Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Horniman Horticulture Essay

Horniman Horticulture is a whole-sale nursery business that has been owned by Maggie and Bob for three years. They have seen an increase in business and number of plants grown at the nursery and are expecting demand to continue to grow. In 2005, the business’s profit margin was expected to grow to 5. 8% up from 3. 1% in 2003. This projected growth seems accurate considering Maggie’s conservative approach with the companies cash balance. Handling the finances, Maggie dislikes debt financing because of her fear of holding too much inventory and thus not being able to make interest payments. Since the business relies on good weather conditions with some mature plants taking years to grow, severe weather can destroy this inventory. The family has high hopes for the future, since changing their business strategy; they now are acquiring more mature plants in response to the demand for â€Å"instant landscape† customers and are seeing positive signs of economic strength. Because of Maggie’s accounting policies, the business has started to see a decrease in cash balance which falls below their target of comfort. Projection for 2006 Looking at Exhibit A, we have given the projection for 2006. Due to the local economy growing, demand is also going to continue to grow in their business. Most of their inventory will be ready for customers, since it has been maturing over the last 2 to 5 years resulting in their revenue growth to be estimated 30% higher in 2006 to $1,360,000. In order to have opportunities for growth, Maggie and Bob want to buy the neighboring 12 acres of farmland. Because of this plan to buy the parcel of land, their capital expenditures are estimated to be $75,000 which they do not plan to finance. Case Issue Revenue growth over the past 3 years has surpassed the industries benchmark and could indicate that Horniman can take an aggressive competitive advantage early on. Some financial ratios prove the company is performing above industry norms solely due to the fact of their decision to not pay interest on debt, causing few additional expenses. An issue that this company may see due to their determination in paying suppliers under 10 days which can be seen in the Payable Days ratio (Exhibit C). They do benefit rom a small discount of making payments early, but comparing this to the benchmark; Horniman takes an average of 50 days to collect from outside customers and vendors. This indicates that they are making payments five times faster than they are receiving them, which poses the question of whether the small discount is truly beneficial to their company. This exhibit also points out the fact that inventory are not being turned over as often and has actually continued to increase since the start of the business. In addition in 2005, they didn’t reach their target balance of 8% cash balance of total revenue; they fell to a low of . %. In summary, they are very good at driving revenue up and exceeding profits higher than the industries average, but are experiencing a cash flow problem because of the way they are running their business. If it is not dealt with now, there is potential for bankruptcy in the future, especially with their future acquisition of land for $75,000 which they do not plan to finance. Financial Statement Analysis When analyzing the financial statements, in Exhibit A we can see that Horniman has done a decent job by increasing their revenues. They increased their revenues by 33% in 2002 being at $788,500 to 2005 at $1,048,800. They have stabilized their depreciation as it only rose 20% from 2002 to 2005 ($34,200 to $40,900). Also, their tax expense did not increase dramatically by staying around 34 to 39%. After looking at the free cash flows in Exhibit D you can see that increases in net working capital is a problem with the business. In the first year their net working capital was $44,800 which is 1. 4x the net income of $32,600. In 2004, there was an improvement in net working capital but on the other hand there was a big capital expenditure of $88,100 which reduced their cash. Past 2004, net working capital in 2005 was $97,200 which is 1. 6x the net income of $60,800. If they continue to increase their net working capital like they have in the past, the projected net working capital for 2006 would be -$235,900 which would cause them a negative cash balance of -193,000. When you look at the balance sheet in Exhibit B we can see that the current assets have increased 19% and total assets increased 14. 4%. This is due primarily to the increase in inventory and accounts receivable. In the four years from 2002 to 2005 inventory has increased 8. % and accounts receivable has increased 16. 4%. Due to this, the cash balance has decreased from $120,100 all the way down to $9,400. In addition in 2005, the cash balance went below their comfort level of $10,000 down to $9,400. This is not meeting their expectation of their 8% minimum of total revenue target. Financial Ratio Analysis Even though their business was growing significantly, and they were experiencing a steady increase in revenues, they were seeing a huge decrease in their cash. The reason for this is because of their recent change to an increase in business from small nurseries. By looking at the financial ratios, even though they are increasing in sales, you can tell that they are relaxed on their accounts receivable and credit terms. Each year it takes them longer to collect their money. This is due to the fact that the carrying cost of inventory is harder for the smaller customers to endure. To add to this, Bob has to put a bigger investment in his inventory because of the more mature plants that take 2 to 5 years to grow, because of the increased demand for instant landscape. Finally, they are paying out cash significantly faster at 9 days than the benchmark of 27 days in order to receive their 2% discount. To summarize it, they are holding their inventory longer, collecting on payments slower, and paying out cash faster which in essence is destroying their cash balance. By looking at the ratios in Exhibit C, you can see the evidence of this in Receivable Days increasing from 41. 2 to 50. 9, and the Inventory Days ratio increasing from 424. 2 to 476. 3. Due to the way their business is being run, the consequences are shown in the liquidity ratios in Exhibit E for 2002 to 2005 and the projected ratios for 2006, all of their liquidity is diminishing. You can see that every ratio is steadily declining throughout the years. Analyzing them all, their cash has significantly decreased the most, diminishing an astonishing 70% from years 2002 to 2005. Compensating for Growth With larger growth coming in 2006, Maggie and Bob need to look at their cash balance and figure out what they will need for financing to avoid a negative cash balance which could put them into bankruptcy. With Revenues increasing every year, and dramatically increasing from 2005 to 2006 by 30%, they need a compensating cash balance. Since they do not pay out any cash dividends, their rate of growth is the ROC ratio. In Exhibit A, the return of capital has been an average of 4. 0% in the four years. The un-proportional increase in revenue from 15% to 30% will most likely not be supported for much longer. The need for financing, to counterbalance this significant growth is needed to avoid bankruptcy. Accounts Payable Analysis In 2002, Horniman’s cash balance was a respectable $120,100, a number which represented 11. 64% of total assets for that year. As shown in Exhibit F, a common-size cash balance of 11. 64% hardly poses any threats of short-term liquidity risk. However, the following years tell a different story where Horniman’s cash balance steadily decreases. In 2005, just 0. 80% of Horniman’s total assets were held in cash—a drop of $110,700 in just three years! Keep in mind, Horniman has displayed positive revenue growth through each of these periods negating the idea that these declining cash balances are represented by lack of growth (Exhibit C). In the case write up it was mentioned that Maggie (who controlled the financials) avoided borrowing at all costs, and would take any trade discount her suppliers would offer. To an ordinary individual this would sound like a financially responsible plan, but taking a trade discount isn’t always the best decision to make. When taking a discount, certain factors should be looked at to determine whether or not it is worth it. In Horniman’s case, Maggie accepts the discount from her supplier every time it is offered. The footnotes state that most of Horniman’s suppliers provide 30-day payment terms, with a 2% discount for payments made within ten days (2/10 net 30). This is a fairly common discount offered by suppliers to entice the buyer to make timely payments. Horniman has always had the cash on hand to make these payments within the terms of the discount, but in the long run it is hurting them. The most important factor to look at when making this decision is the current interest rate. Interest rates will help to determine whether it is practical to take the discount or to delay payment till the final day it’s due. The rule is simple: if the borrowing rate offered by a bank is greater than the annualized rate earned by taking a discount, then pass on the discount and delay your payment until it’s due in full. The rule remains true if the scenario is reversed. Maggie’s overall issue is she isn’t timing her cash inflows with outflows. Her outflows are made within 10 days of receiving the invoice, but she isn’t collecting from customers every ten days which is creating a short-term liquidity issue. Our Recommendations As you can see the business as a whole is running pretty strongly and their main problem is just the diminishing cash flow. There are quite a few ways that Bob and Maggie could attempt to raise the amount of cash that they have on hand and even stop this problem all together. In the case it says that Maggie doesn’t want to use much if any debt financing for their business because if they were to have a dramatic loss (i. e. drought, frost, etc†¦ ) they could find themselves struggling to keep up with the interest payments on the debt loans that they would have taken out, but using just equity financing can put an unnecessary strain on your business. By simply using equity financing Bob and Maggie are reducing the amount of cash that they could possibly have on hand dramatically. If Maggie were to try and find a happy medium between equity and debt financing, an amount of loans that couldn’t bankrupt them if they had a catastrophic loss of inventory but an amount that would help them with their cash inflow problem then they could see a reduction of the large negative free cash flow that they are seeing now. In reference to their huge capital expenditure they are planning on acquiring the next year, they should think about taking out a mortgage loan on it for the 6. 5%. If they took out a 30 year mortgage loan to finance the $75,000 acquisition, the payment would be $474 monthly, which would save them a huge amount of savings in 2006 instead of paying it with cash that they don’t have. Another option is for them to not always pay their suppliers in the 10 days to obtain the 2% savings. As stated earlier in the paper the 2% savings looks and sounds good to the normal person but when a business is having cash problems like Horniman Horticulture is at this time it isn’t always the smartest thing to do. Their biggest problem is that their cash outflows are being paid 5 times faster than their cash inflows are coming into their company. If they were to figure out a system to find a way to occasionally get the 2% discount offered to them by their suppliers to save some money but also hold on to their money some of the time and pay at the 30 day due date they could see a massive change in their short term liquidity problems that they are seeing and that could really help reduce their cash on hand problem. They could also adopt some form of payment reward plan like their suppliers have for customers that buy rather large quantities of inventory and take a percentage off of the amount owed for payments that are before a certain date. Another option would be to have a preferred customer policy for customers that either have large orders consistently throughout the year or for customers that always pay early on the amount that they owe. For instance they could either chop off a percentage of the price for early payments as stated before or they could offer some of their more unique plants to the preferred customers before they let anyone else have the opportunity to buy them. The final option that we discussed that could help them with their cash problem is to stray away from their new business strategy, and simply calm down on their mature plant inventory since they take so long to be able to sell and actually bring in any profit on them. From the case it sounds like this could be a profitable business but with the way that they are getting payments in and the possibility of a complete loss if the worst happened to their inventory it seems like it is somewhat of a risky move for them. This could be a much better idea once they figured out their cash problems and fixed their accounts receivable turnover so that they are closer to the 8% that Maggie feels comfortable with having as an emergency fund.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Old Fashion Technology Versus Modern Day Technology Essay

In today’s world everything is so much quicker, easier, and more convenient. When you have the technology right beneath your hands, why not take advantage of it? Even though the technology’s is much more expensive than the old fashion routine, not only is it worth it, but it’s also much more enjoyable. I prefer to take full advantage and use modern day technology rather then go back into time and try to accumulate what they did hundreds of years ago. Why shovel the snow in your driveway when you have the advantage to use a big, powerful snow blower. Dig inch by inch, by inch, and tossing the shoveled snow to new grounds instead of just walking your way through the snow and watching right in front of your eyes, the snow being thrown to the other side. Not only is it a lot quicker, more convenient, and easier, but it could also be much more effective in the long term. Such as, in today’s world many people suffer from bad backs when they get older because of the prior snow shoveling they’ve done in the past. It might not hurt when you’re a kid, but if you do it a lot, it could be very risky in the near future. So, why take the chance? The technology is right beneath your hands, the only thing may preventing you is the money. Another great explanation I would like to use and why I prefer to take full advantage of today’s modern day technology is the bread machine. Several years ago before my mother ever heard of the bread machine for your kitchen, she used to make bread the old fashion way. She didn’t mind making the bread, the only thing preventing her was time. Time was a big issue for her and she would rarely have any time to even dish out a piece of bread once a month on the dinner table for us. However, when she received a bread machine from my grandparents last Christmas, she’s now able to make bread every other day and although she misses making bread the old routine way, she claims she would never go back because the bread machine is much more convenient, quicker, easier, and time consuming for her. An excellent last explanation I would like to use and supporting using modern day technology rather than old fashion technology is the high powered boat and Jet Ski. Which is more convenient, quicker, and easier? The high powered  Jet Ski or this wooden canoe made in the 1970’s. Great question, but completely oblivious. Not only do you save many steps by using a high powered boat, you’re also accumulating great speeds which in result if your looking to get from Point A to Point B, becomes much more time consuming than the old fashion canoe. Preferably for me, the canoe isn’t very exciting. I find it very difficult to get everyone to paddle the boat at the same time, when one gets tried, another gets tired, then the last one or two people are dependant on getting that boat to Point B. I believe today’s modern day technology is amazing and I am very happy to be apart of it. Although the only thing preventing people from using modern day technology is the price, it’s definitely worth to have if you have the extra cash. Many elderly people prefer old fashion techniques because that was the way they were brought up, well I was brought up with this great technology beneath my hands so that brings me to take full advantage of it and I believe it’s time to move on. When something is much more time consuming to use, easier to equip, and saves you health risks in the near future, why not take advantage of it?

Monday, July 29, 2019

Blank TAO Form

This is an application for a temporary assessment order for the following purposes (FL, 2008; Davis, 2011 and Powell, 2001). To facilitate the authorization of an officer of the law to contact the child and establish whether there is cause for intervention Authorize certified and procedural medical examination or suitable treatment for the affected child Facilitate the entry Of a police office to access the premise and perform survey and search locations where the child is suspected to be, and determine whether apprehension is necessary or not.Authorize the police officer to place the hill in custody in the order of the office in order to ensure that the needs of the child are taken care of. Direct the parent not to influence the upbringing of the child through restriction to contact Direct that the parent should have supervised contact with the child, with the name of the specified person outlined in the order. The grounds on which this application is made include the following. Lac k of access to nutrition is sufficient grounds for application of the TAO (Davis, 2014 and CPA 1999, 2014). The parents of the child have failed to provide access to nutrition for the child.From the findings, the child appears too small for her size, and the susceptibility to common infections originates from the weakened immunity system. The Notified doubts whether the children get three meals a day owing to the ill health and physique of the children. As indicated by the principal who is a figure of authority, has observed that Michelle appears to display signs of malnutrition. In addition to withdrawal and sadness, the child has failed to carry lunch for school in an institution where parents are expected to cater for that (FL, (2008).Davis, 201 1). In addition to that, the lack of hygiene Secondly, lack of access to a tranquil environment for normal growth has affected the ability of Michelle to bond and attach, and calls for a TAO. The parents of the child have tendencies which disturb normal structure for a child that age (Davis, 2014). As a dependent, the child requires a reliable system for play, growth and education. This is lacking due to the existence of a life style that is governed by substance abuse, criminal activity, delinquency, traffic offenses, violence, and misdemeanors.The constant presence of the police indicates that neighbors have lost good will with the patients, making t impossible for neighborhood participation in the growth of the children. In addition, the prevalence of domestic violence creates unfavorable environment for the progression of the children (FL, 2008), since they are sometimes left on their own as the parents clear the issues with the authorities. As the firstborn, Michelle is faced with a challenging task of parenting and ensuring that her brother is taken care of.Third, lack of support for education, growth and development for Michelle (Cooper, 2006) calls for intervention in the best interests of the child. As a yo ung person, Michelle requires role models and mentors in her life, armorial from parents and peers of the parents as well as other participants in a suitable case plan. Owing to the need for diversity and guardianship, good neighborhood relationships provide for growth and development of children, through interaction with adults and children in the family.However, this is absent for Michelle, due to the abrasive relationship between the parents and the rest of the society. The fact that the parents are not willing to take advice from neighbors and other members of society including teachers indicates dysfunctional family status. Four, the family has experienced challenges for a considerable period, actually since the birth of the first child and calls for implementation of strategies for protection of the child. Although they have managed to survive and get a second borne, Michelle has lived through hardships in her childhood.According to Powell (2001 a TAO is necessary, to provide for the establishment of whether the parents are ready and equipped to take care of the child through the hardships. Although both parents are alive, she has been exposed to challenges and limitations that propagate stunted mental and physical growth. The parents have a high sense of entitlement to decision aging and do not seem to have a way of implementing the strategies they verbally commit to. Five, there is need for protection of Michelle from the life of crime and violence.Children who are brought up under such circumstances are bound to lack certain aspects of empathy and understanding of life (Davis, 2011). At the current status, the parents have created a protective shell around the Michelle, creating lack of access to influence from professionals such as teachers and religious leaders. As result, CPA 1999 (2014) outlined that there is need for child like Michelle to get access to an environment that is eatable for children, away from the late night disturbances and exposur e to the cold nights at night.In addition to the squalid and neglected living conditions, the children lack a suitable atmosphere for survival. In addition to the mould which can propagate respiratory conditions, there is lack of basic sanitation which predisposes the children to water borne diseases. Six, Davis (201 1) pointed out medical care and preventive measures as expected from the parents is lacking owing to the pending vaccinations. The health care officials have indicated that the child failed to attend her connation sessions, which is primarily a role of the parent.

DISSERTATION (Research Methodology ) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

(Research Methodology ) - Dissertation Example As found in the literature, psychic distance is critical to strategy formulation. Accordingly, the cultural attitude and the behaviour of the target segment are essential to devise the right marketing strategy. The students have become demanding and the programme curricula need to be revisited to suit the changed economic environment globally. DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE METHODS There are several ways to conduct research and the two most common ways are logical positivism or phenomenological interpretation. Logical positivism allows the hypotheses to be formulated in advance and is quantitative in nature based on experimental methods (Amaratunga et al, 2002). In implementing this method of research the researcher should ensure independence of the observer from the subject being observed. In the interpretive method, a qualitative approach is used and efforts are made to inductively analyse and understand the experience based on the context in which it has been set. This approach does not accept the belief that objects of experience are independent events. Regardless of the method used, the research process must fulfill the purpose of the research, answer the research questions and achieve the objectives and aim of the study. To take an informed decision, the research methods will be evaluated based on the purpose of the research, the time availability, aims and objectives, and the sample size including the subject of research. 3.2 Research approach A qualitative approach will be adopted for this study as, in the words of Knox (2004), this approach enables the researcher to have an insider perspective on social actions. Insider perspective is essential to get an idea of the demands of the students and the current changed environment due to the economic downturn. The scenarios may differ across circumstances and this approach will enable to articulate different scenarios while also enable to study the phenomenon under natural settings. Moreover, since interviews will be conducted, it may not be possible for the researcher to observe independence from the subject being interviewed. Hence a quantitative approach is not possible, and a qualitative approach is justified. 3.3 Research strategy Both primary and secondary data will be collected through the qualitative method. This method will help explore new ideas effectively. DATA COLLECTION Secondary data is essential to achieve the first objective, which is to evaluate the current international marketing strategy adopted by universities globally. Data has been sourced through academic journals and reputed websites. The study finds that the traditional marketing principles cannot be applied to the field of HE. The situation differs and other factors such as faculty selection, their reputation and experience, the image of the institution, and the curricula changes are important factors that need to be looked into. Market selection process is critical to the success of the strategy in international ma rketing for HE. The second objective too has been evaluated through secondary data as it pertains to evaluating the drivers of change in the current environment. The change in the environment has been ascertained through journals and reports which have helped to analyse and understand the changed educational requirements of the students. Since data on these issues were available in plenty, the relevant ones have been segregated and the unimportant ones eliminated. Data from

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Walmart recruitment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Walmart recruitment - Research Paper Example The recruitment and selection process should not be biased on the basis of age, gender, sex, religion and heredity among others. Biased recruitment leads to inefficient leaders which often create chaos in the whole organization. Similarly, the retrenchment process must be based on sound ground. The hiring of the new employees must be steadfast. Recruitment should be done only after careful consideration. Any wrong recruitment will lead to the organization’s downfall in the long run. Any recruitment process should be carried out only when the firm anticipates the need of additional labor. Careful Human Resources (HR) planning considers the complete organizational growth. Recruitment process begins only after the elimination of all the alternatives (Cooper, Robertson, and Tinline 6-10). With these considerations, the paper intends to evaluate the recruitment process at Wal-Mart, one of the globally leading retailers. Moreover, the way in which the organization can improve its re cruitment practices with the aid of best HRM practices will also be evaluated. OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY Sam Walton bought a store from Luther E. Harrison in Bentonville, Arkansas, and started Walton's 5 & 10. In 1962, Sam Walton financed 95% of the capital to start the first Wal-Mart store. Wal-Mart has 4100 stores in the United States and 3100 in 27 other countries across the world. In accordance with the present day context, it is ascertained that Wal-Mart’s sales were US$374 billion in 2008 which is somewhat low than Denmark’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This signifies the enormity of the extent of dominance of the company in the global platform (Guardian News and Media Limited or its Affiliated Companies, â€Å"It All Began in a Small Store in Arkansas†). Wal-Mart has always remained committed to one mission that is helping â€Å"save people money so they can live better† (Minimum Theme on Genesis Framework, â€Å"A Brief History of Wal-Mart†) . Sam Walton is that retailer who always managed to get bargain from its wholesalers. Sam Walton thought that he could do better by passing his savings to his customers and this unique business strategy facilitated him to become one of the largest and powerful retail industries in the world with a competitive advantage (Minimum Theme on Genesis Framework, â€Å"A Brief History of Wal-Mart†). There are three basic competitive strategies for any company, (1) competitive strategy (2) differentiation strategy and (3) focus strategy. Every organization uses these strategies to gain competitive advantage. Wal-Mart takes the cost leadership strategy to gain a competitive advantage over their adversaries (Thomson Reuters. â€Å"Wal-Mart Stores Inc.†). RECRUITMENT PROCESS OF WAL-MART The recruitment process of Wal-Mart starts by offering online application to the interested candidates. There is no other option apart from online application. One more alternative is to go to the store and hire the information kiosk. The next step starts with the assessment test where the presence of mind and problem solving capability of a person is examined. The test consists of a number of question where one has to select choices extending from strongly agree to strongly disagree. It is advisable to choose either strongly agree or strongly disagree and nothing in the middle because the main motive is to check the strong decision making capability in the

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Globalization In Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization In Education - Essay Example United States of America enjoys a very high rate of literacy. This is supported by effective education system and the global nature of incumbent. This makes it easy for the locals as well as the foreigners who turn to States for educational purpose. Overall the beneficiary of this situation is the educational sector and the economy of the nation. The overall global nature of the world is contributing to the globalization of education in its own right. Since the fast paced world has made it easy for students and communities to travel between places, as a result education sector has benefited from it equally. In present day, the American schools and colleges depict a scene that was not common before. Multi ethnic background holders are part of every class and education is imparted to them without any subjugation and discrimination. The traces of educational sector globalization and efforts made towards its promotion and implementation in the American educational system can be traced to the early days of 19th century. The overall attempt was inspired by European efforts. The global nature of education system in United States has made the overall curriculum more dynamic and challenging for the students at the same time. However this challenge makes it more vibrant and compatible for the challenges of 21st century. Globalization of education also puts more emphasis on seeking of education and enrolling the children into the schools and colleges. American education system’s long run secret can possibly be attributed to the policies adopted and the globalization inducted in the system. As a result of globalized nature of education, new technology is an integral part of the overall education system. Classes are equipped with devices and machinery that were never imagined. This has made the process of learning more interesting. As a result the students have become more responsive at the same time. As a consequence the scope of available

Friday, July 26, 2019

American History X Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History X - Research Paper Example While in prison, Derek decides to take a new turn after a visit by his former Black English teacher Dr Sweeney. A brutal rape by Aryan Brotherhood prison gang fuels the transition after his defection. However, on leaving prison, Danny had stepped in his shoes and joined Neo Nazi movement. Derek has to fight to achieve a new life for himself and Danny. The film is full of flashbacks, employing the language of racism to capture sophisticated variations. On TV news, Derek narrates how his father had tutored him to racism through his dinner table conversations not forgetting his death in the hands of black narcotics. The film is full of scaring scenes and convincing scenes that reveal Neo Nazi skin heads bonding. In their meetings led by Derek, they take drugs, beer, engrave tattoos, and carry heavy metal with them. In the Neo Nazi’s world, slogans replace thought, fuelling a mindless hatred towards their black enemies and the film brings out the best of this movement. Neo Nazi mo vement comes out strongly from American History X film. Neo Nazi movement also called skinheads have their origin in England after World War II. According to Prejudice Institute, â€Å"the first wave of what we today recognize as skins polarized themselves in the 1970s. This happened against the various youth counterculture movements† (â€Å"Prejudice Institute† web). ... In 1980, a second wave of this movement was in action when Ian Stuart founded Neo Nazi movement. Apparently, he was a singer and the leader of the Screwdriver band that played an important role in the spread of the movement. The group identified themselves by Nazism and belief in white power and they portrayed it through their way of shaving heads, tattoos, t-shirts, and their confrontational style. Neo Nazi movement cemented its operations in the 1990s because it took advantage of independence war and other ethnic conflicts in of Croatia. To catch the attention of the media, Neo Nazi movement brutally attacked tourists and foreigners, gay people, and people from other cultures. According to Libcom, some of their memorable attacks came in 2003 when Neo-Nazi skinheads attacked six people including five old people and 11-year old boy from Egypt (Kontrrazvedka web). Neo Nazi has links with order supremacist groups like KKK and White Aryan resistance (WAR). Stuart published books by name blood and honour that he distributed to older white supremacies in the US to gather membership. Statistics reveals that skinheads age range from 13 to 27 years mostly teens from various social economic backgrounds. Most get to enrol in high school and continue through college and at work. Recruitment happens at the concerts that attract many young people to listen to Neo Nazi’s music and performances. For instance, Screwdriver songs like White Power and Nigger performed mainly on Hitler’s birthday or at Hate Festivals are tools of transformation. Skinheads also use publications and cyberspaces to promote their ideas and recruit members (â€Å"Prejudice Institute† web). According to Cooter, the group have adopted a new tactic for

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Thereby, death penalty ought to remain legal in the United States owing to the deterrence impact it has on the criminals, the justice it extends to the victims of heinous crimes and their families and the way it prevents the hardcore and repeat offenders from committing more crimes. Death penalty is highly useful because it deters the criminals from committing serious and violent crimes (Banner 219). Any thriving and democratic society needs to maintain the rule of law. Peace and the rule of law are necessary to assure the happiness and well being of the common citizens. It is a practical fact that every society does tend to have individuals and groups who happen to have a violent disposition and a criminal bent of mind. Such people are mostly more prone to committing heinous and rare crimes like murder, rape and acts of aggression. If the courts of law extend soft sentences to such criminals, it is possible that they may commit more serious and rare crimes (Banner 219). This is because a soft sentence tends to give an idea to such criminals that they can commit serious crimes like murder and still can get away with it. In the absence of death penalty, there will be practically nothing that will deter or scare these criminals away from committing violent crimes . The logic is that â€Å"by executing convicted murderers we will deter would-be murderers from killing innocent people (Bedau & Cassell 58) Hence, one important function of the law is to extend such penalties that deter the other criminals from engaging in violent crimes. Thereby, if a murderer is given a death sentence, it sends a message to the other criminals in the society that engaging in violent crimes may cost them their life. Hence, death penalty is a legal provision that has a strong deterrence potential. It stands to be the most appropriate warning to the criminal elements in any society. It would not be wrong to assume that many criminals fall short of

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Human Resource Management of Presto Manufacturing Company Essay

Human Resource Management of Presto Manufacturing Company - Essay Example The dispute between the two is quite frequent. Tony Krass: He is specifically critical of Wesley Johnson’s quality of work. He is also involved with discussions over departmental issues. Overall he unnecessarily involves himself in issues the responsibility of which is not conferred upon him by his managers. Jack Burns: Robinson suspects him of making excuses such as illness of wife so as to be able to spend time in leisure activities. He also arrived late and stated an excuse of over-sleeping. The Trainee: Appears to be in conflict with two fellow operators. He once accused John Walker and Joe Ridley that they are giving him troubles such as hiding his safety glasses. In another instance explaining his late appearance, claimed to have been locked in the toilets. Next day asks for early leave and appeared upset but did not explain the reasons. Remained absent the following day without any notification. Phil Graham: Asked only once for break for doctor’s appointment. On the objection of Robinson (department manager) he claimed to be able to get appointment at that time only. Despite these problems Semi-finished department faces other issues as well: Complaint from the Final Assembly department supervisor Brenda regarding the quality of their products and unmet production targets every week that has affected her department’s bonus. Reject Rate is consistently at 5% which is unacceptable by the Quality manager. The conflicts between the two departments- Semi-finished department and Final Assembly department due to the rejection rate of 5% in semi-finished products during the last three consignments which in turn have resulted in unmet targets by Final Assembly department. Lowering of work levels evident from increased defect rates at an... This paper focuses upon organisational conflict as a conflict within the organisation which normally occurs due to any type of misunderstanding, any type of noncooperation or breakdown of organisational structure etc among the employees of the organisation. Conflicts can arise at various levels like conflicts among the individual employees or group of employees which are generally termed as inter-personal and inter-group conflicts. There may be a variety of reasons behind the organisational conflicts but the most important reasons are economic reasons, value and power. The economic reasons or economic conflict as it is famously known as signifies attempt to achieve higher gain. Every individual attempt to achieve higher gain and in doing so many times their motives and actions clashes with others which creates a conflict. Change in values, principles, ideologies and practices. As the principles and values of an individual guide the action of the individual therefore difference in val ues and ideologies often creates conflicts. Another major reason behind conflicts is power. In an organisation many times employees desire to attain more power by maximising the influence and control over others. Thus the tension which generally occurs while struggling for attaining more power creates conflicts. Apart from difference in values, power attainment and economic reasons miscommunication often creates misunderstanding which gives rise to a lot of conflicts.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Music in People's Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music in People's Life - Essay Example VTI Ltd is generally into business that focuses on the active followers of music who normally make purchases of music records. Ironically, the fact that a person is an active follower of music does not guarantee that the person will be dogmatised to whatever a music company presents it with (Armenakis, Harris, & Mossholder, 2003). Mostly, these music consumers want dynamism and diversity in the way their businesses deal with it. It is for this reason that the all new form of music record trading, which is the online sale of music has become embraced by most lovers of music. There is no denying the fact that online sales make access to music easier and less expensive. There is also a lot of fun when it comes to how interactive and interesting the act of making purchases online can be. Due to this situation, a lot more consumers of music would be more comfortable doing business with companies that guarantee them these variables of services. The need for change at VTI Ltd. Change is not something that a lot of people embrace easily in organizational management and set up. This is because in most cases, people feel very comfortable with the systems they have been associated with and with feel that trying their hands on new ideas, programmes and systems would bring about an entire change in the organisational culture, which would in turn affect the way business is conducted within the organisation (Osborne & Brown, 2005). But as much as it is true that changes in key policies, programmes and systems could lead to changes in organisational culture, it is also true to argue that changes are generally needed when there is the need for a pragmatic reformation aimed at growth and development (Grundy, 1993). In the current case of VTI Ltd, the only justification for change is that revenues are falling and the company has not made any profits in the past four years. Clearly, any organisation that becomes plagued with such a situation must first look out for a course of cha nge to ensure that wrongs are corrected and the direction and focus of the organisation is placed in line with demand trend on the market (Hirschhorn, 2000). There is also the need for change because customers have changed their consumer behaviour towards the company. Yet again, O’Toole (2005) notes that when consumer behaviour changes towards an organisation, its revenues may either go up or down. But in this case, revenues are going down. Causes of change at VTI Ltd. There could be two major paradigms of causes of change for VTI Ltd, which are internal and external. Largely though, it can be said that the internal changes are quiet dependent on the external changes. This is said because it is realised from the case that the major cause of change is changes in consumer behaviour, which is quite an external phenomenon (Batt, 2002). There is also an external cause of competition, whereby the company is seen not to be proactively surviving the competition it is reaching from ke y competitors. In a situation where there is lack of competition, revenues will fall because competitors win over the available customers of a company (Baum & Rowley, 2005). Even more, changes in business orientation, which is also an external factor, could be counted as being responsible for the change. By this, reference is being made to how the music sales industry has adopted itself to a more technology based way of doing business, where electronic commerce has become the order of the day. Generally, these external factors have led up to internal causes such as organisational conflicts and struggle, which is seen between management and employees, and lack of employee satisfaction, arising from

REAT Task 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

REAT Task 11 - Essay Example Pre-testing can be administered at every stage of learning process to cue students to the concepts to be mastered. Instructors use pre-testing to invoke students’expectation, which is an important ingredient in concept learning. Instructors use post-testing to monitor the leaning progress for students. Post-testing is also a useful tool to determine the differences in learning process between students. It reveals fast learners and slow-learners. This helps the instructor to adjust accordingly to accommodate all types of learners, (Kormos, 2008). At administrative level, curriculum developers monitor the effectiveness of their programs using post-testing results. The results also help them adjust their curriculum to improve individual student performance. By adjusting their programs, they can develop model curriculum used to develop other programs. Cognitive Domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy is a sequence of recognition learning process that involves six stages in the order of increasing difficulty. The stages imply that the learning process cannot begin at an advanced stage before the preceding one is mastered. The stages are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and finally evaluation, (Price & Nelson, 2010). At knowledge level, the learner is expected to have the ability to remember and state previously learnt information or data. Other learner’s abilities that characterizes learners at this stage include ability to describe, to define, to identify, to outline, to reproduce, to label, to list and to know. At comprehension stage of learning, a learner is expected to understand and infer problem or concept and to express given information in one’s own terms. The abilities that characterizes learners at this stage include being able to paraphrase, to infer, to interpret, to rewrite differently the same concept, to explain to convert and to predict. The third stage is the application of the concept. It involves the

Monday, July 22, 2019

Definition on Love Essay Example for Free

Definition on Love Essay A definition essay on love strives to define it as an emotion felt and displayed by humans, animals, and all living beings in their own way. It is a topic that has been written about through the ages and has found its way into books on literature and religion. Love knows no bounds and language is never a barrier. Wars have been fought over it. People have been and are still influenced by the emotion of love. Some of the best literary works are based on love, and even movie makers bank on it to win over viewers and create a hit. Love can be expressed in many ways. God has shown his love for us by offering us the emotion to share with others. In return, we love God for all the wonderful things he has given us. Our devotion towards God demonstrates love in the form of reverence. The love formed out of respect is the same love we have for our elders, family, and people we look up to. In a love essay, you could elaborate on love that one has for his family. It could be connected with religion, respect, or pure love not based on any conditions. A Romeo and Juliet essay is the ideal love story between man and woman. The word â€Å"romance† has been used in many ways to show love and affection between Romeo and Juliet. In modern society, people who are romantically attracted exhibit their love for each other with the help of cards, gifts, and words of love. The way love is expressed changes materially but the emotion remains the same. Couples find love in sex, affection for each other, and by communicating with each other more frequently. In fact, mankind has evolved through love between Adam and Eve. When you have to write a definition essay on love, aim to write a drama essay that incorporates love as its theme. It would generate interest among readers, and you would find many definition essay examples to choose from. The best way to write such an essay would be to look up dialogues from literary works of famous authors like William Shakespeare. Dialogues are the true expression of love that is exhibited through words. The best part is that you can refer to literary works written through the ages and get inspiration from the one you like the most. There are several other definition essay topics you can choose. It basically depends on the audience you want to write for. The topics could be on relationships in the family. You could write about the love between brothers and sisters. How different is a father’s love for his children from a mother’s love? You need to be old enough to really understand romantic love between two people, which is very intimate and sexual in nature. The aim of your essay differs with age. Choose more complex topics on love as you grow older. The emotion of love is progressive. You would be in a better position to write about love in its various manifestations when you personally experience it. The definition essay on love would truly carry your personal point of view, which of course would make writing the essay very easy.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Psychological Analysis of Terrorism and Terrorists

Psychological Analysis of Terrorism and Terrorists Bakhtawar Mushtaque ZAHRA BARKAT â€Å"Terrorism in Pakistan: why people are involved in terrorist activities a psychological approach† â€Å"Everyone worried about stopping terrorism, well there is really an easy way: stop participating in it.†, (Noam Chomsky). A person scarifies his life to claim a few more lives, is an extreme sorrowful situation of terror act. Terrorists are the ones who cause terrorism. It is not very simple to define terrorism but literature says â€Å"terrorism is an unlawful act, mass violence directed particularly at civilians, resulting in widespread fear. Such violence is often motivated by social, religious, or psychological ideals and intended to induce societal and national changes†, (Taylor and Fancies 2014). I am interested in this topic because I want to know the reasons which impact on the psyche of individual that insists people to opt for terrorist activities. Else, the relation between the causes of terrorist acts with psychological construction. The most importantly, I want to structure some strategies through which we can overcome this situation. The point to ponder is what thing had such an impact on one’s psychology that persuaded him to be completely hypnotized in a way that he does not think even once before doing that? This is a fundamental question that revolves in our minds whenever we hear any news about such activities. Terrorism is recorded as a major violence in Pakistan in recent years. According to (Taylor and Francis 2014), â€Å"There were 13,721 incidents in Pakistan from 2001 to 2013. From 2001 to 2005, there have been 523 terrorist incidents in Pakistan but from 2007 to November 2013, the total number of incidents has risen to 13,198.† â€Å"Pakistan is both an ally in the war on terror, and in some sense, a battleground in the war on terror†.(Stephen Hadley) With the feeling of disappointment we have encountered a very high rate of terrorism in Pakistan. The number of terror acts (suicide bombings) between 2001 and 2007 stood at 15 only, but from 2007 to 2013, Pakistan jumped to 1,404 t errorist attacks. It is deliberately increasing day by day and the data shows the highest rate anywhere in the world. Terrorism have three main perspective such as macro sociological, psychosocial and psychological. In this paper we will discuss third approach which has been a major problem in Pakistan recent years. This approach mainly include the teaching of religious extremism and wrong social practices which impact on individual’s psyche. There are many social problems but we will focus on few of them including poverty, illiteracy, injustice and unemployment. These are highly prevalent in Pakistan; developing a disease of making psychological errors between right and wrong and encourages a feeling of jealousy and ignorance. . Identifying the causes would be a major help in providing the remedies for these unwanted acts. What ISLAM teaches us about peace and humanity? The religion of Islam advocates peace and mutual agreement and admonishes aggression. â€Å" Don’t aggress; GOD dislikes the aggressors†. (Quran 5:87) One of the main themes elaborated in Quran is peace, unless there is injustice that cannot be resolved by all the peaceful means available. According to Tellis 2014, â€Å"Peace have direct link with psychological construction, if there will be no peace around, effect will be the astounding violent activities which ultimately leads psychological disturbances like anxiety and depression.†. Violent behaviors may be terrorism, target killing and so on. In reality, love and compassion is the real antidote for every act of terrorism. Religious causes: A famous analyst Richardson proposed behavioral model in 2011 he states that â€Å"In operant conditioning we repeat the behavior when we get positive reinforcement. With this concept the religiously defined reward in eternal life and military outcome of the suicide bombings could be some factors positively reinforcing the behavior†. The conspiracy by some of our ancestors provoking a fake concept of allowance in religion to practice such extreme activities has resulted to mass destruction in today’s world. These practices have lived their lives for many years and passed to every generation. The true image of Islam is also breached and presented as a religion of extremists. A feel of hatred has risen in the world against Islam and the Pakistanis. This has resulted to seek for revenge and vengeance against the world in one’s psychology. According to Yousafzai 2007 â€Å"One of the motive in religiously motivated terrorist is â€Å"revenge† and it paired wi th the sense of altruism as many of them always had relative who has been killed or abused in the holy war†. Violence has strong religious endorsement and approval in Pakistan. In one of the psychoanalytical theory of violence namely drive theory it is written that to understand the cause of terror act, it is necessary to know about the frustration_agression fold. This fold is complex due to psychological disturbances like rage and hopelessness. Through the religious teachings this fold get stronger by scholars and they think that there is no other way to get success in religion. (Bajoria 2011) Teachings of these practices are still carried out in rural areas and areas where lack of sense and knowledge is found. These practices are usually conducted in the local religious schools and involve developing psychology in a student to charge against those who neglect or argue in any law they imply. One research conducted in 2010 by Patric Hadin proved that in Pakistan 70% of terrori sts are being prepared in schools. He states that â€Å"It is very easy to set the mind (brain wash) of school going students and build their psychology according to once own desire.† In one of the Pakistani drama â€Å"KHUDA ZAMEEN SE GAYA NAHI† I saw that youngsters were taught by the scholars that this is JAHAD and this is the sacrifice on the name of GOD. In Pakistan, religious factor have a great support of MEDIA which are making changes in psychology of youngsters because they are more towards media. One of the case study was conducted in Pakistan where it has been observed that independent media played a role in spreading these acts in Pakistan. Study shows one institution where the teachings was conducted and influenced the suicide bombers through mass media. Result shows that 80% Pakistanis were grabbed through this strategy†. (Sarhandi 2011) These heinous acts create a fear and instability in the society and mostly people surrender. The feel of this pow er changes to extremism leads psychological disorder which mainly include aggression. In addition, their minds are modified and are persuaded in a way that encourages these activities, so called JIHAD, will grant them a fruitful reward in their Hereafter. To explain the religion terrorism within a psychodynamic framework, we need to focused on the trait of NARCISSIM which produce a sense of self damage. Terrorist’s intellectual will show the grandiose view inside the GOD. (Randy Borum 2004) This view will make him a victim. Moreover, The mind setting (brain wash) is the common finding among the majority of the terrorist in Pakistan. In one of the swat operation against terrorism in Pakistan in 2009, many of the adolescents who were to be FUTURE SUCIDE BOMBERs in Pakistan were psychologically educated. Before inducting them in the community for such activities, they prepared them wholly in almost 6 weeks and they do work to change their psychology through different stages in M adrassa. This religious fanaticism for the love of martyrdom and its reward is a major cause of the terrorist attacks like suicide bombings in Pakistan. Social issues: For a common man, our social environment is full of injustice, illiteracy, insecurity, poverty and unemployment. Till today, these issues are at peak in Pakistan which also insists people to opt for activities like terrorism. This is also known as emotional terrorism because terrorist think of their children and families emotionally. They think to give them quality of life by providing money to them and they don’t think about thousands of innocent lives victimized due to their act. This seems to be all due to unemployment and poverty. Taylor and Francis 2014 states that this act of thinking end up the people in psychological problems which mainly include depression and anxiety. A study conducted on 1,031 terrorist incidents in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa found that 80% of the perpetrators were unemployed and were motivated by changes in psychology. (Assad Nizami Tariq Hassan 2014). Furthermore, Pakistan is listed in one of the strongest developing countries; struggling to improve the rate of literacy. It has always remained a big problem and a major cause of terrorism in Pakistan too. People are not enough educated, particularly in rural areas. They do not have eligible sense of right or wrong. Taylor and Francis 2014 also witnessed in their study that â€Å"7 out of 10 terrorist are from rural areas and are under privileged and stalking of illiteracy†. Such people easily become a victim of anti-social ideas. They apply what they are taught without any remorse or guilt of the results. According to Jeff Vencatramen 2007, â€Å"scientific psychology reveal that poverty and illiteracy produce suffering and frustration and this breads aggression against others that translate in terrorism.† Moreover, injustice and inequality play the role of a catalyst while in the execution of the plans of the terrorists. Social injustice and unfairness burden other instabilities and inequalities that ultimately lead violence. According to Jeff Vencatramen 2007, â€Å"personality traits are not irrelevant to terrorism. Political oppression of inequality lead many negative personality traits in individual like impulsivity and obnoxious.† Although terrorist do willingly these acts, they know their bond with family and relations are going to be over. This leads to anxiety, stress and many other problems. These problems grab their actual perception, awareness and judgment. According to Horgon 2008, â€Å"Terrorist’s psyche view their own actions as rational and purposeful, driven in response to their own perception of social, religious, and other realities. They see their own selves as good and victims as bad. These are some main factors which are accountable for terrorism. There are many other factors which are responsible for terrorist activities. For instance, in tuberculosis the main cause is mycobacterium tuberculosis but there are many other factors which cause the disease. According to Jeff Victoroff 2006, â€Å"Many of the individual terrorist across the Pakistan have mainly no more causes oppressed than religious and social like poverty, illiteracy and so on and it is claim that this escort to the psyc hological distress.† Now this is the time to take a step forward and think how to eradicate this problem. Attempts are still way in Pakistan. Scenarios are going to be complex and may worsen the situations. In the very low level, we can give knowledge to the adolescents in school and colleges which are at high risk. According to Testas 2014, â€Å"we should educate our young generation and teach them the consequences of terrorist activities. This education carry two aspects. First, to build the safe psyche of young generation so they can make the best decision for themselves and the second is to reduce the illiteracy which ultimately bring the positive influence.† At the state level our political leaders should take step ahead. They should eliminate injustice, poverty and other social instability to prevent population from these activities which are taking lives from irreproachable families. According to Newman 2014, â€Å"Our common goal to eradicate terrorist activities should be to reduce the poverty and promote social justice, to bring the marginalized into the mainstream of the psychological health, economy and society.† With the contribution of political leaders, these acts can be eradicated at the community, national and international level. Definitely, we hope that our initiatives will make some positive changes in our country. Conclusion: Definitely, terrorists have some major psychological distress which push them further towards those terrorist activities. With the religious perspective, mind setting was seen in most of the Pakistani terrorists. There were social issues like poverty, injustice and many more which were highly common in Pakistani terrorist. These both major causes lead many psychological problems like aggression, anxiety and distress. Killing or delivering punishment on the grounds is not going to solve the issue but would promote such unwanted activities. State needs to review the impact of terrorism in the past decade and develop a policy to combat terrorism socially and psychologically. It is also a responsibility of a common man, towards humanity and our country, not to be ignorant. The ignorance may lead to a fine destruction of our society. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers. References: Bhatti,J.A., Mehmood,A., Shahid,M., Bhatti,S.A., Akhtar,U., Razzak,J.A. (2011). Epidemiological patterns of suicide terrorism in the civilian Pakistani population. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 8(3), 206-211. doi:10.1080/17457300.2011.555558 Newman,E. (2006). Exploring the ?Root Causes? of Terrorism. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 29, 749-772. doi:10.1080/10576100600704069 Nizami,A.Z., Rana,M.H., Hassan,T.M., Minhas,F.A. (2014). Terrorism in Pakistan: a behavioral sciences perspective. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 32, 335-346. doi:10.1002/bsl.2118 Testas,A. (2010). DETERMINANTS OF TERRORISM IN THE MUSLIM WORLD: AN EMPIRICAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS. Terrorism and Political Violence, 16(2). doi:10.1080=09546550490482504 Venkatraman a,A. (2007). Religious Basis for Islamic Terrorism: The Quran and Its Interpretations. Studies in Conflict Terrorism, 30, 229-248. doi:10.1080/10576100600781612 Tellis,A.J. (2014). Pakistans Record on Terrorism: Conflicted Goals, Compromised Performance. The Washington Quarterly. Retrieved from doi.org/10.1162/wash.2008.31.2.7 Bajoria,J. (2011, May 13). Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/pakistan/pakistans-new-generation-terrorists/p15422 Borum,R. (2004). Psychology of Terrorism. The University of South Florida. Khan,A.M., Sarhandi,I., Hussain,J., Iqbal,S., Taj,R. (2011). Impact of Terrorism on Mental Health. Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences,, 18(1), 46_49. Yousafzai,A.W., Siddiqui,M.N. (2007). Psychological perspective of suicide bombing. journal of Pakistan psychiatric society, 4(2), 121. La corte,L.D. (2007). Explaining Terrorism: A Psychosocial Approach. perspectives on terrorism, 1(2).

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Purpose And Production Of Movie Posters

Purpose And Production Of Movie Posters A poster can be defined as a placard or bill, usually large and often incorporating photographs or illustrations, posted up for advertising or publicity or for decorative purposes. The functions of those which advertise include communication, selling and persuading. This does not preclude them being decorative. Indeed the first job of a poster is to attract the attention of the passerby and only once this is done can a message be delivered. A good poster then is one which is attention-grabbing, succinct, convincing and memorable. To achieve these aims designers may use a large format and bold colour, simple and minimal text and attractive illustrations which psychologically support and reinforce the written words. At the same time designers must consider the constraints imposed by the methods and places of display and competition from other posters whose messages may be as urgent and emphatic. Poster design combines the fine and applied arts, incorporating painting, graphic design, collage, and photography. In countries where television is not a major advertising medium, the poster remains a transient yet effective means of reaching the widest audience on behalf of culture, commerce, and ideology. Posters have become an integral part of the cityscape. They are pasted next to each other on large plywood hoardings attached to windowless walls of old buildings or onto fences surrounding parks and construction sites. Officially designated for poster display, these well-kept colourful quilts of public billboards not only disseminate information on cultural, sports, and political events but also serve as constantly changing outdoor exhibitions of graphic art. Through such widespread and continuous exposure, poster design has become one of the most accessible and effective art forms, reaching out and influencing even that part of the public that does not frequent museums or galleries. In juried exhibitions, the best posters achieve national exposure, and for many graphic artists, book illustration and poster design are important vehicles for a wider recognition of their personal style both at home and abroad. A feature common to all the designers is their striving for self-expression in an environment that demands political conformity. They seem intent on designing posters that have an emotional impact and appeal to the sense but that also challenge the viewer to an intellectual response. Their imagery includes lyrical and neo-surrealist overtones, drama, irony, or playful humor, and the message is delivered in a variety of styles. A poster constitutes a mirror for the times it is created in. Like a mirror it reflects the political and the social situation, it informs about the repertoire of movie theaters and dramatic theaters, it announces sporting events, it encourages purchasing certain goods. The socio-political poster plays a specific propaganda role. Those who commission it expect that effective impact of the work of art upon the viewer will allow them to get closer to their desired goal. The goal varies depending on the circumstances: winning a war, or a presidential election, or a parliamentary campaign; a struggle to alter social behaviours or attitudes. History of the art of movie poster Cinema and film posters are the physical incarnation of the special movies we have enjoyed through the years. Although there is a big market for collecting film posters, they were never intended or created to be sold to the public. They were merely meant to promote and entice viewers to come to the local theatres that were screening the films. Today these rare original movie posters are in great demand. They are the tangible souvenirs of favourite films and stars whose characters we fell in love with. Ironically in the early days of movie making actors were not usually depicted on the film posters. The title of the film and the producer and directors names were usually the attraction until Hollywood realized that it was the actors who brought in the viewers. It was at that time that the stars of movies were then plastered on each poster giving life to a new era in the film industry. Movie posters created before the eighties were mainly returned to the studios or poster sources and destroyed when the archives became full or the films run had ended. Unfortunately many early film posters made for hit movies such as Casablanca, King Kong, Frankenstein and The Wizard of Oz were destroyed as a result of natural disasters that occurred during World War II. As people became more aware of their value theatre owners began to ignore return policies and those film posters that were spared are widely sought today by collectors and dealers. Before 1940, each film studio maintained its own offices (or exchange) in every major city. The studios would send the films and their posters to all the exchanges and from there; they would be distributed to the surrounding theatres. The big city theatres would just go to the exchange and pick up the films and posters right before they would show them (for big films they might order extra posters in advance of the opening to create an elaborate display). Theatres in smaller towns would often receive their films via Greyhound bus, which back then serviced just about every town in the country. The films would be in containers that would have the posters (often just one or two one-sheets and a set of lobby cards) tucked in a pouch on the outside of the container. Most theatres would show a film for 3 or 4 days (as part of a program that might include 2 features, a cartoon, a newsreel, and possibly a serial chapter), and then send it on (via bus) to the next theatre. Often the theatre manager would put the film on a late night bus right after his last showing and it would arrive at the next theatre the following morning, in time to be displayed for that nights show. The film might go by bus through a circuit of many theatres before returning to an exchange. After the film returned to the exchange, it would go back out to other theatres, and often the posters had to be replaced, as they were torn and tattered from being put up and taken down several times. This more than anything explains why posters from before 1940 are extremely rare. Theatre owners couldnt give their posters to collectors, no matter how hard they begged, because they were needed at the next theatre. This whole system of having to deal with each studio separately might sound very inefficient, but remember that in the 1920s and 1930s many theatres were owned by the studios and so only showed that studios product; and most of the independents would only get their films from a couple of studios, so it wasnt that complicated. But if all the posters were returned with the films, how are there any posters at all from before 1940? For one thing, one type of poster, window cards (14 x 22) were bought in large quantities by an individual theatre and (after they added their name and play dates to the top) distributed to store windows around town. Those were given away after the film was done playing. Another way they survive is in the backs of old picture frames, for framers would often use window cards (obtainable for free) as backing boards. But as for other posters remaining today, a huge amount come from other countries, for those did not have to be returned to the U.S.; at the time, the value of the posters was less than the cost of the postage to return them. There have been huge finds of pre-1940 U.S. posters in Canada, Columbia, and many other countries. In addition there have been some great finds in the U.S., such as the Cozy Theater Collection in Los Angeles. This was a theatre that maintained its own exchange of posters from the early 1930s to the 1950s for distribution to Los Angeles theatres. In 1968 the theatre owner offered his entire collection of posters (containing tens of thousands of posters and lobby cards, and hundreds of thousands of stills) for sale for $25,000, and it was hard to find a buyer! At todays prices, the collection would sell for millions of dollars. Other than the huge finds (which probably account for 90% of the pre-1938 posters known), posters also are sometimes found in one other main way. In the 1910s and 1920s (and to a lesser extent in the 1930s), builders would often look for material to put within the walls of buildings (or under the floors) to serve as insulation. Some enterprising builders hooked up with poster exchanges to take large amounts of outdated posters and put them in the walls of their new homes. I know of at least ten occasions where someone has been remodelling their house in the 1990s and discovered posters in the walls or under the floor. Sometimes they are mouldy and mildewed and require large amounts of restoration, but sometimes they are so tightly pressed together that they survive in relatively excellent condition. The vast majority of pre-1938 posters known were found in one of the above ways. Very rarely a theatre owner (such as the legendary Charles Dyas, who started collecting in 1922) might order extra posters to keep, or someone who had access to posters might keep a particular poster as a keepsake, but by and large absolutely everybody who handled posters viewed them as disposable advertising, much like newspapers. Old newspapers (like comics books or baseball cards) survive in quantity only because they were sold by the millions, and some people never throw out anything. Movie posters, on the other hand, were never obtainable by the general public. It does seem particularly amazing that the studios themselves never thought to maintain an archive of their posters. In recent years some of them have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars buying back a tiny percentage of the posters that they literally sold for pennies each! am not understating the rarity of pre-1938 posters when I say that for at least a large number of films not a single poster or lobby card is known, and for many others only lobby cards or window cards are known. It is very unusual to find a film from before 1938 from a major studio on which more than ten copies of a one-sheet is known. (Posters from lesser studios are often found in large quantity because when the studio goes out of business they often have hundreds of copies of each poster on hand. An example is the Norman Film Company, which made all-black cast films. Huge supplies of these posters were found, and they are among the most common of all silent posters.) The system of every studio maintaining its own supply of posters in every one of its branch offices became very cumbersome, and in 1940, National Screen Service was formed. Warehouses (called poster exchanges) were set up in most major cities across the U.S., and each studio contributed its posters from the last couple of years to get it started (Exchanges definitely had posters from 1937-39 in abundance, but nothing like the quantities they would have of post-1940 material. The exchanges had virtually nothing from before 1937, which explains the vast rarity difference between pre-1937 and post-1940 material. For each new release in 1940, the printers put National Screen Service (NSS) numbers on the bottom right of every poster. For 1940 only, they used a first number that began with 40, followed by a slash mark and more numbers (for example 4011/524). The 40 referred to 1940, and the rest of the numbers referred to in what order the poster had been printed, to make it easier for people to find the posters when stored in a large warehouse (many films had similar or the same titles). In 1941, the simplified the code to be just 41, followed by a slash mark and three numbers (for example 41/245). This was unfortunate, for in the present day it has resulted in acknowledgeable collectors assuming that they had a limited edition poster (in the previous case, #41 out of an edition of 245). This system continued all the way through the late 1970s, and makes identifying the year of 1940-1979 posters extremely easy. It also makes identifying re-issues simple, for they would put the re-issue year in the NSS number, and put a big capital R in front of it. So in the above example, if the 1941 film, NSS #41/245, was re-issued in 1954, it would have a new number such as R54/621. It appears each exchange received a huge number of each poster (at least). I say this for two reasons. One is the economics of full-colour printing are such that once you get the presses rolling, it is very cheap to keep on printing, and it is much more expensive to reprint items. Thus, it just would not make sense to print less than say five or ten thousand of a full-colour item. Second, when exchanges were bought out in the 1960s (see below), it was not at all uncommon for a single exchange to have well over 100 of a single item, even after years of distributing that item. Of course there was not an even distribution of items, but I think it fair to say that for most items that were in exchanges, hundreds of each survives today. I also think it fair to say that for most pre-1937 items less than ten of each survive today (with the exception of those items that were found in huge quantities, such as the Norman Film Company posters). In the 1940s, the studios would charge a rental fee to the theatre, which would return the poster after using it (hence the warning that has frightened collectors for years, beginning This poster is the property of National Screen Service). At some point NSS realized that it was easier to just print more posters and sell them outright (probably this was due to rising postal rates. I have owned many posters that were mailed folded in the 1940s, without an envelope, and the cost was three cents!) I have brochures from exchanges from the early 1960s, where they offer new one-sheets for 25 cents each, with other prices on other sizes. The brochure might say 1964 and 1965 one-sheets, 25 cents each, 1963 and earlier 15 cents each! This shows they had no clue that these posters had collectible value, but also that there were next to no collectors before the early 1960s (just like comic book collecting). The few collectors there were in the 1950s kept buying all the posters they could afford from exchanges and didnt talk about it. Then in the mid-1960s, some enterprising individuals began to buy the individual poster exchanges. I have no idea what they paid, but I have no doubt it was an absolute steal, as the exchanges thought they had warehouses full of practically worthless old paper. (Of course I admire these individuals, for that one business decision made them, financially set for life. They saw an opportunity no one else saw, and they took advantage of it.) The new owners began offering old posters at collectors prices, usually around $1.00 or $1.50 for an older one-sheet. They did next to no advertising, and they often sold a great deal to the local collectors, who heard about them by word of mouth. Some individuals, such as Tanner Miles, would buy posters from the exchanges in huge quantities and try to double their money at collectible shows. (My own personal introduction to movie posters came in 1968 at an Oklahoma City collectibles show, where I, being a full-time comic book dealer, was intrigued b y the many boxes of movie posters I saw at Tanner Miles tables. I spent over $40 with him, a huge amount of money for me at the time, and I went home with a large box of posters and lobby sets). But it didnt take long for the dealers to see that they were rapidly running out of the most popular titles (particularly horror and sci-fi) and they started raising prices on popular titles. The two exchanges that were best organized and sold the most posters to collectors were Theatre Poster Exchange in Memphis, Tennessee, and Movie Poster Service in Canton, Oklahoma (both are still in business and both give excellent service). I remember seeing better quality posters priced at $20 in the early 1970s, and wondering how much higher prices could go! But it is important to realize that pre-1937 posters were always scarce, even in 1965. I remember seeing a Valentino lobby card in 1969, and the price was $20, when virtually no post-1940 item sold for as much. The price was high because even then, silent items were virtually unheard of. I have heard old-time collectors talk of the days when they bought Frankenstein and Dracula lobby sets from exchanges, but I know this never happened (ma ybe it was House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula and the stories got embellished over the years). Sometime in the late 1970s, those who printed movie posters began printing huge numbers of extra posters which they did not fold in the regular way, but instead left unfolded (rolled). It is not clear to me if this was done with the studios permission or knowledge, or if it was done independently by the printers. I would think it may well have started around the time of Star Wars or especially Return/Revenge of the Jedi, when these posters instantly began selling for collectible prices. Maybe someone contacted someone at the printers and persuaded them to print a bunch of extra posters. Unfortunately if this was done without the studios knowledge, then well probably never know the full story, for the principals involved are unlikely to admit to it. At this time, several collectibles dealers became tied to whoever supplied rolled one-sheets, and began offering them to collectors. The odd thing is that it remained a very clandestine business, shrouded in mystery. Even today, I have no idea who prints the rolled one sheets, how they can be contacted, how they can be purchased directly, and so forth. Of course those who act as middlemen for distributing these posters dont want the answers to get out, but its just a matter of time before it happens. The artist given credit for creating the movie poster was Jules Cheret who created two posters in the 1890s. One was a film short called Projections Artistiques, and the other a Theatre program called Pantomimes Lumineuses. During this early time movie posters would not contain the title of a film short but just the name of the company who made them. 1896 marked the first time a poster would be made for a specific movie and not just a movie company. The film was called LArroseur Arrose. It was about a kid getting into trouble with a water hose spraying a gardener. The 1900s would mark the beginning of the utilization of modern film techniques which would be used in the American movie The Great Train Robbery. The movie only last eleven minutes and was extremely popular. By the end of the first decade of the last century movies had become a great source of entertainment for the public with movie companies growing in greater numbers. From this time period, the movie poster would get a standard size known as the one sheet measuring 27 x 41. The Genesis of the Modern Film Poster A common format of the film posters from the period preceding the Nickelodeon Boom of 1905-6 was what Kathryn Helgessen Fuller refers to as the audience image. (Kathryn, 1999) From Edisons 1901 poster for a Vitascope exhibition in Birmingham to a Cook and Harris advertisement for a 1905 showing at the Elks Opera House in New York, the audience is shown in almost stock fashion in these images, namely, enthralled by the wonder of the new medium. On these grounds, Fuller identifies the audience image with what Tom Gunning has called the cinema of attractions, a mode of spectatorship and film production which preceded the arrival of narrative cinema and in which the apparatus and its illusion of motion was itself the star attraction (Tom, 1990). In these terms, the audience functions in conjunction with a larger attempt to foreground the apparatus and the uncanny illusion of reality it produced rather than to advertise the content of the film. The latter is utilized only secondarily, that is, only in so far as it magnifies the former (Michal, 1992). While Fuller is eager to establish the virtual disappearance of the audience image from film advertising as coinciding with the movement away from actualities and toward narrative cinema, the audience does not necessarily disappear from film posters after the first decade of the twentieth century (Sandy, 1994). Rather, they that take on a new role, one that is best illustrated by a Mutual Movies ad from 1913. Here, the audience is divorced from the apparatus. Gone are the catatonic viewers of the Edison images. Instead, these well-dressed filmgoers serve to assuage the fear of the middle class audience that theatre owners were now courting and to counter campaigns waged by activists like Jane Addams who saw the Nickelodeon as a house of vice. While the waning of the 19th-century fascination and astonishment with the cinematic apparatus certainly transformed the audience image, its disappearance only occurs after the middle class audience had been successfully procured by the film ind ustry (Sandy, 1994). From this point on, it is the moving image itself, rather than the apparatus or the spectators that comes to take precedence 87 in publicity material. As the pair of posters for D.W. Griffith 1915 film Birth of A Nation illustrate, for the most part, this meant either lithographs which took from the circus and other promotional material a bold and dramatic style, or posters based upon still photographs from the film (David, 1995). It is crucial to understand this movement toward the still in the context of the 1909 drive of the Motion Picture Patent Company (MPPC) to consolidate and standardize distribution and exhibition (Pafic News Service, 1995). First, through what Richard Abel calls a combined strategy of lawsuits and licensing and second, through the formation of the conglomerate General Film Company in 1910, the MPPC established film distribution and exhibition as, for all intents and purposes, a closed market(Nancy, 1999). In light of this consolidation, underway in virtually all aspects of the industry, the still offered an additional benefit. Since producing ads for specific theatres would be impractical for a company such as the GFC, which served an extensive and diverse group of exhibitors, the still presented an image devoid of the geographical specificity of the audience image, one that could be mass produced without variation. What ensues is a standardization that begins with the reconfiguration of the poster itself. For example, in 1909, the Klame Company began creating pos ters in dimensions that would be equal to the size of eight lobby cards (seven scenes and a title card), allowing streamlined shipping and standardized lobby displays (Engineering News-Record, 1999). The standardization of form was followed by the standardization of content as printers such as Hernegan and Donaldson in Cincinnati created a line of stock posters that represented the prevailing subjects of the films of the time and that could easily be tweaked to represent a given show (Alan, 1999). With shipping expedited and printing costs minimized, film manufacturers soon began sending vast quantities of literatureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free to every exhibitor,(Moving Picture world, 1911) and trade publications such as Moving Picture World began offering advice to exhibitors on lobby displays, promotional tie-ins and publicity stunts (Parsons, 1927). In an article entitled Theatre Managers, Wake Up! the trade journal encourages the obsessive decoration of the Nickelodeon It is all well en ough to let the storefront make the circus display outside his place in order to attract a crowd (Parsons, 1927). However, the shift from the audience image to the still image initiated a standardization that does not alone account for the interconnectedness or metonymic exchange between image and film that began this inquiry. The latter must be understood in conjunction with an exhibition practice that preceded both the establishment of conglomerates and subsequent standardization of exhibition. As Tom Gunning points out, it was common practice in the 19th century to begin a showing with a projected still image which would, after a dramatic pause, suddenly be granted movement (Tom, 1999). In fact; Albert E. Smith developed a water cell between the film and the light source that would allow the projector to hold the still without catching fire precisely for this purpose (Andre While the aesthetic of astonishment and the cinema of attractions were relatively short-lived modes of spec tatorship, this residual connection between the still and its magical transformation gained a new currency within the film poster. In focusing on dramatic, climactic scenes, posters such as Griffiths Birth of A Nation presented images that were themselves caught between motion and stillness and as such asked the audience to internally re-enact this early practice. From the point of view of spectatorship, the result of this standardization between images in combination with the implied motion of the still itself is a peculiar displacement that Andrà © Bazin would later diagnosis as the art of not seeing films. In a 1944 article of the same name, Bazin, perhaps the ultimate cinephile, makes the provocative claim that a film can be legitimately be read, at least with seventy-five percent accuracy, by the posters which advertise it. In essence, by reading the image through an elaborate graphology the image gives way to the film proper and in those cases where the film one sees through the poster is of inferior quality one can safely choose not to attend its showing. Seeing the film no longer necessitates the theatre or even the film itself. The arrival of the still as the dominant graphical reference to film experience in combination with the standardization or codification of advertising practices make possible the metonymic exchange between the poster and the moving image of the film. With the web of standardization established between images, the film poster appropriates the ability of the filmic image, both moving and still, to exceed itself only to recuperate this excess elsewhere. This inquiry has focused on the poster and obviously each visual mode of extension constitutes its own unique discourse that must be approached on its own terms. However, one cant help but think that in a general sense it is this dispersal, endemic to the filmic form and perfected with the commercialization of the film industry, that grants film, a by now thoroughly antiquated technology, its continued relevance and vitality. In these terms, the evolution we have traced through the film poster is not all together different from the curre nt migration of the cinematic across media and in turn time and space. The artefact that Barthes finds in the trail of posters is therefore both the anomalous element within our conventional understanding of the cinematic experience and also a record of the past. The latter, however, points simultaneously back to the birth of commercial cinema at the same time it prefigures the migration of the cinema across digitized formats where the materiality of the film and its space of presentation bring this process of portability to near completion. The Change of movie posters over decades 1910s 1920s In the early days movie stars werent known, so the names of actors did not appear on the posters. Besides the movie studios liked it that way so they wouldnt have to pay more money to actors. Things certainly have changed with actors like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis commonly getting checks over or around 20 million dollars per movie. During this early period in movie history movie studios realized that movie stars were as much an attraction for the moviegoer as the movie itself. So the movie star was born, and movie posters started showcasing the names of the actors as well as the title of the movie. The bigger the star the bigger their name appeared on the poster. Other promotional materials were soon used such as the lobby card and the press book. In the 1920s, the golden age of the silent movies, posters became more artistic and spectacular. Accomplished Artists were hired to paint portraits of the stars for the movie studios to be used as movie posters. By the mid 1920s talkies as they were called were introduced. Movie attendance shot up to 110 million by 1929 from 60 million in 1927. During this time movie poster images would become sharper due to a new printing process by the Morgan Litho Company. 1930s The Golden Age of Movies as it is known in the movie industry saw the beginning of great musicals, gangster movies, westerns, and horror movies created for the growing public hunger for movies. One of the biggest money makers of all time came from the end of this decade, a little picture called Gone with the Wind. Two styles of movie poster were created, one sheets and half sheets. Major movies would sometimes get more than the two different styles. However due to the depression of the time a lot of movie materials had been created more cheaply, causing movie posters to lose some of the quality as they had previously. 1940s 1950s World War II came and war movies were the biggest theme for movies of the time. A number of movie stars joined the military and the entire industry did what they could for the war effort. The movie industry cut advertising costs using cheaper paper for posters due to the paper shortage of the war time. The 1950s would see the invention of the movie industrys biggest competitor, the television set. The movie industry came out with bigger screens for large scale movies like Ben Hur, and 3-D movies. Drive-in movies were at their peak, and movie posters adopted a style of the new fan magazines with colour photographs of the major movie stars and large stock lettering. 1960s 1970s Teen movies were the big thing in the early sixties. Beach movies and Elvis Presley ruled the movie theatres. James Bond stirred up the action genre, but by the end of the sixties into the seventies times were a changing and posters reflected this change of attitude towards sex and violence. The 1970s were more of the same as everything changed. Gone were the simple days of Andy Griffith and Mayberry. Hello Dirty Harry! Before the decade was over Clint Eastwood would make our day, we would see gangsters in The Godfather, cheer Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, race off to other parts of the galaxy in Star Wars and Star Trek and be made to believe a man can fly in Superman. Movie posters used photography occasionally using drawing and painting styles. Star Wars and Star Trek posters were the most popular creating collectors out of many today. Movie posters at this time were now being printed on a clay-coated paper which gave them a glossy finish. 1980s 1990s The age of special effects blockbusters, the 1980s broke records with awesome films like The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, E.T., more Superman movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark, 2 more Indiana Jones movies, more James Bond movies, Ghostbusters, Batman, Back to the Future, The Terminator, more Rocky movies, and dont forget Rambo. This decade meant more screens per theatre and more advertising material. The mini sheet was invented, and the video store became popular creating the video store poster. The 1990s saw the beginning of new computerization technology used in films like Jurassic Park. Batman was forever until the movie Batman and Robin, Arnold was back, and Independence Day blew away the competition. The one sheet continued to be used for posters as well as the mini sheet. 2000- Today Spider-man has web spun his way into the record books, DVDs are slowly replacing the VHS video, and posters are sold in many stores with reprints of movie posters currently being mass produced. The beginning movie po

Physics of Karate Essay -- physics martial arts fighting

The basic ideas behind any style of karate can in general be reduced to the goal of achieving the most effective movements with the least effort. Specifically, with a strike such as a punch, kick, knife-hand or similar, the karateka attempts to move smoothly through the strikes, conserving energy towards the impact point. When thought about in terms of energy, the most common equation is that of rotational kinetic energy, or KE=(1/2)mv^2 + (1/2)Iω^2. Another way to think about a strike is to attempt to focus as much force as possible at the point of impact. In many strikes, this is facilitated by drawing an almost straight line with the striking tool from the original point of rest to the point of impact. This is based on the fact that the fastest path between two points is a direct line, and greater speed leads to corresponding greater force upon impact, as shown by Newton's Second Law, F=ma. This equation also leads to the conclusion that if increased mass is used in the strike, the force upon impact will be greater. Because of the obviousness of this idea, most strikes are thrown through the rotation of the body in some way, instead of simply from the arms or legs. The body has much more mass, and therefore contributes greatly to achieving a strike that is highly forceful, yet doesn't require nearly as much effort as one thrown from the extremeties. Front Stance Equations: W=mg ÃŽ ¤=IÃŽ ± ÃŽ ¤=Fr; friction F=ÃŽ ¼N The most basic part of a succesful technique is a proper stance that is well grounded and solid. This helps in many ways, including providing the initial push behind a technique, grounding the karateka during the moment of impact, and providing a solid base from which to defend against an attacker. ... ...rown into the rotation, the more energy is contained in the leg at this stage in the kick. The next stage of the kick switches to upwards and forward rotation of the knee around the hip joint. This is also connected to the equations v=ωr and KE=(1/2)mv^2 + (1/2)Iω^2, thus KE=(1/2)m(ωr)^2 + (1/2)Iω^2. In a properly executed kick, this transition is completely smooth, and energy is conserved. This leads to the idea that a vital part of a proper, focused front kick is how quickly and smoothly the back leg is pulled forward. The last step in the kick is the upwards rotation of the foot around the knee joint, the kinetic energy of which is found through exactly the same equations. To ensure that the energy is expended on forward impact rather than upwards, during the rotation around the knee, the hip should be extended forward slightly just before impact.

Friday, July 19, 2019

My Philosophy Statement Essays -- Progressivism Teaching Education Ess

My Philosophy Statement Education is a very important aspect of our lives. It is our education that makes us who we are and determines what we become. Therefore, education is not something to be taken lightly. As a teacher, my goal will be to provide the best possible education for my students. Every student is unique. I must see students for who they are individually and respect their ideas and opinions. Each student has a different learning style. I must take this into consideration because I want to provide a constructive learning opportunity for every student. I believe that every student has the potential to learn. My philosophy at this point is progressivism. William James and John Dewey are accredited for developing the characteristically American philosophy that is progressivism. Progressivism relies on the theory that the student should be the focal point. By adjusting the curriculum and teaching techniques to reflect the student’s needs and interests, the teacher is encouraging the student’s desire to learn. Another theory of progressivism is that of a democratic system. Students will fare better in life if they are exposed to the ideas and cultures of different ethnicities and personalities early. By encouraging group work, instead of solo work that will lead to competitions, the students will be more open minded and will be better prepared for the diverse world. A branch of progressivism is logic and it is one that the students will come to know by the progressivist ideal that what is learned in the classroom has relevance to the real world. Progressivists believe that education should mirror life. Education often uses past experiences to gain more knowledge, much like life. Therefore, e... ...book. The teaching methods used in a progressivism classroom supports the idea of problem-based learning wherein the students are required to develop original solutions to existing or potential societal problems. Together with the teacher and classmates, students are given the opportunity to speculate and question the world around them and the world awaiting them. Within small peer groups, for instance, students are encouraged to discuss, share and compromise. The teacher is there to encourage this process rather than to provide prescribed solutions. Similarly, the learning environment is collaborative and democratic, giving opportunity for all to speak their minds and receive feedback from peers as well as the teacher. This continuous loop of feedback, potentially positive or negative, serves as the means of assessment for problem-solving based instruction.