Friday, November 29, 2019

Social Marketing and Sustainability

Introduction Social marketing involves the application of marketing skills and technology in influencing human behaviours with a view of overcoming certain issues in society.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Social Marketing and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, social marketing is a powerful tool in influencing human behaviours because it involves the use of downstream and upstream strategies, as well as applying theories of behaviour change to address some of the social issues. Speeding is a social issue in New South Wales because it causes about 40% of road deaths, results into more than 200 deaths, and is responsible for over 4000 injuries per year (Blender, 2009). In this view, this report analyses RTA campaign and examines application of two behavioural change models. Background Information, Target Audience Behaviour Change Following rampant cases of road accidents, the Road Transpo rt Authority (RTA) of New South Wales, Australia, launched an anti-speeding campaign with a video entitled â€Å"Speeding: No One Think Big of You† (NOTBOY). The RTA speeding campaign was remarkably successful because it enabled RTA to reduce the occurrence of accidents on the roads of New South Wales. According to Bender (2009, p.158), RTA campaign was â€Å"one of the cleverest ad campaigns† and â€Å"very successful† because it ridiculed racing drivers, thus discouraging speeding behaviour among drivers.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Prior to the RTA speeding campaign, the RTA employed campaign approach that instils shock and fear on the drivers, but it never worked well. The RTA campaign targeted the entire community to influence changes in behaviour amongst youths who regard speeding as a fun activity, way showing off, and a trendy affair. The RT A campaign was successful because it had its basis on previous anti-speeding campaigns, but extended to use social approach, which empowered the community to create a culture that does not accept speeding. By use of social approach, the RTA campaign made extensive awareness amongst the youths and community leading to decreased cases of accidents. The audience targeted by the RTA campaign included divers, particularly young male drivers between the ages of 17 to 25 who like speeding on the roads of New South Wales. Road accidents in New South Wales have been increasing exponentially due to the behaviours of young male drivers who like speeding. Statistics show that about 40% of road deaths occur due speeding in New South Wales (Dorn 2010). The dominant group of drivers involved in the accidents is the group of young male drivers. The young male drivers speed because they perceive speeding as a means of displaying their prowess in driving (Hartig 2000).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Social Marketing and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this view, the RTA campaign targeted the young male drivers through upstream and midstream social marketing strategies. The upstream social marketing focused on the use of media and community as influencers of behaviour change while midstream social marketing involved the use of family and friends in discouraging speeding. Therefore, the youths between the ages of 17 to 25 years were the target audience given that they were ready for action because they form about 17% of the speeding drivers, who experience accidents in New South Wales. The RTA campaign proposed to change speeding behaviour of young male drivers, who used driving as a way of showing off their driving prowess. To change speeding behaviour and perceptions of the youths, the RTA campaign aimed at making speeding a socially unacceptable trend coupled with discouraging peer app roval of speeding. Overall, the RTA campaign aimed at involving community in creating cultural and societal perceptions that discourage speeding among male youths of New South Wales. From the principles of success, the RTA campaign focused on a single behaviour that is simple and executable in discouraging speeding. Kotler and Lee clarifies, â€Å"One of the key successes is to establish behaviour objectives that are single, simple, and doable acts that become core of the campaign effort† (2004, p.22).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By empowering the community to view speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour, the RTA campaign managed to influence an individual’s perception, as no one would speed without having the fear of being a subject of ridicule. The behaviour change of discouraging speeding has potential impact of transforming individual and societal perceptions on speeding as unacceptable behaviour attributed to young and immature boys. Since none of the drivers wanted to appear as young and immature as per the implication of the â€Å"pinkie† campaign, New South Wales experienced a significant reduction in speeding and cases of accidents. The RTA campaign experienced barriers such as peer approval and unsupportive attitude. Peer approval was one of the barriers that the RTA campaign experienced when it aimed at discouraging speeding among male youths. The youths perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and a trendy activity. Moreover, the young male drivers viewed speeding as a way of expr essing their masculinity and showing off their prowess skills in driving. Hence, as the RTA campaign tried to depict speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour, it was like denying the youths their masculinity. Andreasen (2005) claims, â€Å"barriers in the environment external to the individual make it difficult or impossible to act in employing the downstream approach of social marketing† (p.74). Hence, it was hard for the RTA campaign to influence the youths using the downstream approach because their culture approved speeding. Moreover, unsupportive attitude of the youths is another barrier, as they do not like driving at low speeds. Youths associate low speeding with rawness and female drivers who cannot drive well. Competitively, the youths were struggling to gain experience in speeding and become veteran drivers, while the RTA campaign restricted the same. To overcome barriers of peer approval and unsupportive attitude, the RTA campaign employed upstream and downstr eam approaches of social marketing by involving the media, friends, family, and community. The use of media ensured that the campaign gained extensive awareness among youths and the entire society. Moreover, the RTA campaign empowered the community to participate actively in discouraging speeding behaviours because a significant number of drivers speed on the roads of New South Wales. Donovan and Henley (2010) state that a social marketer can enhance the effectiveness of a campaign strategy by â€Å"adopting upstream approaches that create changes in the environment, as well as downstream approaches targeting individual undesirable behaviours† (p.45). Friends and family members are downstream influencers who helped in overcoming peer pressure and unsupportive attitude, which were barriers to the RTA campaign. Thus, by employing both upstream and downstream approaches, the RTA campaign managed to overcome barriers and change behaviours of youths through the influence of commun ity members. The RTA campaign has significant benefits to the New South Wales. Following its launch, the RTA campaign has considerably reduced cases of accidents in New South Wales because many youths have reduced their speed of driving. Hence, reduced rate of accidents due to speeding is a considerable measurable benefit. Another benefit of the campaign is that there is increased awareness of speeding, thus depicting speeding among youth as unacceptable behaviour in the society. Brennan and Binney (2010) state that about 94% of the general population recognised anti-speeding message in the RTA campaign, while 58% of the young males realised that speeding is unacceptable behaviour in the community. Such figures indicate that the RTA campaign was quite successful in creating a culture in the community that perceives speeding as a socially unacceptable behaviour. Thus, New South Wales has significantly benefited from the campaign, as many youths will no longer speed and cause accident s that lead to loss of lives and cause injuries. Behaviour Change Models Social Norm Theory Social norm theory is one of the theories that explain the change in behaviour among male youths due to the RTA campaign. Social norm theory postulates that change of behaviour of an individual occurs to influence one’s perception on what is normal. Schultz et al. assert that social norms influence human behaviours because they â€Å"not only spur, but also guide action in the direct and meaningful ways† (2007, p.429). In the case of speeding amongst youths, the theory explains that the culture of speeding emerged due to pluralistic ignorance, which made youths view speeding as a socially acceptable behaviour. From the perspective of the youths, speeding was quite acceptable because it was a means of displaying their masculinity as well as prowess in driving. Speeding was one of the social norms that the youths practised because it was a trendy activity for the young male driver s to exhibit their skills. Through their pluralistic ignorance, the youths assumed that all drivers were speeding, and thus they wanted to attain the status of speeding like everyone else. According to the social norm theory, an intervention that exposes the reality of the norms is indispensable in correcting pluralistic ignorance. Although the youths were driving at high speeds, they were comfortable because it was normal according to their norms. In this view, the RTA campaign developed a strategy that focused on changing the youths’ perceptions. The perceptions of the young male drivers were contrary to the reality. While the young male drivers perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and expression of masculinity, the society perceived it as a dangerous affair. Thus, the RTA campaign employed both downstream and upstream strategies of social marketing to influence the community to perceive speeding as unacceptable behaviour. Terry and Hogg (1999) state that a change of human behaviour occurs through a systematic process where dominant social norms influence the development of behaviour. Thus, for the RTA campaign to overcome dominant behaviour of speeding among the youths, it empowered the community to create a culture that views speeding as a despicable behaviour. Theory of Planned Behaviour The theory of planned behaviour postulates that behaviour is a product of benefits, social norms, and cost associated with a given activity. Before one performs a given activity, one has to analyse the benefits and costs associated with social norms. Therefore, the young male drivers found pleasure in speeding because they got recognition from their peers coupled with expressing their masculinity. According to Armitage and Christian (2003), attitudes predict behaviours for social norms moderate the attitude-behaviour relationship. Hence, the behaviour that the young male drivers exhibited reflected their attitudes. To overcome the unsupportive attitudes of the youn g male drivers, the RTA campaign aimed at changing attitudes of the community members so that they can have overwhelming influence on the attitudes of the young male drivers. Ultimately, the RTA changed the community attitudes and perceptions, branded speeding unacceptable behaviour, and reduced cases of accidents due to speeding. Although the young male drivers attempted to hold on to their speeding behaviours, they failed because the community was already empowered to influence their behaviours. Conner and Armitage (1998) assert that the theory of planned behaviour examines attitudes and perceptions relative to social norms of the people. As the RTA campaign changed perceptions and attitudes of the community members who are the majority, the minority young male drivers were unable to resist change. Hence, when community members viewed speeding as a despicable behaviour, the young male drivers followed the perceptions of the community. Eventually, the young male drivers had to comp ly with the demands of the society because the societal norms perceived speeding as unacceptable behaviour among the youths. Buckworth and Dishman (2002) argue, â€Å"Behaviour is predicted by intentions and intentions are predicted by attitude and societal norms† (p.27), which have overwhelming influence on human behaviour. Therefore, the RTA campaign influenced behaviours of the young male drivers to drive at moderate speeds. Conclusion The RTA campaign is the most successful campaign in dealing with speed driving because it managed to change the behaviour of young male drivers as well as other drivers. Despite the many challenges associated with social marketing, the RTA campaign employed both upstream and downstream strategies, which empowered the community, family, and friends to effect changes in behaviour of young male drivers, who perceived speeding as fun, exciting, and a way of expressing their masculinity. Analysis of the RTA campaign shows that it complied with fa ctors necessary for successful social marketing. Moreover, the RTA applied theory of social norm and the theory of planned behaviour in changing speeding behaviour of young male drivers in New South Wales. Reference List Andreasen, A 2005, Social marketing in the 21st century, SAGE Publisher, California. Armitage, C Christian, J 2003, Planned behaviour: The relationships between human thought and action, Transaction publishers, New York. Bender, M 2009, The fast, the fraudulent the fatal: The dangerous and dark side of illegal street racing, drifting and modified cars, AuthorHouse, California. Brennan, L Binney, W 2010, ‘Fear, Guilt and Shame Appeals in Social Marketing’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 63 no. 2, pp.140-146. Buckworth, J Dishman, R. 2002, Exercise Psychology, Human Kinetics, New York. Conner, M Armitage, C 1998, ‘Extending the theory of planned behaviour: A review and avenues for further research’, Journal of Applied Social Psycholo gy, vol. 28 no 1, pp.1429-1464 Donovan, R Henley, N 2010, Principles and practice of social marketing: An international perspective, Cambridge University Press, New York. Dorn, L 2010, Driver behaviour and training: human factors in road and rail transport, Ashgate Publishing, London. Hartig, K 2000, ‘Claiming the Freeway: Young Male Drivers in Pursuit of Independence, Space and Masculinity’, Journal of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, vol. 5 no 1, pp.36-49. Kotler, P Lee, R 2004, Corporate social responsibility: Doing the most good for your company and your cause, John Wiley Sons, New York. Schultz, P, Nolan, J, Cialdini, R, Goldstein, N Griskevicius, V 2007, ‘The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power social norms’, Psychological science, vol.18 no 5, pp.429-434. Terry, D Hogg, M 1999, Attitudes, behaviour, and social context: The role of norms and group membership, Taylor Francis, Mahwah. This report on Social Marketing and Sustainability was written and submitted by user Norah Stuart to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Gettysburg- Controversy at Wheatfield essays

Gettysburg- Controversy at Wheatfield essays The Battle of Gettysburg- Controversy at The Wheatfield The afternoon of July 2, 1863 was one of the most important, yet confusing fights of the Civil War. The day was one of controversy as shots rang throughout the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Most of the fighting took place in a wheatfield and that is why this section of the battle will forever be known as The Wheatfield. On the evening of June 28th, one of General Longstreets scouts came into the Confederate camp reporting that Union troops were closing fast from the south and east. General Lee hoped to counter the attack and ordered the troops. On July 1st General Heths division moved towards Gettysburg encountering John Bufords federal cavalry in his way. Heth attempted to drive him from the town, but this failed when Reynolds Army showed up. The battle continued until eventually the Confederates won. It was an extremely costly battle for both sides, Reynolds himself was even killed. While all of this is happening, General Meade is back at Taneytown. After hearing of the death of Reynolds, he assigns General Hancock to be the new commanding general. They took new positions atop Cemetery Hill, except for one division, which was placed on Little Round Top. General Meade told Sickles to position his division to where his left rested at or on Little Round Top, but Sickles did not do this... Dan Sickles had been commander of the 3rd corps since before the battle of Chancellorsville. Sickles was a womanizer, and he was not a professional soldier. He wasnt fully adapted to the full responsibility of corps command. According to HISTORICUS, an anonymous writer (many think to be Sickles himself) claimed to tell the accurate history of the battles. Apparently, Sickles was extremely anxious the morning of the 2nd because he felt it was important to occupy the ground near Peach Orchard, but had yet to ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

KU Consulting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

KU Consulting - Case Study Example Moreover, the company’s surroundings and equipments used for the manufacturing process are also old-fashioned, technology-deprived and unhealthy as well. Consequently, the company with its obsolete plant and pathetic surroundings fails to satisfy the US safety and environmental standards. Contextually, the company is required to improve and upgrade its plants and equipments substantially in order to ensure greater profitability along with increasing production of quality products. Competitiveness of Albatross Anchor 1. Cost A) Cost of Production Cost of production can be sub-divided into two general categories namely, fixed costs and variable costs which accumulatively represent the value of total costs. Different companies operate in a market place; however they can be distinguished upon their level of cost efficiency examining their variable and fixed cost attributes which further determine their production efficiency. For instance, a higher level of cost-efficiency can be d etermined with the assistance of a comparatively lower cost of production. Contextually, Albatross’ current manufacturing costs of mushroom anchors and snag hook anchors are accounted to be $8.00 per pound and $11.00 per pound respectively. It is in this context that the company charges the same per unit as that of its competitors. Notably, the profit margin of the company in certain instances is recorded to be approximately 35 percent less on its outputs produced. The major cause behind the limitation of the company to earn adequate profit can be identified with reference to its operational inefficiencies (Article Directory, 2012). B) Economies of Scale in Material Purchasing The company purchases the required raw materials in bulk from its suppliers that help in acquiring advantages in terms of discounts. The bulk purchases of the raw materials also assist the company to attain competitive advantages from economies of scale. However, the current limitations of the company h as been witnessed to incur large volumes of wastes as the raw materials purchased in bulk remain unused for a long time period owing to its inefficient and time consuming production process. Hence, the company can avail the benefits of bulk purchase if it is able to produce products at faster rates (Byrns, 2001). C) Cost of Raw Materials Sitting Idle In the Warehouse The production process of the company is witnessed to be quite time-consuming, as a result of which, the only small units of outputs are produced at a given period of time. This leads toward increased volumes of unused raw materials. Consequently, such activities contribute towards an increase in costs as well as wastage of raw materials to a substantial extent. In such circumstances the company should strive to avoid the unnecessary costs associated with the raw materials and its deterioration. The company can thus invest in productive equipments and raw materials preserving efficient inventory system that can ultimate ly enhance the production process, rather than investing in unnecessary purchases of raw materials which are kept idle for a long period of time. D) Cost of Finished Goods Sitting Idle In the Warehouse The company’s warehouses are located far away from the main production area that contributes towards an increase in the carrying costs and thereby consumes substantial time and efforts of the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Endangered languages and cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Endangered languages and cultures - Essay Example As Argenter (2005) observes, language extinction occurs through loss of its native orator. Language extinction is a development that has emotional impacts on speaking communities, more so when there is a decrease in the level of linguistic capability that orators possess in a given language variety. Eventually this development brings about extinction of a language variety due to non-existence of fluent and native speakers. There are various reasons why languages disappear. Globalization is one of them; this refers to either division of labour and global economic specialism or adoption of cultural practices that are similar across the world. Globalization is said to be the result of language decline and not the cause. Another reason of language decline is capitalism and trade. Trade does not eradicate languages more than it eradicates cultural practice. Further, trade does not usually diminish language but instead improves interchange of cultural practices and nurtures their proliferation. Traditionally, trade enabled the creation of new languages that can be used for communication between people who do not share the first language. Furthermore, political repression is also a major cause of language endangerment. The state strives to endorse one culture that is accepted nationwide thus limiting other minority languages in schools and public places or prohibiting them completely. Lastly, urbanization is also a major reason why language becomes extinct. As Brenzinger (2008) found out, urbanization is the movement from rural to urban areas. This has made people adopt other languages that are suitable to them and abandon their cultures. Above 50% of the languages globally are in eight countries, namely: Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Cameroon and Papua New Guinea. According to Cole (2011), Vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered Extinct, and critically endangered are the various

Monday, November 18, 2019

Business opportunities in the leisure goods and activities industry Essay - 1

Business opportunities in the leisure goods and activities industry - Essay Example Even in the leisure industry, there are two types of recreation: firstly, when an individual participates in a physical activity such as playing football, cricket, hockey, tennis, squash, playing some music through piano, flute etc., doing some sort of gardening or acting. The other type of recreation is where the individual is not physically involved. Rather, it is the mental activity such as watching television, playing games on computer, listening to music, attending concerts, or going to a restaurant. The first type of recreation is very rewarding and motivating. On the other hand, the latter makes people feel good and relaxed. Huge amounts of income are being spent on activities such as eating, drinking, and watching movies in cinema. FACTORS AFFECTING LEISURE INDUSTRY Leisure goods and activities industry is no doubt expanding but, these sectors are greatly influences by the recessionary pressures. The most common factor that affects this sector is the disposable income. Althou gh, everyone pays attention to this sector but the expenditure is highest in those regions where consumers have plenty of time and money. For example, the UK boating industry acts as an area of strength for the UK manufacturing sector. The leisure boating sector is becoming around ?2 billion turnover industry. The industry which makes the greatest turnover and also generates job opportunities is the strength of a country. The growth of this industry has also increased the tourism activity in UK. Tourism activity is interrelated with other businesses, government and also the local residents. Tourism industry attracts a lot of labor and generates high income. Therefore, spending in the tourism industry benefits the economy on the whole. It also buys goods and services from others businesses and pays out salaries to the employees. This further buying of goods and services is known as the secondary sales and creates a secondary economic effect. It creates additional income and job oppor tunities in those sectors which provide to the tourism industry. The tourism industry would generate business for the beverage industry, the snack industry, construction industry and the government also. In UK, the imports of sporting goods, musical instruments and toys were ?6.6 billion in 2005 where as the exports were ?803 million. TRENDS IN LEISURE INDUSTRY Sports goods form a large proportion of the leisure goods industry. Sports are a major part of the entertainment culture. It is not linked to one industry, rather, a range of different industries are involved. Throughout the world, sports form a major part of the sales and purchases of a country. Taking an example of New Zealand, the gross output of sports sector increased by 2.5% per annum from 1996 to 1999, and it became the largest contributor of the sports clothing manufacturer. Real value added was up by 0.4% p.a. of the physical leisure industry. Nominal household expenditure increased by 16.6% p.a. over the period of 1 996-1999 in the coaching services and clubs sector (Goodchild et al. 2000). There is an increasing trend of leisure and entertainment as the technology has improved. Even though the leisure goods industry has been increasing but in 2011, the toys industry of the U.S. market has declined. The major manufacturers of the toys are the Chinese industry where inflation has hit very strongly. This inflation has

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Reflective Journal Entry

A Reflective Journal Entry In the majority educational situations, there is substantial energy expended as learners use critical-thinking skills to explore complex concepts central to their discipline. When learners systematically engage in significant thinking, they tend to expand insights not just into the concepts but in addition the learning process as well. Educators use various strategies in seeking the one best technique to engage learners actively in their learning. Abegglen, J. ONeill Conger, C. (1997) recognizes the significant contribution of critical reflection in the development of specialized knowledge and clinical expertise. Educators in education and nursing employ reflective learning journals to enhance creative and critical thinking among learners in the classroom (e.g., Allen Enz, 1986-1987; Hahnemann, 1986; Meyers, 1986; Meyers Jones, 1993; McCrindle Christensen, 1995) and in the practice setting (e.g., Alm, 1996; Sedlak, 1997). A few writers offer hold up for educators themselves to become inquiring teachers (e.g., Scho ¨n, 1987; Henderson, 1992) and other writers create models to enhance the teaching-learning process (e.g., McCaugherty, 1991; Hutchinson Allen, 1997; Riley-Doucet Wilson, 1997; Scanlon Chernomas, 1997; Wong et al., 1997; Kember et al., 1999). It is significant to note that this strategy of reflective learning journals promotes learners to turn out to be active learners. Definition: Although the frequent use of reflection and reflective learning journals in the literature, there is no consensus regarding how to define these terms. This lack of clarity creates tremendous difficulty in terms of operationalizing the ideas and in addition in comparing research findings Boychuk, (1999). Boyd and Fales (1983) define reflection as the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self and which consequences in a transformed theoretical perspective (p. 100). This definition is widely used and appropriate to this research exploring the application of the Scanlon and Chernomas (1997) model. For purposes of this research, reflective learning journals refer to written documents that learners create as they think about different concepts, events, or interactions over a period of time for the purposes of gaining insights into self-awareness and learning. Regarding reflection as together compound and indefinable, Pierson (1998) suggests that reflection is a purposeful inter-subjective process that requires the employment of both calculative and contemplative thinking (p. 169). She expresses concern that calculative thinking (e.g., listing daily activities) instead of contemplative thinking (e.g., employing an interactive, conversational style of writing to expand self-awareness and understanding) may be more the norm in practice. Reflective thinking requires a trusting relationship if one is to write about individual thoughts, feelings, and experiences honestly; sufficient time to consider ideas significantly; active involvement; participation of self; and assurance. Assess, the root word of assessment, comes as of the Latin word assidere, which means to sit beside, to observe, talk by means of, and learn as of one another (Conrad, 1995). Traditionally, the word assessment has referred to the way teachers assign letter grades on tests and quizzes. Assessment has in addition been used as a way to discuss teaching effectiveness (Garfield, 1994). However, assessment is now taking on a new meaning. It should be a dynamic process that continuously yields information about learner progress toward the achievement of learning goals (Garfield, 1994). In order for assessment to be considered authentic, it must focus on whether or not learners can apply their learning to the suitable situations (Conrad, 1995). Methods used to measure learner learning range as of traditional standardized testing to a more organic, authentic approach to assessment. The current dispute in educational assessment stems as of the debate flanked by behaviourist and constructivist educators. Behaviourist theory originated as of the work of Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner and focuses on changes in behaviour that result as of stimulus-response associations made by the learner (Standridge, 2002). The learners are active respondents in the learning process and should be given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through observable and measurable behaviours (Ormrod, 1999). Standardized testing is one of the most obvious ways to observe and measure changes in behaviour. Although they are easy to score and interpret, these tests imply that there is a separation flanked by knowledge and the learner (Worley, 2001). This method of assessment simply offers a way for assigning numerical scores to observa ble behaviours but does not reveal how the learner learned or how they will be able to use their learning to solve problems (Garfield, 1994). On the opposing side of the debate, constructivists argue that learners cannot continue to merely acquire knowledge and demonstrate it through observable and measurable changes in behaviour. Instead, learners must construct the meaning of knowledge as they learn it. Constructivist theory is based mainly on the work of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky and stresses that learning involves an active process in which learners construct meaning by linking new ideas by means of their existing knowledge (Jones Brader-Araje, 2002). Knowledge does not exist outside of the learner. According to Kant, the mind offers the categories of knowing, while the real world offers the content. Knowledge is thus always a construction of the minds interaction by means of the world and cannot be reduced to one or the other (Elkind, 1998, p. 113) In reality, learners come to the classroom by means of a wide variety of prior experiences, knowledge and beliefs that may be cultivated to offer meaningful life-long le arning (Jones Brader-Araje, 2002). Therefore, alternative assessment methods such as recordings, checklists, diaries, portfolios, learner debriefings, peer conferences and reflective journal writing are necessary inside a constructivist classroom (Worley, 2001). Journal writing is the recording of daily events, personal reflections, questions about the environment, and reactions to experiences (Dyment OConnell, 2003). According to Chapman, it should reflect various types of writing as well as levels of complexity related to the task assigned in the prompt (Chapman, 1990). Instances of authentic writing in the journal include open-ended entries, where the learner constructs an entry using background knowledge, or short answer entries that demonstrate understanding of the content taught (Chapman, 1990). Journal writing can become one of the most significant components of the assessment process because it has the potential to promote critical thinking. It in addition reinforces the significance of writing across the curriculum by means of an emphasis on process rather than product, allows for personal expression, and serves as a record of thought. Journal writing helps learners understand how they learn and it gives a voice to those who are not good at expressing themselves orally. Finally, because reflective journal writing requires active participation, the learners take ownership of their learning Brookfield, (1998). According to Atkins, (1993), reflective journal writing serves four purposes for the learner and three for the teacher. The authors studied the journals, observation notes, conference notes and course-related projects of 34 learners in their first course of the teacher education graduate program at South-eastern University. For learners, journal writing serves as a permanent record of thoughts and experiences; establishes and maintains a relationship by means of the instructor; offers a safe outlet for frustrations and concerns; and aids internal dialogue. For the teacher, reflective journal writing serves as a window into learner thinking and learning; establishes and maintains a relationship by means of the learner; and serves as a dialogical tool. Finally, reflective journal writing offers an opportunity for both the teacher and the learner to assess learning. As Atkins, (1993) discovered in his research on more than 20 learners in his advanced mathematics course, reflective journal writing offers learners by means of the opportunity to express connections flanked by previous knowledge and new knowledge. Although one of his Iranian learners struggled by means of English vocabulary, he was able to describe a mathematic word problem in his own words by using connections to his culture Atkins, (1993). Reflective learning journals are recognized as a significant tool in promoting active learning among nursing learners. Essentially, nurse educators strive to encourage learners to think about past experiences, current situations, and expected outcomes of their actions so that they can explain what they do in the clinical setting and why. In other words, nurse educators seek to promote professional practice that is reflective rather than routine. The purposes in this paper are to discuss the application of two models of reflection to a set of reflective learning journals and to offer some recommendations for educators, researchers, and learners. Using a three stage model of reflection Alm, (1996), 52 nursing learners explored managerial concepts. The major findings indicated that learners may be categorized, according to Alm, (1996), as no reflectors (i.e., lack proof of purposeful appraisal), reflectors (i.e., demonstrate insight through analysis, discrimination, and evaluation), and critical reflectors (i.e., indicate a transformation as of initial viewpoint). The foundations for professional practice begin inside the educational system. Educators begin the process of assisting aspiring professionals to learn how to learn. Reflective learning journals have become a significant tool in nursing education to promote active learning among learners. Fundamentally, nurse educators strive to encourage learners to think about past experiences, current situations, and expected consequences of their actions so that they can explain what they do in various professional settings and why. Put another way, nurse educators seek to promote professional practice that is reflective rather than routine. The purposes of this paper are to discuss the application of two models of reflection to a set of reflective learning journals and to offer some recommendations for educators, researchers, and learners. The two models include the three stages of reflection Cavanagh, (1995) and the three levels of reflection Cavanagh, (1995). Conclusion: In conclusion, according to Conger, (1996), It is now widely accepted that successful professionals have to to reproduce upon their actions as mainly tasks they execute involve novel elements to which there are no described solutions (p. 18). The responsibility rests by means of educators to arrange professionals for reflective practice. Inherent in this accountability is the need to determine the extent to which learning actually occurs. Utilizing a model, as described in this presentation, offers strong evidence of learner learning. However, whereas the facilitation of learning stays by means of the educator, the final liability for learning resides by means of the learner. If we believe the words of Conger, (1996), we will all embrace the accountability plus joy of learning: Real knowledge gets to the heart of what it means to be individual. During learning we turn out to be able to do something we certainly not were able to do. Through learning we extend our capability to produce, to be part of the generative procedure of life. There is inside each of us a deep hunger for this kind of learning.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Barn Burning Essay -- essays research papers

Barn Burning "You’re getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you." This quote from William Faulkner’s "Barn Burning" does reveal a central issue in the story, as Jane Hiles suggests in her interpretation. The story is about blood ties, but more specifically, how these ties affect Sarty (the central character of the story). The story examines the internal conflict and dilemma that Sarty faces. When the story begins, Sarty and his family are in a courtroom. Sarty, known in a proper setting as Colonel Sartoris, which in itself gives an insight into the families mentality. Sarty’s father, Abner Snopes is being accused of a barn burning. Right away, as Sarty is called to testify, you get an idea of what is going through the boy’s head, and the mentality that has be ingrained in him. He thinks to himself, Enemy! Enemy!, referring to the people t hat his father and his family for that matter are up against. Sarty would later discover that things are not always the way that his father leads everyone to believe they are. Sarty, somewhere deep down wants to just do what is right, but being roughly 10 years old, I don’t think he quite has that figured out yet. His sense of right and wrong has been biased under the tyranny of his father. We also get a good idea of the personality of the father, Abner, by the way Sarty describes his physical appearance. Abner is...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Comparing and contrasting Essay

One of the best methods to help us clarify our thoughts about a character, an event, a poem, a story—nearly anything—is to compare and contrast. (To compare can mean to find similarities and differences. Coupled with contrast, however, to compare means to point out similarities, while to contrast means to point out differences.) Many of us, feeling weighted down by cares, have happened to see someone coping with a much greater burden or handicap—and suddenly our problems become insignificant in comparison. Seeing how our situation relates to another’s, we have gained perspective. The only way to have that perspective is by viewing things in relation to one another—by comparing and contrasting. Considering two characters, for example, can help us think more effectively about each. (Authors frequently invite such comparison by including a character foil in a story—a character who serves to emphasize the attributes of another character because t he two are so different.) Let’s consider, specifically, Rainsford, the protagonist of Richard Connell’s story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game,† and the unnamed protagonist in Jack London’s â€Å"To Build A Fire.† How are the two men comparable? Each confronts a life-threatening situation. Rainsford is chased by the fanatical Zaroff, and London’s protagonist combats the extreme cold of theYukon. Each fights down panic and acts swiftly and decisively. Rainsford sets traps for his pursuers and finally tricks Zaroff; the man in theYukon quickly builds a fire after his feet are soaked. Each denies the suggestion of an acquaintance: Rainsford tells Whitney that hunted creatures have no feelings, and London’s protagonist ignores the old-timer’s advice. And each man learns, as a result of his ordeal, that he has been wrong. On the other hand, the men are different in several ways. London’s protagonist does not have sufficient foresight to realize, in the first place, that he shouldn’t be out alone in such cold, and second, that he shouldn’t build his fire under a tree. He fails to overcome the crisis that he brings on himself, and as a result, he dies. Rainsford, however, falls  into his ordeal quite by chance, by tumbling from the ship. He refuses to sacrifice his principles to extricate himself from the crisis: he tells Zaroff that hunting men is murder pure and simple. Once he realizes the game he must play, he plays it with great cunning, and he triumphs. As illustrated in the two preceding paragraphs, there are two ways to write a paragraph of comparison or contrast. As in the first of the paragraphs, we can shuttle back and forth: A is similar to or different from B in one respect; A is to B in a second respect; A is to B in a third respect; and so on. On the other hand, as in the second of the paragraphs, we can write in a block about one of the items under consideration (A) and then about the other (B). Neither way is better, though the shuttle method is a bit more demanding since it requires that we have matching statements about the pair under consideration. Even if we use the block method, we should try to list corresponding details in the same order in both parts of the paragraph; we also need to be sure to provide a link between our discussion of A and B. In any case, a well-organized comparison, whether focusing on literature or something else, is a powerful way to illuminate both the items that we are considering. –An Addendum to Jim Stover’s Discussion about Comparisons (Bob Fulton) Sometimes it is helpful to indicate to your reader what you feel is more significant, the similarities you have discovered between the two things you are comparing or their differences. Consider now two other fictional characters, Goodman Brown from Hawthorne’s story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and the narrator from Poe’s story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart.† After you have listed as many similarities and differences as you can in preparing to write a comparison paragraph between these two characters, you may decide that the differences you have found are far less significant or interesting than the similarities. Because you are developing a comparison, you are obliged to acknowledge that there are, indeed, differences between Goodman Brown and Poe’s narrator. (If you were to focus exclusively on the similarities these characters share, your reader might suppose that you had entirely overlooked their differences and that, as a consequence, your essay or paragraph must  be flawed and therefore without merit.) But you also want to make clear to the reader your sense that the similarities outweigh the differences. What’s the solution? Here is a suggestion. Start your paragraph with a topic sentence: Although there are striking differences between Goodman Brown, the central character of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† and the narrator of Edgar Allen Poe’s story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the similarities between these two figures suggest a central point about protagonists in nineteenth-century American fiction: they tend to isolate themselves from others through their obsessive behaviors. Then go on to introduce differences: At first inspection, Goodman Brown and Poe’s narrator appear to be quite unlike each other. The narrative â€Å"I† of â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is a crazed murderer with no apparent friends or acquaintances other than the old man he kills and butchers. Goodman Brown, by contrast, is a member of the community, married, with children, and, at his worst, a silent grouch. Murder never crosses his mind. The narrative â€Å"I† of Poe’s story seems eager to share the fact of his murderous crime with the police who come to his apartment, whereas Goodman Brown has no desire to tell anyone in his village what he thought he saw and did on the night he ventured into the woods. Now get to the central issue, how these two characters share very important similarities: Nevertheless, these two characters are twin brothers at heart. Each is desperately concerned with sin and evil. Poe’s narrative â€Å"I† cannot resist the pull which draws him to the old man’s bedroom. He cannot resist the urge to illuminate â€Å"the vulture eye.† Likewise, Goodman Brown will not put off his journey into the woods, even though his wife of three months begs him to remain at home. He must press on to face wickedness itself. The behavior of each is absolutely determined by this concern to uncover the  mystery of evil and deal with it. And this obsession isolates Poe’s narrative â€Å"I† and Hawthorne’s Goodman Brown from their fellow creatures. In their obsessive behavior these characters are linked with other figures in nineteenth-century American fiction—Captain Ahab, for instance, in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Bartelby in Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† Natty Bumppo in James F enimore Cooper’s â€Å"Leatherstocking† novels, and Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. If you were to write an essay comparing these two stories, the topic sentence I have written for the paragraph above would serve as your thesis statement for the comparison essay. Put your thesis statement at the top of your introductory paragraph—that’s right, the thesis statement is your first sentence—then go on to write a topic sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body of your essay. These topic sentences become the second, third, fourth, etc., sentences of your introductory paragraph In the last sentence of the introduction, sow a seed for the final paragraph of your essay, a â€Å"so-what?† paragraph. This paragraph IS NOT A CONCLUSION. Instead, it answers the question â€Å"So what?† Imagine someone asking you to explain why you wrote the comparison you did. Your response is to put your analysis in a context. Using the above example, I might say: â€Å"In their obsessive behavior these characters are linked with other figures in ninete enth-century American fiction—Captain Ahab, for instance, in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Bartelby in Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener,† Natty Bumppo in James Fenimore Cooper’s â€Å"Leatherstocking† novels, and Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter.† To avoid repetition, when you write the body paragraphs, paraphrase the topic sentences which you have already placed in your introduction to avoid repeating them verbatim in the body of your essay. Each of these paraphrased topic sentences should govern what goes into their paragraphs in the body of the paper. Likewise, when you come to the â€Å"so-what?† paragraph, paraphrase the seed sentence you wrote at the end of your introductory paragraph. This paraphrase of the seed sentence is the focus of your essay’s final paragraph, the paragraph which answers the question â€Å"So what?† You should not be surprised if this final paragraph is longer and more  detailed than any of the body paragraphs. After all, it is meant to open up for your reader a wider perspective than the body of your essay can provide.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Essay on Policy Process Theories

Essay on Policy Process Theories Essay on Policy Process Theories Essay on Policy Process TheoriesThe Stages-Heuristic theory is one of the highly influential frameworks for the study of the policy process, which was developed in the 1970s-1980s (Dudley, Parsons, Radaelli Sabatier, 2000). According to this theory, the policy making process is divided into several stages. The stages of policy development include agenda-setting, policy formation, policy legitimation, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. One stage moves to the next stage. For example, agenda-setting stage involves the list of issues that require special attention of officials. Then, agenda-setting stage requires narrowing the list of issues or subjects in order to move to the next stage, from government agenda to the decision making agenda. This framework played an important role in transforming political theory research and provided an opportunity to analyze each stage of policy making process. Different factors can influence the policy making process within each stage. How ever, the Stages-Heuristic theory has been criticized severely because this theory does not provide causal drivers that â€Å"govern the process within each stage† (Gornitzka, Kogan Amaral, 2006, p.18). This theory can be compared to the other dominant theoretical frameworks, such as Institutional Rational Choice model developed by Kiser and Ostrom in 1982. The strengths of this framework as compared to the Stages-Heuristic framework include the focus on institutional rules, which may change the behavior of individuals and the close relationships between institutions. Institutional Rational Choice model has become rational choice theory, which makes the policy process the so-called ‘bargaining game’ between individuals or parties. This framework assesses public policy as a set of the proper institutional arrangements, which consist of certain rules and norms that shape the interactions and strategies of actors. The weakness of this framework is that it can be ap plied to some specific context, providing the effects of various beliefs systems on institutions and policy process.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

bookreport waller the bridge of madison county essays

bookreport waller the bridge of madison county essays I will tell you the name and the author of the book and who the main characters are in this paragraph. Robert James Waller wrote the book, The Bridge of Madison County. There are two main characters in the book. One of the main characters names is Robert Kincaid and the other is Francesca Johnson. In this paragraph I will tell you about Robert Kincaid and a little about his personality. Robert was a photographer for National Geographic and sometimes just for himself. He photographed in the outdoors. He thought that courage and strength was a big part of human life (nature.) He didnt think that computers and robots are something big. He said, there were things we could do, were designed to do, that nobody or no machine could do. We run fast are strong and quick, aggressive and tough. We were given courage. We can throw spears long distances and fight in hand-to-hand combat. Eventually, computers and robots will run things. Humans will manage those machines, but that doesnt require courage or strength, or any characteristics like those. In fact, men are outliving their usefulness... (100, 101 Waller) I really think that what he said is right. I think that by that he means that soon people will just forget what they are here in the world for and what work is. Everyone will becom e lazy. If everyone becomes lazy than ones everything is dead or you have to do something by hand no one will want to do it. Robert calls himself one of the last cowboys. Cowboys are usually old fashion type and not too civilized. Thats what Robert is. In this paragraph I will tell you about Fracesca Johnson a little about her personality. She was a farmwife. She lived on the farm and didnt work. One day, in the summer, she came out on her porch and was drinking iced tea. She was very exhausted from all her work. All of a sudden a truck drives by. And a man, who was Robert Kincaid, asked her for directions to one of the...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Using liberal education to be active in community Essay

Using liberal education to be active in community - Essay Example the history of America, the question remains whether they should be obligated to learn a foreign language , master calculus and study grammar among other aspects at the expense creative writing. This is the reason that, in the arguments concerning education, less time is usually spent dwelling on the key values compared to other formal standards. Education gives people a wide range of abilities including providing them with skills on how to talk and communicate. Educated people have advantage as they, â€Å"They can give a speech, ask thoughtful questions, and make people laugh. They can hold a conversation with a high school dropout or a Nobel laureate, a child or a nursing- home resident, a factory worker or a corporate president† (Cronon 1998). Furthermore, educated people can participate in conversations not because they prefer talking about themselves but because they have a genuine interest in other people. According to Cronon (1998), â€Å"A friend of mine says one of the most important things his father ever told him was that whenever he had a conversation, his job was â€Å"to figure out what’s so neat about what the other person does.† I cannot imagine a more succinct description of this critically important quality†. A liberal develops the mind as well as the imagination while encouraging people to seek the truth, meaning and beauty. It further inspires an appreciation of previous traditions along with the present challenges while fostering a sense of joy in learning with other people. Additionally, it supports actions of taking intellectual risks needed when exploring the unknown, testing new ideas and entering into constructive debates while at the same time building foundations for arriving at principled decisions. Through liberal education, the capacity for critical and open inquiries can be honed to increase an interest in asking questions, challenging assumptions and looking for answers in order to arrive at conclusions that are backed by logic

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Observational Studty Survey Research Statistics Project

Observational Studty Survey Research - Statistics Project Example However, more research or more information should be provided in this area of study in an effort to come up with preventive and control measures in addition to improvement and development programs on smoking cessation and anxiety disorders. Despite the fact that smoking has been identified as one of the leading health hazards, more that 21% of the population of United States still continue with the habit of smoking. High smoking prevalence rates have been observed among people with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety. Despite this realization, researches on the correlation between smoking and anxiety continue to receive less attention among researchers in comparison to other psychiatric conditions commonly witnessed with tobacco intake. This paper with the use of already existing literature, critically examines the correlation between anxiety and tobacco and nicotine dependence/use. To achieve this, the paper is based on a survey conducted by students from Pierce College and CSUN. Following the limitations on the extent of the researches carried out on the same issue, the paper had to include other reviews in addition to the survey and borrowed information from already conducted studies (Billings and Moss, 1998). The data on the correlation between smoking and anxiety has proved to be inconsistent depending on the smoking stage of the subject being investigated. Some of the evidences from different researches are in support of the notion that anxiety increases the smoking initiation risks. This includes a research conducted by Patton on adolescents which indicates that anxiety symptoms predicted and initiated smoking experiments among peers which in the long run increased the chances of such teenagers growing up to be daily smokers (Billings and Moss, 1998). There are several factors that have been observed to influence the relationship