch are all cassettes or analog, and probably not durable, with the help of ICT today we can see changes in the video technology in the present world. As revolution continues in the movie industries the impacts of ICT have made the following changes; Technological tools have changed the script writing procedures by making use of the internet, using digital editing tools. The internet is also been used by scriptwriters to forward their scripts to producers, directors and potential cast associates in other to be reviewed by each characters either by peer review in a way of online forums. There has been a crucial increase in the past decade in the use of digital video cameras for film with low budget planning along with high definition video which is set to compete and go beyond the standard 35mm film both in quality and flexibility (culkin & Randle 2003). The post production phase of movie making has possibly been the most important impacted by the new technological inclination. The introduction of non-linear technology has made the use of film edited manually inefficient and time consuming. This procedure involves fixing and putting together film in a virtual screen where the directors, producers, and editors view the output of the film on screen. (culkin & randle 2003. p. 8) The whole course of film making has been completely technology driven, everything from the distribution to the projection of movie to audiences (consumers). However, the absence of commercial agreements between distributors and exhibitors of the films has slowed down the conversion to digital technologies. For instance, only 170 cinemas around the globe have converted to what is recognized as high-end digital (culkin & Randle 2003). Profit margins for the studios are recognizably decreasing, now being out casted or outnumbered by the game industry. So satellite delivery have recently made its first implementation on film industry and reports has shown that upon full execution of film distribution, it can save the film industry of cost of $700 million per year. (markman). A major problem the movie industry has been facing for the past years since the introduction of technology in the industry is the piracy and copyright issue. For this reason copyrighted movies have been easily affordable more than the original film produced for distribution. For movie and music content, these lead to quite a few lawsuits against peer-to-peer networks and individuals as result for stealing and distribution of these movies and music materials. This will always be one of the major industries issues the industry would have to face since the public (consumers) has access to this low cost copyrighted material (peer-2-peer and DVD writers). Nevertheless, the movie industry has endeavored to decrease the risk of piracy of movies by creasing the (CSS) known as content scrambling system in which only authentic DVD or VCD products which contain a certain decryption algorithm can play the particular movie. The same technology also has the capability to rearrange the video and audio on the DVD/CD so that only a DVD with the same decryption algorithm can play the film perfectly. The CSS technology is also designed to prevent users from direct copying of data from DVDs. Though, not long after the CSS technology was introduced, Norwegian teenagers reverse engineered a DVD technology by breaking the code that contain the decryption algorithm and uploaded decryption software for users around the world to use. These means that the movie industry would need to keep updating and also find and option to this difficulties (markman). The post-theatre market accounts roughly for three quarters of movie’s income during its lifetime. The principal of these are video rental shops which accounts for nearly half of all profits (). The DVD has completely brought a new dimension to the industry, becoming the fastest growing customer electronics item of all time (culkin & Randle 2003). DVD’s have undeniably increased film studio’s income when it decided to provide movie content to the home consumers with unbelievable picture and sound quality which does not worn out like the old VHS cassettes (markman). A new and rapidly developing area in the distribution processes of film industries is â€Å"Movie on demand†. This is a scenario where consumers download their desire movie over the internet instead of going down to their local video store or cinema house. The advantage of this technology is that virtually reduction or no-fees are needed to access the movie and the inconvenience if any when travelling to the video rental store or cinema house (culkin & Randle 2003). Rapid changes in the movie industry in recent years have forced many professionals around the world in audio and graphic industries to acquire new and specialized skills. This is an ongoing development in most industries. An example is that the post-production industries are expected to have continuous upgrades of equipment and software which will lead to continual re-training of employees/crews which in turns increase production costs (culkin & Randle 2003). Future distributions might comprise allowing editors in different countries to editors in various countries to edit film by just gaining access to digitized media on a server without actually leaving the comfort of his or her house. Satellite distributions to cinemas are at the vanguard of future film circulations and distributions. George Lucas, the director of star wars is looking forward to using satellite technology to project the rest of the episode in cinemas. This process of digitally distribution of the film through data projectors is known as E-Cinema (& Randle 2003). It is not expensive and definitely flexible in terms of distribution power; nevertheless Cinemas who wish to implement this new technology would have to acquire substantial expenses when converting to digital projection. This technology is very much still in the development level and the impact is not really seen yet (& Randle 2003). Gregory Huang article titled â€Å"the new face of the movie industry† studies the development in computer animated graphics in past years. Recent blockbuster movies like Spiderman 3 are good examples of how far computer graphics have come in recent years. The movie industry have come to a stage in which every single event in film making process can be computer generated . In past years, the technology illustrations of faces have not looked real when seen a lot closer as it is easier to make non-human objects like dinosaurs real, moreover, improvements in rendering human body or skin, lighting or darkening digital scenes and examining human characters or actors are now allowing animation engineers to manage and take control of every sing movement of pixels in an animated format (skin). Huang (2004) reports that an average budget for a bestseller film cost approximately $150 million where it is exceptional to see more than 50% of funding allocated to just the computer generated effect which in turns raise revenue to about average of $700 million per year. At least we can say that there is no area within the movie industry that has not been impacted by technology over the past years. The major impacts for pre-production phase have been focused on the development of script-writing tools as well as the increase use of internet to distribute script to editors, directors and other important parties within the industry. Generally equipment costs have drastically increased drastically reduced at the same time quality and flexibility of products has increased. The confinement of non-linear technology has all but made hand edited or manually edited movies an extinct and fast-track the whole film editing process (culkin & Randle 2003). The major downside which has increased concerns around film industries around the world is that it has become extremely easy for consumers around the world to copy copyrighted movie material and this keep generating problems in the industries till date. Finally we can say that the advancement in technology would only continue to bring improvement in the movie industries around the world and it is definitely set to revolutionize the industries for years to come. REFERENCE Culkin, Nigel & Randle, Keith 2003, Facing the Digital Future: The Implications of Digital Technology for the Film Industry, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire. Huang, Gregory 2004, The New Face of Hollywood, Technology Review, http://www. technologyreview. com/articles/04/09/huang0904. asp? p=0. Markman, David & Vega 2001, Mark, Digital Future: Movie Industry Tries to Keep One Step Ahead of Hackers, Daily Journal, Los Angeles.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Research Studies in Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Research Studies in Managment - Essay Example The effects of chronological age - defined in social terms in relation to an individual’s chosen or forced behaviour on the grounds of age – has been an issue of political, economic and social relevance since the implementation of the First Action Programme on Ageing, and culminates provisionally with the European Employment Directive. Legislation outlawing age discrimination in employment and vocational training has thus come into force by this year 2006. UK government policy aims to encourage older people to remain active within the workforce. This is in part recognition of the rise in longevity and the importance of living a healthy active contributory later life, but it is also to compensate for the potentially large take-up of pension benefits in the future. Saving throughout the life course and working later in life is also seen as a means of ensuring a satisfactory level of income in old age. Direct discrimination (less favourable treatment): Such type of discrimination is allowed at some places like, a Roman Catholic school may be able to restrict applications for a scripture teacher to baptized Catholics. Harassment (in accordance with national law/practice), victimisation, dismissal or adverse treatment as a reaction to complaints/legal proceedings, and instructions to discriminate. But if someone is bullied or victimised in the mistaken belief that he is a member of another religion, then he may also be protected under race discrimination laws. Outside the European Union, legislation against age discrimination is in place for example in the United States (Age Discrimination in Employment Act 1967), Canada (legislation in the 1960s), New Zealand (1993 Human Rights Act includes age discrimination), Australia (introduced in 1991-96), and South Africa In this study, examples of age discriminatory practices in

Friday, September 27, 2019

Substandard Prenatal Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Substandard Prenatal Care - Essay Example Both Latin America and Mexico are developing nations that have a modern economy that is encompassed in a rural peasant population. Mexico and Latin America are influenced by the forces of economics, politics, and cultural traditions that contribute to a rate of pregnancy problems and infant mortality that significantly exceeds their neighbors in North America. The issue of prenatal care is an issue that has several relevant aspects. It is a woman's issue, and as such has suffered from gender bias that has pervaded the hemisphere due to the impact of religion and its view of women. As with other women's issues, such as breast cancer, funding for prenatal care is often diminished by the male dominated power structure. However, prenatal care is not merely a women's issue as it impacts males and female alike and is an integral part of a healthy family. In the 21st century, prenatal care has become an issue of basic human rights. It addresses the most fundamental units of society (the children) that are incapable of deciding or acting for themselves. Adequate prenatal care is a broad based program that not only delivers a healthy child at birth, but also addresses the needs of the pregnant woman, her nutrition, mental health, and delivery safety. It should include "Safe and clean delivery, early detection and management of sexually transmitted diseases, infections and complications during pregnancy and delivery and taking into account the physiological needs of the newborn baby" (World Health Organization 25). When these interventions are accessible, affordable, and offered to pregnant women, they can have a substantial effect on improving the health of the newborn child and mother. There has been some increased international focus on this issue as it has been recognized that "the vast majority of infant and maternal deaths and disabilities are preventable through high quality care, detection and efficient referral for complications, and access to the essential elements of obstetric care when needed" (Glei, Goldman, and Rodrigue z 3). While these initiatives are helpful, they are impeded by competing social, cultural, and economic factors. The forces that influence the delivery of adequate prenatal care have particularly impacted Latin America and Mexico, our neighbors to the South. Economics, culture, and politics have all taken a toll on this region in regards to health care. While the external influences of diet and the environment contribute to infant mortality, "maternal mortality is almost wholly attributable to a lack of-or poor quality- prenatal, delivery, and puerperal care" (Casas, Dachs, and Bambas 27). These services are difficult for many women to attain due to cultural traditions that have subjugated women and an economic system that has placed prenatal care out of the reach of the masses in this region. Inequalities based on wealth are one of the biggest obstacles that women in the lower economic classes face. In Mexico, less than 10 percent of all the babies born to the lower economic classes are born in a hospital, but this number rises to 90 percent for the upper economic municipalities (Casas, Dachs, and Bambas 31). Countries in Latin America have mediated this figure by mandating a goal of 80 percent of all deliveries be attended by a skilled professional,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The subprime meltdown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The subprime meltdown - Essay Example Automated systems allowed people to go online, apply for a housing loan and simply wait for the cheque to come in. Wall Street greedily provided the money for these loans as investors rushed to pick up shares in hedge funds that were supposed to give a high level of return with a high level of risk. The loans that were given out often required no down payments and could also have needed nothing more than interest payments for a year or more before the principal payments would be added to the bill. Effectively, what was considered a niche product only to be given out after careful scrutiny, became a mainstream product for banks and lending institutes (Browning, 2007). The subprime housing loan market was thus seen as virgin territory where banks needed to make inroads before the competition. They expected to get great returns but their investment risks were greatly underestimated. In fact, in some cases the risks appear to have been ignored while the search for short term profits and sales figures come out as the only important needs of the banks. The situation has taken the American economy to a place where experts are calling it the â€Å"worst financial crisis since the Great Depression (Essen, 2008, Pg. 1)†. In some ways, the problems in the current crisis can also be due to the very structure and nature of the American market and the American business environment. The buyers and sellers on Wall Street seem to respond to short term gains and short term results much better than looking at how stable the business practices of a company really are. This makes analysts such as Clendenning (2008) to say that American banks and other lending institutions with a ‘casino mentality’ while they were taking unnecessary risks. Even if the banks understood the risks involved, the lure of the rewards was simply too great for them to ignore. The crisis itself

Customer Service Representative Policy Assignment

Customer Service Representative Policy - Assignment Example Customer care representatives should ensure they offer clients beyond their anticipations if they intend to retain them in the business and continue to enjoy greater returns in the business. Therefore, customer care representatives should establish close ties with clients in order to promote customer loyalty to the company. Managers should establish a policy of providing training to the customer care representatives in order to ensure excellent services and products to their clients. The customer service representatives in the hospitality industry should promote unity at work in order to ensure excellent delivery of services to their clients (Kahle & Riley 2004). This is because when employees work together as a team, they will be able to solve any issue that may be affecting their clients, and also instil confidence in the visitors hence promoting customer loyalty. The business policy should ensure that all needs of the clients are giving priority to anything else. The management should train their customer care staff to take into consideration all the issues raised by the clients no matter how petty they seem to be. This will not only make clients feel appreciated but will also make them get more than what they anticipated. Failure to provide clients with products and services that suit their specifications will cause them to seek the same elsewhere (Kitchen & Pelsmacker 2004). In addition, customer care representatives should ensure that clients perceive the o rganization to be what it claims to be. They should inquire from the clients about the nature of services and products they expect to get from the company and also ask them to suggest what they would like to be included in the products and services in order to satisfy their needs. The customer service policy should state the objectives of the customer service. The customer care should offer excellent services to their clients and respond to their requests promptly (Barry 2007). The policy should offer an opportunity for training the customer care representatives and define the approach for rewarding them based on the effort they put to serve the clients.  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment - Research Paper Example The main classical genres under Hindustani music include dhrupad, khyal, sadra, dhamar, and tarana. Carnatic music dates back to the 15th century AD and began in south India mainly in the kanataka State. Carnatic music is melodic and pays more emphasis on the vocals since it is sung or performed using a singing style (Lavezzoli, (2007, pp 54). Arabic music is the music practiced by Arabic people from the Arab world, mainly the Arabian Peninsula. This music is said to have been translated and developed from Greek musical theory and works of music. Arabic music has also been influenced ancient Persian, Kurdish, Egyptian, Indian, Assyrian, North African, European, and Turkish music. The earliest form of Arabic music dates back to the pre-Islamic era when the music comprised of recited poems that had high notes (Racy, 2004, pp 96). The early Islamic period saw the development of the maqam system that forms the foundation of Arabic music. Modern Arabic music began in Egypt in the early 20 th century, replacing Turkish music played then with new nationalistic music. As any other type of music, Arabic music has interacted with other musical genres and styles practices in other regions. This has resulted in the creation of new Arabic music variations such as Arabic jazz, Franco-Arabic music, Arabic electronica, Arabic pop, and Arabic Rock. Cairo is the major cultural center of the Arab world and has been the main musical center as well. Many Arab musical trends have originated from this town, especially following the change from the music played under Turkish rule to a new form of nationalistic music adopted in Egypt (Touma, & Touma, 2003, pp 153). Both Arabic and Indian music have some common similarities, especially based on the significance they have in their cultures as well as the impact they have on the listeners. Conversely, there are some differences between Arabic and Indian music, mainly concerning the place in which they are performed and the instruments that are used in each style. Similarities between Arabic and Indian music The Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula border each other and there have been numerous interactions over the years between the peoples from these two regions. This has resulted in the sharing and exchange of various cultural aspects unique to the cultures present in these two regions. One such area of exchange has been music, with Arabic and Indian music having some similarities between them. The major areas of similarities are the impact they have on the listeners and the significance they have in their cultures. In both the Arabic and Indian cultures, music is a major unifying aspect that enables people to come together and have a common feature to which they all appreciate. Music is also used to pass on teachings, educate, and pass on various cultural aspects of the Arabic and Indian cultures. Both Arabic and Indian music have a healing and relaxation feeling on their listeners. Both Arabic and Indian music have a meditative characteristic resulting in improved health, concentration, and general happiness. Differences between Arabic and Indian music There are major differences between Arabic and Indian music, mainly about the instruments that are used in each style and the places in which they are performed. Both Arabic and Indian music have major differences in the instruments used in each culture. Both Arabic and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Impact of English and TESOL in the Middle East Essay

Impact of English and TESOL in the Middle East - Essay Example As the report stresses the institutions that use English as a Foreign Language are broadly divided into two categories. The first category is institutions that teach the English language as a foreign language in non-English speaking countries. These institutions maybe international or local in nature and may conduct all their learning in English or offer it as a language course. The second category is learning institutions in English speaking countries, which tutor foreign learners to use English. The foreign learner maybe a student that is enrolled in a formal learning institution in pursuit of certification or an immigrant who enrolls in English classes in order to gain the use of the English language for daily living. According to the paper the discovery of oil in the gulf countries made it necessary for them to engage in economic activities with the rest of the world that were mainly English speaking. In fact, most of the imported labor that was needed was English speaking and th erefore made it necessary for businesspersons to learn the language. The technological advances in the world have changed it into a global village, which has forced many to learn English, which is the most commonly, used language in the world. The internet and globalization has bought on a change of lifestyle changes around the world. This has brought an awareness of goods and services around the world via the internet and media.  

Sunday, September 22, 2019

In the United Kingdom the big four supermarkets of Tesco, Asda, Essay

In the United Kingdom the big four supermarkets of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Wm Morrison have gained a steadily increasing - Essay Example In recent time some of the retail giants of United Kingdom like Sainsbury, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco have been accused of swindling the suppliers by paying them the bottom prices or finding some other way by which they can pressurise the suppliers to pay the cost of the unsold or perished goods. There are also other ways by which the suppliers are exploited that includes paying lower than the agreed price after the delivery of the order, delaying to pay them, make changes in the order at the last moment, making the suppliers to bear the cost, forcing the supplier to use certain specific expensive hauliers for delivering their goods and often ruining the supplier due to lack of cash flow. The supermarket retailers even pressurised the suppliers to pay for the shoplifted goods and making their profits to rise high, when they are expected to be lower. The study focuses on this issue. Supermarket competition Relentless rise in the supermarkets has given rise to the concern regarding thei r holdings over the suppliers and the customers. A research conducted by TNS Worldpanel, the market research group has concluded that the big four retail giants of UK Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda and Tesco holds almost three quarter of the grocery market that amounts to about 74.4%. Tesco is the leading supermarket that holds the biggest share. The report suggests that for every ?8 the consumer spends ?1 goes towards the business of Tesco. In 2004 it has been recorded that the retail sector of UK amounts to almost ?246bn, which is more than the amount if the economies of Ireland and Switzerland are combined together. This implies that the retail sector offers quite a significant amount (BBC News, 2006). (Source: BBC News, 2006) According to the reports of the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group, almost half of 278,630 shops in UK are managed and owned by a sole trader. These small local stores are losing their market because of the growth of the supermarkets that are gradually moving towards the convenience store format. As per the report of Association of Convenience Store for the last twelve months till June of 2005, 2000 independent convenience stores closed their operations owning to the growing competition of the supermarkets. The Office of fair Trading (OFT) has been investigating the two main issues firstly the competition that surrounds the worries regarding the competition in the supermarkets and abusing relationship between the supermarket and the suppliers. The OFT has claimed that there is no restriction on the grocery market, which prompts a widespread scorn from the action group and the local shops. OFT further states that there is no need of incorporating any type of reform in the ways the super markets are operating; though there are claims regarding application of bullying tactics by the four big supermarkets. According to the recent declaration of OFT there are significant indications regarding increase in the purchasing power of the cu stomer of the supermarket (BBC News, 2006). Area of Concern The corner and local shop areas are becoming the potential places for the growth of the supermarkets. The four big supermarkets face certain restrictive measures that pave the pathway for expanding their operations by following the convenient store format. This also helps the supermarkets to target the customers who are cash rich

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Analyse and Evaluate the significance of Fiscal Policy rules Essay Example for Free

Analyse and Evaluate the significance of Fiscal Policy rules Essay L1. Monetary policies are where the government use changes in the base rate of interest to influence the rate of growth of aggregate demand, the money supply and ultimately price inflation. In the short run economic growth is an increase in real GDP, In the long run economic growth is an increase in productive capacity (the maximum output an economy can produce) Economic Stability the avoidance of volatility in economic growth rates, inflation, employment and unemployment and exchange rates. International Competitiveness The ability of an economys firms to compete in international markets and, thereby, sustain increases in national output and income. L2. Monetary policies can be used to promote economic growth, Economic (this stability reduces uncertainty, promotes business, consumer confidence and investment) and International Competitiveness. This causes an ? in AD, which can be good for an economy. For example if a Government ? interest rates, people will have an ? in disposable income, because payments on credit cards will ?, mortgage payments will ? and it is not worth saving due to the reduced rate of interest, meaning they have more to spend on goods and services, thus AD ?. L3. Monetary policies can promote economic growth and stability and international competitiveness as changes in the interest rate affects Domestic Demand (Consumer Expenditure, Investment and Government Spending) and National Demand (Net Exports) via Exchange Rates as when the interest rate ? so the does the currencys strength. So if the rate of interest increases, so does the strength of the pound, meaning that there is an ? in international competitiveness as more economies want to purchase our currency. This causes an ? in AD causing the AD curve to shift to the right, from AD1 to AD2. Causing and ? in employment, ? production and ?economic growth, ?international competitiveness and ?international competitiveness If economic growth becomes too rapid it can also be dampened nby an ? in interest rates causing AD to ? due to the fact that their credit card charges and mortgages have ? and it has become more worthwhile to keep money in the bank and reap the rewards from a higher interest rate rather than spend. So peoples disposable income ?. Monetary Policy can promote economic growth and stability because of the Monetary Policy Transmission mechanism; the way in which Monetary Policy affects inflation rates through the impact it has on other macroeconomic variables. It is said that low and stable rates of inflation provide the framework for economic stability as inflation reduces the purchasing power of money. When the government uses monetary policy to reduce the rate of inflation inflation targeting) they can stop economic stability from becoming unstable as when inflation occurs, and usually wage growth ? there is a danger that inflation will become out of control so much so that producers and consumers are no longer able to use the signalling function so it can become clear what goods and services consumers most want. Inflation targeting makes the consumers and investors more clear about the future and so they know what to expect so they can plan ahead. This can cause an ? in C and I and therefore and ? in AD (shifting the AD curve to the right). The fact that inflation targeting is flexible means it meets the policy target. The government can use Monetary to policy to ? the supply of money, so banks have more money to lend, so it is easier for consumers to take loans so there disposable income ?, this can cause and ? in Consumer Expectations and vestments, causing an ? in AD, ?production, ?international competitiveness, ?employment, ? economic stability and ?economic growth L4. HOWEVER whether the Monetary policy is affective depends on many factors, for example it depends on how big the increase or decrease in interest rate is, a small change could make little or no difference for example if income interest is reduced by 0.00000000000000000000001% then people are unlikely to start spending more and it will have little or no effect on AD. It also depends on when interest rates are changed as to what else is going on in the economy at that time, for example if there is a fiscal policy causing income tax to ? at the same time as a ?in interest rates the affects of the Monetary Policy may be cancelled out by the fiscal policy. It depends on Central Bank bringing creditability to the target as the central bank has to build up a reputation for meeting targets. This can lead to low economic growth being traded off for low inflation in the short run, but not the long run, which is what is needed for an economies economic growth to be sustainable! The Central bank must be good at forecasting inflation, as the Monetary Policy works with time lags, there can sometimes be a two year delay! So the Central bank will have to set today the interest rate to affect the rate of inflation it expects in two years time! For example Inflation targeting has to be guided by forecasts of inflation and all macroeconomic variables that affect inflation. It also costs a great deal to employ people who have the ability to forecast inflation well which could cost a lot to employ someone capable of doing this, this means that it ? costs, which means the possibility of an opportunity cost involved as that money could have been spent on something else for example new hospitals. There can also always be unforeseen circumstances such as unexpected recessions and natural disasters such as the tsunami, this affects the Central Banks ability to deliver economic stability and economic growth as they do not know if they may need to be doing other policies to help these unexpected situations, as they may only be able to do so when the economies conditions are stable. To conclude Monetary rules and Fiscal Policy targets and constraints can promote Economic Growth, Economic Stability and International Competitiveness, however there are many factors to take into account when doing so.

Friday, September 20, 2019

An analysis of internal controls

An analysis of internal controls Internal control as a process, effected by an entitys board of directors, management and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in Three categories: 1. Effectiveness and efficiency of operations 2. Reliability of financial reporting, and 3. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations 1.Internal control our EDP System Internal controls are a vigorous part of accounting and data processing systems. It is important that the auditor be aware with the functions and uses of internal controls with respect to both manual and automatic systems. The controls of an electronic data processing system (EDP) and their identification, evaluation, and importance to the external auditor 1.1.1. Importance of Internal Control Internal controls are a important part of accounting and data processing systems. It is important that the auditor be familiar with the functions and uses of internal controls with respect to both manual and automatic systems. 1.1.2. What are Internal Controls? In a broad sense, internal control comprises controls which embrace the organizational plan and the methods used to protection the assets, create the dependability of financial data and records, endorse working efficacy and loyalty to managerial policies. Internal control is categorized by independence between departments and lines of vicarious duty and authority. It is important that these internal controls verify the dependability and correctness of the data supportive all transactions using control total techniques, sanctions and approvals, contrasts, and other tests of data accuracy. Committee on Auditing Procedure. Auditing Standards and Procedures, Statements on Auditing Procedure No. 33. New York: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 2008, p. 27. 1.1.3. Why Internal Controls are Important? Before management can make judgments to maximize the long run profit of a firm, it must first have dependable accounting data on which to base these decisions. This info should be timely, accurate, complete, and reliable. The protection of the assets of the firm against losses from misappropriation, robbery, failure to take discounts, inadequacy, and unjustified delays of credit are some functions of internal control that should be sufficiently interweaved in any good accounting system. These controls are necessary to assure management that the agreed procedures and orders are obeyed to since the management of large companies are not usually involved in personal supervision of their employees. Therefore, controls add reliability to accounting and financial data. Internal controls are important to deliver appropriate segregation of functional responsibilities and to create a system of authorization and sanction to provide reasonable safety over these assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. Sound practices shadowed in the performance of duties with in the organization and the allocations of persons of a quality appropriate with responsibilities are two additional necessary and correct functions of internal controls in any system. 1.1.4. Why the Auditor is Concerned with Internal Controls? Management identifies the needs and importance of internal controls as valuable tools to assure that events and transactions are properly carried out. The use and attendance of sufficient internal controls loans reliance and credibility to accounting records and consequently, reduces the length and detail of the audit. These internal controls reduce monotonous, routine, mechanical checks and verifications of bookkeeping accuracy, authorizing replacement of less time consuming approaches that involve judgment, reasoning, and common sense. 1.2. Internal Control Over Financial Reporting The internal control system of an entity is severely interconnected to the structure used by management to supervise the activities of the organization, or to what is defined as the entitys corporate governance. Good corporate governance should deliver proper inducements for the board and management to follow purposes that are in the interest of the company and shareholders and should ease effective monitoring, thereby encouraged firms to use resources more proficiently (OECD Principles of Corporate Governance). The Board of Directors is thus accountable for providing governance, supervision and oversight for senior management and guaranteeing that a suitable internal control system is in place and effective, meaning it ensure that foreseeable objectives are attained. Financial reporting is the connection between the company and its external environment. One of the main features which contributed to these failures relate to the internal control system established around the disclosure of information to stakeholders. It seemed that not attaining the objective of effective internal control system over financial reporting demoralizes the status of a company, even at the attendance of many other control components, making it problematic or impossible for a company to be dependable on the market, to be able to collect financing resources, to be believable to shareholders and stakeholders in general. 1.2.1. Role of the Internal Auditor in Evaluating Internal Controls The Internal auditor should scrutinize and contribute to the continuing effectiveness of the internal control system through evaluation and commendations. Though, the internal auditor is not lodged with managements primary obligation for designing, applying, maintaining and documenting internal control. Internal audit functions add value to an organizations internal control system by transporting an orderly, disciplined approach to the evaluation of risk and by making commendations to strengthen the effectiveness of risk management struggles. The internal auditor should emphasis towards improving the internal control structure and promoting better corporate governance. The role of the internal auditor consists of: Evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of internal control à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Commending new controls where essential or stopping unnecessary controls à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Using control framework à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Developing Control self-valuation The internal auditors assessment of internal control includes: Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Determining the significance and the compassion of the risk for which controls are being measured; Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Measuring the vulnerability to misuse of resources, failure to reach objectives concerning moralities, economy, efficiency and effectiveness, or failure to accomplish accountability obligations, and non-obedience with laws and regulations. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Identifying and understanding the design and operation of related controls. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Determining the grade of control effectiveness through testing of controls. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Measuring the sufficiency of the control design. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Reporting on the internal control evaluation and debating the essential corrective actions. The comprehensive areas of review by the internal auditor in assessing the internal control System are: Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Mission, vision, ethical and organizational worth system of the entity. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Personnel allocation, evaluation system, and growth policies Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Accounting and financial reporting policies and obedience with applicable legal and regulatory standards Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Objective of dimension and key performance pointers Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Documentation standards Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Risk management structure Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Operational framework Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Processes and procedures followed Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Degree of management administration Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Information systems, communication channels Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Business Continuousness and Disaster Recovery Procedures The internal auditor should get an understanding of the important processes and internal control systems adequate to plan the internal audit engagement and develop an effective audit tactic. The internal auditor should use professional finding to assess and evaluate the adulthood of the entitys internal control. The auditor should obtain an understanding of the control environment sufficient to evaluate managements attitudes, consciousness and actions regarding internal controls and their importance in the entity. Such an understanding would also help the internal auditor to make an initial assessment of the sufficiency of the accounting and internal control systems as a basis for the preparation of the financial statements, and of the likely nature, timing and magnitude of internal audit procedures. The internal auditors measures the as is internal control system within the organization. The internal auditor should become an understanding of the internal control. Procedures adequate to develop the audit plan. In obtaining that understanding, the internal auditor would consider knowledge about the attendance or absence of control procedures obtained from the understanding of the control environment, business processes and accounting system in determining whether any additional understanding of control procedures is essential. The internal auditor should document and understand the design and operations of internal controls to assess the effectiveness of the control environment. When attaining an understanding of the business processes, accounting and internal control systems to plan the audit, the internal auditor obtains information of the design of the internal control systems and their operation. For example, an internal auditor may perform a walk-through test that is; present a few transactions through the accounting system. When the transactions selected are typical of those transactions that pass through the system, this procedure may be treated as part of the tests of control. The internal auditor should deliberate the following aspects in the evaluation of internal control system in an entity: Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Discovering the entity has a mission statement and written goals and objectives. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Evaluating risks at the activity (or process) level. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Completing a Business Controls worksheet for each important activity (or process) in each function or department with documentation of the attendant controls and their degree of effectiveness (partial or full); arranging those activities (or processes) which are most critical to the success of the function or department Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Ensuring that all risks identified at the entity and function or department level are addressed in the Business Controls worksheet along with the combined documentation of the operating controls. Æ’ËÅ"â‚ ¬Ã‚  Discovering from the Business Controls worksheet, those risks for which no controls exist or existing controls are insufficient. 1.2.2. The assessment of internal control over financial reporting The total assessment gives a complete opinion of the effectiveness of entitys internal control system across internal control components. To facilitate the comparability with other entities and give complete assessment of the effectiveness of an entitys internal control system as such, universal system for evaluations is needed. Assessments and audits of internal control system should be tailor-made to the size, business, operations, risks, and procedures of each company, not directed by standardized lists (Heuberger 2009). This should more exactly identify possible problems, promote more efficient allocation of resources to higher-risk areas, and encourages a focus on outcomes rather than on processes. Internal control over financial reporting can be judged effective when reasonable assurance subsists that financial statements are being prepared reliably. Quantitative assessments are intended to measure the level of confidence that can be placed on the internal control systems ability to perform effectively (Perry 2010). Perry and Warner (Ibid: 52-55) have suggested a five-step model for quantitative assessment of internal control system, which is described on figure 1.1. The most important feature to note in this framework is scoring individual control objectives against the selected model. Using a suitable framework as a basis of the evaluation helps to attain a complete and structured assessment without missing important features of internal control. Figure 1.1. Quantitative assessment of internal controls. Perry 2010: 52-55. A framework can be deemed suitable as the fundamental for evaluation, when it is free from bias; it permits reasonably consistent qualitative and quantitative measurements; it is adequately complete so that those related factors that would modify a conclusion about the effectiveness of a companys internal control over financial reporting are not mislaid; and it is related to the evaluation (PCAOB 2009: 11). There are two key components of quantitative scoring: establishing how the maximum score will be assigned within the model and determining what percentage of the total allotted score to award to each control components. The initial COSO cube provides insight into the importance of the five internal control components in relative to each other, emphasizing the great importance of control environment and observing. However, Perry. (2010:54) note that those performing the assessment should apply their own experience with and information of internal controls and use this in combining with COSO guidance. COB IT model describes numerous different levels of dependability or maturity of an internal control system. Levels may range from initial, the lowest level of dependability, to optimized, the highest. COBIT Internal control reliability model is drawing the evaluators consideration to different features of the effectiveness of internal control, which would otherwise go unobserved, e.g. documentation and perceived value of controls. At the same time, this model is incomplete with respect to COSO internal control framework, because control environment and risk assessment are not comprised. Also, difficulties may arise greatly in small and medium-sized enterprises, where documentation regarding internal control system is limited and control procedures informal, but consciousness, communication and observing functioning might still be at high level. The Internal Control Institute in the US features six categories in rating internal control components. Groups range from reactive controls to world class system pronounced in table 1.3. Each category is worth a percentage that is proportionate with the attained level of control (Perry 2005: 54). Specifically, category 1 is worth 162/3 percent (1/6) and category 6 is the highest level of maturity and is worth100 percent. The points for each control principle should be assigned according to the evaluated percentage of proposed maximum score, then concise and an assessment report prepared. In this system, the evaluators score the internal control over financial reporting according to the fulfillment of the principles of internal control through numerous criteria. The total evaluation of internal control is attained through summarizing the scores across objectives and components. Perrys model allows giving an total numerical opinion of the effectiveness of the internal control system, taking into account the distinct features of every organization by assigning different percentages for different control principles and components according to the entitys size, ownership and business activities. The assessment of the efficiency of internal control over financial reporting in an entity is closely associated to the concept of fraud. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) defines fraud as those intentional misrepresentations of financial statements and other records which are carried out to conceal the misappropriation of assets or otherwise for gain (Pickett 2000: 550). For a person to commit fraud, three factors need to be in place: incentive or burden, chance and rationalization (Rittenberg 2005: 301; Pickett 2000: 550).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

black people :: essays research papers

Some black people think everyone is messy! Others can't stand us. Yes I prefer to be called African American than black! Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such devices changed the way we manage, work, and live. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the United States. This incredible invention is the computer. Computers are one of the most important inventions ever. If computers had not been invented, technology would not be developed to its current state. Since the computer invention, society has changed severely. Computer technology is so helpful, that it is even used to create newer, better computer equipment. Almost everything today is linked in some way, to a computer. Until this decade, computer technology was non-existent in public school systems. Computers are valuable to schools for many reasons. They are good for studying and research, if the sites are indeed factual. Computers supply a way to type papers, they can be used for business classes, and it can provide children with something they may enjoy using. If students are interested in what they are doing, they will do it better. Computer programs are also very helpful to business classes. Accounting classes and computer related fields of study must have computers to be current with today's business. Accounting today is all computerized. It is necessary to familiarize students to the functions of various programs if they are going to go into one of those fields. Computers have also made communications easier than ever. Today, e-mail is beginning to replace the ordinary post office and telephone as a way to keep in touch. E-mail provides the best of both worlds; it is instant and free. Before e-mail, one would have to send a letter that would take days to arrive, or they would have to use the telephone, which would cost money if the calls were

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Arts Education Essays :: Education

1. Describe how recent advancements in technology (since 1975 or so) have changed the arts and arts education. Answer: Since 1975 or so there has been many changes in technology that have affected arts education. Advancements in technology such as the internet, computers, and more art education programs have played a major effect. Before this era students could not really get the full picture of visual arts unless the instructor has the actual prints. The students did learn about colors, elements, and the ideas of art, but not students are not only learning about these things, but they can actually see these important elements. This came about primarily due to the internet. Students now can log on the internet and find pictures made by any artists. Also, since this era art has become very important in the concept of learning. I believe that people now realize that art education isn't just for fun, but it's a way that students can think beyond the books and explore the world through art. Computers have played a major role in this development of art. It's very important because students can l earn the different eras of art such as the neoclassical era and romanticism. I know that when I think of art I just think of drawing and painting, but now I believe that art can relate to almost anything. Everything in life is art and with the advancements of technology students can see that this is true. Art history is very important because we can see how the advancements of art have changed over time. For example in music there used to be barely any instruments and composers would make art through voice and now since we have advance so much in technology music today is very complex, usually filled with many instruments and heavy sound. Art education and the arts itself have changed dramatically throughout the years due to the advancements in technology. 2. Describe (A) the stylistic trends and innovations and (B) the characteristics of the art works from one historical period of your choice. During the contemporary period many new stylistic trends and innovations came about. This era was the post war era and occurred after the holocausts of World War II as well as the Nazi death camps where the first use of atomic weapons were put to use.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Amazing Grace :: Amazing Grace Essays

Amazing Grace As part of the summer reading assignment this year, I read the book Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol.   In this documentary-style book, he told about the horrible yet completely realistic conditions of the most poor, rundown neighborhoods and districts in New York City.   Kozol wrote the book for the purpose of telling the stories of the children who lived in these parts of the city.   He dedicated his work to those children and it was his goal to inform readers that slums were in fact in existence and the children who resided there did not deserve to live in such a poverty-stricken area.   The question "Why should their childhood be different from others across the country?" arose often and needs to be examined by all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In some ways the stories, accounts and tales of these inner city children were shocking.   I was aware that slums existed, but knew nothing of how they functioned, what living conditions were really like, or how the people there managed to live.   But in no way was I aware that such conditions existed in America, the so called "Land of Opportunity."   It seems it was just the opposite in these ghettos.   There was very little, if any for the people living here.   No chance whatsoever of employment outside the ghetto, or being accepted outside it.   It was their home, they were not supposed to leave it, and when they did they were eyed with hate by other people who did not want to be in their presence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was also mortified by the extremely high amounts of child deaths in this particular ghetto.   It seemed terrible that so many young children were getting killed, whether it be an accidental death in an elevator shaft, and mistaken shootings, or because of the extremely unhealthy conditions they were living in and the poor treatments that were available at area hospitals.   I cannot even imagine myself in those conditions or anyone for the matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The stories of people’s bravery in the face of so much adversity affected me the most.   I am amazed by the people who live in these terrible conditions day after day year after year yet still have the drive to go on and encourage others that things will be better and that one day everything will be all right.

Main Causes of the US Automobile Industry Crisis Essay

Recent happenings in the US automobile industry point to an industry that is steeped in a crisis of monumental proportions, one that it has never had the misfortune of staring at since the advent of the automobile as we know it today. Sales at the Big Three motor companies (Ford, GM, and Chrysler) have touched historic lows, not only pushing industry profitability levels down with them, but also triggering off a rare spectacle characterised by all the largest American carmakers bleeding in red ink. Writing for one of the premier automotive media, Krebbs and Visnic (2009) adduce data fresh from the oven that point to as much. According to Krebbs and Visnic (2009), the American industry posted the lowest levels of sales in sixteen years in the year just past. While GM witnessed a drop in sales of 23%, Ford saw its sales revenues shrink by a massive 20%, and Chrysler posted sales that were 30% lower than the previous year. Other automakers in the country such as Hyundai, Toyota, and Nissan did not fare any better. On average, the industry shed off some 3 million units in lost sales, which translates into a contraction of 18%. With such massive declines in sales, the Big Three have become deeply steeped in debt, and are staring bankruptcy right in the face in spite of the massive bailout packages tailored for the industry by the Obama administration. As a matter of fact, GM (which is the largest of the Big Three) and Chrysler have already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As the Wall Street Journal (2009, p.A1) points out, GM went under in June under a massive debt of $172 billion (against assets of only $82 billion) in what has been described as the second largest industrial bankruptcy filing in the US. After 84 years, the icon of American industry had its name struck off the Dow Jones, hot in the heels of Chrysler which had filed for bankruptcy just months earlier. It is not just dwindling sales and profitability that have afflicted the three largest American carmakers, they have also been steadily losing market shares and particularly to their more fleet-footed Asian rivals who include Toyota, Nissan Honda, and Hyundai. For example, GM, Chrysler and Ford had market shares of 23.8%, 12.9% and 15.5% respectively in 2007, which fell to 22.6%, 11% and 15.1% respectively in 2008. In contrast, the market shares of Honda, Nissan and Toyota increased from 9.7%, 6.6% and 16.3% respectively to 10.8%, 7.2% and 16.8% respectively over the same period. This is an indication that the US carmakers are losing out to other foreign carmakers (Krebbs and Visnic, 2009). Various factors have been cited as being behind the poor performance of the US automobile industry, but there are three main reasons that stand out. These include the meltdown in the US economy that was largely triggered off by the sub prime mortgage crisis, the failure by American carmakers to respond adaptively to the dictates of the external environment, and a poor business model characterized by factors such as huge legacy costs. Economic meltdown: One of the major causes of the declining fortunes of the US auto industry is the meltdown of the US economy which is mainly attributed to the sub prime mortgage crisis. The sub prime mortgage crisis occurred when banks and other financial institutions made out loans for the purchase of homes to a segment of the market that is considered risky due to its poor credit history and low ability to repay given their low income levels (this segment of the market is what is referred to as the sub prime segment). These loans were made out at the height of the boom in the real estate industry with expectations being that the boom in the industry would continue and that the buyers of the homes given the mortgages would be able to refinance their homes and pay back the loans. With the unexpected and sudden burst of the real estate bubble however, the sub prime borrowers were unable to refinance their homes due to plummeting values of real estate, leading to huge defaults that triggered off massive foreclosures never before witnessed in US history (Zeese, 2008; Rasmus, 2008). This caused banks and financial institutions to write off billions of dollars in bad debts, leading to a huge liquidity crisis and credit crunch that hit the economy and caused the current recessionary conditions being witnessed in the US and in much of the world. It also brought about a sharp and dramatic spike in unemployment rates which have affected demand for cars. The economic crisis has had the effect of drying up credit, which has made many potential car buyers unable to access car loans, a factor that has in turn triggered a massive decline in the demand for cars. Additionally, car makers have been unable to access debt finance for investment and working capital requirements, which has also impacted them negatively (Zeese, 2008; Rasmus, 2008; Borade, 2009). Failure to adapt to the external environment: Firms operate in an external environment in which its operations are affected either positively or negatively by political-legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological forces. The role of the company therefore is to scan the external environment for opportunities or threats which these forces may present, and to implement strategies that will help the organization to either capitalize on the opportunities or avoid the threats (Saloner, Shepard, and Podolny, 2008). The troubles afflicting the US automobile stem in part on the failure of the US carmakers to assess changes in their external environment and to respond adaptively. Over much of 2008, oil prices soared at one tine time touching all-time highs of $147 per barrel. The rise in oil prices triggered a corresponding rise in gasoline prices (to a high of $4 a gallon), which pushed the commodity out of reach for many Americans, and especially those with large fuel guzzling vehicles such as trucks (e.g. GM’s hugely popular Hummer) (Krebbs and Visnic, 2009; Zeese, 2008). Concomitant with the rise in the price of oil and gasoline has been an increasing consciousness towards the need for environmental protection, which has caused the rising popularity of cars that have higher fuel efficiency. These two factors contributed a great deal in shifting consumers’ tastes and preferences away from large fuel-guzzling cars such as trucks towards smaller more fuel efficient models. Unlike Asian car makers which recognized these trends and moved towards the manufacture of small models and green vehicles, all the Big Three firms continues producing large fuel guzzling cars such as SUV’s (Zeese, 2008). The result of this is that SUV and truck sales plummeted, hitting hard the revenues and bottom lines of the American firms, as consumers shifted their purchases to the smaller models manufactured by the Asian carmakers. Krebbs and Visnic (2009) write that as a result of these trends, car sales surpassed those of trucks in 2008, the first time that has ever happened since 2000. An example of   how hard SUV and large vehicle sales were affected as a result of these trends is given by the case of GM and its Hummer brand, which Hummer, which â€Å"suffered the biggest decline of all GM’s brands with sales plummeting 51 percent — its lowest sales level since 2002† (Krebbs and Visnic, 2009, p.2). Poor business model: The third factor that has contributed to the dramatic decline of the US auto industry’s fortunes is the fact that the industry has a poor business model. The US automobile industry is unique among all car industries worldwide due to the fact that it is saddled with huge and unbearable healthcare costs which produces one of the highest cost structures that makes American made cars uncompetitive against Asian made cars, for example (Zeese, 2008). According to Zeese (2008), failure by successive US administrations to reform the country’s healthcare system has resulted in car manufacturers paying healthcare costs for their employees to the tune of billions of dollars. Zeese (2008, p.1) writes that â€Å"It would not be unfair to describe General Motors as a health insurance provider who happens to make cars. GM spends $5 billion annually on health care for 1.2 million people – only 150,000 of whom work for the company. GM, Ford and Chrysler have a combined unfunded retiree health care obligation of more than $90 billion. Health care adds $1,500 to the cost of each vehicle.† With the American carmakers saddled by such huge costs, it is little wonder that their products are uncompetitive when compared to cars made by foreign manufacturers such as Toyota (which has one of the most admired lean manufacturing systems that keeps costs very low). Conclusion: The US automobile industry is in a big crisis. Other than declining sales and profitability, the industry is losing out to foreign car makers and particularly Asian rivals such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan. This has been brought about by three main reasons, which include the meltdown in the US economy triggered off by the sub prime mortgage crisis, a poor business model adopted by the industry, and failure by the US car industry to respond adaptively to changing environmental conditions. References: Borade, G. 2009. US economic crisis: impact on automobile industry. Retrieved on 11 July 2009 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/us-economic-crisis-impact-on-automobile-industry.html King, N and Terlep, S. 2009, June 2. â€Å"GM Collapses into Government’s Arms.† Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 11 July 2009 from   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124385428627671889.html

Monday, September 16, 2019

Health policy, law and ethics Essay

For the purpose of this assignment I will look at the legal and ethical aspects involved in the following scenario and this will be discussed. I will take into consideration both the deontological and consequentialism theory. Laws relevant to this scenario will be looked at. Scenario To maintain confidentiality the name of the patient has been changed. The patient D is 60 years old male who had kidney cancer he had been admitted to the hospital for further treatment. On the following investigation the patient had been diagnosed with the last stages of cancer which meant it had spread into the surrounding tissue. Prognoses were poor, palliative was to be offered. The family had requested that the patient should not be informed therefore, D was not aware about his current condition. The patient could not understand why medical staff only made him comfortable and were not taking a different approach to his treatment. Consequently, he lost faith in the staff and his will to live and refused everything that was given to him. The nurses made a decision to inform him of his terminal illness, believing this to be in his best interest. He understood the situation and expressed a wish to die at home. Legal aspects The situation that the nurses faced in this scenario was uncomfortable for both the patient and the healthcare professionals. The nurses had a dilemma of legal and ethical aspects on one hand, and patient’s legal rights on other hand. In any discussion of ethical issues in medicine, legal aspects may arise. Both of them set standards of conduct, where law often shows a â€Å"kind of minimal ethical societal consensus† (Emanuel et.al. 1999, p2). The study of law expresses a process of legal thinking and applying legal doctrine to the real-life situation in the healthcare setting (Flight and Meacham 2011). A deontology comes from the Greek term â€Å"deon†, meaning â€Å"duty† (Jones and Beck 1996). White and Baldwin (2004) state, deontological is fundamental in medicine as it means â€Å"do no harm† and â€Å"act in the patients’ best interest† (p.54). Using deontology approach in this case, healthcare providers were following the rule â€Å"Act in the patients’ best interest†. The problem that occurred in this situation is that it was difficult for the healthcare professionals as from a legal point of view the  patient had a right to know the truth if he wish. The NHS Constitution (2013) states, that a patient has the right â€Å"to be involved in discussions and decisions about his the health and care, including end of life care, and they be given information to enable the patient to do this† (p.9). Healthcare professionals were acting according to the Hippocratic Oath and following a set of rules, which are established as a framework of the NHS. One of the rules states, that nurses must â€Å"safeguard and promote interests of individual patients and client† (Tingle and Cribb 2007, p.16). Medical professionals must always act in the best interest of the patient. However, difficulty may be experienced in certain situations as the borderline between legal issues and ethics is narrow. The important professional concept of nursing is accountability for their actions to deliver appropriate care for their patients. This accountability is applicable in the legal context and important professionally, it is based on knowledge and un derstanding. Therefore, legally it is closely related to negligence and duty of care (Young 1995). In this scenario the nurses felt that they were acting as an advocate for the patient by following the rules. Montgomery (1995), state that accountability, responsibility and duty of care are closely linked. Irrespective of professional standing responsibilities, healthcare staff are still accountable, with regard to duty of care within the expectation of their job (Fletcher and Buka 1999). In this case, the patient’s anxiety could have been alleviated if he had been fully informed of the severity of his medical condition. This would then enable him to understand and accept this news, and would not lead the further complications in his psychological condition. Kravitz and Melnikow (2001) suggest that patient’s participation in the decision making process about their care is necessary. Analysing this situation I felt that patient D had a lack of autonomy. A patient should be fully informed about the diagnosis, and consent should be obtained for the treatment proposed; otherwise the autonomous being would be disregarded (Fletcher et al 1995). The importance of patient autonomy came from Nuremberg Trials codes of ethics, which was established in 1948 and stated that â€Å"The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential† (Washington 1949 p.181). The autonomy of D was disregarded by his family as they believed it would not be beneficial for him to know the truth. However, D had the capacity to make autonomous  decisions, such as whether or not he wanted to receive information about his current condition. Ethical aspects The issue that medical staff came across was to respect patient’s autonomy that had been breached in the described situation. Pearson et al (2005) states that patients are individuals, they have the right to be involved in making the decision process about themselves and their future. This belief refers to patient autonomy which is defined as freedom of making decisions within their limits of competency. Being unaware of his medical condition patient D had been deprived of his autonomy. Hendrick (2004) described autonomy as the ability to think about their lives and act accordingly to a chosen set of rules. Respecting autonomy means treating a person as an individual, involving him in discussion about his planned treatment, allowing him make his own decision. This is an essential part of any document of patients’ rights. O’Connell et al (2010) states that there are some ethical principles in nursing which include two important elements such as beneficence and non -maleficence. Both of them have significant implications for nurses. Hendrick (2000) supporting this view states that, in healthcare settings beneficence appears to be a straight forward term, and means to do â€Å"good†. In this situation there had arisen a massive ethical dilemma, and to choose the right approach to do â€Å"good† was not very easy for nurses. From one side, we had the patient who was not suitable for any medical treatment, as he was terminally ill but still had the right for palliative care, hence staff had to comply with all ethical principles. One of them was beneficence, as it seemed beneficial in the beginning not to tell the patient the truth about his condition, according to his family wishes. The family believed that patient D’s unawareness of reality would help him cope with his progressive illness. However, nurses whose responsibility it was to protect the patient from psychological stress and follow another ethical principle, which is non-malefice nce. Beauchamp and Childress (2009) state that, the principle of non-maleficence dictates an obligation not to harm. Both beneficence and non-maleficence were described in the Hippocratic Oath as â€Å"I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I  will do no harm or injustice to them† (Greek medicine 2010). The patient D’s reaction to the atmosphere surrounding him determined the medical staff to change the original approach to his care and give him the correct information about his prognosis. Respect should be shown to the patient; a simple obligation to give him a realistic picture of his condition. The patient had a right to know the truth, as he was approaching the end of his life. He might need to discuss some questions with his family and carers in order to arrange his affairs (Nicoll 1997). Basford and Slevin (1999) state, the principles of autonomy and justice as, are vital in healthcare practice and are dominant in many arguments within medical and nursing ethics. Consequently, there is a conflict bet ween the patient’s right to know and the carers’ duty of care. Honesty is an important part of any relationship. Jeffrey (2006) suggests that â€Å"communication would become meaningless if there was no overriding moral obligation to be truthful† (p. 64). Conclusion In any ethical dilemma healthcare staff should follow the government polices according to the Code of Conduct. As they are responsible for peoples’ health and have an honour to represent the National Healthcare Service, therefore, they cannot take any situation emotionally and personally. The healthcare professionals’ attitude to clinical judgement seemed to have increased during the last decade. Considering this, healthcare staff were taking into account new views of recognition of patient rights, to make an autonomous choice. The patient D had an opportunity for choice and made a decision to die at home. The argument in this situation was that all medical professionals should be telling the truth whether or not the patient’s family agreed. In this case I believe the medical staff were acting professionally and the patient received the attention he required in time, and there were no regrets afterwards. References: Basford and Slevin (1999) Theory and practice of Nursing Cheltenham: UK Beauchamp and Childress (2009) Principles of biomedical ethics (6th edition) New York: US Emanuel L, von Gunten C and Ferris F (1999). The Education for Physicians on End-of-life Care (EPEC) curriculum: US Fletcher N, Hold J, Brazier M and Harris J (1995) Ethics, Law and nursing Manchester: UK Flight M and Meacham M (2011) Law, Liability, and Ethics for Medical Office Professionals Delmar (5th edition): US Greek Medicine (2010) Hippocratic Oath: translated by North M Online at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html [Accessed on: 21/03/14] Hendrick J (2000) Law and ethics in nursing and healthcare Cheltenham: UK Hendrick J (2004) Ethics and Law Cheltenham: UK Jones R and Beck S (1996) Decision making in nursing Delmar: US Kour N and Rauff A (1992) Informed patient consent-historical perspective and a clinician’s view Singapore Med 33(1): 44–6 Kravitz R and Melnikow J (2001) Engaging patients in medical decision making. British Medical Journal 323: 584-585. Nicoll L (1997) Perspectives on Nursing Theory New York: US O’Connell S, Bare B, Hinkle J, and Cheeveret K (2010) Textbook of Medical-surgical Nursing (12th edition) Philadelphia: US Pearson A, Vaughan B, Vaughan B, FitzG erald M and Washington D (1949) â€Å"Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law 10 (2): 181-182 Online at: http://history.nih.gov/research/downloads/nuremberg.pdf [Accessed on 11/03/2014] The NHS Constitution (2013) Online at: http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/NHSConstitution/Documents/2013/the-nhs-constitution-for-england-2013.pdf [accessed on 10/03/2014] Tingle J and Cribb A (2007) Nursing law and Ethics (3rd edition) Oxford: UK White S and Baldwin T (2004) Legal and Ethical aspects of Anaesthesia critical care and perioperative medicine. Cambridge: UK Bibliography: George J. Annas Edward R and Michael A. Grodin (1992) The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code: Human Rights in Human . Oxford: US Morrison E (2010) Ethics in Health Administration: A Practical Approach for Decision Makers (2nd edition) London: UK

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Supercontinent

This paper will probe the theory that the continents of the Earth were originally a single supercontinent. It will describe the reasoning behind the theory, review the evidence that supposedly supports it, and present the reasoning for its rejection. It will also present an alternative view. It will explain the use of fossil records to link pieces of history, and why they may be one of the more significant methods used. The paper proposes that the theory of the supercontinent and the study of fossil records lack a confident conclusion to the geological history of the Earth and its present state, meriting the consideration of an alternative view. In 1912, a German meteorologist submitted the idea of the continental drift. His name was Alfred Wegener, and although he was not the first to explore this theory, his pursuit of the idea held more determination than any other did. 1 Wegener believed that the continents originally were attached in a single supercontinent he called Pangaea (â€Å"all land† or â€Å"all earth†). He also believed that the continent, surrounded by one global ocean, then broke apart and drifted to separate places on Earth. He reasoned that the process repeated itself over a period of time. A complete cycle from beginning to end could take approximately 300-600 million years. To support his theory, Wegener provided evidence, such as how the shapes of the continents appear to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. He is also noted how mountain ranges continued between continents, and appear to link them together. Wegener also submitted evidence that fossils and rock matter found on different continents were very similar to each other. Most interestingly, were the instances in which plant and animal fossils were found on the coastlines of South America and Africa (If looking at a world map, it can be said that Africa‘s west coast and South America‘s east coast seem to fit together). To Wegner, this was the most compelling evidence that the two continents once were one. 2 Although all of Wegner’s evidence seemed to coincide, his theory lacked a crucial point: a valid explanation of what pushed the continents apart. Wegener reasoned that the continents plowed through the ocean floor. His peers immediately rejected this idea. Studies conducted years later aided in the development of the concept of plate tectonics, as well as the subsequent confirmation of continental-drift theory. As previously mentioned, fossil records were among the evidence used to support the continental-drift theory. They provide some evidence of when and how life began, what types of organisms existed and how long they lived. Fossils also tell what the climate was and how it changed, as well as provide clues to the Earth’s tectonic evolvement. With the study of fossil records, it is conceivable that when the continents separated and rejoined, that animals once known to one specific region, now traveled in and about the other continents. 3 The shifting of the continents caused climatic changes that influenced this migration; however, climatic change was not the sole reason. Animal migration is indicative of the fact that animals were adapting to their surroundings (the availability of food, water, etc. in a specific area). Fossils have had great historical influence. Much of what we know about history has come from the study of fossils. The idea of plate tectonics was significantly aided by the notion that fossils now found widely spaced across the globe had to exist on the same original landmass that subsequently split apart. The African fossil record is arguably the most significant source of evolutionary history. Its fragmented components may be scattered throughout the continent, but considerably an integral part of piecing together history. Even with its supporting evidence, there are notable flaws in the idea of the continental drift. The theory states that all continents were once part of a single supercontinent, but does not explain how the supercontinent itself formed. The Creationist view offers an answer. By account of the Bible, the creation of the supercontinent and the subsequent shifting of the continents are explained in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth†¦God said, â€Å"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Thus, God made the firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven†¦Then God said, â€Å"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear†; and it was so†¦. This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created†¦4 Genesis also tells us that God caused it to rain on the earth for forty days and nights. This event is recorded as the Great Flood. Arguably, the division of the firmament, in addition to the effects of the flood, caused the shifting of the continents. The Bible also states that during the flood God destroyed both man and cattle from the earth. Those on the ark were the only survivors. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that those human and animal remains would later be discovered fossilized deep within the earth. The continental-drift theory reasons that all continents formed from a single supercontinent. The use of fossil records has been used to support this theory. Initially rejected, other studies reportedly confirm the theory. However, upon closer inspection the theory raises more questions than answers. One is the question of the supercontinent itself. The theory tells us that subcontinents formed by the breaking apart of one supercontinent, but does not elaborate on how the supercontinent formed. Creationist suggests a different view. The idea of biblical creation tells us that God created the earth and then caused it to break and shift apart. Endnotes 1. John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999), 21. 2. NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift†, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. 3. Reader, 39. 4. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984), Genesis 1:1, 6-9, 2:4. Bibliography Answers. com. â€Å"Plate tectonics: definition and much more from answers. comâ€Å", 2008. ttp://answers. com/topic/plate-tectonic (accessed 8/4/2008). John Reader, Africa: A biography of the Continent (New York: Vintage Books, 1999). NASA. â€Å"Evidence supporting Continental Drift† Sharron Sample, 2003. http://kids. earth. nasa. gov/archive/pangaea/evidence. html. The Holy Bible: New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 1984). Wikipedia. â€Å"Superc ontinent cycle† 2008. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/supercontinent_cycle Wisegeek. â€Å"What is the supercontinent cycle? † http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-supercontinent-cycle. htm (accessed 8/4/2008)