Jewish resistance people Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jewish resistance people - Research Paper Example Moreover, some Jews went into hiding in order to escape the brutalities of war. Passive resistance was also shown in the form of spiritual resistance, religious resistance as well as cultural resistance by the Jews (Henry and Lang, 2014). Others also got Visas from foreign states as were deported to other safe places. These were some of the forms of resistance that the Jews exhibited towards the war. However, following the plights experienced by the Jews, there were several individuals who helped them. Some of these include the individuals as well as organizations. However, amongst the individuals, both men and women contributed commensurately. Some of the individuals who helped the Jews include Feng-Shan Ho, Hugh O’Flaherty, Giorgio Perlasca and Chiune Sugihara (Tec, 2013). Both Ho and Chiune Sugihara issued transit visas to the Jews to help them leave the country. Giorgio issued fake passports that helped Jews travel to neutral countries. Hugh was a preacher who concealed approximately 4000 Jewish escapees. Others include Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz, Frank Foley, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Dimitar Peshev as well as Raoul Wallenberg (Henry and Lang, 2014). Raoul issued fake passports as well as housed thousands of Jews. Dimitar prevented Bulgarian government from deporting Jews from Bulgaria to Germany to be victims of Holocaust. Both Frank and Mendes also offered thousands of visas to aide in deportation of the Jews. Georg Ferdinand on the other hand convinced Prime Minister of Sweden to allow the Jews to be deported to Sweden. The female individuals who helped the Jews include Irena Sendler, Klara Baic, Anna Igumnova, Jeanne Daman as well as Johanna Eck. Others include Suzanne Spaak, Sofka Skipwith Elisabeta Strul and Maria Agnese Tribbioli (Longerich, 2010). The other ladies who helped the Jews include Luvidga Pukas, Lois Gunden, Caecilia Loots, as well as Antonina Gordey. Sofia Kritikou, Bronislava

Why did two separate German states appear in 1949 Essay

Why did two separate German states appear in 1949 - Essay Example When one looks beyond the facts, the Cuban missile crisis was just more of the balance of powers between the US and the Soviet Union. It was entangled in the Berlin crisis and the Soviets had three underlying motives, none of which was to force a nuclear war. The first motive was to deter the US attack on Cuba, the second was to obtain leverage over the Berlin issue and the third was to undermine the US nuclear superiority in the balance of powers (Betts 1987, 110). Following the Second World War, the Soviet Union together with the US, Britain and France occupied Germany for reconstruction and stabilization purposes. Ultimately, the country was divided into two with the Soviet Union taking responsibilities for East Germany and the remaining World War II allies taken responsibility for West Germany. Neither side could agree on concessions and strategies and by 1961, the situation had escalated into what has been described as the Berlin Crisis (Stern 2005, 18). The power struggle between the US and the Soviet Union during the ongoing Cold War and the US’s nuclear and military superiority did not help. By 1961, Russian leader Nikita Krushchev vowed that when he met with US President J. F. Kennedy in June that year he would â€Å"push hard for concessions in Berlin and elsewhere† (Stern 2005, 18). Based on the facts and circumstances in which Krushchev made that statement, historians have taken the position that the Cuban Missile Crisis was no more than a ploy on the part of the Soviet Union to compel Western powers, particularly the US to accept the settlement of Germany, and Berlin in particular on its terms and conditions. The idea was to use â€Å"quick and dramatic means† for strengthening the Soviet Union’s military, diplomatic and psychological position on a number of geopolitical matters, particularly the German issue (Divine 1988, 135). The Soviet’s would claim however, that

The Section 41 Approach In Sexual Offence Trials Law Essay

The Section 41 Approach In Sexual Offence Trials Law Essay Historically, the prejudicial effect of rape myths and sexual history evidence has been problematic for the courts in sexual offence trials. In 1999, Parliament enacted s.41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act to place stringent restrictions on sexual history evidence. However, these provisions have caused some difficulties for the courts. While the landmark case of A(2) resolved some of the issues, it will be put that the law remains vexed and, once again, in dire need of reform. A new approach is required which does not exclude evidence from consideration by the jury. Instead, rape myths need to be attacked directly, so they can be eradicated, and their impact neutralized. This discourse will be prefaced by a discussion of the events leading up the 1999 Act, followed by a cursory overview of the approach taken by s.41 in order to highlight some of the primary problems with the legislation. Subsequently, the House of Lords decision in A(2) will be scrutinized, followed by consideration of some suggestions for reforming the law. Traditionally, the investigation and prosecution of rape and other sexual offences has been rife with difficulties, especially in the area of evidential requirements. Aggressive questioning of female complainants about personal sexual matters was commonplace, and sexual history evidence was considered relevant to consent and credibility. Over time, myths and stereotypes developed which exerted prejudicial effects on the fairness of trials. In R v Riley, evidence of previous voluntary sexual relations with the accused was admissible in order to assert that it was more likely that the complainant consented to the incident in question.  [2]   In 1975, the Heilbron Committee considered legislative reforms, examining the impact of sexual history evidence. Their report recommended that it should only be admissible in very limited circumstances, that there should be some limited judicial discretion along with an inclusionary rule based on striking similarity. Unfortunately, when drafting s.2 of the Sexual Offences Act 1976, these proposals were largely ignored. The complainants sexual behaviour with someone other than the defendant should only be referred to when it would be unfair to exclude it, based on the judges discretion.  [3]   However, the practical application by the courts was too permissive with too much judicial discretion, resulting in sexual history evidence being admitted too freely.  [4]   Amidst growing disquiet, in 1998 the Home Office scrutinized the practical application and the failures of the 1976 Act. The White Paper Speaking Up for Justice exposed numerous inherent weaknesses which necessitated reform.  [5]  This report was criticized by Diane Birch and Neil Kibble for contributing to the shortcomings of Parliaments response in 1999. The YJCEA debates on the draft bill reflected a lack of consensus on the ideal approach to rape shield legislation, including prevalent concerns about over-restrictiveness and the dangers of excluding relevant evidence.  [6]  The wider jurisprudence was surveyed, including approaches in Australia, Canada, and Michigan. The landmark Canadian case R v Seaboyer  [7]  , where McLachlin J. coined the term twin myths, challenged the provisions of s.276 of the Criminal Code composed of a rule of exclusion with three exceptions.  [8]  Resultantly, the Canadian Supreme Court held that s.276 unconstitutionally violated the right to a fair trial. The impact of these developments played a central role in the YJCEA debates in the UK, as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they were cited as evidence that legislative straitjackets had been attempted and failed.  [9]   Parliaments response was s.41 YJCEA 1999, which engendered a more restrictive and structured approach to attacking the twin myths that sexual experience may indicate a propensity to consent and a lack of veracity.  [10]  The aim of the legislation was to strike a balance between protecting claimants from the prejudice of sexual history evidence while securing the defendants right to a fair trial. The blanket rule of exclusion under 41(1) restricts evidence or questions about any sexual behaviour without leave of the court, which will only be granted where both conditions of the two-part test are satisfied; under s.41(2)(a) where either ss.(3) or (5) applies, and the unsafe verdict test, under s.41(2)(b). Any questions or evidence pertaining to the actual incident can be adduced, such as questions about what the complainant said or did before or during the incident, including humiliating questions. Also, anything not about sexual behaviour, and not including sexual history evidence can be adduced. The rape shield legislation targets other sexual behaviour outside the charge, legitimately seeking to exclude sexual history evidence that is not related to the incident. There is a closed list of four narrow gateways (or exceptions) within which evidence may be regarded as critical. Notably, within a matter of days of coming into effect, the legislation warranted a challenge to the House of Lords to consider whether they were broad enough to prevent injustice.  [11]   The non-consent gateway may admit evidence pursuant to s.41(3)(a), if it is not an issue of consent, such as mistaken identity  [12]  , honest belief in consent, motive to fabricate, or alternative explanation. The consent gateway, may admit evidence about an issue of consent, which is about sexual behaviour which took place at or about the same time as the subject matter of the charge (res gestae)  [13]  , or it is so similar to behaviour that took place as part of the incident that it cannot be explained as coincidence (similar fact). The fourth gateway applies only when the prosecution has adduced evidence about the sexual behaviour of the complainant, whereby the defence can only go as far as is necessary to enable that evidence to be rebutted or explained.  [14]   Upon passing through a gateway and surmounting the two-part test, two further requirements arise. Under s.41(4), questions or evidence intended to impugn the credibility of the complainant are restricted. As well, under s.41(6) evidence or questions must relate to a specific instance of sexual behavior.  [15]   These provisions have raised numerous fundamental concerns. Unlike other jurisdictions, the leave requirement does not apply to the prosecution, making s.41 a one-sided rule of exclusion that only applies to the defence.  [16]  Lord Hope recognized the dangerous threat this posed to the equality of arms principle enshrined in Article 6(3)(d) of the Convention.  [17]  For instance, under s.41, the prosecution would be permitted to adduce evidence of the complainants virginity to illustrate that it was unlikely that she consented to the alleged acts. On the other hand, the defence is prevented from adducing contrary evidence that the she has experience with multiple partners to show that she is more likely to have consented. Allowing one but not the other seems imbalanced, and raises the broader question whether the true rationale for s.41 is on excluding irrelevant evidence or protecting against humiliation of complainants in cross-examination.  [18]   The vague definition of sexual behaviour under s.42(1)(c) has resulted in some difficulties,  [19]  though it is considered controversially wider now, since it covers evidence of previous or subsequent sexual behaviour with the accused and with third parties. As will be seen, this was a fair trial flashpoint in A(2).  [20]  Professor Birch has argued that equating the accused with third parties creates the danger of redefining the defendant as a stranger, thereby giving potency to the old myth that real rape is committed by strangers.  [21]  For example, relevant evidence of a previous romantic relationship between the defendant and the accused which included sexual relations a few days before the incident in question may be excluded unless it can pass through the narrowly drawn res gestae gateway. If it cannot (and does not satisfy the unsafe test), Thre is no discretion to include it even though it may be highly relevant to the defence case. The restrictive gateways approach has created integral concerns regarding the exclusion of relevant evidence, where its prejudicial effects compromises the fairness of trials. Combined with restrictions on judicial discretion, the shortcomings of using only three fixed exceptions to try and predict every eventuality is exacerbated further. Neil Kibble, in his 2004 report, stated that other jurisdictions like Canada and Australia have already rejected this pigeon-holing approach on the ground that even if judges get it wrong you cant address the problem effectively by eliminating their discretion.  [22]   The shortcomings of s.41 reached critical mass in the landmark case of A(No.2) which involved a rape trial, where the accused alleged an ongoing sexual relationship with the complainant three weeks prior to the incident in question, with the last occasion being one week prior. The trial judge had sought to admit evidence of the previous relationship as relevant to consent, but was unable to do so through one of the gateways. Thus, following the decision of the Court of Appeal,  [23]  the House of Lords intervened, to examine whether excluding such evidence under s.41 would contravene the defendants right to a fair trial pursuant to Article 6(3)(d) ECHR. One of the touchstone issues identified included the extent to which the defence could refer to matters outside the central facts in order to provide the court with fundamental evidence, the absence of which may result in an unjust verdict. Lord Hutton stated that the right of a defendant to call relevant evidence, where the absence of such evidence may give rise to an unjust conviction, is an absolute right which cannot be qualified by considerations of public interest, no matter how well-founded that public interest may be.  [24]   Their Lordships contemplated whether a sexual relationship between the accused and the complainant was relevant to the issue of consent such that to exclude it under s.41 would contravene the defendants right to a fair trial. Reaching a decision required the importation of a residual discretion to decide whether leave should be granted to the defence to adduce evidence of the relationship if it was so central to the issue of consent, that to exclude it would threaten the Article 6 Right to a fair trial. This was achieved by employing s.3 HRA 1998 by reading and giving effect to the similarity exception within s.41(3)(c) in a way that was compatible with Convention rights. Their Lordships qualified their decision by stating that while the aims of the provisions were legitimate, the approach raised questions about proportionality regarding sexual behaviour with the accused. Thus, it was agreed that such evidence could be sufficiently relevant to necessitate its admission in the interests of fairness. Thus, s.41 was rescued from the clutches of repeal, some residual discretion for trial judges was restored, and the gateways relaxed in the interests of fairness. In some respects, the law seemed come back around full circle to where it was before the 1999 Act, based on fairness tempered with judicial discretion.  [25]   However, along with this flexibility came a degree of uncertainty, as it created the danger that the rationale could be broadly applied in any case where the judge adopted the view that fairness under Article 6 may be threatened. Cases such as R v Rooney,  [26]  R v Martin,  [27]  R v R (2),  [28]  and R v White  [29]  indicate how the courts have struggled in the aftermath of A(2). In 2006, a Government White Paper looked at the effectiveness of s.41, whereby National statistical data revealed that s.41 had little or no effect on attrition, while rape conviction rates continued to fall. The report also found that the Crown Court Rules regarding s.41 were frequently ignored or avoided, and recommended that reforms were necessary in order to increase the effectiveness of the legislation.  [30]   A way needs to be found to bring rape myths out in the open so they can be eradicated, and their impact neutralized. Diane Birch stated that if juries can only be trusted to adjudicate on cases of rape within relationships by being kept in the dark about the relationship, there is something fundamentally wrong with jury trial.  [31]   The law should equip judges and juries with the tools needed to effectively attack rape myths in order to mitigate the prejudice of sexual history evidence, like other areas of law such as bad character have done, with enhanced judicial training and jury directions. Interestingly, Vera Baird, QC, the Solicitor-General, recently announced that jury directions are being developed that would instruct juries to ignore rape myths in an effort to increase conviction rates in the UK (amongst the lowest in Europe).  [32]   Consideration should be given to amending the current gateways to widen the scope of factors considered, and additional gateways should be added such as implementing a safety-valve type of residual discretion in order to admit evidence falling outside of the exceptions, similar to the approach taken by s.276 of Canadian Criminal Code after the ruling in R v Seaboyer.  [33]  This should reflect a recognition of the value of contextual factors as explanatory evidence, in line with Lord Huttons mindset argument approach in A(2). The culmination of what has been discussed thus far establishes that the aims of s.41 YJCEA 1999 are legitimate, as rape myths have threatened the fairness of trials for centuries. However, it has been argued that the approach taken by s.41 does not strike an effective balance between protecting the complainant from the ravages of sexual history evidence versus securing the defendants right to a fair trial under the Convention. The restrictive gateways are incapable of foreseeing every eventuality, and thus create the potential for relevant evidence to be excluded from consideration by the jury. The House of Lords decision in A(2) addressed this issue, and was required to import in some residual judicial discretion in order to resolve the dilemma and prevent repeal of the Act. However, this decision created some uncertainty, which has left the law unresolved and in a muddle. The suggestions for reform center around one underlying theme: the law needs to move towards enabling judges and juries to squarely attack the rape myths, and be able to handle sexual history evidence with the sensitivity required so as to mitigate prejudice while not risking the fairness of trials. A fine balance must be struck between the flexibility of some limited judicial discretion and the certainty provided by the legislative restrictions of s.41 in order for the law to operate effectively. The former must not come at the expense of the latter.

A Respectable Trade :: Slavery Essays

A Respectable Trade Many economic systems exist in the movie A Respectable Trade. Capitalism is present, as the Cole’s hire their cook and pay her for her time. Self – Employment also exists as one witnesses through the doctor. The economic system in which the plot revolves around is Slavery. Mr. Cole tries to earn a fortune in the business of slave trade. His wife, Francis, is ordered to teach them to assimilate into European culture by teaching them English, dressing them in new cloths and re-naming them. As the film progresses, so does Mr. Cole’s greed and arrogance increases. He begins to act superior and to dominate the household. Many slave owners including Mr. Cole began to engrain these feelings into their culture, to be carried through generations. In A Respectable Trade, the owner of the slaves is Josiah Cole. This is a new business investment for Josiah. He is not well known with the aristocrats in Bristol, England and does not have the poise and charm it takes to be accepted in to their circle. As a result, he invests in marrying Francis Scott. She was raised by â€Å"old money† and possesses the grace, status and wealth required to begin a successful business in slave trading. She is also a very educated woman and has the ability to teach the slaves English and how to behave as a European servant might have been expected to. Consequently, Josiah appears to have a prosperous business investment by marring Francis as she can lead him and their business of slave trade into Queen’s Square. â€Å"Generally the owner is responsible for providing minimal food, shelter, and clothing. Members of a family can be separated at the will of the owner†¦A slave is commonly regarded as an article of property, or chattel, and therefore can be sold or given away.† In A Respectable Trade the viewer sees the slaves eventually living in better conditions, eating healthier and with more comfortable clothing, nevertheless the clothing was very European and may have felt uncomfortable to them. Eventually, Francis feels compassion for the slaves, especially for Mehuru, and this is what drives her to make their lives more comfortable, if lives can be comfortable with out freedom. However, in the beginning of the business, they were treated poorly and often. It is important to remember that these better living conditions were not originally a result of Francis’s moral conscious Her motivations were more for economical reasons.

Cross Cultural Business Negotiations (United States and Japan) Essay

Abstract Understanding Cultures and acquiring skills necessary to make a cross cultural business negotiation a successful and pleasant experience for both parties involved requires much more than just the overview of the culture and it becomes hard because of the complexity of the culture to grab the entire core of a foreign culture without investing enough time and effort into it, however initial understanding of the concepts can be a good start. General perception is that American business men or managers at times feel out of their comfort zone when negotiating with their Japanese counterpart because of the behaviours demonstrated by Japanese which are, just like any other culture, are simply based on their assumptions , beliefs, norms and customs which are unfamiliar to other party. Understanding the cross cultural aspects are highly beneficial for either of the parties involved and can highly facilitate communication by decreasing the chance of any possible misunderstanding. Either Americans or Japanese both have tendency to bring their own cultural background with them while negotiating which of course affects the behaviours and ultimately the end result. American and Japanese cultures hardly have any similarities so clashes caused by cultural differences are inevitable for example what may be considered acceptable by the standards of one party might not be acceptable by the standards of other. This makes understanding the cultural issues and behaviours in depth more important especially for Americans if they plan to negotiate with Japanese because Japanese might not give any direct clue about where the negotiation is heading as Americans expect from other American managers during business negotiations. In this paper many cross cultural areas based on different models are discussed which helped us to identify the similarities and differences between these cultures, understanding of these similarities and differences can help managers to formulate right strategies to achieve maximum output from the negotiation process and make cross cultural interactions and negotiations a pleasant experience for both  parties involved. Cross Cultural Business Negotiations (United States and Japan) In today’s global world, businesses are continuously expanding all over the world. For the business world, there are no boundaries or borders. Companies are always moving to new places and finding new business opportunities, new business partners. And in this search, they are often expanding their business across countries. Although, companies are adopting an international approach and partnering with other companies across borders, in this process they have to cope with the cultural differences of different countries. Talking about American and Japanese business culture, there are huge differences between the two. If an American businessman decides to do with business with any Japanese company, he will have to plan and prepare for his meeting extensively. First, let’s talk about the differences in American and Japanese culture. GLOBE Study was able to establish nine cultural dimensions which allowed capturing the differences and similarities between different societies and cultures in the basic nature of it, which consists of behaviours and artefacts, different beliefs and values a particular society have, interpreting patterns and assumptions. It allowed GLOBE to create country clusters. Now According to GLOBE’s country clusters U.S.A is in Anglo cluster whereas Japan is in Confucian cluster and differences become greater as the distance between clusters increase. Anglo and Confucian cultures are almost on the opposite sides. This means they hardly share similarities in context of dimensions given by Hofstede. Power distance is first and recent trends suggest that Japan has just now started making its place near the world average in power distance for example victory of the democratic party of Japan in the elections of 2009 as they vowed to diminish the power of bureaucrats which makes it evident that they are becoming less tolerant of the power distance but still they have a long way to go. Americans on the other hand always had a low power distance as the Anglo cluster ranks high in participative approach but Confucian is at the bottom before Middle East. In Case of individualism Japan is at the collective end of the individualism/collectivism. Recent trend suggests that the relationships between employee and employer in Japan are becoming strained but collectivism is still more dominant. In context of this dimension  Americans have one of the highest scores in individualism. The hierarchal structures of American organizations are designed for convenience and to make superiors accessib le. Managers have high dependency on individual employees for their expertise. Next dimension is of Masculinity/Femininity and Japan has one of the most masculine society around the globe. According to Hofstede’s original sample Japan ranked highest among all the countries in this dimension. Like many other dimensions trend in this dimension has also started shifting in Japan for example the equal employment opportunity legislation which happened in mid 80’s helped removing many barriers for the women but still according to studies more than 60% of working women quite their jobs after their first child. High ranking of Japan in masculinity also indicates that the Japanese society is driven by competition and achievement. Low score on masculinity or being placed on or close to femininity end means that the dominant values in particular society are caring for others and being more concerned about quality of life. Americans ranked just slightly above the middle on masculinity which means that distance between these two cultures in context of this dimension is considerable. Next dimension is uncertainty avoidance. Talking about Japanese, generally they have tendency to avoid uncertainty but as in past years some manufacturers left Japan and this trend affected the tolerance for uncertainty in work environment. If trend continues it can significantly reduce the number of people who are loyal to the employer and can flourish the entrepreneurial trends which are commonly seen in United States as it will affect the number of job opportunities available domestically. Students after graduation will face immense competition and will probably have one shot at employment or they will be frozen out of the job market. United States is more risk taking society but currently it had also started to lean toward uncertainty avoidance because of some different trends, for example decline of the stock market and recent recession period of 2007-2009 plus the housing bubble bust. All these factors made people to seek for security and less risky investment opportunities. Another factor which might have effected is the treat they have from other emerging nations which are economically becoming more powerful and it can cause Americans to take more defensive stance and to look for more stable grounds rather than being risk taking society. One other dimension called pragmatism which deals with the  behavioural trend of people about having the explanation of the things. If we talk about normative societies most of the people require of have a strong desire to have an explanation but in pragmatic societies, people might not require explanation for everything because they consider it almost impossible that a person can fully understand the phenomena around them because of the complexity of life. Americans have tendency to check and analyse the information they receive for validity. This trend in culture makes us consider most of the Americans as non-pragmatic but t he fact that they are very practical should not be confused. Japanese culture is more of a high context culture. In Japanese business culture, they have more sense of belonging i.e. insider vs. outsider. They are more focused towards building long term relationships. Japanese are more relationship oriented rather than task oriented. They are more focused on communicated understanding rather than formal information. On the other hand, American culture is kind of a low context culture. It is more oriented towards rules and tasks. Tasks are given more importance than relationships. Relationships are usually short-term dependant on the tasks. Now as we have established the base and have the general understanding about the differences and similarities among both cultures we can move forward to the negotiation process between American and Japanese Managers. When an American manager plans on doing business and negotiating with a Japanese manager, the American manager of course has to be more prepared compared to the Japanese. Although both managers will have to be prepared for the meeting and negotiat ion on their behalves, still in case where American is approaching the Japanese, he will have to fully understand the culture and cultural differences, and then plan accordingly for meeting and negotiation. High context cultures are always harder to enter due to the fact that you cannot instantly create close relationships which are a trait of a high context culture. Americans need enough time to understand and gather information about the culture, and plan extensively before they are prepared enough for the meeting with such huge cultural differences. They will have to work continuously to build relationship that Japanese can trust and consider an insider. Although tasks are important to Japanese, still they are more focused on feelings rather than opinions and facts. As discussed before American culture promotes individualism while Japanese culture is more  towards collectivism. It is due to these and many other differences that the Japanese culture is looked at as a big obstacle in the way of doing business with Japanese companies or in Japan but once they have enough understanding and have enough preparation the simple differences and ways of Japanese culture are not that hard to start building relationship and earning the opportunity to become a part of Japanese business. For example, if an American manager wants to do business with a Japanese manager, and he is looking forward to a great start and getting a positive response, the first step in the meeting will be the greeting. Greeting is an important part of Japanese culture. Japanese people are always too polite. The bow is an integral part of Japanese greeting, to show gratitude. Although, westerners are not expected to bow, they are greeted with handshake combined with a slight bow from their Japanese counterpart. The next step is the exchange of business cards. In Japanese culture, followed by greetings, all the professionals present in the meeting are expected to exchange their business cards. It can be seen as a way of introducing yourself and your organization. An American manager should collect enough information and work on clarifying meanings of different aspects before getting into a meeting with any Japanese manager, as in Japanese culture, it is considered impolite to directly say somet hing or directly refuse. Disagreement is usually expressed nonverbally. Even if the Japanese are not interested to do business with you, they will not communicate it verbally or directly, in fact they will wait for you to lose interest. Even if talking about employees, in Japanese culture, non performers don’t get fired. They could be transferred to another department or any other organization but are not fired. So the American manager has to be prepared for understanding this type of situation where he could anticipate the response of his counterpart. When talking about meetings, American manager must understand that to Japanese, meetings usually mean the opportunity to exchange information. Decisions are not usually made in meetings. In Japanese culture, meeting could be attended by subordinates but no one is expected to give any response at that time. It might seem to the foreigner in this situation that no one is taking interest but he should not be disheartened. This is how Japanese usually do bu siness. They don’t discuss with outsiders. What American managers can do is they can take along an interpreter to help  better understand the Japanese counterpart and the meaning of their behaviour. Japanese people also take time to develop trust and a better relationship. So it is not expected to get on the spot response from them. Japanese managers want to develop good and long lasting relationships before moving ahead in the business. In Japanese business culture, the core pillar of the culture is the company. The company shapes the image of the person. So much importance is given to the company that even in their usual matters of life; decisions like marriage or renting out property are based on the company one works in. If someone wants to rent an apartment, the landlord will want to know in detail about the company that person works in. Even if that person changes the job, he will be obliged to let the landlord know. Then the landlord will take decision about continuing to let that person live there or not based on the reliability of the new company. Japanese people are socially ranked based on the company they work for. Japanese people are not expected to change jobs. The careers are developed within the company compared to careers developed within the market in American culture. In Japanese culture, people are expected to work for the same company throughout their life until they retire. This is helpful for both the company and the employee. Company saves the cost of new hiring and training while employees choose to be on a safe path and they have a sense of security in their careers. The same thing can be connected to business partners. Japanese managers will not move forward until they get to build a trustworthy relationship with an American manager. But once the relationship is developed, it will go a long way and the Japanese would like to keep on doing business as they look for consistency . This Japanese sense of loyalty could be very beneficial for the foreign company. Another part of Japanese culture is punctuality. So when planning for a meeting, the American manager should take note of being on time. They have exact specified start times and end times. Even deadlines are strictly followed. So being on time also shows your interest and helps develop some of the trust. Another aspect of Japanese business culture is that they don’t talk about money specifically. If money is discussed right away, it is taken as if the only concern is money here and that is all the reason negotiations are taking place. Japanese managers like to refer to money by expressions that are associated with it like payments, profits, wages, salaries etc and they only discuss it  what they consider to be the right moment for it. Still their major concern is always about building relationships. If any manager starts away by talking about money he will be considered greedy and ill mannered. One reason of not talking about money is that they consider counterparts to be outsiders unless they are able to develop enough trust. Also in cases where Japanese managers think that they are comparatively in weak position, they avoid using negative words while talking about their organizations. It is expected that the other company will not be interested to do business with them if they are in a weak position. So in such cases, they attract the interest of the other company by using words such as profits and success. Japanese managers try to develop interest in their company by taking confidence in their company and showing satisfaction in their performance. At first, Japanese managers like to gather as much detail as possible about their counterpart and about the organization they are representing. It is then followed by a careful decision of whether they are ready to do business with them or not. So American managers should not get in any hurry and should not be expecting on the spot response. The first step for the Japanese managers is to determine the value of whatever is being offered. Even the foreign manager should not jump to talking about money as this is considered as an ill manner when one talks about money before them making a decision whether or not they want the service or business partnership. So any manager should wait for them to start talking about money as for Japanese, money or price is the second step in any negotiation although for Americans, this is considered to be an important part of any negotiation. Before entering into negotiation, American manager should study or understand the importance of nonverbal communication in Japanese culture. As we know that Japanese managers or businessmen are not that much straightforward, so their response is often portrayed by non verbal expressions or their body language. Non verbal communication could include facial expressions, eye contact and other body language. But it could prove to be hard to detect as Japanese people are very subtle compared to Americans. Another strong part of Japanese culture during any business meeting is the exchange of gifts. Japanese always present their counterparts with gifts or exchange gifts as this is considered to be a demonstration of appreciation and courteous feelings. They consider it to be the part of  their manners to give or receive gifts by standing up and using two hands. If these manners are not followed, Japanese feel hurt and take it as no value was given to their gift. A gift also serves the purpose of showing that they want to have some kind of relationship built with each other. The intention of building a relationship is made clear. Exchange of gifts is considered to be a part of Japanese greetings. As for Americans, gift giving is usually associated with asking for any favour or getting a return out of it. But for Japanese it is a mere custom and a way to praise. Contrary to American business culture, a delay in making any decision is not considered to be someone’s inefficiency. They rather take it as a difference in decision making process. But once they take the responsibility of completing a job, one can easily put their faith on them even if it is out of reach of their capabilities and they have a way of coming out with exceptional results. Conclusion Compared to other business cultures in the world, the Japanese business culture is unique in its own way. And it may seem like an obstacle, but once one get to understand the basics of culture, it also provides security to their business by building life time relationships. Some of the traits of Japanese culture are their loyalty, consistency, collectivism, their way of giving respect. If American managers do their research before meeting Japanese managers for negotiations, and take care of little details while complimenting them in accordance with their culture, Japanese will be very pleased and any negotiation can be expected to result in favour of both the parties. Japanese are pleased by foreign managers who are acquainted with their customs and they will in return make the American managers feel more comfortable and relaxed. And at the same time it will be beneficial by enhancing the communication among both parties. In short, awareness of cross culture is the key to better comm unication between two so distant cultures. References: Brislin, R. (1970). Back-translation for cross cultural research. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 1, 185–216. Arizona Republic, September 14, 1986, â€Å"Meishi: Card of status,† p. F-1 and F-8. Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Aunt Helen: Japan’s Answer to Dear Abby,† March 26, 1987, p. 36. Barnett, A. & Kincaid, D. (1983). A mathematical theory of cultural convergence. In William B. GudyKunst. ed., Intercultural Communication Theory: Current Perspectives. (pp. 171-179). Beverly Hills. CA: Sage. Economist. (2010). Into the unknown: A special report on Japan. Nov. 20, 1–16. Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. World Economic and Social Survey. (2007). New York, NY: United Nations. Wu, M. (2006). Hofstede’s cultural dimensions 30 years later: A study of Taiwan and the United States. Intercultural Communication Studies, 15, 33–42. House, R., Javidan, M., Hanges, P. & Dorfman, P. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: An introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37, 3–10.

Quality Management-Toyota Essay

This paper explores multiple published articles discussing Toyota Motor Company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A review of Toyota’s decisions to hide important information prior to recalls leads us to a discussion of where Toyota can go from here. The paper includes recommendations for Toyota Motor Company in order to move forward after their 2010 recalls. In addition, organizational changes will assist Toyota Motor Company in overcoming their recall problems. QUALITY MANAGEMENT 3 Quality Management within Toyota Motor Company After a number of discouraging recalls at Toyota Motor Company in 2010, a number of quality management techniques were implemented. Toyota Motor Company’s SWOT Analysis played into the newly implemented quality management techniques. Toyota’s strengths allowed them to fight back quickly against these recalls that could have ultimately led to Toyota’s fall from one of the top motor company’s. Toyota Motor Company’s strengths include dominant position in the marketplace, strong brand recognition, strong focus on research and development, and broad production and distribution network. In addition to Toyota’s strengths, their weaknesses were reviewed in order to find opportunities to capitalize upon. The recalls were obviously a large weakness at Toyota. Opportunities were reviewed which included the growth of the global automotive industry. Last, Toyota’s threats were reviewed. Here it was found that powerful competition is a worry for Toyota Motor Company. After the review of Toyota Motor Company’s SWOT Analysis, the issue of the recalls was assessed. Analysis shows the issue within Toyota Motor Company did not appear overnight. However, secretive management styles let the company astray. A diagram was created by functional area to summarize how Toyota has responded to these recall problems. The functional areas reviewed include management, production design and safety, quality, and manufacturing. Last, the analysis of Toyota Motor Company’s recall and quality management issues are discussed from a point of solving the problem. Recommendations are discussed that will help Toyota Motor Company to turn their weaknesses into strengths. QUALITY MANAGEMENT 4 Method Discussion SWOT Analysis Internal Factors Strengths Weaknesses Product †¢ Dominant position in the marketplace †¢ Strong brand recognition †¢ Strong focus on Research & Development †¢ Broad production and distribution network. †¢ Product recalls have the ability to negatively affect brand image †¢ Declining sales in crucial geographic areas External Factors Opportunities Threats Competition †¢ Growth of the global automotive industry †¢ Potential benefit from partnering with BMW †¢The outlook for the new global car market is strong †¢ Powerful competition †¢ Appreciation of the Japanese Yen †¢ Environmental regulations †¢Natural disasters Strengths. Toyota has a number of internal product strengths as noted in the SWOT Analysis table above. Toyota’s market share in 2011 was 16. 5 percent, its highest market share in 4 years. This strong market share allowed Toyota to hold a competitive advantage against their competition. In addition to holding a dominant position in the marketplace, Toyota possesses strong brand recognition through a number of brands. These brands include Toyota, Lexus, Prius, Corolla, Yaris, Camry, Sequoia, 4Runner, Scion tC, Highlander, Land Cruiser, and a number of other brand names. These brands are some of the most desired premium brands in the world according to the Company Profile report for Toyota Motor Company documented by MarketLine. QUALITY MANAGEMENT 5 Another strength of Toyota is their strong attention to research and development. According to the Company Profile report, Toyota’s focus on research and development is pointed towards the creation of new and improved products. Research and development operations are conducted at 14 facilities located around the world. This strength has allowed Toyota to increase the technology included in existing products. One of these products, a Pre-collision System (PCS) helps drivers avoid collisions. Overall, the strong focus on research and development has been a big strength for Toyota. Last, Toyota’s production and distribution network has been a big strength for the company. Toyota produces automobiles, related parts, and other components through more than 50 manufacturing companies throughout 27 countries and regions, not including Japan. As mentioned on the Toyota Motor Company website, major locations include Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Thailand, China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil. As reported by Toyota Motor Company, during fiscal year 2013 the company had consolidated vehicle sales totals of 8. 871 million units (TCM, 2013). As reported by Toyota Motor Company, this was an increase of 1. 519 million units compared to the previous fiscal year. In addition to the widespread production of Toyota products, the company has a large distribution network. Toyota’s distribution network is one of the largest in Japan encompassing four sales channels (Toyota, Toyopet, Corolla, and Netz). In 2012 the distribution network of these channels was comprised of 283 dealers. In addition to this network, Toyota operates over 170 Lexus sales channels in Japan. QUALITY MANAGEMENT 6 As reported by Toyota Motor Company, in fiscal year 2013 these networks accounted for the following vehicle sales: †¢JAPAN SALES TOTALED 2. 279 MILLION UNITS †¢IN NORTH AMERICA VEHICLE SALES TOTALED 2. 469 MILLION UNITS †¢IN EUROPE VEHICLE SALES TOTALED 799,085 UNITS †¢ASIA CAME IN AT TOTAL VEHICLE SALES OF 1. 684 MILLION UNITS †¢CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, OCEANIA AND AFRICA CAME IN AT 1. 640 MILLION UNITS As you can see, Toyota’s distribution network is widespread allowing for diversification and a wide reach of clientele, ultimately boosting revenues and sales. Weaknesses. A large focus of the case study focuses on the weakness of Toyota’s product recalls. As many are aware, Toyota has encountered a number of recalls in the recent past. It is a concern that these recalls could negatively affect Toyota’s brand imagine ultimately leading to decreased sales for the company. When searching for Toyota recalls it was easy to find a few recent recalls. The most recent is a recall of 700,000 Toyota Prius models which were recalled over electronic issues in the United States (csmonitor. com, 2014). Another very recent recall includes certain versions of the Lexus RX crossover. In this case, more than 261,000 vehicles are being recalled due to a brake issue (csmonitor. com, 2014). In addition to the many recalls, Toyota has been involved in a number of lawsuits. In December 2012, Toyota settled a suit by paying $17. 4 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to settle claims related to the June 2012 recall of potential accelerator pedal entrapment issues. This bad press will ultimately result in a negative effect on consumer’s confidence in Toyota’s brand. In addition, the settlement of suits ultimately decreases Toyota’s QUALITY MANAGEMENT 7 profits. As a result of this bad press Toyota saw a decline in 2012 sales in important geographic areas. Declining sales in fiscal year 2012 were seen across North America, Asia, and Europe. Opportunities. As reported by the article, Global automotive industry to experience modest growth in 2012, a number of opportunities exist in the global automotive industry (2012). The Japanese auto industry responded from natural disasters which had caused reduced inventories and production. It is forecasted that the industry will continue to grow increasing Toyota revenues. In June of 2012, BMW and Toyota signed a long-term partnership. The two companies are partnering on the developments that will help to increase market share and sales. This relationship is expected to increase technology between the two companies as well as result in new product development. In addition to these opportunities, the new car market is experiencing moderate growth which will assist in increased sales and profits. Threats. Intense competition in the worldwide car market has become very competitive. This competition will likely increase in the upcoming years as competitors add more technology and increase developments. In addition to the intense competition, the appreciating Japanese Yen has become a big concern for Toyota. Last, environment regulations have the potential to increase production costs. Emissions regulations that are updated periodically could cause issues in new car production. Evolvement of Quality Management Issues At first glance, it seems that Toyota’s gas pedal issue appeared overnight. However, upon further research, evidence was found to prove the opposite. As reported in the article Secretive Culture Let Toyota Astray, evidence that Toyota cars could suddenly speed up had been piling up for years (2010). At the time of the recalls, Toyota had known about this gas QUALITY MANAGEMENT 8 pedal problem for more than a year. The problem was stated to be Toyota’s secretive corporate culture in Japan which ultimately conflicted with United States requirements that auto makers disclose safety threats. New initiatives brought to the table by Toyota have attempted to correct the previous secretive culture of Toyota. Total quality management initiatives have been put in place to assist in better customer service and safety and repair issues. According to Jacobs and Chase, total quality management can be defined as managing the entire organization so that it excels on all dimensions of products and services that are important to the customer (Chase and Jacobs, 2014, p. 296). The table following this discussion addresses the steps Toyota has taken in response to its recent quality recall problems. Functional Area Quality Management Steps Management †¢ Managing Director names to oversee any safety-related issues †¢ Top down management approach Product Design & Safety †¢ Troubleshooting teams known as Swift Market Analysis Response Teams work to find any safety issues that need to be reported Quality †¢ TAQIC – Toyota Advanced Quality Information Center staffed by a group of employees who compile repair reports from dealerships worldwide †¢ 1000 engineers hired to spot-check quality Manufacturing †¢ No drastic changes to assembly lines QUALITY MANAGEMENT 9 Results/Discussion Problem Solution As discussed in the diagram above, there were many opportunities for Toyota after their encounter with the recall situation. Akio Toyoda, the head of the company, acted quickly by implementing a top down management approach instead of the more popular Japanese â€Å"bottom up† approach that slows down the decision making. In addition, Akio cut board of directors by fifty percent and cut out management layers. Akio also began meeting with his top five advisers on a weekly basis. In these meetings decisions were made quickly. Akio pushed his team to make â€Å"always better cars. † This change in the way the organization is managed helped Toyota to stay on top even through the recalls. Recommendations Many recommendations have been made to assist Toyota Motor Company in improving the recall situation they encountered in 2011. Some recommendations Toyota should follow include as recommended by the North American Quality Advisory Panel include the following: †¢GIVE NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS MORE INDEPENDENCE IN MAKING RECALL DECISIONS †¢STRENGTHEN QUALITY CONTROL PROCESSES †¢EXTEND DEVELOPMENT TIME OF NEW PRODUCTS TO INCLUDE MORE SAFETY TESTS †¢CREATE A ROLE OF CHIEF SAFETY TECHNOLOGY OFFICER. †¢CREATE AND LAUNCH A SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE MOST IMPORTANT clientele (children, teens, and seniors) QUALITY MANAGEMENT 10 These ideas follow the concept of total quality management which focuses on two fundamental goals: †¢CAREFUL DESIGN OF THE PRODUCT (IN THE CASE OF TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY, THE VEHICLE) †¢ENSURE THAT TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY SYSTEMS CAN PRODUCE THIS DESIGN IN A CONSISTENT manner Quality at the source seems to be a great way for Toyota Motor Company to proceed. Quality at the source means that the person who is doing the work is taking the responsibility for making sure the work meets specifications. As previously discussed, safety control will be a huge initiative for Toyota Motor Company going forward. If implemented, these recommendations can do a lot to help Toyota Motor Company increase their organizational effectiveness. As previously discussed, many organizational steps were taken by Akio Toyoda after these recalls. It seems that Toyota could greatly benefit from organizational learning. As stated by Operations and Supply Chain Management, â€Å"it has been argued that organizational learning is critical to sustaining a competitive advantage† (Chase and Jacobs, 2014, p. 138). Organizational realignment was important to Toyota Motor Company after the 2010 and 2011 recalls. According to a Toyota news release in December of 2008 organizational changes include the establishment of the below: QUALITY MANAGEMENT 11 †¢A GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP WHICH WAS FOCUSED ON QUICK RESPONSE TO inquiries from around the world while also unifying public affairs functions. †¢AN ACCOUNTING GROUP AIMED AT STRENGTHENING THE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL management system of Toyota Motor Company. †¢A EUROPE AND AFRICA OPERATIONS GROUP INTENDED TO ASSIST WITH BUSINESS PLANNING IN African and Central Asia. The group was also established to conduct business promotion events in both Europe and Africa. †¢A PRODUCTION ENGINEERING GROUP AIMED AT INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF THE QUALITY control system for semiconductors for hybrid vehicles. The recommendations made are important to Toyota’s future. Reorganization and creation of new groups within the organization will help Toyota to overcome these recalls. QUALITY MANAGEMENT 12 References Ingram, A. (2014, Feb 12). Toyota recall: 1. 9 million Prius vehicles recalled to fix software glitch. Retrieved from http://www. csmonitor. com/Business/In-Gear/2014/0212/Toyota-recall-1. 9-million-Prius-vehicles-recalled-to-fix-software-glitch Jacobs, F. R. , & Chase, R. (2014). Operations and supply chain management. (14 ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Lassa, T. (Feb, 2012). U. s. market share for the top five automakers. Retrieved from http://www. motortrend. com/features/auto_news/2011/1202_u_s_markets_share_for_the_ top_five_automakers/ Linebaugh, K. , Searcey , D. , & Shirouzu, N. (Feb, 2010 08). Secretive culture led toyota astray. Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704820904575055733096312238 ? mod=WSJ_hpp_LEADNewsCollection&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online. wsj. com/artic le/SB10001424052748704820904575055733096312238. html? mod=WSJ_hpp_LEADNewsCollection Marketline. (2013, Jan). Toyota motor corporation swot analysis. Retrieved from http://web. a. ebscohost. com. library3. webster. edu/ehost/detail? vid=4&sid=6ef29150-7574-461b-8281-afd6e7a8edf6@sessionmgr4001&hid=4212&bdat a=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ== Ridley , G. (2012, Jan 06). Global automotive industry to experience modest growth in 2012. Retrieved from QUALITY MANAGEMENT 13 http://www. ey. com/GL/en/Newsroom/News-releases/Global-automotive-industry-to-exp erience-modest-growth-in-2012 Taylor, A. (2012, Feb 27). Toyota’s comeback kid. Fortune, 165(3), 72-79. Retrieved from http://web. b. ebscohost. com. library3. webster. edu/ehost/detail? sid=51dc3e8b-84d1-4dcd-85bf-3342162ffef8@sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=126&bdata= JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ TMC. (2013, May 08). TMC announces year-end financial results for fiscal year ended march 31, 2013. Retrieved from http://www2. toyota. co. jp/en/news/13/05/0508_1. html Voss, M. (2011, May 23). Toyota receives recommendations from north american quality advisory panel. Retrieved from http://corporatenews. pressroom. toyota. com/releases/toyota receives recommendations north american quality advisory panel. htm.

TERRORISM INCORPORATED Essay

TERRORISM INCORPORATED Essay TERRORISM INCORPORATED Essay LASHKAR-E-TAIBA: A THREAT TO U.S. SECURITY Professor Jesse Webster HLSS320 Richard Heubach 4314751 INTRODUCTION Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.S. government has taken considerable steps to ensure a similar attack cannot happen again. In guarding its citizens against the threat of terrorism from abroad and within, a prominent question of concern should be, ‘which organization could have the means and capabilities to pose a serious threat to the U.S’ current and future homeland security posture’? The organization would undoubtedly have to be well equipped, funded, have tactical and technical training, access to weapons, and an extreme ideology. Amongst the dozens of terror groups that aim to upset the interests of the U.S, there is one that stands out and meets the above criteria, the Lashkar-e-Taiba. History The Laskkar-e-Taiba, henceforth regarded to as the LeT, has a very strong foundation and extremely organized structure. The LeT can be traced back to 1985 as a small group called Jamaat-ud-Pawa; this group was dedicated to promoting an Ahl-e-Hadith version of Islam (Tankel 2011, 2). One year later, in 1986, Jamaat-ud-Pawa merged with an anti-Soviet jihadist group and continued to grow until 1990, where in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan, the LeT was officially formed (Tankel 2011, 3). Structure The founding members of the LeT are Hafez Saeed, Abdullah Azzam - who was bin Laden’s first mentor, and Zafar Iqbal (Tankel 2011, 3). The LeT was supported and trained in its early years by members of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate (ISI), and has a very organized, military style chain of command (Tankel 2011, 4). Saeed, the Supreme Commander, is the head of the organization. Reporting to Saeed is a Deputy Supreme Commander and the Chief of Operations Commander. The Chief of Operations also oversees the Outfit Spokesman and the International Media Officer (SATP 2001). Next in the chain of command are two division commanders, the North Division and Central Division. Reporting to them is the Deputy Supreme Commander, who oversees three Area Deputy Commanders; the three areas consist of Bandipora, Lolab, and Sogam. Next are three area division commanders who oversee the areas of Baramulla, Handwara, and Budgam (SATP 2001). It should also be known that Saeed’s son, Talha, is the overseer of operations at the primary base camp, while Saeed’s son in law is the overseer of the Lahore office (SATP 2001). Considering the complexity and organization of the LeT’s structure, it is reasonable to conclude the group is well maintained and has some degree of discipline based on a military style template. Training The complex and large command structure of the LeT is proportional to the organization’s area of operation. The LeT’s primary headquarters is located in Muridke, near Lahore, in the Punjab Province of Pakistan (SATP 2001). The headquarters itself is over 200 acres and houses a seminary, hospital, market, residential area for ‘scholars’, a fish farm, and vast agricultural tracts (SATP 2001). The LeT hosts several training camps, a majority of which are located in Pakistan administered Kashmir; the headquarters in Muridke serves as a training ground for the organization’s ideological instruction (SATP 2001). Within several tribal areas of Pakistan, the LeT conducts the Daura Khaas, a weaponry and advanced combat skills training course (Swami 2008). It is also important to note that throughout the region, the LeT operates sixteen Islamic Institutions, 135 secondary schools, an ambulance service, mobile clinics, and blood banks (SATP 2001). The LeT provides both its militants and religious scholars with rigorous training courses. Militants are subjected to a two month course in the instruction and use of the AK series assault rifle, large machine guns, various hand guns, rocket launchers, and hand grenades (SATP 2 001).

A History of Adinkra Symbols

A History of Adinkra Symbols Adinkra is a cotton cloth produced in Ghana and Cà ´te dIvoire which has traditional Akan symbols stamped upon it. The adinkra symbols represent popular proverbs and maxims, record historical events, express particular attitudes or behavior related to depicted figures, or concepts uniquely related to abstract shapes. It is one of several traditional cloths produced in the region. The other well-known cloths are kente and adanudo. The symbols were often linked with a proverb, so they convey more meaning than a single word. Robert Sutherland  Rattray compiled a list of 53 adinkra symbols in his book, Religion and Art in Ashanti, in 1927. The History of Adinkra Cloth and Symbols The Akan people (of what is now Ghana and Cà ´te dIvoire) had developed significant skills in weaving by the sixteenth century, with Nsoko (present-day Begho) being an important weaving center. Adinkra, originally produced by the Gyaaman clans of the Brong region, was the exclusive right of royalty and spiritual leaders, and only used for important ceremonies such as funerals. Adinkra means goodbye. During a military conflict at the beginning of the nineteenth century, caused by the Gyaaman trying to copy the neighboring Asantes golden stool (the symbol of the Asante nation), the Gyaaman king was killed. His adinkra robe was taken by Nana Osei Bonsu-Panyin, the  Asante Hene  (Asante King), as a trophy. With the robe came the knowledge of adinkra aduru (the special ink used in the printing process) and the process of stamping the designs onto cotton cloth. Over time the Asante further developed adinkra symbology, incorporating their own philosophies, folk tales, and culture. Adinkra symbols were also used on pottery, metalwork (especially  abosodee), and are now incorporated into modern commercial designs (where their related meanings give added significance to the product), architecture and sculpture. Adinkra Cloth Today Adinkra cloth is more widely available today, although the traditional methods of production are very much in use. The traditional ink (adinkra aduru) used for stamping is obtained by boiling the bark of the Badie tree with iron slag. Because the ink is not fixed, the material should not be washed. Adinkra cloth is used in Ghana for special occasions such as weddings and initiation rites. Note that African fabrics often differ between those made for local use and those that are exported. The cloth for local use is usually replete with hidden meanings or local proverbs, allowing locals to make particular statements with their costume. Those fabrics produced for overseas markets tend to use more sanitized symbology. Use of Adinkra Symbols You will find adinkra symbols on many exported items, such as furniture, sculpture, pottery, t-shirts, hats and other clothing items in addition to fabric. Another popular use of the symbols is for tattoo art. You should further research the meaning of any symbol before deciding to use it for a tattoo to ensure it conveys the message you desire.

Asylum Seekers Essay Example for Free

Asylum Seekers Essay I have chosen to do my discursive essay on asylum seekers. I will try to separate lies from facts. I had to think carefully about this topic as there are so many different views on asylum seekers. I also opted to look into asylum seekers because I found that they are an extremely oppressed group. I will give pros and cons on asylum seekers and try to balance out my argument. The impact and influences people in power have on the mass media is tremendous. Together with the negative media coverage, asylum seekers have been given such a bad image. International asylum law defines an asylum seeker as someone who seeks asylum in a foreign country because of war, violence or out of fear of persecution. Only after the recognition of the asylum seekers protection needs, he or she is officially referred to as an asylum seeker and enjoys asylum seeker status, which carries certain rights and obligations according the receiving country. Over the last four years there have been 138,530 asylum seekers in the UK alone. There are many claims about asylum seekers that give them this – Britain is known for asylum seekers to do what they want wherever and whenever they want; but asylum seekers are not allowed to claim welfare benefits in the UK. I found out about forty organisations working with asylum seekers and it says that 85% starve because they have no food to live on and 95% cannot afford to buy clothes or shoes and 80% are not able to maintain a good healthy life. I also found out that nine out of ten asylum seekers will pretend to be in danger to get into Britain. Over half of asylum seekers in the UK are given permission to stay here. The ideas that are often portrayed of asylum seekers are not just ones of foreigners trying to get into Britain but sometimes asylum seekers are accused of being criminals. I found out that having fled danger in their home country asylum seekers are more likely to become victims of crime in the UK .Most asylum seekers that come to Scotland think that it’s amazing, outstanding some even say paradise. This shows us the impact and difference it actually has on their life. In Afghanistan you wouldn’t be able to go a walk, go out with friends for a while like you do here; there are bombs going off, dead bodies lying around the streets and you would hardly see any of your friends and family. Most of them don’t even go to school whereas in the UK they love going to school even though most of us hate it, they love the fact that they are learning and are getting an education but a down point to going to school over here is that they would have to learn English and know it really well if not then they would find it very difficult. Some say that Scottish are the best people ever and they feel so welcomed when they come here. The list could go on. In Afghanistan they would have to have an arranged marriage where they have no say on what happens and when it happens. Whereas here in the UK they can get married whenever they want and whatever age they want they might not even get married. It would be their own choice. On the other hand people in Scotland /UK don’t think about all those horrible things that happen in Afghanistan. Some people just presume because they’re not from here or had a different coloured skin that they are terrorists. Some are even scared. And some even bully them because they are a different race or have lost a family member. We dont think of what we actually have†¦ fully educated and we can do a lot more things that they can’t do. When they come to the UK most asylum seekers would do anything for a job they think that British people are so lucky to live a as they say a normal life, but the downside to that is they take jobs away from local people which makes them more angry. Some UK citizens can’t tell the difference between asylum seekers and illegal immigrants they are discriminated against because of this. Some asylum seekers can make a positive contribution to the economy and local community by having a special talent and can help out. To summarise the discusion of asylum seekers is that there a lot of different views on them. There are so many pros and cons but I have only chosen ones I thought stand out and give good evidence. It’s really yourself that needs to decide what you think on asylum seekers, other people may think different from you but it’s you own opinion and not all asylum seekers are the same. Asylum Seekers. (2016, May 26).

Measure for measure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Measure for measure - Essay Example According to the law, he decides to slay Claudio for illegally having sex with Juliet. Juliet and Claudio were already married but due to some problems they didn’t have a registered marriage. Isabella, Claudio’s sister, was aware that his brother was married to Juliet so she went to the duke (Angelo) to plead him for his brother’s life. Angelo placed a condition for sparing her brother’s life that she will have sex with him. Isabella, being a chaste lady, was shocked and refused the offer. She was dejected and was going home when she was faced by friar (vincento) and told him the whole story. Friar made a plan to safe Claudio. The plan was to send Mariana, Angelo’s fiance, instead of Isabella. Mariana was Angelo’s fiance but they weren’t married because Mariana’s dowry was lost in the sea. According to the plan angelo will have sex with mariana instead of Isabella which he did. Then he ordered the release of Claudio. Soon angelo got to know that he has been played with and he imprisoned mariana and Isabella. According to the law if angelo and mariana had sex then there marriage will be completed. When angelo got to know about this he imprisoned mariana and Isabella. Then he summoned friar in the court. He then blamed friar for all this and sentenced him. At that time friar showed his true appearance. The people then came to know that angelo was a corrupt duke.

Reaction Paper on Geraldine Brookss The Year of Wonders Essay

Reaction Paper on Geraldine Brookss The Year of Wonders - Essay Example This essay discusses that the contaminated articles and clothes of the tailor were not initially destroyed because of lack scientific knowledge. Eleanor and Michael reveal marriage secrets to Anna. Bradford family faces Mo mp hellion's wrath because they ran away, as they had the means to do so like any other noble family. Rector’s secret shadows fall on the nobility of his work. Anna goes through a mental and spiritual unraveling and almost attains a rebirth. All female characters, Lib, Anna, Gowdies, Anna’s stepmother all show the enormous strength of character. Those were the days when antibiotics have not been invented, though science was receiving royal patronage. Methods of disinfection were not well-known even in London and this fear of infection drove Londoners to inhuman methods during the plague. Fear and superstition and survival made them merciless. Other than burning the infected material, there were hardly any alternatives of infection. Written in modern a nd fluid style, not dull or tedious, the book maintains uncanny optimism despite the prevailing grimness, ‘how fear drove ordinary people first into superstition and then into primeval brutality’. It also shows that human nature does not change while knowledge does. The village is in stark contrast with the treatment London gave to its sick, locking them up with the healthy in their houses, sealing the houses without water or food, and according to Samuel Pepys, ‘making us cruel as dogs to one another’. London was gripped by the fear of unknown.

Strategic management in an international context Coursework

Strategic management in an international context - Coursework Example Therefore, the company should consider investing the $2 billion in the country to set up beer industry. The net disposable income for the citizens of Norway has been growing gradually for the last ten years. This has been due to the gradual growth of the country’s economy. Therefore, consumers’ demands for the products and services has been rising year in year out, with beer being inclusive. As such, Fyne Ales Company should be pulled by these factors to consider investing in Norway. The government of Norway has lower trade barriers to investors who want to invest in its economy. In fact, the government of Norway has put in place initiatives and incentives to encourage potential investors to invest more in the country. These incentives include tax waiver during the initial stages of the project as a way of cushioning new investors against the initial financial shocks at the start of their investments (Karrenbrock, 2009, p. 2). The government will also be offering the licensing agreement to make the products produced by companies operating in the country available to foreign markets. One example of the license agreement is a situation whereby the brewer themselves can allow a brewer who has already settled down in Norway to brew and sell beers of foreign brewers. Therefore, Fyne Ales Company should consider making good use of such opportunities and favours to invest in Norway in the beer production industry, from which it will be able to generate more returns. The internationalization of the western economy in the last few years shows a cross-border investment and the increasing number of companies with production segments in a number of countries. Exploitation of natural resources is the fundamental reason foreign companies should invest in the non-metropolitan Norway. If Fyne Ales Company invests in Norway’s economy, Norway as a country will have the advantage of getting closer to its customers who live in the non-metropolitan Norway, thereby,

Cake is a form of art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cake is a form of art - Research Paper Example After discussing the different types of cake designs that are readily available in the market, valid reasons why cake designing is considered as an edible art will be provided in details. The modern confetti cakes we can find in the market is made out of different shapes including shoes, bags, purses, a wine bottle in a crate, cameras, sports equipment, multi-tiered cups among others. A cake design can also be inspired by a comic book art wherein the different comic icons such as superman, batman, or Doctor Manhattan’s logo can be used as the main theme of cake design (The Weekly-Crisis). Mainly used for children’s birthday party, a cake design can be inspired by specific cartoon character such as the shape of Bumblebee or Optimus Prime’s head (ibid). In other words, the list of possible cake designs is endless depending on the theme the cake decorator would dream of sculpting. Cake decorating styles can be inspired by different cultures. Specifically in Europe, Victorian style which is characterized by multi-tier styled cakes with pillars of flowers are used in wedding ceremonies whereas the Lambeth style which is characterized by layers of icings applied on the cake is often used in countries like North America and New Zealand (Gitundu). In some cases, cake designing can also be inspired by Islamic or the 18th century (You Tube). Designing a cake has always been considered as an art because of the fact that cake designing requires good mix-and-match of colors, developing a strong cake designing concept, precision in making details in cake designs, and pipework (Garrett, Needham and Mathews, p. 9). Cake designing highly depends on the cake designer or the customers’ preferred motifs. In fact, most of the famous cake designers have strong background in fine arts in order to get the execution technique right (You Tube). In making different fun cake designs,

FLSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

FLSA - Essay Example According to this act overtime is defined as "time actually spent in worked after a prescribed threshold.† This Act give exemptions to some of the employees from its provision of minimum wage and overtime pay as well as it also exempts some particular employees only from its provision of the overtime. As these exemptions are defined narrowly, Suzy should have to contact the Wage and Hour Division office in the local area in order to check whether or not the terms and conditions would support her complaint. There are only some issues drawn in here, which can be considered under the guidelines of Department of Labor. From en entirely legal point of view, the former employer currently offering the benefits must bargain with the participants of the insurance plan, or a fair percentage must be considered. Since completely abandoning the policy may result in financial distress to a lot of employees as mentioned by the HR, an alternative plan must be sought that the company may pursue keeping in view the financial condition of the company as well as that of its employees. In order to have a better decision, employees may be involved and suggestions may be welcomed from the employees and the overall financial condition of the company may be conveyed to them, so that a better understanding may result of the

Comparison of Alphaville with Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison of Alphaville with Today - Essay Example The plot unleashes gradually when a secret agent is sent to catch Alphaville who is controlled by a computer Alpha 60 and the creator of this invention, Professor Von Braun (Constantine and Karina, 1965). This movie is basically symbolic of the fact that human beings have been dominated by the scientific inventions. They have lost their ability to feel and think. They have become robots like Alphaville and their behavior is termed as â€Å"outlandish†. In this scenario the relationship between Natacha Von Braun and Lemmy Caution, the secret agent, is quite significant because Natacha is unable to voice her feelings. It is not that she does not want to. She just doesn’t have the words to describe what she feels. On the other hand the poignancy of the scene touches the audience immensely where Natacha tells Lemmy that he is looking at her in a strange way to which he agrees. Then she asks if he is waiting for her to say something to him and to this also he agrees. Here, N atacha admits that she is clueless because she has never been taught the words to say what is expected of her here and that Lemmy should help. Lemmy replies that he will not be able to help her because she needs to help herself; that is the only way she will be saved. However, if she doesn’t, she would be â€Å"as lost as the dead ofAlphavile† (Constantine and Karina, 1965). ... The fact that a person, Alphaville, is being controlled by a computer also reflects the concept of totalitarianism. This is a concept or phenomenon according to which a state or government has the right to interfere with the private life of the citizens and the opinion of the citizens do not matter. The same idea has been portrayed in the 1965 film. The computers decide what is good and bad for the human beings and the human beings are not allowed to have any say in their own lives. According to Professor Bon Braun who is the creator of Alpha 60, everything is in control of science and machines(Conquest, 2001). It can be said that this movie was way ahead of its time but it still managed to capture the very essence and causes of the human decline, which is evident today. This movie made it clear that there is a very thin line between the human world and machine world and that time is not very far away when this line will be crossed by the human beings. A famous essayist,Professor Sus an Greenfield opines that people will have to wake up from their gadget-drugged and â€Å"pharmaceutically enhanced† slumber that has made their brains immune. According to him, soon there will be little if any difference between humans and machines. This quote can be related to â€Å"Alphaville† as well. The characters portrayed in the movies are expressionless and emotionless. They even talk like robots, without pausing and without much feeling with a poker face. Like Natacha Van Braun speaks rarely and whenever she does, it is on the professor’s command. For instance, when she is asked about how she is, she says, â€Å"I’m very well thank you you’re welcome.†(Greenfield, n.d.). If on one hand, this film is

FLSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

FLSA - Essay Example According to this act overtime is defined as "time actually spent in worked after a prescribed threshold.† This Act give exemptions to some of the employees from its provision of minimum wage and overtime pay as well as it also exempts some particular employees only from its provision of the overtime. As these exemptions are defined narrowly, Suzy should have to contact the Wage and Hour Division office in the local area in order to check whether or not the terms and conditions would support her complaint. There are only some issues drawn in here, which can be considered under the guidelines of Department of Labor. From en entirely legal point of view, the former employer currently offering the benefits must bargain with the participants of the insurance plan, or a fair percentage must be considered. Since completely abandoning the policy may result in financial distress to a lot of employees as mentioned by the HR, an alternative plan must be sought that the company may pursue keeping in view the financial condition of the company as well as that of its employees. In order to have a better decision, employees may be involved and suggestions may be welcomed from the employees and the overall financial condition of the company may be conveyed to them, so that a better understanding may result of the

Mexican society Essay Example for Free

Mexican society Essay Mariano Azuela’s, The Underdogs, is full of characters that represent different sections of the Mexican society at the time of the Mexican Revolution around 1910 and each responds to the war according to their own circumstances and needs. The first such character is Demetrio Macias, a peace loving Indian, representing the poor peasants. His only interest is to protect what little he has. He is drawn into the revolution when he is being hunted by the soldiers of a political leader and he has to abandon his wife and child and watch the soldiers destroy his house. Demetrio responds by putting together a band of sharpshooting bandits who are wanted for various crimes they have committed At the start, Demetrio is full of noble ideas and wants to fight for the poor while taking from the rich, something like Robin Hood. The group is focused and meets with success. However as his group grows larger it becomes more difficult to control, because with each victory comes power and with that the demands. For instance, after each successful battle they feel justified in taking all girls above twelve years of age to â€Å"service† them. As time goes on, the rebels themselves forget what they are fighting for and start taking from the rich and poor alike Luis Cervantes, is a student portraying the educated middle class. He is captured by Demetrio’s men and manages to convince them that is a deserter of Huertas army and was actually trying to join them. He is unhappy with the treachery, and corruption in the Huertas’ army. The unnecessary meanness of the soldiers, rape, burning of homes, looting, torture, murdering of children. 1 Luis is a young man with ideals and a vision for the future. He believes that doing away with the crooked politicians will make Mexico a better place for everyone. While he imparts his wisdom on the bandits, some of them speculate if that is indeed what they are really all about, while majority just dreams about the booty the next town will bring. Luis’ unsuccessful attempts at conveying his insight to the bandits eventually cause him to change his direction and go in search of a business venture instead. The next characters we meet in the story are two women, who symbolize the role of the fairer sex in the Mexican war. First there is Camilla, who provides services such as cooking, or caring for the wounded. Although initially she comes across as a meek person, we see eventually that she is really a strong woman who has a major role to play in Demetrio’s life. Finally, there is â€Å"War Paint. † A very jealous and bold woman, who is always ready to rob anyone in her path. She uses sex to manipulate men and get what she wants. For example, at one point in the story Demetrio is ready to take her to a hotel after drinking heavily. She challenges his manhood by saying that a real man of his standing would find the best house in town, take it over by force if necessary and spend the night there. Thus, they spend the night in one of the best houses in town, and War Paint proceeds to rob it after entertaining Demetrio. It seems to me that the only person somewhat sincere with the revolution is Demetrio. After all he is the only one not willing to run away. He stands his ground and fights for what he believes in, despite the fact that the importance and force of revolution had lost its steam, and knowing in the end that he is outnumbered and will not survive. 1Cogan, Allan . The Underdogs (Los de Abajo): A Novel of the Mexican Revolution by Mariano Azuela. Retrieved from www. mexconnect. com

Differences Between Unitary Government And Federal Government Politics Essay

Differences Between Unitary Government And Federal Government Politics Essay In a unitary government, the power is held by one central authority but in a federal government, the power is divided between national government or federal government and local governments or states government. Federal government has multiple hierarchy levels, with both the central authority and the states (or provinces) both being sovereign. Furthermore, the central or national rules override the state rules. It also has balance between them for example the United State. It is shared between  national  and  local  levels. In a federal form of government, the term federal is also used to refer to the national level of government. However, for unitary government there is no hierarchy of sovereign powers. It is a state which has no authority to make their own laws and the government can only order the states to do anything. For example is Japan. Japan is a federal government which has a huge percentage of power. The advantages and disadvantages of Unitary Government Advantages The advantages of unitary government are it is single and decisive legislative. It has a simple management of an economy and the government is smaller.  It is uniformity of policies, laws, enforcement and administration of laws, government and others. Its also less duplication of services and a fewer conflicts between national and local government will occur. Disadvantages The disadvantages of using this type of system are it has slow government response. For example, there is no state National Guard that could be dispatched in emergency, troops would have to be mobilized from national authority. It is also easily looses track of local issues. Other than that, it is incredibly disruptive form of government where everyone is forced to compete with everyone else for priority. Since it is trying to take the place of federal and state governments, the unitary governments typical get distended and bogged down. Finally, it has huge system of government that is even larger than what this country has. The Advantages and the disadvantages of Federalism Advantages Every province has political, social and economic problems unusual to the region itself. Provincial government representatives live in close immediacy to the people and are most of the times from the same group of people so that they are in a better situation to understand these problems and offer distinctive solutions for them. For example, traffic jam in Oahu, Hawaii is a problem that can be best solved by the local government, keeping general factors in mind, rather than by somebody living in New York. Federalism offers depiction to different populations. Citizens of a range of provinces may have different aspirations, ethnicity and follow different cultures. The central government can sometimes fail to notice these differences and assume policies which cater to the majority. This is where the regional government steps in. While formulating policies, local needs, tastes and opinions are given due consideration by the state governments. Rights of the minorities are protected too. For example, in states like Arizona where there is a large Hispanic population and therefore, a large number of schools provide bilingual education. State governments have the freedom to adopt policies which may not be followed nationally or by any other state. For example, same sex marriages are not recognized by the federal government of USA but they are given legal status within the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Massachusetts. Division of work between the central and the regional governments leads to optimum exploitation of resources. The central government can concentrate more on global affairs and defense of the country while the provincial government can provide to the local needs.   Federalism has room for improvement and testing. Two local governments can have two different approaches to bring reforms in any area of public area, be it taxes or education. The comparison of the results of these policies can give a clear suggestion of which policy is better and thus, can be adopted in the upcoming. Disadvantages Sharing of power between the Center and the states includes both advantages and disadvantages of federation. Sometimes there can be overlap of work and a following misunderstanding regarding who is responsible for what. For example, when typhoon Katrina hit Greater New Orleans, USA, in 2005, there was interruption in the salvage work as there was confusion between the state governments and the federal government on who is responsible for which disaster management work. This resulted in the loss of many lives. The federal system of government is very expensive as more people are chosen to office, both at the state and the center, than necessary. Thus, it is often said that only wealthy countries can afford it. Too many chosen representatives with overlapping roles may also lead to corruption. Other than that, it leads to unnecessary rivalry between different regions. There can be a rising by a regional government against the national government too. Both scenarios pose a threat to the countries reliability.   It is also promotes regional inequalities. Natural resources, industries, employment opportunities differ from region to region. Hence earnings and wealth are unevenly circulated Rich states offer more opportunities and benefits to its citizens than poor states can. Thus, the gap between rich and poor states widens.   It also can make the state governments selfish and concerned only about their own regions progress. They can formulate policies which might be harmful to other regions. For example, pollution from a province which is promoting industrialization in a big way can affect another region which depends exclusively on agriculture and cause crop damage. Finally, it does not eliminate poverty. Even in New York, there are poor neighborhoods like Harlem with a majority of black population. The reason for this may be that during policy framing, it is the intellectuals and not the masses who are invited by the local government.

The Effects of Alcohol Essay -- Papers Alcohol Drinking Liquor Essays

The Effects of Alcohol Works Cited Not Included Alcohol is a substance that has numerous diverse affects on the body-both positive and negative. Alcohol not only kills brain cells, but when taken in profusion it has almost no constructive affects. Sure it can make one overlook his/her problems, but the consequences of drinking in excess far outweigh the benefits. It is not a crime to get drunk, however alcohol will almost always cause one to conduct them self in a way he or she would not normally behave. For instance, a sober man will not usually drive ninety-five mph down I-95, however, after consuming a good amount of alcohol, his eyesight, judgement, reflexes and abilities are hindered to the point that he feels indestructible. Alcohol is a drug, and when abused it has almost no positive affects. It is the most widely used and socially acceptable drug in the world. (Taylor, 6-7) Alcohol abuse is more physically destructive than the abuse of any other popular drug. When much is consumed in a short period of time, alcohol (ethanol) causes immediate changes in the body. First it slows down the workings of the brain. The drinker?s speech may become slurred and his steps staggered. The body?s reflexes become dulled as the nervous system slows down. (Taylor, 14) The drinker does not always realize this and may feel as if he is perfectly capable of normal functioning, but this is not always so. His abilities are impaired and he should not be given responsibility. Alcohol is often incorporated in many different aspects in our society. It is drunk as part of social celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, and parties. It is also drunk as a salve for the emotional pain of rejection and heartache. Alcoholi... ...teens are purchasing alcoholic beverages from irresponsible storeowners. In 1997, it was recorded that 56% of eighth graders have tried alcohol, as well as 71% of tenth graders, 80% of twelfth graders, rising to 88% in college students. These are large numbers when stated that the legal drinking age in almost all fifty states is twenty-one. In conclusion, the public as a whole needs to learn when enough is enough. It is fine to drink, but the key is to drink in moderation. People should not allow themselves to get ?totally trashed? or ?ridiculously wasted?, but drink with maturity. It is not a crime to get drunk, it is the things one does when he/she becomes intoxicated that will get them incarcerated. People will always drink, but there need to be strict laws enforced for the punishment of those who choose not to be responsible while under the influence.

Dealing with Learning Disabilities Essays -- Education Psychology Essa

Dealing with Learning Disabilities â€Å"He’ll know things one day, but not the next†. â€Å"She is seeing or writing words or numbers backwards.† â€Å"She has difficulty grasping simple concepts†. These are comments made by teachers who have classified certain students in their classroom as having the unfortunate burden of a learning disability. A learning disability is â€Å"a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations†(Metzger, 1983, p7). Students with learning disorders may exhibit difficulty learning in a number of ways. Such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia all contribute to learning disabilities. Students that suffer from visual, auditory or motor handicaps, mental retardation, or emotiona l disturbance endure these same learning disabilities, but are usually more severe. These select students with diverse handicaps may encounter barriers that obstruct their success in education. When such barriers occur, adaptive technology is the appropriate solution. Adaptive technology is available for students on all different levels with numerous diverse learning disabilities and has played an important role is assisting these students to develop necessary skills for their academic success. In the home, classroom, workplace, and community, adaptive technology is enabling individuals with disabilities to be more independent, self-confident, productive, and better incorporated into the mainstream (Kelker, 1997). Educational Encyclopedias define the technology of ... ...the potential psychological stress and possible negative social ramifications of having to rely continually upon others† (Raskind & Bryant, 1997). It is quite obvious to comprehend that adaptive technology has proved to be an effective tool for special education students along with any other individual with a disability. There is an adaptive piece of easily accessible technological equipment for any disability one is attempting to overcome. Such powerful tools within a learning environment offer numerous directions through which to reach special education students and to adapt the learning environment to the students’ needs. The adaptive technologies available within today’s educational arena have the ability not only to develop the skills of a disabled learner, but also to help a student in need attempt to receive thenormal, good quality education they deserve.

Conflicting Medical Reports Essay

In this paper I will give you a description of the case that was discussed, I will also discuss what you should do if conflicting medical opinions are presented by your general physician and the companies physician, and which medical expert’s advice counts more and why? I am also going to discuss if the case presented is a charge of discrimination and if it is relevant to this case and why? Lastly, if I was presented with a case similar to this what would I do? This case is about an employee named Donald Knolls who was an air traffic control supervisor for International Gateway Airport (IGA). In, 2007 Donald begun to experience depression and depression related problems due to severe stress caused by the job. In 2008, Donald was granted disability leave to undergo treatment for his illness. Eight months later and after extensive treatment and evaluations. Donald’s personal physician, and consulting licensed psychologist agreed that he could return to his former position. IGA sent Donald to their physician that they assigned to him to approve the disability, before they would sign off and approve him to go back to his supervisory job. After the evaluation of IGA’s physician concluded that Donald has made great strides to improving he should not return to his supervisory position because, the job conditions have not changed and Donald was apt to the stress too much. If Donald wants to return to work he must take a non-supervisory position for six months and be re-evaluated at that time to determine if he can return back to his supervisory potion. Donald was very angry and not happy with this arrangement and filed a grievance through IGA’s alternative dispute resolution procedure. After several meetings the employer maintained that they had the right to rely on the medical opinion of a fair and impartial physician who determined that Donald should not be returning to the position since that was the cause of the stress after all. Management pointed out the provisions of Donald’s disability leave which stated that it may require appropriate documentation if it believes an employee is not fit to return to their former position. Donald hired an attorney to represent him and stated that the disability leave provisions were clear but, biased against the employee because they disregarded what their personal physician and psychologist stated. Donald’s lawyer also stated that he was a victim of discrimination based on his formal state of depression. The medical expert that IGA assigned to the company has assigned to the case should take some precedence, but that the expert physician should take in consideration or even consult the personal physician and psychologist that was treating Donald. The company hires their own physician’s due to the high risk job that is in questioning. The company makes sure that their employee’s are fit to work and make sure that all of the planes take off and land safely. Also, some companies have their own physician’s due to insurance purposes, if they get a physician assigned to them especially in airline field, the liability insurance is probably cut. Discrimination can be part of the situation but, if you think about it it could go both ways. I Donald’s eyes yes he is being discriminated against because, he did a good job, got help for is problem, and is ready and willing to go back to his position, thinking that the company would hold his position since they are the ones that approved his disability. But, if you see it on the companies side, then no they are not being discriminating against Donald, they are making sure that the safety of everyone at the airport and all the airlines, employees, and passengers are safe, they are making sure that he is not going to be a liability to them and everyone else. If I was in this situation and presented a case like this I would study Donald’s case, speak with all three physicians and then bring this up with the Board or even the other managers and see what the best solution would be. It could be that he would be in a lower rank position for thirty days. But, I really feel that I would recommend for Donald to be put back into his position but to be watched and monitored very closely and make sure that everything is ok before he is let go on his own. If he proves to be ok, then everything is great but, if they see that the stress has gotten to him again then they can speak to him and see if there is another position or something that they can do for him. In conclusion, I have given you a description of the situation, gone over if the advice of the medical expert that the company brought forth or if you should go with the personal physician’s opinion, if the charge of discrimination presented by Donald’s lawyer relevant and if this case was presented to me what decision I would do. In job’s like an air traffic controller you must be able to put up with a lot of stress. Many people are not able to do the job, and the ones that can do it are special and that is why they make the money.